diff --git a/generate_reference_files.py b/generate_reference_files.py deleted file mode 100644 index 9ff8edb137e644c0364467aaba61f64d457f791b..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/generate_reference_files.py +++ /dev/null @@ -1,18 +0,0 @@ -import os -from glob import glob -from datasets import load_dataset - -os.makedirs('./reference_files', exist_ok=True) - - -for split in ['validation', 'test']: - for domain in ["default", "books", "electronics", "grocery", "movies", "restaurants", "tripadvisor"]: - dataset = load_dataset('asahi417/qg_subjqa', domain, split=split) - for data in ['question', 'answer', 'sentence', 'paragraph']: - with open('./reference_files/{}-{}.{}txt'.format(data, split, "" if domain == 'default' else f"{domain}."), 'w') as f: - f.write('\n'.join(dataset[data])) - if domain != 'default': - length = [len(open(i).read().split('\n')) for i in glob(f'reference_files/*{split}*{domain}*.txt')] - assert len(list(set(length))) == 1, length - - diff --git a/reference_files/answer-test.books.txt b/reference_files/answer-test.books.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 098a2701d208439a33ab7933a1d7ebc0466c8656..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/answer-test.books.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,191 +0,0 @@ -This book was wonderful -relationship is very sweet and it was nice to see -I found this section of the book personally interesting -The characters could not have been better -the strong side -and with such an expansive cast of characters, sometimes it can be hard to remember them all or they end up sounding alike, but all these characters are easily identifiable as themselves -The characters are rich and fantastic -Every now and then -This book ran true to my memories -But I absolutely loved it -My favorite aspect of this book is the fact that the ending had my stomach in knots and gripped with suspense -perspective was great -He has some good info -The plot device of finding each clue and solving it got a little bit tedious at times -the characters so much and the writing is just terrific -The beginning was interesting -All this happened because I was interested in a single book -The overall story was good, but not really intriguing to me -The characters are memorable and well written -The ending was interesting -I really enjoyed both the characters and the story setting -Imagine living during the middle 19th century as a free man -Michel -I was disappointed that there wasn't an overall theme -The idea for the plot is an interesting one -but would not have it on my own personal shelf -So beautifully written, so uplifting, I am so happy that I gave this book a chance -That is why I gave it one star because I hated it -the characters are so rich in their descriptions that I feel I would recognize them on the street -I had to choose it for my review -Book -Story line was very interesting -it is very good and worth the time and money -The journey that this little boy took is absolutely amazing and worth the little bit -The characters were interesting and the history was sad -All good characters have flaws -complete characters -I have a different set of reasons than most -Character development is very intricate -Christian Grey, a mega rich -who read it, I loved "Seabiscuit". Loved it. I found this surprising given the fact that I had never had any interest in horses or horse racing before. But from the first sentence, the prose in that book is as beautiful and engaging as prose can be."Unbroken" is not "Seabiscuit". Don't get me wrong, the story is remarkable, and it's exhaustively researched. You can't sneeze at 397 endnotes. But Laura Hillenbrand's writing in this outing is less like poetry and more like reporting. Jammed with details, the book reads like the world's longest New Yorker article.The topic is hardly new. WWII has been pretty exhaustively covered, and this particular story has been told before. The hero of the book, Louis Zamperini, published his own memoirs only a few years ago. The hardships of war and the cruelty of the Japanese come as no surprise.Louie's story is so remarkable and so detailed that, frankly, it strains the limits of credulity. I'm not challenging the facts; I'm just saying that it's a lot to remember. Personally, I wouldn't even want to. I wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes drifting in that life raft. I would have eaten all the chocolate and stuck my head in a shark. How anyone could remember the ordeal in hour-by-hour detail is beyond me.Ultimately, I couldn't finish the book. I feel bad that I didn't have the strength to read the experiences someone else had to live, but I gave up on about my third POW camp. Starvation, deprivation, cruelty, disease, humiliation, I got the picture. Repeated cycles don't necessarily make for a great story; it just makes for a tedious narrative.Which made me ponder the purpose of the book. As a moving story, it's too detailed to carry a theme. As reporting, it's redundant and profoundly out of date. What's the take-away message supposed to be?I tried to skip to the end, but the `redemption' part just didn't grab me. It's not hard to believe that someone who lived this life would be scarred forever. I practically got PTSD just reading it. It's also not hard to believe someone who -the cover is so pretty -The characters were entertaining and the banter was witty and hilarious -ends the story still being somewhat mysterious -the cover was interesting the idea was unique -They still are drawn to one another -The characters have an amazing relationship and nothing happens between them until after TJ is a legal adult -their thoughts and conflicts that sometimes go on and on -Hassan, is genuinely, perhaps, the most decent human being you can ever come across out there -was able -the characters are so realistic -personal interest -I found the characters to be one -Perfect development of the characters -Both have the main male character being drop dead sexy, rich businessmen that are very protective -Suzy Wilson's review Apr 23 -This is my only problem really -The plot is compelling if gruesome and disturbing at several points -Women are always stronger than men -They have great character development -the journey they take was exciting -The first is that of "time slicing", which demonstrates how important information can be encoded in a very short period of time. Most of Gladwell's examples are socioloical, and the most striking of which was research which aimed to predict whether married couples would get divorced after analyzing a single conversation with them.The other concept is how the brain acts subconsciously to certain stimulus -Gillian Flynn has a great writing style and her characters are perfectly and realistically twisted -The characters are completely unbelievable in their roles -uncomfortable given the extremely detailed romantic impulses and actions of the female protagonist and her lover -Being a person who rarely reads fantasy -The tragic story -Billionaire falls for a girl and likes to be in charge of all aspects of his life -is completely unexpected and almost swathed in mystery -Jodi Picoult's The Storyteller -I loved that Sam wasn't an alpha wolf -lengthy descriptions of unnecessary things -has an amazing plot -The mystery and the romance combined are just perfect -It took half the book to develop the main character -Stop saving everyone -exciting plot -the plot is excellent in terms of its riveting sequence of events -about sitting in the dining room was so real -the main character, I fell in love with Braden and Ellie -it brought together the characters endings in a lovely way -savages with no brains that need Aes Sedai to guide them and all women are helpless and need men around to protect them, but I seem to have higher expectations.Edit update: 1/3 of the way through Book 10Ok, things did slow down a bit. Part of the issue is that there are so many players and so many tangents that it takes forever to tell one and get back to another. Still, petty good overall so I'll try and finish it out. -by Jamie McGuire -wonderful and unique way with words -the characters loveable -the -Jacqueline -What ugly, disgusting language used over and over and to no disernable purpose -At over 700 pages it isn't a quick read -The characters are rich and wonderful and the imagery is immersive -is solid writing -It was hard to read some of this, but the character development was excellent -book -characters are perfect -The characters in the book are very likeable and you can very easily sympathize with them -I like that the characters felt real -His past is so dark that haunts his dreams -good -bibliophile who loves a good yarn -Christopher as the only character with real depth and texture -the information about Berlin and the change to Nazism -The characters were wonderful, I just didn't want it to end -This one had a surprising number of pretty high -The cover is really pretty (though am I the only one who thinks the cover model looks like Mandy Moore?) and draws you into the story -The cover is stunning -characters, Anna and Christian are not believable -What a funny, funny read -as a standalone novel -The characters have more depth, and the jumping from place to place makes more sense -the swift action provided by any excellent legal thriller -Erik Larson has a unique ability to write about historical events in a truly intriguing way -She is a writer in charge of her craft -well-constructed plot -The storyline is fascinating and compelling -The pacing is excellent, and the mystery -had real depth and the romance was not the least bit one dimensional -Characters:The characters are uninteresting and boring -the characters were too lifeless for me to be emotionally invested in them -the character development, the plot twists, and the dialogue are all superb -This is hand-down the most beautiful cover I have ever seen before -I just loved this book -the characters are fabulous and addictive. I felt the heartbreaking tale of Joss' loss and subsequent lifestyle. I loved every step of her journey -characters that aren’t exactly likeable -I thoroughly enjoyed this book -Just the word "maze" incites an instant -Several twists and turns keeps interesting -This probably wasn't the best of the trilogy...perhaps the worse -the character were likable -It is a whirlwind romance -The romance is very light and sweet -create -background -That it was not over the second they found relief -The characters were delightful -Conflicted. Frustrated -so much while reading a book -other characters in this book -the plot points to be pretty transparent -This book has some good -The characters are very endearing and lovable -genius -details -The narration switches mostly between Cinder and Prince Kai -then this book has to be good -strange for me -the characters are so flat and transparent -This book was interesting -The characters are strong women -the characters are related and involved -Nassim Taleb has become more and more unbearable from my perspective -Overall it could have been good but instead just became annoyingly predictable -these characters are in their late 40s -The characters and plot line in this novel are very entertaining and thankfully -too much setting up -this book is well worth reading -The entire plot was lame only to be surpassed by a terrible ending -information in the book is truly fascinating -I thought the characters were marvelous -The characters are funny -The characters are believeable -The plot is fast -The plot, characters, and setting is much more interesting and developed than the other series -When I had only a few more chapters to read I went back to Amazon and looked to see if the author had any other books published, since I enjoyed this one so much -The characters are rich, complex -It's just a fun read and a book I feel is a must read -I became invested in the characters and plot -His characters are full of life and substance -This book started out with such promise -The characters were original, but deep down just like every other teenager -inspiring and interesting, this is an excellent book -books are the ones where none of the characters are all good or all bad -The first half was super slow and it wasn't until the second half that the character s came together and the story line rolled on -The mystery is creative if a bit inscrutable -The Kite Runner is very easy to read -BOOK.Don't -Figured the book had to have more information about everything -If I didn't already have a great appreciation for the Seals, and the great men and women that also serve, this book really enhances my understanding and gratitude. -I absolutely loved Ms. Tartt's -characters to arrive are all at least -he was a difficult man -the premise of the story is clever -It also helped that I got the audio -the characters were never really defined -Movie with caricatures instead of complicated and complex characters -the Trylle trilogy by Hocking -I implemented three different strategies described -liked this serie very much! I found it poetic and sensitive -The characters are excellent and their personalities are very individual -The story is gripping and well -The character development was great -The characters were bland \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/answer-test.electronics.txt b/reference_files/answer-test.electronics.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c18644a97ed2a8d8a33b28628820a3ba7ac52272..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/answer-test.electronics.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,238 +0,0 @@ -The case is great -The length is also good @ 2 meters -This cover is solid, well designed to let the iPad stand freely without flopping over. Travel with this safer in a backpack on airlines too. Again, this baby is built to last and protect your investment.Absolutely delighted. -If you're indoors -lenses that could find -generally fuzzy -This thing is awesome -the fans blow incredibly cold air towards the laptop -that the case will protect your iPad Mini -the case is rather unattractive if you don't account the leather strap -The picture is amazing. It is so clear and sharp. -The case is very sturdy and works well -bokeh when shooting wide open -Easy as pie to install and works exactly as advertised -Up until a couple of weeks ago -Picture quality is great as well as the quality of the cable -the range is pretty good -It just appears the buttons are flush into the glossy bevel -how great the pictures -This is a very basic item -The case is very beautiful -sensor this big -The case is built well -The sound cancellation and quality are awesome on these ear buds -but it is a fine picture -The bendy wire attached to the ear bud makes it hold tight to your ears. The clip is pretty useless, and the pouch is really small.The sound is decent. Not great. It's a little tinny and lacks any real base, but everything is audible and there isn't a lot of noticeable distortion.I purchased these to replace a pair of Shure isolating ear buds. Let's be real. They are a cheap replacement. The -they are worth the steaper price than some of the others -it becomes a little heavier than other cases -Its easy to use -The case fits my Nexus 7 perfectly and -The picture and sound are fine -fast and easy -just plug in and you are ready to go -Easy to install -Nice feeling of cover and easy to operate when opening and closing -It fits perfectly -have to program the device every time you boot up -KeyboardThe keyboard on this case is very nice -can use it on my Idea -the straps to hold a tripod seems to hold well a tripod there -The cord is really nice -my picture is stunning -the HD version -Picture quality is clear and I used other's settings mentioned on here for the picture adjustments -The speed is outstanding and the range is exceptional -This bag is soo perfect -Airbender v1.0 is still a nice case and has features that excel when compared with some of its competitors many of which cost more -small -for $40 these are by far superior to any otherThere -The cord is very long and durable -This is the best.... -Now it has become the most comfortable keyboard I've ever used -The video and audio with even really old footage is excellent -thing is so nice and easy to use -This case deserved all 5 stars! the case feels good -This mouse feels great and operates nicely when it is working -This is a nice case -the more control over light in the room the better the picture -This case has a really rugged metal -The picture on it was not good -The Flip outperforms them all -Here is what I like about it.1 -The software that comes with it is great -The picture this thing has to offer is unbelievable -older model -The pictures are poor -should work fine with any HDMI compliant video device- and at a very attractive price -outstanding recording quality -the picture quality is comparable to Dish!I'm even contemplating of buying a DVR -mouse yet it would still cut out at times -the cord is either too short and too long -Has a place for everything and holds so much -Don't expect to always get the 150Mbps -given this case 3 stars for some of the cons -P9X79 Deluxe system using the Cooler Master HAF 932 -Noticed Cyberpower also won an award recently from resellers -it feels sturdy and fits the paper -wanted to make sure the android -They were correct as my case is awesome -Has 4 extra usb ports this is great -Case works perfectly -several cases are sold in the 20-25 dollar range -the speakers should be of lower guage but does not to be the best since the cable runs are relatively short -dont be -The cord itself is great -I can fit about 5 lenses and a camera body in this case. -The case overall is nice -that tiny little camera you were carrying around -this thing has been excellent -Picture quality is simply stunning and there were no problems -MUCH better pictures in low light -has very good range -This case's flexibility makes it a leader as it swivels, and detaches, allowing seemingly unlimited combinations of viewing and portability -This cable is perfect. It's well made and heavy-duty -This is a great wireless mouse -the picture on it is beautiful -I think that the performance (colors, contrast, brightness) is very good for home use -the fan is really really good -I didn't get any range improvement in one area of my house and my main laptop is still around -60db -so much better than the 1.8 -MLB.tv -as the STM lenses have almost completely silent autofocus -is a remarkably lightweight keyboard case -Sound is great and noise cancelling is excellent -this is a great all around lens and is my favorite for event photography and as my personal "walkabout" lens when I'm on vacation -I find it pretty average at best -The device works as it's supposed -than you're used to compared to Nikon or Zeiss lenses -The case is very convenient with the several different options available for display -It has vents on the top -this case is awesome -the bag is huge, so big -The craftsmanship is excellent -The verdict is in- this cable is a very high quality cable which works beautifully with no problems at all -antennas pretty extensively as a hobby -This case is super slim, super sleek, and fits the Nexus 7 perfectly -the setup software is easy and it's attractive -the case is fine -A cropped sensor makes this 40mm lens the equivalent of a 56mm -This product is perfect -This case is beautiful -I would highly recommend this accessory for everyone -The case fits snug to the device and allows for good support and viewing angles -will wait on you instead -These cables are great -I am a 39 year old male and this review is for the Zune HD and what it is like to OWN one so that others may decide if they want one. First off, you will notice that this review is "Amazon Verified" - yes, I purchased the Zune from Amazon and waited a couple of weeks to actually USE the product before submitting a review of it unlike some of the others here. Enjoy....Packaging:The Zune comes in a nice small black box that slides open to reveal the contents which are the Zune HD, headphones, USB cable and some paperwork. It's very stylish and nice. Not much else to say as the box has been tucked away ever since opening.The look and feel:Ever since the first time I saw pictures on the net of the Zune HD I have wanted one. Being a previous owner of a couple of different MP3 players the Zune was a must have just for the looks alone. It really has nice lines and the color is just right; black and silver. I hate this new term "sexy" and cringe when I hear a guy say it about an electronic device. It does describe the Zune but I won't call it that. The weight is very nice and it feels good in your hand. I love the modern look and if they ever turned this device into a phone I would by one in a heartbeat! I sometimes hold it to my ear and think, "WoW what a cool phone this would be." The Zune logo on the back and a simple "ZUNE" on the front - very elegant. On top is a power on button, the left side a volume rocker and the home button on the front. The bottom is where you plug in your headphones and next to that is where the docking connector/USB cable plugs in. It's the kind of device that has looks that will never get old and you want to just keep staring at it. Very pleasing to have something you want everyone to see.The screen:OLED - it's the big talk these days. I have a few pictures on my device right now and I have to say they look great. The blacks are true blacks because the device shuts down the pixels where there should be black so you see true blacks and vibrant colors. Outside I agree with most folks about the glare. I have the brightness turned all the way up and it looks nice inside but outside the glare on the glass makes it as if you want to look at the reflection then back to what's on the screen. I don't see this as a problem as I can't imagine any other electronic device no matter what it is not having this same problem. For me, I can still see what is on the screen and have no problem with it. It is just the right size at 3.3 inches.UI interface:Although inside the box there was no manual you would really have to be pretty stupid if you couldn't figure out how to navigate on this device. Also, on the Zune web page is everything you need to know about how to work this device - who needs paper these days anyway??? The transitions from screen to screen are so fluid, smooth and animated. The touch only needs to be light and it works flawlessly. After using the device for a few minutes you get the idea of how to navigate. You start off with a list of items to choose from on the main menu; pictures, music, apps, ect, etc. As you click one you dive into that section and dive even deeper as you work what ever you have chosen clicking/touching away. At all times the home button on the front will take you back to the main menu. The accelerator zips from landscape to portrait very fast and smooth. I really like that and feel the tegra chip inside is working for me without strain when I see this - video especially. Multi touch works well and tapping is fine too especially on the web browser. Everything is laid out nicely and there is no confusion about how to find something. This is a plus for first timers and experienced users alike.Zune software: (APPS & Marketplace)This is a free download and helps you manage the Zune contents and updates. The software mimics some of the icons on the Zune so you quickly identify the UI and what you need to click. Syncing is a breeze and Zune will let you customize what content you want on the device and what you want Zune to do with it. I have all of my MP3's in my music folder on my computer and it grabbed all of them when I plugged in for the first time with no problems. There are some complaits about the software and how it takes forever to download - not true. There are not a lot of apps right now. I hope this blossoms as the months go by. I have downloaded all of them so far as they are free but would gladly pay for any others if they should come about and would be useful. The weather app is nice and lets you add as many cities as you want and shows you not only current conditions but a five day forecast as well. The calculator well is a calculator. The games have been just OK - I feel they do not utilize the Tegra chip but in the future I am sure the games will utilize the chip as it would be a waste if they didn't. There is a chess game, Texas hold em, space ship shooter, a Bejeweled like game, soduku, and some game where you try to figure out where an item is hidden after mixing up three robots. All are fun for a short while but I wait for more advanced cool games. Also the games have ads just before they start - we are talking about 5 seconds of a video clip. For a free download I think they have every right to put this here. Also, FOUR to FIVE SECONDS is what we are talking about. Is it that much time??? Patience!!!! The marketplace is just something you need to experience. Music, Videos, Podcasts and more.... EVERYTHING is here for you to choose from. There is an option for a Zune pass and for $14.99 a month you can go nuts with this and download as much media as yo want - you get to keep 10 songs a month too. This alone is worth buying the Zune HD. There is so much content at the market place that I can't really explain. Imagine walking into a store that has no one in it but you and the inventory consists of basically every kind of music you can think of as well as tons of other types of media just for you alone to walk up and down the isle to choose from. I just hope for more apps in the future and (I know) this thing just came out so while I wait for apps I will enjoy my Zune....Docking station:I went with the basic Zune HD sync doc ($49) and lucked out with it. There is an A/V dock you can purchase too($89). I will tell you the only difference between the two is 1) the price and 2) the A/V doc comes with the HDMI and optical cables. So if you already have these cables, which most of us do, save $40+ dollars and get the regular sync doc. I have a review on the doc here on Amazon (where I purchased it) so check that out. It is nice to just plug it in and sync and charge. Also I can hook it up to a TV if I wanted or a receiver and utilize the Zune to transfer music and video to my home entertainment center. The doc compliments the Zune and is very stylish looking and most importantly - Functional.Battery life:The OLED must be doing what it is supposed to do - save power. I take the train every day to work from Milford, CT to Greenwich, CT and I can go about a week without charging using the Zune about an hour or so a day. Wonderful! The only thing I have noticed is the back gets warm when in use. Very strange. I have been impressed with the battery and hope it stays that way.Screen protectors:I never had one before and at the time I received my Zune there was only Ghost Armor available. I got one screen protector and had no problem putting it on but being a noob I didn't spray my fingers and my finger print was stuck on the adhesive side. So I took it off. Ghost armor was very nice and sent me a replacement but instead of just the screen protector they sent the full body armor - how nice of them! This time around I was very careful and it went on with no problems BUT....I noticed the screen protector was about an eighth of an inch too short on top. It was enough to bother me so I took it off. (I know you are thinking I am nuts) So I looked and found BodyGarudz on the net. Not only do they sell TWO screen protectors for the price of ONE but it also fit perfectly. I used the squeegee and applicator solution from Ghost to put the BodyGaurdz shield on - why? Because BodyGaurdz's applicator solution wasn't as good as Ghosts and Ghost's squeegee was much better than BodyGaurdz. So my insane suggestion - go with BodyGaurdz for the screen protector. One other thing - the Ghost armor seems thicker - I can feel the sharp edges of the plastic now on the Zune because it has full body protection. I hope they come out with some cool cases so I can rip this stuff off and throw more cash down the drain...! The BodyGaurdz screen protector is thinner and looks great.Internet: (WiFi)The browser works well on the Zune HD. I connected to my home network in seconds and at work it's even quicker. You can tap and multi-touch to zoom in and move the pages around. The keyboard is OK and can be used in landscape or portrait mode. You can store pages in favorites and check AOL mail and what not. It uses Bing to find what you are searching for. I use it mostly for mail as at work the computers are restricted but WiFi is open. You can sync via WiFi and download too which is very nice.Music (Sound):There is an internal equalizer with different settings depending on what type of music you are listening too. It works OK - the music sounds fine to me. I didn't use the supplied headphones as I have a pair of Sony Ear buds and they work better for my ears. The music sounds great and the interface is cool - volume can be operated via the rocker on the side or touch screen. Filtering music, making playlists and and just listening is a pleasure - this is what I got the device for - MUSIC - so everything else is just an added bonus to me. I haven't bothered with the HD Radio much but it is cool to have. Remember...added bonus....Conclusion:I just love this Zune HD. It really is functional for what I need it to do and the style, look and feel are just so right. I hope this review helps you in your decision. I will continue to update this review in the future so check back and best of luck to you and take care! -very well protected in the case.3 -the sound is quiet and clear -I do recommend this lens -Solid enough build quality -Cable is nice and long, and flexible -This product has a belt holder (clip) -backgrounds -never lose this one -I give it 5 stars for indoor antennas -its the best mouse ive ever had -Sound quality is very good but not as good as my wired Senheisser -Range is excellent, gets reception over 50 ft away -Images are clean and crisp, and the autofocus is butter smooth -cool blackout look -This is ridiculously fast -Store it for fun things -The picture was outstanding -This charger looks good, and functions great, and the price can't be beat -this mouse is pretty good -does -case I actually like it -The mouse is stable and comfortable to use for big hands -this thing is PERFECT -more advanced autofocus system and that wonderful electronic level and wonder if I made the right choice -I have medium sized hand -(Update)This mouse suddenly started working for me after months of the frustrations I listed below -It has a really nice -One was the main router and the other was an access point connected to the first via Ethernet -There is just so much to praise about this camera -the Winegard antenna picked up only stations from the direction the antenna was pointed -the picture quality is awesome -The potential for this once pandora -Range is excellent -For the people who complain about wire quality -and quality is great -the size of the phone-end of this cable would be too large -The mouse is very smooth and easy to use -build quality is cheap -The wires are sturdier -This backpack camera bag is an excellent buy -the build of these headphones are solid -The lens is built dust and weather resistant -The only thing that -The image quality was good on this camera but the speed was lacking -the picture gets stuck -The case wakes up or puts to sleep the kindle -the ear fit is good -is a sturdy, well-constructed product that does the job and this certainly does that -this lens is unbelievably useful in low light to no light situations -This mouse is excellent for gaming -I had heard that the new software -The lens is tack sharp -The touch is good and the touchpad works perfectly -The picture is excellent -These headphones are amazing -i have a macbook pro so i don't have many usb -Working -a heavier and bulkier lens -Pretty basic ear peices -Picture is absolutely incredible -The reception and sound are great -very sleek and stylish -light feature is awesome -The build quality of these is exceptional. They are thick and well shielded -The picture is great -However outside, in my car placed this unit on the dashboard -Both are low profile -The strap could be softer and wider -I figure if 2300 has this much power -This lens is awesome -image quality that will blow most consumer -I have always only used Logitech keyboards and headsets -The mouse is very excellent and easy to use -The build quality and quality for the price are amazing -I understand it has an extremely high -I have been a headphone fanatic for thirty years -For me, these headphones are BETTER -thank -The mids sound great -Picture looks great and no issues -the Video was better -The instructions were easy to follow -A very high quality bag for your DSLR -The case is surprisingly light for its seemingly durable construction -. I find the software to be fairly intuitive -There is only one -It has great wireless range -The picture is amazing -The LCD screen on the back is crisp, clear, and bright so you can see it even in daylight -This product is easy to set up and works in my 2007 Pontiac G6 Convertible -brightness are great -It works great -This is an excellent case for the Nexus 7 -It was actually a breeze despite not being very intuitive -The sound quality is clear and the bass loud -The photos are clear and bright -the images that are produced are stunning -I recieved the airbender bluetooth keyboard -This small briefcase can be used for netbooks -Picture is sharp and crisp -the fan itself isn't super loud. There is an adjustable dial to change fan speed -I hope you have better luck -there is little special with any cable modem. This modem is DOCSIS 3.0 which is the -can attest that the blue LED is extremely bright -The sound quality is amazing -Picture quality was terrible -the case closed -and the 'wingspan' with the three antennas attached makes it about the same footprint as a 15" laptop -The idea is good, but the execution is pretty bad -This lens is awesome -the cord gets loose at the earphone or at the jack -but if you use the iPad rigorously this case is perfect \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/answer-test.grocery.txt b/reference_files/answer-test.grocery.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 206fe36cf147d9602219e43b430eab090cd677d8..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/answer-test.grocery.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,379 +0,0 @@ -The chips are very tasty and have good texture -I eat it, the dog eats it -The aroma is rich and delicious -mini -delicious and very flavorful -for me has medicinal benefits for me -The flavor isn't as great as the packaging -The -The flavors even sounded good -This natural oil has so many uses and is extremely healthy -These are definitely a winner, and any chocolate lover will give these two sticky-gooey thumbs up -unique flavor that I've never had before - really original, which is hard to come up with in a tea. I'll buy it again, plus I'll try some of the other interesting looking flavors that Lipton -This tea is aromatic, smooth, and pleasant. Happily -covered in cinnamon or gooey'd up in honey -The Switch Black Cherry flavor as well as the Watermelon Strawberry -the taste is spice and nothing behind it -the ingredients were and how low in fat the single serve -these chips are nice and crunchy -I liked the cookies for their flavor, pleasant aroma and texture -There is natural flavoring added -The flavor was bland and I did not care for the texture which I found to be pastey -These cookies are NOT good -This tea has a mildly sweat citrus flavor -some vanilla flavoring -I love me some oatmeal cookies. Throw in some chocolate chips instead of raisins and you have the ultimate experience -I love trying out new flavors -It has a very strong, deep aroma. Very much like being in a Turkish coffee house -The filling has a light, creamy lemon taste -All the flavors have an earthy taste -These are the little cups that you use for the tea machines -the flavor of each of the selections was simply awful -It's also very good for making popcorn -The cookies are perfect for a light treat with a cup of tea -perfect served hot or iced -price is good -It reminds me of the days when I was young drinking Boones Farm Apple wine on a Friday night -the cookie is bland -the flavor seemed a little weak compared to other kinds of teriyaki beef jerky that I have had -I, however, thought that the flavor was perfect -It is a mix of whole grains, blueberries, and flax seeds that are then lightly flavored with vanilla. -The nuts are what make this bar tolerable. The texture without them is unpleasant -This stuff is strong. It's billed as a coffee drink, but it really is more of an espresso, so keep that in mind -light aroma -same -This tea has a warm, spicy flavor to it, sort of like chai. -These cookies would be better if they were made -these are dry and crumble easily -The aroma while it is brewing -The flavor is excellent -that is not the flavor that I experienced.)What I liked -sauce is tasty and creamy -Lipton Herbal Pyramid Tea Blackberry Vanilla has a nice aroma that features herbs -This is good water -The tea comes out perfectly -bacon doesn't need chocolate -slightly spicy kick to it -Numi Teas are the most wonderful teas I've tasted in a long time -Lipton To Go Stix Iced Green Tea Mix is convenient and refreshing -the regular fudge dipped oreos -The oils are nice and pack some flavor -salad -I am looking forward to trying more Prima Taste stuff based on how good this was. Highly Recommended -The coffee is smooth -I love the flavor of this -Perfect for snacking -this food is processed in a facility with nuts -this tea with the warmer days -I use a lot of organic coconut oil for baking and as an addition to vegetable dishes -This tea is very aromatic. It has a very smooth flavor. -regular processed cookie -naturally sweet flavor -because the lemon adds to the flavor and brings out the best in the tea leaves which makes the tea taste bright and lively -The tea has a nice spice flavor -many of the cookies were broken -it has a very mild coconut taste and aroma -It's got the tiniest tinge of spice -they are tasty and have a nice crunchy flavor -I really enjoy the flavor of ginger -I really enjoyed the taste and flavor -The flavor is very balanced in body, mouth feel, acidity and spiciness -The flavor is pleasant and not overly sweet -Spicy, sweet, flavorful, fun, crispy, lower fat than chips -The cookies were fresh and delicious -Kettle Brand chips don't have trans fats -16-CountI have a hard time finding spiciness in the flavor -Viva Labs' coconut oil smells great, tastes great, and adds a hint of coconut/sweetness to whatever I cook -Caramel Apple Cobbler Clif Bar -it's just too strange a flavor and too weak for my taste -The cookie advertise all natural and they are good -it definitely is a very strong chocolately flavor -It has a wonderful flavor -lacking authentic flavor -taste a fruity -The taste of the Pomegranate licorice is strong and sweet -This -The 100-calorie pack is very convenient -the outer cookies were great -The coffee has a very strong aroma of vanilla -This Blackberry Vanilla sounded delicious -definitely different -I am a big fan of all types of cookies -The tea is decaf -There are 4 grams of fiber -I would make it a point to purchase this flavor in the future -the variety pack there might have been a few 'bold brew' that tasted like coffee -The cookie is thin and light and crispy -other flavors might be better -that the flavor is pleasant and it is nice to drink -The tea isn't bad -I've wanted to try dry rendang -While eating the bar -the taste is good -These cookies are fantastic! -This green tea is mild -This tea is so delicious -This herbal tea is well balanced and pleasant -the price was great too -The flavors of the teas aren't overly strong as one would have assumed from smelling the tea bag -I'm not much of a juice drinker -The ingredients are all natural -My wife couldn't really taste the basil and she thought it was bland -I cannot recommend this drink -flavor was just fantastic -What I do know is that these chips are very good - crispy and airy -Very taste little cookies with rich chocolate fudge. The cookies were fresh and delicious -The flavor is strong and enjoyable if you like ginger and dark -By combining all three flavors, it becomes too much -before enjoying a cup of tea -I'd certainly give it a go if another flavor was available -makes your skin very smooth -the price of other K-Cups had gone up much more than I liked -The -It has a sweet and spicy -in goes the powder and voila, instant iced tea drink (well, instant in that you have to shake it first). The flavor (mango pineapple -This water is a nice little pick me up, but not something I plan on buying -Energy Drink Fruit Punch isn't overly sweet & is similar in flavor to the powdered drinks -I love dark chocolate -this tea is great -tasty meal that my entire family praised -amazing taste -the tea itself is excellent and it provides the great flavor -I am not a big French Roast fan as it tends to taste bitter to me and acidic -It's quick, convenient, and easy -Newman's Own stuff tends to be a bit pricy for me -Though in my opinion this coffee -These kind of taste like -I enjoyed it so much -try Lipton's new Tea & Honey -very interesting fruity flavor -my -Tea isn't a beverage for me -Good quality decaf green tea -I'm a pretty big fan of tea -This tea is perfect -this tea is very strong and bitter -green tea -These chips are very crisp -these cookies are yummy -more room to spread through the water so the infusion of flavor is stronger -Got the box yesterday and have already used 4 teabags -It smells great -has exactly the right balance of sweetness and coffee flavor -I loved the taste -Vitamin Squeeze Energy drink is a concentrated fruit punch flavored water additive -creamy, and the peanut butter center is not as crisp as a traditional Butterfinger bar, but creamier with just enough "Butterfinger crunch" to add interest.I like how they are packed. Unlike competing peanut butter cups, there are no paper wrappers around the candy. The candy is simply formed in the shape of a cup. I like this because it's less packaging and requires less effort to unwrap and consume.I consider this product a treat -- a candy product, after all. So I'm not going to belabor the nutritional value -The Fischer & Wieser Mango Ginger Habanero Sauce does add flavor and sweetness to food -Like any food product, your opinion of the product will depend on your taste preferences and also your expectations -My favorite tea isYogi Green Tea Mint -The taste was fine -This tea is very good -the aroma was a bit off putting with an odor that seemed slightly bitter and earthy -are added. I'm left with a neutral reaction -The candy is creamy and smooth -Raw Fruit & Nut Bar, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)is my favorite and I love it best -Numi inspires well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea -each one of them is good in its own way -This chocolate is only 54% cocoa solids -this is a great food -flavor and consistency are very similar -Flavor: It has a reasonably bold flavor, which I like -there are numerous energy drinks out there. -great crunch -very tasty but very high in calories -The color of the bar isn't appetizing; however, the taste is pleasant though a little too nutty for my preference -I liked these cookies very much -has a very interesting fruity flavor -I have been drinking a lot of green tea -is very nice and the low acid -mocha coffee is that the flavor is more subtle than in a lot of flavored brews -This version of the water flavor enhancer has too little flavor for too much money -coconut flavor was a bit too strong -The apple and cinnamon flavors are mild and natural -light aroma -They're just sweet enough to satisfy without loading you up with sugar -I eventually realized that there were two general classes of teas -so these Mio flavor enhancers are a lifesaver in our house! I personally prefer the peach tea one because it has a more natural flavor -I love the flavor of ginger -This tea is nice with a strong hint of fruitiness -white chocolate filling that is DELICIOUS. Several guests have tried these, and it's fun watching their eyes go wide when the flavor hits. These make for a decadent treat and look really classy left in a bowl for guests. Of all the individually wrapped bonbons or truffles I've had, I think these are my favorite. The white chocolate really is just so luxurious and delicious -The fusion of exotic ingredients creates new flavors that work quite nicely. So if you think this might be too hot, fear not, it is just very tasty. It is an excellent grilling sauce -the stuff tastes good -This aromatic tea is pure pleasure - spicy, fragrant and relaxing, while at the same time being an ideal first-tea-of-the-day wake-up -I was pleasantly surprised by this drink -you will find me nearby happily munching away -the aroma while brewing smelled artificial.The other reviewers who mention how greatly improved the flavor became once cream was added is an indication of a consistent problem. I love the taste of coffee and like it unadorned - no cream or sugar. I only add cream if I am in a restaurant and the coffee doesn't taste good. I use the cream to doctor-it-up in hopes of salvaging some of the flavor and masking the poor aspects whether caused by bitterness or coffee that's been sitting in the pot too long. This coffee is no exception, the cream vastly improved the drinkability, but the action is akin to smearing butter on a day old roll. Underneath it is still a stale roll, and although the butter tastes delicious, it would not be accurate to call the combination a buttery delight.On the positive side, flavored coffees are usually light body and the Gevalia is definitely medium body. The packaging is quite attractive and the name is clever, but in the end may work against the product because Dark Chocolate Truffle evokes a clear taste profile for most people and the coffee doesn't live up to the name. I am rating the coffee three stars instead of less because if the purchaser always uses cream in their coffee, many of the taste issues I encountered should be if not resolved, at least mitigated. -I like the texture of these chips -I'm trying my first bar of PURE Organic Cherry -It has an excellent flavor -The chunks are like little explosions -the flavors were delicious -Very pleasant tea -It has all the savory flavors of the soup without heaviness and calories -used to love Tazo but Numi is my new -This is a very good tasting granola -Taste -this has a light spicy flavor -But I must say that I was expecting a more robust tea all around (pu'eh may taste like dirt on its own, but it is a pretty full-flavored tea) -It has enhanced each one of them like no other coconut oil I have used in the past -But, this one is really good -Since I am a fan of flavored coffee -The flavor of this tea is somewhat subtle even though I let it steep for several minutes -the flavor was just piquing -Practically perfect like Mary herself! -The flavor is just okay -The chocolate flavor is super rich -These Peeled Snacks Organic Apple Clusters are a healthy choice if you want something sweet with a good crunch -inChips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies -I did not taste any vanilla flavor -The bread was fresh -this flavor is very nice -This tea is quite good in the morning -I drink Lipton iced tea -and is small enough to even please those on diets -Full Leaf Black Tea -My husband enjoys the 'taste' of stevia -the overall flavor is fairly mild -The ingredients are good for you but with not nuch flavor -This drink has a pleasant aroma and a spicy -Are your children asking for soft drinks, but you don't want them to have all that added sugar? This is a wonderful alternative -I believe Pu'erh tea is supposed to have health benefits -They are crunchy chips that are not fried, and not baked, but created using heat and pressure to make them pop into being -The cookies are moist and soft -The woodsy taste of this sauce -I liked the flavor and really wanted to like the bar -my body felt equally moisturized -The whole mix of flavors is nice -The flavors of the peppermint weren't overpowering -the vanilla flavor is a little strong for my preference -The cookies arrived fresh and in good shape -good food -even more acceptable to drink tea at the office -very complex flavor -Dark Chocolate Truffle flavor -I drink tea every day and I love -Yes, the cookies are soft, but they really aren't as "gooey" as the name implies -the tea tastes great -thought it had a good taste -it has a hint of smokey flavor that is almost wood-like -The aroma is amazing -"Gee, I can't tell if these are homemade or store-bought!" -This is a very tasty and spicy beverage -the cookies have a purity of flavor -crunchy cereal that has a slight sweetness but none of the prefab who-knows-what of supermarket cereal -I love raspberries and hot sauces -sweet -The price is great -cut oats you will love this -tried -organic, conventional -taste is amazing -The flavor is not great -The flavor is great -the flavor can almost be tart tasting -I found the aroma to be very complex and pleasant -I really like the flavor of this tea -At just 50 calories in a 6.8 ounce can, it seems almost impossible that the drink should be this good. At once slightly sweet with the bitter tinge of a good cup of coffee, illy issimo rivals the Starbucks' espresso shots for quality quick canned coffee drinks -PURE fruit and nut -healthful product that nurtures people and honors the planet -chocolatey -Aside from the price -It's made from natural ingredients and doesn't contain artificial flavors -nice -the price is decent -Nothing artificial -I do love tea -The water is on the pricier side -As far as flavor goes, the ginger was just too strong and nasty -This cereal was perfect -The taste is fine -It has a unique flavor -The Ginger Tea is a pleasant cuppa -bit bland -Excellent meal replacement bar -I love ginger and lemon flavors -sweet quality -of my babbling -it's DELICIOUS -This tea is great -opened -The taste was fine, just not the sensation -delicious and flavorful treat for tea lovers -This tea is absolutely delicious -The cookies are crispy but also crumbly -Good quality decaf green tea -non-traditional ingredients -It has a really enticing aroma -However I don't like the taste -the smell of vanilla is strong -a decent package -Tea is my favorite beverage for just about any occasion -The flavor wasn't bad, but it was overpoweringly blackberry -the nasty flavor that dark teas usually infuse after the tea bags are left in too long -I didn't enjoy the taste of these at all -The flavor on the whole was not bad -This is a wonderful quality white jasmine tea -pleasing aroma -This one was spicy -This is NOT your usual type of tea -it's the best one -these cookies actually are very soft around the edges -there is 1.4g of sodium -I generally don't add anything to any green tea -And you get that nice, subtle coconut smell … mmmmmm, does it make my wife smell yummy!I -is a good thing -paying -this tea wasn't very good as iced tea -They are pretty crunchy -The flavors of the teas aren't overly strong -fish and vegetables and have had good results -Also, the price was decent -good overall flavor -This tea is good -I didn't particularly find it any more refreshing than any other water -the flavor was a bit too bland -flavors are delicious -The cinnamon is way too strong. It made me sick at my stomach -The lovely aroma was so enthralling that the family member who dislikes -are any good -The price point is a bit lower now, which is a good thing -I first saw these cookies at "Big Lots" discount store. They were on sale there for $1.80. Their appearance in Big Lots means that they didn't sell especially well or too many were made so they were shuffled off to an outlet store. This doesn't have to be a bad sign, but it often reflects that a product isn't the most popular among consumers.These are not the best that Keebler has to offer in their cookie line up, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. On the plus side, the cookies have a decent texture and are crispy and fresh. The filling has a good lemon flavor, albeit an artificial one. They're also very sweet, but most sandwich cookies with a cream-style filling are. That's often the purpose of the filling, but it can be overpowering cumulatively if you're not having a drink along with them.Usually when I sample a product which I'm not crazy about, but I think it's generally okay, I wonder who the target market is supposed to be. Given the Keebler brand mascots, I tend to think they're targeting children, but lemon isn't that popular a flavor among kids (who tend to prefer chocolate or vanilla). My sense is that these are not going to really appeal to most kids are are too sweet for most adults. This may explain why they're on sale at Big Lots. Though not a bad cookie, I wouldn't go out of my way to have these again. -but it's not an unpleasant flavor -The fruit punch flavor is nice -The flavor of peppermint is not very strong -The aroma is great -As with any food or drink -This particular flavor is quite different from the standard powdered mixed drinks -heard -I do like some flavored teas, especially cinnamon -the wild blueberry organic pure bar -About this product, it must be said: I didn't have very high hopes -I'll stick with the classic Oreo -The smell and consistency of this licorice are good -great chocolate taste -these chips are crispy and tasty -The coffee didn't have an artificial flavor and was actually quite good -nice chocolate taste and nice aroma -GOOD -This tea will be a regular now in my rotation but it may well be my regular morning tea -Both flavors are distinctive -Switch tastes like tangy, carbonated orange drink -Both the flavor and texture are superior -flavor that a keeps it from getting -The flavor of it was very delicate -Some of these teas were black teas, while others were green teas -These cookies tasted fresh and crisp -There is just a remarkable variety of teas available and in general their flavor is a bit more intense. But I also like the convenience of bag teas -The flavor is delicious and it's very refreshing -I was not disappointed -The flavoring is present but not overpowering, which I enjoyed -the price is excellent -This creates a rich (but not overly strong) soothing vanilla flavored coffee -I sensed a metallic like aftertaste -Recommended for taste and low acid -my first time trying Cardamom Pu'erh Tea -The flavor is fantastic -This is pretty good cereal -GREAT flavor -The Ginger Tea -the flavor after brewing was still deep and rich \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/answer-test.movies.txt b/reference_files/answer-test.movies.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 485aee1f57235355e9e6671bc187aedb7a4d80c5..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/answer-test.movies.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,154 +0,0 @@ -The costumes are magnificent -he does a wonderful job as Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle does a wonderful job as Miss Elizabeth Bennet -The movie ending was great -season was that it was not Mulder -the goal is to try and survive while killing all others -There really is nothing funning about the Holocost -acting was so cheesy -the costumes are so authentic -The acting was very good -The sound quality isn't as good -"Open Water" is a low-budget, mildly thrilling shark flick -The acting was overdone -GOOD -The sound is crisp and clear and during the battle scenes is very impressive -Acting was tremendous -Season two is just getting on my nerves -This is a dark film in all senses of the word with very few likeable characters -the suspense was great -The suspense slowly builds up because we don't know what kind of movie we are in for -The costumes and staging are superb -The direction by Ang Lee is flawless in almost every frame -had a lot going against it -just barely above mildly interesting -This movie was fantastic -In confronting the issue of drug addiction -there are three reasons -Her performance is perfect -underrated gem of a suspense -The costumes and sets are gorgeous -The script was poor -The picture quality and sound are fantastic -everything is fantastic here -The plot is great and the two princess are extremely lovable -Some of the plot was a bit disappointing -the writers kept it a little too big -Bought this for my wife as a chick flick -Her performance is outstanding -The acting is stellar -I am a Christian (NOT Catholic) who was brought up Unitarian -It's a very interesting and important scene -Seasons One and Two of BUFFY are Origin Years-- establishing the show's mythos in Season One -few good moments -The acting was amazing -animation is very special and in 3D -The acting was much better, the script was emotional -the books created by J.K. Rowling and the whimsy and fantasy of those tales must remain no matter the cost -wide-screen DVD -Most notably -The violence and gore are severe and off -excellent -the cast - incredible acting -superb storyline -excellent -performances of the three starlets was amazing -the actors pulled off the dramatic ending well -The acting is flat and one-dimensional -The special effects are excellent as is the underwater adventure -His performance was moving and emotional -it was fantastic -Ofelia's father has been killed in the Spanish Civil -it didn't really have much action -the entire movie was not filmed using this technique -The image of the featureless, pasty- -director's cut, its vast superiority to the shortened -The truth -in a television/movie -I am a long time fan -As for the controversy as to whether this film is actually Kubrick's final cut -this season was a good -Bale's performance is superb and I think it's the best of his career. Jackman is also very convincing and the supporting cast is flawless. I'm always impressed by Rebecca Hall, but Bowie's cameo as Tesla was a revelation -historical costume drama -So what if the story isn't very original -The 3 seasons have been wonderful -uneventful plot and characters completely void of depth -which I've found to be excellent whether pushed through a 5.1 home theater or stereo headphones -the dialogue is clunky -Dennis the Menace" is probably the better movie, in retrospect.I just saw -transformation into Darth Vader is more like the -the case with the cornball science fantasy movie -details are sharp, colors are vibrant and blacks are deep -to the original material it was based on -It is really a film about timeless qualities now hopelessly out of fashion: things like duty, honour, loyalty, friendship, mutual -the outrageously elaborate costumes -Russell Crowe's performance is absolutely brilliant -am a Spiderman fan from way back -This movie is not funny at all -The ending was absolutely awesome -the film isn't funny -the action packed ending does run a bit long. -costumes were spectacular without a doubt -cram as much of the book in as possible -The deleted scenes are very funny -are genuinely good, with great actors and superb visual effects. Definitely recommend. -the cutest -The story is sadly lame and contrived -movies are primarily visual works of art -no bad language to express how they were really feeling and half the story and edge gone due to editing -the ending is clever too -showcases -The new crew is excellent and the story is good -The individual performances by the actors were stellar in every way -his performance is amazing -VERY impresssed -features too. The picture looks great!!! Thank -good -This film is almost flawless -the story in detail -I recommend this movie to those who like a good laugh -the costumes are gorgeous -The only bright spot in the movie was that Jar Jar Binks was reduced to cameo performance -The acting and dialogue is not good either -First -Wars"-film a greater emotional impact."The Phantom Menace" is definetly not on par with that film, nor has it the originality of "A New Hope", but still I liked this film a lot. I actually found it better than "Return Of The Jedi". Even those who dispised the movie must acknowledge that it has its merits. The special effects are fantastic, and in contrast to other films with superior FX -Charlize Theron and also having a terrific storyline -This movie was very depressing -Picture and sound are awesome -enough about the price drop -This film presents a very good and deep insight into the world of drug addiction -I don't think it would have worked if they had done a serious -The sound also got a boost from the original mono track to stero -The acting is superb -first season was a great start to the show -the acting non-existant -the twists were all great -After a horrid third film and a suprising fourth -It proves I was wrong -Burlesque was AMAZING! I fell in love this the movie! Dancing, singing, storyline, acting -The script was terrible. The direction was terrible. The only reason I can come up with for the film's popularity among so many Superman fans is that they have been so hungry for a film that they would have liked almost anything. I give it 2 stars for at least trying to make Superman relevant again.The thing to remember is that even though Superman has Kryptonian abilities, his personality is 100% human. He was raised since infancy on a farm in Kansas. He might feel different, but at heart he is a small town American and this film completely missed that. In focusing on the 'alien among us' angle, they gutted Superman's personality that was so well portrayed by Christopher Reeve and Brandon Routh. The Clark Kent we have all come to know and love through the years was completely missing. There were so many elements of the plot that made no sense. There was CGI overkill. Superman Returns had some plot problems, and could have put Superman in a few more action scenes, but overall that movie was far more faithful to the origins of the Superman character.The fact that Avengers was so successful should prove that a superhero movie doesn't have to copy The Dark Knight to be a hit. A superhero movie can be light, it can be funny, it can be human, and still be a fantastic movie. I have nothing to say about the relationship of this movie to recent comic book adaptations or graphic novels. As a movie, it is no better than all the other CGI-fests out there with tons of explosions and destruction. Superman is supposed to be special. -The acting is unbelievable -The Rock and Flair put on great performances. Surprising ending -In 20 minutes -Acting wise the movie is poor -This is the most perverted, disorganized movie -Marvel Magic -The performances given by Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellwegger, Queen Latifah and Richard Gere are perfect! -The book was entertaining -the performances were outstanding -"Star Trek Into Darkness" is excellent -This ending should have been King's ending and I usually never say that about a printed piece of work from an author -The stories so fun and exciting and fresh compared to the turgid retreads of modern -I celebrate both nudity and sexuality in all cinematic shapes and sizes and varieties -It was heart-warming and wonderful, sad and depressing -This show is addictive -but I found the movie to be fairly true to the book -discussing politics or religion -The actors are all fine -When her acting career fizzled -policemen -sound were crystal clear -Frank Sinatra gives a moving and powerful performance -from beginning to end -Liam Neeson is great and the story itself is very poignant -The movie is very violent and has some sexual content so be warned -The Dark Knight is the sequel to director \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/answer-test.restaurants.txt b/reference_files/answer-test.restaurants.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 3f1214fa74f69b84cef5d7361a50ace34a44c95e..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/answer-test.restaurants.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,136 +0,0 @@ -style steamed bun. Great starter -the place is beautiful -very pleasant and helpful -What I like about -The place is awesome -regarded place -Jimmy's Coffee was a very average experience -the first thing that hits your nose is the smell of pork bones simmering away. You can also ask for less lard but why. Toppings: I love bamboo, glad it's included. I also had seaweed, slice of fish cake and green onion. Extra toppings are pricey (corn is $2.50, egg $1.80) which I didn't opt for. Chashu: Seems like I got the chashu scraps...got two small chunks of meat cut along the grain and a slab of pure fat. While it was tender, it was upon leaving the restaurant and seeing the display of noodles that my friends told me that they both got 2 regular slices of chashu. What the. Service: Friendly. Fairly quick turnover of tables. Bathroom: The sketchiest bathroom I have ever been in. My friend said it was like being in a horror movie and I had to agree. Dim eerie staircase leading to a dark dirty bathroom with a low ceiling. Given how popular and clean the restaurant is, they definitely could have forked over a little bit of money to improve the washrooms! -which isn't too bad -the mill Thai restaurant -If you like guacamole, you will love their chips and guacamole -service is not bad -Good vibe, neon décor -My second experience at Pai was great -The staff is very friendly and attentive -do yourself a favour and spend your money elsewhere -cheap the drinks -Always impressive service, whether it's brunch or dinner. Great -Good service -the restaurant did a great job in keeping everything well organized -the decor is stunning -The patio was busy -Highly recommend hot sauce -The last experience here when we came out -Fantastic food and relatively inexpensive -All the dishes we tried were so good! We got the lamb and it was unreal and good drink menu -good food and wine -I loved the whole experience! The view is incredible -Service was great -it was the perfect opportunity -They have an easy online system -vegetarian options -The decor is fantastic -This place gets packed at dinnertime, -fantastic steak meal -I'm not a rib expert so maybe the baby back ribs were supposed to be dry -nice patio in the summer -This place is very hit or miss -The girl filling our coffees and grabbing us ketchup seemed to hate existing in this world -Excellent -Good selection of beers on tap -I highly recommend dining outside if you love patio dining -restaurant -The place is crowded meaning -The waitress we got was impatient, rude, sarcastic, and just a horrible server -The view is breathtaking -Overall a good spot to stop for a beer and snack -The sauce or lack -At the encouragement of one of our group members -I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone who's looking to celebrate a special occasion or somewhere nice to go for a first date. Just don't expect to be blown away -waitress was very friendly and prompt. We didn't have to wait very long for service -mostly come for drinks on the patio -The atmosphere here is cool -I ordered the BetterBeer -I finally see the light -the sushi is not fresh- actually chewy -I went here with high expectations -The coffee is always strong -I liked the atmosphere and the vibe -the bar is awesome -The vibe and decor of the place is really cool -The view is also breathtaking -Service here wasn't to bad either -suggested it and ate at the bar. No -drinks are okay priced but really really good -Probably one of my favorite places in Toronto for Thai food -Probably the best seats since you get to watch how the drinks are made -The options at the restaurant include various food options that are also vegetarian friendly which is very important to me -You can eat indoors or in the patio, which is shaded and pretty large -They have a gorgeous patio -though they could be a bit more crispy and warm -I came here on a Saturday around noon expecting a huge line up, which there was. I was told it would be an hr wait , which wasnt a big deal because things seemed to be moving well -Good place to hang with friends -Great restaurant, the oysters were awesome -Great BBQ -having the menus labelled for persons with dietary restrictions -The Mad Man was served in a very cool pipe shaped glass -it has become one of my favourite Coffee / Breakfast and Italian lunch places -a whole lot of food -the way the flavours all melded together was perfect -fantastic view over the lake and city -The sushi -the warm ambiance -You come here for the experience, not so much for the food. -martini which was nice -a good place for a group of friends to get together -the service is really slow -she would be right back to take our order for drinks -but our waitress was no where around -Small portions and alil pricey -Drinks are pretty expensive -the decor gives a great warm home feeling -The service was really good -Befuddlement Draft -the 3 stars is for the attitude of the restaurant -Drinks are a little pricey -Drinks were unique but expensive and if you want to overindulge this wouldn't be the place -Its always delivered on amazing wings -The service is good and the atmosphere is inviting -In my many years of living in Toronto -I recommend the baked brie and the octopus balls -Delicious -The interiors are gorgeous -Love this place -Seems like the drinks are great -I love taking in the views -They have a fantastic patio in the summer -Upstairs have additional space and it will be a take out / snack bar as per the staff -The setting is intimate, cozy and comfortable -the owner is very friendly & was helpful. jerk chicken poutine -the patio is open during the summer -Overall it was a good experience -place -. The mussels was delicious -good food and reasonable price -my first anniversary -I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere -The decor was unique and cool- -it was a cool place -and hopefully better -patio is gorgeous as it looks over liberty and is very airy. The food is good, but nothing to rave about. The pizzas are fresh, which is nice, the Cobb salad is kind of just a salad (with no blue cheese :[). Overall, food is good, but it kind of feels your average run of the mill chain restaurant. Come here to drink after work for the views if anything. -bar was busy and the bartenders didnt stop moving -The patio is GREAT -drinks with friends at the cafe -Khoa San Road is probably -Great food (tasting menu) and great service (Greg and Seth) combined for a special meal -Best restaurant in terms of everything -the rice was too soggy -We enjoyed one of the best tables on the patio, -Also goo prices with the portions you get -been disappointed -there.. i called them and they said they have it.. when -Guacamole is decent, drinks are ok,the rest is a mess -The ribs were over cooked and dry -The wait time was long -coffee is really delicious \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/answer-test.tripadvisor.txt b/reference_files/answer-test.tripadvisor.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 0230893ffd43c06600be7019e5b93abe4a921fcc..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/answer-test.tripadvisor.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,397 +0,0 @@ -the pillows were great and everything about the room smelled good -and generally good service. I booked the room directly with the hotel -The location was excellent -Our room was clean, well appointed, if a little snug and comfortable. The bathroom wasn't brand new, but was just fine. Service was very good overall. We had to wait a bit too long for our room, but the staff did everything they could to get it ready for us as quickly as possible. As everyone else has noted, no A/C! This was pretty awful, as the rooms get quite warm, especially the smaller ones. If you left the fan on all day, it helped cool things down a bit.Our room was the very last one in the hotel (450) so we were on the main road side, which was quite noisy at night. Lots of sirens and road cleaners going past at all hours. Also, the free wireless didn't reach that end of the hotel, so if that's an essential feature, ask for something more in range of the front desk, maybe. Custom Burger was very expensive, and not at all worth the price in my opinion. The shakes are fantastic though! Right across the road at the Good Hotel, is a pizza place on the bottom floor. Good pizza, good prices and friendly staff, esp Ashanti. Eat here over CB anytime. The location isn't great -The room was very small but clean and unique -Location was fantastic, -It was the most disgusting room I ever stayed in -noisy.the room next to me was so loud -The nighty wine reception in the lobby from 5 to 6 was also a great bonus -There's a great family diner across the street for breakfast -The room was very comfortable -Room gorgeous with view to the West, almost could see China in the distance -the city, near to shops, malls, Chinatown, trollies, public transportation -enjoy shopping -The actual hotel itself is OK, the issue we had was the -Everything about this place was excellent. For the very low price -breakfast was great and our housekeeper was absolutely delightful -hotel with a decent location -the hotel and on the 6th floor -The hotel is centrally located and was great for shopping at Westfield -We did the rest of the trip -: comfy, great pillow -pillows very flat -Great location -There was also a serious lack of storage space in the room -the complimentary breakfast was awesome -That street is very loud and alot of traffic -the room the smallish -There was no smiling at all from -big rooms -The hotel rooms are small -great restaurant recommendations -The breakfast is better than the usual Continental -the breakfast in the lovely Silk Restaurant -the Dunkirk suite. It is a corner accomodation with great city views -My room requirements were done perfectly -the Westin St Francis from the 29th -location is awesome -. The staff are very cool -the rooms are very small -The wine hour in the cozy lobby was great -The restuarant is very small and didn't have a chance to eat there -The Hotel is beautifly decorated and was immaculate in condition -Had a great breakfast -the location is great for shopping -the wine hour is very nice -great city view -The hotel is in a very safe area -Breakfast was convenient and good -Hotel Carlton is a good place to stay and it is a good value -Excellent shower head with great pressure -wonderful breakfast -room was a little small but very clean and the bed was very comfortable -Some rooms had working phones, tvs, lights, other rooms didn't. Very inconsistant. Bedding was dirty, one towel in one room -The rooms were clean comfortable and affordable -two blocks -The location was ideal -rooms very a little on the small size -This hotel is located in a fabulous location near Fisherman's wharf -The rooms were obviously recently remodeled and were very nice -continental breakfast -The food is very expensive. Breakfast while ok -LOCATION - average -constant noise day and night -And breakfast at the hotel restaurant, it was terrible and overpriced -breakfast is basic, but free, so very convenient -The hotel is definitely well run -Our room was not extra large but we would only be sleeping there -The room was very clean, updated, with a cool view of the city below -The hotel is a bright spot in a not-so-nice area of SF -The rooms were big and the service was warm -hotel was in a great location -the rooms are fairly run down and not particularly clean -The high floor rooms need time to cool off -THe room was a little on the small side -The onsite restaurant is outrageously overpriced -bedroom area and very cramped sitting -Sadly -the location so near to Fishermans Wharf was great -It reminded me of European boutique hotels that I've stayed in -The area isn't too bad. Just don't go west or south (Tenderloin). Go north, and you hit Nob Hill. Go east, and you hit Union Square -quiet with no street noise)- -Internet is $17 per -Their staff was rude -it's a decent location -Great restaurants nearby -The gym is great -It's in a handy location -The rooms are tiny -comfortable room -Hotel is in the path of lots of street noise -I was concerned about trying a new hotel in the Union Square area -roomservice is great -breakfast was delicious (scrambled and boiled eggs, sausage, quiche, danishes, scones, croissants, assortment of breads (great sourdough, wheat, white), fresh cut fruit, coffee, tea, orange juice, and cranberry juice -Location is excellent less than 2 blocks from fishermans Wharf & -We find the overall location perfect -The room was a bit small but given -The rooms were clean and nicely decorated. The rooms were also quiet and we felt safe -it had good reviews -the service is poor -The location is fantastic with restaurants, shops, diners very close. -The continental breakfast was great -The breakfast was a wonderful -Room was in good shape -the hotel staff are very friendly -. The location was great -We enjoyed San Fran. way more then we ever thought -The breakfast was good, although the "hot" items were lukewarm -The price was great -but they do not bother you -Room was very big with loads of storage space -The breakfast was complementary -The room was decent size but the decor was beyond outstanding -Our room was small but very unique and quaint -the high price -Incredible location -If you have it, go spend your $200 plus a night somewhere else -staff were excellent -The front desk was friendly and prompt -There was also a serious lack of storage space in the room -the staff are excellent, -Excellent location -incredibly noisy -breakfast was great -This room was cleaner -The room was clean and comfortable -Breakfast was also pricey -18 -Lovely location would go -was nicely -where folks on our floor had breakfast -The rooms were very spacious -My negative experience began with the reservationist who booked a King Room for us -Loved my stay. Great location and breakfast was great -Not large rooms but enough -room was small, smelled like smoke although we asked for a non-smoking room -and good restaurants -The rooms are a little small but the front desk was friendly and helpful -The room itself was a bit small -There are countless kiosks in the area for different tours and attractions -impressed for the pretty -only about $10 -There are various inexpensive but good restaurants nearby -We got a great deal on this hotel on Priceline for 3 nights in mid February 2009 -The quality is good, with fresh high quality pastries and coffee as well as cereal, boiled eggs, bagels, cheese, fruit, tea, etc -The front desk was very friendly -The room was a good size if not big -small -room was very nice -The breakfast was very average -The rooms were probably a bit small -great continental breakfast -Our room had a queen size -expecting a great comfortable place to stay after -Bathroom was luxurious -was small, kind of dingy and smelled musty -The free wine hour was great -the four nights we were there -The rooms themselves were plush -The rates were very reasonable -The location is superb -location was perfectly fine -The new rooms had beautiful light -the staff were extremely helpful and friendly -lovely pillows -Comfortable bed and great pillow -spacious quarters -rooms are wonderful -I did like the breakfast -the hotel was very good, considering the price and location -St. Regis is the nicest and coolest one I have stayed at yet! The decor is modern, but not over the top modern, just contemporary. Beautifully appointed entry and very welcoming staff. They walked me up to my room to explain the new technology - which is highlighted by a digital device that controls everything from room service to lighting to the do not disturb sign, all with bedside convenience. The beds are fluffy and obviously extremely clean. The place was spotless. Bathroom necessities smell amazing, was tempted to swipe them! The gym is great -the room quite small when we were trying to dry out our soggy clothes -Room was on the smallish side, but perfectly adequate -Room: not too big but very well furnished and decorated -a great atmosphere -The location of this hotel is wonderful -Many restaurants just blocks away -got a room with a spectacular view -plenty of restaurants -Our room had a huge closet where we stored our luggage -The room I stayed at was the best Marriott property room I ever stayed in -quot;continental breakfast" -The free breakfast was decent -The view from the 16th floor was amazing -perfect location -the room was cute -breakfast is basic -They offer a full and delicious breakfast -horrifically noisy, both from street traffic and denizens of the hotel itself -street noise and noise -the staff was freindly and attentive -It was immaculate -The room was awesome -Free -room's door the smell of dirty old man body order pierced through my nose making my eyes water -The exceptional thing that happened is that I had mentioned being in town for my birthday -motel -amazing location -the pillows were great -Our room was dark and dreadful -hotel less than acceptable -The rooms are so beautiful -Customer service is also very poor. We met several rude staff -I LOVED the room -Breakfast was minimal (coffee, tea, and excellent fresh muffins) -Room was on the smallish side, but clean -The location is superb-- -This place doesn't have to try too hard to be ultra hip or cool -The breakfast was delicious and varied -close to Union Square neighborhood, cable car on Powell street and public transportation at Market/Powell bus and metro/BART -beautiful room -very clean and in good shape.. they also use newer keys than the old magentic cards -we received our favourite room. -comfortable rooms -The room was amazing and in fantastic condition with great decor -What makes a great hotel experience? In my opinion it's the -The breakfast was a bit expensive -The room itself felt dirty -Rooms are huge -the noise from Lombard Street is very loud -The room had an aweful musty odour, furniture and soft furnishings looked tired and the carpet was in a terrible state -The room was very well appointed with quality furnishings -excellent location in the heart of all the shops and things to do -The location is great - very central and always felt safe walking around the area -the bar and restaurant are on the expensive -The rooms are roomy -the location and view was perfect -Nice clean spacious rooms -The hotel is in a very convenient location for tourists and close to lots of shopping -Very nice -Rooms are smallish -the pillows were very small -Hotel rooms were very small -reasonably good condition -Day and our room was disgusting -Rooms are big -The room was large, bright and airy. The bathroom was large enough -near the business district -The room is very petite -They recommended both a French and Italian restaurant and both were within walking distance and just delicious -Free wine reception -return from the Hotel Nikko this afternoon -Restaurant is on the pricey side, but there are plenty of less -Some rooms had working phones, tvs, lights, other rooms didn't -I shared a room with two double beds and our "biggest" complaint was that there weren't enough electrical outlets for us to charge our wireless phones and Garmin gps units -The location was awesome -I was greeted by a broken switchplate and the odors of both mildew and cigarette smoke -Location is fine - no need to go into the Tenderloin unless you choose to do so and only a 10 minute walk downhill to Union Square -The room was great size for the four of us -rooms are gorgeous -You are really paying for location with this hotel. This is also a historic hotel -The Cartwright is just four blocks from Union Square, with theaters and shopping nearby -good view of the city -Room was nice, with all the amnities you need -sacrafice that for a great rate. Restaurant was pricey as hotels are. They ran out of empty refrig's to replace our pay-mini-bar, but allowed us to remove and replace items without a charge to store our leftovers & drinks. Beds were comfy with lots of fluffy pillows. Valet staff was more friendly and helpful than concierge. Parking, valet only, was $42/day + $5.50 tax. May look into public parking across street next time. Very close to subway stations, large mall, & trolley stops. -Hotel staff were uniformly nice -great continental breakfast -This was a great alternative -The location was handy - we were able to walk everywhere -The breakfast was excellent with a number of different choices -complimentary breakfast beverage order for not too big a hit so we went that route and enjoyed a more affordable -Breakfast was a nice add -The yellow 70's bathroom bothered me the most as it was very dirty -The complimentary breakfast is great -Simple breakfast -cheerful staff -location were amazing -The continental breakfast was a nice starter -Our rooms were quite large and impeccably clean -Probably will stay there again just because of how well we felt they took care of our family -The location is great -Rooms clean, warm and comfortable beds -rate also included -breakfast - great food -rooms looked cosy and clean -my room (King suite) was HUGE -short 10min walk to the water front -Boston Breakfast is expensive for what you get - much better value in the Omni in Boston! - which is hard to beat for breakfast! -Located in the financial district -Friendly and helpful manager -the hotel looks very magestic -It was the perfect location and so comfortable -great!)Breakfast in the morning was nice -Internet is available (wifi in room -The room was nice -we asked for a twin room and it was tiny, 2 tiny single beds that were like a saggy lilo. Overall a horrible hotel and -Location, service, accommodations and staff are excellent -We were located right beside the breakfast reception area -My husband and I just returned from a trip -there was a good atmosphere -was comfortable, clean, and spacious -The room was large, clean, and well maintained -breakfast in the morning is incredible -the location is that this is not a great section of Market -rooms has 2 double not queen beds and NOT enough room for 2 people -wonderful breakfast -the location can not be beeat -The room was horrible -I was able to have a light breakfast -First time booking -The free breakfast was decent -is right at the end of the Powell trolley line -i was able to see golden gate bridge we loved the jet spa bathtub -The breakfast was basic -$109/night -the reception staff were very friendly and understanding -easy access to the shopping district and a Walgreens -Located at Broadway & Van Ness -the room was not very spacious -There are lots of restaurants within walking distance -That room was nice -The room had much dust -The Continental Breakfast was quick and convenient -The hotel itself is very nice looking with a modern decor. -The room was quiet and spacious -The desk staff is extremely friendly and helpful -the rooms are a good size and everything is clean and modern -The location's great as it's near Union Square and Westfield Shopping Centre -There was a light breakfast offered -so the rooms are not huge but the are beautiful and clean -The Hotel is in a great location -fabulous breakfasts -This hotel has great amenities -rooms were clean and nice and a good size -The wonderful and bountiful breakfast spread in the morning on each floor -The rooms are comfy -Many restaurants were within walking distance -Wharf and Pier 39 -it is fine -The room was outstanding -Great location -I had TONS of shopping and restaurant hopping to do -The hotel is walking distance to many attractions -have a courtyard room which I gather is a better option -The room wasn't huge but had an awesome bed, an LCD TV, Bose clock radio, etc -There are restaurants near the Holiday Inn -The room is very small -Oh and there is also fresh fruit in the gym -We have a room with 2 beds, very tight! -has a fantastic restaurant -it is way, way, cheaper than hotels in the general area -The location is fantastic -Tuscan Inn was great, location to the wharf -Breakfast is limited to toast and muffins with plenty of choice -Read all the reviews prior to booking -great breakfast -front desk was very rude -This hotel is a DUMP -The breakfast on each floor is simple but nice -which proved to be a bad location -We enjoyed the location of the hotel -Friendly personnel -Good location in town, decent sized rooms and pretty helpful staff -rooms were not particularly clean -Room was large -The hotel is in a wonderful location at the top of Nob Hill -The breakfast is fine -in San Francisco during Easter weekend 2007 -The breakfasts were wonderful -fabulous breakfasts -The location is outstanding for the convention center -the staff was superb -San Francisco -Room on the 4th floor northside -the staff was so pleasant -The location was amazing and the -The breakfast was excellent and featured homemade baked goods -gym at this hotel -The room was fine -The air conditioning unit needs to be placed in a recycling yard -reasonable buffet breakfast included, with plent to do nearby -The location is outstanding for the convention center -good atmosphere -Location can't be beat -The room at first glance was very nice but then you can see real age -A perfect location -The breakfast that is provided was quite enough to satisfy my needs and very tasty -The breakfast was decent for a hotel complimentery breakfast -Reception staff very friendly and helpful -Fishermans Wharf, and the accomadations are reasonably good -The rooms were beautiful and we loved the bathroom -the owner was very friendly and helpful -They upgraded us to a wonderful room -The food was expensive as you would expect in a downtown hotel -on Fisherman's Wharf -This hotel completely ruined -Good value for the price -The breakfast is perfect -Breakfast was fine -The location is fantastic -Horrible location -is actually a pretty big suite -The location is super - just across from Pier 39 -This place was near perfect -really good deal compared to the price and the location -My first time in SF would've been -very friendly and knowledgable \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/answer-test.txt b/reference_files/answer-test.txt deleted file mode 100644 index afdff2d9d54c25f11d142ae8725672e960b20245..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/answer-test.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1495 +0,0 @@ -This book was wonderful -relationship is very sweet and it was nice to see -I found this section of the book personally interesting -The characters could not have been better -the strong side -and with such an expansive cast of characters, sometimes it can be hard to remember them all or they end up sounding alike, but all these characters are easily identifiable as themselves -The characters are rich and fantastic -Every now and then -This book ran true to my memories -But I absolutely loved it -My favorite aspect of this book is the fact that the ending had my stomach in knots and gripped with suspense -perspective was great -He has some good info -The plot device of finding each clue and solving it got a little bit tedious at times -the characters so much and the writing is just terrific -The beginning was interesting -All this happened because I was interested in a single book -The overall story was good, but not really intriguing to me -The characters are memorable and well written -The ending was interesting -I really enjoyed both the characters and the story setting -Imagine living during the middle 19th century as a free man -Michel -I was disappointed that there wasn't an overall theme -The idea for the plot is an interesting one -but would not have it on my own personal shelf -So beautifully written, so uplifting, I am so happy that I gave this book a chance -That is why I gave it one star because I hated it -the characters are so rich in their descriptions that I feel I would recognize them on the street -I had to choose it for my review -Book -Story line was very interesting -it is very good and worth the time and money -The journey that this little boy took is absolutely amazing and worth the little bit -The characters were interesting and the history was sad -All good characters have flaws -complete characters -I have a different set of reasons than most -Character development is very intricate -Christian Grey, a mega rich -who read it, I loved "Seabiscuit". Loved it. I found this surprising given the fact that I had never had any interest in horses or horse racing before. But from the first sentence, the prose in that book is as beautiful and engaging as prose can be."Unbroken" is not "Seabiscuit". Don't get me wrong, the story is remarkable, and it's exhaustively researched. You can't sneeze at 397 endnotes. But Laura Hillenbrand's writing in this outing is less like poetry and more like reporting. Jammed with details, the book reads like the world's longest New Yorker article.The topic is hardly new. WWII has been pretty exhaustively covered, and this particular story has been told before. The hero of the book, Louis Zamperini, published his own memoirs only a few years ago. The hardships of war and the cruelty of the Japanese come as no surprise.Louie's story is so remarkable and so detailed that, frankly, it strains the limits of credulity. I'm not challenging the facts; I'm just saying that it's a lot to remember. Personally, I wouldn't even want to. I wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes drifting in that life raft. I would have eaten all the chocolate and stuck my head in a shark. How anyone could remember the ordeal in hour-by-hour detail is beyond me.Ultimately, I couldn't finish the book. I feel bad that I didn't have the strength to read the experiences someone else had to live, but I gave up on about my third POW camp. Starvation, deprivation, cruelty, disease, humiliation, I got the picture. Repeated cycles don't necessarily make for a great story; it just makes for a tedious narrative.Which made me ponder the purpose of the book. As a moving story, it's too detailed to carry a theme. As reporting, it's redundant and profoundly out of date. What's the take-away message supposed to be?I tried to skip to the end, but the `redemption' part just didn't grab me. It's not hard to believe that someone who lived this life would be scarred forever. I practically got PTSD just reading it. It's also not hard to believe someone who -the cover is so pretty -The characters were entertaining and the banter was witty and hilarious -ends the story still being somewhat mysterious -the cover was interesting the idea was unique -They still are drawn to one another -The characters have an amazing relationship and nothing happens between them until after TJ is a legal adult -their thoughts and conflicts that sometimes go on and on -Hassan, is genuinely, perhaps, the most decent human being you can ever come across out there -was able -the characters are so realistic -personal interest -I found the characters to be one -Perfect development of the characters -Both have the main male character being drop dead sexy, rich businessmen that are very protective -Suzy Wilson's review Apr 23 -This is my only problem really -The plot is compelling if gruesome and disturbing at several points -Women are always stronger than men -They have great character development -the journey they take was exciting -The first is that of "time slicing", which demonstrates how important information can be encoded in a very short period of time. Most of Gladwell's examples are socioloical, and the most striking of which was research which aimed to predict whether married couples would get divorced after analyzing a single conversation with them.The other concept is how the brain acts subconsciously to certain stimulus -Gillian Flynn has a great writing style and her characters are perfectly and realistically twisted -The characters are completely unbelievable in their roles -uncomfortable given the extremely detailed romantic impulses and actions of the female protagonist and her lover -Being a person who rarely reads fantasy -The tragic story -Billionaire falls for a girl and likes to be in charge of all aspects of his life -is completely unexpected and almost swathed in mystery -Jodi Picoult's The Storyteller -I loved that Sam wasn't an alpha wolf -lengthy descriptions of unnecessary things -has an amazing plot -The mystery and the romance combined are just perfect -It took half the book to develop the main character -Stop saving everyone -exciting plot -the plot is excellent in terms of its riveting sequence of events -about sitting in the dining room was so real -the main character, I fell in love with Braden and Ellie -it brought together the characters endings in a lovely way -savages with no brains that need Aes Sedai to guide them and all women are helpless and need men around to protect them, but I seem to have higher expectations.Edit update: 1/3 of the way through Book 10Ok, things did slow down a bit. Part of the issue is that there are so many players and so many tangents that it takes forever to tell one and get back to another. Still, petty good overall so I'll try and finish it out. -by Jamie McGuire -wonderful and unique way with words -the characters loveable -the -Jacqueline -What ugly, disgusting language used over and over and to no disernable purpose -At over 700 pages it isn't a quick read -The characters are rich and wonderful and the imagery is immersive -is solid writing -It was hard to read some of this, but the character development was excellent -book -characters are perfect -The characters in the book are very likeable and you can very easily sympathize with them -I like that the characters felt real -His past is so dark that haunts his dreams -good -bibliophile who loves a good yarn -Christopher as the only character with real depth and texture -the information about Berlin and the change to Nazism -The characters were wonderful, I just didn't want it to end -This one had a surprising number of pretty high -The cover is really pretty (though am I the only one who thinks the cover model looks like Mandy Moore?) and draws you into the story -The cover is stunning -characters, Anna and Christian are not believable -What a funny, funny read -as a standalone novel -The characters have more depth, and the jumping from place to place makes more sense -the swift action provided by any excellent legal thriller -Erik Larson has a unique ability to write about historical events in a truly intriguing way -She is a writer in charge of her craft -well-constructed plot -The storyline is fascinating and compelling -The pacing is excellent, and the mystery -had real depth and the romance was not the least bit one dimensional -Characters:The characters are uninteresting and boring -the characters were too lifeless for me to be emotionally invested in them -the character development, the plot twists, and the dialogue are all superb -This is hand-down the most beautiful cover I have ever seen before -I just loved this book -the characters are fabulous and addictive. I felt the heartbreaking tale of Joss' loss and subsequent lifestyle. I loved every step of her journey -characters that aren’t exactly likeable -I thoroughly enjoyed this book -Just the word "maze" incites an instant -Several twists and turns keeps interesting -This probably wasn't the best of the trilogy...perhaps the worse -the character were likable -It is a whirlwind romance -The romance is very light and sweet -create -background -That it was not over the second they found relief -The characters were delightful -Conflicted. Frustrated -so much while reading a book -other characters in this book -the plot points to be pretty transparent -This book has some good -The characters are very endearing and lovable -genius -details -The narration switches mostly between Cinder and Prince Kai -then this book has to be good -strange for me -the characters are so flat and transparent -This book was interesting -The characters are strong women -the characters are related and involved -Nassim Taleb has become more and more unbearable from my perspective -Overall it could have been good but instead just became annoyingly predictable -these characters are in their late 40s -The characters and plot line in this novel are very entertaining and thankfully -too much setting up -this book is well worth reading -The entire plot was lame only to be surpassed by a terrible ending -information in the book is truly fascinating -I thought the characters were marvelous -The characters are funny -The characters are believeable -The plot is fast -The plot, characters, and setting is much more interesting and developed than the other series -When I had only a few more chapters to read I went back to Amazon and looked to see if the author had any other books published, since I enjoyed this one so much -The characters are rich, complex -It's just a fun read and a book I feel is a must read -I became invested in the characters and plot -His characters are full of life and substance -This book started out with such promise -The characters were original, but deep down just like every other teenager -inspiring and interesting, this is an excellent book -books are the ones where none of the characters are all good or all bad -The first half was super slow and it wasn't until the second half that the character s came together and the story line rolled on -The mystery is creative if a bit inscrutable -The Kite Runner is very easy to read -BOOK.Don't -Figured the book had to have more information about everything -If I didn't already have a great appreciation for the Seals, and the great men and women that also serve, this book really enhances my understanding and gratitude. -I absolutely loved Ms. Tartt's -characters to arrive are all at least -he was a difficult man -the premise of the story is clever -It also helped that I got the audio -the characters were never really defined -Movie with caricatures instead of complicated and complex characters -the Trylle trilogy by Hocking -I implemented three different strategies described -liked this serie very much! I found it poetic and sensitive -The characters are excellent and their personalities are very individual -The story is gripping and well -The character development was great -The characters were bland -The case is great -The length is also good @ 2 meters -This cover is solid, well designed to let the iPad stand freely without flopping over. Travel with this safer in a backpack on airlines too. Again, this baby is built to last and protect your investment.Absolutely delighted. -If you're indoors -lenses that could find -generally fuzzy -This thing is awesome -the fans blow incredibly cold air towards the laptop -that the case will protect your iPad Mini -the case is rather unattractive if you don't account the leather strap -The picture is amazing. It is so clear and sharp. -The case is very sturdy and works well -bokeh when shooting wide open -Easy as pie to install and works exactly as advertised -Up until a couple of weeks ago -Picture quality is great as well as the quality of the cable -the range is pretty good -It just appears the buttons are flush into the glossy bevel -how great the pictures -This is a very basic item -The case is very beautiful -sensor this big -The case is built well -The sound cancellation and quality are awesome on these ear buds -but it is a fine picture -The bendy wire attached to the ear bud makes it hold tight to your ears. The clip is pretty useless, and the pouch is really small.The sound is decent. Not great. It's a little tinny and lacks any real base, but everything is audible and there isn't a lot of noticeable distortion.I purchased these to replace a pair of Shure isolating ear buds. Let's be real. They are a cheap replacement. The -they are worth the steaper price than some of the others -it becomes a little heavier than other cases -Its easy to use -The case fits my Nexus 7 perfectly and -The picture and sound are fine -fast and easy -just plug in and you are ready to go -Easy to install -Nice feeling of cover and easy to operate when opening and closing -It fits perfectly -have to program the device every time you boot up -KeyboardThe keyboard on this case is very nice -can use it on my Idea -the straps to hold a tripod seems to hold well a tripod there -The cord is really nice -my picture is stunning -the HD version -Picture quality is clear and I used other's settings mentioned on here for the picture adjustments -The speed is outstanding and the range is exceptional -This bag is soo perfect -Airbender v1.0 is still a nice case and has features that excel when compared with some of its competitors many of which cost more -small -for $40 these are by far superior to any otherThere -The cord is very long and durable -This is the best.... -Now it has become the most comfortable keyboard I've ever used -The video and audio with even really old footage is excellent -thing is so nice and easy to use -This case deserved all 5 stars! the case feels good -This mouse feels great and operates nicely when it is working -This is a nice case -the more control over light in the room the better the picture -This case has a really rugged metal -The picture on it was not good -The Flip outperforms them all -Here is what I like about it.1 -The software that comes with it is great -The picture this thing has to offer is unbelievable -older model -The pictures are poor -should work fine with any HDMI compliant video device- and at a very attractive price -outstanding recording quality -the picture quality is comparable to Dish!I'm even contemplating of buying a DVR -mouse yet it would still cut out at times -the cord is either too short and too long -Has a place for everything and holds so much -Don't expect to always get the 150Mbps -given this case 3 stars for some of the cons -P9X79 Deluxe system using the Cooler Master HAF 932 -Noticed Cyberpower also won an award recently from resellers -it feels sturdy and fits the paper -wanted to make sure the android -They were correct as my case is awesome -Has 4 extra usb ports this is great -Case works perfectly -several cases are sold in the 20-25 dollar range -the speakers should be of lower guage but does not to be the best since the cable runs are relatively short -dont be -The cord itself is great -I can fit about 5 lenses and a camera body in this case. -The case overall is nice -that tiny little camera you were carrying around -this thing has been excellent -Picture quality is simply stunning and there were no problems -MUCH better pictures in low light -has very good range -This case's flexibility makes it a leader as it swivels, and detaches, allowing seemingly unlimited combinations of viewing and portability -This cable is perfect. It's well made and heavy-duty -This is a great wireless mouse -the picture on it is beautiful -I think that the performance (colors, contrast, brightness) is very good for home use -the fan is really really good -I didn't get any range improvement in one area of my house and my main laptop is still around -60db -so much better than the 1.8 -MLB.tv -as the STM lenses have almost completely silent autofocus -is a remarkably lightweight keyboard case -Sound is great and noise cancelling is excellent -this is a great all around lens and is my favorite for event photography and as my personal "walkabout" lens when I'm on vacation -I find it pretty average at best -The device works as it's supposed -than you're used to compared to Nikon or Zeiss lenses -The case is very convenient with the several different options available for display -It has vents on the top -this case is awesome -the bag is huge, so big -The craftsmanship is excellent -The verdict is in- this cable is a very high quality cable which works beautifully with no problems at all -antennas pretty extensively as a hobby -This case is super slim, super sleek, and fits the Nexus 7 perfectly -the setup software is easy and it's attractive -the case is fine -A cropped sensor makes this 40mm lens the equivalent of a 56mm -This product is perfect -This case is beautiful -I would highly recommend this accessory for everyone -The case fits snug to the device and allows for good support and viewing angles -will wait on you instead -These cables are great -I am a 39 year old male and this review is for the Zune HD and what it is like to OWN one so that others may decide if they want one. First off, you will notice that this review is "Amazon Verified" - yes, I purchased the Zune from Amazon and waited a couple of weeks to actually USE the product before submitting a review of it unlike some of the others here. Enjoy....Packaging:The Zune comes in a nice small black box that slides open to reveal the contents which are the Zune HD, headphones, USB cable and some paperwork. It's very stylish and nice. Not much else to say as the box has been tucked away ever since opening.The look and feel:Ever since the first time I saw pictures on the net of the Zune HD I have wanted one. Being a previous owner of a couple of different MP3 players the Zune was a must have just for the looks alone. It really has nice lines and the color is just right; black and silver. I hate this new term "sexy" and cringe when I hear a guy say it about an electronic device. It does describe the Zune but I won't call it that. The weight is very nice and it feels good in your hand. I love the modern look and if they ever turned this device into a phone I would by one in a heartbeat! I sometimes hold it to my ear and think, "WoW what a cool phone this would be." The Zune logo on the back and a simple "ZUNE" on the front - very elegant. On top is a power on button, the left side a volume rocker and the home button on the front. The bottom is where you plug in your headphones and next to that is where the docking connector/USB cable plugs in. It's the kind of device that has looks that will never get old and you want to just keep staring at it. Very pleasing to have something you want everyone to see.The screen:OLED - it's the big talk these days. I have a few pictures on my device right now and I have to say they look great. The blacks are true blacks because the device shuts down the pixels where there should be black so you see true blacks and vibrant colors. Outside I agree with most folks about the glare. I have the brightness turned all the way up and it looks nice inside but outside the glare on the glass makes it as if you want to look at the reflection then back to what's on the screen. I don't see this as a problem as I can't imagine any other electronic device no matter what it is not having this same problem. For me, I can still see what is on the screen and have no problem with it. It is just the right size at 3.3 inches.UI interface:Although inside the box there was no manual you would really have to be pretty stupid if you couldn't figure out how to navigate on this device. Also, on the Zune web page is everything you need to know about how to work this device - who needs paper these days anyway??? The transitions from screen to screen are so fluid, smooth and animated. The touch only needs to be light and it works flawlessly. After using the device for a few minutes you get the idea of how to navigate. You start off with a list of items to choose from on the main menu; pictures, music, apps, ect, etc. As you click one you dive into that section and dive even deeper as you work what ever you have chosen clicking/touching away. At all times the home button on the front will take you back to the main menu. The accelerator zips from landscape to portrait very fast and smooth. I really like that and feel the tegra chip inside is working for me without strain when I see this - video especially. Multi touch works well and tapping is fine too especially on the web browser. Everything is laid out nicely and there is no confusion about how to find something. This is a plus for first timers and experienced users alike.Zune software: (APPS & Marketplace)This is a free download and helps you manage the Zune contents and updates. The software mimics some of the icons on the Zune so you quickly identify the UI and what you need to click. Syncing is a breeze and Zune will let you customize what content you want on the device and what you want Zune to do with it. I have all of my MP3's in my music folder on my computer and it grabbed all of them when I plugged in for the first time with no problems. There are some complaits about the software and how it takes forever to download - not true. There are not a lot of apps right now. I hope this blossoms as the months go by. I have downloaded all of them so far as they are free but would gladly pay for any others if they should come about and would be useful. The weather app is nice and lets you add as many cities as you want and shows you not only current conditions but a five day forecast as well. The calculator well is a calculator. The games have been just OK - I feel they do not utilize the Tegra chip but in the future I am sure the games will utilize the chip as it would be a waste if they didn't. There is a chess game, Texas hold em, space ship shooter, a Bejeweled like game, soduku, and some game where you try to figure out where an item is hidden after mixing up three robots. All are fun for a short while but I wait for more advanced cool games. Also the games have ads just before they start - we are talking about 5 seconds of a video clip. For a free download I think they have every right to put this here. Also, FOUR to FIVE SECONDS is what we are talking about. Is it that much time??? Patience!!!! The marketplace is just something you need to experience. Music, Videos, Podcasts and more.... EVERYTHING is here for you to choose from. There is an option for a Zune pass and for $14.99 a month you can go nuts with this and download as much media as yo want - you get to keep 10 songs a month too. This alone is worth buying the Zune HD. There is so much content at the market place that I can't really explain. Imagine walking into a store that has no one in it but you and the inventory consists of basically every kind of music you can think of as well as tons of other types of media just for you alone to walk up and down the isle to choose from. I just hope for more apps in the future and (I know) this thing just came out so while I wait for apps I will enjoy my Zune....Docking station:I went with the basic Zune HD sync doc ($49) and lucked out with it. There is an A/V dock you can purchase too($89). I will tell you the only difference between the two is 1) the price and 2) the A/V doc comes with the HDMI and optical cables. So if you already have these cables, which most of us do, save $40+ dollars and get the regular sync doc. I have a review on the doc here on Amazon (where I purchased it) so check that out. It is nice to just plug it in and sync and charge. Also I can hook it up to a TV if I wanted or a receiver and utilize the Zune to transfer music and video to my home entertainment center. The doc compliments the Zune and is very stylish looking and most importantly - Functional.Battery life:The OLED must be doing what it is supposed to do - save power. I take the train every day to work from Milford, CT to Greenwich, CT and I can go about a week without charging using the Zune about an hour or so a day. Wonderful! The only thing I have noticed is the back gets warm when in use. Very strange. I have been impressed with the battery and hope it stays that way.Screen protectors:I never had one before and at the time I received my Zune there was only Ghost Armor available. I got one screen protector and had no problem putting it on but being a noob I didn't spray my fingers and my finger print was stuck on the adhesive side. So I took it off. Ghost armor was very nice and sent me a replacement but instead of just the screen protector they sent the full body armor - how nice of them! This time around I was very careful and it went on with no problems BUT....I noticed the screen protector was about an eighth of an inch too short on top. It was enough to bother me so I took it off. (I know you are thinking I am nuts) So I looked and found BodyGarudz on the net. Not only do they sell TWO screen protectors for the price of ONE but it also fit perfectly. I used the squeegee and applicator solution from Ghost to put the BodyGaurdz shield on - why? Because BodyGaurdz's applicator solution wasn't as good as Ghosts and Ghost's squeegee was much better than BodyGaurdz. So my insane suggestion - go with BodyGaurdz for the screen protector. One other thing - the Ghost armor seems thicker - I can feel the sharp edges of the plastic now on the Zune because it has full body protection. I hope they come out with some cool cases so I can rip this stuff off and throw more cash down the drain...! The BodyGaurdz screen protector is thinner and looks great.Internet: (WiFi)The browser works well on the Zune HD. I connected to my home network in seconds and at work it's even quicker. You can tap and multi-touch to zoom in and move the pages around. The keyboard is OK and can be used in landscape or portrait mode. You can store pages in favorites and check AOL mail and what not. It uses Bing to find what you are searching for. I use it mostly for mail as at work the computers are restricted but WiFi is open. You can sync via WiFi and download too which is very nice.Music (Sound):There is an internal equalizer with different settings depending on what type of music you are listening too. It works OK - the music sounds fine to me. I didn't use the supplied headphones as I have a pair of Sony Ear buds and they work better for my ears. The music sounds great and the interface is cool - volume can be operated via the rocker on the side or touch screen. Filtering music, making playlists and and just listening is a pleasure - this is what I got the device for - MUSIC - so everything else is just an added bonus to me. I haven't bothered with the HD Radio much but it is cool to have. Remember...added bonus....Conclusion:I just love this Zune HD. It really is functional for what I need it to do and the style, look and feel are just so right. I hope this review helps you in your decision. I will continue to update this review in the future so check back and best of luck to you and take care! -very well protected in the case.3 -the sound is quiet and clear -I do recommend this lens -Solid enough build quality -Cable is nice and long, and flexible -This product has a belt holder (clip) -backgrounds -never lose this one -I give it 5 stars for indoor antennas -its the best mouse ive ever had -Sound quality is very good but not as good as my wired Senheisser -Range is excellent, gets reception over 50 ft away -Images are clean and crisp, and the autofocus is butter smooth -cool blackout look -This is ridiculously fast -Store it for fun things -The picture was outstanding -This charger looks good, and functions great, and the price can't be beat -this mouse is pretty good -does -case I actually like it -The mouse is stable and comfortable to use for big hands -this thing is PERFECT -more advanced autofocus system and that wonderful electronic level and wonder if I made the right choice -I have medium sized hand -(Update)This mouse suddenly started working for me after months of the frustrations I listed below -It has a really nice -One was the main router and the other was an access point connected to the first via Ethernet -There is just so much to praise about this camera -the Winegard antenna picked up only stations from the direction the antenna was pointed -the picture quality is awesome -The potential for this once pandora -Range is excellent -For the people who complain about wire quality -and quality is great -the size of the phone-end of this cable would be too large -The mouse is very smooth and easy to use -build quality is cheap -The wires are sturdier -This backpack camera bag is an excellent buy -the build of these headphones are solid -The lens is built dust and weather resistant -The only thing that -The image quality was good on this camera but the speed was lacking -the picture gets stuck -The case wakes up or puts to sleep the kindle -the ear fit is good -is a sturdy, well-constructed product that does the job and this certainly does that -this lens is unbelievably useful in low light to no light situations -This mouse is excellent for gaming -I had heard that the new software -The lens is tack sharp -The touch is good and the touchpad works perfectly -The picture is excellent -These headphones are amazing -i have a macbook pro so i don't have many usb -Working -a heavier and bulkier lens -Pretty basic ear peices -Picture is absolutely incredible -The reception and sound are great -very sleek and stylish -light feature is awesome -The build quality of these is exceptional. They are thick and well shielded -The picture is great -However outside, in my car placed this unit on the dashboard -Both are low profile -The strap could be softer and wider -I figure if 2300 has this much power -This lens is awesome -image quality that will blow most consumer -I have always only used Logitech keyboards and headsets -The mouse is very excellent and easy to use -The build quality and quality for the price are amazing -I understand it has an extremely high -I have been a headphone fanatic for thirty years -For me, these headphones are BETTER -thank -The mids sound great -Picture looks great and no issues -the Video was better -The instructions were easy to follow -A very high quality bag for your DSLR -The case is surprisingly light for its seemingly durable construction -. I find the software to be fairly intuitive -There is only one -It has great wireless range -The picture is amazing -The LCD screen on the back is crisp, clear, and bright so you can see it even in daylight -This product is easy to set up and works in my 2007 Pontiac G6 Convertible -brightness are great -It works great -This is an excellent case for the Nexus 7 -It was actually a breeze despite not being very intuitive -The sound quality is clear and the bass loud -The photos are clear and bright -the images that are produced are stunning -I recieved the airbender bluetooth keyboard -This small briefcase can be used for netbooks -Picture is sharp and crisp -the fan itself isn't super loud. There is an adjustable dial to change fan speed -I hope you have better luck -there is little special with any cable modem. This modem is DOCSIS 3.0 which is the -can attest that the blue LED is extremely bright -The sound quality is amazing -Picture quality was terrible -the case closed -and the 'wingspan' with the three antennas attached makes it about the same footprint as a 15" laptop -The idea is good, but the execution is pretty bad -This lens is awesome -the cord gets loose at the earphone or at the jack -but if you use the iPad rigorously this case is perfect -The chips are very tasty and have good texture -I eat it, the dog eats it -The aroma is rich and delicious -mini -delicious and very flavorful -for me has medicinal benefits for me -The flavor isn't as great as the packaging -The -The flavors even sounded good -This natural oil has so many uses and is extremely healthy -These are definitely a winner, and any chocolate lover will give these two sticky-gooey thumbs up -unique flavor that I've never had before - really original, which is hard to come up with in a tea. I'll buy it again, plus I'll try some of the other interesting looking flavors that Lipton -This tea is aromatic, smooth, and pleasant. Happily -covered in cinnamon or gooey'd up in honey -The Switch Black Cherry flavor as well as the Watermelon Strawberry -the taste is spice and nothing behind it -the ingredients were and how low in fat the single serve -these chips are nice and crunchy -I liked the cookies for their flavor, pleasant aroma and texture -There is natural flavoring added -The flavor was bland and I did not care for the texture which I found to be pastey -These cookies are NOT good -This tea has a mildly sweat citrus flavor -some vanilla flavoring -I love me some oatmeal cookies. Throw in some chocolate chips instead of raisins and you have the ultimate experience -I love trying out new flavors -It has a very strong, deep aroma. Very much like being in a Turkish coffee house -The filling has a light, creamy lemon taste -All the flavors have an earthy taste -These are the little cups that you use for the tea machines -the flavor of each of the selections was simply awful -It's also very good for making popcorn -The cookies are perfect for a light treat with a cup of tea -perfect served hot or iced -price is good -It reminds me of the days when I was young drinking Boones Farm Apple wine on a Friday night -the cookie is bland -the flavor seemed a little weak compared to other kinds of teriyaki beef jerky that I have had -I, however, thought that the flavor was perfect -It is a mix of whole grains, blueberries, and flax seeds that are then lightly flavored with vanilla. -The nuts are what make this bar tolerable. The texture without them is unpleasant -This stuff is strong. It's billed as a coffee drink, but it really is more of an espresso, so keep that in mind -light aroma -same -This tea has a warm, spicy flavor to it, sort of like chai. -These cookies would be better if they were made -these are dry and crumble easily -The aroma while it is brewing -The flavor is excellent -that is not the flavor that I experienced.)What I liked -sauce is tasty and creamy -Lipton Herbal Pyramid Tea Blackberry Vanilla has a nice aroma that features herbs -This is good water -The tea comes out perfectly -bacon doesn't need chocolate -slightly spicy kick to it -Numi Teas are the most wonderful teas I've tasted in a long time -Lipton To Go Stix Iced Green Tea Mix is convenient and refreshing -the regular fudge dipped oreos -The oils are nice and pack some flavor -salad -I am looking forward to trying more Prima Taste stuff based on how good this was. Highly Recommended -The coffee is smooth -I love the flavor of this -Perfect for snacking -this food is processed in a facility with nuts -this tea with the warmer days -I use a lot of organic coconut oil for baking and as an addition to vegetable dishes -This tea is very aromatic. It has a very smooth flavor. -regular processed cookie -naturally sweet flavor -because the lemon adds to the flavor and brings out the best in the tea leaves which makes the tea taste bright and lively -The tea has a nice spice flavor -many of the cookies were broken -it has a very mild coconut taste and aroma -It's got the tiniest tinge of spice -they are tasty and have a nice crunchy flavor -I really enjoy the flavor of ginger -I really enjoyed the taste and flavor -The flavor is very balanced in body, mouth feel, acidity and spiciness -The flavor is pleasant and not overly sweet -Spicy, sweet, flavorful, fun, crispy, lower fat than chips -The cookies were fresh and delicious -Kettle Brand chips don't have trans fats -16-CountI have a hard time finding spiciness in the flavor -Viva Labs' coconut oil smells great, tastes great, and adds a hint of coconut/sweetness to whatever I cook -Caramel Apple Cobbler Clif Bar -it's just too strange a flavor and too weak for my taste -The cookie advertise all natural and they are good -it definitely is a very strong chocolately flavor -It has a wonderful flavor -lacking authentic flavor -taste a fruity -The taste of the Pomegranate licorice is strong and sweet -This -The 100-calorie pack is very convenient -the outer cookies were great -The coffee has a very strong aroma of vanilla -This Blackberry Vanilla sounded delicious -definitely different -I am a big fan of all types of cookies -The tea is decaf -There are 4 grams of fiber -I would make it a point to purchase this flavor in the future -the variety pack there might have been a few 'bold brew' that tasted like coffee -The cookie is thin and light and crispy -other flavors might be better -that the flavor is pleasant and it is nice to drink -The tea isn't bad -I've wanted to try dry rendang -While eating the bar -the taste is good -These cookies are fantastic! -This green tea is mild -This tea is so delicious -This herbal tea is well balanced and pleasant -the price was great too -The flavors of the teas aren't overly strong as one would have assumed from smelling the tea bag -I'm not much of a juice drinker -The ingredients are all natural -My wife couldn't really taste the basil and she thought it was bland -I cannot recommend this drink -flavor was just fantastic -What I do know is that these chips are very good - crispy and airy -Very taste little cookies with rich chocolate fudge. The cookies were fresh and delicious -The flavor is strong and enjoyable if you like ginger and dark -By combining all three flavors, it becomes too much -before enjoying a cup of tea -I'd certainly give it a go if another flavor was available -makes your skin very smooth -the price of other K-Cups had gone up much more than I liked -The -It has a sweet and spicy -in goes the powder and voila, instant iced tea drink (well, instant in that you have to shake it first). The flavor (mango pineapple -This water is a nice little pick me up, but not something I plan on buying -Energy Drink Fruit Punch isn't overly sweet & is similar in flavor to the powdered drinks -I love dark chocolate -this tea is great -tasty meal that my entire family praised -amazing taste -the tea itself is excellent and it provides the great flavor -I am not a big French Roast fan as it tends to taste bitter to me and acidic -It's quick, convenient, and easy -Newman's Own stuff tends to be a bit pricy for me -Though in my opinion this coffee -These kind of taste like -I enjoyed it so much -try Lipton's new Tea & Honey -very interesting fruity flavor -my -Tea isn't a beverage for me -Good quality decaf green tea -I'm a pretty big fan of tea -This tea is perfect -this tea is very strong and bitter -green tea -These chips are very crisp -these cookies are yummy -more room to spread through the water so the infusion of flavor is stronger -Got the box yesterday and have already used 4 teabags -It smells great -has exactly the right balance of sweetness and coffee flavor -I loved the taste -Vitamin Squeeze Energy drink is a concentrated fruit punch flavored water additive -creamy, and the peanut butter center is not as crisp as a traditional Butterfinger bar, but creamier with just enough "Butterfinger crunch" to add interest.I like how they are packed. Unlike competing peanut butter cups, there are no paper wrappers around the candy. The candy is simply formed in the shape of a cup. I like this because it's less packaging and requires less effort to unwrap and consume.I consider this product a treat -- a candy product, after all. So I'm not going to belabor the nutritional value -The Fischer & Wieser Mango Ginger Habanero Sauce does add flavor and sweetness to food -Like any food product, your opinion of the product will depend on your taste preferences and also your expectations -My favorite tea isYogi Green Tea Mint -The taste was fine -This tea is very good -the aroma was a bit off putting with an odor that seemed slightly bitter and earthy -are added. I'm left with a neutral reaction -The candy is creamy and smooth -Raw Fruit & Nut Bar, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)is my favorite and I love it best -Numi inspires well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea -each one of them is good in its own way -This chocolate is only 54% cocoa solids -this is a great food -flavor and consistency are very similar -Flavor: It has a reasonably bold flavor, which I like -there are numerous energy drinks out there. -great crunch -very tasty but very high in calories -The color of the bar isn't appetizing; however, the taste is pleasant though a little too nutty for my preference -I liked these cookies very much -has a very interesting fruity flavor -I have been drinking a lot of green tea -is very nice and the low acid -mocha coffee is that the flavor is more subtle than in a lot of flavored brews -This version of the water flavor enhancer has too little flavor for too much money -coconut flavor was a bit too strong -The apple and cinnamon flavors are mild and natural -light aroma -They're just sweet enough to satisfy without loading you up with sugar -I eventually realized that there were two general classes of teas -so these Mio flavor enhancers are a lifesaver in our house! I personally prefer the peach tea one because it has a more natural flavor -I love the flavor of ginger -This tea is nice with a strong hint of fruitiness -white chocolate filling that is DELICIOUS. Several guests have tried these, and it's fun watching their eyes go wide when the flavor hits. These make for a decadent treat and look really classy left in a bowl for guests. Of all the individually wrapped bonbons or truffles I've had, I think these are my favorite. The white chocolate really is just so luxurious and delicious -The fusion of exotic ingredients creates new flavors that work quite nicely. So if you think this might be too hot, fear not, it is just very tasty. It is an excellent grilling sauce -the stuff tastes good -This aromatic tea is pure pleasure - spicy, fragrant and relaxing, while at the same time being an ideal first-tea-of-the-day wake-up -I was pleasantly surprised by this drink -you will find me nearby happily munching away -the aroma while brewing smelled artificial.The other reviewers who mention how greatly improved the flavor became once cream was added is an indication of a consistent problem. I love the taste of coffee and like it unadorned - no cream or sugar. I only add cream if I am in a restaurant and the coffee doesn't taste good. I use the cream to doctor-it-up in hopes of salvaging some of the flavor and masking the poor aspects whether caused by bitterness or coffee that's been sitting in the pot too long. This coffee is no exception, the cream vastly improved the drinkability, but the action is akin to smearing butter on a day old roll. Underneath it is still a stale roll, and although the butter tastes delicious, it would not be accurate to call the combination a buttery delight.On the positive side, flavored coffees are usually light body and the Gevalia is definitely medium body. The packaging is quite attractive and the name is clever, but in the end may work against the product because Dark Chocolate Truffle evokes a clear taste profile for most people and the coffee doesn't live up to the name. I am rating the coffee three stars instead of less because if the purchaser always uses cream in their coffee, many of the taste issues I encountered should be if not resolved, at least mitigated. -I like the texture of these chips -I'm trying my first bar of PURE Organic Cherry -It has an excellent flavor -The chunks are like little explosions -the flavors were delicious -Very pleasant tea -It has all the savory flavors of the soup without heaviness and calories -used to love Tazo but Numi is my new -This is a very good tasting granola -Taste -this has a light spicy flavor -But I must say that I was expecting a more robust tea all around (pu'eh may taste like dirt on its own, but it is a pretty full-flavored tea) -It has enhanced each one of them like no other coconut oil I have used in the past -But, this one is really good -Since I am a fan of flavored coffee -The flavor of this tea is somewhat subtle even though I let it steep for several minutes -the flavor was just piquing -Practically perfect like Mary herself! -The flavor is just okay -The chocolate flavor is super rich -These Peeled Snacks Organic Apple Clusters are a healthy choice if you want something sweet with a good crunch -inChips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies -I did not taste any vanilla flavor -The bread was fresh -this flavor is very nice -This tea is quite good in the morning -I drink Lipton iced tea -and is small enough to even please those on diets -Full Leaf Black Tea -My husband enjoys the 'taste' of stevia -the overall flavor is fairly mild -The ingredients are good for you but with not nuch flavor -This drink has a pleasant aroma and a spicy -Are your children asking for soft drinks, but you don't want them to have all that added sugar? This is a wonderful alternative -I believe Pu'erh tea is supposed to have health benefits -They are crunchy chips that are not fried, and not baked, but created using heat and pressure to make them pop into being -The cookies are moist and soft -The woodsy taste of this sauce -I liked the flavor and really wanted to like the bar -my body felt equally moisturized -The whole mix of flavors is nice -The flavors of the peppermint weren't overpowering -the vanilla flavor is a little strong for my preference -The cookies arrived fresh and in good shape -good food -even more acceptable to drink tea at the office -very complex flavor -Dark Chocolate Truffle flavor -I drink tea every day and I love -Yes, the cookies are soft, but they really aren't as "gooey" as the name implies -the tea tastes great -thought it had a good taste -it has a hint of smokey flavor that is almost wood-like -The aroma is amazing -"Gee, I can't tell if these are homemade or store-bought!" -This is a very tasty and spicy beverage -the cookies have a purity of flavor -crunchy cereal that has a slight sweetness but none of the prefab who-knows-what of supermarket cereal -I love raspberries and hot sauces -sweet -The price is great -cut oats you will love this -tried -organic, conventional -taste is amazing -The flavor is not great -The flavor is great -the flavor can almost be tart tasting -I found the aroma to be very complex and pleasant -I really like the flavor of this tea -At just 50 calories in a 6.8 ounce can, it seems almost impossible that the drink should be this good. At once slightly sweet with the bitter tinge of a good cup of coffee, illy issimo rivals the Starbucks' espresso shots for quality quick canned coffee drinks -PURE fruit and nut -healthful product that nurtures people and honors the planet -chocolatey -Aside from the price -It's made from natural ingredients and doesn't contain artificial flavors -nice -the price is decent -Nothing artificial -I do love tea -The water is on the pricier side -As far as flavor goes, the ginger was just too strong and nasty -This cereal was perfect -The taste is fine -It has a unique flavor -The Ginger Tea is a pleasant cuppa -bit bland -Excellent meal replacement bar -I love ginger and lemon flavors -sweet quality -of my babbling -it's DELICIOUS -This tea is great -opened -The taste was fine, just not the sensation -delicious and flavorful treat for tea lovers -This tea is absolutely delicious -The cookies are crispy but also crumbly -Good quality decaf green tea -non-traditional ingredients -It has a really enticing aroma -However I don't like the taste -the smell of vanilla is strong -a decent package -Tea is my favorite beverage for just about any occasion -The flavor wasn't bad, but it was overpoweringly blackberry -the nasty flavor that dark teas usually infuse after the tea bags are left in too long -I didn't enjoy the taste of these at all -The flavor on the whole was not bad -This is a wonderful quality white jasmine tea -pleasing aroma -This one was spicy -This is NOT your usual type of tea -it's the best one -these cookies actually are very soft around the edges -there is 1.4g of sodium -I generally don't add anything to any green tea -And you get that nice, subtle coconut smell … mmmmmm, does it make my wife smell yummy!I -is a good thing -paying -this tea wasn't very good as iced tea -They are pretty crunchy -The flavors of the teas aren't overly strong -fish and vegetables and have had good results -Also, the price was decent -good overall flavor -This tea is good -I didn't particularly find it any more refreshing than any other water -the flavor was a bit too bland -flavors are delicious -The cinnamon is way too strong. It made me sick at my stomach -The lovely aroma was so enthralling that the family member who dislikes -are any good -The price point is a bit lower now, which is a good thing -I first saw these cookies at "Big Lots" discount store. They were on sale there for $1.80. Their appearance in Big Lots means that they didn't sell especially well or too many were made so they were shuffled off to an outlet store. This doesn't have to be a bad sign, but it often reflects that a product isn't the most popular among consumers.These are not the best that Keebler has to offer in their cookie line up, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. On the plus side, the cookies have a decent texture and are crispy and fresh. The filling has a good lemon flavor, albeit an artificial one. They're also very sweet, but most sandwich cookies with a cream-style filling are. That's often the purpose of the filling, but it can be overpowering cumulatively if you're not having a drink along with them.Usually when I sample a product which I'm not crazy about, but I think it's generally okay, I wonder who the target market is supposed to be. Given the Keebler brand mascots, I tend to think they're targeting children, but lemon isn't that popular a flavor among kids (who tend to prefer chocolate or vanilla). My sense is that these are not going to really appeal to most kids are are too sweet for most adults. This may explain why they're on sale at Big Lots. Though not a bad cookie, I wouldn't go out of my way to have these again. -but it's not an unpleasant flavor -The fruit punch flavor is nice -The flavor of peppermint is not very strong -The aroma is great -As with any food or drink -This particular flavor is quite different from the standard powdered mixed drinks -heard -I do like some flavored teas, especially cinnamon -the wild blueberry organic pure bar -About this product, it must be said: I didn't have very high hopes -I'll stick with the classic Oreo -The smell and consistency of this licorice are good -great chocolate taste -these chips are crispy and tasty -The coffee didn't have an artificial flavor and was actually quite good -nice chocolate taste and nice aroma -GOOD -This tea will be a regular now in my rotation but it may well be my regular morning tea -Both flavors are distinctive -Switch tastes like tangy, carbonated orange drink -Both the flavor and texture are superior -flavor that a keeps it from getting -The flavor of it was very delicate -Some of these teas were black teas, while others were green teas -These cookies tasted fresh and crisp -There is just a remarkable variety of teas available and in general their flavor is a bit more intense. But I also like the convenience of bag teas -The flavor is delicious and it's very refreshing -I was not disappointed -The flavoring is present but not overpowering, which I enjoyed -the price is excellent -This creates a rich (but not overly strong) soothing vanilla flavored coffee -I sensed a metallic like aftertaste -Recommended for taste and low acid -my first time trying Cardamom Pu'erh Tea -The flavor is fantastic -This is pretty good cereal -GREAT flavor -The Ginger Tea -the flavor after brewing was still deep and rich -The costumes are magnificent -he does a wonderful job as Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle does a wonderful job as Miss Elizabeth Bennet -The movie ending was great -season was that it was not Mulder -the goal is to try and survive while killing all others -There really is nothing funning about the Holocost -acting was so cheesy -the costumes are so authentic -The acting was very good -The sound quality isn't as good -"Open Water" is a low-budget, mildly thrilling shark flick -The acting was overdone -GOOD -The sound is crisp and clear and during the battle scenes is very impressive -Acting was tremendous -Season two is just getting on my nerves -This is a dark film in all senses of the word with very few likeable characters -the suspense was great -The suspense slowly builds up because we don't know what kind of movie we are in for -The costumes and staging are superb -The direction by Ang Lee is flawless in almost every frame -had a lot going against it -just barely above mildly interesting -This movie was fantastic -In confronting the issue of drug addiction -there are three reasons -Her performance is perfect -underrated gem of a suspense -The costumes and sets are gorgeous -The script was poor -The picture quality and sound are fantastic -everything is fantastic here -The plot is great and the two princess are extremely lovable -Some of the plot was a bit disappointing -the writers kept it a little too big -Bought this for my wife as a chick flick -Her performance is outstanding -The acting is stellar -I am a Christian (NOT Catholic) who was brought up Unitarian -It's a very interesting and important scene -Seasons One and Two of BUFFY are Origin Years-- establishing the show's mythos in Season One -few good moments -The acting was amazing -animation is very special and in 3D -The acting was much better, the script was emotional -the books created by J.K. Rowling and the whimsy and fantasy of those tales must remain no matter the cost -wide-screen DVD -Most notably -The violence and gore are severe and off -excellent -the cast - incredible acting -superb storyline -excellent -performances of the three starlets was amazing -the actors pulled off the dramatic ending well -The acting is flat and one-dimensional -The special effects are excellent as is the underwater adventure -His performance was moving and emotional -it was fantastic -Ofelia's father has been killed in the Spanish Civil -it didn't really have much action -the entire movie was not filmed using this technique -The image of the featureless, pasty- -director's cut, its vast superiority to the shortened -The truth -in a television/movie -I am a long time fan -As for the controversy as to whether this film is actually Kubrick's final cut -this season was a good -Bale's performance is superb and I think it's the best of his career. Jackman is also very convincing and the supporting cast is flawless. I'm always impressed by Rebecca Hall, but Bowie's cameo as Tesla was a revelation -historical costume drama -So what if the story isn't very original -The 3 seasons have been wonderful -uneventful plot and characters completely void of depth -which I've found to be excellent whether pushed through a 5.1 home theater or stereo headphones -the dialogue is clunky -Dennis the Menace" is probably the better movie, in retrospect.I just saw -transformation into Darth Vader is more like the -the case with the cornball science fantasy movie -details are sharp, colors are vibrant and blacks are deep -to the original material it was based on -It is really a film about timeless qualities now hopelessly out of fashion: things like duty, honour, loyalty, friendship, mutual -the outrageously elaborate costumes -Russell Crowe's performance is absolutely brilliant -am a Spiderman fan from way back -This movie is not funny at all -The ending was absolutely awesome -the film isn't funny -the action packed ending does run a bit long. -costumes were spectacular without a doubt -cram as much of the book in as possible -The deleted scenes are very funny -are genuinely good, with great actors and superb visual effects. Definitely recommend. -the cutest -The story is sadly lame and contrived -movies are primarily visual works of art -no bad language to express how they were really feeling and half the story and edge gone due to editing -the ending is clever too -showcases -The new crew is excellent and the story is good -The individual performances by the actors were stellar in every way -his performance is amazing -VERY impresssed -features too. The picture looks great!!! Thank -good -This film is almost flawless -the story in detail -I recommend this movie to those who like a good laugh -the costumes are gorgeous -The only bright spot in the movie was that Jar Jar Binks was reduced to cameo performance -The acting and dialogue is not good either -First -Wars"-film a greater emotional impact."The Phantom Menace" is definetly not on par with that film, nor has it the originality of "A New Hope", but still I liked this film a lot. I actually found it better than "Return Of The Jedi". Even those who dispised the movie must acknowledge that it has its merits. The special effects are fantastic, and in contrast to other films with superior FX -Charlize Theron and also having a terrific storyline -This movie was very depressing -Picture and sound are awesome -enough about the price drop -This film presents a very good and deep insight into the world of drug addiction -I don't think it would have worked if they had done a serious -The sound also got a boost from the original mono track to stero -The acting is superb -first season was a great start to the show -the acting non-existant -the twists were all great -After a horrid third film and a suprising fourth -It proves I was wrong -Burlesque was AMAZING! I fell in love this the movie! Dancing, singing, storyline, acting -The script was terrible. The direction was terrible. The only reason I can come up with for the film's popularity among so many Superman fans is that they have been so hungry for a film that they would have liked almost anything. I give it 2 stars for at least trying to make Superman relevant again.The thing to remember is that even though Superman has Kryptonian abilities, his personality is 100% human. He was raised since infancy on a farm in Kansas. He might feel different, but at heart he is a small town American and this film completely missed that. In focusing on the 'alien among us' angle, they gutted Superman's personality that was so well portrayed by Christopher Reeve and Brandon Routh. The Clark Kent we have all come to know and love through the years was completely missing. There were so many elements of the plot that made no sense. There was CGI overkill. Superman Returns had some plot problems, and could have put Superman in a few more action scenes, but overall that movie was far more faithful to the origins of the Superman character.The fact that Avengers was so successful should prove that a superhero movie doesn't have to copy The Dark Knight to be a hit. A superhero movie can be light, it can be funny, it can be human, and still be a fantastic movie. I have nothing to say about the relationship of this movie to recent comic book adaptations or graphic novels. As a movie, it is no better than all the other CGI-fests out there with tons of explosions and destruction. Superman is supposed to be special. -The acting is unbelievable -The Rock and Flair put on great performances. Surprising ending -In 20 minutes -Acting wise the movie is poor -This is the most perverted, disorganized movie -Marvel Magic -The performances given by Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellwegger, Queen Latifah and Richard Gere are perfect! -The book was entertaining -the performances were outstanding -"Star Trek Into Darkness" is excellent -This ending should have been King's ending and I usually never say that about a printed piece of work from an author -The stories so fun and exciting and fresh compared to the turgid retreads of modern -I celebrate both nudity and sexuality in all cinematic shapes and sizes and varieties -It was heart-warming and wonderful, sad and depressing -This show is addictive -but I found the movie to be fairly true to the book -discussing politics or religion -The actors are all fine -When her acting career fizzled -policemen -sound were crystal clear -Frank Sinatra gives a moving and powerful performance -from beginning to end -Liam Neeson is great and the story itself is very poignant -The movie is very violent and has some sexual content so be warned -The Dark Knight is the sequel to director -style steamed bun. Great starter -the place is beautiful -very pleasant and helpful -What I like about -The place is awesome -regarded place -Jimmy's Coffee was a very average experience -the first thing that hits your nose is the smell of pork bones simmering away. You can also ask for less lard but why. Toppings: I love bamboo, glad it's included. I also had seaweed, slice of fish cake and green onion. Extra toppings are pricey (corn is $2.50, egg $1.80) which I didn't opt for. Chashu: Seems like I got the chashu scraps...got two small chunks of meat cut along the grain and a slab of pure fat. While it was tender, it was upon leaving the restaurant and seeing the display of noodles that my friends told me that they both got 2 regular slices of chashu. What the. Service: Friendly. Fairly quick turnover of tables. Bathroom: The sketchiest bathroom I have ever been in. My friend said it was like being in a horror movie and I had to agree. Dim eerie staircase leading to a dark dirty bathroom with a low ceiling. Given how popular and clean the restaurant is, they definitely could have forked over a little bit of money to improve the washrooms! -which isn't too bad -the mill Thai restaurant -If you like guacamole, you will love their chips and guacamole -service is not bad -Good vibe, neon décor -My second experience at Pai was great -The staff is very friendly and attentive -do yourself a favour and spend your money elsewhere -cheap the drinks -Always impressive service, whether it's brunch or dinner. Great -Good service -the restaurant did a great job in keeping everything well organized -the decor is stunning -The patio was busy -Highly recommend hot sauce -The last experience here when we came out -Fantastic food and relatively inexpensive -All the dishes we tried were so good! We got the lamb and it was unreal and good drink menu -good food and wine -I loved the whole experience! The view is incredible -Service was great -it was the perfect opportunity -They have an easy online system -vegetarian options -The decor is fantastic -This place gets packed at dinnertime, -fantastic steak meal -I'm not a rib expert so maybe the baby back ribs were supposed to be dry -nice patio in the summer -This place is very hit or miss -The girl filling our coffees and grabbing us ketchup seemed to hate existing in this world -Excellent -Good selection of beers on tap -I highly recommend dining outside if you love patio dining -restaurant -The place is crowded meaning -The waitress we got was impatient, rude, sarcastic, and just a horrible server -The view is breathtaking -Overall a good spot to stop for a beer and snack -The sauce or lack -At the encouragement of one of our group members -I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone who's looking to celebrate a special occasion or somewhere nice to go for a first date. Just don't expect to be blown away -waitress was very friendly and prompt. We didn't have to wait very long for service -mostly come for drinks on the patio -The atmosphere here is cool -I ordered the BetterBeer -I finally see the light -the sushi is not fresh- actually chewy -I went here with high expectations -The coffee is always strong -I liked the atmosphere and the vibe -the bar is awesome -The vibe and decor of the place is really cool -The view is also breathtaking -Service here wasn't to bad either -suggested it and ate at the bar. No -drinks are okay priced but really really good -Probably one of my favorite places in Toronto for Thai food -Probably the best seats since you get to watch how the drinks are made -The options at the restaurant include various food options that are also vegetarian friendly which is very important to me -You can eat indoors or in the patio, which is shaded and pretty large -They have a gorgeous patio -though they could be a bit more crispy and warm -I came here on a Saturday around noon expecting a huge line up, which there was. I was told it would be an hr wait , which wasnt a big deal because things seemed to be moving well -Good place to hang with friends -Great restaurant, the oysters were awesome -Great BBQ -having the menus labelled for persons with dietary restrictions -The Mad Man was served in a very cool pipe shaped glass -it has become one of my favourite Coffee / Breakfast and Italian lunch places -a whole lot of food -the way the flavours all melded together was perfect -fantastic view over the lake and city -The sushi -the warm ambiance -You come here for the experience, not so much for the food. -martini which was nice -a good place for a group of friends to get together -the service is really slow -she would be right back to take our order for drinks -but our waitress was no where around -Small portions and alil pricey -Drinks are pretty expensive -the decor gives a great warm home feeling -The service was really good -Befuddlement Draft -the 3 stars is for the attitude of the restaurant -Drinks are a little pricey -Drinks were unique but expensive and if you want to overindulge this wouldn't be the place -Its always delivered on amazing wings -The service is good and the atmosphere is inviting -In my many years of living in Toronto -I recommend the baked brie and the octopus balls -Delicious -The interiors are gorgeous -Love this place -Seems like the drinks are great -I love taking in the views -They have a fantastic patio in the summer -Upstairs have additional space and it will be a take out / snack bar as per the staff -The setting is intimate, cozy and comfortable -the owner is very friendly & was helpful. jerk chicken poutine -the patio is open during the summer -Overall it was a good experience -place -. The mussels was delicious -good food and reasonable price -my first anniversary -I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere -The decor was unique and cool- -it was a cool place -and hopefully better -patio is gorgeous as it looks over liberty and is very airy. The food is good, but nothing to rave about. The pizzas are fresh, which is nice, the Cobb salad is kind of just a salad (with no blue cheese :[). Overall, food is good, but it kind of feels your average run of the mill chain restaurant. Come here to drink after work for the views if anything. -bar was busy and the bartenders didnt stop moving -The patio is GREAT -drinks with friends at the cafe -Khoa San Road is probably -Great food (tasting menu) and great service (Greg and Seth) combined for a special meal -Best restaurant in terms of everything -the rice was too soggy -We enjoyed one of the best tables on the patio, -Also goo prices with the portions you get -been disappointed -there.. i called them and they said they have it.. when -Guacamole is decent, drinks are ok,the rest is a mess -The ribs were over cooked and dry -The wait time was long -coffee is really delicious -the pillows were great and everything about the room smelled good -and generally good service. I booked the room directly with the hotel -The location was excellent -Our room was clean, well appointed, if a little snug and comfortable. The bathroom wasn't brand new, but was just fine. Service was very good overall. We had to wait a bit too long for our room, but the staff did everything they could to get it ready for us as quickly as possible. As everyone else has noted, no A/C! This was pretty awful, as the rooms get quite warm, especially the smaller ones. If you left the fan on all day, it helped cool things down a bit.Our room was the very last one in the hotel (450) so we were on the main road side, which was quite noisy at night. Lots of sirens and road cleaners going past at all hours. Also, the free wireless didn't reach that end of the hotel, so if that's an essential feature, ask for something more in range of the front desk, maybe. Custom Burger was very expensive, and not at all worth the price in my opinion. The shakes are fantastic though! Right across the road at the Good Hotel, is a pizza place on the bottom floor. Good pizza, good prices and friendly staff, esp Ashanti. Eat here over CB anytime. The location isn't great -The room was very small but clean and unique -Location was fantastic, -It was the most disgusting room I ever stayed in -noisy.the room next to me was so loud -The nighty wine reception in the lobby from 5 to 6 was also a great bonus -There's a great family diner across the street for breakfast -The room was very comfortable -Room gorgeous with view to the West, almost could see China in the distance -the city, near to shops, malls, Chinatown, trollies, public transportation -enjoy shopping -The actual hotel itself is OK, the issue we had was the -Everything about this place was excellent. For the very low price -breakfast was great and our housekeeper was absolutely delightful -hotel with a decent location -the hotel and on the 6th floor -The hotel is centrally located and was great for shopping at Westfield -We did the rest of the trip -: comfy, great pillow -pillows very flat -Great location -There was also a serious lack of storage space in the room -the complimentary breakfast was awesome -That street is very loud and alot of traffic -the room the smallish -There was no smiling at all from -big rooms -The hotel rooms are small -great restaurant recommendations -The breakfast is better than the usual Continental -the breakfast in the lovely Silk Restaurant -the Dunkirk suite. It is a corner accomodation with great city views -My room requirements were done perfectly -the Westin St Francis from the 29th -location is awesome -. The staff are very cool -the rooms are very small -The wine hour in the cozy lobby was great -The restuarant is very small and didn't have a chance to eat there -The Hotel is beautifly decorated and was immaculate in condition -Had a great breakfast -the location is great for shopping -the wine hour is very nice -great city view -The hotel is in a very safe area -Breakfast was convenient and good -Hotel Carlton is a good place to stay and it is a good value -Excellent shower head with great pressure -wonderful breakfast -room was a little small but very clean and the bed was very comfortable -Some rooms had working phones, tvs, lights, other rooms didn't. Very inconsistant. Bedding was dirty, one towel in one room -The rooms were clean comfortable and affordable -two blocks -The location was ideal -rooms very a little on the small size -This hotel is located in a fabulous location near Fisherman's wharf -The rooms were obviously recently remodeled and were very nice -continental breakfast -The food is very expensive. Breakfast while ok -LOCATION - average -constant noise day and night -And breakfast at the hotel restaurant, it was terrible and overpriced -breakfast is basic, but free, so very convenient -The hotel is definitely well run -Our room was not extra large but we would only be sleeping there -The room was very clean, updated, with a cool view of the city below -The hotel is a bright spot in a not-so-nice area of SF -The rooms were big and the service was warm -hotel was in a great location -the rooms are fairly run down and not particularly clean -The high floor rooms need time to cool off -THe room was a little on the small side -The onsite restaurant is outrageously overpriced -bedroom area and very cramped sitting -Sadly -the location so near to Fishermans Wharf was great -It reminded me of European boutique hotels that I've stayed in -The area isn't too bad. Just don't go west or south (Tenderloin). Go north, and you hit Nob Hill. Go east, and you hit Union Square -quiet with no street noise)- -Internet is $17 per -Their staff was rude -it's a decent location -Great restaurants nearby -The gym is great -It's in a handy location -The rooms are tiny -comfortable room -Hotel is in the path of lots of street noise -I was concerned about trying a new hotel in the Union Square area -roomservice is great -breakfast was delicious (scrambled and boiled eggs, sausage, quiche, danishes, scones, croissants, assortment of breads (great sourdough, wheat, white), fresh cut fruit, coffee, tea, orange juice, and cranberry juice -Location is excellent less than 2 blocks from fishermans Wharf & -We find the overall location perfect -The room was a bit small but given -The rooms were clean and nicely decorated. The rooms were also quiet and we felt safe -it had good reviews -the service is poor -The location is fantastic with restaurants, shops, diners very close. -The continental breakfast was great -The breakfast was a wonderful -Room was in good shape -the hotel staff are very friendly -. The location was great -We enjoyed San Fran. way more then we ever thought -The breakfast was good, although the "hot" items were lukewarm -The price was great -but they do not bother you -Room was very big with loads of storage space -The breakfast was complementary -The room was decent size but the decor was beyond outstanding -Our room was small but very unique and quaint -the high price -Incredible location -If you have it, go spend your $200 plus a night somewhere else -staff were excellent -The front desk was friendly and prompt -There was also a serious lack of storage space in the room -the staff are excellent, -Excellent location -incredibly noisy -breakfast was great -This room was cleaner -The room was clean and comfortable -Breakfast was also pricey -18 -Lovely location would go -was nicely -where folks on our floor had breakfast -The rooms were very spacious -My negative experience began with the reservationist who booked a King Room for us -Loved my stay. Great location and breakfast was great -Not large rooms but enough -room was small, smelled like smoke although we asked for a non-smoking room -and good restaurants -The rooms are a little small but the front desk was friendly and helpful -The room itself was a bit small -There are countless kiosks in the area for different tours and attractions -impressed for the pretty -only about $10 -There are various inexpensive but good restaurants nearby -We got a great deal on this hotel on Priceline for 3 nights in mid February 2009 -The quality is good, with fresh high quality pastries and coffee as well as cereal, boiled eggs, bagels, cheese, fruit, tea, etc -The front desk was very friendly -The room was a good size if not big -small -room was very nice -The breakfast was very average -The rooms were probably a bit small -great continental breakfast -Our room had a queen size -expecting a great comfortable place to stay after -Bathroom was luxurious -was small, kind of dingy and smelled musty -The free wine hour was great -the four nights we were there -The rooms themselves were plush -The rates were very reasonable -The location is superb -location was perfectly fine -The new rooms had beautiful light -the staff were extremely helpful and friendly -lovely pillows -Comfortable bed and great pillow -spacious quarters -rooms are wonderful -I did like the breakfast -the hotel was very good, considering the price and location -St. Regis is the nicest and coolest one I have stayed at yet! The decor is modern, but not over the top modern, just contemporary. Beautifully appointed entry and very welcoming staff. They walked me up to my room to explain the new technology - which is highlighted by a digital device that controls everything from room service to lighting to the do not disturb sign, all with bedside convenience. The beds are fluffy and obviously extremely clean. The place was spotless. Bathroom necessities smell amazing, was tempted to swipe them! The gym is great -the room quite small when we were trying to dry out our soggy clothes -Room was on the smallish side, but perfectly adequate -Room: not too big but very well furnished and decorated -a great atmosphere -The location of this hotel is wonderful -Many restaurants just blocks away -got a room with a spectacular view -plenty of restaurants -Our room had a huge closet where we stored our luggage -The room I stayed at was the best Marriott property room I ever stayed in -quot;continental breakfast" -The free breakfast was decent -The view from the 16th floor was amazing -perfect location -the room was cute -breakfast is basic -They offer a full and delicious breakfast -horrifically noisy, both from street traffic and denizens of the hotel itself -street noise and noise -the staff was freindly and attentive -It was immaculate -The room was awesome -Free -room's door the smell of dirty old man body order pierced through my nose making my eyes water -The exceptional thing that happened is that I had mentioned being in town for my birthday -motel -amazing location -the pillows were great -Our room was dark and dreadful -hotel less than acceptable -The rooms are so beautiful -Customer service is also very poor. We met several rude staff -I LOVED the room -Breakfast was minimal (coffee, tea, and excellent fresh muffins) -Room was on the smallish side, but clean -The location is superb-- -This place doesn't have to try too hard to be ultra hip or cool -The breakfast was delicious and varied -close to Union Square neighborhood, cable car on Powell street and public transportation at Market/Powell bus and metro/BART -beautiful room -very clean and in good shape.. they also use newer keys than the old magentic cards -we received our favourite room. -comfortable rooms -The room was amazing and in fantastic condition with great decor -What makes a great hotel experience? In my opinion it's the -The breakfast was a bit expensive -The room itself felt dirty -Rooms are huge -the noise from Lombard Street is very loud -The room had an aweful musty odour, furniture and soft furnishings looked tired and the carpet was in a terrible state -The room was very well appointed with quality furnishings -excellent location in the heart of all the shops and things to do -The location is great - very central and always felt safe walking around the area -the bar and restaurant are on the expensive -The rooms are roomy -the location and view was perfect -Nice clean spacious rooms -The hotel is in a very convenient location for tourists and close to lots of shopping -Very nice -Rooms are smallish -the pillows were very small -Hotel rooms were very small -reasonably good condition -Day and our room was disgusting -Rooms are big -The room was large, bright and airy. The bathroom was large enough -near the business district -The room is very petite -They recommended both a French and Italian restaurant and both were within walking distance and just delicious -Free wine reception -return from the Hotel Nikko this afternoon -Restaurant is on the pricey side, but there are plenty of less -Some rooms had working phones, tvs, lights, other rooms didn't -I shared a room with two double beds and our "biggest" complaint was that there weren't enough electrical outlets for us to charge our wireless phones and Garmin gps units -The location was awesome -I was greeted by a broken switchplate and the odors of both mildew and cigarette smoke -Location is fine - no need to go into the Tenderloin unless you choose to do so and only a 10 minute walk downhill to Union Square -The room was great size for the four of us -rooms are gorgeous -You are really paying for location with this hotel. This is also a historic hotel -The Cartwright is just four blocks from Union Square, with theaters and shopping nearby -good view of the city -Room was nice, with all the amnities you need -sacrafice that for a great rate. Restaurant was pricey as hotels are. They ran out of empty refrig's to replace our pay-mini-bar, but allowed us to remove and replace items without a charge to store our leftovers & drinks. Beds were comfy with lots of fluffy pillows. Valet staff was more friendly and helpful than concierge. Parking, valet only, was $42/day + $5.50 tax. May look into public parking across street next time. Very close to subway stations, large mall, & trolley stops. -Hotel staff were uniformly nice -great continental breakfast -This was a great alternative -The location was handy - we were able to walk everywhere -The breakfast was excellent with a number of different choices -complimentary breakfast beverage order for not too big a hit so we went that route and enjoyed a more affordable -Breakfast was a nice add -The yellow 70's bathroom bothered me the most as it was very dirty -The complimentary breakfast is great -Simple breakfast -cheerful staff -location were amazing -The continental breakfast was a nice starter -Our rooms were quite large and impeccably clean -Probably will stay there again just because of how well we felt they took care of our family -The location is great -Rooms clean, warm and comfortable beds -rate also included -breakfast - great food -rooms looked cosy and clean -my room (King suite) was HUGE -short 10min walk to the water front -Boston Breakfast is expensive for what you get - much better value in the Omni in Boston! - which is hard to beat for breakfast! -Located in the financial district -Friendly and helpful manager -the hotel looks very magestic -It was the perfect location and so comfortable -great!)Breakfast in the morning was nice -Internet is available (wifi in room -The room was nice -we asked for a twin room and it was tiny, 2 tiny single beds that were like a saggy lilo. Overall a horrible hotel and -Location, service, accommodations and staff are excellent -We were located right beside the breakfast reception area -My husband and I just returned from a trip -there was a good atmosphere -was comfortable, clean, and spacious -The room was large, clean, and well maintained -breakfast in the morning is incredible -the location is that this is not a great section of Market -rooms has 2 double not queen beds and NOT enough room for 2 people -wonderful breakfast -the location can not be beeat -The room was horrible -I was able to have a light breakfast -First time booking -The free breakfast was decent -is right at the end of the Powell trolley line -i was able to see golden gate bridge we loved the jet spa bathtub -The breakfast was basic -$109/night -the reception staff were very friendly and understanding -easy access to the shopping district and a Walgreens -Located at Broadway & Van Ness -the room was not very spacious -There are lots of restaurants within walking distance -That room was nice -The room had much dust -The Continental Breakfast was quick and convenient -The hotel itself is very nice looking with a modern decor. -The room was quiet and spacious -The desk staff is extremely friendly and helpful -the rooms are a good size and everything is clean and modern -The location's great as it's near Union Square and Westfield Shopping Centre -There was a light breakfast offered -so the rooms are not huge but the are beautiful and clean -The Hotel is in a great location -fabulous breakfasts -This hotel has great amenities -rooms were clean and nice and a good size -The wonderful and bountiful breakfast spread in the morning on each floor -The rooms are comfy -Many restaurants were within walking distance -Wharf and Pier 39 -it is fine -The room was outstanding -Great location -I had TONS of shopping and restaurant hopping to do -The hotel is walking distance to many attractions -have a courtyard room which I gather is a better option -The room wasn't huge but had an awesome bed, an LCD TV, Bose clock radio, etc -There are restaurants near the Holiday Inn -The room is very small -Oh and there is also fresh fruit in the gym -We have a room with 2 beds, very tight! -has a fantastic restaurant -it is way, way, cheaper than hotels in the general area -The location is fantastic -Tuscan Inn was great, location to the wharf -Breakfast is limited to toast and muffins with plenty of choice -Read all the reviews prior to booking -great breakfast -front desk was very rude -This hotel is a DUMP -The breakfast on each floor is simple but nice -which proved to be a bad location -We enjoyed the location of the hotel -Friendly personnel -Good location in town, decent sized rooms and pretty helpful staff -rooms were not particularly clean -Room was large -The hotel is in a wonderful location at the top of Nob Hill -The breakfast is fine -in San Francisco during Easter weekend 2007 -The breakfasts were wonderful -fabulous breakfasts -The location is outstanding for the convention center -the staff was superb -San Francisco -Room on the 4th floor northside -the staff was so pleasant -The location was amazing and the -The breakfast was excellent and featured homemade baked goods -gym at this hotel -The room was fine -The air conditioning unit needs to be placed in a recycling yard -reasonable buffet breakfast included, with plent to do nearby -The location is outstanding for the convention center -good atmosphere -Location can't be beat -The room at first glance was very nice but then you can see real age -A perfect location -The breakfast that is provided was quite enough to satisfy my needs and very tasty -The breakfast was decent for a hotel complimentery breakfast -Reception staff very friendly and helpful -Fishermans Wharf, and the accomadations are reasonably good -The rooms were beautiful and we loved the bathroom -the owner was very friendly and helpful -They upgraded us to a wonderful room -The food was expensive as you would expect in a downtown hotel -on Fisherman's Wharf -This hotel completely ruined -Good value for the price -The breakfast is perfect -Breakfast was fine -The location is fantastic -Horrible location -is actually a pretty big suite -The location is super - just across from Pier 39 -This place was near perfect -really good deal compared to the price and the location -My first time in SF would've been -very friendly and knowledgable \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/answer-validation.books.txt b/reference_files/answer-validation.books.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 36de9f4cc94174eacd603b1b7ca9de685fd327fc..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/answer-validation.books.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,92 +0,0 @@ -adjusted among us keep those things under control -world of oppression, -I love this book! -This book is hilarious -one of the best books -After Insurgent -story is just so emotional and touching -The characters are charming -the book based on Dodd's diary and the ancillary writings of others, is extensively researched -story line was good at keeping the reader encased -relationship -novel won numerous literary awards -I adored her -the book in preparation for this review -The story was heartbreaking -Amazon -Told from three different points of view -it was available in English prior to Christmas everywhere except USA -Story is intriguing though incredulous -horrifying tale -it's somewhat SciFi and the description just didn't seem to grab me -book started out good and interesting but it definately slowed down -Has hilarious stories -this story is exciting -I loved that this book was a little more adult than the previous books -a bit of magic -Highly recommended -Their story is riveting, appalling, and highly readable. -The story was so touching and had me guessing the entire time I was reading -Definitely the best book -A few of the paragraphs do tend to go on a sentence fragment or two too long -very good -Like there should be part 2 which I would not read -story and concept are unique, interesting, and captivating. -Very surprised considering its popularity -characters were likeable -Highly recommended -The concept is intriguing (4 stars) and the pace satisfactory ( 3 stars) -it is so simple to read and understand, and hence easy to remember -and I liked Kay's "Tigana" and Brooks' Shannara books very much -the rest of the book -I really loved this book -was a good book and an easy read -This story line is amazing -fans of the series will ultimately be at least satisfied -This one is hard to put down -very depressing narrative -this book was thought provoking and insightful -The good ones are nice -This is a groundbreaking book -great love -One of my new favorite books of all time -scenes between the two are both sexy and erotic -the book is clearly well researched and accessible -I think his best were Jurassic Park and the Andromeda Strain -was a bit of a disaster but that's why I loved it so much. Travis and Abby were two very flawed characters with a lot of issues to work through. For some reason these always become my favorite types of characters. To me, it makes it even more special to see them grow and change and I feel like the payoff is even bigger at the end. I know a lot of people really didn't like Travis but I absolutely and completely LOVED him, everything about him! The good and the bad. Yes, he can be a jerk and he has one hell of a temper and some major jealousy issues but all of these flaws just made him even more realistic to me. Don't worry because he doesn't stay that way throughout the whole book. Once he meets Abby he slowly starts changing, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But the important thing to me is that he tries to be a better person for Abby. There is another character in this book, Parker, who is somewhat a love interest to Abby. He was pretty much perfect: good looking, rich, nice, good manners, Harvard-bound...and I absolutely could not stand him! He was such a bore. Maybe it's just me and maybe I'm not right in the head but I like reading about the messed up characters. The more screwed up they are, the better I like them. (Most of the time)Abby was a very complex character. She has a shady past and has worked hard to move on from it. But from the moment she meets Travis, she can't help but feel drawn to him. Don't worry; this isn't one of those insta-love stories. In fact, it's the completely opposite. It's one of those almostexcruciating but awesome slow build-ups that pushes them together one moment only to have them ripped apart the next. Abby and Travis have such a complicated and messed up friendship and their relationship is even more messed up. Just like the quote above says, when things are good between them it was such a beautiful thing. But when things went bad, it was definitely disastrous. At first, I really liked Abby because she was really tough and she would stand up to herself to Travis and didn't take any of his bullshit. But the closer they got, and the more blurry the line between friendship and romance got, she did some very stupid things which made me want to reach into the book and slap her a couple of times. (Maybe more than a couple)It's official! I found my new favorite category: New Adult! I mostly read YA (hence the blog name) and as much as I love them I sometimes feel like there is something missing. Well I found out what that was: sex! This is another thing that adds a realistic element to the story. I don't know why but it always bugs me when couples in YA wait until the third book to finally have sex. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against waiting and I definitely love the sexual tension until then, but what is it about the third book that makes it ok then? The relationship between Travis and Abby is scorching hot without being graphic or inappropriate -I liked watching the movie n going back to the book -this -I was fascinated by Bill O'Reilly's book on Jesus's life and death -Every character in this book is odd. The plot is odd -The ending of this book is terrible -This fourth book -This is an exceptionally well written -The book didn't really have many new insights -action was good -looking -Liked the book much more -good guys have to do is swing their swords around a few times and they can easily defeat entire armies of bad guys. One top of that, the good guys are led by an Aes Sedai (a female wizard) who can do more or less anything, so there's never any real sense of danger. The action scenes also grow very repetitive. For instance, there's one scene where our heroes are being chased by a horde of villians, but luckily they're able to run into a magic place where the bad guys just aren't willing to go. This exact same scene gets repeated twice later in the novel.Many people seem to think that the characterizations are one of this novel's strengths, but I don't agree. The main character is named Rand al'Thor, and the novel is supposed to show him changing from an ordinary farmboy into a great warrior. The problem is that he doesn't act like an ordinary person at the start; none of the five characters who grew up in a small down do. They all acts like soldiers right from the start. They're willing to plunge into battle without any hesitation, and the children always act totally grown up. I found the characters to be largely static and unbelievable.This certainly isn't a terrible novel. As I mentioned, it does have a wonderful surprise ending. Just don't expect to be swept away by it. Also, be sure to read the gloassary at the end, which is more entertaining than most of the book. -it will blow you away -steamy sex -the confusion of the many characters can mask the whodunit -journey of Sky and Holder -The created other world and its animosities are also believable in their sentiments -premise is interesting -concepts behind this book are indeed fascinating -There is no basis for why these characters come together -it has a great plot that flows well despite many twists and turns -Subject matter is difficult, of course, but through the eyes, heart -would be INCREDIBLE -I am floored at how bad this book is considering I absolutely loved the first two books in the series -I found the topic interesting in that the future -is simply amazing -the -yes it seems a bit pointless at times -romance was smoking hot -This story was so intriguing -series is great -This story was AWESOME -one hundred pages -story was so compelling -SEXY HOT -I really had to struggle through this book and almost deleted it more than once \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/answer-validation.electronics.txt b/reference_files/answer-validation.electronics.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9c9fb7d19063030db69296744d05fd97672ae250..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/answer-validation.electronics.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,99 +0,0 @@ -The case is not bulky and actually fits in most of my pant pockets -Bass booms -the keyboard! Everything else is great -the sound is very clear -good mouse -This is definitely a high quality product -These speakers ROCK -form factor really -BUILDThe device feels nice and solid -I have big fingers -cable and I got exactly zero channels -it is not a miracle device -These Earbuds have very good -keyboard is compact -the battery life is pretty abysmal -This particular card is fast and reliable -the bass, mids, and treble are easily audible -This monitor was purchased as a gift for my father -them have excellent image quality -it's highly sensitive and easy to use -I find my ears feel hot -I highly recommend this Stand Cover -this charger is great -This cable is excellent -price was perfect -it's amazing -Starts where it left off -I wish I could say the set up was easy -These wireless headphones are really awesome! -The mounting is likely to be more solid -The keyboard is easy -Price was good -full signal all through my house and a good ways around -solid USB drive -Love -had been looking for a replacement for -The screen is fine -The sound is awesome, better than I expected for the low price. -This product has amazing speed and range -Lasts a full charge and some -Performance and coverage has been great -It is not durable at all and you have to be very careful not to move the Kindle while it's plugged in -The Asus monitor is much brighter, higher contrast, and deeper colors -It's much too difficult to navigate and download files -All is good -drive that died was ~5 or 6 year old Maxtor.) I've always been a fan of the Barracuda line and the price was right so I jumped on this drive. My parents need almost no storage to check their e-mail and surf the web so this drive was perfect -a fantastic value for quality -good bass nice Sound -Living in Texas means a base temperature indoors of about -good quality -incredibly impressed and pleased -Battery life is incredible -initial software update with no problems -it it very comfortable -Decent sound -Over all, this is one sweet remote -Performance is amazing! -this is a very affordable and effective computer audio solution. -the big stuff and free up your hard drive -GREAT little remote -Tablets -The grip on the thumb side feels good -great quality -Batteries are excellent -sound is very clear -the quality wasn't all bad...just that annoying bathroom echo effect -My only issue is the keys get stuck very easily -sound quality is incredible -This will be a ramble -the noise is low -the cover is stiff -it is a good router just the interface is not intuitive -Installed in a breeze and handles the weight on the tv -the screen resolution and clarity of display is very good -This thing is awesome -battery for anyone's Apple and Android Device -Wifi signal is very good -This unit seems well built and is easy to setup but the sound quality is terrible -The touchscreen is very responsive & quick -the price was really good -This remote is excellent -The cables that come with them are PATHETICALLY SHORT -The nearly unlimited amount of positions -the mic is up to par -the sound is not as loud -I found it time consuming and problematic -This Router is excellent -it was just a malfunction -The bass is very powerful -Text is easier to read -the optical zoom and picture quality is great -The cable is quite thick -it)Protective Capability~5 -Really impressed -reviews decided to purchase this Medialink -The plastic is sturdy -It seems like a sturdy little drive -The video quality of the HD is awesome -These cables are extremely well made, have the extra feature of incorporating an ethernet path and are a really great buy \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/answer-validation.grocery.txt b/reference_files/answer-validation.grocery.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 493010a83f6f8a50f8b62807eb261da0a2e1c0ed..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/answer-validation.grocery.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,101 +0,0 @@ -They crumble a bit but the bag we had was not that bad -crackers to be dry as dust -It has no metallic taste or aftertase -The South Beach Living Fiber Fit Mocha bar -The Keebler Town Pita cracker (Sea Salt) is definitely a little on the salty side -the taste is pretty awesome -the flavor is quite bland -So bear in mind that this 6-box pack will probably give you about 18 bowls of cereal when considering the cost -A small piece of chocolate brings this lunch to a sweet and dark end -It's not as much green tea as it is mango and pineapple -I would call this a reasonably healthy cereal, and it is gluten free -Natural Sparkling Apple -Sometimes I'll mix it with the Bolthouse Farms Chocolate Soy Protein drink -Looking for a change -honey flavors came to the fore -seeds are full of nutrients -that's plenty -is actually quite mild -wasn't bitter and was very smooth for a dark roast -the almonds inside are fresh and tasty -the consistency is thick -Unfortunately -The texture is smooth and not grainy -packets of Taster's Choice are so convenient, travel well, are easily -enjoyed the slightly chewy texture and the fresh nuts -love coffee -to my taste, the natural flavoring is richly aromatic and full-bodied -Too sugery tasting -Nutrition as per the nutrition panel is good -its, a nature valley granola bar -This is a tasty coffee drink -It also contains 100% -I see a price increase as their heads enlarge -velvety -great coffee - There was nothing remarkable about the flavor -These bars are so convenient and -the drink is sweet -favorite brand of popcorn -I didn't like the bar at all -I like my coffee strong -Sauce is really good -The fruit punch flavor tastes just like Kool -I can't recommend it outside of a very good sale. -the end of the day -the flavor of fresh watermelon (not candy sweet watermelon) is crisp yet light and enhanced by the carbonation -tastes like your tap water -I adore him -bar is tasty but not at all too sweet -The milk chocolate is smooth and creamy in flavor -The taste is clean and refreshing -That is why we have regular drinking water delivery -I prefer the taste of a real apple -This coffee smells good -I loved -This baby food has very simple ingredients -The ginger is strong -The bar is a good size -For now, my search for a good de-caf coffee is now complete -We had a choice of either box -This new packaging is nice -The texture was fine (aside from the lack of nuts).The -soft drink -Tastes like Red Bull mixed up with Hawaiian Punch -10 grams of natural sugar -The fruit really is an added bonus -Coffee is very rich and smooth -The taste of the tea is strong -This sauce is spicy enough -taste is not really one -These bottles are quite large -I'm pretty picky when it comes to cheese and crackers -lemons and ginger -There was no bitter aftertaste -extremely tasty drink -this sauce and even though -The apple, walnut, and cranberry pieces all tasted good -is a very sweet drink -baked chocolate chip cookies -Interestingly -This coffee smells delicious out of the package -Each packet is good for a 16oz drink -Essentia is a good tasting water -the texture is very light and crisp -I love cherries -was delicious -LOADED with pepper. When I first opened the container and saw these nuts, it looked like someone had wet them and dredged them in black pepper. And believe me...You can taste the pepper; and it stays with you. Very, very spicy. Too much so for me. I also agree with other reviewers who have said the nuts are too salty -fresh taste. Just pure clean water. No after taste, no odd tastes overall. I love the bigger sized bottle. I cannot attest to the benefits of drinking pH water specifically because I only tried the one bottle and of course did not see any benefits or notice anything spectacularly different from any other water.I suppose if you have great interest in the long term benefits of drinking Essentia with its 9.5pH and if you do not mind the price, it is worth it. I myself cannot see spending so much on bottled water, although it does have a very good, pure taste -I don't like this type of snack -this product taste great -The soup is rich and tasty -shelf life to be longer -The texture is more on the smooth side than the crunchy side -The bar itself is chewy and tastes great -predominantly mango with some ginger and just right amount of hot Habaneros -This option is better because the box contains six individually wrapped packages -have dry skin -I found the taste of the Back to Nature grahams to be comparable to Honey Grahams but not nearly as sweet or intense -If this was loose coffee, it would get 4 stars -There are not many -This was an enjoyable and refreshing treat \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/answer-validation.movies.txt b/reference_files/answer-validation.movies.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ffaa39d4d8edfd995bf20bd4ff6822c0542c422a..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/answer-validation.movies.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,101 +0,0 @@ -I have to say I loved this film -One of the most powerful films ever made -the sound and picture quality is awesome -finally -nothing else see it for the scenery -sound quality are excellent -Cabin Fever is simply a dreadful horror film -The film is visually stunning -is a very well written musical -Some of this ideas has been somehow treated more recently in movies such as -episode is interesting -the best shows to air on television -this film wasn't so much funny as stupid -The storyline is intriguing, to say the least -the special effects are terrible -I marginally liked this film -first season of a very funny show -film where his directorial style worked in perfect synergy with mainstream Hollywood. Many of his other earlier films, including BEETLEJUICE (1988), EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1993), ED WOOD (1994), and ironically BATMAN RETURNS (1992) are 100% TIM BURTON! They are all great in that Burtonesque way. While Burton's first Batman film BATMAN has obvious Burton touches: odd and disturbing characters, dark tone, neo-noirish look, the film still manages to be generally accessible to the mass audience. It moves at a fast, breezy pace and has an epic, Hollywood feel to it, with a satisfying conclusion. But that, in this case, is not a bad thing! I have re-watched this entertaining flick so many times it isn't funny! It just works. Can't say that for many of the superhero films in this new PC, uninspired generation of films.I actually saw BATMAN (1989) when it first came out in movie theatres and was blown away by it's originality and scope...still am. Even more so now since it holds up 20+ years later as great entertainment. In retrospect, Michael Keaton was the perfect choice to play the fractured, flawed antiheroic Bruce Wayne AKA Batman. But I always felt he was the right choice! Keaton captures the guarded loneliness of the Bruce Wayne character, while still being very convincing as a tough guy who can hold his own when donning the cape and cowl! Mr. Burton...you made the right choice!The other inspired (and perhaps more obvious) choice was casting the legendary Jack Nicholson as Jack Napier AKA The Joker. Nicholson is convincing as high-level "yes man" thug Napier who through a nasty accident becomes facially scarred and assumes the Joker persona. And Nicholson really looks like The Joker in this! He has so many memorable lines that I think about all the time. The hero-villain chemistry between he and Keaton is electric.Kim Basinger (at her most gorgeous!) admirably plays nosy photojournalist Vicki Vale, who arrives in Gotham City to unlock the secret of the mysterious Caped Crusader who has been "terrorizing" low level criminals throughout the city. She ends up falling in love with Bruce Wayne (lucky bastard!). Basinger is the weakest link of the main actors, but she still does a good job of emoting, being simultaneously fascinated and repulsed by Batman and Joker's antics. She screams a lot, but look at the freaks she's dealing with! Can you blame her?The solid supporting cast includes Michael Gough (wonderful turn as Alfred, Bruce's ever-so-reliable and dependable butler and caretaker), Robert Wuhl (in an energetic turn as Vicki's fellow reporter Alex Knox), Billy Dee Williams (as DA Harvey Dent), and Pat Hingle (as world-weary Police Commissioner Gordon). In particular, Keaton and Gough have an effortless chemistry as though they have been close their whole lives. Gough came back for Schumacher's cartoonish campy films and he had none of the chemistry with either Kilmer or Clooney that he had with Keaton in the Burton ones. It was weird watching Gough's Alfred interact with those tepid versions of Bruce Wayne.As previously stated, I am amazed at how Burton's style fused perfectly with more conventional Hollywood touches and created something special out of it. It could have been a monumental failure, but instead ended up being a template for all future superhero films. -The movie is entertaining -crazed movie -the movie was very graphic -the action is more intense and exciting -the special effects are wonderful -The show is interesting -perfect film -Joss Whedon's unmistakeable flair comes clearly across in this popcorn movie -I can only say the movie is watchable -all outstanding and perfect for their respective parts -the rest of the movie is fairly sound and enjoyable -Johnny Depp as Capt -a terrific cast -The sound is significantly better -The music is magnificent -minutes how this movie is going to go -is nothing short of amazing and was easily the best film of 2001 -The dialogue is superb -The special effects were awesome -the brilliant music by The RZA -'ve never been attracted to mutes myself -creepy and disturbing -quality was so clear and clean -the film is successful -parts are at night -Nightmarish, disturbing, cautionary, thought-provoking, and moving -There are some wonderful Indian actors and fantastic dependable English ones too -classic!#22 -I recommended the film to a relative and we saw it together -This a pretty good movie and it had A LOT of blood -I was nave to think that this third installment of the Twilight cultural phenomenon would be any better or more interesting than the first two "films" in the series -the songs are not bad -The service and price were excellent -I would be fascinated -this movie is awesome -you -ridiculous -That said ... the music -Action was fun -evolve musically and it very cool -The film wasn't all bad, but you would expect better from a Star Wars film, and the bad acting did let the film down dramatically -It is a very full-toned and haunting picture -If you love Laurel and Hardy, this package will please you beyond words -the first time and now -'s shows have -This film was terrific -This series is great -picture -The main characters are consistent and well developed -Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith -I do not think it is as good -great film -the acting is marvelous -I recommend this movie to any on who has a good sense of humor -If you are looking for plausibility -excellent -doesn't have any emotional impact -As was the acting. I swear, there were times I literally cringed when certain dialogue was spoken -GREAT movies -to reclaim -the best in the series and this movie was simply amazing -would have make it a much better movie -The film provides the necessary background -pleasantly surprised to see that its sequel -this movie is like -This movie is gripping hardcore -In the mode of Dowton Abbey -My granddaughter loved this movie -directors and actors -The way the camera ventures around the place is totally freaky -when Kong escapes the theatre and finally sees the Girl again in NYC -The extras on disc two are interesting and the previews for the extended version and TTT accomplish their purpose extreemly well.***original review below.***First the bad.The movie CHOPS 20% of the book -in one big chunk- (muttering a chapter title doesn't count!). The story of how Merry and Pippin become involved is cut and CHANGED. The old forest and the Barrow Wights are also missing. Some of Tolkien's best descriptions are found in the forest scenes (gnarly, old, and aware trees; gloom and darkness; spiders and other creatures lurking! The Galadriel scene is BAD. And there are two things wrong with Moria. 1. The cave troll scene is too long and it should have some texture on its skin (of fur). 2. I would have liked to see a bit more of Moria. The special effects when the ring is worn are overdone. One too many sweeping helicopter shots of the river. Finally, the scene where Sam goes into the river at the end was done all wrong!***Now for the GOOD***The history of the ring is told very well. Many scenes show a great deal of very good creativity. The Shire scenes are wonderful. Good humor (except in Rivendell, and taht the "conspiracy unmasked" was cut out). ***The reactions of Gandalf and especially Boromir to being near the ring really helps display the evil power of the ring. Their acting (and the direction in these scenes) is PERFECT!*** The wraiths were also done very well.The special effects and music are teriffic. The color and "tone" of the river and the huge statues at the end are especially tastefully done. Shrinking the Hobbits was just plain unbelieveable when they were running around several other characters. The scene at Orthanc was visually spectacular and the duel was creatively and tastefully done.Substituting Arwen for Glorfindel neatens things. The moria scenes (except for the above criticisms), are superb -especially when Gandalf "defeats" the balrog.[All of the smaller plots of the book could have been done except it would have confused and blurred things for the unread, and the movie would have been five hours long! Maybe six movies would have been required for everything???]***The DVDs' extras look extreemly promising!*** -the worst movies ever made -as well, is surprisingly good. There are precious -The effects are cheesy -the bag of poo while having dinner and adamant and borat fighting in bed -the most influential films -The cast was outstanding -The action is much the same -the animation was good but not great -Star Wars -The casting is superb -one of the best transfers ever \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/answer-validation.restaurants.txt b/reference_files/answer-validation.restaurants.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4be7739066a570756f2aac27ccf41eb5abd2ceb3..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/answer-validation.restaurants.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,129 +0,0 @@ -The pastas are generally more chewy which was perfect -food is this bad -I like the atmosphere of the entire place -Great atmosphere and decor -Absolutely gorgeous restaurant -best tacos in Toronto -The menu is very limited -Amazing food with amazing servers -Banh Mi Boys is fast food at its best -the taste is beyond horrible -I have tasted -the poached cod, the beef short ribs -We loved our experience at Byblos -Bad service -Bad Service. -Best ramen in Toronto -ruined my experience. I was staying at -I have to say that it was absolutely delicious -The place is underground and it was a cool place -The patio, service, cocktails, and variety of delicious taco -The drinks are really good too -Overall, good for the curries ! -The food was alright -it was a solid, big burger -can get a decent dish for around $12-13 -sandwich -to the time our evening ended, it was amazing -I used to love this place -Definitely lives up to the hype -Great experience -they don't care about providing any actual service -The place fills up real quick during the nights -the excellent menu options -The food was tasty and seasoned well -the most interesting restaurants -friendly staff -really great and extremely -FABULOUS -The food is fine -small piece -amazing and the service is fantastic -The chicken was pretty tasty and perfectly cooked -Manager was very rude -every dish but it was spewed out so quickly that a lot of it was incoherent -The steak is delicious -was delicious and the flavours -We could not decide on an appetizer so we had asked the -It is located on a smaller street in Toronto so if you like a more quiet, outdoor environment to do work you may want to check this place out -Great atmosphere, awesome -Neighbourhood is on point -was awesome! -The food is really reasonably priced -So good -Staff always welcomes you with great -the thick one looked better -We came in at unusual hours of 4 pm to have lunch and service was on point -Fantastic service! -I still gravitate towards the tacos as they are always fresh and flavorful and never -The service as usual was excellent -clean, affordable. More spacious than other restaurants I've been to in Chinatown. -sausage -my favourite things -slow, slow, slow -Quick service -The food is not flavourful, expensive, small portions -Meat was soft and tender -So we also got a jar of water that came slow -The service is always impeccable -free beer once in awhile? I come here anyways!Having lived in Belgium, I come here to relive some of my favourite Belgian foods and beer -Their steak is really good -decent flavor -Service is fine -opening locations here -there!The food was good and filling -the service was great -food was very good -My parents had the calamari and loved it -very limited seating -we had a fantastic time here -nice -It was really moist in texture and a bit different from the original cheesecake -The dishes were a bit pricier than the usual a la carte sushi -super loud -decent quality food -The food here isn't too bad -Seating is very limited -again -Sweet Mess Tacos -They force you to accept very large lobster with very tough meat -our bartender/waiter was awesome -The waiter was helpful and knowledgable with the menu and was attentive and excellent -The last few visits were very disappointing!A waste of time, drive and money!From poor SLOW service, and OVERPRICED to bland mediocre food -For authenticity this place would be 4.5/5 -and drinking the soup -The tacos are delicious -ambience was nice -Top notch service in every way!The food -portions -When it comes to food I'm critical -best cakes -Has a really homey, comfort feeling to it -mediocre at best -if you are meat lover and like to try different kind of meats and flavours then this is your paradise -Vietnamese restaurant -Guu has really good food -The menu is full of egg puns -delicious but no cheap eat -Quite the disappointment -Albacore -Although the food & environment was amazing -Fusion kitchen at its best... We got the chef's -One of the best friend chicken and bang -I appreciate the variety offered -service was good and turn around was quick -ginger pancakes and eggs benny -the tables were very close together -They're the best -Neo's roll cake are delicious -The food is very fresh and surprisingly good. Not cheap. But worth the price for sure! The uni I had was extremely sweet and full of flavour -Overall had a pretty disappointing experience with the service -Dim sum was tasty, but was not spectacular -The oysters were fresh and tasty -variety of top restaurants in Toronto and around the world for that matter. Last night was our first time at Cluny and we were both very excited to try it out. When we walked in, we were immediately impressed with the quaint French bistro décor and overall feel and ambiance. Loved the little bakery at the front of the restaurant. When we arrived, we were not greeted by anyone (restaurant wasn't even busy at this point 6:45 Monday evening), after about 5 mins of standing there looking around, someone that looked like he was one of the Chefs (who happened to be getting something in the stock room/closet, finally said someone will be with you shortly. We were greeted by the hostess with a less than impressive hello. After we were seated, it took about 10mins before we were acknowledged by our Waiter for the evening. Again, was not impressed by his demeanor and lack of interest in us as guest. We've probably had better service at a local Chain restaurant or a drive thru for that matter! Our appetizers came relatively quickly (Oysters, Cod balls and Caesar salad). The Caesar salad was a complete disappointment, perhaps I had high expectations but when you proudly call a dish Cluny Caesar with a price tag of $13+ I would expect a little more than 2 branches of Romaine barely drizzled with dressing and 4-5 chick peas and feta lining the bottom. We ordered Oysters and when it was brought to us, the Waitress was trying to explain the different Oysters and said Oh and I forget what this one is called.... Anyway, I don't want to get too lengthy with the review here but all in all I would rate the food quite good (minus the Caesar salad) at this restaurant but the underwhelming service takes this place to a whole new low. The atmosphere in terms of décor and ambiance were excellent, very reminiscent of a bistro in Paris which is a rare find here. The service was beyond below average. Our waiter (middle aged male, appeared quite sloppy if I can be honest -the different sausages that they have -The prices were great -Fantastic beer -They got their food before us, despite arriving a half hour after us -Everything was perfect -good for quick eats \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/answer-validation.tripadvisor.txt b/reference_files/answer-validation.tripadvisor.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 5ed1c11d0b65d3d78f4daffdc77b15c0968090aa..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/answer-validation.tripadvisor.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,143 +0,0 @@ -The staff was extremely helpful and responsive -fantastic views -The only thing we -beautiful -The hotel was in the perfect location -staff were extremely helpful -Morning coffee -Our room was very clean and the bathroom was excellent -parking is OUTRAGEOUS all over San Francisco -very nice -but the hotel itself worn and tired -Our friends had an AMAZING view of the bay and downtown. -This was a wonderful experience -Teriffic location; fantastic bar with complimentary wine every afternoon -Service was outstanding -knowledgeable and really helpful -the views were stunning -The staff is extremely gracious and ready to help with suggestions for places to go shopping or dining -Excellent customer service from valets, front desk staff, room service staff, housekeeping -The nightly wine -The service at the hotel was wonderful -hotel where booking a better room -Reception staff were very friendly -Location--can't be beat.2. Front desk crew--helpful and friendly.3. Bed and bed linens--comfy.The OK:1. Lobby decor2. Doormen--friendly enough, but rarely open the door for you. -comfortable and the showers had great water pressure and heat -the perfect place to base your trip to San Francisco -The hotel has great views -This place is a great value and awesome place to stay in the City -What -the Hotel Monaco was fabulous -Free parking was excellent -The amenities were good -This hotel is not for everyone -everything was just fine -On first sight the Castle hotel is not great -We really enjoyed our time there -The Mosser Hotel in San Francisco -The Top of the Mark was great for late evening drinks -TV was nice -it was the absolute smallest hotel -The parking fee was outrageous -great city view -bad -I had a great stay at this beautiful, historic hotel -top notch service -The staff is exceptional -Great wine hour -My family stayed for two nights -smell nice -The sheets on the bed -it's next to a BART station -The service was great -this place smelled horrible, had ratty bedding, and no air conditioning. Noisy room with a view of a brick wall. Since there's no air conditioning all windows in hotel were open which allowed for cigarette smoke, sirens, and other guests noise to float right into my room. If you are a woman traveling alone I would avoid this place. The doors were not very secure and there was so little staff in the lobby there's no way they had any real security. This place was so bad -Employees were friendly -The $169 rooms are almost the same as the $189 rooms -Hotel was fairly new and very pleasant -The service is friendly yet professional -The front desk staff was very nice and upon hearing it was my birthday -The staff were as good -The staff was very friendly and attentive -nice bed -this hotel fits the bill -A small room -were checked in by a helpful and friendly receptionist -Beautiful hotel -I booked the Hotel Whitcomb for a one -a king bed which was really comfy -The staff were all very helpful and courteous -The Palce Hotel -the street which had a pub -close to some lovely bars -a fantastic wine & cheese hour and great continental breakfast -I made the mistake, apparently like every other person who has left a review about this hotel, of going without checking the other reviews -The hotel is in a very safe area and we felt perfectly happy walking around at night -Service is a bit slow -view wonderful -The room was spacious -The elevator is fairly small -The bed was fabulous with extremely comfortable and fluffy bedding -The wine hour from 17:30 -18:30 -breakfast buffet was nice -Concierge was great -Bathroom was extremely small -it was excellent -Fantastic, gracious staff -The front desk staff was extremely rude -concierge were wonderful -The service was amazing -the hotel was very noisy throughout the night and early morning -close to lots of shady places in town -Stayed at the Grand Hyatt on Union Square -The service was very good and prompt -the heavenly bed was great -The hotel location was great -vanity area was very small -bed was fantastic -service at the front desk was prompt and friendly -efficient staff -The pool area is a lovely sun spot and the pool was warm to swim in -Front desk staff were friendly and attentive -What a wonderful hotel -The property is cool -Great shower in the bathroom -smelled very musty -food was so good -This is a beautiful hotel -The employees are attentive, friendly and provides excellent service. And the room is very clean with nice amenities. Strongly recommended for leisure or business stay. Cheers -The rooms have high -The bathroom was large -The traffic noise -bathrooms nice with bath and shower -The car parking is very expensive 49$ per night -This hotel was absolutely horrible -excellent hotels -The view was awesome -The floors creak like you wouldn't believe -the Hotel entrance is just steps from the station exit. It is also a few blocks from Davies Hall, where the Symphony plays. The down side of the location is that this is not a great section of Market and most people probably will not feel too comfortable walking at night. So, take BART or the ample public transit. The hotel is nicely kept and clean. The building has some interesting architectural details. Still, it is an old and somewhat tired property and some of the remodeling is not the best. Same for the fitness center -- the room and equipment are older, but meet my needs. The food is good, but overpriced. If you are bothered by traffic notice, ask for a quiet room in back. The rooms in front overlook Market -The service and concierge were exceptional -Staff very helpful -Service was impeccable and reliable -the Sunday breakfast buffet was forgettable -beds were awesome -Loved the service -Also very clean and comfortable room with a great view -The room service, cleaning staff, and doormen were all excellent as well -great city views -And very reasonably priced. Overall, excellent value for money and highly recommended. -Beautiful views of the city -We found the staff to be quite unhelpful and not friendly -The staff was top rate -visited San Francisco -wonderful views -spectacular view -To die for beds -definitely recommend the Hotel Whitcomb for any budget travellers out there -friendly -advertised -The new rooms had beautiful light, gorgeous views of the Bay and Alcatraz and it was like we were staying in a completely different hotel -has stunning views it can be a bit of a hike to get someplace -The Palace Hotel is a cool place -Top quality and fabulous staff -the rooms were a bit small -best and most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/answer-validation.txt b/reference_files/answer-validation.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d4814092cee9f266d30ed73aa8d64ae1585094a0..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/answer-validation.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,665 +0,0 @@ -adjusted among us keep those things under control -world of oppression, -I love this book! -This book is hilarious -one of the best books -After Insurgent -story is just so emotional and touching -The characters are charming -the book based on Dodd's diary and the ancillary writings of others, is extensively researched -story line was good at keeping the reader encased -relationship -novel won numerous literary awards -I adored her -the book in preparation for this review -The story was heartbreaking -Amazon -Told from three different points of view -it was available in English prior to Christmas everywhere except USA -Story is intriguing though incredulous -horrifying tale -it's somewhat SciFi and the description just didn't seem to grab me -book started out good and interesting but it definately slowed down -Has hilarious stories -this story is exciting -I loved that this book was a little more adult than the previous books -a bit of magic -Highly recommended -Their story is riveting, appalling, and highly readable. -The story was so touching and had me guessing the entire time I was reading -Definitely the best book -A few of the paragraphs do tend to go on a sentence fragment or two too long -very good -Like there should be part 2 which I would not read -story and concept are unique, interesting, and captivating. -Very surprised considering its popularity -characters were likeable -Highly recommended -The concept is intriguing (4 stars) and the pace satisfactory ( 3 stars) -it is so simple to read and understand, and hence easy to remember -and I liked Kay's "Tigana" and Brooks' Shannara books very much -the rest of the book -I really loved this book -was a good book and an easy read -This story line is amazing -fans of the series will ultimately be at least satisfied -This one is hard to put down -very depressing narrative -this book was thought provoking and insightful -The good ones are nice -This is a groundbreaking book -great love -One of my new favorite books of all time -scenes between the two are both sexy and erotic -the book is clearly well researched and accessible -I think his best were Jurassic Park and the Andromeda Strain -was a bit of a disaster but that's why I loved it so much. Travis and Abby were two very flawed characters with a lot of issues to work through. For some reason these always become my favorite types of characters. To me, it makes it even more special to see them grow and change and I feel like the payoff is even bigger at the end. I know a lot of people really didn't like Travis but I absolutely and completely LOVED him, everything about him! The good and the bad. Yes, he can be a jerk and he has one hell of a temper and some major jealousy issues but all of these flaws just made him even more realistic to me. Don't worry because he doesn't stay that way throughout the whole book. Once he meets Abby he slowly starts changing, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But the important thing to me is that he tries to be a better person for Abby. There is another character in this book, Parker, who is somewhat a love interest to Abby. He was pretty much perfect: good looking, rich, nice, good manners, Harvard-bound...and I absolutely could not stand him! He was such a bore. Maybe it's just me and maybe I'm not right in the head but I like reading about the messed up characters. The more screwed up they are, the better I like them. (Most of the time)Abby was a very complex character. She has a shady past and has worked hard to move on from it. But from the moment she meets Travis, she can't help but feel drawn to him. Don't worry; this isn't one of those insta-love stories. In fact, it's the completely opposite. It's one of those almostexcruciating but awesome slow build-ups that pushes them together one moment only to have them ripped apart the next. Abby and Travis have such a complicated and messed up friendship and their relationship is even more messed up. Just like the quote above says, when things are good between them it was such a beautiful thing. But when things went bad, it was definitely disastrous. At first, I really liked Abby because she was really tough and she would stand up to herself to Travis and didn't take any of his bullshit. But the closer they got, and the more blurry the line between friendship and romance got, she did some very stupid things which made me want to reach into the book and slap her a couple of times. (Maybe more than a couple)It's official! I found my new favorite category: New Adult! I mostly read YA (hence the blog name) and as much as I love them I sometimes feel like there is something missing. Well I found out what that was: sex! This is another thing that adds a realistic element to the story. I don't know why but it always bugs me when couples in YA wait until the third book to finally have sex. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against waiting and I definitely love the sexual tension until then, but what is it about the third book that makes it ok then? The relationship between Travis and Abby is scorching hot without being graphic or inappropriate -I liked watching the movie n going back to the book -this -I was fascinated by Bill O'Reilly's book on Jesus's life and death -Every character in this book is odd. The plot is odd -The ending of this book is terrible -This fourth book -This is an exceptionally well written -The book didn't really have many new insights -action was good -looking -Liked the book much more -good guys have to do is swing their swords around a few times and they can easily defeat entire armies of bad guys. One top of that, the good guys are led by an Aes Sedai (a female wizard) who can do more or less anything, so there's never any real sense of danger. The action scenes also grow very repetitive. For instance, there's one scene where our heroes are being chased by a horde of villians, but luckily they're able to run into a magic place where the bad guys just aren't willing to go. This exact same scene gets repeated twice later in the novel.Many people seem to think that the characterizations are one of this novel's strengths, but I don't agree. The main character is named Rand al'Thor, and the novel is supposed to show him changing from an ordinary farmboy into a great warrior. The problem is that he doesn't act like an ordinary person at the start; none of the five characters who grew up in a small down do. They all acts like soldiers right from the start. They're willing to plunge into battle without any hesitation, and the children always act totally grown up. I found the characters to be largely static and unbelievable.This certainly isn't a terrible novel. As I mentioned, it does have a wonderful surprise ending. Just don't expect to be swept away by it. Also, be sure to read the gloassary at the end, which is more entertaining than most of the book. -it will blow you away -steamy sex -the confusion of the many characters can mask the whodunit -journey of Sky and Holder -The created other world and its animosities are also believable in their sentiments -premise is interesting -concepts behind this book are indeed fascinating -There is no basis for why these characters come together -it has a great plot that flows well despite many twists and turns -Subject matter is difficult, of course, but through the eyes, heart -would be INCREDIBLE -I am floored at how bad this book is considering I absolutely loved the first two books in the series -I found the topic interesting in that the future -is simply amazing -the -yes it seems a bit pointless at times -romance was smoking hot -This story was so intriguing -series is great -This story was AWESOME -one hundred pages -story was so compelling -SEXY HOT -I really had to struggle through this book and almost deleted it more than once -The case is not bulky and actually fits in most of my pant pockets -Bass booms -the keyboard! Everything else is great -the sound is very clear -good mouse -This is definitely a high quality product -These speakers ROCK -form factor really -BUILDThe device feels nice and solid -I have big fingers -cable and I got exactly zero channels -it is not a miracle device -These Earbuds have very good -keyboard is compact -the battery life is pretty abysmal -This particular card is fast and reliable -the bass, mids, and treble are easily audible -This monitor was purchased as a gift for my father -them have excellent image quality -it's highly sensitive and easy to use -I find my ears feel hot -I highly recommend this Stand Cover -this charger is great -This cable is excellent -price was perfect -it's amazing -Starts where it left off -I wish I could say the set up was easy -These wireless headphones are really awesome! -The mounting is likely to be more solid -The keyboard is easy -Price was good -full signal all through my house and a good ways around -solid USB drive -Love -had been looking for a replacement for -The screen is fine -The sound is awesome, better than I expected for the low price. -This product has amazing speed and range -Lasts a full charge and some -Performance and coverage has been great -It is not durable at all and you have to be very careful not to move the Kindle while it's plugged in -The Asus monitor is much brighter, higher contrast, and deeper colors -It's much too difficult to navigate and download files -All is good -drive that died was ~5 or 6 year old Maxtor.) I've always been a fan of the Barracuda line and the price was right so I jumped on this drive. My parents need almost no storage to check their e-mail and surf the web so this drive was perfect -a fantastic value for quality -good bass nice Sound -Living in Texas means a base temperature indoors of about -good quality -incredibly impressed and pleased -Battery life is incredible -initial software update with no problems -it it very comfortable -Decent sound -Over all, this is one sweet remote -Performance is amazing! -this is a very affordable and effective computer audio solution. -the big stuff and free up your hard drive -GREAT little remote -Tablets -The grip on the thumb side feels good -great quality -Batteries are excellent -sound is very clear -the quality wasn't all bad...just that annoying bathroom echo effect -My only issue is the keys get stuck very easily -sound quality is incredible -This will be a ramble -the noise is low -the cover is stiff -it is a good router just the interface is not intuitive -Installed in a breeze and handles the weight on the tv -the screen resolution and clarity of display is very good -This thing is awesome -battery for anyone's Apple and Android Device -Wifi signal is very good -This unit seems well built and is easy to setup but the sound quality is terrible -The touchscreen is very responsive & quick -the price was really good -This remote is excellent -The cables that come with them are PATHETICALLY SHORT -The nearly unlimited amount of positions -the mic is up to par -the sound is not as loud -I found it time consuming and problematic -This Router is excellent -it was just a malfunction -The bass is very powerful -Text is easier to read -the optical zoom and picture quality is great -The cable is quite thick -it)Protective Capability~5 -Really impressed -reviews decided to purchase this Medialink -The plastic is sturdy -It seems like a sturdy little drive -The video quality of the HD is awesome -These cables are extremely well made, have the extra feature of incorporating an ethernet path and are a really great buy -They crumble a bit but the bag we had was not that bad -crackers to be dry as dust -It has no metallic taste or aftertase -The South Beach Living Fiber Fit Mocha bar -The Keebler Town Pita cracker (Sea Salt) is definitely a little on the salty side -the taste is pretty awesome -the flavor is quite bland -So bear in mind that this 6-box pack will probably give you about 18 bowls of cereal when considering the cost -A small piece of chocolate brings this lunch to a sweet and dark end -It's not as much green tea as it is mango and pineapple -I would call this a reasonably healthy cereal, and it is gluten free -Natural Sparkling Apple -Sometimes I'll mix it with the Bolthouse Farms Chocolate Soy Protein drink -Looking for a change -honey flavors came to the fore -seeds are full of nutrients -that's plenty -is actually quite mild -wasn't bitter and was very smooth for a dark roast -the almonds inside are fresh and tasty -the consistency is thick -Unfortunately -The texture is smooth and not grainy -packets of Taster's Choice are so convenient, travel well, are easily -enjoyed the slightly chewy texture and the fresh nuts -love coffee -to my taste, the natural flavoring is richly aromatic and full-bodied -Too sugery tasting -Nutrition as per the nutrition panel is good -its, a nature valley granola bar -This is a tasty coffee drink -It also contains 100% -I see a price increase as their heads enlarge -velvety -great coffee - There was nothing remarkable about the flavor -These bars are so convenient and -the drink is sweet -favorite brand of popcorn -I didn't like the bar at all -I like my coffee strong -Sauce is really good -The fruit punch flavor tastes just like Kool -I can't recommend it outside of a very good sale. -the end of the day -the flavor of fresh watermelon (not candy sweet watermelon) is crisp yet light and enhanced by the carbonation -tastes like your tap water -I adore him -bar is tasty but not at all too sweet -The milk chocolate is smooth and creamy in flavor -The taste is clean and refreshing -That is why we have regular drinking water delivery -I prefer the taste of a real apple -This coffee smells good -I loved -This baby food has very simple ingredients -The ginger is strong -The bar is a good size -For now, my search for a good de-caf coffee is now complete -We had a choice of either box -This new packaging is nice -The texture was fine (aside from the lack of nuts).The -soft drink -Tastes like Red Bull mixed up with Hawaiian Punch -10 grams of natural sugar -The fruit really is an added bonus -Coffee is very rich and smooth -The taste of the tea is strong -This sauce is spicy enough -taste is not really one -These bottles are quite large -I'm pretty picky when it comes to cheese and crackers -lemons and ginger -There was no bitter aftertaste -extremely tasty drink -this sauce and even though -The apple, walnut, and cranberry pieces all tasted good -is a very sweet drink -baked chocolate chip cookies -Interestingly -This coffee smells delicious out of the package -Each packet is good for a 16oz drink -Essentia is a good tasting water -the texture is very light and crisp -I love cherries -was delicious -LOADED with pepper. When I first opened the container and saw these nuts, it looked like someone had wet them and dredged them in black pepper. And believe me...You can taste the pepper; and it stays with you. Very, very spicy. Too much so for me. I also agree with other reviewers who have said the nuts are too salty -fresh taste. Just pure clean water. No after taste, no odd tastes overall. I love the bigger sized bottle. I cannot attest to the benefits of drinking pH water specifically because I only tried the one bottle and of course did not see any benefits or notice anything spectacularly different from any other water.I suppose if you have great interest in the long term benefits of drinking Essentia with its 9.5pH and if you do not mind the price, it is worth it. I myself cannot see spending so much on bottled water, although it does have a very good, pure taste -I don't like this type of snack -this product taste great -The soup is rich and tasty -shelf life to be longer -The texture is more on the smooth side than the crunchy side -The bar itself is chewy and tastes great -predominantly mango with some ginger and just right amount of hot Habaneros -This option is better because the box contains six individually wrapped packages -have dry skin -I found the taste of the Back to Nature grahams to be comparable to Honey Grahams but not nearly as sweet or intense -If this was loose coffee, it would get 4 stars -There are not many -This was an enjoyable and refreshing treat -I have to say I loved this film -One of the most powerful films ever made -the sound and picture quality is awesome -finally -nothing else see it for the scenery -sound quality are excellent -Cabin Fever is simply a dreadful horror film -The film is visually stunning -is a very well written musical -Some of this ideas has been somehow treated more recently in movies such as -episode is interesting -the best shows to air on television -this film wasn't so much funny as stupid -The storyline is intriguing, to say the least -the special effects are terrible -I marginally liked this film -first season of a very funny show -film where his directorial style worked in perfect synergy with mainstream Hollywood. Many of his other earlier films, including BEETLEJUICE (1988), EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1993), ED WOOD (1994), and ironically BATMAN RETURNS (1992) are 100% TIM BURTON! They are all great in that Burtonesque way. While Burton's first Batman film BATMAN has obvious Burton touches: odd and disturbing characters, dark tone, neo-noirish look, the film still manages to be generally accessible to the mass audience. It moves at a fast, breezy pace and has an epic, Hollywood feel to it, with a satisfying conclusion. But that, in this case, is not a bad thing! I have re-watched this entertaining flick so many times it isn't funny! It just works. Can't say that for many of the superhero films in this new PC, uninspired generation of films.I actually saw BATMAN (1989) when it first came out in movie theatres and was blown away by it's originality and scope...still am. Even more so now since it holds up 20+ years later as great entertainment. In retrospect, Michael Keaton was the perfect choice to play the fractured, flawed antiheroic Bruce Wayne AKA Batman. But I always felt he was the right choice! Keaton captures the guarded loneliness of the Bruce Wayne character, while still being very convincing as a tough guy who can hold his own when donning the cape and cowl! Mr. Burton...you made the right choice!The other inspired (and perhaps more obvious) choice was casting the legendary Jack Nicholson as Jack Napier AKA The Joker. Nicholson is convincing as high-level "yes man" thug Napier who through a nasty accident becomes facially scarred and assumes the Joker persona. And Nicholson really looks like The Joker in this! He has so many memorable lines that I think about all the time. The hero-villain chemistry between he and Keaton is electric.Kim Basinger (at her most gorgeous!) admirably plays nosy photojournalist Vicki Vale, who arrives in Gotham City to unlock the secret of the mysterious Caped Crusader who has been "terrorizing" low level criminals throughout the city. She ends up falling in love with Bruce Wayne (lucky bastard!). Basinger is the weakest link of the main actors, but she still does a good job of emoting, being simultaneously fascinated and repulsed by Batman and Joker's antics. She screams a lot, but look at the freaks she's dealing with! Can you blame her?The solid supporting cast includes Michael Gough (wonderful turn as Alfred, Bruce's ever-so-reliable and dependable butler and caretaker), Robert Wuhl (in an energetic turn as Vicki's fellow reporter Alex Knox), Billy Dee Williams (as DA Harvey Dent), and Pat Hingle (as world-weary Police Commissioner Gordon). In particular, Keaton and Gough have an effortless chemistry as though they have been close their whole lives. Gough came back for Schumacher's cartoonish campy films and he had none of the chemistry with either Kilmer or Clooney that he had with Keaton in the Burton ones. It was weird watching Gough's Alfred interact with those tepid versions of Bruce Wayne.As previously stated, I am amazed at how Burton's style fused perfectly with more conventional Hollywood touches and created something special out of it. It could have been a monumental failure, but instead ended up being a template for all future superhero films. -The movie is entertaining -crazed movie -the movie was very graphic -the action is more intense and exciting -the special effects are wonderful -The show is interesting -perfect film -Joss Whedon's unmistakeable flair comes clearly across in this popcorn movie -I can only say the movie is watchable -all outstanding and perfect for their respective parts -the rest of the movie is fairly sound and enjoyable -Johnny Depp as Capt -a terrific cast -The sound is significantly better -The music is magnificent -minutes how this movie is going to go -is nothing short of amazing and was easily the best film of 2001 -The dialogue is superb -The special effects were awesome -the brilliant music by The RZA -'ve never been attracted to mutes myself -creepy and disturbing -quality was so clear and clean -the film is successful -parts are at night -Nightmarish, disturbing, cautionary, thought-provoking, and moving -There are some wonderful Indian actors and fantastic dependable English ones too -classic!#22 -I recommended the film to a relative and we saw it together -This a pretty good movie and it had A LOT of blood -I was nave to think that this third installment of the Twilight cultural phenomenon would be any better or more interesting than the first two "films" in the series -the songs are not bad -The service and price were excellent -I would be fascinated -this movie is awesome -you -ridiculous -That said ... the music -Action was fun -evolve musically and it very cool -The film wasn't all bad, but you would expect better from a Star Wars film, and the bad acting did let the film down dramatically -It is a very full-toned and haunting picture -If you love Laurel and Hardy, this package will please you beyond words -the first time and now -'s shows have -This film was terrific -This series is great -picture -The main characters are consistent and well developed -Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith -I do not think it is as good -great film -the acting is marvelous -I recommend this movie to any on who has a good sense of humor -If you are looking for plausibility -excellent -doesn't have any emotional impact -As was the acting. I swear, there were times I literally cringed when certain dialogue was spoken -GREAT movies -to reclaim -the best in the series and this movie was simply amazing -would have make it a much better movie -The film provides the necessary background -pleasantly surprised to see that its sequel -this movie is like -This movie is gripping hardcore -In the mode of Dowton Abbey -My granddaughter loved this movie -directors and actors -The way the camera ventures around the place is totally freaky -when Kong escapes the theatre and finally sees the Girl again in NYC -The extras on disc two are interesting and the previews for the extended version and TTT accomplish their purpose extreemly well.***original review below.***First the bad.The movie CHOPS 20% of the book -in one big chunk- (muttering a chapter title doesn't count!). The story of how Merry and Pippin become involved is cut and CHANGED. The old forest and the Barrow Wights are also missing. Some of Tolkien's best descriptions are found in the forest scenes (gnarly, old, and aware trees; gloom and darkness; spiders and other creatures lurking! The Galadriel scene is BAD. And there are two things wrong with Moria. 1. The cave troll scene is too long and it should have some texture on its skin (of fur). 2. I would have liked to see a bit more of Moria. The special effects when the ring is worn are overdone. One too many sweeping helicopter shots of the river. Finally, the scene where Sam goes into the river at the end was done all wrong!***Now for the GOOD***The history of the ring is told very well. Many scenes show a great deal of very good creativity. The Shire scenes are wonderful. Good humor (except in Rivendell, and taht the "conspiracy unmasked" was cut out). ***The reactions of Gandalf and especially Boromir to being near the ring really helps display the evil power of the ring. Their acting (and the direction in these scenes) is PERFECT!*** The wraiths were also done very well.The special effects and music are teriffic. The color and "tone" of the river and the huge statues at the end are especially tastefully done. Shrinking the Hobbits was just plain unbelieveable when they were running around several other characters. The scene at Orthanc was visually spectacular and the duel was creatively and tastefully done.Substituting Arwen for Glorfindel neatens things. The moria scenes (except for the above criticisms), are superb -especially when Gandalf "defeats" the balrog.[All of the smaller plots of the book could have been done except it would have confused and blurred things for the unread, and the movie would have been five hours long! Maybe six movies would have been required for everything???]***The DVDs' extras look extreemly promising!*** -the worst movies ever made -as well, is surprisingly good. There are precious -The effects are cheesy -the bag of poo while having dinner and adamant and borat fighting in bed -the most influential films -The cast was outstanding -The action is much the same -the animation was good but not great -Star Wars -The casting is superb -one of the best transfers ever -The pastas are generally more chewy which was perfect -food is this bad -I like the atmosphere of the entire place -Great atmosphere and decor -Absolutely gorgeous restaurant -best tacos in Toronto -The menu is very limited -Amazing food with amazing servers -Banh Mi Boys is fast food at its best -the taste is beyond horrible -I have tasted -the poached cod, the beef short ribs -We loved our experience at Byblos -Bad service -Bad Service. -Best ramen in Toronto -ruined my experience. I was staying at -I have to say that it was absolutely delicious -The place is underground and it was a cool place -The patio, service, cocktails, and variety of delicious taco -The drinks are really good too -Overall, good for the curries ! -The food was alright -it was a solid, big burger -can get a decent dish for around $12-13 -sandwich -to the time our evening ended, it was amazing -I used to love this place -Definitely lives up to the hype -Great experience -they don't care about providing any actual service -The place fills up real quick during the nights -the excellent menu options -The food was tasty and seasoned well -the most interesting restaurants -friendly staff -really great and extremely -FABULOUS -The food is fine -small piece -amazing and the service is fantastic -The chicken was pretty tasty and perfectly cooked -Manager was very rude -every dish but it was spewed out so quickly that a lot of it was incoherent -The steak is delicious -was delicious and the flavours -We could not decide on an appetizer so we had asked the -It is located on a smaller street in Toronto so if you like a more quiet, outdoor environment to do work you may want to check this place out -Great atmosphere, awesome -Neighbourhood is on point -was awesome! -The food is really reasonably priced -So good -Staff always welcomes you with great -the thick one looked better -We came in at unusual hours of 4 pm to have lunch and service was on point -Fantastic service! -I still gravitate towards the tacos as they are always fresh and flavorful and never -The service as usual was excellent -clean, affordable. More spacious than other restaurants I've been to in Chinatown. -sausage -my favourite things -slow, slow, slow -Quick service -The food is not flavourful, expensive, small portions -Meat was soft and tender -So we also got a jar of water that came slow -The service is always impeccable -free beer once in awhile? I come here anyways!Having lived in Belgium, I come here to relive some of my favourite Belgian foods and beer -Their steak is really good -decent flavor -Service is fine -opening locations here -there!The food was good and filling -the service was great -food was very good -My parents had the calamari and loved it -very limited seating -we had a fantastic time here -nice -It was really moist in texture and a bit different from the original cheesecake -The dishes were a bit pricier than the usual a la carte sushi -super loud -decent quality food -The food here isn't too bad -Seating is very limited -again -Sweet Mess Tacos -They force you to accept very large lobster with very tough meat -our bartender/waiter was awesome -The waiter was helpful and knowledgable with the menu and was attentive and excellent -The last few visits were very disappointing!A waste of time, drive and money!From poor SLOW service, and OVERPRICED to bland mediocre food -For authenticity this place would be 4.5/5 -and drinking the soup -The tacos are delicious -ambience was nice -Top notch service in every way!The food -portions -When it comes to food I'm critical -best cakes -Has a really homey, comfort feeling to it -mediocre at best -if you are meat lover and like to try different kind of meats and flavours then this is your paradise -Vietnamese restaurant -Guu has really good food -The menu is full of egg puns -delicious but no cheap eat -Quite the disappointment -Albacore -Although the food & environment was amazing -Fusion kitchen at its best... We got the chef's -One of the best friend chicken and bang -I appreciate the variety offered -service was good and turn around was quick -ginger pancakes and eggs benny -the tables were very close together -They're the best -Neo's roll cake are delicious -The food is very fresh and surprisingly good. Not cheap. But worth the price for sure! The uni I had was extremely sweet and full of flavour -Overall had a pretty disappointing experience with the service -Dim sum was tasty, but was not spectacular -The oysters were fresh and tasty -variety of top restaurants in Toronto and around the world for that matter. Last night was our first time at Cluny and we were both very excited to try it out. When we walked in, we were immediately impressed with the quaint French bistro décor and overall feel and ambiance. Loved the little bakery at the front of the restaurant. When we arrived, we were not greeted by anyone (restaurant wasn't even busy at this point 6:45 Monday evening), after about 5 mins of standing there looking around, someone that looked like he was one of the Chefs (who happened to be getting something in the stock room/closet, finally said someone will be with you shortly. We were greeted by the hostess with a less than impressive hello. After we were seated, it took about 10mins before we were acknowledged by our Waiter for the evening. Again, was not impressed by his demeanor and lack of interest in us as guest. We've probably had better service at a local Chain restaurant or a drive thru for that matter! Our appetizers came relatively quickly (Oysters, Cod balls and Caesar salad). The Caesar salad was a complete disappointment, perhaps I had high expectations but when you proudly call a dish Cluny Caesar with a price tag of $13+ I would expect a little more than 2 branches of Romaine barely drizzled with dressing and 4-5 chick peas and feta lining the bottom. We ordered Oysters and when it was brought to us, the Waitress was trying to explain the different Oysters and said Oh and I forget what this one is called.... Anyway, I don't want to get too lengthy with the review here but all in all I would rate the food quite good (minus the Caesar salad) at this restaurant but the underwhelming service takes this place to a whole new low. The atmosphere in terms of décor and ambiance were excellent, very reminiscent of a bistro in Paris which is a rare find here. The service was beyond below average. Our waiter (middle aged male, appeared quite sloppy if I can be honest -the different sausages that they have -The prices were great -Fantastic beer -They got their food before us, despite arriving a half hour after us -Everything was perfect -good for quick eats -The staff was extremely helpful and responsive -fantastic views -The only thing we -beautiful -The hotel was in the perfect location -staff were extremely helpful -Morning coffee -Our room was very clean and the bathroom was excellent -parking is OUTRAGEOUS all over San Francisco -very nice -but the hotel itself worn and tired -Our friends had an AMAZING view of the bay and downtown. -This was a wonderful experience -Teriffic location; fantastic bar with complimentary wine every afternoon -Service was outstanding -knowledgeable and really helpful -the views were stunning -The staff is extremely gracious and ready to help with suggestions for places to go shopping or dining -Excellent customer service from valets, front desk staff, room service staff, housekeeping -The nightly wine -The service at the hotel was wonderful -hotel where booking a better room -Reception staff were very friendly -Location--can't be beat.2. Front desk crew--helpful and friendly.3. Bed and bed linens--comfy.The OK:1. Lobby decor2. Doormen--friendly enough, but rarely open the door for you. -comfortable and the showers had great water pressure and heat -the perfect place to base your trip to San Francisco -The hotel has great views -This place is a great value and awesome place to stay in the City -What -the Hotel Monaco was fabulous -Free parking was excellent -The amenities were good -This hotel is not for everyone -everything was just fine -On first sight the Castle hotel is not great -We really enjoyed our time there -The Mosser Hotel in San Francisco -The Top of the Mark was great for late evening drinks -TV was nice -it was the absolute smallest hotel -The parking fee was outrageous -great city view -bad -I had a great stay at this beautiful, historic hotel -top notch service -The staff is exceptional -Great wine hour -My family stayed for two nights -smell nice -The sheets on the bed -it's next to a BART station -The service was great -this place smelled horrible, had ratty bedding, and no air conditioning. Noisy room with a view of a brick wall. Since there's no air conditioning all windows in hotel were open which allowed for cigarette smoke, sirens, and other guests noise to float right into my room. If you are a woman traveling alone I would avoid this place. The doors were not very secure and there was so little staff in the lobby there's no way they had any real security. This place was so bad -Employees were friendly -The $169 rooms are almost the same as the $189 rooms -Hotel was fairly new and very pleasant -The service is friendly yet professional -The front desk staff was very nice and upon hearing it was my birthday -The staff were as good -The staff was very friendly and attentive -nice bed -this hotel fits the bill -A small room -were checked in by a helpful and friendly receptionist -Beautiful hotel -I booked the Hotel Whitcomb for a one -a king bed which was really comfy -The staff were all very helpful and courteous -The Palce Hotel -the street which had a pub -close to some lovely bars -a fantastic wine & cheese hour and great continental breakfast -I made the mistake, apparently like every other person who has left a review about this hotel, of going without checking the other reviews -The hotel is in a very safe area and we felt perfectly happy walking around at night -Service is a bit slow -view wonderful -The room was spacious -The elevator is fairly small -The bed was fabulous with extremely comfortable and fluffy bedding -The wine hour from 17:30 -18:30 -breakfast buffet was nice -Concierge was great -Bathroom was extremely small -it was excellent -Fantastic, gracious staff -The front desk staff was extremely rude -concierge were wonderful -The service was amazing -the hotel was very noisy throughout the night and early morning -close to lots of shady places in town -Stayed at the Grand Hyatt on Union Square -The service was very good and prompt -the heavenly bed was great -The hotel location was great -vanity area was very small -bed was fantastic -service at the front desk was prompt and friendly -efficient staff -The pool area is a lovely sun spot and the pool was warm to swim in -Front desk staff were friendly and attentive -What a wonderful hotel -The property is cool -Great shower in the bathroom -smelled very musty -food was so good -This is a beautiful hotel -The employees are attentive, friendly and provides excellent service. And the room is very clean with nice amenities. Strongly recommended for leisure or business stay. Cheers -The rooms have high -The bathroom was large -The traffic noise -bathrooms nice with bath and shower -The car parking is very expensive 49$ per night -This hotel was absolutely horrible -excellent hotels -The view was awesome -The floors creak like you wouldn't believe -the Hotel entrance is just steps from the station exit. It is also a few blocks from Davies Hall, where the Symphony plays. The down side of the location is that this is not a great section of Market and most people probably will not feel too comfortable walking at night. So, take BART or the ample public transit. The hotel is nicely kept and clean. The building has some interesting architectural details. Still, it is an old and somewhat tired property and some of the remodeling is not the best. Same for the fitness center -- the room and equipment are older, but meet my needs. The food is good, but overpriced. If you are bothered by traffic notice, ask for a quiet room in back. The rooms in front overlook Market -The service and concierge were exceptional -Staff very helpful -Service was impeccable and reliable -the Sunday breakfast buffet was forgettable -beds were awesome -Loved the service -Also very clean and comfortable room with a great view -The room service, cleaning staff, and doormen were all excellent as well -great city views -And very reasonably priced. Overall, excellent value for money and highly recommended. -Beautiful views of the city -We found the staff to be quite unhelpful and not friendly -The staff was top rate -visited San Francisco -wonderful views -spectacular view -To die for beds -definitely recommend the Hotel Whitcomb for any budget travellers out there -friendly -advertised -The new rooms had beautiful light, gorgeous views of the Bay and Alcatraz and it was like we were staying in a completely different hotel -has stunning views it can be a bit of a hike to get someplace -The Palace Hotel is a cool place -Top quality and fabulous staff -the rooms were a bit small -best and most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/paragraph-test.books.txt b/reference_files/paragraph-test.books.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 2d137f169add63c3d2b3e931ffeae3115c9c979b..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/paragraph-test.books.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,191 +0,0 @@ -This book was wonderful. The vast history in the book was very interesting. I couldn't put it down I had to finish it in one weekend. From reading reviews before I bought the book I thought It would be alot of gross out stuff, but it wasn't. This author really took the time to know what he was talking about. His research was thorough and he also gave credit to anyone who deserved it. This isn't just a book bashing the unhealthfulness of Fast Food, but rather a commentary on what the Fast Food industry is doing to economies and waistlines all over the world.I must admit my parents weren't big on Fast Food to begin with and I never ate that much of it, but now I will not be eating any of it. My husband is a fast food junky, but I am trying my best to steer him away from it. After reading this book, I made it clear that I better never catch him eating a Fast Food burger.Bottom Line: Extermely interesting book. This should be a mandatory book on high school reading lists. -Pushing the Limits was a great, emotional read. I really enjoyed everything about it, from the characters to the writing to the story/background. Everything just flowed really well together.I thought both Echo and Noah were great characters. Katie McGarry added depth to both of their back stories so that they rose above the typical stereotypes of bad boy and good girl. These kids were damaged and the story tackled their problems and issues with aplomb.Echo is a good student, but she used to be part of the popular clique. One night the previous year, she was involved in an accident that she can't remember and it left scars on her, both physically and mentally. Because of this, Echo has retreated into herself. Noah seems to be the typical bad boy at first, but then we learn both of his parents were killed and he has been shuffled into some pretty bad foster homes. The one he is currently in isn't bad, but he is still separated from his younger brother and would do anything he can to get them back.Echo and Noah's relationship is very sweet and it was nice to see that they saved each other. Noah helped Echo to realize that she wasn't damaged and was the rock she needed to help her regain her memories. Echo helped Noah to see that he wasn't a loser and could accomplish anything he set his mind to. She also helped him to see that he did have other important things in his life than just his brothers. Though they came from different worlds, Echo and Noah helped each other in ways that no one else could.I really enjoyed Katie McGarry's writing and can't wait to continue on to book 2 in this series. Beth wasn't my favorite character, but I have faith that her book will be just as compelling as Pushing the Limits.Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for providing a review copy of this book! -Our culture does not appreciate quiet. We tend to equate social power with social prowess. The outspoken people seen are as the leaders in our culture. Susan Cain, however, seeks to dispel this notion that people with a quiet nature cannot be major influencers or leaders. She opens her book Quiet by discussing one of the most influential figures in the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks made an impact in the civil rights movement through her quietness. She chose to take a quiet stand instead of being outspoken. In doing so, she became a symbol of strength in the movement. This is the first of many examples of introverts that Cain offers to show the power of quiet in a world that likes to talk.Quiet is Cain's attempt to prove that, despite America's preference to extroversion, introverts can be extremely successful and influential in our culture. She begins by discussing the "Extroverted Ideal." Since the time that Andrew Carnegie taught us how to win friends and influence people, the ideal personality has be extroverted. In the world of business and leadership, the way to get ahead is to speak up and stand out. Cain visits Harvard Business School to understand how they teach students to succeed in business. It becomes very clear that Harvard teaches their students to speak up or they won't succeed. The issue that Cain finds, however, is that in all their talking, people aren't listening. In this first part of the book, Cain poses the question of whether or not the extroverted ideal is really ideal. What she finds is people being trained to talk the most, whether they are educated or not, in order to get ahead. Businesses promote group brainstorming which tends to favor the outspoken. Cain instead shows that often people who quietly, by themselves, and are allowed to think through the problems are more productive and effective that people working together in groups where people are fighting for attention. While the outspoken standout, they are not always bringing success and are often times talking over those who can give good ideas.The next part of here book looks at the biology and psychology behind introversion. Cain seeks to discover if introversion genetic. This section is much different that the first part of the book, but still interesting. I found this section of the book personally interesting because I read through it going, "Oh, That's why I am like that." Introversion and extroversion seems to be built into our brain functions even from birth. It effects the way we think and process information.The third part of Cain's book compares our culture with Asian cultures to see if the Extroverted ideal is apparent in all cultures. Cain shows that there are major differences between the two cultures. America sees extroversion as ideal, while Asian cultures see introversion as ideal. One of the primary differences is how success is achieved. Introverted cultures tend to succeed through persistence and perseverance, while extroverted cultures succeed but speaking over others and getting your ideas heard. Cain uses this to show the some of the people we see as successful succeeded because of persistence instead of outspokenness.Last, Cain discusses living as an introvert and with introverts. She applies what she's discussed in previous sections to having relationships, working in an extroverted culture, and raising introverted children. This section is a good balance to the rest of the book which is trying to show that extroversion is not the ideal. Cain reminds her readers that sometimes introverts do need to speak up, but should also not lose the good qualities that introversion brings. She also offers very good practical information on how to live in introvert-extrovert relationships and how to raise introvert children.Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking is a great book. Susan Cain does a good job of presenting how our culture favors extroversion and looks down on introverts. It may seem at first that Cain is trying to say that introverts are better than extroverts, but reading through the whole work she does a wonderful job of challenging introverts to grow in certain areas. She also challenges extroverts to consider the benefits that introverts are able bring. As an introvert myself I most appreciated the second and fourth sections of the book. I was very interested to learn about myself and why I am the way I am. The second section does a good job of explaining many the biological factors of introversion and extroversion. The fourth section is very helpful because of the helpful advice for living with extroverts and raising and teaching introverted children.I would recommend this book to just about anyone. If you are an introverted, you will find this book very helpful and encouraging. If you are an extrovert, you can learn why your introverted friends are the way they are and how to best interact with them. I would highly recommend this book to anyone in a business situation, this book can be really helpful in learning how to get the most out of the introverts in your office. I would also recommend it to my friends in the ministry along with Adam S. McHugh's bookIntroverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture. I hope that Cain's book will help people change their understanding of introversion. Introversion is not a weakness. There may be areas where introverts are weak, but there are always areas where introverts tend to be stronger than extroverts.I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. -The Help is truly an astounding debut both because it is a great book of the modern times and it is focused on a very sensitive topic. The novel is set in Jackson, Mississippi and is written from the perspective of three women, two of them black maids to rich white families. The novel is depressing to say the least, specially for my generation, one which hasn't experienced this state of affairs during their lifetime. Despite the grim topic, it is the kind of page turner which would put the latest juicy fantasies to shame. The characters could not have been better, the story is based on something which in 1964 would have been nothing short of revolutionary and finally the writing style is smooth like calm waters. I had trouble putting this book down and between the tears, smiles and concentration, I incessantly marvelled at the author, who may spend the rest of her career in the shadow of the masterpiece that is The Help. The over 2,300 reviews to date with an average above four stars are not well-deserved, but an understatement. -I'm at 3.5 stars, a very different reaction to this book than most other reviewers. There are some very strong points to the book, but also some weaknesses. On the strong side, the writing is superior and the post-apocalyptic world that Cole creates is imaginative and she builds it well. The book is reminiscent of Swan Song by Robert McCammon, which I highly enjoyed (these strong points maybe led me to set the bar a little higher than I might for other books). On the weak side, having built this great world, she doesn't do enough with it. This is a very slow book in places. We have slavers, "bagmen", cannibals, militia, and others, but they make only a few brief appearances - the book is two-thirds gone before we finally have a first hand encounter with a bagman that we been hearing about for 200 pages. So, in short, the book is long on dialogue and introspection, but a tad short on action, which may appeal to many, but may be less engaging to others. Also, the story centers on Evie and Jackson, but they spend the entire book arguing and fighting to the point where you just want them to shut up already. They have a painful, dysfunctional relationship and it got very tiresome for me by the end. Finally, the ending is . . . well, let's just say it's curious--I'm going to hold off on saying it disappoints until I see book 2. Speaking of which, this is only book 1 and there is certainly a lot of room for book 2 to improve on things. And while I do plan on giving book 2 a read, this trilogy is on a short leash with me. -I love to read, & I'll read almost anything, but I am not a fantasy genre reader. On a whim I decided to start this series & it absolutely blew me away how much I loved it. GRRM world is so immense, so detailed, so believable. His dialogue rings true, and with such an expansive cast of characters, sometimes it can be hard to remember them all or they end up sounding alike, but all these characters are easily identifiable as themselves. The beginning of the book basically foreshadows central plot developments, then it delves into a slew of interesting characters. GRRM doesn't shy away from sexual situations or the fact that humans are not always totally good or totally bad. The books are much better than the HBO show, and the tv show's pretty awesome in my opinion! Lol. Be forewarned though, if you start this series, you will probably fall in love with it, so be prepared to be patient waiting on the next books to come out-GRRM is a very slow writer! -Two friends of mine kept bugging me, "Read Martin!" but I was skeptical. I'm not a typical fantasy reader. All the swords and sorcery stuff usually bores me. I've tried on numerous occasions to put a dent in Jordan's first book but usually I fall asleep or my mind wanders. Give me King, Gaiman, De Lint, Tolkien, Keyes, Fforde, and Salvatore... any of these guys and I'm a happy man. But I try to stay away from straight D&D; fantasy. "He's not like that," they told me.Then, A Game of Thrones came in to our bookstore with a special price of $3.99. So I bought it. I'm a sucker for a good deal!Now, a few weeks later, I've finished it. And HOLY CRAP! That was GOOD! It was better than good it was GREAT! The characters are rich and fantastic and devious and wonderful and heart-breaking and maddening. This is character-driven fantasy. There are no huge plot points that are not created by the characters' interaction. Whether they are warring, backstabbing, screwing, avenging... everything in this book is driven by an amazing cast of characters. I found myself taking my time but wanting to know what happened next so damn bad my slow reading pace was killing me. Also, there are hints at things in side stories and small glimpses of what to come. And I can't wait! I'm going to take a small break from Martin but I've already bought Clash of Kings and can't wait to leap back in.If you've been hemming and hawing about reading his books, stop, and read them. You will not be let down. -WOW, it has taken me so long to actually read this and I am at a lost as to what to write in my review. I was so addicted to this book that I just couldn’t seem to put it down. Daughter of Smoke and Bone is so uniquely different that I am still amazed. Laini Taylor’s creative abilities are awe inspiring; there are no other words for it. FULL STOP! Ms Taylor’s writing style was fantastic, easy reading and intriguing, with romance, what more can one want? But gee, there is so much more to this book….Karou has led an interesting life; she grew up in a little shop that dealt in human teeth. She learnt how to tell all the different teeth apart and what teeth is the best quality. Karou is no typical teenager living in Prague though, but she is trying to be normal and goes to art school. Karou has no memory of her childhood before coming to the little shop of horrors. Brimstone raised her and trained her on teeth. Every now and then Brimstone calls for her to run an errand. She goes collecting teeth from customers that cannot make it into the shop. The shop is running low on teeth and she must hurry, but doesn’t understand why they are so important.Running an errand for Brimstone, she finds a black handprint seared onto the portal door. Not understanding what this is about, Karou just carries on. Then in another location and another portal door she spots Akiva, a beautiful man with fire coloured eyes and another handprint. They are instantly attracted to each other, but they are also enemies.There is a war, Karou knows nothing of this war, but it is happening all around her. With time running out and the war becoming even more dangerous for Karou, she is determined to find the answers that have eluded her all these years. Why is her love for Akiva so forbidden? What is the significance of the black handprints? What is behind the door that she was never allowed to see through? Why are her tattoos so damaging to Akiva?I cannot wait to read Days of Blood and Starlight to find out the next chapter for Akiva and Karou. Their love for each other is unparalleled and I am anxious to see where it goes. The world, creatures and vivid detailing that Ms Taylor has created is amazing to say the least. Her characters have so much potential to evolve and have so many different directions they could take. With betrayal, magic, love, action, intrigue and mystery, what more can you ask for? This series is a must read for everyone and Daughter of Smoke and Bone was a fantastic introduction into this new world. -Like many others that have written reviews here I grew up in the South in the 60s. I went to all white schools all my life and graduated from a 100% segregated high school and then went to the University of Texas in Austin that had very few blacks. In fact, UT won the National Championship of college football in 1969 with an all white squad. Impossible to do today. At that time we simply had very little day to day contacts with any blacks. It was not until I was drafted into the Army in 1969 that I had to actually work with blacks and get to know them one to one.This book ran true to my memories of the South. It really made me think and I enjoy books that do that. True, some of the characters are wooden and the men are not treated that well, but all in all it is the south I remember and it is the south that we need to leave behind. -I don't want to spoil the book for you because it is such a great, intense read and you really need to discover the story and the characters on your own, so I'm attempting a spoiler free review. There are some quotes from the book and some bad words for all you youngins:The book follows Brooke who goes to an Underground Boxing Ring with her friend and finds herself completely infatuated with Remington "Riptide" Tate (Remy). In her words he's mesmerizingly perfect. :) And trust me, the way he's described in the book, um yeah I would say so.If you love your cocky, alpha male, bad boy, sexy as hell, fighter, then you are definitely going to love Remy.They have an instant connection and an intense first meeting to say the least, in front of everyone that is there to see the fight.Brooke has gone through some things in her past, being a former athlete, now into sports rehab. She is in between jobs and trying to find her place in a life that didn't turn out the way she dreamed.After their first encounter shes contacted by Remy's team and asked to come on the road with him to be his physical therapist. She's hesitant but Remy doesn't really give her time to think about it (hence the Alpha Male reference).You know they feel something for each other but their relationship starts off as just friendl and she works for him, but quickly feelings start to develop and get stronger. They share intimate moments, especially when it comes to sharing music with each other (it plays a big part for Remy, you'll find out why when you read) and Brooke is ready to throw herself at him, but he has some deeper, darker issues he needs to work through.The connection between Brooke and Remy is really just intense. The first half of the book I was like OMFG please just do it already. I was dying. The sexual tension between them is ridiculous. I will tell you there was no actual sex for about the first half of the book, but I was totally hot and bothered anyway. No sex required.And let me just tell you, the discipline that Remy has, freaking crazy! Especially when you discover some of the deeper issues he keeps hidden. I mean holy crap!!!And Brooke, I really loved her, but come on girl, with all the "stretching" and "therapy" she had to do for him, I would have had him flat on his back, clothes ripped of and been all over that! She was the definition of sexually frustrated if you ask me. But that's what happens when eventually all you're getting are insanely erotic kisses from Remy.The more you learn about Remy in the book, you fall deeper in love with him. At times my heart ached for him. The moments he was able to express himself I could just see how much he cared for Brooke and how he struggled with it.I don't want to give too much more away because you really, really need to read the book for yourself. But I absolutely loved it. I loved the authors writing style, how she pulled you in. I got involved with the story, so into it that I read it all in one sitting. It started off with the intense meeting and didn't let up. I really enjoyed it.I will tell you all, there is a HEA. There are some twists and turns along the way, outside sources causing problems, and Brooke also having a bit of an inner battle, and a big ole' case of miscommunication, but it definitely is a good ending.And you also get a tiny sneak of Remy as the Epilogue is from his POV.I definitely recommend!! I WILL be reading more from Katy Evans for sure. -My favorite aspect of this book is the fact that the ending had my stomach in knots and gripped with suspense. I was also impressed and intrigued with the amount of historical and technical research regarding British history and cathedral building. Follett's character development is superb. His vivid descriptions and soul-searching situations make you feel intense emotions for these characters. They go through a lot of suffering and you'll suffer right along with them. However, you will rejoice in their triumphs as well. The outcome is richly satisfying. -This book really got to me. What a great story line, I was totally surprised where it headed. I will definitely keep my eye out for this author. Her writing style and perspective was great. -The book could have been a very small book. If He had not kept repeating himself over and over, I don't like it when authors ramble to just fill pages. He has some good info but I was just not overly impressed -This book was definitely an exciting read, but I have to question many of the author's theories. I also felt that the characters were pretty one-dimensional and even unbelievable at times. The plot device of finding each clue and solving it got a little bit tedious at times. However, it was a quick and fun read. -I thought this was a great story. Almost like a modern day David Copperfield. It is a long book but I enjoyed being with the characters so much and the writing is just terrific that I enjoyed spending the time with this book. -The beginning was interesting. I was pulled in right from the start and I wasn't as annoyed with the story telling as I thought I would. Thankfully, our main character Kvothe remembered to take realistic breaks here and there to remind the reader, me, that he was telling a story, his story.Kvothe is a fascinating yet incredibly irritating character. He is suppose to be this amazing genius, yet he spends far too much time slumming it on the streets, yea, I know, he was in emotional shock, but still... he didn't utilize any of his teachings until he got to the University. From there it was a huge Harry Potter fiasco.The part that absolutely drove me nuts is the girl. The elusive Dana, I think I'm remembering the name correctly, was always in the picture yet never really there. Besides her being the reason why Kvothe accomplished ONE of his famed deeds, I don't understand his love/obsession with her. Especially, since she's always running from guy's outstretched hand to the next. I just feel that she had no real role in this book, but as Kvothe stated, the first book was just the first day of a three day story to set the stage for the meat of the story.And dear lord, there had better be something worth biting into in the next book because this book really just did not cut it for me. The writing was beautiful. The world was unoriginal, however it didn't bore me. It was just a little tiresome. So I guess Kvothe and I will simply have to settle for this love-hate relationship because honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that I was reading this book with friends, I probably would have set it down as a Did Not Finish (DNF). But I will admit that I'm glad I read it because, if this is just a substantially long prologue to real story, then I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series. -At least that was true until I read Michael Shaara's "Killer Angels." Now I'm a goner. I have bought five more books on the Civil War including McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom," a huge tome that promises to fill me in on the whole historical context, time, place, politics, all of it. All this happened because I was interested in a single book. This is Michael Shaara's fault.It is of no consequence that the prospective reader may not have the slightest interest in war, the Civil War in particular, guns, Gettysburg, generals, muskets, artillery, smoke, fire, or death. All the reader need be interested in is a good book that is a pleasure, an enlightening experience, to read. If you like reading, if you enjoy books that captivate, that keep you turning pages, that won't let you sleep, then buy this book.Let me note here that the author indulges in several literary devices that might pain the true Civil War buff. He uses interior monologues which are, of course, pure fiction (though based on written material of the time). He also centers his story on two major fights that took place at Gettysburg: the battle of Little Roundtop, and Pickett's Charge, even though quite a lot of other great moments occurred there. Both these battles are told well, and the characters of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain - the commander of the 20th Maine who held Little Round Top against attacking Confederates to the "last bullet," and James Longstreet, commander of the I Corps of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia who had serious differences with his superior over the tactics used at Gettysburg, are explored at depth.By necessity, Shaara could not tell, in a single novel (for that is what this book is), all that happened those three fateful days. For those who want to know more I refer you to Shelby Foote's "Stars In Their Courses."I aim this review at those who are unsure of whether a Civil War novel is what they want to read. Be assured you will not be disappointed. This is a truly fine book, especially for the uninitiated, as I was. I recommend this book to all without hesitation. -I found the history of the Roman empire were interesting and in line with what else I have read about it. The overall story was good, but not really intriguing to me. Killing Lincoln, and Killing Kennedy were much better reads. And there were quotes in Killing Jesus that I wonder who kept a record of them! Overall it was really just another stating of what we know through history reading and learning in schools and catechism.Overall , I expected more after reading Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy. -Absolutely loved this story. I even recommended it to my mother! The characters are memorable and well written. The plot is great (even though I guessed the secret rather early on) and I was anticipating what would happen next. Highly recommend this if you are in the mood for a wonderful love story! -Very interesting book!~~Possible spoilers!!!Amy is not who she leads you to believe initially. A fascinating dive into a very strange and twisted mind. Wow! The ending was interesting.. not sure its what I would have done, in Nicks place, however I can see his reasoning.Overall very interesting book. Not one for the "Favourites! I must read again and again...." pile, but it held my attention to the end. -I've read quite a few books from King, novels and short story collections. Most fans will agree (I do) that King's early novels are much better than the last published books like From A Buick 8 and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (I had a hard time getting through these).Cell is obviously different. I really enjoyed both the characters and the story setting. I do not agree about the fact that this story is a copy of The Stand (King's best masterpiece to my eyes). Cell has a much simpler story with a totally different approach. It is also more accessible and less complex.I found it to be a very entertaining book with plenty of surprises and action. The main idea seems weird and hard to develop at first but if you know King...Only scratch : Like for many others from King, the ending could have been better. -Imagine living during the middle 19th century as a free man in New York State with a wonderful family and having the talent to play the fiddle so well that you are requested to play numerous venues for pay. This is the true story written by Solomon Northrup who was tricked into accompanying two men out of the North on the pretense of playing his fiddle for a job. Although there are very graphic descriptions of Mr. Northrup's experiences as a slave in Louisiana, his narrative is very interesting. This is a very personal story written by a talented man who never really planned to write a book. Therefore, there is not an urgency to read in order to find out what is going to happen. Instead, the urgency is to find out what actually did happen to him, how he survived and how he returned to the North and his family where he wrote his story. Remember that today an average person who has an extraordinary life experience usually narrates the story to another person who is an experienced writer, a collaborator. With this in mind one will be pleasantly surprised at how well Mr. Northrup describes details of his experiences and his surroundings during his twelve years as a slave. Some scenes will be difficult for the squeamish but necessary because they are truthful experiences. I particularly liked his very detailed descriptions of how things were made, used, and built on plantations in Louisiana.This is a great primary source and of interest to any one who wants to know about life in this very dark period of American history. I was intrigued by Solomon's resiliency, attitude and his dignity throughout his twelve year ordeal. We are so fortunate that he was willing to share his story. We are also fortunate that Steve McQueen and his wonderful cast made this book into a movie which tells the story. Whether or not you saw the movie and liked it or not, you should read the book. Even though it is a difficult topic and tragic situation Solomon and Bass prove humanity and resilience prevail when people choose the higher ground. -Michel Thomas's, the Pimsleur series, and the Barron's version of the Foreign Service Institute course are the three top-selling courses on Spanish, and I did extensive research on the various high end courses before buying his. I don't have the Pimsleur one but I did buy the U.S. Foreign Service Insitute course in addition to Thomas's, and so I thought I'd make a few comments by way of comparing them in case you find them useful in choosing the right course for you.I have to say Thomas is a gifted teacher and he has a very interesting approach requiring no notes or rote memorization. He also stresses the importance of a natural, stress-free learning environment. Thomas is a savvy guy here as this is probably one of the major stumbling blocks for the new language learner, and so he puts the student at ease right from the very beginning--a nice touch there and I give him points for that.The second cornerstone to Thomas's method is the simulated classroom environment where you work along with two other people in the class, a man and a woman. The third, and perhaps most important aspect of Thomas's course is his memorization and note-free system of learning. Thomas starts with very simple sentences and builds up from there so the student acquires the syntax almost intuitively as he goes along. Thomas also discusses differences in pronunciation as he goes, too.You build vocabulary as you go along also, with Thomas empasizing cognates or words that are almost identical in the two languages initially. Overall, Thomas has done a very nice job here and I can see why people like Woody Allen and others say that his course is the only one that's ever worked for them.The Foreign Service Institute course is more traditional but also very good, and I like it, too. The audio tapes present the sentences and conversations while you follow along with the manual/workbook, which provides the translations. The workbook is very extensive and also has a more detailed discussion of the grammar than you'll get with either the Thomas or Pimsleur courses. There is an advantage to this since, although I think Thomas's method is probably fine for teaching the basic verb conjugations, such as present, past, and future, you're really not going to get a good idea of how the several subjective moods work in Spanish without some systematic study of the grammar there. English has the subjunctive, but it's practical a vestigial construction, but Spanish has it in spades and is a very active part of the language.On a side note, it would be interesting to see how Thomas's approach would work for a language with much simpler grammar than Spanish or French, such as Turkish or Japanese. Turkish has the wonderful distinction of being one of the few languages with no irregular verbs, and Japanese only has two. So at least as far as the verbal systems are concerned, they are much less complex than your typical European language, and the Indo-European languages in general. There are a few other more technical aspects to the two languages, of course, such as the case system in Turkish (which Japanese doesn't have), but verb conjugations are usually the most difficult aspects of the languages in most of the popular European ones because of all the irregular forms. And Spanish has at least 22 common verbs that are irregular in at least the present indicative tense, and many are irregular in several other ways.One other thing the Institute course does is to provide substitution drill sections where you're required to substitute a particular word, and then give the sentence, with any needed changes. This is useful for practicing the verb conjugations and other things. I have a pretty strong background in grammar and linguistics in general so I don't mind slogging through dry discussions of grammar too much, but if you're not someone who enjoys that sort of thing, Thomas's approach may be the one for you. Overall, this is an excellent course from a talented teacher with a unique approach to language learning. -"Freakonomic" was an interesting read, but somehow I was expecting more than what it delivered. Though the individual sections were interesting, I was disappointed that there wasn't an overall theme. -I cannot understand why so many people thought this was a good book. It has very little to do with life on an island taking care of a lighthouse. It has everything to do with the difficult decisions human beings may make and the painful consequences that may ensue. The idea for the plot is an interesting one. But, the characters were poorly developed, too cookie-cutter, eventually just annoying. The writing style was simple and went on and on and on. Don't good editors exist anymore? The ending was predictable. Blah! -Evie has a special ability to see through any paranormal's "glamour". After coming back from a mission she sees through the glamour of the shape shifter who is impersonating her mother figure character, Raquel. Turns out the shape shifter is named Lend. He's male. He's hot. He is the love interest. Unfortunately you also have Reth (Lorethen) who is the evil/beautiful/scary Fairy who is basically trying to stalk her. I might add right here that I much prefer fairies over vampires and find it so sad that they are used more in literature. Oh, and if your teen loves vampires - they LOOK like nasty rotting corpses to Evie. You might want to warn the teen in question.Anyhow this is the first book in a series so of course we don't get real closure. The whole idea of being able to see through glamour is not unique - it's in all the older fairy tales I'm glad to see it's making its way back into literature. The way the idea is portrayed though makes it make sense. I won't ruin the story by giving out spoilers to the rest just know that someone is killing paranormals as well as killing a large group of the International Paranormal Containment Agency (Evie's group).At the same time though I admit that some of the story felt very Mary Sue-ish. Finding Evie forces the whole Agency to become an international one as EVERYONE wants access to Evie. So in that - the book fails. Overall very good book, and I felt it was thin enough that you could probably get away with giving it to reluctant Readers.Before I forget- 4 stars for me means that I enjoyed reading it, but would not have it on my own personal shelf. -So beautifully written, so uplifting, I am so happy that I gave this book a chance.Thank you Rachel Van Dyken for such an inspiring and amazing story of love and courage.I love Wes. He is wise beyond his years and has such a good heart. He is definitely at the top of the list for best book boyfriend.To all my fellow readers please give this book a chance. You will not be sorry. -Have you ever seen the movie, Misery with Kathy Bates? Well then you don't need to read this book.You never have any connection to the characters, the chapters are incredibly long and anybody can figure out exactly how the book was going to end about halfway through the book. So I took a chance and jumped ahead because I was so bored and sure enough, That was exactly what happened at the end of the book.So anybody who wants to rip me for not reading the middle of the book go ahead. That is why I gave it one star because I hated it. -This book was recommended by a few friends of mine, but I kept putting it off because I thought it would be too political. Was I EVER wrong!! This was one of the best books I have read in a long time....absolutely impossible to put down. All the characters are so rich in their descriptions that I feel I would recognize them on the street if I was to run into them. Loved the way the book was written since I really feel I was there in each and every home and situation. Please do not hesitate to read this wonderful, and I believe classic, novel!!! You will not regret it!! -When I saw this book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain, I knew I had to choose it for my review. I am an introvert and was interested to see what Mrs. Cain had to say about it.To be honest, I did not finish reading this book. I pretty much sped read through the last half of the book. I was getting a bit bogged down with reading it. I think my favorite section was the introduction. In the author's introduction she mentions Rosa Parks and a few other famous people. There's a questionnaire to find out whether you are more of an introvert or extrovert or in-between. For myself, I definitely am an introvert. She also explains the psychology of introversion/extroversion.There are four parts to this book. In Part Two: The Extrovert Ideal, Susan Cain mentions Dale Carnegie and the changes that he went through and became a great public speaker. Shealso talks about the Tony Robbins seminar (he was driving be bonkers), the Harvard Business School, Saddleback Church, plus many other studies and examples.Part Two: Your Biology, Your Self? has many example of people who were/are extroverts/introverts. I did finally find a nugget that I liked. On page 173, it says,"If you are an introvert, find your flow by using your gifts. You have the power of persistence, the tenacity to solve complex problems, and the clear-sightedness to avoid pitfalls that trip others up....So stay true to your own nature. If you like to do things in a slow and steady way [I do], don't let others make you feel as if you have to race."Part Three: Do All Cultures Have An Extrovert Ideal? and Part Four: How To Love, How to Work, I will not write much about. I skipped over most chapters.The conclusion has a quotation that I like. It's from Anais Nin and it says, "Our culture made a virtue of living only as extroverts. We discouraged the inner journey, the quest for a center. So we lost our center and have to find it again."Susan Cain shares some ideas for those who are extroverts wanting to help introverts or those who are introverts themselves. I like this, especially since I myself was a quiet child and my children are more quiet (in public anyway): "If your children are quiet, help them make peace with new situations and new people, but otherwise let them be themselves. Delight in the originality of their minds. Take pride in the strength of their consciences and the loyalty of their friendships. Don't expect them to follow the gang. Encourage them to follow their passions instead. Throw confetti when they claim the fruits of those passions, whether it's on the drummer's throne, on the softball field, or on the page."Overall it's a good book with some great nuggets to remember.I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers for my honest review. --- A Romantic Book Affairs ReviewOkay, I've obviously lost cool points for not reading Hopeless sooner. I saw the hype on every blog imaginable. My Goodreads feed was bogged down with hundreds of emotional status updates. And nine out of ten reviews were five stars. But I still put off reading it until my co-blogger read it and loved it and told me I MUST read it. So I did. And I loved it. Now, the problem I'm having is writing a review that will do this book justice. I'm feeling defeated by this task. How do you write a review for a book that leaves you feeling dizzy with awe, breathless, speechless, gasping for air? So instead of writing a full review, I give you my...Top Five reasons why I fell hopelessly in love with Hopeless:1. Two words: Dean Holder."Dean Holder? Messy brown hair? Smoldering blue eyes? A temper straight out of Fight Club?"Holder, with his Hopeless tattoo on his arm, is the kind of bad boy that you will fall hopelessly in love with. I fell hard for him. He's passionate, complicated, confident, fiercely protective, and witty. He has lickable dimples and a coma-inducing hot body. And every time he walked on to the pages, he gave me butterflies. And last, but certainly not least, he cuddles. Yep, Holder is book boyfriend worthy."When I touch you, I'm touching you because I want to make you happy. When I kiss you, I'm kissing you because you have the most incredible mouth I've ever seen and you know I can't not kiss it. And when I make love to you--I'm doing exactly that. I'm making love to you because I'm in love with you." - Holder2. Sky Davis, our heroine, is a wonderful, smart, saucy, technologically challenged, snarky, broken but strong, brave, book lover, kind of weird in a cool way, beautiful inside and out, and I would love to have been friends with her in high school. Sky has never felt much, or anything, with a boy the way that Holder makes her feel. Up until they meet, any other boy has made her feel numb. And Holder made her feel everything...especially lust. Lust is a whole new feeling to Sky and she didn't know what to do with it at first. It was awkward for her. And her confusion over her new feelings was endearing and funny at the same time."I've never been swept off my feet. I don't get butterflies. In fact the whole idea of being swooned by anyone is foreign to me... Somehow, in the course of sixty seconds, this guy has managed to swoon me, then terrify the hell out of me." - Sky3. The passion and fire between these two is so incredibly real and intense. The way they felt towards one another is beautiful. Almost magical. And holy sexual tension... these two have the best non-kiss ever. I think I held my breath the entire time they non-kissed. Holder is one sexy mofo with his teasing kisses on Sky's neck, cheek, eyebrow, shoulder...everywhere but the lips. That scene melted my butter."Sky, I'm not kissing you tonight but believe me when I tell you, I've never wanted to kiss a girl more. So stop thinking I'm not attracted to you because you have no idea just how much I am. You can hold my hand, you can run your fingers through my hair, you can straddle me while I feed you spaghetti, but you are not getting kissed tonight. And probably not tomorrow, either. I need this. I need to know for sure that you're feeling every single thing that I'm feeling the moment my lips touch yours. Because I want your first kiss to be the best first kiss in the history of first kisses." - Holder4. The secondary characters. Six is Sky's first best friend in the whole wide world and she is absolutely the coolest chick. She walks to the beat of her drum. I love her blasé attitude. I love her uplifting texts to Sky. I love how she loves Sky. I love how Sky and Six are so different but also so much alike. And they simply accept each other for who they are. This is a true girl-mance at its best."Sky, you are beautiful. You are possibly the most exquisite creature in the universe and if anyone tells you otherwise, I'll cut a bitch." (Text message from Six to Sky)"Only one day at public school and the bitches already made your locker rain?" she laughs. "Impressive." - SixAnd then there is the sassy, bold, and funny Breckin. On Sky's first day of school, he befriends her right away and becomes her second best friend in the whole wide world. He's gay, Mormon, and proud. Breckin rocks."Breckin shrugs. "I'm new here. And if you haven't deducted from my impeccable fashion sense, I think it's safe to say that I'm..." he leans forward and cups his hand to his mouth in secrecy. "Mormon," he whispers." - Breckin5. The writing is amazing. Miz Hoover knows how to write an emotionally-charged story that made me feel every single word deep inside my soul. My mind went through a smattering of emotions that range from smiling and laughing (a lot!), lust, falling in love with the characters, sadness, shock, worry, nervousness, disgust, grief, acceptance, and contentment. The writing is flawless. It flows from word to word smoothly, keeping me enthralled from the beginning to the very last page. Miz Hoover writes my kind of snarky and snappy humor. I laughed out loud on several occasions. The humor adds charm and lightness to a story that could've potentially been overly dark. And the characters are so vividly real, I felt like I was living their life. Oh, and the twist. When we learn about the twist about halfway through the book, my jaw fell on the ground. It was completely unpredictable.In case you haven't noticed by now, I loved this brilliantly told story. If you are one of the few people left, who love new adult romances, and hasn't read Hopeless, read the freaking book now! I can guarantee you are missing out.With that said, I will leave you with one of my most favorite scenes. Sky is my kind of gal. I love the way she thinks..."My locker seems to have become the hub for sticky notes and nasty letters, none of which I ever see actually being placed on or in my locker. I really don't get what people gain out of doing things like this if they don't even own up to it.Like the note that was stuck to my locker this morning. All it said was, "Whore."Really? Where's the creativity in that? They couldn't back it up with an interesting story? Maybe a few details of my indiscretion? If I have to read this s*** every day, the least they could do is make it interesting. If I was going to stoop so low as to leave an unfounded note on someone's locker, I'd at least have the courtesy of entertaining whoever reads it in the process. I'd write something interesting like, "I saw you in bed with my boyfriend last night. I really don't appreciate you getting massage oil on my cucumbers. Whore."I laugh and it feels odd, laughing out loud at my own thoughts. I look around and no one is left in the hallway but me.Rather than rip the sticky notes off of my locker like I probably should, I take out my pen and make them a little more creative. You're welcome, passersby." - SkyRating: AHeat: Warm -Story line was very interesting. Lots of red herrings not confusing tho. Some of the dialects were hard to understand, but not so bad as to put one off the story. -By now, I'm sure everyone is aware that this is a very different novel than anything John Grisham has published previously. This book evokes a particular time and place: the Cotton Belt of the early 1950's, and, like "To Kill a Mockingbird", the story is told from a child's point of view; in this case, a fast-maturing 7-year-old. Unlike "Mockingbird", of course, there are no lawyers or courtroom scenes, although crimes are committed.I highly recommend this book. Nothing much happens in the first 70 pages, but then things get really interesting. In a culture where conservative Christianity is an integral part of every aspect of life, this 7-year-old is quickly faced with a dilemma: lie and be guilty of sin, or tell the truth and risk his family's livelihood (and possibly his own neck). Indeed, the mixed messages that he receives concerning religious beliefs are confusing for a child (and for honest grownups as well). Even more confusing are the early stirrings of sexual attraction toward a girl ten years his senior. This subject is handled in a very tasteful manner, and it inevitably leads, of course, to childhood heartbreak. (Not as serious a heartbreak as the baseball season ending with his beloved Cardinals in third place, however!) He witnesses things a child should never have to see (including two murders) and, as a result, has to grow up faster than most kids his age. His whole style and use of language is fairly mature for a 7-year-old.Unfortunately the last several chapters are not quite as gripping as the middle part of the novel, and the story sort of fizzles out at the end, keeping me from giving it the highest rating. Still, it is very good and worth the time and money. This may not be the Grisham most people are used to, but give it a chance and it will win you over. -Whether or not you believe in heaven, this story is exceptional! The journey that this little boy took is absolutely amazing and worth the little bit of time it will take to read. I cannot recommend this book enough! Enjoy -A good story is not easy to find. That was a good story. Actually both together made for a great two part story of a lawyer and his life. The characters were interesting and the history was sad and powerful not only the history from 80 years ago but from the communication just 40 years ago. Powerful stuff. Going to keep me thinking for a long time. -Confession time! I know you guys just love it when I start a review off like that – but there’s usually a good reason. This time it’s because I’m just a teensy bit hardheaded. You see, I get lovingly ‘bullied’ into reading books a lot. For some reason, those books seem to be the ones that I pick up last. I have no reason and definitely no excuse. That just seems to be the way things go. In the case of Darkhouse it’s even worse, I’ve had a couple people recommend it. I even had one of my blogging buddies offer to buy me the entire series if I would just pick this book up and read it. That was a pretty reasonable, no strings attached request considering it was already on my kindle (and has been for over a YEAR.) Not to mention the fact that it was FREE. *hangs head in shame* Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I can move on with the review.Darkhouse wasn’t at all what I expected. From the moment I ‘met’ Perry I was hooked. All good characters have flaws. If they were perfect the average reader wouldn’t be able to relate to them. For me, Perry was much more than relatable, she was real. I loved her. I loved her ‘voice,’ I loved her personality and I loved her spunk. She was lacking in self confidence and she didn’t have a lot of support (even from the people who loved her) but there was just something about her that made me like her. I just knew that once she found her niche things would turn around for her.Then there was Dex. I’m still not quite sure about how I feel about him, but to be fair, neither was Perry by the end of the book. Coming into the Experiment in Terror series late, I know that there is a lot more to come and to be honest, he kind of grew on me. There’s a lot to be learned about Dex and I’m willing to be things get a whole lot more interesting.As far as the story goes… yeah, it was just scary enough to keep the pages turning. Karina Halle definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I’m not sure if I would have gone to the lighthouse the first time much less the times that Perry and Dex returned, but if they hadn’t, there wouldn’t have been a story, so who am I to argue. (I’m also a confirmed chicken and not afraid to admit it. )The characters were great, especially Dex and Perry. Out of all of Perry’s family members, Ada and her uncle Al were the ones that I liked the most. Her parents irritated me, for a lot of reasons. You’ll have to read the book to understand why, but if you still don’t know exactly why, feel free to ask. Some of it is because of not wanting to give anything away and a lot of it is because I didn’t like the way Perry was treated. Something tells me that Perry and Dex are going to be good for each other in more ways than one.So yeah, I definitely enjoyed Darkhouse and could kick myself for waiting so long to finally pick it up. I’m sure I will be getting a lot of ‘I told you so’s’ from my blogging buddies. *sigh* On the plus side there are currently 8 books in the series, so I don’t have to wait to read the next one. Red Fox is the second book in the Experiment in Terror series and it’s already on my TBR list. -I have to review along with everyone else, even though I know my review will be swallowed up among the thousands of other reviews of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The book and all of the hype around it is just too fascinating.First of all, I think that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (and all of the other Harry Potter's) is marvelous. J.K. Rowling is a very good writer. She creates some complete characters alongside some comical stock characters. She uses some brilliant word play, and the atmosphere created in the book is extraordinary. It, at least, is incomparible to any other children's novel. She is very good at incorporating pieces of Greek mythology into the novel. The plot is vastly entertaining.There has been a lot of backlash against the popularity of the Harry Potter novels. But, this really happens to anything that becomes popular. Sure, there are better fantasy novels, and there are much better fantasy novels written for children. I don't think that there is a better place to start reading children's fantasy (or children's lit. for that matter). I also think that any fan of children's fantasy would have to enjoy this whether or not they think there are better books out there....Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a great book, and I think all of the controversy and hype just make it better and more appealing. I think everyone (including adults) should read this novel. It is well worth the time and money. Then, I think fans should definately move on to some of the other great childrens/adult fantasy classics like Lloyd Alexander's perfect Prydain Chronicles, C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Smith of Wooton Major, and Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea Trilogy. -Spoiler Alert:I find myself annoyed that the ending worked out the way it did. There was such a build-up for the battle that I was aching for some action. I was almost certain Aro would bring on the chaos. But no, peace prevails, and they live happily ever after. Perhaps Meyers went this route since it is a young adult series. But it seemed like an easy way out. Had she wanted to continue the series, the battle could have occurred with us not knowing the outcome while Jacob flees with Renesmee. A cliffhanger that would have us all waiting with baited breath for the next release. And here she did so well fleshing out many of the newcomers toward the end. But for what? Plus, she fails to resolve that fact that Bella and the Cullen's are okay with letting their kind continue slaughtering humans. I would have extended the series with the golden eyes growing in numbers and a show down coming against the crimson eyes. If Bella is such a good person, a natural protector, a shield for others, how can she just go on forever living blissfully knowing her own mother and father, or members of the pack could be slaughtered by vampires that don't care about them? I just see so much potential in the story once the plot gets beyond Bella's gawking of Edward and her remorse for Jacob. I daresay it is almost idiotic to go into so much detail about the Volturi and all these vampires and then just say 'the end.' I see why the reviews are less than the other books, although I have a different set of reasons than most. The birth scene didn't bother me, nor did the lack of romance at the honeymoon. People get hung up on the most banal things. I actually think this was the best book by far as it was easily the most compelling. But Meyers blew it by wrapping everything into a nice little bow and ending it so suddenly. I am not against happy endings, but in this case it is just too much. Even fantasy worlds wouldn't have endings like this. Come on. That and the gaping moral loophole that I mentioned just leave me thinking Meyers got tired of the series and threw in the towel. The Volturi should have been destroyed. They are murderers! Hello? And then the Cullens should have become the new rule setters and forced their breed to go 'vegetarian' or be torn apart and burned.Anyway. I recommend Gabaldon's Outlander series to you all. She makes Meyers look like the amateur(albeit talented) author she is. Gabaldon's depth and understanding of romance makes Bella and Edward's look silly in comparison. You will not be disappointed. -This novel was absolutely outstanding and more than worthy of rewards received. In depth look at North Korea from the author who went there. Character development is very intricate, as is the story line. This is literature at its finest.The culture comes alive with all the differences, fears and brainwashing. Control of a people and gradual shifting of Jun Do and others' who come to understand their lives mean little.This is a very deep read and one needs attention to detail. To fully enjoy and appreciate the subtleties. -So we all know there is major hype with this book. And like all curious minds, I caved figuring it had to be at least halfway good considering all the mad crazy eyed people singing its praise. Unfortunately, about midway into the book I kept questioning if I was reading the same thing. From all the craze, I expected great writing, engaging characters, an interesting plot, and namely all the ingredients for a good novel. What I received in reality was a subpar erotic romance with one dimensional characters, and an iffy plot.Fifty Shades of Grey starts with the main character, Anastasia, or Ana as she likes to be called, who is on the cusp of graduating college. She's a clumsy, nave, young female, who never wears makeup, tries to hide in a crowd, and doesn't see her own beauty. And, because she is so utterly sweet, is cajoled into interviewing Christian Grey, a mega rich, surprisingly young man with a million dollar company, for her best friend's school paper. From that moment forward, it seems Christian just can't keep his eyes off little Miss Ana, and manipulates a few non-chanced meetings. Things seem to get hot and heavy between them, but Christian tends to frighten Ana, especially with his needs and intense nature. As an adopted orphan, he went through his own living hell, and has the emotional and physical issues to prove it. But Ana is slowly losing her heart to him, and can only hope that she has the stamina and strength needed to not only help Christian, but to see if he can learn to care for her as well.**Slight Spoilers**With the synopsis, such as it is, out of the way, let me start by saying I still don't understand the hype. If people are reading this for the erotica alone, then I pity them as there are tons of authors who actually know how to write to keep a reader engaged, and the love scenes are way hotter. If you don't believe me, just check Amazons kindle section in fiction. They have enough variations in erotica for all kinks of life. Now if you are going into this for the romance/plot...I still hold by my "there are way better authors out there" mentality. The plot isn't new or unique by any standard, and the writing was subpar at best. It all boils down to Christian having major issues from being abused as a child, and because of this he uses BDSM as a form of management for his internal struggle. It's like he has to have control over everything as an adult as he couldn't control anything as a child. (think Sleeping with the Enemy without the husband being totally psychotic) Ana is totally innocent in all things sexual, and Christians kink causes such a big shock that she doesn't know whether she likes it or not. So nearly the whole book is a revolving "yes, no, yes, no" with her. And speaking of the characters: I found that Christian had more personality than Ana, and that's saying something as this is told in first person from Ana's point of view. Christian is definitely an alpha male (which I do love alpha males), but his personal demons cause him to be slightly cruel in my opinion. Ana is a complete spindly individual who was written so nave that it held me in shock. She doesn't understand some of the innuendo or "devices" Christian wants to use that even if you aren't in the world of BDSM you've at least heard of. If I could, I would give this book two and a half stars, as it wasn't horrible, but it could've been written a lot better. It did cause me to want to know what happens at the end, so I'll give it that, but all in all Fifty Shades of Grey just didn't do it for me, and I feel slightly duped for giving in to my curiosity. -Like everyone else who read it, I loved "Seabiscuit". Loved it. I found this surprising given the fact that I had never had any interest in horses or horse racing before. But from the first sentence, the prose in that book is as beautiful and engaging as prose can be."Unbroken" is not "Seabiscuit". Don't get me wrong, the story is remarkable, and it's exhaustively researched. You can't sneeze at 397 endnotes. But Laura Hillenbrand's writing in this outing is less like poetry and more like reporting. Jammed with details, the book reads like the world's longest New Yorker article.The topic is hardly new. WWII has been pretty exhaustively covered, and this particular story has been told before. The hero of the book, Louis Zamperini, published his own memoirs only a few years ago. The hardships of war and the cruelty of the Japanese come as no surprise.Louie's story is so remarkable and so detailed that, frankly, it strains the limits of credulity. I'm not challenging the facts; I'm just saying that it's a lot to remember. Personally, I wouldn't even want to. I wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes drifting in that life raft. I would have eaten all the chocolate and stuck my head in a shark. How anyone could remember the ordeal in hour-by-hour detail is beyond me.Ultimately, I couldn't finish the book. I feel bad that I didn't have the strength to read the experiences someone else had to live, but I gave up on about my third POW camp. Starvation, deprivation, cruelty, disease, humiliation, I got the picture. Repeated cycles don't necessarily make for a great story; it just makes for a tedious narrative.Which made me ponder the purpose of the book. As a moving story, it's too detailed to carry a theme. As reporting, it's redundant and profoundly out of date. What's the take-away message supposed to be?I tried to skip to the end, but the `redemption' part just didn't grab me. It's not hard to believe that someone who lived this life would be scarred forever. I practically got PTSD just reading it. It's also not hard to believe someone who got that scarred would find religion. But, redemption? In don't know.Sometimes people just go on living, and there's no telling why. -Calla is a werewolf or well she prefers Guardian. She saves someone by feeding him some of her blood (surprise! werewolf blood has healing properties). This is the first event in a series seemingly designed to bring Calla's carefully organized life down in shambles. She's supposed to marry Ren, but now there is a Shay. What you expect happens.The consensus seems to be that it's full of awesome, but quite honestly I thought it was awful. It gets a star because the cover is so pretty.Where do I start? The exchanges between Calla and Shay are so incredibly contrived. "Hi! I just met you and telling you things is going to get me killed but let me pour out EVERYTHING about what I am and how my society functions anyway." This happens at least twice which really detracts from the rest of the story in general. The author really should have found a better way to give the reader that information without resorting to such unnatural dialogue.Calla as a whole comes across as ambivalent. She doesn't have much of an opinion on what is going on besides that both Ren and Shay are incredibly attractive and fill her with longing (well, she does hate skirts and frills). The earth shattering revelation that her masters are lying to her doesn't seem to have much impact. Only when Shay is endangered, does she have a reaction.So... I didn't like this book, and I can't recommend it. -This was a fun read. I couldn't put it down. The characters were entertaining and the banter was witty and hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud many times throughout the book. Great summer book! -Nora is your mostly typical high school sophomore. She goes to class, tries her best to earn top grades, has a good relationship with her Mom, and a best friend she is almost constantly with. In comparison, Patch is almost an anti-hero. He is dark and mysterious. He seems to have just shown up out of nowhere, with no real past (at least that he is willing to talk about), no friends and no family.Nora is both drawn to and appalled by him when they first meet. Nora's feelings about Patch don't change much throughout the rest of the story. In most books when the heroine just cannot figure out the hero, the reader has at least some insight into what he is really like and we wait patiently for her to GET.A.CLUE. This is so not the case in this story. Patch is as elusive to us as he is to Nora. This also, does not change much during the story. And while we learn about a lot of his past, he ends the story still being somewhat mysterious.I really liked Nora's character. She seemed like a real teenage girl, with real emotions and a solid backing to her actions. Her inexplicable attraction to Patch makes her do things she normally wouldn't, but you can see her trying to fight it for a long time before she finally gives in totally. Patch, on the other hand, seems almost insincere in his feelings. I didn't really buy it when he first told Nora how much he cared about her. His actions really seemed to say otherwise: he taunted and teased her, refused to share any personal details about himself, and was sometimes creepy in a stalkerish way. At the end of Hush, Hush I still didn't feel like I totally `got' Patch. (I'm hoping more of him is revealed in the next book, Crescendo.)Oh, and did I mention? Patch is a fallen angel. After lusting after a mortal girl, he was banished to Earth, wings ripped off, to live with no feeling. He can feel emotional things - sadness, happiness, lust... especially that last one, but physical sensations are completely lost to him.After being assigned as partners in Biology Class, Patch and Nora's subsequent encounters are fraught with danger, mystery, and not a little attraction. There is also another new boy; his mostly silent, totally creepy best friend; trips to a pool hall; that prickly feeling on the back of your neck; a crazy Angel ex-girlfriend; several cases of mistaken identity; teenage sleuthing; and did I just see what I think I saw?! Phew! Nora and Patch do wind up together in the end, but not in a traditional way. I won't say more, because I don't want to give away the big twist at the ending. ;o)I would definitely recommend this book. It was different from other YA books I have read recently, in a totally good way. I can't wait to read Crescendo (out now) to see bad boy Patch's new softer side.~Review by: Book Addict from When Pen Met Paper [...] -I've been reading this series from the first month the first book hit the shelf. I thought the cover was interesting the idea was unique. Yet, I always believed that the books were not as huge and wonderful as everyone made them out to be. They were okay and interesting, but that's it. Now, reading all the reviews I have to laugh. You've only noticed where this was going now? You haven't picked up on all the inappropriate propaganda until now? Ooookaaaay.What got me with this book was how it started off with the baby vampires. I was getting flashbacks to "Salem's Lot" by King. You know, that scene where they remove the floorboard to find the young couple with the baby vampire in their arms. Ewww! There are some places where you just shouldn't go and messing with babies is one of them. Jake's imprinting on Nessie didn't bother me so much. It was explained that the werewolf would be whatever his intended needed him to be. And if it means a caregiver when they are infants and children, then that is what he will be. What did bother me was the get married and need sex at 18 aspect. Very juvenile. Other than that it was good, not great, but good--like all the others. -I highly recommend any readers who enjoy dystopian novels to READ THIS NOW if you have read DIVERGENT(it picks up immediately after the end of Divergent), AND immediately follow it up with the final book ALLEGIANT.Do NOT look at SPOILERS for the books, and read the books for yourself and make up your mind with regard to them! If you enjoy the Dystopian Genre, these are the best of the best!!!There are so many reviews here, that I'm not sure adding my voice will make a difference. But Tris continues making a difference when she was one person in a conflict of many and so I'm going to share just my general thoughts.Again, the author's done an amazing job of world building in dystopian Chicago. Tris & Four/Tobias join the Abnegation survivors at the Amity farms. Later they visit the Candor HQ. So now we have visited the 5 factions, & we end up getting more familiar with the factionless as well, and the world is incredibly detailed and again believable.Tris, in the 'calm' after the storm of the Erudite simulation resulting in the murders of half of the Abnegation, is reeling from the deaths of her parents. Recognizing that they sacrificed themselves because they loved her, she feels guilt over having left them along with PTSD dealing with aftereffects of seeing them killed. Even more troubling, Tris is engulfed in guilt and PTSD from having shot and killed her friend Will while he was in the simulation.Tris is keeping secrets, especially the depths of her distress and is making it very hard for Four/Tobias to be a good boyfriend. Four/Tobias has been keeping a BIG secret of his own and as secrets are revealed back and forth the fledgling relationship between them suffers. They still are drawn to one another and love each other, but their trust is being taxed and their reliance on the strengths of the other is not assured. Motivated by guilt, depression and trauma, Tris makes some destructive decisions, is betrayed by someone you will never suspect, and is helped by the person you least expect.The reasons will be revealed for Erudite's 'hunting' of Divergent's, the attack on Abnegation, and their ongoing pursuit of power.The huge twist at the end of Insurgent is shocking to the people of all factions (and to the readers). It makes them question everything they have ever known and opens their world to completely different possibilities and problems.I believe that I enjoyed Insurgent even more than Divergent, which I wouldn't have thought possible. I was frustrated by the secrets and tension between Tris and Four/Tobias, was captivated by the action and twists and turns throughout the book, and I still was rooting for Tris throughout the whole book. I was also rooting for Tris and Four/Tobias to work out thier issues.Do not stop after reading this book.... immediately move on to Allegiant for the surprising and action packed final book in the series. -I went through a whirl wind of emotions while reading this book. It was absolutely terrifying being inside Anna's head while the play was going down. You could feel the real emotions that she was feeling as if you were in that same situation. While some people are reluctant to read this book because of the age difference between Anna and TJ, don't let that stop you from reading! The characters have an amazing relationship and nothing happens between them until after TJ is a legal adult. All in all I laughed, I cried, and got super connected to these characters. I loved the way the book ended and wouldn't have changed a thing. -I really liked that the romance with the conflicts it had was quite believable.....not just the wine and roses and the crazy lengths of character development with their thoughts and conflicts that sometimes go on and on! I truly loved the character development and it was a refreshing change. A great read! -Without a doubt, this is one the best books I have ever read. Although the author is a medical doctor, he possesses a special talent in writing. The story was very absorbing, engrossing, and riveting. I started the book one day around noon and I could not put it aside. I felt a strong urge to finish it as soon as possible and the next day, the book was over.The story in this book is so real as if somebody has gone through all these and is writing them. You can find all basic human emotions here together, love, hate, fear, friendship, betrayal, loyalty, selfishness, generosity, honor, piety, arrogance, deception etc.The two main characters in the story, Hassan and Amir, happen to be close friends, yet they have really distinct and different personalities. The one, who is more advantageous from almost all aspects over the other, Amir, is a superficial, unfaithful, coward boy. In my opinion, at the age of 38, he actually becomes a real man, i.e. a man of honor, righteousness and loyalty. The other character, Hassan, is genuinely, perhaps, the most decent human being you can ever come across out there. If you ever happened to have a friend like him, stick to him like you have no one in the World. He possesses all the good qualities that a human being may have, i.e. loyalty, courage, diligence, decency, integrity, faithfulness, you name it!This book is able to unearth all the humane feelings you might ever have lost and will enable you, by all means, to learn the meaning of being a genuine human being again. -This is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. How Ms. Tartt was able to get into this young man's psyche is incredible! Her writing style is superb and I hated to see the book end. I have recommended the book to many friends. I hope to see more from this author and hope she continues with her excellent character development. -Oh, wow! Wow!I very rarely read thrillers, but this book is going to make it to the ones I enjoyed most.I thouroughly enjoyed this book for the past three days and I am sorry it's over, but I had to rush through it for two reasons:1. I couldn't put it down2. It had to be my last book of 2012I am one of those readers who skim quite a bit when reading fiction, esp. mainstream fiction, but this book I read cover to cover, i pondered over her statements, I marvelled over it's philosophies (cool girl, anyone?) and underlined many pharagraphs on my Kindle. And it is not a book I expected to need to underline.It is such a clever book, all the details neatly come together, every detail is of some importance, the writing is straightforward, but amazingly descriptive, the characters are so realistic ( I actually know people like them and I felt like every single one of them from time to time)I loved Amy all the way through and I loved Nick. I wish Go was developed a bit more, though. Her I just liked. The secondary characters were amazing too and not cliched at all, except for, maybe, Amy's lovey-dovey parents, but they were fairly fitting to the story.The ending made sense, too. It wasn't a huge twist everyone was talking about, I didn't see it coming, but I wasn't shocked by it either. It was fitting. The characters were developed enough for me to be able to accept the outcome.All in all, what a great book to complete my 2012 'books read' collection. -Dan Brown's book includes a good deal of information about a world that has been hidden in plain sight for a very long time. To a greater or lesser extent depending on the denomination, Christian religious practices include many pagan rites and rituals. The most obvious center on pagan holidays such as Samhain (Halloween = hallowed eve of All Saints Day) or the example in Brown's book that involves the rites of spring. Those with art history and/or comparative religion backgrounds will be familiar with most of the `occult' information Brown shares (if you can find it in books I guess it isn't too well hidden).However, it is important to keep in mind that Brown's tale is a work of fiction, and as such, the comments and thoughts of the protagonist (Robert) and other characters may or may not be accurate. For example, the purported millions of people burned at the stake for "witchcraft" is exaggerated as are the assertions that they were all women and the Roman Catholic church was responsible for all the deaths. Research conducted in the 1990s shows: 1) The numbers of "witches" burned at the stake was much lower than previously thought; 2) Many of those executed for "witchcraft" met their fate in Germany, Denmark, and Scotland (nominally Protestant countries at the time of the witch burnings); and most of those executed were not killed by church or secular authorities, but by apparently hysterical illiterate villagers who were both Catholic and Protestant (i.e. Salem in the New World). Perhaps as a result, Italy-a nominally Catholic country-is purported to be the home of the "evil eye" and many modern witches. (Raven Grimassi, a hereditary Italian witch, has written extensively on this topic).Fiction versus non-fiction aside, my one irritation with Brown's storytelling is that he pulls his punches in the denouement-probably because the editors wanted to increase book sales. I can't say more without giving away the plot-but this book is not THE NAME OF THE ROSE.While I admit to reading the book non-stop, I wasn't "scared" after the first few pages. I read on because I found Brown's weaving of occult information, art history, pagan lore, technology, Templars, Masons, and Paris fascinating. I have a personal interest in the machinations of Rome and the Knights Templar. My grandfather was a very high ranking Mason (as have been most of the male members of my mother's family) and my grandmother was a member of the Eastern Star (as have been most of the female members of my mother's family). On the other hand, I was raised Roman Catholic because my father was RC (and a Knight of Columbus). To say I absorbed a good deal of conflicting information during my growing up years is an understatement. I could really identify with Sophia. -Rather pedestrian plot and writing. It didn't really hold my interest and I found the characters to be one-dimensional and rather dull. -It's rare that a book makes me literally laugh out loud and/or sob my eyes out... this author accomplishes that more than once in this remarkably told story. Perfect development of the characters - the bond they build is palpable, believable and quite beautiful. -I literally bought this book a little over 24 hours ago and what can I say, it really keeps your attention. If you are like me and love a good romance novel then stop reading reviews and just buy it right now because you won't be disappointed.PROS- Great character development. I could mentally imagine every single character and fell in love with some of them, could relate to some of their problems and literally cried when they cried at times.- Good story line. There was drama when there needed to be. There were comical moments, many sad moments and some very happy times as well. The story developed into something that really touched my heart. Dealing with death is not something to easily write about, however, Young elaborates on it beautifully and shows how to deal with and get over the loss of a loved one.- Heated romance. Need I say more?CONS- The only two bad things that I can really say about the book is that first of all, it was somewhat predictable. The hinted foreshadowing is far from subtle. Although there were a few moments in the book that I was actually caught by surprise and wasn't expecting it to happen.- Secondly, there were a lot of similarities between this book and the Fifty Shades series. Both had characters that were really mentally messed up. Both have the main male character being drop dead sexy, rich businessmen that are very protective over the women they love, and have also been through terrible tragedy. Both main male characters also get into bar fights. However, as I got deeper and deeper into the book, I was finding more and more differences between them where I was able to mentally separate them, but in a good way. Now that I have read the entire book, I can say that although it does share some characteristics with Fifty Shades of Grey, On Dublin Street differentiates enough from it to make it unique and a very very good read.In my opinion, it would make an excellent movie that would really teach an important life lesson. Remorse, forgiveness, and love. -Suzy Wilson's review Apr 23, 20135 of 5 starsbookshelves: dystopia, strong-female-protagonistRead in April, 2013I received a copy of this novel as an electronic Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin, in return for an honest review.I liked it so much, when it came out in hardcover, I bought the book.Honestly, I loved this book.It is not difficult to see elements of other works in this novel. Like The Hunger Games and Divergent, The Testing is a post-apocalyptic dystopia - the world is rehabilitating, several generations after the bombs were dropped. Food is growing again; the water is being slowly cleaned and the badlands are being reclaimed from the radiation and mutations. Things are tough, but it is much better than it was.Cia lives with her family in a small outpost, isolated from other communities. She lives in a large, apparently happy family invested in re-engineering order from the chaos. We pick up Cia's personal narrative at the point where she is about to graduate from high school. Bright, plucky and full of promise, Cia has hopes of following her father to University to continue and build on his legacy of research and service. However, places at the University are limited, and to gain entrance, suitable candidates are recruited from the various settlements to undergo the Testing - a series of entrance exams. Few from Cia's home community have been favoured with selection in recent years, and she is determined to break back amongst the chosen.The novel follows Cia and three schoolmates chosen to represent their colony in the Testing. However, all is not as it seems. Cia's father, a graduate of the University, warns her on the eve of her departure, to trust no-one. Haunted still by nightmares, he shares with Cia what knowledge he retains of his own testing - including a warning that each successful candidate's memory is wiped at the end of their Testing. His fear is not of what he remembers, rather the nightmare of what he cannot. Like 1984's behindthink, it isn't what your conscious mind remembers that is the problem - it is the messages from the shadows that haunt your dreams.Cia departs, and the Testing begins.The story, while slow to start, gathers pace during the Testing. Like the candidates, I, as the reader, was shocked by the brutality of the Testing - not so much by the graphic descriptions of the challenges, but more the underlying horror of the choices and the realities experienced by the candidates. It isn't what Charbonneau draws for us with her words, rather what is left unspoken, unlit and subverted that speaks the loudest.I found the novel compelling. The characters are finely drawn and complex. The world-building is achieved early and well, without superfluity. Cia is perhaps the only truly honest person in the book. Everyone else has something to hide. Cia's challenge is to learn to limit her trust in others, while remaining true to her own ideals, and staying alive. Without introducing too many spoilers, I really enjoyed the ending of the book. I think the unmasking of the final subterfuge is masterfully done and I can't wait to read the next instalment. -I read this as it is on my students booklist. I always enjoy the themes involved in this book. It's clearly teen-fiction in the way it's written. The plot moves along at lightening speed which is the both the success and perhaps the loss in the story. You can't help but being engaged in the story as Katniss is catapulted into the hunger games arena; being swept along with her are a number of other characters who have varying degrees of involvement.This is my only problem really, in that the other characters feel quite undeveloped - i don't feel I know, or care about them very much. Having said this, I'm aware it is book one of a trilogy and expect the other characters to be developed for good and bad in the other two books, so I take this book as a great set-up for the trilogy and involving some really interesting themes both ancient and modern. -The type of mystery I'm used to starts off with a bang and takes you on a wild ride. This wasn't that. I found the first chapter kind of boring and the first third plodding. Then I hit page 219. This book's pace feels a little like the first hill of a roller coaster ride. It chugs up the hill and you wonder what all the hype is about, then at p. 219 it starts a free fall down the hill gaining momentum until the end. I read the first 219 pages in a week and the last 370 pages in two days.Plot summary:Reporter Blomkvist is hired by rich patriarch Vanger to examine the cold case of how his niece Harriet disappeared 40 years ago. In their research Blomkvist and his unorthodox assistant Salander uncover gruesome family secrets.My opinion:Holy cow is this good. The story is complex, rich, and in-depth. Most of the details you think are just color are actually significant so pay attention. Larsson may have written one of the most fascinating characters in fiction in Lisbeth Salander the goth, brainiac hacker. Blomkvist is an odd hero; he's ethical as a journalist though morally suspect in a Bohemian kind of way that is a lot more forgiving in a 25 year-old than in a 45 year-old. The characters may not be likeable to some, but they are complete, well-rounded, fascinating and complex. The plot is compelling if gruesome and disturbing at several points. Be warned.There were some writing style things that bugged me personally: A lot of the scenes start in one POV and end in someone else's POV (the pivotal office scene on p. 220 is an example). The names can get very confusing. Where most authors try to avoid even using the same letter in naming their characters, Larsson uses names like Henrik, Harriett, and Harold living on Hedeby Island off Hedestad. He'll refer to a character by three names such as: Berger, Erika and Ricky, but despite some of these minor annoyances, the story and characters are excellent.This book is compelling, fascinating, unique, unpredictable and not to be missed. It's complex and adult -- and definitely not for the under 21s in my opinion. -The concept was so unusual, I really liked it. Having a female as the hero was a great idea. Women are always stronger than men. The writing was really well done and the characters were realistic.Will recommend this to all my friends. -This series leaves you wanting more. They have great character development! This book had me hooked and on the edge of my seat. -This is going to be a short review b/c I've been a little generous with my time for these lately! I really enjoyed this book, I am a huge fan of the vampire themed stories, and this was really just a great read. Kagawa sucks you in from page one with an eerie, disturbing setting for this story, and I liked that we get to know Allie as a human before all of the action starts. Her life pretty much just sucks, and when her decision to lead her friends out in unsafe lands for food leaves her alone and dying, her saving grace is a vamp that can turn her. If she chooses it. So, she becomes what she hates in order to survive, and her world will never be the same. Kanin, her sire, trains her in the life of a vampire, then she sets off on her own into the outer lands, where the rabids roam free and kill anything in their path. There she meets up with a group of humans that are traveling to find Eden, a rumored city where they will be safe from the rabids. Allie has to hide what she is from these humans if she wants to survive, but with nosy Ruth hating her and a mutual attraction for the steamy Zeke, it may not be easy.This story was full of action and twists, it was virtually non-stop thrills or drama once Allie is in the outlands. I loved that Allie was totally bad-ass, even though she tended to be a little selfish before she met up with the humans. I was upset with how she put Kanin in grave danger and then just left, but I'm hopeful that she can redeem herself later!! She grows so much throughout the story, putting the needs of others before hers and really owning what she has become. There were so many upsetting moments in the story, characters I grew to care about losing their lives or suffering. But the journey they take was exciting and an absolute blast to read, and I actually like the way things wrapped up. Nothing's set in stone, yet we don't get that 'happily ever after' feel since there's so much more of the story to come. Will be looking forward to the next book in this series!! -Ironically, my first instinct seeing this book was that it would probably be a collection of subjectitvely picked research to back some unconvincing hypothesis of overstated importance. Well of course part of that was true, after all Gladwell is a journalist and not a scientist. However, in general, he does a great job in describing the research and its relevance to our everday lives.Blink focuses on 2 seperate but related concepts. The first is that of "time slicing", which demonstrates how important information can be encoded in a very short period of time. Most of Gladwell's examples are socioloical, and the most striking of which was research which aimed to predict whether married couples would get divorced after analyzing a single conversation with them.The other concept is how the brain acts subconsciously to certain stimulus. Gladwell's proposal is that if we can recognize this power of the brain we'd make the world a much better place and all sorts of other grand things. So, although not perfect, this is a good and interesting book. -Right from the very start I was hooked by Gone Girl and as is the way with a good mystery, you can never assume that you know where it's going because it's filled with twists and turns that will keep you moving from one page to the next. Gillian Flynn has a great writing style and her characters are perfectly and realistically twisted. A real page turner. -This book has many problems. The characters are completely unbelievable in their roles. The profiler (Kyle) is a felon and psychiatric patient but is trusted with sensitive information and allowed to lead a police investigation. The lead detective (Nicole) is totally inept as a police officer and has more than a few loose screws. She seems not to understand investigative or police procedure. Along with the other law officers they display all the ineptitude of the Keystone Cops but none of the humor. Both Kyle and Nicole are emotionally immature and mentally unstable (although the author attempts to portray them as 'misunderstood'). Their relationship is not at all believable. The plot begins reasonably enough -- a serial killer preys on women and takes a trophy -- but turns bizarre and then ridiculous. I suppose that is the word I would use to sum this book: 'ridiculous'.The author has enormous flights of fancy unconstrained by matters of law, psychology, or medicine. The novel belies the lack of fact checking. For example, scenes in the book break many rules of police procedure with regard to crime scene investigation, chain of evidence, and apprehension and questioning of suspects. One example of another type of error is when a police officer shows a picture of a woman who has a "split lip" after being beat up. The police officer states that it took 27 stitches to close the lip. That's quite a "split lip". Sutures average about 5 stitches to the inch; slightly more for the face. An incision requiring 27 stitches would be about 5 inches long, and that is longer than a lip. It's about the circumference of the mouth. Another medical misstep occurs when the author states that Kyle had his blood drawn every hour to be tested for mad cow disease. First, there is no blood test for mad cow disease. Second, one would not check blood every hour for any infectious disease -- it simply isn't useful. Apparently the author thought that 27 stitches or testing blood every hour sounded extreme and so used them. However, these (and many other things in the book) are beyond extreme: they're ridiculous. A bit of research would have prevented such bizarre errors.As another reviewer stated, there's a reason this book is self-published: no reputable publisher would have printed it. Too bad a reviewer can't give zero stars: I would have. -I think this is the most underrated book on Amazon! But I think I know why the bad reviews were created.The book is amazing, and I would definately would have given it 5 stars but for certain aspects of the book, but I think parts of the book made some people, especially men, uncomfortable given the extremely detailed romantic impulses and actions of the female protagonist and her lover. OTHER THAN THAT this book was the best book I have read in YEARS and thoroughly enjoyed it. In most of the incredible fiction books I have read the romance and feelings of possession of the main characters stops at a certain point and is not a featured part of the book, but this book definately may make you hate that friend you have that might be obsessed with her boyfriend and vice versa.However, this book kind of reminded my of a super-upgraded version of Twilight, and was so glad it was longand there are two more books on the way! After reading a lot of disappointing novels in the past few years andtoo many that were aimed at young adults, this was a welcome change! I just think a lot of adults might think vampire novels like Anne Rice novels are more mature, and the feelings of the protagonist could have been minimized and more action in the story could have been involved in the place of the feelings of possessiveness/and or romantic obsession. -Being a person who rarely reads fantasy, I was a little uneasy about reading this book, especially when I looked at the character log in the back, with all the houses listed and its history. Oh shoot, I said, I won't be able to keep everyone straight.But I couldn't believe how entertaining it was. The plot is fresh and exciting, with interesting twists and turns nearly every step of the way. I must say that there was only two or three characters I was absolutely in love with, one of them being Princess Dany. I took off half a star in rating because I did not see enough of her in the book that I would have liked. Also, I found it hard to believe that the author killed off the characters that he did. NOTE: There is no happy ending to the first of this series.The writer is very talented and he is definitely one that will forever be remembered. If you like historical fiction, especially with a medieval setting, then you will like this, despite it being of a fantasy genre. Can't wait to continue the series. -I stayed up way too late because I just couldn't put this down. The tragic story of a woman with 5 young children who, by way of her death from a particularly vicious cancer, should help save the lives of probably almost every one of us, is positively fascinating. I also like the author's style as she weaves the stories of the past and the present, along with updates on the people we've met in the book and an afterword discussing the moral and legal implications of the issues in the book, and they make a very satisfying read. -Yes, there are similarities to Fifty Shades, but they are few. Billionaire falls for a girl and likes to be in charge of all aspects of his life. Both characters have a past. Ok, that's where the similarities end.Yes, Gideon does a few things that are over the top (like the recreation of Eva's bedroom), but he is a very intense guy. Eva falls for him quickly and their relationship turns hot very quickly. The sex scenes are hot. Eva is a sassy, no-nonsense type of person that puts Gideon in his place a few times.This is a great summer read! -4.5 starsMiss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is one of those books that is completely unexpected and almost swathed in mystery. I had only the slightest clue what it would be about, but was thoroughly absorbed the moment I began. Jacob is a sixteen year old loner - not by choice - who spends a great deal of his time with his Grandpa, Abraham Portman; a man who escaped nazi-invested Poland as a child and moved into a peculiar home off the coast of Wales. Grandpa Portman claims the home was full of peculiar children with special gifts, but Jacob lost faith in that story years ago.After Grandpa Portman's death, at the hands of what Jacob thinks is a monster, he ventures - with his father - to the island where the home stands. This is when things start to get better and better. The sense of mystery, and even a little trepidation, jumps off the page. Jacob isn't sure if he's just a little crazy or if he should believe the stories his grandfather told him. He flips between the two thoughts and being a part of his uncertainty creates an eeriness. I never knew what to expect or what was going to happen. Each detail is revealed slowly and with care. Learning more about Jacob's grandpa unravels the mystery about the island and the children, but also about the person that Abraham Portman once was.The photos that go along with the peculiar children are creepy and help to bring the story to life. Ransom Riggs has this descriptive writing style that vividly introduces the island of Cairnholm and makes it a character all on its own. I don't want to give anything away because Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a book that screams `read me.' Like its title, it is a peculiar book, full of peculiar children, and peculiar happenings, but it is also a daring and imaginative story that will captivate the reader and fully immerse you in the dreary, rainy world of Cairnholm.Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is part character driven, part historical foray, and part paranormal mystery, but completely fascinating and beyond interesting. Ransom Riggs has tied two forms of art together to create quite the story. It is the perfect balance of creepy and coming of age; meaning, it may give you nightmares, but it will also make you smile. Any book that can do that cannot be bad. -Jodi Picoult's The Storyteller is a fictional account of a young woman-Sage- who befriends an older gentleman-Josef- she meets at a grief group. Both Sage and Josef are lonely and seeking companionship, and both are stuggling to cope with secrets that have led them to the therapy group. As the novel progresses, Josef reveals to Sage that he was a member of the SS who held a high position at Auschwitz- the largest death camp in all of Europe during WWII. Josef has hidden his secret for many years by hiding in plain sight. He is an upstanding member of the community and a beloved neighbor, teacher and friend. As he nears the end of his life he seeks forgiveness for the atrocities he committed during the war. Sage, the grandaughter of an Auschwitz survivor, grapples with the idea of forgivness throughout the text.In the seven years I have spent as a classroom teacher, it never fails that my students ask me the following questions: How did normal citizens become Nazis? Why would any person allow such horrors to happen? Over the years, my answer to them has evolved. I have come to believe that all people are capable of both good and evil, depending on their environment. It is interesting fodder for a debate on nature vs. nurture that always sparks their interest. The Storyteller also zeros in on this idea. Is someone that commits unspeakably evil acts a monster? Can one ever be forgiven for such things? Told multiple perspectives, Picoult has obviously done her research. Wrapped within the stories of the characters is also an allegory written by Sage's grandmother as a young woman. Essentially Picoult has written two novels in one in a way that is absolutely masterful.I have read many pieces of Holocaust Literature- both fiction and non-fiction. It is a genre that I feel absolutely compelled to read. Though it did have a few minor flaws, this particular piece was especially well done. -I had some reservations about buying this book. I knew little about it except that it was the love story between a girl and a werewolf. As it is a YA I'll admit I was worried it would be a little too Twilight, which I loathed. The beautiful cover was what was sucked me in and I certainly don't regret it.Shiver is everything Twilight isn't, a truly believable romance with believable, equal characters, and above all it is beautifully written. Maggie Stiefvater is an artist with words, creating stunning pictures with just a few sentences. A true wordsmith.Sam and Grace's relationship is just beautiful. I have found recently that YA paranormal romance can actually provide a much ore meaningful relationship than adult paranormal romance. Adult paranormal romances have sex and intense sexual attraction to keep the pace briskly moving along. In YA paranormal romance relationships are expected to be more chaste which means even a little thing like handholding can become incredibly significant and touching.I loved that Sam wasn't an alpha wolf. He was just an ordinary guy with an extraordinary secret. It made him wholly believable and made his falling in love with Grace all the more believable too. I'll admit I found it a bit odd that Sam apparently fell in love with Grace when she was 10 and she with him when she just knew him as a wolf but once these two characters are together, you really don't care about how they fell in love, simply that they are in love. Their relationship was rich with meaning, every look and touch leaping off the page. It is rare that two characters complement each other quite so well and I laughed with them, cried with them, held my breath for them. They were so excellently portrayed that I really felt like I knew them both and cared so badly about what happened to them.The secondary characters were equally wonderful; fizzy Rachel and introverted Olivia, who I'm sure we'll see more of in Linger, Shelby, who again may have more to contribute and my favourite, Beck. My only complaint about him is that there wasn't enough of him! What was so wonderful about Beck was that he actually only appears in person in a very small part of the book. The rest of the time he is only being spoken about, primarily by Sam to Grace. It is testament to Stiefvater's writing skills that I really felt like I was in Grace's shoes at this point so by the time she and Beck actually met, I felt that I already knew him. Paul was perhaps the one character I didn't much care for. He didn't have much to contribute to the story and what little page time he occupies he seems to be getting attacked/injured. I didn't find him very impressive considering he is supposed to be the pack alpha.There is no trite love triangle in Shiver, though Stiefvater has opportunity to evolve one with the character of John. This is, quite simply, a love story between two brilliantly portrayed people who want nothing more than to be together but who both know they might not have much time.The book alternates between Sam and Grace's point-of-view, cleverly evolving both characters at an equal rate. The pacing isn't brisk but fluid and I simply couldn't put the book down. Stiefvater is perhaps the only author I have ever read who can write chapters that are, at times, half a page long, and actually not annoy me. Normally this is one of my biggest turnoffs when reading but Stiefvater's skill with words not only pulls it off but made me realise the book couldn't have been written any other way.A truly exquisite love story. I can't wait to read the sequels. -I picked up this book simply because I was looking for something new to read on the same day I happened to hear it won the Pulitzer. I'm glad I did, however, because it was exactly what I was looking for. Engaging, well-paced (especially for its length), with interesting and (mostly) well-rounded characters. I took me a bit to get into it, but once I did I was hooked entirely--often reading it when I really should have been doing other things. Tartt excels as exhibiting Theo's journey so naturally and seemlessly, that every action he takes makes complete sense for his character. You completely understand why he gravitates to the people he does, why he needs to self-medicate the way he does, why he follows the path he follows. Many authors tend to shoehorn these details into their characters in order to further their plot, but with Theo, his causes and effects made perfect sense.My problems with the book, while I adored most of it (particularly Theo's youth), the last bit--the ending--felt off. There was a lot of exposition, which the reader needed for closure, but it came off as quite the "info-dump". The last scene with Boris, followed immediately by the last scene with Hobie--it was very much one character telling us everything we needed to know, while Theo stood in for the reader asking the questions we had in a very "so then what happened?" manner. Yes, we got our answers, but given how great the book had been, I was just hoping for it to play out a bit differently.Also, there were time where the lengthy descriptions of unnecessary things (furniture, for example) got so detailed that it would take you out of the book; I'd find myself skipping paragraphs a time and losing nothing from the story. The book probably could have been 200 pages shorter if an editor had simply trimmed some of the superfluous descriptions down.Lastly, I didn't find any of the female characters to be as fully fleshed out as I had hoped. Each of the more prominent ones seemed to filling a very particular place hold in Theo's life, but I knew very little about any of them outside of that role. In turn, you look at characters like Boris and Hobie, who also hold specific roles in Theo's life, but yet their characters also stand on their own two feet outside of Theo. I would have loved that for more of the females.Enjoyed the book on the whole, however. Would recommend. -Let me say right off that I found "Divergent" to be compulsively readable and enjoyable. I don't think this is close to another "Hunger Games" but it shouldn't be. Who wants to read the same book over and over again? "Divergent" has an amazing plot and I think its a fairly unique one when you think about how many dystopian novels are hitting the shelves. The story is basically about a world where there are five different 'factions' that people are associated with. They live for these factions and work for these factions and have their entire belief systems set up to define the type of person an individual is. Tris is a teenage girl who has been raised to be Abnegation, a selfless faction whose core belief is putting other before yourself. When she comes of age and is able to choose for herself she decides to leave her family and faction and join the Dauntless, the brave and fearless faction who runs patrols around the border to ensure everyone's security.I had several important questions that never found sufficient answers and that is why I ended up giving the book three stars instead of more. What is Divergent? That question is never really answered. Sure its a person who has more than one faction that they show aspects of. Yet so do other characters in the story who are not considered Divergent. Also why is this world the way it is? How did these factions come to be and why are the citizens so easily manipulated into these factions? Why are people rebelling?I did like the characters a lot and as I mentioned earlier the plot moved along at a nice pace. I especially like that the heroine is not a girly girl and is mentioned as having a childlike body and few curves. I think that made her feel different than some of our other YA heroines. I never really felt like Tris's friends were really friends and perhaps thats the way the story is intended.The resolution to the story is a little too quickly wrapped up and yet it was positively a thrilling conclusion and I think the author made some very brave choices in where to take the story and the characters. Things are wrapped up pretty nicely although of course not everything is resolved so that the reader is left wanting to know more. I just hope that the follow up gives up more background and also makes the explaination for a Divergent more clear. I felt like the story told us what to believe but didn't really explain why we should believe. I'd like to see all that acknowledged so we can move on with the story and focus on the intriguing plot. -This book has a lot of the factors included in your typical NA book. But then...it doesn't. The mystery and the romance combined are just perfect. It ended a bit abruptly for me but, hey, maybe that's because I wanted more. -It took half the book to develop the main character. Story was slow and boring. I felt this was a waste of my time!! -I keep thinking the stories for this group of friends couldn't possibly get any better. Any more involved it beautiful. And each time I eat my words! Don't ever ask me to pick a favorite bc I don't think I can. I love this series. I love that each one is so completely full of drama you find yourself wondering if love can conquer all. Can these people possibly make it out of these scenarios alive, unscathed. Just when you think there's no way out, your kicked back and realize you were wrong all along. I'm so glad Cain finally found his happiness. I'm so glad he finally found love. I found myself pulling for him from book one. There was just something about him that makes you want him to save himself for once. Stop saving everyone else and save himself. And Charlie. Holy baggage claim. I didn't think wed ever get to the bottom of her craptastic life with Sam. It seemed to never end. The guy just wouldn't let her go. The author does an amazing job of reeling you in throughout the whole story just to spit you back out. Gotta love it! Just an amazing story! I love the way it ended!! -Divergent is most definitely one of my favourite books. I don't think I can sing enough praise for it because it is just pure brilliance. From start to finish, the characters are solid and the plot is perfectly planned and paced. There is never a dull moment which lets the novel fall into the "must read in one sitting" category. Say...you've seen 32945 positive reviews? Rest assured, you'll be feeling the same. The concept of a society separated into coveted virtues is so alluring and intriguing. Living your life in a certain way because you had to? Not telling lies, not allowing yourself to look in the mirror, not fearing death? What. A. Way. To. Live.The novel begins in Tris' faction, Abnegation, as she prepares for a test which will help her decide her fate. We easily see that she is not able to live her life completely, having to always put others before herself and sparing herself of luxuries. Factions were created to eliminate undesirable qualities but on the contrary, it simply forces people to go too much the other way. Blunt, self-denying, reckless, ignorant and superior - doesn't sound as good, does it? At her chosen faction, Tris is thrown into many exciting situations, ones you'll be begging for more of. Divergent is fast-paced and entirely gripping. The action sequences are written wonderfully and you'll constantly feel a thrill shooting up your spine as you anxiously await more.Tris is an amazing heroine. Though skinny and weak at first, she becomes resilient and takes things day by day, being mentally strong and taking us on a long emotional journey. I think the character development in this novel was excellent. As Tris fights for what she wants, she matures and becomes a very different person, or rather, discovers who she really was to begin with. The secondary characters are also very enjoyable to get to know as they each have a distinct personality. All of the characters evoked many strong emotions from me, good and bad, going to show how great of an author Roth is.There's an amazingly good romantic subplot in the novel and that in itself was a mystery! We meet a few male characters early on and for every single one I asked the question, "Is this her love interest?". Unlike many novels where it's obvious who the main character will end up liking, this one comes as a surprise and is not obvious from the very beginning, which I loved! Her love interest turns out to be someone who is complex, intelligent, strong and hot. Where can I get myself one of those?I felt that this book was similar to The Hunger Games in that it's an action-packed adventure. This book also deals with sacrifices and the idea of doing things you normally wouldn't in order to survive and gain. In saying that, the similarities end there. Divergent is a unique book that will keep you on your toes. Unexpected things happen that will make your jaw drop and heart fracture. You'll be left wide-eyed after the twists. This highly-anticipated novel most definitely lives up to all of the hype and more! Fantastic characterisation and an always exciting plot. What more could you ask for? -My opinions on this book are based solely on the book's writing style and plot. I don't know the accuracy of the claims in the book and I find them irrelevant in that I consider this book a work of fiction meant solely to entertain. The author only mentions that the societies mentioned in the book (the Priory of Scion and Opus Dei) are real societies.The Da Vinci Code is a thrilling roller-coaster ride of events that surprise the reader at every corner. Brown often ends his chapters on a suspenseful note which leaves the reader anxious to read on. He starts off the novel with the murder of Jacques Sauniere, a prominent man working at the Louvre. The plot continues as Sauniere leaves a message for his granddaughter Sophie Neveu and Harvard professor Robert Langdon at the scene of his death. Neveu and Langdon are sent on a sort of treasure hunt (where symbols and clues are everywhere they turn) to learn why Sauniere and others have been killed and to find the Holy Grail.I find that the plot is excellent in terms of its riveting sequence of events. I found myself involved, trying to figure out the clues along with the characters. Some of the things Neveu and Langdon find are very controversial. But, they don't shatter any beliefs I had before. If anything, the claims about the church and about Jesus make me want to investigate the issues for myself.For readers who can get past the controversial nature of the book, this is a suspenseful page-turner that keeps you hanging every step of the way. -I must confess I had to listen to the audio version of this because I'm not allowed to open my Kindle until Christmas. Either way, this was the best book I've "read" in a very long time. I think I could understand Jacobs feelings about being in the nursing home since I had to deal with my mom being in a nursing home. His description about sitting in the dining room was so real. Do yourself a favor and enjoy it. Also, it has a great ending. -I really liked this book. The story line was easy to follow and while it was difficult at times to like Joss, the main character, I fell in love with Braden and Ellie! I felt that Joss was over thinking some situations and not letting things fall into place naturally, but hey, she's a girl and I can understand. I also didn't feel that Joss' character was fully developed and the problems about her past were not dealt with. I don't think taking a trip fully allows one to grieve but there is a second book so maybe we'll understand a bit more laterI thought the relationship between Joss and Braden was great. Their remarks were witty and funny at times and other times I wanted to swoon. I really liked Braden's character-he seems honest and a good guy. I was rooting for them from the beginning and don't think that I stopped doing that. In other books, there's always a character that messes up and causes a breakup but I thought that this book did a better job at making situations realistic. While there was drama, it was drama that was honest and relatable... not drama that I had to roll my eyes at.I would recommend this book to others. It was a fairly quick read. I was able to do read it in a couple of hours. I was so engulfed in the book that I didn't want to put it down! Also, the *mature* scenes were well written, as well as the text messages and dialogue that were exchanged between characters ;) -I don't understand the negative reviews. I really loved this book, and thought it brought together the characters endings in a lovely way. The beginning scenes of the wedding and honeymoon are lovely, and tho, I, too, hesitated at the first sign of the 'little nudger', I thought the storyline was handled well. It kept me very interested, even if it was a little gruesome - hey, aren't we talking vampires here?? And the final part was great - with Bella so triumphant as a vampire, finally unburdened by her clumsiness, and we feel Edward's love for her so much more because he loved her when she was so imperfect and so breakable. I loved it, loved the ending, think it was a great book. I even love the fairytale cottage. I also didn't need a romance-novel love scene with specifics. This one was perfect. -Amazingly enough, I didn't read this series when it first came out, and I've read a lot of books (of a wide variety of genres). Now I've read the first 3 of this now and I think it's interesting to read the reviews now vs the time they were written.Just sticking to this 1st book, overall I agree with the reviews and ratings. It's an excellent story and excellent writing. The one thing that is different now than then is that it is no longer unique. Many fantasy books (and more importantly perhaps, movies) have created whole new worlds and I don't find Jordan's that different really (replace Orges with Trollocs and Clerics with Aes Sedai, etc). Sure it's different, but not amazingly so. Also, the 3 main character theme vs the traditional one is now old hat thanks to Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and decent supporting cast TV shows (Stargate, Firefly) and movies. So again, at the time, this was all breakthrough and wonderful, but reading it now it's great, but not shocking is all.What I actually find great about these books is the pace at which they move, given the sheer size of each book. The interest, suspense and action all keep moving and while each book is a story in its own, also ties to the larger arc. Well done there.Jordan captures the gender stereotypes well also. Again, new at the time to have main female characters and strong female characters, but old now (and somewhat overdone, especially in TV/movie areas). What might be nice is to see smart male characters. What I find lacking in a lot of fantasy novels is any real politics/trade discussions. Ok, so not as exciting as swashbuckling perhaps, but would be nice to have more depth from time to time.Anyway, based on only 3 books of the series, this is great overall and I'm looking forward to more. But in that I'm also looking for more character and world development along with arc continuations.Edit:Now I've read the 1st 6 books and I can say the story has kept up it's good pace and intrigue, and characters have changed, developed, which is good. I particularly like that we see more of the world and its politics and slowly see more of the Dark One's plans/actions.I suppose at this point there are only 2 things that are bothering me. First, the repeated and dominant use of the device of Person A believes that Person B needs to be protected (from others and themselves) and doesn't need to be asked/included in discussions - the condescending paternalist attitude that constantly leads to missed communication and crossed goals. Once or twice, fine, but it's always there.Related to this is the constant Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus aspect. One might expect the average person in the story to adopt these views, but these characters are not average. Perhaps it's a reinforcement of the story setting where no one is enlightened and all kings are blood-thirsty savages with no brains that need Aes Sedai to guide them and all women are helpless and need men around to protect them, but I seem to have higher expectations.Edit update: 1/3 of the way through Book 10Ok, things did slow down a bit. Part of the issue is that there are so many players and so many tangents that it takes forever to tell one and get back to another. Still, petty good overall so I'll try and finish it out. -Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire is exactly as the title says. It's a beautiful disaster. The characters can be abrupt and violent and codependent and you know some of the things they say or do are totally wrong. But at the same time they're sweet and somehow make you fall in love even despite all of their issues. There were so many things I loved and hated about Beautiful Disaster, I'm pretty sure the internal conflict it presented me just made me enjoy it even more.Abby was a really cute character at first. Don't get me wrong, I still liked her as the book got into the swing of things, but she was pretty hypocritical. She was mad at Travis for playing games with her and accusing her of playing games with him, yet she really did play with him the whole time they were friends. The second he started to have real feelings for her she used them against him every chance she got. Either she's got really bad timing, or she is a queen of manipulation. Still, I liked her, but I can see how some people might get annoyed with her.Travis is super sweet and sexy... for most of the book. Somewhere around the middle he gets almost violently obsessed with his relationship with Abby. He's super jealous of everyone and Abby does little to help things. He's got issues. And I'd just like to warn anyone thinking of reading Beautiful Disaster of these issues, because this book will not be for everyone. I can see a lot of people getting so fed up with Travis's behavior that they refuse to finish the book. But you have to know he means well. I'm not saying it's right for him to be so possessive of Abby or to get mad at every little thing (personally I'd never have put up with that sort of thing), but he has his issues and he does try to work them out throughout the book. I think he comes a long way from the beginning of the book to the end. Beautiful Disaster is about Travis and Abby's love, imperfections, stupid decisions and all, and I enjoyed reading every second of it.Travis and Abby's relationship was so sweet, yet completely frustrating. But that's what made them so awesome to read about! It was like watching a girl date one guy, but then come home to her husband every night. And both guys know what's going on. It could be amusing at times, and sometimes just plain old cruel. Let's just say, this girl takes playing hard to get to a whole new level. Their whole relationship was like watching a train wreck. No matter what kind of horrors you see, you can't seem to turn away. If nothing else, it hooked me in and kept me reading to the very last page. Beautiful Disaster goes places I never expected when reading the synopsis. It was completely addicting!Beautiful Disaster is a book that I'm sure many people will love. I loved it. I had some issues with the characters behavior toward one another (the irrational possessiveness, and dependency that bordered on stalking mostly), but that's who these characters are. That's how their story goes and I appreciated that. I definitely recommend Beautiful Disaster to anyone who likes contemporary or romance, but this is definitely a book for the older YA crowd. It's not too explicit, but it has it's moments. -I truly enjoyed this story. Mr. Zusak has a wonderful and unique way with words. He is a gifted and talented storyteller. I found myself thinking of his writing style as poetry gone novel. I am definitely looking forward to what else Mr. Zusak has in store for my imagination. -This book will touch your heart and leave you in a different frame of mind. There is a lot of loss in this story and if you have lost someone you will understand the feelings that these characters go through, it may even help you with your own grief. Make you look at the loss in a whole new light.The love story was beautiful, the characters loveable. It's a must read. -In this wonderful book, set in Jackson, Mississippi in the years 1962-1964, we meet three unforgettable women: Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, a young white woman, who is 22, a budding social activist and writer; Aibileen, a black maid raising her 17th white child; and Minny, Aibileen's best friend, who has just lost another job for speaking out to the white woman she worked for.Taking turns, each of these women tell their personal stories.Skeeter has a college degree, but is held back by her mother, who won't be satisfied until her only daughter is married, and by her family's position in the town. Unable to bear the bitchiness of the other young women of Jackson, she determines to go to New York to persue a writing career. Advised by an editor to write about things that "disturb" her, Skeeter makes friends with Aibileen, and through her, Minny, and begins the writing of the book that will change all of their lives.Aibileen has been a black maid in Jackson for many years, raising 17 white children, yet unable to even use the same bathroom as her white employers. She has experienced many injustices and indignities in her life. She has also known tragedy. Her son, Treelore, was 24 when he died in a work related accident. While loading timbers onto the loading dock at the mill where he worked, he slipped off the dock, falling onto the asphalt. A man driving the tractor to the dock rolled right over him, crushing him to death, while his boss and fellow workers stood by and did nothing. Now, she is devoted to Mae Mobley LeFolt, the small daughter of the white woman she works for, a child that her mother resents and ignores most of the time.Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is married to an abusive man and has five children. She can cook like no one else, but she is the sassiest maid in Mississippi, and has a real problem saying nothing when she is insulted and abused by the white women she works for. At her last job, after suffering numerous insults and charges of stealing, Minny has taken revenge on the daughter, the Terrible Awful Thing, that she tries to keep secret and that has gotten her fired for the umpteenth time. Now she works for a woman so new in the town that she is ignored by the long time residents and doesn't know about Minny's "secret."Seemingly as different as can be, and kept apart by the cultural and social boundaries of the town, these three women will come together in secret to create a book that will destroy their lives as they currently exist, and yet will also empower each of them to break the boundaries, give them pride in themselves, and the hope and courage to pursue their dreams.These characters are so real, their voices so vivid, that they make you feel as if you know them, and can laugh and cry with them. Their life experiences are, by turns, touching, heart-wrenching, and historically accurate. These three strong, courageous, and hopeful women make this a book that you cannot put down and do not want to see end. I truly loved this book, and highly recommend it. -When Jacqueline follows her high school sweetheart, Kennedy, to the college of his dreams she thinks that they are the perfect couple but just months later he tears her heart out by breaking up with her and she falls into a deep depression. After two weeks of wallowing she knows it is time to start rebuilding her life again, she needs to start having fun and making new friends and she needs to catch up on her classes before she is kicked out of college. After a party one night she is attacked by someone she thought she could trust, saved by a stranger she just wants to forget about everything that happened but when her attacker starts making threats she realises that she has to stand up for herself. As she grows closer to the boy who saved her she begins to re-build her confidence but what kind of future can they have if she discovers the secrets he is keeping from her?I'd heard a lot of great things about Tammara Webber's debut novel Easy so when I was offered a review copy I jumped at the chance of reading it. I have been loving the recent influx of new adult books and Easy is up there with the best that I have read. The author doesn't shy away from tackling sensitive topics such as attempted rape but she does it with sensitivity. The scenes where Jacqueline was attacked made for difficult reading, you felt her fear, shock and horror right along with her and I think most women will be able to identify how weak she felt because she was unable to fight her attacker off on her own. As horrific as the incident was Jacqueline was lucky that Lucas came along at the right time to save her. Unfortunately a lot of other women don't have a rescuer so one of the things I appreciated most was the way the author included tips on how to avoid getting into that situation. Yes, a lot of the things mentioned are pretty obvious when you think about it but I'd be willing to bet that most of us have put ourselves into a dangerous situation at some point in our lives (I know I did as a teen and probably even have as an adult), even if we were lucky enough not to have anything happen to us. Using common sense doesn't guarantee your safety but it does make it less likely you'll find yourself in Jacqueline's situation. I think it's important to raise the issue that rape isn't just something that happens amongst strangers, it could be the boy next door, your best friend's boyfriend or even the boy you are dating. Of course not all men are potential rapists but that doesn't mean women and girls don't need to be careful and aware of their surroundings. I also think that self defence classes are something that should be compulsory for teenagers - I wish I'd taken a class like the one Jacqueline joined. In fact, if I could find one locally I'd join it now!As much as Jacqueline's attack was an important part of the story I don't want to make it sound like this was a depressing read because it really wasn't. It was about Jacqueline's journey to find herself, she had built her dreams around those of her boyfriend and when he dumped her she had to remember what she really wanted from her life. Jacqueline had her moments of depression but overall she was a strong woman and she refused to let her attacker intimidate her even after he started a campaign against her. The attacker was one of the most vile characters I've come across in a long time so I was pleased to see him get what he deserved. Another thing I loved was the fact that Jacqueline's best friend Erin was so supportive, she never once questioned that Jacqueline was telling the truth about her attack and she stood up for her friend even though it cost her. An important message to take from the book is that if you are attacked it isn't your fault, there is no such thing as "asking for it" and there is NEVER an excuse for anyone (male or female) to attack someone else. One of my favourite lines in the book was "I could blame the alcohol . . . but no. Alcohol removed inhibitions. It doesn't trigger criminal violence where there was none before." I think that was one of the most sensible things that Jacqueline said!I can't write this review without telling you how much I loved Lucas, he was incredibly sweet and protective but at the same time he didn't want to smother Jacqueline - he wanted to empower her so that she was able to protect herself and I think that was what I appreciated most about him. Yes, he would do anything to save her pain but he wanted to make sure she was safe even when he wasn't around. The back story with Lucas just about broke my heart, he had been through so much and deserved to find happiness as much as Jacqueline did. I had guessed part of his secret fairly early on but that didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story in the slightest even though I was practically begging him to open up and tell her the truth.In case you haven't already gathered Easy is a book that I would highly recommend to any fan of the new adult genre. Tammara Webber has a great writing style that will suck you in from the beginning and this isn't your standard romance. These characters are three dimensional and so real to me I felt like I was losing friends when I finished the book. I can't wait to get started on Tammara's Between the Lines series - I'm pretty sure I've found myself another favourite author! -What ugly, disgusting language used over and over and to no disernable purpose. Would think this famous author capable of telling a story without such constant vile language. The characters quickly became boring and uninteresting. I consider this novel a complete waste of money. -At over 700 pages it isn't a quick read, but GRRM does a great job of making an already excellent story even better. The characters are getting more complex by the end of this book, struggling with real moral dilemmas.Something very interesting I have noticed as a watcher of the TV series is how this book starts to diverge from the first one. I won't go into detail because of spoilers. However, I understand why HBO is doing it the way they are at this point in time. There just is too much story to tell.Great book, definitely worth your time. -The first maybe 50-100 pages of this book were slow. There's a lot of information that you'll find useful later, and a lot of events that set the stage for the rest of the book (and the series). The characters are rich and wonderful and the imagery is immersive. When you finish this one you won't be able to not read the next. And the next, and all the rest after that- only to get mad at GRRM for not writing the next installment fast enough.He writes epic fantasy that the average reader and fantasy reader alike are unable to put down. -I totally enjoyed Wait for You and it’s exactly the perfect book if you are in between reads. What you can expect from J. Lynn (a.k.a Jennifer L. Armentrout) is solid writing, a great push and pull between Cam and Avery, witty banter and a touching story. However, even though I love J. Lynn and I hate to say this…the story is not unique. It’s been done before. It’s predictable and there’s nothing wrong with that but I wanted her to WOW me like she has in the past. Now, before everyone starts throwing tomatoes at me, I will reiterate that I enjoyed this book!This is a very sweet story about overcoming your past and allowing yourself to fall in love. What’s not to love about Cam? He was perfection and there was nothing he could say that would make me do an eye-roll. Between him making her breakfast, baking cookies and calling her sweetheart…I was all warm and fuzzy throughout this entire story!Where do I start with Avery? She had a tough little exterior but not really and all she wanted was to overcome her past. Who helps her do that?? You guessed it, Cam! There is no insta-love which I very much appreciated and their friendship turned into much, much more but it happened gradually. Cam asked her out every dang day and the way he would make her laugh would make anyone overcome their past!! Clearly, all I’m doing is writing about Cam but he made a huge impact on me.This is a brief review about a book that will make you feel good and put a smile on your face. It’s the kind of book that has the perfect amount of angst, great dialogue and amazing chemistry. You will fall in love with Cam and that makes this book worth reading! -This character has a very disturbing life. It was hard to read some of this, but the character development was excellent. -It's hard to write about this book. I loved it. I read the first book so I thought I was ready for the bad part, but it really was hard to accept. After a while the storyline went a certain way and there was little chance at that point to avoid the things that happened. I honestly considered giving 4-4.5 stars rating, but it wouldn't be fair. This book was amazing with strong characters and a great story. Though my heart bled a lot."Just a simple girl, really, in too deep with a boy way out of her league. What else could I do but fall in love?"Dovey Beckham was an amazing, strong heroine. She did everything for the future, to make her dream come true. She decided at a really young age to be a professional ballet dancer. She grew up with a mother who didn't care and a dad who was mostly absent. With only two people to count on - two old lady; a dance teacher and a neighbour - she survived childhood. Now all grown up she puts them before herself. That decision comes with all the bad things you could think of."Are those dandelion seeds?" I asked in awe, tracing my finger over the glass where the puffy white stalks lay. "Yeah," he said. "You mentioned how much you loved them, and, well, I had this idea to put the seeds in a necklace, so you'd always have your wishes right next to your heart."Cuba Hudson grew up in a privileged way, had a family with wealth and all the pretty girls at his feet. At least everybody things his life was that easy. He actually had a hard way coping with loosing important people in his life. Cuba blames himself for the bad things that happened. He is smart, tries to be a doctor to help others. He is a totally lovable man, he just don't accept it."I mentally slapped myself. Hold your horses, Dovey Beckham. This boy was wicked."Cuba and Dovey had a short-term relationship 1 year prior to the beginning of the book. (You can read about their getting to know each other in Very Wicked Beginning.)He broke things of and went on with his life. For her it was really hard to get over him, because he didn't give a reason, just take the things he wanted and left without an explanation. So a year later they're forced together in class and there are a lot of issues they should talk about.As they started to open up to each other other things came between them, forcing them apart. On one side there was Cuba's life, with lots of superficial friendships, easy and mean girls and future. On the other side there was Dovey with debt to the wrong people, friends wanting more and seemingly no future. They didn't fit, but their love was beautiful."Does doing a wicked thing make you bad inside?"The bad part of this story was really bad and we actually get to see it. It didn't happen in the past, no we go through it with Dovey. Honestly I think I cried through a whole chapter. I can't describe the things I felt, but I was devastated. I so wanted to reach in the book and shake her, tell her to ask for help. I thought about it a lot why she didn't, but pride can kill people. At that point I believe she felt she didn't have anyone, so she did what she thought she had to.I loved Cuba, how accepting and supportive he was. Once he get through his issues everything was about Dovey to him. Though we get a little epilogue in the future I would love to read more about them."And he said the one thing that blew me away. It took me up into the heavens, dropped me and I spiraled down, afraid of crashing but having no way to stop. "Don't you see what's going on? Dovey, we don't need sleep... because we're falling in love." -Wow!!!!!! Such and amazing book! I couldn't put it down. The setting and characters are perfect! Worth the read, just try it. -I think "the hunger games" is a great book. The writing is very good. The plot is entertaining and I was easily hooked. The characters in the book are very likeable and you can very easily sympathize with them. I would recommend this book to anyone twelve and up.Publisher-Scholastic, IncMy Score: 5 STARS!Reviewed by~Nikki Reynolds -*Potential spoilers in review*I read Hopeless a while ago and had trouble reviewing it. I still haven't quite figured out my issue outside of a strictly personal opinion, so take that for what it's worth.I loved the first half of the story. The characters are interesting, the plot moves forward well, and the way the twist is revealed definitely keeps you wanting to read more. I like that the characters felt real.Then came the end, more so the last few chapters. While I suspected the 'secret,' so to speak, all along, I don't think it was handled well. In fact, I was completely and entirely turned off by Sky's request, and even more by the fact that Holder actually goes along with it. It's completely against his character and just...dirty. I really, really hope it's not something the author hasn't personally experienced (as I wouldn't wish that on anyone), but I did find myself wondering, because it felt offensive to me. I didn't want to read more after that particular motel scene.Regardless, I did finish, and while the ending felt a bit rushed and oddly wrapped up, I do like the final bit with her mother and all the revelations there. I wish that one scene had been cut, and then the book would have been one of my favorites. -Simply amazing, it's packed with sensual tension,the constant banter between Colton and Riley is full of sexual innuendo that will make you blush, tickle you pink and get you hot and bothered. The worldly, handsome, millionaire car racer Colton Thomas relentlessly pursued the beautiful Riley Thomas, though smart but naive, didn't stand a chance when it comes to Colton's seduction. This man never gives up, knows his ways around and the quickest way to get in women's pants. Oozes with sex and charm, rolling in fame and dough, women just easily fall on his feet. That would have been great and exciting to be chased by a man like Colton Westin except he has his own demons. His past is so dark that haunts his dreams, so dark even he has great fear confronting it.Riley Thomas is smart, softhearted and beautiful, also has her own demons caused by a traumatic tragedy in the past. As hard as she fought her attraction to Colton, she has deeply fallen. And therein lies the problem, she can't give him what he wants, he can't give her what she needs.This story is captivating, has enough angst which make for a good story, it has romance, the dialogue between Colton and Riley is witty and playful and filled with sexual tension. Their sex scenes is hot and steamy and smokin! it's way up the top you'll get caught up in the heat between them.This is impressive for a new writer, it's well written and has great substance, she ended it with a cliffhanger that's not anti-climatic but still make you looking forward to reading! the next book. Well done Ms. Bromberg! -Have you every started a book and it just wasn't good but you read through it because eventually it did or because the rest of the series was good, well that's not the case here. This was awful from start to finish. Katniss is simply an "unlikeable" character from the get go, sure she has some redeeming qualities in the first book, but she slowly starts to lose them and before I even got mid-point in this book I totally stopped liking the character and everything and anything to do with her made me cringe, which was pretty much the whole book.She spends most of her time hiding, being whinny, and the fact that not until past half way through the book did she even consider trying to save Peeta, she was to wrapped up in her own world. Especially since Peeta sacrificed so much for her. Hell she didn't think of anyone else but herself and Gale really, and it wasn't about love or him knowing her, it was about sheer selfishness on her part. And Gale was never a likable character for me at all, he was always to full of hate and destruction from the beginning. I think Peeta would have been better off without her.The book just went on and on about descriptions of rooms living, sleeping, bathrooms, hallways, outside, inside, hiding places, it was just awful. I think Collins ran out of ideas before getting to the end, didn't have enough material for the last book slow she dragged everyone through a painful death to have to read it.The first book was fairly good, different, book 2 was a little less likeable, book 3 should never have happened. This could have been a 2 book deal and it would have been a lot better.Last time I go with the hype and read something just to see what all the fuss is. I've had these books since they first came out and could not get past the first 3 or so chapters of the first book and decided not to read them... I should have gone with my gut and stayed away.I've never given a book 1 star, I always try and find something redeemable about it, but this one has too much wrong with it to use that to help boost the star rating. Nope 1 star it is. -This was recommended to me by another bibliophile who loves a good yarn, great plot development and real characters. Its been awhile since I have had to tell myself, "enough, go to bed already", but somehow I always managed to read another chapter.He sets out a great story line and in a different, exotic setting. For an American, the setting in Sweden developed a great sense of place and I didn't have anything else with which to compare. I found myself going to Google maps to get a better sense of where the plot was taking place.I judge that the pace is great without experiencing that sense that you are being rushed through plot development just so the character can do something 30 pages from now. Mr. Larsson has a great sense of plot development and continuously takes you to places in the story line you didn't think about ahead of time, but makes great sense when they happen. I am anxiously looking forward to reading books two and three. -My son has been diagnosed with autism, and I feel like the author really does get what autistic people are like.But the thing I liked most was how he managed to portray Christopher as the only character with real depth and texture. Where Christopher has his very obvious and real limitations, his parents are enmired in equally debilitating and more stupid squabbles and jealousies. Christopher's issues come across to me as more real. He doesn't like people to touch him for a very good reason - because it hurts. He was certainly the most sympathetic character in the book, but also the bravest, the most honorable, the smartest, the wisest, the fairest, the one with the most interesting life. Everybody else in the book was sort of flat and predictable by comparison. He was the hero. He had a future you wanted to know about. At least that's how I saw it. And in real life, as I experience it, it can really be that way. For that reason, autism isn't this gigantic tragedy to me. Yes, you wonder who will hire him and love him when you are gone, and no, he wasn't prom king. But there are plenty of compensations if you can get past all that.I've read some reviews about how Christopher fails to understand the tragedy of his parent's divorce, because autistic people have no empathy and so on and so forth. I beg to differ. Christopher is initially motivated by his love for a dog, and a sense of the injustice done to the dog. But his other big move is to go to London, which wouldn't have happened if he hadn't cared about his mother. He explains that the reason he has an easier time with animals is that they don't lie to him. He understands their minds and can trust them to be faithful and honest... it's not about lack of empathy for people. Every autistic person I know well is deeply empathetic. Because of (for example) the stupid fights he sees his parents go through, people have to do more to gain his trust. Autism is seen as a disability, because people like Christopher don't get some really big things, like that his father isn't going to kill him. But Christopher doesn't get his father for the same reason his father doesn't get him - because their brains are wired differently. In this sense, Christopher isn't any dumber or less empathetic or less rational than his father, and Haddon conveys this beautifully.Christopher and his father are thrown into this world with different brains, but with the same desire to create a meaningful life. The mind of Christopher's father gives him certain advantages toward this end, but Christopher's mind gives him equally big advantages, and Haddon leaves you genuinely wondering which mind you would rather have. It was just great. -When I started this book I had high hopes and the information about Berlin and the change to Nazism and the often cruelty and attacks on American citizens were very interesting. Also the interplay of characters, Nazi and not. What I was very disappointed in was the free spirited sex life of Martha, the daughter. Here was a woman who was married (somewhat) but proceeded to have an active sex life with practically anyone who came along. She might have been the daughter of the ambassador but she was no lady. IF the author wanted to present the whole story, then reactions and actions of Bill Jr and the ambassador's wife would have added to the story. Rather the book was more about the daughter and her affairs than the presenting what was really going on in Berlin -This was a book club read and I did love it. It was a great story, The characters were wonderful, I just didn't want it to end. It reminded me a little bit of the HELP. There was humor, sadness, joy, love and the food sounded just wonderful! The only thing missing was the recipes. I will look for other Beth Hoffman books. -Occasionally I see these 2.99 books, with good reviews...that just suck. There are a few authors on amazon who have obviously bought their reviews. This one had a surprising number of pretty high reviews so I was kind of suspect to be honest. I hadn't read the other book by this author, but...this one just sounded interesting enough that I figured why not.Score. I loved it. This is one of the books on amazon that has earned its score. If you liked books like starship troopers, or any military science fiction this is a good choice. Well developed characters, fun plot, etc. -I had been hearing good things about Wither before I even received this book. The cover is really pretty (though am I the only one who thinks the cover model looks like Mandy Moore?) and draws you into the story. I totally got sucked in while reading. The characters are what really makes this book stand out. While the overall plot is fascinating, if the characters didn't come alive to me then the book would have been meh to me. As it stands however, DeStefano makes Rhine, Gabriel, Jenna, Cecily and Linden all become real to me.Rhine's character is very conflicted throughout the book yet she is a likable character. I don't know what I would have done in her situation. I can't even fathom knowing that I would be dead in a few years. What makes her different from the other wives is that she knows what the real world is like and she knows what having a real family is like. Therefore unlike everyone else, she has hope and she is doing all she can to live for that hope.Jenna's character is devastatingly tragic for me. I really wish we could have known more about her. When we're introduced to her, it's almost like she's already doomed from the start. She's quietest of the three wives and the one that keeps to herself the most. She loves reading which made me relate to her the most. Since she pretty much knows her fate already, she just takes each day one at a time. Also as the oldest, she seems to be the wisest of the group. This is drastically different from Cecily, who at the youngest, seems to be the most flighty and immature. Yet it is her who has the biggest influence on Linden's father due to her circumstances. It's quite sad to read about what she has to go through afterward and how she is kept from what she loves most. The thing that got me is that Linden is not a bad guy. I was so ready for him to be like his father and for me to hate him, but he wasn't and I didn't. I felt immensely sorry for him throughout most of the book. His father on the other hand, oooh it's almost like reading about Umbridge all over again. Still when you know WHY he's doing it, it makes sense though his obsession with finding a cure makes his character seem unloving towards his current son.Overall, Wither is an absolutely fascinating read. The world that DeStefano has created seems to be a bleak and hopeless world for the young. However for characters such as Rhine and Gabriel, there is resistance and a fighting chance for survival. I cannot wait for the next book in the series though since this is a trilogy, I bet the 2nd book will have an even worse cliffhanger. Even if you don't like other dystopia book, I really think you should try this one. It's an engrossing read and will keep you glued to your seat as you frantically turn pages. HIGHLY recommended. -Incarnate by Jodi MeadowsPrint Length: 400 pagesPublisher: Katherine Tegen Books (January 31, 2012)Sold by: HarperCollins PublishersASIN: B005GG0K80My Review~The cover is stunning!! I love love love the cover! The colors, the movement, and the feel of it had me dying to delve in the depths of the pages so that I may figure out what the cover represents. This is a new book and feel about things that we read alot about like dragons, souls, reincarnation and etc.. The author has done an amazing job with the unique world that she has created. I'm tickled pink to say that I stayed up all night read this book because I couldn't put it down and didn't want to stop. I wanted to figure out who was after Ana and Sam and also who was following them. I simply can't wait to read the next book in this series and I hope that it is better than the first, because I'm reeling about the ending....Okay if you haven't figured it out yet I LOVE LOVE LOVE this read! The author has done a great job on the characters with the descriptions, personalities, and love the dialogue. The unique world was so wonderful that I could just imagine myself right there with Ana while she struggles to become something better than a no soul. The romance of Ana and Same even made it the story even better with the tension filled talks between them and the hormonal issues that every young adult faces. This book is as unique as the cover and as beautiful and breathtaking as a butterfly.Amazon Book Description~New soulAna is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.No soulEven Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?HeartSam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life. -I do not think I will finish this book, its so "out there" and feels like it was written by teens with over active imaginations. The two main characters, Anna and Christian are not believable and to me, annoying. Chris is on some kind of sadist ego trip and Anna comes across as a very immature and awkward girl. I was on a long waiting list for this book and I am very disappointed, Im glad I got it at the library and didnt buy it. This is just my opinion, you might like it, but I was very excited to read it and that excitement crashed very early on in the book. -What a funny, funny read. It’s very rare a book makes me laugh out loud but this book certainly did!! The flirty, sexually charged banter, the texting and Caroline’s hilarious internal dialogue had me rolling around in stitches from beginning to end.The story is about an interior designer named Caroline Reynolds who after an unfortunate experience with an ex has lost her O and she doesn’t seem to be making an appearance any time soon. To add insult to injury she is quickly discovering her new neighbour, that shares her bedroom wall, enjoys nocturnal activities of the loud variety and with a “harem” of different women. Women that Caroline refers to as Spanx, Purina and Giggler (take from that what you will!!).I have to be honest, I think I fell in love with Caroline when she fell in love with her new Kitchen Aid Mixer, a housewarming gift from her two best friends Mimi and Sophia. She just came across as so normal and relatable. She loves her job, loves her friends, loves to cook and loves her cat Clive. She does’t however love Wallbanger and after one too many nights of listening to him deliver the goods she decides to confront him. When Simon Parker, aka Wallbanger, opens the door she is confronted by a stunningly sexy man wrapped in a towel riding too low on his hips and this is where the fun begins. From here the pair bicker and banter with each other and through a series of events the exasperated neighbours call a truce, which eventually turns into friendship (nooking and tonnes of sexual innuendo included) and then dating before O finally decides to make her stunning reappearance.Simon turns out not to be the manwhore that you initially think he’ll be. Yes, he can make the bed bang and the woman scream his name but everyone involved is on the same page. He doesn’t do the relationship thing because of his work and he makes that known from the get go, that is until the night Caroline shows up, banging at his door in her sexy pink nightie. Simon is a photographer who loves to travel (and does a lot), loves to cook, loves good music and adores Caroline's goodies (the baked ones of course!!). As their relationship progresses and they have their fair share of ups and downs Caroline realises Simon has a deeper more sensitive side and even though he tells here he doesn’t know how to do the relationship thing she thinks he’s doing a damn good job:“He was wooing me. And I was letting him woo. I wanted the woo. I deserved the woo. I needed the wow that would surely follow the woo, but for now, the woo? It was whoa.”The support characters stories were fun to read too. I really liked Mimi, Sophia, Neil and Ryan and Jillian and Benjamin and I hope we get to see lots more of them in the future. I am waiting with bated breath for the sequel, Rusty Nailed, to be released Jun 24 2014.If your looking for a funny read filled with flirty banter, sexual innuendo and great, loveable characters…..look no further. This is for you. -Perhaps one of the most powerful ideas in this book is the idea of defiance, of standing up to those who mean you harm. That is the spirit that Katniss Everdeen embodies. She is the big sister that puts her own life on the line so that her sister, Primrose, does not need to fight in the dreaded Hunger Games.There are many out there who lambaste Collins for seemingly copy-and-pasting "Battle Royale" word for word, but there are enough differences between the two for this book not to be blatant copy, perhaps merely another author's rendition of a similar source work. Of course, the purpose of this review is not to compare two books side-by-side, but to review Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" as a standalone novel.The premise is simple. Every year twelve districts all around the totalitarian country of Panem must send one boy and one girl as "Tributes" into the Hunger Games, a contest between the districts that awards the winning district with fame and glory and lots and lots of resources from the government. What an excellent concept this is, from a political standpoint. It keeps the upper class citizens of Panem, who reside at the capital, happy and entertained, while the bottom of the pyramid, the Districts, fight against each other, making a full-blown rebellion all but impossible. Of course, this year's Games is not like any of the other games. There can be only one victor, but it is Katniss's defiant spirit that causes the greatest upset to the games Panem has ever seen.As a first-person limited novel, much of the history of Collins's world is left to conjecture. Katniss is a strong observer, but not an omniscient one, not by a long shot. She can only provide her own guesses, which we adopt and add to, as to what is happening outside of the Games that she is currently participating in. However, the strength of this perspective lies in giving us, the readers, unlimited access to the deepest recesses of Katniss's mind. We effectively become Katniss Everdeen, the defiant girl who started a spark of revolution throughout the nation.The character development is good. We get to know not only Katniss, but also the characters she comes across. But perhaps it is Haymitch's character that steals the show. His attitude toward life, teetering between sarcastic scorn and PTSD, reflects the attitudes of some soldiers who return from combat. According to Collins, such is actually her source material for the characters and plot, the exploration of combat and its effects on young soldiers. As this is the first novel in the series, we still have yet to see any significant development of Gale and Peeta, both of whom remain rather static throughout the novel. Peeta starts off weak, he ends off weak, getting wounded and hiding in the mud as opposed to Katniss, who becomes a huntress of people.The plot and pacing are good, though it's a little slow for the first third of the book. Collins uses this first part to develop the main backstory of Panem, dedicating the latter half to the actual Games itself. Once we step into the arena, however, it's no holds barred and everything you've ever known just flies out the window.This is by no means a thorough review of the novel. I have only read it once and that was over a year ago, so I'm going on very shallow memory right now. Overall, it is an enjoyable novel, the start of something that could have been, but failed to launch with Mockingjay. -Finally finished this mammoth book, and I think it's better than the television show. The characters have more depth, and the jumping from place to place makes more sense. It does have its slow parts, but in the end, it's a very rewarding read. I'll be reading the next book after a short break with another novel. -I could not rest until I finished this book! I read in some reviews that William Landay's characters in Defending Jacob are underdeveloped, and I disagree. They are fleshed out more than well enough, as the plot of necessity relies -- Landay intended it to rely -- more on the swift action provided by any excellent legal thriller. If I have any criticism, it's minor; he could have tightened up the editing by skipping quite a bit of the routine procedural courtroom exchanges and I'd not have missed a thing. But then, Stephen King could use a stricter editorial hand and I doubt he's lost many readers for it. Bottom line: It's clear this author cares deeply about producing quality work. That the story concluded after such a pitch-perfect, unpredictable crescendo I particularly appreciated. Glad to have stumbled upon Landay's book. Now onto his first two novels! -I'm a total history lover, so anytime I can read something that is not only true, but interesting, I'm all over it. Erik Larson has a unique ability to write about historical events in a truly intriguing way. He writes non-fiction that flows and seems less real than some novels I read.In the Garden of Beasts is about William E. Dodd, an American ambassador in Germany circa 1933. Dodd moves his family to Berlin at a pivotal point in history when Hitler is rising in power. You can only imagine the chaos that surrounds this family as they try to assimilate in a very difficult time and place in the world.If you love history, or just need a non-fiction book to read, I highly recommend this one. -I hated the constant drug scenes but the writing language and character development was exceptional and kept me going. She is a writer in charge of her craft. -I read the entire book in one night.Brutal in so many ways, yet without causing damage to the reader, and certainly no dwelling on pain, suffering, or violence just for the sake of it.Compelling, cool story, solid character development, and well-constructed plot. Not the most original concept for a story, but certainly has enough angles, twists, and depth in and of itself to make for a very worthwhile read. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and enjoyed the pure escapism it offered. -This book is one of those rare novels that creates a level of intimacy with its characters that remains in tact long after the story is finished. The characters are complex and unpredictable, extremely human and occasionally divine. The storyline is fascinating and compelling. While I was reading, I didn't feel manipulated by the plot construction or falsely enticed by cliffhangers or manufactured suspense. The characters pulled me forward, not with a shallow lust for more, but with the fluid movement of art and masterful character development. This book will never be one that I see a few years later and can't remember what it was about. Like all masterful art, its impression on me is here to stay. I'm not sure when it happened, but its characters feel like intimate friends rather than casual acquaintances. -One of the things that continue to amaze me about the quality of the books by Roth is her age and the fact that these are her first two books. It took a bit to remember what was going on when I picked up Insurgent, since I'd read the first book several months ago. That said, once things got going I finished the book in a few hours.The pacing is excellent, and the mystery in the book keeps feeding you enough clues to keep you interested. Additionally, I loved the struggle that the main character faced in choosing between what she believed what right, even though it would hurt those she loved most.Can't wait for the next book. -I have to admit, I had reservations about this book. The cover and the title made it seem a bit cheesy and the synopsis didn't really grab my attention. I'm not a huge fan of contemporary romance anyway so initially I decided to pass this one up. Then I saw some super early reactions from bloggers whose opinions I generally tend to agree with and I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. For being a book I wasn't even interested in trying at first I was really blown away. The story was not cheesy in the least, the characters were dynamic and interesting and the drama sucked me right in. I fell in love with Echo and Noah and found myself devouring this story. Best of all, the book had real depth and the romance was not the least bit one dimensional. I loved this book!LIKES:Story is told from both Noah's and Echo's perspectives: I really love it when stories are told from multiple perspectives. It really adds to the reader's understanding of a story and makes it feel more dynamic. Echo and Noah each had their own unique voice and their own story to tell and it was really great to be able to understand Noah's view on the evolution of their relationship and not just Echo's. I think this writing style makes you more attached to the secondary characters as well and therefore more invested in the story as a whole.McGarry shows the humanity of all characters, even the "villains": I was a little worried when I first started this book that the author would focus on the short-comings of Echo's parents and ignore the fact that their life experiences and concern for their children influenced their parenting decisions (this is a common pitfall in a good portion of YA literature). McGarry left me pleasantly surprised when she really delved into why Echo's dad (along with other secondary characters) acted the way he did and why he made the, sometimes wrong, decisions that he made.Realistic romance, not star-crossed lovers: Echo and Noah are from different worlds and they certainly don't seem like they are meant for each other at the beginning of the book. Their relationship is tumultuous and they have completely different personalities. I was very happy that instead of a perfect, simplistic "bad boy falls in love with good girl" romance they had a real connection and realistic arguments about their relationship. I didn't feel like their love story was over-idealized. Their issues and fights were all the more heart-wrenching because of this realism and it allowed for an even bigger pay-off.DISLIKES:An abundance of f-bombs: If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times: don't overuse the f-bomb. Whenever you use a word over and over it takes away its meaning and impact. This is especially true with "shocking language". After awhile it just gets old reading "eff this, eff that" constantly. For me, it isn't a matter of offensiveness, it's a matter of creativity.Not enough closure: I felt like there wasn't quite enough resolution with Echo's mother. I would have liked to see that explored and settled more. Then again, I suppose that was on purpose.I am so happy I gave this one a shot. There is enough suspense and drama to keep everyone interested but the romance is realistic and sweet. Even if you don't love contemporary romance I would definitely pick this book up. You won't regret it. -I was excited to read these books due to all the hype. But to be honest after reading the whole trilogy I have got to ask where they hype came from. I did not find the first book interesting at all but decided to really give it a shot and read all three. It was like reading the same awful book three times in a row.1) Characters:The characters are uninteresting and boring. They are taken directly from twilight but made worse. It was almost laughable how much the characters were like their twilight counterparts. But on top of that the hero is abusive. I am not sure why anyone would find him a heart throb. The heroine is a wimp.2) PlotThere is none. Simple as that. I will admit in the second and third books there is a bit more plot but in the first book there is absolutely no plot at all.3) SexWhile I admit the first couple of sex scenes were kind of fun by the end of the first book I was so tired of reading them they just got plain boring. It was the same sex scene over and over again with just a small twist. But they became predictable. The reader knew exactly what would happen, what would he say, what would she say etc... and this does not change for three books. Not to mention the characters have sex like 5 times a day every day. I was begging for them to stop having sex and have a plot but this does not happen. (If I ever hear the phrase inner goddess again...)I honestly could not recommend this book or book series to anyone. There was nothing interesting. Please save your time and $ if you plan on buying these. At least I got mine from the library but that doesn't help the fact that I wasted so much time reading these books. -I first learned about this book through the National Novel Writer's Month website -- this book was listed as being written by a NaNoWriMo participant, and the author stated that this book was a product of said event. Being a NaNoWriMo writer myself, I was heartened to learn that someone had not only published a book produced during the event, but said book had been successful enough to warrant bestseller status and a movie deal. So I decided to check it out for myself, and see what a fellow NaNoWriMo writer had turned out.In the end, I found myself torn over the book -- I love it to pieces, but at the same time it frustrates me, though not enough to make me want to give it a negative review.The titular "Night Circus" is actually called Cirque de Reves (Circus of Dreams), a uniquely built circus open only at night and with attractions and acts that straddle the line between fantasy and reality, between the fantastic and the outright impossible. Behind said circus are two magicians -- Marco, assistant to the circus' proprietor and the secret power behind maintaining and organizing said circus, and Celia, daughter of a famous stage magician and serving as the circus' illusionist. Both are bound to the circus and are pitted against one another in a mysterious contest by their enigmatic instructors... but both end up falling in love, and seek to defy the rules of the game with potentially disastrous consequences for the rest of the circus. Meanwhile, a farm boy named Bailey becomes entranced with the circus in general -- and with Poppet, the clairvoyant daughter of the big cat trainers, in particular -- and finds his own fate becoming entwined with that of the circus.Let me begin with the one thing about this book that frustrates me -- the main characters, Marco and Celia. They are some of the flattest, blandest, most cardboard characters I have ever come across in a work of fiction, second only to Bella from the "Twilight" series. They aren't annoying or pathetic characters, but they are so devoid of personality that it becomes difficult to care about them. Most of the other characters, even the minor ones, have at least some personality to them, and I found myself more concerned with their fates than with the lovers/competitors who were the story's spotlight. In particular, I loved Bailey, Poppet, and Poppet's twin brother Widget, and dearly wish they had been the focus of the story instead of Marco and Celia. I was always heartened to see another Bailey chapter in the book as I read, while the Celia and Marco chapters didn't hold my interest as well, as the characters were too lifeless for me to be emotionally invested in them.That's my only quibble with this book, however -- the rest is one of the most enthralling and beautiful fictional worlds I have ever come across in a work of fiction.The circus is so grandly described, so beautifully built through Morgenstern's wordcraft, that I find myself wishing it existed in real life so I could pay a visit. She describes not only the sights of the circus, but the evocative smells -- as one character in the book states, the sense of smell is an under-utilized but powerful sense. And she makes it all seem entirely plausible and real, to the point where I find myself wanting to visit the Paper Menagerie, attend a Midnight Dinner, purchase a chocolate bat and a cocoa and go watch the illusionist or the contortionist at work, or even simply light a candle on the Wishing Tree.Of all the characters in the book, I think my favorite, besides Bailey and the twins, would be Friedrick, a clockmaker who becomes enamored with the circus to the point that he builds what can only be called a fandom around it (much like Trekkies are to Star Trek). The collective friendship and brotherhood among these reveurs, as they call themselves, reminds me of the same friendship and brotherhood that exists among fellow fans of some of my own geeky interests, and so helped me identify even more with the titular circus.All in all, I love this book so much that I can't give it a negative review -- it's marvelously written and builds a beautiful world that sucks the reader in and makes them never want to leave. But sadly, the main characters are so flatly written, so bland and uninteresting, that I can't give this five stars. I do not regret reading this book, though, and despite the unengaging leads I will happily recommend it to those who like light fantasy and marvelous worldbuilding. -Despite the language (is it really necessary to use the f-word so often?), I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Suspenseful and well-written, Gone Girl is a real page turner. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next, but as I neared the last pages, I didn't want it to end. And then when I read the last word, I thought, "Huh? Is that it? Are we to believe that this couple is going to stay together? Or wait, maybe Amy has something up her sleeve. Or maybe the pair from the Ozarks will arrive and throw a monkey wrench into everything."On the surface, the novel appears to be a boy-meets-girl story in which the characters are going to live happily ever after. They're both nice looking, educated, employed, and in love. But soon the reader learns that there's trouble in paradise and that things aren't always what they appear to be. They lose their jobs and move back to hubby's hometown to help care for his parents, her with cancer and him with Alzheimer's. That's when things really get interesting, and the reader doesn't know what to believe. Is Amy really an angel in disguise? Is Nick a cad? How can Amy be so callous in her thoughts about her parents, the people who have spent their adult lives writing about her and elevating her to fame?Gillain Flynn is masterful in creating such a suspenseful thriller. Seriously, up until the very last page the reader is wondering what's going to happen next. The scene setting, the character development, the plot twists, and the dialogue are all superb. I did wonder about a few things such as why no one listened to Desi's mother or what happened to Andie. Those are minor questions in the grand scheme of things, however.It's a powerful book, especially for those interested in the inner workings in the mind of a sociopath. You'll never see the people around you in the same way again, not even those whom you think you know best. -***May Contain Spoilers***To start off, I have to gush about this cover. This is hand-down the most beautiful cover I have ever seen before (and I have seen some pretty beautiful covers before like "Fallen" and "Torment" by Lauren Kate, "Halo", and whatnot). When I originally bought the book I thought that if the book wasn't that great, I would be okay with that, just because the cover is so beautiful... (which thankfully I didn't have to worry about).Anyways, on to the story. This book is very much the case of girl and boy meet, as they look at one another/ touch one another they fall madly and deeply in love (all within an hour of knowing one another). I hate when this happens in books, mainly because it is not realistic whatsoever, and I personally believe that the stuff that happens as two people fall in love is extremely interesting. However, I didn't fully hate that this happened in this book. I mean, it did bug me, but it didn't completely turn me off of the book (*cough, cough, "Halo" by Alexandra Adornetto)... I think that what made up for this occurring was the boys....Oh, the boys... It's weird, lately while reading books where the female character has to choose between two boys, I haven't been able to choose which boy I prefer, or if I do choose between the two boys, I only like one over the other by a fraction (ie. Gale and Peeta in "The Hunger Games" trilogy) and in the first half of the novel, I, for the life of me, could not choose between Ren and Shay. I also found it weird that I liked Ren in this book. Usually I am anti-player boy, but with Ren, I was almost able to overlook the fact that he was a player, mainly due to the fact that he clearly cared about Calla and when he was a sweet, he was a really sweet (ie. giving her the ring). On the other hand, well, Shay was the perfect snarky/ sarcastic boy who also clearly cared about Calla. So how is a girl to choose? I did end up picking my favourite between the boys about halfway through the novel, but I still felt really bad for the boy that I didn't choose (the one who Calla didn't end up with in the end) and I think that because of his sacrifice at the end of the novel he still might have a chance with her.While reading this book I found myself growing more and more frustrated with Calla. I felt like she was playing both boys way too much in this book. I understand that she was confused and everything, but there was another option available, she could have isolated herself from both in order to think over the decision carefully without having any outside influences impacting her decision (as opposed to making out with both of them, making them both think that he was the one she was obviously going to choose in the end).I did find that this book was pretty predictable in some matters, but not in others. When it was first discovered that Shay was the Scion and that the Scion was a "gift" or something or another, I groaned, predicting (correctly) how this was going to play out with the union between Calla and Ren. On the other hand, I did think that what happened between Calla and Shay in the cave would eventually happen, I just didn't think that it would happen that suddenly or in that instance. I wish that in that part that it had been more elaborated upon, I found it to be quite rushed (it only took up a couple of pages at most), I would have loved hearing more about the process of transformation and whatnot. So it was nice that some things were still able to take me by surprise (and I am sure that lots will take me by surprise in the next novel in the series, "Wolfsbane", as so many questions were left unanswered in this book).I loved the secondary characters in this book (which is also quite surprising as I typically loathe them). I found them to be so dynamic and multi-faceted. For instance, Sabine, the obvious bitchy/ slutty girl, who despite it all, is obviously an extremely caring person as she does everything in her power to protect her pack member, Cosette, from the big bad world, Neville, the quiet boy whose music and poetry speak volumes, and Ansel, the little brother, who throughout the novel is discovering himself and what he wants in life, all the while, protecting his older sister, no matter the cost to himself.All in all, this is a great book (both the story and the cover). This book is perfect for the reader who loves a balance of the paranormal and romance (seriously, this book is an extremely hot YA novel). -I just loved this book. It is in my top two and I will probably read it again which I rarely do. The story was really good and the characters were excellent. This author will go far. I can hardly wait for her next novel. -I loved every second of this entire novel! Enough said! No really, the characters are fabulous and addictive. I felt the heartbreaking tale of Joss' loss and subsequent lifestyle. I loved every step of her journey. -‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’ by Robert Galbraith – a pseudonym for J. K. Rowling, is the first in the mystery series ‘Cormoran Strike’, titled after the main character.We meet Cormoran Strike when he’s down on his luck, so much so that he’s taken to living in his office – a long fall for the man who used to be in the army. Then, luckily, John Bristow walks into Strike’s office with a job for him – prove the police wrong by discovering his sister’s killer. The case was ruled as a suicide, but Bristow is adamant that couldn’t be true, and he hires Strike to prove it.Armed with a new assistant and finally with a little money to his name, Strike sets out to do his job. The fact he’s investigating a supermodel means he’s soon pulled into the lives of those rich and famous, but even Strike’s steady head and nerves aren’t quite ready to deal with what is soon thrown at him.I honestly kept forgetting that the author is our favourite Rowling as I read this – I even thought at one stage that I needed to look up the author to see if he had written anything else. The writing may not be out of this world, but it was a comforting loose, enjoyable read, and I love books that capture the feel and echo of London. Rowling manages to write characters that aren’t exactly likeable, yet she still manages to make them likeable, if that makes any sense at all. They’re real and flawed but entirely realistic.The book itself is very much grounded in reality. While not teeming with original ideas, it is unmistakably a very well written and clever detective novel and I look forward to more, though it’s a pity Rowling was ‘outed’ as the author against her wishes as it sort of skews perceptions of the book when the author is such an acclaimed one.Perhaps I’ve been watching too much Luther, but if they ever develop this series for the screen, please let Idris Elba play Strike.Our protagonist is quick-minded and easily likeable and is what makes the whole book so very entertaining as he puts the puzzle together bit by bit.It might be a little typical story-wise but that’s by no means a bad thing. In fact, it’s exactly what the book is supposed to be, and it’s very good at what it sets out to do. Rowling makes a tired story somehow refreshing and above all else, very, very entertaining. -I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and its sequels.I found that she captured the essence of the moral ambiguity that life offers.Her characters,while engaging, live in shades of grey.Unlike Harry Potter- while extremely engaging- the morally expected outcome is not cast in stone.Characters are flawed- seriously so- and the hook is complex: her characters are both compelling and flawed.And isn't that life? While directed at a teen audience I found these books to be not just palatable but riveting to an older audience- we are engaged because we have ( many of us) observed,first hand, the complexities and ambiguities of our lives and decisions.I heartily recommend these books- these are not Twilight- (porno bland) but these serve I believe to challenge us with important question couched in a drama palatable to all: why are we here? what is true? and what,fundamentally,do I stand for? -Just the word "maze" incites an instant mental picture of adventure, mystery, danger, and bravery. James Dashner's, The Maze Runner, has screamed at me from bookshelves for the past six months. At last, when I found an extra $9.99 in my pocket, I purchased it.The story follows a teenage boy named Thomas who wakes up in what seems to be a never-ending pitch-black elevator that deposits him into the center of a maze--a maze that's kept over 50 boys prisoner for several years. With a faulty memory and determination to find answers, Thomas seeks knowledge in every nook and cranny of the hundred-foot walls surrounding the only safe square to live in--the Glade.He has a rough entry into the created Glade culture, where boys take little pity on newcomers and everyone has accepted the fate of what seems to be an unsolvable maze. Every Glader has a duty--farming, cooking, healing, etc. Thomas wants to be a Runner--an explorer of the maze who spends all day seeking answers. Instead of welcoming him with open arms, the Gladers suspect him when things start to change. Boys remember him, but they don't know why. A girl shows up in the elevator-box (the first one ever). A message is received from the Creators. And Thomas somehow has bravery and answers no one else has seen before.When the "end" is triggered, the boys are forced to fight for their lives, their friends, and their sanity against the dreaded enemies called "The Grievers". Time is running out and escape options dwindle like a trickling waterfall.This book was a quick read--took me less than a week, which is saying a lot in my busy schedule. The plot was intriguing and many of the character emotions were deep and believable. I felt confused with Thomas and frustrated with his fleeting memories. The adventure is constant and page-turning, but a little on the darker side. Many children die over the course of the book and there are other things like sacrifices and torturing sickness.The end was rather dark and a little depressing. Not a lot of hope is left or achieved. The "last battle" of sorts is graphic, sad, and slightly disturbing with the knowledge that all the screams and deaths are those of teenage children. Throughout the novel, I found Thomas's lack of compassion in certain situations disturbing, like when a boy is sacrificed to the Maze.The plot had a lot of potential. It built and built and built to something I hoped would be great, but turned out to be predictable. It didn't feel unique, which then didn't seem to match the rest of the book. Once I discovered the answers behind the existence and purpose of the maze, I was sorely disappointed. It wasn't believable to me. It kept the imagination-cogs turning through the novel, but in the end weakened the story.The characters came off sadly bland and inconsistent. Thomas in particular seemed lacking in emotions and somehow managed to succeed at most of what he tried. While the reader wanted to see the characters eventually succeed, I felt a lack of inner conflict. Thomas just had a lot of outer conflict that was "conquered" with just a little average thinking.The "culture" created in the Maze lacked hope and compassion and the only clear theme running throughout the novel was "never give up." But once we reached the end, no hope was reached. The book had so much potential--cool title, catching first chapter, and who doesn't like the idea of a giant creepy maze? Overall, I found the read interesting, but mediocre. It's doubtful I'd read it again. -Starts a little slow but builds into a good story. Several twists and turns keeps interesting. Found it difficult to put down. Nice weekend read m -This probably wasn't the best of the trilogy...perhaps the worse. I was disappointed in all the action that resulted in...nothing. The action parts leading toward the end was boring...like the author got lost in thought and direction...alot of running in circles...perhaps even felt like the third installment of this trilogy was only a draft version rushed to print without being polished and properly editted. I love a well written book, but this just didn't do it for me. There were interesting twists throughout and the very end of the book was sweet, and I did like it over all. But again, very disappointed in several parts leading up to the end. Hoping the final movie version will be fixed by the director to make it more interesting than this final book. That's my humble opinion. -I really like this book - the character were likable, it was a good length, there wasn't too much angst and it was engaging until the end. I'm definitely looking forward to Landon's story and would definitely recommend reading 'Easy' first. -Brynne is a beautiful American girl studying at the University of London. She is also a part time model. Due to her troubled past, she is working hard to get her life back on track and so far, things are going great until she meets Ethan Blackstone. Ethan is a very successful businessmen and falls hard for the women in the portraits. He is gorgeous, a bit demanding and somewhat overbearing but not in an annoying way. The chemistry between them is undeniable. It also doesn't help that her therapist is pushing her towards this potential relationship. Brynne has reservations about Ethan, she knows he wants her in all ways but he also has a secret, a secret that can end things just as quickly as they began. It is a whirlwind romance , emotions are high but when the secret is revealed, Ethan stands to lose the one thing he loves the most.. Brynne.I really enjoyed this book, the writing was good and I loved the characters. Ethan is definitely up there with Mr. Grey and Gideon.My only complaint is that this book was too short and I felt things were a bit rushed but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story. OMG talk about a cliffhanger! I look forward to reading book 2!A job well done by Raine Miller! -I was pleasantly surprised reading this novel. I was expecting just another teen romance, and got a dark fantasy, action-adventure with interesting and unique characters. A sixteen year old begins to see things that can't possibly be real, but then can't deny the strange occurances when her four year old half-brother is replaced with a faery changeling. Then, to top it all off, her best friend turns out to be none other than Robin Goodfellow (Puck).Meghan is determine to save her brother and gets Robbie (Puck) to take her into the fae world to save him. Yet, she doesn't realize until it is too late just how dangerous the fae world can be. Especially since the fae see humans as little more than meat.Super, great, fast-paced book. Other than of a few swear words in the book and a bit of gore and fighting, parents should not have a problem of buying this book for their teens. The romance is very light and sweet. The heroine has morals and makes good decisions in hopes of hurting no one. I had a hard time putting this one down. I'm so glad I chose it in my Vine selection, and I look forward to reading the next one in the series. Yes, there will definitely be a next one according to the ending of the first. -I wanted to like this book and I do... The love story is very believable. I can totally see how Lou and Will could have fallen in love with each other. However, some of the characters feel very contrived. Lou's family members are presented as happy, loving and accepting people even tho they struggle financially and are living in very tight quarters. I get the feeling the author wanted to create the perfect family who focus on the right things but are just too poor, but there's not enough human flaws. She gave them enough personality to be charming and slightly comical. Will, too, was the perfect man before his accident. He was independently wealthy by the age of 33. He had traveled the world and partake in so many exciting and romantic travels and activities. For a guy who spent so much time doing so many fun and wonderful things I wonder how he found the time to build a massively successful company. If you built this successful business, you must have enjoyed that process, perhaps you can still work on it as a quad. Since his business dealings weren't physically demanding. It's feasible he could continue to have a fulfilling business career in spite of his handicap. I know people who live with ALS which leaves them less physical functions than a quad, but they still work and find fulfillment in other aspects of life. As I read the book, I could totally see a movie made by Hollywood to be the perfect romantic comedy with a tear jerker ending. I do like the point made by Will that he no longer has a voice since the accident and he does have a choice when it comes to his life and the people who love him should respect that choice. -Suzanne Collins has already proven her talent for storytelling with her recently completed Gregor the Underlander series. In that series, she showed she was able to create strong characters, move plot along quickly, deftly control the rise and fall in tension, and create moving scenes. While there were some weak sections in the series (sometimes the pace moved too quickly, settings often could have been more detailed, and a few characters could have been more richly drawn), by the end she had crafted one of the best YA series to hit the shelves the past few years--a thoughtful, often dark, almost always rewarding series.I'm happy to report that with book one (and it is a book one--fair warning to those who prefer not to start a series until it's already completed) of The Hunger Games, there is no sophomore slump. In fact, she returns with a starting book that is more tightly focused, more moving, more quickly paced, more thoughtful and provocative, and more fully and constantly tense throughout.The premise for the Hunger Games is admittedly somewhat derivative and one could come up with dozens of possible Hollywood-pitch-like pairings: "it's Survivor meets Running Man", "it's The Lottery meets The Most Dangerous Game", "it's . . . ". None of it matters. What very often counts in a genre novel, where many of the same old premises, same old tropes, same old formulas, appear and reappear over the years is not the original starting point, but what you do with it. What Hunger Games is, is good.The opening whisks us right through the premise in a few brief pages. We're in a post-apocalyptic North America--in a dystopia named Panem--a dystopia formed out of the remnants of civilization. Panem is ruled from a rich Capital and has 12 districts that provide what is needed--food, coal, etc. Outside the Capital the people are barely surviving, many starving and the rest close to it. Years ago the 12 districts (actually, 13 at the time) rebelled and were brutally put down. As "repentance" and as a form of cold reminder, every year each district sends one boy and one girl (chosen by lottery) to the Hunger Games-- a televised kill-or-be-killed event set in a huge arena.When Katniss's younger sister, Prim, is chosen by lottery, Katniss volunteers in her place, joining Peeta--the chosen boy from her district--in the Games. All of this happens very fast in the book, as does the few days of training prior to the Games themselves. Though the background is quick, it is efficiently concise. We get a clear sense of much of what we need to know: what life is like for those in Katniss' district, what she is like, her relationship with her best friend Gale, her place in the family (she's become the one taking care of the family since her father died in a mining accident), the contrast between life in the Capital and life in the districts, etc. There isn't a lot of detail, and some readers will probably wish for more explanation, but what we have is sufficient.By the time the Games themselves start, we have a solid footing. Which is good, because once the Games do start, it's all pretty breathless as Katniss tries to survive. There are a lot of action scenes--fights, things blowing up, desperate attempts to save wounded people, etc.--but Collins isn't interested in simply an episodic line of battles, one after the other, showing off various combat skills until the winner is left alone.Katniss faces many complex decisions--to what extent does she "play" to the watching crowd (a "popular" contestant can gain sponsors who can pay for gifts that can be the difference between life and death), can she really kill another human, whom can she trust, what motivates the people around her, what is her relationship to Peeta or Gale, what debts does one human own another, etc. The third person point of view focuses on her actions and thoughts and so we struggle with those questions even as she does, all while we root for her to "win" through the discomfort of realizing what this means is that we're rooting for her to kill.We also come to care about Peeta, even as we wonder just what game, if any, he is playing. And the relationship between the two of them is a major point of interest and tension. And while the other contestants, with one significant and moving exception, aren't painted in any sort of detail, we do get enough quick, concise brushstrokes for several of them to have distinct personalities (though one does wish more was done in this area).Along with getting us to care about the people, and not just the plot points, Collins also offers up some clear social criticism as well as some hints at much larger issues than these few characters or these single Games, both with regard to this created world and our own society. And while the book ends resolved and can be read without fear of a cliffhanger, there is enough left hanging in the air that the reader wants to see what happens afterward.There really is very little to criticize in this book, though one point should be made clear. Collins does not shy away at all from the premise of 24 kids placed in a kill-or-be-killed situation. There is no deus ex machina that swoops down and stops the games before anyone is killed or miraculously cures/revives the killed contestant. People die in this book. In fact, most of the people die in this book. And our main character kills some of them. And not by accident. Hunger Games is as dark as its premise promises and therefore it is not for the very young.A strong main character and several strong supporting ones. Crystal clear if not particularly beautiful prose. A constantly suspenseful plot. A quick pace. Moving scenes. A grim tone that adds to the sense that actions matter. An author who has the courage of her ideas. Social criticism. Hints at a larger story to come. A first book in a series that ends with enough resolution that reader can stop here and be satisfied. 400 pages that pull you along effortlessly. These positives more than outweigh the few very small negatives. Highly recommended. -Could not put this book down! The pace is so good, not too fast or too slow. The developing romance was really to be believed. I loved having the story be truly complete. That it was not over the second they found relief. -Best book I've read in a long time. My kind of love story!The history was interesting and new to me. The characters were delightful, both the main character and all the others. Because of the number of characters and how they were presented, I did have a little trouble remembering some of the minor characters. I like the way the story line was slowly revealed and the end result was unfolded.And it was absolutely my kind of love story. To explain: I am not fond of "love at first sight stories", or the "war and peace love stories (they fight until they fall in love)" or the "forbidden love" kind. All those formulas have not appeal to me. But this one had three potential lovers, two with very good prospects. Then they were both eliminated as prospects and the winner was slowly revealed. And it all tied up nicely at the end. -3 “Riptide” “Mine.” “Racer“ KissesI am torn. Conflicted. Frustrated. I don't know what to do. Well...I know what I have to do but that doesn't mean that I am going to like doing it. When you know the capabilities of an author...a character...a story line...and when you love it so passionately, anything less than amazing is not good enough. That's what I'm faced with here. I feel like Real set the bar of what I was expecting for the whole series…and Mine did not measure up in my book. Stone me now…curse me if you will, believe me, the words that I have to say are not fun for me to admit…but I can’t lie about how I feel.Brooke Dumas...did I love everything about Brooke in Real - not exactly but I got over it because for some reason, on some level I connected with her and felt for her. So all the annoying stuff kind of...didn’t matter. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense but it works in my crazy brain. Well in the beginning of Mine, Brooke drove me about 10 shades of crazy with some of her antics and logic. If you are going to make decisions and then get mad at the results of those decisions...it's time for you to grow up! She was being completely irrational and utterly annoying at times. Drove me bonkers! Because that's not the Brooke I loved in Real. Then, it was like a heavenly light opened up and finally I got my Brooke back. She was strong, not only for herself but for Remy, I loved the way she handled him and their relationship and just…everything. I was proud of her and how far they had come together.‘I’ve been broken and put together again.I’ve been loved, and I have loved.I’m in love, and I will be forever changed by this man. I used to dream of medals and championships, but now I dream solely of a blue-eyes fighter who one day changed my life, when he put his lips on mine…’Remy...Remington Tate deserves a million stars. Ten million. Alright infinity stars - there...it's settled. He is not perfect...he has flaws...he has issues and he is no where near infallible...but the man is so freakin’ in love with Brooke it makes my heart soar. Remy is like no other book bf…he defies categories and logic because even his wrongs add up to so much right. The #1 thing that has me excited about Remy is the prospect of being in his head. He's just...*sigh*...there are no words. Well...there are actually lots of words....like loving, strong, protective, kind, sexy, alpha, dominating, endearing...he's just so complex and the more I get to know about him the more I crave him. There are so many layers to this chess playing, @#$ kicking, Brooke loving lion. He's like a drug and I totally want to be on a Remy high...forever.‘And I want him like my next breath.I want him more than any one of these screaming women wants im.I want every fragmented part of him. I want his body. His mind. His heart. His beautiful soul.He says he’s mine, but I know that there’s a part of Remington Tate nobody will ever have.I am his, but he is untamable and unconquerable.The only one who can defeat Remington Tate is himself.’The thing that kept this book from being another 5++++ book was the repetitiveness. It was out of control...enough to the point where I was rolling my eyes. A lot. I loathe repetitiveness...I've stopped reading books because of it. What do I mean by repetitiveness? A few examples...talking about ‘his hair’, ‘his abs’, ‘his eyes’ – I get it…the dude’s gorgeous, I’m aware. I love his looks…but I don't need to be reminded of them all the time, and it was constant. If that was all the repetitiveness then maybe I could have handled it better, but it was also using the same words, over and over, to describe the same things. I didn't understand the point and unfortunately, I needed more than that. They have this great and amazing love and connection – build off of that. Expand! They’ve not been in a relationship for that long, I wanna see all of those moments! So what kept me going? One word. Remy. Plain and simple. That's it - his character completely carried this book and made it worth reading for me. Because any other time I would have stopped reading before I reached 50%. I hate saying that. I hate thinking that. It just...sucks.‘My lungs ache for breath and the rest of me aches for his hands on me. And when my gaze flicks upward to find those blue eyes pinned on mine, his face hurt and sweaty, all the testosterone in the world courses through him, pulling and enveloping me, so I can barely take living right now I want him so much . He makes me feel this all-consuming, soul -searing, heart-wrenching, painful need for him that’s more than physical, more than emotional.’I was warned about the repetitiveness too...so I was prepared to possibly hate it and maybe that softened the blow a little bit because while it grated on my nerves, I was able to shrug it off and push forward. If I am being honest, I probably would have DNF’d it had I not been prepared. That makes me want to cry. But despite the annoyance, I was glad I did read it because there were fleeting glimpses of the amazingness that was in Real. Like the amazing quote worthiness...I did swoon and love all my special little Remy moments...he and Brooke still blew me away with their love and devotion to each other. But then that only makes me wonder if the repetitiveness hadn't been so bad...what could this book have been? It's a sad thought to ponder...‘His words caress me.Nobody ever taught him how to love.He does it instinctively.’I can't lie...this book did evoke emotions out of me, even though the half of the time the emotions were usually out of frustration, that wasn’t all I felt… I already admitted I swooned, but I cried, I gasped, it got to my little feelers...so I did have love for this book and that does mean something to me. I am an emotional reader and if an author can still pull emotion out of me even when I'm at my wits end with frustration...that's saying a lot IMO. I did not see a lot of this plot coming, which is another positive thing. I don't know what I was expecting but the story line was definitely unpredictable and I appreciated that it kept me on my toes. And seriously…the prologue…L.O.V.E.D. every word.“Remy . . .”“This is the last time I live without you. I’m half mad already and halfway into the f^@$ing grave. I don’t like this. Every single monster in my head tells me you’ll run and I won’t be close enough to catch you. Every instinct in me screams at me to go get you. Every bone in my body tells me you are MINE—not a part of me, but my brain understands why the hell I sent you away from me. The rest of me can’t take it. You can’t convince the rest of me being away from you is right.”“Remington Tate, I swear to you— I swear— that when I’m able to get up from this stupid bed and run again, you’re always, always, going to be the one thing I’ll run straight to.”I will always have a deep love for Remy and Brooke and their story...but I am nervous about what to expect from Remy because I am hearing similar things to what I heard with Mine. So once again...I will prepare myself but keep the hope alive that even though I may not like everything, that my love for the characters will save me from too much disappointment. :-\ -Soooo, let me start this review by saying that wherever I put the word “duck,” I mean a similar word! I don’t think I’ve ever said the word “duck” so much while reading a book in my entire life as I did while reading Bang. It went from “what the duck am I reading?” to “why the duck am I reading this?” to then just one word “duckkkkkkkkkk!” Duck is seriously the best word to describe this book.The synopsis for Bang is quite vague and that had me seriously intrigued. And, the cover definitely had me interested. And, while those things are important to me when choosing what book to read, the content is by far the star. It was unexpected, took me by surprise and had my mind all over the place.“They say when you take revenge against another you lose your innocence. But I’m not innocent.”Right from the beginning, the reader is warned that this book is about revenge and the loss of innocence. The events that led up to Nina plotting her revenge are completely deplorable. I was actually gasping while reading certain parts of her story. And, while some of it may seem extreme because this is a work of fiction, I kept telling myself to remember, “this isn’t too far-fetched because there are some sick ducks out here in real life.”Bang is dark, twisted, and a complete mind duck. I have so many passages highlighted on my kindle, but I refuse to post any spoilers. This is not a happy-go-lucky book. I only had a warm, fuzzy feeling maybe once or twice. This book is as advertised with it being a psychological thriller. If you are a sensitive person, then let this serve as your disclaimer that this may not be the book for you.Bang will not leave you happy. Bang will not make you smile. I have absolutely no idea what could have been going through E.K. Blair’s head when she writing, but Bang in a very sick way is a masterpiece and it truly goes out with a BIG BANG!!! -Just a tiny note first to say that I just re-read this amazing book. <3 And posting below will be my new book recommendation for it :) Which you can also read on my blog, here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2014/04/book-recommendation-reboot-by-amy.html---Re-reading Reboot made me happy. And I'm so glad that I finally decided to do so. I've been meaning to re-read it ever since I downloaded Rebel for review back in January. But I was nervous. I was nervous about not loving it the same way this second time, as it has been more than a year since I first read it. But I shouldn't have worried. Because I loved it so much. I still think Reboot is an amazing book. It is exciting and fun and full of amazing romance. I'm so happy that I finally read it again. It's awesome.I'm not going to recap the book in this recommendation of mine. Because I feel that I would end up talking for ages, lol. But I will say that the plot in Reboot is amazing. I enjoyed it so much. It's exciting and surprising and full of action. And the romance. Swoon. More on that soonish. There is a lot of death in this book. But I didn't really mind. Except for this one death. That broke my heart. But it also made sense, and I think I would have made the same choice. Sniffs. But yes. It was very heartbreaking.Reboot is told from the point of view of seventeen year old Wren. Who is all kinds of amazing. I loved her. And I loved reading about her. At first she doesn't feel all that much. Which I didn't mind. But then Callum arrives and she starts to change. And I loved that so much. I think she ended up an even better person. But anyway. I adored reading about her. I adored her scars, even though they shame her. I think she's beautiful. And agh. I really loved reading about her and cannot wait to get to know more of her.Wren is a Reboot. There are a lot of them in this book. And that was such an awesome plot twist. I loved getting to know stuff about them. How much stronger they are than other humans. How fast they heal. How different they are as well. So awesome. Wren has been dead for 178 minutes, which is the most at the moment. What she had to go through was so heartbreaking to read about. Yet I wanted to read more and more. Sigh. I just love to torture myself, don't I? lol. But yeah. I thought the Reboots were amazing.One of the things I loved the most about Wren was her roommate and friend, Ever. I adored her as well. But I really loved their friendship. It gets better and more real after Callum arrives. And they are just too cute. Sigh. Ever is amazing. Though holy crap. Such awful things happen with her. Heartbreak. But also so interesting to read about. It was amazing. Sigh. There are a few other characters in this book that I liked as well. Like Addie. Would like to get to know her more as well. She did seem awesome.Then, of course, there is Callum. Who is a Twenty-Two. Which is a very low number for a Reboot. It means that he has more emotions that the others, and is more human. And sigh. I loved that. Because Callum is amazing. I loved reading about him so much. And I loved getting to know him. I loved how he was with Wren. He is horrified with how many she has killed, but I feel like he accept her. I hope. The romance is very sweet in this book. It made me grin like crazy. Callum is just all kinds of amazing.I don't want to say more about this book. Just that it is incredible. And I need you all to read it. Especially since the last book, Rebel, is coming out in less than a month. <3 Though, yeah, I'm reading it in a moment since I have a review copy of it :D And I cannot wait. I need to know what happens next. Anyway. Reboot is a stunning novel. I loved it. And I loved the writing as well. Just loved everything about it. Sigh. I also cannot wait to read more books by Amy Tintera. She's pretty amazing as well.~He slid his hand into mine and leaned over to press a soft kiss onto my cheek. I shifted a little closer, until his warm arm rubbed against mine, and lowered my gaze to hide the goofy smile spreading across my face.---I first read this book on February 21st 2013. You can find my review here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2013/02/review-reboot-by-amy-tintera.html -I'm skeptical of "libris populi," books that suddenly wash over society to public and critical acclaim. I was really burned by "The DaVinci Code" (we all were), about how new and exciting and different the writing was, and you have to give Dan Brown credit; he took an idea that was floating around for years and brought it to the public's attention. But the book itself was nothing but a whole chase novel and it wasn't a surprise that it was quickly made into a movie. Recently "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" has been creating the same sort of public reaction. Fortunately, there's a little more in "Girl" to hold a readers attention and worth the price of the trip that author Stieg Larsson takes you on."The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" is the dual story of Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading financial reporter in Stockholm, and Lisbeth Salander (a play on salamander?), an anti-social possibly mentally ill but gifted private investigator.As "The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo" starts Mikael Blomkvist has been found guilty of Swedish libel laws because he wrote a story about a prominent industrialist that he couldn't back up with documentation. Mikael takes a leave of absence from his magazine, Millennium, until the heat is off. Mikael accepts a position from Henrik Vanger, the head of another prominent industrialist family to ostensibly write a chronicle of the Vanger family history. Mikael's actual assignment is find the killer of Harriet Vanger who disappeared off an island at a family gathering while the island was cut off from the mainland. The classic murder in a locked room scenario. As Mikael crawls through the Vanger family history he discovers a family that put the dysfunction in dysfunctional. There are Nazi's in the family, religious zealotry, abusive parents, promiscuous children, relatives who embrace the family and relatives trying to disavow the family connection at all costs. A little bit of something for everybody.The parallel story is, of course, Lisbeth Salander's. Lisbeth is literally "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." Lisbeth is a ward of the state, although in her mid 20's, her life has been held in check because of a mysterious childhood incident that has put her at the mercy of a failed system and corrupt guardians. Lisbeth has a very subjective moral code that deals mostly in black and white assumptions of people. Her saving grace is her abilities to find information via computer (a hacker) and her job as a freelance private detective.I don't read a lot of mystery's, but I found a lot of the plot points to be pretty transparent that details seemingly mentioned off handedly by characters are going to be important in the solution to the mystery, almost like having it highlighted IMPORTANT POINT HERE! The motivating reason for Mikael to move to Hedeby, to solve the mystery of the missing and presumed dead Harriet is predicated on an obvious bit of misdirection in a basic misunderstanding of motives. I think it is assumed by the author that the reader will assume the interpretation of the characters is correct.The title of the book when it was published in Sweden was "Men Who Hate Women." I read an interview with the U.S. publisher of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" and the title and cover design were made more intriguing for the U.S. audience. But "Men Who Hate Women" (if not as catchy and intriguing) is a more apt and descriptive title of what the book is about. Early on Lisbeth is given very little to do with the main plot of finding the murderer of Harriet Vanger, but she runs into her own man who hates women. The development of Lisbeth's character is slow in coming, the bits and pieces of her back story are intriguing and develop a mystique around her; Larsson is slow to get her into the central mystery of the story.You're probably thinking that with all those shortcomings this is an unfavorable review. No, despite these shortcomings "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" works. The story is simple but elegantly constructed and I found it to be entertaining and readable. The main characters are sympathetic despite their flaws. The bits and pieces we're given of Lisbeth at the beginning are intriguing, like lightning flashes in the dark, we want to see more than her silhouette. Mikael for his faults is a sympathetic character and as he lurches about in the Vanger family history we learn he's basically a decent person, but compared to the Vanger family, most other families would be considered normal. We're also given villains to be shocked at, and not one, but at least three love stories. As all the threads of the mystery are pulled together they seem natural and organic to the characters, no details of the mystery are obscured from the reader, there's no left field revelation that appears out of no where in the solution of the mystery and there's no dues ex machina in it's solution.The proof of the success of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is, is the reader interested in the characters enough to go along and see what happens in the next book of the trilogy? I am.The DVD for "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" comes out July 6th. -This book has some good, reasonable advice. It is primarily about how, very generally, to take care of your baby. (It offers little advice for sicknesses, etc.)However, it's not worth buying. It's one of those books where you get the impression that the author had about 10-20 pages worth of stuff to say, but spread it out over a whole book instead. Skim through it in a bookstore rather than buy it. -I loved watching rom-com movies, so having found a book that fits that genre was a delight for me. Alexandria "Alexa" McKenzie made a wish to Earth Mother asking for a husband, one who is handsome, is a generous lover in bed, loves animals, and is a Mets fan. And did I mention he also had to have $150,000 available? Her family fell into a tough financial situation, so in order to save her family home, she is willing to enter a marriage of convenience in exchange for money to help her family.In enters Nicholas "Nick" Ryan, the brother of Alexa's best friend. Consequently, he is also in the market looking for marriage. When his Uncle Earl passed away, the terms of his will dictated that Nick must marry in order to gain control of Dreamscape, the family's architectural firm. Growing up in a environment where his parents used their children as pawns, he doesn't believe in happily-ever-afters. And potential marriage to Alexa, the girl who teased him throughout his childhood, didn't sit well with him.Having grown up together, they had a chemistry that most married couples get after decades of marriage. But years of falling out of contact with one another also brought clashes. Their banter and bickering is very amusing, displaying the differences in their personalities.The characters are very endearing and lovable. Jennifer Probst did a wonderful job of fleshing out her characters, making the reader love them as they fall in love with each other. And when complications arise that threaten their marriage, you find yourself hoping that they'll end up together in the end because Nick and Alexa complement each other so well.A wonderful story to read and judging by the end of the book, it seems like a sequel is coming. I cannot wait to read about the story of the Italian count and Maggie, which should be out on June 15. I'm counting down my days! -Mr. Larsson spends almost a quarter of this book setting up the murder mystery. That amount of background is appropriate because this is far more than just a murder mystery. There is a financial mystery to unravel as well. As one gets to know tha main character, Mikael, it is inevitable that both mysteries would occupy him. He has been professionally shattered as a journalist after writing an unsubstantiated story about a crooked financier (resulting in jail time). He is then hired by a wealthy industrialist to solve a decades old mystery the industrialist believes to be a murder.At the outset there is also a parallel bio of Lisbeth, the girl with the dragon tatoo. She has some major mental problems and is under guardianship, but we also see early on that there is some sort of genius within. Watching her progress and overcome some of her demons is worth the price of the book alone.Eventually Mikael and Lisbeth join forces. Both mysteries are terrific (particularly the murder) and, by the end keep the pages turning.Both characters are very engaging, particularly Lisbeth, whose off-the-wall characteristics contrast well with Mikael's starightforward economic journalist tendencies.I gave this only four stars because although all the background was necessary, it took a while for the book to really take off. Once it did, it was terrifically engaging. I look forward to the next installments of the trilogy. These characters, especially Lisbeth, are well worh following. -I have a lot of issues with this book but I will not go into details (yet) as I have other more important things to do than rant about this piece of bull. However, I feel the need to express my utter revulsion for this over-hyped trilogy because I finally discovered my final line of tolerance for double, triple crap books. This is only the second time IN YEARS that I wish a zero-star rating was possible.In a nutshell: I will never understand how, and why it would take a whole book for Ana Steele to figure out that Christian Grey is after all a control freak and a psycho. I thought it had been obvious all along but apparently his ridiculously beautiful face is enough to make her stay and do all the things she's told. Some love, huh.Now of course, there are a lot more things I would like to point out but I'd have those out another time. -Cinder is a cyborg, the best mechanic in New Beijing, and unafraid to get her hands dirty. She's an endearing character, especially when it comes to her genuine love for those who she cares about. The narration switches mostly between Cinder and Prince Kai, giving a well-rounded view the events taking place as the intimidating Queen Levana of the Lunars visits....and things get pretty complex once she shows up. As the story begins to delve into political conspiracies and the illness sweeping New Beijing, it only becomes more intriguing. Meyer has a way with words that keeps you turning the pages, eager for more. Building off of the bare bones of Cinderella's story, Meyer shapes Cinder into something unique and spectacular.HIGHLIGHTS: Despite being inspired by Cinderella, Meyer takes smart creative liberties that work very well. A few moments, especially with the Lunar queen, had me hooked as the suspense built. One the largest highlights involved the characters - Iko (an android), Peony, and Queen Levana. Even the fact that not all the characters were safe from harm was an interesting aspect that I respect.LOWLIGHTS: Some aspects of the plot were extremely predictable (Personal bias - I hate obvious twists), and not just the Cinderella aspects. The story also had a slow beginning. And the ending was a bit unsatisfying - too many loose ends, even if this is a series.OVERALL: It's a solid beginning to a series and a very fun novel to read. I'll definitely be checking out the sequel! -The big numbers speak for themselves. When you see over 3,000 4 or 5-star reviews (over 90% of the total reviews), then this book has to be good - and it is! The author managed to package the unique and very interesting life-story of Louie Zamperini in an attractive and highly readable format that will make you lose some sleep over the two days reading it. It is such an engaging read that it is difficult to put down, a real page-turner.The reader is presented with Mr. Zamperini's story, from his early childhood until his life after retirement well into the new century. Most of all, it's a story about his POW experience during WW II in the Pacific as a prisoner in Japan. Now, just the description of his long and tortuous years surviving the savage Japanese POW camps would have been interesting enough, but the author's real contribution in my opinion lies in all the explanations we find throughout the book for the various behaviors, and how he manages to cope with the brutal treatment in an almost elegant but definitely entertaining way. Writing about the worst human emotions and behavior is certainly not easy, and do it in such a way as to finish with an entertaining book even more.It has to be said that there is a long time between Mr. Zamperini's war years and the writing of this book, which casts some doubts about some details and descriptions included, but this does not really distract at all from the story and from the value of the book. If the author took some literary liberties during the writing process, it was done discretely so as to fit in the overall narrative style.Overall, this is a very interesting story told in an engaging style that without a doubt deserves the title Bestseller - highly recommended. -At first, the writing style was so different that I was not sure I would like the book at all. That the storyteller was "Death" was also strange for me. But as the story unfolded and the characters became so real and special, I began to fall in love with the book. As my title states, the Book Thief, is beautifully written. This writer is gifted with a powerful command of words. Lyrical words that thrust you into the story and make you really care about the characters. This book stayed with me for days. It raised the bar for future reads. -It's been a long time since I read a book that falls so squarely into the adult-psychological-thriller category, and to be honest, I doubted whether I could really enjoy it. I often find that books in these categories are either a) completely unbelievable and I get eye strain from rolling my eyes so often, or b) the characters are so flat and transparent that I really don't give a fig about what happens to them.In Gone Girl, however, Gillian Flynn has created a story that is both believable but also stretched my imagination as a reader and characters that although definitely not in the likeable category were anything but flat.The story smacks of tension right from the beginning, and as the story progresses I found myself more and more drawn into the world of Nick and Amy and wanting to know more about them - their families, their relationship, their whole history together and how it related to what was happening in the current day.Gone Girl has some really good points for more thought too - were Amy's parents' overbearing and more than slightly over-protective nature so damaging on her psyche, or was she simply born the way she was, hard-wired into her brains? Was Nick's upbringing and his father part of the reason he felt it so difficult to connect with and empathise with his wife? Do we ever really know the person we are partnered with, or do they have a side that we never really see? Such questions are what makes this book a true psychological thriller, and so very hard to predict exactly what will happen next.My only criticism, and it's not even that, it's more a warning to other people that need to like at least one main character is that I found none of the main characters particularly likeable at all, with perhaps the exception of Nick's sister Go, who with her unique personality and sarcastic, dirty sense I felt quite an affinity with and I do wish she had played more of a part in the story. But for the most part, Nick, Amy, their parents and friends are either quite self-centred, arrogant people or they don't play a big enough role to really have an impact.And the million dollar question - the ending? I anticipated it because I wanted to know what happened, yet dreading it because I was really enjoying the twists and turns of the story, but in the end I can say I was pretty satisfied as a whole. It didn't feel rushed, contrived or unbelievable, and that's a true testament to the way that Gillian Flynn writes. -This book was interesting to read but I was disappointing in the subject matter. I was expecting to have more of a medical explanation of the near death experience - since this occurred to a neuro surgeon. One good thing I received from the book - other than the standard explanation for the NDE was the referral to the book "Irreducible Mind" - which I since purchased and this is more of the material I was looking for on NDE's. -This is a book that makes you think about life and how it used to be. To me,the emotions in this book runs very true to the time of the story. It could be disturbing, maybe, to some, but I chose toread it for the story itself. The characters are strong women, and triumphant. Good book! -I am an art lover and this book is a story of a stolen piece of art and the mystery surrounding the people involved. The book has great depth and requires you to figure out how the characters are related and involved. I stayed up far too late at night because I couldn't put the book down. -Unfortunately since his first book Nassim Taleb has become more and more unbearable from my perspective. The original insights given in Fooled by Randomness were valuable as people often mistake noise for signals (the Signal and Noise is an excellent book on this which was published before anti-fragile). But with each subsequent book the content goes into greater philosophical rambling and deterioration of content. The author goes to great lengths to insult academics and those in the business community and to elevate himself in a one sided dialogue with the reader. Its baffling and childish. Antifragile is about things which gain in strength from volatility (or more broadly do well from uncertainty). The author argues that people generally misevaluate the distribution of outcomes and as a result unerappreciate the uncertainty we face and put themselves in positions that are brittle to change. That in itself is a relatively useful insight, though it is not original despite the author constantly trying to convince everyone he is the only person who understands this idea.The author seems to spend 95% of his time reading classics rather than what people in the modern world write and research and seems to have had some horrible interpersonal relationships with his former colleagues in the bank and in academics (probably because he can't articulate his points properly and doesnt have a logical process when making arguments). The result is that he spends a lot of time insulting people on his perception of their beliefs when in fact most people appreciate all of his points and have made the same arguments a long time ago. The author is not mathematical but tries to make out that he is and talks about the non-linearities of phenomenon which any literate person knows is not linear and claims these are very insightful ideas. For example much time is spent about dropping objects from small heights multiple times vs dropping the same object from a great height and the fragility of the object is non-linear. Ideas like this are trivial and a function of kinetic energy, among other things, which, yes, is non linear with respect to velocity. To lecture and insult technical people about a high school physics idea and claim no one gets it is beyond unimpressive. The author constantly tells the reader his professors were all fools who didnt understand what they were teaching because they only think in the context of their fields. He talks about how he fooled his business school professors by using language they didnt understand. He talks about how he knew the same things as Mandelbrot despite never reading it (which reinforces the fact that perhaps the author is less informed than he realizes). He talks about how no one gets it (when they do because the points are simple). I try to be an avid reader and even works where the authors tone was condescending I try to look through it to measure the content. This is the first time I found it almost unbearable to finish. If you want the best overview of what this book is about read the few page article by Taleb in This Explains Everything. There are some important ideas in this book, relying on models creates risk biases which create fragility. Distributions of outcomes for social sciences are poorly understood, hence trying to be formulaic can be naive. But overall these ideas have other more articulate authors (Knight, Minsky, Hayek, Keynes, Mandelbrot, Shiller to name a few) who have less anger towards everyone. Something has happened to the author in the last few years and it is very unhealthy... -Once the big reveal happened that Amy was framing her husband, the book became really predictable. I thought the initial idea of the Amy diary was clever and how she framed him, but it left everything else lackluster and dragging on. I never found myself rooting for any of the characters. I felt the ending was flat and without any impact. I would have ended it with someone dying or something. Them continuing a fake relationship was not satisfying to me. Overall it could have been good but instead just became annoyingly predictable. -I have no idea what book the other reviewers read, but I sure didn't read the same one because I thought this book was horrible. The Silent Wife: A Novel was amateurish, seemingly written by a high school student, and devoid of the depth necessary to make the characters interesting.The story itself was appealing because I thought it was going to be a mystery of sorts. Sure, you know the main storyline from the book description, but I figured there would be some energy or plots twists to make it exciting. Instead, I quickly got bored of Todd and Jodi and didn't care what happened in their relationship. Especially since the title is misleading - Todd and Jodi are not married so Jodi is not a silent "wife."One of the main reasons for my dislike of this book was the needless introduction of flashback of Jodi's therapy sessions with Gerard. That side story goes absolutely nowhere and doesn't really fit into the overall plot. It just wastes pages and detracts from the plot. Yes, there is somewhat of a revelation at the end of the book that has to do with Jodi's therapy sessions, but that has nothing to do with the way she behaves in the story and doesn't shed light on anything at all. Also, some of the conversations in the book are ludicrous! For example, Todd (one of the main characters) gets into an argument with his best friend, Dean, and Dean calls Todd a "blockhead" and a "stinking turd." Now remember, these characters are in their late 40s. Who the heck calls someone a blockhead or a stinking turd unless they are still in elementary school?? At another point in the book, the author says, "Jodi's brother Ryan was 6 yrs younger and a boy." Uh - duh!! You just wrote "Jodi's brother," that by definition means Ryan is a boy. And another time, the author writes about Jodi's "disuse of chambers of her heart." What the heck??? Such language is just plain silly.And then, unless you are a high school student, you would know that there is no way in the world characters in their 40s who have been together for 20 yrs would act so stupidly. The only person in the book whose actions seemed to make sense were Natasha's and that's because she was in her early 20s and still in college. The other characters were just too stupid to be believable - especially since Jodi has a doctorate degree and is a psychotherapist. I felt like I was reading a movie script for a tween television show that would be aired on ABC right after some so-called "drama" like Pretty Little Liars! That's not a good thing.It's true that the switching back and forth between the point of view of Jodi and the perspective of Todd does add a neat feature to the book, but it's definitely not enough to justify paying more than $0.99 for this book.I just cannot recommend "The Silent Wife" by A.S.A. Harrison. The characters are superficial, the story is contrived, and the writing is sloppy. -The characters and plot line in this novel are very entertaining and thankfully, clean and upscale. I needed something light-hearted, and this definitely fulfilled my expectation. At times one does tire of the references to ice cream, but it makes the story realistic to a certain point. Still reading it, but am thoroughly enjoying this up-to-date story that makes witches out to be a little more down-to-earth than the Harry Potter books!! -I know so many people who have read THE HUNGER GAMES and loved it, that when I picked it up I was kind of nervous about not loving it. It's more common that, if the general public loved it, I'll love it too, but I was still worried.I was most surprised by how much "before the Hunger Games" there was: the reaping, the parade, the training, etc. I expected it to get to the Games pretty quickly. The before stuff was still good, it really gave us a good chance to see the Capitol as a whole and the role that they played in the story. It was also a great time to lay character foundations. I think that the whole first half of the book is evidence that THE HUNGER GAMES is not a stand-alone novel. There's just too much setting up for it to get far enough into the story that it'll be done at the end of 374 pages.The fact that Collins did spend so much time in character and plot development really is a plus. It definitely gives the reader time to connect to the characters. Even though we don't see Gale for long, we know that he's the most loyal best friend there is. And through the things Katniss remembers about Prim and her mother, we can definitely see what kind of people they are. Other characters like Haymitch and Cinna all add their own elements to the story.Katniss herself was a very strong female lead. Her main goal is to stay alive, and you can't have any flimsy girly-girl in an arena with 23 other tributes, fighting for her life. Katniss was the perfect heroine. Peeta was a great character, too. Although he seems half-useless in the Games, you can also tell he's a really great guy. What I loved about him was how he cared so deeply, and seemed like a genuine human being throughout the novel. No matter what the Capitol, or anyone else, threw at him I always felt like he was an honest, caring person.Since the majority of the book was about Katniss fighting for her life, there really wasn't a chance to develop much romance. It's constantly in the undercurrent because of their strategy, but any real romantic connection between Katniss and Peeta seems improbable and far-fetched. But I understand that. Either way, I'd almost like to announce myself as Team Peeta, but I feel like we aren't far enough into the love story to make any definitive conclusions ;).Overall, THE HUNGER GAMES is a whirlwind of a story that takes you on the incredible journey of a girl fighting to live. Although the pacing makes it evident that this novel is the first in a series, there is a lot that happens. It's definitely the perfect beginning to a series. I'm pretty excited to see how the story is going to continue. -This book goes where few books go in terms of both depth of thought and spiritual insight.Aiuthor Eckart Tolle provides thoughtful perspective on the ultimate questions about life. The book describes how to connect with your true conscious, or essentially God, by rising above the stream of thoughts that occupy our minds.I read the book very slowly. Usually I just read one section, 1-2 pages a day, so I could reflect on what was said.On the negative side, I felt that the book spent too much time covering the ego, and its negative aspects. I felt it got a little repetitive.However, there are so many brilliant nuggets in the book, that it's easy to overlook this minor flaw.As I flip through the book and revisit some of the parts I underlined, some of the best quotes include:-heaven is not a location but refers to the inner realm of consciousness-everything is not only connected with everything else, but also with the Source of all life out of which it came-medical treatment is the third-leading cause of death-not what you do but how you do what you do determines whether you are fulfilling your destiny-make sure your vision or goal is not an inflated image of yourself and therefore a concealed form of ego, such as wanting to be a movie star, a famous writer, or a wealthy entrepreneur. Instead see your self inspiring countless people with your work and enriching their lives. (Yikes! As a writer that one hit home with me.)Living in the present is a key component of Tolle's philosophy. As Indian spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti said "This is my secret, I don't mind what happens." He was in alignment with the present moment no matter what it was.Overall, if you are looking for answers to the big questions in life, or just some really good food for thought, this book is well worth reading.Other recommended reading:Create Your Own Reality - The Ancient Wisdom -This was a very disappointing mystery/thriller. The entire plot was lame only to be surpassed by a terrible ending. It was a total waste of time and money. -I found the star choices of "I like it" (4 stars), and "I love it" (5 stars) inadequate to describe my feelings toward this book. I was fascinated by the premise, but there was no star choice for that. So I am giving it four stars, and this explanatory review.This book has no business trying to be whatever it is the author turned it into. In my opinion, it is a thesis disguised as a novel. I would have found it much more interesting if it had been written as scholarly paper rather than trying to weave it into a story. The meat of the book, the message, was interesting enough all by itself without having to have been dressed up inside a "story." The mechanics of the story telling are appalling, with the interview, question-and-answer format extremely trying on the patience. And invariably, every time one character asked a question, the other repeated the same information in the answer. The actual narrative was enough to drive the reader crazy! But the information in the book is truly fascinating and worth putting up with the clumsy format to dig it out.I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the underlying subject, as long as you feel up to plowing through the extraneous and repetitive text to dig out the informational gems buried deep inside. -REVIEWED BY LAURAFirst of all, let me address the elephant in the room. There's been a lot of buzz about the fact that this book wasn't popular when it was by an unknown author and then became bestselling after people found out it was written by J.K. Rowling. This has led to speculation about what this means for the publishing industry, what it means for unknown authors trying to get published, etc. I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANY OF THAT. True, I may not have picked up this book if it hadn't been written by Ms. Rowling, but regardless, I did read it and I liked it, so there you go.Also, my husband kindly bought a copy of this for me on our recent trip to London, so I technically read the "British" version--I'm sure some things have been "Americanized" in the version available in the U.S., but I'm guessing there aren't any substantive differences.All disclaimers aside, I thought this was a really, REALLY well done private investigator procedural. The plot was exciting, and I thought the characters were marvelous. J.K. Rowling is such a keen observer of people, I think, and it really shows in her writing. Cormoran Strike, our hero, is perfectly flawed in just the way I love characters to be.There was such an interesting dynamic between the two main characters, unlike any I have ever read. Cormoran Strike is the private investigator, and Robin is a temp who shows up at Strike's office on a Monday morning. However, Strike thought he canceled the temp arrangement, due to the fact that he has pretty much no money. The scene where Robin and Strike meet (actually physically crash into each other) is just so perfect. There's nothing overtly hilarious about it, but I love how Rowling uses subtle humor. For example, soon after Robin arrives for her first day of work, a client shows up (an extremely rare event). Robin does not want to let on to the client that she is not the regular secretary, thinking it will reflect poorly on Strike. So she suffers through Strike calling her Sandra multiple times, and then asks them very professionally if she can get them anything to drink. They both ask for coffee with sugar:-------------He saw her mouth twist as she closed the door behind her, and only then did he remember that he did not have any coffee, sugar or, indeed, cups.-------------I know what you're thinking--oh the characters get together and it's a romance, too! Nope. That's part of what I loved about it--it's such an unusual relationship to write. The down-on-his-luck PI trying to solve a difficult case and his temp secretary who he's just met trying to assist him. So original.The central mystery of the story is very well done, and I kept flipping the pages faster and faster to try to get to the bottom of it. At one point, I remember thinking to myself, "There are literally 15 people who I think are possibly guilty at this point." That's like Agatha Christie level of skill, people. It's Murder on the Orient Express, except, you know, without the train. And the way it did end I thought was completely masterful. Twist after twist and turn after turn, there is no way you will see it coming.We know Strike has a huge backstory, most of which we only get in bits and pieces throughout this novel. I guess that is my one and only complaint about this one--there were a lot of things that felt unfinished (and some parts that seemed like digressions from the main story)--but I suppose this makes sense for the first book in a series. I can't wait for future installments to find out more about what exactly happened to him in the army, why he left, more about the history between him and his ex-fiancée, and to see if anything except mutual respect ever develops between him and Robin. There were also some interesting things alluded to about Robin's past, and I hope those are also explored in more detail.To me, the fact that this book is written by J.K. Rowling doesn't come as much of a surprise. Good writing: check. Well-developed characters with room for more development: check. Intricate and detail-oriented plot: check. Also, I read somewhere that if you think about it, the Harry Potter novels are sort of like thrillers/mysteries. So it's not surprising to me that Rowling can keep the page-turning suspense going, just using a slightly different medium.BOTTOM LINEI LOVED IT. I consumed like 100 pages of this book at a time. Seriously, if you are a fan of detective fiction, good writing, excellent characters, and a book that will continually keep you guessing, you should pick this one up. I personally can't wait to read more about the adventures of Cormoran Strike, PI, and am anxiously awaiting the second book in the series! Do you ever finish a book and then just really miss the characters and wish you were still reading it? And even if you pick up another book that is quite good, you sort of glance longingly at the previous book, remembering all the good times you had together? Anyone?RATING: A- -If you want a laugh, a good mystery, a few ghosts and some romance, this is the series you want. The characters are funny, and monologue between them is hilarious! Once you finished the first, you won't want to wait for the next and the next and...... -The Hunger Games is set in a postapocalyptic world in a not too distant and very dismal future. The world is divided into 12 nations and the Capitol. Every year, each nation must send 2 children between the ages of 12 & 18 to the Capitol to fight in the Hunger Games, only one child can survive.The book is extremely well-written, I couldn't put it down. The characters are believeable and the plot line moves along at a good pace. Given the violence, I was surprized that this book is aimed at children as young as 12. Another mom loaned this book to me and I think children in their late teens would like it, but I would not give it to a 12YO. -Don't let the cover fool you: Paranormalcy is not another dark, melodramatic paranormal novel. Unfortunately, the cover doesn't even hint at the humor, fun, and originality inside.I was charmed by this book by page two-- including a taser in the opening chapter of any book will automatically make me fall in love. And the taser on page two wasn't even the best part! Even when Evie wasn't zapping paranormals, I was completely entertained. Her relationship with Potential Boy, Lend, was adorable and so innocent that it was refreshing to read-- I'm getting a bit tired of "epic" romances. The paranormal aspect of the book is also refreshing, as it is totally original-- I mean, have you ever read about a paranormal containment agency? Didn't think so. Two other fabulous things about this book: Evie and the funtimes plot. Evie is so cute, so fierce, and so funny-- three things that I hardly ever find in female YA protagonists. The plot is fast-paced and full of plenty of twists, which made it a blast to read.The only thing I didn't really like about Paranormalcy is that I still have so many questions! Most of the things I want more of are spoiler-y, but I must mention that many aspects were not as developed as I would have liked. Maybe it's because the plot jumped around a bit and some people were absent for long periods of time, but there were a few things and people I wanted much more from.I bleeping adore this book. It was such a refreshing read for me-- I love fun, and this book delivered plenty of it. If you like your reads a bit more epic and intense and deep, you might not like this one as much, but if you're like me and need something purely fun and original every once and a while, I bet you'll at least like it. -It's been quite some time since I've read Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instrument Series, but I have to say, I think I like the Clockwork Angel Series better. The plot, characters, and setting is much more interesting and developed than the other series.When I first started Clockwork Angel, I was immediately drawn into the plot. This plot was more interesting and well thought out. Just when you think you may have figured something out, a twist in the plot happens that takes you completely by surprise. This book really kept you guessing and really keeps you interested. I absolutely loved it!The characters, though, are what really made me love this story. I actually loved Tessa. She was still a "lady" but learned to trust her instincts and be brave in the face of danger and she could be just as much of a smart aleck as the boys when she wanted to be. But now to the love interests...Will and Jem...*swoon*. These boys were like light and dark, yet went so well together. Their relationship made this book really enjoyable. Will, the dark and handsome bad boy. I absolutely loved him. But you wanna know who stole the show for me? Jem. That's right, I love Jem. Jem is the real...gem of the story (corny I know, but at least you get my point).He is so amazingly sweet and kind and always knows exactly what to say to make a gal feel better. Now don't get me wrong, I love Will, with his arrogant and witty attitude, I just love Jem more. Every time he talked I just melted! And his history! OOoo I just love that boy! Honestly, he made the story for me. Forget Tessa, I'll have him for myself!Between an intriguing plot that really pulls you in and makes you want to know more, and the great characters, this book truly is amazing. However, there is a cliffhanger! Good thing the second book is already out :) -I generally don't, for the most part, enjoy YA books and try to steer clear of them. Too much high school, too much hormonal angst, too many feelings close to the surface. Pushing the Limits turned out to be an exception to the rule for me. I enjoyed it enormously! In fact, I bought and sent a Kindle copy to a friend when I found the book wasn't Lending Enabled. I have a feeling she'll enjoy the book also. When I had only a few more chapters to read I went back to Amazon and looked to see if the author had any other books published, since I enjoyed this one so much. It appears the answer at this time is no, but a couple are due out this year. The book itself is well written and edited (a plus in any book these days) and the characters are well rounded. The story line for me was fresh, and the pacing was good. I am famous for making it to the halfway point of a book, losing interest and flipping to the end to read the last few pages and then calling it a day, never to go back and read the rest of it. Such was not the case here and I was sad to come to the end knowing I'll have to wait for the next books to be published. -A friend sent The Help to me for Christmas and it was one of the best gifts I received in 2009! The characters are rich, complex, and pull at your heart on every page. I have passed along this book to other friends who have had the same reaction (walking, eating, sleeping with this book). I also think it is a particularly poignant book for the generations born in the 70s, 80s, and 90s who can't believe the degree to which bigotry and racial cruelty was an accepted part of American life in the early 60s...not very long ago, indeed!Read this book and pass it along! -Dan Brown has the ability of combining fiction and reality resulting in an interesting blend of suspense and intrigue.The book is filled with facts about ancient artifacts and their coded meanings that really keeps the reader interested.Whether his facts are correct or not it really dosen't matter. It's just a fun read and a book I feel is a must read. -I really enjoyed reading this series of books compiled into one purchase. The story was a bit slow for me at first, but once I became invested in the characters and plot, I could hardly put it down. I thought that the author interview at the end of the book was hilarious. I have read another book by the same author (Book 1 in the Molly Fyde Series) and was not disappointed. I have purchased several other books by Hugh Howey and eagerly look forward to reading them all. Check him out at [...]. -Older novels seek to develop depth and substance in the characters in the books. Consider the works of Charles Dickens. His characters are full of life and substance. As you read, you are drawn into the issues of the novel and experience them for yourself. You have to think and contemplate. Reading an older novel is an educational experience.Not so with Brown's "The Da Vinci Code." Like much of the newer genre of novel writing, Brown builds interest in his work through mystery and action. That can be entertaining and fun, but the educational value is limited. You may "experience" the drama with the characters in a newer novel, the action, excitement and violence, but you aren't stirred deeply inside beyond the thrill of the moment.I enjoyed reading The Da Vinci Code, but was disappointed with historical inaccuracies, theological inaccuracies, and the constant barrage against the Catholic Church (and I'm not Catholic). A great irony concerning the secret societies in the church is that in "real life," most of the secret societies that work ill will against church and society work outside of any church.Another great irony is the concern for the "bloodline" of Jesus. The Pharisees in Jesus day laid great stress upon bloodlines. "We know who we are descended from - Abraham." Jesus changed the stress from bloodline to that of the Spirit. Could we search as diligently for the "Spirit" of Christ, that Spirit which led him to give his life as a ransom for many?One character, Teabing, sees our current cultural shift as being away from the thought control and dominance of religions telling us how to live. Now, we are moving into a new age, "the Age of Aquarius - the water bearer - whose ideals claim that man will learn the truth and be able to think for himself." (P.289-90). Many today are abandoning our 2,000 year religious heritage rooted in Christ, including his ethic of personal integrity and service. Is society any better for that abandonment? We'll see! -This book started out with such promise. It was witty and made me laugh out loud several times in the first chapters. The writing is quite good. Unfortunately, the story went on way too long. It could have been shortened by about 100 pages. All the characters were unlikable and very flawed. The only reason I finished the book was because I had to for my book club. At the end I was glad it was over and I realized that I hadn't learned a darn thing. A waste of time in my opinion. -I enjoyed City of Bones very much. It was funny, witty, and just fun altogether. I loved the characters' personalities more than anything. The characters were original, but deep down just like every other teenager. The problems the characters got themselves into were creative and fun.The flaw was simply that this book is much like the other books that are currently being published. Many of these books include vampires or werewolves or even witches. This book contains all of the above. While these are fun things to read about, this book is not very original. Sure it is exciting, but so are a lot of other books.In some areas however, the other is very original. Such as the drawings that the shadow hunters tattoo on their body.Half of the time I felt as if I was reading Star Wars, the relationship between Clary and Valentine are similar to Luke and his father.Thus the book being like a lot of other books, I really liked it. -This was an exceptional book. The book dealt with the attitudes behind what makes someone successful in life. Typically, one believes that success is the result of amazing talent and ability. One believe that those who are successful have been given a special gift of talent or ability. Gladwell refutes this concept by introducing some key principles that lead to people becoming successful. He studies the ideas of 10,000 hour rule, family background, plain luck, and family history. Success is the accumulation of events that lead to the breakout. The book is a wonderful read. Gladwell is an amazing writer. The book is interesting and worth the time invested. If someone is looking for an informative read that is inspiring and interesting, this is an excellent book. It is one of the best books that I have read in the last little while. -I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you like books that keep you guessing all the way through, you'll enjoy it too. I find that my favorite books are the ones where none of the characters are all good or all bad. Real people are multi-faceted and so are the characters in this story. I'll look for more of her books for sure. -I really thought that this book was going to be a home run; however, I can't say this was Rowling 's best. The first half was super slow and it wasn't until the second half that the character s came together and the story line rolled on. -Bibanon1 wrote:"Jacob's grandfather is killed under mysterious circumstances, Jacob decides to investigate his grandfather's past by going to the orphanage where he grew up. Once there, Jacob discovers that the people...and monsters...might be real after all."And then, "The vintage images in this book are haunting and set the tone perfectly. The mystery is creative if a bit inscrutable. I loved Jacob's search for the truth but the explanations were fuzzy and the bad guys a bit over the top. I was a little disappointed that the book wasn't MORE whimsical."I would say that's exactly the case. I would have liked to see more thorough character development of the unusual children and the addition of more whimsy. The characters are a little flat and do not offset the undercurrent of the very dark themes. It starts to really take form when a teen witnesses the body of his grandfather after he is viscously murdered. The trauma affects him so deeply that he ends up with nightmares and in therapy. Interestingly, this is the lighter half of the story. It was not always a comfortable story but was not challenging enough to make me feel as if I might have grown from enduring the events, as some less comfortable stories do. I did enjoy this book as it kept me wondering what might happen next.While I do recommend this book, I also recommend stopping this series after this volume. The next one does not add in the way I had hoped it might. -The Kite Runner is very easy to read, because it keeps your interest throughout the entire book. The characters are wonderful, and the story is so well told and educates you about the culture. I loved this book! -(This is not my account I'm using my parent's right now because I lost my old one)To start off, Breaking Dawn was AMAZING. I could not put it down; it had so many surprises and twists that I was just on edge the whole time. I LOVE THIS BOOK.Don't let what others say make you shy away from this book or series; some people, it seems, get a little too into a story and forget that this is only a fiction piece. I understand that many readers come to identify with one character throughout the story and don't get the ending they wanted. They claim it's too "easy" and ending or that it's not realistic. Well, let me be realistic for them: the Twilight series is an AMAZING work of fiction, folks. Like Harry Potter, it's just not real. It has a realistic setting and characters, but face it, vampires and werewolves aren't exactly a realistic norm in society, right? So give the books a break.(SPOILERS AHEAD)One review claimed that the story didn't teach good morals. Only... why would you even try to get morals from a fiction book?? I know I keep repeating that about fiction but... why?? Bella and Edward have a baby. They end up together in the end. Jacob finds someone for him, even if it is their baby. It's not like he's a pedophile, he wants to protect her and be there for her. Be anything Renesmee needs him to be. That's just how it is. The ending is satisfying- everyone stays as family. And If you are somehow looking for morals in these books, what more could you ask for? Family protects family; family stays with family no matter what. People not satisfied with that ending would have wanted more death? If Jacob or Edward or Bella or any of the Cullens had died, would more fans have been happy? That just doesn't seem likely.(END SPOILERS)Breaking Dawn is a great book. It's simply amazing. It's written wonderfully and creatively through two different perspectives, which made it more interesting to me. It won't let you down, as long as you don't become too intent on your own "perfect ending" for the story. Don't let the other reviews get you down; they just didn't get what they wanted. READ THIS BOOK! -Honestly I had never heard of The Hunger Games until it came out as a movie. I'm in my 40's I'm not exactly in the demographics for this book. Recently I caught the movie on Netflix and really enjoyed it. Figured the book had to have more information about everything (books are always better than the movie) - so I picked the book up (well rented it on my Kindle Fire). AND I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. I had seen the movie, I knew actually how it ended, but I was so totally enthralled with the story. It is a very interesting and very well written story. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to start reading the second book. In fact, I just started reading the second book yesterday. I sat and read for 7 hours last night. I only stopped because it was 1:30 a.m. and I had to work today. I am glad that I saw the movie first to put some of the descriptions of the people in The Capital in perspective, but not really necessary. -If I didn't already have a great appreciation for the Seals, and the great men and women that also serve, this book really enhances my understanding and gratitude. It does not compromise national security or seek personal agrandizement. Sadly it also helps to understand why this man, and others like him, are no longer Seals. Don't miss it. You'll be glad you took the time. -I absolutely loved Ms. Tartt's other books, "The Secret History" and "The little Friend". I was expecting the same with her third book. Her writing and depth of characters is amazing. She describes everything like you are there without going overboard where you get tired of the description.I give this book a solid 3. It kept me engaged at times and it lulled at others. I actually put this book down and read another in between because I was getting a bit bored, but as I read in another review, Tartt's characters are so deep that you can pick up right where you left off and I did.Would I recommend this book to someone? I don't know. I guess if they had the time for an extra book I would, but this was not Tartt's best work as far as the story went. -I got hooked on this series years ago, and it only took this first one to earn my dedication. Robert Jordan has a great ability to create wonderful, believable fantasy characters, and then to let them each develop personally as a human being and develop unique fantasy characteristics. All I can say is that, like so many before and after me, this book captivated my interest and set up some great characters, and in the books to come, the new characters to arrive are all at least as cleverly developed... and let me just say that, if you are a fantasy-lover newcome to Jordan, you will UNDOUBTEDLY enjoy this and the next 2-3 books.If you like fantasy, you will not regret buying this book... though some day you may regret becoming hooked on this seemingly infinite series. Though this is part of an apparently infinite series, this first volume of the million-ogy is most certainly worth your money. -There's plenty of reviews here already, so I'll focus in on the bottom line for me: Although this book gives short shrift to certain aspects of Jobs' personal life, and so is really a partial biography in that sense, from a business perspective, it is excellent, and a book anyone in business should read. The insight into how Jobs made decisions, how he pulled off the deals he pulled off, his successes and failures, and how they both shaped Apple, are amazing. His attention to detail, design, and the customer experience, and his merging of intuition, art, and technology, are stunning. It's a good read too - he was a difficult man, with the temperment and sensibility of an artist, not an engineer, which makes for good drama in the narrative of his life.This is also an amazing historical account of the forces that have changed our world in the last 30 years. From the birth of personal computing, through the internet, to mobile devices, the individuals such as Jobs that drove innovation during this time have been the true 'masters of the universe.' The other players that Jobs dealt with - Bill Gates of course, as well as the founders of most of the major technological players of our time - are all featured here, and it makes for a fascinating tale. I was actually quite fascinated, and in the end touched, by the relationship between Gates and Jobs, perhaps the two individuals most responsible for the nature of our world today (one could argue, far more so than any political or social leader during this time, when one considers how technology has transformed world politics as well, in terms of our global connectivity, Twitter, etc.)I would have personally loved more on his personal life. For example, his love of Zen Buddhism (an interest of mine) and how it impacted his design aesthetic is covered, but the exact nature of his practice and the teachers he studied with are not. His marriage and family life are barely covered, although of course by Jobs' own admission, he worked all the time and missed a lot of family life, so perhaps the percentage of space it is given in the book is proportional to the time he gave it in his life. But really, this is a business biography - a record of how he built Apple and Pixar, and all the products they spawned. And Isaacson definitely has a perspective - Jobs saw himself as a visionary at the intersection of the arts and technology, and creator of the most influential company on earth, and Isaacson grants him that legacy. -I am a knitter and was drawn by the titles, but knitting really has nothing to do with the story.... no matter, the premise of the story is clever. I can't wait to read more. No spoilers here... lots of other folks have done that already. =) -What's more is that I didn't even know this was an Oprah's Book Club pick until after I finished it and looked for reviews on Ammy. That said, I am impressed with Wally Lamb's writing, because he genuinely fooled me into thinking he was a female writer. It also helped that I got the audio book featuring the performing talent of the impressive Linda Stephens.Delores Price is a sad person whose life story begins in 1956 when her family gets a TV set as a gift to her family through the courtesy of her philandering father's mistress. Delores recounts the destruction of herself and her family from that first day when she is merely 4 years old, a dismal tale of a child who goes largely ignored after her mother has a miscarriage, effectively ignoring her little girl, and her father begins to become more verbally and physically abusive. Her father eventually leaves Delores and her mother until her mother has a mental breakdown and our poor little heroine is sent off to live with her grandmother, a racist, Bible-belting harpie who makes her success with other neighborhood children virtually impossible. Eventually, Delores's mother comes back home from the hospital, gets a new job, and starts dating lots of guys--including sleeping with the married boarder upstairs who ends up raping a 13 year-old Dolores. From there on things get worse. Dolores gets fat, her mother fights with her constantly until she is killed by a drunk driver, and then Delores goes off to college, suffering one embarrassing situation after another until a family friend pays for a seven year stay in a mental institution. Through unfinished therapy and a bad marriage, this girl goes through everything you can imagine, and then some. This book is fast paced and throws in every situation imaginable until it plays out like a controversial and tacky miniseries. That's not necessarily a bad thing, however. Along the way, Lamb puts in some great laugh-out-loud dialog along with some truly disturbing and tear-jerking moments.If you love very highly charged stories with lots of tragedy and trash, you will love this book. There are some very touching people in this story, and Lamb shows that people are neither good nor bad--we all have moments of weakness as much as our better traits--and nobody is infallible. If this book seems too trashy and rediculous to swallow, I would recommend somebody more on the level of Meg Hutchinson. Personally, I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't get it for keeps. -I tried this book because it averaged well and it was free, well that was a mistake. The writing was choppy and poor and the characters were never really defined. I also felt that the authors style of writing was that of a high schooler. At first I kept reading because I thought it was exciting but I quickly grew irritated with how the author tried to portray the characters and situations by telling you how to feel ex) so and so said this in an exasperated tone... the situation in the book should portray that tone without the author telling you . anyways I tried to keep going but I just can't put in any more effort to read such poor quality. -I don't usually read mysteries or thrillers, but I started this one and came across this great quote in the first few pages:I do not believe in the court system, at least I do not think it is especially good at finding the truth. No lawyer does. We have all seen too many mistakes, too may bad results. The jury verdict is just a guess--a well-intentioned guess, generally, but you simply cannot tell fact from fiction by taking a vote. And yet, despite all that, I do believe in the power of the ritual. I believe in the religious symbolism, the black robes, the marble-columned courthouses like Greek temples. When we hold a trial, we are saying a mass. We are praying together to do what is right and to be protected from danger, and that is worth doing whether or not our prayers are actually answered.Wow, right!? I assumed the rest of the book would be full of similar kinds of insightful metaphors, but I was mistaken. It is a compelling read, one you hate to put down, but in the end, that just wasn't enough for me. The characters are all one-dimensional and flat. By page 200, the story had become a Lifetime Movie with caricatures instead of complicated and complex characters. It was a good story and an interesting premise, but the story telling itself left much to be desired. -This is the first book in the Trylle trilogy by Hocking. It was a fun and engaging read about something you don't usually get to read about, Trolls. Great start to this series.Wendy's mother tried to kill her when she was a little girl, so now she is being raised by her aunt and brother. At seventeen years old she still doesn't fit in and people seem to automatically dislike her; then Finn enters her life and tells her that she is a Trylle. Now Wendy is entering a world she never knew existed and she's not sure if it is any better than the world she left behind.The story was very engaging and the characters well done. It was fun to read about something other than werewolves, fairies, and vampires for once; Wendy is a Trylle or troll. There wasn't a ton of high school angst in this book, Wendy is off to the Trylles pretty quickly, so I enjoyed that.Wendy is a complicated character who is dealing with a lot of emotional trauma since her mother tried to kill her and she has so much trouble fitting in with other people. I liked how independent she was and how willing she was to accept the big changes that happened in her life.Finn was a wonderful and mysterious male lead. It bothered me some that his relationship was so on and off again with Wendy and that his personality changed so much. Despite that I still look forward to learning more about him in future books.The book was engaging and well written; basically a fun light read. The ending is a total cliffhanger though and that was pretty irritating. Luckily the next book is already out, so you if you like this book, be ready to read the next book ASAP.Overall this was a fun and engaging read. I loved the creativity of having trolls as the main paranormal element. The characters were all well done and fun to read about. I recommend this book for people who enjoy young adult paranormal books. Just beware that it ends on a cliffhanger without much resolution. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series, Torn. -Eric Ries presents a radical, innovative way to assess and manage businesses. Do the strategies work? I implemented three different strategies described in the book in my own companies, and I am ecstatically pleased with the results. His ideas provide a highly effective way for any company--large or small--to identify new opportunities through applying the basic components of the scientific method. This allows a company to explore new opportunities in highly scaled ways and then to make reasoned assessments of their value. This is powerful stuff, as I have found out. One of the big secrets is to scale the opportunity, set up hypotheses regarding the change, and (best) develop a means of assessing the value and success of the opportunity. Each of his concepts are accompanied by detailed real-life examples. The book is well organized around Ries's key concepts and provide a very sensible approach that, if implemented accordingly, will result in success. Again, after applying several of the concepts myself, I appreciate the power of these approaches. They work. And I really like the way they work. He definitely is onto something here.But the reader is left to figure out a lot of the details for implementing the concepts. The "how" of the approach is all but missing. As a result, the book has more the feeling perhaps of a series of general overview lectures that provide occasional nuggets that an attendee takes home. I want to see many more details (and perhaps fewer examples) of how a business person can set these ideas into motion. More, for example, like the approach used in "The Entrepreneurial Mindset."So I am left highly jazzed about the concepts presented here, but hungry for more detail as an actual user of the concepts. Regardless, the general approach he is advocating is square on the mark. They work and they are powerful. -I liked this serie very much! I found it poetic and sensitive. The romance was quite cute and had depth.I run through them quite quickly and I'm very excited about Forever (book 3).Already read reviews on it and my fear of a poor ending seems quite unfounded. Grace/Sam are a great couple and Isabel/Cole is promising.More to say, when I'll read Forever this week-end...More reviews on my blog (link on my profile page) -A very good story that appealed to my senses of right and wrong;good and bad. I think I really enjoyed the intense difference in the theme. Not the same old story in a different version and there was no way for me to figure anything out ahead of time. The characters are excellent and their personalities are very individual. Like the raw humans that we are, most of us can't leave well enough alone;and there is always someone wanting to rule the whole world. I look forward to the sequel and will be one of the first buyers. -Seriously, this is amazing science fiction. The story is gripping and well-written, but it's the characters more than anything else that kept me coming back. The author has a real gift for characters, and these characters made an already interesting story jump out even more. I could not put this book down, because I had to know what happens next. The 5-volume style at first was a little off-putting, but around midway through the third "book" I started to appreciate how the author used that serial style to his advantage, made me anticipate certain things, surprised me when he changed other things up.And the story? Superb. More realistic than I would expect, given the initial premise, and once you accept that premise everything else that follows feels not only natural but almost unavoidable.Seriously, get this book. -Loved this book. The plot keeps you interested and guessing the whole time. Such a departure from her Harry Potter books. The character development was great. I have vivid pictures in my mind of what they looked like. I think this might become a series the way it was left. Will make a great movie too. -I couldn't get past the first chapter, it was so horrible. I guess I just have higher standards! I prefer fun Xtoriez like Go Get The Girl. But I digress. The characters were bland; the writing poor; and the imagination was unimaginative. There are so many better things to read. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/paragraph-test.electronics.txt b/reference_files/paragraph-test.electronics.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 485456fdb317a39e358824285d443fc6a3b80a39..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/paragraph-test.electronics.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,238 +0,0 @@ -The good:The case is great for the more upright positions. The slots on the inside of the case ensure that the iPad doesn't move while in those positions.The quality of the leather is good and looks very professional.The case seems very durable and I feel like it provides good protection for the ipad.The surface is completely open because the plastic backing fits snuggly around the sides.SmartCover works perfectly.The bad:The case was much thicker than I had expected. The reviews made it sound like it was very thin. I don't think it is that thin.The plastic case makes it harder to use the volume buttons, but I don't use them all that often.I don't like the way that the case/cover unfolds to the point where half the bottom is detached. In other words, if you lift the ipad by holding the cover, the back/bottom doesn't have much support.For the price, I would have shopped around more. I don't really care that much about the smartcover functionality. If I had to do it over again, i would have gone to Fry's or Best Buy to check out different cases. Even Costco had some that looked ok. -The price on the HDMI cable says that its only a few pennies, but with shipping and handling it's about 3 bucks. Compared to what you're saving however 3 bucks is EXTRAORDINARY! It connected my laptop to my HD tv without a problem and didn't have any connection lag. This is a MUST BUY at this price and I feel like i'll need to buy one for my uncle. The length is also good @ 2 meters -I had a similar case for my iPad1-but rushed to get a cover for the iPad2 that replaced it. Always a mistake to rush.So seeing my error I RAN to vet on Amazon what was out there. This cover came up with wonderful reviews...for a very good reason, it is protective and real leather too. This cover is solid, well designed to let the iPad stand freely without flopping over. Travel with this safer in a backpack on airlines too. Again, this baby is built to last and protect your investment.Absolutely delighted. -The lens has a great zoom range, and takes nice clean, sharp pictures thanks to the image stabilization. However, the auto-focus doesn't work all that well if the lighting isn't perfect. Given a nice sunny day, the auto-focus is very responsive and accurate. If you're indoors, or shooting at dusk, be prepared to wait up to several seconds for the focus to be set; if it can acquire focus at all. I find that if I am dealing with dim lit shots of a static subject, manual focus is much more effective.Upon the first use of this lens, I thought something was broken. This is because the image stabilization makes a light grinding noise. While the noise can be annoying while taking pictures, it can be catastrophic when recording a video. Consider that the grinding noise is coming from a lens directly attached to the camera. This grinding travels very well to the internal microphone, and is forever recorded with your video.As a side note: It would also be nice if Canon started putting their lens caps on leashes. For those that don't like a dangling lens cap, they can remove it. For those who like it, we wouldn't have to buy a new lens cap! -You can't go wrong with this lens. Because I am not a professional photographer who gets paid to shoot, my budget is limited. This lens is one of the least expensive, quality lenses that could find. The result will surprise you.This lens is now my favorite when shooting portraits. Because of its wide aperture, you can really blur the background, even indoors. It's great for low-light shots for the same reason (wide-aperture).I highly recommend this lens to all amateur photographers as their first prime lens. Some people compare this lens with the more expensive lenses but I don't think you can compare apples with oranges because this lens is not in the same price range as other lenses. -Frankly, the images are generally fuzzy. Some are ok, but at least half are out of focus. This is just not acceptable for a camera at this price. -This thing is awesome. The only downside is that there aren't many apps that support it yet. The biggest problem is that my amazon app doesn't support it. I have to open up chrome from my computer and stream amazon through chrome. It still works but I really wish Amazon Prime was directly compatible with chromecast. Its fun to sit around the television with friends and let them all queue something up to watch from youtube. Good job Google. -The 17.3" Samsung laptop I purhcased was getting pretty hot near the keys so I ordered the largest cooler I could find on Amazon. Cooler Master has a great reputation, so I figured I'd give this one a shot.The laptop cooler is HUGE. Seriously, they say it's for laptops up to 19" (didn't realize they made them that big) but there is extra room around my 17 incher. The design is pretty industrial, with the only flourishes being the light which you can thankfully turn off. There are ugly rubber pieces all around the base, these allow for you to slide in your cables, and actually works well to reduce the clutter.The unit comes with a USB cable, a power adapter, and the stand itself. The unit has 4 built in USB ports which are pretty awesome at reducing wear on your laptop's ports. They're 2.0, they have a 3.0 version but it was unavailable from Amazon when I purchased this unit. The fans are very large and can be snapped out of the unit for cleaning.Performance of the cooler is amazing, the fans blow incredibly cold air towards the laptop, through a metal mesh grill that keeps airflow moving. My laptop doesn't have large enough vents on the bottom, so they don't really work at cooling it down at all. Before you buy this you should make sure your laptop has bottom vents that could appreciate the extra airflow, otherwise it's just cooling down the base of your unit without helping your processor or graphics card.I'm giving it 4 stars and keeping it because the build quality is great, and the unit would work with the right laptop. It also works as a great stand for keeping your screen at a comfortable eye level. Just double check your unit before ordering, otherwise you might not be getting what you need. (should be sucking in air through the bottom, NOT blowing out- if they blow out, this will have a negative impact on your laptop's cooling system) -This is a very sturdy, elegant and functional Bluetooth keyboard case for your iPad Mini. It is designed for people who want to use their iPad Mini in some very rough and physically demanding environments. It is also a stylish case that will not be out of place in your hip neighborhood coffee shop.One of the first things you notice about this case is that it's pretty heavy, much more so than some other such case/keyboard that are on the market right now. If you are looking for a very light accessory for your iPad Mini then this case is not for you. The case is also pretty hard to open up and insert your iPad Mini into. You need to pull back the rubberized outer cover, and then carefully pry open several small plastic hinges. You will probably not want to take your iPad Mini in and out too often.The case is indeed very sturdy and it covers your iPad Mini almost completely, including the plastic screen cover. It imbues one with a confidence that the case will protect your iPad Mini from most falls and bumps, although I have not been brave enough to venture an actual physical test. The case detaches from the keyboard, and it allows you to use the iPad by itself. All ports are covered with rubberized plugs, but they are easily pulled back and allow the ports to be easily accessed with chords.The keyboard paired up with my iPad Mini very easily and without any hitches. It also maintained connection for the duration of use. The keyboard is charged through a micro USB slot on the side. (An Apple compatible charging port might have been a more appropriate choice, but knowing how reluctant Apple is to let the third-party vendors use its ports, this was likely not going to happen.) The keyboard is very responsive, and I for the most part like the key action. However, this sized keyboard is VERY cramped, and you really don't want to be using it for composing longer documents.The arm that attaches the case to the keyboard allows for your iPad to rotate through an arbitrary angle. However, only the portrait and the landscape orientations will be useful for the most part. I found the landscape orientation to be unstable though - I either had to allow the iPad Mini to "dangle" above the keyboard, or pull it out so far that the connecting arm becomes detached. If you are planning on typing in an on-the-go situation far away from a desk, then all of this is less than optimal.The case/keyboard combo is very well made. It is also competitively priced, and if you are looking for a rugged device/accessory of this kind then you will not go wrong with this New Trent model. I highly recommend it. -The Gladius mini is a durable case. It has a screen protector and is very thick. It gives you a sense of security when standing with your device. The leather strap is a nice touch and it fits so nice once you adjust it. This makes it so much easier to hold your ipad. This would be perfect for someone who has to walk around while doing stuff on the job. Perfect when you're trying to look at plans or lists while carrying out tasks. It's near impossible to drop this thing. You can also rotate the strap so you don't have to twist your wrist off to view it in a different orientation. The one thing though I had so much trouble opening the kickstand due to the fact that I didn't realize the angle I had to pull to open it. Also the case is rather unattractive if you don't account the leather strap. It just seems weird to have a nice strap and then have an ugly exterior. I give this a 4 out of 5. Durable and secure. But needs some aesthetics worked on. -I love my Samsung LN46A650. The picture is amazing. It is so clear and sharp. I upgraded from a 32 inch Vizio. I had no problems with that set, I just wanted something bigger. I read lots of reviews and looked at lots of TVs in stores. It is beautiful. I've had it for about a month now. I haven't tried tweaking the settings, because so far, I am totally satisfied. If you are looking for a great set, this one may be the one for you, too. My video games look amazing on this set. Blu-ray movies are fantastic. I watched Wall-e, and it was like looking through a window at this wonderful movie (one of my favorites from 2008). Wow, wow, wow! -The case is very sturdy and works well it was a little thicker then the MoKo case for my 2012 Nexus 7. I don't know if that is do to the finish option I chose or if the 2013 model was just thicker. I did not like the Carbon Fiber option as much as I thought I would. It was ruff on my hand at first. I like it still. I bought a Green one for the 2012 Nexus and it looks Good. -The bokeh when shooting wide open at 1.8 is absolutely amazing! The images are so crisp and sharp! This lens is a must have!!! -I had to buy a new router before the streaming media player started to work. Too slow. Not Google's fault. The product itself and the documentation are as good as it gets. I already had Roku which can deliver more media choices, but the Google Chromecast concept of streaming whatever you have on your Chrome home page is simpler and will soon have more media. I miss the possibility of Amazon streaming, but if I want it bad enough, I use Roku.Easy as pie to install and works exactly as advertised. You won't get the free NetFlix promotion because "He who hesitates pays more", but I, as an earliest adopter, payed a net of less than $10 for this useful and cute gadget. -Up until a couple of weeks ago, I had never heard of a headphone amp. Well, I guess part of the reason is that I never owned a good pair of phones. I recently bought a pair ofSennheiser HD-595 Premier Headphone(here on Amazon), which are tight (see my review). The Senns have pretty high impedance (50 ohms), and my netbook and ipod don't have enough juice to power it. Therefore, the need for a headphone amp arose.One of the first HP amps that I came across was the FiiO F5. I had never heard of this brand. I think a reviewer mentioned that its Chinese. Anyhoo, The features that hooked me was its price, size(it's the same size as the iPod shuffle), and simplicity. Seeing a majority of positive reviews, I decided to go for it. I received it in 3 days from Head-Direct (which I would recommend since it was under $25 with shipping, and they use Amazon for payment).Upon first trial through my iPod, I was a little miffed because there was a high frequency "noise", is the best way I can describe it. But it went away when I played the music, and it never recurred. I played music with, and without the amp, and the difference is quite remarkable. With thew FiiO connected, aside from a big boost in volume, the depth is also enhanced. The bass boost is subtle, but noticable. I would recommend maxing out the volume on the amp and controlling the volume from the source, as the button is quite small and right next to the output plug.Other than the sound, the things I like about it is its size, internal rechargeable battery, on/off button, clip, and blue/red light, which indicates when it is on/off or charging/charged. It also comes with a 6" and 3' cord, and a USB to mini USB charging cable.The only things I can think of that I don't like is the fact that it charges through the computer, which means that, 1) you need access to a computer, and 2) the computer has to be on. I also find it a little disturbing that the instruction manual states that the battery can be charged and discharged hundreds of times, BUT the battery will eventually wear out and is irreplaceable. Hopefully, it will last 25 bucks worth of charges! Which brings me to question how long the charge will last. And since I just got it, I have yet to figure that out. Highly recommend it. -Used three of these for some new TVs I purchased. Picture quality is great as well as the quality of the cable -Purchased this router to replace an existing Netgear AP that was getting unreliable, with hopes of better range. The built-in management software felt almost exactly the same as the old Netgear's. The nicest feature I saw in the default firmware was that the guest networks had straight-forward bandwidth limiting control (if you're into that kinda thing).I ultimately flashed dd-wrt onto this router with no issue, and it's been as solid as can be throughout the entire experience, before and after flashing.Oh, and the range is pretty good too. Not sure how much better it can get on a consumer device. -I purchased this monitor February the 8th and received it quickly. It has an amazing picture and beautiful contrast. I was really enjoying my monitor until the On Screen Display started popping up randomly. The buttons on this monitor are WAY TOO sensitive. They are 'touchscreen' type and there is no physical surface. It just appears the buttons are flush into the glossy bevel. You don't even have to be touching them to get the OSD to respond, which seems to be the problem. I can activate them by hovering my finger about a quarter of an inch away. I have nothing below the sides of the buttons and the O.S.D. still pops up randomly every few minutes. I need to figure out how to return it or exchange it for another one. I went onto Viewsonic's customer service website, and wasn't too impressed. Tis a shame...Please help me if you have any clue what to do. Thank You for your time. -I purposely bought this camera and housing for SCUBA. After spending $100 to $1,400 on cameras, I was stunned to see how great the pictures and videos came out. The description of all the other functions of this camera are listed, but I think the first reviewer here nailed the camera's qualities. It is an easy point `n shoot camera with some extras. The GPS is a gimmick, but it does work well in placing your photos if you want to display them on GOOGLE Earth. However, the housing restricts that feature. The 12.1 megapixels are great for even posters or flat screen televisions (I use mine through my Blu-ray disc player for YOUTUBE). The function set, display, menu and the dial are all easy and intuitive. The zoom is remarkably steady (I recommend a small tripod). I've never cared for Optical Zoom, but the 20X works as well as any.This is really a remarkable camera for the price. I have yet to test the stereo microphones, but I can imagine that for the family filmmaker, this might be fun to watch and listen to on a television with stereo speakers. The software that is included is also very simple but important. The features are numerous and it's nice to have something that directly deals with the camera features other than just `Windows Movie Maker". If you ski, snorkel or particularly SCUBA, you will love this camera. -This is a very basic item but the price was good and I do prefer SanDisk. I am happy with purchase. -I have had this item for less than a week and am still becoming more familiar with it. Having said that, my initial impressions are very positive and are as follows:Pros1. The case is very beautiful, stylish, rugged and well designed. It is lightweight and adds little bulk to the device. It fits my iPad Air like a glove and all ports are accessible. In addition, all ports have covers which helps protect them from damage, dust, etc.2. The specs say that the case is shock proof and water resistant. Although I had no chance to verify this personally, the fit seems tight and it would be difficult for water or dust to penetrate the case.3. The built in screen protector works very well. I removed the original screen protector from the iPad and then applied the built in screen protector. This did make it easier to install the iPad Air in the case and there were no bubbles or grids, as some people experienced, on the screen. In addition, the touch screen feature of the iPad was very responsive and performed as if the screen protector were not there.4. With the case on, I found that the power, the home and the volume buttons were very responsive to light touch. There was no need to exert substantial pressure to get them to function properly.5. In my opinion, the star of the show is the leather hand strap on this case. It is very stylish, elegant, gives added protection from accidental drops of the device, and makes holding the device very comfortable. It is adjustable to fit most hand sizes and rotatable to various angles for easy and comfortable viewing of the device. This feature reduces the fatigue of holding the device for long periods. Makes me wonder how did I live without this feature before.6. The kickstand is made of metal and is very sturdy. It has a bottle opener on it. It is a good feature to have, but not necessary for my purposes.Cons:None that I would consider a deal breaker.Conclusion:All in all, this is an excellent case for the iPad Air. I rated it a 5/5. -Up to now, advanced hobbyist photographers had to make a tradeoff between portability and quality. No more. This camera can take shots as good -and sometimes better- as my trusted DSLR.Take a look at my sample shots at [...]PORTABILITYThis camera fits in my hand, in my pocket and in my laptop bag. In fact, I am using the case for my wife's Lumix TZ8. I can bring this camera with me anywhere.One big advantage is safety: if you travel to places that are not 100% safe, any potential robber would mistake it with a cheap $200 camera. More importantly, you will nevr have to leave this camera in a hotel room, on the trunk of your car, or will have to carry a big backpack with camera and accessories.Why this is size so important? You miss 100% of the shots you can't take because you cannot bring your camera. Because this is a camera you will carry anywhere. There have been many business trips, weekend opportunities and just in the moment photo opportunities where it was not practical or safe to bring my big DSLR. That is no longer a problem with a portable camera like this that gives me all the quality and control I need as an experienced photographer.The only downside to size it that it looks pretty ridiculous to have this camera mounted on a tripd (as I did last night taking skyline shots at dusk) and that you don't have the `professional' look of sdomeone carrying a large camera with a big lens, which sometimes is useful getting access to normally unavailable areas for tourists.QUALITYSony has been improving the quality of its digital cameras steadily for the last few years. In February of 2011 I got a HX5V which was quite impressive, and delivered quality images even when compared with a DSLR except for low-light and other tricky situations. I traded it for a Canon PowerShot S95 which was a step ahead but still suffered from high noise levels in low light settings.What makes this camera unique is a 1" CMOS sensor. It is the only camera in this class or in similar size with a sensor this big. The law of physics is very simple: larger sensor, higher quality and lower noise. Sure you could get a NEX-5 with an even bigger sensor for slightly better quality but you would be stuck with a much, much larger camera, especially because of the size of the lens, and a much higher price.Combined with a minimum aperture of f/1.8, Carl Zeiss optics and a lot of cool features from Sony such as the Auto HDR and very cool camera effects, it is an amazing camera. After a week of playing with it I am wondering why would the average person need anything more than this camera.Last, I really love the on-screen information (and the quality of the display), especially the level indicator that helps you shoot straight pictures.EASE OF USEDon't let the power scare you away from this camera. As most point and shoot cameras, this one has an `auto' mode that is usually quite good at getting the right settings for each shot. If you ar enot an expert, you will feel at home with the Sony RX100 camrea having used any pocket digital camera, and you will enjoy the high quality it delivers.I found the menus to be intuitive, the camera feels solid and built with high quality materials.AREAS OF IMPROVEMENTProcessing speed takes a few seconds, but given the quality of the effects I would be surprised if they took significantly less time. Still, often you have to wait a second or two after a shot if you use advanced in-camera processing such as HDR.The 3.6 Zoom goes to 105mm I think, which is fine for most situations but could be nice to have a 200mm 9equivalent) zoom. I know adding such a zoom would require a larger lens so I rather keep the portability as is. Further, with 20 megapixels, you can zoom in to your photos easily in post production.Overall, if you are an experienced hobbyist or a semi-professional photographer looking for a camera to take always with you, or a backup/alternative to your big clunky DSLR, don't look any further. This is it. -The case is built well. It does not seem like it will fall apart or break from normal daily use.Setting up the case was very easy. It took less than 30 seconds to pair the case and then use it. After the initially pairing, the iPad and keyboard case automatically sync when Bluetooth is on and the device is on.The keys are responsive and are great for reducing wear and tear on the iPad because you can use the home and lock buttons directly from the keyboard.The ability to orient the case in landscape or portrait mode allows you to customize the iPad’s position to your liking. Also, the case can be moved to multiple angles for different uses like watch movies and typing.The battery life lasts for a long time and it was used right after unboxing the product and has not needed to be charged yet. But it does come with a micro USB charging cable for charging.The case is compact for a keyboard case and it is about twice the size of the iPad Air by itself. It fully covers the iPad, but allows access to all the ports and camera. Also, when not in use, the case closes like a clamshell to protect the iPad. The keyboard portion of the case has four rubber pads to protect the iPad screen from the keys.The iPad was fairly easy to extract from the case so the iPad was not scratched or damaged when detaching from the keyboard case.It would be nice to have the iPad case part detach from the keyboard when not in use, but this is a suggestion not a problem with the case. -The sound cancellation and quality are awesome on these ear buds. The shape of pieces fit my ears perfectly. It cancels out noise and you don't have to have it turned up so loud to do so. This is the second pair bought... Hubby likes them too! -At its discounted price, this TV was a good deal. Much thinner and lighter (12 lbs) than old TV sets, though not as thin as newest sets. The picture is not as good as plasma in terms of clarity when looking a people's faces, but it is a fine picture. Using installed apps to access netflix, hulu, etc is terrific. However, there is a discrepancy between what I thought internet access means and what the set actually offers. If you had planned to catch up on PBS programs or latest missed network TV shows by accessing their sites online or using comcast infinity online, forget it. During setup you find you cannot update the adobe flash player. That update is necessary to continue to play those online archives. Curiously, the content of the network players ran just fine the first time I accessed them until the update notice popped up. After several flash player update failures, the browser refused to run any flash enabled ABC network content except for the introductory ads. Other folks have had problems accessing any internet content requiring latest flash player. What is odd is that I had access until I attempted to update. As mention by others, the web browser is clunky and manipulating a TV remote to access its features is frustrating. We simply attach an old wireless capable laptop with an HDMI cable to play internet content. For us, the netflix and other apps offer minimal increase in internet functionality over our old setup with our old TV and a laptop. -A lot of adapters for this provide great isolation. The bendy wire attached to the ear bud makes it hold tight to your ears. The clip is pretty useless, and the pouch is really small.The sound is decent. Not great. It's a little tinny and lacks any real base, but everything is audible and there isn't a lot of noticeable distortion.I purchased these to replace a pair of Shure isolating ear buds. Let's be real. They are a cheap replacement. The audio quality is no where near the Shure set. They do well at work and the gym but I won't brag about them. Nor will I harp on the audio. Also, when I put this set through the dryer, I wont be so angry with myself.If you want the best audio out there, ridiculous comfort and amazing isolation, pay more and get more. If you want to spend a few bucks so you don't have to hear grotesque noises from the cubicle next to you or the person on the next treadmill, these will do the trick.I'd recommend them. -These headphones are totally stylsih and sound great. I don't know all that much about headphones, but I can tell you that these are of excellent quailty, appear very professional, look awsome and sound good too. You won't be disappointed if you buy these headphones. In my opinion they are worth the steaper price than some of the others. These are much better quality than the cheaper ones available. -I really like the case, the protection offered by the kindle is very good. However, from my point of view it becomes a little heavier than other cases, one of the reasons that I love the kindle is so light, but not too much weight with this case without a little for my taste. In short, good case, much protection, smart function goes on. -I like the Zune. I got the brown one (the case has a translucent exterior giving a doubleshot of green around the edge when viewed in the right light). I wanted something like this and pretty much knew I needed to have video.When compared to the other choices I wanted to make sure I did not have to convert my library over (its 50% WMA and 50% MP3) and that it did decent video. I also wanted FM. The obvious choice was the Creative Zen Vision. Alas I am not the type to buy something expensive without first checking it out. I was never able to see one. No Brick and Mortar store carried one for me to look at. So I delayed for months before bying anything. Then I got an opportunity to play with the Zune. Here is what I liked.Its a good form factor for me. I know people love their skinny iPods but for me that would encourage putting in places it will get bent and none of these devices do well with that! Also, I like the size of it because my hands are big and I have something to hold on to.I like the big wide screen but don't be fooled, its still a 4:3 ratio and not 16:9. The best films to rip are fullscreen not wide screen. I've used the AVS DVDtoGO software for that. The picture quality is great. Very colorful and sharp. The size of the screen means my eyes can see it well.The software is good. It takes a bit of getting used to. I was expecting to drag and drop files onto a file system but that isn't how the Zune works. You create a library and it synchronizes. You get a lot of options on how you want to view this library and you get a lot of options on how you create playlists. It took a while to figure out how to keep some files off the Zune (like screenshots for work that I had in My Pictures) but once you figure it out it makes sense.The sound quality is excellent and the reception on the FM radio is also excellent! It uses RDS to get song information and station identification. The interface is very clean and easy to use.Things that are missing that you should know about: The Zune cannot act as a USB hard drive. This is probably a big surprise to many. Also, the Zune cannot record either voice via microphone or its Digital FM signal.I like the Zune quite a bit. Its easy to use and shows quality workmanship. There are some missing features and the software has a short learning curve but for me the combination of its advantages are a real bonus. -Great case! I was very skeptical when ordering this case as it was only $11, but boy was I surprised. The case fits my Nexus 7 perfectly and has a very professional and expensive look to it.All the necessary cutouts are prefectly done to allow for the charging cable, headphones, camera and speaker.The lid of the case is magnetic, so once you open the lid the Necxus 7 screen turns on and when closing the lid it turns the screen off.In my opinion this case runs circles around the $20 case Google is selling on the nexus website. -The Smart TV is great, and at a very fair price. The setup was explained well and straightforward, even the network setup and interface to peripheral devices. Had it up and running in an hour or so.The picture and sound are fine. Through the smart hub we can browse the web and play youtube videos and music for free. Have not tried the pay services yet; may not need to. I suggest that you use a USB mouse instead of the remote for the on-screen keyboard, it is much faster and easier. Just plug it in and go.Overall, we are very happy with our purchase. -This drive is very fast, the included software from Samsung is pretty good, including the imaging software which is fast and easy to use. Beware trying to use USB to Sata adapters if your going to image a drive to this SSD. (like switching out your boot drive to this like I did.) IF your using the included Samsung software, as I did, it will not recognize the SSD connected to any of the three that I have tried, but your mileage may vary. -Works great on my computer and console, just plug in and you are ready to go, it has a decent range, i can now control my pc from my couch as well as my consoles, and the backlight is nice. -I searched in many other places and the prices were way too high. This one is a great price and includes the HDMI cable. I mounted my 55" Sanyo with no problem. Easy to install. Would recommend. -Easy to use. You have three different angles to use. Nice feeling of cover and easy to operate when opening and closing. -I bought this case to hold my Seagate Expansion 1.5 TB USB 3.0 HDD (STAX1500102). It fits perfectly, snug with no room to move around. The cable also fits just right in the left side sleeve. The fact that the case is hard means it is great for travel and means no worries when putting it into a backpack or carry-on. -So, a one star is pretty harsh.Especially considering that I still use the G13, and aside from the Nostromo (before Razer took it over), it's the best out there of its kind. Fortunately for Logitech there aren't many companies bothering to design these types of keypads.It's made well enough. No complaints regarding the build quality.The problems lay in the design.I don't know who designed the thumb stick, but if you don't replace it yourself (which requires taking the device apart, or gluing/sanding) it's just terrible as a AWSD input. Anyways, I would fire the designer of it. He clearly is not good. Even the five star reviews will tell you that.The LCD is a gimmick. I don't know what else to say about it. The only reason you'll probably use it is to swap profiles, which I'll mention in the next part.The software is terrible. Sometimes you'll have to program the device every time you boot up, because the file won't save correctly. Even worse is that it will sometimes revert back to an older setting, or lose a profile, months after you thought it finally was working.So, what does this all mean. Well, because the Nostromo is no longer as good as it once was, we're pretty much stuck with the G13. On the other hand, Logitech did a terrible job on it, considering the price point. It's basically a bunch of keys, a worthless LCD screen, a terrible joystick, and bad software to make it worse.Hopefully a competitor will go into this niche field and design something better. Logitech is obviously more interested in making it look fancy, than having it work well.***EDIT***Well, at the time of this editing "0 of 7 people found this review helpful." It's possible that all of them work at Logitech; who knows. I've adjusted the review to now be 3 stars, mostly because I was probably a little overly harsh. The fact is, I still own and use my G13. It's not perfect, especially considering the price point for what is essentially a mini keyboard with a silly LCD and bad joystick, but it's still the best product in the niche field (once modified by the owner). That said, if Razer goes back to the quality of the original Nostromo produced by Belkin, then I will be switching brands. -KeyboardThe keyboard on this case is very nice. The keys have a really nice feel to them. It is small because it is the width of the iPad, but it is still very functional. I really like the extra function buttons (home, brightness adjustment, volume adjustment, copy, paste, and media conrols. I find myself using the volume controls a lot - much better than finding the right side of the iPad with the controls and hitting the wrong one by mistake! I am typing this review on the keyboard and it is working really well. I havee also used the keyyboard forr several hours and have not neeededd to charge it once yet.Case/StandThe case overall is very sturdy. It has a nice solid, slightly heavy feel to it. I assume the weight is due to the battery. The case closes tightly and has a nice latch to keep it closed. Another positive with the case is that it is very configurable. There are a lot of different orientations that you can place the iPad in (portrait, landscape, folded over on top of the keyboard). There is a groove at the top of the keyboard for resting the iPad in so it doesn't move when you touch it. Unfortunately, I have found it slightly awkward to get the iPad in the groove because it requires sliding a latch on the back of the keyboard and pulling the stand part of the case sligtly out of the keyboard.My favorite way to use the case is on a table. I pull the iPad and stand completely out of the keyboard and place it several inches behind the keyboard. It makes it very easy to sit down and knock out some emails withough having to use the on-screen keyboard. It is very handy to be able to remove the iPad but keep the stand attached, without needing the keyboard. I have used it several times this way as well.The case also has the ability to detach the iPad from the keyboard and stand entirely. It is very quick and easy to remove it by using a camera lens cap type of connector. The iPad itself sits in a thin plastic case that wraps around the sides and back of the iPad. it's not incredibly protective and I'm not sure how it would handle a drop, but it's much better than no case and does offer scratch protection for the back of the iPad.OverallThis case works well as a case for a family iPad. It can be used with the keyboard for doing text-intensive work, then with just the stand for watching videos or playing games. It's also quick to pop off of both to hand it to the kids to use, while still offering some protection. The keyboard feels and works great and the case is solid and very adjustable, with just a few small quirks -I love this trackball. I wasn't sure if I would...I was a user of the old mouse plug & then the USB model of the red ball model way back in the mid & late 90's before they had a scroll wheel....it just had 3 buttons. This one is great but I still find myself looking for 3 buttons from time to time...but really love how I can use it on my Idea Pad y510p which has a horrible touch pad (although everything else about the laptop is great!). It makes surfing the web or doing work on the sofa much easier since I can rest the trackball on the arm of the sofa. -I really love this bag. Its not too big neither too small the size is just the proper one. I have a Nikon D5100 and it fits very well and I like the fact that the camera with the kit lens on doesn't reach the bottom of the bag. Also the camera feels safe and tight in place. Also the pockets are very helpful and the straps to hold a tripod seems to hold well a tripod there. Also is very comfortable to wear it. However if you have a lot of stuff you might need something bigger, for me works fine since I don't have to many this to carry there yet (1 DSLR, Kit lens, 1 remote, 1 charger, the cables, lens cleaning kit, sometimes cell phone, etc). -While I dont like paying $10 for a cable, I suppose it's understandable for new technology. The cord is really nice, very well built, and works very well. For the price, it's an excellent cord. It is sturdy feeling, well constructed, it doesn't look cheap and it seems to be of a high quality. I was skeptical, as I usually only buy high quality wires, but the HDMI cables by those manufacturers where extremely expensive. I dont think I would have seen a tremendous difference in performance from say a Monster Cable and one of these. I think its worth the money for sure. :) -This cable is very good quality, and my picture is stunning. I changed this cable with one of those Monster cables and could not tell a difference. This is a difference in picture quality but the human eye can not tell the difference. Unless your a cable snob, get this cable. -I recommend spending the extra $50 and getting the HD version. The picture and sound is incredible!! I would definitely recommend!!! -I read other reviews about this model but was hoping I wouldn't experience the same issue. Out of the box, set the TV up in my bedroom, and the TV kept turning "off" on its own! Called Samsung and I'd have to take it about 15 miles to a repair shop (under warranty). Since many others on here stated they had this constant "turns itself OFF" flaw with this model, I'm returning it via UPS tomorrow.If there is good news, the picture looked great and Amazon.com handles returns quickly via this website.UPDATE AUGUST, 2013: I ordered another via Amazon's refurbished/returned models and this one works great. Picture quality is clear and I used other's settings mentioned on here for the picture adjustments. I would recommend this model now. -I was skeptical when ordering this product. I had never before heard of TP-Link. Because this router is available for less than $70, I had real reservations on just how well it would do in a real working environment.I was pleasantly surprised to find out from a performance standpoint, there was not much difference from the "big names." After EASY set-up, I began using the router in my small insurance agency. I didn't tell my Office Manager I had changed routers. I waited for her reaction. She never even noticed the difference between the TP-Link N600 and our previous Netgear WNDR4500 which, incidentally, was double the price.The wireless performance of the N600 router turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Even though the router is less than half the cost of some of the "big name" routers, there is no lacking of performance whatsoever. You may not like the look of a router with its external antennas, but there is no doubt the router utilizes the design effectively. The speed is outstanding and the range is exceptional.All in all, TP-Link N600 comes equipped with ALMOST every major function you could want from a router. It is MISSING a 'Guest Network' feature which allows you to have separate security and access restrictions for guests accessing your network. Other than that, I believe this router can certainly compete with the "big names."Adding to my satisfaction, the TP-Link N600 comes complete with a 2-year limited warranty.The TP-Link N600 is a very impressive dual-band router that performs like the "big names" but costs about half the price. It doesn't have the most attractive interface, but it isn't lacking many features. Those looking for a best buy for the money, the TP-Link N600 is really hard to beat. -This bag is soo perfect for my Canon XS camera. And I'm so confident with it, that when it falls, I don't worry. It has a suspension system inside, that keeps the camera away from the sides. I don't regret nothing about this bag. -Initial thoughts: The v1.0 of the Airbender while a capable case, lacks some of the features of its v2.0 counterpart. Namely a rubberized/anti-slip external surface and a more complete structure for surrounding the iPad, including a screen protector. However, in a closed position, the iPad is enclosed in the case.A major feature which I’ve found lacking in other manufacturer’s options is the full keyboard with two shift keys. For anyone who has any typing skills, a singular shift key will frustrate you after a very short time.The Airbender v1.0 like v2.0 has the ability to tilt the screen at various angles. One feature that is present in v1.0 and not in v2.0 is the very pronounced groves to rest the iPad in while fully opened. There are two groves that can accommodate various viewing angles.Additionally the iPad can be rotated between landscape and portrait to accommodate varied applications.The LED’s for CAPS, CHRG and BT are very bright and serve their purpose well. By comparison, other cases I’ve used have very dim LEDs making it very difficult to see if one is illuminated.Final thoughts: I give the Airbender v1.0 a rating of 4/5. While lacking a few features, the Airbender v1.0 is still a nice case and has features that excel when compared with some of its competitors many of which cost more. With the rotatable screen, various viewing angles and the full keyboard, this case is quite functional. -I purchased a few of these since they are small, well priced, and designed well. The loop on the end can be used to attach the device to a keychain or lanyard. I especially like the all-metal simple design. I didn't want a huge plastic USB stick that would be awkward to carry all the time, so this worked out well. The design is simple and elegant, and the device works as advertised. It's USB v2.0, but it isn't advertised as a v3.0/SuperSpeed device so no surprise there. The 16GB version is hardly more costly than the 8GB (at least when I purchased it) so it's definitely the way to go. -These speakers are one of a kind!They are perfect for their price!The quality is a solid 9/10The sound (Loudness without distortion) 9/10The price is exceptional 10/10The durability is a strong 10/10 (The speakers have held up for over a year and sound as new)Now, of course you can purchase a much higher quality set of speakers at a much inflated price, but for $40 these are by far superior to any otherThere is little to no distortion when music is loud.My favorite part about these speakers is the ability to toggle bass input at a simple movement!A definite must have for many individuals! -After being disappointed by a $50 pair of Sony headphones, I snagged these Audio-Technica's based on the reviews here on Amazon. I'm very impressed with the quality of these headphones. The cord is very long and durable, the jack is strong and well constructed. The headphones themselves are very comfortable, block out a ton of background noise, and aren't too bulky or heavy. They're very durable and can take a beating.The sound quality for a non-amplified pair of headphones is nothing short of amazing. The majority of headphones in this price range are boomy, obnoxious headphones with poor midrange and high end performance. The ATH-M30 is incredibly well balanced with heavy lows, comfortable mids, and stunningly clear highs. I can't recommend a better pair of headphones in this price range. -I have an Apple TV and an original roku. I was so excited to see this roku 3 when it was released. What an improvement from my last roku player. Super fast and I never see problems with buffering like my older roku had at times. I highly recommend buying this streamer. The only problem I personally have is that the 700+ channels aren't all great. But the ones that are are well worth buying his streamer. It has so much potential for more channels to come to this device. As a heavy apple user and Apple TV owner I do miss that there isn't an airplay mirroring feature like apples but there are so many more features that make up for that. Such as a USB slot and micro sd slot to play your own movies and music. Overall this streamer is packed with features, speed, and channels . I highly recommend this unit as I have tried the rest... This is the best.... -This keyboard feels solid and sturdy, very comfortable to type on, and offers many customizable keys that you can program for different tasks. The front of the keyboard is elevated; at first it felt a little strange, but I got used to it quickly. Now it has become the most comfortable keyboard I've ever used. -For reference, this is my setup:Time Warner Cable in Austin, Texas with gamer speed, on really old shared wiring that is so bad there isn't enough power to get actual cable--I just have cable internet; a MediaLink router; a four-year-old Korean re-branded Viore monitor without a working antenna, but with three HDMI ports; and, a two-year old basic Dell, factory setup laptop.Having said that: my cable service, despite paying for "gamer speed", is pretty shoddy during peak hours. HuluPlus and Amazon on Demand seem to have packet streaming that deals with that pretty well--I have to restart movies during peak hours, two or three times, but other than that I don't have much interruption.But, I thought this didn't work at all with a two-year-old Dell laptop because it couldn't connect during peak hours. (It wouldn't work at 10 p.m. on a Monday night). Then, my boyfriend got it to "Cast" using a Samsung phone at about 11:00 p.m.. We like to watch very old Led Zeppelin videos on YouTube, and it did work well for that. The video and audio with even really old footage is excellent.The next day, I had no problem at all getting it to cast at 1:00 a.m., from my laptop. As of this writing, though, I don't think it works unless your cable is really good.If you have bad internet, this isn't worth the money. The free Netflix is nice, though. -Love the ease of use of the chromecast, stopped using PS3 for Netflix cause this thing is so nice and easy to use. -This case deserved all 5 stars! the case feels good in terms of material and the magnetic sleep/wake functions perfectly, and the case is sleek and slim enough to not be bothersome. -This mouse feels great and operates nicely when it is working, but I use mine for work and multiple (15+) times a day, the mouse starts jumping around the screen instead of moving smoothly. This goes for clicks, movement, scrolling, etc. The mouse and receiver are about 2 feet away from each other, so it's not a distance issue, and I've tried it on multiple surfaces with no difference.I googled the issue and it seems like a very common problem that has gone unanswered but Microsoft (surprise... not). I tried all of the suggestions (rebooting, reinstalling drivers, changing batteries, etc) but none of them worked. I plugged in a different mouse and when this one starts getting jumpy, the other does not, so it's definitely THIS mouse that is the issue.I bought a Logitech Anywhere MX mouse, and it works great. I'll be returning this one. -This is a nice case that provides more than adequate protection---but considering the price and design, that should go without saying... For me, the pros did not outweigh the cons with this one.It easily doubles the weight of the iPad (generations 2 and 3 are sized and weigh the same), making it cumbersome to handle and carry. I can see why people and their kids are dropping it with this thing on, and the solid heavy weight and bulk it created made it more prone to being knocked around in my bag. In fact, it barely fit into my bag with this thing on. I mean, it's thicker than my MacBook! This is because the shield (that doubles as a stand) juts out about half an inch to keep the stand inside from resting against your screen when you have it on to travel. In terms of weight and size, I would say it's the difference between lugging around a heavy hardback book (and trying to stuff that in my bag) instead of having just a slim trade size paperback (as with a folio case).The other thing I disliked about the shield/stand thing was that I found it difficult and noisy to remove and set up. You've got to pry the shield off corner by corner by either bracing the iPad against something or pulling the shield in one direction and pushing the iPad in another. I was having to do it all the time, (which just made it more likely that I'd drop it) and there was also always this obnoxious creaking/clicking sound as i did it. That sort of thing bothers me because---okay this will probably piss off some of the over zealous reviewers but, I wouldnt want to draw any more attention than the case already does on it's own, as it is embarrassingly overprotective and makes your iPad seem like some mysterious giant tablet or you know, like some kind of fisher price tablet... .i mean, i know some reviewers are saying that people often admire their otter cases and ask about them...but I think it's more like they're admiring your giant Fire and thinking wow, the Fire really IS like the iPad! Maybe I should get one... Maybe it loosens up after a while, but the design is so solid that this seems unlikely. It won't bother you if you only use the shield as a stand or to travel, but the screen protector is just a clear sheet of plastic like any other screen protector so I guess I just prefer to have the sort of cover that I can just close over the iPad like a book cover when i carry it around casually.All that aside, the case is still nice and the fit is PERFECT, but I think it's overkill unless you actually need this sort of protection---like if you have little kids that will be using it, or you use it in a job where it'll be abused on a daily basis--otherwise there are plenty of cases out there that fit just as nice but are more convenient (not to mention better looking). This also isn't the sort of case you will want to be taking on and off; it's difficult to remove so you can't just switch to this one for work/travel and use a more comfortable one for at home. -I bought this projector for the current price and have been very happy with it. It was nice to see how bright it was even during the daytime, windows all on one side of the room but no strong light as it is the start of winter and a basement. Summer time it would be good to have curtains for light control like any projector. When I get curtains up I am sure that will take care of any issues during daytime, even in summer. Of course as with any projector the more control over light in the room the better the picture. I did a lot of research before purchasing this unit. As a projector unless one has a totally dark room meaning zero light and dark walls then ANSI lumens are important, this one with its 2000 ANSI LUMENS is great and use this to compare with other projectors, if less I would be weary.I wanted to have a NATIVE 1080P RESOLUTION which I do not regret and would not get a projector with lower resolution. One may notice that a projectors specs say they can do 1080 but this is misleading as this is not NATIVE resolution, meaning they try to upconvert to a 1080i (i=interpolated) and it is not the same thing, not even close. I want to see blu rays in their full resolution which this does. One may also purchase an A/V receiver to upconvert the source material for best picture quality, my Blu Ray player also does this upconversion, but it is still not a true 1080P. While not as good as the 1080P one will see when playing a Blu Ray disc for example, the picture from HD cable channel which is 720P is still AMAZING just as good as the picture on my 42 inch LCD HDTV and better than my older 55 inch rear projection HDTV. High Def video from a home video source such as full 1080P from an AVCHD format camcorder for example is stunning and home movies look as good or better than store bought if done properly. The input source is of course going to dictate how good the picture is, so it will look as good as the source input, this is not always the case with all projectors, they have to have the capacity to project the image at full input resolution such as this one. Most projectors that have this resolution cost more and a flat panel in the screen sizes this is capable of are going to be many thousands of dollars more.I do not use the Eco setting but the bulbs last 3-4000 hours and are only around 120.00 and you only need one which is a very good deal. One of the great and unique features of this projector are the LENS SHIFT adjustment wheels, this projector does not have to be dead center on with the screen as those knobs can shift the picture both vertically and horizontally, at least several inches or more depending on how far the projector is away from the screen, in some situations this could mean the difference between having a projector and screen work in a room or not. The lens shift moves the picture left to right or up and down keeping it in focus. So your screen can be way off from being centered with the projector and still fit dead on. The projector itself has plenty of features and adjustments but it did not take long to find a good setting close to out of the box. While this has 2 HDMI inputs I only use one with all of my components running through my A/V receiver, a Pioneer Elite VSX30 for 275 with 7.1 surround which I am very happy with.I got the Peerless mount that I think was a good choice, it fits this projector and is good quality with two nice pitch adjustment knobs. It is white and matches the color of the projector well. Since it is ceiling mounted it is up and out of the way of my dog and one has to be right up close to the screen before one would block the picture at all, standing in between the projector and screen with this set up does not shadow the screen.If one is going to ceiling mount this you may wish to purchase a longer power cord. I bought a 15 foot power cord for this for about 8 bucks so it is long enough to plug in to my power conditioner, extension cords are a bad idea. This worked great for my ceiling installationCables To Go 09482 18 AWG Universal Power Cord, IEC320C13 to NEMA 5-15P (15 Feet)One can run cords through walls or you can do as I did and use conduit such as the product here which hides the cord and sticks on and requires no nails.Wiremold C210 White Cordmate II Kitso it looks like a nice clean installation.I also being on a budget bought the Favi 100 inch 16:9 widescreenFAVI HD-100 16:9/100-Inch Electric Projector Screenwhich works great and provides an awesome picture with this projector. My set up surprises everyone that it did not cost much more. It comes in various sizes but 100 inches was the biggest that would fit. There is information here on the pages of the FAVI screens for sale which will show you the dimensions of each screen size to help determine the size screen that will fit in your room. In my case both the horizontal fit as well as how far the screen came down was important information.While all my components are capable of 3D I have not really liked 3D that much in the theater and decided I would not want to play much 3D content at home so I concentrated on brightness and the 1080P resolution and the adjustment features of this projector and zero regrets. If I were to change my mind in the future when the technology has progressed I can revisit that, but for now this is all I could ever want.I like this better than the movie theater. As the screen is smaller it is easier to get a high resolution picture. The surround sound speakers which are the Energy Take Classic 5.1 set with the Energy CF-30 floor standing speakers (I got a great deal for 150 each new) make for wonderful sound. There is plenty of great home theater equipment out there but this was the best for my budget at the time. I would highly recommend a good audio set up to go along with the amazing picture quality you will have with this projector.If you purchase this and want some set up help there is a web site projector central (...) where you can enter your projector model and screen size and it's contrast ratio and seating location and other information and it has a wizard that will tell you the optimum distance to mount the projector from the screen and ideal seating distances and details such as that. Very helpful in a successful installation. I used their calculations with perfect results.I also got a Harmony 1100 remote so that I don't need 6-7 remotes,Logitech Harmony 1100 Universal Remote with Color Touch ScreenI got that new for 200.00 (heck of a deal) and extra batteries on Amazon for 8.75 eachLogitech Battery for Harmony Remote Control 1000 1100 1100i 3.7V 1250mAh. That works like a charm with it's touch screen. I even got a IR dimmer switch that runs off its own remote or the Harmony remote. I also got the RF accessory so I can use either RF (which is not line of sight) or RF to IR for all the components, helpful if your components are behind your seating location.I highly recommend this projector. I would not settle for one with lower resolution or lower lumen output, you would never obtain as high resolution as a full 1080P projector and you would not get the brightness necessary for daytime viewing if you do not have a room that is completely dark. On the other hand for $1050.00 you will be quite happy with the picture you get from this especially if the source is at least HD (720P) or using its full capability of 1080P quality like a Blu Ray. t Not that it is bad with a regular definition channel or regular DVD, but you get your most amazing picture with the best input source just as is the case with any projector or TV. I can't emphasize enough how much the 1080P quality is worth. This projector is simply the best deal for the money I could find. Consider this, if you want a large picture you can get a very large screen such as the Favi or many others that are at least 120 inches, this projector could potentially display a giant 300 inch picture if you have the space to do so. But even at 100 inches like I have what else can you get for that money in this size with this resolution aside from a good projector? Very little and it is going to cost a lot more. And if you have an electric screen that moves out of the way you take up very little space when not in use and the projector itself takes up very little space. Also unlike a flat panel TV you have a set picture size. With a projector like this you can just change your screen size while using the same projector and go smaller or larger with the screen size if you change the location which either constricts the size of the screen you are able to use or enlarges the space to allow for a larger screen. This is a flexibility you will only find in a projector. And with the lens shift of this particular projector you have even more flexibility for placement of the projector.Also consider that this weighs about 16 pounds out of the box. An LCD flat panel HDTV would likely weight 100 plus for a large one. So this give you a great portability. The 100 inch screen I am using only weighs 27 pounds. Both of which can be carried by one person. That can not be said about a flat panel. Flat panels are great. I use them in smaller sizes at reasonable prices in locations they make sense. But for a home theater you can't beat this for anywhere near the price and you will be stunned by how great the picture is from it.I can't say enough how happy I am. I took a month to research all this and made this decision. The first time I put a show on the screen I instantly knew it was all I had hoped for. It gets used on a daily basis and I have now used it for about 500 hours (the projector keeps track of lamp hours used) without a single issue. In about one minute I have a projector which is always out of the way on the ceiling taking up no usable space in the room along with a screen also not taking up any usable space to having a 100 inch incredibly high resolution viewing experience night or day. The only adjustments I make are to the projector by selecting "Dynamic" during the bright day time to "Living Room" which is slightly dimmer to avoid seeing any pixilation at night and that only takes a few seconds from the remote to change.UPDATE: I have been using this projector for over a year now. No problems at all during this time, and still no regrets that I purchased this unit. I do find that I still prefer either an HD video source or BluRay whenever possible but that would be the same with any projector or HDTV, particularly one with a very large screen such as this is capable of. I still only use the two settings, one for daytime and one slightly less bright for night to avoid seeing any pixilation artifacts.BULB LIFE: Well my bulb finally went. It lasted exactly 2837 hours. Epson says that it will last between 3000-4000 hours so it was close. Keep in mind that I have never used the Eco setting only full power. I would urge anyone buying a replacement bulb to ONLY USE EPSON. There are lots of knockoffs out there which are cheap and will not have the performance, life, possibly explode or other negative things. Only the Epson lamp is worth buying. It is of course the most expensive and I found a new one for about $60 less from another camera supply site than Amazon is offering it for right now. But no regrets. I have had some awesome viewing of countless movies and football games and tv shows and whatever on the huge screen with a great picture for all this time.To extend the life of your lamp make sure that it has plenty of room for air to circulate around the projector, particularly the back where the air intake and filter are. Vacuum the air filter from time to time and replace it with a new one when you change the bulb. Also make sure to allow the lamp to cool down before moving the projector if it is not mounted on the ceiling like mine. Those things will help give you the longest life. I have read of people having significantly lower lamp life and I suspect they are not doing all those things. I also have a in room air cleaner to help keep dust down in the room I have my projector and components for the home theater. Keep it cool and clean and you will get the best lamp life. -I really like the Airbender Pro. It's an excellent improvement over the Airbender 2.0. The Airbender Pro has a thick and very protective rubber case that protects the iPad Air and the bluetooth keyboard. It's somewhat thick, which helps to make it extra protective. It protects all the ports and has a built in screen protector. It also has holes for the speakers so you can still listen to music. The case is shock and water resistant. It is not water proof. It would be really great to have a waterproof case. If I am outside in the snow or rain and want to use my iPad, it would be nice to have it in a waterproof case. The bluetooth keyboard is a full keyboard. It pairs easily with the iPad Air. It's very easy to type on. The keys are comfortable. It could use a mouse. If the keyboard was rearranged, and the keys were moved up, there would be room for a laptop style mouse or a pencil eraser style mouse. The way in which the port coverings attached to the case seem somewhat flimsy, like they could fall off after a few months of everyday use. The keyboard has an internal battery and can be charged using a micro USB. The battery will last all day long. I use this case and keyboard everyday, both at home and at work. I perform Human Resources and Payroll functions at my job. I do a lot of work on the Internet and send and receive a plethora of email throughout the day. This case would be great for anyone in any occupation that needs a bluetooth keyboard for their iPad Air and a protective case. This case really turns the iPad Air into a mini laptop. I have gotten several really nice compliments from co-workers about how attractive the case is and how useful it is. This case has a really rugged metal arm that won't break like the plastic arms that some of the cases have. With this protective case on my iPad Air, I feel that I can take it more places. It's also more usable with the keyboard. Sometimes the bluetooth keyboard does make my iPad freeze up when I check my email on Microsoft Exchange. Other than that the keyboard has been great. Sometimes if I let the iPad sit for awhile, it will lose its connectivity to the bluetooth keyboard and I have to reconnect. I give this case and keyboard a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. This is definitely an excellent improvement over the Airbender 2.0. The case on the Airbender 2.0 was thin and flimsy. The Airbender Pro is awesome, durable, and rugged. It is definitely built to last. I highly recommend this case to anyone with an iPad Air. You will not be disappointed. -I was looking to build up my entertainment room, I had a 32" tv and wanted something much larger. After standing in a big box store last night looking at the various options I came across this one. The picture on it was not good, but I figured it had to be the store had some funky settings. It was next to another LED Tv that cost around $200 more, but I went with the vizio anyways thinking I could change the settings to make it work.I got it home in the back of my honda ridgeline truck, it fit perfectly in the bed with the tailgate closed, we got it carried upstairs easily with the wifes help and unboxed it. The TV is massive and when you first turn it on it walks you through a setup wizard.Once the TV was up and running the picture was good, but not great. At least not for watching Hockey. I went into the settings and found the TV had many sport modes, but hockey was not one of them! Anyways, after flipping through the various settings I found the "Vivid" setting and that made the picture of the hockey games crystal clear, you could see the ice clear as day, including the skate marks across the lines. The player uniforms popped. It was really amazing how clear the picture actually is.I've only had this tv going on 24 hours now but so far I love it. Yes the sound is not phenomenal. It's not bad but I had a sound bar I hooked up to it and use that. -The Flip MinoHD is the kind of camera you either love or hate. If you're a videophile and analyze specs and features then this camera isn't for you. Using the Flip MinoHD reminded me of why I was skeptical about buying an iPhone when Apple first launched it and why I ultimately bought one and why I feel the iPhone is a fantastic device despite all of it's limitations. Now on to the Flip...There's not much in the box (camera, soft case, strap), the battery can't be changed, and the memory can't be expanded. There's no CD included (the software is on the device) and no cables are included (or needed for most users). There are almost no settings to play with: set the date, time, beeps on/off, recording light on/off and you're ready to go. The ergonomics are ok. It's tough to make a small device easy to hold and use and the display is small but that's to be expected of such a tiny package.For many products this kind of simplicity would suggest that the manufacturer tried to cut costs (e.g. Apple not including an AC Adapter with iPods). In the case of the Flip the message I heard was clearly different: you don't need any of these things. Since there's not much fiddling to do with settings you're left with actually using it!I tried it outdoors and indoors and took videos of the kids and of scenery. It perform wells in all lighting conditions including low light. Based on on my experience low light is the weak point for the HD Video Mode in my Panasonic P&S; as well as in the mini-DV HD Cameras that I own. The Flip outperforms them all. The audio isn't bad at all and the picture quality is better than anything I've seen in a P&S; and is very comparable to what I get with my Canon mini-DV HD Camera.Overall it's easy to pocket and a pleasure to use for making small video clips. -I have been using this lens for about a month. Here is what I like about it.1. The USM gives me better auto-focus performance. Worth the price diff between the f1.8? ... I'm guessing not, but on the other hand, candids of two active boys might be helped by a speedier auto-focus.2. The f/1.4 gives me a noticable margin for low light situations3. The f/1.4 version is slightly better built and does produce better bokeh than the cheaper f/1.8 models.Here is what I dont like1. I have noticed that the lens is very soft on the wide end between 1.4 and 1.8. There is some kind of "flaring" around the bright spots.2. I have taken identical photos with my L17-40 f4 and dont see this. Although the 50/1.4 is a lot faster than my L lens.. I am sending this lens back either to Canon for calibration or to Amazon..3. The ring of the 50/1.4 appears to be loose. I dont know if this is supposed to be this way.. however for an expensive lens Canon should construct this lens like a tank. but no.. it appears to be cheap.4. The 50mm/1.8 is only about $70 so it's hard to beat. I find the picture quality is around the the same as my 50/1.4. -I got this to deal with the inconsistent power in my apartment. I first looked at APC but then I found this one. I get more power and battery life for my buck and this thing is excellent quality. It is a little big but that is the battery. I have my 1000w PC, 23in monitor, modem and router hooked up to it and I can get 25min of battery power out of it!! The software that comes with it is great, it shuts down your computer safely when the power has been out for how ever long you tell it to, and has an option to turn off the alarm when the power goes out which is nice. The LCD screen is off and turn on when you push a button to see the data. This is nice because then you don't have your room glowing blue. Overall I am very happy with this product and would buy it again. Great value and quality for your money. -I've setup lots of projectors in the past and this one for the price has a great picture especially for under $1200.00. I just have to say that I am impressed and I am not easy to please. The picture this thing has to offer is unbelievable. It's also quiet and super simple to setup. You can't go wrong with this. -Bought this today and installed it--fairly easy--needed the builtin WiFi cause we have no wired connection available upstairs--thought to get a 40" same model from Costco vs Amazon cause Costco has sale on but when we got there and saw how large the screen was compared to the older model "tube" tv we were taking out, it was no brainer to go with 32 and save some more money...not as cheap as Amazon's price but we get extra year's warranty from Costco for free...Anyway--easy to install--put stand together and got batteries in remote...diconnected the older tv and moved this onto shelf in armoire...nicely balanced in the 37 inch shelf--40" would have fit but probably looked too big for the space...Easy to connect the WiFi eventhough our hub is downstairs...Once I connected the cable box I was able to change the viewing options over to the HD 1080p and got a great picture...I may try to calibrate using some suggestions on other reviews -- I did change some levels but even just out of the box the picture was so much better than what was there that making adjustments is the least of the worry...Took a while to download the Samsung apps for Netflix and Amazon Prime (and some others that apprear to be mandatory like Hulu and UTube which I don't use)--there is a memory ceiling with this so if you wanted to get all crazy and download all available I don't know you could but the only other one I might want is Skype and need camera for that first...The sound seemed very clear using TV speakers--and there are some options o the meny to change setting so you can fiddle with dynamic quality there too...The only thing that is a little offputting is going back and forth between watching U-Verse cable and using the SmartHub for Netflix and Amazon Prime...Once I touch the SmartHub button and get those options showing--IF I want to go back to cable viewing my option is to either go BACK< BACK<BACK<BACK< however many times it takesor to use the SOURCE button and go back to the HDMI1 for cable...I didn't spend much time reading instructions so maybe there is easier way--I was able to easily tie the Samsung remote for ON/OFF and volumn to my U-Verse (silver) remote but I will still need the Samsung for going to/from the SmartHub choices...didn't want a DVD player for this room--have blu-ray and Xbox and Wii in gameroom upstairs and one (Sony smart blu-ray) for main tvgetting better quality flatscreen w/built in wi-fi just seemed smarter way to go for this particular room--and it is light enough that we can take it outside in summer if we want and watch on the patio...have cable run there already... -This camera is just all right at best, The pictures are poor and the videos are worse. The worst thing is it saves the videos in .mov format. If you own a PC everything has to be converted, Its the typical apple/sony proprietary mentality. Do your self a favor and buy e real camera....Canon etc. -It's not widely known among most consumers, but not every HDMI-labeled cable meets the full HDMI standard. This caused me a lot of head-scratching with my first Roku box, which would mysteriously blank out the video (but continue to stream audio!) after it had been streaming for a few hours. Turned out my TV set wasn't getting the right signals, assumed there was no video, and was going into screen-saver mode. It took me a fair bit of searching the web to figure this out.You'll have no such problems with this cable. It meets the latest HDMI 1.4 standards, and should work fine with any HDMI compliant video device- and at a very attractive price, too. -When I first saw this, I was a bit snobbish about it. It looked like a toy, and unlike my other Zoom (H4n), this one does not work with XLR microphones and it does not have half the features of the bigger model.As it turns out, I was wrong. This is a serious recorder. It may lack a lot of the key features of the H4n, but it more than makes up for it on simplicity, weight and sound quality.Essentially although Zoom stripped out a lot of features (and weight), they left the most important features intact... two perfectly matched microphones and outstanding recording quality.The most popular use for the H1 is to record separate audio for DSLR videos. Because it's so small and light, you can easily get a mount to attach it right on top of your camera.Two things you should know about.1. There is no wind screen, so either use it inside or get one. The microphones are super sensitive, and can pick up the smallest sounds... so wind will be a problem if you don't get a good windscreen.2. The case itself is sensitive... The microphones pick up the sounds of your hands holding it. If you are not mounting it, try not to move your hands too much; it will pick up everything. -We were trying to live simply and watch less television. We also wanted to save some money by discontinuing our Dish Network service. At first, I was thinking about purchasing an external HDTV antennae but was daunted by the installation. I then decided to look at indoor antennas and came across the Mohu Leaf. I was intrigued that it got excellent reviews. I wasn't very hopeful because of our location. I live in Apex, NC and our subdivision is surrounded by a lot of trees and we get poor AT&T; cellphone service. But I was encouraged that Mohu has a great return policy. I figured that if it didn't work, I will just return it.I plugged it into my HDTV and had the television do a channel search. The first time I did this, I did not get a lot of channels but after moving it a couple of times (and having my TV do another channel search after each move), I was able to get 19 channels! Among a few minor channels, I got the major networks including PBS, CBS, ABC, Fox, NBC, and The CW. And guess what, at normal viewing distances, the picture quality is comparable to Dish!I'm even contemplating of buying a DVR. There are a few devices that don't even require a monthly subscription. But I'm still thinking about this. It's very tempting to be able to record all the network shows like Fringe, Desperate Housewives, or Dancing with the Stars. My main goal, after all, is to watch less television.Very soon, I will cancel my Dish service and this $44 antennae is going to save me lots of money. -I've been using an HP wireless keyboard/mouse combo for a year...the combo came with my new computer and I finally had enough of wonky functionality (the receiver was literally inches away from the keyboard/mouse yet it would still cut out at times). I received the MK550 as a Christmas gift through my Amazon wish list and the combo is better than I thought it would be. First of all the receiver is SMALL; I connected it to one of my front USB ports on my desktop and you can hardly see it (it also comes with an extender in case you need it). The keyboard and mouse haven't lost their connection once so far, the keyboard is high quality and feels nice to the touch, and the mouse is equally comfortable with a quiet click.What makes me laugh is that the keyboard has a "Media Center" button that links to a Windows Media Center application (reminds me of Hulu with free TV shows, etc.). I NEVER knew that came installed on my computer and now I'm having fun watching some of the sitcoms I missed this year. -I like the headphones for the most part. It has good sound and fits comfortablly in my ears. The only thing that I did not like about it was that the cord is either too short and too long. Too short that you have to place the player near your chest area or too long where you have to coil the cord when you attach the player to your waist. -This bag is awesome! Has a place for everything and holds so much! All the pockets and little places to put things is great and the inside compartments are moveable so that you can adjust to different sized lenses and cameras. I wouldn't trade this for anything! The straps are adjustable and it's comfortable to wear as well. -Ah, the mysterious world of WiFi devices. This Adapter works great to bring N to a b/g laptop. Don't expect to always get the 150Mbps, but your upstream connection to the internet is probably slower than that anyway so you won't even notice. I would recommend this product. -OK, I could have given this case 3 stars for some of the cons. I did not because of the way Amazon markets the case on their site probably clarifies what you are buying. The key here is THINNESS! And many people love a thin LIGHT case. Amazon designed this case to be the thinnest, and Amazon may very well have achieved that. I think this is a good thing. So good, that I have given this case 5 stars. Just know, you are buying thin.5 stars for thin and protective case... about half an inch with the FireHD 8.9. (hard to measure, I need calipers!). I will tell you why I think some of the one star ratings are given...and they fall in two areas: One, the case looks cheap when you see the lower half inside. Two, the case can not be propped at a low angle to one's desk and still type well on it. We will look at both of these items... there are, I am sure, other reasons for low rankings, some due to perceptions of "a good case."First, everyone has (perhaps) their own perceptions of what a good case is: My brother has a big Otterbox case (sturdy, shock resistant case) on his thin cell phone. I do not... I have a thin, easy to grip case. Why? Is it because I don't want my phone (and tablet) protected? Sure I do. But I am an adult, and I know how to take care of things. The case is there, just in case. :) But, I don't need to protect it to the level of an OtterBox case, in my view. So that is my preference. If this is not your preference, you are going to hate this thin, beautiful case.Amazon advertises thin, and they deliver thin. And I agree with those who think if they wanted a one inch thick case around their tablet, they would have a netbook or similar, not a tablet (since tablets should be thin and light). But... but... but... (you may object)...Yes, I know. This case doesn't look like a 50 bucks+ case. In fact, many have said it is not even leather. I don't know for certainty, but I don't doubt that it is leather. But let me describe the construction and you will see. And why does the bottom half look like it is just plastic!? Read on.The case is a very light plastic shell... and this very thin shell can be seen on the inside of the lower half, so the perception is cheapness. But, the question should be, what is the purpose of this case and what is being accomplished by this plastic? In short, it is providing needed protection and absorbtion for drops around every square inch of the tablet... notice the complete wrap around, form-fitting shape on the bottom half. Look closely at the bottom half, which has been structured to fit the Fire HD 8.9 like a glove, with perfectly cut openings and stylish design), on the outside of this casing is a wrap around leather covering. Once your tablet is in this case, you never see the plastic, as it is holding your Fire HD 8.9. Then, on top of the shell is a thin, very thin, leather covering that looks like it has been steam fit and glued on top of the plastic. Then a black thread has sewn the edges down so I doubt it would ever come loose. By necessity then, the leather is not soft to the touch, since it is attached to a plastic shell. But, it is very likely leather and the reason some think it is all plastic is because of the shell material.The sizing to the actual Kindle Fire HD is what is so amazing. The bottom of the plastic case just snaps over the bottom of the Fire and then the top lays on the glass of the tablet. Magnets (with Auto Wake and Sleep) keep the case shut (though it might not be good enough to stay shut in a fall).THIN AND LIGHT?Now, I purchased a Moko Case from Amazon too. It was thin, as was my preference. My Moko Case is about 5/8 of an inch with tablet). This case is 1/2 inch, plus maybe a tad more than half an inch. But, clearly, this case is thinnest of any case that I have seen.Is it lightest? IT IS NOT. My Moco case is lighter, even though it is tad thicker. Why? This Amazon case wraps completely around the entire tablet (it doesn't leave any edges exposed. My Moco case does. Still, the slightly thicker padding on the Moco probably provides a bit more protection... but who knows... I am not going to drop test. :) Suffice it to say they are both thin and light weight. One a tad more than the other in each area.THE STAND:The stand on this case has been where many people have commented. Here is my take.First, the stand does work well. It may not be the best if you like to type on your tablet in a standing mode (as finger pressure would certainly knock the stand over on some surfaces).Remember thin? Well, one thing that makes many cases thicker is the stand mechanism. Make the stand (or base) too thick and it adds bulk. Make it too thin and it just doesn't stay up. So, this was the design challenge. Amazon went with a LACK OF A BASE for their stand.... as well as a lack of a Kick-0ut stand mechanism. How does it work? Simple, just fold it over and let the case form a A shape that supports the tablet to stand. Oh, I can hear it now. "That won't work reliably!" Well, what they did is make the outer edge side out of a sticky, rubbery material, so that when you prop it opens, it holds quite nicely. This saves them a lot of weight and thickness. Some don't like it... but I imagine it is people that want to type on the tablet with it propped up in standing position. I think that if the feet are kept fairly clean, they will grab onto any descent surface and hold the tablet upright... and at about any angle that you want.I like this case. I like the design. I like the thinness. The jury still out on the stand (over time) and the magnetic closure (during a potential fall). I can't do less than five stars, because it does everything it states. Yes, I like my Moco case a bit better, but I bet this case will still be going strong long after my Moco case needs to be replaced. And now I have a wonderful replacement.JJI will update this review over time.Update: One con is the interior material of the case (the part that hits the screen)...it is not super-soft Micro-fiber cloth, rather a thin cloth that doesn't scratch the screen. A Microfber cloth interior might help keep the screen cleaner, but it would have added thickness. I have seen one reviewer say that cat hairs stick to it. I have not had that problem, and we do have a cat.Update: Price vs. Quality. Boy, I really wanted to stay out of this discussion. Everyone has their own comfort level with price, so I just try to review the product. But yes, if you are looking at cases in the sub-20 market, this case is pricey in comparison. But, I doubt that anyone who wanted the features of this case, would then think the given price was too much to pay. Key features again?Protective covering that covers the entire tabletConnects to the tablet all the way around, so it isn't going to pop out.Very thin (the thinnest?) and exceedingly lightExtremely easy to open, use, get access to all ports... and even easy to remove, if needed... all while being thin and attractiveLove the wonderful design for the volume rocker and power button. Nice design makes these a breeze to use (unlike my cell phone case).Leather coating (though not soft) seems durable and easy to grip.Speaker vents are perhaps the best I have seen on any case... it doesn't limit sound.Stand is simple and quick to use, because it uses a rubbery material that simply clings to most (but not all) material (I have tried on wood and formica top desks, table cloth, papers on top of a desk (not as good, but works), glass top tables, and wood and ceramic floors). The only time this failed was when I had it on the side of some rubbermaid containers... slipped on that slicker, dustier surface). You can get a nearly straight up position fairly readily, the only real issue is with a low angle such some people like for typing on a tablet. If the surface isn't ideal, the tablet will simply slip down to the table (flat), when you try to type. The benefit is that you have just about every other angle (degree) that you might want to have. That is great if your trying to avoid a glare on the screen, for instance. -I was disappointed with this purchase because I felt mislead on what I was looking for. Last year I built my first P9X79 Deluxe system using the Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced Full Tower and was very happy with its quiet fans. With a Nuactua NH-D14 CPU cooler. This thing is almost silent. Because I need all the processing power and memory I can get within a budget, I opted to build a second similar system to add as a render Farm box. I bought a base P9X79 with the exact same 3930K, 64GB memory, power supply, CPU cooler and SSD drives. Not needing all the bells a whistles from the deluxe board I also decided to get the midsized HEF 922. Having a quiet computer is very important to me and this is the reason I chose to stick with The HAF series. Once I got the new system assembled, I was very disappointed to hear the roar of fans from the fans in the 922. The noise levels from the fans stated on the website do not match those printed on the owners manual. (23dBA vs 19dBA) The HAF 922 is far louder then the 932. What ever Cooler master changed in terms of cooling fans, it is clearly not at the same quality of the 932. The noise level is not something I can live with every day so I had to decide weather to return the box at my own expense and time to disassemble, pack, ship and reassemble, or buy some new fans. In order to get a similar low noise level enjoyed by the 932, I have to replace all three of the factory fans and add an optional 200 mm fan to the side. I understand there is a fine line between the open air design of the HEF for cooling and vs noise level but the HAF 932 design is almost the same as the 922 and vary quiet if all other components are low noise. Cooler Master claims the same quality in a mid size tower. All said and done, I should have bought another HAF 923 and save myself the time and dissatisfaction with Cooler Master. At this point, the only thing Cooler master could do for me is send me new fans or reimburse me for the price I paid for 19dBA versions. -I like these better than APC and Tripp which have very similar units. Much more info on the screen and nicely built at a better price. Noticed Cyberpower also won an award recently from resellers. -I really like this case, it feels sturdy and fits the paper-white perfectly. The pocket does not hold much, but that is not a big deal to me. Sometimes it does not seem like the cover is closed, but every time I open the cover the device was in sleep mode, so it must work. -i bought the chromecast with the specific intention of using it to stream from my nas media library. i waited until recently to get one because i wanted to make sure the android apps were available to meet my needs. as it turns out, i found two apps to do this perfectly: NAS Cast ($1.67) and LocalCast (free with paid ad removal). now i can stream all my local content without having to fire up the ps3!as an added bonus, i received my chromecast on the first day of the coachella music festival, which was streamed live all weekend on youtube. using my chromebook, i cast the youtube live feed to the chromecast and enjoyed free, live music all weekend!ok, bottom line. everyone interested in a chromecast has a pretty good idea of what it can do. with the potential of this device, the price tag makes it an easy choice over roku, wd live, or appletv. i'm considering adding one of these to every tv in my house! the cost of a couple more is about the same as i used to pay every month for cable tv, and with the ever-increasing compatibility of the chromecast with media sites and services, this thing could very easily become the main media delivery device in my home. -Being that there are so many cases for the iPad 2, it was confusing. I know that there was a very complete, comparative review by "spyreix" that I found very helpful. I've had my case for several weeks now and LOVE IT! It retains the sleek feel of the bare iPad. The 30/60 degree kickstand works great and easy to do. I know there WERE some cons about the case regarding the leather encroaching the screen and there not being a magnet on the flap to take the unit in and out of hibernation. I emailed Bear Motion and asked them about these 2 things. They said that for their first generation case, this was true. However, the current cases, these issues have been remedied. They were correct as my case is awesome. Highly recommended. -Son's computer doesn't have many usb ports this makes it easy to plug everything in especially when everything takes a usb port.Has 4 extra usb ports this is great. -Case works perfectly, keyboard feels great and the hotkeys are amazing! I was going to buy another case for 100 dollars at BB, but found this one on Amazon, and I am so happy I bought this one.One thing I do wish it had was magnets on the two bottom resting metals that hold the ipad when it is standing in landscape or portrait, cause if you accidentally tilt the ipad to much backwards, then the ipad has no locking mechanism to stay put and may fall backwards. This is really not a deal breaker for me cause i already know its like that so Im just more careful. Only problem maybe when someone that doesnt know about it, may pickup my ipad and not realize it and it may fall backwards. So a magnetic strong enough force to keep it standing would be an awesome upgrade.Overall, I am so happy. Many walk by and say, hey that is a nice little Pc, then I tell them its an ipad. they say WOW, that is so awesome. Case looks really professional and protects the Ipad big time!I recommend anyone to buy it! especially at this great price! -Lots of decent, well-reviewed cases are out there for the Acer Iconia A100. This one was slightly cheaper (I paid $18.95) and still had free Super Saver Shipping when I bought a micro SD card at the same time.Case fits well, and makes all the difference as far as holding the tablet. Without a case, the tablet is somewhat "slick", feeling like it is easier to let slip from the hands. The case fixes all that (as I imagine most cases would). The crease that allows the front flap to fold is in the perfect spot for the thumb to nestle into when gripping.All cutouts were good, especially the one for the camera and LED in back (stylish, shaped cut-out, yet plenty of room for the camera lens). At first I thought the basic fold/insert way of holding the tablet in would not be enough, but it is. The tablet feels very secure and snug once the internal flap is folded around the tablet -- the friction works well.The case closes by using four magnets, two of which are embedded in the part of the case close to the tablet. I had heard that some case magnets interfere with GPS/compass operations. This was not the case for me. For compass apps that only use magnetism, I think this may be true true, at least to some extent, but for full-on GPS, the magnets and case do not appear to cause any issues. I fired up GPS Status after not having used GPS for several weeks, and satellites started becoming visible almost immediately. With A-GPS assistance, I had between 7 and 11 locked in under a minute (I was outside under a clear sky but still in Wi-Fi range from my house). So, GPS and wireless definitely work fine and I have not noticed any degradation since putting the tablet in this case.So, why only 4 stars? Well, the stand functionality leaves a little to be desired. First of all, the plastic slot in back where the leather flap is meant to insert (to create the stand) is very inflexible. So, it is hard to get the flap inserted, and the leather has to deform a bit to get in there. I have not seen any blemishes on the case, but I imagine that over time the flap might warp a bit, and/or if the leather smooths it might pop out of the slot. Also, trying to stand up such a small tablet (7-inch) is a bit wobbly in this case, but that is mostly due to the nature of the folds being so close together and the leather still being fairly rigid.Overall, though, a great case for the price. I like the stylish white stitching, and the case is well-built. And like I said, several cases are sold in the 20-25 dollar range, so it is nice that this one clocks in at below $19 (though that price is subject to change, I suppose...) -This cable appears to be able to satisfy the wiring requirements of adapting USB A to USB B. I only have one piece of equipment(Video camera)that uses USB B and I could not perceive any difference between the transmission speed or quality between this cable and the one I had been using. The cable does not have gold contacts which I believe to be of little value because the gold is usually gold plated at the minimum thickness possible. All it takes is a few connections/disconnections to wear through the gold plating to the metal conductor unserlying the gold. A high quality steel connector is better in the long run. Also, the wire is not unusually thick which means that it may lose conductivity with longer cable runs. This cable is only 10 feet long and therefore is probably well within the length where any loss of signal strength is likely to be incurred. The plastic/rubber outer coating on the cabel is quite flexible which probably means the cable shielding within the wirea is also quite flexible. I am a person that through experience does not throw money away on cabling and I would suggest one spend the time understanding learning what types and quality of cable are necessary to produce virtually lossless sound. For digital signals, a reasonably price cable is probably more than enough. For non-amplified analog signals, good cable is necessary. For amplified analog signals, regular priced shielded cable should suffice. For unamplified signals such as electric guitar, a lower guage high quality shielded cable is absolutely necessary, particularly if you are usinf a cable of 25 feet or more. It is these signals which are week and are more than likely to pick up noise or frequency drop off that you would want to use higher qualities of cable. Remember, most of the cable that "Monster" makes is not neceassary for your purpose and many times the only person who can hear the difference is the salesman and the poor guy who overspent on cable based upon his recommendation. Generally the lower the initial signal strength, the better your cable may need to be. If the initial signal strength is strong, there is a good chance you can use less expensive cable. Cable from the amplifier to the speakers should be of lower guage but does not to be the best since the cable runs are relatively short.To close, the cables here are of decent quality good for their length and would seem to be a reasonable deal. -If your scared to buy this because you have to modify it, dont be. It was really easy and there is even a video on youtube on how to do this [...]After I modified it, it worked great. Easy to pair with my iphone 5 and it works even while my iphone was charging in my bedroom and the receiver was in the living room.The unit itself is super tiny and after I connected it all I just hid it in the back of the TV & stereo among the other wires.Also if your worried about this thing not having a auto off or power button, it only uses 5 volts DC @ 1 amp. For comparison USB ports use 5 volts DC @ 2.1 amps, its not much to get excited over. If you are that much of a penny pincher, you should probably be using a power strip to turn off your TV, DVD Player, Stereo, etc... also since those things all suck power while not in use.Thanks everyone for your comments. Its what makes buying from Amazon great! -The cord itself is great, its long, and it isn't stiff, so its quite useful, but the micro end of the cord is just odd. The plastic around it is MASSIVE in comparison to every other cord I have ever seen, which causes a problem in that it seems like that end of the cord is too heavy for a micro usb port to really handle. When plugged in, if I don't have the cord supported by something, it really seems to sag down, which worries me that it will eventually cause problems for the phone its plugged in to. It just doesn't make a solid connection, and wobbles back and forth. Its really worrying. -I purchased this camera bag for a trip that I wanted to have extra protection for my camera. I feel that the padding is very good and there are more than enough little areas to hold lenses, camera bodies, chargers, memory cards, etc... One of my favorite features of this case is that it contains Velcro inside that allows you to resize the compartments. This is a great option that really makes it versatile for all types of lenses.I can fit about 5 lenses and a camera body in this case.The case seems to be fairly water resistant, but I would not feel too confident in a heavy downpour! There is a flap that covers the zipper all the way around and this would act as a line of defense between the inside and the rain.This case also has a tripod strap that allows you to strap a tripod onto the backpack, I do not have a great tripod, but when I used this with my tripod it worked fine for the most part. The only issue I had was that it did not hold the tripod in position, it seemed to slip out more to one side or the other while walking at extended distances. To be fair I might have just not had it strapped in tight enough.Overall a great case for ANY SLR camera, I have since switched from Canon to Nikon and as you would expect the case works great. I know this may be obvious, but this is not ONLY for Canon cameras. It will work great with any brand. -The case overall is nice. I got it mainly just to protect the screen. If you plan on dropping your nexus on or more times then i'd go with something more expensive. The case feels nice and holds the nexus nicely, I can just see the thing popping out if dropped (sorry I don't feel like testing it). If your case comes defective read below!The first one I received was defective. When the front cover was flipped around and against the back, the magnet would put the device to sleep. Contacted amazon and the sent me a label to return it and allowed me to reorder using one day shipping. They then refunded me the shipping charge! I thought that was pretty awesome. -I bought this for a trip to Europe - it was very easy to use and the size is perfect for sticking in a backpack. It's waterproof, so I didn't have to worry about it getting damp on rainy days (and I hope it will be useful at the beach and when skiing). I saw some reviews about the software being hard to use but when I plugged the camera into my Windows Vista laptop the software installed as advertised and I uploaded some to YouTube very quickly and easily to share with others on our trip. I've already gotten comments about how good the picture was for "that tiny little camera you were carrying around". Too early to comment on reliability or support, but so far it's done exactly what I wanted it to do. -There is no way of telling if this drive will stand the test of time, but so far, this thing has been excellent. The drive and outer casing seem really well made, and the Seagate software it comes with was a snap to configure. Right now, I have the drive sleeping during the day, and then turning on at 4 am to back up any changes to my system, and it has been doing so flawlessly since I set it up about a month ago. I have always been a WD guy, so I was a little hesitant to buy this drive, but based on the reviews, I took the plunge and so far I am very impressed with it's performance. I'm also impressed with the speeds I;m getting using USB 2.0. I can't wait to update my board to 3.0, and watch this thing really scream. In closing, great drive at a great price.Highly recommend. -This cable is good quality and is a steal for the price. Works great with my Toshiba HD-A3 HD-DVD player and Toshiba 30HF66 Tube HDTV at 1080i. Picture quality is simply stunning and there were no problems. -Of course, there is no such thing as the perfect camera. But man, does this come close! I have never been so happy with a camera -- and I've owned quite a few.Right off the bat, the sensor size is larger than on your average P&S; (point and shoot) camera, but the resolution isn't any higher. This allows the camera to take MUCH better pictures in low light. And you will be amazed at how good this camera is in low light! Short of a DSLR camera, it has no equal.In addition, this camera is built for the serious enthusiast. Full manual controls make it almost like having a DSLR in your pocket! And there is a control dial plus a control ring -- making it much easier to control your settings. Plus, a fast lens and the ability to shoot in RAW ... no wonder so many photographers consider this the best pocket camera available. And yet, you can keep it in Auto mode and treat it like any other point & shoot.Oh, and the LCD is truly beautiful!The main thing that keeps it from being "perfect" in my estimation is the limited zoom: less than 4X. I need much more zoom. But I'd give it all up for this camera! And, if you want to use the camera as a camcorder, the standard definition video mode is a bit disappointing. Why not high-def, Canon?The main problems with the camera are pretty minor. The control dial on the back is very loose and you have to be careful not to accidentally change your settings. It's also a shame that you can't independently set the control dial and control ring for whatever you want: instead, you have to choose among a number of pre-sets. It's a little disappointing. And, if you are very serious, it's worth noting the serious barrel distortion in RAW; but the camera takes care of that in processing JPEGs, so most will never know.Some people complain about the build quality. Trust me, it's perfectly fine. It's light, which can be misleading. But there's nothing wrong with the build quality. Perhaps they expect more for $400. I guess I can understand that. But I'm perfectly comfortable with the build quality.The competition for this camera are the Panasonic LX3, the Fujifilm F200EXR, and maybe the Sony WX1 or TX1. The Sonys are good low-light cameras, but have no manual controls. The LX3 and the F200EXR are more serious cameras, but they are no better than the S90 and much more difficult to use. The S90 seems to get things right right out of the box more often than these others ... from all that I have heard, anyway. I don't have any of these cameras. But don't discount ease of use when you consider the competition.I give this camera the highest recommendation possible, even if it's not quite perfect! -This router is very good, and has very good range. Read the smallnetbuilder website for a good review of it, if you don't believe me.My previous router was an RT-N56U, which also is a very good router, but the only reason I purchased the N66U is because it supports open source firmware, and it also has much better QOS control that actually works well once you get it set up correctly.A review below said they have problems getting it to work with the DD-WRT firmware, but I just wanted to let you know it works great with the Tomato open source firmware. I'm using the Shibby version of Tomato. I would have stayed with the stock firmware, but the open source firmware offers so many more features. But I do like the looks of the stock firmware a lot, and it is good also.I'm using a longer flat cat6 cables I purchased online, it looks better on the router because it bends down farther when you stand it upright. It helps appearance wise. -The NT38B Airbender is revolutionary in iPad keyboard cases. There truly are very few real competitors here. This case's flexibility makes it a leader as it swivels, and detaches, allowing seemingly unlimited combinations of viewing and portability. The set-up (the way it positions/stands) also allows rigidity for users who want to use the iPad like a laptop, with screen fixed upright in place. Unlike most iPad cases which require you hold the unit still, or leave on a flat surface, the NT38B Airbender stays in position. The case is also quite rugged. As a tech guy, I've experienced many cases that promise to protect, but at the end of the day protect only from scratches. This case is rugged, solid. Another phenomenal option is the ability to easily detach the iPad from the keyboard while keeping the iPad in it's case. The iPad then can stand alone in various positions while you type. The battery is also quite reliable. I've had the unit for weeks now and have not had to recharge yet. Two items that could improve this product, which I have NOT seen in other "like" items: grip surface on outside of case, and further improved keyboard experience. Most iPad keyboards have the same issue: the keys do not tap as well as they do on a Macbook/laptop. Overall, a SOLID product. -I needed a longer cable that would work with my wife's Droid and my Samsung Galaxy. Those that have the Galaxy know that the face where the USB port is located is slightly angled and the larger mold of some cables at the micro USB end makes it difficult to connect. This cable is perfect. It's well made and heavy-duty. I'd buy it again. -This is a great wireless mouse, as are most of Logitech's products. You plug it in, and it works. No software to download, no buttons to program, it just works. Tracking is excellent and it slides smooth across the desk. After about a week of use I've decided I don't really like how it feels in my hand. This mouse curves in quite a bit on both sides; the "thumb" side is fine, as I rest my thumb comfortably in that position. The other side, however, is not as comfortable as I don't like having to wrap my ring and pinky fingers down around the side. Every other mouse I've used has been "flat" on that side, which is why the M510 feels so different, perhaps a bit small, in my hand.I use a "fingertip" or "claw" grip on my mouse, and this mouse is better suited for a "palm" grip, or possibly someone with smaller hands. I'm going to try a G9x or a Cyborg RAT7 instead. -Oh my word I cannot say enough about this Tv. the picture on it is beautiful. the sound is excellent. Its just the most awesome Tv. you really must upgrade to this tv..........Smart Hub is awesome. I haven't used everything that it has as of yet but what I have has been spot on perfect. Im so proud of it. -I bought this monitor nearly 2 years ago. I use it daily for typical home use - web, music, email, viewing/editing documents, watching videos.The Good:+ Great performance+ Less power consumption (LED)+ Base tilts up+ VESA compliant so you can use a different stand or wall mount+ InexpensiveThe Bad:- The connections (VGA, DVI, and audio in) are a little difficult to access (although once you get them hooked up you can forget about them)- There is no HDMI connection- It is too bright at nightPerformance:I think that the performance (colors, contrast, brightness) is very good for home use - it looks great surfing the web, looking at pictures, or watching movies. Images and text are clear and crisp. 1080P video looks fantastic. Thanks to the LEDs it stays cool and consumes very little power.The blacks in movies and images look pretty good, vibrant colors from pictures are not washed out or too enhanced, and it is easy on your eyes even after multiple hours of viewing (during the day or in a well-lit room). The one complaint I have is that even if you turn down the brightness to zero, at night in a dark room it is too bright. I wish the brightness could be turned down even more.Design:The base allows the monitor to tilt up which is nice, and it is VESA compliant so you can remove the base and hook it up to a wall mount or a multiple monitor mount.When trying to hook up the cables they are a little difficult to access - I had to tip the monitor down on it side to be able to get them connected. Once everything is connected you won't have to worry about it.It does have built in stereo speakers which are OK, but similar to most built in monitor/tv speakers, they don't provide very good sound. I have a cheap set of 2.1 channel computer speakers that I use that sound much better.Summary:Overall this is a great monitor for the price, and I would highly recommend it. It has worked flawlessly for the over 2 years I have owned it so far. I wish the brightness could be turned down even more, but I can live with it. -the usb on the back caused my mac to restart when i would plug something into about 50% of the time. very annoying but the fan is really really good! -I replaced my Trendnet 633GR router because I had a lot of high volume devices that were all consuming bandwidth and bogging each other down (Netflix, XBOX, Slingbox, laptops, etc. etc) I wasn't getting full "G" speed with the Trendnet 633GR on my primary laptop so I figured I'd try out the Netgear WNDR3700.The big plus for this router is the 680MHZ CPU. Even though I can only get data from my broadband router just so fast, the router seems to be effortlessly routing everything in my network without any slowdowns. Unfortunately, I didn't get any range improvement in one area of my house and my main laptop is still around -60db (and about 1 MB/s) I was hoping to get a little more but the faster router processor seems to keep the data flowing very steadily. If I use a USB network adapter on my laptop, I get full speed. I suppose I could blame my laptop network card for a weak antenna.As for the 5GHZ secondary band, I didn't find any use for it. If I got further than 30 feet from the router and had any obstructions, the signal was just about useless. I was -90db at 40 feet thru one wall and the ROKU XR failed to hook up. I eventually just turned the 5ghz radio off on the router.One other thing I like is a guest network feature. I can turn on a generic guest network when we have visitors and let them get on the internet. I still have all encryption methods available.Overall, very solid router, I am happy and this router will probably last me a long time. I found that Amazon actually beat Newegg prices by 15$...UPDATE 2/4/2010 : I had a VPN server running with no problem on a Windows 7 64bit machine and a Trendnet 633GR Router. I switched to this WNDR3700 for reasons listed above. The WNDR was ALMOST perfect except I was simply unable to get the WNDR3700 to passthru a VPN connection. I have to have VPN for my situation so the router is going back. I noticed after a lot of hair pulling that others are waiting on dd-wrt firmware to rectify this VPN issue. I'm surprised that this router couldn't do VPN, it seems so necessary?? I suppose I'll try it again when it has VPN capability.UPDATE 9/10/2010 : Somehow during a firmware update VPN is now working in Windows 7 64bit. My network is flying. 5ghz is turned off because the range is so short that it is practically unusable. 5 STARS otherwise. -okay so it does but for me this lens is my walking around lens, so much better than the 1.8, this has metal construction and I love the speed of primes -I pretty much agree with what others have said about the metadata and the wifi, things could have been better. But it is quite good as is. My only real gripe is the MLB.tv app. It is stuck in HD mode with no way to switch to a lower video quality when conditions merit. I have a pretty fast connection, but during prime time congestion, even it bogs down. And MLB gave up, said I had to watch the game later when the bandwidth was better. What about a lower bitrate feed? What about adaptive streaming? To adjust to the varying bandwidth conditions? As it is, MLB isn't going to get much of my money, it is very frustrating. -I bought this lens mostly for video, as the STM lenses have almost completely silent autofocus, which helps tremendously when shooting video with the internal mic, or a camera-mounted mic. The kit Lens that came with my camera is completely silent, and I have yet to hear any camera noise picked up hen shooting video, even in quiet, indoor shoots. I bought this lens for the same purpose, as well as shooting photos, as it is a great focal length for video, and the low aperture is great for low-light photos. Here are my conclusions:For Photos: This lens is incredible. The pictures are razor sharp, and when you shoot with the aperture wide open, the bokeh effect you can achieve is really cool and makes for some beautiful, intriguing photos. The autofocus is quick and responsive, allowing you to quickly frame and shoot. The only downside to this lens is since there is no Image Stabilization, you have to be very steady when shooting hand-held, especially if you get below 1/100th shutter. Adjusting the settings, you can usually find a clear shot, it just may take some toying. On a tripod, you have nothing to worry about, obviously. This was definitely a good purchase for photos.For Videos: The quality of video produced by this lens is great. It lets in some serious light with the f/2.8 aperture, so you can do some good low-light shoots. The focal length is ideal for most video applications, but the lack of zoom does make for some walking around to frame the shot properly. The downside with this lens when compared to the STM 18-55mm is that the autofocus motor makes some noise. I was used to complete silence with STM lenses, and this one, although quiet, can still be picked up, especially when shooting with the internal mic. It's nothing compared to a non-stm lens, which are much louder, but it is audible and can be picked up in quiet shoots. Not a huge deal, but it is worth noting, if this lens is being purchased with that function in mind. If you are using any kind of external micing, you should be fine.Pros:Crisp, good color, fast autofocus, solid construction, light-weight, small form factorCons:Autofocus a little noisy -This New Trent Airbender case is a remarkably lightweight keyboard case and while it doesn't feel heavy duty by any stretch of the imagination, it also doesn't seem cheap or flimsy. Aesthetically speaking, it's nice enough, with a slate-colored matte finish and a smooth feel that is not polished or slick, so that it will not inadvertently escape your grasp.I generally don't like any case (with or without a keyboard) that is intended to be used essentially as a permanent home for the ipad because the form factor and tactile experience of a naked ipad is so nice and enjoyable that it usually cheapens the experience when it's in a protective case. (For instance, the Otterbox cases cases certainly offer good protection, but it's such a chore to get the ipad secured into it in the first place that you never want to take it out --- so i actually got rid of my eexpensive Otterbox case.) The ipad snaps very easily and quickly in and out of place in the Airbender case, however. Even better, you can simply detach the iPad enclosure from the keyboard portion of the case and hold the iPad normally. This makes it easy to envision using the case on days when one is going to do a lot of typing, such as note-taking in meetings, but popping the case off when you want to sit with the ipad on your lap in the evening for some casual web browsing, facebook, or watching a movie, etc.Overall, I find this to be a nice product that is very competitively priced.PROS:- The keyboard responds well, connection via bluetooth is easy and fast, the battery life is on par with other similar products, and the fact that it allows for rotating the iPad to portrait mode is a nice plus.- It's great that you can utilize this case in so many different positions, with the iPad and keyboard each attached or detached, in portrait or landscape mode, etc.- Lightweight, and does not add a lot of additional bulk to the iPad.CONS:- My biggest complaint with this case is that I found the placement of the "lock" button on the small keyboard, just above the "delete" button to be a bit of a flaw. Far too often, when I tried to correct a misspelled word by using the delete button I mistakenly hit the lock button, and then had to stop typing, and unlock the ipad using the slider on the screen. Like all keyboard cases, it's a product best used by someone with hands small enough to successfully type on a compact keyboard. -I tried on several of these headphones in the stores. They were the most comfortable I had ever worn. Sound is great and noise cancelling is excellent but after wearing for 20-30 minutes they start to hurt my ears. I do have big ears and they stick out from my head so I guess it is partially my fault. -I use this lens on my 5d ii and have been quite happy with it for outside photographs. I am a professional photographer and I love the 24-105 zoom -- it allows me to get environmental portraits -- i.e., a couple in front of a church or a small child on a beach -- and then I can zoom in for a more traditional portrait (the bokeh is quite nice at f4 105). I find this zoom range essential for event photography.Indoors I am not quite as happy with this lens -- I have to ramp up my ISO pretty high as I am rarely on a tripod indoors (weddings and events). If this lens came out in a 2.8 I would replace it in a heart beat, but I am not interested in the 24-70 2.8 because I would miss that extra focal length.Anyway, this is a great all around lens and is my favorite for event photography and as my personal "walkabout" lens when I'm on vacation. Not too heavy, very versatile, and it takes excellent photographs.update: Indoors with a studio setup, this lens is also FANTASTIC and is on my camera 80% of the time. Because of focal length focusing issues, I can't use my 70-200, but I can get pretty close to my subjects and fill up the frame with the 24-105. -Using this as a WAP, and not a router. While it is advertised to have superior range, I find it pretty average at best. This is across multiple devices. Also, I've experienced (with multiple devices) intermittent problems just getting connectivity. I'm not satisfied enough with it to keep it, and plan to pack it up and return it this weekend. It just is not that great. Does it work? Pretty much. Do I find it in any way superior? No way. Considering the price, it just is not worth it. -This the coolest flash drive I have used by far. I have been using them since they first came out and were MB not GB. The device works as it's supposed to and it doesn't junk up my key chain. It is tiny yet has a sturdy feel to it. -I have read a lot of negative press about this lens, but I have to tell you I think this is one of the best manual focus lenses you can buy for a full-frame camera.On my Nikon D800 it rocks. The bokeh is 'creamier' than you're used to compared to Nikon or Zeiss lenses, but I like it. As a video lens it has terrific long focal throw with hard stops.Nailing focus takes a lot of practice, but when you get it - perfect. NOT a great run and gun lens but I have used it that way. -I love this product for my iPAD Retina! I use the iPad for personal and business use which is why I need the keyboard. The keyboard does take some time to adapt to as the keys are not quite as contoured as those of a regular keyboard. I have adapted well and I would be lost without the keyboard. The case is very convenient with the several different options available for display. I have found that it works best if you hold on to the bottom of the ipad screen when adjusting the prop on the back to get the best angle. In addition, when opening the case for use, it works best if you hold the screen portion up and pull down on the keyboard, rather than the normal procedure for opening a laptop. The ability to completely disconnect the iPad portion from the keyboard is also a nice touch. The keyboard holds a great charge and I can go a full week before it will need a charge. -As most of the reviewers has already commented on the characteristics of the drive I will keep my review simple and mentioned that I agree with most of the reviewers about the super speedy response of this drive. The drive itself is very well constructed. Passively cooled however for reducing noise (It has vents on the top) and very well shielded inside and in my tests it indeed is very fast in data transfers thanks to the USB 3.0 interface.Almost close to what you would expect on a SATA internal interface (Generation 2) is seen on this drive which I consider very speedy for an external enclosure such as this one.It comes with AC adapter 12v 1.5A and USB 3.0 cable which is backward compatible with USB 2.0 interface.PROS[+] Speedy drive (7200RPM)[+] USB 3.0[+] You can take the bottom part (USB 3.0 Controller electronics) out and use it with other drives! (Go-Flex design)[+] When you eject or your Desktop goes to sleep it spins the HDD down[+] Low Power consumption[+] Two year SEAGATE warrantyCONS[-] Shinny Glossy which acts like a dust magnet.See the pictures I have posted on Amazon for package details. It is nicely constructed and works right out of the box. No issues seen. If someone wants more details about the internal drive (Made in Thailand) as I took it apart to see the contents please free to comment and I will answer them.2 Terabytes is still a lot of storage if you ask me. But if you do take a lot of Hi-Def camcorder recordings and have a huge collections of super high quality digital pictures then I would suggest that you go for a larger size which is a better value.Highly recommended. -this case is awesome. its sturdy and protects the kindle very well. i love that it can turn the kindle on when you open the front cover. good quality. -Got this bag free with purchase of T4i Canon and thought it would match. It has plenty of space inside and can hold everything. However, the bag is huge, so big I can fit my DSLR, Camcorder and even a point and shoot camera. It is not something I would carry everyday and now have to buy a smaller carrying case to compensate for this golf bag sized camera bag. I like the bag but it is just not feasible to carry daily. -This is a great case for the 2nd generation Nexus 7. The craftsmanship is excellent, all seams are straight with no loose thread, the fit is excellent as is the overall appearance. The case has magnets to turn the tablet on and off and the magnets seem to work well at keeping the case open when you fold back the cover. It also has a strap to secure it in the open position, but the magnets work well enough that I've never had to use it. Even has a strap to make it easier to hold the device one handed. Highly recommended. -Because we like to try out electronic cables and devices for a while before drawing a conclusion, I have made sure to test out this cable for several months now. The verdict is in- this cable is a very high quality cable which works beautifully with no problems at all.Despite it being thick and a little tricky since you can not bend it at a sharp angle, it is easy to work with by looping a bit as the 6+ft of cable gives us plenty of room to do so, but I would advise you to check out any holes in furniture or other small areas that the cords might have to pass through to be sure you have enough room to pass this cable through if there is any question- BEFORE you install it.We have checked this cable with various devices- PS3, HDTV, Blu-Ray player and most recently it is being used from a high quality amplifier to a very high level audio-visual computer system. In all cases, the picture/sound has been top notch, with no disintegration of information flow or integrity of signal.The quality of this cable is definitely high and equals or surpasses the performance of cables that are much more expensive on the market but have brand names that people are more familiar with. We have a LOT of cables and cords in our house as we have an electronic addict in our home, so we have a lot of HDMI cables and devices to test and compare with. This cable is also a good choice for future equipment upgrading as it will be compatible.The frustration free packaging is brilliant, by the way. Makes life a LOT easier!I highly recommend this cable, as long as you are not required to make a sharp angle for installation with no extra cord to loop around, or as long as your cable does not have to pass through a very tiny space (as is often the case when you have multiple cables running through holes in furniture, or other small spaces. -OK let me start by saying I have studied antennas pretty extensively as a hobby. Living in Wisconsin, I am a die-hard Packers fan, and being a nursing student, cable is just too expensive for me. I started researching this antenna out of desperation because the antenna tower setup at my rental house is very outdated, and the cable connecting the antennas that are at the top of the 60ft tower is so thin, it looses an immense amount of signal. Anyway, I live about 36 miles from the Milwaukee towers, and about 50 from the Chicago towers. I already had the Antennacraft HBU33, which is an absolutely PHENOMENAL antenna if you are more then 40 miles from a tower (I have never used it for signals more the 50 miles away, so keep that in mind). This antenna (ANT751R, and make sure the "R" is at the end of the model number, as the model with the "R" is optimized for digital signal, as opposed to the older model which was more for analog signal) is designed for signals within the 40 mile range. I used my old antenna for Chicago stations, and bought this antenna for the Milwaukee stations. The setup works very well so far. I use both antennas with a signal combiner (a splitter that works both ways) and a RCA TVPRAMP1R for a pre-amp, and the picture so far is awesome. This antenna is so small, it seems like it would be ineffective, but WOW, its works like a champ! I will warn you that it does not pick up the lower VHF stations very well (2-6), so I had to modify it with coathangers to pick up those stations (Fox is channel 6 here, which a majority of Packer games are on). I did have to change the location of the antenna after not getting good reception on fox, even with adjustments with coathangers, to a higher place with fewer obstructions (the original place was clamped to the antenna tower as high as I could reach (which was about 10 ft up with a ladder), and was obstructed by the house next door, so your antenna may not have the low VHF issue, but I am not willing to take off my coathanger modification to find out if it works without it (if it ain't broke, don't fix it) in the new location. It is now on the roof of my porch, which is about 20 feet in the air. I also installed this antenna in the attic of my friend's 1 story house who is about 15 miles form the Milwaukee tower, and he reports perfect reception even without any sort of amp. Keep in mind that he was using a radio shack amplified set-top antenna before with a 15-20db amp built in, and on windy days, the reception would be choppy at best. He checked the reception on the day that the winds from hurricane Sandy were really bad in his area, and reported the signal was completely solid, so there you go. When installing this antenna, I would HIGHLY recommend using quad-shielded type f coax cable, to minimize signal loss. I would recommend purchasing the cable from monoprice, they were the lowest price when I installed my friend's antenna. Also, be careful with amplifiers, they can actually destroy your signal if your signal is already strong, so just keep that in mind. If you are at the very edge of the reception zone for this antenna, and your antenna is in a low place, or in your attic, then you may want to look into a pre-amp, otherwise, don't even bother.So to recap: This is a fantastic antenna that may not pick up the low VHF stations very well. I made a long loop with a coathanger and used hose clamps to attach them to the end of the VHF elements to get better low VHF signal, but that's just a suggestion. If you are putting the antenna up high, you may not have anything to worry about it. USE QUAD-SHIELDED TYPE F CABLE FOR YOUR SETUP TO MAXIMIZE GAIN AND MINIMIZE SIGNAL LOSS. -This case is super slim, super sleek, and fits the Nexus 7 perfectly. All my coworkers love my case and love the handle in the back. The fact that this case can also prop up as a stand is a plus! Extra points for the sleep and wake feature. If your looking for a case with no branding and looks good. Look no more! -The Linksys EA2700 is a good midrange router. If your only goals for it are connecting wirelessly with your phone, tablet, or laptop it should perform flawlessly.I tried to set it up as someone who is not too familiar with routers. The instructions that come with basically say to insert the included CD into your computer, plug the router into your computer, and then follow the prompts. This is what I did and the entire process was painless. Everything worked perfectly when I disconnected the cable and attempted to connect wirelessly. I then proceeded to add the router to my phone's wifi and my tablet's wifi. Everything connected without a hitch. The only surprise was the the process of setting up the router took about ten minutes. Granted almost all of that time was spent staring at my laptop waiting for the software to finish (no interaction required from me). Still... It took longer than expected.If you're familiar with good ol' 192.168.x.x then that works fine too. If that made no sense, don't worry about it, the included software takes care of everything for you.Personally, I feel that there is not much that is worth the premium price for the router. It's not that it's bad--it's just not amazing.Apparently, there is an Android app that is available that can also adjust settings but, for the life of me, I can't see how that's very useful. Instead, I wish it included a USB connector so I could print wirelessly. That's becoming a common feature in "better than low end" routers, these days.On the plus side, the setup software is easy and it's attractive. I like the internal antenna design and haven't noticed any degradation of signal compared to my other two routers (both with dual external antennas). -Got this one for the price and the supposed magnetic closing feature. The latter barely works (at least for me) but otherwise the case is fine. It protects my tablet and is more of the "book" type case that gives it a little more heft. The extra viewing angles are nice as well. -This is a very nice addition to the Canon EF line-up. Since my DSLR has an APS-C sensor, I needed a lens that would get me close to 50mm. A cropped sensor makes this 40mm lens the equivalent of a 56mm. I like the fact that the lens is very compact and light weight. The optics are "Can-tastic". The focus is great in auto mode or in manual and I very much like the option of switching back and forth. I also purchased the Canon UV filter and the Canon lens hood. The Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM has a very snug fit, but is easily and quickly swapped. I have only had use of the lens for a week and have posted my very first photograph to this web page where other reviewers have posted sample photos. I feel like this will be my "go to" lens for indoor family events like Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am also planning to use it for a maternity shoot. For the focal length and the money, this Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 is a great value. No regrets. -This product is perfect for what I needed it for. Providing a ton of memory in my Samsung Note 10.1 in a small package. -This case is beautiful, inside and out. It holds the device firmly, and provides optimal protection without sacrificing the sleekness of the tablet itself. It also has a hand strap, stylus loop, and a stand feature that is very sturdy. There are holes on the back for the speaker, and every port, button, and mic is easily accessible. -Received my New Trent Airbender a couple of days ago. I am completely satisfied with it. I didn't think I could improve my iPad! The keypad is awesome, it did take a little getting used to though. The fact that the Airbender can be used as two separate pieces is great. If I just want to play, I can use it as a stand with the keypad detached. It was easy to set up the Bluetooth and easy to use. I would highly recommend this accessory for everyone. The way the case protects the iPad is great! -This case is from what I can tell the best bang for your buck. The case fits snug to the device and allows for good support and viewing angles. The leather isn't the highest quality but it doesn't have a cheap glossy feel to it either. The clasp keeps the cover closed well but isnt a pain to take off and the magnet has never given me a problem as others are describing. Overall, best case by far for the money. -just going to sum this up real quick..Your computer will wait on you instead of you waiting on your computer.Even if you have a new computer, you have NOTHING until you have a SSD.WORTH...EVERY...PENNY. -These cables are great! The HDMI cable works great! No issues at all. The cable is of quality build and the signal is great. -Ha, with a title like that I got your attention didn't I? This is a review of the 16GB Zune HD. You will not see a comparison or mention of any Apple product here. I am a 39 year old male and this review is for the Zune HD and what it is like to OWN one so that others may decide if they want one. First off, you will notice that this review is "Amazon Verified" - yes, I purchased the Zune from Amazon and waited a couple of weeks to actually USE the product before submitting a review of it unlike some of the others here. Enjoy....Packaging:The Zune comes in a nice small black box that slides open to reveal the contents which are the Zune HD, headphones, USB cable and some paperwork. It's very stylish and nice. Not much else to say as the box has been tucked away ever since opening.The look and feel:Ever since the first time I saw pictures on the net of the Zune HD I have wanted one. Being a previous owner of a couple of different MP3 players the Zune was a must have just for the looks alone. It really has nice lines and the color is just right; black and silver. I hate this new term "sexy" and cringe when I hear a guy say it about an electronic device. It does describe the Zune but I won't call it that. The weight is very nice and it feels good in your hand. I love the modern look and if they ever turned this device into a phone I would by one in a heartbeat! I sometimes hold it to my ear and think, "WoW what a cool phone this would be." The Zune logo on the back and a simple "ZUNE" on the front - very elegant. On top is a power on button, the left side a volume rocker and the home button on the front. The bottom is where you plug in your headphones and next to that is where the docking connector/USB cable plugs in. It's the kind of device that has looks that will never get old and you want to just keep staring at it. Very pleasing to have something you want everyone to see.The screen:OLED - it's the big talk these days. I have a few pictures on my device right now and I have to say they look great. The blacks are true blacks because the device shuts down the pixels where there should be black so you see true blacks and vibrant colors. Outside I agree with most folks about the glare. I have the brightness turned all the way up and it looks nice inside but outside the glare on the glass makes it as if you want to look at the reflection then back to what's on the screen. I don't see this as a problem as I can't imagine any other electronic device no matter what it is not having this same problem. For me, I can still see what is on the screen and have no problem with it. It is just the right size at 3.3 inches.UI interface:Although inside the box there was no manual you would really have to be pretty stupid if you couldn't figure out how to navigate on this device. Also, on the Zune web page is everything you need to know about how to work this device - who needs paper these days anyway??? The transitions from screen to screen are so fluid, smooth and animated. The touch only needs to be light and it works flawlessly. After using the device for a few minutes you get the idea of how to navigate. You start off with a list of items to choose from on the main menu; pictures, music, apps, ect, etc. As you click one you dive into that section and dive even deeper as you work what ever you have chosen clicking/touching away. At all times the home button on the front will take you back to the main menu. The accelerator zips from landscape to portrait very fast and smooth. I really like that and feel the tegra chip inside is working for me without strain when I see this - video especially. Multi touch works well and tapping is fine too especially on the web browser. Everything is laid out nicely and there is no confusion about how to find something. This is a plus for first timers and experienced users alike.Zune software: (APPS & Marketplace)This is a free download and helps you manage the Zune contents and updates. The software mimics some of the icons on the Zune so you quickly identify the UI and what you need to click. Syncing is a breeze and Zune will let you customize what content you want on the device and what you want Zune to do with it. I have all of my MP3's in my music folder on my computer and it grabbed all of them when I plugged in for the first time with no problems. There are some complaits about the software and how it takes forever to download - not true. There are not a lot of apps right now. I hope this blossoms as the months go by. I have downloaded all of them so far as they are free but would gladly pay for any others if they should come about and would be useful. The weather app is nice and lets you add as many cities as you want and shows you not only current conditions but a five day forecast as well. The calculator well is a calculator. The games have been just OK - I feel they do not utilize the Tegra chip but in the future I am sure the games will utilize the chip as it would be a waste if they didn't. There is a chess game, Texas hold em, space ship shooter, a Bejeweled like game, soduku, and some game where you try to figure out where an item is hidden after mixing up three robots. All are fun for a short while but I wait for more advanced cool games. Also the games have ads just before they start - we are talking about 5 seconds of a video clip. For a free download I think they have every right to put this here. Also, FOUR to FIVE SECONDS is what we are talking about. Is it that much time??? Patience!!!! The marketplace is just something you need to experience. Music, Videos, Podcasts and more.... EVERYTHING is here for you to choose from. There is an option for a Zune pass and for $14.99 a month you can go nuts with this and download as much media as yo want - you get to keep 10 songs a month too. This alone is worth buying the Zune HD. There is so much content at the market place that I can't really explain. Imagine walking into a store that has no one in it but you and the inventory consists of basically every kind of music you can think of as well as tons of other types of media just for you alone to walk up and down the isle to choose from. I just hope for more apps in the future and (I know) this thing just came out so while I wait for apps I will enjoy my Zune....Docking station:I went with the basic Zune HD sync doc ($49) and lucked out with it. There is an A/V dock you can purchase too($89). I will tell you the only difference between the two is 1) the price and 2) the A/V doc comes with the HDMI and optical cables. So if you already have these cables, which most of us do, save $40+ dollars and get the regular sync doc. I have a review on the doc here on Amazon (where I purchased it) so check that out. It is nice to just plug it in and sync and charge. Also I can hook it up to a TV if I wanted or a receiver and utilize the Zune to transfer music and video to my home entertainment center. The doc compliments the Zune and is very stylish looking and most importantly - Functional.Battery life:The OLED must be doing what it is supposed to do - save power. I take the train every day to work from Milford, CT to Greenwich, CT and I can go about a week without charging using the Zune about an hour or so a day. Wonderful! The only thing I have noticed is the back gets warm when in use. Very strange. I have been impressed with the battery and hope it stays that way.Screen protectors:I never had one before and at the time I received my Zune there was only Ghost Armor available. I got one screen protector and had no problem putting it on but being a noob I didn't spray my fingers and my finger print was stuck on the adhesive side. So I took it off. Ghost armor was very nice and sent me a replacement but instead of just the screen protector they sent the full body armor - how nice of them! This time around I was very careful and it went on with no problems BUT....I noticed the screen protector was about an eighth of an inch too short on top. It was enough to bother me so I took it off. (I know you are thinking I am nuts) So I looked and found BodyGarudz on the net. Not only do they sell TWO screen protectors for the price of ONE but it also fit perfectly. I used the squeegee and applicator solution from Ghost to put the BodyGaurdz shield on - why? Because BodyGaurdz's applicator solution wasn't as good as Ghosts and Ghost's squeegee was much better than BodyGaurdz. So my insane suggestion - go with BodyGaurdz for the screen protector. One other thing - the Ghost armor seems thicker - I can feel the sharp edges of the plastic now on the Zune because it has full body protection. I hope they come out with some cool cases so I can rip this stuff off and throw more cash down the drain...! The BodyGaurdz screen protector is thinner and looks great.Internet: (WiFi)The browser works well on the Zune HD. I connected to my home network in seconds and at work it's even quicker. You can tap and multi-touch to zoom in and move the pages around. The keyboard is OK and can be used in landscape or portrait mode. You can store pages in favorites and check AOL mail and what not. It uses Bing to find what you are searching for. I use it mostly for mail as at work the computers are restricted but WiFi is open. You can sync via WiFi and download too which is very nice.Music (Sound):There is an internal equalizer with different settings depending on what type of music you are listening too. It works OK - the music sounds fine to me. I didn't use the supplied headphones as I have a pair of Sony Ear buds and they work better for my ears. The music sounds great and the interface is cool - volume can be operated via the rocker on the side or touch screen. Filtering music, making playlists and and just listening is a pleasure - this is what I got the device for - MUSIC - so everything else is just an added bonus to me. I haven't bothered with the HD Radio much but it is cool to have. Remember...added bonus....Conclusion:I just love this Zune HD. It really is functional for what I need it to do and the style, look and feel are just so right. I hope this review helps you in your decision. I will continue to update this review in the future so check back and best of luck to you and take care! -1. The material used was high grade. The case fits well and was easy to attach.2. The iPad felt very well protected in the case.3. I really like the different configuration options.4. Bluetooth pairing was flawless.5. The case looks very professional, not a cheap plastic case.6. The detachable keyboard / case makes a great product. -Advanced carpel tunnel syndrome makes holding a phone for more than 5 minutes painful. I've tried various earphones but never liked them. This headset is perfect! People I'm talking to can't tell I'm using it, the sound is quiet and clear. Very lightweight and comfortable, phone can go in my pocket and I can do anything I need to do while talking. Still can't believe the price. -I bought this lens for my Canon 20D digital camera and have found it to be a great all-purpose, everyday-use lens. Here are the best features from my perspective:1. The range of telephoto zoom is adequate for 90% of photo opportunites. 28-135 mm telephoto in digital photography translates into 48-230 mm in SLR film photography. Since a standard camera lens is 50-55 mm, the starting range of this zoom lens equals that and then has the added versatility of zooming up to 135 mm (or 230mm in old style camera figures). In my opinion, this added range of framing a shot gives the photographer so much more creativity, as well as being able to bring objects into closer, more intimate range. I mentioned that this lens is good for 90% of all general camera shots; the missing 10% are those pictures that require a better zoom (more telephoto zoom), and those pics that need a wider field of view. You may find that for group photos in close proximity, you want to take a step backwards to get everybody in the frame. This is not a problem unless you simply don't have the room to take that step back. I solved this problem by switching back to the original 18-55mm lens that came with the camera. For the more distant shots that can't be drawn into the 135mm zoom of this lens I purchased a better telephoto zoom.2. The lens has autofocus and IS stabilization technology. For one used to manual focus lenses in SLR film photography, the addition of a fast autofocus lens is a terrific feature! I used to miss those spur of the moment shots because I was trying to achieve focus. With this lens, you make those shots, because within a milisecond of depressing the shutter down halfway, the picture snaps into focus! I absolutely love this feature! The focuser has many points of potential focus, so it adapts easily to virtually all focusing situations. For the really difficult focusing shots, there is the option of manual focusing. While nice to have, I rarely use this option. The Image Stabilization feature is a handy one in the longer shots. "IS" lets one get away with a bit of camera shake without too much out-of-focus smear on the picture. Canon does not recommend using the IS feature on tripod shots, so there is a switch to turn off the IS if desired.3. The lens takes sharp clear pictures. I have not been disappointed with the quality of the lens at all.Drawbacks1. While there are not too many drawbacks to this lens, I think the major one is that the lens is bigger and heavier, in fact, much bigger and heavier than the standard 17-55 mm lenses that come with SLR cameras. For me this is not a problem, however, for one that wants to have a lighter-weight camera, this could be considered a serious drawback. On the other hand, a SLR camera like the Canon 20D or digital Rebel is not designed to be a smaller pocket-sized camera. It is a larger format camera and of course the lenses will be larger (and heavier) as well.2. Cost. At just over 400 dollars, this lens is an investment. Again, one has to weigh the obvious financial outlay, but the 28-135 mm lens is so superior to the cheaper 18-55 mm lens, that in my opinion, it is well worth the cost to upgrade.With this product, Canon made a great everyday camera lens. From my perspective, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages and I do recommend this lens to be your everyday standard camera lens.Jim "Konedog" Koenig -Good Flash at a great price.I use two off camera with and w/o umbrellas or softbox. Works great when paired with the Yongnuo RF-603 N3 triggers on my Nikon D5100.I use 2 RF-603 transceivers. Place one on the camera, one on a 560 set in M mode and the other 560 in S1 mode. You must make sure the slave widow on the flash can see the command flash of the other.Solid enough build quality, feels sturdy. If an all manual flash is what you want then get this!You may want to checkout the other Yongnuo versions before you decide.The YN-560 III, has built in wireless receiver, so if your camera sends wireless you might go this route. If not, you'll still need a trigger or use as slaves.The YN-565 and YN-568 are I-TTL/E-TTL models. -Cable is nice and long, and flexible ... but the lightning connector is TOO WIDE to fit the OtterBox opening for an iPad Air. Will need to file down the sides to use this. -DLO makes good quality accessory cases for the iPOD touch, although they are a bit pricey. This product has a belt holder (clip) and an inside pocket for a credit card or driver license but not much else. I found another DLO "Folio" case for the iPOD touch w/o belt holder to carry in my pocket. I like this style even better because you can fold the flip cover back over itself and maintain a nice slim profile w/o the belt clip in the way. However, it has an orange stripe and inside lining for more of a two-tone look. The "all-black" case inside and out looks better, but does not hold the iPOD touch inside quite as snugly. You can't go wrong with either style DLO case for you precious iPOD touch. Both styles are highly recommended. -You can get excellent sharpness and great soft backgrounds with this lens. It's quite a stunning thing to see photos with this lens shot with a little XSi. Once you have enough skill to get your modes set right you can be shooting portraits, animals, flowers, product shots (I do a lot of that) and a ton of other great stuff with this bit of glass.If your shooting a crop body like I do, you'll need a wide angle lens for those landscape and indoor shots where this thing doesn't get wide enough. I use a Sigma 20mm f/1.8 for those times. It's a great standard lens for crop bodies, the sharpness and depth of field effects you can get from opening up that big 1.8 aperture are stunning.But this Tamron zoom is no slouch either when it comes to bokeh and sharpness. Stop it down to 4 or so and in decent light it will give you excellent sharpness, contrast and color. I find I seldom reach for the 20mm except when I want to get right up next to a flower or insect or maybe a piece of jewelry in a product photo, open the aperture and get really smeared backgrounds.You can do that with the Tamron. But the Sigma seems to produce the better backgrounds in those situations. You just have to get real close and personal with the camera.Last fall we were camping at a local reservoir in central PA during the height of the fall colors when I found a huge spider in a fully formed, quite beautiful web. It had recently rained and the web had a lot of those nice dewy droplets on its filaments. I was able, with this Tamron, to get very close to spidey and web, choke off a lot of depth of field and soften the water and multicolored trees in the background to a beautiful palette of color with only hints of shape. That was one of the best series of shots I've ever taken, and it was with this lens. Stopped down a bit to give more form to the background and spidey was in a whole new light.This lens works for weddings and birthdays, school plays, picnics, tourism, whatever.If you need more zoom than this, maybe you should buy a telescope. I can see needing a wider lens than this, but if you can't zoom close enough, shoot RAW and enlarge. This zoom range is perfect for 90% of my image composition within the range it shoots.It's much easier to compose than with my 20mm Sigma prime. Any prime lens will have you walking around, backing up, moving in, trying to get that frame right. The payoff is unbeatable sharpness and speed per dollar.However, this 2.8 zoom lens is plenty fast, and very sharp as well.I bought this lens a couple years ago for under $400. The Sigma prime cost more than that, and I only use it for about ten percent of my shots.This thing is so far beyond the price in terms of capability, that I will buy another one if this one ever breaks.Recommended. -Lost the last stylus I purchased but this one is great. The cord to keep it attached to my iPad helps so that I'll never lose this one. Good quality. -I give it 5 stars for indoor antennas. I went from 7 stations and 15 channels to 17 stations and 43 channels. The furthest is +55 miles. Another is 42 miles... NO problem with either. However most of my stations are with in 22 miles and mostly in one direction. I would say if all your stations are out +40 miles this should work but you might start to thing about an outdoor Bow-Tie antenna. HOWEVER it depends on your house and terrain. If your house is wood, drywall, vinyl siding, with antenna near a second floor window facing toward the station, good to go. If you are in the middle of a brick building, no windows, you can expect less than spectacular performance (I am assuming). OUTDOOR antennas are always better, but I am very impressed. I am an engineer and my hobby is radio and antennas.Since most of my stations I care about are all in one direction I can just set and forget. However if your stations are scattered to the four winds it could be a hassle always having to aim it. Most stations are South East but one is West. It comes in no matter what direction I turn it. It is the strongest station at 17 miles. Two of the distant stations need the antenna to be aimed; they are in different directions and need the antenna to be aimed, but for the most part 90% of my stations are all in one direction.There is no real solution for stations in many directions, even with an outdoor antenna, which would need a "ROTOR" to turn it to different direction. With the Terk HDTVa the further out the station the more you have to aim it. This is OK and what gives the antenna it's power and low noise. However it is NOT an omnidirectional antenna. Typically omni directional antennas don't have the performance, as they are a compromise for convenience. You will never get range with an omni direction antenna. Even basic rabbit ears are bi-directional.The two petty gripes others always mention and I will repeat, is the base is narrow so it's tippy side to side. Also because the rabbit ears (the dipole whip antennas) are angled back, you have to give it room, 10" much more depending on the angle of the base to the wall and how wide you have the whips spread out. -My microsoft mouse broke just like my last microsoft mouse... So I went to bestbuy to find another mouse and they wanted $49.99 for there Logitec and I got this one for for $19.99 first Logitech I tried and its the best mouse ive ever had and it doesnt have to be 12 inches away from your pc to work I got this one to work from more then 15 feet way and works fine. Works on every surfice ive tried. this mouse is awesome! -I will say I do not use all the features these headphones offer.What I can tell you is that the Sound quality is very good but not as good as my wired Senheisser.I use the in the Office to listen to music, make phone calls, etc…These are a “MUST HAVE” if you ride a motorcycle. Being ear buds they work like ear plugs.Plus you get the added benefit of listen to your favorite music while on a joy ride, or your commute to the office. -Bought this for my dad to watch TV at his own volume without disturbing everyone else. He loves them. He had some cheaper in ear wireless headphones and were not good. He actually said "I have never head such good quality sound. They're AWESOME". Range is excellent, gets reception over 50 ft away. No interference or crackling/hissing. Durability we'll have to see about over the long term, but seems good.Highly recommend -After purchasing a Nikon D70S with the Sigma 18-200mm lens, I recently purchased a Nikon D200 and a Sigma 10-20mm ultra wide lens. This lens is one of the best I have ever used on any kind of camera. It not only has a good professional look and feel to it, but it works flawlessly with the smoothness of lenses in a much higher price range. Images are clean and crisp, and the autofocus is butter smooth. I paid a bit over $500 for mine and I doubt there is a nickels worth of difference, except in price, between the Sigma brand and a comparable lens bearing the Nikon name. This lens is a keeper for sure!! -The matte finish is great, it reduces fingerprints more than anything else. Also, it gives the phone a cool blackout look. However, the privacy is minimal, at most it obscures any direct view. -This is ridiculously fast. I was upgrading to Window 8.1 and decided might as well update my hard-drive with the SSD over the decent 7,200rpm disc hard-drive. Well Window 8.1 installed in around 10 minutes compare to like aalmost an hour. Boot time i sa few second, faster then my tablet. I also have another sony vaio laptop with a ssd, this one is faster then that one by a little (this one has a faster processor too). -This USB is great for having music in your car. Upload the songs to this flash drive and then you don't have to worry about removing it in and out since it's very tiny. If you hook it to your laptop, it's hardly visible. It's hard to damage tiny drive such as this because it's not a long stick where you can just bump into it and it snap out of your laptop or worse, breaks. The main concern for this product is that it will likely disappear on you if you're not careful where you left your things. So the best use for it is on something you don't often remove it from. That way it won't get lost and can fool a naked eye. I had it in my car stereo no one notice it's a flash drive.Here are some suggesting for going with this flash drive or a standard size.Reasons for owning this drive. Store it for fun things like music, photos, video clip, or things you want to share with others. Buy the 8GB or 16GB version so you don't have to stored too many things in one place. If you needed a bigger space, get a portable hard drive. Flash drive isn't meant for large storage due to the slow speed. You wouldn't want to upload HD contents because it will take you longer then you would expect. If you want it for storing songs for your car, the smaller the size the better. Reason is your stereo play have limitation to number of folder and size. It make no sense have large space when you're stereo cannot handle it. Small files will do nicely on this kind of drive.Reasons you shouldn't buy it. If you're planning on storing sensitive data, I highly recommend you to look for something that's hard to lose or have a very strong attachment to your keys or other belongings you often carry with you. If you lose this drive, the chance of you finding it is slim to none in public places.The price is great for a tiny device like this. It's very useful base on the size and what you want to use it for. -After all my years in the computer industry, its become a very high expectation of mine that hardware and software be easy to setup and get started with. That being said the Roku 3 is the fifth Roku I have personally installed. It is amazing that its ease of setup continues to get ever better. Take it out of the box, peel off the protective plastic, hook up the HDMI cable to your TV or monitor and the back of the Roku 3, connect the power brick and a Ethernet cable and you're done. That's it, you can't complain about 3 cables now can you?Unlike many other products, the Roku has no power button, it consumes so little power it really doesn't need one. This means when you are ready to watch a show, there is no waiting. I knew from previous models (Roku 2) to put batteries (included) in the remote prior to going through setup. This ensures the Roku finds the remote and synchs up with it right away. Speaking of the remote, the new Roku 3 remote has an earphone jack built right into it's side. What a great feature, now when sitting in bed you can easily add earphones so as to watch TV without ever bothering the other half. The volume control is handled by two buttons on the opposite side of the remote, just where they should be. It is features like this that demonstrate the folks at Roku actually use their own products and pay close attention to detail. Small things like this really make the experience much more pleasurable.Once you have powered on, the mostly automatic setup is a breeze and super easy to deal with. Just for the sake of seeing how well it worked, I connected the Roku 3 through both a Ethernet cable and over wireless to my dual Netgear wireless router. Added the Mac: address to the router and had it reserve an IP. Ran the wireless detection and it configured first time through without a hitch. Then I switched the cable for the faster speed over the gigabit network. I can always fall back on the wireless in case something goes bonkers with the cables.Once the Roku 3 was up and running with my Roku account, it downloaded the new firmware, updated all my channels and I played a game of Angry Birds Space. Love the new remote, really works well for playing games like Angry Birds. As much as I like Angry Birds, it was time to put the Roku to it's best use, watching movies in HD on my 27" monitor. Went straight to Amazon Prime, linked the new Roku to my account and rented SkyFall in full 1080P. The picture was outstanding, not one hiccup or stutter, and no buffering at all, not once. skyfall is a killer movie by the way, I highly recommend it:)All in all, the Roku 3 is just another prime example of how to do things right. Check out the new interface, search capability, and channel store look and feel, you won't be disappointed. Changing settings has never been easier. With a great new interface which allows you to go right where you need, to change between network types, interface themes, audio modes, time, etc. you'll be watching and playing within minutes of opening the box.This new Roku is a real pleasure to use, never even looked at the literature that came with it and was watching a new release HD movie in under 15 minutes, and two of those were waiting for the popcorn in the microwave. Next ill try the USB channel with one of my slim drives with all my media, but I have a bunch of movies to catch up on first! You can't go wrong with the Roku 3, the best Roku yet, five stars at least! -I bought a charger from eBay for a few bucks, thinking it was MicroUSB and it would do the job just fine on my Moto Droid. Well, the charger I previously had took forever to charge the phone (when using my phone as a GPS it actually never picked up charge, just stayed flat) and also didn't fit just fine and the charger would work / not work.This charger looks good, and functions great, and the price can't be beat. My phone is full charge in a quicker time with this and I never "lose" the power or have to jostle with the micro USB connector. I'll be sticking with OEM chargers from now on. -this mouse is pretty good i ordered it for a good price it shipped fast and got it in a few daysa few things about this mouse is1. the blue led lights in it stay on no matter what i have it plugged into the back of my pc2. the dpi switch is 400/800/1600 i have mine on 8003. the scroll wheel you can feel the bumps in it but there soft bumps not hard clicks4. it came in its own box but all the papers in it were in chinese not english -Not only does this work very well as a speakerphone (with two microphones for better noise cancelling) but it can send anything from my phone via FM to my radio (I have an older car without a direct connect). The FM feature was a very pleasant surprise! -I bought a biggerKindle Fire HD 8.9", Dolby Audio, Dual-Band Wi-Fi, 16 GB - Includes Special Offersfor the bigger display, so I had to buy a new case. Usually, I'll buy an Otterbox case; however, because it adds weight to the Kindle I decided to try a different, slimmer case. There were only a few choices when it came to cases for the 8.9 Kindle Fire HD, but I went with theAmazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" Standing Leather Case, Fuchsia (will only fit Kindle Fire HD 8.9")because of the color. The case is sturdy and although it doesn't feel like your typical leather case I actually like it. It stands perfectly and it's sleek design doesn't add weight so I carry it in my purse comfortably. I also love that I can wake and put my Kindle to sleep by simply opening and closing the case. If I have to have a gripe it would be 1. That I now have to buy a screen protector and 2. The case is a little pricey. Otherwise, I'm in love with it. -The keyboard fits well for my hands and my wrists receive less pressure using it. The mouse is stable and comfortable to use for big hands. Recommend. -I had kinda low expectations, but this thing is PERFECT in every way. Durable, light, thin, big trackpad, perfect for media PC's, just the right size....and the wierd thing is it works great for FPS games which is not what I got it for, so that kinda blew my mind! -I've been a Canon customer since 1978, when I bought the 35mm Canon A-1, and I've had a Canon SLR ever since. Getting the new flagship model every three or four years was something I did for a long time, but when D-SLRs came along, I began downsizing after the EOS 1Ds I got in 2004. In 2007 I moved to EOS 40D and, although losing the full-size sensor was a sacrifice, it was a step in the right direction. With my recent purchase of the T3i, it's another move away from the professional models.Why would I do that? It's not so much the cost of new cameras that has shaped my decisions to downgrade; it's the size. While professional equipment is important to me, so are professional looking photos. And the truth is, after the newness wears off a D-SLR, I tend frequently to leave the big gun behind and rely on an advanced compact or ultrazoom for most of my shooting. As a result, I have more point-and-shoot pictures than I do pro quality ones.This tendency has ended with the purchase of the T3i. The camera is modestly sized, and I never leave home without it. With the 18-55mm kit lens (very nice little lens for its specs) or 24-105L, it's not any bigger than the Fuji Finepix HS10 I leaned on for most of my shooting this past year. And while the HS10 is hands down the best ultrazoom camera I ever used, the difference in image quality, performance and even video between it and the T3i is night and day.The T3i may not be blazing fast like my 1Ds or the 40D, but 90% of the shooting I do is not that kind of photography, anyway. What the T3i excels at is image quality. I have a whole raft of photos that, eked and tweaked to maximum effect in Photoshop, are only a little better than average because they were taken with a point-and-shoot camera. This camera's image quality, I'm happy to say, is superlative! So are the videos. Rebel T3i is almost too good to be true.An articulating LCD is something I've come to insist upon, and this one is by far the best I've ever used. I don't use Live View every time, but I've certainly been in that mode a lot more frequently with this model than with the 40D! In review mode, the refresh rate is a bit slow when zooming in to look at details, but it's not as slow as reviewing pictures on, say, Panasonic DMC-ZS7. (I did test Canon EOS 60D at Best Buy and noticed that the refresh rate is much faster on that model--perhaps because of the larger battery--but it's really not enough of an issue to deduct a star.)The resolution of the LCD is superb, and because it can be tilted and twisted to advantage, it can be viewed even in strong sunlight.Although the nine-point autofocus system is getting criticism for lagging behind Nikon, focus is swift and accurate. At 3.7 fps, burst mode is cut nearly in half from my 40D's 6.5 fps, but so far this has not hampered my ability to catch fast moving subjects.I appreciate the Lighting Optimizer function and use it a lot under the harsh lighting conditions in the desert where I live. It is of incalculable value.I have yet to haul out the owner's manual, thanks to the on-board guide. Of course it helps that I've owned Canon D-SLRs before, but adjusting settings on this camera is a lot different than on my previous ones. There have been some settings I would have normally needed to consult a manual for, but it hasn't been necessary because the answers are in-camera. (I never shoot in Auto, by the way. I'm a manual mode kinda gal.)Because images are very clean up to ISO 1600 and are usable even at ISO 6400, taking along the Speedlight flash so far has not been necessary. Yet another plus with this Canon iteration.There's something about blown highlights that really sets my teeth on edge, but that has not been a problem, thanks to the T3i's Highlight Tone Priority function. Dynamic range is very good to excellent, even a hair better than my 40D. Colors are more accurate, too. I prefer the contrast one stop under the camera's default setting, which is, admittedly, fairly punchy and will result in a blown highlight here and there. Reducing contrast just a tad fixes that.Eighteen megapixel resolution is outstanding.Sometimes I think about the EOS 60D's speedier performance, more advanced autofocus system and that wonderful electronic level and wonder if I made the right choice. But then I remember the heft and bulk of that camera and all the times I've left my SLR at home for those very reasons, and I know the T3i was the right decision. I really, really like this new camera--and I take it everywhere! -I have a new thin Ultrabook and I wanted a thin mouse to go along with it, so that it would all fit nicely into my thin case. It just arrived and I find myself feeling comfortable with it right off the bat. Now...let me comment on the most common issue that reviewers have raised. Are the buttons hard to push?To me they're, more firm that average and I'd prefer them to be easier to press. But, it's far from being a deal-killer. As well, as one reviewer said, if you place your fingers so that they're extended out, instead of cupped, the press sensitive is actually normal.UPDATE:Been using it for several hours. I have medium sized hand and I have no problem extending my fingers to the "sweet spot" button press area. So really, the button thing is becoming a non-issue for me. -(Update)This mouse suddenly started working for me after months of the frustrations I listed below. The cursor will flake out every once in a while but it's usable as a mouse at this point. I am still going to give it a low rating because the battery only lasts a few weeks at a time and this is unacceptable to me. If this doesn't bother you then you should buy the mouse today.(Original Review)I'm a pro photographer and my computer is as important as my camera. I work on a Mac and I was looking for a great mouse, Sadly this mouse is barely functional on Adobe CS4 products if you are using new hardware and new software. For the folks working on older equipment I can't speak for them. The mouse software locks up my Adobe software mostly Lightroom and Photoshop, who do I bill for down time, my customer or Logitech, looks like my customers and I lose here. However InDesign does not seem to suffer. Apple Safari does not work if you want use the scroll wheel but it's still mostly functional. General use is very unpredictable, you will need to adjust to the mouse rather than making adjustments to suit your needs.A few positive remarks: The build quality is top notch and the mouse is more comfortable than anything else I've used for important tasks. A very nice feature is it uses a AA battery so you can toss a freshly recharged battery while you recharge the one that you used up. I typically get about 4 weeks per charge working 7 days a week.Save your money and wait for an update in a few years. Stick with Microsoft mice for now, even though they are a bit irritating they only cost $30 and that's $70 less irritating. -I loaded it up right away with movies and it didn't take much time at all.It has a really nice look to it and fits perfectly in my case. Small (despite the 2T tag), very portable (like other small portable ones), lightweight, and fast!Arrived very quickly as well, Thank you!! -I have had a pair of Linksys WRT54G wireless routers since around 2005 or so and they were rock solid for years. One was the main router and the other was an access point connected to the first via Ethernet cable. In the past few months, one of them started acting up and I decided this was a good time to upgrade. After reading lots of reviews, this was the router I chose and I bought two of them.The entire experience couldn't have gone smoother. After turning off my old routers, I opened one of these and set it up to be the main router. The order of turning things on in the manual didn't work out for me, so I just unplugged everything and started them in order from the cable: cable modem, router, then computer. Doing that, everything talked fine. I ran the quick setup, then went back to change the settings to the choices I wanted. I upgraded the firmware, set an SSID for each band, turned on WPA-Personal and set keys, played with a few other settings (setting IP and hard-coded DNS servers) and restarted everything again with all of my wired Ethernet devices plugged in. I left choices that I used to make manually, like channels, to auto. It worked perfectly right off the bat.Then I set up the second router as an access point. This router has a particularly nice feature in that you can just tell it that you want it to be an access point, rather than a full router, and it makes all the changes to the settings for you. If that's not enough, when in the access point mode, the WAN port becomes a LAN port so you don't have to waste one of your four wired ports on connecting the two routers together. Very nice! I turned off all the various server functions, gave it an IP, set it up with the same SSIDs and keys, took it upstairs, plugged in the wired peripherals and turned it on. Like the first one, it just worked.It's just been one day, so I can't speak to things like longevity, but the set up was easy and the routers seem really solid. As expected, the 2.4GHz band gives me greater range, but that range is greater than what I used to get with my old Linksys. The 5.0GHz band has about the same range as my old Linksys... perhaps a tad smaller. As it turns out, while I did have some speed problems on the old setup, both bands here give me fast, reliable connections, so I really don't see much effective difference between connecting to the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands in practice. Since I run my streaming video via wired Ethernet, I guess that makes sense. I probably didn't need a dual-band router, in hindsight, but I'm happy with this.Also, the combination of this change, and a new cable modem, have resulted in about a 20% increase in my Internet speed. I can't say which component(s) are responsible, but I'm happy with the result. In the end, I can't imagine anyone asking for more in terms of ease of setup or short-term performance than this router. I recommend it.**UPDATE**January 2 2012I bought these back in August and by mid-December, I started having problems with connectivity to the Internet. Some things would work (like web browsing) and others wouldn't (like checking email). If I left it alone, eventually, it wouldn't pass along any traffic at all. Whenever it happened, a quick unplug and re-plug would solve the problem. I won't go into all the details of the troubleshooting, but it turns out that both units I bought have gone bad. I have shipped one back to ASUS for replacement and am limping along with just the one (and having to restart it all the time). When that one is replaced, then I'll send the second one back. I really like the features on these routers, but I can no longer recommend them. When two out of two have failed, then it's hard to think that it's just one of those things. I have lowered by rating from 5-stars to 3.January 23 2012The stars just keep falling on this for me. I still haven't received the one back that I sent for replacement/repair even though their web site status says it was repaired weeks ago. (They received it Jan 5.) They just won't bother shipping it back to me. In the meantime, the other one finally became unusable, so my investment in two of these relatively expensive routers has ended up for nothing. I just ordered an RMA number for the second one. Since it's not working, I may as well see if they'll actually fix it and return it. We'll see. To ASUS's credit, their tech support people are friendly and helpful and one guy did offer today to see if he can get the repair people to ship mine out. I can't live without Internet access, so I ended up buying a factory refurbished Linksys E2500 for about one-third of the price of these. It's running brilliantly and now I'm not even sure I want these ASUS routers back in service once they're fixed. I'm seriously considering buying a second Linksys and selling these when they come back. I've reduced my rating to 2-stars. What's the point of buying high-end products if they keep failing?February 16, 2012The first router is finally on its way back to me. They promise 10 day service, but by the time I get it back, it will have been 42 days. In the meantime, I bought a second refurbished Linksys E2500, and I am not putting the ASUS ones back in service when they do get back. The Linksys routers work much better, have stronger signals and (most importantly) are working reliably. My Netflix used to pause and stop to re-buffer all the time. I never knew if that was about the routers, the cable modem or the Internet service itself, but that hasn't happened once since putting the new routers in place. Yeah, the last star is falling away. I'm getting better service from routers that cost one-third of what these do, so I'll be selling these when they get back.December 3, 2012I've been using the Linksys routers as described above and had left my two Asus routers, returned from repair, in their boxes. I had intended to sell them, but never got around to it. Recently, I decided to set up a media server and thought that gigabit wired Ethernet would be a good idea (the E2500s are 10/100 routers). Cable Internet doesn't come into the house fast enough for that to matter, but moving HD video around the house might. I figured, since I have these two repaired Asus routers sitting here, I'd go ahead and swap out the Linksys ones for them. The Asus ones do have a lot more features. So I upgraded to the latest firmware (3.0.0.4.260), set them up from scratch and put them to work. The good news is that the new firmware does support IPv6 and it works fine. The bad news is, they only lasted two days before acting up again. After working Saturday night and Sunday, I sat down with my iPad tonight and, despite a 4-bar signal, it wouldn't open a web page reliably. I switched it from the 2.4 GHz to the 5 GHz network, and it worked again for a while, then stopped working again. Then I tried to play a show on Netflix from my Apple TV (wired, not wireless) and for the first time since my last update, the show kept stopping to reload the buffer. I swapped the two Linksys routers back into the network and all problems cleared up instantly. Apparently these work for some people, but even after repair and an update to the latest firmware, I am having no luck. Now I'm reluctant to sell them, since they don't really work, so I guess I'll finally write off this loss and give up on Asus altogether. -I bought a Canon 20D just over 2 years ago and thought it was a brilliant camera. I've never had problems. I saw the 5D come out and didn't see a need to "upgrade" to it. But the new 40D is just something else. I have it about 5 days now and I'm like a child at Christmas.There is just so much to praise about this camera - large LCD screen which is very clear, faster focusing, especially when using centre focus point, larger burst rate - ok, this has now caused me no end of problems, like firing off a burst of 20 images when I really only needed 3, and filling my memory card in no time.This camera is well worth it's price. It's a brilliant step between the 400D and the 1D. I don't have the need (nor money) for the 1D Mk III. This new 40D is just what I need.My first day of shooting with it was at a horse racing event. I was between two other photographers - one using a 30D and the other using a 1D. I felt like mine was capturing just what I wanted and in brilliant clarity. Ok, not the same fps as the 1D, but my friend with his 30D kept looking at me and laughing - it was because he would get 2-3 shots and I was taking about 20.For anyone thinking of this camera - try it out. You will not fail to be impressed. -Methods: I tested my current indoor antenna while attached to a Samsung TV, which has the strongest receiver of any of the TVs in my home. I first scanned for channels with my current antenna attached. I then disconnected my antenna and immediately attached the Winegard FlatWave. I oriented it in the same direction used for my current antenna, which is toward the closest major city (about 30 miles away). I also placed the FlatWave as high as possible in the room. I then re-scanned for channels.Results: My original antenna picked up 31 channels. The Winegard FlatWave picked up 12. The difference is that the Winegard antenna picked up only stations from the direction the antenna was pointed, while my current antenna also picks up stations from 3 nearby cities in other directions.Discussion: My current antenna is a DB4 multi-directional type and much larger than the FlatWave. Considering the size of the FlatWave, it performs very well. Depending on the direction the FlatWave is pointed, you will pick up any nearby stations within your area, but just not at the same time.Conclusion: The Winegard antenna does what it says it will do. It picks up stations within the distance specified (actually a little further) and along the orientation direction. However, my current antenna is multi-directional and picks up stations that are twice as far and in various directions. It is not surprising that it performs better, but I was very impressed by the FlatWave. -I bought this for my mom who didn't have cable at the time. It picks up way more channels than I thought it would and the picture quality is awesome. FREE TV! -The potential for this once pandora and chrome (from Android) casting is available is why I bought it. I don't use netflix and I use youtube sometimes so reall this is fairly limited at the moment.The ability for it to turn on your TV and swap inputs for you is awesome. Note that turning the TV on is only possible if the USB power is on while the TV is not (usually will mean external power source) and I believe it requires the latest HDMI standard. The input switching should work for most everyone.I love that it streams from the net itself so your phone isn't rendering or DLing anything. Saves my battery while I still get to use it as a remote and browse whatever else I want to while the thing I "cast" is on the TV.Awesome device, awesome price, awesome potential. Needs more apps to reach 5 stars. -This is a very nice and well thought out keyboard. Since it is from Logitech, the build quality is fantastic. The size and feel is similar to a laptop keyboard and that (for me) is a good thing. The track pad is multi-touch so you can use two fingers to scroll and pinch to zoom in supported applications. It doesn't have a crazy amount of useless buttons on the top like most multimedia keyboards. By far the best thing about this keyboard is the form factor. It's small, light weight, has smooth lines and will feel just as comfortable on your lap as it will on your desk. There is also a convenient on/off switch located along the top edge, so if you want to throw it under the couch and forget about it until you need to see who that actress in that one show is, the batteries will still be good. Range is excellent, Basically if you can see the words you are typing on the screen, you will be able to type them. No missed keystrokes so far.Con: It is not back-lit, but it never claimed to be and neither is the Kindle.Bottom line: It's well made, inexpensive and works great! -Been using it for more than a month and so far it's been working like a charm. Initially, the highs were decent, mids were great and lows were a little below average. Also, my ears hurt after 10 minutes. Then I realized I was wearing it wrong (silly me) and now the lows seem much better. It performs exactly as the cost would indicate and you cannot expect much more.For the people who complain about wire quality causing knots, I suggest you coil the wire by wrapping it around your index and little fingers in figure 8s and then twist the last bit of wire around the waist of the 8. Pretty much reduces if not eliminates the knots. -I actually bought this case for my Nintendo DS XL. I have to say this case is perfect. The size, material, and quality is great. I would recommend this product to anyone reading this review. Stop reading and just buy this case. -I was concerned about reading how the size of the phone-end of this cable would be too large. But it works with my iPhone 5 case, the RINGKE FUSION Apple iPhone 5 / 5S Case, and the quality of the plug housing is very good.Of course, your mileage may vary for your phone case.Nice job Amazon! -I was looking for an ergonomic wireless mouse and I purchased this one after all the positive feedback. Boy was I happy I did! The mouse is very smooth and easy to use. It comes with easy to use software so you can set the buttons to whatever you like. I just use the defaults though.The recharging cable is Micro-USB so when the mouse battery dies you just plug it in and keep going! I like the rechargeable battery so you don't have to stock up on batteries. Also, it comes with a Wall-to-USB adapter so you can charge the mouse in the wall if you don't have a USB slot available. It also works when plugged into the wall.The best bonus I wasn't even aware of is the screen toggle button located in the thumb area. It minimizes all the windows on screen into miniature and shows them all so you can switch your open windows with ease.I would highly recommend this mouse to anyone. IN fact I am buying a second one for my husband! -I fell in love with the lens the moment I started using it. sure, the build quality is cheap. it's all plastic and the focusing sounds like a blender, but the quality of the pictures is amazing for a 120 dollar lens. saturation of colors is excellent, no noticeable chromatic aberration, great sharpness. I prefer this to the t2i stock lens since the colors are more saturated and picture is sharper, not to mention the 1.8f aperture. Some people say they don't use the 18-55mm since they found this lens. I have to disagree. The 18-55 is too versatile to be substituted with this prime 50mm. but this lens definetely takes better pictures than the 18-55 at 50mm.I have a t2i and 3 lens: the 18-55, the 55-250 and this one. I'm not a pro, just a hobbyist and this lens is great for me. -I bought two, one to have when the other stopped working The one that came with the MP3, was lousy, it broke and sounded lousy after a short time, but this one is great! The wires are sturdier, it comes with 3 sizes of ear buds, and sounds great! I'd buy it again. -This backpack camera bag is an excellent buy. Don't be fooled by the price since it is exquisitely made and quite solid. There's lots of pockets and it's easy to customize the interior. Most of all, the bag is comfortable on the back and can be carried by the handle as well. The only concern I can think of is that I wish it had some extra padding although I have found this not to be a problem despite some rough handling with the backpack full of my Canon lenses and 10D body. -Solid is the key word here.The goods:Firstly, the sound performance of these headphones are solid. The sound they put out is crisp and clear with the bass coming out sharp. You can easily turn off that nasty EQ stuff on your iPod/iPhone/Android/PC...you just don't need the Bass boost with these. I was listening to my music at a higher bit-rate compared to the nasty ole MP3s, so if you want to test the performance get a "lossless" format to test. (don't blame crappy sounds on crappy music format) I digress, these are great sounding headphones.Secondly, the build of these headphones are solid. You are going to have to be pretty hard on these headphones to break them; normal use even through travel these should hold up a long time.The bads:I knew going in that these weren't active noise canceling, so I wasn't expecting a miracle. They are good for blocking some noise, my old Bose over-the-ear phones performed about the same. So Noise-isolating might be stretching it a bit...they block more sound just by being over your ear.They are heavy...solid construction yes...but they are heavy.Alternate Comfort: On my head for a few hours at a time, they were just fine. Though for me, I at times wore around my neck, and these are not comfortable; so if you imagine yourself wearing them around your neck at all they are not good.Wrap-up:For the price these are absolutely great headphones; the sound alone competes comparably with the more expensive phones out there. -I was lucky to be able to upgrade my camera kit and spent a lot of time shopping and debating. I originally was going to get the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, but someone in one of the forums suggest I look at this one. Though I lost a stop of light, I was very much sold on the IS idea (hands shake) and the cost difference between the two allowed me to invest in the Canon 430 EX II flash, which was something else I really needed to invest in, so I decided the trade-off was worth it for my purposes.I've been using the lens now for about a week, experimenting with the IS, the focus, depth of field, etc. I wanted to be pretty sure I knew what it could do before I wrote a review.Focus and focal range: my camera focuses very quickly with this lens, and the full-time manual focus is great for those moments when the camera "guesses wrong" and focuses on, say, the post beside the bird instead of the bird itself. I was pleased that 24-105 is workable as an indoor lens on a crop sensor camera. I didn't run into any "have to back up to get that picture" moments so far. It definitely isn't an ultra-wide lens on a crop sensor body, but can be used comfortably every day. The zoom works well for the across the room zooms when you're trying to just get the subject's face in the camera, making this a great choice as a walk-around lens for most people photography.Sharpness: I bought this at the same time as the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, so I have a much sharper lens (the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II is a definite "wow" lens) to compare it to, so I will say this lens is acceptably, moderately sharp without a lot of post-processing. Not as sharp as the 70-200mm f/2.8L lens (it also costs half as much), but sharper than the kit lens and the 55-250mm lens that I had with my T1i, requiring less post-processing to get a sharp image. The colors are rich and the contrast is excellent, creating a pleasing image.Build quality and feel: if you are someone coming from the consumer lens category you will immediately notice the difference. From the weight of the lens to the "feel" of the focus and zoom rings and the more quiet, assured zoom you realize there are reasons why L glass costs more beyond just the research and engineering required to make a higher quality image. The IS also runs more quietly than the IS in the consumer-level lenses. The lens is built dust and weather resistant, meaning that it can stand up to a little weather here and there, etc. Additionally it comes with a pouch and lens hood included. Unlike what I can research about the consumer hoods, the lens hood on L-glass comes with a flocked interior, which absorbs light better than the plain matte-black plastic.I am very pleased with my choice, and would definitely probably do the same thing again without hesitation. Now I am debating between the 16-35mm f/2.8L II and the 17-40mm f/4L. Decisions, decisions... -The only thing that I wanted to add to the existing reviews on this item is that unlike theCase Logic VNA214 14.1-Inch Laptop Attache (Black)which has three toploading slots, this unit has only two toploading slots. I had the VNA214 for several years and love it. It has room for my accessories, and a slot for the notebook, and a separate slot for paperwork. The VNA216 does not have this last slot. I found this out the hard way when I got a new larger notebook. I thought that the same model family of cases would have the same design, but this is not the case. It's still a good case, but at this size, but does not have the extra slot for paperwork which I miss. -I have been shooting motorcycle track photography for about 3 years now. The fist year I shot with a Canon Rebel T2i (AKA 550D) The image quality was good on this camera but the speed was lacking.What I didn't realize until I got the 7D was how much the speed was lacking. The T2i is a great camera in it's own right and for consumers it's very good. When I bought it I thought, hey it has virtually the same sensor as the 7D this should be good enough.Well, I had no idea how much difference the 19 cross type AF points would make, or how much faster 8 FPS was. My keeper rate went up immediately. Now, I realize there are other features I could mention, like the 7D is able to control off camera flashes without the use of a 500 series flash, but really the reason to buy this camera is speed. This is Canon's best crop frame sensor camera body, hands down, nothing else comes close. For my purposes the cropped sensor is an advantage as it multiplies my effective focal length by 1.6 and ISO performance is not terribly important as I'm shooting in daylight. But, I've spoken with many other photogs that have the 5D mk2 and mk3 and when they shoot outdoor sports they still use their 7D, it's AF system is just faster, as is it's frame rate and the added low light capability of the 5D is moot at 2pm outside. Further, I shoot this camera with the double battery Canon vertical grip. It makes for a big camera. This fits my hand very well and the whole system feels very rugged and sturdy. Much more so than the plastic bodied rebel. If you are to read my other reviews you may be sensing a theme here. Value. This body is no exception.It's expensive for the novice and relatively inexpensive relative to other pro bodies but it defintely earns it's xD (single digit D) Canon designation. It is a true pro body and at $1700 it's still a great deal, just look at how much you have to spend to get a 6D, 5D, or god forbid a 1D, and the 1D series are the first bodies to start to compare in terms of AF performance as the other cameras are more wedding cameras. For the money, you can't beat the Al Servo performance of this camera. Of course if money was no object I'd have a 1Dx and all the big boy primes but for me money matters and for my money this camera delivers pro quality. I'm only excited now to see what the 7D mk2 looks like when Canon decides to best this legendary Camera body. -After having this TV for almost a year, it's flaws become pretty apparent. The TV is perfect except for the following things.1) Sometimes the letter buttons on the reverse side of the remote will just stop working. So if you are using the built in YouTube, you might find that you have to manually use the arrows to go to each letter on the screen even though you have all these letter buttons on your remote. They just randomly don't work sometimes.2) Netflix is fine, but YouTube and other apps have serious difficulty streaming for extended periods of time. Even on a 50mbit internet connection, the TV can't seem to buffer the video far enough into the future, and videos play extremely choppy. But this seems to happen more on the 3rd or 4th video you watch, almost like the older videos are being stuck in cache somewhere and now the cache is full, so quitting the app and reloading it makes it better for another two videos... it just seems like they didn't test their included Apps. Maybe this app is provided by YouTube and not vizio, but it is still a part of the TV.3) Automatic volume adjust doesn't work after awhile... the volume will be great, and then sometimes the volume auto adjust feature that is supposed to maintain a constant volume on all content gets screwy, and the volume goes up and down and up and down and up and down while watching movies or videos. Extremely annoying. It can be rectified by either turning the Smart Volume off, or resetting to factory defaults (but then it may randomly return). Turning the Smart volume off would be fine, except when you do this, you may find for certain videos or movies, you will turn the tv volume all the way up to 100% and it will still be quieter than it was when the smart volume was working at 30 or 40%. Basically, your overall maximum volume is seriously reduced. I would say this is the most annoying issue of all with this TV, and if I had known this before hand, I would not have purchased this TV unless I had also purchased a separate audio system.4) About once every 2 months the TV just completely freezes, won't turn off or on until you unplug it. Something about the software on the TV I guess, just has some kind of error and if you are watching TV at the time, the picture gets stuck, and the buttons stop working. You need to unplug the TV and plug it back in. Sometimes it happens when the TV is off, and you can't turn the TV on until you unplug it and plug it back in. This happens without rhyme or reason, but it is rare. Still, it is very annoying when it does happen.5) 3D auto detect is a little poor. It detects fine with certain things like PS3 games, but other things like streaming movies it doesn't detect so well. I'm not sure if other TVs are better at this. It could be a fault of the source.Otherwise, this is a pretty nice TV. I do think it was worth the price at the time I bought it, it was very cheap for the included features. The picture is just fine, and it's big, and the 3D looks good. -I have to say that this is the perfect case for my kindle fire hd. Does it give the best protection like an expensive otterbox that has a rubber layer, plastic layer and screen protector? No but the amazon kindle fire hd case is the thinnest, lightest and coolest looking case and also like $25 less. Sure I am sacrificing some protection for style and size. I can fit my kindle fire hd with the case inside my inner jacket pocket while I know that I can't do that with the rest of these larger cases. Does it have the best stand? No. I would think that a stand that clicks into place would be better but this case does have rubber grips and it has never failed me. Some people may want to use the stand and push on the screen with their finger or stylus and it could be an issue there but I even use my stylus with the stand and it held up. Where this case compensates and has the edge over the other cases is.... 1. It snaps in and fits so well that the kindle fire hd and case appear be one piece together. It makes it so light and thin. 2. The case wakes up or puts to sleep the kindle. 3. Magnetic cover keeps it close and I think it is strong enough. 4. The pebble look leather looks real nice and fancy and inside the case there is a "denim looking" cloth that protects the screen. 5. The speaker is covered and protected with designed openings. There isn't a simple cutout or it isn't covered over to muffle the sounds. 6. The inputs like the power button, volume, charging port and headphone jack all work very well for me. I know some people complained about the headphone jack being too small but it fit fine for my ipod headphone and even my larger headphone that has larger size hexagon input. 7. While it may not be the best protection, it still gives you very good protection. I take good care of all my electronics and was more concerned with scratches/scuffs on the screen rather than impact falls so I think this case will be fine. Even if I dropped it on hardwood floor from 4 feet, I think it will hold up and protect the kindle fire hd. I am happy with case but I think a stylus loop on the front cover would make the case better. Putting the stylus on the spine wears out the spine and makes the cover a little crooked when closed. I give this case a 4.5 stars out of 5. -.When I first got these earbuds there was a bit of a learning curve to connect with my iPhone 5s. I also connect to a Bose Sound Link mini, a JBL Flip and a Kinovo bluetooth receiver in my car (all of which are excellent!).When I first got the GOs I would always have to activate bluetooth in the iPhone to connect tp the buds. Then I re-read the instructions and I realized that I was holding the activate button on the GOs too long so they would always go into pairing mode. Now I can go from any bluetooth device to the other without pairing.The sound is excellent for earbuds, the ear fit is good with the medium sized inserts and the buttons work well with my iPhone. -I bought a 25' Mediabridge cable to connect my computer to my TV and it does the job with no problems at all, the picture on the TV is clear with no interruptions. It's a cable, not rocket science, so all one needs is a sturdy, well-constructed product that does the job and this certainly does that - because of the way I use it, the cable gets plugged and unplugged from my computer numerous times and the connection is still firm. What more could you ask from a cable? So nice to see a company focus on offering a high-quality product at a great price. Mediabridge has distinguished itself in this regard, unlike some other brands whose cables are flimsy and prone to break down or those that try to convince you there's something 'extra-special' about their cables and charge exorbitant prices for the same thing (I think the word "monster" in Monster Cable refers to the price rather than any difference in performance compared to other high-quality cables like the Mediabridge I bought) -UPDATED: 5/20/2011: I used my D700, and only my 50mm F1.8 to capture my Grandson's first haircut! I posted an image here. And, on the way home following the haircut, a clearing storm brought some gorgeous bluish-black clouds at dusk so I swung down towards the river and shot a couple of shots with the 50mm. I posted one here called "Blue Hour". Enjoy. Seriously, can't go wrong -- though the price seems to be creeping upwards...This 50mm 1.8 is an excellent purchase at around a hundred bucks. I hate to use the word investment, because we know camera equipment is definitely NOT an investment. I bought it because I heard so much about it, and, I had a 50mm back in my old film days. I have not been disappointed. I will agree with many here who say that at F1.8 the results are less than stellar. This is true--- there is a lack of contrast, not necessarily sharpness (at least in my copy of the lens) that you will notice. Since I know that as a fact going in to a shoot or session, I set my aperture at F2.0, or F2.2 on my D700, or D300. This solves the problem. The resulting images at F 2.0 and above are amazingly sharp, and clear. Don't get me wrong, I love my 16-35F4VR, and my 24-70F2.8 but this 50mm rocks as a standalone lens when the situation demands fast lens. As a matter of fact, in a few hours I'm heading off to my grandsons first haircut of his life. What did I pack? The D700 (for better high ISO performance than the D300), and my 50mm 1.8.For the price (which seems to have risen lately and rightly so) you can't go wrong. Even if you have other zoom lenses that cover this range as I do, this lens is unbelievably useful in low light to no light situations. Personally, I'm lazy and hate zooming with my feet, but I'd much rather do that with this lens, than either using flash, or blurring photos of important events.The lens finish is plasticy but so what? Are you going to be banging it around on a regular basis? My 50mm travels with me just about everywhere either in a camera bag, or in my North Face Recon backpack (not a camera backpack) just about everywhere, and I pump about 80,000 images a year per body, between landscapes, motorsports, portraits, etc. So far, so good. It does stand up to a beating. I do not use any protective filter on it as the glass is relatively well recessed on this lens.When I do need to use filters such as polarizers, or ND's, I have step-up rings that take the lens from the 52mm size to 77mm which is the standard size of all my filters. It does look "strange" having the tiny little 50mm lens hidden behind a huge 77mm filter, but it WORKS.Again, if you are looking to make an investment -- there's that ugly word again, make that acquisition, to your photo gear you can't go wrong at this price point; If you wind up hating it, there's always the ability to return it, or sell it on eBay.Enjoy. -This mouse is excellent for gaming. The only draw back is that the mouse wheel jiggles ever so slightly under quick movement but most times it's not noticeable. It's rechargeable and has all kinds of settings. The feel is great and buttons galore -I started using this router - the beginning of August, 2012. I had heard that the new software (Cisco Cloud Connect) was very intuitive and easy to use, despite some early controversy about it. By the way, many of the 1 star reviews are based on concerns about privacy that have been put to rest by the manufacturer.This router is among a select few "state of the art" routers offering multiple but simultaneous operation on both the 2.4 and 5.0GHz bands - each band is capable of 3 streams (connections). This is a so called 900 router (the current gold standard for home routers).Much has been written about the new software - some of which was full of praise (including a glowing CNET review) and some of which is quite damning (including many 1 star reviews here on Amazon). The bottom line is that this software is wonderfully easy to use and any concerns that Cisco might be monitoring your internet activity have been put to rest by the manufacturer. Cisco has revised and clarified their policies to make it abundantly clear that this is a NON ISSUE. See Cisco's remarks posted right here on Amazon. So many of these 1 star reviews are quite dated.Also remember that Cisco allows you to opt out of this software altogether and administer your router locally with no connection to Cisco or the cloud (internet).What we have here is a "top of the line" advanced router that is very easy to set up thanks to its intuitive software. That is exactly what I wanted ---- because routers can be quite difficult to setup/manage, particularly the very best (and most advanced) ones. The EA 4500 is very easy to setup and is a true "set and forget" type of device.So, what is not to like? The software and router are great and the fact that it can be managed in the cloud (meaning the router can be accessed via the internet) is largely unimportant. You will, most likely, just like me, simply set it up (using all or most of the simple software defaults) and forget about it! But for those of you who have the rare need to manage a router once it is set up , then you can access your router via any internet connection if you have passed Cisco's extensive security measures.As of August, 2012, the other competing routers you should look at are the Asus RT-N66U, WD (Western Digital) N900 and the Netgear R6300. I based my choice on Cisco's very intuitive software and very good range. While it may not always be the best (according to professional reviews), it has a better than average range.What may confuse many future buyers is that there is a new DRAFT (meaning far from finished) standard that is coming to Wi-Fi and routers. You will see, no doubt, many new routers coming to market boosting of conformance to the "draft" or the unfinished AC standard (802.11ac). The fact that NO clients (meaning there is NOT ONE real world receiving device) that exists for this new and yet to be finished standard is never pointed out. While meaningless, every router manufacturer will start to bring out new devices, or firmware upgrades to claim "compliance" to this new DRAFT standard of AC. You can, at least for the next couple of years, largely ignore this spec.If you want a high performance router that simultaneously operates on both bands, can easily handle 3 simultaneous signals per band and works with all current standards and devices - then this is the one for you. If you want a set and forget type of device that is easy to setup ---this is also the one for you. Highly recommended.I should add this router also creates a GUEST network (a network that can never access your home files).Yet, if friends come over, they will be greeted with an easy Wi-Fi connection. You can turn off this feature easily in the setup but it is a real convenience that most people will like. Frankly, I doubt there will be many that turn it off since it is both secure and really convenient for guests. Yet to be fair, most other new high end routers now also offer this same feature. So it is not unique to this router yet a welcome addition to the feature set of most newer high end routers.I'm hesitant to give performance figures. What I can say is that I have a large home. This router is located on the second story of my home, in the north most corner. I routinely connect on the first floor, on the south most corner, with excellent results. By accident, I had created a worse case scenario - yet I get top-notch results. There may be even better performing routers available but I'll take the easy set-up of this one versus all comers.I guess you could say I am happy with my purchase. -I bought the model with the Canon EF mount to use with my 5D Mark III body. The lens is tack sharp wide open and focuses quickly and quietly with the center AF point. Unfortunately, in my tests using a tripod and shutter delay, shots that are recorded as in focus on the camera using a peripheral AF point are soft throughout. After noting this I found other reviews and forum comments with this same complaint.Tamron evidently needs to update the firmware to communicate better with the 5D Mark III (and perhaps other bodies as well). If all I wanted was to use the center point this lens would be great, especially with stabilization, but that's not what I wanted and I returned the lens. -I was looking at smaller ones for use in the living room. I'm glad I got this one instead. It's plenty compact and lightweight. However, the keypad is full size so typing is effortless. The touch is good and the touchpad works perfectly. -I could hardly wait to offer my review of this television.I was a bit worried about the purchase for a few reasons:Since it wasn't the 240 hz refresh rate, I worried that the picture wouldn't be as clear and sharp as my Samsung 47" with the 120 hz rate. I, so far, have been proven wrong about that. The picture is excellent any way you look at it.Now, I'm not a big gamer. I'm too old for that (although I do own both an Xbox with Kinect and a Wii). So I can't verify the issues other reviewers stated about the slower refresh rate causing their video to lag while playing. As of yet, I saw no lag in anything I viewed to date. I truly believe that unless you are going to be one of those ultimately picky people that I have come across in other reviews, whether you choose to purchase this TV with the 120 hz rate of the 240, I feel you will enjoy the picture either way.One comparison I have between my Samsung 47" and the LG 55" is that it seems with all the reviews of these TV's, people are complaining about the light LED bleeding especially from the corners. I saw that very sugnificantly with the Samsung. But, I have to say with my experience of owning this TV in the last week, there is no such bleeding to speak of. The upper left corner seems to display a slightly lighter glow than the other three but nothing to really be annoyed about. After watching the movie "Cowboys + Aliens" last night, I was awe struck by the clarity of the picture and the true to life colors. No, it wasn't a blu ray copy, just the standard DVD copy and it was still awesome. I felt as if I could walk right into the screen and be part of the movie. With my theatre sound and that picture, I felt as if I was back at the theatre watching it for a second time. Oh, and it was also not in 3D mode either.I am not sure I am all that big on the local dimming option either because I was a little annoyed that when the scene went dark, and I had the room dark with just the christmas tree lights on, the picture would darken. Then when some sort of lighting would appear on screen, the picture would lighten back up to normal. I thought this was odd as to me, shouldn't the picture, in a brighter setting then become dim instead of brighter? I don't know maybe I was seeing it incorrectly, not sure.As other reviewers have commented about the 3D for this television, in a way I do find it kind of gimmicky, (if that is a word). But, that too, is still a very awesome feature for home theatre. By gimmicky, I found that while using the 3D mode during regular television viewing, if the frame of actors was still with not much movement, then the picture appeared 2D. But once the scene got more active and there was more background motion, then one can very much so see the depth of 3D. I also noticed that when viewing a program in true HD, if in 3D mode, the sharper the picture, the more the 3D depth stands out. Now, movies and videos that are shot in 3D are awesome! I have TRON Legacy in 3D. With the purchase of this TV I also purchased an LG 3D blu ray player. It was so awesome being able to view that movie feeling as if I was at the theatre watching it for the second time in 3D. It is so cool also, with the passive 3D, one can view movies and shows in 3D without worrying about a second box or if the batteries are going to die. You just put the glasses on when switched to 3D mode and totally enjoy!The LG apps are ok. There could be more. One reviewer totally put down the Netflix app. I found nothing wrong with it. It loaded my shows just fine and I actually watched and episode of "The Munsters" in 3D. Very cool. I dowloaded the 3D Zone app. It's a cool app if you want something to give you the feel of what your 3D watching experience should be like. The videos are streamed over the internet connection and since my wireless seems a bit hoaky at times where it is located, I had to wait for each 30 second set of video to keep downloading. I also didn't like the way the producers of these 3D vidoes felt it necessary to combine the logos for the videos with actual moving background videos. The whole experience was very annoying for me to watch with all that misplaced movement going on. Once you get passed the logos and the actual video begins to play, then it's pretty cool to watch in 3D.My whole experience with the product at this point is in one word "Awesome"! Unless some failure happens with it or I notice other anomolies, I would definitely recommend this product to others. It's a very fun and enjoyable home theatre experience. Reviewers are mentioning how the TV cuts the resolution in half for each eye so you still get the 1080P HD picture. Well all that is way too techincal for this reviewer to worry about. All I know, from my experience the last few days, this product, whether in 3D or not, gives a very sharp, clear, wathable picture. It has a whole suite of picture setting options, some even I don't understand what they do.Oh, and I also find the magic remote quite useful. I prefer using it with the pointer on the screen as a "one click and point" button solution over trying to go through the menu options and trying to find all the right keys on the regular remote, especially if you can't see them in the dark. It's so much easier to use than the standard remote control. So, for me, the magic remote is a huge plus!The only drawback I found annoying, as others have mentioned, the speakers for these thin tv's have a bit to be desired. But what can one expect. I felt that once you adjust all the sound options, you can get some pretty good sound out of the built in speakers so again that function isn't even too bad. But, I want to be able to add my first sub-woofer for added bass during regular TV viewing, without having to run it through the stereo reciever where a second sub-woofer is already connected. The only option I could find on the back for an external audio out connection was the headphone jack. I tried plugging my sub-woofer into that jack but because it is labeled as a headphone jack, the tv "smartly" disables the on-board speakers and doesn't offer the user the option to do so his or herself. The TV warns you that you have plugged something into the headphone jack and the the speakers turn off. Then I can get some bass through my sub-woofer but now without any sound from the TV. Hmmmmm.... The Samsung at least had not a headphone jack but a labeled audio out jack and didn't disable the internal speakers unless you opted to do so through the options screen. So, now I have to research another way to get sound to my first sub-woofer without the need to turn go through my stereo receiver first.I also noticed people were complaining about the digital fibre optic output and that it didn't pass through the 5.1 audio. I haven't hooked anything up to that yet so I am not going to review or comment further unless I do.All In all, I think the TV so far is awesome and I do say go out and order it or buy it if you have the cash!!!!Update, 1.5 months after purchase....I still go with all the above except now I have tried the 5.1 optical output. I tried playing some dvd video files with 5.1 surroumd sound still encoded and the sound was produced just as it was with the original movies through all 5 speakers. I found that to be awesome!I also don't see where people FREAK out about the saying the resolution is being cut in half when viewing 3D. What exactly do you people feel your eyes are actually capable of detecting when watching television? Geez!! I felt when veiwing 3D, the picture looks every bit as sharp and clear as it did when viewing 2D. Maybe I'm not as picky as some of you but when you expect something more than your own eyes are able to detect in the first place, that is going too far in my book! Just watch it and enjoy!I personally love this television and I personally NOT going to wait a year for some other technology to come out. As far as I am concerned, the next technology will have to be when they make the images holographic and appear in the middle of my living room or viewing area without using any glasses or wearing anything extra for veiwing what-so-ever. Until they master that feet, I'm pretty satisfied with what I have now. Just hope it doesn't blow up on me in the next 5 years or so! :-) -These headphones are amazing. When you plug them in, you can clearly hear everything you are listening to and they have good bass response. The microphone is handy when talking on the phone, but it's not always at the most convenient place. The phones themselves are so good both my sons immediately purchased their own sets (minus the microphone). They sit very securely in your ear and work great. -i have a macbook pro so i don't have many usb ports and this works great and was really cheap! -Used this for 6 months, using both bands as well as the Gigabit ports, very reliable, no reboot, no reset. Same with my last 2 TP-Link G routers. Working right out of the box. No updates needed. Signal is better than my previous Linksys E2000. I used to use Linksys router exclusively, but their routers often need some update or tweaking with the firmware to get reliable performance out of it. Now I know what my future routers will be.Tried adding a dirve to the USB port, but speed is too low. -This is a fantastic lens considering its price, its zoom range, its compact size, and its light weight. It's by far the cheapest lens I own (the others are the $700+ Canon 15-85, the $400+ Canon 60 macro, the $400 Tamron 28-75).I considered getting the Canon 70-200mm f/4 IS L lens but for 5x the price you get less zoom range, a heavier and bulkier lens, and perhaps a little more snob appeal with the white barrel and that precious red ring. No doubt the L lens surpasses this one when you photograph test charts (how often do you do that?), and its weather sealing allows it to withstand thunderstorms better, but frankly speaking, if you're not a pro who pushes the envelope, who cares?If you have a crop camera, this lens lets you take advantage of the smaller sensor - you're not paying for (and lugging around) all that extra glass. Maybe the extra $800 you spend on the L lens will make a difference in 1% of your photos, but you realize the benefit of the lighter weight and smaller size 100% of the time. Plus you're more likely to bring it with you.Yes, at longer focal lengths you lose one f-stop compared to the L lens. But at those focal lengths, DOF is short anyway, so you can still get portraits with blurred backgrounds at f/5.6.Sure, the front element rotates and the autofocus is slower, and you can hear the IS at work, but are those worth $800? -Pretty basic ear peices! They have great bass for being small and cheap. However I can't figure out how to replace the foam? The size they come with, the medium, seems a bit big for me...Hmmm... My only other complaint is that the L and R are microscopic. -If I had but one regret, it's that I couldn't afford the larger version! Picture is absolutely incredible! Set-up was simple (even a caveman can do it), and the Magic Remote is quite functional - operates similar to a Wii controller. I even have it programed to operate my HD cable box, albeit for the simpler tasks like Guide, channel and volume. Smart TV feature is well received, really wish they'd add Amazon Prime to the roundup.Wireless network connectivity was a breeze - like any wireless network, you need a strong signal. I have a booster antenna on my wireless router, so I have an especially strong signal anywhere in the house, and other than an occasional hiccup from my ISP, no issues with streaming movies or music.All in all, extremely satisfied with the LG 42LM6200, a must buy if you're in the market for this size TV. I just wish I could have afforded the 55! -With all the fancy stereos in my house, I find myself using this radio the most. The reception and sound are great for a radio this size, and because it's light and has batteries, I can carry it from room to room, wherever I need it. Excellent quality for the price. -I have been using my desktop for over a month now with this SSD as the main drive, and I am incredibly pleased with its performance. Keep in mind, I came straight over from primarily using HDDs for my mass storage devices, thus the difference to me was more noticeable than for someone moving between SSDs (depending on their quality, of course.) For those who are more technically inclined or interested, I will paste benchmark data for the drive's performance at the end of the review.The design of the drive is very sleek and stylish. It boasts a smooth, polished, black exterior to house the powerful internals. You see what you expect out of an SSD: a lot of performance using a very small amount of space. I was a little bummed when I had to install it out of view as it was quite pleasant to look at.Installation is simple just like any other SATA drive; plug it into your motherboard and power supply, and you'll be smooth sailing from there.I'll discuss performance in terms of what's visibly noticeable, and following the conclusion, as aforementioned I will post benchmark results. From the moment I power on, to when I reach the login screen is only a span of about ten seconds or so (possibly slightly less); this is honestly a very quick process. If I didn't have a password lock, I would obviously boot into my system much quicker without having to input the keystrokes for the password. After I log in, I am instantly able to begin opening programs, and they load quickly. Anything from Firefox or Chrome, my large Steam library, or large movie files. I have not attempted to utilize any hungry video/photo editing programs, but you can rest assured that your loading times with those would be low as well. Furthermore, I play very high performing games such as Skyrim with high-res texture mods, Battlefield 3, and Anno 2070 to name a few.When considering this SSD for purchase, keep in mind the cost per GB when thinking about what size of SSD to get. Of course, if you just want to boot your OS quickly and some important high performance programs, you are likely better off with a smaller SSD with a larger HDD to store other files. In my case, I've installed the OS, all of my programs, and games to the SSD, while having a couple of other much larger HDDs to store the large movie files, music libraries, etc. Keep in mind, I don't install all of my games simultaneously to allow more room for other purposes. I purchased this SSD during a sale, thus granting me a better value per GB of space on this 256gb drive. If budgeting is important, considering waiting for a big sale as an option. Should money not be a concern, Samsung will be releasing high performance 1TB SSDs to the market for a much higher price point, but you will be able to get HDD storage sizes with the incredible speeds of an SSD.In summary, purchasing this SSD will not disappoint you or your wallet. You get a nicely designed product with stellar performance at a great price point, especially during a good sale. If you're coming from primarily using HDDs, you will be blown away by the colossal difference in speeds. In most cases, price will be the major deciding factor between what size of SSD to purchase. With this particular drive size, it would behoove you to consider using it in tandem with a HDD of a much larger storage capacity.Pros:-Amazing, noticeable performance, especially if coming from HDD usage-Stylish design-Great value per GB, especially if purchased during a saleCons:None encounteredBechmark:As promised, here are the results I obtained from running CrystalDiskMark:Sequential Read : 503.236 MB/sSequential Write : 478.656 MB/sRandom Read 512KB : 447.499 MB/sRandom Write 512KB : 154.937 MB/sRandom Read 4KB (QD=1) : 31.125 MB/s [ 7598.8 IOPS]Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 99.221 MB/s [ 24223.9 IOPS]Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 337.172 MB/s [ 82317.5 IOPS]Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 141.240 MB/s [ 34482.4 IOPS]Finally, as a reference point, these are the specs of the system I use this SSD with:Gigabyte Z87X-UD4H moboIntel i7 4770k 3.5GhzCoolermaster Hyper 212 EvoGigabyte GeForce GTX 770 4GBCorsair Vengeance 2x4GB (8gb) 1600mhz 9-9-9-24Samsung 840 PRO 256gb SSD(primary)Seagate barracuda 500gb 5400rpm HDD (data storage)Western Digital 1gb HDD (data storage)Samsung 24x DVD driveCorsair HX750Coolermaster Storm Trooper -I've gotten accustomed to having the web on the go with the free 3G service, however the HD doesn't support it so boo hoo hoo.And how is it possible for me to buy a book yet I cant download a video nor a game because its not offered in my geographic area???!!! !!!WHAT!!!Because Iove to read in bed the back-light feature is awesome. I JUST LOVE IT -I recently purchased 3 of these for my home theater setup which contains an Onkyo TX-SR606 receiver, an Onkyo DV-BD606 Blu-ray player, a Playstation 3 game console and a Roku Digital Video Player. I initially purchased a 6ft HDMI cable made by Monster Cable for around $80 for the the connection from the receiver to the TV and needed 3 additional HDMI cables for the rest of my media centers connections. After some extensive research and shopping around I decided on these and I could not be happier. The build quality of these is exceptional. They are thick and well shielded and the picture and sound quality is equal to that of the 8x more expensive Monster cables. Also, one important consideration is that these are certified to be compliant with the HDMI 1.3 specification, meaning that they have greater bandwidth and are capable of transmitting via bitstream Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio (2 newer Lossless or uncompressed audio formats) as well as supporting xvYCC and Deep Color (essentially these 2 newer standards make colors look more vibrant and real), all necessary for today's HDTV's and for lossless audio for surround sound systems and blu-ray players that support these newer standards.Here is a link explaining the new HDMI 1.3 standard:[...]I spent a lot of money on my home theater setup and wanted to ensure I was getting high quality cables that would provide the highest throughput for the best quality picture and sound possible. These definitely fit the bill and saved me over $200. If you need HDMI cables, these are the best I have seen at this price point with specs and build quality equal to the much more expensive Monster cables. So, save your money and get these, you won't be disappointed. -Got the UN32EH4003FXZA model at a big box store, due to the sharp picture, great price, and previous experience with Samsung. Unfortunately, this model was a big disappointment: The picture is great, but the sound was very tinny & flat. And this particular model, which is at virtually every major retailer, has no audio output jack, such as a headphone jack. So no easy way to add a soundbar or some other speakers to augment the weak TV speakers, without getting a stereo amplifier, etc.Got another brand, for the same price, and am very happy with it.So check carefully which Samsung model you are getting if you plan to use with external speakers. -Using the "inSSIDer" tool, this antenna ranked equally with the built-in antenna in my IBM Thinkpad T60 listed a -35dbm antenna signal in the same room as the top-of-the-line DLink 300 "N" class WiFi router.However outside, in my car placed this unit on the dashboard, and I was picking up signals from blocks and blocks away.I purchased a 15' USB extension cord to use this, but the signal is not strong enough for the unit to work using the extension.The cord is reasonably long enough, and the full-sized USB connector to your computer is durable given that I've already bumped this connector numerous times.Product design enhancement would be nice if the USB plug mounted flush with the grommet for the wire. The USB cable sticks out pretty rigidly before the grommet allows the cable to flex around.. -This seemed like a great mouse from everything I read but in the end it hurt my hand. I had gotten used to the feeling of theLogitech Marathon Mouse M705and also theLogitech Anywhere Mouse MX. Both are low profile, small mice with comfortably positioned 4 & 5 buttons. I think that maybe this mouse is simply too big for someone with small hands such as myself.For me, this mouse was a loser nearly out of the gate, but someone with meatier paws might have better luck. -The strap could be softer and wider, that's why I gave it 4 stars. The bag itself is perfect for my needs, indeed the best I have ever had (and I had some...). It is a pity that the strap is so poor. I changed it for a far better one I had from other camera bag. -I enjoyed this system so much I decided to try logitech's z-5500. I figure if 2300 has this much power, the 5500 must have even more power. Well, 5500 does have more power. But here's the thing, for some reason, using my PC and other small devices I preferred the z-2300 over the z-5500. I live in a 2900 square foot home and even when I'm in the opposite end, the bass from z-2300 could still be heard and felt. So here are the test results when I made these brothers fight:Clarity.....tiePC (stereo setup).....z-2300/PC (5.1 setup).....z-5500 (DUH!!!)Home theater.....z-5500 @ 100% (2300 started clipping at 50% maybe less)IPOD.....z-2300 (due to ipods and mp3s having just stereo out, even at 100% the z-5500 sounded weak)Price.....z-2300 (you can get 2 z-2300 with the price of a z-5500)User friendly.....z-2300 (there's only one audio cable and 2 satellites)Mobility.....z-2300 (self-explanatory)Power.....z-5500 (good for bigger devices with coax/optical ex: home theater, PS3, XBOX 360... not so with small audio devices; it's like using a 100 watt amp to kick dual 10" JL audio W7, dull sound no boom)BOTTOMLINE: IF 2.1 IS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR...LOOK NO FURTHER. DON'T TRY TO COMPARE JBL OR BOSE WITH THESE, THERE ARE NO COMPARISONS. HEARD THEM ALL AND Z-2300 ALWAYS COME OUT ON TOP. EVEN HAD A LOYAL BOSE FAN BOW DOWN TO THESE BABIES. -This lens is awesome. Great all around lens, fast focusing, sharp as a tack, super clarity, I highly recommend this lens.Dave -Have a Nikon DX DSLR? Then you need this lens in your collection. Period. Don't debate it any longer, just do it.This is a wonderful little lens that will give you levels of sharpness, color, and image quality that will blow most consumer (non-f2.8) zooms out of the water. If all you've ever used are f3.5-fwhatever zoom lenses, you're in for a real treat with this lens. AF is as fast as any other Nikkor AF-S lens, and the fast f1.8 grabs shots in low light that will blow your mind.Of course, it's just a fixed 35mm. A prime. So if you've fallen into 'composure-apathy' that can come from owning a zoom lens, you're going to have to use to learn to to use your feet and actually think about composure a bit. You've got to walk. Get close. Step back. Think. Compose. Shoot. It's more work, but the rewards can be magnificent.Lenses are tools. 'Kit' zooms are like a good folding pocket knife; a set of little screwdrivers, a couple of knives, maybe a saw, maybe some scissors, a nail file, etc. Nice little tools that can come in handy in many situations. Throw it in your pocket and go. But when you need a good screwdriver to remove a stubborn screw, or you need to chop down a tree, or remove the engine from a '67 Mustang, that pocket knife isn't the best choice. A prime lens is like a perfectly weighted and well-made single-purpose tool. A solid screwdriver. A perfectly balanced pair of pliers. A well-engineered ratchet. It's simple, it's basic, and it's a joy to use.And that's the simple elegance to using a prime lens.Lenses like this and the 50mm f1.8 are small and light. They barely add anything to the weight and bulk of just the camera body itself, especially if it's a higher-level Nikkor DSLR (D90, D300s). It's just effortless. Compared to some of the heavier zooms (16-85, 18-105, 18-200), it'll make your camera feel weightless. Fantastic for all-day wandering-around photography, assuming you don't need serious wide-angle or serious telephoto.However, this lens is a 'gateway drug'. It and the 50mm f1.8 both fall into this category. The low price and amazing IQ hooks you. ;-) Use it for a while, and you'll begin to want *all* of your glass to be fast f2.8 (or better), rather than the slow 'consumer' level variable aperture lenses. And that can quickly become an expensive proposition. :) -So Logitech recently had a sale and I had been eyeing the G13 for almost a year but was on the fence as far as how much it would really do for me. On sale, it was the same price as the Nostromo and I am a huge Razer fan and can't live without my Naga and Vespula. That said, I have always only used Logitech keyboards and headsets and I love them just as much. This truly was a difficult decision for me and I pored over the reviews of both for days.I'm so happy with the choice I made. I can't speak to the Nostromo as I haven't used one, but I can't imagine life being any better than it is with my G13 right now. Let me say straight out, this is not as valuable for non-MMO type games which require a ridiculous number of hotkeys to perform at your best. Games like Skyrim where you're basically just moving around with WASD and attacking with two buttons will not see the huge improvements that your MMOs will experience, but it's still a very nice upgrade in terms of comfort, especially for laptop users. The G13 will serve you well in any game that requires the keyboard because it allows your wrist and arm to be in a more natural position. I can completely relax my arm rather than have to try to hover over the keyboard for long gaming sessions. I have found that the G13 works amazingly well even when not on a flat surface. I regularly play in bed on my laptop and I usually rest the base of the G13 against my thigh so that it's at an angle to the bed (if that makes sense!) and this is surprisingly awesome. I have no loss in control over playing on a flat surface and my arm can be completely relaxed at my side the entire time. It's easily tied for the best accessory you can buy for your gaming laptop, equaled only byRazer Naga MMOG Laser Gaming Mouse. Paired with aRazer Vespula Dual-Sided Gaming Mouse Matyou will only have to touch your keyboard if you use text to chat. If you use voice chat over Ventrilo or Teamspeak, your keyboard will be collecting dust from lack of use. What I love about this setup is the ability to have both of my hands at my sides when I'm using my gaming laptop and I'm supremely comfortable. Mobile gaming is the future and I want to be able to take my games with me and be comfortable wherever I play while still being as effective as possible. The G13 is a huge part of what makes this possible.Now don't get me wrong, I also love my G13 with my desktop PC. The profiles are stored on the gameboard so I can easily move it from computer to computer with no issue. It works great on a desk being nicely weighted and with a good grip on the base. It doesn't slip or give without excessive force (and no one games THAT hard!). The design is also perfect. I was truly concerned because I have smaller hands and that is actually a big factor behind this purchase. With smaller hands, it's hard to reach across a keyboard to hit all those hotkeys. I read a lot of reviews claiming the G13 is not kind to small hands but I have not found that to be the case. With my palm resting comfortably on the designated rest, I can easily reach the top row of keys. The furthest on the left and right are a bit of a stretch for constant use but I find G1 in the upper left is perfect for TAB and targeting mobs. The one just below is nice for SPACE or jump. I use the top five center keys for 1-5 and the five directly below for 6-10. I have no trouble accessing any of them at any time and I adjusted to the new positions really quickly, faster than I learned to use my Razer Naga by far. I mapped the keys near the joystick to M and L for map and quest log. And of course, the joystick has completely replaced my WASD keys for movement. Moving with a joystick is so natural, especially for console gamers, even casual ones like myself. I have none of the issues others have mentioned about it hurting their thumbs or being hard to push. A very gentle push is all that's needed to continuously move forward. Diagonals are possible also. I tend to hold forward on the joystick and mouse steer because that's what I'm used to, but I find myself turning with the joystick more and more and it works great. Now my fingers are completely free to access my primary hotkeys rather than trying to contort my hand to reach WASD keys and hotkeys simultaneously. I have my secondary hotkeys assigned to my Razer Naga and I'm good to go with split second response time thanks to all keys being within my natural reach without straining.The best tip I can give new users who are having trouble accessing keys is to remap them manually for each game that you play. It really only takes a few minutes to do and once it's done, you don't have to worry about it again. By default, WoW's map is set up so that the center keys on the gameboard are assigned to WASD. This made no sense to me because I wanted to get away from using my fingers for movement and do it all with my thumb on the joystick. The key profiling software is very user friendly and easy to understand without ever looking at the manual. You just click the G key you want to change in the interface, and then press the key you want it to be. Easy. I remapped all my keys so that they would work for ME. I appreciate all the effort Logitech put into pre-designing key layouts for so many games, but ultimately what's going to work best for you is a layout you choose yourself. Pick keys that are easy to reach (which should be most of them, even for small hands) for your primary abilities and use the ones that are a bit of a stretch (if any) to lesser used functions, like map, bag and quest log. I've seen so many reviews where people complain that the keys aren't in the right place. Change them!My only regret is that I didn't buy one sooner. The G13 has changed my gaming for the better, and with kids, school and work, I want the most out of my game time, and now I have it. Thank you once again, Logitech! -The mouse is very excellent and easy to use has a battery operated for a long time.Thank you and Thank Guys. -This is the best media player for the price. But when it comes to other features such as apps and the Zune software used to load music/movies, this is where it is limited. I was looking for a cheaper replacement for my old ipod touch, which ran out of storage quite quickly, the Zune Hd was a near perfect fit. The lack of camera and built-in speakers was disappointing, but the cool features and unique navigation really shined. The complete lack of apps in the app store was quite disturbing, only 50 or so apps, most of them pretty bland.Compared to the ipod, the Zune Hd has EXTREMELY fast start up times (5 to 8 seconds usually) , the battery is amazing and it hardly ever crashes.While the Zune Hd may be lacking some features,they are not deal breaking features, I still have to give the Zune 5 out of 5 stars. The build quality and quality for the price are amazing. This product surprised me in every way (except the crappy app selection). -MOUSE: This is a very nice mouse. It looks large and has an unusual shape, but I have at most medium size hands and it doesn't feel too big. The functionality is very good as a "basic mouse" with great laser control, etc. Frankly I rarely remember to use the special side buttons to do things like previous/last windows in a browser. It's still a very good, top end smooth mouse even with out using every possible bell and whistle. I use a laptop a great deal and this is the first time I've really bothered to like a mouse enough to bring on a hotel trip.BATTERY: I understand it has an extremely high quality or state-of-the-art brand of AA rechargeable battery. In a pinch you can use any AA battery though. I don't know how often it needs to be recharged - probably not more than every couple weeks. It gives you a "low battery" warning - a little PC popup - which supposedly comes on intermittently for nine days as its charge gets low, suggesting the full life must be a few weeks if the last phase of low-charge, is nine days. (Logitech experts note the prior Revolution mouse had a built in battery, which I assume would eventually get tired.)RECHARGING: Recharging is trivial as you just plug the supplied, or any, microUSB cable into the front. If you use a thin microUSB cable, even if you are computing during the charging phase, it is no more inconvenience than any good corded mouse. It gives three nice progressive (rolling) green lights on the side as it charges, progress-bar style. As far as I can tell there is no need to use the "off" button (I think it sleeps when not touched rather than running its battery down) but the instructions aren't clear.WIRELESS. It works with a very tiny wireless dongle. It doesn't come with much documentation but it stores a Mouse App in the system tray (lower right corner in Windows) which has a lot of information. Supposedly, if you get into the Mouse App, there is a "star" symbol tab option which gets you into the "Unifying Wireless" app. In the Mouse App, click "star" tab at left then click "Open Unifying Software" and it gives you instructions to connect with other Logitech devices (typically by turning them On and Off in the proper Unifying Software mode.) -I have been a headphone fanatic for thirty years and have owned and used a variety of headphones over those years, to include Stax SR-5, Sennheiser HD-424 and HD-580. The Sony MDRV6 excells as the best value of any headphone that I've ever owned. They are especially good at producing natural-sounding deep bass, and the overall octave-to-octave balance is excellent. The sound quality is all in all comparable to other headphones that cost considerably more.The MDRV6 is especially well-suited for travel due to the collapsible design, and for noisy environments or for quiet environments such as a library where the sound emitted by open-back headphones would distract others.The MDRV6 is not quite as comfortable as some other headphones, but the comfort can be improved enormously by replacing the pads with the velour pads from BeyerDynamic. The pads that come on the MDRV6 have a non-breathable cover, and significant additional discomfort is caused by the way that the thin foam cover is glued to the pad around the inner circumference of the pad, which prevents the top and back of your ear from slipping into the space between the pad and the face of the headphone. This forces the pad to rest on the back of the ear, which compresses the ear and eventually becomes uncomfortable. I read on a web forum where several people had replaced the pads (which eventually come apart) with a velour pad made by BeyerDynamic, and after I did this replacement on my one pair that had a damaged pad, the increase in comfort was so great that I immediately did the other pair. The thin cover can be glued down to the headphone face if needed to hold it in place, which then allows the top and rear of your ear to naturally slide under the inner circumference of the pad, which is considerably more comfortable. I can recommend this trivial modification without reservation to anyone who owns these headphones. Even if you don't replace the pads with the BeyerDynamic velour pads, I suggest removing the pads anyway, then carefully separating the thin cover from the pad, and glueing the cover directly to the headphone surface. -I have used the Etymotics ER6i most of the time and other cheaper headphones for running and general listening on the move. For me, these headphones are BETTER and half the price of the Etymotics. The sound quality is excellent and the sound issolation is almost dangerous it is so good. To top it off, the curved portions of the cord fit very well over my ears and I don't have to keep pushing them in every 5 minutes to keep them in place. I'm ordering another 2 just in case they change the model design. -First, thank you to all those who take the time to write customer reviews. I was going to buy another USB fan and changed my mind after reading your reviews and I am glad I did.This fan is surprisingly sturdy (and heavy) and very quiet and good.I got it for my wife as a gag gift (she loves fans and has them everywhere), and she loves it. For that matter, I love it too and put it on my wishlist for her to get one for me.Of course, Christmas isn't exactly fan weather here, but I'll want to use it someday! -I got a pair of these headphones a few months ago and they still provide a fantastic range of sound. Aside from the quality of the sound these earbuds deliver, they seem to fit my ears superbly and that makes a huge difference for me when it comes to headphones.The highs are crisp. The mids sound great. The lows aren't shake your skull with vibrations good, but the CX 300's provide a clean low with no distortion and a little kick in the ear. I've played with equalizers and bass heavy music and you can reach a deep low that the headphones manage really well.The length of the left ear cord is half the length of the right ear cord. This is to wrap the right ear cord around the back of your neck and keep the whole cord running down only one side of your body. I personally like this feature, but it's worth mentioning if you don't want that difference and would prefer equal length cords.These headphones come with a small carrying case that I use daily. It's a nice touch to throw in with the purchase. I think it helps prevent my headphones from becoming too tangled in my pocket.Bottom line: I use these headphones daily and they sound fantastic. -Purchased a few of these for a conference room at work, mainly because they were long enough and cheap enough. Used them to hook up an Apple TV and a laptop. Picture looks great and no issues. I would highly recommend purchasing these and may purchase a few for home in the near future. -Another one returned! Sorry Canon, I really like your products, but KEEP UP WITH THE TIMES for goodness sake!!!! (Excuse the rant) I've tried just about EVERY point and shoot that takes some kind of video, plus countless other digital cameras over the years. The HD P&S;'s I've tried are: Canon TX1, Panasonic TX5, several flash drive camcorders that also take still pic's, Sanyo HD1000 & HD700, Samsung HV24HD, and ALL the Kodak's that take HD Video. Plus there has been other camera's - too many to mention (i.e. Canon 550, 770, etc.)Anyway, I just bought (and returned) the SX10. I really wanted to love this camera, but will stick with my Sony T500 for now (check my review of the T500 - that little baby is a keeper).To keep it short, the still pictures are what you would expect from a Canon, but actually, I think my old Canon G7 takes better pictures. But here are the grips (I prefer the cons in a review more than the pros) in no particular order.1) The Camera is BIG. Easy to hold but BIG. Love the flip screen - but the camera is BIG. Great lens - but BIG. I guess what I'm trying to say, the damn thing is BIG, almost as big as a DSLR. This is something that you can not just slip in your pocket and run! I guess I would put up with the BIGness of the camera if the video was better (see below).2) Battery: some might like it, but I did not. Four "AA" batteries! I had to buy a rather expensive charger and rechargeable batteries. Come on, what's going on here! Now adays with all this new technology, Canon couldn't come up with a small battery that holds a decent charge! I know the Sony T500 has poor battery life, but at least the camera is small - you would expect that! Who wants to schlep around 4 extra "AA" batteries - not me! This one was my fault, I did not ever read about the batteries before I bought the camera, but like above, if the Video was better, I could look the other way.3) Video: This was pretty important to me (again check out the T500). What is up with only the small video format when EVERY other camera company is opting for new 16:9 widescreen format? Again, my old G7 takes just as good "small" video and I can play/edit it with anything! Actually, the video from the SX10 is not all that good, except the fact that you can zoom all the way in (actually that is pretty cool), but not worth keeping it. I was hoping that even though the SX10 was not widescreen 720/1080, it would take decent "HD like" video with the new .MOV video format. Why Canon did not bring the SX1 out first I'll never know; because then if the videos were good - I might have kept the Canon. As many other reviewers have mentioned, I just don't understand these companies or their marketing plan. If they need any help, all they have to do is ask a few geeks like me - I'll tell em' an ear full!So all in all, I'm keeping the Sony T500 - even if the pictures are not quite as sharp. That little camera is all I need - "right now"! Just my opinion Canon lovers. -Shipping was quick and installation was average. The instructions were easy to follow giving the right color of wires to cut and splice.After it was installed the programming was easy and took right away. It works well with my Pioneer AVH-P4400BH. -A very high quality bag for your DSLR, lenses and accessories. I use a Crumpler Five Million Dollar Home bag for my day to day shooting - A DSLR body and a couple of lenses and accessories. But there are many times when I want to carry much more than that - 3 or 4 lenses, a battery grip, a reflector, a speedlight, cords, extra memory cards - and carry all this gear safely and comfortably.This bag is compact, with great ergonomics but cavernous in capacity. I had no problem fitting my Nikon D300S, battery grip and 35, 50, 70-300 lenses and a SB-700 speedlight. The pockets easily hold a folded reflector, ND filters, memory cards, lens caps, straps, etc. The Velcro dividers allowed easy customization of the main compartment for snug and safe storage of each piece of equipment.The padded shoulder and waist straps give a very comfortable and secure carry with 15-20 pounds of gear.This bag lacks some higher end features like a rain cover or more flexible outside storage of a tripod or attach point for other bags and pouches. But considering the price and utility of this bag, that's an acceptable compromise.Highly recommended! -I just purchased the New Trent Airbender Keyboard Case for my iPad 3. Mostly bought it for the keyboard as I already own 2 cases one of which is the Pong. Setup was a breeze, barely had to look at the instructions. Mostly because I know when an accessory contains a battery, it should be brought up to full charge first. The User Guide is simple, easy to understand and use. Pairing the keyboard to the iPad bluetooth was straightforward and the connection is persistent when the case and iPad are separated and reunited.The feel of the keyboard is nice and even with my large hands the key size feels comfortable. The case is surprisingly light for its seemingly durable construction. Only time can test the actual durability but I have no initial concerns about this. The magnetic auto shutoff works great but you have to remember to keep the landscape orientation in the right direction. I rotated the case so that the charging cable could feed from the other direction and simply closed the case after use. I was surprised when I reopened the case and the battery was almost completely discharged. It took me a little while to realize what I had done. Easy lesson learned.I like the adjustability of the stand support but sometimes when it is in the case, it takes a little tweaking of the positions to get the iPad to sit solidly. A small price to pay for the flexibility of position choices. Bottom line, I bought this case for the keyboard, and to my surprise I received a light, durable case that gave me an incredible number of choices for positioning my iPad, even free standing. In this dimension AirBender surpassed my Pong Research case with its "Origami" design which I have found to be unstable in many of its orientations. -I have only had the remote for 3 days, so these are just preliminary findings. This remote is being used to control : Hitachi 32HDL51 TV, DishNetwork DVR-625, Sony STR-DA7ES receiver, JVC HR-S9911U VHS, HP Z540 computer, Archos AV-500 PVR and an X10 light controller. So far the only problem I've had is with the X10 controller, but I haven't put any time into debugging it.The computer I am using for programming the remote is a Dell E521 ( AMD 64X2 5600+ processor ) running Windows XP Pro SP2. Installing and running the software was quite straightforward ( I'm on a 3Mbps DSL connection ). I find the software to be fairly intuitive, but did note the "strange" English that other reviewers have mentioned.The only glitch I ran into when doing the initial setup for the remote was that the software wanted to "read" some of the signals for the DVR-625 and the Sony receiver though I had checked before buying the remote to make sure they were supported. It then occurred to me that both of these units have TWO remote controls ( both have two-room capability ). The software was just checking to see which remote I was using. BUT that showed me that the folks who have complained about the remote's learning capability have legitimate concerns. I have had a number of teachable remotes, and this is the first one I've had a problem with. The main problem seemed to be lighting - I had to turn off a lamp about 3 feet away before I had any success at all. Then, if I had the remotes about 3" apart, and pressed the button for no more than 1 second, the signals were received ok. This is the main reason for a 4 star rating rather than 5 star.I spent most of today setting up the "favorite channels" on the remote. The only reason it took so long was that I searched the web for appropriate icons to use, then had to edit them to get 75x44 pixel images ( don't try to use any other size - the icons "stretch" to fit 75x44 ). A really good source for "nice" icons is [...]After getting the icons, setting up the favorite channels feature was a breeze. And, best of all, it actually works.As far as the physical design of the remote, I find it very easy to use. A lot of thought went into the placement of the buttons, and I have no trouble using it with "one hand operation". The remote I replaced with this one was also a touch-screen ( rather old Sony one ), so I have no problem with the touch-screen. I also have fairly small fingers, so that may help! It is a fairly small screen. I find the lighted buttons to be extremely useful, and it's pretty neat that they turn on as soon as you pick up the remote. I can't comment too much on the battery life, since I've only had it for 3 days. But the battery indicator hasn't moved very far from full during that time.In conclusion, I'm quite satisfied with this remote. Before buying one, make sure it will control your components with a minimum of "teaching", because that's a real bummer. You can check all your components on Logitech's home page.Added after initial review: Just noticed the remote wasn't really turning the DishNetwork DVR on or off. The "help" and "device" could turn it on/off, but not the "activity". I wasn't able to correct the problem with any of the adjustments, but the setup allows one to add steps to activities. I added a "select" to turn it on and "power toggle" to turn it off. Now it works fine. -This flash was great as a secondary unit that I use with radio triggers. You have to shoot in manual mode since there is no E-TTL available as far as I can tell. There is only one pin on the hot shoe plate so I'm pretty sure if it's attached to your camera it doesn't do TTL. I think there is something about TTL off camera in the manual that is written in Chinese first then English so it wasn't quite as clear as it could have been. It really isn't a bother to me since I do shoot in manual mode when I set up the portable studio and the home studio as well but that's a whole other story. If you're in need of a bright flash of light for your photography then this can do it for a little cheaper than a Canon or Nikon flash. It has a solid build and feel to it and seems like it will last a while even with some banging around. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that it is much longer than my Canon 430EXII and took up some real estate in the camera bag. I think it is comparable to the Canon 580EXII. I can get over that since it worked so good. -It has great wireless range, is fairly compact yet fully functional. Touchpad is nice too. Would recommend. Some of the other keyboards are just too large or too small. This one is just right. -I bought this for myself as a Christmas present this year (hey, if you can't take care of yourself, who can you take care of?). This was absolutely the best purchase I ever made on Amazon (and I have been a loyal, dedicated customer of Amazon's for over 14 years. I have nothing but glowing things to say about the Fire. The picture is amazing, displaying everything in crystal clear images. The 16gb storage is large enough for my use (audio and video downloads). The unit is easy to use (especially for someone like me who can occasionally be technically challenged). And, the best part is the kindle feature and all the freebies I get being a Prime member. Thanks, Amazon, for making this the best Christmas ever! -I bought the Canon Powershot SD780 IS Digital Elph a couple of weeks ago and couldn't be more delighted. First off, it is tiny and light weight, smaller than a deck of cards or a pack of cigarettes. The LCD screen on the back is crisp, clear, and bright so you can see it even in daylight. There is also a viewfinder should you prefer. The camera has numerous settings for portrait, view and etc, and an automatic face finder which focuses on faces. Because it is 12 megapixels, the clarity of the photos is amazing. The lens pops out quickly, and there is a simple button at the top of the camera which allows you to bring objects in tight or wide. I had actually been considering buying a big SLR (the Nikon D5000) which is nearly $800 and obviously does much more, but this little camera (which also shoots HD video) is so wonderful, I am beginning to doubt if I want the bigger one. I love being able to slip this into my pocket (it is smaller than my iPhone!) and take it everywhere. Great camera!Canon PowerShot SD780IS12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black)Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Deep Red) -This product is easy to set up and works in my 2007 Pontiac G6 Convertible. The Harness the product refers to is that of the radio and you can find out if your vehicle is compatible by using the Axxess website. -Got a pair of these, and I sit in front of them for far too many hours each day, mostly with browsers and spreadsheets, and a video here and there. The contrast and brightness are great, and my eyeballs are happy. The stands are a little wobbly, and coupled with my wobbly desk, that was a problem. But a stack of Post-its under the corner solves it, so it's not a big deal. I think a twin-post stand would be a better design, though. -So the fan is almost silent and you can turn off the light if it is bothering you. It works great but I have 2 issues with it which you need to be aware of. I have a 17 inch Viao and the USB is on the right side. The cord you get with this cooling pad is not long enough. The other is that I have an extended battery which raises the computer up and makes it harder to stay on the cooling pad because the pad is angled. It has 4 grip spots but with my battery they don't work for me. I have to put the battery off the edge to lay the computer flat on the pad. This makes the computer off balance and fall off sometimes. You can get cheap usb cords on amazon but I had trouble finding a USB to USB cord in stores. I am content with this purchase but I should have done a little more research for my specific needs.Update: It died on me and it has only been 6 months. I used it almost daily and for multiple hours everyday. -This is an excellent case for the Nexus 7. It fits perfectly on the Nexus and it does not feel cheap. It also has some pretty cool features. The coolest is the auto wake/sleep feature. I'm assuming there is a magnet within the clip that keeps the cover closed that tells the Nexus to wake up when the cover is open and to sleep when it is closed. This feature works like a charm. The ability to use the case as a stand is also useful. Overall this is a great case for the Nexus 7. I cannot think of a bad thing to say about it. -Personally, I thought it was going to be more difficult to setup from what I've read, but It was actually a breeze despite not being very intuitive. Had everything working, connected wireless, and accessible over the internet with Foscam's free DDNS in less than 15 minutes. Granted, I'm somewhat tech savvy and knew a thing or two about setting up stuff like this. Someone else might have a difficult time with it though.Also, it doesn't make sense why they disable presets by default. Had to enable them in PT Settings.Overall I'm very satisfied. -I was skeptical at first, such inexpensive headphones with good reviews. Well the reviews weren't wrong! Best 7$ I've spent on headphones ever! The sound quality is clear and the bass loud. I just wish the cord was slightly longer, but I don't have any regrets. If you're looking for new headphones then these are the ones to get! -Panasonic Lumix cameras are super--this is my third and I wouldn't buy any other type. When my old Lumix finally died, I wanted something with a better optical zoom and a viewfinder (LCD screens don't work when the sun is out). I liked this camera but was worried that it might be a bit big for hiking and backpacking. Well, it is a bit larger than my older camera, but it isn't very much larger and it does so much (smaller than it looks in the picture)! I've been using it for almost a year now and have found it to be the best Lumix I've ever had. The photos are clear and bright, and the "distance" photo options produce really clear pictures even when it is a bit hazy. I do a lot of close-up photos of plants and have found that the close-up lens isn't as good as my old Lumix, but I've also found that standing back a little and using the fantastic zoom more than makes up for this shortcoming. And, I don't have to get down close to the plant (a plus for us "seniors")! I've never tried the video beyond seeing how it worked, but one of these days I'll do it. It does really good video from what I can tell. I'll buy another when this one turns in its lens! -I just recieved my news lens on yesterday, four days before it was actually due to me and I am not currently in the USA so that was a great start for me. This lens is great and the images that are produced are stunning. The price is very good as well. My friend purchase the more expensive lens and there is almost no difference in the image. You really have to sit and stare at the images to really tell a difference. During that time you can be out taking more photos. Do your research and find what works for you and you could actually save yourself a lot of money and the long run. Every photographer is different so go to your local photo store and test out the equipment and then make your choice. The choice for me was right on with Nikon 85mm 1.8g AF-S. -I recieved the airbender bluetooth keyboard and have some pros and cons about it.ProsThe airbender case is very comfortable. It controls the iPad very well with its dedicated macro buttons.Being able to swivel the iPad is very useful in situations where you'd like to type in portrait mode. Being able to disconnect the iPad from the keyboard is very useful and the case has proven to be very helpful. Don't trust it to protect it from a drop but it certainly is better than nothing. And the overall battery life is very good. I didn't find myself charging it too often honestly, which shocked me.ConThe Preview photo button seems to have absolutely no use. It will unlock the iPad but doesn't open anything and while the iPad is unlocked it does nothing. It just seems redundant as there is an unlock button already.The page up and down buttons don't seem to work in safari, nor any other browser I've tried. There might be other apps where they work but I haven't found them yet. Disconnecting the iPad from the keyboard isn't as easy as I was hoping it would be. As awesome as the concept is there needs to be better grips to take the iPad off.Opening the keyboard with the iPad is a pain. As you try and open it the iPad practically slips over the keys and flings out. The iPad swings a little too freely and doesn't exactly support the weight of it too well.All in all the airbender keyboard is awesome and is worth the money. Though it has much room for improvement, it proved its use while writing emails and memos. -This small briefcase can be used for netbooks from 7-10 inches. I originally intended it to be used for my husband's netbook; however, after it came I liked it so much that I bought another one for my Kindle, even though the Kindle is so much smaller. The reason I did this is because the case is really sturdy, very well-constructed, and convenient. The padding in it is outstanding without being bulky. Despite not having hard sides, this case has great protection (via the padding and design) for my Kindle; in the additional section I can also carry my chargers, my fountain pens, and my journal. My husband is thrilled to use it for his netbook (which is a special proprietary one for electronic medical records) and its accessories. It serves both of our needs really well.The case has two parts, one to hold the netbook or other rectangular flat electronic device, and another part with pockets to hold bulky chargers, writing implements, and other items. The way this latter part is constructed, it bulges away from the netbook part so that it will not impinge upon the netbook (this is really nice). On the outside of the case (you can see it in the picture) there is yet another pocket that opens on the front of the case with a vertical zipper. It is very well-designed. It has short handles for regular carrying and a detachable shoulder strap. It's very lightweight as well.This is a fine looking, very convenient, quality case.Highly recommended.***** -My son has been wanting a new TV for some time now. Bought this one and he loves it. Picture is sharp and crisp. He watches many movies on it and the up-close imagery is astounding. He also plays videogames on it and said it has been impressive. This has been a very good purchase and I highly recommend Haier. It has many good features in it and it is also simple to operate. -In most demanding games, my GPU will consistently soar to 90-93 degrees Celsius. I didn't like seeing temps in the 90s so I figured I would pick up this Cooler Master for a shade over $20. Is it worth it? I think it is.My Sager NP8130 is 15.6" and this cooler fits it just about perfectly - I have maybe 1" of extra room. My laptop's rubber stops on the bottom keep it anchored pretty well, and the fan itself isn't super loud. There is an adjustable dial to change fan speed, but when I'm gaming, I generally just have it on max, and when I'm not gaming, I turn the cooling pad off altogether.The one thing I would make sure you do is use the little legs on the bottom of the cooling pad to prop it up an extra half inch or so. It makes a world of difference in how much more air can flow through under the pad and up to your laptop. Also, beware of using this on top of a table cloth - it seems to impede air flow as well. With the legs propping up the cooling pad, my GPU temps only hit about 84-86 degrees, but without it propped up, my GPU is still 90-91 degrees.Overall, it's a small ~$20 investment to potentially increase the life of my laptop as a whole. -I hope you have better luck, it has gotten a lot of great reviews, but first the sticker(!) covering the contacts on the back fell off, then the card died completely. Hopefully it's an isolated incident, but I'm trying a different brand in case its a bad batch. -To me, there is little special with any cable modem. This modem is DOCSIS 3.0 which is the most important feature to know. I learned from others that the White version is the one you want, the black version is older and perhaps not updated regularly with firmware updates.I strongly encourage users to buy this product as opposed to those that include wireless in the modem itself. Multi-purpose devices have a tendency to live shorter lives. I have this device plus a standard router and a Apple Airport Express, which is a great combination for a home network. -So, got this last night and was extremely glad it and the cable I purchased enabled me to use my phone GPS. Since I am an electrician by trade, I decided to make sure it was adequately constructed prior to using it since a lot of my fellow customers seemed to have an issue with the screw cap falling off and getting stuck in the outlet. So far, not had an issue with that and it seems put together well.I can attest that the blue LED is extremely bright, but luckily my outlet is located inside the center console of my car so I can't see it when driving. -I ordered these headsets to go with my phone (Samsung S4). They paired with my phone without any issues and they sound great. I was very surprised to find out that these headsets actually speack and inform you of incoming calls and text messages. They read out the message as well. I love them so much that I tried them with my Apple Ipad while watching a movie. The sound quality is amazing. You have to try. I am sure you will fall in love as well. -I have every electronic device currently available, now and in foreseeable distant future. Nothing streams HD like this little box. My 3 year old Roku HD finally stopped working. I thought I would resort to using my streaming bluray player. Wishful thinking. Picture quality was terrible. Panasonic Plasma TVs are the best if you have one then you know what I am talking about. Roku players seem to work especially well with them. The image displayed is breathtaking. Roku simply is the best. -I find it amazing, ABSOLUTELY amazing that so many people are complaining because it isn't REAL leather....Does anyone with a brain, actually think that they are going to get a cover like this for $30, and it is actually going to be REAL leather.The main difference between the quality FAKE leather and real leather is the wear factor.....If you have a nice leather case, and you take care of it, it will last a lifetime....Fake leather-not so much....And for $30, if it lasts you a year, thats a cup of large coffee a MONTH at Starbucks....Get a life for goodness sake.The workmanship looks pretty good, and the stitching was perfect....Got this item for my IPad 4, and it fits perfectly....The magnetic tabs hold the case closed....The "stand" holds it open....And it looks decent......And if it does gets scratched, or thrashed, it's a small investment. -UPDATE: 5/17/14 - PORN is stronger than the NETGEAR Nighthawk!I don't usually put my updates at the beginning of a review, but after writing such a stellar one only days before I felt it important to 'share' to warn off others.After setting up Parental Controls to 'custom' and checking off 'downloads, adult, nudity, and porn', I expected my home network would be porn-free, as it was with theBelkin N750 Wireless DB Dual-Band Gigabit N+ Router With High Speed HD Streaming & USB (F9K1103); which while slower - it's also a quarter of the price I paid for this one. Needless to say last night I learned that porn is stronger than the Nighthawk.Parental Control Problems:1. If you set the router on the highest setting for network protection it filters porn, however it also filters out pretty much anything but first grade friendly material. A no-go for a house with a teenager who has reports to do for school and needs internet access.2. In the Parental Control interface you can setup strict browsing for the family and an override account for those who don't need or want it, but using 'custom' settings is frustrating and seems to be hit and miss for porn specifically.3. In the Parental Control settings you can add up to 25 sites you want blocked. That's it - and it's not enough for all trash on the internet!4. In the Genie dashboard under Advanced - Security you can add keywords and domains (yuck dot com, dot net...) to block. When those are set, if a user attempts to go there they get a black screen with red stripes that says 'Firewall Blocked' user.5. Removing a 'keyword' is a joke too! You have to clear the list and start over, as it won't let you delete just one word like 'porn' to eliminate all sites with that keyword in the title from opening.You can set things up so that the administrator gets emailed every time one of the blocked sites gets a 'knock, knock' by a user on your network. Unfortunately, this too has a limited number of sites and/or keywords that can be added, and it's just not enough for the price you pay for this router!The speed and stability is great, but I hate that with this expensive piece of equipment and user-interface that seems to be so helpful - these limitations are put on the device.I didn't buy this router to limit porn, but it is one of the things I like to do on my home network. I'm not a prude, but I should be able to surf securely if that's part of what's promised at a premium price.Oh, and the way I found this out was that I periodically go onto a browser like Bing or Google and type in random words and phrases to see what shows up. When it's something related to porn and I know I have the filter set, I click to make sure they are blocked. Last night, it wasn't and I spent nearly 3 hours learning the limitations of the NETGEAR Genie software.Maybe this is something that can be addressed by the NETGEAR Team in an update? It will definitely have to be improved upon to be considered a safe router for households who are concerned with Parental Controls, and I would not recommend this router for this reason.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This is a huge, pricey wireless router which is worth every penny if you're living in a big home, have multiple devices all wanting WiFi, want to be able to take command of your network in darn near every way possible or 'all of the above'.WHY I CHOSE THIS WIRELESS ROUTER...I purchased this router with some trepidation due to the high sticker price. It's twice as expensive as the most expensive one I've previously purchased and also twice as big. Despite these things, I was looking for a router to replace myBelkin N750 Wireless DB Dual-Band Gigabit N+ Router With High Speed HD Streaming & USB (F9K1103), which while OK, was struggling to keep up with the growing WiFi demands of my family.With 15 wireless devices used on the network (laptops, desktops, streaming devices, smartphones, gaming systems, etc...), if everyone was connected, we all experienced signal drop offs. When streaming video it was not uncommon to get lagging connections and/or encounter buffering issues.After reading a bit about higher end routers, I decided to get a simultaneous dual band router. This one works well as you can set the (QoS - Quality of Service) to uploads (for gaming) or to downloads (for streaming). These two things opened up a whole new level of enjoyment in this cord cutter household!Having written a book on cord cutting:Simple Guide to Over-the-Air Free TV, and using myRoku 3 Streaming Media Player,Google Chromecast HDMI Streaming Media PlayerandApple TV MD199LL/Ato supplement my over air HD TV network programming, I know the importance of a solid WiFi network and this NETGEAR Nighthawk beautifully gets the job done. Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video and Hulu Plus all load more quickly and offer great picture quality and stability.In addition to this router's awesome performance and range, this NETGEAR product has a fantastic software utility suite (for both PC and MAC) with free iOS and Android apps. The software is easy to use and highly customizable. I love the Parental Controls, which can be set for the whole network, or just for specific devices.THE PROS:+ Exceptional range.+ Outstanding speed (*more than doubled my download speed from 33Mbps to 68Mbps) with simultaneous dual band (2.5Ghz and 5Ghz).+ Excellent security settings, which are setup for you at installation. **NOT true - see update!***+ Whisper quiet.+ Lights can be turned OFF in NETGEAR Genie (Settings - Advanced - LED Control Settings) or have them blink, or remain solid - your choice!+ QoS settings make customizing your network a breeze for the things you do most whether they are gaming or streaming; by group or per device.+ Can set up a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to access your network from anywhere.+ Lots of options for tweaking the setup, if you desire it.+ READYSHARE for printers or for network storage and back-up is a great feature.+ Guest network setup is optional.+ At a glance access to all the devices on your network by app or PC with NETGEAR Genie software.+Setup Wizard in 'Advanced' area of NETGEAR Genie works to effortlessly get you online.+ You can set up FTP storage.+ DLNA enabled for media server functionality; including iTunes library.+ USB 3.0 port for connecting external storage or media server.+ Ability to block specific sites or sites by keyword, in addition to Parental Control settings which are highly customizable.+ Ability to block services on a schedule.+ Ability to have WiFi turn off during scheduled times during the day or by entire days of the week.+ Ability to set up email alerts when devices on the network attempt to connect to specific sites.+ Ability to enable wireless repeater function.+ Ability to see traffic loads (upload/download) on your network.+ The router can be hung on a wall or sit on a desktop.+ Very cool to the touch, with excellent ventilation on the sides of the device.+ You can set password recovery questions when you reset your password from the default 'password' at start up.THE CONS:- It's HUGE, and the 'wingspan' with the three antennas attached makes it about the same footprint as a 15" laptop. (I have mine hanging on the wall with the cables coming out the top for easy access.)- Initial setup even with NETGEAR Genie did not go smoothly for me, and I'm an intermediate to advanced user. Small tweaks here and there in the NETGEAR Genie got all of my devices to play well together eventually though.- The price is hefty compared to other wireless routers for home use, but its features and speed are impressive.THINGS TO NOTE...Firmware updates must be made out of the box; Advanced - Administration - Router Updates and then 'Apply'. (You can get the latest prior to setting up your router and install it by finding the file on your computer, or let the router connect and obtain it.)There's an iOS app called 'Net Analyzer Lite' that I found to be very useful in identifying some of my devices by MAC address. This in addition to the NETGEAR Genie app are both free, and well worth the downloads.This is an impressive package both in terms of hardware and software. I'm very pleased with this purchase and I highly recommend it to those who want a feature-packed router with top notch speed and security settings. I think it would be ideal for a small business, multi-level or large home, or any sized home with lots of devices (10+) who are all competing for bandwidth.Highly recommend this one if you can afford it!UPDATE: 5/11/14 - I'm loving this router! Netflix flies through shows using 5Ghz and no buffering with a Roku 3. I can download an album to the Amazon Cloud in about 15 seconds and every web browser: Chrome, IE, Opera, Safari... loads pages faster. I'll be hooking up a Seagate USB 3.0 external drive with movies to use the DLNA feature and will update this review after that use.Overall, I can't say enough good things about this purchase.UPDATE: 5/17/14 - That 'love' was short lived and the 5 star rating was dropped to a '2' star based upon porn getting through and the limited ability to add blocked sites or keywords for added security. Paying this much for a router - it should have solid security as well as speed. -The idea is good, but the execution is pretty bad.Pros: the only popular option for Amazon Instant Video. The box is small. Seems to have more content to offer than competitors.Cons:1. No audio volume control. Imagine you open some Amazon instant video and the volume is too loud, the only solution is to grab the other remote. Notice this is not a cheap remote, which embeds some kind of motion sensor. Some reviews defend this by saying something like no way to control the volume over hdmi or the box is not responsible for the audio, a joke.2. Sometimes when playing Amazon video the box would not response to the remote, which means you cannot pause or skip when you want to. I gusss the bluetooth connection is lost. Whatever the reason is, a bug.3. Must have a credit card to set up the box and account, in the name to make it easier for you to purchase something. How come?4. No way to turn the box off. To me, this means I have to use the other remote the turn my TV off.5. No support of youtube. The unofficial one has been off the limits of new customers for half a year. Maybe the new guys they hire need tons of time to read the source code.6. The user interface leaves a lot to improve. When I was trying to input something in the search box, I would guess a remote with qwert keyboard or some convenient way to input characters will make the majority miserable. By the way, if you have many channels, do not get tired when scrolling the main menu, as there is no way to sort out your channels.7.In short, this is not product designed for normal users.Buy a tv that supports netflix, Amazon video and youtube. -This lens is awesome, for the price you can not beat. It is plasticky but who cares as long as it performs and believe it performed. I used it on a Wedding and it blew me away! I would highly recommend this product. This is a lens that you must have. -I wear in-ear headphones a lot, every day, probably 12 hours a day while I work, yard work, driving, while I walk the dog and while I sleep. I generally buy the cheapest earphones I can find because they end up really abused and only last a few months before the cord gets loose at the earphone or at the jack. Even if they last a little longer the cord will eventually get stiff from body oils and such. Not these headphones, I have been using them for 6 months at this point and they have 100% held up. I will be ordering more because nothing is indestructible.Another little nicety of these earphones is that the rubber cup that fits in your ear does not come off easily so in and out of pockets you don't lose the rubber cup. -I've found this case to be very durable and reliable. Unfortunately, it is slightly cumbersome just for day to day use, but if you use the iPad rigorously this case is perfect. The material used for this case is high-quality, and it feels comfortable to hold because of it. The hinge offers different viewing angles and the clip offers 360 degree rotation of the iPad. One of the best features is that you're easily able to detach the keyboard and hinge by squeezing the two clips together. The in-built screen protector is wonderful and smooth, but initially it felt a little rough on the fingertips. Also, the all of the ports are covered with rubber, so it is protected from spills. Unlike the majority of cases sold, this case has a built-in chiclet keyboard that feels like a laptop keyboard. The keys are made out of solid plastic and are very responsive to type on.If you need a case for light use, I recommend New Trent's newer Airbender 2.0. If you need a case for heavy use, I recommend this case! \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/paragraph-test.grocery.txt b/reference_files/paragraph-test.grocery.txt deleted file mode 100644 index e814f8b93ff1c973846a95cb2f25b9516a2d0a1c..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/paragraph-test.grocery.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,379 +0,0 @@ -This product is very good and offers an good alternative to traditional chips which unfortunately come with more calories. The chips are very tasty and have good texture. The only issue is they are a bit salty to be a health alternative, otherwise, they will be a hit in eating alone or with your favorite dip. -I eat it, the dog eats it, the horses eat it. This stuff is amazing. Allegedly it has antiviral and antibacterial properties but adding this to my diet and going paleo in the foods I eat has taken 15 years off my age in how I feel! -The smell and appearance of this coffee are very attractive when first opened. The bag is vacuum sealed. The coffee is very finely ground and has the soft texture of clay. The aroma is rich and delicious.Opinions will differ on taste. While I liked it, my husband wasn't so keen on the flavor. I guess it depends on your feelings about chocolate.Still . . . Folgers Gourmet Selections makes a decently priced chocolate coffee that smells just as good and tastes slightly better. -My initial impression of the sauce is that it has a rich ruby color speckled with raspberry seeds. It has a thinner consistency than I had envisioned - I liken it to a raspberry syrup found at a pancake restaurant - but was glad to find it clung to the meat with ease. The sauce starts out sweet and finished on a medium spicy note. I used it as an accompaniment to steak and plan to try it on both chicken wings and pork. The bottle comes with a mini recipe booklet with more ideas. One recipe I plan to try out on Super Bowl Sunday is one that uses a block of cream cheese and the sauce. Highly recommended. Will purchase again. -I was so excited to see the box of 18 snacks arrive, and my whole family eagerly dug in. The combination of the salty cashews, sweet pomegranates, and vanilla is delicious and very flavorful. My husband, two teenagers and I gave the product two thumbs up, initially. The problem is that the taste is so strong and distinctive that you get tired of it quickly. After a few days, we left the remaining snacks in the box. No one wanted to take them to school or work. We eventually finished the box, but it did take quite a while. This product is probably best purchased in smaller quantities. -Pu'erh tea is black tea (fermented green leaves) but fermented in a way that natural microbes plus pressure and aging give special properties. It's believed to have health benefits. A friend introduced me to this tea at a Chinese herb shop in Thailand. It came in cubes, sort of pressed, and tasted slightly of earth and camphor, which I later found out meant it was particularly good. This tea was not pleasant to drink but if you were feeling "punk" with a cold coming on, it would set you up almost immediately. I've run out of it and haven't been back to Asia in a decade. So I was motivated to try Numi's variety of Pu'erh.The Numi Ginger Pu'erh is a lot milder and pleasant to drink; it doesn't have a too-pronounced strong, mushroomy, earthy taste but it is there in the background. I wish the ginger were stronger--but that is easily fixed. I tried throwing in a slice of fresh ginger, crushed slightly and it made for a very pleasant drink that felt nice on a raw Spring day.I find tea for me has medicinal benefits for me (your results may vary.) I was reluctant to try Pu'erh tea again because you can't tell if it's genuine or sort of a fast-process to get it to market. I notice that on Numi's website, you can buy loose Pu'erh tea and even the brick form, which is the the traditional fermented, pressed form that improves with age. Since they are taking the trouble to sell Pu'erh in various authentic forms, I feel better about using their brand. Typically, bag tea is the worst quality leaf--the "fannings" or the broken leaves and dust that gather when you process tea. They work for bags as they steep quickly. I'm thinking I'd like to try their loose or pressed tea and see if I can find something similar to that tea we used to purchase in Bangkok at that Chinese herb store. Meanwhile, this is a good tea that I like especially when I have a cold or am just tired and need a lift. -I love the packaging and ability to make the drink as strong as I want. The flavor isn't as great as the packaging, though this is the most appealing of the three I've tried. Definitely for people who don't mind artificial sweetener taste. -The tea is good but not very strong. I feel the need to use two bags a cup of tea. It would be better if it could be a little stronger. -When I saw this Savory Tea, it looked appealing. I drink 2-3 cups of tea per day and the concept of a savory tea seemed interesting. The flavors even sounded good, at least most of them: tomato mint, spinach chive, fennel spice, carrot curry, broccoli cilantro and beet cabbage. Unfortunately, none of them appeal to me when brewed.Tomato Mint: Not a combination I would normally consider. I don't prefer it as tea either. The mint, to me, overpowers any hint of tomato.Spinach Chive: Kind of a neutral taste - not heavy on the chive side and more like green tea with a hint of chive.Fennel Spice: I love fennel and this one was probably my favorite. Notes of fennel but not overpowering.Beet Cabbage: Really? Both have very earthy flavors and together they are not drinkable. Smells & tastes like a cabbage patch.Carrot Curry: Curry is naturally overpowering and it remains so in this blend. I am not a big curry fan so this one did not appeal to me at all.Broccoli Cilantro: Not much cilantro in this (I cook with cilantro daily) - more like broccoli juice. Not for me.This is not a product I would buy again. I'll stick with my normal tea. -I was searching for a lotion for my husband's psoriasis and the search engine brought up coconut oil! I thought that was unusual, but decided to start researching coconut oil and its uses. Wow! This natural oil has so many uses and is extremely healthy! It is anti-bacterial, anti-microbal, anti-viral, and anti-fungal.I've been putting it on my husband's psoriasis for three days, but it hasn't been long enough to tell yet whether it will help; I'll keep you posted.Awesome moisturizer--I've been using it for the last week as a body oil after I shower and everynight on my face before bed, and my skin is so smooth and soft! It soaks right in as long as you use it sparingly with no greasy feeling.Natural deoderant--I found a homemade deoderant recipe on the internet today and will let you know in a later post how it works.Toothpaste Booster--Since it has anti-bacterial properties, I have been using 1/2 and 1/2 of my usual toothpaste and coconut oil to brush my teeth! I know that sounds disgusting, but coconut oil does not feel oily in your mouth...honest!I have been taking 1T morning (with my calcium pills because it's supposed to help your body absorb nutrients more efficiently), noon and night without changing what I eat and lost two pounds in a week! I was pleasantly surprised when I felt full for longer periods of time and was also eating less at each meal because I felt satisfied. Another plus was that I was no longer constantly snacking in the evenings, which has been my worst habit to break but now I don't even feel like snacking! Some people mentioned theyI found my dog loves licking my skin after putting on coconut oil, so I've been researching to find out if it's good for dogs. From what I've read so far, it is just as healthy for her, too! -My husband is a big chocolate fan and he loves his cookies. I like choclate chip cookies with white chocolate in them, so these sweet and chewy cookies are a nice compromise. I like the crunch, he loves the fudgy center, that, when slightly chilled, make the cookies even more delicious.The package arrived rather abused, but that was perhaps because for a week our mail was on hold while we had to evacuate for a wildfire. These cookies still get crumbly and on a hot day the gooey dough make them even stick together like one sculptured chocolate piece of art.These are definitely a winner, and any chocolate lover will give these two sticky-gooey thumbs up. -This isn't my favorite tea ever, but it does have a unique flavor that I've never had before - really original, which is hard to come up with in a tea. I'll buy it again, plus I'll try some of the other interesting looking flavors that Lipton has come out with recently. Who knows, I may like one of those even more. -This tea is aromatic, smooth, and pleasant. Happily, the taste is not overly strong, as cardamom can be. It's a mellow tea perfect for a relaxing evening. The fact it is organic and non-GMO is a huge plus--even more appreciated--the note on the back talking about its fair labor practices. Good tea with a conscience! -I don't usually like plain almonds; when I eat almonds they are usually highly sugared, covered in cinnamon or gooey'd up in honey like the ones you can get warm at the mall. When I saw this product, I thought it sounded yummy, so I thought I'd give them a try, turns out I was right. They have just enough cocoa to satisfy my sweet tooth, but not too much that it covers up the flavor of the nut. It's not as sweet or as sugared as those mall almonds, these have a more subtle taste.I have been trying to snack in between meals and found grabbing a small handful of these was both delicious and satisfying. Even my husband and son enjoyed them. I was pleasantly surprised with this product and can see me keeping these in my pantry for my little midnight snack attacks.Cherise Everhard, June 2008 -I tried this The Switch Black Cherry flavor as well as the Watermelon Strawberry. I happen to like black cherry as a flavor for beverages, so keep that in mind as you read this review.FLAVOR:The beverage was sweet, but not overly sweet, and not at all tart. It tasted similar to other black cherry carbonated drinks I've had. I would compare it in taste to Knudsen's Black Cherry Spritzer with Switch being a tad more "soda" tasting. It is much lighter tasting than actual black cherry sodas I've had, such as Dr. Brown's.INGREDIENTS:The Switch is advertised as 100% juice. It is, but it is juice from concentrate. I prefer juice squeezed from the fruit or vegetable itself. In the case of The Switch the concentrate is filtered sparkling water. I'm fine drinking concentrates and I drink soda too so I'm not being a health fanatic, but be aware if you are expecting actual juice, this product is filtered water used to reconstitute the juice concentrate. The juices uses are apple, grape, acerola and cherry. If you aren't familiar with acerola, it is a cherry like fruit, but with three lobes. Acerola is high in Vitamin C.NUTRITION:One 8.3 ounce can of The Switch Black Cherry contains:* 130 calories* 15 mg sodium*35 g carbs (33 g sugar)So keep in mind while it has no added sugar it still has the sugar content from its ingredients. It has more calories than a can of Coke Classic! It does not have any corn syrup or added sugars though.It also contains 100% of the recommended level of Vitamin C.PRICE:The product costs more than soda, but the ingredients are better. It costs a little less than Knudsen's Black Cherry Spritzer product. I use this comparison because the Knudsen product is similar in taste and basic content (filtered sparkling water, fruit concentrate), but a little different in ingredients (no acerola, using pear, pineapple and plum instead), with The Switch having a slight bit more carbs and sugars.Overall, this is a tasty drink. It is somewhere between a soda and a health drink, definitely better for you than a soda, but not quite as "natural" as say all natural juices. However, if you want a carbonated drink, The Switch is better for you than soda. -I am an avid black tea drinker. And while I've had unflavored pu'eh tea, I've found that it tastes rather like dirt. It is very well suited, though, to be the base of a flavored tea. And that is why I wanted to give this a try.First, the good. The spicing is absolutely appropriate. I've had some 'chai' teas that are WAY over-flavored. This tea's spice is great. The cardonon is very flavorful without being overpowering.But I must say that I was expecting a more robust tea all around (pu'eh may taste like dirt on its own, but it is a pretty full-flavored tea). Even though the spice was decent, the pu'eh seemed very weak as a 'base' in this tea. So, the taste is spice and nothing behind it.I was also amazed that this tea is packaged as 'higher caffeine' because I wouldn't have known that from drinking the tea. IF there is more caffiene in here than in my customary Irish or Scottish Breakfast, I couldn't tell.So, there you have it; a 3 star tea. That may just say more about my personal taste for robust and strong teas, but if you have similar preferences, this tea may not be your cup ot tea. -I was excited to receive a package of Quaker Soft Baked Cookies through Influenster to try out. I was surprised at how reasonable the ingredients were and how low in fat the single serve package was. The cookie itself tasted fresh, soft and delicious. I would definitely buy these for myself as a little treat and for the family. Try them for yourself! -These are little airy and delicious nuggets of goodness...except of course, they aren't nuggets, lol. Really though, these chips are nice and crunchy while also being light and airy. The salt and vinegar flavor is just right...not too strong, but never lacking. Actually, my only real complaint is that i find it difficult to stop eating them. However, that is simply my cross to bear.Enjoy! -Overall, I liked the cookies for their flavor, pleasant aroma and texture. However, while somewhat moist and pleasantly chewy, they did taste a little dry. I had a few with my usual coffee, and they paired quite well. I also had a few with milk, and that didn't turn out well.The cookies actually reminded me of a few of the high-fiber energy bars on the market. The cookies themselves were heavy on the oats and quite generous with the chocolate (but not the almonds). Each cookie was quite substantial and just two of them with milk could be a satisfying meal.The cookies were soft and chewy, but not at all gooey, like eating a jelly bean or peanut butter. The oat content had good consistency and the total cookie was pleasing to nibble on.Would I buy the product if given the chance? Probably not, as it is not a good dippin' cookie. I tried pairing it with milk, and it did not dip well (it fell apart when wetted), though it did taste good with milk. Still, the fiber content and heft alone have their merits, and in a pinch, I would definitely take a few bites. -Back to Nature provides foods directed at a health conscious consumer market. The box is 100% recycled content and promotes BTN's commitment to sustainability and endorsement by The Nature Conservancy. It is a product line of processed food giant Kraft foods, so when we see 100% natural on the product we need to look closer. The product does have added sugar (it uses cane juice, honey, sugar, and brown rice syrup as sweeteners, when honey and rice syrup would have been plenty of sweetness and more natural than adding isolated sugar). There is natural flavoring added, which isn't specific and could be misleading. The product is not organic or certified non-GMO either, so it really isn't 100% natural even though they can legally use that description. That being said it is more natural than most crackers on the market and these are tasty crackers if you like apple-cinnamon. The grains are whole grains (wheat and oats) and there are no artifical preservatives. I like these crackers but if I were eating a lot of crackers I'd find something that is more natural and less sweetened than these. -The texture reminded me of the center of a Fig Newton cookie but slightly moister. I would use these on a camping trip or hiking event but would not use on a daily basis. The flavor was bland and I did not care for the texture which I found to be pastey. Tended to stick to the roof of my mouth and was a little hard to swallow. Did not get a distinct blueberry flavor. The most flavorful was when a bite would contain a nut. The actual appearance of the bar is not appealing in the least. I almost threw half of it away but then went ahead and forced the rest down. Organic healthy snacks can be healthy and taste good but not this bar. I kept thinking of wet soggy flavored cardboard. -When Paul Newman was alive his big foodie project was salad dressing - and it was GOOD.Then his daughter got into the mix and decided to peddle foods that are on trend with certain diets (vegan, organic, gluten free, etc.) and the results are dismal.Overpriced small portions that aren't particularly good or even when not awful are not better than other brands. These cookies are NOT good.Small in size I couldn't help but notice how everyone in the bag was uniformly burnt on the bottom. Surprisingly flavorless for a gingersnap UNTIL you bite into the candied ginger. Then you have a sudden burst of flavor stuck like a gummy candy to your teeth while the rest of your mouth is trying to process a hard cookie. Not my favorite sensation. Normally I love to dip my gingersnaps in milk, unfortunately even this did not improve them for me. I did not finish the bag and will not be recommending them to anyone else.If you love Paul Newman & want to support his charities - stick with the salad dressing.If you want a great gingersnap that is awesome with milk - get Stauffer's! -I am a tea drinker. Lately I have been enjoying different flavored teas and herb teas. This tea has a mildly sweat citrus flavor that I enjoy with a hint of a green tea flavor.As I have moved from black teas to flavored teas and herb teas I have learned that the name of a product and the box cover does not always represent the flavor. In this case it does a good job.I get a sweet taste that I assume comes from the jasmine and a slight tangy sweet taste from the citrus. I also get a hint of a green tea flavor as well. The flavors are mild but I have found this to be the case in most teas like this. I actually was concerned the Jasmine might make this too sweet but thankfully it was not. I wish the citrus was a bit stronger but overall this is a good tea.I do like that fact that Lipton cares about the environment and people who work to cultivate tea and lists on the back of the box that the tea is "Rainforest Alliance Certified." I did a search on the web and this means that farms that are "Rainforest Alliance Certified" meet set criteria when it comes to protecting the environment and ensuring employees on the farms are paid a decent wage and have good working conditions. I am neither an expert on the environment nor wage and work criteria but this seems to be a good thing and I feel better drinking a tea like this knowing workers were treated decently and thought was given to protecting the environment.I gave this four stars because I thought the citrus flavor could have been a bit stronger but this is still a good tasting tea. -I had great fears this tea would be somehow too heavy on the vanilla as it seems every product that's labelled as having some vanilla flavoring overdoes it a little. I was pleasantly surprised to find the vanilla is subtle and does not take focus away from the tart blackberry flavor. It's a nice balance. I can now rest at ease and happily drink the rest of the box. I usually buy Celestial Seasonings for any of the flavored herbal teas (drink Yorkshire for the black teas) but the Lipton herbal teas are also perfectly palatable and I will probably work a few of the Lipton flavors into the rotation. I tend to make larger cups of teas (~12 oz per bag) and one bag of this tea worked for all my water fine with a good level of flavor. I think I still prefer Celestial, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at a cup of this Lipton. Go on and give it a try, it might surprise you too. -I love me some oatmeal cookies. Throw in some chocolate chips instead of raisins and you have the ultimate experience...sometimes. These cookies by Quaker are quite soft but taste very dry and bland. I tried one cookie and doubt that I will ever have another taste. -As an addicted coffee drinker, I love trying out new flavors. I have, of course, drank Starbucks coffee before, as well as Vanilla flavored coffees. However, I have not had the two combined together into one coffee. I can honestly say that I was not disappointed with Starbucks Natural Fusions Ground Coffee, Vanilla Flavored. The package is incredibly well sealed and upon opening, the scent is mouth-watering and fresh.The amount used is the same as with any other coffee - 2 TBS per 6 oz of water. This, of course, can be adjusted for each individual's preference. The scent is heavenly, as the coffee is brewing and the taste is very robust and holds a light flavor of vanilla. The vanilla flavoring is a very gentle and light taste, almost a whisper soft hint. In addition, the taste is not bitter, but smooth and delicious. I am one who drinks with a bit of sugar and cream, rather than straight black, as well as being rather picky on my coffee, as it bothers my stomach if it is overly acidic. I had not problems, at all, with this particular coffee.I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a full-bodied coffee with a slight hint of a vanilla taste. This makes for a delicious drink any time of the day. -I love coffee, but prefer mild blends. My husband on the other hand, loves 'smack you in the face" bold coffee. I thought I'd give this a try to see if the low acid version would make my stomach feel better.It has a very strong, deep aroma. Very much like being in a Turkish coffee house. I found the taste too strong, even when diluted in half with mild. It's pretty potent! My husband however, thought it was fantastic. So if you love a bold, deep coffee but can't deal with the stomach pains it can create-give this a try.I'd be interested to try some 'lighter' blends if Puroast creates any. I do appreciat the low acid aspect, and I think they could reach a wider audience with different blends and perhaps even flavored options. -I wasn't sure what to expect with these cookies, but I was happy with them after I tried them. The cookies are crisp and crunchy and taste much like other vanilla/sugar cookie type cookies. The filling has a light, creamy lemon taste. It is a nice combination and overall a light flavor. The cookies themselves are not overpowering with flavor and neither is the lemon filling. I will look for these in my local grocery store. Pretty good for something different than the usual chocolate chip or Oreo cookies. -This is an interesting pack of organic herbal tea. Based on the tea alone, I would give this product three stars. I simply didn't like it enough to warrant a higher rating. But I'm giving it four stars because this "Garden Pack" is really a sampler of the company's different flavors that allows customers to test out which flavors they might like. I would recommend this product to people who like to drink their tea "neat," that is, without milk or sugar. All the flavors have an earthy taste. Some of them benefit by having the flavor softened with milk, but I'll leave that to your own experimentation. If you like veggies and earthy food in general, this is really good stuff. It makes me imagine I'm drinking the organic isle at the grocery store! -These are the little cups that you use for the tea machines. If you haven't seen one, I have encountered quite a few in use at local doctor's offices where they offer various types of tea drinks, sort of a high-end treat for the patients. I got one of the machines at The Goodwill Store for a few bucks, (lots of them there! I think people get these machines but they get tired of fooling with them pretty quickly. I really like the one I got.)Anyway, the tea itself is excellent and it provides the great flavor that we have come to expect from Lipton. The product is easy to use and I have found it very convenient.Highly recommended. -This is one of the worst products I have tried. Though I am not a regular tea drinker, I do enjoy a cup of interesting tea from time to time, so this assortment sounded unusual, but intriguing and I was eager to try the various flavors.The aroma of the tea is quite pleasant, reminiscent more of broth than tea. However, the flavor of each of the selections was simply awful. Specifically, each cup was VERY weak despite allowing the tea bag to steep for several minutes. The flavor barely comes through and is like weak, nearly flavorless broth. At best, they taste like the vegetable or herb was dipped in for a short time.I believe the use of the word "tea" is quite misleading. Even as a broth, it is sub-par. I would strongly suggest sampling one of these teas before investing in an entire box. It's the kind of product that will probably wind up on a back shelf in your pantry and eventually tossed out. -Hollywood Safflower Oil is our go to oil for most cooking. The smoke point is higher than olive oil, so I set off the smoke alarms less often. It's also very good for making popcorn. -I am a big fan of all types of cookies, including all varieties of Fig Newtons. These Fruit Thins are not exactly a thin Fig Newton, they are a thin, circular cookie with bits of fig and a honey flavor. The taste is reminiscent of the original Fig Newtons, but there is no soft, paste filling.The cookies are perfect for a light treat with a cup of tea, and the thinner size keeps them from being too sweet or filling. I think you could compare them somewhat to a sweet biscuit instead of a full size Fig Newton. Light and crisp, my husband and I both enjoyed these cookies, and have already bought another bag. -I'm a tea junkie. This unique flavor is perfect served hot or iced. The smell alone is enough to make my mouth water!I like the new bag, as well. I think the shape allows more flavor to seep through. -I am not one to play the race card, but when it comes to tea I stand firmly on my Britishness. Tetley's British Blend is real tea, not the pallid, anemic apology for tea that skulks in silly little bags (twee bags) with strings and tags and staples and other absurd paraphernalia attached, in a vain attempt to disguise the uselessness of trying to extract any vestige of taste from the contents. These are round, robust bags that sit purposefully at the base of the cup and mean business. They contain real tea with real taste. Make sure the water is boiling hot when you pour it on, give the bag a minute to soak - encourage it with a little squeezing - then add a drop of low-fat milk or a slice of lemon and enjoy a true cuppa, taking time to sneer at the poor, deluded fools around you, sipping at their pathetic rosehip infusions or vanilla flavored Lobsang Souchang Rama Gupta, or whatever it is.The shelf life is long enough for you to buy it in bulk, and Amazon's price is good, so treat yourself to a proper cuppa. Coffee can only start your day. Tea can make it. -Everyone has their own personal tastes, but to me this is a Wow. Why so? First I love the taste. It reminds me of the days when I was young drinking Boones Farm Apple wine on a Friday night. Some may prefer, or liken it to champagne.I'm on a diet, lost the first 10 pounds in 12 days. It is a simple diet, eat as much natural fruit, and vegetables, and salads as I want, and limit my sandwiches at lunch to whole grain bread with lean meats, like chicken, fish, or Boka/Morning Star (soy) burgers, and the same type of meat entree at night for dinner on top of a pile of steamed veggies, and Olive Oil. Yeah lots of olive oil. (Not to excess though) My sandwiches, and dinner's meats/steamed veggies always enjoy piles of sautéed onions, bell pepper, etc. to put on top of them. You could say that it is not a fast, but rather a feast. One of the key ingredients is I have all the fruit I want. At night time if I get hungry, I will eat a whole small jar of natural apple sauce. No sugar added. Oh, and I drink plenty of water. Eight glasses a day? Probably, I don't measure; I just walk around with a large plastic mug, filled with water, and sip all day long.So what does all of this have to do with the IZZE sparkling apple? Namely this. It is a special treat.I would not call it diet food, because in order for fruit to be dietetic, it must be in its natural state. It can be cut into chunks, and fresh frozen, and blended into smoothies, which is my preferred method; eliminates spoilage, and adds to the fun. But you have to avoid concentrating it, thereby increasing the sugar content. In this case, it is from concentrate, but then they add sparkling water. So it is kind of teetering on the fence. That is why I call it a special treat.So for those who may not agree with my dieting methods, or the fact that I easily drop 20 pounds in the spring, and have been doing it for well over 25 years, (Yes I have lost over 500 pounds in my lifetime) and are more interested in having a good time, let's talk about the Wow factor.This stuff tastes great. I quit drinking some 10 years ago, but this is an opportunity to live it up. Whenever I open a can of Izze, it is like a celebration. By the way, I am talking about the apple, and am curious about the other flavors as well. One thing is certain, I will be purchaing more of this when my current case runs out.When dieting, the big enemy is cane sugar, which is fattening. Fruit sugar in its natural state is immediately absorbed by the body, and does not convert to fat readily the way cane sugar does. (All I know is when I eat cane sugar I immediately gain weight, and when I eat all the fruit I want, I lose it)If you are looking to break the canned soda habit, Izze is the way to go. Canned soda has some ungodly amount of cane sugar in it.Another interesting factoid, according to Dr Weil M.D., the nutritional, and natural healing guru, the main benefit from drinking wine is not in the alcohol, but in the grapes. By getting Izze apple, the primary ingredient is grape juice, then apple, etc. So help your heart, or arteries, or whatever they espouse about the benefits of drinking wine, and get some Izze. I'm sold. Once you taste it, many will be too.I think the Izze people are really on to something here. Highly recommended. -Fig & Honey Newton Fruit Thins are a graham cracker-like cookie made with whole grains, real fruit, and no high fructose corn syrup. A healthy alternative to the all-time favorite Fig Newton, the nutritional value is a good selling point. Unfortunately, the taste does not live up to the hype. The tiny bits of fig are similar to the skins of popcorn kernels which get stuck in your teeth. The honey flavor seems to be missing. Overall, the cookie is bland. On the plus side, the packaging is quite nifty with the re-tie clasp top. Perhaps the Blueberry Brown Sugar or Raspberry Chocolate varieties are better options. -As a beef jerky fan, I was excited to try out Mr. Z's Teriyaki Beef Jerky. Overall I would say the jerky was good, but not exactly amazing, either. The size of the pieces, the texture, and the portion size were all good. However, the flavor seemed a little weak compared to other kinds of teriyaki beef jerky that I have had. The jerky had a good, sweet teriyaki flavor, but in my opinion, the taste could be much improved with even a small amount of black pepper flavor.Mr. Z's Teriyaka Beef Jerky proved to be "okay," but certainly not the best jerky that I have had. -I'll be the first to admit that neither my husband nor I are what you'd call health freaks. Yes, we like to eat healthy food, but we don't have a problem with eating some non-healthy foods either. And we can both be a bit skeptical when it comes to "organic", because we've had many different organic things that were disappointing, to say the least.This bar, however, wasn't horrible at all! It tasted quite a bit like a nutty blueberry muffin, which is always pleasant to taste! The texture was good - not too hard, not too soft. We've eaten some bars that were far too hard to eat and made you think you were going to break your tooth on them! This bar, however, was nice and moist (which my husband particularly enjoyed).And we were both in shock to find that there was absolutely no sodium in this bar - astounding!For a health food bar, we both consider it to be absolutely wonderful. The only reason we gave it 4 stars is because my husband wished that it would have had a bit more taste to it - he likes strong, bold flavors, and this was more of a muted, sweet flavor. I, however, thought that the flavor was perfect. The thing that we both agreed upon was that we would definitely eat more of these, and will be looking into other flavors for our children (they don't care for nuts) - they'd be a great snack for them, and for us as well! -This product has a wonderful mix of flavors and textures in every bite. It is a mix of whole grains, blueberries, and flax seeds that are then lightly flavored with vanilla. The different ingredients all have different tastes and consistencies that make this mix feel good in your mouth. It has a very lightly sweetened taste that makes it delicious as a "munchy". It's also wonderful on top of yogurt or eaten like a cereal. It's very healthy and keeps well over a period of time. I wholeheartedly recommend this product. -The nuts are what make this bar tolerable. The texture without them is unpleasant. I guess that's because there is no egg, flour or corn syrup used to hold it together. It reminds me of an Atkin's bar I tried once. Water to wash it down is a MUST!Certified Organic Ingredients include: Organic Dates, Organic Cashews, Organic Walnuts, Organic Rice Protein Concentrate, Organic Wild Blueberries (With Organic Apple Juice Concentrate and Organic Sunflower Oil), Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Almonds, Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate, Organic Blueberry Flavor.3 STARS: I gave the taste a 1 and added 2 stars for the healthy factor. These sound so good for you that I wish I liked them. -I love coffee and continue to drink it occasionally even though I have a sensitivity to caffeine these days. It took me THREE mornings to finish this tiny 6.8-ounce can, about 2 ounces a day to where I was feeling that buzz. This stuff is strong. It's billed as a coffee drink, but it really is more of an espresso, so keep that in mind. I appreciated that the caffeine content was listed on the can, 152 mg, which is higher than a lot of coffee, which tends to be 100 to 120 mg per serving.It definitely has a strong coffee taste, with no sweetness at all, not even an artificial sweetener. With only the three ingredients, it's your basic straight-up stuff. -The tea has a nice spice flavor, medium dark reddish brown coloring, and light aroma. I did not find the tea to be as spicy as some other brands, but it was delicious none the less. -First off, there isn't very much tea in the bag, less than 1/3 full. Regular lipton black tea is usually half full of tea leaves (I added an image to show) And it takes quite awhile to steep, but once the flavor starts to get into the water you can start to smell a fruity smell, like blackberries.I use the same mug I usually drink my lipton black tea in every day. And the same amount of water with that tea, I get a lot of flavor. But, with this tea it tastes very watered down. I feel like I have to put another tea bag in it to get more flavor. It barely changes the color of the water it is like a very light peachy color. I get a hint of flavor when I take a sip. I had to add two bags just to get more of a color and taste to it. Started to change to a more blush color.It is a bit bitter, so I added honey in it to really make the flavors sweeten up.I can taste the blackberry, but not the pomegranate. But after looking at the ingredients I can see why, there isn't any pomegranate even added. Why call it pomegranate if there isn't any?It is okay, I do like the taste once honey is added but I have to add honey and two bags before I really get a taste. -This tea has a warm, spicy flavor to it, sort of like chai. Chai is not one of my favorite kinds of teas, but if you like it, then you'll probably like this. This tea is pretty strong, which I like. Best with milk and sugar. -These cookies would be better if they were made with rolled oats instead of oat flour. The crumbly and mealy texture does not provide an enjoyable experience. -I was disappointed with the taste of Ritz Crackerful Multigrain crackers. I love Ritz crackers, but these are dry and crumble easily, as other reviewers have said. They don't have much taste. They're convenient to carry for snacks, but I really don't want to waste my calories on these. -I am not a huge fan of coffee, however, this coffee is excellent. The aroma while it is brewing is outstanding and it really delivers once you take a drink. The vanilla flavor is strong, but not overpowering, the coffee has a nice full taste. I have served this to a few friends and they all loved it as well.Highly recommend if you are looking for a nice flavored coffee! -The flavor is excellent and the tea bag is a pretty cool design. I like tea with caffeine, but I still enjoyed this one because the flavors were robust. It was pretty close to having loose tea, but in the convenience of a tea bag. The infusion was very good.I would buy more boxes. -...this would be what it would taste like.As a mom to a newborn, I am looking for any pick-me up. I jumped at the chance to try this via the Vine program, as I am fond of many of the Jamba Juice smoothies and I like apple flavor. The initial taste was quite pleasant, and the drink smells good when you open it. Unfortunately, the initial taste is followed by a flavor that is not good and is very reminiscent of bitter medicine. (While stevia, which is used as a sweetener in this beverage can have a bitter taste, that is not the flavor that I experienced.)What I liked:* No artificial green coloring. I imagined it would look like absinthe when I poured it, but it is more similar to a sparkling apple cider.* The smell is nice.* 70% juice* 90 calories per serving - not bad in terms of energy drinksWhat I didn't like:* The aftertaste.* What energy jolt?* The aftertaste.* Feeling like I needed a chaser after each sip.* The aftertaste.The aftertaste was bad enough that I felt it was a chore to drink the entire beverage. I didn't experience any major pick-me-up that was noticeable, either. I am sorely disappointed and certainly wouldn't recommend this product to people that I like. -I'm not a real big sauce person, but once in a while, I like to try something different (especially if it might have a little spicy nature to it). So, when I got the chance to try the Taco Bell Jalapeno Sauce, I thought, jalapenos may have a bit of a zing; lets try it. Well, although the sauce is tasty and creamy, there is very little zing (hence the 4 stars). Even my 3 year old liked it and she does not like anything spicy. This sauce wasn't my favorite on Tacos, but I did like dipping carrots and celery into it as a little snack. Cant wait to see what else we use it for. -Lipton Herbal Pyramid Tea Blackberry Vanilla is an interesting hot beverage; an herbal and fruit- enhanced product with only a small amount of real tea flavor and a taste that is dominated by rose hips, hibiscus, and berries. This flavor is one of a dozen or so in the pyramid tea family: A family of teas so named because of the pyramid shaped tea bag that is more like a net than a traditional tea bag, allowing the water to flow more freely and the tea to steep more thoroughly.Lipton Herbal Pyramid Tea Blackberry Vanilla has a nice aroma that features herbs, vanilla, and dark fruit with some tea lurking in the background. It certainly smells nice and the taste is good as well. But the problem is the same thing others have stated: There is no real flavor of vanilla. I expected the vanilla taste to be more noticeable, especially considering the scent, but it just isn't there.The lack of vanilla is a bit of a letdown, but if you can get past the fact that the product uses the word vanilla on the label, you will find that this is a nice cup of tea and it makes a good choice when you want a hot, after dinner drink that is somewhat dessert- like in its taste. Actually, it seems like the perfect companion to a piece of berry pie and the herbal ingredients and lack of any calories make it a good choice when you want to drink something that tastes good and not feel any guilt.Tea is one of my favorite drinks and Lipton Herbal Pyramid Tea Blackberry Vanilla is a good- tasting product from Lipton, the world leader in tea. I would probably like it better if there was a greater component of vanilla in the taste, but this is still a good tea and certainly worth a try. -This will be the bottle that you grab from the fridge if you are really thirsty! The bottles are big! I like that about them because I can grab one and drink from it for a couple of hours and really stay hydrated. The taste is just cool, clean and refreshing. No aftertaste at all. This is good water. -Firstly, making a cup of tea (when you've grown up in an English environment) is an art. You just don't dunk a T-bag in boiling water for a second and then drink. The best way is to make put into a tea-pot about 3 teaspoons of loose black tea then let it steep for at least 5 minutes. Then add a tiny amount of sugar and milk (if you like it white and sweet). Oh also...milk.....that's cream to Americans! But cream to us is what rises and sits on top of the milk when it's in the vat after just coming out of the cow and waiting to be picked up by a tanker and taken to a dairy factory to be put into a box to go to the market). K-cup tea is an amazing thing! The tea comes out perfectly without having to steep it . This particular tea is very nice and I would recommend you try it. -I love chocolate. If a manufacturer wants to guarantee that I'll toss a box of their product into the basket at the grocery store, just add some chocolate. Well, unless it's bacon, bacon doesn't need chocolate.When I saw this Nature's Path, I thought it would be a great replacement for my typical evening treat of Cocoa Krispies. And health-wise, it is a step in the right direction. A definite plus, because I can now say "healthy" and "chocolate cereal" in the same sentence.Unfortunately, I have finally found something that I consider too rich and chocolaty. The actual cocoa-saturated oat clusters are very good, not too sweet, just the right amount of crunch (if you eat fast enough). If they'd added more than a thimbleful of the dried strawberries, I think the taste would be darned near irresistible. Unfortunately, there's not enough of the tangy berry to offset the very rich and sweet chocolate. The addition of actual chunks of dark chocolate just really take it over the top.This does make me want to try some of Nature's Path other cereal offerings, the quality of the product is very good, and the ingredients are healthy. -2.75 starsThis dressing/sauce is pretty good. The ranch flavor isn't very pronounced, but it has a slightly spicy kick to it. I don't think I would use it regularly because it had an artificial taste. However, it's not horrible and I could see those who are tired of the same old ranch dressing giving this a try. -Numi Teas are the most wonderful teas I've tasted in a long time. I recently became acquainted with them at an event where they were the tea of choice on the dessert table. I used to love Tazo but Numi is my new favorite. First off, as soon as you open the box, the fragrance of the tea hits you. And cardamom has to be one of the most glorious fragrances on the planet. It's a sweet, gentle fragrance that affects my mood and makes me happy. It also tastes good (cardamom, in general, tastes amazing in everything - I wonder why we Americans don't use it more regularly). This tea also has a slightly spicy flavor but not as spicy as say a strong chai tea. I have tried this with a little milk but prefer it without in general.Pu-erh Tea is a tea that is fermented as opposed to oxidized. I believe traditional oolong black teas and green teas are oxidized. Oxidized teas do have a lot of health benefits but apparently, fermented tea also has numerous benefits without the punch of caffeine. Fermented tea is reportedly better for the digestive process than oxidized teas but I don't know what the science really is on that.Delicious, richness in a cup. Price is a bit high but it really is a lovely tea. Maybe as a treat. -Lipton To Go Stix Iced Green Tea Mix is convenient and refreshing. One "stick" makes 16 oz of iced tea when mixed with water. (Note, the nutrition information shown on the package is for 8 oz, so you need to double the nutritional values if you consume the whole beverage.)The tea crystals do not dissolve easily, it will take some time to do it right. The flavor is variable, from sweet to sour to bitter at times.The sweeteners include honey, sugar and suclarose (Splenda.) Blackberry and pomegranate is an odd combination, but is not too bad. The packets are small and easy to carry around with you. If you like, you can just dissolve a packet into a 16 oz container of bottled water on the go. It is an ok drink, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it. -These are very rich, I ate 2 and was satisfied. The fudge is good, not waxy, and the mint is not overpowering. I like that there is only one side of the cookie in these, but those looking for more crunch may want to get the regular fudge dipped oreos, I do not know if they make a mint version of those.These are definitely an occasional treat. There are 170 calories for three of these cookies, which I thought was pretty high, but I reminded myself that Oreos are chocolate cookies with frosting sandwiched between them -- what do I expect? :)I think anyone who is a chocolate mint fan would like these. I would support Girl Scouts and buy their mint cookies first, but if they are not selling them these Oreos would be a good alternative to keep in the freezer when your stash of Thin Mints have run out. No, I do not have a daughter in GS or know anyone who does; I'd just rather give them my money over Nabisco if the option is available. -The sampler pack contains a bunch of different products with diverse uses. The oils are nice and pack some flavor. The syrups and other desert flavors were less successful for me. Perhaps I just don't know how to utilize them well. I don't really find it a good value for the money. Each bottle really is a sampler size and not enough for more than a few uses. It seems like a 'savory' sampler or 'sweet' sampler might make more sense. -I was sort of looking for a product like this and luckily for me, this one became available.The actual Taco Bell Restaurants used to have a taco salad that I liked and, unexplainably, they discontinued it -- but by incorporating the ingredients that they formerly used and by topping the salad with this dressing, it tastes much the same to me.Over and above that, if you're tired of the same old Italian or Ranch dressing on your green salad this will bump it up a notch. It's especially good if you include sliced boiled eggs in your salads. You can also use this dressing (a small amount) to infuse an entirely new flavor into your home-made coleslaw.Everyone in the household who tried this product liked it so you're not going to be stuck with something unwanted if you give it a try.Recommended. -Was not sure what to expect, as the box was a little basic and the instructions were pretty short. Just brown your beef in oil, remove, and then add the coconut powder, water and the solid curry paste and then stir. Once the mix was boiling, I reduced the heat and added the beef back in. Very simple and easy.But, surprise of surprises-- its really good. I served it up over brown rice and green beans, and received rave reviews on the meal. The curry and coconut milk flavors are strong, and the big chucks of spices really pay off in the taste of the curry. If I had been served this in a restaurant I would have been happy. To make it at home in about 20-30 minutes was really nice. I think the sauce kit also would have been good with chicken or pork as well.I am looking forward to trying more Prima Taste stuff based on how good this was. Highly Recommended! -I got this for my hubby, who is the real coffee drinker around here. The smell when it's brewing is so delicious. It smells sweet and kind of caramel-ish. The coffee is smooth, and the flavor is subtle but definitely there. We brew it in a Keurig machine using the filter attachment. Definitely worth repurchasing. -I love the flavor of this! At first, I wasn't sure and the combination of raspberry and chipotle sounded weird, but I have been converted! This is fabulous on grilled meats and the smell is wonderful. My only gripe are the calories. This is not low-cal. Actually, far from it and you could easily rack up 100-200 calories on this topping, alone. If you can accept the caloric intake, then try this on your next grilled chicken and you will not be disappointed. -The kernels are big and fluffy and coated with white cheddar cheese - yummy! The popcorn was lightly salted and there weren't any "old maids." Perfect for snacking. -I've purchased the dried apples from this company before and figured I would give the clusters a try.I appreciate the fact that this food id USDA organic, gluten free, corn free, and vegan. In fact, the ingredients are simple: organic apples, organic apple juice concentrate, organic potato starch, organic cinnamon.In a 1/4 cup of these apple clusters, which remind me of rolled up oats ans/or hemp cereal, you receive 60 calories, with 0 calories from fat. There is no cholesterol, no protein, 1% of calcium, 2% of vitamin C, 2g of dietary fiber, 10 g of sugar, and 14 g of total carbohydrate.All in all, a healthy snack. The packaging makes it convenient for the on the go snack -- it is in a resealable 2.1 oz pouch (60 g), or four servings per package. Just enough to tantalize the senses, but not enough to pig out.The clusters are sugary bowls with a tint of cinnamon and a crunch reminiscent of cereal.Honestly, I prefer the taste of a real apple or the dried apples this brand sells at Starbucks, but in lieu of that, this is a good healthy snack alternative.Allergy alert: If you are extra sensitive, beware that this food is processed in a facility with nuts, dairy, wheat and soy. -Have been enjoying this tea with the warmer days here. Easy to mix and toss in a couple of ice cubes.If not for the following two complaints, I could give this product 5-stars:1) Half a pouch is deemed a serving. Okay, 5 calories vs. 10 calories isn't a big deal, but seriously who is only going to use half of one of these tiny tubes? Most people don't even understand how little 8oz is. Starbucks serves 8oz short drinks, but they don't list it on the menu and people would probably laugh when they saw the size...just as an example.2) Advertising that there is NO aspartame is hugely misleading because it 'suggests' there is no artificial sweetener since honey is prominently displayed and listed. Yes, there is no aspartame, but there's sucralose, which is also an artificial sweetener. And WHY even have an artificial sweetener when honey is the very first ingredient listed?I don't get why it's difficult to reconcile such issues as the ones I've noted here.Like I said, the tea is tasty and refreshing, but those who make the product, package the product and market the product need to get real. -My husband and I use a lot of organic coconut oil for baking and as an addition to vegetable dishes. This particular brand is certified organic and non-GMO. It has not been processed with hexane or bleach and it is cold-pressed. It has an excellent aroma and flavor.Normally I use Garden of Life because it comes in a glass jar. However, the plastic used here is free of BPA's.For those with allergies: The label on the coconut oil warns that it may contain trace amounts of tree nuts, sesame seed, and peanuts.Coconut oil is a good substitute for non-organic butter and margarine made from hydrogenated fat (which produces inflammation in the body).Coconut oil adds an exquisite taste to almost any food it is included in, but especially curries, baked goods and homemade ice cream.Coconut oil is excellent for the skin. It moisturizes, protects and heals the skin, and it functions as a mild sunscreen. Its natural smell is heavenly, and it makes a wonderful massage oil. It can be used to condition the hair. When used as a mouthwash, the fatty acid it contains, lauric acid, kills harmful microbes, thereby helping prevent cavities and gum disease.We have, fortunately, moved past the era when consumers were wrongly warned to avoid coconut oil in their diet because it is a saturated fat. As it turns out, liquid, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and, worse, hydrogenated, solid PUFA, which consumers were advised to substitute for saturated fats, are truly awful for the health. Among other problems, they suppress thyroid and immune function and spread free radicals in the body. Coconut oil, on the other hand, has so many health benefits, it is now classified by many health experts as a "superfood."Research has indicated that coconut oil is helpful in treating and preventing Alzheimer's, and it helps prevent epileptic seizures. It is protective of the thyroid. It satiates hunger so you crave less food when you eat, and it raises the metabolism so that the body is more efficient in burning fat, especially the most dangerous kind, visceral, abdominal fat. It raises the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and lowers the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood.In addition to the fatty acid, lauric acid, that coconut oil naturally contains, during digestion the body creates from coconut oil a monoglyceride called monolaurin. Both of these fatty acids have the ability to kill harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses in the body. This means that if you regularly consume coconut oil, you are less likely to become sick from food-borne illnesses, flu and colds. It also insulates you from the effects of Staphylococcus Aureus (a very dangerous pathogen) and Candida Albicans, which causes yeast infections throughout the body.Coconut oil is classified as a "fruit oil," and they are considered the healthiest oils around. Other fruit oils include avocado oil, apricot kernel oil, grape seed oil, and olive oil. Technically nut oils are also fruit oils, because a nut can, by one definition, be seen as a "one-seeded fruit." However, the reverse is not true of a coconut. Though a coconut is a fruit, is not truly a nut. A true nut, for example an acorn, does not open up when it is mature in order to release its seeds. Instead, the seeds are released when the walls of the fruit decay or it is eaten and digested by an animal and released onto the ground in the midst of animal waste. In contrast, a coconut has three pores or "eyes" at one end. Within these pores the coconut seed germinates and a shoot emerges from the pores much in the way shoots emerge from the "eye" of a potato.DISCLAIMER: I received a sample of this oil from Viva Labs in order to test it out. I was under no obligation to write a review. -I love my Keurig brewer. I mainly use it for coffee, but I also wanted to try making other beverages with it. I am a big tea drinker, so I jumped at the chance to use my Keurig to make tea. This tea is very aromatic. It has a very smooth flavor. Others have noticed that it is very sweet, and it is more sweet than black tea normally is. I like sweet tea, but I did find that I was using less sugar with this because it was a bit sweet on its own. I suspect they must have added some form of artificial sweetener to it. With this pack I got 19 K-cups. That is more than you usually get when you buy a pack of these. I like the tea a lot. I just wish they did not make it so sweet for a black tea. But overall it is good, and I love the convenience of using the Keurig brewer to now brew tea. -As other reviewers have also mentioned, this cookie is very crumbly. A lot of them actually were broken upon receipt (which isn't Nabisco's problem). When you actually start eating them, they crumble at the first bite and make quite the mess. I wouldn't want my toddler to eat these in the living room, for example. The Fruit Thins are a great alternative to a regular processed cookie, however, and are 140 calories and only 5 grams of fat for 3. Compared to some others, this is quite a bit better nutritional profile.I wish they were a tad more moist and chewy, which I expected from a Newton cookie. But overall these are still very enjoyable and a nice change of pace from other cookies. -I really liked the Strawberry Banana Jamba Juice Energy Drink. It has a naturally sweet flavor without being artificial or too "sticky" sweet. It was super easy to drink and my only complaint is that it didn't come in a bigger can!Whether I had more energy after drinking this versus not drinking this at all is perhaps debatable, but I didn't feel tired nor did I feel jittery. (Drank around 1:30 PM). I highly recommend this fizzy concoction whether or not you're looking for an energy boost. It's very tasty and refreshing. -Green tea is usually too light for my taste buds and I think it tastes like weak watered down tea. But this tea is great once I let it steep for about 3 minutes in hot water and I add a half teaspoon of sugar which enhances the lemon notes. I recommend this green tea because the lemon adds to the flavor and brings out the best in the tea leaves which makes the tea taste bright and lively. I would love to try other flavors from this brand simply because this tea impressed me that much and I usually shy away from green teas and favor black teas but this one could convert me. It is yummy iced too! -The tea has a nice spice flavor, medium dark reddish brown coloring, and light aroma. I did not find the tea to be as spicy as some other brands, but it was delicious none the less. -These were a little too gooey for me. Parents should have napkins readily available for young children as there may be quite a mess, especially if it was hot weather. Also, having been through the shipping system, many of the cookies were broken. Of course if you can find these in the store, you probably won't have this issue. One thing you could do is refrigerate them and then you will have a nice soft cookie that doesn't seem to melt on your finders. My recommendation is to purchase these in winter months only. -In the last few months, I've reviewed two books that touted the value of coconut oil and its many uses. When I searched for "coconut oil" in Amazon books, I got several thousand hits. It's definitely a hot topic these days, yet I can remember when the consumption of coconut oil was widely disparaged because of its saturated fat. Fast forward a few decades, and although some health authorities still don't like coconut oil, the tide has turned and the oil is being praised for its many benefits, both internal and external.The Viva Labs product is "extra virgin." Since it hasn't been refined or heavily processed, it has a very mild coconut taste and aroma, both of which were very pleasant to my palate and nose. The melting temperature is about 76 F, so at most room temperatures, the oil has a soft creamy texture. I tried a spoonful, and it's quite tasty. I then fried some breaded shrimp in the oil, and it was delicious. I'm looking forward to substituting coconut oil for olive or canola oil in some of the recipes my wife and I use.Healthwise, because much of the saturated fat of extra virgin coconut oil is in the form of lauric acid, coconut oil is considered to be a better alternative to partially hydrogenated vegetable oils when solid fats are required. In addition, virgin coconut oil is composed mainly of medium-chain triglycerides (aka "healthy fats"), which may not carry the same risks as other saturated fats. Recent findings indicate that daily consumption of coconut oil may boost brain performance and could even help to prevent Alzheimer's.The two books on coconut oil that I reviewed also mentioned the external uses of the product for improving skin moisture and appearance, and for aromatherapy and massage therapy. It can even be used as a restorative treatment on hair.Coconut oil is definitely a hot product today, and my experience with the Viva Labs Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil has been very positive. -I tried the sister product, theTaco Bell Jalapeno Saucein August, and wrote a review for it. Overall, this is a slightly better product, with better color and a better taste making the small difference.As with the jalapeno sauce, this product appears to be trying to cover too many bases. It's "sauce," which means it could go into anything, in cooking or in serving, so it seems to be landing as both a cooking ingredient and as a table condiment. And it could go on anything from your breakfast eggs to your mac `n cheez for dinner, which makes it a table condiment for breakfast, lunch, dinner, any time. And its "bold," the American euphemism for something that's not really spicy, is marginally beyond the typical bland and boring that most Americans rely upon. It's got the tiniest tinge of spice, but isn't powerful in the least; the taste of this product does not qualify as "bold." Now, the taste ofCheez-It Hot & Spicy; they got "bold" with that one.The bottle's copy says the same as the jalapeno sauce, that it's perfect with "tacos, Mexican salads and sandwich wraps." In our house it went on pork roast, couscous, green beans, Brussels sprouts, meatloaf, and french fries. My kids (13 and 15) both liked the sauce and declared it was definitely better than the jalapeno sauce.The basis of this sauce is a mayo/buttermilk dressing-type mixture. I don't know, but it strikes me that all of the Taco Bell sauces start with the same plain base, and the respective flavors are just dumped in at the factory. The sauce is not chunky in the slightest, and squeezes right out of the bottle.The pluses in this product are the color and taste. Where the jalapeno sauce faltered because of an unappetizing color of mayonnaise-off-white with mysterious green flecks, this one's smoky-creamy orange color is far more appealing. It looks better in the packaging, and it looks much better on the plate and on the food. The taste also is better. Jalapeno is a very distinctive taste, and those who know it and seek it out want that hard burst of powerful, earthy jalapeno punch, the chipotle taste is one that is more subtle, not nearly as strong, and as such works much better in this sauce. The taste of this product is slightly smoky, with a good tang--not bold, mind you, and not even close to spicy.The sauce is just a bit too runny, though. Yeah, it's in a squeeze bottle and it's got to have the right consistency to actually flow out of the packaging, but at the same time, it's a bit too runny when it gets on the plate. Taco Bell needs to thicken it up just a little bit more to get it to the right consistency.This sauce is not bad; it does not taste bad. It just doesn't deliver on what I'm looking for when it comes to spicy. If I were starving on a desert island, I'd slurp this stuff out of the bottle and call it the Food of the Gods.Bottom line: "Creamy" this sauce is, but "bold" it is not. Our family knows hot and spicy, and a lame American "bold" doesn't cut it for us. If we want Scoville-graded heat with our food, we'll go for theSriracha,Crystal,Cholula, etc. If we want creamy, we'll go for the all-American ranch dressing or straight-up mayo, and we'll leave this product on the shelf. -These are diced-dried organic apples with a dash of cinnamon; they are tasty and have a nice crunchy flavor. I especially like the cinnamon flavor, but as other reviewers have noted, this is a little hard to bite. I also find that the serving size is small and the product is a little pricey. I would rather eat some sort of fruity cereals or dried fruits from the local grocery or drug stores.1.Love Grown Foods Oat Clusters and Love, Apple Walnut Delight, 12-Ounce (Pack of 3)2.Leila Bay Trading Company Apple Cinnamon Granola 6 Pack [Misc.] -I really enjoy the flavor of ginger, so I was really hoping that the ginger flavor would be prominent in this tea. The Pu'erh tea has a pleasant taste, but the ginger is not as strong as I would have liked. I recently tried theCardamom Pu'erh Tea Bags, 16-Counttea and I honestly like it better than the ginger version.Pu'erh tea is supposed to have some great health benefits (aids in digestion, weight management, and energy). I can't say that I've noticed a big difference in those areas, but if nothing else, it's an enjoyable cup of tea - just be aware that Pu'erh does have a rather distinct flavor compared to other teas. -These cookies are made with recognizable ingredients. I really enjoyed the taste and flavor. I found the cookies to be light but just slightly on the dry side but it wasn't enough to make me not want to eat them. I think these are a great alternative to all the fake foods out there and would choose these over other alternatives. Two cookies have 140 calories, and saturated fat is 15%. The product description fails to mention that these may contain peanut and tree nuts, so if you have nut allergies you should avoid these. -This product is very good. The connection with Taco Bell adds a familiarity. The packaging is excellent as is the color of the product. The color and the taste are consistent, which is good. The flavor is very balanced in body, mouth feel, acidity and spiciness. It has a genuine peppery flavor with just enough temperature but not too hot. The only thing that needs to be changed is that it is way too salty. I added a little to way under seasoned food and it was just right. Otherwise, adding it to food of normal degree of seasoning would be too salty. It is a shame because the taste is so good. You want to use a fair amount but that would make the food too salty. Less salt will let the nice flavors come off better. Salt helps to bring up flavor except if there is too much. Then it obscures and overpowers the intrinsic flavor of the product itself and ultimately the dish that it is being added to. -I'm not much for flavored coffees but wanted to give this a shot. I actually had to go higher than the recommended 4 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water because the flavor was just simply too weak. Adding another couple teaspoons had it in the wheelhouse of the typically stronger coffee I like to drink. The flavor is pleasant and not overly sweet, and the peppermint flavor is obvious but not as strong as I expected- a good thing, in my view. Overall, it's a fine drink, but because I am a black coffee drinker, it's not for me. Recommended for those who like sugar or creamer in their coffee, and who are looking for something Christmasy to drink for the holiday/winter season. -I bought a multi-box of flavors but this was the absolute best flavor (IMHO) in there so it's the one I'll comment on. Spicy, sweet, flavorful, fun, crispy, lower fat than chips, I loved it. I'll be buying more but only of this flavor. The other flavors weren't so great (salt & pepper and cheddar aren't too bad) but this one rocked. -Very taste little cookies with rich chocolate fudge. The cookies were fresh and delicious. When trying to look for a cheaper brand, the cookies tend to taste greasy but these Keebler mini cookies didn't have that greasy feeling. They don't have high fructose corn syrup or trans fats, both a plus. A container is good for 2-3 people as a snack. Like with any other food item, I recommend reading the ingredients list and the nutritional value before purchasing. -These Honey Dijon chips bring a terrific balance of salty, tangy, sweet and crunchy. Other brands I've tried use too much mustard flavor, which overpowers the Honey Dijon pairing.These chips make a great side dish on a BBQ plate with baked beans, coleslaw or potato salad and grilled meat. Naturally, they also go down great with beer.As an Oregonian, I'm proud to share these delectable snacks with friends, especially those living outside our state and who haven't experienced gourmet chips. I tell them Kettle Brand does for potato chips what microbrews did for beer.Kettle Brand potato chips are unmistakable--a light gold color, rich flavor and amazing crunch. Kettle Brand chips are also a healthier snacking option than the major chip brands. Kettle Brand chips don't have trans fats, MSG or artificial flavors and colorings. The company also has a line of organic potato chips and all of their products are certified Kosher.I also recommend these other Kettle Chips flavors:Kettle Chips Sea Salt & VinegarandKettle Chips Spicy Thai.Annette Solomon, a reporter for the Salem Statesman Journal recently noted that a glass of wine goes nicely with these chips. Solomon wrote, "...you could be missing out on a wonderful pairing. These chips are spicy, so you would want to select a semi-sweet white wine. Also, a moderate amount of acid will subdue the strong flavors of ginger, lime, garlic and cilantro without over-powering them. Classically, a German-style Riesling fits these parameters perfectly." -The Numi packaging and advertising is a little over the top, but that shouldn't take away from the tea. Pu'erh tea goes through a 60 day fermentation process, so it's not going to be a flowery fluffy desserty type of a tea.There are hints of cardamom in this, but just like theGinger Pu'erh Tea Bags, 16-CountI have a hard time finding spiciness in the flavor.The package contains 16 individually sealed non-GMO biodegradable tea bags. The outside container has a perforated area at the bottom, so if you gently press through the part on the front of the packaging, you get a nice re-closeable box for the tea bags. The package includes an expiration ("Best Before End") date.The inside flap includes a recipe. This one is for a jelly, the Ginger for iced tea. I opened the box using the perforation so I didn't even realize there was a recipe in the inside flap. A quarter-size sticky keeps the flap attached to the main box, so you don't even have to open it that way unless you want the recipe.Every tea bag has a small indentation, a hint as to where to tear it open. Each bag includes brewing instructions (3 to 5 minutes). But I was disappointed that each tea bag is attached to its string with a small staple. I am sure there are better ways of doing this without the need for staples!Being stingy, I can get two 8oz cups of tea from each tea bag. Obviously the first one is stronger but because this is a strong and dark tea, the second cup still looks dark. I steep the first time for 3 minutes (using a timer). Given its strength, this is good as iced tea as well.The package says that it has higher caffeine but it doesn't provide a number. I usually get a caffeine kick from coffee, but I did not get a kick from this one. Caffeine-wise, it felt like green tea. Some people claim that tea caffeine is slower to enter the bloodstream than coffee caffeine, and tea typically has less caffeine than coffee. This certainly explains my reaction to it but caffeine reaction varies, so it's hard to tell how it will affect others. -Viva Labs' coconut oil was my first venture into cooking with coconut oil. It comes cold-pressed and has the consistency of hardened shortening. But, that is where the loose resemblance to shortening ends. Viva Labs' coconut oil smells great, tastes great, and adds a hint of coconut/sweetness to whatever I cook. I have also eaten teaspoons right out of the container & the coconut oil has a pure coconut flavor - a light flavor that is quite pleasing.Overall, the coconut oil does not leave my food greasy & the added, subtle flavor addition really enhances some of the meals that I cook - I've used this coconut oil with chicken, popcorn & oatmeal cookies. Everything was quite tasty.I am almost finished with my container & coconut oil will stay on my shopping list now that I've discovered bow much I like it.**Disclaimer**Viva Labs sent me their product for review purposes. The review is my own opinion & Viva Labs did not request/require a positive review. -"Sitting on the porch of a bungalow on a tea plantation in Darjeeling, you can see the peaks of Everest and Kanchenjunga as you sip a cup of this exquisite brew. Life is good." ~tea packetIf you want a subtle tea with a smooth, soothing flavor, then Darjeeling is an excellent choice. The slightly floral flavor is much milder than an Earl Grey. I especially love this blend when eating a Caramel Apple Cobbler Clif Bar. For some reason, the flavors mingle nicely.While many of the Tazo teas are blends of a variety of teas, this tea is purely a blend of Organic Black Darjeeling teas. The tea is grown near India's border with Bhutan. There are only "true Darjeeling" tea leaves in this tea.This tea is just perfect when blended with an Organic Sucanat: Natural Sugar Cane. You might also want to try using "milk powder" instead of cold milk with your tea. I find it helps to keep the tea strength and adds a creamy element to the smoothness of this tea.Darjeeling is a very satisfying blend for morning tea. You might also enjoy AWAKE and Earl Grey if you enjoy this tea.I just love the packaging of the Tazo Teas. The individual wrappings have a nice crinkly sound and the colors are all so soothing and quite beautiful. These teas are definitely for the aesthetically aware. Drinking Tazo teas literally becomes a magical experience. There is something mysterious going on here. The teas even seem to have a magical glint or luster to them. When you drink Tazo teas the world looks more beautiful and you feel much more aware of life itself. I find that my creativity soars after drinking Tazo teas.For more information on the mysteries of Tazo Tea, read the review for the Tazo Assorted Teas.For a calming experience try the Tazo Calm Herbal Infusion which is perfect for quiet evenings, after completing a yoga workout or just to sip on while you write in your journal.~The Rebecca Review -This tea is really different. I taste chocolate if I think about it, don't notice the orange, cinnamon or vanilla at all and find the nutmeg to be the strongest flavor. Take the word "strongest" with a grain of salt....I found this tea to be very watery with little body. Perhaps I added too much water - I used about 8 ounces. I even just left the bag in the mug, hoping that if it steeped longer the flavors would intensify. No luck. Even my favorite tea, Stash White Christmas, which is made with white tea, has more body than this. I can make that in my 12 ounce mug and still have a good cup of tea. I don't see myself ever reordering this tea; it's just too strange a flavor and too weak for my taste. 2 stars.After further review I've found that just 2 drops of stevia made a difference in the flavor; made it more palatable. I also gave the teabag a good squeeze and that helped slightly. I raise my rating to 2.5 stars, rounded to 3. -First I was pleased that the cookies arrived not only fresh but I good order; nothing broken. The cookie advertise all natural and they are good. It taste like a shortbread cookie with chocolate chips in it. These would not be my first choice but I would consider buying them if my first choice was out of stock. Enjoyable. -Chip's Ahoy Chewy Gooey Megafudge cookies are the latest addition to the family of Chip's Ahoy cookies. The picture on the front shows a soft cookie gently being split in two with gooey chocolate oozing out. Random chocolate chips, both dark and white are scattered about. Should be chocolicious.The cookies aren't bad. There was no discernible liquid goo in the center, but more of a sensation of slightly underbaked cookie. The texture is OK, it definitely is a very strong chocolately flavor, and overall will satisfy the need for a chocolate cookie. If you have no other options.Generally, a homemade cookie will beat out a packaged cookie every time. So, lets just compare this cookie to other packaged cookies. Nothing holds a candle to Oreo's because they are in a class all by themselves. Compared to the rest of the cookies out there, these are pretty good (note 3 star rating).They are packaged in an extremely noisy resealable package, ostensibly to keep them fresh. You won't be sneaking anything out of this package, in fact, don't go looking for one in the middle of the night because you'll wake up your whole household, and possibly your neighbors. The reseal option is nice, keeps them safely contained and might add to the freshness. With the number of preservatives listed on the label, not sure if freshness will be an issue.Overall, not bad, not great. Kids will love them. -Well, I like a bit of heat. I live in Arizona and I grow my own peppers. Keep that in mind. I like this stuff. I used it as a sauce on chicken. It has a wonderful flavor. Now, if you think a bottle of Tabasco is a lifetime supply, pass on this, but if you don't mind a little heat, give it a try. -Based on my previous great experience with Newman's Own products, I got the Pomegranate Licorice. Opening the package treats you to a wonderful aroma. The licorice itself has a beautiful rich color and is made from cane sugar and tastes like real licorice unlike some which are more waxy and tough and lacking authentic flavor. This is tender and tasty and a real treat. The package is just the right size for a snack. Glad I got them! Now excuse me I need to get back to chomping licorice. -There is very little tea taste, you can taste a fruity flavor and a little honey BUT it does contain sucralose which is NOT natural. I would think this is false advertising if you claim a product is all natural and has ingredients that are not natural??? It is overly sweet and really doesn't taste natural to me.so this is a Warning that this product contains sucralose (splenda)I had thought it would only be sweetened with honey because that is the only sweetener mentioned in the description. -As a consumer I make a point at eating quality food and care about what I put in my body. I search out organic and I am willing to pay the price for it.I am an avid buyer of Newman's Own products, and like their other products. The pomegranate was high quality and tasty.Compared to the major brand licorice, Newman's own pomegranate has 10g of sugar and 2g of protein compared to 18g and 1.3g respectively. The first ingredient in Newman's own is Organic Wheat Flour while the other licorice is corn syrup.The taste of the Pomegranate licorice is strong and sweet. The Elderberry added is more pronounced than the pomegranate. Non-organic corn syrup is in the product(third ingredient).I can taste the quality in the product and recommend it. -First, in the interest of full disclosure, even though I love them raw, I'm not a huge fan of cooked or processed apples. I requested this from Vine because I like the idea of a health, organic crunchy snack. This does indeed meet that specification. It is made from only four organic ingredients: apples, apple juice, potato starch and cinnamon. It has no added sugars, fats, sodium or preservative. It's also relatively low in calories, coming in at 60 calories per serving, or 240 calories per 2.1 oz bag.My take on this is that if I am in the mood to snack and can't find anything else, this is better than nothing. It's not terrible, but it's not great, either.I didn't think it was as hard as some other reviewers. The overall size and texture is similar to a cluster in a cluster cereal, like Honey Bunches of Oats. The dried apples have a texture similar to puffed wheat, which I thought was kind of odd. It's not very sweet, something else I thought was odd. Dried apples are usually much sweeter.I liked it enough that I would be interested in trying other flavors, but I don't think I will be buying the apple clusters.Edited to add: I will give them one thing, my dog loves them and since they don't have added sugar or other ingredients that are harmful to dogs, afaict, they should be fine as dog snacks. -This snack definitely gets my vote. It tastes great and is a real departure from the usual snack. As the name suggests, it has a crisp texture to it that is very interesting--it's almost like a cookie but it has a soft inside. The 100-calorie pack is very convenient--it's perfect for an afternoon snack, or as a substitute for a granola bar in the morning. Both my wife and I have found it fits perfectly into our diets. A nice surprise! -Personally I'm not a big lemon fan one way or another, just find it okay - it's not my go to flavor when shopping. But my girlfriend, she loves lemon flavored everything. I got these for her & they didn't disappoint. The flavoring is not overly strong, so don't assume these to be tart. The flavor is sweet, but with a nice lemon hint to the icing. I think the outer cookies were great as well, so no complaints from me - and I wasn't even planning on liking these. My girlfriend already wants to put these on the next shopping list, so I guess I found a winner. -Starbucks is known for the very strong, almost burnt, flavor. TheStarbucks Vanilla Flavored Ground Coffeeis something different. On their web site, Starbucks bills it as "A blend of high-quality coffee with just the right touch of luscious, natural vanilla." They also say "Enjoy with: A crumbly butter cookie (or two) and a pool of late-afternoon sunshine."How well do they pull it off? The coffee has a very strong aroma of vanilla, a lot like freshly baked cookies. The flavor is a mixture of the traditional Starbucks taste with an equal amount of vanilla. For me, the two tastes do not do well when mixed together. The appeal of coffee and cookies to me, Starbucks web page ideal, is the contrast between the strong coffee and sweet cookies. How many people would like their coffee to smell and taste like cookies? There may be some, but I cannot go for it.As for the claim of all-natural ingredients, corn maltodextrin is listed on the package as one of the ingredients. The US FDA says this, "Maltodextrin ((C6H10O5)n, CAS Reg. No. 9050-36-6) is a nonsweet nutritive saccharide polymer that consists of D-glucose units linked primarily by [alpha]-1-4 bonds and that has a dextrose equivalent (D.E.) of less than 20. It is prepared as a white powder or concentrated solution by partial hydrolysis of corn starch, potato starch, or rice starch with safe and suitable acids and enzymes." I guess it depends on what you mean by natural. -Not caring for regular tea or the caffeine, I drink herbal tea exclusively and am always on the lookout for fun new flavors. This Blackberry Vanilla sounded delicious,, not a flavor combination I had seen before. I should also mention that my true test for how well I end up really liking a tea's flavor is whether or not I need sweetener. If I need it then the flavor is most likely too bitter for me.Out of the box, the tea bags have a bit of a dried flowers smell, not very fruity. However, when it is brewing the fragrance is delicious! The berries wake up, and the vanilla too.I tried this tea both hot and iced. As a hot tea, the flavor was alright, but it was like there were too many herbs and not enough berries. I did end up needing a bit of sweetener, as I felt the flavor was too earthy. The vanilla was too subtle to detect.It was when I tried this tea iced that I found I really enjoyed it. The cold seems to suit the berry flavors nicely, I can taste the vanilla, and I didn't need any sweetener at all.I have never cared for Lipton's pyramid tea bag packaging. There is nothing protecting the tea bags inside of the box, such as a paper liner, and since the pyramid shaped tea bags are too awkward to be individually wrapped, it's just open tea bags sitting together in a paperboard box. Also, the bags and string are some sort of plastic-like material, so I cannot put them in my compost bin.As an iced tea, I liked the Blackberry Vanilla. But the flavor as hot tea and the less-than-desirable packaging keep me from getting excited about it. -I have tasted many energy drinks and they all tasted unnatural or like medicine. This one is definitely different. I immediately tasted the banana and strawberry juice (since it is made with 70% juice)and had a pleasant, natural flavor I liked a lot. I had it after my morning run and it was very refreshing. Also, I noticed that my alertness increased after having it. I know it was the caffeine that did this, but I would rather have the natural caffeine that all the chemicals other energy drinks have. -I am a big fan of all types of cookies, including all varieties of Fig Newtons. These Fruit Thins are not exactly a thin Fig Newton, they are a thin, circular cookie with bits of fig and a honey flavor. The taste is reminiscent of the original Fig Newtons, but there is no soft, paste filling.The cookies are perfect for a light treat with a cup of tea, and the thinner size keeps them from being too sweet or filling. I think you could compare them somewhat to a sweet biscuit instead of a full size Fig Newton. Light and crisp, my husband and I both enjoyed these cookies, and have already bought another bag. -Those with an exotic palate may find something to like in Numi's Organic Savory Tea (Garden Sampler). There are six blends: Carrot Curry, Spinach Chive, Beet Cabbage, Fennel Spice, Tomato Mint, and Broccoli Cilantro. I sampled the Beet Cabbage, Tomato Mint, and Carrot Curry before writing this review.Numi is far off the beaten path of Lipton's. This is a tea that smells of soup. The good news is that it does not taste like soup. It is a full-bodied tea that takes 10 minutes to steep. The Beet Cabbage was enjoyable and mild next to the Tomato Mint. Both of them were jarring at first sip, due to the contrast with humdrum teas. Carrot Curry was the most flavorful, but many will be turned off by curry--still sparingly used in Western cuisine (and never in Western drink). The downside is that Numi tends to be extremely strong at the bottom, making for an uneven cup. Your mainstream tea gets stronger at the end, but nothing like this. The last 1/4 cup was of Tomato Mint was undrinkable. Potential buyers should be aware that Numi's tea does not tint the water as most teas do.. Your cup will be indistinguishable from hot water, except by smell.All Numi teabags are biodegradable. The tea is decaf, and works equally well night or day. Those looking for something very different from big-box corporate tea might find Numi's Organic worth a try. This reviewer will go back to the tried and true. Soup's proper place is not in a teacup. 3/5 stars. -As part of the Amazon Vine program, I received a Cherry Cashew bar to sample and review. My normal breakfast routine consists of green tea and a Luna bar, so I was interested in comparing and possibly having a different alternative.The ingredients are good: it's certified organic, gluten-free, has protein, Omega-3 added in, and it's vegan. There is no gluten, dairy or soy for people who are allergic to those. Of course, there are cashews, which are frequently processed in plants with peanuts, so I'd recommend people with peanut allergies steer clear of this bar.It has slightly more calories (200) than a standard Luna bar, and 9 grams of fat. That seems a little excessive, even accounting for the cashews in the bar itself. There are 4 grams of fiber, which is decent. The other nutrients of measure in the bar itself are mostly minimal, which makes it hard to believe the claim that the bar contains a "full serving of fruit". It is low sodium, to boot.The flavor, as other reviewers have commented, was very much reminiscent of fruitcake - only a little more dry, and with nuts. If you are a fan of fruitcake, you might like this. -Starting with the most important factor in reviewing a tea ... taste ... it is pleasant. I have a difficult time putting much credibility into a review for a food/beverage product which claims the product "tastes great" or "tastes awful" since taste is 100% personal and subjective. I also won't pick apart how authentic the flavors are, because again, personally I think the taste is pleasant and I would make it a point to purchase this flavor in the future.Possibly because of the tea bag material, or maybe because of the chunkiness of the tea, it brews fast, making a drinkable cup of tea in just over a minute. On the plus side, if I leave the teabag in until I finish the entire cup it still does not become bitter. My personal choice is about 3 - 4 minutes.Speaking of the teabag, there are some interesting opinions about it. Frankly it doesn't mean a lot to me. On the positive side it has an attractive look to it which helps dress up serving tea at an informal dinner party. On the more negative side I have to wonder about any "plastic" product that may leech into my beverage. Each time I have to peel the string off the side of the teabag I wonder what's in the glue that holds it there.Lipton is very respected in our household so the bottom line is I'm not so concerned about the material that's used to make the teabag to not buy it, and overall this is clearly a bit more of a premium tea than average. I believe it is getting rated fairly at 4-stars for "I like it". -I'm a coffee drinker and have tried various brands. The price was great for this but in the variety pack there might have been a few 'bold brew' that tasted like coffee. The others were incredibly weak. The flavored coffees were awful. Would not recommend this to anyone that enjoys coffee. -The taste was okay. The cookie is thin and light and crispy. You can really taste the blueberries, which is a good real honest to goodness blueberry taste. But overall, the sweetness level was okay, the cookie was just meh. I don't know it's like a cookie that was trying too hard. We have been crumbling it up and putting it in ice cream, yogurt, mixing it in with granola. The other problem that we have ended up having with these is that I did not know prior to purchase that the cookies had flax seed in them but not all of the seeds were finely ground, which means that well one the health benefit is lost but also the family members in my house who have diverticulitis got really ill after eating these cookies.I can't put my finger on what I didn't like about them. Perhaps because the serving size is 3 cookies or thins and that is not at all satisfying as a snack and so it feels like another junk food disguised as a health food. Taste wise they are okay. But since they aren't really that healthy, I'd rather pop a real fig newton. -The Switch Orange Tangerine sounded delicious when I ordered it. I thought it would be very refreshing on these hot summer days. And it would be if the taste were better. Perhaps the other flavors might be better but the orange tangerine had a bad aftertaste. Stick with the real juice if you want that flavor. The sparkling juice idea is good, I liked the carbonation as it was refreshing.But the biggest drawback for me is the sugar. There was 34g of sugar in that little 8 oz. can. There is 40g in a 12 oz. can of Dr. Pepper. Way too much sugar.The other drawback for me is the price. I wouldn't buy it because it works out to be almost a dollar a can. If I'm going to pay that much, I would rather buy the regular juice (real, not reconstituted) in the store. -I now have tasted about a half a dozen of these "flavor enhancers" by MIO and for the most part I have been very, very impressed. This low to no calorie drink is a great way to give water an extra boost of flavor. However, this "sweet tea" flavor befuddles me a bit. The reason being is it doesn't really taste like sweet tea. I sort of taste the tea aspect and I sort of taste a sweeten aspect, yet they don't seem to blend together to create "sweet tea". I tried MIO's peach tea flavor enhancer and that tasted just like peach tea. So again, I am a bit befuddled. I will say that the flavor is pleasant and it is nice to drink, but I don't see any conduit between the taste and the flavor proclaimed on the bottle. -I drink a lot of tea of many varieties and found theLipton Herbal Pyramid Tea Bags, Blackberry Vanilla, 18Count (Pack of 6)to be rather mediocre. The pyramid pouch is attractive but I think other fibers decompose more quickly and would prefer those or a reusable strainer. It's not a deal breaker, just an observation. If you like the scent, you can use it unbrewed as a sachet I guess. Being that it's a fruity herbal tea or tissane, I personally find that it needs no sweetening and I've yet to add milk. It's lovelier as an iced brew for my preference, and I think the vanilla essence is lacking unless I steep the tea for a longer time than usual. I also have found that a single brew is best as opposed to a second dip which is possible for other tea bags. The tea isn't bad, I just think it's average and haven't awarded it a higher star rating. If you are looking for a fruity tea that is even better iced, give it a try. I'd bet that kids would like this tea, and would encourage this over a soda or high calorie juice. I like Lipton herbal teas and enjoy trying different varieties, but found this particular one wasn't at the top of my list. -I've wanted to try dry rendang for a long time. I've heard it's wonderful. This wasn't dry, but that's OK--it left me lots of sauce to pour over rice. If I licked the bowl when I was done, I would never admit it here.I didn't follow the instructions. (I'm terrible at following instructions.) I started at the supermarket, while choosing the beef. This calls for thin slices of beef tenderloin, but that's not exactly in my budget. I went with chunks of a fairly tough cut of beef. That meant long simmering, which is not what the instructions call for.I lightly browned the beef and set it aside. (The instructions tell you to pan-fry until medium-done.) I added the paste and coconut and brought it to a boil. (Hey, I got something right!) The "coconut premix" was a powder that clumped pretty badly. I think next time I'll add the coconut premix and the water, so I can see the clumps to break them up, then add the paste.I added the beef back to the pan and covered (which you're not supposed to do,) and let it cook for about an hour and a half. With tenderloin it would be ready in a few minutes, but if you're broke like me, the sauce holds up well to cheap beef and a long slow simmer.The smell in the house was absolutely wonderful. The flavor was wonderful as well. It was a good blend of spices, with no one spice stealing the show. I know that rendang is supposed to have hot peppers, but I don't know exactly how hot it's supposed to be. This was extremely mild. Leftovers may meet a littleSrirachato warm things up a bit. Next time I make this I may introduce some hot peppers before simmering.But oh yes, there will be a next time. -FLAVOR:While eating the bar, I could definitely taste the cherries. While I could feel the bits of cashew, I didn't taste them until after...there's definitely a lingering flavor of cashew after you're done. The cherries were delicious, and they really tasted like cherries, not like cherry flavoring. Every bite tasted like a cherry, though it was balanced with a neutral flavor that kept it from being overwhelming.TEXTURE:The outside of the bar is sticky. The bar itself, as you bite into it, feels firm and chewy. There are nut bits distributed throughout which give a little bit of extra firmness.SIZE:The bar itself is around 3 inches long and around an inch wide. It's a little more than a quarter of an inch thick.SATISFACTION:I used this bar as a breakfast bar, and it kept me feeling reasonably satisfied for ~4 hours, which is about all I ask of a breakfast bar.NUTRITION:I'm no expert in this area, but I do like that this bar has no refined sugar and has a good amount of protein. I've been trying to find tasty bars that have protein for the morning, and this is one of the first I've found. I also appreciate that it's only 190 calories, versus the 220+ that many other bars give.OVERALL:Overall, I'm going to be buying a few packs of these in different flavors as soon as I finish this review. I'm really glad I got the opportunity to try it, and I definitely recommend it if you like fruity and chewy bars and are looking for a high protein breakfast alternative. -i drink alot of tea, so i decided to try this. i measured exactly 8 ounces of water for the cup. i like my tea strong & this bag gave a very satisfying brew. the taste is good, a bit tart, slightly sour. i think the hibiscus flowers give it the sour taste, but i grew to like it. the vanilla taste is subtle, not overwhelming which is good. the bags are a new design to me. they're little plastic triangles which i think allow more water to seep more thoroughly. good idea.i recommend this tea & i think i'll seek out other flavors in this line. -We got our bag of ginger snaps this afternoon and I am ashamed (but happy) to admit that they are almost gone already. These cookies are fantastic! I have long been a fan of ginger snaps but have often been disappointed by the bland, tasteless versions I found in the stores. Nothing was as good or as flavorful as Mom used to make. It seemed that all the really flavorful brands slowly slipped away from the grocers shelves. The only really great ones were imported and the exchange rate made them ridiculously expensive. Then I found Newman's Own. I have always loved their salad dressings (not so crazy about their salsas but that is another review) and now I love their cookies. With s satisfying snap! and a crunchy texture they also have delicious chewy ginger pieces inside to make them super flavorful. The low heat of the ginger is just right and they are not too sweet. They are fabulous and I now need to order more or find them at the local grocer. Buy these and you will not be sorry! -I'm a tea drinker, and this Bigelow Green Tea is of my favorites. This green tea is mild, and has a very light color and a smooth taste. I try to stay away from too much sugar, so I sweeten mine with a few drops of stevia sweetener.I especially go to this tea when I'm sick. It's great hot, and soothes sore throat even better than chicken soup. Tea comes in sealed packets. Last time I ordered this pack was at least a year ago. I just finished my last box, and this one was as good as my first. If you like black tea, try Darjeeling from Bigelow, it's my favorite black tea. -This tea is so delicious, so fragrant, that for the first time, I choose to drink a hot tea without sweetener of any kind. I usually use honey or splenda, but they just destroyed the delicate essence of this lovely tea. It really is sweet and fragrant enough without any embellishment.I usually drink Numi teas. I have many varieties, and I love them. But this tea is especially lovely. From the long, thin white tea leaves to the jasmine blossom petals, what a treat for the eyes, nose, and palate. The fragrance hits you as soon as you open the container and lasts throughout the cup. I followed the directions and steeped the tea as suggested. The first cup was heavenly, the second brew delicious, but the third was a bit weak. It was never bitter, never harsh, and never "too green."Yes, it's expensive, but it is organic, hand-picked, authentic, whole white tea leaves and whole jasmine petals. A little goes a long way. I guess it all comes down to what your passion is and what you can afford. I do hope I can afford this in the future, and I am tempted to try other varieties as i finish my Numi stash. -This herbal tea is well balanced and pleasant. It tastes to me like good real lemon, but not acidic. The ginger seems just enough. Bonus; you can use the bag twice and get a good cup of tea the second time. Also, it's nice to steep this with black tea, and get a bit of caffeine if you choose, along with the ginger / lemon flavors. -wow! i like it! it arrived in good condition. the sauce tastes good. it is very fresh with a freshness date best by september 2014. italian sauage ravioli in a hearty tomato and meat sauce. it contains no preservatives or msg and is a good source of protein. i looked over the list of ingredients. i don't see too much bad there at all. the price was great too. i am very happy with this purchase and i ordered several more cases to put into the pantry for future use. i can add to the sauce if i need some variation. -Numi Organic Savory Tea is unlike any sort of tea I've had before. I had no idea what to expect but was intrigued by the idea of organic vegetables and spices blended together to create brand new experience. Numi Tea has created six blends to appeal to those brave enough to try it & what better way the with the Savory Tea Garden Sampler.The box contains 6 flavors and 12 tea bags, so you can have a cup for yourself and share if you so choose. The blends you'll find are Carrot Curry, Beet Cabbage, Tomato Mint, Spinach Chive, Brocoli Cilantro, & Fennel Spice. The tea is 100% organic as well as non-GMO verified. Each flavor inspired from recipes around the world.I think the sampler is a very good option if interested in trying these teas out. I say that because I honestly really liked some better than others. To each their own taste, I say though. My favorite out of all six is the Spinach Chive! It leaves an aftertaste like if you were have spinach and chive dip just without the added sour cream. And the Tomato Mint was another that I liked, being the mint lover that I am. I was kinda upset I didn't like the Carrot Curry flavor more. I felt it needed to be a bit spicier and the carrot stronger in taste.The flavors of the teas aren't overly strong as one would have assumed from smelling the tea bag. I was a little shocked thinking they would have tasted more like broth or soup. I was hoping it would have been a bit stronger. I will state that each flavor tasted exquisitely fresh and quite distinct though. No sugar or cream is needed and the teas can be drank hot or cold.I'd recommend trying them out if you are looking for something different. They compliment certain meals in my opinion quite well. I think they may also be an interesting addition to your cooking. You may just discover and brand new tea obsession. But do try out the sampler pack first! -I'm not much of a juice drinker, but my daughter is so I bought this for her to try out. I wasn't expecting much, so I was very happy when she announced that she really liked it! It is essentially a carbonated fruit juice, but it is nice to have some different flavors for the kids. So, it was a hit at our house and we'll definitely be buying more. -This were a hit with everyone I shared them with. The ingredients are all natural, so it's a snack I feel comfortable serving to my children. The packaging includes a portion that is reasonably sized, and easy to pack for a snack on the go. The cashews are sweet enough to satisfy a craving for sweets, but the snack is primarily protein.I will definitely purchase these again. -I'm not sure exactly how qualified I am to review spaghetti sauce but since that's part of the trade off here let me give you my qualifications. I'm approximately 12.5% Italian and yes I know the Chinese created pasta but we're (us 12.5% Italians) are the ones who eat it. Next I'm married to a Puerto Rican, so I'm used to very flavorful (spicy but not spicy hot) food. That said, I did grow up eating bland food and I have to say I enjoy a good can of Chef Boyardee about once a month. I do, however, draw the line at no-brand spegettios and the like.On to the sauce. I made this for myself and 3 little whippersnappers ages 2.5, 4 and 9. They all loved it. The directions involved 3 very easy steps which is good because I'm pretty much lost on cooking anything that involves more than 2 ingredients. The package was convenient and saved some dirty pans. I thought the taste was decent, not acidic, and sweet enough for me (but see my strict regulations on spaghetti sauce above). My wife couldn't really taste the basil and she thought it was bland.So let's put it this way. No self-respecting cook or chef is going to just serve this stuff out of the bag. They're going to add spices, veggies whatever... BUT I think anyone that is buying this for convenience probably isn't a big connoisseur of fine Italian (Chinese) cuisine. So 4 out 5 stars for appealing to an audience that appreciates convenience more than taste, with a product that focuses on convenience rather than taste. -I am reviewing this product for Amazon, I received it as a gift for that purpose. After examining the ingredients list I noticed this has an awful lot of sugar, the first ingredient is Water, then Cane Sugar, do not let that make you think of wow that is good sugar. Sugar is sugar. Yes sugar is sugar but it tastes good and yes it has calories but how many really? there are 80 cals per serving in this bottle. This product used real sugar and yes it is over processed but it tastes good. It aids in the flavor of this drink.As I opened this chilled drink I was mindful of the aroma. Grapefruit, that is what it was screaming to me but there was a more complex scent, passion fruit maybe? Yes indeed it is flavored with passion fruit and very nicely, I am drinking the second half of the bottle right now and I can tell you I love it.I just cannot seem to wrap my mind around the fact it has so much sugar, with that much sugar anything would taste this good. Ok so I am testing it, (right now as I write this review) it says it has 19 grams of sugar per serving.Wait a minute, I just checked the label again, it is very hard to see letters since they are so small and the ingredients list is written in an obscure font and made a little hazy, to hide the fact is has 19 grams of sugar per serving? Hmm what is this, it is not one serving per bottle, it is 1.5 servings per bottle,why do they give you 1.5 servings are you going to share it with 1.5 people? So that means this entire bottle (only 11.5 oz.) has not just 19 grams of sugar but a hefty 27 plus grams of sugar.Do you know what 27 grams of sugar equates to in teaspoons?Now this is not a scientific experiment by any means but I just used a very reliable scale and found that it takes 7 tsp. of sugar to come up with 27 grams of sugar and that is what is in this drink I just consumed. Wait let me reduce the stars on my rating to 3.....When I need a magnifying glass to see the ingredients list that makes me pause, and ask why? I guess we now know why, I never use more that about 3 tsp. sugar in any form per day I just used up my next few days.Let's see a cola drink has less sugar than this drink, why would I drink this, for a sugar high? not likely. I would give more comparisons but I do not used many processed foods to look on the labels.Diabetics stay away, this is not for you, in fact it is not for me, is this your kind of drink that you would want or better still, give to your children?The only thing right now that has anything going for it is the taste, so if you don't mind the 27 grams of sugar per bottle then be my guest you will enjoy it, it has a wonderful bright light flavor. Know that it also has a lot of pulp going through it, and according to the label it has natural flavors and not real fruit, so what is that stuff floating in it, it is not real fruit hmmm...The aftertaste is not so bad, I guess you can just cover that up by drinking another bottle of this sugar water.I am sorry folks but this review went down very fast, I am sorry I cannot recommend this drink due to it's over use of sweetener. In fact I will not be finishing it myself. -This stuff was amazing. It is very simple to use and the flavor was just fantastic. We used it on chicken instead of beef and it was some of the most delicious curry I've had. And I've spent a lot of time working and living in the Middle East and Asia. I was very impressed with how good it was, but also how easy it is to prepare. If you can make Hamburger Helper you can use this, and the results are much better. I will be buying more in the future for sure. -Hmmm. What does it mean that these chips are popped? I don't know. What I do know is that these chips are very good - crispy and airy, and not at all like baked chips (which I never did like).I really like these chips, both the taste and the texture. Low in fat, no preservatives, no trans fats, I think they are great! -Very taste little cookies with rich chocolate fudge. The cookies were fresh and delicious. When trying to look for a cheaper brand, the cookies tend to taste greasy but these Keebler mini cookies didn't have that greasy feeling. They don't have high fructose corn syrup or trans fats, both a plus. A container is good for 2-3 people as a snack. Like with any other food item, I recommend reading the ingredients list and the nutritional value before purchasing. -I was surprised by how rich and full of body this tea seemed since it's not what I usually expect from tea. The flavor is strong and enjoyable if you like ginger and dark, caffeinated drinks. I can be a little sensitive to caffeine at times (thus why I mainly drink tea instead of coffee) and this did make me a little nauseous because of the caffeine. It really is like drinking a coffee substitute instead of tea. -Aloe. Green Tea. Passion Fruit.Choose any two. (Also, make the Passion Fruit less dominant than it is.) By combining all three flavors, it becomes too much. Especially since the passion fruit flavor is so overwhelming. Despite that, the aloe and green tea flavors are still discernible. (And the aloe obviously has aloe texture.)With regard to ingredients, it is apparently made with "all natural ingredients". There's no high-fructose corn syrup, for those of you who are into that sort of thing. The flavors are purportedly all natural. There's nothing on the ingredient label that an eleven-year old couldn't pronounce, so there's that.As a side note, and warning to anyone who might not know, aloe, while really good for your skin, should be consumed internally with moderation. For one thing, it's an allergen. So, before you buy a case of this stuff, buy a small sample and find out if you're going to be allergic. There is also a long history of aloe being used as a laxative. So...moderation. -In the past to make some tea I'd have to get out a tea bag and a tea pot, boil some water. steep the teabags, and then add the sugar, cream, etc, before enjoying a cup of tea. Now with my K-Cup coffee machine I can take one of the Lipton K cup Iced Tea Lemonade packets, put it in my machine and get a perfect cup of lemony, citus flavored tea with little effort. Add a little ice and your're all set.In addition to being very easy to brew, the tea is very tasty. It has a rich deep flavor which I'd compare to any Ice Tea recipe of any Southern Grandmother. I like it so much I reccomended it to my Mother in law. I really enjoy it and will buy more and probably try different flavors. -I like the fact that this little bottle contains 15 grams of whey protein, along with the equivalent of 3 servings of fruits/vegetables. Being lactose-intolerant, I also appreciate the fact that it does not contain lactose. However, I'm not sure if those positives outweigh the taste and consistency of this RTD, which I did not care for. I was not able to drink the entire bottle at one sitting. I'd certainly give it a go if another flavor was available, but Mango just didn't do it for me. -This Coconut Oil is organic and comes in a 15 ounce container. It is absolutely pure, fresh and smells amazing if you like coconut. I personally love coconut and was happy to try cooking with it. However I wondered whether or not it would be useful for very many things. I am still fairly new to coconut oil but I have been experimenting with it a lot in recent months and have found it to be my new favorite oil to cook with. I have used it to fry things in a skillet like ham. I wondered if it would taste weird but it didn't at all and I actually preferred the taste to using vegetable or canola oil. I have also used it in deserts and that is what I prefer to use it for. I have used it to make homemade fudge and it turned out really good. Yesterday I used it to make chocolate chip cookies and they were some of the most amazing cookies that I have ever had. Coconut Oil can also be used as a beauty product. If you take a little bit of it and rub it into your skin it moisturizes and makes your skin very smooth. My hands always dry out and crack as the weather turns colder out. A little bit of this coconut oil makes them feel like new again and it smells great too.This is only the second type of coconut oil that I have tried but it seems perfect quality to me. It also has a long shelf life of about 1 1/2 years according to the expiration date on the top of the container. Coconut oil may not be for everyone but I love the taste and it's much healthier than many of the other options.Sample provided for review. -This has been my typical morning coffee ever since I first tried it in December 2011. So, a year and a half later, and I'm still liking it - and recommending it.The pods were novel back in 2011, and the price of other K-Cups had gone up much more than I liked, so I decided to give this brand a try. I'm glad that I did. I really enjoy this Fog Chaser variety, and the Subscribe & Save price (~$25 right now) is good for 80 cups these days. Plus, they started including a plastic container in each 80-pack that you can store your pods in after you open up one of the eight-count bags. I had already bought an air-tight container to keep them fresh (I originally just used zip-lock bags), but it's a nice touch.In my Breville brewer, these pods do take longer to make a cup than a regular K-Cup. Maybe it's just my brewer, but perhaps there's more flow resistance in these. Not a huge deal, but I thought it was worth mentioning.I'm not sure how much less plastic these have versus the original K-Cups. They don't have the plastic cup, but the rim is a lot thicker plastic on these, and they come in plastic bags with a plastic container in each 80-pack. But, I don't buy them because I think there's less plastic. I buy them because I like the taste and the price is good. -The blackberry vanilla tea has a nice aroma and a great taste. I can taste the berry and a hint of the berry. Also, makes a great iced tea. Caffeine- free means I can enjoy in the evenings. Also not that the ingredients include rosehips, hibiscus flowers, blackberry leaves, dried blackberry and raspberry pieces. It comes in a triangle-shape mesh bag, so you can see the ingredients. Very enjoyable. -This is the best barbeque and all around sauce ever. It has a sweet and spicy taste to it that is wonderful. But you have to like both of the separate flavors to it. It is not too spicy -- our big kids and little kids like it. I have used it on hamburgers and steaks, before they go on the grill or after or both, letting the flavors get grilled in. I have used it on chicken -- both as a marinade (watered down) and while grilling or baking. This sauce is also good on pork chops and ribs.The flavor is very strong though so I would recommend trying a small bottle if you can find one in your grocery store before you make a 120-ounce commitment. Some people have really disliked the flavor so I don't cook for them anymore. (If I go to the trouble to cook, the best idea is for people to eat.)My nephew used to ship these to me from Denver. He was so cute when he wrapped each bottle in tons of paper and then put bubble wrap around them. He is a true barbeque fan(atic) and he didn't want a single bottle broken. I can get these locally now, but it's still a distance for me so I am happy that I will be able to order the bottles from Amazon! -All you need is a regular bottle of spring water or whatever you want to use, in goes the powder and voila, instant iced tea drink (well, instant in that you have to shake it first). The flavor (mango pineapple in this case) is very tasty and refreshing. Powdered drink mixes in this form aren't exactly a new found invention but if it tastes as good as this does, I have no problems recommending it to anyone. It's perfect for storing in your desk at work, taking it on the go or in just about any manner you can think of. -I'd never seen or heard of caffeinated water until this product popped up on Vine a few weeks ago. I sat there staring at the screen, wondering who the heck even thought up such a thing."Water's ok...but it needs something. Something to make it...BETTER. I know! Caffeine!"I reluctantly ordered a bottle, and I'm trying it out right now as I type this up. For some reason, even knowing that it was just regular water with caffeine in it, I kept expecting it to taste like Sprite or something. But the truth is, it tastes just like any regular bottled water. No aftertaste either! Each bottle has 90mg of caffeine, and the whole bottle is one serving. There aren't any vitamins pumped into it or anything to make this an energy drink. That's a good thing.The cons are that the price is a bit high for this in two ways. One- you can save a bit just by getting regular bottled water and caffeine tablets. Two- only twelve per pack at this price? Yeesh.This water is a nice little pick me up, but not something I plan on buying. -When I get bored with ice tea and coffee, I will usually opt for a fruit flavored powdered mix packet that I add to ice water. Vitamin Squeeze Energy Drink Fruit Punch isn't overly sweet & is similar in flavor to the powdered drinks, but also contains added vitamins, minerals & caffeine. However, I have a hard time getting the correct amount without measuring it. The serving/squeeze equals one tbsp or 3 tsp for 8oz of water.Each serving of Vitamin Squeeze Energy Drink provides vitamins C, B3, B5, B6, B12, Chromium, Zinc, Taurine, Electrolytes & 40 mg of caffeine. I felt a slight energy boost when I drank a couple servings during my midday slump.For best quality refrigerate & use within 30 days after opening. Shake well before each use. -I love dark chocolate, so I was excited to try this Newman's Own Dark Chocolate bar. First, I was impressed that the bar, which is smaller than other specialty chocolate bars but still a generous six squares, is just a single serving size. At 330 calories, 22 grams of fat, and 28 grams of sugar, it is still an indulgent treat, but if you choose to share the bar (as I did), you can satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling too guilty about it.I definitely enjoyed the taste of this bar as well; I found the chocolate to be rich and smooth. At 54% cocoa, it is definitely not as dark as many other dark chocolate offerings out there--in fact, I found the taste to be a bit sweeter, more reminiscent of semi-sweet chocolate than true dark chocolate. Although this was fine by me, some dark chocolate lovers may be disappointed. So, unless you need your dark chocolate to be of the extra-dark variety, I would definitely recommend this product. -I would have given this a five star but the price kept it down.I drink Lipton iced tea and this tea is great but I thought it was a little to expensive. -I have a confession. I really like the ready-made meals like hamburger helper. They are comfort food and easy to make when you are too busy to cook something from scratch. Usually the meals from a box are good, but not excellent. This meal was different. I thought this cheesy skillet with broccoli was so yummy, I went back for a second helping!It takes a few minutes to sauté the chicken bits to get them nice and brown, and we bought some extra broccoli to increase the veg content. And voila! A tasty meal that my entire family praised, including my finicky older father enjoyed. Even my health-conscious older sister commented the meal was very good, and she is usually a bit snobby about premade food.Cooking time can get a bit irksome if you are in a hurry. You do spend time browning chicken, stirring, and getting the meal ready. To cut back on that you could cut the chicken and bake it in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes, thus saving you the sautéing which sometimes I do not like to do. I really liked it and recommend it. -Okay, if all you are looking for is a GREAT tasting portion controlled snack and don't care about anything else then this is it! I also like that the ingredients are pretty good, brown sugar, corn syrup, cocoa, popcorn, oil, vanilla, whey, noting terrible and all pretty darn natural. BUT, we will not be buying these again which is why despite amazing taste and good ingredients I am only giving it 3 stars. First off, each box only has 5 pouches, so for a family of four one box is gone like in an instant. Next and foremost, we try to limit sugar per serving on our sweetened cereals and snacks to no more than 9 grams, each of these Snackwell pouches has 18 grams of sugar! We are used to eating Angie's Caramel Corn which for a whopping 2.5 cups serving size has only 9 grams of sugar and 150 calories. If Snackwell really wanted people to 'snack well' they'd take Angie's caramel corn and drizzle fudge on that and put it into their little pouches to reduce the sugar per serving. -These are the little cups that you use for the tea machines. If you haven't seen one, I have encountered quite a few in use at local doctor's offices where they offer various types of tea drinks, sort of a high-end treat for the patients. I got one of the machines at The Goodwill Store for a few bucks, (lots of them there! I think people get these machines but they get tired of fooling with them pretty quickly. I really like the one I got.)Anyway, the tea itself is excellent and it provides the great flavor that we have come to expect from Lipton. The product is easy to use and I have found it very convenient.Highly recommended. -I obtained a sample and when I opened the package the aroma was not inviting at all. Well, I brewed it up anyway on a regular Cuisinart coffee maker and used the sample bag with enough water for 2-3 cups to make a stronger cup of coffee. Nevertheless, it tasted weak to me and didn't smell any better after brewing it. It was drinkable and ok, just not very satisfying to me as it didn't have a richness or depth or good aroma to it. Admittedly, I am not a big French Roast fan as it tends to taste bitter to me and acidic. This one may be better than other French Roast because while I thought it tasted weak and bitter it presumably is lower acid. If you need a low acid coffee, then this is okay, but if not you may not find this satisfying, especially if you like dark, full flavored strong coffee. -If you are looking for a water flavoring product, there's been a lot of powders out there to choose from. Somewhat recently, there's been a new trend of liquid additives that you can put into your water to make it less boring. The obvious advantage of a liquid additive is that you don't have the mess and hassle of powder spilling everywhere. It's quick, convenient, and easy.Now, what sets this Vitamin Squeeze Energy Drink apart from competitors such as the MIO things? Well, mostly price. I noticed that this is a much larger item, and per ounce, is a much better value. As for taste, I've had tastier water flavorings. In fact, if you can believe this, the tastiest thing I've tried is an off-brand MIO knock-off (I believe the brand was Fit & Active). The taste of this Vitamin Squeeze flavoring is sort of bland (but also calorie free, so that's nice), and then if you increase the amount used, just gets too strong. There's just never a point where I felt like it was just right, even though I experimented with how many squeezes to use. That being said, the taste is tolerable and not too bad.All in all, I wouldn't buy this drink flavoring just for it's taste alone (although you may want it for the vitamins in it). I would, however, recommend it just for being the best value that I've seen so far for a product of its type. If you need a liquid water flavoring at the best price possible (as of this review writing), this is the product to go with for sure. -I took this to work and shared it. The comments I got were:bland; I wouldn't buy this; the texture is different than "Twizzlers". Nobody raved.I thought the flavor was mild but pleasant. The aroma is good. I might buy this if it was on sale AND I had a coupon for it; Newman's Own stuff tends to be a bit pricy for me. -While this coffee is lower acid than a normal French roast, the flavor isn't quite as deep and rich as you'd expect from a French roast. French roast is typically my favorite type of roast. The aroma is nice after brewing, but smelling this coffee right out of the pack it smells plastic-like. Also, I found that this coffee had a quite strong bitter taste.Though, I did notice that this coffee did seem to be easier on my stomach. I'm sure this might work well for someone who loves coffee, but, has a sensitive stomach.Overall, a basic French roast nothing too spectacular. Might be good for someone who wants a low acid coffee who is willing to sacrifice the typical French roast depth of flavor. Though in my opinion this coffee is way overpriced as the flavor is lacking and it still manages to be bitter. -I didn't have particularly high hopes for this product-- I figured it would be the usual chewy dried apple type of thing. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized how crunchy and flavorful these actually are. They remind me of the dried fruits you get from the health food store that come in the plastic pint and quart containers called "JustFruit" or something like that. Anyhow, these are just as good, they are just clustered into a little ball.Something about eating dried fruit that is crunchy, as opposed to chewy, makes me feel like I am eating junk food. These kind of taste like apple potato chips. I didn't notice too much cinnamon flavor, and the flavor tasted natural, as opposed to chemically sweet.Overall I think these are an excellent snack and tastier than any other I've had outside of the JustFruit brand. -I usually find bottled teas to either have very little flavor or leave a bad aftertaste.The Chantea Aloe Vera Green - Passion Fruit was both delicious and left no after taste.Warning on your first drink - there is pulp of the passion fruit in the tea, and it took me by surprise in my first mouthful.I enjoyed it so much, I will be purchasing more. -I was quite excited to try Lipton's new Tea & Honey To Go packets. While I was a bit skeptical of the five calories proposed for each 8-ounce serving, seeing as how honey is a fairly high caloric sweetener, I figured I'd give it a go anyway. So after receiving the tea, I mixed it up per the instructions and took a sip. Yowzas! The tea was super sweet with a bit of strawberry flavor and no tea that I could taste. I ended up watering the tea down enough that one packet, which is usually two servings, ends up as four or five 8-oz. servings. The berry flavor became very diluted while there was still that taste of icky sweetness. Overall the berry flavors and tea are weak, even undiluted, and I noticed no honey flavor what-so-ever, so took a look-see at the ingredients where I spotted sucralose (an artificial sweetener) thrown right in the middle of things. Now that is where the sweetness is and don't take kindly to that addition, as I avoid artificial sweeteners whenever possible. Seeing as how Lipton is sneakily claiming this is sweetened with honey (And look! NO aspartame!), with no mention that in actuality the sweeteners are honey granules, which are made from both honey and sugar, and sucralose except by viewing the ingredients list, makes me angry because I've been swindled. Yeah, this is natural all right. I'm definitely not going to trust Lipton's marketing from now on and urge them to think about switching to a natural sweetener such as stevia. So if you like your food natural, best to skip this, but if you're not so picky and don't mind artificial sweeteners in your food, then give it a go if you're interested. I'll not be trying any other flavors of this product. -Not what I would call a cold season tea, Blackberry Vanilla Caffeine Free Herbal Tea from Lipton has a very interesting fruity flavor, more reminiscent of a spring day than the upcoming fall season.The tea has a strong tart side so I would recommend reducing the brew time from the recommended 4 to 6 minutes. Do not be put off by the deep red color, it makes you think raspberry but that is not the flavor that you will taste.For a change, I brewed four pyramid bags in three cups of water and after it cooled, poured it over a glass of ice. This is my preferred method of drinking it. I do not like sugar in my tea, but decided to give it a little whirl. Something happened with this mix, because I came away with an artificial aftertaste. If you prefer more of a black tea taste in you iced tea, add an extra Lipton orange pekoe bag. A perfect combination.Overall, a good product for warm weather drinking, excellent iced and the tart flavor hits the right spot. -I originally purchase this product to use in my hair as a moisturizer (mixed with water) during my transition of going natural and it works great. It made my hair very soft and easier to manage. Afterwards I mixed in with my body lotion, and I must say my skin has never felt softer. I purchase the 32 ounce jar for my daughter and now she's hooked. She uses on her and her children's hair and she loves it. THIS PRODUCT IS GREAT! -Tea isn't a beverage for me, it's an event, starting from boiling the water to when the last drop vanishes down my esophagus. Therefore I usually buy loose leaf as it is less processed, I can see and smell what I'm buying and I can better control the strength of my tea. I first tried this when I obtained a few complimentary bags.On the matter of taste, I find it very good. The Bigelow EG appeared to be very strong in color and taste.Tea bag teas are usually cut very fine so the bags can be packed flat, and because finely cut leaves have more surface area than big leaves, you don't need to steep the tea as long. In fact the instructions say to steep only 1-2 minutes as opposed to the usual 3-4 mins.To me, Earl Grey taste has two components, the tea taste and the bergamot taste, and it takes a lot of skill to blend and make a tea that has a pleasing combination of the two tastes.For example, I've found that Taylors and Harrogate has a mild tea and bergamot taste, Whole Foods loose leaf has a strong bergamot taste, etc. Your run of the mill EG usually has a strong tea taste that overshadows the bergamot and you don't taste it at all. Bigelow has a very strong tea taste, but it doesn't overwhelm the bergamot, which you taste at the end. So I like it very much because I've never had a strong tea that didn't overwhelm the bergamot. And it's definitely not a mild tea, it's very robust and strong. It's not a light handshake, it's a full body hug and kisses on both cheeks when you drink this.In conclusion, if you want a very strongly flavored Earl Grey with a strong tea taste, but also a strong hint of bergamot, this is it. Update: Since I wrote this review, which is 5 years ago, I've often bought this brand and it tastes as good as ever. -This 6-pack is another great deal from Amazon, especially when purchased on a subscription basis.Bigelow's decaf green tea is smooth and not bitter. I've found green teas can be easily "burned" if you boil your water before steeping, so be sure to stop heating your water before the boiling point (I just use a Chantal ceramic teapot & heat a cup of water in it in the microwave for just 2 minutes, then steep in a cup--perfect. I like to sweeten it with a package of Sweet Leaf Stevia==healthy antioxidant heaven & no caffeine!).Also, don't steep any green tea too long--about 3 to 3-1/2 minutes is just right for green tea--otherwise, it WILL be bitter, regardless of brand.I love the fact that these tea bags are individually packaged in foil-lined packs; tea stays fresh and delicious until you're ready to enjoy a cup. Good quality decaf green tea is really hard to find in my local area; thanks again Amazon! -Well, first off I should say that I'm not new to tea. I'm not sure I'd describe myself as a "tea connoisseur" but I'm pretty experienced with tea. I've tried just about every type of tea out there (white, black, green, herbal, even puerh tea!), and I regularly make my own custom blends using loose leaf herbs and spices. I'm a pretty big fan of tea, so I naturally jumped at the chance to get some nice chai tea. I already have my own homemade chai recipes that involve simmering loose spices and adding in milk and sugar, and it's great, but I've always wanted to try some plain chai without the milk.So I got the Higgins and Burk Chai in the mail and decided to brew myself a cup to try out. I steeped it a full 10 minutes because I steep all my tea for 10 minutes (I suspect a lot of people would find this too strong for their tastes, but that's how I like it). My first impressions of this tea is that it's pretty weak for a chai style tea. I felt like the strongest taste was the cloves, and it really could've used stronger notes of ginger and cinnamon. Not to mention, the black tea portion of it tastes a bit not-so-good to me. It's difficult to describe, but I'll explain it as best as I can. I once bought a huge box of cheap crappy pekoe black tea and it tasted terrible. It was just lacking in good flavor and only tasted of bitter tannins and blandness and nothing else. This tea is not nearly as bad as that one was, but the black tea portion of it seems to have a bit of that taste to it. I had my own Assam tea (before I used it all and ran out) and it seemed to taste much better than this - even plain with nothing else in it! Of course, it could've been because of the source of my teas/spices (I get everything from the mountainroseherbs website); maybe the tea is better from there. Anyway, the other spices in the tea hide it well enough so it's not a big deal. I did decide to make my own homemade blend to see how it would turn out using the same ingredients (I used 2 parts black tea, 1/2 part cinnamon, 1/8 part cloves, 1/8 part cardamom, and 1/2 part ginger). Then I did a side by side taste test using the exact same amount of sweetener. The Higgins and Burke version is not terrible or anything, but I still think my version won by a small margin.Anyway, if you're a casual tea drinker, this tea will probably be fine for your tastes, and far more convenient than making your own loose-leaf blends. In addition, if you are the sort who prefers a less spicy chai then this tea would be great! In the course of further usage, I also discovered that the Higgins and Burke tastes better as an iced tea. Go figure! Well, my overall opinion of the Higgins and Burke Black Chai is that it is a decent choice for anyone who wants a mild pleasant chai in a convenient tea-bag option, but I think I'm going to personally stick to my own homemade formula because I love making loose leaf tea blends! -This tea is perfect as an iced tea (3 bags for 2 quarts) or for a nice cup of hot peppermint tea to settle the tummy or clear your nose/throat. I love the flavor of it as an iced tea, and that it is purely herbal and caffeine free. Even though I let the tea bags steep for 20 minutes for my iced tea, they didn't disintegrate or break open. They held up perfectly, even when I squeezed the last drops of tea out. I'm looking forward to enjoying it over and over again. -By itself, this tea is very strong and bitter (almost soapy). However, with a little doctoring to include cream and sugar, this is not so bad. I think I would have rated it higher if it tasted better by itself, but it did not. I don't think I would get this type of tea again. -This Higgins & Burke tea is pretty tasty. The Lemon Balm, Lemon Grass, and Verbena work well with the green tea, taking away the 'dry' aspects of green tea and making it a bit more 'green leafy' and lemony.I liked it as-is. Then again, I generally don't add anything to any green tea. Not sweetener nor milk.I think you're more likely to like this Green Tea mix if you don't set your tastebuds for straight green tea as the overall flavor is radically different. But if you are looking for something really pleasant to have after dinner, or along with a snack, this might be the thing.Pam T~ -Normally I prefer plain chips, even though I don't eat them often. The chili lime is pretty good, great with some guacamole. These chips are very crisp, with a strong potato flavor, but also have a slightly burnt taste. -What can I say, these cookies are yummy! My husband and I loved them. I'm not sure how to describe them: He thinks they're similar to Girl Scout's thin mints but I think they're more like large, crunchy junior mints.They're not healthy for you. Serving size is three cookies and you get 25% of your daily saturated fat. But then, cookies very rarely are healthy right? Indulge! -I am a tea drinker and love to try new varieties of tea. The Blackberry Vanilla from Lipton is a lovely, naturally decaf tea. I love the Pyramid tea bags and do think they make a difference when brewing herbal teas. Herbal tea (which actually contains no tea at all) generally has larger pieces of the ingredients than traditional black or green teas. The pyramid shape of the tea bag allows those pieces more room to spread through the water so the infusion of flavor is stronger.The Blackberry Vanilla tea is a beautiful purple color which is actually from the hibiscus not the blackberry (although I'm sure the blackberry does contribute some of the color). Despite the name the hibiscus is also the dominate flavor which is true of most herbal infusions. The blackberry and vanilla flavors are undercurrents and I wish these flavors had been a bit more prominent.Overall I enjoyed the Lipton Blackberry Vanilla tea and I'm sure it will be a variety that I will purchase in the future. -Loved it. Got the box yesterday and have already used 4 teabags... I use each teabag twice. Flavor is very mild, with only a hint of ginger and only a very slight caffeine buzz. I can't speak to its properties that are supposed to help with diet and digestion but from what I know, they should be mildly helpful. I guess that's the theme, mild... no bitterness. Remember, don't pour boiling water into your cup. Let it cool for a minute. Your tea will be better. -This tea is great. It smells great it taste amazing. It even turns the water a very pretty color. I like my tea with creamer and it goes well with a vanilla. The flavor is not too strong it it perfect for a warm drink. -Illy's coffee drink has exactly the right balance of sweetness and coffee flavor. Drinking it ice cold on a hot 90 degree day is refreshing.This is a beautiful coal black liquid. The espresso flavor comes through very nicely, good intense coffee flavor, with a hint of tartness. Sometimes I like syrup sweet drinks, but mostly I drink coffee black. I've tried iced coffee before, and generally don't like it. This drink, on the other hand, has just exactly the right hint of sugar sweetness (not sweetener or high fructose corn syrup sweetness). The drink has a good mouth feel, slightly thicker than water with a creamy finish. The aftertaste is surprisingly nice, a good coffee flavor.What I particularly like about this drink, it has an authentic espresso coffee flavor without being masked by heavy cream, milk, or sugar. Compared to any Starbucks drink, this is head and shoulders better. A wonderful cold beverage for the summer. -I loved the taste and the texture. The popcorn was fluffy, had just enough caramel and fudge, and was not too sweet. To submit a proper review, I consumed three 5.3 oz packages during one evening. I had to be sure; yes this is an item I will be buying. I also shared them with my family; same review. I highly recommend this snack item. -Vitamin Squeeze Energy drink is a concentrated fruit punch flavored water additive. The taste is very similar to Kool Aid. The Vitamin Squeeze is a nice change of pace and can really spruce-up tap water. Vitamin Squeeze is also very good at masking any chlorine-taste that tap water sometimes has.The only word of caution I have about this product is that a little bit goes a long way. It is fairly difficult to control portion size. The bottle claims that it contains 24 servings, but I found that a natural squeeze-serving gave me about 12-14 servings. It is very easy to squeeze too hard.That said, there are zero sugars, zero calories and a host of vitamins and minerals (especially vitamin C). With all the positive health benefits of vitamin C and none of the calories of juices, the Vitamin Squeeze is a good product. -I am not a big fan of the traditional Butterfinger bars, because I find the peanut butter entirely too crisp for my liking. However, I really like this product. I find that the chocolate is incredibly creamy, and the peanut butter center is not as crisp as a traditional Butterfinger bar, but creamier with just enough "Butterfinger crunch" to add interest.I like how they are packed. Unlike competing peanut butter cups, there are no paper wrappers around the candy. The candy is simply formed in the shape of a cup. I like this because it's less packaging and requires less effort to unwrap and consume.I consider this product a treat -- a candy product, after all. So I'm not going to belabor the nutritional value of the product. However, I am surprised that the entire package only clocks-in at 230 calories, which makes it ideal for an afternoon pick-me-up. I wouldn't eat these every day, of course, but a couple times a week wouldn't be too bad.These were a great surprise, and I recommend them if you enjoy peanut butter cups...or Butterfinger bars...or both. -The Fischer & Wieser Mango Ginger Habanero Sauce does add flavor and sweetness to food. I think it has a good balance of sweetness and doesn't overpower the food, but I love sweet sauces - that's just me. :)It is different, and I like to try new sauces, and I will purchase it again. -Like any food product, your opinion of the product will depend on your taste preferences and also your expectations. I think if the product were closer to my expectations I would have ranked it higher.The cookies are thin and crispy. It says that on the package, but I had expected something a bit different. There is simply not that much fruit in the cookies. I think the best way you could describe the fruit would be to call it very small chips or pieces of fruit. You get a hint of fruit but not enough to really satisfy any real desire for the fruit. I suspect the name "Newtons" and the fact that it has figs lead me to expect a taste somewhat like a Fig Newton. The cookies taste nothing like the soft, fig laden Newtons I am used to.The cookies are not that sweet. There is a strong taste of honey but they remind me more of an English Tea Biscuit than a cookie.The package has resealable clasps on the end which makes opening and resealing the package easy and it keeps the cookies fresh.There is nothing wrong with the taste. In fact they cookies taste very good. But if I want the taste of figs, I would prefer Fig Newtons.I cannot know your taste preference and I would suggest that my taste is probably different than yours. Therefore if you understand that the cookies are thin and crisp, not too sweet and with just the hint of figs, you will probably be pleased with them. If you are looking for a softer, sweet cookie with lots of figs, this will disappoint you. -My favorite tea isYogi Green Tea Mint Garden, which is just green tea and some mint. It's great. So, with an opportunity for a new, somewhat similar type of tea, I was excited that it sounded almost like a cross between Chai Tea and their own Mint Garden. And I wasn't disappointed.To me, this tastes like a cross between their Mint Garden tea andOregon Chai, Original. It's not sweetened by itself (OK, maybe a little with the Stevia leaf, but it's a very robust tea that has all the mint, plus all the spiciness of chai teas. Overall, the taste is excellent.The only downside I can think of is somewhat personal: I enjoy drinking tea at nighttime, and this contains a fairly hearty code of caffeine: just under a cup-of-coffee amount. So, this tea is perfect for everything, except nighttime drinking.Would recommend. -The beverage has a really delicious spiced smell. However, just a sip made my entire mouth feel stung. The sensation faded to a tingle and finally passed, but for me, this drink is too strong. The taste was fine, just not the sensation. A second sip was all to similar to the first and so I passed on the rest of the cup. -This tea is very good. It has a spicy & sweet taste without any sugar! I cannot believe that it is available online at such a great price, too! -When I opened the first pouch for the Ginger Pu'erh Tea Bags by Numi, the aroma was a bit off putting with an odor that seemed slightly bitter and earthy. However, when brewed, it was surprisingly sweet and soothing and one of the most delicious teas I have tried. Its purported health benefits (antioxidants, aid in digestion, energy with a lower amount of caffeine, etc.) are overshadowed by what is a great flavor. Often teas alleged to have health benefits taste terrible or have no real flavor. This one makes a great tea to have with meals. It is easy to see why Pu'erh tea was a favorite of Chinese emperors. -Pu'erh is an odd tea. The smell is very mild, in fact you'll need to purposely put your nose close to your cup in order to get a scent but when you do it's mildly unpleasant...a bit like rotting garbage unfortunately. The tea doesn't taste bad. I can't think what to equate the flavor with. I've heard others describe it as smoky so maybe that's apt. I might have used the word muddy or earthy especially when describing the aftertaste. There are no bright notes. It's very mild and smooth tasting both on its own and when honey and milk are added. I'm left with a neutral reaction. Perhaps this is one of those tastes that gradually appeal more with greater exposure? -These got a mixed review at my house. My hubby is not a chocolate fan and he thought these were quite good. I love chocolate and thought these were so-so. The candy is creamy and smooth with the caramel swirls blended in at the same consistancy as the chocolate so there's no problem with caramel sticking to your teeth. On the other hand, the chocolate is overly sweet, kind of waxy and doesn't have a very rich flavor. I might buy these on impulse if they were on sale but they aren't good enough to be considered worth the calories on most days. -I am a raw vegan with a heavy load of health issues, including Celiac Disease and food allergies. I but rarely eat commercially prepared snack/nutritional bars because typically they don't meet my dietary requirements. I much prefer the nutritional bars I prepare myself but being chronically ill and disabled, I don't always feel well enough to go through the effort. But living in hurricane country on the Gulf coast of Florida, I do like to have some kind of food bar on hand in my hurricane pantry along with my other emergency supplies.I was excited to findPure Bar Organic Chocolate Brownie, Raw Fruit & Nut Bar, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)and have not been disappointed in the least. First of all, PURE meets all my dietary requirements for food bars: it must be organic; it must be raw; it must be vegan; it must be gluten free; it must not contain GMOs, preservatives, soy, refined sugar or trans fat; it must taste good.These chocolate brownie bars are the best! I agree 100% with reviewer Tennyson E. Stead who stated so well that these are the "closest thing I've ever experienced to eating a brownie fresh from the oven in a packaged food." Really! A brownie doesn't get better than this! The Pure Bars are small but dense and quite satisfying although I could easily eat two at a time. They are moist, chewy, naturally sweet and have no added sodium. The chocolate is rich and not compromised by carob, the fruits are flavorful and sweet, the nuts fresh tasting. All the flavors are bright and nicely balanced without a trace of rancidity or moldiness, a problem I've experienced with other bars, particularly Larabar.The Pure Bar label is easy to read and contains all the nutritional information I like to see. I'm happy too that PURE Bar is certified organic and a supporter of the Celiac Disease Foundation.I am definitely going to stock up onPure Bar Organic Chocolate Brownie, Raw Fruit & Nut Bar, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)on a regular basis because I indulge in them often, not just during hurricane season! Amazon's Subscribe and Save Program is THE way to go too! I am also signed up forPure Bar Organic Wild Blueberry, Raw Fruit & Nut Bar, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)andPure Bar Organic Cherry Cashew, Raw Fruit & Nut Bar, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)which are also wonderful. But hands down,Pure Bar Organic Chocolate Brownie, Raw Fruit & Nut Bar, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)is my favorite and I love it best! -Numi Organic Pu-Erh Ginger Tea has a very mild ginger flavor, but the more you sip the tea, the more the flavor builds. It tried it first without sweetening, and the taste was not bitter. I then added a spoon of sugar, my normal way to drink hot tea, and the taste was very pleasant. However, with my second cup, I added honey and lemon juice, and then the tea became delightful and soothing. Very relaxing and comforting after a hard day at work. I drink coffee and tea every day, and I look forward to finding new varieties to enjoy. Numi Tea has an admirable mission statement: "Numi inspires well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea. Our company is rooted in the principle of creating a healthful product that nurtures people and honors the planet. With all of our company initiatives, we strive to foster a healthy, thriving global community while bringing you the purest, best-tasting organic tea." The tea is certified organic, claims many health benefits, the tea bags are biodegradable, and the boxes are made with recycled materials. The Ginger Tea is a pleasant cuppa, and I will definitely try other varieties of Numi Tea. -I have tried more than 6-7 lipton flavors and each one of them is good in its own way. Each of them have pure all natural ingredients.It is very relaxing and definitely worth trying. I typically alternate between different flavors. -This chocolate is only 54% cocoa solids. Given that many of the better bittersweet or dark chocolates have 65-80% cocoa solids, that gives a lot of room for other ingredients, which in this case is sugar. Although being organic, you get the high falutin sounding "evaporated cane juice", which is, of course, sugar. Although the chocolate flavor is good, this bar is on the sweet side. So if you are looking for something stronger or with a sharper edge, you should avoid this one. However, if you have a sweet tooth, and want a good fruity chocolate flavor, this chocolate would be to your liking. -I am very impressed that there isn't any type of sweetener or salt in this Baby Gourmet Organic baby food. It is surprisingly difficult to find baby food without salt and some type of sugar. The ingredients in this formula are: Organic pear, organic broccoli, organic spinach, ascorbic acid, organic lemon juice concentrate.The packaging lists it as 2 servings, but I think most babies can/will eat the entire package. This is not always the case, though, so the twist on/off lid makes it very convenient for storing in the refrigerator. The one thing I don't like is that it's difficult to see/feel if you've really gotten all of the food out of the pouch. The food is quite expensive, and I don't like the thought of not being able to get every little drop out of the packaging.All in all, this is a great food -- tastes great, has wonderful ingredients, doesn't have unnecessary additives, and is very convenient. -I love to have meal bars in my purse because they are great when I don't have time to stop and eat a snack (and might otherwise reach for fast food). However, many of them have long ingredient lists or leave something to be desired in flavor. These Pure bars address this completely. Much like the Lara bars they have a short list of minimally processed ingredients. If you're tried of bars with lots of additives or ingredients you cannot pronounce you will likely find this refreshing. The taste is also pretty decent. Granted, it's all a matter of personal preferences, but I find these okay to eat. It's not something I would excitedly eat over dessert, but i's definitely palatable and reminds me of a blueberry muffin. If you've tried the Lara bars I would say the flavor and consistency are very similar. That said, they are definitely not as tasty or texturally appealing as the bars that have more ingredients (i.e. Odwalla or Luna). Of course, it's all about making tradeoffs so if a long ingredient list doesn't bother you, you may prefer the other two brands. However, if you're looking for somehting with a short ingredient list that is raw, vegan, gluten-free, or certified organic this is a good choice.The bottom line is this. I personally think it's hard to make a bar with only a few ingredients that are all natural that tastes as good as the more processed bars, but overall this one does a pretty good job. -Flavor: It has a reasonably bold flavor, which I like (I find k-cups are often weak in flavor relative to what you'd get at a coffee shop for instance). And it doesn't have a much acidity or after taste - clean finish. I wouldn't call it complex or particularly interesting - just a good basic coffee.Packaging - regular box. Would have preferred a perforated top that can store in the cabinet without pulling it out to get the kcups. -As we've all seen, there are numerous energy drinks out there. Many of them are loaded with artificial chemicals. For those who are interested in something more natural, Nestle has released this drink and you should consider it.As far as the ingredients go, they are all natural (with the exception of added carbonation which isn't a big deal). The first ingredients are apple juice and lemon juice so that should tell you something. No artificial colors or flavors. If you like apple juice, this one tastes pretty good. It's not a strong apple flavor as there is no added sugar other than what occurs naturally in the apple juice.As far as energy? What can I say? It works. Charged me right up and I didn't crash afterwords which is nice. The cans are 90 calories each which is from the natural sugar in the apple juice. Of course, this means you shouldn't drink half a dozen of these in a day as those calories will rise pretty quickly. All in all, this is a great, natural energy drink that won't drain you after two hours. -When I have a choice of potato chips I always choose a thick cut kettle cooked chip like these ones. Locally we have a company that does this type like very well, but Kettle brand chips are always a close second favorite.The Sriracha flavor of this one is very close to the real thing, but a bit more mild. I didn't expect to be able to finish the bag with a real Sriracha heat, but I didn't have a problem with these.Overall the chips are tasty, they have very nice potato flavor and a great crunch! I like the bag size also as it satisfies my chip craving without eating too many. -It's very tasty but very high in calories. I use a little in my yogart instead of a bowl of cereal; because of the calories. The ingredients are healthy, lots of good stuff.The recommended serving size is only 1/3 cup and that's 130 calories before the milk. it has 3.5g of unsaturated fat, 5g fiber but only 6g of sugar; it's loaded with carbs 22g and only 20g of sodium. It's whole grains (oats, brown rice, buckwheat,amaranth, millet, quinoa) flax seed, cane juice, canola, molasses, cinnamon, sea salt with added vitamin E, chicory root,and it's glutten free -The color of the bar isn't appetizing; however, the taste is pleasant though a little too nutty for my preference. I have organic products in the past...and well...this definitely superior to those..this one actually tasted good....many of the others left a cardboard sensation with a nasty medicinal aftertaste. This one did not. No added sugar as far as I can tell. The kids didn't like it because it wasn't sweet enough...but isn't that the point of being organic...getting away from processed sugars and stuff. -First, I am not a HUGE cookie fan. I tend to like savory or salty snacks, or cake. But I do love chocolate and peppermint patties (York,or the former "After Eight" thin mints)/ These cookies were a pleasing surprise for me, because it combines both, while leaving the cookie moist and flavorful. Some cookies that include mint, are just a little too dry for me. Since there is actual peppermint filling, as opposed to just peppermint-flavored cookie, I liked these cookies very much. I gave these cookies a 4/5 due to the texture and flavor based on my tastes. If the chocolate was a tad sweeter I may have given them a 5. Overall, a fun, refreshing and different snack-give them a try! -Not what I would call a cold season tea, Blackberry Vanilla Caffeine Free Herbal Tea from Lipton has a very interesting fruity flavor, more reminiscent of a spring day than the upcoming fall season.The tea has a strong tart side so I would recommend reducing the brew time from the recommended 4 to 6 minutes. Do not be put off by the deep red color, it makes you think raspberry but that is not the flavor that you will taste.For a change, I brewed four pyramid bags in three cups of water and after it cooled, poured it over a glass of ice. This is my preferred method of drinking it. I do not like sugar in my tea, but decided to give it a little whirl. Something happened with this mix, because I came away with an artificial aftertaste. If you prefer more of a black tea taste in you iced tea, add an extra Lipton orange pekoe bag. A perfect combination.Overall, a good product for warm weather drinking, excellent iced and the tart flavor hits the right spot. -I have been drinking a lot of green tea, every day, for about 8 years, when I heard that it might help with allergies. I have terrible dst/pollen allergies which manifest as an itchy throat and uncontrollable cough, and have never found anything to control it. And green tea works.Lipton regular green tea is good, and with the blackberry and pomegranate flavors added, this is a super good-for-you and a super delicious drink. I drink it hot and cold. Try it with a little honey!!! -I just tried this Puroast Low Acid Coffee and from first impressions the coffee is very nice and the low acid nature helps with the sour-y aftertaste that I generally experience when drinking black coffee.I tried the coffee several different ways; black , with cream & sugar, and even with condensed milk. The coffee was made in aKeurig B-70 B70 Platinum Single-Cup Home Brewing Systemwith the my Solofill Cup, Refillable K-Cup For Keurig K-Cup Brewers, Red k-cup filter that allows me to use the coffee of my choice. In all instances I filled the my k-cup to the brim of the filler pod and gently tapped but not tamping the grounds. the water temperature is set to the max (which i believe is about 208 F) and made the largest serving available. This is how I usually drink my coffee in the morning whether in a my k-cup or using the disposable kcups so its the best for me to judge the difference.Even in the largest serving, the coffee is still plenty bold and has great aroma and body. I generally avoid drinking black coffee because of that acidic aftertaste that I don't particularly like. That is the reason that I generally use both cream and sugar. With this low acid blend, I can definitely drink this black if that's what I'm in the mood for. -The best thing about this mint-mocha coffee is that the flavor is more subtle than in a lot of flavored brews. I generally drink my coffee black and enjoy even the cheapest brands, so I'm not looking for added flavors to overwhelm the basic taste. This one is mild but still distinctive.On the other hand, at $2 a pod I'd never buy it for myself. We'll finish this sample and then not ever purchase it. -This version of the water flavor enhancer has too little flavor for too much money. My husband took half of the bottle to work with him to use during his breaks. He said he used the entire half bottle in one regular bottle of aquafina water. It gave it so little flavor it just made it undrinkable. I would buy other flavors of the MIO but not this one! -This is the first time I've used this brand. It appears to be the same as other brands I've tried (Trader Joe's and Harvest something?), and they all seemed about the same to me - I never had two side-by-side to do a taste or cooking test, but using them one after the other, I was unable to distinguish between them.I know the Trader Joe's brand was half the price of the first brand we tried, but I don't remember how their price compares to Viva Labs.My mother-in-law, who happened to be here when we opened the Viva Labs jar, said it was far more coconut flavored than the brands she has tried. For some things, I'd count that as a positive, but most recently, we made home-made Magic Shell, and the coconut flavor was a bit too strong for putting on flavored ice creams.But, in short, next time I go to buy a jar, I'll check this brand out and see how it compares price-wise with what I get locally.Note: I was given this jar by the manufacturer in exchange for a review (whether positive or negative). -I really liked these. The apple and cinnamon flavors are mild and natural-tasting, and the texture of the crackers is very good. They're not as crumbly as regular graham crackers -- perhaps because of the added oats. While I used this package just for snacking, I think I'll try making a cheesecake crust with my next package. I think it will add a delicious "kick" to the crust. -The tea has a nice spice flavor, medium dark reddish brown coloring, and light aroma. I did not find the tea to be as spicy as some other brands, but it was delicious none the less. -I got theses yesterday, tried a couple, and put them out on the counter. Everyone in the house has been grabbing one as they walk by. There are only three left.These cookies are light,crispy and flavorful. They're just sweet enough to satisfy without loading you up with sugar.These are a winner. I'm going to snag one of the last ones now while I have a chance. -I got into herbal teas a few years ago and went crazy, trying many different flavors. I eventually realized that there were two general classes of teas: those padded with hibiscus and rose hips, and those more pure (less flowery) in flavor. Lipton Blackberry Vanilla falls into the former category, with an immediate taste and fragrance of rose. If you drink herbal teas, you likely already know if this is a good or bad thing to you. Otherwise, the color is dark and beautiful, and the blackberry flavor is pronounced and good. The vanilla is appropriately subtle.Whether sweetened or straight, I found this tea very pleasant and soothing. If you don't mind eating a bouquet, it will likely please you too. -It is nearly impossible to get my teenager to drink water, so these Mio flavor enhancers are a lifesaver in our house! I personally prefer the peach tea one because it has a more natural flavor, and I think this one is a bit sharp on the throat if you use enough to get a good flavor (not really a burning sensation but you feel it, if that makes sense). My younger son doesn't like them at all because he feels they're either too weak and they bother his throat if he makes it strong enough. We now have five flavors in the house to give my teenager variety and to keep him drinking water. They are definitely worth a try, as each person will have individual tastes. -I'll confess I've never heard of the Pu'erh tree, and since I am an herbal tea, rather than a black tea drinker, I had some reservations about whether I would like this because I was afraid it would taste too much like black tea. I'm pleased to report it does not. It has a unique flavor that I really don't know how to describe. The box describes it as "earthy" and that's as good a description as any. The other flavor it is infused with is ginger. It was the addition of the ginger that prompted me to try this as I love the flavor of ginger, so I was disappointed to find that I can neither smell nor taste any ginger in this tea.What I like about it is that those are the only two ingredients: Pu'erh and Ginger, both organic. You can't get purer than that, and I like that there are no hidden ingredients I have to worry about. While the flavor is earthy, it is not strong, even when I leave the tea bag in to steep while drinking the tea. -I find it sometimes bemusing to write reviews on tea, this being my second or third review of various teas. However, that said, I am no expert conesour when it comes to tea so my review is completely from a layman's perspective. This tea is nice with a strong hint of fruitiness. It is not bitter and does not leave a filmy aftertaste in your mouth like some do. Overall, it is pleasant to drink and, given all the benefits of green tea, I highly recommend this as something a little different if you enjoy green tea. thanks. -Whew! These things... man, these things are delicious.If you like white chocolate, buy these. At the price (a quarter a pop) they're well worth it.The white chocolate shell on these is soft, sort of flexible. Inside is a white chocolate filling that is DELICIOUS. Several guests have tried these, and it's fun watching their eyes go wide when the flavor hits. These make for a decadent treat and look really classy left in a bowl for guests. Of all the individually wrapped bonbons or truffles I've had, I think these are my favorite. The white chocolate really is just so luxurious and delicious.FIVE STARS! -I'm a big chile head.I fancy myself as a connoisseur of hot chiles, an aficionado of hot stuff, if you will. Let's say it right off the bat, this sauce is not that hot. Considering that the chile ingredient is Habanero, which is a 10 on the hot temperature scale, I was quite surprised. I grow many different type of chiles, including Habaneros and use them for cooking, sauces etc. The Habanero is very difficult to work into a sauce. even a salsa because it is so hot and dominate. Not so with this sauce. There is just a taste of heat, mostly as an afterburner that hardly effects the overall taste.The fusion of exotic ingredients creates new flavors that work quite nicely. So if you think this might be too hot, fear not, it is just very tasty. It is an excellent grilling sauce. It works well with fish and chicken best but do not limit your choices. Anything that you want to perk up will benefit from this delicious sauce. I recently ran out of my favorite New Mexico chile honey for my breakfast toast(I told you I was a chile head)so after reading the ingredients of this sauce I decided to spread some on my toast. It was an outstanding flavor for the toast, with just a hint of heat. The first two listed ingredients are sugar and honey so you see it is actually rather sweet. Another use for this sauce I tried, that is a little unconventional too, but not for a chile head though, is to mix it in a soft cheese,like goat cheese. Try this spread over crackers for a real treat. Anyway, I thought I would just throw in a few suggestions that I tried this flavorful sauce on that you might try. I highly recommend this sauce to spice up your life! -I don't care if it is just juice concentrate, reconstituted with carbonated water instead of plain water -- the stuff tastes good! The carbonation makes it taste nice and light, instead of super-sweet or -strong like many juices. As a heartfelt devourer of all things cherry, I really liked this Switch black cherry drink.On the other hand, it was so tasty, so light, so refreshing, that I easily could have knocked down three or four of these SMALL 8.3 ounce cans. However, seeing as the primary ingredient is (reconstituted) APPLE juice (that's right, NOT cherry!) and the tiny can has 130 Calories of sugars (natural to the juice, I'm sure, but still) - it is probably a good thing the can is so small, or I'd have had 500 calories just like that! Even Coke only has about 100 calories per 8 ounces!Anyway, Switch tastes awesome. When I get more, I want to try it as a mixer with vodka. And I wish the flavor was a little bit more cherry and less apple/grape. -This aromatic tea is pure pleasure - spicy, fragrant and relaxing, while at the same time being an ideal first-tea-of-the-day wake-up. Its warming tones mellows out any irritations you might wake up to and the scent of the tea as it steeps is heavenly. The only drawback is the fact that it only has 16 bags in the box!! This could easily become a fixation tea for me, if I wanted to totally break away from all the other great teas in my collection. A truly wonderful addition to my tea pantry, and one I plan on keeping in stock. -I was pleasantly surprised by this drink. It really doesn't have any added sugar, and the flavor is very natural. The carbonation is light, so if you're looking for something with a lot of kick, this might not suit you. But I think it compliments the fruit flavor nicely.Two things took me aback: First, that the can was just a bit over 8oz, which is small for those of us used to normal-size carbonated beverage cans. And second, in spite of having no added sugar, it's really quite sweet. I found it almost too sweet for my taste.It's a nice change from soda, but given the amount you get for the price, I don't think it's a great deal. -OK, let me start out by saying that I love nuts and none more so than cashews. Whenever there is a bowl of them at a party, you will find me nearby happily munching away. And so when I saw that these cashews came “lightly roasted with natural sea salt and a hint of pepper,” let’s just say that I was intrigued.I got the canister of the nuts (I like the new packaging that Emerald has come up with), I cracked it open and poured out a handful for inspection. What I noticed right off the bat was that there wasn’t a hint of black pepper on these nuts, there was a shout! That’s right, at least with the nuts I got, there was more pepper on the nuts than salt.Never one to turn my back on cashews I started munching. As other reviewers have said, the taste of pepper was very strong, making eating them an entirely new experience. Depending on what you are drinking, these hot little nuts might really do it for you. But, when my entire family had gathered around it was found that I was the only one who found them to be edible. They are quite different and quite interesting, but they are definitely not for everyone.So, while my family gives them a firm thumbs down, I give them a guarded thumb’s up. Are they terrible, ruined cashews? I don’t think so...just know what you are getting. -I brewed the Gevalia Dark Chocolate Truffle coffee both in a Cuisinart automatic brew coffee maker and a french press. I followed the instructions on the package - 1 rounded tablespoon for each 6 ounce cup of coffee. I found the same taste results with both methods. I like a good cup of black coffee but am not fanatical about it. I do grind fresh bold or medium body beans each morning and use filtered water to prepare the pot.As someone who usually adds a little espresso or instant espresso powder to most chocolate recipes I know this flavor combination is a wonderful marriage. Depending on the percentage of espresso to chocolate, the result is either a deep mocha flavor with the coffee playing a major role, or a small addition will result in complex chocolate flavor with no obvious coffee component. Unfortunately, with the Gevalia Dark Chocolate Truffle coffee the merger of coffee and chocolate adversely affected both the coffee and the chocolate flavor.There is a definite aftertaste from the artificial flavor, and the coffee itself is bitter and acidic. I do not know if the artificial flavor affected the coffee or the coffee is bitter and acidic on its own but, after each sip I had an involuntary puckering reaction, not my lips, but the inside of my cheeks as if I was consuming something containing acetic acid, like vinegar, not that it tasted like vinegar - it didn't. The flavor was remarkably unpleasant, and when the cup cooled off, it tasted worse. Even the aroma while brewing smelled artificial.The other reviewers who mention how greatly improved the flavor became once cream was added is an indication of a consistent problem. I love the taste of coffee and like it unadorned - no cream or sugar. I only add cream if I am in a restaurant and the coffee doesn't taste good. I use the cream to doctor-it-up in hopes of salvaging some of the flavor and masking the poor aspects whether caused by bitterness or coffee that's been sitting in the pot too long. This coffee is no exception, the cream vastly improved the drinkability, but the action is akin to smearing butter on a day old roll. Underneath it is still a stale roll, and although the butter tastes delicious, it would not be accurate to call the combination a buttery delight.On the positive side, flavored coffees are usually light body and the Gevalia is definitely medium body. The packaging is quite attractive and the name is clever, but in the end may work against the product because Dark Chocolate Truffle evokes a clear taste profile for most people and the coffee doesn't live up to the name. I am rating the coffee three stars instead of less because if the purchaser always uses cream in their coffee, many of the taste issues I encountered should be if not resolved, at least mitigated. -I like the texture of these chips. They are lighter and crisper and less dense/hard than typical tortilla chips and therefore much kinder to the interior of my mouth. These chips remind me of Bugles, not in shape but in texture. To me the chili lime version is too spicy hot but my daughter and son in law don't agree. We all liked the ranch flavor, both straight from the bag and with hummus. The chips are good and I appreciate that they have less fat and fewer calories. But they are not so great that I would go out and buy more. -I'm trying my first bar of PURE Organic Cherry Cashew Raw Fruit and Nut Bar as I type this. The package contains all vital information including ingredients, and a list of all the positive things it has in it (rich in Omega 3's, etc.) as well as a list of what it does not have (like gluten, diary, soy, transfats, etc.). The bar itself is dark brown and fairly soft. As I bite into it, the texture is pleasing and right away I can see a few small bits of nuts and dates. The taste is pleasing, with tart cherries balancing the taste of dates. Fortuantely, there is no "sawdust" feel as I swallow, just a bit of grainyness that you might expect from a healthy raw fruit and nut bar. All in all, a very pleasant and tasty experience. -This back to nature cereal with summer berries was delicious but gone in 2 1/2 bowls. Maybe I have really bigbowls? It has an excellent flavor, much better than other cardboard varieties and the berries seemed real, notrubbery. Flakes soaked up milk quickly and weren't scratchy. Just right amount of sweetness unless you are addicted to sugar. Didn't have that dry musty taste of high fiber cereals. -Initial responses:Sight - looks like a green tea in color. Realize that there are solid chunks in the drink (I think it might be the aloe). I like the fact that all the ingredients are recognizable. I think the only thing that might be acting as a preservative is the citric acid.Smell - floral and citrus - smells really good.Feel - the chunks are noticeable in the mouth when drinking. Somewhat difficult to drink as the chunks either get stuck in my teeth and block the flow of tea (not joking) or get stuck on the outside of my mouth. Otherwise refreshing.Taste - The chunks are like little explosions of flavor. I am fairly certain that the chunks are aloe vera. The green tea taste is distinct but not overpowering. The passion fruit flavor gives this a very floral taste. Sweet to the taste. Leaves a lingering bitterness/tartness after drinking. Somewhat unpleasant.Overall impressions:This is a relatively low calorie (80) and somewhat refreshing drink. However, the amount of sugar within (and this is a considerable factor) and the related taste associations keep me from giving this more stars. This drink has 19g of sugar, the equivalent of about 1 1/3 tablespoon. It is the second ingredient listed. Granted, some of the sugars may come from the Aloe Vera (or even perhaps the passion fruit flavor?). But based on the Mayo Clinic's analysis of 2010 Dietary recommendations, by having this one drink you've already had over 1/9 of your daily recommended sugar for men, and over 1/6 for women. This is a little disconcerting, in my opinion. When you look at something (especially like tea, and aloe, and passion fruit) like this drink, you think of things that are generally healthy. There's just so much sugar in this that it becomes difficult for me to give this a more positive review.I think that the only redeeming aspect of this is that the calories are not ALL empty calories (like a soda) as you're assumedly getting antioxidants from the green tea - but why not just drink green tea in that case? -I loved these savory teas. Granted, I've not tried other brands, so I've no comparison. I thought each of the flavors was clear and strong--though I steeped mine quite longer than the recommended 10 minutes. At the recommended time, the flavor was just piquing. Letting them go about twice that brought them to a fullness I enjoyed.I take mine with just a pinch of salt, enough to enhance both the savory and sweet notes, and the flavors were delicious. I will definitely buy these again, and will keep my eye out for other combinations. -Very pleasant tea-drinking experience indeed from beginning to end.From the start, the tea bags are quite exotic and classy looking.The aroma of the tea as it steeps is "berry" mild, while the color is vibrant!The flavor of the tea is quite powerful even with very little sweetner added. My husband Patrick & I enjoyed the experience immensely.One caution, since the color is so vibrant, be careful of staining opportunities. -It is a perfect cup of tea to replace a soup. I drink it hot with a sandwich for lunch or dinner. It has all the savory flavors of the soup without heaviness and calories. -Numi Teas are the most wonderful teas I've tasted in a long time. I recently became acquainted with them at an event where they were the tea of choice on the dessert table. I used to love Tazo but Numi is my new favorite. First off, as soon as you open the box, the fragrance of the tea hits you. And cardamom has to be one of the most glorious fragrances on the planet. It's a sweet, gentle fragrance that affects my mood and makes me happy. It also tastes good (cardamom, in general, tastes amazing in everything - I wonder why we Americans don't use it more regularly). This tea also has a slightly spicy flavor but not as spicy as say a strong chai tea. I have tried this with a little milk but prefer it without in general.Pu-erh Tea is a tea that is fermented as opposed to oxidized. I believe traditional oolong black teas and green teas are oxidized. Oxidized teas do have a lot of health benefits but apparently, fermented tea also has numerous benefits without the punch of caffeine. Fermented tea is reportedly better for the digestive process than oxidized teas but I don't know what the science really is on that.Delicious, richness in a cup. Price is a bit high but it really is a lovely tea. Maybe as a treat. -This is a very good tasting granola. The almonds in the "banana nut" flavor are very hard, so if this is not a problem go for it and try it out! The cost is high for such a small amount of granola and it doesn't last long even buying it in bulk packages of pack of six in 12 ounce packs. It's all natural which is good, but for the cost I think it would be worth the time to buy the ingredients yourself to save some money. -Taste? Ok. The strawberry and banana flavors weren't bad, but there is an acidic bite to the drink as well. Tastes like Red Bull mixed up with Hawaiian Punch.Healthy? Naw. 20 grams of sugar. All natural ingredients . . . but I doubt it is any healthier than your average soda.Energy? Yep. Same caffeine as a cup of coffee.Overall: If you want to wake up in the morning without drinking coffee or Diet Coke, this could be your drink of choice. The flavor is not great, but its comparable with the other energy drinks out there and you will get your caffeine fix. -Compared to other teas, this has a light spicy flavor. I tried it after a large meal and it did help the food digest. It is a pleasant way to end a meal. No need to add sugar to this tea. It does not have the deeply bitter taste of most black teas. Will be buying this and other Puerh brands from now on. -I am an avid black tea drinker. And while I've had unflavored pu'eh tea, I've found that it tastes rather like dirt. It is very well suited, though, to be the base of a flavored tea. And that is why I wanted to give this a try.First, the good. The spicing is absolutely appropriate. I've had some 'chai' teas that are WAY over-flavored. This tea's spice is great. The cardonon is very flavorful without being overpowering.But I must say that I was expecting a more robust tea all around (pu'eh may taste like dirt on its own, but it is a pretty full-flavored tea). Even though the spice was decent, the pu'eh seemed very weak as a 'base' in this tea. So, the taste is spice and nothing behind it.I was also amazed that this tea is packaged as 'higher caffeine' because I wouldn't have known that from drinking the tea. IF there is more caffiene in here than in my customary Irish or Scottish Breakfast, I couldn't tell.So, there you have it; a 3 star tea. That may just say more about my personal taste for robust and strong teas, but if you have similar preferences, this tea may not be your cup ot tea. -I have been trying Viva Labs #1 Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil in several recipes the last two weeks. It has enhanced each one of them like no other coconut oil I have used in the past. The flavor explosion that came through when used in a spicy shrimp and spaghetti dish was wonderful. I used it to make a coconut and lemon rub for a baked chicken that seemed to come out with extra juice. Even the gravy made from the drippings had a hint of coconut to compliment it.In addition, I used a small amount in an oil warmer. It allowed the room to have a tropical smell for hours and made for a peaceful setting. Aside from the Young Living essential oil line, this seemed to have the longest and most pungent aromatic quality to it. As long as the price becomes reasonably close to other brands, Viva Labs has a winner on their hands! -I got a package of these to review for the Amazon Vine program. I'm not normally a big fan of these add to water drinks. But, this one is really good. It's not as much green tea as it is mango and pineapple. If you're a tea lover, you might not like this so much. It's very fruity. I like the fact that it's not all artificially sweetened even though it does contain an artificial sweetener. At least there is some honey in it. I would definitely buy these. I couldn't keep them away from my daughters and my wife. -Since I am a fan of flavored coffee, particularly coffee flavored with natural ingredients, I knew I had to try this coffee. As soon as I opened the package to brew a pot, my kitchen smelled of hints of vanilla (my four year old son even asked me if I was baking something). If anything, the aroma is most satisfying when drinking this coffee, but the taste isn't too strong. In sum, this coffee is good because of its aroma and delicious taste. I am certainly impressed with Starbucks' new vanilla addition, and I will most definitely continue purchasing this coffee. For a two pack purchase on Amazon, the price is quite reasonable. Bottom line: if you enjoy drinking a nice scented coffee, this one is a must-try! -This tea has a nice orange aroma to it. The flavor of this tea is somewhat subtle even though I let it steep for several minutes. The color remained pale. I like the pyramid shaped bags of this tea. Besides being cute, the pyramid shape is supposed to help the tea flavors infuse better.While this tea is not bad, as far as orange flavored teas go, I much prefer theBigelow Decaffeinated Constant Comment Tea. -I loved these savory teas. Granted, I've not tried other brands, so I've no comparison. I thought each of the flavors was clear and strong--though I steeped mine quite longer than the recommended 10 minutes. At the recommended time, the flavor was just piquing. Letting them go about twice that brought them to a fullness I enjoyed.I take mine with just a pinch of salt, enough to enhance both the savory and sweet notes, and the flavors were delicious. I will definitely buy these again, and will keep my eye out for other combinations. -Practically perfect like Mary herself! Boy these cookies are awesome - it's a good thing I got only one cookie cup - I can see eating these for ten days straight. Very fresh with just the right cookie to fudge ratio.Winner! So much so I gave them out at Halloween! -The larger percentage of the ingredients in these bars seems to be the fruit, but it is not extremely sweet. The texture reminds me of a thick fruit-roll up with some nuts and other ingredients pressed in to it. The flavor is just okay. I wouldn't buy them for their flavor but I would if I really needed a fast and healthy gluten-free snack handy. -If you enjoy flavored coffee and like dark chocolate this is the coffee for you. The chocolate flavor is super rich. In fact, for my taste I made the coffee a second time and stronger because at first the chocolate flavor seemed to diminsh any taste of coffee.Strong it makes a very nice espresso and we especially like it for after dinner coffee due to the sweetness.It's not my morning brew but later in the day delish! -These Peeled Snacks Organic Apple Clusters are a healthy choice if you want something sweet with a good crunch. My wife, two kids (6yo and 3yo) and I all enjoyed this snack. The clusters have a strong apple flavor and are pretty sweet. The flavor is almost exactly that of the Kirkland freeze-dried apple snacks I have purchased from Costco in the past. Organic apple juice is the second ingredient, so it looks like the manufacturer has naturally sweetened this snack. Some may find the sweetness too much, but my family enjoyed them. The clusters are very crunchy. Some may think they are too crunchy. I would purchase these and would like to try other flavors. -QUICK SUMMARY: This highly fudgey cookie is addictive and was gobbled up at a party in no time. However, the cookies themselves are relatively small (just slightly larger than a Thin Mint or Oreo in diameter), and I/we did note a chemical taste not unlike that found inChips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. You'll go through a package quickly both because of the deliciousness and that you really only get 15-18 relatively small cookies. More details follow...PACKAGING:(Note - I received this product through the Vine program and it is possible that packaging will change between the review version and final launch.)The outer wrap is a relatively standard Chips Ahoy pack. Opening it involves lifting a tab on the front, which reveals three rows of cookies. While the cookies in my package were intact, I was initially shocked by how much air is in the package. Nabisco clearly re-used the tray from other cookie products, and these cookies do not fill the space. As such, they're probably prone to bounce around and crumble if treated poorly in shipment. The package can be re-sealed by pressing the flap back down and running a finger along the edge to adhere. The cookies didn't last long enough for me to judge whether the package truly prevents the cookies from becoming stale. The seal seems a little looser than I'd like.VISUAL IMPRESSION:The cookies look kind of shabby, to be honest. They don't look like they'd be very chocolaty. Also, the smaller size is quite striking if you're used to the size of a standard Chips Ahoy. (This smaller size likely accounts for the large amount of airspace in the packaging.)FLAVOR:I was blown away by the taste of these. While there is a slight chemical taste, it is the same chemical taste found in any soft-style packaged cookie. The chemical taste is quickly replaced by an explosion of chocolate. One guest I shared these with noted that the cookie tasted a S'more minus the marshmallow. (Idea for Nabisco: S'more flavor!) I was initially concerned that the cookie would be too sweet, but the chocolate filling is kind of dark and semi-sweet which compliments the cookie perfectly. The cookies are also quite rich, and I found myself satisfied after a smaller quantity of cookies than normal.NUTRITION:Well, it's a cookie. You shouldn't be expecting a health food here. It's 150 calories per serving, and a serving is roughly 2 cookies. That seems fairly calorie-dense to me, but your perception may vary. Each serving has 21g of carbs, with 13g of those coming from sugar. There's no trans-fats, and the ingredients list sugar, not HFCS, as the main sweetening ingredient.QUANTITY/VALUE:At $4.32 a package, that's roughly 24-28 cents a cookie or around 50-56 cents a serving (2 cookies). While I didn't pay for this product directly, I have to say that I would not pay over $4 per package for these given the low quantity of cookies. I'd watch for a sale or lower price. -This is not the best herbal tea, but it is decent. When hot, it is a bit tart. It tastes a lot better as an iced tea. It also has a pretty red color when brewed. Though it is labeled as blackberry vanilla, I did not taste any vanilla flavor, nor is vanilla listed as an ingredient. You can get better tasting herbal teas elsewhere, but if you are just looking to grab something caffeine free at the supermarket, this is not too bad. It does contain rose hips as the second ingredient which makes a very healthy tea, high in vitamin C.I don't understand the appeal of using mesh bags for teas. They do not filter tea any better than biodegradable paper tea bags. It is also difficult to get them out and squeeze them with a spoon. -At last a really delicious bread mix that tastes like real bread. I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil and added 5 tablespoons of ground flaxseed. I don't have a bread machine and it was a bit tricky to mix with my old hand mixer but it rose beautifully and baked up perfectly. The smell of freshly baked bread was wonderful. We couldn't wait and cut the loaf before it was completely cool. No problem! The loaf was moist and tasted like real bread. Maybe the flaxseed and coconut oil helped. The bread was fresh for days right up until the last crumb was gobbled up. Sliced thinly, it makes great toast too. I'm not a fan of those bean flours and this bread was much better than the others I have tried. -Izze Sparkling Pomegranate is not too sweet, but it is just as refreshing and fun as sugary soft drinks. The cans are small and stylish, perfect for carrying in your purse or backpack. Kids like it, and the smaller size makes it a more sensible serving.The company is ecologically and socially responsible, too.What's more, this flavor is very nice with a touch of Cointreau for a sophisticated and festive cocktail.An excellent alternative to sodas. -If you think teas is just for when you are sick, you are saddenly mistakenIf you think decaf tea is "weak", I urge you to try again with the Twinnings Irish Breakfast decaf. This isn't a herbal tea that tastes like your neighbors' old grass clippings. This is real tea.This tea has a rich, strong flavor without bitterness. It has a more robust flavor than Twinning's English Breakfast, which is also quite good. This tea is quite good in the morning as a wake up for those of us who have to avoid caffeine. And of course it's great at night because it doesn't have caffeine to keep you up.I recommend everybody and anybody to try this tea. It is yummy. -I would have given this a five star but the price kept it down.I drink Lipton iced tea and this tea is great but I thought it was a little to expensive. -A little smiley sweet-tart candy on a note with a fun design. That's all these are, and I really like the idea. The paper is very similar to the quality of those Valentine's Day card packs for children. The candy is good, if nothing special, and is small enough to even please those on diets. I think most people would like to find one of these hidden in a lunchbag or desk drawer. I see complaints that they don't include a tape strip, but that would make it difficult to pop the candy out of the back. The question is how much these will cost when they go on sale. Given what they are, I don't think they should ask for much. It actually makes more sense to me to sell them in 30-packs for a low price, which would be more useful for teachers. -Savory Tea? As a person who drinks several cups of tea a day, the concept intrigued me. I can typically be found drinking English Black Teas (Earl Grey, Darjeeling, English Breakfast) and Chai. I've been enjoying Numi teas lately because they make an excellentNumi Organic Tea Golden Chai, Full Leaf Black Tea, 18-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 3)and they are one of the few mainstream purveyors ofNumi Organic Tea Emperor's Puerh, Full Leaf Black Tea, 16-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 2), an excellent aged Chinese tea. In fact, one of my favorite teas right now isNumi Organic Tea Chocolate Puerh, Full Leaf Black Tea, 16-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 2), a wonderful combination of aged Pu-Erh and Chocolate that Numi is marketing.That being said, this is a review for the Numi Savory Tea. Who would have thought to combine all of these vegetables with tea? Well, Numi decided to, and here is the result.First, I was surprised the Amazon listing didn't show the kosher symbol like most of the other Numi boxes. If this is a concern for you, rest assured that these are certified Kosher by Rabbi Reuven Flamer at Natural Food Certifiers, shown as the Apple-K (symbol is on the bottom of the box) They are also certified as USDA Organic, Non-GMO, Carbon Free, Certified "B" Corporation, and Halal. Unlike many other organic teas (like Celestial Seasonings), they still individually wrap the tea bags which preserves the flavor and keeps them fresh longer. The bags are stringless however.I would highly recommend you try a sampler pack before committing to a whole box. Numi has done an excellent job here, with 2 flavors each of 6 flavors in the sampler pack. The teas are not just vegetables but include decaffeinated tea as well (two are black, four are green).The black teas are "beet cabbage" and "tomato mint". Unless you are Dwight Schrute or you grew up on Borscht, you likely have the same feelings towards the smell of beets as me. It's good for an indicator of acid/base, but not much else. I brewed it and wasn't surprised I didn't like it. The Tomato Mint was quite a surprise and very interesting. I experimented a bit with it, and found that instead of adding Splenda or Honey, adding Salt greatly brought out the flavor. In fact, it was a bit like a dilute tomato soup, with a kick from the tea and mint. Maybe I should add some tea to my tomato soups in the future?The green teas are Carrot Curry, Broccoli Cilantro, Spinach Chive, and Fennel Spice. Of note is that the Broccoli Cilantro actually contains 90% of your daily requirement of calcium and Fennel Mint contains 50%. So these teas have benefits if you are trying to increase your calcium intake. The green teas were all pretty good, with each improving with the addition of a bit of salt. I know it sounds weird to add salt to tea, but trust me, it brings out the flavor.So why only 4 stars? I have to be honest - I didn't enjoy any of the teas enough to buy them again. Interesting idea but not my "cup of tea". But Numi is a class act and if you like this sort of savory tea, then they have done probably the best job possible of packaging and producing vegetable savory teas for a mass market. -I didn't think I would like this, and I didn't. Now I give it four stars to be fair. FOR a stevia product, I think it's better than most I've had. My husband enjoys the 'taste' of stevia and says this stuff is good. For anyone who hasn't had it, in my opinion, stevia has a sort of "nutrasweety" aftertaste. I don't care for it, but I know others do. If you don't mind stevia flavor, then I think you'll be happy with this. -This is a very smooth tea that blends in the cardamon flavor very well. I could not tell much of a demarcation between the flavors, which is a mark of good tea for me. While the flavors are blended well together, the overall flavor is fairly mild, even with a good amount of steeping. So while this is better than generic tea, it doesn't quite get to the same level as the flavored loose leaf tea from the local shop. -The taste of this bar is OK but not that great. I guess it is just a matter of preference. I have tasted other organic fruit and nut bars and they had a lot more flavor. The ingredients are good for you but with not nuch flavor. -I like hot drinks like coffee & tea, and I like the flavors of lemon and ginger.This drink has a pleasant aroma and a spicy/sweet flavor. The ginger flavor is very strong -- almost like eating a Ginger flavored Altoid. The ginger's spicy flavor lingers in the mouth for a while after each sip.This drink is great for cold days and I bet it'd be super soothing if you had a cold or a sore throat. I may pick some more of this up if I see it at the grocery store. -Are your children asking for soft drinks, but you don't want them to have all that added sugar? This is a wonderful alternative. It's 100% juice with no added sugar. The sugar comes just from the natural juice. The carbonation makes it taste just like a black cherry soda. Also the 8.3 ounce size is ideal for kids or adults who don't want to fill up too much on the typical 12 oz. can of soda. It's not exactly a health drink and you still want to limit your intake of natural sugars, but it gives you the great taste of a soft drink without artificial additives that you find in most soft drinks. Also, with this being real juice you do get some vitamins that you don't in regular soft drinks. The downside for calorie counters is that this 8.3 oz can has about the same calories as a 12 ounce can of soda. -Numi's cardamom Pu'erh tea has a nice spicy scent, but the smell doesn't carry over to the flavor, which isn't bad, but it is bland and lacking in taste. From what I've read, I believe Pu'erh tea is supposed to have health benefits, which is always a benefit.I tried this plain and with added lemon and honey, but just didn't enjoy the taste. -I am always looking for healthy, low calorie snacks, so when I heard about Popchips, I was intrigued. They are crunchy chips that are not fried, and not baked, but created using heat and pressure to make them pop into being. Since I love sweet potato chips in general, I thought I would give these a try.The first thing I noticed was the color. They looked a bit lighter in color to other sweet potato chips I have tried, and I think this is due to them not being fried. They really looked the same color as fresh, cooked sweet potatoes. I did not notice any particular smell, other than good old sweet potatoes. So far so good.In terms of taste, I thought they tasted great. The chips were nice and crispy, with only a hint of salt, so you really got to enjoy the naturally sweet flavor. I can really see that these will help satisfy cravings for something crunchy, something salty, something sweet, and especially something that is all three.The texture is definitely not that of a typical potato chip. They are lighter, crisper, and airy, not as dense as a rice cake, but not as greasy as a typical chip. All in all, I was really pleased with them. Someone looking for a healthy replacement, or enjoys other veggie chip type snacks would really like these, I think. For a die hard chip lover, these would might not satisfy you upon first taste, but give them a couple of chances; personally I loved them.With the snack size bag being 100 calories, I am pretty sold on these as a healthy snack alternative. This would be a great addition to a sandwich for lunch, or an in-between meal snack. I am happy to add Popchips to my snack rotation. -My kids really loved this cookie, perhaps because we don't buy many soft baked cookies. The cookies are moist and soft, with a layer of chocolate in the center. Since it was warm when they tried it, the chocolate (there's a lot of it) easily melted. My kids thought this cookie was great, lots of chocolate! I found them a bit grainy and lacking in texture, making them merely okay. Since I'm not used to soft baked cookies this might just be a personal preference. Overall, it's a cookie; of course it is good! Yet I wish it was just a bit better. Sill, if you enjoy chocolate you might enjoy this. -I love raspberry anything, and I already was thinking this would be good, not usually a good thing, as my expectations sometimes get the better of me, and then I am let down. Not so in this case. The woodsy taste of this sauce is just right. It isn't overly sweet, and has a nice blend of flavors. As I am a BBQ nut, I used it last week on a piece of venison I had in the freezer. I marinated it for two days and then grilled it up (just missing a very heavy snowstorm...though snow wouldn't stop me). I was pretty impressed with the way the venison came out. It really did a great job taking away any of the gamey taste, without having to use a better wine or brandy (what I used to use). The sweetness was a very nice addition, and well balanced. It was not overly acidic, and the meat was very tender. I have tried this on salmon, and again, I was very happy with the taste. I usually prefer a milder fish like Chillean sea bass, swordfish, tuna, or even fresh cod. This may end up being my new Ketchup (put it on anything and it tastes better). :-) The cost does seem a little high, but really, you get what you pay for, and here, you are paying for quality. I have also tried this as a salad dressing with pistachios and walnuts, feta cheese, spinach, pear slices and lettuce, and it was also great. If you are not allergic, try it, it's a great alternative for tradition mixes and flavorings! -Right out of the wrapper, this bar doesn't exactly appear appetizing. Taking a bite of it, though, I found it to be pretty good. This is definitely not a good snack for anyone with nut allergies, as it's studded with nuts. If you're not allergic, it may make for a nice snack, if you are not bothered by the following.First off, the primary flavor of this bar comes from the ground dates. While I could taste the blueberry in it, it was more something that would sneak up on me every few bites or so. Mostly, it tasted like I was eating a ground date bar. The nuts provide a nice crunchy contrast but, like the blueberries, I only encountered them every couple of bites. If you're a big fan of dates, you would likely really enjoy this bar. If you don't like dates, this is definitely not for you.The thing that really held me back from truly liking the bar, though, was the texture of it. I liked the crunch of the nuts, but the bar has a very grainy texture, which is also a result of its being mostly dates. With each bite I took, I liked the flavor and really wanted to like the bar, but I just couldn't get past the texture. I like the concept of it, but I think it would have tasted better if it had fewer dates and more grains, giving it more of a granola bar texture. -I received a free container of this product to try. To test it I waited until the weather turned cold & my skin began to feel dry. To test it, I used this product on left leg & arm, and Sebamed moisturizing lotion for sensitive skin on right arm & leg. I applied these products once a day - before bedtime, for 3days. At the end of this test both sides of my body felt equally moisturized.Pros of Viva Labs product- it will definitely last longer than a lotion moisturizer & lack of multiple ingredients reduces risk that your skin may react to it.Cons- it comes in a tub & it takes some patience to apply because the product is hard until the warmth of your fingers melts the top layer. It of course made my body smell like coconut, but in the morning the smell had declined enough that I don't think anyone standing near me would notice. Finally, I usually avoid any skin product that comes in a tub because each time you put your fingers in it you are transferring bacteria into it. I am not a chemist & don't know if harmful types of bacteria are likely to multiply in coconut oil.If you favor organic products or skin care products without a lot of chemicals, & if you are not allergic to coconut, this seems like a good option. And of course, if you have a partner or spouse at home, make sure she or he is okay with the smell of coconut! -So yummy and it's pretty too. There are little chunks of straight chocolate mixed in with the granola and berry bits, so you could pick the chocolate out if you are so inclined. (And I am!) The whole mix of flavors is nice and this stuff is very crunchy. You don't want to eat it in a movie theater - the folks next to you can hear the crunch. My Mother was delighted about the organic aspect, but I don't care one way or the other personally. I want a snack that tastes good and feels satisfying and the Love Crunch does that very nicely. The only complaint I have is when compared to average grocery store granola snacks, thie Love Crunch is VERY expensive. We'll probably buy this now and then as a treat, but it's just too pricey to be a staple in our pantry. -We're pretty rabid coffee and hot chocolate drinkers at my house. The Maxwell House International products aren't something we normally buy, but I figured this could be a really nice alternative to the coffee pods in hurry. Sadly, the Peppermint Mocha Latte experiences left us a bit wanting.First and foremost, the flavor of the Maxwell House Peppermint Mocha Latte isn't bad; however, at the recommended amount of powder to water (4 tsp per 8 oz of water) the flavor is really, really subtle. I would not recommmend using their recommended amount of powder unless you're looking for something more akin to a tea.When we upped the ratio of powder to water, the product was much better. The flavors of the peppermint weren't overpowering, and you still get the flavor of the latte coming through just fine.Overall, it's a middling product. It isn't bad at all, but I think there are better mixes out there if you're really looking for a nice flavor experience. -This is good coffee - not weak, and not overly strong, but the vanilla flavor is a little strong for my preference. On the plus side, there was no funny aftertaste like many vanilla flavored coffees have. Simply put, if you like a strong vanilla flavor, this is a good choice for you. If you prefer the actual coffee to be the focus, and the vanilla to be more of a background note, this is not the choice for you. -The light lemony taste is very refreshing. The cookies arrived fresh and in good shape. Well worth a try. I will certainly be buying more of these. -When my one review pack arrived, I thought I'd have a quick taste just to see how it compared with the Kashi GoLean Crunch that DH has been eating to replace the decidedly NOT heart-healthy snacks that his cardiologist says he can't eat anymore. Why not? I could just zip the bag back closed. Well, I tell you, I had to sit down right there and pour myself a bowl with milk. Wonderful. And now we have something that can be sprinkled over greek-style non-fat plain yogurt, which he IS supposed to be eating more of. The evaporated cane juice provides just the right hint of sweetness without being too much sugar, and the high level of fiber will certainly be a boon to healthy dieters. The flax seed is an added benefit for heart health.My 60-year-old teeth are sensitive and weaker now than they used to be, so I often have difficulty chewing some of the granolas. This Kind blend is chewy and substantial, but not so hard that it's risky for me to try to eat it out of hand. Softened with milk, it's no problem at all. I'm not on a gluten-free diet, but I have friends who are, and this product would be just fine for them. The mix of whole grains has an interesting texture and taste, and the whole blend tastes so good I'd warn you not to sit down with the whole bag in front of the TV. It WILL be gone before you know it.Cost is my only problem with this product, but not because it's not worth the money. Healthy food costs more than junk, as it should, and it's clear to me that Kind is very healthy indeed. We're on low fixed income, though, so this would have to be an occasional splurge item for us, used more as a condiment on aforementioned yogurt than as a complete meal. I can stretch $5 worth of beans or chicken a lot further than I could one of these 11 oz. bags. I might, though, try it mixed in with oatmeal.In short: It's good food. -The K cups just makes things easier and maybe even more acceptable to drink tea at the office. Gift it to the men in your life. Tea is so darn healthy for them. -I've had some pretty good pu'erh tea before, especially in Yunnan, China, which is the center of pu'erh. Good pu'erh tea is fermented then aged for several years and has a very complex flavor, and can command rather high prices. The pu'erh in these bags is obviously not of that caliber. While the brewed tea has a rich, dark color, it lacks the layers of flavors of a good pu'erh tea. The ginger is predomindant, but it's the flavor of dried ginger instead of fresh. The pu'erh flavor notes are limited to a little bit of earthy/woody, and lack the bit of natural sweetness and additional complexity that I've noted in good pu'erh before. Good pu'erh also allows itself to multiple steepings, but this tea lost most of the pu'erh notes and tasted merely of dried ginger when it was steeped a second time. There's nothing really offensive about this tea, but it's kind of boring. -Gevalia flavored coffees have been kind of hit & miss for me with all of them having a marvelous aroma but being little short on quality considering the price. Not so this new Dark Chocolate Truffle flavor. Attractively packaged in a dark purple and brown box suitable for gift-giving, this ground coffee brews up nicely in my drip maker and in my fancy French Press. It's a little bit bitter as a black coffee but once you add some steamed milk and just a touch of sugar, you wind up with a superb Cafe Au Lait suitable for after-dinner dessert coffee or just for a special weekend brunch. It fills the kitchen with its scent. I could see this making a great base for an alcoholic dessert coffee by adding some Kahlua & Cholcate curls atop the steamed milk. My leftover drip-brewed coffee made a nice Ice-blended the next day.I'm not sure I would but this regularly due to Gevalia's price but I would definitely keep some on hand during the Holiday Season! It has a nice, rich Chocolate flavor. Overall, this was quite the pleasant surprise. -I drink tea every day and I love green tea and all sorts of chinese tea and earl grey, etc. I like ginger tea as well, but this one is strong. I had stomachache after I drink 2 cups of it (with the same teabag). I'll have to try it again but I am a little scared to. -I like these better than the Chips Ahoy Chewy Gooey Megafudge cookies. There's still a slight aftetaste to these cookies, though. Yes, the cookies are soft, but they really aren't as "gooey" as the name implies. The packaging, with its resealeable flap, is a good idea. It will keep the cookies fresher longer. If you like Chips Ahoy cookies, you will likely enjoy these too. For me, they were just okay. -I enjoy this blend of herbal tea. Blackberry and vanilla make a good combination. I also like the fact that this tea is caffeine free. I can drink this any time day or night. Yes, the tea bags looka little bit different than other tea bags, but they steep just fine and the tea tastes great. -I'm not too sure about the product description of hints of having deep earthy flavors or having my mind invigorated as I'm not too much of a tea snob. I do, however, like this tea and thought it had a good taste with no aftertaste like some teas, and unlike other teas with a ginger predominance the ginger didn't overwhelm me or leave a bad aftertaste. A co-worker who is a tea snob said this one was very good and ordered a package for himself so that's a pretty good recommendation to me. -I've never tried pu'erh tea because I've heard that it has unique or pungent flavor that not everyone likes. Numi ginger flavored pu'erh surprised me! The flavor is very deep and earthy - very complex. I think it has a hint of smokey flavor that is almost wood-like. The ginger flavor compliments the earthy flavor of the tea and makes a very delicious combination. Unlike some other ginger teas I've tried, the ginger doesn't overpower the other flavors in this tea. I just finished a cup and I'm already craving another. I'm planning to try Numi's other varieties of pu'erh tea. This was a nice experience. -If you like ginger then you will love this drink. The aroma is amazing. I think if I had a cold I would feel better just smelling this stuff. It is very strong and I would make 2 cups from package rather than one. I would give it 4 stars if it weren't for the heartburn. -Okay, I got these cookies on Saturday and have already demolished half of the package. That is, what wasn't already demolished when the cookies arrived, thanks mostly to the United States Postal Service, with some help from Amazon packaging. (The cookies arrived in a huge box with air pillows that were supposed to shield the cookies but failed to keep the package from shifting all over the place while the box was in motion--and probably upside-down at times as well. I think only six or seven cookies survived intact, the rest were in variously sized crumbs.)Now, biting into one of these cookies, you won't immediately think, "Gee, I can't tell if these are homemade or store-bought!" You can definitely tell the difference. That said, the cookies have a purity of flavor that's usually lacking in most store-bought treats. They also have a distinct absence of any sort of metallic aftertaste or any other "off" flavor. Probably because there's no multisyllabic ingredients or preservatives which are usually responsible for such "off" flavors. These really are simply made, with ingredients any home baker would use to make chocolate chip cookies.The serving size is two cookies, giving you 140 calories and 7 grams of fat, 3 of that saturated fat. Personally, I haven't exactly been following the serving size suggestion as it was far too easy to pick up a piece and then another piece and then a crumb or two and say, "That must be only half a cookie, surely!" thanks to the demolished state in which the cookies arrived. However, no matter the size of the piece, the cookies have a pleasant crumbly texture, rather like a pecan sandie, but nothing too crispy or mouth-abrading. They've also got a nice buttery flavor, with yummy chocolate-y goodness sprinkled throughout.All-in-all, I am rather loving these cookies and have a feeling I will be turning to them for my next cookie fix. I'll also be looking into other Keebler products as a result. I've never really paid attention to Keebler, or any of the other major snack food producers, because of my aversion to the multitude of chemical ingredients crammed into the foods they produced. Now, though, that these big companies are wising up and cutting back on the "junk" they put in their junk food, I'll be more apt to occasionally buy a package whenever I'm jonesing for a snack food fix and don't feel up to baking it myself. -This is a very tasty and spicy beverage, which may not be your cup of tea, so to speak. The smell of ginger is strong when opening the pouch and the taste is rather strong and piquant. For many people not used to a strong ginger flavor, this may be off-putting and even unpleasant. If your idea of ginger stops at Canada Dry ginger ale, you will probably not like this product. I grew up with ginger in my foods, so I love this! The closest thing I can compare this to is IndonesianTing Ting Jehe Chewy Ginger Candy. This is basically a liquid version of the candy. Very sweet and spicy, it tickles the throat going down. I've juiced fresh ginger root (with other ingredients) and this tastes like the ginger-infused juice I've made. The pungency is not diminished during manufacturing.Served hot, it is perfect when you're sick. I often make ginger tea with honey when I'm under the weather, and this is a more convenient way of having a tasty hot beverage. Ginger and honey both have been used for thousands of years throughout the world for their health and medicinal benefits. The lemon flavor I couldn't detect however. -Okay, I got these cookies on Saturday and have already demolished half of the package. That is, what wasn't already demolished when the cookies arrived, thanks mostly to the United States Postal Service, with some help from Amazon packaging. (The cookies arrived in a huge box with air pillows that were supposed to shield the cookies but failed to keep the package from shifting all over the place while the box was in motion--and probably upside-down at times as well. I think only six or seven cookies survived intact, the rest were in variously sized crumbs.)Now, biting into one of these cookies, you won't immediately think, "Gee, I can't tell if these are homemade or store-bought!" You can definitely tell the difference. That said, the cookies have a purity of flavor that's usually lacking in most store-bought treats. They also have a distinct absence of any sort of metallic aftertaste or any other "off" flavor. Probably because there's no multisyllabic ingredients or preservatives which are usually responsible for such "off" flavors. These really are simply made, with ingredients any home baker would use to make chocolate chip cookies.The serving size is two cookies, giving you 140 calories and 7 grams of fat, 3 of that saturated fat. Personally, I haven't exactly been following the serving size suggestion as it was far too easy to pick up a piece and then another piece and then a crumb or two and say, "That must be only half a cookie, surely!" thanks to the demolished state in which the cookies arrived. However, no matter the size of the piece, the cookies have a pleasant crumbly texture, rather like a pecan sandie, but nothing too crispy or mouth-abrading. They've also got a nice buttery flavor, with yummy chocolate-y goodness sprinkled throughout.All-in-all, I am rather loving these cookies and have a feeling I will be turning to them for my next cookie fix. I'll also be looking into other Keebler products as a result. I've never really paid attention to Keebler, or any of the other major snack food producers, because of my aversion to the multitude of chemical ingredients crammed into the foods they produced. Now, though, that these big companies are wising up and cutting back on the "junk" they put in their junk food, I'll be more apt to occasionally buy a package whenever I'm jonesing for a snack food fix and don't feel up to baking it myself. -Back to Nature delivered a really healthy cereal (and for me, snack food for late nights that won't keep me awake). A nice mix of berries (dehydrated) and crunchy, crunchy cereal that has a slight sweetness but none of the prefab who-knows-what of supermarket cereal.I grew up enough to know what is good for me but still appreciate a fun cereal and this is one of them.I will admit to adding fresh apples, banana and blueberries (just buy em and freeze em and add a few now and then) to my morning cereal blends. Summer Berry Blend is good "as is" without tinkering with other cereals to add zest. Well done, Back to Nature! you hooked me! -I love raspberries and hot sauces, so my expectations were pretty high. But the first taste was better than I expected.The lightly sweet raspberry taste is front and center, with a hint of smoky flavor and a touch of gentle heat. The ingredient list is short and simple--the first three ingredients are sugar, red raspberries, and jalapeños. There are no preservatives and no corn syrup, so this simple sauce lacks the added funky flavors and aftertastes that many other sauces have.The flavor of this sauce is so uncomplicated and good that I want to try other Fischer & Wieser sauces. I've just subscribed to theirUltimate Sauce Gift Pack,a pack of six bottles including two bottles of Raspberry Chipotle. I'm not a big fan of blueberry (ok, I admit I'm planning on giving that one away,) but the other sauces look promising. especially the Asian Apricot Stir Fry & Dipping Sauce.To try this sauce, I seasoned boneless pork ribs with rosemary and put them on the grill. When they were done, I coated them with this sauce. There was no need to cook the sauce, I just let it get to room temperature so it wouldn't cool the hot food. The flavor was perfect with pork, but I can see that it will work well with chicken, and would be great on a salad, mixed with some rice wine vinegar or balsamic or cider vinegar.I've got to save what's left of this bottle, though, because friends will be visiting soon and I plan on drizzling this over cheese and crackers. The included recipes suggest cream cheese, but I'll try it on brie and cheddar, too.4/5/09 UPDATE: I smothered a huge wedge of brie with this sauce and brought it to a party. An hour later I wandered back into the room with the food, and I'd swear the platter had been licked clean. Other foods were still available, so I know it wasn't desperation that drove people to polish this off.My only regret is that I didn't get a photo of the person doing the licking. Oh well, better luck next weekend. -If you've never heard of cashew juice join the club. I like to try new things, but I really didn't think I would go crazy over this product. I loved it (so did my wife) and hope I can find a good source for getting more at a decent price. It is kind of hard to describe the taste, but it has a nice balance of sweet and tart. It is very refreshing and apparently very nutritious. -The taste is great. The price is great. I use an 18-count egg carton to store the pods, so they don't lose their flavor, as they do not have the plastic case you see in most pods. -This is the 3rd time I have purchased this product because I was very pleased with the taste and texture of the oatmeal. Just to make sure the price was good I shopped in 3 health food stores and the price was almost double. I keep it in the freezer and it keeps until I order again. If you like steel cut oats you will love this. -I've tried to write this review three times now, and every time I get a power blip or something happens to the browser and I lose it. One more time.I made this carefully, and it is not tasty. It has a big packet of spices that has a lot of whey, onion, and cheese and spices like black pepper are lower than an ingredient that is listed as "not more than 2%.I've eaten tasty mac and cheese, and I've even eaten decent hamburger helper, likeHamburger Helper, Cheesy Nacho, 7.9-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6). That stuff is cheaper and tastes better.This stuff is easy to make. You brown one pound of beef (I weighed it to be sure I was following directions) and then drain it (pouring out the tasty juices, I won't do that again), then add the misnamed seasoning packet and the pasta, along with two cups of water.Bring it to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook for 11-13 minutes.Then remove from the heat and mix in the velveeta packet.They suggest that you add lettuce? Or chopped tomatoes, so I added Ro-Tel to part of it - the other part I kept pristine so that I could taste it as made. I used hot Ro-Tel, and, other than the flavor of the Ro-Tel it was bland. I have to think that the pasta is sort of bland and the spicing in the packet is lacking. It could have some more onion flavor, or more than 0.5% garlic or something.The value in this is what I believe to be parboiled pasta that can be cooked in this fashion.The net weight of this stuff is 12.8 ounces - with a pound of beef, it makes 5 one cup servings. My wife guesses that it serves three adults, or six-eight toddlers (if you were making lunch for a day care, say).Now, this is my suggestion:Suppose you buy a piece of velveeta in the store, some cream, some beef, and a little garlic powder, some onion powder, and some pasta.Cook a quarter pound of pasta in one pan, boiling and draining normally, and then brown a pound or two of beef with a bunch of onion and garlic powder, to taste. In a third pan (or in the one you boiled the pasta in), grate or cube about a pound of Velveeta and heat it gently with a 2 tbsp of butter, stirring frequently until melted, then add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup cream a little at a time while stirring. Add a little white pepper and 1/8 tsp nutmeg, if you like it. Or use sour cream instead of whole cream, or put a little beef broth into the beef after it has browned.Now combine the cheese sauce, the pasta (use more or less to taste, the beef (please don't drain it unless you are on a low fat diet, and then do so carefully - if you have one of those old fat brushes, use that, try to save the juices). Then add a whole can of Ro-Tel, to your family's taste, hot, mild, lime-chili, whatever. Taste it - and if it is bland, fix it.Dust the top with paprika before serving it.This dish will taste good, and it won't take you much longer to make it than it would to start with this mix. And if it is bland, you have only yourself to blame. You can put more or less salt, pepper, herbs, and whatever - you don't need to use a mix to make a cheese/macaroni/beef dish. This stuff really isn't that hard.Now, there is nothing wrong with Velveeta. It melts nicely, it makes a great cheese sauce. It usually has some flavor. And there is nothing wrong with this stuff except that it is just tasteless, and almost anyone can do better. Seriously, YOU can do better than this bland product. If you like Velveeta, use it. If you don't like Velveeta, well, making it yourself allows you to make your cheese sauce from a different type of cheese. Mexican melting cheese is good. Heck, Sargento six cheese is great.If you don't want to do it yourself, save money and buy Hamburger Helper.I can't rate this less than 3 stars, far as I can tell, it is wholesome and it doesn't actively taste bad. It doesn't actively taste of much at all. So it gets three stars, and a suggestion that you can do so much better by doing it yourself that you should try.If I had some of this stuff I had to use, I'd:Add a half tsp of white pepper, a half tsp of paprika, garlic powder to taste and onion powder to taste. I might consider a knorr garlic cube. Or Chipotle. I would always add the Ro-Tel, this is the biggest fix you can make to this stuff. Paprika to dust the top before serving. And, well, beef broth instead of water - that "seasoning" is really, really bland. A dollop of sour cream when you put the cheese sauce in, and a tablespoon of butter.Because as shipped, it is horribly bland. -OILS: Rancid is a process of mother nature and has nothing to do with organic, conventional, GMO or the type of seed since rancid has to do with oil. It is not important if the oil or the tablet is even frozen at the time of production till you consume since any seed, and I mean any type of seed regardless of the brand will go rancid once ground and cracked open since the shell, the protection is removed which will allow air and moisture access the oil of the seed much quicker than when the seed is in a complete un-hulled form. The best example of rancidity is brown rice. Place some brown rice in freezer and you will notice in few months it will not even cook since the oils have gone rancid even if it was kept in a sealed container in the freezer regardless. Chia is the only seed that does not need to be ground in order for human body to digest and get the nutrients and can be stored for longer time than any other seed without going rancid. Sesame seed, flax seed, etc. are so dense that will pass through human body when not ground making it absolutely worthless since human body can not digest it in its natural form.FIBER: Fiber is essential for body since fiber absorbs the unwanted liquid in the gut and body has to defecate that blown up fiber which in return lowers cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, etc. and brings comfort and efficiency to human body unlike fat which stays in human body unless needed for energy. Flax is high in fiber.MINERALS: Flax is one of the kings of nutrients when it comes to minerals and so important to me as a whole delicious seed; highest ALA, high magnesium, high potassium, calcium with the healthiest fat.Accordingly for 100gr servings size of;SESAME__FLAX__CHIA__AMARANTH__QUINOA__HEMP__PISTACHIO__ALMOND__CASHEW__PEANUTCALORIES565__534__490__371__368__567__557__575__553__585SAT FAT34__18__16__7__4__17__27__19__39__34CALCIUM99__26__63__16__5__0__11__26__4__5MAGNESIUM89__98__0__62__49__167__30__67__73__44POTASSIUM14__23__5__15__16__167__29__20__19__19ZINC48__29__23__19__21__83__15__21__39__22FIBER47__109__151__8__11__4 __41__49__13__32PHYTOSTEROLS714__0__0__0__0__N/A__214__0__0__0FRESHNESS: Fresh means nutritious and delicious. I consume lots of seeds, beans, grains, vegetables, etc. and freshness is a priority regardless of the brand so I always purchase my food ingredients in small quantities from reputable sellers with high turnover. When fresh, food is nutritious and that goes for any food in any form, from frozen to canned. Fresh food is nutritious as well as delicious since nutrients give food its delicious taste. When old or rancid, nutrients are gone and any food item becomes an empty calories with no taste and absolutely worthless regardless of the brand or price, organic or conventional. For few years I consumed seeds in oil form since physicians advised me to do so not knowing that majority are not aware that seeds hardly offer any nutrients unless; seeds are fresh, not old which means rancid, not in oil form, not in supplement form, not hulled, ground and consumed within few days, kept in dark cold temperatures, away from light-sun-moisture since the oil in seeds and nuts go rancid regardless. That is why brown rice which has its nutrients will go rancid even if kept in freezer while white rice will last for years at room temperature since it hardly has any nutrients or oil. I ground in my coffee grinder sesame, flax, chia, amaranth, hemp then add cocoa, isolate protein, soy milk and consume it before my workouts on daily basis for its vitamins, minerals, protein and many nutrients, without much spike in my glucose. Un-hulled seeds are full of nutrients. I never consume hulled seeds which are empty calories, absolutely worthless since the nutrients have been removed.OMEGA-3: You will never see ALA on any fish you purchase. Infact you will never see ALA on any fish oil supplement either, you will only see EPA and DHA. ALA is not the same as EPA or DHA. That is true for any brand of flaxseed regardless if such flaxseed oil is in solid form, oil form in a bottle or in a capsule form. Greens, veges, nuts, seeds and fruits do not offer any Omega-3 in form of EPA/DHA since omega-3 EPA/DHA is an animal source. There are two major types of omega-3 fatty acids in our diets: One type is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is found in plants the other type, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is found in fatty fish. The body partially converts ALA to EPA and DHA. There is no proof what percent of ALA gets converted by human body to EPA or DHA. You can consume all ALAs that you want and depending to your genes it may never turn any into omega-3. Blood test is the only way to see the affects. I get omega 3 from sardines although flaxseed is an important part of my diet since flaxseed offers so many nutrients. Flaxseed offers more ALA than chia for $1.99 a pound not $15 a pound, 22.8gr vs. 17.8gr. -There isn't much more to say than what has already been said by other reviewers. It is firm but not hard, so you actually have something to chew on and the taste is amazing.My only complaint is the price. -Taste? Ok. The strawberry and banana flavors weren't bad, but there is an acidic bite to the drink as well. Tastes like Red Bull mixed up with Hawaiian Punch.Healthy? Naw. 20 grams of sugar. All natural ingredients . . . but I doubt it is any healthier than your average soda.Energy? Yep. Same caffeine as a cup of coffee.Overall: If you want to wake up in the morning without drinking coffee or Diet Coke, this could be your drink of choice. The flavor is not great, but its comparable with the other energy drinks out there and you will get your caffeine fix. -I have always been a fan of the No Fear energy drinks and this one is no different. The flavor is great and it doesn't have a nasty after taste like some of those other energy drinks. I will be picking up more of these very soon! -This is a nice tasting tea with really strange looking tea bags. It has a nice berry flavor and is less tart than some berry teas I have tasted. I do wish the box sealed better.The tea has a strong sweet berry flavor. I tend to stay away from some berry teas because the flavor can almost be tart tasting. Perhaps because of the vanilla the berry flavor is on the sweet side.The pyramid tea bags look strange. Aside from the shape the tea bags are made of a material that looks different from most tea bags. These tea bags are made of a mesh like substance. I looks like it allows the tea to flavor flow more easily out of the tea bag.I do wish the box would seal better once opened. The tea bas are not individually wrapped in any sort of covering. The box does not have any inner wrapping to use as a seal. Once opened the only way to seal the box is close the cover and there does not seem to be any mechanism to keep the cover closed. I use a piece of tape to keep the box closed.This is a nice tasting sweet berry tea with uniquely shaped tea bags with a box that needs a better seal. -I wasn't really sure what to expect from this tea. I enjoy ginger but it's one of those flavors that can easily be overdone and become overpowering - fortunately that was not the case here.This tea has a very earthy aroma with ginger undertones and what I recognized as a bit of almost a wine scent. I found the aroma to be very complex and pleasant.If you like a bold tea, the flavor here will not disappoint. This tea has a strong earthy taste with a touch of ginger bite. Again, I was concerned that the ginger would be too much but it's just right in this tea. I found the tea to have a lingering earthy aftertaste as well.Overall I'm impressed with this tea. I enjoy earl grey, English breakfast and Irish breakfast teas and found this tea to be on a similar plane as those. I've made this tea both plain and with cream and sugar and it is delicious both ways. The strong, bold flavor may not be for everyone but I personally really enjoy it. If you like the above breakfast blends and enjoy bold flavors I highly recommend this tea. -I really like the flavor of this tea. The green tea is not bitter (as many are) and I think the lemongrass helps with that. The price is pretty good as well. I've always been a fan of Good Earth products and this one holds up to the name. -At just 50 calories in a 6.8 ounce can, it seems almost impossible that the drink should be this good. At once slightly sweet with the bitter tinge of a good cup of coffee, illy issimo rivals the Starbucks' espresso shots for quality quick canned coffee drinks. Aftertaste is minimal is the drink has a good color and consistency (not too watery and not too syrupy). -This is my first time trying PURE fruit and nut bar. I don't know what I was expecting, maybe the taste of a regular trail mix bar. It's hard to describe what the PURE bar (blueberry flavor) tastes like, but it's not an unpleasant flavor. The fruity flavor is obvious, and the nuts do not overwhelm the tastebuds. I like that the bar is soft and chewy, and not too sweet. Also, it's made out of all natural and organic ingredients, with nothing processed. That to me is worth having a bar that doesn't have the conventional taste of other energy bars. The taste is not bad, but it's not delicious either. However, the bar is filling and doesn't make you feel guilty about eating it, because the ingredients are so healthy.I would recommend these bars as snacks, but they do have plenty of calories, so I wouldn't eat too many of them at once. But that's true of any kind of snack. -Numi Organic Pu-Erh Ginger Tea has a very mild ginger flavor, but the more you sip the tea, the more the flavor builds. It tried it first without sweetening, and the taste was not bitter. I then added a spoon of sugar, my normal way to drink hot tea, and the taste was very pleasant. However, with my second cup, I added honey and lemon juice, and then the tea became delightful and soothing. Very relaxing and comforting after a hard day at work. I drink coffee and tea every day, and I look forward to finding new varieties to enjoy. Numi Tea has an admirable mission statement: "Numi inspires well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea. Our company is rooted in the principle of creating a healthful product that nurtures people and honors the planet. With all of our company initiatives, we strive to foster a healthy, thriving global community while bringing you the purest, best-tasting organic tea." The tea is certified organic, claims many health benefits, the tea bags are biodegradable, and the boxes are made with recycled materials. The Ginger Tea is a pleasant cuppa, and I will definitely try other varieties of Numi Tea. -These cookies are soft and chewy just like you'd expect from Chips Ahoy, but they also contain gooey fudge inside. They are definitely yummy and not too chocolatey, but I will say I expected more "gooey" from them and really inside the fudge is thicker and not really gooey at all. Overall though they definitely satisfied my chocolate craving and I love that they were so soft. -Okay, I can't really speak to Essentia's claims regarding its 9.5pH balanced water. I just know that it's refreshing and tastes (if water has a taste) pure and satisfying. No off flavors or odors. I know that it has some additives to bring the pH to 9.5, but I can't detect them. One of these large 1.5 liter bottles lasts me all day.If Essentia's claims are accurate and it does help with things like maintaining normal blood pressure, restful sleep, heart health, muscle strength and boosting the antioxidant properties of your immune system, then so much the better. It does seem to hydrate well and absorb into my system faster than regular filtered or spring water. I also get occasional heartburn after certain meals and find that its more basic pH helps alleviate such symptoms without me having to take antacids.Essentia does cost a bit more so I will reserve getting it for when I find it on sale or can get a bulk discount. Aside from the price, I have to say it is my new favorite 'brand' of water. I like the taste and find it thirst quenching. Any added health benefits are a bonus.~ Kort -BACK TO NATURE'S CHOCOLATE DELIGHT GRANOLA tastes really good and has the perfect blend of crunchy and sweet that makes this a tasty snack, either as a cereal or right out of the bag.It's made from natural ingredients and doesn't contain artificial flavors, preservatives, hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup.But here's the rub... the BACK TO NATURE CHOCOLATE GRANOLA, like all granola, is high in fat. Some of it is the good fat, Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated, but it does contain 6g of total fat--2g of that Saturated Fat. It also packs 220 calories per 1/2 cup serving, which is about 2 1/2 handfuls, and it's very easy to keep eating it.Since opening the bag, I've probably eaten three servings already, because it's that good, but that can't be good for my waist!OK, I shouldn't be that harsh and deduct 1-star from BACK TO NATURE... for my own lack of will power, but many customers will see the words "nature" and "whole grain" and think "healthy treat." The small serving size of the granola is also deceptive because many will think "this is such a tiny amount that I'll just eat a little more" because it really does seem like you're eating a small amount, but then next thing you know you can't zip up your jeans.On the plus side, that means that the product is delicious but just be aware of serving size and portions. Otherwise, it's a good alternative to say a 180-calorie cookie that's full of high fructose corn syrup and sugar and no fiber. -I'll be the first to admit that neither my husband nor I are what you'd call health freaks. Yes, we like to eat healthy food, but we don't have a problem with eating some non-healthy foods either. And we can both be a bit skeptical when it comes to "organic", because we've had many different organic things that were disappointing, to say the least.This bar, however, wasn't horrible at all! It tasted quite a bit like a nutty blueberry muffin, which is always pleasant to taste! The texture was good - not too hard, not too soft. We've eaten some bars that were far too hard to eat and made you think you were going to break your tooth on them! This bar, however, was nice and moist (which my husband particularly enjoyed).And we were both in shock to find that there was absolutely no sodium in this bar - astounding!For a health food bar, we both consider it to be absolutely wonderful. The only reason we gave it 4 stars is because my husband wished that it would have had a bit more taste to it - he likes strong, bold flavors, and this was more of a muted, sweet flavor. I, however, thought that the flavor was perfect. The thing that we both agreed upon was that we would definitely eat more of these, and will be looking into other flavors for our children (they don't care for nuts) - they'd be a great snack for them, and for us as well! -The brine in the olive package has been different in succeeding orders which is very apparent after they have been opened and refrigerated. Whatever the oil is, it coagulates easily because of the cold. Too much oil for my taste Still like em and the price is decent.. -This is a nice snack, when you are craving something crunchy, but do not want all the fat and salt of potato chips. Nothing artificial. Delish! But what pissed me off, that the bag had 4 servings (which I did not see, till I was half way down)!!! I wish, the bags were smaller. Who has the will power to stop before the bag is empty?! -Ginger Pu'erh Tea Bags. The taste of this tea is peppery and earthy. I had to get used to the peppery and earthy taste, but it is worth it. I do love tea, and I love trying different types and flavors. This is indeed a type and flavor that I've never had before, and it is quite different.I did try it both hot and cold, just to be fair. I will tell you that I am not a hot tea drinker (it makes me feel like I'm drinking tobacco), but I do love cold tea. Needless to say, I did not like the tea hot (but what tea do I like hot?), but I loved it cold.However, if you are normally a hot tea drinker, you will, I'm sure, like this tea hot.I bet this tea would be nice around Christmas with peppermint sticks. (I would drink mine cold.)According to the box, Pu'erh is an anxient healing tea picked from 500 year-old organic wild tea trees in Yunnan, China. How cool is that?And check this out: the product is organic and kosher; the box is recycled & recyclable, biodegradable tea bags; the programs lower and offset carbon emissions, including a solar facility; organic tea cultivation protects the environment.But best of all: the product is fair trade, so that the people can be paid a fair salary so their families can be okay; the tea cultivation takes care of and protects the farmers and their families. Now that is the best part of all. I love the tea, and if I can do anything to help these people, just by buying their product, then I will do so! -On average, I drink about two bottles of water every day but I've never tried drinking Smartwater before. After drinking it, I can say that I'll definitely buy this brand of water in the future. There was no taste, yes even though water doesn't have a taste, some brands can have a slight taste to them that is not so good. The electrolytes are an added bonus. The water is on the pricier side but I still recommend giving Smartwater a try. -I was looking forward to trying this beverage mix. I mixed it as directed with 250ml (8 oz) of hot water. It dissolved quickly. And just FYI, the color of the drink was darker than that pictured on the box. It was a murky brown color. As far as flavor goes, the ginger was just too strong and nasty. I didn't like it at all. -I don't like sugary cereals in the morning; I prefer a hearty cereal with a hint of sweetness. This cereal was perfect for that. The flavor was delicious and it was a filling and all in all pretty healthy.My flakes were tasty and the berries were bursting with flavor. My issue with the cereal is that the flakes were too crunchy and the berries too mushy. I don't mind a crunchy flake, but these bordered on being hard. Even after letting them soak a bit in the milk they were too crunchy for me. And while the berries retained their flavor in milk, they turned almost immediately to mush. The contrast of the two was not a good experience in my mouth.The box is really small and the price is a little hefty for the amount of cereal you actually get. But like I said, the flavor is good. So if you don't mind a little mush and a lot of crunch, this tasty cereal is for you.Cherise Everhard, January 2009 -There are four things to consider with this product.First is taste - The taste is fine. I feel the cracker texture is excellent but the actual taste was rather bland. The cheese on its own has a nice sharp taste but it gets lost in the blandness of the cracker. (I would suggest some rye in the cracker to give it an accent.)Second is packaging - Inside each box is 6 individually wrapped snacksize crackers. I always have an issue with over packaging (packaging within packaging.) But the ideal use for this product is for an on the go snack or late night cram session snack. The individual wrapping is necessary for this use. And the exterior box is plain cardboard, so I guess I am okay with this.Third is price - which at $4 for a box of 6 is only a fair price.Fourth is use - Based on the above, this is not an everyday snack. You could buy nicer and less expensive crackers and use a good cheese spread like Kakuna Club for a more tasty everyday snack. But this would be good for an on the go snack, something to carry around in a backpack, purse or glove compartment for a snack on the go. Or for parents sending their kids a care package for finals week.This is a good not a great product. -I am drinking this Red Espresso Rooibos Tea as I write this. It has a unique flavor....strong but not bitter though it does have a bit of an after taste. I had to stain the tea because, despite the package instructions, I found it to be too gritty and twiggy when just mixed into water. Even after staining, just looking into the drink shows lots of bits and pieces but NOW I do not taste or feel them as I drink it. It's like drinking a really dark roast or real expresso cup of coffee but it's really tea. I've never had this type of tea before but I find it rather interesting and tasty. Since it has no caffeine, I will be able to drink this after dinner without worries of being kept awake. I love the fact that it is loaded with antioxidants! I wish I could find the words to describe the flavor but if you like really strong dark tea, you'll like this one. I recommend this strong flavored tea! -Numi Organic Pu-Erh Ginger Tea has a very mild ginger flavor, but the more you sip the tea, the more the flavor builds. It tried it first without sweetening, and the taste was not bitter. I then added a spoon of sugar, my normal way to drink hot tea, and the taste was very pleasant. However, with my second cup, I added honey and lemon juice, and then the tea became delightful and soothing. Very relaxing and comforting after a hard day at work. I drink coffee and tea every day, and I look forward to finding new varieties to enjoy. Numi Tea has an admirable mission statement: "Numi inspires well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea. Our company is rooted in the principle of creating a healthful product that nurtures people and honors the planet. With all of our company initiatives, we strive to foster a healthy, thriving global community while bringing you the purest, best-tasting organic tea." The tea is certified organic, claims many health benefits, the tea bags are biodegradable, and the boxes are made with recycled materials. The Ginger Tea is a pleasant cuppa, and I will definitely try other varieties of Numi Tea. -I have always found pure green tea a bit bland, so I ordered this to see how it tasted. I find it to be a nice blend with a citrus overtone, not bitter at all, but with a taste that is not to my personal liking.This is a blend of green tea, lemon grass, lemon balm herb, and verbena leaves. The overall effect on the taste is of a green tea (which is already not as strong as black tea) and a definite (but not overpowering) overtone of the lemon. The verbena leaves are commonly promoted to help relaxation, but the box makes no such claim; it is just supposed to be a nice blend. The box suggests steeping for 3 minutes. I tried that, and also tried it steeped longer. It did not seem to get bitter even when the bag was left in until the cup was empty. I like the fact that the bags were individually wrapped, since I think this makes the tea stay fresh longer.Summary: If you like lemon tea and you like green tea, this may be the blend for you. I recommend it for the high quality brew it produces, but only if those two flavors are to your liking. -Excellent meal replacement bar.I really really really enjoyed the cherry cashew date nut bar. I merely liked the blueberry bar. It has no chocolate (thank god! I've always hated granola bars and protein bars and all the rest that have a coating of awful chocolate on it) but lots of fruit and a healthy sweetness (not artificial, just good, if a little on the sweet side for my taste). I would buy the blueberry bar again if I get tired of the cherry cashew, or to swap it out a bit, but not because I particularly like it.You *will not* be hungry until your next meal after you eat this bar. And it's a lot healthier than most other bars out there.Note: if you do not like the taste or texture of dates, DO NOT buy this bar.Also note: I really hate most protein bars, granola bars (except quaker and nature valley), clif bars, odwalla bars, luna bars, zone bars, etc. None of those really taste good. This one DOES and it's good for you. But buy the cherry cashew instead, it's a lot better. -This has an intense lemon and ginger taste. Much much more intense than lemon and ginger teas which I am a fan of and drink often. And since I love ginger and lemon flavors, I love this intensity. You can't get it from just the lemon-ginger teas -- and I've tried quite a few brands so I know. That's the good news.The con, for me at least, is that there must be a high calorie count for this as it's loaded with honey and fructose. I would prefer this to be non-sweetened so I could add my own non-calorie sweetener if I want.It's also a little expensive compared to teas, but then the flavor is unique and something that just can't be gotten with a regular tea.I won't hesitate to buy this in the future -- only I will look for a non-sweetened brand/type first.One other thing -- I put way more water into this beverage than they asked for. Maybe about twice as much. And the flavors were still so much more intense than a regular ginger-lemon tea. So feel free to dilute it and I don't think you will be diminishing the experience at all. -Gave my mom a cup of this tea and she loved it. She noted that while many herbal teas have a bitter edge this tea does not. She also noted that it had a subtle sweet quality. My mom has a very sensitive system and the fact that she liked this is impressive! -For some reason, known only to the powers that make such decisions, this bland, Twinings Prince of Wales Tea is not longer readily found on supermarket shelves. You can still find it in variety packs, but It has been sometime since I have been able to find a whole box of the stuff. That is a pity, but as I am what you might call a "tea hoarder," I had two boxes in my stash and was rationing it slow out. You can imagine my delight when I found you could purchase this product through Amazon!Prince of Wales tea has a nice robust taste but no bitterness. It is one of the few teas I can (if I so desire) drink without adding some sort of sweetener. It never use mild or cream as my wife does, so for me that is a nice factor. I simply like the flavor of this tea.Twinings has been around (It is based in England) for a bit over 200 years now and there is a reason for this...they provide a fine quality product. We are constantly trying new teas as we locate them, but it seems that over the years we keep coming back to this brand. Now as has been noted by another reviewer here, this stuff is NOT packaged in England; it is packaged and distributed here in America. This does not magically change the flavor of the tea though. Tea is tea is tea. Tea is NOT grown in England, so to say that tea that is packaged in England is better than that packaged in America is simply codwollop! Yes, you might get "stale" tea here, but I doubt it. If you keep your tea under proper storage conditions, i.e. out of the light, no moisture and away from heat, it will last quite some time...I can assure you that the producers do this simply because they want to sell you the best tasting product possible. We in this country may not be as adept to brewing tea as our English brothers, but I doubt it. No, the difference in the taste is more than likely all in the drinkers head.The biggest problem I have and the biggest problem I have noted in our country when it comes to drinking tea made using tea bags is that we seem to be a very, very impatient people. We simply do not, generally speaking of course, do not let it steep long enough. A tea such as the one being reviewed here needs to steep no less that three minutes; preferably at least four. I find myself getting in a bit of a hurry at times and end up drinking very weak and rather tasteless tea simply because I did not wait long enough.Note: Cost wise, this is on the rather high end for tea bag tea...in my opinion it is quite worth it though.Anyway, enough of my babbling...this is a good tea. Is it the only tea I drink or ever will drink? Of course not. 3/4s of the fun of being a tea drinker is continuing throughout life trying different blends and brands. I will say though that I most certainly have not grown tired of this stuff...yet.Don BlankenshipThe Ozarks -I gave up diet soda years ago. I don't enjoy fruit juice because it has too many calories. Lipton Blackberry Vanilla Tea is now filling that void. The most important thing is, it's DELICIOUS. The first ingredient is Hibiscus Flowers. Even Dr Oz has talked about the benefits of Hibiscus Flowers. There are also Rosehips, Sweet Blackberry Leaves, dried Black Currant, Blackberry, Raspberry and Blueberry pieces. All of that explains its remarkable fruit flavor that is not too sweet.The pyramid shaped tea bags allow water to infuse the little bouquet from several directions at once. The bag is not paper so it's sturdier and nothing pokes through.It's caffeine free so I've enjoyed it in the evening.Blackberry Vanilla tea smells scrumptious and looks beautiful,This is my new favorite beverage. I LOVE it. -This tea is great. It has a smooth taste, is priced right, and tastes great iced too! Many friends love it too. -When I opened the first pouch for the Ginger Pu'erh Tea Bags by Numi, the aroma was a bit off putting with an odor that seemed slightly bitter and earthy. However, when brewed, it was surprisingly sweet and soothing and one of the most delicious teas I have tried. Its purported health benefits (antioxidants, aid in digestion, energy with a lower amount of caffeine, etc.) are overshadowed by what is a great flavor. Often teas alleged to have health benefits taste terrible or have no real flavor. This one makes a great tea to have with meals. It is easy to see why Pu'erh tea was a favorite of Chinese emperors. -The beverage has a really delicious spiced smell. However, just a sip made my entire mouth feel stung. The sensation faded to a tingle and finally passed, but for me, this drink is too strong. The taste was fine, just not the sensation. A second sip was all to similar to the first and so I passed on the rest of the cup. -Numi Cardamom Pu'erh tea is a delicious and flavorful treat for tea lovers. It has a delightful aroma and a smooth, earthy, and slightly spicy flavor. There is just the right amount of cadamom to give the tea it's unique flavor without being overwhelming. I tend to shy away from pricey organic products because often they aren't that much better than their less expensive counterparts (and I often recommend those less expensive alternatives in my reviews!). But after sampling this tea, I'd happily spoil myself by buying this blend (and hording it from my co-workers by keeping it in my locked desk). Excellent with honey for sweetening. -This tea is absolutely delicious! Normally I am a tepid fan of fruit flavored teas, but I do tend to like vanilla so I thought I would give this a try. I tried to go into it with a positive attitude, but I have been let-down by so many before that it was difficult. My outlook improved greatly as the smell of blackberries filled the air as I waited, a little impatiently, for the cup to be ready. I was thrilled with the outcome. The berry flavor was strong and excellent, with the vanilla adding a touch of smoothness to counter-act the sharp blackberry. With my second cup, I decided to dress it up a bit and the results were amazing. I added a touch of sugar and a bit of milk, and managed to get the taste of blackberry cobbler with a dollop of vanilla ice cream! For those of us minding our figures, it makes a great dessert all by itself. I suspect that the addition of a nice slice of Angel or pound cake would make the experience complete. -This is a nice cookie for snack time if you don't want a really big and sugary cookie. It is thin like some teatime cookies but is made with real fruit and whole grains (whole wheat flour and rolled oats but also bleached wheat flour). They also don't have any high fructose corn syrup. The cookies are crispy but also crumbly, if you know what I mean. The flavor is nice and orangey citrusy with little bits of real cranberries. I really like this flavor but haven't tried the other flavors yet.Nutrition facts: Serving Size 3 cookies (30g)All information below based on serving size of 3 cookies:Calories 140 from fat 45Total fat 5g, no trans fatTotal Carbs 22 g, Dietary fibre 1g, Sugars 7gProtein 2gCholestrol 0mgSodium 95mgPotassium 40mgThese cookies are for $2.49 for the 10.5 ounce bag on regular price at my local supermarket. May be cheaper at a supercenter. The Amazon price seems to be too high. -This 6-pack is another great deal from Amazon, especially when purchased on a subscription basis.Bigelow's decaf green tea is smooth and not bitter. I've found green teas can be easily "burned" if you boil your water before steeping, so be sure to stop heating your water before the boiling point (I just use a Chantal ceramic teapot & heat a cup of water in it in the microwave for just 2 minutes, then steep in a cup--perfect. I like to sweeten it with a package of Sweet Leaf Stevia==healthy antioxidant heaven & no caffeine!).Also, don't steep any green tea too long--about 3 to 3-1/2 minutes is just right for green tea--otherwise, it WILL be bitter, regardless of brand.I love the fact that these tea bags are individually packaged in foil-lined packs; tea stays fresh and delicious until you're ready to enjoy a cup. Good quality decaf green tea is really hard to find in my local area; thanks again Amazon! -These bars were okay. Not great. But I suppose that people who are accustomed to eating gluten-free products will find these bars tasty. The main problem I had was the high sweetness factor which I assume was used to cover up the taste of the non-traditional ingredients required for the bars to be labeled gluten free. There was a bit of a aftertaste.Also, the consistency of the bar was just a bit too chewy for my taste - more stickiness than I liked.Not bad but I'd buy a single bar to try before purchasing a full box. Very reasonably priced, though. -If you enjoy a wide variety of coffees and often have company sitting at your table, you might have a Keurig or aBosch Tassimo T47 Beverage System and Coffee Brewer. Tassimo has a very wide variety of T Disc coffees, many of the old-time reliable ones that people have enjoyed for years. If you like Gevalia, Maxwell, or Tim Hortons, Tassimo has them all. In fact some of them are bestsellers in the single-serve disc department.This Tassimo Medium Roast has a very nice taste similar to a breakfast blend I had recently. It has a really enticing aroma and didn't have that burnt taste that you sometimes experience with some of the darker roasts. This is not a gourmet coffee by any means, but rather a regular coffee with a smooth taste. I tasted it black and then added a bit of cream and sugar to enhance the flavor.What's nice about the Tassimo system (I borrowed the use of one) is that you receive a consistent cup of coffee every time. The only difference is when you begin to add to it. The temperature and taste don't change. If you drink a lot of coffee, you probably would want to take a pass due to the expense of the T Discs. If you enjoy a cup or so now and then or one a day, I think being able to select a wide variety of down-to-earth coffees makes it an excellent choice.TASSIMO:Tassimo King of Joe Dark Roast CoffeeTassimo Yuban 100% Columbian CoffeeTassimo Maxwell House Cafe Collection House Blend CoffeeTassimo Gevalia CappuccinoTassimo Corner Coffeehouse Sweet Latte, CaramelTassimo Tim Hortons CoffeeTassimo King of Joe EspressoTassimo Gevalia Dark Italian RoastGevalia Kaffe 15% Kona Blend Coffee -I finally got around to sampling the product. The ingredients are interesting and what I understand of the manufacture are quality ingredients. However I don't like the taste. Not that the taste is bad but I think my personal likes have changed over the years. I like beverages now that are straight-up and not flavored. If I want lemon I will add freshly cut lemon to water. If I want ginger (which I love shaved from a ginger root on a Japanese salad) I will shave my own. However I just don't like flavored mixes any longer. So I won't mark it down for personal preference. I'm sure some people will find this refreshing and down their alley. -Having lived my entire life in the great state of Louisiana, I've always been partial to local coffee brands such as Community Coffee and Mello Joy. I try to make a point of buying these local brands for the simple fact that the money stays in Louisiana and both of them taste very good. To me, Starbucks has always been an overpriced and overhyped brand with a brilliant marketing strategy that put them on the map. Still, I sometimes visit the local Starbucks for a frappucino or even an Earl Grey latte when I have a bit of extra spending money on hand.I picked up Starbucks' Natural Fusions Ground Coffee, Vanilla Flavored, via the Vine program. I have to admit that it's a very good coffee as far as flavored coffees go. The scent of the vanilla intertwined with the coffee hits you before you even open the bag, but do not use that as a device of judgement until after you've brewed a few cups of this coffee.As I've already said, the smell of vanilla is strong, but the actual vanilla flavor is very slight. In fact, the vanilla is very hard to taste at all.I decided to brew this coffee in two separate ways: 1) Per the instructions on the bag (two tablespoons per six ounces of water) and 2) By my normal method (three tablespoons per six ounces of water).After brewing the coffee, I drank each brewed cup in three different ways: 1) black (which is my normal method of drinking coffee), 2) with one teaspoon of cream and one teaspoon of sugar, and 3) with two teaspoons of cream and two teaspoons of sugar.What I immediately noticed was that the bag's brewing instructions suited my personal taste best. My normal brewing method made the coffee stronger (as I like it), but didn't alter the taste at all.When I drank the coffee black in both brewing cases, I noticed almost no difference in the taste, although the coffee's body was a bit heavier in the second brewing method. The vanilla flavor was miniscule.With one teaspoon of cream and one teaspoon of sugar, I found that the vanilla flavor stood out a bit more, but was still fairly weak. The overall taste of the coffee was good, though.With two teaspoons of cream and sugar, the vanilla came into its own a bit more, but could not overtake the coffee's taste itself.Overall, this is a coffee drinker's flavored coffee. If you want a fuller, sweeter vanilla taste and less coffee taste, look elsewhere. If you only drink flavored coffees as a treat but prefer the taste of medium to dark roast coffee alone, this brew will be right up your alley.I personally enjoyed this coffee, and plan to buy more of it soon. -Nutritionally speaking this is a decent package, but it was in no way good enough to justify the price. The salmon spread was fishy, the chocolate was waxy and the crackers were flavorless. The only great thing in here was the roasted soy nuts, which I can get elsewhere. Not worth retail, that is for sure. -Tea is my favorite beverage for just about any occasion. I'm always looking for good teas and new flavors to try, but I cannot drink caffeinated beverages after around 3PM, or I just don't sleep well at night. So I was curious to try this, as herbal teas tend to fit the bill nicely for an evening cup to relax with after the kids are in bed. Unfortunately, the tea was nowhere as good as it sounded like it could have been.When I opened the box, the smell was delicious. Primarily blackberry, with the teeniest hint of vanilla. I boiled some water, and let the tea steep for what was supposed to be 5 minutes. I got a little distracted, so in actuality, it was probably closer to 8 minutes before I took the bag out of the cup. The color was absolutely gorgeous - a deep purple that you would associate with the blackberry flavor. The smell was pretty good, though no vanilla could be detected. I tasted the tea without sweetener first, and it while it was decently sweet on its own - it had very little flavor! After an 8-minute steep! I could detect a little bit of the blackberry, and no vanilla. I tasted it 3 times this way, including using the tasting method that professional tasters used. Then I added 1 tsp. of sugar. Interestingly, this did bring out the vanilla flavor a little bit, but I still ended up with little more than sweetened water.I am bummed, as this sounded like it would be a delicious addition to my tea cabinet. However, while I will finish the box (probably with longer steep times), I will not buy another box of this. There is just not enough flavor to be worth it. -I always enjoy how a flavored coffee or tea smells. I've usually found that the taste is never as good as the smell. In the case of Lipton Blackberry Vanilla Herbal Pyramid Tea Bags, this has been my experience. The bag is an eye-catching design that entices because of the texture of the tea and infusions. The smell is amazing! I would make this into an air freshener in a heartbeat! The flavor wasn't bad, but it was overpoweringly blackberry. I couldn't even taste the vanilla.This would be an outstanding blackberry tea, but this product doesn't live up to the description on the carton. -USDA organic, non GMO, high in Antioxidants, recyclable boxes made of 85% post consumer waste - sign me up!This tea is good, and even better it comes from a company that knows healthy products and minimizes the environmental impact of their operations. The tea has a pleasant dark coloration, and a strong "earthy" taste. I wasn't able to taste the cardamom that strongly, but still appreciated the flavor of this tea.I tested the tea to see if it would become bitter if the tea bag was left in, and even after 15 minutes it still did not pick up the nasty flavor that dark teas usually infuse after the tea bags are left in too long. Great for someone who is not looking to time their tea to the exact second when making it.A word of caution - they are not kidding when they say "higher caffeine" on the box. I would be careful drinking this near bedtime if you are sensitive to caffeine.Overall a great product from a great company. -Peeled Snacks Organic Apple Clusters Cinnamon Crunch didn't agree with my taste buds and I didn't enjoy the taste of these at all. I ate a few of the apple clusters and couldn't really take the taste of them any longer, so I drank a little water and tasted them again but that didn't help.The apples are really tart which make them difficult to enjoy and the crisp of the clusters did very little to improve the taste of these snacks. I tried these by eating them straight out of the bag but when I saw that the taste was not good I tried mixing them with my favorite yogurt and yeah that didn't help any. Good concept but very poor execution. -I love cardamom, and the smell of it from opening a packet of Numi Cardamom Pu'erh Tea was promising. However, the tea itself was disappointing. I let it brew for 10 minutes but the flavor was weak: both the tea component and the cardamom. Indeed it was hard to tell there was much cardamom at all in the brewed tea. The flavor on the whole was not bad, but certainly not anything I would pay extra for. -This is a wonderful quality white jasmine tea. Rishi has done a fantastic job of selecting tea leaves for this product. The quality is excellent. The whole leaves unfurl beautifully to a lovely fresh green while brewing. The aroma is so fresh and inviting (a light airy jasmine, not a heavy heady jasmine) and the tea is smooth and soothing. Very nice, I will buy again!Is this review helpful? Let me know, please vote. :-) -I love Ginger and used to like it when the Chinese restaurants I went to when I was young always served a nice pot of Ginger Tea with ones meal. This tea brought me right back to those days, it has a pleasing aroma and nice ginger taste without being overwhelming. If you like ginger teas, I don't think you can go wrong with this blend. Please note that since it a black tea it most likely has caffeine, though I can't seem to find any reference to it--that's okay with me because I like caffiene, but if you're looking for a caffiene free herbal tea this may not be the one for you. I would also like to note that I did not get this tea for it health supplement claims, so I can't either endorse or deny that it does or doesn't do what they claim. All I know is that it tastes good and I like it, any health enhancing qualities are just icing on the cake. -. . . my family liked!As noted in previous reviews, my family has tried all three of the new Taco Bell sauces. The Jalepeno and the Ranchero met with decidedly mixed reviews, and I don't have any particular intent to purchase them again.This sauce, however, my family, especially my kids, really liked. We eat a fair amount of "Tex-Mex" at our house, and the fridge is typically full of sauces of various types. This one was spicy -- but not overpowering, and had a really nice flavor.This one will be a repeat purchase. -This is NOT your usual type of tea. I do not think this actually qualifies to be called a "tea"in the real sense of the word. I doubt if the sachets contain much by way of actual tea leaves at all. So don't expect the usual flavored tea. This is more like a brew of actual garden vegetables. The taste of the vegetables is clearly defined and strong. It has a taste similar to what you will get if you drink the water of boiled vegetables. Not many people will like that. I would call this a vegetable brew rather than a tea. I like it, but not for an every day drink. Just for once in a while when i want to shock my taste buds. -I've been using coconut oil for a while and have tried 2 different brands. This is the third brand I taste and so far, it's the best one. I made some veggie chips and they turned out so crisp and flavorful. Though the oil does not have a strong coconut flavor, it enhanced the flavor of the vegetables I cooked, they were so good. It makes great popcorn and gives salmon a delicious touch. I've also used it on my skin and face. It absorbs fairly quickly and leaves my skin so smooth. I really like it. -Chips Ahoy! Chewy Gooey Chocofudge / B004U43ZO0I received these cookies and their extra-chocolate counterparts at the same time, and I'm a little disappointed with both.I was skeptical that packaged cookies would be soft, but these cookies actually are very soft around the edges. Unfortunately, the mouth-feel is very unpleasant to me: they feel a little like wet bread in my mouth. Once the edges have fallen off, you hit the center core of fudge -- it's basically a hard chocolate disk inside the cookie that needs warming for a second or two in the microwave beforehand.These aren't the worst cookies I've ever eaten, but I didn't enjoy them at all and really wanted to throw them away after the first few had been eaten -- there's a strange aftertaste that I don't much care for. There's also a bit of a "fake chocolate" smell to the cookies that is unpleasant -- my husband took one sniff of each package and refused to try any, saying that they "smelled bad".I really like the idea these cookies represent, and I hope that Chips Ahoy can get the recipe right in their next attempt -- it's a good idea, but just doesn't quite come together in execution.NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this product provided through Amazon Vine.~ Ana Mardoll -In one pouch, there is 1.4g of sodium which is 60% of the recommended daily maximum.This soup is moderately spicy. The consistency is thick. The vegetables (except the corn) and chicken get lost in the heavy soup. There was a good amount of Chorizo but I really didn't taste any chicken. I'm sure it's in there -- I just didn't taste it.Even though I never heat anything in plastic in the microwave, I followed the label instructions and nuked it for 2 1/2 minutes. It worked.I got this for free when orderingLundberg Wild Blend, Gourmet Blend of Wild and Whole Grain Brown Rice, Gluten Free, 16-Ounce Bags (Pack of 6) Package May Vary. That's ironic since this product represents everything I dislike about prepared food unlike the rice which is excellent.Campbell's seems to be targeting the hip, young, generation with this product. When will they get the message that their soups are too salty? I showed this to my college age child and he said he wouldn't eat it. -This Higgins & Burke tea is pretty tasty. The Lemon Balm, Lemon Grass, and Verbena work well with the green tea, taking away the 'dry' aspects of green tea and making it a bit more 'green leafy' and lemony.I liked it as-is. Then again, I generally don't add anything to any green tea. Not sweetener nor milk.I think you're more likely to like this Green Tea mix if you don't set your tastebuds for straight green tea as the overall flavor is radically different. But if you are looking for something really pleasant to have after dinner, or along with a snack, this might be the thing.Pam T~ -Man, this stuff is just great. When I first got it, I wasn’t sure where it was going to get the most use—in the bathroom or in the kitchen. Coconut oil is well known to be a tremendous beauty product, and I thought my wife would want to claim it as a moisturizer and to use on her hair. I was more interested in it as a cooking oil, for which coconut oil is equally famous.Ultimately, the kitchen won and this “Viva Labs #1 Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil” has become a permanent resident next to our stove. It’s amazing. It works perfectly as a butter substitute, greases up a pan better than Crisco, and has become my wife and I’s favorite handy cooking oil. It has a nice, subtle scent and imparts just a hint of coconut taste that we both really love. We use this for Sunday morning omelets, for frying vegetables, for baking, for popping popcorn , for … just about everything.It’s sooo lovely to cook with. About the only thing I can compare it to is duck fat, which melts in about the same way and also adds a nice unctuous flavor and undertones.And yes, it also makes a great moisturizer and hair product. There is a reason why coconut oil is an ingredient in so many beauty products. On its own, it is just as effective. And you get that nice, subtle coconut smell … mmmmmm, does it make my wife smell yummy!I got a sample of this from Viva Labs for review, but I will definitely be placing an order for some more. It’s that good. And probably two tubs next time; one for the kitchen and one for the bathroom. -I chose Numi Organic Tea's Cardamom Pu.erh tea because it claimed to have more antioxidants than green tea and I have always drunk green tea because of its health benefits.What I liked about this tea on my first sip is that it is a solid tasting tea the way tea used to taste before they started adding flavors and other taste supplements. After swallowing the tea there is a lingering taste remindful of some kind of herb, which I suppose is the cardamom.Cardamom is a plant popular in India and Guatemala that is related to the ginger family. I liked the lingering taste, whatever it was, and appreciated the no-nonsense taste overall.Numi Organic claims this tea is an ancient healing tea because pu.erh is picked form 500-year-old organic wild tea trees in Yunnan, China. The teabags are biodegradable.The only issue I had with this product is that the only way I could open the individual packages holding the teabags was to use scissors (they were too tight for my teeth to handle). But I suppose that makes them air-tight which is a good thing. I really like this tea and will try it again after using up the 16 teabags that come in the box. -Fair Trade is more expensive than none Fair Trade product. I just wish it was a Fair Trade product since many producers sell organic which is the most common form of quinoa sold anywhere but a very limited Fair Trade organic quinoa and this certainly is not although a good quinoa. Prices of red quinoa has been going up to $10 a pound, which is the most expensive quinoa, than black, rainbow and yellow.KEEN-Waah... A complete protein source, a seed related to other healthy cousins like spinach and beets. In a pot I place quinoa, frozen peas, carrots, corn, add water and tomato paste. Spinach is added at the end the last minute. Stewing tomatoes for a half hour increases the cancer fighting lycopene content by 35 percent. Cooking also unlocks another nutrient, beta-carotene, in corn and carrots since heat breaks down the fibrous cell walls, releasing more of these antioxidants. The same goes for spinach but then you need to get your vitamin C from something else since that is the first vitamin which is depleted with heat. I saute lots of onion separately then in ten minutes I add paprika, cumin, dillweed, gram marsala, crushed red pepper, turmeric and lots of garlic2 x 2 Pound Fresh Garlic USA California Heirloom Monviso Gilroy Finest (4 Pounds Total), mix it well and add the mix to the pot and let it sit without heat for five minutes. This is what vegans consume instead of beef since it is a complete protein. Greens, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc. may have protein but the fact is that only quinoa has a complete protein and all others do not since all others are missing few amino acids here and there but not quinoa. I rarely ever consume beef, chicken, etc. so fish and quinoa are the only source of complete protein with all amino acids for me. Organic, whole grain, very fulfilling due to some starch with host of vitamins, minerals that no beef or chicken can even come close to. Cooks in ten minutes with some water, no fat, no salt, no sugar... I consume it with eggplant, onions, okra, smoked hearings, curry type dishes with lots of spices and delicious juices. I never ever have to wash and rinse before cooking either. I keep the uncooked portions in double zip lock bags in freezer. I consume so much that I never have to worry about the unused portion going rancid and unlike brown rice which loses its oil in less than six months and becomes worthless even if kept in freezer, quinoa will last longer. Obviously I never ever do that with any food since I only purchase what I need in order to get the nutrients which are a healthy portion of my diet. Gluten free, the best product for me when I go camping since all I do is add lemon and tomato and that way I never have to worry about paying arm and leg for that lousy, awful tasting dry foods. I ground chia+flax+sesame, mix it with cocoa+isolate+soy milk before my workouts every single day or no workout regardless. Three tbsp of quinoa in my power drink offers me 4gr of pure, complete protein with all amino acids. I add organic paprika to regular yellow quinoa and it turns the dish into a beautiful red color. Healthy, healthier and healthiest of many seeds, delicious sprouts only in 3 days with all amino acids. I am an athlete with a healthy diet. I used to consume brown rice heavily years ago but no longer. I can consume quinoa with tomato and lemon juice and it is the best food I can take with me anywhere on any sports trip and I do not even have to wash it either. Delicious, delicious, delicious.FRESHNESS: Fresh means nutritious and delicious. I consume lots of seeds, beans, grains, vegetables, etc. and freshness is a priority regardless of the brand so I always purchase my food ingredients in small quantities from reputable sellers with high turnover. When fresh, food is nutritious and that goes for any food in any form, from frozen to canned. Fresh food is nutritious as well as delicious since nutrients give food its delicious taste. When old or rancid, nutrients are gone and any food item becomes an empty calories with no taste and absolutely worthless regardless of the brand or price, organic or conventional. For few years I consumed seeds in oil form since physicians advised me to do so not knowing that majority are not aware that seeds hardly offer any nutrients unless; seeds are fresh, not old which means rancid, not in oil form, not in supplement form, not hulled, ground and consumed within few days, kept in dark cold temperatures, away from light-sun-moisture since the oil in seeds and nuts go rancid regardless. That is why brown rice which has its nutrients will go rancid even if kept in freezer while white rice will last for years at room temperature since it hardly has any nutrients or oil. I ground in my coffee grinder sesame, flax, chia, amaranth, hemp then add cocoa, isolate protein, soy milk and consume it before my workouts on daily basis for its vitamins, minerals, protein and many nutrients, without much spike in my glucose. Un-hulled seeds are full of nutrients. I never consume hulled seeds which are empty calories, absolutely worthless since the nutrients have been removed.STARCH: Some carbohydrates, such as sugars and most starch are rapidly digested and absorbed as glucose into the body through the small intestine and subsequently used for short-term energy needs or stored. Resistant starch on the other hand, resists digestion and passes through to the large intestine where it acts like dietary fiber. Sugar, honey, maple syrup, white flour, white rice, whole-grain pastry flour, packaged cold cereals, commercial fruit juices, and fruit-juice sweetened beverages are the same foods some dentists claim rots the teeth from the inside out by changing the balance and ratio of calcium to phosphorous in the bloodstream. Your immune system goes down when you wolf down sweets, especially around events and holiday meals. High Glycemic foods quickly turn to sugar in your blood stream, causing excess insulin to pour into your blood to get rid of the excess sugar. The excess insulin pushes the calcium and fat into your arteries, especially if you have only a few cholesterol receptors on your liver (which is genetic). Whole wheat and white bread have essentially the same impact on blood sugar so I try to consume bread with whole sprouted grains, even flourless breads, and no-yeast breads. Black beans, northern beans, navy beans, red kidney beans, lentils, split peas, black-eyed peas, brown rice, rolled oats, millet, corn, black rice are all Resistance Starch. King of starch for me is quinoa and Navy Beans before and post expedition trips, 17.6gr vs. 15.4gr for 100gr serving. No wonder the price of quinoa is going up, up, up... -Please see "tea.jpg" photo on this page. The color once steeped is tremendous, a really great ruby-red that looks like it's out of a 1940s Technicolor movie. The aroma is very pleasant, sweet and floral. The taste, however, leaves a bit to be desired. The aroma is promising you the moon and your brain is going "Yes, yes, yes!" and then the taste doesn't have the goods, you know? Kind of thin-tasting. I've had a locally-produced hibiscus tea which has a more assertive flavor (if not the incredible color). I'm going to let this cool down and make some iced tea later and see if that doesn't help this tea out a bit. Another sip. The aroma is heavenly. But the taste is absent.This comes not in a teabag, but a clever little synthetic-material pyramid for some reason. Very novel. Novelty is valuable. Really just the fact that this stuff is so different and comes in a little pyramid tea infuser would make it a nice stocking-stuffer type gift for the tea lover(s) in your life. Or "teabags" as a British ex-roommate once described dedicated tea drinkers. Another sip. Still kind of weak-tasting, but I wonder if you couldn't put this stuff in a room humidifier... (don't try this, it's just a thought because this tea smells so great)...The flavor is growing on me, but it's still thin-tasting compared to the incredible aroma...---Unfortunately, this tea wasn't very good as iced tea. Kind of tasted like watered-down fruit punch. -These all-organic snacks have natural ingredients and no preservatives. One serving, 1/4 cup, is 60 calories, counts as one serving of fruit, and provides 8% of your DV of fiber. The clusters are made of finely chopped dried apples and have a nice cinnamon taste that is reminiscent of an apple pie. They are pretty crunchy, and I found some of the pieces to be a bit harder than others, so those with soft or sensitive teeth may want to tread carefully. Overall a yummy snack that I felt good about eating. -Numi Organic Savory Tea is unlike any sort of tea I've had before. I had no idea what to expect but was intrigued by the idea of organic vegetables and spices blended together to create brand new experience. Numi Tea has created six blends to appeal to those brave enough to try it & what better way the with the Savory Tea Garden Sampler.The box contains 6 flavors and 12 tea bags, so you can have a cup for yourself and share if you so choose. The blends you'll find are Carrot Curry, Beet Cabbage, Tomato Mint, Spinach Chive, Brocoli Cilantro, & Fennel Spice. The tea is 100% organic as well as non-GMO verified. Each flavor inspired from recipes around the world.I think the sampler is a very good option if interested in trying these teas out. I say that because I honestly really liked some better than others. To each their own taste, I say though. My favorite out of all six is the Spinach Chive! It leaves an aftertaste like if you were have spinach and chive dip just without the added sour cream. And the Tomato Mint was another that I liked, being the mint lover that I am. I was kinda upset I didn't like the Carrot Curry flavor more. I felt it needed to be a bit spicier and the carrot stronger in taste.The flavors of the teas aren't overly strong as one would have assumed from smelling the tea bag. I was a little shocked thinking they would have tasted more like broth or soup. I was hoping it would have been a bit stronger. I will state that each flavor tasted exquisitely fresh and quite distinct though. No sugar or cream is needed and the teas can be drank hot or cold.I'd recommend trying them out if you are looking for something different. They compliment certain meals in my opinion quite well. I think they may also be an interesting addition to your cooking. You may just discover and brand new tea obsession. But do try out the sampler pack first! -The first thing I did when I received this product was take off the top and inhale. The blend of herbs inside smells wonderful. So far I have used it to season chicken, fish and vegetables and have had good results. I also made a balsalmic dressing per the directions on the label and I think it tastes really good.As other reviewers have said, this is a versatile product. You can make eight 8 oz. portions of salad dressing from one bottle, or use it to season various foods. Either way, the results are very good, in my opinion. I also like the fact that while sea salt is one of the main ingredients, the product does not taste salty. I bought a couple of Costco/Kirkland seasoning products, one for fish and one for steaks, and the salt is very apparent in both. This is a much more balanced product. Tasty, and nothing dominates in the blend.I liked it so much that I ordered the Napa and French versions of the seasonings from this manufacturer and can't wait to give those a try. I give this two thumbs up for taste and value.(added on 7/3/08): I had to update my review. This and the other two flavors, the Napa and French, are soooo good. Yes they are sort of pricey but compare the quantity to those little 1 oz or less containers they have at the store selling for $5 and these really are not a bad value at all. I've been using these on all kinds of food and they are great. Very flavorful, not too salty. These are my "go-to" spices now. -Licorice tea? You're crazy! NOPE, this stuff is my favorite tea now and I can't recommend it enough. I have given several packets to my friends over the years and each one has enjoyed it. Also, the price was decent - I'm happy. -Our family goes through a lot of graham crackers. We always buy big packs, and are partial to our name brand (H. Maid), so I was eager to try another brand.Likes:- Smell: these smell fresh, wheat, cinnamon, and apple aroma.- Texture: these are a little firmer and crunchier than our usual name brand.- Flavor: good overall flavor. These are very slightly sweeter than the plain (honey) variety by this brand. Cinnamon is not overdone, thankfully. My 2 year old and I love these.- Nutrition: good. Similar amount of sugar as brand names, but more fiber (2g versus 1 for name brand).- Ingredients: maybe slightly less processed than name brand. I personally consider evaporated cane juice to be 99.99% the same as "sugar".Dislikes:- The box is a little small for our family of graham cracker fanatics. 10 ounces can go pretty quick here. The crackers are a bit more dense though so they seem to last well.Overall a very tasty graham cracker. The great flavor and extra bit of fiber make it a win in our book. -This tea is good, but important to only leave it steeping for about two minutes- Otherwise it will be really sweet! I have a large mug also. When I didn't over steep it was nice, fresh and perfectly sweet! -If you couldn't tell, it's a bottle of water. A really big bottle of water. It has a slight taste to it, like one person said kind of a tap water taste, but I didn't think it was bad. I didn't particularly find it any more refreshing than any other water. I don't know if I truly felt the effects of the "best available pH" (9.5). It did have a pretty silky feel to it as I drank it. It is supposed to have electrolytes in it so if you want to be able to have hard workouts in the heat where electrolytes are truly needed and you don't want the sweet taste of sports drinks or Vitamin Water AND you don't mind the high price, this may be for you. -There are several things a coffee lover looks for in their brew.. the aroma, the color and the taste are what I look for. When I opened the individual pack, I was hit with a wonderful coffee scent. The pod looks typical, and are made for a pod machine. When I made my first cup, since the aroma was strong, I filled the machine with a good sized mug's worth of water, and made a cup. When it was done, the color was fairly light, so I only added a small amount of milk. Still, the flavor was a bit too bland for me, and I like a mild coffee. For the second cup, I used a smaller mug, and in return got a darker, more flavorful cup, so that is my recommendation with this brand. Some other things I love about this brand: it's organic, sustainably grown and Fair Trade certified. That's a lot of benefits for only about 75 cents a cup. The even have their own foundation to support youth soccer programs. This is a good deal. The only thing that I would change is the individual wrap, which seems like an excess of packaging for a company dedicated to the environment. -All of the "Sparkling ICE Spring Water" flavors are delicious. Unfortunately, for medical reasons I have been told to curtail my use of anything carbonated, so I will probably not be purchasing them again. If you have no medical reason to avoid carbonated drinks, I thing you will find these very satisfying. They are large, so the price, to me, is reasonable. -I love peach tea (and anything peach flavored), but this has has a cinnamon flavor that is too strong. I wanted so badly to give it 5 stars, but I wouldn't be honest if I did. I don't like the cinnamon flavor. To me, peach and cinnamon don't belong together. Peach is summer and cinnamon is winter. This tea might be better in the winter as hot tea, but then again, not, because peach is too summery. Cinnamon would go better with apple flavor. As soon as I finish this box, I will not buy it again.The cinnamon is way too strong. It made me sick at my stomach, and the aftertaste is horrible. -The first taste of the black coffee was somewhat bitter with a clean chocolate after taste. The addition of Sugar mellowed it out and eliminated the bitterness. The addition of milk turned it into ambrosia. I kind of expected to be disappointed because other chocolate flavored coffees I've tried have not been very good. This is good, the chocolate flavor is excellent. The smell is absolutely delightful,it drew family members into the kitchen to ask what that wonderful fragrance was.The lovely aroma was so enthralling that the family member who dislikes/hates coffee insisted on having a cup. She loved it sweetened with milk added and will drink it again. We joked about using it as a room freshener or wearing it as perfume. This is a very fine grind, a rounded tablespoon of coffee to 6 ounces of water makes a very strong brew. It can be diluted and retains its flavor. My husband loved it too and wants me to buy it when it is available. I think this tastes best sweetened. -You need a pod maker capable of making this. Maybe I'm a retard but I didn't know that based on the vine description. Doesn't smell all that great.Honestly none of the instant coffees are any good, just get up 5 minutes earlier and make a pot of real coffee, hello. -This is an updated review to reflect my having finally gotten an unsugared version of issimo.Finally, a can of coffee without sugar. I'm a big fan of illy coffee, and hated writing the previous review, but now that there's an unsugared version (and there might always have been, I just hadn't seen it) I can say that I'm a fan. Yes, it's still canned not bottled and yes it's still a smallish can to those of us who would cheerfully sign up for IV coffee delivery, but those things aside, what shines out now is the good, clean, smooth flavor of the coffee. I was able to drink it black which is pretty unusual for me.The price point is a bit lower now, which is a good thing, but it's still a bit steep for less than seven ounces of something you can brew at home. Granted illy has always been a premium-priced coffee, but it's still cheaper to make it yourself. However, by comparison those god-awful energy drinks, I think illy wins the portable caffeine contest hands down. And while it's really convenient to carry a can with you, it's not nearly as inexpensive as stopping at your local S'bucks for a tall coffee. I never thought I'd have occasion to write that...Bottom line is that this stuff tastes pretty good for what it is, but a lot of my original objections still stand. See the following for my initial review.***I really wish I knew what was up with this country and sweeteners. These days you can barely get a cup of coffee somewhere without someone dumping sugar into it without asking. So along comes Illy's ready-to-drink "espresso-style" coffee and I imagine I should have guessed that it would be sweetened. I didn't. It was an unpleasant shock,not only because I hate sugar in my coffee, but because you have to check the ingredient list to find the sugar. Okay, fair enough, you should look at the ingredient list on everything you put in your mouth, but it should also say "pre-sweetened" on the front of the can. I'm just sayin'.All that aside, and making an honest attempt to evaluate the stuff in spite of the sugar, I'd have to say that it's a good, smooth, tasty brew. I've always liked Illy coffee and this brewed stuff isn't half bad for something that comes out of a can. I think I'd prefer it from a glass bottle, but what are the odds of that happening? As it is, the flavor of the can isn't a huge problem, but it sure doesn't add anything to the experience.Tiny can doesn't go very far either. Presumably the reason why Illy has produced a ready-to-drink brew is for people who want to grab a can out of the fridge and swig it down. If they're going to heat it... well no, I don't even want to think about that. Ugh. So it's meant to be drunk cold. Twelve ounces would have made more sense in that case. This isn't a tiny cup of hot espresso we're talking about, it's a cold beverage. If Illy is going to bow down to the Sugar Gods of America, they can darn well do a bit of homage to the Gods of Conspicuous Consumption, too. But $2 for less than 7 ounces of coffee? Thanks but no thanks as Sarah Palin famously remarked. @2 for a 12 oz can is still a bit high, but more acceptable overall.So kudos to Illy for using sugar instead of HFCS, but points off for using any sweetener at all. Good flavor and body, but cans just don't lend themselves to a good coffee-drinking experience. Cans are too small and the price is too high. Buy a tin of Illy and brew your own. It'll taste better and you'll save money. -I first saw these cookies at "Big Lots" discount store. They were on sale there for $1.80. Their appearance in Big Lots means that they didn't sell especially well or too many were made so they were shuffled off to an outlet store. This doesn't have to be a bad sign, but it often reflects that a product isn't the most popular among consumers.These are not the best that Keebler has to offer in their cookie line up, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. On the plus side, the cookies have a decent texture and are crispy and fresh. The filling has a good lemon flavor, albeit an artificial one. They're also very sweet, but most sandwich cookies with a cream-style filling are. That's often the purpose of the filling, but it can be overpowering cumulatively if you're not having a drink along with them.Usually when I sample a product which I'm not crazy about, but I think it's generally okay, I wonder who the target market is supposed to be. Given the Keebler brand mascots, I tend to think they're targeting children, but lemon isn't that popular a flavor among kids (who tend to prefer chocolate or vanilla). My sense is that these are not going to really appeal to most kids are are too sweet for most adults. This may explain why they're on sale at Big Lots. Though not a bad cookie, I wouldn't go out of my way to have these again. -This is my first time trying PURE fruit and nut bar. I don't know what I was expecting, maybe the taste of a regular trail mix bar. It's hard to describe what the PURE bar (blueberry flavor) tastes like, but it's not an unpleasant flavor. The fruity flavor is obvious, and the nuts do not overwhelm the tastebuds. I like that the bar is soft and chewy, and not too sweet. Also, it's made out of all natural and organic ingredients, with nothing processed. That to me is worth having a bar that doesn't have the conventional taste of other energy bars. The taste is not bad, but it's not delicious either. However, the bar is filling and doesn't make you feel guilty about eating it, because the ingredients are so healthy.I would recommend these bars as snacks, but they do have plenty of calories, so I wouldn't eat too many of them at once. But that's true of any kind of snack. -As I'm writing this review, I'm drinking a bottle of water that I've used this product with. The fruit punch flavor is nice, and having this product sure makes it convenient to add those "vitamins" to your drink. Overall, I'm very happy with the product, but only have two complaints. If indicates 1 squeeze for every 8 ounces. What exactly is 1 squeeze? Is it a long squeeze? A short squeeze? I don't feel I've completely found the happy medium yet. The first time I tried the product, I found I had to squeeze it about 3-4 times to get enough saturation in the drink to actually taste the fruit punch and act more like I'd expect it to be. Subsequent uses I've done longer squeezes, and that seems to do the trick. Sometimes I do find I've squeezed too much though, and have more flavor than I'd prefer. The other complaint I have isn't necessary due to the product itself, but due to water bottles. They're filled to the brim when you get them, so in order to use this product you have to drink some. Not a big deal, and not really a fault of the product itself, but is definitely an inconvenience. Overall, however, this is a great way to add some flavor and vitamins to your drink without having to pickup vitamin water or a sport drink. Just buy the regular bottled water, and when you feel you need some flavor, just squeeze a decent amount in, and you'll be set. -I like the fact that although there is the suggested amount for 6 to 8 oz of water, you can add as much as you want. It can be as weak or strong as you want. I like it a bit stronger, so I added an extra teaspoon or two and added it warm milk instead of water and it worked well. The flavor of peppermint is not very strong. I think it is just right, not over powering. It definitely ideal for the Christmas, especially since I live in Upstate New York and at Christmas, we will most likely have snow on the ground and it will be cold. It will be nice to have something nice to drink, since I am not a big coffee drinker, I am the type of person that likes something a bit more fancy. -I am a huge vanilla flavor fan. I love anything vanilla flavored. So naturally, I figured that I would love this coffee. The aroma is great when I open the package and dumped the ground coffee into my coffeemaker. I had high expectations for this.The coffee itself, once it is made is actually only decent tasting. I could only taste a very small hint of vanilla in it and it might have been because of my creamer and not the actual coffee itself. It was a bit bitter compared to other coffees that I have had and very rich. I usually take my coffee with cream and a small amount of sweetner and never really had problems with it being still too bitter.Next time, I guess I'll just use more cream and sweetner. Don't get me wrong, this is not completely horrible and I still enjoy Starbucks. It just surprised me as how bitter it was. -I usually drink real tea, but from time to time I like an herbal tea, especially iced. This has a great aroma and a nice flavor, though more just generally fruity than discernably blackberry. As with any food or drink, the taste is personal and subjective.I do like the pyramid bags- they seem to infuse faster and of course they do look prettier than flat bags.A nice variation on herbal tea both hot and iced. -Looking for a way to spice up your drinking water and getting tired of adding lemons or limes? Lipton's Tea & Honey mix adds a flavorful new option already divided into individual serving packets, which makes it easy to add to a water bottle on the go or a full glass of water at home.This particular flavor is quite different from the standard powdered mixed drinks, having a strong honey taste with a light strawberry twist. There isn't much sugar in it either, at only 2 grams per packet, so it's an option to consider for diabetics or people watching their sugar intake.Plenty of other reviewers have noted there is a small amount of sucralose (Splenda) in here, which is something to consider if you don't care for artificial sweeteners. As the husband of someone with Type 1 diabetes I've gotten quite used to it and find it to be a very enjoyable flavor, so it didn't personally bother me at all.If you don't have time to brew up iced tea at home and want a quick flavor boost for water, this is a great option, and is an excellent way to make bottled water more exciting on picnics or car trips. -I've never heard of Pu'erh but apparently it has more antioxidants than regular green tea. That's always nice to hear, especially since I'm not too much of a fan of green tea. The tea has a very nice aroma, without it smelling like potpourri. The taste is subtle and pleasant. I drink it with scones, or croissants, but it really could go with just about anything. It's not very overwhelming which is a huge plus because I can't stand strong, fragrant teas. I will be purchasing more of this in the future. -I'm actually not much of a tea drinker - I don't really like the taste of hot tea itself, as I often find it rather bitter, and it's associated in my memory with medicine, since my parents often gave it to me when I was sick. I do like some flavored teas, especially cinnamon, which cover up some of the tea taste and once in a while I will have some chamomile tea to relax. This tea sounded rather intriguing. Blackberry and vanilla sounded almost more like a dessert than a tea. So I thought I would try it.And I'm glad I did. The blackberry and vanilla flavors do indeed cover up the tea taste, while at the same time not being overpowering. Both flavors are distinctive. I had my husband try a sip without telling him what it was. He got the vanilla right away. He knew there was a fruity flavor which he guessed was "lemon? No, wait, raspberry or blackberry". The tea also has a pleasant, rich but mellow aroma.This tea comes in rather interesting pyramidal-shaped tea bags. I'm not enough of a tea expert to know how that affects the flavor, but these teabags don't get that unpleasant, soggy used teabag feel after being steeped, which is a plus in my book.The instructions suggest steeping for 4 to 6 minutes. For my first cup I tried 4 minutes, but that made a rather weak brew for my tastes. Six minutes worked well for me. While I was preparing my third cup, I was also preparing hot chocolate for my daughters, and when I added milk to their drinks, I inadvertently added milk to mine as well. Sometimes I like milk in my tea (to cover up the tea taste), but I don't recommend it with this tea - it doesn't go well with the blackberry flavor. I also don't think sugar is necessary, as the vanilla and blackberry both offer a hint of sweetness on their own.I don't know what a tea purist would make of this tea, but as a non-tea-lover, I found it to be just the right combination of bold and mellow with just enough sweetness to help the "medicine" go down. Recommended. -I tried the wild blueberry organic pure bar. It was okay. The smell was overwhelmingly blueberry - almost synthetic smelling - but I checked and the product is all natural and all organic. Our household is a Lara Bar household so it was interesting to compare this to our normal fare. The PURE bar is very greasy, which I thought was kind of weird. The taste was okay. Not great. There were nice chunks of nuts, much bigger than you would find in a Lara bar. I definitely won't change brands, but it is nice to know that there are other options out there if you find yourself in a place that doesn't carry the Lara Bar. You do have to know that these types of bars have plenty of fat, nuts and thus calories in them, a bit under 2 ounces and a bit under 200 calories. They are much denser than your regular run-of-the-mill granola or fiber bar and they are definitely "healthy" tasting. All in all, just okay. I'm sticking with Lara Bars. -About this product, it must be said: I didn't have very high hopes. I'm not into the whole "flavored water" thing (my choice of flavored water being Diet Coke), and I think the energy beverage craze is a joke (you want high energy levels? GET MORE SLEEP!), and so ultimately this product, at least for me, comes down to one thing: taste.In that area it's merely ok. It tastes kind of like Kool Aid fruit punch, only not quite as good. It also has a vaguely medicinal taste about it, and as I mentioned in the headline, a lingering aftertaste. Whether that taste is good not depends on how much you like the flavor. As it is, I'm wishing I had some Diet Coke around.This isn't by any means a bad product, but I'm fairly sure that you could get the same effect with sugar-free Kool Aid or the like, and probably spend a lot less money. Or, alternatively, get a good night's sleep, drink plain water and eat an orange. You'll have pretty much the same outcome. -As a lifelong Oreo lover, I just had to try these, even though I rarely eat refined sugar anymore. I was not wild about the flavor, which was not really that similar to the classic Oreo flavor. I did like the texture of the cream in the center, but I was simply not wowed by these. I missed the crunch of the cookie, too. This entire cookie is soft. It has a distinctly processed flavor, in my opinion, rather than the truly chocolatey flavor I wanted. I got the mint, and I love mint, but all in all I would not recommend this cookie. Possibly for those who are used to eating a lot of sugar and processed cookies, these might be the ticket, but I'll stick with the classic Oreo, which has a rich cocoa flavor and has never disappointed me. -I was excited to try these once I got a whiff of the contents upon opening the package. I'm a fan of good licorice...note: Twizzlers are just okay to me.The smell and consistency of this licorice are good, but the flaver is quite disappointing. It has a very weak taste of Pomegranate and for some reason I got a hint of peppermint in every bite. Maybe just the way my taste buds interpreted the licorice mixed with a little pomegranate juice (can't be much in there).I like these more than Twizzlers, but I would buy a number of other brands before these.FYI: Below are the listed ingredients and nutrition facts.Ingredients-----------Organic Wheat FlourOrganic SugarCorn SyrupOrganic Tapioca SyrupVegetable GlycerinSunflower OilElderberry ExtractCitric AcidNatural FlavorPomegranate Juice ConcentrateLicorice Root ExtractNutrition Facts---------------Servings per container: About 3.5Calories per serving: 130Total Fat 0.5gSodium 5mgTotal Carbs 32g- Dietary Fiver 2g- Sugars 10gProtein 2g -Against my better judgement, I tasted these cookies. My good judgement told me that I might have a problem eating just one. That was very true. I had a problem stopping at three.....These cookies are tasty, with no hidden trans-fats (zero grams doesn't mean that there aren't any, but in this case, there are none). I wouldn't agree that these cookies are actually gooey. They are in fact very soft and have a great chocolate taste. These cookies are very good, and I would buy them again. I just have to figure out how to hide them from myself. :) -Perfect with hamburgers or a sandwich, these chips are crispy and tasty! Full of flavor other than just salt, they don't have the sort of burning-your-face-off heat that masks any other taste. There's just a nice, slow, sweet warmth of flavor.Yum. -I hate to write a not-so-good review of a product since it's based purely on taste ... which is such a relative thing.Anyhow, I personally prefer my coffee to be sweetened, and this drink wasn't sweet enough for my taste. Since it's in a can and I drank it on-the-go, I dind't have the opportunity to pour into a glass and sweeten it some more (and who really pours this sort of drink out of the can anyhow?).Now the good stuff ... The portion size was great and would be easy to double stack in most fridges. The coffee didn't have an artificial flavor and was actually quite good. I shared a sip with a friend and she liked it very much (again, back to taste being such a subjective thing).Enjoy! -This is good coffee. It has a nice chocolate taste and nice aroma. My husband and I both really like this. We will be ordering it again. -Love it! I use this for making pancakes at least once a week. You can make more with it like coffee cakes and so on, but it's just nice to have a GOOD pancake when being gluten free. -I am a HUGE tea drinker, which stems back to the days when I worked as an intern on The Hindustan Times in New Delhi. I rotate my teas and last year when I did a special school tour under my entertainer incarnation I drive 49,000 miles, did 260 school shows -- and traveled with an electric kettle and about six kinds of teas. I have NEVER had Pu'erh tea before -- and it was not just a revelation due to its richness and rich flavor, but due to the wonderful aroma and the energy I had after drinking it. I'm a huge cardamom fan so that made this tea a plus. Since I never had this before I tried adding my usual sugar -- and actually that was TOO MUCH. Due to the cardamom I found (for me) that the tea is excellent if I just add a small amount of sugar. This tea will be a regular now in my rotation but it may well be my regular morning tea, with others rotated in place sparingly. WONDERFUL! -I'm actually not much of a tea drinker - I don't really like the taste of hot tea itself, as I often find it rather bitter, and it's associated in my memory with medicine, since my parents often gave it to me when I was sick. I do like some flavored teas, especially cinnamon, which cover up some of the tea taste and once in a while I will have some chamomile tea to relax. This tea sounded rather intriguing. Blackberry and vanilla sounded almost more like a dessert than a tea. So I thought I would try it.And I'm glad I did. The blackberry and vanilla flavors do indeed cover up the tea taste, while at the same time not being overpowering. Both flavors are distinctive. I had my husband try a sip without telling him what it was. He got the vanilla right away. He knew there was a fruity flavor which he guessed was "lemon? No, wait, raspberry or blackberry". The tea also has a pleasant, rich but mellow aroma.This tea comes in rather interesting pyramidal-shaped tea bags. I'm not enough of a tea expert to know how that affects the flavor, but these teabags don't get that unpleasant, soggy used teabag feel after being steeped, which is a plus in my book.The instructions suggest steeping for 4 to 6 minutes. For my first cup I tried 4 minutes, but that made a rather weak brew for my tastes. Six minutes worked well for me. While I was preparing my third cup, I was also preparing hot chocolate for my daughters, and when I added milk to their drinks, I inadvertently added milk to mine as well. Sometimes I like milk in my tea (to cover up the tea taste), but I don't recommend it with this tea - it doesn't go well with the blackberry flavor. I also don't think sugar is necessary, as the vanilla and blackberry both offer a hint of sweetness on their own.I don't know what a tea purist would make of this tea, but as a non-tea-lover, I found it to be just the right combination of bold and mellow with just enough sweetness to help the "medicine" go down. Recommended. -I really liked this drink. It's 100% juice with no added sugar, so even though the sugar content is a little high, it has more nutrients than soda will have any day. Switch tastes like tangy, carbonated orange drink, and that's fine with me! I didn't notice any aftertaste, and I could feel safe drinking something fizzy (and tasty, unlike sparkling water) without feeling guilty about it. But beware - each can is only 8.3 ounces, a little more than a cup. You decide if it's worth it. -I have recently lost over 60 pounds following theThe Dukan Diet: 2 Steps to Lose the Weight, 2 Steps to Keep It Off Forever. A component of that diet is daily oat bran.We've tried a couple of different brands, but we like Bob's Red Mill the best. Both the flavor and texture are superior, and I like that it's organic. I also like the company - having seen them profiled in the news. They treat their employees well and even basically gave partial ownership to their workers.For use with the Dukan diet, I find the easiest and tastiest way to prepare is to put two tablespoons in a bowl, pour in just enough skim milk to cover, then microwave for about 60 seconds. I add in organic cinnamon (cinnamon is good for blood sugar). -My first impression was that it tasted like unspiced homemade applesauce (you know, right before you can't resist adding cinnamon and nutmeg), which is kind of unusual. I looked at the ingredients and, yes, it has apple puree listed along with apple juice. I also sensed an artificial sweetener in a slight blowback of an aftertaste and, yes, there is stevia in it. Good call X2, palate. There's a calculated "crisp" flavor that a keeps it from getting bland and must be coming from a blend of apple and lemon juices and it must be due to the right apples because you can't taste lemon. It is a carefully constructed drink, an urban take on "the apple."It's enthusiastically carbonated when you open the can which gives it a little wow factor, but it loses the fizz pretty quick and in ten minutes it's flat, probably because it's more viscous than typical carbonated beverages. Sweet in a warm apple way (22 gm carbs, but would be higher in carbs without the stevia), it comes in a cool tall "apple green" energy-drink styled can that has a nice hand feel. It's not the carbonated apple juice you bring in for the kids and nondrinkers on New Year's Eve, and if you are looking for a caffiene hit it doesn't have the perfect bite and gorgeous flavors of Coke or Pepsi, nor the flavor range of Starbucks coffee drinks. It probably wouldn't "go" especially well with any food or snack because it's too particular of a flavor and more viscous than pop, but it's a nice enough stand-alone flavor. If you really like flavor concept of apple sauce mixed with apple juice and are trying to get your heart rate up (80 mg caffiene) you might really like it. -During the cooler months, I love to drink a good cup of tea. But there's nothing worse than getting everything ready to find that your tea bag broke and your have leaves floating in your tea. So now with the Lipton Pyramid, you won't have that problem anymore. The pyramid itself is made of a mesh material that's very strong so it won't have a problem with breaking. And the tea itself is delicious. The flavor of it was very delicate and relaxing. Overall it's a much better way to brew tea. -I have never heard of a savory tea, so when I heard these, my curiousity was in full set. Instead of thinking of these as a tea, think of it as a sipping broth. These teas would make great soup broths or a simmering liquid. Some of these teas were black teas, while others were green teas. Here are my thoughts on each of the six flavors:Fennel Spice (Green Tea) - This is the first flavor I tried. Fennel tastes reminiscent of licorice, so I thought it would be a safe try. After brewing this tea, I was a little hesistant to try it. It had a strong earthy scent, and I thought it would be too strong. Luckily, the taste of the tea was not earthy, but it was pleasant fennel taste (as one would expect). This tea would make a great base for a vegetable soup, but this one works well on its own too. My main complaint is just the smell. - 4/5 starsBeet Cabbage (Black Tea) - This one has a rich vibrant red color. The first thing that hit me with this tea was again, the smell. I shouldn't be surprised though, as cabbage has a notoriously strong scent. The scent was so bad, that I was tempted on to try the tea instead. Instead, I took a few small sips. This tea tastes the way it smells. I couldn't really taste beet, but I definitely tasted the cabbage. - 1/5 starsSpinach Chive (Green Tea) - Another horrible smell. At this point, I've decided that all of these will not have pleasant smell. It's not like vegetables are known for their wonderful smell. This one tasted okay. The spinach and chive was well balanced, but I'm not sure this would be a good tea to drink on its own, as it is a strong taste. - 3/5 starsTomato Mint (Black Tea) - Surprisingly, this one had a pleasant smell (just when I cad come to accept that these teas would not smell good). It smells like fresh mint and tomatoes, and I mean fresh, not like canned tomato or mint flavoring. I'm a huge fan of mint, and I like tomato soups/juices as well, but I've never had them together. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed. The mint came off like tasting like toothpaste, and I couldn't get pass that. The tomato flavor was okay, but it was overshadowed by the mint. - 1/5 starsCarrot Curry (Green Tea) - I enjoyed this tea. Along with the carrot, this one has ginger as well. Like fennel spice, this one can standalone as well. - 4/5Broccoli Cilantro (Green Tea) - This one reminded me of the spinach chive tea. The cilantro adds a bit of zing. Like the spinach chive one, this is probably a bit too strong to drink alone. - 3/5 starsMost of these teas are passable, but my favorites were fennel spice and carrot curry. Averaging the ratings, I get about 2 2/3 stars, so I rounded it up to three. -These cookies tasted fresh and crisp, with a subtle vanilla butter flavor that is good, but didn't insist I eat more. They're satisfying with a cup of coffee when you want something a bit plainer, without the frills and extras. I'll eat and enjoy them, but not sure I'd buy them often. They're good; they're not quite tempting. -I prefer loose teas. There is just a remarkable variety of teas available and in general their flavor is a bit more intense. But I also like the convenience of bag teas. This tea is a nice compromise. The 'pyramid' bags really do seem to help give a flavorful tea. They maintain their shape when put in hot water and you can visibly see more room, they act like a tea infuser.And the combination of flavors is very good. There is enough vanilla to smooth out the blackberry, the combo works well together. I personally would like some more blackberry taste, but these still quickly became one of my favorite bagged teas. -So easy to use. Pour it in a standard water bottle and drink. The flavor is delicious and it's very refreshing. -While not a huge consumer of canned iced coffee drinks I was excited to try Illy's Issimo Cappucino Coffee Drink. Other canned coffee drinks I have tried have ranged from acceptable to retched. As Illy is a respected "high end" brand of coffee, I had higher hopes than usual and overall, I was not disappointed.I poured the contents into a glass with two ice cubes. It smelled good with a light coffee fragrance. The initial taste was neutral, with a medium coffee flavor and chocolate overtones. It seemed a bit watery as well. I cannot say that it tasted a lot like a cappuccino, but overall was agreeable. After finishing the drink, I noticed no unpleasant aftertastes that can sometimes plague canned coffee drinks. The ingredients did not read too much like a chemistry experiment, so that comes as a relief.Overall, I'd rate this an enjoyable drink, not exactly something that I can say that I crave, but one that I would choose over other competitors if I wanted a cool pick me up in a pinch. I do see that they are priced on the higher end of the scale of the competition, but I would say that it merits the extra change required. -Usually I find graham crackers to be a little soft for my taste. Back to Nature's grahams are crunchy and have a great taste. In this case, apple cinnamon. The flavoring is present but not overpowering, which I enjoyed. The product is natural, I'm never sure what that means, but it usually seems to indicate a bland product, that is not the case here. I ate mine both by themselves and with a little peanut butter, I imagine that some nutella would go well them as well. Great for breakfast or a snack. -The coffe pods are quite different from the traditional all plastic k-cup design and fit perfectly, Best of all, they brew a consistently great cup of coffee and I am able to put them in our recycle unit. I get this coffee from my Amazon subscribe program and the price is excellent. -This coffee is full of soothing vanilla flavor along with the bold taste of the great coffees Starbucks makes.The package directions are for very strong coffee so I am able to use half the coffee for the amount of water. This creates a rich (but not overly strong) soothing vanilla flavored coffee. It is a cup that I love having on a rainy afternoon (or evening) with a fire going in the fireplace and a good book. My cats and I curl up in a mound of blankets and pillows and read, enjoy the warmth of the fire and the great taste of Starbucks coffee. -I used 2 of these packets in tea and got rid of the rest. I found the taste to be unpleasant - didn't seem sweet, more tart and fruity than sweet. And, I sensed a metallic like aftertaste. I thought it was terrible. But, I recognize that everyone's taste is different. You may like this just fine and you may have an entirely different application for it than mine. I also don't like Splenda, so you may like this product better if you're a Splenda fan. I just wouldn't buy a truckload of it before you sample it. -I never buy pre-ground coffee, we grind our own; however, I was tempted by the "low acid" offer, since I often have heart burn when I drink coffee. I was extremely surprised with how GOOD this coffee tasted. Seriously, I had very low expectations, and I was blown away not only by the fact that I had less heart burn, but the taste was great! It not only didn't taste like "low acid" coffee, it didn't taste pre-ground. That said, I was reviewing the prices for the low acid coffee, and it is waaay expensive. Not sure I'll be buying it - probably just stick to my big mug of sweet tea. If you can't leave coffee alone and you have heart burn, however, go ahead and try it. Recommended for taste and low acid, not for cost. -Cardamom Pu'erh Tea Bags, 16-Count*Rich pu-erh tea blended with spicy cardamom*Pu-erh is traditionally used as a slimming tea and to aid digestion*100% real, organic, non-GMO verified tea and ingredients*Pu-erh has more antioxidants that green teaAh, my first time trying Cardamom Pu'erh Tea. this caught My eye: "Pu-erh is traditionally used as a slimming tea". :)When steeped, as per instructions, the tea is not pleasantly aromatic, if ya ask Me. I would almost describe the initial steeping scent as acrid. But, I do like the finished product -- a bold, spicy taste -- especially with a little sweetener.The rich tea color is really pretty served in a clear glass or cup.Does Cardamom Pu'erh Tea sound like what you may be looking for? :) Highly Recommended! --Katharena Eiermann, 2013 -I have mainly used this product to marinade chicken breasts; we have used it for grilling three times so far this spring/summer. The flavor is fantastic. My husband is the grilling king, but even he gives some credit to the sauce, the chicken breasts have been so tender and juicy.The sauce is sweet with a little heat. None of the flavors are overpowering and the combination is surprisingly superb. The combination of sweet Mango), heat (Habanero) and the little kick of spice (Ginger) is perfect, you don't need to add any other seasonings to your meat. I have been sticking chicken breasts in a Ziploc freezer bag and then coating them with the sauce, we marinade for at least four hours in the refrigerator, turning the bag every now and again to make sure they are evenly coated. Then my husband has been putting them on the charcoal grill cooking them using the indirect method. They truly are succulent. When the chicken breasts come off the grill I brush them again with a very light coat of the sauce over me and my husbands' chicken breasts. My son finds the sauce a tad too spicy for him with the extra coating, but perfect without it.We have had one jar and have used it for approximately 12 breasts. I have also used a little to go over cream cheese on a cracker; delicious. It is a unique flavored sauce andI can't wait to try it on some grilled fish this summer. This is new favorite in our house and something we will keep on hand.Cherise Everhard, June 2009 -This is pretty good cereal. The flakes have more texture and crunch that Raisin Bran-type flakes, and there are generous amounts of fruit in the cereal. The fruit looks dehydrated, but comes to life in the milk. The box is kind of small - like a Grape Nuts box - so there's really only 2-3 bowls of cereal in the box. But it's good stuff. -These are really good licorice: chewy, sweet, GREAT flavor. Certainly better than the average store-shelf flavored licorice. However, they have an odd aftertaste that I could never quite pin down; somewhat biting, somewhat off-putting, but never quite bad. Not sure where that comes from, but it was the only reason for a 4-star instead of 5-star rating. Would I get more of these? Possibly, but if other flavors had that same aftertaste, I wouldn't get them too often. -Numi Organic Pu-Erh Ginger Tea has a very mild ginger flavor, but the more you sip the tea, the more the flavor builds. It tried it first without sweetening, and the taste was not bitter. I then added a spoon of sugar, my normal way to drink hot tea, and the taste was very pleasant. However, with my second cup, I added honey and lemon juice, and then the tea became delightful and soothing. Very relaxing and comforting after a hard day at work. I drink coffee and tea every day, and I look forward to finding new varieties to enjoy. Numi Tea has an admirable mission statement: "Numi inspires well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea. Our company is rooted in the principle of creating a healthful product that nurtures people and honors the planet. With all of our company initiatives, we strive to foster a healthy, thriving global community while bringing you the purest, best-tasting organic tea." The tea is certified organic, claims many health benefits, the tea bags are biodegradable, and the boxes are made with recycled materials. The Ginger Tea is a pleasant cuppa, and I will definitely try other varieties of Numi Tea. -Since I drink my coffee black without any creamer or sweeteners, the taste of the coffee itself really matters to me. This vanilla-flavored coffee comes ground, which saves me the step of grinding the beans myself. Even though the beans are pre-ground, the flavor after brewing was still deep and rich, and the aromatic fragrance of vanilla still permeated after I opened the vacuum sealed bag.The flavoring of the vanilla in this coffee is subtle and mild. I mention this because with some flavored coffees, a particular flavor can be quite distinct and strong, and dominate the taste of the coffee. For me personally, that can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the particular flavor; I like pumpkin spice strongly flavored, while I prefer cinnamon and vanilla to be more subtle. So, if you are looking for heavily flavored vanilla coffee, expect something a bit more subtle with this flavor.At 11 ounces, this is not a terribly large quantity of coffee for the money. That said, however, Starbucks has never been the bargain hunter's choice for economical coffee, and this is reasonably priced in relation to other speciality coffees. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/paragraph-test.movies.txt b/reference_files/paragraph-test.movies.txt deleted file mode 100644 index fbbd94772316e1de0c597f8ef8356cc4861040cb..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/paragraph-test.movies.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,154 +0,0 @@ -I heard about this on a news program. Was delighted with Season One. It was refreshing to watch from the other series I'd been watching, not that they were bad, just a bit violent. This was a new idea on an old premise, but very intriguing. Very comfortable and with great stories. The costumes are magnificent and they wear them more than once to give the Granthams and Crowleys more of a reality.Well Done! -I love this movie! All the actors are just wonderful and I am a big fan of Colin Firth. I think he does a wonderful job as Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle does a wonderful job as Miss Elizabeth Bennet. This is one of my favorite Jane Austen movies. I think it is really close to how the book was. And I really enjoy BBC television. If anyone is a Jane Austen fan, read the book first and then watch this movie. I don't think you will be disappointed. -I wasn't really interested in this when it came out in theaters. But I decided that I would like to give it a try since it was free. I really liked it. It was really creepy and funny. The movie ending was great. The foreshadowing that I really didn't pick up on til the end was great. The actors were really good and believable. I loved it and highly recommend it. -I have now watched the entire nine season run of "The X-Files" from start to finish on DVD and my primary reaction to the final season was that it was not Mulder that I missed for most of these last 20 episodes but Scully. Gillian Anderson's character is in most of these season nine episodes, but far too often she comes a bit unglued regarding her absent former partner. Granted, we have enjoyed every one of Scully's emotional outbursts throughout the years, but the explosions strike me as being excessive. When Scully is forced to play the true believer opposite the skepticism of Doggett, in the more mundane cases investigated this final season, things are fine. All things considered, the episodes that focus on Agent John Doggett (e.g., "John Doe," "Underneath," "Release") are the most interesting in the ninth season.As the final season begins Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) has once again disappeared, but this time of his own choice since he knows his presence is putting Scully and their son William in danger. Agent Doggett (Robert Patrick) is trying to find Muldar ("Nothing Important Happened Today") as part of his investigation of Deputy Director Kersh (James Pickens Jr.), but Scully and Assistant Director Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) finally convince him to drop the matter. Scully is now teaching at the FBI Academy, helping Doggett and Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish) from time to time, but fully aware that William is in danger. It is William's fate, even more than Mulder's disappearance, that defines the arc of this final season.While watching these episodes again, at midnight each night, I found myself wondering if the season could have been stronger if not only Mulder but also Scully had been jettisoned and the season had been about agents Doggett and Reyes. As a general rule in the final seasons I intended to enjoy the standalone investigations (e.g, "Lord of the Flies," "Scary Monsters"), than those that focus on the show's mythology (e.g., "Provenance," "Providence"). The final season is a mix of episodes where one week the focus is primarily on Reyes ("Audrey Pauley") and the next almost entirely on Doggett ("John Doe"). Sometimes Dogget and Reyes work together ("Daemonicus") and then again it could be Reyes and Scully ("Hellbound"), or maybe all three ("Underneath"). Things are clearly progressing more quickly with Doggett and Reyes on the romantic front ("4-D," "Release"), but then you would be hard pressed to name a couple that took longer to be a couple than Mulder and Scully. In the comedy department that standout episodes is clearly "Improbable," which features Bert Reynolds as a checker-playing God (Einstein always said God did not play dice with the universe, but he never excluded any board games).With one exception, the twisted Brady Bunch tale "Sunshine Days," the final episodes that aired are all about tying up lose ends. "Jump the Shark" becomes the final ride of the Lone Gunmen, "William" finds Scully reaching a fateful decision regarding her son, and the best of the bunch, "Release" brings closure to the unsolved murder of Doggett's son. "The Truth," the double-episode finale, proves to be unsatisfying, but I think expectations were so exceedingly high that it was impossible for fans to view the end with anything other than regret. I like the final fade out, but the trial of Mulder is clearly a mockery, which means we are treading water for most of the story until the big finish because nothing that happens there matters. There is a big bang near the end, but the saga of Mulder and Scully really ends with silence and a set up that will allow Chris Carter and the gang to do anything they want with the planned second "X-Files" movie. Final Note: It would be my recommendation that you watch all of "The Lone Gunman" episodes before or concurrently with "The X-Files: The Complete Ninth Season," so that you end you "X-Files" experience with "The Truth" and not watching "Jump the Shark" a second time. -Gripping action packed thriller of a futuristic game in which only one survivor is allowed. The tributes (forced to participate contestants) must contend with each other, the weather and days in a technologically controlled battlefield in which the goal is to try and survive while killing all others. The contestants are watched by the viewers in this life and death reality game show, where wagers are made and analysts predict the outcome. The film is well worth seeing! -Saw this one on television. Scenery and costuming are pretty good. But overall I really don't care for it. There really is nothing funning about the Holocost. Indeed the scene best showing this is when the child of the main character is briefly lead away by an Aufseherin. She is wearing a starched clean white nanny apron over her uniform complete with black boots, her face devoid of warmth; which pretty much describes the reality of this film. -I'll first start out by saying that I generally have a pretty wide range of movies I like. I rarely ever "dislike" a movie, I'm willing to watch any genre from any period at any budget, and I'm not one to harshly criticize...I generally try to always find good aspects in a movie...but this movie was absolutely terrible. About 30 minutes in I was SO bored! I would have just turned it off if I had been the only one watching it. The acting was so cheesy, the story line was lacking, the effects were poor, there were a ton of "3D" effects that were waaay over the top (we did not watch it in 3D--because we hate 3D--so it was even worse because of that). There were several plot holes and very little character development. All of these factors together = a poor film. Don't waste your money or your time. -The sets are spectucular, the costumes are so authentic I lose myself and think they are really from that period instead of a dramatization. -A good entertaining movie. The portrayal was amazing. The acting was very good. The attention to historical accuracy was superb. -What a great movie! Being a fan of the classic Universal monsters, I find that this fits in nicely with those movies, even though it was made independantly. It's obvious that this movie didn't have the budget of those, but it has a lot of heart and charm. The story revolves around a young couple, a plantation owner, and a zombie master played by Bela Lugosi. The young couple are to be married, and the plantation owner has invited them to hold their ceremony at his plantation, but he has other plans. He tries to woo the young lady away, but to no avail. As a last ditch effort, he enlists the aid of Bela Lugosi. Well, it turns out that Bela's character has plans for the young woman also. For the rest, well, you will just have to watch and see....the picture quality on this edition is quite crisp and clear, with a couple of minor distortions here and there. This is my first time veiwing this movie, and from what I read, this is the best copy available. The sound quality isn't as good, and I noticed a few drop outs here and there, but considering the age and scarcity of the material, I think the Roan Group did and excellent job in restoring this fine film. All in all, these minor flaws in quality did nothing to reduce my enjoying the movie. The sets are amazing and the movie positively exudes atmosphere. I would recommend this to anyone interested in classic horror movies. -"Open Water" is a low-budget, mildly thrilling shark flick. Sure, it has real shark action in it (except for the biting parts), but there isn't quite enough here in the way of character development to warrant more than three stars. The beginning of the flick introduces us to Susan and Daniel, two of the most annoying young adults you'll ever run into. They constantly bicker, even when they're in the middle of the ocean. I was really gunning for the sharks to take a nip of both of them just to make them shut up.The movie is rather short, but what can you really do to fill up more than about eighty minutes of a story about a couple stranded in the ocean and terrorized by sharks? It isn't as if the sharks can scheme together on how they'll make Susan stop whining. The bulk of the flick is Susan and Daniel either whining about being cold and hungry or blaming each other for being in their seaworthy predicament. This makes the film rather boring since the dialogue and acting isn't that great.The film gets good when the sharks pop on screen. They are the only reason I'm giving this film three stars. They're shown cruising beneath their victims, butting their victims, and rolling their victims. It's rather eerie to watch on the screen.Other than the shark action, however, this movie is pretty dull. The sharks really do save this picture from being a complete dud.Only recommended to fans of low-budget, "indie scary" flicks like the "Blair Witch Project." This film is much better than that one in my opinion, though. -This movie tries to act oh-so-sophisticated. But the story is a half-hearted attempt at a prequel. The script was inane. The acting was overdone. The only valid conclusion possible is that David is most definately a relative of Ash (Alien 1979). Wow, down to the severed head and everything. That's as good as it got. This film stinks on ice but it sure cures insomnia.Better off not even viewing it and just watch Alien and Aliens once again. Sorry Ridley... -and it was called "Battle Royale".I just want to say I stand firm on my opinion and review of this movie despite the barrage of spiteful and extremely petty down votes from over obsessive fans of this series looking to smite anyone who has something other than praise to give this adolescent film.I completely loved Battle Royale as it was an amazing and unbelievably good movie. It's hard to watch this and not see the similarities and also knowing that Battle Royale came out 10 years before this movie or book was even thought of. I didn't exactly buy into the hype of this movie because of so and actually took my time before deciding to sit down and watch it for the first time. This movie I think was just a bunch of hype the same as Black Swan and all those others than pop up out of no where and all of a sudden seem to capture the attention of the box office. Maybe it's one of those pictures where the book is different and much better but as a movie this one feels overly long and quite boring in a lot of parts. If you've seen Battle Royale or have not, you should definitely watch it. It goes into detail about the things this movie skimps over and explores the characters on a much deeper level. Watching The hunger games I felt I was watching almost like a B-movie rip off of Battle Royale, or how can I put it... it's a lot more toned down and that's which kills the shock value of the story. I think this is one of those movies you only enjoy if you've read the book and get to see it come alive. As for me it just didn't cut it especially since I've seen this done before only better with a much better plot. I'm sure there's die hard fanatics for "The hunger games" but if you've never seen "Battle Royale" than you really are just praising a false idol.What makes this movie even more painstaking to watch is that it is long and not very engaging. I found myself pausing the video and running off to do other tasks, and then coming back to it. The movie just seemed to go on and on and on dragging out scenes forever and then having the nerve to give you one of those open endings. This movie is over 2 hours long and the story hardly has any real dialogue to it. You'll find yourself more mesmerized by trying to figure out the ridiculous fashions of this futuristic world. To me that was the more interesting part to watch especially the awkwardly shaped beard of one of the head figure characters. What also struck me was the character Rue and the uproar about the casting for that character. I couldn't believe how nasty people were over the casting of a cute little girl to play her character that basically only had a couple of lines to say. I mean I think if you blinked you'd miss her role in this movie. It really goes to show just how petty certain people can be over absolutely nothing (probably some of these people randomly down voting reviews). Especially in the case of a movie where the race of characters was never described. The biggest surprise was seeing Lenny Kravitz in the film. I didn't even know he was in to acting but his character was random enough so whatever.The one thing I think that really hurt this movie the most was the lack of explanation in the film. The state of the society is never really explained. Why there are 12 districts and all of them are basically low class working districts and the city is lush and rich is never explained. What the "hunger" part about the entire game/story is about. They only hint at a scene where the main character is starving in flash backs or surprised to get a piece of bread from a friend saying "is this real" but that's all you get. No explanation at all as to why these districts are basically laborers that provide necessities for the well to do but live in poverty themselves. Just from the hints and I mean very few hints in the movie the children fighting all come from these repressed low class labor societies where they are picked at random to fight in these games and chosen to be the victor (btw that plot is never explained you have to piece it together yourself throughout the entire movie). It looked like the participating districts were rewarded with food or something if I saw correctly in the riots (also unexplained) but whatever. This is just a bad movie for lots of reasons but mostly for not explaining things that should be explained like the background for the story at least. There is just a simple clip shown in the movie about a war and the games sort of being like the Olympics to show that courage and strength still exists (yeah, still very pointless).Here's where Battle Royale does everything so much better. The plot of a group of students being forcefully captured by the government and thrown into a Military war/social project called "The Program". The kids are handed weapons and supplies at random and told only one of them can survive and they have to kill all of their classmates if they want to make it home alive. The kids don't really understand what is going on (not even the bombs/tracking devices) around their neck. They at first are hesitant to participate in the game but when others start killing each other it suddenly becomes a game of instinct and survival. Some of the kids form social pacts to survive, some like to survive alone, and some just enjoy killing whomever they can find, and some just refuse to participate and try to find another way out. Battle Royale does the story better because its almost like a study of human survival. You get a chance to learn about the background on the characters and their relationship to the other characters which is what makes seeing one of them die or get killed more personal. You don't get to explore any other characters in The Hunger Games but the two main characters "Bow girl" and "Guy who is useless". There's also Rue who character depth includes "These are Mocking Jays we use them to signal time in my district" and that's about as much as you get. For a 2.5hr movie I find The Hunger Games to be extremely vague in a lot of areas it shouldn't be.So basically overall... if you want to see a GOOD movie about Young adults being forced to kill other young adults watch Battle Royale. -The plot is pretty simple. Kahn (from the original series) is back and he's not to happy. Once he escaped from his exile, he could go anywhere he wanted to. Instead of doing that, he wants to go after Jim Kirk. Kahn's obsession leads to his downfall.I really liked how Kahn's need for revenge is his down fall. When Chekov is in the Botany Bay, you see that on the shelf are a lot of book. One book that really stands out is Moby Dick, kind of forshadows what's going to happen to him.With all of this is doing on, it seems that some scientists have created something called, "Genesis". Genesis can literally create life from nothing. However for this to happen, it has to destroy whatever life in on a planet or moon for this to work. In the wrong hands, it can be a weapon.It's up to Kirk and Company to stop Kahn and to save Genesis.Seeings how this is such a old movie, the transfer to blu ray is beautiful. The sound is crisp and clear and during the battle scenes is very impressive. The images on this blu ray are fantastic! The images are sharp, crisp and very clear. I was really impressed with how smoothly the transfer really went. It has some really neat extras that I haven't seen before. I really liked it.I just have one small complaint about the blu ray. The menu screen wasn't all that great. It seems that all of the Star Trek movie menu screens just have the Star Trek symbol, that's it. I feel that they could have but anything up there, but they didn't and really dropped the ball.Again, this is a fantastic transfer, I highly suggest it. If you know a Star Trek fan in your life, they'd love to have this. -I watched this last night. Still choked up today. Casting was superb, very well chosen. Acting was tremendous. Some reviewers criticized the singing of some of the actors, but in this adaptation I think the acting skills mattered more. Where voice talent was needed most, it was supplied by Ann Hathaway and Samantha Barks. Ann Hathaway (Fantine) delivered such a powerful and sadly too short performance-that's the character-though she reappears at the end as a heavenly apparition. Her performance alone is enough to want this movie. A tale of almost superhuman Christian forgiveness and charity-could be a parable. A definite must see. -The first season was pretty good. There were some changes from the book, but the story still flowed. Season two is just getting on my nerves! The changes made are absolutely ridiculous. The Jon Snow and Ygritte scenario made me stop watching and I'm not sure if I can continue. I sorta wish I didn't read the books because then maybe I would enjoy this series more.The actor and character of Theon's sister is atrocious. The story of Daenerys is horrible. The battle between the Kings guard and the Black recruits was way underplayed, and the flow of Arya's journey was cut and changed way too much. I could go on and on. I know I should expect changes, but this was written and directed as if both writer and director did not read and love the books. And I truly don't understand how the ratings are high from people who did read the books.Well, finished watching, finally. I'm totally disgusted. I just have no words to say how bad it is. A bitter disappointment. There is no magic whatsoever, like there is in the book. None. -Director John Huston takes into the underworld of crime in 1950 with ASPHALT JUNGLE. This is a dark film in all senses of the word with very few likeable characters. It's a world of illegal gambling, violence, dishonest cops and crime on all levels.Enter a mysterious older gentleman named Doc played by San Jaffe. Doc is just out of prison and is planning one last huge heist before returning to Mexico and a life full of pretty young girls. A big heist requires a skilled crew and lots of money for planning. "Upstanding" citizen Alonzo Emmerich is the answer. He supposedly has the money and connections. The plan is all set or is it? Can a criminal mind trust other criminals? Let the heist begin.I had no background on this film other than knowing it was one of Marilyn Monroe's first films. She has a small but noticeable part as Angela, the young beautiful lady being "kept" by a much older Emerich. Although her role is small, Marilyn is in all the advertising material. Her fame has that power.I didn't find a lot to like about this very dark film. As in typical film noir, it is shot in shadows and mostly at night. There is always a dark and ominous feeling to the film. No one is any good and no one can be trusted. It's a sad journey in to human failures and distress. Lovely Jean Hagen has a bittersweet role as Doll Conovan. There's not doubt she has had a bad run in life but her heart seems pure and she is madly in love with thug Dix Handley played by Sterking Hayden. Dorothy Tree as Emmerich's long-suffering invalid wife is another character who makes an impression. She is so desperate for her husband's love and attention that it is heartbreaking. Emmerich has what really matters in life yet he turns to younger woman and a gang of criminals for recreation.It's hard to watch this film when there seems no hope of redemption for anyone. The characters have all fallen to pieces in some way or another. There is no light of day or fresh start. -It was a great movie to watch. the suspense was great. It kept you attached to the movie and the snacks!!!!! -"Jeepers Creepers" is a movie I remember hearing a lot of mixed buzz about. Some people\critics hailed it as one of the scariest movies ever! While others said it ranks among the worst ever made. I had wanted to see "Jeepers Creepers" when it was firsted released,but, just never got around to it. Then, one day I just decided to rent it, since I'm a fan of the genre."Jeepers Creepers" is a movie I think that does have some suspenseful moments. I also think the film's first half bour is brilliant. And by that I mean, it's set-up is wonderful. The suspense slowly builds up because we don't know what kind of movie we are in for. We have no way of knowing where this plot will take us. As for dialogue well, the film suffers, and the movie has too many loop holes that don't bring the movie together, plus, it just gets plan silly. But, I'm getting ahead of myself here."Jeepers Creepers" starts off as a brother and sister Trish (Gina Philips) and her brother Darry (Justin Long) are driving home from school. Soon they encounter a strange driver on the road who nearly runs them right off the road. As they drive on, they see him again, this time, he's off the road, and they see him throwing bodies down a pipe. Now, all of this believe it or not works. But, what happens inbetween this, doesn't work.First of all, the two kids start talking about their mother. Okay, what about her? I don't know. They say that she's change, that she;s not herself anymore. OK, why? Does she have a physical problem? Is she breaking up with her husband? Did her husband die? Or is she just lonely? We never know. Information is given to us, but, it's never completed. We know Trish (Gina Philips) breaks up with her boyfriend, why? The writers were just trying to make this characters have a conversation for the film doesn't become boring until the action happens. But, why make the characters talk about things that won't have anything to do with the movie. We don't want to hear it. Why not try writing USEFUL dialogue?After the first half hour, the film become odd, but, I was willing to go along with it. We find out something about the driver in the begining of the movie (don't worry I won't spoil it). And then we start to second guess our opinion of why we rented this in the first place. So now, the film just becomes silly. Here's an example, the kids are soon told they whenever they hear the Harry Warren song "Jeepers Creepers" expect trouble. Never in all my life would I have expected the song "Jeepers Creepers" to represent evil! Also, we are told that the "crepper" attacks ever 23 years! And the funny thing is, no one else knows about this. That leads to another question. Exactly how long has this been going on?Director Victor Salva is not a talentless director I feel. He might be able to actually make a good, scary horror flick one of these days. He just needs to prepare himself better. That's what really breaks this film. The elements are there for a good movie, but, they just weren't used properly. Maybe "Jeepers Creepers 2" will be better. Who knows. I personally would advise you not to watch this movie. If you like the teen horror genre I prefer "Scream", "I Know What You Did Last Summer", and "The Glass House".Bottom-line: Suspensefull, but ultimately silly horror film that just doesn't scare us enough but makes us think of what could of been. Decent acting, so-so scrpit. -This is a well made movie of the all time great musical, based on the Gaston Leroux novel, which was published as a serial in 1909-1910.It's an excellent transformation from the stage to the screen- the changes to make the stage production "cinematic" are sensitive.The performances are excellent. The costumes and staging are superb, and the direction is sensitive to the subject matter.For anyone who loves the Lloyd Webber musical, this is a must- as a movie you can watch to enjoy in its own right, as well as a reminder of the play and its music.At the Amazon price, it's excellent value! -I really was moved by Brokeback Mountain. It is a sad and often touching film, that should be seen at least once by anyone interested in cinema. The direction by Ang Lee is flawless in almost every frame.I was angered by the film for not giving a clear explaination for one of the character's death. I now feel differently. It is best for the viewer to think what they want about it. It was the death itself and how it affected the other characters that was important in the film. The death itself will affect the viewer, and Del Mar's reaction to it is heartbreaking.Some reviews mention the makeup, cloths and other superficial aspects of the film. They are not important to enjoying the film.The acting, direction and story are why the film should be seen and even studied.A student will find writing a thesis on the story, the film or book a great challenge. There are things in the film, subtle things, that get missed during one viewing. If you want to know what I am talking about, see the film again. Look closly at every scene; take it all in. I have not yet read the book.Brokeback Mountain is a wonderfully sad and disturbing film. It may have it's amusing moments, they are few. This film is about love, lust and life. Live's without committment, where lies do more damage than aweful truths. -This is what DVD's are made for. The plethora of special features makes this possibly the best put together DVD out there right now, all DVD's should be made like this, but now onto the movie itself. From the start, Episode 1 had a lot going against it. Few people thought it could live up to the original trilogy, combined with the hammy acting and excessive CGI effects, not to mention everyone's constant bitching and moaning about Jar-Jar Binks, I was surprised it made as much money as it did (then again its a Star Wars movie). Ewan McGregor is great as the young Obi-Wan, while Liam Neeson brings a strong, silent edge in his role. Jake Lloyd however, can't act to save his life. All his lines sounded so forced and unconvincing, not to mention the fact this is the kid who is supposed to become Darth Vader, I just can't see that cute little kid becoming such an evil force. Ray Park is good as Darth Maul, only I wish we could have seen more of him, and the final fight scene is great as well. George Lucas has totally commercialized the Star Wars saga, and it shows here which drags the movie down a lot (he had said he thought about casting N*Sync as Jedi Knights in Episode 2 to please his daughter), and the total credibility that the series once had quickly fades away by the time the credits start rolling. However, I'm thankfull that Episode 2 is much better than Episode 1, but hardcore Star Wars fans will love it either way. Bottom line: great DVD, ok movie. -Spoilers thar be, Maytees.Is a man created by man still a creature of God or is it a monster? Do we have the right to create meta-human life? What if we are the children of unknown fathers? For answers please consult Frankenstein. For self-important, barely comprehensible drivel please consult Prometheus.Great direction can save poor scripts. A director seduced by CGI shooting an incredibly weak screenplay by an overrated pair of writers will not. How on Earth Lindelof and Spaihts got the gig is beyond me. There are strong writers in Hollywood and others trying to get a break that could have done a better job, a MUCH better job.Ridley Scott, like Spielberg, has forgotten what making a raw, honest movie is like and is far too distracted with how excessive CGI can make it look pretty. Alien was a dark, cold, spartan film set in a bleak, merciless universe. The budget and effects limitations at the time meant that Scott had to use his imagination to create dread. Here he has all the money and effects he can ask for and the resulting film is the polar opposite. Less is more. A filmmaker like Scott should know that. All 4 Alien movies were filmed on a soundstage (save for one 'beach' shot in Alien 3). They were confined and claustrophobic. Prometheus is set in massive, wide-open spaces, which I assume is supposed to make us feel desolate and isolated. But when it cuts back and forth between interior and exterior so much the opposites negate each other, meaning we feel neither confined nor abandoned.The story is set a number of years before Alien in which a bunch of expendable characters (including a lot of nobodies) travel to a distant planet (a 4-year round trip) to find the beings that created life on Earth. When they get there they discover...a load of confusing, muddled nonsense that is far from frightening and is only just barely above mildly interesting.Alien was populated with 7 single or double-syllabled characters that felt real and authentic thanks to their quiet interactions and dialogue. We learned their names and positions quickly. Prometheus has more characters than I can count (some appear out of nowhere and quickly disappear as fast) with some of them not even being coherently named. Not that coherence is this film's strong point.Noomi Rapace is cute as Elizabeth Shaw, the lead scientist who believes in 'The Creators' (the Space Jockey creatures), but she's very miscast. Michael Fassbender as android David is the only other character who gets a notable amount of screen time. You'll care about none of them.Scott once said that the film wasn't a prequel to Alien (after originally announcing that it was) then changed his mind a short while later. If this was supposed to keep us intrigued it didn't work. If anything it only got the confusion going before anyone even saw the movie.It has some lofty ambitions, and succeeds at neither of them. The opening scene of a Creator sacrificing himself at an indefinite point in history to create mankind by putting his DNA into our water is nonsense. Was disintegrating himself the only way of doing this? Could he not have just bled into the primordial soup? Did he create the dinosaurs too? Was it a scene set just after the last ice age? Did they accidentally create primates in the process? Why did they create us in the first place? How did the early civilizations learn of the Creators? Did they visit? Why did they have a star map that led to a planet that was just a testing field?The creation of the famous Xenomorph Alien is so convoluted and preposterous. Let's see if you can follow this:Android David finds a vase of goo in the pyramid/mountain place. He touches it to his finger. He deliberately puts his finger into Holloway's champagne, infecting him as he ingests. Holloway gets sick. Before the symptoms become obvious he mates with his infertile lover Elizabeth. She becomes pregnant and quickly goes into labor. She aborts her 'hell baby' by caesarian section but just leaves it there in the operation room. Some time later the angry Creator is attacked by the full grown hell baby and is consumed by it, to a degree, for unknown reasons. That dead Creator then births a primitive Xenomorph.Pardon me, but that is a load of garbage. I honestly cannot believe something that ludicrous made its way into, what is essentially, an Alien movie. The original had so much purity and mythos. Did Ridley Scott not even watch his own movie for pointers? Lindelof and Spaihts have really painted themselves into a corner with that dumb ending too. When Shaw gets to the real Creator planet she will be the only human being in the film, if that is the way the speculative sequel will go.The mystery of the Space Jockey has been completely ruined. It could have been so much better. But Scott needs to be brought back down to Earth (pun intended) and he should have chosen his writing team more wisely. Still, it was nice to hear Jerry Goldsmith's Alien theme, albeit briefly. -This movie was fantastic! Jennifer Lawrence's performance really warranted that Oscar win...and even though I loved "Lincoln" and Daniel Day Lewis's performance was superb, after seeing Silver Linings I was really disappointed that Bradley Cooper didn't win instead. Phenomenal performance!!! The academy owes him for this one. If you haven't seen this film, I highly recommend!!! HIGHLY!!! -***1/2 Anyone even remotely contemplating getting involved with drugs, either legal or illegal, would have second thoughts after seeing "Requiem For a Dream," a cautionary tale brilliantly directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring the magnificent Ellen Burstyn in an Oscar-nominated performance.In confronting the issue of drug addiction, Aronosky (who co-wrote the screenplay with Hubert Selby Jr.) has chosen to tell two stories that, although they run along basically parallel tracks for most of the film's duration, do occasionally intersect. That point of intersection is the mother/son relationship between Sara Goldfarb, a lonely widow living in a rundown tenement in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, and her son, Harry, a ne'er do well loser hooked up with a couple of junkies, one of whom is his girlfriend, Marion. Harry and his friends are well on their way to becoming addicts when the movie opens and, until the supply suddenly peters out, the three of them are having the time of their lives. Unfortunately, once they hit hard times, all hell breaks loose and their lives quickly become a downward spiral into withdrawal, crime, prostitution, illness and prison. This is the more conventional side of the screenplay. Where the film really charts new territory is in the concomitant half which is focused on Sara, a well meaning woman whose obsession to lose a few pounds results in her becoming addicted to doctor-prescribed amphetamines. For Sara, this leads to an eventual descent into disorientation, hallucinatory episodes and, eventually, madness.Some may find Aronosky's blunt directorial style to be overemphatic, hammer-like and off-putting. To approximate the feeling of dislocation caused by the various drugs, the director employs a wide variety of cinematic techniques at his disposal: sped up motion, jarring quick cuts, visual distortion etc. Though it can become a bit much at time, one has to admire the effort to bring the viewer as much into the minds of the characters as is conceivably possible using the resources of filmmaking. The film is both unsparing and unflinching in showing the physical and psychological damage drugs can cause. The last section of the film, though it could be accused of lacking subtlety, nevertheless becomes a harrowing journey into a world filled with confusion, despair and pain.Burstyn makes Sara a compelling and sympathetic figure from the very start. Alone in her drab room, she watches T.V. all day, dreaming of the time when she will matter to someone again. Burstyn does a brilliant job in showing how, thanks to her increasing addiction, Sara slowly loses her grip on reality and slips over into schizophrenia and madness. And though we are appalled by the anti-social behavior both of her son, Henry, and of his cronies, we come to see even them in three-dimensional terms, especially through Harry's obvious love of his mother and the tenderness that develops in Harry and Marian's relationship. The revelatory moment occurs when Harry realizes that his mother is also addicted to drugs, yet how hollow his words sound as he admonishes her to kick her habit. Even he can do little but break down in tears during the cab ride home and return to his own self-absorbed drug addicted life. (This is the last time we ever see them together as their lives diverge to follow their own paths towards mutual self-destruction).Special note should be taken of Clint Mansell's subtle and haunting musical score, which brings an air of melancholy uneasiness to this strange world of the drug-addicted mind.Brilliantly acted and superbly directed, "Requiem For a Dream," though not always easy to watch, reveals uncompromising truths that cannot be ignored. -I can understand why everyone would want this to succeed, but there are three reasons why it didn't. First of all, you would think Warner Brothers would learn from the reinvention of the Batman franchise they nearly killed. I always thought the target audience should be adults, and then would eventually make it down to kids. This kind of campy storytelling will not be tolerated by the public at large anymore.Secondly, I felt there was some sentimental value attached to this film due to the passing of Christopher and Dana Reeve to not allow a more objective critique of the film. I'm not coming down on Brandon Routh at all. I think he did a wonderful job taking the Superman mantle. Aside from a few poor casting choices (Bossworth and Posey). The cast carries out very good performances. Not surprising was Kevin Spacey's marvelous performance as Lex Luthor. While clearly differing from Hackman's performance. Spacey offers a more jubulent take which adds more depth to the character.And third, what made this film lose its cohesiveness was the direction of the story. Bryan Singer did a great job of re introducing the characters. But after that failed to take the movie in a clear direction. So in truth, you only need to see the first half of the film. After the second half you might end up scratching your head.A shout to the people at Warner Brothers. You boys clearly don't have a clue wether you have a good thing or a bad thing so I'll make this real simple. Either hire a competent writer to tell a good story or sell the rights to make these movies. Superman is a good character with a wealth of material in the mythos to use. And it shouldn't be butchered by the likes of you. Take notice folks, Donner's films are going to out gross this one too. -When Aileen Wournos was at large, I was in my teens and living in Central Florida, following the story with sick fascination. I grew up in Marion County, and the first thing I looked for when I saw this movie was accurate depiction of the area, accents, and overall look of the sets. Gotta say, I felt like I was home again.Charlize Theron goes through a major transformation for this movie, where she plays Central Florida serial killer, Aileen Wournos. Not only is the make up and the extra thirty pounds striking as she was uglied down for this role, but her mannerisms, accent and general attitude complete the illusion. Charlize looks so much like Aileen Wournos that when you put her picture next to the real killer's, the resemblance is so uncanny that it gives chills. She also looks a lot like James Hetfield of Metallica fame, but then, so did Aileen Wournos.Her performance is perfect, and Christina Ricci as her selfish, lesibian lover gives a performance that is also well worth watching. Ignorant of her lover's crimes, she pushes her to make more money for them, never realizing until much later that the money is coming from the dead men that are appearing all over Central Florida.Are we expected to feel sorry for Aileen Wournos now that we have the background on how and why she snapped and became this monster? Are we supposed to be sorry that we went to the electric chair? No. While this movie shows us that Aileen's first murder was in self defense, and the second murder was made easier by the post traumatic stress of her first experience, we also see that the other killings are completely calculated and her victims were generally innocent people. Briefly, we see her anguish at killing during an especially disturbing murder scene, but Wournos was not that sorry, so that scene doesn't inspire sympathy for her so much as it leaves a person feeling cold.I would have given this movie five stars except for one thing. The relationship she has with Shelby (Ricci) is too drawn out and slow in developing at first. Then, it seems to be more important than the murders, because we have more screen time with Theron and Ricci making out, arguing, or otherwise planning their next move than we do anything else, which seems to put the murders on the backburner.However, if you want disturbing non-fiction, this movie disturbs on two levels. The first is Charlize Theron herself. She is freakin' amazing. The second is the actual story. It is very hard to watch, but you will be glad you did. -Brian De Palma's Body Double is an underrated gem of a suspense/thriller. Released in the early 1980's, it was bashed for being too derivative of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window and Vertigo, plus being too sleazy at the same time. But in all honesty, I feel these aspects actually worked together to make a truly tight, suspense-filled, edge of your seat thriller.Jake Scully (Craig Wasson) is an actor who thinks he has it all until he discovers he's been fired from his current work and his girlfriend Carol (Barbara Crampton in a 5 second cameo) is sleeping with another man. While looking for work, he encounters a guy named Sam Buchard (Gregg Henry), another actor looking for work. Sam, noticing how unhappy Jake is, offers him the chance to sit a house that belongs to a friend of his. Jake gladly agrees for he has no home to go to. After the first night in this new home (it's actually a cool one too) he peeks through the telescope by the window and sees the neighbor (Deborah Shelton) doing an erotic striptease and masturbation dance. This continuous observation leads Scully to the world of pornography and a porn star named Holly Body (Melanie Griffith), who may hold the answer to a crime he witnessed.It was late around midnight when I watched this film and I was feeling a bit sleepy but Body Double kept me wide awake and in suspense for all of its 2 hour running time. Honestly, I never expected this movie to be that good. Primarily, the most important aspect is if the movie delivers suspense, and that it does. Extremely well, too, might I add. Brian De Palma can be thanked for this. Who can forget the tunnel scene, the venture into the mall, the crime Scully witnesses, and the really creepy climax. Brian De Palma is truly one of the modern masters of suspense and should direct more films like this. What makes the suspense work is mainly because of the fact that Wasson is alone in his investigation. It creates a strong foreboding atmosphere. The great musical score doesn't hurt either. Another asset are also some surprising and unpredictable plot twists that occur. I was surprised I didn't have it figured out toward a certain point despite some good clues (and the fact that Wasson's character figures out part of the mystery with the same amount of hints and clues as the viewer has). Watching the movie again is also fun just to re-examine the twists and see how they worked out.Yes, the film does have a countless amount of nudity in it but it's actually vital to the movie. After all, how would Wasson's character witness the crime if he didn't have the proper motivation to peep on his neighbor. It's an interesting look at voyeurism and how it affects a person. Yes, some moments are a bit sleazy such as when Wasson is watching the X-rated channel. But I can cut that part some slack since it is actually quite humorous and it also leads to another plot twist.Speaking of humor, that's another element that surprised me. I never expected it, but Body Double does have its humorous moments that lighten up the tone a bit. Some of its subtle while other parts are actually quite hilarious (especially if you watch it with a friend), especially De Palma's portrayal of X-rated films. Don't think that the humor hurts because it by no means meanders the suspense. It just makes the film more entertaining.Acting wise, Body Double is quite good. Craig Wasson is terrific as the everyday guy who gets caught up in some events beyond his control. Melanie Griffith is also fine as Holly Body though her character wasn't quite developed well enough. Deborah Shelton is okay as the neighbor Wasson constanly peeps on. She actually develops into a likeable character despite the fact that you know what her fate is early on in the film. Look for Dennis Franz as an independent horror film director.In the erotic thriller genre, Body Double certainly ranks at the top. It feels genuinely suspenseful and it never manipulates the viewer like so many other films of the genre do. And as a sidenote, watch the movie at midnight for the full effect, just like I did. It'll make the scenes at night with the Indian a whole lot creepier. -I was really shocked when I watched this film and realized that it made no sense at all. Vronsky the lover, is so pretty, he competes with Anna for good looks. The one saving grace in the film is Jude Law who plays his part perfectly. But he isn't in the film that much, it is mainly her, Anna, who slides in and out of stylized sets looking much like a wax figure at a museum display. She does this very odd thing with her face throughout the film, twisting her lips into what looked to me like fake snarls. It was very disconcerting to see such a lovely woman deliberately make her face unattractive. The costumes and sets are gorgeous, and it's fun to watch if only for that reason. The story itself is a big disappointment. -And I say I wasted 1.5 hours because that's all of the movie I could sit through. I didn't even bother getting to the end. The worst thing is that this movie had a roster of great actors (Michael Shannon, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe, Chris Meloni, Lawrence Fishburn) but couldn't do anything with them. Their talents were wasted in this flick. The script was poor and the storyline didn't make sense. Did anyone who produced this movie read the Superman comic books? One of the main parts of the original comic that makes Superman fascinating is the fact that no one knows who Superman is, particularly Lois Lane. The Clark Kent alter ego makes the story interesting. Instead they make Clark out to be some drifter with no purpose in life. What nonsense!!Also, what made the original Superman movie (and other big budget films of the 70s like Star Wars and Close Encounters) was that less is actually more. Its time for Hollywood to get off its CGI addiction and get back to simple, down to earth special effects. Back then, the production effort was spent on characters, storyline and special effects. These days its all about the visual graphics and not about the story. Its a direction for disaster. Its why low budget films like The Kings Speech make $100M and run away with Oscars and Man of Steel lays a fat egg at the box office and burns a hole in the movie studio's wallet. -I received it in good time and so far I haven't had any discs fail. The picture quality and sound are fantastic, and I didn't find any green tint in the movies. -THis is what comedies are all about. This movie is an example of how a comedy can be really great. The cast is in top notch performance, the special effects are fantastic but not overwhelms the movie, God, everything is fantastic here. You can see clearly that all the actors,. the director, everyone involved believe in what they are doing and are havin fun doing it. Congratulations !! -Greatest movie from Disney since the Lion King! The plot is great and the two princess are extremely lovable! It is great for children and adults alike! As a college student, my friends and I frequently watch this movie on girls night, and everyone loves it and can sing along with pretty much every song! Wonderful movie that I would eagerly recommend! -Season two was very interesting. Some of the plot was a bit disappointing. When will lady Edith ever find happiness? -Spider man 3, the final installment of spider man was, as expected, overdone. it followed the footstep of X-men and Pirates and other trilogies that wanted to end with a gigantic finish...except that the gigantic part was gigantic in all the wrong parts.to start off, 2 villians do keep us entertained...if they actually make sense that is. But both don't. the writers kept it a little too big, basically made both villains nearly invinsible, then at the end gave us a laughable end-of-villian finish. For example the sandman, after he's been bombed at, flushed at, shot at, beat at, thrown at.... and still live on to create more destruction, he just SUDDENTLY realized that what he was doing was wrong and then went like: "I was wrong, okay now I'm gonna go gone with the wind now" WHAT?!the venom was about the same thing, an invinsible being who is scared of bell sounds???? it's as ridiculous as saying a dragon is scared of the color red. Not convincing at the least.the theme tried to stick to the whole "superhero can't have girlfriends and normal life thing" but it still failed. Because the reasons were pretty damn weak: Peter got bad because he was infected by the venom; Mary-Jane breaks up with Peter for saving his life. none of these things actually SHOWS convincingly that superhero CAN'T have a normal life, just that when new villains came, relationship gets screwed up (the venom just HAPPENS to fall where Peter and Mary Jane is, RIIIIGHT)...which doesn't even make much sense.overall this was a huge disappointing follow-up of the last one, which was the best super-hero movie I have ever seen. the only reason I gave this movie 3 stars is because of its special effects, and Toby dancing of course. -Great Movie. Bought this for my wife as a chick flick. Found myself watching it several times.Movie has s few gross scenes that could have been left out. -From the widespread raves, you'd think this fairly thin coming of age tale was Shakespeare. It's not. It's an adaptation of a book I never read, but the title was slapped onto the movie to help sell it without any true reference to it in the film. Meryl Streep is the one to watch here. Her performance is outstanding. But the rest is rather cliched slapstick. I expected something more sophisticated. Silly me. -Having quickly become a modern classic on stage and in acting circles, Closer-the film is also a landmark.Thirty years removed from Carnal Knowledge, Mike Nichols deftly guides this present day expose of how men and women damage each other in relationships, how impulse and instinct conflict with emotion and the heart, truly the ultimate of matters for us all.The acting is stellar, in particular Portman and Owen (both nominated for Academy Awards) as the initial foils for their partners Law and Roberts, respectively. But these are equal opportunity betrayals, put over on each other over the course of four years. The use of Damien Rice's "O," the direction by Nichols, and the film adapted screenplay by the play's writer/creator Patrick Marber are also excellent.This isn't remotely a comedy, despite moments of levity-particularly Owen-and is a sad case for the complexity of cosmopolitan culture and attitude, an absence of obescense and perspective other than whimsy and vengeance-traits that usually result in damage, especially in relationships.Such an expose, an introspection, an analysis makes this the standout it is. This will hold up over time too, because simple, direct subjects, like how and why and what happens when people struggle against each other in intimate relationships, is a subject that will never be tired. -I find it sad that reviewers such as "A Kid's Review" (only one of quite a few) found it necessary to use personal attacks as a way of conveying their lack of spiritual understanding of or enthusiasm for the film. (Saying over and over again that they wish Mel had made another Mad Max film only shows they did not have the ability or desire to consider what the film was about. You probably should not have seen it since you are clearly unable to grasp the truth of His message.)That said, I will not lower myself again to the same level as other reviewers who attack differing personal spiritual views as a means to criticize the film - I can only suppose it is because they are threatened by the message. If you didn't like the film, say why you didn't like the film. Don't call people who DID find the film a profoundly moving experience idiots because you can't understand our faith. It is only demonstrating your own ignorance to do so. If you choose not to believe that Jesus was who he was portrayed as in "The Passion of the Christ" and in the Bible, that is your opinion and you are welcome to it. But save the intellectual drivel about how anyone who does believe is deluded and cannot think for themselves. Learn to read and research and you might be surprised at what you learn. And - By the way - I am a Christian (NOT Catholic) who was brought up Unitarian. I know how to read and think for myself! I'm not being blindly lead. Free will is a basic point of Faith. I use my free will to believe. You use yours to ridicule. I'm sad for you.In terms of visual message, this film was spectacular. The cinematography is amazing. It truly conveys the anguish most involved experienced - not just Jesus and his followers. For those who claim that His message is missed in the film, I call your attention to the last moments on the Cross when the other men there had the chance to choose their path - the redemption one received while the other continued to ridicule. That is the bottom line message - the redemption and forgiveness that is available to all.I have seen many reviews that criticize Mel for making it too violent. I find this ironic. Have you watched the violence out there on film, in video games, even on TV? I certainly have plenty of it in my film library. Our culture has become immune to it. I expect that had the violence not been portrayed so graphically the film would have lost substantial impact. That said, it was the most difficult film I have ever watched and I cried throughout the film in the theater, but I purchased the DVD. I will watch it again when I feel I need to be reminded of the sacrifice that was made on the behalf of all who believe - and all who do not. -A movie with such a title that is about the scary and dark void called "space," you'd expect to be thrilling. Well, I have to tell you this movie is beyond thrilling. This film is a perfect combination of "Matrix" and "Inception" and will pump your adrenaline to a maximum level! "Gravity" is a life time experience that everyone must see! If you add to the mix that Sandra Bullock and George Clooney star in it as main characters, it just doesn't get better than that!Since this movie has so many genres, it's hard to tell its main one. This movie has adventure, comedy, sorrow, suspense, thrilling scenes, intense scary scenes and so much more! The main one out of all these fantastic genres is definitely suspense. You walk in feeling bored and tired and you walk out feeling like Ryan Stone in the movie. (Sandra Bullock)The thrilling adventure begins when a young medical engineer named Ryan Stone goes up in space to help with installations for the Hubble Telescope. It seems like a casual spacewalk, but when she gets stranded away from her ship, "Explorer," she needs to get back to Earth by hitching a ride on a different station. If you want to find out how and if she and her co-worker, Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) make it back to Earth alive, you have to watch the film.The movie has so much adventure and so many impressive and clear graphics, it's hard not to like it! You feel like you are right there, experiencing whatever the main characters experience. The acting is amazing and there is deep meaning behind it - what would you do, if you were alone in the deepest and darkest part of this entire universe, with nobody but yourself? What would your thoughts be? Would you be able to remain hopeful or just give up and let Space take you? The camera work is the best I've ever seen. Alfonso Cuarón, I give you standing ovation for directing this masterpiece.My favorite scene is when Ryan is stuck in a damaged escape pod with no fuel. She thinks she's stranded. Before she decides to give up and loose hope of returning to Earth, she starts to see Matt. Matt gets in when she does not have her helmet on and shows her that she can get back. As soon as his statement is over, he's gone. She hallucinated him but the plan worked! It's a very interesting and important scene in the movie and that's why I like it.The movie is rated PG-13 and I honestly think it is appropriate for age 12 to 18. I give it 5 out of 5 stars and it is showing in theaters everywhere right now. I may be wrong, but I predict Oscar nominations for the cast and director of "Gravity." Let's see what happens in 2014!Reviewed by KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Gerry O. For more youth reviews go to kidsfirst.org -Couples are central to BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER throughout its seven-year run, so how might one pair the seasons themselves?If Seasons One and Two of BUFFY are Origin Years-- establishing the show's mythos in Season One, then stretching and deepening them in year Two-- then Seasons Three and Four are definitely Years of Consolidation, playing with, clarifying and reorganizing the show's fictional universe and strengthening the bond between show and viewer before diving into the darker, riskier events of Seasons Five and Six (which we might call Years of Daring and Yearning). (What about Season Seven, you ask? Well, let's just leave it standing alone in the corner, looking at its shoes and crying because no one wants to hang with it (and can you blame them?)."Consolidation" has a compromised tone to it, but that's not what I mean. Seasons Three and Four are excellent. It's not a question of quality, which on Buffy was almost always high, but tone-- these are more playful seasons than those that precede and follow, and there's a wittiness to the way in which series creator/auteur Joss Whedon puts his characters through their paces. Season Three, in particular-- from "Band Candy" and "Homecoming" through "The Zeppo" and the mayor's speech in "Graduation Day"-- is full of humor.The brightness extends to the show's look-- Buffy switches from darker 16mm stock to 35mm, giving the show a brighter look. We see more of Sunnydale, here too-- coffee shops, town streets, and the glowing green sign of the Sunnydale cinema. Darkness doesn't disappear-- the show, particularly in the first half of the season, is forced to grapple with the events of the season that preceeded it-- but this is certainly Buffy's most optimistic season, and that optimism may account for its popularity with fans. Season Three was the highest-rated of any Buffy year in the Nielsens, and this year and the next were the height of the show's media buzz.It speaks volumes about how Buffy juggles tones that I can write the above with absolute conviction and then turn around and tell you that the show grapples, in its first four episodes alone, with teen suicide, homelessness, broken families, the dark underbelly of fundamentalism, the return of a murderer, the arrival of a rival slayer, and a mayor who has cheerfully sold his soul to demonic forces. To say nothing of such Buffy staples as the horror of high school, the mendacity of teenage cliques and the glorious pain of doomed love.So, ok, "optimism" and "wit" are relative terms. There are moments in Season Three that are heartbreaking, times when characters must grapple with fear, loss, betrayal and disappointment. The genius of Joss Whedon and his writers is that they give the fans exactly what they want...exactly when they *don't* want it. Whedon is not a moralist (a type that almost always comes in for criticism and mockery on his shows), but his work does have an ethics to it-- there are consequences to actions, and every moment, good or bad, always contains an element of its opposite. Ambiguity reigns in the BuffyVerse, and Season Three, for all its humor, contains moments when even the most seemingly "innocent" of Buffy folk are held up for sympathetic scrutiny.Still, moreso than any other season, Season Three ultimately grants its characters a level of grace and closure unusual for this normally open-ended show. Even the "villains" are more sympathetic than usual, and far more out in the open. It normally takes the show several eps to establish what fans refer to as "the big bad" for the year, but here, in keeping with the lighter, open tone, it's established early on (by the third episode) that the season's uber-villain is the Mayor, a deceptively young-looking family man who was granted eternal life and great power by demonic forces. The mayor is my favorite of all of the program's "big bads," a testament both to the ability of the writers to throw curve-balls at their audience and to the great humor and geniality that Harry Groener brings to the role. Whether he's expounding on the genius of the FAMILY CIRCUS ("That PJ!") or telling hard truths to Buffy and Angel, Groener always makes his villainy charming, almost incidental-- you *like* him, and he, like every one on the show, is granted moments of humanity and understanding rare in television characterizations (incidentally, it's been mentioned in interviews that the Mayor is based on series writer/producer (and later ANGEL co-creator) David Greenwalt, and once you know this, it is impossible to watch one of the many greenwalt interviews on the Buffy/Angel sets without laughing).I don't want to give away any plot twists, but I do want to make brief mention of: the arrival of Wesley-Windam Price, a character who will become more important in the program's spinoff, ANGEL; the real-world arrival to the show of writer Jane Espenson, who will write more great Buffy eps over the remaining seasons than anyone aside from Joss Whedon; the wonderfully expanded role of Buffy's mom, played by the fabulous Kristine Sutherland, who has more good moments here than in any other year; the rough charm and deep passion Eliza Dushku brings to Faith, the rival vamp slayer; and the usual outstanding work of series regulars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Charisma Carpenter, David Boreanez, Seth Green, Nicholas Brendan, Alyson Hannigan, and the always amazing Anthony Stewart Head.The other way to divide the history of the show, of course, is between high school and post-high school seasons. Season Three marks the dividing line between these two periods, and had the show ended here, it would have been logical and fulfilling, if also deeply disappointing. The remaining seasons of Buffy find the characters shifting, growing, regressing, and hitting new depths (and the show, new heights). Challenges lay ahead, for both characters and fans, but that was good-- after all, no one wants to be happy *all* the time. -I really wanted to like this movie, and, admittedly, there are some good moments. But seeing as the studio gave Bryan Singer all the money in the world, plenty of time, and quite a bit of creative control and artistic license (I cannot imagine that DC comics was eager to have Superman portrayed as a deadbeat dad!), there should be more than just a few good moments. Here are the main problems, in no particular order:1) Brandon Routh is not a good Superman. When he is Clark Kent, he mostly closely resembles Max Fisher from `Rushmore.' But Max Fisher would have been a better actor. The worst thing is, and I don't know this was Routh's idea or Singer's, but he does a note-for-note impersonation of Christopher Reeves. IMO this is just plain ghoulish, considering that the beloved Reeves died just 2 years before this movie. The various James Bond actors have all played the character with at least slight differences. Each actor playing Superman has, up to this point, played the character very differently: Kirk Allyn, George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, and Dean Caine each brought a different interpretation of the character. Why in heaven's name Singer had Routh simply ape Reeves is beyond all comprehension, unless Routh is simply so horrible an actor that he could not be allowed to make the role his own. On the plus side, Brandon Routh has caused me to give greater respect to Kirk Allyn, and to put George Reeves and Christopher Reeve upon even higher pedestals.2) Kate Bosworth is simply the weakest, blandest, most boring Lois Lane ever. Not only is there no chemistry with Routh, she has no chemistry with anyone. She appears simply to have been cast for physical attractiveness and demographic appeal. But on the upside, she enhances my already great appreciation of Noel Niell, Phyllis Coates, and Margot Kidder.3) Kevin Spacey is usually a good actor, and I guess you could say he gives a good performance here, but ultimately I think he is not quite what Lex Luthor should be. But maybe if he'd had a decent script. I don't object to Luthor being played as a closeted gay, Lyle Talbot played Luthor that way in the 1950 movie serial. But ultimately Spacey is a little camp in the role, even more camp than Gene Hackman in 1978.4) Ultimately, the script is bad. [SPOILER ALERT:] As much as it must have simply reeked with dramatic temptations, the idea that shortly after bedding Lois, Superman would just fly off into space for 5 years is absurd and offensive. The real Superman, being raised on Kansas farm, would have too much Midwestern sexual guilt to permit him to just desert Lois for 5 years while she incubates his baby and marries someone else. This is creepy. Also, there is a scene in which Superman uses his X-ray vision to spy at Lois, her husband and baby in their home. I'm sorry, but Superman should not be a Superstalker.5) Speaking of the script, there is a lack of internal logic regarding kryptonite. [SPOILER ALERT:] Supposedly the kryptonite in Luthor's artificial island makes Superman as weak as drugged kitten. Yet 15 minutes later, Superman is supposedly able to lift the whole daggum island up and carry it into outer space.6) There is the reuse of Marlon Brando's voice and John Williams' musical score from the 1978 Superman movie. While these things were good in the original context, in this film they, along with his star's attempt to channel Christopher Reeve serve to create the impression that Bryan Singer really has nothing new to add to the Superman mythos, that he is flailing blindly here, creating sound and fury, but signifying nothing.And that is the thing. Nothing that is new in this film is any good, and all the good things were already done in various, earlier celluloid incarnations. And so, the upside is that this DVD has sent me happily back the `Adventures of Superman' TV show. You are far better off viewing those concise and charming episodes than in owning this pretentious piece of grave robbery. -THE LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING is an epic movie in every way. I normally don't like fantasy-based movies but this one just blew me away. I enjoyed every minute of the 3 1/2 hours. I was hooked from beginning to end. It's rare that a movie of that length would keep anyone interested for that long. BUT IT DID! It was awesome. Visually it was excellent but the characters and the storyline is what will keep you hooked. The Characters are awesome. The acting was amazing. It was dramatic, emotional, and action-packed. The basic plot is about a hobbit (played oh so well by Elijah Wood) that acquires a ring of dark power and he has to destroy it. A lot unfolds along the way. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING is pure magic and the ending leaves you craving parts 2 and 3. -I thought this movie was fantastic. As good a picture as any Pixar film. The animation is very special and in 3D it is wow.I loved this movie. It was thoughtful and full of action and funny and scary and wise. It had everything. Plus it was a realoriginal. I just loved it and thought it was everything I would want in an animated film. It had guts and it had heart. -I didn't bother to see this at the theater because I was so disappointed with Spider Man 3. Man was I wrong to resist it. This is by far the best of the 4 movies. The acting was much better, the script was emotional, but not hokey. Sure, they made teenagers seem like 30 something adults when it came to love and responsibility (I don't remember being that in control of myself), but there was also a giant lizard/human involved so reality was not the point. Great movie. -After much hype and anticipation, the whimsical world of Harry Potter is finally brought to life on the big screen in its first feature film. When Warner Brothers bought the rights to the famous children's book series, millions waited in utter anticipation for the adaptation of the first book and executives at the studio were just biting at the bit to accept the money of Mr. Potter's legion of loyal fans. But this was far from an easy task for the movie studio. Why? In order to produce a magnificent achievement for the paying customers, the movie must remain true (to an extent) to the books created by J.K. Rowling and the whimsy and fantasy of those tales must remain no matter the cost. For if this does not happen, Warner Brothers executives can kiss those potential profits on sequels good-bye.The story focuses on the adventures of a young boy in England who discovers he is actually a wizard in training and that he is to be taken to a school, far from the world of the muggles (or non-magical folk) that he has grown up with all his life. After losing his parents when he was a baby, Harry Potter now resides with his terrible adopted family that consists of his boorish uncle, his snippy aunt, and spoiled, brutish cousin. But one day, he learns that he has been accepted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When he arrives in the magic world of wizards and witches, he is overwhelmed to find out that he is one of the most famous sorcerers of all time m due to his confrontation, and evidential defeat of, the evil Lord Voldemort as a baby. But he no sooner puts he foot through the door then the trouble starts, whether it be the up-tight Professor Snape or the spoiled Draco Malfroy. After many strange events around the school, it is up to Harry and his new friends to stop an evil creature from stealing the Sorcerer's Stone which could bring about the re-generation of Lord Valdemort. The story for Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone is done marvelously well but not based on material from the book. When going to see this film, don't go into it basing it on the book. You'll only be left with disappointment.Though most of the performances were played out by young actors and actresses, those performances were done in such a way that they were sophisticated for the age of the performers and therefore surprising. Daniel Radcliffe fits perfectly into the lead role of Harry Potter but the real determining factor will be if Radcliffe can keep that outstanding persona in this role as he matures through the sequels. Overall the performers seem well suited to their roles but that is not fully realized in the beginning. Only over a period of time in the film do the actors feel fully comfortable in their roles. The only disappointment has to be with John Cleese's Sir Nicholas, which was shown as nearly as much as he probably should have been.Overall, the mystical and extraordinary world of Harry Potter is brought to life in a way that many wouldn't have thought possible years ago and, though the film may differ from the book from time to time, even the most hardcore of Potter followers will be happy with this first film adaptation. Not to say it is absolutely perfect, there are some minor things to complain about. The time length, which stood at two hours and thirty minutes, seemed way too long for a feature at younger children. Granted they probably won't care too much since their eyes will be glued to the screen but that can problem based on potty breaks or something to that effect. Another problem deals with the editing of the movie. As an example, the burnt roof of Hogwarts that was not present in one scene was shown in the next with no explanation to what happened. But outside of those small problems, Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone is a delightful treat during the holiday season but not near the same level as Disney/Pixar's Monsters Inc. but a great film none the less. -I had to reconsider both my original review of this flick and "Clones" after having actually watched both movies w/I a week of each other. After the initial letdown of "Episode-I", I was ready to jump on the "Episode-II" bandwagon. In retrospect, while they both share some flaws, in many respects "Menace" is actually superior to "Clones"."The Phantom Menace" has a comparatively simple plot - an intergalactic commercial group called the "Trade Federation" suddenly turns militant in the face of burdensome taxation. They blockade the backwater world of Naboo, threatening an all-out war if their demands aren't met. Why the Federation has taken that strategy is a mystery to the ruling government - the Senate of the Intergalactic Republic. Because the galaxy is largely at peace (except for pockets of lawlessness) there is no standing army. Instead, the Republic relies on the Jedi Knights - warriors schooled in the power of The Force - to maintain peace. When Jedi Knights Qui-Gon (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) find themselves unable to forestall a war, they rescue Naboo's elected ruler Queen Amidala (Portman) from certain capture. Having escaped the Federation, Amidala's damaged ship is forced to make emergency repairs on an even more remote planet - Tatooine. Needing parts to fix their ship, and with nobody willing to accept their Republic Credits (even when prodded by Jedi mind tricks), Qui Gonn and Padme (one of the queen's loyal handmaidens) enlist the help of a local slave named Anakin. He's just a kid, but even Qui-Gonn can tell that the boy has the power of the force flowing through him. Soon the quest to repair the ship and escape to the Capitol of the Republic includes a mission to save Anakin as well, determine the nature of the Force energy coursing through him and to evaluate him for entry into the Jedi.This flick was a letdown in many ways, but it does have some qualities that survive repeat viewings. Visually, it is spectacular - the final dogfight between the Federation and the Naboo was not topped or even equaled in "Clones". Both films have epic battles involving computer-animated combatants, but the Gungans have more character than the clone army (though I wouldn't want to face-off either side, ridiculous characters are better than none at all, and the clones are utterly lacking in that area). The story is simple - though the more complex plot of "Clones", with its many continuity lapses and gaps reveal that its makers have a narrative problem which is best served by keepings things simple. Both films are marked by an epic Jedi duel, though the one in "Clones" was strikingly unspectacular. Christopher Lee as Dooku also demonstrated that he can function quite well as an all-around lord of Evil in "The Lord of the Rings", but the script gives him little to do, and the story can't make up its mind as to whether we're supposed to think he might be good, or banish any idea that he's not utterly evil. In contrast, Ray Park as Darth Maul is utterly drenched in evil, his face and body language communicating a very palpable sense of the Sith - the force of evil Jedi ready to tear the galactic order to shreds. Maul's battle royale - alone against Qui-Gonn and Obi-Wan easily rivals that between Vader and Luke from "Return of the Jedi" in its narrative coherency, and is only clearly topped in that respect by Luke and Vader's duel from "Empire". While we can lament that "Episode One" wasn't the kind of film that grabbed us from our first viewing (like "Star Wars" or "Raiders") it's still a film that can grab us. Just make sure you give it some room, and wide-screen DVD with which to do it. -In the summer of 2010, Illumination Entertainment's animated flick, Despicable Me, decimated the box office, earning $543 million - not to mention garnering praise from fans and critics alike. A family-friendly film, Despicable Me follows Gru, an evil super villain, as he adopts three girls with hopes of using them to one-up a rival super villain. Instead, he falls into the role of devoted father, giving up on his evil ways. Most notably, the film also introduces the Minions - Gru's short, yellow workers that speak gibberish and often find themselves engaging in an endless amount of comical hijinks. Now, Gru and his Minions are back, along with Agnes, Edith, and Margo in the animated sequel, Despicable Me 2.Directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud return to direct Despicable Me 2, which once again stars Steve Carrell as Gru - a now retired super-villain that's attempting to create his own brand of jelly. At the same time, a mysterious villain has stolen a chemical recipe that can turn living things into indestructible purple killing machines. Desperate to stop the mysterious villain, the Anti-Villain League (AVL) enlists Gru's help, pairing him with an AVL agent, Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wigg), to track down the villain and stop them before they unleash the recipe on the world. The voices of Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaaier, Elsie Fisher, Ken Jeong, Russell Brand, and Benjamin Bratt also star in supporting roles.To be honest, I found Despicable Me to be so light-heartedly entertaining and enjoyable that's it's easily at the top of my animated feature list (just so you know that I'm being biased here). With that being said, Despicable Me 2 has been one of my must-see movies all summer long...and it didn't disappoint me one bit. As an easy target for slap-stick comedy (and I'll give you one guess who my favorite comedy trio is), the Minions are good for wholesome unadulterated laughter. As usual, their antics and gibberish talk will have you laughing to the limit - but only if you're interested in that sort of thing. It's easy to imagine Despicable Me being everyone's favorite animated feature, or quite honestly the animated film you'll never want to see again. Just because The Three Stooges brand of humor is my thing doesn't mean it's going to agree with everyone's style of humor. In fact, it's pretty easy to imagine someone describing a film of this nature as being "dumb" or "pointless." However, if that's how you felt about the first film, I couldn't disagree with you more.While the first film focused more on the girls and their quest to find a home to call their own (and a father to care for them), Despicable Me 2 focuses much more on the Minions. In fact, at a short 90 minutes or so, it almost feels like the girls are absent from the film entirely. Speaking of a reduced role, Russell Brand's character, Dr. Nefariou (although important to the film's climax) is also absent for the majority of the film. However, that's not to say the film isn't without enjoyable characters. Between the Minions and the plump villain in question, Eduardo Perez (originally voiced by Al Pacino, but changed to Benjamin Bratt just months before the film's release date), there's no shortage of memorable moments. At the same time, there's love in the air throughout the film with the introduction of the ambitious Lucky Wilde, who (if you couldn't tell from the film's trailer) has a pretty memorable first meeting with Gru.There's not a whole lot to say about this film that wasn't said about the first film. It's a family-friendly flick that absolutely anyone can enjoy. The animation is sharp, colorful, and pristine. Plus, the characters will have you giggling virtually nonstop. While I'm admittedly not a huge Steve Carrell fan, it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Gru - so with that being said, this is the one exception where I would be writing someone a letter on Mr. Carrell's behalf if for some reason he was ever replaced. Regardless, the characters are clearly catching on in popularity - especially the Minions who will be getting a movie of their own, called Minions (hitting theaters in December 2014). And, as long as the plot is solid (which it is) and the Minions are funny (which they are), Illumination Entertainment can keep punching out as many Despicable Me films as they want.P.S. - Make sure to stay through the credits. The Minions will be taking auditions for their new film next year.Grade: B+FNDNreview.com -While not a great film, and surely nothing groundbreakingly original, "High Tension" can least bost it is the first movie in a long while in which its title acurately depicts the film it is attached to. More suspenseful and disturbing than technically scary, "Constant Tension" might be the only better way to describe this efficient little thriller that gets going quick and never stops until its unfortunate head-scratcher of a conclusion. But the simple fact that it continues to move is more than you can say for most horror movies now-a-days (witness the hour it takes for anything to happen in the recent and dreadful remake of "House of Wax"), but the film's pleasures are far more than its pace alone.With no self-indulgent over-length, or grandiose attempts at unnecesary plot and character development, "High Tension" is smart enough to follow the less-is-more storytelling path and realize the best and biggest scares are the most primative. Hollywood, in all its bigger-is-better wisdom, never seems to learn that melting houses of wax and special effect spirits that attack from within the TV set will never be a substitute for, or as effectively frightning as, the idea that any of us can be brutally attacked at any moment, no matter what, if some one is fearless and dermined enough to do so. No, I would not want to meet-up with Freddy or Jason, but I think my chances of avoiding them, at least in this lifetime, are pretty safe. Some crazy guy breaking into my house and slaughtering my whole family, stalking the house, not leaving until he has made sure to horribly kill eveyone... That is not only possible, but terrifying as hell.Obviously it is not a pleasant scenario, but "High Tension" is far from a pleasant film. Truth be told, this movie is not for everyone. Even horror fans may be put off. This movie is not for the Freddy, Jason, "Scream," or "The Grudge," type of horror movie fan. "High Tension," is of a sicker, more brutal mold. It is more akin to "Texas Chainsaw Masacre," or "Last House on the Left," although perhaps more gory and terrifying than either. (I know, "Texas Chainsaw" is famous for having very little actual blood, but everyone assuming there was a ton because of all the violent images and the movie was so terrifying and twisted; well "High Tension" is terrifying and twisted and DOES have a ton of blood.) The violence and gore are severe and off-putting, which is a shame because the movie is such an effective suspense thriller beyond these moments that people who are looking for nerve-frying suspense of a classic nature, but can't stomach the carnage will be missing out.I have seen some reviews here that make light of the violence; many saying the film is laughable and stupid because of it. I agree, it is over the top. In a movie like "Kill Bill" or "Evil Dead," for instance, a neck spewing blood after the head is severd gets a laugh because the tone of the film is satiracle. "High Tension" is not playing its violence for laughs. The senarios in which the violence is prestented here make it quite jarring.It is to the director's credit that "High Tension" so realistically creates an atmosphere of dread and desperateness (hence the 'tension'). There were a couple of times when I was pleasantly surprised to find what I thought I knew was going to happen didn't, or moments I thought were implausible or a leap of logic were explained away with later plot developments.The only thing I take issue with in this film is the big twist ending, which, looking at reviews here, seems to be what everyone is questioning. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that it doesn't work. And it is also rather pointless. In a film this straight-forward about its scares and old fashioned in its execution, it is surprising it felt the need to slap on a gotcha! ending. It isn't a total abomination, though, and it hardly ruins all the suspence the movie provided for the previous 90 minutes. I do wish filmmakers would learn, though, somethings don't need to be explained. Some people are just crazy, sadistic and evil. And if there must be an explination it doesn't have to be the most surprising thing that the writer can think of. Often this means it is also the most outlandish and implausible thing he could think of as well.I still respect the ending on a small level though because at least it is trying to do something unique and clever. Even though it ultimately fails, it is more than I can say for most movies of this type and gets an A for effort.I watched this movie right after the insipid "House of Wax." That movie was pure drivel. An insulting waste of time that existed for no other reason than to cash in on a familiar title, the current crop of teen-slasher flicks and Paris Hilton. There was nothing new or good about any moment of it. Yet every few weekends Hollywood turns out a movie similar to it. For a fraction of "Wax's" budget, with a fraction of its set pieces and none of its recognizable names, "High Tension" has 100 times its suspense. With them both staring at you from the video shelves this Halloween, make sure you make the right choice."High Tension" may not give you nightmares for weeks to come, and it may be too slight a fixture in the marketplace to ever be considered a true classic, but while it has you tied up and along for its disturbing, fast-paced ride, it will always keep your nerves frazzled. -This is a must see film, Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes are excellent in this and the film is very well written. My only complaint is the choppy camera work, it was disracting and made the movie seem cheap, perhaps they thought it would be artsy but I just thought it was annoying. A film of conviction and heart, powerful story's like this don't get made everyday. -Amazing record by Ron Howard - has managed to ruin every movie he's directed so far. Way to go! Can take a great, cool story, and load it with triteness and cliche-ridden cinematics, pacing, and story.I was quite excited to see this movie when I bought it - I knew it was about a famous mathematician, that it had won awards (or been nominated, anyway), and I like movies and plays about math and science. And lest you think I didn't like this because it was ron howard, I didn't know it was Ron Howard when I watched it. After watching this and feeling that I had been taken for a ride, with every emotional response I'm supposed to have being telecasted to me through script and music (like a Spielberg movie but without the artistry), and being taken so far from reality, I and my friend who watched it together felt abused and misled."Who directed this thing?" I asked. "Ah - Ron Howard. That explains why this movie, which has a great and compelling human story underlying it and could have really been a greaet movie that people would watch over time, sucks."Though I give it two stars, let me give 5 stars to the cast - incredible acting, especially from Russel Crowe. Ed Harris great as always. Rest of the cast, brilliant. This movie has some tremendous acting. It's just too bad that Mr. Howard felt the need to manipulate us, tell us what to feel and think, and tug at the emotional heartstrings intentionally, instead of letting the story itself do that for us.The story of a person's life, told truthfully and accurately, without manipulation, is *far* more compelling than any fictional story we could think to invent, and certainly far more interesting than taking a person's story and adding in some fictional components to make it "sell" to the movie public. Sorry, but the movie public just ends up feeling abused. Nash's story could be told on grainy black and white film, with the same cast, but with no special effects, and audience would be riveted, because Nash's story *itself* is riveting.Please stop adding fiction to real-life stories; please stop manipulating the viewers, Mr. Howard.On the DVD itself: 3 or 4 stars for the DVD. Lots and lots of extras, but not of much interest. The transfer of the movie onto the DVD was done *beautifully*. This is an excellent transfer.This is one for renting, not owning. -"Signs" is the next thriller, offered by director/writer/producer, M. Night Shyamalan, who also made "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable".PLOT SUMMARY: "Signs" takes place in the rural farm area of Pennsylvania, where a retired Preacher lives with his two children and younger brother. Mel Gibson stars as Father Graham Hess, who has lost all Faith in God ever since his wife died in a terrible car accident. One day, Graham thinks his children, Morgan and Bo (Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin) are missing in the corn fields. He and his brother, Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), go out searching for them and discover the legendary Crop Circles in the field. At first, Graham and Merrill insist that it's nothing but teenagers playing jokes, but things start getting creepy when they watch TV and find out that Crop Circles are being found all across the Globe, according to the mysterious news that keeps on being repeated on every single radio station and television channel. When the family dogs start acting up, they are put outside and not much later, one of them dies. Other strange occurences that happen on the farm are that they keep on getting strange signals from Morgan's walkie talkie and someone--or something--has been tresspassing onto their land every night. Morgan keeps on insisting that it's "extra terrestrials" trying to make contact with Earth, but Graham won't believe it. However, when nothing else in Graham's theories seem to work, it all adds up to the fact that maybe--just MAYBE--Morgan might be right.MY OVERALL THOUGHTS: M. Night Shyamalan has taken the elements of religion, science, fiction, and even a little bit of horror, twisted them together, and turned them (along with top-notch acting performances, great special effects, and a superb storyline), into a spectacular and spooky film. Mel Gibson gives one of his best performances to-date, as the retired minster who's lack of self-belief in religion really nearly drives him to insanity with the Crop Circles. Joaquin Phoenix also gives a superb performance as Graham's younger brother who came to live with the family after Graham's wife died. Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin are amazing as the kids who believe what's really causing the Crop Circles to form are aliens trying to give Earth signals, as there are only a limited number of them and they are basically the same. The supporting cast does well, too...and M. Night Shyalaman even makes an appearence in the supporting cast, as he usually does in his films. The special effects are wonderful, and the storyline and plot are solid and strong--holds your interest to the very end. A real "thinker's film", and still manages to keep you entertained...and maybe even a little spooked.The DVD includes a nice package of extras including a six-part documentary on the making of the film, five deleted scenes, storyboards, and a featurette on Shyalaman's first alien film. The DVD is available in wide screen format.I highly recommend "Signs".Score:100/100A+ -I have seen a lot of horror flicks and suspense/thrillers in my day and the first 21-mintues to When a Stranger Calls easily rates as possibly the very best first act I have ever seen. From the way it was written, shot, scored and acted there is for me no doubt it's just simply perfection. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The phone calls may not be the scariest in the sense that the caller at first doesn't say anything threatening or even sexual.Each minute of the first act raises the tension unlike any horror flick I have ever seen. By the time you reach the end of the first act you'll be held in such suspense that scaring you is now simple. Any filmmaker can create a jump scene where the killer or ghost or whatever pops out of the corner. Most of the time jumping back is just simply a reaction. How many movies have you watched where you jumped back, but weren't scared at all? It's just a reaction and any filmmaker can do that regardless if they are good or a hack.That is why I normally prefer movies like this that are a bit more subtle. Problem is though after the opening act business does indeed slow down. Most people say the middle sections are boring and it's kind of hard to argue with them. Though I will say the middle sections of When a Stranger Calls does get better on multiple viewings. The filmmakers did such a great job in the opening act that we the audience are on such a high that anything afterwards is bound to be a let down.The screenplay written by Steve Feke and Fred Walton was overall pretty good; the first act was very well written and extremely creepy, but after that the movie changes focus. It seems the story will be built around Jill Johnson played by Carol Kane, but instead the movie focuses on the killer Roy Duncan played by Tony Beckley and a private detective named John Clifford played by Charles Durning who is on the hunt for the psychotic killer.When a Stranger Calls isn't the typical horror movie, yes I consider it a horror flick for the sole reason the movie does aim to scare you. Not in the typical horror movie way, but with more suspense. Some suspense flicks have nothing to do with horror where as others play off some kind of primal fear often found in the horror genre. The 2nd half becomes more of a crime drama. We follow Roy Duncan and to be honest the guy is quite pathetic.Feke and Walton take an interesting approach; Duncan is obviously a psycho but he's so pathetic we almost feel sorry for him. But the man is a child killer and I cannot feel for them. They are the lowest of the low. He's homeless, broke we see him get beat up and later beg for money. Hardly the typical movie villain; problem though is he's just not an interesting enough character to follow around. Tony Beckley does an out-standing job. There is no denying his talents in this movie as an actor. But the character just simply was not interesting.Charles Durning does a great job though at carrying the movie. He is the more interesting of the two characters and his obsession with finding the killer is entertaining. But what went wrong with the middle sections? Simple it goes back to the killer just not being interesting enough. For almost an hour of the movie it's John Clifford hunting down Roy Duncan. While it's not as boring as some people make it out to be, I do think Steve Feke and Fred Walton could have done more. Their screenplay does seem to drag in some spots and by a certain point the movie does sort of repeat itself, but thankfully the final act gets back to Jill Johnson.I didn't hate the middle sections, but they weren't as strong as they could have been. I personally always felt the movie should have been Jill's story with Roy Duncan being in the movie a little less. It would suck to lose the scenes with Charles Durning because he was so great same goes for Tony Beckley, but I personally think making it Jill's story and use Clifford and Duncan as more of a sub-plot would have worked better. The remake attempted to do just that and failed big time.As stated earlier the opening act was just brilliant; director Fred Walton gets the most out of every single shot and raises the suspense and tension unlike any movie I have ever seen. Like I said anybody can do a clichéd scare movie, but it takes real talent to do what Fred Walton did. The 2nd half while yes does lose a little bit of steam, Fred Walton is still able to keep the suspense level at a decent level. The scenes with Colleen Dewhurst who plays Lisa are well done overall and remind us what kind of movie we are watching. The hour mark features a great and creepy scene with her and Roy Duncan. Though when all is said and done the Lisa character seems nothing more than filler scenes. It never really goes anywhere, but does provide some decent suspense.The final act is when things really pick up and we return to Jill Johnson who is now married with 2-kids of her own. Besides the opening act, the final act is the most solid. It goes back to being very creepy and while it does lack compared to the opening it does give us some chills and thrills. Like I said before I do believe When a Stranger Calls is a movie that needs multiple viewings. The opening act was so brilliant anything afterwards is bound to bet a let down. It might be boring at first, but when you see it again you might be able to appreciate it a little bit more. I've come to enjoy the middle sections even if it wasn't as good as it could have been.Carol Kane was great and I do believe the movie might have worked better had the focus been more on her and use Duncan and Clifford as a sub-plot. Kane does appear in half the movie actually. It's just she's used in the opening and ending, which results in roughly 40-minutes or so screen time, but since it's so far between it seems like she's barley in the movie.Despite some problems with the middle sections, When a Stranger Calls is a highly suspenseful and very creepy movie with excellent performances. I'd advise those who felt the middle sections were boring to give it another try. It does grow on you and for those who haven't seen it just expect more a crime/drama with some suspense thrown in during the middle. But the opening and closing act just might be the best you'll find in this genre. -I had three reasons to wanting to see this movie, badly.3. Its a drama about depression. And I really needed a good, sad movie.2. I had read the book.1. Nicole Kidman starred.I loved the book, and because Nicole Kidman played Virginia Woolf, maybe I am a bit bias when I say, the movie is so much better. Which says a lot because the book is wonderful, groundbreaking. Could anything but win a Pulitzer prize? But the shockingly real performances of the three starlets was amazing. A movie that should have been boring, never lost its pace and always held your ineterest!BRAVO! -I thought the movie had an interesting look and feel to it right from the beginning and it involved me right away. The acting of Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman was absolutely amazing. They both gave powerful performances and looked sincere and genuine at every moment. I think the live singing made the film much better than most musicals and (hopefully) set a new standard. I loved the quality and naturalness of the sound.I'm generally not a big fan of this sort of epic-level drama, but the actors pulled off the dramatic ending well, and I found it very moving. I think this movie, overall, is precedent setting and an artistic success. -X3: The Last stand is the Last Straw for Shawn James. The X- trilogy comes to a horrid finish under the lens of the inept Brett Ratner. Brett Ratner is to X-men what Joel Schumacher is to Batman. In ten years people will be denouncing this X-Trilogy the same way they do the first Batman Saga. Unfortunately, there won't be a Chris Nolan and David Goyer or a Sam Raimi around to rectify the mistake this time.Ratner makes a total 360 from what little story Bryan Singer tried to build in his first two films. The convoluted plot involves a "Cure" for mutation, the Pheonix, rising from the ashes, and a war. Each of these stories would make for a great movie in and of themselves, but Ratner throws them in a blender and makes one big mess. There are too many stories, too many characters and no focus. But Storm needs more screen time, the studio needs Halle, and Ratner just uses CGI special effects to patch up the plotholes and totally derive from the course of the comics being adapted. In the first ten minutes Ratner uses the Phoenix to Kill off Cyclops and Professor X, characters crucial to the X-Saga. I guess this is so Storm can be leader and have more screen time. Thank you Miss Halle Berry. Someone in your entourage should advise you this old Broadway adage: THERE ARE NO SMALL PARTS ONLY SMALL ACTORS. It's not how much screen time you have, but what you do with it. Sadly she gives the same flat uninspired performance she does in every movie post Swordfish.Due to Halle's insecure need for more screen time, Ratner's incompetent directing and Fox's need to beat WB's Superman Returns at the box office, X3 falls completely apart over the course of 90 odd minutes. Ironically, these three political forces behind the camera sabotage the intriguing political stories in the movie. The movie strays way off course from the comic storylines it's adapted from and heads into Batman and Robin territory. In the comics, Jean who loved Cyclops so much she held back the evil Phoenix force and sacrificed her own life, Kills the man she loves with impunity. Wolverine loved Jean so much he couldn't bear to kill her. But in this movie he slaughters her with ease. But this change of story course from the comics is nothing compared to the numerous strays from the original two movies. Rogue who struggles and deals with her inability to touch others by finding another way to connect with them (emotionally), just cops out with a wonder drug. Iceman just decides to date Kitty Pryde because it's convenient to the plot. During the big battle sequence, Magneto abandons a cured Mystique, his loyal lieutenant of two movies. Six X-men take on an army of morlocks so storm can get her big battle sequence. And Magneto, the brilliant military strategist doesn't have enough sense to throw a force field around himself while Six X-men are shooting "cure" darts allover the place. Hey, he always keeps a magnetic force field around him in the comics, but in this movie he just decides not to. And when the war is all done, thousands of lives lost, billions in property damage, both sides shake hands and back to business as usual with a Don't ask, Don't tell policy. But these plot points don't matter. It's a necessary compromise so Storm gets more screen time.When you think about this movie it truly is the "Wolverine and Storm" of the X-Franchise a complete and unmitigated disaster. The entire movie feels rushed and sloppy; it seems like Fox just wanted to get a product out before Superman Returned; quality be damned. The acting is flat and one-dimensional because characters aren't' written with any depth. To cover up the bad acting and bad writing, Ratner overloads the movie with special effects. Yes, the special effects are dazzling; seeing the Golden Gate Bridge torn apart is amazing. But there's no story behind them and no build up to that big final sequence to make us care. Thanks to the political forces behind the camera, The X franchise has a forgettable ending and will be a footnote in superhero movie history like the first Batman Franchise.Skip this movie and look for the two episodes of the old X-Men cartoon: Apocalypse Rising and Come the Apocalypse. They actually tell this same story better in one hour than this confusing movie does in 90 minutes. -The "Phantom Menace" discusses the beginnings of the Star Wars universe and their problem with evil droids trying to take over the Republic.The special effects are excellent as is the underwater adventure.The droids are enemies of the Republic, who want to change it and take it over; thereby, enslaving its inhabitants.I rate this movie only 4 stars because the plot is somewhat lackluster, and the movie isn't long enough.However, on a positive note, while the plot is relatively simplistic and short, the special effects and the characters are both memorable and excellent.Bottom-line: The actors did a great job acting, but the movie needed a more complex plot and needed to be longer. Instead, it's rather short and leaves you wanting more excitement and adventure.*Highly recommended for anyone over 13 due to violence. -First off, amazing, the film is just flawless. The acting on all parts was a joy to watch. I feel Paul Bettany was overlooked at the oscars, as was Russell Crowe who deserved that oscar a million times over. His performance was moving and emotional, a flawless piece of art. Jennifer Connelly well deserved her oscar. She was stunning as usual and she was well matched with Russell since the two of them steal every scene they embody. This is just a great film, period. The film revolves around the true life story of John Nash, a famous mathmatician who suffered from scizophrenia. The movie starts while John is in college searching for his origional idea. He finds it, and ends up working as a teacher/informant kinda sorta for the government, making frequent trips to the pentagon. He meets and falls in love with a student (Connoly) and they are married and soon she is pregnant. That's when things get hard. Nash gets a little paranoid beliveing the Russians are trying to kill him. Soon he is in the hospital undergoing some primative electric-type therapy to cure him of his mental state. The balance of the movie shows Nash's road to redemption and that road is long, hard and bumpy, but worth the ride. Crowe's dedication to his roles is evident in the enjoyment you recieve from watching him on the screen. Keep it up Russ. This film ends on a happy note, a note actually so happy and heartwarming it may bring you to tears or at least give you the motivation to get up and clap. If you want to see a film that will make you think, make you cry and make you smile then this is the film you should see. -All I can say, it was fantastic. The acting was terrific and it is very emotional. This film really makes you think about how people perceive others, and makes you think about your own feelings as well. -Guillermo del Toro knew there is a huge audience for movies that emphasize flash-bang wizardry over substance. He knew he was making a fantasy film with fauns and fairies and secret underground kingdoms, featuring a twelve year old girl as the central character. He knew lots of Americans hate reading so much they wouldn't think about going to a film with subtitles, even though he directed the well-made English language "Hellboy". He knew the amount and intensity of the violence of this film would make it unsuitable for children. Yet he made the film anyway - and thank goodness he did.I see many reviews here complaining that this absolute fantastic movie is "boring" and they had to "read for two hours". Oh my! Pity the poor audience, forced against their will to, dare I say it? Read. So - if you aren't a Spanish speaker and don't want to "read" for two hours, keep on moving.In fact - if you don't want to see a movie filled with thrilling adventure, stunning visuals, evil fascist villains, brave female heroines and beautiful photography with sharp editing - stay far, far away.You still there? Maybe El Laberinto del Fauno is for you. I join the large number of positive reviewers standing in line to sing this film's praises. Yes, Ivana Baquero is an amazing child actor. Not yet a teenager, she reminds me of the sixteen year old Jennifer Connelly in "Labyrinth" twenty years ago. The resemblance of the two young actresses and the name "Labyrinth" aren't the only similarities. Both films are fantasies featuring young women who must complete a "quest" to save their baby brother. But the newer film is superior in every way, for the appropriate audience. Where Labyrinth featured Connelly interacting with David Bowie and an army of Muppets, El Laberinto has young Ivana moving back and forth between an underworld of fairies and fauns and her "real world" of Spanish Fascists. The real world elements of the story make you care very deeply about what happens to young Ofelia and her mother and baby brother.Ofelia's father has been killed in the Spanish Civil War and her desperate mother marries the cruel Vidal, played by Sergi López, one of Franco's captains, who (as has been written repeatedly) joins the screen's pre-eminent villains. He is cold and cruel to his own family and soldiers. To his enemies, he is far worse. Maribel Verdú, previously wonderful in "Y Tu Mama Tambien", is strong and compassionate as Mercedes, a servant of the cruel Vidal, but also the sister of one of the Republican Spanish freedom fighters the Captain has been dispatched to snuff out. Ariadna Gil is tragically noble as Ofelia's mother, Carmen. She has married to provide for her family but, realistically, she would like for things to "work out" between the Captain and the rest of the family. Gil's work here reminds me of Allison Janney's in "American Beauty" as a wife beaten down by life with a domineering military man. Álex Angulo reminds me of a Spanish Paul Giamatti as a kind Doctor who has been conscripted onto the evil Captain's staff, but like Mercedes, is secretly helping the freedom fighters with his life continuously at risk. Doug Jones gives two of the most memorable performances in the film under heavy makeup as the titular Faun Pan and as the horrible "Pale Man" a flesh-eating beast that Ofelia must retrieve a magic dagger from.My only regret watching this film is my own limitation at not understanding Espanol. I would imagine that this fantastically rich film is even more delicious in its native language. -I really wanted to see this in theatres and never got the chance, so I finally have seen the movie and am not sure what to think. I was expecting something that was maybe a little Romeo & Juliet with the Vampire vs. Werewolf thing going on, but I don't know. This movie really didn't pay any homage to old Vampire/Werewolf mythology, it didn't really have much action, and the Romeo & Juliet thing is not really expressed and there's only one kiss between the two main people. Kate Beckinsale is alright as the main Vampire, but Scott Speedman (you may have seen him in Dark Blue, an excellent movie) really doesn't have much to add to the film, and was sort of a waste. I thought the Vampire Werewolf hypbrid would be kind of cool, but the transformation was alot cooler than the end result which looked like a guy painted gray with sharp teeth and claws, very creative. The end result of this movie was a boring anticlimactic piece that is something like The Matrix was, starting its own trilogy, which is what I think they're doing. It really has nothing new to offer now that Blade has shown us another view of Vampires, and it sure as heck isn't funny. I can't really say you won't like it, but I can't say you will either. -First,hats off to the director for using various camera tricks and techniques in engaging the viewer. It took me a few minutes to realize why the camera lens was in a severe state of vertigo the first 15 minutes into the film. Thank goodness however the entire movie was not filmed using this technique ! Probably would have passed out. The reason for the swirling and sickening motion of the lens and the droning of the high tech synth sound of the soundtrack in the beginning is to capture the madness of the moment of how one man and his friend are seeking vengeance for a heinous crime (rape) committed against his girlfriend. It also transports you into his head.The entire story is told in a backwards sort of chronological order leading to previous possible events and circumstances that led to Monica Belucci's character becoming a rape victim. The rape scene is one of the most graphic I have seen in any film in my entire life ! You will begin to actually wonder if the scene indeed was real or not. The rape scene alone is one that can haunt the viewer for time to come. Other violent acts are just as equally shocking and extremely believable due to excellent makeup, special effects, and possible cg effects. There is frontal nudity of both male and female actors that may offend some viewers (this is definitely not for children, either)!The biggest mind trick played on the audience is how the movie progresses in real viewing time, yet, you must keep in mind that the story is unfolding backwards. Hence leading to the beginning and not the end. As we follow Belluci's character and the others one soon almost forgets the first 15 shocking minutes of the film, including the underpass rape scene, and start to think that there is a happy ending. There is NO happy ending (nor beginning for that matter)...I went out on a limb to see this one, particularly since Roeper and Ebert raved about it. Well, in all honesty, it is a very brutal movie to sit through the first time and it is definitely not one I will be seeing again. Due to the filming and stroytelling techniques and all too realistic effects it does merit some attention but only by viewers who can stomach it !... -If I were asked to list the top scary movies of all time, I would place John Carpenter's Halloween at the top of my list. It is much scarier than Psycho and The Exorcist, in my opinion, and the likes of Jason and Freddy pale in comparison to Michael Myers. Its influence on the genre can hardly be overstated; countless slasher films have been released over the last two decades plus, wherein each filmmaker consciously or unconsciously has tried to duplicate the force and power of this 1978 masterpiece of terror and suspense. It is this movie's genre-defining influence that earns it first place in my rankings.Is the movie scary? Yes, emphatically so. All these years later, with audiences having a number of other slasher films under their belt, Halloween may not seem as frightening as it had to have been when it was released, but it is deliciously scary nonetheless. The groundbreaking point of view shots Cameron employs only adds to the incredible suspense of the story. Watching this movie alone in a dark room is probably a pretty bad idea, as is going to bed immediately afterwards. Nick Castle's portrayal of Michael is brilliantly subtle, and the photography and soundtrack are superb. The image of the featureless, pasty-white mask hovering above a dark set of clothes is unnerving, and the early sightings of him in Haddenfield are amazingly effective-even when you know he is there, it is sometimes difficult to spot him. One of the best scenes later on has Michael creeping out of a darkened room; it is as if the mask just somehow emerges out of nowhere from the shadows. Even Michael's walk and method of suddenly sitting straight up out of a prone position are amazingly impactful. He really does seem to represent true evil, a force of nature that keeps coming and coming all the time yet is entirely human. He is everywhere and nowhere. The musical score is beyond outstanding; the famous Halloween theme is immediately recognizable whenever you hear it, taking you directly back to Haddonfield. Halloween was the first true horror movie I ever watched. I was probably around twelve at the time, and I decided I was going to watch my first horror film the proper way-in the dark, late at night. I am embarrassed to say that I never even made it through the opening credits. That jack o'lantern and incredibly creepy music scared the daylights out of me.While Michael is horror's most terrifying killer, Halloween would not have seen nearly as much success had it not been for Donald Pleasance's character Dr. Loomis. Loomis' brilliant acting and forceful presence gives Halloween something its imitators don't have, and his almost philosophical musings on Michael's innate evil give this killer a depth that other slasher villains just don't possess. Jamie Lee Curtis, of course, was also fabulous in this, her first movie role. No other scream queen can boast of such advanced acting skills. I didn't think the acting jobs of the other teenagers were very good, but those characters were in the movie for one reason only, and it wasn't to steal the show.The extra features on the limited edition release are pretty good. The "Halloween Unmasked" featurette from 1998 delivers interviews with cast and creators (including an unmasked Nick Castle, who looks more like a professor than a "killer"). The extras also include several scenes shot in 1982 and added to the television version of the movie. The first of these provides more detail about Michael's original transfer to a minimum security institution and Dr. Loomis' attempts to prevent it from taking place. The second one is a great scene featuring Loomis telling the teenaged, pseudo-comatose Michael that he may have fooled the hospital administrators but he hasn't fooled him. The third offers a bit of unnecessary data on Michael's motivations. The fourth scene features some extended dialogue between the movie's three teenaged girls and is forgettable at best. What I found most interesting was the story of Halloween's origins. Many have forgotten or never even knew how much of a surprise hit this movie was in 1978. It was filmed over the course of just three weeks with a total budget of little more than three hundred thousand dollars. Donald Pleasance filmed all of his scenes in a mere five days. The history of Halloween is really remarkable, especially when you consider the importance and influence of this movie on the genre. John Carpenter managed to bring together everything a horror film needs to succeed, and the entire industry has been trying to match his efforts without complete success ever since. -Though Peter Jackson had always claimed that the 208 minute (roughly equal to "Seven Samurai" in length) DVD version of "Lord of the Rings'" first installment was not a director's cut, its vast superiority to the shortened theatrical release becomes clear immediately.For those initally dissapointed with "Fellowship's" overly fast pace (skipping over characterizations and details for the sake of action) , the seamlessly integrated 30 minutes of footage works wonders.Here are some Improvements:1) Instead of a mere adventure movie (or a cgi cartoon, some may argue), Jackson's FOTR now feels closer to the spirit of Tolkien's world. Through more maps, longer stays at various crucial locations, more journey time, more geographic and historical references, one finaly begins to get a sense of original work's epic scope. In fact, there are a few scenes where the dialogue is copied almost verbatim, and that's always a welcomed addition.2) Every character (even Gollum) gets at least some additonal exposure and all are considerably fleshed out. Aragorn benefits the most, now seeming more like a full-fledged human being (within epic conventions, though), rather than a straight-forward action hero. Galadriel, called a "radioactive psycho" by some, has other scenes here showing her true regal nature. Merry, Pippin, and especially Gimli, are more than buffoons to liven up the proceedings. Ian Holm's Bilbo, who was one of my favorite character portrayals in the film, also gets more screen time in the beginning, just like Tolkien wrote.3) The overall themes of the book are now much more apparent - the ring's temptation, the weakness of humans, the appeal of a simple lifestyle over industrialization, and the dissappearance of civilizations (elves). The Passing of the Elves scene, is quite amazing - a shame to have been cut in the first place, as it is fairly short.4) Some of the choppier and confusing parts of the theatrical version are elaborated upon and some questions are answered, such as "How did the Ring betray Isildur ?", or "Why is Boromir so preoccupied with the Ring?" Although Sam is not explicitly introduced as Frodo's servant, he is at least shown gardening at Bag End.Many complaints that I, and other fans of the book, had with the theatrical version are now fully resolved, and by all standards, as a whole this is a much better film, already approaching that sought-after but seldom-attained classic status in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. Approaching, but still stopping short of perfection, because many of the fundamental issues persist.Here are my remaining Problems with FOTR in order of annoyance:1) Gratuitous use (or abuse, rather) of slow motion - esp. in the "Noooooooooo" scene right after Gandalf's fall in Moria, and the "drowning" of Sam scene. Cheesy and detracting.2) Overbearing, generic, omni-present score. Some scenes, like Boromir's attempt to take the ring, and his death, while well-acted, should have been fine without the bathetic, cringe-worthy accompaniment. Sometimes, silence can be just as effective in generating the proper emotions. Granted, the music is not all terrible, it's just excessive - but the cliched chanting has got to go.3) While I can forgive Merry and Pippin's all-too-fast integration into the Fellowship, The Council of Elrond scene, even with the additions (which help) still doesn't quite work. Oh well, at least we get to hear the actual "ash nazg durbatuluk" speach by Gandalf. And, there's a funny hidden parody of the scene on one of the DVDs.4) Saruman is still the cartoonish villain, with no extra depth.The Extra materials on the DVD are top-notch, and as you may have heard, go into minute detail regarding all the aspects of production. They will take hours of viewing, if you care enough to investigate. Some of the audio commentaries are interesting as well - it looks like the presence of Philippa Boyens who was a harder Tolkienite than the action-oriented Jackson, helped steer certain scenes into the right direction. And without Richard Taylor, Alan Lee and John Howe, the visuals (best thing about the film in the first place) would not have been possible. We also get some discussion about New Zealand (interactive map provided) and the filming locations.In summary : if you even remotely liked the film you saw a year ago, were hoping for an improvement, and did not make the mistake of purchasing the theatrical DVD in August - by all means get this one! -...and that's what I think I liked best about it. Some complain that there is no plot and no jokes, yet wonder why so many of us like it enough to give it 5-stars (or offer it so many Academy Awards). The truth is what makes this movie such a gem is that it doesn't need to come out and smack you in the head with the type of dull, predicatable nonesense like most movies do these days. It reminds me of older films; not in content or style, necessarily, but in its honest simplicity. Why is it funny? Not because its a constant joke machine, but because its just the opposite. Does someone need to fall down, curse, get hurt, or otherwise make a fool out of themselves in order to be funny? Well, to most people yes. The reason why this movie is so funny is the same reason certain scenes in Casablanca are so funny, despite the seriousness of that film's subject: dialogue. Because I haven't watched the movie lately, I'll leave it at that, and asure most of you that if you just relax and don't expect to see slapstick or stupid voices or people acting foolish, you might actually enjoy a movie that is funny in its simplicity.Another thing worth mentioning is Bill Murray's performance. Many people, including critics who enjoyed the film, thought that Murray's Oscar nomination was unwarrented; that he was simply "being" Bill Murry. That's like saying (to use the Casablanca reference again) that Bogey was just being himself and didn't have to act to be Rick Blaine. I strongly disagree. Murray's performance isn't in your face like most of his, or other actor's , performances. True, he doesn't really have to "become" anyone, but he still has to act. He has to be convincingly lonely, upset, tired, and frustrated, all the while being funny. He doesn't just do it, it does it better than most actors could. I'd hate to see Sean Penn try that, or even Jaime Fox a great actor, but when he does "funny" he can only seem to do a certain kind of in-your-face funny...that's not what this movie needed, and thank God thats not what it tried to do.Finally, the script. Like its humor, its simply good, and charming. All it asks of us is to give up two hours to watch to lonely Americans who find themselves in the same place, waiting for things to happen. In the end, they become great friends and they decide to go out and make things happen. It doesn't need a caper of any kind. It doens't need explosions or any kind of love affair. This is a character driven Comedic-Drama (or Dramatic-Comedy) and the chemistry between the Murray and Johansen is perfect. I can't wait to see this movie again. -Firefly is a geat show. 1st the characters/actors are awesome. Each actor has had or currently owns a major role in a television/movie. Nathon Fillion is the main character he is currently on the show Castle. Kalee, Jewel Staite, was also on the show Stargate Atlantis for a awhile. Also, lets not forget Joss Whedon himself, if you liked the new Avenger's movie then you should like this show for they are both his work. My point is the cast is strong, so the comments on bad writing and acting is unfounded. As for the Western aspect of the movie, well in the show they didn't just come out and say it but there is a good reason why it has a western feel to it with a touch of Chinese heritage. Lastly, after this show was cancelled, unjustly, this show had a "HUGE" fan base. So much so that Joss Whedon felt he had grounds to finish the series in a full length feature film and he did. The Full length film finishing the Firefly series is called "Serenity" and currently holds a 4 1/2 star rating here on Amazon out of 1800 + reviews and was rated a 7.9 on IMDB out of 143,000 people.Let me explain the Western aspect and the Chinese influence to this show for those people who might find merrit in this argument. Joss Whedon doesn't just come out and say it in this show he wants the viewer to watch and come to their own understanding of why modern society in Firely has a Chinese and old western style to it. Most of Frefly's fans understand it but for those who don't let me explain...nerd moment beware....In this show Earth is no more or if there are people still on it, its a LOOOONG ways away. The Alliance is the major power in Firefly, from what I understand the Allaince is comprised of what were the remnants of the Earth's western powers(United States/Great Britain) and China. When they settled on their new worlds they formed an Alliance. This is why you see and hear people in Firefly wearing chinese clothing and speaking Chinese while still using English as their base language. Inara, who plays the companion is a great example of this and is almost always wearing a gown that has a Chinese or oriental style to it. Lastly the western feel to the story, Joss Whedon actually explained this in the show better then the Chinese part alot better, you just have to pay attention. In the Pilot episode they clearly state that after the Alliance TERRAFORMS a world they throw settlers on them with almost no resources and a few small herds and minor supplies. This is why the show has a Western Feel to it, the inner Alliance Core worlds are the Metropolitan mega cities you might be expecting in a Sci-fi show which appear later in the series while the outer rim worlds have the desolate wild west aspect. That is the story plot for the western feel to the story. However, I suspect budget played into this part aswell. Almost every TV show out there costs several million dollars just to air one episode, so the production costs of creating a futuristic city in every episode or space battles and what not probably would be to costly from a producers stand point. The movie Serenity makes up for the lack of production restraints in Firefly and spares no expense when it comes to CGI effects and scenery. -I am a long time fan of the web head and was not sure if the movie would do the long time comic hero justice but it did in a huge way. The special effects are almost unbelievable. The characters are cast with great care and the main character, the web slinger (Tobey Maguire)does the part justice. The movie starts out slowly building the characters and half of the way through the movie you will want to restart it again. If you are a fan of Spiderman or if not you will want to get this on DVD and VHS. No collection is complete without this one. -1999...a great year for films. The Straight Story, Fight Club, and The Sixth Sense were released that year. And this one, the swansong from Stanley Kubrick. I was so excited when this film was announced. I counted the days (even taking off July 16th, 1999) so I could see it on its opening day. I have never done that with a film. I am a massive Kubrick fan, and I could barely sleep the week this film was released. Seeing the opening credits have me fidgeting in my seat. And seeing "a film by Stanley Kubrick" was heartwarming. And I wasn't disappointed. Again, even after his death, Mr. Kubrick managed to confound expectations yet again. Why did people hate this film? Pacing, no really hot sex, slow, long....I don't know. All I know is that I loved it, and it's one of Kubrick's best. He really creates a great dreamlike atmosphere that creates a sense of dread and claustrophobia. The pacing is very slow, which was really bold in 1999.There were some people who felt the film was dated in its attitude towards the war between the sexes. It isn't. It's a universal struggle, and that there will always be conflict between men and women. This is one of Kubrick's most visually stunning films, shot mostly in primary colors. There are 4 sequences that equal the great sequences in other Kubrick films. First, the opening party sequence is gorgeously shot and edited, the orgy scene, the scene in the hotel with Alan Cumming majorly flirting with Cruise (it's absolutely hilarious), and the climatic scene between Cruise and Pollack. These 4 scenes are quite long, but they are so well put together and really create a tension (especially the Cruise/Pollack one) that transfixes you. As for the controversy as to whether this film is actually Kubrick's final cut, it is. I recently saw Leon Vitali, Kubrick's long time assistant, at the Lincoln Center in NYC and he said this was the final cut of the film. Aside from the digital figures inserted into the film to avoid the NC-17 rating, it wasn't altered in any way. Reportedly, this new 2 disc edition is the NC-17, unaltered director's cut of the film, which is a wonderful development (I have seen the unaltered orgy sequence before, and the digital figures are annoying in the censored version). The cut that Terry Semel, Bob Daly, Tom Cruise, and Nicole Kidman saw 4 days before Stanley died was the film he wanted to be played in cinemas. I have seen this film many times, and it gets better every time I see it. It will be re-evaluated soon. -Like the series and this season was a good follow up to the first. all seasons are worth watching on Amazon. -The Prestige (2006)Drama, Mystery, Thriller, 130 minutesDirected by Christopher NolanStarring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson and David BowieChristopher Nolan takes chances in an industry which usually plays it safe. The Dark Knight was so much more than a comic book adaptation and Inception was not a typical blockbuster. These stories had mass appeal, but Nolan treated his audiences with respect. Both films have a complexity which is lacking in most popular movies.If you go back to 2000 and take a look at Memento, you can see that Nolan has always believed that his audience was capable of figuring things out. One of his most complex films is The Prestige and I had to include it in this list. I've resisted the temptation to include multiple entries by one director for the most part, but Nolan is an exception because his films are so diverse. He's not using an established formula or focusing on one genre. In that respect, he's like a modern Stanley Kubrick.Cutter (Caine) explains that a magic trick consists of three parts: The pledge looks at something, the turn alters that thing and the prestige is the payoff. One example would be seeing a bird in a cage (the pledge), seeing it disappear (the turn), and finally seeing the magician produce it from his pocket (the prestige).The whole film plays out like a magic trick.The Prestige is a complex story, set in Victorian England, with one significant twist and a number of minor surprises. It deals with the story of two rival magicians, Robert Angier (Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Bale). Borden inadvertently ties a knot which results in the death of Angier's wife when she fails to escape from a tank of water. The ensuing rivalry lasts for the remainder of their lives.The two both enjoy periods of success, but are continually striving to find the ultimate trick. Both men become obsessed with success and each has a deep desire to outdo the other. We are shown other magicians and learn that success often comes at a high price. It may even result in the magician keeping secrets off the stage which limit his personal freedom.Eventually, Borden comes up with a trick that Angier can't figure out. It involves Borden entering a box on one side of the stage and emerging from a box on the other side of the stage moments later. He calls it The Transported Man.In an attempt to come up with something even better, Angier visits Nikola Tesla (Bowie) in Colorado. As you may know, Tesla was an inventor who experimented a great deal with electricity. Angier asks him to build a machine which might be used in his act. Unfortunately, science is not completely predictable. Tesla delivers, but Angier has to be willing to pay a high price that goes beyond money.I don't think I need to say any more about the plot. Bale's performance is superb and I think it's the best of his career. Jackman is also very convincing and the supporting cast is flawless. I'm always impressed by Rebecca Hall, but Bowie's cameo as Tesla was a revelation. Michael Caine holds the whole thing together and has important scenes at the beginning and end of the film.Although the running time is in excess of two hours, you'll barely notice. There's always something important happening on the screen. What elevates this film to the level of greatness is its replay value. The first time you see it, you'll miss the relevance of some of the dialogue. On repeat viewings, you'll see how clever the screenplay is. The big reveal is hinted at in the first 20 minutes of the film and you'll smile when you realize what you missed. Like Scorsese's Shutter Island, events have new meaning when you see them with full knowledge of the facts. It's clever stuff. -***CONTAINS SPOILERS***A historical costume drama with some powerful performances, THE DUCHESS is the study of The Duchess of Devonshire and her battles with The Duke during their strained marriage.Little known director Saul Dibb gets a dream cast in Keira Knightley (Atonement) as The Duchess and Ralph Fiennes (The Constant Gardener) as The Duke. Thanks to Fiennes' uber-talent as a powerhouse actor, he helps pull the entire production up several rungs. Knightley shines unexpectedly bright in her role as the clothes-designing Duchess who steps into royalty and a marriage of the times; that is to say, something completely foreign to those of us in today's world.By contract, she is to be honorable and deliver the Duke an heir: a son. But three girls later and the Duke is becoming restless. He finds lust wherever his loins take him and the Duchess must simply bear it. A friend and confidant, Bess (Hayley Atwell), soon turns into a lady of conflict as she sleeps with, and then moves in with, the Duke. The Duchess tries to settle the matter but the Duke's power won't allow her any leeway.When a past love arrives in the Duchess' life, a powder keg erupts. Mr. Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper,Mamma Mia!) turns the Duchess' life upside down, and when she becomes pregnant with his child, the Duke's orders force her into an impossible situation: give the baby up (and give up Mr. Grey) or never see your children again.The terrible power wielded by The Duke is pulled off exceptionally well thanks to the high performance of Ralph Fiennes. Surprisingly you loathe him and then, as the film progresses, you actually pity him when he says things like, "Look at them. To be that free." His job and title have strapped him down and drove him into this role.The forced and eventual consummated acceptance of the Duke's power is probably Keira Knightley's strongest reveal for her since I've been watching her flicks.The costumes and sets are stunning in their elegance and appropriateness, as is the believable love that future Prime Minister Grey (yes, he actually becomes Prime Minister) and the Duchess feel for one another, even when forced apart by society and their own lives.This is a wonderfully done film with plenty of eye-candy sets and dark characters to make most movie watchers delight. -Well, as many reviewers have said, this is a simple release, with no special features. I could care less about commentaries, behind-the-scenes, or any of that stuff, though I do like seeing trailers and deleted scenes. As for the missing scenes, I can't remember exactly what is missing, since it's been so long since I've seen it. For those of you that CANNOT LIVE without that stuff, look away. The movie itself: Wow! The scenery is beautiful, colorful, and it tweaks your imagination. Floating mountains---cool. And instead of being connected to nature, the people are actually connected to the planet. That is a somewhat new and enjoyable twist. Despite what critics say, it was a really great movie. For those that choose to blast the movie because it is a recycled story: waa, waa, waa. So what if the story isn't very original? Robin Hood, Braveheart, and Dances with Wolves were all stories about people who were persecuted for a stupid reason and fought back. It's a story that never gets old; the previous movies mentioned were all great movies, and will be forever. So, keep your boohoos to yourself and enjoy a different approach to a really good storyline. Noone is making you spend money to have this movie. If you didn't like it, review the disc only and spare all the open-minded moviegoers the time. The only reason I reviewed it is because I liked it. Noone wants to read a 5-page review about everything that sucked about it. If you didn't like it, say so and move on. We liked it, and we want to know the quality of the disc and not the movie, otherwise, we wouldn't be looking at it to begin with. -The 3 seasons have been wonderful. The writing is great, casting couldn't be better, story keeps you wanting more. Just sorry season 3 is over. The finale was not what I was expecting. Waiting on pins and needles for season 4. You can't go wrong watching this series. -The Twilight Saga is unavoidable in both film and book form. The books, which I've never read, were bestsellers and the recent release of "New Moon," the film is breaking records. Teenage girls are absolutely gaga for the star Robert Pattinson and it finally intrigued me enough to watch this film. I do have a slightly biased opinion as the entire premise of the film seemed ludicrous to me, but I found a glimmer of hope in the film's director Catherine Hardwicke, who was responsible for the very honest look at teenagers with the film "Thirteen."What really surprised me about this film is that it doesn't have much of a plot. Kristen Stewart plays Isabella "Bella" Swan, who moves from Arizona to Forks, Washington to stay with her father (Billy Burke). Bella inexplicably begins school moments after arriving in Forks and discovers The Cullen's, a group of mysterious foster kids from Alaska. Even more mysterious and intriguing, to her and the rest of the student body, is Edward Cullen (Pattinson), a quiet, pale, reserved 17-year-old. Bella starts to notice the Cullen's are more than just a little different and when Edward stops a van from running her over, she realizes that he may not even be human...99% of the world knows that he's a vampire, but not a vampire of the typical, blood-sucking variety. The Cullen's are "vegetarian" vampires who only snack on the blood of animals. There's a story here, obviously but nothing really happens in it.Almost everything here is underwritten, characters and plot included. The characterization is particularly hollow and calling the characters "characters," is inaccurate; these are names with pretty faces attached to them. We're talking about a film here with an uneventful plot and characters completely void of depth. Twilight is supposed to be a supernatural love story geared towards a teenage demographic, but where's the emotion or poignancy that a love story needs in order to work as one? It's certainly not here. The dialogue in this movie is so melodramatic, I almost felt nauseous. The conversations between Bella and Edward are particularly embarrassing to watch. This does not sound like the "Romeo & Juliet" of the 21st Century, but the banter of two prepubescent children. A quick example; "Beautiful? This is the skin of a killer, Bella."As for the performances, no one seems to be putting any effort into them. Pattinson looks uncomfortable and his facial expressions, as well as his delivery of the film's dialogue sound pain fully forced. I do believe Hardwicke is a talented director, but she made a lot of poor creative choices here starting with her decision to direct such a poorly written script in the first place. One of her most annoying directorial decisions was her overuse of the slow-motion to illustrate the anxiety of a character. I can say only one positive thing about the film's production value and that is the somber, gray color palette utilized by the film's cinematographer...It could've been really effective if the tone of the overall film had been altered. Anyone who doesn't agree with what I'm saying about the film's poor quality need look no further than the baseball scene. How horribly executed can a scene be? The acting, the dialogue, the choice of music, Pattinson's snarl, and the cinematography are so bad it's embarrassing. Finally, this scene has no relevance to the plot of the film. It's muddled, meandering filler slipped into the film as an excuse to bring the character's to a different conflict in the story. If I was not aware of the inescapable Twilight frenzy, I would swear this film was a direct-to-DVD release; no one with a knowledge or appreciation of American cinema would call Twilight a good movie.Quite frankly, watching Twilight was like watching a high-school play written by a socially inept teenager. Obviously, my opinion isn't going to affect the success of the series. Twilight is one of those things that strikes some chord with young American audiences and has become a record-breaking smash success. I guarantee that Twilight will not remain a part of the American moviegoer's consciousness for any prolonged amount of time and just like hugely successful boy bands, this is a phase that will fade away in time.Twilight left me shaking my head so many times in the two hours I was watching it. I was not fascinated, intrigued, or stimulated about anything going on in the film and the only way I can imagine someone being those things is if they were not educated. That last part is sarcasm, but quite honestly this is a film that people will look back on ten years from now and think "how did I possibly think that was any good."GRADE: D -For other old timers out there who may have seen the film when it was released in theaters in '87, I wanted to mention that this print is excellent, the transfer to Blu-Ray is nearly flawless and the experience is just about guaranteed to be better than what we saw in movie theaters when it was released. In particular, kudos to the quality of the sound reproduction, which I've found to be excellent whether pushed through a 5.1 home theater or stereo headphones. -del Toro's visual imagination is present in Pacific Rim, but his storytelling definitely is not. At least the first half of the film is made up of voice over narratives, time jumps, and flashbacks. It doesn't have a story so much as a vast sea of clumsy exposition, meant to establish extremely rote character arcs while instructing the audience on what everything is. Charlie Hunnam's and Rinko Kinkuchi's characters both must overcome a lame contrived trauma beset on them by the Kaiju, giant CGI aliens/sea monsters. Unfortunately, the dialogue is clunky when the characters talk to one another as well. The actors must constantly fight del Toro's scifi mumbo jumbo to try to convey humanity. Overall, Pacific Rim leaves the impression that its ideas were way to big for one movie, or simply not thought through. -Actually, "Dennis the Menace" is probably the better movie, in retrospect.I just saw "Revenge of the Sith" last night, and it reminded me how awful "Attack of the Clones" truly is; not because "Sith" is a good movie, but because it was pretty much on the same level.Anyway, two stars for "Clones" may indeed be on the generous side; I will concede the two for the amazing CGI (which, simultaneously, is part of the reason why this film is so terrible). Terrible acting? Got it. Terrible directing? Gotcha. No intelligence, heart, emotion, or, well...anything else aside from CGI? Done. Lucas has really outdone himself with this film; it may even be worse than "The Matrix Reloaded" and comes darn close to matching "Terminator 3" for worst prequel/sequel ever made. The power of hype in our society is truly astounding; despite the fact that not even a labotomized twelve-year old (for whom, according to Lucas's pathetic excuse, the picture is designed (minus the labotomy, of course)) could keep their eyes open long enough to witness this spasm-inducing lethargy, it made nearly $300 mill. at the box office. Of course, the power of hype made the original "Star Wars" the biggest success of all time (inflation-adjusted, it's nearly double "Titanic"), despite the fact that that movie really isn't all that amazing either (that's another story...).The problem with "Clones," and "Menace" and "Sith," (and even the original "Star Wars") is George Lucas. Good writer, he is (note "Indiana Jones"); good director, he is clearly not. He should have handed this series to Spielberg, but naturally his ego got in the way. Too bad, because had "Menace" been the great film it needed to be, this could have become the most popular trilogy of all time. Like the new "Matrix" and "Terminator" "films," all we can do is simply forget that these pre/sequels exist, so that we can retain some enjoyment from the originals (in regard to retaining enjoyment from the "Star Wars" series, I'm talking about episodes 5 and 6, the only two good movies of them all).A side note: the line of dialogue refering to Anakin's dislike for sand may just be the most laughable ever spoken in an American film. At least Lucas will be remembered for something...? -I think everyone judges every Star Wars movie by what is considered the best of the batch, the original Star Wars of 1977 and "The Empire Strikes Back" of 1980. Compared with those movies, this movie is not so great. Compared to the other two prequels, it is the best of the three. It turns away from the tortuous details of Senate politics that infected its predecessor, "Attack of the Clones", and tries to get back to the action, relationships, and moral dilemmas that are at the heart of the "Star Wars" series. However, this film has many flaws that could have been eradicated with more of a conscientious effort by creator, director, and writer George Lucas.It basically forms a straight line, plot-wise, from Episode Two to Episode Four with no surprises and little character development, and depends upon what you already know about the entire Star Wars mythology to invest you in this movie and its characters rather than the action and dialogue of this one particular film. Also, there is little use made of either Natalie Portman's Padme Amidala - who actually has very little screen time - or the excellent Samuel L. Jackson, who is completely wasted given the small part that his character has in this film. Why employ such a great actor if you are going to give him lines that any extra could deliver?Additionally, for someone who has spent the last ten or fifteen years learning and living the ways of the Jedi, Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker seems to have very little inner turmoil making a sudden and complete transformation from protector of innocents to the apprentice of evil. He irrationally uses his desire to ensure his wife's safety - when there is no perceivable threat to her health other than his own premonitions - as an excuse to savage anyone who might get in his way and even some who couldn't if they wanted to, such as the "younglings" that he slaughters in the Jedi temple at Palpatine's behest. Thus the so-called transformation into Darth Vader is more like the flipping of a switch - more binary than analog.The best performance is that of Ian McDiarmid as Chancellor Palpatine/"The Emporer". He has a serpentine smoothness about him as he subtly plants doubts in Skywalker's mind about who is really on the side of evil while deftly handling all of the warring factions of the Republic so that people will actually be grateful when he takes complete power.In summary, if you have seen all of the other Star Wars films you will probably enjoy this one because it fills in all of the gaps and answers all of the remaining questions. However, with some more effort in the direction and writing, those questions could have been answered with much better dialogue and characters that were more three-dimensional. -When the entertainment industry pokes fun at itself sincerely, the results can be hilarious. Such is the case with the cornball science fantasy movie "Galaxy Quest.""Galaxy Quest" was a science fiction television show with more than a passing similarity to "Star Trek." As with the latter show, "Galaxy Quest" was cancelled. Now the dispirited actors seem doomed to an endless cycle of overzealous fans at "Galaxy Quest" conventions. Adding to the actor's torment is the attitude of Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), who played Commander Peter Quincy Taggart in the show. Nesmith's cheery attitude and self-importance have worn thin on his fellow cast mates, Gwen Demarco as sexy Lt. Tawny Madison (Sigourney Weaver), Alexander Dane as brainy Dr. Lazarus (Alan Rickman), and Fred Kwan as Tech Sgt. Chen (Tony Shalhoub).Interrupting their doldrums is a group of individuals who would appear weird to anyone outside a science fiction convention. As members of the convention they appear to be about as strange, or normal, depending on your point of view, as anyone else. However, Jason Nesmith soon learns that this strange foursome is more than they seem as they spirit him off to their genuine spaceship, NSEA Protector.At first Jason is somewhat excited at the opportunity to be on a genuine spaceship, and eventually brings the rest of the crew, including bit part player Guy Fleegman (Sam Rockwell), back to the ship with him. However, the aliens crewing the ship, the Thermians, have a very real, very ruthless nemesis to contend with, and the former crew of "Galaxy Quest" discover they are out of their depth.The Thermians brought the crew of "Galaxy Quest" on board because they discovered certain "historical documents" that were transmitted into space many years earlier. The somewhat innocent, though highly intelligent and creative, Thermians were unable to recognize the television show "Galaxy Quest" as being make-believe.The movie moves forward with a number of creative and often humorous moments, alternating between hilarity and seriousness, with even a few moments of compassion. Every cliché and stereotype from the original "Star Trek" is exploited for a laugh. In the climax the actors rely on hardcore fans for their in-depth knowledge of the show to save them. It is difficult to avoid enjoying the ending, even if you are not a fan of science fiction."Galaxy Quest" is an excellent companion movie to the original "Star Trek" television series. Even non-Trek fans will pick up on most of the gags. There is a lot of action and you can expect the usual implausibilities that tend to accompany television science fiction. However, the results are humorous and enjoyable. You will find this movie worth more than one watch. -This review is for the blu-ray transfer only and not the film itself. The blu-ray version of Blade Runner: Final Cut is superb. Despite the fact that it is an older movie and shot primarily in lowlight conditions, details are sharp, colors are vibrant and blacks are deep. While there is some film grain in certain scenes, it is soft rather than gritty. It did not call attention to iself. The sound was initially a little weak on my system, but I cranked it up a notch or two and then it sounded fine. I highly recommend this blu-ray transfer. If you are considering an upgrade from DVD, it is totally worth it. -While watching "The Ring", the last thing I wanted to do was to draw comparisons with the original Japanese "Ringu". Simply because I wanted to enjoy it as what it is, rather than a revisited English version of a same film. Unfortunately, I found comparisons to be inevitable. Not saying that "The Ring" is either superior or inferior, but it stayed very truthful to the original material it was based on, too truthful.For viewers who haven't had a chance to see "Ringu", you will find idea of "The Ring" wholly unique, nevertheless bizarre and ridiculous at the same time, depending on your cynicism level. But for those who have seen the original, you may think that the story of this US remake unfolds in an almost identical way, even though some incidents along the way were inserted or slightly altered to cater for the vaster audiences. In certain cases these alterations are actually an improvement that contributes to the mood of the story, as well as providing hints and clues of the final conclusion. In Japan, like in China and many other countries in Asia, they have long history that consists of countless mythical tales and legends about the spiritual realm, so a cursed video may seem vividly possible, while seems far-fetched and hard to swallow to the English-speaking world. But in order to retain that sense of myth, a lot of elements converted (or rather not converted) into the US version do feel quite out of place.Verbinski, while flaring some ingenious camera setups, did not tackle the subtlety a movie that is largely atmospheric requires. "The Ring" is a material which M. Night Shyamalan could probably do while he sleepwalks, and his knack for psychological thrills and minimalism style would surely be effective here. Perhaps looking at Verbinski's résumé (Mousehunt, The Mexicans), he may be too cynical for a subject that deals with a video tape that kills people. However with the limited amount of Gore (no puns intended), he did succeed in letting some genuine chills creep into the audiences at the sublimal level.Where "The Ring" did fail is, not having convincing characters. Naomi Watts serves up a decent job as a career-driven news reporter, but she did not look frightened or concerned enough for a single-mother who knows her exact time and date of death. There was no sense of emergency that she is desperate to find out how to lift the curse, instead she spends the entire time questioning who was involved in the sad story behind the video. By the end of the seventh day the audiences are left to wander off somewhere forgetting why she needs to find out about the origin of the video in the first place. Secondly the son Aidan is too creepy, and without a trace of innocence for us to really care about what will happen to him. He shares no chemistry with his mother, spending the entire time staring into the far place, drawing dark pictures, or mumbling something about a imaginary friend. In another word, he seems more like a possessed puppet than your little nephew you would like to take to the carnival. In Alejandro Amenavar's "The Others", in Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining", or even in the most obvious example, Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense", children's straightforward manner and innocence proved to be far more effective in creating sense of peril, and in that matter, way more disturbing. Another disappointing performance is from Martin Henderson as Noah. He has great presence, but again he does not convey any chemistry with the other actors in the film. The expression he has for not believing the nonsense of a killer video is not so different from the one he knows his life could be in threat. Is he helping Rachel because he does have feelings for her, or does he just hope to get laid again because she is still hot? It was not explained, nor do we really care much.Though the number of extras on this DVD is disappointing, what it does offer is in fact quite neat. The picture is sharp and crisp, providing a good contrast of the grayish grim look of the film, with the bursting colors at times that will permanently damage your retina (in some way it actually distracts you from the mood the film is supposed to have). While the sound may not give your system a throughout workout, the localization is quite well defined, and provide a good dimension for the otherwise monotone sound effects, therefore making the few shock-tricks exceptionally powerful (needless to say the DTS track again proves to be the champion of cinema sound).An advertised "never-before-seen short film" could be seen by selecting the "Don't look here" option on the main menu. It is in fact a collection of deleted and extended scenes, featuring a few more graphic sequences trimmed from the theatrical release. Without commentary or additional information, it doesn't really reveal any more insights or secret than the film itself, but would definitely affect the rating if they were incorporated back into the film as an "uncut edition". Yet whether it would be a better viewing experience is another question. Also included is a very brief trailer of the original "Ringu" on DVD (also released by Dreamworks, surprise, surprise!), a theatrical trailer of "Catch Me If You Can", and an "8 Mile" DVD promo spot. If you are patient enough to play around with the remote a little bit more, you may find a not so pleasant easter egg! Overall "The Ring" DVD is a nice little package that will make your collection looks better...is that your phone ringing? -"Master and Commander" is a film of great integrity. It follows through on its promises, commits its characters to both the heroics and the sins of their natures, has the courage of its convictions and portrays nobility of spirit without maudlin sentiment. In short, it is a wonderful balancing act. The fact that it has intelligent plotting, literate dialogue, classical themes, inspired acting and is both well paced and superbly filmed only adds to its many virtues.Intelligent restraint is in evidence throughout this film. Peter Weir shows restraint in his decision to let the story tell itself. Both Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany show restraint in their superb understated acting. Together, they are like a thinking person's Gene Rodenberry, Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy. Think of these archetypes stripped of their overacting and most egregious tendencies and you will have some idea of the qualities conveyed by the three principals in this film.The plot and setting have been well summarized in other reviews, but those are poor reasons to view a film such as "Master and Commander". It is really a film about timeless qualities now hopelessly out of fashion: things like duty, honour, loyalty, friendship, mutual reliance and the questing spirit. Cynics will hate this film for its proud and unapologetic portrayal of old fashioned values. The rest of us will not only love it, but find it inspirational.I am both hopeful and apprehensive of a sequel. On the one hand, I look forward to further adaptations of Peter O'Brien's work. On the other hand, this first adaptation has set such a high standard that I fear the next film making a complete hash of things. -I'll review the movie in a moment. What I want to share first is how pleasantly surprised I am at the extras included. Sure, they could have given us more--four different kinds of trailers, costume design boards, a scene from every Phantom movie thus far, interviews with Crawford and Brightman, not to mention commentaries. But hey, isn't that what Christmas is for? :)However, I was enthralled by the story of how the musical came to be. We get not only plenty of airtime from Lord Webber and Stilgoe & Hart, but we see the original stars in footage that we would never be able to see otherwise. Sara Brightman singing "Pie Jesu" in what looks to be a cathedral, Michael Crawford doing light comedy--light comedy!--on a British show and performing in the circus. We're taken into Webber's estate to view the singers who first performed the Phantom material as it was being constructed, and are enlightened as to how Britain charmingly previewed the musical, via music video, to the rest of the nation as what looked to be, quite literally, a rock opera. (Well, it WAS the 80s.)The other extras that focus on the movie production are also quite good. I thought it might be only a slightly longer version of one of those HBO First Looks, but it was super-informative. In it you get a look at the premier, at part of Emmy Rossum's screen test, the fun of trying to understand Jennifer Ellison's (Meg) accent, Patrick Wilson singing opera in sport pants, the Mask of the Red Death swigging from a water bottle, plus a look at the outrageously elaborate costumes and what the chandelier falling looked like in real life. There's so much more I can't remember, but trust me, it's worth it.I'm not sure sure about the additional scene. I'm glad they didn't keep it in. While it's a lovely song, the Phantom was too soft, not at all obsessive or dangerous. And we don't want that, now, do we?And, about that movie. Emmy Rossum has a perfectly capable voice even at her age, just as Christine is supposed to be quite young. But her face had the same expression on it--trancelike--almost the entire time. When she saw Raoul caught in the Punjab lasso and cried out, I was like, Finally! And then she went back into the trance. I wish they had coaxed more expression out of her.Gerard Butler. Either you love him or you hate him. We all know he's hot. I was really surprised at first sight of the Phantom, because from the stage shows you get the impression that even with the mask on, he's a crowish figure of no less than forty years. I enjoy watching Butler, but if they had used someone less attractive I don't think it would have taken anything away from the movie. As for his voice--I whispered to my mom at one point that he sounds like a rock star. And yes, Butler was indeed in a rock band. He's no Michael Crawford. And sometimes his treatment of phrases isn't the best. But on the flip side, sometimes it's just as uncomfortable listening to a stage Phantom sing in full-on operatic mode. It's...whatever you like, I guess.Of course, the sets are lavish and the costumes lush (and vice versa). I love Minnie Driver in the Carlotta role, and the men who played the managers were really a delight. I know people gripe about all these different things--the addition of scenes, speaking dialogue that was previously sung, the misplacement of the chandelier's big scene, a colorful masquerade being clothed in black and white. But in the end I still think the movie is more than worth it. Why?Because you can see it whenever you want to now. Because the full orchestra sounds heaven-sent. Because knowing all the words to a musical is a big deal. Because it's beautiful. Because it's a full-on experience that requires nothing less than your full attention. Because snow and confetti falling never looked so perfect. Because my first exposure to the musical was on a cassette tape with half the second act missing and it was still so potent that I stayed up to listen to it again. Because the Phantom's hot (oops).So, that's what I think. If you truly love the musical, you'll like the movie. If you knew nothing of the musical before, then you'll probably like it, too. -I bought the extended version of "Gladiator" on DVD, although I already have the widescreen signature edition and I never regretted it. Many of the deleted scenes those which I already knew from the signature edition and some additional ones were added. This additional footage is an absolute gain for the overall brilliant story line. There is also new bonus material on the second and third disc. All the documentaries provide an interesting insight into the making of the film."Gladiator" is on second position among my all time favorite movies. The cast is outstanding. Russell Crowe's performance is absolutely brilliant. Connie Nielson, Oliver Reed and Joaquin Phoenix are also perfectly chosen for their roles and too give a great performance, just to name a few. I have watched "Gladiator" countless times. After each viewing I could just watch it all over again. It's a masterpiece of its genre with the most magnificent and brilliant special effects I have ever seen. There are so many scenes which are pure joy to watch. The dialog and the score are pure "ear-candy". I am not a fan of Roman or Greek empire movies, but "Gladiator" is different from all the other old and new films about this period. There is something special in "Gladiator", something I have never seen before. Just as Maximus (Russell Crowe) says in the movie: "I'll give them something they have never seen before". -Well, here we go again. Tobey Maguire spins the web again. While I feel the Spiderman films of today are strictly for the teenagers, I am a Spiderman fan from way back. The comic books of the 1970's, the cartoons and "The Amazing Spider-Man" tv series with Nicholas Hammond as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Spiderman still holds my interest.Now they got Spiderman delivering pizzas. Peter Parker is shown more human and clumsy in the film. Even has a heart. His stronger side will be tested again by a new villain, Dr. Octavius (Alfred Molina). To make matters worse, Peter occasionally keeps losing his spidey powers in mid-flight and Dr. Octavius has four metal tentacles to deal with.Most of the cast fromSpider-Man (Widescreen Special Edition)(2002) return for this film, including Cliff Robertson as "Uncle Ben". Stan Lee and Bruce Campbell have cameo appearances.The film is more enjoyable if you fast-forward through the scenes with Kirsten Dunst.Disc One includes two audio commentaries (cast & crew, technical), webisodes, the music video "Ordinary" by Train, Blooper Reel, previews, and a cool feature "Spidey Sense 2" in which you turn on and you will get Factoids and trivia during the film.Disc Two includes making of..Featurettes. "Enter The Web" shows you different angles of a particular scene.Easter Egg: Disc Two, Gallery Screen, Press up twice. If you see the Spiderman sense, press Enter. You will get Alfred Molina doing "If I Were a Rich Man".Followed by:Spider-Man 3 (Widescreen Edition)(2007).The Amazing Spider-Man(2012)The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro (2014).The Amazing Spider-Man 3 will be released on June 10, 2016.The Amazing Spider-Man 4 (2018). -Seriously. Just watch Hangover (the original) again. This movie is not funny at all. I love most of the people in the cast, but it was a definite let-down. -I went to see this in the theaters the opening weekend on Haloween this past fall. I'd have to say that this movie is false advertising. Haloween movies have always been cheesy and bloody and thats how I like them. I was expecting this kind of urban horror movie with all sorts of nasty violence/blood and a decent plot. Dont get me wrong- I'm not a sick f***, but sometimes thats the kind of movie i wanna see. This was a serious dissapointment. "Saw" tried to pack way too much plot into 100 mins running time, confusing the hell out of me. The ending was absolutely awesome, it makes the experience not so empty and wasted. If your looking for a gorefest, this aint it. Sure, it got an R in US 18A in Canada, but there's other horror movies at your local store that surpass this easily.If your looking for a movie to make you think, this aint it either. Confusing the viewer doesnt lead to thinking IMO.All in all, not what it tried to be or could have been. I honestly cant recommend this. -Ok, so all these people are saying the film isn't funny. They're saying it's stupid has no intelligence....Well jeeze the stupid person is you! This movie is classified under Stupid funny humor. IT's not trying to be annie hall or anything. This movie is showing off Will Ferrells comedic talent. IT has a lot of funny lines. IT is random but yet...it's supposed to be. Two thumbs up. It's a lot of fun. -Dale Denton (Rogan) is a process server and a stoner. He has a girlfriend in high school (Heard), and likes to hang out with his dealer, Saul (Franco). One evening, Dale witnesses a murder. The murderers, a drug lord (Cole) and a crooked cop (Perez) are soon on his tail. They trace a joint left behind at the scene, a variety called "Pineapple Express" back to Saul, and soon Dale and Saul are running for their lives."Pineapple Express" is yet another film from the Judd Apatow machine, and on par with "Superbad." Rogen and Franco have good chemistry and comic timing. Franco is more at home in dramas, but is genuinely funny here. Despite being a "stoner movie", it is a buddy movie at heart. Action is not what you would expect from Rogen, and although he handles it well, especially in the last 30 minutes, the action packed ending does run a bit long. Overall, "Pineapple Express" delivers what it promises: a funny stoner comedy. -This series I bought from Amazon, but seasons 2 and 3 I have actually seen on TV. As it turned out, in my opinion (because the series has ended now) it was a down played spin off of "THE TUDORS". I'm not particularly into the Renaissance, but the history of the Catholic Church during that time does intrigue me.I have tried not to compare it to THE TUDORS, but I didn't succeed there. Like THE TUDORS the actors and actresses were all first rate, excellent actors and actresses. Jeremy Irons is a living legend and the most known of the cast. Colm Fiore is an excellent actor, and the rest of the cast was no less radiant. The sets and costumes were spectacular without a doubt.But unlike THE TUDORS, THE BORGIAS series still lacked "something". I want to say that it didn't have quite the same sexual tension and intrigue that THE TUDORS had. And, I want to say that the cast of THE TUDORS was just a "little bit better". JRM almost "over acts" as Henry 8th, but his sex appeal and magnetism makes that series. And quite frankly, THE TUDORS was in no short supply of beautiful people.The only thing that made me uncomfortable was the season ending. I won't mention exactly what made me uncomfortable because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't yet seen the whole thing, but I will say, I felt that the series ended rather quickly and abruptly. Over all though, it was a very fine series. -The third installment is much better and more memorable than the first two films. It's tough adapting an excellent book into an excellent film. Things are left out and new things are put in. The first two films left me wondering why more wasn't cut out of them to make for better movie viewing. It was like they were trying to cram as much of the book in as possible, resulting in drawn out stories. In stark contrast, this Potter film moves along at a pace I can stand, isn't as long (great for the attention span of children), is better written, directed, and played out.The three young actors (Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson) have finally come into their own and look like they know what their doing. Radcliffe (Harry Potter) gives his best performance yet, and I'm sure we'll see even more growth in the coming movies.In this installment, we learn that Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban Prison and is after Harry Potter. That's the shortest version of the plot (there's more to it, but I don't want to be too long-winded), and I don't want to reveal too much more for the sake of those who may not have the read the book.Fanatics of the book may not appreciate that some of the book was left out, but if the entire book was adapted to film, the movie would be 10 hours long. For the sake of entertainment purposes, I'm glad director Cuaron took the edgy route. He gives us an excellent film, the best Potter film yet. Even the vision of Harry Potter is different. I thought this film had a better feel for the book, even if it left stuff out.I've seen it twice, once in a regular theater and once in an IMAX. If you can get to an IMAX to see this one, I highly recommend it. What an awesome experience. Either way, I highly highly recommend this movie. It's absolutely breathtaking. -A very good DVD production of the movie. The "Lost in Space" feature was interesting although short. The deleted scenes are very funny and I think a lot of them should have been retained in the first cut. The deleted scenes also help explain some of the incongruities, such as why Sigourney Weaver suddenly is showing a lot of cleavage toward the end of the film. -Reads the books, and the movie did not disappoint. I was extremely skeptical at first, not wanting to get sucked into a fad, but the books and movie(s) are genuinely good, with great actors and superb visual effects. Definitely recommend. -This is one of the cutest, funniest sports/girl power/rousing comedy films I have seen in a while! For starters, it is laugh-out-loud funny, and definitely holds your attention. I think it was really geared at young teenagers and pre-teens, but I saw it with my mother, and I was twenty years old at the time and we still had fun. Jess (Parminder Nagra) just wants to play soccer, but her traditional, Indian parents won't hear of it. They want her to go to college, become a lawyer and be a good Indian wife--let's not forget the cooking lessons her mom wants to subject her to, so she can cook all the curries, breads and assorted fried pastries. The young Indian-English girl won't hear of it, and while her sister is preparing for her own wedding, the headstrong girl continues to sneak out and play soccer with the guys. Another young lady (Keira Knightley) sees her playing, and invites her to join a girl's team. They both proceed to develop crushes on the coach (Jonathan Rhys Myers), and then things get a little complicated......to say the least....also, the whole soccer matter can't be kept under wraps forever.Even though I was never any good at soccer, and don't know much about the game (though, I knew who David Beckham was and that he played for Manchester United at the time that the film came out.......there is even a scene with Jess watching David--or, as her mom likes to call him, "That skinhead boy," play his "corner"), I had great fun watching Jess triumph in game after game, and enjoyed the Indian flavor that generously sprinkled out this film like fine haldi (tumeric, for those who know it by its Western name) in a savory and spicy curry, meant to be enjoyed with friends and loved ones. Please give this one a go..........Also, encourage any young women and girls to watch it. It is definitely an inspirational film for women of all ages, though. -I know this the most successful animated movie to date. The animation is elegant and beautiful. The music is wonderful. The story is sadly lame and contrived. I really did not connect with the characters in Frozen the way I did with, for example, Ariel or Belle. Enough said. -FARGO is a modern classic of cinema. Period. One of the things that I enjoy most about the Coen brothers' movies is that they both understand their art form: movies are primarily visual works of art. Many films forget this fact. While the plot of FARGO is, in many ways, simple and somewhat predictable, the cinematography is amazing. The blanket white landscapes that the Coen brothers paint gives the film the elegance of a black & white film with the beauty of a work in color. The white makes the colors "pop" on the screen.FARGO introduces us to another one of William H. Macy's masterful performances. He plays the perfect Everyman, someone who is absolutely despicable and, yet, manages to win our sympathy. It is perfect because we see a glimmer of something in his sad existence that reminds us of our own. He has been pushed around all of his life and one gets the feeling that the world would little remember him if he just fell off the face of the earth. In a surprising act of agency, he hatches a scheme to accomplish two goals: to gouge his father-in-law for a lot of money (a man whom he has never earned respect) and to gain the necessary funds to fuel a business plan of his own. The plot is simple: hire two men to kidnap his wife, collect the ransom money from his father-in-law, and give the henchman a fraction of the ransom in exchange for his wife back. But in FARGO, as in life, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. One thing after another goes wrong and the body count rises.In the end, FARGO is about following normal, everyday characters (the type William H. Macy was born to play) and placing them in ordinary (yet, at the same time, extraordinary) circumstances and seeing how the haphazardness of life plays with them. Watch this film. It is unforgettable. -...no real gore, no bad language to express how they were really feeling and half the story and edge gone due to editing. I was so glad to hear it was coming out on DVD and was suprised to find out that it was gonna be packaged with another movie called Terror Tract. I had never heard of it, but found out that John Ritter was in it. Ultimately, both movies are very good in different ways. Cherry Falls is a dark, sadistic slasher movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The extremely talented Brittany Murphy is in it as well as the very funny Jay Mohr who plays it serious in this one. This movie - comparable to Scream, Heathers and American Pie, will have you guessing who is killing the town virgins and why. Unlike most horror movies this movie never tires or bores and has very good acting and a very good script. It's a shame it didn't get a theatrical release, but at least the DVD isn't a butchered version like the basic cable version one was. Terror Tract reminds me alot of Tales From The Crypt; Very spooky and silly at the same time. Its about a real estate agent trying to sell a newly married couple a home and each house they visit has a horrifying tale about why the previous owners moved, leading into little short stories. Not as smart or as clever as Cherry Falls, but very entertaining and very eerie. There aren't any special features on this dvd... And both movies come on just one disc....so its easy to have yourself a night of chills without getting up. And you might not wanna watch these alone..... -first of all, for Aliens versus Predator, you have to go in with an open mind, don't go in thinking of Arnold or Danny Glover and their role in this movie, cause it won't work.with that, here is my take on the movie and how it goes.movie starts off solid, satelitte belonging to Weyman corporations gets a heat plume in anartica, so he gathers a team involving the best diggers in the world, an archelogical team, and an ice tour guide to lead the team. they end up isolated in an island a 1,000 miles from land where they discover a tunnel was made 24 hours prior to their arrival by somebody, and this leads to an underground pyramid, where the heat source is coming from.they enter the pyramid, and set off a chain of reactions, releasing the Aliens, then mess up big by taking the predator's weapons, and this is where the actions really kicks in.only 3 predators are sent against a handful of aliens and people. as for the storyline, here is how it goes.the predators taught humans to build pyramids and used them for sacrifice to help create the aliens, which they would then turn around and hunt down.if they beat the aliens, then they proved themselves worthy, but if they lost, then they blew up everything. in doing this, they captured the alien queen to make eggs then lured the humans for sacrifice, but when a couple of the predators get killed by the aliens, everything is left to one predator and one human.the movie is awesome, the build up to the fight scenes is awesome, and best of all, the aliens-predator fight scenes are awesome. they fight in these awesome battles to the death, and some of the battle scenes and who dies and how is surprising.overall, the movie is awesome, and the ending is clever too, which leads to a possible AVP 2. -This movie showcases the true talent Christopher Nolan posses. He wrote AND directed this movie which I find just amazing. The script was good and the story is mind bottling :) That being said, the movie is confusing and full of minor goofs. If you don't believe me, look at what IMDB has to say: [[...]] The movie was enjoyable and for once in a long time I feel I need to see it again. Highly recommended. -The best Star Trek movie in years. The new crew is excellent and the story is good, although it brings back a couple of old enemies in this new reality that skirts off the true nature of their reality and did not explore it suffiently in my opinion.. I will not tell you who this is referring to. All the actors are on their game and seem to understand what Trekkies need and want and don't deviate too much from the original concept.A worhty note:Simon Pegg-EXCELLENT! What a gifted actor. This movies is fast and entertaining. You love it. -I've seen the stage play and found the movie version very moving and quite wonderful too. The individual performances by the actors were stellar in every way. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end...I would highly recommend this movie ... I think it's a Must See....so happy I viewed it....I will purchase it for my Movie Library.... -Is there any role Phillip Seymour Hoffman couldn't have played? I don't think so. Without being over the top, his performance is amazing. -i received this yesterday on blu-ray and was VERY impresssed... for what i paid ($[...] with free shipping), it was an AMAZING deal. the extended edition is awesome. you get to see a lot more of pandora and get better explanations and back stories of alot of things. i, like MOST of the population, don't have a 3d tv... so 3d movies arent really of interest to me... i am not at all upset with this release... the packaging is VERY cool. everything is just perfect. havent looked into the special features just yet but they look promising. overall i would DEFINITELY recommend this release, even if you already bought the bare bones release (i did and i am very happy i upgraded)! picture quality is OUTSTANDING (but i would expect nothing less from this movie). -this is such a timeless classic, I love it. comes with lots of bonus features too. The picture looks great!!! Thank you! -"Thank You for Smoking" was an entertaining movie. I enjoyed the portrayal of corporate shenanigans and its satire of Hollywood types. The acting was good and all players did their jobs well but I was a bit put off by the smirking 'we're so smart and hip attitude' of the movie. A bit of humbleness is appealing you know. Some say the subject matter in this film i.e. to smoke or not to smoke is equally weighed. I personally didn't feel that way at all. I felt the overall tone for the movie was geared toward smoking. Personally, I don't smoke but I don't mind that this film is for smoking. What I liked about the film is that it kept my brain going. And like I said majority of this film is predictable, but you do begin to question how free the rights of the American Public are? Should smoking be banned or should smokers have their rights too? Like stated in the film people know smoking is bad yet they still do it. Why? The movie puts a nice spin on the importance of information and looking at things from alternative views.It's nice to see Aaron Eckhart play a good solid role for once. I think his performance in this film was excellent and extremely believable. I think after this role we will be seeing him in more movies. William H. Macy also stars and shines yet again. Macy is one of the best actors in Hollywood who for years still never got the appreciation he deserves. Also Katie Holmes does a decent job although her character is extremely predictable. I personally think Holmes does a good job at playing bad girl roles like her role here and in "The Gift". The reason I think that is because she looks so innocent so when she comes out saying something like "I want to f*** you, when I watch you on TV" it seems out of the ordinary for her. This is also probably another reason why Tom Cruise loves her; she's probably a very bad girl outside the public eye.Even though this is Jason Reitman's first feature film he is one to keep an eye on. I feel as the time goes on he will become a very big director just like his father. Being that "Smoking" is his first film, I think he has already hit a home run. I think the guy has talent and as long as he keeps making good movies he will be just as big as his dad is someday.I like the message behind "Thank You For Smoking" but not the overall subject matter of the film. This movie provides its audience with fine acting, a good script and some nice directing. The film's idea also keeps its audience thinking. It's a good movie to watch with someone and then have a nice long talk with about it afterwards. It's a satirical look at the smoking issue although I still feel it tilts more towards one side than the other. But at the end of the day, it's a good independent film which you will be able to enjoy and appreciate. -This film is almost flawless - the acting, the sets, the script, the special effects, the originality. As the writer indicates in the documentary, 'Alien Saga', the creature was inspired by a drawing of H.R. Giger and was intentionally intended to disturb the subconscious of the target audience (males aged 18-24) by the use of imagry that resembled the violence of male rape (forced oral invasion, resulting in impregnation, followed by a deadly painful birth of a phallic-shaped, flesh colored predator). Unlike previous genre films, the protagonist also ends up being the female character - Ripley. In any case, this is one of the best horror films of all time.Of special note is one of the deleted scenes included on this DVD (and presumably in the 'Alien: Director's Cut' to be released this month). In this scene, the ship's captain who disappeared chasing the alien earlier in the film is found by Ripley, barely alive, cacooned by the Alien for insemination by a waiting egg. Of course, we find out in the next installment that only the huge queen alien can lay alien eggs. -It may be Mat Damon himself. Surely the leading man in a film of this kind is important, but at first glance, Damon has none of the obvious traits. He isn't killer handsome. Neither has he the body of a circus ariealist. What he's got, it seems to me, is the ability to remind you of a younger brother who enlisted in the Navy and somehow wound up in the Seals. Nobody had any idea. One minute he's the hot-shot of the High School Baseball team, the next minute you're watching him get decorated dressed in whites. You're so proud of him, even if you don't know what it is he does, precisely, and all your family loves him.So, as I say, no International Lounge Lizard with nouveau riche tastes, or a necklace of Euro-Trash beauties around his neck.But, when the movie begins and they haul him out of the sea, nearly dead, you see it. And as he recovers from his wounds, it becomes clearer. He's one of the brightest and the best; clean as a whistle, sharp as a tack. Dad's favorite boy, memory clouded, somehow, and on a mission even he doesn't remember. And whithout making any judgment about it, you've got a great deal invested in him; in seeming him safe and his enemies identified and routed. Therefore, when the action begins, and it does immediately, one watches him negotiate the thorny mazes of predicaments of incredible complexity and menace, with ingenuity and dispatch. One of the best demonhstrations of what he can do happens when he arrives in Paris, after getting his money and passports out of a Swiss bank. ANd himself and a German girl of some sort with a car, out of the American Embassy trap. Well, an assassion crashes into his Paris apartment before either of them can catch a breath, and there's a life and death flght which ends when the failed assassin thorws himself out of the window and dies on the sidewalk below. That is the prelude to as brilliant and harrowing a demonstration of trick driving as I've ever seen, as Borne and the girl drive her Cooper Mini through the mazes and tangles of fast, congested Parisian traffic, followed by police cruisers and motorcycle mounted cops. Thrilling! And that's just the first third of the film.Rather than describe the remainder of the story in detail, I will say, instead, that the director does not allow the project to make any fatal mistakes. He doesn't flirt with us; doesn't try to seduce us into liking the movie with mugging or stupid action jokes. He doesn't use kids that way. Or animals. Or any people. There are no faux literary pretensions anywhere. Although there are people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds in the film, there's no ethnic or racial humor. There are no shameful and insincere attempts to conjure up a facile moral to the story by juggling religioius symbols. The sexual attraction of the hero and heroine to one another isn't either lewd or tricky, but grows inevitably out of the inter-reliance that builds between them as they cling to life and avoid discovery. What attracts her is his freshness, frankness, fearlessness and his determination to protect her from enemies that are really his alone. Their care for each other becomes as artless and as inevitable as sunrise.The sound track is good and the intercut POP music is as one would expect it, but the music is never distracting.Seems to me I've watched this show 3 times now, and it looks better and better every time. The complex entity that IDENTITY is has been handled with such deftness and skill that no shot or sequence appears to have been derived from any shot or sequence in any other film. And the editing is flawless. Flawless! -In this witty comedy, two struggling musicians, Joe and Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), inadvertently witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and need to get out of town fast. They dress up as women and join an all-women band headed for Florida. Along the way, Joe courts Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), and a millionaire courts Jerry.This film has a little bit of everything in it, murder, romance, and humor, lots of lots of humor. The dialogue is sharp and the acting is excellent. Marilyn Monroe is perfect as Sugar Kane, Tony Curtis' Cary Grant impression is one of the funniest bits in the movie and Jack Lemmon is also perfect. Joe E. Brown, as Lemmon's would be suitor almost steals the movie and gets to deliver the last line, one of the funniest lines in the movie.I recommend this movie to those who like a good laugh. -For those of us who just love the theatrics, lush beauty, and drama of theater, we cannot help but be mesmerized by this movie. However, the reaction this film received in the movie theater I attended best sums up the overall reception. About forty minutes into the film, about 4-5 people walked out of the theater. When the movie ended, though, it received applause from the audience -- that speaks for itself because, come on, how often do you get applause anymore these days for movies? (In Los Angeles, mind you.)Strangely enough, right after listening to the chorus of cheers, I walked out and listened to a young woman complain: "I take back what I said about her [Emmy Rossum] sounding like a 16-year-old, she sounds like a 12-year-old." Personally, I wanted to take her aside and ask her whether she knew what a 'soprano' is or not, that sopranos are supposed to sing high, and the character of Christine called for a soprano... but that's a story for another day.So there you have it. Some loved it, some hated it. I love entertainment in all its forms and I don't really subscribe to the elitist attitudes a lot of movie snobs tend to display, so I absolutely fell in love with this gorgeous movie. The same quote used to describe Andrew Lloyd Webber could be used here to describe his movie: "Let's face it, no one in the world loves Andrew Lloyd Webber but the public." Critics and the like have a reputation for snubbing him, but still, his works appeal to those of us with more common tastes, it seems, which is just fine by me. Even more amusing is that while Roger Ebert slammed the movie, he perplexed even himself by still recommending it towards the end of his review because of the sheer spectacle and look of the film is undeniably fantastic.The look of the film is fantastic. It's gorgeous, the sets are gorgeous, the costumes are gorgeous, and the so are the actors. Some may say while it's got appearance, it lacks substance, but seriously, one could have said the same for Moulin Rouge. Both are rather simplistic stories with high-amped visuals.The movie remains rather faithful to the theater version and serves as a wonderful way to make up for not seeing Phantom on stage. -I was disappointed with Attack of the Clones. It was barely better than Phantom Menace. Once again the movie relied heavily on special effects and the plot was weak. In the 2nd edition of the trilogy, the Republic is faced with a new separatist movement. Amidala once a queen is now a senator and has become a target of assassins. Both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin are called to protect her. It has been 10 years since both Amidala and Anakin have seen each other. Once they see each other the romance begins. I found the chemistry between Amidala and Anakin was poor at best. The movie moves along at a slow pace. The special effects are once again incredible, but I fear Lucas has relied on them too much. The only bright spot in the movie was that Jar Jar Binks was reduced to cameo performance. -Writer/director Paul W. Anderson should stop making movies.His movies are so bad. I don't even want to talk about what he did with Resident Evil 2. The movie is so bad the people in the theater I was at actually booed toward the ending of the film. This movie does not deliver any scares at all from either creature. It doesn't stay true to all the movies in the series. Because of the pg-13 rating there is not much gore plain bad.The acting and dialogue is not good either. If you are a fan of the series you will be very dissapointed with this stinker. And then you will be thinking of what could have been if someone else made this film. -Okay many have said Lucas made many many many flaws. First off, you people just can not accept a new world of Star Wars. Everyone wanting Episode One to be Anakin discovered at an older age, be a great pilot (no podracing), and in Episode 2 everyone wanted Anakin to become Vader, and in Three they wanted the Purge of the Jedi, and how Obi Wan escpaes, etc.. Well thats not what happened. And Many fans must realize that your all ignorant. Its like when People went to go see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Everyone had their mind on the orginal and many hated this new version. Get the sequels out of your head and have an opened mind.Yes Revenge of the Sith had minor flaws, but it is deffinently something new and better than what we have received.Spoilers May Appear!-----First off, Revenge of the Sith has its strong points--Anakin becomes Vader-The Jedi Purge Begins-Palpatine becomes Emperor-The Emperor duels Yoda-The Clone Wars come to an end-The Rebellion starts to formEverything we wanted was in 2 horus and 10 minutes. Now thats what I have to complain about. If Revenge of the Sith was just slightly much longer, like the longest of them all, it would be just as perfect as Empire Strikes Back.Lucas's scenery is beautiful, and the Emperor's performance is astonishing.I loved the entire final duel. I never felt my hair stand up like that when I saw Obi Wan vs. Anakin, as Yoda vs. Sidious, since The final Duel in Return of the Jedi. I liked the idea of having several endings, it completed everything and truly feels Star Wars is complete.There's just a few minor things I wish I have seen:-More of the Death Star being built-More scenes as the Jedi Temple is attacked-A little more dialogue scenes-The Explanation of the Chosen One-Palpatine's background of being a Sith- And seeing Qui Gon's spirit which would have been nice. oh well.So This is my view of how the Star Wars films fall into-From Best to Not So Good :-)1. A New Hope2. The Empire Strikes Back3. Return of the Jedi, Revenge of the Sith < Its a Tie4. The Phantom Menace5. Attack of the ClonesSo thats my view :-) -My, and I believe nearly everyone's favourite "Star Wars"-movie is Episode V-"The Empire Strikes Back". Not only because it was visually the most dazzling, it also had far more sense of wonder and magic than the other Episodes. Never had a "Star Wars"-film a greater emotional impact."The Phantom Menace" is definetly not on par with that film, nor has it the originality of "A New Hope", but still I liked this film a lot. I actually found it better than "Return Of The Jedi". Even those who dispised the movie must acknowledge that it has its merits. The special effects are fantastic, and in contrast to other films with superior FX, they are also highly imaginative because they create entire worlds of their own. Individual action-setpieces are among the most exhilarating of the decade (the pod-race or the final lightsaber-duel among others) and John William's score is one of the major assets again.Many complained that Jar Jar Binks is too silly and childish. This criticism is understandable though I think many people overreacted with their hatred towards this character. He actually has some funny moments. That the film doesn't have a villain that is as effective as Darth Vader is true and false. The villain does not YET appear as the villain which will (hopefully) make him even more evil in the next pictures. The decision to conceal the true menace (careful viewers still found it of course) is already implied in the Episode's title, so it was obviously deliberate. This must be the reason why Darth Maul is used so rarely. The character has just no significance for the whole saga. One must not forget that TMP is not a film, but the first two hours of a 13-hour-saga. It was therefore inevitable that it would be less dramatic as "Empire".The bottom line is that despite some shortcomings, Episode I effectively sets up the future Episodes. I agree with those who say that George Lucas should have underlined some of the darker aspects of the story more than he did. Let's hope he will do so in the next two chapters which have the potential to become even stronger movies. If the new trilogy finally sucks, it won't be because of "The Phantom Menace". -This is a truly terrific caper movie, one that works well by both showcasing the emerging star power of both Donnie Wahlberg and Charlize Theron and also having a terrific storyline. It is also a smart and well-photographed movie that proves the old adage of depending on the use of a great story and then embellishing on it with all the bells and whistles. The plot is as believable as anything can be that posits the existence of people so smart, so devious, and so daring as to be able to do some of the things that are done here. Yet the qualms about believability quickly fade with each nosiy and exciting revving up of the action, which is well choreographed, full of pyrotechnics, and absolutely fresh and new, adding to the charm of the movie.The cast adds immeasurably to the charm of the movie, with Donald Sutherland, Ed Norton, and several notable others lending both credence and a certain gritty feel to this tale about life on the margins, on the far side of the law. I also got the impression that given the box office success of this film; much of the crew may be back to thrill us again in an inevitable sequel. I am up for it. After all, given the aplomb and cool they displayed in driving a trio of Metros through the streets, sewers, and tunnels of Los Angeles at rush hour, and added into this mix was a certain level of style and intelligence often missing in such caper flicks, it would be fun to consider a series of such films. Compared to other recent offerings at the theater, which have by an dlarge been disappointing affairs indeed, it would be a relief to consider more caper flicks like this. Enjoy! -This movie was very depressing, had me choked up half the time, crying, and upset that there is just too much bad things that happen........ -I don't usually write reviews for films I buy from Amazon, but I just had to jump in on this one.I've read too much Lucas bashing and non-theatrical version bashing so it comes down to this --I don't watch Star Wars films everyday, so I couldn't tell you the difference between theatrical version vs. director version or whatever ...I actually own the BluRay set, purchased from Amazon. I still don't understand how people write reviews about items they don't own or haven't seen, or items that haven't been released yet.Bottom line you get six Star Wars films on BluRay plus hours and hours of extras (9 discs total) for $79.99. Picture and sound are awesome.The only thing is that the packaging could have been a little better. If you want to, you can buy individual cases.If you like the films, buy the set. If you don't like the films, don't buy the set.End of story ... End of review ... -The Rocky series is my favorite series of movies hands down. I know they are cliche and campy but I just adore them. This transfer is one of the best I've seen IMO. Now don't expect to watch Rocky I-V and it look as good as the Avatar blu ray because it just won't. But they are great transfers and the sound that is picked up on them that I've never heard before watching the old DVD releases is just amazing. If you like Rocky and are a fan of HD then you owe it to yourself to get this. The packaging looks great as well...And enough about the price drop. Seriously. If you want to complain, blog about it. Create a discussion on this product. Don't rate the product poorly because YOU paid too much. -This film presents a very good and deep insight into the world of drug addiction. The movie is so chilling that repeated viewings send chill down one's spine. It really allows us to understand what drug addiction is really light, how the victims fall prey to their addiction and eventually lose their way. And drug addiction here doesn't mean hardcore drugs, it could even be an addiction to cosmetic drugs such as slimming pills as very cleverly presented in Requiem For A Dream. Obviously, such a movie features a very strong cast of actors and special mention goes to Oscar-nominee Ellen Burstyn whose performance is superb and very apt. -My husband and I just watched this with our kids (ages 18 and 21) and we loved this movie! I especially loved this movie because I loved the original daytime show. I, like Johnny Depp, would run home from school and watch Dark Shadows. I loved it because it was unique. Let's face it, TV in the 70's was terrible and Dark Shadows, even though they considered it a soap, was refreshing. All the actors do an excellent job and the movie is hilarious! The only way they could have pulled it off was making it a comedy and the only people who could pull that off are Burton and Depp. I loved the music throughout the movie so much that I immediately bought the soundtrack. My kids never saw Dark Shadows and they both loved this movie. I don't think it would have worked if they had done a serious, soapy type movie. It would have been just another Twilight. Who needs another Twilight! If you grew up in the 70's, you will love the way they poked fun of that time. It was like going down memory lane. One of my favorite scenes is with Alice Cooper. I love Alice Cooper and he has a great sense of humor. They also left it open for a second film. I hope they do another one soon! I highly recommend this movie. -Like every child I was raised with The Wizard Of Oz in my VHS collection. I remember watching it over and over and over to the point where the tape would bounce due to auto tracking. After years of not seeing (or owning) it I decided to buy this dvd...and it was worth it! The clarity is unbelievable, the image is nice and sharp all cleaned up and restored. The sound also got a boost from the original mono track to stero, and the special features have me intrigued. I give it a full 5 stars, and a good reccomendation. Pick up a copy if you don't have one already! :) -1978's " The Deer Hunter " is pure character driven drama fueld by explosive and unforgettable scenes of turmoil , isolation , destruction , and hope. Michael Cimino's formula of providing the characters room for development ( or lack thereof ) ensures that each person in this unforgettable story comes full circle. Whereas , the film has tendancies to drag out scenes , the attention to detail actually makes the film's story stronger. The acting is superb. Played out by a steller cast featuring knockout performances by John Savage , Meryl Streep , Robert DeNiro , John Cazale , George Dezunda , and an electrifying personofied tour de force performance by Christopher Walken. The latter ( Walken )winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Too many detailed scenes to nail just one , although the film's most controversial and famous scene involved a violent/unpredictable game of russian roulette. * Whereas , a game of russian roulette might not have ever happened in a Vietnam prison camp , this scene totally nails the isolation , fears and savagery inflicted upon US p.o.w.'s.Micheal Cimino's direction is superb as he unflinchingly captures lightening in a bottle through realization by shooting small stolen moments ( that any other director would've edited out , during post production ) and leads us to a significant and powerful clixax. If every director has his masterpiece , this was certainly his. And it is still a film that no other film has come close to comparing to except for Oliver Stone's Vietnam portrait Platoon. But even that film can't compare fully. " The Deer Hunter " is on a level of it's own for it's concentration on the characters. It's unlikely that another film will ever be shot like this again. It's simply not Hollywood formula. And it has a feel like it was produced and written by people who were passionate enough to focus on the story and let it unweave into a series of mezmerizing images and goes to never ending depths of character development.The cinematography is excellent and captures the resolute beauty of the character's steel mill town , to the rustic mountains , to the contrasting brutality and harsh climates of Vietnam. The score is composed brillantly and will be forever connected to the film.In an era far gone but not forgotten , " The Deer Hunter " sets it's story in a sleepy Pennsylvania steel town and focuses on a core group of friends that have made their lives around this dreary yet true american blue collar existance. However , with three friends soon leaving for enlistment into the military to do their part in the Vietnam campaign , things gradually and drastically change. A true American tale and a truly amazing production.One shot stats :Winner of 5 Academy Awards in 1979.Best PictureBest DirecterBest Supporting ActorBest SoundNominated Oscars ( but no win )Best Lead ActorBest Supporting ActressBest CinematographyBest Screenplay*There are many more accolades , nominations , and various awards for this production. Too many to name here. Needless to say , " The Deer Hunter " isn't a film to be taken lightly or missed. I highly recommend the film , as it is in my personal top 3 films of all time. -The growing trend up until this point was that Buffy the Vampire Slayer seemed to get better after each season. The first season was a great start to the show, the second season was amazing, and the third season somehow managed to become even better. Over the course of the rest of the show, there would be some fantastic seasons. But, season three has managed to remain the best season of the entire show.The relationship between Buffy and Angel is brought to a whole new level in this season, because of the events that took place in season two. Season three also introduced a beautiful and renegade slayer named Faith(Eliza Dushku) whose love for killing would eventually cause her to become an excellent villan, as well as the evil mayor of Sunnydale ( Harry Groener)that would definately practice the age old metaphor of "killing people with kindness". The suspense for season three is intense, because there is a countdown throughout the season that comes to a head on Graduation Day in which the mayor wishes to ascend to a higher level of being to destroy the world. There were so many great episodes in season three, that it is hard to choose a favorite. There were so many in fact, that 20 out of the 22 episodes were fantastic. The overall direction of season three was fantastic, and each episode seemed to build off the last one. Among season three's best episodes are - "The Wish" ( my all time favorite episode), "Dopplegangland","The Zeppo","Lover's Walk", "Band Candy", "Homecoming", "Lover's Walk", "Revelations", "Amends", "Earshot", "Prom", and "Graduation Day" PTS.1&2.Overall, this is a must for any fan of the show. This would be worth owning just for the season itself. However, the DVD set is fantastic as well. You get commentary on several episodes, as well as five featurettes, and more.A solid 5 stars... -Star Wars Episode 1 would have to go down in film history as the biggest disappointment ever. What a piece of rubbish! The script is appalling, the acting non-existant (everyone just stands around saying their lines, without any feeling or emotion, looking like they desparately want to know what's happening on that green-screen behind them), and the computer generated FX so overwhelming that its like having spectacular fireworks let off in your face for 2 hours ... my brain went into fatigue-mode after about an hour.George's excuse for my above comments? I would imagine him saying something like this - "The script is bad because I hate writing scripts; the acting was bad because it was nearly all shot in front of a green-screen; and the CGI was so over the top because we had to take the audience's eyes away from the bad acting."And we can only hope that Jar Jar Binks is sliced into little pieces by a lightsabre during the opening of Episode 2 ("Attack of the Clowns .. er, Clones??? Please pass the bucket ...... ). As well as hoping that George isn't directing Ep 2. Lets face it, Georgie ... just sell the Star Wars license to someone who knows how to make a good movie, because you've forgotten how to.In closing - 'Star Wars' (I can't bring myself to call it "A New Hope") was fantastic; "Empire Strikes Back" will be looking on in 50 years time as a movie classic; "Return of the Jedi" was a let-down, but great anyway; "Phantom Menace" was complete (pretty) garbage! -The script was good. The magic, the twists were all great. I like how they deceive the wealthy man in on of their shows. -After a horrid third film and a suprising fourth, superman returns for a fifth film. Dont get me wrong i am a superman fan. but i read the comics and was very disappointed with the suprising release of Superman Returns in 2006. I was one of the first into the theater and one of the first out. The Film focuses on special effects and not story OR superman. The story is short but they maneged to twist it to last two hours. Brandon Rauth does an OK job but is not believable as The Man of Steel. I was very disappointed with its release after waiting such a long time for a new age film. this time they did it to new age and took away story for Effects. -I did not think that this show would be able to continue to churn out good episodes. It proves I was wrong! This show just gets better and better!! -Burlesque was AMAZING! I fell in love this the movie! Dancing, singing, storyline, acting, directing the whole set up was wonderful.Cher is BACK! yes she is! She is LOVELY and fit the role properly. Christina was amazing, she used her God given talent and exceled in so many ways.Story:Cute small town country girl seeking to live the life of a Sexy city girl. Moves to New York to start a new life. When her hopes were down she happen to waltz into a popular club called Burlesque.Everyone but the bartender doubted her, but she was destined to be in the spotlight.Great movie! I will have to add this to my movie collection and place it right beside Devil wears Prada and Sex In the City! -I've been a Superman fan for 40 years. With so many movies being made about lesser heroes, I was excited for this. The trailers looked great. And then as the film rolled I sunk lower and lower in my seat until I just couldn't stand it anymore and left when the final battle got underway. Believe the negative reviews from many of the professional film critics. Nolan might have been involved as a producer, but he wasn't the principal script writer and he wasn't the director, and that makes all the difference. The script was terrible. The direction was terrible. The only reason I can come up with for the film's popularity among so many Superman fans is that they have been so hungry for a film that they would have liked almost anything. I give it 2 stars for at least trying to make Superman relevant again.The thing to remember is that even though Superman has Kryptonian abilities, his personality is 100% human. He was raised since infancy on a farm in Kansas. He might feel different, but at heart he is a small town American and this film completely missed that. In focusing on the 'alien among us' angle, they gutted Superman's personality that was so well portrayed by Christopher Reeve and Brandon Routh. The Clark Kent we have all come to know and love through the years was completely missing. There were so many elements of the plot that made no sense. There was CGI overkill. Superman Returns had some plot problems, and could have put Superman in a few more action scenes, but overall that movie was far more faithful to the origins of the Superman character.The fact that Avengers was so successful should prove that a superhero movie doesn't have to copy The Dark Knight to be a hit. A superhero movie can be light, it can be funny, it can be human, and still be a fantastic movie. I have nothing to say about the relationship of this movie to recent comic book adaptations or graphic novels. As a movie, it is no better than all the other CGI-fests out there with tons of explosions and destruction. Superman is supposed to be special. -The acting is unbelievable, amazing, and very convincing. I see why the lead and supporting received Oscars. however, the subject matter was depressing and took me back to the 80's when hatred was brutal and dark. -Great PPV. Probably the most anticipated PPV in history. Unfortunately, it was hyped up so much, the expectations were huge. It was disappointing, just because of the hype, but still an amazing event. The DVD is actually a 2 disk set.Watch the intro at the beginning. All WWE PPV's intros are good, but Wrestlemania has the best one.1. Big Show vs. John Cena (U.S. Title)Good way to start off the show. Cena really got the crowd going. Decent match between these two. (7.5/10)2. Rob Van Dam & Booker T vs. Dudley Boys vs. Mark Jindrak & Garrioson Cade vs. La Resistance (World Tag Titles/Fatal Fourway)It is the better of the two tag title matches, but it is not that good. It could have been, but it was a little too short. Half of these guys are now on Smackdown. It was nice of Vince to try to fit everyone into the show. (7/10)3. Chris Jericho vs. ChristianThese two built up a great fued. Great match. Second best of the night. There are some pretty sick spots in the match. Jericho puts the "Walls of Jericho" on Christian and eventually keeps the hold all the way out onto the arena floor. Trish Stratus makes an appearance. Shocking ending. (9/10)4. Evolution vs. Rock 'n' Sock Connection (Handicap Match)This match was put together to get The Rock and Flair into a match at this event. Otherwise, it would have been Foley/Orton. Good match. The Rock and Flair put on great performances. Surprising ending. It comes out of nowhere. (7.5/10)5. Torrie Wilson & Sable vs. Stacy Keibler & Miss Jackie (Evening Gown Match)Very disappointing. I thought there would be a lot more to this match. (4/10)6. Cruiserweight Open (Cruiserweight Title)Participants included Rey Mysterio, Chavo Guerrero, Ultimo Ultimo Dragon, Jamie Noble, Billy Kidman, Shannon Moore, Nunzio, Funaki, Akio, & Tajiri. There are a lot of sick spots in this match, especially the Shooting Star Press by Billy Kidman off the middle of the top rope to the arena floor. Unfortunatley, it is a short match and the wrestlers are not in the ring that long. (8.5/10)7. Goldberg vs. Lesnar (Stone Cold Steve Austin as Guest Referee)This match was so hyped up and ended up being awful. It was Lesnar and Goldber's last match in the WWE and one of Austin's last appearance. The crowd made the match by ripping on Lesnar calling him a "sellout" for leaving for the NFL. Horrible match. (3/10)8. Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty vs. Basham Brothers vs. APA vs. World's Greatest Tag Team (WWE Tag Title/Fatal Fourway)Not a very good match. Just an attempt to get all these guys on the show. (6/10)9. Victoria vs. Molly Holly (Women's Title/If Molly Loses, She Has To Shave Her Head)Not the best match, but good ending. I don't want to tell you what happens. (3/10)10. Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero (WWE Title)I thought this match was going to be one of the best in a while. It was a little disappointing, but it was only that reason because Angle was hurt and he never revealed it until after the show. It was still a good match. The crowd was really into it. The end is terrible. (9/10)11. Kane vs. UndertakerThis match marked the return of the Undertaker as the Deadman. Nobodby really cared about the match, they just wanted to see Taker. Amazing entrance. It is one of the most surreal moments you will ever see. The crowd goes crazy. Not the best match, but it is worth it for the entrance. (6/10)12. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H vs. Chris Benoit (World Heavyweight Title/Triple Threat)Great match. Best match of the year so far. They say it may be the best main event in WWE history. Fantastic, fast paced match with a lot of emotions. Great spots with HBK doing a Moonsault off the top turnbuckle to the arena floor. Another sick spot with the double suplex on Benoit through the announce table. Amazing ending, with a lot of near falls and high emotions. Great energy in the match. (9.5/10)As I said, this is a 3 disk set. Some of the best extras is the special hosted by Flair which featured highlights of the top ten matches in 'Mania history as voted by the wrestlers. Definately watch the movie of Wrestlemania 19, especially the Angle/Lesnar segment and The Rock/Austin segment. They are both very, very emotional, especially Austin/The Rock segment.Definatley buy this DVD, it is worth it for the extras alone.Overall Rating: 9/10 -I wanted to start working out again, but as a working mom, I don't have much time. In 20 minutes, Jillian gets me going and sweating and back in shape. I've been doing it for a couple of weeks and have been very happy with the results. My friends and husband have noticed the difference in my body, too. -Safe to say this film was very poor. Considering recent comic book adaptations have for the most part been excellent of late this was a major disapointment, I would consider Batman and Robin more entertaining.Acting wise the movie is poor, Eric Bana's accent is bad considering how poor his fellow Aussies do with accents thats saying alot. The emotions run from depressed to really depressed, to super depressed, their was no range of emotions, no smiles, just constant monotone sadness. Nolte seems drunk or on drugs in the film which probably isn't short of the truth. The bad guy actors seem to have little to no motivation in the film and have absolutely no reason to act in the manner which they do. Whats worse is you have no reason to care for the good guys, their is no sympathy engendered towards them.Length, its about an hour too long, this film would be fine in the span of 80 to 90 minutes, short and sweet but its just way too long.Special effects are poor considering what is currently out there, they seem fake.The split screen effects are just arty and makes the film seem even longer.All in all my friend recomended this film, I will reconsider any recomendation he gives in the future.View with Caution -This is the most perverted, disorganized movie I ever saw. I bought it based on reviews that were better than Bridesmaids--Bridesmaids may have been perverted as well, but the acting and comedy were actually very funny. I could not sit through this trash though. It should not get any stars. I am burning this video--not worth selling it back for what Amazon wants to pay for it. -Sound,video, avengers, Marvel Magic. What's not to love???? The door is wide open for future episodes and movies with more of the old Marvel Comic characters. -The movie Chicago has it all. Music, Dancing, Sexiness and Style. I watched the movie in theatres hoping that it will exceed my expectations and it did...a lot. The movie has many sleek and cool musical numbers, that have just the right amount of 'punch' that it never gets boring. When the music came on right in the beginning (5,6,7,8) I knew that I was in for a good long ride.The performances given by Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellwegger, Queen Latifah and Richard Gere are perfect! With Catherine standing out a little bit more, because of her musical background (she deserved the Oscar). Her opening act of 'All That Jazz' was flawless, and really got you in the movie. Her vocal tone is very strong and her dancing was right on the money! She's incredible. Renee Zellwegger's 'Roxie' performance and number is prestine, complete with mirrors and dancers behind her. She got those notes right up the there, with that moment being her's all the way. Queen Latifah gave her role of Miss. Mama Morton a bit hit, with her tough talking fast attitude performance that was a complete scene stealer. And finally, Richard Gere's tap-dancing interlude is a knockout with him doing all the tapping himself. I was left speechless.The Cinematography and Art Direction of this film is completely right out there. Though, maybe not as big as Moulin Rouge, (another musical that I love) It was completely accepted. The difference between Moulin Rouge and Chicago is that Moulin Rouge has a bigger scale that covered a lot of the Big Paris Landscape of 1899. While Chicago is more intimate and set in a bar like atmosphere that feels very musky and dark. I liked it :)Anyway, the movie is AMAZING! (as you all might have guessed) There are plenty of musical numbers that shows off Rob Marshall's Exceptional Choreography and Direction in this film. He took his dream of making Chicago a film, and he did it, giving him enormous amounts of awards and critical acclaim. Very surprising to know that this was his first film, and with that amount of success, we know we'll see a lot more of him in the near future. Great Work Rob!!The Musical Numbers in this film are all too much and all too good, but the one's that stood out was: All That Jazz, Cell Block Tango, Mr. Cellophane, Roxie, We Both Reached For The Gun, When Your Good To Mama and Nowadays(Finale). Those numbers were cool, then again all of them were! I love the script with many quick back to back dialogue that is fast and right up to the point.Chicago Is a film that Is another hit at the big musical genre that is now coming back. So check this movie out and you'll see what Chicago has up it's sleeve. -The book was entertaining and full of facts and images hard to duplicate in a movie. Still, a fun movie but if you really want to get the whole experience, the book has so much more to offer. -I'm going to make this review extremely short because I don't have much to say about this film other than the fact that it is one of the most incredibly brilliant films I have seen this year. It is an absolutely amazing thrill ride, with the most unique directing style I have ever seen. The film moves along at a lightening scene, quickly shifting scenes, so a great deal of attention must be paid...the performances were outstanding and extremely believable, Ellen Burstyn should have recieved that Oscar, she was unbelievable....this film is definitely recommended, but please be warned that it is extremely painful to watch and I had to turn my eyes away for a couple of scenes...this is powerful stuff unlike anything I have ever seen before...you know a movie is great when it stays in your mind long after...this is one of the movies to do that...so very disturbing and emotionally powerful...this is not a fun movie, but an important one... -"Star Trek Into Darkness" is excellent! This is how the story goes: When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.The cast led by Chris Pine (as Captain James T. Kirk), Zachary Quinto (as Commander Spock), Zoe Saldana (as Lieutenant Uhura), Karl Urban (as Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy), Simon Pegg (as Commander Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott), John Cho (as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu), Benedict Cumberbatch (as John Harrison), Anton Yelchin (as Ensign Pavel Chekov), Bruce Greenwood (as Admiral Christopher Pike), Peter Weller (as Admiral Marcus) & Alice Eve (Dr. Carol Marcus) is excellent. The directing by J.J. Abrams (who also produced) is excellent. The story & screenplay (based on the TV series created by Gene Roddenberry) by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman & Damon Lindelof (all three also produced the film, as well) is excellent.The music by Michael Giacchino is excellent. The cinematography by Dan Mindel is excellent. The film editing by Maryann Brandon & Mary Jo Markey is excellent. The casting by April Webster & Alyssa Weisberg is excellent. The production design by Scott Chambliss is excellent. The art direction by Alan Au, Ramsey Avery, Steve Christensen, James Clyne, Kasra Farahani, Natasha Gerasimova, Michael E. Goldman, Andrew Murdock, Harry E. Otto, Lauren E. Polizzi & Jason Baldwin Stewart is excellent. The set decoration by Karen Manthey, set dressings by Rich Andrade, Maxwell Britton, Jack Cornelius, David Ladish, Steven Ladish, Chris Larsen, Michael C. Magno, Merdyce McClaran & Edward J. Protiva, set designs by Lorrie Campbell, Tim Croshaw, Kevin Cross, Robert Fechtman, Tex Kadonaga, Tammy S. Lee, Jeff Markwith, Karl J. Martin, Sam Page, Anne Porter, Andrew Reeder, Scott Schneider, Easton Michael Smith, Randall D. Wilkins & Jane Wuu is excellent. The costume design by Michael Kaplan is excellent. The special make-up effects design by David LeRoy Anderson is excellent. The creature designs by Neville Page are excellent. The special effects coordinated by J.D. Schwalm, supervised by Burt Dalton is excellent. The visual effects coordinated by Maren Dolzmann, Thomas Furukawa, Ali Ingham, Perry Kain, Zhunan Li, Mona Mohr, Trina Renee, Cara Samuels, Marlies Schacherl, Adrian Steel, Yinai Sun, Bill Wang, Shanshan Xie, Sarah Yunrong Yu & Momo Zhan, supervised by Kevin Baillie, David Burton, Simon Carr, Urs Franzen, Ben Grossmann, Jorn Grobhans, Alex Henning, Thomas Lautenbach, Sven Martin, Saku Partamies, Jason Richardson, Patric Roos, Benjamin Seide & Michael Wortmann is excellent. The stunts coordinated by John Stoneham Jr., fights coordinated by Marcus Young is excellent.This is an excellent, well-made and well-crafted (thematically and visually) movie and sequel that is just as entertaining and interesting as its original, possibly better than it. This is also another impressive entry in the Star Trek franchise. Chris Pine & Zachary Quinto, among others, are back, reprising the roles from the original, just as well, possibly, better than the first time. Benedict Cumberbatch's John Harrison is an excellent and well-done villain, right alongside the Star Trek villains of the past. J.J. Abrams has crafted another entertainingly done film that is among one of his best movies of his career, beside the last "Star Trek" & "Super 8", also another well-crafted sequel on Abrams' resume, alongside, "Star Trek" & "Mission Impossible III & Ghost Protocol". This is one of the best movies of the year, so far, and it is also one of the best movies of the summer season, so far, as well, possibly, the best summer movie yet. -A lot of King fans will want to bash my head in after saying that, but this director took what I found to be a long, drawn out story, and sculpted it into 96 minutes of a highly entertaining film.Of course, as was stated in other reviews here, Johnny Depp really pulls this one off as in most of his films. They really took you into Mort Rainey's cracked world within the peaceful lake house. They had a different ending here than was in King's story and it worked fabulous. This ending should have been King's ending and I usually never say that about a printed piece of work from an author; but here I think we have a better ending in the movie, rather than on paper.Final perks of the DVD: Watch the bonus features but not before watching the movie first!!!! It will ruin the ending for you. But, the bonus material is first rate. You get a book to film feature, an inside story type feature, and a last one adding up to about an hour of interesting interviews on how the film was made. Usually only on special editions and bonus discs these days. Here you get your money's worth.One last note: be sure to check out the deleted scenes for the longer ending!!5 STARS *****. -If I want to watch Star Trek on my tv I don't have to subscribe to a costly cable service or watch first run mediocre psuedo-Trek for free on UPN. No sir, I have the complete first season of the ONLY GOOD STAR TREK SERIES, Star Trek!Kirk, Spock, McCoy their names are legend as is their ship, the Enterprise.Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley a better threesome has never been cast on ANY Trek series.The stories so fun and exciting and fresh compared to the turgid retreads of modern "Trek".I am so juiced that I have this set to watch that I may never find my way out of my parents basement and by God am I happy!Berman can go throw himself out a window the real Star Trek is here, he and his imposters can go burn. This Star Trek is quality stuff and quality is a rare commodity in modern Trek. -This film has undeniable merit which others have described better than I, but I can't resist warning you.... this is extremey rough stuff. I'm hardly a prude, I celebrate both nudity and sexuality in all cinematic shapes and sizes and varieties.... and I don't condemn violence in film if it makes a point or moves along a story or a character's development... and I sincerely applaud directors who aren't afraid to go to the edge.And I'm an absolute believer in artistic freedom.But for the first time in my entire life I watched a scene in a film and had the immediate reaction that it should have been censored. Not by a government or by legislation, but at least by common sense. By common decency. What's been referred to as the "tunnel sequence" is, by a mile, the single most violent scene I've ever witnessed on a screen. In a twisted way it's a credit to the actors and director that the scene is so disturbing because it achieves complete reality, complete believability. But to what end?We all have our darker tastes and I'll admit to having rented a few exploitation flicks over the years like "Hostel II," all the way back to "Last House on the Left"... but in all these films you're able to say "It's only a movie."The tunnel sequence couldn't be more real if it actually was. And frankly I'm not sure that is wasn't. Don't watch this film unless you're ready to have some deeply, deeply horrifying images (and sounds) branded into your consciousness. This is a film I truly regret having seen. -I went to see Love Actually three times in the theaters. It was heart-warming and wonderful, sad and depressing, silly and did I say wonderful. It never failed to perk up my depressed heart and reduce me to tears at the same time. The episodic flair of the plot weaves many famous English actors in varying degrees of love. Love that is failing, love enduring, and of course love just starting. I did think that the young guy looking for (...) felt out of sync with the rest of the movie. The love between two friends was a nice twist for the ending. My favorite part was Emma Thomson's realization scene. I cried almost every time I saw it. Emma Thompson is heartbreaking in her crying scene that threatens to steal the movie in a movie of many great scene stealers. In other words, her scene is awesome.It is hard for anyone to stand out in this ensemble cast because everyone stands out.On the whole this movie is made of 12 20 minute dramedies that intersect. All are funny, many have great moments, and it is definately worth buying. -This show is addictive. Can't watch just one. One of the best shows ever.You will want to watch all the seasons. -Maybe not exceptional, but I found the movie to be fairly true to the book. Enjoyed it. -I have read most of the other reviews on this page. They run the gamut from begrudging tolerance to a downright obnoxiously snotty kid's review. So why all the poison? People usually act this way when they're discussing politics or religion. What the heck's going on here?Something amazing. Most people come away from this work deeply impressed, moved and transformed for LIFE. They feel it is THEIR musical. It is a totally personal, life-changing revelation. It MUST always be the way they experienced it the first time. Hence all the negative rhetoric about the film not being enough of this or that, as opposed to the original cast stage version.Not all musicals achieve such status. Chances are "Phantom" will touch you as deeply as it did me.Perhaps you will feel as I did when you see this DVD...that the music and singing are glorious, you will feel that the songs were always a part of you, that the camera seems to lovingly caress every sumptuous set and costume, that the story is poignant and moving beyond tears.The film is stunning on its OWN terms. I for one love it (yes, in spite of having seen the stage production and loving it too.) Let the crabby-appletons out there grouse their heads off. The film is wonderful. -Well, this really will be a needle in a haystack of reviews. On the whole, the film isn't bad -- it's well produced, with an eye for period detail and excellent casting. The actors are all fine, with Bryan Cranston and the six diplomatic escapees-in-hiding turning in particularly excellent performances. Kyle Chandler bears a remarkable resemblance to Hamilton Jordan. The sense of constant but not always nail-biting tension is maintained expertly, even though you know they're all going to get out. There are a couple of flaws, in my estimation: First, as an historical film the movie ignores or distorts real events and people. Second, the hairbreadth escape at the very end is, I'm sure, manufactured just for the sake of the film and strikes me as quite artificial and overly melodramatic. To be honest, I don't think this deserved the Oscar for Best Picture. Still, it's a good picture and worth seeing. -This is a film that both my daughter and I were interested in seeing, given the acclaim that Bill Murray's performance had drawn. Moreover, the film itself had drawn critical acclaim. So, when my daughter was home from college one weekend, we decided to hunker down and watch it together. When we both fell asleep while watching it, we decided that we were just tired. So, we decided to give it another go around the next evening. Well, unlike love, it was not much better the second time around, though we managed to avoid falling asleep, yet again.Quite frankly, if Sophia Coppola, the writer and director of this film, were not the daughter of legendary director Francis Ford Coppola, I am convinced that this film would have quickly vanished without a trace. In fact, I doubt that it would even have been made. When her acting career fizzled, after making her less than memorable acting debut in her father's film "Godfather III", Sophia Coppola apparently turned her hand to directing and was let loose upon an unsuspecting public.While this film has good production values, it simply meanders along in a loosey-goosey sort of way. If focuses upon two individuals, Americans who find themselves in Tokyo, alienated from their surroundings and, seemingly, from life in general. One of these individuals is Bob Harris, a film actor on a career downslide, who now finds himself shilling whiskey in Japan for mega bucks, while his movie career is at an impasse. The other is a beautiful twenty-five year old woman, a Yale Graduate with a degree in philosophy, who is in Japan with her husband, a photographer who is working on a shooting assignment.Bob Harris, played with wry bemusement by Bill Murray, is a man who is alienated from his family and, quite frankly, just plain lonely. His is a stark universe, as he seems to have a myopic view on life, seeing little beyond his luxury hotel's bar, where he like to go and drink. Charlotte, played with surprising maturity and flair by eighteen year old Scarlett Johansson, feels bereft and set adrift, as she struggles to keep herself occupied while her husband is ostensibly working. It is these two souls whose worlds collide, coloring their perspectives on life when an unlikely bond forms between them.The film, which takes place in Tokyo, Japan, appears to mock the Japanese. Its stereotypic portrayal of the Japanese people, generally as buffoons, is reprehensible and a cheap joke. Sophia Coppola apparently thinks that the way Japanese people speak English is funny, as it is a running, unfunny joke through out the film. Since the film takes place in Japan, perhaps it might have been funnier to see Bob (or Charlotte) attempt to speak Japanese, rather than turn Bob into the quintessential ugly American.The film meanders along lacking a definitive narrative and any real profundity of thought. While there is definition about the characters' exterior selves, the film never delves into their inner selves in defining their present state of affairs. There are no big or traditional cinematic moments. Unfortunately, there are no small ones either, as there is really no introspection by either of the two protagonists. This is a film that viewers will either love or hate. I fall into the latter category. "Lost in Translation" is simply lost on me. -Grab a box of tissues, a snack, and sit back to watch a movie that'll change your life in my opinion, so much that you'll never be the same. Courageous is the story of four policemen who are also after a time, four brothers in the Lord. The Police scenes are all very realistic (and I am one who once spent a lot of time around a police station working where I did.) and some scenes will have you hanging on to your seat! There are happy moments, very sad moments (thus the tissues!), lots of drama both as Policemen in uniform and at home with their families. Along the way, a 'handy man' named Harvee' becomes "adopted by their group" as character Adam Mitchell played by Alex Kendrick, one of the movie's writers, put it, after being hired to help Adam (Kendrick) build a garage as he is praying for work and Adam is actually waiting for a handyman referred to him by his fellow officer/best friend Shane - named Harvey! A VERY funny scene where Harvey is working on the garage when the guys are out for lunch and Shane reveals that his friend Harvey is in the hospital! Same name - different Harvey, another funny scene that goes into the saddest scene of the film. (which I won't give away) After the mix up though, they become good friends and Harvey begins a full time job that Adam referred him for and the test given him is one given to many in real life, yet as the actors say, few can seem to pass it. You find yourself cheering Harvey's character on throughout the movie for his job searching, deep faith, and his portrayl of one the "Street Kings." (prepare for a laugh until you cry moment!) Personally,that's one of my favorite scenes! Many poignant family moments combined with police on the job action and a main storyline woven in as smoothly as silk with a message so powerful about fathers and family that your own life may be changed in that area. Many scenes in this movie softens hearts and for me anyway, gave me the desire to be the best woman/Christian/wife/mother I can possibly be. I've seen amazing changes in my husband, and that's seldom seen just from seeing a movie but - the message of being the BEST father and husband that leads his home by the Word of God Courageous is SO very powerful and makes you feel every emotion you possibly feel. Whether Christian or not, I HIGHLY recommend Courageous. My husband and I watch our copy at least twice a week, it's THAT good. Best news is, it has so many powerful scenes that while watching with several non-Christians, two gave their lives to Christ after seeing it with us! Whether a couple in their 50s with children and grandchildren like us, or a Church group - young or old, I just cannot recommend Couragous more! I PRAY that the Kendrick brothers actually read these reviews, as we would LOVE to see MANY MORE movies written/made by them. Lots of talent, both in storylines and in acting. Actors & actresses chosen completely fit the parts and this also is the same with their other films: their first, Flywheel, also Facing the Giants (watching as I type this!) and Fireproof. ALL wonderful in their own ways. We HAD to own them all! You'll NOT be sorry viewing and purchasing this gem, whether Christian or non. Thank you, Kendrick brothers, for wonderful family entertainment - Christian or non -Courageouswith a message that touches hearts and leaves us craving much more! A MUST SEE! For us, 5 stars isn't enough, it's THAT good! Many fathers, especially Christian fathers, will have a difficult time remaining seated in the final scene, when Adam is speaking at church about dads and their being Godly and Courageous dads, husbands, and men during the call for such dads who are among those the most courageous for God and family.By the way -- ALL the actors are members of a Sherwood Church in Albany,Georgia. I think that's AMAZING! (I pray that the town is correct - I forget the denomination of the church, but all the actors are members of that church, also all their movies are made with ONE camera - this is info from one of the extras parts of the DVD - and to me that's far MORE than just another amazing blessing!) -This was my first bluray of a Disney classic and I'm totally sold on animated films in the format. Picture and sound were crystal clear and the disc had more special features than Disney DVDs I've bought in the past. I would have liked a digital copy but that's not really a selling point for me. If I really want or need one I would just buy that instead if a bluray. Very highly recommended. -By far one of the best Cold War psychological dramas ever made. The fact that this was made before the era of CG graphics,shaky cam effects and ear-splitting soundtracks for effect only show how unnecessary they are when you have an excellent script,backed by an outstanding cast and great director who lets the story tell itself. The choice for Black & White enhances the suspense. Frank Sinatra gives a moving and powerful performance as he frantically tries to beat the clock in what is to be,unknown until the very end,the assassination of the presidential candidate, and the insertion of a puppet senator controlled(unknowingly) by Communists in his place.The idea of McCarthy era Communist hunts and brainwashing tactics,common to the era,gets the viewer involved right up to its conclusion. This is but a few of my favorite movies which I can enjoy time & time again as freshly as the first time. See it once and I think you'll agree! -OK, so visually this movie has some amazing scenes, but overall Gravity is terribly boring. The characters are not well established from beginning to end -- so you honestly don't care whether they live or die. Also, I think they put George Clooney in this movie because you're so familiar with his character and he's instantly likeable (because the other characters are so underdeveloped). Unfortunately he's in the movie about 20 mins -- and that's it. The story is very thin and repetitive. Sandra Bullock does an OK job in this movie, but there's not much to the "acting". I wouldn't go out of my way to rent this movie or recommend it others. -Love the movie and the delivery was so quick, I let my son watch it the day it arrived. Liam Neeson is great and the story itself is very poignant. Thank you -The acting is good. The sets are good. The direction is tight. The action is violent. The plot is fairly straight forward. However, after the movie is done, it makes you think. The father talks to the son about a fight the son got into at school. The father does not know the son has been bullied all year at school so the father doesn't understand. The father's own violent actions was the "occasion" for the fight. The boy, who appears to go out of his way to stay out of fights, after the diner incident, knocks two bigger classmates' heads off. Obviously, the movie has a lot to say about what we passed down to the next generation. How can a father discipline his son for fighting when his own past is so violent. Is the propensity for violence inherited?The movie also has a lot to say about identity. Is Viggo's character Tom or Joey? Who does the wife love Tom or Joey? Does she really know Joey? Joey spent more time as being Tom in his life than Joey. He just wants to return to this life of non-violence. Is identity by choice or heredity?Mortenson handles the action sequences and playing the decent man very well. Hurt has a great part later in this movie and he delivers. Ed Harris is as competent as always. The movie is very violent and has some sexual content so be warned. I enjoyed the movie and I recommend it. -The Dark Knight is the sequel to director Christopher Nolan's outstanding and uplifting Batman Begins. The depiction of the story in a gritty urban millieu gives it much greater gravitas than the standard superhero film. At times, it feels like one is watching a legal procedural drama like Law and Order. The Dark Knight acts chiefly as a showcase for the Joker character, played by the late Heath Ledger. Ledger's performance is solid, but the other characters are ill-served by a script that places them firmly in supporting roles. After awhile, the omnipotence (and omnipresence) of the Joker in this long film becomes truly annoying. He seems to be everywhere, planting hundreds of fifty-gallon drums of gasoline and fuses faster than Batman and the police can react. The film also suffers the "two-villain syndrome" of most Batman features; attorney Harvey Dent is an integral part of the plot, but his Two-Face alter-ego is a late afterthought. Two-Face's skeletal half-face is certain to traumatize impressionable children long afterwards. After the Joker has killed, corrupted, or defamed everyone in the film, one walks out of the theater numbly depressed; "Why did I pay to go through this?" Good question. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/paragraph-test.restaurants.txt b/reference_files/paragraph-test.restaurants.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 461d40cc7a751716e55f1456300c473580f0ea62..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/paragraph-test.restaurants.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,136 +0,0 @@ -Literally just stumbled on this in our hungered state. The title of Canadian Comfort Food drew us in. Waiter was fantastic and sold the dishes very well. I ended up trying 2 local beers, Mill St ale (red), and another IPA. My conclusion is that Canadian beers are nothing to write home about. The food however was outstanding! We started off sharing the Pickerel Taco + cucumber apple salad. Great starter. It had some delicious white fish in a chinese style steamed bun. Great starter. Next we shared the Roast Duck Poutine pizza. If you like well flavored duck, french fries, cheese, and gravy, this is your dish. We were kinda skeptical on smashing all these wonderful flavors together, but the waiter sold it well and it was amazing. Pretty large portion so definitely share. We ended with the Canoe Fireweed Butter Tart. Sweet (but not too sweet) honey tart with blackberry and cream sauce. Very good and different than your standard sweet fare. Overall a good experience and fantastic wait staff. -Patria does up a really lovely Spanish tapas experience.First up, the place is beautiful. High ceilings, big windows and open space are made cozy with quirky sort of vaguely religious (maybe?) art, good lighting and big candles. The tables are as little or big as your group might want, so this is a good pick for both big parties and a date with someone you're up for hanging with for at least 45 minutes while your paella cooks. Service is good- the staff are attentive and understand the menu well; our server made great recommendations for both what to order and around how much to order, which is helpful for lazy people (me) in tapas places with long menus. The food n' drink is top notch. We had the dates wrapped in bacon (very good would eat again), something involving a large circle of goat cheese and honey (delicious) and a seafood house paella, which takes awhile but is big enough for two and worth the wait. At this point I was too full for dessert and had had one too many manhattans to stomach anything else sweet, but the options looked promising. Recommend! -What can I say about Byblos? Possibly my favorite dining experience ever, even better than Splendido and Gramercy Tavern in NYC (my next favorites...now).The hostess was very pleasant and helpful, our server was efficient and very personable, and the manager James was a great host, checking in often to see how we were doing. Top notch service in every way!The food...wow. We started with a very nice salad and a fantastic artichoke and yogurt dish (I don't even like artichoke) that we devoured. Next, succulent lamb ribs with a coriander based (I think) crust on them that is similar to the excellent bread that they serve. Delicious!Wagyu beef on a cauliflower hummus that just bursts with flavor in every bite. Cooked perfectly and seasoned according to the rich fat of the wagyu to combine for the perfect bite of steak, IMO. A creamy lobster dish, some exceptional short ribs and some phenomenal Israeli couscous (and Brussels sprouts with haloumi cheese and bacon!!!) and we were pretty much stuffed, but James the host also provided us with three small desserts that were also fantastic. We also had one of their chilled alcoholic teas, and wow, does that ever finish a meal off perfectly. Can't say enough about our experience at Byblos. My wife and I are now presented with the challenge deciding how long we should wait before going back. We love trying new restos and don't like to overdo one spot, but I don't think we can wait much longer! -Why did no one decide to bring me here until now? This place is a hidden gem and I quickly learned from the friendly lady at the cashier that Kaiju is one of the top restaurants in the GTA. Trust me, she wasn't lying. We ordered the classic chicken katsu curry with rice. What I like about the katsu is that it is fried perfectly crisp but doesn't feel oily. As well, the coleslaw is a nice touch to balance the flavour-filled dish. The cherry on top to the great food was that the service was amazing despite this being a food court. The lady at the cashier (assuming the owner) was super cute bringing the food over and checking up on us after the meal. As a side note, on Saturdays, they also offer tofu cheesecake which I will be back for next time! -This is a really good restaurant with an awesome staff! The place is awesome and the food is just delicious! Is not way expensive but the food comes in a small portions. Even with that everything is perfect! -I hate to give such a highly-regarded place three stars, but here goes nothing.In the thralls of finding a restaurant to celebrate my mom's birthday, it was with serendipitous timing that enRoute magazine unleashed its Best New Restaurants in Canada upon the web. Top of the list? Edulis, a local restaurant, thus relieving me of any need to continue my search. (They also made MacLean's Top 50 Best Restaurants in Canada.) A couple emails later, and our table was booked. (They say an online reservation system is coming soon.) Cozy and charming, this intimate restaurant is tucked away on a rather nondescript stretch of Niagara St. just south of King. The juxtaposition of the best restaurant in Canada facing onto a large co-op housing complex is worthy of note, and could serve as an archetype for boosters of mixed-income urban planning near and afar. Anyway, I digress.Debating between the smaller ($50) or larger ($70) tasting menus, our waitress indicated that the former would be sufficient to fill our bellies. We opted for the latter, and were prepared to have to undo a few buttons. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case. Look, I get that higher-end restaurants skew towards smaller portions; I have no problem with that, and come to expect it. But if I'm ordering a seven-course tasting menu, I expect to be reasonably satiated by the end of the journey. Am I completely off base here? Alas, if it weren't for the constant re-filling of our bread basket (great home-made bread, btw), we all would have left hungry - and it's not like we have huge appetites to begin with. The blame I think is two-fold: First, many of the dishes were protein-heavy, with very little in the way of carbs. This is regrettable, as the one significant starch I do recall (a side of potatoes in a Djion vinaigrette) was phenomenal. Second, there was way too much downtime between some of the courses. Easily 20-25 minutes passed between some of the courses. Had the intervals been a bit shorter, I think we would have been okay.Not to say that service wasn't exemplary. As soon as we entered service was fantastic. Water was constantly topped off, fresh cutlery was brought out every meal, and the table was kept spotless. Presumably the bottleneck was in the kitchen. That being said, the actual food when it came was superb. Of the seven dishes, four consisted of seafood (herring, mussles, tuna, some white fish), two of meat (veal and sweetbreads, duck two ways), and dessert (ice cream and cookie, shared baba au rhum cake). I'd try to describe them in more detail, but would be doing them an injustice. The food was outstanding - I just wish there were more of it.Next time I think a better strategy would be to order a few dishes à la carte, and share those. I saw some tables adopting this strategy and the serving sizes seemed substantial. It would also eliminate some of the waiting between courses.8/30 -I'm not going to pretend to be a coffee connoisseur, but I am a caffeine-addict as well as a coffee shop lover. Cute cafés are my jam! Jimmy's Coffee was a very average experience, however.Jimmy's uses the unsweetened almond milk from Silk, which is horrible because the unsweetened version tastes incredibly salty, and this definitely transferred to the taste of my almond milk latte. They use a rather acidic strain of coffee beans (re: sour), and the double shot macchiato was hard to swallow. Also, no latte art. Whaaaaat? The barista used some hand motions that made it LOOK like she was doing latte art, but in reality it looked like a white, unidentifiable blob in the middle of my tiny cup of coffee.There are three floors, yet there is zero place to sit down. The third floor has a conference-room style table, the second floor with a hodgepodge assortment of furniture, and the first floor has a severe lack of chairs. Good luck trying to enjoy your coffee inside!Jimmy's Coffee is an alright café, and I may drop by to try their other items. However I won't make a special trip for Jimmy's because there are better shops in my neighborhood, thanks. -3.5 starsPrice: More than an average dt ramen place at $14 a bowl. I got the Shoyu Ramen. Noodle: Al dente, bouncy.Broth: Amazing. I usually don't drink the broth but the Hokkaido's is so flavourful. Asked for less salt which was perfect. When you walk into the restaurant, the first thing that hits your nose is the smell of pork bones simmering away. You can also ask for less lard but why. Toppings: I love bamboo, glad it's included. I also had seaweed, slice of fish cake and green onion. Extra toppings are pricey (corn is $2.50, egg $1.80) which I didn't opt for. Chashu: Seems like I got the chashu scraps...got two small chunks of meat cut along the grain and a slab of pure fat. While it was tender, it was upon leaving the restaurant and seeing the display of noodles that my friends told me that they both got 2 regular slices of chashu. What the. Service: Friendly. Fairly quick turnover of tables. Bathroom: The sketchiest bathroom I have ever been in. My friend said it was like being in a horror movie and I had to agree. Dim eerie staircase leading to a dark dirty bathroom with a low ceiling. Given how popular and clean the restaurant is, they definitely could have forked over a little bit of money to improve the washrooms! -Cheap, filling and fresh tacos in a variety of flavours! I keep getting baja fish tacos $5 from here and they're so good! There are 3 different salsas that you can put on your tacos - all delicious! I keep wanting to try their other tacos but I always make it an hour before they close so they are usually out of more popular items by then. Tip: come earlier for more choices!There are usually several people in line here since the staff make the tacos on the spot, so pack some patience with you as wait. Usually about 10 mins wait until you actually get your food, which isn't too bad! Also only a handful of seats but that's not a big deal since you could always eat it at the nearby park. -Not your run of the mill Thai restaurant. Interesting decor with upbeat music playing in the background. Not a fan of dimly lit restaurants. I know it's supposed to set the mood but it only makes me sleepy lol. I sat at one of the tables with bar stools and it wasn't very comfortable. There are hooks on the side of the table to hook your bags and jackets to but I think it would have been better to have hooks on the walls for jackets. Weren't a lot of hooks and if you were wearing a long coat, it'll drag on the ground. My friends got the Khao pla tawt (fish) and Khao soi, and I got the ox tail. No complaints about the fish and the only thing my friend had to say about the khao soi was that it was a little too creamy for her but if that's your thing then give it a try. I enjoyed my ox tail dish very much! The sauce was amazing and there was more meat than I expected. Meat was fall off the bone so very very tender. Haven't tried anything else there but definitely planning to!It's a nice touch that they added the Wi-Fi password and network on the menu but unfortunately, it didn't work when I was there (Dec 15). -Playa Cabana is a great spot for dinner and drinks. Here are a few highlights from my experience...1. Like others who have mentioned this, I did feel rushed to order, then to order more, then to leave. This was slightly annoying, but we were having a good time anyway, and didn't really think much of it until after we left.2. The tacos are a bit small, but they are fresh and delicious. I would order the chicken tacos again. (Be warned! Some of the table sauces are quite spicy!)3. If you like guacamole, you will love their chips and guacamole. The chips, which can be a tinge greasy, are tasty and made in house.4. The service, aside from being a bit rushed, was good. The recommendations for food and drinks were perfect.5. The vibe is loud and fun. I noticed that there was quite a diverse crowd here, which is nice as well.6. They have indoor and outdoor seating. To be mere steps from the corner of Davenport and Dupont, the outdoor patio seems quite removed from city traffic and noise.This is a great spot. There probably aren't many places in Toronto that can match Playa Cabana for Mexican food. -It's a nice atmosphere and service is not bad. I enjoyed the first time I was there so I decided to buy the Living Social deal for a brunch back in October 2014. I was excited to use it but due to work and travel the coupon reached the expiration date. They refused to take the coupon after expiry even though newer/exact same deal was on via LivingSocial. I left a voicemail with the manager who never contacted me. I may have lost the $35, but sadly, I don't feel like supporting a business that doesn't appreciate repeated customers. My advise to those buying these deals: make sure you can stick to the reservation before the coupon expiration date. Cibo will not budge. You can however use the face value anytime. But then again will I really be excited to use the expired coupon just so I can get my money back? I will be happier at so many other deserving restaurants that offer great food and service. -Found this place after googling best date restaurants in Toronto - truth.It was indeed a neat date location for a Friday night. Good vibe, neon décor, online reservations, delicious tapa style dishes and a menu of tequila tastings.What we ate (after the complimentary bucket of corn chips): Food:1. Guacamole dip - $11 for a regular (6/10) - hard to do guac wrong but nothing to write home about, get it if you want an excuse to eat more corn chips2. Sopes de tinga $15 (5/10)- this appetizer was unique but the fried, breaded cheese tart overpowered the taste of the chicken3. Tuna Ceviche $11 (7/10) - fresh ahi tuna in a fantastic fusion of mango and cilantro, wanted another one because the portion size was not meant to be shared4. Pulpo carnita $16 (8/10) - well cooked confit of octopus, not too chewy or dry, exactly what you expect from a well cooked octopus5. Carrillera en mole negro $15 (6/10)- extremely tender, 24 hour braised beef cheek - however the tar looking sauce definitely requires an appreciative pallet Drinks: 1. Mojito Reposada $10 glass -perfect concoction of Milagro Resposado, muddled mint, and fresh lime - not usually a mojito drinker as I find they're often too sweet or the tequila is overpowering, but this was simply delicious2. Tequilla tasting: Vertical Flight 1.3 oz - $19 - Avion Silver / Avion Reposado / Avion Anejo - fun addition to the meal, however I'm by no means refined in the art of tequila tasting - all I can say is that they were smooth and worth the order3. Tequilla tasting #2 - Barrel Aged Horizontal Flight - $22 - Tromba Anejo / Avion Anejo / Cazadores Anejo- ditto to my comment above - although I enjoyed this tasting a bit more as I found the tequila to be bolder and the neutralizing sides added some spiceRating Summary: Food: Average of 7/10 for the main courses as noted aboveAtmosphere: 9/10. Fun, posh Mexican vibe - definitely feeling the vibrant décor and music Service: 9/10. The Spanish speaking servers add to the atmosphere. Our server had his corn chip service in check; our chip bucket was never empty. Service was difficult at times to wave down and we would've liked the staff to be more educated in the tequila being served. Pulling out my phone to take photos would have been a date faux pas, hence no photos to share in this post. Will definitely come back during patio season! -My second experience at Pai was great on a few fronts. This place is quite popular on weekdays and weekends so for big groups, a reservation is a must. By the time our group of 10 left, there was a line up the stairs and just at the door.The service staff were friendly and swift with taking our orders and the kitchen staff was just as quick to bring the food to our table all at the same time. :-)I like the street market atmosphere that they are trying to bring to the space in the restaurant.My favourite points of the meal were:1. the deep-fried squash fritters (the grabong) were crunchy and lightly fried and also tasted sweet like a sweet potato. It was great even without the garlic tamarind dip which provides some more savoury flavours.2. this was the first time I had khao soi and I think I will want to come back to have more in the future. The noodles had the right bite to hold up against the spicy and creaminess of golden curry. Bonus: ask for a container to bring the soup home if you want to enjoy it with some rice for lunch the next day!3. the thai milk ice tea is preferred over the lemongrass ice tea since the lemongrass is so subtle that I could barely detect it next to the stronger flavour of the thai milk ice tea.Only small issue is the lack of coat hooks for the larger tables that use stools instead of chairs. There is no convenient hook or coat stand nearby for guests at those tables.Till next time. -Beautifully designed restaurant with equally well crafted sushi. It feels clean, minimal, and modern. The staff is very friendly and attentive.I recommend ordering the seared sushi if you want to try something different from your normal sushi. The sampler is also quite extensive and a good deal for $30. All the fish is incredibly fresh and tasty. -This place is garbage. I get it, you're a big place but that's no excuse for poor service and food. Feels like a tourist trap. Guacamole is decent, drinks are ok,the rest is a mess. If you are in the distillery, do yourself a favour and spend your money elsewhere. -Drew was wearing an underarmor sweatshirt and they still let us in even though a sign out front said proper attire was required so good on them for that. It's incredibly obvious that this is a place where people go to find a sugar daddy. I don't know how else to put it but when you have two 20 something's grinding up on a 40 year old in an Armani suit, you know there's a plan. Aside from that we were surprised by how cheap the drinks were and the Moscow Mules, although a bit sweet, were very down-able. If you like a club that has a good vibe and alternates between Drake and Bieber every other song then this is your place. -Always impressive service, whether it's brunch or dinner. Great drinks, wonderful gluten free and dairy free options - I would take a picky eater there anyday! The atmosphere is super laid back and young feeling. The only complaint I'd have is that it's too loud, but that's because it's so popular. I always go with my boyfriend and we're never let down. Prices are quite reasonable too. The waitress actually noticed that I didn't eat chili peppers on the tacos so she made sure that the rest of my taco orders didn't have peppers on them either - without me saying a thing. Such positive experiences here! -Good service. Tables a little narrow and awkward. The slaw was superb. They recite all 26 ingredients in it. The main course was not to die for. A little bland. Great ambiance and sitting outside we got to do my favourite activity, people watching. -We came for Winterlicious dinner, so we were expecting it to be busy. Still, the restaurant did a great job in keeping everything well organized. The servers were very attentive and took time to describe what we were about to eat when they brought the food. Food was top notch! I got the Fogo Island Salt cod for appetizer, beef tenderloin / chuck flat for main, and sea buck thorn yoghurt for dessert. Some places don't really give good value for Winterlicious, but Canoe was definitely worth it! I would come back on any regular day / night. -Overall, great food and even better service. The food was delicious. We definitely had some things that were out of the box thinking but must say it wasn't necessarily the best French food we have ever had. Our server, Brooke, was very helpful and always stopped by to see how we were doing. We also never felt rushed and were able to finish our wine before we even had to think about ordering dessert. Atmosphere is great... Not too loud and the decor is stunning. Will definitely return! -I have been here twice now. The first time being the end of May. The weather was beautiful for a late Friday night. The patio was busy (as usual) but the ambience and service was good. We were here for a work friend's birthday group of 8 or 9. We ordered drinks and food and it was all delivered with speed and accuracy, considering it was a busy Friday night. The food was great. I ordered a burger and fries. My sister ordered a chicken flatbread.My second experience, left me a bit unsatiated, as we left without eating. We were there for the RedPath Waterfront Festival at Sugar Beach and wanted to have a sit down meal. Our group of 5 asked for seats on the patio, at around 7:45 pm. We were given pagers and were told the wait would be about 45 minutes. We expected that, so we walked up and down the lakeshore. We were finally seated at about 8:30 and ordered food and drinks right away. At 9:30, we still hadn't received our food. It's not like we ordered huge meals, we ordered two flatbreads, a salad to share, and shrimp something. We flagged down our waitress, and she informed us that we would have to wait ANOTHER 20 MINUTES. We had somewhere to be at 10, so we said forget the food, bring us our drink bill. The manager came out and apologized for the wait, he explained a large party had come in and unexpectedly backed up the kitchen. He took care of our drink bill and gave us a $25 gift card to come back again. Even though our service wasn't the greatest, the fact that the manager came out and took care of our bill and even gave us a gift card, showed us that this doesn't happen often, and they were generally upset for us.We will go back, not only because of our gift card, but because the patio is so nice, the drink menu is quite extensive and the food is pretty decent. -Funny how they call it salad king but only have 1 salad on the menu.It's located right by Ryerson, so it's definitely convenient for students on a budget. The atmosphere was like a cafeteria, but a pinch more upscale with cuter decor than a typical highschool lunch hall.Like most Thai places, they had sizeable portions. My friend and I ordered the pad thai and the panang curry to share. Overall, the food was meh. It made me full, but not the happy kind of full. The panang curry was too sweet but not rich, and the pad thai was a little dry. Highly recommend hot sauce if you're thinking of eating at this place.But I wont go back again. -The last experience here when we came out was absolutely wonderful. I would give five stars but it is still quite a wait. They did text us when a table was ready For a heads up so we were able to grab a drink nearby which was nice of them. The food we get this time was fab- shout of for the spicey beef and the chicken dish we had it was wonderful flavour and totally yum. and I do appreciAte how they have a legend for how spicy. I love the communal mixed drink bucket so come of your a sharing is caring type of personality. Our server this time was totally over attentive in a great way and checked in frequently to make sure our experience was going well. And last shout out goes to the music playlist here .. All the songs were a nice mix of classics and I swear it was right off my iPod. -Fantastic food and relatively inexpensive, butternut fritters for starter were great and the pad thai was extremely tasty. Glad we went with this place. Cool atmosphere inside with some great older hip hop playing... -Love the atmosphere! All the dishes we tried were so good! We got the lamb and it was unreal and good drink menu. If you're looking for a new place to have a special dinner or just feel like switching it up I'd highly recommend. -Would definitely come back. Nice ambiance, atmosphere, good food and wine. Noise level was moderate so you could have a conversation. I would recommend. -Went there yesterday (august 13th 2016). It was my 2 year anniversary and I was worried because of the few bad reviews regarding the food. But honestly everything was delicious! Me and my boyfriend both had the steak and lobster and it was cooked perfectly! Wish they put more mashed potatoes on the plate because those were so yummy too and not enough. But I loved the whole experience! The view is incredible and our waitress was down to earth and very accommodating. We had the smoked salmon appetizer and the oysters as well and was all really fresh and good. I truly enjoyed my experience and will be returning next special occasion -Went her for brunch. Got the eggs Benny with smoked salmon for $20. Eggs a bit overcooked and not runny. Expected better but great location and good patio. Service was great. -I have been meaning to come here for awhile, so when a Groupon came up, it was the perfect opportunity. It seemed a little expensive at first glace for the amount of food you received, but I was pleasantly surprised at how filling and delicious everything was. The place was a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. There were patio seats at the front, a bar that you could sit at, and then a number of seats that stretched down the hallway to a big back area. I had the lamb burger and dressed it with tzatiki, feta, onions and tomato. It was cooked perfectly with generous toppings. I added the panko crusted onion rings. OMG so delicious. The portion was pretty big, so next time I would probably share the side. I was delighted to see the variety on the menu. It wasn't just burgers. There were a number of other things I wanted to try. I was also surprised to see tons of drink specials. I didn't realize that it really had a bar atmosphere (my bad, considering it says bar right in the name)Service was friendly and fairly quick. Lots of people there watching the hockey game - which you could see from any seat in the house on big flat screens. Definitely one of the best gourmet burger joints I've tried in Toronto so far. -Came here recently with the SO - I had been talking about this place with him, and knew that he would love the vibe. And course, he did! The spot is trendy and kinda indie, with charming lights and paintings from local artists. Oh and a great drinks list. It's popular so make reservations possible! They have an easy online system. Crab cakes - deliciousChicken thigh sandwich - tastyShrimp linguine - really flavorfulIceberg drink - refreshingBlush mojito - good, once the ice chilled it and diluted it a bit. Overall great experience. This spot is perfect to catch up with friends, first (or 2nd, 3rd) dates, and have some great food/drinks. I had to take off one star because it seemed like none of the staff knew whose food went where and brought the wrong dishes to multiple patrons. They brought us a salad we didn't order and then realized it was for the table beside us... Except it was the wrong salad for them too. This kinda thing happened throughout the night. However, the staff were really nice and swift about making the appropriate the changes. -We are a couple of beer lovers and tend to seek out beer spots whenever we travel. My bf spotted this place before leaving on our trip and had it on his list of places we must try. We came here for an early evening dinner after tiring ourselves out with wandering Toronto by foot all-day. This place has a very cavernous feel to it as you have to walk down a flight of stairs to get to the dining and bar area. There's plenty of space for large parties and cozy enough for folks to explore their beer selection. I thought most of their drafts sound interesting but was disappointed to hear they did not offer a sampler of any sort. Instead, we went with a house-made coffee porter and a blackberry wheat (which was not made in-house). Both brews were fine but nothing worth writing home about. However, for dessert the bf opted for a pint of their Chocolate Orange beer which was really interesting and tasty. The service was attentive and the food was okay. I really liked all their vegetarian options but unfortunately I went with a bland jambalaya and he went with a bison burger. Skip the dishes we ordered and come by for a great take on craft beers. -You're whisked away from the Disneyfied cobblestones of the distillery to an equally out-of-place 1885 Parisian bistro. The decor is fantastic. The rumour is that they spent a million dollars on the interior. It shows.Delicious food, shiny people. C'est dommage. The environs make you want to dress up in period costume. At one point you find yourself screaming 'Bon jour de Mères!' as loud as possible as they bludgeon you with heaps of butter. How could one complain? -I love the look and feel of this place, as well as the location. I've been here a few times for brunch and dinner. I've never had to wait for a table for brunch. The space is huge and there's lots of open air in the summer. Going here is a great excuse to have prosciutto for breakfast! The frittatas are nice and fluffy, and the scrambled eggs are ok. I think this would be a nice choice for a big group.This place gets packed at dinnertime, and it's a fun place to meet up with people for drinks. The food is fine and the prices are reasonable, but none of the dishes I've had were very memorable. -I have gone to Jacobs a few times over the past couple of years and I always come out with the same content feeling after a fantastic steak meal. The atmosphere of the restaurant is nice and intimate, with the dining area on the 2nd floor. The 1st floor is where you are greeted by the hostesses. There is a bar area with a piano lounge while you wait.It is NOT a cheap meal, but if you want good steak, it is well worth it. Instead of Ruth's Chris, try Jacobs. There are a wide variety of steaks, different each night. The waiter was very attentive and willing to make recommendations depending on your mood. I love the wagyu beef that they have. The steaks are served with a selection of sauces and salts to enhance the flavours of the steak.Certainly try the caesar salad that's made table side. I can no longer eat caesar dressing that is not made fresh anymore. Sides need to be ordered for the steak and I recommend duck fat french fries!One of my favourite parts of the meals come at the very end when they deliver breakfast muffins for the next day. I'm so happy when I'm munching on it with a cup of tea, reminiscing about my yummy steak the night before. -Their most expensive menu, the full rack of baby back ribs were extremely dry. I felt like I was chewing a rubber. Maybe it was supposed to be dry. I'm not a rib expert so maybe the baby back ribs were supposed to be dry. I was going to try out their side ribs to see the difference but I was scared that I might get the $34 rubber. But wait, how come the ribs selling in The Keg are somewhat juicier and tender compared to this place's. I know they don't make the greatest ribs in the world so what's going on. Is it because they use side ribs and side ribs are supposed to taste better than the baby back ribs? I'm confused so educate me.Also tried their Cobb salad and bacon had this odor that I could immediately tell it wasn't fresh. -This place is a hit or a miss. There are times when I come and the food and drinks are amazing and times where it is not so great.The most consistent thing is the service - which is always good. If there is anything wrong with your food or drink, the waiters will make an effort to make it right again. My favourite beer is the blonde for that crisp, fresh, cold taste. And the bbq pizza is also one of my go-to's. It is a good place to experience if you are in the area and it has a really nice patio in the summer. Make reservations because it does get busy. -This place is very hit or miss, and unfortunately, my most recent time was a huge miss! To start off positively, it is a nice, clean location offering ACYE which seems like an anomaly in the downtown area. Service is typically average and menu has a decent variety. Unfortunately, last time my boyfriend and I went, the staff misplaced part of our order, leaving us sitting for over 20min after being served our first portion. When we told the staff, they acted quickly; however, the food they brought looked rushed and did not taste fresh. Both my boyfriend and I ended up feeling sick for a few days after. Probably won't be returning, but can't say every experience has been awful. -I really enjoyed Sunny Morning!They do have tiny tables for two peeps (what is UP with that breakfast places?!) and it was very busy when we arrived around 11am on a holiday Saturday.Our server was very pleasant, I believe his name was Brent. The girl filling our coffees and grabbing us ketchup seemed to hate existing in this world but I just ignored her foul attitude, everyone has an off day you know! ;)Since this is the New Year and I was trying to behave a bit, I ordered the lighter menu option, which came with poached eggs, cottage cheese, toast, and fresh fruit. Coffee was good was was refilled (although we did have to ask). I enjoyed my breakfast and so did my bae. The fresh fruit was actually delicious, juicy and flavourful, which sometimes doesn't happen at breaky places - yay!!Overall, this is my favourite spot (to date) in Etobicoke for breakfast/brunch. -Excellent!! From our waitress to the management, we were treated with so much appreciation and respect. Great customer service. I went with my newly fiance' (engaged that night) and when we told our waitress she congratulated us with celebration and jubilee. Then the management offered us a couple glasses of champagne on the house!! Very generous. The place is real quaint and cool. I like how its dim lit. Great date place. We were also impressed by the food. The Chicken Linguine. 5 stars!! im a foodie, its hard to impress me usually, but the pasta was cooked to perfection. the sauce was rich and savory. The tomatoes added a bit of acidity and sweetness that the dish needed. The perfect dish to end the perfect night. Highly recommend. -Came here late one night with a large group. Tables were all occupied, but we were still able to find a spot by the bar to gather around. Plenty of space in the restaurant I noticed for big groups if you're able to come at a good time to grab a table. Good selection of beers on tap, and menu seemed like there were a lot of comfort food type options. Some of what we ordered were sweet potato chips and calamari. Chips were good, calamari was less than average. My friend's chicken wrap was good as I was told. Food was brought out with good timing, and drinks the same way. Service was average and as expected from being at a casual restaurant. The only annoyance of our experience at C'est What was with one of male bartenders that served us occasionally. He seemed to favour being sarcastic with his service responses. And that's perfectly fine, we appreciate fun sarcasm but his sarcastic replies weren't helpful nor were they in good humor. Being sarcastic doesn't mean that it's a free pass to be rude. All in all, wouldn't mind coming back here for a casual drink or bite to eat. Just avoid sitting at the bar. -Earls Kitchen + Bar on King Street offers good food and an enjoyable dining experience. I dined there for lunch two Sundays ago and ordered the Bacon Cheddar Burger ($16.50) with a side of Truffle Fries (extra $2.00). I also shared a Mojito Pitcher for $20.00 (cheaper because of the Cool Summer Pitcher Happy Hour + Sunday Special) with three others. The burger was huge, mainly because of the oversized brioche bun. Both the burger and the fries were really good. I did wish there were more fries but in the end, I was happily stuffed so no complaints. The mojito, on the other hand, was quite disappointing. It was extremely watered down and flat. I could barely taste any rum and the mint leaves were likely not even muddled prior to mixing the drink. I might as well have been drinking water instead. In retrospect, I should have sent it back. We dined on the patio and it was very comfortable and relaxing. I highly recommend dining outside if you love patio dining. The indoor dining area was clean with an urban modern setup. Our server was clearly new and at times slightly frazzled. He did not know what glasses to use for our mojitos and left the pecans out of my friend's salad due to a mild nut allergy, even after my friend clearly insisted pecans were absolutely fine. Otherwise, he was a nice chap and we had no real issues except the occasional awkwardness. All things considered, I would definitely dine at Earl's Kitchen + Bar on King Street again. -The last time I came here was approximately 20 years ago and the only thing I remember is that the prices were insanely outrageous. I find the location to be very suspect. Although, it is located inside the hotel, the only way to have outside access is through the elevator that runs directly into the restaurant. If you were to enter through the hotel, you would have to go downstairs to the lower level where the meeting rooms are located and turn left and walk to one end of that level in order to find the entrance, which is preceded by a long hallway. Interestingly, the hostess station (and I say hostess station because I didn't see any hosts) faces the elevator entrance and not the hotel entrance, which is off to one side before the bar. The hostesses were attentive enough but not too bright, as I described the person that I was looking for to be in a bright red dress and they weren't sure. So, I proceeded to give the name under the reservation. They quickly took me to my table. The restaurant is quite dark and doesn't look like it has been renovated since the opening; however, this doesn't seem to be an issue, as everything seems very well appointed. The bar was quite cramped and there were a lot of people waiting inside. Although, it was only 6:30 pm, the restaurant was filled, so, if you are going, perhaps, a reservation would be in order. I'd hate to be cramped inside that little bar. The place is loud, so, if you are on your first date, this place may not be for you.As we were a large table, we were located on a stage type area with 2 seat tables lined up to infinity. I am not sure whether they had a table that was big enough to seat our entire group, but it didn't seem to be a problem. Even the people located on the wall had enough room to walk behind a seated person. Remember this point.It took the waiter awhile but eventually, he came by to insure that we had water. Drinks were not offered at this point. When my whole table arrived, many of us were surprised that the water wasn't filled sooner. When it came time to order, the waited tried to efficiently start from one side and go to the other; however, that side wasn't ready, so, he skipped to my wife and I, who were seated on the outside middle of the table. We ordered and I accidently placed my drink order and was surprised to find that the waiter was rude about it. He wasn't ready to take drink orders. By the time the orders were completed, the waited left to put in our order. It was at this point that we discovered that there was a kid's menu that NO ONE had told us about, including the waiter. So, we had to place a second order into the kitchen. The kid's menu comes with a main course, side, dessert and drink. Once again, the waiter was rude to me when I placed the drink order for the kids, telling me that I needed to wait, as he wasn't ready to take the drink orders. The meal came, and there seemed to be confusion over who had what. It was made worse, when the kid's orders came and the waiter didn't know who it went to. I saw no attempt for the waiter to try to get to the side with the wall, they just claimed that they would pass it over, as it was too far. The waiters also need re-training, as they would move their body between you and your meal and ask for forgiveness later, rather than asking before moving. I recognize that the meal is hot; however, this is no excuse for the lack of etiquette at this location.Needless to say, the meal was delicious. Although, I said delicious, I didn't say it was right. Almost no one at the table got what they ordered in terms of how the steak was cooked, unless you had ordered it well done or medium rare. We didn't bother to send it back, but needless to say, we were disappointed. We were surprised that the kid's meals, which were about $23 each were SO LARGE! Then again, the price tag was high too. The chicken fingers came with 5 large chicken fingers and burnt fries. The children's filet came medium rare, she wanted it medium with tons of mashed potatoes. Someone ordered julienne fries, which turned out to be similar to hickory sticks. I ordered the steak fries and they were overcooked with one end on each burned. The mushrooms were well cooked. The $12 salad was large with fresh cheese, no side salads at this place.All in all, our total was over $1000. The starting price for a steak was $60, with the average price about $75. There are other things on the menu that aren't as pricey, such as the chicken, which was about $34. So, So overall, the waiter is rude, the food is undercooked, the prices are high. The restaurant is clean, which includes the restroom. There were 3 restaurant reviewers at our table. 33% would not come here again, 66% were unhappy with aspects of the food and 100% of us were dissatisfied with the service. -The wait for a Wednesday night was long but understandable given the small space of the restaurant. The place is crowded meaning patrons waiting their table will be (im)patiently watching you eat from the sidelines, so eat quickly and don't hang out after your meal! Overall I had no complaints but nothing stood out as exceptional to me. The menu is simple--about a dozen traditional main entrées, about a dozen appetizers, and dessert of the day. The Northern Thai sausage platter appetizer was an unexpected item - it reminded me of steamed Chinese preserved sausages but with more grit and lemongrass. The bean paste sauce that came with it was tasty but didn't tip me over the scale of wanting to order the app again. The green curry served in a coconut was fragrant and satisfying, the option to select spice level suits every palate. The accompanying bowl of jasmine rice was a good size to go with the curry, but on the dry side. A decent selection of beers and other drinks are available, which suits the casual and ethnic atmosphere well. The Thai iced tea is a crowd favourite and many patrons ordered one as they waited for their table - it's on the sweet side but complements perfectly with the spicy menu. -I have been here a few times and the food is pretty good. The only thing that wont have me coming back this time is their horrible service. The waitress we got was impatient, rude, sarcastic, and just a horrible server. Our food took forever to come out and came out of order. She only spoke in Chinese and even gave us our bill in Chinese and when we asked her for a bill in english so we could see what we were being charged for she made a huge fuss about it and took forever to bring us another copy. When she did she over charged us 95 dollars for things we didn't even order. She insisted we did order. At that point we paid the RIGHT amount and left. as we got up to go she demanded a tip. She actually DEMANDED we tip her. I don't tip unless I feel like I should. And in this case i definetly did not feel like tipping her. -This is by far the best restaurant in the city , the food is always amazing , the service is fantastic . I always recommend this place for any special occasion or just a great dinner ! The view is breathtaking , -This is a huge restaurant! We came as a group of 5 on Sunday afternoon, sitting out on the patio. The back of the patio is under shade which was really nice, very pleasant sitting right by the water. My partner and I got chicken fingers and fries (off the kids menu, $9, great value!) and some beers. Overall decent quality and value. Service wasn't great, we didn't see the server as often as I would've liked, but I think he did the best he could considering how busy it was. Overall a good spot to stop for a beer and snack (as long as you don't mind waiting in line to get in)! -I got the lobster roll with the frisco fries upgrade. The lobster roll was alright. The sauce or lack thereof was a bit bland but the bread was tasty. The house slaw it came with was decent. I highly recommend the frisco fries though. That was by far the tastiest part of the entire meal. I think if I didn't opt for that, I'd have given this place a 3/5 instead. The place is pretty small with very few seats so don't bring a group of friends here. It's also pretty cold in the winter because of the small space and constantly opening/closing door. -At the encouragement of one of our group members, my 5 friends and I decided to hold our exchange reunion at Pai, as opposed to another popular Thai restaurant (hint: it starts with a K and ends in Road; y'all know who I'm talking about). The wait was a reasonable hour for a party of 6 that arrived at 6:30 on a Saturday evening (reservations were booked at least one week out) because they allow you to put your name down and go your merry way until your table is ready. The ambiance is hip and reminds you of the hostel you wish you stayed at in Thailand. The server was friendly and helpful with the recommendations. I got the beef Pad Gra Prow (mild because I'm a baby). It consists of spiced ground beef over rice and topped with a fried egg. The spice level was just right--spicier than I expected for mild, which is great because it pushed me and when combined with the taste of holy basil reminded me that I was eating Thai food and shouldn't be such a baby. The yolk was perfectly runny and when punctured provides the fat and flavor needed to mellow out and complement the ground beef while dialing up the flavor of the jasmine rice. The only mistake was a user error: I thought it was a great idea to pour all my chili infused fish sauce over my dish halfway and was left with something that was too soggy and too spicy to enjoy. I guess if you like a wetter, spicier rice dish, go for it, but I was pretty sad that like Freddie Prinze, Jr. in 90's classic She's All That when the nerdy girl discovered that she was a bet and gets mad at him, I ruined a very good thing.Ok now for the real reason I'm even writing this review: the Thai Iced Tea. So I'm kind of a Thai Iced Tea (or cha yen if you're being pretentious) conosseiur; I mean it was 50% of the reason I visited Thailand...ok 60%. This one is nice because it's served over a glass full of crushed ice. The tea is also stronger than your usual Thai Iced Tea, which is great because then the overall drink is not overpowered by the sweetness of the condensed milk. TLDR: Make reservations at least 2 weeks in advanced. If you absolutely cannot stand spice, ask for no spice. Get the Thai Iced Tea if you're into that kind of thing. -I finally had the opportunity to try Byblos after struggling to secure a reservation on a weekend a number of times. Settled with a 6:30 pm slot on a Monday evening and although it was relatively busy, you could probably take your chances doing a walk-in on a weekday.Contemporary decor but still had a very classy vibe. Lamb Ribs ($14) - These were delicious but tiny!! 3.5 small lamb ribs (the 4th one was more like a twig with barely any meat) that are tender, mildly flavored with a crispy texture. Not exactly the best value but taste-wise, 4/5 Roasted Red Beets ($13) - I debated whether or not to order this dish pretty much until the very last minute when I decided to just take a leap of faith and trust my fellow Yelpers. So glad I did as it was the highlight of the night. I was hesitant because my boyfriend and I aren't the greatest fan of red beets but you can hardly taste it when mixed with the labneh which had the perfect consistency and creaminess. Served with some delicious barbari bread, this dish is one you don't want to pass up on. 5/5Crispy Squid ($13) - This one was a decent portion but the individual pieces of squid are very small. Lightly fried and the spices and garlic sauce (toum) give it a nice kick. Very flavorful dish overall and tasted great with our rice. Probably one of the least traditional items because frankly, it's basically calamari with some Eastern Mediterranean seasonings. But I wasn't there to judge (nor would I know) how authentic their food was, so 3.5/5 Turkish Manti Dumplings ($14) - I was looking forward to this the most but it ended up being the biggest disappointment of the night. Such a shame. The dumplings were underwhelming to say the least. I actually didn't even know they were filled with eggplant until the fourth one or so because the ones I ate prior had nothing in it. The molasses balanced the yogurt really well but other than that, nothing special. 2/5Tartufata ($30) - Probably the most expensive rice I've ever had.The truffle and mushrooms were decadent and the fried chick peas were amazing. Crispy and flavorful. The rice itself is very ordinary. So all things considered, I can't say it was completely worth it. I wouldn't order it again because I'd like to try their other rice offerings which looked and sounded just as appealing. 4/5Seared Cauliflower ($8) - It's considered to be a side so I'd recommend ordering this with one of their meat dishes (ribeye, lamb shoulder, etc.) because I think it'd compliment it quite well. We just thought cauliflower with duck fat sounded awesome so we couldn't resist and ordered it anyway. I prefer stronger flavors so I loved this but heads up it can be a bit heavy. 4/5As for dessert, we had the Loukmades ($12) - Fantastic! We were pretty full and while waiting, we kept negotiating how many bites each person would take to finish it. Ended up fighting over the last piece. Pretty much burnt honey icecream on a krispy kreme donut (but a different shape). So good and a must-order!! 5/5 Service was lackluster. Our server was kind and filled our water pretty often but eventually disappeared. We found ourselves waiting a lot - to order dessert, to ask for the bill and to pay. Service shouldn't end after the customer finishes their main course but rather when they walk out the door. Also, typical of many high-end restaurants, they explain what's in every dish but it was spewed out so quickly that a lot of it was incoherent. Didn't really add any value to our dinner. A little overhyped but I'd come back because their menu still has a few other interesting items I'd like to try. I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone who's looking to celebrate a special occasion or somewhere nice to go for a first date. Just don't expect to be blown away. -Great atmosphere and drink specials!At night, the inside looks amazing. The tables have candles and I really like the lights above the bar!I've been here twice now. In May, I tried one of their 10 after 10 specials. That night was calamari sliders with a beer for $10 after 10 pm. I didn't like the sauce it came with much, unfortunately, but it was good otherwise. There was a different special every night. Highly recommend for late night eats!Most recently we came for drinks only. Caesars are on special for $5. Also, after 10 pm, certain beers and liquor are $4. Sounds like a good deal to me!The waitress was very friendly and prompt. We didn't have to wait very long for service. And she noticed our empty glasses right when we finished and asked immediately if we wanted another drink. Perfect!Excellent recommendation from my BFF. Hope I'll be back again to try out more of their food! Love their selection of deals! Maybe we will get their price fix next time - $25 for three course in August :) and judging from other reviews, brunch looks good too! -I like the patio here, and the pizza is pretty good. I haven't ordered much here, I mostly come for drinks on the patio.I have had the spicy mussles which were really good, White wine, onions and jalapenos. Not too spicy but good flavour. I'd order them again. The house wine Sangiovese was nice and light to go with our sharezies. The pasta dishes coming out of the kitchen looked OK. I am a stickler for pasta and don't think I'd order it from here. I've seen better dishes elsewhere. It's not an expensive place, and the service is relateively good here so I will continue to come back for drinks and mussles on the patio.I ordered a margarhita pizza, it was basically a cheese pizza with some chopped basil and garlic on top... but the crust was really nice and I enjoyed it nonetheless. -School's current average rating of 3.5 stars is spot-on. The atmosphere here is cool, unique, and playful - way better than any school environment I've ever been in. The theme runs well throughout the restaurant with drinks and syrups served in beakers, fake grass padding some of the picnic tables in their patio area, a wall of clocks (like those you'd see in a typical school), chandeliers with papers hovering near the lights, shelves with books and pieces near the bar, and an envelope with your bill - your individual progress report served at the end. At the time my friend and I went, she ordered a Brunch Bowl ($18.00) and I ordered the good ol' classic insta-worthy Black & Blue flapjacks ($16.00). The brunch bowl was plated and served nicely with tortilla slivers and a sunny-side up egg on top of the main goods. It was an overall delicious dish that made my friend full (and we entered with empty stomachs) however it was missing something to make it an amazing one. The flapjacks are oh-so-good and are stacked high. They're fluffy too which I prefer and are served with a side of brown sugar butter, vanilla whip cream, and Ontario maple syrup. These are definitely recommended for those with a sweet tooth and a love of pancakes - both of which I have. School is a must-try - it's especially nice checking out during patio season because the patio area is well-shaded with umbrellas and some sections lining the walls come with comfy pillows. Service is relatively quick considering the amount of people that were there and the food aesthetic is beautiful. School gives you better treatment that you'd find in any school and the food is beyond cafeteria-quality. -I have always wanted to try this place and have been asking my friends to come here. Came here on a Saturday night with a couple of friends. When we got in, it was pretty busy but after 10mins of standing, we managed to bag ourselves a couple of seats at the bar. I ordered the BetterBeer (which is the Harry Potter inspired Butterbeer) and it was so yummy!! I don't normally like ale but this one tasted nothing like it as they add ginger ale and topped with cream and a skewered marshmallow. YUM!!Place is really small for what I'd expected and despite being a 'Harry Potter inspired' bar, the cocktails were presented pretty bland. I had hoped for weird presentations with dry ice, the whole shabang. But overall, really enjoyed this bar and will definitely come back for the BetterBeer again! -Miku has been floating around in my bookmarks for years. It was always a combination of too expensive and too inconvenient that made it a faraway dream. But I took advantage of Winterlicious 2018 to finally give in. Ok. I get it now. I finally see the light.I was surprised to find out that Miku was as fusion-y as it was. You don't get a lot of quality Asian fusion places, especially ones that do sushi/sashimi with the same high standards as really good Japanese restaurants in the city. They've got an extensive alcohol list and unique cocktails for the adventurous. I got the non-alcoholic Ginger Basil Smash, which was a little sour, a little sweet, and very smashing indeed. Despite the higher end dinner price tag of $53, I still believe Miku is one of the best Winterlicious offers out there. Firstly, $53 for a QUALITY 3-course meal is pretty damn good. Don't believe me? Let's break it down: 1) Aburi Sampler Platter - (6 pcs, originally $18) - How special can torched sushi be? Apparently, really special when it comes to Miku. The flavour was stronger than any other Aburi sushi I've had. I contemplated getting more of the torched salmon at regular prices, but I was too full by the end. 2) Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin and Pan Seared Foie Gras Rouge - Not from the regular menu, this was a piece of Winterlicious originality. Everything on the plate tasted amazing, even the brussel sprouts. I can say for certain though that my first bite into the foie gras was the best, most orgasmic bite of the entire meal. It's also pure fatty goose liver goodness so even though you only get 3 small medallions of beef tenderloin, everything together made me quite full. 3) Green Tea Opera - (originally $14.5) - I was more than happy to see their signature dessert on the menu. It's really something special. Rich green tea mousse with crunchy hazelnuts. Served with a tiny scoop of fragrant house-made green tea ice cream. My fiancé had the Japanese Tiramisu. Tasty, but we both agreed the opera was better. Given the prices of the appetizer and dessert, that puts the beef and foie gras dish at $20! Sometimes, you can't even get a liver pâté dish at that price, let alone a whole piece of foie gras. On top of that, everything was cooked and flavoured to perfection. The prices might be high, but I think the talent behind the cooking justifies it. Quality over quantity makes Miku my Winterlicious winner. Now if only I could get a reservation at Canoe...(10/100) - 2018 -Food quality degraded since last year. This is a Chinese owned Japanese restaurant and you can tell ... The sushi chefs are loud and trying to make their Chinese accents sound Japanese. They mutter under their breath after they welcome you in. The waitresses are a bit clueless and the sushi is not fresh- actually chewy... The miso soup was too salty and the fried chicken is likely one chicken thigh cut up into tiny pieces and fried up... And I actually suspect it isn't even chicken. I will not be coming back ever. It took a lot of dessert to get rid of the after taste in my mouth. -I went here with high expectations. The servers are nice but they need to smile more; there was one server that wore gym shorts and apron while the rest of the customers wore dresses and casual clothes. Should I go back to eat lunch here again for $18.00 with three course meal? (Apetizers, main dish which are ramen, dessers). Probably not. My pork ramen needs more improvement; it lack tge Japanese ramen taste. It taste bland. I think cup noodles were tastier if I'm going to compare. The lamb bun was great! I will rate it as 4.5 over 5 stars especially the coffee dessert. Also, the washrooms we're dirty that time but when you go inside the women's washroom they have a private cubicle inside the washroom itself. It's like when you go to bayview village washroom. It was different but nice. The restuarant was clean and stock up which is good. -Update: The lurid smell I formerly complained of is gone. My ex from Chicago loved this place and we came here every time he visited. We wanted to get a place around here and come here all the time. Then we broke up. Now there are way too many memories and I haven't been coming around as much. I also don't live as close.It is totally full on a Friday or Saturday night; anticipate a 20 minute wait after 8pm. Made my ex try poutine here. He didn't like it, and thought gravy was terrible too mix with cheese curds and fries but it was a solid, savoury, melty poutine and not too drenched in gravy. However, its not really a thick-cut like Poutini's.Drink prices have gone up by 50cents or a dollar, but that's concurrent with price inflation all over the world. This is a reliable location for wifi, as Green Beanery doesn't have it and a sign on their door says they have a regular thief right now. (and still. REALLY, Toronto?)It's nice to come here for working on your laptop or to throw a drink back before ambling over to Altima for an ominous dental cleaning. It's also great for a friends date and one drink easily turns into two. Because of how close the cubby lounge chair-table units are... you will overhear a lot of OKCupid dates going on and that can be quite hilarious.Now onto the good: coffee and alcohol. The coffee is always strong, they make a firm cappuccino. The craft cocktails are an economic and easy buzz. Ask for the secret hidden vintage cocktail menu that's only on 15 menus in the whole place. These drinks are both potent and delicious... But not too sweet. If you like bitter I recommend the sazerac or corpse reviver#2, if you like sour then paper airplane or pisco sour. Bonus stars for having fernet and cognac cocktails too. -I went on a Sunday evening in October with friends before we saw a movie at the TIFF after dark festival. I was with 2 guys, one came later than we had planned so we waiting for him to order. I ordered the fried fish (with rice and 2 sauces) and the sweet potato tempura. Both came quickly and were extremely delicious. Some things I would improve: -the initial service (when ordering drinks) they asked us 6 times in 15 min. -when we ordered drinks it took them that same about of time to bring it Other than that I liked the atmosphere and the vibe. Would def go back. -Good tasty Mexican food, portions on the smaller side for some dishes - for e.g. The scallops and pork tacos could be bigger. Ambience is nice and the bar is awesome. Drinks are good - I enjoyed this spicy drink diablo something. The only problem I have is that when the waitress took my card to run it on the machine she already put in 18% tip herself and I had no idea what I was paying as the only thing I saw on the screen was enter pin. Had I not asked for my receipt I would not have known that she charged 18% tip. This was a backhanded move, and not appreciated. Note: our party was not more than 8 people where they automatically incl gratuity. (note - we had a party of 5)additional note per OpenTable: For parties of 8 or more an automatic gratuity of 17.5% is added and one bill is required. Reservations are held for 15 minutes. Parties must fully arrive within 30 minutes of their reservation timeSo I would suggest that either the restaurant update the website whether its 6 or 8 people they charge the gratuity for or inform the customers up front. -Went here a couple weeks ago, just remembered to review. The vibe and decor of the place is really cool. Wish we could have sat at the bar. We used the Yelp check in to get the korean style cauliflower as an app which was sooo good.I had the octopus dish with beans and and egg, was really yummy and filling. My friend had the brisket burger which I had a bite of and it was amazing, and I think my other friend had some type of mini wraps...we also ordered the corn bread which was amazing and a couple other apps I can't remember, but everything was delicious. A bit pricy but it was an enjoyable experience overall and there was a bunch of other stuff on the menu I remember wanting to try. Will come back in the future. -I've been here twice. The food here is fantastic. By far one of THE best restaurants in the province. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. The presentation of the food was just extraordinary, and the taste...simply unforgettable. The ambiance is great, and it suits just about any occasion. The view is also breathtaking. I'm just gushing over this restaurant because despite its steep price it's simply perfect. It deserves every cent it charges. Also do the desert, get the spiced apple cake. You won't be sorry. -One of the better dim sum restaurant in Chinatown. The dim sum here is actually quite good, better than what I had expected. Each of the dishes we ordered came out nice and hot. Service here wasn't to bad either, it didn't feel like we were being rushed out like what happens in most Chinese restaurants. I will definitely come back here when I'm craving for dim sum again. -I almost completely walked by this place had I not looked inside and saw the crowds of people... every other restaurant I walked by on Adelaide was just about empty. The neon blue sign is almost illegible! I came by myself after a coworker had suggested it and ate at the bar. No, it wasn't awkward like some places can be when you eat by yourself.I was pleased to notice that all the workers in the kitchen were of Asian descent - not sure if they were Thai, but it's a start towards authenticity, I guess. All the waitresses were chatting away in Thai as well. I ordered a Thai tea to start - I noticed that they actually use condensed milk in their Thai teas, making for a much sweeter and thicker tea than I would prefer. Most places sweeten their black tea directly and add half and half. It tasted better when the ice melted. I'd suggest asking for extra ice in your drink.I ordered tha Khai Soi, as I'd never heard of any dish like it before. It seemed to be the most popular pick, so I went for it - just regular spicy. Geez, I always forget Thai spice scales are 5000x the levels of other places. I would have been happy with a medium and I can handle quite spicy things. I was sweating and it was in the negatives outside.The first half of the Khao Soi dish was delicious, but it was definitely one of those dishes that you get kind of sick of eating towards the end. It's extremely rich, as its got tons of coconut milk in it and with the extra spiciness, it was getting hard to eat. I liked the different textures of the dish, from the fresh and delicious egg noodles to the added crisp of the crunchy noodles. Could have had more cilantro and scallion, though. There was an abundance of beef (chunks, not sliced) as well. Overall, good food and a cool place to try if you are in town. -Love this place! Great food and atmosphere, drinks are okay priced but really really good. Best tacos are the steak and fish. -Probably one of my favorite places in Toronto for Thai food... If not my favorite. I remember the first time I went to Khao San Road years ago (when it was at the previous location), I told them to make it actual **spicy**, not North American spicy. That was a mistake. I tapped the table and cried mercy. (For what it's worth, I can eat very spicy food). But ever since then, I've toned it down, ordered food like normal people would and it tastes so very good!Several things I really like about it here. It's bright! Most of the seats are communal, so you get plopped wherever without having to wait too long. There service is also fast as well, so it's not like we'd have to order and wait forever before we can eat.Oh yeah, and the food has really clean and fresh tastes to it. The problem are pretty big. We were commenting that maybe next time instead of doing one entree and two mains, we could swap and get two entrees and one main... (To be honest, we didn't finish our 1 entree or any of our mains, so maybe 2 entrees is too large too). But the entree came pretty quickly, and we had plenty to nibble on until the mains came. We didn't wait forever for our drinks either. Their Thai ice tea was really good, as was the mango juice. We felt the food was reasonably priced. We saw some notice about prices and minimum wages etc on their walls, but I didn't really process what the message was. I just hope they're able to keep prices and services the same here. -This place is great! Gets really busy on a weekend night especially but worth the wait. We luckily didn't have to wait too long. Got the bar seats for two. Probably the best seats since you get to watch how the drinks are made. We ordered the Essenes of the fall and their signature martini. Both out of this world amazing, flavour wise and presentation, really worth every penny. The drinks smoke out of the cups, the scent is amazing (essence of the fall, really feels like you're drinking a cocktail in a forest). The servers are really welcoming and upon bringing you the cocktail explain the drink and what's in it. -When you first walk in to the CN Tower, and you have made reservations, you can bypass the lines and enter into the tower by going through a concierge area to the right of the ticket purchase kiosks in the lobby. After this, you are directed down the hall and around a corner where you would be greeted by very friendly staff. The staff members then confirm your reservation and give you a piece of paper (pass). After this, you are directed down the hall to a waiting area where you wait for the elevator to arrive. An attendant verifies your pass so that you may go on an elevator and up to the restaurant for reservation. Once you're up on the floor, you show your paper slip at the entryway of the restaurant again, your reservation is confirmed. Once it is confirmed, you are directed by a waitstaff to a table. We were lucky that it wasn't super busy when we went. I recommend getting there about 15 to 20 minutes prior to the reservations so that you have time to wait if there is a lineup to get onto the elevator to meet your reservations. The staff from the greeters all the way to the restaurant are very friendly.The food itself and the menu probably change based on seasonal preferences but I found the menu to be good. I liked the fact that the restaurant used local or Canadian-based ingredients. Being from the metro Detroit/Windsor area, it was nice to see that part of their salads had Leamington Roma tomatoes. That's pretty local from my neck of the woods. The options at the restaurant include various food options that are also vegetarian friendly which is very important to me. At the restaurant, you may order à la carte or, you can do a two course or three course meal. We were able to schedule our reservations online and were able to specify seating. Any seat in this restaurant has an amazing view as the floor is revolving. Although not all the tables are along the window, I would recommend if you have the ability to request a table by the window, do it. In my opinion, a seat by the window is better than some of the seating that is a little bit further away from the window (although you still have a view) We had a great experience in the food was fresh it was beautifully presented and it was full of flavours. The desserts at the restaurant were mediocre l, but the presentation is beautiful. -We came here for some brunch at lunchtime. We ordered the pub breakfast and the butter chicken sandwich. The butter chicken sandwich was pretty good. The pub breakfast on the other hand was a very standard extra-greasy breakfast. You can eat indoors or in the patio, which is shaded and pretty large. Overall, the food in general wasn't anything special although the butter chicken sandwich was good. Nothing outstanding though. The service was quick and friendly. -I've been to Gusto 101 several times and absolutely love it! They have a gorgeous patio which is heated in the winter. I only wish the restaurant was slightly less popular so that it wouldn't be so hard to get a seat! House wine (red or white) is just $1 per ounce, and you can order at any increments. The alcoholic demon inside of me is leaping in excitement!Now onto the food!Polipo ($14.50) - Grilled octopus, chimichurri, olive tapenade, piquillo puree, arugula and fried capers. I'm not always a fan of grilled octopus, but this one was done well. The exterior was marvelously charred in the most delicious way, and the octopus itself was quite tender. Bruschetta Guanciale e Taleggio ($10.95). Overall, I found this bruschetta to be a little salty, and I needed something to offset that salt.Arancini ($9.95) - wild mushroom risotto, fontina cheese, tomato sauce. These risotto balls are practically $5 each so I found that a little pricey. Aside from that, I did enjoy the arancini a lot, especially when they were served piping hot.Lasagne ($17.95) heirloom tomato, wild mushroom, italian eggplant, yellow zucchini, kale butter. We visited on a Sunday and luckily for us, lasgane was the special for the day! This was a very solid effort- the pasta layers were thin and delicate, so overall the dish didn't feel overly heavy, as lasagne often do. The sauce was also delectable and there were no complaints at the table. Mushroom fettuccine ai funghi ($17.50) - portobello, porcini, oyster mushrooms, truffle paste, light cream sauce. Hands down, one of my favourite pastas in town. I am particularly fond of mushroom pasta, but this was one of the best I've had! The al dente pasta was perfect for soaking up all the deep, earthy flavours of the mushrooms. This is a must try!Overall, the food was amazing, the atmosphere is lovely and you really can't beat $1 per ounce wine on tap! I will be back for sure. -So disappointed. If you're a NKOTB fan girl or fan of the Wahlburger show, then check it out but be prepared for lacklustre food and mediocre service. My out of town sister wanted to see this place since she's what I've described above haha. And I knew the minute we walked in, she wasn't the only out of towner. This place evokes the same atmosphere as Hard Rock Cafe or Niagara Falls. I wouldn't be surprised if no locals eat here. We were greeted at the door and explained the two different routes we could take: full, sit down service or head to the back for fast food. We chose to sit down and take in the whole experience. It took forever to get our drink orders in. There were probably 2-3 servers working and maybe 5-6 tables with customers but we waited really long just for the initial order. We watched customers arrive and head to back, order and head up stairs with food before we got served.Once we did order, we found the portions small and the food mediocre. They serve the food in baskets and provide metal utensils which I found odd. The burger itself is dry and nothing special. I enjoyed eating the tater tots though they could be a bit more crispy and warm. Save yourself money and just head to Burger Priest or PnL for a quality burger that's probably cheaper. -Lets just start by saying YUMMMAfter reading the reviews I came here on a Saturday around noon expecting a huge line up, which there was. I was told it would be an hr wait , which wasnt a big deal because things seemed to be moving well. We decided to go dwn the street to timmies for a tea while we waited as they took our number dwn and call you when the table is ready. We came back after about 30mins and were told that they called( which was B.S because phone did not ring once). Luckily they didnt make us wait at the end of the line and said next table wold be ours. Which took about 15mins or so. Once seated I went with the pancakes , I'm not a fan or ricotta or cooked fruits at all. But... these pancakes were amazzzzing. The lemon flavour in the ricotta was just perfect w the bluberries. I didnt even need syrup on my pancakes as the flavour was just perfect. My partner just got the reg ol eggs toast potatoes and substituted his meat for a fruit salad that i ate. Hes not into fruits and only other substitute was pork items which we dnt eat and salad. One of the negatives is if you dont eat pork theres no alternatives, no turkey bacon and even the beans hve pork in it which was a disappointment. To help I ordered him a biscuit w homemade jam which was out of this world. Everything was great and cooked to perfection. -A bit overrated. Thought the food was okay. Servers were really nice and helpful. Good place to hang with friends. -Great restaurant, the oysters were awesome, Mike our waiter was very helpful, nice and friendly. Coming from St. Louis Mo USA , the oysters and service was the best. -Great BBQ, Great time, I've had pretty much all the meats they have on offer and love them. The brisket is one of the best I have had in Toronto. -Got seated 10 minutes before our reservation time - yay! But our night didn't escalate that much after that...I asked for window seating in my reservation and was given a seat in the centre. We still had a view of Toronto but I wish they adhered to our seating preference, or at least notify us beforehand that there was none available for that moment. We were greeted by our waiter and he placed our napkins on our laps; I felt like a princess. The menu for the night:- White wine - Pinot grigio- Daily bread and chick pea spread - Coastal half dozen oysters- Rabbit saddle - Risoni risotto - Screeched tarte au sucre I appreciated how our server poured both my guest and myself some wine to taste. At other restaurants, typically only one guest would taste. As for food, I had everything besides the rabbit saddle. The bread was warm to touch with a firm crust. The spread reminded me of hummus - why don't they just call it hummus? It was nice how another server continued to bring us more bread while we were waiting for our mains, which did take a while to reach our table. Oysters were oysters - they tasted fresh.Risoni risotto - I enjoyed this a lot. It was different from other risotto dishes I've had as the rice was more flat and long. The risotto itself seemed to be loose. To explain, the rice would not stick together. However, I preferred this because it didn't make me feel like I was eating baby food. The kale crisps were divine - they were crunchy, thin, and added just enough texture compared to the star of the dish, the risotto. Screeched tarte au sucre - This reminded me of a creme brulee, but less sweet and less torched. Would have liked a bit more crunch on the top though! The crust tasted slightly undercooked but overall, good flavours in the dessert.One thing that would've made my experience better is having the menus labelled for persons with dietary restrictions. I had to ask the server whether 'kohlrabi' was a meat. EDIT:Another thing I forgot to mention was how I almost slipped 3 times while walking on the hardwood floor! Although I was wearing heels, I was able to walk in the lobby and to my car comfortably for 30 minutes. Unsure if my shoes or the flooring...but I vote for the latter. -Yes, the drink are expensive BUT the experience is worth it! As soon as you walk into the place it has a unique sweet aroma, like incenses but not quiet. Each of us ordered a different $25 drink to try the various types.The Mad Man was served in a very cool pipe shaped glass, the drink was strong but smooth. It was accompanied by a leather aroma smoke which was please to the senses and cubes of jelly as chasers. I enjoyed this drink thoroughly because it was completely new to me.The Mojito is a safe choice for people who want to simply enjoy a drink and the order the first recognizable drink on the menu. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't special either. This drink also came along with a aromatic smoke diffuser. The best tasting drink was the daiquiri, served in a real coconut on a bed of sand with cute umbrellas. The cool factor of this drink was that it was served with frozen alcohol pellets on the side, similar to those dotted ice creams you would at the movies. -2018.01.29Here is an update to my last review. Since going to Baretto for the first time, it has become one of my favourite Coffee / Breakfast and Italian lunch places. I have over the last two years become closely acquainted with Manuelle and his wife, Cristina, the owners. They are such lovely people and they put out the freshest and most delicious Italian food in the city. Its simple, fresh, homely and FREAKING DELICIOUS!!!The coffee .....ohhhh the coffee...... If you have never heard of a Ginseng latte (i didn't), you absolutely need to go here and get it. Things my wife and I have tried here so far: All the pizzasLasagnePastaBoth the antipastoCaprese SaladIced milk with mintCroissantSfogliaItalian Cream puffGinseng LatteRegular LatteI give all of the above a 100/100I give the service a 100/100 Original review....I was in the Don Mills area and wanted a quick breakfast and was about to head to McEwans when I came across this place on yelp. It is located in the rear or this rather inconspicuous medical building. Let me start by saying that Yelp does not have the number of stars that I would like to give this place. The barista is a true gentleman named Manuelle who really makes you feel welcome. The place looks wonderful and there is another room as well that is a little more intimate and private. I had a coffee and a croissant and it's was delicious x . The place is clean, open and really relaxing. Will come back here for the food and post another review. -4.5 stars!The menu at JaBistro has 3 sections - sushi, sashimi and bistro which included items such as black cod, ebi shrimp, calamari and angus tartare. Before I go any further, this really isn't your typical sushi joint. While the décor and atmosphere doesn't shout fancy and expensive, don't be fooled. The prices are high... if you're ordering sushi or sashimi, you'll be spending a lot. But you get what you pay for.What went in my belly:Kamo - smoked duck breast, burdock, onsen tamago ($14) which came in the form of a salad. The duck was tender and had a subtle smokey flavour to it. The dish was centered around a poached egg with a yolk which spilled into the dish after being cut into. I liked it!Sashimi Platter ($100). There's also a $50 platter. I inquired about the difference between the two and was told it isn't a difference in quantity but rather a difference in the quality of fish. It was a special occasion so we decided to splurge. The sashimi was served on a slate and the sashimi included uni, toro, salmon belly, amberjack, sea bream, lobster and fish jelly. Everything was incredibly fresh and just ridiculously good! Yes, the price is quite steep for not a whole lot of food but the quality really is top notch!Lobster Miso Soup. I'm not usually a fan of miso soup but I ate the entire bowl of this one! JaBistroll - salmon, snow crab, uni, cucumber and tobiko ($22). Like everything else here, it's pricier than your average roll but well worth it. It had a bit of a smoky flavour, saltiness from the tobiko, crunch from the cucumber...and deliciousness from the salmon, crab and uni. A real flavour punch!Aburi - 7 sushi pieces blowtorched ($27). This sampler of sushi came with a combination of nigiri - sea bream, amberjack, sweet shrimp and salmon belly and pressed sushi - tiger shrimp, mackerel and tamago. My favourite was the mackerel (next time I'd just get an order of this only).Like I said, the place is pricey...so save it for a special occasion! -I loved this place. Easily my new favourite Thai restaurant and I can see what all the rave reviews are about. We started with the spring rolls (best I've ever had), and then shared three main dishes: chicken pad Thai, pork pad gra prow and beef khao pad thamada. All of the dishes were so delicious that I was stuffed to the point I couldn't eat anymore (at which point I usually don't want to think about food for at least half a day), but this time I was craving more within the hour. The pad gra prow was definitely my favourite, the way the flavours all melded together was perfect. I had to try it mild because my friend doesn't do well with spicy good but I think it'd be even more delicious with a kick of spice in it. The other two dishes were good, but can't say they blew me out of the club water like this one.We also had a pitcher of sangria which was decent. -Extremely limited menu options that are all very highly priced for what they are. We had a caprese salad which consisted of three tomato slices and three pieces of cheese for $19. However if your looking for somewhere with a fantastic view over the lake and city this would be your place. -Why come here? The sushi. It's very good and the sushi/sashimi lunch specials are especially good for what you get. Disclosure - I go to Japan every year and my wife is Japanese. It's getting better but what still passes for sushi in Toronto makes me wonder why most are still in business. AYCE sushi is a Chinese owned restaurant buffet gone wrong. If you see Bulgogi or Kalbi on the menu, it's a Korean restaurant serving sushi. This is why I was so impressed and so was my wife when I heard the owner is actually Korean. No doubt this chef trained in Japan. Excellent fish and excellent sushi. Great job on getting it done right! -Everything about this restaurant was excellent. From the food (best steaks in Toronto!), the friendly & extremely professional staff, and the warm ambiance. Make sure to splurge on the Wagyu steaks (you won't be disappointed). -You come here for the experience, not so much for the food. It was my first time visiting the CN Tower and dining at the 360 Restaurant the best way to go about it. If you eat at here, you do not have to pay for admission to the CN Tower. I'm okay with an mediocre meal for a great view.We made reservations in advance and luckily got seated right next to the window! We came here for dinner and the view was amazing! The ambiance is great as well - very romantic. The waiter told us that if you are there for 72 minutes, the restaurant would have done a complete 360. This is such a breathtaking view, especially during sunset.We both got the $65 prix fixe (Heirloom Tomato Salad, Caesar Salad, Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon, Citrus Glazed Boneless Half Chicken, Dark Chocolate Tower, and the Mixed Berry Tart). Food was average for the price - it wasn't horrible, but wasn't amazing either. No complaints really except in my Heirloom Tomato salad I had a bad tomato that wasn't fresh. However, service here was great for us. Our waiter was very attentive.Definitely a must see if it's your first time in Toronto! But I don't think I'll do it again unless I was bringing someone that has never been here before - it's one of those once in a lifetime things you do. -Very cool place.I love the interior (Very dark, lots of candles, black/leather furniture). Amazing!I went last night (valentines day), and they gave out a free complimentary martini which was nice.The food is pretty good here! If I wanted to nit pick, I would say that the hamburgers could have used some lettuce or something (to give it some crunch), and the arancini (risotto balls) could have used a little more salt (bland).Otherwise food was great. I recommend the olives!The drinks were nice, some better than others. They have some interesting things that you couldn't find anywhere else, but in the end everything is quite average with a couple of twists here and there. The molecular drinks are fun as well (great presentation).So in the end, it's a great place to bring friends (birthday, a quick dinner/drink, etc).But come with a big wallet :) because the most expensive thing for what you get, is the food. So if your hungry, just be conscious about how much everything costs!Will be coming back for sure! -My favorite thing about this place would have to be the serving style... if that makes any sense. What I mean by that is every dish is fairly inexpensive and it's the perfect serving size for two people. This gives you the opportunity to order more and try many different dishes without having to pay a fortune or be overwhelmed by too much food. The food itself was good too. I recommend the takoyaki balls, not so much the black cod though. The place is very loud and noisy with the waiters constantly screaming in Japanese, which makes for a fun environment and a good place for a group of friends to get together and eat and drink. With that being said, I definitely wouldn't consider it a first date night type of place, unless you want to be able to not hear the other person talk ha -- Very nice place, extremely authentic decoration.(Tip, the inside is completely different from the patio so make sure you see both places before you choose where to be seated but both are veeery nice)- We ordered a gringa and some other tacos and they were the most authentic I have tasted in Toronto so far, they don't have carnitas in case you were wondering, only the classic pulled pork you will find everywhere.- The amount of food you get per plate is very small (I know it is supposed to be a tapas kind of bar but Tapas is Spanish NOT Mexican and you are still paying a huge amount of money for a small amount of good food.- The menu has a lot of different options and covers a lot of different regions of Mexico so that's cool.- The only downside is that it is very crowded so the service is really slow, people are willing to wait more than an hour standing outside in the line so keep that in mind. -I live in Orange County California, and must say I was overwhelmed with the take on mexican cuisine. People: When we first walked in around 10pm or so, we asked for a table for 2 outside, which was supposed to be a 30 minute wait. That 30 minutes was about 3 so can't complain other then coordination needs work. We had one server who introduced us and said she would be right back to take our order for drinks, we never saw her again. Instead we waited for about 5 minutes for someone else, who was then our new server. Last comment about staff was we ordered a second round of food, which was placed. However the server said kitchen was closed so we ordered desert. Having prepared to have desert, it was kind of a shock to have it come at us last minute.Place: The dining atmosphere, ambience at night a beautiful sight. Sitting outside was extremely enjoyable and awesome to have a fire pit close by. The lights provided a very dynamic and interesting feel that brought the place alive. Awesome music, that tied everything together. Must say outside was glorious.Food: Im no amateur to tapas style dining, and for two people the variety and quality was outstanding. Favorites included both ahi and foie tostadas, camorone ceviche, tacos al pastor and bajas. Also a fan of the beef short rib. For desert we enjoyed the sampling plate and would go back for the churros..Damn those were good.Margaritas: all I can say is the Mayan was my choice over the traditional. Had a few too many and after the desert, definitely left happy. The price point was quite steep but I honestly haven't had a better mexican dining experience other than hole in the wall mexican places and food trucks in LA. It was a pleasure dining, but for being only open a month I understand staff need work. Coordination with the hostess, getting served beverages when seated should be top priority of any diner. Would love to see a manager come by and check up, being open only for a short while. My first yelp review and wanted to share my thoughts, hope this helps. -Not a great evening out. Met friends after work for dinner and they suggested El Catrin. We sat on the patio which was questionable because it was too cold and very windy. The fire pit was burning and the heaters were trying to keep us warm but it wasn't working. We were cold but decided to stick it out. We had margaritas which were pretty good. We mentioned to the waitress we were heading to a show at 8, she said no problem that she would mention it to the chef. We started with the guacamole- delicious, I mean really good. The rest of the food arrived reasonably quickly. Because it's tapas, the first few dishes arrived. My wife asked for napkins and cutlery, I'm guessing the server must have mis-heard because she brought 2 cocktail napkins. Since our table had 4 people, my wife asked for more, the server than disappeared. Our next meal arrives via a different server, again we asked for cutlery and napkins, and the second server seemed surprised by the ask. He brought cutlery and napkins, by the time he returned the meal was starting to cool down. Now the first server returned with more cocktail napkins. The food was pretty tasty, but portion sizes were way too small for the price, IMO. And now the bill. We waited and waited, but our waitress was no where around. We finally asked another server to get our bill, she tracked down our waitress and she brought the bill and promptly disappeared again. She returned a few minutes later. Not great service. The patio is nice. (Trying to be positive)Overall, mediocre at best. I will not return. -Small portions and alil pricey but Delicious food and every dish had a flavourful palette. -Pros: Cheap food (everything on the menu is $5 and the portions are decent - between myself and my boyfriend we ordered perogies as a starter to share & a burger for mains each and we were full - he had the works burger & I had the pulled chicken sandwich - all yummy, I highly recommend the sandwich, next time instead of a starter though I think we'll share a salad with our mains) & really fun vibe (there was a live DJ when we went who was playing cheesy 90s tracks). Cons: Drinks are pretty expensive (that's how they make their money I guess), the music inside is blaring (like, uncomfortably so - you can barely hear people), they don't take debit - just cash or credit (like, not even Visa Debit!?) & the service isn't great (our server was obviously overloaded & she got snippy when 1 of our friends asked for his drink which he had ordered 20 mins beforehand & when she was collecting the plates, she spilled food onto my lap (not a big deal but there was no apology or acknowledgement even). I'll definitely go again, for the cheap food if nothing else, but I'll just wait for a spot on the patio where the music won't be so loud (& I'll make sure I have cash on me!). -This has to be my favourite Thai restaurant. The food is superb, the staff is welcoming and the decor gives a great warm home feeling. The curry here is the best I've ever had. The Tamarin curry is exquisite and a culinary perfection. Their fried squash appetizer is a great meal to share and is full of flavour. The food came out quick and the servers were very generous. I liked the unique posters and paintings scattered around the restaurant for the decor. I live an hour away from this restaurant and I still drive the distance because of the top notch quality of the food. -Was looking for a place for a group to eat at on a Saturday, and was so glad to stumble upon Pai! The location is really nice, very convenient if you're downtown. It is a very busy place, but they do have a room in the back with communal table, which is where we ended up. The service was really good, and the food was very flavourful. I got a curry with braised beef, which was very good. Will be back for sure! -OH MY GOD this bar is every Potterhead's dream! It's very small (only about 4-5 tables) so get here early or on an off-night. My friends and I came on a Sunday night so it was pretty much empty except for two couples. Our bartender was very friendly and talked us through the drinks menu.I was really sad that they didn't have any Better Beer that day (they were out of the secret ingredient). Instead we got a Befuddlement Draft to share, which was still pretty cool and delicious. I also wanted to try the Dementor's Kiss, a shot of ghost pepper infused tequila. I thought I knew what I was getting into - the bartender even made sure that I knew how spicy it would be before serving it - but wow I was NOT prepared for that. The shot was fine going down but then continued to burn my mouth, my throat, my stomach in the minutes after. Thankfully, my table had ordered a plate of baked brie and bread so I stuffed 3 slices of cheese bread down my throat to try to counteract the spiciness. Roughly 30 minutes later, I finally felt normal again but be warned! This shot is NOT for the lighthearted!The decor of the place was so cute. They have drawings and quotes written all over the walls and one of the shelves have the Harry Potter Funko Pop! dolls all lined up.Keep in mind though that this is not strictly a Harry Potter bar. It's just a normal bar with Harry Potter decorations and themed drinks. Don't expect to walk into the Leaky Cauldron or the Three Broomsticks - you can get that at Universal Studios' Harry Potter World. But for a place that's not officially associated with Harry Potter, this bar is awesome. I'd definitely come back again to try their other drinks! -No doubt this is a five stars restaurant for the food however, the 3 stars is for the attitude of the restaurant. They know right away that we are not local so they said either cash or Canadian debit card. When the bill came, they tag on 10% to the bill and charge us extra for the seafood ( because the crab n lobster weighted more than what the combo meal listed). The rude part was the server was staring at us when we were counting the money for the bill. Just be prepare for that if you are not from around there.Reservation is recommended. -I really enjoyed this place and actually ended up coming back around 3 times during Pan Am weekend. I really like the service here from the beautiful waitresses and cool bartenders. Drinks are a little pricey but that is to make up for the $4.95 food menu which isn't bad. I highly recommend the honey garlic and hot sauce wings. Not to mention that the music is great with 90's hip-hop which is what I grew up to! This place is good for drinks with friends. -Went here for my birthday and the service and food were fantastic. Food was great value for the price. It was family style and the platters were a hit for everyone. Table was great for 8 guests. Round table allowed everyone to socialize. Ambiance was great and large open concept. Drinks were unique but expensive and if you want to overindulge this wouldn't be the place. -Ive been going to duffs since i was a young gun. Its always delivered on amazing wings. Whether you are taking out for a wing feast at home or munching down with your buddies, it just cant be beat for atmosphere, wings and honey garlic sauce. So good -The food is delicious! The service is good and the atmosphere is inviting. I had the braised beef peanut curry and green papaya salad. I still think Thai Country Kitchen on Spadina has the best green papaya salad and sticky rice but they are in different categories. I can't wait to go back and try other things! -In my many years of living in Toronto I've probably been to over 50 restaurants. I would easily place this one in the top ten. The food is great. My family and I ordered the slaw to start and the cod, braised beef and lobster ravioli for entrees. The portion sizes are a bit small so be prepared for that. I liked the braised beef and cod the most. Service was incredible. Really loved the sangria which was made and served at the table. -Went here for dinner Thursday night at 5pm, party of 5. It's a great atmosphere, the waiters shout welcome whenever someone walks in the door, the service is impeccable and the menu is very unique. It's an excellent restaurant for groups because you are able to sample a larger number of dishes (the dishes are pretty small so you only get 1 or 2 pieces each, but if you order a lot of dishes, it provides a good variety). I recommend the baked brie and the octopus balls! The cocktails are also very good and reasonably priced. -Delicious breakfast and plenty of it! The first time my friend and I went, we had an amazing, friendly, chatty and funny server. Love everything about the Senator and can't wait to go back. -I'd hate to say it but I'm a little suspect of all of these five star reviews. I can't properly review this place because I was only here for a drink but here are my initial impressions. That said, I think this place needs to be taken down a notch. At the end of the day, it's tapas. VIBE Club impresario Charles Kabouth is behind this operation so it's going to be a scene here --starting with its clandestine location behind Weslodge (oh, surprise! we couldn't get in there). The interiors are gorgeous and obviously a lot of detail went into it. I'm a fan of the bar and the bar seats are quite comfortable! You'll definitely want to stay a while. The hostess was a bit of a snot. We were just coming into the bar and she didn't even greet us - she just kind of waved us over to the bar. Another thing: I've had friends trying to call to get a reservation before and he had quite a bit of trouble doing so. The bar staff were much more receptive. And surprise! Everyone working here looks like a model. WE DRANKSangria. It's expensive, yes but it's boozy and you need to take your time with it. It was very good Sangria. Kind of reminds me of what Nyood was doing a few years ago. Average cocktail prices here are $15. OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK Good sangria. I'm not sure about paying $30 for imported iberico ham (from what I've seen/heard). It's overpriced. That said, I'm curious to try to their tapas. But if you want to impress and be part of the scene, then this is a good place to do so. -Love this place, reservations make it easy to book unlike Khao San Road which is not saying anything about their delicious menu options.Came here with the bf and ordered a pad thai and khao soi curry. We practically licked the plates and bowls they came on. I've been craving for authentic thai and he's never had much outside of canadian thai so I was glad Pai delivered for both of us!I really want to go back to try their coconut curry! We had a beer and sake which was good and fairly priced. The service was a little absent, took us forever to get her to take our order, give us water (pad thai was nice and spicy) and give us our bill. So the 1 star is for that. Love the atmosphere but wish the tables weren't so squished together that i had to turn sideways to sit down. Will definitely be back! -This place had such great reviews, so at the very least, I expected the food to be enjoyable. Boy i was wrong. The four of us were so excited when we looked at the food and drink menu. Everything looked great! Once we started our meals, we all shared the same disappointed look. A unanimous ehh. None of us finished our food. The icing on the cake though, was that 2 of us actually got sick. I myself, threw up in their bathroom. While my friend did hers back at our hotel. Completely ruined our last night in Toronto. The ONLY reason i did not give this place one star was because my drink before my meal was delicious. I had the tom yum caesar. Spiciest drink i've ever had, hands down. I loved it though. So much flavor and spice. Seems like the drinks are great. So I recommend going their for drinks and appetizers. Stay away from the entrees. -Every time I visit Toronto I love taking in the views of Lake Ontario and Cityline from the harbour, from the island and looking down from the 54th floor of the TD tower. With Summerlicious and PanAm games crowds, walk-in bar seating was perfect. Bar bites were reasonably priced and bar staff (Jane) was attentive and extremely helpful with recommendations. Bread with white bean and beet spread was hardy and a nice change to see something other than oils or fats with bread. Duo of Tartare of beef & salmon was a perfect portion of meats and baby bannocks. If there's foie gras on a menu I have to order it. The S'mores foie gras was a balanced combination of savoury and sweet. This starter is a must have when coming here. To finish something light the apricot mousse from their Summerlicious menu. Stewed apricots with an airy mousse was smooth ending to my mini-tasting menu. With a glass of wine my bill with tip came close to $100. Highly recommend visiting Canoe if not for a full meal come for a drink or cocktail in the bar and enjoy the view. -For a three star place, I really enjoy coming here. They have a fantastic patio in the summer. It's usually full so come early! The drink menu is standard, but the have a decent beer variety also.The reason I'm writing a review now is because yesterday I ordered delivery for the first time. It was okay. The chicken parmigiana was slightly drier than usual, but still good. The panini: sad face. The panini had brown lettuce! Brown! I know usually lettuce doesn't hold up well to heat, but maybe send it separately. The chicken was cooked well. The bun: sad face number 2! It wasn't really an appropriate bun for a panini and it wasn't 'grilled' like usual panini's. Truthfully it felt like a microwaved bun with bad lettuce. I will probably never order from here again, but will continue to visit all summer! Great patio! -Khao San Road relocates to Charlotte St behind MEC, bigger place with two storeys and high ceiling. The new place has more natural light and can accommodate bigger groups with many long tables. There is a waiting area with benches that you don't have to wait outdoor anymore. Upstairs have additional space and it will be a take out / snack bar as per the staff. We came on Tuesday, one week after the grand opening, and there was no wait. The waitress service was quick, but the kitchen was slow. We waited for 15-20 minutes for the food arrived after placing orderWe ordered the signature Bangkok Street Style Pad Thai and Khao Soi with mild spicy. The food was authentic and delicious as before. I could taste the flavour of different spices. Since the restaurant is bigger and can fit more patrons, I hope the wait won't be as long as before and I will go back more often! -The food at Byblos is phenomenal and unforgettable. I have been twice now and both times I've been so very pleased with the experience. The setting is intimate, cozy and comfortable. You can carry on a conversation without raising your voice. The service is excellent: friendly, helpful and attentive. I highly recommend Byblos for a wonderful and unique dining experience. -excellent customer service. the owner is very friendly & was helpful. jerk chicken poutine is something to try. got the fried chicken but I didn't like the corn, and mash potato.. tasted sweet for some reason must try their house spicy sauce! & funnel cake was gooood I will be back on a weekend day to try brunch aka chicken and waffles -This place is really good on weekends because of the vibe and the awesome drinks. The foods good and the waiters are okay. It gets really busy especially on weekends where it turns into a social bar- literally- where you can't find a spot anywhere and the patio is open during the summer. Good vibes here! -I came here for dinner with my boyfriend and his relatives that were in town. I would say this place is average. The location is very convenient as it was near the Yonge and College subway station. When I entered into the restaurant the hostesses were very friendly and helpful. In general the service at this place was good, our server was very friendly and attentive (attentive meaning, the server was attentive to our needs and wasn't overbearing). The food on the other hand, I thought was average for a restaurant of similar caliber. We ordered two sociable size pastas and the charity bread as the appetizer. I didn't care much for the charity bread, it was too hard and a bit salty. As for the pasta, we ordered one chicken pesto, which I liked, the flavors were good. However, the other pasta that we ordered, which was a seafood marina sauce pasta, I thought the flavors were bland. I would say this is a good place for a nice casual dinner with friends. But the dinning room that evening was rather loud, so I did have a hard time listening to the conversation that was going on at our table. Overall it was a good experience. -This place has to be one of the most interesting restaurants that I have ever been to! The service and food is extremely unusual, but I love it! (of course, this is coming from a white person, maybe it's not as unusual as I think!?).Anyway, the menu is full of really random and interesting things to choose from. If you're in the mood for sushi, the selection is small and I'd recommend going somewhere else. As a vegetarian there were a few options to choose from (and I'm not complaining, I'm used to having a small selection), but all of these items were completely different and unusual. I ended up having the KINOKO CHEESE BIBIMBAP which was VERY tasty and did not disappoint! My only complaint is that the waiters did not tell me that the bowl they served it in was VERY hot (stupid me, I probably should have realized this) and I had to burn myself to find this out on my own. EDIT: I just recieved a message that the cheese bibimbap is NOT in fact vegetarian in the way they prepare the mushrooms. Unfortunately I won't be eating this again, but I would still recommend to anyone who does eat meat =]The atmosphere is VERY different from usual. When walking in we were greeted by the entire staff, and when walking out they all said goodbye! While I found this to be really cute and interesting, this can also get annoying when the whole staff is constantly yelling out greetings and food orders. My recommendation is not to come here if you have a headache!Overall, I am definitely going to come here again to try the rest of the vegetarian dishes! The place was very busy, so try and book a reservation if you can! (We had to sit at the bar which was uncomfortable, but we agreed to it since we were in a hurry). -Pearl Diver is a neighbourhood seafood eatery. The wooden booths and rustic decor gives the place an east coast vibe. The service is friendly. I have been to Pearl Diver several times and I have never been disappointed. The food is delicious. To start, we had the mandatory dozen oysters. You cannot go to an oyster bar and not have oysters. The oysters were fresh and succulent. For mains, we also had the steelhead trout and coconut mussels. The trout was served in a savoury ginger & kelp broth with soba noodles, shitake mushrooms, baby boy choy and a sesame honey glaze. It was not what I had expected, but it was a delicious and a pleasant surprise. The mussels was delicious. The broth was savoury. You will need to ask for bread to mop up the broth. For dessert, we had a pumpkin spice cheese cake and chocolate cake - great way to end a great meal.I would highly recommend Pearl Diver if you are in the area. -good food and reasonable price. I ordered panang curry with shrimp. It had a lot of shrimps that tasted yummy and the curry was great. I ordered the chicken lemon grass soup but not very impressed by that. wouldn't order it next time. And I really hope they could have STICKY RICE with curry. authentic thai curry should go with sticky rice! -first time caller...long time listener anyways...this restaurant came very very VERY highly recommended from a co-worker. as far as im concerned, when an Italian tells you something is good, don't question it. he really had me at when he explained to me they make their own mozz... i wanted to come here on a very special occasion, so i decided to go for my first anniversary with my girlfriend. finding this place was a bit ackward, on google maps it has it listed on the intersection of yonge and gerrard, it is infact just a bit north west of the intersection.we did not book a reservation(my line of thinking was, its the Thursday before Easter...no ones going to show up...WRONG!) the wait was very minimal, 15 minutes at the most. very very intimate setting, dim lighting and very romantic setting(candle light). we were greeted by our server named Jeff, Extremely friendly and amazing with his professionalism/manners. asked us if it was our first time within the establishment, and all sorts of other formalities. he also explained that they make the cheese everyday as a niche of the restaurant (and he wrote the name of the guy making the cheese...the name escapes me, as well side note my back was to the cheese making so i missed the whole thing) we wanted to celebrate and get a drink to celebrate the occasion. i was very impressed with Jeff's honesty, Jeff had explained that he needed to get back to me with what brand whiskey they had, due to a vendor change they had earlier in the week. drinks were ordered and we were looking at the menus. i couldn't help but notice all of the nice accents to this restaurant, the old school light bulbs, the exposed ceiling, and the jars of sauce/peppers designed and placed so properly balanced throughout the place. jeff returned with our drinks and we ordered the food, obviously i went with the fresh mozz...being a cheese lover that i am, it would have been pretty foolish to pass it up. when the app's came, i was blown away by the sizing, it was a decent size, but by the time i came to finishing the app, i was feeling satisfied. the mozzarella is amazing and should never be passed up.(i am also aware that they only offer it during 5-11pm) no sooner our apps were done, and jeff was back with our mains. i was slightly disappointed in the sizing, being a big guy i always worry about a main being enough food, however by the time i had finished the main, i was done for the night. my significant other had an issue with her main salad, which we had brought up to jeff, when we brought it up, jeffs manager deducted that main down from full price, which was a very nice gesture, considering the main was perfect, it was the side garnish that was not. we contemplated dessert but were too full to partake. a side note to my story as well: i was approached 3 times, by three different workers (managers i assume) asking if the service was up to a good standard, and if i was ok. this is how good business is done. im very proud to say, jeff worked his butt off for us on this amazing evening, actually took the time to know us, and congratulated us on our very happy year, with more years to come. i have no problem saying i gave jeff the biggest tip i've ever given to any server. just perfect from start to finish. pros: very romantic, fresh cheese, good portions, excellent qualitycons: wait time, a bit loud, all cheese sucks if not fresh :)this is the best sit down dinner i've ever had the privilege of eating at. -I went here for a late dinner. The restaurant has a nice patio, which was really busy and usually there's a wait to get seated outside. The place was happening after 8 pm, and got livelier as it got later.I was pleasantly surprised by the food. I had a merscatto wine, which was sweet but I really liked it. I do tend to like the sweeter wines, so if you like something sweeter this is a good choice. They have a good selection of cocktails and different drinks. We ordered the calamari and the fish tacos. The calamari was nicely battered and flavourful. The calamari batter was crispy, crunchy and cooked just right. I also enjoyed the fish tacos. The pineapple and jicama slaw with cheddar and chipotle sauce nicely complemented the deep fried basa. I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere and I'd be back. -SUPER DISAPPOINTED IN MAY - THIS PLACE WAS A CROWDED MESS!I was in Toronto with hubby for our anniversary and we wanted to go big for our special weekend so we decided - on the spur of the moment - to try Lee. We like watching Top Chef and we're super foodies - so we thought why not!WHAT A MISTAKE! We got there at 6:30pm on a Saturday and the host looked like someone had threatened him with a sawed off shot gun! We realized it's probably a busy place but it seemed even worse than that. We knew we had no chance of getting a table so we hit the bar for some cocktails and appetizers. The place only got more zoo crazy after that - it was like watching a horror film.LOADS of people crammed in trying to get a table - the host often all together DISAPPEARING! (This was funny to watch from the bar in a sick way) From chic to geek tons of people tried to jam in there. I was glad we had a little bar table and thinking this was a genius move! We had beer and champagne by the glass cause the cocktails were just outright ridiculously priced. The decor was unique and cool- very east meets west. And to my surprise Susur Lee was there darting in and out of the kitchen, greeting tables, and SEEMINGLY terrorizing the staff! We watched as staff would go out of their way to not get near him - go around the whole dining room almost in a way just to avoid him. He smiled when meeting guests and taking pictures but at all other times seemed pissed. I thought it might be cool to try and get a photo with him before we left BUT then we had some of the appetizers and I decided IT WAS A WASTE OF ANYMORE TIME - CAUSE THE FOOD WAS AWFUL!We tried SUSUR'S FAVORITES PEDESTAL which consisted of:EDAMAME = Always tasty YET I could make this at home WHIPPED CHICKPEA DIP = Flavorful but could have easily been surpased by a gourmet store dip SALMON CEVICHE = only OK - not memorable or unique PEKING DUCK ROLLS = only good thing on the plate (probably cause it's fried?!) HUNAN CHICKEN WINGS = a total joke CHEESEBURGER SPRING ROLLS = HORRIBLE! Tasted strange and as if one too many herbs were in the mix.After having a Cheeseburger Springroll I didn't want to order anything else ( even though I had already asked for a Singapore Slaw) I was officially turned off.I had just had enough of the whole experience. I was turned off that the great Susur Lee seems to be pandering to the masses. THIS WAS NO MORIMOTO'S! Maybe it was an extremely busy night but the place just seemed chaotic. Like the computers were down BUT THEY WEREN'T!I'm glad we didn't get a table - I'm glad I didn't spend lavishly on a whole meal there cause the dessert from my hotels room service was amazing that night compared to everything at LEE RESTAURANT! -Loved it!!!AMBIENCEI really like I was like n Thailand. The place is underground and it was a cool place. It had ample seating and a sizeable bar for a nice hangout if you were going for drinks. My guests and I sat at the tall tables, group of six. There's is cell phone charging station, very safe and useful I left my phone charging over dinner. A nice place to hangout with friends or a date night.SERVICEI like the staff, there was cool and took care of us. We also had a canteen of water and our food always was served hot and fresh. It was just the way I like it.FOODSo gooood!!! Starter - grabong = squash fritters; paired with a tangy sauce. Not oily and nice and crispy.Plah Nua - beef salad. Roasted rice with some lime sauce. So good!!!Som Tom Tad - papaya salad. Perfect citrus levels.Entree - gaeng kiaw wan in a coconut. Green curry was served a coconut, it was so good. Creamy, savoury and perfect balance. I ate all of the way down to the coconut meat. So my favourite.Dessert - mango sticky rice. It was good not something that really stuck out. I don't think I would eat. Just not my preference.I am looking forward to returning again, soon! -This review is for dinner and I speculate that brunch is a different (and hopefully better) experience altogether.We visited Cluny Bistro on a Thursday night. It is quite a sizeable restaurant in the Distillery District and the decor and design of the restaurant is romantic and lovely, somewhat reminiscent of a bistro in Paris. The atmosphere is what potentially will draw me back to try brunch on the patio in the summer. However, the food unfortunately did not live up to the beauty of the restaurant itself.I would also like to note that despite the lovely display of various breads in the center of the restaurant, the bread served to our table was not as crunchy and soft as we expected. On the bread spectrum, it was more on the hard crust and dense interior side of breads, unlike what we would expect from a Paris bistro.We started with the salt cod donuts for an appetizer. It was served in the cutest little iron skillet with a side of smoked potato dipping sauce. The donuts had a thin crispy shell and a creamy inside similar to mashed potato. Despite being cod donuts, I could not really taste the cod, however they were pretty tasty overall with the creamy smoked potato dipping sauce. For main dishes, we had the hunter's stew with rabbit, pheasant sausage, and beef cheek and the veal meatball tomahawk, which was tomato braised and served with a side of gnocchi. The hunter's stew was served in a small bowl, with a side of mustard sauce and a flaky pastry bread. Although the meats were tender, the flavour was lacking depth and it was a forgettable dish except for the fact that it was quite small. The veal tomahawk was also tender, slightly better in flavour, and larger in portion. I enjoyed the side of gnocchi (garnished with parmesan and basil, to the best of my knowledge) better than the veal tomahawk itself. For dessert, we had the most disappointing praline profiteroles. Three profiteroles were beautifully plated, accompanied by chocolate chantilly, caramel crunch, hazelnut, and strawberry coulis. Unfortunately, the pastry itself was very hard and dense to the point that I had difficulty splitting the profiterole for a more manageable bite. The profiteroles were not very sweet but the delicate flavours were overpowered by the exceedingly sour strawberry coulis. The only part I enjoyed of dessert was the hazelnut and caramel crunch but I would not recommend this dessert.Honestly, I wish I could love this place based on concept and atmosphere alone, but the quality and taste of the dishes at Cluny did not reflect the price point.Overall rating: 2.5 stars -This place is beautiful and very sophisticated. The patio is gorgeous as it looks over liberty and is very airy. The food is good, but nothing to rave about. The pizzas are fresh, which is nice, the Cobb salad is kind of just a salad (with no blue cheese :[). Overall, food is good, but it kind of feels your average run of the mill chain restaurant. Come here to drink after work for the views if anything. -we called on our way into the city and made a reservation about an hour in advance. when we arrived the decor was fun but a bit busy, our table was ready and the hostess cheerfully showed us the way. we waited a bit to get our drink orders in and they took a few minutes to arrive but the bar was busy and the bartenders didnt stop moving. the drinks were a bit complicated but very tastey, i had the mojito brasilia (looked swampy with the heavy mint, execellent flavour tho) and the mayahuel (strong but well balanced), my girlfriend had the blackberry frutas frescas magarita (tasted the tequila and the berries) and pepino diablo (spicey and flavourful excellent recommendation from the server). we ate the 9 course tasting menu and loved every tiny course that arrived. the corn dish was phenominal, fish tacos were simple but fantastic and the ceviche was a favourite. the portions were a bit small but fit with the tapas experience, we were full by the end of our delicious churros (although i could've eaten a million more of them!). our server katlyn j was knowledgable and made excellent suggestions for food and drinks. we are looking forward to returning and trying out the patio. -I dig Bellwoods! They brew a number of different styles right in their location on Ossington, all quite tasty. I particularly enjoyed their Saison. The food is good, nothing too special, this is a spot to come for beers and if you're hungry the food is good. But it's not a good only destination in my mind. The patio is GREAT. Definitely a great spot for a summer drink, come early as seating is limited. -My fiance and I stayed in a crash pad a couple of nights in May and were very pleased. Its small (as the name implies) but with lots of character. The staff were friendly and accommodating, and we enjoyed getting breakfast and meeting up for drinks with friends at the cafe. Its definitely not the cheapest place to stay in town, but I'd have to say it was worth it for a special occasion. -Khoa San Road is probably the best Thai food that I have ever had in Toronto.I came by at about 7pm on a Monday night with my friend. The weather was lovely outside, so it was pretty busy. We waited about 20 minutes for a table for 2, which I was told, was not bad at all. The hostess almost forgot that we were there before another table that was waiting to be seated, so while she almost seated them before us, we proceeded to grill her with our eyes and she got the message. She seemed a bit frazzled, but I don't blame her for having such a long line-up out the door. Just be a little more organized next time (this was my only problem with the place, was the hostess' lack of organization at the front, but other than that, my experience was amazing!). We were seated at one of the communal tables, which didn't bother me much, but the spaces are quite tight in between, so get acquainted with your neighbor!We were greeted by a very friendly waitress and we decided to order the garlic tofu to start, then the gaeng massaman and chef's special pad thai to share. Some of my highlights:-Garlic tofu: super yummy and came with a great dipping sauce on the side. The tofu was medium firm and seasoned quite well. The panko bread crumbs added a great touch to them-Gaeng Massaman: I'm not a huge curry fan (especially when there's coconut milk), but this curry was awesome. Super thick and rich with slight hints of tanginess. I'm a huge carb-lover so the potatoes were also a great touch-Chef's Special Pad Thai: I love pad thai, but I love this chef special even more! You definitely taste the sweet, sour, and savory flavors all at once. There's also tiny tofu bits in there which add some more texture. Everything was super flavorful and presented well. I was very happy with the service here. Everything was delivered to our table quickly and the waitress made sure to come by and check up on us and see if we were enjoying the food. Very friendly staff, very good crowd, just a great time overall. -Great food (tasting menu) and great service (Greg and Seth) combined for a special meal. Started with the famous slaw salad which was fresh and delicious and made our way through 8 other dishes. In addition to the slaw, our favorites included the cod, lamb, top chef masters chicken, and short ribs. A couple of the dishes came out a bit too fast and the timing of the wine pairing was off a bit. Tables are too close together but it gave us a closer look at what our neighbors were enjoying... -Best restaurant in terms of everything. I always have such a great experience. The staff are extremely friendly and positive and make you feel very welcomed. The restaurant itself is stunning with a huge plant wall/waterfall at the back. The sound of the falling water is so serene. The food is always cooked to perfection (I recommend their buffalo mozzarella, steak as well as their gnocchi). What I enjoy about this restaurant the most is how creative they are with their menu. Their flavours are always unique and exceptional and you can tell they have fun preparing their menus which transfers to customers that order from it. Just great positive vibes and always a wonderful experience when I go there. Recommend everybody to try this restaurant at least once! -Honestly, I've had this place bookmarked ever since it opened so I was pretty excited to finally try it today.After reading fellow Yelper reviews, I just about expected everything. So yes, I can testify to the comments about how the store is run by a friendly and cute little Asian couple. The lady on the till was very nice and personally came to our table (in the food court) to ask how we were enjoying the food. So overall service was pretty great.However, I found the food to be a bit disappointing. Having maintained such a high rating after so many months of running, I was anticipating a dish that would wow me. Despite the photos that would argue otherwise, I had hoped that the taste of the curry would trump it's presentation. My verdict: ehhhh.. I would give the food a 3.5/5. I had the chicken karaage curry ($9.61 tax included) and it was just alright. The chicken was moderately tender, not the melt in your mouth type, and the curry was a bit on the sweeter end. I've definitely had better karaage and the overall dish wasn't as hot as I had hoped it to be. Why I rounded down to a 3 star, however, is because of the rice. My greatest complaint would be that the rice was too soggy and had clumped together instead of standing alone as individual grains. I also would have appreciated more coleslaw as I felt the meal was lacking in vegetables.The other reason why I rounded down is because I am now insanely thirsty. I haven't been able to stop drinking water since this meal and now my lips have this mild burning sensation. Owing to the deep fried nature of the karaage along with the MSG in the curry, I probably should've seen this coming. Regardless, this is definitely not a pleasant feeling. -After spending a long day travelling we arrived in Toronto with the intent to eat near St. Lawrence market but due to Buskers Festival, there was no parking. Frustrated we finally found parking down at the docks and discovered Against the Grain totally by accident.It was a Friday night and really busy on the patio. We were tired and hungry and were about to turn away when the manager, Teresa Wilson, immediately took charge and managed to seat us quickly. We enjoyed one of the best tables on the patio, great food and the best service we have experienced in awhile. Our special thanks to Teresa and the great staff that night for the memorable experience. And we were delighted to finally find a beautiful setting on the Toronto waterfront to eat. Will definitely return. -Very tasty, Good pad thai and northern style food. I have to say I was little disappointed after reading such great reviews. It's worth a visit but I wasn't blown away.Also goo prices with the portions you get. -I want to like this place a lot but I find it quite hard too as every time I've gone here I've been disappointed. Severely.This basement bar is full of beer. Lots of it, which is why I want to like it. There are different pints from different places with a nice mixed crowd to boot. The decor is average. Small reddish wood tables and chairs, a nice big bar, dull lighting, a few pool tables at the back, and a lot more carpet than you would expect.The food here is food. Let's just say it tastes just how it looks. Sometimes under seasoned and other time way over seasoned. It's nothing fancy so I don't get how it is just so sub par but it is a bar known for beers after all. Shame they couldn't serve up some nice food to go along with the great beer selection. Service here is blindingly slow. We're talking turtle speed. No wait. A turtle with arthritis and missing one of its legs speed. The beer and food barely crawl into your hands. On top of that the service is just non existent. Wait staff don't care nor can they bother to. They are doing their job and I think they hate it. It makes me angry that I don't love this place. I mean, there is a huge beer selection. It is very hard for me to not like a place with great beers to choose from. C'est What? managed to do it though. Sad, really.Overall, this place is super cheap for drinks and food. The price of food reflects the quality but the same cannot be said for the beers. Come to drink the night away on a small budget but you might want to stop off somewhere else for food. Service is dismal so seat yourself at the bar so you can at least see that someone is pouring your beer.C'est What?C'est fail, that's what. -it's not bad but you could probably find a better AYCE in toronto.the service is alright... we had to wait for a good15 to 20 usually for our second orders... it kinda sucks when i left my earphones there.. i called them and they said they have it.. when i got there they said that they dont have it anymore.. Boooo!!!! they're sushi is average nothing really special.... -This place is garbage. I get it, you're a big place but that's no excuse for poor service and food. Feels like a tourist trap. Guacamole is decent, drinks are ok,the rest is a mess. If you are in the distillery, do yourself a favour and spend your money elsewhere. -I decided to try this place based on other reviews. I found the food very average to poor. We had the BBQ ribs and beef brisket. The ribs were over cooked and dry. The beef brisket had very little flavor. They advertise their smoking but both the ribs and beef brisket had no smoke flavor to them. The only flavor was in the sauce. I will not be going back based on the high price for very mediocre BBQ. -The wait time was long but definitely worth the wait! It's a super busy place and very small, but very cozy and nicely decorated! Nice for a small group of 2-3 people. My friends and I had the Chicken Sandwich and The Max and both were very flavorful and filling! The portion size was just perfect and the staff was also very accommodating and friendly. I would like to go back and try some of the other dishes. -Its hard to find good brunch places in Toronto and i havent been impressed with my search until now. 'Insomnia' - my search is over!! You guys rock. The food is really amazing, ambience & decor is classy and contemporary, coffee is really delicious, mimosas are such a nice addition too. All in all, one of our favs in Toronto! \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/paragraph-test.tripadvisor.txt b/reference_files/paragraph-test.tripadvisor.txt deleted file mode 100644 index e3f3d2e31463cbe9f08571472b62205d2b72ebad..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/paragraph-test.tripadvisor.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,397 +0,0 @@ -My husband and I stayed at the Cow Hollow Motor Inn for 9 days. We liked the place because it is a great value - very clean, free parking (unusual in the city), free internet (also unusual), excellent housekeeping, great food choices within steps of the hotel. The hotel staff was great - my husband was on crutches and we were given everything we asked for - extra blankets and pillows, HP parking next to the elevator, and an HP accessible bathroom. The corridors are inside, there are two elevators, and ice machines. The room was well appointed with television. coffee maker, hairdryer, soap and shampoo, and the bathroom was modern and clean. The bedding and towels were new and clean, the rugs are brand new, the pillows were great and everything about the room smelled good. Nice, good quality furniture too. We like fresh air and appreciated that the window opened. The only shortcomings, and these were minor, were that the mattress wasn't plush and our room was near the elevator, the stairs and the ice machine, so it was noisy. We are coming back to San Francisco for 10 more days in May and will definitely stay here. -My 3-day stay at the Andrews Hotel was a pleasant one overall; I was satisfied with the clean, comfortable room (a "cozy double") and generally good service. I booked the room directly with the hotel, getting them to match the rate of $79 for weeknights, $99 for weekends, that was quoted by several web booking sites. Note that if you use the hotel's own web site or call the hotel to ask about rates, you're likely to be quoted something higher, so you need to do price-checking on your own and ask them to match the best rate.My room was quite small, as expected, but everything worked well and was clean. The only thing that bothered me a bit was the stained cushions on both the armchair and desk chair. The tiny TV got somewhat inadequate reception of the limited channels available. The room faced east, along the side of the building, so was quieter than front-facing rooms, but there are still bound to be city noises like sirens at times, so it's best to have earplugs on hand. I appreciated the ceiling fan and the two windows in the room, which provided excellent ventilation. The room size was perfectly fine for me, but I think a couple would feel quite cramped in a cozy double room.The Andrews is a small hotel, so there's only one person at a time staffing the front desk. Be prepared to wait if they're already helping someone else. I found almost all the staff to be helpful and professional (esp. Oscar), but the nameless guy on duty when I checked out seemed indifferent to the point of rudeness (he had a friend waiting outside, so seemed to resent having to work). I had to point out to him an error in my bill, and he grudgingly corrected it. It left a somewhat negative impression on what had been a very pleasant stay.Things I especially liked about the Andrews: free breakfast served outside my door each morning; plentiful, high quality, convenient. Things I didn't like: cost of local phone calls; cost of high-speed Internet access. -My daughter and I stayed at the Handlery Union Square on a week-end in May. Our room was giant! Two beds, a desk and chair, a large sofa with a table and a cushioned bench with shelf space underneath were all in our room. We also had a walk-in closet big enough to change in as well as a large bathroom. The location was excellent, close to the cable car stop, art galleries, shops and Union Square. The staff was friendly and courteous and even let us check in two hours early. The hotel itself was charming and clean. All this for only $99 on a special rate from TravelZoo. -As per other reviews, the Americania is a pretty decent hotel. Our room was clean, well appointed, if a little snug and comfortable. The bathroom wasn't brand new, but was just fine. Service was very good overall. We had to wait a bit too long for our room, but the staff did everything they could to get it ready for us as quickly as possible. As everyone else has noted, no A/C! This was pretty awful, as the rooms get quite warm, especially the smaller ones. If you left the fan on all day, it helped cool things down a bit.Our room was the very last one in the hotel (450) so we were on the main road side, which was quite noisy at night. Lots of sirens and road cleaners going past at all hours. Also, the free wireless didn't reach that end of the hotel, so if that's an essential feature, ask for something more in range of the front desk, maybe. Custom Burger was very expensive, and not at all worth the price in my opinion. The shakes are fantastic though! Right across the road at the Good Hotel, is a pizza place on the bottom floor. Good pizza, good prices and friendly staff, esp Ashanti. Eat here over CB anytime. The location isn't great, but we walked toward the "bad" part of town in daylight hours and had no problems. It's roughly a 90min walk to Pier 39, allowing for photo and coffee stops along the way. However, it's all flat, so it was an easy walk. I would stay here again, but definitely request a different room. -We enjoyed our three night stay at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. The room was very small but clean and unique. We spent most of our time sight seeing so it was not a problem. -We enjoyed 4 days staying at the Chancellor. Staff were extremely helpful and polite. Location was fantastic, so easy to go anywhere. Union Square was nearby, plus shops and many many restaurants. The cable car passed in front of the hotel.The rooms were very comfortable, not huge but still very nice. We did not eat breakfast at the hotel (optional in our booking) as most days we were heading out somewhere different. Great bonus of free tea and coffee in the foyer plus oat biscuits. There is a bar in the foyer and big screen TV.Very close to Chinatown, and the BART station is at the bottom of the street. I actually left a small jewellry conainer in my room and hosuekeeping found it. When I contatcted them they were very good in Fed Exing to our next USA address at our cost.I would highly recommend staying here. -The hotel was absolutley horrible. We booked through Hotels.com at one hotel and was told this hotel was comparable at $165.00 a night. We were told it was a family suite with two bedrooms. A suite is a room with a living room and small kitchen area. What we got was two rooms, connected by a common hallway. The rooms had trash in them, urine on the toilet seats. Used toilet paper, blood stains on the curtains, and stains on the carpets. The bathrooms were delapitated and showers were dirty and had used dirty bath mats. The furniture in both rooms looked like it was picked up at a junkyard. It was the most disgusting room I ever stayed in. The room was so bad I went to another hotel. I was very dissappointed. I told the Manager what I was paying and the going rate was actually about 70-80 a night. Definitely not a place to go. -Well my trip was on memorial weekend, and yes i did expect it to be a little noisy.the room next to me was so loud. i called the front desk so many times and yet they really didnt do anything. the check in staff was very rude, and when i would go down to ask them a question they looked at me with distain. Holy moly this isnt the some super high end hotel. give me a break.ok so the ups. comfy bed, decent resurant if you can get in. -I booked the Serrano as part of a trip as a present to my Mother for her 65th birthday.She was a bit nervous at first as this was her first visit to the USA, but within minutes of arriving she felt right at home.All the staff we came across were friendly and welcoming, and the service we received from the doormen, check-in staff and restaurant staff was excellent from start to finish.We stayed in on of the 'Luxury Suites' on the 14th floor. The rooms were big and clean with a 32" flat screen in the bedroom and living room. The 'Honor Bar' was well stocked and the bathroom was a tidy size. The nighty wine reception in the lobby from 5 to 6 was also a great bonus. Don't let the comments about the location worry you, it's only a couple of minutes walk to Union Square and we never felt threatened around the hotel once.I would have no problem recommending this hotel to anyone and would definetally stay here again if I was lucky enough to visit San Francisco again.Thanks once again to Mr Flores and his staff for a great stay. -Very comfortable corner room. It felt like home for our 5 day stay. The location near Union Square was great for us and it had resonably priced overnight parking. Lots of natural light and a comfortable king bed. The things we didn't like; the TV in a box. The sound from the back of the TV was trapped in the box and sounded terrible. And breakfast at the hotel restaurant, it was terrible and overpriced. There's a great family diner across the street for breakfast. The staff was really nice and we enjoyed the tea/lemonaide in the lobby. We would stay here again. -A small hotel in a great central location. The staff are very personable and helpful. Continental breakfast is a bonus and the free wine & cheese sessions each evening provide a great opportunity for exchanges with other guests. The room was very comfortable - no view, but then we did not expect one as we were out and about - not sitting in the room. Our stay was only a short one of 3 nights, but we have no hesitation in recommending this great little hotel - and of course we booked the Inn on Union Square based on other reviews in Trip Advisor. -Super service from entry court on up. Room gorgeous with view to the West, almost could see China in the distance. Needed "early arrival" room which exec gal arranged. Weneeded rack of lamb for dinner, concierge found just the right restaurant for our needs.A perfectly splendid trip. Hope to be back soonest... -Had a lovely time at the Sir Francis Drale. It was in the heart of the city, near to shops, malls, Chinatown, trollies, public transportation and food. The service was friendly and I enjoyed the atmosphere. -The reviews are right, the location of this hotel could not be any better. You are surrounded by everything you need. It is located 1 street over from the cable car line and BART station. The is a mall one street over and the hotel is surrounded by numerous stores of all varieties, all within walking distance, if you enjoy shopping. For dining there are 2 restaurants located on the 2nd floor of the hotel or there is a Burger King and a Carl's Jr directly across the street if you prefer fast food. The hotel offers a nice 24 hour fitness center on the 5th floor. The staff is very friendly. They normally charge additional for 2 queen beds instead of 1 king but upon request at check in we were given the 2 beds at no additional charge. We did rent a car so did take advantage of the valet service. It is $44 + 14% tax a day. I believe that is an excessively high price but you have all day in and out privileges and it never took longer than a couple of minutes for them to bring our car up and they were always very friendly and courteous.The rooms are decorated nicely and the beds were really comfortable with lots of comfy pillows. Do be prepared that you are in a city and will hear city noises! There is a fire station located within a few blocks of the hotel so you will hear sirens in the night or very early morning. Ear plugs are provided with their toiletries. There also is an extremely large homeless population in San Francisco and the hotel is surrounded by them so do be prepared to be begged for change. These are things to expect at any hotel in San Francisco however are not vacation spoilers.I would definitely stay at this hotel again! For the great service and very reasonable rates I would highly recommend this hotel. -The actual hotel itself is OK, the issue we had was the location. This section of Market Street is full of homeless people and they are quite intimidating at times. we arrived at midnight and were advised by the hotel staff to order food in rather than go out and get it as we had planned to - thi was quite a shock to us as having just come from New York we thought we were hardened travellers who could face any streets! The next day we realised that actually, the hotel staff were so very right - I was woken up at 6.30 by someone threatening to kill someone else, and along the 1/4 of a mile or so walk to the nearest phone box the only people we saw were homeless. Hmm, nice... If you're a brave soul who isn't bothered by tramps etc then go for it,the hotel is nice enough and all the staff we dealt with were helpful. The decor in the rooms is a bit old fashioned but the main problem is the terrible location. Union Square wasn't up to much either, don't be fooled by the books as I was! -Everything about this place was excellent. For the very low price you pay you get a large room, great facilities, free breakfast, the most helpful staff i've ever encountered. I cannot recommend this place enough, it may not look anything from the outside but it certainly makes up for it when you step inside. -I have very mixed feeling about Petite Auberge (stayed 6 nights). There is much to love and a few things that just should not be at this kind of property. First the positives: great staff - very helpful front desk, service at the wine reception and breakfast was great and our housekeeper was absolutely delightful. The afternoon wine and nibblies were great and breakfast was the best we had during our 3 weeks in Northern California. The neutrals: we had one of the smaller rooms (cosy queen) and it was adaquate but nothing special (rather basic). For such a great location, the value was good by having the smaller room. Now the negatives: the biggest is the internet service. Petite Auberge is the only property that charged for internet service ($7.99/night) on our 3 weeks in Northern California. This was not disclosed (that I saw) on the Web site. At a property of this stature, I feel that this is a bit cheesy. The second issue is that many rooms face the back alley. Because nights in SF, even in the summer are quite cool, having the windows open is a delight. [BTW - I did not see A/C availability in the room but it might have been - open windows were great]. In the back alley, every morning around 5 a.m. is the garbage pickup. For about 10 min. there is quite a racket that you will not sleep through. So if you have a back alley room and do not have the windows closed and the heat on, I would inquire about the A/C and if available use it. -I stayed there mid-July and was very pleased with everything. Yes, the parking can be expensive, but worth it. They had the car there within 5 minutes the few times we needed it. Yet, it is only a few blocks from the BART station, and close to bus lines (which I highly recommend). It was a nice walk down to the Ferry Building for a casual dinner and an easy walk to MOMA. The room was very clean, with a nice view of the hills. Our maid was so accomodating and provided extra toiletries without asking. Food is so-so in the restaurants, but convienent. My 20 year old son met me in SF, so I appreciated the coin laundry....! The concierge and the front desk were very friendly and helpful. I definitely appreciated the fact that I made a reservation at a chain I had used before and it didn't let me down. If you want a clean, reliable hotel with a decent location, this is the one for you. -Five of us stayed for four nights and the hotel were great sorting out the accommodation, they put us in two adjoining rooms which was perfect. We were in the older part of the hotel and on the 6th floor which was fine. Catherine the receptionist was a great help when we were trying to check in online to return. Fantastic location for Westfield Shopping and Union Square.We hired a car and drove to the Gilroy outlet center which was about 80 mins away, great bargains, the following day we went to Sausalito which was fabulous. Spent the rest of the time enjoying San Francisco, Alcatraz, Fishermans Wharf etc. Drove down Lombard Street which was fun. Walked a lot as well, easy city to get around by foot or car. Willl definitely go back and would stay at Handlery. -I stayed at the Cartwright for 3 nights in late November. The hotel is centrally located and was great for shopping at Westfield, Macys and all that Union Square has to offer. I liked the free internet and 24/7 coffee. The room (as expected) was small. The bathroom had louvre windows which seemed to allow the street noise into the room. I expected the area to be noisy however the room was loud. One thing that I was aware of before I stayed at the hotel is that they use real keys. I didn't expect it to be a problem however in hindsight it would be a major factor in me considering another hotel on my next visit. If you are not careful you can inadvertently leave your room open (you have to lock the door with the key when leaving). I was also constantly worried about losing the key when out of the hotel. You are able to leave the key at reception, however they were often busy which meant waiting for the key everytime I returned to the hotel. I much prefer the card system and feel that a hotel of this standard should update. It is also possible to be locked in your room. Be careful not to lock your partner in the room. If you leave individually do not lock the door with the key - it is not possible to open the door from the inside when it is locked from the outside. All in all, the stay was ok, however I would probably experiment with another nearby hotel on my next visit. -Stayed in the JW Marriott on the last night of our holiday as a treat! We did the rest of the trip (which included Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco the previous weekend, Yosemite and Santa Cruz) on a budget and decided to blow the budget on the last night as we had to catch two flights home the following day which was to take about 20hours in total. This hotel is lovely. It was worth every one of the $249 we paid for it. We arrived at 1pm to check in which was 3 hours earlier than the normal check in time but this wasn't even mentioned to us as we checked in. The room we had booked was not available when checking in so we were given a better room which was fine with us. (I imagined the room would be slightly bigger with maybe a couch or something!) Well when we opened the door to the room we got a shock. We were given a suite which was huge! The bed could have slept 6 people it was so big (it was super comfortable)! Seperate dressing room, huge bath room and tons of space. This was the icing on the cake to a fabulous holiday. The staff in the hotel were lovely. Friendly but not in your face all the time. We used the valet parking at the hotel and found it fantastic. It was a bit of a novelty using the valet parking as its not common where we come from! the hotel was just one black from Union square which was great. We did not eat in the resturant but it looked nice. We had some drinks at the bar when was very plesant. Overall I would have no hesitation in reccommending the JW Marriott in San Francisco and would stay in it again. -You know, when you get what you pay for, this is it!. My husband and I normally dont stay at a more modern hotel, but we were so glad we did. Every gadget you can imagine to make our stay perfecto was a fingertip away. Want the blinds down to make your room pitch black in the middle of the day, just push a button on the side of your bed! Want your butler to run an errand, iron your clothes, or in my case just to come to my room so I can ask his what other people have him do?? (I am not used to butlers).Wow! This place is way cool. Loved every second of it. Bathroom: cool, Bed: comfy, great pillow. Best of all: all the comforts at your fingertips..........literally. How fun!!! Go treat yourself next time you are in San Fran. -We also were skeptical after reading some of the reviews for this hotel, especially since it was a new addition to the RCI Point system. We had a week long reservation for a queen room (all that was available at the time) and needed one night before our week started. Having looked at the photos on the website we noticed that the beds seemed really "square (in our experience that means hard) and the pillows very flat in the standard rooms so we upgraded for our single night stay. Our king bed was the most comfortable we have slept on, the pillows great and the room had a pool view with a balcony (this was a premium room for $60 upgrade). I wouldn't say the staff isn't friendly, they are just "job focused" and not people focused. They don't make conversation easily, but after a week we managed to get smiles and a few sentences out of them. If you ask for information about the city, you do get it in a concise sentence which is what some people may consider the rudeness, but really, most people we ran into in San Francisco were the same way-not very conversational. When it came time to check into our "real" room with RCI the clerk asked if we would just like to stay where we were (bed upgrade and room upgrade) and that it would just be the same $60 extra per night. We agreed, paying 60 a night for a hotel in San Francisco was unheard of. Sure we could have moved to our standard room and stayed for free, but this was vacation! All in all we liked the hotel, especially the central location and nearness to the California St.cable cars just 4 blocks to the north. One warning, DON'T go walking from the hotel to Union Square via Geary or O'Farrell-this area is very dicey and really looked like the set of a New York cop show. Many homeless, prostitutes and drug users in the doorways. No one hassled us (we obviously didn't belong in the neighborhood) but it was uncomfortable. Walk 4-5 blocks NORTH to California St (and Starbucks!) and get on the cable car to go to Union Square. You MUST eat at Mel's diner on the corner! Definately the cleanest shiniest diner we've ever been in! We would definately use this hotel again (and stay in a premium room). -Clean and quiet. Great location--walking distance to LOTS of fun spots. I loved the all natural bath products they left for us, plus the fact that they had a recycling bin in the room and seemed to care about conserving resources. The free glass of wine was also nice, and Dave the bartender treated us like old friends. Don't get too excited about the "cozy" bathrobe, however, because it was about as cozy as a dishtowel and not a whole lot bigger... -Got a great rate from Hotwire and stayed at the Clift for 3 nights. Staff was friendly and always smiling. My wife and I traveled with our 2 year old toddler and we felt very comfortable in the room. Room size was small for a four star hotel and also the bathroom. But everything was clean and housekeeping is very courteous and helpful. Ipod dock in room was a nice touch as I left my charger back home. Don't expect too much from the room. It has a king size bed, comfortable sheets and comforter. The table in the room is a little small, television seems like it was bought from a surplus shop back in the early 90s but DVD player was appreciated. (movie rentals are available for about 12 bucks a night it would make more sense to buy a DVD disc at Borders or Virgin which are both a few blocks away.) There was also a serious lack of storage space in the room.Bathroom was tight. I mean real tight.Noise from the street is real bad. Once of the drawbacks of being in the city, I guess.Overall, we enjoyed our stay at the Clift and would stay there again if given a competitive rate. Location was perfect for a weekend of just lounging and shopping. -We just returned from a 5 night stay at the Cartwright Hotel. We had read the reviews and therefore knew what to expect i.e. small rooms but clean. The bed and pillows were very comfortable. The bathroom is tiny and the tiles in our room were old and some cracked but clean. Watch your head when exiting the bathroom to avoid the hanging TV... they have foam on the side but you can still see tweetie birds if you are not careful. The high speed internet was great and the complimentary breakfast was awesome and made it worth the stay. The location is excellent right by US. This is a great hotel if you are just looking to spend time in your room to sleep. If you like to hang out, you may want a bigger place although the Cartwright Hotel has some bigger rooms as well. We would definitely return as the location and value are hard to beat. -My wife, son and I stayed at the Mayflower June 11-14. We arrived a few hours early, the clerk let us keep our bags there while we went out exploring. That was a nice gesture. When we arrived at our room, however, we were put in a one bed room, when we clearly booked a 2 bed room months ago. That caused some tepidation. But the manager was called and made it right, giving us the first night free. I can understand why guests do not like being on the Bush Street side of the hotel. That street is very loud and alot of traffic. The room we stayed in had no air conditioning and in the 80 degree weather we experienced, we were very warm all night. Thank God for the ceiling fan Many reviewers mentioned the friendly staff. We did not experience this. The clerks went about their business, but were never friendly, and a couple clerks kind of glowered at us when we would first enter the lobby. Two asked us what our business was in the lobby, and we had to tell them we were guests in their hotel. I didn't care for their tone. The breakfast was meager. It looked like they went next door and bought bread and peanut butter and instant oatmeal. It was very plain and no imagination at all. One day after returning back to our room after a day in the 90 degree weather, the housekeeper had turned our ceiling fan off. The room never did cool down. Also, the cable was very basic, and a few channels were always very fuzzy. But you get what you pay for. We never felt unsafe, and we did get to keep our bags at the hotel when we first arrived. Plus, we were reembursed for the first day miscommunication, which was a plus. Would I come back again? Only if I couldn't get a hotel closer to the Wharf. -We went to S.F. from Sept. 25th, 2009 to October 2nd, 2009. Yes, the room the smallish, but the rest is incredible. You hear nothing from the street below, the bed is comfortable, the employees are super nice. A1Wine tasting every afternoon from 5pm to 6h30 pmTry the Midi Restaurant, 10/10Would go back tomorrow.Very central, we walked everywhere no need for bus passes. In the traways, please please please wait until the car has stopped. I was thrown off the traway by a big conductor who taught me a lesson. He was scary! Beautiful city, people are lucky to live there! -I just wanted to let everyone know that the Handlery Union Square is a very nice hotel in a fairly decent area of San Francisco. There seems to be a serious problem with homeless people and beggars in San Franciso, but there were not any on Geary, I think because of the harsh wind that whips up that particular street.The hotel was exactly as it represented itself, except for one of the front desk people. She was very stern and less than friendly. Actually just a little too stern, and bordering on the verge of rude. I was actually reprimanded by her on checkout to stand away from the desk until others before me were finished checking out. She made me feel like a small child who had done something wrong. Not quite the proper handling of guests as far as I am concerned. Even the couple waiting behind me commented on her behavior towards me. There was no smiling at all from her when she checked us in or when she checked us out.Beyond that, the only thing that I was surprised about was that the hotel does not at this time have a microwave oven available to guests except in the employee lunch area. I find that when I travel, restaurants always serve too much food, and so I bring it back to my room with me. Most hotels have a microwave available for guests to use. Maybe that is just a temporary situation, but my pasta would not have been very good cold and I didn't feel comfortable intruding on the employees to warm my food.The bed was very comfortable and the room was clean. I liked the location and appreciated the fact that there were no homeless people hanging around outside the hotel, as they seem to cover every block of the entire city. I personally think the city should do something about the constant harassment for money by them. It really gets to be quite overwhelming and tiresome after a couple of days. -The Grand Hyatt in San Fran is an awesome hotel - big rooms, great bedding, fitness center on 6th floor. The view from the 36th floor bar is excellent - very cool. Expensive breakfast. -I stayed for two nights at the Harbor Court Hotel. The selling point for this hotel is its location and views. I had a room with a view overlooking San Francisco Bay, and the windows open so you could have fresh sea air in the room. This sells the hotel all by itself. The hotel is also convenient to the Embarcadero BART station (San Francisco's subway system), since it is about 4 blocks away from it. The hotel is also a few blocks from the Ferry Building, which has a variety of lovely shops and restaurants. The hotel rooms are small, and the desk is not really useable for a long period of work. The rooms are clean and attractive, and the bed is comfortable. However, there is not a coffee maker in the room so you have to go downstairs to the lobby to get a cup of coffee in the morning - a minor irritation but irritating nonetheless, considering what the hotel charges. What really sells this place is the view over the Bay and its proximity to the BART station, city bus lines, and the Ferry Building. -We got an excellent deal at the Adagio through Travelzoo. I booked a Deluxe Junior Suite and was pleasantly surprised by the size. The decor is hip and minimalist with fresh retro elements. The bathroom is nice, but the space for our makeup, shaving stuff etc was pretty cramped around the sink. I thought the shower tiling could use an update. Other than that, it was perfect. They have three Apple computers with Internet access for hotel guest use. The first 15 minutes is free. There is WiFi in the lobby only. The hotel restaurant looked cool, but we didn't dine there.The staff really made our stay enjoyable. We received three great restaurant recommendations from the front desk and they always provided us with accurate directions to our destination. The location is great -- within a few short blocks of the shopping in Union Square and the #38 bus at your doorstep. You must eat at Dottie's True Blue Cafe for breakfast. It is a 2 minute walk away. Prepared to wait in line, but it's worth it. The food is fantastic.There are a lot of homeless people on the walk along Geary (in fact, there are a lot everywhere in San Fran). I live in Toronto so I'm used to homeless people, but the SF homeless can be aggressive. A great stay overall! Thanks Adagio! -I spent three days at the Cartwright; it was my second trip to San Francisco, and after a bad hotel experience on my first tip a few years ago, I chose the Cartwright because of the good reviews here.I had a deluxe King room which was tastefully decorated with real hardwood furniture. I appreciated the fact that the windows could actually be opened, a feature not found on most of the more modern hotels. My room was on the 6th floor on the front side, which means that the traffic can be heard. Living in a big city myself, I didn't bother. The good location has been mentioned quite often here, but what really makes the Cartwright different is the management. The manager's wine reception is a nice touch, and the chamber music group playing after our arrival on friday was a welcome surprise. The breakfast is better than the usual Continental, the waffles deserve a special mention. If I had to suggest an improvement, I would make the coffee somewhat stronger (you guessed it, I'm from Europe), and provide real glasses and mugs instead of the plastic tableware. We simply brought our in room mugs down to the breakfast buffet and were happy.I could go on and on to mention the many small details that make this hotel different, like the free water bottles or the cozy library room next to the lobby. The management is attentive to detail, which is a great plus if you have come to know uniform hotel chains. I would also like to mention that the reservations desk was very helpful and courteous. I had a good feeling about the Cartwright even before I arrived, and I was not disappointed. I would definitely stay there again. -I love hotels. Always have! Pre-internet, I used to write to hotels for their brochures :) That's how much:) But today, this is not enough...and why we are here on tripadvisor.Our first trip away together as a couple had to be something special...and the choice of hotel in San Francisco caused me much research and debating :) Final choice: The Mandarin Oriental...mostly because of the views. We stayed in the Bridge to Bridge suite....And we were not disappointed! On the contrary!! Of course people stay in hotels for different reasons...but to me it has to have something to do with the place I am visiting...and in San Francisco, I think the views are IT!As they say...a picture is worth a thousand words, so have a look at the photos attached...all taken from our room. Enough said!!! :)But I must also add that the staff was faultless...from the Reservations staff (Andrew!), to the reception staff, to the wonderful concierge team - all so efficient, polite, helpful and friendly. They helped us with everything from hiring a car before we had even arrived at the hotel, to securing tickets to a fantastic comedy show, as well as dinner reservations.Room service was also excellent as was the breakfast in the lovely Silk Restaurant .Verdict - A wonderful choice and most recommended :)! -We recently enjoyed a weekend stay at The Fairmont San Francisco through Disney Vacation Club points usage. As a quintessential San Francisco property, there is much to this property as well as nearby.We stayed in room 590, the Dunkirk suite. It is a corner accomodation with great city views. It is well appointed in the classic sense; elegant Napoleonic decor along with modern touches like large flatscreens and two full baths. Along with numerous lounges and restaurants, I would recommend the Tonga Room. It is a Polynesian themed lounge and restaurant replete with thatched roofs, tiki iodols and rain falling from the ceiling accompanied by thunder from the loudspeaker. A true nostalgic experience!This hotel is ideally situated at the intersection of two cable car lines, and walking distance to Chinatown. It boasts an enviable location atop Nob Hill, and the service aspect from the staff is one of total service.This hotel is ideal for couples or families on a holiday, all the way to conventions. As it is a classic hotel, it will not have all the wired amenities of newer properties like a W Hotel, and Nob Hill is a bit far from the airport or Silicon Valley. However, if you enjoy classic hotels, this is among the best. -We were here for a long weekend to celebrate my wife's birthday . Our greeting upon arrival was very warm and check in went without a hitch . My room requirements were done perfectly . Our dinner reservations at French Laundry and Gary Danko were arranged before hand by Jacque the concierge . Our bridge to bridge bay view room had a incredible view . The rooms had been nicely refurnished . I wouldn't be concerned with the bathrooms not being up to 5 star standards . They were more than adequate. Our bed was the most comfortatable bed we had ever slept in . This hotel is for those who want the best hotel views of the bay and for those who want the best service . Its in a very quiet part of the city which is perfect for our needs . The lobby needs a lot of work but I did find out that its being renovated soon .The service was perfect in every matter . My requests were easily handled . I should mention that this was our 3rd stay in a Mandarin Hotel in the last year, the other 2 being in New York City.The San Francisco Mandarin is far better in service and comfort than that of New York . We look forward to returning to this Madarin . They do a perfect job here . -We stayed at the Westin St Francis from the 29th June 2009 for 4 nights. We were in the old building on floor 12. The room is quite small but is perfectly adequate for somewhere to sleep and get ready, by no means is it cramped. The standard was as expected at a Westin. My only complaint was that the walls are thin and I could hear a conversation in the next room through the air conditioning vents in the wall. We did not interact with the hotel staff on many occasions but when we did they were pleasant and helpful. The location of the hotel is fantastic. We arrived into San Fran via the BART, from the airport, which stops at Powell Street, this stop is only a 5 minute walk from the hotel and was extremely easy and cheap to use. Next to the hotel there are many shops, a few hidden bars and restaurants. We purchased a 3 day passport for $18 each will allows you unlimited use of the cable cars, trolleys and buses, which is all you will need to get around San Fran to Fishermans Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, China Town etc. If we returned to San Francisco then I would definately use this hotel again. We did go up the glass elevators in the new building to see the view, which was great as long as you are not scared of heights! -March 2005My second time, staff very friendly, great views and location is awesome. My only complaint is the complimentary continental breakfast could use a bit more variety. But it is free!!Room clean, and always made up during the day. The rooms have stove, refrig. and microwave which can be great bringing home doggie bags from the fantastic restaurants that are in the vicinity.I'd book again no problem. -Just stayed at this hotel recently. I have lived in SF for years and wanted to stay but since I moved away I was able to. This hotel is very funky and fun. The staff are very cool, nice and knowledgeable. The price is about average for SF and the renovated rooms are very comfortable. This is especially a good place for people into live music (many bands stay here) and want a true San Francisco experience. It's close to all the things most people want and even have a map to the best live music venues. Just ask the staff for any help and they will oblige. If you are looking for a fancy, overpriced hotel, this is not the place for you. It is very comfortable, the continental breakfast is good, people seemed to be enjoying the heated pool...it was 48 degrees outside so we passed on that but there were people still partaking. I've heard that the restaurant and nightclub is very good altho we had just danced our "*&^es" off at the Warfield so we were quite beat. All I can say if you want a fun experience, give the Phoenix Hotel a try...it is a better choice for those young or young at heart! -I was hesitant to book a stay at the King George due to some of the previous reviewers' comments regarding the small rooms and the thin walls... However, the hotel was much better than I expected, and I would stay there again!It is true that the rooms are very small - however, the space is used very efficiently, and I never felt cramped. In fact, the closet and safe were much more spacious than those provided in larger hotels.It is also true that the walls are very thin - but this was a minor inconvenience, and a non-issue with good ear plugs :)The hotel was suprisingly clean, the bed was very comfortable, and the shower was great (good water pressure, plenty of hot water, etc.). There are two fitness centers within a couple of blocks, and the hotel can provide special pricing for a day pass. They offer a continental breakfast for a fee, but there are also several diners in the area (one right next door) that serve breakfast. There are also several convenience stores nearby.The customer service was wonderful - top notch. The staff was very friendly, attentive, and helpful. This alone would bring me back to the King George.The location was fantastic - very close to Union Square, shopping, and the cable car line - and easy walking distance to Chinatown and other downtown attractions.There are dozens of other hotels in the area, and the more expensive choices are probably more luxurious with better amenities - but the price, cleanliness, and warmth of the King George make it a worthy choice. -My Husband and I chose this Hotel for out New Year's Eve "gettaway" based on the great reviews from Trip Advisor and we were not dissapointed! I booked a standard king room and was up graded to a premier king free of charge upon our arrival. The staff were very nice. The wine hour in the cozy lobby was great. Enjoyed talking with fellow travelers by the warm and inviting fireplace. Our room was very nice. We expected the room to be small based on all the reviews but it was very nicely decorated and super clean. The bed was very comfortable and the room itself was very quiet. The hotel is walking distance to many attractions. We ate at the Italian restaraunt located in the hotel and the food and service was outstanding. Check out the following morning was fast and flawless as we enjoyed fresh coffee and biscotti served complimentary in the lobby. I will go back to this hotel again! -We stayed here over Labor Day for 3 nights in a deluxe queen room. The room wasn't huge but it was a good size for two people. The bed was a true queen size and very comfortable with nice bedding. The room was nicely decorated and had a medium size TV, a desk, 2 chairs, cd player with cd's, AC, and a small fridge. The room was very clean and housekeeping did a wonderful job cleaning everyday. We had our bedding and towels changed every day. Although you have the option of not having them changed everyday to save water (good idea!). They also have a turn down service and left yummy chocolates on our pillows. The bathroom has a small hairdryer and Aveda products. Our room didn't have much of a view but we didn't mind since we didn't spend much time in the room anyway. The hotel staff was very friendly. We were allowed to check in early and they asked if we needed help with restaurant reservations or general information about SF. There are free maps and guidebooks in all tourist spots so no need to bring your own. The hotel also has free computer access and a room where you could either work or read. The restuarant is very small and didn't have a chance to eat there. I think there are less than 20 seats. So it's wise to make a reservation or arrive early. There was also a bar/lounge area. The elevator is fairly small and if there were other people waiting, we just took the stairs. The hotel is within walking distance from the BART station. Exit Powell and it's about ten minute walk. The fridge is fully stocked but like any other hotel, the prices are high. There is a Walgreens down the street from the hotel where you can stock up on water or snack. There are a lot of restaurants in the area. Some a bit expensive but it's expected as SF as a whole is expensive. There are 3 Starbucks coffee houses near the hotel. If you like to shop, the hotel is minutes from Union Square and is also within walking distance to Chinatown. We actually walked from Pier 39 and it didn't seem far at all. SF has reliable and efficient transportation that is fairly priced in case you don't want to walk. I don't recall the exact price for parking since we flew but most of the hotels charge from $40 and up per night. Overall we had a great stay at this hotel. I highly recommend it and would stay here again. -Just came back from four night stay at Hotel Monaco. We have a family of four and we enjoyed our stay. The Hotel is beautifly decorated and was immaculate in condition. We stayed on the 7th floor. It was so quiet, you would think we had the hotel to ourselves! The room was a bit small for the four of us, but that is expected in city hotels. The bathroom however was big and spacious. Decor was unique and bright. The only drawback was the area as although we never felt unsafe, there were a lot of street people in the area. I think this basically applied to all of union square area. We ate at Loris diner a block away several times. Food was basic but excellant. Tried to go to Dottys one morning but lineup was too long. Have no problem recommending this hotel for those looking for a nice place to stay. -We just returned from a 3 night stay at the Rex. We had originally planned to stay at the Serrano but found a great last minute deal on Travelocity for the Rex. I am glad we ended up at the Rex, especially liked the location. Our last visit was at the Warwick (which was good w/kids because we had a small "suite"). The Warwick area is definately on the fringe! The Serrano is even more on the fringe...the Rex is only a couple of blocks away but feels much safer. We enjoyed the hotel. The rooms were extremely clean. Beds comfie and we had an A/C. Our view was looking into a bricked up courtyard (no view!) but it did give us a really quiet room & lots of privacy. The front desk is friendly but maybe not so knowledgeable on places to go (this includes restaurants, shopping, transporation issues). We did enjoy the lounge & the afternoon wine. Cafe Andre was really good & very reasonable! Had a great breakfast. Went to Dotties for breakfast - it didn't seem as good as last time we were there. Took the BART from SFO. That was easy & so cheap! We had to leave on the 6am BART & I was kind of nervous since it was so dark out but no problems at all. Highly recommend the BART. Also...had dinner at a fantastic place called Cafe Zuni. So good!!! and a fun vibe. We took the bus there but cabbed it back to the hotel. Other good places: Marios Bohemian Cigar in North Beach. Had a quick drink & split a foccacia sandwich. Very good. We took the ferry to Sausalito. Nice trip; avoid Scomas (sp?) as it was overpriced & fair food, at best. Went to the Thirsty Bear: good beer, ok food; Pipperade is a great small place on Battery Street - we enjoyed our evening there. The walk along Union Street is fun as there are lots of cute shops (pricey, though). We had terrific weather so were able to walk most everywhere. Buses were easy, though. Overall, the Rex is a great place. Will stay there again. Good location, great prices, great rooms (not luxe, but clean, cute & comfie), friendly guests & staff.... -We arrived at the hotel a little after 10:00 in the evening. Parking is valet and no one was available to help with the bags or take care of the cars that jammed the entrance. I squeezed in the car to park and we took care of our own bags and checked into the room. First impressions were not good... However, the location is great for shopping in Union Square. I also liked theStarbucks on the corner and the convenience store a half block away. Cable car is right out front. The bathroom had an institutionalized feel with the walk in shower and stark pedestal sink - no where to put make-up, hair dryer, etc. when getting ready. The shower was more than adequate with good water pressure. On the second and third night the valet parking situation did improve and personnel were very accomodating. The room is small and does have a slight smell which I just associate with old buildings. Overall, I would stay here again due to the location. -Hubby & I stayed here for a few days in November 2007. My biggest problem was our room. We were on the 2nd leg of our journey but if I had the energy I would have asked to be moved. Our room looked most like the photo of the room done in red,black and white without the red velvet couch in our room. It was very very small. We were facing the street and it was a bit noisey at times.The thing that bothered me the most was the bathroom was very dated. On top of that the wall paper was actually peeling. I am so dispapointed that I can't remember what room # it was becasue apparantly after reading other reviews, there are some newer and nicer rooms.I felt we paid too much for the particaulr room we got. Now on to the good: Location location location! Also, the wine hour is very nice and I don't even drink wine. A hot tip from the bell boy: arrive in the lobby about 10 minutes before wine hour begins. They usually bring in a deep dish pizza from the restaurant which is gone in a flash. We did and enjoyed it very much. In the morning a nice touch along with coffee and hot tea was hot chocoalte. Now would I stay here again? Well...maybe. If I got a really nice room like some of the other writers describe with a fridge too...perhaps...I still wonder if another hotel in the same area would have been a better deal. The other thing that I found disappointing was I can't remember the exact details but something like the charge they quote for parking (very pricey) was even more than that because there was some sort of a tax... -The hotel was in a GREAT location, close to all the downtown shopping.but once we walked in the room was average. we stayed on the 32nd floor and had a great city view. but the tv was likely a 10 year old tv. The Bed was great.the bathroom was average, and had a small 5" tv. that was long and likely from 1990.there is NO pool.. I just assumed a 4 star hotel would have a pool.the view from the 36th floor restaurant was amazing, but you could stay at motel 6 and come eat up here as well.the lobby is just average.I travel a bunch, and this would easily be a 3 star hotel. -Our family (2 adults and 2 teenagers) stayed here for 3 nights at the end of July. The room was fairly typical and nothing special but it was clean. The hotel is in a very safe area and we felt perfectly happy walking around at night. The staff were incredibly helpful. The hotel has interesting touches around the lobby, bar and lounge areas which are copper/brass items placed around, e.g. a pair of slippers in front of the fire and a cat curled up. The pool was very nice (if smaller than I expected) and there was a small terrace outside that overlooks the central courtyard. The courtyard itself was a pleasant place to sit and all the public areas were well kept up. We didn't eat in the hotel as it was expensive but there were lots of places within walking distance to eat at. I would recommend this hotel. -We stayed this past weekend (Feb 05) for 3 nights. We had a suite which wasn't as large as our suite when we stayed in Arizona, but you have to consider the place....for SF it was large. It had a small frig and micro which is nice. It had a queen bed and pull out bed in sitting couch - which was nice. Breakfast was convenient and good. Our only complaint would be to have cable TV, as we had our 5 year old with us and there is only so much walking you can do. We had to "buy" a movie 2 nights for him in order to keep him quiet and entertained in the room. Cable with cartoons would have been nice which we have gotten w/most other motels. The decor of the room was more than adequate - very nice. The staff was very nice and helpful. I'd say great place for adults and older kids - five stars and for couples with younger children - four stars. -I stayed at Hotel Carlton for four days during my recent visit to San Francisco. I am very pleased with the hotel. The best description for the room was "no frills." It was very clean and had a good view of Sutter Street. The location of the hotel is great. There are 3 bus lines that pass by the hotel. I was able to go to Downtown, Union Square, Chinatown, Japantown and Market Street by bus.The daily complementary wine service was great. But make sure you get there before 6 PM. The hotel closed down shop on the complementary wine at 6:01 PM.The walls are thin; I was able to hear my neighbors' conversations and knew when they were getting a phone call, because I could also hear the phone ring. This was a bit annoying.Over all, Hotel Carlton is a good place to stay and it is a good value. -Just back from a two night stay at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco, June 23rd & 24th, 2007. I really have no complaints about this hotel. Valet parking at the entrance was always very convenient. Was able to call from the room to have the car at the door in 10 - 15 minutes. Pricey parking at $43.00 per night, plus tax, but not much more than the other garages around the hotel. I liked walking out the door and climbing right into the car each time we needed it. Front Desk staff was courteous and efficient. Our room on the 26th floor faced West and had a beautiful view. Room was clean, nicely sized with a King bed, large desk, two comfortable chairs, and adjustable end table. Furniture a bit dated and worn, but nothing I would complain about. Bathroom was roomy and clean, albeit again a bit dated but decent. Marble counter in bath. Excellent shower head with great pressure. Love the Portico bath products! Small, funky looking TV that I enjoyed watching the news while using the bathroom. Hallways were kept clean. Generally very quiet. No issue with noise. Elevators didn't have unreasonably long waits, usually under two minutes if that. Property was generally very well kept and felt upscale. Not top notch luxury, but very nice for what it is. Ate breakfast both mornings at the Grandview restaurant on the 36th floor. Most incredible views of the city. I suggest going up there just to have a look. Food was pricey as is usually the case at a hotel restaurant, but we wanted the convenience of being able to grab a quick bite as we had a busy schedule. Wait staff was very good and friendly. Food tasty, no complaints. We paid $159.00 for our room booking directly on the Hyatt website, using the Senior Citizen rate. I believe the AAA rate is the same. For the money it was an excellent value. I recommend this hotel and most likely will consider this hotel as a first option on future trips to San Francisco. Best point, location, location, location, and if you can get a high floor, the views. -This was our second stay at the beautiful and inviting White Swan Inn. The service at this hotel is excellent and since we had stayed here before we knew about the wonderful breakfast, the warm fireplace, the cookie jar and the great people at the front desk. Everyone made us feel so very welcome.The room was very clean and tidy. They have new Lather bath products which are heavenly to use. I even asked for a couple of extra bars of the soad to take home.Andy was his usual helpful self! He brought us a bottle of wine as it was my Birthday--he did this last year also. Andy is an icon at the hotel----seems he's been there for years, always giving directions, assisting with luggage, and just brightening everything up with his great smile.We will, of course, be back next year, and can't wait to hear all about the new Joie de Vivre happenings.Diane & Leroy -Stayed in San Fran for 4 nights in the Tuscan Inn. The hotel was good, room was a little small but very clean and the bed was very comfortable. The location was excellent- so close to all the touristy things. The manager was a little grumpy when we first checked in but the rest of the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. I would recommend this hotel to anyone. Bring your woolies though coz San Fran is sooo cold!! -The photos on Trip Advisor are of another motel! Very misleading! We had a group of friends with 5 rooms and each room was disgusting. Dirty, moldy, smelly!! Some rooms had working phones, tvs, lights, other rooms didn't. Very inconsistant. Bedding was dirty, one towel in one room, none in the others. The Managers, who live there with children, were VERY rude!! They called everyone 30 minutes prior to check out to tell us to leave. They charged us $10 more than what we booked on their website - and then argued with us when we brought it to their attention. DO NOT STAY HERE!! Very dishonest people!!! -We stayed here for a long weekend trip and were very pleased. The Courtyard by Marriott is excellent for a quick weekend getaway in San Francisco without having to rent a car. This location is primarily intended for business travelers and has few tourist amenities. The rooms were clean comfortable and affordable. They feature large flat screen TVs and free wired Wi-Fi. In the lobby there is a Starbucks that is open during the day till 2pm. Our room was on the top floor and had some nice bridge and city views. The hotel also has a small snack bar next to the front desk. The hotel restaurant and bar looked much underused on the weekend but San Francisco has too many good food choices in any price range to consider hotel food. We did try an Indian fast food restaurant and a Chinese restaurant that were two blocks away and open weekends. Both were very good and inexpensive.The Hotel is very centrally located in the financial district. This means on weekends, restaurant choices are limited and the streets are quiet in the evening. The hotel is walking distance to a trolley line, bus lines and the Montgomery BART station. We purchased a three day MUNI bus and trolley pass at the airport and had no problem getting to all of the sights.If you are a tourist seeking a clean, comfortable inexpensive place this hotel fits the bill. Be sure to check out the special weekend rates. -The staff is very friendly and helpful. The room is roomy and the beds are comfortable. We stayed for 7/4 fireworks, the shuttle was only two blocks away, it's very convenient. -Our expectionas were high and we were not disappointed during our recent three night stay at the Serrano. The decor was fabulous, the personnel were top notch. Always a smile and a greeting, the evening wine bar and snack from Ponzu restaurant were excellent, the chair massage and tarot card readings during happy hour were tons of fun. Our morning paper was always there and maid service was excellent. The location was ideal. We can't wait to stay again. -This was a nice hotel, the rooms very a little on the small size but very pleasant. It is very centrally located within walking distance (5 minutes) of union square. There was also a diner next door that did a very good breakfast. -This hotel is located in a fabulous location near Fisherman's wharf. Walkable to pier 39, Ghiradelli Square and just a few steps from the old F-line trolley. Fire pits located right adjacent to the driveway often had "out of order" signs posted and the remainder were surrounded by patrons with cigarettes. The rooms were spacious but the strange rectangular "pillow" in the bed just created a nuisance and the lack of separate light switch for the room with the toilet (separate from the space with the sink) lit up the entire room during nighttime use. This hotel has been nicely updated with very modern decor. Front desk staff were very accommodating and wiling to help out with sightseeing plans.Overall this was a very nice hotel, a good value and a great location. I would stay here again despite the comments above. -Wow, where do I start?We arrived to the Hilton Financial District and were immediately cringing at the "industrial" look and bland exterior of the Hilton. so much for first impressions!We walked into a pleasant lobby with few bells and whistles but a VERY effecient staff. I work for a 4 star resort in Carmel, CA and I know when a hotel staff hates their job. This staff seemed very happy and professional.so far, nothing great. Then we hit the room! What a GEM! The rooms were obviously recently remodeled and were very nice. But the physical characteristics of the room was not the star...that belonged to the view!A beautiful, stunning view was waiting for us when we opened the blinds.Picture this. A view of Chinatown to your extreme left. Alcatraz to your middle left. Coit Tower in the middle. The San Francisco Bay to your right and Treasure Island to your extreme right. By far, the greatest view I've ever had in my numerous trips to SF. I have thought about that view at least ten times a day since leaving. You must ask for a higher floor when staying. It's essential!From that point on, our trip and our hotel stay were a dream. The amazing king bed with a featherbed mattress was to die for! These beds rival the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay and Quail Lodge in Carmel (routinely known as the best beds in the area)! Room service was fast and effecient, plus the food quality was above average. All requests to the front desk were fulfilled promptly and swiftly. Now, you may be wondering why I would give the hotel 4 stars after an obvious 5 star review. Well, like all hotels in SF, the Hilton institutes a ridiculously overpriced parking fee. This time, it was $44 nightly and then there is a $6 parking tax on top of that! That's right folks, $100 for the "privilege" of parking. Luckily, I got a great deal on the room rate to compensate for this. But until SF hotels change their ways and institute REASONABLE parking charges, I will not give any hotel 5 stars in SF. Upon check-out we did have a minor issue. We were never given a ticket when we handed the car to Valet. We figured it would be sorted by room number. So after we checked out, we were asked for our ticket. When I explained we didn't have one, the valet service was quite rude and said, "Oh YOU WERE GIVEN A TICKET!", like I would lie about it LOL. Luckily for this guy, I had already had a wonderful trip and felt it wasn't necessary to engage in a ummm pee pee contest with him (no swearing in reviews). Plus I overheard he had 308 checkouts that day so, all is forgiven!So all in all, stay here! There are too many bad decisions you can make when booking a hotel in SF, go with a sure thing. Plus, it's well below the other hotels in the area in terms of price. What more do you need?Thank you for reading my long winded review. -We (me, my hubby, and 5yo) stayed at the Grosvernor Suites for 9 days (7 of the days we were there with my parents). We all stayed in a corner, one bedroom suite (separate room with 2 queen beds and living room with a sleeper couch). You can tell that the building is older, so there is wear and tear (e.g., a small rip in the couch cushion and trim along bedroom floor coming off the wall). However, the structure itself is very sturdy. I believe that the place was originally a condo (there are currently some residents who still reside there), so the walls are thick and we never heard our neighbors (although I could hear from the hallway that they had a young and loud child). Given the bedroom, the dining area and the living room, we had plenty of space for the 5 of us. The rooms also have a small kitchen with full size refrigerator, small stove, sink, toaster, and other necessary kitchenware. We were in a corner suite in the 13th floor and our views were fabulous (we had windows on both sides). It was great to see the fog rolling in and out of the city. Overall, the service was pretty good. Front desk staff was extremely polite and helpful, on the phone and in person. They were very helpful regarding sites and places to visit, making sure we had extra towels/pillows, and allowed us to check out late (2pm rather than noon). They were very accommodating: I had a phone meeting at a time when everyone else in my party was napping so they opened the breakfast room for me to use. Housekeeping staff was o.k.; I definitely didn't get the same friendly vibe and they were not as responsive.The location was great. Very safe (Nob Hill is considered one of the high ends of town). One block from both the Powell and California cable lines, about 3 blocks from Chinatown, and two blocks from the Grace Cathedral and a great little park. The park has a playground and is the place where local Nob Hill residents take their dogs to play. We took our 5yo to this park a lot to burn off energy and watch the antics of the dogs playing with each other. As other reviewers have noted, it is on Nob 'Hill', so you get a great view, but even if you take the trolley, you will have at least one block of an uphill hike. Given how much we ate during the vacation, this wasn't a bad thing for us. Speaking of places to eat, other than Chinatown, we didn't find too many places really close by (although you can easy access them by cable car). The exception is the Nob Hill Cafe which is about 3-4 blocks and has great Italian food. The hotel offers a continental breakfast, with juices, cereals, bagels, and fresh pastries every morning. The pastry person will load up your tray with goodies for you to take back to you room if you don't want to sit in the breakfast room. There is also a laundry room in the basement with 5-6 washers and dryers. There is a gated parking area behind the hotel isolated from the street. It wasn't cheap to park, but you can enter and leave as much as you want. In addition to a computer terminal in the very small info room by the front desk, there is free wireless in the rooms. Compared to other places that we have stayed at in SF and given all the amenities, we got a pretty good deal. I did make reservations way in advance and I did it directly from their website (they offered an online rebate for multiple nights so we saved $20-25/per night). For reservations not made in advance, I heard a front desk person telling another potential customer to check the online travel websites for just-in-time deals that would be better than booking with the hotel directly. What I liked most about the hotel is how attentive they were to our needs as a family (given the location, kitchen/refrigerator, breakfast, and laundry). It was a very comfortable and convenient place to stay. The thing that they could improve on is fixing up and updating the interior a bit, but for us, this wasn't a big deal at all. -My 81 year old Mom visted. We are seasoned travelers. We loved The Mark Hopkins. Sort of older style hotel... but very classy, comfortable, clean etc. Rooms are great, beds are great. Staff is short handed when check check out is crowded, but they are very attentive. The best prices believe it or not are on their own website. Same price we got on Priceline. The $169 rooms are almost the same as the $189 rooms. The $169 room have a lower floor view. Both are great.If you go to The Top of The Mark Rest.... do it for drinks and the view. The food is very expensive. Breakfast while ok was too much money. Take the cable car down to Union Square or walk and go to smeoplace like Sears or The Diner.dcr, Middletown, Ca -I chose to stay at this hotel because of all the excellent reviews I read at tripadvisor. I am not sure whether all the excellent reviews are *real*, however what I can say is that - this inn is average and - the inn has met my expectation. * STAFF - excellent - friendly staff* LOCATION - average - Definitely NOT walking distance to the wharf or Chinatown. You won't want to walk it, even the 2.5 blocks to the cable car are long and steep. I drove around the city, so it was not a probably for me.* SAFETY - average - the area seems relatively safe. However, I am a bit uncomfortable with the fact that anyone can take the elevator or stairs up/down without passing through the office or front entrance. And the main office closes at 11pm. * AMENTITIES - average - towels are clean, but feel a bit used. The frig, microwave are pluses!!!* HOUSEKEEPING - excellent - room is very clean.* PRICE - excellent ($85 weekday, $95 weekend)* PARKING - excellent - it's free. It's a bit tight getting in and out, but hey, it's free!* BREAKFAST - OK - nothing to rave about, they serve packaged pastries and granola bars! The only good thing I got was a banana. -Based on the glowing reviews here I booked a three night stay as part of an extended family vacation. As anyone who tries to stay in San Francisco knows, it is exceedingly difficult to find a hotel with free parking and queen beds (traveling with teens!). Upon arrival the look on everyone's face pretty much told me I had made a mistake. Let's start with good: Location is really steps from Pier 39, parking is free. Now the bad: This is hotel has no AC, which considering the temps in the bay area should be no problem. However, the rooms have only one teeny-tiny window (about 1ft square) to allow air into the room. The overhead fan doesn't do much to help pull fresh air in either. As a result the rooms are roasting hot, even when the high temp for the day is 69 degrees. And the location is extremely noisy. Our third floor room faced the Sheraton and we could hear every bus, every car, constant noise day and night. I'm used to having some noise in a hotel room.. but this was ridiculous. In short, we checked out after one night an moved to a hotel out of the city. Oh yes, the elevator broke that night also. The management was very understanding and helpful... but there really isn't much they can do to make up for this hotels shortcomings. If you really must stay in the city, try finding a deal at a higher class hotel through hotwire and then pay for the parking. -Very comfortable corner room. It felt like home for our 5 day stay. The location near Union Square was great for us and it had resonably priced overnight parking. Lots of natural light and a comfortable king bed. The things we didn't like; the TV in a box. The sound from the back of the TV was trapped in the box and sounded terrible. And breakfast at the hotel restaurant, it was terrible and overpriced. There's a great family diner across the street for breakfast. The staff was really nice and we enjoyed the tea/lemonaide in the lobby. We would stay here again. -We stayed in this hotel as the last leg of our golden triangle trip, it was very clean and bright, much newer than the other two hotels we had stayed in, although it seemed very business like.The room was large, with 2 double beds, a nice bathroom and cleaned daily, although if you wish to stay in your room later than 8am I would hang the privacy tag on the door as the maid knocks early and loudly!!!!The breakfast is basic, but free, so very convenient. The location of the hotel is great, I much preferred being by the wharf as opposed to staying near Union Square in down town.....The one thing I will complain about is the valet parking, this may be more of a complaint to take up with my travel company as we were not fore-warned that we had to pay $35 per day valet parking, with no other options open to us.The transportation was fantastic, and cable cars are great fun!!! Would definately recommend San Francisco!!!! -We stayed at Hotel Abri at the end of May for a weekend. Here are a few things that might help if you are considering this hotel. Getting there: We flew in to SFO and simply hopped on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transport) which takes you straight into the city. Hotel Abri is just around the corner from Powell St station, we were jet lagged this was a god send just how easy it was to find and the BART is by far the cheapest option to get to and from the Airport. The cable car line turnaround is at the end of the street and the the street car/tram/trolley whatever you want to call them right behind that. Transport was a breeze. There is a booth near the Cable Car turnaround where you can get a daily transport passport giving you unlimited rides on all the buses cable cars and street cars for 11 bucks. Hotel Check-in/staff: The staff were absolutley fantastic. Hillary the concierge was fantastic, its not often that you there service is so good that you can remember the persons name. There was a problem with our airport connection (we had a really early flight out ) and when they contacted the hotel through the night she rebooked our transfer for us so as not to disturb us. Housekeeping left the room spotless. The hotel is definitely well run. Amenities: No Gym or Pool but this didnt worry us at all there, is an adjoining italian restaurant which was delicious. Complimentary internet/PC use was so helpful. In room safe (many hotels are reverting to only having deposit boxes at reception - worth checking). Everything in this hotel was new - nothing dodgy at all. Room: The king size bed was divine, decent linen, funishings were new with a decent size bathroom - (Loccitane products). Room wasnt large but this is usual in nearly all the San Fran hotels I've stayed in. If you are a light sleeper they also have an inside room option it was nice to open up the window and watch the world go by outside. Noise: The hotel is away from the cable car line however there is a nightclub just across the road, and it did get a bit noisier on Saturday night, not from music but people out on the street. If you are a light sleeper take your earplugs or request an inside room. Shopping : Westfield San Francisco Centre is a minute away and union Square is just up the hill. No shortage of options at all. Food Options: EVERYWHERE catering to every budget, theres a cold rock ice-creamery next door too. yum. If you are looking for a nice place for lunch on a sunny day the I recommend the Cheesecake Factory on top of the Macy's building, it has an outdoor seating area looking down into the square. Great location. The hotel has a breakfast listing of the best places nearby to head out for breakfast - We went to a place a few blocks away called Dotties - food was delicious but get there early we were there before it opened on Saturday and there was already a line. The place is small and cosy but well worth a visit. The Farmers Market is also a great spot to walk through for brunch if your're looking for a gourmet biteBooking: I booked through expedia and got a great rate. -Following a mishap on the plane on our arrival in SF, my hotel itinerary was destroyed so when we arrived at the Hotel, we were hot and bothered. Within a short space of time, I was able to use the free internet access and was able to print all the papers I needed for my holiday. During this time the staff were very sympathetic and helpful. Our room was not extra large but we would only be sleeping there. A fridge would have been very helpful and tea bags for those who do not drink coffee. (fortunately we had brought our own). The big plus about this hotel is its location. It is just around the corner from Union Square and all the best shops and restaurants. It is two blocks away from the cable car start point and for $5 each (one way) it will take you to Fishermans Wharf, the area from where everything begins. Do take a Bay cruise and view the Golden Gate Bridge from underneath. Also make certain you visit Alcatraz. It is an amazing experience. Due to its brilliant location, the hotel allowed us to use it as a base from which to start our SF experience. The complimentary breakfast is more than adequate and is a great start to the day. Brilliant choice and would certainly recommend it to stay in. -This is the first night after many nights sleeping in rock hard hotel beds that could have passed for doors, that I finally got a good night sleep. The room was very clean, updated, with a cool view of the city below. -We stayed three nights in late April 2008. The hotel is a bright spot in a not-so-nice area of SF (I believe the tour guide referred to the area as 'The Tenderloin'.) The hotel was inviting and attractive though. The decor is modern. We were able to check in a couple of hours early and the woman at the check in desk was very gracious and efficient. We scored a great price per night for our stay via the hotel's Website, too, which helped us to absorb the $33 per night valet parking fees (plus tips.)The room (on the 11th floor) was fairly large and clean and offered a king bed, a pull-out sofa, a refrigerator, desk, TV, radio, a small dresser and a large closet. The bathroom was a good size, too, and the water pressure for the shower was very good.There was a restaurant located on the first floor of the hotel, but we didn't have an opportunity to sample it. The hotel offers coffee and tea and apples in the lobby in the morning and late afternoon.It was a short walk to Union Square, but the hotel itself is not part of the Square. There were many homeless folks in the area, but none of them were "nasty" folks (meaning aggressive or insulting.) One fellow was kind enough to tell me that the meter I fed where I parked the car before checking into the hotel was for commercial vehicles only and the car could be towed while I was away. I wished that I had more cash on hand to give him for saving me from a potentially costly problem.Earlier reviews indicated that there was a lot of noise at night. Most of the time we didn't have this problem, but one night we heard very loud motorcycles starting up around midnight. After they drove off, all was quiet enough again. -I stayed there with my sister, my mom and my 5 year old - and we all loved it. The rooms were big and the service was warm, friendly and efficient - the hotel service hat trick! Good location, just a couple of blocks from Union Square. -We stayed at the Hotel Rex for four nights in early November. The check in staff were extremely helpful and friendly and we found all staff were the same high calibre. We had a deluxe double double room and found it plenty big enough even with our cases laid out on the floor. The beds were very comfy and the shower wonderful. I would've liked to have had a coffee maker in the room but complimentary tea and coffee was available in the bar area in the morning. Also, missed a complimentary breakfast. Cafe Andree, next door, served breakfast but it is quite pricy in comparison to local restarants. The complimentary wine of an evening was great though!The hotel was in a great location, a block or so from Union Square and with a cable car station in the adjoining street. The hotel staff are great for recommending tours and restaurants. We'd recommend Lori's diner for breakfast and great coffee and Puccini and Pinetti for dinner.Overall, we'd recommend the Hotel Rex for a stay in this wonderful city. -I stayed at this hotel for four nights in late April 2004. The lobby of the Ramada is quite cool (it used to be the old City Hall), but the rooms are fairly run down and not particularly clean. All in all, it wouldn't be too bad for the price, but the neighbourhood was not very safe or pleasant. There are not too many businesses in the area (most of the places are shut down permanently) and it is a haven for homeless people. As a single woman, I felt very unsafe in this area after dark and didn't particularly enjoy walking around in the daytime either, because I was asked every 10 feet for money. -The Parc 55 just completed thier $30 mil renovation and it really shows how well the rooms and lobby area really is. Wonderful staff with easy check-in check-out, we did leave the housekeeping a nice tip for the quick turn down service each day. The high floor rooms need time to cool off, but if you close your curtains and remember the sun does shine during check-in at 2pm it all cools off by the time you arrive back from dinner in the evening. The hotel location is great and I would return again for the great rates and wonderful rooms at this hotel. -I liked this hotel. The location was good. You can walk to Chinatown in 10 minutes, to the Embarcadero Bart station in 10 minutes, to the Powel /Market Street cable car in 15 minutes. Union Square was about 15 minutes walk away. THere were lots of coffee places nearby. THe room was a little on the small side, but acceptable. The bed sheets were really comfortable, and the bed was also really comfortable. There is free unlimited purified water with free bottles you fill yourself. THe adjacent restaurant Elephant and Castle was good and not expensive for what it was. There is free internet in the lobby lounge, and free wifi throughout. My room was quiet, but the room doors were not as solid as you might want. Nice amenities in the bathroom: great soap, shampoo, mouthwash.THere is a nice desk/work area. The financial district location was good for me. Others may prefer to be closer to Union Square, but it wasn't too far away.THere was a sign in the lobby that sometimes you can get an upgrade to a suite for only $25 a night, most likely on weekends. -Crowne Plaza was sold and this hotel is now known as the "Hotel 480". Having stayed here before the change and now for 5 days after the change, I have a comparison that is not very favorable for the new ownership. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATIONBefore I go any further let's state the obvious. You cannot beat the location of this hotel, regardless of who owns it or what name is painted on the outside. Located one block north of Union Square, right on the cable car line and with ample public (read - much cheaper than the hotel parking) within a block - visitors to the city will appreciate the central location. We parked the car on arrival and had absolutely no need to use it for the whole week until departure.Now the not so good news.,, Hopefully it's just the pains of transition causing some service issues but I have to say the majority of negatives with our stay were associated with the service. We had troubles with housekeeping opening a door clearly identified as "Do Not Disturb", phone calls from engineering at 6am about problems we never reported, etc. We were here with MacWorld and selected the hotel because it claimed free internet access for conference attendees - this was not so. This may be a problem with the MacWorld folks though. But once connected for the internet "broadband" - you're better off taking your chances on a modem. The internet access is terrible and in tremendous need of upgrade. The onsite restaurant is outrageously overpriced even for Union Square. We recommend Lori's across the street for a more reasonable (although not gourmet but still good) breakfast or lunch. We're hoping the sad state of the hallways on the 9th floor were due to intended/scheduled remodeling because if not - the condition of that floor is not anything a $199 a night hotel should be proud of regardless of it's location. Minor issues like a TV that continually shut itself off and on again can be overlooked if it wasn't for the $199 a night price. Speaking of the TVs - the small TV provided is kind of strange considering most major hotels upgrades to flat screens and larger models.Having said all that - We hope that this hotel gets it together and may try it again for a one or two night stay in the future to see if things improve. It would be such a waste to have a hotel with such a great location and enthusiastic staff to be hampered by a lack of infrastructure maintenance and management.So we'd be interested to see future reviews from Trip Advisor folks as to the state of this hotel in transition. -We stayed at the Clift for three nights this summer (July 23 - 26, 2004). My wife and I had often stayed at the old Clift Hotel before it was taken over and renovated by the Ian Schrager group. The old Clift may have been showing its age, but it had spacious, elegantly furnished rooms in a convenient part of town. What a disappointment it was to see what has been done to this once great hotel ! We booked an Studio Jr. Suite which was described as an "L" shaped room. We quickly discovered that this was one of the former spacious rooms from the old Clift that we remembered so fondly, but it had been chopped up into two rooms ... creating a window-less bedroom area and very cramped sitting area. The decor makes abundant use of petroleum based synthetic materials (think plastic draperies, plastic night stands & tables, plastic covered furnitiure) and has most opposing walls covered floor to ceiling with tinted mirrors. The mirrors tend to give the room a subtle feeling of nausea and the hard bench type furniture was uncomfortable. The bedding was of good quality but they must have contracted with a lumber company for the mattresses. My wife was particularly disappointed in the bathroom. It was cramped, with barely enough room for one person to turn around. There was no counter space and even the tub was scaled down to fit in such a small space. The old Clift had spacious, well appointed, marble bathrooms.The lobby and public areas have very dim lighting, which seemed stylish and attractive at first, but then became annoying. The elevator compartment was so darkened you could not even see the person standing next to you.They have even ruined the famous Redwood Room Bar. All of the warmth and intimacy of the old Redwood Room is missing, replaced by garish lighting and hard, uninviting bench type seats. The hostess greeted us at entrace with "Oh .. are you here to inquire about reservations?". Acutally, we just wanted a glass of wine before going to dinner, but after seeing what has been done to the ambiance, I was almost in tears.Unless you are attacted to dark spaces and synthetic materials, I would give this hotel a pass. We certainly will not be back. -So me and my boyfriend went back to San Francisco as we love it there. We wanted somewhere central, and easily acessable, and the Mosser was definitely that. The location is perfect, right off Market, so you have all the shops and food places you need around you, as well as the Bart and Muni stations right across the street. We had a very early flight to SF, and online the hotel said check-in after 3pm, but we went and spoke to them when we arrived and they got a room ready for us for 12pm, which was fantastic as we needed a nap! Also the guy on front desk (young guy with glasses) was super friendly and VERY knowledgable about the area, he was a great help when we needed directions.There was a couple of problems in the room; when we got there, the toilet blocked after 1 flush, we called front desk and they sent a plumber up promptly. Sadly it wasn't really "fixed" as it kept blocking again and again, so we had to use the hallway, shared bathroom, even though we payed extra for our own. There was no free internet, and it was something like $20 a day, which is crazy when you just want to check your emails. Also a minor niggle; I really would have liked a few more toiletries! But that's just my opinion from previous hotels giving away much more!Also the rooms don't have air con, just a ceiling fan, which meant we had to sleep with the windows open which was very noisy.All in all the hotel was fine. It was very very clean, spotless in fact, and all the staff were very friendly (we loved Joe, the bag handler!) the location was amazing, and the room was comfy enough, so I would recommend to a friend for sure. -We stayed here for 1 night prior to our trip to Yosemite. The room was very clean and well furnished. The bed was comfortable. Free parking is a definate benefit in San Francisco and the location so near to Fishermans Wharf was great. The room had free wifi and there is free coffee in the reception. On the downside, the walls were a little thin and you can hear people outside, however this did not affect how we slept. The hallways and stairs leading to the rooms were also not the most attractive but we would definately stay again if we were in san Francisco. -My husband and I stayed at the Villa Florence over Labor Day weekend, and it was a perfect spot. No need to have a car, the BART is near if you are coming in from the airport, as well as the trolley just down the block and cabs are plentiful. We loved the complimentary wine and the decor of the lobby. We received friendly help with restaurant recommendations and were pleased over their suggestions. Loved the Aveda products and even though the room was small, it was cozy and it's not as if you are going to the city by the bay to stay in your room the whole time anyway! I have recommended to friends to stay there and will definitely return to the Villa Florence. It reminded me of European boutique hotels that I've stayed in. -It was just a one-night trip, visiting friends. I had no choice, since it was booked via Priceline the day before.First off the positives in no particular order: IPOD alarm clock, plush bed and linens, tastefully decorated.Lastly in no particular order: Mini frig, even though it's inside the TV armoire, was particularly noisy. The key for the minibar was broken, so I'm not sure an employee or a previous guest ate or drank something. Room was small, even though I seemed to have one of the bigger rooms on the floor, based on the emergency floor plan. My room number was 709 facing O'Farrell. I had a view of the Columbia Hotel (rundown) and a view of the Hilton kitty corner to the Serrano.The bathroom was small. There was no room to place toiletries. I had to use part of the bathtub and the top of the toilet to place toiletries. The toilet location was awkward. You couldn't close the door to use it, if you know what I mean. The shower pressure was excellent.The rooms along O'Farrell don't have enough sound insulation from the road noise below. I can't imagine what it must sound like on the lower floors.Room service selections sparse for a supposed 4-star hotel and you must order between 5-10pm for dinner.The area isn't too bad. Just don't go west or south (Tenderloin). Go north, and you hit Nob Hill. Go east, and you hit Union Square.If you need parking, park across the street at the California Garage for $32 total. It was advertised as $26 with in and out privileges, but there is a 25% tax on parking (RIP OFF). But it's better than paying $44 at the Serrano.What else? The fitness center was well equipped. It had 2 treadmills, a recumbant bike, 2 elliptical trainers, and I think it was one of those ski things. Anyways, the cardio equipment were equipped with personal cable TV's. It had a small area for free weights, had one multi-purpose lifting machine, and a weight bench. It was satisfactory.The business center was pay per use.Check-in was friendly; however, checkout was not after expressing my dissatisfaction with the outside noise on the O'Farrell side of the hotel.Overall, NOT a 4-star. I would maybe rate this as a 3.5 star. I would only stay here, if it was priced under $100 a night. -Pros- Comfortable modern hotel (like all other Marriotts)- Nice beds and room decor (quiet with no street noise)- Lots of taxis right outside the door- Most rooms have a sofabed and either a King or 2 Queens so you can accomodate 3-4 adults in a pinch-Free internet access - staff were attentive, courteous and professionalCons- Location - too far from the happening Union square area and is consequently dead at night- Breakfast is not included so you're stuck with their overpriced buffet (avoid at all costs - the pastries were old and stale) or alternatively head into the Starbucks and grab a morning snack. Unfortunately, due to their location there are no breakfast eateries close by.BottomlineI would have no problems recommending this hotel or staying here again on a future visit to San Francisco. -Not a good hotel and not a bad hotel. It goes to what is important when you are on a business trip. Parking is $55.00 per night. Drive one block up from the hotel and there is the parking garage that the hotel uses. Self park there for $20 per night. Internet is $17 per day. Three doors down at Starbucks it's free. Noisy. Requested a room on one of the upper floors. Got the 18th floor and we could hear music and revelers from the bar across the street and streetsweepers woke us up at 4am. The inconvenience for business travelors doesn't make this place competitive with the customer service oriented, comparably priced boutique hotels that surround it. -I expected more from the Sheraton. Their staff was rude, the beds were hard, and if they didn't forget to leave tea bags, they forgot stirring sticks, sugar, or cups. One day we returned to our room and there were ants all over the coffee counter because the maids did not clean up.Parking was extremely expensive at $30 something a day. We could have stayed at a less expensive place for the same exact quality or even better.For a better stay I recommend the Nob Hill Hotel. The rooms are tiny, but very clean and comfortable. It feels very San Francisco. -We met up with a friend in San Francisco and he booked this hotel for us so the first I knew of it was when we arrived (after spending 2 weeks driving from New York). The hotel is in the business district but is good looking with a nice lobby. The area has a few bars and restaurants but it's also well located for public transport to all the other areas so it's a decent location. The inside of the hotel is clean and well decorated, the rooms are spotlessly clean but are tiny - most have the sink in the bedroom as the en-suite shower room is a (well) converted cupboard. The beds are also small by American standards but are comfortable. Unfortunately we did encountera few problems whilst staying here - firstly, when we arrived we were given our electronic room key (swipe card style) however when we got to our room it didn't work. My husband went back to the lobby and returned with a member of staff who also tried the key before agreeing that, we were right, it didn't work. My friend sympathised as he had experienced the same problem when he had checked in the day before. The staff were helpful though and immediately moved us to a different (slightly bigger) room, where the key worked perfectly, until we returned from a night out! We tried to get into our new room and had the same problem as earlier. My husband and I returned to the lobby and explained our problem to the receptionist who had some issues understanding us. For some reason she insisted on checking her computer and then announced that there was no one staying at the Mosser that night with out surname! This was quite a surprise as, we explained, all our belongings were currently locked in a room several floors above our heads! After repeating ourselves several times (each time met with a polite if slightly irritating smile!) before my husband had to go out for some air. I decided to write our surname down for the receptionist in case she had been spelling it wrong (mishearing our M's for N's perhaps?) and finally had some success - she found our details and called for a security guard with a master key who escorted us back to our room and let us in. All in all, this place is nice, clean and well situated but make sure you prepare yourself for malfunctioning room keys and slightly confused (but always polite!) reception staff! -We read reviews on this hotel on trip advisor and picked the hotel because of them. I am glad we did! This hotel is fantastic, I am almost afraid to let people know about it, because I want it to remain the same price and have availability next time I go. The location is perfect and we were able to catch a bus or trolley easily to anywhere we were going, just a few blocks away. Great restaurants nearby. Whenever we return we will always stay at this hotel! The owners are great and our 4 year old loved talking to them every day. -I travel to San Francisco often for work; the St. Regis is the nicest and coolest one I have stayed at yet! The decor is modern, but not over the top modern, just contemporary. Beautifully appointed entry and very welcoming staff. They walked me up to my room to explain the new technology - which is highlighted by a digital device that controls everything from room service to lighting to the do not disturb sign, all with bedside convenience. The beds are fluffy and obviously extremely clean. The place was spotless. Bathroom necessities smell amazing, was tempted to swipe them! The gym is great, not huge but certainly new and good equipment. There is also a huge pool, if you are a swimmer be sure to visit. I did not use the spa during my stay but the menu looked extensive. There is a Japanese restaurant inside the hotel that had amazing sushi. The price is pretty high, but well worth it in today's market, especially for business travelers. My only complaint is that my friend parked there for 2 1/2 hours and it cost her $36. I'm from NYC and I think that is pretty insane. Overall, fantastic. -I booked this based on Tripadvisor comments. It's in a handy location if you are fairly fit and don't mind walking. There were myself and my wife plus 2 teenagers, 18 & 16. It was about 15 mins walk to Fisherman's Wharf and 30 mins to downtown. Rooms were clean enough and comfortable but were a bit gloomy. Staff were very friendly and helpful. There is car parking if required and the hotel is in an OK location but don't stray too far away at night. No problems but just didn't impress me particularly but the rates is very good for SF. -First of all the staff is top notch and the location is amazing! Unfotunately thats all this hotel has on it's side. We had a room on the 2nd floor and stayed for 2 long nights. The rooms are tiny, very old, and LOUD. We could hear pipes rattling from toilets flushing and random noises keeping us up all night. The room looked and sounded like the hotel is held together with thick layers of paint. The room windows looked out onto a tin roof with pigeons at eye level. We felt after the first night that we should find another hotel. Because we were only staying the weekend it would be more hassel than it was worth. The elevator from the lobby is impossibly slow and the stairs are a spiral staircase of death if you choose to walk them.Don't let the pictures and the fancy lobby fool you.....this is not a 3 star hotel!!!! -The Handlery was an exceptional Hotel. Right on the edge of Union Square in the middle of Downtown. Couldn't ask for a better location. the Hotel staff was friendly and always helpful. Our room was always keep clean and neat. We stayed in the older section of the Hotel in a small but comfortable room. It has been well maintained for its age. Your within walking distance to many attractions including Chinatown, the cable cars and Union Square itself. Dozens of restaurants are also within walking distance. Yes, there were plenty of panhandlers around. But that is true for the entire City. None of them bothered us. If your used to the City this hotel would suit you just fine. -It's no secret that the Parc 55 Hotel is in the path of lots of street noise, especially if you are facing Market Street. The sirens are the biggest culprit at all hours of the night, but it's something you get used to pretty quickly. The hotel is really nice and the rooms are comfortable. The views are amazing. We are certainly in the category of budget travelers who were pleasantly surprised that this hotel showed up on a Priceline bid.We were double upgraded at check in. Our Priceline rate assured us a Deluxe Room (up to the 19th floor with a king bed). We asked for a high room and got a 20th floor View Room (20th-26th floors) with two double beds. The double beds are considered an upgrade at this hotel....at least price wise. We were very satisfied. No problems at check in, but we did not get in until 8:30 p.m......no line at all.We liked the 37" flat screen TV and the 5 soft pillows on each bed. The noise kept us up the first night, but we did better with our sleep from there. No problems with housekeeping. The room was very clean. Thanks to the great information on Trip Advisor, we knew not to rent a car. We were glad to avoid the very high nightly parking rates and the hotel is right on The Powell Station for BART and the cable car turnaround. It was easy to get around town. We bought a City Pass at the Visitor's Center at the Powell Station and it was a reasonable value.We did not use the Internet service or the restaurant. There was a nice mall acroos the street with cheaper dining options. The business center would have cost us $20.00 to print out our boarding passes, but the Concierge did it without charge.....and we tipped for the courtesy. The bellman was very accommodating and held our bags after checkout so we could sight see with free hands up until 2:30 p.m. when we needed to head for the airport.We were pleased with the hotel. It met everyone of our very basic needs and was in a really nice location for wide eyed tourists like us. We would certainly stay here again. -I was concerned about trying a new hotel in the Union Square area. I was drawn in by the web site and decided to go ahead and take a chance. From the superior front desk staff, on site parking, its proximity to shopping and trolley, variety of dining choices, contemporary decor, very comfortable bed, clean bathrooms I was so pleased by it all. Union square is a busy, noisy place late into the night and early morning however I was not bothered by the street noise with a courtyard room, or a third floor street side room my guess is that the windows are insulated well. I enjoyed the rain shower head and flat screen TV. I missed the evening wine hour but did enjoy the coffee bar in the morning. I will definitely stay again. If you are concerned about noise, view or air conditioning call the hotel at booking because several different room amenities are available just let them know your preferences -This hotel is amazing: checking-in is a breeze, everyone is extremely helpfull and friendly! We stayed here 8 nights from 24th August untill 1st September 2004 according to their long stay package: we had a deluxe bay view king room: amazing views, definitely worth having a room facing the bay! Ask for a West Tower room, overlooking Transamerica Pyramid, Coit Tower, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz,... you name it! The staff is so friendly, everyone knew our name after two days... roomservice is great, housekeeping is wonderfull, location of the hotel is really good for shopping and exploring the city on foot: we went to Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, Coit Tower, Pacific Heights,... the hotel is located nearby....the food & breakfast are unbelievable... enjoy this hotel for the time you're staying there, cause it will be over before you know it! Great hotel! -It was such a delight to stay at Petite Auberge for two nights. It is centrally located and the walk from Market/Powell is about ten minutes. As a Joy of Life Member (apply for free on the hotel's website), my boyfriend and I were upgraded to a queen guest room with a fireplace. We were also given a complimentary split of red wine and bon bons which was included in the free membership. The evening reception was fantastic (gourmet cheese and crackers, vegetable tray, apple streusel, and wine (red, white) and sherry. Bottled water is free. The complimentary breakfast was delicious (scrambled and boiled eggs, sausage, quiche, danishes, scones, croissants, assortment of breads (great sourdough, wheat, white), fresh cut fruit, coffee, tea, orange juice, and cranberry juice). The local paper was delivered every morning and they had USA Today available in the lounge with a fireplace. The hotel is very quaint and cozy and really does feel like a small French country inn. The hotel staff from the concierge to housekeeping were friendly and knowledgeable. The front desk recommended a great tapas place in the Mission District and also printed by boarding passes for me.I met a couple during the evening reception that told me they stayed at Petite Auberge 16 years ago. I can understand why they returned and I certainly plan to do the same the next time I visit SF! -We stayed here as our first stop from Australia on American holiday. I was not sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. Location is excellent less than 2 blocks from fishermans Wharf & easy walking distance to cable tram and other attractions. We have 2 children 11 & 14 and it was a great location with low noise and comfortable facilities. The free breakfast was simple but nice & fantastic cost saver to start our holiday.There is a great bar acrooss the road called Knuckles and if you like beer you must go to Jac's bar which is easy walking distance. San Francisco was great and this hotel excellent way to see it all from... -This was our third stay at the Grand Hyatt, San Francisco, so we are obviously pleased with the property. We find the overall location perfect, right at Union Square, close to the BART, Westfield Mall, walking distance to the Embarcadero, North Beach and Chinatown. We ended up walking almost everywhere we needed to go, except for a taxi ride to a Russian Hill area restaurant.Our room was as expected, on the Gold Passport Floor with a pleasant upgrade allowing us access to the Regency Lounge. This is a very nice lounge overlooking the city for coffee in the morning, drinks in the afternoon and dessert in the evening. A nice place to relax while reading the newspaper and talking over plans for the day.Service from the front desk and concierge was pleasant and efficient. We had the opportunity to stay at the new Intercontinental and also the nearby Fairmont for this visit, but chose the Grand Hyatt, mostly because its location was ideal for what we wanted to do and we are comfortable with the level of service and amenities. -I stayed here in June of 2008 and the customer service was awesome, bed was comfy and the location can't be beat in terms of walking to shopping, museums, etc. The room was a bit small but given the prime location it is understandable that a builder would want to create as many possible rooms while still maintaining comfort. I would stay here again - I like kimpton hotels and liked this even better than the palomar (where I stayed on a prior visit). -My 18-yr old dtr and I just returned from staying 4 nights at the Tuscan Inn in San Francisco. We had never traveled there and booked the trip thru Priceline. Tuscan was wonderful! The rooms were clean and nicely decorated. The rooms were also quiet and we felt safe. The location was great, just a few blocks from Fisherman's Wharf. One day we got a day pass and took the cable cars and buses to view other parts of the city such as Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, Painted Ladies houses. The bus line we needed was just across the street and the cable car was a block away. Again, the location was great! The 5-6 pm complimentary wine hour was a nice feature. They did have soda for younger people, but ran out so my dtr didn't get anything to drink. In the morning there is complimentary tea, coffee, hot chocolate and biscotti. We arrived at the Oakland Airport and took BART to get to SanFrancisco and then the f-line muni to get to Fisherman's Wharf. It was ok, but it took a good hour to get to our motel. It cost about $8 per person to travel this way. We decided to take a shuttle back to the Oakland Airpost. There was a shuttle that advertised $23 for one person and $10 for additional people...so it cost $33 which was worth it. It only took about 20-25 minutes by shuttle to get back to the Oakland Airport. I'd definately stay at the Tuscan Inn again. Other places I'd recommend seeing include Alcatraz (audio tour), Muir Woods tour, and biking the Golden Gate bridge. -I have nothing but good things to say about the Carlton. We did not really know what to expect when we booked rooms for my husband and myself, and one for our two college age sons, except that it had good reviews, was moderately priced (by San Francisco standards) and was well located in the city. From the moment we entered the attractive lobby and were greeted by the friendly, personable staff, we knew we'd made a good choice.The excellent, friendly service continued throughout our stay. The managers had helpful guides to city attractions, and made very good suggestions for local restaurants and cafes. There were many great breakfast places within easy walking distance, and a small grocery store and a Rite Aide, as well. Taxi service was swift and convenient. The Carlton also offers a wine bar happy hour each day.The rooms were attractively furnished and immaculate. The hotel also uses green practices, conserving water and energy which we appreciated. Last but not least, the Carlton has personality. So many chain hotels feel generic, but the Carlton instead feels unique and privately owned, although it is part of the Joie De Vivre chain. Based on our experience, I would seek out their hotels in other cities.Overall, we had an excellent experience and highly recommend the Carlton! -This is not a bad hotel. The rooms are a bit small, but not unusual for San Francisco. The location is quite good:close to excellent restaurants and the waterfront for walking. Not far from shopping. But... the service is poor, and for those used to staying in Kimpton hotels... this Kimpton is a real surprise. The staff attitude ranges from perfunctory to rude.( Example: a staff member named Mark actually snapped at me at the wine tasting when I tried to find out what kind of wine was being offered. Problem was I don't just order by color.)There is simply not the service-oriented feeling one is used to in this hotel group. If you want the attentive, upscale experience of the Kimpton group, try the Argonaut. We went there to make reservations for dinner and walking through the lobby were greeted by the doorman and two people at the front desk. Yes, those "little touches" do make a difference and they are worth paying for. We've learned our lesson. -The staff were very friendly when checking in. The decor was fresh and atmospheric. The room was large and comfortable. The location is fantastic with restaurants, shops, diners very close. If I picked fault then I would say that the sanitary fittings were a bit worn and the air con unit (which we needed) was noisy. But all in all it was great value and I would not hesitate to recommend the Rex. -We were a little worried about staying at this hotel because of poor reviews we had read online. But the price was so much cheaper than anything else in the area, that we decided to risk it. We needn't have worried! The location was fine--downtown SF is downtown SF. We never felt unsafe, even as we walked a mile to see a show late at night. The room with a 2nd sofabed was humongous! I've never had such a large hotel room without paying much more. It was perfectly clean, and the furnishings were very nice and elegant. There was a coffee maker, blow dryer, fridge, microwave, clock radio and internet access! The continental breakfast was great, the pool was beautiful, and the free parking was...well, free parking! The staff and other guests were extremely friendly and helpful.I would most definitely stay here again, and recommend it to all my friends. -This hotel was excellent. The staff including Brandy who checked us in the hotel, made sure everything was correct and special. We had a great view of the ocean..alcatraz and even the top of the golden gate bridge. Our room was extremely neat and clean each and everyday. The bed made, carpet cleaned, bathroom sparkling. The breakfast was a wonderful way to start the day of sight seeing. It was always busy and always well stocked. Internet access throught their computers was fast and we were even able to print directions. Checking out was a breeze. We stayed nine nights and we can't wait to stay again!!!!Bob and Donna...Tn fans in the land of the golden hotel -Had a corner room, high up, with a nice view of the city. Fairly close to Union Square and the financial district. OK check in, nothing too friendly, but accomodating. Marble-style lobby with lots of black and brown. Rooms had the usual amenities, were quiet, and bathroom was nice. Room was in good shape. Didn't eat at the restaurant. Hallways were bright. Elevators were quick. Decent gym. Overall, a good stay. -We stayed at the Hotel Rex and the rooms were clean and neat and the hotel staff are very friendly, helpful and provide you with exceptional customer service. The bathrooms are a very nice size and bedroom was a good size, TV is small. Our only drawback was the too soft bed, but the linens made up for it. The location is perfect and close to everything. We found this hotel a very good deal as we purchased the "buy 2 nights and get the 3rd night free". We would recommend staying there. -Spent two nights at the W and it was just what I would expect from a W. The front desk was friendly and efficient. Even though I was early, they were able to get me into my room right away.I was on the 29th floor and had a great view of the city. The room was very clean and had nice amenities (ipod charger, conveniently located electrical plugs, books about SF, DVD player). Love the bliss products in the bathroom. As usual, for a Starwood property, the bed was soooooo comfortable. The location was great, very centrally located for shopping, dining and public transportation. The hotel definitely caters to a younger, hipper crowd than I, but I never felt out of place. I had a drink at the hotel bar and the bartender was friendly and made a great cocktail.I liked it better then some of the other W's I have stayed at and would definitely stay there again. -My wife and I stayed here on our honeymoon for 2 nights in early March and had a great stay.I had booked a room at another hotel on hotels.com on Jan. 6th though. Then 4 days before we were to start our honeymoon in San Fran., hotels.com send me an e-mail to say they had to change my reservation from a hotel downtown to a hotel at the airport. I rufused and was given a refund and no hotel. There was a huge 30,000 person convention in town at the same time so all the hotels were full. I got lucky though and was able to book a bay view room at The Argonaut. This was the best thing that could of happened to us! This place was amazing! We arrived at the hotel around 12:30pm and were able to check in right away! The staff were all so nice and called us by name whenever they saw us. The room was amazing! We had a beautiful view of Alcatraz Island and could even see the golden gate. Internet worked great and the TV was fine. It's not a big fancy TV, but we didn't fly all the way to San Fran. to watch TV anyway. What made our stay so great was the concierge. There was a wonderful young lady there that recommended 2 wonderful resturants for dinners and an amazing dim sum resturant for lunch. We enjoyed San Fran. way more then we ever thought we would and we owe that to The Argonaut Hotel and there staff. We can't wait to come visit again. -I think all the positives, and negatives, described here are true. It is a quaint, maybe quirky old hotel in a decent location. Nicely decorated and excellent personal service. The breakfast was good, although the "hot" items were lukewarm. The bed was comfortable. Yes, the fixtures are old, wood/tile floors are old, there's some rust in the bathroom. If this bugs you, don't book here. My biggest complaint was the street noise in the second floor room. About every hour, we awoke to a new sound: car horn, loud talking on the street, arguing, garbage truck, tires skidding, etc. I wrote the hotel and recommended that they get dual paned windows. The hotel replied that I should have asked for a higher floor. So, if this is the kind of place for you, either wear excellent earplugs at night or get as high of a floor as possible. -This was our first trip to San Francisco and Nob Hill was a great hotel for us! The staff was excellent---helped us with getting our MUNI pass; setting up day tours for us for two of the days we were there and the tours were superb; told us where to eat on Polk street and gave us other numerous suggestions.The hotel is in a quiet neighborhood, which we preferred to downtown or other parts of town and the cable cars and buses were very easy to access. The price was great considering that of other places, the kingsize bed very comfortable and the continental breakfast was very satisfying as we set out each day. I would definitely return and recommend it. Judy and Frank and their staff are very helpful. -We stayed at the Hotel Whitcomb (formerly Ramada (@ 8th & Market) in San Francisco during Easter weekend 2007. We read the previous reviews that said this hotel was not very good and it was in a bad area. That could not be further from the truth! Yes, there are some homeless people walking around, but they do not bother you! They are mostly around the touristy parts (near Union Square, etc.). The hotel was recently refurbished, very clean and well kept. Our room was nice and clean. It was not huge, but how much time do you really spend in the hotel?? The girl at the concierge desk wasn't as bright and knowledgeable as she could have been, save your time and get a map yourself. We paid $80 a night (Friday/Saturday night AND during a holiday weekend), that was the AAA rate. Not bad considering the Holiday Inn just around the corner was $200/night. The BART drops you off right in front of the hotel, it's about a 3-block walk to catch the trolley/cable car, or you can catch the street car right in front of the hotel to Market and Powell, where you catch the cable car. Also, another tip that we found out while we were there, yes ride the cable cars because of the novelty, but the "F" Street street car goes directly to Fisherman's Wharf and back. You may find yourself waiting an hour or more to catch the cable car down by the Wharf! Just hop on the street car and you'll save some time!Overall, this was a good hotel at a decent price. We will absolutely stay there again!!! -This is an excellent little motel in a great location. The cable car stops 2 blocks away, buses right outside. You can walk to Fishermans Wharf and Downtown in about 15/20 minutes. Room was very big with loads of storage space. The couple who run this motel are very helpful and friendly. Loads of nice shops, bars and restaurants right around the corner in the Russian Hill area. Would recommend this place for anyone looking for a good, quiet location, but who doesn't want to spend a fortune. Would definitely stay there again. -My family and I have been traveling all over California for our vacation of the year. When we were in San Francisco we decided to take advantage of the free breakfast, good location, good rate, and free wi fi and decided after a few choices to go with this hotel. The room was very clean, but some rooms that are on the side have the view of the other side of the hotel because it is oddly shaped. So if possible try to get a room with a view. The room was very nice we got a room with double beds. The bathroom was tiny and the shower took some time to get hot. The breakfast was complementary but our family likes to sleep in a little so when we got to the breakfast there was limited choices because most things got used up. So get there early. There is wi fi in the room but it is a plug in which was still ok but in the lobby it is wireless. We liked that the hotel was in Fisherman's Wharf and that it was near the cable cars and things. We liked this hotel but the service was okay we asked for extra towels through the phone and the towels came about 1 hour later so the service is ok not the best. I will defenitly stay at this hotel again. -I attended a meeting last week organized by my company, and had no idea what the Hotel Monaco was all about. I'd never heard of it. I can only say that it was the most unique, comfortable, stunning hotel I've ever had the pleasure of checking in to. The room was decent size but the decor was beyond outstanding. Colorful, fun, cozy, warm and inviting. The front desk staff were great. There's a restaurant that has an impressive two story ceiling with incredible light fixtures, display kitchen and decent if short menu. On my next visit to San Francisco I will definitely stay at the Monaco. -Excellent hotel in a very excellent location. I have to admit that our room was right next to Lombard, so a little noisy, but not bad. The hotel was great and the service outstanding. Our room was small but very unique and quaint. We walked almost everywhere from the hotel and had no problems. Highly recommended. -I stayed here for a conference. The staff were helpful and the Atrium is quite a grand place. The room was fine - clean and spacious. Slightly odd smell to the hotel, probably something in their cleaning fluids? The hotel is close to the Piers and everything you want to see is within walking distance. Some of the reviewers have complained about the high price of breakfast. There is a croissant/bun shop ('Les Croissants') just across the road from the hotel entrance, I'd recommend buying breakfast from there. -Incredible location. Very comfortable rooms and beds. Great place to stay! -My first trip to SF and on quiet the budget. My friend and I stayed here for a week and we had no problems. We got a room with shared bath. The bathrooms were very clean and we didn't have any problems with them being to busy. The toliets were tight. Need to suck in that belly to close the door. That really didn't bother me at all. I just loved the great location and the excellent price. Very safe and easy to use the public transportation less than a block away. This is a great budget place to be. Don't expect the glitz. If you have it, go spend your $200 plus a night somewhere else. I am tired of people expecting a 5 star hotel at $70 a night. -This hotel is perfect for those on a budget but still expect reasonable standards!The staff were excellent, very friendly and helpful. The location is very convenient. The rooms are very clean and have everything you might need for your stay.We did find it quite noisy with traffic. -We stayed there this past weekend and LOVED it! The front desk was friendly and prompt. The 24 hr. valet was fast as well. We had an ultra clean, large corner room with views of Coit Tower and the Wharf. The location was perfect for a walk to the wharf and North Beach. Morning coffee and biscotti was a nice touch as well as the all you can drink free wine hour in the evening. You will not go wrong here! -Got a great rate from Hotwire and stayed at the Clift for 3 nights. Staff was friendly and always smiling. My wife and I traveled with our 2 year old toddler and we felt very comfortable in the room. Room size was small for a four star hotel and also the bathroom. But everything was clean and housekeeping is very courteous and helpful. Ipod dock in room was a nice touch as I left my charger back home. Don't expect too much from the room. It has a king size bed, comfortable sheets and comforter. The table in the room is a little small, television seems like it was bought from a surplus shop back in the early 90s but DVD player was appreciated. (movie rentals are available for about 12 bucks a night it would make more sense to buy a DVD disc at Borders or Virgin which are both a few blocks away.) There was also a serious lack of storage space in the room.Bathroom was tight. I mean real tight.Noise from the street is real bad. Once of the drawbacks of being in the city, I guess.Overall, we enjoyed our stay at the Clift and would stay there again if given a competitive rate. Location was perfect for a weekend of just lounging and shopping. -The hotel is in a great location and the staff are excellent, very helpful and friendly. The rooms were a good size with all the amenities you need. The hallways could do with a bit of modernisation as they are very drab and dark. My only complaint is the noise level!!! Due to the great location the noise levels in the early hours of the morning are very high and we were awoken from our sleep on several occasions. The staff were very obliging and moved us to a different room where the noise was not so bad.I would stay here again as the location and staff far out weighs the excessive noise. -I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend stay at Hotel Rex.Staff were excellent and helpful. Room was clean and well equipped. Excellent location for "getting out on foot" to see the City.In that I prefer to spend money on a weekend trip on excellent food and other activities, this hotel at $135 was every bit as good for the purpose as would have been the Marriott, where I moved to on Monday to attend a conference, at $249, (and I don't recall the Marriott offering a couple of free glasses of wine per day either!) -This hotel was foisted on us by RCI time-shares, and was presented as an up-scale establishment. When we pulled up, I was very worried, but the lobby was in excellent shape, and seemed promising. What a disappointment! When we checked in, I specifically asked for a quiet room, as we have a kid with sleep problems. So, of course, they put us on the Van Ness side of the building which is incredibly noisy. Everything you read in the negative reviews is true. Frankly, the people who say this place is okay for the money are dreaming. After we got to our room, we had a lengthy discussion about checking out and moving to the Courtyard, where you at least get free internet. Cathedral Hill has Wi-Fi only, at a cost of over $15 per day. Even the Holiday Inn up the street had free internet service.Negatives: Rooms and hallways are filthy. We asked housekeeping to at least take care of the mildew mural in our shower. Was never cleaned up. Last 2 days of our stay one of the elevators was out of service and consequently had extremely lengthy waits to get downstairs. Absolutely NO amenities beyond a blow-dryer, iron and coffe maker. No refrigerator, no free internet, absolutely THE MOST uncomfortable beds I have slept in in 20 years of traveling for business. I want to know who the people were who posted the review that said they had wine in their rooms! What hotel was that?! And the icing on the cake: I heard people requesting refrigerators, so we asked for one to be sent to our room. Bien sur! Only $5 per day to have a refrigerator in your room. Outrageous. I'm surprised they didn't charge for the air we were breathing.Also, because of the proximity to the Tenderloin, there really are a tremendous number of homeless people around the hotel, and some of them are pretty aggressive about working the tourists.Positives: 1. Hotel security and the guys working the garage were very nice and very helpful. 2. It's across the street from Tommy's Joynt restaurant, absolutely the best meal buy in town. Tommy's Joynt consistently ranked as Best Cheap Eats in town by SF Chronicle. Van Ness Bakery across the street is a great bargain for breakfast. 3. You can get the bus to ATT Park right in front of the hotel.Net/net, no way is this a 3-star hotel. I have stayed in Super 8s that were far cleaner and better appointed.P.S. Mel's Diner is over-priced and over-rated. We thought it extremely expensive for the quality and quantity of food served, and either the wait-staff or kitchen are unbelievably slow. -I have very mixed feeling about Petite Auberge (stayed 6 nights). There is much to love and a few things that just should not be at this kind of property. First the positives: great staff - very helpful front desk, service at the wine reception and breakfast was great and our housekeeper was absolutely delightful. The afternoon wine and nibblies were great and breakfast was the best we had during our 3 weeks in Northern California. The neutrals: we had one of the smaller rooms (cosy queen) and it was adaquate but nothing special (rather basic). For such a great location, the value was good by having the smaller room. Now the negatives: the biggest is the internet service. Petite Auberge is the only property that charged for internet service ($7.99/night) on our 3 weeks in Northern California. This was not disclosed (that I saw) on the Web site. At a property of this stature, I feel that this is a bit cheesy. The second issue is that many rooms face the back alley. Because nights in SF, even in the summer are quite cool, having the windows open is a delight. [BTW - I did not see A/C availability in the room but it might have been - open windows were great]. In the back alley, every morning around 5 a.m. is the garbage pickup. For about 10 min. there is quite a racket that you will not sleep through. So if you have a back alley room and do not have the windows closed and the heat on, I would inquire about the A/C and if available use it. -I stayed at this hotel for a week. We had nothing but problems. When we first arrived our room had a filthy bathroom, no hangers, and a broken window which we had to tie a belt to so no one would crawl in. We were able to change rooms the next day. This room was cleaner but the ceiling fan was broken. We were given a small table fan which did not help. Despite asking to speak to the manger for a week he was always "unavailable". The location is fantastic and within walking distance of the Fishermans Wharf area and Lombard Street. The continental breakfast is okay and the staff there were very nice, often letting stragglers in after the posted 9 am closing.The bar and restaurant have been closed and abandoned leaving empty rooms which give a ghettoish appearance. parking after 8 pm was a challenge as there are not enough spaces for all of the cars.Although the price was cheap for San Francisco and the location was good I would not advise anyone to stay here. The hotel is very worn, in great disrepair and management clearly could care less. Please do not stay here. -An environmentally conscious hotel. The staff are efficient, helpful, and friendly. The room was clean and comfortable. Great value for location and service. -If you enjoy "old school" service and city elegance, you will love the Omni San Francisco. The decor is elegant and the service friendly and impeccable. From the moment we arrived, everyone on staff bent over backwards to accommodate every request and everyone down to the maintance guy in the hall had a cheerful greeting for you. The concierge, Lex ,was incredibley helpful. The room was well-appointed and the bed with crisp sheets and duvet very comfortable. Sign up for Omni' frequent stay program and enjoy benefits on your first stay including complimentary beverage (you can choose both coffee and juice/bottled water per person) and choice of newspaper delivered each morning at the time you choose. Yes - the bar and restaurant are on the expensive to the OMG side - especially if you dive into the steak menu at dinner ($54 for a veal chop - wow!) but have to say I had a wonderful burger in the bar one night and did not begrudge the $19 price tag because it was so good. Breakfast was also pricey (and not as outstanding) but you can add pastries, fruit and even a breakfast sandwich on to your complimentary breakfast beverage order for not too big a hit so we went that route and enjoyed a more affordable breakfast in our room. As for location, you cannot beat this spot for convenience to the Ferry Building, Union Square, China Town and all other points. Buy a three-day pass ($18) from the front desk and you can ride the trolley (stops right in front of the hotel), the vintage buses and regular buses to your hearts content. Also, if you plan to go to the Tut exhibit, ask the concierge if they have any leftover VIP passes. They cost a few bucks more but you can go whenever you want and bypass the long line by using the VIP line once inside the museum - you just have to promise the concierge that you will be discreet and not a big blowhard about having a VIP pass..... -We had a great two night stay in Dec 2008. Hotel staff were very accomodating with our 18 month old- providing a cot, toy and stroller for him. The staff were friendly and upbeat. Our room was also upgraded. Our only dissappointment was the food at the downstairs restaurant- way too expensive and did not meet expectations. -Loved everything about the stay - there for the Nike Woman's Marathon - Lovely location would go again - very nice - -I love the Mosser Hotel! This was the PERFECT hotel for my weekend adventure in San Francisco. Located conveniently on Fourth St, the hotel within walking distance to BART and the #30 & #45 city bus known as MUNI stops within several yards of the Mosser's front door. How convenient. I did not need my car for the entire 3 day/2 night stay. The #30 bus (Stockton) is down the street on Market and Third, and this will take you all the way to Chinatown. If you want to continue to Fisherman's Wharf, the Marina District and the Palace of Fine Arts / The Exploratorium, the #30 will take you there too.The entire staff at this hotel is professional, courteous and attentive. They answered my questions and provided information on restaurants and bus routes. My room had a queen bed and I chose the shared bath for the price. Next time I will upgrade for a few bucks more and get a room with a bath. Upon entering my room, the temperature was warm, but luckily there was a ceiling fan and a window to open for some breeze. The bed was comfortable and a small tv was located at the foot of the bed. My room was nicely decorated and modern looking. Closet was small, but adequate. In my room, the hotel provided a blowdryer, lotion, shampoo and a small bar of soap. The shared baths were very clean and there were bathrooms designated for male and female. The shower room was clean. Not once during my visit did I have to wait. There is a restaurant/bar attached to the hotel called Annabelle's, but I did not get a chance to try it. In the morning, the hotel offers coffee and muffins and there was always a lovely basket of red delicious apples through out the day at the reception area. The hotel's elevator is large and efficient and runs well. A snack machine and a vending machine for water/sodas is located on the bottom floor.The location is wonderful. There are loads and loads and loads of stores to visit and shop til you drop within walking distance of the Mosser. Bloomies, Ross, Old Navy, Westfield Shopping Center within a stones throw of this hotel. There is a Denny's and a Mel's Drive In Restaurant and Starbucks just around the corner too. What I liked best about this hotel is the proximity of it's location to stores, bus routes, BART, Union Sqare, restaurants. It was absolutely perfect.Upon check out, it took no more than 15-20 minutes for the valet to bring my car to the front door for me. I honestly do not have one negative thing to say about this hotel.The Mosser Hotel Rocks and I'll be going back real soon. -Just got back from a long weekend at the Inn at Union Square. What a wonderful place! We booked a queen room, but got a small suite at the front of the hotel - the bed was a little smaller, but it had a separate sitting room with a sofa, chair and desk and a second plasma flat screen tv. But the great thing about this inn is the extras, which are offered free of charge. First, breakfast is served each morning until 10 or so on each floor on the third and fifth floors parlours. The quality is good, with fresh high quality pastries and coffee as well as cereal, boiled eggs, bagels, cheese, fruit, tea, etc. It is served on china and cloth napkins with nice breakfast trays to take back to your room and small tables to eat in the parlour. Also, there are fresh apples and cookies in each parlour all day long. At 5 or so, they set out multiple bottles of wine with really good cheese and fruit and stemware and napkins again and welcome you to a drink before you go out to dinner. There are also other cold drinks set out. All free of charge. There is wireless internet available free of charge, as well as a small business center. At night, the maid leaves bottled water and chocolate. At the end of the weekend, we had not a single incidental charge. The staff is young and enthusiastic and they are genuinely helpful. Be warned - this is an inn more than a hotel - it is narrow and the hallways are narrow as well. The elevator is small and there is no grand lobby, just a number of small parlours. But the rooms are tastefully done with good linens and the furniture and tvs are of good quality. There is no noise from room to room, and our room was right outside the parlour where folks on our floor had breakfast. There is some noise from the street - it is 500 feet off Powell and those streetcars do make noise, so if you really like it quiet, get a room in back. The rooms in front offer a nice view to compensate for the noise. In the last five years, we have stayed at the St. Francis (fancy, but not great service), the Fairmont (grand old gem, but so big), the Villa Forence (really nice boutique hotel), the Hotel Griffon (great location, unfriendly staff) and the Holiday Inn Gateway (utilitarian, no frills). This was by far my favorite. It is for those who like privacy and value. If you want a grand lobby, you will have to cross the street to the St. Francis. But they won't give you all the food and extras and they will charge you more. -We stayed here for 3 nights and found the room to be just what we needed. The rooms were very spacious and we found them to be exactly as pictured on the website. No surprises there. We booked the parking package through hotelres.com, which was an excellent deal. The staff were very helpful and courteous. We especially like Steve who helped with check-in. We called down for ice every night for our 2 rooms and was brought up in a couple of minutes. We also had to retreive things from our valet parked car a number of times with no problems. Hey, we are a group of ladies over 60 except one in her 40's, we forget things. But, we had a great stay. We will be back. -My fiance and I stayed at the Palomar Hotel on June 19th, 2006. This hotel was great, and I recommend it to anyone. It is centrally located 3 blocks from Union Square and is clean and quiet. The Serrano Hotel, by contrast, although also a Kimpton Hotel, was very disappointing. My negative experience began with the reservationist who booked a King Room for us, I doubly confirmed this because I knew that the city was extremely booked at this time. When we checked in, the woman at the front desk was thoroughly overwhelmed and seemed anxious. She was very rushed and curt. Also, when we arrived we found our room to have only a queen sized bed instead of a king, and the room felt so cramped we were feeling clausterphobic as soon as we walked in. The bathroom was clean, in good working order, and had nice ammenities and fixtures but it too felt cramped. The room we stayed in was on the 4th floor and it was rectangular in shape, the foot of the queen sized bed reached the wall, not leaving much room around it. The comforter has loose threads and appeared worn, and the sheets looked dusty and had lint on them. It was extremely noisy in the area from construction and the windows did not block out any of the noise. We immediately called the front desk to inquire, and they left us on hold for so long that the line disconnected, and when I called again, another woman said the original person was on hold with someone else and she would have them call us back. However, we did not receive a call back for ten minutes so we decided to get out of the room and go to the front desk immediately.When we inquired about why we were given a queen room, we were told that all the king rooms had been booked. I assured her that we had booked a king room and she said there was nothing she could do about it. When I told her that we would like to check out and find another hotel, she said that was fine but that our credit card would be charged anyways for the stay and that there was nothing she could do about it. When I asked to speak with the original reservationist, he did some research and told us that they had no king rooms available, but that one might open up later, but they couldn't promise anything. I explained that he had not told us this from the beginning and that we should be able to leave without getting charged, since it had been their mistake. He finally said the manager would take care of us and let me go. Pam, the fron desk manager, apologized profusely and I overheard her on the phone booking restaurant reservations for a guest and she seemed wonderfully helpful. She was the only positive experience in the 45 minutes I spent in the hotel. All of that being said, if you are willing to spend $215+ during peak season for a small queen room that has a Victorian feel in the lobby, then these are the benefits:*4 blocks to Union Square*Attentive Bellman (At least the one who was there at the time, he was the only one who asked if he could be of any help)*Game tables in the lobby, a fireplace and a restaurant (we did not eat there)*Some of the higher rooms may have nice views, we were told that they did by the reservationist because they have more than 17 floors*Pam, the front desk manager, who seemed very interested in making everyone's stay a great one*Updated bathroom*Victorian feelI would definitely recommend the Hotel Palomar over Serrano, we paid less for more space, better customer service, and awesome amenities. Definitely join Kimpton In Touch before you book a room, it gives you great benefits and a better rate. -Perfect for me.. Loved my stay. Great location and breakfast was great. Your going to love it there. -Our family ( 2 adults with 2 teens) from Calgary, Canada stayed in Hotel California for an entire week from August 23 to 27, 2007. We couldn't have asked for a better place to stay, especially for the price. The staff were not just helpful but even enthusiastic. We were greeted very pleasantly when we first walked in the door and every time thereafter. Every day they gave us wonderful recommendations on places to dine close by (something difficult to do among all of the terrific establishments in San Francisco) and great tips on how to get around and things to see that most tourists don't experience. We booked a family suite on the 5th floor which was perfect for us. Not large rooms but enough so that there was a bit of privacy for everyone. The rooms were well kept, clean and even happy with the wonderful colours, San Francisco quotes hand-painted as borders and framed posters. Art and historical photos are sprinkled throughout the hotel. Every evening there was wine and cheese in the lobby which we definitely took advantage of because we met many people from all over the world. Everyone seemed to be enjoying their stay. If you don't want to go out The Millenium vegan restaurant in the hotel is excellent. That takes a lot to say since we are part of a competition barbeque team, but it was a highlight.If there is a downside, it is small. The hotel is on Geary Street which can get a little noisy from time to time, particularly when the lounge across the street lets out. But then, perhaps the solution is to join the crowd as we two adults did one night when the teens were tired and wanted to "veg". We made up for our "sins" by joining the congregation at The Glide Church a couple of blocks away for a Sunday service like nothing we've ever seen anywhere else. Loads of fun.Hotel California is ideally located 3 blocks from Union Square, cable cars, Chinatown and a whole lot of fun. We are very grateful to the staff for helping us with one of the best family vacations we've ever had. Highly, highly recommended. We will definitely be back. -We arrived in San Francisco late so we just booked a room at the airport for one night and head into the city the next morning. The Clarion Hotel at the airport was absolutely aweful! I would say if rated lower than a "terrible". Hotel was dirty, room was small, smelled like smoke although we asked for a non-smoking room.,So it was a wonderful experience going to the Pan Pacific and being greeted by the valet. The concierge service was so helpful in getting a rental car and the room was fantastic. Breakfast was overpriced but what do you expect for a 4 star hotel.... Everything is always expensive. Enjoyed the down comforter in our room and the LCD. The location to Union square was great too. It was only 1 and 1/2 blocks away. We spent 2 days shopping and had a great time. Will definitely stay at the Pan Pacific next time we return to San Francisco. -I just returned from two nights at the Villa Florence with my boyfriend. We had a wonderful time staying here. The location is superb-- right in Union Square. There are tons of shopping nearby and good restaurants. Our room was very comfortable. We had a down comforter and soft sheets. Aveda products in the bathroom were a nice extra touch. Although it is not a spacious hotel room, it was sufficient for two people travelling together. The lobby of the hotel is elegant. There is a bar and an upscale Italian restaurant.For the most part, staff was pleasant. One gentleman at the concierge didn't do a very good job of recommending restaurants for people on a budget, or assisting us make reservations, but he was an exception to the others who were mostly kind.We did hear sufficient noise outside our room from the street below in the early morning hours. I would have preferred an inside, courtyard room-- but those rooms were full when we checked in. I was a little disappointed that this could not by accomodated since I had called ahead one week to request a quiet room. I think there was some difficulty requesting this because I reserved this hotel through Priceline (but at $64 a night I wasn't going to complain!)Other nice amenities are the complimentary robes and a complimentary yoga basket to borrow during your stay. I would highly recommend this hotel to others! -The Galleria Park hotel is in a perfect location for travellers visiting San Francisco. The location is a walking distance from Union Square and the Montgomery BART stop. You do not need a cab from the airport to the hotel, you can easily get on the BART and walk less than a block. The bathroom in the room we stayed in needed remodeling and they need to do a better job with the centralized heating system. It was a little chilly in SF the weekend we were there and they only turn on the heat at 10PM or so. The rooms are a little small but the front desk was friendly and helpful. For breakfast please vist Posh Bagel less than a block up on Sutter. They have the most delicious breakfast bagels you can imagine! -After a lot of research, we decided to stay at the Hotel Vitale for our San Francisco trip. Let me just say, we were not disappointed. It was fantastic!We arrived from the airport around 10:00 am and they had a room for us! We had only paid for the courtyard view, but they upgraded us to a Bay View because that room was ready. It was fabulous. The view really just added to the atmosphere and I highly recommend it. The room itself was a bit small, but the space was utilized very well in my opinion. The bathroom was spacious. The tub in the room was huge. Definitely one of the best hotel tubs ever. Fresh bath products were a very nice and appreciated touch.The hotel did nightly turn down service and left bottled water and chocolates. They also turned on a nice CD. It was always a great thing to come back to.The Vitale offers a complimentary Town Car service within a mile of the hotel, which is very nice. We used it a few times. If the car is unavailable, it's still very easy to get around. Buses and street cars stop right next to the hotel and the California Street cable car is only about 2 blocks away. The location is a bit off the typical tourist path(s) of Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf, but it was not an issue for us.We travel to San Francisco at least 3 times a year and since we know our way around, being slightly removed from the "main" tourist drag was really a non-issue and overall, we preferred it. I highly recommend the Hotel Vitale. We will definitely stay here again. -This is a great hotel! I loved the nautical decoration! The room was immaculate, very comfortable and we didn't have any issues with noise. The location is great, especially for a quick stay as you are close to the tourist attractions. There are countless kiosks in the area for different tours and attractions. We took the cable car tour around San Fran and over the Golden Gate Bridge. The ferry to Alcatraz is a 10-15 minute walk away from the hotel. There are loads of restaurants nearby. The restaurant attached to the hotel was great for breakfast. I would definitely recommend this hotel. -I stayed at the Hyatt for a conference for 4 days and was not at all impressed for the pretty high group rate we were paying. Minuses: rooms are pretty small, bed was extremely uncomfortable, tiny bathrooms(showers don't even compare to Holiday Inn Express for instance), rooms and overall hotel were not very clean, decor is outdated and the fare was just that, fair. Not all what you would expect from a Hyatt or comparable chain. Pluses: Helpful concierge and valet attendants, having a club level room that was on a higher floor, a small but nice balcony, and the view of the bay. From other attendees at my conference I was extremely lucky to garner a room with a nice view, even on the club level, as most were said to be very limited. I would not come back to this hotel for pleasure. -My boyfriend and I travelled from London to San Francisco and checked in for 6 nights at the Carlton.It's a relatively cheap hotel and good value for money, in a fairly central location (if you don't mind walking - which is what you do in San Francsico anyway!).Our room on the first night was nice and clean and decor good, but we had the worst night's sleep due to noisy neighbours and VERY thin walls. Lack of sleep coupled with jet lag was not a great start to our stay! First thing the next morning we told reception our complaints and they were SO helpful and friendly and booked us into a different room and had all our luggage moved whilst we were out for the day. The second room was bigger and again nice and great decor - admittedly we decided to pay a little bit extra per night for this room (only about $10 i think) in the hope that we would get more sleep. Although our new neighbours were no where near as noisy as the first set, because of the thin walls we were repeatedly woken up from people returning to their room, or the plumbing of of an adjacent room's bathroom - and well, we just didn't sleep that well (which we should have done with all the sight seeing throughout the day!). It was fairly disappointing and we decided not to return to that hotel, as we had previously booked, after a week in Yosemite and Lake Tahoe.On the plus side, we thought the breakfast was great (although you can get it cheaper elsewhere) and the staff were so nice and helpful. -A good value for money hotel in a very convenient location. We chose the hotel for its central location and free car parking. It is only a short walk to the cable car where you can catch a ride to Pier 39 & Fisherman's Wharf. The cable car museum is also a short walk. There are various inexpensive but good restaurants nearby (Milano, just up the road, is recommended) and reception will be happy to point some out to you. The rooms themselves are not too flash - a bit small, the decor is quite dated and unusual, no bath - but they seemed clean enough and the beds were comfortable. The complimentary breakfast, that you collect on a tray from reception and bring up to your room, is not much - just coffee (no tea), some sweet pastries/iced donuts (for breakfast?) and some whole fruits (a banana or apple). Overall an OK hotel but we didn't expect too much considering the price and we were happy with the location. -We got a great deal on this hotel on Priceline for 3 nights in mid February 2009. The location is awesome and you can walk everywhere in Union Square. When we checked in, they were extremely helpful and polite, which isn't always the case when they see you paid a lower rate for their rooms. I even asked how booked they were to see if we could have a room with a view. They happily obliged and gave us a room on the 25th floor facing Powell Street. Actually, the Starlight Room was directly across from us so it was kinda fun watching the parties over there from our window. The room was spacious, quiet, bed was comfy, staff was polite. I couldn't ask for much more than that for the great rate we got. We would definitely stay here again when in SF. -Just got back from a long weekend at the Inn at Union Square. What a wonderful place! We booked a queen room, but got a small suite at the front of the hotel - the bed was a little smaller, but it had a separate sitting room with a sofa, chair and desk and a second plasma flat screen tv. But the great thing about this inn is the extras, which are offered free of charge. First, breakfast is served each morning until 10 or so on each floor on the third and fifth floors parlours. The quality is good, with fresh high quality pastries and coffee as well as cereal, boiled eggs, bagels, cheese, fruit, tea, etc. It is served on china and cloth napkins with nice breakfast trays to take back to your room and small tables to eat in the parlour. Also, there are fresh apples and cookies in each parlour all day long. At 5 or so, they set out multiple bottles of wine with really good cheese and fruit and stemware and napkins again and welcome you to a drink before you go out to dinner. There are also other cold drinks set out. All free of charge. There is wireless internet available free of charge, as well as a small business center. At night, the maid leaves bottled water and chocolate. At the end of the weekend, we had not a single incidental charge. The staff is young and enthusiastic and they are genuinely helpful. Be warned - this is an inn more than a hotel - it is narrow and the hallways are narrow as well. The elevator is small and there is no grand lobby, just a number of small parlours. But the rooms are tastefully done with good linens and the furniture and tvs are of good quality. There is no noise from room to room, and our room was right outside the parlour where folks on our floor had breakfast. There is some noise from the street - it is 500 feet off Powell and those streetcars do make noise, so if you really like it quiet, get a room in back. The rooms in front offer a nice view to compensate for the noise. In the last five years, we have stayed at the St. Francis (fancy, but not great service), the Fairmont (grand old gem, but so big), the Villa Forence (really nice boutique hotel), the Hotel Griffon (great location, unfriendly staff) and the Holiday Inn Gateway (utilitarian, no frills). This was by far my favorite. It is for those who like privacy and value. If you want a grand lobby, you will have to cross the street to the St. Francis. But they won't give you all the food and extras and they will charge you more. -My husband and I just got home from our first trip to San Francisco and we had a FANTASTIC time! The BW Tuscan Inn is a very charming hotel with an excellent location if you want to be within a 5 minute walk to Fisherman's wharf and Pier 39. The front desk was very friendly and our room was very comfortable. We stayed in room 411 with a slight view of the flower filled courtyard. Since we wern't in our room much, the view really didn't matter to us. The bed was comfortable and the water pressure in the shower was sufficient enough to rinse conditioner out of my long hair without use of the ice bucket.We stayed 2 nights July 11 and 12. Parking at the hotel is expensive at $32 plus tax per night but the up side is that you have in/out privilages. The garage kitty corner from the hotel is $22 plus tax but does not offer in/out. We did take the car out once for a spin around the city and a drive down lombard street. What fun that was! Not much traffic going down the hill. My husband kicked me out of the car at the bottom so I could get some great pictures of the crooked street from the bottom of the hill.Parking in the city is a royal pain! If you don't need a car take cable cars or muni. I think everyone already knows this. The Tuscan Inn was perfect for us as far as location. No kidding, less than 5 minutes walk and we were right at Fisherman's Wharf. The only slight complaint I had about the Tuscan Inn was when we checked in, we were given a key to the honor bar but when I opened the door to the bar, it was completely empty. No big deal for us as it's too expensive to eat out of it anyway. Was just curious to see what they would stock it with. I'm a travel agent so I'm pretty picky about my hotel rooms but I have to say I will be suggesting this hotel to my clients. The rooms are on the small side but if your not traveling with a big family or a lot of luggage, these rooms are just fine. I really enjoyed my stay here and if/when I go back to San Francisco, I will probably stay here again. Front desk staff even took the time to call a restaurant at pier 39 to inquire about the dress code for me even though they had a couple of people also waiting to ask questions or to check in. My husband and I both enjoyed our stay very much. -My husband and I stayed at the hotel last week. My husband was there for a conference and I was on holildays.The hotel looks good. The lobby is quite nice. We were in a king room in the older part of the building. The room was a good size if not big. The decoration was simple and a bit tired but pleasant.The location is really what made us choose the St Francis. Being right on Union Square it is hugely practical. Cable cars at the front, BART at the end of powell street and plenty of buses around for those wanting to catch public transport. Cabs always easy to get for the others. The walk to Fisherman's wharf takes about 25 minutes (Powell street is very steep!) and walking to the ferry terminal (to go to Sausalito) takes 10 to 15minutes if you go down post st and then market st.On the cons side, the service was poor. Sitting at the bar at the front if the hotel we had to wait 15 to 20 min for a drink. The other bar in the lobby wasn't very attractive and was very noisy. It felt like you were sitting at the check in counter. Concierge seemed quite annoyed when we asked for restaurant recommendations! Being more of a business hotel, it was quite noisy for 8am onwards.I would probably not recommend this hotel for a vacation. -The public rooms in the hotel are beautiful but the bedrooms and bathrooms clearly have not had the same attention. The decor appeared more the result of one of those TV makeover shows than that of the revered Phillippe Starke. The bathroom was clearly an afterthought on the design front. The room was way too small to have a bath, which should ahve been ripped out and replaced with a decent shower unit.........a true design feature would have been a small wet room with a screen dividing the shower from the basin and toilet. The front-of-house staff were all very helpful and friendly. However, the waiting staff in the bar and restaurant leave a lot top be desired and clearly were employed for looks rather than ability (as is often the case in these designer hotels).I even took the drastic step of not leaving a tip, so disgusted was I with the wait for drinks and the inability to get it right first time. -We stayed at the Marriott Fisherman's Wharf for a mini-vacation. We chose this hotel for its convenient location near Fisherman's Wharf and close proximity to BART so we could go to an Oakland A's game. We took a short cab ride to the Embarcadero BART station to get to the game. The valet was very helpful in getting our cab and the taxi fare was relatively inexpensive. The location is within walking distance to everything in the Fisherman's Wharf area. Our room was very nice, it was in a recently remodeled section and everything was very clean and new. The bed was very comfortable. There was a large flat-screen TV and internet access. Staff was courteous and accommodating. We did receive a bit of a shock when we looked at our hotel bill upon check-out. We expected a valet parking fee because every hotel has a fee for parking. However, a fee of $45.00 per day was added along with $6.33 in parking tax on top of that. This parking fee was not disclosed at check-in. Unfortunately, there are few options if you are driving and plan on parking. There is no street parking available so if you plan on staying, be sure to factor in this $51.33 fee per day into your hotel budget. -We just returned from a 3 night stay at the Hotel Drisco. The hotel is very nice and is in a nice neighborhood. Parking is not difficult to find, but be aware that there is only a 3 hour limit on parking anywhere near the hotel without a permit which the hotel does not provide. The bellhop was nice enough to move our car for us when we were gone all day. Initially we got our room for $195 from hotels, when we arrived we were dissappointed to find out that this is for the very least desirable room on the basement floor of the hotel. The room was tiny and it was very hot that day and this hotel does not have air conditioning. Be aware that these rooms look absolutely nothing like the ones in the brochure or the website. We did upgrade to a suite which was very nice and comparable to the pictures on the website. But we did have to pay an additional $70 (they tried to charge us an additional $139/night). The service was very good and the bellhop and maids were very nice. There was one particular person at the front desk who was very stuffy and not welcoming to us. The breakfast was very average. Probably would not stay here again but the suite was very nice. -We picked this hotel because it was close to the Union Square and Chinatown areas. Also, because expedia was having a great deal whereby we got free parking. However, the hotel impressed me. The rooms were probably a bit small, but really that was a non-issue for us. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. I would stay here again. I would have given them a 4-star rating, but because of their attentive, friendly staff, I gave them 5. -This is a great little inn with a fantastic wine & cheese hour and great continental breakfast. We stayed at the Westin St. Francis (right across the street) the next night and I wish we would have stayed at the Inn at Union Sq. both nights. Not only a much more charming experience, but also a better value. Great rooms and very comfortable beds. -I lived in San Francisco for 11 years (25 years ago). I miss three distinctive sounds of the city, the foghorns, the barking seals and the clanging of the cable cars. Over this past holiday season I spent 3 lovely nights at the Chancellor Hotel with friends. From the moment my wife and I arrived we were met by a friendly, attentive staff and our check-in was a breeze. Our room had a queen size bed with a choice of different pillows, a safe, a flat screen TV, wireless internet, a large walk-in closet, a nice bathroom with plenty of towels and toiletries including a rubber duck for your bath(Nice touch). The room was very quiet and comfortable and at night I could hear the sound of the clanging cable cars. I can't wait to return! -So after reading amazing reviews of this hotel i was expecting a great comfortable place to stay after a tiring 2 weeks sightseeing in Europe. i was pleased to find comfortable beds, but we had no hot water in our shower. a toilet which was running constantly and bad towels. the toilet was fixed after 3 hours and 2 phone calls to be made to reception. a long tiring check in- they told us everything we didnt want to know after a 13 hour flight. would not return. -Hotel is close to China town and Union Square, a little further walk to Fisherman's wharf. Cable car stop just outside. Room was amazing. Beautiful views of the city. Bathroom was luxurious. Service was outstanding. The slightest request brought swift and curtious responses. Only thing was the dining room was closed when we arrived at 6pm for some reason, and valet parking added $50 a day to an already expensive bill. -Booked through Hotwire. 2 nights as $230. No king size available, but they "upgraded" us to a Club room. (no difference from the non-Club room) Room was small, kind of dingy and smelled musty. Toiletries were substandard. All of these things were ok since the room had a great view of the city and the location is stellar........until the next day we noticed a stain on one of the beds - on the bottom sheet. After pulling it back, it seemed that someone, who stayed there previously, vomited on the bed, made it up and it was not checked by the maid. It soaked through the mattress and was disgusting. We reported to the front desk and they promptly changed us to a different room. Funny thing though, when we returned to the original room to gather our belongings, the room had been cleaned. we checked the bed and the maid had not changed the sheets! Even though we left the bed with only the bottom sheet on and the stain was exposed. Obviously, the housekeeping staff needs some updated training. The room we changed to was similar in size and amenities, but with a dirtier window. Aside from all of that, the staff was very courteous and the location cannot be beat. Will not return. Many hotels in this area and no need purchase off of hotwire again for this area. -The doorman seemed confused which resulted in a 10 minute ordeal trying to get our car picked up by valet and assistance with out luggage. The doorman actually let the heavy front glass door close on me! The desk clerks were nice but not overly friendly. The friendliest person was the housekeeper who did a fine job with room cleanliness. The free wine hour was great but the lobby was overcrowded with people due to lack of chairs. The elevator's limit was 4 people, however, most people didn't abide by this and crowded in anyways (we took the 4 flights of stairs when this happened). The rooms: the bed was very small (short in height and length), the bedspreads were thin, the wallpaper in the bathroom was peeling and a tile was missing; the bathroom mirror was tarnished; at 9:15pm on a Sunday night, I heard a trashtruck beeping and dumping trash outside my window. The hotel guest book stated the restaurant was not open on Sundays, so we took skipped breakfast. However, upon passing the restaurant, we discovered they were "now serving brunch!" On Monday morning, we attempted to eat at the restaurant and found it closed......a restaurant employee apologized and said they had a late night and would be open in 10 min......we were in a hurry, so we ate up the street instead. We will not stay here again. It was a step up from a Motel 6. We were looking for a nice full service hotel and this was not one. -My husband and I are just back from our first trip to San Francisco. I chose the Chancellor based on reviews on Trip Advisor, and we were not disappointed. I e-mailed the manager, Wes Tyler, several times prior to our trip with questions and he always responded promptly, which was a nice touch. I'm not sure one would get this at a larger hotel. EVERYTHING about our stay at the Chancellor more than met our expectations. We had booked shuttle service from the airport with Lorrie's, which I found on the hotel's website and which I'm sure saved us considerable time as we were unfamiliar with getting around San Francisco. We arrived early in the morning and our room was not yet ready, but we had expected this and left our bags to go on an Alcatraz tour. When we returned, we went to our room which, as requested prior to our arrival, was a corner room with a view of Union Square (room 1203). Surprise! Waiting for us was a bottle of sparkling wine, two Chancellor wine glasses, gift-wrapped photo frame, and nice note from the hotel staff congratulating us on our recent marriage. What a way to welcome your guests! The room was painted in lovely shades of green and taupe, with nice prints on the walls. The bed had a soft white comforter and many pillows. Television, armchairs, dressers, lamps, etc. were more than adequate. The bed was extremely comfortable and we slept like babies for the four nights we were there. The bathroom was plenty big for the both of us, and well-appointed with soap, shampoo, lotion, tissues, cotton balls and Q-Tips, hair dryer, and makeup mirror (plus the rubber ducky was a cute touch!). The ceiling fan and open windows provided more than enough ventilation. The large closet was much appreciated, as was the iron, ironing board, and in-room safe. The room was very quiet at all times, and street noise was not bothersome. All of the staff that we encountered were efficient, friendly, and helpful--particularly Steve (helped us with restaurant reservations), Susie (answered transportation questions and arranged shuttle service back to SFO), and Matt (brought our bags to the room). Everyone that we saw truly seemed to enjoy working at the hotel. We visited both the bar and restaurant and had pleasant experiences along with moderately priced, tasty meals/drinks. As many reviewers have previously noted, the location of the Chancellor can't be beat for just about anything a tourist would want to do in San Francisco, particularly shopping and dining. If we ever return to San Francisco (which I sincerely hope to do, because I fell in love with it), there is no way I would stay anywhere other than the Chancellor. THANK YOU! -We've stayed at Fairmonts before, and all have been luxurious, but this one WOWED us! The front lobby is so gorgeous--you feel you've entered another world with the soaring peaks of dark wood, marble, brass, luxurious velvet sofas and chairs, and fragrant flowers that scent this idyllic room. The front desk falls over itself to welcome you, and we were asked if we'd like a free upgrade to a better view of the city simply because he could offer it (we are members of the Fairmont frequent traveler club)! The rooms themselves were plush, with linens you felt you could float on--fluffy down comforters, tons of pillows. The carpeting was clean; walls, doors were scrubbed (no sticky handprints or someone else's toothpaste spray on the walls) marble floors and fixtures in the bathrooms. And the Tonga room was really fun--Polynesian drinks, an indoor "rainstorm" added to the charm. Too bad the band didn't play Polynesian/Hawaiian tunes instead of soft rock/oldies. Regardless, beautiful, lovely place, and we would definately stay there again. Beware of the parking fee--the daily fee is astronomical. -My wife and I stayed here during Memorial Day weekend. If you're looking for a cheap place to stay in a great location, this is it. The rates were very reasonable ($70 ish), rooms were a bit snug, but we didn't plan on spending much time there anyway so it didn't make difference. It's an older building with a bit of charm, but everything was clean and the rooms even included a mini fridge and microwave.The location is right in the heart of the city in a cute and safe neighborhood. It's a couple blocks from GG park and Haight Ashbury. Plus the MUNI (subway) line goes right by the hotel, so you can get to anywhere in the city just by walking out the front door. Very convenient. The noise of the trains was not bad at all in my opinion. And we even slept with the windows open.You won't find a better value. -Everything about this hotel is perfect. The location is superb, near the sights but quiet at nightime with a trolley stop almost outside the door. Rooms are spacious, clean and comfortable. The staff are amazing, everyone of them went out of their way to be friendly and helpful. One of the best hotels I have stayed in, can't wait to go back. -After reviewing numerous hotels for my three day trip to San Francisco in June, I chose the Mosser for the price and location. I read the reviews and was a little apprehensive, as some of them talked about a "sketchy" location, noise, etc. - especially since I was going to be a solo female traveler. I was pleasantly surprised when I checked in to the hotel - the lobby is very charming and the location was perfectly fine?! The rooms are definitely small, so as people have said, there is not a lot of space if you were going to be there for business or you had more than two people with suitcases. But for my purposes of just needed a cheap place to stay while I toured around, it was a great, great find. I did the shared bathroom and I never had a problem with anything. The bed was comfortable, fan worked well, the cleaning staff did their job, and I never really had a problem with the noise. The hotel staff at the front desk was very friendly and helpful in giving directions and helping me to get a cab when I left. They seemed to enjoy their jobs and working with the guests. Re: location. It was similar to any other large city - NYC, Chicago, Boston...yes, there were homeless individuals in the area near restaurants/shopping/tourist places - but I never felt unsafe coming and going by myself, even later at night. It was very convenient to the BART lines, cable cars, the train to and from the airport (maybe 7 min walk to the hotel). I would definitely recommend the hotel to friends or people I know that are planning to go to SF. -I was traveling to San Francisco with my parents and we booked Hotel Drisco based on the great reviews from Trip Advisor, making our reservation nearly two months before arriving in SF. When we made our reservation we were torn between booking two separate non-suite rooms or the adjoining two bedroom suite. We ended up going with the two separate rooms because of the giant cost difference. When we arrived at Hotel Drisco to check in, we were told that my parent's room had been upgraded to a suite, however both rooms were located in the basement, down the hall from the service entrance, across from an ice machine and the breakfast room. Our windows overlooked the kitchen of the hotel and the rooms were very dark. Needless to say we were disappointed and considered switching hotels, however the desk staff was able to move us both into an adjoining two bedroom suite on the corner of the top floor. The new rooms had beautiful light, gorgeous views of the Bay and Alcatraz and it was like we were staying in a completely different hotel. We loved, loved loved our new rooms.The adjoined two bedroom suites are great if you're traveling as a group, however one of the bedrooms in these two bedroom suites has no bathroom attached. You have to cross the private hall (to which both bedrooms in the suite have access) to get to the bathroom. If the person staying in the other bedroom is not traveling with you, you could conceivably be walking out of your shower into your room and pass a stranger in the hall. It was a bit bizarre. I would recommend this hotel ONLY if you are given a room on the top two floors. It would be quite loud otherwise, and much less private. The only problem is, you are given no guarantees as to where your room is until you check in. It's a bit of a gamble. Also, beware. The prices of rooms fluctuate. When we were moved to the double room suite, the price we were quoted at the desk was nearly $100 less per night than what we were quoted when we originally made the decision to stick with the smaller, single rooms. That said, bathrooms in both suites and non-suites were beautiful and large, the breakfast were very nice, and Thanh (sp?) the bellhop/doorman was so kind and friendly. We loved the private, neighborhood feel of Pacific Heights. There are some great nearby restaurants (try Sociale) and the buses run frequently if you're wanting to go further afield. There's also a complimentary town car service running to Union Square every morning between 7 and 9, which is handy. -This hotel was great to stay in, the staff were extremely helpful and friendly and the standard of service provided was exceptionally good. Overall the hotel provided good value for money along with a great location. Highly reccomended. -Good location near chinatown. About 45 min brisk walk to fishermans wharf, we didn't use any public transport but I heard from others it's very efficient. We spent 3 nights in Vintage court and it was very clean and comfortable. Rooms on the the small side but it is a town hotel with a lot of character. Beds very comfy with lovely pillows, free in room safe gives peace of mind. Ask for a quiet room, our first night was a room near the road and with the sidewalk outside the window it was quite noisy. The hotel staff were great though and gave us a quiet room the next day. Breakfast is basically coffee, juice and a cake not a true 'continental' breakfast but it's not a complaint. Great place to stay and not too expensive. Definitely recommend -Booked this hotel for three nights via Expedia for under $500 Canadian.Good:- Free wireless Internet- Excellent location - less than a block from Union Square- Comfortable bed and great pillow "menu"- A rubber ducky in the bathroom - hilarious!- Large walk-in closetBad/Ugly:- Room was quite cold (San Francisco was going through a bit of a cold spell) and the central heating system was not very reliable. Thankfully there was an electric portable oil heater in the room.- No coffee or tea in the room- Bathroom looked very dated and tub was chipped and discolored- Ironing Board cover was extremely discolored - I was afraid of ironing my shirts in case the stains would transfer from the cover to them! -My husband, young daughter and I stayed for four nights over the July 4 holiday and I cannot say enough about the hotel. It was a beautiful place. We had a lovely, quiet room, spacious quarters, a terrific bathroom and lots of room. Our daughter loved the pool and I thought the location was great. The only disappointment for us was the annual closing of the Courtyard Restaurant fell during our stay so we didn't get a chance to have tea there (which we had hoped to do).The very best part was I had booked this hotel three weeks before we left for our vacation. I had been on every website possible looking for a nice place that was safe and comfortable and affordable, logging about 4 hours a day. I found this hotel on several websites but couldn't afford the price. On a whim I went to the hotel's own website and was able to get an unbelieveable price of $149 a night for a two queen-size bed superior room. Completely worth it and then some! I would definitely stay here again. -A great place to stay, well located and the staff was very helpful! We never got lost because of them. The rooms are wonderful, clean and have everything you need and if you are missing something just call the butler... windows are a little thin...so outside noise might be a factor -It was about what you would expect for this area - overpriced, parking ripoff, noisy accomodations. I thought the room was small and the beds worn out. I did like the breakfast which is a real time & money saver if you are traveling with kids. I asked a couple of questions at the front desk and found the staff apethetic at best. The Marriott across the street is nicer, and if you get the room/park combo it's about $10 less expensive per night. -Just returned from a week in San Francisco, staying at the Handlery Hotel.Fantastic location, being very close to Union Square, China Town, all of the major shops, the Underground (BART) and the cable car to Fishermans Wharf. You can take a train from the airport, to Powell Street station for $4.95 (then walk up 2 blocks to the hotel), saving a huge amount on cab fares! As the weather was so pleasant, we frequently walked all the way back to the hotel from Fishermans Wharf, taking in all of the sights along the way.When we first arrived, we were given a small room overlooking Geary Street, which proved to be extremely noisy (street performers, dust carts, sirens etc. etc.) So after a sleepless night we asked if we could move, which was no problem at all. The very helpfull staff at reception moved us to a much larger room overlooking the pool area, which we found to be excellent (considering what we paid and the fact that the hotel is only a 3*).In terms of eating, there are some fantastic 'diner' type places all within 5mins walk of the hotel or you can wander into China Town or even through to Little Italy where you will find some excellent restaurants.Overall, we loved San Francisco and thought that the hotel was very good, considering the price and location. We would stay at the Handlery again. -I travel to San Francisco often for work; the St. Regis is the nicest and coolest one I have stayed at yet! The decor is modern, but not over the top modern, just contemporary. Beautifully appointed entry and very welcoming staff. They walked me up to my room to explain the new technology - which is highlighted by a digital device that controls everything from room service to lighting to the do not disturb sign, all with bedside convenience. The beds are fluffy and obviously extremely clean. The place was spotless. Bathroom necessities smell amazing, was tempted to swipe them! The gym is great, not huge but certainly new and good equipment. There is also a huge pool, if you are a swimmer be sure to visit. I did not use the spa during my stay but the menu looked extensive. There is a Japanese restaurant inside the hotel that had amazing sushi. The price is pretty high, but well worth it in today's market, especially for business travelers. My only complaint is that my friend parked there for 2 1/2 hours and it cost her $36. I'm from NYC and I think that is pretty insane. Overall, fantastic. -The best thing about this hotel is the location. It's in easy walking distance to Fishermans Wharf which is where most of the touristy stuff goes on. We did venture into downtown SF, but felt a lot more threatened there than at fishermans Wharf. The hotel itself is quite bland, but clean and comfortable. If you are not planning on spending a lot of time on your room then this is fine. But whilst we were there it poured with rain most of the time, and we found the room quite small when we were trying to dry out our soggy clothes. In this hotel we also got a complimentary breakfast which was a good variety, and a good start to the day. We dont like to get up too early when on holiday so the fact that the breakfast was available until 9.30 was a plus for us! I knew SF was hilly, but they still surprised me - and thank god for the cable cars and trams!! We had a great time here, but mainly becauise we were out and about rather than because the hotel was great. The hotel is basic and functional - clean and the breakfast was good, and a convenient location, but otherwise I dont think we would stay here again. Mainly because we like to stay in different places each time, but also because the room was smaller than we had hoped, and that it just seemed very bland. -Booked a room here on Priceline for $125; at that price, this is a steal. Excellent location (1 1/2 blocks from Union Square), very stylish design that has retained some of the feel of an old building. Room was on the smallish side, but perfectly adequate. Only complaint was weakish water pressure. -I like stylish hotels, this is why I chose the Adagio and here are my comments:Room: not too big but very well furnished and decorated. The design is modern and simple, there is an excellent selection of tea and coffee and the minibar has low prices. The bathroom was just OK, nothing special. Staff: I really can't understand why everybody liked the staff. We found the front desk staff very impersonal and not courteous enough. I work in a deluxe hotel in Rome and know exactly how it should be, so I even get more angry when guests are not treated in the proper way because I know what are my rights and what I should expect. When we checked in the boy was not at all friendly. The following morning I called him to say that our sink was not working properly and he told me that it would be fixed in a few hours. When I returned back in the evening, of course nothing was done and nobody apologised. As I expected, the following day as well no action was taken. I did not complain further, as I only had to stay for 4 nights in total. Parking: it is really expensive in San Francisco. In this hotel we had to spend like 35 dollars per night, which is really not comparable to the good rate we had for the hotel. Anyway, you don't have any choice if you have your own car.Restaurant: service there is excellent, the staff is great and the food is good. After 2 weeks of fast food and Mexican food, we really had enough, so we wanted to try a few restaurants in San Francisco. We noticed that there were a lot of local clients, not staying at the hotel, which is always a good sign. Food was very good, price adequate.I would definitely return to this hotel, despite the front desk staff. -My husband and I stayed at the Best Western Tuscan Inn at Fisherman's Wharf for 3 nights in August and loved it so much that we booked for an additional 2 nights on our way back through San Francisco. We took the advice of the people who had submitted reviews on this site and we did ask for a courtyard room. We received this category of room both times and were very happy with the fact that we did not hear any street noise at all! Every evening from 5:00 - 6:00 they have complimentary wine and beer in their lobby by the fireplace. It really is a great atmosphere. The hotel is close to Fisherman's Wharf and the cable car lines. We were also able to walk to North Beach (a must do) as well as Lombard Street. The staff is wonderful to deal with and very helpful if you need directions or advice. I would definitely recommend this hotel. -We booked a very last minute reservation to San Francisco and selected the Westin St. Francis through Travelocity because of the combo price of airfare and hotel. We've stayed in numerous luxury hotels in the city and this one rates right up there with the best of them. To our surprise, it was a suite. We are not disabled, but the room was quite spacious and the bathroom was well equipped for someone who was. The location of this hotel is wonderful, you can't beat Union Square for shopping and theaters and a bustling nightlife. We especially loved being right on the cable car line. Their service personnel, including the doormen, the concierge and the front desk were professional and efficient. We highly recommend staying at the Westin St. Francis on your next trip to SF. As a side note, booking through Travelocity made this trip a breeze. We've booked in every possible way imaginable online, and I think Travelocity is one of the best. Their guarantee of a specific room type, non-smoking, all taxes and fees prepaid, made this trip even better. In our experience, this has not been true in the past of other online travel companies. -Thanks to the great reviews about the Columbus Motor Inn, we spent a very pleasant and cheap evening here. Refurbished nicely and immaculate. Windows opened to fresh air, sounds of nearby North Beach and views of Coit Tower and church spires. Many restaurants just blocks away in a safe and interesting area. Note that there is a famous nitespot next door that is open for special events a few times a month. If you are early to bed, request a room on the other side of the hotel. We had a terrific breakfast at the Columbus Caffe at 901 Columbus. Be sure to request the waffles and artistic latte. -Spent two nights at the SF Marriott and had an excellent stay. I was attending a conference at the hotel. The location is very convenient, from the restaurants, to the high end shopping district, to the nearby BART station. The staff was very friendly. I requested a high floor & got a room with a spectacular view of the city. They are currently renovating the bottom floor but it's hard to tell because they've modified operations to work around the temporary lack of space. Nothing bad to say about my stay here. -We simply took BART from the airport and then walked a couple of blocks to the hotel. Location is great. Right in Union Square. Great shopping, cable cars go right by, plenty of restaurants and fantastic people watching. Staff was very friendly. I liked the size of the common areas of the hotel; lobby, bar, breakfast area. There was complimentary wine tasting in the bar each night; which was very relaxing and fun. Our room was a junior suite, and it was very very nice. Great central location allowed us to get around the city very easily using public transportation. We will stay there again on our next trip to San Francisco. -The Hotel Whitcomb is a great hotel at a bargain price. I am a clean freak, and this hotel was very clean. There were no bugs....bed or any other kind. The furniture is dated, but we did not care. The beds were comfortable. TV was great/ If there was anything we needed, the staff was extremely prompt in responding to our requests. Our room had a huge closet where we stored our luggage, so we had plenty of room to move around. There is air and heat in the room, contrary to other reviews. Our room faced Market Street, and we did hear the traffic, but we were really just in our room to regroup and sleep, so it wasn't a big deal. If you are a light sleeper, request a room that does not face Market Street, or take ear plugs. Les concierge were fabulous, Jan and Ryan. There is a little gift shop with some necessities, also. There were homeless people everywhere we went, not just outside the Whitcomb. In fact, there were very few homeless people outside the Whitcomb, and we felt very safe. It's a great location with public transportation right outside the hotel.We did a lot in San Francisco. The Whitcomb is across the street from the Orpheum where Wicked is showing. If you go over there around 5:00 PM, you can put your name to be drawn in a lottery for two tickets (Orchestra seats!) for $25 each ticket. My daughter won, so we sent my son and daughter to the musical. They had a great time! You can try each day. Be sure you have ID, and if you have a child under 17, you can vouch for him/her. Each person in your family can put his/her name in for the drawing.Buy the pass and get to know public transportation. You do not need a car. San Francisco was great! Eat across the street at Sam's. Good food and attentive servers....I would definitely recommend Hotel Whitcomb, and I am very picky. -After reading the reviews before my stay I made sure that when I checked in I asked for a renovated room. The front desk staff said that all the rooms have been completely renovated. The room I stayed at was the best Marriott property room I ever stayed in. The rooms are big, the beds are wonderful, 52 inch flat screen TV, the color themes in the room are warm and relaxing and the bathroom I must say is a work of art. The brown marble walls and showers are beautiful. The doormen were always there opening the doors as you entered or exited the hotel, asking if transportation was needed, they were just wonderful. The front desk staff could not have been any nicer than what they were, and the staff walking around the hotel were very attentive. My first night there I was walking around the hall with my ice bucket not knowing that all you had to do was call from your room and someone would bring some ice to you, well as I was walking a staff member noticed my ice bucket and asked what room I was in and he would have someone bring me some ice, with in 3 minutes someone was there with ice. How wonderful is that.I guess the lobby and restaurant is going thru renovation and will be completed by end of March but you would never know it. They have the check in area so concealed from any work that you would never know that work was being done. The area around the hotel is safe and so many shops and eating areas plus any type of transportation is a block away (trolley cars). I cant wait to go back.... -I just wanted to add my two cents. My wife and I purchased three nights at the Drisco from one of the luxury deal Web sites and stayed there in late October-early November of 2004. We had a suite with an unobstructed view looking southward -- nothing particularly spectacular, but still quite nice in that it gave the room a very airy feel. And the room itself was drop-dead gorgeous, just like the photos they publish on the Web site. It was very clean (and the hotel cleaning staff were very nice too), and we felt quite taken care of there. The breakfast was wonderful, probably the epitome of "continental breakfast" -- everything was fresh, and the atmosphere was first-rate. The front desk staff was a little hit or miss -- sometimes imperious, other times very accommodating -- but that was a minor quibble. It was so nice to be away from the downtown noise; the early morning hours there were downright serene. As another reviewer mentioned, parking is hard to find, but it's not impossible.One thing I'm picking up from all the other reviews -- if you're going to stay here, you probably need to get a suite. There are a few horror stories among the reviews, and it seems like all these bad stories come from those who didn't have a suite.If we can afford it or find another deal, we'll definitely be staying at the Drisco the next time we go to San Francisco. The hotel itself was one of the high points of our trip. -My husband and I were just going to be in SF for 1 night on our way to a wedding so we just wanted something inexpensive. What a bargain! I got a room at one of the funkiest hotels I have ever seen. The color scheme is great, room was cozy. It was a little noisy since we were next to the stairs and on the street but who cares! The pool/courtyard was great. The free breakfast was decent. The front desk staff was very friendly and helpful. He pointed us to a great restaurant only a couple of blocks away. And have I mentioned that they have free parking. My Silverado wouldn't fit in the on site parking but they have a free lot across the street. We are definitely staying here on our next trip to SF. -Great room and perfect view! The location, service and ambience of the hotel were great! So close to Union Sq and Chinatown. The view from the 16th floor was amazing...especially at night. The trip was a surprise for my girlfriend and she also loved the hotel! -The staff at the Larkspur is exceptional. They made my husband and I feel very special. It's a charming hotel with beautiful rooms in a perfect location. I highly recommend this hotel. -My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Rex over Thanksgiving. We chose the hotel, in large part, due to the great reviews it got on Tripadvisor and it did not disappoint. The location cannot be beat. It is two short blocks from Union Square and a couple blocks from Chinatown. You can also get to all sorts of public transportation with just a short walk. The staff was friendly, the room was cute although the comforter was a little dirty (the sheets were clean). Most importantly though - the room was quiet. My husband is a very light sleeper, so this was a major plus. The daily wine reception is fun and a lot of guests attend. We loved it and will definitely go back. -Very close to the Wharf. If you like to run, location is also accessible to nice running area of the city. Room itself on the small side but more than reasonable. Coming from NYC, actually seems more spacious than some NYC hotel rooms! Hotel is well maintained. Complimentary breakfast is basic and they do have hot food, which is good enough. The work out room is quite sad and pathetic. No pool. WiFi worked flawlessly. -We LOVED White Swan! The service was exceptional (kudos to Brendan and Kevin), the rooms so spacious and complete, housekeeping staff thorough and honest (thanks to them a few missed items found their way back to me). We loved the beds and linen! They offer a full and delicious breakfast, an evening happy hour with yummy hordeurves and wine not to mention friendly setting to share experiences with fellow travelers. The location is perfect, just a quick walk up hill to enjoy the quieter neighborhood setting. Such old world elegance... We cannot wait to return! -Reasonably clean, great location by attractions but horrifically noisy, both from street traffic and denizens of the hotel itself. Staff was very nice. Room cleaning products very smelly, so be careful if you are sensitive. Parking an issue - not enough spots by the end of the day. Bottom line: because it was so much less expensive than any other property in the area (approximately $100/night less) we would likely stay here again if we couldn't find a better deal elsewhere. -This boutique hotel is ok, but could be great with some updating. The staff here are exceptional....the concierge was so eager to assist with our plans and making reservations. Everyone from the valet to housekeeping greeted you with a smile. I booked two rooms, one for my husband and me, and one for my parents. Each of our rooms cost the exact same however, my parents room was very small, and the bathroom had a stand up shower with no tub that could use a serious scrubbing. Our room was much larger with a fireplace and a tub shower. The sink in our room was a little questionable with the dry wall behind it crumbling a bit from water damage, nothing a little caulk couldn't fix. I would only go back if I knew I would get the larger of the two rooms. There was a lot of street noise and noise from the people next to us. On the other hand, the location was excellent, and the staff was so pleasant, I was able to forget about some of the negatives. -We stopped through here with no notice, the staff was super freindly and got us a room quickly. The rooms were clean, and the atmospere was comforting. Overall the hotel was very decently priced, the staff was freindly and attentive, and the rooms were super clean. I will definatley be staying here again! -My first impression was this place is beautiful. When I walked into the room, It was immaculate. It is the best and most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed at. Everyone was very courteous and charming. I definately would recommend to anyone to stay at Hotel Drisco and hopefully I will stay here again. -We stayed at the JW Marriott San Francisco the week of April 21st. We were greeted by a very friendly doorman and front desk girl. We were checking in very early (9am) and she offered us an upgrade to a suite at 50% off (someone had just cancelled their reservation). We took it and were so glad we did! The room was awesome. The bathrooms are fantastic and the beds are extremely comfortable (even my "mattress critic" husband thought they were great). The only renovations still happening at the hotel is the restaurant and that was no big deal since we rarely eat at hotel restaurants anyways. We did try the hotel food once and it was very good. The hotel seemed very busy with room service orders.The customer service was not notch, probably second only to the Four Seasons hotels. They have a butler button you can press in the room and they send someone up to your room. I don't think we waited more than 3 minutes each time we used it and we used it at least once a day. Every evening we ordered up some ice. We found that by the third night or so that they started to bring up the ice automatically when they did our evening turn down service. Great service!The had refreshments in the lobby, which varied depending on the the time of day. I tried out the pink lemonade and it was great. Very refreshing on a hot day.The location is awesome. So close to Union Square. The walk was about a minute long. I would certainly stay at this hotel the next time we get a chance to visit San Francisco. We were first time visitors and this hotel made our experience very memorable. -The good:1. Friendly staff at check-in2. nice view of Telegraph Hill, and Washington Square area and Coit Tower3. It's newly redone.4. Good valet service and very friendly and polite.5. A great king bed and v. good llinens. Good towels in the bathroom.6. Free wi-fi in the lobby area. Works good too. 7. New, fast, elevators. One slight catch is that you have to swipe your room keycard before you push the floor button or it doesn't accept your push. The price of 9/11.The Bad:1. Noisy outside. Drunks all over the place when the bars close.2. Five in the afternoon and unable to get clean towels. They ran out(??)3. Generally overpriced. Want to spend $35 on breakfast?The Ugly:1. Parking will be about $100 for two nights (we're still here as I write this). SF is always expensive, but this is out of line. In summary:I got this room for $90 on Priceline. Good deal for that price. If I had paid rack rate or anything like it, I'd really be sore. This is a made over Holiday Inn, and looks like it. The rooms are furnished with IKEA-level stuff. Nice for a young person's apartment, but not for a 4 star hotel. Popcorn (acuostical) ceiling -- they just couldn't spend the $$ to take this out and it looks really dated and ugly. We had stayed here when it was a Hol. Inn, and that's about the level of hotel it still is--only more expensive. Interesting, Hilton is trying to lose the Chinatown identification. Was the Holiday Inn Chinatown -- now the Hilton Financial District. Never mind that all the businesses outsite the hotel have their sineage in Chinese. This place only makes sense at under $100 and it's a good value for that. -The reviewers who rated this place higher than two stars did so because of the hotel's location. Let's not give credit to a hotel for the development of its surrounding community. This hotel is bad and is not a value at the price of about $70 a night (+ $22 per day parking).As soon as I opened my room's door the smell of dirty old man body order pierced through my nose making my eyes water. On the floor was an open box of trojan condoms, an open bag of chips, and a pretzel. This place is not clean. The walls are super thin, so you can hear large trucks pass by the building and workers yelling outside early in the morning. A patron uptairs kept walking around all night and I could hear every amplified step. They have these old radiators that crack and hiss all night even if they are turned off. Forget about sleeping at this place. Oh and their linens are dirty and torn. Don't be lured in by their nice photos either, they must have used a wide angle lens to give the impression of space; these rooms are tiny. Their showers are as tiny as coffins so don't drop the soap because you'll twist like a contortionist to recover it.I've stayed in cheap hotels all over the world including in tijuana and I can say that any hotel in tijuana will beat this hell hole of a hotel; the location does not make up for this horrendous hotel experience. -Recently stayed at the Palomar Hotel during a weekend birthday celebration. The front desk staff is exceedingly pleasant and thoughtful and they make every effort to make the check procedure as fast and easy as possible.The room is well appointed, with every amenity. The beds are comfy, the sheets soft and everything is spotless. They offer free wireless internet, which lots of hotels charge $10/day extra for.The exceptional thing that happened is that I had mentioned being in town for my birthday. About an hour after checking in, there was a gentleman at the door with a complimentary half bottle of wine and a box of truffles from their restaurant, The Fifth Floor. It was so wonderful and thoughtful and truly made the day special.In terms of location, you can't do much better in San Francisco. It's a two block walk to Union Square, all the shopping is in close proximity, and there is a BART station a half block away. There are many hotels in this area, and I have stayed at a few others, but for a total package in terms of price, location, amenities and service, would definitely give the Palomar top marks. -This motel has very nice, newly renovated rooms with plasma TV. But parking is $43, plus a tax of $6.00 on the parking itself, in addition to normal room tax. Internet costs $15 per day plus a tax on the internet of another $1. TheRaddison, across the street has cheaper parking and free internet. Also be sure to ask for a room near the elevator. The motel is very large and you can end up in a room which is a very long walk to the elevator.the motel. Hallways are unheated and chilly. Bathtubs are very uncomfortable (no slope to lean back on). Location is outstanding, just a block from Fisherman's Wharf. Staff is friendly and helpful. -We stayed in the Gran Hyatt for four nights last week. Upon arriving at the hotel, I was not pleased with the check-in service. We had to wait 15 minutes to be waited on, then we were told to hold on a minute while the clerk answered the phone. They need a few more clerks for the crowd. Although clean and simple the lobby is pretty boring. There isn't anything but the check-in desk and the elevators. One upstairs, we were very pleased with our room. the room and the bathroom were spacious, comfortable and clean. The best part was the view. We were on the 25th floor and had an amazing view of the bay, Coit tower and Alcatrez. Couldn't have asked for a better room. The bar and restaurant on the top floor offered an amazing view. We had a drink, but couldn't afford anything to eat ;-) There is not free internet in the rooms, or in the business center. It is $5 for 15 mins. The hotel was in an amazing location, right in the middle of Union Square, shopping mecca! Any name brand department store and designer you are looking for is right around the corner. -My husband and I stayed at the Cow Hollow Motor Inn for 9 days. We liked the place because it is a great value - very clean, free parking (unusual in the city), free internet (also unusual), excellent housekeeping, great food choices within steps of the hotel. The hotel staff was great - my husband was on crutches and we were given everything we asked for - extra blankets and pillows, HP parking next to the elevator, and an HP accessible bathroom. The corridors are inside, there are two elevators, and ice machines. The room was well appointed with television. coffee maker, hairdryer, soap and shampoo, and the bathroom was modern and clean. The bedding and towels were new and clean, the rugs are brand new, the pillows were great and everything about the room smelled good. Nice, good quality furniture too. We like fresh air and appreciated that the window opened. The only shortcomings, and these were minor, were that the mattress wasn't plush and our room was near the elevator, the stairs and the ice machine, so it was noisy. We are coming back to San Francisco for 10 more days in May and will definitely stay here. -I stayed at Whitcomb for an unbearable night (Jun 6).If you're interested in quality, cleaniness and fresh air, steer CLEAR of this barely 3 star hotel. Our room was dark and dreadful. Did I mention the horrible, musty stench that your nose just doesn't happen to get used to?I was on the phone with hotwire FIRST thing the next morning ready for my 9am checkout. We were then moved to the Westin (Market Street). This was a MUCH better choice as the rooms were newly renovated and we got a fantastic view (and a Phillips flat screen - lovely).I believe in budget traveling, but I also believe in quality and hygiene. If you feel the same way, avoid Whitcomb like the plague. PEACE -While an impressive looking property in a wonderful location, the room was small, stuffy, clean in a cursory sense only, and stuck off a back stairwell. The "view" was of a brick wall, which is to say there wasn't one. The concierge was polite and helpful.Other front of house personnel seemed stressed, disinterested, or otherwise occupied rather than focused on genuine guest service and courtesy.The doorman reprimanded me for hailing my own cab while he "tended to" other guests. He explained it was "...his job to get the cabs, that's how we do it here...". I found his attitude and manner toward a guest of his hotel less than acceptable. Given the look and professed grandeur of the hotel, I expected more in the way of service, room amenities, and front of house courtesy. With the other options available in the Union Square area, my future SF travel plans will not include the Westin St. Francis. -What an outstanding hotel in every way! The rooms are so beautiful, clean and comfortable, I would say they are beyond compare. The staff is thoughtful in a way that they anticipate your needs before you even think of what they are. Michael is exquisitely kind and helpful, without us even asking. That is the kind of service that pervades the hotel. Michael's associate, Eduardo, at the front desk, provided us a gorgeous upgraded room. We were stunned when we entered the suite, because Eduardo gave us the upgrade without taking credit for it. It was only when we went downstairs to thank him that it was mentioned. This gracious behavior is a trait of every employee in the hotel. The afternoon wine service was so relaxing and delicious and Julio was wonderful. Another staff member, Eduardo, fixed our internet access! I could go on and on, but most of all, the natural, unspoken kindness that is an obvious philosophy of the hotel is simply an example to all of us. I hope we have an opportunity to stay at this jewel again soon. -After driving 9 hours to San Francisco we were met by a very rude individual at the front desk. My wife and I were exhausted. We are also large adults. We have never been able to sleep on a queen size bed. The clerk could see this and informed us that we would have to sleep on a queen size bed unless we paid an aditional $160.00 up grade. Our original reservation for a kingsize bed woud not be honored at this hotel at the agreed price. We had no choice but to pay an aditional $160.00. We were also lectured why we should never use hotel.com. Actually," this was our own fault". Over all, the Hotel was okay, but we did feel cheated. I would never recommend this experience to anyone. Customer service is also very poor. We met several rude staff. Management has a real problem here. This all reflects on poor leadership. The clerk went on to explain that this happens all the time here. What this means is that Cathedral Hotel does it all the time. Buyer beware. -I booked this hotel after looking online. I didn't have a clear idea of which neighbourhood I wanted to stay in. For going in blind I couldn't have been any luckier than finding this great hotel! It ended up being the perfect location for me, close to all transportation, and withing walking distance of so much. I always felt safe, no matter what time of day I came or went. I LOVED the room, and the staff were beyond helpful. There was a great restaurant next door, and when I come back to San Francisco, I won't even look for a different hotel. I'm staying here again! -My wife and I recently stayed at The Mosser for 3 days on business. The downtown location cannot be beat for its proximity to San Francisco's mass transit system (within one block to the Bart and Muni, and one block to the famous Powell Street Cable car). We stayed in a shared-bath queen which was small but very clean. The bath/shower and separate bathrooms were clean and well maintained. Our room had a closet,sink, bath robes, towels, soaps, ironing board and iron, a cute little TV with cable/pay movies, and CD radio. The room was a little warn the first night, but after running the overhead fan and opening the windows (no AC), the room temperature became tolerant. It was a little noisy outside but noise from other rooms was virtually non-existent (a nice surprise for me). Breakfast was minimal (coffee, tea, and excellent fresh muffins), but was included in the room rate. Speaking of room rates, you would have to be a travel agent to get a better deal in downtown SF than our rate booked through their website ($55/night + tax). At check-in we were offered an en-suite queen upgrade for and additional $20 but declined. I'm glad I did and the money we saved was well spent elsewhere in the city. The hotel also stored our luggage after we checked out, and the front desk agent even made a reservation for us at the restaurant next door. We would definitely return to this hotel if we travel back to San Francisco. -We live only 25 minutes from SF and decided last minute to go one night Labor Day Weekend. We took our chances on Hotels.com to get a room w/ balcony. But no luck. Room was on the smallish side, but clean. The sleep number bed is truly a joke. My seven yr old found it hilarious to take it down to zero..too much like a toy. Still, if you have to share and sleep on the edge it's like having a 2x4 in your back. Yep, parking is $35 with a small parking lot that brought out the worst in folks when trying to get a stall. However, they let you check out and leave car until 7:00 at no extra charge. So we went to lunch and took a cable car ride before heading home. If you do this, you must check out and get a new key card to get let yourself out of the garage. First time I've encountered an establishment who really heats the pool, and we had a nice swim. Pool area clean with tables, lounges and towels.Location to Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf is fantastic.So much fun just to ride down the elevator and be there!We found the staff to be accomodating with requests and the concierge was working his rear off to help everyone out.Though there are plenty of good hotels very close in distance to this, I would absolutely go back and just make sure I get the balcony room. That's one bonus most of the others can't offer. -I just returned from two nights at the Villa Florence with my boyfriend. We had a wonderful time staying here. The location is superb-- right in Union Square. There are tons of shopping nearby and good restaurants. Our room was very comfortable. We had a down comforter and soft sheets. Aveda products in the bathroom were a nice extra touch. Although it is not a spacious hotel room, it was sufficient for two people travelling together. The lobby of the hotel is elegant. There is a bar and an upscale Italian restaurant.For the most part, staff was pleasant. One gentleman at the concierge didn't do a very good job of recommending restaurants for people on a budget, or assisting us make reservations, but he was an exception to the others who were mostly kind.We did hear sufficient noise outside our room from the street below in the early morning hours. I would have preferred an inside, courtyard room-- but those rooms were full when we checked in. I was a little disappointed that this could not by accomodated since I had called ahead one week to request a quiet room. I think there was some difficulty requesting this because I reserved this hotel through Priceline (but at $64 a night I wasn't going to complain!)Other nice amenities are the complimentary robes and a complimentary yoga basket to borrow during your stay. I would highly recommend this hotel to others! -This place doesn't have to try too hard to be ultra hip or cool. The fact that the hotel doesn't even have to put a sign on the building or the door will tell you that. With that being said, a stay at the Clift can transport you to a hip and trendy city lifestyle, which is exactly what I wanted for a weekend getaway from suburbia. The rooms are clean, light, and tastefully decorated in a very modern style; very comfy sleigh bed with superior down and cotton bedding. I'm pretty picky about my sheets, and I was tempted to buy these to take home with me. The hotel has the bedding custom made for them and new sets are available for sale. A stay at the Clift can be pricey. This is a trendy five-star hotel after all. However, packages can be found with good discounts for people not wanting regular chain-like accomodations and adventurous to try something different. I opted for a deluxe room at the Clift and was glad I did. There were three large windows in my outside facing corner room allowing lots of light and pleasant city sounds to filter in. The Clift's location is not ideal for sweeping views; but this was acceptable with me when selecting the hotel. A nice touch to the decor of the room were the mirrors and floor to ceiling curtains adorning the walls. No need for artwork that way, just the pleasant mix of colors, fabrics, glass, and contemporary furniture. Is the decor what I might select for my home? Probably not, but the change of scenery sure was fun for a evening. The room had candles and matches ready to go and the warm indirect lighting helped make this a contemporary romantic getaway. The CD player had excellent sound and the DVD player was a nice touch. Some might find the tv a joke as it's only a 19" model, but then again, I wasn't shelling out big bucks for watching tv. The location of the Clift is excellent for the theatre/shopping crowd and getting a cab is not too difficult. The front desk staff and the doormen were very friendly and helpful. The only thing keeping this stay from being an excellent experience was the breakfast at the Asia De Cuba restaurant. The decor and the food are nice, but they must have been understaffed the morning I decided to go, although the restaurant was not even 25% full. Breakfast was included with my special package rate, so this is where I was going to dine no matter what, but I expected decent, if not excellent and courteous service at such a fine restaurant. I could barely get a refill on my iced tea. The table next to mine was getting very impatient and almost downright rude about the slow service. All in all, I would steer clear of breakfast, unless it's included in your rate. Reviews for lunch and dinner seem to be better...so maybe someday I'll check it out, but with so many other choices in the city, the Asia De Cuba left a bad impression on me and it will be some time before I return to eat there. Some people leaving reviews have complained about noise, smelling smoke in the hallways, and having no dresser in the room, but I did not encounter any problem with these. I found the closet adequate for my luggage and unpacking of my necessary items so as to reduce wrinkling. As for noise, this is the CITY, not a country getaway, so I anticipated I'd hear some noise at some point in my stay, but honestly, I was never disrupted by noise in any way. I definitely rate the hotel very high in terms of a nice stay and felt I had a good value for my money. -This is a lovely hotel with nice rooms, easy access to all the tourist spots in San Francisco and some of the worst service I have ever experienced. I am a regular traveler, staying in hotels about once every other month or so for several days, and I have stayed in several other hotels in SF that are rated the same as the Parc 55. The biggest difference between these hotels is that the Parc 55 really doesn't seem to value customer service. There was a convention going on during my stay, but from what the staff said there is usually a convention going on. This might have had an effect on my service, but if conventions are a regular event, then I doubt the service improves much from week to week.The good: I got a Club room on the 29th floor and the room and view were beautiful. The breakfast was delicious and varied and I was very glad I upped my reservation for this alone. The bad: The service in general was awful, but be especially wary of the bell staff. When I first arrived my luggage was loaded on to a cart and taken up to meet me at the 2nd floor registration. During the 5 minutes of travel time a small bag containing cash and other valuables went missing. When I pointed this out I was asked to check my car, person, etc. to make sure I had not misplaced it. I did and the bag was just gone, but I know for a fact it was on the cart. This was dismissed by the staff when I brought it to their attention and I was not even offered an apology. Then, on my last day, I had a bellman up to my room to collect my bags and AGAIN during the trip from my room to the bell staff area downstairs THREE items were lost. I was again told to check my room, person, etc. to make sure I hadn't lost these items. Unlikely, as the missing items were a fedora hat, a foam pillow and a t-shirt that was on the pillow. I did as I was asked, but my items were nowhere to be found. I was then berated by a bellman who insisted that I had lost the items on my own. I asked repeatedly for the bell staff to check the service halls and elevator for my missing items, but I was told they were not there. I spoke with managers, bell staff, housekeeping, everyone they could shunt me off to, but no one was helpful at all. I finally had to leave without my items, but I took the names and phone numbers of those involved. I called the next day and spoke with another manager who SHOCKINGLY said, why yes, those items are sitting here in our lost and found. I had to drive nearly two hours to pick them up because the hotel refused to mail them.I will never stay at this hotel again for obvious reasons, but if you choose to do so PLEASE DO NOT USE THE BELL STAFF!!! FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR LUGGAGE BEWARE!!! -I spent two whole weeks for business travel at this Hilton in July 2009. The hotel is very nice overall, close to Union Square neighborhood, cable car on Powell street and public transportation at Market/Powell bus and metro/BART. I enjoyed a fair sized room with a fabulous view from the 43rd floor. I also enjoyed the excellent fitness center. Since I am a Hilton Honors Diamond level member, I was able to enjoy the higher floor and the fitness center without paying extra. The maid service was quite good (don't forget to tip daily if you want VIP treatment). The Urban Tavern restaurant offers interesting fare and some nice wines at usual center city hotel prices. There is a Starbucks in the lobby, priced higher than most of course. The rooftop pool and hot tub looked lovely, but it was too cold outside to take a dip. Those things aside, the downside to this Hilton is threefold. 1. Do not stay at this hotel if you want to use the fitness center and are not a Hilton Diamond or higher as the hotel charges $15 per day for the privelege of entering the Spa fitness center. This is not stated on their website; you just see the little fitness center icon. 2. The neighborhood is really the Tenderloin district, quite a down-and-out neighborhood, not really Union Square area as advertised. Walk to the east when leaving the hotel, and avoid the streets to the left and behind the hotel. 3. If you need to rent a car, the hotel charges a ridiculous upcharge to arrange a rental. Cross the street in front of the hotel, and rent a car directly from any one of 4 rental car vendors. It is cheaper to rent a car each day than to park at the hotel ($54/day to park at Hilton). -We spent 2 nights at the Ritz San Francisco over the Memorial Day weekend holiday. Overall, it was a fantastic experience. From the greetings as we entered the grand lobby area (the smell of fresh flowers is truly wonderful), to the beautiful room, we truly enjoyed the experience.Pros: Excellent room service & food items offered; top quality bath and room amenities; very friendly staff; the Fitness Center (fruit-infused water, steam room, pool--need I say more?); bottled water provided when you valet and take your car out.Cons: I would have preferred a separate tub and shower, but I think due to limited space in the city, it needed to be done this way. We had a special order of water and cheese, but it was not in our room when we first arrived, and it took 2 phone calls to get it up there (and it was missing requested items, such as lemons and ice). I also visited the spa, and they were 10 minutes late in getting to me, which I think they should work on. Also, the valet attendant nearly gave another couple our rental car (!), very random. If it wasn't for my husband arriving to the scene a few seconds later, someone else would have driven off with our car (so be sure you are there before your car arrives). -Just got back and felt this was a very good hotel for the money. Very clean and staff was helpful. We reserved a bay view room for $149 (floors 9-11) but unfortenatly the FOG blocked most of the views... the hotel is about 10 blocks from the bay so we could see the houses and businesses all the time!We arrived way early (930 am) and our room was ready so we got to check in! Breakfast was ok.. cereal, boiled eggs, fruit, juices, bagels... nothing super.. but plenty.We flew into SFO and took BART ($4.95) to Powell station, then bought a 3 day UNI bus/trolley car pass for $15.. took Powell-Hyde trolley (we packed light) to Lombard street and walked 3 blocks down to hotel. It is true, busses nearby.. I was a bit nervous about finding my way around but the front desk staff extremely friendly and had a map of a few major routes... found out 1 block away bus 30 goes by fishermans warf area, then china town, then financial district, then by Powell station. It comes about every 7 minutes! So we rode 30 about 20 times. So excellent location for using public transit.. and staff is helpful.Only compliant is that the windows are not mirrored at all... so close the drapes for privacy... we discovered this later in the day when we went out for a walk.. a little too late.Again, we would stay in a heartbeat again here... very clean and in good shape.. they also use newer keys than the old magentic cards. They even held our bags the last day all day long for no charge! -Returning after three years to this lovely hotel, we weren't disappointed. Again we had a very pleasant stay. The staff was as welcoming and caring as during our first visit. Breakfast was abundant. We enjoyed our morning newspapers and our daily workouts in the little Drisco gym. But the biggest surprise was - that upon request - we received our favourite room. All this, combined with it's charming location in one of the most attractive cities of the world, makes the Drisco a true gem. And so, once again, we will most certainly return. Dear Drisco staff: we are in love. -First off, the hotel is quite charming. The lobby is ornate, and the rooms have character! It's in a bustling neighborhood that is a great location for getting about San Francisco. It's also even a little on the inexpensive side, especially considering the great value.That being said, checking in was a nightmare, with no fault to the hotel itself. (Long story short, my bank decided the charges from multiple locations looked suspicious, and after much pleading with the bank, things were mostly taken care of.) Although this was quite an embarassing situation, the lady at the front desk mixed the right amount of compassion and humour, and eventually, everything worked out fine.So, bottom line? Lovely hotel, comfortable rooms, great front desk lady! -Fantastic hotel, in a great location. When we arrived check in was very quick with great staff. The room was amazing and in fantastic condition with great decor. This was the same throughout the hotel. Couldn't really comment on the food as we ate out in the various restaurants close by. The main city is not that far away, particularly by tram.Would recommend hiring a bike from the place close by and cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge and get the ferry back. -What makes a great hotel experience? In my opinion it's the personal comfort level, the suitability of the accomodations for your purpose as well as exemplary customer service, the kind of service that anticipates your needs and fulfills them graciously.My business partner and I meet in SF several times a year for a few days. Three years ago we lucked upon the Hotel Rex. The remodeling wasn't complete and things were a little crazy but our room was perfect cozy for hanging out and business planning - spacious, with arty literary furnishings - and the staff bent over backwards to compensate for any inconvenience. We had forgotten toothpaste and there was none at the front desk - oh well - a knock on our door came shortly after and there stood the hotel night manager who had brought us his own toothpaste!We were hooked! Since then, remodeling complete, the Rex has turned into our cosmopolitan home-away-from-home- we have stayed there 10+ times. The restaurant is fabulous, the menu is smallish, but the food is impeccable; the bar and downstairs lounge perfect for relaxing and entertaining clients; the staff has had very little turnover and they remember us by name and treat us like family.The Rex is a boutique hotel - not a slick, high-end, luxury hotel. If that's what you crave, try The W or the St. Francis - both are wonderful. But if you want a place to kick your shoes off that's close to a perfect location for ambling around The City that will leave you refreshed and happy, the Hotel Rex is the place to be. -We stayed at the Adagio at the beginning of August. It's very well placed for visiting San Francisco and the receptionists were very helpful about giving addresses for restaurants. The room was big and the bed was comfortable although I thought the bathroom wasn't really up to the standard of the bedroom itself. My husband and I were at the back of the hotel so it was quiet but my eldest daughter was at the front where it was noisier. One night she was woken by one of the many homeless who was singing at the top of his voice. Free tea, coffee and lemonade in the lobby is great. The breakfast was a bit expensive but you can always go out and have breakfast in one of many restaurants nearby. -I am a Hilton Honors Diamond member and I've been staying at this hotel for years. After my last stay I have to say that I will never stay in this hotel again. In the past I was always given an upgraded room on the top floors of tower 1. This time I was on the 16th floor of tower 1, right by the walkway to tower 3. I couldn't even open my draperies because everyone on the walkway could look right into my room.The room itself felt dirty. The carpeting was old and very yucky. Everything in this room felt old and very outdated. I have to believe that the rooms are the same size in this tower but it felt much smaller than the rooms that I have been in in the past. They have closed the concierge lounge at this hotel which is really a shame. It was on the top floor with beautiful views of the city and was a great place to relax after a long day of meetings.The one thing I still like is the gym. It's very nice with great equipment and not over crowded. I honestly do not know what's going on with Hilton at a corporate level. I spend an average of 15 nights a month in Hilton hotels and have noticed a serious decline in customer service across the board. I realize that times are tough in the travel industry but they have to start treating their best customers better. The colleague I was travelling with had the exact same feeling. -The St. Francis has the best location in the City, overlooking Union Square and next to the City's best shopping. Rooms are huge, and when we stayed the hotel had just put in flat screen TVs in all the rooms. The room service was also excellent--extremely speedy. I had the Kobe beef burger and fries. Both were fantastic, and surprisingly about half the price normally charged by hotels in this league. All around best hotel experience I have had on the West Coast. -Stayed at the Cow Hollow Motor Inn just one night as we were in town to watch the Giants play (got to see Barry hit #750) . Motel is very well kept, room was large by SF standards , lots of counter space in bathroom, good water pressure. Place seemed very secure , you have to use your room key to access elevators. Best of all parking is free in a enclosed parking lot, parking space is a premium in SF , with most hotels charging $35-45 dollars per day for parking. Heck we paid $30 to park at the ballgame and another $12 to go to the farmers market at the ferry building. As noted by other entries there are numerous places to eat within 2 square blocks of motel including Mels Diner ( of American Graffitti fame) right across the street. We had a 3rd floor king w/ city view , nice view however if you open the windows the noise from Lombard Street is very loud , once closed noise barley audiable. Staff were very effeicent check in and out took less than 5 minutes. All in all the motel met all our needs and we will not hesitate to stay here again. -I stayed at the hotel in October - not at a small expense -$180 dollars/night. The room had an aweful musty odour, furniture and soft furnishings looked tired and the carpet was in a terrible state. After the first night , I woke up with a very itchy rash. This deteriorated as the days went by and by the time I got back to the UK, the rash was covering my entire body including my face. Uncertain of what was happening to my body, I was in a great deal of distress fearing the worst.The rash was so itchy and so unsightly that I was obliged to cancel all my clinics ( I am a doctor) and research work. I saw a dermatologist who immediately and without any hesitation diagnosed bed bug bites. I believe that this is absolutely unacceptable and shocking!! Bed bug bites are known to be a source of transmission of Hepatitis B and Chagas disease which are both potentially fatal conditions. There have also been reports of death by anaphylactic shock in the unlucky few. However, what is even more appalling is that I have paid good money ($180/night) only to suffer this very horrific outcome which has caused me great distress and affected my productivity at the conference in San Francisco as well as affecting my work, my patients and my income. It has also essentially ruined what has been a very expensive and potentially rewarding trip to San Francisco.There is also a risk that the bed bugs may have been transported to my home in my suitcase with a hazard to all at home and a great deal of expense and hassle to eradicate.Phoned management who said they will get back to me but they haven't despite emailing them and also notifying them in the post. -We arrived after a long day's travelling from the UK and were delighted to find that the hotel exceeded our expectations. The room was very well appointed with quality furnishings and it was decorated in a classy and individual style, not what you normally expect from a chain hotel in a touristy location. It had more of a boutique hotel feel to it.After settling in and getting freshened up (great Tea Tree and Avacado shampoo by the way) we enjoyed the complimentary wine hour, where we were encouraged to sample all the varieties on offer. Suitably fortified, we set out on our first evening feeling very positive about the hotel, San Francisco and the world in general!The King size bed was longer and wider than the equivalent in the UK and extremely firm and comfortable - we're now shopping for a replacement at home using this as the benchmark.Morning coffee, tea and biscotti in the lobby was very convenient and as with the evening wine sessions, provided an oppurtunity to chat with other guests and swap tips on where to go and what to do.I'd seen a previous review recommending getting a room on the top floor in order to minimise traffic noise. We did and it was indeed very quiet (although the traffic didn't seem particularly heavy in the first place).All in all, an excellent stay over 4 nights and very good value for money. Great room, friendly staff, superb location - just a couple of blocks away from the hustle and bustle of Fisherman's Wharf and 2 minutes from the cable car turnaround that takes you straight to Union Square.We'll definitely stay there on our next visit to SF. -I had the most wonderful stay at The Parc 55. recommended by my sister as amazing value for money and excellent location in the heart of all the shops and things to do. Catch the trolley to the Quay or just shop until you drop. It is all there. Ericka at Reception checked me in and Hanif is an encyclopedia about where to go and how to get there. he is calm and so professional.Thanks to Ericka and Hanif for an amazing stay. see you soon! Manny , Vancouver, Canada -We stayed in Hotel Rex for two nights in July. The only other boutique hotel we've stayed at in San Francisco is the Serrano, which for some reason we were able to book amazingly cheap rooms for in 2007 (had a look at Serrano for this trip and rates were well over $200 a night). So with the Serrano as our only point of comparison, I'd say the Hotel Rex is a good value boutique hotel for San Franciso that might not knock your socks off, but for the money has enough going for it to still make it a great place to stay. Our room was stylish with contemporary linens and funky framed art, if a little on the 'cozy' side. The bathroom was also a bit small but nice enough. Room was a bit stuffy but we opened up our window (so great to be able to do that!) and used the fan that was provided in the room and I slept like a rock both nights. The window was facing the street, but we were far enough up that noise wasn't really a problem (especially with the fan going). The location is great - very central and always felt safe walking around the area. In terms of service, found everybody friendly and helpful enough, but nothing extraordinary (I think that was what had really 'wowed' us about the Serrano...)What I liked most: the fun, funky decor and being able to open our window.What I liked least: It felt a bit 'cramped' everywhere - in the hallways and the room. -If you enjoy "old school" service and city elegance, you will love the Omni San Francisco. The decor is elegant and the service friendly and impeccable. From the moment we arrived, everyone on staff bent over backwards to accommodate every request and everyone down to the maintance guy in the hall had a cheerful greeting for you. The concierge, Lex ,was incredibley helpful. The room was well-appointed and the bed with crisp sheets and duvet very comfortable. Sign up for Omni' frequent stay program and enjoy benefits on your first stay including complimentary beverage (you can choose both coffee and juice/bottled water per person) and choice of newspaper delivered each morning at the time you choose. Yes - the bar and restaurant are on the expensive to the OMG side - especially if you dive into the steak menu at dinner ($54 for a veal chop - wow!) but have to say I had a wonderful burger in the bar one night and did not begrudge the $19 price tag because it was so good. Breakfast was also pricey (and not as outstanding) but you can add pastries, fruit and even a breakfast sandwich on to your complimentary breakfast beverage order for not too big a hit so we went that route and enjoyed a more affordable breakfast in our room. As for location, you cannot beat this spot for convenience to the Ferry Building, Union Square, China Town and all other points. Buy a three-day pass ($18) from the front desk and you can ride the trolley (stops right in front of the hotel), the vintage buses and regular buses to your hearts content. Also, if you plan to go to the Tut exhibit, ask the concierge if they have any leftover VIP passes. They cost a few bucks more but you can go whenever you want and bypass the long line by using the VIP line once inside the museum - you just have to promise the concierge that you will be discreet and not a big blowhard about having a VIP pass..... -Fantastic rate can be found on PRICE LINE or HOT WIRE. The location is SOMA but close to China Town and Union Sq. IT IS VERY CLOSE to several MUNI public transportation stops so it's really easy to get around. It is close to some convention centers as well. The beds are comfortable and clean. The rooms are roomy and nicely appointed. We would highly recommend this hotel to those tourists who want to stay at a nice place at a great price (just over $135 per night if you get a good PriceLine quote).Recommend dining at LULU just 2 blocks east of the hotel --- Great food!!ALSO: Don't rent a car in S.F. The MUNI public transportation is fantastic and cheap. get the 1 day or 3 day MUNI pass. It is well worth it! -I have to admit that the location and view was perfect. But the overall experience was not. We made two reservations with them. One for a friday and saturday check-in but found out that we could make it over on thursday so we called to extend our stay or to get an earlier stay. Not only did they price us double the price we orginally got but also did understand the connection of having already booked a room for the next two nights. So instead I called priceline and booked a room for a much lower price. I have to admit I rather deal with priceline than direct service with Hyatt. Which says alot about Hyatt's overall customer service. But the bummer or reason for this low review is that after we left on Sunday they charged two charges on a debt card that was only used for the bar. This debt card was not used to hold the rooms nor were they given to the front desk. We called to ask about the charges and they say they could not help us. Only the accounting department could help. We asked them how was it possible not to be able to tell us what the charges were for. The lady on the line say its because they we a high end hotel therefore other departments took care of such things. Told us the accounting department will call us. They did not after two days! Only to reverse the charges 3 days later without a call or notice. I think this has to be the worst customer service I ever recieved from a hotel Econolodge even has better service. They charge for everything! No free internet/no free business center/ 45 dollars per day for parking. For 150 dollars a night you would think at least the internet was free. -Loved this hotel, will stay there next time I am in SF. Staff was great. Loved the wine reception every night in the lobby with music. Nice clean spacious rooms, looked newly remodeled. Close to Union Square but in a nice quiet neighborhood. Lots of small bistros to eat nearby and restaurant in hotel was delicious. Very international clientele. -We spent 2 nights at the Powell. The hotel staff was friendly, and parking was reasonable ($31/day). Our room was very small and it had a musty smell. We opened the windows to bring in some fresh air. However, because this hotel is next to the cabel cars, there is a lot of noise outside. We kept the windows open the 1st night (because there was no air conditioning) and we could barely sleep with all the noise. On the 2nd night, we decided to keep the windows closed. The room was stuffy, but we slept better without all the noise. The shower head was at a hight of about 5 feet, 5 inches, and my husband is over 6 feet...he had to do a back bend to wash his hair. The lock on our door was not screwed in properely, and the door was sticking. We informed the hotel staff, and within an hour our lock was fixed and someone came to shave some paint off our door, so that it would open easily. The hotel is in a very convenient location for tourists and close to lots of shopping. -Trip was Aug. 14th - 16th. Do not drive in SF. My fiance came in through SFO via the BART. Best way to go. The Civic Center station was not far from the hotel. A nice walk by the City Hall building. Felt safe at night on Van Ness. I checked in earlier that day. Lots of foreign tourists. I asked for a quiet room with Carlo. Carlo gave me a room on the 5th floor in the back. It ended up being too noisy because it was right across from an elevator. I went down and tried for another room with another front desk clerk which I was given a room on the 2nd floor. I believe it was room 208. It was an inner room facing Myrtle Street. Very nice. I liked this room much better. Very roomy. Comfortable bed. Checked the sheets, very clean. Toiletries included a packet of shampoo and lotion and one small bar of soap. Ice machine was on the 3rd floor. Plastic cups. Double pane windows kept street traffic at bay. TV worked fine. Didn't try the internet. Mel's Diner on corner (street level). Deluxe Continental breakfast was mostly bread items and some fruit. Great weekend. Kept luggage with them after checkout. Hotel not far from California cable car line. Must buy a City Pass if seeing the sights. The 7-day MUNI pass in it was worth the price alone. Didn't know about any bed bug stories until I got back. Saw the reports. We had none. Our room was just fine and a great value, especially in SF on a weekend. Would stay there again and would recommend it to others. -While not worthy of the 3.5 stars given it by hotwire (2.5 to 3 are more like it), there's nothing really wrong with this financial district hotel, if you can get it at a reasonable rate. Rooms are smallish, but adequate for a business stay, or a weekend, tho romantic, it ain't! The main problem is that it just isn't close to anything. Tadich Grill is the only "name" restaurant nearby, altho the hotel's own restaurant isn't bad, if you like beer and pub food. Skip the expensive breakfast there and go to McDonald's a couple of blocks away. Hotel is close enough to Muni and Bart so it's easy to get anywhere. A couple of desk clerks didn't speak English very well, and/or were very busy, so it was easier to go across the street to the Meriden and ask the concierge there for assistance.I'd stay here again for the $89 Hotwire rate, but I wouldn't be excited about it. -We reserved this hotel through priceline and paid $150 a night for it. We stayed there for 3 nights in July. I was very satisfied with my experience at The Argent. My husband and I came to San Francisco for vacation, and even though The Argent seems to be more of a business hotel, it was great for tourists as well. For starters, the location is unbeatable. We were able to walk to some great cafe's for breakfast (cafe venue and boudin). The conceirge's provided us with helpful restaurant recommendations and directions to sights. The hotel was clean and staff friendly and helpful. We were upgraded to the 19th floor with a great view of the city (no extra charge, though we did have to ask for it). The bed and tolietries are my only complaints -- the bed in our room was HARD and uncomfortable and the pillows were very small. They didn't have very good shampoos, soaps, or conditioners. I felt the hotel would more appropriately considered a 3 1/2 star hotel as it lacks the plushness and amenties that a 4 star hotel has. But for the price, location, and service, and if you get a good price on a room, it's worth staying. -The Andrews Hotel rooms were very small, but nicely decorated & furnished, the cleanilness was excellent. The service was really good & the hotel restaurant superb & very popular with the locals. The free continental breakfast put out on each floor was excellent and the free glass of wine in the bar each evening of you stay was well worth getting back for (served between 5.30 - 6.30). The hotel is a long walk from Fishermans Wharf, but very close to Union Square. The roads are a bit of a killer with them being so steep, but is it not advisable to drive in the city as the parking is very limited. The cable car service is pretty good if you don't fancy walking everywhere. I wore my stepper & on the day we walked over the Golden Gate Bridge we did 41,000 steps (approx 36.8km) so if you like walking it is ideal!! I would definately recommend this hotel to anyone, the room had one of the best showers I have ever used & the bed one of the most comfortable I have slept in. -Typical cramped motel room and overpriced ($109). But it was in reasonably good condition, the beds were comfortable, it was quiet at night (being two blocks from Highway 101), we had a fridge and microwave, and there was plenty of hot water. And the best part--the location! Chestnut, the "main street" of the Marina District, was just around the corner with plenty of cafes and shops and a real hometown atmosphere. Also, the Palace of the Fine Arts, and the waterfront were nearby, and you can take a public bus to Chinatown and Downtown. -There is a reason this hotel is ranked 210 out of 238 in San Francisco. It was disgusting! I don't know how anyone could give it 5 stars. In fact, the two most recent reviews that give it 5 stars were writted 2 days apart and both sound like they came straight out of their brochure, and from what I understand, it is recently under new management. Coincidence?My girlfriend and I stayed here over Memorial Day and our room was disgusting. It smelled like urine and we could see the wet spot on the floor! They didn't even bother to clean it up. There were feces stains still in the toilet. It obviously hadnt been cleaned between guests either. We checked out and were lucky to get a room at Comfort Inn down the street for the rest of our vacation. Think about it. There are only 28 hotels in San Francisco WORSE than this one. There are 209 that are better. Stay in one of those. -This hotel is reputed in San Franciso to be the #1. For one, the location, right at the top of Nob Hill, is beautiful. However that is also the biggest drawback... The walk back to the hotel is very steep, long and tiring! Unless you drive...Rooms are big, beautiful, clean... nothing unexpected of the Mark Hopkins.The decor, lobby, etc is grand. Staff is quite helpful. Rooms are pricey though.When at the Mark Hopkins, be sure to check out their famous "Top of the Mark" restaurant. Great ambience, wonderful view, exquisite dining experience.To be honest, I wouldn't stay there again, if only because of the walk up the hill. There are cheaper alternatives, such as the Hotel Mayflower two streets down, at a third of the cost. And you would be able to walk up two streets along the hill to the Top of the Mark, of course! -We traveled with our two older teenage children and they had their own room which was a vacation within a vacation. I've been to San Francisco 4 times and this was my best stay yet. Yes it was a little noisy, but it's a city. If I wanted quiet I would have gone to the country. The location was fantastic. One block from the trolley and the bus. Great restaurants within walking distance. The room was large, bright and airy. The bathroom was large enough and everything was spotless. The beds were very comfortable and according to my children, so was the sleeper sofa. The staff was incredibly helpful. We didn't eat the breakfast because as I said, we traveled with teenagers who think waking up at 10am. is early and really, I'm in San Francisco, why would I eat a continental hotel breakfast anyway. Just the fact that it was included in the room price is pretty unusual for a hotel in a major city. My only complaint were the pillows. There could have been a few more and much firmer. Overall, it was a fantastic vacation at a wonderful hotel. -I just had to weigh in on this hotel -- I am actually writing my review while staying in the hotel. I come to San Francisco at least 5 times a year on business, and I always stay at the Hotel Monaco. The location is perfect in that it is very near Union Square, shopping, restaurants, but also near the business district. I have always found the staff to be attentive and pleasant. I have always found the rooms to be spacious (for SF), clean and comfortable. There is a fitness room, a spa, a business center (though I must suggest that the hotel install the Wordperfect converter on their Word software, I couldn't open my document this morning) that has both Mac and PC's. Also, the hotel is always nicely decorated (beautiful, in fact, at Christmas) and the salon where the nightly wine happy hour is held is comfortable with a fire place and overstuffed furniture. So, I love this hotel and think everyone should give it a try. And I am a Kimpton in-touch member, which I think is a great program. -I've gotta admit that the location of the hotel is very good. Close to the train station, shopping area etc...But the rooms are terrible. I was about to book a package with Hilton but chose to buy Nikko since all the reviews were very good. But i made a huge mistake of not getting the Hilton across the street. We bought the air+hotel package from expedia for a "Petite Queen" room. We checked in and asked for an upgrade. The representative was nice and offered us an upgrade but told us to check the "Petite room" before we upgrade. So we went and checked the room we originally bought. The room is very petite. The hallway from the door to the actual bed is very tiny. The bed was horrible. We sat on the bed and we could literally feel the springs on the bed. So we decided to go for an upgrade. Upgrade of "Petite" was "Deluxe" and then "Club room which comes with a continental breakfast". We decided to check the Club room. One thing we noticed was that all three rooms had a 19 inch tv despite the size of the room. Club room was very spacy but the bed felt the same. Bathroom was ok with usual stall shower and a bathtub. There are alot of coffee shops around the block so we decided not to get the club room. So we decided to go for the delux room. I've gotta say all the beds in all the rooms were same despite the upgrade. We could feel the springs by sitting on the bed. At this point, i was very disappointed with the quality of beds in the hotel. The marble on the sink area was very worn out which made it look like the counter top was not clean. We finally checked in the delux room. The room was alot spacier than the "Petite" room. But the quality of the bed was the same. We slept on that bed the first night, i could not get a good night sleep. I was tossing and turning all night long. Next day we told them about the bed and the service representative said that she'll have the housekeeping put a mattress pad on the bed. If we still don't like it, she'll upgrade us. Not that the club room had any better bed. We come back in the room the next night and there was a full size mattress pad on a king size bed. At that point we really didn't care of having another upgrade and moving all our stuff to another room which had the same quality bed. Also, the stall shower door made a mess on the bathroom floor. I will really suggest that if you're picky on beds and like a good night sleep after having a nice day: "DON'T STAY IN NIKKO". Its not worth the money. I've learned my lesson of not trying new hotel and sticking only to "Hilton, Westin, Sheraton hotels". There are alot of nice hotel in the same block. I'd suggest stay away from Nikko if you want a good night sleep. -This hotel is obviously trying to sustain excellent client service. Check-in was a breeze as was check-out. The concierge is so knowledgeable, and courteous. They recommended both a French and Italian restaurant and both were within walking distance and just delicious (Fleur de Lis / Fino). Rooms were very comfortable and the large TV was a bonus. There is a Starbucks adjacent to the hotel which we loved. There are a lot of homeless in the city so just be very aware. Be friendly but keep moving. -We stayed here for one night and found it to be good value for money. The hotel is not located in a particularly nice area, but the centre of town is 2 minutes walk. Hotel staff were very friendly and helpful. We changed the room due the first room being very small, the secret is to ask for a room with two beds and these are a good size and the beds are both doubles. Also ask for a high floor out the back of the hotel and you will hear very little noise. Rooms are comfortable and have been recently refurbished. Free wine reception on Fridays and Saturdays, worth going. -Just return from the Hotel Nikko this afternoon and can't wait to write this review. The hotel is not a bad hotel,but it's not that great at all, room was small (170 sqf?), so I upgraded to the deluxe King and it still small (250 sqf?). But it is clean and quite. My family and I visit San Francisco many times we stay in many of hotels, this hotel rooms are small (the other small hotel we stayed before it was Palace Hotel, but Palace are Old, Classic and Luxury same price I pay for Hotel Nikko)!! Other than that, we have a great time. The staff are nice, doorman always open door for every guest, and the hotel staff are always smile and greeted. The location is not bad at all, two blocks away from the MUNI and Bart, plus Cable Car. In the center of shopping area, if you love shopping, and don't want to carry your bags, this hotel is the one for you since you are not too far away from the shopping center. Many hotel around SF area, you really need to know what you will like to do when you planning your visit. Lots of hotel offer the good package, check them all out before you book them. -Arrived Sunday for a 3-night stay. Rooms were a little small-ish but very comfortable. CP's relaxation/sleep program is very conducive to a good night's rest. Very convenient to Powell St. Transit Station, and cable car line stops next to the hotel. Restaurant is on the pricey side, but there are plenty of less-expensive options within walking distance. Will stay here again on future trips. -The photos on Trip Advisor are of another motel! Very misleading! We had a group of friends with 5 rooms and each room was disgusting. Dirty, moldy, smelly!! Some rooms had working phones, tvs, lights, other rooms didn't. Very inconsistant. Bedding was dirty, one towel in one room, none in the others. The Managers, who live there with children, were VERY rude!! They called everyone 30 minutes prior to check out to tell us to leave. They charged us $10 more than what we booked on their website - and then argued with us when we brought it to their attention. DO NOT STAY HERE!! Very dishonest people!!! -I truly enjoyed my stay at this quaint hotel. The rooms are very small, but well appointed. My friend and I shared a room with two double beds and our "biggest" complaint was that there weren't enough electrical outlets for us to charge our wireless phones and Garmin gps units. Seems almost silly to mention that now. We were on the top (8th floor) facing Powell Street and at night we were serenaded by street music and cable cars. It was loud with the windows open, but the noise was dramatically reduced when we closed them. The ceiling fan kept the room cool enough at night thanks to the mild temps while we were there. The staff was incredibly helpful with all of our questions regarding the public transportation. Take the Muni to AT & T Park for $2 one way...such a deal (fun to see our LA Dodgers win at the Giants stadium). I had fun taking the cable car from directly in front of the hotel down to the wharf. I also liked walking most of the city. Tad's, just a couple of doors down, serves a bargain steak dinner for $13.79. Nothing fancy, but if you are bargain minded like I am, the steak dinner is just right. I kind of wish we had more time to go back there to try something else. The complimentary breakfast served at the hotel was sort of weak, but we didn't care too much about that. They served hot tea, coffee, juice, apple muffins, toast...The muffins were good! Overall, if you are looking for a comfy, clean place to flop after a day of sightseeing, you will enjoy this place. If you are one of those high fallutin' types, then pick another place because this just won't do it for you. Of course, you will also pay two to three times more. Personally, I'd rather spend my money on jewelry or clothes or at the many fun restaurants in the city! -The Grand Hyatt is a great hotel but maybe a little pricey. We stayed for two nights in October of 2006 and had a great time. The location was awesome and we enjoyed walking to Union Square and all the shops. The hotel was completely sold out but they seemed to be able to handle that number of people comfortably. Parking was out of control at $43 per night when other hotels in the area charge less than $30. Overall we had a great time and the staff was very nice to us on our special weekend away from home. -I'm a frequent visitor to San Francisco, and have used Priceline on a number of occasions to find rooms. I've generally bid on a "four-star" room, and have ended up in such typical business hotels as the Hilton and the Holiday Inn in the Financial District. My one bid on a "three-star" put me in the Pickwick, which turned out to be a decent enough experience. I turned to Priceline over Labor Day weekend after I discovered that my favorite "budget" hotel, the Castle Inn, could not accommodate me. I was unable to get a "four-star" or a "boutique" room on my latest attempt, and my offer of $72 a night for a "three-star" was finally accepted. When I was given the name of the hotel, I read the reviews here, and although I was taken aback by what I read, I hoped for the best.Unfortunately, the general consensus on the place turned out to be correct. I arrived at about midnight, and even though Priceline had guaranteed a late arrival, the desk clerk made a snide comment about my arrival time. The king room I requested was not available, and she claimed that the only room left in the hotel was a queen. She assured me, however, that I would be getting a non-smoking room, and I decided to reserve further judgment until I got upstairs.I knew I would be disappointed as I walked down the hall to the room--the wallpaper was marked and dirty, and the paint on the doors was marred and chipped. When I arrived at my room (659), I was greeted by a broken switchplate and the odors of both mildew and cigarette smoke. The lights came on to reveal cheap, scratched furniture with cigarette burns, worn and dirty carpet that was well overdue for replacement, and a rock-hard bed with a worn bedspread. The tub had rust stains, and the vanity was stratched and burned as well. The ventilation system was literally decades old, and during my entire four-day stay, I could not get any airflow in the room.The service was no better. Both the night and the morning desk clerks insisted that no other rooms were available, and since I was preoccupied with business matters, I eventually gave up and resigned myself to staying in the room. For two of the four nights there, I received no linen service, and my call to housekeeping went unanswered. Garage parking was $23 per night, including tax, which was well in keeping with prices throughout the city.I realize that $72 isn't a lot of money for a hotel room in SF, and I don't have a problem staying in budget accommodations. However, I do have a problem with the place being advertised as a "three-star" establishment, which, according to both Priceline and AAA, is one that offers special amenities. Quite simply, the hotel is in desperate need of renovation (both the physical plant and the front office), and unless you have no other option, I would give it a wide berth. -Spent first two nights and last night of trip at the Carlton. Late change of choice from the Chancellor driven by the collpase of Sterling and the incredibly competitve rates on offer at the Carlton. Great service even before I got there in offering me the discounted rate for a three night stay even thought my nights were not consecutive. Hotel is comfortable, excellent food at the Saha restaurant, and the staff, as many other reviewers have highlighted are simply first rate. Location is fine - no need to go into the Tenderloin unless you choose to do so and only a 10 minute walk downhill to Union Square. Service and value for money cannot be faulted. Evening wine reception is a nice way to relax before dinner after a full day. I would not hesitate to stay again. -We stayed three weeknights in The Donatello on family vacation with two teenagers. The room was great size for the four of us. We read the tips on the pullout couch and was semi-worried going in - but it was perfect! The room rate was reasonable and the location is the best - Union Square. So much walkable and accessible nearby.The service was top notch and front desk very helpful and friendly. The only knock was the workout room - very subpar. One treadmill and bike won't cut it at a major hotel property. Did find an outstanding three mile run downtown through Union Square area - excellent! The breakfast area was also crowded and was confusing if it was complimentary or you needed to pay. Didn't matter as two of the best breakfast places are very close and walkable - Dottie's and Crepes.Overall - very favorable stay and would recommend to friends! -My boyfriend and I went to San Francisco to celebrate New Year's and stay at the Fairmont despite the Trip Advisor review. The decision was based on a raving recommendation of a friend that lives in San Francisco. While the lobby and some other rooms are gorgeous, the sound quality of the rooms (you really can hear everything) and the majority of the Fairmont staff are not up to standards. We were overcharged for room service (3 breakfasts rather than 2) and got zero assistance from the concierge. Our bellhop, on the other hand, was very helpful and informative - they really should switch jobs. Save your money and use it to stay in another hotel. I'm really sorry to say that but it's the truth - our friend had never spent a night in the hotel and had only gone in for dinner/drinks. That's all you'll want to do here. -This is my second stay at this hotel. My husband and I decided to do some sight seeing before a wedding we attended in wine country. We stayed two nights. We stayed on an upper floor in the new tower. The rooms were fine but nothing spectacular except the view. You are really paying for location with this hotel. This is also a historic hotel, so please do not expect it to look like the Westin in Hollywood Florida. The bathrooms are small and not really up to "heavenly bath" standard. However we found the staff to be polite and helpful. The concierge was great. If you are new to the city then you will definitely want to start there. They will give you a map and tell you which cable car to hop on. The cable car by the way stops right outside the hotel. Do yourself a favor and catch it outside the hotel, not down the hill where there are tons of lines!Over all I really like this hotel for the location and friendly staff. -The Cartwright is just four blocks from Union Square, with theaters and shopping nearby. Standard rooms (and bathrooms) are tiny but nicely appointed and well maintained. Parking is at a commercial lot a block and a half away; validated by the hotel, it is $25 a night. A decent, self-service breakfast is complimentary. -Good location, nice hotel but on initial first interaction with receptionist I found her very rude and abrupt. Customer service is a big part for me so if I hadn't been travelling all day I would have just left. However after chatting with my boyfriend I went back to book and managed to get a different receptionist - Ginnifer - who was the complete opposite - very helpful and pleasant. We got a nice room, with a good view of the city but unfortunately we woke every morning with really sore throats from the air conditioning which we couldnt turn off and there are no windows to open to let some fresh air in. I really liked the floor to ceiling windows though. Apart from the aforementioned the 2 night stay was good enough but what really put a downer on the whole thing was the bell boy's having a go at us as we were leaving because we went ahead and used their trolley's (that were outside our room!!) to transport our luggage into the taxi. They were annoyed we didn't use their services but frankly we did not have time to wait for them to get to the 18th floor as we were in a rush to get to the airport. -We were a party of 3 adults, in a two double bed room. Price was great 212$ per night including tax. (relative to other hotels from same class). Room was nice, with all the amnities you need. The hotel is located an walking distance from Union Sq, adn othe SOMA attractions! -Booked thru Hotwire, got a great rate for SFO. Hotel lobby & decor is beautiful, great lighting. Check-in quick and easy. Room looked down at 3rd St, no view of the bay or bridges, but I'll sacrafice that for a great rate. Restaurant was pricey as hotels are. They ran out of empty refrig's to replace our pay-mini-bar, but allowed us to remove and replace items without a charge to store our leftovers & drinks. Beds were comfy with lots of fluffy pillows. Valet staff was more friendly and helpful than concierge. Parking, valet only, was $42/day + $5.50 tax. May look into public parking across street next time. Very close to subway stations, large mall, & trolley stops. -We spend the weekend after Thanksgiving in San Francisco, and had a great stay at the Rex. We were in a large king room which looked out over a courtyard of trees--surprising in the middle of San Francisco! Hotel staff were uniformly nice, complimentary wine was of reasonable quality and served graciously. We ate in the small restaurant for breakfast, twice (great granola with fruit and also three-grain pancakes!). We also enjoyed a couple of appetizers before going to the theatre which were served promptly, and were tasty. Rates were reasonable, location excellent, housekeeping superb. Free internet, and touches such SF Jazz Festival cd's and a player, as well as having high intensity desk lamps available made it feel like they cared.I would fault only the noise of the toilet flushing (tank less type) which you can hear from other rooms. -Excellent location!! I was on the 26th floor with a view to die for...the Bay, Coit Tower, Alcatraz...and everything within walking distance. After working all day, I wanted to get out and stretch my legs. I went from Chinatown (at your doorstep) to Downtown, the Embarcadero, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach and Little Italy....wonderful walk! The hotel staff are all very friendly, rooms are actually good sized for the Bay area, free snacks in the bar at night and a great continental breakfast for Hilton Honors members....definately recommend this hotel (but leave your car at home if possible...parking is around $50 a night)!! -This was a great alternative to all the other big name hotels in the Square district. It's tiny (but quaint) lobby is a bit disconcerting at first.... but our room (an exectutive King w/ fireplace) was quiet large and comfortable. I can't comment on the standard room. But for the rate we paid (129$pn) Go for the biggest room you can get. You'll be paying 250+ to stay at the Westin across the street. I was really pleased w/ the little extras. They had a very nice continental breakfast and evening wine & snacks in the common areas of each floor everyday. The fireplace was usually burning which was nice since San Fran can be a bit chilly. The location was perfect. Had no problem walking around the city, catching a cab or taking a trolly. Would definitely stay there again. -We enjoyed our stay here. We payed extra for the view and it was worth it. The breakfast was good, particularly the waffles though not a full buffet. The location was handy - we were able to walk everywhere. The only slight criticism was one girl on the front desk who didn't smile but the others seemed friendly enough. -We really enjoyed our stay at the Hotel. The entire staff were wonderful, the room was clean and a good size (we had 2 double beds for our family of four) and the hotel's decor was clean and fresh. The front desk staff were helpful, the cleaning staff did an excellent job cleaning our room daily and the breakfast staff did a fine job of replenishing food during an always hectic breakfast. The breakfast was excellent with a number of different choices (both hot and cold food available). One of my daughters' suffers from asthma. Unfortunately we could not book and be guaranteed a non smoking room through Hotwire in advance. However I contacted the Hotel on the morning of our arrival to request a non smoking room and upon our arrival later that day they had met my request and our non smoking room was ready for us(before 3 p.m. check-in) Our only concern would be the room location given to us. The room faced Beach St. and the F Line Streetcar roars by on Beach St. starting around 5:00 a.m. The Hotel's sound insulation was good but we often were still awakened by the sound of the streetcar in the morning. However we most certainly thought we got excellent value! The location in Fisherman's Wharf was excellent with easy access to public transit (both Cable Cars and the streetcar line). We rented a car for 3 of our 7 day stay and were able to find overnight street parking near the hotel every night which allowed us to save about $40 per night had we parked the car in the Hotel garage. My wife and I are both runners and we used the Hotel's fitness facility. As well it was a short run from the Hotel to the waterfront where we could run along the Embarcadero for several miles without worrying about vehicular traffic. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Fisherman's Wharf. I would HIGHLY recommend this Hotel. -If you enjoy "old school" service and city elegance, you will love the Omni San Francisco. The decor is elegant and the service friendly and impeccable. From the moment we arrived, everyone on staff bent over backwards to accommodate every request and everyone down to the maintance guy in the hall had a cheerful greeting for you. The concierge, Lex ,was incredibley helpful. The room was well-appointed and the bed with crisp sheets and duvet very comfortable. Sign up for Omni' frequent stay program and enjoy benefits on your first stay including complimentary beverage (you can choose both coffee and juice/bottled water per person) and choice of newspaper delivered each morning at the time you choose. Yes - the bar and restaurant are on the expensive to the OMG side - especially if you dive into the steak menu at dinner ($54 for a veal chop - wow!) but have to say I had a wonderful burger in the bar one night and did not begrudge the $19 price tag because it was so good. Breakfast was also pricey (and not as outstanding) but you can add pastries, fruit and even a breakfast sandwich on to your complimentary breakfast beverage order for not too big a hit so we went that route and enjoyed a more affordable breakfast in our room. As for location, you cannot beat this spot for convenience to the Ferry Building, Union Square, China Town and all other points. Buy a three-day pass ($18) from the front desk and you can ride the trolley (stops right in front of the hotel), the vintage buses and regular buses to your hearts content. Also, if you plan to go to the Tut exhibit, ask the concierge if they have any leftover VIP passes. They cost a few bucks more but you can go whenever you want and bypass the long line by using the VIP line once inside the museum - you just have to promise the concierge that you will be discreet and not a big blowhard about having a VIP pass..... -I found a fantastic deal online for the Cartwright. It's a nice hotel overall with great location, plus the fact that they include an evening wine reception and breakfast was just amazing. The drawbacks are that the hotel is a bit older and the rooms are on the small side. Parking for the hotel is a couple of blocks away. Lucky for us, it was not raining. The positives were that the staff was fairly friendly and rooms were nice and clean, though again, a bit on the small side. The wine reception was fun, as we sipped on wine and chatted with other guests. Breakfast was a nice add, with cereals, waffles, coffee, etc. The locations is good, with plenty of things to do within walking and ease of finding a cab for the things that weren't close. Overall, an unbelievable deal for a weekend night stay in San Francisco! -We have just returned from a trip to San Francisco, CA. We stayed at the "Heritage Marina" hotel for 5 of these days. It was not our first choice, but everything was booked this week. It was a less than pleasant experience. Did not look anything like it does on the websites! We checked into our first horrifying room to find it overlooked the trash & homeless person going thru it. It did not include a fridge or microwave as requested. We were then moved to a second room that neither ourselves or the desk person could enter. Our third room was a smoking room (we had requested non-smoking!). We were finally moved to a fourth room that overlooked the pool which, by comparison was much better than the others. Next problem- the t.v did not work? After this was taken care of, we noticed the room was remarkably hot. We did not want to complain again so we dealt with it. It never got below 85 degrees in there which was strange as we were on the bottom floor- does heat not rise? There was construction going on that was not mentioned when we booked. We were woken bright & early every morning to the sounds of hammering! Also, the walls are VERY thin!! We could hear more than we wanted from our neighbours (beware those with children). The room was not clean at all. In fact I don't think they cleaned it once while we stayed except to make the beds. I don't think it was ever vaccuumed (don't look under the beds or behind anything). The yellow 70's bathroom bothered me the most as it was very dirty. For example the shower curtain & tub had mold on it & the towels were grey & old. Forget about hot water in the morning. We didn't book the hotel to hang out in but I did want a clean comfortable place to spend the night! Overall the best thing going for this hotel is the location. It is very central to everything, close to the bus stop & it seems a fairly safe area- but make sure your expectations are low! Mine were, but I was still disappointed. Maybe some rooms are nicer than others...... -First of all the location of this hotel is great...Right on Union Square. It's affordable, charming, and the staff is friendly. The complimentary breakfast is great, and the rooms are large. I had a suite with a separate living area...We even had a balcony that looked out onto Sutter Street. It was great. They bring ice to your room, or any other thing you may need. The showers feel like cascading water on your back...There's no AC, but in San Francisco you really don't need it. Open some windows and let the city air cool you off. I loved this hotel, and when I return to the city it will be at the top of my list...It's a great find. -We stayed in this motel for 3 nights. Good location. Clean big rooms, but a bit old fashioned. Free parking. Simple breakfast. Average service. Good restraints nearby. Good choice for travelers who need place to sleep. -We stayed at this hotel the last weekend of 2007 to attend a Bowl Game. We booked the hotel as part of an Alaska Airlines Vacation Package. We were not disappointed. Upon a late evening arrival we were greeted by cheerful staff. Everything around the hotel was closed and the staff brought us a complimentary bottle of wine which we enjoyed with our travel companions. This is an old hotel, but has a lot of character. It is clean and our bed was comfortable. We enjoyed being on the back side, not on the street and having our window open for fresh air and not having to listen to the noise of a heating/air unit. Being on Sutter Street, we walked to the main part of town often. We had breakfast in the restaurant and it was very good. We enjoyed the evening wine event one night. The lobby is very cozy and there are many places to sit and visit. Know that this hotel is old and the walls are paper thin. I think one thing the desk could do at check in is to advise people of this. You really have to use quiet voices. So if you don't like to do this, then you probably would not enjoy your stay. Again, friendly, helpful staff that truly make you feel welcome. -Choose the hotel as it was very near to where my meetings were to be held. Must say the service,staff and location were amazing. Very helpful staff always ready to arrange a cab and give directions. Have already made my next reservation for a conference i have to attend in October. -Our family of 4 stayed in a Parlor Suite. We were there with two other families, who also had Parlor Suites. The Suites were great! The bedroom had two very comfortable queen beds and the living room had a comfy murphy bed. Lots of closet space, although more hangers would have been good. Lots of drawers to store your stuff if you don't like living out of a suitcase. We didn't use the kitchen for any cooking, but it was definitely nice to have the fridge and freezer for storing stuff and the microwave to heat up left overs. The honor bar prices were very reasonable. The bathroom was HUGE, with a great jacuzzi tub/shower and two sinks at the counter. Our bathroom didn't have any under counter storage, but our friends' rooms did. The continental breakfast was a nice starter. There is a little convencience store across the street to get some milk, yogurt, cereal, fruit, etc. if you want more. Across the street is a delicious Italian restaurant and wonderful Thai restaurant!We would definitely consider staying there again if we ever return to San Fran. -We had two rooms with family and a 13 month-old baby. Staff, especially Sam, were very efficient, courteous and cheerful. Our rooms were quite large and impeccably clean. The decor and furnishings are current and very tasteful. The food and staff in the grill and Jasmine Room were excellent. Overall, it was a wonderful stay in San Francisco -Recently had the pleasure of spending the weekend with my family at the Hotel Monaco on Geary St. in San Francisco. What a gem of a hotel in the city. Yes, it is a little $ but--great customer serivce. Loved the quaint rooms and decor. Had stayed at many hotels in downtown San Francisco, but what sets this hotel apart is the excellent service. We had a problem with the hot water one morning being a little on the cool side. Immediately it was taken care of and the manager called to see if we were getting hot water. The staff were very personable and gave tips on places to eat etc. Probably will stay there again just because of how well we felt they took care of our family. The hotel had a great cafe next to the hotel called Grand Cafe we had a really great breakfast there. The only drawback was the overnight parking but that is par for downtown San Francisco. There is a garage up the street on Jones and Geary that is less expensive. -We only stayed for 1 night but we enjoyed the hotel. The location is great. We took the sightseeing bus right from the front of the hotel. The area is full of stores and restaurants.Te breakfast was great (not included).We got a room on the 36th floor and the view was great.The parking is pretty expensive! -Stayed here for 3 nights in Feb. Rooms clean, warm and comfortable beds. Good sized bathroom with separate room having bath with shower over, and the loo. Shower was great - lots of different settings you could choose from. The massage one was great after walking up and down all the very steep hills! Location is good - it took us about 20 minutes to get to the beginning of Fisherman's Wharf, and about 25-30 minutes to Union Square (but beware there are some EXTREMELY STEEP HILLS if you do decide to walk!) Breakfast was very basic, muffins, pastries, cereal bars, juice and yoghurts. You take what you want back to your room as there is no dining area at this hotel. Very helpful staff and they even looked after our cases for us on the last day as we had to be out by 11 but weren't getting a flight till the evening. Also free WI FI internet in the rooms was a bonus. All in all, a simple and comfortable hotel which I personally think represents excellent value for money. -This hotel provided excellent value. The location is very convenient(just off Union Square), close to museums,shopping and restaurants galore. The room was spacious,included coffee maker and bathrobes. Our rate also included a very adequate continental breakfast. -My boyfriend and I stayed for two days at the Mosser from 8/23 - 8/24. We had room 608, which had a queen bed with bathroom and closet. The room was neat and clean with stylish, modern decor, but it was extremely tiny, although I expected that from reading other people's reviews. Just be prepared for a 2-3 foot perimeter around the bed, and that's it. Not much of a view, but you're in the city center, so that was also expected. It was reasonably quiet, in any case. Nice TV with cable, CD player, a chair or two, trashcan, and a nighttable was all that was in the room. There is no A/C, so we kept the windows open, which was fine. San Francisco usually has pretty temperate/cool weather.The bathroom was also tiny; standard tub, toilet crammed in right next to it, and sink across from that. Decent water pressure, plenty of hot water. I didn't much care for the sink though. It is about the size of a urinal, and there is a shelf right above it, so you can't splash your face with water without hitting your head on the shelf. Also hard to spit when brushing your teeth. Overall, it wasn't too bad though; just annoying.The lobby looked really nice, and the staff were friendly and pleasant. Breakfast was minimal - just coffee and muffins in a basket in the lobby, but the muffins were pretty good. We went around the corner to Mel's Diner on Mission St to supplement our breakfast - great food, cheap. Annabelle's Bistro was right next to the hotel, so we stopped in there for drinks in the evening, and it seemed like a good, local hangout. The location was good in the center of downtown. It was one block to Market Street with tons of shopping, restaurants, big office buildings, just a few blocks from San Francisco Bay. You can get to/from the SFO airport easily using the BART subway system, which has a stop just around the corner from the hotel on Market St; it was a $6 ticket/25 minute ride straight there. We used the MUNI system of trolleys to get around otherwise, which was also just around the corner and cheap at $1.50 anywhere you want to go on the line. The F line was our friend and goes all the way out to Fisherman's Wharf in about 15-20 minutes with stops at the piers along the way. We paid cash (exact change required) to the driver each time, but you can also get a MUNI card, which might be a little cheaper, depending on how many rides you take. As far as fun things to do, we had a car for two days ($35/day to park at the Mosser) and traveled to the Napa/Sonoma area one afternoon and hit a few of the wineries for tastings. It took about an hour to get there, and most of them close by 5 pm, so don't get up too late. Beautiful scenery, nice wines, tons of vineyards to try. The next day we drove to Muir Woods, which is an ancient sequoia forest with a walking trail. That was amazing; I felt like a dinosaur would come lumbering out from amongst the giant trees at any moment. We also hit the five-course Cirque du Soleil-style dinner show, Teatro Zinzanni at Pier 27/29; great food, great show - not cheap, but we thought it was worth it; book ahead. My favorite sidetrip was a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. We rented bikes from Blazing Saddles at Fisherman's Wharf for around $45 each, and it was a simply astounding ride past Ghirardelli Square to Fort Point, over the bridge, and down to the cute, little village of Sausalito, where we took the ferry back across (ferry ticket included in price). Took about 2-3 hours total. Okay, back to the hotel. We also stayed four nights at the Queen Anne in Pacific Heights about 1.5 miles away, and both of us liked the Queen Anne better to be honest. The price was about the same (~$150/night), but the Queen Anne seemed more authentic to San Francisco, extremely cool, relaxed neighborhood (Fillmore district) with lots of neat boutiques and no chains, the rooms were 5x bigger, they had a better, more expansive breakfast, better bathrooms, and very reasonable access to transportation. However, if you really want to be in the bustling city center, convenient access to everything is the most important factor for you, and you don't mind being in a more corporate-y area, then the Mosser is the place for you, and is very reasonably priced for its location, especially if you get the rooms with the shared bathroom in the hall. -I was looking for a reasonably priced room rated 3 stars. I'd checked out the Trip Advisor reviews and the website and the rooms looked cosy and clean. We checked inand were given a room I think on the 4th floor. The room was so tiny I couldn't believe it. There was literally no room to put our 2 suitcases. The bathroom was the size of a shoebox and had no bench space. I have never seen a room that small. It also looked nothing like the photos and the decor was old and worn. It looked like a room in a hostel - 1 star rating at best. Without a doubt it was the worst room I have ever seen. My husband went downstairs to see what could be done about changing rooms and they said they would move us the following day as the hotel was full. I started ringing other hotels as i said I could not stay one night in that room. They then said they had a room available on the first loor which was one of their renovated rooms. We went and looked at it and it was just like the photos on the website. Newly renovated and about 3 times the size of the room we had just been in. It was clean and renovated and was what I was expecting. The staff are friendly and the diner next door is excellent. The hotel is ina great location but there are a lot of homeless people out the front.The reviews on Trip Advisor seem to be really mixed for this hotel. I can only conclude that there are very different types of rooms in the hotel. Do yourself a favour and make sure you get a newly renovated large room. -If you want to enjoy the best parts of San Francisco, there is no better home base than the Orchard Hotel. It's within walking distance of Chinatown and Union Square. The Powell cable car stops within 50 feet of the entrance, and takes you down to Fisherman's Wharf. The staff is very friendly, my room (King suite) was HUGE, clean, and quiet. The hotel is pricey, but well worth it. I will never stay anywhere else in San Francisco. -Nice hotel, found a good room after changing a couple of times, away from the lifts and ice machine. Not a bad location, plenty of buses and only a short 10min walk to the water front. Be earlier to get the best car park, very small spaces and can be difficult to move the vehicle around. Would stay again. -We have stayed in the Omni San Francisco before so it was the natural choice for a return visit. The staff in general were helpful particularly the door men - it is nice to get the door opened for you! We had a few probs - the keys issued to our party did not open the doors and we were left standing on the corridor with our luggage whist the security checked our ID again before they could re-issue our cards - no proper apology from the reception desk as I would have expected. Also we had one of our rooms booked for three but only one king bed !- they sent up a rollaway - at no extra charge - I would hope so as we had paid for 3 people!We had booked a suite and a bedroom and they put us in the corner suite area which was very handy - suite was quite spacious - flowers in bathroom and fruit were supplied - nice touch. Beware double beds are tiny and really do not fit 2 people. Thet now charge for use of their internet business room - so take your laptop - it is free for 'select guests ' in the lobby - you can print airline boarding passes for free for a restricted number of airlines - but would be better if they had access to international ones as well! Overall a nice hotel - though like many hotels in San francisco it is quite pricey - SF hotels are pricier than NYC or Boston Breakfast is expensive for what you get - much better value in the Omni in Boston! - which is hard to beat for breakfast! -Located in the financial district, everything is closed over the weekend, have to walk that little bit further for coffee, etc. but it's not hideously far. The room is lovely, we were in a superior king room on the 47th floor, views of coit tower and beyond. The room was very nice; bed was comfy; lots of drawers and ample closet space; bathroom was lovely, Molten Brown products; windows that actually open, three telephones, lots of light. Staff all very pleasant and very helpful. Room service quality was good, menu is slightly limited - - especially the after hours menu. There are no movie channels, you can call down and have them bring DVD's up to you for selection - - -I believe these were free of charge. Overall excellent stay, would definitely stay there again. The "California" rate made it worth the money, having to pay full rack rate, I might think differently. -I would recommend the Castle Inn to anyone looking for an inexpensive place with lots of ammenities. The location is great. Each room has a refrigerator, microwave, freezer, ironing board, iron, free wireless internet, and a comfortable bed. Clean. Friendly and helpful manager. Free parking. Small free continental breakfast of muffins, bagels, breakfast bars, coffee. -Approaching the hotel looks very magestic and granduer. Reception very smart, but from there it goes down hill. The room was very basic and 80's looking, the place needs a big modernisation to bring it in to the 00's. Breakfast is reasonable, the only real plus is the location it is very close to all the main attractions. There is alot of outdoor work taking place so be weary of the views from these rooms. Bring a jumper when your in san francisco it does get windy and sometimes cold. -Some friends and I recently stayed at the Villa Florence on our weekend getaway to San Francisco. It was the perfect location and so comfortable. The rooms are beautiful, the furnishings and color choices are great. You can tell that the building is historic, but everything has been updated so nicely, that it is a perfect fit for San Francisco. The staff at this hotel are very freindly and courteous, and there is enough staff in the lobby at any given time to answer all of your questions. The location really couldn't be better. You are right in the heart of Union Square, and the cable car runs right up Powell street in front of the hotel. Once you are done with the hustle and bustle of downtown San Francisco, the Villa Florence is the perfect spot to come back to and relax. While the hotel is upscale, the atmosphere is very casual and relaxed, also our rooms on the 4th and 5th floor were very quiet. We will definitely stay there again and reccommend it to all of our friends. -My husband and I ended our honeymoon here and stayed only 2 nights. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. At check in, we were upgraded to a luxury king room and enjoyed complimentary champagne and chocolates. The room was like a small apartment! It was fantastic! We had a fire place (and since it was chilly in San Fran during our stay - the fire place was great!)Breakfast in the morning was nice. Fresh fruits, eggs, toast, cereals. The evening wine and muchies were great as well. We enjoyed talking with other guests and it really did become a bit of a social hour(s) :)The location is perfect as well. Only a block from the Powell line cable car stop and 2 blocks to Union Square. It was a great end to a great trip! Thanks!! -Powell Hotel San Francisco is a wonderful place. I was there for 7 days after Las Vegas.//LocationPowell Hotel is at the terminal of cable-car (that antique nice train) which will bring you to Chinatown, Union Square etc. It is within 100m to the F-line bus stop (that cable bus) which brings you to Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. It is also very close to the underground subway which brings you to airport. If you look at the map, Powell Hotel is at the centre of almost everything. It's within walking distance to Union Square, and along the walk, there are plenty of shops and small restaurants. It's the typical San Francisco life-style. You can experience it better in here, rather than the 5-star hotels (the four Big Four hotels in SF).//RoomPowell Hotel is a bit old. It's special because it's old. You can somehow get the unique nostalgic feeling staying here. The basic amenities are all available. The room is quite spacious and simple. Simplicity comes with comfort in Powell. And again, you really don't need to stay in those posh hotels to experience San Francisco unless you stay in your room 24/7.//ServiceThe staff were all very helpful and kind. I took a lot of brochures and information booklets from the counter. Tour arrangement can also be made at the helpdesk. However, I do recommend visitors to do their own research and review before deciding on which tour and agent to choose. There are a lot of agencies and prices do differ. Internet is available (wifi in room) and you can print in the lobby too.//FoodI didn't try the food at Powell Hotel. I went for different cuisine everyday around the area. Near Powell Hotel is a nice Indian restaurant which I highly recommend. The Thai restaurant nearby was fabulous as well. I'm a Malaysian and I've had plenty of experience with Indian, Malay, Thai and Asian cuisine. I must say that the Asian meals that I've tried in Downtown San Francisco were great.//ExtraI went for the Hornblower's Dinner Cruise which cost 100 dollars per pax. I think I was the youngest on the cruise (I was 24). It was a romantic and nice experience, to have your dinner by side of the Alcatraz Island and under the Golden Gate Bridge. But the dinner doesn't come to standard, I wasn't even full. But generally it was something quite worth-trying.//Fisherman's Wharf & Pier 39Seafood is a MUST try. There is a shop at the corner, right across the Fisherman's Wharf's statue, that sells VERY VERY nice clam chowder. I had 3 bowls of those. Trust me it's the best in the world! There are a lot of very interesting places in Pier 39 to visit. One or two days to be spent there, is just nice.I'm just too lazy to comment. :-pPeople, Powell Hotel, it makes San Francisco even more special. -I stayed at the Rex in New Year's Eve . The room was nice, clean & confortable , facing Sutter Street on the 6th floor, with a fantastic bed (see picture). I had dinner at The Rex , the food was ok although it took a while to be served. Before dinner there was live music in the hall (jazz) which was rather cool. This hotel is all about location and it's staff. The staff was amazing, friendly and made one feel very welcome. Union Square is round the corner , as well as Cable cars ( corner of Powel & Sutter ). I had breakfast at Loris, it was great (check picture) . Good inexpensive food, free wireless ... can highly recommend it.I would have no problem at all to return to the Rex on my next trip to San Francisco . -We stayed here for 4 nights - the staff were rude, the hotel was dirty and the whole place stunk like someone had died in it..... we asked for a twin room and it was tiny, 2 tiny single beds that were like a saggy lilo. Overall a horrible hotel and I won't be returning. San fran was amazing tho.. -Location, service, accommodations and staff are excellent. Treat yourself and plan a stay here. -We stayed for 3 nights over the July 4th weekend. The hotel has a fabulous location, great staff and service. They offered wonderful features like an evening wine & cheese hour and a great continental breakfast. We booked our room using Expedia, which makes me wonder if this had any affect on the location of our room assignment. We were located right beside the breakfast reception area. The noise from staff setting up the breakfast each morning distrubed our sleep. We were woke up at 6:45 a.m. to the sounds of clanging dishes and other usual kitchen noises. We also heard other guests enjoying their breakfast all morning long, as we tried to catch a few more moments of sleep. We did request a room change, but the hotel was fully occupied. But all this said - we would stay at this hotel again. I would just request a room towards the back of the hotel, to ensure a quieter morning. -My husband and I just returned from a trip to SF and stayed 3 nights at the HI Express FW. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The hotel was extremely clean, had a wonderful breakfast, the staff was nice and the location was perfect. We stayed at another hotel in SF for the first part of our week (wanted to stay in two different areas while we were in the city) and this one far exceeded the other hotel. The breakfast was especially helpful and saved us at least $20-$30/day. The staff was very friendly and helpful; even helped book our shuttle bus ride back to the airport. The location was perfect because it was one or two blocks from the main attractions; close enough to be very convenient yet not too close to all of the hustle and bustle. Overall, this was an excellent hotel and I would highly recommend it. -We stayed at the Chancellor Hotel for 4 night at the start of our California trip. The reception staff were very friendly and helpful. We had asked for a high floor and got it and we had side views of Union Square. The room was nice but very warm in the evening and would have been better with air conditioning. The bar staff were friendly, drink prices were reasonable.and there was a good atmosphere. Cookies and coffee were available all day. We didn't have a car when we stayed at the Chancellor and we didn't need one. The location was ideal, right at the corner of Union Square and opposite the cable car stop. We managed to get around the city by cable car, walking and the hop on hop off bus. We would definately go back to the Chancellor hotel. -This is a wonderful hotel. Our west facing room on the 5th floor was comfortable, clean, and spacious. Not luxurious, but cozy. I particularly enjoyed the large window in the bathroom that caught the Pacific breeze and also gave a discreet view of the city while I showered. The location is good, and the staff, while completely professional, are super friendly and full of good advice and conversation. We had dinner @ the Persian themed hotel restaurant and it was excellent. We are coming to the city again in August and will definitely stay here. -From the moment the front door was opened on our way in to check in to the time the front door was opened on our way after check out, my girlfriend and I were treated like royalty at the Omni. I've been to San Francisco many times and the Omni is the BEST hotel I've stayed in. The service is exquisite. Everyone from the doorman to the front desk personnel to the housekeeping staff is exceptionally friendly, always upbeat, and very helpful. The hotel itself is very clean, elegant, and conveniently located close to Chinatown, North Beach, and the Financial District. The California Street Cable Car line runs past the hotel's front door, and the BART station is five blocks away. The room was large, clean, and well maintained. There was a nice flat screen TV and DVD player in our upgraded "signature" room, though not every room may be equipped similarly. Every morning our housekeeper would leave us a handwritten note wishing us a pleasant day. We'd write her back telling her of our travel adventures and leave her a well-deserved tip for her service. She even recommended a great place to try authentic dim sum! Staying at the Omni was definitely the key to a most enjoyable San Francisco adventure! I'll be back to San Francisco soon and, without a doubt, will be staying at the Omni again! -We have stayed at the Petite Auberge several times in the past five years and have always been delighted with the ambience. The full, and I do mean full, breakfast in the morning is incredible and it's a chance to chat with guests from all over the world about their plans for the day. In the evening everyone gathers in front of the fireplace for wine and delicious hors d'oerves and for a chance to share their sight seeing adventures. Every time we go to Petite Auberge we are greeted warmly by staff and the whole time we are there we are treated like we are someone special. Only drawback is the expense of the parking garage that is associated with the hotel so we searched around for a place that was cheaper. One great thing is that Petite Auberge is only a couple blocks from the Cable Car . We happen to like to walk and have often walked to Chinatown, Union Square, and points beyond including many fine restaurants. We love this quaint little hotel and won't stay anywhere else! -I have stayed at this property several times on business trips when I had a limited budget. Since I am working, I do not spend too much time in the room. Every visit, I have found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. If you take the right exit from BART, the Hotel entrance is just steps from the station exit. It is also a few blocks from Davies Hall, where the Symphony plays. The down side of the location is that this is not a great section of Market and most people probably will not feel too comfortable walking at night. So, take BART or the ample public transit. The hotel is nicely kept and clean. The building has some interesting architectural details. Still, it is an old and somewhat tired property and some of the remodeling is not the best. Same for the fitness center -- the room and equipment are older, but meet my needs. The food is good, but overpriced. If you are bothered by traffic notice, ask for a quiet room in back. The rooms in front overlook Market, which is a busy street. The staff, the price and the BART station make the difference for me. -Understood renovations were accomplished; not as elegant as expected; did not has elete floor as told so had to wait in line in the lobby for coffee; rooms has 2 double not queen beds and NOT enough room for 2 people to walk around room; not enough room to get in one side of bed; the veiw was great; they did change molded shower curtain when asked; Great location! Tavern restaurant has good food and drink -I almost would be writing a negative review of this hotel if not for some fast turn-around on the behalf of the staff of this hotel. I had a nine hour flight from NYC and was tired as I walked in. Lovely lobby, charming without being overly done, very warm and inviting. I was met with by a man at the front desk (Hamid) who immediately put me on the defensive by telling me he had no reservation under my name! I immediately brought out my written confirmation and then he told me it had been cancelled! I had just reconfirmed with the front desk the week before, so I had no idea how this had happened. He did walk me in, not honoring the rate I had confirmed and gave me my key. I again questioned this to which I was told,"You will have to fight it out with management tomorrow." As livid as I was I was in no mood to "turn New York" on him and went to my room. Room was nicely put together, king bed, desk, nice closet and on the inside right around the corner from the lobby so no traffic noise. Van Ness is terribly noisy so get one of these rooms if you stay here. Only drawback was a bigger dresser would have been nice as I stayed six nights. Bathroom was a nice size with good counter space, tub and shower were in a nice alcove. I was pleased with the room scheme and overall look. About a 1/2 hour later I received a call from the front desk from the overnight manager. She thought I was another guest who had extended and had no record of me being in the room! I immediately went to the front desk with my paperwork and couldn't have found a more accomodating and apologetic person to work this out. She was wonderful, honored my rate and also reprogrammed the key for six nights instead of only one as the guy before did. I then felt confident the rest of my stay would go smoothly, as it did. This is a wonderful hotel with nice rooms, wonderful breakfast each morning (the waffles are awesome) and close to everything. The rooms are kept clean and I would liken it to a "no-frills" Inn with a boutique feel. I would stay here again on my next trip to San Francisco. -This is a really beautiful hotel. The rooms were small and I was not able to be upgraded (SPG GOLD PREFERRED) because the desk clerk said that they were sold out. My husband did not like the room. He felt that it was small and the bathroom was really small. We might have stayed in the older [part of the ghotel..I amnot sure. The lobby was beautiful and the location can not be beeat. I would stay there again but my husband did not think it would be worth a return trip to this hotel. The bed was really heavenly and the sheets were so soft. I slept just great. BTW, my husband also liked the bed and the sheets. -I recently spent one night at this hotel. I travel a lot and usually get what I expect from a hotel due to my extensive research. I was very disappointed with my stay here. A previous poster stated the slow inattentive staff. I had the same experience. I showed up at 3:30. Check in is at 3:00. There were 3 staff members at the desk attending to things on the desk, not attending to guests. I stood there for minutes with a line forming behind me. No one at the desk looked up and even acknowledged us. I finally said "hello?" and the man in front of me looked up then and asked if I needed something. Unbelievable. It took more time to find out if my room was ready...it was after their posted check in time. I booked a club level room with the expectation of receiving a nicer than standard room accommodation. The room was horrible. The carpeting was covered with dirty stains throughout, windows were dirty, filthy marks on the leather covered chest of drawers. A floor lamp tilting like it was about to fall over at any moment, glaring bare bulbs over the bed with little shades above them that did nothing to cover the bulb. I had to laugh at the makeup lighted mirror on the vanity. They must have found it at some flea market 30 years prior. The room was so noisy from the bar across the street that we couldn't get to sleep until 2:30 am...after the bar closed! The windows on this side of the hotel should definately be double paned. I rarely write uncomplimentary comments on hotel comment cards but this time I let them know about all of this rooms problems. I am pretty tolerant of wear and tear etc. but this was a club level room and I expected it to at least be clean. There are many many hotels in this location so even though this hotel is in a great spot there are too many other nice hotels to choose from to ever make me book here again. I give this hotel 1-2 stars. -I liked the furniture , bed and small bathroom as I was only in there in the evening. I was able to have a light breakfast and enjoyed the view of the city streets below. The staff were friendly and accommodating. -First time booking with Expedia on a recent trip to San Francisco and was not really sure what to expect but our expectations were surely exceeded! Our flight plans remained exactlly as requested and our stay at The Hotel Adagio was wonderful. The hotel was a very quaint boutique style building, clean, great location, along with a very accommodating and friendly staff. Great places to eat and shop nearby and Adagio staff will gladly make any reservations for you from dining to day trips as well as offer helpful recommendations for getting to know the city if you are first timers to San Fran as we were. First Crush and Calibri's were two great restaurants Adgio staff suggested and we were very impressed as well as a day trip to Sasalito/ Muir Woods which they booked for us. I would highly recommend this hotel to couples or adults. As far as Expedia, we were also satisfied; I would just take time to confirm your travel plans with your hotel or airline and there should be no problems. -My husband and I were just going to be in SF for 1 night on our way to a wedding so we just wanted something inexpensive. What a bargain! I got a room at one of the funkiest hotels I have ever seen. The color scheme is great, room was cozy. It was a little noisy since we were next to the stairs and on the street but who cares! The pool/courtyard was great. The free breakfast was decent. The front desk staff was very friendly and helpful. He pointed us to a great restaurant only a couple of blocks away. And have I mentioned that they have free parking. My Silverado wouldn't fit in the on site parking but they have a free lot across the street. We are definitely staying here on our next trip to SF. -I stayed at the Powell Hotel at the end of October for 2 nights and was surprised that for more than $240 per night, which is what my office paid for the room, that it was old, tiny and had two small twin beds as a standard. The room was also not very well cleaned with dust on the furniture and hair in the sink and the bathtub. Also, the thing that I found most irritating was the valet parking that cost $30/night (which is pretty standard for that area) but took more than 30 minutes each time I needed to retrieve the rental car. There's no restaurant or bar in the hotel but since it's in Union Square there are plenty of other options. Since the hotel is right at the end of the Powell trolley line, I was unhappy to realize that my room was filled with the clang-clang late into the evening and early in the morning -- something of a wake up call, I guess. I'd recommend trying to get a room on a higher floor as I was on the 2nd only and the trolley and street noise was quite loud. I did like the line of freebie shampoo/conditioner/soap that they use in their bathrooms. Overall, the hotel was disappointing but in large part in relation to the high cost per night. If I'd paid $100 a night, I would've thought it was fine for a lower-end room in a high-priced town. -i got this room with reward point.. when i got there, i was able to upgrade my room for higher floor with free internet acess and breakfast at starbucks for two very nice view. i was able to see golden gate bridge we loved the jet spa bathtub good experience in there! -We stayed at HDS for 5 days from August 15. We have 3 children (5,8,10) and had a great set up. We had room 326 which had a room for the kids, and our room with small kitchen area and bathroom. Really clean and comfortable, very bright and cheery. The breakfast was basic but did the job. Missed a normal cup of tea though. Pool was good for the kids after a day sightseeing. Hotel was in a great area and we walked to Fisherman's Wharf one day. Only negative was hearing noise during the night from both the street and other rooms but I believe they are trying to recify that. Would definately stay there again. -We got a really good rate of $109/night on hotwire. We weren't expecting much, but we really enjoyed our room. We had a huge, comfortable "heavenly bed", large flat screen television, huge desk and nice bathroom. We didn't eat in the restaurant or go to the bar. The location was convenient. Lots of shops and places to eat within walking distance. The only complaint was that parking was expensive, but that is typical to San Francisco. I would recommend this hotel, especially if you get a good rate. -I'm surprised that this hotel has received such positive reviews; whilst it's not a disaster, there's certainly better options in the city. The location was my main complaint: it wasn't close to any of the tourist attractions, and thus required public transport on each occasion. Additionally, Market Street is very rough, and littered with undesirables - it didn't feel particularly safe.I also had to switch rooms after the first night due to excessive noise levels eminating from the main road (caused by vehicles and tramps wheeling shopping carts up and down the sidewalks). To their credit, the reception staff were very friendly and understanding, and fulfilled my request straight away (rooms at the rear of the building, whilst smaller, are far quieter).The rooms themselves were clean and comfortable, but a single room isn't overly spacious. You just about get what you pay for here, but if I were to return to San Francisco, I probably wouldn't stay here again unless I really had to. -The hotel is at a fairly good location with easy access to the shopping district and a Walgreens a block away. The front desk was very efficient, and the concierge was helpful. However, the room had old and discolored carpet, the thermostat had a mind of its own, and the bathroom isn't clean. The shower stall was especially grime ridden. During my seven nights of stay, the cleaning staff always forgot something, be it forgetting to add soap, tea and coffee bags, or tissue paper. Though there is a big screen HDTV in the room, the few available channels were all NTSC quality and the TV doesn't do a good job of up-conversion. Aside from the room itself, everything else costs extra, the gym, the pool and internet connection are all additional daily-rate charges. You could do a lot worse for the money, but it's not a four star like advertised either. -The Castle Inn is our favorite small hotel in San Francisco! We have stayed there on 2 occasions & the wonderful staff, convenient location, & clean, quiet rooms keep us coming back! Located at Broadway & Van Ness, Castle Inn is in a nice neighborhood with drug store, grocery, cafes & cute shops within close walking distance. It's also right on the bus line & is a straight shot down to Fisherman's Wharf. My dad & I stayed for 4 quiet & comfortable nights. We rented a car on our previous trip, but found that with a little planning, getting around on the bus was an easier & less costly option. The Castle Inn does offer free parking though, which is a real bonus in SF! Parking throughout SF is difficult, pricey & hard to find. For this trip, we purchased 3-day Muni Passes at the airport when we arrived, & used those to travel the city on busses & cable cars - a good value if you don't mind the challenges of riding city busses! Make sure you get a bus route map when you purchase your Muni Passes!Rooms at the Castle are clean & comfortable - not fancy or large, but decent & reasonably priced compared to many SF hotels. Our 2-bed room had a hairdryer, small fridge, coffee maker, free cable tv & table with 2 large chairs. Our 3rd floor room overlooked a lovely yard of trees next door & we could just see a bit of the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. There is a nice little continental breakfast (coffee, cocoa, yogurt, fruit, pastries, granola bars) in the lobby. The best feature of the Castle Inn is our favorite hostess, Versa! She is always so pleasant, accomodating & knowledgeable with good advice about the city. They also gave us a chart showing busses/stop locations to go to various tourist locations throughout the city. Castle Inn also has a nice website worth checking out.If you want a clean, decent room to sleep in at night & a hot shower in the morning without a lot of pricey luxury, the Castle Inn is a little gem of a motel in a convenient location to get to the tourist attractions easily. I have & will continue to recommend San Francisco's Castle Inn to anyone considering a trip to the City by the Bay! -area- nice in the day time. at night, the feel is totally different. doesn't feel safe anymore. we took a cab from the airport. on the way back, we took the BART- was very convenient and close to the hotel (but there were some delays on the BART so leave early).hotel- feels worn, but cozy. we stayed on the 6th fl, club room level and had to change to a diff elevator bank. some of the floors are like a maze, but we got the hang of it. the room was not very spacious, but worked for it. the windows open pretty wide. that was nice for us since we liked the breeze, but may not be so good for everyone, esp young kids. the room was clean. the beds, confortable. breakfast came w/ the room, which was nice even though there was nothing hot. our floor was very quiet, we could not hear any one else on the floor. -My husband and I stayed at the Nob Hill Motel for 4 nights and found it to be clean, spacious, and comfortable. The couple at the desk were friendly and helpful (even allowed our son who lives in the city to park his car in their lot for a couple of hours).We had requested a room on the top floor and that's what we got. We slept very well at night; heard no noise from the street or other rooms. Didn't really take advantage of the free breakfast as it was just instant coffee and some donuts. There were two things about the room that I didn't like but would not keep me from returning. The cleaning solution or air freshener used by the cleaning staff had a sickening sweet smell . . . had to open the window upon entering each time. The bathroom fan operated with the light switch so the fan was on even while I was applying makeup . . . and it was very noisy. A separate switch for the fan would be nice.The area around the motel seemed very safe . . . even tho we did some some homeless people sleeping in doorways less than a block away. There are lots of restaurants within walking distance. We ate at The Bell Tower twice; very good food and very friendly waitstaff. -I booked 4 nights here for our HM, one of which I used my Starpoints for. Upon check in the lady said she would upgrade us since we were staying 4 nights. She offered us a bottle wine since it was our HM, but we declined as we are not drinkers. She was going to give us a corner room on the 8th floor, but decided to give us a room on the 27th floor with a view of the Moscone Center. That room was nice. Bathroom was small. As soon as we got to the room, we called and requested a refrigerator which was delivered promptly; no extra charge. After coming back to our room later in the evening, a maid was cleaning a corner room and told us it was available. After a call to the front desk, we packed our stuff and moved over to the corner room with more views of the city. This bathroom was slightly more spacious; although neither had towel racks. We used the workout room. Headphones were provided and the treadmills had built-in TV's. Staff was very friendly. At checkout, my bill was for 4 nights, when it should have been for 3 since I used my points for one night. A call to the front desk fixed that and she gave me 1000 points for the inconvenience. We asked about late checkout and were offered 1pm as opposed to the normal 12pm checkout. Overall a good experience. It is more of a business hotel, not your traditional HM place, but it worked for us. -It is located in a very good place, but not very secure neighborhood at night. The hotel is ok, but very old and not very clean. The room had much dust, e alergic tavelers may hav problems...The staf was very polite and helpful. -Perfect location. Would stay again. Hotel was fairly new and very pleasant. The rooms were good size, comfortable, and stylish. The Continental Breakfast was quick and convenient. The cinnamon rolls were a family favorite! Excellent value. -Visited the Holiday Inn Express 4/24 - 4/28. Overall, we were happy with the hotel. The location was perfect for us - close to the wharf and local transit. The hotel itself is very nice looking with a modern decor. Our room, single king bed, was more than adequate. Maid service was good. The breakfast was decent for a hotel complimentery breakfast. There was a good selection to get your day started - juice, coffee, tea, milk, cereals, toast, bagels, yogurt, bananas, eggs (either scrambled or omlette which seemed to be prepacked and microwaved), bacon and/or sausage. The hotel was full on the weekend and the breakfast bar was quite busy at times. I felt the hotel did a great job of refilling things and we never had to wait long for anything. We always also managed to find a table for our group of 4.There were a couple of minor things we noted. While the hotel looked great, it is very basic and didn't have any nice little "extras". I thought it would have been nice to have coffee/tea service in the lobby area throughout the day, not just until 9:30 am - we've had this at other Holiday Inn Express hotels and basic type hotels such as Quality Inns, etc. Some aspects of service could have been a little better as well. I wanted to have a tea in my room early one evening. I had forgot to take a milk back up to the room in the morning - tea with powdered whitener just isn't that great. I had hoped that the front desk could get me a milk - the breakfast room was just a few steps away - but they were unable to help as their "house man" was not on duty. While I was waiting at the front desk an older man approached and indicated that they had just returned from their day out and their room hadn't been cleaned. The gentleman at the front desk indicated that he "couldn't understand how that could happen, it had never happened before". He asked the guest if he was sure he didn't leave his Do Not Disturb sign on the door. The guest replied he was sure he hadn't. The front desk clerk then proceeded to tell the gentlemant there was nothing he could for him as the cleaning staff were gone for the day and again, the house man was not in. The front desk clerk didn't offer anything to the guest for the inconvenience - he just restated he couldn't understand how that could happen. To me, surely someone could have gone up and emptied the garbages and at least gave them clean towels? Also, don't forget that parking is very expensive, as is pretty standard with wharf area hotels. We didn't have a vechicle but noticed that the valet parking was over $40 per night. If we returned to SF, we wouldn't have any hesitation staying at this hotel again as any issues we had were really quite minor. -Our stay at the Donatello exceeded our expectations. The location was right in the center of art galleries, fine restaurants, major theaters, and close to transportation that took us to all parts of the city. The room was quiet and spacious as well as clean. The beds were comfortable. Advice from the front desk was extremely helpful in getting directions and obtaining theater tickets. The breakfast in the restaurant bar was certainly adequate and effcient. We enjoyed being at the center of the city. -This is the perfect little motel for people who are more interested in seeing the city than the inside of their hotel room. The parking is free. The rooms are clean. I slept great -- no excess noise from the street. There's a microwave and refrigerator in the room so you can store your snacks and have a few meals in if you want. The desk staff is extremely friendly and helpful. The location is actually Russian Hill between Polk and Van Ness on Pacific Ave. Walking distance up to Ghirardelli Square and the cable cars. We loved it. -We booked and arrived within 24 hours as our holiday to Miami was cancelled due to hurricane Frances. A superb hotel in a great location. The staff are friendly, the rooms are a good size and everything is clean and modern. We have looked at some of the more expensive hotels around and would not wish to be anywhere else. The free internet access is great as you can checkout places that you want to visit and keep in touch with home. Haven't made the gym yet, but have been in the pool at the Holiday Inn next door. I would not hesitate to recommend this hotel. -The location's great as it's near Union Square and Westfield Shopping Centre! Service was good and the room was clean. -5 nights in San Francisco April 23-27 2004. Stayed at the Grosvenor Suites. Room on the 4th floor northside facing Pine. That was fortunate because the city was having a record hit wave and our room stayed nice and cool. There is little street noise on that side, it is a residential area surrounded by 2 major hotels. Area is close to public transportation, BART (goes to the airport), cable cars and buses. In a great neighborhood. There is a full size grocery store a short cable car ride away on Cailifornia Street. We had 2 beds in the room a couch, a dining area with table and chairs. The small kitchen was spotless with all dishes and appliances needed. There was a light breakfast offered, the bagels were very good. The staff were genuinely friendly and helpful. I reserved a room at this hotel specfically due to this website and I am truly grateful to those that submitted their comments. Very enthused about the hotel and will return. -I booked the flight and hotel through Orbitz before I checked Tripadvisor about the hotel. Then I worried if I made a mistake when I read some of the reviews about the thin walls and noise. That was wasted concern because the hotel was fantastic. The hotel was built in 1906 after the earthquake so the rooms are not huge but the are beautiful and clean. We didn't hear a peep from the rooms on either side, it was very quite. If you opened the window facing Market Street, yes there was traffic sounds. Close the window and all was fine. Maxfields Restaurant in the hotel was a total surprise.. the food and service were excellent as was the decor. Breakfast in the Garden Court was a little average,but the room is stunning!!! You should try it once. When I return to S.F., I will certainly stay at the Palace. -The Hotel is in a great location, the staff are very friendly and helpful. The rooms are clean it met all my requirements. -A wonderful oasis in the heart of the Union Square district. Once you enter the front door you would never know that you are in a major city. Quiet and spacious rooms, friendly staff and fabulous breakfasts. -This hotel has great amenities...great location... and generally excellent service. We used points to offset a few nights cost...and the hotel treated us like royalty. It was an amazing experience...with a high floor corner room with a great view of the city and the bay in the distance. The hotel staff were friendly and very accomodating, and seemed genuinely pleased we had selected thier hotel to celebrate out 30th anniversary. The room (small suite) was large for a city hotel and very clean...smelled great. The bar (Level III) had a great open space with computers and a large fire place....needed after a cool windy day. In the morning the bar turns into a Star Bucks...also needed to start a busy day. The outside staff are always ready to help...getting a cab to/from the airport is not a problem...cost about $45 (same as car parkinging). Speaking of cars, there are several rental agencies within 2 short blocks....and within that same distance is a broad spectrum of shops (high end), Union Square, cable cars, Market Street and a huge mall (the San Francisco shopping center). If you have a shopper in the family, this is Nervana. The location of the hotel is great, because you are out of the rush but just steps away from clubs and shopping and public transit....including the Powel/Market cable car ($5 each way). We did not dine at the hotel, other than order the wine and cheese sampler "Best of San Francisco". We would not hesitate to return and highly recommend this hotel. -I thought this hotel was wonderful! It was super clean, rooms were clean and nice and a good size. The bathroom was probably the cleanest one I have ever seen in a hotel. It was also very quiet. Alot of the reviews discuss the area - it was not a problem at all and I am easily intimidated but day or night - I was never concerned. The staff was always friendly and helpful. I woudl absolutely stay here again and would recommend it to anyone. -The Inn is definitely one of the smallest hotels I have stayed in within the US within recent memory. You know, that can be good or bad. If you want to be anonymous it might be bad. I was in San Francisco on business, attending a conference at the Marriott but chose to stay here based on the reviews. The Marriott was a half mile walk, by the way. And the Marriott is a Marriott is a Marriott. Switching it up can be good.Check in went fine. They did not have my hotel website reservation in their system. After asking me if I had I confirmation, I showed them the reservation I had printed out and brought along from home. Not sure where the disconnect was, but this was a Monday and there were probably less than 10 rooms occupied. I don't know what they would have done if it was the weekend (they said they were going to be completely booked).The hotel is small. The lobby is small. The hallways are small. The room is small. The bathroom is small. The elevator is small and slow. But, the room is nicely appointed, clean and had a very large and really comfortable bed. When I first saw the shower I said "what?!?, you're kidding" as it is tiny by most standards. But, it got the job done and the water pressure could clean an elephant. The TV, a Dell flat-screen was nice and it didn't have that whole hotel interface crap on it, it was just a TV with channels like you have at home. Turn down service with water and chocolates was great!The touches that I really appreciated and don't find often if ever at a hotel:You see the same people working there all the time. They all ask how you are, if you need anything at all, and are super polite (from the front desk to the maids). Did I mention super polite? The wonderful and bountiful breakfast spread in the morning on each floor. I could smell the coffee wafting into my room from down the hall in the mornings. The fact they give you a real newspaper in the morning and not USA Today. The wine and hors d'oeuvres in the evening. The call you get from the front desk the night before checkout asking if you need a wake-up call or taxi. The cute little fireplace in the sitting room on each floor.I would definitely stay here again. -I was traveling to San Francisco for business and I needed to stay in the financial district as the company I was consulting for was at 100 Pine. Walking into the hotel I was instantly transformed to another era. The lobby, bar, and restaurant have old and heavy wood pillars and paneling with dentals around the ceiling. Deep black and red tones accent the rooms. You feel the warmth of the place as a shelter to hustle and bustle of downtown. The rooms are comfy and include all the amenities you expect from a major hotel. The hotel includes a free ride to the office in the AM. Hotel Rex offers all this in a price that you would expect to be higher. Stay at the Rex, you won't be disappointed. -This hotel was clean, quiet, modern and conveniently located. The staff was always helpful and the free continental breakfasts were quite adequate. The decor was something between art deco and modern/contemporary. Many restaurants were within walking distance and the view to the water from some of the rooms was fabulous. Internet access was easy and the excercise room was a pleasant bonus. We askedfor a handicapped accessible, no smoking room with a king size bed and that is exactly what we got. There were no strange odors or otherundesirable surprises. The only drawback was the $35 per day parking fee. But the parking valet service was swift and polite. I'd stay there again. -This is the 4th year we have stayed at this hotel. The hotel is excellent and good value for money with good sized rooms and breakfast included, only a short walk to Fisherman`s Wharf and Pier 39, Regular bus services running past the hotel, and close to the Street and Cable cars. We would like to pass on our thanks to Joseph and all the Staff who do a great job in making you feel welcome. -True it's not the best neighborhood, so I wouldn't recommend for a stay with young kids, honeymoon or other really special occasion, or someone with super-high standards wanting a high-class hotel. Be advised that there is a strip club across the street. It could probably get loud from traffice/street noise though we were on the top floor (7th) which cut down on the noise. But if you want a place centrally located in SF that's cheap (at least the rate I got on Priceline was), it is fine. The lobby is very nice and the staff are above average, very friendly and helpful. The room was clean and comfy enough although one side of the bed sagged. It's a no-frills, older style room. Just be on guard if you are walking around at night in this neighborhood but I don't think it's particularly dangerous really, since it is very close to a main street with lots of police and lights.I would not recommend it for the rates published on its website, but I got it for $40 plus tax online so look around first. -Hotel Drisco, in the community of Pacific Heights, was outstanding in everyway. The neighbor setting, the houses, the quietness, everything was perfect. The room was outstanding - we were upgraded to a front room suite which looked towards the S.F. bay. The hotel staff were all courteous, helpful, unpretentious, and friendly. The continental breakfast, in a wonderful little room, was vast and plentiful. The front desk staff was able to make excellent suggestions for dinner, looked at the menus to ensure they could accommodate our tastes and gifted us a dessert at the restaurant (what a great surprise!)...Loved it all and I do not say this very often!!!! Thank you, thank you.... -Great location--easy walking distance to lots of thngs and easy access to public transportation. The staff was absolutely the best--friendly and helpful. From Noah and Oscar at the front desk to Lina in housekeeping--everyone was accessible, happy and ready to answer any question or take care of any need. The free parking is an added bonus in this area. The room was large and clean. The view was great. -My husband and I stayed at The Cartwright for a business meeting. We had just come from Napa, so we had high expectations! They were certainly met. Even though there was construction going on, we really didn't feel bothered by it. I loved the wine hour every evening-- we always made sure to be back at the hotel in time for it! And, the location of the hotel is perfect-- while my husband was at his meeting, I had TONS of shopping and restaurant hopping to do! I would whole-heartedly recommend The Cartwright hotel-- we definitely plan on coming back. -My Husband and I chose this Hotel for out New Year's Eve "gettaway" based on the great reviews from Trip Advisor and we were not dissapointed! I booked a standard king room and was up graded to a premier king free of charge upon our arrival. The staff were very nice. The wine hour in the cozy lobby was great. Enjoyed talking with fellow travelers by the warm and inviting fireplace. Our room was very nice. We expected the room to be small based on all the reviews but it was very nicely decorated and super clean. The bed was very comfortable and the room itself was very quiet. The hotel is walking distance to many attractions. We ate at the Italian restaraunt located in the hotel and the food and service was outstanding. Check out the following morning was fast and flawless as we enjoyed fresh coffee and biscotti served complimentary in the lobby. I will go back to this hotel again! -Superb. Lovely hotel and excellent location. Rooms (although I suppose small by US standards) were cosy but had everything you wanted inc. heating (yes in August!) and a clean bathroom. We were fortunate enough to have a courtyard room which I gather is a better option. Free coffee and biscotti in the morning is a nice touch but we never made it back in time for free beer and wine from 5-6pm. The valet guy was extremely helpful and very friendly but the check in/guest services staff on the whole uninterested and unhelpful. The concierge said we stood no chance of getting tickets to Alcatraz (walked around the corner and found an agency selling them) - perhap I should've offered him a $20 tip?! Tip - book NOW for Alcatraz - www.bluegoldferries.com - for $16 pp rather than the inflated package costs of tour agencies. We got stuck with our car hire overnight and paid $25 to park - bit steep as there is a car park next door for less than that - doh! Overall though a top hotel in an excellent location. Make sure you make the 15-20 min walk up Stockton Ave to Little Italy and don't get totally distracted by Fishermans Wharf! -My wife and I stayed here 2 nights for our anniversary. Booked it through Hotwire for $100 a night, which was a really good deal for this place. The room wasn't huge but had an awesome bed, an LCD TV, Bose clock radio, etc. Apparently that's standard with every room. The bathroom was also incredible. Marble walls and floors, color TV with remote, phone, separate shower stall. Everyone we interacted with was extremely helpful and nice. They have a courtesy car that will take you anywhere downtown during the morning or evening hours (you're on your own getting back). Hotel is just a block from Union Square and the Cable Cars. Hertz and Thrifty across the street too, which was handy. We would definately stay here again. -Hotel was located close to Fisherman's Wharf and the Cable Cars.We had a really nice stay at the hotel. If you join the Priority Club, you get some nice privileges - just go to the Holiday Inn website and sign up.There was a Walgreen's close by which was really convenient - there was a Starbucks nearby also where you can sit and watch the streetcars come in. It was fun to watch them turn the corner and park.We were surprised that Fisherman's Wharf shuts down pretty early. No problem - we were tired from walking up and down the hilley streets. Cable Cars are a fun way to get around town. We bought the CityPass which was a good deal. It has a 7 day Muni Pass which gives unlimited rides on Cable Cars, Buses, and Street Cars. There are restaurants near the Holiday Inn. There's a good pizza place across the Street. Pier 39 is also close by. Fisherman's Wharf has the Rain Forrest Cafe and Boudin. We decided to go to Chinatown for many of our meals. Great Eastern restaurant on Jackson Street was excellent. Holiday Inn was very comfortable. It was clean and the staff were friendly. You can buy Mrs Fields cookies in the lobby after 5pm. -Depending on what you're looking for, the Cartwright may be great or horrible for you. We just returned from a week vacation in San Francisco. We chose this hotel because it was NOT in Fisherman's Wharf where all the tourist traps are. It is in Union Square, which is close enough to everything by transportation. It was also reasonably priced for a nicer hotel. Be prepared though, because we were surprised when we arrived! The room we stayed in DOES NOT look like the one on the virtual tour from the website. We were shocked at how SMALL the room was! The room is very small. We literally had to move the television (hanging in the corner) a bit in order to open the closet door. This is NOT a luxury hotel! It seems as though not much has changed since it was built in 1913. That could be a good thing- it IS quaint, despite being in the middle of the city. But, for the price, we expected more. Again, the location is good, but it is like staying in Times Square meets 5th Avenue. Union Square is FULL of upscale stores. Macy's and a mall with Bloomingdales takes up a whole block. We were not impressed by that at all. However, there always seemed to be something going on in the Union Square Park, which was cute. The location is good because it is close to ALL the transportation- right on the trolley line, close to the subway, busses, trolleys, cable cars, etc. In addition, don't be fooled by all the high class department stores and boutiques. We were in a store when it got robbed. Once we settled in, the size of the room and bathroom being so small didn't bother us as much. The staff is VERY friendly and nice, but be warned that they did not seem to know much! They were happy to give advice when asked, but we usually wound up finding out better advice once we left the hotel.Pros: Location near all transportation and not in the middle of Fisherman's Wharf, quaint, yummy cookies every night, pretty good breakfast included, average price for hotel in the city.Cons: Much smaller room than we expected, with little drawer or storage space. Not many modern amenities in the room. View from our room (although quiet away from traffic) was to a alley way and other buildings. Although the staff was very friendly, they often gave vague and wrong advice about how to get places, where to go, the weather, etc. -My best friend and I went to San Francisco for a girls weekend and had the best time. The hotel was fantastic. From greeting us with roses and first class service upon checking in, to our beautifully appointed room. It was a deluxe room with two double beds, marble bathroom, with no real views but very comfortable. We are wary of hotels but felt right at home at the Omni, as everything was clean and comfortable. I have stayed in Fairmonts and nicer hotels, and I would say that this hotel was at par with a 4+ star, it was great. My girlfriend celebrated a birthday during our stay and we only mentioned it to the front desk clerk when asked why in town, after dinner one night they sent up a bottle of champagne, two small birthday cakes and a personalized card. It was perfect! The gym was great, tv's on all the equipment and was never full, or even half full. Get your water there as there is complimentary water, and the bottle in your room is $6. Oh and there is also fresh fruit in the gym, which might be a nice snack as the mini bar and room service are quite pricey. Which isn't too much of a problem since the Omni is near alot of nice cafes, restaurants etc. (right beside the Omni there is a cafe which has everything and makes delicious panini's.... which are worth the trip back to San Francisco). We never ordered anything from the hotel.... except a bagel and fruitplate in the morning.... and it wasn't outrageous. No pool, no views, but what the hotel lacks in those areas, it completely compensates for in friendly helpful staff. It is close to China town, Union square, North beach and across the street from the Carmelian room which has amazing views while you dine. Become an Omni select guest member (free online) and you can get a complimentary morning beverage and paper, turn down service and upgrade after so many stays. Being on California street, alongside the cable cars, the Omni makes it easy to get around without a rental car. I would actually say avoid renting one if possible as parking in San Francisco is expensive and hard to come by. The hotel charges $45 I believe. So we rented one to drive up to win country, and returned it the same day, just to save us the hassle of paying for parking and returning it the next day. San Francisco is a fantastic city and the hospitality extends far beyond the hotels and tourist areas. Everyone is so nice and made our trip so enjoyable. The Omni is a great hotel in a great location. We will return and as soon as we can. -After recovering from knowing that valet parking will cost us $50 a day (you need valet if you want your car back to cruise around town, $30 across the street but no in/out priveleges), we were welcomed by a very friendly staff and helped by a friendly bell boy to our room. We have a room with 2 beds, very tight! The view overlooking Union Square was spectacular. I hate to admit, but after being in the room for an hour, I started to notice things that I would not expect for the price that we paid for. AC was not functioning properly. Chair upholstery very poor and bathroom tiles grungy (minor maintenance needed and probably affordable by a Hyatt), closet doors were pretty banged up, no microwaves, no refrigerators and the worst, couldn't get any sleep at night due to construction (jackhammering) until 11 at night. We wanted to check out the following day, only to find out that they will charge us for the day and $50 penalty charge for checking out early. It's the Grand Hyatt! We've stayed at cheaper places and had better quality of rooms. Staff was excellent though, from the very second you get there.Rooms were average. If it wasn't for the staff, I would give Grand Hyatt a lower rating. -I found the hotel to be warm and welcoming, and cool in its decor. The location is perfect for the theater, shopping at Union Square, has a fantastic restaurant, Cortez, and it was a totally yin and yang experience. I highly recommend! -You might be a little skeptical about this place, because it is way, way, cheaper than hotels in the general area. For example, the Nikko is like, two blocks away. And you can easily walk to...that big square where Tiffany's is, and all that other stuff. Sorry, not really very familiar with San Francisco. The point is: the location is very excellent! Really! I would stay here with my young children. I would have to walk through perhaps a block of "possible weirdos" but after that it's like any well-policed metropolitain area. It'd be a great stay, and if I can ever drag my family to SF I would look this place up first and foremost, because the rates were a steal.Anyway, I was thinking that this hotel would be disgusting or dangerous, because it was so much cheaper than other hotels. But the room was really very nice, and I had no problems with the hotel staff, or mix-em-ups or anything. It was just nice! It was one of those times when you think to yourself: I am getting some kind of deal!So imho, don't hesitate, you can totally stay here (I was on business) and you will not get mugged or be disturbed by drunken revelers late into the night. -We stayed at the Rex for 6 nights at the end of June 08. The location is fantastic, assuming you prefer Union Square to the Wharf. The decor is slightly tired, but it's clean and comfortable. The bed and pillows were really comfortable, the bathroom was large and the shower worked well. You get a bathrobe and slippers, for those who love those extras! There is a minibar fridge in the room, but no tea/ coffe making facilities - although they offer free tea and coffee every morning from 5am.Our room was at the back of the hotel on the second floor and was so quiet that we were able to sleep with the window open all night (there was no noise at all).The staff are genuinely friendly (as opposed to fake Californian friendly) and want to help you. Each night between 5 and 6 you get a free glass of wine, and after that drinks are pretty reasonably priced (for a City centre hotel). We didn't eat in the restaurant so can't comment. On the day we checked out they let us have our room for an extra couple of hours at no charge.One thing that hasn't been mentioned on trip advisor (that I can see) is that if you go to their website and let them have enough notice, they will arrange a free of charge personal tour with a Golden Gate Greeter. This is really worth doing - our guide was great and spent half a day showing us around - you tell them what you want to see/ your interests - and they tailor it to you.I would definitely recommend this hotel. -Everything about our stay at Best Western-Tuscan Inn was great, location to the wharf, cable cars and everything we wanted to see and do. It couldn't have got any better for the price, will definitely return. -Just arrived back from 2 weeks on West Coast. Spent 4 nights at Stratford Hotel (March 1st-March 5th). The location is fantastic, couldn't be better. We were given a room on the 7th floor, it faced away from the street which i assume is a distinct advantadge as it can get quite noisy with trams etc. Room was small but the bathroom was large but for the money who cares, we went there to visit the city not sit in our room. Everthing seemed very clean as well. Staff were helpful. Breakfast is limited to toast and muffins with plenty of choice with drinks though. Again for the money who can complain, just so long as we had something to keep us going. We walked around a lot, San Francisco has a lot of distinct neighborhoods (and hills!) so be prepared. People were great, very helpful and laid back. If you walk down Geary and Sutter about a mile or so you skirt the Tenderloin area and you can tell its a a bit run down there but don't worry i just wouldnt walk round there at night thats all. -Stayed here June 18th - 22nd, 2009. Weather was great during this time. Read all the reviews prior to booking and arriving so we knew what to expect and we were not disappointed. King room was clean and comfortable, a little on the small side , but we were on the go and rarely in the room so it didn't matter. As with some of the other reviews we had a view of a cement courtyard. Breakfast was adequate but I hate standing in line for toast!!!! People can tend towards rudeness when they are hungry!!!!Short walk to Fishermans Wharf and with lots to see and do. Check out the "free" museum with all the old arcade games...awesome! We walked alot at night and felt very safe in this area.**Side Note** I was watching "Little People Big World" on TLC the other day. Amy goes to San Francisco with her sisters and they stayed at the Hyatt across the street. One scene when they come out the front doors shows the Holiday Inn Express perfectly. -I tagged along on a business trip with my husband and we stayed here - very impressive! It is quite pricey though - good thing we could expense it! Rooms were quite large - very exquisite - excellent service and great breakfast. Would highly recommend! -I stayed at the hotel in the middle of January and I picked this hotel since it was close to Fisherman's Wharf. My family reserved two rooms on the club floor and nothing was served on the club floor. It was no different from the other floors and I payed extra for the extra services. The rooms were connecting, but they were doing extra loud construction outside of the rooms. The hotel was not completely sold out so they could have put us on a quieter side. Another major complaint that I had was that the comforter was badly stained. I don't know what it was exactly, but who would want to sleep on a bed with nasty stains? I left a note on the bed for the housekeeper so they could change it, but when I returned it was left unchanged. The carpet was somewhat stained also, and the wallpaper was peeling (practically hanging) and it was not a great stay at all. One last thing was the front desk was very rude. The lady that helped us as we checked out was did not make us feel as though we were customers. She had a very bad attitude towards us. One of the worst experiences I have had staying at a hotel. I do not think they should even be apart of SHERATON because it will only bring the name down. I would not recommend this hotel to those that want a pleasureable experience. -This hotel is a DUMP! The rooms are tiny, filthy, and stinky. The cable cars will wake you up every morning as they ring their bells. If you are able to sleep through this, you will wake up as soon as your neighbor turns on his TV. The walls are so thin, you can hear everything that goes on in the neighboring rooms. There is so much mold, dirt, and dust in this place, I have been sick for the past week. Stay far, far, away from this HISTORIC DUMP! -Stayed here for 6 nights at the start of our holiday. Ideal location and is literally a 5 minute walk to Union Square and all the main shops. We were very impressed and booked for 2 nights at the end of our holiday.Our first stay was a back room which was a nice size and quiet. This was a special occasion which we mentioned when booking online and a bottle of champagne awaited us on arrival. The breakfast on each floor is simple but nice. The staff are friendly and helpful.The complimentary glass of wine in the cosy hotel bar is a nice touch. We ate once in the restaurant and it was excellent.Our second stay was a suite situated at the front of the hotel overlooking the main street. The fan in this room was not working which made it extremely hot and we found it very noisy. We would definitely recommend a back room. -The Renoir was our first taste of San Francisco and we left it with mixed feelings after four night stay. The Hotel is well located on the fringe of the CBD in Market St and right next to transport. The Hotel Foyer, staff and check went without a hitch. It is an old Hotel that is definitely tired and needs a good refurbishment. Our room faced onto Market St itself right outside the tram and bus stop...which proved to be a bad location which will elaborate on later. The bathroom was big enough and above all clean...we had to get additional pillows for our bed but the big issue was the windows....they didnt close properly and the curtains certainly needed to be replaced as they were shoddy therefore letting in sun light.The worst aspect of this Hotel is its location in the poorer part of San Francisco with a number of homeless people wandering the streets day and night. Unfortunately they camped in the tram/bus shelters of a night time and kept up a constant barrage of abuse and yelling into the early hours of morning. Add to this the Hotel stands on the corner of two major streets which constantly seemed to have emergency vehicles or police blaring through the night. I dont think we got a decent night sleep whilst their The women in our party felt uncomfortable abt walking outside and because of the location their was a lack of reasonable good restaurants and eateries. We were even advised by police near the Hotel to avoid certain take away restaurants because of the problems with the homeless people so had to find a restaurant recommended to us further up Market St for reasoanble food. I wouldnt recommend staying at this Hotel for one big reason.....sleep as the noise in the streets is not well insulated from the Hotel itself. -We stayed at this hotel in July for two days. We enjoyed the location of the hotel (5 minutes from Union Square). The breakfast was nice. We really liked the wine and cheese in the afternoon. The room was clean and spacious. The major problem was the noise. We were given a room on the second floor. You could hear extremely loud street noise until late at night. People outside on the sidewalk talking and screaming plus cars, buses prevented sleep. It was the noisiest room I've stayed at in a long time. I don't ask for much as a traveller. A clean and quiet room in a decent location is all I need. We switched rooms for the second night and moved to a higher floor. We were satisfied with the noise level the second night. Overall, I would stay at this hotel again but not at a lower room facing the street. -The Handlery Union Square Hotel offers great rooms in the centre of San Francisco for a very nice price! Excellent value for money. Friendly personnel and top location! Highly recommended! -Good location in town, decent sized rooms and pretty helpful staff. However, having two separate companies promoting their services at reception and the club level was a little weird. Rooms were OK, but not great. Cheap cutlery and questionable decor. The bed spread in particular did not look very clean. The breakfast was OK if you got there early enough. However, our biggest problem was the location of the room. Our room was on the first level of accommodation, near the end of the hallway above a banquet room. Traffic noise wasn't a problem for us, but the room was also accessible through our window via the flat roof of the banquet room, so security was a concern if we left our window open. The plumbing in this particular room was also very loud with pipes creaking and waking us up every night. The staff tried to identify the problem, but weren't able to sort if out while we were there. Overall the hotel was OK but not good. -we booked the hotel as it was reasonable and apparently in a good central location. Like others we did not feel safe as soon as we left the hotel, even in the middle of the day. The rooms were not particularly clean and our final night was ruined by the incompetence of the hotel staff. They offered to check us in on line for our flight home but failed to print our boarding cards or seat us together. They did not try to fix the problem and we were left to go on the internet at $5 a go and stay on hold to the airlines helpdesk, the whole episode taking about 2 hours. We also had to get to the airport over 4 hours ahead of our flight to ensure we could get boarding cards and ended up paying a further $110 so that we could sit together. I would not recommend it to anybody. -Searched for a hotel in our price range in the city and went with this recommendation from a friend. We were pleased with our stay in every respect. No troubles with reservation made through Expedia -- in fact, they confirmed; I did not need to. Staff were service oriented and friendly. Room was large, comfy, clean, great bathroom. Exceeded expectations. No noise and easy valet parking. A great stay! -Stayed over President's Day weekend as a birthday surprise for my girlfriend. It was enjoyable and memorable.The hotel is in a wonderful location at the top of Nob Hill. We had upgraded to an upper floor room with city view, which cannot be beat. The valet service and the check-in were friendly and efficient, with our package details clearly spelled out. However, there was a snafu with the bags and I ended up having to go back downstairs to get them myself. The room was nicely appointed and clean. The room size was fairly small, not surprising for an older hotel but adequate for 2 people. Elevators were a bit slow, but acceptable considering the property is 80 years old.The Top of the Mark was great for late evening drinks (no kids allowed, drinks average $10 and proper dress is expected) with wonderful nighttime views of the city. Breakfast was outstanding, a high quality buffet with panaromic views stretching from downtown to Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. There is a cable car stop outside which can get you around, otherwise you are looking at a VERY steep walk to get down to Union Square and a real killer to walk back up Powell to California Street. Checkout was a bit slow, but all charges were clearly explained, unlike some earlier posters who seemed to have problems. Maybe it helps to be an InterContinental member. The car was waiting outside with no delay.Overall, if you like a place with history and class, this is a great place to stay. The package value I received was outstanding, for $219 a great room, parking ($50) and breakfast for two ($52 value) included. Classic architecture, romantic history and a fabulous view of a wonderful city make for a memorable stay. -We stayed at the Beresford Arms for four nights including New Years Eve. Could not have asked for more from a budget hotel in the Union Square area.. The location is great, about four blocks from Union Square. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Very clean and comfortable rooms, if a bit old-fashioned. The breakfast is fine i.e. not great but there was usually a good assortment of fruit and pastries and excellent coffee. The wine reception was so nice to come back to in the late afternnon. It involved more or less all the wine you cared to drink. We were at the Beresford Arms for New Years Eve and while there was nothing much going on in the hotel the lobby was decorated and we found champage and party favours in our room (no charge) - a very nice touch. We have stayed previously at the King George and the Andrews - no comparison at all, really. -We stayed at the Hotel Whitcomb (formerly Ramada (@ 8th & Market) in San Francisco during Easter weekend 2007. We read the previous reviews that said this hotel was not very good and it was in a bad area. That could not be further from the truth! Yes, there are some homeless people walking around, but they do not bother you! They are mostly around the touristy parts (near Union Square, etc.). The hotel was recently refurbished, very clean and well kept. Our room was nice and clean. It was not huge, but how much time do you really spend in the hotel?? The girl at the concierge desk wasn't as bright and knowledgeable as she could have been, save your time and get a map yourself. We paid $80 a night (Friday/Saturday night AND during a holiday weekend), that was the AAA rate. Not bad considering the Holiday Inn just around the corner was $200/night. The BART drops you off right in front of the hotel, it's about a 3-block walk to catch the trolley/cable car, or you can catch the street car right in front of the hotel to Market and Powell, where you catch the cable car. Also, another tip that we found out while we were there, yes ride the cable cars because of the novelty, but the "F" Street street car goes directly to Fisherman's Wharf and back. You may find yourself waiting an hour or more to catch the cable car down by the Wharf! Just hop on the street car and you'll save some time!Overall, this was a good hotel at a decent price. We will absolutely stay there again!!! -After reading reviews of bed and breakfasts in San Francisco we chose the White Swan Inn for our nine-day visit, and were very pleased with our choice! We found the front desk staff to be extremely helpful and friendly, with everything from restaurant recommendations to phoning in our airline confirmation promptly so that we had excellent seats on our long flight back to NH. Our hotel room (#31)was spacious and beautiful, and the Belgian chocolates on the bed each night, the bedside switch that blazed the fireplace, and rosemary/verbena lotions and soaps were added touches to the delightful overall ambiance. The breakfasts were wonderful; fresh fruit, croissants, fresh hot breads, quiches, sausages, scrambled eggs, french toast, as well as hot and cold cereals, juices, coffee and teas. We looked forward to the evening wine receptions in front of the fireplace or by the garden area before going out for the evening, with wonderful appetizers along with wine and sherry, and 40's style music playing softly in the background. All through this British-themed inn are evidences of the attention to detail that has been paid to guests' comfort and enjoyment. That, in addition to the central location, made this a perfect choice for a San Francisco stay! -A wonderful oasis in the heart of the Union Square district. Once you enter the front door you would never know that you are in a major city. Quiet and spacious rooms, friendly staff and fabulous breakfasts. -This is my third stay at The Mosser. I have stayed at a number of Boutique Hotels in The City over the years. I discovered The Mosser a couple of months ago when I was in town for a job interview a couple of blocks away. The location is outstanding for the convention center, SFMOMA, Yerba Buena Gardens, Union Square, and BART. The selection of ammenities is interesting and different everytime I stay. This time it includes a razor, toothpaste, and a couple of green products-- a bar of waste reducing soap with a hole in it and moisurizer in a biodegradable "plastarch" bottle. The rooms are tiny, very clean, and harken back to a bygone era updated with flat screen TV and platform bed. This time my room has a bay window that looks out on the Metreon. I will definitely be back for another Mosser Adventure! -First of all, be aware that this hotel does not have parking. In fact, you have two choices: valet ($45/night) or public parking ($35/night). I wish I had known this before booking. With that said, the hotel itself was very clean, amenities felt new, and the staff was superb! From the moment we arrived, the staff was super helpful and cordial from the bell man to the restaurant staff. We had dinner at the Grandview Restaurant on the 36th floor, and felt pampered by the service (even though we had a very messy 10-month-old with us). The next morning, they let me stop by their buffet and pick up some pastries to bring up to the my room (for a very reasonable price). The staff even went out of their way to help me with my baby and stroller.The location was excellent... just a block away from Macy's and in the center of Union Square. I'm glad the hotel was kid-friendly after all. Downside - Wifi was $9.99, and of course lack of parking. Overall, I felt like everything was clean in the room, had a decent view (and we were only on the 5th floor), and didn't have any problems. -We met up with a friend in San Francisco and he booked this hotel for us so the first I knew of it was when we arrived (after spending 2 weeks driving from New York). The hotel is in the business district but is good looking with a nice lobby. The area has a few bars and restaurants but it's also well located for public transport to all the other areas so it's a decent location. The inside of the hotel is clean and well decorated, the rooms are spotlessly clean but are tiny - most have the sink in the bedroom as the en-suite shower room is a (well) converted cupboard. The beds are also small by American standards but are comfortable. Unfortunately we did encountera few problems whilst staying here - firstly, when we arrived we were given our electronic room key (swipe card style) however when we got to our room it didn't work. My husband went back to the lobby and returned with a member of staff who also tried the key before agreeing that, we were right, it didn't work. My friend sympathised as he had experienced the same problem when he had checked in the day before. The staff were helpful though and immediately moved us to a different (slightly bigger) room, where the key worked perfectly, until we returned from a night out! We tried to get into our new room and had the same problem as earlier. My husband and I returned to the lobby and explained our problem to the receptionist who had some issues understanding us. For some reason she insisted on checking her computer and then announced that there was no one staying at the Mosser that night with out surname! This was quite a surprise as, we explained, all our belongings were currently locked in a room several floors above our heads! After repeating ourselves several times (each time met with a polite if slightly irritating smile!) before my husband had to go out for some air. I decided to write our surname down for the receptionist in case she had been spelling it wrong (mishearing our M's for N's perhaps?) and finally had some success - she found our details and called for a security guard with a master key who escorted us back to our room and let us in. All in all, this place is nice, clean and well situated but make sure you prepare yourself for malfunctioning room keys and slightly confused (but always polite!) reception staff! -5 nights in San Francisco April 23-27 2004. Stayed at the Grosvenor Suites. Room on the 4th floor northside facing Pine. That was fortunate because the city was having a record hit wave and our room stayed nice and cool. There is little street noise on that side, it is a residential area surrounded by 2 major hotels. Area is close to public transportation, BART (goes to the airport), cable cars and buses. In a great neighborhood. There is a full size grocery store a short cable car ride away on Cailifornia Street. We had 2 beds in the room a couch, a dining area with table and chairs. The small kitchen was spotless with all dishes and appliances needed. There was a light breakfast offered, the bagels were very good. The staff were genuinely friendly and helpful. I reserved a room at this hotel specfically due to this website and I am truly grateful to those that submitted their comments. Very enthused about the hotel and will return. -Spent one night at The Argonaut and wish that we could have stayed longer. We even missed the free wine hour but what the heck, the staff was so pleasant and not in a superficial,' I don't mean it' kind of way. Valet was on top of their game and was very helpful with directions or anything we might need. The roofm was super clean and I was looking for dirt in the areas that sometimes don't get the best housekeeping job. I couldn't find as much as a crumb! We were on the fourth floor in a two queen bedded room as we were traveling with our two children. We were upgraded to a Cannery/Alcatraz view because of our membership in Kimpton's In Touch program but it was really just a view of the Mexican restaurant below unless you really, really cranked your head. Still nice to receive. We also had a note welcoming us and a big bottle of water but didn't drink it because it didn't say it was complementary. Overall a great experience and I wouldn't hesitate to return whenever I am in the San Francisco area. Great decor. This was our first stay in a Kimtpon property but I am going to seek them out from now on. -This place was so great! The location was amazing and the free parking makes it even better. If you are looking for a nice place to stay for a really good price than look no farther. The people running the place act somewhat nice, they can be rude. It seems like they get asked the same questions over and over again and they have an attitude about it- who cares just don't rely on them. I suggest getting a muni pass before you come to SF b/c the inn will not help you get one. They will point you in the direction and if you ask them to repeat the directions then expect an attitude. Turn out of the inn and walk a few blocks to Hyde st. a trolley will take you down to the Wharf or up to chinatown/union sq. We used the trolley cars a lot. Be careful- they can get packed during certain times and will not have room for you. I felt like I had to write this review b/c I wanted everyone visiting SF to love it as much as we did. The location were we stayed I think had a lot to do with it. Tip- bring a coat, SF can get hot / cold throughout the day. Also, eat at Neptunes @ the wharf. SO GOOD!! Alcatraz is fun too!! There is a great pub down the road from the inn too. Friendly locals. major tip-- wear comfortable shoes!! -We stayed four nights and couldn't have been happier with our choice. The hotel was only a short walk from Union Square and the location was very convenient. The staff was especially friendly and knowledgeable. Our room was spacious, comfortable and filled with light, and the fireplace added a wonderful romantic touch. The breakfast was excellent and featured homemade baked goods, and we enjoyed the little treats that were available in the lobby throughout the day. We'd stay again in a heartbeat! -Based on reviews about this hotel, we decided to stay here the weekend of October 3rd to attend a wedding in the city. We were just as pleased with the hotel as the recent reviews and high ranking indicate.The Front Desk and Concierge were very pleasant and always willing to assist with questions. We had a great room with a very nice city view. Housekeeping was very detailed and the room was impeccably clean. I thought a very nice touch/detail was a personalized handwritten note from our housekeeper welcoming us. You dont see that too often.We did room service on Friday night and ordered off of the Bob's Steakhouse menu, which is the hotel's restaurant in the lobby. The food was awesome! The filet was so tender and by far the best baked potatoe and candied carrot I have ever had! The delivery was right on time, the food was hot and the server was very friendly. I travel alot for business and I find Room Service to be very poor even in the best hotels. Not here. They did a great job!They gym at this hotel is very nice with great cardio and weight machines. Little details like complimentary bottled water and a huge basket of fresh fruit are not forgotten.The location was very convenient and the price we paid was a bargain for the value and in comparison to most of the other hotels in the area since we shopped around before making our reservation. I highly recommned this hotel! -We booked through a special advertised on travelzoo, due to the price, out stay was spot on. However, for the normal rate which is about twice as much as we paid - I would have reservations on the grand hyatt SF. The room was fine, basic but nice with a comfortable bed. Overall hotel amenities, were less than desirable. For one, there isn't a gift shop on site which means if you're thirsty, forgot stamps or want a snack - you have to leave the premises to find a drugstore, coffeeshop or the like. I travel quite a bit so the fact that I could not buy basics like bottled water without leaving the hotel was a first. Also, this appears to be a SF thing but the valet service costs a pretty penny. We opted not to rent a car because of this and since public transportation is readily available, we were fine. The location is fantastic - right in the midst of union square. In short - a suitable hotel in the perfect location. -Recently stayed here for business meetings. I am glad that most of therenovations are completed, cannot imagine what it was like prior to these occuring. I personally like the new decor, especially the outside firepit area. Spent time each evening meeting with friends fordrinks and socializing in this area. The staff were quite friendly forthe most part, the concierge very helpful with directions and reservations. The Dollar rent a car on site was also convenient. It isonly 1 block to walk to Fisherman's Wharf. During our meetings each day in the various break out rooms, we did experience quite a bit of construction noise, even though they did cut back on this during our meeting hours. You can also hear and feel the F-line trolley's passingby when you are using several of the meeting rooms. The hotel room walls are quite thin, you can definately hear what "goes on" on the room next door, hear the people walking in the room above as well. The air conditioning unit needs to be placed in a recycling yard, it does ruin the look of the room and is quite noisy. Also the toilet area of the bathroom is very tiny for those that are built a bit larger. Overall a pleasant stay, but as with the previous review, would not spend my own funds to be at this location. -My wife are from the UK and were travelling around the USA.This hotel was just right - in a convenient location for Fisherman's Wharf and local sights, the cable car stops, tours and walks. Nice rooms, reasonable buffet breakfast included, with plent to do nearby. -This is my third stay at The Mosser. I have stayed at a number of Boutique Hotels in The City over the years. I discovered The Mosser a couple of months ago when I was in town for a job interview a couple of blocks away. The location is outstanding for the convention center, SFMOMA, Yerba Buena Gardens, Union Square, and BART. The selection of ammenities is interesting and different everytime I stay. This time it includes a razor, toothpaste, and a couple of green products-- a bar of waste reducing soap with a hole in it and moisurizer in a biodegradable "plastarch" bottle. The rooms are tiny, very clean, and harken back to a bygone era updated with flat screen TV and platform bed. This time my room has a bay window that looks out on the Metreon. I will definitely be back for another Mosser Adventure! -Stayed 4 nights at the beginning of November after 3 nights in Las Vegas. Arrived at hotel and requested non smoking quiet room, we were given a tiny double room at top of building which stunk of smoke, went back to reception and he then moved us to another double room on 3rd floor which was slightly larger, smoke free but not enough room to turn in the bathroom and really dark and old fashioned. Again we went back to reception and asked about Club Rooms which I had read about on web site, he let us have a look at one and we took it. It was a lot better than the others, the room itself was big with a very comfortable bed and overlooked the swimming pool. The bathroom again left a lot to be desired and was very small but we had a small dressing area outside it so overcame that problem.The common areas of the hotel away from reception look pretty worn and tatty. The concierge was the most unhelpful person I know he did not seem to know what was going on anywhere or be able to advise on anything we wanted to know. The restaurant next door called Daily Grill serves some good food and not too pricey and always busy with good atmosphere. If you want a real American blow out breakfast suggest you go to Mama's by Washington Square. Overall the location is excellent you are right by all the transport and shops but the hotel is very average and not what we expected from an American hotel. -Stayed 1 night. Got inclusive rate with parking and $25 for meals/drinks at hotel for $116. Thought it was great value. While rooms won't appeal to those who need luxury as they are a bit small and a bit 50ish in style -- (including the old fashioned glass doorknobs and pipe runnning along upper valence). They are well soundproofed, decently decorated and very clean. In addition the Chancellor is doing all the extra service right. Coupon for 2 drinks at 1/2 price in room at bar where quiet jazz played. Unexpectedly good breakfast oft an omelette, toast and juice for 2 for only a bit over $25. (even provided salsa when requested) Location can't be beat. I'd suggest staying here instead of a more expensive place and spend your money on a great dinner out. -I planned a last minute weekend trip to San Francisco for me, myself and I after getting a great airfare through Virgin America. I then booked a room at this hotel using a special rate available through the Kimpton website. I spent more than I wanted to but thought that since the room available was on the "club" level, I would get some perks. According to the website, every evening, hors d'oeuvres would be available from Postrio, the restaurant located in the lobby and a well-known restaurant at that. The club level also included breakfast. The location is fantastic, 2 blocks from Union Square. The lobby is small but very nice and welcoming. The staff was friendly but not all together helpful especially with information regarding public transportation. As far as my room-- well, I must have gotten the last room available as I checked in very late. I also think I was given a regular room with club "perks." instead of a real club room. The room at first glance was very nice but then you can see real age. My primary problem was the creaking floors. I have never heard this before in any hotel, not even Super 8s. I looked forward to sleeping in on Saturday, 8:30! Well, beginning at 6 am all I heard were people walking above and around me. Every inch of that ugly, dirty carpet needs to be ripped up and every floor board needs to be screwed down. It is unacceptable that this noise pervades the hotel. I also didn't realize I was given a room diagonally across from the housekeeping room. 7 a.m. or so I would hear the maids talking and moving their carts. It was as if there was no door at all between me and the hallway. Needless to say, I got very little sleep any of the 3 nights I stayed at the Prescott. The bathroom also showed its age a lot, dirty grout. The L'Occitane products were excellent, however.Next, as far as club level amenities, there was a bar open at 4:30 pm but the hors d'oeuvres were non-existent. I do not consider a block of cheese, a bunch of grapes and a loaf of bread hors d'oeuvres. The continental breakfast was just fair but did the job. FYI, you can get wine and beer on the regular level rooms in the lobby for no extra charge and you don't need any of those fake hors d'oeuvres. For $50 more per night, the club level rooms are simply not worth it. When I'm in San Francisco, I want a room in a good location and I want to be able to sleep for whatever hours I'm in my room. The rest of the time, I'm not in the hotel. The creaking floors and poor sound insulation are competely unacceptable. I would not at all call this a 4* hotel. I would consider it 3* but no matter what, I will not stay here again if the floors are not fixed and I would not pay more than $100 to $119 for this hotel. -A perfect location, can get loud outside, but overall would recommend hotel! -I had been looking at small, upscale boutique hotels located in a quiet section of San Francisco. I had read some of the previous reviews and decided to try Hotel Drisco. It is worthy of all of the excellent reviews. The staff was more than helpful in every way. As I am a female traveling alone, I am very conscious of safety and security. The area is very safe and I felt secure at all times. The staff greeted me by name and always asked how I was doing. The amenities were also first rate. But the most impressive aspect of the hotel was the personalized service. All requests were met with a smile and without question from making restaurant reservations to small room repairs. One of the faucets in the bathroom was not functioning properly and I informed the front desk. I expected to have a washer replaced, but instead received a completely new faucet set. The breakfast that is provided was quite enough to satisfy my needs and very tasty. The only thing that people should be aware of is the only parking is on the street and is restricted during the day. I had no problem finding a space in the evening though. The Hotel Drisco was a great place and a great alternative to the large, somewhat impersonal hotels and I would stay there again without hesitation. -Visited the Holiday Inn Express 4/24 - 4/28. Overall, we were happy with the hotel. The location was perfect for us - close to the wharf and local transit. The hotel itself is very nice looking with a modern decor. Our room, single king bed, was more than adequate. Maid service was good. The breakfast was decent for a hotel complimentery breakfast. There was a good selection to get your day started - juice, coffee, tea, milk, cereals, toast, bagels, yogurt, bananas, eggs (either scrambled or omlette which seemed to be prepacked and microwaved), bacon and/or sausage. The hotel was full on the weekend and the breakfast bar was quite busy at times. I felt the hotel did a great job of refilling things and we never had to wait long for anything. We always also managed to find a table for our group of 4.There were a couple of minor things we noted. While the hotel looked great, it is very basic and didn't have any nice little "extras". I thought it would have been nice to have coffee/tea service in the lobby area throughout the day, not just until 9:30 am - we've had this at other Holiday Inn Express hotels and basic type hotels such as Quality Inns, etc. Some aspects of service could have been a little better as well. I wanted to have a tea in my room early one evening. I had forgot to take a milk back up to the room in the morning - tea with powdered whitener just isn't that great. I had hoped that the front desk could get me a milk - the breakfast room was just a few steps away - but they were unable to help as their "house man" was not on duty. While I was waiting at the front desk an older man approached and indicated that they had just returned from their day out and their room hadn't been cleaned. The gentleman at the front desk indicated that he "couldn't understand how that could happen, it had never happened before". He asked the guest if he was sure he didn't leave his Do Not Disturb sign on the door. The guest replied he was sure he hadn't. The front desk clerk then proceeded to tell the gentlemant there was nothing he could for him as the cleaning staff were gone for the day and again, the house man was not in. The front desk clerk didn't offer anything to the guest for the inconvenience - he just restated he couldn't understand how that could happen. To me, surely someone could have gone up and emptied the garbages and at least gave them clean towels? Also, don't forget that parking is very expensive, as is pretty standard with wharf area hotels. We didn't have a vechicle but noticed that the valet parking was over $40 per night. If we returned to SF, we wouldn't have any hesitation staying at this hotel again as any issues we had were really quite minor. -Enjoyed our stay here for 3 nights. Had a lovely room with modern decor and good view of Union Square. Bedding very good quality with pillows for any imaginable ailment. Plenty of storage space. Loved the coffee and the cookies for guests at reception. Excellent. Only complaint would be the breakfast which we had on 2 mornings. Did not enjoy them, but the ladies on the staff were lovely though. Reception staff very friendly and helpful. -We have visited SF on two occasions and on both have stopped at this hotel.The hotel is is a good location (in some respects) as it is very close to Fishermans Wharf, and the accomadations are reasonably good.On the downside we had a few problems. One of them was that common hotel bugbear - people who let their doors slam no matter what the hour. This seemed to have improved by the time we revisited and the hotel had fitted better damping on the doors. Another problem was that as the hotel is only 2 or 3 stories high, you are never very far away from the street. In particular I would not be very comfortable on the ground floor especially as the area that the hotel is in is not the best. Noise is also a problem with one side of the hotel in particular being located adjacent to a bus depot and this was very noisy.The hotel is not particularly cheap and parking is extortionate ($30 a night) so I would never consider stopping there if I had a car.On the whole this hotel is OK and did not detract from our experiences in San Fransisco which we loved. -On the final night of our tour of CA, we stayed at the JW in SF. We had asked for a high floor because of other reviews regarding remodeling. As of Nov. 17th - I think only the first 2 floors of rooms were still being remodeled and the manager had told us that the lobby was to begin the following week. The rooms were beautiful and we loved the bathroom. The bathroom had a separate shower and bathtub; the beds were extremely comfortable; flat screen TV; and the room was very spacious. We thought the lobby and bar was nice (2 fireplaces with comfortable chairs around them) -but he had said they were remodeling to make it more contemporary. The staff in this hotel was exceptional delivering anything we needed to our room. The only complaint we had about this hotel was the parking - it was $45 a day. Fortunately for us, we didn't really need our car anymore, so we returned it early instead of paying for the parking. Overall, this was by far the nicest of the 4 Marriott's we stayed at during our trip and was not the most expensive. I would definitely recommend this to anyone going to SF. -We stayed at Castle Inn for 2 nights during our 3 week road trip. We were not interested in fancy locations and were interested in a place to clean up, sleep and not having to pay for parking (that's why I can't stand Chicago). Along with these requirements we wanted a place with easy access to the wharf and transportation. Castle Inn fit these requirements perfectly. Our room was clean, the owner was very friendly and helpful with directions, suggestions on places to eat and places to avoid. He even gave me his parking space near the elevator. We had requested a room away from the street and received the end room on the top floor which worked well. If you're looking for something that fits the description I have provided, this is the place. We would stay there again. Also, as a side not, if heading North out of the city, access to the Golden gate bridge route is real easy from here. -We stayed at this hotel over our honeymoon!! we couldnt ask for better!! The staff were so helpful!! They upgraded us to a wonderful room!! This hotel was in the perfect location!! everything was on our doorstep or a short walk away!! The bed was massive and so comfortable!! We had a view of union square and it was fanastic wakin up in the morning to the fog layin on the top of buildings and at night lit up!! it was beautiful!! would stay at this hotel again!!! -I only stayed at the Grand Hyatt for one night on business. I got a $110/night rate on Priceline. I bid in the Union Square East- Embarcadero area for a 4-star hotel.A cab ride from the airport is about $40 dollars. With the high price of valet ($43/day)...I ended up just taking cabs instead of renting a car. I feel like I saved money and it was easier than trying to drive around the city. The cabs are plentiful in front of the hotel. My flight left early in the morning (6AM). I called the front desk about 10 minutes before I was to leave. He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to get a cab in time and had called a secondary car service that was basically the same price. I was impressed that had a back-up plan.I checked in around 1PM and my king bed room wasn't ready. I didn't have to time to wait so I opted for a room with two double beds on the 10th floor. My room faced the front of the hotel. I didn't think the view was very good. The view from the restaurant on the 36th floor faces another direction and it was very nice. Try for something facing that way! The rooms are on the small side, but typical for a city hotel. The room was very clean and I really liked the Portico bath products. There is a small TV in the bathroom, but it was rather old and I never did get it to work. The wireless worked great and is TMobile ($9.99/day). It is nice if you are around another TMobile site before the 24 hours expires because you can still log on with your hotel day pass (I was still able to log on at the airport in the Admirals Club.)I had dinner in the bar area of the restaurant. I must recommend the shrimp cocktail appetizer. It isn't your typical shrimp cocktail, but it was REALLY GOOD. It doesn't look like much, but when you taste it...you will be glad you ordered it. They also have a decent wine list. The view is very nice and worth at least meeting friends up there for a drink. The food was expensive as you would expect in a downtown hotel. I also ordered lunch from room service and it was very prompt. The banana split was very yummy as well. :)The location is really is great if you are a shopper. Every store you can imagine is within a few blocks. I know there were restaurants in the area, but nothing that really interested me enough to walk in the rain. If I had been staying longer I would have wanted to take a cab to the mission district, etc.If you are in the area and you can get a good price, it is certainly a nice hotel and was set up nicely for a business traveler. -What a great Hotel. We stayed here for 6 nights in August 2008 and we were completely blown away. The hotel is in a incredible location on Fisherman's Wharf with an approximate walk of ten minutes to Pier 39. There is so much to do here and everything is easily accessible as the trolley leaves just around the corner from the hotel.The room's were modern and very clean!! Spotless even!! The hotel staff were the best that I have ever encountered, they were so friendly and always willing to help us no matter what!Breakfast was included as part of our package and changed everyone morning but it was so yummy! Internet access was free the hotel even provided 2 computers for their guests to use in the lobby.The only thing that we were upset about was that our room did not have a fridge, we quickly got over that as we hardly spent any time in there.I highly recommend this hotel to everyone that is visiting San Francisco. -This hotel completely ruined what was a lovely trip up until then. Our agent picked us this hotel and advised that it was a great place. It was a older hotel on the edge of the bad part of town "Tenderloin". Our first impression of this was the lovely girl at the desk telling us not to go around the side of the hotel but always walk out the front towards the street. We walked into our room and were surprised by ear plugs. Not a good thing. The room was not airconditioned and really stuffy. We tried to open a window to get fresh air but the noise was absolutely terrible. We were there for three nights and we needed sleep before coming home to NZ. We got none, either with the window open or closed. The homeless people made rackets all night, yelling and yahooing. You didn't feel safe walking around the streets. They were everywhere and were of a concern. The sirens went all night and other noises of people screaming banging etc. As well as that the room noises of a hole in the bathroom wall with a pipe that continually ran water most of the night which you couldn't close out. There was also plenty of noise in the daytime from construction outside our room.There were supposed to be movies showing at 7.30 and 9 p.m. each night. We ventured down to enjoy a movie to find nothing working. A big disappointment.The bed was okay but the bathroom was terrible. The sink was all cracked and looked like it was on its last legs. There was no towel rails to hang up your towels or anywhere to put your toiletries bag. The breakfast was nothing. If you arrived at the table after 9.30 a.m. you could expect nothing as they didn't refill the bagel or muffin container. The bagels were like they had been lying around for at least two days. The muffins (if you got one) were okay. Drink was only water or milk, tea or coffee. There was a drink machine there but was broken for the whole three days and no mention of trying to fix it. They did have a secure lockup room for baggage left before catching your flight home and we were able to use their security safe deposit. The hotel was close to the cable car and that was a bonus.We certainly would not recommend this hotel. -Great location. Very close to Union Square. Very easy BART access. Next to the cable car stop! Excellent condition/maintenance of the hotel. Clean lovely room. Very nice ambiance. Good value for the price. -The Drisco and their staff never disappoint us. This is the only hotel we stay in when we visit our old home town. After having to cancel two previous stays due to illness we were so excited to return to our "home away from home". The staff was so amazing. Marti greeted us as if we were family. We really appreciate everything she did to make our stay even more special than we could have expected. The entire staff and the general manager went the distance for us. The breakfast is perfect as is the afternoon wine and cheese. What a wonderful and elegant touch. We will return as soon as we can. -Husband and I stayed 3 nights. Lovely comfortable room, tiny bathroom, courtyard view and rare thing you can actually open the windows of your room. The lifts are very slow. Check in staff were OK. Concierge I thought was very short and snappy with us when we ordered our shuttle to the airport and very monosyllabic. Not at all the kind of person I expected to be a concierge. Breakfast was fine. Nothing special, industrial type orange juice, the usual breads, fruits etc. Coffee fine by american standards. However the service was very poor especially on the sunday morning when the restaurant was packed. It continued to be poor on the Monday and Tuesday when the restaurant was much quieter. The gym was small and very clean. The biggest downside is the fact that you can actually hear people in the room next to you sneeze as well as all the noises in the bathroom (flushing toilet and having shower!). On the plus side, very convenient for fisherman's wharf area (obviously!), not far from trolley cars and public transport. -We booked through a special advertised on travelzoo, due to the price, out stay was spot on. However, for the normal rate which is about twice as much as we paid - I would have reservations on the grand hyatt SF. The room was fine, basic but nice with a comfortable bed. Overall hotel amenities, were less than desirable. For one, there isn't a gift shop on site which means if you're thirsty, forgot stamps or want a snack - you have to leave the premises to find a drugstore, coffeeshop or the like. I travel quite a bit so the fact that I could not buy basics like bottled water without leaving the hotel was a first. Also, this appears to be a SF thing but the valet service costs a pretty penny. We opted not to rent a car because of this and since public transportation is readily available, we were fine. The location is fantastic - right in the midst of union square. In short - a suitable hotel in the perfect location. -Horrible location, it's skidrow. Parking is a block and a half away so we had to park the rental car during daylight and take a cab everywhere in the evenings. What a waste. It made our mini vacation very stressful. There are homeless and drug addicts, I actually saw someone going to the bathroom in the street and he wasn't just peeing either and a woman asked me if I had methadone and I saw drug dealing going on - It was just horrible! -For me, I'm fresh outta college (so I don't have much money to burn). I'm not high-maintenance. Sure, I like nice places, but as long as it's clean, I feel safe, & the price is right - I'm good to go.Now, I have stayed at this place on three different occasions over the past few years. I have come to realize that this place is a full-on crap-shoot. The room you get might be just fine & the one next to it might be a hole.So then - my stay last weekend:I get into the city & checked-in around midnight. Mr. Miagi, although a very nice desk man, is REALLY SLOW! He gives me my card key for room 317. I head up the sketchy elevator and around to my room. I walk in. Light bulbs are burnt out. Okay, I'll turn on the TV for light. No remote. Stumble in the dark to manually turn it on. I then go into the bathroom. The tub was backed up w/ 3'' of dirty, cloudy water & nails!Okay, that's it! I'm getting a different room. I go back down to Mr. Miagi at the front desk. He apologizes and says he'll give me "a nice room" instead. I'm given 532.Back up the SLOW elevator. The card key doesn't work! I just wanna go to bed! Back down to the front desk. I should note that despite the late hour, there's two or three other parties in the lobby w/ similar complaints.Mr. Miagi says there's nothing he can do about the card keys. He'll have to let us all into our rooms individually w/ regular keys. I go back up & wait for him.He shows up & lets me into the room - which is actually a pretty big suite w/ a kitchenette, roof-top access & a killer view. Normally, that would make me happy. However, the room still felt dirty. The Chain lock on the door was busted off (as if SWAT had recently busted in). The chairs' upholstery looked like it came off a porn set (suspicious stains). The towel bar in the bathroom hung about to fall off the wall. The shower (although clean) had the pressure of an 80 yr old man peeing. The bed (although a king-size) gave me the ibby-geebies.After taxes, the room was around a hundred bucks for the night. That's pretty cheap for S.F. The location of this place is really good - pretty safe neighborhood & easy Muni access. This place has soooo much potential!However, I think I've stayed at this place for the last time...at least until I hear that some drastic changes have taken place here.If you opt to stay here, know that it's a bit of a gamble. You might get lucky w/ one of their clean & renovated rooms; or you might get something of the crack-house variety.Good luck! -We are a family of four (2 boys agen 9 and 11) who were touring California this summer - and we stayed 3 nights at the Radisson Hotel at Fisherman's Wharf i San Francisco. The location is super - just across from Pier 39 and walking distance to Alcatraz pier, tram and many other sights. We did not book in advance and must say we had a very small and quite worn-down room facing the street. From 6 am in the morning the was a lot of noise from delivery trucks reversing outside so do get a room facing the court. We enjoyed our stay - the pool was also OK - the kids liked it though the air temperature was cool. But the hotel could do with new windows for instance ... -This place was near perfect and much cheaper than the other hotels in the area. Rooms were big and clean and the beds were super comfy. My favorite was the little touches like free internet and a computer down in the lobby to print out your boarding pass. Staff at the front desk were very nice and helpful. All in all a great experience and I would stay there again if in the area! -Nice clean rooms with two queen size beds, stayed on the 2nd floor so unfortunally no view, but this was possible if you pay extra. It took about 8-10 min. to walk to Fishermanns Wharf area, which was perfect. Also continental breakfast buffet is incl. at the hotel, really good deal compared to the price and the location. -My first time in SF would've been better if we had booked a better hotel. This was the worst experience I've ever had in a hotel. Staff WAS friendly but the room was so small, smelly, noisy and it also came with a surprise underneath the bed. As we where packing up to go we found a condom wrapper, I felt so disgusted! I wouldn't recommend this hotel to anyone! -We stayed at the Wharf Inn after several trips to San Francisco because of the location. You just can't beat it for the price and the free parking. You could stay at the Raddison which is right across the street, but expect to pay about $30-40 more then add $28 a day for parking, just not worth it. Now for some details, the rooms are very spacious, compared to the other 3 hotels that we have stayed in, and are clean. Although they do not advertise it, you can get free wireless internet service with no problem at the hotel. The desk staff was very friendly and knowledgable with any info. you may need for sightseeing and locations. The only problem that I could tell anyone about is that there is no air-conditioning in the rooms, while this may not sound like a problem due to the average temps in SFO being in the 50's and 60's, it is. There is only a very small window about 2x2 and it's located at the bottom of windows and behind the curtains. My solution was to buy a small powerfull fan for about $12 and put it in the window so we could get some outside (cool) air. If you want to be right in the heart of everything that SFO has to offer, then you will not find a better bargain. Most all hotels in this area are at least +$230 a night. So my suggestion is to book this on early, get a little window fan and use the money you save to enjoy all the wonderful fruits that SFO has to offer. If you need any more info on SFO or this hotel, I'd be glad to answer, just E-Mail me. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/paragraph-test.txt b/reference_files/paragraph-test.txt deleted file mode 100644 index bf44fc99969c13493c5d0d780e561d970ba8845f..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/paragraph-test.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1495 +0,0 @@ -This book was wonderful. The vast history in the book was very interesting. I couldn't put it down I had to finish it in one weekend. From reading reviews before I bought the book I thought It would be alot of gross out stuff, but it wasn't. This author really took the time to know what he was talking about. His research was thorough and he also gave credit to anyone who deserved it. This isn't just a book bashing the unhealthfulness of Fast Food, but rather a commentary on what the Fast Food industry is doing to economies and waistlines all over the world.I must admit my parents weren't big on Fast Food to begin with and I never ate that much of it, but now I will not be eating any of it. My husband is a fast food junky, but I am trying my best to steer him away from it. After reading this book, I made it clear that I better never catch him eating a Fast Food burger.Bottom Line: Extermely interesting book. This should be a mandatory book on high school reading lists. -Pushing the Limits was a great, emotional read. I really enjoyed everything about it, from the characters to the writing to the story/background. Everything just flowed really well together.I thought both Echo and Noah were great characters. Katie McGarry added depth to both of their back stories so that they rose above the typical stereotypes of bad boy and good girl. These kids were damaged and the story tackled their problems and issues with aplomb.Echo is a good student, but she used to be part of the popular clique. One night the previous year, she was involved in an accident that she can't remember and it left scars on her, both physically and mentally. Because of this, Echo has retreated into herself. Noah seems to be the typical bad boy at first, but then we learn both of his parents were killed and he has been shuffled into some pretty bad foster homes. The one he is currently in isn't bad, but he is still separated from his younger brother and would do anything he can to get them back.Echo and Noah's relationship is very sweet and it was nice to see that they saved each other. Noah helped Echo to realize that she wasn't damaged and was the rock she needed to help her regain her memories. Echo helped Noah to see that he wasn't a loser and could accomplish anything he set his mind to. She also helped him to see that he did have other important things in his life than just his brothers. Though they came from different worlds, Echo and Noah helped each other in ways that no one else could.I really enjoyed Katie McGarry's writing and can't wait to continue on to book 2 in this series. Beth wasn't my favorite character, but I have faith that her book will be just as compelling as Pushing the Limits.Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for providing a review copy of this book! -Our culture does not appreciate quiet. We tend to equate social power with social prowess. The outspoken people seen are as the leaders in our culture. Susan Cain, however, seeks to dispel this notion that people with a quiet nature cannot be major influencers or leaders. She opens her book Quiet by discussing one of the most influential figures in the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks made an impact in the civil rights movement through her quietness. She chose to take a quiet stand instead of being outspoken. In doing so, she became a symbol of strength in the movement. This is the first of many examples of introverts that Cain offers to show the power of quiet in a world that likes to talk.Quiet is Cain's attempt to prove that, despite America's preference to extroversion, introverts can be extremely successful and influential in our culture. She begins by discussing the "Extroverted Ideal." Since the time that Andrew Carnegie taught us how to win friends and influence people, the ideal personality has be extroverted. In the world of business and leadership, the way to get ahead is to speak up and stand out. Cain visits Harvard Business School to understand how they teach students to succeed in business. It becomes very clear that Harvard teaches their students to speak up or they won't succeed. The issue that Cain finds, however, is that in all their talking, people aren't listening. In this first part of the book, Cain poses the question of whether or not the extroverted ideal is really ideal. What she finds is people being trained to talk the most, whether they are educated or not, in order to get ahead. Businesses promote group brainstorming which tends to favor the outspoken. Cain instead shows that often people who quietly, by themselves, and are allowed to think through the problems are more productive and effective that people working together in groups where people are fighting for attention. While the outspoken standout, they are not always bringing success and are often times talking over those who can give good ideas.The next part of here book looks at the biology and psychology behind introversion. Cain seeks to discover if introversion genetic. This section is much different that the first part of the book, but still interesting. I found this section of the book personally interesting because I read through it going, "Oh, That's why I am like that." Introversion and extroversion seems to be built into our brain functions even from birth. It effects the way we think and process information.The third part of Cain's book compares our culture with Asian cultures to see if the Extroverted ideal is apparent in all cultures. Cain shows that there are major differences between the two cultures. America sees extroversion as ideal, while Asian cultures see introversion as ideal. One of the primary differences is how success is achieved. Introverted cultures tend to succeed through persistence and perseverance, while extroverted cultures succeed but speaking over others and getting your ideas heard. Cain uses this to show the some of the people we see as successful succeeded because of persistence instead of outspokenness.Last, Cain discusses living as an introvert and with introverts. She applies what she's discussed in previous sections to having relationships, working in an extroverted culture, and raising introverted children. This section is a good balance to the rest of the book which is trying to show that extroversion is not the ideal. Cain reminds her readers that sometimes introverts do need to speak up, but should also not lose the good qualities that introversion brings. She also offers very good practical information on how to live in introvert-extrovert relationships and how to raise introvert children.Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking is a great book. Susan Cain does a good job of presenting how our culture favors extroversion and looks down on introverts. It may seem at first that Cain is trying to say that introverts are better than extroverts, but reading through the whole work she does a wonderful job of challenging introverts to grow in certain areas. She also challenges extroverts to consider the benefits that introverts are able bring. As an introvert myself I most appreciated the second and fourth sections of the book. I was very interested to learn about myself and why I am the way I am. The second section does a good job of explaining many the biological factors of introversion and extroversion. The fourth section is very helpful because of the helpful advice for living with extroverts and raising and teaching introverted children.I would recommend this book to just about anyone. If you are an introverted, you will find this book very helpful and encouraging. If you are an extrovert, you can learn why your introverted friends are the way they are and how to best interact with them. I would highly recommend this book to anyone in a business situation, this book can be really helpful in learning how to get the most out of the introverts in your office. I would also recommend it to my friends in the ministry along with Adam S. McHugh's bookIntroverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture. I hope that Cain's book will help people change their understanding of introversion. Introversion is not a weakness. There may be areas where introverts are weak, but there are always areas where introverts tend to be stronger than extroverts.I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. -The Help is truly an astounding debut both because it is a great book of the modern times and it is focused on a very sensitive topic. The novel is set in Jackson, Mississippi and is written from the perspective of three women, two of them black maids to rich white families. The novel is depressing to say the least, specially for my generation, one which hasn't experienced this state of affairs during their lifetime. Despite the grim topic, it is the kind of page turner which would put the latest juicy fantasies to shame. The characters could not have been better, the story is based on something which in 1964 would have been nothing short of revolutionary and finally the writing style is smooth like calm waters. I had trouble putting this book down and between the tears, smiles and concentration, I incessantly marvelled at the author, who may spend the rest of her career in the shadow of the masterpiece that is The Help. The over 2,300 reviews to date with an average above four stars are not well-deserved, but an understatement. -I'm at 3.5 stars, a very different reaction to this book than most other reviewers. There are some very strong points to the book, but also some weaknesses. On the strong side, the writing is superior and the post-apocalyptic world that Cole creates is imaginative and she builds it well. The book is reminiscent of Swan Song by Robert McCammon, which I highly enjoyed (these strong points maybe led me to set the bar a little higher than I might for other books). On the weak side, having built this great world, she doesn't do enough with it. This is a very slow book in places. We have slavers, "bagmen", cannibals, militia, and others, but they make only a few brief appearances - the book is two-thirds gone before we finally have a first hand encounter with a bagman that we been hearing about for 200 pages. So, in short, the book is long on dialogue and introspection, but a tad short on action, which may appeal to many, but may be less engaging to others. Also, the story centers on Evie and Jackson, but they spend the entire book arguing and fighting to the point where you just want them to shut up already. They have a painful, dysfunctional relationship and it got very tiresome for me by the end. Finally, the ending is . . . well, let's just say it's curious--I'm going to hold off on saying it disappoints until I see book 2. Speaking of which, this is only book 1 and there is certainly a lot of room for book 2 to improve on things. And while I do plan on giving book 2 a read, this trilogy is on a short leash with me. -I love to read, & I'll read almost anything, but I am not a fantasy genre reader. On a whim I decided to start this series & it absolutely blew me away how much I loved it. GRRM world is so immense, so detailed, so believable. His dialogue rings true, and with such an expansive cast of characters, sometimes it can be hard to remember them all or they end up sounding alike, but all these characters are easily identifiable as themselves. The beginning of the book basically foreshadows central plot developments, then it delves into a slew of interesting characters. GRRM doesn't shy away from sexual situations or the fact that humans are not always totally good or totally bad. The books are much better than the HBO show, and the tv show's pretty awesome in my opinion! Lol. Be forewarned though, if you start this series, you will probably fall in love with it, so be prepared to be patient waiting on the next books to come out-GRRM is a very slow writer! -Two friends of mine kept bugging me, "Read Martin!" but I was skeptical. I'm not a typical fantasy reader. All the swords and sorcery stuff usually bores me. I've tried on numerous occasions to put a dent in Jordan's first book but usually I fall asleep or my mind wanders. Give me King, Gaiman, De Lint, Tolkien, Keyes, Fforde, and Salvatore... any of these guys and I'm a happy man. But I try to stay away from straight D&D; fantasy. "He's not like that," they told me.Then, A Game of Thrones came in to our bookstore with a special price of $3.99. So I bought it. I'm a sucker for a good deal!Now, a few weeks later, I've finished it. And HOLY CRAP! That was GOOD! It was better than good it was GREAT! The characters are rich and fantastic and devious and wonderful and heart-breaking and maddening. This is character-driven fantasy. There are no huge plot points that are not created by the characters' interaction. Whether they are warring, backstabbing, screwing, avenging... everything in this book is driven by an amazing cast of characters. I found myself taking my time but wanting to know what happened next so damn bad my slow reading pace was killing me. Also, there are hints at things in side stories and small glimpses of what to come. And I can't wait! I'm going to take a small break from Martin but I've already bought Clash of Kings and can't wait to leap back in.If you've been hemming and hawing about reading his books, stop, and read them. You will not be let down. -WOW, it has taken me so long to actually read this and I am at a lost as to what to write in my review. I was so addicted to this book that I just couldn’t seem to put it down. Daughter of Smoke and Bone is so uniquely different that I am still amazed. Laini Taylor’s creative abilities are awe inspiring; there are no other words for it. FULL STOP! Ms Taylor’s writing style was fantastic, easy reading and intriguing, with romance, what more can one want? But gee, there is so much more to this book….Karou has led an interesting life; she grew up in a little shop that dealt in human teeth. She learnt how to tell all the different teeth apart and what teeth is the best quality. Karou is no typical teenager living in Prague though, but she is trying to be normal and goes to art school. Karou has no memory of her childhood before coming to the little shop of horrors. Brimstone raised her and trained her on teeth. Every now and then Brimstone calls for her to run an errand. She goes collecting teeth from customers that cannot make it into the shop. The shop is running low on teeth and she must hurry, but doesn’t understand why they are so important.Running an errand for Brimstone, she finds a black handprint seared onto the portal door. Not understanding what this is about, Karou just carries on. Then in another location and another portal door she spots Akiva, a beautiful man with fire coloured eyes and another handprint. They are instantly attracted to each other, but they are also enemies.There is a war, Karou knows nothing of this war, but it is happening all around her. With time running out and the war becoming even more dangerous for Karou, she is determined to find the answers that have eluded her all these years. Why is her love for Akiva so forbidden? What is the significance of the black handprints? What is behind the door that she was never allowed to see through? Why are her tattoos so damaging to Akiva?I cannot wait to read Days of Blood and Starlight to find out the next chapter for Akiva and Karou. Their love for each other is unparalleled and I am anxious to see where it goes. The world, creatures and vivid detailing that Ms Taylor has created is amazing to say the least. Her characters have so much potential to evolve and have so many different directions they could take. With betrayal, magic, love, action, intrigue and mystery, what more can you ask for? This series is a must read for everyone and Daughter of Smoke and Bone was a fantastic introduction into this new world. -Like many others that have written reviews here I grew up in the South in the 60s. I went to all white schools all my life and graduated from a 100% segregated high school and then went to the University of Texas in Austin that had very few blacks. In fact, UT won the National Championship of college football in 1969 with an all white squad. Impossible to do today. At that time we simply had very little day to day contacts with any blacks. It was not until I was drafted into the Army in 1969 that I had to actually work with blacks and get to know them one to one.This book ran true to my memories of the South. It really made me think and I enjoy books that do that. True, some of the characters are wooden and the men are not treated that well, but all in all it is the south I remember and it is the south that we need to leave behind. -I don't want to spoil the book for you because it is such a great, intense read and you really need to discover the story and the characters on your own, so I'm attempting a spoiler free review. There are some quotes from the book and some bad words for all you youngins:The book follows Brooke who goes to an Underground Boxing Ring with her friend and finds herself completely infatuated with Remington "Riptide" Tate (Remy). In her words he's mesmerizingly perfect. :) And trust me, the way he's described in the book, um yeah I would say so.If you love your cocky, alpha male, bad boy, sexy as hell, fighter, then you are definitely going to love Remy.They have an instant connection and an intense first meeting to say the least, in front of everyone that is there to see the fight.Brooke has gone through some things in her past, being a former athlete, now into sports rehab. She is in between jobs and trying to find her place in a life that didn't turn out the way she dreamed.After their first encounter shes contacted by Remy's team and asked to come on the road with him to be his physical therapist. She's hesitant but Remy doesn't really give her time to think about it (hence the Alpha Male reference).You know they feel something for each other but their relationship starts off as just friendl and she works for him, but quickly feelings start to develop and get stronger. They share intimate moments, especially when it comes to sharing music with each other (it plays a big part for Remy, you'll find out why when you read) and Brooke is ready to throw herself at him, but he has some deeper, darker issues he needs to work through.The connection between Brooke and Remy is really just intense. The first half of the book I was like OMFG please just do it already. I was dying. The sexual tension between them is ridiculous. I will tell you there was no actual sex for about the first half of the book, but I was totally hot and bothered anyway. No sex required.And let me just tell you, the discipline that Remy has, freaking crazy! Especially when you discover some of the deeper issues he keeps hidden. I mean holy crap!!!And Brooke, I really loved her, but come on girl, with all the "stretching" and "therapy" she had to do for him, I would have had him flat on his back, clothes ripped of and been all over that! She was the definition of sexually frustrated if you ask me. But that's what happens when eventually all you're getting are insanely erotic kisses from Remy.The more you learn about Remy in the book, you fall deeper in love with him. At times my heart ached for him. The moments he was able to express himself I could just see how much he cared for Brooke and how he struggled with it.I don't want to give too much more away because you really, really need to read the book for yourself. But I absolutely loved it. I loved the authors writing style, how she pulled you in. I got involved with the story, so into it that I read it all in one sitting. It started off with the intense meeting and didn't let up. I really enjoyed it.I will tell you all, there is a HEA. There are some twists and turns along the way, outside sources causing problems, and Brooke also having a bit of an inner battle, and a big ole' case of miscommunication, but it definitely is a good ending.And you also get a tiny sneak of Remy as the Epilogue is from his POV.I definitely recommend!! I WILL be reading more from Katy Evans for sure. -My favorite aspect of this book is the fact that the ending had my stomach in knots and gripped with suspense. I was also impressed and intrigued with the amount of historical and technical research regarding British history and cathedral building. Follett's character development is superb. His vivid descriptions and soul-searching situations make you feel intense emotions for these characters. They go through a lot of suffering and you'll suffer right along with them. However, you will rejoice in their triumphs as well. The outcome is richly satisfying. -This book really got to me. What a great story line, I was totally surprised where it headed. I will definitely keep my eye out for this author. Her writing style and perspective was great. -The book could have been a very small book. If He had not kept repeating himself over and over, I don't like it when authors ramble to just fill pages. He has some good info but I was just not overly impressed -This book was definitely an exciting read, but I have to question many of the author's theories. I also felt that the characters were pretty one-dimensional and even unbelievable at times. The plot device of finding each clue and solving it got a little bit tedious at times. However, it was a quick and fun read. -I thought this was a great story. Almost like a modern day David Copperfield. It is a long book but I enjoyed being with the characters so much and the writing is just terrific that I enjoyed spending the time with this book. -The beginning was interesting. I was pulled in right from the start and I wasn't as annoyed with the story telling as I thought I would. Thankfully, our main character Kvothe remembered to take realistic breaks here and there to remind the reader, me, that he was telling a story, his story.Kvothe is a fascinating yet incredibly irritating character. He is suppose to be this amazing genius, yet he spends far too much time slumming it on the streets, yea, I know, he was in emotional shock, but still... he didn't utilize any of his teachings until he got to the University. From there it was a huge Harry Potter fiasco.The part that absolutely drove me nuts is the girl. The elusive Dana, I think I'm remembering the name correctly, was always in the picture yet never really there. Besides her being the reason why Kvothe accomplished ONE of his famed deeds, I don't understand his love/obsession with her. Especially, since she's always running from guy's outstretched hand to the next. I just feel that she had no real role in this book, but as Kvothe stated, the first book was just the first day of a three day story to set the stage for the meat of the story.And dear lord, there had better be something worth biting into in the next book because this book really just did not cut it for me. The writing was beautiful. The world was unoriginal, however it didn't bore me. It was just a little tiresome. So I guess Kvothe and I will simply have to settle for this love-hate relationship because honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that I was reading this book with friends, I probably would have set it down as a Did Not Finish (DNF). But I will admit that I'm glad I read it because, if this is just a substantially long prologue to real story, then I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series. -At least that was true until I read Michael Shaara's "Killer Angels." Now I'm a goner. I have bought five more books on the Civil War including McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom," a huge tome that promises to fill me in on the whole historical context, time, place, politics, all of it. All this happened because I was interested in a single book. This is Michael Shaara's fault.It is of no consequence that the prospective reader may not have the slightest interest in war, the Civil War in particular, guns, Gettysburg, generals, muskets, artillery, smoke, fire, or death. All the reader need be interested in is a good book that is a pleasure, an enlightening experience, to read. If you like reading, if you enjoy books that captivate, that keep you turning pages, that won't let you sleep, then buy this book.Let me note here that the author indulges in several literary devices that might pain the true Civil War buff. He uses interior monologues which are, of course, pure fiction (though based on written material of the time). He also centers his story on two major fights that took place at Gettysburg: the battle of Little Roundtop, and Pickett's Charge, even though quite a lot of other great moments occurred there. Both these battles are told well, and the characters of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain - the commander of the 20th Maine who held Little Round Top against attacking Confederates to the "last bullet," and James Longstreet, commander of the I Corps of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia who had serious differences with his superior over the tactics used at Gettysburg, are explored at depth.By necessity, Shaara could not tell, in a single novel (for that is what this book is), all that happened those three fateful days. For those who want to know more I refer you to Shelby Foote's "Stars In Their Courses."I aim this review at those who are unsure of whether a Civil War novel is what they want to read. Be assured you will not be disappointed. This is a truly fine book, especially for the uninitiated, as I was. I recommend this book to all without hesitation. -I found the history of the Roman empire were interesting and in line with what else I have read about it. The overall story was good, but not really intriguing to me. Killing Lincoln, and Killing Kennedy were much better reads. And there were quotes in Killing Jesus that I wonder who kept a record of them! Overall it was really just another stating of what we know through history reading and learning in schools and catechism.Overall , I expected more after reading Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy. -Absolutely loved this story. I even recommended it to my mother! The characters are memorable and well written. The plot is great (even though I guessed the secret rather early on) and I was anticipating what would happen next. Highly recommend this if you are in the mood for a wonderful love story! -Very interesting book!~~Possible spoilers!!!Amy is not who she leads you to believe initially. A fascinating dive into a very strange and twisted mind. Wow! The ending was interesting.. not sure its what I would have done, in Nicks place, however I can see his reasoning.Overall very interesting book. Not one for the "Favourites! I must read again and again...." pile, but it held my attention to the end. -I've read quite a few books from King, novels and short story collections. Most fans will agree (I do) that King's early novels are much better than the last published books like From A Buick 8 and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (I had a hard time getting through these).Cell is obviously different. I really enjoyed both the characters and the story setting. I do not agree about the fact that this story is a copy of The Stand (King's best masterpiece to my eyes). Cell has a much simpler story with a totally different approach. It is also more accessible and less complex.I found it to be a very entertaining book with plenty of surprises and action. The main idea seems weird and hard to develop at first but if you know King...Only scratch : Like for many others from King, the ending could have been better. -Imagine living during the middle 19th century as a free man in New York State with a wonderful family and having the talent to play the fiddle so well that you are requested to play numerous venues for pay. This is the true story written by Solomon Northrup who was tricked into accompanying two men out of the North on the pretense of playing his fiddle for a job. Although there are very graphic descriptions of Mr. Northrup's experiences as a slave in Louisiana, his narrative is very interesting. This is a very personal story written by a talented man who never really planned to write a book. Therefore, there is not an urgency to read in order to find out what is going to happen. Instead, the urgency is to find out what actually did happen to him, how he survived and how he returned to the North and his family where he wrote his story. Remember that today an average person who has an extraordinary life experience usually narrates the story to another person who is an experienced writer, a collaborator. With this in mind one will be pleasantly surprised at how well Mr. Northrup describes details of his experiences and his surroundings during his twelve years as a slave. Some scenes will be difficult for the squeamish but necessary because they are truthful experiences. I particularly liked his very detailed descriptions of how things were made, used, and built on plantations in Louisiana.This is a great primary source and of interest to any one who wants to know about life in this very dark period of American history. I was intrigued by Solomon's resiliency, attitude and his dignity throughout his twelve year ordeal. We are so fortunate that he was willing to share his story. We are also fortunate that Steve McQueen and his wonderful cast made this book into a movie which tells the story. Whether or not you saw the movie and liked it or not, you should read the book. Even though it is a difficult topic and tragic situation Solomon and Bass prove humanity and resilience prevail when people choose the higher ground. -Michel Thomas's, the Pimsleur series, and the Barron's version of the Foreign Service Institute course are the three top-selling courses on Spanish, and I did extensive research on the various high end courses before buying his. I don't have the Pimsleur one but I did buy the U.S. Foreign Service Insitute course in addition to Thomas's, and so I thought I'd make a few comments by way of comparing them in case you find them useful in choosing the right course for you.I have to say Thomas is a gifted teacher and he has a very interesting approach requiring no notes or rote memorization. He also stresses the importance of a natural, stress-free learning environment. Thomas is a savvy guy here as this is probably one of the major stumbling blocks for the new language learner, and so he puts the student at ease right from the very beginning--a nice touch there and I give him points for that.The second cornerstone to Thomas's method is the simulated classroom environment where you work along with two other people in the class, a man and a woman. The third, and perhaps most important aspect of Thomas's course is his memorization and note-free system of learning. Thomas starts with very simple sentences and builds up from there so the student acquires the syntax almost intuitively as he goes along. Thomas also discusses differences in pronunciation as he goes, too.You build vocabulary as you go along also, with Thomas empasizing cognates or words that are almost identical in the two languages initially. Overall, Thomas has done a very nice job here and I can see why people like Woody Allen and others say that his course is the only one that's ever worked for them.The Foreign Service Institute course is more traditional but also very good, and I like it, too. The audio tapes present the sentences and conversations while you follow along with the manual/workbook, which provides the translations. The workbook is very extensive and also has a more detailed discussion of the grammar than you'll get with either the Thomas or Pimsleur courses. There is an advantage to this since, although I think Thomas's method is probably fine for teaching the basic verb conjugations, such as present, past, and future, you're really not going to get a good idea of how the several subjective moods work in Spanish without some systematic study of the grammar there. English has the subjunctive, but it's practical a vestigial construction, but Spanish has it in spades and is a very active part of the language.On a side note, it would be interesting to see how Thomas's approach would work for a language with much simpler grammar than Spanish or French, such as Turkish or Japanese. Turkish has the wonderful distinction of being one of the few languages with no irregular verbs, and Japanese only has two. So at least as far as the verbal systems are concerned, they are much less complex than your typical European language, and the Indo-European languages in general. There are a few other more technical aspects to the two languages, of course, such as the case system in Turkish (which Japanese doesn't have), but verb conjugations are usually the most difficult aspects of the languages in most of the popular European ones because of all the irregular forms. And Spanish has at least 22 common verbs that are irregular in at least the present indicative tense, and many are irregular in several other ways.One other thing the Institute course does is to provide substitution drill sections where you're required to substitute a particular word, and then give the sentence, with any needed changes. This is useful for practicing the verb conjugations and other things. I have a pretty strong background in grammar and linguistics in general so I don't mind slogging through dry discussions of grammar too much, but if you're not someone who enjoys that sort of thing, Thomas's approach may be the one for you. Overall, this is an excellent course from a talented teacher with a unique approach to language learning. -"Freakonomic" was an interesting read, but somehow I was expecting more than what it delivered. Though the individual sections were interesting, I was disappointed that there wasn't an overall theme. -I cannot understand why so many people thought this was a good book. It has very little to do with life on an island taking care of a lighthouse. It has everything to do with the difficult decisions human beings may make and the painful consequences that may ensue. The idea for the plot is an interesting one. But, the characters were poorly developed, too cookie-cutter, eventually just annoying. The writing style was simple and went on and on and on. Don't good editors exist anymore? The ending was predictable. Blah! -Evie has a special ability to see through any paranormal's "glamour". After coming back from a mission she sees through the glamour of the shape shifter who is impersonating her mother figure character, Raquel. Turns out the shape shifter is named Lend. He's male. He's hot. He is the love interest. Unfortunately you also have Reth (Lorethen) who is the evil/beautiful/scary Fairy who is basically trying to stalk her. I might add right here that I much prefer fairies over vampires and find it so sad that they are used more in literature. Oh, and if your teen loves vampires - they LOOK like nasty rotting corpses to Evie. You might want to warn the teen in question.Anyhow this is the first book in a series so of course we don't get real closure. The whole idea of being able to see through glamour is not unique - it's in all the older fairy tales I'm glad to see it's making its way back into literature. The way the idea is portrayed though makes it make sense. I won't ruin the story by giving out spoilers to the rest just know that someone is killing paranormals as well as killing a large group of the International Paranormal Containment Agency (Evie's group).At the same time though I admit that some of the story felt very Mary Sue-ish. Finding Evie forces the whole Agency to become an international one as EVERYONE wants access to Evie. So in that - the book fails. Overall very good book, and I felt it was thin enough that you could probably get away with giving it to reluctant Readers.Before I forget- 4 stars for me means that I enjoyed reading it, but would not have it on my own personal shelf. -So beautifully written, so uplifting, I am so happy that I gave this book a chance.Thank you Rachel Van Dyken for such an inspiring and amazing story of love and courage.I love Wes. He is wise beyond his years and has such a good heart. He is definitely at the top of the list for best book boyfriend.To all my fellow readers please give this book a chance. You will not be sorry. -Have you ever seen the movie, Misery with Kathy Bates? Well then you don't need to read this book.You never have any connection to the characters, the chapters are incredibly long and anybody can figure out exactly how the book was going to end about halfway through the book. So I took a chance and jumped ahead because I was so bored and sure enough, That was exactly what happened at the end of the book.So anybody who wants to rip me for not reading the middle of the book go ahead. That is why I gave it one star because I hated it. -This book was recommended by a few friends of mine, but I kept putting it off because I thought it would be too political. Was I EVER wrong!! This was one of the best books I have read in a long time....absolutely impossible to put down. All the characters are so rich in their descriptions that I feel I would recognize them on the street if I was to run into them. Loved the way the book was written since I really feel I was there in each and every home and situation. Please do not hesitate to read this wonderful, and I believe classic, novel!!! You will not regret it!! -When I saw this book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain, I knew I had to choose it for my review. I am an introvert and was interested to see what Mrs. Cain had to say about it.To be honest, I did not finish reading this book. I pretty much sped read through the last half of the book. I was getting a bit bogged down with reading it. I think my favorite section was the introduction. In the author's introduction she mentions Rosa Parks and a few other famous people. There's a questionnaire to find out whether you are more of an introvert or extrovert or in-between. For myself, I definitely am an introvert. She also explains the psychology of introversion/extroversion.There are four parts to this book. In Part Two: The Extrovert Ideal, Susan Cain mentions Dale Carnegie and the changes that he went through and became a great public speaker. Shealso talks about the Tony Robbins seminar (he was driving be bonkers), the Harvard Business School, Saddleback Church, plus many other studies and examples.Part Two: Your Biology, Your Self? has many example of people who were/are extroverts/introverts. I did finally find a nugget that I liked. On page 173, it says,"If you are an introvert, find your flow by using your gifts. You have the power of persistence, the tenacity to solve complex problems, and the clear-sightedness to avoid pitfalls that trip others up....So stay true to your own nature. If you like to do things in a slow and steady way [I do], don't let others make you feel as if you have to race."Part Three: Do All Cultures Have An Extrovert Ideal? and Part Four: How To Love, How to Work, I will not write much about. I skipped over most chapters.The conclusion has a quotation that I like. It's from Anais Nin and it says, "Our culture made a virtue of living only as extroverts. We discouraged the inner journey, the quest for a center. So we lost our center and have to find it again."Susan Cain shares some ideas for those who are extroverts wanting to help introverts or those who are introverts themselves. I like this, especially since I myself was a quiet child and my children are more quiet (in public anyway): "If your children are quiet, help them make peace with new situations and new people, but otherwise let them be themselves. Delight in the originality of their minds. Take pride in the strength of their consciences and the loyalty of their friendships. Don't expect them to follow the gang. Encourage them to follow their passions instead. Throw confetti when they claim the fruits of those passions, whether it's on the drummer's throne, on the softball field, or on the page."Overall it's a good book with some great nuggets to remember.I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers for my honest review. --- A Romantic Book Affairs ReviewOkay, I've obviously lost cool points for not reading Hopeless sooner. I saw the hype on every blog imaginable. My Goodreads feed was bogged down with hundreds of emotional status updates. And nine out of ten reviews were five stars. But I still put off reading it until my co-blogger read it and loved it and told me I MUST read it. So I did. And I loved it. Now, the problem I'm having is writing a review that will do this book justice. I'm feeling defeated by this task. How do you write a review for a book that leaves you feeling dizzy with awe, breathless, speechless, gasping for air? So instead of writing a full review, I give you my...Top Five reasons why I fell hopelessly in love with Hopeless:1. Two words: Dean Holder."Dean Holder? Messy brown hair? Smoldering blue eyes? A temper straight out of Fight Club?"Holder, with his Hopeless tattoo on his arm, is the kind of bad boy that you will fall hopelessly in love with. I fell hard for him. He's passionate, complicated, confident, fiercely protective, and witty. He has lickable dimples and a coma-inducing hot body. And every time he walked on to the pages, he gave me butterflies. And last, but certainly not least, he cuddles. Yep, Holder is book boyfriend worthy."When I touch you, I'm touching you because I want to make you happy. When I kiss you, I'm kissing you because you have the most incredible mouth I've ever seen and you know I can't not kiss it. And when I make love to you--I'm doing exactly that. I'm making love to you because I'm in love with you." - Holder2. Sky Davis, our heroine, is a wonderful, smart, saucy, technologically challenged, snarky, broken but strong, brave, book lover, kind of weird in a cool way, beautiful inside and out, and I would love to have been friends with her in high school. Sky has never felt much, or anything, with a boy the way that Holder makes her feel. Up until they meet, any other boy has made her feel numb. And Holder made her feel everything...especially lust. Lust is a whole new feeling to Sky and she didn't know what to do with it at first. It was awkward for her. And her confusion over her new feelings was endearing and funny at the same time."I've never been swept off my feet. I don't get butterflies. In fact the whole idea of being swooned by anyone is foreign to me... Somehow, in the course of sixty seconds, this guy has managed to swoon me, then terrify the hell out of me." - Sky3. The passion and fire between these two is so incredibly real and intense. The way they felt towards one another is beautiful. Almost magical. And holy sexual tension... these two have the best non-kiss ever. I think I held my breath the entire time they non-kissed. Holder is one sexy mofo with his teasing kisses on Sky's neck, cheek, eyebrow, shoulder...everywhere but the lips. That scene melted my butter."Sky, I'm not kissing you tonight but believe me when I tell you, I've never wanted to kiss a girl more. So stop thinking I'm not attracted to you because you have no idea just how much I am. You can hold my hand, you can run your fingers through my hair, you can straddle me while I feed you spaghetti, but you are not getting kissed tonight. And probably not tomorrow, either. I need this. I need to know for sure that you're feeling every single thing that I'm feeling the moment my lips touch yours. Because I want your first kiss to be the best first kiss in the history of first kisses." - Holder4. The secondary characters. Six is Sky's first best friend in the whole wide world and she is absolutely the coolest chick. She walks to the beat of her drum. I love her blasé attitude. I love her uplifting texts to Sky. I love how she loves Sky. I love how Sky and Six are so different but also so much alike. And they simply accept each other for who they are. This is a true girl-mance at its best."Sky, you are beautiful. You are possibly the most exquisite creature in the universe and if anyone tells you otherwise, I'll cut a bitch." (Text message from Six to Sky)"Only one day at public school and the bitches already made your locker rain?" she laughs. "Impressive." - SixAnd then there is the sassy, bold, and funny Breckin. On Sky's first day of school, he befriends her right away and becomes her second best friend in the whole wide world. He's gay, Mormon, and proud. Breckin rocks."Breckin shrugs. "I'm new here. And if you haven't deducted from my impeccable fashion sense, I think it's safe to say that I'm..." he leans forward and cups his hand to his mouth in secrecy. "Mormon," he whispers." - Breckin5. The writing is amazing. Miz Hoover knows how to write an emotionally-charged story that made me feel every single word deep inside my soul. My mind went through a smattering of emotions that range from smiling and laughing (a lot!), lust, falling in love with the characters, sadness, shock, worry, nervousness, disgust, grief, acceptance, and contentment. The writing is flawless. It flows from word to word smoothly, keeping me enthralled from the beginning to the very last page. Miz Hoover writes my kind of snarky and snappy humor. I laughed out loud on several occasions. The humor adds charm and lightness to a story that could've potentially been overly dark. And the characters are so vividly real, I felt like I was living their life. Oh, and the twist. When we learn about the twist about halfway through the book, my jaw fell on the ground. It was completely unpredictable.In case you haven't noticed by now, I loved this brilliantly told story. If you are one of the few people left, who love new adult romances, and hasn't read Hopeless, read the freaking book now! I can guarantee you are missing out.With that said, I will leave you with one of my most favorite scenes. Sky is my kind of gal. I love the way she thinks..."My locker seems to have become the hub for sticky notes and nasty letters, none of which I ever see actually being placed on or in my locker. I really don't get what people gain out of doing things like this if they don't even own up to it.Like the note that was stuck to my locker this morning. All it said was, "Whore."Really? Where's the creativity in that? They couldn't back it up with an interesting story? Maybe a few details of my indiscretion? If I have to read this s*** every day, the least they could do is make it interesting. If I was going to stoop so low as to leave an unfounded note on someone's locker, I'd at least have the courtesy of entertaining whoever reads it in the process. I'd write something interesting like, "I saw you in bed with my boyfriend last night. I really don't appreciate you getting massage oil on my cucumbers. Whore."I laugh and it feels odd, laughing out loud at my own thoughts. I look around and no one is left in the hallway but me.Rather than rip the sticky notes off of my locker like I probably should, I take out my pen and make them a little more creative. You're welcome, passersby." - SkyRating: AHeat: Warm -Story line was very interesting. Lots of red herrings not confusing tho. Some of the dialects were hard to understand, but not so bad as to put one off the story. -By now, I'm sure everyone is aware that this is a very different novel than anything John Grisham has published previously. This book evokes a particular time and place: the Cotton Belt of the early 1950's, and, like "To Kill a Mockingbird", the story is told from a child's point of view; in this case, a fast-maturing 7-year-old. Unlike "Mockingbird", of course, there are no lawyers or courtroom scenes, although crimes are committed.I highly recommend this book. Nothing much happens in the first 70 pages, but then things get really interesting. In a culture where conservative Christianity is an integral part of every aspect of life, this 7-year-old is quickly faced with a dilemma: lie and be guilty of sin, or tell the truth and risk his family's livelihood (and possibly his own neck). Indeed, the mixed messages that he receives concerning religious beliefs are confusing for a child (and for honest grownups as well). Even more confusing are the early stirrings of sexual attraction toward a girl ten years his senior. This subject is handled in a very tasteful manner, and it inevitably leads, of course, to childhood heartbreak. (Not as serious a heartbreak as the baseball season ending with his beloved Cardinals in third place, however!) He witnesses things a child should never have to see (including two murders) and, as a result, has to grow up faster than most kids his age. His whole style and use of language is fairly mature for a 7-year-old.Unfortunately the last several chapters are not quite as gripping as the middle part of the novel, and the story sort of fizzles out at the end, keeping me from giving it the highest rating. Still, it is very good and worth the time and money. This may not be the Grisham most people are used to, but give it a chance and it will win you over. -Whether or not you believe in heaven, this story is exceptional! The journey that this little boy took is absolutely amazing and worth the little bit of time it will take to read. I cannot recommend this book enough! Enjoy -A good story is not easy to find. That was a good story. Actually both together made for a great two part story of a lawyer and his life. The characters were interesting and the history was sad and powerful not only the history from 80 years ago but from the communication just 40 years ago. Powerful stuff. Going to keep me thinking for a long time. -Confession time! I know you guys just love it when I start a review off like that – but there’s usually a good reason. This time it’s because I’m just a teensy bit hardheaded. You see, I get lovingly ‘bullied’ into reading books a lot. For some reason, those books seem to be the ones that I pick up last. I have no reason and definitely no excuse. That just seems to be the way things go. In the case of Darkhouse it’s even worse, I’ve had a couple people recommend it. I even had one of my blogging buddies offer to buy me the entire series if I would just pick this book up and read it. That was a pretty reasonable, no strings attached request considering it was already on my kindle (and has been for over a YEAR.) Not to mention the fact that it was FREE. *hangs head in shame* Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I can move on with the review.Darkhouse wasn’t at all what I expected. From the moment I ‘met’ Perry I was hooked. All good characters have flaws. If they were perfect the average reader wouldn’t be able to relate to them. For me, Perry was much more than relatable, she was real. I loved her. I loved her ‘voice,’ I loved her personality and I loved her spunk. She was lacking in self confidence and she didn’t have a lot of support (even from the people who loved her) but there was just something about her that made me like her. I just knew that once she found her niche things would turn around for her.Then there was Dex. I’m still not quite sure about how I feel about him, but to be fair, neither was Perry by the end of the book. Coming into the Experiment in Terror series late, I know that there is a lot more to come and to be honest, he kind of grew on me. There’s a lot to be learned about Dex and I’m willing to be things get a whole lot more interesting.As far as the story goes… yeah, it was just scary enough to keep the pages turning. Karina Halle definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I’m not sure if I would have gone to the lighthouse the first time much less the times that Perry and Dex returned, but if they hadn’t, there wouldn’t have been a story, so who am I to argue. (I’m also a confirmed chicken and not afraid to admit it. )The characters were great, especially Dex and Perry. Out of all of Perry’s family members, Ada and her uncle Al were the ones that I liked the most. Her parents irritated me, for a lot of reasons. You’ll have to read the book to understand why, but if you still don’t know exactly why, feel free to ask. Some of it is because of not wanting to give anything away and a lot of it is because I didn’t like the way Perry was treated. Something tells me that Perry and Dex are going to be good for each other in more ways than one.So yeah, I definitely enjoyed Darkhouse and could kick myself for waiting so long to finally pick it up. I’m sure I will be getting a lot of ‘I told you so’s’ from my blogging buddies. *sigh* On the plus side there are currently 8 books in the series, so I don’t have to wait to read the next one. Red Fox is the second book in the Experiment in Terror series and it’s already on my TBR list. -I have to review along with everyone else, even though I know my review will be swallowed up among the thousands of other reviews of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The book and all of the hype around it is just too fascinating.First of all, I think that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (and all of the other Harry Potter's) is marvelous. J.K. Rowling is a very good writer. She creates some complete characters alongside some comical stock characters. She uses some brilliant word play, and the atmosphere created in the book is extraordinary. It, at least, is incomparible to any other children's novel. She is very good at incorporating pieces of Greek mythology into the novel. The plot is vastly entertaining.There has been a lot of backlash against the popularity of the Harry Potter novels. But, this really happens to anything that becomes popular. Sure, there are better fantasy novels, and there are much better fantasy novels written for children. I don't think that there is a better place to start reading children's fantasy (or children's lit. for that matter). I also think that any fan of children's fantasy would have to enjoy this whether or not they think there are better books out there....Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a great book, and I think all of the controversy and hype just make it better and more appealing. I think everyone (including adults) should read this novel. It is well worth the time and money. Then, I think fans should definately move on to some of the other great childrens/adult fantasy classics like Lloyd Alexander's perfect Prydain Chronicles, C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Smith of Wooton Major, and Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea Trilogy. -Spoiler Alert:I find myself annoyed that the ending worked out the way it did. There was such a build-up for the battle that I was aching for some action. I was almost certain Aro would bring on the chaos. But no, peace prevails, and they live happily ever after. Perhaps Meyers went this route since it is a young adult series. But it seemed like an easy way out. Had she wanted to continue the series, the battle could have occurred with us not knowing the outcome while Jacob flees with Renesmee. A cliffhanger that would have us all waiting with baited breath for the next release. And here she did so well fleshing out many of the newcomers toward the end. But for what? Plus, she fails to resolve that fact that Bella and the Cullen's are okay with letting their kind continue slaughtering humans. I would have extended the series with the golden eyes growing in numbers and a show down coming against the crimson eyes. If Bella is such a good person, a natural protector, a shield for others, how can she just go on forever living blissfully knowing her own mother and father, or members of the pack could be slaughtered by vampires that don't care about them? I just see so much potential in the story once the plot gets beyond Bella's gawking of Edward and her remorse for Jacob. I daresay it is almost idiotic to go into so much detail about the Volturi and all these vampires and then just say 'the end.' I see why the reviews are less than the other books, although I have a different set of reasons than most. The birth scene didn't bother me, nor did the lack of romance at the honeymoon. People get hung up on the most banal things. I actually think this was the best book by far as it was easily the most compelling. But Meyers blew it by wrapping everything into a nice little bow and ending it so suddenly. I am not against happy endings, but in this case it is just too much. Even fantasy worlds wouldn't have endings like this. Come on. That and the gaping moral loophole that I mentioned just leave me thinking Meyers got tired of the series and threw in the towel. The Volturi should have been destroyed. They are murderers! Hello? And then the Cullens should have become the new rule setters and forced their breed to go 'vegetarian' or be torn apart and burned.Anyway. I recommend Gabaldon's Outlander series to you all. She makes Meyers look like the amateur(albeit talented) author she is. Gabaldon's depth and understanding of romance makes Bella and Edward's look silly in comparison. You will not be disappointed. -This novel was absolutely outstanding and more than worthy of rewards received. In depth look at North Korea from the author who went there. Character development is very intricate, as is the story line. This is literature at its finest.The culture comes alive with all the differences, fears and brainwashing. Control of a people and gradual shifting of Jun Do and others' who come to understand their lives mean little.This is a very deep read and one needs attention to detail. To fully enjoy and appreciate the subtleties. -So we all know there is major hype with this book. And like all curious minds, I caved figuring it had to be at least halfway good considering all the mad crazy eyed people singing its praise. Unfortunately, about midway into the book I kept questioning if I was reading the same thing. From all the craze, I expected great writing, engaging characters, an interesting plot, and namely all the ingredients for a good novel. What I received in reality was a subpar erotic romance with one dimensional characters, and an iffy plot.Fifty Shades of Grey starts with the main character, Anastasia, or Ana as she likes to be called, who is on the cusp of graduating college. She's a clumsy, nave, young female, who never wears makeup, tries to hide in a crowd, and doesn't see her own beauty. And, because she is so utterly sweet, is cajoled into interviewing Christian Grey, a mega rich, surprisingly young man with a million dollar company, for her best friend's school paper. From that moment forward, it seems Christian just can't keep his eyes off little Miss Ana, and manipulates a few non-chanced meetings. Things seem to get hot and heavy between them, but Christian tends to frighten Ana, especially with his needs and intense nature. As an adopted orphan, he went through his own living hell, and has the emotional and physical issues to prove it. But Ana is slowly losing her heart to him, and can only hope that she has the stamina and strength needed to not only help Christian, but to see if he can learn to care for her as well.**Slight Spoilers**With the synopsis, such as it is, out of the way, let me start by saying I still don't understand the hype. If people are reading this for the erotica alone, then I pity them as there are tons of authors who actually know how to write to keep a reader engaged, and the love scenes are way hotter. If you don't believe me, just check Amazons kindle section in fiction. They have enough variations in erotica for all kinks of life. Now if you are going into this for the romance/plot...I still hold by my "there are way better authors out there" mentality. The plot isn't new or unique by any standard, and the writing was subpar at best. It all boils down to Christian having major issues from being abused as a child, and because of this he uses BDSM as a form of management for his internal struggle. It's like he has to have control over everything as an adult as he couldn't control anything as a child. (think Sleeping with the Enemy without the husband being totally psychotic) Ana is totally innocent in all things sexual, and Christians kink causes such a big shock that she doesn't know whether she likes it or not. So nearly the whole book is a revolving "yes, no, yes, no" with her. And speaking of the characters: I found that Christian had more personality than Ana, and that's saying something as this is told in first person from Ana's point of view. Christian is definitely an alpha male (which I do love alpha males), but his personal demons cause him to be slightly cruel in my opinion. Ana is a complete spindly individual who was written so nave that it held me in shock. She doesn't understand some of the innuendo or "devices" Christian wants to use that even if you aren't in the world of BDSM you've at least heard of. If I could, I would give this book two and a half stars, as it wasn't horrible, but it could've been written a lot better. It did cause me to want to know what happens at the end, so I'll give it that, but all in all Fifty Shades of Grey just didn't do it for me, and I feel slightly duped for giving in to my curiosity. -Like everyone else who read it, I loved "Seabiscuit". Loved it. I found this surprising given the fact that I had never had any interest in horses or horse racing before. But from the first sentence, the prose in that book is as beautiful and engaging as prose can be."Unbroken" is not "Seabiscuit". Don't get me wrong, the story is remarkable, and it's exhaustively researched. You can't sneeze at 397 endnotes. But Laura Hillenbrand's writing in this outing is less like poetry and more like reporting. Jammed with details, the book reads like the world's longest New Yorker article.The topic is hardly new. WWII has been pretty exhaustively covered, and this particular story has been told before. The hero of the book, Louis Zamperini, published his own memoirs only a few years ago. The hardships of war and the cruelty of the Japanese come as no surprise.Louie's story is so remarkable and so detailed that, frankly, it strains the limits of credulity. I'm not challenging the facts; I'm just saying that it's a lot to remember. Personally, I wouldn't even want to. I wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes drifting in that life raft. I would have eaten all the chocolate and stuck my head in a shark. How anyone could remember the ordeal in hour-by-hour detail is beyond me.Ultimately, I couldn't finish the book. I feel bad that I didn't have the strength to read the experiences someone else had to live, but I gave up on about my third POW camp. Starvation, deprivation, cruelty, disease, humiliation, I got the picture. Repeated cycles don't necessarily make for a great story; it just makes for a tedious narrative.Which made me ponder the purpose of the book. As a moving story, it's too detailed to carry a theme. As reporting, it's redundant and profoundly out of date. What's the take-away message supposed to be?I tried to skip to the end, but the `redemption' part just didn't grab me. It's not hard to believe that someone who lived this life would be scarred forever. I practically got PTSD just reading it. It's also not hard to believe someone who got that scarred would find religion. But, redemption? In don't know.Sometimes people just go on living, and there's no telling why. -Calla is a werewolf or well she prefers Guardian. She saves someone by feeding him some of her blood (surprise! werewolf blood has healing properties). This is the first event in a series seemingly designed to bring Calla's carefully organized life down in shambles. She's supposed to marry Ren, but now there is a Shay. What you expect happens.The consensus seems to be that it's full of awesome, but quite honestly I thought it was awful. It gets a star because the cover is so pretty.Where do I start? The exchanges between Calla and Shay are so incredibly contrived. "Hi! I just met you and telling you things is going to get me killed but let me pour out EVERYTHING about what I am and how my society functions anyway." This happens at least twice which really detracts from the rest of the story in general. The author really should have found a better way to give the reader that information without resorting to such unnatural dialogue.Calla as a whole comes across as ambivalent. She doesn't have much of an opinion on what is going on besides that both Ren and Shay are incredibly attractive and fill her with longing (well, she does hate skirts and frills). The earth shattering revelation that her masters are lying to her doesn't seem to have much impact. Only when Shay is endangered, does she have a reaction.So... I didn't like this book, and I can't recommend it. -This was a fun read. I couldn't put it down. The characters were entertaining and the banter was witty and hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud many times throughout the book. Great summer book! -Nora is your mostly typical high school sophomore. She goes to class, tries her best to earn top grades, has a good relationship with her Mom, and a best friend she is almost constantly with. In comparison, Patch is almost an anti-hero. He is dark and mysterious. He seems to have just shown up out of nowhere, with no real past (at least that he is willing to talk about), no friends and no family.Nora is both drawn to and appalled by him when they first meet. Nora's feelings about Patch don't change much throughout the rest of the story. In most books when the heroine just cannot figure out the hero, the reader has at least some insight into what he is really like and we wait patiently for her to GET.A.CLUE. This is so not the case in this story. Patch is as elusive to us as he is to Nora. This also, does not change much during the story. And while we learn about a lot of his past, he ends the story still being somewhat mysterious.I really liked Nora's character. She seemed like a real teenage girl, with real emotions and a solid backing to her actions. Her inexplicable attraction to Patch makes her do things she normally wouldn't, but you can see her trying to fight it for a long time before she finally gives in totally. Patch, on the other hand, seems almost insincere in his feelings. I didn't really buy it when he first told Nora how much he cared about her. His actions really seemed to say otherwise: he taunted and teased her, refused to share any personal details about himself, and was sometimes creepy in a stalkerish way. At the end of Hush, Hush I still didn't feel like I totally `got' Patch. (I'm hoping more of him is revealed in the next book, Crescendo.)Oh, and did I mention? Patch is a fallen angel. After lusting after a mortal girl, he was banished to Earth, wings ripped off, to live with no feeling. He can feel emotional things - sadness, happiness, lust... especially that last one, but physical sensations are completely lost to him.After being assigned as partners in Biology Class, Patch and Nora's subsequent encounters are fraught with danger, mystery, and not a little attraction. There is also another new boy; his mostly silent, totally creepy best friend; trips to a pool hall; that prickly feeling on the back of your neck; a crazy Angel ex-girlfriend; several cases of mistaken identity; teenage sleuthing; and did I just see what I think I saw?! Phew! Nora and Patch do wind up together in the end, but not in a traditional way. I won't say more, because I don't want to give away the big twist at the ending. ;o)I would definitely recommend this book. It was different from other YA books I have read recently, in a totally good way. I can't wait to read Crescendo (out now) to see bad boy Patch's new softer side.~Review by: Book Addict from When Pen Met Paper [...] -I've been reading this series from the first month the first book hit the shelf. I thought the cover was interesting the idea was unique. Yet, I always believed that the books were not as huge and wonderful as everyone made them out to be. They were okay and interesting, but that's it. Now, reading all the reviews I have to laugh. You've only noticed where this was going now? You haven't picked up on all the inappropriate propaganda until now? Ooookaaaay.What got me with this book was how it started off with the baby vampires. I was getting flashbacks to "Salem's Lot" by King. You know, that scene where they remove the floorboard to find the young couple with the baby vampire in their arms. Ewww! There are some places where you just shouldn't go and messing with babies is one of them. Jake's imprinting on Nessie didn't bother me so much. It was explained that the werewolf would be whatever his intended needed him to be. And if it means a caregiver when they are infants and children, then that is what he will be. What did bother me was the get married and need sex at 18 aspect. Very juvenile. Other than that it was good, not great, but good--like all the others. -I highly recommend any readers who enjoy dystopian novels to READ THIS NOW if you have read DIVERGENT(it picks up immediately after the end of Divergent), AND immediately follow it up with the final book ALLEGIANT.Do NOT look at SPOILERS for the books, and read the books for yourself and make up your mind with regard to them! If you enjoy the Dystopian Genre, these are the best of the best!!!There are so many reviews here, that I'm not sure adding my voice will make a difference. But Tris continues making a difference when she was one person in a conflict of many and so I'm going to share just my general thoughts.Again, the author's done an amazing job of world building in dystopian Chicago. Tris & Four/Tobias join the Abnegation survivors at the Amity farms. Later they visit the Candor HQ. So now we have visited the 5 factions, & we end up getting more familiar with the factionless as well, and the world is incredibly detailed and again believable.Tris, in the 'calm' after the storm of the Erudite simulation resulting in the murders of half of the Abnegation, is reeling from the deaths of her parents. Recognizing that they sacrificed themselves because they loved her, she feels guilt over having left them along with PTSD dealing with aftereffects of seeing them killed. Even more troubling, Tris is engulfed in guilt and PTSD from having shot and killed her friend Will while he was in the simulation.Tris is keeping secrets, especially the depths of her distress and is making it very hard for Four/Tobias to be a good boyfriend. Four/Tobias has been keeping a BIG secret of his own and as secrets are revealed back and forth the fledgling relationship between them suffers. They still are drawn to one another and love each other, but their trust is being taxed and their reliance on the strengths of the other is not assured. Motivated by guilt, depression and trauma, Tris makes some destructive decisions, is betrayed by someone you will never suspect, and is helped by the person you least expect.The reasons will be revealed for Erudite's 'hunting' of Divergent's, the attack on Abnegation, and their ongoing pursuit of power.The huge twist at the end of Insurgent is shocking to the people of all factions (and to the readers). It makes them question everything they have ever known and opens their world to completely different possibilities and problems.I believe that I enjoyed Insurgent even more than Divergent, which I wouldn't have thought possible. I was frustrated by the secrets and tension between Tris and Four/Tobias, was captivated by the action and twists and turns throughout the book, and I still was rooting for Tris throughout the whole book. I was also rooting for Tris and Four/Tobias to work out thier issues.Do not stop after reading this book.... immediately move on to Allegiant for the surprising and action packed final book in the series. -I went through a whirl wind of emotions while reading this book. It was absolutely terrifying being inside Anna's head while the play was going down. You could feel the real emotions that she was feeling as if you were in that same situation. While some people are reluctant to read this book because of the age difference between Anna and TJ, don't let that stop you from reading! The characters have an amazing relationship and nothing happens between them until after TJ is a legal adult. All in all I laughed, I cried, and got super connected to these characters. I loved the way the book ended and wouldn't have changed a thing. -I really liked that the romance with the conflicts it had was quite believable.....not just the wine and roses and the crazy lengths of character development with their thoughts and conflicts that sometimes go on and on! I truly loved the character development and it was a refreshing change. A great read! -Without a doubt, this is one the best books I have ever read. Although the author is a medical doctor, he possesses a special talent in writing. The story was very absorbing, engrossing, and riveting. I started the book one day around noon and I could not put it aside. I felt a strong urge to finish it as soon as possible and the next day, the book was over.The story in this book is so real as if somebody has gone through all these and is writing them. You can find all basic human emotions here together, love, hate, fear, friendship, betrayal, loyalty, selfishness, generosity, honor, piety, arrogance, deception etc.The two main characters in the story, Hassan and Amir, happen to be close friends, yet they have really distinct and different personalities. The one, who is more advantageous from almost all aspects over the other, Amir, is a superficial, unfaithful, coward boy. In my opinion, at the age of 38, he actually becomes a real man, i.e. a man of honor, righteousness and loyalty. The other character, Hassan, is genuinely, perhaps, the most decent human being you can ever come across out there. If you ever happened to have a friend like him, stick to him like you have no one in the World. He possesses all the good qualities that a human being may have, i.e. loyalty, courage, diligence, decency, integrity, faithfulness, you name it!This book is able to unearth all the humane feelings you might ever have lost and will enable you, by all means, to learn the meaning of being a genuine human being again. -This is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. How Ms. Tartt was able to get into this young man's psyche is incredible! Her writing style is superb and I hated to see the book end. I have recommended the book to many friends. I hope to see more from this author and hope she continues with her excellent character development. -Oh, wow! Wow!I very rarely read thrillers, but this book is going to make it to the ones I enjoyed most.I thouroughly enjoyed this book for the past three days and I am sorry it's over, but I had to rush through it for two reasons:1. I couldn't put it down2. It had to be my last book of 2012I am one of those readers who skim quite a bit when reading fiction, esp. mainstream fiction, but this book I read cover to cover, i pondered over her statements, I marvelled over it's philosophies (cool girl, anyone?) and underlined many pharagraphs on my Kindle. And it is not a book I expected to need to underline.It is such a clever book, all the details neatly come together, every detail is of some importance, the writing is straightforward, but amazingly descriptive, the characters are so realistic ( I actually know people like them and I felt like every single one of them from time to time)I loved Amy all the way through and I loved Nick. I wish Go was developed a bit more, though. Her I just liked. The secondary characters were amazing too and not cliched at all, except for, maybe, Amy's lovey-dovey parents, but they were fairly fitting to the story.The ending made sense, too. It wasn't a huge twist everyone was talking about, I didn't see it coming, but I wasn't shocked by it either. It was fitting. The characters were developed enough for me to be able to accept the outcome.All in all, what a great book to complete my 2012 'books read' collection. -Dan Brown's book includes a good deal of information about a world that has been hidden in plain sight for a very long time. To a greater or lesser extent depending on the denomination, Christian religious practices include many pagan rites and rituals. The most obvious center on pagan holidays such as Samhain (Halloween = hallowed eve of All Saints Day) or the example in Brown's book that involves the rites of spring. Those with art history and/or comparative religion backgrounds will be familiar with most of the `occult' information Brown shares (if you can find it in books I guess it isn't too well hidden).However, it is important to keep in mind that Brown's tale is a work of fiction, and as such, the comments and thoughts of the protagonist (Robert) and other characters may or may not be accurate. For example, the purported millions of people burned at the stake for "witchcraft" is exaggerated as are the assertions that they were all women and the Roman Catholic church was responsible for all the deaths. Research conducted in the 1990s shows: 1) The numbers of "witches" burned at the stake was much lower than previously thought; 2) Many of those executed for "witchcraft" met their fate in Germany, Denmark, and Scotland (nominally Protestant countries at the time of the witch burnings); and most of those executed were not killed by church or secular authorities, but by apparently hysterical illiterate villagers who were both Catholic and Protestant (i.e. Salem in the New World). Perhaps as a result, Italy-a nominally Catholic country-is purported to be the home of the "evil eye" and many modern witches. (Raven Grimassi, a hereditary Italian witch, has written extensively on this topic).Fiction versus non-fiction aside, my one irritation with Brown's storytelling is that he pulls his punches in the denouement-probably because the editors wanted to increase book sales. I can't say more without giving away the plot-but this book is not THE NAME OF THE ROSE.While I admit to reading the book non-stop, I wasn't "scared" after the first few pages. I read on because I found Brown's weaving of occult information, art history, pagan lore, technology, Templars, Masons, and Paris fascinating. I have a personal interest in the machinations of Rome and the Knights Templar. My grandfather was a very high ranking Mason (as have been most of the male members of my mother's family) and my grandmother was a member of the Eastern Star (as have been most of the female members of my mother's family). On the other hand, I was raised Roman Catholic because my father was RC (and a Knight of Columbus). To say I absorbed a good deal of conflicting information during my growing up years is an understatement. I could really identify with Sophia. -Rather pedestrian plot and writing. It didn't really hold my interest and I found the characters to be one-dimensional and rather dull. -It's rare that a book makes me literally laugh out loud and/or sob my eyes out... this author accomplishes that more than once in this remarkably told story. Perfect development of the characters - the bond they build is palpable, believable and quite beautiful. -I literally bought this book a little over 24 hours ago and what can I say, it really keeps your attention. If you are like me and love a good romance novel then stop reading reviews and just buy it right now because you won't be disappointed.PROS- Great character development. I could mentally imagine every single character and fell in love with some of them, could relate to some of their problems and literally cried when they cried at times.- Good story line. There was drama when there needed to be. There were comical moments, many sad moments and some very happy times as well. The story developed into something that really touched my heart. Dealing with death is not something to easily write about, however, Young elaborates on it beautifully and shows how to deal with and get over the loss of a loved one.- Heated romance. Need I say more?CONS- The only two bad things that I can really say about the book is that first of all, it was somewhat predictable. The hinted foreshadowing is far from subtle. Although there were a few moments in the book that I was actually caught by surprise and wasn't expecting it to happen.- Secondly, there were a lot of similarities between this book and the Fifty Shades series. Both had characters that were really mentally messed up. Both have the main male character being drop dead sexy, rich businessmen that are very protective over the women they love, and have also been through terrible tragedy. Both main male characters also get into bar fights. However, as I got deeper and deeper into the book, I was finding more and more differences between them where I was able to mentally separate them, but in a good way. Now that I have read the entire book, I can say that although it does share some characteristics with Fifty Shades of Grey, On Dublin Street differentiates enough from it to make it unique and a very very good read.In my opinion, it would make an excellent movie that would really teach an important life lesson. Remorse, forgiveness, and love. -Suzy Wilson's review Apr 23, 20135 of 5 starsbookshelves: dystopia, strong-female-protagonistRead in April, 2013I received a copy of this novel as an electronic Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin, in return for an honest review.I liked it so much, when it came out in hardcover, I bought the book.Honestly, I loved this book.It is not difficult to see elements of other works in this novel. Like The Hunger Games and Divergent, The Testing is a post-apocalyptic dystopia - the world is rehabilitating, several generations after the bombs were dropped. Food is growing again; the water is being slowly cleaned and the badlands are being reclaimed from the radiation and mutations. Things are tough, but it is much better than it was.Cia lives with her family in a small outpost, isolated from other communities. She lives in a large, apparently happy family invested in re-engineering order from the chaos. We pick up Cia's personal narrative at the point where she is about to graduate from high school. Bright, plucky and full of promise, Cia has hopes of following her father to University to continue and build on his legacy of research and service. However, places at the University are limited, and to gain entrance, suitable candidates are recruited from the various settlements to undergo the Testing - a series of entrance exams. Few from Cia's home community have been favoured with selection in recent years, and she is determined to break back amongst the chosen.The novel follows Cia and three schoolmates chosen to represent their colony in the Testing. However, all is not as it seems. Cia's father, a graduate of the University, warns her on the eve of her departure, to trust no-one. Haunted still by nightmares, he shares with Cia what knowledge he retains of his own testing - including a warning that each successful candidate's memory is wiped at the end of their Testing. His fear is not of what he remembers, rather the nightmare of what he cannot. Like 1984's behindthink, it isn't what your conscious mind remembers that is the problem - it is the messages from the shadows that haunt your dreams.Cia departs, and the Testing begins.The story, while slow to start, gathers pace during the Testing. Like the candidates, I, as the reader, was shocked by the brutality of the Testing - not so much by the graphic descriptions of the challenges, but more the underlying horror of the choices and the realities experienced by the candidates. It isn't what Charbonneau draws for us with her words, rather what is left unspoken, unlit and subverted that speaks the loudest.I found the novel compelling. The characters are finely drawn and complex. The world-building is achieved early and well, without superfluity. Cia is perhaps the only truly honest person in the book. Everyone else has something to hide. Cia's challenge is to learn to limit her trust in others, while remaining true to her own ideals, and staying alive. Without introducing too many spoilers, I really enjoyed the ending of the book. I think the unmasking of the final subterfuge is masterfully done and I can't wait to read the next instalment. -I read this as it is on my students booklist. I always enjoy the themes involved in this book. It's clearly teen-fiction in the way it's written. The plot moves along at lightening speed which is the both the success and perhaps the loss in the story. You can't help but being engaged in the story as Katniss is catapulted into the hunger games arena; being swept along with her are a number of other characters who have varying degrees of involvement.This is my only problem really, in that the other characters feel quite undeveloped - i don't feel I know, or care about them very much. Having said this, I'm aware it is book one of a trilogy and expect the other characters to be developed for good and bad in the other two books, so I take this book as a great set-up for the trilogy and involving some really interesting themes both ancient and modern. -The type of mystery I'm used to starts off with a bang and takes you on a wild ride. This wasn't that. I found the first chapter kind of boring and the first third plodding. Then I hit page 219. This book's pace feels a little like the first hill of a roller coaster ride. It chugs up the hill and you wonder what all the hype is about, then at p. 219 it starts a free fall down the hill gaining momentum until the end. I read the first 219 pages in a week and the last 370 pages in two days.Plot summary:Reporter Blomkvist is hired by rich patriarch Vanger to examine the cold case of how his niece Harriet disappeared 40 years ago. In their research Blomkvist and his unorthodox assistant Salander uncover gruesome family secrets.My opinion:Holy cow is this good. The story is complex, rich, and in-depth. Most of the details you think are just color are actually significant so pay attention. Larsson may have written one of the most fascinating characters in fiction in Lisbeth Salander the goth, brainiac hacker. Blomkvist is an odd hero; he's ethical as a journalist though morally suspect in a Bohemian kind of way that is a lot more forgiving in a 25 year-old than in a 45 year-old. The characters may not be likeable to some, but they are complete, well-rounded, fascinating and complex. The plot is compelling if gruesome and disturbing at several points. Be warned.There were some writing style things that bugged me personally: A lot of the scenes start in one POV and end in someone else's POV (the pivotal office scene on p. 220 is an example). The names can get very confusing. Where most authors try to avoid even using the same letter in naming their characters, Larsson uses names like Henrik, Harriett, and Harold living on Hedeby Island off Hedestad. He'll refer to a character by three names such as: Berger, Erika and Ricky, but despite some of these minor annoyances, the story and characters are excellent.This book is compelling, fascinating, unique, unpredictable and not to be missed. It's complex and adult -- and definitely not for the under 21s in my opinion. -The concept was so unusual, I really liked it. Having a female as the hero was a great idea. Women are always stronger than men. The writing was really well done and the characters were realistic.Will recommend this to all my friends. -This series leaves you wanting more. They have great character development! This book had me hooked and on the edge of my seat. -This is going to be a short review b/c I've been a little generous with my time for these lately! I really enjoyed this book, I am a huge fan of the vampire themed stories, and this was really just a great read. Kagawa sucks you in from page one with an eerie, disturbing setting for this story, and I liked that we get to know Allie as a human before all of the action starts. Her life pretty much just sucks, and when her decision to lead her friends out in unsafe lands for food leaves her alone and dying, her saving grace is a vamp that can turn her. If she chooses it. So, she becomes what she hates in order to survive, and her world will never be the same. Kanin, her sire, trains her in the life of a vampire, then she sets off on her own into the outer lands, where the rabids roam free and kill anything in their path. There she meets up with a group of humans that are traveling to find Eden, a rumored city where they will be safe from the rabids. Allie has to hide what she is from these humans if she wants to survive, but with nosy Ruth hating her and a mutual attraction for the steamy Zeke, it may not be easy.This story was full of action and twists, it was virtually non-stop thrills or drama once Allie is in the outlands. I loved that Allie was totally bad-ass, even though she tended to be a little selfish before she met up with the humans. I was upset with how she put Kanin in grave danger and then just left, but I'm hopeful that she can redeem herself later!! She grows so much throughout the story, putting the needs of others before hers and really owning what she has become. There were so many upsetting moments in the story, characters I grew to care about losing their lives or suffering. But the journey they take was exciting and an absolute blast to read, and I actually like the way things wrapped up. Nothing's set in stone, yet we don't get that 'happily ever after' feel since there's so much more of the story to come. Will be looking forward to the next book in this series!! -Ironically, my first instinct seeing this book was that it would probably be a collection of subjectitvely picked research to back some unconvincing hypothesis of overstated importance. Well of course part of that was true, after all Gladwell is a journalist and not a scientist. However, in general, he does a great job in describing the research and its relevance to our everday lives.Blink focuses on 2 seperate but related concepts. The first is that of "time slicing", which demonstrates how important information can be encoded in a very short period of time. Most of Gladwell's examples are socioloical, and the most striking of which was research which aimed to predict whether married couples would get divorced after analyzing a single conversation with them.The other concept is how the brain acts subconsciously to certain stimulus. Gladwell's proposal is that if we can recognize this power of the brain we'd make the world a much better place and all sorts of other grand things. So, although not perfect, this is a good and interesting book. -Right from the very start I was hooked by Gone Girl and as is the way with a good mystery, you can never assume that you know where it's going because it's filled with twists and turns that will keep you moving from one page to the next. Gillian Flynn has a great writing style and her characters are perfectly and realistically twisted. A real page turner. -This book has many problems. The characters are completely unbelievable in their roles. The profiler (Kyle) is a felon and psychiatric patient but is trusted with sensitive information and allowed to lead a police investigation. The lead detective (Nicole) is totally inept as a police officer and has more than a few loose screws. She seems not to understand investigative or police procedure. Along with the other law officers they display all the ineptitude of the Keystone Cops but none of the humor. Both Kyle and Nicole are emotionally immature and mentally unstable (although the author attempts to portray them as 'misunderstood'). Their relationship is not at all believable. The plot begins reasonably enough -- a serial killer preys on women and takes a trophy -- but turns bizarre and then ridiculous. I suppose that is the word I would use to sum this book: 'ridiculous'.The author has enormous flights of fancy unconstrained by matters of law, psychology, or medicine. The novel belies the lack of fact checking. For example, scenes in the book break many rules of police procedure with regard to crime scene investigation, chain of evidence, and apprehension and questioning of suspects. One example of another type of error is when a police officer shows a picture of a woman who has a "split lip" after being beat up. The police officer states that it took 27 stitches to close the lip. That's quite a "split lip". Sutures average about 5 stitches to the inch; slightly more for the face. An incision requiring 27 stitches would be about 5 inches long, and that is longer than a lip. It's about the circumference of the mouth. Another medical misstep occurs when the author states that Kyle had his blood drawn every hour to be tested for mad cow disease. First, there is no blood test for mad cow disease. Second, one would not check blood every hour for any infectious disease -- it simply isn't useful. Apparently the author thought that 27 stitches or testing blood every hour sounded extreme and so used them. However, these (and many other things in the book) are beyond extreme: they're ridiculous. A bit of research would have prevented such bizarre errors.As another reviewer stated, there's a reason this book is self-published: no reputable publisher would have printed it. Too bad a reviewer can't give zero stars: I would have. -I think this is the most underrated book on Amazon! But I think I know why the bad reviews were created.The book is amazing, and I would definately would have given it 5 stars but for certain aspects of the book, but I think parts of the book made some people, especially men, uncomfortable given the extremely detailed romantic impulses and actions of the female protagonist and her lover. OTHER THAN THAT this book was the best book I have read in YEARS and thoroughly enjoyed it. In most of the incredible fiction books I have read the romance and feelings of possession of the main characters stops at a certain point and is not a featured part of the book, but this book definately may make you hate that friend you have that might be obsessed with her boyfriend and vice versa.However, this book kind of reminded my of a super-upgraded version of Twilight, and was so glad it was longand there are two more books on the way! After reading a lot of disappointing novels in the past few years andtoo many that were aimed at young adults, this was a welcome change! I just think a lot of adults might think vampire novels like Anne Rice novels are more mature, and the feelings of the protagonist could have been minimized and more action in the story could have been involved in the place of the feelings of possessiveness/and or romantic obsession. -Being a person who rarely reads fantasy, I was a little uneasy about reading this book, especially when I looked at the character log in the back, with all the houses listed and its history. Oh shoot, I said, I won't be able to keep everyone straight.But I couldn't believe how entertaining it was. The plot is fresh and exciting, with interesting twists and turns nearly every step of the way. I must say that there was only two or three characters I was absolutely in love with, one of them being Princess Dany. I took off half a star in rating because I did not see enough of her in the book that I would have liked. Also, I found it hard to believe that the author killed off the characters that he did. NOTE: There is no happy ending to the first of this series.The writer is very talented and he is definitely one that will forever be remembered. If you like historical fiction, especially with a medieval setting, then you will like this, despite it being of a fantasy genre. Can't wait to continue the series. -I stayed up way too late because I just couldn't put this down. The tragic story of a woman with 5 young children who, by way of her death from a particularly vicious cancer, should help save the lives of probably almost every one of us, is positively fascinating. I also like the author's style as she weaves the stories of the past and the present, along with updates on the people we've met in the book and an afterword discussing the moral and legal implications of the issues in the book, and they make a very satisfying read. -Yes, there are similarities to Fifty Shades, but they are few. Billionaire falls for a girl and likes to be in charge of all aspects of his life. Both characters have a past. Ok, that's where the similarities end.Yes, Gideon does a few things that are over the top (like the recreation of Eva's bedroom), but he is a very intense guy. Eva falls for him quickly and their relationship turns hot very quickly. The sex scenes are hot. Eva is a sassy, no-nonsense type of person that puts Gideon in his place a few times.This is a great summer read! -4.5 starsMiss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is one of those books that is completely unexpected and almost swathed in mystery. I had only the slightest clue what it would be about, but was thoroughly absorbed the moment I began. Jacob is a sixteen year old loner - not by choice - who spends a great deal of his time with his Grandpa, Abraham Portman; a man who escaped nazi-invested Poland as a child and moved into a peculiar home off the coast of Wales. Grandpa Portman claims the home was full of peculiar children with special gifts, but Jacob lost faith in that story years ago.After Grandpa Portman's death, at the hands of what Jacob thinks is a monster, he ventures - with his father - to the island where the home stands. This is when things start to get better and better. The sense of mystery, and even a little trepidation, jumps off the page. Jacob isn't sure if he's just a little crazy or if he should believe the stories his grandfather told him. He flips between the two thoughts and being a part of his uncertainty creates an eeriness. I never knew what to expect or what was going to happen. Each detail is revealed slowly and with care. Learning more about Jacob's grandpa unravels the mystery about the island and the children, but also about the person that Abraham Portman once was.The photos that go along with the peculiar children are creepy and help to bring the story to life. Ransom Riggs has this descriptive writing style that vividly introduces the island of Cairnholm and makes it a character all on its own. I don't want to give anything away because Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a book that screams `read me.' Like its title, it is a peculiar book, full of peculiar children, and peculiar happenings, but it is also a daring and imaginative story that will captivate the reader and fully immerse you in the dreary, rainy world of Cairnholm.Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is part character driven, part historical foray, and part paranormal mystery, but completely fascinating and beyond interesting. Ransom Riggs has tied two forms of art together to create quite the story. It is the perfect balance of creepy and coming of age; meaning, it may give you nightmares, but it will also make you smile. Any book that can do that cannot be bad. -Jodi Picoult's The Storyteller is a fictional account of a young woman-Sage- who befriends an older gentleman-Josef- she meets at a grief group. Both Sage and Josef are lonely and seeking companionship, and both are stuggling to cope with secrets that have led them to the therapy group. As the novel progresses, Josef reveals to Sage that he was a member of the SS who held a high position at Auschwitz- the largest death camp in all of Europe during WWII. Josef has hidden his secret for many years by hiding in plain sight. He is an upstanding member of the community and a beloved neighbor, teacher and friend. As he nears the end of his life he seeks forgiveness for the atrocities he committed during the war. Sage, the grandaughter of an Auschwitz survivor, grapples with the idea of forgivness throughout the text.In the seven years I have spent as a classroom teacher, it never fails that my students ask me the following questions: How did normal citizens become Nazis? Why would any person allow such horrors to happen? Over the years, my answer to them has evolved. I have come to believe that all people are capable of both good and evil, depending on their environment. It is interesting fodder for a debate on nature vs. nurture that always sparks their interest. The Storyteller also zeros in on this idea. Is someone that commits unspeakably evil acts a monster? Can one ever be forgiven for such things? Told multiple perspectives, Picoult has obviously done her research. Wrapped within the stories of the characters is also an allegory written by Sage's grandmother as a young woman. Essentially Picoult has written two novels in one in a way that is absolutely masterful.I have read many pieces of Holocaust Literature- both fiction and non-fiction. It is a genre that I feel absolutely compelled to read. Though it did have a few minor flaws, this particular piece was especially well done. -I had some reservations about buying this book. I knew little about it except that it was the love story between a girl and a werewolf. As it is a YA I'll admit I was worried it would be a little too Twilight, which I loathed. The beautiful cover was what was sucked me in and I certainly don't regret it.Shiver is everything Twilight isn't, a truly believable romance with believable, equal characters, and above all it is beautifully written. Maggie Stiefvater is an artist with words, creating stunning pictures with just a few sentences. A true wordsmith.Sam and Grace's relationship is just beautiful. I have found recently that YA paranormal romance can actually provide a much ore meaningful relationship than adult paranormal romance. Adult paranormal romances have sex and intense sexual attraction to keep the pace briskly moving along. In YA paranormal romance relationships are expected to be more chaste which means even a little thing like handholding can become incredibly significant and touching.I loved that Sam wasn't an alpha wolf. He was just an ordinary guy with an extraordinary secret. It made him wholly believable and made his falling in love with Grace all the more believable too. I'll admit I found it a bit odd that Sam apparently fell in love with Grace when she was 10 and she with him when she just knew him as a wolf but once these two characters are together, you really don't care about how they fell in love, simply that they are in love. Their relationship was rich with meaning, every look and touch leaping off the page. It is rare that two characters complement each other quite so well and I laughed with them, cried with them, held my breath for them. They were so excellently portrayed that I really felt like I knew them both and cared so badly about what happened to them.The secondary characters were equally wonderful; fizzy Rachel and introverted Olivia, who I'm sure we'll see more of in Linger, Shelby, who again may have more to contribute and my favourite, Beck. My only complaint about him is that there wasn't enough of him! What was so wonderful about Beck was that he actually only appears in person in a very small part of the book. The rest of the time he is only being spoken about, primarily by Sam to Grace. It is testament to Stiefvater's writing skills that I really felt like I was in Grace's shoes at this point so by the time she and Beck actually met, I felt that I already knew him. Paul was perhaps the one character I didn't much care for. He didn't have much to contribute to the story and what little page time he occupies he seems to be getting attacked/injured. I didn't find him very impressive considering he is supposed to be the pack alpha.There is no trite love triangle in Shiver, though Stiefvater has opportunity to evolve one with the character of John. This is, quite simply, a love story between two brilliantly portrayed people who want nothing more than to be together but who both know they might not have much time.The book alternates between Sam and Grace's point-of-view, cleverly evolving both characters at an equal rate. The pacing isn't brisk but fluid and I simply couldn't put the book down. Stiefvater is perhaps the only author I have ever read who can write chapters that are, at times, half a page long, and actually not annoy me. Normally this is one of my biggest turnoffs when reading but Stiefvater's skill with words not only pulls it off but made me realise the book couldn't have been written any other way.A truly exquisite love story. I can't wait to read the sequels. -I picked up this book simply because I was looking for something new to read on the same day I happened to hear it won the Pulitzer. I'm glad I did, however, because it was exactly what I was looking for. Engaging, well-paced (especially for its length), with interesting and (mostly) well-rounded characters. I took me a bit to get into it, but once I did I was hooked entirely--often reading it when I really should have been doing other things. Tartt excels as exhibiting Theo's journey so naturally and seemlessly, that every action he takes makes complete sense for his character. You completely understand why he gravitates to the people he does, why he needs to self-medicate the way he does, why he follows the path he follows. Many authors tend to shoehorn these details into their characters in order to further their plot, but with Theo, his causes and effects made perfect sense.My problems with the book, while I adored most of it (particularly Theo's youth), the last bit--the ending--felt off. There was a lot of exposition, which the reader needed for closure, but it came off as quite the "info-dump". The last scene with Boris, followed immediately by the last scene with Hobie--it was very much one character telling us everything we needed to know, while Theo stood in for the reader asking the questions we had in a very "so then what happened?" manner. Yes, we got our answers, but given how great the book had been, I was just hoping for it to play out a bit differently.Also, there were time where the lengthy descriptions of unnecessary things (furniture, for example) got so detailed that it would take you out of the book; I'd find myself skipping paragraphs a time and losing nothing from the story. The book probably could have been 200 pages shorter if an editor had simply trimmed some of the superfluous descriptions down.Lastly, I didn't find any of the female characters to be as fully fleshed out as I had hoped. Each of the more prominent ones seemed to filling a very particular place hold in Theo's life, but I knew very little about any of them outside of that role. In turn, you look at characters like Boris and Hobie, who also hold specific roles in Theo's life, but yet their characters also stand on their own two feet outside of Theo. I would have loved that for more of the females.Enjoyed the book on the whole, however. Would recommend. -Let me say right off that I found "Divergent" to be compulsively readable and enjoyable. I don't think this is close to another "Hunger Games" but it shouldn't be. Who wants to read the same book over and over again? "Divergent" has an amazing plot and I think its a fairly unique one when you think about how many dystopian novels are hitting the shelves. The story is basically about a world where there are five different 'factions' that people are associated with. They live for these factions and work for these factions and have their entire belief systems set up to define the type of person an individual is. Tris is a teenage girl who has been raised to be Abnegation, a selfless faction whose core belief is putting other before yourself. When she comes of age and is able to choose for herself she decides to leave her family and faction and join the Dauntless, the brave and fearless faction who runs patrols around the border to ensure everyone's security.I had several important questions that never found sufficient answers and that is why I ended up giving the book three stars instead of more. What is Divergent? That question is never really answered. Sure its a person who has more than one faction that they show aspects of. Yet so do other characters in the story who are not considered Divergent. Also why is this world the way it is? How did these factions come to be and why are the citizens so easily manipulated into these factions? Why are people rebelling?I did like the characters a lot and as I mentioned earlier the plot moved along at a nice pace. I especially like that the heroine is not a girly girl and is mentioned as having a childlike body and few curves. I think that made her feel different than some of our other YA heroines. I never really felt like Tris's friends were really friends and perhaps thats the way the story is intended.The resolution to the story is a little too quickly wrapped up and yet it was positively a thrilling conclusion and I think the author made some very brave choices in where to take the story and the characters. Things are wrapped up pretty nicely although of course not everything is resolved so that the reader is left wanting to know more. I just hope that the follow up gives up more background and also makes the explaination for a Divergent more clear. I felt like the story told us what to believe but didn't really explain why we should believe. I'd like to see all that acknowledged so we can move on with the story and focus on the intriguing plot. -This book has a lot of the factors included in your typical NA book. But then...it doesn't. The mystery and the romance combined are just perfect. It ended a bit abruptly for me but, hey, maybe that's because I wanted more. -It took half the book to develop the main character. Story was slow and boring. I felt this was a waste of my time!! -I keep thinking the stories for this group of friends couldn't possibly get any better. Any more involved it beautiful. And each time I eat my words! Don't ever ask me to pick a favorite bc I don't think I can. I love this series. I love that each one is so completely full of drama you find yourself wondering if love can conquer all. Can these people possibly make it out of these scenarios alive, unscathed. Just when you think there's no way out, your kicked back and realize you were wrong all along. I'm so glad Cain finally found his happiness. I'm so glad he finally found love. I found myself pulling for him from book one. There was just something about him that makes you want him to save himself for once. Stop saving everyone else and save himself. And Charlie. Holy baggage claim. I didn't think wed ever get to the bottom of her craptastic life with Sam. It seemed to never end. The guy just wouldn't let her go. The author does an amazing job of reeling you in throughout the whole story just to spit you back out. Gotta love it! Just an amazing story! I love the way it ended!! -Divergent is most definitely one of my favourite books. I don't think I can sing enough praise for it because it is just pure brilliance. From start to finish, the characters are solid and the plot is perfectly planned and paced. There is never a dull moment which lets the novel fall into the "must read in one sitting" category. Say...you've seen 32945 positive reviews? Rest assured, you'll be feeling the same. The concept of a society separated into coveted virtues is so alluring and intriguing. Living your life in a certain way because you had to? Not telling lies, not allowing yourself to look in the mirror, not fearing death? What. A. Way. To. Live.The novel begins in Tris' faction, Abnegation, as she prepares for a test which will help her decide her fate. We easily see that she is not able to live her life completely, having to always put others before herself and sparing herself of luxuries. Factions were created to eliminate undesirable qualities but on the contrary, it simply forces people to go too much the other way. Blunt, self-denying, reckless, ignorant and superior - doesn't sound as good, does it? At her chosen faction, Tris is thrown into many exciting situations, ones you'll be begging for more of. Divergent is fast-paced and entirely gripping. The action sequences are written wonderfully and you'll constantly feel a thrill shooting up your spine as you anxiously await more.Tris is an amazing heroine. Though skinny and weak at first, she becomes resilient and takes things day by day, being mentally strong and taking us on a long emotional journey. I think the character development in this novel was excellent. As Tris fights for what she wants, she matures and becomes a very different person, or rather, discovers who she really was to begin with. The secondary characters are also very enjoyable to get to know as they each have a distinct personality. All of the characters evoked many strong emotions from me, good and bad, going to show how great of an author Roth is.There's an amazingly good romantic subplot in the novel and that in itself was a mystery! We meet a few male characters early on and for every single one I asked the question, "Is this her love interest?". Unlike many novels where it's obvious who the main character will end up liking, this one comes as a surprise and is not obvious from the very beginning, which I loved! Her love interest turns out to be someone who is complex, intelligent, strong and hot. Where can I get myself one of those?I felt that this book was similar to The Hunger Games in that it's an action-packed adventure. This book also deals with sacrifices and the idea of doing things you normally wouldn't in order to survive and gain. In saying that, the similarities end there. Divergent is a unique book that will keep you on your toes. Unexpected things happen that will make your jaw drop and heart fracture. You'll be left wide-eyed after the twists. This highly-anticipated novel most definitely lives up to all of the hype and more! Fantastic characterisation and an always exciting plot. What more could you ask for? -My opinions on this book are based solely on the book's writing style and plot. I don't know the accuracy of the claims in the book and I find them irrelevant in that I consider this book a work of fiction meant solely to entertain. The author only mentions that the societies mentioned in the book (the Priory of Scion and Opus Dei) are real societies.The Da Vinci Code is a thrilling roller-coaster ride of events that surprise the reader at every corner. Brown often ends his chapters on a suspenseful note which leaves the reader anxious to read on. He starts off the novel with the murder of Jacques Sauniere, a prominent man working at the Louvre. The plot continues as Sauniere leaves a message for his granddaughter Sophie Neveu and Harvard professor Robert Langdon at the scene of his death. Neveu and Langdon are sent on a sort of treasure hunt (where symbols and clues are everywhere they turn) to learn why Sauniere and others have been killed and to find the Holy Grail.I find that the plot is excellent in terms of its riveting sequence of events. I found myself involved, trying to figure out the clues along with the characters. Some of the things Neveu and Langdon find are very controversial. But, they don't shatter any beliefs I had before. If anything, the claims about the church and about Jesus make me want to investigate the issues for myself.For readers who can get past the controversial nature of the book, this is a suspenseful page-turner that keeps you hanging every step of the way. -I must confess I had to listen to the audio version of this because I'm not allowed to open my Kindle until Christmas. Either way, this was the best book I've "read" in a very long time. I think I could understand Jacobs feelings about being in the nursing home since I had to deal with my mom being in a nursing home. His description about sitting in the dining room was so real. Do yourself a favor and enjoy it. Also, it has a great ending. -I really liked this book. The story line was easy to follow and while it was difficult at times to like Joss, the main character, I fell in love with Braden and Ellie! I felt that Joss was over thinking some situations and not letting things fall into place naturally, but hey, she's a girl and I can understand. I also didn't feel that Joss' character was fully developed and the problems about her past were not dealt with. I don't think taking a trip fully allows one to grieve but there is a second book so maybe we'll understand a bit more laterI thought the relationship between Joss and Braden was great. Their remarks were witty and funny at times and other times I wanted to swoon. I really liked Braden's character-he seems honest and a good guy. I was rooting for them from the beginning and don't think that I stopped doing that. In other books, there's always a character that messes up and causes a breakup but I thought that this book did a better job at making situations realistic. While there was drama, it was drama that was honest and relatable... not drama that I had to roll my eyes at.I would recommend this book to others. It was a fairly quick read. I was able to do read it in a couple of hours. I was so engulfed in the book that I didn't want to put it down! Also, the *mature* scenes were well written, as well as the text messages and dialogue that were exchanged between characters ;) -I don't understand the negative reviews. I really loved this book, and thought it brought together the characters endings in a lovely way. The beginning scenes of the wedding and honeymoon are lovely, and tho, I, too, hesitated at the first sign of the 'little nudger', I thought the storyline was handled well. It kept me very interested, even if it was a little gruesome - hey, aren't we talking vampires here?? And the final part was great - with Bella so triumphant as a vampire, finally unburdened by her clumsiness, and we feel Edward's love for her so much more because he loved her when she was so imperfect and so breakable. I loved it, loved the ending, think it was a great book. I even love the fairytale cottage. I also didn't need a romance-novel love scene with specifics. This one was perfect. -Amazingly enough, I didn't read this series when it first came out, and I've read a lot of books (of a wide variety of genres). Now I've read the first 3 of this now and I think it's interesting to read the reviews now vs the time they were written.Just sticking to this 1st book, overall I agree with the reviews and ratings. It's an excellent story and excellent writing. The one thing that is different now than then is that it is no longer unique. Many fantasy books (and more importantly perhaps, movies) have created whole new worlds and I don't find Jordan's that different really (replace Orges with Trollocs and Clerics with Aes Sedai, etc). Sure it's different, but not amazingly so. Also, the 3 main character theme vs the traditional one is now old hat thanks to Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and decent supporting cast TV shows (Stargate, Firefly) and movies. So again, at the time, this was all breakthrough and wonderful, but reading it now it's great, but not shocking is all.What I actually find great about these books is the pace at which they move, given the sheer size of each book. The interest, suspense and action all keep moving and while each book is a story in its own, also ties to the larger arc. Well done there.Jordan captures the gender stereotypes well also. Again, new at the time to have main female characters and strong female characters, but old now (and somewhat overdone, especially in TV/movie areas). What might be nice is to see smart male characters. What I find lacking in a lot of fantasy novels is any real politics/trade discussions. Ok, so not as exciting as swashbuckling perhaps, but would be nice to have more depth from time to time.Anyway, based on only 3 books of the series, this is great overall and I'm looking forward to more. But in that I'm also looking for more character and world development along with arc continuations.Edit:Now I've read the 1st 6 books and I can say the story has kept up it's good pace and intrigue, and characters have changed, developed, which is good. I particularly like that we see more of the world and its politics and slowly see more of the Dark One's plans/actions.I suppose at this point there are only 2 things that are bothering me. First, the repeated and dominant use of the device of Person A believes that Person B needs to be protected (from others and themselves) and doesn't need to be asked/included in discussions - the condescending paternalist attitude that constantly leads to missed communication and crossed goals. Once or twice, fine, but it's always there.Related to this is the constant Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus aspect. One might expect the average person in the story to adopt these views, but these characters are not average. Perhaps it's a reinforcement of the story setting where no one is enlightened and all kings are blood-thirsty savages with no brains that need Aes Sedai to guide them and all women are helpless and need men around to protect them, but I seem to have higher expectations.Edit update: 1/3 of the way through Book 10Ok, things did slow down a bit. Part of the issue is that there are so many players and so many tangents that it takes forever to tell one and get back to another. Still, petty good overall so I'll try and finish it out. -Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire is exactly as the title says. It's a beautiful disaster. The characters can be abrupt and violent and codependent and you know some of the things they say or do are totally wrong. But at the same time they're sweet and somehow make you fall in love even despite all of their issues. There were so many things I loved and hated about Beautiful Disaster, I'm pretty sure the internal conflict it presented me just made me enjoy it even more.Abby was a really cute character at first. Don't get me wrong, I still liked her as the book got into the swing of things, but she was pretty hypocritical. She was mad at Travis for playing games with her and accusing her of playing games with him, yet she really did play with him the whole time they were friends. The second he started to have real feelings for her she used them against him every chance she got. Either she's got really bad timing, or she is a queen of manipulation. Still, I liked her, but I can see how some people might get annoyed with her.Travis is super sweet and sexy... for most of the book. Somewhere around the middle he gets almost violently obsessed with his relationship with Abby. He's super jealous of everyone and Abby does little to help things. He's got issues. And I'd just like to warn anyone thinking of reading Beautiful Disaster of these issues, because this book will not be for everyone. I can see a lot of people getting so fed up with Travis's behavior that they refuse to finish the book. But you have to know he means well. I'm not saying it's right for him to be so possessive of Abby or to get mad at every little thing (personally I'd never have put up with that sort of thing), but he has his issues and he does try to work them out throughout the book. I think he comes a long way from the beginning of the book to the end. Beautiful Disaster is about Travis and Abby's love, imperfections, stupid decisions and all, and I enjoyed reading every second of it.Travis and Abby's relationship was so sweet, yet completely frustrating. But that's what made them so awesome to read about! It was like watching a girl date one guy, but then come home to her husband every night. And both guys know what's going on. It could be amusing at times, and sometimes just plain old cruel. Let's just say, this girl takes playing hard to get to a whole new level. Their whole relationship was like watching a train wreck. No matter what kind of horrors you see, you can't seem to turn away. If nothing else, it hooked me in and kept me reading to the very last page. Beautiful Disaster goes places I never expected when reading the synopsis. It was completely addicting!Beautiful Disaster is a book that I'm sure many people will love. I loved it. I had some issues with the characters behavior toward one another (the irrational possessiveness, and dependency that bordered on stalking mostly), but that's who these characters are. That's how their story goes and I appreciated that. I definitely recommend Beautiful Disaster to anyone who likes contemporary or romance, but this is definitely a book for the older YA crowd. It's not too explicit, but it has it's moments. -I truly enjoyed this story. Mr. Zusak has a wonderful and unique way with words. He is a gifted and talented storyteller. I found myself thinking of his writing style as poetry gone novel. I am definitely looking forward to what else Mr. Zusak has in store for my imagination. -This book will touch your heart and leave you in a different frame of mind. There is a lot of loss in this story and if you have lost someone you will understand the feelings that these characters go through, it may even help you with your own grief. Make you look at the loss in a whole new light.The love story was beautiful, the characters loveable. It's a must read. -In this wonderful book, set in Jackson, Mississippi in the years 1962-1964, we meet three unforgettable women: Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, a young white woman, who is 22, a budding social activist and writer; Aibileen, a black maid raising her 17th white child; and Minny, Aibileen's best friend, who has just lost another job for speaking out to the white woman she worked for.Taking turns, each of these women tell their personal stories.Skeeter has a college degree, but is held back by her mother, who won't be satisfied until her only daughter is married, and by her family's position in the town. Unable to bear the bitchiness of the other young women of Jackson, she determines to go to New York to persue a writing career. Advised by an editor to write about things that "disturb" her, Skeeter makes friends with Aibileen, and through her, Minny, and begins the writing of the book that will change all of their lives.Aibileen has been a black maid in Jackson for many years, raising 17 white children, yet unable to even use the same bathroom as her white employers. She has experienced many injustices and indignities in her life. She has also known tragedy. Her son, Treelore, was 24 when he died in a work related accident. While loading timbers onto the loading dock at the mill where he worked, he slipped off the dock, falling onto the asphalt. A man driving the tractor to the dock rolled right over him, crushing him to death, while his boss and fellow workers stood by and did nothing. Now, she is devoted to Mae Mobley LeFolt, the small daughter of the white woman she works for, a child that her mother resents and ignores most of the time.Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is married to an abusive man and has five children. She can cook like no one else, but she is the sassiest maid in Mississippi, and has a real problem saying nothing when she is insulted and abused by the white women she works for. At her last job, after suffering numerous insults and charges of stealing, Minny has taken revenge on the daughter, the Terrible Awful Thing, that she tries to keep secret and that has gotten her fired for the umpteenth time. Now she works for a woman so new in the town that she is ignored by the long time residents and doesn't know about Minny's "secret."Seemingly as different as can be, and kept apart by the cultural and social boundaries of the town, these three women will come together in secret to create a book that will destroy their lives as they currently exist, and yet will also empower each of them to break the boundaries, give them pride in themselves, and the hope and courage to pursue their dreams.These characters are so real, their voices so vivid, that they make you feel as if you know them, and can laugh and cry with them. Their life experiences are, by turns, touching, heart-wrenching, and historically accurate. These three strong, courageous, and hopeful women make this a book that you cannot put down and do not want to see end. I truly loved this book, and highly recommend it. -When Jacqueline follows her high school sweetheart, Kennedy, to the college of his dreams she thinks that they are the perfect couple but just months later he tears her heart out by breaking up with her and she falls into a deep depression. After two weeks of wallowing she knows it is time to start rebuilding her life again, she needs to start having fun and making new friends and she needs to catch up on her classes before she is kicked out of college. After a party one night she is attacked by someone she thought she could trust, saved by a stranger she just wants to forget about everything that happened but when her attacker starts making threats she realises that she has to stand up for herself. As she grows closer to the boy who saved her she begins to re-build her confidence but what kind of future can they have if she discovers the secrets he is keeping from her?I'd heard a lot of great things about Tammara Webber's debut novel Easy so when I was offered a review copy I jumped at the chance of reading it. I have been loving the recent influx of new adult books and Easy is up there with the best that I have read. The author doesn't shy away from tackling sensitive topics such as attempted rape but she does it with sensitivity. The scenes where Jacqueline was attacked made for difficult reading, you felt her fear, shock and horror right along with her and I think most women will be able to identify how weak she felt because she was unable to fight her attacker off on her own. As horrific as the incident was Jacqueline was lucky that Lucas came along at the right time to save her. Unfortunately a lot of other women don't have a rescuer so one of the things I appreciated most was the way the author included tips on how to avoid getting into that situation. Yes, a lot of the things mentioned are pretty obvious when you think about it but I'd be willing to bet that most of us have put ourselves into a dangerous situation at some point in our lives (I know I did as a teen and probably even have as an adult), even if we were lucky enough not to have anything happen to us. Using common sense doesn't guarantee your safety but it does make it less likely you'll find yourself in Jacqueline's situation. I think it's important to raise the issue that rape isn't just something that happens amongst strangers, it could be the boy next door, your best friend's boyfriend or even the boy you are dating. Of course not all men are potential rapists but that doesn't mean women and girls don't need to be careful and aware of their surroundings. I also think that self defence classes are something that should be compulsory for teenagers - I wish I'd taken a class like the one Jacqueline joined. In fact, if I could find one locally I'd join it now!As much as Jacqueline's attack was an important part of the story I don't want to make it sound like this was a depressing read because it really wasn't. It was about Jacqueline's journey to find herself, she had built her dreams around those of her boyfriend and when he dumped her she had to remember what she really wanted from her life. Jacqueline had her moments of depression but overall she was a strong woman and she refused to let her attacker intimidate her even after he started a campaign against her. The attacker was one of the most vile characters I've come across in a long time so I was pleased to see him get what he deserved. Another thing I loved was the fact that Jacqueline's best friend Erin was so supportive, she never once questioned that Jacqueline was telling the truth about her attack and she stood up for her friend even though it cost her. An important message to take from the book is that if you are attacked it isn't your fault, there is no such thing as "asking for it" and there is NEVER an excuse for anyone (male or female) to attack someone else. One of my favourite lines in the book was "I could blame the alcohol . . . but no. Alcohol removed inhibitions. It doesn't trigger criminal violence where there was none before." I think that was one of the most sensible things that Jacqueline said!I can't write this review without telling you how much I loved Lucas, he was incredibly sweet and protective but at the same time he didn't want to smother Jacqueline - he wanted to empower her so that she was able to protect herself and I think that was what I appreciated most about him. Yes, he would do anything to save her pain but he wanted to make sure she was safe even when he wasn't around. The back story with Lucas just about broke my heart, he had been through so much and deserved to find happiness as much as Jacqueline did. I had guessed part of his secret fairly early on but that didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story in the slightest even though I was practically begging him to open up and tell her the truth.In case you haven't already gathered Easy is a book that I would highly recommend to any fan of the new adult genre. Tammara Webber has a great writing style that will suck you in from the beginning and this isn't your standard romance. These characters are three dimensional and so real to me I felt like I was losing friends when I finished the book. I can't wait to get started on Tammara's Between the Lines series - I'm pretty sure I've found myself another favourite author! -What ugly, disgusting language used over and over and to no disernable purpose. Would think this famous author capable of telling a story without such constant vile language. The characters quickly became boring and uninteresting. I consider this novel a complete waste of money. -At over 700 pages it isn't a quick read, but GRRM does a great job of making an already excellent story even better. The characters are getting more complex by the end of this book, struggling with real moral dilemmas.Something very interesting I have noticed as a watcher of the TV series is how this book starts to diverge from the first one. I won't go into detail because of spoilers. However, I understand why HBO is doing it the way they are at this point in time. There just is too much story to tell.Great book, definitely worth your time. -The first maybe 50-100 pages of this book were slow. There's a lot of information that you'll find useful later, and a lot of events that set the stage for the rest of the book (and the series). The characters are rich and wonderful and the imagery is immersive. When you finish this one you won't be able to not read the next. And the next, and all the rest after that- only to get mad at GRRM for not writing the next installment fast enough.He writes epic fantasy that the average reader and fantasy reader alike are unable to put down. -I totally enjoyed Wait for You and it’s exactly the perfect book if you are in between reads. What you can expect from J. Lynn (a.k.a Jennifer L. Armentrout) is solid writing, a great push and pull between Cam and Avery, witty banter and a touching story. However, even though I love J. Lynn and I hate to say this…the story is not unique. It’s been done before. It’s predictable and there’s nothing wrong with that but I wanted her to WOW me like she has in the past. Now, before everyone starts throwing tomatoes at me, I will reiterate that I enjoyed this book!This is a very sweet story about overcoming your past and allowing yourself to fall in love. What’s not to love about Cam? He was perfection and there was nothing he could say that would make me do an eye-roll. Between him making her breakfast, baking cookies and calling her sweetheart…I was all warm and fuzzy throughout this entire story!Where do I start with Avery? She had a tough little exterior but not really and all she wanted was to overcome her past. Who helps her do that?? You guessed it, Cam! There is no insta-love which I very much appreciated and their friendship turned into much, much more but it happened gradually. Cam asked her out every dang day and the way he would make her laugh would make anyone overcome their past!! Clearly, all I’m doing is writing about Cam but he made a huge impact on me.This is a brief review about a book that will make you feel good and put a smile on your face. It’s the kind of book that has the perfect amount of angst, great dialogue and amazing chemistry. You will fall in love with Cam and that makes this book worth reading! -This character has a very disturbing life. It was hard to read some of this, but the character development was excellent. -It's hard to write about this book. I loved it. I read the first book so I thought I was ready for the bad part, but it really was hard to accept. After a while the storyline went a certain way and there was little chance at that point to avoid the things that happened. I honestly considered giving 4-4.5 stars rating, but it wouldn't be fair. This book was amazing with strong characters and a great story. Though my heart bled a lot."Just a simple girl, really, in too deep with a boy way out of her league. What else could I do but fall in love?"Dovey Beckham was an amazing, strong heroine. She did everything for the future, to make her dream come true. She decided at a really young age to be a professional ballet dancer. She grew up with a mother who didn't care and a dad who was mostly absent. With only two people to count on - two old lady; a dance teacher and a neighbour - she survived childhood. Now all grown up she puts them before herself. That decision comes with all the bad things you could think of."Are those dandelion seeds?" I asked in awe, tracing my finger over the glass where the puffy white stalks lay. "Yeah," he said. "You mentioned how much you loved them, and, well, I had this idea to put the seeds in a necklace, so you'd always have your wishes right next to your heart."Cuba Hudson grew up in a privileged way, had a family with wealth and all the pretty girls at his feet. At least everybody things his life was that easy. He actually had a hard way coping with loosing important people in his life. Cuba blames himself for the bad things that happened. He is smart, tries to be a doctor to help others. He is a totally lovable man, he just don't accept it."I mentally slapped myself. Hold your horses, Dovey Beckham. This boy was wicked."Cuba and Dovey had a short-term relationship 1 year prior to the beginning of the book. (You can read about their getting to know each other in Very Wicked Beginning.)He broke things of and went on with his life. For her it was really hard to get over him, because he didn't give a reason, just take the things he wanted and left without an explanation. So a year later they're forced together in class and there are a lot of issues they should talk about.As they started to open up to each other other things came between them, forcing them apart. On one side there was Cuba's life, with lots of superficial friendships, easy and mean girls and future. On the other side there was Dovey with debt to the wrong people, friends wanting more and seemingly no future. They didn't fit, but their love was beautiful."Does doing a wicked thing make you bad inside?"The bad part of this story was really bad and we actually get to see it. It didn't happen in the past, no we go through it with Dovey. Honestly I think I cried through a whole chapter. I can't describe the things I felt, but I was devastated. I so wanted to reach in the book and shake her, tell her to ask for help. I thought about it a lot why she didn't, but pride can kill people. At that point I believe she felt she didn't have anyone, so she did what she thought she had to.I loved Cuba, how accepting and supportive he was. Once he get through his issues everything was about Dovey to him. Though we get a little epilogue in the future I would love to read more about them."And he said the one thing that blew me away. It took me up into the heavens, dropped me and I spiraled down, afraid of crashing but having no way to stop. "Don't you see what's going on? Dovey, we don't need sleep... because we're falling in love." -Wow!!!!!! Such and amazing book! I couldn't put it down. The setting and characters are perfect! Worth the read, just try it. -I think "the hunger games" is a great book. The writing is very good. The plot is entertaining and I was easily hooked. The characters in the book are very likeable and you can very easily sympathize with them. I would recommend this book to anyone twelve and up.Publisher-Scholastic, IncMy Score: 5 STARS!Reviewed by~Nikki Reynolds -*Potential spoilers in review*I read Hopeless a while ago and had trouble reviewing it. I still haven't quite figured out my issue outside of a strictly personal opinion, so take that for what it's worth.I loved the first half of the story. The characters are interesting, the plot moves forward well, and the way the twist is revealed definitely keeps you wanting to read more. I like that the characters felt real.Then came the end, more so the last few chapters. While I suspected the 'secret,' so to speak, all along, I don't think it was handled well. In fact, I was completely and entirely turned off by Sky's request, and even more by the fact that Holder actually goes along with it. It's completely against his character and just...dirty. I really, really hope it's not something the author hasn't personally experienced (as I wouldn't wish that on anyone), but I did find myself wondering, because it felt offensive to me. I didn't want to read more after that particular motel scene.Regardless, I did finish, and while the ending felt a bit rushed and oddly wrapped up, I do like the final bit with her mother and all the revelations there. I wish that one scene had been cut, and then the book would have been one of my favorites. -Simply amazing, it's packed with sensual tension,the constant banter between Colton and Riley is full of sexual innuendo that will make you blush, tickle you pink and get you hot and bothered. The worldly, handsome, millionaire car racer Colton Thomas relentlessly pursued the beautiful Riley Thomas, though smart but naive, didn't stand a chance when it comes to Colton's seduction. This man never gives up, knows his ways around and the quickest way to get in women's pants. Oozes with sex and charm, rolling in fame and dough, women just easily fall on his feet. That would have been great and exciting to be chased by a man like Colton Westin except he has his own demons. His past is so dark that haunts his dreams, so dark even he has great fear confronting it.Riley Thomas is smart, softhearted and beautiful, also has her own demons caused by a traumatic tragedy in the past. As hard as she fought her attraction to Colton, she has deeply fallen. And therein lies the problem, she can't give him what he wants, he can't give her what she needs.This story is captivating, has enough angst which make for a good story, it has romance, the dialogue between Colton and Riley is witty and playful and filled with sexual tension. Their sex scenes is hot and steamy and smokin! it's way up the top you'll get caught up in the heat between them.This is impressive for a new writer, it's well written and has great substance, she ended it with a cliffhanger that's not anti-climatic but still make you looking forward to reading! the next book. Well done Ms. Bromberg! -Have you every started a book and it just wasn't good but you read through it because eventually it did or because the rest of the series was good, well that's not the case here. This was awful from start to finish. Katniss is simply an "unlikeable" character from the get go, sure she has some redeeming qualities in the first book, but she slowly starts to lose them and before I even got mid-point in this book I totally stopped liking the character and everything and anything to do with her made me cringe, which was pretty much the whole book.She spends most of her time hiding, being whinny, and the fact that not until past half way through the book did she even consider trying to save Peeta, she was to wrapped up in her own world. Especially since Peeta sacrificed so much for her. Hell she didn't think of anyone else but herself and Gale really, and it wasn't about love or him knowing her, it was about sheer selfishness on her part. And Gale was never a likable character for me at all, he was always to full of hate and destruction from the beginning. I think Peeta would have been better off without her.The book just went on and on about descriptions of rooms living, sleeping, bathrooms, hallways, outside, inside, hiding places, it was just awful. I think Collins ran out of ideas before getting to the end, didn't have enough material for the last book slow she dragged everyone through a painful death to have to read it.The first book was fairly good, different, book 2 was a little less likeable, book 3 should never have happened. This could have been a 2 book deal and it would have been a lot better.Last time I go with the hype and read something just to see what all the fuss is. I've had these books since they first came out and could not get past the first 3 or so chapters of the first book and decided not to read them... I should have gone with my gut and stayed away.I've never given a book 1 star, I always try and find something redeemable about it, but this one has too much wrong with it to use that to help boost the star rating. Nope 1 star it is. -This was recommended to me by another bibliophile who loves a good yarn, great plot development and real characters. Its been awhile since I have had to tell myself, "enough, go to bed already", but somehow I always managed to read another chapter.He sets out a great story line and in a different, exotic setting. For an American, the setting in Sweden developed a great sense of place and I didn't have anything else with which to compare. I found myself going to Google maps to get a better sense of where the plot was taking place.I judge that the pace is great without experiencing that sense that you are being rushed through plot development just so the character can do something 30 pages from now. Mr. Larsson has a great sense of plot development and continuously takes you to places in the story line you didn't think about ahead of time, but makes great sense when they happen. I am anxiously looking forward to reading books two and three. -My son has been diagnosed with autism, and I feel like the author really does get what autistic people are like.But the thing I liked most was how he managed to portray Christopher as the only character with real depth and texture. Where Christopher has his very obvious and real limitations, his parents are enmired in equally debilitating and more stupid squabbles and jealousies. Christopher's issues come across to me as more real. He doesn't like people to touch him for a very good reason - because it hurts. He was certainly the most sympathetic character in the book, but also the bravest, the most honorable, the smartest, the wisest, the fairest, the one with the most interesting life. Everybody else in the book was sort of flat and predictable by comparison. He was the hero. He had a future you wanted to know about. At least that's how I saw it. And in real life, as I experience it, it can really be that way. For that reason, autism isn't this gigantic tragedy to me. Yes, you wonder who will hire him and love him when you are gone, and no, he wasn't prom king. But there are plenty of compensations if you can get past all that.I've read some reviews about how Christopher fails to understand the tragedy of his parent's divorce, because autistic people have no empathy and so on and so forth. I beg to differ. Christopher is initially motivated by his love for a dog, and a sense of the injustice done to the dog. But his other big move is to go to London, which wouldn't have happened if he hadn't cared about his mother. He explains that the reason he has an easier time with animals is that they don't lie to him. He understands their minds and can trust them to be faithful and honest... it's not about lack of empathy for people. Every autistic person I know well is deeply empathetic. Because of (for example) the stupid fights he sees his parents go through, people have to do more to gain his trust. Autism is seen as a disability, because people like Christopher don't get some really big things, like that his father isn't going to kill him. But Christopher doesn't get his father for the same reason his father doesn't get him - because their brains are wired differently. In this sense, Christopher isn't any dumber or less empathetic or less rational than his father, and Haddon conveys this beautifully.Christopher and his father are thrown into this world with different brains, but with the same desire to create a meaningful life. The mind of Christopher's father gives him certain advantages toward this end, but Christopher's mind gives him equally big advantages, and Haddon leaves you genuinely wondering which mind you would rather have. It was just great. -When I started this book I had high hopes and the information about Berlin and the change to Nazism and the often cruelty and attacks on American citizens were very interesting. Also the interplay of characters, Nazi and not. What I was very disappointed in was the free spirited sex life of Martha, the daughter. Here was a woman who was married (somewhat) but proceeded to have an active sex life with practically anyone who came along. She might have been the daughter of the ambassador but she was no lady. IF the author wanted to present the whole story, then reactions and actions of Bill Jr and the ambassador's wife would have added to the story. Rather the book was more about the daughter and her affairs than the presenting what was really going on in Berlin -This was a book club read and I did love it. It was a great story, The characters were wonderful, I just didn't want it to end. It reminded me a little bit of the HELP. There was humor, sadness, joy, love and the food sounded just wonderful! The only thing missing was the recipes. I will look for other Beth Hoffman books. -Occasionally I see these 2.99 books, with good reviews...that just suck. There are a few authors on amazon who have obviously bought their reviews. This one had a surprising number of pretty high reviews so I was kind of suspect to be honest. I hadn't read the other book by this author, but...this one just sounded interesting enough that I figured why not.Score. I loved it. This is one of the books on amazon that has earned its score. If you liked books like starship troopers, or any military science fiction this is a good choice. Well developed characters, fun plot, etc. -I had been hearing good things about Wither before I even received this book. The cover is really pretty (though am I the only one who thinks the cover model looks like Mandy Moore?) and draws you into the story. I totally got sucked in while reading. The characters are what really makes this book stand out. While the overall plot is fascinating, if the characters didn't come alive to me then the book would have been meh to me. As it stands however, DeStefano makes Rhine, Gabriel, Jenna, Cecily and Linden all become real to me.Rhine's character is very conflicted throughout the book yet she is a likable character. I don't know what I would have done in her situation. I can't even fathom knowing that I would be dead in a few years. What makes her different from the other wives is that she knows what the real world is like and she knows what having a real family is like. Therefore unlike everyone else, she has hope and she is doing all she can to live for that hope.Jenna's character is devastatingly tragic for me. I really wish we could have known more about her. When we're introduced to her, it's almost like she's already doomed from the start. She's quietest of the three wives and the one that keeps to herself the most. She loves reading which made me relate to her the most. Since she pretty much knows her fate already, she just takes each day one at a time. Also as the oldest, she seems to be the wisest of the group. This is drastically different from Cecily, who at the youngest, seems to be the most flighty and immature. Yet it is her who has the biggest influence on Linden's father due to her circumstances. It's quite sad to read about what she has to go through afterward and how she is kept from what she loves most. The thing that got me is that Linden is not a bad guy. I was so ready for him to be like his father and for me to hate him, but he wasn't and I didn't. I felt immensely sorry for him throughout most of the book. His father on the other hand, oooh it's almost like reading about Umbridge all over again. Still when you know WHY he's doing it, it makes sense though his obsession with finding a cure makes his character seem unloving towards his current son.Overall, Wither is an absolutely fascinating read. The world that DeStefano has created seems to be a bleak and hopeless world for the young. However for characters such as Rhine and Gabriel, there is resistance and a fighting chance for survival. I cannot wait for the next book in the series though since this is a trilogy, I bet the 2nd book will have an even worse cliffhanger. Even if you don't like other dystopia book, I really think you should try this one. It's an engrossing read and will keep you glued to your seat as you frantically turn pages. HIGHLY recommended. -Incarnate by Jodi MeadowsPrint Length: 400 pagesPublisher: Katherine Tegen Books (January 31, 2012)Sold by: HarperCollins PublishersASIN: B005GG0K80My Review~The cover is stunning!! I love love love the cover! The colors, the movement, and the feel of it had me dying to delve in the depths of the pages so that I may figure out what the cover represents. This is a new book and feel about things that we read alot about like dragons, souls, reincarnation and etc.. The author has done an amazing job with the unique world that she has created. I'm tickled pink to say that I stayed up all night read this book because I couldn't put it down and didn't want to stop. I wanted to figure out who was after Ana and Sam and also who was following them. I simply can't wait to read the next book in this series and I hope that it is better than the first, because I'm reeling about the ending....Okay if you haven't figured it out yet I LOVE LOVE LOVE this read! The author has done a great job on the characters with the descriptions, personalities, and love the dialogue. The unique world was so wonderful that I could just imagine myself right there with Ana while she struggles to become something better than a no soul. The romance of Ana and Same even made it the story even better with the tension filled talks between them and the hormonal issues that every young adult faces. This book is as unique as the cover and as beautiful and breathtaking as a butterfly.Amazon Book Description~New soulAna is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.No soulEven Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?HeartSam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life. -I do not think I will finish this book, its so "out there" and feels like it was written by teens with over active imaginations. The two main characters, Anna and Christian are not believable and to me, annoying. Chris is on some kind of sadist ego trip and Anna comes across as a very immature and awkward girl. I was on a long waiting list for this book and I am very disappointed, Im glad I got it at the library and didnt buy it. This is just my opinion, you might like it, but I was very excited to read it and that excitement crashed very early on in the book. -What a funny, funny read. It’s very rare a book makes me laugh out loud but this book certainly did!! The flirty, sexually charged banter, the texting and Caroline’s hilarious internal dialogue had me rolling around in stitches from beginning to end.The story is about an interior designer named Caroline Reynolds who after an unfortunate experience with an ex has lost her O and she doesn’t seem to be making an appearance any time soon. To add insult to injury she is quickly discovering her new neighbour, that shares her bedroom wall, enjoys nocturnal activities of the loud variety and with a “harem” of different women. Women that Caroline refers to as Spanx, Purina and Giggler (take from that what you will!!).I have to be honest, I think I fell in love with Caroline when she fell in love with her new Kitchen Aid Mixer, a housewarming gift from her two best friends Mimi and Sophia. She just came across as so normal and relatable. She loves her job, loves her friends, loves to cook and loves her cat Clive. She does’t however love Wallbanger and after one too many nights of listening to him deliver the goods she decides to confront him. When Simon Parker, aka Wallbanger, opens the door she is confronted by a stunningly sexy man wrapped in a towel riding too low on his hips and this is where the fun begins. From here the pair bicker and banter with each other and through a series of events the exasperated neighbours call a truce, which eventually turns into friendship (nooking and tonnes of sexual innuendo included) and then dating before O finally decides to make her stunning reappearance.Simon turns out not to be the manwhore that you initially think he’ll be. Yes, he can make the bed bang and the woman scream his name but everyone involved is on the same page. He doesn’t do the relationship thing because of his work and he makes that known from the get go, that is until the night Caroline shows up, banging at his door in her sexy pink nightie. Simon is a photographer who loves to travel (and does a lot), loves to cook, loves good music and adores Caroline's goodies (the baked ones of course!!). As their relationship progresses and they have their fair share of ups and downs Caroline realises Simon has a deeper more sensitive side and even though he tells here he doesn’t know how to do the relationship thing she thinks he’s doing a damn good job:“He was wooing me. And I was letting him woo. I wanted the woo. I deserved the woo. I needed the wow that would surely follow the woo, but for now, the woo? It was whoa.”The support characters stories were fun to read too. I really liked Mimi, Sophia, Neil and Ryan and Jillian and Benjamin and I hope we get to see lots more of them in the future. I am waiting with bated breath for the sequel, Rusty Nailed, to be released Jun 24 2014.If your looking for a funny read filled with flirty banter, sexual innuendo and great, loveable characters…..look no further. This is for you. -Perhaps one of the most powerful ideas in this book is the idea of defiance, of standing up to those who mean you harm. That is the spirit that Katniss Everdeen embodies. She is the big sister that puts her own life on the line so that her sister, Primrose, does not need to fight in the dreaded Hunger Games.There are many out there who lambaste Collins for seemingly copy-and-pasting "Battle Royale" word for word, but there are enough differences between the two for this book not to be blatant copy, perhaps merely another author's rendition of a similar source work. Of course, the purpose of this review is not to compare two books side-by-side, but to review Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" as a standalone novel.The premise is simple. Every year twelve districts all around the totalitarian country of Panem must send one boy and one girl as "Tributes" into the Hunger Games, a contest between the districts that awards the winning district with fame and glory and lots and lots of resources from the government. What an excellent concept this is, from a political standpoint. It keeps the upper class citizens of Panem, who reside at the capital, happy and entertained, while the bottom of the pyramid, the Districts, fight against each other, making a full-blown rebellion all but impossible. Of course, this year's Games is not like any of the other games. There can be only one victor, but it is Katniss's defiant spirit that causes the greatest upset to the games Panem has ever seen.As a first-person limited novel, much of the history of Collins's world is left to conjecture. Katniss is a strong observer, but not an omniscient one, not by a long shot. She can only provide her own guesses, which we adopt and add to, as to what is happening outside of the Games that she is currently participating in. However, the strength of this perspective lies in giving us, the readers, unlimited access to the deepest recesses of Katniss's mind. We effectively become Katniss Everdeen, the defiant girl who started a spark of revolution throughout the nation.The character development is good. We get to know not only Katniss, but also the characters she comes across. But perhaps it is Haymitch's character that steals the show. His attitude toward life, teetering between sarcastic scorn and PTSD, reflects the attitudes of some soldiers who return from combat. According to Collins, such is actually her source material for the characters and plot, the exploration of combat and its effects on young soldiers. As this is the first novel in the series, we still have yet to see any significant development of Gale and Peeta, both of whom remain rather static throughout the novel. Peeta starts off weak, he ends off weak, getting wounded and hiding in the mud as opposed to Katniss, who becomes a huntress of people.The plot and pacing are good, though it's a little slow for the first third of the book. Collins uses this first part to develop the main backstory of Panem, dedicating the latter half to the actual Games itself. Once we step into the arena, however, it's no holds barred and everything you've ever known just flies out the window.This is by no means a thorough review of the novel. I have only read it once and that was over a year ago, so I'm going on very shallow memory right now. Overall, it is an enjoyable novel, the start of something that could have been, but failed to launch with Mockingjay. -Finally finished this mammoth book, and I think it's better than the television show. The characters have more depth, and the jumping from place to place makes more sense. It does have its slow parts, but in the end, it's a very rewarding read. I'll be reading the next book after a short break with another novel. -I could not rest until I finished this book! I read in some reviews that William Landay's characters in Defending Jacob are underdeveloped, and I disagree. They are fleshed out more than well enough, as the plot of necessity relies -- Landay intended it to rely -- more on the swift action provided by any excellent legal thriller. If I have any criticism, it's minor; he could have tightened up the editing by skipping quite a bit of the routine procedural courtroom exchanges and I'd not have missed a thing. But then, Stephen King could use a stricter editorial hand and I doubt he's lost many readers for it. Bottom line: It's clear this author cares deeply about producing quality work. That the story concluded after such a pitch-perfect, unpredictable crescendo I particularly appreciated. Glad to have stumbled upon Landay's book. Now onto his first two novels! -I'm a total history lover, so anytime I can read something that is not only true, but interesting, I'm all over it. Erik Larson has a unique ability to write about historical events in a truly intriguing way. He writes non-fiction that flows and seems less real than some novels I read.In the Garden of Beasts is about William E. Dodd, an American ambassador in Germany circa 1933. Dodd moves his family to Berlin at a pivotal point in history when Hitler is rising in power. You can only imagine the chaos that surrounds this family as they try to assimilate in a very difficult time and place in the world.If you love history, or just need a non-fiction book to read, I highly recommend this one. -I hated the constant drug scenes but the writing language and character development was exceptional and kept me going. She is a writer in charge of her craft. -I read the entire book in one night.Brutal in so many ways, yet without causing damage to the reader, and certainly no dwelling on pain, suffering, or violence just for the sake of it.Compelling, cool story, solid character development, and well-constructed plot. Not the most original concept for a story, but certainly has enough angles, twists, and depth in and of itself to make for a very worthwhile read. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and enjoyed the pure escapism it offered. -This book is one of those rare novels that creates a level of intimacy with its characters that remains in tact long after the story is finished. The characters are complex and unpredictable, extremely human and occasionally divine. The storyline is fascinating and compelling. While I was reading, I didn't feel manipulated by the plot construction or falsely enticed by cliffhangers or manufactured suspense. The characters pulled me forward, not with a shallow lust for more, but with the fluid movement of art and masterful character development. This book will never be one that I see a few years later and can't remember what it was about. Like all masterful art, its impression on me is here to stay. I'm not sure when it happened, but its characters feel like intimate friends rather than casual acquaintances. -One of the things that continue to amaze me about the quality of the books by Roth is her age and the fact that these are her first two books. It took a bit to remember what was going on when I picked up Insurgent, since I'd read the first book several months ago. That said, once things got going I finished the book in a few hours.The pacing is excellent, and the mystery in the book keeps feeding you enough clues to keep you interested. Additionally, I loved the struggle that the main character faced in choosing between what she believed what right, even though it would hurt those she loved most.Can't wait for the next book. -I have to admit, I had reservations about this book. The cover and the title made it seem a bit cheesy and the synopsis didn't really grab my attention. I'm not a huge fan of contemporary romance anyway so initially I decided to pass this one up. Then I saw some super early reactions from bloggers whose opinions I generally tend to agree with and I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. For being a book I wasn't even interested in trying at first I was really blown away. The story was not cheesy in the least, the characters were dynamic and interesting and the drama sucked me right in. I fell in love with Echo and Noah and found myself devouring this story. Best of all, the book had real depth and the romance was not the least bit one dimensional. I loved this book!LIKES:Story is told from both Noah's and Echo's perspectives: I really love it when stories are told from multiple perspectives. It really adds to the reader's understanding of a story and makes it feel more dynamic. Echo and Noah each had their own unique voice and their own story to tell and it was really great to be able to understand Noah's view on the evolution of their relationship and not just Echo's. I think this writing style makes you more attached to the secondary characters as well and therefore more invested in the story as a whole.McGarry shows the humanity of all characters, even the "villains": I was a little worried when I first started this book that the author would focus on the short-comings of Echo's parents and ignore the fact that their life experiences and concern for their children influenced their parenting decisions (this is a common pitfall in a good portion of YA literature). McGarry left me pleasantly surprised when she really delved into why Echo's dad (along with other secondary characters) acted the way he did and why he made the, sometimes wrong, decisions that he made.Realistic romance, not star-crossed lovers: Echo and Noah are from different worlds and they certainly don't seem like they are meant for each other at the beginning of the book. Their relationship is tumultuous and they have completely different personalities. I was very happy that instead of a perfect, simplistic "bad boy falls in love with good girl" romance they had a real connection and realistic arguments about their relationship. I didn't feel like their love story was over-idealized. Their issues and fights were all the more heart-wrenching because of this realism and it allowed for an even bigger pay-off.DISLIKES:An abundance of f-bombs: If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times: don't overuse the f-bomb. Whenever you use a word over and over it takes away its meaning and impact. This is especially true with "shocking language". After awhile it just gets old reading "eff this, eff that" constantly. For me, it isn't a matter of offensiveness, it's a matter of creativity.Not enough closure: I felt like there wasn't quite enough resolution with Echo's mother. I would have liked to see that explored and settled more. Then again, I suppose that was on purpose.I am so happy I gave this one a shot. There is enough suspense and drama to keep everyone interested but the romance is realistic and sweet. Even if you don't love contemporary romance I would definitely pick this book up. You won't regret it. -I was excited to read these books due to all the hype. But to be honest after reading the whole trilogy I have got to ask where they hype came from. I did not find the first book interesting at all but decided to really give it a shot and read all three. It was like reading the same awful book three times in a row.1) Characters:The characters are uninteresting and boring. They are taken directly from twilight but made worse. It was almost laughable how much the characters were like their twilight counterparts. But on top of that the hero is abusive. I am not sure why anyone would find him a heart throb. The heroine is a wimp.2) PlotThere is none. Simple as that. I will admit in the second and third books there is a bit more plot but in the first book there is absolutely no plot at all.3) SexWhile I admit the first couple of sex scenes were kind of fun by the end of the first book I was so tired of reading them they just got plain boring. It was the same sex scene over and over again with just a small twist. But they became predictable. The reader knew exactly what would happen, what would he say, what would she say etc... and this does not change for three books. Not to mention the characters have sex like 5 times a day every day. I was begging for them to stop having sex and have a plot but this does not happen. (If I ever hear the phrase inner goddess again...)I honestly could not recommend this book or book series to anyone. There was nothing interesting. Please save your time and $ if you plan on buying these. At least I got mine from the library but that doesn't help the fact that I wasted so much time reading these books. -I first learned about this book through the National Novel Writer's Month website -- this book was listed as being written by a NaNoWriMo participant, and the author stated that this book was a product of said event. Being a NaNoWriMo writer myself, I was heartened to learn that someone had not only published a book produced during the event, but said book had been successful enough to warrant bestseller status and a movie deal. So I decided to check it out for myself, and see what a fellow NaNoWriMo writer had turned out.In the end, I found myself torn over the book -- I love it to pieces, but at the same time it frustrates me, though not enough to make me want to give it a negative review.The titular "Night Circus" is actually called Cirque de Reves (Circus of Dreams), a uniquely built circus open only at night and with attractions and acts that straddle the line between fantasy and reality, between the fantastic and the outright impossible. Behind said circus are two magicians -- Marco, assistant to the circus' proprietor and the secret power behind maintaining and organizing said circus, and Celia, daughter of a famous stage magician and serving as the circus' illusionist. Both are bound to the circus and are pitted against one another in a mysterious contest by their enigmatic instructors... but both end up falling in love, and seek to defy the rules of the game with potentially disastrous consequences for the rest of the circus. Meanwhile, a farm boy named Bailey becomes entranced with the circus in general -- and with Poppet, the clairvoyant daughter of the big cat trainers, in particular -- and finds his own fate becoming entwined with that of the circus.Let me begin with the one thing about this book that frustrates me -- the main characters, Marco and Celia. They are some of the flattest, blandest, most cardboard characters I have ever come across in a work of fiction, second only to Bella from the "Twilight" series. They aren't annoying or pathetic characters, but they are so devoid of personality that it becomes difficult to care about them. Most of the other characters, even the minor ones, have at least some personality to them, and I found myself more concerned with their fates than with the lovers/competitors who were the story's spotlight. In particular, I loved Bailey, Poppet, and Poppet's twin brother Widget, and dearly wish they had been the focus of the story instead of Marco and Celia. I was always heartened to see another Bailey chapter in the book as I read, while the Celia and Marco chapters didn't hold my interest as well, as the characters were too lifeless for me to be emotionally invested in them.That's my only quibble with this book, however -- the rest is one of the most enthralling and beautiful fictional worlds I have ever come across in a work of fiction.The circus is so grandly described, so beautifully built through Morgenstern's wordcraft, that I find myself wishing it existed in real life so I could pay a visit. She describes not only the sights of the circus, but the evocative smells -- as one character in the book states, the sense of smell is an under-utilized but powerful sense. And she makes it all seem entirely plausible and real, to the point where I find myself wanting to visit the Paper Menagerie, attend a Midnight Dinner, purchase a chocolate bat and a cocoa and go watch the illusionist or the contortionist at work, or even simply light a candle on the Wishing Tree.Of all the characters in the book, I think my favorite, besides Bailey and the twins, would be Friedrick, a clockmaker who becomes enamored with the circus to the point that he builds what can only be called a fandom around it (much like Trekkies are to Star Trek). The collective friendship and brotherhood among these reveurs, as they call themselves, reminds me of the same friendship and brotherhood that exists among fellow fans of some of my own geeky interests, and so helped me identify even more with the titular circus.All in all, I love this book so much that I can't give it a negative review -- it's marvelously written and builds a beautiful world that sucks the reader in and makes them never want to leave. But sadly, the main characters are so flatly written, so bland and uninteresting, that I can't give this five stars. I do not regret reading this book, though, and despite the unengaging leads I will happily recommend it to those who like light fantasy and marvelous worldbuilding. -Despite the language (is it really necessary to use the f-word so often?), I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Suspenseful and well-written, Gone Girl is a real page turner. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next, but as I neared the last pages, I didn't want it to end. And then when I read the last word, I thought, "Huh? Is that it? Are we to believe that this couple is going to stay together? Or wait, maybe Amy has something up her sleeve. Or maybe the pair from the Ozarks will arrive and throw a monkey wrench into everything."On the surface, the novel appears to be a boy-meets-girl story in which the characters are going to live happily ever after. They're both nice looking, educated, employed, and in love. But soon the reader learns that there's trouble in paradise and that things aren't always what they appear to be. They lose their jobs and move back to hubby's hometown to help care for his parents, her with cancer and him with Alzheimer's. That's when things really get interesting, and the reader doesn't know what to believe. Is Amy really an angel in disguise? Is Nick a cad? How can Amy be so callous in her thoughts about her parents, the people who have spent their adult lives writing about her and elevating her to fame?Gillain Flynn is masterful in creating such a suspenseful thriller. Seriously, up until the very last page the reader is wondering what's going to happen next. The scene setting, the character development, the plot twists, and the dialogue are all superb. I did wonder about a few things such as why no one listened to Desi's mother or what happened to Andie. Those are minor questions in the grand scheme of things, however.It's a powerful book, especially for those interested in the inner workings in the mind of a sociopath. You'll never see the people around you in the same way again, not even those whom you think you know best. -***May Contain Spoilers***To start off, I have to gush about this cover. This is hand-down the most beautiful cover I have ever seen before (and I have seen some pretty beautiful covers before like "Fallen" and "Torment" by Lauren Kate, "Halo", and whatnot). When I originally bought the book I thought that if the book wasn't that great, I would be okay with that, just because the cover is so beautiful... (which thankfully I didn't have to worry about).Anyways, on to the story. This book is very much the case of girl and boy meet, as they look at one another/ touch one another they fall madly and deeply in love (all within an hour of knowing one another). I hate when this happens in books, mainly because it is not realistic whatsoever, and I personally believe that the stuff that happens as two people fall in love is extremely interesting. However, I didn't fully hate that this happened in this book. I mean, it did bug me, but it didn't completely turn me off of the book (*cough, cough, "Halo" by Alexandra Adornetto)... I think that what made up for this occurring was the boys....Oh, the boys... It's weird, lately while reading books where the female character has to choose between two boys, I haven't been able to choose which boy I prefer, or if I do choose between the two boys, I only like one over the other by a fraction (ie. Gale and Peeta in "The Hunger Games" trilogy) and in the first half of the novel, I, for the life of me, could not choose between Ren and Shay. I also found it weird that I liked Ren in this book. Usually I am anti-player boy, but with Ren, I was almost able to overlook the fact that he was a player, mainly due to the fact that he clearly cared about Calla and when he was a sweet, he was a really sweet (ie. giving her the ring). On the other hand, well, Shay was the perfect snarky/ sarcastic boy who also clearly cared about Calla. So how is a girl to choose? I did end up picking my favourite between the boys about halfway through the novel, but I still felt really bad for the boy that I didn't choose (the one who Calla didn't end up with in the end) and I think that because of his sacrifice at the end of the novel he still might have a chance with her.While reading this book I found myself growing more and more frustrated with Calla. I felt like she was playing both boys way too much in this book. I understand that she was confused and everything, but there was another option available, she could have isolated herself from both in order to think over the decision carefully without having any outside influences impacting her decision (as opposed to making out with both of them, making them both think that he was the one she was obviously going to choose in the end).I did find that this book was pretty predictable in some matters, but not in others. When it was first discovered that Shay was the Scion and that the Scion was a "gift" or something or another, I groaned, predicting (correctly) how this was going to play out with the union between Calla and Ren. On the other hand, I did think that what happened between Calla and Shay in the cave would eventually happen, I just didn't think that it would happen that suddenly or in that instance. I wish that in that part that it had been more elaborated upon, I found it to be quite rushed (it only took up a couple of pages at most), I would have loved hearing more about the process of transformation and whatnot. So it was nice that some things were still able to take me by surprise (and I am sure that lots will take me by surprise in the next novel in the series, "Wolfsbane", as so many questions were left unanswered in this book).I loved the secondary characters in this book (which is also quite surprising as I typically loathe them). I found them to be so dynamic and multi-faceted. For instance, Sabine, the obvious bitchy/ slutty girl, who despite it all, is obviously an extremely caring person as she does everything in her power to protect her pack member, Cosette, from the big bad world, Neville, the quiet boy whose music and poetry speak volumes, and Ansel, the little brother, who throughout the novel is discovering himself and what he wants in life, all the while, protecting his older sister, no matter the cost to himself.All in all, this is a great book (both the story and the cover). This book is perfect for the reader who loves a balance of the paranormal and romance (seriously, this book is an extremely hot YA novel). -I just loved this book. It is in my top two and I will probably read it again which I rarely do. The story was really good and the characters were excellent. This author will go far. I can hardly wait for her next novel. -I loved every second of this entire novel! Enough said! No really, the characters are fabulous and addictive. I felt the heartbreaking tale of Joss' loss and subsequent lifestyle. I loved every step of her journey. -‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’ by Robert Galbraith – a pseudonym for J. K. Rowling, is the first in the mystery series ‘Cormoran Strike’, titled after the main character.We meet Cormoran Strike when he’s down on his luck, so much so that he’s taken to living in his office – a long fall for the man who used to be in the army. Then, luckily, John Bristow walks into Strike’s office with a job for him – prove the police wrong by discovering his sister’s killer. The case was ruled as a suicide, but Bristow is adamant that couldn’t be true, and he hires Strike to prove it.Armed with a new assistant and finally with a little money to his name, Strike sets out to do his job. The fact he’s investigating a supermodel means he’s soon pulled into the lives of those rich and famous, but even Strike’s steady head and nerves aren’t quite ready to deal with what is soon thrown at him.I honestly kept forgetting that the author is our favourite Rowling as I read this – I even thought at one stage that I needed to look up the author to see if he had written anything else. The writing may not be out of this world, but it was a comforting loose, enjoyable read, and I love books that capture the feel and echo of London. Rowling manages to write characters that aren’t exactly likeable, yet she still manages to make them likeable, if that makes any sense at all. They’re real and flawed but entirely realistic.The book itself is very much grounded in reality. While not teeming with original ideas, it is unmistakably a very well written and clever detective novel and I look forward to more, though it’s a pity Rowling was ‘outed’ as the author against her wishes as it sort of skews perceptions of the book when the author is such an acclaimed one.Perhaps I’ve been watching too much Luther, but if they ever develop this series for the screen, please let Idris Elba play Strike.Our protagonist is quick-minded and easily likeable and is what makes the whole book so very entertaining as he puts the puzzle together bit by bit.It might be a little typical story-wise but that’s by no means a bad thing. In fact, it’s exactly what the book is supposed to be, and it’s very good at what it sets out to do. Rowling makes a tired story somehow refreshing and above all else, very, very entertaining. -I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and its sequels.I found that she captured the essence of the moral ambiguity that life offers.Her characters,while engaging, live in shades of grey.Unlike Harry Potter- while extremely engaging- the morally expected outcome is not cast in stone.Characters are flawed- seriously so- and the hook is complex: her characters are both compelling and flawed.And isn't that life? While directed at a teen audience I found these books to be not just palatable but riveting to an older audience- we are engaged because we have ( many of us) observed,first hand, the complexities and ambiguities of our lives and decisions.I heartily recommend these books- these are not Twilight- (porno bland) but these serve I believe to challenge us with important question couched in a drama palatable to all: why are we here? what is true? and what,fundamentally,do I stand for? -Just the word "maze" incites an instant mental picture of adventure, mystery, danger, and bravery. James Dashner's, The Maze Runner, has screamed at me from bookshelves for the past six months. At last, when I found an extra $9.99 in my pocket, I purchased it.The story follows a teenage boy named Thomas who wakes up in what seems to be a never-ending pitch-black elevator that deposits him into the center of a maze--a maze that's kept over 50 boys prisoner for several years. With a faulty memory and determination to find answers, Thomas seeks knowledge in every nook and cranny of the hundred-foot walls surrounding the only safe square to live in--the Glade.He has a rough entry into the created Glade culture, where boys take little pity on newcomers and everyone has accepted the fate of what seems to be an unsolvable maze. Every Glader has a duty--farming, cooking, healing, etc. Thomas wants to be a Runner--an explorer of the maze who spends all day seeking answers. Instead of welcoming him with open arms, the Gladers suspect him when things start to change. Boys remember him, but they don't know why. A girl shows up in the elevator-box (the first one ever). A message is received from the Creators. And Thomas somehow has bravery and answers no one else has seen before.When the "end" is triggered, the boys are forced to fight for their lives, their friends, and their sanity against the dreaded enemies called "The Grievers". Time is running out and escape options dwindle like a trickling waterfall.This book was a quick read--took me less than a week, which is saying a lot in my busy schedule. The plot was intriguing and many of the character emotions were deep and believable. I felt confused with Thomas and frustrated with his fleeting memories. The adventure is constant and page-turning, but a little on the darker side. Many children die over the course of the book and there are other things like sacrifices and torturing sickness.The end was rather dark and a little depressing. Not a lot of hope is left or achieved. The "last battle" of sorts is graphic, sad, and slightly disturbing with the knowledge that all the screams and deaths are those of teenage children. Throughout the novel, I found Thomas's lack of compassion in certain situations disturbing, like when a boy is sacrificed to the Maze.The plot had a lot of potential. It built and built and built to something I hoped would be great, but turned out to be predictable. It didn't feel unique, which then didn't seem to match the rest of the book. Once I discovered the answers behind the existence and purpose of the maze, I was sorely disappointed. It wasn't believable to me. It kept the imagination-cogs turning through the novel, but in the end weakened the story.The characters came off sadly bland and inconsistent. Thomas in particular seemed lacking in emotions and somehow managed to succeed at most of what he tried. While the reader wanted to see the characters eventually succeed, I felt a lack of inner conflict. Thomas just had a lot of outer conflict that was "conquered" with just a little average thinking.The "culture" created in the Maze lacked hope and compassion and the only clear theme running throughout the novel was "never give up." But once we reached the end, no hope was reached. The book had so much potential--cool title, catching first chapter, and who doesn't like the idea of a giant creepy maze? Overall, I found the read interesting, but mediocre. It's doubtful I'd read it again. -Starts a little slow but builds into a good story. Several twists and turns keeps interesting. Found it difficult to put down. Nice weekend read m -This probably wasn't the best of the trilogy...perhaps the worse. I was disappointed in all the action that resulted in...nothing. The action parts leading toward the end was boring...like the author got lost in thought and direction...alot of running in circles...perhaps even felt like the third installment of this trilogy was only a draft version rushed to print without being polished and properly editted. I love a well written book, but this just didn't do it for me. There were interesting twists throughout and the very end of the book was sweet, and I did like it over all. But again, very disappointed in several parts leading up to the end. Hoping the final movie version will be fixed by the director to make it more interesting than this final book. That's my humble opinion. -I really like this book - the character were likable, it was a good length, there wasn't too much angst and it was engaging until the end. I'm definitely looking forward to Landon's story and would definitely recommend reading 'Easy' first. -Brynne is a beautiful American girl studying at the University of London. She is also a part time model. Due to her troubled past, she is working hard to get her life back on track and so far, things are going great until she meets Ethan Blackstone. Ethan is a very successful businessmen and falls hard for the women in the portraits. He is gorgeous, a bit demanding and somewhat overbearing but not in an annoying way. The chemistry between them is undeniable. It also doesn't help that her therapist is pushing her towards this potential relationship. Brynne has reservations about Ethan, she knows he wants her in all ways but he also has a secret, a secret that can end things just as quickly as they began. It is a whirlwind romance , emotions are high but when the secret is revealed, Ethan stands to lose the one thing he loves the most.. Brynne.I really enjoyed this book, the writing was good and I loved the characters. Ethan is definitely up there with Mr. Grey and Gideon.My only complaint is that this book was too short and I felt things were a bit rushed but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story. OMG talk about a cliffhanger! I look forward to reading book 2!A job well done by Raine Miller! -I was pleasantly surprised reading this novel. I was expecting just another teen romance, and got a dark fantasy, action-adventure with interesting and unique characters. A sixteen year old begins to see things that can't possibly be real, but then can't deny the strange occurances when her four year old half-brother is replaced with a faery changeling. Then, to top it all off, her best friend turns out to be none other than Robin Goodfellow (Puck).Meghan is determine to save her brother and gets Robbie (Puck) to take her into the fae world to save him. Yet, she doesn't realize until it is too late just how dangerous the fae world can be. Especially since the fae see humans as little more than meat.Super, great, fast-paced book. Other than of a few swear words in the book and a bit of gore and fighting, parents should not have a problem of buying this book for their teens. The romance is very light and sweet. The heroine has morals and makes good decisions in hopes of hurting no one. I had a hard time putting this one down. I'm so glad I chose it in my Vine selection, and I look forward to reading the next one in the series. Yes, there will definitely be a next one according to the ending of the first. -I wanted to like this book and I do... The love story is very believable. I can totally see how Lou and Will could have fallen in love with each other. However, some of the characters feel very contrived. Lou's family members are presented as happy, loving and accepting people even tho they struggle financially and are living in very tight quarters. I get the feeling the author wanted to create the perfect family who focus on the right things but are just too poor, but there's not enough human flaws. She gave them enough personality to be charming and slightly comical. Will, too, was the perfect man before his accident. He was independently wealthy by the age of 33. He had traveled the world and partake in so many exciting and romantic travels and activities. For a guy who spent so much time doing so many fun and wonderful things I wonder how he found the time to build a massively successful company. If you built this successful business, you must have enjoyed that process, perhaps you can still work on it as a quad. Since his business dealings weren't physically demanding. It's feasible he could continue to have a fulfilling business career in spite of his handicap. I know people who live with ALS which leaves them less physical functions than a quad, but they still work and find fulfillment in other aspects of life. As I read the book, I could totally see a movie made by Hollywood to be the perfect romantic comedy with a tear jerker ending. I do like the point made by Will that he no longer has a voice since the accident and he does have a choice when it comes to his life and the people who love him should respect that choice. -Suzanne Collins has already proven her talent for storytelling with her recently completed Gregor the Underlander series. In that series, she showed she was able to create strong characters, move plot along quickly, deftly control the rise and fall in tension, and create moving scenes. While there were some weak sections in the series (sometimes the pace moved too quickly, settings often could have been more detailed, and a few characters could have been more richly drawn), by the end she had crafted one of the best YA series to hit the shelves the past few years--a thoughtful, often dark, almost always rewarding series.I'm happy to report that with book one (and it is a book one--fair warning to those who prefer not to start a series until it's already completed) of The Hunger Games, there is no sophomore slump. In fact, she returns with a starting book that is more tightly focused, more moving, more quickly paced, more thoughtful and provocative, and more fully and constantly tense throughout.The premise for the Hunger Games is admittedly somewhat derivative and one could come up with dozens of possible Hollywood-pitch-like pairings: "it's Survivor meets Running Man", "it's The Lottery meets The Most Dangerous Game", "it's . . . ". None of it matters. What very often counts in a genre novel, where many of the same old premises, same old tropes, same old formulas, appear and reappear over the years is not the original starting point, but what you do with it. What Hunger Games is, is good.The opening whisks us right through the premise in a few brief pages. We're in a post-apocalyptic North America--in a dystopia named Panem--a dystopia formed out of the remnants of civilization. Panem is ruled from a rich Capital and has 12 districts that provide what is needed--food, coal, etc. Outside the Capital the people are barely surviving, many starving and the rest close to it. Years ago the 12 districts (actually, 13 at the time) rebelled and were brutally put down. As "repentance" and as a form of cold reminder, every year each district sends one boy and one girl (chosen by lottery) to the Hunger Games-- a televised kill-or-be-killed event set in a huge arena.When Katniss's younger sister, Prim, is chosen by lottery, Katniss volunteers in her place, joining Peeta--the chosen boy from her district--in the Games. All of this happens very fast in the book, as does the few days of training prior to the Games themselves. Though the background is quick, it is efficiently concise. We get a clear sense of much of what we need to know: what life is like for those in Katniss' district, what she is like, her relationship with her best friend Gale, her place in the family (she's become the one taking care of the family since her father died in a mining accident), the contrast between life in the Capital and life in the districts, etc. There isn't a lot of detail, and some readers will probably wish for more explanation, but what we have is sufficient.By the time the Games themselves start, we have a solid footing. Which is good, because once the Games do start, it's all pretty breathless as Katniss tries to survive. There are a lot of action scenes--fights, things blowing up, desperate attempts to save wounded people, etc.--but Collins isn't interested in simply an episodic line of battles, one after the other, showing off various combat skills until the winner is left alone.Katniss faces many complex decisions--to what extent does she "play" to the watching crowd (a "popular" contestant can gain sponsors who can pay for gifts that can be the difference between life and death), can she really kill another human, whom can she trust, what motivates the people around her, what is her relationship to Peeta or Gale, what debts does one human own another, etc. The third person point of view focuses on her actions and thoughts and so we struggle with those questions even as she does, all while we root for her to "win" through the discomfort of realizing what this means is that we're rooting for her to kill.We also come to care about Peeta, even as we wonder just what game, if any, he is playing. And the relationship between the two of them is a major point of interest and tension. And while the other contestants, with one significant and moving exception, aren't painted in any sort of detail, we do get enough quick, concise brushstrokes for several of them to have distinct personalities (though one does wish more was done in this area).Along with getting us to care about the people, and not just the plot points, Collins also offers up some clear social criticism as well as some hints at much larger issues than these few characters or these single Games, both with regard to this created world and our own society. And while the book ends resolved and can be read without fear of a cliffhanger, there is enough left hanging in the air that the reader wants to see what happens afterward.There really is very little to criticize in this book, though one point should be made clear. Collins does not shy away at all from the premise of 24 kids placed in a kill-or-be-killed situation. There is no deus ex machina that swoops down and stops the games before anyone is killed or miraculously cures/revives the killed contestant. People die in this book. In fact, most of the people die in this book. And our main character kills some of them. And not by accident. Hunger Games is as dark as its premise promises and therefore it is not for the very young.A strong main character and several strong supporting ones. Crystal clear if not particularly beautiful prose. A constantly suspenseful plot. A quick pace. Moving scenes. A grim tone that adds to the sense that actions matter. An author who has the courage of her ideas. Social criticism. Hints at a larger story to come. A first book in a series that ends with enough resolution that reader can stop here and be satisfied. 400 pages that pull you along effortlessly. These positives more than outweigh the few very small negatives. Highly recommended. -Could not put this book down! The pace is so good, not too fast or too slow. The developing romance was really to be believed. I loved having the story be truly complete. That it was not over the second they found relief. -Best book I've read in a long time. My kind of love story!The history was interesting and new to me. The characters were delightful, both the main character and all the others. Because of the number of characters and how they were presented, I did have a little trouble remembering some of the minor characters. I like the way the story line was slowly revealed and the end result was unfolded.And it was absolutely my kind of love story. To explain: I am not fond of "love at first sight stories", or the "war and peace love stories (they fight until they fall in love)" or the "forbidden love" kind. All those formulas have not appeal to me. But this one had three potential lovers, two with very good prospects. Then they were both eliminated as prospects and the winner was slowly revealed. And it all tied up nicely at the end. -3 “Riptide” “Mine.” “Racer“ KissesI am torn. Conflicted. Frustrated. I don't know what to do. Well...I know what I have to do but that doesn't mean that I am going to like doing it. When you know the capabilities of an author...a character...a story line...and when you love it so passionately, anything less than amazing is not good enough. That's what I'm faced with here. I feel like Real set the bar of what I was expecting for the whole series…and Mine did not measure up in my book. Stone me now…curse me if you will, believe me, the words that I have to say are not fun for me to admit…but I can’t lie about how I feel.Brooke Dumas...did I love everything about Brooke in Real - not exactly but I got over it because for some reason, on some level I connected with her and felt for her. So all the annoying stuff kind of...didn’t matter. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense but it works in my crazy brain. Well in the beginning of Mine, Brooke drove me about 10 shades of crazy with some of her antics and logic. If you are going to make decisions and then get mad at the results of those decisions...it's time for you to grow up! She was being completely irrational and utterly annoying at times. Drove me bonkers! Because that's not the Brooke I loved in Real. Then, it was like a heavenly light opened up and finally I got my Brooke back. She was strong, not only for herself but for Remy, I loved the way she handled him and their relationship and just…everything. I was proud of her and how far they had come together.‘I’ve been broken and put together again.I’ve been loved, and I have loved.I’m in love, and I will be forever changed by this man. I used to dream of medals and championships, but now I dream solely of a blue-eyes fighter who one day changed my life, when he put his lips on mine…’Remy...Remington Tate deserves a million stars. Ten million. Alright infinity stars - there...it's settled. He is not perfect...he has flaws...he has issues and he is no where near infallible...but the man is so freakin’ in love with Brooke it makes my heart soar. Remy is like no other book bf…he defies categories and logic because even his wrongs add up to so much right. The #1 thing that has me excited about Remy is the prospect of being in his head. He's just...*sigh*...there are no words. Well...there are actually lots of words....like loving, strong, protective, kind, sexy, alpha, dominating, endearing...he's just so complex and the more I get to know about him the more I crave him. There are so many layers to this chess playing, @#$ kicking, Brooke loving lion. He's like a drug and I totally want to be on a Remy high...forever.‘And I want him like my next breath.I want him more than any one of these screaming women wants im.I want every fragmented part of him. I want his body. His mind. His heart. His beautiful soul.He says he’s mine, but I know that there’s a part of Remington Tate nobody will ever have.I am his, but he is untamable and unconquerable.The only one who can defeat Remington Tate is himself.’The thing that kept this book from being another 5++++ book was the repetitiveness. It was out of control...enough to the point where I was rolling my eyes. A lot. I loathe repetitiveness...I've stopped reading books because of it. What do I mean by repetitiveness? A few examples...talking about ‘his hair’, ‘his abs’, ‘his eyes’ – I get it…the dude’s gorgeous, I’m aware. I love his looks…but I don't need to be reminded of them all the time, and it was constant. If that was all the repetitiveness then maybe I could have handled it better, but it was also using the same words, over and over, to describe the same things. I didn't understand the point and unfortunately, I needed more than that. They have this great and amazing love and connection – build off of that. Expand! They’ve not been in a relationship for that long, I wanna see all of those moments! So what kept me going? One word. Remy. Plain and simple. That's it - his character completely carried this book and made it worth reading for me. Because any other time I would have stopped reading before I reached 50%. I hate saying that. I hate thinking that. It just...sucks.‘My lungs ache for breath and the rest of me aches for his hands on me. And when my gaze flicks upward to find those blue eyes pinned on mine, his face hurt and sweaty, all the testosterone in the world courses through him, pulling and enveloping me, so I can barely take living right now I want him so much . He makes me feel this all-consuming, soul -searing, heart-wrenching, painful need for him that’s more than physical, more than emotional.’I was warned about the repetitiveness too...so I was prepared to possibly hate it and maybe that softened the blow a little bit because while it grated on my nerves, I was able to shrug it off and push forward. If I am being honest, I probably would have DNF’d it had I not been prepared. That makes me want to cry. But despite the annoyance, I was glad I did read it because there were fleeting glimpses of the amazingness that was in Real. Like the amazing quote worthiness...I did swoon and love all my special little Remy moments...he and Brooke still blew me away with their love and devotion to each other. But then that only makes me wonder if the repetitiveness hadn't been so bad...what could this book have been? It's a sad thought to ponder...‘His words caress me.Nobody ever taught him how to love.He does it instinctively.’I can't lie...this book did evoke emotions out of me, even though the half of the time the emotions were usually out of frustration, that wasn’t all I felt… I already admitted I swooned, but I cried, I gasped, it got to my little feelers...so I did have love for this book and that does mean something to me. I am an emotional reader and if an author can still pull emotion out of me even when I'm at my wits end with frustration...that's saying a lot IMO. I did not see a lot of this plot coming, which is another positive thing. I don't know what I was expecting but the story line was definitely unpredictable and I appreciated that it kept me on my toes. And seriously…the prologue…L.O.V.E.D. every word.“Remy . . .”“This is the last time I live without you. I’m half mad already and halfway into the f^@$ing grave. I don’t like this. Every single monster in my head tells me you’ll run and I won’t be close enough to catch you. Every instinct in me screams at me to go get you. Every bone in my body tells me you are MINE—not a part of me, but my brain understands why the hell I sent you away from me. The rest of me can’t take it. You can’t convince the rest of me being away from you is right.”“Remington Tate, I swear to you— I swear— that when I’m able to get up from this stupid bed and run again, you’re always, always, going to be the one thing I’ll run straight to.”I will always have a deep love for Remy and Brooke and their story...but I am nervous about what to expect from Remy because I am hearing similar things to what I heard with Mine. So once again...I will prepare myself but keep the hope alive that even though I may not like everything, that my love for the characters will save me from too much disappointment. :-\ -Soooo, let me start this review by saying that wherever I put the word “duck,” I mean a similar word! I don’t think I’ve ever said the word “duck” so much while reading a book in my entire life as I did while reading Bang. It went from “what the duck am I reading?” to “why the duck am I reading this?” to then just one word “duckkkkkkkkkk!” Duck is seriously the best word to describe this book.The synopsis for Bang is quite vague and that had me seriously intrigued. And, the cover definitely had me interested. And, while those things are important to me when choosing what book to read, the content is by far the star. It was unexpected, took me by surprise and had my mind all over the place.“They say when you take revenge against another you lose your innocence. But I’m not innocent.”Right from the beginning, the reader is warned that this book is about revenge and the loss of innocence. The events that led up to Nina plotting her revenge are completely deplorable. I was actually gasping while reading certain parts of her story. And, while some of it may seem extreme because this is a work of fiction, I kept telling myself to remember, “this isn’t too far-fetched because there are some sick ducks out here in real life.”Bang is dark, twisted, and a complete mind duck. I have so many passages highlighted on my kindle, but I refuse to post any spoilers. This is not a happy-go-lucky book. I only had a warm, fuzzy feeling maybe once or twice. This book is as advertised with it being a psychological thriller. If you are a sensitive person, then let this serve as your disclaimer that this may not be the book for you.Bang will not leave you happy. Bang will not make you smile. I have absolutely no idea what could have been going through E.K. Blair’s head when she writing, but Bang in a very sick way is a masterpiece and it truly goes out with a BIG BANG!!! -Just a tiny note first to say that I just re-read this amazing book. <3 And posting below will be my new book recommendation for it :) Which you can also read on my blog, here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2014/04/book-recommendation-reboot-by-amy.html---Re-reading Reboot made me happy. And I'm so glad that I finally decided to do so. I've been meaning to re-read it ever since I downloaded Rebel for review back in January. But I was nervous. I was nervous about not loving it the same way this second time, as it has been more than a year since I first read it. But I shouldn't have worried. Because I loved it so much. I still think Reboot is an amazing book. It is exciting and fun and full of amazing romance. I'm so happy that I finally read it again. It's awesome.I'm not going to recap the book in this recommendation of mine. Because I feel that I would end up talking for ages, lol. But I will say that the plot in Reboot is amazing. I enjoyed it so much. It's exciting and surprising and full of action. And the romance. Swoon. More on that soonish. There is a lot of death in this book. But I didn't really mind. Except for this one death. That broke my heart. But it also made sense, and I think I would have made the same choice. Sniffs. But yes. It was very heartbreaking.Reboot is told from the point of view of seventeen year old Wren. Who is all kinds of amazing. I loved her. And I loved reading about her. At first she doesn't feel all that much. Which I didn't mind. But then Callum arrives and she starts to change. And I loved that so much. I think she ended up an even better person. But anyway. I adored reading about her. I adored her scars, even though they shame her. I think she's beautiful. And agh. I really loved reading about her and cannot wait to get to know more of her.Wren is a Reboot. There are a lot of them in this book. And that was such an awesome plot twist. I loved getting to know stuff about them. How much stronger they are than other humans. How fast they heal. How different they are as well. So awesome. Wren has been dead for 178 minutes, which is the most at the moment. What she had to go through was so heartbreaking to read about. Yet I wanted to read more and more. Sigh. I just love to torture myself, don't I? lol. But yeah. I thought the Reboots were amazing.One of the things I loved the most about Wren was her roommate and friend, Ever. I adored her as well. But I really loved their friendship. It gets better and more real after Callum arrives. And they are just too cute. Sigh. Ever is amazing. Though holy crap. Such awful things happen with her. Heartbreak. But also so interesting to read about. It was amazing. Sigh. There are a few other characters in this book that I liked as well. Like Addie. Would like to get to know her more as well. She did seem awesome.Then, of course, there is Callum. Who is a Twenty-Two. Which is a very low number for a Reboot. It means that he has more emotions that the others, and is more human. And sigh. I loved that. Because Callum is amazing. I loved reading about him so much. And I loved getting to know him. I loved how he was with Wren. He is horrified with how many she has killed, but I feel like he accept her. I hope. The romance is very sweet in this book. It made me grin like crazy. Callum is just all kinds of amazing.I don't want to say more about this book. Just that it is incredible. And I need you all to read it. Especially since the last book, Rebel, is coming out in less than a month. <3 Though, yeah, I'm reading it in a moment since I have a review copy of it :D And I cannot wait. I need to know what happens next. Anyway. Reboot is a stunning novel. I loved it. And I loved the writing as well. Just loved everything about it. Sigh. I also cannot wait to read more books by Amy Tintera. She's pretty amazing as well.~He slid his hand into mine and leaned over to press a soft kiss onto my cheek. I shifted a little closer, until his warm arm rubbed against mine, and lowered my gaze to hide the goofy smile spreading across my face.---I first read this book on February 21st 2013. You can find my review here: http://carinabooks.blogspot.no/2013/02/review-reboot-by-amy-tintera.html -I'm skeptical of "libris populi," books that suddenly wash over society to public and critical acclaim. I was really burned by "The DaVinci Code" (we all were), about how new and exciting and different the writing was, and you have to give Dan Brown credit; he took an idea that was floating around for years and brought it to the public's attention. But the book itself was nothing but a whole chase novel and it wasn't a surprise that it was quickly made into a movie. Recently "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" has been creating the same sort of public reaction. Fortunately, there's a little more in "Girl" to hold a readers attention and worth the price of the trip that author Stieg Larsson takes you on."The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" is the dual story of Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading financial reporter in Stockholm, and Lisbeth Salander (a play on salamander?), an anti-social possibly mentally ill but gifted private investigator.As "The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo" starts Mikael Blomkvist has been found guilty of Swedish libel laws because he wrote a story about a prominent industrialist that he couldn't back up with documentation. Mikael takes a leave of absence from his magazine, Millennium, until the heat is off. Mikael accepts a position from Henrik Vanger, the head of another prominent industrialist family to ostensibly write a chronicle of the Vanger family history. Mikael's actual assignment is find the killer of Harriet Vanger who disappeared off an island at a family gathering while the island was cut off from the mainland. The classic murder in a locked room scenario. As Mikael crawls through the Vanger family history he discovers a family that put the dysfunction in dysfunctional. There are Nazi's in the family, religious zealotry, abusive parents, promiscuous children, relatives who embrace the family and relatives trying to disavow the family connection at all costs. A little bit of something for everybody.The parallel story is, of course, Lisbeth Salander's. Lisbeth is literally "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." Lisbeth is a ward of the state, although in her mid 20's, her life has been held in check because of a mysterious childhood incident that has put her at the mercy of a failed system and corrupt guardians. Lisbeth has a very subjective moral code that deals mostly in black and white assumptions of people. Her saving grace is her abilities to find information via computer (a hacker) and her job as a freelance private detective.I don't read a lot of mystery's, but I found a lot of the plot points to be pretty transparent that details seemingly mentioned off handedly by characters are going to be important in the solution to the mystery, almost like having it highlighted IMPORTANT POINT HERE! The motivating reason for Mikael to move to Hedeby, to solve the mystery of the missing and presumed dead Harriet is predicated on an obvious bit of misdirection in a basic misunderstanding of motives. I think it is assumed by the author that the reader will assume the interpretation of the characters is correct.The title of the book when it was published in Sweden was "Men Who Hate Women." I read an interview with the U.S. publisher of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" and the title and cover design were made more intriguing for the U.S. audience. But "Men Who Hate Women" (if not as catchy and intriguing) is a more apt and descriptive title of what the book is about. Early on Lisbeth is given very little to do with the main plot of finding the murderer of Harriet Vanger, but she runs into her own man who hates women. The development of Lisbeth's character is slow in coming, the bits and pieces of her back story are intriguing and develop a mystique around her; Larsson is slow to get her into the central mystery of the story.You're probably thinking that with all those shortcomings this is an unfavorable review. No, despite these shortcomings "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" works. The story is simple but elegantly constructed and I found it to be entertaining and readable. The main characters are sympathetic despite their flaws. The bits and pieces we're given of Lisbeth at the beginning are intriguing, like lightning flashes in the dark, we want to see more than her silhouette. Mikael for his faults is a sympathetic character and as he lurches about in the Vanger family history we learn he's basically a decent person, but compared to the Vanger family, most other families would be considered normal. We're also given villains to be shocked at, and not one, but at least three love stories. As all the threads of the mystery are pulled together they seem natural and organic to the characters, no details of the mystery are obscured from the reader, there's no left field revelation that appears out of no where in the solution of the mystery and there's no dues ex machina in it's solution.The proof of the success of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is, is the reader interested in the characters enough to go along and see what happens in the next book of the trilogy? I am.The DVD for "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" comes out July 6th. -This book has some good, reasonable advice. It is primarily about how, very generally, to take care of your baby. (It offers little advice for sicknesses, etc.)However, it's not worth buying. It's one of those books where you get the impression that the author had about 10-20 pages worth of stuff to say, but spread it out over a whole book instead. Skim through it in a bookstore rather than buy it. -I loved watching rom-com movies, so having found a book that fits that genre was a delight for me. Alexandria "Alexa" McKenzie made a wish to Earth Mother asking for a husband, one who is handsome, is a generous lover in bed, loves animals, and is a Mets fan. And did I mention he also had to have $150,000 available? Her family fell into a tough financial situation, so in order to save her family home, she is willing to enter a marriage of convenience in exchange for money to help her family.In enters Nicholas "Nick" Ryan, the brother of Alexa's best friend. Consequently, he is also in the market looking for marriage. When his Uncle Earl passed away, the terms of his will dictated that Nick must marry in order to gain control of Dreamscape, the family's architectural firm. Growing up in a environment where his parents used their children as pawns, he doesn't believe in happily-ever-afters. And potential marriage to Alexa, the girl who teased him throughout his childhood, didn't sit well with him.Having grown up together, they had a chemistry that most married couples get after decades of marriage. But years of falling out of contact with one another also brought clashes. Their banter and bickering is very amusing, displaying the differences in their personalities.The characters are very endearing and lovable. Jennifer Probst did a wonderful job of fleshing out her characters, making the reader love them as they fall in love with each other. And when complications arise that threaten their marriage, you find yourself hoping that they'll end up together in the end because Nick and Alexa complement each other so well.A wonderful story to read and judging by the end of the book, it seems like a sequel is coming. I cannot wait to read about the story of the Italian count and Maggie, which should be out on June 15. I'm counting down my days! -Mr. Larsson spends almost a quarter of this book setting up the murder mystery. That amount of background is appropriate because this is far more than just a murder mystery. There is a financial mystery to unravel as well. As one gets to know tha main character, Mikael, it is inevitable that both mysteries would occupy him. He has been professionally shattered as a journalist after writing an unsubstantiated story about a crooked financier (resulting in jail time). He is then hired by a wealthy industrialist to solve a decades old mystery the industrialist believes to be a murder.At the outset there is also a parallel bio of Lisbeth, the girl with the dragon tatoo. She has some major mental problems and is under guardianship, but we also see early on that there is some sort of genius within. Watching her progress and overcome some of her demons is worth the price of the book alone.Eventually Mikael and Lisbeth join forces. Both mysteries are terrific (particularly the murder) and, by the end keep the pages turning.Both characters are very engaging, particularly Lisbeth, whose off-the-wall characteristics contrast well with Mikael's starightforward economic journalist tendencies.I gave this only four stars because although all the background was necessary, it took a while for the book to really take off. Once it did, it was terrifically engaging. I look forward to the next installments of the trilogy. These characters, especially Lisbeth, are well worh following. -I have a lot of issues with this book but I will not go into details (yet) as I have other more important things to do than rant about this piece of bull. However, I feel the need to express my utter revulsion for this over-hyped trilogy because I finally discovered my final line of tolerance for double, triple crap books. This is only the second time IN YEARS that I wish a zero-star rating was possible.In a nutshell: I will never understand how, and why it would take a whole book for Ana Steele to figure out that Christian Grey is after all a control freak and a psycho. I thought it had been obvious all along but apparently his ridiculously beautiful face is enough to make her stay and do all the things she's told. Some love, huh.Now of course, there are a lot more things I would like to point out but I'd have those out another time. -Cinder is a cyborg, the best mechanic in New Beijing, and unafraid to get her hands dirty. She's an endearing character, especially when it comes to her genuine love for those who she cares about. The narration switches mostly between Cinder and Prince Kai, giving a well-rounded view the events taking place as the intimidating Queen Levana of the Lunars visits....and things get pretty complex once she shows up. As the story begins to delve into political conspiracies and the illness sweeping New Beijing, it only becomes more intriguing. Meyer has a way with words that keeps you turning the pages, eager for more. Building off of the bare bones of Cinderella's story, Meyer shapes Cinder into something unique and spectacular.HIGHLIGHTS: Despite being inspired by Cinderella, Meyer takes smart creative liberties that work very well. A few moments, especially with the Lunar queen, had me hooked as the suspense built. One the largest highlights involved the characters - Iko (an android), Peony, and Queen Levana. Even the fact that not all the characters were safe from harm was an interesting aspect that I respect.LOWLIGHTS: Some aspects of the plot were extremely predictable (Personal bias - I hate obvious twists), and not just the Cinderella aspects. The story also had a slow beginning. And the ending was a bit unsatisfying - too many loose ends, even if this is a series.OVERALL: It's a solid beginning to a series and a very fun novel to read. I'll definitely be checking out the sequel! -The big numbers speak for themselves. When you see over 3,000 4 or 5-star reviews (over 90% of the total reviews), then this book has to be good - and it is! The author managed to package the unique and very interesting life-story of Louie Zamperini in an attractive and highly readable format that will make you lose some sleep over the two days reading it. It is such an engaging read that it is difficult to put down, a real page-turner.The reader is presented with Mr. Zamperini's story, from his early childhood until his life after retirement well into the new century. Most of all, it's a story about his POW experience during WW II in the Pacific as a prisoner in Japan. Now, just the description of his long and tortuous years surviving the savage Japanese POW camps would have been interesting enough, but the author's real contribution in my opinion lies in all the explanations we find throughout the book for the various behaviors, and how he manages to cope with the brutal treatment in an almost elegant but definitely entertaining way. Writing about the worst human emotions and behavior is certainly not easy, and do it in such a way as to finish with an entertaining book even more.It has to be said that there is a long time between Mr. Zamperini's war years and the writing of this book, which casts some doubts about some details and descriptions included, but this does not really distract at all from the story and from the value of the book. If the author took some literary liberties during the writing process, it was done discretely so as to fit in the overall narrative style.Overall, this is a very interesting story told in an engaging style that without a doubt deserves the title Bestseller - highly recommended. -At first, the writing style was so different that I was not sure I would like the book at all. That the storyteller was "Death" was also strange for me. But as the story unfolded and the characters became so real and special, I began to fall in love with the book. As my title states, the Book Thief, is beautifully written. This writer is gifted with a powerful command of words. Lyrical words that thrust you into the story and make you really care about the characters. This book stayed with me for days. It raised the bar for future reads. -It's been a long time since I read a book that falls so squarely into the adult-psychological-thriller category, and to be honest, I doubted whether I could really enjoy it. I often find that books in these categories are either a) completely unbelievable and I get eye strain from rolling my eyes so often, or b) the characters are so flat and transparent that I really don't give a fig about what happens to them.In Gone Girl, however, Gillian Flynn has created a story that is both believable but also stretched my imagination as a reader and characters that although definitely not in the likeable category were anything but flat.The story smacks of tension right from the beginning, and as the story progresses I found myself more and more drawn into the world of Nick and Amy and wanting to know more about them - their families, their relationship, their whole history together and how it related to what was happening in the current day.Gone Girl has some really good points for more thought too - were Amy's parents' overbearing and more than slightly over-protective nature so damaging on her psyche, or was she simply born the way she was, hard-wired into her brains? Was Nick's upbringing and his father part of the reason he felt it so difficult to connect with and empathise with his wife? Do we ever really know the person we are partnered with, or do they have a side that we never really see? Such questions are what makes this book a true psychological thriller, and so very hard to predict exactly what will happen next.My only criticism, and it's not even that, it's more a warning to other people that need to like at least one main character is that I found none of the main characters particularly likeable at all, with perhaps the exception of Nick's sister Go, who with her unique personality and sarcastic, dirty sense I felt quite an affinity with and I do wish she had played more of a part in the story. But for the most part, Nick, Amy, their parents and friends are either quite self-centred, arrogant people or they don't play a big enough role to really have an impact.And the million dollar question - the ending? I anticipated it because I wanted to know what happened, yet dreading it because I was really enjoying the twists and turns of the story, but in the end I can say I was pretty satisfied as a whole. It didn't feel rushed, contrived or unbelievable, and that's a true testament to the way that Gillian Flynn writes. -This book was interesting to read but I was disappointing in the subject matter. I was expecting to have more of a medical explanation of the near death experience - since this occurred to a neuro surgeon. One good thing I received from the book - other than the standard explanation for the NDE was the referral to the book "Irreducible Mind" - which I since purchased and this is more of the material I was looking for on NDE's. -This is a book that makes you think about life and how it used to be. To me,the emotions in this book runs very true to the time of the story. It could be disturbing, maybe, to some, but I chose toread it for the story itself. The characters are strong women, and triumphant. Good book! -I am an art lover and this book is a story of a stolen piece of art and the mystery surrounding the people involved. The book has great depth and requires you to figure out how the characters are related and involved. I stayed up far too late at night because I couldn't put the book down. -Unfortunately since his first book Nassim Taleb has become more and more unbearable from my perspective. The original insights given in Fooled by Randomness were valuable as people often mistake noise for signals (the Signal and Noise is an excellent book on this which was published before anti-fragile). But with each subsequent book the content goes into greater philosophical rambling and deterioration of content. The author goes to great lengths to insult academics and those in the business community and to elevate himself in a one sided dialogue with the reader. Its baffling and childish. Antifragile is about things which gain in strength from volatility (or more broadly do well from uncertainty). The author argues that people generally misevaluate the distribution of outcomes and as a result unerappreciate the uncertainty we face and put themselves in positions that are brittle to change. That in itself is a relatively useful insight, though it is not original despite the author constantly trying to convince everyone he is the only person who understands this idea.The author seems to spend 95% of his time reading classics rather than what people in the modern world write and research and seems to have had some horrible interpersonal relationships with his former colleagues in the bank and in academics (probably because he can't articulate his points properly and doesnt have a logical process when making arguments). The result is that he spends a lot of time insulting people on his perception of their beliefs when in fact most people appreciate all of his points and have made the same arguments a long time ago. The author is not mathematical but tries to make out that he is and talks about the non-linearities of phenomenon which any literate person knows is not linear and claims these are very insightful ideas. For example much time is spent about dropping objects from small heights multiple times vs dropping the same object from a great height and the fragility of the object is non-linear. Ideas like this are trivial and a function of kinetic energy, among other things, which, yes, is non linear with respect to velocity. To lecture and insult technical people about a high school physics idea and claim no one gets it is beyond unimpressive. The author constantly tells the reader his professors were all fools who didnt understand what they were teaching because they only think in the context of their fields. He talks about how he fooled his business school professors by using language they didnt understand. He talks about how he knew the same things as Mandelbrot despite never reading it (which reinforces the fact that perhaps the author is less informed than he realizes). He talks about how no one gets it (when they do because the points are simple). I try to be an avid reader and even works where the authors tone was condescending I try to look through it to measure the content. This is the first time I found it almost unbearable to finish. If you want the best overview of what this book is about read the few page article by Taleb in This Explains Everything. There are some important ideas in this book, relying on models creates risk biases which create fragility. Distributions of outcomes for social sciences are poorly understood, hence trying to be formulaic can be naive. But overall these ideas have other more articulate authors (Knight, Minsky, Hayek, Keynes, Mandelbrot, Shiller to name a few) who have less anger towards everyone. Something has happened to the author in the last few years and it is very unhealthy... -Once the big reveal happened that Amy was framing her husband, the book became really predictable. I thought the initial idea of the Amy diary was clever and how she framed him, but it left everything else lackluster and dragging on. I never found myself rooting for any of the characters. I felt the ending was flat and without any impact. I would have ended it with someone dying or something. Them continuing a fake relationship was not satisfying to me. Overall it could have been good but instead just became annoyingly predictable. -I have no idea what book the other reviewers read, but I sure didn't read the same one because I thought this book was horrible. The Silent Wife: A Novel was amateurish, seemingly written by a high school student, and devoid of the depth necessary to make the characters interesting.The story itself was appealing because I thought it was going to be a mystery of sorts. Sure, you know the main storyline from the book description, but I figured there would be some energy or plots twists to make it exciting. Instead, I quickly got bored of Todd and Jodi and didn't care what happened in their relationship. Especially since the title is misleading - Todd and Jodi are not married so Jodi is not a silent "wife."One of the main reasons for my dislike of this book was the needless introduction of flashback of Jodi's therapy sessions with Gerard. That side story goes absolutely nowhere and doesn't really fit into the overall plot. It just wastes pages and detracts from the plot. Yes, there is somewhat of a revelation at the end of the book that has to do with Jodi's therapy sessions, but that has nothing to do with the way she behaves in the story and doesn't shed light on anything at all. Also, some of the conversations in the book are ludicrous! For example, Todd (one of the main characters) gets into an argument with his best friend, Dean, and Dean calls Todd a "blockhead" and a "stinking turd." Now remember, these characters are in their late 40s. Who the heck calls someone a blockhead or a stinking turd unless they are still in elementary school?? At another point in the book, the author says, "Jodi's brother Ryan was 6 yrs younger and a boy." Uh - duh!! You just wrote "Jodi's brother," that by definition means Ryan is a boy. And another time, the author writes about Jodi's "disuse of chambers of her heart." What the heck??? Such language is just plain silly.And then, unless you are a high school student, you would know that there is no way in the world characters in their 40s who have been together for 20 yrs would act so stupidly. The only person in the book whose actions seemed to make sense were Natasha's and that's because she was in her early 20s and still in college. The other characters were just too stupid to be believable - especially since Jodi has a doctorate degree and is a psychotherapist. I felt like I was reading a movie script for a tween television show that would be aired on ABC right after some so-called "drama" like Pretty Little Liars! That's not a good thing.It's true that the switching back and forth between the point of view of Jodi and the perspective of Todd does add a neat feature to the book, but it's definitely not enough to justify paying more than $0.99 for this book.I just cannot recommend "The Silent Wife" by A.S.A. Harrison. The characters are superficial, the story is contrived, and the writing is sloppy. -The characters and plot line in this novel are very entertaining and thankfully, clean and upscale. I needed something light-hearted, and this definitely fulfilled my expectation. At times one does tire of the references to ice cream, but it makes the story realistic to a certain point. Still reading it, but am thoroughly enjoying this up-to-date story that makes witches out to be a little more down-to-earth than the Harry Potter books!! -I know so many people who have read THE HUNGER GAMES and loved it, that when I picked it up I was kind of nervous about not loving it. It's more common that, if the general public loved it, I'll love it too, but I was still worried.I was most surprised by how much "before the Hunger Games" there was: the reaping, the parade, the training, etc. I expected it to get to the Games pretty quickly. The before stuff was still good, it really gave us a good chance to see the Capitol as a whole and the role that they played in the story. It was also a great time to lay character foundations. I think that the whole first half of the book is evidence that THE HUNGER GAMES is not a stand-alone novel. There's just too much setting up for it to get far enough into the story that it'll be done at the end of 374 pages.The fact that Collins did spend so much time in character and plot development really is a plus. It definitely gives the reader time to connect to the characters. Even though we don't see Gale for long, we know that he's the most loyal best friend there is. And through the things Katniss remembers about Prim and her mother, we can definitely see what kind of people they are. Other characters like Haymitch and Cinna all add their own elements to the story.Katniss herself was a very strong female lead. Her main goal is to stay alive, and you can't have any flimsy girly-girl in an arena with 23 other tributes, fighting for her life. Katniss was the perfect heroine. Peeta was a great character, too. Although he seems half-useless in the Games, you can also tell he's a really great guy. What I loved about him was how he cared so deeply, and seemed like a genuine human being throughout the novel. No matter what the Capitol, or anyone else, threw at him I always felt like he was an honest, caring person.Since the majority of the book was about Katniss fighting for her life, there really wasn't a chance to develop much romance. It's constantly in the undercurrent because of their strategy, but any real romantic connection between Katniss and Peeta seems improbable and far-fetched. But I understand that. Either way, I'd almost like to announce myself as Team Peeta, but I feel like we aren't far enough into the love story to make any definitive conclusions ;).Overall, THE HUNGER GAMES is a whirlwind of a story that takes you on the incredible journey of a girl fighting to live. Although the pacing makes it evident that this novel is the first in a series, there is a lot that happens. It's definitely the perfect beginning to a series. I'm pretty excited to see how the story is going to continue. -This book goes where few books go in terms of both depth of thought and spiritual insight.Aiuthor Eckart Tolle provides thoughtful perspective on the ultimate questions about life. The book describes how to connect with your true conscious, or essentially God, by rising above the stream of thoughts that occupy our minds.I read the book very slowly. Usually I just read one section, 1-2 pages a day, so I could reflect on what was said.On the negative side, I felt that the book spent too much time covering the ego, and its negative aspects. I felt it got a little repetitive.However, there are so many brilliant nuggets in the book, that it's easy to overlook this minor flaw.As I flip through the book and revisit some of the parts I underlined, some of the best quotes include:-heaven is not a location but refers to the inner realm of consciousness-everything is not only connected with everything else, but also with the Source of all life out of which it came-medical treatment is the third-leading cause of death-not what you do but how you do what you do determines whether you are fulfilling your destiny-make sure your vision or goal is not an inflated image of yourself and therefore a concealed form of ego, such as wanting to be a movie star, a famous writer, or a wealthy entrepreneur. Instead see your self inspiring countless people with your work and enriching their lives. (Yikes! As a writer that one hit home with me.)Living in the present is a key component of Tolle's philosophy. As Indian spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti said "This is my secret, I don't mind what happens." He was in alignment with the present moment no matter what it was.Overall, if you are looking for answers to the big questions in life, or just some really good food for thought, this book is well worth reading.Other recommended reading:Create Your Own Reality - The Ancient Wisdom -This was a very disappointing mystery/thriller. The entire plot was lame only to be surpassed by a terrible ending. It was a total waste of time and money. -I found the star choices of "I like it" (4 stars), and "I love it" (5 stars) inadequate to describe my feelings toward this book. I was fascinated by the premise, but there was no star choice for that. So I am giving it four stars, and this explanatory review.This book has no business trying to be whatever it is the author turned it into. In my opinion, it is a thesis disguised as a novel. I would have found it much more interesting if it had been written as scholarly paper rather than trying to weave it into a story. The meat of the book, the message, was interesting enough all by itself without having to have been dressed up inside a "story." The mechanics of the story telling are appalling, with the interview, question-and-answer format extremely trying on the patience. And invariably, every time one character asked a question, the other repeated the same information in the answer. The actual narrative was enough to drive the reader crazy! But the information in the book is truly fascinating and worth putting up with the clumsy format to dig it out.I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the underlying subject, as long as you feel up to plowing through the extraneous and repetitive text to dig out the informational gems buried deep inside. -REVIEWED BY LAURAFirst of all, let me address the elephant in the room. There's been a lot of buzz about the fact that this book wasn't popular when it was by an unknown author and then became bestselling after people found out it was written by J.K. Rowling. This has led to speculation about what this means for the publishing industry, what it means for unknown authors trying to get published, etc. I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANY OF THAT. True, I may not have picked up this book if it hadn't been written by Ms. Rowling, but regardless, I did read it and I liked it, so there you go.Also, my husband kindly bought a copy of this for me on our recent trip to London, so I technically read the "British" version--I'm sure some things have been "Americanized" in the version available in the U.S., but I'm guessing there aren't any substantive differences.All disclaimers aside, I thought this was a really, REALLY well done private investigator procedural. The plot was exciting, and I thought the characters were marvelous. J.K. Rowling is such a keen observer of people, I think, and it really shows in her writing. Cormoran Strike, our hero, is perfectly flawed in just the way I love characters to be.There was such an interesting dynamic between the two main characters, unlike any I have ever read. Cormoran Strike is the private investigator, and Robin is a temp who shows up at Strike's office on a Monday morning. However, Strike thought he canceled the temp arrangement, due to the fact that he has pretty much no money. The scene where Robin and Strike meet (actually physically crash into each other) is just so perfect. There's nothing overtly hilarious about it, but I love how Rowling uses subtle humor. For example, soon after Robin arrives for her first day of work, a client shows up (an extremely rare event). Robin does not want to let on to the client that she is not the regular secretary, thinking it will reflect poorly on Strike. So she suffers through Strike calling her Sandra multiple times, and then asks them very professionally if she can get them anything to drink. They both ask for coffee with sugar:-------------He saw her mouth twist as she closed the door behind her, and only then did he remember that he did not have any coffee, sugar or, indeed, cups.-------------I know what you're thinking--oh the characters get together and it's a romance, too! Nope. That's part of what I loved about it--it's such an unusual relationship to write. The down-on-his-luck PI trying to solve a difficult case and his temp secretary who he's just met trying to assist him. So original.The central mystery of the story is very well done, and I kept flipping the pages faster and faster to try to get to the bottom of it. At one point, I remember thinking to myself, "There are literally 15 people who I think are possibly guilty at this point." That's like Agatha Christie level of skill, people. It's Murder on the Orient Express, except, you know, without the train. And the way it did end I thought was completely masterful. Twist after twist and turn after turn, there is no way you will see it coming.We know Strike has a huge backstory, most of which we only get in bits and pieces throughout this novel. I guess that is my one and only complaint about this one--there were a lot of things that felt unfinished (and some parts that seemed like digressions from the main story)--but I suppose this makes sense for the first book in a series. I can't wait for future installments to find out more about what exactly happened to him in the army, why he left, more about the history between him and his ex-fiancée, and to see if anything except mutual respect ever develops between him and Robin. There were also some interesting things alluded to about Robin's past, and I hope those are also explored in more detail.To me, the fact that this book is written by J.K. Rowling doesn't come as much of a surprise. Good writing: check. Well-developed characters with room for more development: check. Intricate and detail-oriented plot: check. Also, I read somewhere that if you think about it, the Harry Potter novels are sort of like thrillers/mysteries. So it's not surprising to me that Rowling can keep the page-turning suspense going, just using a slightly different medium.BOTTOM LINEI LOVED IT. I consumed like 100 pages of this book at a time. Seriously, if you are a fan of detective fiction, good writing, excellent characters, and a book that will continually keep you guessing, you should pick this one up. I personally can't wait to read more about the adventures of Cormoran Strike, PI, and am anxiously awaiting the second book in the series! Do you ever finish a book and then just really miss the characters and wish you were still reading it? And even if you pick up another book that is quite good, you sort of glance longingly at the previous book, remembering all the good times you had together? Anyone?RATING: A- -If you want a laugh, a good mystery, a few ghosts and some romance, this is the series you want. The characters are funny, and monologue between them is hilarious! Once you finished the first, you won't want to wait for the next and the next and...... -The Hunger Games is set in a postapocalyptic world in a not too distant and very dismal future. The world is divided into 12 nations and the Capitol. Every year, each nation must send 2 children between the ages of 12 & 18 to the Capitol to fight in the Hunger Games, only one child can survive.The book is extremely well-written, I couldn't put it down. The characters are believeable and the plot line moves along at a good pace. Given the violence, I was surprized that this book is aimed at children as young as 12. Another mom loaned this book to me and I think children in their late teens would like it, but I would not give it to a 12YO. -Don't let the cover fool you: Paranormalcy is not another dark, melodramatic paranormal novel. Unfortunately, the cover doesn't even hint at the humor, fun, and originality inside.I was charmed by this book by page two-- including a taser in the opening chapter of any book will automatically make me fall in love. And the taser on page two wasn't even the best part! Even when Evie wasn't zapping paranormals, I was completely entertained. Her relationship with Potential Boy, Lend, was adorable and so innocent that it was refreshing to read-- I'm getting a bit tired of "epic" romances. The paranormal aspect of the book is also refreshing, as it is totally original-- I mean, have you ever read about a paranormal containment agency? Didn't think so. Two other fabulous things about this book: Evie and the funtimes plot. Evie is so cute, so fierce, and so funny-- three things that I hardly ever find in female YA protagonists. The plot is fast-paced and full of plenty of twists, which made it a blast to read.The only thing I didn't really like about Paranormalcy is that I still have so many questions! Most of the things I want more of are spoiler-y, but I must mention that many aspects were not as developed as I would have liked. Maybe it's because the plot jumped around a bit and some people were absent for long periods of time, but there were a few things and people I wanted much more from.I bleeping adore this book. It was such a refreshing read for me-- I love fun, and this book delivered plenty of it. If you like your reads a bit more epic and intense and deep, you might not like this one as much, but if you're like me and need something purely fun and original every once and a while, I bet you'll at least like it. -It's been quite some time since I've read Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instrument Series, but I have to say, I think I like the Clockwork Angel Series better. The plot, characters, and setting is much more interesting and developed than the other series.When I first started Clockwork Angel, I was immediately drawn into the plot. This plot was more interesting and well thought out. Just when you think you may have figured something out, a twist in the plot happens that takes you completely by surprise. This book really kept you guessing and really keeps you interested. I absolutely loved it!The characters, though, are what really made me love this story. I actually loved Tessa. She was still a "lady" but learned to trust her instincts and be brave in the face of danger and she could be just as much of a smart aleck as the boys when she wanted to be. But now to the love interests...Will and Jem...*swoon*. These boys were like light and dark, yet went so well together. Their relationship made this book really enjoyable. Will, the dark and handsome bad boy. I absolutely loved him. But you wanna know who stole the show for me? Jem. That's right, I love Jem. Jem is the real...gem of the story (corny I know, but at least you get my point).He is so amazingly sweet and kind and always knows exactly what to say to make a gal feel better. Now don't get me wrong, I love Will, with his arrogant and witty attitude, I just love Jem more. Every time he talked I just melted! And his history! OOoo I just love that boy! Honestly, he made the story for me. Forget Tessa, I'll have him for myself!Between an intriguing plot that really pulls you in and makes you want to know more, and the great characters, this book truly is amazing. However, there is a cliffhanger! Good thing the second book is already out :) -I generally don't, for the most part, enjoy YA books and try to steer clear of them. Too much high school, too much hormonal angst, too many feelings close to the surface. Pushing the Limits turned out to be an exception to the rule for me. I enjoyed it enormously! In fact, I bought and sent a Kindle copy to a friend when I found the book wasn't Lending Enabled. I have a feeling she'll enjoy the book also. When I had only a few more chapters to read I went back to Amazon and looked to see if the author had any other books published, since I enjoyed this one so much. It appears the answer at this time is no, but a couple are due out this year. The book itself is well written and edited (a plus in any book these days) and the characters are well rounded. The story line for me was fresh, and the pacing was good. I am famous for making it to the halfway point of a book, losing interest and flipping to the end to read the last few pages and then calling it a day, never to go back and read the rest of it. Such was not the case here and I was sad to come to the end knowing I'll have to wait for the next books to be published. -A friend sent The Help to me for Christmas and it was one of the best gifts I received in 2009! The characters are rich, complex, and pull at your heart on every page. I have passed along this book to other friends who have had the same reaction (walking, eating, sleeping with this book). I also think it is a particularly poignant book for the generations born in the 70s, 80s, and 90s who can't believe the degree to which bigotry and racial cruelty was an accepted part of American life in the early 60s...not very long ago, indeed!Read this book and pass it along! -Dan Brown has the ability of combining fiction and reality resulting in an interesting blend of suspense and intrigue.The book is filled with facts about ancient artifacts and their coded meanings that really keeps the reader interested.Whether his facts are correct or not it really dosen't matter. It's just a fun read and a book I feel is a must read. -I really enjoyed reading this series of books compiled into one purchase. The story was a bit slow for me at first, but once I became invested in the characters and plot, I could hardly put it down. I thought that the author interview at the end of the book was hilarious. I have read another book by the same author (Book 1 in the Molly Fyde Series) and was not disappointed. I have purchased several other books by Hugh Howey and eagerly look forward to reading them all. Check him out at [...]. -Older novels seek to develop depth and substance in the characters in the books. Consider the works of Charles Dickens. His characters are full of life and substance. As you read, you are drawn into the issues of the novel and experience them for yourself. You have to think and contemplate. Reading an older novel is an educational experience.Not so with Brown's "The Da Vinci Code." Like much of the newer genre of novel writing, Brown builds interest in his work through mystery and action. That can be entertaining and fun, but the educational value is limited. You may "experience" the drama with the characters in a newer novel, the action, excitement and violence, but you aren't stirred deeply inside beyond the thrill of the moment.I enjoyed reading The Da Vinci Code, but was disappointed with historical inaccuracies, theological inaccuracies, and the constant barrage against the Catholic Church (and I'm not Catholic). A great irony concerning the secret societies in the church is that in "real life," most of the secret societies that work ill will against church and society work outside of any church.Another great irony is the concern for the "bloodline" of Jesus. The Pharisees in Jesus day laid great stress upon bloodlines. "We know who we are descended from - Abraham." Jesus changed the stress from bloodline to that of the Spirit. Could we search as diligently for the "Spirit" of Christ, that Spirit which led him to give his life as a ransom for many?One character, Teabing, sees our current cultural shift as being away from the thought control and dominance of religions telling us how to live. Now, we are moving into a new age, "the Age of Aquarius - the water bearer - whose ideals claim that man will learn the truth and be able to think for himself." (P.289-90). Many today are abandoning our 2,000 year religious heritage rooted in Christ, including his ethic of personal integrity and service. Is society any better for that abandonment? We'll see! -This book started out with such promise. It was witty and made me laugh out loud several times in the first chapters. The writing is quite good. Unfortunately, the story went on way too long. It could have been shortened by about 100 pages. All the characters were unlikable and very flawed. The only reason I finished the book was because I had to for my book club. At the end I was glad it was over and I realized that I hadn't learned a darn thing. A waste of time in my opinion. -I enjoyed City of Bones very much. It was funny, witty, and just fun altogether. I loved the characters' personalities more than anything. The characters were original, but deep down just like every other teenager. The problems the characters got themselves into were creative and fun.The flaw was simply that this book is much like the other books that are currently being published. Many of these books include vampires or werewolves or even witches. This book contains all of the above. While these are fun things to read about, this book is not very original. Sure it is exciting, but so are a lot of other books.In some areas however, the other is very original. Such as the drawings that the shadow hunters tattoo on their body.Half of the time I felt as if I was reading Star Wars, the relationship between Clary and Valentine are similar to Luke and his father.Thus the book being like a lot of other books, I really liked it. -This was an exceptional book. The book dealt with the attitudes behind what makes someone successful in life. Typically, one believes that success is the result of amazing talent and ability. One believe that those who are successful have been given a special gift of talent or ability. Gladwell refutes this concept by introducing some key principles that lead to people becoming successful. He studies the ideas of 10,000 hour rule, family background, plain luck, and family history. Success is the accumulation of events that lead to the breakout. The book is a wonderful read. Gladwell is an amazing writer. The book is interesting and worth the time invested. If someone is looking for an informative read that is inspiring and interesting, this is an excellent book. It is one of the best books that I have read in the last little while. -I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you like books that keep you guessing all the way through, you'll enjoy it too. I find that my favorite books are the ones where none of the characters are all good or all bad. Real people are multi-faceted and so are the characters in this story. I'll look for more of her books for sure. -I really thought that this book was going to be a home run; however, I can't say this was Rowling 's best. The first half was super slow and it wasn't until the second half that the character s came together and the story line rolled on. -Bibanon1 wrote:"Jacob's grandfather is killed under mysterious circumstances, Jacob decides to investigate his grandfather's past by going to the orphanage where he grew up. Once there, Jacob discovers that the people...and monsters...might be real after all."And then, "The vintage images in this book are haunting and set the tone perfectly. The mystery is creative if a bit inscrutable. I loved Jacob's search for the truth but the explanations were fuzzy and the bad guys a bit over the top. I was a little disappointed that the book wasn't MORE whimsical."I would say that's exactly the case. I would have liked to see more thorough character development of the unusual children and the addition of more whimsy. The characters are a little flat and do not offset the undercurrent of the very dark themes. It starts to really take form when a teen witnesses the body of his grandfather after he is viscously murdered. The trauma affects him so deeply that he ends up with nightmares and in therapy. Interestingly, this is the lighter half of the story. It was not always a comfortable story but was not challenging enough to make me feel as if I might have grown from enduring the events, as some less comfortable stories do. I did enjoy this book as it kept me wondering what might happen next.While I do recommend this book, I also recommend stopping this series after this volume. The next one does not add in the way I had hoped it might. -The Kite Runner is very easy to read, because it keeps your interest throughout the entire book. The characters are wonderful, and the story is so well told and educates you about the culture. I loved this book! -(This is not my account I'm using my parent's right now because I lost my old one)To start off, Breaking Dawn was AMAZING. I could not put it down; it had so many surprises and twists that I was just on edge the whole time. I LOVE THIS BOOK.Don't let what others say make you shy away from this book or series; some people, it seems, get a little too into a story and forget that this is only a fiction piece. I understand that many readers come to identify with one character throughout the story and don't get the ending they wanted. They claim it's too "easy" and ending or that it's not realistic. Well, let me be realistic for them: the Twilight series is an AMAZING work of fiction, folks. Like Harry Potter, it's just not real. It has a realistic setting and characters, but face it, vampires and werewolves aren't exactly a realistic norm in society, right? So give the books a break.(SPOILERS AHEAD)One review claimed that the story didn't teach good morals. Only... why would you even try to get morals from a fiction book?? I know I keep repeating that about fiction but... why?? Bella and Edward have a baby. They end up together in the end. Jacob finds someone for him, even if it is their baby. It's not like he's a pedophile, he wants to protect her and be there for her. Be anything Renesmee needs him to be. That's just how it is. The ending is satisfying- everyone stays as family. And If you are somehow looking for morals in these books, what more could you ask for? Family protects family; family stays with family no matter what. People not satisfied with that ending would have wanted more death? If Jacob or Edward or Bella or any of the Cullens had died, would more fans have been happy? That just doesn't seem likely.(END SPOILERS)Breaking Dawn is a great book. It's simply amazing. It's written wonderfully and creatively through two different perspectives, which made it more interesting to me. It won't let you down, as long as you don't become too intent on your own "perfect ending" for the story. Don't let the other reviews get you down; they just didn't get what they wanted. READ THIS BOOK! -Honestly I had never heard of The Hunger Games until it came out as a movie. I'm in my 40's I'm not exactly in the demographics for this book. Recently I caught the movie on Netflix and really enjoyed it. Figured the book had to have more information about everything (books are always better than the movie) - so I picked the book up (well rented it on my Kindle Fire). AND I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. I had seen the movie, I knew actually how it ended, but I was so totally enthralled with the story. It is a very interesting and very well written story. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to start reading the second book. In fact, I just started reading the second book yesterday. I sat and read for 7 hours last night. I only stopped because it was 1:30 a.m. and I had to work today. I am glad that I saw the movie first to put some of the descriptions of the people in The Capital in perspective, but not really necessary. -If I didn't already have a great appreciation for the Seals, and the great men and women that also serve, this book really enhances my understanding and gratitude. It does not compromise national security or seek personal agrandizement. Sadly it also helps to understand why this man, and others like him, are no longer Seals. Don't miss it. You'll be glad you took the time. -I absolutely loved Ms. Tartt's other books, "The Secret History" and "The little Friend". I was expecting the same with her third book. Her writing and depth of characters is amazing. She describes everything like you are there without going overboard where you get tired of the description.I give this book a solid 3. It kept me engaged at times and it lulled at others. I actually put this book down and read another in between because I was getting a bit bored, but as I read in another review, Tartt's characters are so deep that you can pick up right where you left off and I did.Would I recommend this book to someone? I don't know. I guess if they had the time for an extra book I would, but this was not Tartt's best work as far as the story went. -I got hooked on this series years ago, and it only took this first one to earn my dedication. Robert Jordan has a great ability to create wonderful, believable fantasy characters, and then to let them each develop personally as a human being and develop unique fantasy characteristics. All I can say is that, like so many before and after me, this book captivated my interest and set up some great characters, and in the books to come, the new characters to arrive are all at least as cleverly developed... and let me just say that, if you are a fantasy-lover newcome to Jordan, you will UNDOUBTEDLY enjoy this and the next 2-3 books.If you like fantasy, you will not regret buying this book... though some day you may regret becoming hooked on this seemingly infinite series. Though this is part of an apparently infinite series, this first volume of the million-ogy is most certainly worth your money. -There's plenty of reviews here already, so I'll focus in on the bottom line for me: Although this book gives short shrift to certain aspects of Jobs' personal life, and so is really a partial biography in that sense, from a business perspective, it is excellent, and a book anyone in business should read. The insight into how Jobs made decisions, how he pulled off the deals he pulled off, his successes and failures, and how they both shaped Apple, are amazing. His attention to detail, design, and the customer experience, and his merging of intuition, art, and technology, are stunning. It's a good read too - he was a difficult man, with the temperment and sensibility of an artist, not an engineer, which makes for good drama in the narrative of his life.This is also an amazing historical account of the forces that have changed our world in the last 30 years. From the birth of personal computing, through the internet, to mobile devices, the individuals such as Jobs that drove innovation during this time have been the true 'masters of the universe.' The other players that Jobs dealt with - Bill Gates of course, as well as the founders of most of the major technological players of our time - are all featured here, and it makes for a fascinating tale. I was actually quite fascinated, and in the end touched, by the relationship between Gates and Jobs, perhaps the two individuals most responsible for the nature of our world today (one could argue, far more so than any political or social leader during this time, when one considers how technology has transformed world politics as well, in terms of our global connectivity, Twitter, etc.)I would have personally loved more on his personal life. For example, his love of Zen Buddhism (an interest of mine) and how it impacted his design aesthetic is covered, but the exact nature of his practice and the teachers he studied with are not. His marriage and family life are barely covered, although of course by Jobs' own admission, he worked all the time and missed a lot of family life, so perhaps the percentage of space it is given in the book is proportional to the time he gave it in his life. But really, this is a business biography - a record of how he built Apple and Pixar, and all the products they spawned. And Isaacson definitely has a perspective - Jobs saw himself as a visionary at the intersection of the arts and technology, and creator of the most influential company on earth, and Isaacson grants him that legacy. -I am a knitter and was drawn by the titles, but knitting really has nothing to do with the story.... no matter, the premise of the story is clever. I can't wait to read more. No spoilers here... lots of other folks have done that already. =) -What's more is that I didn't even know this was an Oprah's Book Club pick until after I finished it and looked for reviews on Ammy. That said, I am impressed with Wally Lamb's writing, because he genuinely fooled me into thinking he was a female writer. It also helped that I got the audio book featuring the performing talent of the impressive Linda Stephens.Delores Price is a sad person whose life story begins in 1956 when her family gets a TV set as a gift to her family through the courtesy of her philandering father's mistress. Delores recounts the destruction of herself and her family from that first day when she is merely 4 years old, a dismal tale of a child who goes largely ignored after her mother has a miscarriage, effectively ignoring her little girl, and her father begins to become more verbally and physically abusive. Her father eventually leaves Delores and her mother until her mother has a mental breakdown and our poor little heroine is sent off to live with her grandmother, a racist, Bible-belting harpie who makes her success with other neighborhood children virtually impossible. Eventually, Delores's mother comes back home from the hospital, gets a new job, and starts dating lots of guys--including sleeping with the married boarder upstairs who ends up raping a 13 year-old Dolores. From there on things get worse. Dolores gets fat, her mother fights with her constantly until she is killed by a drunk driver, and then Delores goes off to college, suffering one embarrassing situation after another until a family friend pays for a seven year stay in a mental institution. Through unfinished therapy and a bad marriage, this girl goes through everything you can imagine, and then some. This book is fast paced and throws in every situation imaginable until it plays out like a controversial and tacky miniseries. That's not necessarily a bad thing, however. Along the way, Lamb puts in some great laugh-out-loud dialog along with some truly disturbing and tear-jerking moments.If you love very highly charged stories with lots of tragedy and trash, you will love this book. There are some very touching people in this story, and Lamb shows that people are neither good nor bad--we all have moments of weakness as much as our better traits--and nobody is infallible. If this book seems too trashy and rediculous to swallow, I would recommend somebody more on the level of Meg Hutchinson. Personally, I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't get it for keeps. -I tried this book because it averaged well and it was free, well that was a mistake. The writing was choppy and poor and the characters were never really defined. I also felt that the authors style of writing was that of a high schooler. At first I kept reading because I thought it was exciting but I quickly grew irritated with how the author tried to portray the characters and situations by telling you how to feel ex) so and so said this in an exasperated tone... the situation in the book should portray that tone without the author telling you . anyways I tried to keep going but I just can't put in any more effort to read such poor quality. -I don't usually read mysteries or thrillers, but I started this one and came across this great quote in the first few pages:I do not believe in the court system, at least I do not think it is especially good at finding the truth. No lawyer does. We have all seen too many mistakes, too may bad results. The jury verdict is just a guess--a well-intentioned guess, generally, but you simply cannot tell fact from fiction by taking a vote. And yet, despite all that, I do believe in the power of the ritual. I believe in the religious symbolism, the black robes, the marble-columned courthouses like Greek temples. When we hold a trial, we are saying a mass. We are praying together to do what is right and to be protected from danger, and that is worth doing whether or not our prayers are actually answered.Wow, right!? I assumed the rest of the book would be full of similar kinds of insightful metaphors, but I was mistaken. It is a compelling read, one you hate to put down, but in the end, that just wasn't enough for me. The characters are all one-dimensional and flat. By page 200, the story had become a Lifetime Movie with caricatures instead of complicated and complex characters. It was a good story and an interesting premise, but the story telling itself left much to be desired. -This is the first book in the Trylle trilogy by Hocking. It was a fun and engaging read about something you don't usually get to read about, Trolls. Great start to this series.Wendy's mother tried to kill her when she was a little girl, so now she is being raised by her aunt and brother. At seventeen years old she still doesn't fit in and people seem to automatically dislike her; then Finn enters her life and tells her that she is a Trylle. Now Wendy is entering a world she never knew existed and she's not sure if it is any better than the world she left behind.The story was very engaging and the characters well done. It was fun to read about something other than werewolves, fairies, and vampires for once; Wendy is a Trylle or troll. There wasn't a ton of high school angst in this book, Wendy is off to the Trylles pretty quickly, so I enjoyed that.Wendy is a complicated character who is dealing with a lot of emotional trauma since her mother tried to kill her and she has so much trouble fitting in with other people. I liked how independent she was and how willing she was to accept the big changes that happened in her life.Finn was a wonderful and mysterious male lead. It bothered me some that his relationship was so on and off again with Wendy and that his personality changed so much. Despite that I still look forward to learning more about him in future books.The book was engaging and well written; basically a fun light read. The ending is a total cliffhanger though and that was pretty irritating. Luckily the next book is already out, so you if you like this book, be ready to read the next book ASAP.Overall this was a fun and engaging read. I loved the creativity of having trolls as the main paranormal element. The characters were all well done and fun to read about. I recommend this book for people who enjoy young adult paranormal books. Just beware that it ends on a cliffhanger without much resolution. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series, Torn. -Eric Ries presents a radical, innovative way to assess and manage businesses. Do the strategies work? I implemented three different strategies described in the book in my own companies, and I am ecstatically pleased with the results. His ideas provide a highly effective way for any company--large or small--to identify new opportunities through applying the basic components of the scientific method. This allows a company to explore new opportunities in highly scaled ways and then to make reasoned assessments of their value. This is powerful stuff, as I have found out. One of the big secrets is to scale the opportunity, set up hypotheses regarding the change, and (best) develop a means of assessing the value and success of the opportunity. Each of his concepts are accompanied by detailed real-life examples. The book is well organized around Ries's key concepts and provide a very sensible approach that, if implemented accordingly, will result in success. Again, after applying several of the concepts myself, I appreciate the power of these approaches. They work. And I really like the way they work. He definitely is onto something here.But the reader is left to figure out a lot of the details for implementing the concepts. The "how" of the approach is all but missing. As a result, the book has more the feeling perhaps of a series of general overview lectures that provide occasional nuggets that an attendee takes home. I want to see many more details (and perhaps fewer examples) of how a business person can set these ideas into motion. More, for example, like the approach used in "The Entrepreneurial Mindset."So I am left highly jazzed about the concepts presented here, but hungry for more detail as an actual user of the concepts. Regardless, the general approach he is advocating is square on the mark. They work and they are powerful. -I liked this serie very much! I found it poetic and sensitive. The romance was quite cute and had depth.I run through them quite quickly and I'm very excited about Forever (book 3).Already read reviews on it and my fear of a poor ending seems quite unfounded. Grace/Sam are a great couple and Isabel/Cole is promising.More to say, when I'll read Forever this week-end...More reviews on my blog (link on my profile page) -A very good story that appealed to my senses of right and wrong;good and bad. I think I really enjoyed the intense difference in the theme. Not the same old story in a different version and there was no way for me to figure anything out ahead of time. The characters are excellent and their personalities are very individual. Like the raw humans that we are, most of us can't leave well enough alone;and there is always someone wanting to rule the whole world. I look forward to the sequel and will be one of the first buyers. -Seriously, this is amazing science fiction. The story is gripping and well-written, but it's the characters more than anything else that kept me coming back. The author has a real gift for characters, and these characters made an already interesting story jump out even more. I could not put this book down, because I had to know what happens next. The 5-volume style at first was a little off-putting, but around midway through the third "book" I started to appreciate how the author used that serial style to his advantage, made me anticipate certain things, surprised me when he changed other things up.And the story? Superb. More realistic than I would expect, given the initial premise, and once you accept that premise everything else that follows feels not only natural but almost unavoidable.Seriously, get this book. -Loved this book. The plot keeps you interested and guessing the whole time. Such a departure from her Harry Potter books. The character development was great. I have vivid pictures in my mind of what they looked like. I think this might become a series the way it was left. Will make a great movie too. -I couldn't get past the first chapter, it was so horrible. I guess I just have higher standards! I prefer fun Xtoriez like Go Get The Girl. But I digress. The characters were bland; the writing poor; and the imagination was unimaginative. There are so many better things to read. -The good:The case is great for the more upright positions. The slots on the inside of the case ensure that the iPad doesn't move while in those positions.The quality of the leather is good and looks very professional.The case seems very durable and I feel like it provides good protection for the ipad.The surface is completely open because the plastic backing fits snuggly around the sides.SmartCover works perfectly.The bad:The case was much thicker than I had expected. The reviews made it sound like it was very thin. I don't think it is that thin.The plastic case makes it harder to use the volume buttons, but I don't use them all that often.I don't like the way that the case/cover unfolds to the point where half the bottom is detached. In other words, if you lift the ipad by holding the cover, the back/bottom doesn't have much support.For the price, I would have shopped around more. I don't really care that much about the smartcover functionality. If I had to do it over again, i would have gone to Fry's or Best Buy to check out different cases. Even Costco had some that looked ok. -The price on the HDMI cable says that its only a few pennies, but with shipping and handling it's about 3 bucks. Compared to what you're saving however 3 bucks is EXTRAORDINARY! It connected my laptop to my HD tv without a problem and didn't have any connection lag. This is a MUST BUY at this price and I feel like i'll need to buy one for my uncle. The length is also good @ 2 meters -I had a similar case for my iPad1-but rushed to get a cover for the iPad2 that replaced it. Always a mistake to rush.So seeing my error I RAN to vet on Amazon what was out there. This cover came up with wonderful reviews...for a very good reason, it is protective and real leather too. This cover is solid, well designed to let the iPad stand freely without flopping over. Travel with this safer in a backpack on airlines too. Again, this baby is built to last and protect your investment.Absolutely delighted. -The lens has a great zoom range, and takes nice clean, sharp pictures thanks to the image stabilization. However, the auto-focus doesn't work all that well if the lighting isn't perfect. Given a nice sunny day, the auto-focus is very responsive and accurate. If you're indoors, or shooting at dusk, be prepared to wait up to several seconds for the focus to be set; if it can acquire focus at all. I find that if I am dealing with dim lit shots of a static subject, manual focus is much more effective.Upon the first use of this lens, I thought something was broken. This is because the image stabilization makes a light grinding noise. While the noise can be annoying while taking pictures, it can be catastrophic when recording a video. Consider that the grinding noise is coming from a lens directly attached to the camera. This grinding travels very well to the internal microphone, and is forever recorded with your video.As a side note: It would also be nice if Canon started putting their lens caps on leashes. For those that don't like a dangling lens cap, they can remove it. For those who like it, we wouldn't have to buy a new lens cap! -You can't go wrong with this lens. Because I am not a professional photographer who gets paid to shoot, my budget is limited. This lens is one of the least expensive, quality lenses that could find. The result will surprise you.This lens is now my favorite when shooting portraits. Because of its wide aperture, you can really blur the background, even indoors. It's great for low-light shots for the same reason (wide-aperture).I highly recommend this lens to all amateur photographers as their first prime lens. Some people compare this lens with the more expensive lenses but I don't think you can compare apples with oranges because this lens is not in the same price range as other lenses. -Frankly, the images are generally fuzzy. Some are ok, but at least half are out of focus. This is just not acceptable for a camera at this price. -This thing is awesome. The only downside is that there aren't many apps that support it yet. The biggest problem is that my amazon app doesn't support it. I have to open up chrome from my computer and stream amazon through chrome. It still works but I really wish Amazon Prime was directly compatible with chromecast. Its fun to sit around the television with friends and let them all queue something up to watch from youtube. Good job Google. -The 17.3" Samsung laptop I purhcased was getting pretty hot near the keys so I ordered the largest cooler I could find on Amazon. Cooler Master has a great reputation, so I figured I'd give this one a shot.The laptop cooler is HUGE. Seriously, they say it's for laptops up to 19" (didn't realize they made them that big) but there is extra room around my 17 incher. The design is pretty industrial, with the only flourishes being the light which you can thankfully turn off. There are ugly rubber pieces all around the base, these allow for you to slide in your cables, and actually works well to reduce the clutter.The unit comes with a USB cable, a power adapter, and the stand itself. The unit has 4 built in USB ports which are pretty awesome at reducing wear on your laptop's ports. They're 2.0, they have a 3.0 version but it was unavailable from Amazon when I purchased this unit. The fans are very large and can be snapped out of the unit for cleaning.Performance of the cooler is amazing, the fans blow incredibly cold air towards the laptop, through a metal mesh grill that keeps airflow moving. My laptop doesn't have large enough vents on the bottom, so they don't really work at cooling it down at all. Before you buy this you should make sure your laptop has bottom vents that could appreciate the extra airflow, otherwise it's just cooling down the base of your unit without helping your processor or graphics card.I'm giving it 4 stars and keeping it because the build quality is great, and the unit would work with the right laptop. It also works as a great stand for keeping your screen at a comfortable eye level. Just double check your unit before ordering, otherwise you might not be getting what you need. (should be sucking in air through the bottom, NOT blowing out- if they blow out, this will have a negative impact on your laptop's cooling system) -This is a very sturdy, elegant and functional Bluetooth keyboard case for your iPad Mini. It is designed for people who want to use their iPad Mini in some very rough and physically demanding environments. It is also a stylish case that will not be out of place in your hip neighborhood coffee shop.One of the first things you notice about this case is that it's pretty heavy, much more so than some other such case/keyboard that are on the market right now. If you are looking for a very light accessory for your iPad Mini then this case is not for you. The case is also pretty hard to open up and insert your iPad Mini into. You need to pull back the rubberized outer cover, and then carefully pry open several small plastic hinges. You will probably not want to take your iPad Mini in and out too often.The case is indeed very sturdy and it covers your iPad Mini almost completely, including the plastic screen cover. It imbues one with a confidence that the case will protect your iPad Mini from most falls and bumps, although I have not been brave enough to venture an actual physical test. The case detaches from the keyboard, and it allows you to use the iPad by itself. All ports are covered with rubberized plugs, but they are easily pulled back and allow the ports to be easily accessed with chords.The keyboard paired up with my iPad Mini very easily and without any hitches. It also maintained connection for the duration of use. The keyboard is charged through a micro USB slot on the side. (An Apple compatible charging port might have been a more appropriate choice, but knowing how reluctant Apple is to let the third-party vendors use its ports, this was likely not going to happen.) The keyboard is very responsive, and I for the most part like the key action. However, this sized keyboard is VERY cramped, and you really don't want to be using it for composing longer documents.The arm that attaches the case to the keyboard allows for your iPad to rotate through an arbitrary angle. However, only the portrait and the landscape orientations will be useful for the most part. I found the landscape orientation to be unstable though - I either had to allow the iPad Mini to "dangle" above the keyboard, or pull it out so far that the connecting arm becomes detached. If you are planning on typing in an on-the-go situation far away from a desk, then all of this is less than optimal.The case/keyboard combo is very well made. It is also competitively priced, and if you are looking for a rugged device/accessory of this kind then you will not go wrong with this New Trent model. I highly recommend it. -The Gladius mini is a durable case. It has a screen protector and is very thick. It gives you a sense of security when standing with your device. The leather strap is a nice touch and it fits so nice once you adjust it. This makes it so much easier to hold your ipad. This would be perfect for someone who has to walk around while doing stuff on the job. Perfect when you're trying to look at plans or lists while carrying out tasks. It's near impossible to drop this thing. You can also rotate the strap so you don't have to twist your wrist off to view it in a different orientation. The one thing though I had so much trouble opening the kickstand due to the fact that I didn't realize the angle I had to pull to open it. Also the case is rather unattractive if you don't account the leather strap. It just seems weird to have a nice strap and then have an ugly exterior. I give this a 4 out of 5. Durable and secure. But needs some aesthetics worked on. -I love my Samsung LN46A650. The picture is amazing. It is so clear and sharp. I upgraded from a 32 inch Vizio. I had no problems with that set, I just wanted something bigger. I read lots of reviews and looked at lots of TVs in stores. It is beautiful. I've had it for about a month now. I haven't tried tweaking the settings, because so far, I am totally satisfied. If you are looking for a great set, this one may be the one for you, too. My video games look amazing on this set. Blu-ray movies are fantastic. I watched Wall-e, and it was like looking through a window at this wonderful movie (one of my favorites from 2008). Wow, wow, wow! -The case is very sturdy and works well it was a little thicker then the MoKo case for my 2012 Nexus 7. I don't know if that is do to the finish option I chose or if the 2013 model was just thicker. I did not like the Carbon Fiber option as much as I thought I would. It was ruff on my hand at first. I like it still. I bought a Green one for the 2012 Nexus and it looks Good. -The bokeh when shooting wide open at 1.8 is absolutely amazing! The images are so crisp and sharp! This lens is a must have!!! -I had to buy a new router before the streaming media player started to work. Too slow. Not Google's fault. The product itself and the documentation are as good as it gets. I already had Roku which can deliver more media choices, but the Google Chromecast concept of streaming whatever you have on your Chrome home page is simpler and will soon have more media. I miss the possibility of Amazon streaming, but if I want it bad enough, I use Roku.Easy as pie to install and works exactly as advertised. You won't get the free NetFlix promotion because "He who hesitates pays more", but I, as an earliest adopter, payed a net of less than $10 for this useful and cute gadget. -Up until a couple of weeks ago, I had never heard of a headphone amp. Well, I guess part of the reason is that I never owned a good pair of phones. I recently bought a pair ofSennheiser HD-595 Premier Headphone(here on Amazon), which are tight (see my review). The Senns have pretty high impedance (50 ohms), and my netbook and ipod don't have enough juice to power it. Therefore, the need for a headphone amp arose.One of the first HP amps that I came across was the FiiO F5. I had never heard of this brand. I think a reviewer mentioned that its Chinese. Anyhoo, The features that hooked me was its price, size(it's the same size as the iPod shuffle), and simplicity. Seeing a majority of positive reviews, I decided to go for it. I received it in 3 days from Head-Direct (which I would recommend since it was under $25 with shipping, and they use Amazon for payment).Upon first trial through my iPod, I was a little miffed because there was a high frequency "noise", is the best way I can describe it. But it went away when I played the music, and it never recurred. I played music with, and without the amp, and the difference is quite remarkable. With thew FiiO connected, aside from a big boost in volume, the depth is also enhanced. The bass boost is subtle, but noticable. I would recommend maxing out the volume on the amp and controlling the volume from the source, as the button is quite small and right next to the output plug.Other than the sound, the things I like about it is its size, internal rechargeable battery, on/off button, clip, and blue/red light, which indicates when it is on/off or charging/charged. It also comes with a 6" and 3' cord, and a USB to mini USB charging cable.The only things I can think of that I don't like is the fact that it charges through the computer, which means that, 1) you need access to a computer, and 2) the computer has to be on. I also find it a little disturbing that the instruction manual states that the battery can be charged and discharged hundreds of times, BUT the battery will eventually wear out and is irreplaceable. Hopefully, it will last 25 bucks worth of charges! Which brings me to question how long the charge will last. And since I just got it, I have yet to figure that out. Highly recommend it. -Used three of these for some new TVs I purchased. Picture quality is great as well as the quality of the cable -Purchased this router to replace an existing Netgear AP that was getting unreliable, with hopes of better range. The built-in management software felt almost exactly the same as the old Netgear's. The nicest feature I saw in the default firmware was that the guest networks had straight-forward bandwidth limiting control (if you're into that kinda thing).I ultimately flashed dd-wrt onto this router with no issue, and it's been as solid as can be throughout the entire experience, before and after flashing.Oh, and the range is pretty good too. Not sure how much better it can get on a consumer device. -I purchased this monitor February the 8th and received it quickly. It has an amazing picture and beautiful contrast. I was really enjoying my monitor until the On Screen Display started popping up randomly. The buttons on this monitor are WAY TOO sensitive. They are 'touchscreen' type and there is no physical surface. It just appears the buttons are flush into the glossy bevel. You don't even have to be touching them to get the OSD to respond, which seems to be the problem. I can activate them by hovering my finger about a quarter of an inch away. I have nothing below the sides of the buttons and the O.S.D. still pops up randomly every few minutes. I need to figure out how to return it or exchange it for another one. I went onto Viewsonic's customer service website, and wasn't too impressed. Tis a shame...Please help me if you have any clue what to do. Thank You for your time. -I purposely bought this camera and housing for SCUBA. After spending $100 to $1,400 on cameras, I was stunned to see how great the pictures and videos came out. The description of all the other functions of this camera are listed, but I think the first reviewer here nailed the camera's qualities. It is an easy point `n shoot camera with some extras. The GPS is a gimmick, but it does work well in placing your photos if you want to display them on GOOGLE Earth. However, the housing restricts that feature. The 12.1 megapixels are great for even posters or flat screen televisions (I use mine through my Blu-ray disc player for YOUTUBE). The function set, display, menu and the dial are all easy and intuitive. The zoom is remarkably steady (I recommend a small tripod). I've never cared for Optical Zoom, but the 20X works as well as any.This is really a remarkable camera for the price. I have yet to test the stereo microphones, but I can imagine that for the family filmmaker, this might be fun to watch and listen to on a television with stereo speakers. The software that is included is also very simple but important. The features are numerous and it's nice to have something that directly deals with the camera features other than just `Windows Movie Maker". If you ski, snorkel or particularly SCUBA, you will love this camera. -This is a very basic item but the price was good and I do prefer SanDisk. I am happy with purchase. -I have had this item for less than a week and am still becoming more familiar with it. Having said that, my initial impressions are very positive and are as follows:Pros1. The case is very beautiful, stylish, rugged and well designed. It is lightweight and adds little bulk to the device. It fits my iPad Air like a glove and all ports are accessible. In addition, all ports have covers which helps protect them from damage, dust, etc.2. The specs say that the case is shock proof and water resistant. Although I had no chance to verify this personally, the fit seems tight and it would be difficult for water or dust to penetrate the case.3. The built in screen protector works very well. I removed the original screen protector from the iPad and then applied the built in screen protector. This did make it easier to install the iPad Air in the case and there were no bubbles or grids, as some people experienced, on the screen. In addition, the touch screen feature of the iPad was very responsive and performed as if the screen protector were not there.4. With the case on, I found that the power, the home and the volume buttons were very responsive to light touch. There was no need to exert substantial pressure to get them to function properly.5. In my opinion, the star of the show is the leather hand strap on this case. It is very stylish, elegant, gives added protection from accidental drops of the device, and makes holding the device very comfortable. It is adjustable to fit most hand sizes and rotatable to various angles for easy and comfortable viewing of the device. This feature reduces the fatigue of holding the device for long periods. Makes me wonder how did I live without this feature before.6. The kickstand is made of metal and is very sturdy. It has a bottle opener on it. It is a good feature to have, but not necessary for my purposes.Cons:None that I would consider a deal breaker.Conclusion:All in all, this is an excellent case for the iPad Air. I rated it a 5/5. -Up to now, advanced hobbyist photographers had to make a tradeoff between portability and quality. No more. This camera can take shots as good -and sometimes better- as my trusted DSLR.Take a look at my sample shots at [...]PORTABILITYThis camera fits in my hand, in my pocket and in my laptop bag. In fact, I am using the case for my wife's Lumix TZ8. I can bring this camera with me anywhere.One big advantage is safety: if you travel to places that are not 100% safe, any potential robber would mistake it with a cheap $200 camera. More importantly, you will nevr have to leave this camera in a hotel room, on the trunk of your car, or will have to carry a big backpack with camera and accessories.Why this is size so important? You miss 100% of the shots you can't take because you cannot bring your camera. Because this is a camera you will carry anywhere. There have been many business trips, weekend opportunities and just in the moment photo opportunities where it was not practical or safe to bring my big DSLR. That is no longer a problem with a portable camera like this that gives me all the quality and control I need as an experienced photographer.The only downside to size it that it looks pretty ridiculous to have this camera mounted on a tripd (as I did last night taking skyline shots at dusk) and that you don't have the `professional' look of sdomeone carrying a large camera with a big lens, which sometimes is useful getting access to normally unavailable areas for tourists.QUALITYSony has been improving the quality of its digital cameras steadily for the last few years. In February of 2011 I got a HX5V which was quite impressive, and delivered quality images even when compared with a DSLR except for low-light and other tricky situations. I traded it for a Canon PowerShot S95 which was a step ahead but still suffered from high noise levels in low light settings.What makes this camera unique is a 1" CMOS sensor. It is the only camera in this class or in similar size with a sensor this big. The law of physics is very simple: larger sensor, higher quality and lower noise. Sure you could get a NEX-5 with an even bigger sensor for slightly better quality but you would be stuck with a much, much larger camera, especially because of the size of the lens, and a much higher price.Combined with a minimum aperture of f/1.8, Carl Zeiss optics and a lot of cool features from Sony such as the Auto HDR and very cool camera effects, it is an amazing camera. After a week of playing with it I am wondering why would the average person need anything more than this camera.Last, I really love the on-screen information (and the quality of the display), especially the level indicator that helps you shoot straight pictures.EASE OF USEDon't let the power scare you away from this camera. As most point and shoot cameras, this one has an `auto' mode that is usually quite good at getting the right settings for each shot. If you ar enot an expert, you will feel at home with the Sony RX100 camrea having used any pocket digital camera, and you will enjoy the high quality it delivers.I found the menus to be intuitive, the camera feels solid and built with high quality materials.AREAS OF IMPROVEMENTProcessing speed takes a few seconds, but given the quality of the effects I would be surprised if they took significantly less time. Still, often you have to wait a second or two after a shot if you use advanced in-camera processing such as HDR.The 3.6 Zoom goes to 105mm I think, which is fine for most situations but could be nice to have a 200mm 9equivalent) zoom. I know adding such a zoom would require a larger lens so I rather keep the portability as is. Further, with 20 megapixels, you can zoom in to your photos easily in post production.Overall, if you are an experienced hobbyist or a semi-professional photographer looking for a camera to take always with you, or a backup/alternative to your big clunky DSLR, don't look any further. This is it. -The case is built well. It does not seem like it will fall apart or break from normal daily use.Setting up the case was very easy. It took less than 30 seconds to pair the case and then use it. After the initially pairing, the iPad and keyboard case automatically sync when Bluetooth is on and the device is on.The keys are responsive and are great for reducing wear and tear on the iPad because you can use the home and lock buttons directly from the keyboard.The ability to orient the case in landscape or portrait mode allows you to customize the iPad’s position to your liking. Also, the case can be moved to multiple angles for different uses like watch movies and typing.The battery life lasts for a long time and it was used right after unboxing the product and has not needed to be charged yet. But it does come with a micro USB charging cable for charging.The case is compact for a keyboard case and it is about twice the size of the iPad Air by itself. It fully covers the iPad, but allows access to all the ports and camera. Also, when not in use, the case closes like a clamshell to protect the iPad. The keyboard portion of the case has four rubber pads to protect the iPad screen from the keys.The iPad was fairly easy to extract from the case so the iPad was not scratched or damaged when detaching from the keyboard case.It would be nice to have the iPad case part detach from the keyboard when not in use, but this is a suggestion not a problem with the case. -The sound cancellation and quality are awesome on these ear buds. The shape of pieces fit my ears perfectly. It cancels out noise and you don't have to have it turned up so loud to do so. This is the second pair bought... Hubby likes them too! -At its discounted price, this TV was a good deal. Much thinner and lighter (12 lbs) than old TV sets, though not as thin as newest sets. The picture is not as good as plasma in terms of clarity when looking a people's faces, but it is a fine picture. Using installed apps to access netflix, hulu, etc is terrific. However, there is a discrepancy between what I thought internet access means and what the set actually offers. If you had planned to catch up on PBS programs or latest missed network TV shows by accessing their sites online or using comcast infinity online, forget it. During setup you find you cannot update the adobe flash player. That update is necessary to continue to play those online archives. Curiously, the content of the network players ran just fine the first time I accessed them until the update notice popped up. After several flash player update failures, the browser refused to run any flash enabled ABC network content except for the introductory ads. Other folks have had problems accessing any internet content requiring latest flash player. What is odd is that I had access until I attempted to update. As mention by others, the web browser is clunky and manipulating a TV remote to access its features is frustrating. We simply attach an old wireless capable laptop with an HDMI cable to play internet content. For us, the netflix and other apps offer minimal increase in internet functionality over our old setup with our old TV and a laptop. -A lot of adapters for this provide great isolation. The bendy wire attached to the ear bud makes it hold tight to your ears. The clip is pretty useless, and the pouch is really small.The sound is decent. Not great. It's a little tinny and lacks any real base, but everything is audible and there isn't a lot of noticeable distortion.I purchased these to replace a pair of Shure isolating ear buds. Let's be real. They are a cheap replacement. The audio quality is no where near the Shure set. They do well at work and the gym but I won't brag about them. Nor will I harp on the audio. Also, when I put this set through the dryer, I wont be so angry with myself.If you want the best audio out there, ridiculous comfort and amazing isolation, pay more and get more. If you want to spend a few bucks so you don't have to hear grotesque noises from the cubicle next to you or the person on the next treadmill, these will do the trick.I'd recommend them. -These headphones are totally stylsih and sound great. I don't know all that much about headphones, but I can tell you that these are of excellent quailty, appear very professional, look awsome and sound good too. You won't be disappointed if you buy these headphones. In my opinion they are worth the steaper price than some of the others. These are much better quality than the cheaper ones available. -I really like the case, the protection offered by the kindle is very good. However, from my point of view it becomes a little heavier than other cases, one of the reasons that I love the kindle is so light, but not too much weight with this case without a little for my taste. In short, good case, much protection, smart function goes on. -I like the Zune. I got the brown one (the case has a translucent exterior giving a doubleshot of green around the edge when viewed in the right light). I wanted something like this and pretty much knew I needed to have video.When compared to the other choices I wanted to make sure I did not have to convert my library over (its 50% WMA and 50% MP3) and that it did decent video. I also wanted FM. The obvious choice was the Creative Zen Vision. Alas I am not the type to buy something expensive without first checking it out. I was never able to see one. No Brick and Mortar store carried one for me to look at. So I delayed for months before bying anything. Then I got an opportunity to play with the Zune. Here is what I liked.Its a good form factor for me. I know people love their skinny iPods but for me that would encourage putting in places it will get bent and none of these devices do well with that! Also, I like the size of it because my hands are big and I have something to hold on to.I like the big wide screen but don't be fooled, its still a 4:3 ratio and not 16:9. The best films to rip are fullscreen not wide screen. I've used the AVS DVDtoGO software for that. The picture quality is great. Very colorful and sharp. The size of the screen means my eyes can see it well.The software is good. It takes a bit of getting used to. I was expecting to drag and drop files onto a file system but that isn't how the Zune works. You create a library and it synchronizes. You get a lot of options on how you want to view this library and you get a lot of options on how you create playlists. It took a while to figure out how to keep some files off the Zune (like screenshots for work that I had in My Pictures) but once you figure it out it makes sense.The sound quality is excellent and the reception on the FM radio is also excellent! It uses RDS to get song information and station identification. The interface is very clean and easy to use.Things that are missing that you should know about: The Zune cannot act as a USB hard drive. This is probably a big surprise to many. Also, the Zune cannot record either voice via microphone or its Digital FM signal.I like the Zune quite a bit. Its easy to use and shows quality workmanship. There are some missing features and the software has a short learning curve but for me the combination of its advantages are a real bonus. -Great case! I was very skeptical when ordering this case as it was only $11, but boy was I surprised. The case fits my Nexus 7 perfectly and has a very professional and expensive look to it.All the necessary cutouts are prefectly done to allow for the charging cable, headphones, camera and speaker.The lid of the case is magnetic, so once you open the lid the Necxus 7 screen turns on and when closing the lid it turns the screen off.In my opinion this case runs circles around the $20 case Google is selling on the nexus website. -The Smart TV is great, and at a very fair price. The setup was explained well and straightforward, even the network setup and interface to peripheral devices. Had it up and running in an hour or so.The picture and sound are fine. Through the smart hub we can browse the web and play youtube videos and music for free. Have not tried the pay services yet; may not need to. I suggest that you use a USB mouse instead of the remote for the on-screen keyboard, it is much faster and easier. Just plug it in and go.Overall, we are very happy with our purchase. -This drive is very fast, the included software from Samsung is pretty good, including the imaging software which is fast and easy to use. Beware trying to use USB to Sata adapters if your going to image a drive to this SSD. (like switching out your boot drive to this like I did.) IF your using the included Samsung software, as I did, it will not recognize the SSD connected to any of the three that I have tried, but your mileage may vary. -Works great on my computer and console, just plug in and you are ready to go, it has a decent range, i can now control my pc from my couch as well as my consoles, and the backlight is nice. -I searched in many other places and the prices were way too high. This one is a great price and includes the HDMI cable. I mounted my 55" Sanyo with no problem. Easy to install. Would recommend. -Easy to use. You have three different angles to use. Nice feeling of cover and easy to operate when opening and closing. -I bought this case to hold my Seagate Expansion 1.5 TB USB 3.0 HDD (STAX1500102). It fits perfectly, snug with no room to move around. The cable also fits just right in the left side sleeve. The fact that the case is hard means it is great for travel and means no worries when putting it into a backpack or carry-on. -So, a one star is pretty harsh.Especially considering that I still use the G13, and aside from the Nostromo (before Razer took it over), it's the best out there of its kind. Fortunately for Logitech there aren't many companies bothering to design these types of keypads.It's made well enough. No complaints regarding the build quality.The problems lay in the design.I don't know who designed the thumb stick, but if you don't replace it yourself (which requires taking the device apart, or gluing/sanding) it's just terrible as a AWSD input. Anyways, I would fire the designer of it. He clearly is not good. Even the five star reviews will tell you that.The LCD is a gimmick. I don't know what else to say about it. The only reason you'll probably use it is to swap profiles, which I'll mention in the next part.The software is terrible. Sometimes you'll have to program the device every time you boot up, because the file won't save correctly. Even worse is that it will sometimes revert back to an older setting, or lose a profile, months after you thought it finally was working.So, what does this all mean. Well, because the Nostromo is no longer as good as it once was, we're pretty much stuck with the G13. On the other hand, Logitech did a terrible job on it, considering the price point. It's basically a bunch of keys, a worthless LCD screen, a terrible joystick, and bad software to make it worse.Hopefully a competitor will go into this niche field and design something better. Logitech is obviously more interested in making it look fancy, than having it work well.***EDIT***Well, at the time of this editing "0 of 7 people found this review helpful." It's possible that all of them work at Logitech; who knows. I've adjusted the review to now be 3 stars, mostly because I was probably a little overly harsh. The fact is, I still own and use my G13. It's not perfect, especially considering the price point for what is essentially a mini keyboard with a silly LCD and bad joystick, but it's still the best product in the niche field (once modified by the owner). That said, if Razer goes back to the quality of the original Nostromo produced by Belkin, then I will be switching brands. -KeyboardThe keyboard on this case is very nice. The keys have a really nice feel to them. It is small because it is the width of the iPad, but it is still very functional. I really like the extra function buttons (home, brightness adjustment, volume adjustment, copy, paste, and media conrols. I find myself using the volume controls a lot - much better than finding the right side of the iPad with the controls and hitting the wrong one by mistake! I am typing this review on the keyboard and it is working really well. I havee also used the keyyboard forr several hours and have not neeededd to charge it once yet.Case/StandThe case overall is very sturdy. It has a nice solid, slightly heavy feel to it. I assume the weight is due to the battery. The case closes tightly and has a nice latch to keep it closed. Another positive with the case is that it is very configurable. There are a lot of different orientations that you can place the iPad in (portrait, landscape, folded over on top of the keyboard). There is a groove at the top of the keyboard for resting the iPad in so it doesn't move when you touch it. Unfortunately, I have found it slightly awkward to get the iPad in the groove because it requires sliding a latch on the back of the keyboard and pulling the stand part of the case sligtly out of the keyboard.My favorite way to use the case is on a table. I pull the iPad and stand completely out of the keyboard and place it several inches behind the keyboard. It makes it very easy to sit down and knock out some emails withough having to use the on-screen keyboard. It is very handy to be able to remove the iPad but keep the stand attached, without needing the keyboard. I have used it several times this way as well.The case also has the ability to detach the iPad from the keyboard and stand entirely. It is very quick and easy to remove it by using a camera lens cap type of connector. The iPad itself sits in a thin plastic case that wraps around the sides and back of the iPad. it's not incredibly protective and I'm not sure how it would handle a drop, but it's much better than no case and does offer scratch protection for the back of the iPad.OverallThis case works well as a case for a family iPad. It can be used with the keyboard for doing text-intensive work, then with just the stand for watching videos or playing games. It's also quick to pop off of both to hand it to the kids to use, while still offering some protection. The keyboard feels and works great and the case is solid and very adjustable, with just a few small quirks -I love this trackball. I wasn't sure if I would...I was a user of the old mouse plug & then the USB model of the red ball model way back in the mid & late 90's before they had a scroll wheel....it just had 3 buttons. This one is great but I still find myself looking for 3 buttons from time to time...but really love how I can use it on my Idea Pad y510p which has a horrible touch pad (although everything else about the laptop is great!). It makes surfing the web or doing work on the sofa much easier since I can rest the trackball on the arm of the sofa. -I really love this bag. Its not too big neither too small the size is just the proper one. I have a Nikon D5100 and it fits very well and I like the fact that the camera with the kit lens on doesn't reach the bottom of the bag. Also the camera feels safe and tight in place. Also the pockets are very helpful and the straps to hold a tripod seems to hold well a tripod there. Also is very comfortable to wear it. However if you have a lot of stuff you might need something bigger, for me works fine since I don't have to many this to carry there yet (1 DSLR, Kit lens, 1 remote, 1 charger, the cables, lens cleaning kit, sometimes cell phone, etc). -While I dont like paying $10 for a cable, I suppose it's understandable for new technology. The cord is really nice, very well built, and works very well. For the price, it's an excellent cord. It is sturdy feeling, well constructed, it doesn't look cheap and it seems to be of a high quality. I was skeptical, as I usually only buy high quality wires, but the HDMI cables by those manufacturers where extremely expensive. I dont think I would have seen a tremendous difference in performance from say a Monster Cable and one of these. I think its worth the money for sure. :) -This cable is very good quality, and my picture is stunning. I changed this cable with one of those Monster cables and could not tell a difference. This is a difference in picture quality but the human eye can not tell the difference. Unless your a cable snob, get this cable. -I recommend spending the extra $50 and getting the HD version. The picture and sound is incredible!! I would definitely recommend!!! -I read other reviews about this model but was hoping I wouldn't experience the same issue. Out of the box, set the TV up in my bedroom, and the TV kept turning "off" on its own! Called Samsung and I'd have to take it about 15 miles to a repair shop (under warranty). Since many others on here stated they had this constant "turns itself OFF" flaw with this model, I'm returning it via UPS tomorrow.If there is good news, the picture looked great and Amazon.com handles returns quickly via this website.UPDATE AUGUST, 2013: I ordered another via Amazon's refurbished/returned models and this one works great. Picture quality is clear and I used other's settings mentioned on here for the picture adjustments. I would recommend this model now. -I was skeptical when ordering this product. I had never before heard of TP-Link. Because this router is available for less than $70, I had real reservations on just how well it would do in a real working environment.I was pleasantly surprised to find out from a performance standpoint, there was not much difference from the "big names." After EASY set-up, I began using the router in my small insurance agency. I didn't tell my Office Manager I had changed routers. I waited for her reaction. She never even noticed the difference between the TP-Link N600 and our previous Netgear WNDR4500 which, incidentally, was double the price.The wireless performance of the N600 router turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Even though the router is less than half the cost of some of the "big name" routers, there is no lacking of performance whatsoever. You may not like the look of a router with its external antennas, but there is no doubt the router utilizes the design effectively. The speed is outstanding and the range is exceptional.All in all, TP-Link N600 comes equipped with ALMOST every major function you could want from a router. It is MISSING a 'Guest Network' feature which allows you to have separate security and access restrictions for guests accessing your network. Other than that, I believe this router can certainly compete with the "big names."Adding to my satisfaction, the TP-Link N600 comes complete with a 2-year limited warranty.The TP-Link N600 is a very impressive dual-band router that performs like the "big names" but costs about half the price. It doesn't have the most attractive interface, but it isn't lacking many features. Those looking for a best buy for the money, the TP-Link N600 is really hard to beat. -This bag is soo perfect for my Canon XS camera. And I'm so confident with it, that when it falls, I don't worry. It has a suspension system inside, that keeps the camera away from the sides. I don't regret nothing about this bag. -Initial thoughts: The v1.0 of the Airbender while a capable case, lacks some of the features of its v2.0 counterpart. Namely a rubberized/anti-slip external surface and a more complete structure for surrounding the iPad, including a screen protector. However, in a closed position, the iPad is enclosed in the case.A major feature which I’ve found lacking in other manufacturer’s options is the full keyboard with two shift keys. For anyone who has any typing skills, a singular shift key will frustrate you after a very short time.The Airbender v1.0 like v2.0 has the ability to tilt the screen at various angles. One feature that is present in v1.0 and not in v2.0 is the very pronounced groves to rest the iPad in while fully opened. There are two groves that can accommodate various viewing angles.Additionally the iPad can be rotated between landscape and portrait to accommodate varied applications.The LED’s for CAPS, CHRG and BT are very bright and serve their purpose well. By comparison, other cases I’ve used have very dim LEDs making it very difficult to see if one is illuminated.Final thoughts: I give the Airbender v1.0 a rating of 4/5. While lacking a few features, the Airbender v1.0 is still a nice case and has features that excel when compared with some of its competitors many of which cost more. With the rotatable screen, various viewing angles and the full keyboard, this case is quite functional. -I purchased a few of these since they are small, well priced, and designed well. The loop on the end can be used to attach the device to a keychain or lanyard. I especially like the all-metal simple design. I didn't want a huge plastic USB stick that would be awkward to carry all the time, so this worked out well. The design is simple and elegant, and the device works as advertised. It's USB v2.0, but it isn't advertised as a v3.0/SuperSpeed device so no surprise there. The 16GB version is hardly more costly than the 8GB (at least when I purchased it) so it's definitely the way to go. -These speakers are one of a kind!They are perfect for their price!The quality is a solid 9/10The sound (Loudness without distortion) 9/10The price is exceptional 10/10The durability is a strong 10/10 (The speakers have held up for over a year and sound as new)Now, of course you can purchase a much higher quality set of speakers at a much inflated price, but for $40 these are by far superior to any otherThere is little to no distortion when music is loud.My favorite part about these speakers is the ability to toggle bass input at a simple movement!A definite must have for many individuals! -After being disappointed by a $50 pair of Sony headphones, I snagged these Audio-Technica's based on the reviews here on Amazon. I'm very impressed with the quality of these headphones. The cord is very long and durable, the jack is strong and well constructed. The headphones themselves are very comfortable, block out a ton of background noise, and aren't too bulky or heavy. They're very durable and can take a beating.The sound quality for a non-amplified pair of headphones is nothing short of amazing. The majority of headphones in this price range are boomy, obnoxious headphones with poor midrange and high end performance. The ATH-M30 is incredibly well balanced with heavy lows, comfortable mids, and stunningly clear highs. I can't recommend a better pair of headphones in this price range. -I have an Apple TV and an original roku. I was so excited to see this roku 3 when it was released. What an improvement from my last roku player. Super fast and I never see problems with buffering like my older roku had at times. I highly recommend buying this streamer. The only problem I personally have is that the 700+ channels aren't all great. But the ones that are are well worth buying his streamer. It has so much potential for more channels to come to this device. As a heavy apple user and Apple TV owner I do miss that there isn't an airplay mirroring feature like apples but there are so many more features that make up for that. Such as a USB slot and micro sd slot to play your own movies and music. Overall this streamer is packed with features, speed, and channels . I highly recommend this unit as I have tried the rest... This is the best.... -This keyboard feels solid and sturdy, very comfortable to type on, and offers many customizable keys that you can program for different tasks. The front of the keyboard is elevated; at first it felt a little strange, but I got used to it quickly. Now it has become the most comfortable keyboard I've ever used. -For reference, this is my setup:Time Warner Cable in Austin, Texas with gamer speed, on really old shared wiring that is so bad there isn't enough power to get actual cable--I just have cable internet; a MediaLink router; a four-year-old Korean re-branded Viore monitor without a working antenna, but with three HDMI ports; and, a two-year old basic Dell, factory setup laptop.Having said that: my cable service, despite paying for "gamer speed", is pretty shoddy during peak hours. HuluPlus and Amazon on Demand seem to have packet streaming that deals with that pretty well--I have to restart movies during peak hours, two or three times, but other than that I don't have much interruption.But, I thought this didn't work at all with a two-year-old Dell laptop because it couldn't connect during peak hours. (It wouldn't work at 10 p.m. on a Monday night). Then, my boyfriend got it to "Cast" using a Samsung phone at about 11:00 p.m.. We like to watch very old Led Zeppelin videos on YouTube, and it did work well for that. The video and audio with even really old footage is excellent.The next day, I had no problem at all getting it to cast at 1:00 a.m., from my laptop. As of this writing, though, I don't think it works unless your cable is really good.If you have bad internet, this isn't worth the money. The free Netflix is nice, though. -Love the ease of use of the chromecast, stopped using PS3 for Netflix cause this thing is so nice and easy to use. -This case deserved all 5 stars! the case feels good in terms of material and the magnetic sleep/wake functions perfectly, and the case is sleek and slim enough to not be bothersome. -This mouse feels great and operates nicely when it is working, but I use mine for work and multiple (15+) times a day, the mouse starts jumping around the screen instead of moving smoothly. This goes for clicks, movement, scrolling, etc. The mouse and receiver are about 2 feet away from each other, so it's not a distance issue, and I've tried it on multiple surfaces with no difference.I googled the issue and it seems like a very common problem that has gone unanswered but Microsoft (surprise... not). I tried all of the suggestions (rebooting, reinstalling drivers, changing batteries, etc) but none of them worked. I plugged in a different mouse and when this one starts getting jumpy, the other does not, so it's definitely THIS mouse that is the issue.I bought a Logitech Anywhere MX mouse, and it works great. I'll be returning this one. -This is a nice case that provides more than adequate protection---but considering the price and design, that should go without saying... For me, the pros did not outweigh the cons with this one.It easily doubles the weight of the iPad (generations 2 and 3 are sized and weigh the same), making it cumbersome to handle and carry. I can see why people and their kids are dropping it with this thing on, and the solid heavy weight and bulk it created made it more prone to being knocked around in my bag. In fact, it barely fit into my bag with this thing on. I mean, it's thicker than my MacBook! This is because the shield (that doubles as a stand) juts out about half an inch to keep the stand inside from resting against your screen when you have it on to travel. In terms of weight and size, I would say it's the difference between lugging around a heavy hardback book (and trying to stuff that in my bag) instead of having just a slim trade size paperback (as with a folio case).The other thing I disliked about the shield/stand thing was that I found it difficult and noisy to remove and set up. You've got to pry the shield off corner by corner by either bracing the iPad against something or pulling the shield in one direction and pushing the iPad in another. I was having to do it all the time, (which just made it more likely that I'd drop it) and there was also always this obnoxious creaking/clicking sound as i did it. That sort of thing bothers me because---okay this will probably piss off some of the over zealous reviewers but, I wouldnt want to draw any more attention than the case already does on it's own, as it is embarrassingly overprotective and makes your iPad seem like some mysterious giant tablet or you know, like some kind of fisher price tablet... .i mean, i know some reviewers are saying that people often admire their otter cases and ask about them...but I think it's more like they're admiring your giant Fire and thinking wow, the Fire really IS like the iPad! Maybe I should get one... Maybe it loosens up after a while, but the design is so solid that this seems unlikely. It won't bother you if you only use the shield as a stand or to travel, but the screen protector is just a clear sheet of plastic like any other screen protector so I guess I just prefer to have the sort of cover that I can just close over the iPad like a book cover when i carry it around casually.All that aside, the case is still nice and the fit is PERFECT, but I think it's overkill unless you actually need this sort of protection---like if you have little kids that will be using it, or you use it in a job where it'll be abused on a daily basis--otherwise there are plenty of cases out there that fit just as nice but are more convenient (not to mention better looking). This also isn't the sort of case you will want to be taking on and off; it's difficult to remove so you can't just switch to this one for work/travel and use a more comfortable one for at home. -I bought this projector for the current price and have been very happy with it. It was nice to see how bright it was even during the daytime, windows all on one side of the room but no strong light as it is the start of winter and a basement. Summer time it would be good to have curtains for light control like any projector. When I get curtains up I am sure that will take care of any issues during daytime, even in summer. Of course as with any projector the more control over light in the room the better the picture. I did a lot of research before purchasing this unit. As a projector unless one has a totally dark room meaning zero light and dark walls then ANSI lumens are important, this one with its 2000 ANSI LUMENS is great and use this to compare with other projectors, if less I would be weary.I wanted to have a NATIVE 1080P RESOLUTION which I do not regret and would not get a projector with lower resolution. One may notice that a projectors specs say they can do 1080 but this is misleading as this is not NATIVE resolution, meaning they try to upconvert to a 1080i (i=interpolated) and it is not the same thing, not even close. I want to see blu rays in their full resolution which this does. One may also purchase an A/V receiver to upconvert the source material for best picture quality, my Blu Ray player also does this upconversion, but it is still not a true 1080P. While not as good as the 1080P one will see when playing a Blu Ray disc for example, the picture from HD cable channel which is 720P is still AMAZING just as good as the picture on my 42 inch LCD HDTV and better than my older 55 inch rear projection HDTV. High Def video from a home video source such as full 1080P from an AVCHD format camcorder for example is stunning and home movies look as good or better than store bought if done properly. The input source is of course going to dictate how good the picture is, so it will look as good as the source input, this is not always the case with all projectors, they have to have the capacity to project the image at full input resolution such as this one. Most projectors that have this resolution cost more and a flat panel in the screen sizes this is capable of are going to be many thousands of dollars more.I do not use the Eco setting but the bulbs last 3-4000 hours and are only around 120.00 and you only need one which is a very good deal. One of the great and unique features of this projector are the LENS SHIFT adjustment wheels, this projector does not have to be dead center on with the screen as those knobs can shift the picture both vertically and horizontally, at least several inches or more depending on how far the projector is away from the screen, in some situations this could mean the difference between having a projector and screen work in a room or not. The lens shift moves the picture left to right or up and down keeping it in focus. So your screen can be way off from being centered with the projector and still fit dead on. The projector itself has plenty of features and adjustments but it did not take long to find a good setting close to out of the box. While this has 2 HDMI inputs I only use one with all of my components running through my A/V receiver, a Pioneer Elite VSX30 for 275 with 7.1 surround which I am very happy with.I got the Peerless mount that I think was a good choice, it fits this projector and is good quality with two nice pitch adjustment knobs. It is white and matches the color of the projector well. Since it is ceiling mounted it is up and out of the way of my dog and one has to be right up close to the screen before one would block the picture at all, standing in between the projector and screen with this set up does not shadow the screen.If one is going to ceiling mount this you may wish to purchase a longer power cord. I bought a 15 foot power cord for this for about 8 bucks so it is long enough to plug in to my power conditioner, extension cords are a bad idea. This worked great for my ceiling installationCables To Go 09482 18 AWG Universal Power Cord, IEC320C13 to NEMA 5-15P (15 Feet)One can run cords through walls or you can do as I did and use conduit such as the product here which hides the cord and sticks on and requires no nails.Wiremold C210 White Cordmate II Kitso it looks like a nice clean installation.I also being on a budget bought the Favi 100 inch 16:9 widescreenFAVI HD-100 16:9/100-Inch Electric Projector Screenwhich works great and provides an awesome picture with this projector. My set up surprises everyone that it did not cost much more. It comes in various sizes but 100 inches was the biggest that would fit. There is information here on the pages of the FAVI screens for sale which will show you the dimensions of each screen size to help determine the size screen that will fit in your room. In my case both the horizontal fit as well as how far the screen came down was important information.While all my components are capable of 3D I have not really liked 3D that much in the theater and decided I would not want to play much 3D content at home so I concentrated on brightness and the 1080P resolution and the adjustment features of this projector and zero regrets. If I were to change my mind in the future when the technology has progressed I can revisit that, but for now this is all I could ever want.I like this better than the movie theater. As the screen is smaller it is easier to get a high resolution picture. The surround sound speakers which are the Energy Take Classic 5.1 set with the Energy CF-30 floor standing speakers (I got a great deal for 150 each new) make for wonderful sound. There is plenty of great home theater equipment out there but this was the best for my budget at the time. I would highly recommend a good audio set up to go along with the amazing picture quality you will have with this projector.If you purchase this and want some set up help there is a web site projector central (...) where you can enter your projector model and screen size and it's contrast ratio and seating location and other information and it has a wizard that will tell you the optimum distance to mount the projector from the screen and ideal seating distances and details such as that. Very helpful in a successful installation. I used their calculations with perfect results.I also got a Harmony 1100 remote so that I don't need 6-7 remotes,Logitech Harmony 1100 Universal Remote with Color Touch ScreenI got that new for 200.00 (heck of a deal) and extra batteries on Amazon for 8.75 eachLogitech Battery for Harmony Remote Control 1000 1100 1100i 3.7V 1250mAh. That works like a charm with it's touch screen. I even got a IR dimmer switch that runs off its own remote or the Harmony remote. I also got the RF accessory so I can use either RF (which is not line of sight) or RF to IR for all the components, helpful if your components are behind your seating location.I highly recommend this projector. I would not settle for one with lower resolution or lower lumen output, you would never obtain as high resolution as a full 1080P projector and you would not get the brightness necessary for daytime viewing if you do not have a room that is completely dark. On the other hand for $1050.00 you will be quite happy with the picture you get from this especially if the source is at least HD (720P) or using its full capability of 1080P quality like a Blu Ray. t Not that it is bad with a regular definition channel or regular DVD, but you get your most amazing picture with the best input source just as is the case with any projector or TV. I can't emphasize enough how much the 1080P quality is worth. This projector is simply the best deal for the money I could find. Consider this, if you want a large picture you can get a very large screen such as the Favi or many others that are at least 120 inches, this projector could potentially display a giant 300 inch picture if you have the space to do so. But even at 100 inches like I have what else can you get for that money in this size with this resolution aside from a good projector? Very little and it is going to cost a lot more. And if you have an electric screen that moves out of the way you take up very little space when not in use and the projector itself takes up very little space. Also unlike a flat panel TV you have a set picture size. With a projector like this you can just change your screen size while using the same projector and go smaller or larger with the screen size if you change the location which either constricts the size of the screen you are able to use or enlarges the space to allow for a larger screen. This is a flexibility you will only find in a projector. And with the lens shift of this particular projector you have even more flexibility for placement of the projector.Also consider that this weighs about 16 pounds out of the box. An LCD flat panel HDTV would likely weight 100 plus for a large one. So this give you a great portability. The 100 inch screen I am using only weighs 27 pounds. Both of which can be carried by one person. That can not be said about a flat panel. Flat panels are great. I use them in smaller sizes at reasonable prices in locations they make sense. But for a home theater you can't beat this for anywhere near the price and you will be stunned by how great the picture is from it.I can't say enough how happy I am. I took a month to research all this and made this decision. The first time I put a show on the screen I instantly knew it was all I had hoped for. It gets used on a daily basis and I have now used it for about 500 hours (the projector keeps track of lamp hours used) without a single issue. In about one minute I have a projector which is always out of the way on the ceiling taking up no usable space in the room along with a screen also not taking up any usable space to having a 100 inch incredibly high resolution viewing experience night or day. The only adjustments I make are to the projector by selecting "Dynamic" during the bright day time to "Living Room" which is slightly dimmer to avoid seeing any pixilation at night and that only takes a few seconds from the remote to change.UPDATE: I have been using this projector for over a year now. No problems at all during this time, and still no regrets that I purchased this unit. I do find that I still prefer either an HD video source or BluRay whenever possible but that would be the same with any projector or HDTV, particularly one with a very large screen such as this is capable of. I still only use the two settings, one for daytime and one slightly less bright for night to avoid seeing any pixilation artifacts.BULB LIFE: Well my bulb finally went. It lasted exactly 2837 hours. Epson says that it will last between 3000-4000 hours so it was close. Keep in mind that I have never used the Eco setting only full power. I would urge anyone buying a replacement bulb to ONLY USE EPSON. There are lots of knockoffs out there which are cheap and will not have the performance, life, possibly explode or other negative things. Only the Epson lamp is worth buying. It is of course the most expensive and I found a new one for about $60 less from another camera supply site than Amazon is offering it for right now. But no regrets. I have had some awesome viewing of countless movies and football games and tv shows and whatever on the huge screen with a great picture for all this time.To extend the life of your lamp make sure that it has plenty of room for air to circulate around the projector, particularly the back where the air intake and filter are. Vacuum the air filter from time to time and replace it with a new one when you change the bulb. Also make sure to allow the lamp to cool down before moving the projector if it is not mounted on the ceiling like mine. Those things will help give you the longest life. I have read of people having significantly lower lamp life and I suspect they are not doing all those things. I also have a in room air cleaner to help keep dust down in the room I have my projector and components for the home theater. Keep it cool and clean and you will get the best lamp life. -I really like the Airbender Pro. It's an excellent improvement over the Airbender 2.0. The Airbender Pro has a thick and very protective rubber case that protects the iPad Air and the bluetooth keyboard. It's somewhat thick, which helps to make it extra protective. It protects all the ports and has a built in screen protector. It also has holes for the speakers so you can still listen to music. The case is shock and water resistant. It is not water proof. It would be really great to have a waterproof case. If I am outside in the snow or rain and want to use my iPad, it would be nice to have it in a waterproof case. The bluetooth keyboard is a full keyboard. It pairs easily with the iPad Air. It's very easy to type on. The keys are comfortable. It could use a mouse. If the keyboard was rearranged, and the keys were moved up, there would be room for a laptop style mouse or a pencil eraser style mouse. The way in which the port coverings attached to the case seem somewhat flimsy, like they could fall off after a few months of everyday use. The keyboard has an internal battery and can be charged using a micro USB. The battery will last all day long. I use this case and keyboard everyday, both at home and at work. I perform Human Resources and Payroll functions at my job. I do a lot of work on the Internet and send and receive a plethora of email throughout the day. This case would be great for anyone in any occupation that needs a bluetooth keyboard for their iPad Air and a protective case. This case really turns the iPad Air into a mini laptop. I have gotten several really nice compliments from co-workers about how attractive the case is and how useful it is. This case has a really rugged metal arm that won't break like the plastic arms that some of the cases have. With this protective case on my iPad Air, I feel that I can take it more places. It's also more usable with the keyboard. Sometimes the bluetooth keyboard does make my iPad freeze up when I check my email on Microsoft Exchange. Other than that the keyboard has been great. Sometimes if I let the iPad sit for awhile, it will lose its connectivity to the bluetooth keyboard and I have to reconnect. I give this case and keyboard a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. This is definitely an excellent improvement over the Airbender 2.0. The case on the Airbender 2.0 was thin and flimsy. The Airbender Pro is awesome, durable, and rugged. It is definitely built to last. I highly recommend this case to anyone with an iPad Air. You will not be disappointed. -I was looking to build up my entertainment room, I had a 32" tv and wanted something much larger. After standing in a big box store last night looking at the various options I came across this one. The picture on it was not good, but I figured it had to be the store had some funky settings. It was next to another LED Tv that cost around $200 more, but I went with the vizio anyways thinking I could change the settings to make it work.I got it home in the back of my honda ridgeline truck, it fit perfectly in the bed with the tailgate closed, we got it carried upstairs easily with the wifes help and unboxed it. The TV is massive and when you first turn it on it walks you through a setup wizard.Once the TV was up and running the picture was good, but not great. At least not for watching Hockey. I went into the settings and found the TV had many sport modes, but hockey was not one of them! Anyways, after flipping through the various settings I found the "Vivid" setting and that made the picture of the hockey games crystal clear, you could see the ice clear as day, including the skate marks across the lines. The player uniforms popped. It was really amazing how clear the picture actually is.I've only had this tv going on 24 hours now but so far I love it. Yes the sound is not phenomenal. It's not bad but I had a sound bar I hooked up to it and use that. -The Flip MinoHD is the kind of camera you either love or hate. If you're a videophile and analyze specs and features then this camera isn't for you. Using the Flip MinoHD reminded me of why I was skeptical about buying an iPhone when Apple first launched it and why I ultimately bought one and why I feel the iPhone is a fantastic device despite all of it's limitations. Now on to the Flip...There's not much in the box (camera, soft case, strap), the battery can't be changed, and the memory can't be expanded. There's no CD included (the software is on the device) and no cables are included (or needed for most users). There are almost no settings to play with: set the date, time, beeps on/off, recording light on/off and you're ready to go. The ergonomics are ok. It's tough to make a small device easy to hold and use and the display is small but that's to be expected of such a tiny package.For many products this kind of simplicity would suggest that the manufacturer tried to cut costs (e.g. Apple not including an AC Adapter with iPods). In the case of the Flip the message I heard was clearly different: you don't need any of these things. Since there's not much fiddling to do with settings you're left with actually using it!I tried it outdoors and indoors and took videos of the kids and of scenery. It perform wells in all lighting conditions including low light. Based on on my experience low light is the weak point for the HD Video Mode in my Panasonic P&S; as well as in the mini-DV HD Cameras that I own. The Flip outperforms them all. The audio isn't bad at all and the picture quality is better than anything I've seen in a P&S; and is very comparable to what I get with my Canon mini-DV HD Camera.Overall it's easy to pocket and a pleasure to use for making small video clips. -I have been using this lens for about a month. Here is what I like about it.1. The USM gives me better auto-focus performance. Worth the price diff between the f1.8? ... I'm guessing not, but on the other hand, candids of two active boys might be helped by a speedier auto-focus.2. The f/1.4 gives me a noticable margin for low light situations3. The f/1.4 version is slightly better built and does produce better bokeh than the cheaper f/1.8 models.Here is what I dont like1. I have noticed that the lens is very soft on the wide end between 1.4 and 1.8. There is some kind of "flaring" around the bright spots.2. I have taken identical photos with my L17-40 f4 and dont see this. Although the 50/1.4 is a lot faster than my L lens.. I am sending this lens back either to Canon for calibration or to Amazon..3. The ring of the 50/1.4 appears to be loose. I dont know if this is supposed to be this way.. however for an expensive lens Canon should construct this lens like a tank. but no.. it appears to be cheap.4. The 50mm/1.8 is only about $70 so it's hard to beat. I find the picture quality is around the the same as my 50/1.4. -I got this to deal with the inconsistent power in my apartment. I first looked at APC but then I found this one. I get more power and battery life for my buck and this thing is excellent quality. It is a little big but that is the battery. I have my 1000w PC, 23in monitor, modem and router hooked up to it and I can get 25min of battery power out of it!! The software that comes with it is great, it shuts down your computer safely when the power has been out for how ever long you tell it to, and has an option to turn off the alarm when the power goes out which is nice. The LCD screen is off and turn on when you push a button to see the data. This is nice because then you don't have your room glowing blue. Overall I am very happy with this product and would buy it again. Great value and quality for your money. -I've setup lots of projectors in the past and this one for the price has a great picture especially for under $1200.00. I just have to say that I am impressed and I am not easy to please. The picture this thing has to offer is unbelievable. It's also quiet and super simple to setup. You can't go wrong with this. -Bought this today and installed it--fairly easy--needed the builtin WiFi cause we have no wired connection available upstairs--thought to get a 40" same model from Costco vs Amazon cause Costco has sale on but when we got there and saw how large the screen was compared to the older model "tube" tv we were taking out, it was no brainer to go with 32 and save some more money...not as cheap as Amazon's price but we get extra year's warranty from Costco for free...Anyway--easy to install--put stand together and got batteries in remote...diconnected the older tv and moved this onto shelf in armoire...nicely balanced in the 37 inch shelf--40" would have fit but probably looked too big for the space...Easy to connect the WiFi eventhough our hub is downstairs...Once I connected the cable box I was able to change the viewing options over to the HD 1080p and got a great picture...I may try to calibrate using some suggestions on other reviews -- I did change some levels but even just out of the box the picture was so much better than what was there that making adjustments is the least of the worry...Took a while to download the Samsung apps for Netflix and Amazon Prime (and some others that apprear to be mandatory like Hulu and UTube which I don't use)--there is a memory ceiling with this so if you wanted to get all crazy and download all available I don't know you could but the only other one I might want is Skype and need camera for that first...The sound seemed very clear using TV speakers--and there are some options o the meny to change setting so you can fiddle with dynamic quality there too...The only thing that is a little offputting is going back and forth between watching U-Verse cable and using the SmartHub for Netflix and Amazon Prime...Once I touch the SmartHub button and get those options showing--IF I want to go back to cable viewing my option is to either go BACK< BACK<BACK<BACK< however many times it takesor to use the SOURCE button and go back to the HDMI1 for cable...I didn't spend much time reading instructions so maybe there is easier way--I was able to easily tie the Samsung remote for ON/OFF and volumn to my U-Verse (silver) remote but I will still need the Samsung for going to/from the SmartHub choices...didn't want a DVD player for this room--have blu-ray and Xbox and Wii in gameroom upstairs and one (Sony smart blu-ray) for main tvgetting better quality flatscreen w/built in wi-fi just seemed smarter way to go for this particular room--and it is light enough that we can take it outside in summer if we want and watch on the patio...have cable run there already... -This camera is just all right at best, The pictures are poor and the videos are worse. The worst thing is it saves the videos in .mov format. If you own a PC everything has to be converted, Its the typical apple/sony proprietary mentality. Do your self a favor and buy e real camera....Canon etc. -It's not widely known among most consumers, but not every HDMI-labeled cable meets the full HDMI standard. This caused me a lot of head-scratching with my first Roku box, which would mysteriously blank out the video (but continue to stream audio!) after it had been streaming for a few hours. Turned out my TV set wasn't getting the right signals, assumed there was no video, and was going into screen-saver mode. It took me a fair bit of searching the web to figure this out.You'll have no such problems with this cable. It meets the latest HDMI 1.4 standards, and should work fine with any HDMI compliant video device- and at a very attractive price, too. -When I first saw this, I was a bit snobbish about it. It looked like a toy, and unlike my other Zoom (H4n), this one does not work with XLR microphones and it does not have half the features of the bigger model.As it turns out, I was wrong. This is a serious recorder. It may lack a lot of the key features of the H4n, but it more than makes up for it on simplicity, weight and sound quality.Essentially although Zoom stripped out a lot of features (and weight), they left the most important features intact... two perfectly matched microphones and outstanding recording quality.The most popular use for the H1 is to record separate audio for DSLR videos. Because it's so small and light, you can easily get a mount to attach it right on top of your camera.Two things you should know about.1. There is no wind screen, so either use it inside or get one. The microphones are super sensitive, and can pick up the smallest sounds... so wind will be a problem if you don't get a good windscreen.2. The case itself is sensitive... The microphones pick up the sounds of your hands holding it. If you are not mounting it, try not to move your hands too much; it will pick up everything. -We were trying to live simply and watch less television. We also wanted to save some money by discontinuing our Dish Network service. At first, I was thinking about purchasing an external HDTV antennae but was daunted by the installation. I then decided to look at indoor antennas and came across the Mohu Leaf. I was intrigued that it got excellent reviews. I wasn't very hopeful because of our location. I live in Apex, NC and our subdivision is surrounded by a lot of trees and we get poor AT&T; cellphone service. But I was encouraged that Mohu has a great return policy. I figured that if it didn't work, I will just return it.I plugged it into my HDTV and had the television do a channel search. The first time I did this, I did not get a lot of channels but after moving it a couple of times (and having my TV do another channel search after each move), I was able to get 19 channels! Among a few minor channels, I got the major networks including PBS, CBS, ABC, Fox, NBC, and The CW. And guess what, at normal viewing distances, the picture quality is comparable to Dish!I'm even contemplating of buying a DVR. There are a few devices that don't even require a monthly subscription. But I'm still thinking about this. It's very tempting to be able to record all the network shows like Fringe, Desperate Housewives, or Dancing with the Stars. My main goal, after all, is to watch less television.Very soon, I will cancel my Dish service and this $44 antennae is going to save me lots of money. -I've been using an HP wireless keyboard/mouse combo for a year...the combo came with my new computer and I finally had enough of wonky functionality (the receiver was literally inches away from the keyboard/mouse yet it would still cut out at times). I received the MK550 as a Christmas gift through my Amazon wish list and the combo is better than I thought it would be. First of all the receiver is SMALL; I connected it to one of my front USB ports on my desktop and you can hardly see it (it also comes with an extender in case you need it). The keyboard and mouse haven't lost their connection once so far, the keyboard is high quality and feels nice to the touch, and the mouse is equally comfortable with a quiet click.What makes me laugh is that the keyboard has a "Media Center" button that links to a Windows Media Center application (reminds me of Hulu with free TV shows, etc.). I NEVER knew that came installed on my computer and now I'm having fun watching some of the sitcoms I missed this year. -I like the headphones for the most part. It has good sound and fits comfortablly in my ears. The only thing that I did not like about it was that the cord is either too short and too long. Too short that you have to place the player near your chest area or too long where you have to coil the cord when you attach the player to your waist. -This bag is awesome! Has a place for everything and holds so much! All the pockets and little places to put things is great and the inside compartments are moveable so that you can adjust to different sized lenses and cameras. I wouldn't trade this for anything! The straps are adjustable and it's comfortable to wear as well. -Ah, the mysterious world of WiFi devices. This Adapter works great to bring N to a b/g laptop. Don't expect to always get the 150Mbps, but your upstream connection to the internet is probably slower than that anyway so you won't even notice. I would recommend this product. -OK, I could have given this case 3 stars for some of the cons. I did not because of the way Amazon markets the case on their site probably clarifies what you are buying. The key here is THINNESS! And many people love a thin LIGHT case. Amazon designed this case to be the thinnest, and Amazon may very well have achieved that. I think this is a good thing. So good, that I have given this case 5 stars. Just know, you are buying thin.5 stars for thin and protective case... about half an inch with the FireHD 8.9. (hard to measure, I need calipers!). I will tell you why I think some of the one star ratings are given...and they fall in two areas: One, the case looks cheap when you see the lower half inside. Two, the case can not be propped at a low angle to one's desk and still type well on it. We will look at both of these items... there are, I am sure, other reasons for low rankings, some due to perceptions of "a good case."First, everyone has (perhaps) their own perceptions of what a good case is: My brother has a big Otterbox case (sturdy, shock resistant case) on his thin cell phone. I do not... I have a thin, easy to grip case. Why? Is it because I don't want my phone (and tablet) protected? Sure I do. But I am an adult, and I know how to take care of things. The case is there, just in case. :) But, I don't need to protect it to the level of an OtterBox case, in my view. So that is my preference. If this is not your preference, you are going to hate this thin, beautiful case.Amazon advertises thin, and they deliver thin. And I agree with those who think if they wanted a one inch thick case around their tablet, they would have a netbook or similar, not a tablet (since tablets should be thin and light). But... but... but... (you may object)...Yes, I know. This case doesn't look like a 50 bucks+ case. In fact, many have said it is not even leather. I don't know for certainty, but I don't doubt that it is leather. But let me describe the construction and you will see. And why does the bottom half look like it is just plastic!? Read on.The case is a very light plastic shell... and this very thin shell can be seen on the inside of the lower half, so the perception is cheapness. But, the question should be, what is the purpose of this case and what is being accomplished by this plastic? In short, it is providing needed protection and absorbtion for drops around every square inch of the tablet... notice the complete wrap around, form-fitting shape on the bottom half. Look closely at the bottom half, which has been structured to fit the Fire HD 8.9 like a glove, with perfectly cut openings and stylish design), on the outside of this casing is a wrap around leather covering. Once your tablet is in this case, you never see the plastic, as it is holding your Fire HD 8.9. Then, on top of the shell is a thin, very thin, leather covering that looks like it has been steam fit and glued on top of the plastic. Then a black thread has sewn the edges down so I doubt it would ever come loose. By necessity then, the leather is not soft to the touch, since it is attached to a plastic shell. But, it is very likely leather and the reason some think it is all plastic is because of the shell material.The sizing to the actual Kindle Fire HD is what is so amazing. The bottom of the plastic case just snaps over the bottom of the Fire and then the top lays on the glass of the tablet. Magnets (with Auto Wake and Sleep) keep the case shut (though it might not be good enough to stay shut in a fall).THIN AND LIGHT?Now, I purchased a Moko Case from Amazon too. It was thin, as was my preference. My Moko Case is about 5/8 of an inch with tablet). This case is 1/2 inch, plus maybe a tad more than half an inch. But, clearly, this case is thinnest of any case that I have seen.Is it lightest? IT IS NOT. My Moco case is lighter, even though it is tad thicker. Why? This Amazon case wraps completely around the entire tablet (it doesn't leave any edges exposed. My Moco case does. Still, the slightly thicker padding on the Moco probably provides a bit more protection... but who knows... I am not going to drop test. :) Suffice it to say they are both thin and light weight. One a tad more than the other in each area.THE STAND:The stand on this case has been where many people have commented. Here is my take.First, the stand does work well. It may not be the best if you like to type on your tablet in a standing mode (as finger pressure would certainly knock the stand over on some surfaces).Remember thin? Well, one thing that makes many cases thicker is the stand mechanism. Make the stand (or base) too thick and it adds bulk. Make it too thin and it just doesn't stay up. So, this was the design challenge. Amazon went with a LACK OF A BASE for their stand.... as well as a lack of a Kick-0ut stand mechanism. How does it work? Simple, just fold it over and let the case form a A shape that supports the tablet to stand. Oh, I can hear it now. "That won't work reliably!" Well, what they did is make the outer edge side out of a sticky, rubbery material, so that when you prop it opens, it holds quite nicely. This saves them a lot of weight and thickness. Some don't like it... but I imagine it is people that want to type on the tablet with it propped up in standing position. I think that if the feet are kept fairly clean, they will grab onto any descent surface and hold the tablet upright... and at about any angle that you want.I like this case. I like the design. I like the thinness. The jury still out on the stand (over time) and the magnetic closure (during a potential fall). I can't do less than five stars, because it does everything it states. Yes, I like my Moco case a bit better, but I bet this case will still be going strong long after my Moco case needs to be replaced. And now I have a wonderful replacement.JJI will update this review over time.Update: One con is the interior material of the case (the part that hits the screen)...it is not super-soft Micro-fiber cloth, rather a thin cloth that doesn't scratch the screen. A Microfber cloth interior might help keep the screen cleaner, but it would have added thickness. I have seen one reviewer say that cat hairs stick to it. I have not had that problem, and we do have a cat.Update: Price vs. Quality. Boy, I really wanted to stay out of this discussion. Everyone has their own comfort level with price, so I just try to review the product. But yes, if you are looking at cases in the sub-20 market, this case is pricey in comparison. But, I doubt that anyone who wanted the features of this case, would then think the given price was too much to pay. Key features again?Protective covering that covers the entire tabletConnects to the tablet all the way around, so it isn't going to pop out.Very thin (the thinnest?) and exceedingly lightExtremely easy to open, use, get access to all ports... and even easy to remove, if needed... all while being thin and attractiveLove the wonderful design for the volume rocker and power button. Nice design makes these a breeze to use (unlike my cell phone case).Leather coating (though not soft) seems durable and easy to grip.Speaker vents are perhaps the best I have seen on any case... it doesn't limit sound.Stand is simple and quick to use, because it uses a rubbery material that simply clings to most (but not all) material (I have tried on wood and formica top desks, table cloth, papers on top of a desk (not as good, but works), glass top tables, and wood and ceramic floors). The only time this failed was when I had it on the side of some rubbermaid containers... slipped on that slicker, dustier surface). You can get a nearly straight up position fairly readily, the only real issue is with a low angle such some people like for typing on a tablet. If the surface isn't ideal, the tablet will simply slip down to the table (flat), when you try to type. The benefit is that you have just about every other angle (degree) that you might want to have. That is great if your trying to avoid a glare on the screen, for instance. -I was disappointed with this purchase because I felt mislead on what I was looking for. Last year I built my first P9X79 Deluxe system using the Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced Full Tower and was very happy with its quiet fans. With a Nuactua NH-D14 CPU cooler. This thing is almost silent. Because I need all the processing power and memory I can get within a budget, I opted to build a second similar system to add as a render Farm box. I bought a base P9X79 with the exact same 3930K, 64GB memory, power supply, CPU cooler and SSD drives. Not needing all the bells a whistles from the deluxe board I also decided to get the midsized HEF 922. Having a quiet computer is very important to me and this is the reason I chose to stick with The HAF series. Once I got the new system assembled, I was very disappointed to hear the roar of fans from the fans in the 922. The noise levels from the fans stated on the website do not match those printed on the owners manual. (23dBA vs 19dBA) The HAF 922 is far louder then the 932. What ever Cooler master changed in terms of cooling fans, it is clearly not at the same quality of the 932. The noise level is not something I can live with every day so I had to decide weather to return the box at my own expense and time to disassemble, pack, ship and reassemble, or buy some new fans. In order to get a similar low noise level enjoyed by the 932, I have to replace all three of the factory fans and add an optional 200 mm fan to the side. I understand there is a fine line between the open air design of the HEF for cooling and vs noise level but the HAF 932 design is almost the same as the 922 and vary quiet if all other components are low noise. Cooler Master claims the same quality in a mid size tower. All said and done, I should have bought another HAF 923 and save myself the time and dissatisfaction with Cooler Master. At this point, the only thing Cooler master could do for me is send me new fans or reimburse me for the price I paid for 19dBA versions. -I like these better than APC and Tripp which have very similar units. Much more info on the screen and nicely built at a better price. Noticed Cyberpower also won an award recently from resellers. -I really like this case, it feels sturdy and fits the paper-white perfectly. The pocket does not hold much, but that is not a big deal to me. Sometimes it does not seem like the cover is closed, but every time I open the cover the device was in sleep mode, so it must work. -i bought the chromecast with the specific intention of using it to stream from my nas media library. i waited until recently to get one because i wanted to make sure the android apps were available to meet my needs. as it turns out, i found two apps to do this perfectly: NAS Cast ($1.67) and LocalCast (free with paid ad removal). now i can stream all my local content without having to fire up the ps3!as an added bonus, i received my chromecast on the first day of the coachella music festival, which was streamed live all weekend on youtube. using my chromebook, i cast the youtube live feed to the chromecast and enjoyed free, live music all weekend!ok, bottom line. everyone interested in a chromecast has a pretty good idea of what it can do. with the potential of this device, the price tag makes it an easy choice over roku, wd live, or appletv. i'm considering adding one of these to every tv in my house! the cost of a couple more is about the same as i used to pay every month for cable tv, and with the ever-increasing compatibility of the chromecast with media sites and services, this thing could very easily become the main media delivery device in my home. -Being that there are so many cases for the iPad 2, it was confusing. I know that there was a very complete, comparative review by "spyreix" that I found very helpful. I've had my case for several weeks now and LOVE IT! It retains the sleek feel of the bare iPad. The 30/60 degree kickstand works great and easy to do. I know there WERE some cons about the case regarding the leather encroaching the screen and there not being a magnet on the flap to take the unit in and out of hibernation. I emailed Bear Motion and asked them about these 2 things. They said that for their first generation case, this was true. However, the current cases, these issues have been remedied. They were correct as my case is awesome. Highly recommended. -Son's computer doesn't have many usb ports this makes it easy to plug everything in especially when everything takes a usb port.Has 4 extra usb ports this is great. -Case works perfectly, keyboard feels great and the hotkeys are amazing! I was going to buy another case for 100 dollars at BB, but found this one on Amazon, and I am so happy I bought this one.One thing I do wish it had was magnets on the two bottom resting metals that hold the ipad when it is standing in landscape or portrait, cause if you accidentally tilt the ipad to much backwards, then the ipad has no locking mechanism to stay put and may fall backwards. This is really not a deal breaker for me cause i already know its like that so Im just more careful. Only problem maybe when someone that doesnt know about it, may pickup my ipad and not realize it and it may fall backwards. So a magnetic strong enough force to keep it standing would be an awesome upgrade.Overall, I am so happy. Many walk by and say, hey that is a nice little Pc, then I tell them its an ipad. they say WOW, that is so awesome. Case looks really professional and protects the Ipad big time!I recommend anyone to buy it! especially at this great price! -Lots of decent, well-reviewed cases are out there for the Acer Iconia A100. This one was slightly cheaper (I paid $18.95) and still had free Super Saver Shipping when I bought a micro SD card at the same time.Case fits well, and makes all the difference as far as holding the tablet. Without a case, the tablet is somewhat "slick", feeling like it is easier to let slip from the hands. The case fixes all that (as I imagine most cases would). The crease that allows the front flap to fold is in the perfect spot for the thumb to nestle into when gripping.All cutouts were good, especially the one for the camera and LED in back (stylish, shaped cut-out, yet plenty of room for the camera lens). At first I thought the basic fold/insert way of holding the tablet in would not be enough, but it is. The tablet feels very secure and snug once the internal flap is folded around the tablet -- the friction works well.The case closes by using four magnets, two of which are embedded in the part of the case close to the tablet. I had heard that some case magnets interfere with GPS/compass operations. This was not the case for me. For compass apps that only use magnetism, I think this may be true true, at least to some extent, but for full-on GPS, the magnets and case do not appear to cause any issues. I fired up GPS Status after not having used GPS for several weeks, and satellites started becoming visible almost immediately. With A-GPS assistance, I had between 7 and 11 locked in under a minute (I was outside under a clear sky but still in Wi-Fi range from my house). So, GPS and wireless definitely work fine and I have not noticed any degradation since putting the tablet in this case.So, why only 4 stars? Well, the stand functionality leaves a little to be desired. First of all, the plastic slot in back where the leather flap is meant to insert (to create the stand) is very inflexible. So, it is hard to get the flap inserted, and the leather has to deform a bit to get in there. I have not seen any blemishes on the case, but I imagine that over time the flap might warp a bit, and/or if the leather smooths it might pop out of the slot. Also, trying to stand up such a small tablet (7-inch) is a bit wobbly in this case, but that is mostly due to the nature of the folds being so close together and the leather still being fairly rigid.Overall, though, a great case for the price. I like the stylish white stitching, and the case is well-built. And like I said, several cases are sold in the 20-25 dollar range, so it is nice that this one clocks in at below $19 (though that price is subject to change, I suppose...) -This cable appears to be able to satisfy the wiring requirements of adapting USB A to USB B. I only have one piece of equipment(Video camera)that uses USB B and I could not perceive any difference between the transmission speed or quality between this cable and the one I had been using. The cable does not have gold contacts which I believe to be of little value because the gold is usually gold plated at the minimum thickness possible. All it takes is a few connections/disconnections to wear through the gold plating to the metal conductor unserlying the gold. A high quality steel connector is better in the long run. Also, the wire is not unusually thick which means that it may lose conductivity with longer cable runs. This cable is only 10 feet long and therefore is probably well within the length where any loss of signal strength is likely to be incurred. The plastic/rubber outer coating on the cabel is quite flexible which probably means the cable shielding within the wirea is also quite flexible. I am a person that through experience does not throw money away on cabling and I would suggest one spend the time understanding learning what types and quality of cable are necessary to produce virtually lossless sound. For digital signals, a reasonably price cable is probably more than enough. For non-amplified analog signals, good cable is necessary. For amplified analog signals, regular priced shielded cable should suffice. For unamplified signals such as electric guitar, a lower guage high quality shielded cable is absolutely necessary, particularly if you are usinf a cable of 25 feet or more. It is these signals which are week and are more than likely to pick up noise or frequency drop off that you would want to use higher qualities of cable. Remember, most of the cable that "Monster" makes is not neceassary for your purpose and many times the only person who can hear the difference is the salesman and the poor guy who overspent on cable based upon his recommendation. Generally the lower the initial signal strength, the better your cable may need to be. If the initial signal strength is strong, there is a good chance you can use less expensive cable. Cable from the amplifier to the speakers should be of lower guage but does not to be the best since the cable runs are relatively short.To close, the cables here are of decent quality good for their length and would seem to be a reasonable deal. -If your scared to buy this because you have to modify it, dont be. It was really easy and there is even a video on youtube on how to do this [...]After I modified it, it worked great. Easy to pair with my iphone 5 and it works even while my iphone was charging in my bedroom and the receiver was in the living room.The unit itself is super tiny and after I connected it all I just hid it in the back of the TV & stereo among the other wires.Also if your worried about this thing not having a auto off or power button, it only uses 5 volts DC @ 1 amp. For comparison USB ports use 5 volts DC @ 2.1 amps, its not much to get excited over. If you are that much of a penny pincher, you should probably be using a power strip to turn off your TV, DVD Player, Stereo, etc... also since those things all suck power while not in use.Thanks everyone for your comments. Its what makes buying from Amazon great! -The cord itself is great, its long, and it isn't stiff, so its quite useful, but the micro end of the cord is just odd. The plastic around it is MASSIVE in comparison to every other cord I have ever seen, which causes a problem in that it seems like that end of the cord is too heavy for a micro usb port to really handle. When plugged in, if I don't have the cord supported by something, it really seems to sag down, which worries me that it will eventually cause problems for the phone its plugged in to. It just doesn't make a solid connection, and wobbles back and forth. Its really worrying. -I purchased this camera bag for a trip that I wanted to have extra protection for my camera. I feel that the padding is very good and there are more than enough little areas to hold lenses, camera bodies, chargers, memory cards, etc... One of my favorite features of this case is that it contains Velcro inside that allows you to resize the compartments. This is a great option that really makes it versatile for all types of lenses.I can fit about 5 lenses and a camera body in this case.The case seems to be fairly water resistant, but I would not feel too confident in a heavy downpour! There is a flap that covers the zipper all the way around and this would act as a line of defense between the inside and the rain.This case also has a tripod strap that allows you to strap a tripod onto the backpack, I do not have a great tripod, but when I used this with my tripod it worked fine for the most part. The only issue I had was that it did not hold the tripod in position, it seemed to slip out more to one side or the other while walking at extended distances. To be fair I might have just not had it strapped in tight enough.Overall a great case for ANY SLR camera, I have since switched from Canon to Nikon and as you would expect the case works great. I know this may be obvious, but this is not ONLY for Canon cameras. It will work great with any brand. -The case overall is nice. I got it mainly just to protect the screen. If you plan on dropping your nexus on or more times then i'd go with something more expensive. The case feels nice and holds the nexus nicely, I can just see the thing popping out if dropped (sorry I don't feel like testing it). If your case comes defective read below!The first one I received was defective. When the front cover was flipped around and against the back, the magnet would put the device to sleep. Contacted amazon and the sent me a label to return it and allowed me to reorder using one day shipping. They then refunded me the shipping charge! I thought that was pretty awesome. -I bought this for a trip to Europe - it was very easy to use and the size is perfect for sticking in a backpack. It's waterproof, so I didn't have to worry about it getting damp on rainy days (and I hope it will be useful at the beach and when skiing). I saw some reviews about the software being hard to use but when I plugged the camera into my Windows Vista laptop the software installed as advertised and I uploaded some to YouTube very quickly and easily to share with others on our trip. I've already gotten comments about how good the picture was for "that tiny little camera you were carrying around". Too early to comment on reliability or support, but so far it's done exactly what I wanted it to do. -There is no way of telling if this drive will stand the test of time, but so far, this thing has been excellent. The drive and outer casing seem really well made, and the Seagate software it comes with was a snap to configure. Right now, I have the drive sleeping during the day, and then turning on at 4 am to back up any changes to my system, and it has been doing so flawlessly since I set it up about a month ago. I have always been a WD guy, so I was a little hesitant to buy this drive, but based on the reviews, I took the plunge and so far I am very impressed with it's performance. I'm also impressed with the speeds I;m getting using USB 2.0. I can't wait to update my board to 3.0, and watch this thing really scream. In closing, great drive at a great price.Highly recommend. -This cable is good quality and is a steal for the price. Works great with my Toshiba HD-A3 HD-DVD player and Toshiba 30HF66 Tube HDTV at 1080i. Picture quality is simply stunning and there were no problems. -Of course, there is no such thing as the perfect camera. But man, does this come close! I have never been so happy with a camera -- and I've owned quite a few.Right off the bat, the sensor size is larger than on your average P&S; (point and shoot) camera, but the resolution isn't any higher. This allows the camera to take MUCH better pictures in low light. And you will be amazed at how good this camera is in low light! Short of a DSLR camera, it has no equal.In addition, this camera is built for the serious enthusiast. Full manual controls make it almost like having a DSLR in your pocket! And there is a control dial plus a control ring -- making it much easier to control your settings. Plus, a fast lens and the ability to shoot in RAW ... no wonder so many photographers consider this the best pocket camera available. And yet, you can keep it in Auto mode and treat it like any other point & shoot.Oh, and the LCD is truly beautiful!The main thing that keeps it from being "perfect" in my estimation is the limited zoom: less than 4X. I need much more zoom. But I'd give it all up for this camera! And, if you want to use the camera as a camcorder, the standard definition video mode is a bit disappointing. Why not high-def, Canon?The main problems with the camera are pretty minor. The control dial on the back is very loose and you have to be careful not to accidentally change your settings. It's also a shame that you can't independently set the control dial and control ring for whatever you want: instead, you have to choose among a number of pre-sets. It's a little disappointing. And, if you are very serious, it's worth noting the serious barrel distortion in RAW; but the camera takes care of that in processing JPEGs, so most will never know.Some people complain about the build quality. Trust me, it's perfectly fine. It's light, which can be misleading. But there's nothing wrong with the build quality. Perhaps they expect more for $400. I guess I can understand that. But I'm perfectly comfortable with the build quality.The competition for this camera are the Panasonic LX3, the Fujifilm F200EXR, and maybe the Sony WX1 or TX1. The Sonys are good low-light cameras, but have no manual controls. The LX3 and the F200EXR are more serious cameras, but they are no better than the S90 and much more difficult to use. The S90 seems to get things right right out of the box more often than these others ... from all that I have heard, anyway. I don't have any of these cameras. But don't discount ease of use when you consider the competition.I give this camera the highest recommendation possible, even if it's not quite perfect! -This router is very good, and has very good range. Read the smallnetbuilder website for a good review of it, if you don't believe me.My previous router was an RT-N56U, which also is a very good router, but the only reason I purchased the N66U is because it supports open source firmware, and it also has much better QOS control that actually works well once you get it set up correctly.A review below said they have problems getting it to work with the DD-WRT firmware, but I just wanted to let you know it works great with the Tomato open source firmware. I'm using the Shibby version of Tomato. I would have stayed with the stock firmware, but the open source firmware offers so many more features. But I do like the looks of the stock firmware a lot, and it is good also.I'm using a longer flat cat6 cables I purchased online, it looks better on the router because it bends down farther when you stand it upright. It helps appearance wise. -The NT38B Airbender is revolutionary in iPad keyboard cases. There truly are very few real competitors here. This case's flexibility makes it a leader as it swivels, and detaches, allowing seemingly unlimited combinations of viewing and portability. The set-up (the way it positions/stands) also allows rigidity for users who want to use the iPad like a laptop, with screen fixed upright in place. Unlike most iPad cases which require you hold the unit still, or leave on a flat surface, the NT38B Airbender stays in position. The case is also quite rugged. As a tech guy, I've experienced many cases that promise to protect, but at the end of the day protect only from scratches. This case is rugged, solid. Another phenomenal option is the ability to easily detach the iPad from the keyboard while keeping the iPad in it's case. The iPad then can stand alone in various positions while you type. The battery is also quite reliable. I've had the unit for weeks now and have not had to recharge yet. Two items that could improve this product, which I have NOT seen in other "like" items: grip surface on outside of case, and further improved keyboard experience. Most iPad keyboards have the same issue: the keys do not tap as well as they do on a Macbook/laptop. Overall, a SOLID product. -I needed a longer cable that would work with my wife's Droid and my Samsung Galaxy. Those that have the Galaxy know that the face where the USB port is located is slightly angled and the larger mold of some cables at the micro USB end makes it difficult to connect. This cable is perfect. It's well made and heavy-duty. I'd buy it again. -This is a great wireless mouse, as are most of Logitech's products. You plug it in, and it works. No software to download, no buttons to program, it just works. Tracking is excellent and it slides smooth across the desk. After about a week of use I've decided I don't really like how it feels in my hand. This mouse curves in quite a bit on both sides; the "thumb" side is fine, as I rest my thumb comfortably in that position. The other side, however, is not as comfortable as I don't like having to wrap my ring and pinky fingers down around the side. Every other mouse I've used has been "flat" on that side, which is why the M510 feels so different, perhaps a bit small, in my hand.I use a "fingertip" or "claw" grip on my mouse, and this mouse is better suited for a "palm" grip, or possibly someone with smaller hands. I'm going to try a G9x or a Cyborg RAT7 instead. -Oh my word I cannot say enough about this Tv. the picture on it is beautiful. the sound is excellent. Its just the most awesome Tv. you really must upgrade to this tv..........Smart Hub is awesome. I haven't used everything that it has as of yet but what I have has been spot on perfect. Im so proud of it. -I bought this monitor nearly 2 years ago. I use it daily for typical home use - web, music, email, viewing/editing documents, watching videos.The Good:+ Great performance+ Less power consumption (LED)+ Base tilts up+ VESA compliant so you can use a different stand or wall mount+ InexpensiveThe Bad:- The connections (VGA, DVI, and audio in) are a little difficult to access (although once you get them hooked up you can forget about them)- There is no HDMI connection- It is too bright at nightPerformance:I think that the performance (colors, contrast, brightness) is very good for home use - it looks great surfing the web, looking at pictures, or watching movies. Images and text are clear and crisp. 1080P video looks fantastic. Thanks to the LEDs it stays cool and consumes very little power.The blacks in movies and images look pretty good, vibrant colors from pictures are not washed out or too enhanced, and it is easy on your eyes even after multiple hours of viewing (during the day or in a well-lit room). The one complaint I have is that even if you turn down the brightness to zero, at night in a dark room it is too bright. I wish the brightness could be turned down even more.Design:The base allows the monitor to tilt up which is nice, and it is VESA compliant so you can remove the base and hook it up to a wall mount or a multiple monitor mount.When trying to hook up the cables they are a little difficult to access - I had to tip the monitor down on it side to be able to get them connected. Once everything is connected you won't have to worry about it.It does have built in stereo speakers which are OK, but similar to most built in monitor/tv speakers, they don't provide very good sound. I have a cheap set of 2.1 channel computer speakers that I use that sound much better.Summary:Overall this is a great monitor for the price, and I would highly recommend it. It has worked flawlessly for the over 2 years I have owned it so far. I wish the brightness could be turned down even more, but I can live with it. -the usb on the back caused my mac to restart when i would plug something into about 50% of the time. very annoying but the fan is really really good! -I replaced my Trendnet 633GR router because I had a lot of high volume devices that were all consuming bandwidth and bogging each other down (Netflix, XBOX, Slingbox, laptops, etc. etc) I wasn't getting full "G" speed with the Trendnet 633GR on my primary laptop so I figured I'd try out the Netgear WNDR3700.The big plus for this router is the 680MHZ CPU. Even though I can only get data from my broadband router just so fast, the router seems to be effortlessly routing everything in my network without any slowdowns. Unfortunately, I didn't get any range improvement in one area of my house and my main laptop is still around -60db (and about 1 MB/s) I was hoping to get a little more but the faster router processor seems to keep the data flowing very steadily. If I use a USB network adapter on my laptop, I get full speed. I suppose I could blame my laptop network card for a weak antenna.As for the 5GHZ secondary band, I didn't find any use for it. If I got further than 30 feet from the router and had any obstructions, the signal was just about useless. I was -90db at 40 feet thru one wall and the ROKU XR failed to hook up. I eventually just turned the 5ghz radio off on the router.One other thing I like is a guest network feature. I can turn on a generic guest network when we have visitors and let them get on the internet. I still have all encryption methods available.Overall, very solid router, I am happy and this router will probably last me a long time. I found that Amazon actually beat Newegg prices by 15$...UPDATE 2/4/2010 : I had a VPN server running with no problem on a Windows 7 64bit machine and a Trendnet 633GR Router. I switched to this WNDR3700 for reasons listed above. The WNDR was ALMOST perfect except I was simply unable to get the WNDR3700 to passthru a VPN connection. I have to have VPN for my situation so the router is going back. I noticed after a lot of hair pulling that others are waiting on dd-wrt firmware to rectify this VPN issue. I'm surprised that this router couldn't do VPN, it seems so necessary?? I suppose I'll try it again when it has VPN capability.UPDATE 9/10/2010 : Somehow during a firmware update VPN is now working in Windows 7 64bit. My network is flying. 5ghz is turned off because the range is so short that it is practically unusable. 5 STARS otherwise. -okay so it does but for me this lens is my walking around lens, so much better than the 1.8, this has metal construction and I love the speed of primes -I pretty much agree with what others have said about the metadata and the wifi, things could have been better. But it is quite good as is. My only real gripe is the MLB.tv app. It is stuck in HD mode with no way to switch to a lower video quality when conditions merit. I have a pretty fast connection, but during prime time congestion, even it bogs down. And MLB gave up, said I had to watch the game later when the bandwidth was better. What about a lower bitrate feed? What about adaptive streaming? To adjust to the varying bandwidth conditions? As it is, MLB isn't going to get much of my money, it is very frustrating. -I bought this lens mostly for video, as the STM lenses have almost completely silent autofocus, which helps tremendously when shooting video with the internal mic, or a camera-mounted mic. The kit Lens that came with my camera is completely silent, and I have yet to hear any camera noise picked up hen shooting video, even in quiet, indoor shoots. I bought this lens for the same purpose, as well as shooting photos, as it is a great focal length for video, and the low aperture is great for low-light photos. Here are my conclusions:For Photos: This lens is incredible. The pictures are razor sharp, and when you shoot with the aperture wide open, the bokeh effect you can achieve is really cool and makes for some beautiful, intriguing photos. The autofocus is quick and responsive, allowing you to quickly frame and shoot. The only downside to this lens is since there is no Image Stabilization, you have to be very steady when shooting hand-held, especially if you get below 1/100th shutter. Adjusting the settings, you can usually find a clear shot, it just may take some toying. On a tripod, you have nothing to worry about, obviously. This was definitely a good purchase for photos.For Videos: The quality of video produced by this lens is great. It lets in some serious light with the f/2.8 aperture, so you can do some good low-light shoots. The focal length is ideal for most video applications, but the lack of zoom does make for some walking around to frame the shot properly. The downside with this lens when compared to the STM 18-55mm is that the autofocus motor makes some noise. I was used to complete silence with STM lenses, and this one, although quiet, can still be picked up, especially when shooting with the internal mic. It's nothing compared to a non-stm lens, which are much louder, but it is audible and can be picked up in quiet shoots. Not a huge deal, but it is worth noting, if this lens is being purchased with that function in mind. If you are using any kind of external micing, you should be fine.Pros:Crisp, good color, fast autofocus, solid construction, light-weight, small form factorCons:Autofocus a little noisy -This New Trent Airbender case is a remarkably lightweight keyboard case and while it doesn't feel heavy duty by any stretch of the imagination, it also doesn't seem cheap or flimsy. Aesthetically speaking, it's nice enough, with a slate-colored matte finish and a smooth feel that is not polished or slick, so that it will not inadvertently escape your grasp.I generally don't like any case (with or without a keyboard) that is intended to be used essentially as a permanent home for the ipad because the form factor and tactile experience of a naked ipad is so nice and enjoyable that it usually cheapens the experience when it's in a protective case. (For instance, the Otterbox cases cases certainly offer good protection, but it's such a chore to get the ipad secured into it in the first place that you never want to take it out --- so i actually got rid of my eexpensive Otterbox case.) The ipad snaps very easily and quickly in and out of place in the Airbender case, however. Even better, you can simply detach the iPad enclosure from the keyboard portion of the case and hold the iPad normally. This makes it easy to envision using the case on days when one is going to do a lot of typing, such as note-taking in meetings, but popping the case off when you want to sit with the ipad on your lap in the evening for some casual web browsing, facebook, or watching a movie, etc.Overall, I find this to be a nice product that is very competitively priced.PROS:- The keyboard responds well, connection via bluetooth is easy and fast, the battery life is on par with other similar products, and the fact that it allows for rotating the iPad to portrait mode is a nice plus.- It's great that you can utilize this case in so many different positions, with the iPad and keyboard each attached or detached, in portrait or landscape mode, etc.- Lightweight, and does not add a lot of additional bulk to the iPad.CONS:- My biggest complaint with this case is that I found the placement of the "lock" button on the small keyboard, just above the "delete" button to be a bit of a flaw. Far too often, when I tried to correct a misspelled word by using the delete button I mistakenly hit the lock button, and then had to stop typing, and unlock the ipad using the slider on the screen. Like all keyboard cases, it's a product best used by someone with hands small enough to successfully type on a compact keyboard. -I tried on several of these headphones in the stores. They were the most comfortable I had ever worn. Sound is great and noise cancelling is excellent but after wearing for 20-30 minutes they start to hurt my ears. I do have big ears and they stick out from my head so I guess it is partially my fault. -I use this lens on my 5d ii and have been quite happy with it for outside photographs. I am a professional photographer and I love the 24-105 zoom -- it allows me to get environmental portraits -- i.e., a couple in front of a church or a small child on a beach -- and then I can zoom in for a more traditional portrait (the bokeh is quite nice at f4 105). I find this zoom range essential for event photography.Indoors I am not quite as happy with this lens -- I have to ramp up my ISO pretty high as I am rarely on a tripod indoors (weddings and events). If this lens came out in a 2.8 I would replace it in a heart beat, but I am not interested in the 24-70 2.8 because I would miss that extra focal length.Anyway, this is a great all around lens and is my favorite for event photography and as my personal "walkabout" lens when I'm on vacation. Not too heavy, very versatile, and it takes excellent photographs.update: Indoors with a studio setup, this lens is also FANTASTIC and is on my camera 80% of the time. Because of focal length focusing issues, I can't use my 70-200, but I can get pretty close to my subjects and fill up the frame with the 24-105. -Using this as a WAP, and not a router. While it is advertised to have superior range, I find it pretty average at best. This is across multiple devices. Also, I've experienced (with multiple devices) intermittent problems just getting connectivity. I'm not satisfied enough with it to keep it, and plan to pack it up and return it this weekend. It just is not that great. Does it work? Pretty much. Do I find it in any way superior? No way. Considering the price, it just is not worth it. -This the coolest flash drive I have used by far. I have been using them since they first came out and were MB not GB. The device works as it's supposed to and it doesn't junk up my key chain. It is tiny yet has a sturdy feel to it. -I have read a lot of negative press about this lens, but I have to tell you I think this is one of the best manual focus lenses you can buy for a full-frame camera.On my Nikon D800 it rocks. The bokeh is 'creamier' than you're used to compared to Nikon or Zeiss lenses, but I like it. As a video lens it has terrific long focal throw with hard stops.Nailing focus takes a lot of practice, but when you get it - perfect. NOT a great run and gun lens but I have used it that way. -I love this product for my iPAD Retina! I use the iPad for personal and business use which is why I need the keyboard. The keyboard does take some time to adapt to as the keys are not quite as contoured as those of a regular keyboard. I have adapted well and I would be lost without the keyboard. The case is very convenient with the several different options available for display. I have found that it works best if you hold on to the bottom of the ipad screen when adjusting the prop on the back to get the best angle. In addition, when opening the case for use, it works best if you hold the screen portion up and pull down on the keyboard, rather than the normal procedure for opening a laptop. The ability to completely disconnect the iPad portion from the keyboard is also a nice touch. The keyboard holds a great charge and I can go a full week before it will need a charge. -As most of the reviewers has already commented on the characteristics of the drive I will keep my review simple and mentioned that I agree with most of the reviewers about the super speedy response of this drive. The drive itself is very well constructed. Passively cooled however for reducing noise (It has vents on the top) and very well shielded inside and in my tests it indeed is very fast in data transfers thanks to the USB 3.0 interface.Almost close to what you would expect on a SATA internal interface (Generation 2) is seen on this drive which I consider very speedy for an external enclosure such as this one.It comes with AC adapter 12v 1.5A and USB 3.0 cable which is backward compatible with USB 2.0 interface.PROS[+] Speedy drive (7200RPM)[+] USB 3.0[+] You can take the bottom part (USB 3.0 Controller electronics) out and use it with other drives! (Go-Flex design)[+] When you eject or your Desktop goes to sleep it spins the HDD down[+] Low Power consumption[+] Two year SEAGATE warrantyCONS[-] Shinny Glossy which acts like a dust magnet.See the pictures I have posted on Amazon for package details. It is nicely constructed and works right out of the box. No issues seen. If someone wants more details about the internal drive (Made in Thailand) as I took it apart to see the contents please free to comment and I will answer them.2 Terabytes is still a lot of storage if you ask me. But if you do take a lot of Hi-Def camcorder recordings and have a huge collections of super high quality digital pictures then I would suggest that you go for a larger size which is a better value.Highly recommended. -this case is awesome. its sturdy and protects the kindle very well. i love that it can turn the kindle on when you open the front cover. good quality. -Got this bag free with purchase of T4i Canon and thought it would match. It has plenty of space inside and can hold everything. However, the bag is huge, so big I can fit my DSLR, Camcorder and even a point and shoot camera. It is not something I would carry everyday and now have to buy a smaller carrying case to compensate for this golf bag sized camera bag. I like the bag but it is just not feasible to carry daily. -This is a great case for the 2nd generation Nexus 7. The craftsmanship is excellent, all seams are straight with no loose thread, the fit is excellent as is the overall appearance. The case has magnets to turn the tablet on and off and the magnets seem to work well at keeping the case open when you fold back the cover. It also has a strap to secure it in the open position, but the magnets work well enough that I've never had to use it. Even has a strap to make it easier to hold the device one handed. Highly recommended. -Because we like to try out electronic cables and devices for a while before drawing a conclusion, I have made sure to test out this cable for several months now. The verdict is in- this cable is a very high quality cable which works beautifully with no problems at all.Despite it being thick and a little tricky since you can not bend it at a sharp angle, it is easy to work with by looping a bit as the 6+ft of cable gives us plenty of room to do so, but I would advise you to check out any holes in furniture or other small areas that the cords might have to pass through to be sure you have enough room to pass this cable through if there is any question- BEFORE you install it.We have checked this cable with various devices- PS3, HDTV, Blu-Ray player and most recently it is being used from a high quality amplifier to a very high level audio-visual computer system. In all cases, the picture/sound has been top notch, with no disintegration of information flow or integrity of signal.The quality of this cable is definitely high and equals or surpasses the performance of cables that are much more expensive on the market but have brand names that people are more familiar with. We have a LOT of cables and cords in our house as we have an electronic addict in our home, so we have a lot of HDMI cables and devices to test and compare with. This cable is also a good choice for future equipment upgrading as it will be compatible.The frustration free packaging is brilliant, by the way. Makes life a LOT easier!I highly recommend this cable, as long as you are not required to make a sharp angle for installation with no extra cord to loop around, or as long as your cable does not have to pass through a very tiny space (as is often the case when you have multiple cables running through holes in furniture, or other small spaces. -OK let me start by saying I have studied antennas pretty extensively as a hobby. Living in Wisconsin, I am a die-hard Packers fan, and being a nursing student, cable is just too expensive for me. I started researching this antenna out of desperation because the antenna tower setup at my rental house is very outdated, and the cable connecting the antennas that are at the top of the 60ft tower is so thin, it looses an immense amount of signal. Anyway, I live about 36 miles from the Milwaukee towers, and about 50 from the Chicago towers. I already had the Antennacraft HBU33, which is an absolutely PHENOMENAL antenna if you are more then 40 miles from a tower (I have never used it for signals more the 50 miles away, so keep that in mind). This antenna (ANT751R, and make sure the "R" is at the end of the model number, as the model with the "R" is optimized for digital signal, as opposed to the older model which was more for analog signal) is designed for signals within the 40 mile range. I used my old antenna for Chicago stations, and bought this antenna for the Milwaukee stations. The setup works very well so far. I use both antennas with a signal combiner (a splitter that works both ways) and a RCA TVPRAMP1R for a pre-amp, and the picture so far is awesome. This antenna is so small, it seems like it would be ineffective, but WOW, its works like a champ! I will warn you that it does not pick up the lower VHF stations very well (2-6), so I had to modify it with coathangers to pick up those stations (Fox is channel 6 here, which a majority of Packer games are on). I did have to change the location of the antenna after not getting good reception on fox, even with adjustments with coathangers, to a higher place with fewer obstructions (the original place was clamped to the antenna tower as high as I could reach (which was about 10 ft up with a ladder), and was obstructed by the house next door, so your antenna may not have the low VHF issue, but I am not willing to take off my coathanger modification to find out if it works without it (if it ain't broke, don't fix it) in the new location. It is now on the roof of my porch, which is about 20 feet in the air. I also installed this antenna in the attic of my friend's 1 story house who is about 15 miles form the Milwaukee tower, and he reports perfect reception even without any sort of amp. Keep in mind that he was using a radio shack amplified set-top antenna before with a 15-20db amp built in, and on windy days, the reception would be choppy at best. He checked the reception on the day that the winds from hurricane Sandy were really bad in his area, and reported the signal was completely solid, so there you go. When installing this antenna, I would HIGHLY recommend using quad-shielded type f coax cable, to minimize signal loss. I would recommend purchasing the cable from monoprice, they were the lowest price when I installed my friend's antenna. Also, be careful with amplifiers, they can actually destroy your signal if your signal is already strong, so just keep that in mind. If you are at the very edge of the reception zone for this antenna, and your antenna is in a low place, or in your attic, then you may want to look into a pre-amp, otherwise, don't even bother.So to recap: This is a fantastic antenna that may not pick up the low VHF stations very well. I made a long loop with a coathanger and used hose clamps to attach them to the end of the VHF elements to get better low VHF signal, but that's just a suggestion. If you are putting the antenna up high, you may not have anything to worry about it. USE QUAD-SHIELDED TYPE F CABLE FOR YOUR SETUP TO MAXIMIZE GAIN AND MINIMIZE SIGNAL LOSS. -This case is super slim, super sleek, and fits the Nexus 7 perfectly. All my coworkers love my case and love the handle in the back. The fact that this case can also prop up as a stand is a plus! Extra points for the sleep and wake feature. If your looking for a case with no branding and looks good. Look no more! -The Linksys EA2700 is a good midrange router. If your only goals for it are connecting wirelessly with your phone, tablet, or laptop it should perform flawlessly.I tried to set it up as someone who is not too familiar with routers. The instructions that come with basically say to insert the included CD into your computer, plug the router into your computer, and then follow the prompts. This is what I did and the entire process was painless. Everything worked perfectly when I disconnected the cable and attempted to connect wirelessly. I then proceeded to add the router to my phone's wifi and my tablet's wifi. Everything connected without a hitch. The only surprise was the the process of setting up the router took about ten minutes. Granted almost all of that time was spent staring at my laptop waiting for the software to finish (no interaction required from me). Still... It took longer than expected.If you're familiar with good ol' 192.168.x.x then that works fine too. If that made no sense, don't worry about it, the included software takes care of everything for you.Personally, I feel that there is not much that is worth the premium price for the router. It's not that it's bad--it's just not amazing.Apparently, there is an Android app that is available that can also adjust settings but, for the life of me, I can't see how that's very useful. Instead, I wish it included a USB connector so I could print wirelessly. That's becoming a common feature in "better than low end" routers, these days.On the plus side, the setup software is easy and it's attractive. I like the internal antenna design and haven't noticed any degradation of signal compared to my other two routers (both with dual external antennas). -Got this one for the price and the supposed magnetic closing feature. The latter barely works (at least for me) but otherwise the case is fine. It protects my tablet and is more of the "book" type case that gives it a little more heft. The extra viewing angles are nice as well. -This is a very nice addition to the Canon EF line-up. Since my DSLR has an APS-C sensor, I needed a lens that would get me close to 50mm. A cropped sensor makes this 40mm lens the equivalent of a 56mm. I like the fact that the lens is very compact and light weight. The optics are "Can-tastic". The focus is great in auto mode or in manual and I very much like the option of switching back and forth. I also purchased the Canon UV filter and the Canon lens hood. The Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM has a very snug fit, but is easily and quickly swapped. I have only had use of the lens for a week and have posted my very first photograph to this web page where other reviewers have posted sample photos. I feel like this will be my "go to" lens for indoor family events like Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am also planning to use it for a maternity shoot. For the focal length and the money, this Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 is a great value. No regrets. -This product is perfect for what I needed it for. Providing a ton of memory in my Samsung Note 10.1 in a small package. -This case is beautiful, inside and out. It holds the device firmly, and provides optimal protection without sacrificing the sleekness of the tablet itself. It also has a hand strap, stylus loop, and a stand feature that is very sturdy. There are holes on the back for the speaker, and every port, button, and mic is easily accessible. -Received my New Trent Airbender a couple of days ago. I am completely satisfied with it. I didn't think I could improve my iPad! The keypad is awesome, it did take a little getting used to though. The fact that the Airbender can be used as two separate pieces is great. If I just want to play, I can use it as a stand with the keypad detached. It was easy to set up the Bluetooth and easy to use. I would highly recommend this accessory for everyone. The way the case protects the iPad is great! -This case is from what I can tell the best bang for your buck. The case fits snug to the device and allows for good support and viewing angles. The leather isn't the highest quality but it doesn't have a cheap glossy feel to it either. The clasp keeps the cover closed well but isnt a pain to take off and the magnet has never given me a problem as others are describing. Overall, best case by far for the money. -just going to sum this up real quick..Your computer will wait on you instead of you waiting on your computer.Even if you have a new computer, you have NOTHING until you have a SSD.WORTH...EVERY...PENNY. -These cables are great! The HDMI cable works great! No issues at all. The cable is of quality build and the signal is great. -Ha, with a title like that I got your attention didn't I? This is a review of the 16GB Zune HD. You will not see a comparison or mention of any Apple product here. I am a 39 year old male and this review is for the Zune HD and what it is like to OWN one so that others may decide if they want one. First off, you will notice that this review is "Amazon Verified" - yes, I purchased the Zune from Amazon and waited a couple of weeks to actually USE the product before submitting a review of it unlike some of the others here. Enjoy....Packaging:The Zune comes in a nice small black box that slides open to reveal the contents which are the Zune HD, headphones, USB cable and some paperwork. It's very stylish and nice. Not much else to say as the box has been tucked away ever since opening.The look and feel:Ever since the first time I saw pictures on the net of the Zune HD I have wanted one. Being a previous owner of a couple of different MP3 players the Zune was a must have just for the looks alone. It really has nice lines and the color is just right; black and silver. I hate this new term "sexy" and cringe when I hear a guy say it about an electronic device. It does describe the Zune but I won't call it that. The weight is very nice and it feels good in your hand. I love the modern look and if they ever turned this device into a phone I would by one in a heartbeat! I sometimes hold it to my ear and think, "WoW what a cool phone this would be." The Zune logo on the back and a simple "ZUNE" on the front - very elegant. On top is a power on button, the left side a volume rocker and the home button on the front. The bottom is where you plug in your headphones and next to that is where the docking connector/USB cable plugs in. It's the kind of device that has looks that will never get old and you want to just keep staring at it. Very pleasing to have something you want everyone to see.The screen:OLED - it's the big talk these days. I have a few pictures on my device right now and I have to say they look great. The blacks are true blacks because the device shuts down the pixels where there should be black so you see true blacks and vibrant colors. Outside I agree with most folks about the glare. I have the brightness turned all the way up and it looks nice inside but outside the glare on the glass makes it as if you want to look at the reflection then back to what's on the screen. I don't see this as a problem as I can't imagine any other electronic device no matter what it is not having this same problem. For me, I can still see what is on the screen and have no problem with it. It is just the right size at 3.3 inches.UI interface:Although inside the box there was no manual you would really have to be pretty stupid if you couldn't figure out how to navigate on this device. Also, on the Zune web page is everything you need to know about how to work this device - who needs paper these days anyway??? The transitions from screen to screen are so fluid, smooth and animated. The touch only needs to be light and it works flawlessly. After using the device for a few minutes you get the idea of how to navigate. You start off with a list of items to choose from on the main menu; pictures, music, apps, ect, etc. As you click one you dive into that section and dive even deeper as you work what ever you have chosen clicking/touching away. At all times the home button on the front will take you back to the main menu. The accelerator zips from landscape to portrait very fast and smooth. I really like that and feel the tegra chip inside is working for me without strain when I see this - video especially. Multi touch works well and tapping is fine too especially on the web browser. Everything is laid out nicely and there is no confusion about how to find something. This is a plus for first timers and experienced users alike.Zune software: (APPS & Marketplace)This is a free download and helps you manage the Zune contents and updates. The software mimics some of the icons on the Zune so you quickly identify the UI and what you need to click. Syncing is a breeze and Zune will let you customize what content you want on the device and what you want Zune to do with it. I have all of my MP3's in my music folder on my computer and it grabbed all of them when I plugged in for the first time with no problems. There are some complaits about the software and how it takes forever to download - not true. There are not a lot of apps right now. I hope this blossoms as the months go by. I have downloaded all of them so far as they are free but would gladly pay for any others if they should come about and would be useful. The weather app is nice and lets you add as many cities as you want and shows you not only current conditions but a five day forecast as well. The calculator well is a calculator. The games have been just OK - I feel they do not utilize the Tegra chip but in the future I am sure the games will utilize the chip as it would be a waste if they didn't. There is a chess game, Texas hold em, space ship shooter, a Bejeweled like game, soduku, and some game where you try to figure out where an item is hidden after mixing up three robots. All are fun for a short while but I wait for more advanced cool games. Also the games have ads just before they start - we are talking about 5 seconds of a video clip. For a free download I think they have every right to put this here. Also, FOUR to FIVE SECONDS is what we are talking about. Is it that much time??? Patience!!!! The marketplace is just something you need to experience. Music, Videos, Podcasts and more.... EVERYTHING is here for you to choose from. There is an option for a Zune pass and for $14.99 a month you can go nuts with this and download as much media as yo want - you get to keep 10 songs a month too. This alone is worth buying the Zune HD. There is so much content at the market place that I can't really explain. Imagine walking into a store that has no one in it but you and the inventory consists of basically every kind of music you can think of as well as tons of other types of media just for you alone to walk up and down the isle to choose from. I just hope for more apps in the future and (I know) this thing just came out so while I wait for apps I will enjoy my Zune....Docking station:I went with the basic Zune HD sync doc ($49) and lucked out with it. There is an A/V dock you can purchase too($89). I will tell you the only difference between the two is 1) the price and 2) the A/V doc comes with the HDMI and optical cables. So if you already have these cables, which most of us do, save $40+ dollars and get the regular sync doc. I have a review on the doc here on Amazon (where I purchased it) so check that out. It is nice to just plug it in and sync and charge. Also I can hook it up to a TV if I wanted or a receiver and utilize the Zune to transfer music and video to my home entertainment center. The doc compliments the Zune and is very stylish looking and most importantly - Functional.Battery life:The OLED must be doing what it is supposed to do - save power. I take the train every day to work from Milford, CT to Greenwich, CT and I can go about a week without charging using the Zune about an hour or so a day. Wonderful! The only thing I have noticed is the back gets warm when in use. Very strange. I have been impressed with the battery and hope it stays that way.Screen protectors:I never had one before and at the time I received my Zune there was only Ghost Armor available. I got one screen protector and had no problem putting it on but being a noob I didn't spray my fingers and my finger print was stuck on the adhesive side. So I took it off. Ghost armor was very nice and sent me a replacement but instead of just the screen protector they sent the full body armor - how nice of them! This time around I was very careful and it went on with no problems BUT....I noticed the screen protector was about an eighth of an inch too short on top. It was enough to bother me so I took it off. (I know you are thinking I am nuts) So I looked and found BodyGarudz on the net. Not only do they sell TWO screen protectors for the price of ONE but it also fit perfectly. I used the squeegee and applicator solution from Ghost to put the BodyGaurdz shield on - why? Because BodyGaurdz's applicator solution wasn't as good as Ghosts and Ghost's squeegee was much better than BodyGaurdz. So my insane suggestion - go with BodyGaurdz for the screen protector. One other thing - the Ghost armor seems thicker - I can feel the sharp edges of the plastic now on the Zune because it has full body protection. I hope they come out with some cool cases so I can rip this stuff off and throw more cash down the drain...! The BodyGaurdz screen protector is thinner and looks great.Internet: (WiFi)The browser works well on the Zune HD. I connected to my home network in seconds and at work it's even quicker. You can tap and multi-touch to zoom in and move the pages around. The keyboard is OK and can be used in landscape or portrait mode. You can store pages in favorites and check AOL mail and what not. It uses Bing to find what you are searching for. I use it mostly for mail as at work the computers are restricted but WiFi is open. You can sync via WiFi and download too which is very nice.Music (Sound):There is an internal equalizer with different settings depending on what type of music you are listening too. It works OK - the music sounds fine to me. I didn't use the supplied headphones as I have a pair of Sony Ear buds and they work better for my ears. The music sounds great and the interface is cool - volume can be operated via the rocker on the side or touch screen. Filtering music, making playlists and and just listening is a pleasure - this is what I got the device for - MUSIC - so everything else is just an added bonus to me. I haven't bothered with the HD Radio much but it is cool to have. Remember...added bonus....Conclusion:I just love this Zune HD. It really is functional for what I need it to do and the style, look and feel are just so right. I hope this review helps you in your decision. I will continue to update this review in the future so check back and best of luck to you and take care! -1. The material used was high grade. The case fits well and was easy to attach.2. The iPad felt very well protected in the case.3. I really like the different configuration options.4. Bluetooth pairing was flawless.5. The case looks very professional, not a cheap plastic case.6. The detachable keyboard / case makes a great product. -Advanced carpel tunnel syndrome makes holding a phone for more than 5 minutes painful. I've tried various earphones but never liked them. This headset is perfect! People I'm talking to can't tell I'm using it, the sound is quiet and clear. Very lightweight and comfortable, phone can go in my pocket and I can do anything I need to do while talking. Still can't believe the price. -I bought this lens for my Canon 20D digital camera and have found it to be a great all-purpose, everyday-use lens. Here are the best features from my perspective:1. The range of telephoto zoom is adequate for 90% of photo opportunites. 28-135 mm telephoto in digital photography translates into 48-230 mm in SLR film photography. Since a standard camera lens is 50-55 mm, the starting range of this zoom lens equals that and then has the added versatility of zooming up to 135 mm (or 230mm in old style camera figures). In my opinion, this added range of framing a shot gives the photographer so much more creativity, as well as being able to bring objects into closer, more intimate range. I mentioned that this lens is good for 90% of all general camera shots; the missing 10% are those pictures that require a better zoom (more telephoto zoom), and those pics that need a wider field of view. You may find that for group photos in close proximity, you want to take a step backwards to get everybody in the frame. This is not a problem unless you simply don't have the room to take that step back. I solved this problem by switching back to the original 18-55mm lens that came with the camera. For the more distant shots that can't be drawn into the 135mm zoom of this lens I purchased a better telephoto zoom.2. The lens has autofocus and IS stabilization technology. For one used to manual focus lenses in SLR film photography, the addition of a fast autofocus lens is a terrific feature! I used to miss those spur of the moment shots because I was trying to achieve focus. With this lens, you make those shots, because within a milisecond of depressing the shutter down halfway, the picture snaps into focus! I absolutely love this feature! The focuser has many points of potential focus, so it adapts easily to virtually all focusing situations. For the really difficult focusing shots, there is the option of manual focusing. While nice to have, I rarely use this option. The Image Stabilization feature is a handy one in the longer shots. "IS" lets one get away with a bit of camera shake without too much out-of-focus smear on the picture. Canon does not recommend using the IS feature on tripod shots, so there is a switch to turn off the IS if desired.3. The lens takes sharp clear pictures. I have not been disappointed with the quality of the lens at all.Drawbacks1. While there are not too many drawbacks to this lens, I think the major one is that the lens is bigger and heavier, in fact, much bigger and heavier than the standard 17-55 mm lenses that come with SLR cameras. For me this is not a problem, however, for one that wants to have a lighter-weight camera, this could be considered a serious drawback. On the other hand, a SLR camera like the Canon 20D or digital Rebel is not designed to be a smaller pocket-sized camera. It is a larger format camera and of course the lenses will be larger (and heavier) as well.2. Cost. At just over 400 dollars, this lens is an investment. Again, one has to weigh the obvious financial outlay, but the 28-135 mm lens is so superior to the cheaper 18-55 mm lens, that in my opinion, it is well worth the cost to upgrade.With this product, Canon made a great everyday camera lens. From my perspective, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages and I do recommend this lens to be your everyday standard camera lens.Jim "Konedog" Koenig -Good Flash at a great price.I use two off camera with and w/o umbrellas or softbox. Works great when paired with the Yongnuo RF-603 N3 triggers on my Nikon D5100.I use 2 RF-603 transceivers. Place one on the camera, one on a 560 set in M mode and the other 560 in S1 mode. You must make sure the slave widow on the flash can see the command flash of the other.Solid enough build quality, feels sturdy. If an all manual flash is what you want then get this!You may want to checkout the other Yongnuo versions before you decide.The YN-560 III, has built in wireless receiver, so if your camera sends wireless you might go this route. If not, you'll still need a trigger or use as slaves.The YN-565 and YN-568 are I-TTL/E-TTL models. -Cable is nice and long, and flexible ... but the lightning connector is TOO WIDE to fit the OtterBox opening for an iPad Air. Will need to file down the sides to use this. -DLO makes good quality accessory cases for the iPOD touch, although they are a bit pricey. This product has a belt holder (clip) and an inside pocket for a credit card or driver license but not much else. I found another DLO "Folio" case for the iPOD touch w/o belt holder to carry in my pocket. I like this style even better because you can fold the flip cover back over itself and maintain a nice slim profile w/o the belt clip in the way. However, it has an orange stripe and inside lining for more of a two-tone look. The "all-black" case inside and out looks better, but does not hold the iPOD touch inside quite as snugly. You can't go wrong with either style DLO case for you precious iPOD touch. Both styles are highly recommended. -You can get excellent sharpness and great soft backgrounds with this lens. It's quite a stunning thing to see photos with this lens shot with a little XSi. Once you have enough skill to get your modes set right you can be shooting portraits, animals, flowers, product shots (I do a lot of that) and a ton of other great stuff with this bit of glass.If your shooting a crop body like I do, you'll need a wide angle lens for those landscape and indoor shots where this thing doesn't get wide enough. I use a Sigma 20mm f/1.8 for those times. It's a great standard lens for crop bodies, the sharpness and depth of field effects you can get from opening up that big 1.8 aperture are stunning.But this Tamron zoom is no slouch either when it comes to bokeh and sharpness. Stop it down to 4 or so and in decent light it will give you excellent sharpness, contrast and color. I find I seldom reach for the 20mm except when I want to get right up next to a flower or insect or maybe a piece of jewelry in a product photo, open the aperture and get really smeared backgrounds.You can do that with the Tamron. But the Sigma seems to produce the better backgrounds in those situations. You just have to get real close and personal with the camera.Last fall we were camping at a local reservoir in central PA during the height of the fall colors when I found a huge spider in a fully formed, quite beautiful web. It had recently rained and the web had a lot of those nice dewy droplets on its filaments. I was able, with this Tamron, to get very close to spidey and web, choke off a lot of depth of field and soften the water and multicolored trees in the background to a beautiful palette of color with only hints of shape. That was one of the best series of shots I've ever taken, and it was with this lens. Stopped down a bit to give more form to the background and spidey was in a whole new light.This lens works for weddings and birthdays, school plays, picnics, tourism, whatever.If you need more zoom than this, maybe you should buy a telescope. I can see needing a wider lens than this, but if you can't zoom close enough, shoot RAW and enlarge. This zoom range is perfect for 90% of my image composition within the range it shoots.It's much easier to compose than with my 20mm Sigma prime. Any prime lens will have you walking around, backing up, moving in, trying to get that frame right. The payoff is unbeatable sharpness and speed per dollar.However, this 2.8 zoom lens is plenty fast, and very sharp as well.I bought this lens a couple years ago for under $400. The Sigma prime cost more than that, and I only use it for about ten percent of my shots.This thing is so far beyond the price in terms of capability, that I will buy another one if this one ever breaks.Recommended. -Lost the last stylus I purchased but this one is great. The cord to keep it attached to my iPad helps so that I'll never lose this one. Good quality. -I give it 5 stars for indoor antennas. I went from 7 stations and 15 channels to 17 stations and 43 channels. The furthest is +55 miles. Another is 42 miles... NO problem with either. However most of my stations are with in 22 miles and mostly in one direction. I would say if all your stations are out +40 miles this should work but you might start to thing about an outdoor Bow-Tie antenna. HOWEVER it depends on your house and terrain. If your house is wood, drywall, vinyl siding, with antenna near a second floor window facing toward the station, good to go. If you are in the middle of a brick building, no windows, you can expect less than spectacular performance (I am assuming). OUTDOOR antennas are always better, but I am very impressed. I am an engineer and my hobby is radio and antennas.Since most of my stations I care about are all in one direction I can just set and forget. However if your stations are scattered to the four winds it could be a hassle always having to aim it. Most stations are South East but one is West. It comes in no matter what direction I turn it. It is the strongest station at 17 miles. Two of the distant stations need the antenna to be aimed; they are in different directions and need the antenna to be aimed, but for the most part 90% of my stations are all in one direction.There is no real solution for stations in many directions, even with an outdoor antenna, which would need a "ROTOR" to turn it to different direction. With the Terk HDTVa the further out the station the more you have to aim it. This is OK and what gives the antenna it's power and low noise. However it is NOT an omnidirectional antenna. Typically omni directional antennas don't have the performance, as they are a compromise for convenience. You will never get range with an omni direction antenna. Even basic rabbit ears are bi-directional.The two petty gripes others always mention and I will repeat, is the base is narrow so it's tippy side to side. Also because the rabbit ears (the dipole whip antennas) are angled back, you have to give it room, 10" much more depending on the angle of the base to the wall and how wide you have the whips spread out. -My microsoft mouse broke just like my last microsoft mouse... So I went to bestbuy to find another mouse and they wanted $49.99 for there Logitec and I got this one for for $19.99 first Logitech I tried and its the best mouse ive ever had and it doesnt have to be 12 inches away from your pc to work I got this one to work from more then 15 feet way and works fine. Works on every surfice ive tried. this mouse is awesome! -I will say I do not use all the features these headphones offer.What I can tell you is that the Sound quality is very good but not as good as my wired Senheisser.I use the in the Office to listen to music, make phone calls, etc…These are a “MUST HAVE” if you ride a motorcycle. Being ear buds they work like ear plugs.Plus you get the added benefit of listen to your favorite music while on a joy ride, or your commute to the office. -Bought this for my dad to watch TV at his own volume without disturbing everyone else. He loves them. He had some cheaper in ear wireless headphones and were not good. He actually said "I have never head such good quality sound. They're AWESOME". Range is excellent, gets reception over 50 ft away. No interference or crackling/hissing. Durability we'll have to see about over the long term, but seems good.Highly recommend -After purchasing a Nikon D70S with the Sigma 18-200mm lens, I recently purchased a Nikon D200 and a Sigma 10-20mm ultra wide lens. This lens is one of the best I have ever used on any kind of camera. It not only has a good professional look and feel to it, but it works flawlessly with the smoothness of lenses in a much higher price range. Images are clean and crisp, and the autofocus is butter smooth. I paid a bit over $500 for mine and I doubt there is a nickels worth of difference, except in price, between the Sigma brand and a comparable lens bearing the Nikon name. This lens is a keeper for sure!! -The matte finish is great, it reduces fingerprints more than anything else. Also, it gives the phone a cool blackout look. However, the privacy is minimal, at most it obscures any direct view. -This is ridiculously fast. I was upgrading to Window 8.1 and decided might as well update my hard-drive with the SSD over the decent 7,200rpm disc hard-drive. Well Window 8.1 installed in around 10 minutes compare to like aalmost an hour. Boot time i sa few second, faster then my tablet. I also have another sony vaio laptop with a ssd, this one is faster then that one by a little (this one has a faster processor too). -This USB is great for having music in your car. Upload the songs to this flash drive and then you don't have to worry about removing it in and out since it's very tiny. If you hook it to your laptop, it's hardly visible. It's hard to damage tiny drive such as this because it's not a long stick where you can just bump into it and it snap out of your laptop or worse, breaks. The main concern for this product is that it will likely disappear on you if you're not careful where you left your things. So the best use for it is on something you don't often remove it from. That way it won't get lost and can fool a naked eye. I had it in my car stereo no one notice it's a flash drive.Here are some suggesting for going with this flash drive or a standard size.Reasons for owning this drive. Store it for fun things like music, photos, video clip, or things you want to share with others. Buy the 8GB or 16GB version so you don't have to stored too many things in one place. If you needed a bigger space, get a portable hard drive. Flash drive isn't meant for large storage due to the slow speed. You wouldn't want to upload HD contents because it will take you longer then you would expect. If you want it for storing songs for your car, the smaller the size the better. Reason is your stereo play have limitation to number of folder and size. It make no sense have large space when you're stereo cannot handle it. Small files will do nicely on this kind of drive.Reasons you shouldn't buy it. If you're planning on storing sensitive data, I highly recommend you to look for something that's hard to lose or have a very strong attachment to your keys or other belongings you often carry with you. If you lose this drive, the chance of you finding it is slim to none in public places.The price is great for a tiny device like this. It's very useful base on the size and what you want to use it for. -After all my years in the computer industry, its become a very high expectation of mine that hardware and software be easy to setup and get started with. That being said the Roku 3 is the fifth Roku I have personally installed. It is amazing that its ease of setup continues to get ever better. Take it out of the box, peel off the protective plastic, hook up the HDMI cable to your TV or monitor and the back of the Roku 3, connect the power brick and a Ethernet cable and you're done. That's it, you can't complain about 3 cables now can you?Unlike many other products, the Roku has no power button, it consumes so little power it really doesn't need one. This means when you are ready to watch a show, there is no waiting. I knew from previous models (Roku 2) to put batteries (included) in the remote prior to going through setup. This ensures the Roku finds the remote and synchs up with it right away. Speaking of the remote, the new Roku 3 remote has an earphone jack built right into it's side. What a great feature, now when sitting in bed you can easily add earphones so as to watch TV without ever bothering the other half. The volume control is handled by two buttons on the opposite side of the remote, just where they should be. It is features like this that demonstrate the folks at Roku actually use their own products and pay close attention to detail. Small things like this really make the experience much more pleasurable.Once you have powered on, the mostly automatic setup is a breeze and super easy to deal with. Just for the sake of seeing how well it worked, I connected the Roku 3 through both a Ethernet cable and over wireless to my dual Netgear wireless router. Added the Mac: address to the router and had it reserve an IP. Ran the wireless detection and it configured first time through without a hitch. Then I switched the cable for the faster speed over the gigabit network. I can always fall back on the wireless in case something goes bonkers with the cables.Once the Roku 3 was up and running with my Roku account, it downloaded the new firmware, updated all my channels and I played a game of Angry Birds Space. Love the new remote, really works well for playing games like Angry Birds. As much as I like Angry Birds, it was time to put the Roku to it's best use, watching movies in HD on my 27" monitor. Went straight to Amazon Prime, linked the new Roku to my account and rented SkyFall in full 1080P. The picture was outstanding, not one hiccup or stutter, and no buffering at all, not once. skyfall is a killer movie by the way, I highly recommend it:)All in all, the Roku 3 is just another prime example of how to do things right. Check out the new interface, search capability, and channel store look and feel, you won't be disappointed. Changing settings has never been easier. With a great new interface which allows you to go right where you need, to change between network types, interface themes, audio modes, time, etc. you'll be watching and playing within minutes of opening the box.This new Roku is a real pleasure to use, never even looked at the literature that came with it and was watching a new release HD movie in under 15 minutes, and two of those were waiting for the popcorn in the microwave. Next ill try the USB channel with one of my slim drives with all my media, but I have a bunch of movies to catch up on first! You can't go wrong with the Roku 3, the best Roku yet, five stars at least! -I bought a charger from eBay for a few bucks, thinking it was MicroUSB and it would do the job just fine on my Moto Droid. Well, the charger I previously had took forever to charge the phone (when using my phone as a GPS it actually never picked up charge, just stayed flat) and also didn't fit just fine and the charger would work / not work.This charger looks good, and functions great, and the price can't be beat. My phone is full charge in a quicker time with this and I never "lose" the power or have to jostle with the micro USB connector. I'll be sticking with OEM chargers from now on. -this mouse is pretty good i ordered it for a good price it shipped fast and got it in a few daysa few things about this mouse is1. the blue led lights in it stay on no matter what i have it plugged into the back of my pc2. the dpi switch is 400/800/1600 i have mine on 8003. the scroll wheel you can feel the bumps in it but there soft bumps not hard clicks4. it came in its own box but all the papers in it were in chinese not english -Not only does this work very well as a speakerphone (with two microphones for better noise cancelling) but it can send anything from my phone via FM to my radio (I have an older car without a direct connect). The FM feature was a very pleasant surprise! -I bought a biggerKindle Fire HD 8.9", Dolby Audio, Dual-Band Wi-Fi, 16 GB - Includes Special Offersfor the bigger display, so I had to buy a new case. Usually, I'll buy an Otterbox case; however, because it adds weight to the Kindle I decided to try a different, slimmer case. There were only a few choices when it came to cases for the 8.9 Kindle Fire HD, but I went with theAmazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9" Standing Leather Case, Fuchsia (will only fit Kindle Fire HD 8.9")because of the color. The case is sturdy and although it doesn't feel like your typical leather case I actually like it. It stands perfectly and it's sleek design doesn't add weight so I carry it in my purse comfortably. I also love that I can wake and put my Kindle to sleep by simply opening and closing the case. If I have to have a gripe it would be 1. That I now have to buy a screen protector and 2. The case is a little pricey. Otherwise, I'm in love with it. -The keyboard fits well for my hands and my wrists receive less pressure using it. The mouse is stable and comfortable to use for big hands. Recommend. -I had kinda low expectations, but this thing is PERFECT in every way. Durable, light, thin, big trackpad, perfect for media PC's, just the right size....and the wierd thing is it works great for FPS games which is not what I got it for, so that kinda blew my mind! -I've been a Canon customer since 1978, when I bought the 35mm Canon A-1, and I've had a Canon SLR ever since. Getting the new flagship model every three or four years was something I did for a long time, but when D-SLRs came along, I began downsizing after the EOS 1Ds I got in 2004. In 2007 I moved to EOS 40D and, although losing the full-size sensor was a sacrifice, it was a step in the right direction. With my recent purchase of the T3i, it's another move away from the professional models.Why would I do that? It's not so much the cost of new cameras that has shaped my decisions to downgrade; it's the size. While professional equipment is important to me, so are professional looking photos. And the truth is, after the newness wears off a D-SLR, I tend frequently to leave the big gun behind and rely on an advanced compact or ultrazoom for most of my shooting. As a result, I have more point-and-shoot pictures than I do pro quality ones.This tendency has ended with the purchase of the T3i. The camera is modestly sized, and I never leave home without it. With the 18-55mm kit lens (very nice little lens for its specs) or 24-105L, it's not any bigger than the Fuji Finepix HS10 I leaned on for most of my shooting this past year. And while the HS10 is hands down the best ultrazoom camera I ever used, the difference in image quality, performance and even video between it and the T3i is night and day.The T3i may not be blazing fast like my 1Ds or the 40D, but 90% of the shooting I do is not that kind of photography, anyway. What the T3i excels at is image quality. I have a whole raft of photos that, eked and tweaked to maximum effect in Photoshop, are only a little better than average because they were taken with a point-and-shoot camera. This camera's image quality, I'm happy to say, is superlative! So are the videos. Rebel T3i is almost too good to be true.An articulating LCD is something I've come to insist upon, and this one is by far the best I've ever used. I don't use Live View every time, but I've certainly been in that mode a lot more frequently with this model than with the 40D! In review mode, the refresh rate is a bit slow when zooming in to look at details, but it's not as slow as reviewing pictures on, say, Panasonic DMC-ZS7. (I did test Canon EOS 60D at Best Buy and noticed that the refresh rate is much faster on that model--perhaps because of the larger battery--but it's really not enough of an issue to deduct a star.)The resolution of the LCD is superb, and because it can be tilted and twisted to advantage, it can be viewed even in strong sunlight.Although the nine-point autofocus system is getting criticism for lagging behind Nikon, focus is swift and accurate. At 3.7 fps, burst mode is cut nearly in half from my 40D's 6.5 fps, but so far this has not hampered my ability to catch fast moving subjects.I appreciate the Lighting Optimizer function and use it a lot under the harsh lighting conditions in the desert where I live. It is of incalculable value.I have yet to haul out the owner's manual, thanks to the on-board guide. Of course it helps that I've owned Canon D-SLRs before, but adjusting settings on this camera is a lot different than on my previous ones. There have been some settings I would have normally needed to consult a manual for, but it hasn't been necessary because the answers are in-camera. (I never shoot in Auto, by the way. I'm a manual mode kinda gal.)Because images are very clean up to ISO 1600 and are usable even at ISO 6400, taking along the Speedlight flash so far has not been necessary. Yet another plus with this Canon iteration.There's something about blown highlights that really sets my teeth on edge, but that has not been a problem, thanks to the T3i's Highlight Tone Priority function. Dynamic range is very good to excellent, even a hair better than my 40D. Colors are more accurate, too. I prefer the contrast one stop under the camera's default setting, which is, admittedly, fairly punchy and will result in a blown highlight here and there. Reducing contrast just a tad fixes that.Eighteen megapixel resolution is outstanding.Sometimes I think about the EOS 60D's speedier performance, more advanced autofocus system and that wonderful electronic level and wonder if I made the right choice. But then I remember the heft and bulk of that camera and all the times I've left my SLR at home for those very reasons, and I know the T3i was the right decision. I really, really like this new camera--and I take it everywhere! -I have a new thin Ultrabook and I wanted a thin mouse to go along with it, so that it would all fit nicely into my thin case. It just arrived and I find myself feeling comfortable with it right off the bat. Now...let me comment on the most common issue that reviewers have raised. Are the buttons hard to push?To me they're, more firm that average and I'd prefer them to be easier to press. But, it's far from being a deal-killer. As well, as one reviewer said, if you place your fingers so that they're extended out, instead of cupped, the press sensitive is actually normal.UPDATE:Been using it for several hours. I have medium sized hand and I have no problem extending my fingers to the "sweet spot" button press area. So really, the button thing is becoming a non-issue for me. -(Update)This mouse suddenly started working for me after months of the frustrations I listed below. The cursor will flake out every once in a while but it's usable as a mouse at this point. I am still going to give it a low rating because the battery only lasts a few weeks at a time and this is unacceptable to me. If this doesn't bother you then you should buy the mouse today.(Original Review)I'm a pro photographer and my computer is as important as my camera. I work on a Mac and I was looking for a great mouse, Sadly this mouse is barely functional on Adobe CS4 products if you are using new hardware and new software. For the folks working on older equipment I can't speak for them. The mouse software locks up my Adobe software mostly Lightroom and Photoshop, who do I bill for down time, my customer or Logitech, looks like my customers and I lose here. However InDesign does not seem to suffer. Apple Safari does not work if you want use the scroll wheel but it's still mostly functional. General use is very unpredictable, you will need to adjust to the mouse rather than making adjustments to suit your needs.A few positive remarks: The build quality is top notch and the mouse is more comfortable than anything else I've used for important tasks. A very nice feature is it uses a AA battery so you can toss a freshly recharged battery while you recharge the one that you used up. I typically get about 4 weeks per charge working 7 days a week.Save your money and wait for an update in a few years. Stick with Microsoft mice for now, even though they are a bit irritating they only cost $30 and that's $70 less irritating. -I loaded it up right away with movies and it didn't take much time at all.It has a really nice look to it and fits perfectly in my case. Small (despite the 2T tag), very portable (like other small portable ones), lightweight, and fast!Arrived very quickly as well, Thank you!! -I have had a pair of Linksys WRT54G wireless routers since around 2005 or so and they were rock solid for years. One was the main router and the other was an access point connected to the first via Ethernet cable. In the past few months, one of them started acting up and I decided this was a good time to upgrade. After reading lots of reviews, this was the router I chose and I bought two of them.The entire experience couldn't have gone smoother. After turning off my old routers, I opened one of these and set it up to be the main router. The order of turning things on in the manual didn't work out for me, so I just unplugged everything and started them in order from the cable: cable modem, router, then computer. Doing that, everything talked fine. I ran the quick setup, then went back to change the settings to the choices I wanted. I upgraded the firmware, set an SSID for each band, turned on WPA-Personal and set keys, played with a few other settings (setting IP and hard-coded DNS servers) and restarted everything again with all of my wired Ethernet devices plugged in. I left choices that I used to make manually, like channels, to auto. It worked perfectly right off the bat.Then I set up the second router as an access point. This router has a particularly nice feature in that you can just tell it that you want it to be an access point, rather than a full router, and it makes all the changes to the settings for you. If that's not enough, when in the access point mode, the WAN port becomes a LAN port so you don't have to waste one of your four wired ports on connecting the two routers together. Very nice! I turned off all the various server functions, gave it an IP, set it up with the same SSIDs and keys, took it upstairs, plugged in the wired peripherals and turned it on. Like the first one, it just worked.It's just been one day, so I can't speak to things like longevity, but the set up was easy and the routers seem really solid. As expected, the 2.4GHz band gives me greater range, but that range is greater than what I used to get with my old Linksys. The 5.0GHz band has about the same range as my old Linksys... perhaps a tad smaller. As it turns out, while I did have some speed problems on the old setup, both bands here give me fast, reliable connections, so I really don't see much effective difference between connecting to the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands in practice. Since I run my streaming video via wired Ethernet, I guess that makes sense. I probably didn't need a dual-band router, in hindsight, but I'm happy with this.Also, the combination of this change, and a new cable modem, have resulted in about a 20% increase in my Internet speed. I can't say which component(s) are responsible, but I'm happy with the result. In the end, I can't imagine anyone asking for more in terms of ease of setup or short-term performance than this router. I recommend it.**UPDATE**January 2 2012I bought these back in August and by mid-December, I started having problems with connectivity to the Internet. Some things would work (like web browsing) and others wouldn't (like checking email). If I left it alone, eventually, it wouldn't pass along any traffic at all. Whenever it happened, a quick unplug and re-plug would solve the problem. I won't go into all the details of the troubleshooting, but it turns out that both units I bought have gone bad. I have shipped one back to ASUS for replacement and am limping along with just the one (and having to restart it all the time). When that one is replaced, then I'll send the second one back. I really like the features on these routers, but I can no longer recommend them. When two out of two have failed, then it's hard to think that it's just one of those things. I have lowered by rating from 5-stars to 3.January 23 2012The stars just keep falling on this for me. I still haven't received the one back that I sent for replacement/repair even though their web site status says it was repaired weeks ago. (They received it Jan 5.) They just won't bother shipping it back to me. In the meantime, the other one finally became unusable, so my investment in two of these relatively expensive routers has ended up for nothing. I just ordered an RMA number for the second one. Since it's not working, I may as well see if they'll actually fix it and return it. We'll see. To ASUS's credit, their tech support people are friendly and helpful and one guy did offer today to see if he can get the repair people to ship mine out. I can't live without Internet access, so I ended up buying a factory refurbished Linksys E2500 for about one-third of the price of these. It's running brilliantly and now I'm not even sure I want these ASUS routers back in service once they're fixed. I'm seriously considering buying a second Linksys and selling these when they come back. I've reduced my rating to 2-stars. What's the point of buying high-end products if they keep failing?February 16, 2012The first router is finally on its way back to me. They promise 10 day service, but by the time I get it back, it will have been 42 days. In the meantime, I bought a second refurbished Linksys E2500, and I am not putting the ASUS ones back in service when they do get back. The Linksys routers work much better, have stronger signals and (most importantly) are working reliably. My Netflix used to pause and stop to re-buffer all the time. I never knew if that was about the routers, the cable modem or the Internet service itself, but that hasn't happened once since putting the new routers in place. Yeah, the last star is falling away. I'm getting better service from routers that cost one-third of what these do, so I'll be selling these when they get back.December 3, 2012I've been using the Linksys routers as described above and had left my two Asus routers, returned from repair, in their boxes. I had intended to sell them, but never got around to it. Recently, I decided to set up a media server and thought that gigabit wired Ethernet would be a good idea (the E2500s are 10/100 routers). Cable Internet doesn't come into the house fast enough for that to matter, but moving HD video around the house might. I figured, since I have these two repaired Asus routers sitting here, I'd go ahead and swap out the Linksys ones for them. The Asus ones do have a lot more features. So I upgraded to the latest firmware (3.0.0.4.260), set them up from scratch and put them to work. The good news is that the new firmware does support IPv6 and it works fine. The bad news is, they only lasted two days before acting up again. After working Saturday night and Sunday, I sat down with my iPad tonight and, despite a 4-bar signal, it wouldn't open a web page reliably. I switched it from the 2.4 GHz to the 5 GHz network, and it worked again for a while, then stopped working again. Then I tried to play a show on Netflix from my Apple TV (wired, not wireless) and for the first time since my last update, the show kept stopping to reload the buffer. I swapped the two Linksys routers back into the network and all problems cleared up instantly. Apparently these work for some people, but even after repair and an update to the latest firmware, I am having no luck. Now I'm reluctant to sell them, since they don't really work, so I guess I'll finally write off this loss and give up on Asus altogether. -I bought a Canon 20D just over 2 years ago and thought it was a brilliant camera. I've never had problems. I saw the 5D come out and didn't see a need to "upgrade" to it. But the new 40D is just something else. I have it about 5 days now and I'm like a child at Christmas.There is just so much to praise about this camera - large LCD screen which is very clear, faster focusing, especially when using centre focus point, larger burst rate - ok, this has now caused me no end of problems, like firing off a burst of 20 images when I really only needed 3, and filling my memory card in no time.This camera is well worth it's price. It's a brilliant step between the 400D and the 1D. I don't have the need (nor money) for the 1D Mk III. This new 40D is just what I need.My first day of shooting with it was at a horse racing event. I was between two other photographers - one using a 30D and the other using a 1D. I felt like mine was capturing just what I wanted and in brilliant clarity. Ok, not the same fps as the 1D, but my friend with his 30D kept looking at me and laughing - it was because he would get 2-3 shots and I was taking about 20.For anyone thinking of this camera - try it out. You will not fail to be impressed. -Methods: I tested my current indoor antenna while attached to a Samsung TV, which has the strongest receiver of any of the TVs in my home. I first scanned for channels with my current antenna attached. I then disconnected my antenna and immediately attached the Winegard FlatWave. I oriented it in the same direction used for my current antenna, which is toward the closest major city (about 30 miles away). I also placed the FlatWave as high as possible in the room. I then re-scanned for channels.Results: My original antenna picked up 31 channels. The Winegard FlatWave picked up 12. The difference is that the Winegard antenna picked up only stations from the direction the antenna was pointed, while my current antenna also picks up stations from 3 nearby cities in other directions.Discussion: My current antenna is a DB4 multi-directional type and much larger than the FlatWave. Considering the size of the FlatWave, it performs very well. Depending on the direction the FlatWave is pointed, you will pick up any nearby stations within your area, but just not at the same time.Conclusion: The Winegard antenna does what it says it will do. It picks up stations within the distance specified (actually a little further) and along the orientation direction. However, my current antenna is multi-directional and picks up stations that are twice as far and in various directions. It is not surprising that it performs better, but I was very impressed by the FlatWave. -I bought this for my mom who didn't have cable at the time. It picks up way more channels than I thought it would and the picture quality is awesome. FREE TV! -The potential for this once pandora and chrome (from Android) casting is available is why I bought it. I don't use netflix and I use youtube sometimes so reall this is fairly limited at the moment.The ability for it to turn on your TV and swap inputs for you is awesome. Note that turning the TV on is only possible if the USB power is on while the TV is not (usually will mean external power source) and I believe it requires the latest HDMI standard. The input switching should work for most everyone.I love that it streams from the net itself so your phone isn't rendering or DLing anything. Saves my battery while I still get to use it as a remote and browse whatever else I want to while the thing I "cast" is on the TV.Awesome device, awesome price, awesome potential. Needs more apps to reach 5 stars. -This is a very nice and well thought out keyboard. Since it is from Logitech, the build quality is fantastic. The size and feel is similar to a laptop keyboard and that (for me) is a good thing. The track pad is multi-touch so you can use two fingers to scroll and pinch to zoom in supported applications. It doesn't have a crazy amount of useless buttons on the top like most multimedia keyboards. By far the best thing about this keyboard is the form factor. It's small, light weight, has smooth lines and will feel just as comfortable on your lap as it will on your desk. There is also a convenient on/off switch located along the top edge, so if you want to throw it under the couch and forget about it until you need to see who that actress in that one show is, the batteries will still be good. Range is excellent, Basically if you can see the words you are typing on the screen, you will be able to type them. No missed keystrokes so far.Con: It is not back-lit, but it never claimed to be and neither is the Kindle.Bottom line: It's well made, inexpensive and works great! -Been using it for more than a month and so far it's been working like a charm. Initially, the highs were decent, mids were great and lows were a little below average. Also, my ears hurt after 10 minutes. Then I realized I was wearing it wrong (silly me) and now the lows seem much better. It performs exactly as the cost would indicate and you cannot expect much more.For the people who complain about wire quality causing knots, I suggest you coil the wire by wrapping it around your index and little fingers in figure 8s and then twist the last bit of wire around the waist of the 8. Pretty much reduces if not eliminates the knots. -I actually bought this case for my Nintendo DS XL. I have to say this case is perfect. The size, material, and quality is great. I would recommend this product to anyone reading this review. Stop reading and just buy this case. -I was concerned about reading how the size of the phone-end of this cable would be too large. But it works with my iPhone 5 case, the RINGKE FUSION Apple iPhone 5 / 5S Case, and the quality of the plug housing is very good.Of course, your mileage may vary for your phone case.Nice job Amazon! -I was looking for an ergonomic wireless mouse and I purchased this one after all the positive feedback. Boy was I happy I did! The mouse is very smooth and easy to use. It comes with easy to use software so you can set the buttons to whatever you like. I just use the defaults though.The recharging cable is Micro-USB so when the mouse battery dies you just plug it in and keep going! I like the rechargeable battery so you don't have to stock up on batteries. Also, it comes with a Wall-to-USB adapter so you can charge the mouse in the wall if you don't have a USB slot available. It also works when plugged into the wall.The best bonus I wasn't even aware of is the screen toggle button located in the thumb area. It minimizes all the windows on screen into miniature and shows them all so you can switch your open windows with ease.I would highly recommend this mouse to anyone. IN fact I am buying a second one for my husband! -I fell in love with the lens the moment I started using it. sure, the build quality is cheap. it's all plastic and the focusing sounds like a blender, but the quality of the pictures is amazing for a 120 dollar lens. saturation of colors is excellent, no noticeable chromatic aberration, great sharpness. I prefer this to the t2i stock lens since the colors are more saturated and picture is sharper, not to mention the 1.8f aperture. Some people say they don't use the 18-55mm since they found this lens. I have to disagree. The 18-55 is too versatile to be substituted with this prime 50mm. but this lens definetely takes better pictures than the 18-55 at 50mm.I have a t2i and 3 lens: the 18-55, the 55-250 and this one. I'm not a pro, just a hobbyist and this lens is great for me. -I bought two, one to have when the other stopped working The one that came with the MP3, was lousy, it broke and sounded lousy after a short time, but this one is great! The wires are sturdier, it comes with 3 sizes of ear buds, and sounds great! I'd buy it again. -This backpack camera bag is an excellent buy. Don't be fooled by the price since it is exquisitely made and quite solid. There's lots of pockets and it's easy to customize the interior. Most of all, the bag is comfortable on the back and can be carried by the handle as well. The only concern I can think of is that I wish it had some extra padding although I have found this not to be a problem despite some rough handling with the backpack full of my Canon lenses and 10D body. -Solid is the key word here.The goods:Firstly, the sound performance of these headphones are solid. The sound they put out is crisp and clear with the bass coming out sharp. You can easily turn off that nasty EQ stuff on your iPod/iPhone/Android/PC...you just don't need the Bass boost with these. I was listening to my music at a higher bit-rate compared to the nasty ole MP3s, so if you want to test the performance get a "lossless" format to test. (don't blame crappy sounds on crappy music format) I digress, these are great sounding headphones.Secondly, the build of these headphones are solid. You are going to have to be pretty hard on these headphones to break them; normal use even through travel these should hold up a long time.The bads:I knew going in that these weren't active noise canceling, so I wasn't expecting a miracle. They are good for blocking some noise, my old Bose over-the-ear phones performed about the same. So Noise-isolating might be stretching it a bit...they block more sound just by being over your ear.They are heavy...solid construction yes...but they are heavy.Alternate Comfort: On my head for a few hours at a time, they were just fine. Though for me, I at times wore around my neck, and these are not comfortable; so if you imagine yourself wearing them around your neck at all they are not good.Wrap-up:For the price these are absolutely great headphones; the sound alone competes comparably with the more expensive phones out there. -I was lucky to be able to upgrade my camera kit and spent a lot of time shopping and debating. I originally was going to get the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, but someone in one of the forums suggest I look at this one. Though I lost a stop of light, I was very much sold on the IS idea (hands shake) and the cost difference between the two allowed me to invest in the Canon 430 EX II flash, which was something else I really needed to invest in, so I decided the trade-off was worth it for my purposes.I've been using the lens now for about a week, experimenting with the IS, the focus, depth of field, etc. I wanted to be pretty sure I knew what it could do before I wrote a review.Focus and focal range: my camera focuses very quickly with this lens, and the full-time manual focus is great for those moments when the camera "guesses wrong" and focuses on, say, the post beside the bird instead of the bird itself. I was pleased that 24-105 is workable as an indoor lens on a crop sensor camera. I didn't run into any "have to back up to get that picture" moments so far. It definitely isn't an ultra-wide lens on a crop sensor body, but can be used comfortably every day. The zoom works well for the across the room zooms when you're trying to just get the subject's face in the camera, making this a great choice as a walk-around lens for most people photography.Sharpness: I bought this at the same time as the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, so I have a much sharper lens (the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II is a definite "wow" lens) to compare it to, so I will say this lens is acceptably, moderately sharp without a lot of post-processing. Not as sharp as the 70-200mm f/2.8L lens (it also costs half as much), but sharper than the kit lens and the 55-250mm lens that I had with my T1i, requiring less post-processing to get a sharp image. The colors are rich and the contrast is excellent, creating a pleasing image.Build quality and feel: if you are someone coming from the consumer lens category you will immediately notice the difference. From the weight of the lens to the "feel" of the focus and zoom rings and the more quiet, assured zoom you realize there are reasons why L glass costs more beyond just the research and engineering required to make a higher quality image. The IS also runs more quietly than the IS in the consumer-level lenses. The lens is built dust and weather resistant, meaning that it can stand up to a little weather here and there, etc. Additionally it comes with a pouch and lens hood included. Unlike what I can research about the consumer hoods, the lens hood on L-glass comes with a flocked interior, which absorbs light better than the plain matte-black plastic.I am very pleased with my choice, and would definitely probably do the same thing again without hesitation. Now I am debating between the 16-35mm f/2.8L II and the 17-40mm f/4L. Decisions, decisions... -The only thing that I wanted to add to the existing reviews on this item is that unlike theCase Logic VNA214 14.1-Inch Laptop Attache (Black)which has three toploading slots, this unit has only two toploading slots. I had the VNA214 for several years and love it. It has room for my accessories, and a slot for the notebook, and a separate slot for paperwork. The VNA216 does not have this last slot. I found this out the hard way when I got a new larger notebook. I thought that the same model family of cases would have the same design, but this is not the case. It's still a good case, but at this size, but does not have the extra slot for paperwork which I miss. -I have been shooting motorcycle track photography for about 3 years now. The fist year I shot with a Canon Rebel T2i (AKA 550D) The image quality was good on this camera but the speed was lacking.What I didn't realize until I got the 7D was how much the speed was lacking. The T2i is a great camera in it's own right and for consumers it's very good. When I bought it I thought, hey it has virtually the same sensor as the 7D this should be good enough.Well, I had no idea how much difference the 19 cross type AF points would make, or how much faster 8 FPS was. My keeper rate went up immediately. Now, I realize there are other features I could mention, like the 7D is able to control off camera flashes without the use of a 500 series flash, but really the reason to buy this camera is speed. This is Canon's best crop frame sensor camera body, hands down, nothing else comes close. For my purposes the cropped sensor is an advantage as it multiplies my effective focal length by 1.6 and ISO performance is not terribly important as I'm shooting in daylight. But, I've spoken with many other photogs that have the 5D mk2 and mk3 and when they shoot outdoor sports they still use their 7D, it's AF system is just faster, as is it's frame rate and the added low light capability of the 5D is moot at 2pm outside. Further, I shoot this camera with the double battery Canon vertical grip. It makes for a big camera. This fits my hand very well and the whole system feels very rugged and sturdy. Much more so than the plastic bodied rebel. If you are to read my other reviews you may be sensing a theme here. Value. This body is no exception.It's expensive for the novice and relatively inexpensive relative to other pro bodies but it defintely earns it's xD (single digit D) Canon designation. It is a true pro body and at $1700 it's still a great deal, just look at how much you have to spend to get a 6D, 5D, or god forbid a 1D, and the 1D series are the first bodies to start to compare in terms of AF performance as the other cameras are more wedding cameras. For the money, you can't beat the Al Servo performance of this camera. Of course if money was no object I'd have a 1Dx and all the big boy primes but for me money matters and for my money this camera delivers pro quality. I'm only excited now to see what the 7D mk2 looks like when Canon decides to best this legendary Camera body. -After having this TV for almost a year, it's flaws become pretty apparent. The TV is perfect except for the following things.1) Sometimes the letter buttons on the reverse side of the remote will just stop working. So if you are using the built in YouTube, you might find that you have to manually use the arrows to go to each letter on the screen even though you have all these letter buttons on your remote. They just randomly don't work sometimes.2) Netflix is fine, but YouTube and other apps have serious difficulty streaming for extended periods of time. Even on a 50mbit internet connection, the TV can't seem to buffer the video far enough into the future, and videos play extremely choppy. But this seems to happen more on the 3rd or 4th video you watch, almost like the older videos are being stuck in cache somewhere and now the cache is full, so quitting the app and reloading it makes it better for another two videos... it just seems like they didn't test their included Apps. Maybe this app is provided by YouTube and not vizio, but it is still a part of the TV.3) Automatic volume adjust doesn't work after awhile... the volume will be great, and then sometimes the volume auto adjust feature that is supposed to maintain a constant volume on all content gets screwy, and the volume goes up and down and up and down and up and down while watching movies or videos. Extremely annoying. It can be rectified by either turning the Smart Volume off, or resetting to factory defaults (but then it may randomly return). Turning the Smart volume off would be fine, except when you do this, you may find for certain videos or movies, you will turn the tv volume all the way up to 100% and it will still be quieter than it was when the smart volume was working at 30 or 40%. Basically, your overall maximum volume is seriously reduced. I would say this is the most annoying issue of all with this TV, and if I had known this before hand, I would not have purchased this TV unless I had also purchased a separate audio system.4) About once every 2 months the TV just completely freezes, won't turn off or on until you unplug it. Something about the software on the TV I guess, just has some kind of error and if you are watching TV at the time, the picture gets stuck, and the buttons stop working. You need to unplug the TV and plug it back in. Sometimes it happens when the TV is off, and you can't turn the TV on until you unplug it and plug it back in. This happens without rhyme or reason, but it is rare. Still, it is very annoying when it does happen.5) 3D auto detect is a little poor. It detects fine with certain things like PS3 games, but other things like streaming movies it doesn't detect so well. I'm not sure if other TVs are better at this. It could be a fault of the source.Otherwise, this is a pretty nice TV. I do think it was worth the price at the time I bought it, it was very cheap for the included features. The picture is just fine, and it's big, and the 3D looks good. -I have to say that this is the perfect case for my kindle fire hd. Does it give the best protection like an expensive otterbox that has a rubber layer, plastic layer and screen protector? No but the amazon kindle fire hd case is the thinnest, lightest and coolest looking case and also like $25 less. Sure I am sacrificing some protection for style and size. I can fit my kindle fire hd with the case inside my inner jacket pocket while I know that I can't do that with the rest of these larger cases. Does it have the best stand? No. I would think that a stand that clicks into place would be better but this case does have rubber grips and it has never failed me. Some people may want to use the stand and push on the screen with their finger or stylus and it could be an issue there but I even use my stylus with the stand and it held up. Where this case compensates and has the edge over the other cases is.... 1. It snaps in and fits so well that the kindle fire hd and case appear be one piece together. It makes it so light and thin. 2. The case wakes up or puts to sleep the kindle. 3. Magnetic cover keeps it close and I think it is strong enough. 4. The pebble look leather looks real nice and fancy and inside the case there is a "denim looking" cloth that protects the screen. 5. The speaker is covered and protected with designed openings. There isn't a simple cutout or it isn't covered over to muffle the sounds. 6. The inputs like the power button, volume, charging port and headphone jack all work very well for me. I know some people complained about the headphone jack being too small but it fit fine for my ipod headphone and even my larger headphone that has larger size hexagon input. 7. While it may not be the best protection, it still gives you very good protection. I take good care of all my electronics and was more concerned with scratches/scuffs on the screen rather than impact falls so I think this case will be fine. Even if I dropped it on hardwood floor from 4 feet, I think it will hold up and protect the kindle fire hd. I am happy with case but I think a stylus loop on the front cover would make the case better. Putting the stylus on the spine wears out the spine and makes the cover a little crooked when closed. I give this case a 4.5 stars out of 5. -.When I first got these earbuds there was a bit of a learning curve to connect with my iPhone 5s. I also connect to a Bose Sound Link mini, a JBL Flip and a Kinovo bluetooth receiver in my car (all of which are excellent!).When I first got the GOs I would always have to activate bluetooth in the iPhone to connect tp the buds. Then I re-read the instructions and I realized that I was holding the activate button on the GOs too long so they would always go into pairing mode. Now I can go from any bluetooth device to the other without pairing.The sound is excellent for earbuds, the ear fit is good with the medium sized inserts and the buttons work well with my iPhone. -I bought a 25' Mediabridge cable to connect my computer to my TV and it does the job with no problems at all, the picture on the TV is clear with no interruptions. It's a cable, not rocket science, so all one needs is a sturdy, well-constructed product that does the job and this certainly does that - because of the way I use it, the cable gets plugged and unplugged from my computer numerous times and the connection is still firm. What more could you ask from a cable? So nice to see a company focus on offering a high-quality product at a great price. Mediabridge has distinguished itself in this regard, unlike some other brands whose cables are flimsy and prone to break down or those that try to convince you there's something 'extra-special' about their cables and charge exorbitant prices for the same thing (I think the word "monster" in Monster Cable refers to the price rather than any difference in performance compared to other high-quality cables like the Mediabridge I bought) -UPDATED: 5/20/2011: I used my D700, and only my 50mm F1.8 to capture my Grandson's first haircut! I posted an image here. And, on the way home following the haircut, a clearing storm brought some gorgeous bluish-black clouds at dusk so I swung down towards the river and shot a couple of shots with the 50mm. I posted one here called "Blue Hour". Enjoy. Seriously, can't go wrong -- though the price seems to be creeping upwards...This 50mm 1.8 is an excellent purchase at around a hundred bucks. I hate to use the word investment, because we know camera equipment is definitely NOT an investment. I bought it because I heard so much about it, and, I had a 50mm back in my old film days. I have not been disappointed. I will agree with many here who say that at F1.8 the results are less than stellar. This is true--- there is a lack of contrast, not necessarily sharpness (at least in my copy of the lens) that you will notice. Since I know that as a fact going in to a shoot or session, I set my aperture at F2.0, or F2.2 on my D700, or D300. This solves the problem. The resulting images at F 2.0 and above are amazingly sharp, and clear. Don't get me wrong, I love my 16-35F4VR, and my 24-70F2.8 but this 50mm rocks as a standalone lens when the situation demands fast lens. As a matter of fact, in a few hours I'm heading off to my grandsons first haircut of his life. What did I pack? The D700 (for better high ISO performance than the D300), and my 50mm 1.8.For the price (which seems to have risen lately and rightly so) you can't go wrong. Even if you have other zoom lenses that cover this range as I do, this lens is unbelievably useful in low light to no light situations. Personally, I'm lazy and hate zooming with my feet, but I'd much rather do that with this lens, than either using flash, or blurring photos of important events.The lens finish is plasticy but so what? Are you going to be banging it around on a regular basis? My 50mm travels with me just about everywhere either in a camera bag, or in my North Face Recon backpack (not a camera backpack) just about everywhere, and I pump about 80,000 images a year per body, between landscapes, motorsports, portraits, etc. So far, so good. It does stand up to a beating. I do not use any protective filter on it as the glass is relatively well recessed on this lens.When I do need to use filters such as polarizers, or ND's, I have step-up rings that take the lens from the 52mm size to 77mm which is the standard size of all my filters. It does look "strange" having the tiny little 50mm lens hidden behind a huge 77mm filter, but it WORKS.Again, if you are looking to make an investment -- there's that ugly word again, make that acquisition, to your photo gear you can't go wrong at this price point; If you wind up hating it, there's always the ability to return it, or sell it on eBay.Enjoy. -This mouse is excellent for gaming. The only draw back is that the mouse wheel jiggles ever so slightly under quick movement but most times it's not noticeable. It's rechargeable and has all kinds of settings. The feel is great and buttons galore -I started using this router - the beginning of August, 2012. I had heard that the new software (Cisco Cloud Connect) was very intuitive and easy to use, despite some early controversy about it. By the way, many of the 1 star reviews are based on concerns about privacy that have been put to rest by the manufacturer.This router is among a select few "state of the art" routers offering multiple but simultaneous operation on both the 2.4 and 5.0GHz bands - each band is capable of 3 streams (connections). This is a so called 900 router (the current gold standard for home routers).Much has been written about the new software - some of which was full of praise (including a glowing CNET review) and some of which is quite damning (including many 1 star reviews here on Amazon). The bottom line is that this software is wonderfully easy to use and any concerns that Cisco might be monitoring your internet activity have been put to rest by the manufacturer. Cisco has revised and clarified their policies to make it abundantly clear that this is a NON ISSUE. See Cisco's remarks posted right here on Amazon. So many of these 1 star reviews are quite dated.Also remember that Cisco allows you to opt out of this software altogether and administer your router locally with no connection to Cisco or the cloud (internet).What we have here is a "top of the line" advanced router that is very easy to set up thanks to its intuitive software. That is exactly what I wanted ---- because routers can be quite difficult to setup/manage, particularly the very best (and most advanced) ones. The EA 4500 is very easy to setup and is a true "set and forget" type of device.So, what is not to like? The software and router are great and the fact that it can be managed in the cloud (meaning the router can be accessed via the internet) is largely unimportant. You will, most likely, just like me, simply set it up (using all or most of the simple software defaults) and forget about it! But for those of you who have the rare need to manage a router once it is set up , then you can access your router via any internet connection if you have passed Cisco's extensive security measures.As of August, 2012, the other competing routers you should look at are the Asus RT-N66U, WD (Western Digital) N900 and the Netgear R6300. I based my choice on Cisco's very intuitive software and very good range. While it may not always be the best (according to professional reviews), it has a better than average range.What may confuse many future buyers is that there is a new DRAFT (meaning far from finished) standard that is coming to Wi-Fi and routers. You will see, no doubt, many new routers coming to market boosting of conformance to the "draft" or the unfinished AC standard (802.11ac). The fact that NO clients (meaning there is NOT ONE real world receiving device) that exists for this new and yet to be finished standard is never pointed out. While meaningless, every router manufacturer will start to bring out new devices, or firmware upgrades to claim "compliance" to this new DRAFT standard of AC. You can, at least for the next couple of years, largely ignore this spec.If you want a high performance router that simultaneously operates on both bands, can easily handle 3 simultaneous signals per band and works with all current standards and devices - then this is the one for you. If you want a set and forget type of device that is easy to setup ---this is also the one for you. Highly recommended.I should add this router also creates a GUEST network (a network that can never access your home files).Yet, if friends come over, they will be greeted with an easy Wi-Fi connection. You can turn off this feature easily in the setup but it is a real convenience that most people will like. Frankly, I doubt there will be many that turn it off since it is both secure and really convenient for guests. Yet to be fair, most other new high end routers now also offer this same feature. So it is not unique to this router yet a welcome addition to the feature set of most newer high end routers.I'm hesitant to give performance figures. What I can say is that I have a large home. This router is located on the second story of my home, in the north most corner. I routinely connect on the first floor, on the south most corner, with excellent results. By accident, I had created a worse case scenario - yet I get top-notch results. There may be even better performing routers available but I'll take the easy set-up of this one versus all comers.I guess you could say I am happy with my purchase. -I bought the model with the Canon EF mount to use with my 5D Mark III body. The lens is tack sharp wide open and focuses quickly and quietly with the center AF point. Unfortunately, in my tests using a tripod and shutter delay, shots that are recorded as in focus on the camera using a peripheral AF point are soft throughout. After noting this I found other reviews and forum comments with this same complaint.Tamron evidently needs to update the firmware to communicate better with the 5D Mark III (and perhaps other bodies as well). If all I wanted was to use the center point this lens would be great, especially with stabilization, but that's not what I wanted and I returned the lens. -I was looking at smaller ones for use in the living room. I'm glad I got this one instead. It's plenty compact and lightweight. However, the keypad is full size so typing is effortless. The touch is good and the touchpad works perfectly. -I could hardly wait to offer my review of this television.I was a bit worried about the purchase for a few reasons:Since it wasn't the 240 hz refresh rate, I worried that the picture wouldn't be as clear and sharp as my Samsung 47" with the 120 hz rate. I, so far, have been proven wrong about that. The picture is excellent any way you look at it.Now, I'm not a big gamer. I'm too old for that (although I do own both an Xbox with Kinect and a Wii). So I can't verify the issues other reviewers stated about the slower refresh rate causing their video to lag while playing. As of yet, I saw no lag in anything I viewed to date. I truly believe that unless you are going to be one of those ultimately picky people that I have come across in other reviews, whether you choose to purchase this TV with the 120 hz rate of the 240, I feel you will enjoy the picture either way.One comparison I have between my Samsung 47" and the LG 55" is that it seems with all the reviews of these TV's, people are complaining about the light LED bleeding especially from the corners. I saw that very sugnificantly with the Samsung. But, I have to say with my experience of owning this TV in the last week, there is no such bleeding to speak of. The upper left corner seems to display a slightly lighter glow than the other three but nothing to really be annoyed about. After watching the movie "Cowboys + Aliens" last night, I was awe struck by the clarity of the picture and the true to life colors. No, it wasn't a blu ray copy, just the standard DVD copy and it was still awesome. I felt as if I could walk right into the screen and be part of the movie. With my theatre sound and that picture, I felt as if I was back at the theatre watching it for a second time. Oh, and it was also not in 3D mode either.I am not sure I am all that big on the local dimming option either because I was a little annoyed that when the scene went dark, and I had the room dark with just the christmas tree lights on, the picture would darken. Then when some sort of lighting would appear on screen, the picture would lighten back up to normal. I thought this was odd as to me, shouldn't the picture, in a brighter setting then become dim instead of brighter? I don't know maybe I was seeing it incorrectly, not sure.As other reviewers have commented about the 3D for this television, in a way I do find it kind of gimmicky, (if that is a word). But, that too, is still a very awesome feature for home theatre. By gimmicky, I found that while using the 3D mode during regular television viewing, if the frame of actors was still with not much movement, then the picture appeared 2D. But once the scene got more active and there was more background motion, then one can very much so see the depth of 3D. I also noticed that when viewing a program in true HD, if in 3D mode, the sharper the picture, the more the 3D depth stands out. Now, movies and videos that are shot in 3D are awesome! I have TRON Legacy in 3D. With the purchase of this TV I also purchased an LG 3D blu ray player. It was so awesome being able to view that movie feeling as if I was at the theatre watching it for the second time in 3D. It is so cool also, with the passive 3D, one can view movies and shows in 3D without worrying about a second box or if the batteries are going to die. You just put the glasses on when switched to 3D mode and totally enjoy!The LG apps are ok. There could be more. One reviewer totally put down the Netflix app. I found nothing wrong with it. It loaded my shows just fine and I actually watched and episode of "The Munsters" in 3D. Very cool. I dowloaded the 3D Zone app. It's a cool app if you want something to give you the feel of what your 3D watching experience should be like. The videos are streamed over the internet connection and since my wireless seems a bit hoaky at times where it is located, I had to wait for each 30 second set of video to keep downloading. I also didn't like the way the producers of these 3D vidoes felt it necessary to combine the logos for the videos with actual moving background videos. The whole experience was very annoying for me to watch with all that misplaced movement going on. Once you get passed the logos and the actual video begins to play, then it's pretty cool to watch in 3D.My whole experience with the product at this point is in one word "Awesome"! Unless some failure happens with it or I notice other anomolies, I would definitely recommend this product to others. It's a very fun and enjoyable home theatre experience. Reviewers are mentioning how the TV cuts the resolution in half for each eye so you still get the 1080P HD picture. Well all that is way too techincal for this reviewer to worry about. All I know, from my experience the last few days, this product, whether in 3D or not, gives a very sharp, clear, wathable picture. It has a whole suite of picture setting options, some even I don't understand what they do.Oh, and I also find the magic remote quite useful. I prefer using it with the pointer on the screen as a "one click and point" button solution over trying to go through the menu options and trying to find all the right keys on the regular remote, especially if you can't see them in the dark. It's so much easier to use than the standard remote control. So, for me, the magic remote is a huge plus!The only drawback I found annoying, as others have mentioned, the speakers for these thin tv's have a bit to be desired. But what can one expect. I felt that once you adjust all the sound options, you can get some pretty good sound out of the built in speakers so again that function isn't even too bad. But, I want to be able to add my first sub-woofer for added bass during regular TV viewing, without having to run it through the stereo reciever where a second sub-woofer is already connected. The only option I could find on the back for an external audio out connection was the headphone jack. I tried plugging my sub-woofer into that jack but because it is labeled as a headphone jack, the tv "smartly" disables the on-board speakers and doesn't offer the user the option to do so his or herself. The TV warns you that you have plugged something into the headphone jack and the the speakers turn off. Then I can get some bass through my sub-woofer but now without any sound from the TV. Hmmmmm.... The Samsung at least had not a headphone jack but a labeled audio out jack and didn't disable the internal speakers unless you opted to do so through the options screen. So, now I have to research another way to get sound to my first sub-woofer without the need to turn go through my stereo receiver first.I also noticed people were complaining about the digital fibre optic output and that it didn't pass through the 5.1 audio. I haven't hooked anything up to that yet so I am not going to review or comment further unless I do.All In all, I think the TV so far is awesome and I do say go out and order it or buy it if you have the cash!!!!Update, 1.5 months after purchase....I still go with all the above except now I have tried the 5.1 optical output. I tried playing some dvd video files with 5.1 surroumd sound still encoded and the sound was produced just as it was with the original movies through all 5 speakers. I found that to be awesome!I also don't see where people FREAK out about the saying the resolution is being cut in half when viewing 3D. What exactly do you people feel your eyes are actually capable of detecting when watching television? Geez!! I felt when veiwing 3D, the picture looks every bit as sharp and clear as it did when viewing 2D. Maybe I'm not as picky as some of you but when you expect something more than your own eyes are able to detect in the first place, that is going too far in my book! Just watch it and enjoy!I personally love this television and I personally NOT going to wait a year for some other technology to come out. As far as I am concerned, the next technology will have to be when they make the images holographic and appear in the middle of my living room or viewing area without using any glasses or wearing anything extra for veiwing what-so-ever. Until they master that feet, I'm pretty satisfied with what I have now. Just hope it doesn't blow up on me in the next 5 years or so! :-) -These headphones are amazing. When you plug them in, you can clearly hear everything you are listening to and they have good bass response. The microphone is handy when talking on the phone, but it's not always at the most convenient place. The phones themselves are so good both my sons immediately purchased their own sets (minus the microphone). They sit very securely in your ear and work great. -i have a macbook pro so i don't have many usb ports and this works great and was really cheap! -Used this for 6 months, using both bands as well as the Gigabit ports, very reliable, no reboot, no reset. Same with my last 2 TP-Link G routers. Working right out of the box. No updates needed. Signal is better than my previous Linksys E2000. I used to use Linksys router exclusively, but their routers often need some update or tweaking with the firmware to get reliable performance out of it. Now I know what my future routers will be.Tried adding a dirve to the USB port, but speed is too low. -This is a fantastic lens considering its price, its zoom range, its compact size, and its light weight. It's by far the cheapest lens I own (the others are the $700+ Canon 15-85, the $400+ Canon 60 macro, the $400 Tamron 28-75).I considered getting the Canon 70-200mm f/4 IS L lens but for 5x the price you get less zoom range, a heavier and bulkier lens, and perhaps a little more snob appeal with the white barrel and that precious red ring. No doubt the L lens surpasses this one when you photograph test charts (how often do you do that?), and its weather sealing allows it to withstand thunderstorms better, but frankly speaking, if you're not a pro who pushes the envelope, who cares?If you have a crop camera, this lens lets you take advantage of the smaller sensor - you're not paying for (and lugging around) all that extra glass. Maybe the extra $800 you spend on the L lens will make a difference in 1% of your photos, but you realize the benefit of the lighter weight and smaller size 100% of the time. Plus you're more likely to bring it with you.Yes, at longer focal lengths you lose one f-stop compared to the L lens. But at those focal lengths, DOF is short anyway, so you can still get portraits with blurred backgrounds at f/5.6.Sure, the front element rotates and the autofocus is slower, and you can hear the IS at work, but are those worth $800? -Pretty basic ear peices! They have great bass for being small and cheap. However I can't figure out how to replace the foam? The size they come with, the medium, seems a bit big for me...Hmmm... My only other complaint is that the L and R are microscopic. -If I had but one regret, it's that I couldn't afford the larger version! Picture is absolutely incredible! Set-up was simple (even a caveman can do it), and the Magic Remote is quite functional - operates similar to a Wii controller. I even have it programed to operate my HD cable box, albeit for the simpler tasks like Guide, channel and volume. Smart TV feature is well received, really wish they'd add Amazon Prime to the roundup.Wireless network connectivity was a breeze - like any wireless network, you need a strong signal. I have a booster antenna on my wireless router, so I have an especially strong signal anywhere in the house, and other than an occasional hiccup from my ISP, no issues with streaming movies or music.All in all, extremely satisfied with the LG 42LM6200, a must buy if you're in the market for this size TV. I just wish I could have afforded the 55! -With all the fancy stereos in my house, I find myself using this radio the most. The reception and sound are great for a radio this size, and because it's light and has batteries, I can carry it from room to room, wherever I need it. Excellent quality for the price. -I have been using my desktop for over a month now with this SSD as the main drive, and I am incredibly pleased with its performance. Keep in mind, I came straight over from primarily using HDDs for my mass storage devices, thus the difference to me was more noticeable than for someone moving between SSDs (depending on their quality, of course.) For those who are more technically inclined or interested, I will paste benchmark data for the drive's performance at the end of the review.The design of the drive is very sleek and stylish. It boasts a smooth, polished, black exterior to house the powerful internals. You see what you expect out of an SSD: a lot of performance using a very small amount of space. I was a little bummed when I had to install it out of view as it was quite pleasant to look at.Installation is simple just like any other SATA drive; plug it into your motherboard and power supply, and you'll be smooth sailing from there.I'll discuss performance in terms of what's visibly noticeable, and following the conclusion, as aforementioned I will post benchmark results. From the moment I power on, to when I reach the login screen is only a span of about ten seconds or so (possibly slightly less); this is honestly a very quick process. If I didn't have a password lock, I would obviously boot into my system much quicker without having to input the keystrokes for the password. After I log in, I am instantly able to begin opening programs, and they load quickly. Anything from Firefox or Chrome, my large Steam library, or large movie files. I have not attempted to utilize any hungry video/photo editing programs, but you can rest assured that your loading times with those would be low as well. Furthermore, I play very high performing games such as Skyrim with high-res texture mods, Battlefield 3, and Anno 2070 to name a few.When considering this SSD for purchase, keep in mind the cost per GB when thinking about what size of SSD to get. Of course, if you just want to boot your OS quickly and some important high performance programs, you are likely better off with a smaller SSD with a larger HDD to store other files. In my case, I've installed the OS, all of my programs, and games to the SSD, while having a couple of other much larger HDDs to store the large movie files, music libraries, etc. Keep in mind, I don't install all of my games simultaneously to allow more room for other purposes. I purchased this SSD during a sale, thus granting me a better value per GB of space on this 256gb drive. If budgeting is important, considering waiting for a big sale as an option. Should money not be a concern, Samsung will be releasing high performance 1TB SSDs to the market for a much higher price point, but you will be able to get HDD storage sizes with the incredible speeds of an SSD.In summary, purchasing this SSD will not disappoint you or your wallet. You get a nicely designed product with stellar performance at a great price point, especially during a good sale. If you're coming from primarily using HDDs, you will be blown away by the colossal difference in speeds. In most cases, price will be the major deciding factor between what size of SSD to purchase. With this particular drive size, it would behoove you to consider using it in tandem with a HDD of a much larger storage capacity.Pros:-Amazing, noticeable performance, especially if coming from HDD usage-Stylish design-Great value per GB, especially if purchased during a saleCons:None encounteredBechmark:As promised, here are the results I obtained from running CrystalDiskMark:Sequential Read : 503.236 MB/sSequential Write : 478.656 MB/sRandom Read 512KB : 447.499 MB/sRandom Write 512KB : 154.937 MB/sRandom Read 4KB (QD=1) : 31.125 MB/s [ 7598.8 IOPS]Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 99.221 MB/s [ 24223.9 IOPS]Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 337.172 MB/s [ 82317.5 IOPS]Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 141.240 MB/s [ 34482.4 IOPS]Finally, as a reference point, these are the specs of the system I use this SSD with:Gigabyte Z87X-UD4H moboIntel i7 4770k 3.5GhzCoolermaster Hyper 212 EvoGigabyte GeForce GTX 770 4GBCorsair Vengeance 2x4GB (8gb) 1600mhz 9-9-9-24Samsung 840 PRO 256gb SSD(primary)Seagate barracuda 500gb 5400rpm HDD (data storage)Western Digital 1gb HDD (data storage)Samsung 24x DVD driveCorsair HX750Coolermaster Storm Trooper -I've gotten accustomed to having the web on the go with the free 3G service, however the HD doesn't support it so boo hoo hoo.And how is it possible for me to buy a book yet I cant download a video nor a game because its not offered in my geographic area???!!! !!!WHAT!!!Because Iove to read in bed the back-light feature is awesome. I JUST LOVE IT -I recently purchased 3 of these for my home theater setup which contains an Onkyo TX-SR606 receiver, an Onkyo DV-BD606 Blu-ray player, a Playstation 3 game console and a Roku Digital Video Player. I initially purchased a 6ft HDMI cable made by Monster Cable for around $80 for the the connection from the receiver to the TV and needed 3 additional HDMI cables for the rest of my media centers connections. After some extensive research and shopping around I decided on these and I could not be happier. The build quality of these is exceptional. They are thick and well shielded and the picture and sound quality is equal to that of the 8x more expensive Monster cables. Also, one important consideration is that these are certified to be compliant with the HDMI 1.3 specification, meaning that they have greater bandwidth and are capable of transmitting via bitstream Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio (2 newer Lossless or uncompressed audio formats) as well as supporting xvYCC and Deep Color (essentially these 2 newer standards make colors look more vibrant and real), all necessary for today's HDTV's and for lossless audio for surround sound systems and blu-ray players that support these newer standards.Here is a link explaining the new HDMI 1.3 standard:[...]I spent a lot of money on my home theater setup and wanted to ensure I was getting high quality cables that would provide the highest throughput for the best quality picture and sound possible. These definitely fit the bill and saved me over $200. If you need HDMI cables, these are the best I have seen at this price point with specs and build quality equal to the much more expensive Monster cables. So, save your money and get these, you won't be disappointed. -Got the UN32EH4003FXZA model at a big box store, due to the sharp picture, great price, and previous experience with Samsung. Unfortunately, this model was a big disappointment: The picture is great, but the sound was very tinny & flat. And this particular model, which is at virtually every major retailer, has no audio output jack, such as a headphone jack. So no easy way to add a soundbar or some other speakers to augment the weak TV speakers, without getting a stereo amplifier, etc.Got another brand, for the same price, and am very happy with it.So check carefully which Samsung model you are getting if you plan to use with external speakers. -Using the "inSSIDer" tool, this antenna ranked equally with the built-in antenna in my IBM Thinkpad T60 listed a -35dbm antenna signal in the same room as the top-of-the-line DLink 300 "N" class WiFi router.However outside, in my car placed this unit on the dashboard, and I was picking up signals from blocks and blocks away.I purchased a 15' USB extension cord to use this, but the signal is not strong enough for the unit to work using the extension.The cord is reasonably long enough, and the full-sized USB connector to your computer is durable given that I've already bumped this connector numerous times.Product design enhancement would be nice if the USB plug mounted flush with the grommet for the wire. The USB cable sticks out pretty rigidly before the grommet allows the cable to flex around.. -This seemed like a great mouse from everything I read but in the end it hurt my hand. I had gotten used to the feeling of theLogitech Marathon Mouse M705and also theLogitech Anywhere Mouse MX. Both are low profile, small mice with comfortably positioned 4 & 5 buttons. I think that maybe this mouse is simply too big for someone with small hands such as myself.For me, this mouse was a loser nearly out of the gate, but someone with meatier paws might have better luck. -The strap could be softer and wider, that's why I gave it 4 stars. The bag itself is perfect for my needs, indeed the best I have ever had (and I had some...). It is a pity that the strap is so poor. I changed it for a far better one I had from other camera bag. -I enjoyed this system so much I decided to try logitech's z-5500. I figure if 2300 has this much power, the 5500 must have even more power. Well, 5500 does have more power. But here's the thing, for some reason, using my PC and other small devices I preferred the z-2300 over the z-5500. I live in a 2900 square foot home and even when I'm in the opposite end, the bass from z-2300 could still be heard and felt. So here are the test results when I made these brothers fight:Clarity.....tiePC (stereo setup).....z-2300/PC (5.1 setup).....z-5500 (DUH!!!)Home theater.....z-5500 @ 100% (2300 started clipping at 50% maybe less)IPOD.....z-2300 (due to ipods and mp3s having just stereo out, even at 100% the z-5500 sounded weak)Price.....z-2300 (you can get 2 z-2300 with the price of a z-5500)User friendly.....z-2300 (there's only one audio cable and 2 satellites)Mobility.....z-2300 (self-explanatory)Power.....z-5500 (good for bigger devices with coax/optical ex: home theater, PS3, XBOX 360... not so with small audio devices; it's like using a 100 watt amp to kick dual 10" JL audio W7, dull sound no boom)BOTTOMLINE: IF 2.1 IS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR...LOOK NO FURTHER. DON'T TRY TO COMPARE JBL OR BOSE WITH THESE, THERE ARE NO COMPARISONS. HEARD THEM ALL AND Z-2300 ALWAYS COME OUT ON TOP. EVEN HAD A LOYAL BOSE FAN BOW DOWN TO THESE BABIES. -This lens is awesome. Great all around lens, fast focusing, sharp as a tack, super clarity, I highly recommend this lens.Dave -Have a Nikon DX DSLR? Then you need this lens in your collection. Period. Don't debate it any longer, just do it.This is a wonderful little lens that will give you levels of sharpness, color, and image quality that will blow most consumer (non-f2.8) zooms out of the water. If all you've ever used are f3.5-fwhatever zoom lenses, you're in for a real treat with this lens. AF is as fast as any other Nikkor AF-S lens, and the fast f1.8 grabs shots in low light that will blow your mind.Of course, it's just a fixed 35mm. A prime. So if you've fallen into 'composure-apathy' that can come from owning a zoom lens, you're going to have to use to learn to to use your feet and actually think about composure a bit. You've got to walk. Get close. Step back. Think. Compose. Shoot. It's more work, but the rewards can be magnificent.Lenses are tools. 'Kit' zooms are like a good folding pocket knife; a set of little screwdrivers, a couple of knives, maybe a saw, maybe some scissors, a nail file, etc. Nice little tools that can come in handy in many situations. Throw it in your pocket and go. But when you need a good screwdriver to remove a stubborn screw, or you need to chop down a tree, or remove the engine from a '67 Mustang, that pocket knife isn't the best choice. A prime lens is like a perfectly weighted and well-made single-purpose tool. A solid screwdriver. A perfectly balanced pair of pliers. A well-engineered ratchet. It's simple, it's basic, and it's a joy to use.And that's the simple elegance to using a prime lens.Lenses like this and the 50mm f1.8 are small and light. They barely add anything to the weight and bulk of just the camera body itself, especially if it's a higher-level Nikkor DSLR (D90, D300s). It's just effortless. Compared to some of the heavier zooms (16-85, 18-105, 18-200), it'll make your camera feel weightless. Fantastic for all-day wandering-around photography, assuming you don't need serious wide-angle or serious telephoto.However, this lens is a 'gateway drug'. It and the 50mm f1.8 both fall into this category. The low price and amazing IQ hooks you. ;-) Use it for a while, and you'll begin to want *all* of your glass to be fast f2.8 (or better), rather than the slow 'consumer' level variable aperture lenses. And that can quickly become an expensive proposition. :) -So Logitech recently had a sale and I had been eyeing the G13 for almost a year but was on the fence as far as how much it would really do for me. On sale, it was the same price as the Nostromo and I am a huge Razer fan and can't live without my Naga and Vespula. That said, I have always only used Logitech keyboards and headsets and I love them just as much. This truly was a difficult decision for me and I pored over the reviews of both for days.I'm so happy with the choice I made. I can't speak to the Nostromo as I haven't used one, but I can't imagine life being any better than it is with my G13 right now. Let me say straight out, this is not as valuable for non-MMO type games which require a ridiculous number of hotkeys to perform at your best. Games like Skyrim where you're basically just moving around with WASD and attacking with two buttons will not see the huge improvements that your MMOs will experience, but it's still a very nice upgrade in terms of comfort, especially for laptop users. The G13 will serve you well in any game that requires the keyboard because it allows your wrist and arm to be in a more natural position. I can completely relax my arm rather than have to try to hover over the keyboard for long gaming sessions. I have found that the G13 works amazingly well even when not on a flat surface. I regularly play in bed on my laptop and I usually rest the base of the G13 against my thigh so that it's at an angle to the bed (if that makes sense!) and this is surprisingly awesome. I have no loss in control over playing on a flat surface and my arm can be completely relaxed at my side the entire time. It's easily tied for the best accessory you can buy for your gaming laptop, equaled only byRazer Naga MMOG Laser Gaming Mouse. Paired with aRazer Vespula Dual-Sided Gaming Mouse Matyou will only have to touch your keyboard if you use text to chat. If you use voice chat over Ventrilo or Teamspeak, your keyboard will be collecting dust from lack of use. What I love about this setup is the ability to have both of my hands at my sides when I'm using my gaming laptop and I'm supremely comfortable. Mobile gaming is the future and I want to be able to take my games with me and be comfortable wherever I play while still being as effective as possible. The G13 is a huge part of what makes this possible.Now don't get me wrong, I also love my G13 with my desktop PC. The profiles are stored on the gameboard so I can easily move it from computer to computer with no issue. It works great on a desk being nicely weighted and with a good grip on the base. It doesn't slip or give without excessive force (and no one games THAT hard!). The design is also perfect. I was truly concerned because I have smaller hands and that is actually a big factor behind this purchase. With smaller hands, it's hard to reach across a keyboard to hit all those hotkeys. I read a lot of reviews claiming the G13 is not kind to small hands but I have not found that to be the case. With my palm resting comfortably on the designated rest, I can easily reach the top row of keys. The furthest on the left and right are a bit of a stretch for constant use but I find G1 in the upper left is perfect for TAB and targeting mobs. The one just below is nice for SPACE or jump. I use the top five center keys for 1-5 and the five directly below for 6-10. I have no trouble accessing any of them at any time and I adjusted to the new positions really quickly, faster than I learned to use my Razer Naga by far. I mapped the keys near the joystick to M and L for map and quest log. And of course, the joystick has completely replaced my WASD keys for movement. Moving with a joystick is so natural, especially for console gamers, even casual ones like myself. I have none of the issues others have mentioned about it hurting their thumbs or being hard to push. A very gentle push is all that's needed to continuously move forward. Diagonals are possible also. I tend to hold forward on the joystick and mouse steer because that's what I'm used to, but I find myself turning with the joystick more and more and it works great. Now my fingers are completely free to access my primary hotkeys rather than trying to contort my hand to reach WASD keys and hotkeys simultaneously. I have my secondary hotkeys assigned to my Razer Naga and I'm good to go with split second response time thanks to all keys being within my natural reach without straining.The best tip I can give new users who are having trouble accessing keys is to remap them manually for each game that you play. It really only takes a few minutes to do and once it's done, you don't have to worry about it again. By default, WoW's map is set up so that the center keys on the gameboard are assigned to WASD. This made no sense to me because I wanted to get away from using my fingers for movement and do it all with my thumb on the joystick. The key profiling software is very user friendly and easy to understand without ever looking at the manual. You just click the G key you want to change in the interface, and then press the key you want it to be. Easy. I remapped all my keys so that they would work for ME. I appreciate all the effort Logitech put into pre-designing key layouts for so many games, but ultimately what's going to work best for you is a layout you choose yourself. Pick keys that are easy to reach (which should be most of them, even for small hands) for your primary abilities and use the ones that are a bit of a stretch (if any) to lesser used functions, like map, bag and quest log. I've seen so many reviews where people complain that the keys aren't in the right place. Change them!My only regret is that I didn't buy one sooner. The G13 has changed my gaming for the better, and with kids, school and work, I want the most out of my game time, and now I have it. Thank you once again, Logitech! -The mouse is very excellent and easy to use has a battery operated for a long time.Thank you and Thank Guys. -This is the best media player for the price. But when it comes to other features such as apps and the Zune software used to load music/movies, this is where it is limited. I was looking for a cheaper replacement for my old ipod touch, which ran out of storage quite quickly, the Zune Hd was a near perfect fit. The lack of camera and built-in speakers was disappointing, but the cool features and unique navigation really shined. The complete lack of apps in the app store was quite disturbing, only 50 or so apps, most of them pretty bland.Compared to the ipod, the Zune Hd has EXTREMELY fast start up times (5 to 8 seconds usually) , the battery is amazing and it hardly ever crashes.While the Zune Hd may be lacking some features,they are not deal breaking features, I still have to give the Zune 5 out of 5 stars. The build quality and quality for the price are amazing. This product surprised me in every way (except the crappy app selection). -MOUSE: This is a very nice mouse. It looks large and has an unusual shape, but I have at most medium size hands and it doesn't feel too big. The functionality is very good as a "basic mouse" with great laser control, etc. Frankly I rarely remember to use the special side buttons to do things like previous/last windows in a browser. It's still a very good, top end smooth mouse even with out using every possible bell and whistle. I use a laptop a great deal and this is the first time I've really bothered to like a mouse enough to bring on a hotel trip.BATTERY: I understand it has an extremely high quality or state-of-the-art brand of AA rechargeable battery. In a pinch you can use any AA battery though. I don't know how often it needs to be recharged - probably not more than every couple weeks. It gives you a "low battery" warning - a little PC popup - which supposedly comes on intermittently for nine days as its charge gets low, suggesting the full life must be a few weeks if the last phase of low-charge, is nine days. (Logitech experts note the prior Revolution mouse had a built in battery, which I assume would eventually get tired.)RECHARGING: Recharging is trivial as you just plug the supplied, or any, microUSB cable into the front. If you use a thin microUSB cable, even if you are computing during the charging phase, it is no more inconvenience than any good corded mouse. It gives three nice progressive (rolling) green lights on the side as it charges, progress-bar style. As far as I can tell there is no need to use the "off" button (I think it sleeps when not touched rather than running its battery down) but the instructions aren't clear.WIRELESS. It works with a very tiny wireless dongle. It doesn't come with much documentation but it stores a Mouse App in the system tray (lower right corner in Windows) which has a lot of information. Supposedly, if you get into the Mouse App, there is a "star" symbol tab option which gets you into the "Unifying Wireless" app. In the Mouse App, click "star" tab at left then click "Open Unifying Software" and it gives you instructions to connect with other Logitech devices (typically by turning them On and Off in the proper Unifying Software mode.) -I have been a headphone fanatic for thirty years and have owned and used a variety of headphones over those years, to include Stax SR-5, Sennheiser HD-424 and HD-580. The Sony MDRV6 excells as the best value of any headphone that I've ever owned. They are especially good at producing natural-sounding deep bass, and the overall octave-to-octave balance is excellent. The sound quality is all in all comparable to other headphones that cost considerably more.The MDRV6 is especially well-suited for travel due to the collapsible design, and for noisy environments or for quiet environments such as a library where the sound emitted by open-back headphones would distract others.The MDRV6 is not quite as comfortable as some other headphones, but the comfort can be improved enormously by replacing the pads with the velour pads from BeyerDynamic. The pads that come on the MDRV6 have a non-breathable cover, and significant additional discomfort is caused by the way that the thin foam cover is glued to the pad around the inner circumference of the pad, which prevents the top and back of your ear from slipping into the space between the pad and the face of the headphone. This forces the pad to rest on the back of the ear, which compresses the ear and eventually becomes uncomfortable. I read on a web forum where several people had replaced the pads (which eventually come apart) with a velour pad made by BeyerDynamic, and after I did this replacement on my one pair that had a damaged pad, the increase in comfort was so great that I immediately did the other pair. The thin cover can be glued down to the headphone face if needed to hold it in place, which then allows the top and rear of your ear to naturally slide under the inner circumference of the pad, which is considerably more comfortable. I can recommend this trivial modification without reservation to anyone who owns these headphones. Even if you don't replace the pads with the BeyerDynamic velour pads, I suggest removing the pads anyway, then carefully separating the thin cover from the pad, and glueing the cover directly to the headphone surface. -I have used the Etymotics ER6i most of the time and other cheaper headphones for running and general listening on the move. For me, these headphones are BETTER and half the price of the Etymotics. The sound quality is excellent and the sound issolation is almost dangerous it is so good. To top it off, the curved portions of the cord fit very well over my ears and I don't have to keep pushing them in every 5 minutes to keep them in place. I'm ordering another 2 just in case they change the model design. -First, thank you to all those who take the time to write customer reviews. I was going to buy another USB fan and changed my mind after reading your reviews and I am glad I did.This fan is surprisingly sturdy (and heavy) and very quiet and good.I got it for my wife as a gag gift (she loves fans and has them everywhere), and she loves it. For that matter, I love it too and put it on my wishlist for her to get one for me.Of course, Christmas isn't exactly fan weather here, but I'll want to use it someday! -I got a pair of these headphones a few months ago and they still provide a fantastic range of sound. Aside from the quality of the sound these earbuds deliver, they seem to fit my ears superbly and that makes a huge difference for me when it comes to headphones.The highs are crisp. The mids sound great. The lows aren't shake your skull with vibrations good, but the CX 300's provide a clean low with no distortion and a little kick in the ear. I've played with equalizers and bass heavy music and you can reach a deep low that the headphones manage really well.The length of the left ear cord is half the length of the right ear cord. This is to wrap the right ear cord around the back of your neck and keep the whole cord running down only one side of your body. I personally like this feature, but it's worth mentioning if you don't want that difference and would prefer equal length cords.These headphones come with a small carrying case that I use daily. It's a nice touch to throw in with the purchase. I think it helps prevent my headphones from becoming too tangled in my pocket.Bottom line: I use these headphones daily and they sound fantastic. -Purchased a few of these for a conference room at work, mainly because they were long enough and cheap enough. Used them to hook up an Apple TV and a laptop. Picture looks great and no issues. I would highly recommend purchasing these and may purchase a few for home in the near future. -Another one returned! Sorry Canon, I really like your products, but KEEP UP WITH THE TIMES for goodness sake!!!! (Excuse the rant) I've tried just about EVERY point and shoot that takes some kind of video, plus countless other digital cameras over the years. The HD P&S;'s I've tried are: Canon TX1, Panasonic TX5, several flash drive camcorders that also take still pic's, Sanyo HD1000 & HD700, Samsung HV24HD, and ALL the Kodak's that take HD Video. Plus there has been other camera's - too many to mention (i.e. Canon 550, 770, etc.)Anyway, I just bought (and returned) the SX10. I really wanted to love this camera, but will stick with my Sony T500 for now (check my review of the T500 - that little baby is a keeper).To keep it short, the still pictures are what you would expect from a Canon, but actually, I think my old Canon G7 takes better pictures. But here are the grips (I prefer the cons in a review more than the pros) in no particular order.1) The Camera is BIG. Easy to hold but BIG. Love the flip screen - but the camera is BIG. Great lens - but BIG. I guess what I'm trying to say, the damn thing is BIG, almost as big as a DSLR. This is something that you can not just slip in your pocket and run! I guess I would put up with the BIGness of the camera if the video was better (see below).2) Battery: some might like it, but I did not. Four "AA" batteries! I had to buy a rather expensive charger and rechargeable batteries. Come on, what's going on here! Now adays with all this new technology, Canon couldn't come up with a small battery that holds a decent charge! I know the Sony T500 has poor battery life, but at least the camera is small - you would expect that! Who wants to schlep around 4 extra "AA" batteries - not me! This one was my fault, I did not ever read about the batteries before I bought the camera, but like above, if the Video was better, I could look the other way.3) Video: This was pretty important to me (again check out the T500). What is up with only the small video format when EVERY other camera company is opting for new 16:9 widescreen format? Again, my old G7 takes just as good "small" video and I can play/edit it with anything! Actually, the video from the SX10 is not all that good, except the fact that you can zoom all the way in (actually that is pretty cool), but not worth keeping it. I was hoping that even though the SX10 was not widescreen 720/1080, it would take decent "HD like" video with the new .MOV video format. Why Canon did not bring the SX1 out first I'll never know; because then if the videos were good - I might have kept the Canon. As many other reviewers have mentioned, I just don't understand these companies or their marketing plan. If they need any help, all they have to do is ask a few geeks like me - I'll tell em' an ear full!So all in all, I'm keeping the Sony T500 - even if the pictures are not quite as sharp. That little camera is all I need - "right now"! Just my opinion Canon lovers. -Shipping was quick and installation was average. The instructions were easy to follow giving the right color of wires to cut and splice.After it was installed the programming was easy and took right away. It works well with my Pioneer AVH-P4400BH. -A very high quality bag for your DSLR, lenses and accessories. I use a Crumpler Five Million Dollar Home bag for my day to day shooting - A DSLR body and a couple of lenses and accessories. But there are many times when I want to carry much more than that - 3 or 4 lenses, a battery grip, a reflector, a speedlight, cords, extra memory cards - and carry all this gear safely and comfortably.This bag is compact, with great ergonomics but cavernous in capacity. I had no problem fitting my Nikon D300S, battery grip and 35, 50, 70-300 lenses and a SB-700 speedlight. The pockets easily hold a folded reflector, ND filters, memory cards, lens caps, straps, etc. The Velcro dividers allowed easy customization of the main compartment for snug and safe storage of each piece of equipment.The padded shoulder and waist straps give a very comfortable and secure carry with 15-20 pounds of gear.This bag lacks some higher end features like a rain cover or more flexible outside storage of a tripod or attach point for other bags and pouches. But considering the price and utility of this bag, that's an acceptable compromise.Highly recommended! -I just purchased the New Trent Airbender Keyboard Case for my iPad 3. Mostly bought it for the keyboard as I already own 2 cases one of which is the Pong. Setup was a breeze, barely had to look at the instructions. Mostly because I know when an accessory contains a battery, it should be brought up to full charge first. The User Guide is simple, easy to understand and use. Pairing the keyboard to the iPad bluetooth was straightforward and the connection is persistent when the case and iPad are separated and reunited.The feel of the keyboard is nice and even with my large hands the key size feels comfortable. The case is surprisingly light for its seemingly durable construction. Only time can test the actual durability but I have no initial concerns about this. The magnetic auto shutoff works great but you have to remember to keep the landscape orientation in the right direction. I rotated the case so that the charging cable could feed from the other direction and simply closed the case after use. I was surprised when I reopened the case and the battery was almost completely discharged. It took me a little while to realize what I had done. Easy lesson learned.I like the adjustability of the stand support but sometimes when it is in the case, it takes a little tweaking of the positions to get the iPad to sit solidly. A small price to pay for the flexibility of position choices. Bottom line, I bought this case for the keyboard, and to my surprise I received a light, durable case that gave me an incredible number of choices for positioning my iPad, even free standing. In this dimension AirBender surpassed my Pong Research case with its "Origami" design which I have found to be unstable in many of its orientations. -I have only had the remote for 3 days, so these are just preliminary findings. This remote is being used to control : Hitachi 32HDL51 TV, DishNetwork DVR-625, Sony STR-DA7ES receiver, JVC HR-S9911U VHS, HP Z540 computer, Archos AV-500 PVR and an X10 light controller. So far the only problem I've had is with the X10 controller, but I haven't put any time into debugging it.The computer I am using for programming the remote is a Dell E521 ( AMD 64X2 5600+ processor ) running Windows XP Pro SP2. Installing and running the software was quite straightforward ( I'm on a 3Mbps DSL connection ). I find the software to be fairly intuitive, but did note the "strange" English that other reviewers have mentioned.The only glitch I ran into when doing the initial setup for the remote was that the software wanted to "read" some of the signals for the DVR-625 and the Sony receiver though I had checked before buying the remote to make sure they were supported. It then occurred to me that both of these units have TWO remote controls ( both have two-room capability ). The software was just checking to see which remote I was using. BUT that showed me that the folks who have complained about the remote's learning capability have legitimate concerns. I have had a number of teachable remotes, and this is the first one I've had a problem with. The main problem seemed to be lighting - I had to turn off a lamp about 3 feet away before I had any success at all. Then, if I had the remotes about 3" apart, and pressed the button for no more than 1 second, the signals were received ok. This is the main reason for a 4 star rating rather than 5 star.I spent most of today setting up the "favorite channels" on the remote. The only reason it took so long was that I searched the web for appropriate icons to use, then had to edit them to get 75x44 pixel images ( don't try to use any other size - the icons "stretch" to fit 75x44 ). A really good source for "nice" icons is [...]After getting the icons, setting up the favorite channels feature was a breeze. And, best of all, it actually works.As far as the physical design of the remote, I find it very easy to use. A lot of thought went into the placement of the buttons, and I have no trouble using it with "one hand operation". The remote I replaced with this one was also a touch-screen ( rather old Sony one ), so I have no problem with the touch-screen. I also have fairly small fingers, so that may help! It is a fairly small screen. I find the lighted buttons to be extremely useful, and it's pretty neat that they turn on as soon as you pick up the remote. I can't comment too much on the battery life, since I've only had it for 3 days. But the battery indicator hasn't moved very far from full during that time.In conclusion, I'm quite satisfied with this remote. Before buying one, make sure it will control your components with a minimum of "teaching", because that's a real bummer. You can check all your components on Logitech's home page.Added after initial review: Just noticed the remote wasn't really turning the DishNetwork DVR on or off. The "help" and "device" could turn it on/off, but not the "activity". I wasn't able to correct the problem with any of the adjustments, but the setup allows one to add steps to activities. I added a "select" to turn it on and "power toggle" to turn it off. Now it works fine. -This flash was great as a secondary unit that I use with radio triggers. You have to shoot in manual mode since there is no E-TTL available as far as I can tell. There is only one pin on the hot shoe plate so I'm pretty sure if it's attached to your camera it doesn't do TTL. I think there is something about TTL off camera in the manual that is written in Chinese first then English so it wasn't quite as clear as it could have been. It really isn't a bother to me since I do shoot in manual mode when I set up the portable studio and the home studio as well but that's a whole other story. If you're in need of a bright flash of light for your photography then this can do it for a little cheaper than a Canon or Nikon flash. It has a solid build and feel to it and seems like it will last a while even with some banging around. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that it is much longer than my Canon 430EXII and took up some real estate in the camera bag. I think it is comparable to the Canon 580EXII. I can get over that since it worked so good. -It has great wireless range, is fairly compact yet fully functional. Touchpad is nice too. Would recommend. Some of the other keyboards are just too large or too small. This one is just right. -I bought this for myself as a Christmas present this year (hey, if you can't take care of yourself, who can you take care of?). This was absolutely the best purchase I ever made on Amazon (and I have been a loyal, dedicated customer of Amazon's for over 14 years. I have nothing but glowing things to say about the Fire. The picture is amazing, displaying everything in crystal clear images. The 16gb storage is large enough for my use (audio and video downloads). The unit is easy to use (especially for someone like me who can occasionally be technically challenged). And, the best part is the kindle feature and all the freebies I get being a Prime member. Thanks, Amazon, for making this the best Christmas ever! -I bought the Canon Powershot SD780 IS Digital Elph a couple of weeks ago and couldn't be more delighted. First off, it is tiny and light weight, smaller than a deck of cards or a pack of cigarettes. The LCD screen on the back is crisp, clear, and bright so you can see it even in daylight. There is also a viewfinder should you prefer. The camera has numerous settings for portrait, view and etc, and an automatic face finder which focuses on faces. Because it is 12 megapixels, the clarity of the photos is amazing. The lens pops out quickly, and there is a simple button at the top of the camera which allows you to bring objects in tight or wide. I had actually been considering buying a big SLR (the Nikon D5000) which is nearly $800 and obviously does much more, but this little camera (which also shoots HD video) is so wonderful, I am beginning to doubt if I want the bigger one. I love being able to slip this into my pocket (it is smaller than my iPhone!) and take it everywhere. Great camera!Canon PowerShot SD780IS12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Black)Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Silver)Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD (Deep Red) -This product is easy to set up and works in my 2007 Pontiac G6 Convertible. The Harness the product refers to is that of the radio and you can find out if your vehicle is compatible by using the Axxess website. -Got a pair of these, and I sit in front of them for far too many hours each day, mostly with browsers and spreadsheets, and a video here and there. The contrast and brightness are great, and my eyeballs are happy. The stands are a little wobbly, and coupled with my wobbly desk, that was a problem. But a stack of Post-its under the corner solves it, so it's not a big deal. I think a twin-post stand would be a better design, though. -So the fan is almost silent and you can turn off the light if it is bothering you. It works great but I have 2 issues with it which you need to be aware of. I have a 17 inch Viao and the USB is on the right side. The cord you get with this cooling pad is not long enough. The other is that I have an extended battery which raises the computer up and makes it harder to stay on the cooling pad because the pad is angled. It has 4 grip spots but with my battery they don't work for me. I have to put the battery off the edge to lay the computer flat on the pad. This makes the computer off balance and fall off sometimes. You can get cheap usb cords on amazon but I had trouble finding a USB to USB cord in stores. I am content with this purchase but I should have done a little more research for my specific needs.Update: It died on me and it has only been 6 months. I used it almost daily and for multiple hours everyday. -This is an excellent case for the Nexus 7. It fits perfectly on the Nexus and it does not feel cheap. It also has some pretty cool features. The coolest is the auto wake/sleep feature. I'm assuming there is a magnet within the clip that keeps the cover closed that tells the Nexus to wake up when the cover is open and to sleep when it is closed. This feature works like a charm. The ability to use the case as a stand is also useful. Overall this is a great case for the Nexus 7. I cannot think of a bad thing to say about it. -Personally, I thought it was going to be more difficult to setup from what I've read, but It was actually a breeze despite not being very intuitive. Had everything working, connected wireless, and accessible over the internet with Foscam's free DDNS in less than 15 minutes. Granted, I'm somewhat tech savvy and knew a thing or two about setting up stuff like this. Someone else might have a difficult time with it though.Also, it doesn't make sense why they disable presets by default. Had to enable them in PT Settings.Overall I'm very satisfied. -I was skeptical at first, such inexpensive headphones with good reviews. Well the reviews weren't wrong! Best 7$ I've spent on headphones ever! The sound quality is clear and the bass loud. I just wish the cord was slightly longer, but I don't have any regrets. If you're looking for new headphones then these are the ones to get! -Panasonic Lumix cameras are super--this is my third and I wouldn't buy any other type. When my old Lumix finally died, I wanted something with a better optical zoom and a viewfinder (LCD screens don't work when the sun is out). I liked this camera but was worried that it might be a bit big for hiking and backpacking. Well, it is a bit larger than my older camera, but it isn't very much larger and it does so much (smaller than it looks in the picture)! I've been using it for almost a year now and have found it to be the best Lumix I've ever had. The photos are clear and bright, and the "distance" photo options produce really clear pictures even when it is a bit hazy. I do a lot of close-up photos of plants and have found that the close-up lens isn't as good as my old Lumix, but I've also found that standing back a little and using the fantastic zoom more than makes up for this shortcoming. And, I don't have to get down close to the plant (a plus for us "seniors")! I've never tried the video beyond seeing how it worked, but one of these days I'll do it. It does really good video from what I can tell. I'll buy another when this one turns in its lens! -I just recieved my news lens on yesterday, four days before it was actually due to me and I am not currently in the USA so that was a great start for me. This lens is great and the images that are produced are stunning. The price is very good as well. My friend purchase the more expensive lens and there is almost no difference in the image. You really have to sit and stare at the images to really tell a difference. During that time you can be out taking more photos. Do your research and find what works for you and you could actually save yourself a lot of money and the long run. Every photographer is different so go to your local photo store and test out the equipment and then make your choice. The choice for me was right on with Nikon 85mm 1.8g AF-S. -I recieved the airbender bluetooth keyboard and have some pros and cons about it.ProsThe airbender case is very comfortable. It controls the iPad very well with its dedicated macro buttons.Being able to swivel the iPad is very useful in situations where you'd like to type in portrait mode. Being able to disconnect the iPad from the keyboard is very useful and the case has proven to be very helpful. Don't trust it to protect it from a drop but it certainly is better than nothing. And the overall battery life is very good. I didn't find myself charging it too often honestly, which shocked me.ConThe Preview photo button seems to have absolutely no use. It will unlock the iPad but doesn't open anything and while the iPad is unlocked it does nothing. It just seems redundant as there is an unlock button already.The page up and down buttons don't seem to work in safari, nor any other browser I've tried. There might be other apps where they work but I haven't found them yet. Disconnecting the iPad from the keyboard isn't as easy as I was hoping it would be. As awesome as the concept is there needs to be better grips to take the iPad off.Opening the keyboard with the iPad is a pain. As you try and open it the iPad practically slips over the keys and flings out. The iPad swings a little too freely and doesn't exactly support the weight of it too well.All in all the airbender keyboard is awesome and is worth the money. Though it has much room for improvement, it proved its use while writing emails and memos. -This small briefcase can be used for netbooks from 7-10 inches. I originally intended it to be used for my husband's netbook; however, after it came I liked it so much that I bought another one for my Kindle, even though the Kindle is so much smaller. The reason I did this is because the case is really sturdy, very well-constructed, and convenient. The padding in it is outstanding without being bulky. Despite not having hard sides, this case has great protection (via the padding and design) for my Kindle; in the additional section I can also carry my chargers, my fountain pens, and my journal. My husband is thrilled to use it for his netbook (which is a special proprietary one for electronic medical records) and its accessories. It serves both of our needs really well.The case has two parts, one to hold the netbook or other rectangular flat electronic device, and another part with pockets to hold bulky chargers, writing implements, and other items. The way this latter part is constructed, it bulges away from the netbook part so that it will not impinge upon the netbook (this is really nice). On the outside of the case (you can see it in the picture) there is yet another pocket that opens on the front of the case with a vertical zipper. It is very well-designed. It has short handles for regular carrying and a detachable shoulder strap. It's very lightweight as well.This is a fine looking, very convenient, quality case.Highly recommended.***** -My son has been wanting a new TV for some time now. Bought this one and he loves it. Picture is sharp and crisp. He watches many movies on it and the up-close imagery is astounding. He also plays videogames on it and said it has been impressive. This has been a very good purchase and I highly recommend Haier. It has many good features in it and it is also simple to operate. -In most demanding games, my GPU will consistently soar to 90-93 degrees Celsius. I didn't like seeing temps in the 90s so I figured I would pick up this Cooler Master for a shade over $20. Is it worth it? I think it is.My Sager NP8130 is 15.6" and this cooler fits it just about perfectly - I have maybe 1" of extra room. My laptop's rubber stops on the bottom keep it anchored pretty well, and the fan itself isn't super loud. There is an adjustable dial to change fan speed, but when I'm gaming, I generally just have it on max, and when I'm not gaming, I turn the cooling pad off altogether.The one thing I would make sure you do is use the little legs on the bottom of the cooling pad to prop it up an extra half inch or so. It makes a world of difference in how much more air can flow through under the pad and up to your laptop. Also, beware of using this on top of a table cloth - it seems to impede air flow as well. With the legs propping up the cooling pad, my GPU temps only hit about 84-86 degrees, but without it propped up, my GPU is still 90-91 degrees.Overall, it's a small ~$20 investment to potentially increase the life of my laptop as a whole. -I hope you have better luck, it has gotten a lot of great reviews, but first the sticker(!) covering the contacts on the back fell off, then the card died completely. Hopefully it's an isolated incident, but I'm trying a different brand in case its a bad batch. -To me, there is little special with any cable modem. This modem is DOCSIS 3.0 which is the most important feature to know. I learned from others that the White version is the one you want, the black version is older and perhaps not updated regularly with firmware updates.I strongly encourage users to buy this product as opposed to those that include wireless in the modem itself. Multi-purpose devices have a tendency to live shorter lives. I have this device plus a standard router and a Apple Airport Express, which is a great combination for a home network. -So, got this last night and was extremely glad it and the cable I purchased enabled me to use my phone GPS. Since I am an electrician by trade, I decided to make sure it was adequately constructed prior to using it since a lot of my fellow customers seemed to have an issue with the screw cap falling off and getting stuck in the outlet. So far, not had an issue with that and it seems put together well.I can attest that the blue LED is extremely bright, but luckily my outlet is located inside the center console of my car so I can't see it when driving. -I ordered these headsets to go with my phone (Samsung S4). They paired with my phone without any issues and they sound great. I was very surprised to find out that these headsets actually speack and inform you of incoming calls and text messages. They read out the message as well. I love them so much that I tried them with my Apple Ipad while watching a movie. The sound quality is amazing. You have to try. I am sure you will fall in love as well. -I have every electronic device currently available, now and in foreseeable distant future. Nothing streams HD like this little box. My 3 year old Roku HD finally stopped working. I thought I would resort to using my streaming bluray player. Wishful thinking. Picture quality was terrible. Panasonic Plasma TVs are the best if you have one then you know what I am talking about. Roku players seem to work especially well with them. The image displayed is breathtaking. Roku simply is the best. -I find it amazing, ABSOLUTELY amazing that so many people are complaining because it isn't REAL leather....Does anyone with a brain, actually think that they are going to get a cover like this for $30, and it is actually going to be REAL leather.The main difference between the quality FAKE leather and real leather is the wear factor.....If you have a nice leather case, and you take care of it, it will last a lifetime....Fake leather-not so much....And for $30, if it lasts you a year, thats a cup of large coffee a MONTH at Starbucks....Get a life for goodness sake.The workmanship looks pretty good, and the stitching was perfect....Got this item for my IPad 4, and it fits perfectly....The magnetic tabs hold the case closed....The "stand" holds it open....And it looks decent......And if it does gets scratched, or thrashed, it's a small investment. -UPDATE: 5/17/14 - PORN is stronger than the NETGEAR Nighthawk!I don't usually put my updates at the beginning of a review, but after writing such a stellar one only days before I felt it important to 'share' to warn off others.After setting up Parental Controls to 'custom' and checking off 'downloads, adult, nudity, and porn', I expected my home network would be porn-free, as it was with theBelkin N750 Wireless DB Dual-Band Gigabit N+ Router With High Speed HD Streaming & USB (F9K1103); which while slower - it's also a quarter of the price I paid for this one. Needless to say last night I learned that porn is stronger than the Nighthawk.Parental Control Problems:1. If you set the router on the highest setting for network protection it filters porn, however it also filters out pretty much anything but first grade friendly material. A no-go for a house with a teenager who has reports to do for school and needs internet access.2. In the Parental Control interface you can setup strict browsing for the family and an override account for those who don't need or want it, but using 'custom' settings is frustrating and seems to be hit and miss for porn specifically.3. In the Parental Control settings you can add up to 25 sites you want blocked. That's it - and it's not enough for all trash on the internet!4. In the Genie dashboard under Advanced - Security you can add keywords and domains (yuck dot com, dot net...) to block. When those are set, if a user attempts to go there they get a black screen with red stripes that says 'Firewall Blocked' user.5. Removing a 'keyword' is a joke too! You have to clear the list and start over, as it won't let you delete just one word like 'porn' to eliminate all sites with that keyword in the title from opening.You can set things up so that the administrator gets emailed every time one of the blocked sites gets a 'knock, knock' by a user on your network. Unfortunately, this too has a limited number of sites and/or keywords that can be added, and it's just not enough for the price you pay for this router!The speed and stability is great, but I hate that with this expensive piece of equipment and user-interface that seems to be so helpful - these limitations are put on the device.I didn't buy this router to limit porn, but it is one of the things I like to do on my home network. I'm not a prude, but I should be able to surf securely if that's part of what's promised at a premium price.Oh, and the way I found this out was that I periodically go onto a browser like Bing or Google and type in random words and phrases to see what shows up. When it's something related to porn and I know I have the filter set, I click to make sure they are blocked. Last night, it wasn't and I spent nearly 3 hours learning the limitations of the NETGEAR Genie software.Maybe this is something that can be addressed by the NETGEAR Team in an update? It will definitely have to be improved upon to be considered a safe router for households who are concerned with Parental Controls, and I would not recommend this router for this reason.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This is a huge, pricey wireless router which is worth every penny if you're living in a big home, have multiple devices all wanting WiFi, want to be able to take command of your network in darn near every way possible or 'all of the above'.WHY I CHOSE THIS WIRELESS ROUTER...I purchased this router with some trepidation due to the high sticker price. It's twice as expensive as the most expensive one I've previously purchased and also twice as big. Despite these things, I was looking for a router to replace myBelkin N750 Wireless DB Dual-Band Gigabit N+ Router With High Speed HD Streaming & USB (F9K1103), which while OK, was struggling to keep up with the growing WiFi demands of my family.With 15 wireless devices used on the network (laptops, desktops, streaming devices, smartphones, gaming systems, etc...), if everyone was connected, we all experienced signal drop offs. When streaming video it was not uncommon to get lagging connections and/or encounter buffering issues.After reading a bit about higher end routers, I decided to get a simultaneous dual band router. This one works well as you can set the (QoS - Quality of Service) to uploads (for gaming) or to downloads (for streaming). These two things opened up a whole new level of enjoyment in this cord cutter household!Having written a book on cord cutting:Simple Guide to Over-the-Air Free TV, and using myRoku 3 Streaming Media Player,Google Chromecast HDMI Streaming Media PlayerandApple TV MD199LL/Ato supplement my over air HD TV network programming, I know the importance of a solid WiFi network and this NETGEAR Nighthawk beautifully gets the job done. Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video and Hulu Plus all load more quickly and offer great picture quality and stability.In addition to this router's awesome performance and range, this NETGEAR product has a fantastic software utility suite (for both PC and MAC) with free iOS and Android apps. The software is easy to use and highly customizable. I love the Parental Controls, which can be set for the whole network, or just for specific devices.THE PROS:+ Exceptional range.+ Outstanding speed (*more than doubled my download speed from 33Mbps to 68Mbps) with simultaneous dual band (2.5Ghz and 5Ghz).+ Excellent security settings, which are setup for you at installation. **NOT true - see update!***+ Whisper quiet.+ Lights can be turned OFF in NETGEAR Genie (Settings - Advanced - LED Control Settings) or have them blink, or remain solid - your choice!+ QoS settings make customizing your network a breeze for the things you do most whether they are gaming or streaming; by group or per device.+ Can set up a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to access your network from anywhere.+ Lots of options for tweaking the setup, if you desire it.+ READYSHARE for printers or for network storage and back-up is a great feature.+ Guest network setup is optional.+ At a glance access to all the devices on your network by app or PC with NETGEAR Genie software.+Setup Wizard in 'Advanced' area of NETGEAR Genie works to effortlessly get you online.+ You can set up FTP storage.+ DLNA enabled for media server functionality; including iTunes library.+ USB 3.0 port for connecting external storage or media server.+ Ability to block specific sites or sites by keyword, in addition to Parental Control settings which are highly customizable.+ Ability to block services on a schedule.+ Ability to have WiFi turn off during scheduled times during the day or by entire days of the week.+ Ability to set up email alerts when devices on the network attempt to connect to specific sites.+ Ability to enable wireless repeater function.+ Ability to see traffic loads (upload/download) on your network.+ The router can be hung on a wall or sit on a desktop.+ Very cool to the touch, with excellent ventilation on the sides of the device.+ You can set password recovery questions when you reset your password from the default 'password' at start up.THE CONS:- It's HUGE, and the 'wingspan' with the three antennas attached makes it about the same footprint as a 15" laptop. (I have mine hanging on the wall with the cables coming out the top for easy access.)- Initial setup even with NETGEAR Genie did not go smoothly for me, and I'm an intermediate to advanced user. Small tweaks here and there in the NETGEAR Genie got all of my devices to play well together eventually though.- The price is hefty compared to other wireless routers for home use, but its features and speed are impressive.THINGS TO NOTE...Firmware updates must be made out of the box; Advanced - Administration - Router Updates and then 'Apply'. (You can get the latest prior to setting up your router and install it by finding the file on your computer, or let the router connect and obtain it.)There's an iOS app called 'Net Analyzer Lite' that I found to be very useful in identifying some of my devices by MAC address. This in addition to the NETGEAR Genie app are both free, and well worth the downloads.This is an impressive package both in terms of hardware and software. I'm very pleased with this purchase and I highly recommend it to those who want a feature-packed router with top notch speed and security settings. I think it would be ideal for a small business, multi-level or large home, or any sized home with lots of devices (10+) who are all competing for bandwidth.Highly recommend this one if you can afford it!UPDATE: 5/11/14 - I'm loving this router! Netflix flies through shows using 5Ghz and no buffering with a Roku 3. I can download an album to the Amazon Cloud in about 15 seconds and every web browser: Chrome, IE, Opera, Safari... loads pages faster. I'll be hooking up a Seagate USB 3.0 external drive with movies to use the DLNA feature and will update this review after that use.Overall, I can't say enough good things about this purchase.UPDATE: 5/17/14 - That 'love' was short lived and the 5 star rating was dropped to a '2' star based upon porn getting through and the limited ability to add blocked sites or keywords for added security. Paying this much for a router - it should have solid security as well as speed. -The idea is good, but the execution is pretty bad.Pros: the only popular option for Amazon Instant Video. The box is small. Seems to have more content to offer than competitors.Cons:1. No audio volume control. Imagine you open some Amazon instant video and the volume is too loud, the only solution is to grab the other remote. Notice this is not a cheap remote, which embeds some kind of motion sensor. Some reviews defend this by saying something like no way to control the volume over hdmi or the box is not responsible for the audio, a joke.2. Sometimes when playing Amazon video the box would not response to the remote, which means you cannot pause or skip when you want to. I gusss the bluetooth connection is lost. Whatever the reason is, a bug.3. Must have a credit card to set up the box and account, in the name to make it easier for you to purchase something. How come?4. No way to turn the box off. To me, this means I have to use the other remote the turn my TV off.5. No support of youtube. The unofficial one has been off the limits of new customers for half a year. Maybe the new guys they hire need tons of time to read the source code.6. The user interface leaves a lot to improve. When I was trying to input something in the search box, I would guess a remote with qwert keyboard or some convenient way to input characters will make the majority miserable. By the way, if you have many channels, do not get tired when scrolling the main menu, as there is no way to sort out your channels.7.In short, this is not product designed for normal users.Buy a tv that supports netflix, Amazon video and youtube. -This lens is awesome, for the price you can not beat. It is plasticky but who cares as long as it performs and believe it performed. I used it on a Wedding and it blew me away! I would highly recommend this product. This is a lens that you must have. -I wear in-ear headphones a lot, every day, probably 12 hours a day while I work, yard work, driving, while I walk the dog and while I sleep. I generally buy the cheapest earphones I can find because they end up really abused and only last a few months before the cord gets loose at the earphone or at the jack. Even if they last a little longer the cord will eventually get stiff from body oils and such. Not these headphones, I have been using them for 6 months at this point and they have 100% held up. I will be ordering more because nothing is indestructible.Another little nicety of these earphones is that the rubber cup that fits in your ear does not come off easily so in and out of pockets you don't lose the rubber cup. -I've found this case to be very durable and reliable. Unfortunately, it is slightly cumbersome just for day to day use, but if you use the iPad rigorously this case is perfect. The material used for this case is high-quality, and it feels comfortable to hold because of it. The hinge offers different viewing angles and the clip offers 360 degree rotation of the iPad. One of the best features is that you're easily able to detach the keyboard and hinge by squeezing the two clips together. The in-built screen protector is wonderful and smooth, but initially it felt a little rough on the fingertips. Also, the all of the ports are covered with rubber, so it is protected from spills. Unlike the majority of cases sold, this case has a built-in chiclet keyboard that feels like a laptop keyboard. The keys are made out of solid plastic and are very responsive to type on.If you need a case for light use, I recommend New Trent's newer Airbender 2.0. If you need a case for heavy use, I recommend this case! -This product is very good and offers an good alternative to traditional chips which unfortunately come with more calories. The chips are very tasty and have good texture. The only issue is they are a bit salty to be a health alternative, otherwise, they will be a hit in eating alone or with your favorite dip. -I eat it, the dog eats it, the horses eat it. This stuff is amazing. Allegedly it has antiviral and antibacterial properties but adding this to my diet and going paleo in the foods I eat has taken 15 years off my age in how I feel! -The smell and appearance of this coffee are very attractive when first opened. The bag is vacuum sealed. The coffee is very finely ground and has the soft texture of clay. The aroma is rich and delicious.Opinions will differ on taste. While I liked it, my husband wasn't so keen on the flavor. I guess it depends on your feelings about chocolate.Still . . . Folgers Gourmet Selections makes a decently priced chocolate coffee that smells just as good and tastes slightly better. -My initial impression of the sauce is that it has a rich ruby color speckled with raspberry seeds. It has a thinner consistency than I had envisioned - I liken it to a raspberry syrup found at a pancake restaurant - but was glad to find it clung to the meat with ease. The sauce starts out sweet and finished on a medium spicy note. I used it as an accompaniment to steak and plan to try it on both chicken wings and pork. The bottle comes with a mini recipe booklet with more ideas. One recipe I plan to try out on Super Bowl Sunday is one that uses a block of cream cheese and the sauce. Highly recommended. Will purchase again. -I was so excited to see the box of 18 snacks arrive, and my whole family eagerly dug in. The combination of the salty cashews, sweet pomegranates, and vanilla is delicious and very flavorful. My husband, two teenagers and I gave the product two thumbs up, initially. The problem is that the taste is so strong and distinctive that you get tired of it quickly. After a few days, we left the remaining snacks in the box. No one wanted to take them to school or work. We eventually finished the box, but it did take quite a while. This product is probably best purchased in smaller quantities. -Pu'erh tea is black tea (fermented green leaves) but fermented in a way that natural microbes plus pressure and aging give special properties. It's believed to have health benefits. A friend introduced me to this tea at a Chinese herb shop in Thailand. It came in cubes, sort of pressed, and tasted slightly of earth and camphor, which I later found out meant it was particularly good. This tea was not pleasant to drink but if you were feeling "punk" with a cold coming on, it would set you up almost immediately. I've run out of it and haven't been back to Asia in a decade. So I was motivated to try Numi's variety of Pu'erh.The Numi Ginger Pu'erh is a lot milder and pleasant to drink; it doesn't have a too-pronounced strong, mushroomy, earthy taste but it is there in the background. I wish the ginger were stronger--but that is easily fixed. I tried throwing in a slice of fresh ginger, crushed slightly and it made for a very pleasant drink that felt nice on a raw Spring day.I find tea for me has medicinal benefits for me (your results may vary.) I was reluctant to try Pu'erh tea again because you can't tell if it's genuine or sort of a fast-process to get it to market. I notice that on Numi's website, you can buy loose Pu'erh tea and even the brick form, which is the the traditional fermented, pressed form that improves with age. Since they are taking the trouble to sell Pu'erh in various authentic forms, I feel better about using their brand. Typically, bag tea is the worst quality leaf--the "fannings" or the broken leaves and dust that gather when you process tea. They work for bags as they steep quickly. I'm thinking I'd like to try their loose or pressed tea and see if I can find something similar to that tea we used to purchase in Bangkok at that Chinese herb store. Meanwhile, this is a good tea that I like especially when I have a cold or am just tired and need a lift. -I love the packaging and ability to make the drink as strong as I want. The flavor isn't as great as the packaging, though this is the most appealing of the three I've tried. Definitely for people who don't mind artificial sweetener taste. -The tea is good but not very strong. I feel the need to use two bags a cup of tea. It would be better if it could be a little stronger. -When I saw this Savory Tea, it looked appealing. I drink 2-3 cups of tea per day and the concept of a savory tea seemed interesting. The flavors even sounded good, at least most of them: tomato mint, spinach chive, fennel spice, carrot curry, broccoli cilantro and beet cabbage. Unfortunately, none of them appeal to me when brewed.Tomato Mint: Not a combination I would normally consider. I don't prefer it as tea either. The mint, to me, overpowers any hint of tomato.Spinach Chive: Kind of a neutral taste - not heavy on the chive side and more like green tea with a hint of chive.Fennel Spice: I love fennel and this one was probably my favorite. Notes of fennel but not overpowering.Beet Cabbage: Really? Both have very earthy flavors and together they are not drinkable. Smells & tastes like a cabbage patch.Carrot Curry: Curry is naturally overpowering and it remains so in this blend. I am not a big curry fan so this one did not appeal to me at all.Broccoli Cilantro: Not much cilantro in this (I cook with cilantro daily) - more like broccoli juice. Not for me.This is not a product I would buy again. I'll stick with my normal tea. -I was searching for a lotion for my husband's psoriasis and the search engine brought up coconut oil! I thought that was unusual, but decided to start researching coconut oil and its uses. Wow! This natural oil has so many uses and is extremely healthy! It is anti-bacterial, anti-microbal, anti-viral, and anti-fungal.I've been putting it on my husband's psoriasis for three days, but it hasn't been long enough to tell yet whether it will help; I'll keep you posted.Awesome moisturizer--I've been using it for the last week as a body oil after I shower and everynight on my face before bed, and my skin is so smooth and soft! It soaks right in as long as you use it sparingly with no greasy feeling.Natural deoderant--I found a homemade deoderant recipe on the internet today and will let you know in a later post how it works.Toothpaste Booster--Since it has anti-bacterial properties, I have been using 1/2 and 1/2 of my usual toothpaste and coconut oil to brush my teeth! I know that sounds disgusting, but coconut oil does not feel oily in your mouth...honest!I have been taking 1T morning (with my calcium pills because it's supposed to help your body absorb nutrients more efficiently), noon and night without changing what I eat and lost two pounds in a week! I was pleasantly surprised when I felt full for longer periods of time and was also eating less at each meal because I felt satisfied. Another plus was that I was no longer constantly snacking in the evenings, which has been my worst habit to break but now I don't even feel like snacking! Some people mentioned theyI found my dog loves licking my skin after putting on coconut oil, so I've been researching to find out if it's good for dogs. From what I've read so far, it is just as healthy for her, too! -My husband is a big chocolate fan and he loves his cookies. I like choclate chip cookies with white chocolate in them, so these sweet and chewy cookies are a nice compromise. I like the crunch, he loves the fudgy center, that, when slightly chilled, make the cookies even more delicious.The package arrived rather abused, but that was perhaps because for a week our mail was on hold while we had to evacuate for a wildfire. These cookies still get crumbly and on a hot day the gooey dough make them even stick together like one sculptured chocolate piece of art.These are definitely a winner, and any chocolate lover will give these two sticky-gooey thumbs up. -This isn't my favorite tea ever, but it does have a unique flavor that I've never had before - really original, which is hard to come up with in a tea. I'll buy it again, plus I'll try some of the other interesting looking flavors that Lipton has come out with recently. Who knows, I may like one of those even more. -This tea is aromatic, smooth, and pleasant. Happily, the taste is not overly strong, as cardamom can be. It's a mellow tea perfect for a relaxing evening. The fact it is organic and non-GMO is a huge plus--even more appreciated--the note on the back talking about its fair labor practices. Good tea with a conscience! -I don't usually like plain almonds; when I eat almonds they are usually highly sugared, covered in cinnamon or gooey'd up in honey like the ones you can get warm at the mall. When I saw this product, I thought it sounded yummy, so I thought I'd give them a try, turns out I was right. They have just enough cocoa to satisfy my sweet tooth, but not too much that it covers up the flavor of the nut. It's not as sweet or as sugared as those mall almonds, these have a more subtle taste.I have been trying to snack in between meals and found grabbing a small handful of these was both delicious and satisfying. Even my husband and son enjoyed them. I was pleasantly surprised with this product and can see me keeping these in my pantry for my little midnight snack attacks.Cherise Everhard, June 2008 -I tried this The Switch Black Cherry flavor as well as the Watermelon Strawberry. I happen to like black cherry as a flavor for beverages, so keep that in mind as you read this review.FLAVOR:The beverage was sweet, but not overly sweet, and not at all tart. It tasted similar to other black cherry carbonated drinks I've had. I would compare it in taste to Knudsen's Black Cherry Spritzer with Switch being a tad more "soda" tasting. It is much lighter tasting than actual black cherry sodas I've had, such as Dr. Brown's.INGREDIENTS:The Switch is advertised as 100% juice. It is, but it is juice from concentrate. I prefer juice squeezed from the fruit or vegetable itself. In the case of The Switch the concentrate is filtered sparkling water. I'm fine drinking concentrates and I drink soda too so I'm not being a health fanatic, but be aware if you are expecting actual juice, this product is filtered water used to reconstitute the juice concentrate. The juices uses are apple, grape, acerola and cherry. If you aren't familiar with acerola, it is a cherry like fruit, but with three lobes. Acerola is high in Vitamin C.NUTRITION:One 8.3 ounce can of The Switch Black Cherry contains:* 130 calories* 15 mg sodium*35 g carbs (33 g sugar)So keep in mind while it has no added sugar it still has the sugar content from its ingredients. It has more calories than a can of Coke Classic! It does not have any corn syrup or added sugars though.It also contains 100% of the recommended level of Vitamin C.PRICE:The product costs more than soda, but the ingredients are better. It costs a little less than Knudsen's Black Cherry Spritzer product. I use this comparison because the Knudsen product is similar in taste and basic content (filtered sparkling water, fruit concentrate), but a little different in ingredients (no acerola, using pear, pineapple and plum instead), with The Switch having a slight bit more carbs and sugars.Overall, this is a tasty drink. It is somewhere between a soda and a health drink, definitely better for you than a soda, but not quite as "natural" as say all natural juices. However, if you want a carbonated drink, The Switch is better for you than soda. -I am an avid black tea drinker. And while I've had unflavored pu'eh tea, I've found that it tastes rather like dirt. It is very well suited, though, to be the base of a flavored tea. And that is why I wanted to give this a try.First, the good. The spicing is absolutely appropriate. I've had some 'chai' teas that are WAY over-flavored. This tea's spice is great. The cardonon is very flavorful without being overpowering.But I must say that I was expecting a more robust tea all around (pu'eh may taste like dirt on its own, but it is a pretty full-flavored tea). Even though the spice was decent, the pu'eh seemed very weak as a 'base' in this tea. So, the taste is spice and nothing behind it.I was also amazed that this tea is packaged as 'higher caffeine' because I wouldn't have known that from drinking the tea. IF there is more caffiene in here than in my customary Irish or Scottish Breakfast, I couldn't tell.So, there you have it; a 3 star tea. That may just say more about my personal taste for robust and strong teas, but if you have similar preferences, this tea may not be your cup ot tea. -I was excited to receive a package of Quaker Soft Baked Cookies through Influenster to try out. I was surprised at how reasonable the ingredients were and how low in fat the single serve package was. The cookie itself tasted fresh, soft and delicious. I would definitely buy these for myself as a little treat and for the family. Try them for yourself! -These are little airy and delicious nuggets of goodness...except of course, they aren't nuggets, lol. Really though, these chips are nice and crunchy while also being light and airy. The salt and vinegar flavor is just right...not too strong, but never lacking. Actually, my only real complaint is that i find it difficult to stop eating them. However, that is simply my cross to bear.Enjoy! -Overall, I liked the cookies for their flavor, pleasant aroma and texture. However, while somewhat moist and pleasantly chewy, they did taste a little dry. I had a few with my usual coffee, and they paired quite well. I also had a few with milk, and that didn't turn out well.The cookies actually reminded me of a few of the high-fiber energy bars on the market. The cookies themselves were heavy on the oats and quite generous with the chocolate (but not the almonds). Each cookie was quite substantial and just two of them with milk could be a satisfying meal.The cookies were soft and chewy, but not at all gooey, like eating a jelly bean or peanut butter. The oat content had good consistency and the total cookie was pleasing to nibble on.Would I buy the product if given the chance? Probably not, as it is not a good dippin' cookie. I tried pairing it with milk, and it did not dip well (it fell apart when wetted), though it did taste good with milk. Still, the fiber content and heft alone have their merits, and in a pinch, I would definitely take a few bites. -Back to Nature provides foods directed at a health conscious consumer market. The box is 100% recycled content and promotes BTN's commitment to sustainability and endorsement by The Nature Conservancy. It is a product line of processed food giant Kraft foods, so when we see 100% natural on the product we need to look closer. The product does have added sugar (it uses cane juice, honey, sugar, and brown rice syrup as sweeteners, when honey and rice syrup would have been plenty of sweetness and more natural than adding isolated sugar). There is natural flavoring added, which isn't specific and could be misleading. The product is not organic or certified non-GMO either, so it really isn't 100% natural even though they can legally use that description. That being said it is more natural than most crackers on the market and these are tasty crackers if you like apple-cinnamon. The grains are whole grains (wheat and oats) and there are no artifical preservatives. I like these crackers but if I were eating a lot of crackers I'd find something that is more natural and less sweetened than these. -The texture reminded me of the center of a Fig Newton cookie but slightly moister. I would use these on a camping trip or hiking event but would not use on a daily basis. The flavor was bland and I did not care for the texture which I found to be pastey. Tended to stick to the roof of my mouth and was a little hard to swallow. Did not get a distinct blueberry flavor. The most flavorful was when a bite would contain a nut. The actual appearance of the bar is not appealing in the least. I almost threw half of it away but then went ahead and forced the rest down. Organic healthy snacks can be healthy and taste good but not this bar. I kept thinking of wet soggy flavored cardboard. -When Paul Newman was alive his big foodie project was salad dressing - and it was GOOD.Then his daughter got into the mix and decided to peddle foods that are on trend with certain diets (vegan, organic, gluten free, etc.) and the results are dismal.Overpriced small portions that aren't particularly good or even when not awful are not better than other brands. These cookies are NOT good.Small in size I couldn't help but notice how everyone in the bag was uniformly burnt on the bottom. Surprisingly flavorless for a gingersnap UNTIL you bite into the candied ginger. Then you have a sudden burst of flavor stuck like a gummy candy to your teeth while the rest of your mouth is trying to process a hard cookie. Not my favorite sensation. Normally I love to dip my gingersnaps in milk, unfortunately even this did not improve them for me. I did not finish the bag and will not be recommending them to anyone else.If you love Paul Newman & want to support his charities - stick with the salad dressing.If you want a great gingersnap that is awesome with milk - get Stauffer's! -I am a tea drinker. Lately I have been enjoying different flavored teas and herb teas. This tea has a mildly sweat citrus flavor that I enjoy with a hint of a green tea flavor.As I have moved from black teas to flavored teas and herb teas I have learned that the name of a product and the box cover does not always represent the flavor. In this case it does a good job.I get a sweet taste that I assume comes from the jasmine and a slight tangy sweet taste from the citrus. I also get a hint of a green tea flavor as well. The flavors are mild but I have found this to be the case in most teas like this. I actually was concerned the Jasmine might make this too sweet but thankfully it was not. I wish the citrus was a bit stronger but overall this is a good tea.I do like that fact that Lipton cares about the environment and people who work to cultivate tea and lists on the back of the box that the tea is "Rainforest Alliance Certified." I did a search on the web and this means that farms that are "Rainforest Alliance Certified" meet set criteria when it comes to protecting the environment and ensuring employees on the farms are paid a decent wage and have good working conditions. I am neither an expert on the environment nor wage and work criteria but this seems to be a good thing and I feel better drinking a tea like this knowing workers were treated decently and thought was given to protecting the environment.I gave this four stars because I thought the citrus flavor could have been a bit stronger but this is still a good tasting tea. -I had great fears this tea would be somehow too heavy on the vanilla as it seems every product that's labelled as having some vanilla flavoring overdoes it a little. I was pleasantly surprised to find the vanilla is subtle and does not take focus away from the tart blackberry flavor. It's a nice balance. I can now rest at ease and happily drink the rest of the box. I usually buy Celestial Seasonings for any of the flavored herbal teas (drink Yorkshire for the black teas) but the Lipton herbal teas are also perfectly palatable and I will probably work a few of the Lipton flavors into the rotation. I tend to make larger cups of teas (~12 oz per bag) and one bag of this tea worked for all my water fine with a good level of flavor. I think I still prefer Celestial, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at a cup of this Lipton. Go on and give it a try, it might surprise you too. -I love me some oatmeal cookies. Throw in some chocolate chips instead of raisins and you have the ultimate experience...sometimes. These cookies by Quaker are quite soft but taste very dry and bland. I tried one cookie and doubt that I will ever have another taste. -As an addicted coffee drinker, I love trying out new flavors. I have, of course, drank Starbucks coffee before, as well as Vanilla flavored coffees. However, I have not had the two combined together into one coffee. I can honestly say that I was not disappointed with Starbucks Natural Fusions Ground Coffee, Vanilla Flavored. The package is incredibly well sealed and upon opening, the scent is mouth-watering and fresh.The amount used is the same as with any other coffee - 2 TBS per 6 oz of water. This, of course, can be adjusted for each individual's preference. The scent is heavenly, as the coffee is brewing and the taste is very robust and holds a light flavor of vanilla. The vanilla flavoring is a very gentle and light taste, almost a whisper soft hint. In addition, the taste is not bitter, but smooth and delicious. I am one who drinks with a bit of sugar and cream, rather than straight black, as well as being rather picky on my coffee, as it bothers my stomach if it is overly acidic. I had not problems, at all, with this particular coffee.I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a full-bodied coffee with a slight hint of a vanilla taste. This makes for a delicious drink any time of the day. -I love coffee, but prefer mild blends. My husband on the other hand, loves 'smack you in the face" bold coffee. I thought I'd give this a try to see if the low acid version would make my stomach feel better.It has a very strong, deep aroma. Very much like being in a Turkish coffee house. I found the taste too strong, even when diluted in half with mild. It's pretty potent! My husband however, thought it was fantastic. So if you love a bold, deep coffee but can't deal with the stomach pains it can create-give this a try.I'd be interested to try some 'lighter' blends if Puroast creates any. I do appreciat the low acid aspect, and I think they could reach a wider audience with different blends and perhaps even flavored options. -I wasn't sure what to expect with these cookies, but I was happy with them after I tried them. The cookies are crisp and crunchy and taste much like other vanilla/sugar cookie type cookies. The filling has a light, creamy lemon taste. It is a nice combination and overall a light flavor. The cookies themselves are not overpowering with flavor and neither is the lemon filling. I will look for these in my local grocery store. Pretty good for something different than the usual chocolate chip or Oreo cookies. -This is an interesting pack of organic herbal tea. Based on the tea alone, I would give this product three stars. I simply didn't like it enough to warrant a higher rating. But I'm giving it four stars because this "Garden Pack" is really a sampler of the company's different flavors that allows customers to test out which flavors they might like. I would recommend this product to people who like to drink their tea "neat," that is, without milk or sugar. All the flavors have an earthy taste. Some of them benefit by having the flavor softened with milk, but I'll leave that to your own experimentation. If you like veggies and earthy food in general, this is really good stuff. It makes me imagine I'm drinking the organic isle at the grocery store! -These are the little cups that you use for the tea machines. If you haven't seen one, I have encountered quite a few in use at local doctor's offices where they offer various types of tea drinks, sort of a high-end treat for the patients. I got one of the machines at The Goodwill Store for a few bucks, (lots of them there! I think people get these machines but they get tired of fooling with them pretty quickly. I really like the one I got.)Anyway, the tea itself is excellent and it provides the great flavor that we have come to expect from Lipton. The product is easy to use and I have found it very convenient.Highly recommended. -This is one of the worst products I have tried. Though I am not a regular tea drinker, I do enjoy a cup of interesting tea from time to time, so this assortment sounded unusual, but intriguing and I was eager to try the various flavors.The aroma of the tea is quite pleasant, reminiscent more of broth than tea. However, the flavor of each of the selections was simply awful. Specifically, each cup was VERY weak despite allowing the tea bag to steep for several minutes. The flavor barely comes through and is like weak, nearly flavorless broth. At best, they taste like the vegetable or herb was dipped in for a short time.I believe the use of the word "tea" is quite misleading. Even as a broth, it is sub-par. I would strongly suggest sampling one of these teas before investing in an entire box. It's the kind of product that will probably wind up on a back shelf in your pantry and eventually tossed out. -Hollywood Safflower Oil is our go to oil for most cooking. The smoke point is higher than olive oil, so I set off the smoke alarms less often. It's also very good for making popcorn. -I am a big fan of all types of cookies, including all varieties of Fig Newtons. These Fruit Thins are not exactly a thin Fig Newton, they are a thin, circular cookie with bits of fig and a honey flavor. The taste is reminiscent of the original Fig Newtons, but there is no soft, paste filling.The cookies are perfect for a light treat with a cup of tea, and the thinner size keeps them from being too sweet or filling. I think you could compare them somewhat to a sweet biscuit instead of a full size Fig Newton. Light and crisp, my husband and I both enjoyed these cookies, and have already bought another bag. -I'm a tea junkie. This unique flavor is perfect served hot or iced. The smell alone is enough to make my mouth water!I like the new bag, as well. I think the shape allows more flavor to seep through. -I am not one to play the race card, but when it comes to tea I stand firmly on my Britishness. Tetley's British Blend is real tea, not the pallid, anemic apology for tea that skulks in silly little bags (twee bags) with strings and tags and staples and other absurd paraphernalia attached, in a vain attempt to disguise the uselessness of trying to extract any vestige of taste from the contents. These are round, robust bags that sit purposefully at the base of the cup and mean business. They contain real tea with real taste. Make sure the water is boiling hot when you pour it on, give the bag a minute to soak - encourage it with a little squeezing - then add a drop of low-fat milk or a slice of lemon and enjoy a true cuppa, taking time to sneer at the poor, deluded fools around you, sipping at their pathetic rosehip infusions or vanilla flavored Lobsang Souchang Rama Gupta, or whatever it is.The shelf life is long enough for you to buy it in bulk, and Amazon's price is good, so treat yourself to a proper cuppa. Coffee can only start your day. Tea can make it. -Everyone has their own personal tastes, but to me this is a Wow. Why so? First I love the taste. It reminds me of the days when I was young drinking Boones Farm Apple wine on a Friday night. Some may prefer, or liken it to champagne.I'm on a diet, lost the first 10 pounds in 12 days. It is a simple diet, eat as much natural fruit, and vegetables, and salads as I want, and limit my sandwiches at lunch to whole grain bread with lean meats, like chicken, fish, or Boka/Morning Star (soy) burgers, and the same type of meat entree at night for dinner on top of a pile of steamed veggies, and Olive Oil. Yeah lots of olive oil. (Not to excess though) My sandwiches, and dinner's meats/steamed veggies always enjoy piles of sautéed onions, bell pepper, etc. to put on top of them. You could say that it is not a fast, but rather a feast. One of the key ingredients is I have all the fruit I want. At night time if I get hungry, I will eat a whole small jar of natural apple sauce. No sugar added. Oh, and I drink plenty of water. Eight glasses a day? Probably, I don't measure; I just walk around with a large plastic mug, filled with water, and sip all day long.So what does all of this have to do with the IZZE sparkling apple? Namely this. It is a special treat.I would not call it diet food, because in order for fruit to be dietetic, it must be in its natural state. It can be cut into chunks, and fresh frozen, and blended into smoothies, which is my preferred method; eliminates spoilage, and adds to the fun. But you have to avoid concentrating it, thereby increasing the sugar content. In this case, it is from concentrate, but then they add sparkling water. So it is kind of teetering on the fence. That is why I call it a special treat.So for those who may not agree with my dieting methods, or the fact that I easily drop 20 pounds in the spring, and have been doing it for well over 25 years, (Yes I have lost over 500 pounds in my lifetime) and are more interested in having a good time, let's talk about the Wow factor.This stuff tastes great. I quit drinking some 10 years ago, but this is an opportunity to live it up. Whenever I open a can of Izze, it is like a celebration. By the way, I am talking about the apple, and am curious about the other flavors as well. One thing is certain, I will be purchaing more of this when my current case runs out.When dieting, the big enemy is cane sugar, which is fattening. Fruit sugar in its natural state is immediately absorbed by the body, and does not convert to fat readily the way cane sugar does. (All I know is when I eat cane sugar I immediately gain weight, and when I eat all the fruit I want, I lose it)If you are looking to break the canned soda habit, Izze is the way to go. Canned soda has some ungodly amount of cane sugar in it.Another interesting factoid, according to Dr Weil M.D., the nutritional, and natural healing guru, the main benefit from drinking wine is not in the alcohol, but in the grapes. By getting Izze apple, the primary ingredient is grape juice, then apple, etc. So help your heart, or arteries, or whatever they espouse about the benefits of drinking wine, and get some Izze. I'm sold. Once you taste it, many will be too.I think the Izze people are really on to something here. Highly recommended. -Fig & Honey Newton Fruit Thins are a graham cracker-like cookie made with whole grains, real fruit, and no high fructose corn syrup. A healthy alternative to the all-time favorite Fig Newton, the nutritional value is a good selling point. Unfortunately, the taste does not live up to the hype. The tiny bits of fig are similar to the skins of popcorn kernels which get stuck in your teeth. The honey flavor seems to be missing. Overall, the cookie is bland. On the plus side, the packaging is quite nifty with the re-tie clasp top. Perhaps the Blueberry Brown Sugar or Raspberry Chocolate varieties are better options. -As a beef jerky fan, I was excited to try out Mr. Z's Teriyaki Beef Jerky. Overall I would say the jerky was good, but not exactly amazing, either. The size of the pieces, the texture, and the portion size were all good. However, the flavor seemed a little weak compared to other kinds of teriyaki beef jerky that I have had. The jerky had a good, sweet teriyaki flavor, but in my opinion, the taste could be much improved with even a small amount of black pepper flavor.Mr. Z's Teriyaka Beef Jerky proved to be "okay," but certainly not the best jerky that I have had. -I'll be the first to admit that neither my husband nor I are what you'd call health freaks. Yes, we like to eat healthy food, but we don't have a problem with eating some non-healthy foods either. And we can both be a bit skeptical when it comes to "organic", because we've had many different organic things that were disappointing, to say the least.This bar, however, wasn't horrible at all! It tasted quite a bit like a nutty blueberry muffin, which is always pleasant to taste! The texture was good - not too hard, not too soft. We've eaten some bars that were far too hard to eat and made you think you were going to break your tooth on them! This bar, however, was nice and moist (which my husband particularly enjoyed).And we were both in shock to find that there was absolutely no sodium in this bar - astounding!For a health food bar, we both consider it to be absolutely wonderful. The only reason we gave it 4 stars is because my husband wished that it would have had a bit more taste to it - he likes strong, bold flavors, and this was more of a muted, sweet flavor. I, however, thought that the flavor was perfect. The thing that we both agreed upon was that we would definitely eat more of these, and will be looking into other flavors for our children (they don't care for nuts) - they'd be a great snack for them, and for us as well! -This product has a wonderful mix of flavors and textures in every bite. It is a mix of whole grains, blueberries, and flax seeds that are then lightly flavored with vanilla. The different ingredients all have different tastes and consistencies that make this mix feel good in your mouth. It has a very lightly sweetened taste that makes it delicious as a "munchy". It's also wonderful on top of yogurt or eaten like a cereal. It's very healthy and keeps well over a period of time. I wholeheartedly recommend this product. -The nuts are what make this bar tolerable. The texture without them is unpleasant. I guess that's because there is no egg, flour or corn syrup used to hold it together. It reminds me of an Atkin's bar I tried once. Water to wash it down is a MUST!Certified Organic Ingredients include: Organic Dates, Organic Cashews, Organic Walnuts, Organic Rice Protein Concentrate, Organic Wild Blueberries (With Organic Apple Juice Concentrate and Organic Sunflower Oil), Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Almonds, Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate, Organic Blueberry Flavor.3 STARS: I gave the taste a 1 and added 2 stars for the healthy factor. These sound so good for you that I wish I liked them. -I love coffee and continue to drink it occasionally even though I have a sensitivity to caffeine these days. It took me THREE mornings to finish this tiny 6.8-ounce can, about 2 ounces a day to where I was feeling that buzz. This stuff is strong. It's billed as a coffee drink, but it really is more of an espresso, so keep that in mind. I appreciated that the caffeine content was listed on the can, 152 mg, which is higher than a lot of coffee, which tends to be 100 to 120 mg per serving.It definitely has a strong coffee taste, with no sweetness at all, not even an artificial sweetener. With only the three ingredients, it's your basic straight-up stuff. -The tea has a nice spice flavor, medium dark reddish brown coloring, and light aroma. I did not find the tea to be as spicy as some other brands, but it was delicious none the less. -First off, there isn't very much tea in the bag, less than 1/3 full. Regular lipton black tea is usually half full of tea leaves (I added an image to show) And it takes quite awhile to steep, but once the flavor starts to get into the water you can start to smell a fruity smell, like blackberries.I use the same mug I usually drink my lipton black tea in every day. And the same amount of water with that tea, I get a lot of flavor. But, with this tea it tastes very watered down. I feel like I have to put another tea bag in it to get more flavor. It barely changes the color of the water it is like a very light peachy color. I get a hint of flavor when I take a sip. I had to add two bags just to get more of a color and taste to it. Started to change to a more blush color.It is a bit bitter, so I added honey in it to really make the flavors sweeten up.I can taste the blackberry, but not the pomegranate. But after looking at the ingredients I can see why, there isn't any pomegranate even added. Why call it pomegranate if there isn't any?It is okay, I do like the taste once honey is added but I have to add honey and two bags before I really get a taste. -This tea has a warm, spicy flavor to it, sort of like chai. Chai is not one of my favorite kinds of teas, but if you like it, then you'll probably like this. This tea is pretty strong, which I like. Best with milk and sugar. -These cookies would be better if they were made with rolled oats instead of oat flour. The crumbly and mealy texture does not provide an enjoyable experience. -I was disappointed with the taste of Ritz Crackerful Multigrain crackers. I love Ritz crackers, but these are dry and crumble easily, as other reviewers have said. They don't have much taste. They're convenient to carry for snacks, but I really don't want to waste my calories on these. -I am not a huge fan of coffee, however, this coffee is excellent. The aroma while it is brewing is outstanding and it really delivers once you take a drink. The vanilla flavor is strong, but not overpowering, the coffee has a nice full taste. I have served this to a few friends and they all loved it as well.Highly recommend if you are looking for a nice flavored coffee! -The flavor is excellent and the tea bag is a pretty cool design. I like tea with caffeine, but I still enjoyed this one because the flavors were robust. It was pretty close to having loose tea, but in the convenience of a tea bag. The infusion was very good.I would buy more boxes. -...this would be what it would taste like.As a mom to a newborn, I am looking for any pick-me up. I jumped at the chance to try this via the Vine program, as I am fond of many of the Jamba Juice smoothies and I like apple flavor. The initial taste was quite pleasant, and the drink smells good when you open it. Unfortunately, the initial taste is followed by a flavor that is not good and is very reminiscent of bitter medicine. (While stevia, which is used as a sweetener in this beverage can have a bitter taste, that is not the flavor that I experienced.)What I liked:* No artificial green coloring. I imagined it would look like absinthe when I poured it, but it is more similar to a sparkling apple cider.* The smell is nice.* 70% juice* 90 calories per serving - not bad in terms of energy drinksWhat I didn't like:* The aftertaste.* What energy jolt?* The aftertaste.* Feeling like I needed a chaser after each sip.* The aftertaste.The aftertaste was bad enough that I felt it was a chore to drink the entire beverage. I didn't experience any major pick-me-up that was noticeable, either. I am sorely disappointed and certainly wouldn't recommend this product to people that I like. -I'm not a real big sauce person, but once in a while, I like to try something different (especially if it might have a little spicy nature to it). So, when I got the chance to try the Taco Bell Jalapeno Sauce, I thought, jalapenos may have a bit of a zing; lets try it. Well, although the sauce is tasty and creamy, there is very little zing (hence the 4 stars). Even my 3 year old liked it and she does not like anything spicy. This sauce wasn't my favorite on Tacos, but I did like dipping carrots and celery into it as a little snack. Cant wait to see what else we use it for. -Lipton Herbal Pyramid Tea Blackberry Vanilla is an interesting hot beverage; an herbal and fruit- enhanced product with only a small amount of real tea flavor and a taste that is dominated by rose hips, hibiscus, and berries. This flavor is one of a dozen or so in the pyramid tea family: A family of teas so named because of the pyramid shaped tea bag that is more like a net than a traditional tea bag, allowing the water to flow more freely and the tea to steep more thoroughly.Lipton Herbal Pyramid Tea Blackberry Vanilla has a nice aroma that features herbs, vanilla, and dark fruit with some tea lurking in the background. It certainly smells nice and the taste is good as well. But the problem is the same thing others have stated: There is no real flavor of vanilla. I expected the vanilla taste to be more noticeable, especially considering the scent, but it just isn't there.The lack of vanilla is a bit of a letdown, but if you can get past the fact that the product uses the word vanilla on the label, you will find that this is a nice cup of tea and it makes a good choice when you want a hot, after dinner drink that is somewhat dessert- like in its taste. Actually, it seems like the perfect companion to a piece of berry pie and the herbal ingredients and lack of any calories make it a good choice when you want to drink something that tastes good and not feel any guilt.Tea is one of my favorite drinks and Lipton Herbal Pyramid Tea Blackberry Vanilla is a good- tasting product from Lipton, the world leader in tea. I would probably like it better if there was a greater component of vanilla in the taste, but this is still a good tea and certainly worth a try. -This will be the bottle that you grab from the fridge if you are really thirsty! The bottles are big! I like that about them because I can grab one and drink from it for a couple of hours and really stay hydrated. The taste is just cool, clean and refreshing. No aftertaste at all. This is good water. -Firstly, making a cup of tea (when you've grown up in an English environment) is an art. You just don't dunk a T-bag in boiling water for a second and then drink. The best way is to make put into a tea-pot about 3 teaspoons of loose black tea then let it steep for at least 5 minutes. Then add a tiny amount of sugar and milk (if you like it white and sweet). Oh also...milk.....that's cream to Americans! But cream to us is what rises and sits on top of the milk when it's in the vat after just coming out of the cow and waiting to be picked up by a tanker and taken to a dairy factory to be put into a box to go to the market). K-cup tea is an amazing thing! The tea comes out perfectly without having to steep it . This particular tea is very nice and I would recommend you try it. -I love chocolate. If a manufacturer wants to guarantee that I'll toss a box of their product into the basket at the grocery store, just add some chocolate. Well, unless it's bacon, bacon doesn't need chocolate.When I saw this Nature's Path, I thought it would be a great replacement for my typical evening treat of Cocoa Krispies. And health-wise, it is a step in the right direction. A definite plus, because I can now say "healthy" and "chocolate cereal" in the same sentence.Unfortunately, I have finally found something that I consider too rich and chocolaty. The actual cocoa-saturated oat clusters are very good, not too sweet, just the right amount of crunch (if you eat fast enough). If they'd added more than a thimbleful of the dried strawberries, I think the taste would be darned near irresistible. Unfortunately, there's not enough of the tangy berry to offset the very rich and sweet chocolate. The addition of actual chunks of dark chocolate just really take it over the top.This does make me want to try some of Nature's Path other cereal offerings, the quality of the product is very good, and the ingredients are healthy. -2.75 starsThis dressing/sauce is pretty good. The ranch flavor isn't very pronounced, but it has a slightly spicy kick to it. I don't think I would use it regularly because it had an artificial taste. However, it's not horrible and I could see those who are tired of the same old ranch dressing giving this a try. -Numi Teas are the most wonderful teas I've tasted in a long time. I recently became acquainted with them at an event where they were the tea of choice on the dessert table. I used to love Tazo but Numi is my new favorite. First off, as soon as you open the box, the fragrance of the tea hits you. And cardamom has to be one of the most glorious fragrances on the planet. It's a sweet, gentle fragrance that affects my mood and makes me happy. It also tastes good (cardamom, in general, tastes amazing in everything - I wonder why we Americans don't use it more regularly). This tea also has a slightly spicy flavor but not as spicy as say a strong chai tea. I have tried this with a little milk but prefer it without in general.Pu-erh Tea is a tea that is fermented as opposed to oxidized. I believe traditional oolong black teas and green teas are oxidized. Oxidized teas do have a lot of health benefits but apparently, fermented tea also has numerous benefits without the punch of caffeine. Fermented tea is reportedly better for the digestive process than oxidized teas but I don't know what the science really is on that.Delicious, richness in a cup. Price is a bit high but it really is a lovely tea. Maybe as a treat. -Lipton To Go Stix Iced Green Tea Mix is convenient and refreshing. One "stick" makes 16 oz of iced tea when mixed with water. (Note, the nutrition information shown on the package is for 8 oz, so you need to double the nutritional values if you consume the whole beverage.)The tea crystals do not dissolve easily, it will take some time to do it right. The flavor is variable, from sweet to sour to bitter at times.The sweeteners include honey, sugar and suclarose (Splenda.) Blackberry and pomegranate is an odd combination, but is not too bad. The packets are small and easy to carry around with you. If you like, you can just dissolve a packet into a 16 oz container of bottled water on the go. It is an ok drink, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it. -These are very rich, I ate 2 and was satisfied. The fudge is good, not waxy, and the mint is not overpowering. I like that there is only one side of the cookie in these, but those looking for more crunch may want to get the regular fudge dipped oreos, I do not know if they make a mint version of those.These are definitely an occasional treat. There are 170 calories for three of these cookies, which I thought was pretty high, but I reminded myself that Oreos are chocolate cookies with frosting sandwiched between them -- what do I expect? :)I think anyone who is a chocolate mint fan would like these. I would support Girl Scouts and buy their mint cookies first, but if they are not selling them these Oreos would be a good alternative to keep in the freezer when your stash of Thin Mints have run out. No, I do not have a daughter in GS or know anyone who does; I'd just rather give them my money over Nabisco if the option is available. -The sampler pack contains a bunch of different products with diverse uses. The oils are nice and pack some flavor. The syrups and other desert flavors were less successful for me. Perhaps I just don't know how to utilize them well. I don't really find it a good value for the money. Each bottle really is a sampler size and not enough for more than a few uses. It seems like a 'savory' sampler or 'sweet' sampler might make more sense. -I was sort of looking for a product like this and luckily for me, this one became available.The actual Taco Bell Restaurants used to have a taco salad that I liked and, unexplainably, they discontinued it -- but by incorporating the ingredients that they formerly used and by topping the salad with this dressing, it tastes much the same to me.Over and above that, if you're tired of the same old Italian or Ranch dressing on your green salad this will bump it up a notch. It's especially good if you include sliced boiled eggs in your salads. You can also use this dressing (a small amount) to infuse an entirely new flavor into your home-made coleslaw.Everyone in the household who tried this product liked it so you're not going to be stuck with something unwanted if you give it a try.Recommended. -Was not sure what to expect, as the box was a little basic and the instructions were pretty short. Just brown your beef in oil, remove, and then add the coconut powder, water and the solid curry paste and then stir. Once the mix was boiling, I reduced the heat and added the beef back in. Very simple and easy.But, surprise of surprises-- its really good. I served it up over brown rice and green beans, and received rave reviews on the meal. The curry and coconut milk flavors are strong, and the big chucks of spices really pay off in the taste of the curry. If I had been served this in a restaurant I would have been happy. To make it at home in about 20-30 minutes was really nice. I think the sauce kit also would have been good with chicken or pork as well.I am looking forward to trying more Prima Taste stuff based on how good this was. Highly Recommended! -I got this for my hubby, who is the real coffee drinker around here. The smell when it's brewing is so delicious. It smells sweet and kind of caramel-ish. The coffee is smooth, and the flavor is subtle but definitely there. We brew it in a Keurig machine using the filter attachment. Definitely worth repurchasing. -I love the flavor of this! At first, I wasn't sure and the combination of raspberry and chipotle sounded weird, but I have been converted! This is fabulous on grilled meats and the smell is wonderful. My only gripe are the calories. This is not low-cal. Actually, far from it and you could easily rack up 100-200 calories on this topping, alone. If you can accept the caloric intake, then try this on your next grilled chicken and you will not be disappointed. -The kernels are big and fluffy and coated with white cheddar cheese - yummy! The popcorn was lightly salted and there weren't any "old maids." Perfect for snacking. -I've purchased the dried apples from this company before and figured I would give the clusters a try.I appreciate the fact that this food id USDA organic, gluten free, corn free, and vegan. In fact, the ingredients are simple: organic apples, organic apple juice concentrate, organic potato starch, organic cinnamon.In a 1/4 cup of these apple clusters, which remind me of rolled up oats ans/or hemp cereal, you receive 60 calories, with 0 calories from fat. There is no cholesterol, no protein, 1% of calcium, 2% of vitamin C, 2g of dietary fiber, 10 g of sugar, and 14 g of total carbohydrate.All in all, a healthy snack. The packaging makes it convenient for the on the go snack -- it is in a resealable 2.1 oz pouch (60 g), or four servings per package. Just enough to tantalize the senses, but not enough to pig out.The clusters are sugary bowls with a tint of cinnamon and a crunch reminiscent of cereal.Honestly, I prefer the taste of a real apple or the dried apples this brand sells at Starbucks, but in lieu of that, this is a good healthy snack alternative.Allergy alert: If you are extra sensitive, beware that this food is processed in a facility with nuts, dairy, wheat and soy. -Have been enjoying this tea with the warmer days here. Easy to mix and toss in a couple of ice cubes.If not for the following two complaints, I could give this product 5-stars:1) Half a pouch is deemed a serving. Okay, 5 calories vs. 10 calories isn't a big deal, but seriously who is only going to use half of one of these tiny tubes? Most people don't even understand how little 8oz is. Starbucks serves 8oz short drinks, but they don't list it on the menu and people would probably laugh when they saw the size...just as an example.2) Advertising that there is NO aspartame is hugely misleading because it 'suggests' there is no artificial sweetener since honey is prominently displayed and listed. Yes, there is no aspartame, but there's sucralose, which is also an artificial sweetener. And WHY even have an artificial sweetener when honey is the very first ingredient listed?I don't get why it's difficult to reconcile such issues as the ones I've noted here.Like I said, the tea is tasty and refreshing, but those who make the product, package the product and market the product need to get real. -My husband and I use a lot of organic coconut oil for baking and as an addition to vegetable dishes. This particular brand is certified organic and non-GMO. It has not been processed with hexane or bleach and it is cold-pressed. It has an excellent aroma and flavor.Normally I use Garden of Life because it comes in a glass jar. However, the plastic used here is free of BPA's.For those with allergies: The label on the coconut oil warns that it may contain trace amounts of tree nuts, sesame seed, and peanuts.Coconut oil is a good substitute for non-organic butter and margarine made from hydrogenated fat (which produces inflammation in the body).Coconut oil adds an exquisite taste to almost any food it is included in, but especially curries, baked goods and homemade ice cream.Coconut oil is excellent for the skin. It moisturizes, protects and heals the skin, and it functions as a mild sunscreen. Its natural smell is heavenly, and it makes a wonderful massage oil. It can be used to condition the hair. When used as a mouthwash, the fatty acid it contains, lauric acid, kills harmful microbes, thereby helping prevent cavities and gum disease.We have, fortunately, moved past the era when consumers were wrongly warned to avoid coconut oil in their diet because it is a saturated fat. As it turns out, liquid, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and, worse, hydrogenated, solid PUFA, which consumers were advised to substitute for saturated fats, are truly awful for the health. Among other problems, they suppress thyroid and immune function and spread free radicals in the body. Coconut oil, on the other hand, has so many health benefits, it is now classified by many health experts as a "superfood."Research has indicated that coconut oil is helpful in treating and preventing Alzheimer's, and it helps prevent epileptic seizures. It is protective of the thyroid. It satiates hunger so you crave less food when you eat, and it raises the metabolism so that the body is more efficient in burning fat, especially the most dangerous kind, visceral, abdominal fat. It raises the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and lowers the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood.In addition to the fatty acid, lauric acid, that coconut oil naturally contains, during digestion the body creates from coconut oil a monoglyceride called monolaurin. Both of these fatty acids have the ability to kill harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses in the body. This means that if you regularly consume coconut oil, you are less likely to become sick from food-borne illnesses, flu and colds. It also insulates you from the effects of Staphylococcus Aureus (a very dangerous pathogen) and Candida Albicans, which causes yeast infections throughout the body.Coconut oil is classified as a "fruit oil," and they are considered the healthiest oils around. Other fruit oils include avocado oil, apricot kernel oil, grape seed oil, and olive oil. Technically nut oils are also fruit oils, because a nut can, by one definition, be seen as a "one-seeded fruit." However, the reverse is not true of a coconut. Though a coconut is a fruit, is not truly a nut. A true nut, for example an acorn, does not open up when it is mature in order to release its seeds. Instead, the seeds are released when the walls of the fruit decay or it is eaten and digested by an animal and released onto the ground in the midst of animal waste. In contrast, a coconut has three pores or "eyes" at one end. Within these pores the coconut seed germinates and a shoot emerges from the pores much in the way shoots emerge from the "eye" of a potato.DISCLAIMER: I received a sample of this oil from Viva Labs in order to test it out. I was under no obligation to write a review. -I love my Keurig brewer. I mainly use it for coffee, but I also wanted to try making other beverages with it. I am a big tea drinker, so I jumped at the chance to use my Keurig to make tea. This tea is very aromatic. It has a very smooth flavor. Others have noticed that it is very sweet, and it is more sweet than black tea normally is. I like sweet tea, but I did find that I was using less sugar with this because it was a bit sweet on its own. I suspect they must have added some form of artificial sweetener to it. With this pack I got 19 K-cups. That is more than you usually get when you buy a pack of these. I like the tea a lot. I just wish they did not make it so sweet for a black tea. But overall it is good, and I love the convenience of using the Keurig brewer to now brew tea. -As other reviewers have also mentioned, this cookie is very crumbly. A lot of them actually were broken upon receipt (which isn't Nabisco's problem). When you actually start eating them, they crumble at the first bite and make quite the mess. I wouldn't want my toddler to eat these in the living room, for example. The Fruit Thins are a great alternative to a regular processed cookie, however, and are 140 calories and only 5 grams of fat for 3. Compared to some others, this is quite a bit better nutritional profile.I wish they were a tad more moist and chewy, which I expected from a Newton cookie. But overall these are still very enjoyable and a nice change of pace from other cookies. -I really liked the Strawberry Banana Jamba Juice Energy Drink. It has a naturally sweet flavor without being artificial or too "sticky" sweet. It was super easy to drink and my only complaint is that it didn't come in a bigger can!Whether I had more energy after drinking this versus not drinking this at all is perhaps debatable, but I didn't feel tired nor did I feel jittery. (Drank around 1:30 PM). I highly recommend this fizzy concoction whether or not you're looking for an energy boost. It's very tasty and refreshing. -Green tea is usually too light for my taste buds and I think it tastes like weak watered down tea. But this tea is great once I let it steep for about 3 minutes in hot water and I add a half teaspoon of sugar which enhances the lemon notes. I recommend this green tea because the lemon adds to the flavor and brings out the best in the tea leaves which makes the tea taste bright and lively. I would love to try other flavors from this brand simply because this tea impressed me that much and I usually shy away from green teas and favor black teas but this one could convert me. It is yummy iced too! -The tea has a nice spice flavor, medium dark reddish brown coloring, and light aroma. I did not find the tea to be as spicy as some other brands, but it was delicious none the less. -These were a little too gooey for me. Parents should have napkins readily available for young children as there may be quite a mess, especially if it was hot weather. Also, having been through the shipping system, many of the cookies were broken. Of course if you can find these in the store, you probably won't have this issue. One thing you could do is refrigerate them and then you will have a nice soft cookie that doesn't seem to melt on your finders. My recommendation is to purchase these in winter months only. -In the last few months, I've reviewed two books that touted the value of coconut oil and its many uses. When I searched for "coconut oil" in Amazon books, I got several thousand hits. It's definitely a hot topic these days, yet I can remember when the consumption of coconut oil was widely disparaged because of its saturated fat. Fast forward a few decades, and although some health authorities still don't like coconut oil, the tide has turned and the oil is being praised for its many benefits, both internal and external.The Viva Labs product is "extra virgin." Since it hasn't been refined or heavily processed, it has a very mild coconut taste and aroma, both of which were very pleasant to my palate and nose. The melting temperature is about 76 F, so at most room temperatures, the oil has a soft creamy texture. I tried a spoonful, and it's quite tasty. I then fried some breaded shrimp in the oil, and it was delicious. I'm looking forward to substituting coconut oil for olive or canola oil in some of the recipes my wife and I use.Healthwise, because much of the saturated fat of extra virgin coconut oil is in the form of lauric acid, coconut oil is considered to be a better alternative to partially hydrogenated vegetable oils when solid fats are required. In addition, virgin coconut oil is composed mainly of medium-chain triglycerides (aka "healthy fats"), which may not carry the same risks as other saturated fats. Recent findings indicate that daily consumption of coconut oil may boost brain performance and could even help to prevent Alzheimer's.The two books on coconut oil that I reviewed also mentioned the external uses of the product for improving skin moisture and appearance, and for aromatherapy and massage therapy. It can even be used as a restorative treatment on hair.Coconut oil is definitely a hot product today, and my experience with the Viva Labs Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil has been very positive. -I tried the sister product, theTaco Bell Jalapeno Saucein August, and wrote a review for it. Overall, this is a slightly better product, with better color and a better taste making the small difference.As with the jalapeno sauce, this product appears to be trying to cover too many bases. It's "sauce," which means it could go into anything, in cooking or in serving, so it seems to be landing as both a cooking ingredient and as a table condiment. And it could go on anything from your breakfast eggs to your mac `n cheez for dinner, which makes it a table condiment for breakfast, lunch, dinner, any time. And its "bold," the American euphemism for something that's not really spicy, is marginally beyond the typical bland and boring that most Americans rely upon. It's got the tiniest tinge of spice, but isn't powerful in the least; the taste of this product does not qualify as "bold." Now, the taste ofCheez-It Hot & Spicy; they got "bold" with that one.The bottle's copy says the same as the jalapeno sauce, that it's perfect with "tacos, Mexican salads and sandwich wraps." In our house it went on pork roast, couscous, green beans, Brussels sprouts, meatloaf, and french fries. My kids (13 and 15) both liked the sauce and declared it was definitely better than the jalapeno sauce.The basis of this sauce is a mayo/buttermilk dressing-type mixture. I don't know, but it strikes me that all of the Taco Bell sauces start with the same plain base, and the respective flavors are just dumped in at the factory. The sauce is not chunky in the slightest, and squeezes right out of the bottle.The pluses in this product are the color and taste. Where the jalapeno sauce faltered because of an unappetizing color of mayonnaise-off-white with mysterious green flecks, this one's smoky-creamy orange color is far more appealing. It looks better in the packaging, and it looks much better on the plate and on the food. The taste also is better. Jalapeno is a very distinctive taste, and those who know it and seek it out want that hard burst of powerful, earthy jalapeno punch, the chipotle taste is one that is more subtle, not nearly as strong, and as such works much better in this sauce. The taste of this product is slightly smoky, with a good tang--not bold, mind you, and not even close to spicy.The sauce is just a bit too runny, though. Yeah, it's in a squeeze bottle and it's got to have the right consistency to actually flow out of the packaging, but at the same time, it's a bit too runny when it gets on the plate. Taco Bell needs to thicken it up just a little bit more to get it to the right consistency.This sauce is not bad; it does not taste bad. It just doesn't deliver on what I'm looking for when it comes to spicy. If I were starving on a desert island, I'd slurp this stuff out of the bottle and call it the Food of the Gods.Bottom line: "Creamy" this sauce is, but "bold" it is not. Our family knows hot and spicy, and a lame American "bold" doesn't cut it for us. If we want Scoville-graded heat with our food, we'll go for theSriracha,Crystal,Cholula, etc. If we want creamy, we'll go for the all-American ranch dressing or straight-up mayo, and we'll leave this product on the shelf. -These are diced-dried organic apples with a dash of cinnamon; they are tasty and have a nice crunchy flavor. I especially like the cinnamon flavor, but as other reviewers have noted, this is a little hard to bite. I also find that the serving size is small and the product is a little pricey. I would rather eat some sort of fruity cereals or dried fruits from the local grocery or drug stores.1.Love Grown Foods Oat Clusters and Love, Apple Walnut Delight, 12-Ounce (Pack of 3)2.Leila Bay Trading Company Apple Cinnamon Granola 6 Pack [Misc.] -I really enjoy the flavor of ginger, so I was really hoping that the ginger flavor would be prominent in this tea. The Pu'erh tea has a pleasant taste, but the ginger is not as strong as I would have liked. I recently tried theCardamom Pu'erh Tea Bags, 16-Counttea and I honestly like it better than the ginger version.Pu'erh tea is supposed to have some great health benefits (aids in digestion, weight management, and energy). I can't say that I've noticed a big difference in those areas, but if nothing else, it's an enjoyable cup of tea - just be aware that Pu'erh does have a rather distinct flavor compared to other teas. -These cookies are made with recognizable ingredients. I really enjoyed the taste and flavor. I found the cookies to be light but just slightly on the dry side but it wasn't enough to make me not want to eat them. I think these are a great alternative to all the fake foods out there and would choose these over other alternatives. Two cookies have 140 calories, and saturated fat is 15%. The product description fails to mention that these may contain peanut and tree nuts, so if you have nut allergies you should avoid these. -This product is very good. The connection with Taco Bell adds a familiarity. The packaging is excellent as is the color of the product. The color and the taste are consistent, which is good. The flavor is very balanced in body, mouth feel, acidity and spiciness. It has a genuine peppery flavor with just enough temperature but not too hot. The only thing that needs to be changed is that it is way too salty. I added a little to way under seasoned food and it was just right. Otherwise, adding it to food of normal degree of seasoning would be too salty. It is a shame because the taste is so good. You want to use a fair amount but that would make the food too salty. Less salt will let the nice flavors come off better. Salt helps to bring up flavor except if there is too much. Then it obscures and overpowers the intrinsic flavor of the product itself and ultimately the dish that it is being added to. -I'm not much for flavored coffees but wanted to give this a shot. I actually had to go higher than the recommended 4 teaspoons to 8 ounces of water because the flavor was just simply too weak. Adding another couple teaspoons had it in the wheelhouse of the typically stronger coffee I like to drink. The flavor is pleasant and not overly sweet, and the peppermint flavor is obvious but not as strong as I expected- a good thing, in my view. Overall, it's a fine drink, but because I am a black coffee drinker, it's not for me. Recommended for those who like sugar or creamer in their coffee, and who are looking for something Christmasy to drink for the holiday/winter season. -I bought a multi-box of flavors but this was the absolute best flavor (IMHO) in there so it's the one I'll comment on. Spicy, sweet, flavorful, fun, crispy, lower fat than chips, I loved it. I'll be buying more but only of this flavor. The other flavors weren't so great (salt & pepper and cheddar aren't too bad) but this one rocked. -Very taste little cookies with rich chocolate fudge. The cookies were fresh and delicious. When trying to look for a cheaper brand, the cookies tend to taste greasy but these Keebler mini cookies didn't have that greasy feeling. They don't have high fructose corn syrup or trans fats, both a plus. A container is good for 2-3 people as a snack. Like with any other food item, I recommend reading the ingredients list and the nutritional value before purchasing. -These Honey Dijon chips bring a terrific balance of salty, tangy, sweet and crunchy. Other brands I've tried use too much mustard flavor, which overpowers the Honey Dijon pairing.These chips make a great side dish on a BBQ plate with baked beans, coleslaw or potato salad and grilled meat. Naturally, they also go down great with beer.As an Oregonian, I'm proud to share these delectable snacks with friends, especially those living outside our state and who haven't experienced gourmet chips. I tell them Kettle Brand does for potato chips what microbrews did for beer.Kettle Brand potato chips are unmistakable--a light gold color, rich flavor and amazing crunch. Kettle Brand chips are also a healthier snacking option than the major chip brands. Kettle Brand chips don't have trans fats, MSG or artificial flavors and colorings. The company also has a line of organic potato chips and all of their products are certified Kosher.I also recommend these other Kettle Chips flavors:Kettle Chips Sea Salt & VinegarandKettle Chips Spicy Thai.Annette Solomon, a reporter for the Salem Statesman Journal recently noted that a glass of wine goes nicely with these chips. Solomon wrote, "...you could be missing out on a wonderful pairing. These chips are spicy, so you would want to select a semi-sweet white wine. Also, a moderate amount of acid will subdue the strong flavors of ginger, lime, garlic and cilantro without over-powering them. Classically, a German-style Riesling fits these parameters perfectly." -The Numi packaging and advertising is a little over the top, but that shouldn't take away from the tea. Pu'erh tea goes through a 60 day fermentation process, so it's not going to be a flowery fluffy desserty type of a tea.There are hints of cardamom in this, but just like theGinger Pu'erh Tea Bags, 16-CountI have a hard time finding spiciness in the flavor.The package contains 16 individually sealed non-GMO biodegradable tea bags. The outside container has a perforated area at the bottom, so if you gently press through the part on the front of the packaging, you get a nice re-closeable box for the tea bags. The package includes an expiration ("Best Before End") date.The inside flap includes a recipe. This one is for a jelly, the Ginger for iced tea. I opened the box using the perforation so I didn't even realize there was a recipe in the inside flap. A quarter-size sticky keeps the flap attached to the main box, so you don't even have to open it that way unless you want the recipe.Every tea bag has a small indentation, a hint as to where to tear it open. Each bag includes brewing instructions (3 to 5 minutes). But I was disappointed that each tea bag is attached to its string with a small staple. I am sure there are better ways of doing this without the need for staples!Being stingy, I can get two 8oz cups of tea from each tea bag. Obviously the first one is stronger but because this is a strong and dark tea, the second cup still looks dark. I steep the first time for 3 minutes (using a timer). Given its strength, this is good as iced tea as well.The package says that it has higher caffeine but it doesn't provide a number. I usually get a caffeine kick from coffee, but I did not get a kick from this one. Caffeine-wise, it felt like green tea. Some people claim that tea caffeine is slower to enter the bloodstream than coffee caffeine, and tea typically has less caffeine than coffee. This certainly explains my reaction to it but caffeine reaction varies, so it's hard to tell how it will affect others. -Viva Labs' coconut oil was my first venture into cooking with coconut oil. It comes cold-pressed and has the consistency of hardened shortening. But, that is where the loose resemblance to shortening ends. Viva Labs' coconut oil smells great, tastes great, and adds a hint of coconut/sweetness to whatever I cook. I have also eaten teaspoons right out of the container & the coconut oil has a pure coconut flavor - a light flavor that is quite pleasing.Overall, the coconut oil does not leave my food greasy & the added, subtle flavor addition really enhances some of the meals that I cook - I've used this coconut oil with chicken, popcorn & oatmeal cookies. Everything was quite tasty.I am almost finished with my container & coconut oil will stay on my shopping list now that I've discovered bow much I like it.**Disclaimer**Viva Labs sent me their product for review purposes. The review is my own opinion & Viva Labs did not request/require a positive review. -"Sitting on the porch of a bungalow on a tea plantation in Darjeeling, you can see the peaks of Everest and Kanchenjunga as you sip a cup of this exquisite brew. Life is good." ~tea packetIf you want a subtle tea with a smooth, soothing flavor, then Darjeeling is an excellent choice. The slightly floral flavor is much milder than an Earl Grey. I especially love this blend when eating a Caramel Apple Cobbler Clif Bar. For some reason, the flavors mingle nicely.While many of the Tazo teas are blends of a variety of teas, this tea is purely a blend of Organic Black Darjeeling teas. The tea is grown near India's border with Bhutan. There are only "true Darjeeling" tea leaves in this tea.This tea is just perfect when blended with an Organic Sucanat: Natural Sugar Cane. You might also want to try using "milk powder" instead of cold milk with your tea. I find it helps to keep the tea strength and adds a creamy element to the smoothness of this tea.Darjeeling is a very satisfying blend for morning tea. You might also enjoy AWAKE and Earl Grey if you enjoy this tea.I just love the packaging of the Tazo Teas. The individual wrappings have a nice crinkly sound and the colors are all so soothing and quite beautiful. These teas are definitely for the aesthetically aware. Drinking Tazo teas literally becomes a magical experience. There is something mysterious going on here. The teas even seem to have a magical glint or luster to them. When you drink Tazo teas the world looks more beautiful and you feel much more aware of life itself. I find that my creativity soars after drinking Tazo teas.For more information on the mysteries of Tazo Tea, read the review for the Tazo Assorted Teas.For a calming experience try the Tazo Calm Herbal Infusion which is perfect for quiet evenings, after completing a yoga workout or just to sip on while you write in your journal.~The Rebecca Review -This tea is really different. I taste chocolate if I think about it, don't notice the orange, cinnamon or vanilla at all and find the nutmeg to be the strongest flavor. Take the word "strongest" with a grain of salt....I found this tea to be very watery with little body. Perhaps I added too much water - I used about 8 ounces. I even just left the bag in the mug, hoping that if it steeped longer the flavors would intensify. No luck. Even my favorite tea, Stash White Christmas, which is made with white tea, has more body than this. I can make that in my 12 ounce mug and still have a good cup of tea. I don't see myself ever reordering this tea; it's just too strange a flavor and too weak for my taste. 2 stars.After further review I've found that just 2 drops of stevia made a difference in the flavor; made it more palatable. I also gave the teabag a good squeeze and that helped slightly. I raise my rating to 2.5 stars, rounded to 3. -First I was pleased that the cookies arrived not only fresh but I good order; nothing broken. The cookie advertise all natural and they are good. It taste like a shortbread cookie with chocolate chips in it. These would not be my first choice but I would consider buying them if my first choice was out of stock. Enjoyable. -Chip's Ahoy Chewy Gooey Megafudge cookies are the latest addition to the family of Chip's Ahoy cookies. The picture on the front shows a soft cookie gently being split in two with gooey chocolate oozing out. Random chocolate chips, both dark and white are scattered about. Should be chocolicious.The cookies aren't bad. There was no discernible liquid goo in the center, but more of a sensation of slightly underbaked cookie. The texture is OK, it definitely is a very strong chocolately flavor, and overall will satisfy the need for a chocolate cookie. If you have no other options.Generally, a homemade cookie will beat out a packaged cookie every time. So, lets just compare this cookie to other packaged cookies. Nothing holds a candle to Oreo's because they are in a class all by themselves. Compared to the rest of the cookies out there, these are pretty good (note 3 star rating).They are packaged in an extremely noisy resealable package, ostensibly to keep them fresh. You won't be sneaking anything out of this package, in fact, don't go looking for one in the middle of the night because you'll wake up your whole household, and possibly your neighbors. The reseal option is nice, keeps them safely contained and might add to the freshness. With the number of preservatives listed on the label, not sure if freshness will be an issue.Overall, not bad, not great. Kids will love them. -Well, I like a bit of heat. I live in Arizona and I grow my own peppers. Keep that in mind. I like this stuff. I used it as a sauce on chicken. It has a wonderful flavor. Now, if you think a bottle of Tabasco is a lifetime supply, pass on this, but if you don't mind a little heat, give it a try. -Based on my previous great experience with Newman's Own products, I got the Pomegranate Licorice. Opening the package treats you to a wonderful aroma. The licorice itself has a beautiful rich color and is made from cane sugar and tastes like real licorice unlike some which are more waxy and tough and lacking authentic flavor. This is tender and tasty and a real treat. The package is just the right size for a snack. Glad I got them! Now excuse me I need to get back to chomping licorice. -There is very little tea taste, you can taste a fruity flavor and a little honey BUT it does contain sucralose which is NOT natural. I would think this is false advertising if you claim a product is all natural and has ingredients that are not natural??? It is overly sweet and really doesn't taste natural to me.so this is a Warning that this product contains sucralose (splenda)I had thought it would only be sweetened with honey because that is the only sweetener mentioned in the description. -As a consumer I make a point at eating quality food and care about what I put in my body. I search out organic and I am willing to pay the price for it.I am an avid buyer of Newman's Own products, and like their other products. The pomegranate was high quality and tasty.Compared to the major brand licorice, Newman's own pomegranate has 10g of sugar and 2g of protein compared to 18g and 1.3g respectively. The first ingredient in Newman's own is Organic Wheat Flour while the other licorice is corn syrup.The taste of the Pomegranate licorice is strong and sweet. The Elderberry added is more pronounced than the pomegranate. Non-organic corn syrup is in the product(third ingredient).I can taste the quality in the product and recommend it. -First, in the interest of full disclosure, even though I love them raw, I'm not a huge fan of cooked or processed apples. I requested this from Vine because I like the idea of a health, organic crunchy snack. This does indeed meet that specification. It is made from only four organic ingredients: apples, apple juice, potato starch and cinnamon. It has no added sugars, fats, sodium or preservative. It's also relatively low in calories, coming in at 60 calories per serving, or 240 calories per 2.1 oz bag.My take on this is that if I am in the mood to snack and can't find anything else, this is better than nothing. It's not terrible, but it's not great, either.I didn't think it was as hard as some other reviewers. The overall size and texture is similar to a cluster in a cluster cereal, like Honey Bunches of Oats. The dried apples have a texture similar to puffed wheat, which I thought was kind of odd. It's not very sweet, something else I thought was odd. Dried apples are usually much sweeter.I liked it enough that I would be interested in trying other flavors, but I don't think I will be buying the apple clusters.Edited to add: I will give them one thing, my dog loves them and since they don't have added sugar or other ingredients that are harmful to dogs, afaict, they should be fine as dog snacks. -This snack definitely gets my vote. It tastes great and is a real departure from the usual snack. As the name suggests, it has a crisp texture to it that is very interesting--it's almost like a cookie but it has a soft inside. The 100-calorie pack is very convenient--it's perfect for an afternoon snack, or as a substitute for a granola bar in the morning. Both my wife and I have found it fits perfectly into our diets. A nice surprise! -Personally I'm not a big lemon fan one way or another, just find it okay - it's not my go to flavor when shopping. But my girlfriend, she loves lemon flavored everything. I got these for her & they didn't disappoint. The flavoring is not overly strong, so don't assume these to be tart. The flavor is sweet, but with a nice lemon hint to the icing. I think the outer cookies were great as well, so no complaints from me - and I wasn't even planning on liking these. My girlfriend already wants to put these on the next shopping list, so I guess I found a winner. -Starbucks is known for the very strong, almost burnt, flavor. TheStarbucks Vanilla Flavored Ground Coffeeis something different. On their web site, Starbucks bills it as "A blend of high-quality coffee with just the right touch of luscious, natural vanilla." They also say "Enjoy with: A crumbly butter cookie (or two) and a pool of late-afternoon sunshine."How well do they pull it off? The coffee has a very strong aroma of vanilla, a lot like freshly baked cookies. The flavor is a mixture of the traditional Starbucks taste with an equal amount of vanilla. For me, the two tastes do not do well when mixed together. The appeal of coffee and cookies to me, Starbucks web page ideal, is the contrast between the strong coffee and sweet cookies. How many people would like their coffee to smell and taste like cookies? There may be some, but I cannot go for it.As for the claim of all-natural ingredients, corn maltodextrin is listed on the package as one of the ingredients. The US FDA says this, "Maltodextrin ((C6H10O5)n, CAS Reg. No. 9050-36-6) is a nonsweet nutritive saccharide polymer that consists of D-glucose units linked primarily by [alpha]-1-4 bonds and that has a dextrose equivalent (D.E.) of less than 20. It is prepared as a white powder or concentrated solution by partial hydrolysis of corn starch, potato starch, or rice starch with safe and suitable acids and enzymes." I guess it depends on what you mean by natural. -Not caring for regular tea or the caffeine, I drink herbal tea exclusively and am always on the lookout for fun new flavors. This Blackberry Vanilla sounded delicious,, not a flavor combination I had seen before. I should also mention that my true test for how well I end up really liking a tea's flavor is whether or not I need sweetener. If I need it then the flavor is most likely too bitter for me.Out of the box, the tea bags have a bit of a dried flowers smell, not very fruity. However, when it is brewing the fragrance is delicious! The berries wake up, and the vanilla too.I tried this tea both hot and iced. As a hot tea, the flavor was alright, but it was like there were too many herbs and not enough berries. I did end up needing a bit of sweetener, as I felt the flavor was too earthy. The vanilla was too subtle to detect.It was when I tried this tea iced that I found I really enjoyed it. The cold seems to suit the berry flavors nicely, I can taste the vanilla, and I didn't need any sweetener at all.I have never cared for Lipton's pyramid tea bag packaging. There is nothing protecting the tea bags inside of the box, such as a paper liner, and since the pyramid shaped tea bags are too awkward to be individually wrapped, it's just open tea bags sitting together in a paperboard box. Also, the bags and string are some sort of plastic-like material, so I cannot put them in my compost bin.As an iced tea, I liked the Blackberry Vanilla. But the flavor as hot tea and the less-than-desirable packaging keep me from getting excited about it. -I have tasted many energy drinks and they all tasted unnatural or like medicine. This one is definitely different. I immediately tasted the banana and strawberry juice (since it is made with 70% juice)and had a pleasant, natural flavor I liked a lot. I had it after my morning run and it was very refreshing. Also, I noticed that my alertness increased after having it. I know it was the caffeine that did this, but I would rather have the natural caffeine that all the chemicals other energy drinks have. -I am a big fan of all types of cookies, including all varieties of Fig Newtons. These Fruit Thins are not exactly a thin Fig Newton, they are a thin, circular cookie with bits of fig and a honey flavor. The taste is reminiscent of the original Fig Newtons, but there is no soft, paste filling.The cookies are perfect for a light treat with a cup of tea, and the thinner size keeps them from being too sweet or filling. I think you could compare them somewhat to a sweet biscuit instead of a full size Fig Newton. Light and crisp, my husband and I both enjoyed these cookies, and have already bought another bag. -Those with an exotic palate may find something to like in Numi's Organic Savory Tea (Garden Sampler). There are six blends: Carrot Curry, Spinach Chive, Beet Cabbage, Fennel Spice, Tomato Mint, and Broccoli Cilantro. I sampled the Beet Cabbage, Tomato Mint, and Carrot Curry before writing this review.Numi is far off the beaten path of Lipton's. This is a tea that smells of soup. The good news is that it does not taste like soup. It is a full-bodied tea that takes 10 minutes to steep. The Beet Cabbage was enjoyable and mild next to the Tomato Mint. Both of them were jarring at first sip, due to the contrast with humdrum teas. Carrot Curry was the most flavorful, but many will be turned off by curry--still sparingly used in Western cuisine (and never in Western drink). The downside is that Numi tends to be extremely strong at the bottom, making for an uneven cup. Your mainstream tea gets stronger at the end, but nothing like this. The last 1/4 cup was of Tomato Mint was undrinkable. Potential buyers should be aware that Numi's tea does not tint the water as most teas do.. Your cup will be indistinguishable from hot water, except by smell.All Numi teabags are biodegradable. The tea is decaf, and works equally well night or day. Those looking for something very different from big-box corporate tea might find Numi's Organic worth a try. This reviewer will go back to the tried and true. Soup's proper place is not in a teacup. 3/5 stars. -As part of the Amazon Vine program, I received a Cherry Cashew bar to sample and review. My normal breakfast routine consists of green tea and a Luna bar, so I was interested in comparing and possibly having a different alternative.The ingredients are good: it's certified organic, gluten-free, has protein, Omega-3 added in, and it's vegan. There is no gluten, dairy or soy for people who are allergic to those. Of course, there are cashews, which are frequently processed in plants with peanuts, so I'd recommend people with peanut allergies steer clear of this bar.It has slightly more calories (200) than a standard Luna bar, and 9 grams of fat. That seems a little excessive, even accounting for the cashews in the bar itself. There are 4 grams of fiber, which is decent. The other nutrients of measure in the bar itself are mostly minimal, which makes it hard to believe the claim that the bar contains a "full serving of fruit". It is low sodium, to boot.The flavor, as other reviewers have commented, was very much reminiscent of fruitcake - only a little more dry, and with nuts. If you are a fan of fruitcake, you might like this. -Starting with the most important factor in reviewing a tea ... taste ... it is pleasant. I have a difficult time putting much credibility into a review for a food/beverage product which claims the product "tastes great" or "tastes awful" since taste is 100% personal and subjective. I also won't pick apart how authentic the flavors are, because again, personally I think the taste is pleasant and I would make it a point to purchase this flavor in the future.Possibly because of the tea bag material, or maybe because of the chunkiness of the tea, it brews fast, making a drinkable cup of tea in just over a minute. On the plus side, if I leave the teabag in until I finish the entire cup it still does not become bitter. My personal choice is about 3 - 4 minutes.Speaking of the teabag, there are some interesting opinions about it. Frankly it doesn't mean a lot to me. On the positive side it has an attractive look to it which helps dress up serving tea at an informal dinner party. On the more negative side I have to wonder about any "plastic" product that may leech into my beverage. Each time I have to peel the string off the side of the teabag I wonder what's in the glue that holds it there.Lipton is very respected in our household so the bottom line is I'm not so concerned about the material that's used to make the teabag to not buy it, and overall this is clearly a bit more of a premium tea than average. I believe it is getting rated fairly at 4-stars for "I like it". -I'm a coffee drinker and have tried various brands. The price was great for this but in the variety pack there might have been a few 'bold brew' that tasted like coffee. The others were incredibly weak. The flavored coffees were awful. Would not recommend this to anyone that enjoys coffee. -The taste was okay. The cookie is thin and light and crispy. You can really taste the blueberries, which is a good real honest to goodness blueberry taste. But overall, the sweetness level was okay, the cookie was just meh. I don't know it's like a cookie that was trying too hard. We have been crumbling it up and putting it in ice cream, yogurt, mixing it in with granola. The other problem that we have ended up having with these is that I did not know prior to purchase that the cookies had flax seed in them but not all of the seeds were finely ground, which means that well one the health benefit is lost but also the family members in my house who have diverticulitis got really ill after eating these cookies.I can't put my finger on what I didn't like about them. Perhaps because the serving size is 3 cookies or thins and that is not at all satisfying as a snack and so it feels like another junk food disguised as a health food. Taste wise they are okay. But since they aren't really that healthy, I'd rather pop a real fig newton. -The Switch Orange Tangerine sounded delicious when I ordered it. I thought it would be very refreshing on these hot summer days. And it would be if the taste were better. Perhaps the other flavors might be better but the orange tangerine had a bad aftertaste. Stick with the real juice if you want that flavor. The sparkling juice idea is good, I liked the carbonation as it was refreshing.But the biggest drawback for me is the sugar. There was 34g of sugar in that little 8 oz. can. There is 40g in a 12 oz. can of Dr. Pepper. Way too much sugar.The other drawback for me is the price. I wouldn't buy it because it works out to be almost a dollar a can. If I'm going to pay that much, I would rather buy the regular juice (real, not reconstituted) in the store. -I now have tasted about a half a dozen of these "flavor enhancers" by MIO and for the most part I have been very, very impressed. This low to no calorie drink is a great way to give water an extra boost of flavor. However, this "sweet tea" flavor befuddles me a bit. The reason being is it doesn't really taste like sweet tea. I sort of taste the tea aspect and I sort of taste a sweeten aspect, yet they don't seem to blend together to create "sweet tea". I tried MIO's peach tea flavor enhancer and that tasted just like peach tea. So again, I am a bit befuddled. I will say that the flavor is pleasant and it is nice to drink, but I don't see any conduit between the taste and the flavor proclaimed on the bottle. -I drink a lot of tea of many varieties and found theLipton Herbal Pyramid Tea Bags, Blackberry Vanilla, 18Count (Pack of 6)to be rather mediocre. The pyramid pouch is attractive but I think other fibers decompose more quickly and would prefer those or a reusable strainer. It's not a deal breaker, just an observation. If you like the scent, you can use it unbrewed as a sachet I guess. Being that it's a fruity herbal tea or tissane, I personally find that it needs no sweetening and I've yet to add milk. It's lovelier as an iced brew for my preference, and I think the vanilla essence is lacking unless I steep the tea for a longer time than usual. I also have found that a single brew is best as opposed to a second dip which is possible for other tea bags. The tea isn't bad, I just think it's average and haven't awarded it a higher star rating. If you are looking for a fruity tea that is even better iced, give it a try. I'd bet that kids would like this tea, and would encourage this over a soda or high calorie juice. I like Lipton herbal teas and enjoy trying different varieties, but found this particular one wasn't at the top of my list. -I've wanted to try dry rendang for a long time. I've heard it's wonderful. This wasn't dry, but that's OK--it left me lots of sauce to pour over rice. If I licked the bowl when I was done, I would never admit it here.I didn't follow the instructions. (I'm terrible at following instructions.) I started at the supermarket, while choosing the beef. This calls for thin slices of beef tenderloin, but that's not exactly in my budget. I went with chunks of a fairly tough cut of beef. That meant long simmering, which is not what the instructions call for.I lightly browned the beef and set it aside. (The instructions tell you to pan-fry until medium-done.) I added the paste and coconut and brought it to a boil. (Hey, I got something right!) The "coconut premix" was a powder that clumped pretty badly. I think next time I'll add the coconut premix and the water, so I can see the clumps to break them up, then add the paste.I added the beef back to the pan and covered (which you're not supposed to do,) and let it cook for about an hour and a half. With tenderloin it would be ready in a few minutes, but if you're broke like me, the sauce holds up well to cheap beef and a long slow simmer.The smell in the house was absolutely wonderful. The flavor was wonderful as well. It was a good blend of spices, with no one spice stealing the show. I know that rendang is supposed to have hot peppers, but I don't know exactly how hot it's supposed to be. This was extremely mild. Leftovers may meet a littleSrirachato warm things up a bit. Next time I make this I may introduce some hot peppers before simmering.But oh yes, there will be a next time. -FLAVOR:While eating the bar, I could definitely taste the cherries. While I could feel the bits of cashew, I didn't taste them until after...there's definitely a lingering flavor of cashew after you're done. The cherries were delicious, and they really tasted like cherries, not like cherry flavoring. Every bite tasted like a cherry, though it was balanced with a neutral flavor that kept it from being overwhelming.TEXTURE:The outside of the bar is sticky. The bar itself, as you bite into it, feels firm and chewy. There are nut bits distributed throughout which give a little bit of extra firmness.SIZE:The bar itself is around 3 inches long and around an inch wide. It's a little more than a quarter of an inch thick.SATISFACTION:I used this bar as a breakfast bar, and it kept me feeling reasonably satisfied for ~4 hours, which is about all I ask of a breakfast bar.NUTRITION:I'm no expert in this area, but I do like that this bar has no refined sugar and has a good amount of protein. I've been trying to find tasty bars that have protein for the morning, and this is one of the first I've found. I also appreciate that it's only 190 calories, versus the 220+ that many other bars give.OVERALL:Overall, I'm going to be buying a few packs of these in different flavors as soon as I finish this review. I'm really glad I got the opportunity to try it, and I definitely recommend it if you like fruity and chewy bars and are looking for a high protein breakfast alternative. -i drink alot of tea, so i decided to try this. i measured exactly 8 ounces of water for the cup. i like my tea strong & this bag gave a very satisfying brew. the taste is good, a bit tart, slightly sour. i think the hibiscus flowers give it the sour taste, but i grew to like it. the vanilla taste is subtle, not overwhelming which is good. the bags are a new design to me. they're little plastic triangles which i think allow more water to seep more thoroughly. good idea.i recommend this tea & i think i'll seek out other flavors in this line. -We got our bag of ginger snaps this afternoon and I am ashamed (but happy) to admit that they are almost gone already. These cookies are fantastic! I have long been a fan of ginger snaps but have often been disappointed by the bland, tasteless versions I found in the stores. Nothing was as good or as flavorful as Mom used to make. It seemed that all the really flavorful brands slowly slipped away from the grocers shelves. The only really great ones were imported and the exchange rate made them ridiculously expensive. Then I found Newman's Own. I have always loved their salad dressings (not so crazy about their salsas but that is another review) and now I love their cookies. With s satisfying snap! and a crunchy texture they also have delicious chewy ginger pieces inside to make them super flavorful. The low heat of the ginger is just right and they are not too sweet. They are fabulous and I now need to order more or find them at the local grocer. Buy these and you will not be sorry! -I'm a tea drinker, and this Bigelow Green Tea is of my favorites. This green tea is mild, and has a very light color and a smooth taste. I try to stay away from too much sugar, so I sweeten mine with a few drops of stevia sweetener.I especially go to this tea when I'm sick. It's great hot, and soothes sore throat even better than chicken soup. Tea comes in sealed packets. Last time I ordered this pack was at least a year ago. I just finished my last box, and this one was as good as my first. If you like black tea, try Darjeeling from Bigelow, it's my favorite black tea. -This tea is so delicious, so fragrant, that for the first time, I choose to drink a hot tea without sweetener of any kind. I usually use honey or splenda, but they just destroyed the delicate essence of this lovely tea. It really is sweet and fragrant enough without any embellishment.I usually drink Numi teas. I have many varieties, and I love them. But this tea is especially lovely. From the long, thin white tea leaves to the jasmine blossom petals, what a treat for the eyes, nose, and palate. The fragrance hits you as soon as you open the container and lasts throughout the cup. I followed the directions and steeped the tea as suggested. The first cup was heavenly, the second brew delicious, but the third was a bit weak. It was never bitter, never harsh, and never "too green."Yes, it's expensive, but it is organic, hand-picked, authentic, whole white tea leaves and whole jasmine petals. A little goes a long way. I guess it all comes down to what your passion is and what you can afford. I do hope I can afford this in the future, and I am tempted to try other varieties as i finish my Numi stash. -This herbal tea is well balanced and pleasant. It tastes to me like good real lemon, but not acidic. The ginger seems just enough. Bonus; you can use the bag twice and get a good cup of tea the second time. Also, it's nice to steep this with black tea, and get a bit of caffeine if you choose, along with the ginger / lemon flavors. -wow! i like it! it arrived in good condition. the sauce tastes good. it is very fresh with a freshness date best by september 2014. italian sauage ravioli in a hearty tomato and meat sauce. it contains no preservatives or msg and is a good source of protein. i looked over the list of ingredients. i don't see too much bad there at all. the price was great too. i am very happy with this purchase and i ordered several more cases to put into the pantry for future use. i can add to the sauce if i need some variation. -Numi Organic Savory Tea is unlike any sort of tea I've had before. I had no idea what to expect but was intrigued by the idea of organic vegetables and spices blended together to create brand new experience. Numi Tea has created six blends to appeal to those brave enough to try it & what better way the with the Savory Tea Garden Sampler.The box contains 6 flavors and 12 tea bags, so you can have a cup for yourself and share if you so choose. The blends you'll find are Carrot Curry, Beet Cabbage, Tomato Mint, Spinach Chive, Brocoli Cilantro, & Fennel Spice. The tea is 100% organic as well as non-GMO verified. Each flavor inspired from recipes around the world.I think the sampler is a very good option if interested in trying these teas out. I say that because I honestly really liked some better than others. To each their own taste, I say though. My favorite out of all six is the Spinach Chive! It leaves an aftertaste like if you were have spinach and chive dip just without the added sour cream. And the Tomato Mint was another that I liked, being the mint lover that I am. I was kinda upset I didn't like the Carrot Curry flavor more. I felt it needed to be a bit spicier and the carrot stronger in taste.The flavors of the teas aren't overly strong as one would have assumed from smelling the tea bag. I was a little shocked thinking they would have tasted more like broth or soup. I was hoping it would have been a bit stronger. I will state that each flavor tasted exquisitely fresh and quite distinct though. No sugar or cream is needed and the teas can be drank hot or cold.I'd recommend trying them out if you are looking for something different. They compliment certain meals in my opinion quite well. I think they may also be an interesting addition to your cooking. You may just discover and brand new tea obsession. But do try out the sampler pack first! -I'm not much of a juice drinker, but my daughter is so I bought this for her to try out. I wasn't expecting much, so I was very happy when she announced that she really liked it! It is essentially a carbonated fruit juice, but it is nice to have some different flavors for the kids. So, it was a hit at our house and we'll definitely be buying more. -This were a hit with everyone I shared them with. The ingredients are all natural, so it's a snack I feel comfortable serving to my children. The packaging includes a portion that is reasonably sized, and easy to pack for a snack on the go. The cashews are sweet enough to satisfy a craving for sweets, but the snack is primarily protein.I will definitely purchase these again. -I'm not sure exactly how qualified I am to review spaghetti sauce but since that's part of the trade off here let me give you my qualifications. I'm approximately 12.5% Italian and yes I know the Chinese created pasta but we're (us 12.5% Italians) are the ones who eat it. Next I'm married to a Puerto Rican, so I'm used to very flavorful (spicy but not spicy hot) food. That said, I did grow up eating bland food and I have to say I enjoy a good can of Chef Boyardee about once a month. I do, however, draw the line at no-brand spegettios and the like.On to the sauce. I made this for myself and 3 little whippersnappers ages 2.5, 4 and 9. They all loved it. The directions involved 3 very easy steps which is good because I'm pretty much lost on cooking anything that involves more than 2 ingredients. The package was convenient and saved some dirty pans. I thought the taste was decent, not acidic, and sweet enough for me (but see my strict regulations on spaghetti sauce above). My wife couldn't really taste the basil and she thought it was bland.So let's put it this way. No self-respecting cook or chef is going to just serve this stuff out of the bag. They're going to add spices, veggies whatever... BUT I think anyone that is buying this for convenience probably isn't a big connoisseur of fine Italian (Chinese) cuisine. So 4 out 5 stars for appealing to an audience that appreciates convenience more than taste, with a product that focuses on convenience rather than taste. -I am reviewing this product for Amazon, I received it as a gift for that purpose. After examining the ingredients list I noticed this has an awful lot of sugar, the first ingredient is Water, then Cane Sugar, do not let that make you think of wow that is good sugar. Sugar is sugar. Yes sugar is sugar but it tastes good and yes it has calories but how many really? there are 80 cals per serving in this bottle. This product used real sugar and yes it is over processed but it tastes good. It aids in the flavor of this drink.As I opened this chilled drink I was mindful of the aroma. Grapefruit, that is what it was screaming to me but there was a more complex scent, passion fruit maybe? Yes indeed it is flavored with passion fruit and very nicely, I am drinking the second half of the bottle right now and I can tell you I love it.I just cannot seem to wrap my mind around the fact it has so much sugar, with that much sugar anything would taste this good. Ok so I am testing it, (right now as I write this review) it says it has 19 grams of sugar per serving.Wait a minute, I just checked the label again, it is very hard to see letters since they are so small and the ingredients list is written in an obscure font and made a little hazy, to hide the fact is has 19 grams of sugar per serving? Hmm what is this, it is not one serving per bottle, it is 1.5 servings per bottle,why do they give you 1.5 servings are you going to share it with 1.5 people? So that means this entire bottle (only 11.5 oz.) has not just 19 grams of sugar but a hefty 27 plus grams of sugar.Do you know what 27 grams of sugar equates to in teaspoons?Now this is not a scientific experiment by any means but I just used a very reliable scale and found that it takes 7 tsp. of sugar to come up with 27 grams of sugar and that is what is in this drink I just consumed. Wait let me reduce the stars on my rating to 3.....When I need a magnifying glass to see the ingredients list that makes me pause, and ask why? I guess we now know why, I never use more that about 3 tsp. sugar in any form per day I just used up my next few days.Let's see a cola drink has less sugar than this drink, why would I drink this, for a sugar high? not likely. I would give more comparisons but I do not used many processed foods to look on the labels.Diabetics stay away, this is not for you, in fact it is not for me, is this your kind of drink that you would want or better still, give to your children?The only thing right now that has anything going for it is the taste, so if you don't mind the 27 grams of sugar per bottle then be my guest you will enjoy it, it has a wonderful bright light flavor. Know that it also has a lot of pulp going through it, and according to the label it has natural flavors and not real fruit, so what is that stuff floating in it, it is not real fruit hmmm...The aftertaste is not so bad, I guess you can just cover that up by drinking another bottle of this sugar water.I am sorry folks but this review went down very fast, I am sorry I cannot recommend this drink due to it's over use of sweetener. In fact I will not be finishing it myself. -This stuff was amazing. It is very simple to use and the flavor was just fantastic. We used it on chicken instead of beef and it was some of the most delicious curry I've had. And I've spent a lot of time working and living in the Middle East and Asia. I was very impressed with how good it was, but also how easy it is to prepare. If you can make Hamburger Helper you can use this, and the results are much better. I will be buying more in the future for sure. -Hmmm. What does it mean that these chips are popped? I don't know. What I do know is that these chips are very good - crispy and airy, and not at all like baked chips (which I never did like).I really like these chips, both the taste and the texture. Low in fat, no preservatives, no trans fats, I think they are great! -Very taste little cookies with rich chocolate fudge. The cookies were fresh and delicious. When trying to look for a cheaper brand, the cookies tend to taste greasy but these Keebler mini cookies didn't have that greasy feeling. They don't have high fructose corn syrup or trans fats, both a plus. A container is good for 2-3 people as a snack. Like with any other food item, I recommend reading the ingredients list and the nutritional value before purchasing. -I was surprised by how rich and full of body this tea seemed since it's not what I usually expect from tea. The flavor is strong and enjoyable if you like ginger and dark, caffeinated drinks. I can be a little sensitive to caffeine at times (thus why I mainly drink tea instead of coffee) and this did make me a little nauseous because of the caffeine. It really is like drinking a coffee substitute instead of tea. -Aloe. Green Tea. Passion Fruit.Choose any two. (Also, make the Passion Fruit less dominant than it is.) By combining all three flavors, it becomes too much. Especially since the passion fruit flavor is so overwhelming. Despite that, the aloe and green tea flavors are still discernible. (And the aloe obviously has aloe texture.)With regard to ingredients, it is apparently made with "all natural ingredients". There's no high-fructose corn syrup, for those of you who are into that sort of thing. The flavors are purportedly all natural. There's nothing on the ingredient label that an eleven-year old couldn't pronounce, so there's that.As a side note, and warning to anyone who might not know, aloe, while really good for your skin, should be consumed internally with moderation. For one thing, it's an allergen. So, before you buy a case of this stuff, buy a small sample and find out if you're going to be allergic. There is also a long history of aloe being used as a laxative. So...moderation. -In the past to make some tea I'd have to get out a tea bag and a tea pot, boil some water. steep the teabags, and then add the sugar, cream, etc, before enjoying a cup of tea. Now with my K-Cup coffee machine I can take one of the Lipton K cup Iced Tea Lemonade packets, put it in my machine and get a perfect cup of lemony, citus flavored tea with little effort. Add a little ice and your're all set.In addition to being very easy to brew, the tea is very tasty. It has a rich deep flavor which I'd compare to any Ice Tea recipe of any Southern Grandmother. I like it so much I reccomended it to my Mother in law. I really enjoy it and will buy more and probably try different flavors. -I like the fact that this little bottle contains 15 grams of whey protein, along with the equivalent of 3 servings of fruits/vegetables. Being lactose-intolerant, I also appreciate the fact that it does not contain lactose. However, I'm not sure if those positives outweigh the taste and consistency of this RTD, which I did not care for. I was not able to drink the entire bottle at one sitting. I'd certainly give it a go if another flavor was available, but Mango just didn't do it for me. -This Coconut Oil is organic and comes in a 15 ounce container. It is absolutely pure, fresh and smells amazing if you like coconut. I personally love coconut and was happy to try cooking with it. However I wondered whether or not it would be useful for very many things. I am still fairly new to coconut oil but I have been experimenting with it a lot in recent months and have found it to be my new favorite oil to cook with. I have used it to fry things in a skillet like ham. I wondered if it would taste weird but it didn't at all and I actually preferred the taste to using vegetable or canola oil. I have also used it in deserts and that is what I prefer to use it for. I have used it to make homemade fudge and it turned out really good. Yesterday I used it to make chocolate chip cookies and they were some of the most amazing cookies that I have ever had. Coconut Oil can also be used as a beauty product. If you take a little bit of it and rub it into your skin it moisturizes and makes your skin very smooth. My hands always dry out and crack as the weather turns colder out. A little bit of this coconut oil makes them feel like new again and it smells great too.This is only the second type of coconut oil that I have tried but it seems perfect quality to me. It also has a long shelf life of about 1 1/2 years according to the expiration date on the top of the container. Coconut oil may not be for everyone but I love the taste and it's much healthier than many of the other options.Sample provided for review. -This has been my typical morning coffee ever since I first tried it in December 2011. So, a year and a half later, and I'm still liking it - and recommending it.The pods were novel back in 2011, and the price of other K-Cups had gone up much more than I liked, so I decided to give this brand a try. I'm glad that I did. I really enjoy this Fog Chaser variety, and the Subscribe & Save price (~$25 right now) is good for 80 cups these days. Plus, they started including a plastic container in each 80-pack that you can store your pods in after you open up one of the eight-count bags. I had already bought an air-tight container to keep them fresh (I originally just used zip-lock bags), but it's a nice touch.In my Breville brewer, these pods do take longer to make a cup than a regular K-Cup. Maybe it's just my brewer, but perhaps there's more flow resistance in these. Not a huge deal, but I thought it was worth mentioning.I'm not sure how much less plastic these have versus the original K-Cups. They don't have the plastic cup, but the rim is a lot thicker plastic on these, and they come in plastic bags with a plastic container in each 80-pack. But, I don't buy them because I think there's less plastic. I buy them because I like the taste and the price is good. -The blackberry vanilla tea has a nice aroma and a great taste. I can taste the berry and a hint of the berry. Also, makes a great iced tea. Caffeine- free means I can enjoy in the evenings. Also not that the ingredients include rosehips, hibiscus flowers, blackberry leaves, dried blackberry and raspberry pieces. It comes in a triangle-shape mesh bag, so you can see the ingredients. Very enjoyable. -This is the best barbeque and all around sauce ever. It has a sweet and spicy taste to it that is wonderful. But you have to like both of the separate flavors to it. It is not too spicy -- our big kids and little kids like it. I have used it on hamburgers and steaks, before they go on the grill or after or both, letting the flavors get grilled in. I have used it on chicken -- both as a marinade (watered down) and while grilling or baking. This sauce is also good on pork chops and ribs.The flavor is very strong though so I would recommend trying a small bottle if you can find one in your grocery store before you make a 120-ounce commitment. Some people have really disliked the flavor so I don't cook for them anymore. (If I go to the trouble to cook, the best idea is for people to eat.)My nephew used to ship these to me from Denver. He was so cute when he wrapped each bottle in tons of paper and then put bubble wrap around them. He is a true barbeque fan(atic) and he didn't want a single bottle broken. I can get these locally now, but it's still a distance for me so I am happy that I will be able to order the bottles from Amazon! -All you need is a regular bottle of spring water or whatever you want to use, in goes the powder and voila, instant iced tea drink (well, instant in that you have to shake it first). The flavor (mango pineapple in this case) is very tasty and refreshing. Powdered drink mixes in this form aren't exactly a new found invention but if it tastes as good as this does, I have no problems recommending it to anyone. It's perfect for storing in your desk at work, taking it on the go or in just about any manner you can think of. -I'd never seen or heard of caffeinated water until this product popped up on Vine a few weeks ago. I sat there staring at the screen, wondering who the heck even thought up such a thing."Water's ok...but it needs something. Something to make it...BETTER. I know! Caffeine!"I reluctantly ordered a bottle, and I'm trying it out right now as I type this up. For some reason, even knowing that it was just regular water with caffeine in it, I kept expecting it to taste like Sprite or something. But the truth is, it tastes just like any regular bottled water. No aftertaste either! Each bottle has 90mg of caffeine, and the whole bottle is one serving. There aren't any vitamins pumped into it or anything to make this an energy drink. That's a good thing.The cons are that the price is a bit high for this in two ways. One- you can save a bit just by getting regular bottled water and caffeine tablets. Two- only twelve per pack at this price? Yeesh.This water is a nice little pick me up, but not something I plan on buying. -When I get bored with ice tea and coffee, I will usually opt for a fruit flavored powdered mix packet that I add to ice water. Vitamin Squeeze Energy Drink Fruit Punch isn't overly sweet & is similar in flavor to the powdered drinks, but also contains added vitamins, minerals & caffeine. However, I have a hard time getting the correct amount without measuring it. The serving/squeeze equals one tbsp or 3 tsp for 8oz of water.Each serving of Vitamin Squeeze Energy Drink provides vitamins C, B3, B5, B6, B12, Chromium, Zinc, Taurine, Electrolytes & 40 mg of caffeine. I felt a slight energy boost when I drank a couple servings during my midday slump.For best quality refrigerate & use within 30 days after opening. Shake well before each use. -I love dark chocolate, so I was excited to try this Newman's Own Dark Chocolate bar. First, I was impressed that the bar, which is smaller than other specialty chocolate bars but still a generous six squares, is just a single serving size. At 330 calories, 22 grams of fat, and 28 grams of sugar, it is still an indulgent treat, but if you choose to share the bar (as I did), you can satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling too guilty about it.I definitely enjoyed the taste of this bar as well; I found the chocolate to be rich and smooth. At 54% cocoa, it is definitely not as dark as many other dark chocolate offerings out there--in fact, I found the taste to be a bit sweeter, more reminiscent of semi-sweet chocolate than true dark chocolate. Although this was fine by me, some dark chocolate lovers may be disappointed. So, unless you need your dark chocolate to be of the extra-dark variety, I would definitely recommend this product. -I would have given this a five star but the price kept it down.I drink Lipton iced tea and this tea is great but I thought it was a little to expensive. -I have a confession. I really like the ready-made meals like hamburger helper. They are comfort food and easy to make when you are too busy to cook something from scratch. Usually the meals from a box are good, but not excellent. This meal was different. I thought this cheesy skillet with broccoli was so yummy, I went back for a second helping!It takes a few minutes to sauté the chicken bits to get them nice and brown, and we bought some extra broccoli to increase the veg content. And voila! A tasty meal that my entire family praised, including my finicky older father enjoyed. Even my health-conscious older sister commented the meal was very good, and she is usually a bit snobby about premade food.Cooking time can get a bit irksome if you are in a hurry. You do spend time browning chicken, stirring, and getting the meal ready. To cut back on that you could cut the chicken and bake it in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes, thus saving you the sautéing which sometimes I do not like to do. I really liked it and recommend it. -Okay, if all you are looking for is a GREAT tasting portion controlled snack and don't care about anything else then this is it! I also like that the ingredients are pretty good, brown sugar, corn syrup, cocoa, popcorn, oil, vanilla, whey, noting terrible and all pretty darn natural. BUT, we will not be buying these again which is why despite amazing taste and good ingredients I am only giving it 3 stars. First off, each box only has 5 pouches, so for a family of four one box is gone like in an instant. Next and foremost, we try to limit sugar per serving on our sweetened cereals and snacks to no more than 9 grams, each of these Snackwell pouches has 18 grams of sugar! We are used to eating Angie's Caramel Corn which for a whopping 2.5 cups serving size has only 9 grams of sugar and 150 calories. If Snackwell really wanted people to 'snack well' they'd take Angie's caramel corn and drizzle fudge on that and put it into their little pouches to reduce the sugar per serving. -These are the little cups that you use for the tea machines. If you haven't seen one, I have encountered quite a few in use at local doctor's offices where they offer various types of tea drinks, sort of a high-end treat for the patients. I got one of the machines at The Goodwill Store for a few bucks, (lots of them there! I think people get these machines but they get tired of fooling with them pretty quickly. I really like the one I got.)Anyway, the tea itself is excellent and it provides the great flavor that we have come to expect from Lipton. The product is easy to use and I have found it very convenient.Highly recommended. -I obtained a sample and when I opened the package the aroma was not inviting at all. Well, I brewed it up anyway on a regular Cuisinart coffee maker and used the sample bag with enough water for 2-3 cups to make a stronger cup of coffee. Nevertheless, it tasted weak to me and didn't smell any better after brewing it. It was drinkable and ok, just not very satisfying to me as it didn't have a richness or depth or good aroma to it. Admittedly, I am not a big French Roast fan as it tends to taste bitter to me and acidic. This one may be better than other French Roast because while I thought it tasted weak and bitter it presumably is lower acid. If you need a low acid coffee, then this is okay, but if not you may not find this satisfying, especially if you like dark, full flavored strong coffee. -If you are looking for a water flavoring product, there's been a lot of powders out there to choose from. Somewhat recently, there's been a new trend of liquid additives that you can put into your water to make it less boring. The obvious advantage of a liquid additive is that you don't have the mess and hassle of powder spilling everywhere. It's quick, convenient, and easy.Now, what sets this Vitamin Squeeze Energy Drink apart from competitors such as the MIO things? Well, mostly price. I noticed that this is a much larger item, and per ounce, is a much better value. As for taste, I've had tastier water flavorings. In fact, if you can believe this, the tastiest thing I've tried is an off-brand MIO knock-off (I believe the brand was Fit & Active). The taste of this Vitamin Squeeze flavoring is sort of bland (but also calorie free, so that's nice), and then if you increase the amount used, just gets too strong. There's just never a point where I felt like it was just right, even though I experimented with how many squeezes to use. That being said, the taste is tolerable and not too bad.All in all, I wouldn't buy this drink flavoring just for it's taste alone (although you may want it for the vitamins in it). I would, however, recommend it just for being the best value that I've seen so far for a product of its type. If you need a liquid water flavoring at the best price possible (as of this review writing), this is the product to go with for sure. -I took this to work and shared it. The comments I got were:bland; I wouldn't buy this; the texture is different than "Twizzlers". Nobody raved.I thought the flavor was mild but pleasant. The aroma is good. I might buy this if it was on sale AND I had a coupon for it; Newman's Own stuff tends to be a bit pricy for me. -While this coffee is lower acid than a normal French roast, the flavor isn't quite as deep and rich as you'd expect from a French roast. French roast is typically my favorite type of roast. The aroma is nice after brewing, but smelling this coffee right out of the pack it smells plastic-like. Also, I found that this coffee had a quite strong bitter taste.Though, I did notice that this coffee did seem to be easier on my stomach. I'm sure this might work well for someone who loves coffee, but, has a sensitive stomach.Overall, a basic French roast nothing too spectacular. Might be good for someone who wants a low acid coffee who is willing to sacrifice the typical French roast depth of flavor. Though in my opinion this coffee is way overpriced as the flavor is lacking and it still manages to be bitter. -I didn't have particularly high hopes for this product-- I figured it would be the usual chewy dried apple type of thing. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized how crunchy and flavorful these actually are. They remind me of the dried fruits you get from the health food store that come in the plastic pint and quart containers called "JustFruit" or something like that. Anyhow, these are just as good, they are just clustered into a little ball.Something about eating dried fruit that is crunchy, as opposed to chewy, makes me feel like I am eating junk food. These kind of taste like apple potato chips. I didn't notice too much cinnamon flavor, and the flavor tasted natural, as opposed to chemically sweet.Overall I think these are an excellent snack and tastier than any other I've had outside of the JustFruit brand. -I usually find bottled teas to either have very little flavor or leave a bad aftertaste.The Chantea Aloe Vera Green - Passion Fruit was both delicious and left no after taste.Warning on your first drink - there is pulp of the passion fruit in the tea, and it took me by surprise in my first mouthful.I enjoyed it so much, I will be purchasing more. -I was quite excited to try Lipton's new Tea & Honey To Go packets. While I was a bit skeptical of the five calories proposed for each 8-ounce serving, seeing as how honey is a fairly high caloric sweetener, I figured I'd give it a go anyway. So after receiving the tea, I mixed it up per the instructions and took a sip. Yowzas! The tea was super sweet with a bit of strawberry flavor and no tea that I could taste. I ended up watering the tea down enough that one packet, which is usually two servings, ends up as four or five 8-oz. servings. The berry flavor became very diluted while there was still that taste of icky sweetness. Overall the berry flavors and tea are weak, even undiluted, and I noticed no honey flavor what-so-ever, so took a look-see at the ingredients where I spotted sucralose (an artificial sweetener) thrown right in the middle of things. Now that is where the sweetness is and don't take kindly to that addition, as I avoid artificial sweeteners whenever possible. Seeing as how Lipton is sneakily claiming this is sweetened with honey (And look! NO aspartame!), with no mention that in actuality the sweeteners are honey granules, which are made from both honey and sugar, and sucralose except by viewing the ingredients list, makes me angry because I've been swindled. Yeah, this is natural all right. I'm definitely not going to trust Lipton's marketing from now on and urge them to think about switching to a natural sweetener such as stevia. So if you like your food natural, best to skip this, but if you're not so picky and don't mind artificial sweeteners in your food, then give it a go if you're interested. I'll not be trying any other flavors of this product. -Not what I would call a cold season tea, Blackberry Vanilla Caffeine Free Herbal Tea from Lipton has a very interesting fruity flavor, more reminiscent of a spring day than the upcoming fall season.The tea has a strong tart side so I would recommend reducing the brew time from the recommended 4 to 6 minutes. Do not be put off by the deep red color, it makes you think raspberry but that is not the flavor that you will taste.For a change, I brewed four pyramid bags in three cups of water and after it cooled, poured it over a glass of ice. This is my preferred method of drinking it. I do not like sugar in my tea, but decided to give it a little whirl. Something happened with this mix, because I came away with an artificial aftertaste. If you prefer more of a black tea taste in you iced tea, add an extra Lipton orange pekoe bag. A perfect combination.Overall, a good product for warm weather drinking, excellent iced and the tart flavor hits the right spot. -I originally purchase this product to use in my hair as a moisturizer (mixed with water) during my transition of going natural and it works great. It made my hair very soft and easier to manage. Afterwards I mixed in with my body lotion, and I must say my skin has never felt softer. I purchase the 32 ounce jar for my daughter and now she's hooked. She uses on her and her children's hair and she loves it. THIS PRODUCT IS GREAT! -Tea isn't a beverage for me, it's an event, starting from boiling the water to when the last drop vanishes down my esophagus. Therefore I usually buy loose leaf as it is less processed, I can see and smell what I'm buying and I can better control the strength of my tea. I first tried this when I obtained a few complimentary bags.On the matter of taste, I find it very good. The Bigelow EG appeared to be very strong in color and taste.Tea bag teas are usually cut very fine so the bags can be packed flat, and because finely cut leaves have more surface area than big leaves, you don't need to steep the tea as long. In fact the instructions say to steep only 1-2 minutes as opposed to the usual 3-4 mins.To me, Earl Grey taste has two components, the tea taste and the bergamot taste, and it takes a lot of skill to blend and make a tea that has a pleasing combination of the two tastes.For example, I've found that Taylors and Harrogate has a mild tea and bergamot taste, Whole Foods loose leaf has a strong bergamot taste, etc. Your run of the mill EG usually has a strong tea taste that overshadows the bergamot and you don't taste it at all. Bigelow has a very strong tea taste, but it doesn't overwhelm the bergamot, which you taste at the end. So I like it very much because I've never had a strong tea that didn't overwhelm the bergamot. And it's definitely not a mild tea, it's very robust and strong. It's not a light handshake, it's a full body hug and kisses on both cheeks when you drink this.In conclusion, if you want a very strongly flavored Earl Grey with a strong tea taste, but also a strong hint of bergamot, this is it. Update: Since I wrote this review, which is 5 years ago, I've often bought this brand and it tastes as good as ever. -This 6-pack is another great deal from Amazon, especially when purchased on a subscription basis.Bigelow's decaf green tea is smooth and not bitter. I've found green teas can be easily "burned" if you boil your water before steeping, so be sure to stop heating your water before the boiling point (I just use a Chantal ceramic teapot & heat a cup of water in it in the microwave for just 2 minutes, then steep in a cup--perfect. I like to sweeten it with a package of Sweet Leaf Stevia==healthy antioxidant heaven & no caffeine!).Also, don't steep any green tea too long--about 3 to 3-1/2 minutes is just right for green tea--otherwise, it WILL be bitter, regardless of brand.I love the fact that these tea bags are individually packaged in foil-lined packs; tea stays fresh and delicious until you're ready to enjoy a cup. Good quality decaf green tea is really hard to find in my local area; thanks again Amazon! -Well, first off I should say that I'm not new to tea. I'm not sure I'd describe myself as a "tea connoisseur" but I'm pretty experienced with tea. I've tried just about every type of tea out there (white, black, green, herbal, even puerh tea!), and I regularly make my own custom blends using loose leaf herbs and spices. I'm a pretty big fan of tea, so I naturally jumped at the chance to get some nice chai tea. I already have my own homemade chai recipes that involve simmering loose spices and adding in milk and sugar, and it's great, but I've always wanted to try some plain chai without the milk.So I got the Higgins and Burk Chai in the mail and decided to brew myself a cup to try out. I steeped it a full 10 minutes because I steep all my tea for 10 minutes (I suspect a lot of people would find this too strong for their tastes, but that's how I like it). My first impressions of this tea is that it's pretty weak for a chai style tea. I felt like the strongest taste was the cloves, and it really could've used stronger notes of ginger and cinnamon. Not to mention, the black tea portion of it tastes a bit not-so-good to me. It's difficult to describe, but I'll explain it as best as I can. I once bought a huge box of cheap crappy pekoe black tea and it tasted terrible. It was just lacking in good flavor and only tasted of bitter tannins and blandness and nothing else. This tea is not nearly as bad as that one was, but the black tea portion of it seems to have a bit of that taste to it. I had my own Assam tea (before I used it all and ran out) and it seemed to taste much better than this - even plain with nothing else in it! Of course, it could've been because of the source of my teas/spices (I get everything from the mountainroseherbs website); maybe the tea is better from there. Anyway, the other spices in the tea hide it well enough so it's not a big deal. I did decide to make my own homemade blend to see how it would turn out using the same ingredients (I used 2 parts black tea, 1/2 part cinnamon, 1/8 part cloves, 1/8 part cardamom, and 1/2 part ginger). Then I did a side by side taste test using the exact same amount of sweetener. The Higgins and Burke version is not terrible or anything, but I still think my version won by a small margin.Anyway, if you're a casual tea drinker, this tea will probably be fine for your tastes, and far more convenient than making your own loose-leaf blends. In addition, if you are the sort who prefers a less spicy chai then this tea would be great! In the course of further usage, I also discovered that the Higgins and Burke tastes better as an iced tea. Go figure! Well, my overall opinion of the Higgins and Burke Black Chai is that it is a decent choice for anyone who wants a mild pleasant chai in a convenient tea-bag option, but I think I'm going to personally stick to my own homemade formula because I love making loose leaf tea blends! -This tea is perfect as an iced tea (3 bags for 2 quarts) or for a nice cup of hot peppermint tea to settle the tummy or clear your nose/throat. I love the flavor of it as an iced tea, and that it is purely herbal and caffeine free. Even though I let the tea bags steep for 20 minutes for my iced tea, they didn't disintegrate or break open. They held up perfectly, even when I squeezed the last drops of tea out. I'm looking forward to enjoying it over and over again. -By itself, this tea is very strong and bitter (almost soapy). However, with a little doctoring to include cream and sugar, this is not so bad. I think I would have rated it higher if it tasted better by itself, but it did not. I don't think I would get this type of tea again. -This Higgins & Burke tea is pretty tasty. The Lemon Balm, Lemon Grass, and Verbena work well with the green tea, taking away the 'dry' aspects of green tea and making it a bit more 'green leafy' and lemony.I liked it as-is. Then again, I generally don't add anything to any green tea. Not sweetener nor milk.I think you're more likely to like this Green Tea mix if you don't set your tastebuds for straight green tea as the overall flavor is radically different. But if you are looking for something really pleasant to have after dinner, or along with a snack, this might be the thing.Pam T~ -Normally I prefer plain chips, even though I don't eat them often. The chili lime is pretty good, great with some guacamole. These chips are very crisp, with a strong potato flavor, but also have a slightly burnt taste. -What can I say, these cookies are yummy! My husband and I loved them. I'm not sure how to describe them: He thinks they're similar to Girl Scout's thin mints but I think they're more like large, crunchy junior mints.They're not healthy for you. Serving size is three cookies and you get 25% of your daily saturated fat. But then, cookies very rarely are healthy right? Indulge! -I am a tea drinker and love to try new varieties of tea. The Blackberry Vanilla from Lipton is a lovely, naturally decaf tea. I love the Pyramid tea bags and do think they make a difference when brewing herbal teas. Herbal tea (which actually contains no tea at all) generally has larger pieces of the ingredients than traditional black or green teas. The pyramid shape of the tea bag allows those pieces more room to spread through the water so the infusion of flavor is stronger.The Blackberry Vanilla tea is a beautiful purple color which is actually from the hibiscus not the blackberry (although I'm sure the blackberry does contribute some of the color). Despite the name the hibiscus is also the dominate flavor which is true of most herbal infusions. The blackberry and vanilla flavors are undercurrents and I wish these flavors had been a bit more prominent.Overall I enjoyed the Lipton Blackberry Vanilla tea and I'm sure it will be a variety that I will purchase in the future. -Loved it. Got the box yesterday and have already used 4 teabags... I use each teabag twice. Flavor is very mild, with only a hint of ginger and only a very slight caffeine buzz. I can't speak to its properties that are supposed to help with diet and digestion but from what I know, they should be mildly helpful. I guess that's the theme, mild... no bitterness. Remember, don't pour boiling water into your cup. Let it cool for a minute. Your tea will be better. -This tea is great. It smells great it taste amazing. It even turns the water a very pretty color. I like my tea with creamer and it goes well with a vanilla. The flavor is not too strong it it perfect for a warm drink. -Illy's coffee drink has exactly the right balance of sweetness and coffee flavor. Drinking it ice cold on a hot 90 degree day is refreshing.This is a beautiful coal black liquid. The espresso flavor comes through very nicely, good intense coffee flavor, with a hint of tartness. Sometimes I like syrup sweet drinks, but mostly I drink coffee black. I've tried iced coffee before, and generally don't like it. This drink, on the other hand, has just exactly the right hint of sugar sweetness (not sweetener or high fructose corn syrup sweetness). The drink has a good mouth feel, slightly thicker than water with a creamy finish. The aftertaste is surprisingly nice, a good coffee flavor.What I particularly like about this drink, it has an authentic espresso coffee flavor without being masked by heavy cream, milk, or sugar. Compared to any Starbucks drink, this is head and shoulders better. A wonderful cold beverage for the summer. -I loved the taste and the texture. The popcorn was fluffy, had just enough caramel and fudge, and was not too sweet. To submit a proper review, I consumed three 5.3 oz packages during one evening. I had to be sure; yes this is an item I will be buying. I also shared them with my family; same review. I highly recommend this snack item. -Vitamin Squeeze Energy drink is a concentrated fruit punch flavored water additive. The taste is very similar to Kool Aid. The Vitamin Squeeze is a nice change of pace and can really spruce-up tap water. Vitamin Squeeze is also very good at masking any chlorine-taste that tap water sometimes has.The only word of caution I have about this product is that a little bit goes a long way. It is fairly difficult to control portion size. The bottle claims that it contains 24 servings, but I found that a natural squeeze-serving gave me about 12-14 servings. It is very easy to squeeze too hard.That said, there are zero sugars, zero calories and a host of vitamins and minerals (especially vitamin C). With all the positive health benefits of vitamin C and none of the calories of juices, the Vitamin Squeeze is a good product. -I am not a big fan of the traditional Butterfinger bars, because I find the peanut butter entirely too crisp for my liking. However, I really like this product. I find that the chocolate is incredibly creamy, and the peanut butter center is not as crisp as a traditional Butterfinger bar, but creamier with just enough "Butterfinger crunch" to add interest.I like how they are packed. Unlike competing peanut butter cups, there are no paper wrappers around the candy. The candy is simply formed in the shape of a cup. I like this because it's less packaging and requires less effort to unwrap and consume.I consider this product a treat -- a candy product, after all. So I'm not going to belabor the nutritional value of the product. However, I am surprised that the entire package only clocks-in at 230 calories, which makes it ideal for an afternoon pick-me-up. I wouldn't eat these every day, of course, but a couple times a week wouldn't be too bad.These were a great surprise, and I recommend them if you enjoy peanut butter cups...or Butterfinger bars...or both. -The Fischer & Wieser Mango Ginger Habanero Sauce does add flavor and sweetness to food. I think it has a good balance of sweetness and doesn't overpower the food, but I love sweet sauces - that's just me. :)It is different, and I like to try new sauces, and I will purchase it again. -Like any food product, your opinion of the product will depend on your taste preferences and also your expectations. I think if the product were closer to my expectations I would have ranked it higher.The cookies are thin and crispy. It says that on the package, but I had expected something a bit different. There is simply not that much fruit in the cookies. I think the best way you could describe the fruit would be to call it very small chips or pieces of fruit. You get a hint of fruit but not enough to really satisfy any real desire for the fruit. I suspect the name "Newtons" and the fact that it has figs lead me to expect a taste somewhat like a Fig Newton. The cookies taste nothing like the soft, fig laden Newtons I am used to.The cookies are not that sweet. There is a strong taste of honey but they remind me more of an English Tea Biscuit than a cookie.The package has resealable clasps on the end which makes opening and resealing the package easy and it keeps the cookies fresh.There is nothing wrong with the taste. In fact they cookies taste very good. But if I want the taste of figs, I would prefer Fig Newtons.I cannot know your taste preference and I would suggest that my taste is probably different than yours. Therefore if you understand that the cookies are thin and crisp, not too sweet and with just the hint of figs, you will probably be pleased with them. If you are looking for a softer, sweet cookie with lots of figs, this will disappoint you. -My favorite tea isYogi Green Tea Mint Garden, which is just green tea and some mint. It's great. So, with an opportunity for a new, somewhat similar type of tea, I was excited that it sounded almost like a cross between Chai Tea and their own Mint Garden. And I wasn't disappointed.To me, this tastes like a cross between their Mint Garden tea andOregon Chai, Original. It's not sweetened by itself (OK, maybe a little with the Stevia leaf, but it's a very robust tea that has all the mint, plus all the spiciness of chai teas. Overall, the taste is excellent.The only downside I can think of is somewhat personal: I enjoy drinking tea at nighttime, and this contains a fairly hearty code of caffeine: just under a cup-of-coffee amount. So, this tea is perfect for everything, except nighttime drinking.Would recommend. -The beverage has a really delicious spiced smell. However, just a sip made my entire mouth feel stung. The sensation faded to a tingle and finally passed, but for me, this drink is too strong. The taste was fine, just not the sensation. A second sip was all to similar to the first and so I passed on the rest of the cup. -This tea is very good. It has a spicy & sweet taste without any sugar! I cannot believe that it is available online at such a great price, too! -When I opened the first pouch for the Ginger Pu'erh Tea Bags by Numi, the aroma was a bit off putting with an odor that seemed slightly bitter and earthy. However, when brewed, it was surprisingly sweet and soothing and one of the most delicious teas I have tried. Its purported health benefits (antioxidants, aid in digestion, energy with a lower amount of caffeine, etc.) are overshadowed by what is a great flavor. Often teas alleged to have health benefits taste terrible or have no real flavor. This one makes a great tea to have with meals. It is easy to see why Pu'erh tea was a favorite of Chinese emperors. -Pu'erh is an odd tea. The smell is very mild, in fact you'll need to purposely put your nose close to your cup in order to get a scent but when you do it's mildly unpleasant...a bit like rotting garbage unfortunately. The tea doesn't taste bad. I can't think what to equate the flavor with. I've heard others describe it as smoky so maybe that's apt. I might have used the word muddy or earthy especially when describing the aftertaste. There are no bright notes. It's very mild and smooth tasting both on its own and when honey and milk are added. I'm left with a neutral reaction. Perhaps this is one of those tastes that gradually appeal more with greater exposure? -These got a mixed review at my house. My hubby is not a chocolate fan and he thought these were quite good. I love chocolate and thought these were so-so. The candy is creamy and smooth with the caramel swirls blended in at the same consistancy as the chocolate so there's no problem with caramel sticking to your teeth. On the other hand, the chocolate is overly sweet, kind of waxy and doesn't have a very rich flavor. I might buy these on impulse if they were on sale but they aren't good enough to be considered worth the calories on most days. -I am a raw vegan with a heavy load of health issues, including Celiac Disease and food allergies. I but rarely eat commercially prepared snack/nutritional bars because typically they don't meet my dietary requirements. I much prefer the nutritional bars I prepare myself but being chronically ill and disabled, I don't always feel well enough to go through the effort. But living in hurricane country on the Gulf coast of Florida, I do like to have some kind of food bar on hand in my hurricane pantry along with my other emergency supplies.I was excited to findPure Bar Organic Chocolate Brownie, Raw Fruit & Nut Bar, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)and have not been disappointed in the least. First of all, PURE meets all my dietary requirements for food bars: it must be organic; it must be raw; it must be vegan; it must be gluten free; it must not contain GMOs, preservatives, soy, refined sugar or trans fat; it must taste good.These chocolate brownie bars are the best! I agree 100% with reviewer Tennyson E. Stead who stated so well that these are the "closest thing I've ever experienced to eating a brownie fresh from the oven in a packaged food." Really! A brownie doesn't get better than this! The Pure Bars are small but dense and quite satisfying although I could easily eat two at a time. They are moist, chewy, naturally sweet and have no added sodium. The chocolate is rich and not compromised by carob, the fruits are flavorful and sweet, the nuts fresh tasting. All the flavors are bright and nicely balanced without a trace of rancidity or moldiness, a problem I've experienced with other bars, particularly Larabar.The Pure Bar label is easy to read and contains all the nutritional information I like to see. I'm happy too that PURE Bar is certified organic and a supporter of the Celiac Disease Foundation.I am definitely going to stock up onPure Bar Organic Chocolate Brownie, Raw Fruit & Nut Bar, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)on a regular basis because I indulge in them often, not just during hurricane season! Amazon's Subscribe and Save Program is THE way to go too! I am also signed up forPure Bar Organic Wild Blueberry, Raw Fruit & Nut Bar, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)andPure Bar Organic Cherry Cashew, Raw Fruit & Nut Bar, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)which are also wonderful. But hands down,Pure Bar Organic Chocolate Brownie, Raw Fruit & Nut Bar, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)is my favorite and I love it best! -Numi Organic Pu-Erh Ginger Tea has a very mild ginger flavor, but the more you sip the tea, the more the flavor builds. It tried it first without sweetening, and the taste was not bitter. I then added a spoon of sugar, my normal way to drink hot tea, and the taste was very pleasant. However, with my second cup, I added honey and lemon juice, and then the tea became delightful and soothing. Very relaxing and comforting after a hard day at work. I drink coffee and tea every day, and I look forward to finding new varieties to enjoy. Numi Tea has an admirable mission statement: "Numi inspires well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea. Our company is rooted in the principle of creating a healthful product that nurtures people and honors the planet. With all of our company initiatives, we strive to foster a healthy, thriving global community while bringing you the purest, best-tasting organic tea." The tea is certified organic, claims many health benefits, the tea bags are biodegradable, and the boxes are made with recycled materials. The Ginger Tea is a pleasant cuppa, and I will definitely try other varieties of Numi Tea. -I have tried more than 6-7 lipton flavors and each one of them is good in its own way. Each of them have pure all natural ingredients.It is very relaxing and definitely worth trying. I typically alternate between different flavors. -This chocolate is only 54% cocoa solids. Given that many of the better bittersweet or dark chocolates have 65-80% cocoa solids, that gives a lot of room for other ingredients, which in this case is sugar. Although being organic, you get the high falutin sounding "evaporated cane juice", which is, of course, sugar. Although the chocolate flavor is good, this bar is on the sweet side. So if you are looking for something stronger or with a sharper edge, you should avoid this one. However, if you have a sweet tooth, and want a good fruity chocolate flavor, this chocolate would be to your liking. -I am very impressed that there isn't any type of sweetener or salt in this Baby Gourmet Organic baby food. It is surprisingly difficult to find baby food without salt and some type of sugar. The ingredients in this formula are: Organic pear, organic broccoli, organic spinach, ascorbic acid, organic lemon juice concentrate.The packaging lists it as 2 servings, but I think most babies can/will eat the entire package. This is not always the case, though, so the twist on/off lid makes it very convenient for storing in the refrigerator. The one thing I don't like is that it's difficult to see/feel if you've really gotten all of the food out of the pouch. The food is quite expensive, and I don't like the thought of not being able to get every little drop out of the packaging.All in all, this is a great food -- tastes great, has wonderful ingredients, doesn't have unnecessary additives, and is very convenient. -I love to have meal bars in my purse because they are great when I don't have time to stop and eat a snack (and might otherwise reach for fast food). However, many of them have long ingredient lists or leave something to be desired in flavor. These Pure bars address this completely. Much like the Lara bars they have a short list of minimally processed ingredients. If you're tried of bars with lots of additives or ingredients you cannot pronounce you will likely find this refreshing. The taste is also pretty decent. Granted, it's all a matter of personal preferences, but I find these okay to eat. It's not something I would excitedly eat over dessert, but i's definitely palatable and reminds me of a blueberry muffin. If you've tried the Lara bars I would say the flavor and consistency are very similar. That said, they are definitely not as tasty or texturally appealing as the bars that have more ingredients (i.e. Odwalla or Luna). Of course, it's all about making tradeoffs so if a long ingredient list doesn't bother you, you may prefer the other two brands. However, if you're looking for somehting with a short ingredient list that is raw, vegan, gluten-free, or certified organic this is a good choice.The bottom line is this. I personally think it's hard to make a bar with only a few ingredients that are all natural that tastes as good as the more processed bars, but overall this one does a pretty good job. -Flavor: It has a reasonably bold flavor, which I like (I find k-cups are often weak in flavor relative to what you'd get at a coffee shop for instance). And it doesn't have a much acidity or after taste - clean finish. I wouldn't call it complex or particularly interesting - just a good basic coffee.Packaging - regular box. Would have preferred a perforated top that can store in the cabinet without pulling it out to get the kcups. -As we've all seen, there are numerous energy drinks out there. Many of them are loaded with artificial chemicals. For those who are interested in something more natural, Nestle has released this drink and you should consider it.As far as the ingredients go, they are all natural (with the exception of added carbonation which isn't a big deal). The first ingredients are apple juice and lemon juice so that should tell you something. No artificial colors or flavors. If you like apple juice, this one tastes pretty good. It's not a strong apple flavor as there is no added sugar other than what occurs naturally in the apple juice.As far as energy? What can I say? It works. Charged me right up and I didn't crash afterwords which is nice. The cans are 90 calories each which is from the natural sugar in the apple juice. Of course, this means you shouldn't drink half a dozen of these in a day as those calories will rise pretty quickly. All in all, this is a great, natural energy drink that won't drain you after two hours. -When I have a choice of potato chips I always choose a thick cut kettle cooked chip like these ones. Locally we have a company that does this type like very well, but Kettle brand chips are always a close second favorite.The Sriracha flavor of this one is very close to the real thing, but a bit more mild. I didn't expect to be able to finish the bag with a real Sriracha heat, but I didn't have a problem with these.Overall the chips are tasty, they have very nice potato flavor and a great crunch! I like the bag size also as it satisfies my chip craving without eating too many. -It's very tasty but very high in calories. I use a little in my yogart instead of a bowl of cereal; because of the calories. The ingredients are healthy, lots of good stuff.The recommended serving size is only 1/3 cup and that's 130 calories before the milk. it has 3.5g of unsaturated fat, 5g fiber but only 6g of sugar; it's loaded with carbs 22g and only 20g of sodium. It's whole grains (oats, brown rice, buckwheat,amaranth, millet, quinoa) flax seed, cane juice, canola, molasses, cinnamon, sea salt with added vitamin E, chicory root,and it's glutten free -The color of the bar isn't appetizing; however, the taste is pleasant though a little too nutty for my preference. I have organic products in the past...and well...this definitely superior to those..this one actually tasted good....many of the others left a cardboard sensation with a nasty medicinal aftertaste. This one did not. No added sugar as far as I can tell. The kids didn't like it because it wasn't sweet enough...but isn't that the point of being organic...getting away from processed sugars and stuff. -First, I am not a HUGE cookie fan. I tend to like savory or salty snacks, or cake. But I do love chocolate and peppermint patties (York,or the former "After Eight" thin mints)/ These cookies were a pleasing surprise for me, because it combines both, while leaving the cookie moist and flavorful. Some cookies that include mint, are just a little too dry for me. Since there is actual peppermint filling, as opposed to just peppermint-flavored cookie, I liked these cookies very much. I gave these cookies a 4/5 due to the texture and flavor based on my tastes. If the chocolate was a tad sweeter I may have given them a 5. Overall, a fun, refreshing and different snack-give them a try! -Not what I would call a cold season tea, Blackberry Vanilla Caffeine Free Herbal Tea from Lipton has a very interesting fruity flavor, more reminiscent of a spring day than the upcoming fall season.The tea has a strong tart side so I would recommend reducing the brew time from the recommended 4 to 6 minutes. Do not be put off by the deep red color, it makes you think raspberry but that is not the flavor that you will taste.For a change, I brewed four pyramid bags in three cups of water and after it cooled, poured it over a glass of ice. This is my preferred method of drinking it. I do not like sugar in my tea, but decided to give it a little whirl. Something happened with this mix, because I came away with an artificial aftertaste. If you prefer more of a black tea taste in you iced tea, add an extra Lipton orange pekoe bag. A perfect combination.Overall, a good product for warm weather drinking, excellent iced and the tart flavor hits the right spot. -I have been drinking a lot of green tea, every day, for about 8 years, when I heard that it might help with allergies. I have terrible dst/pollen allergies which manifest as an itchy throat and uncontrollable cough, and have never found anything to control it. And green tea works.Lipton regular green tea is good, and with the blackberry and pomegranate flavors added, this is a super good-for-you and a super delicious drink. I drink it hot and cold. Try it with a little honey!!! -I just tried this Puroast Low Acid Coffee and from first impressions the coffee is very nice and the low acid nature helps with the sour-y aftertaste that I generally experience when drinking black coffee.I tried the coffee several different ways; black , with cream & sugar, and even with condensed milk. The coffee was made in aKeurig B-70 B70 Platinum Single-Cup Home Brewing Systemwith the my Solofill Cup, Refillable K-Cup For Keurig K-Cup Brewers, Red k-cup filter that allows me to use the coffee of my choice. In all instances I filled the my k-cup to the brim of the filler pod and gently tapped but not tamping the grounds. the water temperature is set to the max (which i believe is about 208 F) and made the largest serving available. This is how I usually drink my coffee in the morning whether in a my k-cup or using the disposable kcups so its the best for me to judge the difference.Even in the largest serving, the coffee is still plenty bold and has great aroma and body. I generally avoid drinking black coffee because of that acidic aftertaste that I don't particularly like. That is the reason that I generally use both cream and sugar. With this low acid blend, I can definitely drink this black if that's what I'm in the mood for. -The best thing about this mint-mocha coffee is that the flavor is more subtle than in a lot of flavored brews. I generally drink my coffee black and enjoy even the cheapest brands, so I'm not looking for added flavors to overwhelm the basic taste. This one is mild but still distinctive.On the other hand, at $2 a pod I'd never buy it for myself. We'll finish this sample and then not ever purchase it. -This version of the water flavor enhancer has too little flavor for too much money. My husband took half of the bottle to work with him to use during his breaks. He said he used the entire half bottle in one regular bottle of aquafina water. It gave it so little flavor it just made it undrinkable. I would buy other flavors of the MIO but not this one! -This is the first time I've used this brand. It appears to be the same as other brands I've tried (Trader Joe's and Harvest something?), and they all seemed about the same to me - I never had two side-by-side to do a taste or cooking test, but using them one after the other, I was unable to distinguish between them.I know the Trader Joe's brand was half the price of the first brand we tried, but I don't remember how their price compares to Viva Labs.My mother-in-law, who happened to be here when we opened the Viva Labs jar, said it was far more coconut flavored than the brands she has tried. For some things, I'd count that as a positive, but most recently, we made home-made Magic Shell, and the coconut flavor was a bit too strong for putting on flavored ice creams.But, in short, next time I go to buy a jar, I'll check this brand out and see how it compares price-wise with what I get locally.Note: I was given this jar by the manufacturer in exchange for a review (whether positive or negative). -I really liked these. The apple and cinnamon flavors are mild and natural-tasting, and the texture of the crackers is very good. They're not as crumbly as regular graham crackers -- perhaps because of the added oats. While I used this package just for snacking, I think I'll try making a cheesecake crust with my next package. I think it will add a delicious "kick" to the crust. -The tea has a nice spice flavor, medium dark reddish brown coloring, and light aroma. I did not find the tea to be as spicy as some other brands, but it was delicious none the less. -I got theses yesterday, tried a couple, and put them out on the counter. Everyone in the house has been grabbing one as they walk by. There are only three left.These cookies are light,crispy and flavorful. They're just sweet enough to satisfy without loading you up with sugar.These are a winner. I'm going to snag one of the last ones now while I have a chance. -I got into herbal teas a few years ago and went crazy, trying many different flavors. I eventually realized that there were two general classes of teas: those padded with hibiscus and rose hips, and those more pure (less flowery) in flavor. Lipton Blackberry Vanilla falls into the former category, with an immediate taste and fragrance of rose. If you drink herbal teas, you likely already know if this is a good or bad thing to you. Otherwise, the color is dark and beautiful, and the blackberry flavor is pronounced and good. The vanilla is appropriately subtle.Whether sweetened or straight, I found this tea very pleasant and soothing. If you don't mind eating a bouquet, it will likely please you too. -It is nearly impossible to get my teenager to drink water, so these Mio flavor enhancers are a lifesaver in our house! I personally prefer the peach tea one because it has a more natural flavor, and I think this one is a bit sharp on the throat if you use enough to get a good flavor (not really a burning sensation but you feel it, if that makes sense). My younger son doesn't like them at all because he feels they're either too weak and they bother his throat if he makes it strong enough. We now have five flavors in the house to give my teenager variety and to keep him drinking water. They are definitely worth a try, as each person will have individual tastes. -I'll confess I've never heard of the Pu'erh tree, and since I am an herbal tea, rather than a black tea drinker, I had some reservations about whether I would like this because I was afraid it would taste too much like black tea. I'm pleased to report it does not. It has a unique flavor that I really don't know how to describe. The box describes it as "earthy" and that's as good a description as any. The other flavor it is infused with is ginger. It was the addition of the ginger that prompted me to try this as I love the flavor of ginger, so I was disappointed to find that I can neither smell nor taste any ginger in this tea.What I like about it is that those are the only two ingredients: Pu'erh and Ginger, both organic. You can't get purer than that, and I like that there are no hidden ingredients I have to worry about. While the flavor is earthy, it is not strong, even when I leave the tea bag in to steep while drinking the tea. -I find it sometimes bemusing to write reviews on tea, this being my second or third review of various teas. However, that said, I am no expert conesour when it comes to tea so my review is completely from a layman's perspective. This tea is nice with a strong hint of fruitiness. It is not bitter and does not leave a filmy aftertaste in your mouth like some do. Overall, it is pleasant to drink and, given all the benefits of green tea, I highly recommend this as something a little different if you enjoy green tea. thanks. -Whew! These things... man, these things are delicious.If you like white chocolate, buy these. At the price (a quarter a pop) they're well worth it.The white chocolate shell on these is soft, sort of flexible. Inside is a white chocolate filling that is DELICIOUS. Several guests have tried these, and it's fun watching their eyes go wide when the flavor hits. These make for a decadent treat and look really classy left in a bowl for guests. Of all the individually wrapped bonbons or truffles I've had, I think these are my favorite. The white chocolate really is just so luxurious and delicious.FIVE STARS! -I'm a big chile head.I fancy myself as a connoisseur of hot chiles, an aficionado of hot stuff, if you will. Let's say it right off the bat, this sauce is not that hot. Considering that the chile ingredient is Habanero, which is a 10 on the hot temperature scale, I was quite surprised. I grow many different type of chiles, including Habaneros and use them for cooking, sauces etc. The Habanero is very difficult to work into a sauce. even a salsa because it is so hot and dominate. Not so with this sauce. There is just a taste of heat, mostly as an afterburner that hardly effects the overall taste.The fusion of exotic ingredients creates new flavors that work quite nicely. So if you think this might be too hot, fear not, it is just very tasty. It is an excellent grilling sauce. It works well with fish and chicken best but do not limit your choices. Anything that you want to perk up will benefit from this delicious sauce. I recently ran out of my favorite New Mexico chile honey for my breakfast toast(I told you I was a chile head)so after reading the ingredients of this sauce I decided to spread some on my toast. It was an outstanding flavor for the toast, with just a hint of heat. The first two listed ingredients are sugar and honey so you see it is actually rather sweet. Another use for this sauce I tried, that is a little unconventional too, but not for a chile head though, is to mix it in a soft cheese,like goat cheese. Try this spread over crackers for a real treat. Anyway, I thought I would just throw in a few suggestions that I tried this flavorful sauce on that you might try. I highly recommend this sauce to spice up your life! -I don't care if it is just juice concentrate, reconstituted with carbonated water instead of plain water -- the stuff tastes good! The carbonation makes it taste nice and light, instead of super-sweet or -strong like many juices. As a heartfelt devourer of all things cherry, I really liked this Switch black cherry drink.On the other hand, it was so tasty, so light, so refreshing, that I easily could have knocked down three or four of these SMALL 8.3 ounce cans. However, seeing as the primary ingredient is (reconstituted) APPLE juice (that's right, NOT cherry!) and the tiny can has 130 Calories of sugars (natural to the juice, I'm sure, but still) - it is probably a good thing the can is so small, or I'd have had 500 calories just like that! Even Coke only has about 100 calories per 8 ounces!Anyway, Switch tastes awesome. When I get more, I want to try it as a mixer with vodka. And I wish the flavor was a little bit more cherry and less apple/grape. -This aromatic tea is pure pleasure - spicy, fragrant and relaxing, while at the same time being an ideal first-tea-of-the-day wake-up. Its warming tones mellows out any irritations you might wake up to and the scent of the tea as it steeps is heavenly. The only drawback is the fact that it only has 16 bags in the box!! This could easily become a fixation tea for me, if I wanted to totally break away from all the other great teas in my collection. A truly wonderful addition to my tea pantry, and one I plan on keeping in stock. -I was pleasantly surprised by this drink. It really doesn't have any added sugar, and the flavor is very natural. The carbonation is light, so if you're looking for something with a lot of kick, this might not suit you. But I think it compliments the fruit flavor nicely.Two things took me aback: First, that the can was just a bit over 8oz, which is small for those of us used to normal-size carbonated beverage cans. And second, in spite of having no added sugar, it's really quite sweet. I found it almost too sweet for my taste.It's a nice change from soda, but given the amount you get for the price, I don't think it's a great deal. -OK, let me start out by saying that I love nuts and none more so than cashews. Whenever there is a bowl of them at a party, you will find me nearby happily munching away. And so when I saw that these cashews came “lightly roasted with natural sea salt and a hint of pepper,” let’s just say that I was intrigued.I got the canister of the nuts (I like the new packaging that Emerald has come up with), I cracked it open and poured out a handful for inspection. What I noticed right off the bat was that there wasn’t a hint of black pepper on these nuts, there was a shout! That’s right, at least with the nuts I got, there was more pepper on the nuts than salt.Never one to turn my back on cashews I started munching. As other reviewers have said, the taste of pepper was very strong, making eating them an entirely new experience. Depending on what you are drinking, these hot little nuts might really do it for you. But, when my entire family had gathered around it was found that I was the only one who found them to be edible. They are quite different and quite interesting, but they are definitely not for everyone.So, while my family gives them a firm thumbs down, I give them a guarded thumb’s up. Are they terrible, ruined cashews? I don’t think so...just know what you are getting. -I brewed the Gevalia Dark Chocolate Truffle coffee both in a Cuisinart automatic brew coffee maker and a french press. I followed the instructions on the package - 1 rounded tablespoon for each 6 ounce cup of coffee. I found the same taste results with both methods. I like a good cup of black coffee but am not fanatical about it. I do grind fresh bold or medium body beans each morning and use filtered water to prepare the pot.As someone who usually adds a little espresso or instant espresso powder to most chocolate recipes I know this flavor combination is a wonderful marriage. Depending on the percentage of espresso to chocolate, the result is either a deep mocha flavor with the coffee playing a major role, or a small addition will result in complex chocolate flavor with no obvious coffee component. Unfortunately, with the Gevalia Dark Chocolate Truffle coffee the merger of coffee and chocolate adversely affected both the coffee and the chocolate flavor.There is a definite aftertaste from the artificial flavor, and the coffee itself is bitter and acidic. I do not know if the artificial flavor affected the coffee or the coffee is bitter and acidic on its own but, after each sip I had an involuntary puckering reaction, not my lips, but the inside of my cheeks as if I was consuming something containing acetic acid, like vinegar, not that it tasted like vinegar - it didn't. The flavor was remarkably unpleasant, and when the cup cooled off, it tasted worse. Even the aroma while brewing smelled artificial.The other reviewers who mention how greatly improved the flavor became once cream was added is an indication of a consistent problem. I love the taste of coffee and like it unadorned - no cream or sugar. I only add cream if I am in a restaurant and the coffee doesn't taste good. I use the cream to doctor-it-up in hopes of salvaging some of the flavor and masking the poor aspects whether caused by bitterness or coffee that's been sitting in the pot too long. This coffee is no exception, the cream vastly improved the drinkability, but the action is akin to smearing butter on a day old roll. Underneath it is still a stale roll, and although the butter tastes delicious, it would not be accurate to call the combination a buttery delight.On the positive side, flavored coffees are usually light body and the Gevalia is definitely medium body. The packaging is quite attractive and the name is clever, but in the end may work against the product because Dark Chocolate Truffle evokes a clear taste profile for most people and the coffee doesn't live up to the name. I am rating the coffee three stars instead of less because if the purchaser always uses cream in their coffee, many of the taste issues I encountered should be if not resolved, at least mitigated. -I like the texture of these chips. They are lighter and crisper and less dense/hard than typical tortilla chips and therefore much kinder to the interior of my mouth. These chips remind me of Bugles, not in shape but in texture. To me the chili lime version is too spicy hot but my daughter and son in law don't agree. We all liked the ranch flavor, both straight from the bag and with hummus. The chips are good and I appreciate that they have less fat and fewer calories. But they are not so great that I would go out and buy more. -I'm trying my first bar of PURE Organic Cherry Cashew Raw Fruit and Nut Bar as I type this. The package contains all vital information including ingredients, and a list of all the positive things it has in it (rich in Omega 3's, etc.) as well as a list of what it does not have (like gluten, diary, soy, transfats, etc.). The bar itself is dark brown and fairly soft. As I bite into it, the texture is pleasing and right away I can see a few small bits of nuts and dates. The taste is pleasing, with tart cherries balancing the taste of dates. Fortuantely, there is no "sawdust" feel as I swallow, just a bit of grainyness that you might expect from a healthy raw fruit and nut bar. All in all, a very pleasant and tasty experience. -This back to nature cereal with summer berries was delicious but gone in 2 1/2 bowls. Maybe I have really bigbowls? It has an excellent flavor, much better than other cardboard varieties and the berries seemed real, notrubbery. Flakes soaked up milk quickly and weren't scratchy. Just right amount of sweetness unless you are addicted to sugar. Didn't have that dry musty taste of high fiber cereals. -Initial responses:Sight - looks like a green tea in color. Realize that there are solid chunks in the drink (I think it might be the aloe). I like the fact that all the ingredients are recognizable. I think the only thing that might be acting as a preservative is the citric acid.Smell - floral and citrus - smells really good.Feel - the chunks are noticeable in the mouth when drinking. Somewhat difficult to drink as the chunks either get stuck in my teeth and block the flow of tea (not joking) or get stuck on the outside of my mouth. Otherwise refreshing.Taste - The chunks are like little explosions of flavor. I am fairly certain that the chunks are aloe vera. The green tea taste is distinct but not overpowering. The passion fruit flavor gives this a very floral taste. Sweet to the taste. Leaves a lingering bitterness/tartness after drinking. Somewhat unpleasant.Overall impressions:This is a relatively low calorie (80) and somewhat refreshing drink. However, the amount of sugar within (and this is a considerable factor) and the related taste associations keep me from giving this more stars. This drink has 19g of sugar, the equivalent of about 1 1/3 tablespoon. It is the second ingredient listed. Granted, some of the sugars may come from the Aloe Vera (or even perhaps the passion fruit flavor?). But based on the Mayo Clinic's analysis of 2010 Dietary recommendations, by having this one drink you've already had over 1/9 of your daily recommended sugar for men, and over 1/6 for women. This is a little disconcerting, in my opinion. When you look at something (especially like tea, and aloe, and passion fruit) like this drink, you think of things that are generally healthy. There's just so much sugar in this that it becomes difficult for me to give this a more positive review.I think that the only redeeming aspect of this is that the calories are not ALL empty calories (like a soda) as you're assumedly getting antioxidants from the green tea - but why not just drink green tea in that case? -I loved these savory teas. Granted, I've not tried other brands, so I've no comparison. I thought each of the flavors was clear and strong--though I steeped mine quite longer than the recommended 10 minutes. At the recommended time, the flavor was just piquing. Letting them go about twice that brought them to a fullness I enjoyed.I take mine with just a pinch of salt, enough to enhance both the savory and sweet notes, and the flavors were delicious. I will definitely buy these again, and will keep my eye out for other combinations. -Very pleasant tea-drinking experience indeed from beginning to end.From the start, the tea bags are quite exotic and classy looking.The aroma of the tea as it steeps is "berry" mild, while the color is vibrant!The flavor of the tea is quite powerful even with very little sweetner added. My husband Patrick & I enjoyed the experience immensely.One caution, since the color is so vibrant, be careful of staining opportunities. -It is a perfect cup of tea to replace a soup. I drink it hot with a sandwich for lunch or dinner. It has all the savory flavors of the soup without heaviness and calories. -Numi Teas are the most wonderful teas I've tasted in a long time. I recently became acquainted with them at an event where they were the tea of choice on the dessert table. I used to love Tazo but Numi is my new favorite. First off, as soon as you open the box, the fragrance of the tea hits you. And cardamom has to be one of the most glorious fragrances on the planet. It's a sweet, gentle fragrance that affects my mood and makes me happy. It also tastes good (cardamom, in general, tastes amazing in everything - I wonder why we Americans don't use it more regularly). This tea also has a slightly spicy flavor but not as spicy as say a strong chai tea. I have tried this with a little milk but prefer it without in general.Pu-erh Tea is a tea that is fermented as opposed to oxidized. I believe traditional oolong black teas and green teas are oxidized. Oxidized teas do have a lot of health benefits but apparently, fermented tea also has numerous benefits without the punch of caffeine. Fermented tea is reportedly better for the digestive process than oxidized teas but I don't know what the science really is on that.Delicious, richness in a cup. Price is a bit high but it really is a lovely tea. Maybe as a treat. -This is a very good tasting granola. The almonds in the "banana nut" flavor are very hard, so if this is not a problem go for it and try it out! The cost is high for such a small amount of granola and it doesn't last long even buying it in bulk packages of pack of six in 12 ounce packs. It's all natural which is good, but for the cost I think it would be worth the time to buy the ingredients yourself to save some money. -Taste? Ok. The strawberry and banana flavors weren't bad, but there is an acidic bite to the drink as well. Tastes like Red Bull mixed up with Hawaiian Punch.Healthy? Naw. 20 grams of sugar. All natural ingredients . . . but I doubt it is any healthier than your average soda.Energy? Yep. Same caffeine as a cup of coffee.Overall: If you want to wake up in the morning without drinking coffee or Diet Coke, this could be your drink of choice. The flavor is not great, but its comparable with the other energy drinks out there and you will get your caffeine fix. -Compared to other teas, this has a light spicy flavor. I tried it after a large meal and it did help the food digest. It is a pleasant way to end a meal. No need to add sugar to this tea. It does not have the deeply bitter taste of most black teas. Will be buying this and other Puerh brands from now on. -I am an avid black tea drinker. And while I've had unflavored pu'eh tea, I've found that it tastes rather like dirt. It is very well suited, though, to be the base of a flavored tea. And that is why I wanted to give this a try.First, the good. The spicing is absolutely appropriate. I've had some 'chai' teas that are WAY over-flavored. This tea's spice is great. The cardonon is very flavorful without being overpowering.But I must say that I was expecting a more robust tea all around (pu'eh may taste like dirt on its own, but it is a pretty full-flavored tea). Even though the spice was decent, the pu'eh seemed very weak as a 'base' in this tea. So, the taste is spice and nothing behind it.I was also amazed that this tea is packaged as 'higher caffeine' because I wouldn't have known that from drinking the tea. IF there is more caffiene in here than in my customary Irish or Scottish Breakfast, I couldn't tell.So, there you have it; a 3 star tea. That may just say more about my personal taste for robust and strong teas, but if you have similar preferences, this tea may not be your cup ot tea. -I have been trying Viva Labs #1 Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil in several recipes the last two weeks. It has enhanced each one of them like no other coconut oil I have used in the past. The flavor explosion that came through when used in a spicy shrimp and spaghetti dish was wonderful. I used it to make a coconut and lemon rub for a baked chicken that seemed to come out with extra juice. Even the gravy made from the drippings had a hint of coconut to compliment it.In addition, I used a small amount in an oil warmer. It allowed the room to have a tropical smell for hours and made for a peaceful setting. Aside from the Young Living essential oil line, this seemed to have the longest and most pungent aromatic quality to it. As long as the price becomes reasonably close to other brands, Viva Labs has a winner on their hands! -I got a package of these to review for the Amazon Vine program. I'm not normally a big fan of these add to water drinks. But, this one is really good. It's not as much green tea as it is mango and pineapple. If you're a tea lover, you might not like this so much. It's very fruity. I like the fact that it's not all artificially sweetened even though it does contain an artificial sweetener. At least there is some honey in it. I would definitely buy these. I couldn't keep them away from my daughters and my wife. -Since I am a fan of flavored coffee, particularly coffee flavored with natural ingredients, I knew I had to try this coffee. As soon as I opened the package to brew a pot, my kitchen smelled of hints of vanilla (my four year old son even asked me if I was baking something). If anything, the aroma is most satisfying when drinking this coffee, but the taste isn't too strong. In sum, this coffee is good because of its aroma and delicious taste. I am certainly impressed with Starbucks' new vanilla addition, and I will most definitely continue purchasing this coffee. For a two pack purchase on Amazon, the price is quite reasonable. Bottom line: if you enjoy drinking a nice scented coffee, this one is a must-try! -This tea has a nice orange aroma to it. The flavor of this tea is somewhat subtle even though I let it steep for several minutes. The color remained pale. I like the pyramid shaped bags of this tea. Besides being cute, the pyramid shape is supposed to help the tea flavors infuse better.While this tea is not bad, as far as orange flavored teas go, I much prefer theBigelow Decaffeinated Constant Comment Tea. -I loved these savory teas. Granted, I've not tried other brands, so I've no comparison. I thought each of the flavors was clear and strong--though I steeped mine quite longer than the recommended 10 minutes. At the recommended time, the flavor was just piquing. Letting them go about twice that brought them to a fullness I enjoyed.I take mine with just a pinch of salt, enough to enhance both the savory and sweet notes, and the flavors were delicious. I will definitely buy these again, and will keep my eye out for other combinations. -Practically perfect like Mary herself! Boy these cookies are awesome - it's a good thing I got only one cookie cup - I can see eating these for ten days straight. Very fresh with just the right cookie to fudge ratio.Winner! So much so I gave them out at Halloween! -The larger percentage of the ingredients in these bars seems to be the fruit, but it is not extremely sweet. The texture reminds me of a thick fruit-roll up with some nuts and other ingredients pressed in to it. The flavor is just okay. I wouldn't buy them for their flavor but I would if I really needed a fast and healthy gluten-free snack handy. -If you enjoy flavored coffee and like dark chocolate this is the coffee for you. The chocolate flavor is super rich. In fact, for my taste I made the coffee a second time and stronger because at first the chocolate flavor seemed to diminsh any taste of coffee.Strong it makes a very nice espresso and we especially like it for after dinner coffee due to the sweetness.It's not my morning brew but later in the day delish! -These Peeled Snacks Organic Apple Clusters are a healthy choice if you want something sweet with a good crunch. My wife, two kids (6yo and 3yo) and I all enjoyed this snack. The clusters have a strong apple flavor and are pretty sweet. The flavor is almost exactly that of the Kirkland freeze-dried apple snacks I have purchased from Costco in the past. Organic apple juice is the second ingredient, so it looks like the manufacturer has naturally sweetened this snack. Some may find the sweetness too much, but my family enjoyed them. The clusters are very crunchy. Some may think they are too crunchy. I would purchase these and would like to try other flavors. -QUICK SUMMARY: This highly fudgey cookie is addictive and was gobbled up at a party in no time. However, the cookies themselves are relatively small (just slightly larger than a Thin Mint or Oreo in diameter), and I/we did note a chemical taste not unlike that found inChips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. You'll go through a package quickly both because of the deliciousness and that you really only get 15-18 relatively small cookies. More details follow...PACKAGING:(Note - I received this product through the Vine program and it is possible that packaging will change between the review version and final launch.)The outer wrap is a relatively standard Chips Ahoy pack. Opening it involves lifting a tab on the front, which reveals three rows of cookies. While the cookies in my package were intact, I was initially shocked by how much air is in the package. Nabisco clearly re-used the tray from other cookie products, and these cookies do not fill the space. As such, they're probably prone to bounce around and crumble if treated poorly in shipment. The package can be re-sealed by pressing the flap back down and running a finger along the edge to adhere. The cookies didn't last long enough for me to judge whether the package truly prevents the cookies from becoming stale. The seal seems a little looser than I'd like.VISUAL IMPRESSION:The cookies look kind of shabby, to be honest. They don't look like they'd be very chocolaty. Also, the smaller size is quite striking if you're used to the size of a standard Chips Ahoy. (This smaller size likely accounts for the large amount of airspace in the packaging.)FLAVOR:I was blown away by the taste of these. While there is a slight chemical taste, it is the same chemical taste found in any soft-style packaged cookie. The chemical taste is quickly replaced by an explosion of chocolate. One guest I shared these with noted that the cookie tasted a S'more minus the marshmallow. (Idea for Nabisco: S'more flavor!) I was initially concerned that the cookie would be too sweet, but the chocolate filling is kind of dark and semi-sweet which compliments the cookie perfectly. The cookies are also quite rich, and I found myself satisfied after a smaller quantity of cookies than normal.NUTRITION:Well, it's a cookie. You shouldn't be expecting a health food here. It's 150 calories per serving, and a serving is roughly 2 cookies. That seems fairly calorie-dense to me, but your perception may vary. Each serving has 21g of carbs, with 13g of those coming from sugar. There's no trans-fats, and the ingredients list sugar, not HFCS, as the main sweetening ingredient.QUANTITY/VALUE:At $4.32 a package, that's roughly 24-28 cents a cookie or around 50-56 cents a serving (2 cookies). While I didn't pay for this product directly, I have to say that I would not pay over $4 per package for these given the low quantity of cookies. I'd watch for a sale or lower price. -This is not the best herbal tea, but it is decent. When hot, it is a bit tart. It tastes a lot better as an iced tea. It also has a pretty red color when brewed. Though it is labeled as blackberry vanilla, I did not taste any vanilla flavor, nor is vanilla listed as an ingredient. You can get better tasting herbal teas elsewhere, but if you are just looking to grab something caffeine free at the supermarket, this is not too bad. It does contain rose hips as the second ingredient which makes a very healthy tea, high in vitamin C.I don't understand the appeal of using mesh bags for teas. They do not filter tea any better than biodegradable paper tea bags. It is also difficult to get them out and squeeze them with a spoon. -At last a really delicious bread mix that tastes like real bread. I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil and added 5 tablespoons of ground flaxseed. I don't have a bread machine and it was a bit tricky to mix with my old hand mixer but it rose beautifully and baked up perfectly. The smell of freshly baked bread was wonderful. We couldn't wait and cut the loaf before it was completely cool. No problem! The loaf was moist and tasted like real bread. Maybe the flaxseed and coconut oil helped. The bread was fresh for days right up until the last crumb was gobbled up. Sliced thinly, it makes great toast too. I'm not a fan of those bean flours and this bread was much better than the others I have tried. -Izze Sparkling Pomegranate is not too sweet, but it is just as refreshing and fun as sugary soft drinks. The cans are small and stylish, perfect for carrying in your purse or backpack. Kids like it, and the smaller size makes it a more sensible serving.The company is ecologically and socially responsible, too.What's more, this flavor is very nice with a touch of Cointreau for a sophisticated and festive cocktail.An excellent alternative to sodas. -If you think teas is just for when you are sick, you are saddenly mistakenIf you think decaf tea is "weak", I urge you to try again with the Twinnings Irish Breakfast decaf. This isn't a herbal tea that tastes like your neighbors' old grass clippings. This is real tea.This tea has a rich, strong flavor without bitterness. It has a more robust flavor than Twinning's English Breakfast, which is also quite good. This tea is quite good in the morning as a wake up for those of us who have to avoid caffeine. And of course it's great at night because it doesn't have caffeine to keep you up.I recommend everybody and anybody to try this tea. It is yummy. -I would have given this a five star but the price kept it down.I drink Lipton iced tea and this tea is great but I thought it was a little to expensive. -A little smiley sweet-tart candy on a note with a fun design. That's all these are, and I really like the idea. The paper is very similar to the quality of those Valentine's Day card packs for children. The candy is good, if nothing special, and is small enough to even please those on diets. I think most people would like to find one of these hidden in a lunchbag or desk drawer. I see complaints that they don't include a tape strip, but that would make it difficult to pop the candy out of the back. The question is how much these will cost when they go on sale. Given what they are, I don't think they should ask for much. It actually makes more sense to me to sell them in 30-packs for a low price, which would be more useful for teachers. -Savory Tea? As a person who drinks several cups of tea a day, the concept intrigued me. I can typically be found drinking English Black Teas (Earl Grey, Darjeeling, English Breakfast) and Chai. I've been enjoying Numi teas lately because they make an excellentNumi Organic Tea Golden Chai, Full Leaf Black Tea, 18-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 3)and they are one of the few mainstream purveyors ofNumi Organic Tea Emperor's Puerh, Full Leaf Black Tea, 16-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 2), an excellent aged Chinese tea. In fact, one of my favorite teas right now isNumi Organic Tea Chocolate Puerh, Full Leaf Black Tea, 16-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 2), a wonderful combination of aged Pu-Erh and Chocolate that Numi is marketing.That being said, this is a review for the Numi Savory Tea. Who would have thought to combine all of these vegetables with tea? Well, Numi decided to, and here is the result.First, I was surprised the Amazon listing didn't show the kosher symbol like most of the other Numi boxes. If this is a concern for you, rest assured that these are certified Kosher by Rabbi Reuven Flamer at Natural Food Certifiers, shown as the Apple-K (symbol is on the bottom of the box) They are also certified as USDA Organic, Non-GMO, Carbon Free, Certified "B" Corporation, and Halal. Unlike many other organic teas (like Celestial Seasonings), they still individually wrap the tea bags which preserves the flavor and keeps them fresh longer. The bags are stringless however.I would highly recommend you try a sampler pack before committing to a whole box. Numi has done an excellent job here, with 2 flavors each of 6 flavors in the sampler pack. The teas are not just vegetables but include decaffeinated tea as well (two are black, four are green).The black teas are "beet cabbage" and "tomato mint". Unless you are Dwight Schrute or you grew up on Borscht, you likely have the same feelings towards the smell of beets as me. It's good for an indicator of acid/base, but not much else. I brewed it and wasn't surprised I didn't like it. The Tomato Mint was quite a surprise and very interesting. I experimented a bit with it, and found that instead of adding Splenda or Honey, adding Salt greatly brought out the flavor. In fact, it was a bit like a dilute tomato soup, with a kick from the tea and mint. Maybe I should add some tea to my tomato soups in the future?The green teas are Carrot Curry, Broccoli Cilantro, Spinach Chive, and Fennel Spice. Of note is that the Broccoli Cilantro actually contains 90% of your daily requirement of calcium and Fennel Mint contains 50%. So these teas have benefits if you are trying to increase your calcium intake. The green teas were all pretty good, with each improving with the addition of a bit of salt. I know it sounds weird to add salt to tea, but trust me, it brings out the flavor.So why only 4 stars? I have to be honest - I didn't enjoy any of the teas enough to buy them again. Interesting idea but not my "cup of tea". But Numi is a class act and if you like this sort of savory tea, then they have done probably the best job possible of packaging and producing vegetable savory teas for a mass market. -I didn't think I would like this, and I didn't. Now I give it four stars to be fair. FOR a stevia product, I think it's better than most I've had. My husband enjoys the 'taste' of stevia and says this stuff is good. For anyone who hasn't had it, in my opinion, stevia has a sort of "nutrasweety" aftertaste. I don't care for it, but I know others do. If you don't mind stevia flavor, then I think you'll be happy with this. -This is a very smooth tea that blends in the cardamon flavor very well. I could not tell much of a demarcation between the flavors, which is a mark of good tea for me. While the flavors are blended well together, the overall flavor is fairly mild, even with a good amount of steeping. So while this is better than generic tea, it doesn't quite get to the same level as the flavored loose leaf tea from the local shop. -The taste of this bar is OK but not that great. I guess it is just a matter of preference. I have tasted other organic fruit and nut bars and they had a lot more flavor. The ingredients are good for you but with not nuch flavor. -I like hot drinks like coffee & tea, and I like the flavors of lemon and ginger.This drink has a pleasant aroma and a spicy/sweet flavor. The ginger flavor is very strong -- almost like eating a Ginger flavored Altoid. The ginger's spicy flavor lingers in the mouth for a while after each sip.This drink is great for cold days and I bet it'd be super soothing if you had a cold or a sore throat. I may pick some more of this up if I see it at the grocery store. -Are your children asking for soft drinks, but you don't want them to have all that added sugar? This is a wonderful alternative. It's 100% juice with no added sugar. The sugar comes just from the natural juice. The carbonation makes it taste just like a black cherry soda. Also the 8.3 ounce size is ideal for kids or adults who don't want to fill up too much on the typical 12 oz. can of soda. It's not exactly a health drink and you still want to limit your intake of natural sugars, but it gives you the great taste of a soft drink without artificial additives that you find in most soft drinks. Also, with this being real juice you do get some vitamins that you don't in regular soft drinks. The downside for calorie counters is that this 8.3 oz can has about the same calories as a 12 ounce can of soda. -Numi's cardamom Pu'erh tea has a nice spicy scent, but the smell doesn't carry over to the flavor, which isn't bad, but it is bland and lacking in taste. From what I've read, I believe Pu'erh tea is supposed to have health benefits, which is always a benefit.I tried this plain and with added lemon and honey, but just didn't enjoy the taste. -I am always looking for healthy, low calorie snacks, so when I heard about Popchips, I was intrigued. They are crunchy chips that are not fried, and not baked, but created using heat and pressure to make them pop into being. Since I love sweet potato chips in general, I thought I would give these a try.The first thing I noticed was the color. They looked a bit lighter in color to other sweet potato chips I have tried, and I think this is due to them not being fried. They really looked the same color as fresh, cooked sweet potatoes. I did not notice any particular smell, other than good old sweet potatoes. So far so good.In terms of taste, I thought they tasted great. The chips were nice and crispy, with only a hint of salt, so you really got to enjoy the naturally sweet flavor. I can really see that these will help satisfy cravings for something crunchy, something salty, something sweet, and especially something that is all three.The texture is definitely not that of a typical potato chip. They are lighter, crisper, and airy, not as dense as a rice cake, but not as greasy as a typical chip. All in all, I was really pleased with them. Someone looking for a healthy replacement, or enjoys other veggie chip type snacks would really like these, I think. For a die hard chip lover, these would might not satisfy you upon first taste, but give them a couple of chances; personally I loved them.With the snack size bag being 100 calories, I am pretty sold on these as a healthy snack alternative. This would be a great addition to a sandwich for lunch, or an in-between meal snack. I am happy to add Popchips to my snack rotation. -My kids really loved this cookie, perhaps because we don't buy many soft baked cookies. The cookies are moist and soft, with a layer of chocolate in the center. Since it was warm when they tried it, the chocolate (there's a lot of it) easily melted. My kids thought this cookie was great, lots of chocolate! I found them a bit grainy and lacking in texture, making them merely okay. Since I'm not used to soft baked cookies this might just be a personal preference. Overall, it's a cookie; of course it is good! Yet I wish it was just a bit better. Sill, if you enjoy chocolate you might enjoy this. -I love raspberry anything, and I already was thinking this would be good, not usually a good thing, as my expectations sometimes get the better of me, and then I am let down. Not so in this case. The woodsy taste of this sauce is just right. It isn't overly sweet, and has a nice blend of flavors. As I am a BBQ nut, I used it last week on a piece of venison I had in the freezer. I marinated it for two days and then grilled it up (just missing a very heavy snowstorm...though snow wouldn't stop me). I was pretty impressed with the way the venison came out. It really did a great job taking away any of the gamey taste, without having to use a better wine or brandy (what I used to use). The sweetness was a very nice addition, and well balanced. It was not overly acidic, and the meat was very tender. I have tried this on salmon, and again, I was very happy with the taste. I usually prefer a milder fish like Chillean sea bass, swordfish, tuna, or even fresh cod. This may end up being my new Ketchup (put it on anything and it tastes better). :-) The cost does seem a little high, but really, you get what you pay for, and here, you are paying for quality. I have also tried this as a salad dressing with pistachios and walnuts, feta cheese, spinach, pear slices and lettuce, and it was also great. If you are not allergic, try it, it's a great alternative for tradition mixes and flavorings! -Right out of the wrapper, this bar doesn't exactly appear appetizing. Taking a bite of it, though, I found it to be pretty good. This is definitely not a good snack for anyone with nut allergies, as it's studded with nuts. If you're not allergic, it may make for a nice snack, if you are not bothered by the following.First off, the primary flavor of this bar comes from the ground dates. While I could taste the blueberry in it, it was more something that would sneak up on me every few bites or so. Mostly, it tasted like I was eating a ground date bar. The nuts provide a nice crunchy contrast but, like the blueberries, I only encountered them every couple of bites. If you're a big fan of dates, you would likely really enjoy this bar. If you don't like dates, this is definitely not for you.The thing that really held me back from truly liking the bar, though, was the texture of it. I liked the crunch of the nuts, but the bar has a very grainy texture, which is also a result of its being mostly dates. With each bite I took, I liked the flavor and really wanted to like the bar, but I just couldn't get past the texture. I like the concept of it, but I think it would have tasted better if it had fewer dates and more grains, giving it more of a granola bar texture. -I received a free container of this product to try. To test it I waited until the weather turned cold & my skin began to feel dry. To test it, I used this product on left leg & arm, and Sebamed moisturizing lotion for sensitive skin on right arm & leg. I applied these products once a day - before bedtime, for 3days. At the end of this test both sides of my body felt equally moisturized.Pros of Viva Labs product- it will definitely last longer than a lotion moisturizer & lack of multiple ingredients reduces risk that your skin may react to it.Cons- it comes in a tub & it takes some patience to apply because the product is hard until the warmth of your fingers melts the top layer. It of course made my body smell like coconut, but in the morning the smell had declined enough that I don't think anyone standing near me would notice. Finally, I usually avoid any skin product that comes in a tub because each time you put your fingers in it you are transferring bacteria into it. I am not a chemist & don't know if harmful types of bacteria are likely to multiply in coconut oil.If you favor organic products or skin care products without a lot of chemicals, & if you are not allergic to coconut, this seems like a good option. And of course, if you have a partner or spouse at home, make sure she or he is okay with the smell of coconut! -So yummy and it's pretty too. There are little chunks of straight chocolate mixed in with the granola and berry bits, so you could pick the chocolate out if you are so inclined. (And I am!) The whole mix of flavors is nice and this stuff is very crunchy. You don't want to eat it in a movie theater - the folks next to you can hear the crunch. My Mother was delighted about the organic aspect, but I don't care one way or the other personally. I want a snack that tastes good and feels satisfying and the Love Crunch does that very nicely. The only complaint I have is when compared to average grocery store granola snacks, thie Love Crunch is VERY expensive. We'll probably buy this now and then as a treat, but it's just too pricey to be a staple in our pantry. -We're pretty rabid coffee and hot chocolate drinkers at my house. The Maxwell House International products aren't something we normally buy, but I figured this could be a really nice alternative to the coffee pods in hurry. Sadly, the Peppermint Mocha Latte experiences left us a bit wanting.First and foremost, the flavor of the Maxwell House Peppermint Mocha Latte isn't bad; however, at the recommended amount of powder to water (4 tsp per 8 oz of water) the flavor is really, really subtle. I would not recommmend using their recommended amount of powder unless you're looking for something more akin to a tea.When we upped the ratio of powder to water, the product was much better. The flavors of the peppermint weren't overpowering, and you still get the flavor of the latte coming through just fine.Overall, it's a middling product. It isn't bad at all, but I think there are better mixes out there if you're really looking for a nice flavor experience. -This is good coffee - not weak, and not overly strong, but the vanilla flavor is a little strong for my preference. On the plus side, there was no funny aftertaste like many vanilla flavored coffees have. Simply put, if you like a strong vanilla flavor, this is a good choice for you. If you prefer the actual coffee to be the focus, and the vanilla to be more of a background note, this is not the choice for you. -The light lemony taste is very refreshing. The cookies arrived fresh and in good shape. Well worth a try. I will certainly be buying more of these. -When my one review pack arrived, I thought I'd have a quick taste just to see how it compared with the Kashi GoLean Crunch that DH has been eating to replace the decidedly NOT heart-healthy snacks that his cardiologist says he can't eat anymore. Why not? I could just zip the bag back closed. Well, I tell you, I had to sit down right there and pour myself a bowl with milk. Wonderful. And now we have something that can be sprinkled over greek-style non-fat plain yogurt, which he IS supposed to be eating more of. The evaporated cane juice provides just the right hint of sweetness without being too much sugar, and the high level of fiber will certainly be a boon to healthy dieters. The flax seed is an added benefit for heart health.My 60-year-old teeth are sensitive and weaker now than they used to be, so I often have difficulty chewing some of the granolas. This Kind blend is chewy and substantial, but not so hard that it's risky for me to try to eat it out of hand. Softened with milk, it's no problem at all. I'm not on a gluten-free diet, but I have friends who are, and this product would be just fine for them. The mix of whole grains has an interesting texture and taste, and the whole blend tastes so good I'd warn you not to sit down with the whole bag in front of the TV. It WILL be gone before you know it.Cost is my only problem with this product, but not because it's not worth the money. Healthy food costs more than junk, as it should, and it's clear to me that Kind is very healthy indeed. We're on low fixed income, though, so this would have to be an occasional splurge item for us, used more as a condiment on aforementioned yogurt than as a complete meal. I can stretch $5 worth of beans or chicken a lot further than I could one of these 11 oz. bags. I might, though, try it mixed in with oatmeal.In short: It's good food. -The K cups just makes things easier and maybe even more acceptable to drink tea at the office. Gift it to the men in your life. Tea is so darn healthy for them. -I've had some pretty good pu'erh tea before, especially in Yunnan, China, which is the center of pu'erh. Good pu'erh tea is fermented then aged for several years and has a very complex flavor, and can command rather high prices. The pu'erh in these bags is obviously not of that caliber. While the brewed tea has a rich, dark color, it lacks the layers of flavors of a good pu'erh tea. The ginger is predomindant, but it's the flavor of dried ginger instead of fresh. The pu'erh flavor notes are limited to a little bit of earthy/woody, and lack the bit of natural sweetness and additional complexity that I've noted in good pu'erh before. Good pu'erh also allows itself to multiple steepings, but this tea lost most of the pu'erh notes and tasted merely of dried ginger when it was steeped a second time. There's nothing really offensive about this tea, but it's kind of boring. -Gevalia flavored coffees have been kind of hit & miss for me with all of them having a marvelous aroma but being little short on quality considering the price. Not so this new Dark Chocolate Truffle flavor. Attractively packaged in a dark purple and brown box suitable for gift-giving, this ground coffee brews up nicely in my drip maker and in my fancy French Press. It's a little bit bitter as a black coffee but once you add some steamed milk and just a touch of sugar, you wind up with a superb Cafe Au Lait suitable for after-dinner dessert coffee or just for a special weekend brunch. It fills the kitchen with its scent. I could see this making a great base for an alcoholic dessert coffee by adding some Kahlua & Cholcate curls atop the steamed milk. My leftover drip-brewed coffee made a nice Ice-blended the next day.I'm not sure I would but this regularly due to Gevalia's price but I would definitely keep some on hand during the Holiday Season! It has a nice, rich Chocolate flavor. Overall, this was quite the pleasant surprise. -I drink tea every day and I love green tea and all sorts of chinese tea and earl grey, etc. I like ginger tea as well, but this one is strong. I had stomachache after I drink 2 cups of it (with the same teabag). I'll have to try it again but I am a little scared to. -I like these better than the Chips Ahoy Chewy Gooey Megafudge cookies. There's still a slight aftetaste to these cookies, though. Yes, the cookies are soft, but they really aren't as "gooey" as the name implies. The packaging, with its resealeable flap, is a good idea. It will keep the cookies fresher longer. If you like Chips Ahoy cookies, you will likely enjoy these too. For me, they were just okay. -I enjoy this blend of herbal tea. Blackberry and vanilla make a good combination. I also like the fact that this tea is caffeine free. I can drink this any time day or night. Yes, the tea bags looka little bit different than other tea bags, but they steep just fine and the tea tastes great. -I'm not too sure about the product description of hints of having deep earthy flavors or having my mind invigorated as I'm not too much of a tea snob. I do, however, like this tea and thought it had a good taste with no aftertaste like some teas, and unlike other teas with a ginger predominance the ginger didn't overwhelm me or leave a bad aftertaste. A co-worker who is a tea snob said this one was very good and ordered a package for himself so that's a pretty good recommendation to me. -I've never tried pu'erh tea because I've heard that it has unique or pungent flavor that not everyone likes. Numi ginger flavored pu'erh surprised me! The flavor is very deep and earthy - very complex. I think it has a hint of smokey flavor that is almost wood-like. The ginger flavor compliments the earthy flavor of the tea and makes a very delicious combination. Unlike some other ginger teas I've tried, the ginger doesn't overpower the other flavors in this tea. I just finished a cup and I'm already craving another. I'm planning to try Numi's other varieties of pu'erh tea. This was a nice experience. -If you like ginger then you will love this drink. The aroma is amazing. I think if I had a cold I would feel better just smelling this stuff. It is very strong and I would make 2 cups from package rather than one. I would give it 4 stars if it weren't for the heartburn. -Okay, I got these cookies on Saturday and have already demolished half of the package. That is, what wasn't already demolished when the cookies arrived, thanks mostly to the United States Postal Service, with some help from Amazon packaging. (The cookies arrived in a huge box with air pillows that were supposed to shield the cookies but failed to keep the package from shifting all over the place while the box was in motion--and probably upside-down at times as well. I think only six or seven cookies survived intact, the rest were in variously sized crumbs.)Now, biting into one of these cookies, you won't immediately think, "Gee, I can't tell if these are homemade or store-bought!" You can definitely tell the difference. That said, the cookies have a purity of flavor that's usually lacking in most store-bought treats. They also have a distinct absence of any sort of metallic aftertaste or any other "off" flavor. Probably because there's no multisyllabic ingredients or preservatives which are usually responsible for such "off" flavors. These really are simply made, with ingredients any home baker would use to make chocolate chip cookies.The serving size is two cookies, giving you 140 calories and 7 grams of fat, 3 of that saturated fat. Personally, I haven't exactly been following the serving size suggestion as it was far too easy to pick up a piece and then another piece and then a crumb or two and say, "That must be only half a cookie, surely!" thanks to the demolished state in which the cookies arrived. However, no matter the size of the piece, the cookies have a pleasant crumbly texture, rather like a pecan sandie, but nothing too crispy or mouth-abrading. They've also got a nice buttery flavor, with yummy chocolate-y goodness sprinkled throughout.All-in-all, I am rather loving these cookies and have a feeling I will be turning to them for my next cookie fix. I'll also be looking into other Keebler products as a result. I've never really paid attention to Keebler, or any of the other major snack food producers, because of my aversion to the multitude of chemical ingredients crammed into the foods they produced. Now, though, that these big companies are wising up and cutting back on the "junk" they put in their junk food, I'll be more apt to occasionally buy a package whenever I'm jonesing for a snack food fix and don't feel up to baking it myself. -This is a very tasty and spicy beverage, which may not be your cup of tea, so to speak. The smell of ginger is strong when opening the pouch and the taste is rather strong and piquant. For many people not used to a strong ginger flavor, this may be off-putting and even unpleasant. If your idea of ginger stops at Canada Dry ginger ale, you will probably not like this product. I grew up with ginger in my foods, so I love this! The closest thing I can compare this to is IndonesianTing Ting Jehe Chewy Ginger Candy. This is basically a liquid version of the candy. Very sweet and spicy, it tickles the throat going down. I've juiced fresh ginger root (with other ingredients) and this tastes like the ginger-infused juice I've made. The pungency is not diminished during manufacturing.Served hot, it is perfect when you're sick. I often make ginger tea with honey when I'm under the weather, and this is a more convenient way of having a tasty hot beverage. Ginger and honey both have been used for thousands of years throughout the world for their health and medicinal benefits. The lemon flavor I couldn't detect however. -Okay, I got these cookies on Saturday and have already demolished half of the package. That is, what wasn't already demolished when the cookies arrived, thanks mostly to the United States Postal Service, with some help from Amazon packaging. (The cookies arrived in a huge box with air pillows that were supposed to shield the cookies but failed to keep the package from shifting all over the place while the box was in motion--and probably upside-down at times as well. I think only six or seven cookies survived intact, the rest were in variously sized crumbs.)Now, biting into one of these cookies, you won't immediately think, "Gee, I can't tell if these are homemade or store-bought!" You can definitely tell the difference. That said, the cookies have a purity of flavor that's usually lacking in most store-bought treats. They also have a distinct absence of any sort of metallic aftertaste or any other "off" flavor. Probably because there's no multisyllabic ingredients or preservatives which are usually responsible for such "off" flavors. These really are simply made, with ingredients any home baker would use to make chocolate chip cookies.The serving size is two cookies, giving you 140 calories and 7 grams of fat, 3 of that saturated fat. Personally, I haven't exactly been following the serving size suggestion as it was far too easy to pick up a piece and then another piece and then a crumb or two and say, "That must be only half a cookie, surely!" thanks to the demolished state in which the cookies arrived. However, no matter the size of the piece, the cookies have a pleasant crumbly texture, rather like a pecan sandie, but nothing too crispy or mouth-abrading. They've also got a nice buttery flavor, with yummy chocolate-y goodness sprinkled throughout.All-in-all, I am rather loving these cookies and have a feeling I will be turning to them for my next cookie fix. I'll also be looking into other Keebler products as a result. I've never really paid attention to Keebler, or any of the other major snack food producers, because of my aversion to the multitude of chemical ingredients crammed into the foods they produced. Now, though, that these big companies are wising up and cutting back on the "junk" they put in their junk food, I'll be more apt to occasionally buy a package whenever I'm jonesing for a snack food fix and don't feel up to baking it myself. -Back to Nature delivered a really healthy cereal (and for me, snack food for late nights that won't keep me awake). A nice mix of berries (dehydrated) and crunchy, crunchy cereal that has a slight sweetness but none of the prefab who-knows-what of supermarket cereal.I grew up enough to know what is good for me but still appreciate a fun cereal and this is one of them.I will admit to adding fresh apples, banana and blueberries (just buy em and freeze em and add a few now and then) to my morning cereal blends. Summer Berry Blend is good "as is" without tinkering with other cereals to add zest. Well done, Back to Nature! you hooked me! -I love raspberries and hot sauces, so my expectations were pretty high. But the first taste was better than I expected.The lightly sweet raspberry taste is front and center, with a hint of smoky flavor and a touch of gentle heat. The ingredient list is short and simple--the first three ingredients are sugar, red raspberries, and jalapeños. There are no preservatives and no corn syrup, so this simple sauce lacks the added funky flavors and aftertastes that many other sauces have.The flavor of this sauce is so uncomplicated and good that I want to try other Fischer & Wieser sauces. I've just subscribed to theirUltimate Sauce Gift Pack,a pack of six bottles including two bottles of Raspberry Chipotle. I'm not a big fan of blueberry (ok, I admit I'm planning on giving that one away,) but the other sauces look promising. especially the Asian Apricot Stir Fry & Dipping Sauce.To try this sauce, I seasoned boneless pork ribs with rosemary and put them on the grill. When they were done, I coated them with this sauce. There was no need to cook the sauce, I just let it get to room temperature so it wouldn't cool the hot food. The flavor was perfect with pork, but I can see that it will work well with chicken, and would be great on a salad, mixed with some rice wine vinegar or balsamic or cider vinegar.I've got to save what's left of this bottle, though, because friends will be visiting soon and I plan on drizzling this over cheese and crackers. The included recipes suggest cream cheese, but I'll try it on brie and cheddar, too.4/5/09 UPDATE: I smothered a huge wedge of brie with this sauce and brought it to a party. An hour later I wandered back into the room with the food, and I'd swear the platter had been licked clean. Other foods were still available, so I know it wasn't desperation that drove people to polish this off.My only regret is that I didn't get a photo of the person doing the licking. Oh well, better luck next weekend. -If you've never heard of cashew juice join the club. I like to try new things, but I really didn't think I would go crazy over this product. I loved it (so did my wife) and hope I can find a good source for getting more at a decent price. It is kind of hard to describe the taste, but it has a nice balance of sweet and tart. It is very refreshing and apparently very nutritious. -The taste is great. The price is great. I use an 18-count egg carton to store the pods, so they don't lose their flavor, as they do not have the plastic case you see in most pods. -This is the 3rd time I have purchased this product because I was very pleased with the taste and texture of the oatmeal. Just to make sure the price was good I shopped in 3 health food stores and the price was almost double. I keep it in the freezer and it keeps until I order again. If you like steel cut oats you will love this. -I've tried to write this review three times now, and every time I get a power blip or something happens to the browser and I lose it. One more time.I made this carefully, and it is not tasty. It has a big packet of spices that has a lot of whey, onion, and cheese and spices like black pepper are lower than an ingredient that is listed as "not more than 2%.I've eaten tasty mac and cheese, and I've even eaten decent hamburger helper, likeHamburger Helper, Cheesy Nacho, 7.9-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6). That stuff is cheaper and tastes better.This stuff is easy to make. You brown one pound of beef (I weighed it to be sure I was following directions) and then drain it (pouring out the tasty juices, I won't do that again), then add the misnamed seasoning packet and the pasta, along with two cups of water.Bring it to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook for 11-13 minutes.Then remove from the heat and mix in the velveeta packet.They suggest that you add lettuce? Or chopped tomatoes, so I added Ro-Tel to part of it - the other part I kept pristine so that I could taste it as made. I used hot Ro-Tel, and, other than the flavor of the Ro-Tel it was bland. I have to think that the pasta is sort of bland and the spicing in the packet is lacking. It could have some more onion flavor, or more than 0.5% garlic or something.The value in this is what I believe to be parboiled pasta that can be cooked in this fashion.The net weight of this stuff is 12.8 ounces - with a pound of beef, it makes 5 one cup servings. My wife guesses that it serves three adults, or six-eight toddlers (if you were making lunch for a day care, say).Now, this is my suggestion:Suppose you buy a piece of velveeta in the store, some cream, some beef, and a little garlic powder, some onion powder, and some pasta.Cook a quarter pound of pasta in one pan, boiling and draining normally, and then brown a pound or two of beef with a bunch of onion and garlic powder, to taste. In a third pan (or in the one you boiled the pasta in), grate or cube about a pound of Velveeta and heat it gently with a 2 tbsp of butter, stirring frequently until melted, then add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup cream a little at a time while stirring. Add a little white pepper and 1/8 tsp nutmeg, if you like it. Or use sour cream instead of whole cream, or put a little beef broth into the beef after it has browned.Now combine the cheese sauce, the pasta (use more or less to taste, the beef (please don't drain it unless you are on a low fat diet, and then do so carefully - if you have one of those old fat brushes, use that, try to save the juices). Then add a whole can of Ro-Tel, to your family's taste, hot, mild, lime-chili, whatever. Taste it - and if it is bland, fix it.Dust the top with paprika before serving it.This dish will taste good, and it won't take you much longer to make it than it would to start with this mix. And if it is bland, you have only yourself to blame. You can put more or less salt, pepper, herbs, and whatever - you don't need to use a mix to make a cheese/macaroni/beef dish. This stuff really isn't that hard.Now, there is nothing wrong with Velveeta. It melts nicely, it makes a great cheese sauce. It usually has some flavor. And there is nothing wrong with this stuff except that it is just tasteless, and almost anyone can do better. Seriously, YOU can do better than this bland product. If you like Velveeta, use it. If you don't like Velveeta, well, making it yourself allows you to make your cheese sauce from a different type of cheese. Mexican melting cheese is good. Heck, Sargento six cheese is great.If you don't want to do it yourself, save money and buy Hamburger Helper.I can't rate this less than 3 stars, far as I can tell, it is wholesome and it doesn't actively taste bad. It doesn't actively taste of much at all. So it gets three stars, and a suggestion that you can do so much better by doing it yourself that you should try.If I had some of this stuff I had to use, I'd:Add a half tsp of white pepper, a half tsp of paprika, garlic powder to taste and onion powder to taste. I might consider a knorr garlic cube. Or Chipotle. I would always add the Ro-Tel, this is the biggest fix you can make to this stuff. Paprika to dust the top before serving. And, well, beef broth instead of water - that "seasoning" is really, really bland. A dollop of sour cream when you put the cheese sauce in, and a tablespoon of butter.Because as shipped, it is horribly bland. -OILS: Rancid is a process of mother nature and has nothing to do with organic, conventional, GMO or the type of seed since rancid has to do with oil. It is not important if the oil or the tablet is even frozen at the time of production till you consume since any seed, and I mean any type of seed regardless of the brand will go rancid once ground and cracked open since the shell, the protection is removed which will allow air and moisture access the oil of the seed much quicker than when the seed is in a complete un-hulled form. The best example of rancidity is brown rice. Place some brown rice in freezer and you will notice in few months it will not even cook since the oils have gone rancid even if it was kept in a sealed container in the freezer regardless. Chia is the only seed that does not need to be ground in order for human body to digest and get the nutrients and can be stored for longer time than any other seed without going rancid. Sesame seed, flax seed, etc. are so dense that will pass through human body when not ground making it absolutely worthless since human body can not digest it in its natural form.FIBER: Fiber is essential for body since fiber absorbs the unwanted liquid in the gut and body has to defecate that blown up fiber which in return lowers cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, etc. and brings comfort and efficiency to human body unlike fat which stays in human body unless needed for energy. Flax is high in fiber.MINERALS: Flax is one of the kings of nutrients when it comes to minerals and so important to me as a whole delicious seed; highest ALA, high magnesium, high potassium, calcium with the healthiest fat.Accordingly for 100gr servings size of;SESAME__FLAX__CHIA__AMARANTH__QUINOA__HEMP__PISTACHIO__ALMOND__CASHEW__PEANUTCALORIES565__534__490__371__368__567__557__575__553__585SAT FAT34__18__16__7__4__17__27__19__39__34CALCIUM99__26__63__16__5__0__11__26__4__5MAGNESIUM89__98__0__62__49__167__30__67__73__44POTASSIUM14__23__5__15__16__167__29__20__19__19ZINC48__29__23__19__21__83__15__21__39__22FIBER47__109__151__8__11__4 __41__49__13__32PHYTOSTEROLS714__0__0__0__0__N/A__214__0__0__0FRESHNESS: Fresh means nutritious and delicious. I consume lots of seeds, beans, grains, vegetables, etc. and freshness is a priority regardless of the brand so I always purchase my food ingredients in small quantities from reputable sellers with high turnover. When fresh, food is nutritious and that goes for any food in any form, from frozen to canned. Fresh food is nutritious as well as delicious since nutrients give food its delicious taste. When old or rancid, nutrients are gone and any food item becomes an empty calories with no taste and absolutely worthless regardless of the brand or price, organic or conventional. For few years I consumed seeds in oil form since physicians advised me to do so not knowing that majority are not aware that seeds hardly offer any nutrients unless; seeds are fresh, not old which means rancid, not in oil form, not in supplement form, not hulled, ground and consumed within few days, kept in dark cold temperatures, away from light-sun-moisture since the oil in seeds and nuts go rancid regardless. That is why brown rice which has its nutrients will go rancid even if kept in freezer while white rice will last for years at room temperature since it hardly has any nutrients or oil. I ground in my coffee grinder sesame, flax, chia, amaranth, hemp then add cocoa, isolate protein, soy milk and consume it before my workouts on daily basis for its vitamins, minerals, protein and many nutrients, without much spike in my glucose. Un-hulled seeds are full of nutrients. I never consume hulled seeds which are empty calories, absolutely worthless since the nutrients have been removed.OMEGA-3: You will never see ALA on any fish you purchase. Infact you will never see ALA on any fish oil supplement either, you will only see EPA and DHA. ALA is not the same as EPA or DHA. That is true for any brand of flaxseed regardless if such flaxseed oil is in solid form, oil form in a bottle or in a capsule form. Greens, veges, nuts, seeds and fruits do not offer any Omega-3 in form of EPA/DHA since omega-3 EPA/DHA is an animal source. There are two major types of omega-3 fatty acids in our diets: One type is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is found in plants the other type, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is found in fatty fish. The body partially converts ALA to EPA and DHA. There is no proof what percent of ALA gets converted by human body to EPA or DHA. You can consume all ALAs that you want and depending to your genes it may never turn any into omega-3. Blood test is the only way to see the affects. I get omega 3 from sardines although flaxseed is an important part of my diet since flaxseed offers so many nutrients. Flaxseed offers more ALA than chia for $1.99 a pound not $15 a pound, 22.8gr vs. 17.8gr. -There isn't much more to say than what has already been said by other reviewers. It is firm but not hard, so you actually have something to chew on and the taste is amazing.My only complaint is the price. -Taste? Ok. The strawberry and banana flavors weren't bad, but there is an acidic bite to the drink as well. Tastes like Red Bull mixed up with Hawaiian Punch.Healthy? Naw. 20 grams of sugar. All natural ingredients . . . but I doubt it is any healthier than your average soda.Energy? Yep. Same caffeine as a cup of coffee.Overall: If you want to wake up in the morning without drinking coffee or Diet Coke, this could be your drink of choice. The flavor is not great, but its comparable with the other energy drinks out there and you will get your caffeine fix. -I have always been a fan of the No Fear energy drinks and this one is no different. The flavor is great and it doesn't have a nasty after taste like some of those other energy drinks. I will be picking up more of these very soon! -This is a nice tasting tea with really strange looking tea bags. It has a nice berry flavor and is less tart than some berry teas I have tasted. I do wish the box sealed better.The tea has a strong sweet berry flavor. I tend to stay away from some berry teas because the flavor can almost be tart tasting. Perhaps because of the vanilla the berry flavor is on the sweet side.The pyramid tea bags look strange. Aside from the shape the tea bags are made of a material that looks different from most tea bags. These tea bags are made of a mesh like substance. I looks like it allows the tea to flavor flow more easily out of the tea bag.I do wish the box would seal better once opened. The tea bas are not individually wrapped in any sort of covering. The box does not have any inner wrapping to use as a seal. Once opened the only way to seal the box is close the cover and there does not seem to be any mechanism to keep the cover closed. I use a piece of tape to keep the box closed.This is a nice tasting sweet berry tea with uniquely shaped tea bags with a box that needs a better seal. -I wasn't really sure what to expect from this tea. I enjoy ginger but it's one of those flavors that can easily be overdone and become overpowering - fortunately that was not the case here.This tea has a very earthy aroma with ginger undertones and what I recognized as a bit of almost a wine scent. I found the aroma to be very complex and pleasant.If you like a bold tea, the flavor here will not disappoint. This tea has a strong earthy taste with a touch of ginger bite. Again, I was concerned that the ginger would be too much but it's just right in this tea. I found the tea to have a lingering earthy aftertaste as well.Overall I'm impressed with this tea. I enjoy earl grey, English breakfast and Irish breakfast teas and found this tea to be on a similar plane as those. I've made this tea both plain and with cream and sugar and it is delicious both ways. The strong, bold flavor may not be for everyone but I personally really enjoy it. If you like the above breakfast blends and enjoy bold flavors I highly recommend this tea. -I really like the flavor of this tea. The green tea is not bitter (as many are) and I think the lemongrass helps with that. The price is pretty good as well. I've always been a fan of Good Earth products and this one holds up to the name. -At just 50 calories in a 6.8 ounce can, it seems almost impossible that the drink should be this good. At once slightly sweet with the bitter tinge of a good cup of coffee, illy issimo rivals the Starbucks' espresso shots for quality quick canned coffee drinks. Aftertaste is minimal is the drink has a good color and consistency (not too watery and not too syrupy). -This is my first time trying PURE fruit and nut bar. I don't know what I was expecting, maybe the taste of a regular trail mix bar. It's hard to describe what the PURE bar (blueberry flavor) tastes like, but it's not an unpleasant flavor. The fruity flavor is obvious, and the nuts do not overwhelm the tastebuds. I like that the bar is soft and chewy, and not too sweet. Also, it's made out of all natural and organic ingredients, with nothing processed. That to me is worth having a bar that doesn't have the conventional taste of other energy bars. The taste is not bad, but it's not delicious either. However, the bar is filling and doesn't make you feel guilty about eating it, because the ingredients are so healthy.I would recommend these bars as snacks, but they do have plenty of calories, so I wouldn't eat too many of them at once. But that's true of any kind of snack. -Numi Organic Pu-Erh Ginger Tea has a very mild ginger flavor, but the more you sip the tea, the more the flavor builds. It tried it first without sweetening, and the taste was not bitter. I then added a spoon of sugar, my normal way to drink hot tea, and the taste was very pleasant. However, with my second cup, I added honey and lemon juice, and then the tea became delightful and soothing. Very relaxing and comforting after a hard day at work. I drink coffee and tea every day, and I look forward to finding new varieties to enjoy. Numi Tea has an admirable mission statement: "Numi inspires well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea. Our company is rooted in the principle of creating a healthful product that nurtures people and honors the planet. With all of our company initiatives, we strive to foster a healthy, thriving global community while bringing you the purest, best-tasting organic tea." The tea is certified organic, claims many health benefits, the tea bags are biodegradable, and the boxes are made with recycled materials. The Ginger Tea is a pleasant cuppa, and I will definitely try other varieties of Numi Tea. -These cookies are soft and chewy just like you'd expect from Chips Ahoy, but they also contain gooey fudge inside. They are definitely yummy and not too chocolatey, but I will say I expected more "gooey" from them and really inside the fudge is thicker and not really gooey at all. Overall though they definitely satisfied my chocolate craving and I love that they were so soft. -Okay, I can't really speak to Essentia's claims regarding its 9.5pH balanced water. I just know that it's refreshing and tastes (if water has a taste) pure and satisfying. No off flavors or odors. I know that it has some additives to bring the pH to 9.5, but I can't detect them. One of these large 1.5 liter bottles lasts me all day.If Essentia's claims are accurate and it does help with things like maintaining normal blood pressure, restful sleep, heart health, muscle strength and boosting the antioxidant properties of your immune system, then so much the better. It does seem to hydrate well and absorb into my system faster than regular filtered or spring water. I also get occasional heartburn after certain meals and find that its more basic pH helps alleviate such symptoms without me having to take antacids.Essentia does cost a bit more so I will reserve getting it for when I find it on sale or can get a bulk discount. Aside from the price, I have to say it is my new favorite 'brand' of water. I like the taste and find it thirst quenching. Any added health benefits are a bonus.~ Kort -BACK TO NATURE'S CHOCOLATE DELIGHT GRANOLA tastes really good and has the perfect blend of crunchy and sweet that makes this a tasty snack, either as a cereal or right out of the bag.It's made from natural ingredients and doesn't contain artificial flavors, preservatives, hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup.But here's the rub... the BACK TO NATURE CHOCOLATE GRANOLA, like all granola, is high in fat. Some of it is the good fat, Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated, but it does contain 6g of total fat--2g of that Saturated Fat. It also packs 220 calories per 1/2 cup serving, which is about 2 1/2 handfuls, and it's very easy to keep eating it.Since opening the bag, I've probably eaten three servings already, because it's that good, but that can't be good for my waist!OK, I shouldn't be that harsh and deduct 1-star from BACK TO NATURE... for my own lack of will power, but many customers will see the words "nature" and "whole grain" and think "healthy treat." The small serving size of the granola is also deceptive because many will think "this is such a tiny amount that I'll just eat a little more" because it really does seem like you're eating a small amount, but then next thing you know you can't zip up your jeans.On the plus side, that means that the product is delicious but just be aware of serving size and portions. Otherwise, it's a good alternative to say a 180-calorie cookie that's full of high fructose corn syrup and sugar and no fiber. -I'll be the first to admit that neither my husband nor I are what you'd call health freaks. Yes, we like to eat healthy food, but we don't have a problem with eating some non-healthy foods either. And we can both be a bit skeptical when it comes to "organic", because we've had many different organic things that were disappointing, to say the least.This bar, however, wasn't horrible at all! It tasted quite a bit like a nutty blueberry muffin, which is always pleasant to taste! The texture was good - not too hard, not too soft. We've eaten some bars that were far too hard to eat and made you think you were going to break your tooth on them! This bar, however, was nice and moist (which my husband particularly enjoyed).And we were both in shock to find that there was absolutely no sodium in this bar - astounding!For a health food bar, we both consider it to be absolutely wonderful. The only reason we gave it 4 stars is because my husband wished that it would have had a bit more taste to it - he likes strong, bold flavors, and this was more of a muted, sweet flavor. I, however, thought that the flavor was perfect. The thing that we both agreed upon was that we would definitely eat more of these, and will be looking into other flavors for our children (they don't care for nuts) - they'd be a great snack for them, and for us as well! -The brine in the olive package has been different in succeeding orders which is very apparent after they have been opened and refrigerated. Whatever the oil is, it coagulates easily because of the cold. Too much oil for my taste Still like em and the price is decent.. -This is a nice snack, when you are craving something crunchy, but do not want all the fat and salt of potato chips. Nothing artificial. Delish! But what pissed me off, that the bag had 4 servings (which I did not see, till I was half way down)!!! I wish, the bags were smaller. Who has the will power to stop before the bag is empty?! -Ginger Pu'erh Tea Bags. The taste of this tea is peppery and earthy. I had to get used to the peppery and earthy taste, but it is worth it. I do love tea, and I love trying different types and flavors. This is indeed a type and flavor that I've never had before, and it is quite different.I did try it both hot and cold, just to be fair. I will tell you that I am not a hot tea drinker (it makes me feel like I'm drinking tobacco), but I do love cold tea. Needless to say, I did not like the tea hot (but what tea do I like hot?), but I loved it cold.However, if you are normally a hot tea drinker, you will, I'm sure, like this tea hot.I bet this tea would be nice around Christmas with peppermint sticks. (I would drink mine cold.)According to the box, Pu'erh is an anxient healing tea picked from 500 year-old organic wild tea trees in Yunnan, China. How cool is that?And check this out: the product is organic and kosher; the box is recycled & recyclable, biodegradable tea bags; the programs lower and offset carbon emissions, including a solar facility; organic tea cultivation protects the environment.But best of all: the product is fair trade, so that the people can be paid a fair salary so their families can be okay; the tea cultivation takes care of and protects the farmers and their families. Now that is the best part of all. I love the tea, and if I can do anything to help these people, just by buying their product, then I will do so! -On average, I drink about two bottles of water every day but I've never tried drinking Smartwater before. After drinking it, I can say that I'll definitely buy this brand of water in the future. There was no taste, yes even though water doesn't have a taste, some brands can have a slight taste to them that is not so good. The electrolytes are an added bonus. The water is on the pricier side but I still recommend giving Smartwater a try. -I was looking forward to trying this beverage mix. I mixed it as directed with 250ml (8 oz) of hot water. It dissolved quickly. And just FYI, the color of the drink was darker than that pictured on the box. It was a murky brown color. As far as flavor goes, the ginger was just too strong and nasty. I didn't like it at all. -I don't like sugary cereals in the morning; I prefer a hearty cereal with a hint of sweetness. This cereal was perfect for that. The flavor was delicious and it was a filling and all in all pretty healthy.My flakes were tasty and the berries were bursting with flavor. My issue with the cereal is that the flakes were too crunchy and the berries too mushy. I don't mind a crunchy flake, but these bordered on being hard. Even after letting them soak a bit in the milk they were too crunchy for me. And while the berries retained their flavor in milk, they turned almost immediately to mush. The contrast of the two was not a good experience in my mouth.The box is really small and the price is a little hefty for the amount of cereal you actually get. But like I said, the flavor is good. So if you don't mind a little mush and a lot of crunch, this tasty cereal is for you.Cherise Everhard, January 2009 -There are four things to consider with this product.First is taste - The taste is fine. I feel the cracker texture is excellent but the actual taste was rather bland. The cheese on its own has a nice sharp taste but it gets lost in the blandness of the cracker. (I would suggest some rye in the cracker to give it an accent.)Second is packaging - Inside each box is 6 individually wrapped snacksize crackers. I always have an issue with over packaging (packaging within packaging.) But the ideal use for this product is for an on the go snack or late night cram session snack. The individual wrapping is necessary for this use. And the exterior box is plain cardboard, so I guess I am okay with this.Third is price - which at $4 for a box of 6 is only a fair price.Fourth is use - Based on the above, this is not an everyday snack. You could buy nicer and less expensive crackers and use a good cheese spread like Kakuna Club for a more tasty everyday snack. But this would be good for an on the go snack, something to carry around in a backpack, purse or glove compartment for a snack on the go. Or for parents sending their kids a care package for finals week.This is a good not a great product. -I am drinking this Red Espresso Rooibos Tea as I write this. It has a unique flavor....strong but not bitter though it does have a bit of an after taste. I had to stain the tea because, despite the package instructions, I found it to be too gritty and twiggy when just mixed into water. Even after staining, just looking into the drink shows lots of bits and pieces but NOW I do not taste or feel them as I drink it. It's like drinking a really dark roast or real expresso cup of coffee but it's really tea. I've never had this type of tea before but I find it rather interesting and tasty. Since it has no caffeine, I will be able to drink this after dinner without worries of being kept awake. I love the fact that it is loaded with antioxidants! I wish I could find the words to describe the flavor but if you like really strong dark tea, you'll like this one. I recommend this strong flavored tea! -Numi Organic Pu-Erh Ginger Tea has a very mild ginger flavor, but the more you sip the tea, the more the flavor builds. It tried it first without sweetening, and the taste was not bitter. I then added a spoon of sugar, my normal way to drink hot tea, and the taste was very pleasant. However, with my second cup, I added honey and lemon juice, and then the tea became delightful and soothing. Very relaxing and comforting after a hard day at work. I drink coffee and tea every day, and I look forward to finding new varieties to enjoy. Numi Tea has an admirable mission statement: "Numi inspires well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea. Our company is rooted in the principle of creating a healthful product that nurtures people and honors the planet. With all of our company initiatives, we strive to foster a healthy, thriving global community while bringing you the purest, best-tasting organic tea." The tea is certified organic, claims many health benefits, the tea bags are biodegradable, and the boxes are made with recycled materials. The Ginger Tea is a pleasant cuppa, and I will definitely try other varieties of Numi Tea. -I have always found pure green tea a bit bland, so I ordered this to see how it tasted. I find it to be a nice blend with a citrus overtone, not bitter at all, but with a taste that is not to my personal liking.This is a blend of green tea, lemon grass, lemon balm herb, and verbena leaves. The overall effect on the taste is of a green tea (which is already not as strong as black tea) and a definite (but not overpowering) overtone of the lemon. The verbena leaves are commonly promoted to help relaxation, but the box makes no such claim; it is just supposed to be a nice blend. The box suggests steeping for 3 minutes. I tried that, and also tried it steeped longer. It did not seem to get bitter even when the bag was left in until the cup was empty. I like the fact that the bags were individually wrapped, since I think this makes the tea stay fresh longer.Summary: If you like lemon tea and you like green tea, this may be the blend for you. I recommend it for the high quality brew it produces, but only if those two flavors are to your liking. -Excellent meal replacement bar.I really really really enjoyed the cherry cashew date nut bar. I merely liked the blueberry bar. It has no chocolate (thank god! I've always hated granola bars and protein bars and all the rest that have a coating of awful chocolate on it) but lots of fruit and a healthy sweetness (not artificial, just good, if a little on the sweet side for my taste). I would buy the blueberry bar again if I get tired of the cherry cashew, or to swap it out a bit, but not because I particularly like it.You *will not* be hungry until your next meal after you eat this bar. And it's a lot healthier than most other bars out there.Note: if you do not like the taste or texture of dates, DO NOT buy this bar.Also note: I really hate most protein bars, granola bars (except quaker and nature valley), clif bars, odwalla bars, luna bars, zone bars, etc. None of those really taste good. This one DOES and it's good for you. But buy the cherry cashew instead, it's a lot better. -This has an intense lemon and ginger taste. Much much more intense than lemon and ginger teas which I am a fan of and drink often. And since I love ginger and lemon flavors, I love this intensity. You can't get it from just the lemon-ginger teas -- and I've tried quite a few brands so I know. That's the good news.The con, for me at least, is that there must be a high calorie count for this as it's loaded with honey and fructose. I would prefer this to be non-sweetened so I could add my own non-calorie sweetener if I want.It's also a little expensive compared to teas, but then the flavor is unique and something that just can't be gotten with a regular tea.I won't hesitate to buy this in the future -- only I will look for a non-sweetened brand/type first.One other thing -- I put way more water into this beverage than they asked for. Maybe about twice as much. And the flavors were still so much more intense than a regular ginger-lemon tea. So feel free to dilute it and I don't think you will be diminishing the experience at all. -Gave my mom a cup of this tea and she loved it. She noted that while many herbal teas have a bitter edge this tea does not. She also noted that it had a subtle sweet quality. My mom has a very sensitive system and the fact that she liked this is impressive! -For some reason, known only to the powers that make such decisions, this bland, Twinings Prince of Wales Tea is not longer readily found on supermarket shelves. You can still find it in variety packs, but It has been sometime since I have been able to find a whole box of the stuff. That is a pity, but as I am what you might call a "tea hoarder," I had two boxes in my stash and was rationing it slow out. You can imagine my delight when I found you could purchase this product through Amazon!Prince of Wales tea has a nice robust taste but no bitterness. It is one of the few teas I can (if I so desire) drink without adding some sort of sweetener. It never use mild or cream as my wife does, so for me that is a nice factor. I simply like the flavor of this tea.Twinings has been around (It is based in England) for a bit over 200 years now and there is a reason for this...they provide a fine quality product. We are constantly trying new teas as we locate them, but it seems that over the years we keep coming back to this brand. Now as has been noted by another reviewer here, this stuff is NOT packaged in England; it is packaged and distributed here in America. This does not magically change the flavor of the tea though. Tea is tea is tea. Tea is NOT grown in England, so to say that tea that is packaged in England is better than that packaged in America is simply codwollop! Yes, you might get "stale" tea here, but I doubt it. If you keep your tea under proper storage conditions, i.e. out of the light, no moisture and away from heat, it will last quite some time...I can assure you that the producers do this simply because they want to sell you the best tasting product possible. We in this country may not be as adept to brewing tea as our English brothers, but I doubt it. No, the difference in the taste is more than likely all in the drinkers head.The biggest problem I have and the biggest problem I have noted in our country when it comes to drinking tea made using tea bags is that we seem to be a very, very impatient people. We simply do not, generally speaking of course, do not let it steep long enough. A tea such as the one being reviewed here needs to steep no less that three minutes; preferably at least four. I find myself getting in a bit of a hurry at times and end up drinking very weak and rather tasteless tea simply because I did not wait long enough.Note: Cost wise, this is on the rather high end for tea bag tea...in my opinion it is quite worth it though.Anyway, enough of my babbling...this is a good tea. Is it the only tea I drink or ever will drink? Of course not. 3/4s of the fun of being a tea drinker is continuing throughout life trying different blends and brands. I will say though that I most certainly have not grown tired of this stuff...yet.Don BlankenshipThe Ozarks -I gave up diet soda years ago. I don't enjoy fruit juice because it has too many calories. Lipton Blackberry Vanilla Tea is now filling that void. The most important thing is, it's DELICIOUS. The first ingredient is Hibiscus Flowers. Even Dr Oz has talked about the benefits of Hibiscus Flowers. There are also Rosehips, Sweet Blackberry Leaves, dried Black Currant, Blackberry, Raspberry and Blueberry pieces. All of that explains its remarkable fruit flavor that is not too sweet.The pyramid shaped tea bags allow water to infuse the little bouquet from several directions at once. The bag is not paper so it's sturdier and nothing pokes through.It's caffeine free so I've enjoyed it in the evening.Blackberry Vanilla tea smells scrumptious and looks beautiful,This is my new favorite beverage. I LOVE it. -This tea is great. It has a smooth taste, is priced right, and tastes great iced too! Many friends love it too. -When I opened the first pouch for the Ginger Pu'erh Tea Bags by Numi, the aroma was a bit off putting with an odor that seemed slightly bitter and earthy. However, when brewed, it was surprisingly sweet and soothing and one of the most delicious teas I have tried. Its purported health benefits (antioxidants, aid in digestion, energy with a lower amount of caffeine, etc.) are overshadowed by what is a great flavor. Often teas alleged to have health benefits taste terrible or have no real flavor. This one makes a great tea to have with meals. It is easy to see why Pu'erh tea was a favorite of Chinese emperors. -The beverage has a really delicious spiced smell. However, just a sip made my entire mouth feel stung. The sensation faded to a tingle and finally passed, but for me, this drink is too strong. The taste was fine, just not the sensation. A second sip was all to similar to the first and so I passed on the rest of the cup. -Numi Cardamom Pu'erh tea is a delicious and flavorful treat for tea lovers. It has a delightful aroma and a smooth, earthy, and slightly spicy flavor. There is just the right amount of cadamom to give the tea it's unique flavor without being overwhelming. I tend to shy away from pricey organic products because often they aren't that much better than their less expensive counterparts (and I often recommend those less expensive alternatives in my reviews!). But after sampling this tea, I'd happily spoil myself by buying this blend (and hording it from my co-workers by keeping it in my locked desk). Excellent with honey for sweetening. -This tea is absolutely delicious! Normally I am a tepid fan of fruit flavored teas, but I do tend to like vanilla so I thought I would give this a try. I tried to go into it with a positive attitude, but I have been let-down by so many before that it was difficult. My outlook improved greatly as the smell of blackberries filled the air as I waited, a little impatiently, for the cup to be ready. I was thrilled with the outcome. The berry flavor was strong and excellent, with the vanilla adding a touch of smoothness to counter-act the sharp blackberry. With my second cup, I decided to dress it up a bit and the results were amazing. I added a touch of sugar and a bit of milk, and managed to get the taste of blackberry cobbler with a dollop of vanilla ice cream! For those of us minding our figures, it makes a great dessert all by itself. I suspect that the addition of a nice slice of Angel or pound cake would make the experience complete. -This is a nice cookie for snack time if you don't want a really big and sugary cookie. It is thin like some teatime cookies but is made with real fruit and whole grains (whole wheat flour and rolled oats but also bleached wheat flour). They also don't have any high fructose corn syrup. The cookies are crispy but also crumbly, if you know what I mean. The flavor is nice and orangey citrusy with little bits of real cranberries. I really like this flavor but haven't tried the other flavors yet.Nutrition facts: Serving Size 3 cookies (30g)All information below based on serving size of 3 cookies:Calories 140 from fat 45Total fat 5g, no trans fatTotal Carbs 22 g, Dietary fibre 1g, Sugars 7gProtein 2gCholestrol 0mgSodium 95mgPotassium 40mgThese cookies are for $2.49 for the 10.5 ounce bag on regular price at my local supermarket. May be cheaper at a supercenter. The Amazon price seems to be too high. -This 6-pack is another great deal from Amazon, especially when purchased on a subscription basis.Bigelow's decaf green tea is smooth and not bitter. I've found green teas can be easily "burned" if you boil your water before steeping, so be sure to stop heating your water before the boiling point (I just use a Chantal ceramic teapot & heat a cup of water in it in the microwave for just 2 minutes, then steep in a cup--perfect. I like to sweeten it with a package of Sweet Leaf Stevia==healthy antioxidant heaven & no caffeine!).Also, don't steep any green tea too long--about 3 to 3-1/2 minutes is just right for green tea--otherwise, it WILL be bitter, regardless of brand.I love the fact that these tea bags are individually packaged in foil-lined packs; tea stays fresh and delicious until you're ready to enjoy a cup. Good quality decaf green tea is really hard to find in my local area; thanks again Amazon! -These bars were okay. Not great. But I suppose that people who are accustomed to eating gluten-free products will find these bars tasty. The main problem I had was the high sweetness factor which I assume was used to cover up the taste of the non-traditional ingredients required for the bars to be labeled gluten free. There was a bit of a aftertaste.Also, the consistency of the bar was just a bit too chewy for my taste - more stickiness than I liked.Not bad but I'd buy a single bar to try before purchasing a full box. Very reasonably priced, though. -If you enjoy a wide variety of coffees and often have company sitting at your table, you might have a Keurig or aBosch Tassimo T47 Beverage System and Coffee Brewer. Tassimo has a very wide variety of T Disc coffees, many of the old-time reliable ones that people have enjoyed for years. If you like Gevalia, Maxwell, or Tim Hortons, Tassimo has them all. In fact some of them are bestsellers in the single-serve disc department.This Tassimo Medium Roast has a very nice taste similar to a breakfast blend I had recently. It has a really enticing aroma and didn't have that burnt taste that you sometimes experience with some of the darker roasts. This is not a gourmet coffee by any means, but rather a regular coffee with a smooth taste. I tasted it black and then added a bit of cream and sugar to enhance the flavor.What's nice about the Tassimo system (I borrowed the use of one) is that you receive a consistent cup of coffee every time. The only difference is when you begin to add to it. The temperature and taste don't change. If you drink a lot of coffee, you probably would want to take a pass due to the expense of the T Discs. If you enjoy a cup or so now and then or one a day, I think being able to select a wide variety of down-to-earth coffees makes it an excellent choice.TASSIMO:Tassimo King of Joe Dark Roast CoffeeTassimo Yuban 100% Columbian CoffeeTassimo Maxwell House Cafe Collection House Blend CoffeeTassimo Gevalia CappuccinoTassimo Corner Coffeehouse Sweet Latte, CaramelTassimo Tim Hortons CoffeeTassimo King of Joe EspressoTassimo Gevalia Dark Italian RoastGevalia Kaffe 15% Kona Blend Coffee -I finally got around to sampling the product. The ingredients are interesting and what I understand of the manufacture are quality ingredients. However I don't like the taste. Not that the taste is bad but I think my personal likes have changed over the years. I like beverages now that are straight-up and not flavored. If I want lemon I will add freshly cut lemon to water. If I want ginger (which I love shaved from a ginger root on a Japanese salad) I will shave my own. However I just don't like flavored mixes any longer. So I won't mark it down for personal preference. I'm sure some people will find this refreshing and down their alley. -Having lived my entire life in the great state of Louisiana, I've always been partial to local coffee brands such as Community Coffee and Mello Joy. I try to make a point of buying these local brands for the simple fact that the money stays in Louisiana and both of them taste very good. To me, Starbucks has always been an overpriced and overhyped brand with a brilliant marketing strategy that put them on the map. Still, I sometimes visit the local Starbucks for a frappucino or even an Earl Grey latte when I have a bit of extra spending money on hand.I picked up Starbucks' Natural Fusions Ground Coffee, Vanilla Flavored, via the Vine program. I have to admit that it's a very good coffee as far as flavored coffees go. The scent of the vanilla intertwined with the coffee hits you before you even open the bag, but do not use that as a device of judgement until after you've brewed a few cups of this coffee.As I've already said, the smell of vanilla is strong, but the actual vanilla flavor is very slight. In fact, the vanilla is very hard to taste at all.I decided to brew this coffee in two separate ways: 1) Per the instructions on the bag (two tablespoons per six ounces of water) and 2) By my normal method (three tablespoons per six ounces of water).After brewing the coffee, I drank each brewed cup in three different ways: 1) black (which is my normal method of drinking coffee), 2) with one teaspoon of cream and one teaspoon of sugar, and 3) with two teaspoons of cream and two teaspoons of sugar.What I immediately noticed was that the bag's brewing instructions suited my personal taste best. My normal brewing method made the coffee stronger (as I like it), but didn't alter the taste at all.When I drank the coffee black in both brewing cases, I noticed almost no difference in the taste, although the coffee's body was a bit heavier in the second brewing method. The vanilla flavor was miniscule.With one teaspoon of cream and one teaspoon of sugar, I found that the vanilla flavor stood out a bit more, but was still fairly weak. The overall taste of the coffee was good, though.With two teaspoons of cream and sugar, the vanilla came into its own a bit more, but could not overtake the coffee's taste itself.Overall, this is a coffee drinker's flavored coffee. If you want a fuller, sweeter vanilla taste and less coffee taste, look elsewhere. If you only drink flavored coffees as a treat but prefer the taste of medium to dark roast coffee alone, this brew will be right up your alley.I personally enjoyed this coffee, and plan to buy more of it soon. -Nutritionally speaking this is a decent package, but it was in no way good enough to justify the price. The salmon spread was fishy, the chocolate was waxy and the crackers were flavorless. The only great thing in here was the roasted soy nuts, which I can get elsewhere. Not worth retail, that is for sure. -Tea is my favorite beverage for just about any occasion. I'm always looking for good teas and new flavors to try, but I cannot drink caffeinated beverages after around 3PM, or I just don't sleep well at night. So I was curious to try this, as herbal teas tend to fit the bill nicely for an evening cup to relax with after the kids are in bed. Unfortunately, the tea was nowhere as good as it sounded like it could have been.When I opened the box, the smell was delicious. Primarily blackberry, with the teeniest hint of vanilla. I boiled some water, and let the tea steep for what was supposed to be 5 minutes. I got a little distracted, so in actuality, it was probably closer to 8 minutes before I took the bag out of the cup. The color was absolutely gorgeous - a deep purple that you would associate with the blackberry flavor. The smell was pretty good, though no vanilla could be detected. I tasted the tea without sweetener first, and it while it was decently sweet on its own - it had very little flavor! After an 8-minute steep! I could detect a little bit of the blackberry, and no vanilla. I tasted it 3 times this way, including using the tasting method that professional tasters used. Then I added 1 tsp. of sugar. Interestingly, this did bring out the vanilla flavor a little bit, but I still ended up with little more than sweetened water.I am bummed, as this sounded like it would be a delicious addition to my tea cabinet. However, while I will finish the box (probably with longer steep times), I will not buy another box of this. There is just not enough flavor to be worth it. -I always enjoy how a flavored coffee or tea smells. I've usually found that the taste is never as good as the smell. In the case of Lipton Blackberry Vanilla Herbal Pyramid Tea Bags, this has been my experience. The bag is an eye-catching design that entices because of the texture of the tea and infusions. The smell is amazing! I would make this into an air freshener in a heartbeat! The flavor wasn't bad, but it was overpoweringly blackberry. I couldn't even taste the vanilla.This would be an outstanding blackberry tea, but this product doesn't live up to the description on the carton. -USDA organic, non GMO, high in Antioxidants, recyclable boxes made of 85% post consumer waste - sign me up!This tea is good, and even better it comes from a company that knows healthy products and minimizes the environmental impact of their operations. The tea has a pleasant dark coloration, and a strong "earthy" taste. I wasn't able to taste the cardamom that strongly, but still appreciated the flavor of this tea.I tested the tea to see if it would become bitter if the tea bag was left in, and even after 15 minutes it still did not pick up the nasty flavor that dark teas usually infuse after the tea bags are left in too long. Great for someone who is not looking to time their tea to the exact second when making it.A word of caution - they are not kidding when they say "higher caffeine" on the box. I would be careful drinking this near bedtime if you are sensitive to caffeine.Overall a great product from a great company. -Peeled Snacks Organic Apple Clusters Cinnamon Crunch didn't agree with my taste buds and I didn't enjoy the taste of these at all. I ate a few of the apple clusters and couldn't really take the taste of them any longer, so I drank a little water and tasted them again but that didn't help.The apples are really tart which make them difficult to enjoy and the crisp of the clusters did very little to improve the taste of these snacks. I tried these by eating them straight out of the bag but when I saw that the taste was not good I tried mixing them with my favorite yogurt and yeah that didn't help any. Good concept but very poor execution. -I love cardamom, and the smell of it from opening a packet of Numi Cardamom Pu'erh Tea was promising. However, the tea itself was disappointing. I let it brew for 10 minutes but the flavor was weak: both the tea component and the cardamom. Indeed it was hard to tell there was much cardamom at all in the brewed tea. The flavor on the whole was not bad, but certainly not anything I would pay extra for. -This is a wonderful quality white jasmine tea. Rishi has done a fantastic job of selecting tea leaves for this product. The quality is excellent. The whole leaves unfurl beautifully to a lovely fresh green while brewing. The aroma is so fresh and inviting (a light airy jasmine, not a heavy heady jasmine) and the tea is smooth and soothing. Very nice, I will buy again!Is this review helpful? Let me know, please vote. :-) -I love Ginger and used to like it when the Chinese restaurants I went to when I was young always served a nice pot of Ginger Tea with ones meal. This tea brought me right back to those days, it has a pleasing aroma and nice ginger taste without being overwhelming. If you like ginger teas, I don't think you can go wrong with this blend. Please note that since it a black tea it most likely has caffeine, though I can't seem to find any reference to it--that's okay with me because I like caffiene, but if you're looking for a caffiene free herbal tea this may not be the one for you. I would also like to note that I did not get this tea for it health supplement claims, so I can't either endorse or deny that it does or doesn't do what they claim. All I know is that it tastes good and I like it, any health enhancing qualities are just icing on the cake. -. . . my family liked!As noted in previous reviews, my family has tried all three of the new Taco Bell sauces. The Jalepeno and the Ranchero met with decidedly mixed reviews, and I don't have any particular intent to purchase them again.This sauce, however, my family, especially my kids, really liked. We eat a fair amount of "Tex-Mex" at our house, and the fridge is typically full of sauces of various types. This one was spicy -- but not overpowering, and had a really nice flavor.This one will be a repeat purchase. -This is NOT your usual type of tea. I do not think this actually qualifies to be called a "tea"in the real sense of the word. I doubt if the sachets contain much by way of actual tea leaves at all. So don't expect the usual flavored tea. This is more like a brew of actual garden vegetables. The taste of the vegetables is clearly defined and strong. It has a taste similar to what you will get if you drink the water of boiled vegetables. Not many people will like that. I would call this a vegetable brew rather than a tea. I like it, but not for an every day drink. Just for once in a while when i want to shock my taste buds. -I've been using coconut oil for a while and have tried 2 different brands. This is the third brand I taste and so far, it's the best one. I made some veggie chips and they turned out so crisp and flavorful. Though the oil does not have a strong coconut flavor, it enhanced the flavor of the vegetables I cooked, they were so good. It makes great popcorn and gives salmon a delicious touch. I've also used it on my skin and face. It absorbs fairly quickly and leaves my skin so smooth. I really like it. -Chips Ahoy! Chewy Gooey Chocofudge / B004U43ZO0I received these cookies and their extra-chocolate counterparts at the same time, and I'm a little disappointed with both.I was skeptical that packaged cookies would be soft, but these cookies actually are very soft around the edges. Unfortunately, the mouth-feel is very unpleasant to me: they feel a little like wet bread in my mouth. Once the edges have fallen off, you hit the center core of fudge -- it's basically a hard chocolate disk inside the cookie that needs warming for a second or two in the microwave beforehand.These aren't the worst cookies I've ever eaten, but I didn't enjoy them at all and really wanted to throw them away after the first few had been eaten -- there's a strange aftertaste that I don't much care for. There's also a bit of a "fake chocolate" smell to the cookies that is unpleasant -- my husband took one sniff of each package and refused to try any, saying that they "smelled bad".I really like the idea these cookies represent, and I hope that Chips Ahoy can get the recipe right in their next attempt -- it's a good idea, but just doesn't quite come together in execution.NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this product provided through Amazon Vine.~ Ana Mardoll -In one pouch, there is 1.4g of sodium which is 60% of the recommended daily maximum.This soup is moderately spicy. The consistency is thick. The vegetables (except the corn) and chicken get lost in the heavy soup. There was a good amount of Chorizo but I really didn't taste any chicken. I'm sure it's in there -- I just didn't taste it.Even though I never heat anything in plastic in the microwave, I followed the label instructions and nuked it for 2 1/2 minutes. It worked.I got this for free when orderingLundberg Wild Blend, Gourmet Blend of Wild and Whole Grain Brown Rice, Gluten Free, 16-Ounce Bags (Pack of 6) Package May Vary. That's ironic since this product represents everything I dislike about prepared food unlike the rice which is excellent.Campbell's seems to be targeting the hip, young, generation with this product. When will they get the message that their soups are too salty? I showed this to my college age child and he said he wouldn't eat it. -This Higgins & Burke tea is pretty tasty. The Lemon Balm, Lemon Grass, and Verbena work well with the green tea, taking away the 'dry' aspects of green tea and making it a bit more 'green leafy' and lemony.I liked it as-is. Then again, I generally don't add anything to any green tea. Not sweetener nor milk.I think you're more likely to like this Green Tea mix if you don't set your tastebuds for straight green tea as the overall flavor is radically different. But if you are looking for something really pleasant to have after dinner, or along with a snack, this might be the thing.Pam T~ -Man, this stuff is just great. When I first got it, I wasn’t sure where it was going to get the most use—in the bathroom or in the kitchen. Coconut oil is well known to be a tremendous beauty product, and I thought my wife would want to claim it as a moisturizer and to use on her hair. I was more interested in it as a cooking oil, for which coconut oil is equally famous.Ultimately, the kitchen won and this “Viva Labs #1 Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil” has become a permanent resident next to our stove. It’s amazing. It works perfectly as a butter substitute, greases up a pan better than Crisco, and has become my wife and I’s favorite handy cooking oil. It has a nice, subtle scent and imparts just a hint of coconut taste that we both really love. We use this for Sunday morning omelets, for frying vegetables, for baking, for popping popcorn , for … just about everything.It’s sooo lovely to cook with. About the only thing I can compare it to is duck fat, which melts in about the same way and also adds a nice unctuous flavor and undertones.And yes, it also makes a great moisturizer and hair product. There is a reason why coconut oil is an ingredient in so many beauty products. On its own, it is just as effective. And you get that nice, subtle coconut smell … mmmmmm, does it make my wife smell yummy!I got a sample of this from Viva Labs for review, but I will definitely be placing an order for some more. It’s that good. And probably two tubs next time; one for the kitchen and one for the bathroom. -I chose Numi Organic Tea's Cardamom Pu.erh tea because it claimed to have more antioxidants than green tea and I have always drunk green tea because of its health benefits.What I liked about this tea on my first sip is that it is a solid tasting tea the way tea used to taste before they started adding flavors and other taste supplements. After swallowing the tea there is a lingering taste remindful of some kind of herb, which I suppose is the cardamom.Cardamom is a plant popular in India and Guatemala that is related to the ginger family. I liked the lingering taste, whatever it was, and appreciated the no-nonsense taste overall.Numi Organic claims this tea is an ancient healing tea because pu.erh is picked form 500-year-old organic wild tea trees in Yunnan, China. The teabags are biodegradable.The only issue I had with this product is that the only way I could open the individual packages holding the teabags was to use scissors (they were too tight for my teeth to handle). But I suppose that makes them air-tight which is a good thing. I really like this tea and will try it again after using up the 16 teabags that come in the box. -Fair Trade is more expensive than none Fair Trade product. I just wish it was a Fair Trade product since many producers sell organic which is the most common form of quinoa sold anywhere but a very limited Fair Trade organic quinoa and this certainly is not although a good quinoa. Prices of red quinoa has been going up to $10 a pound, which is the most expensive quinoa, than black, rainbow and yellow.KEEN-Waah... A complete protein source, a seed related to other healthy cousins like spinach and beets. In a pot I place quinoa, frozen peas, carrots, corn, add water and tomato paste. Spinach is added at the end the last minute. Stewing tomatoes for a half hour increases the cancer fighting lycopene content by 35 percent. Cooking also unlocks another nutrient, beta-carotene, in corn and carrots since heat breaks down the fibrous cell walls, releasing more of these antioxidants. The same goes for spinach but then you need to get your vitamin C from something else since that is the first vitamin which is depleted with heat. I saute lots of onion separately then in ten minutes I add paprika, cumin, dillweed, gram marsala, crushed red pepper, turmeric and lots of garlic2 x 2 Pound Fresh Garlic USA California Heirloom Monviso Gilroy Finest (4 Pounds Total), mix it well and add the mix to the pot and let it sit without heat for five minutes. This is what vegans consume instead of beef since it is a complete protein. Greens, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc. may have protein but the fact is that only quinoa has a complete protein and all others do not since all others are missing few amino acids here and there but not quinoa. I rarely ever consume beef, chicken, etc. so fish and quinoa are the only source of complete protein with all amino acids for me. Organic, whole grain, very fulfilling due to some starch with host of vitamins, minerals that no beef or chicken can even come close to. Cooks in ten minutes with some water, no fat, no salt, no sugar... I consume it with eggplant, onions, okra, smoked hearings, curry type dishes with lots of spices and delicious juices. I never ever have to wash and rinse before cooking either. I keep the uncooked portions in double zip lock bags in freezer. I consume so much that I never have to worry about the unused portion going rancid and unlike brown rice which loses its oil in less than six months and becomes worthless even if kept in freezer, quinoa will last longer. Obviously I never ever do that with any food since I only purchase what I need in order to get the nutrients which are a healthy portion of my diet. Gluten free, the best product for me when I go camping since all I do is add lemon and tomato and that way I never have to worry about paying arm and leg for that lousy, awful tasting dry foods. I ground chia+flax+sesame, mix it with cocoa+isolate+soy milk before my workouts every single day or no workout regardless. Three tbsp of quinoa in my power drink offers me 4gr of pure, complete protein with all amino acids. I add organic paprika to regular yellow quinoa and it turns the dish into a beautiful red color. Healthy, healthier and healthiest of many seeds, delicious sprouts only in 3 days with all amino acids. I am an athlete with a healthy diet. I used to consume brown rice heavily years ago but no longer. I can consume quinoa with tomato and lemon juice and it is the best food I can take with me anywhere on any sports trip and I do not even have to wash it either. Delicious, delicious, delicious.FRESHNESS: Fresh means nutritious and delicious. I consume lots of seeds, beans, grains, vegetables, etc. and freshness is a priority regardless of the brand so I always purchase my food ingredients in small quantities from reputable sellers with high turnover. When fresh, food is nutritious and that goes for any food in any form, from frozen to canned. Fresh food is nutritious as well as delicious since nutrients give food its delicious taste. When old or rancid, nutrients are gone and any food item becomes an empty calories with no taste and absolutely worthless regardless of the brand or price, organic or conventional. For few years I consumed seeds in oil form since physicians advised me to do so not knowing that majority are not aware that seeds hardly offer any nutrients unless; seeds are fresh, not old which means rancid, not in oil form, not in supplement form, not hulled, ground and consumed within few days, kept in dark cold temperatures, away from light-sun-moisture since the oil in seeds and nuts go rancid regardless. That is why brown rice which has its nutrients will go rancid even if kept in freezer while white rice will last for years at room temperature since it hardly has any nutrients or oil. I ground in my coffee grinder sesame, flax, chia, amaranth, hemp then add cocoa, isolate protein, soy milk and consume it before my workouts on daily basis for its vitamins, minerals, protein and many nutrients, without much spike in my glucose. Un-hulled seeds are full of nutrients. I never consume hulled seeds which are empty calories, absolutely worthless since the nutrients have been removed.STARCH: Some carbohydrates, such as sugars and most starch are rapidly digested and absorbed as glucose into the body through the small intestine and subsequently used for short-term energy needs or stored. Resistant starch on the other hand, resists digestion and passes through to the large intestine where it acts like dietary fiber. Sugar, honey, maple syrup, white flour, white rice, whole-grain pastry flour, packaged cold cereals, commercial fruit juices, and fruit-juice sweetened beverages are the same foods some dentists claim rots the teeth from the inside out by changing the balance and ratio of calcium to phosphorous in the bloodstream. Your immune system goes down when you wolf down sweets, especially around events and holiday meals. High Glycemic foods quickly turn to sugar in your blood stream, causing excess insulin to pour into your blood to get rid of the excess sugar. The excess insulin pushes the calcium and fat into your arteries, especially if you have only a few cholesterol receptors on your liver (which is genetic). Whole wheat and white bread have essentially the same impact on blood sugar so I try to consume bread with whole sprouted grains, even flourless breads, and no-yeast breads. Black beans, northern beans, navy beans, red kidney beans, lentils, split peas, black-eyed peas, brown rice, rolled oats, millet, corn, black rice are all Resistance Starch. King of starch for me is quinoa and Navy Beans before and post expedition trips, 17.6gr vs. 15.4gr for 100gr serving. No wonder the price of quinoa is going up, up, up... -Please see "tea.jpg" photo on this page. The color once steeped is tremendous, a really great ruby-red that looks like it's out of a 1940s Technicolor movie. The aroma is very pleasant, sweet and floral. The taste, however, leaves a bit to be desired. The aroma is promising you the moon and your brain is going "Yes, yes, yes!" and then the taste doesn't have the goods, you know? Kind of thin-tasting. I've had a locally-produced hibiscus tea which has a more assertive flavor (if not the incredible color). I'm going to let this cool down and make some iced tea later and see if that doesn't help this tea out a bit. Another sip. The aroma is heavenly. But the taste is absent.This comes not in a teabag, but a clever little synthetic-material pyramid for some reason. Very novel. Novelty is valuable. Really just the fact that this stuff is so different and comes in a little pyramid tea infuser would make it a nice stocking-stuffer type gift for the tea lover(s) in your life. Or "teabags" as a British ex-roommate once described dedicated tea drinkers. Another sip. Still kind of weak-tasting, but I wonder if you couldn't put this stuff in a room humidifier... (don't try this, it's just a thought because this tea smells so great)...The flavor is growing on me, but it's still thin-tasting compared to the incredible aroma...---Unfortunately, this tea wasn't very good as iced tea. Kind of tasted like watered-down fruit punch. -These all-organic snacks have natural ingredients and no preservatives. One serving, 1/4 cup, is 60 calories, counts as one serving of fruit, and provides 8% of your DV of fiber. The clusters are made of finely chopped dried apples and have a nice cinnamon taste that is reminiscent of an apple pie. They are pretty crunchy, and I found some of the pieces to be a bit harder than others, so those with soft or sensitive teeth may want to tread carefully. Overall a yummy snack that I felt good about eating. -Numi Organic Savory Tea is unlike any sort of tea I've had before. I had no idea what to expect but was intrigued by the idea of organic vegetables and spices blended together to create brand new experience. Numi Tea has created six blends to appeal to those brave enough to try it & what better way the with the Savory Tea Garden Sampler.The box contains 6 flavors and 12 tea bags, so you can have a cup for yourself and share if you so choose. The blends you'll find are Carrot Curry, Beet Cabbage, Tomato Mint, Spinach Chive, Brocoli Cilantro, & Fennel Spice. The tea is 100% organic as well as non-GMO verified. Each flavor inspired from recipes around the world.I think the sampler is a very good option if interested in trying these teas out. I say that because I honestly really liked some better than others. To each their own taste, I say though. My favorite out of all six is the Spinach Chive! It leaves an aftertaste like if you were have spinach and chive dip just without the added sour cream. And the Tomato Mint was another that I liked, being the mint lover that I am. I was kinda upset I didn't like the Carrot Curry flavor more. I felt it needed to be a bit spicier and the carrot stronger in taste.The flavors of the teas aren't overly strong as one would have assumed from smelling the tea bag. I was a little shocked thinking they would have tasted more like broth or soup. I was hoping it would have been a bit stronger. I will state that each flavor tasted exquisitely fresh and quite distinct though. No sugar or cream is needed and the teas can be drank hot or cold.I'd recommend trying them out if you are looking for something different. They compliment certain meals in my opinion quite well. I think they may also be an interesting addition to your cooking. You may just discover and brand new tea obsession. But do try out the sampler pack first! -The first thing I did when I received this product was take off the top and inhale. The blend of herbs inside smells wonderful. So far I have used it to season chicken, fish and vegetables and have had good results. I also made a balsalmic dressing per the directions on the label and I think it tastes really good.As other reviewers have said, this is a versatile product. You can make eight 8 oz. portions of salad dressing from one bottle, or use it to season various foods. Either way, the results are very good, in my opinion. I also like the fact that while sea salt is one of the main ingredients, the product does not taste salty. I bought a couple of Costco/Kirkland seasoning products, one for fish and one for steaks, and the salt is very apparent in both. This is a much more balanced product. Tasty, and nothing dominates in the blend.I liked it so much that I ordered the Napa and French versions of the seasonings from this manufacturer and can't wait to give those a try. I give this two thumbs up for taste and value.(added on 7/3/08): I had to update my review. This and the other two flavors, the Napa and French, are soooo good. Yes they are sort of pricey but compare the quantity to those little 1 oz or less containers they have at the store selling for $5 and these really are not a bad value at all. I've been using these on all kinds of food and they are great. Very flavorful, not too salty. These are my "go-to" spices now. -Licorice tea? You're crazy! NOPE, this stuff is my favorite tea now and I can't recommend it enough. I have given several packets to my friends over the years and each one has enjoyed it. Also, the price was decent - I'm happy. -Our family goes through a lot of graham crackers. We always buy big packs, and are partial to our name brand (H. Maid), so I was eager to try another brand.Likes:- Smell: these smell fresh, wheat, cinnamon, and apple aroma.- Texture: these are a little firmer and crunchier than our usual name brand.- Flavor: good overall flavor. These are very slightly sweeter than the plain (honey) variety by this brand. Cinnamon is not overdone, thankfully. My 2 year old and I love these.- Nutrition: good. Similar amount of sugar as brand names, but more fiber (2g versus 1 for name brand).- Ingredients: maybe slightly less processed than name brand. I personally consider evaporated cane juice to be 99.99% the same as "sugar".Dislikes:- The box is a little small for our family of graham cracker fanatics. 10 ounces can go pretty quick here. The crackers are a bit more dense though so they seem to last well.Overall a very tasty graham cracker. The great flavor and extra bit of fiber make it a win in our book. -This tea is good, but important to only leave it steeping for about two minutes- Otherwise it will be really sweet! I have a large mug also. When I didn't over steep it was nice, fresh and perfectly sweet! -If you couldn't tell, it's a bottle of water. A really big bottle of water. It has a slight taste to it, like one person said kind of a tap water taste, but I didn't think it was bad. I didn't particularly find it any more refreshing than any other water. I don't know if I truly felt the effects of the "best available pH" (9.5). It did have a pretty silky feel to it as I drank it. It is supposed to have electrolytes in it so if you want to be able to have hard workouts in the heat where electrolytes are truly needed and you don't want the sweet taste of sports drinks or Vitamin Water AND you don't mind the high price, this may be for you. -There are several things a coffee lover looks for in their brew.. the aroma, the color and the taste are what I look for. When I opened the individual pack, I was hit with a wonderful coffee scent. The pod looks typical, and are made for a pod machine. When I made my first cup, since the aroma was strong, I filled the machine with a good sized mug's worth of water, and made a cup. When it was done, the color was fairly light, so I only added a small amount of milk. Still, the flavor was a bit too bland for me, and I like a mild coffee. For the second cup, I used a smaller mug, and in return got a darker, more flavorful cup, so that is my recommendation with this brand. Some other things I love about this brand: it's organic, sustainably grown and Fair Trade certified. That's a lot of benefits for only about 75 cents a cup. The even have their own foundation to support youth soccer programs. This is a good deal. The only thing that I would change is the individual wrap, which seems like an excess of packaging for a company dedicated to the environment. -All of the "Sparkling ICE Spring Water" flavors are delicious. Unfortunately, for medical reasons I have been told to curtail my use of anything carbonated, so I will probably not be purchasing them again. If you have no medical reason to avoid carbonated drinks, I thing you will find these very satisfying. They are large, so the price, to me, is reasonable. -I love peach tea (and anything peach flavored), but this has has a cinnamon flavor that is too strong. I wanted so badly to give it 5 stars, but I wouldn't be honest if I did. I don't like the cinnamon flavor. To me, peach and cinnamon don't belong together. Peach is summer and cinnamon is winter. This tea might be better in the winter as hot tea, but then again, not, because peach is too summery. Cinnamon would go better with apple flavor. As soon as I finish this box, I will not buy it again.The cinnamon is way too strong. It made me sick at my stomach, and the aftertaste is horrible. -The first taste of the black coffee was somewhat bitter with a clean chocolate after taste. The addition of Sugar mellowed it out and eliminated the bitterness. The addition of milk turned it into ambrosia. I kind of expected to be disappointed because other chocolate flavored coffees I've tried have not been very good. This is good, the chocolate flavor is excellent. The smell is absolutely delightful,it drew family members into the kitchen to ask what that wonderful fragrance was.The lovely aroma was so enthralling that the family member who dislikes/hates coffee insisted on having a cup. She loved it sweetened with milk added and will drink it again. We joked about using it as a room freshener or wearing it as perfume. This is a very fine grind, a rounded tablespoon of coffee to 6 ounces of water makes a very strong brew. It can be diluted and retains its flavor. My husband loved it too and wants me to buy it when it is available. I think this tastes best sweetened. -You need a pod maker capable of making this. Maybe I'm a retard but I didn't know that based on the vine description. Doesn't smell all that great.Honestly none of the instant coffees are any good, just get up 5 minutes earlier and make a pot of real coffee, hello. -This is an updated review to reflect my having finally gotten an unsugared version of issimo.Finally, a can of coffee without sugar. I'm a big fan of illy coffee, and hated writing the previous review, but now that there's an unsugared version (and there might always have been, I just hadn't seen it) I can say that I'm a fan. Yes, it's still canned not bottled and yes it's still a smallish can to those of us who would cheerfully sign up for IV coffee delivery, but those things aside, what shines out now is the good, clean, smooth flavor of the coffee. I was able to drink it black which is pretty unusual for me.The price point is a bit lower now, which is a good thing, but it's still a bit steep for less than seven ounces of something you can brew at home. Granted illy has always been a premium-priced coffee, but it's still cheaper to make it yourself. However, by comparison those god-awful energy drinks, I think illy wins the portable caffeine contest hands down. And while it's really convenient to carry a can with you, it's not nearly as inexpensive as stopping at your local S'bucks for a tall coffee. I never thought I'd have occasion to write that...Bottom line is that this stuff tastes pretty good for what it is, but a lot of my original objections still stand. See the following for my initial review.***I really wish I knew what was up with this country and sweeteners. These days you can barely get a cup of coffee somewhere without someone dumping sugar into it without asking. So along comes Illy's ready-to-drink "espresso-style" coffee and I imagine I should have guessed that it would be sweetened. I didn't. It was an unpleasant shock,not only because I hate sugar in my coffee, but because you have to check the ingredient list to find the sugar. Okay, fair enough, you should look at the ingredient list on everything you put in your mouth, but it should also say "pre-sweetened" on the front of the can. I'm just sayin'.All that aside, and making an honest attempt to evaluate the stuff in spite of the sugar, I'd have to say that it's a good, smooth, tasty brew. I've always liked Illy coffee and this brewed stuff isn't half bad for something that comes out of a can. I think I'd prefer it from a glass bottle, but what are the odds of that happening? As it is, the flavor of the can isn't a huge problem, but it sure doesn't add anything to the experience.Tiny can doesn't go very far either. Presumably the reason why Illy has produced a ready-to-drink brew is for people who want to grab a can out of the fridge and swig it down. If they're going to heat it... well no, I don't even want to think about that. Ugh. So it's meant to be drunk cold. Twelve ounces would have made more sense in that case. This isn't a tiny cup of hot espresso we're talking about, it's a cold beverage. If Illy is going to bow down to the Sugar Gods of America, they can darn well do a bit of homage to the Gods of Conspicuous Consumption, too. But $2 for less than 7 ounces of coffee? Thanks but no thanks as Sarah Palin famously remarked. @2 for a 12 oz can is still a bit high, but more acceptable overall.So kudos to Illy for using sugar instead of HFCS, but points off for using any sweetener at all. Good flavor and body, but cans just don't lend themselves to a good coffee-drinking experience. Cans are too small and the price is too high. Buy a tin of Illy and brew your own. It'll taste better and you'll save money. -I first saw these cookies at "Big Lots" discount store. They were on sale there for $1.80. Their appearance in Big Lots means that they didn't sell especially well or too many were made so they were shuffled off to an outlet store. This doesn't have to be a bad sign, but it often reflects that a product isn't the most popular among consumers.These are not the best that Keebler has to offer in their cookie line up, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. On the plus side, the cookies have a decent texture and are crispy and fresh. The filling has a good lemon flavor, albeit an artificial one. They're also very sweet, but most sandwich cookies with a cream-style filling are. That's often the purpose of the filling, but it can be overpowering cumulatively if you're not having a drink along with them.Usually when I sample a product which I'm not crazy about, but I think it's generally okay, I wonder who the target market is supposed to be. Given the Keebler brand mascots, I tend to think they're targeting children, but lemon isn't that popular a flavor among kids (who tend to prefer chocolate or vanilla). My sense is that these are not going to really appeal to most kids are are too sweet for most adults. This may explain why they're on sale at Big Lots. Though not a bad cookie, I wouldn't go out of my way to have these again. -This is my first time trying PURE fruit and nut bar. I don't know what I was expecting, maybe the taste of a regular trail mix bar. It's hard to describe what the PURE bar (blueberry flavor) tastes like, but it's not an unpleasant flavor. The fruity flavor is obvious, and the nuts do not overwhelm the tastebuds. I like that the bar is soft and chewy, and not too sweet. Also, it's made out of all natural and organic ingredients, with nothing processed. That to me is worth having a bar that doesn't have the conventional taste of other energy bars. The taste is not bad, but it's not delicious either. However, the bar is filling and doesn't make you feel guilty about eating it, because the ingredients are so healthy.I would recommend these bars as snacks, but they do have plenty of calories, so I wouldn't eat too many of them at once. But that's true of any kind of snack. -As I'm writing this review, I'm drinking a bottle of water that I've used this product with. The fruit punch flavor is nice, and having this product sure makes it convenient to add those "vitamins" to your drink. Overall, I'm very happy with the product, but only have two complaints. If indicates 1 squeeze for every 8 ounces. What exactly is 1 squeeze? Is it a long squeeze? A short squeeze? I don't feel I've completely found the happy medium yet. The first time I tried the product, I found I had to squeeze it about 3-4 times to get enough saturation in the drink to actually taste the fruit punch and act more like I'd expect it to be. Subsequent uses I've done longer squeezes, and that seems to do the trick. Sometimes I do find I've squeezed too much though, and have more flavor than I'd prefer. The other complaint I have isn't necessary due to the product itself, but due to water bottles. They're filled to the brim when you get them, so in order to use this product you have to drink some. Not a big deal, and not really a fault of the product itself, but is definitely an inconvenience. Overall, however, this is a great way to add some flavor and vitamins to your drink without having to pickup vitamin water or a sport drink. Just buy the regular bottled water, and when you feel you need some flavor, just squeeze a decent amount in, and you'll be set. -I like the fact that although there is the suggested amount for 6 to 8 oz of water, you can add as much as you want. It can be as weak or strong as you want. I like it a bit stronger, so I added an extra teaspoon or two and added it warm milk instead of water and it worked well. The flavor of peppermint is not very strong. I think it is just right, not over powering. It definitely ideal for the Christmas, especially since I live in Upstate New York and at Christmas, we will most likely have snow on the ground and it will be cold. It will be nice to have something nice to drink, since I am not a big coffee drinker, I am the type of person that likes something a bit more fancy. -I am a huge vanilla flavor fan. I love anything vanilla flavored. So naturally, I figured that I would love this coffee. The aroma is great when I open the package and dumped the ground coffee into my coffeemaker. I had high expectations for this.The coffee itself, once it is made is actually only decent tasting. I could only taste a very small hint of vanilla in it and it might have been because of my creamer and not the actual coffee itself. It was a bit bitter compared to other coffees that I have had and very rich. I usually take my coffee with cream and a small amount of sweetner and never really had problems with it being still too bitter.Next time, I guess I'll just use more cream and sweetner. Don't get me wrong, this is not completely horrible and I still enjoy Starbucks. It just surprised me as how bitter it was. -I usually drink real tea, but from time to time I like an herbal tea, especially iced. This has a great aroma and a nice flavor, though more just generally fruity than discernably blackberry. As with any food or drink, the taste is personal and subjective.I do like the pyramid bags- they seem to infuse faster and of course they do look prettier than flat bags.A nice variation on herbal tea both hot and iced. -Looking for a way to spice up your drinking water and getting tired of adding lemons or limes? Lipton's Tea & Honey mix adds a flavorful new option already divided into individual serving packets, which makes it easy to add to a water bottle on the go or a full glass of water at home.This particular flavor is quite different from the standard powdered mixed drinks, having a strong honey taste with a light strawberry twist. There isn't much sugar in it either, at only 2 grams per packet, so it's an option to consider for diabetics or people watching their sugar intake.Plenty of other reviewers have noted there is a small amount of sucralose (Splenda) in here, which is something to consider if you don't care for artificial sweeteners. As the husband of someone with Type 1 diabetes I've gotten quite used to it and find it to be a very enjoyable flavor, so it didn't personally bother me at all.If you don't have time to brew up iced tea at home and want a quick flavor boost for water, this is a great option, and is an excellent way to make bottled water more exciting on picnics or car trips. -I've never heard of Pu'erh but apparently it has more antioxidants than regular green tea. That's always nice to hear, especially since I'm not too much of a fan of green tea. The tea has a very nice aroma, without it smelling like potpourri. The taste is subtle and pleasant. I drink it with scones, or croissants, but it really could go with just about anything. It's not very overwhelming which is a huge plus because I can't stand strong, fragrant teas. I will be purchasing more of this in the future. -I'm actually not much of a tea drinker - I don't really like the taste of hot tea itself, as I often find it rather bitter, and it's associated in my memory with medicine, since my parents often gave it to me when I was sick. I do like some flavored teas, especially cinnamon, which cover up some of the tea taste and once in a while I will have some chamomile tea to relax. This tea sounded rather intriguing. Blackberry and vanilla sounded almost more like a dessert than a tea. So I thought I would try it.And I'm glad I did. The blackberry and vanilla flavors do indeed cover up the tea taste, while at the same time not being overpowering. Both flavors are distinctive. I had my husband try a sip without telling him what it was. He got the vanilla right away. He knew there was a fruity flavor which he guessed was "lemon? No, wait, raspberry or blackberry". The tea also has a pleasant, rich but mellow aroma.This tea comes in rather interesting pyramidal-shaped tea bags. I'm not enough of a tea expert to know how that affects the flavor, but these teabags don't get that unpleasant, soggy used teabag feel after being steeped, which is a plus in my book.The instructions suggest steeping for 4 to 6 minutes. For my first cup I tried 4 minutes, but that made a rather weak brew for my tastes. Six minutes worked well for me. While I was preparing my third cup, I was also preparing hot chocolate for my daughters, and when I added milk to their drinks, I inadvertently added milk to mine as well. Sometimes I like milk in my tea (to cover up the tea taste), but I don't recommend it with this tea - it doesn't go well with the blackberry flavor. I also don't think sugar is necessary, as the vanilla and blackberry both offer a hint of sweetness on their own.I don't know what a tea purist would make of this tea, but as a non-tea-lover, I found it to be just the right combination of bold and mellow with just enough sweetness to help the "medicine" go down. Recommended. -I tried the wild blueberry organic pure bar. It was okay. The smell was overwhelmingly blueberry - almost synthetic smelling - but I checked and the product is all natural and all organic. Our household is a Lara Bar household so it was interesting to compare this to our normal fare. The PURE bar is very greasy, which I thought was kind of weird. The taste was okay. Not great. There were nice chunks of nuts, much bigger than you would find in a Lara bar. I definitely won't change brands, but it is nice to know that there are other options out there if you find yourself in a place that doesn't carry the Lara Bar. You do have to know that these types of bars have plenty of fat, nuts and thus calories in them, a bit under 2 ounces and a bit under 200 calories. They are much denser than your regular run-of-the-mill granola or fiber bar and they are definitely "healthy" tasting. All in all, just okay. I'm sticking with Lara Bars. -About this product, it must be said: I didn't have very high hopes. I'm not into the whole "flavored water" thing (my choice of flavored water being Diet Coke), and I think the energy beverage craze is a joke (you want high energy levels? GET MORE SLEEP!), and so ultimately this product, at least for me, comes down to one thing: taste.In that area it's merely ok. It tastes kind of like Kool Aid fruit punch, only not quite as good. It also has a vaguely medicinal taste about it, and as I mentioned in the headline, a lingering aftertaste. Whether that taste is good not depends on how much you like the flavor. As it is, I'm wishing I had some Diet Coke around.This isn't by any means a bad product, but I'm fairly sure that you could get the same effect with sugar-free Kool Aid or the like, and probably spend a lot less money. Or, alternatively, get a good night's sleep, drink plain water and eat an orange. You'll have pretty much the same outcome. -As a lifelong Oreo lover, I just had to try these, even though I rarely eat refined sugar anymore. I was not wild about the flavor, which was not really that similar to the classic Oreo flavor. I did like the texture of the cream in the center, but I was simply not wowed by these. I missed the crunch of the cookie, too. This entire cookie is soft. It has a distinctly processed flavor, in my opinion, rather than the truly chocolatey flavor I wanted. I got the mint, and I love mint, but all in all I would not recommend this cookie. Possibly for those who are used to eating a lot of sugar and processed cookies, these might be the ticket, but I'll stick with the classic Oreo, which has a rich cocoa flavor and has never disappointed me. -I was excited to try these once I got a whiff of the contents upon opening the package. I'm a fan of good licorice...note: Twizzlers are just okay to me.The smell and consistency of this licorice are good, but the flaver is quite disappointing. It has a very weak taste of Pomegranate and for some reason I got a hint of peppermint in every bite. Maybe just the way my taste buds interpreted the licorice mixed with a little pomegranate juice (can't be much in there).I like these more than Twizzlers, but I would buy a number of other brands before these.FYI: Below are the listed ingredients and nutrition facts.Ingredients-----------Organic Wheat FlourOrganic SugarCorn SyrupOrganic Tapioca SyrupVegetable GlycerinSunflower OilElderberry ExtractCitric AcidNatural FlavorPomegranate Juice ConcentrateLicorice Root ExtractNutrition Facts---------------Servings per container: About 3.5Calories per serving: 130Total Fat 0.5gSodium 5mgTotal Carbs 32g- Dietary Fiver 2g- Sugars 10gProtein 2g -Against my better judgement, I tasted these cookies. My good judgement told me that I might have a problem eating just one. That was very true. I had a problem stopping at three.....These cookies are tasty, with no hidden trans-fats (zero grams doesn't mean that there aren't any, but in this case, there are none). I wouldn't agree that these cookies are actually gooey. They are in fact very soft and have a great chocolate taste. These cookies are very good, and I would buy them again. I just have to figure out how to hide them from myself. :) -Perfect with hamburgers or a sandwich, these chips are crispy and tasty! Full of flavor other than just salt, they don't have the sort of burning-your-face-off heat that masks any other taste. There's just a nice, slow, sweet warmth of flavor.Yum. -I hate to write a not-so-good review of a product since it's based purely on taste ... which is such a relative thing.Anyhow, I personally prefer my coffee to be sweetened, and this drink wasn't sweet enough for my taste. Since it's in a can and I drank it on-the-go, I dind't have the opportunity to pour into a glass and sweeten it some more (and who really pours this sort of drink out of the can anyhow?).Now the good stuff ... The portion size was great and would be easy to double stack in most fridges. The coffee didn't have an artificial flavor and was actually quite good. I shared a sip with a friend and she liked it very much (again, back to taste being such a subjective thing).Enjoy! -This is good coffee. It has a nice chocolate taste and nice aroma. My husband and I both really like this. We will be ordering it again. -Love it! I use this for making pancakes at least once a week. You can make more with it like coffee cakes and so on, but it's just nice to have a GOOD pancake when being gluten free. -I am a HUGE tea drinker, which stems back to the days when I worked as an intern on The Hindustan Times in New Delhi. I rotate my teas and last year when I did a special school tour under my entertainer incarnation I drive 49,000 miles, did 260 school shows -- and traveled with an electric kettle and about six kinds of teas. I have NEVER had Pu'erh tea before -- and it was not just a revelation due to its richness and rich flavor, but due to the wonderful aroma and the energy I had after drinking it. I'm a huge cardamom fan so that made this tea a plus. Since I never had this before I tried adding my usual sugar -- and actually that was TOO MUCH. Due to the cardamom I found (for me) that the tea is excellent if I just add a small amount of sugar. This tea will be a regular now in my rotation but it may well be my regular morning tea, with others rotated in place sparingly. WONDERFUL! -I'm actually not much of a tea drinker - I don't really like the taste of hot tea itself, as I often find it rather bitter, and it's associated in my memory with medicine, since my parents often gave it to me when I was sick. I do like some flavored teas, especially cinnamon, which cover up some of the tea taste and once in a while I will have some chamomile tea to relax. This tea sounded rather intriguing. Blackberry and vanilla sounded almost more like a dessert than a tea. So I thought I would try it.And I'm glad I did. The blackberry and vanilla flavors do indeed cover up the tea taste, while at the same time not being overpowering. Both flavors are distinctive. I had my husband try a sip without telling him what it was. He got the vanilla right away. He knew there was a fruity flavor which he guessed was "lemon? No, wait, raspberry or blackberry". The tea also has a pleasant, rich but mellow aroma.This tea comes in rather interesting pyramidal-shaped tea bags. I'm not enough of a tea expert to know how that affects the flavor, but these teabags don't get that unpleasant, soggy used teabag feel after being steeped, which is a plus in my book.The instructions suggest steeping for 4 to 6 minutes. For my first cup I tried 4 minutes, but that made a rather weak brew for my tastes. Six minutes worked well for me. While I was preparing my third cup, I was also preparing hot chocolate for my daughters, and when I added milk to their drinks, I inadvertently added milk to mine as well. Sometimes I like milk in my tea (to cover up the tea taste), but I don't recommend it with this tea - it doesn't go well with the blackberry flavor. I also don't think sugar is necessary, as the vanilla and blackberry both offer a hint of sweetness on their own.I don't know what a tea purist would make of this tea, but as a non-tea-lover, I found it to be just the right combination of bold and mellow with just enough sweetness to help the "medicine" go down. Recommended. -I really liked this drink. It's 100% juice with no added sugar, so even though the sugar content is a little high, it has more nutrients than soda will have any day. Switch tastes like tangy, carbonated orange drink, and that's fine with me! I didn't notice any aftertaste, and I could feel safe drinking something fizzy (and tasty, unlike sparkling water) without feeling guilty about it. But beware - each can is only 8.3 ounces, a little more than a cup. You decide if it's worth it. -I have recently lost over 60 pounds following theThe Dukan Diet: 2 Steps to Lose the Weight, 2 Steps to Keep It Off Forever. A component of that diet is daily oat bran.We've tried a couple of different brands, but we like Bob's Red Mill the best. Both the flavor and texture are superior, and I like that it's organic. I also like the company - having seen them profiled in the news. They treat their employees well and even basically gave partial ownership to their workers.For use with the Dukan diet, I find the easiest and tastiest way to prepare is to put two tablespoons in a bowl, pour in just enough skim milk to cover, then microwave for about 60 seconds. I add in organic cinnamon (cinnamon is good for blood sugar). -My first impression was that it tasted like unspiced homemade applesauce (you know, right before you can't resist adding cinnamon and nutmeg), which is kind of unusual. I looked at the ingredients and, yes, it has apple puree listed along with apple juice. I also sensed an artificial sweetener in a slight blowback of an aftertaste and, yes, there is stevia in it. Good call X2, palate. There's a calculated "crisp" flavor that a keeps it from getting bland and must be coming from a blend of apple and lemon juices and it must be due to the right apples because you can't taste lemon. It is a carefully constructed drink, an urban take on "the apple."It's enthusiastically carbonated when you open the can which gives it a little wow factor, but it loses the fizz pretty quick and in ten minutes it's flat, probably because it's more viscous than typical carbonated beverages. Sweet in a warm apple way (22 gm carbs, but would be higher in carbs without the stevia), it comes in a cool tall "apple green" energy-drink styled can that has a nice hand feel. It's not the carbonated apple juice you bring in for the kids and nondrinkers on New Year's Eve, and if you are looking for a caffiene hit it doesn't have the perfect bite and gorgeous flavors of Coke or Pepsi, nor the flavor range of Starbucks coffee drinks. It probably wouldn't "go" especially well with any food or snack because it's too particular of a flavor and more viscous than pop, but it's a nice enough stand-alone flavor. If you really like flavor concept of apple sauce mixed with apple juice and are trying to get your heart rate up (80 mg caffiene) you might really like it. -During the cooler months, I love to drink a good cup of tea. But there's nothing worse than getting everything ready to find that your tea bag broke and your have leaves floating in your tea. So now with the Lipton Pyramid, you won't have that problem anymore. The pyramid itself is made of a mesh material that's very strong so it won't have a problem with breaking. And the tea itself is delicious. The flavor of it was very delicate and relaxing. Overall it's a much better way to brew tea. -I have never heard of a savory tea, so when I heard these, my curiousity was in full set. Instead of thinking of these as a tea, think of it as a sipping broth. These teas would make great soup broths or a simmering liquid. Some of these teas were black teas, while others were green teas. Here are my thoughts on each of the six flavors:Fennel Spice (Green Tea) - This is the first flavor I tried. Fennel tastes reminiscent of licorice, so I thought it would be a safe try. After brewing this tea, I was a little hesistant to try it. It had a strong earthy scent, and I thought it would be too strong. Luckily, the taste of the tea was not earthy, but it was pleasant fennel taste (as one would expect). This tea would make a great base for a vegetable soup, but this one works well on its own too. My main complaint is just the smell. - 4/5 starsBeet Cabbage (Black Tea) - This one has a rich vibrant red color. The first thing that hit me with this tea was again, the smell. I shouldn't be surprised though, as cabbage has a notoriously strong scent. The scent was so bad, that I was tempted on to try the tea instead. Instead, I took a few small sips. This tea tastes the way it smells. I couldn't really taste beet, but I definitely tasted the cabbage. - 1/5 starsSpinach Chive (Green Tea) - Another horrible smell. At this point, I've decided that all of these will not have pleasant smell. It's not like vegetables are known for their wonderful smell. This one tasted okay. The spinach and chive was well balanced, but I'm not sure this would be a good tea to drink on its own, as it is a strong taste. - 3/5 starsTomato Mint (Black Tea) - Surprisingly, this one had a pleasant smell (just when I cad come to accept that these teas would not smell good). It smells like fresh mint and tomatoes, and I mean fresh, not like canned tomato or mint flavoring. I'm a huge fan of mint, and I like tomato soups/juices as well, but I've never had them together. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed. The mint came off like tasting like toothpaste, and I couldn't get pass that. The tomato flavor was okay, but it was overshadowed by the mint. - 1/5 starsCarrot Curry (Green Tea) - I enjoyed this tea. Along with the carrot, this one has ginger as well. Like fennel spice, this one can standalone as well. - 4/5Broccoli Cilantro (Green Tea) - This one reminded me of the spinach chive tea. The cilantro adds a bit of zing. Like the spinach chive one, this is probably a bit too strong to drink alone. - 3/5 starsMost of these teas are passable, but my favorites were fennel spice and carrot curry. Averaging the ratings, I get about 2 2/3 stars, so I rounded it up to three. -These cookies tasted fresh and crisp, with a subtle vanilla butter flavor that is good, but didn't insist I eat more. They're satisfying with a cup of coffee when you want something a bit plainer, without the frills and extras. I'll eat and enjoy them, but not sure I'd buy them often. They're good; they're not quite tempting. -I prefer loose teas. There is just a remarkable variety of teas available and in general their flavor is a bit more intense. But I also like the convenience of bag teas. This tea is a nice compromise. The 'pyramid' bags really do seem to help give a flavorful tea. They maintain their shape when put in hot water and you can visibly see more room, they act like a tea infuser.And the combination of flavors is very good. There is enough vanilla to smooth out the blackberry, the combo works well together. I personally would like some more blackberry taste, but these still quickly became one of my favorite bagged teas. -So easy to use. Pour it in a standard water bottle and drink. The flavor is delicious and it's very refreshing. -While not a huge consumer of canned iced coffee drinks I was excited to try Illy's Issimo Cappucino Coffee Drink. Other canned coffee drinks I have tried have ranged from acceptable to retched. As Illy is a respected "high end" brand of coffee, I had higher hopes than usual and overall, I was not disappointed.I poured the contents into a glass with two ice cubes. It smelled good with a light coffee fragrance. The initial taste was neutral, with a medium coffee flavor and chocolate overtones. It seemed a bit watery as well. I cannot say that it tasted a lot like a cappuccino, but overall was agreeable. After finishing the drink, I noticed no unpleasant aftertastes that can sometimes plague canned coffee drinks. The ingredients did not read too much like a chemistry experiment, so that comes as a relief.Overall, I'd rate this an enjoyable drink, not exactly something that I can say that I crave, but one that I would choose over other competitors if I wanted a cool pick me up in a pinch. I do see that they are priced on the higher end of the scale of the competition, but I would say that it merits the extra change required. -Usually I find graham crackers to be a little soft for my taste. Back to Nature's grahams are crunchy and have a great taste. In this case, apple cinnamon. The flavoring is present but not overpowering, which I enjoyed. The product is natural, I'm never sure what that means, but it usually seems to indicate a bland product, that is not the case here. I ate mine both by themselves and with a little peanut butter, I imagine that some nutella would go well them as well. Great for breakfast or a snack. -The coffe pods are quite different from the traditional all plastic k-cup design and fit perfectly, Best of all, they brew a consistently great cup of coffee and I am able to put them in our recycle unit. I get this coffee from my Amazon subscribe program and the price is excellent. -This coffee is full of soothing vanilla flavor along with the bold taste of the great coffees Starbucks makes.The package directions are for very strong coffee so I am able to use half the coffee for the amount of water. This creates a rich (but not overly strong) soothing vanilla flavored coffee. It is a cup that I love having on a rainy afternoon (or evening) with a fire going in the fireplace and a good book. My cats and I curl up in a mound of blankets and pillows and read, enjoy the warmth of the fire and the great taste of Starbucks coffee. -I used 2 of these packets in tea and got rid of the rest. I found the taste to be unpleasant - didn't seem sweet, more tart and fruity than sweet. And, I sensed a metallic like aftertaste. I thought it was terrible. But, I recognize that everyone's taste is different. You may like this just fine and you may have an entirely different application for it than mine. I also don't like Splenda, so you may like this product better if you're a Splenda fan. I just wouldn't buy a truckload of it before you sample it. -I never buy pre-ground coffee, we grind our own; however, I was tempted by the "low acid" offer, since I often have heart burn when I drink coffee. I was extremely surprised with how GOOD this coffee tasted. Seriously, I had very low expectations, and I was blown away not only by the fact that I had less heart burn, but the taste was great! It not only didn't taste like "low acid" coffee, it didn't taste pre-ground. That said, I was reviewing the prices for the low acid coffee, and it is waaay expensive. Not sure I'll be buying it - probably just stick to my big mug of sweet tea. If you can't leave coffee alone and you have heart burn, however, go ahead and try it. Recommended for taste and low acid, not for cost. -Cardamom Pu'erh Tea Bags, 16-Count*Rich pu-erh tea blended with spicy cardamom*Pu-erh is traditionally used as a slimming tea and to aid digestion*100% real, organic, non-GMO verified tea and ingredients*Pu-erh has more antioxidants that green teaAh, my first time trying Cardamom Pu'erh Tea. this caught My eye: "Pu-erh is traditionally used as a slimming tea". :)When steeped, as per instructions, the tea is not pleasantly aromatic, if ya ask Me. I would almost describe the initial steeping scent as acrid. But, I do like the finished product -- a bold, spicy taste -- especially with a little sweetener.The rich tea color is really pretty served in a clear glass or cup.Does Cardamom Pu'erh Tea sound like what you may be looking for? :) Highly Recommended! --Katharena Eiermann, 2013 -I have mainly used this product to marinade chicken breasts; we have used it for grilling three times so far this spring/summer. The flavor is fantastic. My husband is the grilling king, but even he gives some credit to the sauce, the chicken breasts have been so tender and juicy.The sauce is sweet with a little heat. None of the flavors are overpowering and the combination is surprisingly superb. The combination of sweet Mango), heat (Habanero) and the little kick of spice (Ginger) is perfect, you don't need to add any other seasonings to your meat. I have been sticking chicken breasts in a Ziploc freezer bag and then coating them with the sauce, we marinade for at least four hours in the refrigerator, turning the bag every now and again to make sure they are evenly coated. Then my husband has been putting them on the charcoal grill cooking them using the indirect method. They truly are succulent. When the chicken breasts come off the grill I brush them again with a very light coat of the sauce over me and my husbands' chicken breasts. My son finds the sauce a tad too spicy for him with the extra coating, but perfect without it.We have had one jar and have used it for approximately 12 breasts. I have also used a little to go over cream cheese on a cracker; delicious. It is a unique flavored sauce andI can't wait to try it on some grilled fish this summer. This is new favorite in our house and something we will keep on hand.Cherise Everhard, June 2009 -This is pretty good cereal. The flakes have more texture and crunch that Raisin Bran-type flakes, and there are generous amounts of fruit in the cereal. The fruit looks dehydrated, but comes to life in the milk. The box is kind of small - like a Grape Nuts box - so there's really only 2-3 bowls of cereal in the box. But it's good stuff. -These are really good licorice: chewy, sweet, GREAT flavor. Certainly better than the average store-shelf flavored licorice. However, they have an odd aftertaste that I could never quite pin down; somewhat biting, somewhat off-putting, but never quite bad. Not sure where that comes from, but it was the only reason for a 4-star instead of 5-star rating. Would I get more of these? Possibly, but if other flavors had that same aftertaste, I wouldn't get them too often. -Numi Organic Pu-Erh Ginger Tea has a very mild ginger flavor, but the more you sip the tea, the more the flavor builds. It tried it first without sweetening, and the taste was not bitter. I then added a spoon of sugar, my normal way to drink hot tea, and the taste was very pleasant. However, with my second cup, I added honey and lemon juice, and then the tea became delightful and soothing. Very relaxing and comforting after a hard day at work. I drink coffee and tea every day, and I look forward to finding new varieties to enjoy. Numi Tea has an admirable mission statement: "Numi inspires well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea. Our company is rooted in the principle of creating a healthful product that nurtures people and honors the planet. With all of our company initiatives, we strive to foster a healthy, thriving global community while bringing you the purest, best-tasting organic tea." The tea is certified organic, claims many health benefits, the tea bags are biodegradable, and the boxes are made with recycled materials. The Ginger Tea is a pleasant cuppa, and I will definitely try other varieties of Numi Tea. -Since I drink my coffee black without any creamer or sweeteners, the taste of the coffee itself really matters to me. This vanilla-flavored coffee comes ground, which saves me the step of grinding the beans myself. Even though the beans are pre-ground, the flavor after brewing was still deep and rich, and the aromatic fragrance of vanilla still permeated after I opened the vacuum sealed bag.The flavoring of the vanilla in this coffee is subtle and mild. I mention this because with some flavored coffees, a particular flavor can be quite distinct and strong, and dominate the taste of the coffee. For me personally, that can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the particular flavor; I like pumpkin spice strongly flavored, while I prefer cinnamon and vanilla to be more subtle. So, if you are looking for heavily flavored vanilla coffee, expect something a bit more subtle with this flavor.At 11 ounces, this is not a terribly large quantity of coffee for the money. That said, however, Starbucks has never been the bargain hunter's choice for economical coffee, and this is reasonably priced in relation to other speciality coffees. -I heard about this on a news program. Was delighted with Season One. It was refreshing to watch from the other series I'd been watching, not that they were bad, just a bit violent. This was a new idea on an old premise, but very intriguing. Very comfortable and with great stories. The costumes are magnificent and they wear them more than once to give the Granthams and Crowleys more of a reality.Well Done! -I love this movie! All the actors are just wonderful and I am a big fan of Colin Firth. I think he does a wonderful job as Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle does a wonderful job as Miss Elizabeth Bennet. This is one of my favorite Jane Austen movies. I think it is really close to how the book was. And I really enjoy BBC television. If anyone is a Jane Austen fan, read the book first and then watch this movie. I don't think you will be disappointed. -I wasn't really interested in this when it came out in theaters. But I decided that I would like to give it a try since it was free. I really liked it. It was really creepy and funny. The movie ending was great. The foreshadowing that I really didn't pick up on til the end was great. The actors were really good and believable. I loved it and highly recommend it. -I have now watched the entire nine season run of "The X-Files" from start to finish on DVD and my primary reaction to the final season was that it was not Mulder that I missed for most of these last 20 episodes but Scully. Gillian Anderson's character is in most of these season nine episodes, but far too often she comes a bit unglued regarding her absent former partner. Granted, we have enjoyed every one of Scully's emotional outbursts throughout the years, but the explosions strike me as being excessive. When Scully is forced to play the true believer opposite the skepticism of Doggett, in the more mundane cases investigated this final season, things are fine. All things considered, the episodes that focus on Agent John Doggett (e.g., "John Doe," "Underneath," "Release") are the most interesting in the ninth season.As the final season begins Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) has once again disappeared, but this time of his own choice since he knows his presence is putting Scully and their son William in danger. Agent Doggett (Robert Patrick) is trying to find Muldar ("Nothing Important Happened Today") as part of his investigation of Deputy Director Kersh (James Pickens Jr.), but Scully and Assistant Director Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) finally convince him to drop the matter. Scully is now teaching at the FBI Academy, helping Doggett and Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish) from time to time, but fully aware that William is in danger. It is William's fate, even more than Mulder's disappearance, that defines the arc of this final season.While watching these episodes again, at midnight each night, I found myself wondering if the season could have been stronger if not only Mulder but also Scully had been jettisoned and the season had been about agents Doggett and Reyes. As a general rule in the final seasons I intended to enjoy the standalone investigations (e.g, "Lord of the Flies," "Scary Monsters"), than those that focus on the show's mythology (e.g., "Provenance," "Providence"). The final season is a mix of episodes where one week the focus is primarily on Reyes ("Audrey Pauley") and the next almost entirely on Doggett ("John Doe"). Sometimes Dogget and Reyes work together ("Daemonicus") and then again it could be Reyes and Scully ("Hellbound"), or maybe all three ("Underneath"). Things are clearly progressing more quickly with Doggett and Reyes on the romantic front ("4-D," "Release"), but then you would be hard pressed to name a couple that took longer to be a couple than Mulder and Scully. In the comedy department that standout episodes is clearly "Improbable," which features Bert Reynolds as a checker-playing God (Einstein always said God did not play dice with the universe, but he never excluded any board games).With one exception, the twisted Brady Bunch tale "Sunshine Days," the final episodes that aired are all about tying up lose ends. "Jump the Shark" becomes the final ride of the Lone Gunmen, "William" finds Scully reaching a fateful decision regarding her son, and the best of the bunch, "Release" brings closure to the unsolved murder of Doggett's son. "The Truth," the double-episode finale, proves to be unsatisfying, but I think expectations were so exceedingly high that it was impossible for fans to view the end with anything other than regret. I like the final fade out, but the trial of Mulder is clearly a mockery, which means we are treading water for most of the story until the big finish because nothing that happens there matters. There is a big bang near the end, but the saga of Mulder and Scully really ends with silence and a set up that will allow Chris Carter and the gang to do anything they want with the planned second "X-Files" movie. Final Note: It would be my recommendation that you watch all of "The Lone Gunman" episodes before or concurrently with "The X-Files: The Complete Ninth Season," so that you end you "X-Files" experience with "The Truth" and not watching "Jump the Shark" a second time. -Gripping action packed thriller of a futuristic game in which only one survivor is allowed. The tributes (forced to participate contestants) must contend with each other, the weather and days in a technologically controlled battlefield in which the goal is to try and survive while killing all others. The contestants are watched by the viewers in this life and death reality game show, where wagers are made and analysts predict the outcome. The film is well worth seeing! -Saw this one on television. Scenery and costuming are pretty good. But overall I really don't care for it. There really is nothing funning about the Holocost. Indeed the scene best showing this is when the child of the main character is briefly lead away by an Aufseherin. She is wearing a starched clean white nanny apron over her uniform complete with black boots, her face devoid of warmth; which pretty much describes the reality of this film. -I'll first start out by saying that I generally have a pretty wide range of movies I like. I rarely ever "dislike" a movie, I'm willing to watch any genre from any period at any budget, and I'm not one to harshly criticize...I generally try to always find good aspects in a movie...but this movie was absolutely terrible. About 30 minutes in I was SO bored! I would have just turned it off if I had been the only one watching it. The acting was so cheesy, the story line was lacking, the effects were poor, there were a ton of "3D" effects that were waaay over the top (we did not watch it in 3D--because we hate 3D--so it was even worse because of that). There were several plot holes and very little character development. All of these factors together = a poor film. Don't waste your money or your time. -The sets are spectucular, the costumes are so authentic I lose myself and think they are really from that period instead of a dramatization. -A good entertaining movie. The portrayal was amazing. The acting was very good. The attention to historical accuracy was superb. -What a great movie! Being a fan of the classic Universal monsters, I find that this fits in nicely with those movies, even though it was made independantly. It's obvious that this movie didn't have the budget of those, but it has a lot of heart and charm. The story revolves around a young couple, a plantation owner, and a zombie master played by Bela Lugosi. The young couple are to be married, and the plantation owner has invited them to hold their ceremony at his plantation, but he has other plans. He tries to woo the young lady away, but to no avail. As a last ditch effort, he enlists the aid of Bela Lugosi. Well, it turns out that Bela's character has plans for the young woman also. For the rest, well, you will just have to watch and see....the picture quality on this edition is quite crisp and clear, with a couple of minor distortions here and there. This is my first time veiwing this movie, and from what I read, this is the best copy available. The sound quality isn't as good, and I noticed a few drop outs here and there, but considering the age and scarcity of the material, I think the Roan Group did and excellent job in restoring this fine film. All in all, these minor flaws in quality did nothing to reduce my enjoying the movie. The sets are amazing and the movie positively exudes atmosphere. I would recommend this to anyone interested in classic horror movies. -"Open Water" is a low-budget, mildly thrilling shark flick. Sure, it has real shark action in it (except for the biting parts), but there isn't quite enough here in the way of character development to warrant more than three stars. The beginning of the flick introduces us to Susan and Daniel, two of the most annoying young adults you'll ever run into. They constantly bicker, even when they're in the middle of the ocean. I was really gunning for the sharks to take a nip of both of them just to make them shut up.The movie is rather short, but what can you really do to fill up more than about eighty minutes of a story about a couple stranded in the ocean and terrorized by sharks? It isn't as if the sharks can scheme together on how they'll make Susan stop whining. The bulk of the flick is Susan and Daniel either whining about being cold and hungry or blaming each other for being in their seaworthy predicament. This makes the film rather boring since the dialogue and acting isn't that great.The film gets good when the sharks pop on screen. They are the only reason I'm giving this film three stars. They're shown cruising beneath their victims, butting their victims, and rolling their victims. It's rather eerie to watch on the screen.Other than the shark action, however, this movie is pretty dull. The sharks really do save this picture from being a complete dud.Only recommended to fans of low-budget, "indie scary" flicks like the "Blair Witch Project." This film is much better than that one in my opinion, though. -This movie tries to act oh-so-sophisticated. But the story is a half-hearted attempt at a prequel. The script was inane. The acting was overdone. The only valid conclusion possible is that David is most definately a relative of Ash (Alien 1979). Wow, down to the severed head and everything. That's as good as it got. This film stinks on ice but it sure cures insomnia.Better off not even viewing it and just watch Alien and Aliens once again. Sorry Ridley... -and it was called "Battle Royale".I just want to say I stand firm on my opinion and review of this movie despite the barrage of spiteful and extremely petty down votes from over obsessive fans of this series looking to smite anyone who has something other than praise to give this adolescent film.I completely loved Battle Royale as it was an amazing and unbelievably good movie. It's hard to watch this and not see the similarities and also knowing that Battle Royale came out 10 years before this movie or book was even thought of. I didn't exactly buy into the hype of this movie because of so and actually took my time before deciding to sit down and watch it for the first time. This movie I think was just a bunch of hype the same as Black Swan and all those others than pop up out of no where and all of a sudden seem to capture the attention of the box office. Maybe it's one of those pictures where the book is different and much better but as a movie this one feels overly long and quite boring in a lot of parts. If you've seen Battle Royale or have not, you should definitely watch it. It goes into detail about the things this movie skimps over and explores the characters on a much deeper level. Watching The hunger games I felt I was watching almost like a B-movie rip off of Battle Royale, or how can I put it... it's a lot more toned down and that's which kills the shock value of the story. I think this is one of those movies you only enjoy if you've read the book and get to see it come alive. As for me it just didn't cut it especially since I've seen this done before only better with a much better plot. I'm sure there's die hard fanatics for "The hunger games" but if you've never seen "Battle Royale" than you really are just praising a false idol.What makes this movie even more painstaking to watch is that it is long and not very engaging. I found myself pausing the video and running off to do other tasks, and then coming back to it. The movie just seemed to go on and on and on dragging out scenes forever and then having the nerve to give you one of those open endings. This movie is over 2 hours long and the story hardly has any real dialogue to it. You'll find yourself more mesmerized by trying to figure out the ridiculous fashions of this futuristic world. To me that was the more interesting part to watch especially the awkwardly shaped beard of one of the head figure characters. What also struck me was the character Rue and the uproar about the casting for that character. I couldn't believe how nasty people were over the casting of a cute little girl to play her character that basically only had a couple of lines to say. I mean I think if you blinked you'd miss her role in this movie. It really goes to show just how petty certain people can be over absolutely nothing (probably some of these people randomly down voting reviews). Especially in the case of a movie where the race of characters was never described. The biggest surprise was seeing Lenny Kravitz in the film. I didn't even know he was in to acting but his character was random enough so whatever.The one thing I think that really hurt this movie the most was the lack of explanation in the film. The state of the society is never really explained. Why there are 12 districts and all of them are basically low class working districts and the city is lush and rich is never explained. What the "hunger" part about the entire game/story is about. They only hint at a scene where the main character is starving in flash backs or surprised to get a piece of bread from a friend saying "is this real" but that's all you get. No explanation at all as to why these districts are basically laborers that provide necessities for the well to do but live in poverty themselves. Just from the hints and I mean very few hints in the movie the children fighting all come from these repressed low class labor societies where they are picked at random to fight in these games and chosen to be the victor (btw that plot is never explained you have to piece it together yourself throughout the entire movie). It looked like the participating districts were rewarded with food or something if I saw correctly in the riots (also unexplained) but whatever. This is just a bad movie for lots of reasons but mostly for not explaining things that should be explained like the background for the story at least. There is just a simple clip shown in the movie about a war and the games sort of being like the Olympics to show that courage and strength still exists (yeah, still very pointless).Here's where Battle Royale does everything so much better. The plot of a group of students being forcefully captured by the government and thrown into a Military war/social project called "The Program". The kids are handed weapons and supplies at random and told only one of them can survive and they have to kill all of their classmates if they want to make it home alive. The kids don't really understand what is going on (not even the bombs/tracking devices) around their neck. They at first are hesitant to participate in the game but when others start killing each other it suddenly becomes a game of instinct and survival. Some of the kids form social pacts to survive, some like to survive alone, and some just enjoy killing whomever they can find, and some just refuse to participate and try to find another way out. Battle Royale does the story better because its almost like a study of human survival. You get a chance to learn about the background on the characters and their relationship to the other characters which is what makes seeing one of them die or get killed more personal. You don't get to explore any other characters in The Hunger Games but the two main characters "Bow girl" and "Guy who is useless". There's also Rue who character depth includes "These are Mocking Jays we use them to signal time in my district" and that's about as much as you get. For a 2.5hr movie I find The Hunger Games to be extremely vague in a lot of areas it shouldn't be.So basically overall... if you want to see a GOOD movie about Young adults being forced to kill other young adults watch Battle Royale. -The plot is pretty simple. Kahn (from the original series) is back and he's not to happy. Once he escaped from his exile, he could go anywhere he wanted to. Instead of doing that, he wants to go after Jim Kirk. Kahn's obsession leads to his downfall.I really liked how Kahn's need for revenge is his down fall. When Chekov is in the Botany Bay, you see that on the shelf are a lot of book. One book that really stands out is Moby Dick, kind of forshadows what's going to happen to him.With all of this is doing on, it seems that some scientists have created something called, "Genesis". Genesis can literally create life from nothing. However for this to happen, it has to destroy whatever life in on a planet or moon for this to work. In the wrong hands, it can be a weapon.It's up to Kirk and Company to stop Kahn and to save Genesis.Seeings how this is such a old movie, the transfer to blu ray is beautiful. The sound is crisp and clear and during the battle scenes is very impressive. The images on this blu ray are fantastic! The images are sharp, crisp and very clear. I was really impressed with how smoothly the transfer really went. It has some really neat extras that I haven't seen before. I really liked it.I just have one small complaint about the blu ray. The menu screen wasn't all that great. It seems that all of the Star Trek movie menu screens just have the Star Trek symbol, that's it. I feel that they could have but anything up there, but they didn't and really dropped the ball.Again, this is a fantastic transfer, I highly suggest it. If you know a Star Trek fan in your life, they'd love to have this. -I watched this last night. Still choked up today. Casting was superb, very well chosen. Acting was tremendous. Some reviewers criticized the singing of some of the actors, but in this adaptation I think the acting skills mattered more. Where voice talent was needed most, it was supplied by Ann Hathaway and Samantha Barks. Ann Hathaway (Fantine) delivered such a powerful and sadly too short performance-that's the character-though she reappears at the end as a heavenly apparition. Her performance alone is enough to want this movie. A tale of almost superhuman Christian forgiveness and charity-could be a parable. A definite must see. -The first season was pretty good. There were some changes from the book, but the story still flowed. Season two is just getting on my nerves! The changes made are absolutely ridiculous. The Jon Snow and Ygritte scenario made me stop watching and I'm not sure if I can continue. I sorta wish I didn't read the books because then maybe I would enjoy this series more.The actor and character of Theon's sister is atrocious. The story of Daenerys is horrible. The battle between the Kings guard and the Black recruits was way underplayed, and the flow of Arya's journey was cut and changed way too much. I could go on and on. I know I should expect changes, but this was written and directed as if both writer and director did not read and love the books. And I truly don't understand how the ratings are high from people who did read the books.Well, finished watching, finally. I'm totally disgusted. I just have no words to say how bad it is. A bitter disappointment. There is no magic whatsoever, like there is in the book. None. -Director John Huston takes into the underworld of crime in 1950 with ASPHALT JUNGLE. This is a dark film in all senses of the word with very few likeable characters. It's a world of illegal gambling, violence, dishonest cops and crime on all levels.Enter a mysterious older gentleman named Doc played by San Jaffe. Doc is just out of prison and is planning one last huge heist before returning to Mexico and a life full of pretty young girls. A big heist requires a skilled crew and lots of money for planning. "Upstanding" citizen Alonzo Emmerich is the answer. He supposedly has the money and connections. The plan is all set or is it? Can a criminal mind trust other criminals? Let the heist begin.I had no background on this film other than knowing it was one of Marilyn Monroe's first films. She has a small but noticeable part as Angela, the young beautiful lady being "kept" by a much older Emerich. Although her role is small, Marilyn is in all the advertising material. Her fame has that power.I didn't find a lot to like about this very dark film. As in typical film noir, it is shot in shadows and mostly at night. There is always a dark and ominous feeling to the film. No one is any good and no one can be trusted. It's a sad journey in to human failures and distress. Lovely Jean Hagen has a bittersweet role as Doll Conovan. There's not doubt she has had a bad run in life but her heart seems pure and she is madly in love with thug Dix Handley played by Sterking Hayden. Dorothy Tree as Emmerich's long-suffering invalid wife is another character who makes an impression. She is so desperate for her husband's love and attention that it is heartbreaking. Emmerich has what really matters in life yet he turns to younger woman and a gang of criminals for recreation.It's hard to watch this film when there seems no hope of redemption for anyone. The characters have all fallen to pieces in some way or another. There is no light of day or fresh start. -It was a great movie to watch. the suspense was great. It kept you attached to the movie and the snacks!!!!! -"Jeepers Creepers" is a movie I remember hearing a lot of mixed buzz about. Some people\critics hailed it as one of the scariest movies ever! While others said it ranks among the worst ever made. I had wanted to see "Jeepers Creepers" when it was firsted released,but, just never got around to it. Then, one day I just decided to rent it, since I'm a fan of the genre."Jeepers Creepers" is a movie I think that does have some suspenseful moments. I also think the film's first half bour is brilliant. And by that I mean, it's set-up is wonderful. The suspense slowly builds up because we don't know what kind of movie we are in for. We have no way of knowing where this plot will take us. As for dialogue well, the film suffers, and the movie has too many loop holes that don't bring the movie together, plus, it just gets plan silly. But, I'm getting ahead of myself here."Jeepers Creepers" starts off as a brother and sister Trish (Gina Philips) and her brother Darry (Justin Long) are driving home from school. Soon they encounter a strange driver on the road who nearly runs them right off the road. As they drive on, they see him again, this time, he's off the road, and they see him throwing bodies down a pipe. Now, all of this believe it or not works. But, what happens inbetween this, doesn't work.First of all, the two kids start talking about their mother. Okay, what about her? I don't know. They say that she's change, that she;s not herself anymore. OK, why? Does she have a physical problem? Is she breaking up with her husband? Did her husband die? Or is she just lonely? We never know. Information is given to us, but, it's never completed. We know Trish (Gina Philips) breaks up with her boyfriend, why? The writers were just trying to make this characters have a conversation for the film doesn't become boring until the action happens. But, why make the characters talk about things that won't have anything to do with the movie. We don't want to hear it. Why not try writing USEFUL dialogue?After the first half hour, the film become odd, but, I was willing to go along with it. We find out something about the driver in the begining of the movie (don't worry I won't spoil it). And then we start to second guess our opinion of why we rented this in the first place. So now, the film just becomes silly. Here's an example, the kids are soon told they whenever they hear the Harry Warren song "Jeepers Creepers" expect trouble. Never in all my life would I have expected the song "Jeepers Creepers" to represent evil! Also, we are told that the "crepper" attacks ever 23 years! And the funny thing is, no one else knows about this. That leads to another question. Exactly how long has this been going on?Director Victor Salva is not a talentless director I feel. He might be able to actually make a good, scary horror flick one of these days. He just needs to prepare himself better. That's what really breaks this film. The elements are there for a good movie, but, they just weren't used properly. Maybe "Jeepers Creepers 2" will be better. Who knows. I personally would advise you not to watch this movie. If you like the teen horror genre I prefer "Scream", "I Know What You Did Last Summer", and "The Glass House".Bottom-line: Suspensefull, but ultimately silly horror film that just doesn't scare us enough but makes us think of what could of been. Decent acting, so-so scrpit. -This is a well made movie of the all time great musical, based on the Gaston Leroux novel, which was published as a serial in 1909-1910.It's an excellent transformation from the stage to the screen- the changes to make the stage production "cinematic" are sensitive.The performances are excellent. The costumes and staging are superb, and the direction is sensitive to the subject matter.For anyone who loves the Lloyd Webber musical, this is a must- as a movie you can watch to enjoy in its own right, as well as a reminder of the play and its music.At the Amazon price, it's excellent value! -I really was moved by Brokeback Mountain. It is a sad and often touching film, that should be seen at least once by anyone interested in cinema. The direction by Ang Lee is flawless in almost every frame.I was angered by the film for not giving a clear explaination for one of the character's death. I now feel differently. It is best for the viewer to think what they want about it. It was the death itself and how it affected the other characters that was important in the film. The death itself will affect the viewer, and Del Mar's reaction to it is heartbreaking.Some reviews mention the makeup, cloths and other superficial aspects of the film. They are not important to enjoying the film.The acting, direction and story are why the film should be seen and even studied.A student will find writing a thesis on the story, the film or book a great challenge. There are things in the film, subtle things, that get missed during one viewing. If you want to know what I am talking about, see the film again. Look closly at every scene; take it all in. I have not yet read the book.Brokeback Mountain is a wonderfully sad and disturbing film. It may have it's amusing moments, they are few. This film is about love, lust and life. Live's without committment, where lies do more damage than aweful truths. -This is what DVD's are made for. The plethora of special features makes this possibly the best put together DVD out there right now, all DVD's should be made like this, but now onto the movie itself. From the start, Episode 1 had a lot going against it. Few people thought it could live up to the original trilogy, combined with the hammy acting and excessive CGI effects, not to mention everyone's constant bitching and moaning about Jar-Jar Binks, I was surprised it made as much money as it did (then again its a Star Wars movie). Ewan McGregor is great as the young Obi-Wan, while Liam Neeson brings a strong, silent edge in his role. Jake Lloyd however, can't act to save his life. All his lines sounded so forced and unconvincing, not to mention the fact this is the kid who is supposed to become Darth Vader, I just can't see that cute little kid becoming such an evil force. Ray Park is good as Darth Maul, only I wish we could have seen more of him, and the final fight scene is great as well. George Lucas has totally commercialized the Star Wars saga, and it shows here which drags the movie down a lot (he had said he thought about casting N*Sync as Jedi Knights in Episode 2 to please his daughter), and the total credibility that the series once had quickly fades away by the time the credits start rolling. However, I'm thankfull that Episode 2 is much better than Episode 1, but hardcore Star Wars fans will love it either way. Bottom line: great DVD, ok movie. -Spoilers thar be, Maytees.Is a man created by man still a creature of God or is it a monster? Do we have the right to create meta-human life? What if we are the children of unknown fathers? For answers please consult Frankenstein. For self-important, barely comprehensible drivel please consult Prometheus.Great direction can save poor scripts. A director seduced by CGI shooting an incredibly weak screenplay by an overrated pair of writers will not. How on Earth Lindelof and Spaihts got the gig is beyond me. There are strong writers in Hollywood and others trying to get a break that could have done a better job, a MUCH better job.Ridley Scott, like Spielberg, has forgotten what making a raw, honest movie is like and is far too distracted with how excessive CGI can make it look pretty. Alien was a dark, cold, spartan film set in a bleak, merciless universe. The budget and effects limitations at the time meant that Scott had to use his imagination to create dread. Here he has all the money and effects he can ask for and the resulting film is the polar opposite. Less is more. A filmmaker like Scott should know that. All 4 Alien movies were filmed on a soundstage (save for one 'beach' shot in Alien 3). They were confined and claustrophobic. Prometheus is set in massive, wide-open spaces, which I assume is supposed to make us feel desolate and isolated. But when it cuts back and forth between interior and exterior so much the opposites negate each other, meaning we feel neither confined nor abandoned.The story is set a number of years before Alien in which a bunch of expendable characters (including a lot of nobodies) travel to a distant planet (a 4-year round trip) to find the beings that created life on Earth. When they get there they discover...a load of confusing, muddled nonsense that is far from frightening and is only just barely above mildly interesting.Alien was populated with 7 single or double-syllabled characters that felt real and authentic thanks to their quiet interactions and dialogue. We learned their names and positions quickly. Prometheus has more characters than I can count (some appear out of nowhere and quickly disappear as fast) with some of them not even being coherently named. Not that coherence is this film's strong point.Noomi Rapace is cute as Elizabeth Shaw, the lead scientist who believes in 'The Creators' (the Space Jockey creatures), but she's very miscast. Michael Fassbender as android David is the only other character who gets a notable amount of screen time. You'll care about none of them.Scott once said that the film wasn't a prequel to Alien (after originally announcing that it was) then changed his mind a short while later. If this was supposed to keep us intrigued it didn't work. If anything it only got the confusion going before anyone even saw the movie.It has some lofty ambitions, and succeeds at neither of them. The opening scene of a Creator sacrificing himself at an indefinite point in history to create mankind by putting his DNA into our water is nonsense. Was disintegrating himself the only way of doing this? Could he not have just bled into the primordial soup? Did he create the dinosaurs too? Was it a scene set just after the last ice age? Did they accidentally create primates in the process? Why did they create us in the first place? How did the early civilizations learn of the Creators? Did they visit? Why did they have a star map that led to a planet that was just a testing field?The creation of the famous Xenomorph Alien is so convoluted and preposterous. Let's see if you can follow this:Android David finds a vase of goo in the pyramid/mountain place. He touches it to his finger. He deliberately puts his finger into Holloway's champagne, infecting him as he ingests. Holloway gets sick. Before the symptoms become obvious he mates with his infertile lover Elizabeth. She becomes pregnant and quickly goes into labor. She aborts her 'hell baby' by caesarian section but just leaves it there in the operation room. Some time later the angry Creator is attacked by the full grown hell baby and is consumed by it, to a degree, for unknown reasons. That dead Creator then births a primitive Xenomorph.Pardon me, but that is a load of garbage. I honestly cannot believe something that ludicrous made its way into, what is essentially, an Alien movie. The original had so much purity and mythos. Did Ridley Scott not even watch his own movie for pointers? Lindelof and Spaihts have really painted themselves into a corner with that dumb ending too. When Shaw gets to the real Creator planet she will be the only human being in the film, if that is the way the speculative sequel will go.The mystery of the Space Jockey has been completely ruined. It could have been so much better. But Scott needs to be brought back down to Earth (pun intended) and he should have chosen his writing team more wisely. Still, it was nice to hear Jerry Goldsmith's Alien theme, albeit briefly. -This movie was fantastic! Jennifer Lawrence's performance really warranted that Oscar win...and even though I loved "Lincoln" and Daniel Day Lewis's performance was superb, after seeing Silver Linings I was really disappointed that Bradley Cooper didn't win instead. Phenomenal performance!!! The academy owes him for this one. If you haven't seen this film, I highly recommend!!! HIGHLY!!! -***1/2 Anyone even remotely contemplating getting involved with drugs, either legal or illegal, would have second thoughts after seeing "Requiem For a Dream," a cautionary tale brilliantly directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring the magnificent Ellen Burstyn in an Oscar-nominated performance.In confronting the issue of drug addiction, Aronosky (who co-wrote the screenplay with Hubert Selby Jr.) has chosen to tell two stories that, although they run along basically parallel tracks for most of the film's duration, do occasionally intersect. That point of intersection is the mother/son relationship between Sara Goldfarb, a lonely widow living in a rundown tenement in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, and her son, Harry, a ne'er do well loser hooked up with a couple of junkies, one of whom is his girlfriend, Marion. Harry and his friends are well on their way to becoming addicts when the movie opens and, until the supply suddenly peters out, the three of them are having the time of their lives. Unfortunately, once they hit hard times, all hell breaks loose and their lives quickly become a downward spiral into withdrawal, crime, prostitution, illness and prison. This is the more conventional side of the screenplay. Where the film really charts new territory is in the concomitant half which is focused on Sara, a well meaning woman whose obsession to lose a few pounds results in her becoming addicted to doctor-prescribed amphetamines. For Sara, this leads to an eventual descent into disorientation, hallucinatory episodes and, eventually, madness.Some may find Aronosky's blunt directorial style to be overemphatic, hammer-like and off-putting. To approximate the feeling of dislocation caused by the various drugs, the director employs a wide variety of cinematic techniques at his disposal: sped up motion, jarring quick cuts, visual distortion etc. Though it can become a bit much at time, one has to admire the effort to bring the viewer as much into the minds of the characters as is conceivably possible using the resources of filmmaking. The film is both unsparing and unflinching in showing the physical and psychological damage drugs can cause. The last section of the film, though it could be accused of lacking subtlety, nevertheless becomes a harrowing journey into a world filled with confusion, despair and pain.Burstyn makes Sara a compelling and sympathetic figure from the very start. Alone in her drab room, she watches T.V. all day, dreaming of the time when she will matter to someone again. Burstyn does a brilliant job in showing how, thanks to her increasing addiction, Sara slowly loses her grip on reality and slips over into schizophrenia and madness. And though we are appalled by the anti-social behavior both of her son, Henry, and of his cronies, we come to see even them in three-dimensional terms, especially through Harry's obvious love of his mother and the tenderness that develops in Harry and Marian's relationship. The revelatory moment occurs when Harry realizes that his mother is also addicted to drugs, yet how hollow his words sound as he admonishes her to kick her habit. Even he can do little but break down in tears during the cab ride home and return to his own self-absorbed drug addicted life. (This is the last time we ever see them together as their lives diverge to follow their own paths towards mutual self-destruction).Special note should be taken of Clint Mansell's subtle and haunting musical score, which brings an air of melancholy uneasiness to this strange world of the drug-addicted mind.Brilliantly acted and superbly directed, "Requiem For a Dream," though not always easy to watch, reveals uncompromising truths that cannot be ignored. -I can understand why everyone would want this to succeed, but there are three reasons why it didn't. First of all, you would think Warner Brothers would learn from the reinvention of the Batman franchise they nearly killed. I always thought the target audience should be adults, and then would eventually make it down to kids. This kind of campy storytelling will not be tolerated by the public at large anymore.Secondly, I felt there was some sentimental value attached to this film due to the passing of Christopher and Dana Reeve to not allow a more objective critique of the film. I'm not coming down on Brandon Routh at all. I think he did a wonderful job taking the Superman mantle. Aside from a few poor casting choices (Bossworth and Posey). The cast carries out very good performances. Not surprising was Kevin Spacey's marvelous performance as Lex Luthor. While clearly differing from Hackman's performance. Spacey offers a more jubulent take which adds more depth to the character.And third, what made this film lose its cohesiveness was the direction of the story. Bryan Singer did a great job of re introducing the characters. But after that failed to take the movie in a clear direction. So in truth, you only need to see the first half of the film. After the second half you might end up scratching your head.A shout to the people at Warner Brothers. You boys clearly don't have a clue wether you have a good thing or a bad thing so I'll make this real simple. Either hire a competent writer to tell a good story or sell the rights to make these movies. Superman is a good character with a wealth of material in the mythos to use. And it shouldn't be butchered by the likes of you. Take notice folks, Donner's films are going to out gross this one too. -When Aileen Wournos was at large, I was in my teens and living in Central Florida, following the story with sick fascination. I grew up in Marion County, and the first thing I looked for when I saw this movie was accurate depiction of the area, accents, and overall look of the sets. Gotta say, I felt like I was home again.Charlize Theron goes through a major transformation for this movie, where she plays Central Florida serial killer, Aileen Wournos. Not only is the make up and the extra thirty pounds striking as she was uglied down for this role, but her mannerisms, accent and general attitude complete the illusion. Charlize looks so much like Aileen Wournos that when you put her picture next to the real killer's, the resemblance is so uncanny that it gives chills. She also looks a lot like James Hetfield of Metallica fame, but then, so did Aileen Wournos.Her performance is perfect, and Christina Ricci as her selfish, lesibian lover gives a performance that is also well worth watching. Ignorant of her lover's crimes, she pushes her to make more money for them, never realizing until much later that the money is coming from the dead men that are appearing all over Central Florida.Are we expected to feel sorry for Aileen Wournos now that we have the background on how and why she snapped and became this monster? Are we supposed to be sorry that we went to the electric chair? No. While this movie shows us that Aileen's first murder was in self defense, and the second murder was made easier by the post traumatic stress of her first experience, we also see that the other killings are completely calculated and her victims were generally innocent people. Briefly, we see her anguish at killing during an especially disturbing murder scene, but Wournos was not that sorry, so that scene doesn't inspire sympathy for her so much as it leaves a person feeling cold.I would have given this movie five stars except for one thing. The relationship she has with Shelby (Ricci) is too drawn out and slow in developing at first. Then, it seems to be more important than the murders, because we have more screen time with Theron and Ricci making out, arguing, or otherwise planning their next move than we do anything else, which seems to put the murders on the backburner.However, if you want disturbing non-fiction, this movie disturbs on two levels. The first is Charlize Theron herself. She is freakin' amazing. The second is the actual story. It is very hard to watch, but you will be glad you did. -Brian De Palma's Body Double is an underrated gem of a suspense/thriller. Released in the early 1980's, it was bashed for being too derivative of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window and Vertigo, plus being too sleazy at the same time. But in all honesty, I feel these aspects actually worked together to make a truly tight, suspense-filled, edge of your seat thriller.Jake Scully (Craig Wasson) is an actor who thinks he has it all until he discovers he's been fired from his current work and his girlfriend Carol (Barbara Crampton in a 5 second cameo) is sleeping with another man. While looking for work, he encounters a guy named Sam Buchard (Gregg Henry), another actor looking for work. Sam, noticing how unhappy Jake is, offers him the chance to sit a house that belongs to a friend of his. Jake gladly agrees for he has no home to go to. After the first night in this new home (it's actually a cool one too) he peeks through the telescope by the window and sees the neighbor (Deborah Shelton) doing an erotic striptease and masturbation dance. This continuous observation leads Scully to the world of pornography and a porn star named Holly Body (Melanie Griffith), who may hold the answer to a crime he witnessed.It was late around midnight when I watched this film and I was feeling a bit sleepy but Body Double kept me wide awake and in suspense for all of its 2 hour running time. Honestly, I never expected this movie to be that good. Primarily, the most important aspect is if the movie delivers suspense, and that it does. Extremely well, too, might I add. Brian De Palma can be thanked for this. Who can forget the tunnel scene, the venture into the mall, the crime Scully witnesses, and the really creepy climax. Brian De Palma is truly one of the modern masters of suspense and should direct more films like this. What makes the suspense work is mainly because of the fact that Wasson is alone in his investigation. It creates a strong foreboding atmosphere. The great musical score doesn't hurt either. Another asset are also some surprising and unpredictable plot twists that occur. I was surprised I didn't have it figured out toward a certain point despite some good clues (and the fact that Wasson's character figures out part of the mystery with the same amount of hints and clues as the viewer has). Watching the movie again is also fun just to re-examine the twists and see how they worked out.Yes, the film does have a countless amount of nudity in it but it's actually vital to the movie. After all, how would Wasson's character witness the crime if he didn't have the proper motivation to peep on his neighbor. It's an interesting look at voyeurism and how it affects a person. Yes, some moments are a bit sleazy such as when Wasson is watching the X-rated channel. But I can cut that part some slack since it is actually quite humorous and it also leads to another plot twist.Speaking of humor, that's another element that surprised me. I never expected it, but Body Double does have its humorous moments that lighten up the tone a bit. Some of its subtle while other parts are actually quite hilarious (especially if you watch it with a friend), especially De Palma's portrayal of X-rated films. Don't think that the humor hurts because it by no means meanders the suspense. It just makes the film more entertaining.Acting wise, Body Double is quite good. Craig Wasson is terrific as the everyday guy who gets caught up in some events beyond his control. Melanie Griffith is also fine as Holly Body though her character wasn't quite developed well enough. Deborah Shelton is okay as the neighbor Wasson constanly peeps on. She actually develops into a likeable character despite the fact that you know what her fate is early on in the film. Look for Dennis Franz as an independent horror film director.In the erotic thriller genre, Body Double certainly ranks at the top. It feels genuinely suspenseful and it never manipulates the viewer like so many other films of the genre do. And as a sidenote, watch the movie at midnight for the full effect, just like I did. It'll make the scenes at night with the Indian a whole lot creepier. -I was really shocked when I watched this film and realized that it made no sense at all. Vronsky the lover, is so pretty, he competes with Anna for good looks. The one saving grace in the film is Jude Law who plays his part perfectly. But he isn't in the film that much, it is mainly her, Anna, who slides in and out of stylized sets looking much like a wax figure at a museum display. She does this very odd thing with her face throughout the film, twisting her lips into what looked to me like fake snarls. It was very disconcerting to see such a lovely woman deliberately make her face unattractive. The costumes and sets are gorgeous, and it's fun to watch if only for that reason. The story itself is a big disappointment. -And I say I wasted 1.5 hours because that's all of the movie I could sit through. I didn't even bother getting to the end. The worst thing is that this movie had a roster of great actors (Michael Shannon, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe, Chris Meloni, Lawrence Fishburn) but couldn't do anything with them. Their talents were wasted in this flick. The script was poor and the storyline didn't make sense. Did anyone who produced this movie read the Superman comic books? One of the main parts of the original comic that makes Superman fascinating is the fact that no one knows who Superman is, particularly Lois Lane. The Clark Kent alter ego makes the story interesting. Instead they make Clark out to be some drifter with no purpose in life. What nonsense!!Also, what made the original Superman movie (and other big budget films of the 70s like Star Wars and Close Encounters) was that less is actually more. Its time for Hollywood to get off its CGI addiction and get back to simple, down to earth special effects. Back then, the production effort was spent on characters, storyline and special effects. These days its all about the visual graphics and not about the story. Its a direction for disaster. Its why low budget films like The Kings Speech make $100M and run away with Oscars and Man of Steel lays a fat egg at the box office and burns a hole in the movie studio's wallet. -I received it in good time and so far I haven't had any discs fail. The picture quality and sound are fantastic, and I didn't find any green tint in the movies. -THis is what comedies are all about. This movie is an example of how a comedy can be really great. The cast is in top notch performance, the special effects are fantastic but not overwhelms the movie, God, everything is fantastic here. You can see clearly that all the actors,. the director, everyone involved believe in what they are doing and are havin fun doing it. Congratulations !! -Greatest movie from Disney since the Lion King! The plot is great and the two princess are extremely lovable! It is great for children and adults alike! As a college student, my friends and I frequently watch this movie on girls night, and everyone loves it and can sing along with pretty much every song! Wonderful movie that I would eagerly recommend! -Season two was very interesting. Some of the plot was a bit disappointing. When will lady Edith ever find happiness? -Spider man 3, the final installment of spider man was, as expected, overdone. it followed the footstep of X-men and Pirates and other trilogies that wanted to end with a gigantic finish...except that the gigantic part was gigantic in all the wrong parts.to start off, 2 villians do keep us entertained...if they actually make sense that is. But both don't. the writers kept it a little too big, basically made both villains nearly invinsible, then at the end gave us a laughable end-of-villian finish. For example the sandman, after he's been bombed at, flushed at, shot at, beat at, thrown at.... and still live on to create more destruction, he just SUDDENTLY realized that what he was doing was wrong and then went like: "I was wrong, okay now I'm gonna go gone with the wind now" WHAT?!the venom was about the same thing, an invinsible being who is scared of bell sounds???? it's as ridiculous as saying a dragon is scared of the color red. Not convincing at the least.the theme tried to stick to the whole "superhero can't have girlfriends and normal life thing" but it still failed. Because the reasons were pretty damn weak: Peter got bad because he was infected by the venom; Mary-Jane breaks up with Peter for saving his life. none of these things actually SHOWS convincingly that superhero CAN'T have a normal life, just that when new villains came, relationship gets screwed up (the venom just HAPPENS to fall where Peter and Mary Jane is, RIIIIGHT)...which doesn't even make much sense.overall this was a huge disappointing follow-up of the last one, which was the best super-hero movie I have ever seen. the only reason I gave this movie 3 stars is because of its special effects, and Toby dancing of course. -Great Movie. Bought this for my wife as a chick flick. Found myself watching it several times.Movie has s few gross scenes that could have been left out. -From the widespread raves, you'd think this fairly thin coming of age tale was Shakespeare. It's not. It's an adaptation of a book I never read, but the title was slapped onto the movie to help sell it without any true reference to it in the film. Meryl Streep is the one to watch here. Her performance is outstanding. But the rest is rather cliched slapstick. I expected something more sophisticated. Silly me. -Having quickly become a modern classic on stage and in acting circles, Closer-the film is also a landmark.Thirty years removed from Carnal Knowledge, Mike Nichols deftly guides this present day expose of how men and women damage each other in relationships, how impulse and instinct conflict with emotion and the heart, truly the ultimate of matters for us all.The acting is stellar, in particular Portman and Owen (both nominated for Academy Awards) as the initial foils for their partners Law and Roberts, respectively. But these are equal opportunity betrayals, put over on each other over the course of four years. The use of Damien Rice's "O," the direction by Nichols, and the film adapted screenplay by the play's writer/creator Patrick Marber are also excellent.This isn't remotely a comedy, despite moments of levity-particularly Owen-and is a sad case for the complexity of cosmopolitan culture and attitude, an absence of obescense and perspective other than whimsy and vengeance-traits that usually result in damage, especially in relationships.Such an expose, an introspection, an analysis makes this the standout it is. This will hold up over time too, because simple, direct subjects, like how and why and what happens when people struggle against each other in intimate relationships, is a subject that will never be tired. -I find it sad that reviewers such as "A Kid's Review" (only one of quite a few) found it necessary to use personal attacks as a way of conveying their lack of spiritual understanding of or enthusiasm for the film. (Saying over and over again that they wish Mel had made another Mad Max film only shows they did not have the ability or desire to consider what the film was about. You probably should not have seen it since you are clearly unable to grasp the truth of His message.)That said, I will not lower myself again to the same level as other reviewers who attack differing personal spiritual views as a means to criticize the film - I can only suppose it is because they are threatened by the message. If you didn't like the film, say why you didn't like the film. Don't call people who DID find the film a profoundly moving experience idiots because you can't understand our faith. It is only demonstrating your own ignorance to do so. If you choose not to believe that Jesus was who he was portrayed as in "The Passion of the Christ" and in the Bible, that is your opinion and you are welcome to it. But save the intellectual drivel about how anyone who does believe is deluded and cannot think for themselves. Learn to read and research and you might be surprised at what you learn. And - By the way - I am a Christian (NOT Catholic) who was brought up Unitarian. I know how to read and think for myself! I'm not being blindly lead. Free will is a basic point of Faith. I use my free will to believe. You use yours to ridicule. I'm sad for you.In terms of visual message, this film was spectacular. The cinematography is amazing. It truly conveys the anguish most involved experienced - not just Jesus and his followers. For those who claim that His message is missed in the film, I call your attention to the last moments on the Cross when the other men there had the chance to choose their path - the redemption one received while the other continued to ridicule. That is the bottom line message - the redemption and forgiveness that is available to all.I have seen many reviews that criticize Mel for making it too violent. I find this ironic. Have you watched the violence out there on film, in video games, even on TV? I certainly have plenty of it in my film library. Our culture has become immune to it. I expect that had the violence not been portrayed so graphically the film would have lost substantial impact. That said, it was the most difficult film I have ever watched and I cried throughout the film in the theater, but I purchased the DVD. I will watch it again when I feel I need to be reminded of the sacrifice that was made on the behalf of all who believe - and all who do not. -A movie with such a title that is about the scary and dark void called "space," you'd expect to be thrilling. Well, I have to tell you this movie is beyond thrilling. This film is a perfect combination of "Matrix" and "Inception" and will pump your adrenaline to a maximum level! "Gravity" is a life time experience that everyone must see! If you add to the mix that Sandra Bullock and George Clooney star in it as main characters, it just doesn't get better than that!Since this movie has so many genres, it's hard to tell its main one. This movie has adventure, comedy, sorrow, suspense, thrilling scenes, intense scary scenes and so much more! The main one out of all these fantastic genres is definitely suspense. You walk in feeling bored and tired and you walk out feeling like Ryan Stone in the movie. (Sandra Bullock)The thrilling adventure begins when a young medical engineer named Ryan Stone goes up in space to help with installations for the Hubble Telescope. It seems like a casual spacewalk, but when she gets stranded away from her ship, "Explorer," she needs to get back to Earth by hitching a ride on a different station. If you want to find out how and if she and her co-worker, Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) make it back to Earth alive, you have to watch the film.The movie has so much adventure and so many impressive and clear graphics, it's hard not to like it! You feel like you are right there, experiencing whatever the main characters experience. The acting is amazing and there is deep meaning behind it - what would you do, if you were alone in the deepest and darkest part of this entire universe, with nobody but yourself? What would your thoughts be? Would you be able to remain hopeful or just give up and let Space take you? The camera work is the best I've ever seen. Alfonso Cuarón, I give you standing ovation for directing this masterpiece.My favorite scene is when Ryan is stuck in a damaged escape pod with no fuel. She thinks she's stranded. Before she decides to give up and loose hope of returning to Earth, she starts to see Matt. Matt gets in when she does not have her helmet on and shows her that she can get back. As soon as his statement is over, he's gone. She hallucinated him but the plan worked! It's a very interesting and important scene in the movie and that's why I like it.The movie is rated PG-13 and I honestly think it is appropriate for age 12 to 18. I give it 5 out of 5 stars and it is showing in theaters everywhere right now. I may be wrong, but I predict Oscar nominations for the cast and director of "Gravity." Let's see what happens in 2014!Reviewed by KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Gerry O. For more youth reviews go to kidsfirst.org -Couples are central to BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER throughout its seven-year run, so how might one pair the seasons themselves?If Seasons One and Two of BUFFY are Origin Years-- establishing the show's mythos in Season One, then stretching and deepening them in year Two-- then Seasons Three and Four are definitely Years of Consolidation, playing with, clarifying and reorganizing the show's fictional universe and strengthening the bond between show and viewer before diving into the darker, riskier events of Seasons Five and Six (which we might call Years of Daring and Yearning). (What about Season Seven, you ask? Well, let's just leave it standing alone in the corner, looking at its shoes and crying because no one wants to hang with it (and can you blame them?)."Consolidation" has a compromised tone to it, but that's not what I mean. Seasons Three and Four are excellent. It's not a question of quality, which on Buffy was almost always high, but tone-- these are more playful seasons than those that precede and follow, and there's a wittiness to the way in which series creator/auteur Joss Whedon puts his characters through their paces. Season Three, in particular-- from "Band Candy" and "Homecoming" through "The Zeppo" and the mayor's speech in "Graduation Day"-- is full of humor.The brightness extends to the show's look-- Buffy switches from darker 16mm stock to 35mm, giving the show a brighter look. We see more of Sunnydale, here too-- coffee shops, town streets, and the glowing green sign of the Sunnydale cinema. Darkness doesn't disappear-- the show, particularly in the first half of the season, is forced to grapple with the events of the season that preceeded it-- but this is certainly Buffy's most optimistic season, and that optimism may account for its popularity with fans. Season Three was the highest-rated of any Buffy year in the Nielsens, and this year and the next were the height of the show's media buzz.It speaks volumes about how Buffy juggles tones that I can write the above with absolute conviction and then turn around and tell you that the show grapples, in its first four episodes alone, with teen suicide, homelessness, broken families, the dark underbelly of fundamentalism, the return of a murderer, the arrival of a rival slayer, and a mayor who has cheerfully sold his soul to demonic forces. To say nothing of such Buffy staples as the horror of high school, the mendacity of teenage cliques and the glorious pain of doomed love.So, ok, "optimism" and "wit" are relative terms. There are moments in Season Three that are heartbreaking, times when characters must grapple with fear, loss, betrayal and disappointment. The genius of Joss Whedon and his writers is that they give the fans exactly what they want...exactly when they *don't* want it. Whedon is not a moralist (a type that almost always comes in for criticism and mockery on his shows), but his work does have an ethics to it-- there are consequences to actions, and every moment, good or bad, always contains an element of its opposite. Ambiguity reigns in the BuffyVerse, and Season Three, for all its humor, contains moments when even the most seemingly "innocent" of Buffy folk are held up for sympathetic scrutiny.Still, moreso than any other season, Season Three ultimately grants its characters a level of grace and closure unusual for this normally open-ended show. Even the "villains" are more sympathetic than usual, and far more out in the open. It normally takes the show several eps to establish what fans refer to as "the big bad" for the year, but here, in keeping with the lighter, open tone, it's established early on (by the third episode) that the season's uber-villain is the Mayor, a deceptively young-looking family man who was granted eternal life and great power by demonic forces. The mayor is my favorite of all of the program's "big bads," a testament both to the ability of the writers to throw curve-balls at their audience and to the great humor and geniality that Harry Groener brings to the role. Whether he's expounding on the genius of the FAMILY CIRCUS ("That PJ!") or telling hard truths to Buffy and Angel, Groener always makes his villainy charming, almost incidental-- you *like* him, and he, like every one on the show, is granted moments of humanity and understanding rare in television characterizations (incidentally, it's been mentioned in interviews that the Mayor is based on series writer/producer (and later ANGEL co-creator) David Greenwalt, and once you know this, it is impossible to watch one of the many greenwalt interviews on the Buffy/Angel sets without laughing).I don't want to give away any plot twists, but I do want to make brief mention of: the arrival of Wesley-Windam Price, a character who will become more important in the program's spinoff, ANGEL; the real-world arrival to the show of writer Jane Espenson, who will write more great Buffy eps over the remaining seasons than anyone aside from Joss Whedon; the wonderfully expanded role of Buffy's mom, played by the fabulous Kristine Sutherland, who has more good moments here than in any other year; the rough charm and deep passion Eliza Dushku brings to Faith, the rival vamp slayer; and the usual outstanding work of series regulars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Charisma Carpenter, David Boreanez, Seth Green, Nicholas Brendan, Alyson Hannigan, and the always amazing Anthony Stewart Head.The other way to divide the history of the show, of course, is between high school and post-high school seasons. Season Three marks the dividing line between these two periods, and had the show ended here, it would have been logical and fulfilling, if also deeply disappointing. The remaining seasons of Buffy find the characters shifting, growing, regressing, and hitting new depths (and the show, new heights). Challenges lay ahead, for both characters and fans, but that was good-- after all, no one wants to be happy *all* the time. -I really wanted to like this movie, and, admittedly, there are some good moments. But seeing as the studio gave Bryan Singer all the money in the world, plenty of time, and quite a bit of creative control and artistic license (I cannot imagine that DC comics was eager to have Superman portrayed as a deadbeat dad!), there should be more than just a few good moments. Here are the main problems, in no particular order:1) Brandon Routh is not a good Superman. When he is Clark Kent, he mostly closely resembles Max Fisher from `Rushmore.' But Max Fisher would have been a better actor. The worst thing is, and I don't know this was Routh's idea or Singer's, but he does a note-for-note impersonation of Christopher Reeves. IMO this is just plain ghoulish, considering that the beloved Reeves died just 2 years before this movie. The various James Bond actors have all played the character with at least slight differences. Each actor playing Superman has, up to this point, played the character very differently: Kirk Allyn, George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, and Dean Caine each brought a different interpretation of the character. Why in heaven's name Singer had Routh simply ape Reeves is beyond all comprehension, unless Routh is simply so horrible an actor that he could not be allowed to make the role his own. On the plus side, Brandon Routh has caused me to give greater respect to Kirk Allyn, and to put George Reeves and Christopher Reeve upon even higher pedestals.2) Kate Bosworth is simply the weakest, blandest, most boring Lois Lane ever. Not only is there no chemistry with Routh, she has no chemistry with anyone. She appears simply to have been cast for physical attractiveness and demographic appeal. But on the upside, she enhances my already great appreciation of Noel Niell, Phyllis Coates, and Margot Kidder.3) Kevin Spacey is usually a good actor, and I guess you could say he gives a good performance here, but ultimately I think he is not quite what Lex Luthor should be. But maybe if he'd had a decent script. I don't object to Luthor being played as a closeted gay, Lyle Talbot played Luthor that way in the 1950 movie serial. But ultimately Spacey is a little camp in the role, even more camp than Gene Hackman in 1978.4) Ultimately, the script is bad. [SPOILER ALERT:] As much as it must have simply reeked with dramatic temptations, the idea that shortly after bedding Lois, Superman would just fly off into space for 5 years is absurd and offensive. The real Superman, being raised on Kansas farm, would have too much Midwestern sexual guilt to permit him to just desert Lois for 5 years while she incubates his baby and marries someone else. This is creepy. Also, there is a scene in which Superman uses his X-ray vision to spy at Lois, her husband and baby in their home. I'm sorry, but Superman should not be a Superstalker.5) Speaking of the script, there is a lack of internal logic regarding kryptonite. [SPOILER ALERT:] Supposedly the kryptonite in Luthor's artificial island makes Superman as weak as drugged kitten. Yet 15 minutes later, Superman is supposedly able to lift the whole daggum island up and carry it into outer space.6) There is the reuse of Marlon Brando's voice and John Williams' musical score from the 1978 Superman movie. While these things were good in the original context, in this film they, along with his star's attempt to channel Christopher Reeve serve to create the impression that Bryan Singer really has nothing new to add to the Superman mythos, that he is flailing blindly here, creating sound and fury, but signifying nothing.And that is the thing. Nothing that is new in this film is any good, and all the good things were already done in various, earlier celluloid incarnations. And so, the upside is that this DVD has sent me happily back the `Adventures of Superman' TV show. You are far better off viewing those concise and charming episodes than in owning this pretentious piece of grave robbery. -THE LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING is an epic movie in every way. I normally don't like fantasy-based movies but this one just blew me away. I enjoyed every minute of the 3 1/2 hours. I was hooked from beginning to end. It's rare that a movie of that length would keep anyone interested for that long. BUT IT DID! It was awesome. Visually it was excellent but the characters and the storyline is what will keep you hooked. The Characters are awesome. The acting was amazing. It was dramatic, emotional, and action-packed. The basic plot is about a hobbit (played oh so well by Elijah Wood) that acquires a ring of dark power and he has to destroy it. A lot unfolds along the way. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING is pure magic and the ending leaves you craving parts 2 and 3. -I thought this movie was fantastic. As good a picture as any Pixar film. The animation is very special and in 3D it is wow.I loved this movie. It was thoughtful and full of action and funny and scary and wise. It had everything. Plus it was a realoriginal. I just loved it and thought it was everything I would want in an animated film. It had guts and it had heart. -I didn't bother to see this at the theater because I was so disappointed with Spider Man 3. Man was I wrong to resist it. This is by far the best of the 4 movies. The acting was much better, the script was emotional, but not hokey. Sure, they made teenagers seem like 30 something adults when it came to love and responsibility (I don't remember being that in control of myself), but there was also a giant lizard/human involved so reality was not the point. Great movie. -After much hype and anticipation, the whimsical world of Harry Potter is finally brought to life on the big screen in its first feature film. When Warner Brothers bought the rights to the famous children's book series, millions waited in utter anticipation for the adaptation of the first book and executives at the studio were just biting at the bit to accept the money of Mr. Potter's legion of loyal fans. But this was far from an easy task for the movie studio. Why? In order to produce a magnificent achievement for the paying customers, the movie must remain true (to an extent) to the books created by J.K. Rowling and the whimsy and fantasy of those tales must remain no matter the cost. For if this does not happen, Warner Brothers executives can kiss those potential profits on sequels good-bye.The story focuses on the adventures of a young boy in England who discovers he is actually a wizard in training and that he is to be taken to a school, far from the world of the muggles (or non-magical folk) that he has grown up with all his life. After losing his parents when he was a baby, Harry Potter now resides with his terrible adopted family that consists of his boorish uncle, his snippy aunt, and spoiled, brutish cousin. But one day, he learns that he has been accepted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When he arrives in the magic world of wizards and witches, he is overwhelmed to find out that he is one of the most famous sorcerers of all time m due to his confrontation, and evidential defeat of, the evil Lord Voldemort as a baby. But he no sooner puts he foot through the door then the trouble starts, whether it be the up-tight Professor Snape or the spoiled Draco Malfroy. After many strange events around the school, it is up to Harry and his new friends to stop an evil creature from stealing the Sorcerer's Stone which could bring about the re-generation of Lord Valdemort. The story for Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone is done marvelously well but not based on material from the book. When going to see this film, don't go into it basing it on the book. You'll only be left with disappointment.Though most of the performances were played out by young actors and actresses, those performances were done in such a way that they were sophisticated for the age of the performers and therefore surprising. Daniel Radcliffe fits perfectly into the lead role of Harry Potter but the real determining factor will be if Radcliffe can keep that outstanding persona in this role as he matures through the sequels. Overall the performers seem well suited to their roles but that is not fully realized in the beginning. Only over a period of time in the film do the actors feel fully comfortable in their roles. The only disappointment has to be with John Cleese's Sir Nicholas, which was shown as nearly as much as he probably should have been.Overall, the mystical and extraordinary world of Harry Potter is brought to life in a way that many wouldn't have thought possible years ago and, though the film may differ from the book from time to time, even the most hardcore of Potter followers will be happy with this first film adaptation. Not to say it is absolutely perfect, there are some minor things to complain about. The time length, which stood at two hours and thirty minutes, seemed way too long for a feature at younger children. Granted they probably won't care too much since their eyes will be glued to the screen but that can problem based on potty breaks or something to that effect. Another problem deals with the editing of the movie. As an example, the burnt roof of Hogwarts that was not present in one scene was shown in the next with no explanation to what happened. But outside of those small problems, Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone is a delightful treat during the holiday season but not near the same level as Disney/Pixar's Monsters Inc. but a great film none the less. -I had to reconsider both my original review of this flick and "Clones" after having actually watched both movies w/I a week of each other. After the initial letdown of "Episode-I", I was ready to jump on the "Episode-II" bandwagon. In retrospect, while they both share some flaws, in many respects "Menace" is actually superior to "Clones"."The Phantom Menace" has a comparatively simple plot - an intergalactic commercial group called the "Trade Federation" suddenly turns militant in the face of burdensome taxation. They blockade the backwater world of Naboo, threatening an all-out war if their demands aren't met. Why the Federation has taken that strategy is a mystery to the ruling government - the Senate of the Intergalactic Republic. Because the galaxy is largely at peace (except for pockets of lawlessness) there is no standing army. Instead, the Republic relies on the Jedi Knights - warriors schooled in the power of The Force - to maintain peace. When Jedi Knights Qui-Gon (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) find themselves unable to forestall a war, they rescue Naboo's elected ruler Queen Amidala (Portman) from certain capture. Having escaped the Federation, Amidala's damaged ship is forced to make emergency repairs on an even more remote planet - Tatooine. Needing parts to fix their ship, and with nobody willing to accept their Republic Credits (even when prodded by Jedi mind tricks), Qui Gonn and Padme (one of the queen's loyal handmaidens) enlist the help of a local slave named Anakin. He's just a kid, but even Qui-Gonn can tell that the boy has the power of the force flowing through him. Soon the quest to repair the ship and escape to the Capitol of the Republic includes a mission to save Anakin as well, determine the nature of the Force energy coursing through him and to evaluate him for entry into the Jedi.This flick was a letdown in many ways, but it does have some qualities that survive repeat viewings. Visually, it is spectacular - the final dogfight between the Federation and the Naboo was not topped or even equaled in "Clones". Both films have epic battles involving computer-animated combatants, but the Gungans have more character than the clone army (though I wouldn't want to face-off either side, ridiculous characters are better than none at all, and the clones are utterly lacking in that area). The story is simple - though the more complex plot of "Clones", with its many continuity lapses and gaps reveal that its makers have a narrative problem which is best served by keepings things simple. Both films are marked by an epic Jedi duel, though the one in "Clones" was strikingly unspectacular. Christopher Lee as Dooku also demonstrated that he can function quite well as an all-around lord of Evil in "The Lord of the Rings", but the script gives him little to do, and the story can't make up its mind as to whether we're supposed to think he might be good, or banish any idea that he's not utterly evil. In contrast, Ray Park as Darth Maul is utterly drenched in evil, his face and body language communicating a very palpable sense of the Sith - the force of evil Jedi ready to tear the galactic order to shreds. Maul's battle royale - alone against Qui-Gonn and Obi-Wan easily rivals that between Vader and Luke from "Return of the Jedi" in its narrative coherency, and is only clearly topped in that respect by Luke and Vader's duel from "Empire". While we can lament that "Episode One" wasn't the kind of film that grabbed us from our first viewing (like "Star Wars" or "Raiders") it's still a film that can grab us. Just make sure you give it some room, and wide-screen DVD with which to do it. -In the summer of 2010, Illumination Entertainment's animated flick, Despicable Me, decimated the box office, earning $543 million - not to mention garnering praise from fans and critics alike. A family-friendly film, Despicable Me follows Gru, an evil super villain, as he adopts three girls with hopes of using them to one-up a rival super villain. Instead, he falls into the role of devoted father, giving up on his evil ways. Most notably, the film also introduces the Minions - Gru's short, yellow workers that speak gibberish and often find themselves engaging in an endless amount of comical hijinks. Now, Gru and his Minions are back, along with Agnes, Edith, and Margo in the animated sequel, Despicable Me 2.Directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud return to direct Despicable Me 2, which once again stars Steve Carrell as Gru - a now retired super-villain that's attempting to create his own brand of jelly. At the same time, a mysterious villain has stolen a chemical recipe that can turn living things into indestructible purple killing machines. Desperate to stop the mysterious villain, the Anti-Villain League (AVL) enlists Gru's help, pairing him with an AVL agent, Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wigg), to track down the villain and stop them before they unleash the recipe on the world. The voices of Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaaier, Elsie Fisher, Ken Jeong, Russell Brand, and Benjamin Bratt also star in supporting roles.To be honest, I found Despicable Me to be so light-heartedly entertaining and enjoyable that's it's easily at the top of my animated feature list (just so you know that I'm being biased here). With that being said, Despicable Me 2 has been one of my must-see movies all summer long...and it didn't disappoint me one bit. As an easy target for slap-stick comedy (and I'll give you one guess who my favorite comedy trio is), the Minions are good for wholesome unadulterated laughter. As usual, their antics and gibberish talk will have you laughing to the limit - but only if you're interested in that sort of thing. It's easy to imagine Despicable Me being everyone's favorite animated feature, or quite honestly the animated film you'll never want to see again. Just because The Three Stooges brand of humor is my thing doesn't mean it's going to agree with everyone's style of humor. In fact, it's pretty easy to imagine someone describing a film of this nature as being "dumb" or "pointless." However, if that's how you felt about the first film, I couldn't disagree with you more.While the first film focused more on the girls and their quest to find a home to call their own (and a father to care for them), Despicable Me 2 focuses much more on the Minions. In fact, at a short 90 minutes or so, it almost feels like the girls are absent from the film entirely. Speaking of a reduced role, Russell Brand's character, Dr. Nefariou (although important to the film's climax) is also absent for the majority of the film. However, that's not to say the film isn't without enjoyable characters. Between the Minions and the plump villain in question, Eduardo Perez (originally voiced by Al Pacino, but changed to Benjamin Bratt just months before the film's release date), there's no shortage of memorable moments. At the same time, there's love in the air throughout the film with the introduction of the ambitious Lucky Wilde, who (if you couldn't tell from the film's trailer) has a pretty memorable first meeting with Gru.There's not a whole lot to say about this film that wasn't said about the first film. It's a family-friendly flick that absolutely anyone can enjoy. The animation is sharp, colorful, and pristine. Plus, the characters will have you giggling virtually nonstop. While I'm admittedly not a huge Steve Carrell fan, it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Gru - so with that being said, this is the one exception where I would be writing someone a letter on Mr. Carrell's behalf if for some reason he was ever replaced. Regardless, the characters are clearly catching on in popularity - especially the Minions who will be getting a movie of their own, called Minions (hitting theaters in December 2014). And, as long as the plot is solid (which it is) and the Minions are funny (which they are), Illumination Entertainment can keep punching out as many Despicable Me films as they want.P.S. - Make sure to stay through the credits. The Minions will be taking auditions for their new film next year.Grade: B+FNDNreview.com -While not a great film, and surely nothing groundbreakingly original, "High Tension" can least bost it is the first movie in a long while in which its title acurately depicts the film it is attached to. More suspenseful and disturbing than technically scary, "Constant Tension" might be the only better way to describe this efficient little thriller that gets going quick and never stops until its unfortunate head-scratcher of a conclusion. But the simple fact that it continues to move is more than you can say for most horror movies now-a-days (witness the hour it takes for anything to happen in the recent and dreadful remake of "House of Wax"), but the film's pleasures are far more than its pace alone.With no self-indulgent over-length, or grandiose attempts at unnecesary plot and character development, "High Tension" is smart enough to follow the less-is-more storytelling path and realize the best and biggest scares are the most primative. Hollywood, in all its bigger-is-better wisdom, never seems to learn that melting houses of wax and special effect spirits that attack from within the TV set will never be a substitute for, or as effectively frightning as, the idea that any of us can be brutally attacked at any moment, no matter what, if some one is fearless and dermined enough to do so. No, I would not want to meet-up with Freddy or Jason, but I think my chances of avoiding them, at least in this lifetime, are pretty safe. Some crazy guy breaking into my house and slaughtering my whole family, stalking the house, not leaving until he has made sure to horribly kill eveyone... That is not only possible, but terrifying as hell.Obviously it is not a pleasant scenario, but "High Tension" is far from a pleasant film. Truth be told, this movie is not for everyone. Even horror fans may be put off. This movie is not for the Freddy, Jason, "Scream," or "The Grudge," type of horror movie fan. "High Tension," is of a sicker, more brutal mold. It is more akin to "Texas Chainsaw Masacre," or "Last House on the Left," although perhaps more gory and terrifying than either. (I know, "Texas Chainsaw" is famous for having very little actual blood, but everyone assuming there was a ton because of all the violent images and the movie was so terrifying and twisted; well "High Tension" is terrifying and twisted and DOES have a ton of blood.) The violence and gore are severe and off-putting, which is a shame because the movie is such an effective suspense thriller beyond these moments that people who are looking for nerve-frying suspense of a classic nature, but can't stomach the carnage will be missing out.I have seen some reviews here that make light of the violence; many saying the film is laughable and stupid because of it. I agree, it is over the top. In a movie like "Kill Bill" or "Evil Dead," for instance, a neck spewing blood after the head is severd gets a laugh because the tone of the film is satiracle. "High Tension" is not playing its violence for laughs. The senarios in which the violence is prestented here make it quite jarring.It is to the director's credit that "High Tension" so realistically creates an atmosphere of dread and desperateness (hence the 'tension'). There were a couple of times when I was pleasantly surprised to find what I thought I knew was going to happen didn't, or moments I thought were implausible or a leap of logic were explained away with later plot developments.The only thing I take issue with in this film is the big twist ending, which, looking at reviews here, seems to be what everyone is questioning. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that it doesn't work. And it is also rather pointless. In a film this straight-forward about its scares and old fashioned in its execution, it is surprising it felt the need to slap on a gotcha! ending. It isn't a total abomination, though, and it hardly ruins all the suspence the movie provided for the previous 90 minutes. I do wish filmmakers would learn, though, somethings don't need to be explained. Some people are just crazy, sadistic and evil. And if there must be an explination it doesn't have to be the most surprising thing that the writer can think of. Often this means it is also the most outlandish and implausible thing he could think of as well.I still respect the ending on a small level though because at least it is trying to do something unique and clever. Even though it ultimately fails, it is more than I can say for most movies of this type and gets an A for effort.I watched this movie right after the insipid "House of Wax." That movie was pure drivel. An insulting waste of time that existed for no other reason than to cash in on a familiar title, the current crop of teen-slasher flicks and Paris Hilton. There was nothing new or good about any moment of it. Yet every few weekends Hollywood turns out a movie similar to it. For a fraction of "Wax's" budget, with a fraction of its set pieces and none of its recognizable names, "High Tension" has 100 times its suspense. With them both staring at you from the video shelves this Halloween, make sure you make the right choice."High Tension" may not give you nightmares for weeks to come, and it may be too slight a fixture in the marketplace to ever be considered a true classic, but while it has you tied up and along for its disturbing, fast-paced ride, it will always keep your nerves frazzled. -This is a must see film, Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes are excellent in this and the film is very well written. My only complaint is the choppy camera work, it was disracting and made the movie seem cheap, perhaps they thought it would be artsy but I just thought it was annoying. A film of conviction and heart, powerful story's like this don't get made everyday. -Amazing record by Ron Howard - has managed to ruin every movie he's directed so far. Way to go! Can take a great, cool story, and load it with triteness and cliche-ridden cinematics, pacing, and story.I was quite excited to see this movie when I bought it - I knew it was about a famous mathematician, that it had won awards (or been nominated, anyway), and I like movies and plays about math and science. And lest you think I didn't like this because it was ron howard, I didn't know it was Ron Howard when I watched it. After watching this and feeling that I had been taken for a ride, with every emotional response I'm supposed to have being telecasted to me through script and music (like a Spielberg movie but without the artistry), and being taken so far from reality, I and my friend who watched it together felt abused and misled."Who directed this thing?" I asked. "Ah - Ron Howard. That explains why this movie, which has a great and compelling human story underlying it and could have really been a greaet movie that people would watch over time, sucks."Though I give it two stars, let me give 5 stars to the cast - incredible acting, especially from Russel Crowe. Ed Harris great as always. Rest of the cast, brilliant. This movie has some tremendous acting. It's just too bad that Mr. Howard felt the need to manipulate us, tell us what to feel and think, and tug at the emotional heartstrings intentionally, instead of letting the story itself do that for us.The story of a person's life, told truthfully and accurately, without manipulation, is *far* more compelling than any fictional story we could think to invent, and certainly far more interesting than taking a person's story and adding in some fictional components to make it "sell" to the movie public. Sorry, but the movie public just ends up feeling abused. Nash's story could be told on grainy black and white film, with the same cast, but with no special effects, and audience would be riveted, because Nash's story *itself* is riveting.Please stop adding fiction to real-life stories; please stop manipulating the viewers, Mr. Howard.On the DVD itself: 3 or 4 stars for the DVD. Lots and lots of extras, but not of much interest. The transfer of the movie onto the DVD was done *beautifully*. This is an excellent transfer.This is one for renting, not owning. -"Signs" is the next thriller, offered by director/writer/producer, M. Night Shyamalan, who also made "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable".PLOT SUMMARY: "Signs" takes place in the rural farm area of Pennsylvania, where a retired Preacher lives with his two children and younger brother. Mel Gibson stars as Father Graham Hess, who has lost all Faith in God ever since his wife died in a terrible car accident. One day, Graham thinks his children, Morgan and Bo (Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin) are missing in the corn fields. He and his brother, Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), go out searching for them and discover the legendary Crop Circles in the field. At first, Graham and Merrill insist that it's nothing but teenagers playing jokes, but things start getting creepy when they watch TV and find out that Crop Circles are being found all across the Globe, according to the mysterious news that keeps on being repeated on every single radio station and television channel. When the family dogs start acting up, they are put outside and not much later, one of them dies. Other strange occurences that happen on the farm are that they keep on getting strange signals from Morgan's walkie talkie and someone--or something--has been tresspassing onto their land every night. Morgan keeps on insisting that it's "extra terrestrials" trying to make contact with Earth, but Graham won't believe it. However, when nothing else in Graham's theories seem to work, it all adds up to the fact that maybe--just MAYBE--Morgan might be right.MY OVERALL THOUGHTS: M. Night Shyamalan has taken the elements of religion, science, fiction, and even a little bit of horror, twisted them together, and turned them (along with top-notch acting performances, great special effects, and a superb storyline), into a spectacular and spooky film. Mel Gibson gives one of his best performances to-date, as the retired minster who's lack of self-belief in religion really nearly drives him to insanity with the Crop Circles. Joaquin Phoenix also gives a superb performance as Graham's younger brother who came to live with the family after Graham's wife died. Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin are amazing as the kids who believe what's really causing the Crop Circles to form are aliens trying to give Earth signals, as there are only a limited number of them and they are basically the same. The supporting cast does well, too...and M. Night Shyalaman even makes an appearence in the supporting cast, as he usually does in his films. The special effects are wonderful, and the storyline and plot are solid and strong--holds your interest to the very end. A real "thinker's film", and still manages to keep you entertained...and maybe even a little spooked.The DVD includes a nice package of extras including a six-part documentary on the making of the film, five deleted scenes, storyboards, and a featurette on Shyalaman's first alien film. The DVD is available in wide screen format.I highly recommend "Signs".Score:100/100A+ -I have seen a lot of horror flicks and suspense/thrillers in my day and the first 21-mintues to When a Stranger Calls easily rates as possibly the very best first act I have ever seen. From the way it was written, shot, scored and acted there is for me no doubt it's just simply perfection. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The phone calls may not be the scariest in the sense that the caller at first doesn't say anything threatening or even sexual.Each minute of the first act raises the tension unlike any horror flick I have ever seen. By the time you reach the end of the first act you'll be held in such suspense that scaring you is now simple. Any filmmaker can create a jump scene where the killer or ghost or whatever pops out of the corner. Most of the time jumping back is just simply a reaction. How many movies have you watched where you jumped back, but weren't scared at all? It's just a reaction and any filmmaker can do that regardless if they are good or a hack.That is why I normally prefer movies like this that are a bit more subtle. Problem is though after the opening act business does indeed slow down. Most people say the middle sections are boring and it's kind of hard to argue with them. Though I will say the middle sections of When a Stranger Calls does get better on multiple viewings. The filmmakers did such a great job in the opening act that we the audience are on such a high that anything afterwards is bound to be a let down.The screenplay written by Steve Feke and Fred Walton was overall pretty good; the first act was very well written and extremely creepy, but after that the movie changes focus. It seems the story will be built around Jill Johnson played by Carol Kane, but instead the movie focuses on the killer Roy Duncan played by Tony Beckley and a private detective named John Clifford played by Charles Durning who is on the hunt for the psychotic killer.When a Stranger Calls isn't the typical horror movie, yes I consider it a horror flick for the sole reason the movie does aim to scare you. Not in the typical horror movie way, but with more suspense. Some suspense flicks have nothing to do with horror where as others play off some kind of primal fear often found in the horror genre. The 2nd half becomes more of a crime drama. We follow Roy Duncan and to be honest the guy is quite pathetic.Feke and Walton take an interesting approach; Duncan is obviously a psycho but he's so pathetic we almost feel sorry for him. But the man is a child killer and I cannot feel for them. They are the lowest of the low. He's homeless, broke we see him get beat up and later beg for money. Hardly the typical movie villain; problem though is he's just not an interesting enough character to follow around. Tony Beckley does an out-standing job. There is no denying his talents in this movie as an actor. But the character just simply was not interesting.Charles Durning does a great job though at carrying the movie. He is the more interesting of the two characters and his obsession with finding the killer is entertaining. But what went wrong with the middle sections? Simple it goes back to the killer just not being interesting enough. For almost an hour of the movie it's John Clifford hunting down Roy Duncan. While it's not as boring as some people make it out to be, I do think Steve Feke and Fred Walton could have done more. Their screenplay does seem to drag in some spots and by a certain point the movie does sort of repeat itself, but thankfully the final act gets back to Jill Johnson.I didn't hate the middle sections, but they weren't as strong as they could have been. I personally always felt the movie should have been Jill's story with Roy Duncan being in the movie a little less. It would suck to lose the scenes with Charles Durning because he was so great same goes for Tony Beckley, but I personally think making it Jill's story and use Clifford and Duncan as more of a sub-plot would have worked better. The remake attempted to do just that and failed big time.As stated earlier the opening act was just brilliant; director Fred Walton gets the most out of every single shot and raises the suspense and tension unlike any movie I have ever seen. Like I said anybody can do a clichéd scare movie, but it takes real talent to do what Fred Walton did. The 2nd half while yes does lose a little bit of steam, Fred Walton is still able to keep the suspense level at a decent level. The scenes with Colleen Dewhurst who plays Lisa are well done overall and remind us what kind of movie we are watching. The hour mark features a great and creepy scene with her and Roy Duncan. Though when all is said and done the Lisa character seems nothing more than filler scenes. It never really goes anywhere, but does provide some decent suspense.The final act is when things really pick up and we return to Jill Johnson who is now married with 2-kids of her own. Besides the opening act, the final act is the most solid. It goes back to being very creepy and while it does lack compared to the opening it does give us some chills and thrills. Like I said before I do believe When a Stranger Calls is a movie that needs multiple viewings. The opening act was so brilliant anything afterwards is bound to bet a let down. It might be boring at first, but when you see it again you might be able to appreciate it a little bit more. I've come to enjoy the middle sections even if it wasn't as good as it could have been.Carol Kane was great and I do believe the movie might have worked better had the focus been more on her and use Duncan and Clifford as a sub-plot. Kane does appear in half the movie actually. It's just she's used in the opening and ending, which results in roughly 40-minutes or so screen time, but since it's so far between it seems like she's barley in the movie.Despite some problems with the middle sections, When a Stranger Calls is a highly suspenseful and very creepy movie with excellent performances. I'd advise those who felt the middle sections were boring to give it another try. It does grow on you and for those who haven't seen it just expect more a crime/drama with some suspense thrown in during the middle. But the opening and closing act just might be the best you'll find in this genre. -I had three reasons to wanting to see this movie, badly.3. Its a drama about depression. And I really needed a good, sad movie.2. I had read the book.1. Nicole Kidman starred.I loved the book, and because Nicole Kidman played Virginia Woolf, maybe I am a bit bias when I say, the movie is so much better. Which says a lot because the book is wonderful, groundbreaking. Could anything but win a Pulitzer prize? But the shockingly real performances of the three starlets was amazing. A movie that should have been boring, never lost its pace and always held your ineterest!BRAVO! -I thought the movie had an interesting look and feel to it right from the beginning and it involved me right away. The acting of Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman was absolutely amazing. They both gave powerful performances and looked sincere and genuine at every moment. I think the live singing made the film much better than most musicals and (hopefully) set a new standard. I loved the quality and naturalness of the sound.I'm generally not a big fan of this sort of epic-level drama, but the actors pulled off the dramatic ending well, and I found it very moving. I think this movie, overall, is precedent setting and an artistic success. -X3: The Last stand is the Last Straw for Shawn James. The X- trilogy comes to a horrid finish under the lens of the inept Brett Ratner. Brett Ratner is to X-men what Joel Schumacher is to Batman. In ten years people will be denouncing this X-Trilogy the same way they do the first Batman Saga. Unfortunately, there won't be a Chris Nolan and David Goyer or a Sam Raimi around to rectify the mistake this time.Ratner makes a total 360 from what little story Bryan Singer tried to build in his first two films. The convoluted plot involves a "Cure" for mutation, the Pheonix, rising from the ashes, and a war. Each of these stories would make for a great movie in and of themselves, but Ratner throws them in a blender and makes one big mess. There are too many stories, too many characters and no focus. But Storm needs more screen time, the studio needs Halle, and Ratner just uses CGI special effects to patch up the plotholes and totally derive from the course of the comics being adapted. In the first ten minutes Ratner uses the Phoenix to Kill off Cyclops and Professor X, characters crucial to the X-Saga. I guess this is so Storm can be leader and have more screen time. Thank you Miss Halle Berry. Someone in your entourage should advise you this old Broadway adage: THERE ARE NO SMALL PARTS ONLY SMALL ACTORS. It's not how much screen time you have, but what you do with it. Sadly she gives the same flat uninspired performance she does in every movie post Swordfish.Due to Halle's insecure need for more screen time, Ratner's incompetent directing and Fox's need to beat WB's Superman Returns at the box office, X3 falls completely apart over the course of 90 odd minutes. Ironically, these three political forces behind the camera sabotage the intriguing political stories in the movie. The movie strays way off course from the comic storylines it's adapted from and heads into Batman and Robin territory. In the comics, Jean who loved Cyclops so much she held back the evil Phoenix force and sacrificed her own life, Kills the man she loves with impunity. Wolverine loved Jean so much he couldn't bear to kill her. But in this movie he slaughters her with ease. But this change of story course from the comics is nothing compared to the numerous strays from the original two movies. Rogue who struggles and deals with her inability to touch others by finding another way to connect with them (emotionally), just cops out with a wonder drug. Iceman just decides to date Kitty Pryde because it's convenient to the plot. During the big battle sequence, Magneto abandons a cured Mystique, his loyal lieutenant of two movies. Six X-men take on an army of morlocks so storm can get her big battle sequence. And Magneto, the brilliant military strategist doesn't have enough sense to throw a force field around himself while Six X-men are shooting "cure" darts allover the place. Hey, he always keeps a magnetic force field around him in the comics, but in this movie he just decides not to. And when the war is all done, thousands of lives lost, billions in property damage, both sides shake hands and back to business as usual with a Don't ask, Don't tell policy. But these plot points don't matter. It's a necessary compromise so Storm gets more screen time.When you think about this movie it truly is the "Wolverine and Storm" of the X-Franchise a complete and unmitigated disaster. The entire movie feels rushed and sloppy; it seems like Fox just wanted to get a product out before Superman Returned; quality be damned. The acting is flat and one-dimensional because characters aren't' written with any depth. To cover up the bad acting and bad writing, Ratner overloads the movie with special effects. Yes, the special effects are dazzling; seeing the Golden Gate Bridge torn apart is amazing. But there's no story behind them and no build up to that big final sequence to make us care. Thanks to the political forces behind the camera, The X franchise has a forgettable ending and will be a footnote in superhero movie history like the first Batman Franchise.Skip this movie and look for the two episodes of the old X-Men cartoon: Apocalypse Rising and Come the Apocalypse. They actually tell this same story better in one hour than this confusing movie does in 90 minutes. -The "Phantom Menace" discusses the beginnings of the Star Wars universe and their problem with evil droids trying to take over the Republic.The special effects are excellent as is the underwater adventure.The droids are enemies of the Republic, who want to change it and take it over; thereby, enslaving its inhabitants.I rate this movie only 4 stars because the plot is somewhat lackluster, and the movie isn't long enough.However, on a positive note, while the plot is relatively simplistic and short, the special effects and the characters are both memorable and excellent.Bottom-line: The actors did a great job acting, but the movie needed a more complex plot and needed to be longer. Instead, it's rather short and leaves you wanting more excitement and adventure.*Highly recommended for anyone over 13 due to violence. -First off, amazing, the film is just flawless. The acting on all parts was a joy to watch. I feel Paul Bettany was overlooked at the oscars, as was Russell Crowe who deserved that oscar a million times over. His performance was moving and emotional, a flawless piece of art. Jennifer Connelly well deserved her oscar. She was stunning as usual and she was well matched with Russell since the two of them steal every scene they embody. This is just a great film, period. The film revolves around the true life story of John Nash, a famous mathmatician who suffered from scizophrenia. The movie starts while John is in college searching for his origional idea. He finds it, and ends up working as a teacher/informant kinda sorta for the government, making frequent trips to the pentagon. He meets and falls in love with a student (Connoly) and they are married and soon she is pregnant. That's when things get hard. Nash gets a little paranoid beliveing the Russians are trying to kill him. Soon he is in the hospital undergoing some primative electric-type therapy to cure him of his mental state. The balance of the movie shows Nash's road to redemption and that road is long, hard and bumpy, but worth the ride. Crowe's dedication to his roles is evident in the enjoyment you recieve from watching him on the screen. Keep it up Russ. This film ends on a happy note, a note actually so happy and heartwarming it may bring you to tears or at least give you the motivation to get up and clap. If you want to see a film that will make you think, make you cry and make you smile then this is the film you should see. -All I can say, it was fantastic. The acting was terrific and it is very emotional. This film really makes you think about how people perceive others, and makes you think about your own feelings as well. -Guillermo del Toro knew there is a huge audience for movies that emphasize flash-bang wizardry over substance. He knew he was making a fantasy film with fauns and fairies and secret underground kingdoms, featuring a twelve year old girl as the central character. He knew lots of Americans hate reading so much they wouldn't think about going to a film with subtitles, even though he directed the well-made English language "Hellboy". He knew the amount and intensity of the violence of this film would make it unsuitable for children. Yet he made the film anyway - and thank goodness he did.I see many reviews here complaining that this absolute fantastic movie is "boring" and they had to "read for two hours". Oh my! Pity the poor audience, forced against their will to, dare I say it? Read. So - if you aren't a Spanish speaker and don't want to "read" for two hours, keep on moving.In fact - if you don't want to see a movie filled with thrilling adventure, stunning visuals, evil fascist villains, brave female heroines and beautiful photography with sharp editing - stay far, far away.You still there? Maybe El Laberinto del Fauno is for you. I join the large number of positive reviewers standing in line to sing this film's praises. Yes, Ivana Baquero is an amazing child actor. Not yet a teenager, she reminds me of the sixteen year old Jennifer Connelly in "Labyrinth" twenty years ago. The resemblance of the two young actresses and the name "Labyrinth" aren't the only similarities. Both films are fantasies featuring young women who must complete a "quest" to save their baby brother. But the newer film is superior in every way, for the appropriate audience. Where Labyrinth featured Connelly interacting with David Bowie and an army of Muppets, El Laberinto has young Ivana moving back and forth between an underworld of fairies and fauns and her "real world" of Spanish Fascists. The real world elements of the story make you care very deeply about what happens to young Ofelia and her mother and baby brother.Ofelia's father has been killed in the Spanish Civil War and her desperate mother marries the cruel Vidal, played by Sergi López, one of Franco's captains, who (as has been written repeatedly) joins the screen's pre-eminent villains. He is cold and cruel to his own family and soldiers. To his enemies, he is far worse. Maribel Verdú, previously wonderful in "Y Tu Mama Tambien", is strong and compassionate as Mercedes, a servant of the cruel Vidal, but also the sister of one of the Republican Spanish freedom fighters the Captain has been dispatched to snuff out. Ariadna Gil is tragically noble as Ofelia's mother, Carmen. She has married to provide for her family but, realistically, she would like for things to "work out" between the Captain and the rest of the family. Gil's work here reminds me of Allison Janney's in "American Beauty" as a wife beaten down by life with a domineering military man. Álex Angulo reminds me of a Spanish Paul Giamatti as a kind Doctor who has been conscripted onto the evil Captain's staff, but like Mercedes, is secretly helping the freedom fighters with his life continuously at risk. Doug Jones gives two of the most memorable performances in the film under heavy makeup as the titular Faun Pan and as the horrible "Pale Man" a flesh-eating beast that Ofelia must retrieve a magic dagger from.My only regret watching this film is my own limitation at not understanding Espanol. I would imagine that this fantastically rich film is even more delicious in its native language. -I really wanted to see this in theatres and never got the chance, so I finally have seen the movie and am not sure what to think. I was expecting something that was maybe a little Romeo & Juliet with the Vampire vs. Werewolf thing going on, but I don't know. This movie really didn't pay any homage to old Vampire/Werewolf mythology, it didn't really have much action, and the Romeo & Juliet thing is not really expressed and there's only one kiss between the two main people. Kate Beckinsale is alright as the main Vampire, but Scott Speedman (you may have seen him in Dark Blue, an excellent movie) really doesn't have much to add to the film, and was sort of a waste. I thought the Vampire Werewolf hypbrid would be kind of cool, but the transformation was alot cooler than the end result which looked like a guy painted gray with sharp teeth and claws, very creative. The end result of this movie was a boring anticlimactic piece that is something like The Matrix was, starting its own trilogy, which is what I think they're doing. It really has nothing new to offer now that Blade has shown us another view of Vampires, and it sure as heck isn't funny. I can't really say you won't like it, but I can't say you will either. -First,hats off to the director for using various camera tricks and techniques in engaging the viewer. It took me a few minutes to realize why the camera lens was in a severe state of vertigo the first 15 minutes into the film. Thank goodness however the entire movie was not filmed using this technique ! Probably would have passed out. The reason for the swirling and sickening motion of the lens and the droning of the high tech synth sound of the soundtrack in the beginning is to capture the madness of the moment of how one man and his friend are seeking vengeance for a heinous crime (rape) committed against his girlfriend. It also transports you into his head.The entire story is told in a backwards sort of chronological order leading to previous possible events and circumstances that led to Monica Belucci's character becoming a rape victim. The rape scene is one of the most graphic I have seen in any film in my entire life ! You will begin to actually wonder if the scene indeed was real or not. The rape scene alone is one that can haunt the viewer for time to come. Other violent acts are just as equally shocking and extremely believable due to excellent makeup, special effects, and possible cg effects. There is frontal nudity of both male and female actors that may offend some viewers (this is definitely not for children, either)!The biggest mind trick played on the audience is how the movie progresses in real viewing time, yet, you must keep in mind that the story is unfolding backwards. Hence leading to the beginning and not the end. As we follow Belluci's character and the others one soon almost forgets the first 15 shocking minutes of the film, including the underpass rape scene, and start to think that there is a happy ending. There is NO happy ending (nor beginning for that matter)...I went out on a limb to see this one, particularly since Roeper and Ebert raved about it. Well, in all honesty, it is a very brutal movie to sit through the first time and it is definitely not one I will be seeing again. Due to the filming and stroytelling techniques and all too realistic effects it does merit some attention but only by viewers who can stomach it !... -If I were asked to list the top scary movies of all time, I would place John Carpenter's Halloween at the top of my list. It is much scarier than Psycho and The Exorcist, in my opinion, and the likes of Jason and Freddy pale in comparison to Michael Myers. Its influence on the genre can hardly be overstated; countless slasher films have been released over the last two decades plus, wherein each filmmaker consciously or unconsciously has tried to duplicate the force and power of this 1978 masterpiece of terror and suspense. It is this movie's genre-defining influence that earns it first place in my rankings.Is the movie scary? Yes, emphatically so. All these years later, with audiences having a number of other slasher films under their belt, Halloween may not seem as frightening as it had to have been when it was released, but it is deliciously scary nonetheless. The groundbreaking point of view shots Cameron employs only adds to the incredible suspense of the story. Watching this movie alone in a dark room is probably a pretty bad idea, as is going to bed immediately afterwards. Nick Castle's portrayal of Michael is brilliantly subtle, and the photography and soundtrack are superb. The image of the featureless, pasty-white mask hovering above a dark set of clothes is unnerving, and the early sightings of him in Haddenfield are amazingly effective-even when you know he is there, it is sometimes difficult to spot him. One of the best scenes later on has Michael creeping out of a darkened room; it is as if the mask just somehow emerges out of nowhere from the shadows. Even Michael's walk and method of suddenly sitting straight up out of a prone position are amazingly impactful. He really does seem to represent true evil, a force of nature that keeps coming and coming all the time yet is entirely human. He is everywhere and nowhere. The musical score is beyond outstanding; the famous Halloween theme is immediately recognizable whenever you hear it, taking you directly back to Haddonfield. Halloween was the first true horror movie I ever watched. I was probably around twelve at the time, and I decided I was going to watch my first horror film the proper way-in the dark, late at night. I am embarrassed to say that I never even made it through the opening credits. That jack o'lantern and incredibly creepy music scared the daylights out of me.While Michael is horror's most terrifying killer, Halloween would not have seen nearly as much success had it not been for Donald Pleasance's character Dr. Loomis. Loomis' brilliant acting and forceful presence gives Halloween something its imitators don't have, and his almost philosophical musings on Michael's innate evil give this killer a depth that other slasher villains just don't possess. Jamie Lee Curtis, of course, was also fabulous in this, her first movie role. No other scream queen can boast of such advanced acting skills. I didn't think the acting jobs of the other teenagers were very good, but those characters were in the movie for one reason only, and it wasn't to steal the show.The extra features on the limited edition release are pretty good. The "Halloween Unmasked" featurette from 1998 delivers interviews with cast and creators (including an unmasked Nick Castle, who looks more like a professor than a "killer"). The extras also include several scenes shot in 1982 and added to the television version of the movie. The first of these provides more detail about Michael's original transfer to a minimum security institution and Dr. Loomis' attempts to prevent it from taking place. The second one is a great scene featuring Loomis telling the teenaged, pseudo-comatose Michael that he may have fooled the hospital administrators but he hasn't fooled him. The third offers a bit of unnecessary data on Michael's motivations. The fourth scene features some extended dialogue between the movie's three teenaged girls and is forgettable at best. What I found most interesting was the story of Halloween's origins. Many have forgotten or never even knew how much of a surprise hit this movie was in 1978. It was filmed over the course of just three weeks with a total budget of little more than three hundred thousand dollars. Donald Pleasance filmed all of his scenes in a mere five days. The history of Halloween is really remarkable, especially when you consider the importance and influence of this movie on the genre. John Carpenter managed to bring together everything a horror film needs to succeed, and the entire industry has been trying to match his efforts without complete success ever since. -Though Peter Jackson had always claimed that the 208 minute (roughly equal to "Seven Samurai" in length) DVD version of "Lord of the Rings'" first installment was not a director's cut, its vast superiority to the shortened theatrical release becomes clear immediately.For those initally dissapointed with "Fellowship's" overly fast pace (skipping over characterizations and details for the sake of action) , the seamlessly integrated 30 minutes of footage works wonders.Here are some Improvements:1) Instead of a mere adventure movie (or a cgi cartoon, some may argue), Jackson's FOTR now feels closer to the spirit of Tolkien's world. Through more maps, longer stays at various crucial locations, more journey time, more geographic and historical references, one finaly begins to get a sense of original work's epic scope. In fact, there are a few scenes where the dialogue is copied almost verbatim, and that's always a welcomed addition.2) Every character (even Gollum) gets at least some additonal exposure and all are considerably fleshed out. Aragorn benefits the most, now seeming more like a full-fledged human being (within epic conventions, though), rather than a straight-forward action hero. Galadriel, called a "radioactive psycho" by some, has other scenes here showing her true regal nature. Merry, Pippin, and especially Gimli, are more than buffoons to liven up the proceedings. Ian Holm's Bilbo, who was one of my favorite character portrayals in the film, also gets more screen time in the beginning, just like Tolkien wrote.3) The overall themes of the book are now much more apparent - the ring's temptation, the weakness of humans, the appeal of a simple lifestyle over industrialization, and the dissappearance of civilizations (elves). The Passing of the Elves scene, is quite amazing - a shame to have been cut in the first place, as it is fairly short.4) Some of the choppier and confusing parts of the theatrical version are elaborated upon and some questions are answered, such as "How did the Ring betray Isildur ?", or "Why is Boromir so preoccupied with the Ring?" Although Sam is not explicitly introduced as Frodo's servant, he is at least shown gardening at Bag End.Many complaints that I, and other fans of the book, had with the theatrical version are now fully resolved, and by all standards, as a whole this is a much better film, already approaching that sought-after but seldom-attained classic status in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. Approaching, but still stopping short of perfection, because many of the fundamental issues persist.Here are my remaining Problems with FOTR in order of annoyance:1) Gratuitous use (or abuse, rather) of slow motion - esp. in the "Noooooooooo" scene right after Gandalf's fall in Moria, and the "drowning" of Sam scene. Cheesy and detracting.2) Overbearing, generic, omni-present score. Some scenes, like Boromir's attempt to take the ring, and his death, while well-acted, should have been fine without the bathetic, cringe-worthy accompaniment. Sometimes, silence can be just as effective in generating the proper emotions. Granted, the music is not all terrible, it's just excessive - but the cliched chanting has got to go.3) While I can forgive Merry and Pippin's all-too-fast integration into the Fellowship, The Council of Elrond scene, even with the additions (which help) still doesn't quite work. Oh well, at least we get to hear the actual "ash nazg durbatuluk" speach by Gandalf. And, there's a funny hidden parody of the scene on one of the DVDs.4) Saruman is still the cartoonish villain, with no extra depth.The Extra materials on the DVD are top-notch, and as you may have heard, go into minute detail regarding all the aspects of production. They will take hours of viewing, if you care enough to investigate. Some of the audio commentaries are interesting as well - it looks like the presence of Philippa Boyens who was a harder Tolkienite than the action-oriented Jackson, helped steer certain scenes into the right direction. And without Richard Taylor, Alan Lee and John Howe, the visuals (best thing about the film in the first place) would not have been possible. We also get some discussion about New Zealand (interactive map provided) and the filming locations.In summary : if you even remotely liked the film you saw a year ago, were hoping for an improvement, and did not make the mistake of purchasing the theatrical DVD in August - by all means get this one! -...and that's what I think I liked best about it. Some complain that there is no plot and no jokes, yet wonder why so many of us like it enough to give it 5-stars (or offer it so many Academy Awards). The truth is what makes this movie such a gem is that it doesn't need to come out and smack you in the head with the type of dull, predicatable nonesense like most movies do these days. It reminds me of older films; not in content or style, necessarily, but in its honest simplicity. Why is it funny? Not because its a constant joke machine, but because its just the opposite. Does someone need to fall down, curse, get hurt, or otherwise make a fool out of themselves in order to be funny? Well, to most people yes. The reason why this movie is so funny is the same reason certain scenes in Casablanca are so funny, despite the seriousness of that film's subject: dialogue. Because I haven't watched the movie lately, I'll leave it at that, and asure most of you that if you just relax and don't expect to see slapstick or stupid voices or people acting foolish, you might actually enjoy a movie that is funny in its simplicity.Another thing worth mentioning is Bill Murray's performance. Many people, including critics who enjoyed the film, thought that Murray's Oscar nomination was unwarrented; that he was simply "being" Bill Murry. That's like saying (to use the Casablanca reference again) that Bogey was just being himself and didn't have to act to be Rick Blaine. I strongly disagree. Murray's performance isn't in your face like most of his, or other actor's , performances. True, he doesn't really have to "become" anyone, but he still has to act. He has to be convincingly lonely, upset, tired, and frustrated, all the while being funny. He doesn't just do it, it does it better than most actors could. I'd hate to see Sean Penn try that, or even Jaime Fox a great actor, but when he does "funny" he can only seem to do a certain kind of in-your-face funny...that's not what this movie needed, and thank God thats not what it tried to do.Finally, the script. Like its humor, its simply good, and charming. All it asks of us is to give up two hours to watch to lonely Americans who find themselves in the same place, waiting for things to happen. In the end, they become great friends and they decide to go out and make things happen. It doesn't need a caper of any kind. It doens't need explosions or any kind of love affair. This is a character driven Comedic-Drama (or Dramatic-Comedy) and the chemistry between the Murray and Johansen is perfect. I can't wait to see this movie again. -Firefly is a geat show. 1st the characters/actors are awesome. Each actor has had or currently owns a major role in a television/movie. Nathon Fillion is the main character he is currently on the show Castle. Kalee, Jewel Staite, was also on the show Stargate Atlantis for a awhile. Also, lets not forget Joss Whedon himself, if you liked the new Avenger's movie then you should like this show for they are both his work. My point is the cast is strong, so the comments on bad writing and acting is unfounded. As for the Western aspect of the movie, well in the show they didn't just come out and say it but there is a good reason why it has a western feel to it with a touch of Chinese heritage. Lastly, after this show was cancelled, unjustly, this show had a "HUGE" fan base. So much so that Joss Whedon felt he had grounds to finish the series in a full length feature film and he did. The Full length film finishing the Firefly series is called "Serenity" and currently holds a 4 1/2 star rating here on Amazon out of 1800 + reviews and was rated a 7.9 on IMDB out of 143,000 people.Let me explain the Western aspect and the Chinese influence to this show for those people who might find merrit in this argument. Joss Whedon doesn't just come out and say it in this show he wants the viewer to watch and come to their own understanding of why modern society in Firely has a Chinese and old western style to it. Most of Frefly's fans understand it but for those who don't let me explain...nerd moment beware....In this show Earth is no more or if there are people still on it, its a LOOOONG ways away. The Alliance is the major power in Firefly, from what I understand the Allaince is comprised of what were the remnants of the Earth's western powers(United States/Great Britain) and China. When they settled on their new worlds they formed an Alliance. This is why you see and hear people in Firefly wearing chinese clothing and speaking Chinese while still using English as their base language. Inara, who plays the companion is a great example of this and is almost always wearing a gown that has a Chinese or oriental style to it. Lastly the western feel to the story, Joss Whedon actually explained this in the show better then the Chinese part alot better, you just have to pay attention. In the Pilot episode they clearly state that after the Alliance TERRAFORMS a world they throw settlers on them with almost no resources and a few small herds and minor supplies. This is why the show has a Western Feel to it, the inner Alliance Core worlds are the Metropolitan mega cities you might be expecting in a Sci-fi show which appear later in the series while the outer rim worlds have the desolate wild west aspect. That is the story plot for the western feel to the story. However, I suspect budget played into this part aswell. Almost every TV show out there costs several million dollars just to air one episode, so the production costs of creating a futuristic city in every episode or space battles and what not probably would be to costly from a producers stand point. The movie Serenity makes up for the lack of production restraints in Firefly and spares no expense when it comes to CGI effects and scenery. -I am a long time fan of the web head and was not sure if the movie would do the long time comic hero justice but it did in a huge way. The special effects are almost unbelievable. The characters are cast with great care and the main character, the web slinger (Tobey Maguire)does the part justice. The movie starts out slowly building the characters and half of the way through the movie you will want to restart it again. If you are a fan of Spiderman or if not you will want to get this on DVD and VHS. No collection is complete without this one. -1999...a great year for films. The Straight Story, Fight Club, and The Sixth Sense were released that year. And this one, the swansong from Stanley Kubrick. I was so excited when this film was announced. I counted the days (even taking off July 16th, 1999) so I could see it on its opening day. I have never done that with a film. I am a massive Kubrick fan, and I could barely sleep the week this film was released. Seeing the opening credits have me fidgeting in my seat. And seeing "a film by Stanley Kubrick" was heartwarming. And I wasn't disappointed. Again, even after his death, Mr. Kubrick managed to confound expectations yet again. Why did people hate this film? Pacing, no really hot sex, slow, long....I don't know. All I know is that I loved it, and it's one of Kubrick's best. He really creates a great dreamlike atmosphere that creates a sense of dread and claustrophobia. The pacing is very slow, which was really bold in 1999.There were some people who felt the film was dated in its attitude towards the war between the sexes. It isn't. It's a universal struggle, and that there will always be conflict between men and women. This is one of Kubrick's most visually stunning films, shot mostly in primary colors. There are 4 sequences that equal the great sequences in other Kubrick films. First, the opening party sequence is gorgeously shot and edited, the orgy scene, the scene in the hotel with Alan Cumming majorly flirting with Cruise (it's absolutely hilarious), and the climatic scene between Cruise and Pollack. These 4 scenes are quite long, but they are so well put together and really create a tension (especially the Cruise/Pollack one) that transfixes you. As for the controversy as to whether this film is actually Kubrick's final cut, it is. I recently saw Leon Vitali, Kubrick's long time assistant, at the Lincoln Center in NYC and he said this was the final cut of the film. Aside from the digital figures inserted into the film to avoid the NC-17 rating, it wasn't altered in any way. Reportedly, this new 2 disc edition is the NC-17, unaltered director's cut of the film, which is a wonderful development (I have seen the unaltered orgy sequence before, and the digital figures are annoying in the censored version). The cut that Terry Semel, Bob Daly, Tom Cruise, and Nicole Kidman saw 4 days before Stanley died was the film he wanted to be played in cinemas. I have seen this film many times, and it gets better every time I see it. It will be re-evaluated soon. -Like the series and this season was a good follow up to the first. all seasons are worth watching on Amazon. -The Prestige (2006)Drama, Mystery, Thriller, 130 minutesDirected by Christopher NolanStarring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson and David BowieChristopher Nolan takes chances in an industry which usually plays it safe. The Dark Knight was so much more than a comic book adaptation and Inception was not a typical blockbuster. These stories had mass appeal, but Nolan treated his audiences with respect. Both films have a complexity which is lacking in most popular movies.If you go back to 2000 and take a look at Memento, you can see that Nolan has always believed that his audience was capable of figuring things out. One of his most complex films is The Prestige and I had to include it in this list. I've resisted the temptation to include multiple entries by one director for the most part, but Nolan is an exception because his films are so diverse. He's not using an established formula or focusing on one genre. In that respect, he's like a modern Stanley Kubrick.Cutter (Caine) explains that a magic trick consists of three parts: The pledge looks at something, the turn alters that thing and the prestige is the payoff. One example would be seeing a bird in a cage (the pledge), seeing it disappear (the turn), and finally seeing the magician produce it from his pocket (the prestige).The whole film plays out like a magic trick.The Prestige is a complex story, set in Victorian England, with one significant twist and a number of minor surprises. It deals with the story of two rival magicians, Robert Angier (Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Bale). Borden inadvertently ties a knot which results in the death of Angier's wife when she fails to escape from a tank of water. The ensuing rivalry lasts for the remainder of their lives.The two both enjoy periods of success, but are continually striving to find the ultimate trick. Both men become obsessed with success and each has a deep desire to outdo the other. We are shown other magicians and learn that success often comes at a high price. It may even result in the magician keeping secrets off the stage which limit his personal freedom.Eventually, Borden comes up with a trick that Angier can't figure out. It involves Borden entering a box on one side of the stage and emerging from a box on the other side of the stage moments later. He calls it The Transported Man.In an attempt to come up with something even better, Angier visits Nikola Tesla (Bowie) in Colorado. As you may know, Tesla was an inventor who experimented a great deal with electricity. Angier asks him to build a machine which might be used in his act. Unfortunately, science is not completely predictable. Tesla delivers, but Angier has to be willing to pay a high price that goes beyond money.I don't think I need to say any more about the plot. Bale's performance is superb and I think it's the best of his career. Jackman is also very convincing and the supporting cast is flawless. I'm always impressed by Rebecca Hall, but Bowie's cameo as Tesla was a revelation. Michael Caine holds the whole thing together and has important scenes at the beginning and end of the film.Although the running time is in excess of two hours, you'll barely notice. There's always something important happening on the screen. What elevates this film to the level of greatness is its replay value. The first time you see it, you'll miss the relevance of some of the dialogue. On repeat viewings, you'll see how clever the screenplay is. The big reveal is hinted at in the first 20 minutes of the film and you'll smile when you realize what you missed. Like Scorsese's Shutter Island, events have new meaning when you see them with full knowledge of the facts. It's clever stuff. -***CONTAINS SPOILERS***A historical costume drama with some powerful performances, THE DUCHESS is the study of The Duchess of Devonshire and her battles with The Duke during their strained marriage.Little known director Saul Dibb gets a dream cast in Keira Knightley (Atonement) as The Duchess and Ralph Fiennes (The Constant Gardener) as The Duke. Thanks to Fiennes' uber-talent as a powerhouse actor, he helps pull the entire production up several rungs. Knightley shines unexpectedly bright in her role as the clothes-designing Duchess who steps into royalty and a marriage of the times; that is to say, something completely foreign to those of us in today's world.By contract, she is to be honorable and deliver the Duke an heir: a son. But three girls later and the Duke is becoming restless. He finds lust wherever his loins take him and the Duchess must simply bear it. A friend and confidant, Bess (Hayley Atwell), soon turns into a lady of conflict as she sleeps with, and then moves in with, the Duke. The Duchess tries to settle the matter but the Duke's power won't allow her any leeway.When a past love arrives in the Duchess' life, a powder keg erupts. Mr. Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper,Mamma Mia!) turns the Duchess' life upside down, and when she becomes pregnant with his child, the Duke's orders force her into an impossible situation: give the baby up (and give up Mr. Grey) or never see your children again.The terrible power wielded by The Duke is pulled off exceptionally well thanks to the high performance of Ralph Fiennes. Surprisingly you loathe him and then, as the film progresses, you actually pity him when he says things like, "Look at them. To be that free." His job and title have strapped him down and drove him into this role.The forced and eventual consummated acceptance of the Duke's power is probably Keira Knightley's strongest reveal for her since I've been watching her flicks.The costumes and sets are stunning in their elegance and appropriateness, as is the believable love that future Prime Minister Grey (yes, he actually becomes Prime Minister) and the Duchess feel for one another, even when forced apart by society and their own lives.This is a wonderfully done film with plenty of eye-candy sets and dark characters to make most movie watchers delight. -Well, as many reviewers have said, this is a simple release, with no special features. I could care less about commentaries, behind-the-scenes, or any of that stuff, though I do like seeing trailers and deleted scenes. As for the missing scenes, I can't remember exactly what is missing, since it's been so long since I've seen it. For those of you that CANNOT LIVE without that stuff, look away. The movie itself: Wow! The scenery is beautiful, colorful, and it tweaks your imagination. Floating mountains---cool. And instead of being connected to nature, the people are actually connected to the planet. That is a somewhat new and enjoyable twist. Despite what critics say, it was a really great movie. For those that choose to blast the movie because it is a recycled story: waa, waa, waa. So what if the story isn't very original? Robin Hood, Braveheart, and Dances with Wolves were all stories about people who were persecuted for a stupid reason and fought back. It's a story that never gets old; the previous movies mentioned were all great movies, and will be forever. So, keep your boohoos to yourself and enjoy a different approach to a really good storyline. Noone is making you spend money to have this movie. If you didn't like it, review the disc only and spare all the open-minded moviegoers the time. The only reason I reviewed it is because I liked it. Noone wants to read a 5-page review about everything that sucked about it. If you didn't like it, say so and move on. We liked it, and we want to know the quality of the disc and not the movie, otherwise, we wouldn't be looking at it to begin with. -The 3 seasons have been wonderful. The writing is great, casting couldn't be better, story keeps you wanting more. Just sorry season 3 is over. The finale was not what I was expecting. Waiting on pins and needles for season 4. You can't go wrong watching this series. -The Twilight Saga is unavoidable in both film and book form. The books, which I've never read, were bestsellers and the recent release of "New Moon," the film is breaking records. Teenage girls are absolutely gaga for the star Robert Pattinson and it finally intrigued me enough to watch this film. I do have a slightly biased opinion as the entire premise of the film seemed ludicrous to me, but I found a glimmer of hope in the film's director Catherine Hardwicke, who was responsible for the very honest look at teenagers with the film "Thirteen."What really surprised me about this film is that it doesn't have much of a plot. Kristen Stewart plays Isabella "Bella" Swan, who moves from Arizona to Forks, Washington to stay with her father (Billy Burke). Bella inexplicably begins school moments after arriving in Forks and discovers The Cullen's, a group of mysterious foster kids from Alaska. Even more mysterious and intriguing, to her and the rest of the student body, is Edward Cullen (Pattinson), a quiet, pale, reserved 17-year-old. Bella starts to notice the Cullen's are more than just a little different and when Edward stops a van from running her over, she realizes that he may not even be human...99% of the world knows that he's a vampire, but not a vampire of the typical, blood-sucking variety. The Cullen's are "vegetarian" vampires who only snack on the blood of animals. There's a story here, obviously but nothing really happens in it.Almost everything here is underwritten, characters and plot included. The characterization is particularly hollow and calling the characters "characters," is inaccurate; these are names with pretty faces attached to them. We're talking about a film here with an uneventful plot and characters completely void of depth. Twilight is supposed to be a supernatural love story geared towards a teenage demographic, but where's the emotion or poignancy that a love story needs in order to work as one? It's certainly not here. The dialogue in this movie is so melodramatic, I almost felt nauseous. The conversations between Bella and Edward are particularly embarrassing to watch. This does not sound like the "Romeo & Juliet" of the 21st Century, but the banter of two prepubescent children. A quick example; "Beautiful? This is the skin of a killer, Bella."As for the performances, no one seems to be putting any effort into them. Pattinson looks uncomfortable and his facial expressions, as well as his delivery of the film's dialogue sound pain fully forced. I do believe Hardwicke is a talented director, but she made a lot of poor creative choices here starting with her decision to direct such a poorly written script in the first place. One of her most annoying directorial decisions was her overuse of the slow-motion to illustrate the anxiety of a character. I can say only one positive thing about the film's production value and that is the somber, gray color palette utilized by the film's cinematographer...It could've been really effective if the tone of the overall film had been altered. Anyone who doesn't agree with what I'm saying about the film's poor quality need look no further than the baseball scene. How horribly executed can a scene be? The acting, the dialogue, the choice of music, Pattinson's snarl, and the cinematography are so bad it's embarrassing. Finally, this scene has no relevance to the plot of the film. It's muddled, meandering filler slipped into the film as an excuse to bring the character's to a different conflict in the story. If I was not aware of the inescapable Twilight frenzy, I would swear this film was a direct-to-DVD release; no one with a knowledge or appreciation of American cinema would call Twilight a good movie.Quite frankly, watching Twilight was like watching a high-school play written by a socially inept teenager. Obviously, my opinion isn't going to affect the success of the series. Twilight is one of those things that strikes some chord with young American audiences and has become a record-breaking smash success. I guarantee that Twilight will not remain a part of the American moviegoer's consciousness for any prolonged amount of time and just like hugely successful boy bands, this is a phase that will fade away in time.Twilight left me shaking my head so many times in the two hours I was watching it. I was not fascinated, intrigued, or stimulated about anything going on in the film and the only way I can imagine someone being those things is if they were not educated. That last part is sarcasm, but quite honestly this is a film that people will look back on ten years from now and think "how did I possibly think that was any good."GRADE: D -For other old timers out there who may have seen the film when it was released in theaters in '87, I wanted to mention that this print is excellent, the transfer to Blu-Ray is nearly flawless and the experience is just about guaranteed to be better than what we saw in movie theaters when it was released. In particular, kudos to the quality of the sound reproduction, which I've found to be excellent whether pushed through a 5.1 home theater or stereo headphones. -del Toro's visual imagination is present in Pacific Rim, but his storytelling definitely is not. At least the first half of the film is made up of voice over narratives, time jumps, and flashbacks. It doesn't have a story so much as a vast sea of clumsy exposition, meant to establish extremely rote character arcs while instructing the audience on what everything is. Charlie Hunnam's and Rinko Kinkuchi's characters both must overcome a lame contrived trauma beset on them by the Kaiju, giant CGI aliens/sea monsters. Unfortunately, the dialogue is clunky when the characters talk to one another as well. The actors must constantly fight del Toro's scifi mumbo jumbo to try to convey humanity. Overall, Pacific Rim leaves the impression that its ideas were way to big for one movie, or simply not thought through. -Actually, "Dennis the Menace" is probably the better movie, in retrospect.I just saw "Revenge of the Sith" last night, and it reminded me how awful "Attack of the Clones" truly is; not because "Sith" is a good movie, but because it was pretty much on the same level.Anyway, two stars for "Clones" may indeed be on the generous side; I will concede the two for the amazing CGI (which, simultaneously, is part of the reason why this film is so terrible). Terrible acting? Got it. Terrible directing? Gotcha. No intelligence, heart, emotion, or, well...anything else aside from CGI? Done. Lucas has really outdone himself with this film; it may even be worse than "The Matrix Reloaded" and comes darn close to matching "Terminator 3" for worst prequel/sequel ever made. The power of hype in our society is truly astounding; despite the fact that not even a labotomized twelve-year old (for whom, according to Lucas's pathetic excuse, the picture is designed (minus the labotomy, of course)) could keep their eyes open long enough to witness this spasm-inducing lethargy, it made nearly $300 mill. at the box office. Of course, the power of hype made the original "Star Wars" the biggest success of all time (inflation-adjusted, it's nearly double "Titanic"), despite the fact that that movie really isn't all that amazing either (that's another story...).The problem with "Clones," and "Menace" and "Sith," (and even the original "Star Wars") is George Lucas. Good writer, he is (note "Indiana Jones"); good director, he is clearly not. He should have handed this series to Spielberg, but naturally his ego got in the way. Too bad, because had "Menace" been the great film it needed to be, this could have become the most popular trilogy of all time. Like the new "Matrix" and "Terminator" "films," all we can do is simply forget that these pre/sequels exist, so that we can retain some enjoyment from the originals (in regard to retaining enjoyment from the "Star Wars" series, I'm talking about episodes 5 and 6, the only two good movies of them all).A side note: the line of dialogue refering to Anakin's dislike for sand may just be the most laughable ever spoken in an American film. At least Lucas will be remembered for something...? -I think everyone judges every Star Wars movie by what is considered the best of the batch, the original Star Wars of 1977 and "The Empire Strikes Back" of 1980. Compared with those movies, this movie is not so great. Compared to the other two prequels, it is the best of the three. It turns away from the tortuous details of Senate politics that infected its predecessor, "Attack of the Clones", and tries to get back to the action, relationships, and moral dilemmas that are at the heart of the "Star Wars" series. However, this film has many flaws that could have been eradicated with more of a conscientious effort by creator, director, and writer George Lucas.It basically forms a straight line, plot-wise, from Episode Two to Episode Four with no surprises and little character development, and depends upon what you already know about the entire Star Wars mythology to invest you in this movie and its characters rather than the action and dialogue of this one particular film. Also, there is little use made of either Natalie Portman's Padme Amidala - who actually has very little screen time - or the excellent Samuel L. Jackson, who is completely wasted given the small part that his character has in this film. Why employ such a great actor if you are going to give him lines that any extra could deliver?Additionally, for someone who has spent the last ten or fifteen years learning and living the ways of the Jedi, Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker seems to have very little inner turmoil making a sudden and complete transformation from protector of innocents to the apprentice of evil. He irrationally uses his desire to ensure his wife's safety - when there is no perceivable threat to her health other than his own premonitions - as an excuse to savage anyone who might get in his way and even some who couldn't if they wanted to, such as the "younglings" that he slaughters in the Jedi temple at Palpatine's behest. Thus the so-called transformation into Darth Vader is more like the flipping of a switch - more binary than analog.The best performance is that of Ian McDiarmid as Chancellor Palpatine/"The Emporer". He has a serpentine smoothness about him as he subtly plants doubts in Skywalker's mind about who is really on the side of evil while deftly handling all of the warring factions of the Republic so that people will actually be grateful when he takes complete power.In summary, if you have seen all of the other Star Wars films you will probably enjoy this one because it fills in all of the gaps and answers all of the remaining questions. However, with some more effort in the direction and writing, those questions could have been answered with much better dialogue and characters that were more three-dimensional. -When the entertainment industry pokes fun at itself sincerely, the results can be hilarious. Such is the case with the cornball science fantasy movie "Galaxy Quest.""Galaxy Quest" was a science fiction television show with more than a passing similarity to "Star Trek." As with the latter show, "Galaxy Quest" was cancelled. Now the dispirited actors seem doomed to an endless cycle of overzealous fans at "Galaxy Quest" conventions. Adding to the actor's torment is the attitude of Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), who played Commander Peter Quincy Taggart in the show. Nesmith's cheery attitude and self-importance have worn thin on his fellow cast mates, Gwen Demarco as sexy Lt. Tawny Madison (Sigourney Weaver), Alexander Dane as brainy Dr. Lazarus (Alan Rickman), and Fred Kwan as Tech Sgt. Chen (Tony Shalhoub).Interrupting their doldrums is a group of individuals who would appear weird to anyone outside a science fiction convention. As members of the convention they appear to be about as strange, or normal, depending on your point of view, as anyone else. However, Jason Nesmith soon learns that this strange foursome is more than they seem as they spirit him off to their genuine spaceship, NSEA Protector.At first Jason is somewhat excited at the opportunity to be on a genuine spaceship, and eventually brings the rest of the crew, including bit part player Guy Fleegman (Sam Rockwell), back to the ship with him. However, the aliens crewing the ship, the Thermians, have a very real, very ruthless nemesis to contend with, and the former crew of "Galaxy Quest" discover they are out of their depth.The Thermians brought the crew of "Galaxy Quest" on board because they discovered certain "historical documents" that were transmitted into space many years earlier. The somewhat innocent, though highly intelligent and creative, Thermians were unable to recognize the television show "Galaxy Quest" as being make-believe.The movie moves forward with a number of creative and often humorous moments, alternating between hilarity and seriousness, with even a few moments of compassion. Every cliché and stereotype from the original "Star Trek" is exploited for a laugh. In the climax the actors rely on hardcore fans for their in-depth knowledge of the show to save them. It is difficult to avoid enjoying the ending, even if you are not a fan of science fiction."Galaxy Quest" is an excellent companion movie to the original "Star Trek" television series. Even non-Trek fans will pick up on most of the gags. There is a lot of action and you can expect the usual implausibilities that tend to accompany television science fiction. However, the results are humorous and enjoyable. You will find this movie worth more than one watch. -This review is for the blu-ray transfer only and not the film itself. The blu-ray version of Blade Runner: Final Cut is superb. Despite the fact that it is an older movie and shot primarily in lowlight conditions, details are sharp, colors are vibrant and blacks are deep. While there is some film grain in certain scenes, it is soft rather than gritty. It did not call attention to iself. The sound was initially a little weak on my system, but I cranked it up a notch or two and then it sounded fine. I highly recommend this blu-ray transfer. If you are considering an upgrade from DVD, it is totally worth it. -While watching "The Ring", the last thing I wanted to do was to draw comparisons with the original Japanese "Ringu". Simply because I wanted to enjoy it as what it is, rather than a revisited English version of a same film. Unfortunately, I found comparisons to be inevitable. Not saying that "The Ring" is either superior or inferior, but it stayed very truthful to the original material it was based on, too truthful.For viewers who haven't had a chance to see "Ringu", you will find idea of "The Ring" wholly unique, nevertheless bizarre and ridiculous at the same time, depending on your cynicism level. But for those who have seen the original, you may think that the story of this US remake unfolds in an almost identical way, even though some incidents along the way were inserted or slightly altered to cater for the vaster audiences. In certain cases these alterations are actually an improvement that contributes to the mood of the story, as well as providing hints and clues of the final conclusion. In Japan, like in China and many other countries in Asia, they have long history that consists of countless mythical tales and legends about the spiritual realm, so a cursed video may seem vividly possible, while seems far-fetched and hard to swallow to the English-speaking world. But in order to retain that sense of myth, a lot of elements converted (or rather not converted) into the US version do feel quite out of place.Verbinski, while flaring some ingenious camera setups, did not tackle the subtlety a movie that is largely atmospheric requires. "The Ring" is a material which M. Night Shyamalan could probably do while he sleepwalks, and his knack for psychological thrills and minimalism style would surely be effective here. Perhaps looking at Verbinski's résumé (Mousehunt, The Mexicans), he may be too cynical for a subject that deals with a video tape that kills people. However with the limited amount of Gore (no puns intended), he did succeed in letting some genuine chills creep into the audiences at the sublimal level.Where "The Ring" did fail is, not having convincing characters. Naomi Watts serves up a decent job as a career-driven news reporter, but she did not look frightened or concerned enough for a single-mother who knows her exact time and date of death. There was no sense of emergency that she is desperate to find out how to lift the curse, instead she spends the entire time questioning who was involved in the sad story behind the video. By the end of the seventh day the audiences are left to wander off somewhere forgetting why she needs to find out about the origin of the video in the first place. Secondly the son Aidan is too creepy, and without a trace of innocence for us to really care about what will happen to him. He shares no chemistry with his mother, spending the entire time staring into the far place, drawing dark pictures, or mumbling something about a imaginary friend. In another word, he seems more like a possessed puppet than your little nephew you would like to take to the carnival. In Alejandro Amenavar's "The Others", in Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining", or even in the most obvious example, Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense", children's straightforward manner and innocence proved to be far more effective in creating sense of peril, and in that matter, way more disturbing. Another disappointing performance is from Martin Henderson as Noah. He has great presence, but again he does not convey any chemistry with the other actors in the film. The expression he has for not believing the nonsense of a killer video is not so different from the one he knows his life could be in threat. Is he helping Rachel because he does have feelings for her, or does he just hope to get laid again because she is still hot? It was not explained, nor do we really care much.Though the number of extras on this DVD is disappointing, what it does offer is in fact quite neat. The picture is sharp and crisp, providing a good contrast of the grayish grim look of the film, with the bursting colors at times that will permanently damage your retina (in some way it actually distracts you from the mood the film is supposed to have). While the sound may not give your system a throughout workout, the localization is quite well defined, and provide a good dimension for the otherwise monotone sound effects, therefore making the few shock-tricks exceptionally powerful (needless to say the DTS track again proves to be the champion of cinema sound).An advertised "never-before-seen short film" could be seen by selecting the "Don't look here" option on the main menu. It is in fact a collection of deleted and extended scenes, featuring a few more graphic sequences trimmed from the theatrical release. Without commentary or additional information, it doesn't really reveal any more insights or secret than the film itself, but would definitely affect the rating if they were incorporated back into the film as an "uncut edition". Yet whether it would be a better viewing experience is another question. Also included is a very brief trailer of the original "Ringu" on DVD (also released by Dreamworks, surprise, surprise!), a theatrical trailer of "Catch Me If You Can", and an "8 Mile" DVD promo spot. If you are patient enough to play around with the remote a little bit more, you may find a not so pleasant easter egg! Overall "The Ring" DVD is a nice little package that will make your collection looks better...is that your phone ringing? -"Master and Commander" is a film of great integrity. It follows through on its promises, commits its characters to both the heroics and the sins of their natures, has the courage of its convictions and portrays nobility of spirit without maudlin sentiment. In short, it is a wonderful balancing act. The fact that it has intelligent plotting, literate dialogue, classical themes, inspired acting and is both well paced and superbly filmed only adds to its many virtues.Intelligent restraint is in evidence throughout this film. Peter Weir shows restraint in his decision to let the story tell itself. Both Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany show restraint in their superb understated acting. Together, they are like a thinking person's Gene Rodenberry, Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy. Think of these archetypes stripped of their overacting and most egregious tendencies and you will have some idea of the qualities conveyed by the three principals in this film.The plot and setting have been well summarized in other reviews, but those are poor reasons to view a film such as "Master and Commander". It is really a film about timeless qualities now hopelessly out of fashion: things like duty, honour, loyalty, friendship, mutual reliance and the questing spirit. Cynics will hate this film for its proud and unapologetic portrayal of old fashioned values. The rest of us will not only love it, but find it inspirational.I am both hopeful and apprehensive of a sequel. On the one hand, I look forward to further adaptations of Peter O'Brien's work. On the other hand, this first adaptation has set such a high standard that I fear the next film making a complete hash of things. -I'll review the movie in a moment. What I want to share first is how pleasantly surprised I am at the extras included. Sure, they could have given us more--four different kinds of trailers, costume design boards, a scene from every Phantom movie thus far, interviews with Crawford and Brightman, not to mention commentaries. But hey, isn't that what Christmas is for? :)However, I was enthralled by the story of how the musical came to be. We get not only plenty of airtime from Lord Webber and Stilgoe & Hart, but we see the original stars in footage that we would never be able to see otherwise. Sara Brightman singing "Pie Jesu" in what looks to be a cathedral, Michael Crawford doing light comedy--light comedy!--on a British show and performing in the circus. We're taken into Webber's estate to view the singers who first performed the Phantom material as it was being constructed, and are enlightened as to how Britain charmingly previewed the musical, via music video, to the rest of the nation as what looked to be, quite literally, a rock opera. (Well, it WAS the 80s.)The other extras that focus on the movie production are also quite good. I thought it might be only a slightly longer version of one of those HBO First Looks, but it was super-informative. In it you get a look at the premier, at part of Emmy Rossum's screen test, the fun of trying to understand Jennifer Ellison's (Meg) accent, Patrick Wilson singing opera in sport pants, the Mask of the Red Death swigging from a water bottle, plus a look at the outrageously elaborate costumes and what the chandelier falling looked like in real life. There's so much more I can't remember, but trust me, it's worth it.I'm not sure sure about the additional scene. I'm glad they didn't keep it in. While it's a lovely song, the Phantom was too soft, not at all obsessive or dangerous. And we don't want that, now, do we?And, about that movie. Emmy Rossum has a perfectly capable voice even at her age, just as Christine is supposed to be quite young. But her face had the same expression on it--trancelike--almost the entire time. When she saw Raoul caught in the Punjab lasso and cried out, I was like, Finally! And then she went back into the trance. I wish they had coaxed more expression out of her.Gerard Butler. Either you love him or you hate him. We all know he's hot. I was really surprised at first sight of the Phantom, because from the stage shows you get the impression that even with the mask on, he's a crowish figure of no less than forty years. I enjoy watching Butler, but if they had used someone less attractive I don't think it would have taken anything away from the movie. As for his voice--I whispered to my mom at one point that he sounds like a rock star. And yes, Butler was indeed in a rock band. He's no Michael Crawford. And sometimes his treatment of phrases isn't the best. But on the flip side, sometimes it's just as uncomfortable listening to a stage Phantom sing in full-on operatic mode. It's...whatever you like, I guess.Of course, the sets are lavish and the costumes lush (and vice versa). I love Minnie Driver in the Carlotta role, and the men who played the managers were really a delight. I know people gripe about all these different things--the addition of scenes, speaking dialogue that was previously sung, the misplacement of the chandelier's big scene, a colorful masquerade being clothed in black and white. But in the end I still think the movie is more than worth it. Why?Because you can see it whenever you want to now. Because the full orchestra sounds heaven-sent. Because knowing all the words to a musical is a big deal. Because it's beautiful. Because it's a full-on experience that requires nothing less than your full attention. Because snow and confetti falling never looked so perfect. Because my first exposure to the musical was on a cassette tape with half the second act missing and it was still so potent that I stayed up to listen to it again. Because the Phantom's hot (oops).So, that's what I think. If you truly love the musical, you'll like the movie. If you knew nothing of the musical before, then you'll probably like it, too. -I bought the extended version of "Gladiator" on DVD, although I already have the widescreen signature edition and I never regretted it. Many of the deleted scenes those which I already knew from the signature edition and some additional ones were added. This additional footage is an absolute gain for the overall brilliant story line. There is also new bonus material on the second and third disc. All the documentaries provide an interesting insight into the making of the film."Gladiator" is on second position among my all time favorite movies. The cast is outstanding. Russell Crowe's performance is absolutely brilliant. Connie Nielson, Oliver Reed and Joaquin Phoenix are also perfectly chosen for their roles and too give a great performance, just to name a few. I have watched "Gladiator" countless times. After each viewing I could just watch it all over again. It's a masterpiece of its genre with the most magnificent and brilliant special effects I have ever seen. There are so many scenes which are pure joy to watch. The dialog and the score are pure "ear-candy". I am not a fan of Roman or Greek empire movies, but "Gladiator" is different from all the other old and new films about this period. There is something special in "Gladiator", something I have never seen before. Just as Maximus (Russell Crowe) says in the movie: "I'll give them something they have never seen before". -Well, here we go again. Tobey Maguire spins the web again. While I feel the Spiderman films of today are strictly for the teenagers, I am a Spiderman fan from way back. The comic books of the 1970's, the cartoons and "The Amazing Spider-Man" tv series with Nicholas Hammond as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Spiderman still holds my interest.Now they got Spiderman delivering pizzas. Peter Parker is shown more human and clumsy in the film. Even has a heart. His stronger side will be tested again by a new villain, Dr. Octavius (Alfred Molina). To make matters worse, Peter occasionally keeps losing his spidey powers in mid-flight and Dr. Octavius has four metal tentacles to deal with.Most of the cast fromSpider-Man (Widescreen Special Edition)(2002) return for this film, including Cliff Robertson as "Uncle Ben". Stan Lee and Bruce Campbell have cameo appearances.The film is more enjoyable if you fast-forward through the scenes with Kirsten Dunst.Disc One includes two audio commentaries (cast & crew, technical), webisodes, the music video "Ordinary" by Train, Blooper Reel, previews, and a cool feature "Spidey Sense 2" in which you turn on and you will get Factoids and trivia during the film.Disc Two includes making of..Featurettes. "Enter The Web" shows you different angles of a particular scene.Easter Egg: Disc Two, Gallery Screen, Press up twice. If you see the Spiderman sense, press Enter. You will get Alfred Molina doing "If I Were a Rich Man".Followed by:Spider-Man 3 (Widescreen Edition)(2007).The Amazing Spider-Man(2012)The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro (2014).The Amazing Spider-Man 3 will be released on June 10, 2016.The Amazing Spider-Man 4 (2018). -Seriously. Just watch Hangover (the original) again. This movie is not funny at all. I love most of the people in the cast, but it was a definite let-down. -I went to see this in the theaters the opening weekend on Haloween this past fall. I'd have to say that this movie is false advertising. Haloween movies have always been cheesy and bloody and thats how I like them. I was expecting this kind of urban horror movie with all sorts of nasty violence/blood and a decent plot. Dont get me wrong- I'm not a sick f***, but sometimes thats the kind of movie i wanna see. This was a serious dissapointment. "Saw" tried to pack way too much plot into 100 mins running time, confusing the hell out of me. The ending was absolutely awesome, it makes the experience not so empty and wasted. If your looking for a gorefest, this aint it. Sure, it got an R in US 18A in Canada, but there's other horror movies at your local store that surpass this easily.If your looking for a movie to make you think, this aint it either. Confusing the viewer doesnt lead to thinking IMO.All in all, not what it tried to be or could have been. I honestly cant recommend this. -Ok, so all these people are saying the film isn't funny. They're saying it's stupid has no intelligence....Well jeeze the stupid person is you! This movie is classified under Stupid funny humor. IT's not trying to be annie hall or anything. This movie is showing off Will Ferrells comedic talent. IT has a lot of funny lines. IT is random but yet...it's supposed to be. Two thumbs up. It's a lot of fun. -Dale Denton (Rogan) is a process server and a stoner. He has a girlfriend in high school (Heard), and likes to hang out with his dealer, Saul (Franco). One evening, Dale witnesses a murder. The murderers, a drug lord (Cole) and a crooked cop (Perez) are soon on his tail. They trace a joint left behind at the scene, a variety called "Pineapple Express" back to Saul, and soon Dale and Saul are running for their lives."Pineapple Express" is yet another film from the Judd Apatow machine, and on par with "Superbad." Rogen and Franco have good chemistry and comic timing. Franco is more at home in dramas, but is genuinely funny here. Despite being a "stoner movie", it is a buddy movie at heart. Action is not what you would expect from Rogen, and although he handles it well, especially in the last 30 minutes, the action packed ending does run a bit long. Overall, "Pineapple Express" delivers what it promises: a funny stoner comedy. -This series I bought from Amazon, but seasons 2 and 3 I have actually seen on TV. As it turned out, in my opinion (because the series has ended now) it was a down played spin off of "THE TUDORS". I'm not particularly into the Renaissance, but the history of the Catholic Church during that time does intrigue me.I have tried not to compare it to THE TUDORS, but I didn't succeed there. Like THE TUDORS the actors and actresses were all first rate, excellent actors and actresses. Jeremy Irons is a living legend and the most known of the cast. Colm Fiore is an excellent actor, and the rest of the cast was no less radiant. The sets and costumes were spectacular without a doubt.But unlike THE TUDORS, THE BORGIAS series still lacked "something". I want to say that it didn't have quite the same sexual tension and intrigue that THE TUDORS had. And, I want to say that the cast of THE TUDORS was just a "little bit better". JRM almost "over acts" as Henry 8th, but his sex appeal and magnetism makes that series. And quite frankly, THE TUDORS was in no short supply of beautiful people.The only thing that made me uncomfortable was the season ending. I won't mention exactly what made me uncomfortable because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't yet seen the whole thing, but I will say, I felt that the series ended rather quickly and abruptly. Over all though, it was a very fine series. -The third installment is much better and more memorable than the first two films. It's tough adapting an excellent book into an excellent film. Things are left out and new things are put in. The first two films left me wondering why more wasn't cut out of them to make for better movie viewing. It was like they were trying to cram as much of the book in as possible, resulting in drawn out stories. In stark contrast, this Potter film moves along at a pace I can stand, isn't as long (great for the attention span of children), is better written, directed, and played out.The three young actors (Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson) have finally come into their own and look like they know what their doing. Radcliffe (Harry Potter) gives his best performance yet, and I'm sure we'll see even more growth in the coming movies.In this installment, we learn that Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban Prison and is after Harry Potter. That's the shortest version of the plot (there's more to it, but I don't want to be too long-winded), and I don't want to reveal too much more for the sake of those who may not have the read the book.Fanatics of the book may not appreciate that some of the book was left out, but if the entire book was adapted to film, the movie would be 10 hours long. For the sake of entertainment purposes, I'm glad director Cuaron took the edgy route. He gives us an excellent film, the best Potter film yet. Even the vision of Harry Potter is different. I thought this film had a better feel for the book, even if it left stuff out.I've seen it twice, once in a regular theater and once in an IMAX. If you can get to an IMAX to see this one, I highly recommend it. What an awesome experience. Either way, I highly highly recommend this movie. It's absolutely breathtaking. -A very good DVD production of the movie. The "Lost in Space" feature was interesting although short. The deleted scenes are very funny and I think a lot of them should have been retained in the first cut. The deleted scenes also help explain some of the incongruities, such as why Sigourney Weaver suddenly is showing a lot of cleavage toward the end of the film. -Reads the books, and the movie did not disappoint. I was extremely skeptical at first, not wanting to get sucked into a fad, but the books and movie(s) are genuinely good, with great actors and superb visual effects. Definitely recommend. -This is one of the cutest, funniest sports/girl power/rousing comedy films I have seen in a while! For starters, it is laugh-out-loud funny, and definitely holds your attention. I think it was really geared at young teenagers and pre-teens, but I saw it with my mother, and I was twenty years old at the time and we still had fun. Jess (Parminder Nagra) just wants to play soccer, but her traditional, Indian parents won't hear of it. They want her to go to college, become a lawyer and be a good Indian wife--let's not forget the cooking lessons her mom wants to subject her to, so she can cook all the curries, breads and assorted fried pastries. The young Indian-English girl won't hear of it, and while her sister is preparing for her own wedding, the headstrong girl continues to sneak out and play soccer with the guys. Another young lady (Keira Knightley) sees her playing, and invites her to join a girl's team. They both proceed to develop crushes on the coach (Jonathan Rhys Myers), and then things get a little complicated......to say the least....also, the whole soccer matter can't be kept under wraps forever.Even though I was never any good at soccer, and don't know much about the game (though, I knew who David Beckham was and that he played for Manchester United at the time that the film came out.......there is even a scene with Jess watching David--or, as her mom likes to call him, "That skinhead boy," play his "corner"), I had great fun watching Jess triumph in game after game, and enjoyed the Indian flavor that generously sprinkled out this film like fine haldi (tumeric, for those who know it by its Western name) in a savory and spicy curry, meant to be enjoyed with friends and loved ones. Please give this one a go..........Also, encourage any young women and girls to watch it. It is definitely an inspirational film for women of all ages, though. -I know this the most successful animated movie to date. The animation is elegant and beautiful. The music is wonderful. The story is sadly lame and contrived. I really did not connect with the characters in Frozen the way I did with, for example, Ariel or Belle. Enough said. -FARGO is a modern classic of cinema. Period. One of the things that I enjoy most about the Coen brothers' movies is that they both understand their art form: movies are primarily visual works of art. Many films forget this fact. While the plot of FARGO is, in many ways, simple and somewhat predictable, the cinematography is amazing. The blanket white landscapes that the Coen brothers paint gives the film the elegance of a black & white film with the beauty of a work in color. The white makes the colors "pop" on the screen.FARGO introduces us to another one of William H. Macy's masterful performances. He plays the perfect Everyman, someone who is absolutely despicable and, yet, manages to win our sympathy. It is perfect because we see a glimmer of something in his sad existence that reminds us of our own. He has been pushed around all of his life and one gets the feeling that the world would little remember him if he just fell off the face of the earth. In a surprising act of agency, he hatches a scheme to accomplish two goals: to gouge his father-in-law for a lot of money (a man whom he has never earned respect) and to gain the necessary funds to fuel a business plan of his own. The plot is simple: hire two men to kidnap his wife, collect the ransom money from his father-in-law, and give the henchman a fraction of the ransom in exchange for his wife back. But in FARGO, as in life, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. One thing after another goes wrong and the body count rises.In the end, FARGO is about following normal, everyday characters (the type William H. Macy was born to play) and placing them in ordinary (yet, at the same time, extraordinary) circumstances and seeing how the haphazardness of life plays with them. Watch this film. It is unforgettable. -...no real gore, no bad language to express how they were really feeling and half the story and edge gone due to editing. I was so glad to hear it was coming out on DVD and was suprised to find out that it was gonna be packaged with another movie called Terror Tract. I had never heard of it, but found out that John Ritter was in it. Ultimately, both movies are very good in different ways. Cherry Falls is a dark, sadistic slasher movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The extremely talented Brittany Murphy is in it as well as the very funny Jay Mohr who plays it serious in this one. This movie - comparable to Scream, Heathers and American Pie, will have you guessing who is killing the town virgins and why. Unlike most horror movies this movie never tires or bores and has very good acting and a very good script. It's a shame it didn't get a theatrical release, but at least the DVD isn't a butchered version like the basic cable version one was. Terror Tract reminds me alot of Tales From The Crypt; Very spooky and silly at the same time. Its about a real estate agent trying to sell a newly married couple a home and each house they visit has a horrifying tale about why the previous owners moved, leading into little short stories. Not as smart or as clever as Cherry Falls, but very entertaining and very eerie. There aren't any special features on this dvd... And both movies come on just one disc....so its easy to have yourself a night of chills without getting up. And you might not wanna watch these alone..... -first of all, for Aliens versus Predator, you have to go in with an open mind, don't go in thinking of Arnold or Danny Glover and their role in this movie, cause it won't work.with that, here is my take on the movie and how it goes.movie starts off solid, satelitte belonging to Weyman corporations gets a heat plume in anartica, so he gathers a team involving the best diggers in the world, an archelogical team, and an ice tour guide to lead the team. they end up isolated in an island a 1,000 miles from land where they discover a tunnel was made 24 hours prior to their arrival by somebody, and this leads to an underground pyramid, where the heat source is coming from.they enter the pyramid, and set off a chain of reactions, releasing the Aliens, then mess up big by taking the predator's weapons, and this is where the actions really kicks in.only 3 predators are sent against a handful of aliens and people. as for the storyline, here is how it goes.the predators taught humans to build pyramids and used them for sacrifice to help create the aliens, which they would then turn around and hunt down.if they beat the aliens, then they proved themselves worthy, but if they lost, then they blew up everything. in doing this, they captured the alien queen to make eggs then lured the humans for sacrifice, but when a couple of the predators get killed by the aliens, everything is left to one predator and one human.the movie is awesome, the build up to the fight scenes is awesome, and best of all, the aliens-predator fight scenes are awesome. they fight in these awesome battles to the death, and some of the battle scenes and who dies and how is surprising.overall, the movie is awesome, and the ending is clever too, which leads to a possible AVP 2. -This movie showcases the true talent Christopher Nolan posses. He wrote AND directed this movie which I find just amazing. The script was good and the story is mind bottling :) That being said, the movie is confusing and full of minor goofs. If you don't believe me, look at what IMDB has to say: [[...]] The movie was enjoyable and for once in a long time I feel I need to see it again. Highly recommended. -The best Star Trek movie in years. The new crew is excellent and the story is good, although it brings back a couple of old enemies in this new reality that skirts off the true nature of their reality and did not explore it suffiently in my opinion.. I will not tell you who this is referring to. All the actors are on their game and seem to understand what Trekkies need and want and don't deviate too much from the original concept.A worhty note:Simon Pegg-EXCELLENT! What a gifted actor. This movies is fast and entertaining. You love it. -I've seen the stage play and found the movie version very moving and quite wonderful too. The individual performances by the actors were stellar in every way. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end...I would highly recommend this movie ... I think it's a Must See....so happy I viewed it....I will purchase it for my Movie Library.... -Is there any role Phillip Seymour Hoffman couldn't have played? I don't think so. Without being over the top, his performance is amazing. -i received this yesterday on blu-ray and was VERY impresssed... for what i paid ($[...] with free shipping), it was an AMAZING deal. the extended edition is awesome. you get to see a lot more of pandora and get better explanations and back stories of alot of things. i, like MOST of the population, don't have a 3d tv... so 3d movies arent really of interest to me... i am not at all upset with this release... the packaging is VERY cool. everything is just perfect. havent looked into the special features just yet but they look promising. overall i would DEFINITELY recommend this release, even if you already bought the bare bones release (i did and i am very happy i upgraded)! picture quality is OUTSTANDING (but i would expect nothing less from this movie). -this is such a timeless classic, I love it. comes with lots of bonus features too. The picture looks great!!! Thank you! -"Thank You for Smoking" was an entertaining movie. I enjoyed the portrayal of corporate shenanigans and its satire of Hollywood types. The acting was good and all players did their jobs well but I was a bit put off by the smirking 'we're so smart and hip attitude' of the movie. A bit of humbleness is appealing you know. Some say the subject matter in this film i.e. to smoke or not to smoke is equally weighed. I personally didn't feel that way at all. I felt the overall tone for the movie was geared toward smoking. Personally, I don't smoke but I don't mind that this film is for smoking. What I liked about the film is that it kept my brain going. And like I said majority of this film is predictable, but you do begin to question how free the rights of the American Public are? Should smoking be banned or should smokers have their rights too? Like stated in the film people know smoking is bad yet they still do it. Why? The movie puts a nice spin on the importance of information and looking at things from alternative views.It's nice to see Aaron Eckhart play a good solid role for once. I think his performance in this film was excellent and extremely believable. I think after this role we will be seeing him in more movies. William H. Macy also stars and shines yet again. Macy is one of the best actors in Hollywood who for years still never got the appreciation he deserves. Also Katie Holmes does a decent job although her character is extremely predictable. I personally think Holmes does a good job at playing bad girl roles like her role here and in "The Gift". The reason I think that is because she looks so innocent so when she comes out saying something like "I want to f*** you, when I watch you on TV" it seems out of the ordinary for her. This is also probably another reason why Tom Cruise loves her; she's probably a very bad girl outside the public eye.Even though this is Jason Reitman's first feature film he is one to keep an eye on. I feel as the time goes on he will become a very big director just like his father. Being that "Smoking" is his first film, I think he has already hit a home run. I think the guy has talent and as long as he keeps making good movies he will be just as big as his dad is someday.I like the message behind "Thank You For Smoking" but not the overall subject matter of the film. This movie provides its audience with fine acting, a good script and some nice directing. The film's idea also keeps its audience thinking. It's a good movie to watch with someone and then have a nice long talk with about it afterwards. It's a satirical look at the smoking issue although I still feel it tilts more towards one side than the other. But at the end of the day, it's a good independent film which you will be able to enjoy and appreciate. -This film is almost flawless - the acting, the sets, the script, the special effects, the originality. As the writer indicates in the documentary, 'Alien Saga', the creature was inspired by a drawing of H.R. Giger and was intentionally intended to disturb the subconscious of the target audience (males aged 18-24) by the use of imagry that resembled the violence of male rape (forced oral invasion, resulting in impregnation, followed by a deadly painful birth of a phallic-shaped, flesh colored predator). Unlike previous genre films, the protagonist also ends up being the female character - Ripley. In any case, this is one of the best horror films of all time.Of special note is one of the deleted scenes included on this DVD (and presumably in the 'Alien: Director's Cut' to be released this month). In this scene, the ship's captain who disappeared chasing the alien earlier in the film is found by Ripley, barely alive, cacooned by the Alien for insemination by a waiting egg. Of course, we find out in the next installment that only the huge queen alien can lay alien eggs. -It may be Mat Damon himself. Surely the leading man in a film of this kind is important, but at first glance, Damon has none of the obvious traits. He isn't killer handsome. Neither has he the body of a circus ariealist. What he's got, it seems to me, is the ability to remind you of a younger brother who enlisted in the Navy and somehow wound up in the Seals. Nobody had any idea. One minute he's the hot-shot of the High School Baseball team, the next minute you're watching him get decorated dressed in whites. You're so proud of him, even if you don't know what it is he does, precisely, and all your family loves him.So, as I say, no International Lounge Lizard with nouveau riche tastes, or a necklace of Euro-Trash beauties around his neck.But, when the movie begins and they haul him out of the sea, nearly dead, you see it. And as he recovers from his wounds, it becomes clearer. He's one of the brightest and the best; clean as a whistle, sharp as a tack. Dad's favorite boy, memory clouded, somehow, and on a mission even he doesn't remember. And whithout making any judgment about it, you've got a great deal invested in him; in seeming him safe and his enemies identified and routed. Therefore, when the action begins, and it does immediately, one watches him negotiate the thorny mazes of predicaments of incredible complexity and menace, with ingenuity and dispatch. One of the best demonhstrations of what he can do happens when he arrives in Paris, after getting his money and passports out of a Swiss bank. ANd himself and a German girl of some sort with a car, out of the American Embassy trap. Well, an assassion crashes into his Paris apartment before either of them can catch a breath, and there's a life and death flght which ends when the failed assassin thorws himself out of the window and dies on the sidewalk below. That is the prelude to as brilliant and harrowing a demonstration of trick driving as I've ever seen, as Borne and the girl drive her Cooper Mini through the mazes and tangles of fast, congested Parisian traffic, followed by police cruisers and motorcycle mounted cops. Thrilling! And that's just the first third of the film.Rather than describe the remainder of the story in detail, I will say, instead, that the director does not allow the project to make any fatal mistakes. He doesn't flirt with us; doesn't try to seduce us into liking the movie with mugging or stupid action jokes. He doesn't use kids that way. Or animals. Or any people. There are no faux literary pretensions anywhere. Although there are people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds in the film, there's no ethnic or racial humor. There are no shameful and insincere attempts to conjure up a facile moral to the story by juggling religioius symbols. The sexual attraction of the hero and heroine to one another isn't either lewd or tricky, but grows inevitably out of the inter-reliance that builds between them as they cling to life and avoid discovery. What attracts her is his freshness, frankness, fearlessness and his determination to protect her from enemies that are really his alone. Their care for each other becomes as artless and as inevitable as sunrise.The sound track is good and the intercut POP music is as one would expect it, but the music is never distracting.Seems to me I've watched this show 3 times now, and it looks better and better every time. The complex entity that IDENTITY is has been handled with such deftness and skill that no shot or sequence appears to have been derived from any shot or sequence in any other film. And the editing is flawless. Flawless! -In this witty comedy, two struggling musicians, Joe and Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), inadvertently witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and need to get out of town fast. They dress up as women and join an all-women band headed for Florida. Along the way, Joe courts Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), and a millionaire courts Jerry.This film has a little bit of everything in it, murder, romance, and humor, lots of lots of humor. The dialogue is sharp and the acting is excellent. Marilyn Monroe is perfect as Sugar Kane, Tony Curtis' Cary Grant impression is one of the funniest bits in the movie and Jack Lemmon is also perfect. Joe E. Brown, as Lemmon's would be suitor almost steals the movie and gets to deliver the last line, one of the funniest lines in the movie.I recommend this movie to those who like a good laugh. -For those of us who just love the theatrics, lush beauty, and drama of theater, we cannot help but be mesmerized by this movie. However, the reaction this film received in the movie theater I attended best sums up the overall reception. About forty minutes into the film, about 4-5 people walked out of the theater. When the movie ended, though, it received applause from the audience -- that speaks for itself because, come on, how often do you get applause anymore these days for movies? (In Los Angeles, mind you.)Strangely enough, right after listening to the chorus of cheers, I walked out and listened to a young woman complain: "I take back what I said about her [Emmy Rossum] sounding like a 16-year-old, she sounds like a 12-year-old." Personally, I wanted to take her aside and ask her whether she knew what a 'soprano' is or not, that sopranos are supposed to sing high, and the character of Christine called for a soprano... but that's a story for another day.So there you have it. Some loved it, some hated it. I love entertainment in all its forms and I don't really subscribe to the elitist attitudes a lot of movie snobs tend to display, so I absolutely fell in love with this gorgeous movie. The same quote used to describe Andrew Lloyd Webber could be used here to describe his movie: "Let's face it, no one in the world loves Andrew Lloyd Webber but the public." Critics and the like have a reputation for snubbing him, but still, his works appeal to those of us with more common tastes, it seems, which is just fine by me. Even more amusing is that while Roger Ebert slammed the movie, he perplexed even himself by still recommending it towards the end of his review because of the sheer spectacle and look of the film is undeniably fantastic.The look of the film is fantastic. It's gorgeous, the sets are gorgeous, the costumes are gorgeous, and the so are the actors. Some may say while it's got appearance, it lacks substance, but seriously, one could have said the same for Moulin Rouge. Both are rather simplistic stories with high-amped visuals.The movie remains rather faithful to the theater version and serves as a wonderful way to make up for not seeing Phantom on stage. -I was disappointed with Attack of the Clones. It was barely better than Phantom Menace. Once again the movie relied heavily on special effects and the plot was weak. In the 2nd edition of the trilogy, the Republic is faced with a new separatist movement. Amidala once a queen is now a senator and has become a target of assassins. Both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin are called to protect her. It has been 10 years since both Amidala and Anakin have seen each other. Once they see each other the romance begins. I found the chemistry between Amidala and Anakin was poor at best. The movie moves along at a slow pace. The special effects are once again incredible, but I fear Lucas has relied on them too much. The only bright spot in the movie was that Jar Jar Binks was reduced to cameo performance. -Writer/director Paul W. Anderson should stop making movies.His movies are so bad. I don't even want to talk about what he did with Resident Evil 2. The movie is so bad the people in the theater I was at actually booed toward the ending of the film. This movie does not deliver any scares at all from either creature. It doesn't stay true to all the movies in the series. Because of the pg-13 rating there is not much gore plain bad.The acting and dialogue is not good either. If you are a fan of the series you will be very dissapointed with this stinker. And then you will be thinking of what could have been if someone else made this film. -Okay many have said Lucas made many many many flaws. First off, you people just can not accept a new world of Star Wars. Everyone wanting Episode One to be Anakin discovered at an older age, be a great pilot (no podracing), and in Episode 2 everyone wanted Anakin to become Vader, and in Three they wanted the Purge of the Jedi, and how Obi Wan escpaes, etc.. Well thats not what happened. And Many fans must realize that your all ignorant. Its like when People went to go see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Everyone had their mind on the orginal and many hated this new version. Get the sequels out of your head and have an opened mind.Yes Revenge of the Sith had minor flaws, but it is deffinently something new and better than what we have received.Spoilers May Appear!-----First off, Revenge of the Sith has its strong points--Anakin becomes Vader-The Jedi Purge Begins-Palpatine becomes Emperor-The Emperor duels Yoda-The Clone Wars come to an end-The Rebellion starts to formEverything we wanted was in 2 horus and 10 minutes. Now thats what I have to complain about. If Revenge of the Sith was just slightly much longer, like the longest of them all, it would be just as perfect as Empire Strikes Back.Lucas's scenery is beautiful, and the Emperor's performance is astonishing.I loved the entire final duel. I never felt my hair stand up like that when I saw Obi Wan vs. Anakin, as Yoda vs. Sidious, since The final Duel in Return of the Jedi. I liked the idea of having several endings, it completed everything and truly feels Star Wars is complete.There's just a few minor things I wish I have seen:-More of the Death Star being built-More scenes as the Jedi Temple is attacked-A little more dialogue scenes-The Explanation of the Chosen One-Palpatine's background of being a Sith- And seeing Qui Gon's spirit which would have been nice. oh well.So This is my view of how the Star Wars films fall into-From Best to Not So Good :-)1. A New Hope2. The Empire Strikes Back3. Return of the Jedi, Revenge of the Sith < Its a Tie4. The Phantom Menace5. Attack of the ClonesSo thats my view :-) -My, and I believe nearly everyone's favourite "Star Wars"-movie is Episode V-"The Empire Strikes Back". Not only because it was visually the most dazzling, it also had far more sense of wonder and magic than the other Episodes. Never had a "Star Wars"-film a greater emotional impact."The Phantom Menace" is definetly not on par with that film, nor has it the originality of "A New Hope", but still I liked this film a lot. I actually found it better than "Return Of The Jedi". Even those who dispised the movie must acknowledge that it has its merits. The special effects are fantastic, and in contrast to other films with superior FX, they are also highly imaginative because they create entire worlds of their own. Individual action-setpieces are among the most exhilarating of the decade (the pod-race or the final lightsaber-duel among others) and John William's score is one of the major assets again.Many complained that Jar Jar Binks is too silly and childish. This criticism is understandable though I think many people overreacted with their hatred towards this character. He actually has some funny moments. That the film doesn't have a villain that is as effective as Darth Vader is true and false. The villain does not YET appear as the villain which will (hopefully) make him even more evil in the next pictures. The decision to conceal the true menace (careful viewers still found it of course) is already implied in the Episode's title, so it was obviously deliberate. This must be the reason why Darth Maul is used so rarely. The character has just no significance for the whole saga. One must not forget that TMP is not a film, but the first two hours of a 13-hour-saga. It was therefore inevitable that it would be less dramatic as "Empire".The bottom line is that despite some shortcomings, Episode I effectively sets up the future Episodes. I agree with those who say that George Lucas should have underlined some of the darker aspects of the story more than he did. Let's hope he will do so in the next two chapters which have the potential to become even stronger movies. If the new trilogy finally sucks, it won't be because of "The Phantom Menace". -This is a truly terrific caper movie, one that works well by both showcasing the emerging star power of both Donnie Wahlberg and Charlize Theron and also having a terrific storyline. It is also a smart and well-photographed movie that proves the old adage of depending on the use of a great story and then embellishing on it with all the bells and whistles. The plot is as believable as anything can be that posits the existence of people so smart, so devious, and so daring as to be able to do some of the things that are done here. Yet the qualms about believability quickly fade with each nosiy and exciting revving up of the action, which is well choreographed, full of pyrotechnics, and absolutely fresh and new, adding to the charm of the movie.The cast adds immeasurably to the charm of the movie, with Donald Sutherland, Ed Norton, and several notable others lending both credence and a certain gritty feel to this tale about life on the margins, on the far side of the law. I also got the impression that given the box office success of this film; much of the crew may be back to thrill us again in an inevitable sequel. I am up for it. After all, given the aplomb and cool they displayed in driving a trio of Metros through the streets, sewers, and tunnels of Los Angeles at rush hour, and added into this mix was a certain level of style and intelligence often missing in such caper flicks, it would be fun to consider a series of such films. Compared to other recent offerings at the theater, which have by an dlarge been disappointing affairs indeed, it would be a relief to consider more caper flicks like this. Enjoy! -This movie was very depressing, had me choked up half the time, crying, and upset that there is just too much bad things that happen........ -I don't usually write reviews for films I buy from Amazon, but I just had to jump in on this one.I've read too much Lucas bashing and non-theatrical version bashing so it comes down to this --I don't watch Star Wars films everyday, so I couldn't tell you the difference between theatrical version vs. director version or whatever ...I actually own the BluRay set, purchased from Amazon. I still don't understand how people write reviews about items they don't own or haven't seen, or items that haven't been released yet.Bottom line you get six Star Wars films on BluRay plus hours and hours of extras (9 discs total) for $79.99. Picture and sound are awesome.The only thing is that the packaging could have been a little better. If you want to, you can buy individual cases.If you like the films, buy the set. If you don't like the films, don't buy the set.End of story ... End of review ... -The Rocky series is my favorite series of movies hands down. I know they are cliche and campy but I just adore them. This transfer is one of the best I've seen IMO. Now don't expect to watch Rocky I-V and it look as good as the Avatar blu ray because it just won't. But they are great transfers and the sound that is picked up on them that I've never heard before watching the old DVD releases is just amazing. If you like Rocky and are a fan of HD then you owe it to yourself to get this. The packaging looks great as well...And enough about the price drop. Seriously. If you want to complain, blog about it. Create a discussion on this product. Don't rate the product poorly because YOU paid too much. -This film presents a very good and deep insight into the world of drug addiction. The movie is so chilling that repeated viewings send chill down one's spine. It really allows us to understand what drug addiction is really light, how the victims fall prey to their addiction and eventually lose their way. And drug addiction here doesn't mean hardcore drugs, it could even be an addiction to cosmetic drugs such as slimming pills as very cleverly presented in Requiem For A Dream. Obviously, such a movie features a very strong cast of actors and special mention goes to Oscar-nominee Ellen Burstyn whose performance is superb and very apt. -My husband and I just watched this with our kids (ages 18 and 21) and we loved this movie! I especially loved this movie because I loved the original daytime show. I, like Johnny Depp, would run home from school and watch Dark Shadows. I loved it because it was unique. Let's face it, TV in the 70's was terrible and Dark Shadows, even though they considered it a soap, was refreshing. All the actors do an excellent job and the movie is hilarious! The only way they could have pulled it off was making it a comedy and the only people who could pull that off are Burton and Depp. I loved the music throughout the movie so much that I immediately bought the soundtrack. My kids never saw Dark Shadows and they both loved this movie. I don't think it would have worked if they had done a serious, soapy type movie. It would have been just another Twilight. Who needs another Twilight! If you grew up in the 70's, you will love the way they poked fun of that time. It was like going down memory lane. One of my favorite scenes is with Alice Cooper. I love Alice Cooper and he has a great sense of humor. They also left it open for a second film. I hope they do another one soon! I highly recommend this movie. -Like every child I was raised with The Wizard Of Oz in my VHS collection. I remember watching it over and over and over to the point where the tape would bounce due to auto tracking. After years of not seeing (or owning) it I decided to buy this dvd...and it was worth it! The clarity is unbelievable, the image is nice and sharp all cleaned up and restored. The sound also got a boost from the original mono track to stero, and the special features have me intrigued. I give it a full 5 stars, and a good reccomendation. Pick up a copy if you don't have one already! :) -1978's " The Deer Hunter " is pure character driven drama fueld by explosive and unforgettable scenes of turmoil , isolation , destruction , and hope. Michael Cimino's formula of providing the characters room for development ( or lack thereof ) ensures that each person in this unforgettable story comes full circle. Whereas , the film has tendancies to drag out scenes , the attention to detail actually makes the film's story stronger. The acting is superb. Played out by a steller cast featuring knockout performances by John Savage , Meryl Streep , Robert DeNiro , John Cazale , George Dezunda , and an electrifying personofied tour de force performance by Christopher Walken. The latter ( Walken )winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Too many detailed scenes to nail just one , although the film's most controversial and famous scene involved a violent/unpredictable game of russian roulette. * Whereas , a game of russian roulette might not have ever happened in a Vietnam prison camp , this scene totally nails the isolation , fears and savagery inflicted upon US p.o.w.'s.Micheal Cimino's direction is superb as he unflinchingly captures lightening in a bottle through realization by shooting small stolen moments ( that any other director would've edited out , during post production ) and leads us to a significant and powerful clixax. If every director has his masterpiece , this was certainly his. And it is still a film that no other film has come close to comparing to except for Oliver Stone's Vietnam portrait Platoon. But even that film can't compare fully. " The Deer Hunter " is on a level of it's own for it's concentration on the characters. It's unlikely that another film will ever be shot like this again. It's simply not Hollywood formula. And it has a feel like it was produced and written by people who were passionate enough to focus on the story and let it unweave into a series of mezmerizing images and goes to never ending depths of character development.The cinematography is excellent and captures the resolute beauty of the character's steel mill town , to the rustic mountains , to the contrasting brutality and harsh climates of Vietnam. The score is composed brillantly and will be forever connected to the film.In an era far gone but not forgotten , " The Deer Hunter " sets it's story in a sleepy Pennsylvania steel town and focuses on a core group of friends that have made their lives around this dreary yet true american blue collar existance. However , with three friends soon leaving for enlistment into the military to do their part in the Vietnam campaign , things gradually and drastically change. A true American tale and a truly amazing production.One shot stats :Winner of 5 Academy Awards in 1979.Best PictureBest DirecterBest Supporting ActorBest SoundNominated Oscars ( but no win )Best Lead ActorBest Supporting ActressBest CinematographyBest Screenplay*There are many more accolades , nominations , and various awards for this production. Too many to name here. Needless to say , " The Deer Hunter " isn't a film to be taken lightly or missed. I highly recommend the film , as it is in my personal top 3 films of all time. -The growing trend up until this point was that Buffy the Vampire Slayer seemed to get better after each season. The first season was a great start to the show, the second season was amazing, and the third season somehow managed to become even better. Over the course of the rest of the show, there would be some fantastic seasons. But, season three has managed to remain the best season of the entire show.The relationship between Buffy and Angel is brought to a whole new level in this season, because of the events that took place in season two. Season three also introduced a beautiful and renegade slayer named Faith(Eliza Dushku) whose love for killing would eventually cause her to become an excellent villan, as well as the evil mayor of Sunnydale ( Harry Groener)that would definately practice the age old metaphor of "killing people with kindness". The suspense for season three is intense, because there is a countdown throughout the season that comes to a head on Graduation Day in which the mayor wishes to ascend to a higher level of being to destroy the world. There were so many great episodes in season three, that it is hard to choose a favorite. There were so many in fact, that 20 out of the 22 episodes were fantastic. The overall direction of season three was fantastic, and each episode seemed to build off the last one. Among season three's best episodes are - "The Wish" ( my all time favorite episode), "Dopplegangland","The Zeppo","Lover's Walk", "Band Candy", "Homecoming", "Lover's Walk", "Revelations", "Amends", "Earshot", "Prom", and "Graduation Day" PTS.1&2.Overall, this is a must for any fan of the show. This would be worth owning just for the season itself. However, the DVD set is fantastic as well. You get commentary on several episodes, as well as five featurettes, and more.A solid 5 stars... -Star Wars Episode 1 would have to go down in film history as the biggest disappointment ever. What a piece of rubbish! The script is appalling, the acting non-existant (everyone just stands around saying their lines, without any feeling or emotion, looking like they desparately want to know what's happening on that green-screen behind them), and the computer generated FX so overwhelming that its like having spectacular fireworks let off in your face for 2 hours ... my brain went into fatigue-mode after about an hour.George's excuse for my above comments? I would imagine him saying something like this - "The script is bad because I hate writing scripts; the acting was bad because it was nearly all shot in front of a green-screen; and the CGI was so over the top because we had to take the audience's eyes away from the bad acting."And we can only hope that Jar Jar Binks is sliced into little pieces by a lightsabre during the opening of Episode 2 ("Attack of the Clowns .. er, Clones??? Please pass the bucket ...... ). As well as hoping that George isn't directing Ep 2. Lets face it, Georgie ... just sell the Star Wars license to someone who knows how to make a good movie, because you've forgotten how to.In closing - 'Star Wars' (I can't bring myself to call it "A New Hope") was fantastic; "Empire Strikes Back" will be looking on in 50 years time as a movie classic; "Return of the Jedi" was a let-down, but great anyway; "Phantom Menace" was complete (pretty) garbage! -The script was good. The magic, the twists were all great. I like how they deceive the wealthy man in on of their shows. -After a horrid third film and a suprising fourth, superman returns for a fifth film. Dont get me wrong i am a superman fan. but i read the comics and was very disappointed with the suprising release of Superman Returns in 2006. I was one of the first into the theater and one of the first out. The Film focuses on special effects and not story OR superman. The story is short but they maneged to twist it to last two hours. Brandon Rauth does an OK job but is not believable as The Man of Steel. I was very disappointed with its release after waiting such a long time for a new age film. this time they did it to new age and took away story for Effects. -I did not think that this show would be able to continue to churn out good episodes. It proves I was wrong! This show just gets better and better!! -Burlesque was AMAZING! I fell in love this the movie! Dancing, singing, storyline, acting, directing the whole set up was wonderful.Cher is BACK! yes she is! She is LOVELY and fit the role properly. Christina was amazing, she used her God given talent and exceled in so many ways.Story:Cute small town country girl seeking to live the life of a Sexy city girl. Moves to New York to start a new life. When her hopes were down she happen to waltz into a popular club called Burlesque.Everyone but the bartender doubted her, but she was destined to be in the spotlight.Great movie! I will have to add this to my movie collection and place it right beside Devil wears Prada and Sex In the City! -I've been a Superman fan for 40 years. With so many movies being made about lesser heroes, I was excited for this. The trailers looked great. And then as the film rolled I sunk lower and lower in my seat until I just couldn't stand it anymore and left when the final battle got underway. Believe the negative reviews from many of the professional film critics. Nolan might have been involved as a producer, but he wasn't the principal script writer and he wasn't the director, and that makes all the difference. The script was terrible. The direction was terrible. The only reason I can come up with for the film's popularity among so many Superman fans is that they have been so hungry for a film that they would have liked almost anything. I give it 2 stars for at least trying to make Superman relevant again.The thing to remember is that even though Superman has Kryptonian abilities, his personality is 100% human. He was raised since infancy on a farm in Kansas. He might feel different, but at heart he is a small town American and this film completely missed that. In focusing on the 'alien among us' angle, they gutted Superman's personality that was so well portrayed by Christopher Reeve and Brandon Routh. The Clark Kent we have all come to know and love through the years was completely missing. There were so many elements of the plot that made no sense. There was CGI overkill. Superman Returns had some plot problems, and could have put Superman in a few more action scenes, but overall that movie was far more faithful to the origins of the Superman character.The fact that Avengers was so successful should prove that a superhero movie doesn't have to copy The Dark Knight to be a hit. A superhero movie can be light, it can be funny, it can be human, and still be a fantastic movie. I have nothing to say about the relationship of this movie to recent comic book adaptations or graphic novels. As a movie, it is no better than all the other CGI-fests out there with tons of explosions and destruction. Superman is supposed to be special. -The acting is unbelievable, amazing, and very convincing. I see why the lead and supporting received Oscars. however, the subject matter was depressing and took me back to the 80's when hatred was brutal and dark. -Great PPV. Probably the most anticipated PPV in history. Unfortunately, it was hyped up so much, the expectations were huge. It was disappointing, just because of the hype, but still an amazing event. The DVD is actually a 2 disk set.Watch the intro at the beginning. All WWE PPV's intros are good, but Wrestlemania has the best one.1. Big Show vs. John Cena (U.S. Title)Good way to start off the show. Cena really got the crowd going. Decent match between these two. (7.5/10)2. Rob Van Dam & Booker T vs. Dudley Boys vs. Mark Jindrak & Garrioson Cade vs. La Resistance (World Tag Titles/Fatal Fourway)It is the better of the two tag title matches, but it is not that good. It could have been, but it was a little too short. Half of these guys are now on Smackdown. It was nice of Vince to try to fit everyone into the show. (7/10)3. Chris Jericho vs. ChristianThese two built up a great fued. Great match. Second best of the night. There are some pretty sick spots in the match. Jericho puts the "Walls of Jericho" on Christian and eventually keeps the hold all the way out onto the arena floor. Trish Stratus makes an appearance. Shocking ending. (9/10)4. Evolution vs. Rock 'n' Sock Connection (Handicap Match)This match was put together to get The Rock and Flair into a match at this event. Otherwise, it would have been Foley/Orton. Good match. The Rock and Flair put on great performances. Surprising ending. It comes out of nowhere. (7.5/10)5. Torrie Wilson & Sable vs. Stacy Keibler & Miss Jackie (Evening Gown Match)Very disappointing. I thought there would be a lot more to this match. (4/10)6. Cruiserweight Open (Cruiserweight Title)Participants included Rey Mysterio, Chavo Guerrero, Ultimo Ultimo Dragon, Jamie Noble, Billy Kidman, Shannon Moore, Nunzio, Funaki, Akio, & Tajiri. There are a lot of sick spots in this match, especially the Shooting Star Press by Billy Kidman off the middle of the top rope to the arena floor. Unfortunatley, it is a short match and the wrestlers are not in the ring that long. (8.5/10)7. Goldberg vs. Lesnar (Stone Cold Steve Austin as Guest Referee)This match was so hyped up and ended up being awful. It was Lesnar and Goldber's last match in the WWE and one of Austin's last appearance. The crowd made the match by ripping on Lesnar calling him a "sellout" for leaving for the NFL. Horrible match. (3/10)8. Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty vs. Basham Brothers vs. APA vs. World's Greatest Tag Team (WWE Tag Title/Fatal Fourway)Not a very good match. Just an attempt to get all these guys on the show. (6/10)9. Victoria vs. Molly Holly (Women's Title/If Molly Loses, She Has To Shave Her Head)Not the best match, but good ending. I don't want to tell you what happens. (3/10)10. Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero (WWE Title)I thought this match was going to be one of the best in a while. It was a little disappointing, but it was only that reason because Angle was hurt and he never revealed it until after the show. It was still a good match. The crowd was really into it. The end is terrible. (9/10)11. Kane vs. UndertakerThis match marked the return of the Undertaker as the Deadman. Nobodby really cared about the match, they just wanted to see Taker. Amazing entrance. It is one of the most surreal moments you will ever see. The crowd goes crazy. Not the best match, but it is worth it for the entrance. (6/10)12. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H vs. Chris Benoit (World Heavyweight Title/Triple Threat)Great match. Best match of the year so far. They say it may be the best main event in WWE history. Fantastic, fast paced match with a lot of emotions. Great spots with HBK doing a Moonsault off the top turnbuckle to the arena floor. Another sick spot with the double suplex on Benoit through the announce table. Amazing ending, with a lot of near falls and high emotions. Great energy in the match. (9.5/10)As I said, this is a 3 disk set. Some of the best extras is the special hosted by Flair which featured highlights of the top ten matches in 'Mania history as voted by the wrestlers. Definately watch the movie of Wrestlemania 19, especially the Angle/Lesnar segment and The Rock/Austin segment. They are both very, very emotional, especially Austin/The Rock segment.Definatley buy this DVD, it is worth it for the extras alone.Overall Rating: 9/10 -I wanted to start working out again, but as a working mom, I don't have much time. In 20 minutes, Jillian gets me going and sweating and back in shape. I've been doing it for a couple of weeks and have been very happy with the results. My friends and husband have noticed the difference in my body, too. -Safe to say this film was very poor. Considering recent comic book adaptations have for the most part been excellent of late this was a major disapointment, I would consider Batman and Robin more entertaining.Acting wise the movie is poor, Eric Bana's accent is bad considering how poor his fellow Aussies do with accents thats saying alot. The emotions run from depressed to really depressed, to super depressed, their was no range of emotions, no smiles, just constant monotone sadness. Nolte seems drunk or on drugs in the film which probably isn't short of the truth. The bad guy actors seem to have little to no motivation in the film and have absolutely no reason to act in the manner which they do. Whats worse is you have no reason to care for the good guys, their is no sympathy engendered towards them.Length, its about an hour too long, this film would be fine in the span of 80 to 90 minutes, short and sweet but its just way too long.Special effects are poor considering what is currently out there, they seem fake.The split screen effects are just arty and makes the film seem even longer.All in all my friend recomended this film, I will reconsider any recomendation he gives in the future.View with Caution -This is the most perverted, disorganized movie I ever saw. I bought it based on reviews that were better than Bridesmaids--Bridesmaids may have been perverted as well, but the acting and comedy were actually very funny. I could not sit through this trash though. It should not get any stars. I am burning this video--not worth selling it back for what Amazon wants to pay for it. -Sound,video, avengers, Marvel Magic. What's not to love???? The door is wide open for future episodes and movies with more of the old Marvel Comic characters. -The movie Chicago has it all. Music, Dancing, Sexiness and Style. I watched the movie in theatres hoping that it will exceed my expectations and it did...a lot. The movie has many sleek and cool musical numbers, that have just the right amount of 'punch' that it never gets boring. When the music came on right in the beginning (5,6,7,8) I knew that I was in for a good long ride.The performances given by Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellwegger, Queen Latifah and Richard Gere are perfect! With Catherine standing out a little bit more, because of her musical background (she deserved the Oscar). Her opening act of 'All That Jazz' was flawless, and really got you in the movie. Her vocal tone is very strong and her dancing was right on the money! She's incredible. Renee Zellwegger's 'Roxie' performance and number is prestine, complete with mirrors and dancers behind her. She got those notes right up the there, with that moment being her's all the way. Queen Latifah gave her role of Miss. Mama Morton a bit hit, with her tough talking fast attitude performance that was a complete scene stealer. And finally, Richard Gere's tap-dancing interlude is a knockout with him doing all the tapping himself. I was left speechless.The Cinematography and Art Direction of this film is completely right out there. Though, maybe not as big as Moulin Rouge, (another musical that I love) It was completely accepted. The difference between Moulin Rouge and Chicago is that Moulin Rouge has a bigger scale that covered a lot of the Big Paris Landscape of 1899. While Chicago is more intimate and set in a bar like atmosphere that feels very musky and dark. I liked it :)Anyway, the movie is AMAZING! (as you all might have guessed) There are plenty of musical numbers that shows off Rob Marshall's Exceptional Choreography and Direction in this film. He took his dream of making Chicago a film, and he did it, giving him enormous amounts of awards and critical acclaim. Very surprising to know that this was his first film, and with that amount of success, we know we'll see a lot more of him in the near future. Great Work Rob!!The Musical Numbers in this film are all too much and all too good, but the one's that stood out was: All That Jazz, Cell Block Tango, Mr. Cellophane, Roxie, We Both Reached For The Gun, When Your Good To Mama and Nowadays(Finale). Those numbers were cool, then again all of them were! I love the script with many quick back to back dialogue that is fast and right up to the point.Chicago Is a film that Is another hit at the big musical genre that is now coming back. So check this movie out and you'll see what Chicago has up it's sleeve. -The book was entertaining and full of facts and images hard to duplicate in a movie. Still, a fun movie but if you really want to get the whole experience, the book has so much more to offer. -I'm going to make this review extremely short because I don't have much to say about this film other than the fact that it is one of the most incredibly brilliant films I have seen this year. It is an absolutely amazing thrill ride, with the most unique directing style I have ever seen. The film moves along at a lightening scene, quickly shifting scenes, so a great deal of attention must be paid...the performances were outstanding and extremely believable, Ellen Burstyn should have recieved that Oscar, she was unbelievable....this film is definitely recommended, but please be warned that it is extremely painful to watch and I had to turn my eyes away for a couple of scenes...this is powerful stuff unlike anything I have ever seen before...you know a movie is great when it stays in your mind long after...this is one of the movies to do that...so very disturbing and emotionally powerful...this is not a fun movie, but an important one... -"Star Trek Into Darkness" is excellent! This is how the story goes: When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.The cast led by Chris Pine (as Captain James T. Kirk), Zachary Quinto (as Commander Spock), Zoe Saldana (as Lieutenant Uhura), Karl Urban (as Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy), Simon Pegg (as Commander Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott), John Cho (as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu), Benedict Cumberbatch (as John Harrison), Anton Yelchin (as Ensign Pavel Chekov), Bruce Greenwood (as Admiral Christopher Pike), Peter Weller (as Admiral Marcus) & Alice Eve (Dr. Carol Marcus) is excellent. The directing by J.J. Abrams (who also produced) is excellent. The story & screenplay (based on the TV series created by Gene Roddenberry) by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman & Damon Lindelof (all three also produced the film, as well) is excellent.The music by Michael Giacchino is excellent. The cinematography by Dan Mindel is excellent. The film editing by Maryann Brandon & Mary Jo Markey is excellent. The casting by April Webster & Alyssa Weisberg is excellent. The production design by Scott Chambliss is excellent. The art direction by Alan Au, Ramsey Avery, Steve Christensen, James Clyne, Kasra Farahani, Natasha Gerasimova, Michael E. Goldman, Andrew Murdock, Harry E. Otto, Lauren E. Polizzi & Jason Baldwin Stewart is excellent. The set decoration by Karen Manthey, set dressings by Rich Andrade, Maxwell Britton, Jack Cornelius, David Ladish, Steven Ladish, Chris Larsen, Michael C. Magno, Merdyce McClaran & Edward J. Protiva, set designs by Lorrie Campbell, Tim Croshaw, Kevin Cross, Robert Fechtman, Tex Kadonaga, Tammy S. Lee, Jeff Markwith, Karl J. Martin, Sam Page, Anne Porter, Andrew Reeder, Scott Schneider, Easton Michael Smith, Randall D. Wilkins & Jane Wuu is excellent. The costume design by Michael Kaplan is excellent. The special make-up effects design by David LeRoy Anderson is excellent. The creature designs by Neville Page are excellent. The special effects coordinated by J.D. Schwalm, supervised by Burt Dalton is excellent. The visual effects coordinated by Maren Dolzmann, Thomas Furukawa, Ali Ingham, Perry Kain, Zhunan Li, Mona Mohr, Trina Renee, Cara Samuels, Marlies Schacherl, Adrian Steel, Yinai Sun, Bill Wang, Shanshan Xie, Sarah Yunrong Yu & Momo Zhan, supervised by Kevin Baillie, David Burton, Simon Carr, Urs Franzen, Ben Grossmann, Jorn Grobhans, Alex Henning, Thomas Lautenbach, Sven Martin, Saku Partamies, Jason Richardson, Patric Roos, Benjamin Seide & Michael Wortmann is excellent. The stunts coordinated by John Stoneham Jr., fights coordinated by Marcus Young is excellent.This is an excellent, well-made and well-crafted (thematically and visually) movie and sequel that is just as entertaining and interesting as its original, possibly better than it. This is also another impressive entry in the Star Trek franchise. Chris Pine & Zachary Quinto, among others, are back, reprising the roles from the original, just as well, possibly, better than the first time. Benedict Cumberbatch's John Harrison is an excellent and well-done villain, right alongside the Star Trek villains of the past. J.J. Abrams has crafted another entertainingly done film that is among one of his best movies of his career, beside the last "Star Trek" & "Super 8", also another well-crafted sequel on Abrams' resume, alongside, "Star Trek" & "Mission Impossible III & Ghost Protocol". This is one of the best movies of the year, so far, and it is also one of the best movies of the summer season, so far, as well, possibly, the best summer movie yet. -A lot of King fans will want to bash my head in after saying that, but this director took what I found to be a long, drawn out story, and sculpted it into 96 minutes of a highly entertaining film.Of course, as was stated in other reviews here, Johnny Depp really pulls this one off as in most of his films. They really took you into Mort Rainey's cracked world within the peaceful lake house. They had a different ending here than was in King's story and it worked fabulous. This ending should have been King's ending and I usually never say that about a printed piece of work from an author; but here I think we have a better ending in the movie, rather than on paper.Final perks of the DVD: Watch the bonus features but not before watching the movie first!!!! It will ruin the ending for you. But, the bonus material is first rate. You get a book to film feature, an inside story type feature, and a last one adding up to about an hour of interesting interviews on how the film was made. Usually only on special editions and bonus discs these days. Here you get your money's worth.One last note: be sure to check out the deleted scenes for the longer ending!!5 STARS *****. -If I want to watch Star Trek on my tv I don't have to subscribe to a costly cable service or watch first run mediocre psuedo-Trek for free on UPN. No sir, I have the complete first season of the ONLY GOOD STAR TREK SERIES, Star Trek!Kirk, Spock, McCoy their names are legend as is their ship, the Enterprise.Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley a better threesome has never been cast on ANY Trek series.The stories so fun and exciting and fresh compared to the turgid retreads of modern "Trek".I am so juiced that I have this set to watch that I may never find my way out of my parents basement and by God am I happy!Berman can go throw himself out a window the real Star Trek is here, he and his imposters can go burn. This Star Trek is quality stuff and quality is a rare commodity in modern Trek. -This film has undeniable merit which others have described better than I, but I can't resist warning you.... this is extremey rough stuff. I'm hardly a prude, I celebrate both nudity and sexuality in all cinematic shapes and sizes and varieties.... and I don't condemn violence in film if it makes a point or moves along a story or a character's development... and I sincerely applaud directors who aren't afraid to go to the edge.And I'm an absolute believer in artistic freedom.But for the first time in my entire life I watched a scene in a film and had the immediate reaction that it should have been censored. Not by a government or by legislation, but at least by common sense. By common decency. What's been referred to as the "tunnel sequence" is, by a mile, the single most violent scene I've ever witnessed on a screen. In a twisted way it's a credit to the actors and director that the scene is so disturbing because it achieves complete reality, complete believability. But to what end?We all have our darker tastes and I'll admit to having rented a few exploitation flicks over the years like "Hostel II," all the way back to "Last House on the Left"... but in all these films you're able to say "It's only a movie."The tunnel sequence couldn't be more real if it actually was. And frankly I'm not sure that is wasn't. Don't watch this film unless you're ready to have some deeply, deeply horrifying images (and sounds) branded into your consciousness. This is a film I truly regret having seen. -I went to see Love Actually three times in the theaters. It was heart-warming and wonderful, sad and depressing, silly and did I say wonderful. It never failed to perk up my depressed heart and reduce me to tears at the same time. The episodic flair of the plot weaves many famous English actors in varying degrees of love. Love that is failing, love enduring, and of course love just starting. I did think that the young guy looking for (...) felt out of sync with the rest of the movie. The love between two friends was a nice twist for the ending. My favorite part was Emma Thomson's realization scene. I cried almost every time I saw it. Emma Thompson is heartbreaking in her crying scene that threatens to steal the movie in a movie of many great scene stealers. In other words, her scene is awesome.It is hard for anyone to stand out in this ensemble cast because everyone stands out.On the whole this movie is made of 12 20 minute dramedies that intersect. All are funny, many have great moments, and it is definately worth buying. -This show is addictive. Can't watch just one. One of the best shows ever.You will want to watch all the seasons. -Maybe not exceptional, but I found the movie to be fairly true to the book. Enjoyed it. -I have read most of the other reviews on this page. They run the gamut from begrudging tolerance to a downright obnoxiously snotty kid's review. So why all the poison? People usually act this way when they're discussing politics or religion. What the heck's going on here?Something amazing. Most people come away from this work deeply impressed, moved and transformed for LIFE. They feel it is THEIR musical. It is a totally personal, life-changing revelation. It MUST always be the way they experienced it the first time. Hence all the negative rhetoric about the film not being enough of this or that, as opposed to the original cast stage version.Not all musicals achieve such status. Chances are "Phantom" will touch you as deeply as it did me.Perhaps you will feel as I did when you see this DVD...that the music and singing are glorious, you will feel that the songs were always a part of you, that the camera seems to lovingly caress every sumptuous set and costume, that the story is poignant and moving beyond tears.The film is stunning on its OWN terms. I for one love it (yes, in spite of having seen the stage production and loving it too.) Let the crabby-appletons out there grouse their heads off. The film is wonderful. -Well, this really will be a needle in a haystack of reviews. On the whole, the film isn't bad -- it's well produced, with an eye for period detail and excellent casting. The actors are all fine, with Bryan Cranston and the six diplomatic escapees-in-hiding turning in particularly excellent performances. Kyle Chandler bears a remarkable resemblance to Hamilton Jordan. The sense of constant but not always nail-biting tension is maintained expertly, even though you know they're all going to get out. There are a couple of flaws, in my estimation: First, as an historical film the movie ignores or distorts real events and people. Second, the hairbreadth escape at the very end is, I'm sure, manufactured just for the sake of the film and strikes me as quite artificial and overly melodramatic. To be honest, I don't think this deserved the Oscar for Best Picture. Still, it's a good picture and worth seeing. -This is a film that both my daughter and I were interested in seeing, given the acclaim that Bill Murray's performance had drawn. Moreover, the film itself had drawn critical acclaim. So, when my daughter was home from college one weekend, we decided to hunker down and watch it together. When we both fell asleep while watching it, we decided that we were just tired. So, we decided to give it another go around the next evening. Well, unlike love, it was not much better the second time around, though we managed to avoid falling asleep, yet again.Quite frankly, if Sophia Coppola, the writer and director of this film, were not the daughter of legendary director Francis Ford Coppola, I am convinced that this film would have quickly vanished without a trace. In fact, I doubt that it would even have been made. When her acting career fizzled, after making her less than memorable acting debut in her father's film "Godfather III", Sophia Coppola apparently turned her hand to directing and was let loose upon an unsuspecting public.While this film has good production values, it simply meanders along in a loosey-goosey sort of way. If focuses upon two individuals, Americans who find themselves in Tokyo, alienated from their surroundings and, seemingly, from life in general. One of these individuals is Bob Harris, a film actor on a career downslide, who now finds himself shilling whiskey in Japan for mega bucks, while his movie career is at an impasse. The other is a beautiful twenty-five year old woman, a Yale Graduate with a degree in philosophy, who is in Japan with her husband, a photographer who is working on a shooting assignment.Bob Harris, played with wry bemusement by Bill Murray, is a man who is alienated from his family and, quite frankly, just plain lonely. His is a stark universe, as he seems to have a myopic view on life, seeing little beyond his luxury hotel's bar, where he like to go and drink. Charlotte, played with surprising maturity and flair by eighteen year old Scarlett Johansson, feels bereft and set adrift, as she struggles to keep herself occupied while her husband is ostensibly working. It is these two souls whose worlds collide, coloring their perspectives on life when an unlikely bond forms between them.The film, which takes place in Tokyo, Japan, appears to mock the Japanese. Its stereotypic portrayal of the Japanese people, generally as buffoons, is reprehensible and a cheap joke. Sophia Coppola apparently thinks that the way Japanese people speak English is funny, as it is a running, unfunny joke through out the film. Since the film takes place in Japan, perhaps it might have been funnier to see Bob (or Charlotte) attempt to speak Japanese, rather than turn Bob into the quintessential ugly American.The film meanders along lacking a definitive narrative and any real profundity of thought. While there is definition about the characters' exterior selves, the film never delves into their inner selves in defining their present state of affairs. There are no big or traditional cinematic moments. Unfortunately, there are no small ones either, as there is really no introspection by either of the two protagonists. This is a film that viewers will either love or hate. I fall into the latter category. "Lost in Translation" is simply lost on me. -Grab a box of tissues, a snack, and sit back to watch a movie that'll change your life in my opinion, so much that you'll never be the same. Courageous is the story of four policemen who are also after a time, four brothers in the Lord. The Police scenes are all very realistic (and I am one who once spent a lot of time around a police station working where I did.) and some scenes will have you hanging on to your seat! There are happy moments, very sad moments (thus the tissues!), lots of drama both as Policemen in uniform and at home with their families. Along the way, a 'handy man' named Harvee' becomes "adopted by their group" as character Adam Mitchell played by Alex Kendrick, one of the movie's writers, put it, after being hired to help Adam (Kendrick) build a garage as he is praying for work and Adam is actually waiting for a handyman referred to him by his fellow officer/best friend Shane - named Harvey! A VERY funny scene where Harvey is working on the garage when the guys are out for lunch and Shane reveals that his friend Harvey is in the hospital! Same name - different Harvey, another funny scene that goes into the saddest scene of the film. (which I won't give away) After the mix up though, they become good friends and Harvey begins a full time job that Adam referred him for and the test given him is one given to many in real life, yet as the actors say, few can seem to pass it. You find yourself cheering Harvey's character on throughout the movie for his job searching, deep faith, and his portrayl of one the "Street Kings." (prepare for a laugh until you cry moment!) Personally,that's one of my favorite scenes! Many poignant family moments combined with police on the job action and a main storyline woven in as smoothly as silk with a message so powerful about fathers and family that your own life may be changed in that area. Many scenes in this movie softens hearts and for me anyway, gave me the desire to be the best woman/Christian/wife/mother I can possibly be. I've seen amazing changes in my husband, and that's seldom seen just from seeing a movie but - the message of being the BEST father and husband that leads his home by the Word of God Courageous is SO very powerful and makes you feel every emotion you possibly feel. Whether Christian or not, I HIGHLY recommend Courageous. My husband and I watch our copy at least twice a week, it's THAT good. Best news is, it has so many powerful scenes that while watching with several non-Christians, two gave their lives to Christ after seeing it with us! Whether a couple in their 50s with children and grandchildren like us, or a Church group - young or old, I just cannot recommend Couragous more! I PRAY that the Kendrick brothers actually read these reviews, as we would LOVE to see MANY MORE movies written/made by them. Lots of talent, both in storylines and in acting. Actors & actresses chosen completely fit the parts and this also is the same with their other films: their first, Flywheel, also Facing the Giants (watching as I type this!) and Fireproof. ALL wonderful in their own ways. We HAD to own them all! You'll NOT be sorry viewing and purchasing this gem, whether Christian or non. Thank you, Kendrick brothers, for wonderful family entertainment - Christian or non -Courageouswith a message that touches hearts and leaves us craving much more! A MUST SEE! For us, 5 stars isn't enough, it's THAT good! Many fathers, especially Christian fathers, will have a difficult time remaining seated in the final scene, when Adam is speaking at church about dads and their being Godly and Courageous dads, husbands, and men during the call for such dads who are among those the most courageous for God and family.By the way -- ALL the actors are members of a Sherwood Church in Albany,Georgia. I think that's AMAZING! (I pray that the town is correct - I forget the denomination of the church, but all the actors are members of that church, also all their movies are made with ONE camera - this is info from one of the extras parts of the DVD - and to me that's far MORE than just another amazing blessing!) -This was my first bluray of a Disney classic and I'm totally sold on animated films in the format. Picture and sound were crystal clear and the disc had more special features than Disney DVDs I've bought in the past. I would have liked a digital copy but that's not really a selling point for me. If I really want or need one I would just buy that instead if a bluray. Very highly recommended. -By far one of the best Cold War psychological dramas ever made. The fact that this was made before the era of CG graphics,shaky cam effects and ear-splitting soundtracks for effect only show how unnecessary they are when you have an excellent script,backed by an outstanding cast and great director who lets the story tell itself. The choice for Black & White enhances the suspense. Frank Sinatra gives a moving and powerful performance as he frantically tries to beat the clock in what is to be,unknown until the very end,the assassination of the presidential candidate, and the insertion of a puppet senator controlled(unknowingly) by Communists in his place.The idea of McCarthy era Communist hunts and brainwashing tactics,common to the era,gets the viewer involved right up to its conclusion. This is but a few of my favorite movies which I can enjoy time & time again as freshly as the first time. See it once and I think you'll agree! -OK, so visually this movie has some amazing scenes, but overall Gravity is terribly boring. The characters are not well established from beginning to end -- so you honestly don't care whether they live or die. Also, I think they put George Clooney in this movie because you're so familiar with his character and he's instantly likeable (because the other characters are so underdeveloped). Unfortunately he's in the movie about 20 mins -- and that's it. The story is very thin and repetitive. Sandra Bullock does an OK job in this movie, but there's not much to the "acting". I wouldn't go out of my way to rent this movie or recommend it others. -Love the movie and the delivery was so quick, I let my son watch it the day it arrived. Liam Neeson is great and the story itself is very poignant. Thank you -The acting is good. The sets are good. The direction is tight. The action is violent. The plot is fairly straight forward. However, after the movie is done, it makes you think. The father talks to the son about a fight the son got into at school. The father does not know the son has been bullied all year at school so the father doesn't understand. The father's own violent actions was the "occasion" for the fight. The boy, who appears to go out of his way to stay out of fights, after the diner incident, knocks two bigger classmates' heads off. Obviously, the movie has a lot to say about what we passed down to the next generation. How can a father discipline his son for fighting when his own past is so violent. Is the propensity for violence inherited?The movie also has a lot to say about identity. Is Viggo's character Tom or Joey? Who does the wife love Tom or Joey? Does she really know Joey? Joey spent more time as being Tom in his life than Joey. He just wants to return to this life of non-violence. Is identity by choice or heredity?Mortenson handles the action sequences and playing the decent man very well. Hurt has a great part later in this movie and he delivers. Ed Harris is as competent as always. The movie is very violent and has some sexual content so be warned. I enjoyed the movie and I recommend it. -The Dark Knight is the sequel to director Christopher Nolan's outstanding and uplifting Batman Begins. The depiction of the story in a gritty urban millieu gives it much greater gravitas than the standard superhero film. At times, it feels like one is watching a legal procedural drama like Law and Order. The Dark Knight acts chiefly as a showcase for the Joker character, played by the late Heath Ledger. Ledger's performance is solid, but the other characters are ill-served by a script that places them firmly in supporting roles. After awhile, the omnipotence (and omnipresence) of the Joker in this long film becomes truly annoying. He seems to be everywhere, planting hundreds of fifty-gallon drums of gasoline and fuses faster than Batman and the police can react. The film also suffers the "two-villain syndrome" of most Batman features; attorney Harvey Dent is an integral part of the plot, but his Two-Face alter-ego is a late afterthought. Two-Face's skeletal half-face is certain to traumatize impressionable children long afterwards. After the Joker has killed, corrupted, or defamed everyone in the film, one walks out of the theater numbly depressed; "Why did I pay to go through this?" Good question. -Literally just stumbled on this in our hungered state. The title of Canadian Comfort Food drew us in. Waiter was fantastic and sold the dishes very well. I ended up trying 2 local beers, Mill St ale (red), and another IPA. My conclusion is that Canadian beers are nothing to write home about. The food however was outstanding! We started off sharing the Pickerel Taco + cucumber apple salad. Great starter. It had some delicious white fish in a chinese style steamed bun. Great starter. Next we shared the Roast Duck Poutine pizza. If you like well flavored duck, french fries, cheese, and gravy, this is your dish. We were kinda skeptical on smashing all these wonderful flavors together, but the waiter sold it well and it was amazing. Pretty large portion so definitely share. We ended with the Canoe Fireweed Butter Tart. Sweet (but not too sweet) honey tart with blackberry and cream sauce. Very good and different than your standard sweet fare. Overall a good experience and fantastic wait staff. -Patria does up a really lovely Spanish tapas experience.First up, the place is beautiful. High ceilings, big windows and open space are made cozy with quirky sort of vaguely religious (maybe?) art, good lighting and big candles. The tables are as little or big as your group might want, so this is a good pick for both big parties and a date with someone you're up for hanging with for at least 45 minutes while your paella cooks. Service is good- the staff are attentive and understand the menu well; our server made great recommendations for both what to order and around how much to order, which is helpful for lazy people (me) in tapas places with long menus. The food n' drink is top notch. We had the dates wrapped in bacon (very good would eat again), something involving a large circle of goat cheese and honey (delicious) and a seafood house paella, which takes awhile but is big enough for two and worth the wait. At this point I was too full for dessert and had had one too many manhattans to stomach anything else sweet, but the options looked promising. Recommend! -What can I say about Byblos? Possibly my favorite dining experience ever, even better than Splendido and Gramercy Tavern in NYC (my next favorites...now).The hostess was very pleasant and helpful, our server was efficient and very personable, and the manager James was a great host, checking in often to see how we were doing. Top notch service in every way!The food...wow. We started with a very nice salad and a fantastic artichoke and yogurt dish (I don't even like artichoke) that we devoured. Next, succulent lamb ribs with a coriander based (I think) crust on them that is similar to the excellent bread that they serve. Delicious!Wagyu beef on a cauliflower hummus that just bursts with flavor in every bite. Cooked perfectly and seasoned according to the rich fat of the wagyu to combine for the perfect bite of steak, IMO. A creamy lobster dish, some exceptional short ribs and some phenomenal Israeli couscous (and Brussels sprouts with haloumi cheese and bacon!!!) and we were pretty much stuffed, but James the host also provided us with three small desserts that were also fantastic. We also had one of their chilled alcoholic teas, and wow, does that ever finish a meal off perfectly. Can't say enough about our experience at Byblos. My wife and I are now presented with the challenge deciding how long we should wait before going back. We love trying new restos and don't like to overdo one spot, but I don't think we can wait much longer! -Why did no one decide to bring me here until now? This place is a hidden gem and I quickly learned from the friendly lady at the cashier that Kaiju is one of the top restaurants in the GTA. Trust me, she wasn't lying. We ordered the classic chicken katsu curry with rice. What I like about the katsu is that it is fried perfectly crisp but doesn't feel oily. As well, the coleslaw is a nice touch to balance the flavour-filled dish. The cherry on top to the great food was that the service was amazing despite this being a food court. The lady at the cashier (assuming the owner) was super cute bringing the food over and checking up on us after the meal. As a side note, on Saturdays, they also offer tofu cheesecake which I will be back for next time! -This is a really good restaurant with an awesome staff! The place is awesome and the food is just delicious! Is not way expensive but the food comes in a small portions. Even with that everything is perfect! -I hate to give such a highly-regarded place three stars, but here goes nothing.In the thralls of finding a restaurant to celebrate my mom's birthday, it was with serendipitous timing that enRoute magazine unleashed its Best New Restaurants in Canada upon the web. Top of the list? Edulis, a local restaurant, thus relieving me of any need to continue my search. (They also made MacLean's Top 50 Best Restaurants in Canada.) A couple emails later, and our table was booked. (They say an online reservation system is coming soon.) Cozy and charming, this intimate restaurant is tucked away on a rather nondescript stretch of Niagara St. just south of King. The juxtaposition of the best restaurant in Canada facing onto a large co-op housing complex is worthy of note, and could serve as an archetype for boosters of mixed-income urban planning near and afar. Anyway, I digress.Debating between the smaller ($50) or larger ($70) tasting menus, our waitress indicated that the former would be sufficient to fill our bellies. We opted for the latter, and were prepared to have to undo a few buttons. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case. Look, I get that higher-end restaurants skew towards smaller portions; I have no problem with that, and come to expect it. But if I'm ordering a seven-course tasting menu, I expect to be reasonably satiated by the end of the journey. Am I completely off base here? Alas, if it weren't for the constant re-filling of our bread basket (great home-made bread, btw), we all would have left hungry - and it's not like we have huge appetites to begin with. The blame I think is two-fold: First, many of the dishes were protein-heavy, with very little in the way of carbs. This is regrettable, as the one significant starch I do recall (a side of potatoes in a Djion vinaigrette) was phenomenal. Second, there was way too much downtime between some of the courses. Easily 20-25 minutes passed between some of the courses. Had the intervals been a bit shorter, I think we would have been okay.Not to say that service wasn't exemplary. As soon as we entered service was fantastic. Water was constantly topped off, fresh cutlery was brought out every meal, and the table was kept spotless. Presumably the bottleneck was in the kitchen. That being said, the actual food when it came was superb. Of the seven dishes, four consisted of seafood (herring, mussles, tuna, some white fish), two of meat (veal and sweetbreads, duck two ways), and dessert (ice cream and cookie, shared baba au rhum cake). I'd try to describe them in more detail, but would be doing them an injustice. The food was outstanding - I just wish there were more of it.Next time I think a better strategy would be to order a few dishes à la carte, and share those. I saw some tables adopting this strategy and the serving sizes seemed substantial. It would also eliminate some of the waiting between courses.8/30 -I'm not going to pretend to be a coffee connoisseur, but I am a caffeine-addict as well as a coffee shop lover. Cute cafés are my jam! Jimmy's Coffee was a very average experience, however.Jimmy's uses the unsweetened almond milk from Silk, which is horrible because the unsweetened version tastes incredibly salty, and this definitely transferred to the taste of my almond milk latte. They use a rather acidic strain of coffee beans (re: sour), and the double shot macchiato was hard to swallow. Also, no latte art. Whaaaaat? The barista used some hand motions that made it LOOK like she was doing latte art, but in reality it looked like a white, unidentifiable blob in the middle of my tiny cup of coffee.There are three floors, yet there is zero place to sit down. The third floor has a conference-room style table, the second floor with a hodgepodge assortment of furniture, and the first floor has a severe lack of chairs. Good luck trying to enjoy your coffee inside!Jimmy's Coffee is an alright café, and I may drop by to try their other items. However I won't make a special trip for Jimmy's because there are better shops in my neighborhood, thanks. -3.5 starsPrice: More than an average dt ramen place at $14 a bowl. I got the Shoyu Ramen. Noodle: Al dente, bouncy.Broth: Amazing. I usually don't drink the broth but the Hokkaido's is so flavourful. Asked for less salt which was perfect. When you walk into the restaurant, the first thing that hits your nose is the smell of pork bones simmering away. You can also ask for less lard but why. Toppings: I love bamboo, glad it's included. I also had seaweed, slice of fish cake and green onion. Extra toppings are pricey (corn is $2.50, egg $1.80) which I didn't opt for. Chashu: Seems like I got the chashu scraps...got two small chunks of meat cut along the grain and a slab of pure fat. While it was tender, it was upon leaving the restaurant and seeing the display of noodles that my friends told me that they both got 2 regular slices of chashu. What the. Service: Friendly. Fairly quick turnover of tables. Bathroom: The sketchiest bathroom I have ever been in. My friend said it was like being in a horror movie and I had to agree. Dim eerie staircase leading to a dark dirty bathroom with a low ceiling. Given how popular and clean the restaurant is, they definitely could have forked over a little bit of money to improve the washrooms! -Cheap, filling and fresh tacos in a variety of flavours! I keep getting baja fish tacos $5 from here and they're so good! There are 3 different salsas that you can put on your tacos - all delicious! I keep wanting to try their other tacos but I always make it an hour before they close so they are usually out of more popular items by then. Tip: come earlier for more choices!There are usually several people in line here since the staff make the tacos on the spot, so pack some patience with you as wait. Usually about 10 mins wait until you actually get your food, which isn't too bad! Also only a handful of seats but that's not a big deal since you could always eat it at the nearby park. -Not your run of the mill Thai restaurant. Interesting decor with upbeat music playing in the background. Not a fan of dimly lit restaurants. I know it's supposed to set the mood but it only makes me sleepy lol. I sat at one of the tables with bar stools and it wasn't very comfortable. There are hooks on the side of the table to hook your bags and jackets to but I think it would have been better to have hooks on the walls for jackets. Weren't a lot of hooks and if you were wearing a long coat, it'll drag on the ground. My friends got the Khao pla tawt (fish) and Khao soi, and I got the ox tail. No complaints about the fish and the only thing my friend had to say about the khao soi was that it was a little too creamy for her but if that's your thing then give it a try. I enjoyed my ox tail dish very much! The sauce was amazing and there was more meat than I expected. Meat was fall off the bone so very very tender. Haven't tried anything else there but definitely planning to!It's a nice touch that they added the Wi-Fi password and network on the menu but unfortunately, it didn't work when I was there (Dec 15). -Playa Cabana is a great spot for dinner and drinks. Here are a few highlights from my experience...1. Like others who have mentioned this, I did feel rushed to order, then to order more, then to leave. This was slightly annoying, but we were having a good time anyway, and didn't really think much of it until after we left.2. The tacos are a bit small, but they are fresh and delicious. I would order the chicken tacos again. (Be warned! Some of the table sauces are quite spicy!)3. If you like guacamole, you will love their chips and guacamole. The chips, which can be a tinge greasy, are tasty and made in house.4. The service, aside from being a bit rushed, was good. The recommendations for food and drinks were perfect.5. The vibe is loud and fun. I noticed that there was quite a diverse crowd here, which is nice as well.6. They have indoor and outdoor seating. To be mere steps from the corner of Davenport and Dupont, the outdoor patio seems quite removed from city traffic and noise.This is a great spot. There probably aren't many places in Toronto that can match Playa Cabana for Mexican food. -It's a nice atmosphere and service is not bad. I enjoyed the first time I was there so I decided to buy the Living Social deal for a brunch back in October 2014. I was excited to use it but due to work and travel the coupon reached the expiration date. They refused to take the coupon after expiry even though newer/exact same deal was on via LivingSocial. I left a voicemail with the manager who never contacted me. I may have lost the $35, but sadly, I don't feel like supporting a business that doesn't appreciate repeated customers. My advise to those buying these deals: make sure you can stick to the reservation before the coupon expiration date. Cibo will not budge. You can however use the face value anytime. But then again will I really be excited to use the expired coupon just so I can get my money back? I will be happier at so many other deserving restaurants that offer great food and service. -Found this place after googling best date restaurants in Toronto - truth.It was indeed a neat date location for a Friday night. Good vibe, neon décor, online reservations, delicious tapa style dishes and a menu of tequila tastings.What we ate (after the complimentary bucket of corn chips): Food:1. Guacamole dip - $11 for a regular (6/10) - hard to do guac wrong but nothing to write home about, get it if you want an excuse to eat more corn chips2. Sopes de tinga $15 (5/10)- this appetizer was unique but the fried, breaded cheese tart overpowered the taste of the chicken3. Tuna Ceviche $11 (7/10) - fresh ahi tuna in a fantastic fusion of mango and cilantro, wanted another one because the portion size was not meant to be shared4. Pulpo carnita $16 (8/10) - well cooked confit of octopus, not too chewy or dry, exactly what you expect from a well cooked octopus5. Carrillera en mole negro $15 (6/10)- extremely tender, 24 hour braised beef cheek - however the tar looking sauce definitely requires an appreciative pallet Drinks: 1. Mojito Reposada $10 glass -perfect concoction of Milagro Resposado, muddled mint, and fresh lime - not usually a mojito drinker as I find they're often too sweet or the tequila is overpowering, but this was simply delicious2. Tequilla tasting: Vertical Flight 1.3 oz - $19 - Avion Silver / Avion Reposado / Avion Anejo - fun addition to the meal, however I'm by no means refined in the art of tequila tasting - all I can say is that they were smooth and worth the order3. Tequilla tasting #2 - Barrel Aged Horizontal Flight - $22 - Tromba Anejo / Avion Anejo / Cazadores Anejo- ditto to my comment above - although I enjoyed this tasting a bit more as I found the tequila to be bolder and the neutralizing sides added some spiceRating Summary: Food: Average of 7/10 for the main courses as noted aboveAtmosphere: 9/10. Fun, posh Mexican vibe - definitely feeling the vibrant décor and music Service: 9/10. The Spanish speaking servers add to the atmosphere. Our server had his corn chip service in check; our chip bucket was never empty. Service was difficult at times to wave down and we would've liked the staff to be more educated in the tequila being served. Pulling out my phone to take photos would have been a date faux pas, hence no photos to share in this post. Will definitely come back during patio season! -My second experience at Pai was great on a few fronts. This place is quite popular on weekdays and weekends so for big groups, a reservation is a must. By the time our group of 10 left, there was a line up the stairs and just at the door.The service staff were friendly and swift with taking our orders and the kitchen staff was just as quick to bring the food to our table all at the same time. :-)I like the street market atmosphere that they are trying to bring to the space in the restaurant.My favourite points of the meal were:1. the deep-fried squash fritters (the grabong) were crunchy and lightly fried and also tasted sweet like a sweet potato. It was great even without the garlic tamarind dip which provides some more savoury flavours.2. this was the first time I had khao soi and I think I will want to come back to have more in the future. The noodles had the right bite to hold up against the spicy and creaminess of golden curry. Bonus: ask for a container to bring the soup home if you want to enjoy it with some rice for lunch the next day!3. the thai milk ice tea is preferred over the lemongrass ice tea since the lemongrass is so subtle that I could barely detect it next to the stronger flavour of the thai milk ice tea.Only small issue is the lack of coat hooks for the larger tables that use stools instead of chairs. There is no convenient hook or coat stand nearby for guests at those tables.Till next time. -Beautifully designed restaurant with equally well crafted sushi. It feels clean, minimal, and modern. The staff is very friendly and attentive.I recommend ordering the seared sushi if you want to try something different from your normal sushi. The sampler is also quite extensive and a good deal for $30. All the fish is incredibly fresh and tasty. -This place is garbage. I get it, you're a big place but that's no excuse for poor service and food. Feels like a tourist trap. Guacamole is decent, drinks are ok,the rest is a mess. If you are in the distillery, do yourself a favour and spend your money elsewhere. -Drew was wearing an underarmor sweatshirt and they still let us in even though a sign out front said proper attire was required so good on them for that. It's incredibly obvious that this is a place where people go to find a sugar daddy. I don't know how else to put it but when you have two 20 something's grinding up on a 40 year old in an Armani suit, you know there's a plan. Aside from that we were surprised by how cheap the drinks were and the Moscow Mules, although a bit sweet, were very down-able. If you like a club that has a good vibe and alternates between Drake and Bieber every other song then this is your place. -Always impressive service, whether it's brunch or dinner. Great drinks, wonderful gluten free and dairy free options - I would take a picky eater there anyday! The atmosphere is super laid back and young feeling. The only complaint I'd have is that it's too loud, but that's because it's so popular. I always go with my boyfriend and we're never let down. Prices are quite reasonable too. The waitress actually noticed that I didn't eat chili peppers on the tacos so she made sure that the rest of my taco orders didn't have peppers on them either - without me saying a thing. Such positive experiences here! -Good service. Tables a little narrow and awkward. The slaw was superb. They recite all 26 ingredients in it. The main course was not to die for. A little bland. Great ambiance and sitting outside we got to do my favourite activity, people watching. -We came for Winterlicious dinner, so we were expecting it to be busy. Still, the restaurant did a great job in keeping everything well organized. The servers were very attentive and took time to describe what we were about to eat when they brought the food. Food was top notch! I got the Fogo Island Salt cod for appetizer, beef tenderloin / chuck flat for main, and sea buck thorn yoghurt for dessert. Some places don't really give good value for Winterlicious, but Canoe was definitely worth it! I would come back on any regular day / night. -Overall, great food and even better service. The food was delicious. We definitely had some things that were out of the box thinking but must say it wasn't necessarily the best French food we have ever had. Our server, Brooke, was very helpful and always stopped by to see how we were doing. We also never felt rushed and were able to finish our wine before we even had to think about ordering dessert. Atmosphere is great... Not too loud and the decor is stunning. Will definitely return! -I have been here twice now. The first time being the end of May. The weather was beautiful for a late Friday night. The patio was busy (as usual) but the ambience and service was good. We were here for a work friend's birthday group of 8 or 9. We ordered drinks and food and it was all delivered with speed and accuracy, considering it was a busy Friday night. The food was great. I ordered a burger and fries. My sister ordered a chicken flatbread.My second experience, left me a bit unsatiated, as we left without eating. We were there for the RedPath Waterfront Festival at Sugar Beach and wanted to have a sit down meal. Our group of 5 asked for seats on the patio, at around 7:45 pm. We were given pagers and were told the wait would be about 45 minutes. We expected that, so we walked up and down the lakeshore. We were finally seated at about 8:30 and ordered food and drinks right away. At 9:30, we still hadn't received our food. It's not like we ordered huge meals, we ordered two flatbreads, a salad to share, and shrimp something. We flagged down our waitress, and she informed us that we would have to wait ANOTHER 20 MINUTES. We had somewhere to be at 10, so we said forget the food, bring us our drink bill. The manager came out and apologized for the wait, he explained a large party had come in and unexpectedly backed up the kitchen. He took care of our drink bill and gave us a $25 gift card to come back again. Even though our service wasn't the greatest, the fact that the manager came out and took care of our bill and even gave us a gift card, showed us that this doesn't happen often, and they were generally upset for us.We will go back, not only because of our gift card, but because the patio is so nice, the drink menu is quite extensive and the food is pretty decent. -Funny how they call it salad king but only have 1 salad on the menu.It's located right by Ryerson, so it's definitely convenient for students on a budget. The atmosphere was like a cafeteria, but a pinch more upscale with cuter decor than a typical highschool lunch hall.Like most Thai places, they had sizeable portions. My friend and I ordered the pad thai and the panang curry to share. Overall, the food was meh. It made me full, but not the happy kind of full. The panang curry was too sweet but not rich, and the pad thai was a little dry. Highly recommend hot sauce if you're thinking of eating at this place.But I wont go back again. -The last experience here when we came out was absolutely wonderful. I would give five stars but it is still quite a wait. They did text us when a table was ready For a heads up so we were able to grab a drink nearby which was nice of them. The food we get this time was fab- shout of for the spicey beef and the chicken dish we had it was wonderful flavour and totally yum. and I do appreciAte how they have a legend for how spicy. I love the communal mixed drink bucket so come of your a sharing is caring type of personality. Our server this time was totally over attentive in a great way and checked in frequently to make sure our experience was going well. And last shout out goes to the music playlist here .. All the songs were a nice mix of classics and I swear it was right off my iPod. -Fantastic food and relatively inexpensive, butternut fritters for starter were great and the pad thai was extremely tasty. Glad we went with this place. Cool atmosphere inside with some great older hip hop playing... -Love the atmosphere! All the dishes we tried were so good! We got the lamb and it was unreal and good drink menu. If you're looking for a new place to have a special dinner or just feel like switching it up I'd highly recommend. -Would definitely come back. Nice ambiance, atmosphere, good food and wine. Noise level was moderate so you could have a conversation. I would recommend. -Went there yesterday (august 13th 2016). It was my 2 year anniversary and I was worried because of the few bad reviews regarding the food. But honestly everything was delicious! Me and my boyfriend both had the steak and lobster and it was cooked perfectly! Wish they put more mashed potatoes on the plate because those were so yummy too and not enough. But I loved the whole experience! The view is incredible and our waitress was down to earth and very accommodating. We had the smoked salmon appetizer and the oysters as well and was all really fresh and good. I truly enjoyed my experience and will be returning next special occasion -Went her for brunch. Got the eggs Benny with smoked salmon for $20. Eggs a bit overcooked and not runny. Expected better but great location and good patio. Service was great. -I have been meaning to come here for awhile, so when a Groupon came up, it was the perfect opportunity. It seemed a little expensive at first glace for the amount of food you received, but I was pleasantly surprised at how filling and delicious everything was. The place was a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. There were patio seats at the front, a bar that you could sit at, and then a number of seats that stretched down the hallway to a big back area. I had the lamb burger and dressed it with tzatiki, feta, onions and tomato. It was cooked perfectly with generous toppings. I added the panko crusted onion rings. OMG so delicious. The portion was pretty big, so next time I would probably share the side. I was delighted to see the variety on the menu. It wasn't just burgers. There were a number of other things I wanted to try. I was also surprised to see tons of drink specials. I didn't realize that it really had a bar atmosphere (my bad, considering it says bar right in the name)Service was friendly and fairly quick. Lots of people there watching the hockey game - which you could see from any seat in the house on big flat screens. Definitely one of the best gourmet burger joints I've tried in Toronto so far. -Came here recently with the SO - I had been talking about this place with him, and knew that he would love the vibe. And course, he did! The spot is trendy and kinda indie, with charming lights and paintings from local artists. Oh and a great drinks list. It's popular so make reservations possible! They have an easy online system. Crab cakes - deliciousChicken thigh sandwich - tastyShrimp linguine - really flavorfulIceberg drink - refreshingBlush mojito - good, once the ice chilled it and diluted it a bit. Overall great experience. This spot is perfect to catch up with friends, first (or 2nd, 3rd) dates, and have some great food/drinks. I had to take off one star because it seemed like none of the staff knew whose food went where and brought the wrong dishes to multiple patrons. They brought us a salad we didn't order and then realized it was for the table beside us... Except it was the wrong salad for them too. This kinda thing happened throughout the night. However, the staff were really nice and swift about making the appropriate the changes. -We are a couple of beer lovers and tend to seek out beer spots whenever we travel. My bf spotted this place before leaving on our trip and had it on his list of places we must try. We came here for an early evening dinner after tiring ourselves out with wandering Toronto by foot all-day. This place has a very cavernous feel to it as you have to walk down a flight of stairs to get to the dining and bar area. There's plenty of space for large parties and cozy enough for folks to explore their beer selection. I thought most of their drafts sound interesting but was disappointed to hear they did not offer a sampler of any sort. Instead, we went with a house-made coffee porter and a blackberry wheat (which was not made in-house). Both brews were fine but nothing worth writing home about. However, for dessert the bf opted for a pint of their Chocolate Orange beer which was really interesting and tasty. The service was attentive and the food was okay. I really liked all their vegetarian options but unfortunately I went with a bland jambalaya and he went with a bison burger. Skip the dishes we ordered and come by for a great take on craft beers. -You're whisked away from the Disneyfied cobblestones of the distillery to an equally out-of-place 1885 Parisian bistro. The decor is fantastic. The rumour is that they spent a million dollars on the interior. It shows.Delicious food, shiny people. C'est dommage. The environs make you want to dress up in period costume. At one point you find yourself screaming 'Bon jour de Mères!' as loud as possible as they bludgeon you with heaps of butter. How could one complain? -I love the look and feel of this place, as well as the location. I've been here a few times for brunch and dinner. I've never had to wait for a table for brunch. The space is huge and there's lots of open air in the summer. Going here is a great excuse to have prosciutto for breakfast! The frittatas are nice and fluffy, and the scrambled eggs are ok. I think this would be a nice choice for a big group.This place gets packed at dinnertime, and it's a fun place to meet up with people for drinks. The food is fine and the prices are reasonable, but none of the dishes I've had were very memorable. -I have gone to Jacobs a few times over the past couple of years and I always come out with the same content feeling after a fantastic steak meal. The atmosphere of the restaurant is nice and intimate, with the dining area on the 2nd floor. The 1st floor is where you are greeted by the hostesses. There is a bar area with a piano lounge while you wait.It is NOT a cheap meal, but if you want good steak, it is well worth it. Instead of Ruth's Chris, try Jacobs. There are a wide variety of steaks, different each night. The waiter was very attentive and willing to make recommendations depending on your mood. I love the wagyu beef that they have. The steaks are served with a selection of sauces and salts to enhance the flavours of the steak.Certainly try the caesar salad that's made table side. I can no longer eat caesar dressing that is not made fresh anymore. Sides need to be ordered for the steak and I recommend duck fat french fries!One of my favourite parts of the meals come at the very end when they deliver breakfast muffins for the next day. I'm so happy when I'm munching on it with a cup of tea, reminiscing about my yummy steak the night before. -Their most expensive menu, the full rack of baby back ribs were extremely dry. I felt like I was chewing a rubber. Maybe it was supposed to be dry. I'm not a rib expert so maybe the baby back ribs were supposed to be dry. I was going to try out their side ribs to see the difference but I was scared that I might get the $34 rubber. But wait, how come the ribs selling in The Keg are somewhat juicier and tender compared to this place's. I know they don't make the greatest ribs in the world so what's going on. Is it because they use side ribs and side ribs are supposed to taste better than the baby back ribs? I'm confused so educate me.Also tried their Cobb salad and bacon had this odor that I could immediately tell it wasn't fresh. -This place is a hit or a miss. There are times when I come and the food and drinks are amazing and times where it is not so great.The most consistent thing is the service - which is always good. If there is anything wrong with your food or drink, the waiters will make an effort to make it right again. My favourite beer is the blonde for that crisp, fresh, cold taste. And the bbq pizza is also one of my go-to's. It is a good place to experience if you are in the area and it has a really nice patio in the summer. Make reservations because it does get busy. -This place is very hit or miss, and unfortunately, my most recent time was a huge miss! To start off positively, it is a nice, clean location offering ACYE which seems like an anomaly in the downtown area. Service is typically average and menu has a decent variety. Unfortunately, last time my boyfriend and I went, the staff misplaced part of our order, leaving us sitting for over 20min after being served our first portion. When we told the staff, they acted quickly; however, the food they brought looked rushed and did not taste fresh. Both my boyfriend and I ended up feeling sick for a few days after. Probably won't be returning, but can't say every experience has been awful. -I really enjoyed Sunny Morning!They do have tiny tables for two peeps (what is UP with that breakfast places?!) and it was very busy when we arrived around 11am on a holiday Saturday.Our server was very pleasant, I believe his name was Brent. The girl filling our coffees and grabbing us ketchup seemed to hate existing in this world but I just ignored her foul attitude, everyone has an off day you know! ;)Since this is the New Year and I was trying to behave a bit, I ordered the lighter menu option, which came with poached eggs, cottage cheese, toast, and fresh fruit. Coffee was good was was refilled (although we did have to ask). I enjoyed my breakfast and so did my bae. The fresh fruit was actually delicious, juicy and flavourful, which sometimes doesn't happen at breaky places - yay!!Overall, this is my favourite spot (to date) in Etobicoke for breakfast/brunch. -Excellent!! From our waitress to the management, we were treated with so much appreciation and respect. Great customer service. I went with my newly fiance' (engaged that night) and when we told our waitress she congratulated us with celebration and jubilee. Then the management offered us a couple glasses of champagne on the house!! Very generous. The place is real quaint and cool. I like how its dim lit. Great date place. We were also impressed by the food. The Chicken Linguine. 5 stars!! im a foodie, its hard to impress me usually, but the pasta was cooked to perfection. the sauce was rich and savory. The tomatoes added a bit of acidity and sweetness that the dish needed. The perfect dish to end the perfect night. Highly recommend. -Came here late one night with a large group. Tables were all occupied, but we were still able to find a spot by the bar to gather around. Plenty of space in the restaurant I noticed for big groups if you're able to come at a good time to grab a table. Good selection of beers on tap, and menu seemed like there were a lot of comfort food type options. Some of what we ordered were sweet potato chips and calamari. Chips were good, calamari was less than average. My friend's chicken wrap was good as I was told. Food was brought out with good timing, and drinks the same way. Service was average and as expected from being at a casual restaurant. The only annoyance of our experience at C'est What was with one of male bartenders that served us occasionally. He seemed to favour being sarcastic with his service responses. And that's perfectly fine, we appreciate fun sarcasm but his sarcastic replies weren't helpful nor were they in good humor. Being sarcastic doesn't mean that it's a free pass to be rude. All in all, wouldn't mind coming back here for a casual drink or bite to eat. Just avoid sitting at the bar. -Earls Kitchen + Bar on King Street offers good food and an enjoyable dining experience. I dined there for lunch two Sundays ago and ordered the Bacon Cheddar Burger ($16.50) with a side of Truffle Fries (extra $2.00). I also shared a Mojito Pitcher for $20.00 (cheaper because of the Cool Summer Pitcher Happy Hour + Sunday Special) with three others. The burger was huge, mainly because of the oversized brioche bun. Both the burger and the fries were really good. I did wish there were more fries but in the end, I was happily stuffed so no complaints. The mojito, on the other hand, was quite disappointing. It was extremely watered down and flat. I could barely taste any rum and the mint leaves were likely not even muddled prior to mixing the drink. I might as well have been drinking water instead. In retrospect, I should have sent it back. We dined on the patio and it was very comfortable and relaxing. I highly recommend dining outside if you love patio dining. The indoor dining area was clean with an urban modern setup. Our server was clearly new and at times slightly frazzled. He did not know what glasses to use for our mojitos and left the pecans out of my friend's salad due to a mild nut allergy, even after my friend clearly insisted pecans were absolutely fine. Otherwise, he was a nice chap and we had no real issues except the occasional awkwardness. All things considered, I would definitely dine at Earl's Kitchen + Bar on King Street again. -The last time I came here was approximately 20 years ago and the only thing I remember is that the prices were insanely outrageous. I find the location to be very suspect. Although, it is located inside the hotel, the only way to have outside access is through the elevator that runs directly into the restaurant. If you were to enter through the hotel, you would have to go downstairs to the lower level where the meeting rooms are located and turn left and walk to one end of that level in order to find the entrance, which is preceded by a long hallway. Interestingly, the hostess station (and I say hostess station because I didn't see any hosts) faces the elevator entrance and not the hotel entrance, which is off to one side before the bar. The hostesses were attentive enough but not too bright, as I described the person that I was looking for to be in a bright red dress and they weren't sure. So, I proceeded to give the name under the reservation. They quickly took me to my table. The restaurant is quite dark and doesn't look like it has been renovated since the opening; however, this doesn't seem to be an issue, as everything seems very well appointed. The bar was quite cramped and there were a lot of people waiting inside. Although, it was only 6:30 pm, the restaurant was filled, so, if you are going, perhaps, a reservation would be in order. I'd hate to be cramped inside that little bar. The place is loud, so, if you are on your first date, this place may not be for you.As we were a large table, we were located on a stage type area with 2 seat tables lined up to infinity. I am not sure whether they had a table that was big enough to seat our entire group, but it didn't seem to be a problem. Even the people located on the wall had enough room to walk behind a seated person. Remember this point.It took the waiter awhile but eventually, he came by to insure that we had water. Drinks were not offered at this point. When my whole table arrived, many of us were surprised that the water wasn't filled sooner. When it came time to order, the waited tried to efficiently start from one side and go to the other; however, that side wasn't ready, so, he skipped to my wife and I, who were seated on the outside middle of the table. We ordered and I accidently placed my drink order and was surprised to find that the waiter was rude about it. He wasn't ready to take drink orders. By the time the orders were completed, the waited left to put in our order. It was at this point that we discovered that there was a kid's menu that NO ONE had told us about, including the waiter. So, we had to place a second order into the kitchen. The kid's menu comes with a main course, side, dessert and drink. Once again, the waiter was rude to me when I placed the drink order for the kids, telling me that I needed to wait, as he wasn't ready to take the drink orders. The meal came, and there seemed to be confusion over who had what. It was made worse, when the kid's orders came and the waiter didn't know who it went to. I saw no attempt for the waiter to try to get to the side with the wall, they just claimed that they would pass it over, as it was too far. The waiters also need re-training, as they would move their body between you and your meal and ask for forgiveness later, rather than asking before moving. I recognize that the meal is hot; however, this is no excuse for the lack of etiquette at this location.Needless to say, the meal was delicious. Although, I said delicious, I didn't say it was right. Almost no one at the table got what they ordered in terms of how the steak was cooked, unless you had ordered it well done or medium rare. We didn't bother to send it back, but needless to say, we were disappointed. We were surprised that the kid's meals, which were about $23 each were SO LARGE! Then again, the price tag was high too. The chicken fingers came with 5 large chicken fingers and burnt fries. The children's filet came medium rare, she wanted it medium with tons of mashed potatoes. Someone ordered julienne fries, which turned out to be similar to hickory sticks. I ordered the steak fries and they were overcooked with one end on each burned. The mushrooms were well cooked. The $12 salad was large with fresh cheese, no side salads at this place.All in all, our total was over $1000. The starting price for a steak was $60, with the average price about $75. There are other things on the menu that aren't as pricey, such as the chicken, which was about $34. So, So overall, the waiter is rude, the food is undercooked, the prices are high. The restaurant is clean, which includes the restroom. There were 3 restaurant reviewers at our table. 33% would not come here again, 66% were unhappy with aspects of the food and 100% of us were dissatisfied with the service. -The wait for a Wednesday night was long but understandable given the small space of the restaurant. The place is crowded meaning patrons waiting their table will be (im)patiently watching you eat from the sidelines, so eat quickly and don't hang out after your meal! Overall I had no complaints but nothing stood out as exceptional to me. The menu is simple--about a dozen traditional main entrées, about a dozen appetizers, and dessert of the day. The Northern Thai sausage platter appetizer was an unexpected item - it reminded me of steamed Chinese preserved sausages but with more grit and lemongrass. The bean paste sauce that came with it was tasty but didn't tip me over the scale of wanting to order the app again. The green curry served in a coconut was fragrant and satisfying, the option to select spice level suits every palate. The accompanying bowl of jasmine rice was a good size to go with the curry, but on the dry side. A decent selection of beers and other drinks are available, which suits the casual and ethnic atmosphere well. The Thai iced tea is a crowd favourite and many patrons ordered one as they waited for their table - it's on the sweet side but complements perfectly with the spicy menu. -I have been here a few times and the food is pretty good. The only thing that wont have me coming back this time is their horrible service. The waitress we got was impatient, rude, sarcastic, and just a horrible server. Our food took forever to come out and came out of order. She only spoke in Chinese and even gave us our bill in Chinese and when we asked her for a bill in english so we could see what we were being charged for she made a huge fuss about it and took forever to bring us another copy. When she did she over charged us 95 dollars for things we didn't even order. She insisted we did order. At that point we paid the RIGHT amount and left. as we got up to go she demanded a tip. She actually DEMANDED we tip her. I don't tip unless I feel like I should. And in this case i definetly did not feel like tipping her. -This is by far the best restaurant in the city , the food is always amazing , the service is fantastic . I always recommend this place for any special occasion or just a great dinner ! The view is breathtaking , -This is a huge restaurant! We came as a group of 5 on Sunday afternoon, sitting out on the patio. The back of the patio is under shade which was really nice, very pleasant sitting right by the water. My partner and I got chicken fingers and fries (off the kids menu, $9, great value!) and some beers. Overall decent quality and value. Service wasn't great, we didn't see the server as often as I would've liked, but I think he did the best he could considering how busy it was. Overall a good spot to stop for a beer and snack (as long as you don't mind waiting in line to get in)! -I got the lobster roll with the frisco fries upgrade. The lobster roll was alright. The sauce or lack thereof was a bit bland but the bread was tasty. The house slaw it came with was decent. I highly recommend the frisco fries though. That was by far the tastiest part of the entire meal. I think if I didn't opt for that, I'd have given this place a 3/5 instead. The place is pretty small with very few seats so don't bring a group of friends here. It's also pretty cold in the winter because of the small space and constantly opening/closing door. -At the encouragement of one of our group members, my 5 friends and I decided to hold our exchange reunion at Pai, as opposed to another popular Thai restaurant (hint: it starts with a K and ends in Road; y'all know who I'm talking about). The wait was a reasonable hour for a party of 6 that arrived at 6:30 on a Saturday evening (reservations were booked at least one week out) because they allow you to put your name down and go your merry way until your table is ready. The ambiance is hip and reminds you of the hostel you wish you stayed at in Thailand. The server was friendly and helpful with the recommendations. I got the beef Pad Gra Prow (mild because I'm a baby). It consists of spiced ground beef over rice and topped with a fried egg. The spice level was just right--spicier than I expected for mild, which is great because it pushed me and when combined with the taste of holy basil reminded me that I was eating Thai food and shouldn't be such a baby. The yolk was perfectly runny and when punctured provides the fat and flavor needed to mellow out and complement the ground beef while dialing up the flavor of the jasmine rice. The only mistake was a user error: I thought it was a great idea to pour all my chili infused fish sauce over my dish halfway and was left with something that was too soggy and too spicy to enjoy. I guess if you like a wetter, spicier rice dish, go for it, but I was pretty sad that like Freddie Prinze, Jr. in 90's classic She's All That when the nerdy girl discovered that she was a bet and gets mad at him, I ruined a very good thing.Ok now for the real reason I'm even writing this review: the Thai Iced Tea. So I'm kind of a Thai Iced Tea (or cha yen if you're being pretentious) conosseiur; I mean it was 50% of the reason I visited Thailand...ok 60%. This one is nice because it's served over a glass full of crushed ice. The tea is also stronger than your usual Thai Iced Tea, which is great because then the overall drink is not overpowered by the sweetness of the condensed milk. TLDR: Make reservations at least 2 weeks in advanced. If you absolutely cannot stand spice, ask for no spice. Get the Thai Iced Tea if you're into that kind of thing. -I finally had the opportunity to try Byblos after struggling to secure a reservation on a weekend a number of times. Settled with a 6:30 pm slot on a Monday evening and although it was relatively busy, you could probably take your chances doing a walk-in on a weekday.Contemporary decor but still had a very classy vibe. Lamb Ribs ($14) - These were delicious but tiny!! 3.5 small lamb ribs (the 4th one was more like a twig with barely any meat) that are tender, mildly flavored with a crispy texture. Not exactly the best value but taste-wise, 4/5 Roasted Red Beets ($13) - I debated whether or not to order this dish pretty much until the very last minute when I decided to just take a leap of faith and trust my fellow Yelpers. So glad I did as it was the highlight of the night. I was hesitant because my boyfriend and I aren't the greatest fan of red beets but you can hardly taste it when mixed with the labneh which had the perfect consistency and creaminess. Served with some delicious barbari bread, this dish is one you don't want to pass up on. 5/5Crispy Squid ($13) - This one was a decent portion but the individual pieces of squid are very small. Lightly fried and the spices and garlic sauce (toum) give it a nice kick. Very flavorful dish overall and tasted great with our rice. Probably one of the least traditional items because frankly, it's basically calamari with some Eastern Mediterranean seasonings. But I wasn't there to judge (nor would I know) how authentic their food was, so 3.5/5 Turkish Manti Dumplings ($14) - I was looking forward to this the most but it ended up being the biggest disappointment of the night. Such a shame. The dumplings were underwhelming to say the least. I actually didn't even know they were filled with eggplant until the fourth one or so because the ones I ate prior had nothing in it. The molasses balanced the yogurt really well but other than that, nothing special. 2/5Tartufata ($30) - Probably the most expensive rice I've ever had.The truffle and mushrooms were decadent and the fried chick peas were amazing. Crispy and flavorful. The rice itself is very ordinary. So all things considered, I can't say it was completely worth it. I wouldn't order it again because I'd like to try their other rice offerings which looked and sounded just as appealing. 4/5Seared Cauliflower ($8) - It's considered to be a side so I'd recommend ordering this with one of their meat dishes (ribeye, lamb shoulder, etc.) because I think it'd compliment it quite well. We just thought cauliflower with duck fat sounded awesome so we couldn't resist and ordered it anyway. I prefer stronger flavors so I loved this but heads up it can be a bit heavy. 4/5As for dessert, we had the Loukmades ($12) - Fantastic! We were pretty full and while waiting, we kept negotiating how many bites each person would take to finish it. Ended up fighting over the last piece. Pretty much burnt honey icecream on a krispy kreme donut (but a different shape). So good and a must-order!! 5/5 Service was lackluster. Our server was kind and filled our water pretty often but eventually disappeared. We found ourselves waiting a lot - to order dessert, to ask for the bill and to pay. Service shouldn't end after the customer finishes their main course but rather when they walk out the door. Also, typical of many high-end restaurants, they explain what's in every dish but it was spewed out so quickly that a lot of it was incoherent. Didn't really add any value to our dinner. A little overhyped but I'd come back because their menu still has a few other interesting items I'd like to try. I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone who's looking to celebrate a special occasion or somewhere nice to go for a first date. Just don't expect to be blown away. -Great atmosphere and drink specials!At night, the inside looks amazing. The tables have candles and I really like the lights above the bar!I've been here twice now. In May, I tried one of their 10 after 10 specials. That night was calamari sliders with a beer for $10 after 10 pm. I didn't like the sauce it came with much, unfortunately, but it was good otherwise. There was a different special every night. Highly recommend for late night eats!Most recently we came for drinks only. Caesars are on special for $5. Also, after 10 pm, certain beers and liquor are $4. Sounds like a good deal to me!The waitress was very friendly and prompt. We didn't have to wait very long for service. And she noticed our empty glasses right when we finished and asked immediately if we wanted another drink. Perfect!Excellent recommendation from my BFF. Hope I'll be back again to try out more of their food! Love their selection of deals! Maybe we will get their price fix next time - $25 for three course in August :) and judging from other reviews, brunch looks good too! -I like the patio here, and the pizza is pretty good. I haven't ordered much here, I mostly come for drinks on the patio.I have had the spicy mussles which were really good, White wine, onions and jalapenos. Not too spicy but good flavour. I'd order them again. The house wine Sangiovese was nice and light to go with our sharezies. The pasta dishes coming out of the kitchen looked OK. I am a stickler for pasta and don't think I'd order it from here. I've seen better dishes elsewhere. It's not an expensive place, and the service is relateively good here so I will continue to come back for drinks and mussles on the patio.I ordered a margarhita pizza, it was basically a cheese pizza with some chopped basil and garlic on top... but the crust was really nice and I enjoyed it nonetheless. -School's current average rating of 3.5 stars is spot-on. The atmosphere here is cool, unique, and playful - way better than any school environment I've ever been in. The theme runs well throughout the restaurant with drinks and syrups served in beakers, fake grass padding some of the picnic tables in their patio area, a wall of clocks (like those you'd see in a typical school), chandeliers with papers hovering near the lights, shelves with books and pieces near the bar, and an envelope with your bill - your individual progress report served at the end. At the time my friend and I went, she ordered a Brunch Bowl ($18.00) and I ordered the good ol' classic insta-worthy Black & Blue flapjacks ($16.00). The brunch bowl was plated and served nicely with tortilla slivers and a sunny-side up egg on top of the main goods. It was an overall delicious dish that made my friend full (and we entered with empty stomachs) however it was missing something to make it an amazing one. The flapjacks are oh-so-good and are stacked high. They're fluffy too which I prefer and are served with a side of brown sugar butter, vanilla whip cream, and Ontario maple syrup. These are definitely recommended for those with a sweet tooth and a love of pancakes - both of which I have. School is a must-try - it's especially nice checking out during patio season because the patio area is well-shaded with umbrellas and some sections lining the walls come with comfy pillows. Service is relatively quick considering the amount of people that were there and the food aesthetic is beautiful. School gives you better treatment that you'd find in any school and the food is beyond cafeteria-quality. -I have always wanted to try this place and have been asking my friends to come here. Came here on a Saturday night with a couple of friends. When we got in, it was pretty busy but after 10mins of standing, we managed to bag ourselves a couple of seats at the bar. I ordered the BetterBeer (which is the Harry Potter inspired Butterbeer) and it was so yummy!! I don't normally like ale but this one tasted nothing like it as they add ginger ale and topped with cream and a skewered marshmallow. YUM!!Place is really small for what I'd expected and despite being a 'Harry Potter inspired' bar, the cocktails were presented pretty bland. I had hoped for weird presentations with dry ice, the whole shabang. But overall, really enjoyed this bar and will definitely come back for the BetterBeer again! -Miku has been floating around in my bookmarks for years. It was always a combination of too expensive and too inconvenient that made it a faraway dream. But I took advantage of Winterlicious 2018 to finally give in. Ok. I get it now. I finally see the light.I was surprised to find out that Miku was as fusion-y as it was. You don't get a lot of quality Asian fusion places, especially ones that do sushi/sashimi with the same high standards as really good Japanese restaurants in the city. They've got an extensive alcohol list and unique cocktails for the adventurous. I got the non-alcoholic Ginger Basil Smash, which was a little sour, a little sweet, and very smashing indeed. Despite the higher end dinner price tag of $53, I still believe Miku is one of the best Winterlicious offers out there. Firstly, $53 for a QUALITY 3-course meal is pretty damn good. Don't believe me? Let's break it down: 1) Aburi Sampler Platter - (6 pcs, originally $18) - How special can torched sushi be? Apparently, really special when it comes to Miku. The flavour was stronger than any other Aburi sushi I've had. I contemplated getting more of the torched salmon at regular prices, but I was too full by the end. 2) Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin and Pan Seared Foie Gras Rouge - Not from the regular menu, this was a piece of Winterlicious originality. Everything on the plate tasted amazing, even the brussel sprouts. I can say for certain though that my first bite into the foie gras was the best, most orgasmic bite of the entire meal. It's also pure fatty goose liver goodness so even though you only get 3 small medallions of beef tenderloin, everything together made me quite full. 3) Green Tea Opera - (originally $14.5) - I was more than happy to see their signature dessert on the menu. It's really something special. Rich green tea mousse with crunchy hazelnuts. Served with a tiny scoop of fragrant house-made green tea ice cream. My fiancé had the Japanese Tiramisu. Tasty, but we both agreed the opera was better. Given the prices of the appetizer and dessert, that puts the beef and foie gras dish at $20! Sometimes, you can't even get a liver pâté dish at that price, let alone a whole piece of foie gras. On top of that, everything was cooked and flavoured to perfection. The prices might be high, but I think the talent behind the cooking justifies it. Quality over quantity makes Miku my Winterlicious winner. Now if only I could get a reservation at Canoe...(10/100) - 2018 -Food quality degraded since last year. This is a Chinese owned Japanese restaurant and you can tell ... The sushi chefs are loud and trying to make their Chinese accents sound Japanese. They mutter under their breath after they welcome you in. The waitresses are a bit clueless and the sushi is not fresh- actually chewy... The miso soup was too salty and the fried chicken is likely one chicken thigh cut up into tiny pieces and fried up... And I actually suspect it isn't even chicken. I will not be coming back ever. It took a lot of dessert to get rid of the after taste in my mouth. -I went here with high expectations. The servers are nice but they need to smile more; there was one server that wore gym shorts and apron while the rest of the customers wore dresses and casual clothes. Should I go back to eat lunch here again for $18.00 with three course meal? (Apetizers, main dish which are ramen, dessers). Probably not. My pork ramen needs more improvement; it lack tge Japanese ramen taste. It taste bland. I think cup noodles were tastier if I'm going to compare. The lamb bun was great! I will rate it as 4.5 over 5 stars especially the coffee dessert. Also, the washrooms we're dirty that time but when you go inside the women's washroom they have a private cubicle inside the washroom itself. It's like when you go to bayview village washroom. It was different but nice. The restuarant was clean and stock up which is good. -Update: The lurid smell I formerly complained of is gone. My ex from Chicago loved this place and we came here every time he visited. We wanted to get a place around here and come here all the time. Then we broke up. Now there are way too many memories and I haven't been coming around as much. I also don't live as close.It is totally full on a Friday or Saturday night; anticipate a 20 minute wait after 8pm. Made my ex try poutine here. He didn't like it, and thought gravy was terrible too mix with cheese curds and fries but it was a solid, savoury, melty poutine and not too drenched in gravy. However, its not really a thick-cut like Poutini's.Drink prices have gone up by 50cents or a dollar, but that's concurrent with price inflation all over the world. This is a reliable location for wifi, as Green Beanery doesn't have it and a sign on their door says they have a regular thief right now. (and still. REALLY, Toronto?)It's nice to come here for working on your laptop or to throw a drink back before ambling over to Altima for an ominous dental cleaning. It's also great for a friends date and one drink easily turns into two. Because of how close the cubby lounge chair-table units are... you will overhear a lot of OKCupid dates going on and that can be quite hilarious.Now onto the good: coffee and alcohol. The coffee is always strong, they make a firm cappuccino. The craft cocktails are an economic and easy buzz. Ask for the secret hidden vintage cocktail menu that's only on 15 menus in the whole place. These drinks are both potent and delicious... But not too sweet. If you like bitter I recommend the sazerac or corpse reviver#2, if you like sour then paper airplane or pisco sour. Bonus stars for having fernet and cognac cocktails too. -I went on a Sunday evening in October with friends before we saw a movie at the TIFF after dark festival. I was with 2 guys, one came later than we had planned so we waiting for him to order. I ordered the fried fish (with rice and 2 sauces) and the sweet potato tempura. Both came quickly and were extremely delicious. Some things I would improve: -the initial service (when ordering drinks) they asked us 6 times in 15 min. -when we ordered drinks it took them that same about of time to bring it Other than that I liked the atmosphere and the vibe. Would def go back. -Good tasty Mexican food, portions on the smaller side for some dishes - for e.g. The scallops and pork tacos could be bigger. Ambience is nice and the bar is awesome. Drinks are good - I enjoyed this spicy drink diablo something. The only problem I have is that when the waitress took my card to run it on the machine she already put in 18% tip herself and I had no idea what I was paying as the only thing I saw on the screen was enter pin. Had I not asked for my receipt I would not have known that she charged 18% tip. This was a backhanded move, and not appreciated. Note: our party was not more than 8 people where they automatically incl gratuity. (note - we had a party of 5)additional note per OpenTable: For parties of 8 or more an automatic gratuity of 17.5% is added and one bill is required. Reservations are held for 15 minutes. Parties must fully arrive within 30 minutes of their reservation timeSo I would suggest that either the restaurant update the website whether its 6 or 8 people they charge the gratuity for or inform the customers up front. -Went here a couple weeks ago, just remembered to review. The vibe and decor of the place is really cool. Wish we could have sat at the bar. We used the Yelp check in to get the korean style cauliflower as an app which was sooo good.I had the octopus dish with beans and and egg, was really yummy and filling. My friend had the brisket burger which I had a bite of and it was amazing, and I think my other friend had some type of mini wraps...we also ordered the corn bread which was amazing and a couple other apps I can't remember, but everything was delicious. A bit pricy but it was an enjoyable experience overall and there was a bunch of other stuff on the menu I remember wanting to try. Will come back in the future. -I've been here twice. The food here is fantastic. By far one of THE best restaurants in the province. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. The presentation of the food was just extraordinary, and the taste...simply unforgettable. The ambiance is great, and it suits just about any occasion. The view is also breathtaking. I'm just gushing over this restaurant because despite its steep price it's simply perfect. It deserves every cent it charges. Also do the desert, get the spiced apple cake. You won't be sorry. -One of the better dim sum restaurant in Chinatown. The dim sum here is actually quite good, better than what I had expected. Each of the dishes we ordered came out nice and hot. Service here wasn't to bad either, it didn't feel like we were being rushed out like what happens in most Chinese restaurants. I will definitely come back here when I'm craving for dim sum again. -I almost completely walked by this place had I not looked inside and saw the crowds of people... every other restaurant I walked by on Adelaide was just about empty. The neon blue sign is almost illegible! I came by myself after a coworker had suggested it and ate at the bar. No, it wasn't awkward like some places can be when you eat by yourself.I was pleased to notice that all the workers in the kitchen were of Asian descent - not sure if they were Thai, but it's a start towards authenticity, I guess. All the waitresses were chatting away in Thai as well. I ordered a Thai tea to start - I noticed that they actually use condensed milk in their Thai teas, making for a much sweeter and thicker tea than I would prefer. Most places sweeten their black tea directly and add half and half. It tasted better when the ice melted. I'd suggest asking for extra ice in your drink.I ordered tha Khai Soi, as I'd never heard of any dish like it before. It seemed to be the most popular pick, so I went for it - just regular spicy. Geez, I always forget Thai spice scales are 5000x the levels of other places. I would have been happy with a medium and I can handle quite spicy things. I was sweating and it was in the negatives outside.The first half of the Khao Soi dish was delicious, but it was definitely one of those dishes that you get kind of sick of eating towards the end. It's extremely rich, as its got tons of coconut milk in it and with the extra spiciness, it was getting hard to eat. I liked the different textures of the dish, from the fresh and delicious egg noodles to the added crisp of the crunchy noodles. Could have had more cilantro and scallion, though. There was an abundance of beef (chunks, not sliced) as well. Overall, good food and a cool place to try if you are in town. -Love this place! Great food and atmosphere, drinks are okay priced but really really good. Best tacos are the steak and fish. -Probably one of my favorite places in Toronto for Thai food... If not my favorite. I remember the first time I went to Khao San Road years ago (when it was at the previous location), I told them to make it actual **spicy**, not North American spicy. That was a mistake. I tapped the table and cried mercy. (For what it's worth, I can eat very spicy food). But ever since then, I've toned it down, ordered food like normal people would and it tastes so very good!Several things I really like about it here. It's bright! Most of the seats are communal, so you get plopped wherever without having to wait too long. There service is also fast as well, so it's not like we'd have to order and wait forever before we can eat.Oh yeah, and the food has really clean and fresh tastes to it. The problem are pretty big. We were commenting that maybe next time instead of doing one entree and two mains, we could swap and get two entrees and one main... (To be honest, we didn't finish our 1 entree or any of our mains, so maybe 2 entrees is too large too). But the entree came pretty quickly, and we had plenty to nibble on until the mains came. We didn't wait forever for our drinks either. Their Thai ice tea was really good, as was the mango juice. We felt the food was reasonably priced. We saw some notice about prices and minimum wages etc on their walls, but I didn't really process what the message was. I just hope they're able to keep prices and services the same here. -This place is great! Gets really busy on a weekend night especially but worth the wait. We luckily didn't have to wait too long. Got the bar seats for two. Probably the best seats since you get to watch how the drinks are made. We ordered the Essenes of the fall and their signature martini. Both out of this world amazing, flavour wise and presentation, really worth every penny. The drinks smoke out of the cups, the scent is amazing (essence of the fall, really feels like you're drinking a cocktail in a forest). The servers are really welcoming and upon bringing you the cocktail explain the drink and what's in it. -When you first walk in to the CN Tower, and you have made reservations, you can bypass the lines and enter into the tower by going through a concierge area to the right of the ticket purchase kiosks in the lobby. After this, you are directed down the hall and around a corner where you would be greeted by very friendly staff. The staff members then confirm your reservation and give you a piece of paper (pass). After this, you are directed down the hall to a waiting area where you wait for the elevator to arrive. An attendant verifies your pass so that you may go on an elevator and up to the restaurant for reservation. Once you're up on the floor, you show your paper slip at the entryway of the restaurant again, your reservation is confirmed. Once it is confirmed, you are directed by a waitstaff to a table. We were lucky that it wasn't super busy when we went. I recommend getting there about 15 to 20 minutes prior to the reservations so that you have time to wait if there is a lineup to get onto the elevator to meet your reservations. The staff from the greeters all the way to the restaurant are very friendly.The food itself and the menu probably change based on seasonal preferences but I found the menu to be good. I liked the fact that the restaurant used local or Canadian-based ingredients. Being from the metro Detroit/Windsor area, it was nice to see that part of their salads had Leamington Roma tomatoes. That's pretty local from my neck of the woods. The options at the restaurant include various food options that are also vegetarian friendly which is very important to me. At the restaurant, you may order à la carte or, you can do a two course or three course meal. We were able to schedule our reservations online and were able to specify seating. Any seat in this restaurant has an amazing view as the floor is revolving. Although not all the tables are along the window, I would recommend if you have the ability to request a table by the window, do it. In my opinion, a seat by the window is better than some of the seating that is a little bit further away from the window (although you still have a view) We had a great experience in the food was fresh it was beautifully presented and it was full of flavours. The desserts at the restaurant were mediocre l, but the presentation is beautiful. -We came here for some brunch at lunchtime. We ordered the pub breakfast and the butter chicken sandwich. The butter chicken sandwich was pretty good. The pub breakfast on the other hand was a very standard extra-greasy breakfast. You can eat indoors or in the patio, which is shaded and pretty large. Overall, the food in general wasn't anything special although the butter chicken sandwich was good. Nothing outstanding though. The service was quick and friendly. -I've been to Gusto 101 several times and absolutely love it! They have a gorgeous patio which is heated in the winter. I only wish the restaurant was slightly less popular so that it wouldn't be so hard to get a seat! House wine (red or white) is just $1 per ounce, and you can order at any increments. The alcoholic demon inside of me is leaping in excitement!Now onto the food!Polipo ($14.50) - Grilled octopus, chimichurri, olive tapenade, piquillo puree, arugula and fried capers. I'm not always a fan of grilled octopus, but this one was done well. The exterior was marvelously charred in the most delicious way, and the octopus itself was quite tender. Bruschetta Guanciale e Taleggio ($10.95). Overall, I found this bruschetta to be a little salty, and I needed something to offset that salt.Arancini ($9.95) - wild mushroom risotto, fontina cheese, tomato sauce. These risotto balls are practically $5 each so I found that a little pricey. Aside from that, I did enjoy the arancini a lot, especially when they were served piping hot.Lasagne ($17.95) heirloom tomato, wild mushroom, italian eggplant, yellow zucchini, kale butter. We visited on a Sunday and luckily for us, lasgane was the special for the day! This was a very solid effort- the pasta layers were thin and delicate, so overall the dish didn't feel overly heavy, as lasagne often do. The sauce was also delectable and there were no complaints at the table. Mushroom fettuccine ai funghi ($17.50) - portobello, porcini, oyster mushrooms, truffle paste, light cream sauce. Hands down, one of my favourite pastas in town. I am particularly fond of mushroom pasta, but this was one of the best I've had! The al dente pasta was perfect for soaking up all the deep, earthy flavours of the mushrooms. This is a must try!Overall, the food was amazing, the atmosphere is lovely and you really can't beat $1 per ounce wine on tap! I will be back for sure. -So disappointed. If you're a NKOTB fan girl or fan of the Wahlburger show, then check it out but be prepared for lacklustre food and mediocre service. My out of town sister wanted to see this place since she's what I've described above haha. And I knew the minute we walked in, she wasn't the only out of towner. This place evokes the same atmosphere as Hard Rock Cafe or Niagara Falls. I wouldn't be surprised if no locals eat here. We were greeted at the door and explained the two different routes we could take: full, sit down service or head to the back for fast food. We chose to sit down and take in the whole experience. It took forever to get our drink orders in. There were probably 2-3 servers working and maybe 5-6 tables with customers but we waited really long just for the initial order. We watched customers arrive and head to back, order and head up stairs with food before we got served.Once we did order, we found the portions small and the food mediocre. They serve the food in baskets and provide metal utensils which I found odd. The burger itself is dry and nothing special. I enjoyed eating the tater tots though they could be a bit more crispy and warm. Save yourself money and just head to Burger Priest or PnL for a quality burger that's probably cheaper. -Lets just start by saying YUMMMAfter reading the reviews I came here on a Saturday around noon expecting a huge line up, which there was. I was told it would be an hr wait , which wasnt a big deal because things seemed to be moving well. We decided to go dwn the street to timmies for a tea while we waited as they took our number dwn and call you when the table is ready. We came back after about 30mins and were told that they called( which was B.S because phone did not ring once). Luckily they didnt make us wait at the end of the line and said next table wold be ours. Which took about 15mins or so. Once seated I went with the pancakes , I'm not a fan or ricotta or cooked fruits at all. But... these pancakes were amazzzzing. The lemon flavour in the ricotta was just perfect w the bluberries. I didnt even need syrup on my pancakes as the flavour was just perfect. My partner just got the reg ol eggs toast potatoes and substituted his meat for a fruit salad that i ate. Hes not into fruits and only other substitute was pork items which we dnt eat and salad. One of the negatives is if you dont eat pork theres no alternatives, no turkey bacon and even the beans hve pork in it which was a disappointment. To help I ordered him a biscuit w homemade jam which was out of this world. Everything was great and cooked to perfection. -A bit overrated. Thought the food was okay. Servers were really nice and helpful. Good place to hang with friends. -Great restaurant, the oysters were awesome, Mike our waiter was very helpful, nice and friendly. Coming from St. Louis Mo USA , the oysters and service was the best. -Great BBQ, Great time, I've had pretty much all the meats they have on offer and love them. The brisket is one of the best I have had in Toronto. -Got seated 10 minutes before our reservation time - yay! But our night didn't escalate that much after that...I asked for window seating in my reservation and was given a seat in the centre. We still had a view of Toronto but I wish they adhered to our seating preference, or at least notify us beforehand that there was none available for that moment. We were greeted by our waiter and he placed our napkins on our laps; I felt like a princess. The menu for the night:- White wine - Pinot grigio- Daily bread and chick pea spread - Coastal half dozen oysters- Rabbit saddle - Risoni risotto - Screeched tarte au sucre I appreciated how our server poured both my guest and myself some wine to taste. At other restaurants, typically only one guest would taste. As for food, I had everything besides the rabbit saddle. The bread was warm to touch with a firm crust. The spread reminded me of hummus - why don't they just call it hummus? It was nice how another server continued to bring us more bread while we were waiting for our mains, which did take a while to reach our table. Oysters were oysters - they tasted fresh.Risoni risotto - I enjoyed this a lot. It was different from other risotto dishes I've had as the rice was more flat and long. The risotto itself seemed to be loose. To explain, the rice would not stick together. However, I preferred this because it didn't make me feel like I was eating baby food. The kale crisps were divine - they were crunchy, thin, and added just enough texture compared to the star of the dish, the risotto. Screeched tarte au sucre - This reminded me of a creme brulee, but less sweet and less torched. Would have liked a bit more crunch on the top though! The crust tasted slightly undercooked but overall, good flavours in the dessert.One thing that would've made my experience better is having the menus labelled for persons with dietary restrictions. I had to ask the server whether 'kohlrabi' was a meat. EDIT:Another thing I forgot to mention was how I almost slipped 3 times while walking on the hardwood floor! Although I was wearing heels, I was able to walk in the lobby and to my car comfortably for 30 minutes. Unsure if my shoes or the flooring...but I vote for the latter. -Yes, the drink are expensive BUT the experience is worth it! As soon as you walk into the place it has a unique sweet aroma, like incenses but not quiet. Each of us ordered a different $25 drink to try the various types.The Mad Man was served in a very cool pipe shaped glass, the drink was strong but smooth. It was accompanied by a leather aroma smoke which was please to the senses and cubes of jelly as chasers. I enjoyed this drink thoroughly because it was completely new to me.The Mojito is a safe choice for people who want to simply enjoy a drink and the order the first recognizable drink on the menu. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't special either. This drink also came along with a aromatic smoke diffuser. The best tasting drink was the daiquiri, served in a real coconut on a bed of sand with cute umbrellas. The cool factor of this drink was that it was served with frozen alcohol pellets on the side, similar to those dotted ice creams you would at the movies. -2018.01.29Here is an update to my last review. Since going to Baretto for the first time, it has become one of my favourite Coffee / Breakfast and Italian lunch places. I have over the last two years become closely acquainted with Manuelle and his wife, Cristina, the owners. They are such lovely people and they put out the freshest and most delicious Italian food in the city. Its simple, fresh, homely and FREAKING DELICIOUS!!!The coffee .....ohhhh the coffee...... If you have never heard of a Ginseng latte (i didn't), you absolutely need to go here and get it. Things my wife and I have tried here so far: All the pizzasLasagnePastaBoth the antipastoCaprese SaladIced milk with mintCroissantSfogliaItalian Cream puffGinseng LatteRegular LatteI give all of the above a 100/100I give the service a 100/100 Original review....I was in the Don Mills area and wanted a quick breakfast and was about to head to McEwans when I came across this place on yelp. It is located in the rear or this rather inconspicuous medical building. Let me start by saying that Yelp does not have the number of stars that I would like to give this place. The barista is a true gentleman named Manuelle who really makes you feel welcome. The place looks wonderful and there is another room as well that is a little more intimate and private. I had a coffee and a croissant and it's was delicious x . The place is clean, open and really relaxing. Will come back here for the food and post another review. -4.5 stars!The menu at JaBistro has 3 sections - sushi, sashimi and bistro which included items such as black cod, ebi shrimp, calamari and angus tartare. Before I go any further, this really isn't your typical sushi joint. While the décor and atmosphere doesn't shout fancy and expensive, don't be fooled. The prices are high... if you're ordering sushi or sashimi, you'll be spending a lot. But you get what you pay for.What went in my belly:Kamo - smoked duck breast, burdock, onsen tamago ($14) which came in the form of a salad. The duck was tender and had a subtle smokey flavour to it. The dish was centered around a poached egg with a yolk which spilled into the dish after being cut into. I liked it!Sashimi Platter ($100). There's also a $50 platter. I inquired about the difference between the two and was told it isn't a difference in quantity but rather a difference in the quality of fish. It was a special occasion so we decided to splurge. The sashimi was served on a slate and the sashimi included uni, toro, salmon belly, amberjack, sea bream, lobster and fish jelly. Everything was incredibly fresh and just ridiculously good! Yes, the price is quite steep for not a whole lot of food but the quality really is top notch!Lobster Miso Soup. I'm not usually a fan of miso soup but I ate the entire bowl of this one! JaBistroll - salmon, snow crab, uni, cucumber and tobiko ($22). Like everything else here, it's pricier than your average roll but well worth it. It had a bit of a smoky flavour, saltiness from the tobiko, crunch from the cucumber...and deliciousness from the salmon, crab and uni. A real flavour punch!Aburi - 7 sushi pieces blowtorched ($27). This sampler of sushi came with a combination of nigiri - sea bream, amberjack, sweet shrimp and salmon belly and pressed sushi - tiger shrimp, mackerel and tamago. My favourite was the mackerel (next time I'd just get an order of this only).Like I said, the place is pricey...so save it for a special occasion! -I loved this place. Easily my new favourite Thai restaurant and I can see what all the rave reviews are about. We started with the spring rolls (best I've ever had), and then shared three main dishes: chicken pad Thai, pork pad gra prow and beef khao pad thamada. All of the dishes were so delicious that I was stuffed to the point I couldn't eat anymore (at which point I usually don't want to think about food for at least half a day), but this time I was craving more within the hour. The pad gra prow was definitely my favourite, the way the flavours all melded together was perfect. I had to try it mild because my friend doesn't do well with spicy good but I think it'd be even more delicious with a kick of spice in it. The other two dishes were good, but can't say they blew me out of the club water like this one.We also had a pitcher of sangria which was decent. -Extremely limited menu options that are all very highly priced for what they are. We had a caprese salad which consisted of three tomato slices and three pieces of cheese for $19. However if your looking for somewhere with a fantastic view over the lake and city this would be your place. -Why come here? The sushi. It's very good and the sushi/sashimi lunch specials are especially good for what you get. Disclosure - I go to Japan every year and my wife is Japanese. It's getting better but what still passes for sushi in Toronto makes me wonder why most are still in business. AYCE sushi is a Chinese owned restaurant buffet gone wrong. If you see Bulgogi or Kalbi on the menu, it's a Korean restaurant serving sushi. This is why I was so impressed and so was my wife when I heard the owner is actually Korean. No doubt this chef trained in Japan. Excellent fish and excellent sushi. Great job on getting it done right! -Everything about this restaurant was excellent. From the food (best steaks in Toronto!), the friendly & extremely professional staff, and the warm ambiance. Make sure to splurge on the Wagyu steaks (you won't be disappointed). -You come here for the experience, not so much for the food. It was my first time visiting the CN Tower and dining at the 360 Restaurant the best way to go about it. If you eat at here, you do not have to pay for admission to the CN Tower. I'm okay with an mediocre meal for a great view.We made reservations in advance and luckily got seated right next to the window! We came here for dinner and the view was amazing! The ambiance is great as well - very romantic. The waiter told us that if you are there for 72 minutes, the restaurant would have done a complete 360. This is such a breathtaking view, especially during sunset.We both got the $65 prix fixe (Heirloom Tomato Salad, Caesar Salad, Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon, Citrus Glazed Boneless Half Chicken, Dark Chocolate Tower, and the Mixed Berry Tart). Food was average for the price - it wasn't horrible, but wasn't amazing either. No complaints really except in my Heirloom Tomato salad I had a bad tomato that wasn't fresh. However, service here was great for us. Our waiter was very attentive.Definitely a must see if it's your first time in Toronto! But I don't think I'll do it again unless I was bringing someone that has never been here before - it's one of those once in a lifetime things you do. -Very cool place.I love the interior (Very dark, lots of candles, black/leather furniture). Amazing!I went last night (valentines day), and they gave out a free complimentary martini which was nice.The food is pretty good here! If I wanted to nit pick, I would say that the hamburgers could have used some lettuce or something (to give it some crunch), and the arancini (risotto balls) could have used a little more salt (bland).Otherwise food was great. I recommend the olives!The drinks were nice, some better than others. They have some interesting things that you couldn't find anywhere else, but in the end everything is quite average with a couple of twists here and there. The molecular drinks are fun as well (great presentation).So in the end, it's a great place to bring friends (birthday, a quick dinner/drink, etc).But come with a big wallet :) because the most expensive thing for what you get, is the food. So if your hungry, just be conscious about how much everything costs!Will be coming back for sure! -My favorite thing about this place would have to be the serving style... if that makes any sense. What I mean by that is every dish is fairly inexpensive and it's the perfect serving size for two people. This gives you the opportunity to order more and try many different dishes without having to pay a fortune or be overwhelmed by too much food. The food itself was good too. I recommend the takoyaki balls, not so much the black cod though. The place is very loud and noisy with the waiters constantly screaming in Japanese, which makes for a fun environment and a good place for a group of friends to get together and eat and drink. With that being said, I definitely wouldn't consider it a first date night type of place, unless you want to be able to not hear the other person talk ha -- Very nice place, extremely authentic decoration.(Tip, the inside is completely different from the patio so make sure you see both places before you choose where to be seated but both are veeery nice)- We ordered a gringa and some other tacos and they were the most authentic I have tasted in Toronto so far, they don't have carnitas in case you were wondering, only the classic pulled pork you will find everywhere.- The amount of food you get per plate is very small (I know it is supposed to be a tapas kind of bar but Tapas is Spanish NOT Mexican and you are still paying a huge amount of money for a small amount of good food.- The menu has a lot of different options and covers a lot of different regions of Mexico so that's cool.- The only downside is that it is very crowded so the service is really slow, people are willing to wait more than an hour standing outside in the line so keep that in mind. -I live in Orange County California, and must say I was overwhelmed with the take on mexican cuisine. People: When we first walked in around 10pm or so, we asked for a table for 2 outside, which was supposed to be a 30 minute wait. That 30 minutes was about 3 so can't complain other then coordination needs work. We had one server who introduced us and said she would be right back to take our order for drinks, we never saw her again. Instead we waited for about 5 minutes for someone else, who was then our new server. Last comment about staff was we ordered a second round of food, which was placed. However the server said kitchen was closed so we ordered desert. Having prepared to have desert, it was kind of a shock to have it come at us last minute.Place: The dining atmosphere, ambience at night a beautiful sight. Sitting outside was extremely enjoyable and awesome to have a fire pit close by. The lights provided a very dynamic and interesting feel that brought the place alive. Awesome music, that tied everything together. Must say outside was glorious.Food: Im no amateur to tapas style dining, and for two people the variety and quality was outstanding. Favorites included both ahi and foie tostadas, camorone ceviche, tacos al pastor and bajas. Also a fan of the beef short rib. For desert we enjoyed the sampling plate and would go back for the churros..Damn those were good.Margaritas: all I can say is the Mayan was my choice over the traditional. Had a few too many and after the desert, definitely left happy. The price point was quite steep but I honestly haven't had a better mexican dining experience other than hole in the wall mexican places and food trucks in LA. It was a pleasure dining, but for being only open a month I understand staff need work. Coordination with the hostess, getting served beverages when seated should be top priority of any diner. Would love to see a manager come by and check up, being open only for a short while. My first yelp review and wanted to share my thoughts, hope this helps. -Not a great evening out. Met friends after work for dinner and they suggested El Catrin. We sat on the patio which was questionable because it was too cold and very windy. The fire pit was burning and the heaters were trying to keep us warm but it wasn't working. We were cold but decided to stick it out. We had margaritas which were pretty good. We mentioned to the waitress we were heading to a show at 8, she said no problem that she would mention it to the chef. We started with the guacamole- delicious, I mean really good. The rest of the food arrived reasonably quickly. Because it's tapas, the first few dishes arrived. My wife asked for napkins and cutlery, I'm guessing the server must have mis-heard because she brought 2 cocktail napkins. Since our table had 4 people, my wife asked for more, the server than disappeared. Our next meal arrives via a different server, again we asked for cutlery and napkins, and the second server seemed surprised by the ask. He brought cutlery and napkins, by the time he returned the meal was starting to cool down. Now the first server returned with more cocktail napkins. The food was pretty tasty, but portion sizes were way too small for the price, IMO. And now the bill. We waited and waited, but our waitress was no where around. We finally asked another server to get our bill, she tracked down our waitress and she brought the bill and promptly disappeared again. She returned a few minutes later. Not great service. The patio is nice. (Trying to be positive)Overall, mediocre at best. I will not return. -Small portions and alil pricey but Delicious food and every dish had a flavourful palette. -Pros: Cheap food (everything on the menu is $5 and the portions are decent - between myself and my boyfriend we ordered perogies as a starter to share & a burger for mains each and we were full - he had the works burger & I had the pulled chicken sandwich - all yummy, I highly recommend the sandwich, next time instead of a starter though I think we'll share a salad with our mains) & really fun vibe (there was a live DJ when we went who was playing cheesy 90s tracks). Cons: Drinks are pretty expensive (that's how they make their money I guess), the music inside is blaring (like, uncomfortably so - you can barely hear people), they don't take debit - just cash or credit (like, not even Visa Debit!?) & the service isn't great (our server was obviously overloaded & she got snippy when 1 of our friends asked for his drink which he had ordered 20 mins beforehand & when she was collecting the plates, she spilled food onto my lap (not a big deal but there was no apology or acknowledgement even). I'll definitely go again, for the cheap food if nothing else, but I'll just wait for a spot on the patio where the music won't be so loud (& I'll make sure I have cash on me!). -This has to be my favourite Thai restaurant. The food is superb, the staff is welcoming and the decor gives a great warm home feeling. The curry here is the best I've ever had. The Tamarin curry is exquisite and a culinary perfection. Their fried squash appetizer is a great meal to share and is full of flavour. The food came out quick and the servers were very generous. I liked the unique posters and paintings scattered around the restaurant for the decor. I live an hour away from this restaurant and I still drive the distance because of the top notch quality of the food. -Was looking for a place for a group to eat at on a Saturday, and was so glad to stumble upon Pai! The location is really nice, very convenient if you're downtown. It is a very busy place, but they do have a room in the back with communal table, which is where we ended up. The service was really good, and the food was very flavourful. I got a curry with braised beef, which was very good. Will be back for sure! -OH MY GOD this bar is every Potterhead's dream! It's very small (only about 4-5 tables) so get here early or on an off-night. My friends and I came on a Sunday night so it was pretty much empty except for two couples. Our bartender was very friendly and talked us through the drinks menu.I was really sad that they didn't have any Better Beer that day (they were out of the secret ingredient). Instead we got a Befuddlement Draft to share, which was still pretty cool and delicious. I also wanted to try the Dementor's Kiss, a shot of ghost pepper infused tequila. I thought I knew what I was getting into - the bartender even made sure that I knew how spicy it would be before serving it - but wow I was NOT prepared for that. The shot was fine going down but then continued to burn my mouth, my throat, my stomach in the minutes after. Thankfully, my table had ordered a plate of baked brie and bread so I stuffed 3 slices of cheese bread down my throat to try to counteract the spiciness. Roughly 30 minutes later, I finally felt normal again but be warned! This shot is NOT for the lighthearted!The decor of the place was so cute. They have drawings and quotes written all over the walls and one of the shelves have the Harry Potter Funko Pop! dolls all lined up.Keep in mind though that this is not strictly a Harry Potter bar. It's just a normal bar with Harry Potter decorations and themed drinks. Don't expect to walk into the Leaky Cauldron or the Three Broomsticks - you can get that at Universal Studios' Harry Potter World. But for a place that's not officially associated with Harry Potter, this bar is awesome. I'd definitely come back again to try their other drinks! -No doubt this is a five stars restaurant for the food however, the 3 stars is for the attitude of the restaurant. They know right away that we are not local so they said either cash or Canadian debit card. When the bill came, they tag on 10% to the bill and charge us extra for the seafood ( because the crab n lobster weighted more than what the combo meal listed). The rude part was the server was staring at us when we were counting the money for the bill. Just be prepare for that if you are not from around there.Reservation is recommended. -I really enjoyed this place and actually ended up coming back around 3 times during Pan Am weekend. I really like the service here from the beautiful waitresses and cool bartenders. Drinks are a little pricey but that is to make up for the $4.95 food menu which isn't bad. I highly recommend the honey garlic and hot sauce wings. Not to mention that the music is great with 90's hip-hop which is what I grew up to! This place is good for drinks with friends. -Went here for my birthday and the service and food were fantastic. Food was great value for the price. It was family style and the platters were a hit for everyone. Table was great for 8 guests. Round table allowed everyone to socialize. Ambiance was great and large open concept. Drinks were unique but expensive and if you want to overindulge this wouldn't be the place. -Ive been going to duffs since i was a young gun. Its always delivered on amazing wings. Whether you are taking out for a wing feast at home or munching down with your buddies, it just cant be beat for atmosphere, wings and honey garlic sauce. So good -The food is delicious! The service is good and the atmosphere is inviting. I had the braised beef peanut curry and green papaya salad. I still think Thai Country Kitchen on Spadina has the best green papaya salad and sticky rice but they are in different categories. I can't wait to go back and try other things! -In my many years of living in Toronto I've probably been to over 50 restaurants. I would easily place this one in the top ten. The food is great. My family and I ordered the slaw to start and the cod, braised beef and lobster ravioli for entrees. The portion sizes are a bit small so be prepared for that. I liked the braised beef and cod the most. Service was incredible. Really loved the sangria which was made and served at the table. -Went here for dinner Thursday night at 5pm, party of 5. It's a great atmosphere, the waiters shout welcome whenever someone walks in the door, the service is impeccable and the menu is very unique. It's an excellent restaurant for groups because you are able to sample a larger number of dishes (the dishes are pretty small so you only get 1 or 2 pieces each, but if you order a lot of dishes, it provides a good variety). I recommend the baked brie and the octopus balls! The cocktails are also very good and reasonably priced. -Delicious breakfast and plenty of it! The first time my friend and I went, we had an amazing, friendly, chatty and funny server. Love everything about the Senator and can't wait to go back. -I'd hate to say it but I'm a little suspect of all of these five star reviews. I can't properly review this place because I was only here for a drink but here are my initial impressions. That said, I think this place needs to be taken down a notch. At the end of the day, it's tapas. VIBE Club impresario Charles Kabouth is behind this operation so it's going to be a scene here --starting with its clandestine location behind Weslodge (oh, surprise! we couldn't get in there). The interiors are gorgeous and obviously a lot of detail went into it. I'm a fan of the bar and the bar seats are quite comfortable! You'll definitely want to stay a while. The hostess was a bit of a snot. We were just coming into the bar and she didn't even greet us - she just kind of waved us over to the bar. Another thing: I've had friends trying to call to get a reservation before and he had quite a bit of trouble doing so. The bar staff were much more receptive. And surprise! Everyone working here looks like a model. WE DRANKSangria. It's expensive, yes but it's boozy and you need to take your time with it. It was very good Sangria. Kind of reminds me of what Nyood was doing a few years ago. Average cocktail prices here are $15. OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK Good sangria. I'm not sure about paying $30 for imported iberico ham (from what I've seen/heard). It's overpriced. That said, I'm curious to try to their tapas. But if you want to impress and be part of the scene, then this is a good place to do so. -Love this place, reservations make it easy to book unlike Khao San Road which is not saying anything about their delicious menu options.Came here with the bf and ordered a pad thai and khao soi curry. We practically licked the plates and bowls they came on. I've been craving for authentic thai and he's never had much outside of canadian thai so I was glad Pai delivered for both of us!I really want to go back to try their coconut curry! We had a beer and sake which was good and fairly priced. The service was a little absent, took us forever to get her to take our order, give us water (pad thai was nice and spicy) and give us our bill. So the 1 star is for that. Love the atmosphere but wish the tables weren't so squished together that i had to turn sideways to sit down. Will definitely be back! -This place had such great reviews, so at the very least, I expected the food to be enjoyable. Boy i was wrong. The four of us were so excited when we looked at the food and drink menu. Everything looked great! Once we started our meals, we all shared the same disappointed look. A unanimous ehh. None of us finished our food. The icing on the cake though, was that 2 of us actually got sick. I myself, threw up in their bathroom. While my friend did hers back at our hotel. Completely ruined our last night in Toronto. The ONLY reason i did not give this place one star was because my drink before my meal was delicious. I had the tom yum caesar. Spiciest drink i've ever had, hands down. I loved it though. So much flavor and spice. Seems like the drinks are great. So I recommend going their for drinks and appetizers. Stay away from the entrees. -Every time I visit Toronto I love taking in the views of Lake Ontario and Cityline from the harbour, from the island and looking down from the 54th floor of the TD tower. With Summerlicious and PanAm games crowds, walk-in bar seating was perfect. Bar bites were reasonably priced and bar staff (Jane) was attentive and extremely helpful with recommendations. Bread with white bean and beet spread was hardy and a nice change to see something other than oils or fats with bread. Duo of Tartare of beef & salmon was a perfect portion of meats and baby bannocks. If there's foie gras on a menu I have to order it. The S'mores foie gras was a balanced combination of savoury and sweet. This starter is a must have when coming here. To finish something light the apricot mousse from their Summerlicious menu. Stewed apricots with an airy mousse was smooth ending to my mini-tasting menu. With a glass of wine my bill with tip came close to $100. Highly recommend visiting Canoe if not for a full meal come for a drink or cocktail in the bar and enjoy the view. -For a three star place, I really enjoy coming here. They have a fantastic patio in the summer. It's usually full so come early! The drink menu is standard, but the have a decent beer variety also.The reason I'm writing a review now is because yesterday I ordered delivery for the first time. It was okay. The chicken parmigiana was slightly drier than usual, but still good. The panini: sad face. The panini had brown lettuce! Brown! I know usually lettuce doesn't hold up well to heat, but maybe send it separately. The chicken was cooked well. The bun: sad face number 2! It wasn't really an appropriate bun for a panini and it wasn't 'grilled' like usual panini's. Truthfully it felt like a microwaved bun with bad lettuce. I will probably never order from here again, but will continue to visit all summer! Great patio! -Khao San Road relocates to Charlotte St behind MEC, bigger place with two storeys and high ceiling. The new place has more natural light and can accommodate bigger groups with many long tables. There is a waiting area with benches that you don't have to wait outdoor anymore. Upstairs have additional space and it will be a take out / snack bar as per the staff. We came on Tuesday, one week after the grand opening, and there was no wait. The waitress service was quick, but the kitchen was slow. We waited for 15-20 minutes for the food arrived after placing orderWe ordered the signature Bangkok Street Style Pad Thai and Khao Soi with mild spicy. The food was authentic and delicious as before. I could taste the flavour of different spices. Since the restaurant is bigger and can fit more patrons, I hope the wait won't be as long as before and I will go back more often! -The food at Byblos is phenomenal and unforgettable. I have been twice now and both times I've been so very pleased with the experience. The setting is intimate, cozy and comfortable. You can carry on a conversation without raising your voice. The service is excellent: friendly, helpful and attentive. I highly recommend Byblos for a wonderful and unique dining experience. -excellent customer service. the owner is very friendly & was helpful. jerk chicken poutine is something to try. got the fried chicken but I didn't like the corn, and mash potato.. tasted sweet for some reason must try their house spicy sauce! & funnel cake was gooood I will be back on a weekend day to try brunch aka chicken and waffles -This place is really good on weekends because of the vibe and the awesome drinks. The foods good and the waiters are okay. It gets really busy especially on weekends where it turns into a social bar- literally- where you can't find a spot anywhere and the patio is open during the summer. Good vibes here! -I came here for dinner with my boyfriend and his relatives that were in town. I would say this place is average. The location is very convenient as it was near the Yonge and College subway station. When I entered into the restaurant the hostesses were very friendly and helpful. In general the service at this place was good, our server was very friendly and attentive (attentive meaning, the server was attentive to our needs and wasn't overbearing). The food on the other hand, I thought was average for a restaurant of similar caliber. We ordered two sociable size pastas and the charity bread as the appetizer. I didn't care much for the charity bread, it was too hard and a bit salty. As for the pasta, we ordered one chicken pesto, which I liked, the flavors were good. However, the other pasta that we ordered, which was a seafood marina sauce pasta, I thought the flavors were bland. I would say this is a good place for a nice casual dinner with friends. But the dinning room that evening was rather loud, so I did have a hard time listening to the conversation that was going on at our table. Overall it was a good experience. -This place has to be one of the most interesting restaurants that I have ever been to! The service and food is extremely unusual, but I love it! (of course, this is coming from a white person, maybe it's not as unusual as I think!?).Anyway, the menu is full of really random and interesting things to choose from. If you're in the mood for sushi, the selection is small and I'd recommend going somewhere else. As a vegetarian there were a few options to choose from (and I'm not complaining, I'm used to having a small selection), but all of these items were completely different and unusual. I ended up having the KINOKO CHEESE BIBIMBAP which was VERY tasty and did not disappoint! My only complaint is that the waiters did not tell me that the bowl they served it in was VERY hot (stupid me, I probably should have realized this) and I had to burn myself to find this out on my own. EDIT: I just recieved a message that the cheese bibimbap is NOT in fact vegetarian in the way they prepare the mushrooms. Unfortunately I won't be eating this again, but I would still recommend to anyone who does eat meat =]The atmosphere is VERY different from usual. When walking in we were greeted by the entire staff, and when walking out they all said goodbye! While I found this to be really cute and interesting, this can also get annoying when the whole staff is constantly yelling out greetings and food orders. My recommendation is not to come here if you have a headache!Overall, I am definitely going to come here again to try the rest of the vegetarian dishes! The place was very busy, so try and book a reservation if you can! (We had to sit at the bar which was uncomfortable, but we agreed to it since we were in a hurry). -Pearl Diver is a neighbourhood seafood eatery. The wooden booths and rustic decor gives the place an east coast vibe. The service is friendly. I have been to Pearl Diver several times and I have never been disappointed. The food is delicious. To start, we had the mandatory dozen oysters. You cannot go to an oyster bar and not have oysters. The oysters were fresh and succulent. For mains, we also had the steelhead trout and coconut mussels. The trout was served in a savoury ginger & kelp broth with soba noodles, shitake mushrooms, baby boy choy and a sesame honey glaze. It was not what I had expected, but it was a delicious and a pleasant surprise. The mussels was delicious. The broth was savoury. You will need to ask for bread to mop up the broth. For dessert, we had a pumpkin spice cheese cake and chocolate cake - great way to end a great meal.I would highly recommend Pearl Diver if you are in the area. -good food and reasonable price. I ordered panang curry with shrimp. It had a lot of shrimps that tasted yummy and the curry was great. I ordered the chicken lemon grass soup but not very impressed by that. wouldn't order it next time. And I really hope they could have STICKY RICE with curry. authentic thai curry should go with sticky rice! -first time caller...long time listener anyways...this restaurant came very very VERY highly recommended from a co-worker. as far as im concerned, when an Italian tells you something is good, don't question it. he really had me at when he explained to me they make their own mozz... i wanted to come here on a very special occasion, so i decided to go for my first anniversary with my girlfriend. finding this place was a bit ackward, on google maps it has it listed on the intersection of yonge and gerrard, it is infact just a bit north west of the intersection.we did not book a reservation(my line of thinking was, its the Thursday before Easter...no ones going to show up...WRONG!) the wait was very minimal, 15 minutes at the most. very very intimate setting, dim lighting and very romantic setting(candle light). we were greeted by our server named Jeff, Extremely friendly and amazing with his professionalism/manners. asked us if it was our first time within the establishment, and all sorts of other formalities. he also explained that they make the cheese everyday as a niche of the restaurant (and he wrote the name of the guy making the cheese...the name escapes me, as well side note my back was to the cheese making so i missed the whole thing) we wanted to celebrate and get a drink to celebrate the occasion. i was very impressed with Jeff's honesty, Jeff had explained that he needed to get back to me with what brand whiskey they had, due to a vendor change they had earlier in the week. drinks were ordered and we were looking at the menus. i couldn't help but notice all of the nice accents to this restaurant, the old school light bulbs, the exposed ceiling, and the jars of sauce/peppers designed and placed so properly balanced throughout the place. jeff returned with our drinks and we ordered the food, obviously i went with the fresh mozz...being a cheese lover that i am, it would have been pretty foolish to pass it up. when the app's came, i was blown away by the sizing, it was a decent size, but by the time i came to finishing the app, i was feeling satisfied. the mozzarella is amazing and should never be passed up.(i am also aware that they only offer it during 5-11pm) no sooner our apps were done, and jeff was back with our mains. i was slightly disappointed in the sizing, being a big guy i always worry about a main being enough food, however by the time i had finished the main, i was done for the night. my significant other had an issue with her main salad, which we had brought up to jeff, when we brought it up, jeffs manager deducted that main down from full price, which was a very nice gesture, considering the main was perfect, it was the side garnish that was not. we contemplated dessert but were too full to partake. a side note to my story as well: i was approached 3 times, by three different workers (managers i assume) asking if the service was up to a good standard, and if i was ok. this is how good business is done. im very proud to say, jeff worked his butt off for us on this amazing evening, actually took the time to know us, and congratulated us on our very happy year, with more years to come. i have no problem saying i gave jeff the biggest tip i've ever given to any server. just perfect from start to finish. pros: very romantic, fresh cheese, good portions, excellent qualitycons: wait time, a bit loud, all cheese sucks if not fresh :)this is the best sit down dinner i've ever had the privilege of eating at. -I went here for a late dinner. The restaurant has a nice patio, which was really busy and usually there's a wait to get seated outside. The place was happening after 8 pm, and got livelier as it got later.I was pleasantly surprised by the food. I had a merscatto wine, which was sweet but I really liked it. I do tend to like the sweeter wines, so if you like something sweeter this is a good choice. They have a good selection of cocktails and different drinks. We ordered the calamari and the fish tacos. The calamari was nicely battered and flavourful. The calamari batter was crispy, crunchy and cooked just right. I also enjoyed the fish tacos. The pineapple and jicama slaw with cheddar and chipotle sauce nicely complemented the deep fried basa. I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere and I'd be back. -SUPER DISAPPOINTED IN MAY - THIS PLACE WAS A CROWDED MESS!I was in Toronto with hubby for our anniversary and we wanted to go big for our special weekend so we decided - on the spur of the moment - to try Lee. We like watching Top Chef and we're super foodies - so we thought why not!WHAT A MISTAKE! We got there at 6:30pm on a Saturday and the host looked like someone had threatened him with a sawed off shot gun! We realized it's probably a busy place but it seemed even worse than that. We knew we had no chance of getting a table so we hit the bar for some cocktails and appetizers. The place only got more zoo crazy after that - it was like watching a horror film.LOADS of people crammed in trying to get a table - the host often all together DISAPPEARING! (This was funny to watch from the bar in a sick way) From chic to geek tons of people tried to jam in there. I was glad we had a little bar table and thinking this was a genius move! We had beer and champagne by the glass cause the cocktails were just outright ridiculously priced. The decor was unique and cool- very east meets west. And to my surprise Susur Lee was there darting in and out of the kitchen, greeting tables, and SEEMINGLY terrorizing the staff! We watched as staff would go out of their way to not get near him - go around the whole dining room almost in a way just to avoid him. He smiled when meeting guests and taking pictures but at all other times seemed pissed. I thought it might be cool to try and get a photo with him before we left BUT then we had some of the appetizers and I decided IT WAS A WASTE OF ANYMORE TIME - CAUSE THE FOOD WAS AWFUL!We tried SUSUR'S FAVORITES PEDESTAL which consisted of:EDAMAME = Always tasty YET I could make this at home WHIPPED CHICKPEA DIP = Flavorful but could have easily been surpased by a gourmet store dip SALMON CEVICHE = only OK - not memorable or unique PEKING DUCK ROLLS = only good thing on the plate (probably cause it's fried?!) HUNAN CHICKEN WINGS = a total joke CHEESEBURGER SPRING ROLLS = HORRIBLE! Tasted strange and as if one too many herbs were in the mix.After having a Cheeseburger Springroll I didn't want to order anything else ( even though I had already asked for a Singapore Slaw) I was officially turned off.I had just had enough of the whole experience. I was turned off that the great Susur Lee seems to be pandering to the masses. THIS WAS NO MORIMOTO'S! Maybe it was an extremely busy night but the place just seemed chaotic. Like the computers were down BUT THEY WEREN'T!I'm glad we didn't get a table - I'm glad I didn't spend lavishly on a whole meal there cause the dessert from my hotels room service was amazing that night compared to everything at LEE RESTAURANT! -Loved it!!!AMBIENCEI really like I was like n Thailand. The place is underground and it was a cool place. It had ample seating and a sizeable bar for a nice hangout if you were going for drinks. My guests and I sat at the tall tables, group of six. There's is cell phone charging station, very safe and useful I left my phone charging over dinner. A nice place to hangout with friends or a date night.SERVICEI like the staff, there was cool and took care of us. We also had a canteen of water and our food always was served hot and fresh. It was just the way I like it.FOODSo gooood!!! Starter - grabong = squash fritters; paired with a tangy sauce. Not oily and nice and crispy.Plah Nua - beef salad. Roasted rice with some lime sauce. So good!!!Som Tom Tad - papaya salad. Perfect citrus levels.Entree - gaeng kiaw wan in a coconut. Green curry was served a coconut, it was so good. Creamy, savoury and perfect balance. I ate all of the way down to the coconut meat. So my favourite.Dessert - mango sticky rice. It was good not something that really stuck out. I don't think I would eat. Just not my preference.I am looking forward to returning again, soon! -This review is for dinner and I speculate that brunch is a different (and hopefully better) experience altogether.We visited Cluny Bistro on a Thursday night. It is quite a sizeable restaurant in the Distillery District and the decor and design of the restaurant is romantic and lovely, somewhat reminiscent of a bistro in Paris. The atmosphere is what potentially will draw me back to try brunch on the patio in the summer. However, the food unfortunately did not live up to the beauty of the restaurant itself.I would also like to note that despite the lovely display of various breads in the center of the restaurant, the bread served to our table was not as crunchy and soft as we expected. On the bread spectrum, it was more on the hard crust and dense interior side of breads, unlike what we would expect from a Paris bistro.We started with the salt cod donuts for an appetizer. It was served in the cutest little iron skillet with a side of smoked potato dipping sauce. The donuts had a thin crispy shell and a creamy inside similar to mashed potato. Despite being cod donuts, I could not really taste the cod, however they were pretty tasty overall with the creamy smoked potato dipping sauce. For main dishes, we had the hunter's stew with rabbit, pheasant sausage, and beef cheek and the veal meatball tomahawk, which was tomato braised and served with a side of gnocchi. The hunter's stew was served in a small bowl, with a side of mustard sauce and a flaky pastry bread. Although the meats were tender, the flavour was lacking depth and it was a forgettable dish except for the fact that it was quite small. The veal tomahawk was also tender, slightly better in flavour, and larger in portion. I enjoyed the side of gnocchi (garnished with parmesan and basil, to the best of my knowledge) better than the veal tomahawk itself. For dessert, we had the most disappointing praline profiteroles. Three profiteroles were beautifully plated, accompanied by chocolate chantilly, caramel crunch, hazelnut, and strawberry coulis. Unfortunately, the pastry itself was very hard and dense to the point that I had difficulty splitting the profiterole for a more manageable bite. The profiteroles were not very sweet but the delicate flavours were overpowered by the exceedingly sour strawberry coulis. The only part I enjoyed of dessert was the hazelnut and caramel crunch but I would not recommend this dessert.Honestly, I wish I could love this place based on concept and atmosphere alone, but the quality and taste of the dishes at Cluny did not reflect the price point.Overall rating: 2.5 stars -This place is beautiful and very sophisticated. The patio is gorgeous as it looks over liberty and is very airy. The food is good, but nothing to rave about. The pizzas are fresh, which is nice, the Cobb salad is kind of just a salad (with no blue cheese :[). Overall, food is good, but it kind of feels your average run of the mill chain restaurant. Come here to drink after work for the views if anything. -we called on our way into the city and made a reservation about an hour in advance. when we arrived the decor was fun but a bit busy, our table was ready and the hostess cheerfully showed us the way. we waited a bit to get our drink orders in and they took a few minutes to arrive but the bar was busy and the bartenders didnt stop moving. the drinks were a bit complicated but very tastey, i had the mojito brasilia (looked swampy with the heavy mint, execellent flavour tho) and the mayahuel (strong but well balanced), my girlfriend had the blackberry frutas frescas magarita (tasted the tequila and the berries) and pepino diablo (spicey and flavourful excellent recommendation from the server). we ate the 9 course tasting menu and loved every tiny course that arrived. the corn dish was phenominal, fish tacos were simple but fantastic and the ceviche was a favourite. the portions were a bit small but fit with the tapas experience, we were full by the end of our delicious churros (although i could've eaten a million more of them!). our server katlyn j was knowledgable and made excellent suggestions for food and drinks. we are looking forward to returning and trying out the patio. -I dig Bellwoods! They brew a number of different styles right in their location on Ossington, all quite tasty. I particularly enjoyed their Saison. The food is good, nothing too special, this is a spot to come for beers and if you're hungry the food is good. But it's not a good only destination in my mind. The patio is GREAT. Definitely a great spot for a summer drink, come early as seating is limited. -My fiance and I stayed in a crash pad a couple of nights in May and were very pleased. Its small (as the name implies) but with lots of character. The staff were friendly and accommodating, and we enjoyed getting breakfast and meeting up for drinks with friends at the cafe. Its definitely not the cheapest place to stay in town, but I'd have to say it was worth it for a special occasion. -Khoa San Road is probably the best Thai food that I have ever had in Toronto.I came by at about 7pm on a Monday night with my friend. The weather was lovely outside, so it was pretty busy. We waited about 20 minutes for a table for 2, which I was told, was not bad at all. The hostess almost forgot that we were there before another table that was waiting to be seated, so while she almost seated them before us, we proceeded to grill her with our eyes and she got the message. She seemed a bit frazzled, but I don't blame her for having such a long line-up out the door. Just be a little more organized next time (this was my only problem with the place, was the hostess' lack of organization at the front, but other than that, my experience was amazing!). We were seated at one of the communal tables, which didn't bother me much, but the spaces are quite tight in between, so get acquainted with your neighbor!We were greeted by a very friendly waitress and we decided to order the garlic tofu to start, then the gaeng massaman and chef's special pad thai to share. Some of my highlights:-Garlic tofu: super yummy and came with a great dipping sauce on the side. The tofu was medium firm and seasoned quite well. The panko bread crumbs added a great touch to them-Gaeng Massaman: I'm not a huge curry fan (especially when there's coconut milk), but this curry was awesome. Super thick and rich with slight hints of tanginess. I'm a huge carb-lover so the potatoes were also a great touch-Chef's Special Pad Thai: I love pad thai, but I love this chef special even more! You definitely taste the sweet, sour, and savory flavors all at once. There's also tiny tofu bits in there which add some more texture. Everything was super flavorful and presented well. I was very happy with the service here. Everything was delivered to our table quickly and the waitress made sure to come by and check up on us and see if we were enjoying the food. Very friendly staff, very good crowd, just a great time overall. -Great food (tasting menu) and great service (Greg and Seth) combined for a special meal. Started with the famous slaw salad which was fresh and delicious and made our way through 8 other dishes. In addition to the slaw, our favorites included the cod, lamb, top chef masters chicken, and short ribs. A couple of the dishes came out a bit too fast and the timing of the wine pairing was off a bit. Tables are too close together but it gave us a closer look at what our neighbors were enjoying... -Best restaurant in terms of everything. I always have such a great experience. The staff are extremely friendly and positive and make you feel very welcomed. The restaurant itself is stunning with a huge plant wall/waterfall at the back. The sound of the falling water is so serene. The food is always cooked to perfection (I recommend their buffalo mozzarella, steak as well as their gnocchi). What I enjoy about this restaurant the most is how creative they are with their menu. Their flavours are always unique and exceptional and you can tell they have fun preparing their menus which transfers to customers that order from it. Just great positive vibes and always a wonderful experience when I go there. Recommend everybody to try this restaurant at least once! -Honestly, I've had this place bookmarked ever since it opened so I was pretty excited to finally try it today.After reading fellow Yelper reviews, I just about expected everything. So yes, I can testify to the comments about how the store is run by a friendly and cute little Asian couple. The lady on the till was very nice and personally came to our table (in the food court) to ask how we were enjoying the food. So overall service was pretty great.However, I found the food to be a bit disappointing. Having maintained such a high rating after so many months of running, I was anticipating a dish that would wow me. Despite the photos that would argue otherwise, I had hoped that the taste of the curry would trump it's presentation. My verdict: ehhhh.. I would give the food a 3.5/5. I had the chicken karaage curry ($9.61 tax included) and it was just alright. The chicken was moderately tender, not the melt in your mouth type, and the curry was a bit on the sweeter end. I've definitely had better karaage and the overall dish wasn't as hot as I had hoped it to be. Why I rounded down to a 3 star, however, is because of the rice. My greatest complaint would be that the rice was too soggy and had clumped together instead of standing alone as individual grains. I also would have appreciated more coleslaw as I felt the meal was lacking in vegetables.The other reason why I rounded down is because I am now insanely thirsty. I haven't been able to stop drinking water since this meal and now my lips have this mild burning sensation. Owing to the deep fried nature of the karaage along with the MSG in the curry, I probably should've seen this coming. Regardless, this is definitely not a pleasant feeling. -After spending a long day travelling we arrived in Toronto with the intent to eat near St. Lawrence market but due to Buskers Festival, there was no parking. Frustrated we finally found parking down at the docks and discovered Against the Grain totally by accident.It was a Friday night and really busy on the patio. We were tired and hungry and were about to turn away when the manager, Teresa Wilson, immediately took charge and managed to seat us quickly. We enjoyed one of the best tables on the patio, great food and the best service we have experienced in awhile. Our special thanks to Teresa and the great staff that night for the memorable experience. And we were delighted to finally find a beautiful setting on the Toronto waterfront to eat. Will definitely return. -Very tasty, Good pad thai and northern style food. I have to say I was little disappointed after reading such great reviews. It's worth a visit but I wasn't blown away.Also goo prices with the portions you get. -I want to like this place a lot but I find it quite hard too as every time I've gone here I've been disappointed. Severely.This basement bar is full of beer. Lots of it, which is why I want to like it. There are different pints from different places with a nice mixed crowd to boot. The decor is average. Small reddish wood tables and chairs, a nice big bar, dull lighting, a few pool tables at the back, and a lot more carpet than you would expect.The food here is food. Let's just say it tastes just how it looks. Sometimes under seasoned and other time way over seasoned. It's nothing fancy so I don't get how it is just so sub par but it is a bar known for beers after all. Shame they couldn't serve up some nice food to go along with the great beer selection. Service here is blindingly slow. We're talking turtle speed. No wait. A turtle with arthritis and missing one of its legs speed. The beer and food barely crawl into your hands. On top of that the service is just non existent. Wait staff don't care nor can they bother to. They are doing their job and I think they hate it. It makes me angry that I don't love this place. I mean, there is a huge beer selection. It is very hard for me to not like a place with great beers to choose from. C'est What? managed to do it though. Sad, really.Overall, this place is super cheap for drinks and food. The price of food reflects the quality but the same cannot be said for the beers. Come to drink the night away on a small budget but you might want to stop off somewhere else for food. Service is dismal so seat yourself at the bar so you can at least see that someone is pouring your beer.C'est What?C'est fail, that's what. -it's not bad but you could probably find a better AYCE in toronto.the service is alright... we had to wait for a good15 to 20 usually for our second orders... it kinda sucks when i left my earphones there.. i called them and they said they have it.. when i got there they said that they dont have it anymore.. Boooo!!!! they're sushi is average nothing really special.... -This place is garbage. I get it, you're a big place but that's no excuse for poor service and food. Feels like a tourist trap. Guacamole is decent, drinks are ok,the rest is a mess. If you are in the distillery, do yourself a favour and spend your money elsewhere. -I decided to try this place based on other reviews. I found the food very average to poor. We had the BBQ ribs and beef brisket. The ribs were over cooked and dry. The beef brisket had very little flavor. They advertise their smoking but both the ribs and beef brisket had no smoke flavor to them. The only flavor was in the sauce. I will not be going back based on the high price for very mediocre BBQ. -The wait time was long but definitely worth the wait! It's a super busy place and very small, but very cozy and nicely decorated! Nice for a small group of 2-3 people. My friends and I had the Chicken Sandwich and The Max and both were very flavorful and filling! The portion size was just perfect and the staff was also very accommodating and friendly. I would like to go back and try some of the other dishes. -Its hard to find good brunch places in Toronto and i havent been impressed with my search until now. 'Insomnia' - my search is over!! You guys rock. The food is really amazing, ambience & decor is classy and contemporary, coffee is really delicious, mimosas are such a nice addition too. All in all, one of our favs in Toronto! -My husband and I stayed at the Cow Hollow Motor Inn for 9 days. We liked the place because it is a great value - very clean, free parking (unusual in the city), free internet (also unusual), excellent housekeeping, great food choices within steps of the hotel. The hotel staff was great - my husband was on crutches and we were given everything we asked for - extra blankets and pillows, HP parking next to the elevator, and an HP accessible bathroom. The corridors are inside, there are two elevators, and ice machines. The room was well appointed with television. coffee maker, hairdryer, soap and shampoo, and the bathroom was modern and clean. The bedding and towels were new and clean, the rugs are brand new, the pillows were great and everything about the room smelled good. Nice, good quality furniture too. We like fresh air and appreciated that the window opened. The only shortcomings, and these were minor, were that the mattress wasn't plush and our room was near the elevator, the stairs and the ice machine, so it was noisy. We are coming back to San Francisco for 10 more days in May and will definitely stay here. -My 3-day stay at the Andrews Hotel was a pleasant one overall; I was satisfied with the clean, comfortable room (a "cozy double") and generally good service. I booked the room directly with the hotel, getting them to match the rate of $79 for weeknights, $99 for weekends, that was quoted by several web booking sites. Note that if you use the hotel's own web site or call the hotel to ask about rates, you're likely to be quoted something higher, so you need to do price-checking on your own and ask them to match the best rate.My room was quite small, as expected, but everything worked well and was clean. The only thing that bothered me a bit was the stained cushions on both the armchair and desk chair. The tiny TV got somewhat inadequate reception of the limited channels available. The room faced east, along the side of the building, so was quieter than front-facing rooms, but there are still bound to be city noises like sirens at times, so it's best to have earplugs on hand. I appreciated the ceiling fan and the two windows in the room, which provided excellent ventilation. The room size was perfectly fine for me, but I think a couple would feel quite cramped in a cozy double room.The Andrews is a small hotel, so there's only one person at a time staffing the front desk. Be prepared to wait if they're already helping someone else. I found almost all the staff to be helpful and professional (esp. Oscar), but the nameless guy on duty when I checked out seemed indifferent to the point of rudeness (he had a friend waiting outside, so seemed to resent having to work). I had to point out to him an error in my bill, and he grudgingly corrected it. It left a somewhat negative impression on what had been a very pleasant stay.Things I especially liked about the Andrews: free breakfast served outside my door each morning; plentiful, high quality, convenient. Things I didn't like: cost of local phone calls; cost of high-speed Internet access. -My daughter and I stayed at the Handlery Union Square on a week-end in May. Our room was giant! Two beds, a desk and chair, a large sofa with a table and a cushioned bench with shelf space underneath were all in our room. We also had a walk-in closet big enough to change in as well as a large bathroom. The location was excellent, close to the cable car stop, art galleries, shops and Union Square. The staff was friendly and courteous and even let us check in two hours early. The hotel itself was charming and clean. All this for only $99 on a special rate from TravelZoo. -As per other reviews, the Americania is a pretty decent hotel. Our room was clean, well appointed, if a little snug and comfortable. The bathroom wasn't brand new, but was just fine. Service was very good overall. We had to wait a bit too long for our room, but the staff did everything they could to get it ready for us as quickly as possible. As everyone else has noted, no A/C! This was pretty awful, as the rooms get quite warm, especially the smaller ones. If you left the fan on all day, it helped cool things down a bit.Our room was the very last one in the hotel (450) so we were on the main road side, which was quite noisy at night. Lots of sirens and road cleaners going past at all hours. Also, the free wireless didn't reach that end of the hotel, so if that's an essential feature, ask for something more in range of the front desk, maybe. Custom Burger was very expensive, and not at all worth the price in my opinion. The shakes are fantastic though! Right across the road at the Good Hotel, is a pizza place on the bottom floor. Good pizza, good prices and friendly staff, esp Ashanti. Eat here over CB anytime. The location isn't great, but we walked toward the "bad" part of town in daylight hours and had no problems. It's roughly a 90min walk to Pier 39, allowing for photo and coffee stops along the way. However, it's all flat, so it was an easy walk. I would stay here again, but definitely request a different room. -We enjoyed our three night stay at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. The room was very small but clean and unique. We spent most of our time sight seeing so it was not a problem. -We enjoyed 4 days staying at the Chancellor. Staff were extremely helpful and polite. Location was fantastic, so easy to go anywhere. Union Square was nearby, plus shops and many many restaurants. The cable car passed in front of the hotel.The rooms were very comfortable, not huge but still very nice. We did not eat breakfast at the hotel (optional in our booking) as most days we were heading out somewhere different. Great bonus of free tea and coffee in the foyer plus oat biscuits. There is a bar in the foyer and big screen TV.Very close to Chinatown, and the BART station is at the bottom of the street. I actually left a small jewellry conainer in my room and hosuekeeping found it. When I contatcted them they were very good in Fed Exing to our next USA address at our cost.I would highly recommend staying here. -The hotel was absolutley horrible. We booked through Hotels.com at one hotel and was told this hotel was comparable at $165.00 a night. We were told it was a family suite with two bedrooms. A suite is a room with a living room and small kitchen area. What we got was two rooms, connected by a common hallway. The rooms had trash in them, urine on the toilet seats. Used toilet paper, blood stains on the curtains, and stains on the carpets. The bathrooms were delapitated and showers were dirty and had used dirty bath mats. The furniture in both rooms looked like it was picked up at a junkyard. It was the most disgusting room I ever stayed in. The room was so bad I went to another hotel. I was very dissappointed. I told the Manager what I was paying and the going rate was actually about 70-80 a night. Definitely not a place to go. -Well my trip was on memorial weekend, and yes i did expect it to be a little noisy.the room next to me was so loud. i called the front desk so many times and yet they really didnt do anything. the check in staff was very rude, and when i would go down to ask them a question they looked at me with distain. Holy moly this isnt the some super high end hotel. give me a break.ok so the ups. comfy bed, decent resurant if you can get in. -I booked the Serrano as part of a trip as a present to my Mother for her 65th birthday.She was a bit nervous at first as this was her first visit to the USA, but within minutes of arriving she felt right at home.All the staff we came across were friendly and welcoming, and the service we received from the doormen, check-in staff and restaurant staff was excellent from start to finish.We stayed in on of the 'Luxury Suites' on the 14th floor. The rooms were big and clean with a 32" flat screen in the bedroom and living room. The 'Honor Bar' was well stocked and the bathroom was a tidy size. The nighty wine reception in the lobby from 5 to 6 was also a great bonus. Don't let the comments about the location worry you, it's only a couple of minutes walk to Union Square and we never felt threatened around the hotel once.I would have no problem recommending this hotel to anyone and would definetally stay here again if I was lucky enough to visit San Francisco again.Thanks once again to Mr Flores and his staff for a great stay. -Very comfortable corner room. It felt like home for our 5 day stay. The location near Union Square was great for us and it had resonably priced overnight parking. Lots of natural light and a comfortable king bed. The things we didn't like; the TV in a box. The sound from the back of the TV was trapped in the box and sounded terrible. And breakfast at the hotel restaurant, it was terrible and overpriced. There's a great family diner across the street for breakfast. The staff was really nice and we enjoyed the tea/lemonaide in the lobby. We would stay here again. -A small hotel in a great central location. The staff are very personable and helpful. Continental breakfast is a bonus and the free wine & cheese sessions each evening provide a great opportunity for exchanges with other guests. The room was very comfortable - no view, but then we did not expect one as we were out and about - not sitting in the room. Our stay was only a short one of 3 nights, but we have no hesitation in recommending this great little hotel - and of course we booked the Inn on Union Square based on other reviews in Trip Advisor. -Super service from entry court on up. Room gorgeous with view to the West, almost could see China in the distance. Needed "early arrival" room which exec gal arranged. Weneeded rack of lamb for dinner, concierge found just the right restaurant for our needs.A perfectly splendid trip. Hope to be back soonest... -Had a lovely time at the Sir Francis Drale. It was in the heart of the city, near to shops, malls, Chinatown, trollies, public transportation and food. The service was friendly and I enjoyed the atmosphere. -The reviews are right, the location of this hotel could not be any better. You are surrounded by everything you need. It is located 1 street over from the cable car line and BART station. The is a mall one street over and the hotel is surrounded by numerous stores of all varieties, all within walking distance, if you enjoy shopping. For dining there are 2 restaurants located on the 2nd floor of the hotel or there is a Burger King and a Carl's Jr directly across the street if you prefer fast food. The hotel offers a nice 24 hour fitness center on the 5th floor. The staff is very friendly. They normally charge additional for 2 queen beds instead of 1 king but upon request at check in we were given the 2 beds at no additional charge. We did rent a car so did take advantage of the valet service. It is $44 + 14% tax a day. I believe that is an excessively high price but you have all day in and out privileges and it never took longer than a couple of minutes for them to bring our car up and they were always very friendly and courteous.The rooms are decorated nicely and the beds were really comfortable with lots of comfy pillows. Do be prepared that you are in a city and will hear city noises! There is a fire station located within a few blocks of the hotel so you will hear sirens in the night or very early morning. Ear plugs are provided with their toiletries. There also is an extremely large homeless population in San Francisco and the hotel is surrounded by them so do be prepared to be begged for change. These are things to expect at any hotel in San Francisco however are not vacation spoilers.I would definitely stay at this hotel again! For the great service and very reasonable rates I would highly recommend this hotel. -The actual hotel itself is OK, the issue we had was the location. This section of Market Street is full of homeless people and they are quite intimidating at times. we arrived at midnight and were advised by the hotel staff to order food in rather than go out and get it as we had planned to - thi was quite a shock to us as having just come from New York we thought we were hardened travellers who could face any streets! The next day we realised that actually, the hotel staff were so very right - I was woken up at 6.30 by someone threatening to kill someone else, and along the 1/4 of a mile or so walk to the nearest phone box the only people we saw were homeless. Hmm, nice... If you're a brave soul who isn't bothered by tramps etc then go for it,the hotel is nice enough and all the staff we dealt with were helpful. The decor in the rooms is a bit old fashioned but the main problem is the terrible location. Union Square wasn't up to much either, don't be fooled by the books as I was! -Everything about this place was excellent. For the very low price you pay you get a large room, great facilities, free breakfast, the most helpful staff i've ever encountered. I cannot recommend this place enough, it may not look anything from the outside but it certainly makes up for it when you step inside. -I have very mixed feeling about Petite Auberge (stayed 6 nights). There is much to love and a few things that just should not be at this kind of property. First the positives: great staff - very helpful front desk, service at the wine reception and breakfast was great and our housekeeper was absolutely delightful. The afternoon wine and nibblies were great and breakfast was the best we had during our 3 weeks in Northern California. The neutrals: we had one of the smaller rooms (cosy queen) and it was adaquate but nothing special (rather basic). For such a great location, the value was good by having the smaller room. Now the negatives: the biggest is the internet service. Petite Auberge is the only property that charged for internet service ($7.99/night) on our 3 weeks in Northern California. This was not disclosed (that I saw) on the Web site. At a property of this stature, I feel that this is a bit cheesy. The second issue is that many rooms face the back alley. Because nights in SF, even in the summer are quite cool, having the windows open is a delight. [BTW - I did not see A/C availability in the room but it might have been - open windows were great]. In the back alley, every morning around 5 a.m. is the garbage pickup. For about 10 min. there is quite a racket that you will not sleep through. So if you have a back alley room and do not have the windows closed and the heat on, I would inquire about the A/C and if available use it. -I stayed there mid-July and was very pleased with everything. Yes, the parking can be expensive, but worth it. They had the car there within 5 minutes the few times we needed it. Yet, it is only a few blocks from the BART station, and close to bus lines (which I highly recommend). It was a nice walk down to the Ferry Building for a casual dinner and an easy walk to MOMA. The room was very clean, with a nice view of the hills. Our maid was so accomodating and provided extra toiletries without asking. Food is so-so in the restaurants, but convienent. My 20 year old son met me in SF, so I appreciated the coin laundry....! The concierge and the front desk were very friendly and helpful. I definitely appreciated the fact that I made a reservation at a chain I had used before and it didn't let me down. If you want a clean, reliable hotel with a decent location, this is the one for you. -Five of us stayed for four nights and the hotel were great sorting out the accommodation, they put us in two adjoining rooms which was perfect. We were in the older part of the hotel and on the 6th floor which was fine. Catherine the receptionist was a great help when we were trying to check in online to return. Fantastic location for Westfield Shopping and Union Square.We hired a car and drove to the Gilroy outlet center which was about 80 mins away, great bargains, the following day we went to Sausalito which was fabulous. Spent the rest of the time enjoying San Francisco, Alcatraz, Fishermans Wharf etc. Drove down Lombard Street which was fun. Walked a lot as well, easy city to get around by foot or car. Willl definitely go back and would stay at Handlery. -I stayed at the Cartwright for 3 nights in late November. The hotel is centrally located and was great for shopping at Westfield, Macys and all that Union Square has to offer. I liked the free internet and 24/7 coffee. The room (as expected) was small. The bathroom had louvre windows which seemed to allow the street noise into the room. I expected the area to be noisy however the room was loud. One thing that I was aware of before I stayed at the hotel is that they use real keys. I didn't expect it to be a problem however in hindsight it would be a major factor in me considering another hotel on my next visit. If you are not careful you can inadvertently leave your room open (you have to lock the door with the key when leaving). I was also constantly worried about losing the key when out of the hotel. You are able to leave the key at reception, however they were often busy which meant waiting for the key everytime I returned to the hotel. I much prefer the card system and feel that a hotel of this standard should update. It is also possible to be locked in your room. Be careful not to lock your partner in the room. If you leave individually do not lock the door with the key - it is not possible to open the door from the inside when it is locked from the outside. All in all, the stay was ok, however I would probably experiment with another nearby hotel on my next visit. -Stayed in the JW Marriott on the last night of our holiday as a treat! We did the rest of the trip (which included Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco the previous weekend, Yosemite and Santa Cruz) on a budget and decided to blow the budget on the last night as we had to catch two flights home the following day which was to take about 20hours in total. This hotel is lovely. It was worth every one of the $249 we paid for it. We arrived at 1pm to check in which was 3 hours earlier than the normal check in time but this wasn't even mentioned to us as we checked in. The room we had booked was not available when checking in so we were given a better room which was fine with us. (I imagined the room would be slightly bigger with maybe a couch or something!) Well when we opened the door to the room we got a shock. We were given a suite which was huge! The bed could have slept 6 people it was so big (it was super comfortable)! Seperate dressing room, huge bath room and tons of space. This was the icing on the cake to a fabulous holiday. The staff in the hotel were lovely. Friendly but not in your face all the time. We used the valet parking at the hotel and found it fantastic. It was a bit of a novelty using the valet parking as its not common where we come from! the hotel was just one black from Union square which was great. We did not eat in the resturant but it looked nice. We had some drinks at the bar when was very plesant. Overall I would have no hesitation in reccommending the JW Marriott in San Francisco and would stay in it again. -You know, when you get what you pay for, this is it!. My husband and I normally dont stay at a more modern hotel, but we were so glad we did. Every gadget you can imagine to make our stay perfecto was a fingertip away. Want the blinds down to make your room pitch black in the middle of the day, just push a button on the side of your bed! Want your butler to run an errand, iron your clothes, or in my case just to come to my room so I can ask his what other people have him do?? (I am not used to butlers).Wow! This place is way cool. Loved every second of it. Bathroom: cool, Bed: comfy, great pillow. Best of all: all the comforts at your fingertips..........literally. How fun!!! Go treat yourself next time you are in San Fran. -We also were skeptical after reading some of the reviews for this hotel, especially since it was a new addition to the RCI Point system. We had a week long reservation for a queen room (all that was available at the time) and needed one night before our week started. Having looked at the photos on the website we noticed that the beds seemed really "square (in our experience that means hard) and the pillows very flat in the standard rooms so we upgraded for our single night stay. Our king bed was the most comfortable we have slept on, the pillows great and the room had a pool view with a balcony (this was a premium room for $60 upgrade). I wouldn't say the staff isn't friendly, they are just "job focused" and not people focused. They don't make conversation easily, but after a week we managed to get smiles and a few sentences out of them. If you ask for information about the city, you do get it in a concise sentence which is what some people may consider the rudeness, but really, most people we ran into in San Francisco were the same way-not very conversational. When it came time to check into our "real" room with RCI the clerk asked if we would just like to stay where we were (bed upgrade and room upgrade) and that it would just be the same $60 extra per night. We agreed, paying 60 a night for a hotel in San Francisco was unheard of. Sure we could have moved to our standard room and stayed for free, but this was vacation! All in all we liked the hotel, especially the central location and nearness to the California St.cable cars just 4 blocks to the north. One warning, DON'T go walking from the hotel to Union Square via Geary or O'Farrell-this area is very dicey and really looked like the set of a New York cop show. Many homeless, prostitutes and drug users in the doorways. No one hassled us (we obviously didn't belong in the neighborhood) but it was uncomfortable. Walk 4-5 blocks NORTH to California St (and Starbucks!) and get on the cable car to go to Union Square. You MUST eat at Mel's diner on the corner! Definately the cleanest shiniest diner we've ever been in! We would definately use this hotel again (and stay in a premium room). -Clean and quiet. Great location--walking distance to LOTS of fun spots. I loved the all natural bath products they left for us, plus the fact that they had a recycling bin in the room and seemed to care about conserving resources. The free glass of wine was also nice, and Dave the bartender treated us like old friends. Don't get too excited about the "cozy" bathrobe, however, because it was about as cozy as a dishtowel and not a whole lot bigger... -Got a great rate from Hotwire and stayed at the Clift for 3 nights. Staff was friendly and always smiling. My wife and I traveled with our 2 year old toddler and we felt very comfortable in the room. Room size was small for a four star hotel and also the bathroom. But everything was clean and housekeeping is very courteous and helpful. Ipod dock in room was a nice touch as I left my charger back home. Don't expect too much from the room. It has a king size bed, comfortable sheets and comforter. The table in the room is a little small, television seems like it was bought from a surplus shop back in the early 90s but DVD player was appreciated. (movie rentals are available for about 12 bucks a night it would make more sense to buy a DVD disc at Borders or Virgin which are both a few blocks away.) There was also a serious lack of storage space in the room.Bathroom was tight. I mean real tight.Noise from the street is real bad. Once of the drawbacks of being in the city, I guess.Overall, we enjoyed our stay at the Clift and would stay there again if given a competitive rate. Location was perfect for a weekend of just lounging and shopping. -We just returned from a 5 night stay at the Cartwright Hotel. We had read the reviews and therefore knew what to expect i.e. small rooms but clean. The bed and pillows were very comfortable. The bathroom is tiny and the tiles in our room were old and some cracked but clean. Watch your head when exiting the bathroom to avoid the hanging TV... they have foam on the side but you can still see tweetie birds if you are not careful. The high speed internet was great and the complimentary breakfast was awesome and made it worth the stay. The location is excellent right by US. This is a great hotel if you are just looking to spend time in your room to sleep. If you like to hang out, you may want a bigger place although the Cartwright Hotel has some bigger rooms as well. We would definitely return as the location and value are hard to beat. -My wife, son and I stayed at the Mayflower June 11-14. We arrived a few hours early, the clerk let us keep our bags there while we went out exploring. That was a nice gesture. When we arrived at our room, however, we were put in a one bed room, when we clearly booked a 2 bed room months ago. That caused some tepidation. But the manager was called and made it right, giving us the first night free. I can understand why guests do not like being on the Bush Street side of the hotel. That street is very loud and alot of traffic. The room we stayed in had no air conditioning and in the 80 degree weather we experienced, we were very warm all night. Thank God for the ceiling fan Many reviewers mentioned the friendly staff. We did not experience this. The clerks went about their business, but were never friendly, and a couple clerks kind of glowered at us when we would first enter the lobby. Two asked us what our business was in the lobby, and we had to tell them we were guests in their hotel. I didn't care for their tone. The breakfast was meager. It looked like they went next door and bought bread and peanut butter and instant oatmeal. It was very plain and no imagination at all. One day after returning back to our room after a day in the 90 degree weather, the housekeeper had turned our ceiling fan off. The room never did cool down. Also, the cable was very basic, and a few channels were always very fuzzy. But you get what you pay for. We never felt unsafe, and we did get to keep our bags at the hotel when we first arrived. Plus, we were reembursed for the first day miscommunication, which was a plus. Would I come back again? Only if I couldn't get a hotel closer to the Wharf. -We went to S.F. from Sept. 25th, 2009 to October 2nd, 2009. Yes, the room the smallish, but the rest is incredible. You hear nothing from the street below, the bed is comfortable, the employees are super nice. A1Wine tasting every afternoon from 5pm to 6h30 pmTry the Midi Restaurant, 10/10Would go back tomorrow.Very central, we walked everywhere no need for bus passes. In the traways, please please please wait until the car has stopped. I was thrown off the traway by a big conductor who taught me a lesson. He was scary! Beautiful city, people are lucky to live there! -I just wanted to let everyone know that the Handlery Union Square is a very nice hotel in a fairly decent area of San Francisco. There seems to be a serious problem with homeless people and beggars in San Franciso, but there were not any on Geary, I think because of the harsh wind that whips up that particular street.The hotel was exactly as it represented itself, except for one of the front desk people. She was very stern and less than friendly. Actually just a little too stern, and bordering on the verge of rude. I was actually reprimanded by her on checkout to stand away from the desk until others before me were finished checking out. She made me feel like a small child who had done something wrong. Not quite the proper handling of guests as far as I am concerned. Even the couple waiting behind me commented on her behavior towards me. There was no smiling at all from her when she checked us in or when she checked us out.Beyond that, the only thing that I was surprised about was that the hotel does not at this time have a microwave oven available to guests except in the employee lunch area. I find that when I travel, restaurants always serve too much food, and so I bring it back to my room with me. Most hotels have a microwave available for guests to use. Maybe that is just a temporary situation, but my pasta would not have been very good cold and I didn't feel comfortable intruding on the employees to warm my food.The bed was very comfortable and the room was clean. I liked the location and appreciated the fact that there were no homeless people hanging around outside the hotel, as they seem to cover every block of the entire city. I personally think the city should do something about the constant harassment for money by them. It really gets to be quite overwhelming and tiresome after a couple of days. -The Grand Hyatt in San Fran is an awesome hotel - big rooms, great bedding, fitness center on 6th floor. The view from the 36th floor bar is excellent - very cool. Expensive breakfast. -I stayed for two nights at the Harbor Court Hotel. The selling point for this hotel is its location and views. I had a room with a view overlooking San Francisco Bay, and the windows open so you could have fresh sea air in the room. This sells the hotel all by itself. The hotel is also convenient to the Embarcadero BART station (San Francisco's subway system), since it is about 4 blocks away from it. The hotel is also a few blocks from the Ferry Building, which has a variety of lovely shops and restaurants. The hotel rooms are small, and the desk is not really useable for a long period of work. The rooms are clean and attractive, and the bed is comfortable. However, there is not a coffee maker in the room so you have to go downstairs to the lobby to get a cup of coffee in the morning - a minor irritation but irritating nonetheless, considering what the hotel charges. What really sells this place is the view over the Bay and its proximity to the BART station, city bus lines, and the Ferry Building. -We got an excellent deal at the Adagio through Travelzoo. I booked a Deluxe Junior Suite and was pleasantly surprised by the size. The decor is hip and minimalist with fresh retro elements. The bathroom is nice, but the space for our makeup, shaving stuff etc was pretty cramped around the sink. I thought the shower tiling could use an update. Other than that, it was perfect. They have three Apple computers with Internet access for hotel guest use. The first 15 minutes is free. There is WiFi in the lobby only. The hotel restaurant looked cool, but we didn't dine there.The staff really made our stay enjoyable. We received three great restaurant recommendations from the front desk and they always provided us with accurate directions to our destination. The location is great -- within a few short blocks of the shopping in Union Square and the #38 bus at your doorstep. You must eat at Dottie's True Blue Cafe for breakfast. It is a 2 minute walk away. Prepared to wait in line, but it's worth it. The food is fantastic.There are a lot of homeless people on the walk along Geary (in fact, there are a lot everywhere in San Fran). I live in Toronto so I'm used to homeless people, but the SF homeless can be aggressive. A great stay overall! Thanks Adagio! -I spent three days at the Cartwright; it was my second trip to San Francisco, and after a bad hotel experience on my first tip a few years ago, I chose the Cartwright because of the good reviews here.I had a deluxe King room which was tastefully decorated with real hardwood furniture. I appreciated the fact that the windows could actually be opened, a feature not found on most of the more modern hotels. My room was on the 6th floor on the front side, which means that the traffic can be heard. Living in a big city myself, I didn't bother. The good location has been mentioned quite often here, but what really makes the Cartwright different is the management. The manager's wine reception is a nice touch, and the chamber music group playing after our arrival on friday was a welcome surprise. The breakfast is better than the usual Continental, the waffles deserve a special mention. If I had to suggest an improvement, I would make the coffee somewhat stronger (you guessed it, I'm from Europe), and provide real glasses and mugs instead of the plastic tableware. We simply brought our in room mugs down to the breakfast buffet and were happy.I could go on and on to mention the many small details that make this hotel different, like the free water bottles or the cozy library room next to the lobby. The management is attentive to detail, which is a great plus if you have come to know uniform hotel chains. I would also like to mention that the reservations desk was very helpful and courteous. I had a good feeling about the Cartwright even before I arrived, and I was not disappointed. I would definitely stay there again. -I love hotels. Always have! Pre-internet, I used to write to hotels for their brochures :) That's how much:) But today, this is not enough...and why we are here on tripadvisor.Our first trip away together as a couple had to be something special...and the choice of hotel in San Francisco caused me much research and debating :) Final choice: The Mandarin Oriental...mostly because of the views. We stayed in the Bridge to Bridge suite....And we were not disappointed! On the contrary!! Of course people stay in hotels for different reasons...but to me it has to have something to do with the place I am visiting...and in San Francisco, I think the views are IT!As they say...a picture is worth a thousand words, so have a look at the photos attached...all taken from our room. Enough said!!! :)But I must also add that the staff was faultless...from the Reservations staff (Andrew!), to the reception staff, to the wonderful concierge team - all so efficient, polite, helpful and friendly. They helped us with everything from hiring a car before we had even arrived at the hotel, to securing tickets to a fantastic comedy show, as well as dinner reservations.Room service was also excellent as was the breakfast in the lovely Silk Restaurant .Verdict - A wonderful choice and most recommended :)! -We recently enjoyed a weekend stay at The Fairmont San Francisco through Disney Vacation Club points usage. As a quintessential San Francisco property, there is much to this property as well as nearby.We stayed in room 590, the Dunkirk suite. It is a corner accomodation with great city views. It is well appointed in the classic sense; elegant Napoleonic decor along with modern touches like large flatscreens and two full baths. Along with numerous lounges and restaurants, I would recommend the Tonga Room. It is a Polynesian themed lounge and restaurant replete with thatched roofs, tiki iodols and rain falling from the ceiling accompanied by thunder from the loudspeaker. A true nostalgic experience!This hotel is ideally situated at the intersection of two cable car lines, and walking distance to Chinatown. It boasts an enviable location atop Nob Hill, and the service aspect from the staff is one of total service.This hotel is ideal for couples or families on a holiday, all the way to conventions. As it is a classic hotel, it will not have all the wired amenities of newer properties like a W Hotel, and Nob Hill is a bit far from the airport or Silicon Valley. However, if you enjoy classic hotels, this is among the best. -We were here for a long weekend to celebrate my wife's birthday . Our greeting upon arrival was very warm and check in went without a hitch . My room requirements were done perfectly . Our dinner reservations at French Laundry and Gary Danko were arranged before hand by Jacque the concierge . Our bridge to bridge bay view room had a incredible view . The rooms had been nicely refurnished . I wouldn't be concerned with the bathrooms not being up to 5 star standards . They were more than adequate. Our bed was the most comfortatable bed we had ever slept in . This hotel is for those who want the best hotel views of the bay and for those who want the best service . Its in a very quiet part of the city which is perfect for our needs . The lobby needs a lot of work but I did find out that its being renovated soon .The service was perfect in every matter . My requests were easily handled . I should mention that this was our 3rd stay in a Mandarin Hotel in the last year, the other 2 being in New York City.The San Francisco Mandarin is far better in service and comfort than that of New York . We look forward to returning to this Madarin . They do a perfect job here . -We stayed at the Westin St Francis from the 29th June 2009 for 4 nights. We were in the old building on floor 12. The room is quite small but is perfectly adequate for somewhere to sleep and get ready, by no means is it cramped. The standard was as expected at a Westin. My only complaint was that the walls are thin and I could hear a conversation in the next room through the air conditioning vents in the wall. We did not interact with the hotel staff on many occasions but when we did they were pleasant and helpful. The location of the hotel is fantastic. We arrived into San Fran via the BART, from the airport, which stops at Powell Street, this stop is only a 5 minute walk from the hotel and was extremely easy and cheap to use. Next to the hotel there are many shops, a few hidden bars and restaurants. We purchased a 3 day passport for $18 each will allows you unlimited use of the cable cars, trolleys and buses, which is all you will need to get around San Fran to Fishermans Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, China Town etc. If we returned to San Francisco then I would definately use this hotel again. We did go up the glass elevators in the new building to see the view, which was great as long as you are not scared of heights! -March 2005My second time, staff very friendly, great views and location is awesome. My only complaint is the complimentary continental breakfast could use a bit more variety. But it is free!!Room clean, and always made up during the day. The rooms have stove, refrig. and microwave which can be great bringing home doggie bags from the fantastic restaurants that are in the vicinity.I'd book again no problem. -Just stayed at this hotel recently. I have lived in SF for years and wanted to stay but since I moved away I was able to. This hotel is very funky and fun. The staff are very cool, nice and knowledgeable. The price is about average for SF and the renovated rooms are very comfortable. This is especially a good place for people into live music (many bands stay here) and want a true San Francisco experience. It's close to all the things most people want and even have a map to the best live music venues. Just ask the staff for any help and they will oblige. If you are looking for a fancy, overpriced hotel, this is not the place for you. It is very comfortable, the continental breakfast is good, people seemed to be enjoying the heated pool...it was 48 degrees outside so we passed on that but there were people still partaking. I've heard that the restaurant and nightclub is very good altho we had just danced our "*&^es" off at the Warfield so we were quite beat. All I can say if you want a fun experience, give the Phoenix Hotel a try...it is a better choice for those young or young at heart! -I was hesitant to book a stay at the King George due to some of the previous reviewers' comments regarding the small rooms and the thin walls... However, the hotel was much better than I expected, and I would stay there again!It is true that the rooms are very small - however, the space is used very efficiently, and I never felt cramped. In fact, the closet and safe were much more spacious than those provided in larger hotels.It is also true that the walls are very thin - but this was a minor inconvenience, and a non-issue with good ear plugs :)The hotel was suprisingly clean, the bed was very comfortable, and the shower was great (good water pressure, plenty of hot water, etc.). There are two fitness centers within a couple of blocks, and the hotel can provide special pricing for a day pass. They offer a continental breakfast for a fee, but there are also several diners in the area (one right next door) that serve breakfast. There are also several convenience stores nearby.The customer service was wonderful - top notch. The staff was very friendly, attentive, and helpful. This alone would bring me back to the King George.The location was fantastic - very close to Union Square, shopping, and the cable car line - and easy walking distance to Chinatown and other downtown attractions.There are dozens of other hotels in the area, and the more expensive choices are probably more luxurious with better amenities - but the price, cleanliness, and warmth of the King George make it a worthy choice. -My Husband and I chose this Hotel for out New Year's Eve "gettaway" based on the great reviews from Trip Advisor and we were not dissapointed! I booked a standard king room and was up graded to a premier king free of charge upon our arrival. The staff were very nice. The wine hour in the cozy lobby was great. Enjoyed talking with fellow travelers by the warm and inviting fireplace. Our room was very nice. We expected the room to be small based on all the reviews but it was very nicely decorated and super clean. The bed was very comfortable and the room itself was very quiet. The hotel is walking distance to many attractions. We ate at the Italian restaraunt located in the hotel and the food and service was outstanding. Check out the following morning was fast and flawless as we enjoyed fresh coffee and biscotti served complimentary in the lobby. I will go back to this hotel again! -We stayed here over Labor Day for 3 nights in a deluxe queen room. The room wasn't huge but it was a good size for two people. The bed was a true queen size and very comfortable with nice bedding. The room was nicely decorated and had a medium size TV, a desk, 2 chairs, cd player with cd's, AC, and a small fridge. The room was very clean and housekeeping did a wonderful job cleaning everyday. We had our bedding and towels changed every day. Although you have the option of not having them changed everyday to save water (good idea!). They also have a turn down service and left yummy chocolates on our pillows. The bathroom has a small hairdryer and Aveda products. Our room didn't have much of a view but we didn't mind since we didn't spend much time in the room anyway. The hotel staff was very friendly. We were allowed to check in early and they asked if we needed help with restaurant reservations or general information about SF. There are free maps and guidebooks in all tourist spots so no need to bring your own. The hotel also has free computer access and a room where you could either work or read. The restuarant is very small and didn't have a chance to eat there. I think there are less than 20 seats. So it's wise to make a reservation or arrive early. There was also a bar/lounge area. The elevator is fairly small and if there were other people waiting, we just took the stairs. The hotel is within walking distance from the BART station. Exit Powell and it's about ten minute walk. The fridge is fully stocked but like any other hotel, the prices are high. There is a Walgreens down the street from the hotel where you can stock up on water or snack. There are a lot of restaurants in the area. Some a bit expensive but it's expected as SF as a whole is expensive. There are 3 Starbucks coffee houses near the hotel. If you like to shop, the hotel is minutes from Union Square and is also within walking distance to Chinatown. We actually walked from Pier 39 and it didn't seem far at all. SF has reliable and efficient transportation that is fairly priced in case you don't want to walk. I don't recall the exact price for parking since we flew but most of the hotels charge from $40 and up per night. Overall we had a great stay at this hotel. I highly recommend it and would stay here again. -Just came back from four night stay at Hotel Monaco. We have a family of four and we enjoyed our stay. The Hotel is beautifly decorated and was immaculate in condition. We stayed on the 7th floor. It was so quiet, you would think we had the hotel to ourselves! The room was a bit small for the four of us, but that is expected in city hotels. The bathroom however was big and spacious. Decor was unique and bright. The only drawback was the area as although we never felt unsafe, there were a lot of street people in the area. I think this basically applied to all of union square area. We ate at Loris diner a block away several times. Food was basic but excellant. Tried to go to Dottys one morning but lineup was too long. Have no problem recommending this hotel for those looking for a nice place to stay. -We just returned from a 3 night stay at the Rex. We had originally planned to stay at the Serrano but found a great last minute deal on Travelocity for the Rex. I am glad we ended up at the Rex, especially liked the location. Our last visit was at the Warwick (which was good w/kids because we had a small "suite"). The Warwick area is definately on the fringe! The Serrano is even more on the fringe...the Rex is only a couple of blocks away but feels much safer. We enjoyed the hotel. The rooms were extremely clean. Beds comfie and we had an A/C. Our view was looking into a bricked up courtyard (no view!) but it did give us a really quiet room & lots of privacy. The front desk is friendly but maybe not so knowledgeable on places to go (this includes restaurants, shopping, transporation issues). We did enjoy the lounge & the afternoon wine. Cafe Andre was really good & very reasonable! Had a great breakfast. Went to Dotties for breakfast - it didn't seem as good as last time we were there. Took the BART from SFO. That was easy & so cheap! We had to leave on the 6am BART & I was kind of nervous since it was so dark out but no problems at all. Highly recommend the BART. Also...had dinner at a fantastic place called Cafe Zuni. So good!!! and a fun vibe. We took the bus there but cabbed it back to the hotel. Other good places: Marios Bohemian Cigar in North Beach. Had a quick drink & split a foccacia sandwich. Very good. We took the ferry to Sausalito. Nice trip; avoid Scomas (sp?) as it was overpriced & fair food, at best. Went to the Thirsty Bear: good beer, ok food; Pipperade is a great small place on Battery Street - we enjoyed our evening there. The walk along Union Street is fun as there are lots of cute shops (pricey, though). We had terrific weather so were able to walk most everywhere. Buses were easy, though. Overall, the Rex is a great place. Will stay there again. Good location, great prices, great rooms (not luxe, but clean, cute & comfie), friendly guests & staff.... -We arrived at the hotel a little after 10:00 in the evening. Parking is valet and no one was available to help with the bags or take care of the cars that jammed the entrance. I squeezed in the car to park and we took care of our own bags and checked into the room. First impressions were not good... However, the location is great for shopping in Union Square. I also liked theStarbucks on the corner and the convenience store a half block away. Cable car is right out front. The bathroom had an institutionalized feel with the walk in shower and stark pedestal sink - no where to put make-up, hair dryer, etc. when getting ready. The shower was more than adequate with good water pressure. On the second and third night the valet parking situation did improve and personnel were very accomodating. The room is small and does have a slight smell which I just associate with old buildings. Overall, I would stay here again due to the location. -Hubby & I stayed here for a few days in November 2007. My biggest problem was our room. We were on the 2nd leg of our journey but if I had the energy I would have asked to be moved. Our room looked most like the photo of the room done in red,black and white without the red velvet couch in our room. It was very very small. We were facing the street and it was a bit noisey at times.The thing that bothered me the most was the bathroom was very dated. On top of that the wall paper was actually peeling. I am so dispapointed that I can't remember what room # it was becasue apparantly after reading other reviews, there are some newer and nicer rooms.I felt we paid too much for the particaulr room we got. Now on to the good: Location location location! Also, the wine hour is very nice and I don't even drink wine. A hot tip from the bell boy: arrive in the lobby about 10 minutes before wine hour begins. They usually bring in a deep dish pizza from the restaurant which is gone in a flash. We did and enjoyed it very much. In the morning a nice touch along with coffee and hot tea was hot chocoalte. Now would I stay here again? Well...maybe. If I got a really nice room like some of the other writers describe with a fridge too...perhaps...I still wonder if another hotel in the same area would have been a better deal. The other thing that I found disappointing was I can't remember the exact details but something like the charge they quote for parking (very pricey) was even more than that because there was some sort of a tax... -The hotel was in a GREAT location, close to all the downtown shopping.but once we walked in the room was average. we stayed on the 32nd floor and had a great city view. but the tv was likely a 10 year old tv. The Bed was great.the bathroom was average, and had a small 5" tv. that was long and likely from 1990.there is NO pool.. I just assumed a 4 star hotel would have a pool.the view from the 36th floor restaurant was amazing, but you could stay at motel 6 and come eat up here as well.the lobby is just average.I travel a bunch, and this would easily be a 3 star hotel. -Our family (2 adults and 2 teenagers) stayed here for 3 nights at the end of July. The room was fairly typical and nothing special but it was clean. The hotel is in a very safe area and we felt perfectly happy walking around at night. The staff were incredibly helpful. The hotel has interesting touches around the lobby, bar and lounge areas which are copper/brass items placed around, e.g. a pair of slippers in front of the fire and a cat curled up. The pool was very nice (if smaller than I expected) and there was a small terrace outside that overlooks the central courtyard. The courtyard itself was a pleasant place to sit and all the public areas were well kept up. We didn't eat in the hotel as it was expensive but there were lots of places within walking distance to eat at. I would recommend this hotel. -We stayed this past weekend (Feb 05) for 3 nights. We had a suite which wasn't as large as our suite when we stayed in Arizona, but you have to consider the place....for SF it was large. It had a small frig and micro which is nice. It had a queen bed and pull out bed in sitting couch - which was nice. Breakfast was convenient and good. Our only complaint would be to have cable TV, as we had our 5 year old with us and there is only so much walking you can do. We had to "buy" a movie 2 nights for him in order to keep him quiet and entertained in the room. Cable with cartoons would have been nice which we have gotten w/most other motels. The decor of the room was more than adequate - very nice. The staff was very nice and helpful. I'd say great place for adults and older kids - five stars and for couples with younger children - four stars. -I stayed at Hotel Carlton for four days during my recent visit to San Francisco. I am very pleased with the hotel. The best description for the room was "no frills." It was very clean and had a good view of Sutter Street. The location of the hotel is great. There are 3 bus lines that pass by the hotel. I was able to go to Downtown, Union Square, Chinatown, Japantown and Market Street by bus.The daily complementary wine service was great. But make sure you get there before 6 PM. The hotel closed down shop on the complementary wine at 6:01 PM.The walls are thin; I was able to hear my neighbors' conversations and knew when they were getting a phone call, because I could also hear the phone ring. This was a bit annoying.Over all, Hotel Carlton is a good place to stay and it is a good value. -Just back from a two night stay at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco, June 23rd & 24th, 2007. I really have no complaints about this hotel. Valet parking at the entrance was always very convenient. Was able to call from the room to have the car at the door in 10 - 15 minutes. Pricey parking at $43.00 per night, plus tax, but not much more than the other garages around the hotel. I liked walking out the door and climbing right into the car each time we needed it. Front Desk staff was courteous and efficient. Our room on the 26th floor faced West and had a beautiful view. Room was clean, nicely sized with a King bed, large desk, two comfortable chairs, and adjustable end table. Furniture a bit dated and worn, but nothing I would complain about. Bathroom was roomy and clean, albeit again a bit dated but decent. Marble counter in bath. Excellent shower head with great pressure. Love the Portico bath products! Small, funky looking TV that I enjoyed watching the news while using the bathroom. Hallways were kept clean. Generally very quiet. No issue with noise. Elevators didn't have unreasonably long waits, usually under two minutes if that. Property was generally very well kept and felt upscale. Not top notch luxury, but very nice for what it is. Ate breakfast both mornings at the Grandview restaurant on the 36th floor. Most incredible views of the city. I suggest going up there just to have a look. Food was pricey as is usually the case at a hotel restaurant, but we wanted the convenience of being able to grab a quick bite as we had a busy schedule. Wait staff was very good and friendly. Food tasty, no complaints. We paid $159.00 for our room booking directly on the Hyatt website, using the Senior Citizen rate. I believe the AAA rate is the same. For the money it was an excellent value. I recommend this hotel and most likely will consider this hotel as a first option on future trips to San Francisco. Best point, location, location, location, and if you can get a high floor, the views. -This was our second stay at the beautiful and inviting White Swan Inn. The service at this hotel is excellent and since we had stayed here before we knew about the wonderful breakfast, the warm fireplace, the cookie jar and the great people at the front desk. Everyone made us feel so very welcome.The room was very clean and tidy. They have new Lather bath products which are heavenly to use. I even asked for a couple of extra bars of the soad to take home.Andy was his usual helpful self! He brought us a bottle of wine as it was my Birthday--he did this last year also. Andy is an icon at the hotel----seems he's been there for years, always giving directions, assisting with luggage, and just brightening everything up with his great smile.We will, of course, be back next year, and can't wait to hear all about the new Joie de Vivre happenings.Diane & Leroy -Stayed in San Fran for 4 nights in the Tuscan Inn. The hotel was good, room was a little small but very clean and the bed was very comfortable. The location was excellent- so close to all the touristy things. The manager was a little grumpy when we first checked in but the rest of the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. I would recommend this hotel to anyone. Bring your woolies though coz San Fran is sooo cold!! -The photos on Trip Advisor are of another motel! Very misleading! We had a group of friends with 5 rooms and each room was disgusting. Dirty, moldy, smelly!! Some rooms had working phones, tvs, lights, other rooms didn't. Very inconsistant. Bedding was dirty, one towel in one room, none in the others. The Managers, who live there with children, were VERY rude!! They called everyone 30 minutes prior to check out to tell us to leave. They charged us $10 more than what we booked on their website - and then argued with us when we brought it to their attention. DO NOT STAY HERE!! Very dishonest people!!! -We stayed here for a long weekend trip and were very pleased. The Courtyard by Marriott is excellent for a quick weekend getaway in San Francisco without having to rent a car. This location is primarily intended for business travelers and has few tourist amenities. The rooms were clean comfortable and affordable. They feature large flat screen TVs and free wired Wi-Fi. In the lobby there is a Starbucks that is open during the day till 2pm. Our room was on the top floor and had some nice bridge and city views. The hotel also has a small snack bar next to the front desk. The hotel restaurant and bar looked much underused on the weekend but San Francisco has too many good food choices in any price range to consider hotel food. We did try an Indian fast food restaurant and a Chinese restaurant that were two blocks away and open weekends. Both were very good and inexpensive.The Hotel is very centrally located in the financial district. This means on weekends, restaurant choices are limited and the streets are quiet in the evening. The hotel is walking distance to a trolley line, bus lines and the Montgomery BART station. We purchased a three day MUNI bus and trolley pass at the airport and had no problem getting to all of the sights.If you are a tourist seeking a clean, comfortable inexpensive place this hotel fits the bill. Be sure to check out the special weekend rates. -The staff is very friendly and helpful. The room is roomy and the beds are comfortable. We stayed for 7/4 fireworks, the shuttle was only two blocks away, it's very convenient. -Our expectionas were high and we were not disappointed during our recent three night stay at the Serrano. The decor was fabulous, the personnel were top notch. Always a smile and a greeting, the evening wine bar and snack from Ponzu restaurant were excellent, the chair massage and tarot card readings during happy hour were tons of fun. Our morning paper was always there and maid service was excellent. The location was ideal. We can't wait to stay again. -This was a nice hotel, the rooms very a little on the small size but very pleasant. It is very centrally located within walking distance (5 minutes) of union square. There was also a diner next door that did a very good breakfast. -This hotel is located in a fabulous location near Fisherman's wharf. Walkable to pier 39, Ghiradelli Square and just a few steps from the old F-line trolley. Fire pits located right adjacent to the driveway often had "out of order" signs posted and the remainder were surrounded by patrons with cigarettes. The rooms were spacious but the strange rectangular "pillow" in the bed just created a nuisance and the lack of separate light switch for the room with the toilet (separate from the space with the sink) lit up the entire room during nighttime use. This hotel has been nicely updated with very modern decor. Front desk staff were very accommodating and wiling to help out with sightseeing plans.Overall this was a very nice hotel, a good value and a great location. I would stay here again despite the comments above. -Wow, where do I start?We arrived to the Hilton Financial District and were immediately cringing at the "industrial" look and bland exterior of the Hilton. so much for first impressions!We walked into a pleasant lobby with few bells and whistles but a VERY effecient staff. I work for a 4 star resort in Carmel, CA and I know when a hotel staff hates their job. This staff seemed very happy and professional.so far, nothing great. Then we hit the room! What a GEM! The rooms were obviously recently remodeled and were very nice. But the physical characteristics of the room was not the star...that belonged to the view!A beautiful, stunning view was waiting for us when we opened the blinds.Picture this. A view of Chinatown to your extreme left. Alcatraz to your middle left. Coit Tower in the middle. The San Francisco Bay to your right and Treasure Island to your extreme right. By far, the greatest view I've ever had in my numerous trips to SF. I have thought about that view at least ten times a day since leaving. You must ask for a higher floor when staying. It's essential!From that point on, our trip and our hotel stay were a dream. The amazing king bed with a featherbed mattress was to die for! These beds rival the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay and Quail Lodge in Carmel (routinely known as the best beds in the area)! Room service was fast and effecient, plus the food quality was above average. All requests to the front desk were fulfilled promptly and swiftly. Now, you may be wondering why I would give the hotel 4 stars after an obvious 5 star review. Well, like all hotels in SF, the Hilton institutes a ridiculously overpriced parking fee. This time, it was $44 nightly and then there is a $6 parking tax on top of that! That's right folks, $100 for the "privilege" of parking. Luckily, I got a great deal on the room rate to compensate for this. But until SF hotels change their ways and institute REASONABLE parking charges, I will not give any hotel 5 stars in SF. Upon check-out we did have a minor issue. We were never given a ticket when we handed the car to Valet. We figured it would be sorted by room number. So after we checked out, we were asked for our ticket. When I explained we didn't have one, the valet service was quite rude and said, "Oh YOU WERE GIVEN A TICKET!", like I would lie about it LOL. Luckily for this guy, I had already had a wonderful trip and felt it wasn't necessary to engage in a ummm pee pee contest with him (no swearing in reviews). Plus I overheard he had 308 checkouts that day so, all is forgiven!So all in all, stay here! There are too many bad decisions you can make when booking a hotel in SF, go with a sure thing. Plus, it's well below the other hotels in the area in terms of price. What more do you need?Thank you for reading my long winded review. -We (me, my hubby, and 5yo) stayed at the Grosvernor Suites for 9 days (7 of the days we were there with my parents). We all stayed in a corner, one bedroom suite (separate room with 2 queen beds and living room with a sleeper couch). You can tell that the building is older, so there is wear and tear (e.g., a small rip in the couch cushion and trim along bedroom floor coming off the wall). However, the structure itself is very sturdy. I believe that the place was originally a condo (there are currently some residents who still reside there), so the walls are thick and we never heard our neighbors (although I could hear from the hallway that they had a young and loud child). Given the bedroom, the dining area and the living room, we had plenty of space for the 5 of us. The rooms also have a small kitchen with full size refrigerator, small stove, sink, toaster, and other necessary kitchenware. We were in a corner suite in the 13th floor and our views were fabulous (we had windows on both sides). It was great to see the fog rolling in and out of the city. Overall, the service was pretty good. Front desk staff was extremely polite and helpful, on the phone and in person. They were very helpful regarding sites and places to visit, making sure we had extra towels/pillows, and allowed us to check out late (2pm rather than noon). They were very accommodating: I had a phone meeting at a time when everyone else in my party was napping so they opened the breakfast room for me to use. Housekeeping staff was o.k.; I definitely didn't get the same friendly vibe and they were not as responsive.The location was great. Very safe (Nob Hill is considered one of the high ends of town). One block from both the Powell and California cable lines, about 3 blocks from Chinatown, and two blocks from the Grace Cathedral and a great little park. The park has a playground and is the place where local Nob Hill residents take their dogs to play. We took our 5yo to this park a lot to burn off energy and watch the antics of the dogs playing with each other. As other reviewers have noted, it is on Nob 'Hill', so you get a great view, but even if you take the trolley, you will have at least one block of an uphill hike. Given how much we ate during the vacation, this wasn't a bad thing for us. Speaking of places to eat, other than Chinatown, we didn't find too many places really close by (although you can easy access them by cable car). The exception is the Nob Hill Cafe which is about 3-4 blocks and has great Italian food. The hotel offers a continental breakfast, with juices, cereals, bagels, and fresh pastries every morning. The pastry person will load up your tray with goodies for you to take back to you room if you don't want to sit in the breakfast room. There is also a laundry room in the basement with 5-6 washers and dryers. There is a gated parking area behind the hotel isolated from the street. It wasn't cheap to park, but you can enter and leave as much as you want. In addition to a computer terminal in the very small info room by the front desk, there is free wireless in the rooms. Compared to other places that we have stayed at in SF and given all the amenities, we got a pretty good deal. I did make reservations way in advance and I did it directly from their website (they offered an online rebate for multiple nights so we saved $20-25/per night). For reservations not made in advance, I heard a front desk person telling another potential customer to check the online travel websites for just-in-time deals that would be better than booking with the hotel directly. What I liked most about the hotel is how attentive they were to our needs as a family (given the location, kitchen/refrigerator, breakfast, and laundry). It was a very comfortable and convenient place to stay. The thing that they could improve on is fixing up and updating the interior a bit, but for us, this wasn't a big deal at all. -My 81 year old Mom visted. We are seasoned travelers. We loved The Mark Hopkins. Sort of older style hotel... but very classy, comfortable, clean etc. Rooms are great, beds are great. Staff is short handed when check check out is crowded, but they are very attentive. The best prices believe it or not are on their own website. Same price we got on Priceline. The $169 rooms are almost the same as the $189 rooms. The $169 room have a lower floor view. Both are great.If you go to The Top of The Mark Rest.... do it for drinks and the view. The food is very expensive. Breakfast while ok was too much money. Take the cable car down to Union Square or walk and go to smeoplace like Sears or The Diner.dcr, Middletown, Ca -I chose to stay at this hotel because of all the excellent reviews I read at tripadvisor. I am not sure whether all the excellent reviews are *real*, however what I can say is that - this inn is average and - the inn has met my expectation. * STAFF - excellent - friendly staff* LOCATION - average - Definitely NOT walking distance to the wharf or Chinatown. You won't want to walk it, even the 2.5 blocks to the cable car are long and steep. I drove around the city, so it was not a probably for me.* SAFETY - average - the area seems relatively safe. However, I am a bit uncomfortable with the fact that anyone can take the elevator or stairs up/down without passing through the office or front entrance. And the main office closes at 11pm. * AMENTITIES - average - towels are clean, but feel a bit used. The frig, microwave are pluses!!!* HOUSEKEEPING - excellent - room is very clean.* PRICE - excellent ($85 weekday, $95 weekend)* PARKING - excellent - it's free. It's a bit tight getting in and out, but hey, it's free!* BREAKFAST - OK - nothing to rave about, they serve packaged pastries and granola bars! The only good thing I got was a banana. -Based on the glowing reviews here I booked a three night stay as part of an extended family vacation. As anyone who tries to stay in San Francisco knows, it is exceedingly difficult to find a hotel with free parking and queen beds (traveling with teens!). Upon arrival the look on everyone's face pretty much told me I had made a mistake. Let's start with good: Location is really steps from Pier 39, parking is free. Now the bad: This is hotel has no AC, which considering the temps in the bay area should be no problem. However, the rooms have only one teeny-tiny window (about 1ft square) to allow air into the room. The overhead fan doesn't do much to help pull fresh air in either. As a result the rooms are roasting hot, even when the high temp for the day is 69 degrees. And the location is extremely noisy. Our third floor room faced the Sheraton and we could hear every bus, every car, constant noise day and night. I'm used to having some noise in a hotel room.. but this was ridiculous. In short, we checked out after one night an moved to a hotel out of the city. Oh yes, the elevator broke that night also. The management was very understanding and helpful... but there really isn't much they can do to make up for this hotels shortcomings. If you really must stay in the city, try finding a deal at a higher class hotel through hotwire and then pay for the parking. -Very comfortable corner room. It felt like home for our 5 day stay. The location near Union Square was great for us and it had resonably priced overnight parking. Lots of natural light and a comfortable king bed. The things we didn't like; the TV in a box. The sound from the back of the TV was trapped in the box and sounded terrible. And breakfast at the hotel restaurant, it was terrible and overpriced. There's a great family diner across the street for breakfast. The staff was really nice and we enjoyed the tea/lemonaide in the lobby. We would stay here again. -We stayed in this hotel as the last leg of our golden triangle trip, it was very clean and bright, much newer than the other two hotels we had stayed in, although it seemed very business like.The room was large, with 2 double beds, a nice bathroom and cleaned daily, although if you wish to stay in your room later than 8am I would hang the privacy tag on the door as the maid knocks early and loudly!!!!The breakfast is basic, but free, so very convenient. The location of the hotel is great, I much preferred being by the wharf as opposed to staying near Union Square in down town.....The one thing I will complain about is the valet parking, this may be more of a complaint to take up with my travel company as we were not fore-warned that we had to pay $35 per day valet parking, with no other options open to us.The transportation was fantastic, and cable cars are great fun!!! Would definately recommend San Francisco!!!! -We stayed at Hotel Abri at the end of May for a weekend. Here are a few things that might help if you are considering this hotel. Getting there: We flew in to SFO and simply hopped on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transport) which takes you straight into the city. Hotel Abri is just around the corner from Powell St station, we were jet lagged this was a god send just how easy it was to find and the BART is by far the cheapest option to get to and from the Airport. The cable car line turnaround is at the end of the street and the the street car/tram/trolley whatever you want to call them right behind that. Transport was a breeze. There is a booth near the Cable Car turnaround where you can get a daily transport passport giving you unlimited rides on all the buses cable cars and street cars for 11 bucks. Hotel Check-in/staff: The staff were absolutley fantastic. Hillary the concierge was fantastic, its not often that you there service is so good that you can remember the persons name. There was a problem with our airport connection (we had a really early flight out ) and when they contacted the hotel through the night she rebooked our transfer for us so as not to disturb us. Housekeeping left the room spotless. The hotel is definitely well run. Amenities: No Gym or Pool but this didnt worry us at all there, is an adjoining italian restaurant which was delicious. Complimentary internet/PC use was so helpful. In room safe (many hotels are reverting to only having deposit boxes at reception - worth checking). Everything in this hotel was new - nothing dodgy at all. Room: The king size bed was divine, decent linen, funishings were new with a decent size bathroom - (Loccitane products). Room wasnt large but this is usual in nearly all the San Fran hotels I've stayed in. If you are a light sleeper they also have an inside room option it was nice to open up the window and watch the world go by outside. Noise: The hotel is away from the cable car line however there is a nightclub just across the road, and it did get a bit noisier on Saturday night, not from music but people out on the street. If you are a light sleeper take your earplugs or request an inside room. Shopping : Westfield San Francisco Centre is a minute away and union Square is just up the hill. No shortage of options at all. Food Options: EVERYWHERE catering to every budget, theres a cold rock ice-creamery next door too. yum. If you are looking for a nice place for lunch on a sunny day the I recommend the Cheesecake Factory on top of the Macy's building, it has an outdoor seating area looking down into the square. Great location. The hotel has a breakfast listing of the best places nearby to head out for breakfast - We went to a place a few blocks away called Dotties - food was delicious but get there early we were there before it opened on Saturday and there was already a line. The place is small and cosy but well worth a visit. The Farmers Market is also a great spot to walk through for brunch if your're looking for a gourmet biteBooking: I booked through expedia and got a great rate. -Following a mishap on the plane on our arrival in SF, my hotel itinerary was destroyed so when we arrived at the Hotel, we were hot and bothered. Within a short space of time, I was able to use the free internet access and was able to print all the papers I needed for my holiday. During this time the staff were very sympathetic and helpful. Our room was not extra large but we would only be sleeping there. A fridge would have been very helpful and tea bags for those who do not drink coffee. (fortunately we had brought our own). The big plus about this hotel is its location. It is just around the corner from Union Square and all the best shops and restaurants. It is two blocks away from the cable car start point and for $5 each (one way) it will take you to Fishermans Wharf, the area from where everything begins. Do take a Bay cruise and view the Golden Gate Bridge from underneath. Also make certain you visit Alcatraz. It is an amazing experience. Due to its brilliant location, the hotel allowed us to use it as a base from which to start our SF experience. The complimentary breakfast is more than adequate and is a great start to the day. Brilliant choice and would certainly recommend it to stay in. -This is the first night after many nights sleeping in rock hard hotel beds that could have passed for doors, that I finally got a good night sleep. The room was very clean, updated, with a cool view of the city below. -We stayed three nights in late April 2008. The hotel is a bright spot in a not-so-nice area of SF (I believe the tour guide referred to the area as 'The Tenderloin'.) The hotel was inviting and attractive though. The decor is modern. We were able to check in a couple of hours early and the woman at the check in desk was very gracious and efficient. We scored a great price per night for our stay via the hotel's Website, too, which helped us to absorb the $33 per night valet parking fees (plus tips.)The room (on the 11th floor) was fairly large and clean and offered a king bed, a pull-out sofa, a refrigerator, desk, TV, radio, a small dresser and a large closet. The bathroom was a good size, too, and the water pressure for the shower was very good.There was a restaurant located on the first floor of the hotel, but we didn't have an opportunity to sample it. The hotel offers coffee and tea and apples in the lobby in the morning and late afternoon.It was a short walk to Union Square, but the hotel itself is not part of the Square. There were many homeless folks in the area, but none of them were "nasty" folks (meaning aggressive or insulting.) One fellow was kind enough to tell me that the meter I fed where I parked the car before checking into the hotel was for commercial vehicles only and the car could be towed while I was away. I wished that I had more cash on hand to give him for saving me from a potentially costly problem.Earlier reviews indicated that there was a lot of noise at night. Most of the time we didn't have this problem, but one night we heard very loud motorcycles starting up around midnight. After they drove off, all was quiet enough again. -I stayed there with my sister, my mom and my 5 year old - and we all loved it. The rooms were big and the service was warm, friendly and efficient - the hotel service hat trick! Good location, just a couple of blocks from Union Square. -We stayed at the Hotel Rex for four nights in early November. The check in staff were extremely helpful and friendly and we found all staff were the same high calibre. We had a deluxe double double room and found it plenty big enough even with our cases laid out on the floor. The beds were very comfy and the shower wonderful. I would've liked to have had a coffee maker in the room but complimentary tea and coffee was available in the bar area in the morning. Also, missed a complimentary breakfast. Cafe Andree, next door, served breakfast but it is quite pricy in comparison to local restarants. The complimentary wine of an evening was great though!The hotel was in a great location, a block or so from Union Square and with a cable car station in the adjoining street. The hotel staff are great for recommending tours and restaurants. We'd recommend Lori's diner for breakfast and great coffee and Puccini and Pinetti for dinner.Overall, we'd recommend the Hotel Rex for a stay in this wonderful city. -I stayed at this hotel for four nights in late April 2004. The lobby of the Ramada is quite cool (it used to be the old City Hall), but the rooms are fairly run down and not particularly clean. All in all, it wouldn't be too bad for the price, but the neighbourhood was not very safe or pleasant. There are not too many businesses in the area (most of the places are shut down permanently) and it is a haven for homeless people. As a single woman, I felt very unsafe in this area after dark and didn't particularly enjoy walking around in the daytime either, because I was asked every 10 feet for money. -The Parc 55 just completed thier $30 mil renovation and it really shows how well the rooms and lobby area really is. Wonderful staff with easy check-in check-out, we did leave the housekeeping a nice tip for the quick turn down service each day. The high floor rooms need time to cool off, but if you close your curtains and remember the sun does shine during check-in at 2pm it all cools off by the time you arrive back from dinner in the evening. The hotel location is great and I would return again for the great rates and wonderful rooms at this hotel. -I liked this hotel. The location was good. You can walk to Chinatown in 10 minutes, to the Embarcadero Bart station in 10 minutes, to the Powel /Market Street cable car in 15 minutes. Union Square was about 15 minutes walk away. THere were lots of coffee places nearby. THe room was a little on the small side, but acceptable. The bed sheets were really comfortable, and the bed was also really comfortable. There is free unlimited purified water with free bottles you fill yourself. THe adjacent restaurant Elephant and Castle was good and not expensive for what it was. There is free internet in the lobby lounge, and free wifi throughout. My room was quiet, but the room doors were not as solid as you might want. Nice amenities in the bathroom: great soap, shampoo, mouthwash.THere is a nice desk/work area. The financial district location was good for me. Others may prefer to be closer to Union Square, but it wasn't too far away.THere was a sign in the lobby that sometimes you can get an upgrade to a suite for only $25 a night, most likely on weekends. -Crowne Plaza was sold and this hotel is now known as the "Hotel 480". Having stayed here before the change and now for 5 days after the change, I have a comparison that is not very favorable for the new ownership. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATIONBefore I go any further let's state the obvious. You cannot beat the location of this hotel, regardless of who owns it or what name is painted on the outside. Located one block north of Union Square, right on the cable car line and with ample public (read - much cheaper than the hotel parking) within a block - visitors to the city will appreciate the central location. We parked the car on arrival and had absolutely no need to use it for the whole week until departure.Now the not so good news.,, Hopefully it's just the pains of transition causing some service issues but I have to say the majority of negatives with our stay were associated with the service. We had troubles with housekeeping opening a door clearly identified as "Do Not Disturb", phone calls from engineering at 6am about problems we never reported, etc. We were here with MacWorld and selected the hotel because it claimed free internet access for conference attendees - this was not so. This may be a problem with the MacWorld folks though. But once connected for the internet "broadband" - you're better off taking your chances on a modem. The internet access is terrible and in tremendous need of upgrade. The onsite restaurant is outrageously overpriced even for Union Square. We recommend Lori's across the street for a more reasonable (although not gourmet but still good) breakfast or lunch. We're hoping the sad state of the hallways on the 9th floor were due to intended/scheduled remodeling because if not - the condition of that floor is not anything a $199 a night hotel should be proud of regardless of it's location. Minor issues like a TV that continually shut itself off and on again can be overlooked if it wasn't for the $199 a night price. Speaking of the TVs - the small TV provided is kind of strange considering most major hotels upgrades to flat screens and larger models.Having said all that - We hope that this hotel gets it together and may try it again for a one or two night stay in the future to see if things improve. It would be such a waste to have a hotel with such a great location and enthusiastic staff to be hampered by a lack of infrastructure maintenance and management.So we'd be interested to see future reviews from Trip Advisor folks as to the state of this hotel in transition. -We stayed at the Clift for three nights this summer (July 23 - 26, 2004). My wife and I had often stayed at the old Clift Hotel before it was taken over and renovated by the Ian Schrager group. The old Clift may have been showing its age, but it had spacious, elegantly furnished rooms in a convenient part of town. What a disappointment it was to see what has been done to this once great hotel ! We booked an Studio Jr. Suite which was described as an "L" shaped room. We quickly discovered that this was one of the former spacious rooms from the old Clift that we remembered so fondly, but it had been chopped up into two rooms ... creating a window-less bedroom area and very cramped sitting area. The decor makes abundant use of petroleum based synthetic materials (think plastic draperies, plastic night stands & tables, plastic covered furnitiure) and has most opposing walls covered floor to ceiling with tinted mirrors. The mirrors tend to give the room a subtle feeling of nausea and the hard bench type furniture was uncomfortable. The bedding was of good quality but they must have contracted with a lumber company for the mattresses. My wife was particularly disappointed in the bathroom. It was cramped, with barely enough room for one person to turn around. There was no counter space and even the tub was scaled down to fit in such a small space. The old Clift had spacious, well appointed, marble bathrooms.The lobby and public areas have very dim lighting, which seemed stylish and attractive at first, but then became annoying. The elevator compartment was so darkened you could not even see the person standing next to you.They have even ruined the famous Redwood Room Bar. All of the warmth and intimacy of the old Redwood Room is missing, replaced by garish lighting and hard, uninviting bench type seats. The hostess greeted us at entrace with "Oh .. are you here to inquire about reservations?". Acutally, we just wanted a glass of wine before going to dinner, but after seeing what has been done to the ambiance, I was almost in tears.Unless you are attacted to dark spaces and synthetic materials, I would give this hotel a pass. We certainly will not be back. -So me and my boyfriend went back to San Francisco as we love it there. We wanted somewhere central, and easily acessable, and the Mosser was definitely that. The location is perfect, right off Market, so you have all the shops and food places you need around you, as well as the Bart and Muni stations right across the street. We had a very early flight to SF, and online the hotel said check-in after 3pm, but we went and spoke to them when we arrived and they got a room ready for us for 12pm, which was fantastic as we needed a nap! Also the guy on front desk (young guy with glasses) was super friendly and VERY knowledgable about the area, he was a great help when we needed directions.There was a couple of problems in the room; when we got there, the toilet blocked after 1 flush, we called front desk and they sent a plumber up promptly. Sadly it wasn't really "fixed" as it kept blocking again and again, so we had to use the hallway, shared bathroom, even though we payed extra for our own. There was no free internet, and it was something like $20 a day, which is crazy when you just want to check your emails. Also a minor niggle; I really would have liked a few more toiletries! But that's just my opinion from previous hotels giving away much more!Also the rooms don't have air con, just a ceiling fan, which meant we had to sleep with the windows open which was very noisy.All in all the hotel was fine. It was very very clean, spotless in fact, and all the staff were very friendly (we loved Joe, the bag handler!) the location was amazing, and the room was comfy enough, so I would recommend to a friend for sure. -We stayed here for 1 night prior to our trip to Yosemite. The room was very clean and well furnished. The bed was comfortable. Free parking is a definate benefit in San Francisco and the location so near to Fishermans Wharf was great. The room had free wifi and there is free coffee in the reception. On the downside, the walls were a little thin and you can hear people outside, however this did not affect how we slept. The hallways and stairs leading to the rooms were also not the most attractive but we would definately stay again if we were in san Francisco. -My husband and I stayed at the Villa Florence over Labor Day weekend, and it was a perfect spot. No need to have a car, the BART is near if you are coming in from the airport, as well as the trolley just down the block and cabs are plentiful. We loved the complimentary wine and the decor of the lobby. We received friendly help with restaurant recommendations and were pleased over their suggestions. Loved the Aveda products and even though the room was small, it was cozy and it's not as if you are going to the city by the bay to stay in your room the whole time anyway! I have recommended to friends to stay there and will definitely return to the Villa Florence. It reminded me of European boutique hotels that I've stayed in. -It was just a one-night trip, visiting friends. I had no choice, since it was booked via Priceline the day before.First off the positives in no particular order: IPOD alarm clock, plush bed and linens, tastefully decorated.Lastly in no particular order: Mini frig, even though it's inside the TV armoire, was particularly noisy. The key for the minibar was broken, so I'm not sure an employee or a previous guest ate or drank something. Room was small, even though I seemed to have one of the bigger rooms on the floor, based on the emergency floor plan. My room number was 709 facing O'Farrell. I had a view of the Columbia Hotel (rundown) and a view of the Hilton kitty corner to the Serrano.The bathroom was small. There was no room to place toiletries. I had to use part of the bathtub and the top of the toilet to place toiletries. The toilet location was awkward. You couldn't close the door to use it, if you know what I mean. The shower pressure was excellent.The rooms along O'Farrell don't have enough sound insulation from the road noise below. I can't imagine what it must sound like on the lower floors.Room service selections sparse for a supposed 4-star hotel and you must order between 5-10pm for dinner.The area isn't too bad. Just don't go west or south (Tenderloin). Go north, and you hit Nob Hill. Go east, and you hit Union Square.If you need parking, park across the street at the California Garage for $32 total. It was advertised as $26 with in and out privileges, but there is a 25% tax on parking (RIP OFF). But it's better than paying $44 at the Serrano.What else? The fitness center was well equipped. It had 2 treadmills, a recumbant bike, 2 elliptical trainers, and I think it was one of those ski things. Anyways, the cardio equipment were equipped with personal cable TV's. It had a small area for free weights, had one multi-purpose lifting machine, and a weight bench. It was satisfactory.The business center was pay per use.Check-in was friendly; however, checkout was not after expressing my dissatisfaction with the outside noise on the O'Farrell side of the hotel.Overall, NOT a 4-star. I would maybe rate this as a 3.5 star. I would only stay here, if it was priced under $100 a night. -Pros- Comfortable modern hotel (like all other Marriotts)- Nice beds and room decor (quiet with no street noise)- Lots of taxis right outside the door- Most rooms have a sofabed and either a King or 2 Queens so you can accomodate 3-4 adults in a pinch-Free internet access - staff were attentive, courteous and professionalCons- Location - too far from the happening Union square area and is consequently dead at night- Breakfast is not included so you're stuck with their overpriced buffet (avoid at all costs - the pastries were old and stale) or alternatively head into the Starbucks and grab a morning snack. Unfortunately, due to their location there are no breakfast eateries close by.BottomlineI would have no problems recommending this hotel or staying here again on a future visit to San Francisco. -Not a good hotel and not a bad hotel. It goes to what is important when you are on a business trip. Parking is $55.00 per night. Drive one block up from the hotel and there is the parking garage that the hotel uses. Self park there for $20 per night. Internet is $17 per day. Three doors down at Starbucks it's free. Noisy. Requested a room on one of the upper floors. Got the 18th floor and we could hear music and revelers from the bar across the street and streetsweepers woke us up at 4am. The inconvenience for business travelors doesn't make this place competitive with the customer service oriented, comparably priced boutique hotels that surround it. -I expected more from the Sheraton. Their staff was rude, the beds were hard, and if they didn't forget to leave tea bags, they forgot stirring sticks, sugar, or cups. One day we returned to our room and there were ants all over the coffee counter because the maids did not clean up.Parking was extremely expensive at $30 something a day. We could have stayed at a less expensive place for the same exact quality or even better.For a better stay I recommend the Nob Hill Hotel. The rooms are tiny, but very clean and comfortable. It feels very San Francisco. -We met up with a friend in San Francisco and he booked this hotel for us so the first I knew of it was when we arrived (after spending 2 weeks driving from New York). The hotel is in the business district but is good looking with a nice lobby. The area has a few bars and restaurants but it's also well located for public transport to all the other areas so it's a decent location. The inside of the hotel is clean and well decorated, the rooms are spotlessly clean but are tiny - most have the sink in the bedroom as the en-suite shower room is a (well) converted cupboard. The beds are also small by American standards but are comfortable. Unfortunately we did encountera few problems whilst staying here - firstly, when we arrived we were given our electronic room key (swipe card style) however when we got to our room it didn't work. My husband went back to the lobby and returned with a member of staff who also tried the key before agreeing that, we were right, it didn't work. My friend sympathised as he had experienced the same problem when he had checked in the day before. The staff were helpful though and immediately moved us to a different (slightly bigger) room, where the key worked perfectly, until we returned from a night out! We tried to get into our new room and had the same problem as earlier. My husband and I returned to the lobby and explained our problem to the receptionist who had some issues understanding us. For some reason she insisted on checking her computer and then announced that there was no one staying at the Mosser that night with out surname! This was quite a surprise as, we explained, all our belongings were currently locked in a room several floors above our heads! After repeating ourselves several times (each time met with a polite if slightly irritating smile!) before my husband had to go out for some air. I decided to write our surname down for the receptionist in case she had been spelling it wrong (mishearing our M's for N's perhaps?) and finally had some success - she found our details and called for a security guard with a master key who escorted us back to our room and let us in. All in all, this place is nice, clean and well situated but make sure you prepare yourself for malfunctioning room keys and slightly confused (but always polite!) reception staff! -We read reviews on this hotel on trip advisor and picked the hotel because of them. I am glad we did! This hotel is fantastic, I am almost afraid to let people know about it, because I want it to remain the same price and have availability next time I go. The location is perfect and we were able to catch a bus or trolley easily to anywhere we were going, just a few blocks away. Great restaurants nearby. Whenever we return we will always stay at this hotel! The owners are great and our 4 year old loved talking to them every day. -I travel to San Francisco often for work; the St. Regis is the nicest and coolest one I have stayed at yet! The decor is modern, but not over the top modern, just contemporary. Beautifully appointed entry and very welcoming staff. They walked me up to my room to explain the new technology - which is highlighted by a digital device that controls everything from room service to lighting to the do not disturb sign, all with bedside convenience. The beds are fluffy and obviously extremely clean. The place was spotless. Bathroom necessities smell amazing, was tempted to swipe them! The gym is great, not huge but certainly new and good equipment. There is also a huge pool, if you are a swimmer be sure to visit. I did not use the spa during my stay but the menu looked extensive. There is a Japanese restaurant inside the hotel that had amazing sushi. The price is pretty high, but well worth it in today's market, especially for business travelers. My only complaint is that my friend parked there for 2 1/2 hours and it cost her $36. I'm from NYC and I think that is pretty insane. Overall, fantastic. -I booked this based on Tripadvisor comments. It's in a handy location if you are fairly fit and don't mind walking. There were myself and my wife plus 2 teenagers, 18 & 16. It was about 15 mins walk to Fisherman's Wharf and 30 mins to downtown. Rooms were clean enough and comfortable but were a bit gloomy. Staff were very friendly and helpful. There is car parking if required and the hotel is in an OK location but don't stray too far away at night. No problems but just didn't impress me particularly but the rates is very good for SF. -First of all the staff is top notch and the location is amazing! Unfotunately thats all this hotel has on it's side. We had a room on the 2nd floor and stayed for 2 long nights. The rooms are tiny, very old, and LOUD. We could hear pipes rattling from toilets flushing and random noises keeping us up all night. The room looked and sounded like the hotel is held together with thick layers of paint. The room windows looked out onto a tin roof with pigeons at eye level. We felt after the first night that we should find another hotel. Because we were only staying the weekend it would be more hassel than it was worth. The elevator from the lobby is impossibly slow and the stairs are a spiral staircase of death if you choose to walk them.Don't let the pictures and the fancy lobby fool you.....this is not a 3 star hotel!!!! -The Handlery was an exceptional Hotel. Right on the edge of Union Square in the middle of Downtown. Couldn't ask for a better location. the Hotel staff was friendly and always helpful. Our room was always keep clean and neat. We stayed in the older section of the Hotel in a small but comfortable room. It has been well maintained for its age. Your within walking distance to many attractions including Chinatown, the cable cars and Union Square itself. Dozens of restaurants are also within walking distance. Yes, there were plenty of panhandlers around. But that is true for the entire City. None of them bothered us. If your used to the City this hotel would suit you just fine. -It's no secret that the Parc 55 Hotel is in the path of lots of street noise, especially if you are facing Market Street. The sirens are the biggest culprit at all hours of the night, but it's something you get used to pretty quickly. The hotel is really nice and the rooms are comfortable. The views are amazing. We are certainly in the category of budget travelers who were pleasantly surprised that this hotel showed up on a Priceline bid.We were double upgraded at check in. Our Priceline rate assured us a Deluxe Room (up to the 19th floor with a king bed). We asked for a high room and got a 20th floor View Room (20th-26th floors) with two double beds. The double beds are considered an upgrade at this hotel....at least price wise. We were very satisfied. No problems at check in, but we did not get in until 8:30 p.m......no line at all.We liked the 37" flat screen TV and the 5 soft pillows on each bed. The noise kept us up the first night, but we did better with our sleep from there. No problems with housekeeping. The room was very clean. Thanks to the great information on Trip Advisor, we knew not to rent a car. We were glad to avoid the very high nightly parking rates and the hotel is right on The Powell Station for BART and the cable car turnaround. It was easy to get around town. We bought a City Pass at the Visitor's Center at the Powell Station and it was a reasonable value.We did not use the Internet service or the restaurant. There was a nice mall acroos the street with cheaper dining options. The business center would have cost us $20.00 to print out our boarding passes, but the Concierge did it without charge.....and we tipped for the courtesy. The bellman was very accommodating and held our bags after checkout so we could sight see with free hands up until 2:30 p.m. when we needed to head for the airport.We were pleased with the hotel. It met everyone of our very basic needs and was in a really nice location for wide eyed tourists like us. We would certainly stay here again. -I was concerned about trying a new hotel in the Union Square area. I was drawn in by the web site and decided to go ahead and take a chance. From the superior front desk staff, on site parking, its proximity to shopping and trolley, variety of dining choices, contemporary decor, very comfortable bed, clean bathrooms I was so pleased by it all. Union square is a busy, noisy place late into the night and early morning however I was not bothered by the street noise with a courtyard room, or a third floor street side room my guess is that the windows are insulated well. I enjoyed the rain shower head and flat screen TV. I missed the evening wine hour but did enjoy the coffee bar in the morning. I will definitely stay again. If you are concerned about noise, view or air conditioning call the hotel at booking because several different room amenities are available just let them know your preferences -This hotel is amazing: checking-in is a breeze, everyone is extremely helpfull and friendly! We stayed here 8 nights from 24th August untill 1st September 2004 according to their long stay package: we had a deluxe bay view king room: amazing views, definitely worth having a room facing the bay! Ask for a West Tower room, overlooking Transamerica Pyramid, Coit Tower, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz,... you name it! The staff is so friendly, everyone knew our name after two days... roomservice is great, housekeeping is wonderfull, location of the hotel is really good for shopping and exploring the city on foot: we went to Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, Coit Tower, Pacific Heights,... the hotel is located nearby....the food & breakfast are unbelievable... enjoy this hotel for the time you're staying there, cause it will be over before you know it! Great hotel! -It was such a delight to stay at Petite Auberge for two nights. It is centrally located and the walk from Market/Powell is about ten minutes. As a Joy of Life Member (apply for free on the hotel's website), my boyfriend and I were upgraded to a queen guest room with a fireplace. We were also given a complimentary split of red wine and bon bons which was included in the free membership. The evening reception was fantastic (gourmet cheese and crackers, vegetable tray, apple streusel, and wine (red, white) and sherry. Bottled water is free. The complimentary breakfast was delicious (scrambled and boiled eggs, sausage, quiche, danishes, scones, croissants, assortment of breads (great sourdough, wheat, white), fresh cut fruit, coffee, tea, orange juice, and cranberry juice). The local paper was delivered every morning and they had USA Today available in the lounge with a fireplace. The hotel is very quaint and cozy and really does feel like a small French country inn. The hotel staff from the concierge to housekeeping were friendly and knowledgeable. The front desk recommended a great tapas place in the Mission District and also printed by boarding passes for me.I met a couple during the evening reception that told me they stayed at Petite Auberge 16 years ago. I can understand why they returned and I certainly plan to do the same the next time I visit SF! -We stayed here as our first stop from Australia on American holiday. I was not sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. Location is excellent less than 2 blocks from fishermans Wharf & easy walking distance to cable tram and other attractions. We have 2 children 11 & 14 and it was a great location with low noise and comfortable facilities. The free breakfast was simple but nice & fantastic cost saver to start our holiday.There is a great bar acrooss the road called Knuckles and if you like beer you must go to Jac's bar which is easy walking distance. San Francisco was great and this hotel excellent way to see it all from... -This was our third stay at the Grand Hyatt, San Francisco, so we are obviously pleased with the property. We find the overall location perfect, right at Union Square, close to the BART, Westfield Mall, walking distance to the Embarcadero, North Beach and Chinatown. We ended up walking almost everywhere we needed to go, except for a taxi ride to a Russian Hill area restaurant.Our room was as expected, on the Gold Passport Floor with a pleasant upgrade allowing us access to the Regency Lounge. This is a very nice lounge overlooking the city for coffee in the morning, drinks in the afternoon and dessert in the evening. A nice place to relax while reading the newspaper and talking over plans for the day.Service from the front desk and concierge was pleasant and efficient. We had the opportunity to stay at the new Intercontinental and also the nearby Fairmont for this visit, but chose the Grand Hyatt, mostly because its location was ideal for what we wanted to do and we are comfortable with the level of service and amenities. -I stayed here in June of 2008 and the customer service was awesome, bed was comfy and the location can't be beat in terms of walking to shopping, museums, etc. The room was a bit small but given the prime location it is understandable that a builder would want to create as many possible rooms while still maintaining comfort. I would stay here again - I like kimpton hotels and liked this even better than the palomar (where I stayed on a prior visit). -My 18-yr old dtr and I just returned from staying 4 nights at the Tuscan Inn in San Francisco. We had never traveled there and booked the trip thru Priceline. Tuscan was wonderful! The rooms were clean and nicely decorated. The rooms were also quiet and we felt safe. The location was great, just a few blocks from Fisherman's Wharf. One day we got a day pass and took the cable cars and buses to view other parts of the city such as Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, Painted Ladies houses. The bus line we needed was just across the street and the cable car was a block away. Again, the location was great! The 5-6 pm complimentary wine hour was a nice feature. They did have soda for younger people, but ran out so my dtr didn't get anything to drink. In the morning there is complimentary tea, coffee, hot chocolate and biscotti. We arrived at the Oakland Airport and took BART to get to SanFrancisco and then the f-line muni to get to Fisherman's Wharf. It was ok, but it took a good hour to get to our motel. It cost about $8 per person to travel this way. We decided to take a shuttle back to the Oakland Airpost. There was a shuttle that advertised $23 for one person and $10 for additional people...so it cost $33 which was worth it. It only took about 20-25 minutes by shuttle to get back to the Oakland Airport. I'd definately stay at the Tuscan Inn again. Other places I'd recommend seeing include Alcatraz (audio tour), Muir Woods tour, and biking the Golden Gate bridge. -I have nothing but good things to say about the Carlton. We did not really know what to expect when we booked rooms for my husband and myself, and one for our two college age sons, except that it had good reviews, was moderately priced (by San Francisco standards) and was well located in the city. From the moment we entered the attractive lobby and were greeted by the friendly, personable staff, we knew we'd made a good choice.The excellent, friendly service continued throughout our stay. The managers had helpful guides to city attractions, and made very good suggestions for local restaurants and cafes. There were many great breakfast places within easy walking distance, and a small grocery store and a Rite Aide, as well. Taxi service was swift and convenient. The Carlton also offers a wine bar happy hour each day.The rooms were attractively furnished and immaculate. The hotel also uses green practices, conserving water and energy which we appreciated. Last but not least, the Carlton has personality. So many chain hotels feel generic, but the Carlton instead feels unique and privately owned, although it is part of the Joie De Vivre chain. Based on our experience, I would seek out their hotels in other cities.Overall, we had an excellent experience and highly recommend the Carlton! -This is not a bad hotel. The rooms are a bit small, but not unusual for San Francisco. The location is quite good:close to excellent restaurants and the waterfront for walking. Not far from shopping. But... the service is poor, and for those used to staying in Kimpton hotels... this Kimpton is a real surprise. The staff attitude ranges from perfunctory to rude.( Example: a staff member named Mark actually snapped at me at the wine tasting when I tried to find out what kind of wine was being offered. Problem was I don't just order by color.)There is simply not the service-oriented feeling one is used to in this hotel group. If you want the attentive, upscale experience of the Kimpton group, try the Argonaut. We went there to make reservations for dinner and walking through the lobby were greeted by the doorman and two people at the front desk. Yes, those "little touches" do make a difference and they are worth paying for. We've learned our lesson. -The staff were very friendly when checking in. The decor was fresh and atmospheric. The room was large and comfortable. The location is fantastic with restaurants, shops, diners very close. If I picked fault then I would say that the sanitary fittings were a bit worn and the air con unit (which we needed) was noisy. But all in all it was great value and I would not hesitate to recommend the Rex. -We were a little worried about staying at this hotel because of poor reviews we had read online. But the price was so much cheaper than anything else in the area, that we decided to risk it. We needn't have worried! The location was fine--downtown SF is downtown SF. We never felt unsafe, even as we walked a mile to see a show late at night. The room with a 2nd sofabed was humongous! I've never had such a large hotel room without paying much more. It was perfectly clean, and the furnishings were very nice and elegant. There was a coffee maker, blow dryer, fridge, microwave, clock radio and internet access! The continental breakfast was great, the pool was beautiful, and the free parking was...well, free parking! The staff and other guests were extremely friendly and helpful.I would most definitely stay here again, and recommend it to all my friends. -This hotel was excellent. The staff including Brandy who checked us in the hotel, made sure everything was correct and special. We had a great view of the ocean..alcatraz and even the top of the golden gate bridge. Our room was extremely neat and clean each and everyday. The bed made, carpet cleaned, bathroom sparkling. The breakfast was a wonderful way to start the day of sight seeing. It was always busy and always well stocked. Internet access throught their computers was fast and we were even able to print directions. Checking out was a breeze. We stayed nine nights and we can't wait to stay again!!!!Bob and Donna...Tn fans in the land of the golden hotel -Had a corner room, high up, with a nice view of the city. Fairly close to Union Square and the financial district. OK check in, nothing too friendly, but accomodating. Marble-style lobby with lots of black and brown. Rooms had the usual amenities, were quiet, and bathroom was nice. Room was in good shape. Didn't eat at the restaurant. Hallways were bright. Elevators were quick. Decent gym. Overall, a good stay. -We stayed at the Hotel Rex and the rooms were clean and neat and the hotel staff are very friendly, helpful and provide you with exceptional customer service. The bathrooms are a very nice size and bedroom was a good size, TV is small. Our only drawback was the too soft bed, but the linens made up for it. The location is perfect and close to everything. We found this hotel a very good deal as we purchased the "buy 2 nights and get the 3rd night free". We would recommend staying there. -Spent two nights at the W and it was just what I would expect from a W. The front desk was friendly and efficient. Even though I was early, they were able to get me into my room right away.I was on the 29th floor and had a great view of the city. The room was very clean and had nice amenities (ipod charger, conveniently located electrical plugs, books about SF, DVD player). Love the bliss products in the bathroom. As usual, for a Starwood property, the bed was soooooo comfortable. The location was great, very centrally located for shopping, dining and public transportation. The hotel definitely caters to a younger, hipper crowd than I, but I never felt out of place. I had a drink at the hotel bar and the bartender was friendly and made a great cocktail.I liked it better then some of the other W's I have stayed at and would definitely stay there again. -My wife and I stayed here on our honeymoon for 2 nights in early March and had a great stay.I had booked a room at another hotel on hotels.com on Jan. 6th though. Then 4 days before we were to start our honeymoon in San Fran., hotels.com send me an e-mail to say they had to change my reservation from a hotel downtown to a hotel at the airport. I rufused and was given a refund and no hotel. There was a huge 30,000 person convention in town at the same time so all the hotels were full. I got lucky though and was able to book a bay view room at The Argonaut. This was the best thing that could of happened to us! This place was amazing! We arrived at the hotel around 12:30pm and were able to check in right away! The staff were all so nice and called us by name whenever they saw us. The room was amazing! We had a beautiful view of Alcatraz Island and could even see the golden gate. Internet worked great and the TV was fine. It's not a big fancy TV, but we didn't fly all the way to San Fran. to watch TV anyway. What made our stay so great was the concierge. There was a wonderful young lady there that recommended 2 wonderful resturants for dinners and an amazing dim sum resturant for lunch. We enjoyed San Fran. way more then we ever thought we would and we owe that to The Argonaut Hotel and there staff. We can't wait to come visit again. -I think all the positives, and negatives, described here are true. It is a quaint, maybe quirky old hotel in a decent location. Nicely decorated and excellent personal service. The breakfast was good, although the "hot" items were lukewarm. The bed was comfortable. Yes, the fixtures are old, wood/tile floors are old, there's some rust in the bathroom. If this bugs you, don't book here. My biggest complaint was the street noise in the second floor room. About every hour, we awoke to a new sound: car horn, loud talking on the street, arguing, garbage truck, tires skidding, etc. I wrote the hotel and recommended that they get dual paned windows. The hotel replied that I should have asked for a higher floor. So, if this is the kind of place for you, either wear excellent earplugs at night or get as high of a floor as possible. -This was our first trip to San Francisco and Nob Hill was a great hotel for us! The staff was excellent---helped us with getting our MUNI pass; setting up day tours for us for two of the days we were there and the tours were superb; told us where to eat on Polk street and gave us other numerous suggestions.The hotel is in a quiet neighborhood, which we preferred to downtown or other parts of town and the cable cars and buses were very easy to access. The price was great considering that of other places, the kingsize bed very comfortable and the continental breakfast was very satisfying as we set out each day. I would definitely return and recommend it. Judy and Frank and their staff are very helpful. -We stayed at the Hotel Whitcomb (formerly Ramada (@ 8th & Market) in San Francisco during Easter weekend 2007. We read the previous reviews that said this hotel was not very good and it was in a bad area. That could not be further from the truth! Yes, there are some homeless people walking around, but they do not bother you! They are mostly around the touristy parts (near Union Square, etc.). The hotel was recently refurbished, very clean and well kept. Our room was nice and clean. It was not huge, but how much time do you really spend in the hotel?? The girl at the concierge desk wasn't as bright and knowledgeable as she could have been, save your time and get a map yourself. We paid $80 a night (Friday/Saturday night AND during a holiday weekend), that was the AAA rate. Not bad considering the Holiday Inn just around the corner was $200/night. The BART drops you off right in front of the hotel, it's about a 3-block walk to catch the trolley/cable car, or you can catch the street car right in front of the hotel to Market and Powell, where you catch the cable car. Also, another tip that we found out while we were there, yes ride the cable cars because of the novelty, but the "F" Street street car goes directly to Fisherman's Wharf and back. You may find yourself waiting an hour or more to catch the cable car down by the Wharf! Just hop on the street car and you'll save some time!Overall, this was a good hotel at a decent price. We will absolutely stay there again!!! -This is an excellent little motel in a great location. The cable car stops 2 blocks away, buses right outside. You can walk to Fishermans Wharf and Downtown in about 15/20 minutes. Room was very big with loads of storage space. The couple who run this motel are very helpful and friendly. Loads of nice shops, bars and restaurants right around the corner in the Russian Hill area. Would recommend this place for anyone looking for a good, quiet location, but who doesn't want to spend a fortune. Would definitely stay there again. -My family and I have been traveling all over California for our vacation of the year. When we were in San Francisco we decided to take advantage of the free breakfast, good location, good rate, and free wi fi and decided after a few choices to go with this hotel. The room was very clean, but some rooms that are on the side have the view of the other side of the hotel because it is oddly shaped. So if possible try to get a room with a view. The room was very nice we got a room with double beds. The bathroom was tiny and the shower took some time to get hot. The breakfast was complementary but our family likes to sleep in a little so when we got to the breakfast there was limited choices because most things got used up. So get there early. There is wi fi in the room but it is a plug in which was still ok but in the lobby it is wireless. We liked that the hotel was in Fisherman's Wharf and that it was near the cable cars and things. We liked this hotel but the service was okay we asked for extra towels through the phone and the towels came about 1 hour later so the service is ok not the best. I will defenitly stay at this hotel again. -I attended a meeting last week organized by my company, and had no idea what the Hotel Monaco was all about. I'd never heard of it. I can only say that it was the most unique, comfortable, stunning hotel I've ever had the pleasure of checking in to. The room was decent size but the decor was beyond outstanding. Colorful, fun, cozy, warm and inviting. The front desk staff were great. There's a restaurant that has an impressive two story ceiling with incredible light fixtures, display kitchen and decent if short menu. On my next visit to San Francisco I will definitely stay at the Monaco. -Excellent hotel in a very excellent location. I have to admit that our room was right next to Lombard, so a little noisy, but not bad. The hotel was great and the service outstanding. Our room was small but very unique and quaint. We walked almost everywhere from the hotel and had no problems. Highly recommended. -I stayed here for a conference. The staff were helpful and the Atrium is quite a grand place. The room was fine - clean and spacious. Slightly odd smell to the hotel, probably something in their cleaning fluids? The hotel is close to the Piers and everything you want to see is within walking distance. Some of the reviewers have complained about the high price of breakfast. There is a croissant/bun shop ('Les Croissants') just across the road from the hotel entrance, I'd recommend buying breakfast from there. -Incredible location. Very comfortable rooms and beds. Great place to stay! -My first trip to SF and on quiet the budget. My friend and I stayed here for a week and we had no problems. We got a room with shared bath. The bathrooms were very clean and we didn't have any problems with them being to busy. The toliets were tight. Need to suck in that belly to close the door. That really didn't bother me at all. I just loved the great location and the excellent price. Very safe and easy to use the public transportation less than a block away. This is a great budget place to be. Don't expect the glitz. If you have it, go spend your $200 plus a night somewhere else. I am tired of people expecting a 5 star hotel at $70 a night. -This hotel is perfect for those on a budget but still expect reasonable standards!The staff were excellent, very friendly and helpful. The location is very convenient. The rooms are very clean and have everything you might need for your stay.We did find it quite noisy with traffic. -We stayed there this past weekend and LOVED it! The front desk was friendly and prompt. The 24 hr. valet was fast as well. We had an ultra clean, large corner room with views of Coit Tower and the Wharf. The location was perfect for a walk to the wharf and North Beach. Morning coffee and biscotti was a nice touch as well as the all you can drink free wine hour in the evening. You will not go wrong here! -Got a great rate from Hotwire and stayed at the Clift for 3 nights. Staff was friendly and always smiling. My wife and I traveled with our 2 year old toddler and we felt very comfortable in the room. Room size was small for a four star hotel and also the bathroom. But everything was clean and housekeeping is very courteous and helpful. Ipod dock in room was a nice touch as I left my charger back home. Don't expect too much from the room. It has a king size bed, comfortable sheets and comforter. The table in the room is a little small, television seems like it was bought from a surplus shop back in the early 90s but DVD player was appreciated. (movie rentals are available for about 12 bucks a night it would make more sense to buy a DVD disc at Borders or Virgin which are both a few blocks away.) There was also a serious lack of storage space in the room.Bathroom was tight. I mean real tight.Noise from the street is real bad. Once of the drawbacks of being in the city, I guess.Overall, we enjoyed our stay at the Clift and would stay there again if given a competitive rate. Location was perfect for a weekend of just lounging and shopping. -The hotel is in a great location and the staff are excellent, very helpful and friendly. The rooms were a good size with all the amenities you need. The hallways could do with a bit of modernisation as they are very drab and dark. My only complaint is the noise level!!! Due to the great location the noise levels in the early hours of the morning are very high and we were awoken from our sleep on several occasions. The staff were very obliging and moved us to a different room where the noise was not so bad.I would stay here again as the location and staff far out weighs the excessive noise. -I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend stay at Hotel Rex.Staff were excellent and helpful. Room was clean and well equipped. Excellent location for "getting out on foot" to see the City.In that I prefer to spend money on a weekend trip on excellent food and other activities, this hotel at $135 was every bit as good for the purpose as would have been the Marriott, where I moved to on Monday to attend a conference, at $249, (and I don't recall the Marriott offering a couple of free glasses of wine per day either!) -This hotel was foisted on us by RCI time-shares, and was presented as an up-scale establishment. When we pulled up, I was very worried, but the lobby was in excellent shape, and seemed promising. What a disappointment! When we checked in, I specifically asked for a quiet room, as we have a kid with sleep problems. So, of course, they put us on the Van Ness side of the building which is incredibly noisy. Everything you read in the negative reviews is true. Frankly, the people who say this place is okay for the money are dreaming. After we got to our room, we had a lengthy discussion about checking out and moving to the Courtyard, where you at least get free internet. Cathedral Hill has Wi-Fi only, at a cost of over $15 per day. Even the Holiday Inn up the street had free internet service.Negatives: Rooms and hallways are filthy. We asked housekeeping to at least take care of the mildew mural in our shower. Was never cleaned up. Last 2 days of our stay one of the elevators was out of service and consequently had extremely lengthy waits to get downstairs. Absolutely NO amenities beyond a blow-dryer, iron and coffe maker. No refrigerator, no free internet, absolutely THE MOST uncomfortable beds I have slept in in 20 years of traveling for business. I want to know who the people were who posted the review that said they had wine in their rooms! What hotel was that?! And the icing on the cake: I heard people requesting refrigerators, so we asked for one to be sent to our room. Bien sur! Only $5 per day to have a refrigerator in your room. Outrageous. I'm surprised they didn't charge for the air we were breathing.Also, because of the proximity to the Tenderloin, there really are a tremendous number of homeless people around the hotel, and some of them are pretty aggressive about working the tourists.Positives: 1. Hotel security and the guys working the garage were very nice and very helpful. 2. It's across the street from Tommy's Joynt restaurant, absolutely the best meal buy in town. Tommy's Joynt consistently ranked as Best Cheap Eats in town by SF Chronicle. Van Ness Bakery across the street is a great bargain for breakfast. 3. You can get the bus to ATT Park right in front of the hotel.Net/net, no way is this a 3-star hotel. I have stayed in Super 8s that were far cleaner and better appointed.P.S. Mel's Diner is over-priced and over-rated. We thought it extremely expensive for the quality and quantity of food served, and either the wait-staff or kitchen are unbelievably slow. -I have very mixed feeling about Petite Auberge (stayed 6 nights). There is much to love and a few things that just should not be at this kind of property. First the positives: great staff - very helpful front desk, service at the wine reception and breakfast was great and our housekeeper was absolutely delightful. The afternoon wine and nibblies were great and breakfast was the best we had during our 3 weeks in Northern California. The neutrals: we had one of the smaller rooms (cosy queen) and it was adaquate but nothing special (rather basic). For such a great location, the value was good by having the smaller room. Now the negatives: the biggest is the internet service. Petite Auberge is the only property that charged for internet service ($7.99/night) on our 3 weeks in Northern California. This was not disclosed (that I saw) on the Web site. At a property of this stature, I feel that this is a bit cheesy. The second issue is that many rooms face the back alley. Because nights in SF, even in the summer are quite cool, having the windows open is a delight. [BTW - I did not see A/C availability in the room but it might have been - open windows were great]. In the back alley, every morning around 5 a.m. is the garbage pickup. For about 10 min. there is quite a racket that you will not sleep through. So if you have a back alley room and do not have the windows closed and the heat on, I would inquire about the A/C and if available use it. -I stayed at this hotel for a week. We had nothing but problems. When we first arrived our room had a filthy bathroom, no hangers, and a broken window which we had to tie a belt to so no one would crawl in. We were able to change rooms the next day. This room was cleaner but the ceiling fan was broken. We were given a small table fan which did not help. Despite asking to speak to the manger for a week he was always "unavailable". The location is fantastic and within walking distance of the Fishermans Wharf area and Lombard Street. The continental breakfast is okay and the staff there were very nice, often letting stragglers in after the posted 9 am closing.The bar and restaurant have been closed and abandoned leaving empty rooms which give a ghettoish appearance. parking after 8 pm was a challenge as there are not enough spaces for all of the cars.Although the price was cheap for San Francisco and the location was good I would not advise anyone to stay here. The hotel is very worn, in great disrepair and management clearly could care less. Please do not stay here. -An environmentally conscious hotel. The staff are efficient, helpful, and friendly. The room was clean and comfortable. Great value for location and service. -If you enjoy "old school" service and city elegance, you will love the Omni San Francisco. The decor is elegant and the service friendly and impeccable. From the moment we arrived, everyone on staff bent over backwards to accommodate every request and everyone down to the maintance guy in the hall had a cheerful greeting for you. The concierge, Lex ,was incredibley helpful. The room was well-appointed and the bed with crisp sheets and duvet very comfortable. Sign up for Omni' frequent stay program and enjoy benefits on your first stay including complimentary beverage (you can choose both coffee and juice/bottled water per person) and choice of newspaper delivered each morning at the time you choose. Yes - the bar and restaurant are on the expensive to the OMG side - especially if you dive into the steak menu at dinner ($54 for a veal chop - wow!) but have to say I had a wonderful burger in the bar one night and did not begrudge the $19 price tag because it was so good. Breakfast was also pricey (and not as outstanding) but you can add pastries, fruit and even a breakfast sandwich on to your complimentary breakfast beverage order for not too big a hit so we went that route and enjoyed a more affordable breakfast in our room. As for location, you cannot beat this spot for convenience to the Ferry Building, Union Square, China Town and all other points. Buy a three-day pass ($18) from the front desk and you can ride the trolley (stops right in front of the hotel), the vintage buses and regular buses to your hearts content. Also, if you plan to go to the Tut exhibit, ask the concierge if they have any leftover VIP passes. They cost a few bucks more but you can go whenever you want and bypass the long line by using the VIP line once inside the museum - you just have to promise the concierge that you will be discreet and not a big blowhard about having a VIP pass..... -We had a great two night stay in Dec 2008. Hotel staff were very accomodating with our 18 month old- providing a cot, toy and stroller for him. The staff were friendly and upbeat. Our room was also upgraded. Our only dissappointment was the food at the downstairs restaurant- way too expensive and did not meet expectations. -Loved everything about the stay - there for the Nike Woman's Marathon - Lovely location would go again - very nice - -I love the Mosser Hotel! This was the PERFECT hotel for my weekend adventure in San Francisco. Located conveniently on Fourth St, the hotel within walking distance to BART and the #30 & #45 city bus known as MUNI stops within several yards of the Mosser's front door. How convenient. I did not need my car for the entire 3 day/2 night stay. The #30 bus (Stockton) is down the street on Market and Third, and this will take you all the way to Chinatown. If you want to continue to Fisherman's Wharf, the Marina District and the Palace of Fine Arts / The Exploratorium, the #30 will take you there too.The entire staff at this hotel is professional, courteous and attentive. They answered my questions and provided information on restaurants and bus routes. My room had a queen bed and I chose the shared bath for the price. Next time I will upgrade for a few bucks more and get a room with a bath. Upon entering my room, the temperature was warm, but luckily there was a ceiling fan and a window to open for some breeze. The bed was comfortable and a small tv was located at the foot of the bed. My room was nicely decorated and modern looking. Closet was small, but adequate. In my room, the hotel provided a blowdryer, lotion, shampoo and a small bar of soap. The shared baths were very clean and there were bathrooms designated for male and female. The shower room was clean. Not once during my visit did I have to wait. There is a restaurant/bar attached to the hotel called Annabelle's, but I did not get a chance to try it. In the morning, the hotel offers coffee and muffins and there was always a lovely basket of red delicious apples through out the day at the reception area. The hotel's elevator is large and efficient and runs well. A snack machine and a vending machine for water/sodas is located on the bottom floor.The location is wonderful. There are loads and loads and loads of stores to visit and shop til you drop within walking distance of the Mosser. Bloomies, Ross, Old Navy, Westfield Shopping Center within a stones throw of this hotel. There is a Denny's and a Mel's Drive In Restaurant and Starbucks just around the corner too. What I liked best about this hotel is the proximity of it's location to stores, bus routes, BART, Union Sqare, restaurants. It was absolutely perfect.Upon check out, it took no more than 15-20 minutes for the valet to bring my car to the front door for me. I honestly do not have one negative thing to say about this hotel.The Mosser Hotel Rocks and I'll be going back real soon. -Just got back from a long weekend at the Inn at Union Square. What a wonderful place! We booked a queen room, but got a small suite at the front of the hotel - the bed was a little smaller, but it had a separate sitting room with a sofa, chair and desk and a second plasma flat screen tv. But the great thing about this inn is the extras, which are offered free of charge. First, breakfast is served each morning until 10 or so on each floor on the third and fifth floors parlours. The quality is good, with fresh high quality pastries and coffee as well as cereal, boiled eggs, bagels, cheese, fruit, tea, etc. It is served on china and cloth napkins with nice breakfast trays to take back to your room and small tables to eat in the parlour. Also, there are fresh apples and cookies in each parlour all day long. At 5 or so, they set out multiple bottles of wine with really good cheese and fruit and stemware and napkins again and welcome you to a drink before you go out to dinner. There are also other cold drinks set out. All free of charge. There is wireless internet available free of charge, as well as a small business center. At night, the maid leaves bottled water and chocolate. At the end of the weekend, we had not a single incidental charge. The staff is young and enthusiastic and they are genuinely helpful. Be warned - this is an inn more than a hotel - it is narrow and the hallways are narrow as well. The elevator is small and there is no grand lobby, just a number of small parlours. But the rooms are tastefully done with good linens and the furniture and tvs are of good quality. There is no noise from room to room, and our room was right outside the parlour where folks on our floor had breakfast. There is some noise from the street - it is 500 feet off Powell and those streetcars do make noise, so if you really like it quiet, get a room in back. The rooms in front offer a nice view to compensate for the noise. In the last five years, we have stayed at the St. Francis (fancy, but not great service), the Fairmont (grand old gem, but so big), the Villa Forence (really nice boutique hotel), the Hotel Griffon (great location, unfriendly staff) and the Holiday Inn Gateway (utilitarian, no frills). This was by far my favorite. It is for those who like privacy and value. If you want a grand lobby, you will have to cross the street to the St. Francis. But they won't give you all the food and extras and they will charge you more. -We stayed here for 3 nights and found the room to be just what we needed. The rooms were very spacious and we found them to be exactly as pictured on the website. No surprises there. We booked the parking package through hotelres.com, which was an excellent deal. The staff were very helpful and courteous. We especially like Steve who helped with check-in. We called down for ice every night for our 2 rooms and was brought up in a couple of minutes. We also had to retreive things from our valet parked car a number of times with no problems. Hey, we are a group of ladies over 60 except one in her 40's, we forget things. But, we had a great stay. We will be back. -My fiance and I stayed at the Palomar Hotel on June 19th, 2006. This hotel was great, and I recommend it to anyone. It is centrally located 3 blocks from Union Square and is clean and quiet. The Serrano Hotel, by contrast, although also a Kimpton Hotel, was very disappointing. My negative experience began with the reservationist who booked a King Room for us, I doubly confirmed this because I knew that the city was extremely booked at this time. When we checked in, the woman at the front desk was thoroughly overwhelmed and seemed anxious. She was very rushed and curt. Also, when we arrived we found our room to have only a queen sized bed instead of a king, and the room felt so cramped we were feeling clausterphobic as soon as we walked in. The bathroom was clean, in good working order, and had nice ammenities and fixtures but it too felt cramped. The room we stayed in was on the 4th floor and it was rectangular in shape, the foot of the queen sized bed reached the wall, not leaving much room around it. The comforter has loose threads and appeared worn, and the sheets looked dusty and had lint on them. It was extremely noisy in the area from construction and the windows did not block out any of the noise. We immediately called the front desk to inquire, and they left us on hold for so long that the line disconnected, and when I called again, another woman said the original person was on hold with someone else and she would have them call us back. However, we did not receive a call back for ten minutes so we decided to get out of the room and go to the front desk immediately.When we inquired about why we were given a queen room, we were told that all the king rooms had been booked. I assured her that we had booked a king room and she said there was nothing she could do about it. When I told her that we would like to check out and find another hotel, she said that was fine but that our credit card would be charged anyways for the stay and that there was nothing she could do about it. When I asked to speak with the original reservationist, he did some research and told us that they had no king rooms available, but that one might open up later, but they couldn't promise anything. I explained that he had not told us this from the beginning and that we should be able to leave without getting charged, since it had been their mistake. He finally said the manager would take care of us and let me go. Pam, the fron desk manager, apologized profusely and I overheard her on the phone booking restaurant reservations for a guest and she seemed wonderfully helpful. She was the only positive experience in the 45 minutes I spent in the hotel. All of that being said, if you are willing to spend $215+ during peak season for a small queen room that has a Victorian feel in the lobby, then these are the benefits:*4 blocks to Union Square*Attentive Bellman (At least the one who was there at the time, he was the only one who asked if he could be of any help)*Game tables in the lobby, a fireplace and a restaurant (we did not eat there)*Some of the higher rooms may have nice views, we were told that they did by the reservationist because they have more than 17 floors*Pam, the front desk manager, who seemed very interested in making everyone's stay a great one*Updated bathroom*Victorian feelI would definitely recommend the Hotel Palomar over Serrano, we paid less for more space, better customer service, and awesome amenities. Definitely join Kimpton In Touch before you book a room, it gives you great benefits and a better rate. -Perfect for me.. Loved my stay. Great location and breakfast was great. Your going to love it there. -Our family ( 2 adults with 2 teens) from Calgary, Canada stayed in Hotel California for an entire week from August 23 to 27, 2007. We couldn't have asked for a better place to stay, especially for the price. The staff were not just helpful but even enthusiastic. We were greeted very pleasantly when we first walked in the door and every time thereafter. Every day they gave us wonderful recommendations on places to dine close by (something difficult to do among all of the terrific establishments in San Francisco) and great tips on how to get around and things to see that most tourists don't experience. We booked a family suite on the 5th floor which was perfect for us. Not large rooms but enough so that there was a bit of privacy for everyone. The rooms were well kept, clean and even happy with the wonderful colours, San Francisco quotes hand-painted as borders and framed posters. Art and historical photos are sprinkled throughout the hotel. Every evening there was wine and cheese in the lobby which we definitely took advantage of because we met many people from all over the world. Everyone seemed to be enjoying their stay. If you don't want to go out The Millenium vegan restaurant in the hotel is excellent. That takes a lot to say since we are part of a competition barbeque team, but it was a highlight.If there is a downside, it is small. The hotel is on Geary Street which can get a little noisy from time to time, particularly when the lounge across the street lets out. But then, perhaps the solution is to join the crowd as we two adults did one night when the teens were tired and wanted to "veg". We made up for our "sins" by joining the congregation at The Glide Church a couple of blocks away for a Sunday service like nothing we've ever seen anywhere else. Loads of fun.Hotel California is ideally located 3 blocks from Union Square, cable cars, Chinatown and a whole lot of fun. We are very grateful to the staff for helping us with one of the best family vacations we've ever had. Highly, highly recommended. We will definitely be back. -We arrived in San Francisco late so we just booked a room at the airport for one night and head into the city the next morning. The Clarion Hotel at the airport was absolutely aweful! I would say if rated lower than a "terrible". Hotel was dirty, room was small, smelled like smoke although we asked for a non-smoking room.,So it was a wonderful experience going to the Pan Pacific and being greeted by the valet. The concierge service was so helpful in getting a rental car and the room was fantastic. Breakfast was overpriced but what do you expect for a 4 star hotel.... Everything is always expensive. Enjoyed the down comforter in our room and the LCD. The location to Union square was great too. It was only 1 and 1/2 blocks away. We spent 2 days shopping and had a great time. Will definitely stay at the Pan Pacific next time we return to San Francisco. -I just returned from two nights at the Villa Florence with my boyfriend. We had a wonderful time staying here. The location is superb-- right in Union Square. There are tons of shopping nearby and good restaurants. Our room was very comfortable. We had a down comforter and soft sheets. Aveda products in the bathroom were a nice extra touch. Although it is not a spacious hotel room, it was sufficient for two people travelling together. The lobby of the hotel is elegant. There is a bar and an upscale Italian restaurant.For the most part, staff was pleasant. One gentleman at the concierge didn't do a very good job of recommending restaurants for people on a budget, or assisting us make reservations, but he was an exception to the others who were mostly kind.We did hear sufficient noise outside our room from the street below in the early morning hours. I would have preferred an inside, courtyard room-- but those rooms were full when we checked in. I was a little disappointed that this could not by accomodated since I had called ahead one week to request a quiet room. I think there was some difficulty requesting this because I reserved this hotel through Priceline (but at $64 a night I wasn't going to complain!)Other nice amenities are the complimentary robes and a complimentary yoga basket to borrow during your stay. I would highly recommend this hotel to others! -The Galleria Park hotel is in a perfect location for travellers visiting San Francisco. The location is a walking distance from Union Square and the Montgomery BART stop. You do not need a cab from the airport to the hotel, you can easily get on the BART and walk less than a block. The bathroom in the room we stayed in needed remodeling and they need to do a better job with the centralized heating system. It was a little chilly in SF the weekend we were there and they only turn on the heat at 10PM or so. The rooms are a little small but the front desk was friendly and helpful. For breakfast please vist Posh Bagel less than a block up on Sutter. They have the most delicious breakfast bagels you can imagine! -After a lot of research, we decided to stay at the Hotel Vitale for our San Francisco trip. Let me just say, we were not disappointed. It was fantastic!We arrived from the airport around 10:00 am and they had a room for us! We had only paid for the courtyard view, but they upgraded us to a Bay View because that room was ready. It was fabulous. The view really just added to the atmosphere and I highly recommend it. The room itself was a bit small, but the space was utilized very well in my opinion. The bathroom was spacious. The tub in the room was huge. Definitely one of the best hotel tubs ever. Fresh bath products were a very nice and appreciated touch.The hotel did nightly turn down service and left bottled water and chocolates. They also turned on a nice CD. It was always a great thing to come back to.The Vitale offers a complimentary Town Car service within a mile of the hotel, which is very nice. We used it a few times. If the car is unavailable, it's still very easy to get around. Buses and street cars stop right next to the hotel and the California Street cable car is only about 2 blocks away. The location is a bit off the typical tourist path(s) of Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf, but it was not an issue for us.We travel to San Francisco at least 3 times a year and since we know our way around, being slightly removed from the "main" tourist drag was really a non-issue and overall, we preferred it. I highly recommend the Hotel Vitale. We will definitely stay here again. -This is a great hotel! I loved the nautical decoration! The room was immaculate, very comfortable and we didn't have any issues with noise. The location is great, especially for a quick stay as you are close to the tourist attractions. There are countless kiosks in the area for different tours and attractions. We took the cable car tour around San Fran and over the Golden Gate Bridge. The ferry to Alcatraz is a 10-15 minute walk away from the hotel. There are loads of restaurants nearby. The restaurant attached to the hotel was great for breakfast. I would definitely recommend this hotel. -I stayed at the Hyatt for a conference for 4 days and was not at all impressed for the pretty high group rate we were paying. Minuses: rooms are pretty small, bed was extremely uncomfortable, tiny bathrooms(showers don't even compare to Holiday Inn Express for instance), rooms and overall hotel were not very clean, decor is outdated and the fare was just that, fair. Not all what you would expect from a Hyatt or comparable chain. Pluses: Helpful concierge and valet attendants, having a club level room that was on a higher floor, a small but nice balcony, and the view of the bay. From other attendees at my conference I was extremely lucky to garner a room with a nice view, even on the club level, as most were said to be very limited. I would not come back to this hotel for pleasure. -My boyfriend and I travelled from London to San Francisco and checked in for 6 nights at the Carlton.It's a relatively cheap hotel and good value for money, in a fairly central location (if you don't mind walking - which is what you do in San Francsico anyway!).Our room on the first night was nice and clean and decor good, but we had the worst night's sleep due to noisy neighbours and VERY thin walls. Lack of sleep coupled with jet lag was not a great start to our stay! First thing the next morning we told reception our complaints and they were SO helpful and friendly and booked us into a different room and had all our luggage moved whilst we were out for the day. The second room was bigger and again nice and great decor - admittedly we decided to pay a little bit extra per night for this room (only about $10 i think) in the hope that we would get more sleep. Although our new neighbours were no where near as noisy as the first set, because of the thin walls we were repeatedly woken up from people returning to their room, or the plumbing of of an adjacent room's bathroom - and well, we just didn't sleep that well (which we should have done with all the sight seeing throughout the day!). It was fairly disappointing and we decided not to return to that hotel, as we had previously booked, after a week in Yosemite and Lake Tahoe.On the plus side, we thought the breakfast was great (although you can get it cheaper elsewhere) and the staff were so nice and helpful. -A good value for money hotel in a very convenient location. We chose the hotel for its central location and free car parking. It is only a short walk to the cable car where you can catch a ride to Pier 39 & Fisherman's Wharf. The cable car museum is also a short walk. There are various inexpensive but good restaurants nearby (Milano, just up the road, is recommended) and reception will be happy to point some out to you. The rooms themselves are not too flash - a bit small, the decor is quite dated and unusual, no bath - but they seemed clean enough and the beds were comfortable. The complimentary breakfast, that you collect on a tray from reception and bring up to your room, is not much - just coffee (no tea), some sweet pastries/iced donuts (for breakfast?) and some whole fruits (a banana or apple). Overall an OK hotel but we didn't expect too much considering the price and we were happy with the location. -We got a great deal on this hotel on Priceline for 3 nights in mid February 2009. The location is awesome and you can walk everywhere in Union Square. When we checked in, they were extremely helpful and polite, which isn't always the case when they see you paid a lower rate for their rooms. I even asked how booked they were to see if we could have a room with a view. They happily obliged and gave us a room on the 25th floor facing Powell Street. Actually, the Starlight Room was directly across from us so it was kinda fun watching the parties over there from our window. The room was spacious, quiet, bed was comfy, staff was polite. I couldn't ask for much more than that for the great rate we got. We would definitely stay here again when in SF. -Just got back from a long weekend at the Inn at Union Square. What a wonderful place! We booked a queen room, but got a small suite at the front of the hotel - the bed was a little smaller, but it had a separate sitting room with a sofa, chair and desk and a second plasma flat screen tv. But the great thing about this inn is the extras, which are offered free of charge. First, breakfast is served each morning until 10 or so on each floor on the third and fifth floors parlours. The quality is good, with fresh high quality pastries and coffee as well as cereal, boiled eggs, bagels, cheese, fruit, tea, etc. It is served on china and cloth napkins with nice breakfast trays to take back to your room and small tables to eat in the parlour. Also, there are fresh apples and cookies in each parlour all day long. At 5 or so, they set out multiple bottles of wine with really good cheese and fruit and stemware and napkins again and welcome you to a drink before you go out to dinner. There are also other cold drinks set out. All free of charge. There is wireless internet available free of charge, as well as a small business center. At night, the maid leaves bottled water and chocolate. At the end of the weekend, we had not a single incidental charge. The staff is young and enthusiastic and they are genuinely helpful. Be warned - this is an inn more than a hotel - it is narrow and the hallways are narrow as well. The elevator is small and there is no grand lobby, just a number of small parlours. But the rooms are tastefully done with good linens and the furniture and tvs are of good quality. There is no noise from room to room, and our room was right outside the parlour where folks on our floor had breakfast. There is some noise from the street - it is 500 feet off Powell and those streetcars do make noise, so if you really like it quiet, get a room in back. The rooms in front offer a nice view to compensate for the noise. In the last five years, we have stayed at the St. Francis (fancy, but not great service), the Fairmont (grand old gem, but so big), the Villa Forence (really nice boutique hotel), the Hotel Griffon (great location, unfriendly staff) and the Holiday Inn Gateway (utilitarian, no frills). This was by far my favorite. It is for those who like privacy and value. If you want a grand lobby, you will have to cross the street to the St. Francis. But they won't give you all the food and extras and they will charge you more. -My husband and I just got home from our first trip to San Francisco and we had a FANTASTIC time! The BW Tuscan Inn is a very charming hotel with an excellent location if you want to be within a 5 minute walk to Fisherman's wharf and Pier 39. The front desk was very friendly and our room was very comfortable. We stayed in room 411 with a slight view of the flower filled courtyard. Since we wern't in our room much, the view really didn't matter to us. The bed was comfortable and the water pressure in the shower was sufficient enough to rinse conditioner out of my long hair without use of the ice bucket.We stayed 2 nights July 11 and 12. Parking at the hotel is expensive at $32 plus tax per night but the up side is that you have in/out privilages. The garage kitty corner from the hotel is $22 plus tax but does not offer in/out. We did take the car out once for a spin around the city and a drive down lombard street. What fun that was! Not much traffic going down the hill. My husband kicked me out of the car at the bottom so I could get some great pictures of the crooked street from the bottom of the hill.Parking in the city is a royal pain! If you don't need a car take cable cars or muni. I think everyone already knows this. The Tuscan Inn was perfect for us as far as location. No kidding, less than 5 minutes walk and we were right at Fisherman's Wharf. The only slight complaint I had about the Tuscan Inn was when we checked in, we were given a key to the honor bar but when I opened the door to the bar, it was completely empty. No big deal for us as it's too expensive to eat out of it anyway. Was just curious to see what they would stock it with. I'm a travel agent so I'm pretty picky about my hotel rooms but I have to say I will be suggesting this hotel to my clients. The rooms are on the small side but if your not traveling with a big family or a lot of luggage, these rooms are just fine. I really enjoyed my stay here and if/when I go back to San Francisco, I will probably stay here again. Front desk staff even took the time to call a restaurant at pier 39 to inquire about the dress code for me even though they had a couple of people also waiting to ask questions or to check in. My husband and I both enjoyed our stay very much. -My husband and I stayed at the hotel last week. My husband was there for a conference and I was on holildays.The hotel looks good. The lobby is quite nice. We were in a king room in the older part of the building. The room was a good size if not big. The decoration was simple and a bit tired but pleasant.The location is really what made us choose the St Francis. Being right on Union Square it is hugely practical. Cable cars at the front, BART at the end of powell street and plenty of buses around for those wanting to catch public transport. Cabs always easy to get for the others. The walk to Fisherman's wharf takes about 25 minutes (Powell street is very steep!) and walking to the ferry terminal (to go to Sausalito) takes 10 to 15minutes if you go down post st and then market st.On the cons side, the service was poor. Sitting at the bar at the front if the hotel we had to wait 15 to 20 min for a drink. The other bar in the lobby wasn't very attractive and was very noisy. It felt like you were sitting at the check in counter. Concierge seemed quite annoyed when we asked for restaurant recommendations! Being more of a business hotel, it was quite noisy for 8am onwards.I would probably not recommend this hotel for a vacation. -The public rooms in the hotel are beautiful but the bedrooms and bathrooms clearly have not had the same attention. The decor appeared more the result of one of those TV makeover shows than that of the revered Phillippe Starke. The bathroom was clearly an afterthought on the design front. The room was way too small to have a bath, which should ahve been ripped out and replaced with a decent shower unit.........a true design feature would have been a small wet room with a screen dividing the shower from the basin and toilet. The front-of-house staff were all very helpful and friendly. However, the waiting staff in the bar and restaurant leave a lot top be desired and clearly were employed for looks rather than ability (as is often the case in these designer hotels).I even took the drastic step of not leaving a tip, so disgusted was I with the wait for drinks and the inability to get it right first time. -We stayed at the Marriott Fisherman's Wharf for a mini-vacation. We chose this hotel for its convenient location near Fisherman's Wharf and close proximity to BART so we could go to an Oakland A's game. We took a short cab ride to the Embarcadero BART station to get to the game. The valet was very helpful in getting our cab and the taxi fare was relatively inexpensive. The location is within walking distance to everything in the Fisherman's Wharf area. Our room was very nice, it was in a recently remodeled section and everything was very clean and new. The bed was very comfortable. There was a large flat-screen TV and internet access. Staff was courteous and accommodating. We did receive a bit of a shock when we looked at our hotel bill upon check-out. We expected a valet parking fee because every hotel has a fee for parking. However, a fee of $45.00 per day was added along with $6.33 in parking tax on top of that. This parking fee was not disclosed at check-in. Unfortunately, there are few options if you are driving and plan on parking. There is no street parking available so if you plan on staying, be sure to factor in this $51.33 fee per day into your hotel budget. -We just returned from a 3 night stay at the Hotel Drisco. The hotel is very nice and is in a nice neighborhood. Parking is not difficult to find, but be aware that there is only a 3 hour limit on parking anywhere near the hotel without a permit which the hotel does not provide. The bellhop was nice enough to move our car for us when we were gone all day. Initially we got our room for $195 from hotels, when we arrived we were dissappointed to find out that this is for the very least desirable room on the basement floor of the hotel. The room was tiny and it was very hot that day and this hotel does not have air conditioning. Be aware that these rooms look absolutely nothing like the ones in the brochure or the website. We did upgrade to a suite which was very nice and comparable to the pictures on the website. But we did have to pay an additional $70 (they tried to charge us an additional $139/night). The service was very good and the bellhop and maids were very nice. There was one particular person at the front desk who was very stuffy and not welcoming to us. The breakfast was very average. Probably would not stay here again but the suite was very nice. -We picked this hotel because it was close to the Union Square and Chinatown areas. Also, because expedia was having a great deal whereby we got free parking. However, the hotel impressed me. The rooms were probably a bit small, but really that was a non-issue for us. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. I would stay here again. I would have given them a 4-star rating, but because of their attentive, friendly staff, I gave them 5. -This is a great little inn with a fantastic wine & cheese hour and great continental breakfast. We stayed at the Westin St. Francis (right across the street) the next night and I wish we would have stayed at the Inn at Union Sq. both nights. Not only a much more charming experience, but also a better value. Great rooms and very comfortable beds. -I lived in San Francisco for 11 years (25 years ago). I miss three distinctive sounds of the city, the foghorns, the barking seals and the clanging of the cable cars. Over this past holiday season I spent 3 lovely nights at the Chancellor Hotel with friends. From the moment my wife and I arrived we were met by a friendly, attentive staff and our check-in was a breeze. Our room had a queen size bed with a choice of different pillows, a safe, a flat screen TV, wireless internet, a large walk-in closet, a nice bathroom with plenty of towels and toiletries including a rubber duck for your bath(Nice touch). The room was very quiet and comfortable and at night I could hear the sound of the clanging cable cars. I can't wait to return! -So after reading amazing reviews of this hotel i was expecting a great comfortable place to stay after a tiring 2 weeks sightseeing in Europe. i was pleased to find comfortable beds, but we had no hot water in our shower. a toilet which was running constantly and bad towels. the toilet was fixed after 3 hours and 2 phone calls to be made to reception. a long tiring check in- they told us everything we didnt want to know after a 13 hour flight. would not return. -Hotel is close to China town and Union Square, a little further walk to Fisherman's wharf. Cable car stop just outside. Room was amazing. Beautiful views of the city. Bathroom was luxurious. Service was outstanding. The slightest request brought swift and curtious responses. Only thing was the dining room was closed when we arrived at 6pm for some reason, and valet parking added $50 a day to an already expensive bill. -Booked through Hotwire. 2 nights as $230. No king size available, but they "upgraded" us to a Club room. (no difference from the non-Club room) Room was small, kind of dingy and smelled musty. Toiletries were substandard. All of these things were ok since the room had a great view of the city and the location is stellar........until the next day we noticed a stain on one of the beds - on the bottom sheet. After pulling it back, it seemed that someone, who stayed there previously, vomited on the bed, made it up and it was not checked by the maid. It soaked through the mattress and was disgusting. We reported to the front desk and they promptly changed us to a different room. Funny thing though, when we returned to the original room to gather our belongings, the room had been cleaned. we checked the bed and the maid had not changed the sheets! Even though we left the bed with only the bottom sheet on and the stain was exposed. Obviously, the housekeeping staff needs some updated training. The room we changed to was similar in size and amenities, but with a dirtier window. Aside from all of that, the staff was very courteous and the location cannot be beat. Will not return. Many hotels in this area and no need purchase off of hotwire again for this area. -The doorman seemed confused which resulted in a 10 minute ordeal trying to get our car picked up by valet and assistance with out luggage. The doorman actually let the heavy front glass door close on me! The desk clerks were nice but not overly friendly. The friendliest person was the housekeeper who did a fine job with room cleanliness. The free wine hour was great but the lobby was overcrowded with people due to lack of chairs. The elevator's limit was 4 people, however, most people didn't abide by this and crowded in anyways (we took the 4 flights of stairs when this happened). The rooms: the bed was very small (short in height and length), the bedspreads were thin, the wallpaper in the bathroom was peeling and a tile was missing; the bathroom mirror was tarnished; at 9:15pm on a Sunday night, I heard a trashtruck beeping and dumping trash outside my window. The hotel guest book stated the restaurant was not open on Sundays, so we took skipped breakfast. However, upon passing the restaurant, we discovered they were "now serving brunch!" On Monday morning, we attempted to eat at the restaurant and found it closed......a restaurant employee apologized and said they had a late night and would be open in 10 min......we were in a hurry, so we ate up the street instead. We will not stay here again. It was a step up from a Motel 6. We were looking for a nice full service hotel and this was not one. -My husband and I are just back from our first trip to San Francisco. I chose the Chancellor based on reviews on Trip Advisor, and we were not disappointed. I e-mailed the manager, Wes Tyler, several times prior to our trip with questions and he always responded promptly, which was a nice touch. I'm not sure one would get this at a larger hotel. EVERYTHING about our stay at the Chancellor more than met our expectations. We had booked shuttle service from the airport with Lorrie's, which I found on the hotel's website and which I'm sure saved us considerable time as we were unfamiliar with getting around San Francisco. We arrived early in the morning and our room was not yet ready, but we had expected this and left our bags to go on an Alcatraz tour. When we returned, we went to our room which, as requested prior to our arrival, was a corner room with a view of Union Square (room 1203). Surprise! Waiting for us was a bottle of sparkling wine, two Chancellor wine glasses, gift-wrapped photo frame, and nice note from the hotel staff congratulating us on our recent marriage. What a way to welcome your guests! The room was painted in lovely shades of green and taupe, with nice prints on the walls. The bed had a soft white comforter and many pillows. Television, armchairs, dressers, lamps, etc. were more than adequate. The bed was extremely comfortable and we slept like babies for the four nights we were there. The bathroom was plenty big for the both of us, and well-appointed with soap, shampoo, lotion, tissues, cotton balls and Q-Tips, hair dryer, and makeup mirror (plus the rubber ducky was a cute touch!). The ceiling fan and open windows provided more than enough ventilation. The large closet was much appreciated, as was the iron, ironing board, and in-room safe. The room was very quiet at all times, and street noise was not bothersome. All of the staff that we encountered were efficient, friendly, and helpful--particularly Steve (helped us with restaurant reservations), Susie (answered transportation questions and arranged shuttle service back to SFO), and Matt (brought our bags to the room). Everyone that we saw truly seemed to enjoy working at the hotel. We visited both the bar and restaurant and had pleasant experiences along with moderately priced, tasty meals/drinks. As many reviewers have previously noted, the location of the Chancellor can't be beat for just about anything a tourist would want to do in San Francisco, particularly shopping and dining. If we ever return to San Francisco (which I sincerely hope to do, because I fell in love with it), there is no way I would stay anywhere other than the Chancellor. THANK YOU! -We've stayed at Fairmonts before, and all have been luxurious, but this one WOWED us! The front lobby is so gorgeous--you feel you've entered another world with the soaring peaks of dark wood, marble, brass, luxurious velvet sofas and chairs, and fragrant flowers that scent this idyllic room. The front desk falls over itself to welcome you, and we were asked if we'd like a free upgrade to a better view of the city simply because he could offer it (we are members of the Fairmont frequent traveler club)! The rooms themselves were plush, with linens you felt you could float on--fluffy down comforters, tons of pillows. The carpeting was clean; walls, doors were scrubbed (no sticky handprints or someone else's toothpaste spray on the walls) marble floors and fixtures in the bathrooms. And the Tonga room was really fun--Polynesian drinks, an indoor "rainstorm" added to the charm. Too bad the band didn't play Polynesian/Hawaiian tunes instead of soft rock/oldies. Regardless, beautiful, lovely place, and we would definately stay there again. Beware of the parking fee--the daily fee is astronomical. -My wife and I stayed here during Memorial Day weekend. If you're looking for a cheap place to stay in a great location, this is it. The rates were very reasonable ($70 ish), rooms were a bit snug, but we didn't plan on spending much time there anyway so it didn't make difference. It's an older building with a bit of charm, but everything was clean and the rooms even included a mini fridge and microwave.The location is right in the heart of the city in a cute and safe neighborhood. It's a couple blocks from GG park and Haight Ashbury. Plus the MUNI (subway) line goes right by the hotel, so you can get to anywhere in the city just by walking out the front door. Very convenient. The noise of the trains was not bad at all in my opinion. And we even slept with the windows open.You won't find a better value. -Everything about this hotel is perfect. The location is superb, near the sights but quiet at nightime with a trolley stop almost outside the door. Rooms are spacious, clean and comfortable. The staff are amazing, everyone of them went out of their way to be friendly and helpful. One of the best hotels I have stayed in, can't wait to go back. -After reviewing numerous hotels for my three day trip to San Francisco in June, I chose the Mosser for the price and location. I read the reviews and was a little apprehensive, as some of them talked about a "sketchy" location, noise, etc. - especially since I was going to be a solo female traveler. I was pleasantly surprised when I checked in to the hotel - the lobby is very charming and the location was perfectly fine?! The rooms are definitely small, so as people have said, there is not a lot of space if you were going to be there for business or you had more than two people with suitcases. But for my purposes of just needed a cheap place to stay while I toured around, it was a great, great find. I did the shared bathroom and I never had a problem with anything. The bed was comfortable, fan worked well, the cleaning staff did their job, and I never really had a problem with the noise. The hotel staff at the front desk was very friendly and helpful in giving directions and helping me to get a cab when I left. They seemed to enjoy their jobs and working with the guests. Re: location. It was similar to any other large city - NYC, Chicago, Boston...yes, there were homeless individuals in the area near restaurants/shopping/tourist places - but I never felt unsafe coming and going by myself, even later at night. It was very convenient to the BART lines, cable cars, the train to and from the airport (maybe 7 min walk to the hotel). I would definitely recommend the hotel to friends or people I know that are planning to go to SF. -I was traveling to San Francisco with my parents and we booked Hotel Drisco based on the great reviews from Trip Advisor, making our reservation nearly two months before arriving in SF. When we made our reservation we were torn between booking two separate non-suite rooms or the adjoining two bedroom suite. We ended up going with the two separate rooms because of the giant cost difference. When we arrived at Hotel Drisco to check in, we were told that my parent's room had been upgraded to a suite, however both rooms were located in the basement, down the hall from the service entrance, across from an ice machine and the breakfast room. Our windows overlooked the kitchen of the hotel and the rooms were very dark. Needless to say we were disappointed and considered switching hotels, however the desk staff was able to move us both into an adjoining two bedroom suite on the corner of the top floor. The new rooms had beautiful light, gorgeous views of the Bay and Alcatraz and it was like we were staying in a completely different hotel. We loved, loved loved our new rooms.The adjoined two bedroom suites are great if you're traveling as a group, however one of the bedrooms in these two bedroom suites has no bathroom attached. You have to cross the private hall (to which both bedrooms in the suite have access) to get to the bathroom. If the person staying in the other bedroom is not traveling with you, you could conceivably be walking out of your shower into your room and pass a stranger in the hall. It was a bit bizarre. I would recommend this hotel ONLY if you are given a room on the top two floors. It would be quite loud otherwise, and much less private. The only problem is, you are given no guarantees as to where your room is until you check in. It's a bit of a gamble. Also, beware. The prices of rooms fluctuate. When we were moved to the double room suite, the price we were quoted at the desk was nearly $100 less per night than what we were quoted when we originally made the decision to stick with the smaller, single rooms. That said, bathrooms in both suites and non-suites were beautiful and large, the breakfast were very nice, and Thanh (sp?) the bellhop/doorman was so kind and friendly. We loved the private, neighborhood feel of Pacific Heights. There are some great nearby restaurants (try Sociale) and the buses run frequently if you're wanting to go further afield. There's also a complimentary town car service running to Union Square every morning between 7 and 9, which is handy. -This hotel was great to stay in, the staff were extremely helpful and friendly and the standard of service provided was exceptionally good. Overall the hotel provided good value for money along with a great location. Highly reccomended. -Good location near chinatown. About 45 min brisk walk to fishermans wharf, we didn't use any public transport but I heard from others it's very efficient. We spent 3 nights in Vintage court and it was very clean and comfortable. Rooms on the the small side but it is a town hotel with a lot of character. Beds very comfy with lovely pillows, free in room safe gives peace of mind. Ask for a quiet room, our first night was a room near the road and with the sidewalk outside the window it was quite noisy. The hotel staff were great though and gave us a quiet room the next day. Breakfast is basically coffee, juice and a cake not a true 'continental' breakfast but it's not a complaint. Great place to stay and not too expensive. Definitely recommend -Booked this hotel for three nights via Expedia for under $500 Canadian.Good:- Free wireless Internet- Excellent location - less than a block from Union Square- Comfortable bed and great pillow "menu"- A rubber ducky in the bathroom - hilarious!- Large walk-in closetBad/Ugly:- Room was quite cold (San Francisco was going through a bit of a cold spell) and the central heating system was not very reliable. Thankfully there was an electric portable oil heater in the room.- No coffee or tea in the room- Bathroom looked very dated and tub was chipped and discolored- Ironing Board cover was extremely discolored - I was afraid of ironing my shirts in case the stains would transfer from the cover to them! -My husband, young daughter and I stayed for four nights over the July 4 holiday and I cannot say enough about the hotel. It was a beautiful place. We had a lovely, quiet room, spacious quarters, a terrific bathroom and lots of room. Our daughter loved the pool and I thought the location was great. The only disappointment for us was the annual closing of the Courtyard Restaurant fell during our stay so we didn't get a chance to have tea there (which we had hoped to do).The very best part was I had booked this hotel three weeks before we left for our vacation. I had been on every website possible looking for a nice place that was safe and comfortable and affordable, logging about 4 hours a day. I found this hotel on several websites but couldn't afford the price. On a whim I went to the hotel's own website and was able to get an unbelieveable price of $149 a night for a two queen-size bed superior room. Completely worth it and then some! I would definitely stay here again. -A great place to stay, well located and the staff was very helpful! We never got lost because of them. The rooms are wonderful, clean and have everything you need and if you are missing something just call the butler... windows are a little thin...so outside noise might be a factor -It was about what you would expect for this area - overpriced, parking ripoff, noisy accomodations. I thought the room was small and the beds worn out. I did like the breakfast which is a real time & money saver if you are traveling with kids. I asked a couple of questions at the front desk and found the staff apethetic at best. The Marriott across the street is nicer, and if you get the room/park combo it's about $10 less expensive per night. -Just returned from a week in San Francisco, staying at the Handlery Hotel.Fantastic location, being very close to Union Square, China Town, all of the major shops, the Underground (BART) and the cable car to Fishermans Wharf. You can take a train from the airport, to Powell Street station for $4.95 (then walk up 2 blocks to the hotel), saving a huge amount on cab fares! As the weather was so pleasant, we frequently walked all the way back to the hotel from Fishermans Wharf, taking in all of the sights along the way.When we first arrived, we were given a small room overlooking Geary Street, which proved to be extremely noisy (street performers, dust carts, sirens etc. etc.) So after a sleepless night we asked if we could move, which was no problem at all. The very helpfull staff at reception moved us to a much larger room overlooking the pool area, which we found to be excellent (considering what we paid and the fact that the hotel is only a 3*).In terms of eating, there are some fantastic 'diner' type places all within 5mins walk of the hotel or you can wander into China Town or even through to Little Italy where you will find some excellent restaurants.Overall, we loved San Francisco and thought that the hotel was very good, considering the price and location. We would stay at the Handlery again. -I travel to San Francisco often for work; the St. Regis is the nicest and coolest one I have stayed at yet! The decor is modern, but not over the top modern, just contemporary. Beautifully appointed entry and very welcoming staff. They walked me up to my room to explain the new technology - which is highlighted by a digital device that controls everything from room service to lighting to the do not disturb sign, all with bedside convenience. The beds are fluffy and obviously extremely clean. The place was spotless. Bathroom necessities smell amazing, was tempted to swipe them! The gym is great, not huge but certainly new and good equipment. There is also a huge pool, if you are a swimmer be sure to visit. I did not use the spa during my stay but the menu looked extensive. There is a Japanese restaurant inside the hotel that had amazing sushi. The price is pretty high, but well worth it in today's market, especially for business travelers. My only complaint is that my friend parked there for 2 1/2 hours and it cost her $36. I'm from NYC and I think that is pretty insane. Overall, fantastic. -The best thing about this hotel is the location. It's in easy walking distance to Fishermans Wharf which is where most of the touristy stuff goes on. We did venture into downtown SF, but felt a lot more threatened there than at fishermans Wharf. The hotel itself is quite bland, but clean and comfortable. If you are not planning on spending a lot of time on your room then this is fine. But whilst we were there it poured with rain most of the time, and we found the room quite small when we were trying to dry out our soggy clothes. In this hotel we also got a complimentary breakfast which was a good variety, and a good start to the day. We dont like to get up too early when on holiday so the fact that the breakfast was available until 9.30 was a plus for us! I knew SF was hilly, but they still surprised me - and thank god for the cable cars and trams!! We had a great time here, but mainly becauise we were out and about rather than because the hotel was great. The hotel is basic and functional - clean and the breakfast was good, and a convenient location, but otherwise I dont think we would stay here again. Mainly because we like to stay in different places each time, but also because the room was smaller than we had hoped, and that it just seemed very bland. -Booked a room here on Priceline for $125; at that price, this is a steal. Excellent location (1 1/2 blocks from Union Square), very stylish design that has retained some of the feel of an old building. Room was on the smallish side, but perfectly adequate. Only complaint was weakish water pressure. -I like stylish hotels, this is why I chose the Adagio and here are my comments:Room: not too big but very well furnished and decorated. The design is modern and simple, there is an excellent selection of tea and coffee and the minibar has low prices. The bathroom was just OK, nothing special. Staff: I really can't understand why everybody liked the staff. We found the front desk staff very impersonal and not courteous enough. I work in a deluxe hotel in Rome and know exactly how it should be, so I even get more angry when guests are not treated in the proper way because I know what are my rights and what I should expect. When we checked in the boy was not at all friendly. The following morning I called him to say that our sink was not working properly and he told me that it would be fixed in a few hours. When I returned back in the evening, of course nothing was done and nobody apologised. As I expected, the following day as well no action was taken. I did not complain further, as I only had to stay for 4 nights in total. Parking: it is really expensive in San Francisco. In this hotel we had to spend like 35 dollars per night, which is really not comparable to the good rate we had for the hotel. Anyway, you don't have any choice if you have your own car.Restaurant: service there is excellent, the staff is great and the food is good. After 2 weeks of fast food and Mexican food, we really had enough, so we wanted to try a few restaurants in San Francisco. We noticed that there were a lot of local clients, not staying at the hotel, which is always a good sign. Food was very good, price adequate.I would definitely return to this hotel, despite the front desk staff. -My husband and I stayed at the Best Western Tuscan Inn at Fisherman's Wharf for 3 nights in August and loved it so much that we booked for an additional 2 nights on our way back through San Francisco. We took the advice of the people who had submitted reviews on this site and we did ask for a courtyard room. We received this category of room both times and were very happy with the fact that we did not hear any street noise at all! Every evening from 5:00 - 6:00 they have complimentary wine and beer in their lobby by the fireplace. It really is a great atmosphere. The hotel is close to Fisherman's Wharf and the cable car lines. We were also able to walk to North Beach (a must do) as well as Lombard Street. The staff is wonderful to deal with and very helpful if you need directions or advice. I would definitely recommend this hotel. -We booked a very last minute reservation to San Francisco and selected the Westin St. Francis through Travelocity because of the combo price of airfare and hotel. We've stayed in numerous luxury hotels in the city and this one rates right up there with the best of them. To our surprise, it was a suite. We are not disabled, but the room was quite spacious and the bathroom was well equipped for someone who was. The location of this hotel is wonderful, you can't beat Union Square for shopping and theaters and a bustling nightlife. We especially loved being right on the cable car line. Their service personnel, including the doormen, the concierge and the front desk were professional and efficient. We highly recommend staying at the Westin St. Francis on your next trip to SF. As a side note, booking through Travelocity made this trip a breeze. We've booked in every possible way imaginable online, and I think Travelocity is one of the best. Their guarantee of a specific room type, non-smoking, all taxes and fees prepaid, made this trip even better. In our experience, this has not been true in the past of other online travel companies. -Thanks to the great reviews about the Columbus Motor Inn, we spent a very pleasant and cheap evening here. Refurbished nicely and immaculate. Windows opened to fresh air, sounds of nearby North Beach and views of Coit Tower and church spires. Many restaurants just blocks away in a safe and interesting area. Note that there is a famous nitespot next door that is open for special events a few times a month. If you are early to bed, request a room on the other side of the hotel. We had a terrific breakfast at the Columbus Caffe at 901 Columbus. Be sure to request the waffles and artistic latte. -Spent two nights at the SF Marriott and had an excellent stay. I was attending a conference at the hotel. The location is very convenient, from the restaurants, to the high end shopping district, to the nearby BART station. The staff was very friendly. I requested a high floor & got a room with a spectacular view of the city. They are currently renovating the bottom floor but it's hard to tell because they've modified operations to work around the temporary lack of space. Nothing bad to say about my stay here. -We simply took BART from the airport and then walked a couple of blocks to the hotel. Location is great. Right in Union Square. Great shopping, cable cars go right by, plenty of restaurants and fantastic people watching. Staff was very friendly. I liked the size of the common areas of the hotel; lobby, bar, breakfast area. There was complimentary wine tasting in the bar each night; which was very relaxing and fun. Our room was a junior suite, and it was very very nice. Great central location allowed us to get around the city very easily using public transportation. We will stay there again on our next trip to San Francisco. -The Hotel Whitcomb is a great hotel at a bargain price. I am a clean freak, and this hotel was very clean. There were no bugs....bed or any other kind. The furniture is dated, but we did not care. The beds were comfortable. TV was great/ If there was anything we needed, the staff was extremely prompt in responding to our requests. Our room had a huge closet where we stored our luggage, so we had plenty of room to move around. There is air and heat in the room, contrary to other reviews. Our room faced Market Street, and we did hear the traffic, but we were really just in our room to regroup and sleep, so it wasn't a big deal. If you are a light sleeper, request a room that does not face Market Street, or take ear plugs. Les concierge were fabulous, Jan and Ryan. There is a little gift shop with some necessities, also. There were homeless people everywhere we went, not just outside the Whitcomb. In fact, there were very few homeless people outside the Whitcomb, and we felt very safe. It's a great location with public transportation right outside the hotel.We did a lot in San Francisco. The Whitcomb is across the street from the Orpheum where Wicked is showing. If you go over there around 5:00 PM, you can put your name to be drawn in a lottery for two tickets (Orchestra seats!) for $25 each ticket. My daughter won, so we sent my son and daughter to the musical. They had a great time! You can try each day. Be sure you have ID, and if you have a child under 17, you can vouch for him/her. Each person in your family can put his/her name in for the drawing.Buy the pass and get to know public transportation. You do not need a car. San Francisco was great! Eat across the street at Sam's. Good food and attentive servers....I would definitely recommend Hotel Whitcomb, and I am very picky. -After reading the reviews before my stay I made sure that when I checked in I asked for a renovated room. The front desk staff said that all the rooms have been completely renovated. The room I stayed at was the best Marriott property room I ever stayed in. The rooms are big, the beds are wonderful, 52 inch flat screen TV, the color themes in the room are warm and relaxing and the bathroom I must say is a work of art. The brown marble walls and showers are beautiful. The doormen were always there opening the doors as you entered or exited the hotel, asking if transportation was needed, they were just wonderful. The front desk staff could not have been any nicer than what they were, and the staff walking around the hotel were very attentive. My first night there I was walking around the hall with my ice bucket not knowing that all you had to do was call from your room and someone would bring some ice to you, well as I was walking a staff member noticed my ice bucket and asked what room I was in and he would have someone bring me some ice, with in 3 minutes someone was there with ice. How wonderful is that.I guess the lobby and restaurant is going thru renovation and will be completed by end of March but you would never know it. They have the check in area so concealed from any work that you would never know that work was being done. The area around the hotel is safe and so many shops and eating areas plus any type of transportation is a block away (trolley cars). I cant wait to go back.... -I just wanted to add my two cents. My wife and I purchased three nights at the Drisco from one of the luxury deal Web sites and stayed there in late October-early November of 2004. We had a suite with an unobstructed view looking southward -- nothing particularly spectacular, but still quite nice in that it gave the room a very airy feel. And the room itself was drop-dead gorgeous, just like the photos they publish on the Web site. It was very clean (and the hotel cleaning staff were very nice too), and we felt quite taken care of there. The breakfast was wonderful, probably the epitome of "continental breakfast" -- everything was fresh, and the atmosphere was first-rate. The front desk staff was a little hit or miss -- sometimes imperious, other times very accommodating -- but that was a minor quibble. It was so nice to be away from the downtown noise; the early morning hours there were downright serene. As another reviewer mentioned, parking is hard to find, but it's not impossible.One thing I'm picking up from all the other reviews -- if you're going to stay here, you probably need to get a suite. There are a few horror stories among the reviews, and it seems like all these bad stories come from those who didn't have a suite.If we can afford it or find another deal, we'll definitely be staying at the Drisco the next time we go to San Francisco. The hotel itself was one of the high points of our trip. -My husband and I were just going to be in SF for 1 night on our way to a wedding so we just wanted something inexpensive. What a bargain! I got a room at one of the funkiest hotels I have ever seen. The color scheme is great, room was cozy. It was a little noisy since we were next to the stairs and on the street but who cares! The pool/courtyard was great. The free breakfast was decent. The front desk staff was very friendly and helpful. He pointed us to a great restaurant only a couple of blocks away. And have I mentioned that they have free parking. My Silverado wouldn't fit in the on site parking but they have a free lot across the street. We are definitely staying here on our next trip to SF. -Great room and perfect view! The location, service and ambience of the hotel were great! So close to Union Sq and Chinatown. The view from the 16th floor was amazing...especially at night. The trip was a surprise for my girlfriend and she also loved the hotel! -The staff at the Larkspur is exceptional. They made my husband and I feel very special. It's a charming hotel with beautiful rooms in a perfect location. I highly recommend this hotel. -My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Rex over Thanksgiving. We chose the hotel, in large part, due to the great reviews it got on Tripadvisor and it did not disappoint. The location cannot be beat. It is two short blocks from Union Square and a couple blocks from Chinatown. You can also get to all sorts of public transportation with just a short walk. The staff was friendly, the room was cute although the comforter was a little dirty (the sheets were clean). Most importantly though - the room was quiet. My husband is a very light sleeper, so this was a major plus. The daily wine reception is fun and a lot of guests attend. We loved it and will definitely go back. -Very close to the Wharf. If you like to run, location is also accessible to nice running area of the city. Room itself on the small side but more than reasonable. Coming from NYC, actually seems more spacious than some NYC hotel rooms! Hotel is well maintained. Complimentary breakfast is basic and they do have hot food, which is good enough. The work out room is quite sad and pathetic. No pool. WiFi worked flawlessly. -We LOVED White Swan! The service was exceptional (kudos to Brendan and Kevin), the rooms so spacious and complete, housekeeping staff thorough and honest (thanks to them a few missed items found their way back to me). We loved the beds and linen! They offer a full and delicious breakfast, an evening happy hour with yummy hordeurves and wine not to mention friendly setting to share experiences with fellow travelers. The location is perfect, just a quick walk up hill to enjoy the quieter neighborhood setting. Such old world elegance... We cannot wait to return! -Reasonably clean, great location by attractions but horrifically noisy, both from street traffic and denizens of the hotel itself. Staff was very nice. Room cleaning products very smelly, so be careful if you are sensitive. Parking an issue - not enough spots by the end of the day. Bottom line: because it was so much less expensive than any other property in the area (approximately $100/night less) we would likely stay here again if we couldn't find a better deal elsewhere. -This boutique hotel is ok, but could be great with some updating. The staff here are exceptional....the concierge was so eager to assist with our plans and making reservations. Everyone from the valet to housekeeping greeted you with a smile. I booked two rooms, one for my husband and me, and one for my parents. Each of our rooms cost the exact same however, my parents room was very small, and the bathroom had a stand up shower with no tub that could use a serious scrubbing. Our room was much larger with a fireplace and a tub shower. The sink in our room was a little questionable with the dry wall behind it crumbling a bit from water damage, nothing a little caulk couldn't fix. I would only go back if I knew I would get the larger of the two rooms. There was a lot of street noise and noise from the people next to us. On the other hand, the location was excellent, and the staff was so pleasant, I was able to forget about some of the negatives. -We stopped through here with no notice, the staff was super freindly and got us a room quickly. The rooms were clean, and the atmospere was comforting. Overall the hotel was very decently priced, the staff was freindly and attentive, and the rooms were super clean. I will definatley be staying here again! -My first impression was this place is beautiful. When I walked into the room, It was immaculate. It is the best and most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed at. Everyone was very courteous and charming. I definately would recommend to anyone to stay at Hotel Drisco and hopefully I will stay here again. -We stayed at the JW Marriott San Francisco the week of April 21st. We were greeted by a very friendly doorman and front desk girl. We were checking in very early (9am) and she offered us an upgrade to a suite at 50% off (someone had just cancelled their reservation). We took it and were so glad we did! The room was awesome. The bathrooms are fantastic and the beds are extremely comfortable (even my "mattress critic" husband thought they were great). The only renovations still happening at the hotel is the restaurant and that was no big deal since we rarely eat at hotel restaurants anyways. We did try the hotel food once and it was very good. The hotel seemed very busy with room service orders.The customer service was not notch, probably second only to the Four Seasons hotels. They have a butler button you can press in the room and they send someone up to your room. I don't think we waited more than 3 minutes each time we used it and we used it at least once a day. Every evening we ordered up some ice. We found that by the third night or so that they started to bring up the ice automatically when they did our evening turn down service. Great service!The had refreshments in the lobby, which varied depending on the the time of day. I tried out the pink lemonade and it was great. Very refreshing on a hot day.The location is awesome. So close to Union Square. The walk was about a minute long. I would certainly stay at this hotel the next time we get a chance to visit San Francisco. We were first time visitors and this hotel made our experience very memorable. -The good:1. Friendly staff at check-in2. nice view of Telegraph Hill, and Washington Square area and Coit Tower3. It's newly redone.4. Good valet service and very friendly and polite.5. A great king bed and v. good llinens. Good towels in the bathroom.6. Free wi-fi in the lobby area. Works good too. 7. New, fast, elevators. One slight catch is that you have to swipe your room keycard before you push the floor button or it doesn't accept your push. The price of 9/11.The Bad:1. Noisy outside. Drunks all over the place when the bars close.2. Five in the afternoon and unable to get clean towels. They ran out(??)3. Generally overpriced. Want to spend $35 on breakfast?The Ugly:1. Parking will be about $100 for two nights (we're still here as I write this). SF is always expensive, but this is out of line. In summary:I got this room for $90 on Priceline. Good deal for that price. If I had paid rack rate or anything like it, I'd really be sore. This is a made over Holiday Inn, and looks like it. The rooms are furnished with IKEA-level stuff. Nice for a young person's apartment, but not for a 4 star hotel. Popcorn (acuostical) ceiling -- they just couldn't spend the $$ to take this out and it looks really dated and ugly. We had stayed here when it was a Hol. Inn, and that's about the level of hotel it still is--only more expensive. Interesting, Hilton is trying to lose the Chinatown identification. Was the Holiday Inn Chinatown -- now the Hilton Financial District. Never mind that all the businesses outsite the hotel have their sineage in Chinese. This place only makes sense at under $100 and it's a good value for that. -The reviewers who rated this place higher than two stars did so because of the hotel's location. Let's not give credit to a hotel for the development of its surrounding community. This hotel is bad and is not a value at the price of about $70 a night (+ $22 per day parking).As soon as I opened my room's door the smell of dirty old man body order pierced through my nose making my eyes water. On the floor was an open box of trojan condoms, an open bag of chips, and a pretzel. This place is not clean. The walls are super thin, so you can hear large trucks pass by the building and workers yelling outside early in the morning. A patron uptairs kept walking around all night and I could hear every amplified step. They have these old radiators that crack and hiss all night even if they are turned off. Forget about sleeping at this place. Oh and their linens are dirty and torn. Don't be lured in by their nice photos either, they must have used a wide angle lens to give the impression of space; these rooms are tiny. Their showers are as tiny as coffins so don't drop the soap because you'll twist like a contortionist to recover it.I've stayed in cheap hotels all over the world including in tijuana and I can say that any hotel in tijuana will beat this hell hole of a hotel; the location does not make up for this horrendous hotel experience. -Recently stayed at the Palomar Hotel during a weekend birthday celebration. The front desk staff is exceedingly pleasant and thoughtful and they make every effort to make the check procedure as fast and easy as possible.The room is well appointed, with every amenity. The beds are comfy, the sheets soft and everything is spotless. They offer free wireless internet, which lots of hotels charge $10/day extra for.The exceptional thing that happened is that I had mentioned being in town for my birthday. About an hour after checking in, there was a gentleman at the door with a complimentary half bottle of wine and a box of truffles from their restaurant, The Fifth Floor. It was so wonderful and thoughtful and truly made the day special.In terms of location, you can't do much better in San Francisco. It's a two block walk to Union Square, all the shopping is in close proximity, and there is a BART station a half block away. There are many hotels in this area, and I have stayed at a few others, but for a total package in terms of price, location, amenities and service, would definitely give the Palomar top marks. -This motel has very nice, newly renovated rooms with plasma TV. But parking is $43, plus a tax of $6.00 on the parking itself, in addition to normal room tax. Internet costs $15 per day plus a tax on the internet of another $1. TheRaddison, across the street has cheaper parking and free internet. Also be sure to ask for a room near the elevator. The motel is very large and you can end up in a room which is a very long walk to the elevator.the motel. Hallways are unheated and chilly. Bathtubs are very uncomfortable (no slope to lean back on). Location is outstanding, just a block from Fisherman's Wharf. Staff is friendly and helpful. -We stayed in the Gran Hyatt for four nights last week. Upon arriving at the hotel, I was not pleased with the check-in service. We had to wait 15 minutes to be waited on, then we were told to hold on a minute while the clerk answered the phone. They need a few more clerks for the crowd. Although clean and simple the lobby is pretty boring. There isn't anything but the check-in desk and the elevators. One upstairs, we were very pleased with our room. the room and the bathroom were spacious, comfortable and clean. The best part was the view. We were on the 25th floor and had an amazing view of the bay, Coit tower and Alcatrez. Couldn't have asked for a better room. The bar and restaurant on the top floor offered an amazing view. We had a drink, but couldn't afford anything to eat ;-) There is not free internet in the rooms, or in the business center. It is $5 for 15 mins. The hotel was in an amazing location, right in the middle of Union Square, shopping mecca! Any name brand department store and designer you are looking for is right around the corner. -My husband and I stayed at the Cow Hollow Motor Inn for 9 days. We liked the place because it is a great value - very clean, free parking (unusual in the city), free internet (also unusual), excellent housekeeping, great food choices within steps of the hotel. The hotel staff was great - my husband was on crutches and we were given everything we asked for - extra blankets and pillows, HP parking next to the elevator, and an HP accessible bathroom. The corridors are inside, there are two elevators, and ice machines. The room was well appointed with television. coffee maker, hairdryer, soap and shampoo, and the bathroom was modern and clean. The bedding and towels were new and clean, the rugs are brand new, the pillows were great and everything about the room smelled good. Nice, good quality furniture too. We like fresh air and appreciated that the window opened. The only shortcomings, and these were minor, were that the mattress wasn't plush and our room was near the elevator, the stairs and the ice machine, so it was noisy. We are coming back to San Francisco for 10 more days in May and will definitely stay here. -I stayed at Whitcomb for an unbearable night (Jun 6).If you're interested in quality, cleaniness and fresh air, steer CLEAR of this barely 3 star hotel. Our room was dark and dreadful. Did I mention the horrible, musty stench that your nose just doesn't happen to get used to?I was on the phone with hotwire FIRST thing the next morning ready for my 9am checkout. We were then moved to the Westin (Market Street). This was a MUCH better choice as the rooms were newly renovated and we got a fantastic view (and a Phillips flat screen - lovely).I believe in budget traveling, but I also believe in quality and hygiene. If you feel the same way, avoid Whitcomb like the plague. PEACE -While an impressive looking property in a wonderful location, the room was small, stuffy, clean in a cursory sense only, and stuck off a back stairwell. The "view" was of a brick wall, which is to say there wasn't one. The concierge was polite and helpful.Other front of house personnel seemed stressed, disinterested, or otherwise occupied rather than focused on genuine guest service and courtesy.The doorman reprimanded me for hailing my own cab while he "tended to" other guests. He explained it was "...his job to get the cabs, that's how we do it here...". I found his attitude and manner toward a guest of his hotel less than acceptable. Given the look and professed grandeur of the hotel, I expected more in the way of service, room amenities, and front of house courtesy. With the other options available in the Union Square area, my future SF travel plans will not include the Westin St. Francis. -What an outstanding hotel in every way! The rooms are so beautiful, clean and comfortable, I would say they are beyond compare. The staff is thoughtful in a way that they anticipate your needs before you even think of what they are. Michael is exquisitely kind and helpful, without us even asking. That is the kind of service that pervades the hotel. Michael's associate, Eduardo, at the front desk, provided us a gorgeous upgraded room. We were stunned when we entered the suite, because Eduardo gave us the upgrade without taking credit for it. It was only when we went downstairs to thank him that it was mentioned. This gracious behavior is a trait of every employee in the hotel. The afternoon wine service was so relaxing and delicious and Julio was wonderful. Another staff member, Eduardo, fixed our internet access! I could go on and on, but most of all, the natural, unspoken kindness that is an obvious philosophy of the hotel is simply an example to all of us. I hope we have an opportunity to stay at this jewel again soon. -After driving 9 hours to San Francisco we were met by a very rude individual at the front desk. My wife and I were exhausted. We are also large adults. We have never been able to sleep on a queen size bed. The clerk could see this and informed us that we would have to sleep on a queen size bed unless we paid an aditional $160.00 up grade. Our original reservation for a kingsize bed woud not be honored at this hotel at the agreed price. We had no choice but to pay an aditional $160.00. We were also lectured why we should never use hotel.com. Actually," this was our own fault". Over all, the Hotel was okay, but we did feel cheated. I would never recommend this experience to anyone. Customer service is also very poor. We met several rude staff. Management has a real problem here. This all reflects on poor leadership. The clerk went on to explain that this happens all the time here. What this means is that Cathedral Hotel does it all the time. Buyer beware. -I booked this hotel after looking online. I didn't have a clear idea of which neighbourhood I wanted to stay in. For going in blind I couldn't have been any luckier than finding this great hotel! It ended up being the perfect location for me, close to all transportation, and withing walking distance of so much. I always felt safe, no matter what time of day I came or went. I LOVED the room, and the staff were beyond helpful. There was a great restaurant next door, and when I come back to San Francisco, I won't even look for a different hotel. I'm staying here again! -My wife and I recently stayed at The Mosser for 3 days on business. The downtown location cannot be beat for its proximity to San Francisco's mass transit system (within one block to the Bart and Muni, and one block to the famous Powell Street Cable car). We stayed in a shared-bath queen which was small but very clean. The bath/shower and separate bathrooms were clean and well maintained. Our room had a closet,sink, bath robes, towels, soaps, ironing board and iron, a cute little TV with cable/pay movies, and CD radio. The room was a little warn the first night, but after running the overhead fan and opening the windows (no AC), the room temperature became tolerant. It was a little noisy outside but noise from other rooms was virtually non-existent (a nice surprise for me). Breakfast was minimal (coffee, tea, and excellent fresh muffins), but was included in the room rate. Speaking of room rates, you would have to be a travel agent to get a better deal in downtown SF than our rate booked through their website ($55/night + tax). At check-in we were offered an en-suite queen upgrade for and additional $20 but declined. I'm glad I did and the money we saved was well spent elsewhere in the city. The hotel also stored our luggage after we checked out, and the front desk agent even made a reservation for us at the restaurant next door. We would definitely return to this hotel if we travel back to San Francisco. -We live only 25 minutes from SF and decided last minute to go one night Labor Day Weekend. We took our chances on Hotels.com to get a room w/ balcony. But no luck. Room was on the smallish side, but clean. The sleep number bed is truly a joke. My seven yr old found it hilarious to take it down to zero..too much like a toy. Still, if you have to share and sleep on the edge it's like having a 2x4 in your back. Yep, parking is $35 with a small parking lot that brought out the worst in folks when trying to get a stall. However, they let you check out and leave car until 7:00 at no extra charge. So we went to lunch and took a cable car ride before heading home. If you do this, you must check out and get a new key card to get let yourself out of the garage. First time I've encountered an establishment who really heats the pool, and we had a nice swim. Pool area clean with tables, lounges and towels.Location to Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf is fantastic.So much fun just to ride down the elevator and be there!We found the staff to be accomodating with requests and the concierge was working his rear off to help everyone out.Though there are plenty of good hotels very close in distance to this, I would absolutely go back and just make sure I get the balcony room. That's one bonus most of the others can't offer. -I just returned from two nights at the Villa Florence with my boyfriend. We had a wonderful time staying here. The location is superb-- right in Union Square. There are tons of shopping nearby and good restaurants. Our room was very comfortable. We had a down comforter and soft sheets. Aveda products in the bathroom were a nice extra touch. Although it is not a spacious hotel room, it was sufficient for two people travelling together. The lobby of the hotel is elegant. There is a bar and an upscale Italian restaurant.For the most part, staff was pleasant. One gentleman at the concierge didn't do a very good job of recommending restaurants for people on a budget, or assisting us make reservations, but he was an exception to the others who were mostly kind.We did hear sufficient noise outside our room from the street below in the early morning hours. I would have preferred an inside, courtyard room-- but those rooms were full when we checked in. I was a little disappointed that this could not by accomodated since I had called ahead one week to request a quiet room. I think there was some difficulty requesting this because I reserved this hotel through Priceline (but at $64 a night I wasn't going to complain!)Other nice amenities are the complimentary robes and a complimentary yoga basket to borrow during your stay. I would highly recommend this hotel to others! -This place doesn't have to try too hard to be ultra hip or cool. The fact that the hotel doesn't even have to put a sign on the building or the door will tell you that. With that being said, a stay at the Clift can transport you to a hip and trendy city lifestyle, which is exactly what I wanted for a weekend getaway from suburbia. The rooms are clean, light, and tastefully decorated in a very modern style; very comfy sleigh bed with superior down and cotton bedding. I'm pretty picky about my sheets, and I was tempted to buy these to take home with me. The hotel has the bedding custom made for them and new sets are available for sale. A stay at the Clift can be pricey. This is a trendy five-star hotel after all. However, packages can be found with good discounts for people not wanting regular chain-like accomodations and adventurous to try something different. I opted for a deluxe room at the Clift and was glad I did. There were three large windows in my outside facing corner room allowing lots of light and pleasant city sounds to filter in. The Clift's location is not ideal for sweeping views; but this was acceptable with me when selecting the hotel. A nice touch to the decor of the room were the mirrors and floor to ceiling curtains adorning the walls. No need for artwork that way, just the pleasant mix of colors, fabrics, glass, and contemporary furniture. Is the decor what I might select for my home? Probably not, but the change of scenery sure was fun for a evening. The room had candles and matches ready to go and the warm indirect lighting helped make this a contemporary romantic getaway. The CD player had excellent sound and the DVD player was a nice touch. Some might find the tv a joke as it's only a 19" model, but then again, I wasn't shelling out big bucks for watching tv. The location of the Clift is excellent for the theatre/shopping crowd and getting a cab is not too difficult. The front desk staff and the doormen were very friendly and helpful. The only thing keeping this stay from being an excellent experience was the breakfast at the Asia De Cuba restaurant. The decor and the food are nice, but they must have been understaffed the morning I decided to go, although the restaurant was not even 25% full. Breakfast was included with my special package rate, so this is where I was going to dine no matter what, but I expected decent, if not excellent and courteous service at such a fine restaurant. I could barely get a refill on my iced tea. The table next to mine was getting very impatient and almost downright rude about the slow service. All in all, I would steer clear of breakfast, unless it's included in your rate. Reviews for lunch and dinner seem to be better...so maybe someday I'll check it out, but with so many other choices in the city, the Asia De Cuba left a bad impression on me and it will be some time before I return to eat there. Some people leaving reviews have complained about noise, smelling smoke in the hallways, and having no dresser in the room, but I did not encounter any problem with these. I found the closet adequate for my luggage and unpacking of my necessary items so as to reduce wrinkling. As for noise, this is the CITY, not a country getaway, so I anticipated I'd hear some noise at some point in my stay, but honestly, I was never disrupted by noise in any way. I definitely rate the hotel very high in terms of a nice stay and felt I had a good value for my money. -This is a lovely hotel with nice rooms, easy access to all the tourist spots in San Francisco and some of the worst service I have ever experienced. I am a regular traveler, staying in hotels about once every other month or so for several days, and I have stayed in several other hotels in SF that are rated the same as the Parc 55. The biggest difference between these hotels is that the Parc 55 really doesn't seem to value customer service. There was a convention going on during my stay, but from what the staff said there is usually a convention going on. This might have had an effect on my service, but if conventions are a regular event, then I doubt the service improves much from week to week.The good: I got a Club room on the 29th floor and the room and view were beautiful. The breakfast was delicious and varied and I was very glad I upped my reservation for this alone. The bad: The service in general was awful, but be especially wary of the bell staff. When I first arrived my luggage was loaded on to a cart and taken up to meet me at the 2nd floor registration. During the 5 minutes of travel time a small bag containing cash and other valuables went missing. When I pointed this out I was asked to check my car, person, etc. to make sure I had not misplaced it. I did and the bag was just gone, but I know for a fact it was on the cart. This was dismissed by the staff when I brought it to their attention and I was not even offered an apology. Then, on my last day, I had a bellman up to my room to collect my bags and AGAIN during the trip from my room to the bell staff area downstairs THREE items were lost. I was again told to check my room, person, etc. to make sure I hadn't lost these items. Unlikely, as the missing items were a fedora hat, a foam pillow and a t-shirt that was on the pillow. I did as I was asked, but my items were nowhere to be found. I was then berated by a bellman who insisted that I had lost the items on my own. I asked repeatedly for the bell staff to check the service halls and elevator for my missing items, but I was told they were not there. I spoke with managers, bell staff, housekeeping, everyone they could shunt me off to, but no one was helpful at all. I finally had to leave without my items, but I took the names and phone numbers of those involved. I called the next day and spoke with another manager who SHOCKINGLY said, why yes, those items are sitting here in our lost and found. I had to drive nearly two hours to pick them up because the hotel refused to mail them.I will never stay at this hotel again for obvious reasons, but if you choose to do so PLEASE DO NOT USE THE BELL STAFF!!! FOR THE SAFETY OF YOUR LUGGAGE BEWARE!!! -I spent two whole weeks for business travel at this Hilton in July 2009. The hotel is very nice overall, close to Union Square neighborhood, cable car on Powell street and public transportation at Market/Powell bus and metro/BART. I enjoyed a fair sized room with a fabulous view from the 43rd floor. I also enjoyed the excellent fitness center. Since I am a Hilton Honors Diamond level member, I was able to enjoy the higher floor and the fitness center without paying extra. The maid service was quite good (don't forget to tip daily if you want VIP treatment). The Urban Tavern restaurant offers interesting fare and some nice wines at usual center city hotel prices. There is a Starbucks in the lobby, priced higher than most of course. The rooftop pool and hot tub looked lovely, but it was too cold outside to take a dip. Those things aside, the downside to this Hilton is threefold. 1. Do not stay at this hotel if you want to use the fitness center and are not a Hilton Diamond or higher as the hotel charges $15 per day for the privelege of entering the Spa fitness center. This is not stated on their website; you just see the little fitness center icon. 2. The neighborhood is really the Tenderloin district, quite a down-and-out neighborhood, not really Union Square area as advertised. Walk to the east when leaving the hotel, and avoid the streets to the left and behind the hotel. 3. If you need to rent a car, the hotel charges a ridiculous upcharge to arrange a rental. Cross the street in front of the hotel, and rent a car directly from any one of 4 rental car vendors. It is cheaper to rent a car each day than to park at the hotel ($54/day to park at Hilton). -We spent 2 nights at the Ritz San Francisco over the Memorial Day weekend holiday. Overall, it was a fantastic experience. From the greetings as we entered the grand lobby area (the smell of fresh flowers is truly wonderful), to the beautiful room, we truly enjoyed the experience.Pros: Excellent room service & food items offered; top quality bath and room amenities; very friendly staff; the Fitness Center (fruit-infused water, steam room, pool--need I say more?); bottled water provided when you valet and take your car out.Cons: I would have preferred a separate tub and shower, but I think due to limited space in the city, it needed to be done this way. We had a special order of water and cheese, but it was not in our room when we first arrived, and it took 2 phone calls to get it up there (and it was missing requested items, such as lemons and ice). I also visited the spa, and they were 10 minutes late in getting to me, which I think they should work on. Also, the valet attendant nearly gave another couple our rental car (!), very random. If it wasn't for my husband arriving to the scene a few seconds later, someone else would have driven off with our car (so be sure you are there before your car arrives). -Just got back and felt this was a very good hotel for the money. Very clean and staff was helpful. We reserved a bay view room for $149 (floors 9-11) but unfortenatly the FOG blocked most of the views... the hotel is about 10 blocks from the bay so we could see the houses and businesses all the time!We arrived way early (930 am) and our room was ready so we got to check in! Breakfast was ok.. cereal, boiled eggs, fruit, juices, bagels... nothing super.. but plenty.We flew into SFO and took BART ($4.95) to Powell station, then bought a 3 day UNI bus/trolley car pass for $15.. took Powell-Hyde trolley (we packed light) to Lombard street and walked 3 blocks down to hotel. It is true, busses nearby.. I was a bit nervous about finding my way around but the front desk staff extremely friendly and had a map of a few major routes... found out 1 block away bus 30 goes by fishermans warf area, then china town, then financial district, then by Powell station. It comes about every 7 minutes! So we rode 30 about 20 times. So excellent location for using public transit.. and staff is helpful.Only compliant is that the windows are not mirrored at all... so close the drapes for privacy... we discovered this later in the day when we went out for a walk.. a little too late.Again, we would stay in a heartbeat again here... very clean and in good shape.. they also use newer keys than the old magentic cards. They even held our bags the last day all day long for no charge! -Returning after three years to this lovely hotel, we weren't disappointed. Again we had a very pleasant stay. The staff was as welcoming and caring as during our first visit. Breakfast was abundant. We enjoyed our morning newspapers and our daily workouts in the little Drisco gym. But the biggest surprise was - that upon request - we received our favourite room. All this, combined with it's charming location in one of the most attractive cities of the world, makes the Drisco a true gem. And so, once again, we will most certainly return. Dear Drisco staff: we are in love. -First off, the hotel is quite charming. The lobby is ornate, and the rooms have character! It's in a bustling neighborhood that is a great location for getting about San Francisco. It's also even a little on the inexpensive side, especially considering the great value.That being said, checking in was a nightmare, with no fault to the hotel itself. (Long story short, my bank decided the charges from multiple locations looked suspicious, and after much pleading with the bank, things were mostly taken care of.) Although this was quite an embarassing situation, the lady at the front desk mixed the right amount of compassion and humour, and eventually, everything worked out fine.So, bottom line? Lovely hotel, comfortable rooms, great front desk lady! -Fantastic hotel, in a great location. When we arrived check in was very quick with great staff. The room was amazing and in fantastic condition with great decor. This was the same throughout the hotel. Couldn't really comment on the food as we ate out in the various restaurants close by. The main city is not that far away, particularly by tram.Would recommend hiring a bike from the place close by and cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge and get the ferry back. -What makes a great hotel experience? In my opinion it's the personal comfort level, the suitability of the accomodations for your purpose as well as exemplary customer service, the kind of service that anticipates your needs and fulfills them graciously.My business partner and I meet in SF several times a year for a few days. Three years ago we lucked upon the Hotel Rex. The remodeling wasn't complete and things were a little crazy but our room was perfect cozy for hanging out and business planning - spacious, with arty literary furnishings - and the staff bent over backwards to compensate for any inconvenience. We had forgotten toothpaste and there was none at the front desk - oh well - a knock on our door came shortly after and there stood the hotel night manager who had brought us his own toothpaste!We were hooked! Since then, remodeling complete, the Rex has turned into our cosmopolitan home-away-from-home- we have stayed there 10+ times. The restaurant is fabulous, the menu is smallish, but the food is impeccable; the bar and downstairs lounge perfect for relaxing and entertaining clients; the staff has had very little turnover and they remember us by name and treat us like family.The Rex is a boutique hotel - not a slick, high-end, luxury hotel. If that's what you crave, try The W or the St. Francis - both are wonderful. But if you want a place to kick your shoes off that's close to a perfect location for ambling around The City that will leave you refreshed and happy, the Hotel Rex is the place to be. -We stayed at the Adagio at the beginning of August. It's very well placed for visiting San Francisco and the receptionists were very helpful about giving addresses for restaurants. The room was big and the bed was comfortable although I thought the bathroom wasn't really up to the standard of the bedroom itself. My husband and I were at the back of the hotel so it was quiet but my eldest daughter was at the front where it was noisier. One night she was woken by one of the many homeless who was singing at the top of his voice. Free tea, coffee and lemonade in the lobby is great. The breakfast was a bit expensive but you can always go out and have breakfast in one of many restaurants nearby. -I am a Hilton Honors Diamond member and I've been staying at this hotel for years. After my last stay I have to say that I will never stay in this hotel again. In the past I was always given an upgraded room on the top floors of tower 1. This time I was on the 16th floor of tower 1, right by the walkway to tower 3. I couldn't even open my draperies because everyone on the walkway could look right into my room.The room itself felt dirty. The carpeting was old and very yucky. Everything in this room felt old and very outdated. I have to believe that the rooms are the same size in this tower but it felt much smaller than the rooms that I have been in in the past. They have closed the concierge lounge at this hotel which is really a shame. It was on the top floor with beautiful views of the city and was a great place to relax after a long day of meetings.The one thing I still like is the gym. It's very nice with great equipment and not over crowded. I honestly do not know what's going on with Hilton at a corporate level. I spend an average of 15 nights a month in Hilton hotels and have noticed a serious decline in customer service across the board. I realize that times are tough in the travel industry but they have to start treating their best customers better. The colleague I was travelling with had the exact same feeling. -The St. Francis has the best location in the City, overlooking Union Square and next to the City's best shopping. Rooms are huge, and when we stayed the hotel had just put in flat screen TVs in all the rooms. The room service was also excellent--extremely speedy. I had the Kobe beef burger and fries. Both were fantastic, and surprisingly about half the price normally charged by hotels in this league. All around best hotel experience I have had on the West Coast. -Stayed at the Cow Hollow Motor Inn just one night as we were in town to watch the Giants play (got to see Barry hit #750) . Motel is very well kept, room was large by SF standards , lots of counter space in bathroom, good water pressure. Place seemed very secure , you have to use your room key to access elevators. Best of all parking is free in a enclosed parking lot, parking space is a premium in SF , with most hotels charging $35-45 dollars per day for parking. Heck we paid $30 to park at the ballgame and another $12 to go to the farmers market at the ferry building. As noted by other entries there are numerous places to eat within 2 square blocks of motel including Mels Diner ( of American Graffitti fame) right across the street. We had a 3rd floor king w/ city view , nice view however if you open the windows the noise from Lombard Street is very loud , once closed noise barley audiable. Staff were very effeicent check in and out took less than 5 minutes. All in all the motel met all our needs and we will not hesitate to stay here again. -I stayed at the hotel in October - not at a small expense -$180 dollars/night. The room had an aweful musty odour, furniture and soft furnishings looked tired and the carpet was in a terrible state. After the first night , I woke up with a very itchy rash. This deteriorated as the days went by and by the time I got back to the UK, the rash was covering my entire body including my face. Uncertain of what was happening to my body, I was in a great deal of distress fearing the worst.The rash was so itchy and so unsightly that I was obliged to cancel all my clinics ( I am a doctor) and research work. I saw a dermatologist who immediately and without any hesitation diagnosed bed bug bites. I believe that this is absolutely unacceptable and shocking!! Bed bug bites are known to be a source of transmission of Hepatitis B and Chagas disease which are both potentially fatal conditions. There have also been reports of death by anaphylactic shock in the unlucky few. However, what is even more appalling is that I have paid good money ($180/night) only to suffer this very horrific outcome which has caused me great distress and affected my productivity at the conference in San Francisco as well as affecting my work, my patients and my income. It has also essentially ruined what has been a very expensive and potentially rewarding trip to San Francisco.There is also a risk that the bed bugs may have been transported to my home in my suitcase with a hazard to all at home and a great deal of expense and hassle to eradicate.Phoned management who said they will get back to me but they haven't despite emailing them and also notifying them in the post. -We arrived after a long day's travelling from the UK and were delighted to find that the hotel exceeded our expectations. The room was very well appointed with quality furnishings and it was decorated in a classy and individual style, not what you normally expect from a chain hotel in a touristy location. It had more of a boutique hotel feel to it.After settling in and getting freshened up (great Tea Tree and Avacado shampoo by the way) we enjoyed the complimentary wine hour, where we were encouraged to sample all the varieties on offer. Suitably fortified, we set out on our first evening feeling very positive about the hotel, San Francisco and the world in general!The King size bed was longer and wider than the equivalent in the UK and extremely firm and comfortable - we're now shopping for a replacement at home using this as the benchmark.Morning coffee, tea and biscotti in the lobby was very convenient and as with the evening wine sessions, provided an oppurtunity to chat with other guests and swap tips on where to go and what to do.I'd seen a previous review recommending getting a room on the top floor in order to minimise traffic noise. We did and it was indeed very quiet (although the traffic didn't seem particularly heavy in the first place).All in all, an excellent stay over 4 nights and very good value for money. Great room, friendly staff, superb location - just a couple of blocks away from the hustle and bustle of Fisherman's Wharf and 2 minutes from the cable car turnaround that takes you straight to Union Square.We'll definitely stay there on our next visit to SF. -I had the most wonderful stay at The Parc 55. recommended by my sister as amazing value for money and excellent location in the heart of all the shops and things to do. Catch the trolley to the Quay or just shop until you drop. It is all there. Ericka at Reception checked me in and Hanif is an encyclopedia about where to go and how to get there. he is calm and so professional.Thanks to Ericka and Hanif for an amazing stay. see you soon! Manny , Vancouver, Canada -We stayed in Hotel Rex for two nights in July. The only other boutique hotel we've stayed at in San Francisco is the Serrano, which for some reason we were able to book amazingly cheap rooms for in 2007 (had a look at Serrano for this trip and rates were well over $200 a night). So with the Serrano as our only point of comparison, I'd say the Hotel Rex is a good value boutique hotel for San Franciso that might not knock your socks off, but for the money has enough going for it to still make it a great place to stay. Our room was stylish with contemporary linens and funky framed art, if a little on the 'cozy' side. The bathroom was also a bit small but nice enough. Room was a bit stuffy but we opened up our window (so great to be able to do that!) and used the fan that was provided in the room and I slept like a rock both nights. The window was facing the street, but we were far enough up that noise wasn't really a problem (especially with the fan going). The location is great - very central and always felt safe walking around the area. In terms of service, found everybody friendly and helpful enough, but nothing extraordinary (I think that was what had really 'wowed' us about the Serrano...)What I liked most: the fun, funky decor and being able to open our window.What I liked least: It felt a bit 'cramped' everywhere - in the hallways and the room. -If you enjoy "old school" service and city elegance, you will love the Omni San Francisco. The decor is elegant and the service friendly and impeccable. From the moment we arrived, everyone on staff bent over backwards to accommodate every request and everyone down to the maintance guy in the hall had a cheerful greeting for you. The concierge, Lex ,was incredibley helpful. The room was well-appointed and the bed with crisp sheets and duvet very comfortable. Sign up for Omni' frequent stay program and enjoy benefits on your first stay including complimentary beverage (you can choose both coffee and juice/bottled water per person) and choice of newspaper delivered each morning at the time you choose. Yes - the bar and restaurant are on the expensive to the OMG side - especially if you dive into the steak menu at dinner ($54 for a veal chop - wow!) but have to say I had a wonderful burger in the bar one night and did not begrudge the $19 price tag because it was so good. Breakfast was also pricey (and not as outstanding) but you can add pastries, fruit and even a breakfast sandwich on to your complimentary breakfast beverage order for not too big a hit so we went that route and enjoyed a more affordable breakfast in our room. As for location, you cannot beat this spot for convenience to the Ferry Building, Union Square, China Town and all other points. Buy a three-day pass ($18) from the front desk and you can ride the trolley (stops right in front of the hotel), the vintage buses and regular buses to your hearts content. Also, if you plan to go to the Tut exhibit, ask the concierge if they have any leftover VIP passes. They cost a few bucks more but you can go whenever you want and bypass the long line by using the VIP line once inside the museum - you just have to promise the concierge that you will be discreet and not a big blowhard about having a VIP pass..... -Fantastic rate can be found on PRICE LINE or HOT WIRE. The location is SOMA but close to China Town and Union Sq. IT IS VERY CLOSE to several MUNI public transportation stops so it's really easy to get around. It is close to some convention centers as well. The beds are comfortable and clean. The rooms are roomy and nicely appointed. We would highly recommend this hotel to those tourists who want to stay at a nice place at a great price (just over $135 per night if you get a good PriceLine quote).Recommend dining at LULU just 2 blocks east of the hotel --- Great food!!ALSO: Don't rent a car in S.F. The MUNI public transportation is fantastic and cheap. get the 1 day or 3 day MUNI pass. It is well worth it! -I have to admit that the location and view was perfect. But the overall experience was not. We made two reservations with them. One for a friday and saturday check-in but found out that we could make it over on thursday so we called to extend our stay or to get an earlier stay. Not only did they price us double the price we orginally got but also did understand the connection of having already booked a room for the next two nights. So instead I called priceline and booked a room for a much lower price. I have to admit I rather deal with priceline than direct service with Hyatt. Which says alot about Hyatt's overall customer service. But the bummer or reason for this low review is that after we left on Sunday they charged two charges on a debt card that was only used for the bar. This debt card was not used to hold the rooms nor were they given to the front desk. We called to ask about the charges and they say they could not help us. Only the accounting department could help. We asked them how was it possible not to be able to tell us what the charges were for. The lady on the line say its because they we a high end hotel therefore other departments took care of such things. Told us the accounting department will call us. They did not after two days! Only to reverse the charges 3 days later without a call or notice. I think this has to be the worst customer service I ever recieved from a hotel Econolodge even has better service. They charge for everything! No free internet/no free business center/ 45 dollars per day for parking. For 150 dollars a night you would think at least the internet was free. -Loved this hotel, will stay there next time I am in SF. Staff was great. Loved the wine reception every night in the lobby with music. Nice clean spacious rooms, looked newly remodeled. Close to Union Square but in a nice quiet neighborhood. Lots of small bistros to eat nearby and restaurant in hotel was delicious. Very international clientele. -We spent 2 nights at the Powell. The hotel staff was friendly, and parking was reasonable ($31/day). Our room was very small and it had a musty smell. We opened the windows to bring in some fresh air. However, because this hotel is next to the cabel cars, there is a lot of noise outside. We kept the windows open the 1st night (because there was no air conditioning) and we could barely sleep with all the noise. On the 2nd night, we decided to keep the windows closed. The room was stuffy, but we slept better without all the noise. The shower head was at a hight of about 5 feet, 5 inches, and my husband is over 6 feet...he had to do a back bend to wash his hair. The lock on our door was not screwed in properely, and the door was sticking. We informed the hotel staff, and within an hour our lock was fixed and someone came to shave some paint off our door, so that it would open easily. The hotel is in a very convenient location for tourists and close to lots of shopping. -Trip was Aug. 14th - 16th. Do not drive in SF. My fiance came in through SFO via the BART. Best way to go. The Civic Center station was not far from the hotel. A nice walk by the City Hall building. Felt safe at night on Van Ness. I checked in earlier that day. Lots of foreign tourists. I asked for a quiet room with Carlo. Carlo gave me a room on the 5th floor in the back. It ended up being too noisy because it was right across from an elevator. I went down and tried for another room with another front desk clerk which I was given a room on the 2nd floor. I believe it was room 208. It was an inner room facing Myrtle Street. Very nice. I liked this room much better. Very roomy. Comfortable bed. Checked the sheets, very clean. Toiletries included a packet of shampoo and lotion and one small bar of soap. Ice machine was on the 3rd floor. Plastic cups. Double pane windows kept street traffic at bay. TV worked fine. Didn't try the internet. Mel's Diner on corner (street level). Deluxe Continental breakfast was mostly bread items and some fruit. Great weekend. Kept luggage with them after checkout. Hotel not far from California cable car line. Must buy a City Pass if seeing the sights. The 7-day MUNI pass in it was worth the price alone. Didn't know about any bed bug stories until I got back. Saw the reports. We had none. Our room was just fine and a great value, especially in SF on a weekend. Would stay there again and would recommend it to others. -While not worthy of the 3.5 stars given it by hotwire (2.5 to 3 are more like it), there's nothing really wrong with this financial district hotel, if you can get it at a reasonable rate. Rooms are smallish, but adequate for a business stay, or a weekend, tho romantic, it ain't! The main problem is that it just isn't close to anything. Tadich Grill is the only "name" restaurant nearby, altho the hotel's own restaurant isn't bad, if you like beer and pub food. Skip the expensive breakfast there and go to McDonald's a couple of blocks away. Hotel is close enough to Muni and Bart so it's easy to get anywhere. A couple of desk clerks didn't speak English very well, and/or were very busy, so it was easier to go across the street to the Meriden and ask the concierge there for assistance.I'd stay here again for the $89 Hotwire rate, but I wouldn't be excited about it. -We reserved this hotel through priceline and paid $150 a night for it. We stayed there for 3 nights in July. I was very satisfied with my experience at The Argent. My husband and I came to San Francisco for vacation, and even though The Argent seems to be more of a business hotel, it was great for tourists as well. For starters, the location is unbeatable. We were able to walk to some great cafe's for breakfast (cafe venue and boudin). The conceirge's provided us with helpful restaurant recommendations and directions to sights. The hotel was clean and staff friendly and helpful. We were upgraded to the 19th floor with a great view of the city (no extra charge, though we did have to ask for it). The bed and tolietries are my only complaints -- the bed in our room was HARD and uncomfortable and the pillows were very small. They didn't have very good shampoos, soaps, or conditioners. I felt the hotel would more appropriately considered a 3 1/2 star hotel as it lacks the plushness and amenties that a 4 star hotel has. But for the price, location, and service, and if you get a good price on a room, it's worth staying. -The Andrews Hotel rooms were very small, but nicely decorated & furnished, the cleanilness was excellent. The service was really good & the hotel restaurant superb & very popular with the locals. The free continental breakfast put out on each floor was excellent and the free glass of wine in the bar each evening of you stay was well worth getting back for (served between 5.30 - 6.30). The hotel is a long walk from Fishermans Wharf, but very close to Union Square. The roads are a bit of a killer with them being so steep, but is it not advisable to drive in the city as the parking is very limited. The cable car service is pretty good if you don't fancy walking everywhere. I wore my stepper & on the day we walked over the Golden Gate Bridge we did 41,000 steps (approx 36.8km) so if you like walking it is ideal!! I would definately recommend this hotel to anyone, the room had one of the best showers I have ever used & the bed one of the most comfortable I have slept in. -Typical cramped motel room and overpriced ($109). But it was in reasonably good condition, the beds were comfortable, it was quiet at night (being two blocks from Highway 101), we had a fridge and microwave, and there was plenty of hot water. And the best part--the location! Chestnut, the "main street" of the Marina District, was just around the corner with plenty of cafes and shops and a real hometown atmosphere. Also, the Palace of the Fine Arts, and the waterfront were nearby, and you can take a public bus to Chinatown and Downtown. -There is a reason this hotel is ranked 210 out of 238 in San Francisco. It was disgusting! I don't know how anyone could give it 5 stars. In fact, the two most recent reviews that give it 5 stars were writted 2 days apart and both sound like they came straight out of their brochure, and from what I understand, it is recently under new management. Coincidence?My girlfriend and I stayed here over Memorial Day and our room was disgusting. It smelled like urine and we could see the wet spot on the floor! They didn't even bother to clean it up. There were feces stains still in the toilet. It obviously hadnt been cleaned between guests either. We checked out and were lucky to get a room at Comfort Inn down the street for the rest of our vacation. Think about it. There are only 28 hotels in San Francisco WORSE than this one. There are 209 that are better. Stay in one of those. -This hotel is reputed in San Franciso to be the #1. For one, the location, right at the top of Nob Hill, is beautiful. However that is also the biggest drawback... The walk back to the hotel is very steep, long and tiring! Unless you drive...Rooms are big, beautiful, clean... nothing unexpected of the Mark Hopkins.The decor, lobby, etc is grand. Staff is quite helpful. Rooms are pricey though.When at the Mark Hopkins, be sure to check out their famous "Top of the Mark" restaurant. Great ambience, wonderful view, exquisite dining experience.To be honest, I wouldn't stay there again, if only because of the walk up the hill. There are cheaper alternatives, such as the Hotel Mayflower two streets down, at a third of the cost. And you would be able to walk up two streets along the hill to the Top of the Mark, of course! -We traveled with our two older teenage children and they had their own room which was a vacation within a vacation. I've been to San Francisco 4 times and this was my best stay yet. Yes it was a little noisy, but it's a city. If I wanted quiet I would have gone to the country. The location was fantastic. One block from the trolley and the bus. Great restaurants within walking distance. The room was large, bright and airy. The bathroom was large enough and everything was spotless. The beds were very comfortable and according to my children, so was the sleeper sofa. The staff was incredibly helpful. We didn't eat the breakfast because as I said, we traveled with teenagers who think waking up at 10am. is early and really, I'm in San Francisco, why would I eat a continental hotel breakfast anyway. Just the fact that it was included in the room price is pretty unusual for a hotel in a major city. My only complaint were the pillows. There could have been a few more and much firmer. Overall, it was a fantastic vacation at a wonderful hotel. -I just had to weigh in on this hotel -- I am actually writing my review while staying in the hotel. I come to San Francisco at least 5 times a year on business, and I always stay at the Hotel Monaco. The location is perfect in that it is very near Union Square, shopping, restaurants, but also near the business district. I have always found the staff to be attentive and pleasant. I have always found the rooms to be spacious (for SF), clean and comfortable. There is a fitness room, a spa, a business center (though I must suggest that the hotel install the Wordperfect converter on their Word software, I couldn't open my document this morning) that has both Mac and PC's. Also, the hotel is always nicely decorated (beautiful, in fact, at Christmas) and the salon where the nightly wine happy hour is held is comfortable with a fire place and overstuffed furniture. So, I love this hotel and think everyone should give it a try. And I am a Kimpton in-touch member, which I think is a great program. -I've gotta admit that the location of the hotel is very good. Close to the train station, shopping area etc...But the rooms are terrible. I was about to book a package with Hilton but chose to buy Nikko since all the reviews were very good. But i made a huge mistake of not getting the Hilton across the street. We bought the air+hotel package from expedia for a "Petite Queen" room. We checked in and asked for an upgrade. The representative was nice and offered us an upgrade but told us to check the "Petite room" before we upgrade. So we went and checked the room we originally bought. The room is very petite. The hallway from the door to the actual bed is very tiny. The bed was horrible. We sat on the bed and we could literally feel the springs on the bed. So we decided to go for an upgrade. Upgrade of "Petite" was "Deluxe" and then "Club room which comes with a continental breakfast". We decided to check the Club room. One thing we noticed was that all three rooms had a 19 inch tv despite the size of the room. Club room was very spacy but the bed felt the same. Bathroom was ok with usual stall shower and a bathtub. There are alot of coffee shops around the block so we decided not to get the club room. So we decided to go for the delux room. I've gotta say all the beds in all the rooms were same despite the upgrade. We could feel the springs by sitting on the bed. At this point, i was very disappointed with the quality of beds in the hotel. The marble on the sink area was very worn out which made it look like the counter top was not clean. We finally checked in the delux room. The room was alot spacier than the "Petite" room. But the quality of the bed was the same. We slept on that bed the first night, i could not get a good night sleep. I was tossing and turning all night long. Next day we told them about the bed and the service representative said that she'll have the housekeeping put a mattress pad on the bed. If we still don't like it, she'll upgrade us. Not that the club room had any better bed. We come back in the room the next night and there was a full size mattress pad on a king size bed. At that point we really didn't care of having another upgrade and moving all our stuff to another room which had the same quality bed. Also, the stall shower door made a mess on the bathroom floor. I will really suggest that if you're picky on beds and like a good night sleep after having a nice day: "DON'T STAY IN NIKKO". Its not worth the money. I've learned my lesson of not trying new hotel and sticking only to "Hilton, Westin, Sheraton hotels". There are alot of nice hotel in the same block. I'd suggest stay away from Nikko if you want a good night sleep. -This hotel is obviously trying to sustain excellent client service. Check-in was a breeze as was check-out. The concierge is so knowledgeable, and courteous. They recommended both a French and Italian restaurant and both were within walking distance and just delicious (Fleur de Lis / Fino). Rooms were very comfortable and the large TV was a bonus. There is a Starbucks adjacent to the hotel which we loved. There are a lot of homeless in the city so just be very aware. Be friendly but keep moving. -We stayed here for one night and found it to be good value for money. The hotel is not located in a particularly nice area, but the centre of town is 2 minutes walk. Hotel staff were very friendly and helpful. We changed the room due the first room being very small, the secret is to ask for a room with two beds and these are a good size and the beds are both doubles. Also ask for a high floor out the back of the hotel and you will hear very little noise. Rooms are comfortable and have been recently refurbished. Free wine reception on Fridays and Saturdays, worth going. -Just return from the Hotel Nikko this afternoon and can't wait to write this review. The hotel is not a bad hotel,but it's not that great at all, room was small (170 sqf?), so I upgraded to the deluxe King and it still small (250 sqf?). But it is clean and quite. My family and I visit San Francisco many times we stay in many of hotels, this hotel rooms are small (the other small hotel we stayed before it was Palace Hotel, but Palace are Old, Classic and Luxury same price I pay for Hotel Nikko)!! Other than that, we have a great time. The staff are nice, doorman always open door for every guest, and the hotel staff are always smile and greeted. The location is not bad at all, two blocks away from the MUNI and Bart, plus Cable Car. In the center of shopping area, if you love shopping, and don't want to carry your bags, this hotel is the one for you since you are not too far away from the shopping center. Many hotel around SF area, you really need to know what you will like to do when you planning your visit. Lots of hotel offer the good package, check them all out before you book them. -Arrived Sunday for a 3-night stay. Rooms were a little small-ish but very comfortable. CP's relaxation/sleep program is very conducive to a good night's rest. Very convenient to Powell St. Transit Station, and cable car line stops next to the hotel. Restaurant is on the pricey side, but there are plenty of less-expensive options within walking distance. Will stay here again on future trips. -The photos on Trip Advisor are of another motel! Very misleading! We had a group of friends with 5 rooms and each room was disgusting. Dirty, moldy, smelly!! Some rooms had working phones, tvs, lights, other rooms didn't. Very inconsistant. Bedding was dirty, one towel in one room, none in the others. The Managers, who live there with children, were VERY rude!! They called everyone 30 minutes prior to check out to tell us to leave. They charged us $10 more than what we booked on their website - and then argued with us when we brought it to their attention. DO NOT STAY HERE!! Very dishonest people!!! -I truly enjoyed my stay at this quaint hotel. The rooms are very small, but well appointed. My friend and I shared a room with two double beds and our "biggest" complaint was that there weren't enough electrical outlets for us to charge our wireless phones and Garmin gps units. Seems almost silly to mention that now. We were on the top (8th floor) facing Powell Street and at night we were serenaded by street music and cable cars. It was loud with the windows open, but the noise was dramatically reduced when we closed them. The ceiling fan kept the room cool enough at night thanks to the mild temps while we were there. The staff was incredibly helpful with all of our questions regarding the public transportation. Take the Muni to AT & T Park for $2 one way...such a deal (fun to see our LA Dodgers win at the Giants stadium). I had fun taking the cable car from directly in front of the hotel down to the wharf. I also liked walking most of the city. Tad's, just a couple of doors down, serves a bargain steak dinner for $13.79. Nothing fancy, but if you are bargain minded like I am, the steak dinner is just right. I kind of wish we had more time to go back there to try something else. The complimentary breakfast served at the hotel was sort of weak, but we didn't care too much about that. They served hot tea, coffee, juice, apple muffins, toast...The muffins were good! Overall, if you are looking for a comfy, clean place to flop after a day of sightseeing, you will enjoy this place. If you are one of those high fallutin' types, then pick another place because this just won't do it for you. Of course, you will also pay two to three times more. Personally, I'd rather spend my money on jewelry or clothes or at the many fun restaurants in the city! -The Grand Hyatt is a great hotel but maybe a little pricey. We stayed for two nights in October of 2006 and had a great time. The location was awesome and we enjoyed walking to Union Square and all the shops. The hotel was completely sold out but they seemed to be able to handle that number of people comfortably. Parking was out of control at $43 per night when other hotels in the area charge less than $30. Overall we had a great time and the staff was very nice to us on our special weekend away from home. -I'm a frequent visitor to San Francisco, and have used Priceline on a number of occasions to find rooms. I've generally bid on a "four-star" room, and have ended up in such typical business hotels as the Hilton and the Holiday Inn in the Financial District. My one bid on a "three-star" put me in the Pickwick, which turned out to be a decent enough experience. I turned to Priceline over Labor Day weekend after I discovered that my favorite "budget" hotel, the Castle Inn, could not accommodate me. I was unable to get a "four-star" or a "boutique" room on my latest attempt, and my offer of $72 a night for a "three-star" was finally accepted. When I was given the name of the hotel, I read the reviews here, and although I was taken aback by what I read, I hoped for the best.Unfortunately, the general consensus on the place turned out to be correct. I arrived at about midnight, and even though Priceline had guaranteed a late arrival, the desk clerk made a snide comment about my arrival time. The king room I requested was not available, and she claimed that the only room left in the hotel was a queen. She assured me, however, that I would be getting a non-smoking room, and I decided to reserve further judgment until I got upstairs.I knew I would be disappointed as I walked down the hall to the room--the wallpaper was marked and dirty, and the paint on the doors was marred and chipped. When I arrived at my room (659), I was greeted by a broken switchplate and the odors of both mildew and cigarette smoke. The lights came on to reveal cheap, scratched furniture with cigarette burns, worn and dirty carpet that was well overdue for replacement, and a rock-hard bed with a worn bedspread. The tub had rust stains, and the vanity was stratched and burned as well. The ventilation system was literally decades old, and during my entire four-day stay, I could not get any airflow in the room.The service was no better. Both the night and the morning desk clerks insisted that no other rooms were available, and since I was preoccupied with business matters, I eventually gave up and resigned myself to staying in the room. For two of the four nights there, I received no linen service, and my call to housekeeping went unanswered. Garage parking was $23 per night, including tax, which was well in keeping with prices throughout the city.I realize that $72 isn't a lot of money for a hotel room in SF, and I don't have a problem staying in budget accommodations. However, I do have a problem with the place being advertised as a "three-star" establishment, which, according to both Priceline and AAA, is one that offers special amenities. Quite simply, the hotel is in desperate need of renovation (both the physical plant and the front office), and unless you have no other option, I would give it a wide berth. -Spent first two nights and last night of trip at the Carlton. Late change of choice from the Chancellor driven by the collpase of Sterling and the incredibly competitve rates on offer at the Carlton. Great service even before I got there in offering me the discounted rate for a three night stay even thought my nights were not consecutive. Hotel is comfortable, excellent food at the Saha restaurant, and the staff, as many other reviewers have highlighted are simply first rate. Location is fine - no need to go into the Tenderloin unless you choose to do so and only a 10 minute walk downhill to Union Square. Service and value for money cannot be faulted. Evening wine reception is a nice way to relax before dinner after a full day. I would not hesitate to stay again. -We stayed three weeknights in The Donatello on family vacation with two teenagers. The room was great size for the four of us. We read the tips on the pullout couch and was semi-worried going in - but it was perfect! The room rate was reasonable and the location is the best - Union Square. So much walkable and accessible nearby.The service was top notch and front desk very helpful and friendly. The only knock was the workout room - very subpar. One treadmill and bike won't cut it at a major hotel property. Did find an outstanding three mile run downtown through Union Square area - excellent! The breakfast area was also crowded and was confusing if it was complimentary or you needed to pay. Didn't matter as two of the best breakfast places are very close and walkable - Dottie's and Crepes.Overall - very favorable stay and would recommend to friends! -My boyfriend and I went to San Francisco to celebrate New Year's and stay at the Fairmont despite the Trip Advisor review. The decision was based on a raving recommendation of a friend that lives in San Francisco. While the lobby and some other rooms are gorgeous, the sound quality of the rooms (you really can hear everything) and the majority of the Fairmont staff are not up to standards. We were overcharged for room service (3 breakfasts rather than 2) and got zero assistance from the concierge. Our bellhop, on the other hand, was very helpful and informative - they really should switch jobs. Save your money and use it to stay in another hotel. I'm really sorry to say that but it's the truth - our friend had never spent a night in the hotel and had only gone in for dinner/drinks. That's all you'll want to do here. -This is my second stay at this hotel. My husband and I decided to do some sight seeing before a wedding we attended in wine country. We stayed two nights. We stayed on an upper floor in the new tower. The rooms were fine but nothing spectacular except the view. You are really paying for location with this hotel. This is also a historic hotel, so please do not expect it to look like the Westin in Hollywood Florida. The bathrooms are small and not really up to "heavenly bath" standard. However we found the staff to be polite and helpful. The concierge was great. If you are new to the city then you will definitely want to start there. They will give you a map and tell you which cable car to hop on. The cable car by the way stops right outside the hotel. Do yourself a favor and catch it outside the hotel, not down the hill where there are tons of lines!Over all I really like this hotel for the location and friendly staff. -The Cartwright is just four blocks from Union Square, with theaters and shopping nearby. Standard rooms (and bathrooms) are tiny but nicely appointed and well maintained. Parking is at a commercial lot a block and a half away; validated by the hotel, it is $25 a night. A decent, self-service breakfast is complimentary. -Good location, nice hotel but on initial first interaction with receptionist I found her very rude and abrupt. Customer service is a big part for me so if I hadn't been travelling all day I would have just left. However after chatting with my boyfriend I went back to book and managed to get a different receptionist - Ginnifer - who was the complete opposite - very helpful and pleasant. We got a nice room, with a good view of the city but unfortunately we woke every morning with really sore throats from the air conditioning which we couldnt turn off and there are no windows to open to let some fresh air in. I really liked the floor to ceiling windows though. Apart from the aforementioned the 2 night stay was good enough but what really put a downer on the whole thing was the bell boy's having a go at us as we were leaving because we went ahead and used their trolley's (that were outside our room!!) to transport our luggage into the taxi. They were annoyed we didn't use their services but frankly we did not have time to wait for them to get to the 18th floor as we were in a rush to get to the airport. -We were a party of 3 adults, in a two double bed room. Price was great 212$ per night including tax. (relative to other hotels from same class). Room was nice, with all the amnities you need. The hotel is located an walking distance from Union Sq, adn othe SOMA attractions! -Booked thru Hotwire, got a great rate for SFO. Hotel lobby & decor is beautiful, great lighting. Check-in quick and easy. Room looked down at 3rd St, no view of the bay or bridges, but I'll sacrafice that for a great rate. Restaurant was pricey as hotels are. They ran out of empty refrig's to replace our pay-mini-bar, but allowed us to remove and replace items without a charge to store our leftovers & drinks. Beds were comfy with lots of fluffy pillows. Valet staff was more friendly and helpful than concierge. Parking, valet only, was $42/day + $5.50 tax. May look into public parking across street next time. Very close to subway stations, large mall, & trolley stops. -We spend the weekend after Thanksgiving in San Francisco, and had a great stay at the Rex. We were in a large king room which looked out over a courtyard of trees--surprising in the middle of San Francisco! Hotel staff were uniformly nice, complimentary wine was of reasonable quality and served graciously. We ate in the small restaurant for breakfast, twice (great granola with fruit and also three-grain pancakes!). We also enjoyed a couple of appetizers before going to the theatre which were served promptly, and were tasty. Rates were reasonable, location excellent, housekeeping superb. Free internet, and touches such SF Jazz Festival cd's and a player, as well as having high intensity desk lamps available made it feel like they cared.I would fault only the noise of the toilet flushing (tank less type) which you can hear from other rooms. -Excellent location!! I was on the 26th floor with a view to die for...the Bay, Coit Tower, Alcatraz...and everything within walking distance. After working all day, I wanted to get out and stretch my legs. I went from Chinatown (at your doorstep) to Downtown, the Embarcadero, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach and Little Italy....wonderful walk! The hotel staff are all very friendly, rooms are actually good sized for the Bay area, free snacks in the bar at night and a great continental breakfast for Hilton Honors members....definately recommend this hotel (but leave your car at home if possible...parking is around $50 a night)!! -This was a great alternative to all the other big name hotels in the Square district. It's tiny (but quaint) lobby is a bit disconcerting at first.... but our room (an exectutive King w/ fireplace) was quiet large and comfortable. I can't comment on the standard room. But for the rate we paid (129$pn) Go for the biggest room you can get. You'll be paying 250+ to stay at the Westin across the street. I was really pleased w/ the little extras. They had a very nice continental breakfast and evening wine & snacks in the common areas of each floor everyday. The fireplace was usually burning which was nice since San Fran can be a bit chilly. The location was perfect. Had no problem walking around the city, catching a cab or taking a trolly. Would definitely stay there again. -We enjoyed our stay here. We payed extra for the view and it was worth it. The breakfast was good, particularly the waffles though not a full buffet. The location was handy - we were able to walk everywhere. The only slight criticism was one girl on the front desk who didn't smile but the others seemed friendly enough. -We really enjoyed our stay at the Hotel. The entire staff were wonderful, the room was clean and a good size (we had 2 double beds for our family of four) and the hotel's decor was clean and fresh. The front desk staff were helpful, the cleaning staff did an excellent job cleaning our room daily and the breakfast staff did a fine job of replenishing food during an always hectic breakfast. The breakfast was excellent with a number of different choices (both hot and cold food available). One of my daughters' suffers from asthma. Unfortunately we could not book and be guaranteed a non smoking room through Hotwire in advance. However I contacted the Hotel on the morning of our arrival to request a non smoking room and upon our arrival later that day they had met my request and our non smoking room was ready for us(before 3 p.m. check-in) Our only concern would be the room location given to us. The room faced Beach St. and the F Line Streetcar roars by on Beach St. starting around 5:00 a.m. The Hotel's sound insulation was good but we often were still awakened by the sound of the streetcar in the morning. However we most certainly thought we got excellent value! The location in Fisherman's Wharf was excellent with easy access to public transit (both Cable Cars and the streetcar line). We rented a car for 3 of our 7 day stay and were able to find overnight street parking near the hotel every night which allowed us to save about $40 per night had we parked the car in the Hotel garage. My wife and I are both runners and we used the Hotel's fitness facility. As well it was a short run from the Hotel to the waterfront where we could run along the Embarcadero for several miles without worrying about vehicular traffic. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Fisherman's Wharf. I would HIGHLY recommend this Hotel. -If you enjoy "old school" service and city elegance, you will love the Omni San Francisco. The decor is elegant and the service friendly and impeccable. From the moment we arrived, everyone on staff bent over backwards to accommodate every request and everyone down to the maintance guy in the hall had a cheerful greeting for you. The concierge, Lex ,was incredibley helpful. The room was well-appointed and the bed with crisp sheets and duvet very comfortable. Sign up for Omni' frequent stay program and enjoy benefits on your first stay including complimentary beverage (you can choose both coffee and juice/bottled water per person) and choice of newspaper delivered each morning at the time you choose. Yes - the bar and restaurant are on the expensive to the OMG side - especially if you dive into the steak menu at dinner ($54 for a veal chop - wow!) but have to say I had a wonderful burger in the bar one night and did not begrudge the $19 price tag because it was so good. Breakfast was also pricey (and not as outstanding) but you can add pastries, fruit and even a breakfast sandwich on to your complimentary breakfast beverage order for not too big a hit so we went that route and enjoyed a more affordable breakfast in our room. As for location, you cannot beat this spot for convenience to the Ferry Building, Union Square, China Town and all other points. Buy a three-day pass ($18) from the front desk and you can ride the trolley (stops right in front of the hotel), the vintage buses and regular buses to your hearts content. Also, if you plan to go to the Tut exhibit, ask the concierge if they have any leftover VIP passes. They cost a few bucks more but you can go whenever you want and bypass the long line by using the VIP line once inside the museum - you just have to promise the concierge that you will be discreet and not a big blowhard about having a VIP pass..... -I found a fantastic deal online for the Cartwright. It's a nice hotel overall with great location, plus the fact that they include an evening wine reception and breakfast was just amazing. The drawbacks are that the hotel is a bit older and the rooms are on the small side. Parking for the hotel is a couple of blocks away. Lucky for us, it was not raining. The positives were that the staff was fairly friendly and rooms were nice and clean, though again, a bit on the small side. The wine reception was fun, as we sipped on wine and chatted with other guests. Breakfast was a nice add, with cereals, waffles, coffee, etc. The locations is good, with plenty of things to do within walking and ease of finding a cab for the things that weren't close. Overall, an unbelievable deal for a weekend night stay in San Francisco! -We have just returned from a trip to San Francisco, CA. We stayed at the "Heritage Marina" hotel for 5 of these days. It was not our first choice, but everything was booked this week. It was a less than pleasant experience. Did not look anything like it does on the websites! We checked into our first horrifying room to find it overlooked the trash & homeless person going thru it. It did not include a fridge or microwave as requested. We were then moved to a second room that neither ourselves or the desk person could enter. Our third room was a smoking room (we had requested non-smoking!). We were finally moved to a fourth room that overlooked the pool which, by comparison was much better than the others. Next problem- the t.v did not work? After this was taken care of, we noticed the room was remarkably hot. We did not want to complain again so we dealt with it. It never got below 85 degrees in there which was strange as we were on the bottom floor- does heat not rise? There was construction going on that was not mentioned when we booked. We were woken bright & early every morning to the sounds of hammering! Also, the walls are VERY thin!! We could hear more than we wanted from our neighbours (beware those with children). The room was not clean at all. In fact I don't think they cleaned it once while we stayed except to make the beds. I don't think it was ever vaccuumed (don't look under the beds or behind anything). The yellow 70's bathroom bothered me the most as it was very dirty. For example the shower curtain & tub had mold on it & the towels were grey & old. Forget about hot water in the morning. We didn't book the hotel to hang out in but I did want a clean comfortable place to spend the night! Overall the best thing going for this hotel is the location. It is very central to everything, close to the bus stop & it seems a fairly safe area- but make sure your expectations are low! Mine were, but I was still disappointed. Maybe some rooms are nicer than others...... -First of all the location of this hotel is great...Right on Union Square. It's affordable, charming, and the staff is friendly. The complimentary breakfast is great, and the rooms are large. I had a suite with a separate living area...We even had a balcony that looked out onto Sutter Street. It was great. They bring ice to your room, or any other thing you may need. The showers feel like cascading water on your back...There's no AC, but in San Francisco you really don't need it. Open some windows and let the city air cool you off. I loved this hotel, and when I return to the city it will be at the top of my list...It's a great find. -We stayed in this motel for 3 nights. Good location. Clean big rooms, but a bit old fashioned. Free parking. Simple breakfast. Average service. Good restraints nearby. Good choice for travelers who need place to sleep. -We stayed at this hotel the last weekend of 2007 to attend a Bowl Game. We booked the hotel as part of an Alaska Airlines Vacation Package. We were not disappointed. Upon a late evening arrival we were greeted by cheerful staff. Everything around the hotel was closed and the staff brought us a complimentary bottle of wine which we enjoyed with our travel companions. This is an old hotel, but has a lot of character. It is clean and our bed was comfortable. We enjoyed being on the back side, not on the street and having our window open for fresh air and not having to listen to the noise of a heating/air unit. Being on Sutter Street, we walked to the main part of town often. We had breakfast in the restaurant and it was very good. We enjoyed the evening wine event one night. The lobby is very cozy and there are many places to sit and visit. Know that this hotel is old and the walls are paper thin. I think one thing the desk could do at check in is to advise people of this. You really have to use quiet voices. So if you don't like to do this, then you probably would not enjoy your stay. Again, friendly, helpful staff that truly make you feel welcome. -Choose the hotel as it was very near to where my meetings were to be held. Must say the service,staff and location were amazing. Very helpful staff always ready to arrange a cab and give directions. Have already made my next reservation for a conference i have to attend in October. -Our family of 4 stayed in a Parlor Suite. We were there with two other families, who also had Parlor Suites. The Suites were great! The bedroom had two very comfortable queen beds and the living room had a comfy murphy bed. Lots of closet space, although more hangers would have been good. Lots of drawers to store your stuff if you don't like living out of a suitcase. We didn't use the kitchen for any cooking, but it was definitely nice to have the fridge and freezer for storing stuff and the microwave to heat up left overs. The honor bar prices were very reasonable. The bathroom was HUGE, with a great jacuzzi tub/shower and two sinks at the counter. Our bathroom didn't have any under counter storage, but our friends' rooms did. The continental breakfast was a nice starter. There is a little convencience store across the street to get some milk, yogurt, cereal, fruit, etc. if you want more. Across the street is a delicious Italian restaurant and wonderful Thai restaurant!We would definitely consider staying there again if we ever return to San Fran. -We had two rooms with family and a 13 month-old baby. Staff, especially Sam, were very efficient, courteous and cheerful. Our rooms were quite large and impeccably clean. The decor and furnishings are current and very tasteful. The food and staff in the grill and Jasmine Room were excellent. Overall, it was a wonderful stay in San Francisco -Recently had the pleasure of spending the weekend with my family at the Hotel Monaco on Geary St. in San Francisco. What a gem of a hotel in the city. Yes, it is a little $ but--great customer serivce. Loved the quaint rooms and decor. Had stayed at many hotels in downtown San Francisco, but what sets this hotel apart is the excellent service. We had a problem with the hot water one morning being a little on the cool side. Immediately it was taken care of and the manager called to see if we were getting hot water. The staff were very personable and gave tips on places to eat etc. Probably will stay there again just because of how well we felt they took care of our family. The hotel had a great cafe next to the hotel called Grand Cafe we had a really great breakfast there. The only drawback was the overnight parking but that is par for downtown San Francisco. There is a garage up the street on Jones and Geary that is less expensive. -We only stayed for 1 night but we enjoyed the hotel. The location is great. We took the sightseeing bus right from the front of the hotel. The area is full of stores and restaurants.Te breakfast was great (not included).We got a room on the 36th floor and the view was great.The parking is pretty expensive! -Stayed here for 3 nights in Feb. Rooms clean, warm and comfortable beds. Good sized bathroom with separate room having bath with shower over, and the loo. Shower was great - lots of different settings you could choose from. The massage one was great after walking up and down all the very steep hills! Location is good - it took us about 20 minutes to get to the beginning of Fisherman's Wharf, and about 25-30 minutes to Union Square (but beware there are some EXTREMELY STEEP HILLS if you do decide to walk!) Breakfast was very basic, muffins, pastries, cereal bars, juice and yoghurts. You take what you want back to your room as there is no dining area at this hotel. Very helpful staff and they even looked after our cases for us on the last day as we had to be out by 11 but weren't getting a flight till the evening. Also free WI FI internet in the rooms was a bonus. All in all, a simple and comfortable hotel which I personally think represents excellent value for money. -This hotel provided excellent value. The location is very convenient(just off Union Square), close to museums,shopping and restaurants galore. The room was spacious,included coffee maker and bathrobes. Our rate also included a very adequate continental breakfast. -My boyfriend and I stayed for two days at the Mosser from 8/23 - 8/24. We had room 608, which had a queen bed with bathroom and closet. The room was neat and clean with stylish, modern decor, but it was extremely tiny, although I expected that from reading other people's reviews. Just be prepared for a 2-3 foot perimeter around the bed, and that's it. Not much of a view, but you're in the city center, so that was also expected. It was reasonably quiet, in any case. Nice TV with cable, CD player, a chair or two, trashcan, and a nighttable was all that was in the room. There is no A/C, so we kept the windows open, which was fine. San Francisco usually has pretty temperate/cool weather.The bathroom was also tiny; standard tub, toilet crammed in right next to it, and sink across from that. Decent water pressure, plenty of hot water. I didn't much care for the sink though. It is about the size of a urinal, and there is a shelf right above it, so you can't splash your face with water without hitting your head on the shelf. Also hard to spit when brushing your teeth. Overall, it wasn't too bad though; just annoying.The lobby looked really nice, and the staff were friendly and pleasant. Breakfast was minimal - just coffee and muffins in a basket in the lobby, but the muffins were pretty good. We went around the corner to Mel's Diner on Mission St to supplement our breakfast - great food, cheap. Annabelle's Bistro was right next to the hotel, so we stopped in there for drinks in the evening, and it seemed like a good, local hangout. The location was good in the center of downtown. It was one block to Market Street with tons of shopping, restaurants, big office buildings, just a few blocks from San Francisco Bay. You can get to/from the SFO airport easily using the BART subway system, which has a stop just around the corner from the hotel on Market St; it was a $6 ticket/25 minute ride straight there. We used the MUNI system of trolleys to get around otherwise, which was also just around the corner and cheap at $1.50 anywhere you want to go on the line. The F line was our friend and goes all the way out to Fisherman's Wharf in about 15-20 minutes with stops at the piers along the way. We paid cash (exact change required) to the driver each time, but you can also get a MUNI card, which might be a little cheaper, depending on how many rides you take. As far as fun things to do, we had a car for two days ($35/day to park at the Mosser) and traveled to the Napa/Sonoma area one afternoon and hit a few of the wineries for tastings. It took about an hour to get there, and most of them close by 5 pm, so don't get up too late. Beautiful scenery, nice wines, tons of vineyards to try. The next day we drove to Muir Woods, which is an ancient sequoia forest with a walking trail. That was amazing; I felt like a dinosaur would come lumbering out from amongst the giant trees at any moment. We also hit the five-course Cirque du Soleil-style dinner show, Teatro Zinzanni at Pier 27/29; great food, great show - not cheap, but we thought it was worth it; book ahead. My favorite sidetrip was a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. We rented bikes from Blazing Saddles at Fisherman's Wharf for around $45 each, and it was a simply astounding ride past Ghirardelli Square to Fort Point, over the bridge, and down to the cute, little village of Sausalito, where we took the ferry back across (ferry ticket included in price). Took about 2-3 hours total. Okay, back to the hotel. We also stayed four nights at the Queen Anne in Pacific Heights about 1.5 miles away, and both of us liked the Queen Anne better to be honest. The price was about the same (~$150/night), but the Queen Anne seemed more authentic to San Francisco, extremely cool, relaxed neighborhood (Fillmore district) with lots of neat boutiques and no chains, the rooms were 5x bigger, they had a better, more expansive breakfast, better bathrooms, and very reasonable access to transportation. However, if you really want to be in the bustling city center, convenient access to everything is the most important factor for you, and you don't mind being in a more corporate-y area, then the Mosser is the place for you, and is very reasonably priced for its location, especially if you get the rooms with the shared bathroom in the hall. -I was looking for a reasonably priced room rated 3 stars. I'd checked out the Trip Advisor reviews and the website and the rooms looked cosy and clean. We checked inand were given a room I think on the 4th floor. The room was so tiny I couldn't believe it. There was literally no room to put our 2 suitcases. The bathroom was the size of a shoebox and had no bench space. I have never seen a room that small. It also looked nothing like the photos and the decor was old and worn. It looked like a room in a hostel - 1 star rating at best. Without a doubt it was the worst room I have ever seen. My husband went downstairs to see what could be done about changing rooms and they said they would move us the following day as the hotel was full. I started ringing other hotels as i said I could not stay one night in that room. They then said they had a room available on the first loor which was one of their renovated rooms. We went and looked at it and it was just like the photos on the website. Newly renovated and about 3 times the size of the room we had just been in. It was clean and renovated and was what I was expecting. The staff are friendly and the diner next door is excellent. The hotel is ina great location but there are a lot of homeless people out the front.The reviews on Trip Advisor seem to be really mixed for this hotel. I can only conclude that there are very different types of rooms in the hotel. Do yourself a favour and make sure you get a newly renovated large room. -If you want to enjoy the best parts of San Francisco, there is no better home base than the Orchard Hotel. It's within walking distance of Chinatown and Union Square. The Powell cable car stops within 50 feet of the entrance, and takes you down to Fisherman's Wharf. The staff is very friendly, my room (King suite) was HUGE, clean, and quiet. The hotel is pricey, but well worth it. I will never stay anywhere else in San Francisco. -Nice hotel, found a good room after changing a couple of times, away from the lifts and ice machine. Not a bad location, plenty of buses and only a short 10min walk to the water front. Be earlier to get the best car park, very small spaces and can be difficult to move the vehicle around. Would stay again. -We have stayed in the Omni San Francisco before so it was the natural choice for a return visit. The staff in general were helpful particularly the door men - it is nice to get the door opened for you! We had a few probs - the keys issued to our party did not open the doors and we were left standing on the corridor with our luggage whist the security checked our ID again before they could re-issue our cards - no proper apology from the reception desk as I would have expected. Also we had one of our rooms booked for three but only one king bed !- they sent up a rollaway - at no extra charge - I would hope so as we had paid for 3 people!We had booked a suite and a bedroom and they put us in the corner suite area which was very handy - suite was quite spacious - flowers in bathroom and fruit were supplied - nice touch. Beware double beds are tiny and really do not fit 2 people. Thet now charge for use of their internet business room - so take your laptop - it is free for 'select guests ' in the lobby - you can print airline boarding passes for free for a restricted number of airlines - but would be better if they had access to international ones as well! Overall a nice hotel - though like many hotels in San francisco it is quite pricey - SF hotels are pricier than NYC or Boston Breakfast is expensive for what you get - much better value in the Omni in Boston! - which is hard to beat for breakfast! -Located in the financial district, everything is closed over the weekend, have to walk that little bit further for coffee, etc. but it's not hideously far. The room is lovely, we were in a superior king room on the 47th floor, views of coit tower and beyond. The room was very nice; bed was comfy; lots of drawers and ample closet space; bathroom was lovely, Molten Brown products; windows that actually open, three telephones, lots of light. Staff all very pleasant and very helpful. Room service quality was good, menu is slightly limited - - especially the after hours menu. There are no movie channels, you can call down and have them bring DVD's up to you for selection - - -I believe these were free of charge. Overall excellent stay, would definitely stay there again. The "California" rate made it worth the money, having to pay full rack rate, I might think differently. -I would recommend the Castle Inn to anyone looking for an inexpensive place with lots of ammenities. The location is great. Each room has a refrigerator, microwave, freezer, ironing board, iron, free wireless internet, and a comfortable bed. Clean. Friendly and helpful manager. Free parking. Small free continental breakfast of muffins, bagels, breakfast bars, coffee. -Approaching the hotel looks very magestic and granduer. Reception very smart, but from there it goes down hill. The room was very basic and 80's looking, the place needs a big modernisation to bring it in to the 00's. Breakfast is reasonable, the only real plus is the location it is very close to all the main attractions. There is alot of outdoor work taking place so be weary of the views from these rooms. Bring a jumper when your in san francisco it does get windy and sometimes cold. -Some friends and I recently stayed at the Villa Florence on our weekend getaway to San Francisco. It was the perfect location and so comfortable. The rooms are beautiful, the furnishings and color choices are great. You can tell that the building is historic, but everything has been updated so nicely, that it is a perfect fit for San Francisco. The staff at this hotel are very freindly and courteous, and there is enough staff in the lobby at any given time to answer all of your questions. The location really couldn't be better. You are right in the heart of Union Square, and the cable car runs right up Powell street in front of the hotel. Once you are done with the hustle and bustle of downtown San Francisco, the Villa Florence is the perfect spot to come back to and relax. While the hotel is upscale, the atmosphere is very casual and relaxed, also our rooms on the 4th and 5th floor were very quiet. We will definitely stay there again and reccommend it to all of our friends. -My husband and I ended our honeymoon here and stayed only 2 nights. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. At check in, we were upgraded to a luxury king room and enjoyed complimentary champagne and chocolates. The room was like a small apartment! It was fantastic! We had a fire place (and since it was chilly in San Fran during our stay - the fire place was great!)Breakfast in the morning was nice. Fresh fruits, eggs, toast, cereals. The evening wine and muchies were great as well. We enjoyed talking with other guests and it really did become a bit of a social hour(s) :)The location is perfect as well. Only a block from the Powell line cable car stop and 2 blocks to Union Square. It was a great end to a great trip! Thanks!! -Powell Hotel San Francisco is a wonderful place. I was there for 7 days after Las Vegas.//LocationPowell Hotel is at the terminal of cable-car (that antique nice train) which will bring you to Chinatown, Union Square etc. It is within 100m to the F-line bus stop (that cable bus) which brings you to Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. It is also very close to the underground subway which brings you to airport. If you look at the map, Powell Hotel is at the centre of almost everything. It's within walking distance to Union Square, and along the walk, there are plenty of shops and small restaurants. It's the typical San Francisco life-style. You can experience it better in here, rather than the 5-star hotels (the four Big Four hotels in SF).//RoomPowell Hotel is a bit old. It's special because it's old. You can somehow get the unique nostalgic feeling staying here. The basic amenities are all available. The room is quite spacious and simple. Simplicity comes with comfort in Powell. And again, you really don't need to stay in those posh hotels to experience San Francisco unless you stay in your room 24/7.//ServiceThe staff were all very helpful and kind. I took a lot of brochures and information booklets from the counter. Tour arrangement can also be made at the helpdesk. However, I do recommend visitors to do their own research and review before deciding on which tour and agent to choose. There are a lot of agencies and prices do differ. Internet is available (wifi in room) and you can print in the lobby too.//FoodI didn't try the food at Powell Hotel. I went for different cuisine everyday around the area. Near Powell Hotel is a nice Indian restaurant which I highly recommend. The Thai restaurant nearby was fabulous as well. I'm a Malaysian and I've had plenty of experience with Indian, Malay, Thai and Asian cuisine. I must say that the Asian meals that I've tried in Downtown San Francisco were great.//ExtraI went for the Hornblower's Dinner Cruise which cost 100 dollars per pax. I think I was the youngest on the cruise (I was 24). It was a romantic and nice experience, to have your dinner by side of the Alcatraz Island and under the Golden Gate Bridge. But the dinner doesn't come to standard, I wasn't even full. But generally it was something quite worth-trying.//Fisherman's Wharf & Pier 39Seafood is a MUST try. There is a shop at the corner, right across the Fisherman's Wharf's statue, that sells VERY VERY nice clam chowder. I had 3 bowls of those. Trust me it's the best in the world! There are a lot of very interesting places in Pier 39 to visit. One or two days to be spent there, is just nice.I'm just too lazy to comment. :-pPeople, Powell Hotel, it makes San Francisco even more special. -I stayed at the Rex in New Year's Eve . The room was nice, clean & confortable , facing Sutter Street on the 6th floor, with a fantastic bed (see picture). I had dinner at The Rex , the food was ok although it took a while to be served. Before dinner there was live music in the hall (jazz) which was rather cool. This hotel is all about location and it's staff. The staff was amazing, friendly and made one feel very welcome. Union Square is round the corner , as well as Cable cars ( corner of Powel & Sutter ). I had breakfast at Loris, it was great (check picture) . Good inexpensive food, free wireless ... can highly recommend it.I would have no problem at all to return to the Rex on my next trip to San Francisco . -We stayed here for 4 nights - the staff were rude, the hotel was dirty and the whole place stunk like someone had died in it..... we asked for a twin room and it was tiny, 2 tiny single beds that were like a saggy lilo. Overall a horrible hotel and I won't be returning. San fran was amazing tho.. -Location, service, accommodations and staff are excellent. Treat yourself and plan a stay here. -We stayed for 3 nights over the July 4th weekend. The hotel has a fabulous location, great staff and service. They offered wonderful features like an evening wine & cheese hour and a great continental breakfast. We booked our room using Expedia, which makes me wonder if this had any affect on the location of our room assignment. We were located right beside the breakfast reception area. The noise from staff setting up the breakfast each morning distrubed our sleep. We were woke up at 6:45 a.m. to the sounds of clanging dishes and other usual kitchen noises. We also heard other guests enjoying their breakfast all morning long, as we tried to catch a few more moments of sleep. We did request a room change, but the hotel was fully occupied. But all this said - we would stay at this hotel again. I would just request a room towards the back of the hotel, to ensure a quieter morning. -My husband and I just returned from a trip to SF and stayed 3 nights at the HI Express FW. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The hotel was extremely clean, had a wonderful breakfast, the staff was nice and the location was perfect. We stayed at another hotel in SF for the first part of our week (wanted to stay in two different areas while we were in the city) and this one far exceeded the other hotel. The breakfast was especially helpful and saved us at least $20-$30/day. The staff was very friendly and helpful; even helped book our shuttle bus ride back to the airport. The location was perfect because it was one or two blocks from the main attractions; close enough to be very convenient yet not too close to all of the hustle and bustle. Overall, this was an excellent hotel and I would highly recommend it. -We stayed at the Chancellor Hotel for 4 night at the start of our California trip. The reception staff were very friendly and helpful. We had asked for a high floor and got it and we had side views of Union Square. The room was nice but very warm in the evening and would have been better with air conditioning. The bar staff were friendly, drink prices were reasonable.and there was a good atmosphere. Cookies and coffee were available all day. We didn't have a car when we stayed at the Chancellor and we didn't need one. The location was ideal, right at the corner of Union Square and opposite the cable car stop. We managed to get around the city by cable car, walking and the hop on hop off bus. We would definately go back to the Chancellor hotel. -This is a wonderful hotel. Our west facing room on the 5th floor was comfortable, clean, and spacious. Not luxurious, but cozy. I particularly enjoyed the large window in the bathroom that caught the Pacific breeze and also gave a discreet view of the city while I showered. The location is good, and the staff, while completely professional, are super friendly and full of good advice and conversation. We had dinner @ the Persian themed hotel restaurant and it was excellent. We are coming to the city again in August and will definitely stay here. -From the moment the front door was opened on our way in to check in to the time the front door was opened on our way after check out, my girlfriend and I were treated like royalty at the Omni. I've been to San Francisco many times and the Omni is the BEST hotel I've stayed in. The service is exquisite. Everyone from the doorman to the front desk personnel to the housekeeping staff is exceptionally friendly, always upbeat, and very helpful. The hotel itself is very clean, elegant, and conveniently located close to Chinatown, North Beach, and the Financial District. The California Street Cable Car line runs past the hotel's front door, and the BART station is five blocks away. The room was large, clean, and well maintained. There was a nice flat screen TV and DVD player in our upgraded "signature" room, though not every room may be equipped similarly. Every morning our housekeeper would leave us a handwritten note wishing us a pleasant day. We'd write her back telling her of our travel adventures and leave her a well-deserved tip for her service. She even recommended a great place to try authentic dim sum! Staying at the Omni was definitely the key to a most enjoyable San Francisco adventure! I'll be back to San Francisco soon and, without a doubt, will be staying at the Omni again! -We have stayed at the Petite Auberge several times in the past five years and have always been delighted with the ambience. The full, and I do mean full, breakfast in the morning is incredible and it's a chance to chat with guests from all over the world about their plans for the day. In the evening everyone gathers in front of the fireplace for wine and delicious hors d'oerves and for a chance to share their sight seeing adventures. Every time we go to Petite Auberge we are greeted warmly by staff and the whole time we are there we are treated like we are someone special. Only drawback is the expense of the parking garage that is associated with the hotel so we searched around for a place that was cheaper. One great thing is that Petite Auberge is only a couple blocks from the Cable Car . We happen to like to walk and have often walked to Chinatown, Union Square, and points beyond including many fine restaurants. We love this quaint little hotel and won't stay anywhere else! -I have stayed at this property several times on business trips when I had a limited budget. Since I am working, I do not spend too much time in the room. Every visit, I have found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. If you take the right exit from BART, the Hotel entrance is just steps from the station exit. It is also a few blocks from Davies Hall, where the Symphony plays. The down side of the location is that this is not a great section of Market and most people probably will not feel too comfortable walking at night. So, take BART or the ample public transit. The hotel is nicely kept and clean. The building has some interesting architectural details. Still, it is an old and somewhat tired property and some of the remodeling is not the best. Same for the fitness center -- the room and equipment are older, but meet my needs. The food is good, but overpriced. If you are bothered by traffic notice, ask for a quiet room in back. The rooms in front overlook Market, which is a busy street. The staff, the price and the BART station make the difference for me. -Understood renovations were accomplished; not as elegant as expected; did not has elete floor as told so had to wait in line in the lobby for coffee; rooms has 2 double not queen beds and NOT enough room for 2 people to walk around room; not enough room to get in one side of bed; the veiw was great; they did change molded shower curtain when asked; Great location! Tavern restaurant has good food and drink -I almost would be writing a negative review of this hotel if not for some fast turn-around on the behalf of the staff of this hotel. I had a nine hour flight from NYC and was tired as I walked in. Lovely lobby, charming without being overly done, very warm and inviting. I was met with by a man at the front desk (Hamid) who immediately put me on the defensive by telling me he had no reservation under my name! I immediately brought out my written confirmation and then he told me it had been cancelled! I had just reconfirmed with the front desk the week before, so I had no idea how this had happened. He did walk me in, not honoring the rate I had confirmed and gave me my key. I again questioned this to which I was told,"You will have to fight it out with management tomorrow." As livid as I was I was in no mood to "turn New York" on him and went to my room. Room was nicely put together, king bed, desk, nice closet and on the inside right around the corner from the lobby so no traffic noise. Van Ness is terribly noisy so get one of these rooms if you stay here. Only drawback was a bigger dresser would have been nice as I stayed six nights. Bathroom was a nice size with good counter space, tub and shower were in a nice alcove. I was pleased with the room scheme and overall look. About a 1/2 hour later I received a call from the front desk from the overnight manager. She thought I was another guest who had extended and had no record of me being in the room! I immediately went to the front desk with my paperwork and couldn't have found a more accomodating and apologetic person to work this out. She was wonderful, honored my rate and also reprogrammed the key for six nights instead of only one as the guy before did. I then felt confident the rest of my stay would go smoothly, as it did. This is a wonderful hotel with nice rooms, wonderful breakfast each morning (the waffles are awesome) and close to everything. The rooms are kept clean and I would liken it to a "no-frills" Inn with a boutique feel. I would stay here again on my next trip to San Francisco. -This is a really beautiful hotel. The rooms were small and I was not able to be upgraded (SPG GOLD PREFERRED) because the desk clerk said that they were sold out. My husband did not like the room. He felt that it was small and the bathroom was really small. We might have stayed in the older [part of the ghotel..I amnot sure. The lobby was beautiful and the location can not be beeat. I would stay there again but my husband did not think it would be worth a return trip to this hotel. The bed was really heavenly and the sheets were so soft. I slept just great. BTW, my husband also liked the bed and the sheets. -I recently spent one night at this hotel. I travel a lot and usually get what I expect from a hotel due to my extensive research. I was very disappointed with my stay here. A previous poster stated the slow inattentive staff. I had the same experience. I showed up at 3:30. Check in is at 3:00. There were 3 staff members at the desk attending to things on the desk, not attending to guests. I stood there for minutes with a line forming behind me. No one at the desk looked up and even acknowledged us. I finally said "hello?" and the man in front of me looked up then and asked if I needed something. Unbelievable. It took more time to find out if my room was ready...it was after their posted check in time. I booked a club level room with the expectation of receiving a nicer than standard room accommodation. The room was horrible. The carpeting was covered with dirty stains throughout, windows were dirty, filthy marks on the leather covered chest of drawers. A floor lamp tilting like it was about to fall over at any moment, glaring bare bulbs over the bed with little shades above them that did nothing to cover the bulb. I had to laugh at the makeup lighted mirror on the vanity. They must have found it at some flea market 30 years prior. The room was so noisy from the bar across the street that we couldn't get to sleep until 2:30 am...after the bar closed! The windows on this side of the hotel should definately be double paned. I rarely write uncomplimentary comments on hotel comment cards but this time I let them know about all of this rooms problems. I am pretty tolerant of wear and tear etc. but this was a club level room and I expected it to at least be clean. There are many many hotels in this location so even though this hotel is in a great spot there are too many other nice hotels to choose from to ever make me book here again. I give this hotel 1-2 stars. -I liked the furniture , bed and small bathroom as I was only in there in the evening. I was able to have a light breakfast and enjoyed the view of the city streets below. The staff were friendly and accommodating. -First time booking with Expedia on a recent trip to San Francisco and was not really sure what to expect but our expectations were surely exceeded! Our flight plans remained exactlly as requested and our stay at The Hotel Adagio was wonderful. The hotel was a very quaint boutique style building, clean, great location, along with a very accommodating and friendly staff. Great places to eat and shop nearby and Adagio staff will gladly make any reservations for you from dining to day trips as well as offer helpful recommendations for getting to know the city if you are first timers to San Fran as we were. First Crush and Calibri's were two great restaurants Adgio staff suggested and we were very impressed as well as a day trip to Sasalito/ Muir Woods which they booked for us. I would highly recommend this hotel to couples or adults. As far as Expedia, we were also satisfied; I would just take time to confirm your travel plans with your hotel or airline and there should be no problems. -My husband and I were just going to be in SF for 1 night on our way to a wedding so we just wanted something inexpensive. What a bargain! I got a room at one of the funkiest hotels I have ever seen. The color scheme is great, room was cozy. It was a little noisy since we were next to the stairs and on the street but who cares! The pool/courtyard was great. The free breakfast was decent. The front desk staff was very friendly and helpful. He pointed us to a great restaurant only a couple of blocks away. And have I mentioned that they have free parking. My Silverado wouldn't fit in the on site parking but they have a free lot across the street. We are definitely staying here on our next trip to SF. -I stayed at the Powell Hotel at the end of October for 2 nights and was surprised that for more than $240 per night, which is what my office paid for the room, that it was old, tiny and had two small twin beds as a standard. The room was also not very well cleaned with dust on the furniture and hair in the sink and the bathtub. Also, the thing that I found most irritating was the valet parking that cost $30/night (which is pretty standard for that area) but took more than 30 minutes each time I needed to retrieve the rental car. There's no restaurant or bar in the hotel but since it's in Union Square there are plenty of other options. Since the hotel is right at the end of the Powell trolley line, I was unhappy to realize that my room was filled with the clang-clang late into the evening and early in the morning -- something of a wake up call, I guess. I'd recommend trying to get a room on a higher floor as I was on the 2nd only and the trolley and street noise was quite loud. I did like the line of freebie shampoo/conditioner/soap that they use in their bathrooms. Overall, the hotel was disappointing but in large part in relation to the high cost per night. If I'd paid $100 a night, I would've thought it was fine for a lower-end room in a high-priced town. -i got this room with reward point.. when i got there, i was able to upgrade my room for higher floor with free internet acess and breakfast at starbucks for two very nice view. i was able to see golden gate bridge we loved the jet spa bathtub good experience in there! -We stayed at HDS for 5 days from August 15. We have 3 children (5,8,10) and had a great set up. We had room 326 which had a room for the kids, and our room with small kitchen area and bathroom. Really clean and comfortable, very bright and cheery. The breakfast was basic but did the job. Missed a normal cup of tea though. Pool was good for the kids after a day sightseeing. Hotel was in a great area and we walked to Fisherman's Wharf one day. Only negative was hearing noise during the night from both the street and other rooms but I believe they are trying to recify that. Would definately stay there again. -We got a really good rate of $109/night on hotwire. We weren't expecting much, but we really enjoyed our room. We had a huge, comfortable "heavenly bed", large flat screen television, huge desk and nice bathroom. We didn't eat in the restaurant or go to the bar. The location was convenient. Lots of shops and places to eat within walking distance. The only complaint was that parking was expensive, but that is typical to San Francisco. I would recommend this hotel, especially if you get a good rate. -I'm surprised that this hotel has received such positive reviews; whilst it's not a disaster, there's certainly better options in the city. The location was my main complaint: it wasn't close to any of the tourist attractions, and thus required public transport on each occasion. Additionally, Market Street is very rough, and littered with undesirables - it didn't feel particularly safe.I also had to switch rooms after the first night due to excessive noise levels eminating from the main road (caused by vehicles and tramps wheeling shopping carts up and down the sidewalks). To their credit, the reception staff were very friendly and understanding, and fulfilled my request straight away (rooms at the rear of the building, whilst smaller, are far quieter).The rooms themselves were clean and comfortable, but a single room isn't overly spacious. You just about get what you pay for here, but if I were to return to San Francisco, I probably wouldn't stay here again unless I really had to. -The hotel is at a fairly good location with easy access to the shopping district and a Walgreens a block away. The front desk was very efficient, and the concierge was helpful. However, the room had old and discolored carpet, the thermostat had a mind of its own, and the bathroom isn't clean. The shower stall was especially grime ridden. During my seven nights of stay, the cleaning staff always forgot something, be it forgetting to add soap, tea and coffee bags, or tissue paper. Though there is a big screen HDTV in the room, the few available channels were all NTSC quality and the TV doesn't do a good job of up-conversion. Aside from the room itself, everything else costs extra, the gym, the pool and internet connection are all additional daily-rate charges. You could do a lot worse for the money, but it's not a four star like advertised either. -The Castle Inn is our favorite small hotel in San Francisco! We have stayed there on 2 occasions & the wonderful staff, convenient location, & clean, quiet rooms keep us coming back! Located at Broadway & Van Ness, Castle Inn is in a nice neighborhood with drug store, grocery, cafes & cute shops within close walking distance. It's also right on the bus line & is a straight shot down to Fisherman's Wharf. My dad & I stayed for 4 quiet & comfortable nights. We rented a car on our previous trip, but found that with a little planning, getting around on the bus was an easier & less costly option. The Castle Inn does offer free parking though, which is a real bonus in SF! Parking throughout SF is difficult, pricey & hard to find. For this trip, we purchased 3-day Muni Passes at the airport when we arrived, & used those to travel the city on busses & cable cars - a good value if you don't mind the challenges of riding city busses! Make sure you get a bus route map when you purchase your Muni Passes!Rooms at the Castle are clean & comfortable - not fancy or large, but decent & reasonably priced compared to many SF hotels. Our 2-bed room had a hairdryer, small fridge, coffee maker, free cable tv & table with 2 large chairs. Our 3rd floor room overlooked a lovely yard of trees next door & we could just see a bit of the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. There is a nice little continental breakfast (coffee, cocoa, yogurt, fruit, pastries, granola bars) in the lobby. The best feature of the Castle Inn is our favorite hostess, Versa! She is always so pleasant, accomodating & knowledgeable with good advice about the city. They also gave us a chart showing busses/stop locations to go to various tourist locations throughout the city. Castle Inn also has a nice website worth checking out.If you want a clean, decent room to sleep in at night & a hot shower in the morning without a lot of pricey luxury, the Castle Inn is a little gem of a motel in a convenient location to get to the tourist attractions easily. I have & will continue to recommend San Francisco's Castle Inn to anyone considering a trip to the City by the Bay! -area- nice in the day time. at night, the feel is totally different. doesn't feel safe anymore. we took a cab from the airport. on the way back, we took the BART- was very convenient and close to the hotel (but there were some delays on the BART so leave early).hotel- feels worn, but cozy. we stayed on the 6th fl, club room level and had to change to a diff elevator bank. some of the floors are like a maze, but we got the hang of it. the room was not very spacious, but worked for it. the windows open pretty wide. that was nice for us since we liked the breeze, but may not be so good for everyone, esp young kids. the room was clean. the beds, confortable. breakfast came w/ the room, which was nice even though there was nothing hot. our floor was very quiet, we could not hear any one else on the floor. -My husband and I stayed at the Nob Hill Motel for 4 nights and found it to be clean, spacious, and comfortable. The couple at the desk were friendly and helpful (even allowed our son who lives in the city to park his car in their lot for a couple of hours).We had requested a room on the top floor and that's what we got. We slept very well at night; heard no noise from the street or other rooms. Didn't really take advantage of the free breakfast as it was just instant coffee and some donuts. There were two things about the room that I didn't like but would not keep me from returning. The cleaning solution or air freshener used by the cleaning staff had a sickening sweet smell . . . had to open the window upon entering each time. The bathroom fan operated with the light switch so the fan was on even while I was applying makeup . . . and it was very noisy. A separate switch for the fan would be nice.The area around the motel seemed very safe . . . even tho we did some some homeless people sleeping in doorways less than a block away. There are lots of restaurants within walking distance. We ate at The Bell Tower twice; very good food and very friendly waitstaff. -I booked 4 nights here for our HM, one of which I used my Starpoints for. Upon check in the lady said she would upgrade us since we were staying 4 nights. She offered us a bottle wine since it was our HM, but we declined as we are not drinkers. She was going to give us a corner room on the 8th floor, but decided to give us a room on the 27th floor with a view of the Moscone Center. That room was nice. Bathroom was small. As soon as we got to the room, we called and requested a refrigerator which was delivered promptly; no extra charge. After coming back to our room later in the evening, a maid was cleaning a corner room and told us it was available. After a call to the front desk, we packed our stuff and moved over to the corner room with more views of the city. This bathroom was slightly more spacious; although neither had towel racks. We used the workout room. Headphones were provided and the treadmills had built-in TV's. Staff was very friendly. At checkout, my bill was for 4 nights, when it should have been for 3 since I used my points for one night. A call to the front desk fixed that and she gave me 1000 points for the inconvenience. We asked about late checkout and were offered 1pm as opposed to the normal 12pm checkout. Overall a good experience. It is more of a business hotel, not your traditional HM place, but it worked for us. -It is located in a very good place, but not very secure neighborhood at night. The hotel is ok, but very old and not very clean. The room had much dust, e alergic tavelers may hav problems...The staf was very polite and helpful. -Perfect location. Would stay again. Hotel was fairly new and very pleasant. The rooms were good size, comfortable, and stylish. The Continental Breakfast was quick and convenient. The cinnamon rolls were a family favorite! Excellent value. -Visited the Holiday Inn Express 4/24 - 4/28. Overall, we were happy with the hotel. The location was perfect for us - close to the wharf and local transit. The hotel itself is very nice looking with a modern decor. Our room, single king bed, was more than adequate. Maid service was good. The breakfast was decent for a hotel complimentery breakfast. There was a good selection to get your day started - juice, coffee, tea, milk, cereals, toast, bagels, yogurt, bananas, eggs (either scrambled or omlette which seemed to be prepacked and microwaved), bacon and/or sausage. The hotel was full on the weekend and the breakfast bar was quite busy at times. I felt the hotel did a great job of refilling things and we never had to wait long for anything. We always also managed to find a table for our group of 4.There were a couple of minor things we noted. While the hotel looked great, it is very basic and didn't have any nice little "extras". I thought it would have been nice to have coffee/tea service in the lobby area throughout the day, not just until 9:30 am - we've had this at other Holiday Inn Express hotels and basic type hotels such as Quality Inns, etc. Some aspects of service could have been a little better as well. I wanted to have a tea in my room early one evening. I had forgot to take a milk back up to the room in the morning - tea with powdered whitener just isn't that great. I had hoped that the front desk could get me a milk - the breakfast room was just a few steps away - but they were unable to help as their "house man" was not on duty. While I was waiting at the front desk an older man approached and indicated that they had just returned from their day out and their room hadn't been cleaned. The gentleman at the front desk indicated that he "couldn't understand how that could happen, it had never happened before". He asked the guest if he was sure he didn't leave his Do Not Disturb sign on the door. The guest replied he was sure he hadn't. The front desk clerk then proceeded to tell the gentlemant there was nothing he could for him as the cleaning staff were gone for the day and again, the house man was not in. The front desk clerk didn't offer anything to the guest for the inconvenience - he just restated he couldn't understand how that could happen. To me, surely someone could have gone up and emptied the garbages and at least gave them clean towels? Also, don't forget that parking is very expensive, as is pretty standard with wharf area hotels. We didn't have a vechicle but noticed that the valet parking was over $40 per night. If we returned to SF, we wouldn't have any hesitation staying at this hotel again as any issues we had were really quite minor. -Our stay at the Donatello exceeded our expectations. The location was right in the center of art galleries, fine restaurants, major theaters, and close to transportation that took us to all parts of the city. The room was quiet and spacious as well as clean. The beds were comfortable. Advice from the front desk was extremely helpful in getting directions and obtaining theater tickets. The breakfast in the restaurant bar was certainly adequate and effcient. We enjoyed being at the center of the city. -This is the perfect little motel for people who are more interested in seeing the city than the inside of their hotel room. The parking is free. The rooms are clean. I slept great -- no excess noise from the street. There's a microwave and refrigerator in the room so you can store your snacks and have a few meals in if you want. The desk staff is extremely friendly and helpful. The location is actually Russian Hill between Polk and Van Ness on Pacific Ave. Walking distance up to Ghirardelli Square and the cable cars. We loved it. -We booked and arrived within 24 hours as our holiday to Miami was cancelled due to hurricane Frances. A superb hotel in a great location. The staff are friendly, the rooms are a good size and everything is clean and modern. We have looked at some of the more expensive hotels around and would not wish to be anywhere else. The free internet access is great as you can checkout places that you want to visit and keep in touch with home. Haven't made the gym yet, but have been in the pool at the Holiday Inn next door. I would not hesitate to recommend this hotel. -The location's great as it's near Union Square and Westfield Shopping Centre! Service was good and the room was clean. -5 nights in San Francisco April 23-27 2004. Stayed at the Grosvenor Suites. Room on the 4th floor northside facing Pine. That was fortunate because the city was having a record hit wave and our room stayed nice and cool. There is little street noise on that side, it is a residential area surrounded by 2 major hotels. Area is close to public transportation, BART (goes to the airport), cable cars and buses. In a great neighborhood. There is a full size grocery store a short cable car ride away on Cailifornia Street. We had 2 beds in the room a couch, a dining area with table and chairs. The small kitchen was spotless with all dishes and appliances needed. There was a light breakfast offered, the bagels were very good. The staff were genuinely friendly and helpful. I reserved a room at this hotel specfically due to this website and I am truly grateful to those that submitted their comments. Very enthused about the hotel and will return. -I booked the flight and hotel through Orbitz before I checked Tripadvisor about the hotel. Then I worried if I made a mistake when I read some of the reviews about the thin walls and noise. That was wasted concern because the hotel was fantastic. The hotel was built in 1906 after the earthquake so the rooms are not huge but the are beautiful and clean. We didn't hear a peep from the rooms on either side, it was very quite. If you opened the window facing Market Street, yes there was traffic sounds. Close the window and all was fine. Maxfields Restaurant in the hotel was a total surprise.. the food and service were excellent as was the decor. Breakfast in the Garden Court was a little average,but the room is stunning!!! You should try it once. When I return to S.F., I will certainly stay at the Palace. -The Hotel is in a great location, the staff are very friendly and helpful. The rooms are clean it met all my requirements. -A wonderful oasis in the heart of the Union Square district. Once you enter the front door you would never know that you are in a major city. Quiet and spacious rooms, friendly staff and fabulous breakfasts. -This hotel has great amenities...great location... and generally excellent service. We used points to offset a few nights cost...and the hotel treated us like royalty. It was an amazing experience...with a high floor corner room with a great view of the city and the bay in the distance. The hotel staff were friendly and very accomodating, and seemed genuinely pleased we had selected thier hotel to celebrate out 30th anniversary. The room (small suite) was large for a city hotel and very clean...smelled great. The bar (Level III) had a great open space with computers and a large fire place....needed after a cool windy day. In the morning the bar turns into a Star Bucks...also needed to start a busy day. The outside staff are always ready to help...getting a cab to/from the airport is not a problem...cost about $45 (same as car parkinging). Speaking of cars, there are several rental agencies within 2 short blocks....and within that same distance is a broad spectrum of shops (high end), Union Square, cable cars, Market Street and a huge mall (the San Francisco shopping center). If you have a shopper in the family, this is Nervana. The location of the hotel is great, because you are out of the rush but just steps away from clubs and shopping and public transit....including the Powel/Market cable car ($5 each way). We did not dine at the hotel, other than order the wine and cheese sampler "Best of San Francisco". We would not hesitate to return and highly recommend this hotel. -I thought this hotel was wonderful! It was super clean, rooms were clean and nice and a good size. The bathroom was probably the cleanest one I have ever seen in a hotel. It was also very quiet. Alot of the reviews discuss the area - it was not a problem at all and I am easily intimidated but day or night - I was never concerned. The staff was always friendly and helpful. I woudl absolutely stay here again and would recommend it to anyone. -The Inn is definitely one of the smallest hotels I have stayed in within the US within recent memory. You know, that can be good or bad. If you want to be anonymous it might be bad. I was in San Francisco on business, attending a conference at the Marriott but chose to stay here based on the reviews. The Marriott was a half mile walk, by the way. And the Marriott is a Marriott is a Marriott. Switching it up can be good.Check in went fine. They did not have my hotel website reservation in their system. After asking me if I had I confirmation, I showed them the reservation I had printed out and brought along from home. Not sure where the disconnect was, but this was a Monday and there were probably less than 10 rooms occupied. I don't know what they would have done if it was the weekend (they said they were going to be completely booked).The hotel is small. The lobby is small. The hallways are small. The room is small. The bathroom is small. The elevator is small and slow. But, the room is nicely appointed, clean and had a very large and really comfortable bed. When I first saw the shower I said "what?!?, you're kidding" as it is tiny by most standards. But, it got the job done and the water pressure could clean an elephant. The TV, a Dell flat-screen was nice and it didn't have that whole hotel interface crap on it, it was just a TV with channels like you have at home. Turn down service with water and chocolates was great!The touches that I really appreciated and don't find often if ever at a hotel:You see the same people working there all the time. They all ask how you are, if you need anything at all, and are super polite (from the front desk to the maids). Did I mention super polite? The wonderful and bountiful breakfast spread in the morning on each floor. I could smell the coffee wafting into my room from down the hall in the mornings. The fact they give you a real newspaper in the morning and not USA Today. The wine and hors d'oeuvres in the evening. The call you get from the front desk the night before checkout asking if you need a wake-up call or taxi. The cute little fireplace in the sitting room on each floor.I would definitely stay here again. -I was traveling to San Francisco for business and I needed to stay in the financial district as the company I was consulting for was at 100 Pine. Walking into the hotel I was instantly transformed to another era. The lobby, bar, and restaurant have old and heavy wood pillars and paneling with dentals around the ceiling. Deep black and red tones accent the rooms. You feel the warmth of the place as a shelter to hustle and bustle of downtown. The rooms are comfy and include all the amenities you expect from a major hotel. The hotel includes a free ride to the office in the AM. Hotel Rex offers all this in a price that you would expect to be higher. Stay at the Rex, you won't be disappointed. -This hotel was clean, quiet, modern and conveniently located. The staff was always helpful and the free continental breakfasts were quite adequate. The decor was something between art deco and modern/contemporary. Many restaurants were within walking distance and the view to the water from some of the rooms was fabulous. Internet access was easy and the excercise room was a pleasant bonus. We askedfor a handicapped accessible, no smoking room with a king size bed and that is exactly what we got. There were no strange odors or otherundesirable surprises. The only drawback was the $35 per day parking fee. But the parking valet service was swift and polite. I'd stay there again. -This is the 4th year we have stayed at this hotel. The hotel is excellent and good value for money with good sized rooms and breakfast included, only a short walk to Fisherman`s Wharf and Pier 39, Regular bus services running past the hotel, and close to the Street and Cable cars. We would like to pass on our thanks to Joseph and all the Staff who do a great job in making you feel welcome. -True it's not the best neighborhood, so I wouldn't recommend for a stay with young kids, honeymoon or other really special occasion, or someone with super-high standards wanting a high-class hotel. Be advised that there is a strip club across the street. It could probably get loud from traffice/street noise though we were on the top floor (7th) which cut down on the noise. But if you want a place centrally located in SF that's cheap (at least the rate I got on Priceline was), it is fine. The lobby is very nice and the staff are above average, very friendly and helpful. The room was clean and comfy enough although one side of the bed sagged. It's a no-frills, older style room. Just be on guard if you are walking around at night in this neighborhood but I don't think it's particularly dangerous really, since it is very close to a main street with lots of police and lights.I would not recommend it for the rates published on its website, but I got it for $40 plus tax online so look around first. -Hotel Drisco, in the community of Pacific Heights, was outstanding in everyway. The neighbor setting, the houses, the quietness, everything was perfect. The room was outstanding - we were upgraded to a front room suite which looked towards the S.F. bay. The hotel staff were all courteous, helpful, unpretentious, and friendly. The continental breakfast, in a wonderful little room, was vast and plentiful. The front desk staff was able to make excellent suggestions for dinner, looked at the menus to ensure they could accommodate our tastes and gifted us a dessert at the restaurant (what a great surprise!)...Loved it all and I do not say this very often!!!! Thank you, thank you.... -Great location--easy walking distance to lots of thngs and easy access to public transportation. The staff was absolutely the best--friendly and helpful. From Noah and Oscar at the front desk to Lina in housekeeping--everyone was accessible, happy and ready to answer any question or take care of any need. The free parking is an added bonus in this area. The room was large and clean. The view was great. -My husband and I stayed at The Cartwright for a business meeting. We had just come from Napa, so we had high expectations! They were certainly met. Even though there was construction going on, we really didn't feel bothered by it. I loved the wine hour every evening-- we always made sure to be back at the hotel in time for it! And, the location of the hotel is perfect-- while my husband was at his meeting, I had TONS of shopping and restaurant hopping to do! I would whole-heartedly recommend The Cartwright hotel-- we definitely plan on coming back. -My Husband and I chose this Hotel for out New Year's Eve "gettaway" based on the great reviews from Trip Advisor and we were not dissapointed! I booked a standard king room and was up graded to a premier king free of charge upon our arrival. The staff were very nice. The wine hour in the cozy lobby was great. Enjoyed talking with fellow travelers by the warm and inviting fireplace. Our room was very nice. We expected the room to be small based on all the reviews but it was very nicely decorated and super clean. The bed was very comfortable and the room itself was very quiet. The hotel is walking distance to many attractions. We ate at the Italian restaraunt located in the hotel and the food and service was outstanding. Check out the following morning was fast and flawless as we enjoyed fresh coffee and biscotti served complimentary in the lobby. I will go back to this hotel again! -Superb. Lovely hotel and excellent location. Rooms (although I suppose small by US standards) were cosy but had everything you wanted inc. heating (yes in August!) and a clean bathroom. We were fortunate enough to have a courtyard room which I gather is a better option. Free coffee and biscotti in the morning is a nice touch but we never made it back in time for free beer and wine from 5-6pm. The valet guy was extremely helpful and very friendly but the check in/guest services staff on the whole uninterested and unhelpful. The concierge said we stood no chance of getting tickets to Alcatraz (walked around the corner and found an agency selling them) - perhap I should've offered him a $20 tip?! Tip - book NOW for Alcatraz - www.bluegoldferries.com - for $16 pp rather than the inflated package costs of tour agencies. We got stuck with our car hire overnight and paid $25 to park - bit steep as there is a car park next door for less than that - doh! Overall though a top hotel in an excellent location. Make sure you make the 15-20 min walk up Stockton Ave to Little Italy and don't get totally distracted by Fishermans Wharf! -My wife and I stayed here 2 nights for our anniversary. Booked it through Hotwire for $100 a night, which was a really good deal for this place. The room wasn't huge but had an awesome bed, an LCD TV, Bose clock radio, etc. Apparently that's standard with every room. The bathroom was also incredible. Marble walls and floors, color TV with remote, phone, separate shower stall. Everyone we interacted with was extremely helpful and nice. They have a courtesy car that will take you anywhere downtown during the morning or evening hours (you're on your own getting back). Hotel is just a block from Union Square and the Cable Cars. Hertz and Thrifty across the street too, which was handy. We would definately stay here again. -Hotel was located close to Fisherman's Wharf and the Cable Cars.We had a really nice stay at the hotel. If you join the Priority Club, you get some nice privileges - just go to the Holiday Inn website and sign up.There was a Walgreen's close by which was really convenient - there was a Starbucks nearby also where you can sit and watch the streetcars come in. It was fun to watch them turn the corner and park.We were surprised that Fisherman's Wharf shuts down pretty early. No problem - we were tired from walking up and down the hilley streets. Cable Cars are a fun way to get around town. We bought the CityPass which was a good deal. It has a 7 day Muni Pass which gives unlimited rides on Cable Cars, Buses, and Street Cars. There are restaurants near the Holiday Inn. There's a good pizza place across the Street. Pier 39 is also close by. Fisherman's Wharf has the Rain Forrest Cafe and Boudin. We decided to go to Chinatown for many of our meals. Great Eastern restaurant on Jackson Street was excellent. Holiday Inn was very comfortable. It was clean and the staff were friendly. You can buy Mrs Fields cookies in the lobby after 5pm. -Depending on what you're looking for, the Cartwright may be great or horrible for you. We just returned from a week vacation in San Francisco. We chose this hotel because it was NOT in Fisherman's Wharf where all the tourist traps are. It is in Union Square, which is close enough to everything by transportation. It was also reasonably priced for a nicer hotel. Be prepared though, because we were surprised when we arrived! The room we stayed in DOES NOT look like the one on the virtual tour from the website. We were shocked at how SMALL the room was! The room is very small. We literally had to move the television (hanging in the corner) a bit in order to open the closet door. This is NOT a luxury hotel! It seems as though not much has changed since it was built in 1913. That could be a good thing- it IS quaint, despite being in the middle of the city. But, for the price, we expected more. Again, the location is good, but it is like staying in Times Square meets 5th Avenue. Union Square is FULL of upscale stores. Macy's and a mall with Bloomingdales takes up a whole block. We were not impressed by that at all. However, there always seemed to be something going on in the Union Square Park, which was cute. The location is good because it is close to ALL the transportation- right on the trolley line, close to the subway, busses, trolleys, cable cars, etc. In addition, don't be fooled by all the high class department stores and boutiques. We were in a store when it got robbed. Once we settled in, the size of the room and bathroom being so small didn't bother us as much. The staff is VERY friendly and nice, but be warned that they did not seem to know much! They were happy to give advice when asked, but we usually wound up finding out better advice once we left the hotel.Pros: Location near all transportation and not in the middle of Fisherman's Wharf, quaint, yummy cookies every night, pretty good breakfast included, average price for hotel in the city.Cons: Much smaller room than we expected, with little drawer or storage space. Not many modern amenities in the room. View from our room (although quiet away from traffic) was to a alley way and other buildings. Although the staff was very friendly, they often gave vague and wrong advice about how to get places, where to go, the weather, etc. -My best friend and I went to San Francisco for a girls weekend and had the best time. The hotel was fantastic. From greeting us with roses and first class service upon checking in, to our beautifully appointed room. It was a deluxe room with two double beds, marble bathroom, with no real views but very comfortable. We are wary of hotels but felt right at home at the Omni, as everything was clean and comfortable. I have stayed in Fairmonts and nicer hotels, and I would say that this hotel was at par with a 4+ star, it was great. My girlfriend celebrated a birthday during our stay and we only mentioned it to the front desk clerk when asked why in town, after dinner one night they sent up a bottle of champagne, two small birthday cakes and a personalized card. It was perfect! The gym was great, tv's on all the equipment and was never full, or even half full. Get your water there as there is complimentary water, and the bottle in your room is $6. Oh and there is also fresh fruit in the gym, which might be a nice snack as the mini bar and room service are quite pricey. Which isn't too much of a problem since the Omni is near alot of nice cafes, restaurants etc. (right beside the Omni there is a cafe which has everything and makes delicious panini's.... which are worth the trip back to San Francisco). We never ordered anything from the hotel.... except a bagel and fruitplate in the morning.... and it wasn't outrageous. No pool, no views, but what the hotel lacks in those areas, it completely compensates for in friendly helpful staff. It is close to China town, Union square, North beach and across the street from the Carmelian room which has amazing views while you dine. Become an Omni select guest member (free online) and you can get a complimentary morning beverage and paper, turn down service and upgrade after so many stays. Being on California street, alongside the cable cars, the Omni makes it easy to get around without a rental car. I would actually say avoid renting one if possible as parking in San Francisco is expensive and hard to come by. The hotel charges $45 I believe. So we rented one to drive up to win country, and returned it the same day, just to save us the hassle of paying for parking and returning it the next day. San Francisco is a fantastic city and the hospitality extends far beyond the hotels and tourist areas. Everyone is so nice and made our trip so enjoyable. The Omni is a great hotel in a great location. We will return and as soon as we can. -After recovering from knowing that valet parking will cost us $50 a day (you need valet if you want your car back to cruise around town, $30 across the street but no in/out priveleges), we were welcomed by a very friendly staff and helped by a friendly bell boy to our room. We have a room with 2 beds, very tight! The view overlooking Union Square was spectacular. I hate to admit, but after being in the room for an hour, I started to notice things that I would not expect for the price that we paid for. AC was not functioning properly. Chair upholstery very poor and bathroom tiles grungy (minor maintenance needed and probably affordable by a Hyatt), closet doors were pretty banged up, no microwaves, no refrigerators and the worst, couldn't get any sleep at night due to construction (jackhammering) until 11 at night. We wanted to check out the following day, only to find out that they will charge us for the day and $50 penalty charge for checking out early. It's the Grand Hyatt! We've stayed at cheaper places and had better quality of rooms. Staff was excellent though, from the very second you get there.Rooms were average. If it wasn't for the staff, I would give Grand Hyatt a lower rating. -I found the hotel to be warm and welcoming, and cool in its decor. The location is perfect for the theater, shopping at Union Square, has a fantastic restaurant, Cortez, and it was a totally yin and yang experience. I highly recommend! -You might be a little skeptical about this place, because it is way, way, cheaper than hotels in the general area. For example, the Nikko is like, two blocks away. And you can easily walk to...that big square where Tiffany's is, and all that other stuff. Sorry, not really very familiar with San Francisco. The point is: the location is very excellent! Really! I would stay here with my young children. I would have to walk through perhaps a block of "possible weirdos" but after that it's like any well-policed metropolitain area. It'd be a great stay, and if I can ever drag my family to SF I would look this place up first and foremost, because the rates were a steal.Anyway, I was thinking that this hotel would be disgusting or dangerous, because it was so much cheaper than other hotels. But the room was really very nice, and I had no problems with the hotel staff, or mix-em-ups or anything. It was just nice! It was one of those times when you think to yourself: I am getting some kind of deal!So imho, don't hesitate, you can totally stay here (I was on business) and you will not get mugged or be disturbed by drunken revelers late into the night. -We stayed at the Rex for 6 nights at the end of June 08. The location is fantastic, assuming you prefer Union Square to the Wharf. The decor is slightly tired, but it's clean and comfortable. The bed and pillows were really comfortable, the bathroom was large and the shower worked well. You get a bathrobe and slippers, for those who love those extras! There is a minibar fridge in the room, but no tea/ coffe making facilities - although they offer free tea and coffee every morning from 5am.Our room was at the back of the hotel on the second floor and was so quiet that we were able to sleep with the window open all night (there was no noise at all).The staff are genuinely friendly (as opposed to fake Californian friendly) and want to help you. Each night between 5 and 6 you get a free glass of wine, and after that drinks are pretty reasonably priced (for a City centre hotel). We didn't eat in the restaurant so can't comment. On the day we checked out they let us have our room for an extra couple of hours at no charge.One thing that hasn't been mentioned on trip advisor (that I can see) is that if you go to their website and let them have enough notice, they will arrange a free of charge personal tour with a Golden Gate Greeter. This is really worth doing - our guide was great and spent half a day showing us around - you tell them what you want to see/ your interests - and they tailor it to you.I would definitely recommend this hotel. -Everything about our stay at Best Western-Tuscan Inn was great, location to the wharf, cable cars and everything we wanted to see and do. It couldn't have got any better for the price, will definitely return. -Just arrived back from 2 weeks on West Coast. Spent 4 nights at Stratford Hotel (March 1st-March 5th). The location is fantastic, couldn't be better. We were given a room on the 7th floor, it faced away from the street which i assume is a distinct advantadge as it can get quite noisy with trams etc. Room was small but the bathroom was large but for the money who cares, we went there to visit the city not sit in our room. Everthing seemed very clean as well. Staff were helpful. Breakfast is limited to toast and muffins with plenty of choice with drinks though. Again for the money who can complain, just so long as we had something to keep us going. We walked around a lot, San Francisco has a lot of distinct neighborhoods (and hills!) so be prepared. People were great, very helpful and laid back. If you walk down Geary and Sutter about a mile or so you skirt the Tenderloin area and you can tell its a a bit run down there but don't worry i just wouldnt walk round there at night thats all. -Stayed here June 18th - 22nd, 2009. Weather was great during this time. Read all the reviews prior to booking and arriving so we knew what to expect and we were not disappointed. King room was clean and comfortable, a little on the small side , but we were on the go and rarely in the room so it didn't matter. As with some of the other reviews we had a view of a cement courtyard. Breakfast was adequate but I hate standing in line for toast!!!! People can tend towards rudeness when they are hungry!!!!Short walk to Fishermans Wharf and with lots to see and do. Check out the "free" museum with all the old arcade games...awesome! We walked alot at night and felt very safe in this area.**Side Note** I was watching "Little People Big World" on TLC the other day. Amy goes to San Francisco with her sisters and they stayed at the Hyatt across the street. One scene when they come out the front doors shows the Holiday Inn Express perfectly. -I tagged along on a business trip with my husband and we stayed here - very impressive! It is quite pricey though - good thing we could expense it! Rooms were quite large - very exquisite - excellent service and great breakfast. Would highly recommend! -I stayed at the hotel in the middle of January and I picked this hotel since it was close to Fisherman's Wharf. My family reserved two rooms on the club floor and nothing was served on the club floor. It was no different from the other floors and I payed extra for the extra services. The rooms were connecting, but they were doing extra loud construction outside of the rooms. The hotel was not completely sold out so they could have put us on a quieter side. Another major complaint that I had was that the comforter was badly stained. I don't know what it was exactly, but who would want to sleep on a bed with nasty stains? I left a note on the bed for the housekeeper so they could change it, but when I returned it was left unchanged. The carpet was somewhat stained also, and the wallpaper was peeling (practically hanging) and it was not a great stay at all. One last thing was the front desk was very rude. The lady that helped us as we checked out was did not make us feel as though we were customers. She had a very bad attitude towards us. One of the worst experiences I have had staying at a hotel. I do not think they should even be apart of SHERATON because it will only bring the name down. I would not recommend this hotel to those that want a pleasureable experience. -This hotel is a DUMP! The rooms are tiny, filthy, and stinky. The cable cars will wake you up every morning as they ring their bells. If you are able to sleep through this, you will wake up as soon as your neighbor turns on his TV. The walls are so thin, you can hear everything that goes on in the neighboring rooms. There is so much mold, dirt, and dust in this place, I have been sick for the past week. Stay far, far, away from this HISTORIC DUMP! -Stayed here for 6 nights at the start of our holiday. Ideal location and is literally a 5 minute walk to Union Square and all the main shops. We were very impressed and booked for 2 nights at the end of our holiday.Our first stay was a back room which was a nice size and quiet. This was a special occasion which we mentioned when booking online and a bottle of champagne awaited us on arrival. The breakfast on each floor is simple but nice. The staff are friendly and helpful.The complimentary glass of wine in the cosy hotel bar is a nice touch. We ate once in the restaurant and it was excellent.Our second stay was a suite situated at the front of the hotel overlooking the main street. The fan in this room was not working which made it extremely hot and we found it very noisy. We would definitely recommend a back room. -The Renoir was our first taste of San Francisco and we left it with mixed feelings after four night stay. The Hotel is well located on the fringe of the CBD in Market St and right next to transport. The Hotel Foyer, staff and check went without a hitch. It is an old Hotel that is definitely tired and needs a good refurbishment. Our room faced onto Market St itself right outside the tram and bus stop...which proved to be a bad location which will elaborate on later. The bathroom was big enough and above all clean...we had to get additional pillows for our bed but the big issue was the windows....they didnt close properly and the curtains certainly needed to be replaced as they were shoddy therefore letting in sun light.The worst aspect of this Hotel is its location in the poorer part of San Francisco with a number of homeless people wandering the streets day and night. Unfortunately they camped in the tram/bus shelters of a night time and kept up a constant barrage of abuse and yelling into the early hours of morning. Add to this the Hotel stands on the corner of two major streets which constantly seemed to have emergency vehicles or police blaring through the night. I dont think we got a decent night sleep whilst their The women in our party felt uncomfortable abt walking outside and because of the location their was a lack of reasonable good restaurants and eateries. We were even advised by police near the Hotel to avoid certain take away restaurants because of the problems with the homeless people so had to find a restaurant recommended to us further up Market St for reasoanble food. I wouldnt recommend staying at this Hotel for one big reason.....sleep as the noise in the streets is not well insulated from the Hotel itself. -We stayed at this hotel in July for two days. We enjoyed the location of the hotel (5 minutes from Union Square). The breakfast was nice. We really liked the wine and cheese in the afternoon. The room was clean and spacious. The major problem was the noise. We were given a room on the second floor. You could hear extremely loud street noise until late at night. People outside on the sidewalk talking and screaming plus cars, buses prevented sleep. It was the noisiest room I've stayed at in a long time. I don't ask for much as a traveller. A clean and quiet room in a decent location is all I need. We switched rooms for the second night and moved to a higher floor. We were satisfied with the noise level the second night. Overall, I would stay at this hotel again but not at a lower room facing the street. -The Handlery Union Square Hotel offers great rooms in the centre of San Francisco for a very nice price! Excellent value for money. Friendly personnel and top location! Highly recommended! -Good location in town, decent sized rooms and pretty helpful staff. However, having two separate companies promoting their services at reception and the club level was a little weird. Rooms were OK, but not great. Cheap cutlery and questionable decor. The bed spread in particular did not look very clean. The breakfast was OK if you got there early enough. However, our biggest problem was the location of the room. Our room was on the first level of accommodation, near the end of the hallway above a banquet room. Traffic noise wasn't a problem for us, but the room was also accessible through our window via the flat roof of the banquet room, so security was a concern if we left our window open. The plumbing in this particular room was also very loud with pipes creaking and waking us up every night. The staff tried to identify the problem, but weren't able to sort if out while we were there. Overall the hotel was OK but not good. -we booked the hotel as it was reasonable and apparently in a good central location. Like others we did not feel safe as soon as we left the hotel, even in the middle of the day. The rooms were not particularly clean and our final night was ruined by the incompetence of the hotel staff. They offered to check us in on line for our flight home but failed to print our boarding cards or seat us together. They did not try to fix the problem and we were left to go on the internet at $5 a go and stay on hold to the airlines helpdesk, the whole episode taking about 2 hours. We also had to get to the airport over 4 hours ahead of our flight to ensure we could get boarding cards and ended up paying a further $110 so that we could sit together. I would not recommend it to anybody. -Searched for a hotel in our price range in the city and went with this recommendation from a friend. We were pleased with our stay in every respect. No troubles with reservation made through Expedia -- in fact, they confirmed; I did not need to. Staff were service oriented and friendly. Room was large, comfy, clean, great bathroom. Exceeded expectations. No noise and easy valet parking. A great stay! -Stayed over President's Day weekend as a birthday surprise for my girlfriend. It was enjoyable and memorable.The hotel is in a wonderful location at the top of Nob Hill. We had upgraded to an upper floor room with city view, which cannot be beat. The valet service and the check-in were friendly and efficient, with our package details clearly spelled out. However, there was a snafu with the bags and I ended up having to go back downstairs to get them myself. The room was nicely appointed and clean. The room size was fairly small, not surprising for an older hotel but adequate for 2 people. Elevators were a bit slow, but acceptable considering the property is 80 years old.The Top of the Mark was great for late evening drinks (no kids allowed, drinks average $10 and proper dress is expected) with wonderful nighttime views of the city. Breakfast was outstanding, a high quality buffet with panaromic views stretching from downtown to Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. There is a cable car stop outside which can get you around, otherwise you are looking at a VERY steep walk to get down to Union Square and a real killer to walk back up Powell to California Street. Checkout was a bit slow, but all charges were clearly explained, unlike some earlier posters who seemed to have problems. Maybe it helps to be an InterContinental member. The car was waiting outside with no delay.Overall, if you like a place with history and class, this is a great place to stay. The package value I received was outstanding, for $219 a great room, parking ($50) and breakfast for two ($52 value) included. Classic architecture, romantic history and a fabulous view of a wonderful city make for a memorable stay. -We stayed at the Beresford Arms for four nights including New Years Eve. Could not have asked for more from a budget hotel in the Union Square area.. The location is great, about four blocks from Union Square. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Very clean and comfortable rooms, if a bit old-fashioned. The breakfast is fine i.e. not great but there was usually a good assortment of fruit and pastries and excellent coffee. The wine reception was so nice to come back to in the late afternnon. It involved more or less all the wine you cared to drink. We were at the Beresford Arms for New Years Eve and while there was nothing much going on in the hotel the lobby was decorated and we found champage and party favours in our room (no charge) - a very nice touch. We have stayed previously at the King George and the Andrews - no comparison at all, really. -We stayed at the Hotel Whitcomb (formerly Ramada (@ 8th & Market) in San Francisco during Easter weekend 2007. We read the previous reviews that said this hotel was not very good and it was in a bad area. That could not be further from the truth! Yes, there are some homeless people walking around, but they do not bother you! They are mostly around the touristy parts (near Union Square, etc.). The hotel was recently refurbished, very clean and well kept. Our room was nice and clean. It was not huge, but how much time do you really spend in the hotel?? The girl at the concierge desk wasn't as bright and knowledgeable as she could have been, save your time and get a map yourself. We paid $80 a night (Friday/Saturday night AND during a holiday weekend), that was the AAA rate. Not bad considering the Holiday Inn just around the corner was $200/night. The BART drops you off right in front of the hotel, it's about a 3-block walk to catch the trolley/cable car, or you can catch the street car right in front of the hotel to Market and Powell, where you catch the cable car. Also, another tip that we found out while we were there, yes ride the cable cars because of the novelty, but the "F" Street street car goes directly to Fisherman's Wharf and back. You may find yourself waiting an hour or more to catch the cable car down by the Wharf! Just hop on the street car and you'll save some time!Overall, this was a good hotel at a decent price. We will absolutely stay there again!!! -After reading reviews of bed and breakfasts in San Francisco we chose the White Swan Inn for our nine-day visit, and were very pleased with our choice! We found the front desk staff to be extremely helpful and friendly, with everything from restaurant recommendations to phoning in our airline confirmation promptly so that we had excellent seats on our long flight back to NH. Our hotel room (#31)was spacious and beautiful, and the Belgian chocolates on the bed each night, the bedside switch that blazed the fireplace, and rosemary/verbena lotions and soaps were added touches to the delightful overall ambiance. The breakfasts were wonderful; fresh fruit, croissants, fresh hot breads, quiches, sausages, scrambled eggs, french toast, as well as hot and cold cereals, juices, coffee and teas. We looked forward to the evening wine receptions in front of the fireplace or by the garden area before going out for the evening, with wonderful appetizers along with wine and sherry, and 40's style music playing softly in the background. All through this British-themed inn are evidences of the attention to detail that has been paid to guests' comfort and enjoyment. That, in addition to the central location, made this a perfect choice for a San Francisco stay! -A wonderful oasis in the heart of the Union Square district. Once you enter the front door you would never know that you are in a major city. Quiet and spacious rooms, friendly staff and fabulous breakfasts. -This is my third stay at The Mosser. I have stayed at a number of Boutique Hotels in The City over the years. I discovered The Mosser a couple of months ago when I was in town for a job interview a couple of blocks away. The location is outstanding for the convention center, SFMOMA, Yerba Buena Gardens, Union Square, and BART. The selection of ammenities is interesting and different everytime I stay. This time it includes a razor, toothpaste, and a couple of green products-- a bar of waste reducing soap with a hole in it and moisurizer in a biodegradable "plastarch" bottle. The rooms are tiny, very clean, and harken back to a bygone era updated with flat screen TV and platform bed. This time my room has a bay window that looks out on the Metreon. I will definitely be back for another Mosser Adventure! -First of all, be aware that this hotel does not have parking. In fact, you have two choices: valet ($45/night) or public parking ($35/night). I wish I had known this before booking. With that said, the hotel itself was very clean, amenities felt new, and the staff was superb! From the moment we arrived, the staff was super helpful and cordial from the bell man to the restaurant staff. We had dinner at the Grandview Restaurant on the 36th floor, and felt pampered by the service (even though we had a very messy 10-month-old with us). The next morning, they let me stop by their buffet and pick up some pastries to bring up to the my room (for a very reasonable price). The staff even went out of their way to help me with my baby and stroller.The location was excellent... just a block away from Macy's and in the center of Union Square. I'm glad the hotel was kid-friendly after all. Downside - Wifi was $9.99, and of course lack of parking. Overall, I felt like everything was clean in the room, had a decent view (and we were only on the 5th floor), and didn't have any problems. -We met up with a friend in San Francisco and he booked this hotel for us so the first I knew of it was when we arrived (after spending 2 weeks driving from New York). The hotel is in the business district but is good looking with a nice lobby. The area has a few bars and restaurants but it's also well located for public transport to all the other areas so it's a decent location. The inside of the hotel is clean and well decorated, the rooms are spotlessly clean but are tiny - most have the sink in the bedroom as the en-suite shower room is a (well) converted cupboard. The beds are also small by American standards but are comfortable. Unfortunately we did encountera few problems whilst staying here - firstly, when we arrived we were given our electronic room key (swipe card style) however when we got to our room it didn't work. My husband went back to the lobby and returned with a member of staff who also tried the key before agreeing that, we were right, it didn't work. My friend sympathised as he had experienced the same problem when he had checked in the day before. The staff were helpful though and immediately moved us to a different (slightly bigger) room, where the key worked perfectly, until we returned from a night out! We tried to get into our new room and had the same problem as earlier. My husband and I returned to the lobby and explained our problem to the receptionist who had some issues understanding us. For some reason she insisted on checking her computer and then announced that there was no one staying at the Mosser that night with out surname! This was quite a surprise as, we explained, all our belongings were currently locked in a room several floors above our heads! After repeating ourselves several times (each time met with a polite if slightly irritating smile!) before my husband had to go out for some air. I decided to write our surname down for the receptionist in case she had been spelling it wrong (mishearing our M's for N's perhaps?) and finally had some success - she found our details and called for a security guard with a master key who escorted us back to our room and let us in. All in all, this place is nice, clean and well situated but make sure you prepare yourself for malfunctioning room keys and slightly confused (but always polite!) reception staff! -5 nights in San Francisco April 23-27 2004. Stayed at the Grosvenor Suites. Room on the 4th floor northside facing Pine. That was fortunate because the city was having a record hit wave and our room stayed nice and cool. There is little street noise on that side, it is a residential area surrounded by 2 major hotels. Area is close to public transportation, BART (goes to the airport), cable cars and buses. In a great neighborhood. There is a full size grocery store a short cable car ride away on Cailifornia Street. We had 2 beds in the room a couch, a dining area with table and chairs. The small kitchen was spotless with all dishes and appliances needed. There was a light breakfast offered, the bagels were very good. The staff were genuinely friendly and helpful. I reserved a room at this hotel specfically due to this website and I am truly grateful to those that submitted their comments. Very enthused about the hotel and will return. -Spent one night at The Argonaut and wish that we could have stayed longer. We even missed the free wine hour but what the heck, the staff was so pleasant and not in a superficial,' I don't mean it' kind of way. Valet was on top of their game and was very helpful with directions or anything we might need. The roofm was super clean and I was looking for dirt in the areas that sometimes don't get the best housekeeping job. I couldn't find as much as a crumb! We were on the fourth floor in a two queen bedded room as we were traveling with our two children. We were upgraded to a Cannery/Alcatraz view because of our membership in Kimpton's In Touch program but it was really just a view of the Mexican restaurant below unless you really, really cranked your head. Still nice to receive. We also had a note welcoming us and a big bottle of water but didn't drink it because it didn't say it was complementary. Overall a great experience and I wouldn't hesitate to return whenever I am in the San Francisco area. Great decor. This was our first stay in a Kimtpon property but I am going to seek them out from now on. -This place was so great! The location was amazing and the free parking makes it even better. If you are looking for a nice place to stay for a really good price than look no farther. The people running the place act somewhat nice, they can be rude. It seems like they get asked the same questions over and over again and they have an attitude about it- who cares just don't rely on them. I suggest getting a muni pass before you come to SF b/c the inn will not help you get one. They will point you in the direction and if you ask them to repeat the directions then expect an attitude. Turn out of the inn and walk a few blocks to Hyde st. a trolley will take you down to the Wharf or up to chinatown/union sq. We used the trolley cars a lot. Be careful- they can get packed during certain times and will not have room for you. I felt like I had to write this review b/c I wanted everyone visiting SF to love it as much as we did. The location were we stayed I think had a lot to do with it. Tip- bring a coat, SF can get hot / cold throughout the day. Also, eat at Neptunes @ the wharf. SO GOOD!! Alcatraz is fun too!! There is a great pub down the road from the inn too. Friendly locals. major tip-- wear comfortable shoes!! -We stayed four nights and couldn't have been happier with our choice. The hotel was only a short walk from Union Square and the location was very convenient. The staff was especially friendly and knowledgeable. Our room was spacious, comfortable and filled with light, and the fireplace added a wonderful romantic touch. The breakfast was excellent and featured homemade baked goods, and we enjoyed the little treats that were available in the lobby throughout the day. We'd stay again in a heartbeat! -Based on reviews about this hotel, we decided to stay here the weekend of October 3rd to attend a wedding in the city. We were just as pleased with the hotel as the recent reviews and high ranking indicate.The Front Desk and Concierge were very pleasant and always willing to assist with questions. We had a great room with a very nice city view. Housekeeping was very detailed and the room was impeccably clean. I thought a very nice touch/detail was a personalized handwritten note from our housekeeper welcoming us. You dont see that too often.We did room service on Friday night and ordered off of the Bob's Steakhouse menu, which is the hotel's restaurant in the lobby. The food was awesome! The filet was so tender and by far the best baked potatoe and candied carrot I have ever had! The delivery was right on time, the food was hot and the server was very friendly. I travel alot for business and I find Room Service to be very poor even in the best hotels. Not here. They did a great job!They gym at this hotel is very nice with great cardio and weight machines. Little details like complimentary bottled water and a huge basket of fresh fruit are not forgotten.The location was very convenient and the price we paid was a bargain for the value and in comparison to most of the other hotels in the area since we shopped around before making our reservation. I highly recommned this hotel! -We booked through a special advertised on travelzoo, due to the price, out stay was spot on. However, for the normal rate which is about twice as much as we paid - I would have reservations on the grand hyatt SF. The room was fine, basic but nice with a comfortable bed. Overall hotel amenities, were less than desirable. For one, there isn't a gift shop on site which means if you're thirsty, forgot stamps or want a snack - you have to leave the premises to find a drugstore, coffeeshop or the like. I travel quite a bit so the fact that I could not buy basics like bottled water without leaving the hotel was a first. Also, this appears to be a SF thing but the valet service costs a pretty penny. We opted not to rent a car because of this and since public transportation is readily available, we were fine. The location is fantastic - right in the midst of union square. In short - a suitable hotel in the perfect location. -Recently stayed here for business meetings. I am glad that most of therenovations are completed, cannot imagine what it was like prior to these occuring. I personally like the new decor, especially the outside firepit area. Spent time each evening meeting with friends fordrinks and socializing in this area. The staff were quite friendly forthe most part, the concierge very helpful with directions and reservations. The Dollar rent a car on site was also convenient. It isonly 1 block to walk to Fisherman's Wharf. During our meetings each day in the various break out rooms, we did experience quite a bit of construction noise, even though they did cut back on this during our meeting hours. You can also hear and feel the F-line trolley's passingby when you are using several of the meeting rooms. The hotel room walls are quite thin, you can definately hear what "goes on" on the room next door, hear the people walking in the room above as well. The air conditioning unit needs to be placed in a recycling yard, it does ruin the look of the room and is quite noisy. Also the toilet area of the bathroom is very tiny for those that are built a bit larger. Overall a pleasant stay, but as with the previous review, would not spend my own funds to be at this location. -My wife are from the UK and were travelling around the USA.This hotel was just right - in a convenient location for Fisherman's Wharf and local sights, the cable car stops, tours and walks. Nice rooms, reasonable buffet breakfast included, with plent to do nearby. -This is my third stay at The Mosser. I have stayed at a number of Boutique Hotels in The City over the years. I discovered The Mosser a couple of months ago when I was in town for a job interview a couple of blocks away. The location is outstanding for the convention center, SFMOMA, Yerba Buena Gardens, Union Square, and BART. The selection of ammenities is interesting and different everytime I stay. This time it includes a razor, toothpaste, and a couple of green products-- a bar of waste reducing soap with a hole in it and moisurizer in a biodegradable "plastarch" bottle. The rooms are tiny, very clean, and harken back to a bygone era updated with flat screen TV and platform bed. This time my room has a bay window that looks out on the Metreon. I will definitely be back for another Mosser Adventure! -Stayed 4 nights at the beginning of November after 3 nights in Las Vegas. Arrived at hotel and requested non smoking quiet room, we were given a tiny double room at top of building which stunk of smoke, went back to reception and he then moved us to another double room on 3rd floor which was slightly larger, smoke free but not enough room to turn in the bathroom and really dark and old fashioned. Again we went back to reception and asked about Club Rooms which I had read about on web site, he let us have a look at one and we took it. It was a lot better than the others, the room itself was big with a very comfortable bed and overlooked the swimming pool. The bathroom again left a lot to be desired and was very small but we had a small dressing area outside it so overcame that problem.The common areas of the hotel away from reception look pretty worn and tatty. The concierge was the most unhelpful person I know he did not seem to know what was going on anywhere or be able to advise on anything we wanted to know. The restaurant next door called Daily Grill serves some good food and not too pricey and always busy with good atmosphere. If you want a real American blow out breakfast suggest you go to Mama's by Washington Square. Overall the location is excellent you are right by all the transport and shops but the hotel is very average and not what we expected from an American hotel. -Stayed 1 night. Got inclusive rate with parking and $25 for meals/drinks at hotel for $116. Thought it was great value. While rooms won't appeal to those who need luxury as they are a bit small and a bit 50ish in style -- (including the old fashioned glass doorknobs and pipe runnning along upper valence). They are well soundproofed, decently decorated and very clean. In addition the Chancellor is doing all the extra service right. Coupon for 2 drinks at 1/2 price in room at bar where quiet jazz played. Unexpectedly good breakfast oft an omelette, toast and juice for 2 for only a bit over $25. (even provided salsa when requested) Location can't be beat. I'd suggest staying here instead of a more expensive place and spend your money on a great dinner out. -I planned a last minute weekend trip to San Francisco for me, myself and I after getting a great airfare through Virgin America. I then booked a room at this hotel using a special rate available through the Kimpton website. I spent more than I wanted to but thought that since the room available was on the "club" level, I would get some perks. According to the website, every evening, hors d'oeuvres would be available from Postrio, the restaurant located in the lobby and a well-known restaurant at that. The club level also included breakfast. The location is fantastic, 2 blocks from Union Square. The lobby is small but very nice and welcoming. The staff was friendly but not all together helpful especially with information regarding public transportation. As far as my room-- well, I must have gotten the last room available as I checked in very late. I also think I was given a regular room with club "perks." instead of a real club room. The room at first glance was very nice but then you can see real age. My primary problem was the creaking floors. I have never heard this before in any hotel, not even Super 8s. I looked forward to sleeping in on Saturday, 8:30! Well, beginning at 6 am all I heard were people walking above and around me. Every inch of that ugly, dirty carpet needs to be ripped up and every floor board needs to be screwed down. It is unacceptable that this noise pervades the hotel. I also didn't realize I was given a room diagonally across from the housekeeping room. 7 a.m. or so I would hear the maids talking and moving their carts. It was as if there was no door at all between me and the hallway. Needless to say, I got very little sleep any of the 3 nights I stayed at the Prescott. The bathroom also showed its age a lot, dirty grout. The L'Occitane products were excellent, however.Next, as far as club level amenities, there was a bar open at 4:30 pm but the hors d'oeuvres were non-existent. I do not consider a block of cheese, a bunch of grapes and a loaf of bread hors d'oeuvres. The continental breakfast was just fair but did the job. FYI, you can get wine and beer on the regular level rooms in the lobby for no extra charge and you don't need any of those fake hors d'oeuvres. For $50 more per night, the club level rooms are simply not worth it. When I'm in San Francisco, I want a room in a good location and I want to be able to sleep for whatever hours I'm in my room. The rest of the time, I'm not in the hotel. The creaking floors and poor sound insulation are competely unacceptable. I would not at all call this a 4* hotel. I would consider it 3* but no matter what, I will not stay here again if the floors are not fixed and I would not pay more than $100 to $119 for this hotel. -A perfect location, can get loud outside, but overall would recommend hotel! -I had been looking at small, upscale boutique hotels located in a quiet section of San Francisco. I had read some of the previous reviews and decided to try Hotel Drisco. It is worthy of all of the excellent reviews. The staff was more than helpful in every way. As I am a female traveling alone, I am very conscious of safety and security. The area is very safe and I felt secure at all times. The staff greeted me by name and always asked how I was doing. The amenities were also first rate. But the most impressive aspect of the hotel was the personalized service. All requests were met with a smile and without question from making restaurant reservations to small room repairs. One of the faucets in the bathroom was not functioning properly and I informed the front desk. I expected to have a washer replaced, but instead received a completely new faucet set. The breakfast that is provided was quite enough to satisfy my needs and very tasty. The only thing that people should be aware of is the only parking is on the street and is restricted during the day. I had no problem finding a space in the evening though. The Hotel Drisco was a great place and a great alternative to the large, somewhat impersonal hotels and I would stay there again without hesitation. -Visited the Holiday Inn Express 4/24 - 4/28. Overall, we were happy with the hotel. The location was perfect for us - close to the wharf and local transit. The hotel itself is very nice looking with a modern decor. Our room, single king bed, was more than adequate. Maid service was good. The breakfast was decent for a hotel complimentery breakfast. There was a good selection to get your day started - juice, coffee, tea, milk, cereals, toast, bagels, yogurt, bananas, eggs (either scrambled or omlette which seemed to be prepacked and microwaved), bacon and/or sausage. The hotel was full on the weekend and the breakfast bar was quite busy at times. I felt the hotel did a great job of refilling things and we never had to wait long for anything. We always also managed to find a table for our group of 4.There were a couple of minor things we noted. While the hotel looked great, it is very basic and didn't have any nice little "extras". I thought it would have been nice to have coffee/tea service in the lobby area throughout the day, not just until 9:30 am - we've had this at other Holiday Inn Express hotels and basic type hotels such as Quality Inns, etc. Some aspects of service could have been a little better as well. I wanted to have a tea in my room early one evening. I had forgot to take a milk back up to the room in the morning - tea with powdered whitener just isn't that great. I had hoped that the front desk could get me a milk - the breakfast room was just a few steps away - but they were unable to help as their "house man" was not on duty. While I was waiting at the front desk an older man approached and indicated that they had just returned from their day out and their room hadn't been cleaned. The gentleman at the front desk indicated that he "couldn't understand how that could happen, it had never happened before". He asked the guest if he was sure he didn't leave his Do Not Disturb sign on the door. The guest replied he was sure he hadn't. The front desk clerk then proceeded to tell the gentlemant there was nothing he could for him as the cleaning staff were gone for the day and again, the house man was not in. The front desk clerk didn't offer anything to the guest for the inconvenience - he just restated he couldn't understand how that could happen. To me, surely someone could have gone up and emptied the garbages and at least gave them clean towels? Also, don't forget that parking is very expensive, as is pretty standard with wharf area hotels. We didn't have a vechicle but noticed that the valet parking was over $40 per night. If we returned to SF, we wouldn't have any hesitation staying at this hotel again as any issues we had were really quite minor. -Enjoyed our stay here for 3 nights. Had a lovely room with modern decor and good view of Union Square. Bedding very good quality with pillows for any imaginable ailment. Plenty of storage space. Loved the coffee and the cookies for guests at reception. Excellent. Only complaint would be the breakfast which we had on 2 mornings. Did not enjoy them, but the ladies on the staff were lovely though. Reception staff very friendly and helpful. -We have visited SF on two occasions and on both have stopped at this hotel.The hotel is is a good location (in some respects) as it is very close to Fishermans Wharf, and the accomadations are reasonably good.On the downside we had a few problems. One of them was that common hotel bugbear - people who let their doors slam no matter what the hour. This seemed to have improved by the time we revisited and the hotel had fitted better damping on the doors. Another problem was that as the hotel is only 2 or 3 stories high, you are never very far away from the street. In particular I would not be very comfortable on the ground floor especially as the area that the hotel is in is not the best. Noise is also a problem with one side of the hotel in particular being located adjacent to a bus depot and this was very noisy.The hotel is not particularly cheap and parking is extortionate ($30 a night) so I would never consider stopping there if I had a car.On the whole this hotel is OK and did not detract from our experiences in San Fransisco which we loved. -On the final night of our tour of CA, we stayed at the JW in SF. We had asked for a high floor because of other reviews regarding remodeling. As of Nov. 17th - I think only the first 2 floors of rooms were still being remodeled and the manager had told us that the lobby was to begin the following week. The rooms were beautiful and we loved the bathroom. The bathroom had a separate shower and bathtub; the beds were extremely comfortable; flat screen TV; and the room was very spacious. We thought the lobby and bar was nice (2 fireplaces with comfortable chairs around them) -but he had said they were remodeling to make it more contemporary. The staff in this hotel was exceptional delivering anything we needed to our room. The only complaint we had about this hotel was the parking - it was $45 a day. Fortunately for us, we didn't really need our car anymore, so we returned it early instead of paying for the parking. Overall, this was by far the nicest of the 4 Marriott's we stayed at during our trip and was not the most expensive. I would definitely recommend this to anyone going to SF. -We stayed at Castle Inn for 2 nights during our 3 week road trip. We were not interested in fancy locations and were interested in a place to clean up, sleep and not having to pay for parking (that's why I can't stand Chicago). Along with these requirements we wanted a place with easy access to the wharf and transportation. Castle Inn fit these requirements perfectly. Our room was clean, the owner was very friendly and helpful with directions, suggestions on places to eat and places to avoid. He even gave me his parking space near the elevator. We had requested a room away from the street and received the end room on the top floor which worked well. If you're looking for something that fits the description I have provided, this is the place. We would stay there again. Also, as a side not, if heading North out of the city, access to the Golden gate bridge route is real easy from here. -We stayed at this hotel over our honeymoon!! we couldnt ask for better!! The staff were so helpful!! They upgraded us to a wonderful room!! This hotel was in the perfect location!! everything was on our doorstep or a short walk away!! The bed was massive and so comfortable!! We had a view of union square and it was fanastic wakin up in the morning to the fog layin on the top of buildings and at night lit up!! it was beautiful!! would stay at this hotel again!!! -I only stayed at the Grand Hyatt for one night on business. I got a $110/night rate on Priceline. I bid in the Union Square East- Embarcadero area for a 4-star hotel.A cab ride from the airport is about $40 dollars. With the high price of valet ($43/day)...I ended up just taking cabs instead of renting a car. I feel like I saved money and it was easier than trying to drive around the city. The cabs are plentiful in front of the hotel. My flight left early in the morning (6AM). I called the front desk about 10 minutes before I was to leave. He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to get a cab in time and had called a secondary car service that was basically the same price. I was impressed that had a back-up plan.I checked in around 1PM and my king bed room wasn't ready. I didn't have to time to wait so I opted for a room with two double beds on the 10th floor. My room faced the front of the hotel. I didn't think the view was very good. The view from the restaurant on the 36th floor faces another direction and it was very nice. Try for something facing that way! The rooms are on the small side, but typical for a city hotel. The room was very clean and I really liked the Portico bath products. There is a small TV in the bathroom, but it was rather old and I never did get it to work. The wireless worked great and is TMobile ($9.99/day). It is nice if you are around another TMobile site before the 24 hours expires because you can still log on with your hotel day pass (I was still able to log on at the airport in the Admirals Club.)I had dinner in the bar area of the restaurant. I must recommend the shrimp cocktail appetizer. It isn't your typical shrimp cocktail, but it was REALLY GOOD. It doesn't look like much, but when you taste it...you will be glad you ordered it. They also have a decent wine list. The view is very nice and worth at least meeting friends up there for a drink. The food was expensive as you would expect in a downtown hotel. I also ordered lunch from room service and it was very prompt. The banana split was very yummy as well. :)The location is really is great if you are a shopper. Every store you can imagine is within a few blocks. I know there were restaurants in the area, but nothing that really interested me enough to walk in the rain. If I had been staying longer I would have wanted to take a cab to the mission district, etc.If you are in the area and you can get a good price, it is certainly a nice hotel and was set up nicely for a business traveler. -What a great Hotel. We stayed here for 6 nights in August 2008 and we were completely blown away. The hotel is in a incredible location on Fisherman's Wharf with an approximate walk of ten minutes to Pier 39. There is so much to do here and everything is easily accessible as the trolley leaves just around the corner from the hotel.The room's were modern and very clean!! Spotless even!! The hotel staff were the best that I have ever encountered, they were so friendly and always willing to help us no matter what!Breakfast was included as part of our package and changed everyone morning but it was so yummy! Internet access was free the hotel even provided 2 computers for their guests to use in the lobby.The only thing that we were upset about was that our room did not have a fridge, we quickly got over that as we hardly spent any time in there.I highly recommend this hotel to everyone that is visiting San Francisco. -This hotel completely ruined what was a lovely trip up until then. Our agent picked us this hotel and advised that it was a great place. It was a older hotel on the edge of the bad part of town "Tenderloin". Our first impression of this was the lovely girl at the desk telling us not to go around the side of the hotel but always walk out the front towards the street. We walked into our room and were surprised by ear plugs. Not a good thing. The room was not airconditioned and really stuffy. We tried to open a window to get fresh air but the noise was absolutely terrible. We were there for three nights and we needed sleep before coming home to NZ. We got none, either with the window open or closed. The homeless people made rackets all night, yelling and yahooing. You didn't feel safe walking around the streets. They were everywhere and were of a concern. The sirens went all night and other noises of people screaming banging etc. As well as that the room noises of a hole in the bathroom wall with a pipe that continually ran water most of the night which you couldn't close out. There was also plenty of noise in the daytime from construction outside our room.There were supposed to be movies showing at 7.30 and 9 p.m. each night. We ventured down to enjoy a movie to find nothing working. A big disappointment.The bed was okay but the bathroom was terrible. The sink was all cracked and looked like it was on its last legs. There was no towel rails to hang up your towels or anywhere to put your toiletries bag. The breakfast was nothing. If you arrived at the table after 9.30 a.m. you could expect nothing as they didn't refill the bagel or muffin container. The bagels were like they had been lying around for at least two days. The muffins (if you got one) were okay. Drink was only water or milk, tea or coffee. There was a drink machine there but was broken for the whole three days and no mention of trying to fix it. They did have a secure lockup room for baggage left before catching your flight home and we were able to use their security safe deposit. The hotel was close to the cable car and that was a bonus.We certainly would not recommend this hotel. -Great location. Very close to Union Square. Very easy BART access. Next to the cable car stop! Excellent condition/maintenance of the hotel. Clean lovely room. Very nice ambiance. Good value for the price. -The Drisco and their staff never disappoint us. This is the only hotel we stay in when we visit our old home town. After having to cancel two previous stays due to illness we were so excited to return to our "home away from home". The staff was so amazing. Marti greeted us as if we were family. We really appreciate everything she did to make our stay even more special than we could have expected. The entire staff and the general manager went the distance for us. The breakfast is perfect as is the afternoon wine and cheese. What a wonderful and elegant touch. We will return as soon as we can. -Husband and I stayed 3 nights. Lovely comfortable room, tiny bathroom, courtyard view and rare thing you can actually open the windows of your room. The lifts are very slow. Check in staff were OK. Concierge I thought was very short and snappy with us when we ordered our shuttle to the airport and very monosyllabic. Not at all the kind of person I expected to be a concierge. Breakfast was fine. Nothing special, industrial type orange juice, the usual breads, fruits etc. Coffee fine by american standards. However the service was very poor especially on the sunday morning when the restaurant was packed. It continued to be poor on the Monday and Tuesday when the restaurant was much quieter. The gym was small and very clean. The biggest downside is the fact that you can actually hear people in the room next to you sneeze as well as all the noises in the bathroom (flushing toilet and having shower!). On the plus side, very convenient for fisherman's wharf area (obviously!), not far from trolley cars and public transport. -We booked through a special advertised on travelzoo, due to the price, out stay was spot on. However, for the normal rate which is about twice as much as we paid - I would have reservations on the grand hyatt SF. The room was fine, basic but nice with a comfortable bed. Overall hotel amenities, were less than desirable. For one, there isn't a gift shop on site which means if you're thirsty, forgot stamps or want a snack - you have to leave the premises to find a drugstore, coffeeshop or the like. I travel quite a bit so the fact that I could not buy basics like bottled water without leaving the hotel was a first. Also, this appears to be a SF thing but the valet service costs a pretty penny. We opted not to rent a car because of this and since public transportation is readily available, we were fine. The location is fantastic - right in the midst of union square. In short - a suitable hotel in the perfect location. -Horrible location, it's skidrow. Parking is a block and a half away so we had to park the rental car during daylight and take a cab everywhere in the evenings. What a waste. It made our mini vacation very stressful. There are homeless and drug addicts, I actually saw someone going to the bathroom in the street and he wasn't just peeing either and a woman asked me if I had methadone and I saw drug dealing going on - It was just horrible! -For me, I'm fresh outta college (so I don't have much money to burn). I'm not high-maintenance. Sure, I like nice places, but as long as it's clean, I feel safe, & the price is right - I'm good to go.Now, I have stayed at this place on three different occasions over the past few years. I have come to realize that this place is a full-on crap-shoot. The room you get might be just fine & the one next to it might be a hole.So then - my stay last weekend:I get into the city & checked-in around midnight. Mr. Miagi, although a very nice desk man, is REALLY SLOW! He gives me my card key for room 317. I head up the sketchy elevator and around to my room. I walk in. Light bulbs are burnt out. Okay, I'll turn on the TV for light. No remote. Stumble in the dark to manually turn it on. I then go into the bathroom. The tub was backed up w/ 3'' of dirty, cloudy water & nails!Okay, that's it! I'm getting a different room. I go back down to Mr. Miagi at the front desk. He apologizes and says he'll give me "a nice room" instead. I'm given 532.Back up the SLOW elevator. The card key doesn't work! I just wanna go to bed! Back down to the front desk. I should note that despite the late hour, there's two or three other parties in the lobby w/ similar complaints.Mr. Miagi says there's nothing he can do about the card keys. He'll have to let us all into our rooms individually w/ regular keys. I go back up & wait for him.He shows up & lets me into the room - which is actually a pretty big suite w/ a kitchenette, roof-top access & a killer view. Normally, that would make me happy. However, the room still felt dirty. The Chain lock on the door was busted off (as if SWAT had recently busted in). The chairs' upholstery looked like it came off a porn set (suspicious stains). The towel bar in the bathroom hung about to fall off the wall. The shower (although clean) had the pressure of an 80 yr old man peeing. The bed (although a king-size) gave me the ibby-geebies.After taxes, the room was around a hundred bucks for the night. That's pretty cheap for S.F. The location of this place is really good - pretty safe neighborhood & easy Muni access. This place has soooo much potential!However, I think I've stayed at this place for the last time...at least until I hear that some drastic changes have taken place here.If you opt to stay here, know that it's a bit of a gamble. You might get lucky w/ one of their clean & renovated rooms; or you might get something of the crack-house variety.Good luck! -We are a family of four (2 boys agen 9 and 11) who were touring California this summer - and we stayed 3 nights at the Radisson Hotel at Fisherman's Wharf i San Francisco. The location is super - just across from Pier 39 and walking distance to Alcatraz pier, tram and many other sights. We did not book in advance and must say we had a very small and quite worn-down room facing the street. From 6 am in the morning the was a lot of noise from delivery trucks reversing outside so do get a room facing the court. We enjoyed our stay - the pool was also OK - the kids liked it though the air temperature was cool. But the hotel could do with new windows for instance ... -This place was near perfect and much cheaper than the other hotels in the area. Rooms were big and clean and the beds were super comfy. My favorite was the little touches like free internet and a computer down in the lobby to print out your boarding pass. Staff at the front desk were very nice and helpful. All in all a great experience and I would stay there again if in the area! -Nice clean rooms with two queen size beds, stayed on the 2nd floor so unfortunally no view, but this was possible if you pay extra. It took about 8-10 min. to walk to Fishermanns Wharf area, which was perfect. Also continental breakfast buffet is incl. at the hotel, really good deal compared to the price and the location. -My first time in SF would've been better if we had booked a better hotel. This was the worst experience I've ever had in a hotel. Staff WAS friendly but the room was so small, smelly, noisy and it also came with a surprise underneath the bed. As we where packing up to go we found a condom wrapper, I felt so disgusted! I wouldn't recommend this hotel to anyone! -We stayed at the Wharf Inn after several trips to San Francisco because of the location. You just can't beat it for the price and the free parking. You could stay at the Raddison which is right across the street, but expect to pay about $30-40 more then add $28 a day for parking, just not worth it. Now for some details, the rooms are very spacious, compared to the other 3 hotels that we have stayed in, and are clean. Although they do not advertise it, you can get free wireless internet service with no problem at the hotel. The desk staff was very friendly and knowledgable with any info. you may need for sightseeing and locations. The only problem that I could tell anyone about is that there is no air-conditioning in the rooms, while this may not sound like a problem due to the average temps in SFO being in the 50's and 60's, it is. There is only a very small window about 2x2 and it's located at the bottom of windows and behind the curtains. My solution was to buy a small powerfull fan for about $12 and put it in the window so we could get some outside (cool) air. If you want to be right in the heart of everything that SFO has to offer, then you will not find a better bargain. Most all hotels in this area are at least +$230 a night. So my suggestion is to book this on early, get a little window fan and use the money you save to enjoy all the wonderful fruits that SFO has to offer. If you need any more info on SFO or this hotel, I'd be glad to answer, just E-Mail me. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/paragraph-validation.books.txt b/reference_files/paragraph-validation.books.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 58707f7d8d10bf4237c87a1dfec37dc191ac4f25..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/paragraph-validation.books.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,92 +0,0 @@ -There's a little of Bernadette in all of us - the ranger, the avoider, the snob, the artist. The well-adjusted among us keep those things under control, and that's how Bernadette differs. She hardly ever tries - and never very hard - to suppress her urges. Thank goodness, or we wouldn't have such a good time reading about her. You'll find something to laugh about no matter what your own beliefs and convictions happen to be. Read this! -It's difficult to find the right words to even describe how good Hunger Games is. I would definitely place it on my top 5 list of all times and I have read hundreds and hundreds of books.Katniss is such an engaging character. The reader is drawn to her instantly, as we are plunged into a futuristic world of oppression, poverty and despair. Katniss has taken on the responsibility of caring for her family after her father died in a mining explosion and her mother shut down. Katniss is daring and ventures out into forbidden areas to hunt and gather food to sell to the people in her "district". Her only goal in life seems to be keeping her little sister safe.The government has set up a lottery in each of the twelve "districts" in this futuristic country. One boy and one girl are chosen to go fight to the death with the "tributes" from the other eleven districts. When Prim, Katniss's little sister, is chosen for the Hunger Games as they are called Katniss steps forward and volunteers to go in her place.Katniss goes to the capitol with the other tribute from her district, a boy named Peeta, and there they must put on a good show before the game begins. If they set up the right image they could get sponsors during the game, which means they will receive gifts and help once they enter the arena. Sponsors are the difference between life and death for many tributes so it is important to give the people what they want.The game itself is brutal. It reminded me a tiny bit of the show survivor, only in this game you have to kill off all the other players. Katniss has a slight advantage from her hunting and gathering experience, but she must also use her wits and bravery to keep herself alive. Foreign alliances with other players can be helpful, but true trust and friendship is practically impossible since there can only be one winner.The book drives its characters to the very edge of their abilities. We see how people react in the most primal and brutal situations: forced to kill or be killed. I loved seeing the tributes come up with different strategies for survival, and how the game makers who control everything in the arena throw the tributes at each other through force and bribery.I read this book yesterday, and had dreams and nightmares about it all night. While this book is reminiscent of "The Giver", "1984", and "Brave New World" it has its own voice and its own story to tell. At the end of the book you will be left starving for more and I can't wait for the next book to come out. I still can't quite capture the essence or brilliance of this book through the words in this review, so all I can say is go read it and you will understand. -I love this book! I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of Louise Penny's latest mystery novel "How the Light Gets In", the ninth in the series about Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and the Homicide Division of the Surete du Quebec. I had already reserved a hard copy for the book's August 2013 release date because this is one author I buy in hardcover; the better to savor her writing. This truly gifted author has the ability to make you FEEL - so much so, that this is almost more novel than mystery - although there are three compelling mysteries entwined in this latest book.In talking about this book, Ms. Penny says "My books are about terror. That brooding terror curled deep down inside us. But more than that, more than murder, more than all the rancid emotions and actions, my books are about goodness. And kindness. About choices." I guarantee she will make you feel all this and so much more. She will bring you to the edge of your seat, make your heart pound in anticipation and ache as you feel the suffering of her always well-constructed characters. Because she also lets you feel hope and joy, the struggle between the light and the dark is that much more vivid.This book opens as Christmas approaches and the author deftly portrays the joy and anticipation of the season played off against the sadness as Gamache's elite squad is dismantled and scattered while unscrupulous forces are at work in the Surete. Who will settle for nothing less than Gamache's destruction? and that of his next in charge Jean-Guy Belavoir? A terrible alliance that has been 30 years in the making will once again bring evil into the heart of the tiny village of Three Pines and threaten all that the inhabitants hold dear.To those who have read all the previous books in the Chief Inspector Gamache series, you will not be disappointed, as her writing somehow is brought to an even higher level, her plots are even more complex, her characters more finely drawn. We know these people and we care about them; we feel with them.I highly recommend this book, but if you find yourself curled up in your chair, unable to stop reading far into the night, remember you were warned.... -This book is hilarious!! Laugh out loud, you’ll be rolling on the floor laughing so hard tears will be coming out of your eyes. And the banter…oh my…just fantastic.Simon & Caroline’s connection is fun and hot. Great anticipation. The story has the perfect mix of humor and romance leaving you wanting more. -This book is by far one of the best books I have ever read. I briefly had a problem adjusting to writing style but once lost in the story I was hooked. This author is exceptionally talented. Many other authors might fill several pages with description while this author paints extremely vivid pictures with only a few brush strokes. I also enjoyed the conversational tone of the narrative. As if, Katniss was telling her tale directly to me in my own home and if you know Katniss, she doesn't just trust anyone. So the illusion that I might just be a personal friend and confident to Katniss was truly impressive. And oh, did I feel her pain, her rage, her despair! Not very often there comes a story that is truly magic! I mean, Harry Potter, was a story about magic and has the place of highest honor on my bookshelves next to the Lord of the Rings books, but this one is entirely different. This book made me apart of the action. It made me feel like I know the characters on a personal level and once I was back in my own world I was left with a feeling like I'd just had a visit from an dear friend. I can't remember if I've ever read a book like it. -After Insurgent, the story picks up with Tris in trouble and Evelyn in control of the city. Soon, Tris, Four and some others choose to leave Chicago and pursue the meaning of the Edith Prior video. Most of the remaining story takes place inside a special facility a short drive from Chicago, where we find out what the story is about Chicago and the factions, as well as what it really means to be divergent. Three-quarters of the way into this story, I was very disappointed. It felt like the author was just going through the motions, and frankly, the story was boring and dull--lots of talking and philosophical introspection, but not much plot movement. The last quarter of the book salvaged things for me and raised the story from one star to 3.5. No, like a thousand others, I didn't like the ending, and I didn't think the ending was necessitated in any way by the story arc. It seemed almost as if the author realized the story about to crash and burn, so she tossed in this ending to slap us in the face. HOWEVER, the ending was well done and beautifully written, and it was quite evocative. I thought the writing went from passable and average to excellent and gripping. BUT, I'm only at 3.5 stars because the ending doesn't really fit the overall trilogy IMO. So, for those that want a 'they all lived happily ever after' ending, don't read this book. Stop with Insurgent and think up your own ending. For those of you, who--like Tris--aren't afraid to jump off the roof into the net below, you should read it and experience the pain. I just wish the first part of the book was written nearly as well as the ending. Yo, Tris, you...well, you know what i mean. -I am a big fan of Colleens' Slammed series and this book was just wow...amazing. I couldn't put it down. It kept me guessing and the story is just so emotional and touching. This is that book...the one I would recommend to all my friends and will most likely find myself reading again because I just need to "feel" it again. Thanks Colleen, well done!!! Keep them coming! -The reviews of this book frequently use the word "delightful" and that's an apt word. The characters are charming, the period voice feels right, there are enough painful stories from the war to make it feel real without having so many as to make the book unpleasantly grim, and well, this is just a nicebook to read.I'd especially recommend it for fans of Helene Hanff's 84 Charing Cross Road; the tone and the literary references are so similar I'd be shocked if that book weren't one of the influence on this one. (After all, even in England in 1946 were there all *that* many fans of Elia?)I'm subtracting one star for holes in the internal logic; I have some trouble believing that the island's inhabitants would be so happy to have a book written about them by someone they'd known for so short a time. People seem very quick to trust, in general, especially right after so many years of having to be so cautious of betrayal. I may be wrong, but I think the British reserve and the remnants of the class system would have played a greater role throughout than they do here; the language in the first part is perfect 1946 (I wasn't around; I'm using Hanff as a standard) but it's a bit less period-perfect toward the end of the book.It deserves four stars, though, because none of these things diminished my enjoyment of the book; they just left me thinking "But, wait-" afterward. -In 1933, the newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed William Dodd to be the first United States Ambassador to Germany, under Hitler. Dodd, at the age of 64, would have preferred to retire from his job as a professor of the history department at the University of Chicago, and complete his memoir "Old South." Out of respect for the President and duty to his country Dodd reluctantly accepted the appointment. With his wife, Martha, an adult son and daughter, set sail for Berlin, on July 5, 1933 shortly after Hitler became Chancellor of Germany.Though appalled by Nazi persecution of Jews, Roosevelt refrained from issuing any direct statement of condemnation. He expected from Dodd to see to it that Germany pays her debts to the American creditors. Some of State Department's most senior officers harbored an outright dislike of Jews. William J Carr, an assistant Secretary of State called the Jews "kikes"; Russian and polish immigrants are filthy, un-American and often dangerous in their habits (P.30). It is very disturbing to read in the book the anti-Semitism that prevailed in 1930's among many Americans. Dodd complained that there were too many Jews on his own staff. The indifference and anti-Semitism in the U.S. obviously couldn't hinder Hitler's ascent and march of conquest with tragic consequences. Dodd was one of the few voices in U.S. government to warn of the true ambitions of Hitler and the dangers of American isolationists' stance. Most Americans wanted to stay out of Europe's squabbles. In June 1938, Dodd talked of Hitler's hatred of Jews and warned that his true intent was "to kill them all." (p.351)As a captive in Nazi concentration camp, I had been wondering; why the United States, a nation founded and populated by many oppressed immigrants, of different faiths, from many lands did not stop Hitler's genocide? Where were the good Samaritans among the American Christians? They were expected to have compassionate regard for all people, not just some people! Where were the fighters for human rights? How could their humanitarian reputation be maintained when our suffering became unbearable? Why civilized nation did shirk their responsibilities to show pity for us. I doubted if the faithful, of religious denominations, said a prayer for our deliverance! Was it not a betrayal of basic human solidarity? Was it not a failure of the entire moral fabric of society? Even mass demonstrations, in the democratic countries around the world would have forced the German to stop or at least moderate their policy of Ausrottung (the extermination) of European Jewry. If President Roosevelt had been more vociferous in expressing his and the American people's indignation, the nonchalant world would have been awakened and protested the slaughter innocent people.. The indifference enabled the Nazis to victimize every Jew; subsequently not every victim was a Jew. Winston Churchill said: the Holocaust was not just a Jewish tragedy; it was the world's tragedy, because the world did let it happen.THE GARDEN OF BEASTS is compelling and horrifying. Larson is a masterful storyteller. Although much given detail does not pertain to the core story, the book based on Dodd's diary and the ancillary writings of others, is extensively researched, and very well written. The book makes history come alive. -This was a book I didn't know what to expect at each corner. You get settled down with a cup of tea and right away the author draws you into the mystery of what happened to the main character. You get yourself captivated at each situation wondering if you would handle it the same way. I like the main character was strong And didn't just fall into the typical extremely handsome, rich, Moody male lead. The story line was good at keeping the reader encased but some parts of the final product fell flat. -Pushing the Limits is a brilliant addition to the burgeoning mature YA genre that has recently become one of my favorites to dabble in. This book takes two emotionally screwed up characters and tells the story about how they find salvation in one another. This is not a typical YA novel. Yes, main character Noah is self-confident, brash and tattooed, and main character Echo is beautiful, smart and funny, but that is where the similarities to normal YA-type teenagers end. This book contains copious amounts of swearing, drugs, sexual situations and heavily damaged people. This is not your run-of-the-mill light and happy read about teenaged angst.This book changes point of view quite frequently, telling the story from both Echo's and Noah's perspective. Echo and Noah are both assigned a therapist at their Kentucky high school for vastly different reasons. Echo has suffered an unthinkable crime against her, that her mind cannot bring itself to remember. She has been left scarred, both emotionally and physically from this crime. On top of this tragedy, she is dealing with normal high school angst - her social situation, her parents' divorce and her father's subsequent remarriage to her former baby sitter, her mother's disappearance, and her extremely strained relationship with her father and stepmother. Noah is a foster child that has been moved between families several times in the previous two years. Where he was once an all-star athlete from a Rockwellian American family, he is now considered a stoner and a punk. He's very intelligent, yet refuses to take school seriously. He hangs out with the "wrong" crowd and is best known for being gorgeous, yet a player. He is only into one-night stands and smoking pot.Noah needs help, though. He has two younger brothers in the foster system that he wants to gain custody of, and in order to do that, he needs to pass drug tests, pull his GPA up and find a job. Echo is in need of extra money. Although her father has money, he won't lend her any to finish fixing up the car that her deceased brother was working on before his death. Echo is asked to tutor Noah, therefore earning extra money.Soon after Echo was attacked, she came back to school as a social introvert. She was known formerly as the popular, beautiful girl who dated the captain of the basketball team. When she returned to school after the episode, she had broken up with her boyfriend and was seen as a social outcast. Her friends have been trying very hard to get her back into school society, and having any contact with Noah the stoner is a social faux pas. The relationship between Noah and Echo gets off to a rocky start. He sees her scars, which she usually keeps hidden. Echo is afraid that Noah will tell the entire school about them.Noah has a chip on his shoulder, too, although he does not care about what his classmates think about him. Noah came from an idyllic family. He had loving parents, a home, a place in his school's society before tragedy struck him. He is used to keeping his guard up, because the state foster system has not been a good experience for him. Noah, though, is ready for a girl like Echo, and he's been waiting for her.Noah and Echo travel a path of lows and highs in their relationship, each one trying to hash out their personal lives without hurting the other. They fall hard for one another, but sometimes love just isn't enough. Noah is still attempting to reunite his family, and Echo is still trying to reconcile what tragedy happened to her and who's fault it was. Echo is struggling with her desire to be loved by those that matter most to her, while Noah is struggling with a never ending loneliness, a hole in his heart that he can't seem to fill.I have to mention that both of Echo's parents are not model parents. We do meet Echo's mom and although she has issues that are out of her control, she is one of the worst mothers I have come across in literature. She is selfish and unrelenting. Where once Echo holds her mom in high regard, we learn how truly wrong Echo was. While Echo is only looking for acceptance and love from her father, we learn about some terribly bad decisions he made that will affect Echo for the rest of her life.The ending of this book is action packed and emotional. The two things that these characters are fighting for, Noah for his brothers and Echo for her memories and sanity, come quickly to a head. We learn a lot about the pasts of these characters, and we see how they grow up and change through this novel. Although both Noah and Echo have less than desirable pasts, they find refuge in one another and it's a beautiful thing. This book is an excellent study in character development and I urge you to run to the nearest book store and pick up a copy. -The Book Thief (New York: Albert A. Knopf, 2007), a novel by Australian writer Markus Zusak, accomplished a rare feat for Holocaust literature: the novel won numerous literary awards and became a long-standing international best seller, including being on the New York Times best seller list for a record of 230 weeks. What’s even more surprising about the novel’s success is not only its somber theme, but also the fact it’s a work of literary fiction (as opposed to genre fiction), a style of writing that rarely becomes a mainstream hit. Although the distinction between literary fiction and genre fiction is not cut-and-dry—for instance, Elizabeth Kostova’s novel, The Historian, fits both genres--I’d say that genre fiction places emphasis upon a fast-moving, interesting plot, while literary fiction privileges psychologically nuanced characterizations and a unique narrative style.Death characterized the Holocaust, and Death is the real narrator of the novel, which begins with the heroine’s end: Liesel Meminger’s death, many years after WWII, after she’s lived a full life and had children and grandchildren of her own. As Death carries the elderly woman’s soul to the other side, it also takes and narrates her childhood diary.In the late 1930’s and early 40’s, Liesel is a young adopted girl living in Germany. She has her first encounter with Death when her brother, Werner Meminger, who is also given up for adoption along with her, dies on the train to Molching. He’s buried by the railway station. That day, Liesel’s obsession with books—and death--begins. She picks up The Grave Digger’s Handbook, a book dropped by the funeral director at her brother’s funeral.Shortly thereafter, the distraught girl joins what might be seen as a typical German family, with whom she bonds quickly. Liesel’s adoptive father, Hans Hubermann, is a loyal German, who served during WWI, but is not sympathetic to the Nazi regime. Despite his reservations, Hans is enlisted in the German army during WWII. Artistic and sensitive—a painter and accordion player--Hans probably characterizes the attitude of a vast majority of Germans who were not anti-Semitic yet were forced to participate in the Nazi regime. His wife, Rosa, is a no-nonsense woman with a sharp tongue and a loving heart. She washes people’s clothes to supplement their income but gradually, one by one, her customers fire her.Liesel also meets Max Vandenburg, a Jew hidden by the Hubermann family from the Nazis, whose father fought during WWI alongside Hans Hubermann. Liesel befriends him. When Hans becomes ill, she reads to him. He eventually recovers, in part, the novel suggests, because of the power of friendship transmitted through the act of reading. Liesel and her family have a close call with the Gestapo, as soldiers search their house to see if they can use their basement as a shelter. Fortunately, they deem it too shallow and they leave.In all respects, Liesel blends in with her adoptive family. Their hardships and struggles become hers as well. She becomes especially close friends with Rudy Steiner, a blond “Aryan” boy a few months older than her, who develops a crush on her. Although the girl refuses to kiss him, together they embark on many adventures, which bond them to one another. Together, they become book thieves when the Mayor and his wife also fire Rosa. Their love of books and of the forbidden, representing a kind of protest against the Nazi regime and against injustice in life in general, binds the two children even more.Perhaps the strongest character of the novel is Death itself, its main narrator. Death may be brought about by war and by the savage murders perpetrated by the Nazis, but it is not sympathetic to them. Rather, Zusak depicts Death as a kind of Humanist, philosophical character: humane and disapproving of senseless violence, hatred and destruction. In parts, Death touches upon the comic and the absurd, needing “a vacation” from its job during the war.I think the strength of this novel lies in its complex characterizations: the German characters in particular are nuanced and multifaceted, not stereotyped in any way. They too struggle with the evils perpetrated by the Nazi regime and try to help victims, as much as they can. In the end, however, they too become victims of Hitler’s war, as Rosa, Hans and Rudy all die when the Hubermann house is bombed. Rudy doesn’t even get to experience Liesel’s first kiss, dying seconds before she finally declares her love for him and kisses him. Only Liesel survives and gets the chance to have a full life.If I were to identify any weakness in the novel it would be in the narrative style. Since style functions as a kind of author’s unique fingerprint in literary fiction, it’s largely dependent upon each reader’s subjective taste. The choppy, short sentences and disjointed, subjective structure of the novel weren’t to my personal taste, particularly since I usually look for a dense, sweeping and well-informed description of lived history in Holocaust literature. This novel, however, is impressionistic in both style and structure. But these stylistic features also made The Book Thief popular with readers of all ages, particularly with young readers, who could identify with the characters and appreciate its accessible form. Due to its literary success, The Book Thief was recently made into a movie directed by Brian Percival, released in November 2013. The movie, however, unlike the book, received mixed reviews.Claudia Moscovici, Literature Salon -I think I'm about the last person on the planet earth to read this book, and also about the first person not to absolutely adore these books. I had been told to read them for ages, particularly from Gail. The last 100 pages or so is really what redeemed it for me.My big issue with this book was the writing. It seriously almost made me put it down, but every time I was about to do that, the book would redeem itself slightly. The first third to half of the book was awfully slow. It was slow reading, but at the same time intriguing. I didn't really understand all of what was going on, so I wanted to know everything.I loved the characters. Most of them all had such depth and were wonderful. Rue was absolutely my favorite character of the book. I adored her. Peeta was a character I liked right off the bat. Katniss was an interesting character, but I found her a bit annoying. I just didn't like her thoughts. I found her flat and I didn't like her at all.Another thing about The Hunger Games I really did like was the world. I thought it was simply fascinating and I loved how Collins set it up.This was overall a good read, but it just didn't live up to what I thought it would be. I have heard nothing but glowing things for it, and while I loved all the character (minus Katniss some of the time) and thouht the plot was original and intriguing, the plot was slower and I really wasn't a fan of the writing. The ending though, was ace, and has me extremely excited for Catching Fire. -As I was reading the publishing page in the front of the book in preparation for this review, I noticed that the hardbound copy is printed on acid free paper. I know why the publisher went to extra effort and expense in printing this book- it simply is a modern masterpiece of devotional literature that you will keep for a lifetime.My first copy of The Purpose Driven Life, was audio. Each morning as I walked my dog along the river, I would listen to another chapter. Almost immediately I realized that the audio book was the wrong format for me. Rick's insights into scripture are so good that I wanted to read them again and again. Three weeks later, I bought a hardbound copy.For pastors, this book is a must. To be sure, it is pretty basic stuff; but Rick's genius is to communicate the basics in a very delightful and insightful way. As I listened on my MP3 player, I kept trying to make mental notes, saying to myself, That stuff will really preach. For a pastor, there is a years worth of sermon ideas and outlines you will be able to expound on.Most devotional books I find to be disappointing, so much so, I gave up reading them. I am sure glad that I gave Rick a chance. Every Sunday I beg my congregation to purchase this book, telling them that it will give them a foundation to build their Christian life.By the way, I was especially appreciative of Ricks use of multiple translations in his quoting of Scripture. It gives the reader (or hearer) a fresh perspective on already familiar passages. Good job, Rick, you done good! -If there is one author on this planet that doesn't get enough credit for her genius, it is Colleen Hoover. With every book she has published, I swear she can't possibly get any better, could not possibly top herself. And yet she does. Every. Single. Book. is better than the last. And that says a lot considering her first book was Slammed. I mean, seriously?? How does she do it? I am in complete awe. I say it every time, I know I do, but my admiration and respect of this author has reached New heights.Hopeless was a phenomenal book. The story was heartbreaking... the story of Hope/Sky and her life literally broke me. The love story between Sky and Holder was a beautiful one, undeniably so. But Losing Hope just took all my love for this story and multiplied it exponentially.First off, we met Dean Holder again but we get to know him in a whole new way. A way that makes me love him even more than I thought I already had. His telling of his sister's suicide was possibly the most heart wrenching depiction of a suicide I've ever read. Suicide is always tragic, of course... But unless you've lived through that kind of personal loss, I think we take the depth of this kind of tragedy for granted. Well Colleen Hoover takes you there. Dean's story shredded me. I found the entire story line surrounding Les... Her childhood, her utter hopelessness, her subsequent death... I found it almost more heart breaking than Sky's story. It just struck a chord with me this time around that I will never get over. Colleen Hoover really nails you in the gut with Les' suicide, it's agonizing to think of what lead Les to this place of feeling absolutely nothing anymore and her willingness to give it all up. I could taste Dean's feeling of hopelessness, of second guessing everything he could have said or done differently to save his sister from something that seems so preventable but in reality, was near impossible to save her from. I felt every ounce of anger he felt toward her about what she left behind, his anger toward her for what he and her family were left to deal with, the pain that never went away. And the letters... the letters made me laugh, cry, get angry... they were perfect. They kept Les alive in her absence, they created this amazing dynamic within the story that would have been virtually impossible to achieve any other way. We got to know Les, we grew to know the relationship between the siblings through these letters, we felt the range of Dean's emotions through his writing. It was just a perfect element that added so much to this book.Getting to relive the love story between Sky and Dean again was an amazing thing... But there's just something magical about getting it all from Dean's point of view. All those blanks filled in, all those stones unturned. You just get the whole package with a sequel from the other partner's perspective and it really gives you completion and satisfaction and closure that the love you know Sky felt for Dean is reciprocated tenfold. But knowing what Dean felt for Sky, what he felt for Hope, and knowing the pain he had lived with for years in between literally stole my breath away. It's a miracle this guy came out of all that he endured... all that he carried on his shoulders since he was practically a toddler, really. Yes, Hope disappeared when they were five. But he was her rock for years before that, just holding the pinky of the sad little girl next door. And with Losing Hope, you're treated to this amazing miracle of how he felt finding her again and how truly miraculous it is that his love for Hope and his love for Sky were both independent from each other, but yet undeniably connected. It's as if no matter where Hope went, had she never even gone anywhere, or whether or not Hope did or didn't end up as Sky, Dean Holder was meant to love her.This story is so layered. I'm still sitting here trying to get my chin off the floor as I go over and over the web that Colleen Hoover has woven with this book. The links between these characters, no matter how separated they thought they had become, how lost they believed they were to each other... their lives were so tied up in each other. Aside from the obvious, that Dean and Sky lived within miles of each other without ever knowing so, so much about how severely their lives overlapped, how one's decisions and choices and actions effected the others without ever consciously knowing it... it's absolutely awe inspiring to think about what Ms Hoover created here. Brilliant is really the only word I can use and I still don't believe that does the book justice. You live this book.I think too often an author attempts to retell a story from the male perspective and it becomes a story of cut and paste. You come out of it feeling like you just reread a story you already knew. This book is like reading an entirely different story. You think you know this story, you think you know the plot because you read Hopeless... You believe you know these characters and their story of how it began, how it ended and everything in between. But here's a bomb... You know nothing. You know nothing until the very last page of Losing Hope, when you finally have all the pieces, the completed puzzle... You have closure, you find peace with this story. You learn forgiveness in this book, you regain hope. This book is amazing. This book is a masterpiece of epic proportions. -Wow. I didn't intend to read Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl when I did. Two other books sat on the top of the reading pile, begging for a thorough read, the Amazon reader review thing, and so on. But one dark day, I needed a book with an edge to it, and having peeked at a sample page of Gone Girl already, I knew where to find that edge.Gone Girl is the story of Nick and Amy, a seemingly perfect couple to anyone looking in from the outside. But at the start of the book, on the couple's fifth anniversary, when Nick comes home to a ransacked living room and a missing wife, the marriage has already deteriorated to a far from perfect state. Talk about your love hate relationship. Nick and Amy have one in spades at this point - mostly hate, but with love so excruciatingly painted around the edges you can't imagine a better combination.Nick's clumsy handling of himself during the police investigation and an accumulating, increasingly-damning pile of evidence soon point the finger at him as the murderer. We, the readers, don't know whether he is one or not, even though we've been reading most passages from his first person point of view.So is he or isn't he? I won't spoil it. Let me instead touch on two compelling aspects of this novel. First, Gillian's voice is one that many writers would kill for (bad pun, I know). Through the first half of the book she alternates her passages from Nick's point of view (written in a Jess Walter voice, and you never think for one second that hmmm this is a woman trying to write from a man's POV), and Amy's point of view as found in diary entries written before the climactic murder or abduction or whatever actually happened (because I still refuse to tell). Amy's voice is much different than Nick's and I love that. She's brilliant and has a fascinating perceptiveness about each of those many people who just can't help but revolve around her irresistible gravitational force.The other can't-put-it-down aspect of this novel is the quick pacing both before and after a sudden switch in plot halfway through. By that point, as a reader, you think you know the whole story and how it will all end, and you can't imagine what the second half of the book will be for. Why isn't this a novella? What's coming next?What's coming next is motive, and true circumstances, plans going awry, plans being reshaped, and a remarkable elevation of compromise to an art form.I loved this book.Joe -It's 1962, a time when escalating tensions are rising between African-Americans (then known as "coloreds") and their white employers and neighbors! Told from three different points of view, this story probes the intimate thoughts about what it's like for the maids of wealthy and middle class white people in Jackson, Mississippi. It's more than just hard, hard work; it's trying to survive in a constantly demeaning, life or death survival environment! That may sound trite, but trust this reviewer - these accounts are absolutely riveting, heart-stopping and poignant in ways that put new definitions on these commonly used terms!A young woman, Miss Skeetter, wants to be a journalist while her family and friends believe that finding a husband is all that matters, no matter what one's educational background is. Her first question that opens the central plot is to ask if one of the maids, Aibleen, wishes things were different.Aibleen never gets to complete the conversation, but she remembers the comment as she continues to care for three-year-old Mae Mobley. Aibleen, like other hired "help," is more of a mother to Mae Mobley than her own distant, punishing mother by birth. The pain Aibleen feels over this coldness is stunning when one learns the numbing background of her own deep loss. Yet through it all, Aibleen's quietly muttered thoughts and written prayers to God make the reader roar with laughter and ponder what's important in the schemes and nonsense of daily family life. It is she who provides the impetus for Miss Skeeter's project, to get a few black women to talk about the joys, sorrows, challenges and downright insanity of their service employment.Then you'll meet Minnie, another maid who doesn't keep jobs too long because of her outspoken, funny, but offensively blunt comments to her employers. When that doesn't work, lies will do to get rid of her since she obviously doesn't know her "place" in this cold, tough world! Her challenges include a violent home life and an employer who is from the seedier side of Southern life, what used to be called "white trash." Miss Celia is lonely and constantly striving to fit in, but it's clear she doesn't have a clue about much!The project begins on a wrong note and seems doomed to die before it gets going, but tragedy will change all that. Then the reader will be just as stunned at the gritty, fiercely determined nature that arises in a dozen women to tell their tale despite what just might be brutally lethal results. They express their fury and their hysterical barbs as well at the turn of a plan by whites to create toilets for the "diseased" help.So many other characters and events fill these 464 wonderful pages. This reviewer hardly ever says this about any book, but this is a book you will not be able to put down and will be so, so sorry when it's over. It will change hearts and minds wherever it's experienced!This is Kathryn Stockett's first novel, a brilliant, potent celebration of astonishing and noteworthy hope for light to surmount darkness, be it in a person's color or behavior! The Help is a wonder to behold and cherish!Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on December 29, 2008 -Re; the Girl with the dragon Tattoo & the Girl who played with firehave read both and note that the new novel 'the girl who played with fire' is much better. it makes the characters believable by going in detail into their history and resulting psychological profiles, at the same time it is a white knuckles thriller.I strongly recommend this book.for some strange reason it was available in English prior to Christmas everywhere except USA. cant wait for the third book in the series, will there be a fourth? apparently Larsen wrote half of the 4th before suffering a fatal heart attack. -Story is intriguing though incredulous. But I felt the book dragged on a bit too long. I did not feel compelled to any of the characters. -When I first started reading Gone Girl, I almost stopped after discovering it is a dual narrative. To put this in perspective, the last book I had finished was Allegiant, of the Divergent series, and had it been an actual paper book I was reading rather than the kindle app on my iPad, I would have set it on fire. It was the worst experience I've ever had as far as books go, and a large part of that was due to the dual narrative.I am so glad I didn't stop reading because let me tell you, HOMEGIRL ROCKED THE DUAL NARRATIVE.It was like an illness. I COULD NOT STOP. I kid you not, I called in sick for work one day because I reached an especially exciting point in the book the night before, and couldn't bear waiting another 8 hours before continuing.And then I thought I would crap myself once the second part started.And then the third part started and I was just slack-jawed at the insanity exhibited by these two.It's a horrifying tale of "if I can't have you nobody can" wrapped up with some soul-crushing dependence, all told through a who-dun-it type of story. I will read this again and again, that is for dang sure. -I usually choose my yearly 100th book to read based on it meaning something to me, but this year I couldn't come up with anything, but then I remembered this book. I have a few friends, one in particular (hi, <a href="[...]">Lisa</a>!), who have been hounding me to read these for a while. Honestly, it's YA, it's somewhat SciFi and the description just didn't seem to grab me. But I decided that my 100th book would be a nod to my friends and family that are always telling me "Oh, you HAVE to read this book". So, then...I got about 5% into the book and was completely disgusted. I think I may have called Lisa a very bad name. You see, I could NOT PUT THE BOOK DOWN. It was darn well nearly physically attached to my hand. I lost sleep, I gasped in certain places, I yelled "no!" a few times, I was, in short, insane for the day it took me to read this one.The author completely sucks you into this world of the future. Of kids dying as sacrifices to the capital. Of a love triangle. Of family bonds. Of humanity. There is so much going on in the book that it seems like it would be confusing, but in reality, you are so caught up in the entire story that it doesn't matter. It's all-encompassing. It's all-consuming. It's, as Lisa told me, un-put-down-able.There are scenes that rip your heart out in this book. I had to remind myself when I was done that it was YA (Young Adult) because I enjoyed it immensely. Most YA material I can take or leave but this had me hitting the "buy" button for the next in the series within 2 minutes of finishing it.This one makes my must-read list for 2010. I also do not know how to recommend this for, I simply cannot come up with anyone that might not enjoy it. I am not sure I would let my 7-year-old read it, but my 10-year-old would probably enjoy it just as much as my mother or my 70-year-old grandmother would. Read it. Seriously. -I was anxious to read The Host because i wanted to try a Stephanie Meyer book that wasn't Twilight related. I thought the book started out good and interesting but it definately slowed down in the middle to the end. I was worried i wasn't going to finish it but i did and i am glad. First off it did not feel like a romance novel i'm pretty sure she didn't try to write it that way. I like Wander side alot more then melanie to. The characters did get confusing at times. This book wasn't terrible but i didn't fall in love with it. -Has hilarious stories! If you ever need a good laugh, this is the book you should pick up. Made my dad and I laugh so hard. -The concept for this story is exciting. The execution by the author though failed to meet my expectations. The characters are thin and the plot flails about without direction. -I don't understand the negative reviews of this book. This book is entertaining. It has a happy ending. What more could anyone want? It's almost as if people wanted Bella or someone else to die. I hate when people I love in books die. I'm all for happy endings. I also think some of the people who didn't like this book are not a fan of the series and are getting a kick out of bashing this book. I think other people who dislike this book might be concerned Moms who think the book is a little too mature for their teens to read. I'm so glad my parents never banned books for me. I think that's ridiculous. The only parts of this book I disliked was Jacob imprinting with Renesmee. Can I get a big eww? I'm not thrilled with the idea of grown men imprinting with baby girls. It's nasty. I don't get how anyone can think that is ok. It's just wrong. I also though Jacob's "book" within the book was way too long. The book dragged towards the end when the vamps were all gathering together and preparing to fight the Volteri vamps. I hated the name, Renesmee. I thought it was a joke at first. It's awful. I loved that Bella and Edward had a baby. Renesmee was adorable. I loved her. Her "talent" was pretty cool. My favorite part of this book was definitely the begining when Bella and Edward got married. I was shocked when I realized she was pregnant. I loved how the book took a dark turn when the pregnancy was difficult and how she born etc. I loved that this book was a little more adult than the previous books. I hope Stephenie Meyer realizes she has many adult fans and writes more books in the future for us. I enjoyed reading Bella as a vampire. I loved how she wasn't a typical newborn vamp. All in all, it was a good book. I'm satisfied. It's not a 5 star book, but most books aren't. -The characters were different. There was a bit of mystery, a bit of the supernatural, a bit of magic. The ending leaves you wanting more and leaves the story open for another book. -This is a suspenseful, first-person account of the raid that took down Osama bin Laden in May, 2011. The author, writing under the pseudonym of Mark Owen, was one of the elite SEAL Team Six operators that participated in the raid (his real name has since been revealed as Matt Bissonnette). The book debuted at number one on Amazon. It does not disappoint.The first half of No Easy Day covers Bissonnette's work in SEAL Team Six prior to the Osama bin Laden raid. After a cliffhanger opening that anticipates the climax of the book, the story backs up several years to Bissonnette's Green Team training. He was already a Navy SEAL at this point, but he was trying to become a member of the elite Seal TEAM Six, which is composed of the "best of the best." We follow his deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where the recounting of certain missions serves to establish the proficiency of the author and his team at their job. This is rather standard fare for the subgenre.The latter half of the book is devoted to the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound, including the extensive preparations and some of the political aftermath. The actual raid is told in almost moment-by-moment detail, transporting the reader to the compound in Abbottabad. The scene is described so richly that it feels as though we are climbing the stairs with the team as they close in on bin Laden. Several maps and charts help us to picture the location.No Easy Day focuses almost exclusively on Bissonnette's training and deployments. We learn very little about his personal life, which--combined with his intentional pseudonymity--makes it harder to connect with him emotionally. This information was omitted for obvious security reasons. He does share the toll that SEAL life takes on family life, however. "Many of my teammates suffered through bitter divorces. We missed weddings, funerals, and holidays. We couldn't tell the Navy no, but we could tell our families no. And we did often. . . . Work was always the number one priority. It took everything out of you and gave back very little. . . . everything else in the world took a backseat" (106-7). For those wanting a fuller portrait of a Navy SEAL's personal life, see the excellent book by Eric Blehm,Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown, which details the life of SEAL Team Six operator Adam Brown.Bissonnette does not engage in self-aggrandizement or bravado, which has marred some earlier books by former Navy SEALs. The author seems to have a realistic view of himself. He says at one point: "I am not unique or special" (298). He does not hesitate to share instances in combat when he was afraid or made a mistake. He occasionally engages in self-deprecating humor. He regularly dishes out praise for his teammates. Bissonnette says that today's SEALs have "evolved past being egomaniacs" (289). Such professionalism is appreciated.Bissonnette states in the introduction that he has sanitized the book so that it presents no threat to national security. The identities of those involved are masked; special tactics and technology are not revealed; and certain information is generalized. The author says, "If you are looking for secrets, this is not your book" (x). Yet none of these precautions affect the impact of the book. There is still enough specific information to make the action riveting.Despite Bissonnette's precautions, the book is nonetheless generating controversy. Some special operators have challenged his decision to reveal details about the mission, breaking their traditional code of silence. The Department of Defense has threatened to sue because he did not present the book to the Pentagon for inspection prior to publication. The author has responded by pointing out that many people, from the President on down, have revealed details about the mission. He says, "If my commander in chief is willing to talk, then I feel comfortable doing the same" (298). He claims that everything in the book has already appeared in other unclassified sources (xi). I for one am glad that the book was released. It shows that those who commit acts of terror will suffer retribution--perhaps even deadly retribution--for their evil. This should serve as a warning to our enemies.At the end of the book are the names of those SEALs who have paid the ultimate price since September 11, 2001. Bissonnette claims that he is donating the majority of the proceeds from the book to charities that support the families of these fallen Navy SEALs. He encourages readers to donate as well.The book is well-written and a page-turner. Even though the outcome of the book was already known, it maintains a high degree of suspense throughout to see how the situation actually played out. I read it in one sitting. Highly recommended. -Welcome to the world of Amy Elliott Dunne and her husband Nick Dunne. On their fifth wedding anniversary, a day Amy always celebrates to the hilt, she disappears under mysterious circumstances. Nick is the prime suspect and does nothing to make his family, the media, or the public think differently. Thus begins a highly suspenseful tale loaded with twists and turns to keep you eagerly turning the pages. I am in awe of author Gillian Flynn's clever plotting and now anxious to read her two previous books. To go more deeply into the story line would involve spoilers, so I will avoid that and just say Amy and Nick are two of the most dysfunctional, psychotic people you may ever come across. Their story is riveting, appalling, and highly readable. A smart and stylish golden couple who complete each other in every way, their story and the inside look into their marriage will have readers mesmerized from romantic beginning until the stunning finale. -Wow. just wow.I had no idea what to expect when starting this but I knew I had to read it right away because I absolutely loved Slammed and Point of Retreat. It exceeded any expectations I had. Easily one of my favorite books of the year. The story was so touching and had me guessing the entire time I was reading. I was almost positive I knew the way the story was going to play out and was proved wrong with a seriously shocking and great twist. This book was written with so much emotion it was literally jumping off of the pages and consuming me. I am so glad this was released early because I was already having a hard time waiting for this!5++ stars. Another success by Colleen Hoover. -Definitely the best book of the series but all 3 are highly engaging and worth reading. I didn't know anything about this book when I bought it, but I had heard of it and wanted a good book to put on my brand new Kindle. I seriously could not put it down, and finished it in one day and immediately purchased the other 2 books in the trilogy.I was surprised to find out that this was meant for kids! It is so captivating, and fairly gruesome. Definitely the best book I have read in a long time, I would recommend this to any and everyone! -If you aren't up to date on the publication and release drama surrounding the Cuckoo's Calling author, I'll give you a second to catch up. Good? Okay. The Cuckoo's Calling by J.K. Rowling was orignally masqueraded as a excellent debut novel by newcomer Robert Galbraith. In the statement "debut novel", critics reveal a bias toward letting some flaws slide and overlooking the less-than0stellar details of the book, while praising the good things it does well. Now that we know Robert Galbraith is not a newcomer, and no less he is the great J.K. Rowling, I think it's time we all looked at it through the lens of a regular critique: that this is the third outing of a well-known author... and it is also her weakest.The Cuckoo's Calling concerns itself with the apparent suicide of super model Lula Landry, who jumped out of her third floor balcony due to depression. Our detective is Cormoran Strike, a one-legged veteran-turned-private-eye, who finds himself randomly teamed up with a young woman named Robin, who was sent over by a temp service that he forgot to cancel. After receiving the assignment from a worried brother of Lula's, the two hit the streets of London to find out what actually happened the night the model died.The plot is surprisingly feeble, especially for a murder mystery. From the first few pages of the novel, there isn't anything particularly gripping or suspenseful about what is going to happen. You know two things from the get-go: there is a mystery and we will get a resolution eventually. There never was a "how are we going to figure this out?" or "what will we do if we can't?" moment-- Strike lines up a list of suspects and witnesses and goes through them, one by one, for 400 pages. Each suspect lasts one to two chapters, they tell there side of the story, and then Strike moves. Absolutely no clues are given to the reader during this time, and then somewhere around page 400, a surge of true information comes out and then the book is neatly wrapped up. This makes the plot structure very weird, like one long expository flatline and then a huge drop of a sudden resolution.But despite the plot, the writing in here is superb. It's what you'd expect from the first person to make a billion dollars writing books. The writing is tight, clean, and clinical at times, matching the investigative nature of the story. At first, this may seem a little jarring, and hard to get in to. A few of the paragraphs do tend to go on a sentence fragment or two too long. But the writing does it's job, never gets in the way of the story, and pulls the reader along the way... even if the plot doesn't.The dialogue in this book is phenomenal, easily one of it's strongest points. Each line of each character's speech is carefully written, hand picked to reflect their background, their views, and their characteristics. It is truly a treat to visit each and every witness or suspect and get their side of the story, even if that story isn't compelling. From Tansy Bestigui to Guy Somé, each character has distinctive speech patterns, a feat which does not go unnoticed after working through each of the novel's 40 or so characters. Sometimes the author even writes in Dialect, which goes well in every case except for one particular one (Lula Landry's birth mother, who's cockney drawl was a headache to read and interpret, especially for an American).After sifting through the various things this book has to offer, you finally get to the end. Many readers and reviews before me have praised this part of the book, but in my opinion, it was nothing special. The loose ends get tied up in a satisfactory way, but nothing shocking or surprising really happens, and, in truth, some of the motives for one specific character get a little murky and quite silly. Of the eight hundred million things that are clarified and revealed to the reader in the final forty pages, only one of them managed to actually surprise me, and it wasn't the "oh dang!" moment I was expecting from a mystery with this many high reviews.I'm not sure if my opinion on this book is going to change your mind over whether or not you read it. I mean, come on, it's JK Rowling, it's the talk of the month. You're going to read it. But I hope that my points inspired some thought in you over whether or not you enjoyed this book. As for me? I'm surprised this is the one all the hubbub is about. Personally, I thoughtThe Casual Vacancywas a much better book with a way more solid ending. -I have a friend who was actually an orphan and on an orphan train, so this book is meaningful to me. I think the writing and the content is very good. -This was a great book, until the end. Some parts were dark. Twisted. But after reading all those pages, some of which were redundant, it just stops. Like there should be part 2 which I would not read. Readers deserve closure. BIG waste of my time and money -The Time Traveler's Wife never appealed to me because of the title. I don't usually care for science fiction and time traveling, but my friend recommended the novel and gave me a copy as a gift, so I tried it out. Just as I expected, I didn't care for the time traveling. I found the first thirty pages terribly confusing as dates and ages jumped around. For me, The Time Traveler's Wife had a rough start, but it picked up after the first hundred pages or so once I figured out the time structure of the story, and it culminated with the final scene as the best scene in the book.The book tells the love story between Henry, a librarian plagued with a genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily time travel, and his wife Clare. The story and concept are unique, interesting, and captivating. They touch upon a wide variety of philosophical topics, such as love, free will, age differences within relationships, sex, waiting for love, and genetic therapy. It provides a lot of material for both self-reflection and discussion with others.Although I enjoyed reading the novel and became engrossed in the storyline, I also found many faults with the book. My main complaint is that the characters were flat. The story is told with the alternating perspectives of Henry and Clare, however, I oftentimes could not remember whose perspective I was reading. The two characters are too similar and are poorly developed as separate individuals. Henry is clearly the main character, and Clare simply waits for him throughout her entire life. Some people might find her relentless waiting as a testament to her love for Henry, but I found it pathetic and irritating. She has no personality beyond Henry. Furthermore, I found Henry interesting because of his time traveling predicament, but he is not at all what I would envision of as a romantic hero in a love story. The author sets up numerous situations in which she could have explored their deeper emotions, but instead she only skims the surface. Similarly, the author sets up some great supporting characters, but fails to give them any depth.In the end, The Time Traveler's Wife is not a bad book, but it's not a great book either. The story and concept were captivating, but unfortuantely, the characters were disappointing. -Weird, weird book. Very surprised considering its popularity. Had to finish it, though, and it was okay. I hate to say I wouldn't recommend it to a friend. Both characters were very odd and had several issues of their own. No real "good guy" I guess. Left me with a big ole question mark dangling at the end of this one. -I was in the mood for some light beach reading. This book was perfect for that. It was entertaining throughout and I laughed out loud a lot! The characters were likeable and I could not put this book down. -So beautifully written that you literally have to stop and close the book for a few minutes savoring what she's written. Her prose is so clear, so direct and yet so humorous that you smile through every paragraph.Gilbert is a born writer and one of the few I've read lately that make you turn immediately back to the first page to start over when you finish one of her books. Highly recommended. -I have little respect for authors that borrow characters from other work (-5 stars) of their own, give them new names and toss them into a different story. No matter how interesting the storyline (4 stars) I feel as if the author is cheating, lazy and looking to turn a quick buck ( or meet an impossible deadline etc). The concept is intriguing (4 stars) and the pace satisfactory ( 3 stars) but it lacks the depth it needs to be exceptional. I was a bit confused at the beginning, thinking I was reading a second or third book in a series (i did check to make sure). The reader is dropped into the story with no introduction (-3 stars). It did not make sense. I ignored this issue thinking the story would evolve in a way that would explain. I later found that it was not important. There were times when I did not want to put it down and was looking forward to my reading time (5 stars). The ending is completely set up for a sequel and when it is released I will read it with hope that she put a little more effort into it. -The best thing about this book is: it is so simple to read and understand, and hence easy to remember. The concepts laid down are so simple, and yet sometimes surprising. Mr. Collins did not complicate the findings, and use very simple terms and stories to illustrate his findings. Since the results are driven from detail researches, it adds certain credibility to the overall framework. Ignoring the notes of the researches, the book only has +200 pages. This is a must read of even the most busiest executives. -As I write this, there are already over five hundred reviews of this book in ahead of me, so there would not seem to be much I can write about it that hasn't already been written. Given these circumstances, I'll cut right to the chase. This is a terrific book, and it is apparently just the first of six that will make up the entire "Fire And Ice" series.Tolkien is the standard by which I measure adult fantasy and, while my experience in this genre is limited, "A Game Of Thrones" is the most compelling and well-conceived tale I've found since Tolkien (and I liked Kay's "Tigana" and Brooks' Shannara books very much). It lacks Tolkien's deft touch of humor, but the plotting is intricate and multi-faceted and the characters have real depth, with elements of both good and bad in their personalities. Some are at once likeable but on the wrong side, and vice versa. Further, the "good guys" in this story are just as much at risk as the "bad guys". Death can strike down anyone, and it sometimes does so with stunning suddenness.The plotting is truly fascinating. Most immediately, the political and personal intrigue within the seven kingdoms is fast-moving and treacherous. But, beyond that, there is the Princess Daenerys, the last suviving member of the previous ruling house of the Seven Kingdoms, who dreams of returning from exile and reclaiming the throne for herself. Lurking beyond even that, however, is the ominous threat that "winter is coming". The great northern ice wall separates the Seven Kingdoms from a vague danger that is, as yet, only hinted at but which seems to be perhaps the greatest danger of all.This is great storytelling. A real page-turner. There's never a dull moment and, as a reader, I was always anxious to see what was going to happen next. I have the next book (#2), but book #3 doesn't come out in paperback for a couple of months and the remaining books in the series are farther down the line. I'm resisting the urge to plunge right into #2 for this reason, but I guarantee that I won't wait very long. Read this book. You'll be looking forward to more, too. -When my dad read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a while back, every time I walked by him he looked up (or didn't, because he was so insanely engrossed in the novel) and said, "Natanya, you HAVE TO READ THIS." Although I knew that I would not be as blown away by it as he was (my dad spends most of his time reading emails, not novels, and he's a computer geek), I knew I had to see whether the novel lived up to the hype. And now that I've read it, I can say that the majority of it did. The real meat of the story--the main mystery--is quite the thrill ride, and I found it pretty impossible to guess who the "culprit" was until the end. I loved Salander and her various methods of getting information or making things work to her advantage. Blomkvist was a little blah at times, but that didn't really hinder the novel very much--he provided a pretty good contrast to Salander's unpredictability.However, the mystery is framed by this financial libel disaster that Blomkist got himself into, and, consequently, I found the beginning and end of the novel to be very boring. While I was largely able to ignore Larsson's often excessive amount of detail for the bulk of the book (some of which became relevant later, others which were really not necessary), I had to force myself through the first 75 pages or so of detail and financial crap that was relevant to Blomkvist's life, but entirely irrelevant to the rest of the book. I suppose it is better that Larsson fleshed out the context rather than just throwing it in as a wimpy reasoning for why Blomkvist could spend a year on this mystery, but, honestly, I have little interest in the financial world.But, while this boring frame (and maybe it was just boring to me) made the novel a bit less enjoyable, the bulk of it is much more applicable to a college age girl (at times terrifyingly so), and is also far more graphic, shocking, gruesome, and totally gripping. As a warning, though, it does get pretty gross at times, and I had a hard time falling asleep a couple nights after reading this. So you may not want to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo right before going to sleep, but if you like mysteries or thrillers, or are just looking for a hold-onto-your-pants ride of a novel, do read it. -I really loved this book. It's got a great blend of science fiction and 80s nostalgia, all wrapped together in a plot that moves like a roller coaster.In 2044, most of humanity is plugged into a virtual world called OASIS, the brainchild of a genius named Jim Halliday, who was raised in small town America and was a child of the 80s. Halliday, before his death, left a series of puzzles and clues that would lead one lucky player to his fortune. Wade Watts (nee Parzival) wants to be the first to find this treasure, and does find and solve the first of many puzzles. Now the world is watching. Wade's friends Aech and pseudo-girlfriend Art3mis aid him, and he meets up with other virtual warriors (Daito and Shoto). However, a large corporation, IOI, led by a man named Sorrento, also wants to find Halliday's fortune and they've got the firepower and resources to do it.The characters are all likable (with the exception of Sorrento) and the 80s nostalgia is amusing (Halliday codes his puzzles with dialogue from 80s films like 'WarGames'). The pacing is brisk; once Wade finds the puzzles, the action starts and doesn't really stop until the conclusion, where Wade must solve the final puzzle. The author thanks several movie executives in the acknowledgements, and I truly hope this book is made into a film. I can't tell which I'd rather watch first: this, or "Robopocalypse."This book is highly recommended. It doesn't matter if you're a diehard gamer, an 80s child, or a WoW guild member. Even if your only exposure to video games was watching "Wreck-It Ralph" in theaters last year, read this book; you will not be disappointed. -This book was good, and I really did enjoy it (already started the second one). There were a few things about the characters that bugged me, but no one is perfect. I have read a lot of NA books and it was up to par, the sex scenes were hot and good (a little repetative at times but still good), better than fifty shades but no where near as good as "Rush" (the breathless series), that by far is my favorite. Overall it was a good book and an easy read (finished it in a day or so). The characters I hope will grow a little more in the second novel. -This story line is amazing. I love the sacrifice. That author did an amazing job building characters and plot. Great read. -The final book in the Divergent Trilogy left a lot to be desired... That being said, the book wasn't necessarily bad and I feel that most fans of the series will ultimately be at least satisfied with the trilogy's ending. (In other words, it could have been a lot worse.) There's not much I can say about the story without giving too much away; the action and intrigue that comprised the first two books is still present in Allegiant. Also present is the ensuing romance between Tris and Tobias. Despite having the core elements that made up the first two books, there were a few things that I took issue with in Allegiant...For one, this book is told from the perspectives of both Tris AND Tobias. I was initially very excited about this aspect of the book. However, I just feel that this idea was better in theory. The dual perspective was not executed very well. There was no real distinction between the voices of Tris and Tobias. If you were to open to a random page and read it you would not be able to distinguish who was speaking (except for use of pronouns, names, etc.). I feel that Roth should have spent more time developing a clear voice for Tobias instead of using the same writing style she's used for Tris's voice.I was also a little disappointed about what was "beyond the fence." Don't get me wrong, it was interesting and thought-provoking, but... I just expected more! I feel like the explanation for the secrets behind Tris's world were just very bland (for lack of a better word). The previous two books were just so mind-blowing that I expected the same sort of pizzaz from Allegiant, but it just wasn't there.Despite these errors, Allegiant really is a decent ending to the trilogy. Even though it doesn't necessarily end the way you want it to. However, its flaws keep it from entering the realm of 5-star books like its predecessors, Divergent and Insurgent. -The series takes some very unexpected but not unpleasant twists in the second installment. This one is hard to put down. -I rate books on how much of an impact they have on me and whether or not I will think about or want to discuss the contents after I've read the last page and closed the cover.The Roadis a post apocalyptic novel that will stay with me a very long time. The bleakness of the journey that this unnamed father and son embark on is quickly evident -- they are going south but have no real plan and no endpoint or destination in mind. They traverse an unrelenting and very bleak landscape of ash and burnt out flora, fauna and civilization -- devoid of any life except for the occasional creature that bears little resemblance to what was once humankind. The man and the boy stick to the endless blacktop, the road -- the only somewhat permanent residual marker in a very changed world. They walk by day, pushing a metal grocery cart full of their meager possessions, avoiding the marauding bands of cannibals and even the lone survivors as trust is not a trait they can afford to have when it is survival of the fittest at stake.Though the story is very grim, the love and protectiveness that the father has for his son is the only light in this otherwise very depressing narrative. They are all unto each other -- there is no one else and nothing else. Memories that the man has are soon discarded as his reality is faced with plugged determination -- a search for food, water, warmth -- merely to survive another day.I'm eager to see the movie based on this book and hope it's a faithful adaptation. This is definitely a novel that I will think about time and again as it haunts me with its stark portrayal of whatever comes after "the end of the world as we knew it."I gave this 5 stars, not because it was a pleasant story, but because of the impact it had on my psyche and my senses as I read it.I can't really say I LOVED this book, but I did live it.Recommend. -If you're not DARING TO BELIEVE GOD for the impossible,you may be SLEEPING THROUGHsome of the BEST PARTS of your Christian Life.I really thought this book was thought provoking and insightful. The writing style is very easy to follow. Furtick uses a lot of great illustrations. He also uses a lot of scripture to back his points. The book really challenges us to pray big prayers and expect God to do big things for us. He uses the term "Audacious faith" a faith that challenges you to live with boldness. I love the statement he used "A lot of Christians I know stagger through life in a daze. Suffering from posttraumatic faith disorder, they hunker down in the basement, open a can of Beanie Weenees, and wait for the end of the world." This has a great and challenging book.I received this book free from Multnomah Books as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." -What a great book and start to an awesome series.Characters: 5/5Cassandra knows how to create great characters. The good ones are nice, the snarky ones are awesome and the bad ones wind you up. I love the humor she brings into the scenes as well.Clary - I like her from the start. Clary is easy to connect with and she is smart. Sometimes she can't see what is right in front of her but she keeps it together and is determined to find her mom.Simon - Simon is Clary's best friend and I love his humor and optimism. He is an awesome character. He is so witty and kept me laughing throughout the book. I really enjoy the comfortableness that is there in his friendship with Clary.Jace - I love his snarky and badass wit. He is smart, brave and just a great character. On the surface he is serious, honest and smart - underneath Clary brings out a more sensitive, caring side. Just like Alec says - Jace thinks he needs to save the world.Isabelle - I love Isabelle's way. She isn't out rightly a nice person but she isn't a mean person either - just really honest and a bit arrogant. My favourite scene with her is right at the end with Clary - where have a beautiful bonding moment.Alec - Initially Alec comes across really rude and offish, especially towards Clary. I could see why Alec seemed put out by Clary. It's as if Jace doesn't need him anymore and is utterly absorbed by Clary. I could see his troubles and I think great things will still come for Alec.Magnus Bane - I loved Magnus in The Infernal Devices. I don't feel he played a huge part in this story but I do think (and hope) to see more of him in the rest of the series.Hodge - Hodge is such a misunderstood character, I felt so sorry for him. I don't think he really knows where his loyalties and heart lie. He may have started off on one side, but near the end he makes some decisions to help people, regardless of what is in store for him.I cannot say I have one favourite character - I love them all!Plot, Pace, Writing style: 5/5The plot was captivating and gripping. Cassandra has a beautiful way with words and is an amazing writer. The pace is perfect and there is so much to build on in the books to come.Cover talk: 5/5 I love the covers in this series! They are beautiful and original.Final Thoughts: I am really excited to continue this series -This is a groundbreaking book, at least to me. I have read plenty of marriage and parental improvement books, but none that I recall address the potential pitfalls and methods of working with introverted individuals. Cain has an engaging writing and storytelling style that makes this book an easy read. I didn't necessarily think of myself as an introvert until I began reading through the checklist she put together at the beginning of the book. I knew I enjoyed my personal time to read, enjoyed expressing my feelings in writing and sometimes just had to get away from others, but only as I read this book did it dawn on me that these traits put me largely in the introvert camp. As the father of a possibly introverted child, there are some good take aways for me from this book as well. And the conclusion - talk about a life's manifesto! Overall, well done and fascinating read. -Nell Hawthorne is an ordinary girl sweet and well educated. Kyle Calloway is only days older than her, for many years he is her best friend, until he admits his feelings changed and he becomes her great love. Their life is pure bliss until a tragic event rips them apart forever.The void he left and the guilt she feels make her life painful and she has troubles coping.When she meets Colton Klyle's older brother for the first time, he seems to accept and understand her. Some years later when they meet again their scared souls seem to recognize each other. Colton teaches her how to cope with the pain, how to let go and accept the pain.The love they develop is deep and fragile. Together they learn to love again to accept their pain and to, sometimes enjoy life.Oh Mrs. Wilder what did you do?I enjoyed your book wounded a lot and now you create two more characters that are amazing. I really enjoyed the rhythm, the characters, the story and the blazing hot sex scenes. I loved the fact that the reader understood the feelings without you having to explain and show everything. At the end I noticed that I was going to underscore every single sentence of the last pages... so I just enjoyed reading then and bookmarked the pages.Thank you a lot for this book I am really waiting for your next one.I hope you will enjoy the read as much as I did.Please keep feel free to comment. MBTM -One of my new favorite books of all time!!! Colleen Hoover just writes perfection. My words cannot accurately describe how I feel about this book. It's brilliant. I loved it, everything about it. Holder is freaking amazing. Sky is the perfect book heroine. The story is fresh. I would recommend to anyone and everyone. So butterflying fantastic! -Cade MacKenzie is a marked man. After his cover was blown while working to take down the del Fuego cartel, he saw the woman he was in love with taken away. He is no longer the man he once was. There is darkness in him that wasn’t there before, but when he moves in next door to Bayleigh Scott she awakens something in him that he thought was long dead.Cade is the definition of alpha male. He is hard, sexy, and in control. Yet his past leaves a trace of vulnerability that is very attractive. He is also cocky in a way that is a total turn on instead of off putting. Bayleigh is a tough one in her own right, but her insecurities are a little clearer. I love the way Cade just sends her into a tailspin!Hart delivers her readers a very sexy suspense, and I completely ate it up. Of course I have read romantic suspense before with the emotionally wounded alpha male, and the woman who brings him redemption. It is a fairly common formula, but it is for a reason. Readers respond to it plain and simple. Cade’s story reached out to me, and I fell for him right along with Bayleigh. This is a couple that can crank up the heat! The scenes between the two are both sexy and erotic. The element of danger was also a plus. I must say Hart did a wonderful job. I giveCade: A MacKenzie Family Novel 4 masks!After finishing the book my first thoughts were of Cade’s brothers and how I need to know about them. This isn’t the first MacKenzie family novel, but Cade stands alone really well.. My second thought was I want to review every one of them! All of the lovely readers out there who have been braving the subzero temperatures need to grab this read and let Cade warm you up on a winter’s night!**Reviewed by Teresa D. for ThatsErotica.com** -I appreciated the way data was presented - very readable and engaging. There is a little bit of a "Venus vs. Mars" feel to it but the book is helpful toward understanding different personality traits and provides good advice regarding how to navigate them, whether in personal relationships, parenting, teaching or workplace settings. I did find it a little repetitive but the book is clearly well researched and accessible. -I love books by Micheal Crichton and buy all of them. I think his best were Jurassic Park and the Andromeda Strain. This book is entertaining and offers some interesting insights into 13th century mores,but the science discriptions were missing and the story was not really compelling. While I do recommend it, I just wish he would write something really gripping again. -***ARC received by Simon & Schuster for review***"You're trying to save him, and he's hoping you can. You two are a disaster."I smiled at the ceiling. "It doesn't matter what or why it is. When it's good, Kara...it's beautiful."This quote describes Beautiful Disaster perfectly! I had read a couple of good reviews about this book and when I saw Beautiful Disaster on NetGalley a couple of weeks ago, I decided to get it and planned to squeeze it my reading list sometime in the next couple of months. But after reading a particular review by Debbie at I Heart YA Books, I just simply had to put all of my other books aside and I HAD to read it right away! I started reading this book around 11:30pm and I stayed up until 2:30am reading half of the book (even though I had to wake up at 5:30 the next morning) and finishing the whole thing the next night. So yes, this book was simply unputdownable. (Is that a word?)Let me start off by saying that this book is not perfect and at times it was a bit of a disaster but that's why I loved it so much. Travis and Abby were two very flawed characters with a lot of issues to work through. For some reason these always become my favorite types of characters. To me, it makes it even more special to see them grow and change and I feel like the payoff is even bigger at the end. I know a lot of people really didn't like Travis but I absolutely and completely LOVED him, everything about him! The good and the bad. Yes, he can be a jerk and he has one hell of a temper and some major jealousy issues but all of these flaws just made him even more realistic to me. Don't worry because he doesn't stay that way throughout the whole book. Once he meets Abby he slowly starts changing, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But the important thing to me is that he tries to be a better person for Abby. There is another character in this book, Parker, who is somewhat a love interest to Abby. He was pretty much perfect: good looking, rich, nice, good manners, Harvard-bound...and I absolutely could not stand him! He was such a bore. Maybe it's just me and maybe I'm not right in the head but I like reading about the messed up characters. The more screwed up they are, the better I like them. (Most of the time)Abby was a very complex character. She has a shady past and has worked hard to move on from it. But from the moment she meets Travis, she can't help but feel drawn to him. Don't worry; this isn't one of those insta-love stories. In fact, it's the completely opposite. It's one of those almostexcruciating but awesome slow build-ups that pushes them together one moment only to have them ripped apart the next. Abby and Travis have such a complicated and messed up friendship and their relationship is even more messed up. Just like the quote above says, when things are good between them it was such a beautiful thing. But when things went bad, it was definitely disastrous. At first, I really liked Abby because she was really tough and she would stand up to herself to Travis and didn't take any of his bullshit. But the closer they got, and the more blurry the line between friendship and romance got, she did some very stupid things which made me want to reach into the book and slap her a couple of times. (Maybe more than a couple)It's official! I found my new favorite category: New Adult! I mostly read YA (hence the blog name) and as much as I love them I sometimes feel like there is something missing. Well I found out what that was: sex! This is another thing that adds a realistic element to the story. I don't know why but it always bugs me when couples in YA wait until the third book to finally have sex. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against waiting and I definitely love the sexual tension until then, but what is it about the third book that makes it ok then? The relationship between Travis and Abby is scorching hot without being graphic or inappropriate. It's also such a refreshing change to move away from the high school setting (and drama). All of these things including the language make it so much more real to me.The plot definitely took a couple of crazy turns but overall, I absolutely fell in love with this book! The only thing that I didn't like about the book was that Travis has this nickname for Abby: Pigeon or Pidge. It briefly gets explained why he gave her that nickname although it didn't really make sense (to me). I mentally programmed my brain to just read `Abby" every time the word Pigeon came out. I also loved Shepley and America who are Travis and Abby's best friends (and also a couple). Travis and Abby are one of my new favorite couples and Beautiful Disaster has made it into my top 10 all-time favorite books. I read on the author's blog that she is writing a companion to this book, Walking Disaster which is basically this story but told from Travis's POV! Travis has some serious issues and I can't wait to get inside his head. Counting down the days until we get to read a new perspective on Travis on Abby.Due to the content and language of this book, it is recommended for ages 17+. (New Adult) Beautiful Disaster is not for everyone. I have seen some pretty harsh reviews for this book and it looks like it's one of those books you are either gonna LOVE or HATE. It's raw and intense and very emotional and it tackles some pretty serious issues. Whether you love it or not, one thing is clear: everyone is talking about Beautiful Disaster! Read it and make up your own decision about it instead of staying away from it because of the bad reviews.5 out of 5 very sparkly stars!!! A MUST-read!Some of my favorite non-spoiler quotes from Beautiful Disaster:-"You're only making it worse by brushing him off. He's not used to that.""What do you suggest I do? Sleep with him?"America shrugged. "It'll save time."-He leaned in close and whispered in my ear. "I don't wanna sleep with you, Pidge. I like you too much."He walked past me to the bathroom, and I stood, stunned.Kara's words replayed in my mind. Travis Maddox slept with everyone; I couldn't help but feel deficient in some way knowing he had no desire to even try to sleep with me.-I clinked my bottle against his. "To being the only girl a guy with no standards doesn't want to sleep with." I said, taking a swig."Are you serious?" he asked, pulling the bottle from my mouth. When I didn't recant, he leaned toward me. "First of all...I have standards. I've never been with an ugly woman. Ever. Second of all, I wanted to sleep with you. I thought about throwing you over my couch fifty different ways, but I haven't because I don't see you that way anymore. It's not that I'm not attracted to you, I just think you're better than that."-"Abs?" What are you a workout video?" he sneered."Pigeon?" I said with the same amount of disdain. "An annoying bird that craps all over the sidewalk?"-I yanked his shirt over his head, fumbling in the dark with his belt buckle. He jerked it open, ripped it off, and threw it on the floor. He lifted me from the mattress with one hand and unzipped my dress with the other. I pulled it over my head, tossing it somewhere in the dark, and then Travis kissed me, moaning against my mouth.***Read more of my reviews at:Nereyda @Mostly YA Book Obsessed -The book captures the reader from the beginning. I liked watching the movie n going back to the book and rereading it again n knowing the book is so much more detailed than the movie. Of course I know u cant put everything from the book into the movie but its fun to pick out the movie in the book -I red this book that I had been anticipating for some time with a mixture of excitement and drowsiness, which I guess comes of making a wal-mart run at midnight and reading until 4 A.M. then starting again 6 hours later. I thought that overall it was good, but not as good as book 4. It felt like throughout the series people were growing and changing, and yet either we took a step backwards or the people were always static. Of course some of the background characters have really matured and changed, like Neville, and some things we've been reading about in the other books finally pay off, but it almost feels like what is revealed in this book could and should have taken place in a much earlier novel. The beginning of the conflict between good and evil was sadly anticlimactic. However the talk between Harry and Dumbledore has some truly tense and interesting moments.While I truly enjoy the entire series, This one seems like the weak sister of the group. -I was fascinated by Bill O'Reilly's book on Jesus's life and death. Part 'straight from the Bible' and part 'straight from the history books', this rendition of Jesus's life and the convoluted and trumped up explanations for that brutal death (and yes, this book pulls no punches about exactly how brutal and horrifying the crucifixion he suffered was) is not for those looking for an easy read. I won't say I "loved" this book, because that would dilute its power and honesty. I will say it's one of the most memorable and visceral renditions of Jesus's life and death that I have ever read. However, the reader must be aware of exactly what kind of old world 'justice' this is about. Do I recommend it? Oh yes! But know what you're getting into. -Every character in this book is odd. The plot is odd. And I must be odd myself because I kept coming back for more. Although I may not read any of the Odd Thomas sequels, I don't regret experiencing this one....no disgusting sex or language earns an extra star from me. -With all due respect to the 5 and 4 star reviewers, I am not sure that I read the same book. I will not get in a long drawn out review as to why this book deserves only 1 star I will just keep it short and sweet. The ending of this book is terrible! I actually set there holding my kindle wondering what just happened. Terrible -This fourth book in the Harry Potter series blows the first three books away! Harry finally comes face to face with his enemy and is forced to use everything he has learned to survive. This book is slightly "darker" and more frightening than the other three, but even more engaging. Though this book is over 700 pages, I found myself wishing it were even longer. Incredible! -This is an exceptionally well written, well-researched book about two events that were intertwined, the Chicago World's Fair and the crimes of a serial killer in late nineteenth century Chicago. The book is rife with period detail and highly descriptive passages that give the reader a taste of what living in Chicago was like at that time.The book provides a fascinating look at the enormous work and planning that went into creating the Chicago World's Fair, making it into one that was truly remarkable for its time, given some of the problems that the architects had to overcome. It also provides a fascinating look into the lives of some of the key players involved in its creation.Meanwhile, an enterprising and charismatic killer was also at work, his story being tied into that of the creation of the Chicago World's Fair itself. His story, however, is the weaker part of the book, as it lacks the detail that is evident in the other segment of the book. Still, it provides an interesting look into the life of a serial killer who seemed to go about his grisly business with impunity, as well as a look at crime, law enforcement, and the state of criminal justice in late nineteenth century Chicago.The photographs that were included in the book are excellent and illustrative. The only problem is that there are not enough of them, as the few that are included simply make the reader desire more of them. Still, those with an appreciation of history will enjoy this work of non-fiction and look forward to reading more by this author. -Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick."This book is not a snuggie. The words on these pages will not go down like Ambien. I'm not writing to calm or coddle you .... In short, I'm out to activate your audacious faith. To inspire you to ask God for the impossible. And the process, to reconnect you with your God-sized purpose and potential."Steven Furtick writes this book to challenge us to see the immense power of God and to claim it in our own lives and ministries. Expounding Biblical principles of audacious prayer from the story of Joshua praying for the sun to stand still in the midst of battle, Furtick shows that God is waiting for us to ask Him to do incredible things ... but too often we don't believe God can really help us.Along with solid Biblical insight, Furtick weaves powerful stories (many from his personal life) about praying audacious prayers and seeing God answer. At a very young age (I think he is still under 30), Furtick planted the Elevation Church in Charlotte NC. In about 4 years, this church has become one of the fastest growing, most influential churches in America, with over 6, 000 in attendance. As I said, he has prayed for miracles and has seen miracles happen.Sun Stand Still is not a heavy theology book. It is an easy read that is written for the church audience at large (not just church leadership. The book didn't really have many new insights into the power of prayer, but it is a book that reminded me of how much God wants to do in my life ... more than I usually take time to consider.Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. -this was a great read I thought the suspense and action was good. I like James Rollins way of keeping you reading right to the end. -If your looking for real love plus a little bit of intimacy you must read this book. My heart feels so full of love after reading this love story. It is a.must read!!!!! -I first watched the movie and then decided I needed to read the book. Whether this story is completely true or not it was a wonderful read. I enjoyed it thoroughly and then decided I had to re-watch the movie. Liked the book much more than the movie and would highly recommend it.Book also arrived in excellent condition and within 2 days of being ordered. Great service! -"The Eye of the World" is probably the most famous fantasy novel written in the last generation, but it doesn't deserve to be. About the only thing that's going for this novel is the terrific ending, with a huge surprise waiting in the final line. But to get there, you have to wade through about 650 pages of tripe, and that's in the hardcover edition.For most of the book, the plot is fairly straightforward. There's a group of eight people who need to get from point A to point B, where point A is called The Two Rivers and point B is called Tar Valon. Meanwhile, an archvillian known as The Dark One sends overwhelming sinister forces to stop them. This portion of the book isn't developed with much skill, which is what makes it pretty boring. All that the good guys have to do is swing their swords around a few times and they can easily defeat entire armies of bad guys. One top of that, the good guys are led by an Aes Sedai (a female wizard) who can do more or less anything, so there's never any real sense of danger. The action scenes also grow very repetitive. For instance, there's one scene where our heroes are being chased by a horde of villians, but luckily they're able to run into a magic place where the bad guys just aren't willing to go. This exact same scene gets repeated twice later in the novel.Many people seem to think that the characterizations are one of this novel's strengths, but I don't agree. The main character is named Rand al'Thor, and the novel is supposed to show him changing from an ordinary farmboy into a great warrior. The problem is that he doesn't act like an ordinary person at the start; none of the five characters who grew up in a small down do. They all acts like soldiers right from the start. They're willing to plunge into battle without any hesitation, and the children always act totally grown up. I found the characters to be largely static and unbelievable.This certainly isn't a terrible novel. As I mentioned, it does have a wonderful surprise ending. Just don't expect to be swept away by it. Also, be sure to read the gloassary at the end, which is more entertaining than most of the book. -"Help" is a perfect name for this book. As you read it you will realize why and it will blow you away. I agree with the readers that from the very beginning this book grabs you and does not let go. After I finished the story I re-read it to study the minute nuances because it is such a haunting tale. It is a story about relationships in the south at the beginning of the civil rights movement. Not just relationships between white women and their black help, but also about relationships between white women and their husbands, white women with each other, white women and their mothers from another generation, black women and each other, black women and the white children they raised and so much more. To only have seen the one relationship between white women vs the black help is to have missed out on many of the lessons taught within these pages.The plot of the story is about a young white woman, Miss Skeeter, who realizes that to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer, she must dig deeper within herself and write about what matters to her. She decides to write a book about the relationships between white women and their black female helpers as a way to better understand the love she felt for her own helper, Constantine who had abandoned her under mysterious circumstances. With clandestine meetings with her best friends' helpers she is able to interview a dozen other black women employed by white families and learns of stories both good and bad. I admire the author for not writing in graphic detail any sort of absolute acts of injustice or inhumanity such as rape and police brutality, which of course did frequently take place in those times. It is in the consistent subtle mistreatment which causes the most harm and it is also the small kind gestures that have the strongest ability to heal one's soul and shine the brightest.Regardless of whether or not you think the writing is bad, this is a story that needs to be told. To think about who the President of the United States is today emphasizes just how important this story is. The story reminds us of where we were and the kind of progress and transformation this nation has made that would've made the characters of this book paralyzed with shock. Some with joy and some with horror. Recognizing this progress gives even more hope to the leaps and bounds possible for our children's future. The accessibility of this story outweighs any criticism I have for the actual writing and character development. There were times that I found the book to be predictable as another reviewer mentioned, but that is where the importance lies, in the remembering and not in the discovery. After all, this is historical fiction. This book opens up a dialogue that many of us are no longer having but desperately need. The evidence of this point is illustrated by the number of those who gave it 1 star vs those who gave it 5.Needless to say, I highly recommend this book. -I don't know what to say about this book. It's definitely has the steamy sex and a waydifferent romance but I'm so confused. Jesse is mentally unstable but I feel Ava is also. I'm not sure if I'm going to buy the next book, I'm sure I will but like I said I'm so CONFUSED!!!!!!! -This is one of the most hyped books of last couple of years and this reviewer cannot see why. The story has a cast of too many just for the sake of confusion. The plot is plodding, the prose is poor and from a standpoint of a mystery, only the confusion of the many characters can mask the whodunit.The main characters are cold, quirky and barely likeable. There are many times when things just happen to go our "heroes" way. Without giving anything away, it is inconceivable that one person could do all of the high tech damage being done without any training at all. And not only was this person perfect with a keyboard, but was simply able to outwit an entire corporation and the banking system in Switzerland.The plot was hung up on religious fervor and then, suddenly, it wasn't. The finale was satisfying but hardly described. The financial attack was basically an overview without any detail at all. This is from an author that needed nearly fifty family members to smoke screen the mystery earlier in the story. I guess the editors woke up and decided that enough was enough.Other Scandinavian authors have written better novels that bring the atmosphere of that region to the reader. The locale of this novel could have been anywhere for as much as the author used it.I am rounding it up to three stars for an adequate plot and at least a satisfying ending. -I found this book to be a beautiful and emotional tale of a young women's rediscovery of locked away memories and second chances. There are so many revelations along her journey that truly make this an amazing story and I'm struggling to not give any spoilers, but convey how great this story was. Read the book synopsis and know that if you love NA Romance you will love the story and journey of Sky and Holder. I highly recommend this book. -Karou is a seventeen year old art student in Prague. Well, among other things. She's been raised by a non-human bearing the ominous name Brimstone and runs errands to do rather grizzly things for him. With her blue hair, Karou stands out, anyway, but by her skills and background, she is even more unusual than appearances would dictate. Taylor develops the story well, beginning with the art student, and gradually expanding our knowledge of her and her skills, `family', and other activities. Through her life with Brimstone and others in their difficult to access nooks around the world, Karou discovers enemies and peers she wasn't aware of. In fact a goodly part of the story involves Karou's working to find out who and what she is. She makes mistakes based on curiosity and impulsivity, but does so mostly through good intentions. She befriends fellow art student Zuzana, and finds a badly needed loyal tie. Karou faces many challenges, some from romantic feelings, some from obligation to Brimstone and her surrogate family, some to higher principles, some to humans and non-humans of unsavory lives, Taylor weaves these all deftly to create a very novel world beyond Karou's Prague home and develops a complex and enjoyable young woman in a well-sequenced way so that the reader unfolds her and her challenges gradually and engagingly. The created other world and its animosities are also believable in their sentiments, if a bit farfetched as appropriate in a fantasy story, and frightening for Karou. Too much happens to comment further on events of the story. That said, while I usually don't consider fantasy my genre of choice, in YA books there seems to be a difference for me. I thought this worth reading and recommending, and have already purchased its sequel. -This is a return to form for Brown. It has the same mechanical plot development as usual but the premise is interesting, being based on the work of Dante. With settings in Venice and Florence, references to "Moonraker" (where Bond throws the bad guy through a Venetian clock) and a famous painting of Dante thrown in, and many many more, this is crammed full of thoroughly-researched aspects of Italy, Italian culture, evil plots to destroy the world and modern science.Thorough research is one thing, but Brown is one of those writers who has to show you all the research he did, and that, in addition to the way he frequently stumbles down winding side alleys of unnecessary thought-associations, make the book a little wearying, now and again.That said, the strange similes, the show-off piling on of irrelevant detail have always been part of Brown's repertoire, without greatly harming the volume of his sales. So you can't exactly blame Brown for giving his readers what they want, can you?Robert Langdon's new female assistant bears some remarkable similarities to the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, a leather-wearing, sassy, spiky haired chick with attitude and an itchy trigger finger. But that's either coincidence or a sign that such heroines are a dime a dozen these days.Even if it is a hokey kind of plot, Brown's new book has some interesting, forward-looking elements, and so you keep turning the pages. It may not be especially intelligent or eye-opening, but it does entertain you when you're in that lazy, hazy mood for unchallenging, easy reading.So I would recommend this to all Brown fans - this is a return to form and the standards he set in his finest works. -I'm new to Neil Gaiman, having only read "Good Omens" before, about four years ago. With "American Gods" I might become inspired to truly dive into this author's rich body of work. This book has a very creative treatise. Old pagan gods still live on as destitute characters in the real world, as long as a few isolated pockets of people still venerate them. Meanwhile, really old gods that are completely forgotten by humanity have disappeared into oblivion. The major religions couldn't even obliterate these decrepit old pagan gods for good, but the real gods of modern America may finally do it - the harsh gods of money and technology. The straight man in the novel is a hapless ex-con named Shadow, who eventually realizes that the bizarre characters he keeps running into are those decaying pagan gods who need his help in their struggle. Shadow also eventually bumbles into the realization that these gods are allying themselves with him for a greater purpose. The concepts behind this book are indeed fascinating and highly creative. Unfortunately the book must be docked one star because the action peters out towards the end, and the anti-climax takes way too long wrapping up a bunch of boring subplots. But still, Neil Gaiman is clearly one of the modern masters of innovative, speculative fiction. -I regret investing the money and time in this series. I started by wanting to see what all the fuss was about, and kept going because I kept thinking it would get better and I'd already paid for it. It's a rip-off combination of Twilight and Pretty Woman, and not as well done as either of them. There is no basis for why these characters come together, back story is provided only when it's required by a new absurd event, plotting is thin and unrealistically paced, and threads and characters are left dangling. Anastasia is bland and two-dimensional. The shame is that it really had the potential to be fantastic. The real ending is boring and unsatisfying, and the add-on ending proves that the author and editor know they screwed this up. They should have started over with Christian as the main character and told it through his eyes. As they handled it, they were a day late and a dollar short. -I liked this legal mystery for several reasons. First and foremost, it has a great plot that flows well despite many twists and turns. Equally good is the cast of fully-fleshed out characters that populates the book. Virtually the whole cast is multi-dimensioned and nuanced. The author skillfully sets up a conflict between good and evil, but there is nothing over-the-top in either direction--these are real people reflecting their times and circumstances. It gets pretty ugly when the story dips into the racial history of the South--Mississippi in particular--but there is always the hope of redemption held out for contemporary characters who are the heart of the book.So "Sycamore Row" is, at its base, a very, very entertaining story. Very hard to put down in any of its section, and impossible to stop reading in its last 150 pages. Highly recommended. -Subject matter is difficult, of course, but through the eyes, heart, and mind of a an adolescent girl, this book is beautifully and hauntingly written. It is crucial that we truly know this truth of our humanity and history. -I was excited to come across a book that has over 4000 reviews, and still have 4.5 stars at that, so I knew it would be good...I didn't know it would be INCREDIBLE! This book was NOT written hastily, it is apparent how well thought out and planned, and ultimately executed with every turn of the page. The banter between the characters is also hilarious, especially at the beginning, I found myself laughing out loud so often I was happy I was just sitting on my couch reading it! It is also a complete book from beginning to end (that can't be said for a lot of releases with similar young couples in the romance novel category around the same time frame) so that's worth a bonus star at this point too! This was just a really good read, and would also be a really good movie too! -(Spoiler alert)I just finished reading Mockingjay and had to write a review because I am floored at how bad this book is considering I absolutely loved the first two books in the series. I understand that war is not fun and that this series is not Harry Potter, but I never expected this book to be so dark and well, just flat out not fun. The first two books were serious, but action packed and had a certain momentum that kept the pages turning much the same way the Harry Potter series did. But this book is so far different in tone from the other two novels in the series that it's really shocking. There is no momentum whatsoever and there were substantial portions of this book that I started to skim out of sheer boredom, which never happened when I read the first two novels. This book is so strange that the only thing I can really compare it to is the movie Apocalypse Now because it is such a pyschological nightmare and of course the theme in both is that war is hell ("the horror, the horror"). The only difference is that I loved Apocalypse now, but Mockingjay is one of the worst novels (and sequels) that I have ever read. The things Katniss has to endure in this book (district 13 basically as bad as the capital, Peta becoming crazy, her sister being killed in the end, Katniss being burned basically from head to toe) is just flat out brutal. I guess I am naive because I expected this book to be kind of Star Warsish with the districts (the rebels) taking on and beating the evil capital in a thrilling conclusion. I figured Gale or Peta would die heroically and Katniss would live happily ever after with the survivor. But instead Katniss ends up broken both mentally and physically. I assume the author was not satisfied with writing something that was just a fun piece of popular fiction (like the Harry Potter series) and instead wanted something that would be remembered with the great works of literature (1984, Brave New World, Ender's Game, etc), but if that was the attempt then she has failed miserably. All I can really say in conclusion is that like a lot of people who loved the first two books in the series and I had very high hopes for Mockingjay, but in the end it is one of the most bizzarre, truly ugly novels I have ever read. It is so bad in fact that it will forever cloud my opinion of the series as a whole. -I try to read fiction interspersed with all the non-fiction reading to give myself a break from harder reading and so I decided to give `Hunger Games' a go after seeing that the movie was going to come out and asking my mom if the book was worth it. She said to read the series. I read the book in two days. I found the topic interesting in that the future where a small group of elite control everything and live high off the hog while basically enslaving the rest of the people to work and live in squalor is actually, if you read around off the beaten path, a goal of the powers that be psychopaths running the show currently. If you read what is being funded by the government (think DARPA) you will see the technological horrors presented in the book or something along the same lines are being furiously pursued by the elite. They want total control and are pursuing a means to that end.And so it was with that in mind that I think the book has relevance not only for entertainment. I think it shows what the future holds unless people of conscience stop wanting to just have a quiet life without the responsibility to question and champion the causes of liberty and freedom. The hunger games parallel the dog eat dog entertainment we are presented with as normal, such as Survivor, and it is high time take the blinders off and see the crap presented by the elite for what it is. Sad to say the final touches on total National Security State are being put on as I write (NDAA, Executive Orders for full confiscation powers, Patriot Act renewal, etc). It isn't for the majority of peoples benefit where something akin the life portrayed in this book is a rosy picture as compared to what is actually coming down the pipe. -EEEEKKKKK, Colleen Hoover has done it again. Hopeless is one of my all time favorite books and I thought there was no way she could top it. But boy was I wrong, I think I love Losing Hope just a smidge more!! Dean Holder, oh how do I love thee. You stole a little bit of my heart in Hopeless but oh in Losing Hope you stole the whole damn thing. Losing Hope is not just Hopeless retold in Holders point of view, it is so much more. We learn so much more about the day Hope was taken, the day Les dies and how everything unfolds through Holdens eyes. I was a crying mess while reading this book. The emotions that are brought out are simply amazing. Holder is truly a special character and will forever be number 1 in my heart. I cant even continue this review, no words I will ever write will do this book justice. I don¡t want to spoil anything and yet I want to tell you everything. All I can say is thank you Colleen Hoover, your gift with words is simply amazing.One Million Star review************************************************************************************************************** Sophie -We've read the stories of the holocaust before, the terrors brought to Germany and the rest of Europe by Hitler, the horrific plight of the Jews during World War II. This is not a new story. Think a reverse Anne Frank without the naivete. But you've never read it like this.Markus Zusak uses the point of view of Death to tell the heartbreaking story of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old soon-to-be orphan at the beginning of the book. Death is intrigued by Liesel and follows her throughout her daily tasks for the five years during the war.Because of a promise made during another war, Liesel's foster parents take in a young Jewish man, hiding him in their basement. The young man and Liesel become friends by sharing words.This is a story of words: how they are used for creation and destruction, stolen and given, how they bring life to some and death to others. Markus Zusak cradles and loves every word he writes, just as Death cradles the souls he collects. The Book Thief brought me to tears more than once, not just because of my empathy and support of Liesel and her loved ones, but because of the sheer beauty of those words. There were several times that I had to stop reading, go back and reread a sentence slowly just to let it dance in color and brilliance between my eyes for a minute.The description of Death was chilling - not terrifying, mind you, but chilling. He was a likeable, realistic, empathetic, and surprisingly nurturing character who has a love / hate relationship with his job.I would highly recommend The Book Thief to anyone. Its descriptions of this terrible war are realistic and historically accurate without being gory, the story is a wonderful page-turner, the characters were believable and lovable, and the writing is superb. It is one of the best books I've ever read. -I thought this book was incredible and definately worthy of the Booker. Many of my friends feel the same and we have had long debates about our various 'theories'. In saying that I currently have a friend who just cant get through it - yes it seems a bit pointless at times, even a bit ridiculous ( a tiger in a boat !)but people if you dont get to the end you miss the WHOLE POINT ! It has a brilliant 'oh my god''moment' right in the last few pages - so seldomly found(successfully) in many novels. Very clever - thought provoking, you may need to go right back to the beginnning. To those who didnt like it I would guarantee you DIDNT FINISH IT! -Oh god, this book. This book gave me all the FEELS. I knew this book would be dealing with some serious stuff but I didn’t expect to feel such a wide range of emotions. I laughed, I bawled my eyes out, and even got angry. So many feelings that I wasn’t expecting.Pushing the Limits was so much more than a romance story. While the romance was smoking hot, I have to say I enjoy learning more about Noah and Echo as characters and seeing them overcome their struggles more than the romance. Both Echo and Noah are very trouble characters and have dark secrets they have kept buried inside. Katie McGarry was not afraid of tackling the nitty gritty and serious issues, which I really liked. She was able to capture the emotional struggles Echo and Noah were facing so well that I was in tears for these poor, poor characters.Normally I am not a fan of alternating points of view, one of the characters always seem to come off as weaker or it just does nothing for the plot, but in the case of Pushing the Limits the alternating point of view worked perfectly. I loved getting into both Echo and Noah’s head. The writing helped create these characters who you come to care about and get emotionally attached to. Katie McGarry wrote these fabulous characters and as a reader you were truly was able to get into each of their heads. When a chapter ended and switched characters it didn’t feel awkward, the story flowed and it didn’t feel like head jumping (thankfully!).Now Noah and Echo, man, I just wanted to give them a hug. And boy, do they need one. Noah is the boy everyone warns their daughters against, but he’s so much more. While he has the tough, bad boy exterior, Noah is one of the most caring, motivated, strong teenagers I’ve seen. Despite all the struggles he’s had to face, like losing his parents and growing up in foster care, he’s extremely dedicated to his two brothers who have been separated from him. Noah’s devotion to his younger brothers, oh god. It was the sweetest thing. The scenes with Noah and his brothers made me tear up so much, I’m not afraid to say it. He loves them so much and will do anything for them. Noah gives everything to those he loves and will do anything to protect those he loves, such an admirable trait. I loved that aspect of his personality so much. I loved how he grew as a character over book.And then there is Echo. That poor poor girl. She definitely has it rough. Her father is overprotective and overbearing, she is not allowed to see her mother because of an event Echo cannot remember but left her with horrible scars over her arms. Despite everything, Echo still wants to remember the horrible event that almost killed her and still cares for her mother. Her struggle to learn the truth about that night was hard to read. All she wanted was to know. When she finally learns the truth, I was in tears with her. Like Noah, she grew so much over the story. She was willing to come to terms with what happen and open up to those around her, thanks to Noah. While they might be the two messed up character ever, they were so adorable and perfect together.The romance in this book was electric. Noah and Echo’s chemistry jumped off the page and you couldn’t help but want them to be together. They needed to be together for each other. But the romance did not define this book. Yes, it might be how they market it, what with the cover and all but it was so much more. The emotional struggles in the book are what really made me love it. The romance was a nice bonus.If you read one book this year, it definitely should be Pushing the Limits. Its such a great read that captivates you with its amazing characters and draws you in with their struggles. I’m super excited to see what Katie McGarry writes next because she has me next. A companion book staring a secondary character for this book is being published so I’m super excited for that! Hands down, Pushing the Limit is a must read.P.S. I think these lines from the Broadway show Next to Normal define what Noah and Echo both are ultimately working toward in their struggles: “I don't need a life that's normal—/ That's way too far away, / But something...next to normal / Would be okay. / Yeah, something next to normal— /That's the thing I'd like to try. /Close enough to normal / To get by...” -Amazing. This story was so intriguing, so emotionally intense. Strange that I grew to like the narrator so much, knowing who he is and all. Everything from the point of view to the characters and the way the story was told made this novel unique. The characters felt so real to me. Their story is deep, tender and painful. I laughed, I cried. Stories with some historical truth like this one--especially those set in the Holocaust era and the like--always make me cry. So unjust. So sad. This is a story I will remember. -I would recommend this book to anyone, this series is great. My daughter in law recommended this book to me because she new that I read and liked 50 shades. -This story was AWESOME!!!!!! I couldn't put it down. I knew from the beginning the pretend wouldn't last. I just love the way they adore each other. PERFECT in every way. -Humanity is almost obsolete on earth. The human body now serves as a "host" to unseen invaders from another life form. These invaders plan to take over and make the earth a more civilized place, and it won't be tainted by things like war, sexual perversity, hatred and other human complexities. "Wanderer" invades the body of Melanie Stryder. It should be simple enough. At first, the Wanderer will experience some withdrawal, where the former soul refuses to succumb and the invader experiences thoughts and memories that are not her own. But as Wanderer goes on with her life and career, she realizes that Melanie lives within her, tormenting her thoughts. The reason to the host's refusal to move on dawns on Wanderer: Melanie is looking out for two humans, one of whom is the love of her life. Things reach a head, and Wanderer can no longer distinguish between her thoughts and Melanie's, and soon their feelings for Jared are in synch as well. How will it all unfold?Stephenie Meyer once said that she was a better storyteller than she was a writer. I think I get what she means after reading this book. I bought this a year ago, began to read it, then put it down after about one hundred pages. Now I dust it off, open it to the dog-eared page, and carry on reading it. I didn't have to reread the first hundred pages, for it was not difficult to pick it up where I'd left it off. The first two hundred or so pages are extremely dull. It is nothing more than a series of flashbacks and Wanderer having an internal dialogue with Melanie. Things pick up after this rather tedious beginning. However, things drag on and on to a point where I almost throw the book to the nearest wall in more than one occasion. This book should have been at least two hundred pages shorter. The redundancy is extremely exhausting. Science fiction has never been my favorite genre. I cannot imagine green-colored men and aliens with six or seven eyes that are found in those books. (I do like paranormal fantasy though, which is why I enjoyed Meyer's Twilight series better.) However, this one is entertaining and at times compelling. If only it had been better written and edited. But oh well. I needed to know why this book was so popular (still in hardback and an NYT bestseller after over one year), and so that's out of the way. Read it if you must. -After reading this book, I had a flashback to a conversation I once had with an old German woman at a bus stop. We were both tourists in Sweden and after some small talk she mentioned that she had been living in Dresden during the firebombing of WWII. I tried to press her for details, but it was clear that the mere mention of that event was opening up horrible memories for her and she couldn't bear to talk about it anymore. This was in 1995 -- 50 years after the event.Mockingjay is a remarkable novel, because it brings the reader deep inside the psyche of a person like that woman on the bench. Through Katniss, we are able to see a person transform from a little girl learning about the forest from her father into a woman whose nightmares are almost unbearable, and which will never go away. Most admirable is that this important lesson about the long term cost of warfare, is being directed at a Young Adult readership.The transformation of Katniss felt real, and it felt natural, and it felt like something that was in the plans from the very first pages of this book. I remember that when I first met Haymitch, I found his negative attitude irritating. By the end of this book, I was left feeling like I could totally understand where he was coming from. In fact, by understanding Katniss, I even found myself finally having a better understanding of what might have driven Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain to suicide in 1994.I am very grateful to Suzanne Collins that she did not make this a story of a little girl transforming into a superhero. War heros are real, but even in the most justified war situation, war heroes leave the battlefield scarred for life. Collins knew this, because her own father was a Vietnam vet who had a lifetime of nightmares to contend with. The best way of honoring these people, like her father, is to depict this depressing reality of the unavoidable cost of war.Reading Katniss's story was so compelling that I found myself able to overlook many of the unsatisfying aspects of this book. My chief problem with these books is that as Katniss ventured further and further from her beautifully depicted home in District 12, the environment she found herself in felt less and less fully realized and more and more contrived. These gripes began in earnest with the second book, and contined with this third book. The biggest offender here is The Capitol, which is described in much more detail than before. I am sure the author has good reasons for why the city planners of The Capitol needed to fill it with booby traps. For me, the place just felt like a silly videogame, which detracted a bit from the very serious drama taking place on the streets of that city. Still, these are minor issues that I found myself able to overlook. It is only because the psychological storylines are so strong that I wish this book's description of environment was as detailed and satisfying as it was in Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, but I realize that this is an unrealistic expectation.I am surprised by the many negative reviews written about this book. So many detractors of this book seem to be let down by the negative tone of this book. It is interesting how these negative reviews contrast so sharply with the near universal praise the book has received from adult book critics. I do think that older readers probably have more personal life experiences to help them appreciate the negative tone of this book. Us older people understand that there are some sad memories that never go away, and that life can be worth living anyways. So, to those young readers depressed by this book, I only implore you not to despair over the fact that Katniss's life didn't turn out as nice as you hoped, but instead take heart in the fact that so many adults have embraced these books. I would venture to say that almost all of us adults who are parents have some dark corners buried in our psyche that can keep us awake at night, but like Katniss we have all found our own ways to cope with the inevitable disappointments that life has thrown us, and for the most part we all eventually find a way to enjoy life despite all the lousy stuff that we have to step through along the way. -I totally disagree with those who do not like this book. I found Christian to be a very sweet, sensitive (SEXY HOT) man who while having a dark past, struggles daily with his issues while truly putting Ana's feelings first. Ana, as innocent and young as she is, accepts the fact she is totally in love with a complicated man. Their romance is sexy and fun.Yes, at times the author is a little repetitious but I take into consideration the fact that this is her FIRST book and quite honestly, I think she did a great job. I've read all 3 books and will read them again and again. -I would love to read more from this author, if only she would use a more traditional means of writing and pay attention to editing and correct word usage. I really had to struggle through this book and almost deleted it more than once. If the story line had not been good, I would not have finished. I hope to see a better presentation from this author, as I believe she has great stories to tell. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/paragraph-validation.electronics.txt b/reference_files/paragraph-validation.electronics.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 42ecc661c0671d8e809f1e0cc0042ed349fbd621..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/paragraph-validation.electronics.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,99 +0,0 @@ -Worked as advertised. I have not had any of the issues with the case putting my device to sleep when folded back. This is a great buy. Even though it does not llok like my Nexus & is protected on the sides it is. The side are open but the catch the hold the device in seem to be strategically positioned so as to protect the device in critical areas if dropped. The case is not bulky and actually fits in most of my pant pockets. Only issue is the first angled notch is not quite deep enough and does not stay in place well. -I first fell in love with Klipsch in the 80s when I purchased a set of Klipsch Cornwall II speakers. I was expecting good things from them for a computer speaker system but was blown away by the ProMedia 2.1s. Highs and mids are crystal clear and BIG. Bass booms, a little more than I am use to, so I backed the sub off a little until it was what I wanted. These speakers are more than I expected am am more than satisfied with their performance thus far. These are high quality speakers both in sound output and construction. -The Keyboard:The keys are very soft and smooth, they do not make a huge clicking sound when you type. At first I thought the smaller flatter keys would make my typing a lot less accurate because its harder to feel out individual keys but I actually type a lot better on this keyboard! The F and J keys have raised bumps on them to help you find where you need to put your pointer fingers. I love the full-sized backspace key (my old keyboard had a tiny one) but I wish it also had a raised bump on it to find it easier. The capslock key has a tiny green light to indicate it is active but the scroll and numlock keys do not have indicators.On the top of the keyboard are media keys - to adjust the volume on the right side, and play/forward/backward on the left side. The F keys double as hotkeys via the FN key next to the right-side alt. There are keys to open your browser, media player, and even restart your pc! On the right side there are even more useful keys! keys for going forward and backward in your browser, opening your bookmarks menu, and opening the calculator. the calculator key is really handy for me as I do my math homework online, and i love that it is right above the number pad!The keyboard is pretty big and has a ledge on the bottom to rest your wrists on I guess. My keyboard tray is a bit small so I would prefer if the keyboard did not have this ledge! I keep my keyboard at an angle and it is just inconvenient. This is really my only complaint about the keyboard! Everything else is great.OH! one last thing to mention about the keyboard is that the keys are nestled tightly on the board so its a lot harder to get crumbs stuck in there! That's a definite plus for me because I have major night eating habits..The Mouse:the mouse is not tiny but also not huge. It is very basic, two buttons and a scroll wheel. It fits very comfortably in my small hands. I've used it both right handed and left handed and its very ergonomic! It only runs well if you have it on a mousepad, which is my only complaint because with other mouses I've used they have worked fine without a mousepad on my keyboard tray. But on the mousepad it runs very smoothly and comfortably.Overall I think this is a great combo! I bought it at Fry's and there was a rebate, so I think I paid $30? for it. I normally do not buy expensive keyboards because I tend to break them a lot..But this combo is definitely worth it. Its of great quality and very sturdy. I drop both components all the time and have not ever even experienced lag!I just want to edit this review to say that the keyboard has lasted 1000000000000000 times longer than any other keyboard I've owned. It is covered in nail polish and many parts are melted from spilling acetone on it. The paint on many keys has rubbed off from greasy and acetone covered fingers. The media button for going to the previous song got something sticky trapped around it so it is pretty much unusable. I have thrown this keyboard on the floor and across the room probably a thousand times. It falls off my keyboard tray onto my chair or the floor just about every time i get up. It sometimes does become unresponsive for as much as a minute at a time, which is unbearable. I hit it furiously when that happens. Crumbs HAVE managed to find their way through the cracks between the keys but its cool. I really think this keyboard is great for what I put it through.The mouse is in...gently used...condition. It works fine. -I bought these speakers to replace some older Altec Lansing speakers with a subwoofer. In short they simply outperform a lot of the more expensive 2.1 speaker sets out there. These speakers won't annoy the neighbors any time soon, but they produce a deep bass and the sound is very clear and crisp. So if I am listening to music or playing games I am very happy with these speakers. While other speaker sets with a subwoofer actually have the speaker cone exposed without any protection while this one is completely enclosed. It may not be important to others, but since you usually put the subwoofer on the floor I appreciate the extra protection. -This is a good mouse I epically like how you can unlock the scroll while that will let you scroll through pages as fast as you want also the back buttons are good and easy to use when going back and forth in between web pages. The only down side for this mouse is the battery life is real short maybe about a week at best then you need to charge it other then that it is a nice mouse. -This is definitely a high quality product. The leather is soft and the material on the inside feels very nice too. The bonus is that there is a stylus holder-this was not mentioned in the description. It holds the iPad tight and allows all ports and buttons to be accessible. The pictures do not do it justice. If you are on the fence about buying this product, just go ahead and do it. -These speakers ROCK. I've tried Cyber Acoustic products against Logitech and Altec Lansing, and these speakers are by far the best in their category.Firstly, the satellite tower design includes two speakers per tower, which helps distribute sound over a greater area than with single speaker designs. This greatly improves the listening experience, as the "sweet spot" area has widened so listeners perceive full-sounding stereo from a variety of locations in a small room. Additionally this avoids the pitfalls of "small" computer speakers which sound small, like music playing from a tin box. (the CA speakers 1 level below these with a single speaker design by comparison sound MUCH worse).Secondly, the bass and speakers are very powerful for their size, and have little to no distortion even at full-volume.The sub-woofer volume is adjustable independently of the other speakers. This lets you boost bass for music genres with a lot of low-frequency sounds, such as electronic/dance or hip-hop/rap, and likewise decrease bass for genres like classical and acoustic where the bass could overwhelm the instruments or vocals.The cord is conveniently long ans contains a circular volume control with a headphone jack and aux input.NOTE: I have two of these speaker systems because a roommate dropped a satellite speaker and broke the plastic foot. They are plenty sturdy if you respect them and should last a long time if handle them carefully. I guess that also shows how good these speakers are, that they broke and I bought them again.I'm a recording enthusiast, and these speakers satisfy my needs. They are not studio monitors but it's definitely possible to create good mixes on them. They take up considerably less space than professional studio monitors and are hundreds of dollars cheaper, but the sound quality is not significantly worse than monitors I've tried. They are easily 10x better than integrated speakers in TVs, laptops, etc. and they are a few steps above every speaker set in the less than $70 price range. -I've been running the Dell Venue Pro 8 daily for about a week now so I'll give you my brain dump.The form factor really appeals to me. Super light, almost pocketable size makes it really easy to just pick up and go anywhere with it. 10" tablets always make me think (albeit only briefly) about were I'm going to stash it.Battery life has been pretty much right on the "all day" claim, assuming that you stop to eat every few hours and aren't playing online games and pooping in a diaper. I can surf the web essentially all day, at least as much as I can stand.Screen is good, but I've seen way better IPS panels than this one. Brightness is good when you disable the auto-management function. People who bitch that the resolution is too low have NO idea what they're talking about. The screen is only 8 inches! Any higher resolution and you'll need a magnifying glass to see the menus. Seriously. This is Windows, not Android and it handles DPI differently.Performance is impressive considering there's no active cooling at all on this. The combination of quad-cores and SSD makes everything very snappy. The processor benchmarks similarly to a Core2Duo and just under some of the slower Core i3 chips. Processor heavy apps won't be impressed (haven't tried Photoshop or anything like that) but everything else runs smoothly.Really does cold boot in seconds and resumes from sleep instantly.Single micro USB port can't simultaneously charge the device and run USB peripherals without a little trickery. That said I've seen video of it running quad external displays with a keyboard and mouse all through the one USB port no problem. If you're really determined you could run it as a dockable desktop. I got a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse for mine to eliminate that concern.Windows 8.1. I don't use Metro apps much, they either don't have what I need or suck 80% of the time. I set mine to boot to desktop. Having said that the Metro apps that don't suck are GREAT. Netflix, Adobe, Amazon, and a few random games rock.Built-in Office 2013 works well with touch and you can tell they put some thought into it.Bottom line: Good performance and the most portable full Windows experience money can buy. Small screen hinders getting heavy work done so you have to ask yourself which side of the "portability versus visibility" balance you prefer. I'm happy. -I've been an iPad user since the original came out. I also have an iPad 3. I have worked in IT for the past few years so I would say I am pretty good with technology and fancy new devices. With that introduction out of the way, I will be reviewing key points that I have seen touched upon in other reviews. Here goes...BUILDThe device feels nice and solid. I'm a little surprised at how heavy it is, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The rubberized backing is always nice for added grip. It's not as nice as say unibody aluminum, but it's not $500 either.SCREENThe screen is fantastic. But my problem is the same as when iPad got Retina Display, other than the OS, most apps look rather pixelated. A lot of the games I tried are not high definition, at least not high enough to look smooth on this screen. Hopefully apps get updated to higher resolutions.LOCK SCREEN ADSYeah there are ads on my lock screen. I'm not sure why this is such a big deal. How much time do people really spend looking at the lock screen? The first thing I thought when I saw the ads is WOW the pictures are really crisp! The ads are there to subsidize some of the $200 price tag. I might pay the $15 to get rid of them so I can customize it, but I might not. I feel like this has been blown out of proportion by other customers.SOUNDThe sound from the speakers is great. Much better than you would get from more expensive devices, very crisp and clean. I have the official Amazon case on and it has not affected the sound at all. Nothing much else to say, I doubt anyone will complain about this.CRASHINGI've had two apps crash on opening. I don't know if it is the app or the OS. It's probably somewhere in the middle. Again, not a big deal for me. If it crashes, then I just tap it again and it works. I've also watched a few movies using the built in player as well as Netflix and Amazon Prime. No crashes for me at all. I'm sure OS stability will be improved as time goes on.OVERALL SATISFACTIONCompared to my iPad 3, obviously the Fire HD is not as "good" so to speak. I mainly got it because I wanted something smaller. I also mainly used the iPad to surf the web, watch videos, and play some simple games. The Fire HD accomplishes this and does so much more. If you are expecting an iPad killer, or a desktop replacement, or a productivity machine, then you should look elsewhere.I bought this to be a media device, and I believe that is what Amazon meant this to be. In this regard, I think this is a great device. In fact, I decided to keep this and sell my iPad 3, which will give me another $200+ to spend on other things. Just remember, this device is not for everyone. If you want a media device, you will be happy with this. Do not expect an iPad for $200.UPDATE 9/18/12Just wanted to add a few more things I have noticed over the past 24 hours.- Power/Volume Buttons: There are a bit hard to press, which is somewhat alleviated by having the official case. Maybe it's because I'm a longtime iPad user, but this will definitely take some getting used to.- Screen Glare: It took me a little while to notice, but I was playing a Seek & Find game while on Caltrain, with the bright Palo Alto sun shining right on me, and didn't have any trouble seeing the screen. I remembered that Amazon mentioned how the screen was changed to reduce glare, and they did an amazing job.UPDATE 9/20/12Two days later and I am still very happy with the device. Here are some more thoughts from me:BATTERY LIFEI have been playing Enigmatis (a hidden object game) for about an hour and a half each day on my commute. This drains about 15 - 20% of the battery with the screen brightness almost at the highest setting. Again, not iPad gold standard, but still very good.SYNCING MUSICI have a Samsung Galaxy S3 and used an app called Easy Phone Transfer to get all my music from iTunes onto the phone. It transferred everything, including album covers, and I was hoping to find something like that for this device. I tried iSyncr, a $3 app, which did the job, but did not sync over album covers. I uploaded all my music into the Cloud, then downloaded it from Amazon, which increased the audio quality for a lot of my songs and added artwork, but this still did not show up on the device.I got very frustrated getting all the album artwork over and eventually just gave up. It's not a big deal but I am kind of anal about those kinds of things. Just a heads up if anyone else out there is crazy about it like I am.UPDATE 09/21/12I got a call from Amazon Customer Service about this review, which surprised me very much. They advised me the best way to get the artwork to show up is have the songs in both the Cloud Player as well as the device, which I know does work fine. I was hoping to have the artwork show without needing things in the Cloud, but not a big deal any more.I am more impressed with the fact that Amazon called me to give me advice on how to remedy the situation and ask if there were any other questions I had on the Kindle. The representative said he wanted to make sure I was happy with the Fire HD. This is one of the big reasons I went with the Kindle, and with Amazon in general. I have had great experiences with their customer service, who have always been able to handle my issues quickly and efficiently. No need to set up an appointment days later with a wannabe IT guy with a hugely overstated job title.So this update is not really for the device itself, but sometimes it's not just the device, it's the company that offers it that makes a difference. This is why I no longer have any Apple devices, as cool as they may be. But it's not 100% gravy, as I have noticed lately that the keyboard keeps popping up randomly on screens where there is nowhere to enter text, ie. while playing a game. I just have to press the Back arrow to get rid of it, but maybe a bug the Amazon engineers want to take a look at.UPDATE 10/05/12So I don't know if it was always there, but over this past weekend I noticed a dead pixel on my Kindle's screen. I called Kindle Support and after a short 5 minute call, they sent me a new Kindle, no questions asked. So once again, very happy with Amazon customer service. I am still very happy with the device, and have some more thoughts on it:HDMI CONNECTIONI bought an HDMI cable to hook up the Fire to my 46" Samsung and was quite impressed with the results. The quality was very good, not Bluray quality of course, but better than SDTV on an HD screen. You actually see every single thing you do on the big screen, like you are using a giant Kindle.GOOGLE PLAY APPSOne of the main drawbacks in my opinion is, or should I say was, the lack of all the Google Play apps available on the Kindle. With a little research, I found out how to add apps that are not available in the Amazon store. It is pretty easy to do and works very well with the apps I tried. This greatly improves my opinion of the Fire HD.PLASTIC AROUND THE SCREENThe outer most edges of the Kindle are plastic. I noticed some kind of discoloration on the corner of mine, and just thought it was some dirt to scratch off. So I rubbed my thumb nail on the area, and noticed there were visible marks on the plastic. It appears this plastic can scratch some what easily, but I think this is just cosmetic as not of the plastic actually flaked. If you are not very anal about how your stuff looks, you probably won't notice it.OS CHANGESHere are two small gripes I have with the OS that I'm sure could be fixed with an OS update:- Battery Meter: It would be nice if the battery meter could show percentage instead of just a graphic bar. Some people have mentioned Battery HD, but you still have to swipe down to see the percentage, so this makes it easier but does not solve the issue I had.- Personal Videos: The mp4 videos I put on the device are located in the "Personal Videos" app, which shows screen shots of all the videos I put in. The problem is, all that is shown are the screen shots. You can get more info by holding your finger down on each video, but when you have multiple seasons of a show on the Kindle, it can get confusing. Ideally we should be able to look at videos in a list like our music.UPDATE 11/15/12Still very happy with the device. Here are some more thoughts:LEFT HAND MODEI did't think this would be a problem until I played a Solitaire game that DID have a left-handed mode. As a lefty who usually uses the Fire in landscape, I often have to reach across the screen to access the Settings or Home button in the menu. It's a small grievance, but can be really annoying when watching a movie or reading something. If there was an option for a left-handed layout with the menus on the left side of the device, that would be great.PERSONAL VIDEOS APPI had earlier complained about this app, as it did not list my movies and crashed playing a pair of them. I recently drove down to LA from SF, and put 5 movies on device, only to find that 4 of them would not play! I was pretty mad, until I remembered a simple solution, download another app. I downloaded Avia Media Player, which is not the greatest either, but it played all the movies I put on the Kindle. My faith was restored.GOOGLE PLAY APPSA lot of people have asked how to do this. If you are not having luck with Google searches, try this:[...] -I tried this out because it would be nice to see the keys in the dark (I always hate when I can't see the keys at night), but I don't care for the design. There is not enough space in between the keys, and the keys feel like those of a laptop. What I mean by that is that they aren't raised high enough. I have big fingers and need keys that are spaced far enough apart and that are raised somewhat so it's comfortable to work with. I'll stick to my old board. -Did I get a dud? I had a broken set of rabbit ears hooked to my brand new 55" LED TV and could pick up some channels perfectly. I got this because on windy/stormy days I had issues and I wanted to get more channels. I hooked it up per the instructions along with the power USB cable and I got exactly zero channels. Yes, I went through the channel scan on my TV. I consider myself tech savvy and fiddled with this thing for way too long. Maybe I have a unique situation or my unit was defective. Either way, I gotta calls it like I sees it. -First of all, it is not a miracle device. What Chromecast does is to cast "cast-supported" apps from your smart phones, tablets, and stream media from your laptops and PCs to the TV on the same local network (LAN).Setup is easy and straight-forward. Connect Chromecast to your TV, download Chromecast apps from Google Play / iTune to your device, making sure Wifi-is on, setup Chromecast's Wifi connection via your mobile device, and it is done. Setup only needs to be done once. Other supported devices connected to the same local network will then all be able to use the same Chromecast.Now Google Play has a section dedicated to Chromecast compatible apps. For some reason, this section is only shown via Google Play app, not browser version, but going to chromcast.com/apps would also give you the list. Currently the selection is quite limited, with a great deal of them just variations of apps for streaming media from your local computers and media servers to Chromecast. Others like YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, and so on frequently requires paid subscription to truly make a difference.Basically, Chromecast combines your mobile device and TV into a fast-response SmartTV.The Touch-Ups which could potentially make Chromecast a perfect device:Currently, the only way to cast PC Desktop screens onto Chromecasted TV is to download the Google Chrome extension "Google Cast" by Google (sorry, mobile Google Chrome is currently not supported). It gives your the option to stream a dedicated browser Tab or cast the entire desktop screen. However, there are some flaws:1. In general, casting would mess up your Google Chrome "non-maxed" window size. It is a mild annoyance, but still annoying anyhow.2. Tab cast mode has no option to display mouse cursor. Not an issue for portable laptops, but a serious issue for a casting PC from another room.3. Desktop cast mode does display mouse cursor, but it could only cast the whole desktop. If you have a multiple monitor setup, it practically makes the cast useless.4. Neither Tab mode nor Desktop mode have build-in PC control mechanism. Although this could be easily fixed by using app such as "Unified Remote," it is still one extra step.*How 4. works, Google Cast to cast PC desktop + Unified Remote on your tablet/smart phone to control the PC -> result displays on TV**Better solution: Chomecast app integrates with Google Cast. It still needs PC, TV, and mobile device to work, but require one less app to install.If the above touch-ups could be implemented, Google Chromecast could be a potentially monopoly-accused TV casting device. -These Earbuds have very good sound, they're cheap, and colorful. The sound is VERY clear, from the bass, the mids, and the high treble. The sound isolation is great: i can't hear my parents yelling at me, which is really saying something. These are just plain awesome. I'm thinking about buying a pair of headphones from Skullcandy too. Like any earbuds, you should take care of them. I have friends that say Skullcandy sucks, i don't agree because these are amazing. -I really like this keyboard. I give it 4 stars because it doesn't have a CAPS LOCK key so I never know if my caps are on. But for the price, it really suffices as a wireless keyboard. I have very large hands and this keyboard is compact, but I have no complaints. -I got this to replace my aging Logitech MX700 (still running strong since 2001). Mouse feels great. I might have appreciated a rubberized feel to the sides of this mouse rather than the textured hard plastic, but it's just as effective.This mouse lost a star due to a couple annoyances I have.First off, this does not use the Logitech universal receiver that the company uses for other wireless keyboards/mice. It's receiver polls at a much higher frequency. This paired with the fact that the mouse runs off of one AA NiMH battery, means the battery life is pretty abysmal; few hours at most. They've cleverly designed the charging cable to turn the mouse into a cabled variant which is convenient, but I now find myself almost exclusively using the mouse in this way rather than via wireless which defeats the purpose.Secondly, I lift my mouse off the mat while using it quite often. It's a habit I've had for 15 years or so. When I do that with this mouse, I almost always push one or two of the bottom thumb buttons. It's been enough of a problem that I've had to manually set these buttons to do nothing in games and the Logitech software (it would affect the DPI of the mouse). This probably won't affect twitch gamers or anyone else that doesn't have this habit though. -This particular card is fast and reliable. No problems so far. We will see with time if it holds up as well asthe San Disk Pro and Lexar Pro. -Reading many of the reviews on here, they recommended to use these headphones for at the very least 24 hours straight before giving them good field use. Turns out, they're all correct.When I first bought the Image S4's at a local best buy, they sounded "pretty" good out of the box, but they also sounded pretty painful in certain frequency ranges -- in the treble most notably. "S" and "ch" sounds in lyrics would punch my ears in the face and make me wince. Songs had a certain shrilling tinny quality to it, that was definitely not comfortable. Well, I left the S4's on my desk plugged into my Zune HD overnight, playing music at random. About 18 hours later, I can already hear a massive appreciable difference in the sound quality. The treble has softened back to a beautiful balance with the mids, no more shrilling pain from lyrics, and the bass has solidly found its place without trying to overpower the whole track. At lower volumes, the bass, mids, and treble are easily audible and full -- which was not the case before, where the bass would drop out, and the treble would overpower the mids.My opinion on the S4's went from "If things don't improve, I will return them," to "FOUND A KEEPER HERE." -- And that's only with about a three-quarters of a day worth of burn-in! Most people recommend at least two to three days worth of burn-in to get the truly wonderful sound these headphones are capable of producing. I'm interested to see just how much they'll get from here in the coming hours.Elsewhere, the S4's fit my ears superbly. The oval tips on the buds fit perfectly into my canals. I don't get any discomfort from the build of pressure as I push them in -- the design seems to allow excess air to escape very well. This also means that then I put them in, I've yet to hear the speaker "crinkle." The other nice part about the oval design is that if I pull the muscles around my ear to make my ear stretch upward, the seal on the buds are not lost, which always happened on my old Lenntek Sonix. I would have preferred to have seen a braided cord on these, and the buds made from milled aluminum billets to really add some durability value to these, but they're quality isn't lacking as-is. The cord feels a bit thin, (not weak, just thin,) but at least klipsch added some of the best stress-relief shielding I've seen on a pair of buds. You won't see your cable weaken and drop signal on these for a long, long time -- if ever.I've trusted Klipsch before to impress me with my choice of desktop / entertainment center speakers, so when it was time to get new headphones, I thought I would place trust on them again -- and sure enough I'm not disappointed. -This monitor was purchased as a gift for my father, but I couldn't help myself, and opened it up to "test it out" for him, for a few days. Anything to make sure dear ol' dad has a Merry Christmas!The construction seems very solid for the price payed, especially considering that they had to budget in an IPS screen. The stand swivels and rotates, so that you can use it in portrait mode if you so choose. Little notches on the base tell you the angle that the monitor is at. I don't know how often I'm going to use this feature, but it's nice to have.The screen looks great next to my older, non-IPS monitors. They all look dark and bluish in comparison. No amount of picture correction made them stand a chance to the ASUS, though they were much older and cheaper monitors to be fair. the screen is also matte, which is the only way to go. No annoying reflections from lights in the room.The USB ports are a nice feature. Not sure if I will use them, but I like having the option.Finally, the price on this monitor is rock-bottom for something of its caliber. It isn't a touch screen, and won't bedazzle your desk with its style, but it appears to be a solid workhorse that won't get in your way. To me, an ideal product is one you don't have to fuss over for years to come, and this looks like a good candidate. -I read numerous reviews about the OM-D E-M5 before making the purchase (from another vendor as Amazon now charges sales tax to CA residents). It has far exceeded my expectations. Beautiful to look at (I went with the silver) with its retro styling, very comfortable to hold, and and an incredible amount of customization. The IBIS is as good as people say, and the pictures are stunning especially when used with good glass. The kit lenses (14-42, 12-50) are ok, but you won't get the benefit of the great sensor with them. I'm using my OM-D with the Pany 25/1.4, Oly 45/1.8 and Oly 60/2.8 macro and am amazed at my results. And if you are on a budget, definitely take a look at the Sigma 19/2.8 and 30/2.8 being sold together for an unbelievable package price from the famous NY dealers. Both of them have excellent image quality and for 2 bills for the pair of lenses, you can't beat the price for 2 high quality primes. I just ordered the combo package as well though I will likely use the previously mentioned 3 on my OM-D and the 2 Sigmas on my Pen E-PL2 bodies (1 visible and 1 IR).And yes, after getting the OM-D, I realized I didn't want to lug around my heavy arsenal of Nikon bodies (D300, D7000) and lenses any longer. The image quality from the OM-D with the primes listed above far exceeds what I ever got from my Nikon setup so I had no hesitation in selling it all. And with my new setup being so small and light, I find I am much more likely to take it with me. The OM-D and Pany/Oly prime lenses have renewed my interest in photography and I am enjoying every minute.Note: The resolution, noise levels, and dynamic range of the OM-D are very comparable to the newest high end Nikon crop sensor bodies. It still doesn't compare to Nikon Full Frame bodies, obviously the sensor size does limit that, but given the cost of a FF body and FF (FX) lenses, not to mention the weight, I think 90% of photographers would be fine with this set-up.I hope this is helpful. -As with most Microsoft products, great hardware, poor software, but oh well.Now I'm using this thing right now, and I never noticed the spacebar thing, but it's true, if you don't press the spacebar correctly and press it on the upper area, it's hard to press down. I've always pressed spacebars as they were meant to be pressed so I had no issues adjusting.The largest challenge with this keyboard is using home row correctly, Microsoft puts out products based on the standard, and has done this with its' Natural line since the start. I use my left hand correctly, my right, on my Logitech Elite, went all over the place; I can only imagine how wrong my right hand usage was. This keyboard forces you to relearn typing, for typing classes, a Natural keyboard would be perfect, it makes you type correctly. I don't much like the N key, but I've learned to use it and the M key correctly, no more hitting my enter key while going for quotes either.The zoom function is novelty, not necessity, it's fun to use normally but mostly useless otherwise, really exclusively for the always-in-office user, what they need to do is make it a scroll button too, it's highly sensitive and easy to use, which would make scrolling silky smooth in a way only overpriced mice manage.Therein lies the problem, the software is inferior to my cheapie Logitech Elite(Which had more functions I might add as well as better software.), there is hardly any customization to be had. There is no taskbar icon; most of the remapping done is through an interface integrated into the already well-hidden Keyboard area under the control panel. Remapping options are less than fantastic, the favorites keys are useless, the back and forward buttons will work with either a browser or a media player, not both, zoom cannot be reconfigured, and Mail only allows one indicated program to be opened.This is what is wrong with the favorite's keys, they allow but five programs to be opened, you cannot indicate that you wish to open a menu of programs to select, merely one program per key, same with all of the other keys. The lack of "My" keys for the F# Buttons is annoying, but that's just a design decision for a non-media keyboard, and I don't mind much.This keyboard would've done better to have more configuration and just a couple more media keys, but I suppose it's my fault for asking that much of it, it's designed for the office, not a music listeners hands. I'll go into the aesthetics of this baby now to round it off.Some may notice the shift keys are smaller, and the enter key even smaller, the right of the keyboard is larger than the left in the way of keys, which seems fine, to me at least, I find reaching the Backspace key uncomfortable, placing your hands on this keyboard is like a match made in heaven, seems a shame to reach so far away and break off from paradise.That leads me to this palm rest, wow, sick of those cheap detachable plastic palm rests(Read: Wrist Destroyers)? This is your ticket, so soft, yet strong, it's the cashmere of palm wrests. The 2x3 layout is back to normal, which I very much enjoy, insert is back home and delete is too. The keys above the numpad offer more functions that I have yet to use, but are nice to have all the same, the curvature of the keys takes getting used to, particularly the aforementioned N key and it's sibling the M key. The Alt, Ctrl, Windows, Menu, and Start keys are all gigantic and hard to miss, they feel pretty great.The spacebar, apparently if struck correctly, is amazing, it's designed for this keyboard in a way that no spacebar has ever been, it's almost destructive of what you're typing looking down while you type, seeing it all functioning the way it does, it's almost like some kind of alien technology, which is why I don't look.The...crappy plastic attachment that comes attached(Oddly enough) to this masterpiece is best taken out(Easily) and forgotten, it's all personal preference of course, I didn't like it, the slope of the keys makes leaving your hands where they are painless and then very comfortable. The prop-ups on the back make it more conventional and I rather like them, but now the size.This keyboard is undeniably the largest keyboard I have ever laid eyes on, the sheer width and height is enough to make a laptop user gawk for moments at a time, it is critical you have a large amount of desk space to place this on, I didn't, and I had to move my entire PC over more to the left just to manage a nice cozy fit. When the legs on this baby are propped it also reaches monitor height, I.E., it will not fit very well under a monitor, which is why it is best used in a keyboard tray, though I'd worry about it's large scale hurting the tray after a long enough time.In conclusion, this is a masterful piece of hardware, and it has virtually no flaws, the software is pathetic at best and obviously designed for the dullard worker drone, it's a pity really, all the same, it deserves four stars, here's to hoping they manage to improve the boring, bland software.8/10 (Not an average) -These headphones are strong, well built, good looking. Sound wise they are quite capable of sounding loud and full based on hooking up to a ipod nano. They are bassy. If you like bass, you will like the sound of these.What I didn't like about these is the fit. Even though the band has stretched after certain period of time, I still find them uncomfortable. I can listen to these for an hour or so. Then I find my ears feel hot and these headphones are pressing my ears. Then again I am spoiled by the comfort and lightness of the bose OE2 which has become my default over the ear headphones of choice.So if you like bass, ad are used to over the ear headphones that are of a tight fit, you will likely love these. For me personally, I use them less often as they are uncomfortable for me. These are the design and I can't hold it against the manufacturer. Therefore I minused only one star. -Outstanding fit and finish. A must have for the Nexus 7 FHD. The materials are strong and the magnetic screen sleep works as advertised when you close the screen cover. Angled viewing positions keep the tablet in place and its very comfortable to use and manage. I highly recommend this Stand Cover. -I've only been using this charger for a week, but in that time I've had no issues with it. I mention this because I have heard that accessories like this tend to work great in the beginning and then die suddenly after 2 months, and I also plan to follow up on the review. For now, I will say that this charger is great. It is designed really well and tastefully- the black and silver look sleek and the illuminated blue "M" is beyond nice. The quality of the materials exceeded my expectations- it's not cheap or flimsy feeling at all. I use it to charge my HTC Incredible 2, and it does so quickly and without problems. The cord is a comfortable length and the coil keeps it from becoming an annoyance. Love it so far!**Update: After 3 months of daily use, I've run into a problem. The plug seems to not fit the por quite right anymore, and now charges only if it is in the perfect position. Not happy about that. -This cable is excellent. I have not had any type of problem with it at all. The cable has worked on every product that I have used it on. For the price of the cable, you can't beat it. There is no point in buying an expensive cable that is only going to be outdated in a few months. This hdmi gives you the picture and the quality that you need for any component. Highly recommended that you buy it. -I bought this for my digital point and shoot as it needed a class 10 card to do HD video. The price was perfect. This was just what I needed -These headphones are my first pair of Bluetooth ear buds. The ear pieces themselves are huge! You really need to adjust it correctly in order to keep it in. Then again, my ears are pretty tiny. I don't know about the other reviews that say the bass is rubbish, when it's amazing. It's not $200 headphones, were you would except the best bass, but the bass is excellent for the price. The fact that it's water resistant is even greater. The battery life is okay for me. I only listen to music about 1-3 hours a day, so it's perfect for me. Call quality isn't that great though. My friends had a hard time hearing me. Still, the best ear buds i have owned in general. I would recommend it. -Still getting used to the menu so four stars. I ordered from Amazon warehouse used like new and saved a good amount. Charged it, did a firmware update (on windows 8 it worked better with with a manual update), put some audio books on and put some music on a micro SD card and put it in. Starts where it left off, has good sound quality, weighs almost nothing, takes Micro SD cards. Costs less than $20. This thing is great for working out, mowing the grass, in the car for WMA books from the library, etc. -If you have a big house with multiple floors and/or outdoor areas of your home where you would like to receive good wifi coverage, this is a great choice for a range extender. Probably would be a good primary router as well, but I use it as a range extender. I now get 3 bars downstairs where I used to get zero signal, and 4 bars out on the deck.I wish I could say the set up was easy, but because my wifi router is 7 years old and was set to WEP security it wasn't the simplest to get it to work. I had to call tech support. Thankfully the woman was incredibly helpful. She walked me through switching my router's security type to WPA and then the set up for the Almond Securifi was a breeze. So if you've got a newer main router to begin with, or at least one not using outdated security types, you'll probably just plug it in, click on the signal from your current router in the list, enter your router password, then wait 30 seconds for the Almond to do the rest. You'll then see a graphic showing the connection and can just direct your devices to the new signal instead of the old one. She was also going to show me how to merge the listings for the two signals, so that only one would show instead of ABC and ABC_almond, but I actually prefer seeing the two separate.I love that you can visually see the connection, and that each morning when I plug both devices in again, since I unplug both devices overnight (don't want to expose myself to more electromagnetics than necessary), within just seconds it finds all its settings and there are those green visuals showing the connection again. No need to reconfigure anything.It's also quite small and sleek looking, so not an eyesore in the middle of the kitchen (the halfway point in my house). I like it so much that when I decide to retire my old router I will definitely be getting a second one of these. It's signal is also not quite strong enough to cover my entire property with just one (has range of 100 ft), but with two of them I'll be in great shape.Special bonus, if you are a T-mobile cell user, you already know you can use your wifi connection to make calls and send texts/surf the web. So extending your wifi range to all of your property, not just where your computer is, will be even more worthwhile. Just be sure to unplug all this wireless stuff when everyone goes to bed at night if you're going to amp up the coverage so that it's hitting the bedrooms too. You'll sleep better. (Test it yourself and see if you don't.) -These wireless headphones are really awesome! The base unit comes with a phono plug to 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter, and then a 3.5 mm headphone jack to left/right RCA audio adapter. The base unit has nice, long RCA cables on it. They are not heavily shielded or anything, but they are on par with a good set of headphone wires.The wireless has worked awesome for me! No static or noise or any interference! I was worried that there might be a slight amount of static due to all of my computer and electronic devices planted only inches away from the Sennheiser base unit. I have not had a single issue at all! Amazing!The headphones have a on/off switch on the left ear cup. It also houses the 2 x AAA batteries (rechargeable ones that were included). The right ear cup has two dials. One for volume, and one to tune the headphones. The volume is fine, no problems. However, I find the "tune" dial to be a little archaic. The base unit itself has a toggle switch that lets you select between 3 channels. I have 3 units, all set to different channels, so I can tune into which ever one I want to at the time, and my brother and sister can too. I would have preferred a similar switch to have been present on the headphones, even though it is easy as pie to tune the signal in, and you have a good wide range where you get superb sound (unlike some tuning devices where you have that magical sweet-spot that is harder than a fruit-cake to get perfect so you don't have static). The headset itself is also a bit heavy, so if you plan on leaning forward with them on, be ready to keep them from sliding off your head. Not too bad, considering they have batteries and all.The price is not too bad! And, being made by Sennheiser, these headphones are great! If you are looking for a wireless headset, I recommend these, unless you are looking to spend MUCH more, or are willing to gamble on quality. I was amazed to find the Sennheiser RS120's at such a great price and such awesome performance! -I have an AMD FX-8120 8-Core Black Edition and the stock fan was noisy and not very effective. I mainly play Black Ops 2 and I was starting to worry about overheating from a few hours worth of game play. Part of it has to do with your ambient room temperature, but that fan just couldn't keep up.This liquid cooler was easy to install, looks great, and was very affordable. The mounting is likely to be more solid than the standard flip down lever because you are able to tighten with thumb screws on an AMD board. You do want to tighten them down a little at a time so you don't have one side lifted or put more pressure on one side than the other.Others said that the instructions were poor but I didn't have any issues following. It was easier to assemble than anything I have gotten from IKEA and that stuff is usually easy to assemble.I would buy again and for sure recommend it to anyone that wants to protect their investment. -The Belkin QODE Portable Bluetooth Keyboard Case for All New Kindle Fire HDX 8.9-Inch is a very nice accessory to have for your Kindle. I don’t like typing on the Kindle so this is a very beneficial product.Pros:+ Holds the Kindle securely+ Provides a lot of utility+ Good battery life+ Keyboard is responsive+ Pairing was easy and fastCons:-Magnets fell off. Easy fix with glueOverall Assessment:The Belkin QODE Portable Bluetooth Keyboard Case is a convenient accessory if you do not like typing directly on the Kindle. The keyboard is easy to use and works great. -It worked at times but not consistently. Price was good, delivery was fast but it only worked sometimes. I tried different cables with the same results. -I always like to buy Cisco products if the prices are right. This item does take a little away from speed but not even noticeable if you are on a faster network. It certainly works as described and fairly simple to set up. I had a little trouble the first time I tried and had to reset to clear the settings I put in but once it was reset I was able to go in and successfully set it up no problem. Now I have almost full signal all through my house and a good ways around it too instead of the front two rooms that I got with the stock wireless router. Bought this in the past and would certainly purchase again. -I'm always in search of a solid USB drive that won't break off of my key chain that I keep clipped to my hip. It's a very small, all-metal enclosure, which I don't see bending or breaking. I did read that some people had the electronics slip out of the bottom (which upon inspection seems completely possible if the glue gives up), so I put a small piece of tape around the bottom as insurance against that. It's not the fastest writing drive, but a slightly slower drive is better than a drive that has broken off my key chain and has gone missing completely! -Been looking for a keyboard for my ipad for a while and happened upon this. I've had good luck with New Trent's stuff so I thought I'd give it a shot. I really like the fact that it doubles as a case (hence the clamshell) when closed up. The Blutooth keyboard pairs in a snap and works great. Love the added function keys (home button, etc.) and found the size more than comfortable to type on. I've had this on my ipad for a while. I thought this would be one of those things I'd use solely for travel but the truth is this case/keyboard has stayed on my iPad since I bought it. The matte finish is nice and I love that it's not emblazoned with stupid logos. Doesn't add a lot of weight and I really like the adjustability of the screen angle. Battery life is pretty terrific, too. One other nice thing - I like being able to 'detach' the iPad and set that up as a separate piece from the keyboard. There are some other nice touches - the rubber feet, the fact that you can change from portrait to landscape. Once you remove the iPad from the arm, the hard plastic case stays with it so conceivably you could just travel with that. It's not perfect - I realized carrying it in my bag that it is just a little heavier than I would like. And it would be nice if the hinge had a ratchet action. But overall this is a really nice set up, and I've had experience with a number of these types of keyboards. All in all, I'm really happy with it. -I had been looking for a replacement for my old Sony monitor headphones.I was thinking about 5.1 or wireless ones and then a few days ago the V-MODA was a today's deal.After reading the reviews and checking some Audiophile review sites I decided to give them a try.Checking the packaging and carry case top notch and the two braided kevlar cables are the best I have seen on a set of cans.Now the sound excellent right out the box blows the Sonys away.I have two pairs of Ultimate Ears that have great sound the V-Modas beats them.I use Flim & the BB's Tricycle to test any audio components because I know what its supposed to sound like.The highs are crisp and the bass sounds the way it's meant to be.Some say the bass is overpowering I don't think so not like Beats that sound terrible.I'm burning them so the sound should get even better.I very happy with this deal. -I really love my macbook air, and I seriously considered buying another one for my kids to use. Then this little guy showed up. I was sold when Engadget said it was 80% of the macbook air experience at a fraction of the price. I'd say it's more like 60% of the macbook air experience, but that's still an incredible deal for the price.Drawbacks:You can't print. You can set up google cloudprint but I haven't gotten it to work yet. You can't do anything that isn't inside a web browser. 95% of my computer usage is inside google chrome anyway, so that's not a huge deal for me as a second computer. You can't edit video or do anthing else that requires more than a simple file system and a web browser.Advantages:The keyboard and touchpad are near-mackbook quality. That makes them better than 70 percent of all laptops out there. Not a small thing. I love the two-finger scrolling which you can reverse so it works like a mac. Google calls it simple scrolling. There is two-finger right click too.The screen is fine. I wish I could put the bottom-of-the-screen launcher bar on the side of the screen to save precious vertical pixels.Interface is good. I set up separate user account for each of my kids. Not as smooth as a mac but smoother than windows 7.Build quality is better than your average laptop but not up to macbook standards. Considering the price it's amazingly well put together.Bottom line: For someone like me who spends most of my computer time in chrome for mac, this is a natural second computer. It would be great for a student computer. If you want to edit videos or do other things that don't work very well in a web browser you should look elsewhere.You could easily spend three times this much and get a computer with a lesser keyboard, lesser touchpad, and inferior build quality. -I purchased two of these, one for my desktop computer the other for my downstairs TV. The sound is awesome, better than I expected for the low price. I'm very pleased! -This product has amazing speed and range. Even from my patio I can receive a fairly strong internet signal -- and sometimes even after exiting the condo itself! I highly suggest and recommend. The set up is easy. ASUS has done it again! -Lasts a full charge and some! Orange to green light charging and will stop charging when the battery is full. Works perfectly. -Other than some confusion when configuring the various settings, this wireless/broadband router has been great. Performance and coverage has been great everywhere in my home. I have no complaints about how this works. We've even seen a drop in overall electrical usage over the previous router we had.The one issue I have with this router is in the configuration. There are a large number of options that aren't described well. Without a deep knowledge of wireless/routing terms I would have been lost. I also would have liked the firewall in this router to have a stealth mode like my previous routers (see grc dot com for a description of stealth mode). But, it works, and once configured, there are no problems. -I've owned 4 Kindles so far and they all perform very well. The one major drawback is the power cord connection. It is not durable at all and you have to be very careful not to move the Kindle while it's plugged in. I had to replace 3 Kindles in the last 2 years and thankfully it was under warranty. I don't have the the new version HDX Kindle yet so I can't comment on those. -The first one of these I bought was over a year ago for a home office. Job changed so the monitor became part of a multi display home office along with a Dell monitor from years ago.The difference in picture quality is enough that I got another Asus to replace the dell. The Asus monitor is much brighter, higher contrast, and deeper colors. Text is easier to read. This is in all ambient light conditions I've had to deal with. These are the VS247H-P 23.6 inch displays.About the stand. It is not up to the job. If your desk is rock solid it will hold the monitor, but if you have desks that shudder every time someone passes by, or when you nudge it inadvertently, the monitor will wobble annoyingly. Dell does have solid stands on the monitors they sell. So when I ordered the second I didn't bother attaching the stand. Instead I removed the "neck" and attached both monitors to a two monitor VESA compliant stand: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002R9HQLI/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc;=1Now they are both rock solid (or at least as solid as the cheap desk they're on). If you get a single monitor consider one of the monitor stands Amazon sells for single displays.Haven't attempted the rebate process. I'll report back on that. -It's much too difficult to navigate and download files. Everything needs an app. I have discovered that I don't have much use for it. I thought that I would be able to use this chromebook as a sort of easy-to-carry backup for my desktop. I am able to download files but I am not able to access the information. For three days all I did was download one app after another as instructed and I am still not able to access file download from my desktop. Fortunately, I have found someone willing to purchase this item for less than I paid along with the two books I purchased to help me learn to use it.Lesson learned: I really needed to do more research before buying another notebook or computer. -I was interested in using this router to replace a DLink-655, which has been having intermittent connection failures requiring a reboot. I have a fairly large area that i want to cover. Note that unlike a typical router user, I specifically wanted to use this as an access point, thus my use case and experience are a bit different than typical.Overall, I was very pleased with this router.Because I couldn't figure out from the documentation how to set it up as an access point, i contacted tech support. I expected a response within a day or so. They responded in less than half a day with detailed instructions.Setup an install was very fast and easy. Basically, needed the router to the LAN and replace the internet connection on a computer, then access it via IP. This was all very simple to do. After that, needed to configure the two wireless band configurations and a few other settings. The overall menu system on the router is well laid out, with good explanations and has a good depth of controllable features. Responsiveness is quite fast. For the configuration i was doing i needed to do a software reboot, and that kept the connection nicely throughout.Once i setup the router, connections were strong and solid. I've used both bands without issues. Signal seems good and stable. I'm also running a number of direct lines from the router as well as the wireless connections. All is good. -I purchased one of these drives to replace a drive that died in my parents computers (drive that died was ~5 or 6 year old Maxtor.) I've always been a fan of the Barracuda line and the price was right so I jumped on this drive. My parents need almost no storage to check their e-mail and surf the web so this drive was perfect! -AmazonBasics are a fantastic value for quality of cable you get. No need to spend any more money on a "high quality" name brand cable for even the most demanding AV equipment. AmazonBasics will perform just the same, as they must meet the same specifications and the signal is digital. A digital signal, is simply there, or not.I've purchased a few of the AmazonBasics optical interconnects, HDMI's and now this HDMI to DVI. All great! I highly the digital cables. -I got these on amazon about a day ago, i got them to work out with, not the best choice i know but i love good sound quality and with a Trusted name like Klipsch that is what i got. The sound is great, good bass nice Sound isolation due to the rubber ear molds. They sit differently then any other headphones iv had and even running on my readmill they have yet to fall out of my ear. I also got them on sale for 55$ due to them being open box from a Vendor on amazon so that was key in buying them also. The one flaw with this product that I see has already been mentioned is that the Cord is very thin... thin to the point that im worried i will break it or pull it loose at some point. Other then that these are great and the sound isolation is very good. -I bought the H100 as part of a new gaming computer setup. Living in Texas means a base temperature indoors of about 80F for much of the year and I've had some bad issues with overheating and crashing on my previous rig when playing games.Installation on an Intel based mainboard was painless (AMD looks slightly more intimidating from the manual). In fact, it was not harder than installing a stock cooler and absolutely nothing when compared with the complexity of traditional waterbased cooling systems. It comes with pre-applied thermal paste that does the job just fine, although I suspect you could get even better cooling results with high end thermal paste. The H100 installs very conveniently in the case and does not clutter up the interior at all, which I consider a definite plus.The cooling performance of the product is excellent, and better than what Corsair advertises on the box. The difference to the stock cooler that came with my processor is dramatic, double digit degrees on all settings. The H100 has three speed settings for the fans controlled via a button located on top of the part attached to the CPU. Unless you have an easily accessible case, you will likely not be changing fan speeds very much. There's apparently an additional hardware product that can be used to control the fans from an optional front panel, but I have not found it necessary to change speed away from the minimum setting unless I seriously overlock my CPU.The noise profile of the device is great, but certainly not silent, as long as it is not set to it's maximum speed setting.Some words of caution: This cooler requires some serious space and there are not many cases on the market that will work with it outside the box. On my Level 10-GT gaming case installing it meant removing one of the 210mm fans that came preinstalled to allow installation of this one. Do yourself a favor and do some research if your case has space for the H100 (The grill slightly larger than the 2 fans attached to it).Bottom line: Excellent cooler, comparatively easy installation, decent noise profile. Easiest water-cooling solution I've ever installed. Acceptable price. -Short answer: good quality, reasonable price, excellent customer service.I have zero complaints about these cables. I bought two: one for the XBox 360 and another for the 3D Blu-ray player in the bedroom. The construction quality is as good, if not better, than the more popular branded HDMI cables. These cables are thick and feel durable.As far as performance goes, I haven't noticed any lag or problems for either 3D gaming or 3D Blu-ray movies.The shipping was fast. The cables came in minimal packaging (no excessive plastic shells to cut through or overload of marketing garbage that tell you zero about the technical specs.The price was what HDMI cables should cost. I'm not sure why Blu-ray and HDTV manufacturers can't include an HDMI cable with their products; it has to cost about the same to manufacture an HDMI cable as it does to make the set of composite cables they still include for some reason. Mediabridge seems to have found the perfect balance of quality and cost--I hope they don't change their prices as they gain popularity.I was also surprised to get a thank you e-mail for choosing these cables. I usually don't like getting e-mails from companies about products, but this one was short and to the point. It thanked me for my purchase, and listed a customer support number, should I encounter any problems. There was no mention of their other products or services; no attempt to sell me warranties or anything else I'm not actively looking for.It's nice to see a company put customer service and satisfaction ahead of their investors and shareholders. It seems that most companies have forgotten their biggest and most important investors are their customers. -I've had the Chromecast for about a week now, and despite a few little hiccups have been incredibly impressed and pleased. Considering the price, I feel like this is a no-brainer purchase if you enjoy streaming shows from Netflix, clips on Youtube, and/or movies out of Google's store.Setup was a little more complicated than I was expecting. I have a dual-band router, both with the same hidden SSID. The Chromecast has an option to enter in your hidden SSID so it seemed like there'd be zero issue. Entered it correctly, verified, and it just couldn't find my network. I went back and tried a few times, thinking I must have been fat-fingering a button. No luck. I un-hid my 5ghz SSID, tried connecting, no luck. It only worked after exposing the SSID on both 2.4 and 5ghz bands before it would connect. Somewhere on the device page it says it does work with 2.4ghz hidden SSIDs, and I may try re-naming that band and hiding the 5ghz again. But I hear that's not actually too terrible a thing to break through if somebody's actually seeking to get in so I might not even worry about it.Anyway, once setup, it's worked great with my HTC One. Finding content through Netflix, Google Play, and Youtube on your phone is so much more convenient and intuitive than searching on the apps on your TV, or 360, etc. Basically - any box where you have to fumble with a remote to do searching and navigation, this is better than. You kick off a movie/clip, cast it to your TV, and the phone is free to do whatever else you want while the content plays. At any time you can get back into the casting app and pause/resume content. Super slick.I tried out the casting extension on my chrome browser, and it works about like you'd expect. You can cast a tab, and all content on that tab is sent to your TV. Works reasonably well for me, and I can definitely see the use cases (photo sharing, watching things you can't get to through the other mediums you have). I tried streaming a movie through my Amazon Prime account, and while it worked, the audio wasn't 100% synced up. And of course if you want it full-screen, you have to give up your laptop while the movie plays. Also - my laptop (retina MBP) got really hot, and really noisy. My recommendation would be to not expect to use this feature on a regular basis for streaming content.One other downside I noticed is that while casting a netflix movie, the netflix screen takes up the entirety of my lock screen. I received a phone call, and the phone was ringing but the caller information was missing, as were the 'Answer' and 'Ignore' buttons. Had to "back" out of the netflix info (which is just weird on the lock screen to have to do) before they showed up. Google Play Movies did not have this problem, yet still allowed you to pause/resume from the lock screen.Anyway - I really can't recommend this thing enough. It isn't perfect, but it's also not expensive enough to expect perfection. If you like Netflix, Youtube, and Google Play content to be on your TV, this is the easiest and cheapest way to get it there. If you have other ways to get it there, this is still a worthy investment as it's infinitely more pleasing to use than a TV-remote based application.Very, very pleased. -Well, have had this thing for a couple of days now.Been doing lots of testing with it in various configurations, drivers, BlueTooth adapters, etc via phone, voip on computer and cell... bottom line is this:SOUND QUALITY (ie: in your ear)- Music : GREAT- Computer Sounds and Video : GREAT- Bluetooth connected calls : Tinny and Shallow; no warmth, fullness or body to the voiceCALL QUALITY (ie: calling someone else on it)- Cell via Bluetooth : Tinny, but liveable.- Computer via Bluetooth : Very Tinny and no mids/lows, no warmth or body to the voiceCALL QUALITY (TO THE PERSON YOU ARE CALLING... the IMPORTANT PART) - TERRIBLE!And I quote here from some of my calls over the past 2 days with it:- You sound like you are talking through a Paper Towel or Toilet Paper Tube- You sound like you are in another universe, and I can hear everything and everyone around you too.Bottom line for me, given the amount of time that I spend on conference calls, and want a comfortable headset, AND more importantly, that the person on the other end of the call can hear me CLEARLY and PLAINLY without sounding muffled, in a well, echo chamber or via a Paper Towel Tube...So far NOT a happy camper with this one,I LOVE design of this, but need a much more superior call quality to the caller, and thats where this one falls short.I may see if its usable for my son on his PS3, but for use in a professional situation... this is a no go.>>>>> UPDATE NOV 7, 2012 >>>>>1. I did try it out with my son's PS3...- It did connect.- It did work within the games for communication to the other remote players in the game- It WILL NOT also work to route 100% of the GAME SOUNDS and GAME AUDIO to the device. Note: This is NOT a limitation of the device, its the audio implementation on the PS3 consoles. To route GAME AUDIO and In-Game Communication to a wireless headset, you need $250-500 bucks for the high end and uber-expensive Turtle Beach rig.2. After lots of trial and error and comparing notes with those in the office that have one also...- The device that you are connecting it to, and its Bluetooth audio capabilities have A LOT to do with the call quality of it.- Via a computer with NATIVE Bluetooth or an aftermarket Bluetooth USB adapter... its still not going to sound as good as a Plantronics Blutooth device that has a custom audio functionality built in. My Plantronics BT300M sounds like you are right there as far as your vocals to the person on the other end of the call. It sounds like you. It doesn't sound like a highly compressed tin can. The LG HBS700 on the other hand... you are in a compressed, metallic sounding mode.- The device via a cell phone depends on the cell phone. I recently switched from an LG handset to a Samsung Galaxy SIII and that made a HUGE difference. The LG sounded tinny. The Samsung sounds wonderful and realistic.Bottom line, this thing WEARS like a dream. Battery life is incredible. Music plays wonderfully. Call quality will depend on whatever device you are connecting it to, and even at that, its just trial and error.If LG or Plantronics want a market winner here... THEY NEED TO COLLABORATE!!! LG for the device, PLANTRONICS for the Call Quality! -I pre-ordered the PS4 after both Sony and Microsoft had their presentations at E3. I haven't had a Sony console since the PS2 and my most recent console was the Xbox 360. The console arrived on time for launch day and was a breeze to set up. The Playstation Network (PSN) was more than a bit congested due to the massive number of accounts hitting it within the 24 hour launch day.I was able to set up my console and download the initial software update with no problems. Getting my PSN account logged in took a bit of time, but that was to be expected given the high demand for the system and large network traffic. Since I couldn't access the store from the console, I opted to use the nifty feature of purchasing a digital game through Sony's website and setting it to download to the PS4. That bypassed the traffic and immediately started the download to the console. The play while you download feature is nice, but be aware that you need to download a specified portion of the game before you can start. With a retail size game, that still takes time. My example was Battlefield 4. 6GB is necessary to start playing. You can then play single player while the remaining 33GB downloads.The hardware itself is pretty great. I love the simple design of the case and the power is a sufficient leap over the previous generation of consoles that it makes it worth it. The DualShock4 controller takes a bit of getting used to if you have been using an Xbox controller, but it's a great controller. I haven't used the touchpad yet, but it's a potentially interesting feature. The triggers are different, but I think they are quite adequate for my primary gaming need - shooters.The user interface is simplistic, but everything seems sorted into logical areas. I've only got about 8 hours into usage, so my experience is still that of a new user.Included in the box is a 30-day trial for PS+, which is required for online multi-player. You also get some pretty great games free every month. I already have a favorite launch game and it was free - Resogun. There is also a 30-day trial of Sony's streaming music service. I tested it out briefly and it works well, though I'm not sure I'd subscribe to it after the trial is up.The best part is that I was able to set up a PSN account for my wife so she can access everything I can but there is no fee for her account. Also, Sony has not put any of the media streaming services not owned by Sony (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant, etc.) behind a paywall. This simplifies multiple accounts on the console accessing streaming media.Overall, I'm very satisfied with my purchase and I highly recommend a Playstation 4 to people looking at upgrading to a next-gen console. -I really do feel like this mouse was designed from the ground up just for me! I have always been a fan of thumb buttons since my first mouse that had them, the original Microsoft Intellimouse explorer. This has 4 thumb buttons, that are easy to use, and in the perfect spot for me. All of the buttons are easy to access, and fully programmable. Overall, it it very comfortable, and I love the thumb rest. This is the mouse I would have designed for myself.I use it for playing World of Warcraft, and while the game does not directly recognize any buttons beyond the first 5, you can program and macro the rest of the buttons, giving you very quick access to lots of stuff.I also really like the scroll wheel. Being able to switch between free scrolling and normal scrolling is great. I like free scrolling while web surfing, it lets me get to the bottom of a page very quickly, but free scrolling sucks in games, because your camera view can be accidentally moved very easily. The button for switching scrolling modes is right behind the scroll wheel, making mode switching super easy and quick. My cordless 620 had the mode switch underneath, which was a bit of a pain.The build quality is excellent, the rechargeable battery included is of the best quality, and the finish texture gives a secure grip.I tend to be very critical and picky, but so far the only slight cons I have with it is, its a bit heavy. It does move well though. The price is a bit steep, but I have no regrets so far. -Decent sound, but there are negatives to considerThe quality of the construction and materials seems average. I would prefer if they were a little better built, but they're acceptable for the price. The fabric used on the ear pieces and the head padding is the same fabric they use in fabric lint rollers. It's soft enough, but collects lint accordingly. The mic boom is flexible rubber and decent quality, but it doesn't allow you to adjust its location in and out and sits further from the mouth than expected.Pros:Sound - The sound quality is very decent. I'm not an audiophile so take it with a grain of salt, but both games and music are quite enjoyable for me with this headset.Comfort - At first I found these uncomfortable and pinching which after an hour of use caused significant discomfort. However, once I lowered the ear pieces to wear this a bit loose (more loose than I normally prefer headphones) they fit much better. After hours of use they are still comfortable for me.Microphone - The mic is very sensitive and picks up sound really well.Cons:USB - The USB interface is one you want to avoid for headsets if you have a good soundcard. USB headsets include their own audio card built-in to the device in order to work. Therefore, using these will bypass the soundcard in your computer. Also, the USB cable is quite short. This device isn't compatible with USB 3.0. Since I only have 3.0 on the front panel of my computer I would prefer a longer cord to run it from the back.Dolby - The simulated 7.1 is not appealing to me. It simulates surround by making the audio more `spatial'. This doesn't add to the audio quality though; it makes the sound worse in my opinion. The default setting is off,Volume Control - The volume control is a rocker switch in a convenient location on the back of the left ear-piece. The rocker switch is annoying. You rotate and hold it in one direction or the other to change the volume. I would prefer a dial instead of holding a switch.No Audio Controls - This device has no equalizer to adjust the audio. The audio levels it ships with is okay, but if you wanted to customize your sound you should purchase a different headset.Microphone - The mic is overly sensitive and even on low input volumes it picks up any background noise like you mouse and keyboard, breathing, etc.In summary, decent sound and comfort for the price, but has some limitations. -I've had this remote for a month now and really like it. It didn't set up very fast and took a number of tries to get the macros right for turning on the TV and switching input devices, but once it was set it's been great. My kids are 12 and 15 and are thankful for the remote. They don't have to ask for my help to play video games or watch a DVD anymore.A few particular features I like about the remote:1. The keys for the most part are backlit and when you move the remote the display and backlight are activated, you don't have to push a button.2. It is rechargable. I hate having to replace batteries every few months. It lasts almost a week on one charge... but I put it on the charger after about 3 or 4 days. I don't want to chance being without this baby.3. It will learn commands from my other remotes. This was very helpful when setting up the macro for switching TV inputs. Even tho I put the TV make and model in it didn't know how to switch from SAT input to DVD input without a little learning. This all depends on your TV. Mine is a Mitsubishi WD-65733. I also had to tell it what the inputs were called and which ones were listed in what order. Beware... I think it was case sensitive in setup.4. If you want to go into the advanced features of one of your devices without using the macros to do what you want to do you can still do that. Just a double click of a button and you can set the surround sound on your stereo receiver or modify the night display on your DVD player... and so on.5. It controlls my HD DVR from DirectTV so I can still FWD,RWD, pause, and record without any problems. It does everything the remote for the device did.6. You can upload your own photos to the remote and set them as the background in the display.What I don't like???There are really only two things I would change about it and that's the feel of the buttons and the ease of setup. Some buttons are very small and they're hard plastic. Some remotes have the nice big rubber buttons and for some people they really like those. I don't know how you could make it easier but I did have to get it to learn a few commands from my TV remote. Some people just aren't into computers and electronics much and could get frustrated by this.Over all, this is one sweet remote. My friends are jealous when they come over. A co-worker went out and had to buy the same one because he liked it so much. I highly recommend it. -I have had the router for a few weeks now in the office. My initial impression of the product out of the box was very good. It has a quality look and feel to it. As soon as I powered it on, the first thing I did was update the firmware. That was a very easy process.Pros:The user management interface is very nice and user friendly.Performance is amazing! I have it hooked up to a static gateway, which splits up my modem's connection to two other routers. The bandwidth tests I have ran over WiFi with the Asus are showing higher speeds on average than the other router which the PC's are physically connected to via Ethernet. That alone is pretty impressive. It'ss also very reliable and I haven't had any problems with it till this point. Still early, but only time will tell. The WiFi range is very strong. Two previous wireless N routers did not even come close to the range I am getting with the Asus. And even at the edge of the range, the bandwidth is still decent.Cons:Some parts in the QOS section were a little confusing, but Asus support was able to clear up the confusion for me after an email. This is really not a con because they just verified what I was assuming anyway, but I wanted to ask the questions to be sure.Price was a bit high, but other high end routers are in the same price range.I would highly recommend this router for those looking for a highend, wireless router. All WiFi dveices used on my network are N devices, so I have not yet been able to take advanatage of the AC performance gains, so I can't comment on that. I can't comment on wired performance either. -I am still getting used to this speaker set, but for the price, it is great so far. No it is not like some super concert hall quality set, but for the price it really delivers. I have seen all the various reviews of people complaining of anemic performance(not about this product, but in general) and I always wonder what people expect out of a 2.1 system. For I would say 80% of one's general audio needs, this is a great buy. If you want to shake the pictures off the wall, then maybe go for another package.On a basic user level, I like this unit because all the controls are located on a remote that sits on the desktop. Having to reach under the desk to adjust the bass is not necessary. Also, the various inputs/outputs are located in the same remote. The only complaint I have is that ergonomically, the remote is a bit unbalanced in the various controls - the volume knob is huge and the base is a bit hidden on the side. But that is really small potatoes overall.Regarding the actual sound, it is fine for what it is. Decent bass, the highs and overall frequency balance is fine. As with most audio setups, if you do not have an equalizer on your computer, see about getting one. While this unit is ok in its flat response, it certainly can use some tweaking to get it just right.Overall - especially in terms of price to performance - this is an A+ product. If you are some crazy audiophile, you may not be completely impressed. But for the vast majority of users out there, this is a very affordable and effective computer audio solution. -Why pay Apple prices when you can get the same thing in black for less? Just follow the instructions published here and everywhere to format the drive when you first get it to work efficiently with your Macbook. It is small, light and does not require a wall wart. I hate wall warts and any product that does away with them is a plus in my book. Put all your excess junk, Logic files, photoshop (if you are still using photoshop anymore) and all the big stuff and free up your hard drive. Access is fast and 1 TB is quite a bit of storage! -Pros - Easy setup, lots of apps, GREAT little remote, Android app has great functionality, small footprint, stylish.Cons - Zero.Honestly, it never freezes, holds a great connection to my 5 Ghz wifi connection, the remote is durable and it's a little unit. Does everything I wanted it to do. -Tablets of all kinds are a lot of fun for me, and as an owner of last year's Asus Google Nexus 7 Tablet (8 GB) - Quad-core Tegra 3 Processor, Android 4.1, I was keen on giving Google and ASUS' most recent effort a short. The tablets I've owned that I could compare this one to included theHP TouchPad Wi-Fi 32 GB 9.7-Inch Tablet Computer, the original Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1,Apple iPad MD366LL/A (16GB, Wi-Fi + AT&T; 4G, Black) 3rd Generation,ASUS Transformer TF300 T-B1-BL 10.1-Inch 32 GB Tablet (Blue)(with matching dock), the aforementioned Nexus 7,Google Nexus 10 (Wi-Fi only, 16 GB), and myMicrosoft Surface (32GB). The Nexus 7 has turned out to be a worthy addition to this collection. Here's why.PROS+ Lightweight build. Last year's Nexus 7 was hardly a slouch in this department, and was more than portable enough for most. The iPad Mini (which I purchased as a gift) is slightly thinner, but it doesn't really make any drastic improvements. This device is markedly lighter than both, which makes it surprisingly easier in the hands. You wouldn't think there was much room for improvement here (given the first generation was quite nice), but ASUS managed to pull it off.+ Great, understated looks. Sure, the top and bottom bezels are a little larger, but compared to last year's Nexus 7, this device has a lot more "class" to it. The exterior bezels now lack the bright silver banding, which helps the screen melt away into the bezels. That's all the better, since as an LCD panel (which won't achieve the same black-levels as a AMOLED display from Samsung) is the centerpiece of this device, it's best to keep your focus on it. The back is nice and smooth, with the word "NEXUS" inscribed into the back. The branding is non-obtrusive and otherwise non-existent on a device that all around has a sophisticated, matte look to it.+ Powerful performance. Without getting into too much technical information, the processor in this device (a rebranded Qualcomm Snapdragon 600) is significantly more powerful than the Nexus 7's Tegra 3 in every way. It's also more power efficient, so you can watch your movies and games for longer, all while enjoying stunning looks. Which brings me to the next two points...+ Beautiful screen. This is a Full HD (1080p) panel in a 7" package. The best effort prior to this was Amazon's own Kindle Fire HD 8.9, which had a 1080p panel as well. At present, this device has the sharpest screen (in terms of PPI) of any device, even compared against Apple's iPad 3 and Samsung's Nexus 10. Colors are sharp and vivid and the screen has no motion blurring or ghosting. My unit also doesn't have any light bleed, although I've seen some people complaining about it.+ Better hardware for longevity. You may have heard of the recent kerfuffles around last year's Nexus 7, which has started to slow down and lag for many users. The problem lay in how the device managed its onboard storage-- which, to put it mildly, was poor. If you didn't mind tinkering and rooting your device, you could fix the issue, but that should never be a requirement in a consumer product. Luckily enough, the refresh's hardware boasts better memory and Android 4.3 will automatically keep things in good shape, so you won't have to worry about this.+ Sound is pretty good for a small device. It gets plenty loud without much distortion. Unfortunately, ASUS elected to keep the speakers on the back for some unknown reason (especially with nice bezels on the top and bottom that could have provided stereo in landscape-- which is where you'd need those speakers most). This is especially perplexing considering how well-reviewed the speakers on the Nexus 10 and HTC One were-- both packed front-facing stereo speakers.+ Android 4.3 under the hood means you've got a faster, more secure mobile experience than any previous version. Even if you're primarily an iOS user, the Nexus 7 is definitely worth a look. The Play Store's got almost all the heavy hitters you'd use on a tablet (such as Amazon Kindle, Netflix, a YouTube experience second to none, and the full power of Google's own services as an example), as well as some amazing Android-exclusive apps (such as Press, a beautiful RSS reader for those who prefer to take their news this way). Many people have griped in the past about Android and tablet apps, but...+ You'll also find a mature and solid ecosystem waiting for you. As a 7" device, the refreshed Nexus 7 sits between traditional 10"-class tablets and the smartphone, meaning it can use apps designed for either very well. Although most Android apps are still designed for phones, they scale up very well on the Nexus 7 (nothing like Apple's frankly laughable 2x zoom mode available on the iPad/iPad Mini). Android tablet apps are also getting better by the day, so unless there really is that one killer app you can't leave behind, give it a whirl!+ Android 4.3 also provides multiuser support, so if you have this tablet in any social settings (having friends over, throwing a party, and so on), you can easily set up a guest profile for friends to use while keeping your own stuff under lock and key. It's also great as a family tablet-- share the device among multiple members while keeping everyone's stuff separate. Things have also gotten a lot faster since the 4.2 days, so if you had any issues before, give it another go.+ Notification light! Hoorah! Long-time Android users will instantly recognize how useful these things are, and as a casual device to leave lying around your desk, the light makes things much better. Let's say you're walking by a coffee table and you receive an e-mail. With an iOS device, the screen will light up for a few seconds, and a pulsing icon will let you know that you've got a message of some sort. And both iOS and Android handsets without a light (such as last year's Nexus 7) will beep or produce a tone to let you know the same. But if you happen to walk by after those time out, you'd never know that you have something waiting for you. With a notification light, you get a persistent, unobtrusive and instantly-visible way of seeing that something's waiting.+ Great battery life. Although the battery's smaller than last year's Nexus 7 (probably to slim down the build), Android 4.3 and the newer Snapdragon processor make for quite a powerful (hehe) package that will run all day and then some without trouble. I have yet to charge mine after receiving it two days back, and I'm still looking at 50% remaining after heavy use.Of course, this isn't all sunshine and daisies. Make sure you're making an informed purchase. Here are some cons I've noticed.CONS- The cameras are forgettable. Good enough for video calling, but it won't even replace most smartphone cameras.- I'm having screen lift issues in the upper left hand-hand side of my tablet, which means the back creaks a little if I press on it. It doesn't impact functionality at all, and hopefully it may go away after a while, but my launch-day 8GB Nexus 7 from last year also had this issue. needless to say, I'm a little annoyed that they weren't more rigorous this time around. Not something you should have to deal with as a consumer.- Top and bottom bezels make the device a little larger than it has to be. Depending on how you use this device, it could actually be a major pro for you (as wider bezels give you a better surface to grip without accidentally touching the screen). For me, it's a definite con, since I think it makes the device look a tad silly.- Slightly less grippy than last year's model. The refresh loses the dimpled texture of the original, which makes it a little more "slick" in the hand. It's not awful by any means, but do keep in mind that it can slide a little more on surface than you'd expect.- The buttons. Are maddening. They're basically flush with the chassis, and while there's solid feedback on all three (power, volume up, volume down), they're very close to one another and feel exactly the same. Expect to hit volume up a lot trying to wake this device up.All in all, I'd say buy this one with confidence. It's well worth the upgrade if you're on the fence, and if you're new to the Android tablet land, this is an amazing place to start. As a Nexus device, it'll get long software support and fast upgrades, so you'll always be getting the latest and greatest. Questions? Let me know in the comments below! -First, the price is nice, if it were $10-15 more I would rank it a 3, as in, "it's okay" or better but a bit too pricey for what it is. However, at this price, "I like it" a lot. If it is durable it may earn my "I love it" -- especially since I will probably use it pretty hard (8-12 hours a day, in and out of a laptop bag nearly every work day), and since it is a $15 mouse I won't be all that careful about it.It is my main mouse for a desktop replacement laptop, both travel with me to work most days. So, I will see how it holds up and update if it wares out or develops problems - if I don't update that means that it is still going strong and I still stand by this review. If it lasts into the 5 year range I will update and probably change it to 5 stars.Next the review points:Pros:To start, I like this mouse. It feels good in my medium-large man hands. The grip on the thumb side feels good; although, I had to push mine into place as it was peeling on arrival and it continues to be somewhat loose or prone to getting pulled out of place, it sits to high above the surrounding plastic [Edit, this continues to be "loose"]. (I do wish there was a thin strip on the pinky side.)The adjustable DPI will probably be nice for some light game play and some situations, but I generally just keep it on the lowest setting. But having the option is a bonus.The mouse is nice and responsive and I have not noticed any lags (I'm using it on an Ivy Bridge I5 3230m in a Toshiba Satellite L series, Windoze 8 and will be dual booting Kubuntu, when I get a chance to set it up; if I don't update the mouse works fine as a native in Ubuntu as I expect it will [edit, confirmed, works in every distro I've played around with lately (all Debian/Ubuntu forks)]).The back and forward rocker works great and is also very nice to have.The mouse moves smoothly and works on every reasonable surface I've tried it on, including the number pad on the side of my laptop keyboard, which is nice.Range is good, as advertised about 15 feet through walls, etc and about 25 feet in the perfect situation (in the same room or outside).Cons:I wish it had a real off switch since it wakes the Laptop up on button click, until the mouse shuts itself off; you have to take the dongle out when you are transporting the laptop or shut off the wake up settings.This boarders on nitpicking and is related to the previous point: I wish it had a clip like some Logitech mice do so that it clips to the back of my screen and when clipped it shuts off the mouse so that it doesn't wake up the pc -- [edit, I really, really wish that it had such a clip]. This is a good thing because it protects the mouse by ensuing that it is in the padded case with the laptop, rather than just thrown into the bag or outside pocket to get banged, bumped, and (maybe) broken. I really don't understand why anyone would manufacture a wireless mouse without this feature. It just makes good business sense and is relatively cheap.Finally, the mouse does feel a bit less high end. As I mentioned the grip pad for the thumb was out when I took it out of the box, but other things don't quite fit right. One corner of the battery cover sticks out and is a bit stiff to remove (feels like you might break it), but hopefully I'll only replace the battery ever year or so.Overall the mouse feels just solidish. As in, somehow I suspect it isn't as durable is my partners beat up 3-4 year old Logitech that is still going strong. But only time will tell and that Logitech was almost twice the price.Nit-picking (in order of importance):The scrolling wheel is a little high and I wish it was closer to the tip of my middle finger.This boarders on obnoxious nitpicking, but the material you touch is that slick glossy plastic and I wish it had a bit of texture.The slick material feels, sweaty or something, I don't know, I don't like touching it as much as other mouse textures -- yeah, it is nitpicky, I know.At this point I strongly recommend this product. I like it a lot right now for its price, but if it proves durable that may make me love it (as in 5 stars).If you are a cheap-skate like me and looking for a good mouse, I think this is it. If you are a high-end type, this isn't it.I will update when the battery dies, currently it has one AA Eneloop that was fully charged when installed.[Edit, a month after purchase, I like it okay, but I think the 4 stars will stick and I very much wish that I'd gotten one with a off switch and/or a clip - I would've payed $10-15 more for these things.] -Didn't use it for a really long time yet, but from the little I saw it has great quality, very sharp image and dark blacks, incredibly neat monitor! -Batteries are excellent and the eneloop does hold a charge longer than older style re-chargeables. 1 star off because it is suppose to charge AAA. If so I can't determine how. -Love/hate with this product.For all the positives it has, I ended up returning it because of its' construction.Pros:- great connectivity, battery life and comfort. The earbuds fit well and the sound is very clear. It also holds a charge through a solid 5 hours a day. I would charge it at the end of every day, so not sure how much longer it would last if I kept using it.Cons:- Although it is very comfortable and easy to wear during active runs and gym sessions, it just feels flimsy to me.The little earbuds are supposed to be held onto the neckband with little magnets. These magnets are far too weak and barely hold them in when they are stationary. They are also not the easiest to fit in place while the neckband is still around your neck.If you do manage to fit them in, the slightest head movement causes them to fall out.This is not only frustrating, but with them just dangling there, they easily got caught on my jacket, shoulder strap of my purse and scarf.It was an accident waiting to happen and I just knew they'd get torn off one day soon.Another concern was how they'd hold up being toted around in bag. If you don't want to walk around with them hanging around your neck, there's really no easy way to transport them. I'd wear them on the train to listen to music, but didn't want to leave them on once I got to work. I'd put them in my bag, but then had to wrestle with a tangle when I retrieved them.Overall very disappointed because although user unfriendly, the sound and comfort of these were great. If you're just going to be using them at home and not taking them with you, they will suffice. A bit pricey for being limited like that though. That's why I ultimately returned them. -I ordered two of them to hook up to two amps. a high end pioneer and an older onkyo.At first I didn't really notice the sound was bad as I was playing dub step and other electronic music... but when alanis morisette came on I noticed something... it sounds like a bathroom or hall effect has been added to the music. Most will probably not notice this unless you have good speakers..but I could hear it...I then tried it on my pioneer sc09 and high end speakers and it was really bad. Since I had two units I tried swapping them out but both exhibited same poor sound quality. Well the quality wasn't all bad...just that annoying bathroom echo effect ...also this device does not auto connect when your within range but rather requires you to go into Bluetooth settings and pair every time you want to use itRange was not bad about 20-30 feet throug a couple of interior walls much better than expected -This keyboard is decent enough and for the price - it's hard to complain. My only issue is the keys get stuck very easily - if a little bit of something falls into the crack between the keys and the base pf the key board, you get pppppppppppppppppppppppppp all across the screen until you get the 'p' key unjammed (for instance) -Anyone who wants to listen to tunes while working, these are the ticket. No more wires getting snagged, tangled, ripped, or in the way. The battery lasts for DAYS. sound quality is incredible. From voice clarity listening to talk radio app, to the stones, to pitbull...all sounds as good as any wired earbuds ive ever heard. hands free phone calls are crystal clear. Very durable. Ive recommended them to several of my friends and coworkers, and they swear by them as well. I work for a telco, so these have been through some tough areas. Working on a pole in the rain, running data wires for call centers, crawlspaces, attics, whatever...they hold up..cords for the earbuds have an adjustable strap to keep cords out of the way and out of harms way. Ive had mine for a long time and they are in fantastic shape. -This will be a ramble - I am generally well satisfied with this product but there are a few things to be aware of. Firstly, I purchased the product as a refurbished unit and only paid $75 including shipping - I added two additional batteries quite inexpensively through eBay.It is easily portable and seems to have fairly good battery time - here's a sample of 720 P quality - not bad. [...]I suspect that this is a generic criticism as the small microphones embedded in this type of a video recorder has no resistance to wind. What you can expect is that if you are moving and experience when passing across the microphone you will get wind noise.My original intention was to use this video camera on my bicycle and to that end, I constructed a helmet cam mount. This would probably work but I found that the additional weight on top of my helmet was unacceptable - the camera weighs 4.4 ounces - seemingly trivial but noticeable on top of your head. At five megapixels, the still picture capability is adequate but nothing special. I chose to get a ZX3 as opposed to the newer ZX5 - there were several reasons for this choice:The ZX3 has removable batteries, the five does not. The charge coupled device is larger on the ZX three and quite a few sophisticated reviewers felt that the ZX five was a downgrade in some respects. And then there was the issue of a dramatically lower price.Summarizing, this camera is good enough and portable enough that I will often carry the camera in situations where I would have been lugging my Canon T1 I. Go for it! -I recently purchased this and use this to back up my pictures and as a USB hard drive for my Wii. So far it works great and the noise is low. It has a on and off switch and I have had no problems with this Item. I would recommended this item to a family member or a friend. -I am very much disappointed with this product considering how many stars it received.From the moment opening the packaginig it was disappointing because you can see that thes cheap with leathery piece glued onto it - you can see the glue that makes it look even cheaper. And some other reviewer mentioned, the cover is stiff and N7 will NOT stand. To be fair it fits well and every "outlets" are in line with N7.To sum it up, I would NOT RECOMMEND this product if you are expecting something nicer. -product had been opened and programed. Password had been changed and there were finger prints all over it. What I ordered was supposed to have been new and this had obviously been opened and used by someone but all the parts were there. A novice would have ended up returning this item in the condition it arrived. Had to reset it so that the default password would work and I could get into it, after that it worked fine. Interface is not user friendly to set up. It is all there just not friendly. I have worked with a lot of routers and this one seemed to have a confusing interface. The help files were helpful. There are easier routers out there. This one has really good range. Set up is kind of awkward. I bought it for the range and it is a good router just the interface is not intuitive. -I was scared about the price I will not lie. It is in fact a great buy though. Installed in a breeze and handles the weight on the tv. The levels that come with it is great! Planning on buying another real soon -I heard a lot of good comments about this tablet, but for me, the jury is out until I get one in my hot little hands. It's in my hands now and I like it! It's very fast and I really think the screen resolution and clarity of display is very good! It's also very light, and lighter than my iPad (4th gen).I feel this is a product worth considering as an alternative to the iPad (starting with cost) and you can do a lot with it. -This thing is awesome, especially now that it supports HBO Go. Just be sure you have an extra outlet or a USB device to plug it in. Google is hella shady in their marketing and doesn't show the GIANT CABLE sticking out of the back. Thankfully the product works really well. -The Anker Astro E5 is a great external battery for anyone's Apple and Android Device. The Astro E5 size is exactly the same size as it predecessor, the Astro E4. The weight of it is pretty heavy holding it in your hand but not anything that is noticeable if you have a bunch of stuff in a bag with this battery in it. The on/off button is quite easy to press and easily pressed if it is stuffed into a bag. The flashlight in the external battery is a big plus. It is a bright LED light that works well if the power is out or looking for something in the night. The light is easily turned on because of the easily pressed on/off buttons. The flashlight is activated by pressing 2 times fast on the on/off button. This battery has 2 USB ports. One is 5 volts at 2 amps and the other is 5 volts at 1 amp. There are 4 LED's that tell how much power the battery pack has left for charging other devices. The battery has a smooth, shiny, reflective and stylish finish which looks awesome. The finish on the battery also attractions a lot of fingerprints which could make the battery look bad if not cleaned every so often.This battery has a massive 15000mah lithium ion battery in it that is packed in a small casing. This battery is smaller than most other external batteries I have researched in the past which is ideal for packing in a small bag. I use this battery to charge my iPhone 5 and my iPod touch 5. I can charge both these devices simultaneously.This product is ideal for someone who travels a lot and uses a smartphone for their business when traveling. This battery is also good for people who go camping and are not around power that watch movies and play games on their device for long periods of time. Other than the buttons being easily pressed this is the perfect external battery for those looking into buying one to use for a long trip or power your friends device and keep your devices charged in case of a black out.The Anker Astro E5 is closely comparable to the Astro E4.Anker Astro E4 13000mAh External Battery Pack Portable Power Bank Charger for iPhone 5, 4S, 4, iPad 4, 3, 2, Mini, iPods; Samsung Galaxy S4, S3, S2, Note 2; HTC One, EVO, Thunderbolt, Incredible, Droid DNA; Motorola ATRIX, Droid; Google Nexus 4, Nexus 7... (This has a 13000mah lithium ion battery) Both of these batteries look identical from the looks to the locations of the ports but the Astro E5 has a 15000mah battery that puts it over the top of the Astro E4.Overall the Anker Astro E5 is a great external battery that can charge your smartphone to 100% and do it again 6-8 more times and has a modern look most smartphones have today. You won't have to worry about your phone dying for more than a week when using this external battery.So far i have charged my iPhone 5 twice and it still has 4 LEDS.Another Update: i have charged my ipod touch 2 times and my iPhone 5 3 times and it now has 1 LED and can still charge my devices.I was supplied a sample for test and evaluation, and I promised that my review is fair and honest. -It works well. My only complaint is, for it to act as print server you have to download software for you to connect. Not a true server like i hoped. Wifi signal is very good, webgui is nice. -I bought this unit to replace a similar device that stopped working. This unit seems well built and is easy to setup but the sound quality is terrible. Going to return and try a different one. -This tablet has exceeded my expectations. The screen is very bright and vibrant, its processor is very fast. Video playback is excellent. I find myself using this tablet for everything from surfing the web to creation of documents. Another plus point is that is has Android ICS on it, which in my opinion is way better than the previous versions. I like the metallic styling, seems more durable than the plastic casings most tablets have. The touchscreen is very responsive & quick. The battery life is excellent, I can use it almost all day with a full charge, this include watching lots of videos. I don't care too much for the camera on it, it's lacking, but I dind't buy the tablet because of the camera so it's not a big disadvantage for me. I was frustrated when I found out the difficulties involved with getting picasa albums to sync with the gallery, but once I got it to sync it's been no problems since. I really don't know how I got it to sync, but I went into the gallery and saw that my picasa albums were synced. The keyboard is also nice, its keys well space for my big fingers & paired with the very responsive touch screen make it second nature to type on, to me it feels almost like typing on my desktop keyboard. I can't wait to find out the endurance of this tablet, I'm hoping it will last a long time.03/14/2014: After a year I'm still pleased with this purchase. The tablet works just as good as it did when I got it. The battery life is great, I use this tablet more than my PC. My only gripe with it is sometimes it's slow to come out of sleep mode, other than that I'm overly pleased. I'm thinking of purchasing about 3-4 more. -Perfect for 10.2 Gbps data transfer. I have a 4k Ultra TV and it works great. I purchased a few of the 19 Gbps cables and they're not necessary as far as I can tell. Maybe if you're doing some gaming online in 4k Ultra they're necessary, but I haven't encountered it yet. Promptly shipped and the price was really good! -This remote is excellent.. It was easy to setup and it has so many features that you can use. I replaced all my 4 remotes with this one. Excellent product with an excellent deal... -Yes, there is always a 'but'. I bought 3 of these drives mainly because I was getting tired of using external hard drives that required their own power supply, and like the idea of a portable, USB powered backup.I've had WD drives before and not experienced any issues with them (I've got a couple of their 'powered' drives). But these little buggers have been frustrating!ALL 3 WORK independently. No issues there. The trouble begins when you try to daisy chain and use more than one at a time! A single 2TB drive was not going to be enough, so the plan was to link these together using a powered hub.My system: HP 19" laptop, running windows 7, 64 bit. 4 GB RAMHow I prepared and set up the drives:1 - The drives are ready to go out of the box. The cables that come with them are PATHETICALLY SHORT. About a foot long.2 - For each drive, I plugged them in one at a time and went into the properties to give them a unique drive name as to not confuse the computer, and keep them straight in windows explorer. To keep it easy, I named them "My Passport 1", "My Passport 2", and "My Passport 3". (I get the same problem I am about to describe if I have spaces in the name, or not)3 - To link them together, I made use of the following:a - HDE 2 Port USB 3.0 54mm Express CardB0046XUMDWb - Anker USB 3.0 7-Port Hub with 36W Power AdapterB006TT91TWc - AmazonBasics USB 3.0 A-Male to A-Female Extension CableB008EQYRRY4 - I tested the cable (3c Above) first by plugging each drive into the female end, and the male end into the express card (3a above). the drive spun up, computer recognized it with no issues. All 3 drives checked out OK.5 - I then tested the powered hub (3b above). Plugged it into the Express Card (3a above) directly, the other end into an outlet. I plugged in each drive one at a time (tested individually)... no issues. all drives recognized.6 - next, I tested the hub WITH the cable. I plugged the cable (3c) into the express card (3a), then the Hub (3b) into the cable (3c), AC adapter into the outlet. The PC recognized the hub with no issues.This is where it gets puzzling:7 - I plugged "My Passport 1" into the Hub (3b). Little blue light on the hub came on. The hard drive started to flicker, computer made the 'discovery' sound, and windows explorer opened showing the new drive, and it appeared as 'My Passport 1" in the directory tree. could access the drive with no issues.8 - I plugged "My Passport 2" into the Hub (3b). Little blue light on the hub came on. The hard drive started to flicker, computer made the 'discovery' sound, and windows explorer opened showing the new drive, and it appeared as 'My Passport 2" in the directory tree. could access the drive with no issues.9 - I plugged "My Passport 3" into the Hub (3b). Little blue light on the hub came on. The hard drive started to flicker, computer made the 'discovery' sound, AND THAT WAS IT. windows explorer would not see the 3rd drive, yet the computer must, because you get the audio tone as you did with the first 2. I clicked on the properties for the drivers; on 'manage'; checked in 'device manager' - no way on earth to get to the 3rd drive. yet you can pick it up and feel it is running.I installed the software that came with the hub, rebooted after installing each drive, nothing seems to work.10 - I ruled out a bad drive by repeating the procedures above, but changing the order of the drives being connected to the hub. I started with 'my passport 3' - fired up, recognized no problems (yet in #9 - the computer would see it based on the sound, but that was it). plugged in 'my passport 1'. it also fired up, computer recognized - windows explorer opened - good to go. plugged 'my passport 2' into the hub, behavior was similar to #9.things I have not tried yet: 2 drives in the Express card and one drive into the onboard USB2 port, but what sense would THAT make? all 3 USB 3.0 drives will boot individually with the hub, but no more than 2 of them.ANYONE else had this problem or have a solution? you should be able to plug all 3 drives into the 7 port hub with no issues. I can plug 2 drives into the hub, and then plug an older USB 2.0 drive into the hub, 2 thumbnail drives - all work in harmony. but 3 WD 2TB drives? haven't figured that one out yet -The airbendar case is an excellent accessory for the ipad. I am using it with an ipad 2. I purchased it after I was happy with two other iPad keyboard purchases. The Airbender is lime having three accessories in one. First it functions as a keyboard, second as a case; and third as a stand. The nearly unlimited amount of positions the keyboard/case can be configured is awesome. The entire Keyboard can be separated from the iPad half of the case which is perfect for users that desire a little more distance between the two. The iPad can be used independent of the keyboard while still retaining half the case to protect the bottom and sides. It uses a pinch lock mechanism to quickly unsnap it. Other keyboard case solution areMuch more tedious. The keyboard has worked flawlessly since purchase. It was extremely easy to pair with the iPad. Feedback on the keys is excellent. Much better than those keyboards with the soft rubbery feel. The keyboard is also larger then most iPad keyboard which makes using it much, much easier for people like me with large hands. I charged the case once and 8 days later and its still working off the initial charge. I have no doubt that it will stay charged for weeks or months. Another great feature is the Airbender functions as a stand and can be configured in portrait mode for typing documents or landscape mode for games and movies. The case also shuts off the iPad when closed with the magnetic switch. The case looks great open or closed. I brought it to work and had several people asking me about it and where I got it. It has a very cool functional design. The iPad is held securely in place and all ports and switches are easy accessible. I highly recommend this keyboard/case combination. -I'm not a sound enthusiast so I can't give an expert opinion on the sound quality - but, it certainly isn't anything to complain about (as a gamer). The price was well within my range and I haven't had any issues after a few months.The headset is comfortable enough that you can wear it for several hours, the mic is up to par, and in-line audio controls are always a plus. The sound seemed a little hollow to me when I first started to use these but I would hardly say so anymore.I have two complaints about this product, first. the cord is obscenely short and will only reach the front audio jacks of a desktop. If this is not an option, then get an extension cable. Secondly, they hardly hold sound in at all. Even listening to music at a moderate level I can remove the headset and hear it a few feet away. This isn't an issue for me because I do not share the room with anyone, but if you're around someone who might be bothered then you may want to find a different headset. -I read all of the reviews and bought these headphones. I knew the Sennheiser name so felt I would be on the right track. I have 3 pair of headphones. A pair I bought at Radio Shack 5 years ago for $27 (bedroom), which died and is the reason for my purchase. I also have the Sony headphones for $150 (TV room). These cost $75 (bedroom). My $27 headphones were the best in every way; sound, no problems, always worked. Radio Shack no longer has the headphones. When I first got the Senn headphones they worked 50% of the time and it was very frustrating. We found out that when we had them plugged into the back of the TV (brand new LCD TV), that was the reason for them working only 50% of the time but when we plugged them into the back of our DVR, they work 100% of the time and we have had no more problems. The only thing I don't like about these headphones is that they are not comfortable and fall of my head easily. I didn't know they weren't the type that covers the whole ear. The type that covers the whole ear are the most comfortable and the sound is better because your ear is encased. Also they don't fall off. When I'm sitting in bed watching TV with my head against a couple of pillows, it moves these headphones forward slightly off my ears and the sound is not as loud. As for recommending these headphones, I would say get the headphones that cover the ear whatever brand. -I bought this router after reading the review on smallnetworkbuilder.com, where it was rated the fastest WIFI router at the time. The review has been accurate in my case and I have seen an improvement in both range and performance over my previous WRT 350N router.On the downside like many reviews I read I found the firmware to be unstable. That is within the first 24 hours the router had dropped all the wireless connections in the house and devices were not able to connect consistently. Having read many reviews and some forums I knew this was a possibility but I also new that I had options. There are 3 alternative firmware versions available that will all work on this router so if the stock asus firmware is not fitting the bill you have a choice of Merlin, Tomato or DD-WRT. At this point however a simple update to the latest Asus firmware resolve my problem and the router has been stable since that time.There are some other things I do not like about the Asus software:Parental Controls - The only option here is to set a calendar of access times. The Web 2.0 interface is awkward and you must set a different schedule for each MAC address. I found it time consuming and problematic. I would have preferred to create an access class assign the schedule to the access class and then assign the MAC address to the class. But at least I was able to disable WIFI during nighttime hours so my children aren't watching HULU or worse all night in bed.Static IP - While it gives you the ability to create leases, you cannot name them. And as such the DNS from the router will not serve a name for them. This has been a feature I have used for a while and has been available on every previous router that I have purchased. It makes it easy to setup a static entry for my ReadyNAS, and networked Xerox printer and then access them in a browser by name instead of IP. All of the alternative firmwares provide this capability so I will likely switch to one of them, going to try Merlin first as it has the best performance.QoS - I really don't get it, why would you invent your own version of QoS when a standard 802.11Q already exists and would make your device compliant with other devices that also support the standard such as my 24 port gigabit switch. The lack of this feature has effectively nullified the capability on my 24 port switch as I have no congestion within the switch, only when accessing the internet. Instead they provide a very dumbed down custom QoS implementation that has been very buggy by all reports. I am hoping that I might be able to get 802.11q with DDWRT or Tomato, but doubt that Merlin will provide it.In general the interface is just simplified, and it is clear that it was intended for the novice user. Some advanced features are available, but for the most part it is designed for the non-technical user.To be clear, I find the problems above endemic across all SOHO offerings. They are adequate, but dumbed down for grandma to the point they do not work the way a technologist would expect. Based on the performance I am seeing with update firmware, I can highly recommend this if you need a Dual Band WIFI router, I have deducted 1 star because you will need to flash the firmware to get it to be stable. -This Router is excellent! Installation is painless and fast. It comes with a CD but you do not need it! The quick start guide is all you need and you have wifi in 10 minutes :-)! This is so much faster and more consistent than our old netgear router. -It was and excellent tablet and I loved it however I had to return it for a refund because in less than 1month, out of know where it just stopped working, no power, wouldn't charge, it just stopped. Luckily they were very quick and awesome about giving me a quick refund. Seller was great, loved my tablet but I think it was just a malfunction and not anyone's fault. Thanks for being great about my return guys. -From the beginning:I had been interested in a wireless speaker for awhile and had gone to the Apple store as well as Best Buy to look at some products in person. I wasn't really able to tell a big sound difference between them in store at the time.I ended up purchasing a Jawbone Jambox as it was considerably cheaper and I enjoyed the different color options. At first I enjoyed the sound, and it was of good quality. The speaker felt solid in your hand, but the one thing I noticed is that there was not a large amount of bass that came out of it.After sending it back, I ordered the Bose SoundLink Mini.Having owned it for over a month now, I am very, very happy with my purchase. This speaker is made very well, it has a full metal body that surrounds the outside of the speaker and its contents. The bass is very powerful and the sound quality is, as you'd expect from Bose, phenomenal.I get decent range with bluetooth in my house, about 30 feet. I have never had the speaker die due to the battery just draining. I charge it maybe, once a week, if that.Overall it is a well designed portable speaker that is aesthetically pleasing, has great sound quality, and well worth the price.I would recommend this to anyone looking for a portable speaker but unsure which one to choose. -The first one of these I bought was over a year ago for a home office. Job changed so the monitor became part of a multi display home office along with a Dell monitor from years ago.The difference in picture quality is enough that I got another Asus to replace the dell. The Asus monitor is much brighter, higher contrast, and deeper colors. Text is easier to read. This is in all ambient light conditions I've had to deal with. These are the VS247H-P 23.6 inch displays.About the stand. It is not up to the job. If your desk is rock solid it will hold the monitor, but if you have desks that shudder every time someone passes by, or when you nudge it inadvertently, the monitor will wobble annoyingly. Dell does have solid stands on the monitors they sell. So when I ordered the second I didn't bother attaching the stand. Instead I removed the "neck" and attached both monitors to a two monitor VESA compliant stand: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002R9HQLI/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc;=1Now they are both rock solid (or at least as solid as the cheap desk they're on). If you get a single monitor consider one of the monitor stands Amazon sells for single displays.Haven't attempted the rebate process. I'll report back on that. -We just returned from a trip overseas and brought both the S95 and the SX260. We have owned the S95 for the past 2 years and really liked the camera but we wanted to get another camera as a backup and also to get one with a higher optical zoom. We tested both cameras in multiple situations on the trip and came to the conclusion that the S95 takes better night shots but the SX260 takes better shots in the day and the 20X optical zoom is extremely useful. The S95 allows you to go full manual but the SX260 gives you many options to play with your photo taking. Overall, if I could only take one camera I would take the SX260 because the optical zoom and picture quality is great. The night photos were pretty good too but not as good as the S95 (obviously if you are planning on taking more night shots, then the S95/100 would probably be better for you). On a side note, the GPS on the SX260 sucks battery life very quickly and the camera has a difficult time finding the GPS signal (we left it off for most of the trip) -I have been using this for the last three months and it is working really well. I had bought 2 cheap ones on ebay and it stopped working in a month. This has worked in my car as well as in laptop and I dont have to worry about adjusting the cable or any of that sort. The cable is quite thick which gives the wear and tear. If someone is looking for a good quality cable at a cheaper price than from Apple store, I would recommend this. -I ordered my new NewTrend Airbender Pro NT610KR from Amazon. I received it a few days later. It was great timing because I was just getting ready to leave on a business trip. I rapidly removed it from the box. My initial impression was great. Starting from the cool box to the wireless keyboard case. The case looks great. It feels very sturdy and nice looking. It is little thicker than my old case (another great case from NewTrend Airbend 2.0 (NT510K)).Next, I had to charge the case to use it. I had only a few hours left before I left. Now the charging process is a little strange. The manual says that the light indicator should be lighted in RED, but I never saw it. I waited and eventually the light turned BLUE (maybe the RED indicator only shows when the battery is dead. I will have to post an update once the first charge is over).Then came it came to placing my iPad Air into the new case. I struggled a little. The case is very tight. It is harder to take it apart. Putting it together was very easy once I figured out how to take it apart. Each of the important input places are protected by a small tab which fits perfectly and makes the iPad well protected. The case comes with a screen protector which is nice (I already have my screen protector), but I figured it will provide a double protection. Now I had everything ready for my trip.When I boarded my flight, I was finally ready to use it. First I needed to open the case to the position that felt most comfortable. There is a release button in the on the side of the case that releases the extension arm. I pulled it too far and it came apart. It was no problem. Pressed the button and placed the extension arm to the right level. Now, I was truly ready to use it, but before I use it I had to pair the wireless keyboard and my iPad Air (updated to the last iOS). First, I could not figure out how to turn on the keyboard. I did not read the manual, but I eventually figured that I need to hold the on/off button for a few seconds to turn it on and off. Then I pressed the pairing button which connected easily to my iPad. Used extensively the keyboard during my 10 hours flight. I wrote emails and made notes in preparations for my upcoming client meetings. The keyboard felt nice. It was not clunky and was a good size. With my first Airbender 2.0, I had some problems with the keyboard freezing my iPad which this worked perfectly. During my trip, the passenger next to me commented about the case too. He said it looks really nice.During the week and my flight back, the case was still working perfectly. So far, no problems. I took some pictures with iPhone 5s. These may not be the greatest pictures, but it will provide you with some sense of this great case. If you have iPad and wants it to be protected and a great wireless keyboard, you must consider the Newtrend Airbender Pro (NT610KR)!Durability~5 (so far, no issue to report)Functionality~5 (it has all of the options I would want)Quality~5 (so far it has been great and fun to use it)Protective Capability~5 (this is a fantastic case)Shipping of product~5 (the box is pretty cool too) -Really impressed. Even for the price i paid these are LOUD with great quality sound. The bass is great, i love the little control unit as well.The one drawback i'd include with this is the speakers are a bit too sensitive to whatever direction theyre facing. That is to say, if the speakers aren't directly facing you, they suffer a great deal of clarity unless you jack the volume much louder than necessary. -My previous router would continuously drop and have to be rebooted, so after reading all the reviews decided to purchase this Medialink. Although, I was not familiar with the brand the price was very good, and the reviews were generally very positive which is hard to find especially about routers. Well, the router is great, works as described, fast, good range, easy set up, strong internet single, does not drop or need to be rebooted... so glad I upgraded, this perfect product even if the blue lights are a tad bright. I can finally enjoy my internet access without frustration. I love this router! -These are great! I bought 8 to house all my old drives. The plastic is sturdy, the design is simple and minimal, none have gone wrong yet. Really easy to pop them open again and swap a drive out.In my experience these enclosures can break whether they're an expensive Lacie or G-Drive or a cheap Orico, it's all pot luck, and I've had USB controllers die in every kind of enclosure and device. So for $12 you can't go wrong. -I thought the description mentioned that the drive would need to be re-formatted for Mac or Linux, however I must have miss-read the description. Apparently the drive is simply unusable with the Linux OS and since I use Virtual Windows Systems inside a Linux host, the drive was useless to me.One thing I will mention is that I did test it on my nephew's Windows 7 laptop (USB 2.0 only) and it appeared to load (after a bit of a delay) and work properly however I wasn't able to do much testing with it unfortunately. It seems like a sturdy little drive and the capacity would've been nice. If I used Windows or Mac natively on any system, I probably would have kept it. -I bought this for my wife for Christmas and she just loves it. The video quality of the HD is awesome. -These cables are extremely well made, have the extra feature of incorporating an ethernet path and are a really great buy. I was able, by using this cable, to eliminate a full 4 pair cable run for the ethernet connection to my flat screen TV. I highly recommend this cable. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/paragraph-validation.grocery.txt b/reference_files/paragraph-validation.grocery.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 005b3252781e2031463db3d5eb5b84adc1a111d4..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/paragraph-validation.grocery.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,101 +0,0 @@ -I thought these were good. I like the butter cookies that come out in the blue tin around Christmas, and these tasted similiar. They weren't too sweet. I liked the ingredient list a lot. They weren't that sweet. They were a hit with a particularly picky vegetarian girl that I had along on a trip. Afraid they ruined her diet because she ate about 1/2 the bag at once. I made the mistake later of thinking I'd try one with some nutella - that is dangerous beyond belief. These are crazy good with just a bit of nutella. I'd probably buy them again just to put nutella on. They crumble a bit but the bag we had was not that bad - the cookies don't really crumble as much as they leave crumbs.The bag is resealable on the top. -I realize that doesn't sound overly compelling, but I expected these healthful crackers to be dry as dust. Instead, they've actually got some nice flavor and body to them, and aren't any dryer than any other graham cracker I've ever eaten. I added some Nutella to these and they made a stellar snack! I would definitely be just as likely to purchase these as any other graham cracker - even for s'mores! -I'm one of the few ones that actually like drinking water and do it not just for the health benefits but it's actually my drink of choice. I buy all different waters and this one is perfect. It's clean tasting and smooth. It has no metallic taste or aftertase.Just a great water... -The South Beach Living Fiber Fit Mocha bar comes with 5 to a package. At 120 calories, they make a great choice if you are watching your weight. They taste pretty good for a bar with so much fiber. These bars make a nice healthy choice when you are in need of a snack. Mocha isn't my favorite flavor, but these bars are still quite good. -The Keebler Town Pita cracker (Sea Salt) is definitely a little on the salty side - which means that I would make my hummus with less salt than usual. The flavor is nice and the cracker is quite crunchy. It was a little much salt to eat without a dip, so in the future, I'll be sure to make a dip to go with them. I thought they were an interesting alternative to regular crackers and butter crackers, so I was pleased with them on the whole. -First off, the taste is pretty awesome. I smelled it and automatically thought that it smelled like cough syrup and wasn't going to be any good, but it surprised me and was actually pretty tasty. This does give you a little energy and I noticed if I took it about an hour before I worked out, I felt better while working out. Over all I would buy this product. I also noticed my allergies haven't been as bad as they usually are.12-10-12:I prefer this instead of taking daily vitamins. I was taking vitamin c (I still will take a couple extra a week, its flu season now), vitamin B, vitamin D, vitamin A, magnesium, and Echinacea, I much prefer to grab a bottle of water squirt this in it and call it a morning. Has all those vitamins plus more, I'm a full-time student so I try and take vitamins, since not everyone is clean sanitary at college...works great, I stopped taking it for about two weeks, taste gets boring after a while and I ended up with strep throat. I've been taking it ever since then and I feel fine and haven't gotten sick since then. This says a lot for me, since the last time I got strep I got it three times in one year.... -These cookies are only OK. The texture is fine, but the flavor is quite bland, not nearly as chocolatey as I expected given that the cookie itself is chocolate as well as the filling. Despite the name, the filling is not particularly gooey, but I don't consider that to be a drawback. As noted on the package, these cookies are soft - very soft. Often, I find that soft cookies tend to stick together in the package, then break apart when you try to separate them. These cookies, however, did hold together fairly well.The cookies come in the resealable package, which I like very much.I probably wouldn't buy these cookies in the store because the flavor was so bland. -I like a pretty wide variety of cereals, and I'm a proud member of the "cereal is good for any meal or snack at any time of day" club. Having tried this new product, I'll be adding it to my (admittedly lengthy) cereal shopping list.The taste is fairly sweet, but not overly so. When looking at the amount of sugar in a serving, bear in mind that the natural sugar here is not the same crap as the processed white sugar and corn syrup found in less healthy foods. The flakes and dried fruit are distinct, and don't mix together in a single sugary flavor like sweetened kids' cereals often do. However, at least in the box I got, the fruit was a little sparse. If I were designing the ideal mix, I'd probably increase the ratio of fruit pieces to flakes.The glazed flakes are very thick and very crunchy. In fact, I get to the bottom of the bowl before they start to get soggy at all. This distinguishes this cereal from other, similar products with thinner flakes. Those who have trouble chewing and prefer a soft cereal probably won't like it. The slightly powdery dried fruit is closer to what you find in other cereals of this nature.The rather substantial flakes make this cereal pretty filling, more so than you might think from looking at it (it lies somewhere between other flake & fruit types and granola), but the box is still pretty small. Those who, like me, generally eat a large bowlful will go through a box in about three servings tops. At the time I'm writing this, the product is "currently unavailable," so I don't know what the price will be when it returns to Amazon. So bear in mind that this 6-box pack will probably give you about 18 bowls of cereal when considering the cost. -This is a cute little packet and an easy way to find a simple lunch when you're on the move and don't like fast food. What's even nicer is that these are heart healthy and contain no MSG, HFCS, or trans fats. It's a definite treat to find them all in a one portion lunch kit.This has a good little selection of items in it, the salmon and crackers, a fruit and nut mix, dry roasted edamame, and a small piece of dark chocolate. Although I was a little suspicious of salmon in a plastic container, it is tasty. The salmon has a little kick to it that keeps it from tasting like tuna fish. The dried fruit and nut mix are surprisingly good. The edamame? It's alllll riiiiight if you like that sort of thing. Put enough salt on it and I'll eat it. A small piece of chocolate brings this lunch to a sweet and dark end.I'm planning to get a six pack of these to keep in the car. So many times when I'm out running errands, I dig around the bottom of my purse and end up having a smushed protein bar for lunch. This is an awesome replacement. -I got a package of these to review for the Amazon Vine program. I'm not normally a big fan of these add to water drinks. But, this one is really good. It's not as much green tea as it is mango and pineapple. If you're a tea lover, you might not like this so much. It's very fruity. I like the fact that it's not all artificially sweetened even though it does contain an artificial sweetener. At least there is some honey in it. I would definitely buy these. I couldn't keep them away from my daughters and my wife. -I was looking forward to trying this cereal, because not too long ago I was able to try a wonderful granola cereal by Nature's Path, which I liked very much.So, I expected to like this cereal too. Unfortunately I don't! I poured alittle bit of the cereal into a bowl. On my first bite what I tasted seemed salty to me. I also do not really taste a vanilla flavor, or much of a vanilla flavor.I love the flavor vanilla, especially if it's real vanilla flavoring, but there is also another mainstream brand of cereal that also came in a vanilla flavor that so many people also seemed to love, and I didn't really care for that cereal either.It does look interesting when you pour the cereal into your bowl, different shapes, which consist of corn, rice,flax, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth.When I read the nutrition facts, except for the fact that this cereal is organic, which to me is major, the health benefits really are no better than even alot of mainstream cereals, this cereal is no higher in important nutrients.The total carbohydrates per 2/3 Cup serving is 25 grams, which is 8%,dietary fiber is 3 grams, which is 12%, and sugars is 7 grams. The sodium level is only 130 mg, which is only 5%. There is only 1 gram of total fat, and 4% iron. I would call this a reasonably healthy cereal, and it is gluten free.Iam not impressed. I wish I were. It does not keep me from wanting to try other Nature's Path products, but Iam disappointed to find that I did not like this cereal after reading such wonderful feedback about it.Maybe I just don't like vanilla flavored cereals? -Simply put, this drink is delicious, and I didn't reach this conclusion on my own. I introduced Izze's Sparkling Apple to more than three people, and everyone who tried it loved it. Even my dad, who's pretty picky about drinks, really liked it a lot. It's not too sweet, it's not too carbonated... it's like apple cider with a twist! It's great!It smells delightful, and I liked the packaging as well. I thought the cans were some of the most appealing I've seen in awhile.I definitely recommend Izze's All-Natural Sparkling Apple, and I'm sure you'll like it too! -It seems like none of these superfood/supplement powders ever taste GOOD. Some of them have made me downright sick. This one is about the only one I've found that is drinkable by itself. There is an earthy, grassy undertone to it that is a bit rough, but I mix one scoop of this (about a heaping teaspoon's worth) and one tablespoon of Ovaltine to 8 ounces milk (sometimes soy milk) and it's delicious. Sometimes I'll mix it with the Bolthouse Farms Chocolate Soy Protein drink. If I know I'm going to have a busy day I'll mix it with milk and a half-scoop of whey protein powder.No matter what powder drink supplement/meal replacement mix you choose, you'll want to invest in one of these:LaCuisineTM 18oz Tornado Portable Mixer. Add a little liquid, start blending, add your mix and then fill with more liquid. Your drink is now smooth and if you're a slow drinking like me you can zap it before a sip to keep your drink smooth all the way.Beyond taste, after a week of using the Amazing Grass Chocolate Superfood and changing nothing else in my diet or activities, I find myself having less trouble falling asleep, and I'm waking up earlier and with more energy.If you're wondering exactly what the difference is between this and the Amazing Grass Meal, the answer is about 100 calories and I'm not sure what else. The scoop in the meal can is about three heaping tablespoons (the superfood scoop is about a heaping teaspoon). The taste is almost identical. -Looking for a change from your typical coffees & teas? Well, let's give Gold Kili's Instant Ginger Lemon Drink to see if it's worth a rank among the staples of hot beverages.This caffeine-free lemon drink comes individually packaged in foil packages, though the name ("Instant Ginger Lemon Drink") is a bit too generic in my opinion. Still, it's up front about what you're getting.The instructions are simple: Pour contents, add hot water (250 ml), stir, and serve instantly. Upon first opening the packet, the smell of the mix isn't overly appetizing. The oddly coloured crumbly mix isn't very appealing either. Also, after the pour, I realized that the 250 ml it calls for isn't even a full cup. Maybe that's a good thing (it is).The timing to try this out couldn't have been better. My sore throat looking for a bit of relief. Unfortunately, this drink just made things worse. It was just, for lack of a better word. . . nasty! The first moment it hit my tongue, I felt my lips pucker and my throat constrict. Lemon & ginger are both powerful flavours, but they can be used well together. This is not an example of that. Instead, it has an overpowering taste of that fake lemon flavouring you'll find in low-quality desserts and drinks. I even tried adding a bit more hot water to dilute the flavours a bit, but to no avail.Overall, just avoid this toxic concoction. It's not at all worth it. -I sampled Kali Ginger and Lemon drink mix on a cold wintry day when my throat was a bit inflamed and sore. I drank it hot as directed on the foil pouch. To be honest, the first few sips burned quite a bit as they went down due to the ginger, but as I continued to drink, the lemon and honey flavors came to the fore. After finishing the whole cup, my throat felt a little bit better, and I realized that overall, I had liked the beverage.That said, the big question is: did I like it well enough to order more? And my honest answer is: probably not. Gold Kali Ginger & Lemon is one of those products that I might enjoy on a rare occasion, but not one that I'm tempted to stock up on and make part of my regular diet. There will definitely be a group of consumers that this spicy drink will appeal to, and to them, I heartily recommend it. But as for me, a man who enjoys more traditional warm and cold beverages, let's just say that it really isn't my cup of tea. -I just wish it was a Fair Trade product since that protects employees. I do not buy rainbow quinoas since they sell for a high price without having enough red or black but more of white but C & F sells one of the best white and red mix since C & F offers more red than white in the mix. I usually buy the white, red and black separately and mix as I wish as well since quinoa is just an important part of my diet.KEEN-Waah... A complete protein source, a seed related to other healthy cousins like spinach and beets. In a pot I place quinoa, frozen peas, carrots, corn, add water and tomato paste. Spinach is added at the end the last minute. Stewing tomatoes for a half hour increases the cancer fighting lycopene content by 35 percent. Cooking also unlocks another nutrient, beta-carotene, in corn and carrots since heat breaks down the fibrous cell walls, releasing more of these antioxidants. The same goes for spinach but then you need to get your vitamin C from something else since that is the first vitamin which is depleted with heat. I saute lots of onion separately then in ten minutes I add paprika, cumin, dillweed, gram marsala, crushed red pepper, turmeric and lots of garlic2 x 2 Pound Fresh Garlic USA California Heirloom Monviso Gilroy Finest (4 Pounds Total), mix it well and add the mix to the pot and let it sit without heat for five minutes. This is what vegans consume instead of beef since it is a complete protein. Greens, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc. may have protein but the fact is that only quinoa has a complete protein and all others do not since all others are missing few amino acids here and there but not quinoa. I rarely ever consume beef, chicken, etc. so fish and quinoa are the only source of complete protein with all amino acids for me. Organic, whole grain, very fulfilling due to some starch with host of vitamins, minerals that no beef or chicken can even come close to. Cooks in ten minutes with some water, no fat, no salt, no sugar... I consume it with eggplant, onions, okra, smoked hearings, curry type dishes with lots of spices and delicious juices. I never ever have to wash and rinse before cooking either. I keep the uncooked portions in double zip lock bags in freezer. I consume so much that I never have to worry about the unused portion going rancid and unlike brown rice which loses its oil in less than six months and becomes worthless even if kept in freezer, quinoa will last longer. Obviously I never ever do that with any food since I only purchase what I need in order to get the nutrients which are a healthy portion of my diet. Gluten free, the best product for me when I go camping since all I do is add lemon and tomato and that way I never have to worry about paying arm and leg for that lousy, awful tasting dry foods. I ground chia+flax+sesame, mix it with cocoa+isolate+soy milk before my workouts every single day or no workout regardless. Three tbsp of quinoa in my power drink offers me 4gr of pure, complete protein with all amino acids. I add organic paprika to regular yellow quinoa and it turns the dish into a beautiful red color. Healthy, healthier and healthiest of many seeds, delicious sprouts only in 3 days with all amino acids. I am an athlete with a healthy diet. I used to consume brown rice heavily years ago but no longer. I can consume quinoa with tomato and lemon juice and it is the best food I can take with me anywhere on any sports trip and I do not even have to wash it either. Delicious, delicious, delicious.FRESHNESS: Fresh means nutritious and delicious. I consume lots of seeds, beans, grains, vegetables, etc. and freshness is a priority regardless of the brand so I always purchase my food ingredients in small quantities from reputable sellers with high turnover. When fresh, food is nutritious and that goes for any food in any form, from frozen to canned. Fresh food is nutritious as well as delicious since nutrients give food its delicious taste. When old or rancid, nutrients are gone and any food item becomes an empty calories with no taste and absolutely worthless regardless of the brand or price, organic or conventional. For few years I consumed seeds in oil form since physicians advised me to do so not knowing that majority are not aware that seeds hardly offer any nutrients unless; seeds are fresh, not old which means rancid, not in oil form, not in supplement form, not hulled, ground and consumed within few days, kept in dark cold temperatures, away from light-sun-moisture since the oil in seeds and nuts go rancid regardless. That is why brown rice which has its nutrients will go rancid even if kept in freezer while white rice will last for years at room temperature since it hardly has any nutrients or oil. I ground in my coffee grinder sesame, flax, chia, amaranth, hemp then add cocoa, isolate protein, soy milk and consume it before my workouts on daily basis for its vitamins, minerals, protein and many nutrients, without much spike in my glucose. Un-hulled seeds are full of nutrients. I never consume hulled seeds which are empty calories, absolutely worthless since the nutrients have been removed.STARCH: Some carbohydrates, such as sugars and most starch are rapidly digested and absorbed as glucose into the body through the small intestine and subsequently used for short-term energy needs or stored. Resistant starch on the other hand, resists digestion and passes through to the large intestine where it acts like dietary fiber. Sugar, honey, maple syrup, white flour, white rice, whole-grain pastry flour, packaged cold cereals, commercial fruit juices, and fruit-juice sweetened beverages are the same foods some dentists claim rots the teeth from the inside out by changing the balance and ratio of calcium to phosphorous in the bloodstream. Your immune system goes down when you wolf down sweets, especially around events and holiday meals. High Glycemic foods quickly turn to sugar in your blood stream, causing excess insulin to pour into your blood to get rid of the excess sugar. The excess insulin pushes the calcium and fat into your arteries, especially if you have only a few cholesterol receptors on your liver (which is genetic). Whole wheat and white bread have essentially the same impact on blood sugar so I try to consume bread with whole sprouted grains, even flourless breads, and no-yeast breads. Black beans, northern beans, navy beans, red kidney beans, lentils, split peas, black-eyed peas, brown rice, rolled oats, millet, corn, black rice are all Resistance Starch. King of starch for me is quinoa and Navy Beans before and post expedition trips, 17.6gr vs. 15.4gr for 100gr serving. No wonder the price of quinoa is going up, up, up... -I got these crackers for my husband since I do not like cheese and he eats Ritz crackers and cheese for snacks every day, so I thought he would enjoy these.Here's his review:If you've ever purchased cheese and crackers from a vending machine you've eaten one of these. Even though they are packaged air tight the cheese was crumbly and the cracker seemed like it was staler than it should have been. This cracker would normally be a little hard, but this was more so. I didn't care for the multigrain. I was really surprised at the quality of this cracker because I eat the original Ritz crackers every day. I only ate one cracker and that's plenty. -We've had this on chicken, pork ribs and as a dipping sauce for some cheap chicken nuggets and it was good with all of them. For a habanero sauce this is actually quite mild and the ginger aspect of it is more of an aftertaste than a prominent flavor.All in all it is well done. My only gripe is that it doesn't have much kick too it, something I have grown to expect from most things containing habanero peppers. -My wife has occasional heartburn with drinking more then one cup of coffee, particularly with bolder blends. I got this for her since she likes dark roasts, but doesn't like the problems associated with them. After two cups, she found that the coffee wasn't bitter and was very smooth for a dark roast. No heartburn at all. The overall flavor wasn't bad, but it wasn't something that she would be drawn to in the future. Might try other flavors though. -I love these snack sized and portable bags of almonds. They're great for throwing into my purse, and the almonds inside are fresh and tasty. My mom is a huge nut fan and went crazy for these, though we both agreed they could have used a little more salt. -Interestingly, even when comparing with other sauces, this immediately brought to mind Taco Bell. I never realized their sauces were so distinctive.With regard to the sauce itself, the consistency is thick, tasting like a mayonnaise base with some BBQ Sauce added and then mixed with some chipotle (minus the seeds). Mildly warm, extremely creamy... certainly not bad... more like comfort food - what you would grab in the middle of the night, not what you would feed to honored guests.So... it fills the bill for standard fare, but would be just as easy to make your own and cut down some of the fat and salt (of which this sauce has a ton of both!!!) and pick up some extra flavor and "freshness". Hope this review is helpful.All the best,Jay -Unfortunately I only received 1 Organic Cherry Cashew Bar, so I shared it with my father and my friend. The reviews were mixed. I really liked the tart and tangy taste and texture. It was very cherry-licious and chewy, so it made me feel more full than I really was after all that chewing. My dad, who is 88 years old and loves everything (foodwise)thought it was "super", while my friend Keiko liked the way it tasted, but she didn't care for the way it smelled. It reminded her of oatmeal. So, all in all we thought it was very good and we will definitely be buying more of these, especially since they are gluten free, organic and relatively inexpensive. -While I'm not a licorice fanatic like some of my friends, I do enjoy a licorice twist now and then! I really liked the Newman Pomegranate twists. They are sweet, but not too sweet. The texture is smooth and not grainy. The licorice was fresh and tasty. I'll definitely buy this for a low calorie treat in the future! -I am an admitted tea and coffee snob but was looking for a product that I can travel with and also prepare in different ways. I normally use Nescafe Classic Freeze Dried coffee when using instant coffee but these new packets of Taster's Choice are so convenient, travel well, are easily opened, dissolve completely and the taste is quite satisfactory for a freeze dried product. I have prepared it hot, cold (iced) and used it in coffee flavored ice cream drinks. NESCAFÉ TASTER'S CHOICE is made with a blend of Robusta and Arabica beans. That is, just real beans used to make real coffee then the coffee itself is freeze dried for your convenience.Here is my recipe for iced coffee - I prefer milk in mine...2 tablespoons hot water1 packet of NESCAFÉ TASTER'S CHOICE Instant Coffee GranulesIce cubes6 oz.cold water or milk1 tablespoon sugar (optional)Combine hot water, sugar, if desired and coffee granules in tall glass; stir until coffee is dissolved. Fill glass with ice. Pour cold water or milk over ice; stir to combine.Here is my recipe for an Almond Coffee Shake -1 packet NESCAFÉ TASTER'S CHOICE Instant Coffee Granules2 tablespoons hot water1/2 cup milkdash of almond extract or flavoring1 cup vanilla ice creamCombine coffee granules, almond, and water, stirring until coffee dissolves. Stir in milk.Pour into blender along with and ice cream; blend until smooth and frothy. Pour into tall glass; serve immediately.This product is great for camping and travel and tastes as good as a freeze dried product could ever taste! -I had low expectations as I'm usually not a fan of health food bars. These, however, were quite good. I enjoyed the slightly chewy texture and the fresh nuts. The bars have a bright and fruity flavor that is very pleasant. I also tried the blueberry, but preferred the tart flavor of these a little more. I would definitely buy these again. -I could smell the chocolate wafting through my house on Sunday morning as the coffee brewed and hoped that it would taste as good as it smelled. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised that it was just as delicious. Now, caution to those that are not big flavored coffee drinkers....this one may not be for you. I love coffee, flavored, not flavored, with sugar, black if I must, just caffeinate me, and make it a nice cup of good coffee.This coffee was delicious for Sunday, but would also be a lovely dessert coffee with a bit of cream and sugar. I drank it black with sugar and it was a nice rich cup of coffee. Very smooth, and as I sit writing this I am just enjoying the scent of the dark chocolate. I do love a coffee that I gives me a full experience, good scent, good flavor and that leaves me satisfied.I would definitely like to try more of their coffee flavors in the future. -Vanilla to me is like licorice: one of those flavors with so many artificial, bad-tasting imitations that it's a pleasure to experience the real thing.Starbucks new Natural Fusions line of flavored coffee may say 'a hint of vanilla' but to my taste, the natural flavoring is richly aromatic and full-bodied. I take coffee with milk and no sugar; the vanilla adds just enough sweetness without detracting from the coffee itself.Many flavored coffees are over-flavored, probably on the assumption they're competing with large amounts of sugar. The vanilla in Natural Fusions complements the fine coffee taste rather than competing or overwhelming it. It's all about balance. You want to preserve the experience of the main component while taking it to a new level. I think Starbucks got it right here.If you're trying to cut down on sugar (or you know you should but aren't), give Natural Fusions vanilla a try; you may find you don't miss the sugar as much as you think.Instructions: Raise the cup to your lips, inhale, take a sip, inhale again. Repeat to your heart's content. -Our family [Father (39), Mother (40), Son (12), Daughter (9)] taste test this advertised 'All Natural Nestle Jamba Energy Drinks deliver great benefits'.Father "Too sugery tasting - why would someone drink this."Son " Kind-a natural tasting, sweet" and he drank his whole portionDaughter ' Ugh and spit it out screaming it was making her tongue numb."Mother , I drank my portion had a green apple flavor but the after taste was terrible.Over all my family asked that we not buy the product. -Dark chocolate taste is delicious, satisfying and not sweet.Nutrition as per the nutrition panel is good.This is not a sweet, sticky granola bar as many tend to be.I'm more of a milk chocolate lover but this bar was very good. -At around 4 bucks a box (about 16 bucks for a pack of 4 boxes), and 6 crackers per box, these crackers run about 67 cents apiece. For a dollar, I can get a 2-ounze bag of cheez-its, a nature valley granola bar, a 2-pack of pop tarts, animal crackers, or chips out of the vending machines at work.I usually don't eat snack foods, but when I do, it's usually because I get hungry at work... so I think comparing the pricing of these individually-wrapped crackers w/ work vending machine prices is valid. Bottom line there is price seems equivalent to, or maybe slightly higher than, similar snacks from a vending machine.These crackers are tasty -- the cracker is crispy, the cheesy filling is flavorful -- but I'm not that impressed with them overall. I'd rather go full-junk-food and have a nice bag of Cheez-Its, or stay healthy and eat carrots or fruit for less $. -No complaints whatsoever. This is a tasty coffee drink. The coffee is strong and good and the sweetener is perfect - just sweet enough without being that kind of sickly sweet that mars something like Starbucks' pre-made iced coffee drinks. Just about perfect. Refreshing and a nice boost for the afternoon. -I tried this The Switch Black Cherry flavor as well as the Watermelon Strawberry. I happen to like black cherry as a flavor for beverages, so keep that in mind as you read this review.FLAVOR:The beverage was sweet, but not overly sweet, and not at all tart. It tasted similar to other black cherry carbonated drinks I've had. I would compare it in taste to Knudsen's Black Cherry Spritzer with Switch being a tad more "soda" tasting. It is much lighter tasting than actual black cherry sodas I've had, such as Dr. Brown's.INGREDIENTS:The Switch is advertised as 100% juice. It is, but it is juice from concentrate. I prefer juice squeezed from the fruit or vegetable itself. In the case of The Switch the concentrate is filtered sparkling water. I'm fine drinking concentrates and I drink soda too so I'm not being a health fanatic, but be aware if you are expecting actual juice, this product is filtered water used to reconstitute the juice concentrate. The juices uses are apple, grape, acerola and cherry. If you aren't familiar with acerola, it is a cherry like fruit, but with three lobes. Acerola is high in Vitamin C.NUTRITION:One 8.3 ounce can of The Switch Black Cherry contains:* 130 calories* 15 mg sodium*35 g carbs (33 g sugar)So keep in mind while it has no added sugar it still has the sugar content from its ingredients. It has more calories than a can of Coke Classic! It does not have any corn syrup or added sugars though.It also contains 100% of the recommended level of Vitamin C.PRICE:The product costs more than soda, but the ingredients are better. It costs a little less than Knudsen's Black Cherry Spritzer product. I use this comparison because the Knudsen product is similar in taste and basic content (filtered sparkling water, fruit concentrate), but a little different in ingredients (no acerola, using pear, pineapple and plum instead), with The Switch having a slight bit more carbs and sugars.Overall, this is a tasty drink. It is somewhere between a soda and a health drink, definitely better for you than a soda, but not quite as "natural" as say all natural juices. However, if you want a carbonated drink, The Switch is better for you than soda. -I bought these because the price was excellent and my husb sometimes drinks 5 cups per day. He has a home office and a stressful job!My husb never complains about the coffee but with this one he asked me what it was and that he didn't really like it much and to not order it again...!Also, I found myself reaching for Tully's or Deidrichs and not using this one. It is OK but the flavor is not quality to where you feel special while drinking it...ya know? Hard to explain but it's just plain ole coffee.However, I decided to go for the blue label Martinson, Brazilian, and that one is much better.I do have to say that we both really like the new Brooklyn Beans...price is EXCELLENT and the Fuggetaboudit is great! but they just can't seem to keep it in stock. Unfortunately, I see a price increase as their heads enlarge. -Good and bad points from this product:Good: I thought the taste was good - the packaging describes the chocolate as velvety and I think that's a pretty good word for it. The size is also larger than I realized it would be from the box - you get three pieces in one package and the package overall is about the same size (in length) as a regular candy bar would be, although the pieces are thinner than you average candy bar.Bad: I think that for most people trying to maintain or attain "skinny," this product is not going to be that useful. If you're cutting calories, having a snack or dessert that is 130 calories without doing much to fill you up is not helpful. The product also contains 7 grams of fat and 0 grams of fiber (eating food with fiber is important if you're losing weight because it makes you fill fuller and less like snacking again later in the day). Honestly I wish the chocolates came individually packaged so that I could just have one for 1/3 of the calories instead of having to eat the whole package.Personally I wouldn't buy this product because I'd rather eat a chocolate with less calories (these would usually be significantly smaller) or at least one that has more fiber and thus is more filling (like the Fiber One brownies). -Illy makes great coffee and I did enjoy the taste of this beverage. But buys should beware that what they're getting when they order this product is not so much a Cappuccino, but a regular slightly flavored can of coffee. This did not taste like an iced cappucino.Whether you choose to purchase this product is likely based on your preference for canned coffee. I can tell you that illy excels at the canned coffee product. Their coffee does not taste artificial or fake, like many of the other products. I cannot drink the Starbucks Double Shot espresso without gagging and that largely put me off the stuff. I'm not sure if I'll continue drinking this stuff, but it wasn't bad.Canned coffee is expensive if you consider how cheap and relatively easy it is to make iced coffee. But if you're a believer in canned coffee, you'll probably like the taste of this one. Even if it's not really Cappuccino, at least it tastes good. -This coffee smelled great, but the taste was less impressive. It wasn't that the coffee was too bitter or strong, it was that the taste was sort of blah. There was nothing remarkable about the flavor, it really was quite boring, if one can call a coffee boring. This coffee would do the job in the morning if I didn't have any better stuff to drink, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it. It's just not very flavorful. If it tasted like it smelled it would have been so much better. -These bars are so convenient and so healthy. Most bars have added chemicals or flavorings. These bars are just cashews and dates which means pure God made food. We like how these are grain free as well. -The ginger in this drink is almost overwhelming. It is so strong that when I would go to take a sip, I would almost choke before I even had the drink in my mouth from the fumes of it. Then, after swallowing, my tongue and throat were still burning. The ginger tastes like actual ginger root, not artificial. Under the very strong ginger taste, you can taste a little bit of lemon and the drink is sweet. I can't say that I would buy this drink in the future, but if you really like the taste of ginger, you won't be disappointed in this drink. It was easy to prepare and dissolved nicely in hot or cold water. The ginger taste was much stronger when the drink was hot. -This microwave popcorn comes from my favorite brand of popcorn, which I usually make in my hot air popcorn popper.This tries to incorporate a nifty bowl into the bag, by opening in such a way at the top that the bag becomes a ready made bowl. In this regard it is an epic fail. The "bowl" bag has a red strip that you pull which supposedly causes the top of the bag to open widely into a bowl shape. I could not manage to pull the top red strip in the way shown on the package, and instead had to rip the entire top of the bag off. I had to then pour the popped corn into a big bowl to eat it, the same as any other microwave popcorn. I consider myself very handy at most such tasks too. This simply doesn't work the way it was intended to.The popcorn is almost delicious if you like a lot of salt on it. There is no butter flavor at all that I could detect, but since I never put butter on my popcorn I didn't miss it, but still, I was expecting to taste at least a bit of butter in this.This fully popped and was almost starting to burn in the microwave in under two minutes, although the directions say to pop it for 2 - 2.5 minutes.Even if I had managed to get the top of the "bowl" open as directed, there was no flat bottom on it that would have allowed it to stand up on its own. The taste of the popcorn is very good however so for that I gave it two stars. There were more unpopped kernals than I would have liked.I don't recommend this. Left a bad taste in my mouth for a long time after I ate it---yicki. -I tell you what, the very first bite I didn't like the bar at all. The texture was odd and the flavor was odd too.By the end of the bar I was sold though. I've eaten other bars with much worse texture and plenty with worse flavor too. The thing about this bar is that, as I said, I liked the bar by the time I'd finished it. Not so with others where I didn't care for it from the first bite.Plenty of blueberry flavor and crunchy nuts with no bad aftertaste. The texture takes some getting used too but I think part of that is knowing what to expect. Kinda like taking a sip of tea when you expect coke. I don't eat organic food but I could appreciate the experience of feeling pretty close to nature with this bar. Sounds corny huh.Anyway, as an alternative to a candy bar it is excellent. Better in every way and not even super expensive compared to candy prices. I like the serving and a half of fruit you get too.Darin -I usually buy high quality coffee such as Pete's, or Tully's because I like my coffee strong, and rich, but not bitter or burnt tasting. (Thats why i don't like Starbucks) Since this is dark roast, I was a bit apprehensive because often dark roast can have a bitter edge. This Community coffee was very smooth, rich and deeply flavorful. No bitterness at all. I was very happy with it. You can make it as strong as you want, and it just tastes rich and smooth. The price is also great. tastes like much more expensive brands. I am so glad I tried it. I will definitely buy it again. -Sauce is really good. Can make a quick meal in less than 10 minutes depending on the type of pasta that is used. This was just enough for a family of 3 but might have to use a couple for larger families. Great idea. -This product is very easy to use. Just squeeze into your water. I like that you can control the amount of sweetness. If you like your drinks sweeter, just add a bit more. The fruit punch flavor tastes just like Kool-Aid's fruit punch flavor. It is zero calories. One serving is one squeeze. It contains 24 servings per 12 ounce bottle.Each serving contains:40 mg CAFFEINEVitamin C 120%Vitamin B6 40%Vitaimin B5 40%Vitamin B3 40%Vitamin B12 40%Chromium 10%Once the bottle is opened it does need to be refrigerated. It also says that it should be used within 30 days after opening.The sweetener used in this product is sucralose.I think a big drawback of this product it that there are 40mg of caffeine per serving. I try to limit the amount of caffeine in my diet, so this product is not something I will be using again. Also, this makes it something I would avoid giving to kids. -I generally love the "natural" cereal brands. I am not adamant about my food being organic (please adjust the DNA to my taste), but I find that the products are typically made with more care and simply make me feel good. I am not quite sure, then, what went wrong with this little box of cereal. It is made of recycled paper. It looks like it was made by cute little hippies in hemp clothing! How could it not be amazing!?Well, it doesn't feel like the hemp endowed chefs even tried to make it taste good. It is extremely basic "cereal 101" in flavor and feels like a first attempt at throwing some generic ingredients together, rather than a finely tuned flavor combination. Unlike other reviewers, I did not find it too sweet or lacking in nutrition (fiber is always good). I just found it edible, decent, and nothing more. I am sorry to say that while you may enjoy the box to some degree, I can't recommend it outside of a very good sale. -Knorr roasting bags and seasoning is a pretty simple way to bake tender chicken. If my sister had made this, I would call it a hit with my low expectations of her cooking, but at the end of the day, I prefer my own seasoning. First off, the directions are easy to follow although I was running out of room wiggling the pieces apart from one another. I also would categorize it as roasted, but more steamed. The result is a very moist and tender chicken so I have no complaints there. I think the ideal combination would be my own seasoning baked in a roasting bag. -I have tried most flavors of Switch and I think Watermelon Strawberry is hands down my most favorite.When you first sip it, the flavor of fresh watermelon (not candy sweet watermelon) is crisp yet light and enhanced by the carbonation, this is quickly followed by a strawberry flavor that can best be described as identical to the strawberry juice at the bottom of the bowl. Even though this doesn't have added table sugar, the strawberry sweetness (enhanced by other fruit juices) does taste like strawberries with a little bit of sugar sprinkled on them- so the juice at the bottom is sweet but not syrupy thick and sweet...Delicious and carb wise I would use this as a tasty alternative to regular sodas. Good stuff. -If this water tastes like your tap water, we should all live where you live! My tap water is terrible and this is some of the best tasting water I have had. I am already a regular drinker of PH water but it is 8.4 and this particular one is 9.5. I have found that PH water really does give me more energy and I have found that it allows me to eat some foods I love that I used to have more problems with because of the acid, like tomatoes and uncooked apples.I know this water is man made but they do the job right with reverse osmosis. I love the extra things added to this water because many of us need them so much in our busy lives, things like electrolytes and potassium. I will buy this water as an extra when I am out and about or when I run out of water but I am sticking with my 8.4 alkaline water because it is cheaper, has the same smooth, good taste and is natural as well as less expensive than this one. -Feeding my great nephew while babysitting is a joy. I adore him.But getting him to eat green vegies has been a challenge. When Ihad the chance to try this, I jumped at it for my sake as much as for his!First time out, Baby Gourmet Organic Simple Puree got his seal of approval.I wish I could have posted the picture I have of his enthusiastic endorsementof the product.Of course I had to taste it myself, and I have to say that I agree. This is atasty choice for your little one, and if Owen could talk ( or type ) I am pretty sure thathe would add his recommendation to mine.One last thing, the packaging is brilliant, space saving and simple. Veryeasy to toss into a travel or diaper bag. Well done Baby Gourmet!ETAI put this food into a bowl and feed him with a spoon. -Disclaimer: I am NOT into organic, I am NOT into diet foods, I am NOT into the new craze to be a celiac, I am NOT into raw foods- unless they taste good. This does!This bar is tasty but not at all too sweet, the bar does not contain cane sugar (though, by the way, cane is a natural growing sugar) there are a lot of other things this bar does not contain also: no preservatives, no gluten, no dairy, no trans fat.It has a full serving of fruit, it is rich in omega-3s, it is certified organic, and vegan.A single bar has 190 calories, 8g fat, , 3g fiber, 17g sugar, 7g protein, 5mg sodiumBut never mind all that, just enjoy it guilt free as a great snack for its tasty cashews, dates, cherries and walnuts. It is chewy in a very satisfying way. Great to tuck in a purse or back pack for a quick delightful snack on the go. -This is a nice little gift set for you favorite chocolate lover. The ingredients are organic and Fair Trade Certified. The gift box also states it is suitable for vegetarians. The collection consists of twelve miniature chocolate bars that measure approximately 2 1/4 inch by 1 inch. The bars are 1/4 inch thick. You get two of each flavor in each box. The collection consists of Dark 70%, Milk, Toffee, Almond, Ginger and Cherry flavored bars. The Milk, Toffee, and Almond bars are milk chocolate. The Dark 70%, Ginger and Cherry are dark chocolate. My favorite was the ginger bar which boasted a subtle ginger flavor, with bits of crystallized ginger incorporated in the chocolate. The dark chocolate is good without being overly bitter like some dark chocolate can be. The milk chocolate is smooth and creamy in flavor. I enjoyed each flavor.This collection is a bit pricey as most good chocolate is, but I think it would make an excellent gift. The box has a wonderful presentation and the chocolates are delicious as well! It is a gift you can feel good about giving! I know I would be happy to receive a box of these chocolates as a gift! -This is for the health conscious who doesn't like reading a list of ingredients which are clearly not good for you. It consists of juice and carbonation. The taste is clean and refreshing. -The ALOE GLOE Natural Aloe Water drinking water has a noticeably distinct taste compared to the regular bottled ones you buy in the store. And I say this from a bottled-water drinker perspective. Water in my part of the country is specially hard, even when applying consumer filtration. That is why we have regular drinking water delivery. But after trying ALOE GLOE, I have a brand new perspective of what drinking water should be. Nothing beats water that is organic and contains the right minerals and ph balance. It is also gluten-free which is good for people who is intolerant of gluten. Unlike other consumer grade bottled drinking water, the ALOE GLOE is organic, free of any preservatives. This a truly long lasting hydrating liquid is that it is infused with electrolytes and life essential minerals that you cannot get with consumer-grade bottled water. ALOE GLOE hydrates better making drinking water fun and far in between. Very highly recommended!! -I've purchased the dried apples from this company before and figured I would give the clusters a try.I appreciate the fact that this food id USDA organic, gluten free, corn free, and vegan. In fact, the ingredients are simple: organic apples, organic apple juice concentrate, organic potato starch, organic cinnamon.In a 1/4 cup of these apple clusters, which remind me of rolled up oats ans/or hemp cereal, you receive 60 calories, with 0 calories from fat. There is no cholesterol, no protein, 1% of calcium, 2% of vitamin C, 2g of dietary fiber, 10 g of sugar, and 14 g of total carbohydrate.All in all, a healthy snack. The packaging makes it convenient for the on the go snack -- it is in a resealable 2.1 oz pouch (60 g), or four servings per package. Just enough to tantalize the senses, but not enough to pig out.The clusters are sugary bowls with a tint of cinnamon and a crunch reminiscent of cereal.Honestly, I prefer the taste of a real apple or the dried apples this brand sells at Starbucks, but in lieu of that, this is a good healthy snack alternative.Allergy alert: If you are extra sensitive, beware that this food is processed in a facility with nuts, dairy, wheat and soy. -I ordered these about three months ago for the first time and then put them in my pantry closet without even trying them because somewhere between the point of ordering them and getting them I stopped being excited by the thought of consuming them. I guess I figured that I would ultimately be disappointed since that's has often been my experience when trying a k-cup coffee for the first time. I "found" them a few weeks ago and thought why not eh - I was tired of drinking the same old coffee.And what a nice surprise it was. This coffee smells good when its brewing - quick as that brewing experience is in a Keurig coffee maker. The first sip - with half and half and a small teaspoon of sugar sealed the relationship. This is simply said a well balanced cup of coffee. A fully body taste without the bitterness that coffee can often contain. No lingering after taste, a huge plus for me in a coffee. And I drink this cup of coffee completely - something I haven't done since leaving dunkin donuts behind in New York ( there is literally just one dunkin donuts in all of Colorado and its about 20 miles away - a little further then I think is reasonable to drive for my first cup of coffee in the morning.).So "cheers" to Coffee People for this really yummy coffee and to Amazon for the frustration free packaging and the subscribe and save option. -I am an iced coffee (particularly mocha flavored) connoisseur. No, I am really, really serious about it! Not the coffee shop $5 a piece kind - the ones you buy in glass bottles or cans. When I say "connoisseur", I mean drinking one almost every day for the past eight years kind of connoisseur. Having stopped drinking one popular brand, and not being able to find a substitute - I ended up resorting to blending my own. However, this completely killed the portability that I loved, as well as the ability to grab one our the fridge and head out the door.Then I was asked to try this brand. Let me just say I am immediately putting this on "subscribe and save" for a monthly delivery.What makes it good is its balanced flavor. You know you are drinking coffee, not chocolate milk someone put into a used coffee cup. Not black coffee some tried to flavor a bit too late with a sugar bomb. This drink is well blended and the flavors are well balanced.While I absolutely appreciate they kept calories down (100 calories a serving) - I think they accomplished this by using quite a few "ingredients", many I needed to look up to see exactly what they were. While they don't sound life threatening, it makes the list of ingredients twice as long as a Starbucks Frappuccino in a glass bottle (although it does have 80 less calories than the Starkbucks brand at only on ounce less drink per can)coffee, lowfat milk, sugar, cocoa powder, potassium bicarbonate, cellulose gel, potassium citrate, cellulose gum, carrageenan. Caffeine content: 81 mgSo, if you are a person who really doesn't like a lot of chemicals or funky science going on in their food - you may be tempted to skip this one. There are other drinks one doesn't need a chemistry degree to ingest.With that said, the taste is smooth and balanced. I new I was drinking coffee - although it had the chocolate and milk flavors that I crave as well. I didn't get the shakes from too much caffeine and the price is reasonable compared to what you would pay in your average grocery store for similar products. Like I said, I am putting it on subscribe and save. However, I will probably still be on the lookout for iced coffee products that use more natural ingredients. It really is a good tasting product!Also, for those curious. This is a Cocoa-cola product that is a product of Denmark. -This baby food has very simple ingredients: no sugar added, no preservatives (lemon juice only), no coloring. It is mostly all pear however. There is very little iron (2%), that I though it should have had from spinach, and virtually no protein - again, I though broccoli would add protein to this mix. It does have 70% of vitamin C however. Taste good: not over the top sweet from the pear and not over the top tart from the lemon juice. I really wish it would have more greens in it though. -I don't have a cold right now but since I often take ginger and honey for a sore throat, I thought this might be a nice alternative.It might be, in a pinch.The ginger is strong. Strong in a good way if you have a sore throat but you may not be that accustomed to it. When I make ginger tea I use perhaps 3-4 thin slices steeped in a cup of water for about 5-10 minutes with a tablespoon or two of honey.I used about cup hot water for a pouch instead of the cup. The ginger is nice and strong, lingering in the mouth and back of the throad.Unfortunately it's a bit sweeter than I would prefer (even when brewed to the recommended level) and there's really no lemon taste- just an aroma.There's also a somewhat bitter aftertaste that I'm not so fond of. This taste is not chemical, more like an herbal bitter note. I'm more of a coffee person so you tea drinkers out there might actually prefer it.I'm having a hard time deciding between three stars and four. It's good, not great. Probably 3 for flavor (It's OK) , four for convenience (I like it) -I really like cashews and this bar has large pieces of them in it, which made me really happy. The bar is a good size for an afternoon snack or a pick me up while exercising/hiking at 1.7 oz. The ingredients are very natural with organic dates, cashews, cherries, walnuts, almonds, agave nectar and rice protein being the entirety of them. The cherries are a bit tart which helps give the bar a good flavor with enough sweetness added by the agave nectar. The bar is rather soft, but firm enough to hold. It is a tad sticky but won't leave a residue on your fingers. I really liked this bad. -For now, my search for a good de-caf coffee is now complete. I've tried many brands and this is the best I've come across. This coffee is smooth and flavorful with no aftertaste. -My wife and I have seen the Krave cereal in stores, but we havenever bothered to pick it up. She's pretty much a chocolate Mini-Wheats person and I am more a Honey Nut Cheerios person (Unless they bring back Smurfberry Crunch). We had a choice of either box as an Amazon Vine option and I chose to do the double chocolate thinking the wife would like it better. Little did I suspect that we would try a few handfulls dry for a texture and taste sample...and then proceed to eat nearly the entire box in one day. Both of us are pretty physical fit people that watch our wastelines and exercise regularly, buy man oh man, did we keep coming back to the box for "just one more taste." This cereal is delicious and we'll be picking up another box (and probably the other flavour) until we get sick of it or Kellog's decides not to make it any more (ala General Mill's and my beloved childhood favorite Fruity Yummy Mummy).I was really happy to see that there was no high fructose corn syrup in Krave and that it's actually pretty nutritous for a chocolate cereal. It's low in fst, has no cholesterol and has a decent amount of fiber. A single serving is only 120 calories and there are only 10 grams of sugar, whichs urprised me as it has a nice sweet taste to it. There really is no downside to the cereal. Our household is really happy with it (even the rabbits!) and we'll definitely be getting this again. -We love Honey Maid grahams in our house. This new packaging is nice. My kids especially liked that the grahams were in the squares, smaller serving, easier for smores or peanut butter graham sandwich. I liked that it was a smaller stack, keeping the grahams from getting stale also easier to put in tupperware/rubbermaid container to pack as a snack. Convenient, delicious product. -I was not overly impressed with this flavor of raw fruit & nut bar. It was okay... not bad but not great. I don't think I would buy this flavor. There was a lack of nuts and the cherry and cashew flavors just did not seem to go together that nicely. The texture was fine (aside from the lack of nuts).The Wild Blueberry Pure Bar is definitely my favorite and worth seeking out. Cherry cashew - not so much. I still give the cherry cashew version 3 stars because it is organic and contains all recognizable ingredients and is pretty healthy. -I must confess to being completely taken by this juice. I adore the packaging, the name, and even the story behind its birth.The taste is delightfully refreshing and different. And while it does nothing in aiding the diet or lowering your sugar intake, it does make you feel better about drinking it since it is not a soft drink per say.My husband who hates all things that could potentially be healthy would allow me to put this into his lunch. It was a huge deal that he liked these. Again, it's better than the Mountain Dew he constantly drinks otherwise.Fun, fruity, and unique... we do buy this juice occasionally. However, it too is hard to find and expensive when we do to carry it as a regular grocery staple. -Taste? Ok. The strawberry and banana flavors weren't bad, but there is an acidic bite to the drink as well. Tastes like Red Bull mixed up with Hawaiian Punch.Healthy? Naw. 20 grams of sugar. All natural ingredients . . . but I doubt it is any healthier than your average soda.Energy? Yep. Same caffeine as a cup of coffee.Overall: If you want to wake up in the morning without drinking coffee or Diet Coke, this could be your drink of choice. The flavor is not great, but its comparable with the other energy drinks out there and you will get your caffeine fix. -I love granola-like snacks, especially when they are more healthy! These apple clusters--which come in a convenient resealable pouch--seemed to fit the latter, as they are made from real organic apples and just three other ingredients (organic apple juice concentrate, organic potato starch, and organic cinnamon; they are gluten-free, too). Each quarter-cup serving (quite small; there are just 4 servings in the tiny bag) is 60 calories, with no fat, 10 grams of natural sugar, and 2 grams of fiber.Okay, so these apple clusters are generally healthy, but I found the taste to be disappointing. The clusters are small and round, and I found them to have a pleasant crunch. However, I detected somewhat of an odd flavor; to me, it tasted almost like mustard, but perhaps it was just the particular apple variety? Whatever it was, it overpowered any apple or cinnamon flavor, making these clusters a disappointment and not something that I would-repurchase.I believe taste is very individual, so others certainly might like these; there are enough positives here to make them worth a try. -This is one of those cereals that isn't just for breakfast. Generally it can be very filling and the flavor is excellent. The fruit really is an added bonus. Milk doesn't make this a soggy cereal. The crunchiness is nice to have as I really enjoy the texture. I think this cereal would be excellent any time of day you need that extra pick me up. The fact it's all natural makes it that much better. Although the boxes are smaller than the standard cereal aisle selections one box should last an individual about a week. Overall this has become one of my favorite cereals that doesn't need anything to be excellent. -This is a very rich and flavorful chocolate that can add some excitement to your morning cup of joe. The dark chocolate truffle flavor is not too overpowering, just strong enough to make this a very unique-tasting coffee. Coffee is very rich and smooth, but not too strong. If you are looking for a gourmet coffee i would very strongly recommend that you try this one. I am exceptionally satisfied with it. -The tea is a hardy, warm tasty brew. The taste of the tea is strong and not delicate but its flavor is very nice. It is similar to Earl Grey tea. I added a little milk and sugar to the tea. The tea goes great with toast and other breakfast items such as danish or croissant. Very appealing and nice to drink. -This sauce is spicy enough..just doesn't really taste that good. The texture is creamy as advertised, but I wouldn't pour it on my taco or tortilla chips..ever. Might be good as a sauce over boneless skinless chicken. Somewhere in the taste, it makes me feel like mayo has been added..or something I can't identify exactly. Make yr own salsa, you would be better off. -At first these two ingredients really do not go together. Granola is often thought of as a healthy food and chocolate - well, not so much.The taste is not really one or the other - but a good break if you feel like something mildly sweet and somewhat solid. A rare craving - but if you have it - then it is good stuff.The chocolate is tasty and seems to have just enough to make you want more. Not too much to drown out the granola ... -First, let me say that I have only tried the Chocolate and Raspberry flavors so far, but love them! I have added the chocolate to my diet coke and it is really good- I like the fact you only need about 1/2 a cupful to get enough flavor. I have also bought carbonated water and added the raspberry flavor to it- an instant 'pop'. These bottles are quite large, and I would certainly recommend at least the two flavors referenced. I'll try to remember to review the others as I try them! -I'm pretty picky when it comes to cheese and crackers. I love to have something like this in my purse for long days when snacks are a must, but many brands are small, with little to no flavor and no crisp crackers (or crackers that taste stale).I tried these because they were Ritz brand. The crackers are excellent! The cheese filling... not so much. It was gritty, with a strange aftertaste.However, overall, these are better than other brands on the market. They are big, with a sharp crunch. If I can find the crackers sold separately, I'd buy them and make my own with Laughing Cow or goat cheese. The crackers alone would also be excellent with hummus. -Gold Kili All Natural Instant Ginger and Lemon is a powdered drink mix that can be served using either hot or cold water. The fine powder dissolves quickly and the beverage is mixed and ready to drink in less than one minute.I like the taste of lemons and ginger, but I wasn't prepared for the taste of this beverage. I admit that it does have a nice, enticing aroma and the combination of these two ingredients sounds appealing, both for the potential flavor and for the settling effects on the stomach. However, the taste of this beverage is not what I expected. It doesn't taste as natural as I thought it would and it has a certain harshness that is most evident in the back of the throat. I followed the directions and added a cup of hot water, but considering the harsh flavor, perhaps I should have used more water.Among the flavors present, the ginger is the one most noticeable and it's the spicy finish that creates that harshness. I was able to finish mine off by taking only small sips at a time, but I can understand why some would have a difficult time drinking this instant beverage. My enjoyment of spicy foods and drinks made it a little more tolerable for me, but I would bet that others would have a difficult time consuming this drink.Ginger and lemons might be a nice combination, but they don't mesh very well in this instance. I won't be buying this drink again, as I found it less smooth and less enjoyable than its taste combination promises. -I'm a big fan of organics as well as dark chocolate. When the Newman's Own Dark Chocolate bar arrived, I was going to pace myself and have just a little and save some for the next day. Ha! After I took the first bite, that wasn't going to happen. This chocolate, unlike other dark chocolates I've tried, was creamy and totally delicious. There was no bitter aftertaste. Best chocolate I've had in a long time. -This is a extremely tasty drink, but I am partial to watermelon flavors. The flavor is subtle, but you absolutely pick up the watermelon flavor. Its not drowned out by the strawberry, which is usually the case in strawberry-watermelon flavored food items. This drink is lightly carbonated, much less than a standard cola drink, but the carbonation transforms the drink from a juice-like, powdered drink type to a much more refreshing, original beverage. The drink is not overly sweet, but just enough to enhance the watermelon-strawberry flavor, and not too caloric. I am anxious to try the other flavors. (its a small can, but the price is not too bad.) -Some say this sauce is too sweet, some say it is too spicy; but for the average person, this sauce is amazing! Every dish i have made with it or poured it on has been delicious. It's great with beef, chicken, pork and fish, and I even tried it on a salad once (not recommended though). I love this sauce and even though i am not a huge fan of "raspberry" tasting things, this sauce is great and adds a very nice sweet flavor to your savory dishes. -This review is for Quaker Real Medleys Apple Walnut Oatmeal.Each container in the package is good for one serving. The cooked contents filled up 60% of the container.There was an ample amount of dried apple and walnut in each serving, and there were even quite a few pieces of dried cranberry. The apple, walnut, and cranberry pieces all tasted good. The cooked oatmeal was a bit mushy, and with 22 grams of sugar in a relatively small amount of oatmeal (each serving is 75 grams), the whole thing came out just a bit too sweet for my taste, and I'm not too crazy about the 290 calories you get per serving either. -Lipton's Half & Half tea and honey is a very sweet drink. It prominently displays 5 calories on the front of the box; however each on the go package makes a 16.9 oz. drink which then equals 10 calories. That's still not a lot; however I do not appreciate attempted deception and to me that's what this is.The drink itself is nice if you like very sweet tea/berry drinks. You do not have very much of a tea or berry taste - just sweetness. It still has that powdery taste of ice tea mixes, but it's pleasant to have in order to add to water bottles for flavor - just make sure it's a 16 oz. bottle or the sweetness would be too cloying. -After receiving these today, I once again gathered the household testers together (aka, the missus and munchkins) to try these cookies.First, let me describe them. (The cookies, not the testers! :-) ) They are about two inches across, maybe an eight of an inch thick, and are a darker brown than shown on the package. Inside the cookie is a thin layer of fudge. The cookies have a bit of a dampish-texture and were all stuck together.The taste of the "outside" part of the cookie was slighly similar to soft-baked chocolate chip cookies. However, the texture was a bit "grainy", somewhat like an soft oatmeal cookie. The fudge layer on the inside was tasty, but was a little overpowered by the rest of the cookie. It wasn't quite as firm as the layer you'd find in an oreo cookie, and was more like a spread.I love chocolate chip cookies, and I love fudge, so I had high hopes for these. My wife has similar tastes and also thought they'd be a good cookie to try. However, the testers and I unanimously agree that they are somewhat mediocre in taste and appearance. While they aren't terrible by any means, they didn't grab me enough to make me want to go out and get more. Everyone's taste is different, though, so you may love them. I give these cookies a three star rating ... that is to say they're not good, they're not bad, they're only fair.As an aside, I received these cookies to evaluate as part of the Amazon Vine program. The Amazon shipping container was very well protected and undamaged, but when I opened the pack of cookies, about a third of them had been reduced to crumbs, and only two thirds of them were in a condition to eat. (And those were all stuck together.) I don't know if that was due to rough handling or excessive heat during shipment, so I didn't consider it as part of my rating. I only mention it as something to watch for in the event that it's a flaw in the cookie itself. -Interestingly, even when comparing with other sauces, this immediately brought to mind Taco Bell. I never realized their sauces were so distinctive.With regard to the sauce itself, the consistency is thick, tasting like a mayonnaise base with some BBQ Sauce added and then mixed with some chipotle (minus the seeds). Mildly warm, extremely creamy... certainly not bad... more like comfort food - what you would grab in the middle of the night, not what you would feed to honored guests.So... it fills the bill for standard fare, but would be just as easy to make your own and cut down some of the fat and salt (of which this sauce has a ton of both!!!) and pick up some extra flavor and "freshness". Hope this review is helpful.All the best,Jay -Original review:I love Gevalia coffees. I used to be a subscriber to their coffee service and would look forward to my monthly shipments. For the most part their coffee is simply stellar. This coffee smells delicious out of the package, and while brewing, but the chocolate taste is too much for my palate. Never thought I would say that something is too chocolatey but this is! If you are a choco-holic this might be the perfect coffee for you. It is a chocolate truffle so I guess it is to be expected.Update to this review:A couple of weeks later I returned to this coffee. But with one difference. I halved the amount of coffee I brewed with and voila! The flavors came right out in a very pleasant way. The mistake was definitely mine. I like my coffee strong yet I was defintely making this coffee too strong! I say, if you love chocolate and coffee you should give this a shot but make it with about half of what you use to make regular old coffee. The flavors just come right out in a balanced way. My original review was three stars, I have upgraded to four. Could be a 4.5. I would definitely buy this coffee again.I have written many reviews and have never updated one. I was so surprised by how good this coffee turned out that I felt impelled to re-write my review. My original title was: "Smells great but way too chocolatey" and it just doesn't apply once I got the right quantity. -This is not the ideal or the most nutritious of drinks, but if it stops you from drinking sugary drinks, then it is definitely an alternative to consider.The taste is mostly strawberryish in a Kool Aid kind of way. I diluted it in water (dilutes fairly easily) and then added ice cubes for an icy cold drink.Each box comes with ten individually wrapped packets. The corner of each packet is pre-cut, so it is easier to open and you don't have to hunt for hard to find perforations. Each packet is good for a 16oz drink. If you find it too rich, you can always increase the amount of water or use one packet to make drinks for multiple people.One packet has 10 calories, all sugars. There is no other nutritional value on the label.If you are cautious about artificial sweeteners, this one has sucralose.The green tea is decaf, and indeed I did not feel a caffeine kick.The outside box is nice and colorful, but the drink definitely doesn't taste as good as it looks in the picture.The bottom of the outside box and the individual packets show an expiration date, but it is not written in a straightforward fashion from a consumer's perspective.The overall rating is closer to 3.5 stars out of five, but closer to a 4 than a 3. It gets bonus points for reasonable taste and convenience, but sucralose brings it down. -Essentia is a good tasting water. There are some botteled waters out there that have a horrible metallic taste to them but this isn't one of those. It has a good refreshing taste that I really enjoy. If I see this the next time I am needing some botteled water I will definitely buy it again. -These new Newtons Fruit Thins are delicious. They have a really natural fruit flavor, and the texture is very light and crisp. Perfect for a snack, because they are not too sweet like so many other cookies. I think they are especially good with a cup of tea. They are my new favorite because they are not overly sweet but have a real fruit taste. -I love cherries and cashews and this organic Pure raw fruit and nut bar. I am always looking for a bar that I can take on the go that won't MELT in my backpack from spring and summer weather. I love that it contains raw ingredients meaning nothing is processed and is completely organic. I was afraid the cherries would be too tart but I found the balance of the nutty cashews mellowed the cherries. I typically don't like dates but I didn't find them overwhelming in this bar. I think it is great and healthier alternative to many other convenience foods (bars) on the market. -What a pleasant surprise Kraft Velveeta Chicken and Broccoli Skillets Dinner Kit provided! I was a little leery, having tried a number of boxed dinner kits that were bland and disappointing. I wondered if I should spice it up a little, but decided against it because I wanted to review the product without tinkering.Kraft supplies everything but the chicken, and there is a spice packet, but I still wasn't convinced this was going to be much more than mac & cheese with a few pieces of broccoli and chicken. WRONG!On a night when dinner was left to the last minute, I prepared the Chicken & Broccoli skillet and served it with fresh picked tomatoes and basil. Not expecting much, we were amazed how good it was, certainly as good (if not better) than a meal from a family restaurant. It is superior to the frozen skillet and microwave steamer dinners we've tried (and we've tried a wide variety). As for spicing it up--that's totally unnecessary. We both thought the meal was delicious. In fact, we couldn't wait to have the leftovers (which were still good). -First off, let's start with the product description for these cashews that appears on the product page: "Lightly roasted with natural sea salt and a hint of pepper - Value added seasoning for the consumer who is tired of plain old cashews." From reading that description, one would assume that these cashews have "a hint of pepper." That is not the case. These cashews are LOADED with pepper. When I first opened the container and saw these nuts, it looked like someone had wet them and dredged them in black pepper. And believe me...You can taste the pepper; and it stays with you. Very, very spicy. Too much so for me. I also agree with other reviewers who have said the nuts are too salty. WAY too salty, with 270mg of sodium in a single 1 oz. serving. Now, back to the "value added seasoning" description...Nowhere in the product description does it mention that these nuts have SUGAR added to them. Sugar? With salt and pepper? Add that to the "granulated onion" that also appears on the list of ingredients and maybe you can understand what I mean when I say that there's just a bit too much going on here flavorwise. You can't even taste the nuts!! I love cashews. And I love seasoned cashews. But these just don't make the grade. I think my biggest complaint is definitely the amount of pepper that are on these. It's WAY more than a "hint." Stay away from these nuts unless you want to make your taste buds very, very angry and give yourself some major heartburn. -Firstly, I am picky with water. I do not like Aquafina or Dasani because I think they taste like the plastic bottle. My favorite waters are Deer Park and Poland Spring. Both have a clean, crisp flavor, with no funky after taste or odd plastic taste.Essentia has a nice clean, fresh taste. Just pure clean water. No after taste, no odd tastes overall. I love the bigger sized bottle. I cannot attest to the benefits of drinking pH water specifically because I only tried the one bottle and of course did not see any benefits or notice anything spectacularly different from any other water.I suppose if you have great interest in the long term benefits of drinking Essentia with its 9.5pH and if you do not mind the price, it is worth it. I myself cannot see spending so much on bottled water, although it does have a very good, pure taste. -I got these for my husband, since I don't really go for graham crackers.His thoughts:The crackers have a wholesome, natural flavor and satisfying crisp, though a little sweeter might be nicer; the honey-cinnamon flavor is a little subtle for me. They don't have the artificial aftertaste some others have. 3 stars from me, as in "ok"Mine:I like that they are not to sweet. I find most graham crackers obnoxious because of the overly strong flavor and, as he mentions, the aftertaste. Because of the neutrality, they play well with other accompaniments like preserves, or even cheeses. 5 stars from me, oddly enough. I don't like this type of snack, but these were good.This makes an average of 4 stars between us.Some nutritional information:(per serving of 2 full cracker sheets in % daily value)110 Calories, 20 from fatTotal Fat 2.5g (4%), 1.5g from monounsaturated "good" fats that are heart-healthyNo cholesterolSodium 130mg (2%)Potassium 85mg (2%)Carbs 21g (7%)Fiber 2g (8%)Sugars 7gProtein 2gOverall, the fiber content is pretty high, and the ingredients list is short and simple. NO high fructose corn syrup or refined sugars, no artificial coloring:Graham flour from whole grains, whole grain rolled oats, evaporated cane juice, safflower oil, honey, raisin paste, brown rice syrup, leavening, sea salt, cinnamon, vitamin E to protect flavor. -Not only does this product taste great, it is good for baby. These are very handy to carry in a diaper bag, and can be eaten without a spoon. Remember to keep an eye on the expiration date because their shelf life is relatively short due to the fact that they are organic. I just rec'd this last week and it expire in July -- only 2 months. I would highly recommend this for anyone interested in organic baby food, but it is rather expensive. -The soup is rich and tasty, but DON'T buy it from Amazon. The packaging is so poor that the cans arive dented as did the replacement shipment. I got my money back but now have to pay more to buy this wonderful soup from my local grocer. -I can't say I truly enjoyed these "meals". First, this is not really a meal, it's a snack at best. Sure, if you were trapped in the wilderness you may enjoy this, but for most regular people, this isn't the size of a meal.The GoodThe food is nutritious as far as fiber and protein.The crackers were good.The dried fruit wasn't too bad.The BadThe salmon doesn't taste good in my opinion.The size is too small for a meal.The package expires within months...I expected the shelf life to be longer I guess.Bottom Line: I would pass on these, or at least buy one package and try it out first before buying this multiple pack. -ADDENDUM, Sept. 2013: It looks like Amazon combined all of the GoPicnic product pages into just one page. This review is for "Sunbutter and Crackers" and was originally posted on that product's own individual page.------If you've already tried GoPicnic meals before, you know basically what to expect here: a main dish, a couple of side items, and a dessert.While all GoPicnic meals are gluten-free, this meal is designed to avoid SEVEN types of allergens: wheat, dairy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs. It's also completely vegan. Just about anyone should be able to eat each of the included components of the meal.The main dish isSunButter Creamy Sunflower Seed SpreadwithCrunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers.The sunbutter is pretty interesting- you have to sort of knead it before opening the package to make sure it's nice and mixed and pliable. It tastes a lot like peanut butter and is similarly sticky. The texture is more on the smooth side than the crunchy side. The crackers are pretty good- they're crisp and have a mild, subtle flavor.The side dishes are a seed-and-fruit trail mix and a fruit snack.The trail mix is really good- it'sMountain Mambo Nut Free Trail Mix, Gluten, Dairy & Nut Free, the main ingredients of which are pre-shelled sunflower seeds and bits of dried fruit (raisin and apple). My only complaint is that there's only 0.75oz of it, so it goes really quickly. The fruit snack is Niagara Natural Simply Fruit Tropical Bites (no Amazon link, sorry). They're shaped like little pellets or logs and have a flavor and texture that vaguely reminded me ofFruit Roll-Ups. They're mostly made of apple-based ingredients, but a few other fruit juices are also included.The dessert is aEnjoy Life Double chocolate Crunchy Cookie). The cookie is definitely crunchy! I was surprised when I bit into it, though not really in a bad way. The flavor was okay, but honestly, I'd have preferred a little square of real chocolate like you get in theGoPicnic Hummus + Crackersmeal.One thing to note, though, is that this all ends up being a little light on protein. This meal has 12g, versus 25g forGoPicnic Hummus + Crackers. Also, a word of warning: although the meal is pretty healthy, it doesn't skimp on the fat. This little box crams in 26 total grams of fat.Bottom line:Pros: Gluten-free and nut-free; even picky eaters should enjoy every item; high in fiber and low in sodiumCons: Not very filling; flavors, while good, aren't very exciting or varied; dessert is good, but not great; fat content is surprisingly high([...]) -I was excited to get this product for review. Yes, I am a sucker for nuts, raisins, and walnuts. To have all three in a yummy chewy bar sounded like heaven. Then I looked on the back of the package.Carbs. TONS and TONS of carbs. Now, I admit I am biased since I have Type C Diabetes. But it is because of my diabetes that I check labels. Pamela's may SAY that these bars are healthy, and the ingredients listed are pretty good -- but it was the carbs and sugar contents of each bar that deterred me from being able to fully enjoy my sample.Size. Pamela's Products Whenever Bars are small. Very, very small. The bar itself is chewy and tastes great. I don't agree that it would keep a person from being hungry or that it could be used as a meal. Did I mention that the bar was tiny?Price. These babies are expensive.While I enjoyed the couple of bites I was able to experience, the excess of carbs in each tiny bar and the expensive retail price will definitely keep me from buying more.Natalie S. -This sauce really has unique flavor: predominantly mango with some ginger and just right amount of hot Habaneros. It is medium spicy and goes very well with fish. My only criticism is that the label follows the letter but not the spirit of the law: print is so small that you need a magnifying glass to read it! -I was already familiar with the Honey Maid crackers and always enjoyed them. The flavor is always consistently good. This option is better because the box contains six individually wrapped packages with about eight or ten crackers in each pack. It's great because you don't have to open the whole box with worry about the remainder of the crackers getting stale. The individually wrapped packs would also be good for snacking on the run. It's easy to just grab a package of these and put them in your purse for later. The only drawback is that sometimes eight crackers is just more than desired for a snack and there is no way to really seal the bag to save them for later. But, overall, this cracker is a delicious snack choice, especially if you are on the go. -I like the texture of this coconut oil. I use it on my hair, for cooking and I even put a spoon full in a smoothie. I also put it on my skin under makeup. I have dry skin. -I'll make no qualms about the fact that I love graham crackers and graham cracker like products like Teddy Grahams. Almost nothing beats a cup of hot chocolate and a graham cracker or two on a cold winter evening in my book.That said, I recently had the opportunity to try out Back to Nature 100% Natural Golden Honey Oat Graham Crackers. My verdict? They're a delicious and healthier way of eating graham crackers.The size of the product is similar to Nabisco's Honey Grahams. Each cracker is perforated into four evenly sized pieces. The texture is much rougher and heartier than what you would find in Honey Grahams with oat pieces that are discernible in the crackers. Because of the texture and heartier composition these grahams are a bit more brittle than Nabisco's product. Though my box arrived with mostly intact crackers.I found the taste of the Back to Nature grahams to be comparable to Honey Grahams but not nearly as sweet or intense. Personally, I'm willing to compromise some of the taste for a healthier snack and these crackers fit the bill perfectly. Back to Nature proudly labels the front of the box with "no artificial preservatives, flavors or colors and no high fructose corn syrup". Sounds good to me!Each box contains 3 individually wrapped packages containing seven graham crackers. One serving equals two full crackers sheets with 110 calories, 2.5g of fat and 21g of carbs.Recommended. -These single-serve pods are everything good; Eco-friendly, "Ethically Farmed * Artesian Rosted," organic, and when you're done, it's ready for the compost bin. Other than the "This Side Down" printed on each pod, there are no directions on the package, but they are intended for use in most home and office brewers....and I guess perfectly acceptable to use like a tea bag, which I tried and got a very tasty cup of coffee from it.The aroma when you break open the individually wrapped little pod package is tantalizing, and the flavor very robust. The box is full of references to the great Bob Marley, and the company is owned by his son. There are other icons on the box too, from the coffee producers, ITAL, who are "...committed to sourcing the finest quality 100% Arabica beans" and "Kicks for Cause" which sends a portion of the proceeds to charity.All in all, this "Exotic Floral and Berry" blend makes a very nice cup of coffee, and is extremely handy if you are busy, so get your One Love pod in a brewer or cup and enjoy! I'm factoring the convenience of the product into my rating. If this was loose coffee, it would get 4 stars. -There are not many k-cups that deliver true espresso body and flavor, but this one comes very close to what you might get in a coffee shop. Using a Keurig model that makes a 4-oz. cup of coffee, this k-cup produces a rich, dark, full-bodied espresso that can be enjoyed as is or used to make espresso drinks. If you use the 6-oz setting, the coffee will be strong and rich but will not have the body of espresso. I've tried just about every other dark, Italian and French roast k-cup on the market and I definitely prefer this one for espresso. One caveat: if you don't like Starbucks' dark roasts, this may be too strong or dark for your taste. I tried this as a brew-over-ice, but did not like it as much, as the cold temperature seemed to bring out bitter and muddy flavors in the brew. However, for a hot espresso or espresso drink, I always keep this k-cup on hand. -This was an enjoyable and refreshing treat on a hot summer day. I poured the coffee over ice to enjoy it colder and it was very good. It has a strong, bold coffee flavor, not bitter, and is slightly sweetened but not very sweet. You could always add more sweetener to suit your taste, but I personally didn't find it necessary. At only 50 calories a can this is a nice light drink. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/paragraph-validation.movies.txt b/reference_files/paragraph-validation.movies.txt deleted file mode 100644 index f8868251d721707997cd4e1ab422441072bfc135..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/paragraph-validation.movies.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,101 +0,0 @@ -I have to say I loved this film. Principally, because I empathised so much with Hawke's character that I spent at least the first hour of the film trying to make excuses for Washington's character's behaviour. Perhaps I am just slow or naive, but I genuinely could not decide whether Washington was good or evil or just human in this film until the last half hour or so, when it becomes very obvious. I was sitting there debating with myself; is that truly the only way to approach this? Is there no other? I study Criminology and as such, the film was fascinating. I make no pretence that it was a particularly deep or thought-provoking film, only that it did address issues that I am interested in.I fully admit that I am no expert on crime on the streets of L.A. and so I make no judgement about how realistic this film was, except to say that while probably overdramatised, the issues raised are extremely relevant and far more common that you might believe. -This movie is one amazing feat. Aside from the insanity that was involved during the making of this film, the movie looks amazing. Each scene is memorable and filmed with such expertise. The DVD version looks great in the widescreen format. The extras are nice, but what is really great is the movie itself. One of the most powerful films ever made, it is also one that is a marvel to watch again and again. Please buy it. -Don't get me wrong this is a great show and the boys are in fine form. Trent Reznor damn near makes your ears bleed and the sound and picture quality is awesome. Filmed during the North American tour in 2006 it's also complete in terms of its song selection and the price is reasonable. However if you're looking for some insight into the band, interviews or backstage footage it just isn't here. The concert has also been filmed from a distance which wasn't really what I had in mind when I bought this. Instead of actually seeing Trent, Josh, Alessandro or Jordie performing for most of the DVD you get a really long shot of a small blurry person on stage and a bunch of waving arms and heads covering the bottom half of the TV screen. Occasionally someone will crowd surf past obscuring things even more. The picture quality although great is dark, grainy and smoky. Towards the end of the concert a giant gauze screen comes down and covers the stage entirely then we get to see pictures of amoebas, random animals and world atrocities but again No Band.The extras aren't much better in terms of insight just footage of the band rehearsing in 2005; Everyday Is Exactly The Same and Love Is Not Enough. We also get a couple of music videos; The Hand That Feeds and Only and a stills gallery shot during the performance.Unless you're a die-hard fan I'm sorry but I can't really recommend this and I know you'll hate me for it. But I bought this hoping to at least see the band perform or possibly speak during an interview or random backstage moment I didn't expect to once again feel like I've got a bad seat to the show. I've already seen the crowd shots, outstretched arms and tiny man on stage. Maybe we just aren't meant to get close to NIN, maybe they are an enigma. -First of all, I couldn't decide whether to give three or four stars. I finally decided four just could not be justified, so it's really more like 3.5/5 from me. So, as you know by now, this is not a great movie, but it's better than Episode I by a considerable margin. The special effects are great and seamless (moments in Episode I and especially the ones added to the 3 original SW films were quite flawed). The asteroid chase and rain planet and Yoda's lightsaber duel were all memorable. I noticed some grainy scenes in the theater, but everything looks good -- almost TOO good -- on the DVD. The plot this time around is less convoluted and more coherent and flows more naturally from scene to scene. The video and surround audio are both reference quality on this DVD, and there's enough extras to keep the most ardent fans busy for a long time. 'Nuff said about that -- no complaints at all there.But alas, the characters and their interactions with each other, is the film's downfall, due to poor acting, directing, and screenwriting. I appreciated trying to add some romantic facets, but the dialogue is laughably bad in many scenes, and certain actors are so blandly disinterested they cannot overcome the material to convince us otherwise. Hayden Christiansen is simply awful, there is no other way to put it. The annoying, forgettable, hokey child actor in Episode I has been replaced by an annoying, forgettable, hokey teenage actor here. Natalie Portman is only slightly less wooden than in Episode I, which must be blamed on the direction, because in other places she's proved herself to be a competent actor. And although I generally like him, I never quite bought Samuel Jackson as a Jedi Knight. He goes through the entire film with an odd look on his face and I get the distinct feeling he was always on the verge of breaking into laughter reading his lines. Christopher Lee and Ewan McGregor are the only actors worthy of the roles, along, of course, with the vocal talent that gives the CG Yoda life. Thankfully the insipid Jar Jar Binks is less prominent in this film, although even after five seconds he begins to grate on you. I guess he had to put in an appearance so they could pump another action figure into Toy 'R' Us stores around the world. As for the direction, Lucas needs to just give it up and let someone who knows what they are doing handle it. He is NOT a great director. His two best films, Empire and Raiders, were directed by someone other than him. There was some great screen chemistry in the original Star Wars but it must have just been stars-aligning dumb luck, since he has never been able to reproduce it since.Reading this you might think I hated this movie, but I actually didn't. You just need to let yourself become a kid again for a few hours and ignore the bad things. Then it just becomes fun, and if you are expecting something more from a Star Wars film then you aren't being realistic. The first three Star Wars films also had lots of bad acting, bad screenwriting, uneven direction, cheesy special effects, and a ridiculous plot but we never saw that, because we were young and unjaded and had no preconceptions or expectations for the films to live up to, and we were experiencing instead of analyzing as we watched. If you can force yourself to do the same here, you'll enjoy it. -I think this movie was introduced in the Arts. Not a popular one. but its so well done and quirky and funny and the scenery is amazing. I will watch it again. The father of a 40 year old man goes to France to pick up his sons body, who died from a hiking accident. you see him in flash backs. by the real father and son actors Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. He decides to walk the trail his son died on carrying his ashes and scattering them along the way. He meets up with a chain smoker strange lady, a writer with writers block and 2 others that share the trail with him off and on through out the movie. Its so funny and fun to watch. very well acted by all. I think you will like this movie. I do not recommend it for kids. A stroll though France and Spain. if for nothing else see it for the scenery. You wont be sorry. -About a month ago I bought a Samsung UN75F7100 3D LED TV set. About 2 weeks ago I bought an OPPO BDP-103 3D Blu-Ray player on Amazon. Of course, I didn't have any 3D Blu-Ray disks to play so I bought Avatar. Wow! If you got the equipment to play this you gotta' get it. Picture and sound quality are excellent and the 3D is only as good as a movie originally shot in 3D could be. I'm afraid that any other move shot in 2D and processed up to 3D will not stand up to this one. Oh. By the way. I thought the movie was great! Hope there will be a sequel. (In 3D of course.) -From my perspective as a long-time, rabid fan of horror, I have to say that Cabin Fever is simply a dreadful horror film. I'm not talking about a few bad scenes, either; this film starts out bad and goes downhill from there. Just because you put a bunch of kids in the woods, throw in a few crazy rednecks, dump buckets of blood all over the place, and rip off a number of scenes from old horror classics, it doesn't mean you've made a good horror movie.I hardly know where to start on this one. I knew there was going to be a problem from the very start. You have a bunch of kids celebrating the end of exams by going camping for a week, then you can't help but notice the woods covered with fallen leaves. What kind of school has final exams in autumn, for Pete's sake? And these kids - each one is very different from the others, yet they are all equally impossible to like. "Frat Guy" man is one of the most annoying characters I've ever encountered. Normally, when you watch horror, there's at least one character you fervently hope lives through the ordeal - not so here. I was ready to see all five of the main characters taken out after spending just a few minutes with them.I guess I should mention the premise of this thing. Basically, these five kids have their good time ruined by some strange hermit with a serious skin condition - he can't keep his skin on his body, to be exact. It's a similar setup to Evil Dead, only the source of the trouble here is a flesh-eating virus. As you might expect, the kids start getting the same disease one by one, begin to turn on each other, blah blah blah. Their efforts to get help are thwarted by their own incompetence as well as the attitude of the local rednecks they encounter. I was desperately pulling for the virus, and it could not do its work quickly enough to satisfy me, as this film felt like it would never end. There is a lot of blood in Cabin Fever, and that's normally a good thing, but once you've seen some walking rotten corpse projectile-vomiting blood a few times, it loses some of its appeal. I guess I can say that the special effects weren't too bad overall, though. The music, though, was awful. I have to question the whole vision thing of young director Eli Roth; it's as if he periodically inserted a few silly montages and highly discordant music for no reason other than to make his movie look slightly artistic.Many of the gorier parts of the film come straight from classics such as Evil Dead, Night of the Living Dead, and Dawn of the Dead - as such, they did not impress me at all, especially those that happened during the very late and supposedly climactic moments of the movie. The so-called comedy that is interspersed throughout Cabin Fever is not even groan-worthy for the most part. There is one exception to this, though, and this is the closest thing this film has to a saving grace of any kind: the very last scene is absolutely hilarious - and that's all I'm going to say about it.When it comes to the Special Features, let me just say that I watched them so you won't have to. There's a half-hour documentary on the making of the film, a really stupid Family Friendly Version of Cabin Fever, really low-quality (and thankfully short) video of a martial artist wannabe, and three short animated films starring The Rotten Fruit - rotten is truly the key word here. There are five commentaries of the film, but there's no way I could sit through this film a second time, let alone five more times. There's also a Chick-Vision option for watching the film.All in all, in almost every way possible, Cabin Fever is just a very unimpressive horror movie. It's not scary, it's not funny, the gore does nothing to instill squeamishness, the script is weak, and the soundtrack is a constant source of annoyance. Doggone it, I looked forward to seeing this film, expecting good things from it, and I was just bitterly disappointed. -You would expect more out of Academy Award winning, Peter Jackson. But it seems we were expecting too much. The film is visually stunning. It's worth seeing just for that reason. But the overall film suffers in many areas, resulting in a mediocre remake.First of all, the casting was bad. Often the actors are very out of place in their roles, even though they give good performances. Some of the selections are very peculiar, Jack Black for instance. Very strange, although he is quite good in his role.It has some memorable moments, but the majority of the film is boring and pointless. It seems Jackson feels the need to make every movie as long as possible, and the film really suffers because of this. Even with the strange casting, the film still could have been great. The length is what really knocks it down a level. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a 3 hour long movie as much as anyone else, but the extra length was pointless. It didn't add anything to the movie.As I said before, it's worth a watch for the special effects. Just don't go in expecting an amazing film.Rating: 2 1/2 StarsThank you for your time. -Wow kids, thanks for the trivia but what does that have to do with how wonderful the movie is!?"Chicago" is a very well written musical by Fred Ebb, John Kander and Bob Fosse that is still playing on Broadway today in its revival incarnation. In 2002, Mirimax released the wonderful motion picture adaptation. Catherine Zeta-Jones sings and dances Velma Kelly just as well as previous Velma, Chita Rivera and ever better than Bebe Newirth. Richard Gere, although nasil, does a wonderful job as Billy Flynn. Renne Zellwegger plays Roxie nicely, like a Kewpie doll, only problem: if she'd open those eyes!John C. Reily is great at Amos. I wish he were given more to do. But the real scene stealer is Queen Latifah as Marton Morton. She is a true musical performer who has great comic timing.Rob Marshall's direction and choreography is excellent. The editing is even better. Bill Condon's screenplay is brilliant. The two men have put together a brilliant spin on the great show."Chicago", like previous reviewers have said, won 6 Oscars including Best Picture. A film this good and this sucessful (most finanically sucessful of all Mirimax films) deserved a two disc set. When it was released on DVD in 2003, I for one was shocked. It got a single page chapter guide and one flimsy disc with the movie, the cut song "Class", an audio commentary and a commerical of a "Behind-the-Scenes" look.Now, we finally get a THREE disc "Chicago" set. Hopefully it will include some info on the wonderful, if ignored, Bob Fosse directed 1975 production and some information on some of the breifly mentioned in the commentary ideas for the cut songs "Me and My Baby" and "My Own Best Friend."I'm really looking foward to this great DVD transfer of this great film! -I specially liked the interesting twist to the legend of King Arthur. Good effort to add more "facts" to the script, particularly regarding the origin of knights, King Arthur and other characters of Arthurian legends, including Merlin, Lancelot or Guinevere (Percival is badly missing here though). Some of this ideas has been somehow treated more recently in movies such as "The last legion". I liked the excellent depiction of saxon invaders and the effort to fit the whole story with the historical anglo-saxon invasions to British Isles. Finally, the movie has a good pace, great battle scenes, good photography, and a nice soundtrack.The bad things include the acting of Clive Owen and too much "freedom" exclamations, the "battle horse" of nowadays arguments to justify invasions all over the planet..., but you can easily skip that garbage. Finally, stop the the movie at about 4 min before ending and view the alternate ending provided on the extras. Even so, you will appreciate how Hollywood directors do not learn how to end movies.In short, King Arthur went beyond the expectations of somone whose favorite King Arthur movie still remains John Boorman's Excalibur. Plus, a good deal for the price. -Every episode is interesting. Creative characters, and very addictive series.Looking forward to Season 3!As far as rating Amazon Video goes, what a great service. I hope that Amazon Prime customers always have this because it's wonderful. -This set collects some of the best shows to air on television. The set also comes with funky retro packaging that would make any self-respecting geek drool in a way that will insure their being single until the next season of Star Trek is released (giving them more time to enjoy this collection). Sadly, Paramount is squeezing us Trekkies/Trekkers/Addicts like members of the mob would squeeze an inner-city grocery-store, with their outrageous prices. $85.00 AFTER a 35% discount? Ironic, being that in the show they're selling, money is no longer used. Another thing that's bugged me in ALL the Trek DVD sets is the horrendous chapter break that happens after opening credits. It jumps you about five minutes into the actual episode. There is no way to skip the credit sequence, without missing a good chunk of the show. Sure, it's fun the first 135 you narrate along with Captain Kirk talking about the Final Frontier, but it gets old by the 140th session, unless you really start adding variety by sucking in a balloon full of helium before speaking the words William ... Shatner ... reads ... with ... such ... high ... melodrama. The picture quality is decent. Probably not what you'd expect for the price. Paramount didn't send in a restoration team to make this look as pretty as something released today should. You know something wasn't done right with this set when these shows from the 60s look WORSE than Chaplin movies from the 20s do, in the Chaplin Collection (now THAT'S restoration). What makes this worth the purchase are the compelling stories, great chemistry between the cast, nifty mini-skirts, cheesy alien outfits and finally getting to own the original episodes on DVD. Is that worth $85.00, when you can still watch any of these shows for free on television? It's your call. At these prices, I've only purchased season 3, 4 and 5 of The Next Generation and this set of The Original Series. I've rented each season of Deep Space Nine (at a more reasonable price, I would have bought them) and stopped, pointed and laughed wildly at the first three seasons of Voyager, whenever I pass them in the store. You make the call and make sure you make the right one, because the execs at Paramount would just assume stomp a Tribble with bare feet than they would issue you a refund because you feel ripped-off, after opening the set and realizing you're basically getting a sort of washed-out collection of episodes in neat packaging and nothing more (the extras are weak).5 stars for the shows. 2 stars for the value. 3 stars overall. -Wedding Crashers is the kinda film alot of people will love because it is stupid but alot of others like myself, won't enjoy. two womanizers fall in love, one because he finds out that his gf is not actually a virgin, like first off, what does virginity have to do with love? & second, who would actually believe that she was telling the truth when she said that she was a virgin? & then Owen Wilson's character fall in love with Rachel's McAdams character and well, that's the usual predictable romance plot. the problem with this film is it's not that funny. it seems to think it's better then it is. I don't think I hardly laughed during this film. the part about the "supposive" gay guy like people think he is gay so therefore of course, because it's this kind of film, he ends up being gay and of course, he tries to hit on Vince Vaughn's character in a scene that is beyond creepy. lets just say that "gay" guy is prob one of the worst actors I've seen. & then we get a cameo from Will Ferrell, alot of people I know find this guy "so" funny. but I don't get it. it just wasn't funny to me. u know, I loved the classic, "American Pie" that was just stupid for its own good but it delivered the goods to make it a great comedy! this film wasn't so much funny as stupid. & for the most part, I'm not going to remember this film in 5 years from now because it's just an average film. -This is without a doubt the best feature film anime around. All the action and suspense you come to expect in this genre. The storyline is intriguing, to say the least. You will not regret getting this movie, watching it numerous times. -Basically all the criticisms of this movie upon its release are on point. The story is choppy and confusing; the special effects are terrible, even for 1984; and the appearance of the film in general leaves you wondering if the intent was not to make a serious recreation of the novel but rather something campy, like "Flash Gordon" -- except that it is much darker, with occasional gory intrusions. What you're left with is basically all the novel's mumbo-jumbo ("Bene Gesserit," "Maud'Dib," "Kwisatz Haderach") but nothing of the sense you get from the best science fiction of a complete, alternate time and place. In addition, some of the acting is downright terrible, especially Brad Dourif's (Piter de Vries), whoever he is. Sting too, while bringing back memories of his hairstyles from that era, is pretty unconvincing. Poor Max von Sydow cannot but come across well, but he's killed after about 10 minutes on screen. There's really no saving this movie: fans who wanted it to work, and wanted David Lynch to do it well, can maintain that it was brutal editing that caused the problem, but it's just not the case. No amount of additional scenes would have made this a good movie. It is definitely a disappointment. On top of it all, this DVD release (I am reviewing the "extended version," with the theatrical cut on side A and the "Alan Smithee" version on side B) looks very poor. It's been put into a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, which sounds fine, if uninspiring, but the picture quality looks rough and aged. One suspects that given the source no one thought it was worth the time to restore. They were probably right. Two stars: One for Toto, one for Sean Young, cornerstone of 80's sci-fi babedom. -I marginally liked this film when I first rented it, but somehow it resinated with me, and I recently bought it. I didn't even know it was based on a video game. I thought the cinematography was fantastic, and the score was mesmorizing and haunting. The whole film plays out like a mystical dream or a bad nightmare, that all depends upon your style. The special effects are fantastic, it puts you in that demon world. Radha Mitchell is one of those obscure actresses. She also plays in "High Art", which is another fantastic film. Hopefully there will be another "Silent Hill", the script leaves more to the imagination. -A great (albeit short) first season of a very funny show. Although the best episodes are in the third and fourth season, the first season is more consistent. All the episodes are funny. Probably the best ones are "Hell is Other Robots" (which features the voice of Homer as the Robot Devil in a musical number), "A Flight to Remember"(a spoof of Titanic, featuring the hilariously pompous Zapp Branigan), and "When Aliens Attack" (which spoofs television and introduces the Omacron Persei aliens). All in all a great show with talent voice acting and well-written scripts. -BATMAN (1989) is the one Tim Burton film where his directorial style worked in perfect synergy with mainstream Hollywood. Many of his other earlier films, including BEETLEJUICE (1988), EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1993), ED WOOD (1994), and ironically BATMAN RETURNS (1992) are 100% TIM BURTON! They are all great in that Burtonesque way. While Burton's first Batman film BATMAN has obvious Burton touches: odd and disturbing characters, dark tone, neo-noirish look, the film still manages to be generally accessible to the mass audience. It moves at a fast, breezy pace and has an epic, Hollywood feel to it, with a satisfying conclusion. But that, in this case, is not a bad thing! I have re-watched this entertaining flick so many times it isn't funny! It just works. Can't say that for many of the superhero films in this new PC, uninspired generation of films.I actually saw BATMAN (1989) when it first came out in movie theatres and was blown away by it's originality and scope...still am. Even more so now since it holds up 20+ years later as great entertainment. In retrospect, Michael Keaton was the perfect choice to play the fractured, flawed antiheroic Bruce Wayne AKA Batman. But I always felt he was the right choice! Keaton captures the guarded loneliness of the Bruce Wayne character, while still being very convincing as a tough guy who can hold his own when donning the cape and cowl! Mr. Burton...you made the right choice!The other inspired (and perhaps more obvious) choice was casting the legendary Jack Nicholson as Jack Napier AKA The Joker. Nicholson is convincing as high-level "yes man" thug Napier who through a nasty accident becomes facially scarred and assumes the Joker persona. And Nicholson really looks like The Joker in this! He has so many memorable lines that I think about all the time. The hero-villain chemistry between he and Keaton is electric.Kim Basinger (at her most gorgeous!) admirably plays nosy photojournalist Vicki Vale, who arrives in Gotham City to unlock the secret of the mysterious Caped Crusader who has been "terrorizing" low level criminals throughout the city. She ends up falling in love with Bruce Wayne (lucky bastard!). Basinger is the weakest link of the main actors, but she still does a good job of emoting, being simultaneously fascinated and repulsed by Batman and Joker's antics. She screams a lot, but look at the freaks she's dealing with! Can you blame her?The solid supporting cast includes Michael Gough (wonderful turn as Alfred, Bruce's ever-so-reliable and dependable butler and caretaker), Robert Wuhl (in an energetic turn as Vicki's fellow reporter Alex Knox), Billy Dee Williams (as DA Harvey Dent), and Pat Hingle (as world-weary Police Commissioner Gordon). In particular, Keaton and Gough have an effortless chemistry as though they have been close their whole lives. Gough came back for Schumacher's cartoonish campy films and he had none of the chemistry with either Kilmer or Clooney that he had with Keaton in the Burton ones. It was weird watching Gough's Alfred interact with those tepid versions of Bruce Wayne.As previously stated, I am amazed at how Burton's style fused perfectly with more conventional Hollywood touches and created something special out of it. It could have been a monumental failure, but instead ended up being a template for all future superhero films. -C.S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia" with its seven allegorical books is becoming the latest film franchise. This first movie based upon the second book in the series is filled with talking animals and mythical creatures like centaurs, satyrs, fauns, gryphons, dwarfs, a wicked albino witch, and four charming and innocent British school kids. The movie is entertaining, but it does not seem to resonate with any great significance or meaning despite Lewis's reputation as a Christian polemicist.The four siblings who have been evacuated from the London blitz during War II are staying with a rich man in his country mansion. The youngest, a girl, travels to the snowy land of Narnia by entering a magic wardrobe. She meets a faun and the wicked witch. The most important creature in Narnia is Aslan, the lion.The film is entertaining, well-cast and well-acted, has some great special effects as well as a few hokey ones, the voices of some famous stars, but there's no there there; it lacks the underpinning of a substantive reason for being.William Mosely who plays the older brother is every teenage girl's heartthrob. It's a fun movie for kids as well as adults who'll get a kick out anthropomorphic animals and mythological creatures. Holds your interest. -There have been a lot of half-crazed movie characters in film history, you know the one; the kind of vaguely insane person that the movie truly revolves around, with the other characters only there to provide stark contrast with their recognizably sane posture. They're also there to wonder aloud to themselves and each other, "What's the matter with him?" To which someone usually responds, "I don't know, but there's something about him that I like." The thing about those movies (a lot of them came out of the 80's and early 90's, I know because in school we all imitated them), was the the core of those movies was the zany character exploration, and that was just about it. See what kind of situations we can cook up and then throw this crazed, witty personae in there and see what happens.What's different about Pirates of the Caribbean, and Jack Sparrow in particular, is that the world he inhabits gave birth to him. In the crazed personae movie--the nut-job seems to come out of nowhere, completely unexpected, which is half the fun but also half the shortcoming. In Pirates of the Carribean, we expect Jack Sparrow to come sailing out of the horizon and to suddenly arrive in that world, and what a world!I think what lends Sparrow such credibility is his mixture of characterization. Yes, he's wild and I suppose "free," but there are moments where he gets serious (saluting the dead pirates), moments when he has to act and can pull through (like jumping in to save Elizabeth), moments where he has to educate (telling Will Turner the truth about his father). When this happens, we give the character Sparrow something we don't give the hollow, crazed personae; respect. Give Johnny Depp all the credit for being able to switch between these modes as well; being serious and respectable while maintaining the aura of Jack Sparrow; that he'll stick his tongue out at us and run off with the gold at any moment, but not without his effects.The world of "Black Pearl" is lush and surprising. I didn't expect to believe the world of pirates, where all the exsists is ocean and the few ports that you can sail to. Come to think of it, we only really see three locales during the whole movie, and the rest of it is on water. How'd they pull that off? My favorite scene is in the pirate pub where the bar-fight is perpetual; Jack Sparrow and his cohort (can't remember his name) sit and talk about ports, treasures, old pirates, schemes, boats, etc. all in the warm glow of candles and wood as they chug ale. A pirate's life for me!Geoffery Rush, brilliant as ever. When he says, "Too long have I been without the taste of food or the comfort of a woman" I believe him. The man is a pirate outright, but in his eyes you can see the years of torment on a man from the curse piling up on him slowly. Notice too how he rolls his eyes perfectly when he's at the moment of breaking the curse, and somehow Jack Sparrow convinces him not to. How? Maybe "Curse of the Black Pearl" is really how Jack Sparrow has dogged Barbossa his whole career.The supporting cast is good, even Orlando Bloom who is still in Legolas mode. Even though he played up Will Turner nicely as a bright-eyed, talented, somewhat intense young man (who has serious anxieties about his lineage, but why not? It would bar him from his chances of Elizabeth), I did keep expecting him to jump up and go, "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn!" He does have a great moment where he jumps onto a ship with Sparrow and goes, "Aye, avast!" to which he's promptly laughed at. -I had 48 hrs to watch this movie and the sequel. But for some reason it kept pausing and pausing and it got stuck and it was long pauses like 5 minutes and then it would start and pause after a few minutes. If I can figure out I would like to get a refund or a re rental. Other than that the movie was very graphic as far the joker but the concept was good. -If that's even possible. I loved the first one, and I was absolutely in love with this one even more! Wolverine and Nightcrawler are probably my favorite characters, both in the movie, and in the comics. So the fact that this one had Nightcrawler made me extremely happy. The story in this one is even better, the action is more intense and exciting, and the effects are brilliant! Nightcrawler's ability looks absolutely real, you actually believe that he's teleporting, and it looks awesome. Great great movie. The only sore spot, if any, is Halle Berry.....I've never liked her, but luckily she's not in this one much, and I've heard rumours that she's not in the next one at all. Fine by me! -There are two things I love: pirates and Johnny Depp. Putting those two together is a dream come true. And to have Depp play a pirate is even better. I loved Pirates of the Caribbean. This entertaining action-adventure film is a roller coaster ride of action-packed scenes and a feast for the eyes as well. Set in eighteenth century, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl tells the story of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and the governor's daughter Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) and their adventures after they encounter the rather bizarre and enigmatic Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). Jack wants to find the ship Black Pearl and his nemesis, Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and settle an old score. But Barbossa has his own plans -- he wants to reverse an old spell that has left him and the other borders of the Black Pearl living as immortals that keeps them from enjoying the simple pleasures of life (like eating, drinking, etc.). This puts Elizabeth in danger and Will Turner will be there to rescue her, but in doing so he discovers a few things about himself.I had my doubts about this film at first because... well, it's a movie inspired by a theme park ride, for crying out loud. But since I love Johnny Depp and all things that are remotely set in a different time frame, I decided to give it a whirl. This film is such a fun treat! Both children and adults could enjoy it and the special effects are wonderful. I love the cast, especially Depp and Bloom. Johnny Depp is gorgeous (even in over the top pirate regalia) and so talented. He's a chameleonic actor who once again showcases his abilities to portray a character flawlessly. Orlando Bloom is another gorgeous specimen and I enjoyed him a whole lot. The weakest link to me is Keira Knightley, but fortunately the story doesn't completely revolve around her character. The supporting cast, namely Jack Davenport, is also great. I loved this action/adventure flick and I look forward to watching the sequel. -The show is interesting, with a good assortment of supernaturals (Wesen) which kept my interest. What got the 3 star rating is the packaging for this particular season on DVD. I don't know if the blu ray is different (I hope so) but the package is some of the worst I have ever encountered. The discs slide into flimsy plastic (feels like grocery bags) sleeves that are tucked inside the cardboard folder. I was so confused by this that at first I tugged until I pulled one of the plastic "bags" out of the cardboard. Trying to return the discs to the package is painful, as the plastic does not hold its form at all, and the disc tends to just crumple the plastic up at the back of the cardboard sleeve, which causes me to have to shove my fingers into the cardboard to retrieve the plastic, and the glue holding the cardboard into a sleeve eventually fails. It is the first of my hundreds of seasons that I am actually considering repackaging, or selling off and buying the blu ray to get rid of the terrible packaging.The characters are sympathetic, the acting is good, the plots are good to fascinating. Monroe is my favorite character by far so far. -I never knew I could love a superhero movie so much. What made this film great was its action, story, and great characters with came together to form a near-perfect film. Usually I don't understand superhero movies; I watched all three Spider-Man movies and I still don't understand, I didn't get the second X-Men movie, and I didn't like Fantastic 4. But The Dark Knight takes a different approach for all movie goers. It's easy to understand (Usually I need a superhero guru of knowledge to explain things to me), it didn't focus too much on relationships (Unlike Spider-Man), and it was more about action than talking.WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Batman (a.k.a. Bruce Wayne) is considered a fugitive by Gotham City, and is wanted despite his heroism and getting scum off the street like the mob groups. He eventually forms an alliance with the police and the district attorney Harvey Dent, and even his former girlfriend Rachel, and together they remove several mob groups and hundreds of fugitives are arrested. All seems to be well for a small period of time until a person known only as The Joker shows up and starts killing people, all in return for Batman to reveal himself or more people get killed. Batman becomes the most despised person in Gotham over the fact that people's lives are being taken every day because of him, and there is nothing they can do about it. So Batman must hunt down The Joker and save his friends and the citizens of Gotham City, only this movie doesn't end how you'd predict it to.MUSIC: The music is fantastic and goes great with the already near-perfect film.DISTURBING FACTOR: I never expected a superhero movie to be this creepy and disturbing. There are some scenes which make this film borderline an R-rating for how violent some of them are. Heath Ledger really does a great job at portraying Joker as a complete psychopath who you'd be terrified to come across.ACTION: Lots of shooting, lots of hand-to-hand combat, lots of vehicular mayhem, lots of explosions, and even more! This is one of the best action films I've seen in quite some time.ENTERTAINMENT: This film has a lot of unexpected scenes, even things occurred that I would have never been able to predict. This film is a roller coaster ride of plot twists, adrenaline-rushing action scenes, and it's even suspenseful, all the way to the bizarre ending. This is without a doubt one of the best films I've seen in quite some time, and is a definite must-see for any movie buffs. You don't even need to be a fan of superheroes to enjoy this kickass movie, just go watch it... NOW!OVERALL: The beginning of the movie is slow with some relationship problems and a few other things, but when the ball starts rolling it doesn't stop and you don't want it to end any time soon.THE GOOD: Great story, great actors, great action, surprisingly disturbing, little focus on relationship problems, and it's an overall kickass movie.THE BAD: The beginning is slow and goes into relationship problems, but it ends quickly at least. -Joss Whedon's unmistakeable flair comes clearly across in this popcorn movie. The dialogue is crisp and witty, and it genuinely looks as though the cast is having fun making it. I loved the gag reel, too. I can't wait for the next one to come out! -What would it take to make a movie as timeless and as enjoyable as the Wizard of Oz? Talented directors and actors have for decades taken stories from OZ and brought them to us in that attempt. Most of the time the story is warm and enjoyable (as is this one), but cannot touch the classic.There are enough interesting scenes in this movie to make it watchable. There has obviously been some heart put into it. I, sadly found the acting a bit 'off' and never could accept any of the actors in their roles.I can only say the movie is watchable and maybe if they had attempted to film it the old fashioned way with no CGI, it would have given it more of a prequel feeling of the classic.Anyone notice that they DID leave a story untold for a sequel? They still must tell us the tale of the Ruby slippers........... -Read the book in high school. While it's been done many times they never came close to following the book which was always disappointing. This one is the only one to follow the book as they took the time ( 6 episodes) to develop all the characters fully. They clearly spent the money to be true to the book. The many supporting actors ( at least 25) were all outstanding and perfect for their respective parts. Colin Firth and Jennifer Uhle were certainly outstanding but the supporting cast makes this movie.Add to that the outstanding music that was chosen and this is about as prefect a presentation that you can get. Since we bought this, we've probably re-watched it a dozens times- it's that enjoyable. -It's been years since I've read _The Vampire Lestat_ or _Queen of the Damned_, so I remember only bits and pieces of detail from them. This probably contributed greatly to my enjoyment of the film, because the screenwriters largely mangled the plot from both of those books, combining them into one movie. If I had looked forward to the actual QotD plotline, I would've been disappointed.Akasha actually has a relatively small role in the film, and Mekare is entirely absent. Maharet is alive and well in the Mojave Desert. Still, it all comes together, and focuses primarily upon Lestat, his transformation into a vampire, and his career as a rock star (his singing voice is Jonathan Davis, the lead singer from Korn, who is perfect for Lestat.)For those unfamiliar with Rice's books, Lestat is a bad boy, even by vampire standards; he likes to cause trouble, and lots of it. We learn why he has a hard time being a vampire, and what he yearns for most of all. In the first few moments of the film, he awakens from a 100-year nap to find an entirely different world - a world in which he can cope much better. He outs himself as a vampire to the whole world, becomes the biggest rock legend around, and begins giving away the secrets of the vampires living among humans. The other vampires are, needless to say, a bit peeved about this, and they come after him. There are several driving forces in the film - Lestat himself, the covens coming after him, Akasha's awakening and subsequent quest for a lover, and Marius, who in this film is Lestat's sire.While the last 20 minutes are somewhat less than gratifying, the rest of the movie is fairly sound and enjoyable. It felt shorter than it actually was, strangely enough. Large sections of the original plot are left out entirely or are incorrectly depicted, and if one were to focus on that point alone, one would probably not enjoy this movie at all. I went into it with the sole intent of just enjoying a movie that looked like it was very beautiful - and it was.Aesthetically, this film is top-notch. The costumes, make-up and special effects are wondefully done. The acting is very good, and the screenplay itself isn't bad, either. Aaliyah did a fine job as Akasha, and Stuart Townsend was a great Lestat - much, much better than Tom Cruise. The settings are appropriately dark and moody, filled with beautiful sets, sensual people, and a wonderful soundtrack, and there is an almost dreamlike quality to much of the film.The one problem I had with the film was that too much was cut out of it for a lot of details and characters to make a great deal of sense. When many of the ancients arrive on the scene, many questions hung in the air, chiefly "ok, who *are* you guys, and why are you helping this person?!" The DVD features many scenes that were cut, though, and includes notes on why the filmmakers removed them. Many of them help things come into focus more clearly, and it's unfortunate that they were deleted. Perhaps someday, an extended version will be released, reintegrating these scenes.Overall, it was a very enjoyable movie experience, and I think even Anne Rice fans will enjoy it, if they can look beyond the liberties taken with the storyline, and just try to enjoy a vampire movie that's better than most. -Even if you don't like pirate movies, I recommend you seeing this one. The actors were wonderful and the action was plentiful. Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow will have you cracking up out loud. The twists in the story line make this movie not your average pirate seeking gold movie. Rent this one!!! -I am outraged at the negativity toward a brilliant film. Not only does this movie nail the 70's in so many ways, but mirrors current events (New Jersey) in such perfect concordance, that it seems completely predictive of a thousand news stories circling the planet. How current does a movie have to be when it looks deep in the heart of darkness in American politics and then it all plays out right in front of us?American Hustle is an excellent and entertaining Comedy/Crime Drama that combines great direction,a terrific cast,a wonderful script and a fantastic soundtrack all of those elements make American Hustle a great film that has to be seen.Set in New York City in the late 1970s,American Hustle tells the story of two con artists,Irving Rosenfield(Christian Bale)and Sydney Prosser(Amy Adams)who have been forced by FBI agent Richie DiMasso(Bradley Cooper)to participate in a FBI operation called ABSCAM,a sting operation to set up corrupt politicians including Camden,New Jersey Mayor Carmine Polito(Jeremy Renner)and gangsters. As the stakes become higher and with danger coming at every corner Irving and Sydney have to figure out how to get out and survive.Throughout the history of cinema,con artists and Grifters have been covered in movies ranging from The Sting(1973),The Grifters(1990)and now American Hustle,an amazing film from beginning to end that keep your attention with fantastic movie making that never stops. Right from it's weird and offbeat opening American Hustle is a movie that combines Comedy,Crime Drama and a true life tale that is funny and quirky and at other times serious and intense giving viewers a movie that plays by it's own rules and creates it's own world. With American Hustle David O'Russell gives us a movie that is dazzling bringing viewers into the crime world of the 1970s showing the personal and professional lives of con artists,federal agents,politicians and gangsters never knowing where the story or it's characters will go and even though AH is a fact based story the movie is not too dark. When you look at AH you will see that the movie was obviously influenced in many ways by Martin Scorsese's classic Gangster epics such as Goodfellas(1990)and Casino(1995)with the way the camera moves,the style and look of the film and the use of narration replacing Gangsters and Mobsters with con artists but O'Russell takes the style and makes it his own. The Comedy in AH is great and hilarious because the laughs are never forced on viewers or telling them when scenes are funny but lets the viewers figure out when scenes are funny whether it's in some of the scenes or in the main characters dialog or actions. The Comedy is balanced out by the Crime Drama elements as well which are done with attention and detail like a other Crime Dramas and you are gripped with every scene that involves cops and crime. But the Crime Drama element isn't always serious and is entertaining. The beautiful photography by Linus Sandgren and amazing production design by Judy Becker truly add to the film and give AH a realistic look and feel of the 1970s with vibrant colors and sets that pull you into the world that AH wants to portray and it's one of the reasons the movie succeeds. The main characters in the film whether it's the con artists,federal agents are fascinating and interesting with laughs and depth because with each main character everyone wants to succeed at what they do whether it's good or bad. Also,with the characters there is no black and white but a gray area that is complex and real and you will relate to some of the characters in some ways. The screenplay by Eric Singer and David O'Russell is impressive and well-done with dialog that is a mixture of funny and serious. The ending of American Hustle is wonderful,surprising and unexpected and fits with films about con artists and Grifters. An outstanding conclusion to a great movie.The whole cast is amazing. Christian Bale is excellent and at his best as Irving Rosenfield,with Bale bringing intensity and emotional(and physical)depth to the role. Bradley Cooper is brilliant and funny as FBI agent Richie DiMasso,with Copper being offbeat and dramatic. Amy Adams is terrific and beautiful as Sydney Prosser,Irving's partner in crime and has great scenes with Bale,Cooper and Lawrence. Jeremy Renner is outstanding as Mayor Carmine Polito,a New Jersey politician. Jennifer Lawrence is amazing and sexy as Roselyn Rosenfield,Irving's attractive but overbearing wife. Also,lookout for a great uncredited appearance from Robert De Niro in a great performance as Victor Tellegio,a high level gangster. Louis C.K(Stoddard Thorsen),Jack Huston(Pete Musane),Michael Pena(Paco Hernandez),Shea Whigham(Carl),Alessandro Nivola(Anthony Amando)and Paul Hermane(Alfonse Simone)give good performances as well.The direction by David O'Russell is brilliant and stylish,with O'Russell always moving the camera with tracking shots,close-ups and a nice visual style. Terrific direction,O'Russell.The score Danny Elfman isn't always used but good when it's heard. The film has a great soundtrack with songs by Elton John(Goodbye Yellow Brick Road),Wings(Live And Let Die),The Temptations(Papa Was A Rolling Stone),Duke Ellington(Jeep's Blues)and more. Outstanding soundtrack.. -I always enjoy this movie! It is very fun, entertaining, and Julie Andrews is absolutely amazing! A classic film for every generation and those to come. The blu ray surprisingly looks really well but not perfect. It does contain some scenes that are grainy, but they still are very enjoyable. The sound is significantly better and colors are brighter and more vibrant than the DVD version. A must own classic! -"The Phantom Of The Opera" is impressive! Gerard Butler is impressive as the Phantom. Emmy Rossum is equally impressive as Christine Daae. Patrick Wilson is also impressive as Vicomte de Chagny, aka Raoul. The music is magnificent. The directing by Joel Schumacher is excellent. The screenplay by Schumacher & Andrew Lloyd Webber (on whose play that the movie is based on) is excellent. The visual design of the movie is beautiful. -The trailer was great...most trailers are. They find all the best parts, put them together and then you want to see the movie. Sadly, you know from the first five minutes how this movie is going to go. There are no big surprises here and the movie just doesn't work. I wanted to like this movie...really I did. -Wes Anderson's third film, "The Royal Tenenbaums," is nothing short of amazing and was easily the best film of 2001. Why it wasn't nominated for more than Best Original Screenplay at this year's Oscars is beyond me. The same went for his sophomore effort (and what I feel is his best film of the three) "Rushmore."One of many of Anderson's gifts lies in his appreciation of and ability to identify deadpan humor. My three favorite moments of the film are when Richie suffers a breakdown at his tennis match and tosses his racquet at the returned ball he lightly served over the net in the first place, when Chas holds a mock fire drill and tells his boys that they all would have died, including their dog, because it took them four and a half minutes to get out of the house, and when Raleigh St. Clair replies to the question "Can the boy tell time?" with "Heavens, no."He also has the uncanny ability of accompanying his films with the perfect music (though he has been ostracized for not including certain songs that appear in his films on the actual soundtrack.) He did it in "Rushmore" with British Invasion songs and he doesn't falter here. The absolute best moment of the film (in a depressing, psychotic kind of way) is when Richie attempts to kill himself by slicing his wrists. The reason for this wholly rests on the fact that the entire montage was accompanied by Elliot Smith's haunting song "Needle in the Hay."The other reason Anderson gets good marks is because of the fabulous ensemble cast. Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Danny Glover, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill Murray, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson are all at their best here.Kudos to everyone involved in this film; it is sure to gain classic status years from now. A worthy addition to anyone's DVD collection. -First off, Reservoir Dogs is a wonderful movie. It's funny, smart and entertaining. The dialogue is superb, as is Quentin Tarantino's other masterpiece Pulp Fiction, but the characters in Reservoir Dogs are just great. Even though they're criminals, you can relate to many of their dilemmas and motives during the course of the movie. The acting is also top-notch, and, for a movie where the actors had to wear their own suits to the set, very proffessional looking. Watch this movie.The DVD packaging is a pretty cool concept, with the different character covers, but if your going to buy this DVD just for that, don't. The advertisements boast "a booklet with many memorable quotes and photos". Sure there are quotes, but I wouldn't consider TWO being many. Well, maybe they consider two many when they repeat each one TWICE, but I sure don't. The photos are nice, but each one is the size of half a page, so there aren't all that many. The extras are good, but not really great.All in all, the movie alone is worth buying this DVD, and the extras are just an added bonus to an already wonderful experience. -Its too bad because this film could have been great. The special effects were awesome but as VanHelsing proved , it takes more than that to make a good film. There was just too many scenes that were over the top and unrealistic, like the Brontosaurus scene with our actors running between their legs but incredibly never getting hurt. Cmon guys. In the end You never really care enough about Kong to get sad because there were too many scenes that were ridiculous. The most important element to the film was the romance between woman and beast, and this could have worked, in fact I was praying it would, but it failed because there were too many implausible scenes earlier on, too many ridiculous scenes involoving humans outrunning dinosaurs and what not. Worth seeing, but Ive got to give it a thumbs down. More than anything I was disappointed. The synopsis of the film was: ape meets girl ,ape loses girl, ape tries to get girl back but falls off big building. -Having just seen Kill Bill, Vol. 2, I can confirm that the interviews and press reports are accurate: By splitting one film into two, what you get are two halves that each has its own very pronounced merits, but need each other to survive. In fact, I think if the two volumes had cross-pollinated a little more, you wouldn't have had just a good movie and a half, but two great films.But for now, Kill Bill Vol. 1. It's the "action" half of the twins, and it dazzles right from the start with an audacious, extended extreme close-up on Uma Thurman's face. The scene after, the duel between The Bride and Vernita Green, is classic Quentin Tarantino, heralding a return to his outrageous, dramatically intense roots. Probably the strongest scene he's directed since the Mr. Pink-Mr. White altercation in Reservoir Dogs. Unfortunately, after The Bride wakes up from her coma, the dramatic content flies down the meter, with a lot of posing and one-liners but very little in terms of character or emotional satisfaction. Which means it's up to the endless action set pieces to grab our attention. And they do. However, I find them a little too bloody, even though I've spent the last 16 months digging through Shaw Brothers films (through the excellent Celestial Pictures VCD and DVD releases). The endless bloodletting in Kill Bill Vol. 1 is shocking in the beginning, but after about five minutes in the extended climactic massacre, it's numbing.And for the record, Kill Bill Vol. 1 is not a Shaw Brothers kind of film, despite the Shaw logo which opens the film. You would have to wait until the "training" sequences in Vol. 2 to get Shaw Brothers-style cinema (which Tarantino appropriates very well there). Vol. 1 is much more a paean to the Japanese style of filmmaking: Extremely saturated colours courtesy of cinematographer Robert Richardson (even Shaw films didn't go this far in terms of garish colours -- we're in '80s Kurosawa territory here), emphasis on extreme wide shots, the very long builds, the brilliant music by The RZA. And the martial-arts sequences are modern in their multi-angularity and speed cuts; Shaw Brothers action as epitomized by Chang Cheh's style focuses much more on choreography and mise en scene than multi-angularity, letting long medium shots capture the movement of the actors and fighters, relying very little on cuts.All in all, the most lacking element in Kill Bill Vol. 1 is still story and character. Uma Thurman has some great moments (such as when The Bride first wakes up in the hospital), but after those blazing first 30 minutes, she will mostly become a statuesque hellfire angel who doesn't have a great deal of emotional advancement. You will get that in spades in Vol. 2, which is hands down a superior story and film -- without the visual eye candy and endless action of Vol. 1, but with such powerful dramatic moments that it barely matters. Again, I think if Tarantino had been able to meld the action and the drama a little more, rather than separate them into two movies that contain most of one and almost none of the other, he would have made both films greater than what they are. As it stands, Vol. 2 will be what truly burns these characters and Tarantino's vision into your mind, while Vol. 1 is the adrenalized thrill ride with energy to spare, but without much in terms of thematic depth. -I was very optimistic when I watched this film. I expected a good or excellent movie. WOW was I wrong. First of all, I was totally baffled by the main character, played by Matt Damon, as he was lifeless and only had like three lines in the whole movie.This is the only movie I've ever seen where the main character didn't speak. Why were women attracted to him? I've never been attracted to mutes myself. Also the plot was a confusing, jumbled mess. I think this film committed the worst crime possible-it didn't give the viewer a reason to care about the characters or the plot.It was also a very boring film.Considering all the critics' hype I was expecting at least a marginally enjoyable film. Alas, not so.Also, wierdly, the deleted scenes are also very long and boringI hope Ocean's 13 and The Bourne Ultimatum will be more enjoyable. But I'm not holding my breath. -I'm curious about why so many reviewers made a point of saying this movie was nothing like The Ring other than the fact that both are Americanized remakes of the Japanese originals. The two films are very similar in that they are both ghost stories...very Japanese ghost stories. In fact, I kind of wish I had seen The Grudge before I saw The Ring because the Grudge (and the DVD interviews with Sam Raimi and Takashi Shimizu) explains why both films were so creepy and disturbing.At the heart of both film's effectiveness is the difference between Western and Eastern ghost tales. In the West, there is almost always some type of redemption: the wicked are punished, the innocent are damaged but wiser, and the ghost is at peace. In Eastern stories, ghosts (at least those of a person who died confused and angry) are always hungry for revenge and can never be at peace. In addition, anyone is fair game no matter how guilty or innocent. One of the shockers in The Ring is the false conclusion where we find out that what we thought put the ghost at peace had no effect at all other than to solve the mystery of how the girl died.The demons are also very Eastern: not the ugly, leering Christian demons from hell but ones that are unsettling and watchful. More portents of distruction than bringers.I actually appreciated the restraint with CGI and gore after having seen Exorcist: The Beginning just the night before. Although the thinking behind films these days seems to be that the audience expects lots of gore and special effects (otherwise they won't pay to see the film), I think the over-the-top approach usually detracts from the story as was the case in Exorcist I (which had potential but ended up being an abortion of a movie).The non-linear approach to telling the story didn't bother me; in fact I enjoyed it because it sustained the mystery. In another inevitable comparison to The Ring, I think The Grudge, is far more satisfying it it's explaination for why the vengeful ghost and why the seemling indiscriminate selection of victims.One more plus, the DVD interviews with Sam Raimi and Takashi Shimizu were a lot more enlightening than the typical gushing sound bites you find on most DVDs. They seemed to have left the over the top superlatives to the American performers.The movie has some weaknesses which is why I gave it only three stars.First, the pacing seems glacial: there aren't many extreme emotional events for the first 30 minutes. Even events that seem like they should be disturbing, left me feeling "why should I care?" Because Sam Raimi ("Evil Dead" and "Spiderman") isn't exactly the most understated of filmakers, I imagine the quietness and pacing of the film was a deliberate decision. For me, it didn't work.Second, the lead played by Sarah Michelle Geller, seemed to be not much more than a one-dimensional vehicle for keeping the story moving. If you're expecting Buffy kicking demon ass, you'll need to look at reruns or DVD compilations. Buffy is no where to be found in this movie.Bottom line: I recommend this movie IF you are open to the fact that it is a Japanese ghost story and with the exception of casting American actors, does little to Westernize the film. If you're expecting The Ring (the Westernized version) you'll be disapointed. -Wow. And I don't mean to bore you with details, so I won't. But there's a lot of ground to cover.First, some context. Believe it or not, I never read or was read "The Hobbit", though I own it on audiobook (but I keep falling asleep while it's playing). I also never bothered to watch any of the "Star Wars" movies (no, none of them). Therefore, I have no comparison point to the book or Jar Jar Binks which everyone else seems to want to throw this under. I did watch the extended editions of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and I will do some comparatives there.For those that don't know the book, this has actually little to do with the book itself. In fact, while it shares the name and the basic premise, there is a lot of fluff thrown in for 'good' measure. It is important that you approach this movie the way I did: It is essentially a prologue to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, a device to help explain what happened before the "Fellowship of the Ring". While the book is supposed to be the same, there were a lot of missing elements in the story due to J.R. Tolkien not living long enough to get everything tied up. His son tried, but this movie is really the first time we see the puzzle pieces fitting together. The end result is rather confusing, so try best to follow along.The movie begins with a voiceover from Bilbo Baggins, who is writing what will eventually be "There And Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale", seen at the end of the "Return of the King". What he is speaking is found in the letter that he has left for Frodo at the end of his adventure. It then goes to the now infamous starting line from the book: "In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit..." and the whole first few sentences. It then goes to a brief conversation between Bilbo and Frodo (yes, Elijah Wood). This culminates into a first meeting with Gandalf, and the dwarves who are embarking on an adventure.I had a number of problems with how this started. It felt like Jackson was trying desperately to match what was said in the book - down to the corny diatribe from Gandalf to Bilbo - even though none of it matched the character. Yet, the full duration of the movie is full with blatant attempts to be a prequel to "Lord of the Rings". As such one would expect somewhat clear personality similarities, especially with Gandalf, that simply aren't there in the first parts of the movie. Secondly, while I wasn't as upset with the dwarf-at-hobbit-hole scene as other reviewers, I had tons of questions. Why are they not questioning their being sent there? Why are they simply trusting of Gandalf that this hobbit is the right person? And why was Bilbo so eager to join the squad? Again, from what little I recall from the story, Bilbo is constantly reluctant to go on the adventure the entire time. Yet in the movie this is brushed off as just a brief hesitation.Once the real adventure begins, the movie starts a sharp divergence from the story. It still keeps certain elements but there are many others that were simply patched in from other Tolkien stories such as "The Silmarillion" and "Unfinished Tales". For example, there isn't a serious session with Saruman and Galadriel with Agent Lord Elrond, with Saruman chewing Gandalf out for making the party (BTW, when Elrond said "purpose", he WAS Agent Smith. Poor Hugo). There's no epic battle with Albino orcs. The list goes on and on, and clearly the intent is to maintain the same level of majesty found in the trilogy, so it's understandable why fans of the book might be miffed at some of what's thrown in, nevermind exposing certain characters that were never in "The Hobbit" to begin with (aka Frodo and others).The remainder of the movie is wrought with the same amount of orchestral marching scenes panning gorgeous landscapes in New Zealand as are found in the trilogy. Thinking of this movie in a different angle, you might not expect this since the book itself is quite short and not the epic adventure that the movie portrays it to be; this is precisely why I say that you must set aside that expectation before approaching the movie. Seen as simply a prequel to the trilogy, everything makes perfect sense and obviously that's how Jackson saw the endeavor. He wasn't trying to turn the book literally into the movie (though the first 30 minutes would convince you otherwise).Much has been made of Radagast the Brown. Turned from a couple of colorful sentences in the book to a larger-than-life character, Radagast's parts could easily have been excluded entirely. He adds nothing to the story except finding a certain sword that is shown to Saruman (and thus dismissed as unverified). I didn't have as much issue with how the character was presented with bird droppings in his beard and down the side of his face; indeed, most book-to-movie attempts result in the exact same (see "A Wrinkle in Time" by Disney as a perfect example). As with the aforementioned, if the target is to appeal to the children that read the book rather than the child that is now an adult watching the movie, sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone.Regarding the Blu-ray...my TV, an Insignia that I got about 3 years ago at a really good deal, has the ability to closely emulate the 48fps that the movie was presented at in theaters; just not in 3D (I hate 3D). So I was able to experience the "speed" of things that people were talking about. The best way I can describe it would be like a play, or a live action event where you are watching things right there on set while they're filming it. It didn't bug me too much since Back to the Future Blu-ray did the same thing at times, but where it got weird is any scene that was filmed with obvious fake props. The most notable I saw was a scene where they panned over a landscape that was obviously not real; fake trees stuck into fake grass rather than a real area. Also, when Gandalf is talking to Galadriel, the pillars to her left and right were too fake looking. Gandalf himself, it was just seeing Ian McKellen in makeup all the time, unlike the trilogy where he blended into the character so well. Overall, the quality was so clear and clean that you were easily able to see such imperfections and it took you out of the movie, combined with this new filming speed.If I had to name my biggest complaints, it would be the fight scenes; every last one of them. They're all the same: party gets stuck into some sort of impossible situation with enemies twice or larger their size. Even with so many dwarves they still manage to get beat down and either tied up, incapacitated, or stuck. In every situation except one, Bilbo is the one that saves them. This is stark opposite of the trilogy where Frodo didn't do hardly anything. In fact Frodo was more of a coward than Bilbo in the movie even though the book has Bilbo being less willing to chip in and save the day.Then there is the introduction of Bilbo to Gollum. A lot of people applaud this as the best scene in the movie, but frankly it was nothing special. The Gollum character was played well, and the creepy mannerisms are something to behold, but the scene itself was quite unremarkable.Frankly, it was not a bad movie nor was it too long. I didn't get the same sense of overall fulfillment from it that I got from Fellowship, nor did I gain much from the Bilbo character here. Bilbo in the trilogy was a lot more entertaining overall, and "The Hobbit" at times felt mislabeled; as though it should have been called "The Dwarven Quest" because they dominated the screenplay almost exclusively. This might have been in response to complaints about Frodo and Sam dominating the trilogy; I'm not sure. In any case, as long as you don't bring book bias the movie is worth a watch. But don't expect it to blow you away. It's a decent movie, not a great one.If you buy the Blu-ray be sure to opt for the triple set with 3D Blu-ray, regular Blu-ray, and DVD. It was 2 bucks more than the non-3D version. If you do get a 3D TV in the future then you'll already be set. I wouldn't worry about the extended edition unless you're so fan clouded you must have it, but I felt the movie was quite long enough. -Hot-shot pilot moves in expensive, cutting edge fighter jets, wide-scenic shots of Tom Cruise on a motorcycle...get "Take My Breath Away" out of your head - we're talking about Oblivion here! While the similarities between Oblivion and Top Gun end at the aforementioned, there is no question that "Maverick" has all the right moves to portray galactic mechanic, Jack Harper in the most visually dazzling film of the year so far.Oblivion opens in 2077 after an alien threat has left Earth a barren wasteland fit only for extracting a few vital resources before humanity abandons the planet altogether to start a new existence on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Cruise's Harper is a glorified serviceman who supervises and repairs the various resource-extraction devices along with his partner Victoria (Andrea Riseborough). As the two near the completion of their jobs on Earth, Harper begins having visions of his life prior to the mandatory memory-wipe that is required for service-workers. These visions lead him on a chain of events that cause him to question everything he thought he knew about his life.Director Joseph Kosinski creates a vividly rich and nuanced futuristic environment where much of the technology feels like what truly is on the horizon. Kosinski directed 2010's under-rated visual spectacle, Tron Legacy, and it is apparent that he has his finger on the pulse of crisp, sci-fi style. Narrative-wise, Oblivion is a much more complex story than is likely expected. The complexities do provide some depth to the film and force the audience to pay close attention; however, the juxtaposition between the style and the narrative is not smooth. Occasionally, the film is forced into a lull as it tries to tie up its intricate plot points without sacrificing its visual pageantry. This is most apparent in the scenes that develop the sub-plot involving a human resistance leader named Beech (Morgan Freeman) and a mysterious NASA survivor named Julia (Olga Kurylenko).Oblivion's chief attributes are clearly its visual elements. Freeman and Kurylenko's characters are thinly developed and the actors are mostly unremarkable. However, it is becoming more and more apparent that any film that features Morgan Freeman in any role is most likely not a bad movie. Thematically, the film is successful at developing some intriguing ideas about discovery and purpose. The film acts as a subtle homage to familiar films like Alien, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and even Wall-E. Speaking of familiar, the score is oddly reminiscent of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight films. This is simply an observation, but having Morgan Freeman in the film as well certainly makes one wonder if this is some form of statement. Regardless, while some will no doubt be puzzled or dissatisfied with the conclusion, Oblivion mostly works as an epic and visually alluring entry into the science-fiction canon. B+On a side note, seeing the film in IMAX or an XTREME screen is recommended as the film has so much to offer visually. Oblivion is rated PG-13 and runs 125 minutes. -A lot of the parts are at night or in the dark. It seemed like the end was anti-climatic. Tom Hanks is great. -I am going to try to refrain from writing a lengthy review for this film, and keep it as succint as possible, although for a film like this, the task almost seems impossible. Many reviewers have already said some things that I am going to say, and would have liked to say, but the review will go on, anyway.This is a powerful movie, in which it's main theme centers around drug abuse & addiction, and the dangerous consequences that may follow. But, the film centers on more than just drug abuse and addiction: to me it also centers on life, and how the average folk go about trying to embellish what seems like the emptiness of life. To try and enhance (and possibly) facilitate the meaning of that last sentence, think about this: many people do -- and/or try to reach for -- things that are supposed to make one's life more meaningful and complete: getting married, experiencing the birth of one's first child, going to college, becoming wealthy and/or famous, et al. In society, we are basically brought up to believe that if we follow along certain patterns (e.g. becoming wealthy, etc), we will be happy & fulfilled. One of the many things this film shows us, is that sometimes, what we are brought up to believe, can be a devastating illusion, or at least, there is a strong possibility of this.This story focuses on four main characters, and their addiction to drugs. The story is also cleverly told over the course of four seasons (three, technically), and like another reviewer pointed out a few pages back, the mood of each season correlates with the psychological and circumstantial happenings of each character (or vice versa.) The film starts with the Summer, which correlates with adolescent feelings. In this case, these four characters seemed as if they were happy (or at least we may think they are happy), and seemed to be filled with laughs, smiles and confidence in their future and dreams. In the Autumn, which represents added responsibility, and preparation for "darker times", things start to slowly go downhill for the gang. We can see their circumstances beginning to spiral, and their dispositions begin to follow downward as well. By, Winter (which represents "death" or the "ending"), each of these four members seem to meet the "finality" of their fates, to disturbing effect, to say the least. Spring, which represents birth, and fresh, new beginnings, never arrived. Heavy stuff, there.Some reviewers have complained about the camera techniques used in this film to be nothing more than flash for flash's sake, and similarly, some have said that some of the disturbing scenes found in the film were there for shock value only. I couldn't disagree more. For starters, like another reviewer has pointed out, the "speeding up" and "slowing down" techniques are supposed to correlate with the "speeding" or "raciness" of the characters' thought processes while under the influence of...well...speed (and other drugs.) I found this to be very clever and fascinating. Secondly, while there *are* indeed disturbing images in the film, I didn't necessarily find the images to be the most disturbing aspect of the film, but rather *how* these images were shot. In other words, it's more *psychologically* disturbing, than it is *graphically* disturbing, if that can be basically understood. The way this film was made alone, should not be taken lightly, and it is indeed clever and noteworthy filmmaking. You'd have to see the film for yourself to possibly get a better understanding of what I am talking about.Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans and Jennifer Connelly did wonderful and convincing jobs in their respective roles. Their performances truly helped to make the film what it was, and it wouldn't have been as complete without them. Ellen Burstyn's performance seemed to get a droves-worth of accolades, and deservedly so. Her performance was undoubtedly the most frightening, disturbing and heart-wrenching thing about this film. In moments, her character made me laugh, want to cry, and at other times, made me want to turn my head away from the screen altogether. The whole movie is powerful indeed, and the last segment (Winter) is indeed the most intense and hellish part of the movie.I watched this film with another member of my family, and by the time the "Winter" segment had arrived, we were *both* saying things like, "I will *never* watch this movie again. It's a little *too* much reality." Nightmarish, disturbing, cautionary, thought-provoking, and moving, this film will stay in your mind long after it has ended, and many will gather their own responses as to what the movie meant to them. And, if some of you think that what happened to these characters can't happen to anyone in real-life, think again: it's *very* real, and *can* happen (and no doubt *has* happened to some in real-life.) Indeed, reality can be too much at times.Before I close out this review, let me share a brief story with you about someone who used drugs: it was documented in a program (I can't remember the name of it right now) that a female experimented with a drug, and not too long after that, her friends were quick to comment that she was becoming excessively paranoid and delusional. She was sent to a specialist who did a brain scan on her. When the doctor took a look at the scan, we the viewers (and no doubt the girl, and her mother, who happened to be alongside her) saw something *very* disturbing: there were various holes -- large holes -- throughout her brain: like the equivalent of looking at a piece of cheese after a mouse had nipped through it quite well. The result? This girl now suffers from acute bipolar/manic-depressive disorder. And you know what else? This was the result of her experimenting with a drug: after ONLY ONE TRY! That's right, this girl is now stuck with a "psychotic disorder" for the rest of her life, as the result of her experimenting with a drug after only *one* try. Yes, indeed, reality can be a bummer. I recommend seeing this film at least once; this goes for everyone. -This film is about a group of seniors who all find them selves on their way to India to retire and live because for one reason or another, they can no longer afford to retire in England, their home. This is a timely, realistic story for today with some fun characters. There are some wonderful Indian actors and fantastic dependable English ones too! The cast is fantastic ( Maggie Smith & Judy Dench) and charming. I really enjoyed this one! -I didn't really love season 4 like I loved 2 and 3. It had some new ideas and concepts and some of them didn't really work in the right ways for me. But it did have some brilliant episodes, and got us more interested about the military involvement in vampire slaying.WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS!Here's my episode-by-episode guide to Season 4#1 THE FRESHMAN - 4/5. A very good opener. Lots of comedic scenes and also shows the estrangement of your first few days of college nicely.#2 LIVING CONDITIONS - 3.5/5. Funny funny episode! I wasn't really all that happy with how it turned out, but it keeps the laughs coming on in, and the editing techniques were great.#3 THE HARSH LIGHT OF DAY - 4/5. This episode gets better with repeated viewings. Lots of good insights on relationships and such. Good music too, and seeing Spike in the sunlight was a treat.#4 FEAR, ITSELF - 4/5. Genuinely creepy episode with great production design. Also some good foreshadowing for the rest of the show.#5 BEER BAD - 2/5. Stupid, pointless episode. But I did kind of enjoy it's silly qualities. Quite funny in parts but overall - just lame and unneeded.#6 WILD AT HEART - 4.5/5. The girl who plays Veruca was atrocious and brought this episode down from a 5. Everything else was excellent!#7 THE INITIATIVE- 4/5. We finally learn about those damn commando guys! A good episode with many funny scenes that got the story-arc going.#8 PANGS - 2.5/5. Gets worse everytime I watch it. The story isn't really needed to the arc of the season, and seems just pointless...#9 SOMETHING BLUE - 4/5. Awesome comedic episode, with great performances by Sarah Michelle Gellar and James Marsters.#10 HUSH - 5/5. Brilliant episode of BTVS - one of the best ever if you ask me! Joss did a brilliant directing and writing job. A unique, very frigtening, funny and just excellent and enjoyable hour of TV!#11 DOOMED - 4/5. Keeps getting better with every viewing. Written by Marti Noxon, Jane Espenson and David Fury - this mixes all of their talents together - drama, comedy and action. Good episode, if not perfect.#12 A NEW MAN - 4/5. Very almost a 4.5, maybe after more viewings. This episode was hilarious and finally Giles got his own little story arc. It didn't really move the story-arc along or anything, but fun all the same.#13 THE I IN TEAM - 4/5. In which we are introduced to the big bad for season 4, and a questionable big bad he is...but the rest of this episode was 4.5 material!#14 GOODBYE IOWA - 3.5/5. Didn't hold my interest as much as the previous episode, but this one definitely gets the big bad's story-arc on the road as we learn more about him. Marc Blucas' acting is also brilliant here.#15 THIS YEAR'S GIRL - 4.5/5. Praise FAITH! She is just an amazing character and I can't explain how great it was to have her back. Everything about this episode was enjoyable - one of the best of the season!#16 WHO ARE YOU - 5/5. Just when I thought it couldn't get better than This Year's Girl, they give us a true Jossian episode with Who Are You. It's a weird idea that could've gone awry, but instead it turns out to be a brilliant one that furthers our knowledge of the characteristics of both Faith and Buffy. Funny, dramatic - brilliant!#17 SUPERSTAR - 4/5. Groovy little episode that gets better every time I watch it. Danny Strong did a great job and the alteration to the credits is just classic in the best sense of the word. Great job!#18 WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE - 0.5/5. Even worse than Superstar. This episode gives a good reason for people to say why they don't like BTVS. This is probably the worst episode of the show ever.#19 NEW MOON RISING - 4.5/5. Thank God for Oz! After those two HORRIBLE episodes beforehand, on comes Oz for his final episode of BTVS (I think, you never know with Joss). The acting here is great, and there is a lot of brilliantly written drama by Marti Noxon.#20 THE YOKO FACTOR - 4.5/5. Good good good! A funny episode that prepares us for the showdown with Adam and the Initiative. Very well done and with great acting by Marc Blucas and David Boreanaz.#21 PRIMEVAL - 4/5. Lots and lots of great action sequences here, and it was awesome to see the gang working as a team once more. The fight with Adam is just classic!#22 RESTLESS - 5/5. One of the most amazing episodes of the show. Though it doesn't quite beat out Hush for best episode of the season. It is very close though. There is a lot of character development here, and the directing job is probably the best the show will ever have. A great way to finish S4!--- DVD REVIEW ---This DVD is great and gives you deeper insight into the ideas for the season. The writers and directors give you a lot of good insights into the episodes they wrote. I love this DVD package. You can buy it in NZ on Region 4 and it is excellent, so when it comes out in the USA, all you American BTVS fans better order a copy from Amazon! -I saw the first Star Wars film in the summer of 1977 - before George Lucas knew he had a hit on his hands and started retroactively numbering the sequels - so I started in on the ground floor with Episode 4: A New Hope. I recommended the film to a relative and we saw it together. Then I saw it with a friend, then with another, and so on, until I had seen the (still-unsubtitled) film ten times. I eagerly awaited the next (fifth) episode (The Empire Strikes Back, 1980), and impatiently anticipated the "third" (sixth) episode (The Return of the Jedi, 1983). Afterward known as the Star Wars Trilogy, I was thrilled with the action and adventure, although the quasi-religious "Force" they talked about seemed irrelevant to all that, if not downright ridiculous.Then something happened. Maybe it was a sequel too far. Maybe I got older, maybe the characters weren't as interesting, or maybe the films just got more and more ridiculous. By 1999, when Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace came along, I had had enough of that George Lucas world a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. In this latest installment of his tired series, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, I was disappointed to find no image, no line of dialog, that didn't disappear from my memory as soon as it dissolved from the screen.Oh, yes, Episode II is a technical marvel: here, the sets are totally computer-generated; the aliens are truly inventive and all computer-generated; the visual effects are seamless and brilliantly computer-generated. I even liked seeing tiny Yoda dancing with his light saber in battle with the evil Count Drac-, er, Count Dooku (played with CGI face by Christopher Lee!). But I felt double-crossed by the dialog and cheated by the characters. Ewan McGregor as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi - played memorably in Episodes 4-6 by the late Sir Alec Guinness - was at least entertaining to watch. But the love dance between the maturing Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and the Princess Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman, who actually has talent) was entirely bland and unconvincing. Get a clue, kids: love means passion.The Star Wars franchise George Lucas created inhabits a godless-yet-spiritual universe, with an uneasy alliance between technology and a pop-theology. Among people made uncomfortable by human progress and the dizzying advance of technology, perhaps this is more comfortable - also more masculine, that is, more appealing to male teenagers and less intellectually demanding - than the more explicitly god-free universe of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, however cool it is to see Jedi priests swing their light sabers. Personally, I prefer Trek to Wars, principally because I see more potential for improving the human condition with technology than with theology - even the generic, anti-intellectual, anti-technology, anti-progress variety called The Force.That is my objection to Star Wars in general. As to Attack of the Clones in particular, I see Lucas's deep investment in Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) that might as well be cartoons for all they help the film. I am not opposed to CGI per se. But I do think it should work to elucidate, not invalidate, the story and the characters. The subtitle contains less poetry than truth. -This a pretty good movie and it had A LOT of blood. However, it did not have enough depth. They could have added some more to the movie but it was alright anyway and it makes you want to watch the sequel. The movie did have some good fight scenes though. Overall it was pretty interesting to watch so if you are looking for a good action movie, this is a good one to see. However, warning, this is not for the faint of heart. There is much blood and gore. But if you don't mind watching someone getting their head chopped off and then seeing the blood spill out of their lifeless body then by all means this is the movie for you. By the way all of the blood looks extremely fake and seems to be made the same way the blood was made for the comic book scenes. What a pity. -I suppose I was nave to think that this third installment of the Twilight cultural phenomenon would be any better or more interesting than the first two "films" in the series. To be honest, I watched this (and read the first three books) out of a sense of pop culture obligation--I do need to stay abreast of the popular trends in YA literature and culture. Sometimes that obligation is enjoyable and rewarding (e.g., the Harry Potter novels and films), and sometimes that obligation is an excruciating act of penance (e.g., any and all things Twilight). What can I say to express the profound artistic void that this film represents? That the acting is wooden and hammy? That the story is about as interesting as watching bread mold? That the script is amateurish and insipid? That the film looks as if it were shot in a teenager's basement and backyard? That the special effects are, in effect, anything but special? That the only thing worth looking at in this entire film is Taylor Lautner's bare torso? I shudder to think that the final installment of this series will be divided into two films. Please, have mercy and end this entire Twilight fiasco already. -Okay, so I don't actually drink tea. But I must admit, I really don't care for this movie that much. Personally, I don't understand what all the hoopla's about concerning HSM. Sure, the songs are not bad, and the actors are kinda cute, and you gotta give those guys credit for putting a lot of time and effort into this movie. But for some reason, this little teenybopper flick just doesn't turn me on like it seems to do with everyone else. Just about everywhere I turn, it's always "High School Musical this" and "High School Musical that", and all I can say is: "Give me a break." -It's outstanding! I bought it for my dog and she enjoyed it enormously. The service and price were excellent. I bought this movie for my dog. My cat said it was childish and didn't like it. But my 4 year old dog loves it. She's watched it many times. -Jennifer Lawrence could read the phone book and I would be fascinated. However, the plot of the Hunger Games is rather weak. Predicting the future has always been a stumbling block for most science fiction writers. We've seen plenty of versions regarding how terrible the future will be... going all the way back to Huxley and Wells. This one divides the country (I presume it is America) into the very wealthy and the very poor, with one poor person given the chance to survive a publically broadcast games that pit children against one another until only one is left standing. This is about as likely as never happening. The premise is so weak as to make the rest of the movie a joke. Supporting performances are also weak. The film relies almost entirely on special effects and the performances of Lawrence and veteran Donald Sutherland. While I love science fiction, I found the end did not justify the means. The plot is weak throughout and solution is open ended, hence Hunger Games, two - will Jennifer end up with her true boyfriend; will she have to volunteer for the games again (she'd have to survive because I believe there is a book three!!!!). Unfortunately, it did well at the box office and Hollywood loves a winner so there will be more coming... but I will not be watching. -Always been a Trekkie and this movie is awesome! I loved it from beginning to end and would watch it repeatedly if I could get away with it! -If you aren't a Brenden Fraser fan, stop right here and search for another film.If you are, you'll like "Journey".This is a good family film. We were able to watch it very comfortably with our 9 year old grand-daughter.The movie, which is about three people trapped far beneath the earth with prehistoric plants and creatures, is both exciting and funny. The main characters are all likable, and Brendan Fraser is at his charming and funny best.Sadly, even if you do all the work to correctly track down the 3D dvd version of this film and the 3D glasses. it won't do you much good. The home 3D presentation doesn't exactly jump off the screen at you, so my advice would be to skip the extra trouble and expense that I went through to that end.Suspension of disbelief is no greater for this 'follow-up' film than it was for the Verne book or for the original movie with James Mason and Pat Boone. The special effects are good, and the same solid dinosaurs about to eat people type that you've come to appreciate ever since Jurassic Park. The story is NOT meant to be a cover of the Verne book, it is sort of a sequel, in a way. That element of the movie was handled in a very interesting fashion.This is not the best movie you've ever seen, but it is enjoyable, and one of few you can enjoy with the family, so it does have value. -I agree with the other haters on this one. I like Tarantino's work generally but this movie fell flat. There are scenes that seem to go on forever with a bunch of uninteresting characters spouting boring dialog about things you don't care about. ALL IN SUBTITLES! Pitt's character is ridiculous as is the entire premise of the movie.I know it is a fantasy but it comes off as silliness as the plot and the situations portrayed in the film are completely asinine. It is also mildly disturbing that the horror of WWII is trivialized somewhat, if only it would have been that easy to kill the Nazis.I truly don't understand the rave reviews here. Tarantino rips off himself and other film cliches that have been done a million times before only better. He is a spent force. -"Pocahontas" was not exactly what I expected from Disney. (For one thing, the princess doesn't wind up with the "prince" -- a little closer to Pocahontas' real life story). That said ... the music, animation, and so on are all outstanding. One of the real surprises in this film is Mel Gibson's talent as a voice actor and *singer* - he's extremely good. Gibson describes himself as a "shower-only singer," and I think that is a real misnomer.Pocahontas has her amusing animal friends, Flit (the humming bird) and a truly humorous little raccoon whose name escapes me at the moment. It is because of her friendship with these animals that she works so hard to convince John Smith (Gibson) of the importance of living in harmony with the land.I think the film carries a couple of good messages, along with its high entertainment value. The first is, of course, to live in harmony with the land. The second is that "savage" is often defined by which side of the line you happen to stand on - people often see those who are different as "wrong." "Pocahontas" goes a long way toward teaching young people the importance of shedding that viewpoint. -Action was fun to see but storyline was blah and of even their cheesy lines you expect to hear were poorly placed. -RUSH IN RIO is a excellent 2-disc DVD set. I really don't get into live cd's or dvd's but I make exceptions. I went to see them on there 30th Anniversary Tour on June 2 and that by far has been the best show I have seen, every time I watch this DVD it remains me of the show I seen, this is like the show I see but different cause of the setlist and location. This DVD is excellent, besides the show I really enjoyed the documentary on the 2nd disc is very good. I would like to see a documentary on the whole band cause I would think that would be intresting. Rush is a excellent live band, what's cool about there live music is that it changes from time to time, you listen to "Closer To The Heart" on A Show Of Hands and Different Stages thou the lyrics are the same the music is slightly different and that's what I like about Rush's live stuff is that they evolve musically and it very cool to listen to. -I watched this film with high expectations, you would expect a star wars film to be nothing less than extravagant, but this time round it was not the case. First of all my interest started to drift from this film, when I spotted acting flaws in both hayden and Ewans performance. However after talking to many people who have watched the film and reading other reviews, it seems i'm not the only one who spotted bad acting. The worst performance came from Hayden Christensen, especially on the emotional scenes. I have read that George Lucas was initially going to take on Leornardo DiCaprio to play Anakin, which in my opinion was a much better choice. Not only DiCaprio looks like the boy in Phantom Menace, but he is a better actor and would've held a stronger screen presence. Surprisingly, Ewan's performance wasn't as strong in this one, as it was in the Phantom Menace, I think maybe he was too relaxed in his role. I think Lucas focused so much on special effects and the digital yoda, that he forgot what makes a good film in the first place, and thats 'performance.' After watching the documentaries on the dvd, Christopher Lee said that despite the fact that the effects have taken over a fair bit, there is still a strong need for performance, however since Lee's character was played by a body-double in most of his scenes, I find this ironic.Now the positive aspects of the film. Well done ILM, for bringing digital Yoda to life. Superb scene, with Yoda fighting with his light saber, but I dont think this was enough to save the film from its demise. The soundtrack was the strong hold of the picture, I think John Williams scored superbly, bringing the feel of love into the story.The film wasn't all bad, but you would expect better from a Star Wars film, and the bad acting did let the film down dramatically. I hope Lucas can pick up on his mistakes from this one, and improve on his next film. -"Brokeback Mountain" is the story of two all-man cowboys that find love in each other. The film is unique because it is not the typical gay stereo-type; perhaps it is the first mainstream film ever made on this topic?Ennis Del Mar (played by the very talented Heath Ledger) is a very quiet and rough around the edges kind of man. He doesn't show his feelings very well and is somewhat of a loner. Jack Twist (played by the equally accomplished Jake Gyllenhaal) is more vocal about his feelings and emotions, but can still be pushed around (although I did enoy it when he stood up to his bigoted father-in-law).What makes this tale so bitter is that their's is a forbidden love. It is reminiscent of "Titanic" or Romeo and Juliet. Please keep in mind that the picture took place during 60's, 70's, and early 80's, in Middle-America where no one was openly gay, much less a cowboy. But, despite all their differences and personal demons both men loved each other more than life itself.Anyone with connected eyeballs can tell that Ennis and Twist were deeply in love (this was not an affair, rather it was a serious relationship that lasted over two decades). It was proof that Twist loved Ennis when they were on the hill getting ready to leave after he playfully lassoed and punched Ennis. Twist looked so sad to have intentionally inflicted pain on his lover. But Ennis holed off and punched him, because no one was gonna make Ennis his fool. And it was evident that Ennis loved Twist when he sobbed like a baby on the street after they departed Brokeback Mountain separately.The cinematography in this picture was absolutely stunning. The soundtrack is also amazing. I am certain that this picture is very Oscar-worthy.I saw this movie about a month ago and I still can't get it out of my mind. It is a very full-toned and haunting picture. To say that it was the very best film that I have ever seen would simply trivialize it, because it is much more than just a movie. -The packaging and the quality of each and every video is AWESOME! If you love Laurel and Hardy, this package will please you beyond words. Worth every dime spent! Even though the disks are NOT Blu-Ray, I played them on a Blu-Ray player. The quality of these videos is quite evident. Enjoy them folks. Like Laurel and Hardy, this package is one of a kind. -Who would have thought Disney still had it in them!? I found a couple instances where I would say they tried a little to hard to make something funny, a classic Disney 'he just stepped in the #2' moment that made us laugh the first time and now it's just old, then again it is a kids movie more so and simple humor is sometimes best.I loved right after she gets out of the tower, it was perfect. Yep, she's definitely a woman, then the guy half trying to figure out what he should do. Yep, that guy is a man. -Firefly has the same problem that all of Whedon's shows have. It is unfocused and meanders for far too long. You can throw away about eight episodes a season because he does not know where he wants to go with them. He spends too much time fumbling around in the dark looking for a purpose or a plotline to follow and that is what happened with Firefly. The only difference is that he spends more time world building in this one instead of creating a purpose for the season.After seeing all of the episodes, well it does not live up to the hype. The characters are generic Whedon archetypes. It spends too much time with its being cutesy poo dialog, which is not witty or clever. It spends way too much time explaining insignificant details of the universe that will never pay off. I would probably have enjoyed the show, but the diehard Firefly fans ruined any enjoyment I might get out of it. They built this show up to be one of the greatest shows ever made, proclaimed every episode is golden and chided a network for acting like a business.And nd no, I'm not some lone warrior looking to start a fight. I'm just speaking to the truth that a lot of you are in denial about. Firefly failed not because of some correct order nonsense. If the producer had an idea where he was going, the show would have lasted longer. The general science fiction fanbase saw a badly made show that was confusing to follow. They saw a show whose producer did not have the decency to give them a reason to tune in the following week.Before you spout your correct order nonsense, the science fiction audience had an opportunity to see it in the correct order when SciFi aired for the 13 weeks leading up to the Serenity movie premiere. They did not watch it then, nor did they watch when it was on 13 hour marathons. It was the lowest rated show on SciFi. Ridicule it all you want, but this was from back in the day when SciFi still showed quality science fiction, like Galactica and Farscape. If it did poorly back then, what should that tell you about the show.I am sorry if you Whedonites do not like hearing this, but that is reality. If the show was good, then it did not matter the order it was aired. If the show was good, it would be in its 8th or 9th season. If the show was good, it would not need your wishful thinking and vitriolic responses to keep it alive. If the show was good, it would have expanded beyond the Whedonite audience. Sorry, but the show was not good and you are doing a disservice by hyping the hell out of it. -To my surprise, T3 didn't turn out to be as bad as I thought it would have been. I had low expectations of this film due to all the factors that gave reasoning for this to be a bad film such as the absenses of James Cameron and Linda Hamilton. But after I saw this film, I was BLOWN AWAY from all those thoughts. This film was terrific! It would have been nice Linda Hamilton and Ed Furlong (the kid who played John Conner in T2)to return but not everything is perfect in life. This easily one of Arnold's best movies he has made in years. But compared to the first two, this is the worst Terminator movie yet, but it is still a mind blowing action-packed thrill ride. Atnold's back and better then ever and has his mind set on a new intense adventure as a machine. Anyway, here is the plot..It has now been ten yrs since skynet was blown away. Sarah Conner is now deceased and John Conner is now basically doing whatever he can to avoid the life he was destined for. He basically does what he can to stay alive and keeps traveling hundreds of miles but really has no idea where he is going. Nut it turns out that blowing up Skynet doesn't prevent Judgement Day; it only postponed it. That means that the Terminators will still exist, and now there is one a new and very advanced one. It is called the T-X (Terminatrix), played by Kristanna Loken who is wicked hot! She is Faster, stronger,and can control and heavy machinery with her mind . As in she can drive a car, but she won't be in the car, she will be somewhere else while her mind will be controlloing the car. This Terminator is sent to do the obvious-Kill John Conner. But that is not all. Conner isn't going to be the only general in the war against the machines in the future. There will be other generals in the war and the T-X must kill everynody who will become a general in the future right now so they won't be able to fight in the war. Also a T-850 (Arnold Schwarzenegger). It is slighlty more advanced then the T-800's that were sent back in the first 2 films. His mission is of course protect Conner and his fri9end Kate Brewster (Clare Danes). It seems that Brewster's father is the man who will create Skynet and is almost finished with the project. Now it is up to them to stop that from happening and before the T-X can get to them and terminate them. One other thing, Earl Boen makes a small reappearence as Dr. Silberman (the guy who treated Sarah Conner in the first 2 films)Anyway, T3 is loaded with instense action and lots of destruction. This film had the most destruction out of the 3. The only thing that keeps that this film from getting a perfect 5/5 is that part is confusing and there are some things in this movie that seem ridiculous. Things such as the T-850 kicking an ambnulance and cousing it to tip over. This film however doesn't come close to as good as the second was. T2 was way better, even the original Terminator (1984) was better. But this is still good and should be ssen while it is still in theaters. -This series is great, it dose start out slow and a little less scary but it dose make it up for that later on. The story is great and the characters are awesome. I thought when it came out the same time Once Upon Time it would be canceled and never be spoken about every again but its up for third series and I think its better than once Upon a Time. they use the fairy tell creatures wisely. NO TWILIGHT WEREWOLF'S wannabees and no kid friendly creatures. I am happy and a shamed to say this but Disney doesn't have its pixie dust hands all over this like they do with Once Upon a Time. This is how Once Upon Time should have been. Its dark its well designed and the graphics don't look like it belongs on the set. Everything fits and looks good. Its okay to have fairy Princesses but when mix with our world you want it to work, look awesome, and keep the Grimm stories true with reality. And the Grimm series dose just that. I recommended you watch this show and buy it you will love it. -Let me start off by saying that I am one of the people that saw Avatar multiple times in theaters and loved it. The CGI , as well as the 3D technology infused, were by far the best I have ever seen. James Cameron and all of the people who participated in the making of this movie did a tremendous job. Weta workshop is taking its place at the top of the mountain, as far as visual effects companies go. Watching this movie was like being transported to a different universe. I was completely immersed throughout the almost three hours I was in the theater.As for the story and acting for the film, I am probably in the minority on most of these reviews. The story for me, while predictable and reminiscent of other movies I'd seen previously (What movie isn't nowadays?), was extremely enjoyable. Watching this made me feel young again. It made me forget about all the worries that an adult life brings, and just enjoy myself in the moment. Many people argue that the acting in this movie was subpar. These people say that the portrayals of the characters were downright cartoonish. I would argue strongly against that. For the type of movie that this is, the good versus evil portrayals given by the actors works in the movie's favor. Sam Worthington especially does well. If you haven't seen him in Terminator: Salvation, do so. He made the movie worth watching.Now, to get to the actual product at hand. I ordered the Blu Ray / DVD combo pack from Amazon. From the moment the menu came onto my screen, I knew this was going to be something special. When I pressed play, there was no turning back. Over the next three hours, my senses were completely assaulted and my mind was dumbstruck. Simply put, James Cameron's Avatar on the Blu Ray format is the best picture and audio we have seen or heard to date. I have a feeling it will be years before anything better is brought to the table. Watching the visuals was more stimulating than looking at a real life forest. Every detail could be seen from far and away. The walls of my house shook, and I just hope the neighbors did hear. I would tell them to buy the movie themselves and experience it.With this release comes certain issues. While I don't have any of them myself, I will still talk about them as it would be uninformative of me to not. This release of Avatar is not in 3D. Many people complain about this, and a large percentage of those people do not even have the right equipment to properly experience 3D yet. The technology for home theater 3D is very new and very pricey. Next year, after all the quirks have been worked out, is when we will likely see Avatar in a home release 3D format. Another gripe is the complete lack of special features. This again has a good reason. In the Special Edition coming later this year, there will be scenes incorporated into the movie not even visually completed yet. Documentaries in high definition have to be put together. A commentary track needs to be recorded. No one is being forced to buy this "stripped" edition, however. I am one of the people who will knowingly double or triple dip on this. The reason for that is because I love it so much.Now to the biggest complaint. During the initial release, many people were complaining that Avatar would not play in their Blu Ray players. The reason for that seems to be some new copy protection put on the disc. While I was not one of the people with this problem, I can certainly sympathize with those who did. A new firmware update is all it will take to fix the issue. My PS3, which serves as my Blu Ray player, had a firmware update ready for me before I watched the movie.So if you are one of the millions who loved Avatar when you saw it in theaters, or one of the people who didn't get around to seeing it, now is your time. Pick this movie up right away without hesitation. Keep an open mind, and let yourself become immersed. You do not want to miss what many people believe is one of the top movies of all time. -This is a neat show... it has a few very long episodes so it's one you need to be prepared to sit for a while to watch, but the season is very short. The characters are very quirky which I enjoy. The main characters are consistent and well developed, and all other characters are just minor roles that are there to pop in and out... not well developed and overall fairly unimportant. Sherlock is written in a unique way for an investigative show... as in you see him quickly pick up on all the clues all at once (the way this is shot is different). -As one of the most awaited movies in history, it would be very hard to live up to the hype that surrounded Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. But it does - and does so very, very well. If Episodes I and II were the appetizers, Episode III is the main course and the desert for the Star Wars prequel trilogy.If you don't know, the Star Wars prequel trilogy was designed to be the story of a good man's decent into evil - eventually leading him to become one of cinemas most iconic villains: Darth Vader. In Episodes I and II we see glimpses of this character as Anakin Skywalker fights off his inner anger and fear in the face of turmoil. In Episode III, these feelings become even stronger because of the love he has for his secret wife, Padme, and his allegiance to Chancellor Palpatine. As the Republic falls apart at the hands of Palpatine, so does Anakin. It is truthfully painful to watch our hero's decent to the Dark Side of the Force, but the part is played magnificently by Hayden Christensen.Anakin is truly and thankfully the central character of this movie, but the other characters in the movie are pivotal as well. Ian McDiarmid (the aforementioned Chancellor Palpatine) delivers a wonderful, Oscar-worthy performace as Skywalker's "friend" who twists Anakin's mind and heart leading him to his eventual destruction. Ewan McGregor also does an incredible job as Obi-Wan Kenobi, as he did in Episodes I and II, who plays a pivotal role in the movie as a protector of the galaxy and as Anakin's mentor, friend, and conscience. The scenes between Anakin and his wife, Padme (played by Natalie Portman), are very good, heartbreaking, and touching. Anakin discovers Padme is pregnant (with twins, unbeknownst to them - eventual Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia) which makes it all the more difficult for them to continue this marriage in secrecy. Portman delivers a wonderful performance, although her screen time is limited compared to the previous two prequels. Both of the droids, C3PO and R2-D2, are back as well, as well they should be. They are as essential a part of the saga as anyone is and any scene that they are in is definitely enjoyable. The supporting cast of Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, Christopher Lee as Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus, and the voice acting of Frank Oz as Yoda are wonderful as well.Being the last of the Star Wars films and the movie that connects the prequel trilogy to the original one, anyone familiar with Star Wars can see the end in sight when watching Episode III. As George Lucas has said, this movie has most of the plot that he had envisioned when he decided to go back and do a prequel trilogy - and the plot does shine. This movie totally pulls you in from start to finish. From the awe-striking space battle, through the multiple incredible lightsaber and ground battles, through Anakin's heart-wrenching struggle to choose what is most important to him and all of the confusion that these choices cause, and to the heartwarming, yet tear-jerking end - this movie is absolutely incredible and one for the ages.If you are a Star Wars fan, or even if you have never really checked it out before - this is an incredible movie for all audiences. It may be a little scary and violent for younger viewers (hence the series' first PG-13 rating), but all of these movies are incredibly clean with no objectional content whatsoever (other than what I would call "mild" violence with no blood or gore). I would recommend seeing the others before seeing this one, but this movie can definitely stand alone as a truly great movie. This is definitely a MUST SEE, in my opinion, and is a MUST BUY for anyone who has been on the incredible ride that Lucas started in 1977 with a little movie that no one thought would succeed called "Star Wars". -The Hunger Games is the start of another franchise of movies based a series of teen books. However, I did not think the movie was that bad, but actually quite good. I do not think it is as good as the Lord of the Rings films, Narnia films, or the Harry Potter films, but still fairly enjoyable. Compared to the string of teen fantasy movies that have come out recently like Percy Jackson or Twilight this movie is god.The story is pretty simple. It takes place in the distant future. There was once a big civil war which has left North America in ruins. Instead of countries there now exists twelve districts. Each year the capital of Panem forces either a boy or a girl from each district to compete in the Hunger Games where they all battle to the death. From District 12 a girl named Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is chosen to compete along with her friend/love interest Gale (Liam Hemsworth).People accuse this film of ripping of another film called Battle Royale. Firstly I have not seen Battle Royale so I cannot say which film is better. Secondly, I'm sure that Battle Royale was not the first of its kind either. Everything is inspired by something. There have been movies and TV shows that have come out after this that have a similar premise of people put somewhere and are forced to fight to the death. For all anime fans out there, there is an anime that came out last year (the same year that the Hunger Games came out) called Btooom that has pretty much the same premise yet I do not see many people complaining that that show ripped-off Battle Royale.Plus the film is still well structured, well, acted, and can be entertaining. The characters are pretty solid. I do like Katniss and it is easy to sympathize with her given the situation. The stuff that she goes through is pretty scary and intense. I can say that I would be dead in the first ten minutes if I was put in the Hunger Games.The movie has some great effects, decent actions scenes, and an interesting world. I cannot comment on the 3D because I only saw the film in 2D. There is one complaint I have and that is the middle portion. I found much of the middle of the film to be kind of boring. The middle mostly focuses of the political aspect of this world and preparing Katniss for the games.Overall, the Hunger Games was a pleasant surprise. I did not expect much upon going to see it. I basically saw it because my mother made me see it. I have to admit it was much better than I thought it was going to be. It was nothing incredible but it was still good. -There is no substitute when it comes to King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. This movie is simply the one to watch. The story truly captures the dirt and grime of medieval times and the fantastic legend of the sword in the stone. It has an incredible cast and the chosen musical score is superb, including Carmina Burana and excerpts of the funeral march from Die Valkyre by Wagner (it has the best use of Carmina Burana I've yet seen (the Doors is a close second)). Truly a must see, great film. -This is a wonderful depiction of the lives of a wealthy British Lord, his family and friends in the 19th century. The characters have been cast perfectly, the acting is marvelous and the filming (on location at an actual mansion) is simply perfect. -Very funny movie. This talking Teddy Bear is a hoot. Makes you want a teddy bear that could talk. I recommend this movie to any on who has a good sense of humor. -If you like violence and comedy then watch the Expendables 2, just as funny and outrageous as the first. Take a bunch of washed up action heroes and give them guns and look out. The action is fast and furious. If you are looking for reality, skip this movie as nothing real about it. If you are looking for plausibility, skip this movie but if you want laughs with intense ridiculous action then you might like this movie. -"Galaxy Quest" is one of the most fine and fun Sci-Fi Vids. Altho, meant as a spoof -- with many archetypical Sci-Fi aspects -- it actually demonstrates good Sci-Fi Vid production values. The plot, drama, dialog, romance, acting and actors are excellent -- as are the scenes, effects and Hi-Tech. The sets and settings are grand and galactic. Also, as are the audio effects and dramatic music. Also, as are the wheels-within-wheels of Sci-Fi reference aspects -- to "Star Trek", "Star Wars" and many other Vids -- and action-adventure in general. Also, as are the reversed archetypes. Especially great are the starships of the good and bad folks. As are the appearance of the good and bad folks. The Sci-Fi Con scenes are way funny -- as are the young geeks and nerds, who give critcal assistance to the "real" good folks. This Vid is a great Ideal of movie production in general -- that many folks can enjoy -- may The Farce be with you +++ -Slasher films are a dime-a-dozen. HALLOWEEN. NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. The list is lengthy. Some of them introduce new characters that send goose bumps up our backs. Others tread over old material and put a fresh spin on them. But THE DESCENT doesn't do any of that.Comically labeled as "Six Chicks With Picks," this cave exploration thriller has the obligatory fright scenes (you know the kind ...where something weird suddenly and loudly burst toward screen), the attractive die-off cast, and themes trodden over time and again (from ALIENS to the horrible film THE CAVE.)For some reason this flick has gotten several positive reviews by professional film critics, but I fail to see why. There's nothing original. Nothing that lingers after watching it. No truly memorable cast members.That we're supposed to sympathize with Sarah (Shauna Mcdonald), the main character, is rammed down our throats (and through her husband's head) when a car accident takes Sarah's family from her. A year later, a group of girlfriends get together to go spelunking and to try and heal the wounds left by the death of Sarah's husband and child. There's a touch of deceit going on as Juno (Natalie Jackson Mendoza) was obviously having an affair with Sarah's husband before the accident. Whether Sarah knows of this or not is up for interpretation.As the group of six descend into the cave we quickly learn that this is an unexplored hole. And when a cave-in happens, they're forced to find another way out. But with them in the caverns is something pale and insidious (think about the Morlocks from THE TIME MACHINE and you won't be far off). But are they really there? Is it possible that Sarah's had a meltdown and only imagined seeing these creatures?It isn't the question of Sarah's sanity that'll put you off The Descent, but rather the ho-hum attitude most will have after seeing the film. It just doesn't have any emotional impact. You don't care whether these gals live or get their stomachs ripped open.The filming is also very dark and it's often difficult to see what exactly is going on. Although caves are dark and difficult to see in, this doesn't necessarily translate well to an entertaining movie experience.Still, those with a fear of enclosed spaces will probably be pretty freaked out by The Descent. The claustrophobia is easily felt, and when you add to that some bizarre ghost-like creatures with Spiderman-like crawling abilities, some might find this a lightly entertaining creep-fest. -Like most Star Wars fans, I literally counted down the days until this was released. Then, on opening day, I saw it. And all the magic I experienced as a kid was gone. Sure it has great visual fx, but my God! The story was horrible! The Trade Federation is blockading the planet of Naboo? Huh?! What the hell does that mean? How many kids are going to understand that? At least in the original trilogy the story was easy to comprehend. An evil empire. A big, bad Death Star that can destroy entire planets. A princess that needs rescuing. It was simple, but it worked. With this new trilogy, George Lucas seemed to think that computer fx was all he needed to make a great movie. The story, obviously was secondary. As was the acting. I swear, there were times I literally cringed when certain dialogue was spoken. Ok, enough of that. It did have a few good things to offer us "old fans", but not enough to give this even a 3 star rating. Here is where I think the film succeeded and where it failed.The good:1) The visual fx. Wow. The film sure looks good. The vehicles, the digital characters. It sure makes the fx in the first trilogy look antique.2) The pod race. Holy crap! The was ten times more exciting than the speeder bike race in "Return of the Jedi".3) Darth Maul. Need I say more?4) The lightsaber battles. Finally we get to see what the Jedi (and the Sith) are really capable of.5) The origin of C-3PO. So, Vader/Anakin made him huh? Cool!6) R2-D2. As usual, he pulls everybody's fat out of the fire.Now, the bad:1) The acting. Ugh! Awful. It looks as if everybody learned their lines five minutes before they went in front of the camera. Natalie Portman is especially bad here. Sorry, but it's true. Her acting is horrible.2) Yoda. While it's great to see the old Jedi Master again, he doesn't look like the Yoda we remember. He looks...well, I'm not sure. But does have fat lips. And a strange head.3) The story. As stated earlier, it's too confusing and many times just makes no sense. Why would the Trade Federation blockade Naboo of all planets. And why would the senate condone it? The whole story just seemed forced.4) Anakin. Boy, is he annoying.5) Jar Jar Binks. He's the worst one of them all. He's a very stupid, annoying and just plain dumb character. He's not funny. He adds nothing to the story. Sure, the film needed some humor, but not like this! Lucas may as well have put digital versions of the Three Stooges in here!Okay, I've been a little harsh, but I was expecting so much more from George Lucas. It was fun at times, but overall, it actually embarrassed me. Sorry, but that's the truth. -GREAT movies, Great Blurays, love em!FELLOWSHIPPQ - 3.5-4/5AQ - 5/5MOVIE - 5/5TWO TOWERSPQ - 4-4.5/5AQ - 5/5MOVIE 5/5RETURN OF THE KINGPQ - 4.5-5/5AQ - 5/5MOVIE - 5/5Fellowship is a little soft, but that is because it is the first film, the budget was lower, but is an improved upgrade from dvd, it still looks great, I give it a 3.5-4 on the picture quality. Two towers is better, much sharper, 4-4.5 on picture quality, And Return of the King is the best, solid 4.5-5 on the picture. Some say DNR was used, but I am not seeing it, facial detail and hair detail, clothing detail is all there in all 3 films. The sound on all is awesome. CGI issues, this is not a problem with the transfer, but I feel the CGI gets better with each film. DVD hides CGI flaws, lower resolution, Blu makes things stand out even more, at the beginning of Towers, Gollum seems to float above the ground in some scenes. But by ROTK, Gollum is integrated into scenes perfectly. All the CGI has nothing to do with the transfers, it is how they were made and just not noticable on dvd. In all 3 films there are dark scenes that are a little washed out, like they filmed it too dark and spot lightened an area of the frame, they do this all the time in movies now, but it just flattens that area. This is the best LOTR has ever looked I am not disappointed in anyway for getting them.The extras, I am giving it a 3, since they are the same as the dvd, my gripe, they should have been in HD, not standard def. I've seen them all on the original releases and the EE releases. I expect them to be in HD, upconvert them, do what every, they should be in HD.The Mbps on the EE dvd's is 6-7, The Mbps is 20-30 on the Blu rays. That's 6 times better then the EE DVD's. For those who says there is no differance in the DVD's to Blu, you must have a crappy tv or bad eyes.Would rather have had both versions in one package, YES. But i am happy with the theatrical versions, the versions that one 17 Academy Awards, until the EE come out on Blu ray in 2012 -Ever since "The Lord of the Rings" ended, fans have been clamoring for "The Hobbit" to be adapted as well.Well, it took nine years of obstacles, but now we have "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," the first part of a trilogy of "Hobbit" movies. It has some few flaws (enough with the comedy!), but overall feels like a pleasantly familiar return to Middle-Earth -- fire, elves, orc-killing, a magic ring and lots of sweeping New Zealand landscapes.Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is a nice boring gentlehobbit who has no interest in adventures. Then the wizard Gandalf descends on Bag End with thirteen dwarves. They are setting out for the lost city of Erebor, which the dragon Smaug stole many years ago -- and now Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) wants to reclaim it. Also, Gandalf has volunteered Bilbo as an expert burglar.Despite Bilbo's initial reluctance, he soon finds that the world outside the Shire is a pretty dangerous place -- trolls, goblins, stone giants and an albino orc who wants Thorin's head. And in a deep, dark cave, Bilbo encounters a grotesque creature known as Gollum...At the same time, Radagast the Brown Wizard (Sylvester McCoy) warns Gandalf of something that is poisoning the woods and animals of the Greenwood. Even worse, it's moved into the old fortress of Dol Guldur, and has the power to summon the dead.It took me two viewings of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" to really generate a valid opinion. The first time I was overwhelmed with fan squeeing over the spectacle, as a moderate-to-obsessed Tolkien nerd. The second time, I was able to more objectively view the movie's pros and cons.Peter Jackson has to be admired for managing to whip the first third of "The Hobbit" (plus chunks of "Unfinished Tales") into a three-act narrative structure, especially since the story is very small-scale and linear. It's a lighter story than any of the "Lord of the Rings" movies (the dwarves raiding Bilbo's pantry), but there's always a dark undercurrent reminding you that there is serious stuff afoot.And Jackson does a typically brilliant job evoking Middle-Earth's danger and majesty, sweeping us across glittering mountain citadels, murky forests and rotted fortresses. There are some absolutely stunning action scenes, such as Thorin stalking down a fallen, burning tree to fight his mortal enemy. He also fleshes out the storyline by exploring the Council investigating the Necromancer (three guesses who he is!), and a prologue showing everything that Thorin's people have suffered and lost. They're depicted as a proud people who have lost everything, and it adds a powerfully tragic undercurrent to the story.However... there are some problems with the movie. The comic relief characters (the trolls, the singing goblin king) simply don't work. And it needs some serious fat trimmed off, with some scenes (the stone giants) that could have been cut completely. It should have been maybe a half-hour shorter, with those scenes reserved for the extended edition.But the actors are pretty much all brilliant. Martin Freeman is the perfect mix of fussiness and gutsiness as Bilbo, and we can see him slowly growing into his friendships with the Dwarves. Richard Armitage is similarly brilliant as a butt-kicking dwarf prince who can be prickly and crabby, but who has also suffered a lot of humiliation and loss.And of course, we have familiar faces like Ian McKellen as the delightfully grumpy Gandalf, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett and Christopher Lee. McCoy is adorably scatterbrained as a wizard who likes animals more than people, and the various dwarves are all given personality and development to make them distinctive. That's a pretty impressive feat with such a large main cast.As for the extended special edition, this only has twelve minutes of new footage -- and since it was a long movie from a duology-turned-trilogy, that isn't surprising. But it will have the vast wealth of extras that we've come to expect from Peter Jackson: "The Appendices," a massive documentary that explores the entire filming of the movie. NINE HOURS OF EXTRAS, including audio commentary from Jackson and Phillipa Boyens.The comedy can be a bit grating, but "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is still a beautiful, intriguing start to Bilbo Baggins' journey. And the journey will only get more epic and dark. -** This review contains spoilers for the book and the movie. **Katniss Everdeen lives in poverty stricken District 12 with her sister Primrose and her mother. The Reaping is approaching fast and Primrose is frightened she will be chosen even though it will be the first time her name is in the drawing. When Prim's name is called, Katniss volunteers as tribute to take part in the Hunger Games, where 2 young people (boy and girl, aged 12 to 18) from each of the 12 districts fight to the death for prestige and goods for their district. Only one victor survives. Katniss is plunged into a completely different world where being memorable and likeable will mean her survival. She will do what it takes to survive, but will it be enough?I read The Hunger Games a couple of years ago and it was never my favorite in the series. I felt it was a Battle Royale ripoff and the later books explored the dystopic world better and went beyond the obvious comparisons between the two works. This film made me forget all that. I was completely blown away and I really want to watch it about 20 more times. I haven't felt like this about a movie in a really long time. The ensemble cast was amazing, giving believable portrayal of characters I feel I know very well after reading 3 books about them. Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen acted wonderfully. She always had an air of sadness yet responsibility. She made the tough heroine believable and relatable because her emotions were close beneath the surface despite her hard exterior. Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket provided much needed humor that alleviated the emotion and drama of the story. The other most notable actors were Woody Harrelson as Haymitch (more comic relief and makes Katniss realize the gravity of the reality TV aspect) and Isabel Fuhrman as Clove (sociopath and career tribute that left me with a chill every time she was onscreen).This film did 3 things extremely well that made it one of the best book to film transitions I've ever seen: capturing the emotions, humanizing the otherwise unlikeable characters, and working out timing. Two scenes in particular were very emotional for me. The scene where Katniss volunteers as tribute for her sister was absolutely heartwrenching even though I had seen at least some of the scene hundreds of times in the past month from the commercials. The other scene that made me bawl like a baby was when Rue died. It was so sudden it took me a few moments for her death to process. I had cried at the scene in the book, but it's different seeing it on the screen. It was captured perfectly and there wasn't a dry eye in my theater. The other tributes were well humanized despite being portrayed as villains, especially the career tributes. Marvel at the end made a speech about how even he won he would be doomed because the Games are all he was good for. It showed that the other tributes aren't the real villains; President Snow and all those that perpetuate these sadistic Games are. I was surprised at how well the film flowed from scene to scene. About half of the film was dedicated to portraying the world, the assessing of the tributes, and the reality television aspect of the Games. The Games took up the latter half. I was never bored and I never thought any of the scenes ran too long. Although every single scene of the book wasn't included in the film, the essential scenes were preserved and given a satisfying amount of time.The most important triumph of this film was that I was never distracted by analyzing each and every difference from the novel. I was completely immersed in the cruel and depressing world of The Hunger Games and wondered at the characters' capacity for hope in the face of a bleak totalitarian regime. The only drawback at all was the shaky cam got a little extreme at points. Usually I'm against it on principle, but it let the film keep a gritty edge without pushing the boundaries into rated R territory by showing graphic scenes of children killing each other. I did not consider this book the best in the series and this movie was simply amazing. I can't wait to see what great films will be made of Catching Fire and Mockingjay. -This will not doubt be compared to "Red Eye" since both came out so closely to the same time and both take place aboard an airplane. Both are also psychological thrillers. But the plots and details are very different.In Flight Plan, there are not flying on just "any" airlplane. It is the new two story plane that is the worlds largest which in reality will start flying this year. Jodie Foster's character is no ordinary person. She is a propulsion engineer who had a big role in designing the plan. Where Red Eye takes an average flight with (apparently) average people and puts them in a great plot, Flight Plan makes the lead character a powerful person. To me this is a negative. I'm sure the fact that she is an engineer, a job which few women hold, helped its political correctness score.But back to the movie. I gave it four stars because it was very entertaining. But like so many have said, it falls apart on closer scrutiny. Wouldn't SOMEONE have seen or noticed the little girl coming on the plane? Wouldn't someone have seen her being taken? The "plot" had been planned out so thoughtfully by the antagonist (the air marshall), but what would have happened to the plan to take the girl if Foster's character had not fallen asleep. There are only some of the problems with the movie.A strong part of the movie is that it sets up a very dreadful mood on the plane. We can almost feel the emotions that Foster is feeling. I could almost put myself in her position under those cicumstances. One reviewer (not to give away more info. but I assume most people reading this review have already seen the movie) mentioned that the movie seemed to be going in the direction that she WAS dillusional and there really was no girl to being with. Some viewers would have been angry at a "sad" ending like that, but it also would have bold and surprising.To me it would have make it a much better movie. As it is, sit back and enjoy the movie, just don't try to make too much sense out of it. And try not to be too dissapointed by the ending. -Hotel Rwanda sheds light (as it should do) on the 1994 Rwanda genocide that led to the deaths of close to a million people while the world looked on.The manager of a Belgian owned luxury hotel, an ethnic Hutu, tries desperately to save his Tutsi wife and children as the world around him descends into chaos and madness; a nightmare where hatred and slaughter are the order of the day...Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Joaquin Phoenix, Nick Nolte, Jean Reno and the rest of this AMAZING cast have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are extraordinary to say the least! All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is something else)! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide important insight not to mention more than a few tears.More relevant than ever, the movie does a great job as an eye-opener to one of the darkest events of the twentieth century. The film provides the necessary background as well as an accurate description of conditions on the ground during the few months that the conflict lasted. The world's reaction, or lack of it, (especially the American and British hypocrisy and inaction, and the French support of the Hutu perpetrators) is briefly touched upon.Moreover, it could have been and it should have been much more graphic in showing what really took place in Rwanda's "killing fields."Hopefully more will be done to stop the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Western Sudan and we will not have to wait for another movie to come out after it's all over before people become aware and do that which is humane.Similarly to movies like The Lord of War, The Last King of Scotland, and Blood Diamond to name a few, Hotel Rwanda draws attention to some pretty important issues facing Africa.In short, Hotel Rwanda is a movie definitely worth watching and one to seriously consider adding to your movie collection! -Wow! Having enjoyed X-Men thoroughly, I was pleasantly surprised to see that its sequel, X2, was actually better! Now, the only thing stopping me from a full 5 stars is the fact that the plot is simplistic and rehashed from similar movies. You know the type - bad guys (once good) were wronged by the good guys and now seeks ultimate revenge. Had the plot been more original, it would boost the score one notch. Then again, it's based on a comic book series so how deep can it really get? I feel no particular need to explain the story as it's been done thoroughly by other reviewers and I never like to divulge the story line or it spoils it for the rest.However, having said that, I was so impressed with the characterization, acting, and special effects. The latter was amongst the best I've viewed bar none, particularly for the genre. It totally makes up for the lack of originality in the plot.Do yourself a favor, whether you are a die-hard comic book fan or a person who tends to dislike sci-fi or action movies, this flick will not disappoint! See it on the big screen. After being awed, purchase the DVD when it comes out. I plan to do so! -Well, this movie is like any other ever made. Because of its religious nature, it is nearly impossible to judge it simply as some flick to go see. However, I'll first judge the film on whether or not you should go out and see it in the theatres, then on its movie merits, and I'll conclude with some thoughts on what this movie means theologically.If you are looking for a film to escape into, or looking for great entertainment value, or basically most of the reasons we go to see movies, The Passion is not the movie for you. Firstly, this film is horrifyingly graphic and violent. It is an accurate reflection of life as it was. Outside of the graphic nature of the film, the 100 minutes of cellulite that represents that sum total of Christ's sacrifice is agonizing. Though Mel Gibson breaks some of this up with flashbacks from Christ's earlier years, it's just so intense that if you don't understand the theology of the film, you won't enjoy this at all. Simply said, this film was made for Christians that are committed to their faith, not for agnostics, atheists, or the average filmgoer.I don't mean to imply that this film is somehow "too good" for atheists, agnostics and non-believers. I simply mean to state that this film is not attempting to be entertaining, or thought provoking, or anything else. Christ's teachings are skimmed over, and not really mentioned, the consequences of the crucifixion are not expelled upon. Simply, this is a portrayal of The Passion of Jesus as He went through what was destined.The merits of the film as a film are not lacking by any stretch of the imagination. Though the film is based on the Gospels, as a story the life of Christ is far from boring. Betrayal, skepticism, murder, conspiracy, love, belief, purpose. All are part of the story of His last day.Similarly, there aren't any plot problems, subplot problems, theme issues, or major holes to speak of. The accounts of His crucifixion take less than three pages of text per gospel. As such, simplicity prevents questions of direction and purpose.Mel Gibson directed this film quite well. The film flows together quite well. Mel's vision of the last day of Christ is well done. I am at a lack for words when it comes to describing the thanks I have for Mel Gibson for doing this film in the way he has. His choice to be the man who nails Christ to the cross is important, and all but avoids silly questions about the anti-Semitic nature of this film. Gibson's vision of the humiliation and struggle on His last day are awakening. As a convert from atheism to Christianity, this movie has helped me in ways innumerous.Mel Gibson aside, the acting in The Passion is extraordinary in itself. The highlights are Hristo Shopov's portrayal of Pontius Pilate. Also, kudos are needed for Rosalinda Celentano's thankless portrayal of Satan. Ms. Celetano's performance was visually spectacular . Finally, James Caviezel gives an unbelievable performance of endurance as Jesus. These actors deserve a lot of credit for making this film what it is.What is this movie? An attempt to show the earthly pain that God as Man went through for us, all of humanity. He carried our sins, the sins of all Mankind in an ongoing sacrifice. That burden is incomprehensible to us as humans, but we get a taste of it here in this film. Thank you Mel Gibson. -This movie is gripping hardcore, shocking, scary, and very emotional. You will never look at flight crew and airline pilots in the same way again. All of the action takes place in the first 30 minutes of this 2 hour movie. There is a moral principal to this movie. The rest of the movie is all administrative investigations. All parents beware that there is full on female nudity in this movie, not recommended for kids under 16 unless you want to be embarrassed. The nudity is at the very beginning of the movie. I was shocked by nudity, as it did nothing for the movie. I hate it when producers do that, what if you're with family members??? Can we say awkward!!! This movie has solid acting, a great storyline, good cinematography, and sound. All CGI effects are solid A+, very impressive, true realism effects. ALL sets and props are solid. This is a stunning movie and I do recommend on Blue Ray. Thanks -This series is fun to watch and enjoyable. In the mode of Dowton Abbey, the period dresses and suits are fun to watch and enjoy. Acting is very good with Jeremy Piven leading the way. The plot is good but does wander a bit toward the end of the Season 1, nevertheless it is worthwhile watching. Looking forward to season 2. -My granddaughter loved this movie. The songs especially! It is perfect for young children...imaginative, humorous, and tuneful! It allows children to flex their imaginations. They can sing along and pretend ... Something very important in development. Imagination is very important in the creative process. The color and film quality were excellent. It just never gets old! -Life isn't always what it seems, and it doesn't always turn out the way we had envisioned or hoped. In this movie, we watch the inner lives of several characters "of a certain age" unfold and expand. With the bloom of youth past, retirement upon them and circumstances inducing radical change, all of them decide to retire in India at the Marigold Hotel. When they arrive, they find that the hotel isn't the luxurious retreat for the elderly that was described in the brochures that led them there. It is not without its charms, however, and the manner in which the retirees meet both the good and the bad of their new home lays the groundwork for their blended individual stories. The dialogue is excellent, the cast and the acting is brilliant, and the message is hopeful without violating believability. Baby boomers will see themselves in one or more of the characters' situations, and they will come away from the film with a renewed sense of hope and worth.The film's perspective on two ways to grow older is beautifully executed. Not all the characters "make it." Given the same opportunity for adjustment and change as their companions, a couple of them cannot forgive, hope or move forward. Others, however, find a new beginning by embracing change and welcoming a future which is completely different from the past they left behind.In all, the movie is provocative. It is funny, sad, engaging and substantive. A refreshing change from saccharine happily-ever-after or hopeless all-is-doomed films, this is a thinker's must-see for people in their sixties and a please-see for the young. (The young people in this movie are wonderful, too.) Kudos to the writers, producers, directors and actors for a job superbly done. -This is one of my favorite scary movies, and one of Kubrick's best! Everyone in the cast gives great performances, and the direction is super, but the real star of the film is the Overlook Hotel. WOW. Creepiness. The way the camera ventures around the place is totally freaky, cause you have no idea whats going to be around the next corner...Basically, its about a man driven to insanity when he and his family volunteer to be caretakers at the Overlook for the summertime. Gradually, Jack Nicholson becomes very hostile towards his wife and son, all brought on by "cabin fever". As the spirits that live within the hotel begin to appear to Jack, things get weirder and weirder. This all leads to the cat-and-mouse finale, which is horrifying.You must buy this horror classic on video or DVD! Highly recommended! -Everyone knows this story so I will be brief. 1979 version w/ Jessica Lange had a stronger sexual element to the monkey/girl relation, but was very touching nonetheless. The relation here is more of an 'obsession' with a prized possession to protect, that the gorilla has with the girl, versus some type of purely sexual interest.I hate to say it, but here goes, fellows, we have all been that ape at one time or another. You know what Im saying. So the story is universal in that we can identify with the feelings of the protagonist, even if it is a monkey.Certain scenes are visually unforgettable. Such as when Kong escapes the theatre and finally sees the Girl again in NYC, walking smokily down a blue lit street in pitch black winter. You can see his expression go from fear it wont be her, to calm, and sad acceptance. Throughout, Kong looks doomed and aware of it, even on the island. He seems to be an older creature, and tired of the throne, which makes the protector relation to the girl more convincing.Really, a true classic. Snubbed at the Oscars, but then LOTR was grossly overpraised, so it evens out. Do not miss this. -8-9-02:I have changed my rating from four stars to five. The quality of the transfer is so good it makes an improvement on the big screen. The scenes in Moria are clearer and you can see the balrog much clearer. The negatives I wrote in the earlier review seem to be much less noticeable or important now. The extras on disc two are interesting and the previews for the extended version and TTT accomplish their purpose extreemly well.***original review below.***First the bad.The movie CHOPS 20% of the book -in one big chunk- (muttering a chapter title doesn't count!). The story of how Merry and Pippin become involved is cut and CHANGED. The old forest and the Barrow Wights are also missing. Some of Tolkien's best descriptions are found in the forest scenes (gnarly, old, and aware trees; gloom and darkness; spiders and other creatures lurking! The Galadriel scene is BAD. And there are two things wrong with Moria. 1. The cave troll scene is too long and it should have some texture on its skin (of fur). 2. I would have liked to see a bit more of Moria. The special effects when the ring is worn are overdone. One too many sweeping helicopter shots of the river. Finally, the scene where Sam goes into the river at the end was done all wrong!***Now for the GOOD***The history of the ring is told very well. Many scenes show a great deal of very good creativity. The Shire scenes are wonderful. Good humor (except in Rivendell, and taht the "conspiracy unmasked" was cut out). ***The reactions of Gandalf and especially Boromir to being near the ring really helps display the evil power of the ring. Their acting (and the direction in these scenes) is PERFECT!*** The wraiths were also done very well.The special effects and music are teriffic. The color and "tone" of the river and the huge statues at the end are especially tastefully done. Shrinking the Hobbits was just plain unbelieveable when they were running around several other characters. The scene at Orthanc was visually spectacular and the duel was creatively and tastefully done.Substituting Arwen for Glorfindel neatens things. The moria scenes (except for the above criticisms), are superb -especially when Gandalf "defeats" the balrog.[All of the smaller plots of the book could have been done except it would have confused and blurred things for the unread, and the movie would have been five hours long! Maybe six movies would have been required for everything???]***The DVDs' extras look extreemly promising!*** -Road House is one of the worst movies ever made--it's poorly acted, badly written and sloppily directed. But that's why it's so much fun!Patrick Swayze plays a bouncer named Dalton who has a degree in philosophy, carries his medical history with him and is known as the best bouncer in the country. The owner of a hick bar approaches him to help him clean up his establishment since he's come into a large sum of money and wants to improve it.Dalton's efforts lead to some of the most unintentionally funny lines ever used in movies. A bouncer having sex with a female patron in a closet tells her "Yeah, you're gonna be my regular Saturday night thing!" just before Dalton walks in on them and fires the bouncer. In another scene, a bouncer Dalton fires shoots back with "You **expletive**! What am I supposed to do?" Dalton answers "There's always barber school."Co-starring are Ben Gazzara as a sadistic rich guy who owns nearly the entire town (a role he hams up with glee), Kelly Lynch as a doctor and Dalton's love interest (though she's really just there as eye candy) and Sam Elliott as Dalton's friend and mentor who comes to help out when Dalton realizes he's not going to pull the job off alone.The movie is predictable and formulaic, but for fifteen bucks, it's good dumb fun. For a good double bill of movie trash, watch this with Anaconda! -When I was little my father would play Johnny Cash records and I distinctly remember "I Walk The Line". While watching Joaquin Phoenix perform the song, you'd swear that it was Johnny Cash, himself.Walk the Line is a great movie. When you watch it, you feel as though you are watching Johny Cash in person. Phoenix has done an excellent job capturing Cash, the man. Not the legend and not what everyone thought he would be. What made Johnny Cash such an icon was that he was an "everyman" and Phoenix gives his all to not only capture every subtle nuance but also to make him believable as a flawed human being. Reese Witherspoon's performance, as well, is surprisingly good. There are precious few points in the film where you remember she was in Legally Blonde, and her vocals and live performances are stronger than many I've seen from Hollywood actresses in recent years.The music performances are enough to make this film worth seeing. But the love story between these two, the way that June and her family helped him back from his drug addiction are what gives the film its heart. I would recommend this film to anyone, Johnny Cash fan or not. If you don't like him now, you will when the movie is over -So why the 5-star review, you might ask?There is just something about this movie that I can't put my finger on. The actress playing Dale Arden (sp?) is painfully bad, especially during the football fight scene where she claps her hands, joyfully egging Flash on with "Go, Flash, go! Go, Flash, go!" Topol (Fiddler on the Roof) is over-the-top as the mad genius scientist who is the only one on Earth to realize that all of the natural disasters are a direct result of an alien attack. Max von Sydow plays his villainous role as Ming the Merciless with "muhahahahaha" glee. Timothy Dalton doles out his dalliance as Prince Barin, ruler of Arboria. Brian Blessed is priceless as Vultan, leader of the Hawkmen; how he got through the enitre movie wearing what had to be uncomfortable (and very upsetting) leather shorts is admirable.The effects are cheesy (although, at times, brilliant - The Sea of Fire near the beginning is still eye candy for me). The acting is campy. The drama is laughable.So why does it continue to fascinate me? Despite its horrible trappings as a stand-alone movie, it truly is an embodiment of the Saturday morning serial (which Star Wars PROFESSES to be, but has degenerated into a contest of making something fake look real). With THAT in mind, the movie plays out as good, cheesy campy fun and always has you wondering how the hero continues to cheat death in a nearly 2-hour movie (as opposed to the next weekly installment). The matter-of-fact discussions about Earth's imminent destruction, our hero and damsel-in-distress somehow instantly falling in love and the inexplicable onset of early jealousy after having only traded about 10 lines of dialogue, the sometimes brilliant lines of dialogue delivered by Max von Sydow (especially how he discusses with Zarkoff why it's HIS fault that Earth is being destroyed), etc., brews an unusual beverage of serial episode fun that was purely misunderstood back when this was released. That, and what has to be one of the most unusual (and quite good!)soundtracks by Queen--especially the In the Space Capsule theme--has me coming back and watching just another curious addition to a catalog of Dino de Laurentis films. -Some scenes were gross and inappropriate particularly the bag of poo while having dinner and adamant and borat fighting in bed. -Arguably the best crime film of 1968, and certainly one of the most influential films of the genre...."Bullitt" established new directions in the mood and style of crime thrillers, and firmly established McQueen as one of the key anti-hero stars of the 60's. Based on the gritty novel "Mute Witness" by Robert L. Pike, this was the first, and only, time McQueen portrayed a police officer (albeit a maverick one) in his movie career. In 1968 Steve was then riding high on the success of his previous heist film, "The Thomas Crown Affair", and "Bullitt" just propelled his star even higher into the cinematic heavens !The plot is tight, economical and well crafted....taciturn, moody Detective Frank Bullitt (McQueen) is charged with the protection of a key witness vital to an upcoming trial involving Mafia connections. Whilst hidden away in a supposed secure location, the witness and his police guard are brutally gunned down by unknown assailants. The heat is turned up on Bullitt by his tough Captain (Simon Oakland) and the manipulative, opportunistic politician Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) to come up with the right answers fast ! Between the draining investigation, Bullitt struggles to maintain his relationship with his cultured, sensitive girlfriend, Cathy (Jacqueline Bisset)Primarily coming from a TV series background, Englishman Peter Yates (directing his fourth movie) did a commendable job as director on "Bullitt"...producing a complex, intense crime thriller with a unique style that would ultimately influence many other films. Yates would later to go onto direct tough guy Robert Mitchum in the excellent 1973 "sleeper" crime film "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" !And of course "Bullitt" is reknowned for it's now legendary car chase between Frank Bullitt's 390 GT Mustang and the two hitmen in their black, Dodge Charger 440 Magnum barrelling through the city streets and highways of San Francisco....just don't pay too much attention to how many times they pass that slow-moving, green VW Beetle !!The DVD transfer is excellent in both sound and picture quality, and the Limited Edition Collectors Set with the additional goodies (Single sheet poster, shooting draft, lobby cards etc.) is a real bonus for keen film fans !!One of my favourite cop thrillers....McQueen sizzles on screen !! -The cast was outstanding and included the Indian star from Slumdog Millionaire. He is an excellent actor. The movie was a real treat for me as I'm going back to India this year, and I am about the age of most of the main characters. -Just watched this again on TV the other day. The acting is simply astounding. I can feel for the actors, as the dialogue is so atrocious that it's almost beyond belief, but still. Were they physically prevented from doing the thing that we normally think of when the word "acting" is mentioned? I mean, blurting out some dialogue, or reciting it as if you're making an emotionless statement, that's not acting. Seriously, this is what I expect from fifth graders appearing in their very first school play. It's just astonishes me every time one of the characters says something. It's like a big, dumb, obvious summary of what's going on at the moment. "Mom, I'm not a slave any more!" Mom: "All your dreams have come true." Said with all the emotion of "Oh, you remembered to pick up the potato chips from the store." Probably 80% of the dialogue in this movie is like this. Most first-time script readthroughs on a soap opera must be far superior to this. Seriously, Scooby Doo has better acting - much, much better. I honestly can't remember ever seeing anything like this, except maybe in the worst of the worst of Sci-Fi Originals. And even then, it's not every member of the entire cast like it is here.Then of course there's Jar Jar, the baby talking donkey. I guess Lucas was really reaching out for the 2 and under audience. And the big battle at the end, with a villain we hardly know, so there's really no drama there (except what can be created with CGI), and he looks downright silly in that Halloween face paint. Oh, let's not forget the story, as Annakin's fighter gets hit, causing him to go out of control. He ACCIDENTALLY flies into the space station, then while shooting at some droids, ACCIDENTALLY hits the main reactor, which nicely waits for him to get to a safe distance before exploding. Good grief, it's too stupid and pathetic to even bother criticizing.Overall, this is an astonishingly bad movie, with dialogue that keeps one in a constant state of "What the **** did I just see?". I mean, constantly,. throughout the whole film. The action is much the same, dumb, silly, dopey. the tone of the movie goes from "epic drama" to dopey silliness, back and forth, pretty much every thirty seconds. Dopey droids are vwooshed in half by the increasingly boring sounds of light sabers, which now look more like a fluorescent tube than any sort of weapon. And then they chop another two dozen in half, then another three dozen, then another dozen. Then another two dozen. -Batman: Under the Red Hood was better than I thought it would be, the animation was good but not great, and the story was very good. I was afraid I had wasted my money on another bad dvd. I was surprised to find that it was really a good story even though the joker was didn't have very many shining moments. The animation was typical for a batman animated film but was not something to get excited about. The thing about this dvd that got me truly interested was the story. the opposing veiws in the philosophy of Batman and Red Hood were what created the conflict in this story. overall it was a really good dvd. -I am an average SW fan. Not a fanatic. But I did love the originals. I think people remember the original trilogy when they were like 12 and so nobody minded all the unrealistic and childish elements then. As kids, Star Wars was flawless. The scene in "Empire Strikes Back" still irks me, where they land inside a giant worm's stomach and of course, there is air pressure and gravity just like on Earth, even though they are in an asteroid! Nobody even checks to see if its safe to leave the ship.Episode I was superior in many aspects. NOTHING in the old trilogy is anywhere near as visually stunning as Naboo and Corusant. Those two things alone make the movie worth watching. The costumes, and the ships are much sleeker and more believable than the originals ever were. The light saber duel was ten times more exciting than anything in the first trio. Even John Williams' score "Duel of the Fates" is unforgettable and far beyond any of the original music. As for Jar Jar being annoying, yes, he was annoying, but that didn't bother me a bit! Because he was PLAYING an annoying character! He was SUPPOSED to be annoying. He annoyed Obi and Qui-Gon too. That was part of the necessary comic relief to play as a foil to the stoic Jedi.As for the Jedi acting stiff, well of course they were, THEY ARE JEDI! Jedi aren't supposed to be emotional. And still I really felt for Qui-Gon in the end. Anakin I must admit didn't act all too well. But what really irks me about TPM are the small things. The robot going; "Roger Roger" made me want to scream; "IS THIS SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS?" And what I hated most, the way most people felt about Jar Jar, is how I felt about that dumb two headed announcer. I mean he looked so cartoonish, and he sounded just like Howard Cosell! That was simply too much of a stretch of the imagination. But the plot, in my mind, was superb. Those who didn't like it didn't understand it maybe. It was rather deeper than the others. Basically it involved a corrupt Galactic Senator trying to get himself elected to a higher position by creating a Trade Dispute with a foreign planet, putting himself as the person who would "save the day" when in actuality he is the cause of the dispute. You could even argue that after Episode 1 the bad guys actually won.As for buying this VHS, I really think we should all unite as Star Wars fans and send a clear message to Lucas that; "We are not going to fall for these stupid business tactics! We know the only reason you won't release TPM on DVD is because you KNOW we will buy the VHS and the DVD." Let's not allow him to manipulate us this way, his faithful consumers.Nick -This movie was my first taste of Jane Austen. I have to admit, when it first came out I was a kid, so I wrote it off as boring and didn't bother to watch. In my teens I realized that I actually liked period drama's, and this movie quickly became a favorite of mine!The movie itself, as a period drama is first class! Although it isn't completely faithful to the book, it is my favorite of the adaptations I've seen ('07, and '81). The casting is superb (although 2 of the actors were a bit older than their book counterparts); and their acting leaps & bounds better than the '81! The scenery, and stately homes are stunning!! Also, the soundtrack fits the period, and compliments the storyline very well.Most likely, if the viewer hasn't read the book, the alterations, and missing characters shouldn't affect their opinion much._______**SPOILER ALERT**As for the (most notable) missing scenes/parts:- Willoughby's visit, and conversation with Elinor at Cleveland (during Marianne's sickness). The movie tried to rectify it by way of Col. Brandon. After his revealing Willoughby's seduction of his ward to Elinor, he proceeds to tell her he inquired, and has reason to believe that Willoughby's intentions were not entirely as dishonorable toward Marianne...It's not quite as satisfying as hearing it come from Willoughby himself though.- Edward's week stay, not long after they arrived (on his way back from visiting Lucy in Plymouth). The book scene conveyed the troubled mind of Edward, and his internal conflicting feelings as regards Elinor, and Lucy.And provided a hint of what was to come, with the lock of hair seen by all in his ring (which he passed off as Fanny's, and the Dashwood sisters supposed he somehow obtained a lock of Elinor's without her knowing).- The dinner party with Mrs. Ferrars & Jennings, the Dashwood's, Steels', and Middleton's. Not a major loss there, being that Fanny made it clear at the beginning that their mother expected Edward to marry a woman of means and fortune, otherwise suffer being disinherited.And before revealing her engagement, Lucy told Elinor she finally met Mrs. Ferrars (after being invited to stay with the J. Dashwood's in London).______The missing characters:I personally don't mind the fact that Lady Middleton (& children) were left out (the movie stated Sir John was a widower).In the book, Miss Austen describes her as "(though perfectly well bred,) she was reserved, cold, and had nothing to say for herself beyond the most common-place enquiry or remark".With that said, it wasn't that much of a loss to leave her out being that she and Mrs. (John) Dashwood were so much alike ("there was a kind of cold hearted selfishness on both sides, which mutually attracted them; and they sympathized with each other in an insipid propriety of demeanour, and a general want of understanding").In the book, all she really did was dote on her children, and play hostess.They also left out the other Miss Steel, which wasn't a big deal either. They just had Lucy out herself to Fanny instead. -I'm speechless, this BLU-RAY/DVD set is, without question, one of the best transfers ever. I love everything about JAWS, and the extras are great. Get it! \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/paragraph-validation.restaurants.txt b/reference_files/paragraph-validation.restaurants.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c89a829e1f0aed4c322b5fff20d0da85902ad2b5..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/paragraph-validation.restaurants.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,129 +0,0 @@ -Had friends from out of province visiting and this was top on my list as the old courthouse has some of the best interior design in the city. Great ambiance with hip hop music playing in the background. Arrived for dinner on a week night, reservations recommended but not necessary for small groups. Extensive menu with a huge pizza selection and daily specials. Average to higher prices but excellent service. Ordered the special ravioli di malale (with braised pork) and pesto. It wasn't amazing, the pesto tasted a bit bland and could have used a bit more garlic. The ravioli was pretty standard and slightly chewy. But the Tonnarelli alla Norine was delicious! Generously covered in black truffles, it was filling and flavorful with each bite. The pastas are generally more chewy which was perfect to my friend's liking. Tiramisu was not special, probably wouldn't order again but the hazelnut gelato was amazing. So rich and creamy, immediately regretted ordering my go to Tiramisu. The menu has lots of options which brings me back every time. Would really say 3.5 stars but can't give half stars on here. -We went here with our expectations quite low. After all, this was, and still is, a restaurant for kids. And one that I quite liked when I was one. I was hoping the same would be the case for my 3-year-old. He liked it. And I liked the decor. Same charming antiques that I remembered still lined the place. The difference? A wait staff that seemed to be annoyed by customers that decided to look at them. Apparently, we were getting in their way. Fair enough. But hey, perhaps the artifacts that line your restaurant should come down if you down if you actually don't want our eyes on them? But then that would mean you'd only have your food to rely on. Our server was just as cold. We felt like we were at Arby's on the side of the highway. No how are you doing or Is everything ok. Just rushed, abrupt, unfriendly, almost annoyed service. It was as if she assumed that we were tourists and therefore could treat us like she'd never see us again. Well, we're not tourists, but I assure you, this was definitely our last visit. As for the food..where do I start. My wife's salad looked like it was fished out of the Mcdonald's trash bin. My soup was a step down from something in a can. And our pasta tasted like a Michelina's minus the microwavable box. I'm sentimental. Very much so, actually. But when the service and food is this bad, next time I'll get my fill of nostalgia on Youtube. -I like the atmosphere of the entire place. When you enter the restaurant, they will greet to you loudly in Japanese-style welcome. Although they greet to every customers who enter of leave, you may feel they are crazy. Its really a what a izakaya feels like.The food is truly fantastic and the service is professional as well. We ordered deep fried chicken knees, cheese oysters (which I like the most), Udon and unagi rice. I would strongly recommend cheese oyster which tastes amazingly delicious. For the next time, I would order more side food because after around 1 hour, I felt hungry again.Anyway, this is the place you can't miss and you want to go more than once after you tried the food there. -This place was suggested to my wife and I by some foodie friends on a recent trip to Toronto. Give yourself plenty of time. We waited about 30 minutes to check-in and another 30 or so to get seated. We were able to find a corner of the bar to grab some drinks for the wait. Great atmosphere and decor. Be sure to read the story behind Pai that is in a few places of the restaurant. Our food was really good and we left with full, happy bellies! -Absolutely gorgeous restaurant! This is your standard Keg restaurant only it is located in a HUGE mansion, making for an amazing ambiance and a gorgeous setting. I went here for a friend's birthday on a Saturday night, we were a group of 15 and since they don't take reservations on Fridays or Saturdays we were certainly in for a long wait (we were told about an hour). After our wait had exceeded an hour and we asked for an update we were told we would be seated shortly and the manager would do something for us. Figuring our group was on the verge of starvation (which we were) the manager came to us with a plate of canopies topped with a goat cheese bruschetta, absolutely delicious! A few minutes later she comes with a giant plate of fully loaded nachos, and these may have been some of the best nachos I have ever had! Loaded with lots of cheese (and high quality cheese at that) made them warm and very gooey, lots of jalapenos added a nice kick, I would definitely order these when I go back! When we were finally seated everybody seemed to enjoy their food. It's the standard Keg menu so you are guaranteed a good steak. I had the French Onion soup to start and this was mind-blowing! So much cheese on top that was perfectly melted without being greasy, the broth was very rich and had a good beef flavour while the onion added a nice sweetness. I have never had a bad steak at the keg, and this occasion was no different. New York strip was cooked to perfection and was so tender it practically melted in my mouth, this time I tried it cooked Chicago style (meaning it is charred on the outside and cooked to order inside). This added a nice charred crust to the steak and actually did a better job of sealing in the juices; this cooking style is definitely worth a try. For sides I always go for the twice baked potato; bacon, cheese, and baked potato how could you go wrong? This place gets bonus marks for letting our huge group split the bills and not adding an automatic gratuity (which most restaurants do for large groups). Definitely a great place to go with a large group, on a special occasion, or simply for a nice dinner. Overall great food, beautiful restaurant and good service! *My only complaint is the drinks were pretty expensive, bought a shot for my friend and it was nearly $9 for a standard shot! That's pricy! -I think we found the best tacos in Toronto. Great tasting big tacos for a reasonable price. Faves were the mahi mahi and baja fish. Gobernador was a bit too salty for me. Cool drinks available too to wash down the tacos. Only open for lunch or early dinner, but awesome place. -The Monarch Tavern is a place that you can bring in your lunch or dinner from one of the many great local eateries (California Sandwiches, San Francescos, Bitondos etc). There is now an in house option.Caplansky's is in the back of the second floor of the Monarch Tavern. The menu is very limited, but it makes up for its size in quality. The owner brines and smokes beef to come up with a truly great smoked meat. It's not like any deli meat I've had in Toronto, Montreal or New York. It's a deli meat but much more smoky, yet not overly so. If you like deli, go to Caplanskys for a sandwich. His hand cut fries are pretty good too. -Amazing food with amazing servers!! The menu was filled with different dishes that everyone can enjoy. I cant eat no pork nor shrimp but in Pai they have multiple dishes that suite my needs. The server we got was Jason and he's amazing!!! My sister knows him personally so he hooked us up with dessert. Jason was very informative and knew all the dishes as well as gave his personal opinion on certain foods he likes. The atmosphere had a chill vibe with some cool indie pieces. The restaurant was situated underground and near a cool district with lots of other cool restaurants. Food,I went for the vegetable spring rolls as a starter and boy oh boy it was very tasty. The dipping sauce it came with was a winner. The roll was your typical vegetable spring roll with a hard crispy breaded coating that delivers an incredible taste. Next is the main appetizer, I got the Chicken Pad Thai in medium. Slightly disappointed because I expected it to be a bit more spicy but nonetheless it was still tasty! Not your typical pad thai for sure. Generally I dont finish food from other restaurants but Pai was an exception. Every bite I took from the pad thai made me want to get another. The portion you get was massive, enough to feed two but if you're really hungry then this should be a good size portion. Lastly the dessert, I'm saddened to think, I actually forgot the name of the dessert but if your Filipino it was a twist on suman. The dessert was sticky rice but it had a sweet taste to it. The taste wasn't a sweet overpowering dessert it was quite subtle. It had mango on top. Overall Pai is the best Thai food i've ever ate in my life. If you need to impress someone or need a place to eat, make sure to check out this place. Dont forget to ask if Jason could serve you, he's awesome! Coming back for sure. -Banh Mi Boys is fast food at its best. Cheap & tasty like my women. Love this place. -I give two stars for the view only. The attitude of the server was very terrible because I was NOT satisfied with the dish he presented. The dish was made for at least 4 people and he did not warn us how big the dish it would be. Aside from the size of the dish, the taste is beyond horrible. I grew up eating oyster and I immediately noticed how unhealthy the color and the taste of the oyster was. We asked him to bring us a plate of fresh cracked oyster after the complain and this time he actually brought us fresh oyster and it looked completely different from the oyster he gave us originally. Also the muscles were empty, literally. We found more than 15 shells and they were all empty.. where did my muscles go? The salmon is smoked and baked and tastes very dry. Over all the service was ok and the food I give it 1.8/10 -Glorious! Unlike every other Japanese style restaurant in Toronto, Guu is definitely an experience with its decor to the way it greets its customers. More importantly, the food was divine and the Japanese wine was unlike other wines I have tasted. As Will mentioned, the dishes span from $4-$11. In my party of 8 people, we ended up ordering I think 3/4ths of the menu + alcohol. Unfortunately, I came in after my party ordered (I was running late), hence from my pictures I have no idea what dishes we actually ordered. Altogether, our bill came out to approximately $250 which I thought was reasonable considering how much food we all ate. Surprisingly, we all cleared our plates but suffered (at least I did) a bout of food coma. I will definitely be back for another round. -I really enjoyed my meal at Momofuku Daisho and was very impressed with the food and service. I came with a party of 6 and our server was very helpful in making sure we ordered enough food and the right dishes. We ordered the buttermilk biscuits which were the best biscuits I've ever had in my life and I don't even like biscuits. We also got the heirloom tomato salad, the poached cod, the beef short ribs, the rice cakes and the chanterelles. My favourite dish was definitely the rice cakes, they were spicy but not painfully spicy. All of the food was really good and I would recommend someone to order our exact order except maybe the heirloom tomato salad as that didn't really wow me. My only complaint about Daisho is the cocktail list. I expected a higher level of drinks available- more unique tasting cocktails with fruits, flowers, etc. I had the lavender lemonade and it literally just looked and tasted like a normal lemonade. Other than the drink list I would happily return to Daisho! It was oddly affordable too we split all of our dishes between 5 of us and I had two cocktails and my bill was only $60. -My boyfriend brought me to Byblos for my birthday celebration! We loved our experience at Byblos and decided to revisit :) Service was excellent. Our server had great recommendations for popular items on the menu and was very friendly. The atmosphere is candlelit and dim, good for dates!ORGANIC HOUSE LABNEH (5/5)(Fennel + Honey + Olive Oil + Barbari Bread)Tasted like a very yummy humus haha! It's soo delicious! The bread was covered with different types of sesame seeds so eating the bread itself was already very tasty. Adding the labneh was a plus! Loved it!EGGPLANT KIBBEH (4/5)(Zucchini Flower + Baharat + Chickpea Batter + House Yogurt)I was super excited to try this crispy eggplant again but I realized they cooked it differently from how they did before. I'd prefer the crispy eggplant than this way of cooking. Both are still good.WAGYU LAHMEH PIDE (5/5)(House Turkish Paste + Fior De Latte + Toum + Basil Cress)How can flat bread taste so good?! I'd order this again and again. The wagyu paste was delicious and the bread itself was very chewy. This dish wasn't dry at all because a lot of cheese was drenched on top of the bread. The smell makes you even more hungry.GRILLED WHOLE BRANZINO (5/5)(Chermoula + Saffron Toum + Watercress)We came back for more of this!! I told my friends to order this dish at Byblos and all their reactions were like..Fish..?! Yes! Fish! They make it so good! The fish meat is drenched with flavour and the best part of this is.. It's boneless! DESSERTS:LOUKOUMADES (5/5)(Attiki Honey + Walnut Praline + Burnt Honey Ice Cream + Halva)Tasted like chewy donuts dipped with honey glaze. It tastes really really good - especially the burnt honey ice cream! I suggest eating each of these little bits separately first. Each one has its own flavour. Once mixed together, it creates another type of texture!PIZZELLE (3/5)(Baklava Ice Cream + Salted Caramel + Cous Cous Praline)The Baklava ice cream was amazinggg! The cous cous praline on top of the cookie was also delicious. The only thing lacking was the cookie itself. It was kind of soggy. -This place is over priced for their food and the food has no quality. Bad service the manager was rude asking us to pay 20% tip the seatings are not enough about lucky not coming back. They wouldn't clean the table very terrible experience -Bad Service. Excellent food. Too bad the service was horrible. Because the service was so bad, I even downloaded this app, made an account and am writing this review because it was that bad. The waiter was rude as ****. Here is why. When my friends and I were ready to order, we called the waiter over and he told us to wait so we waited. It turns out he was getting the card machine for the table next to us. After he gave the card machine to the table next to us, I asked him again because now I had a question about the menu and he responded to I told you to wait. I was shocked because I had a question and he was just standing there waiting for the person at the other table to be done with the card machine. In all honesty, I had a question about how many pieces the sashimi and sushi was. So my friends and I waited until he came over. When he came over, I asked him how many pieces the sushi and sashimi came in he told us. Knowing that the sushi came in two pieces and sashimi came in three pieces, i momentarily asked my friends to clarify what we wanted - it was less than 10 seconds - and the waiter told us to call him when we were ready and he chucked his notepad at the bar table (which was right infront of our table). The tone he was using was unbelievably rude, disrespectful and discourteous. I was shocked that he had the audacity to treat us perhaps because we were just some university kids and were not grown ups which does not mean the waiter could treat us that way. It was ridiculous. Not only that when it came down to the bill, when I was in mid sentence to telling him that we were going to split two ways, he took off who knows where when the restaurant was empty. I was absolutely shocked. There were so many other things I would have tried but because of the terrible service my hunger ceased immediately. For a high end restaurant, to have such a rude server was just very sad and disappointing. Compared to Jabistro, Jabistro's service and food were on par. However, this restaurant was just too disappointing. -Best ramen in Toronto , great service and consistently great broth! The beef curry is also amazing! -I was really excited to try the food at Khao San Road, since I had heard such great things and seen the Yelp ratings. And, the raves about the food are absolutely correct. The food is good (but even still, I've had better Thai). Unfortunately, the owners and the service I received completely ruined my experience. I was staying at a local hotel, which made reservations for our party (and I heard the concierge make the reservation). When we got to the restaurant, they first couldn't find our reservation; after waiting 10 minutes, they tried to seat the four of us at a table for two in the back corner. There was no way the four of us could fit around this small table. So, the OWNER (note: not just an employee) apologized and offered us a round of drinks on the house to make up for the delay. We were finally seated, but again the owner came over to our table to tell us that we didn't have a reservation and basically called us a liar. We asked him what he would like us to do - we already had appetizers on the table, so he told us to stay (so what was the point of him harassing us again?). The bill came and our drinks were not taken off the bill. We called the two co-owners over and they told us we all must have misheard and that had never said anything like that. Blatant lie. He then called us liars and told us we were trying to get out of paying. He then proceeded to charge our credit cards twice, so somehow I now am paying three times what I should have been paying (since those drinks were never taken off). As a customer, I've never been treated so poorly. So, yes, the food is good, but there are equally good / better places out there that don't treat their customers so horribly. Do yourself a favor, avoid the crowd and wait, the insults and harassment, and go eat somewhere else. -Came here for a lunch with colleagues. I've been here a couple of times before and always had a good experience. This time was no exception. I had heard from another yelp elite friend about some dish off the menu called Islamic noodles and decided to try it. And I have to say that it was absolutely delicious! It's basically noodles with vegetables and your choice of protein tossed in a nicely seasoned creamy curry sauce. Sooo good!! This is a dish I will definitely order again. On the bad side, the water quality here is really really bad. I normally just have tap water with my food but the water here tastes chlorine! It's like drinking diluted bleach. I don't know why the water tastes so bad here because everywhere else in Toronto the water quality is good. I think Salad King should look into this because it really brings down the food experience. Because of the poor water quality I rate them 3 stars, although food alone would get 5 stars. -Loved it!!!AMBIENCEI really like I was like n Thailand. The place is underground and it was a cool place. It had ample seating and a sizeable bar for a nice hangout if you were going for drinks. My guests and I sat at the tall tables, group of six. There's is cell phone charging station, very safe and useful I left my phone charging over dinner. A nice place to hangout with friends or a date night.SERVICEI like the staff, there was cool and took care of us. We also had a canteen of water and our food always was served hot and fresh. It was just the way I like it.FOODSo gooood!!! Starter - grabong = squash fritters; paired with a tangy sauce. Not oily and nice and crispy.Plah Nua - beef salad. Roasted rice with some lime sauce. So good!!!Som Tom Tad - papaya salad. Perfect citrus levels.Entree - gaeng kiaw wan in a coconut. Green curry was served a coconut, it was so good. Creamy, savoury and perfect balance. I ate all of the way down to the coconut meat. So my favourite.Dessert - mango sticky rice. It was good not something that really stuck out. I don't think I would eat. Just not my preference.I am looking forward to returning again, soon! -Amazing from start to finish!We sat on the back patio, which has a great atmosphere, on a weekday for an early dinner. The patio is all communal tables which adds to the casual and social feel. All of the front of house staff were charming and welcoming. They were attentive and friendly without being obtrusive or fake. I had the jesus juice cocktail, which was tasty and refreshing and had just the right amount of sweetness for a very hot summer day. We had a bunch of the tacos, and all were perfect. A big standout for me was their shrimp taco. The shrimp inside was breaded and fried, which made me nervous that it would only taste like batter and oil. I was so wrong. It had a wonderful shrimp flavor that was perfectly complemented by the sauce. The beef cheek was also a highlight. Although there are lots of places to get cheaper tacos in the city, I will definitely be back to Grand Electric. The patio, service, cocktails, and variety of delicious taco options make it absolutely worth it. Would recommend to anyone. -I have mixed feelings about this place. Although I love the ambiance, decor, and the food... I wasn't a fan of the service. Once we had arrived, it took a while for the host(ess) to notice us and have us seated. After ordering there was some confusion and delay as well. The food was really good.... we ordered the charcuterie board and I think the Diavolo pizza. I loved the cured meats (every bite!) and the lightness of the pizza. The drinks are really good too! I've been here on a couple of late nights and the patio is the perfect place to be on a warm summer night. -If you want cheap Thai food this is the place to go! This place is always packed and there's always a line. But the wait isn't too long. People come and go really quick. If you don't have much time it's a good place for take out too. Came here a couple of times already and decided to write a review. Most of the time I ordered the curry. The curry here is delicious but the rice that comes with it isn't too good. Portions for the curry is a little small. Needs more rice. The fried rice dishes here are also pretty good. The tom yum soup here is cheap but is lacking flavour. It really sour and spicy. Wouldn't recommend it. I've also ordered the Thai street noodles. The portions are huge. There's a lot of rice noodles. But the broth lacked flavour even though it's cooked with shrimp and chicken. It was just too sour. It's so sour that the noodles taste sour. It's not salty enough. The only thing you can taste is sour and spicy. Really would not recommend. They need to make major improvements to the recipe of this. Additionally, there's a problem. The water here is tap water like most places but it has a really weird odour. You should ordered a drink instead..... The Thai ice tea is good. Overall, good for the curries ! -After all the hype - just ok. View was FANTASTIC and the revolving part was really great. We dined about an hour before sunset so we saw the city in the day, dusk, and after dark, all lit up. Service wasn't very good - I think it was kind of busy, but that's not really an excuse. It seemed like they wanted it to be a very fancy dining experience (prices, decor) but it came off as pretty touristy. There were lots of families there with loud children and people wearing jeans. For ~$100/person I would have expected better service, food, and atmosphere. The food was alright - ate from the pre fixe menu and it was normal 'fancy food' salmon, small salads, chocolate cakes, etc. The worst part was that near our side of the restaurant, we happened to have a great view as the sun was disappearing, so lots of other people crowded around our table to take pictures of the sunset against the glass - rude. Good for the view, but maybe just go up there to have drinks? Much better view that the observation deck (which we stopped at on the way down) TERRIBLE view..it was all fenced in for safety I assume, but it made for an awful view. -Been here twice. First time was quite a while back but I had their fried chicken dinner and it was phenomenal!!!! Must try if you haven't yet. My dinning companion at the time had a burger, it was a solid, big burger. But of course the fried chicken was better. Yesterday I finally went to the Stockyards again so I can try their ribs. Some bits were dry and chewy, but overall good value for what you pay for ($15 for half rack, $30 for one rack). My dinning companion had the pulled pork sandwich. I tried a bit, it was veryyyy good. Bottom line: fried chicken is a must get. -The Thai food scene in Toronto has taken off lately. If you are aching for some really good Thai food, this place might not be for you. Having that said, Salad king is a fine place for a bite for run-of-the-mill Thai dishes.My favourite dish here is their golden curry which is quite tasty. Prices are cheap and you can get a decent dish for around $12-13 (after tax+tip)The place is quite busy on weekends, and it is almost always quite loud. Communal seating in the middle of the restaurant can be charming and annoying at the same time.A thing I do notice here is that service tends to be slow. Food comes fast once you ordered, but the hard part is waiting for your server....and the same happens when you want to pay. If you are in a rush and think this is a place for a quick meal, you might be disappointed. -I've been hearing a lot about this place, but have been hesitant about going because a lot of people have said it isn't worth the extra money compared to the regular $2 Banh Mis on Spadina. They are wrong. Although the $2 Banh Mis are a steal, and make for a quick lunch, you are certainly getting what you pay for when you go to Banh Mi Boys. My sandwich came up to $6.77, which was very reasonable for what I got. This place must have an immense amount of pressure to keep their prices down given a) the competition in the areab) the fact that most people who know what a Banh Mi is are used to paying $2 on SpadinaTherefore, the fact that they can offer what they do at this price point is impressive.The Food (Pork Belly Sandwich):- The bread was very fresh, tasty, and was toasted perfectly (not too hard, not too soft)- There was a decent amount of tasty, tender meat. It was a little fatty, but this is to be expected from pork belly- The meat was of good quality; leaps and bounds better than the mystery meat of the classic $2 Banh Mi. - The vegetables were also very fresh, and I enjoyed how there was a pickle in the sandwich which I have never had before- The hot sauce was great as always (I'm a big fan of this sweet hot sauce in Banh Mi sandwiches)- I asked for spicy, and the hot sauce was unevenly distributed with one half being medium and the other half being very hot. This isn't a deal breaker, but just an observation.The atmosphere:- Loved the music they were playing in here. Great old school hip hop playing at good volume- The decor was decent. I liked the lamp shades on the lights- The staff was friendly and helpful.- The cleanliness of the place was pretty poor, and this is why the place gets a 3, instead of the 4 it would have received if it was cleaner. There were discarded napkins and food under every single table, with as many as 10 or more discarded napkins under some tables. The 2 tables that were free had varying degrees of mess on the tables from previous customers. There were no tables whose tops were completely clean. I can understand that some customers are quite messy and that the employees may not have had time to clean up after these people, but given that there was a mess under and on every table indicates to me that staff had not cleaned in while, and did not care about the establishment's general cleanliness. One of my biggest pet peeves at a fast food joint is when the place is this messy, because it makes me feel like I'm eating in a barn.That being said, the food here was great, and I will go back to this place, and change my review if the place cleans itself up. This restaurant is a welcome and significant improvement to the other fast food options on this corner, being McDonalds, A&W and Hero Burger. -It seems like many of the Yelpers concur that Jacobs is the place to be. From the moment they accommodated me by placing the roses I ordered at our table, to the time our evening ended, it was amazing. Pure class! It's not your typical dark dungeon of a steakhouse. Dimly lit but you could see who was around you. First when we arrived, the provided us a with complimentary glasses of champagne to celebrate our anniversary. The server gave us a moment and then explained the types of steaks that were on the menu. The bread was freshly made and would have ordered more if we wanted plenty of carbs. It was so deelish. The bread was shaped like a large muffin. It was light and melted it your mouth. Then came the ever popular Caesar Salad made right at your table. The person serving it to us explained what went into the salad. I would never order another Caesar Salad from a restaurant again. The person mentioned that there is a video of how to make their version of the salad. I'm gonna do it. Then came the steaks. For sure you will pay a pretty penny for them, but they are to die for. I got the 10 oz Wagyu steak and my gf got an 8 oz aged steak. As always, she said mine was better. :) We shared ice cream for dessert. You have a choice of three of the six flavours. We chose mango, white chocolate and dark chocolate. In the end, they provide you with 2 chocolate chip muffins.The food and the service was definitely excellent. I would definitely recommend this restaurant and would go back in a heartbeat. -I used to love this place. Gorgeous view of the lake, cute chairs and blankets, yummy burgers, and a live DJ. I even came here to celebrate St. Patrick's day last month and had a great time. However, it seems as though the reception is handled by unprofessional hostesses who make old customers feel very unwelcome. I'll tell you why I say this. We came down here at a semi busy time, but from what we checked, there were plenty of empty tables both upstairs and on the patio on both sides of the restaurant (The restaurant has 2 different entrances). We were greeted by a hostess who told us that the wait time to get a table is about 30 minutes. When we told her there are plenty of empty tables, she said that there are people ahead of us on the waiting list, when clearly there was nobody around waiting to be called! As a matter of fact, we saw a guy who came and told her that they never called his name and he got angry when she said she had called his name and there was no response.My boyfriend did not like her attitude and neither did I. We ended up sitting at the loud bar, instead of the more spacious area upfront. Now, I'm not going to ignore the fact that the waiters are very good at their job and that I like their food and beer. That's why I'm giving them a 2 stars instead of 1. You see! A terrible hostess with a crappy attitude can change the whole game. -Definitely lives up to the hype! It's busy at all times but if you're a small group it shouldn't be too hard to get a seat. They pack people in tight like a can of sardines so don't expect much privacy or quiet. Service was about what you'd expect in a packed place, food came quicker than i was expecting and appetizer arrived in minutes.Food was amazing. We ordered the Fresh Rolls as a starter, which is a pretty standard thai dish but their dipping sauce was really impeccable (just the right amount of heat for an appetizer). As our main course we shared a chef's special pad thai (chicken) and a pad gra prao (minced beef on rice). The pad thai was greasy and delicious, I like how they put a twist on the standard pad thai (noodles+sauce made it a bit soggy but i think that was on purpose because it tasted awesome). The pad gra prao tasted good as well, but was kind of overshadowed by the pad thai. It's a pretty common dish, but i enjoyed the way they made it (nice and filling).If you like spicy you might want to go hotter than medium, which was more of a slow burning aftertaste, than a sweating forehead hotness. -MMMKKKAAAYYYY here comes the review I've been putting off for a while, because I don't have enough words to describe and I get lost in thought. So here's point/numbered form:1. We waited for 2.5 hours on a Saturday night, we got here around 730 and got to eat at 10pm. Went to Queen and Beaver after putting our name down. They're supposed to call you if you're next in line but we just showed up.2. It was PACKED, looud, crammed, full of happy laughing people. 3. Every time somene leaves the restaurant the whole place screams and waves at them and it's amazing and hilarious4. They have 1L jugs of Sapporo. HOLY MOTHER OF GOOODDDDD!!!!! I was in heaven. 1L jugs of anything are ma kinda jugs5. We ate the following: deep fried brie, shrimps (battered), cheesey mushroom rice in hot stone pot, beef tongue, beef sashimi, pork cheek, deep fried chicken, fried calamari... I think that's it. I discovered a burning, passionate love for tapas bars...i was so worried when I was coming here that I would just get to try one or two dishes. PHEW! The brie and beef sashimi were my favorite, the calamari were disappointing.6. All that food, 3 1L beers and two of those glass bottle drinks (where you have to pop the glass ball in to drink it) and the bill came to appx $150. Now cheap but there were 4 of us, a lot of the dishes come with 4 pieces so it worked out perfectly. Bathrooms were amazing, they have mouth wash, cream, hair spray, etc - so cool! and clean! Great experience, I would go here again...I don't mind waiting and hitting up a bar before dinner either :)) -I had heard rave reviews about Wish and decided to make a reservation for Sunday brunch, which was my first mistake. After arriving with a small group at this cute little restaurant, I gave my name, but was warned by the customer ahead of us in line that reservations don't mean a thing at Wish. She was right: we proceeded to wait 45 minutes to be seated. As for an explanation, the manager couldn't get her story straight. She told me that our table was being set up and would be ready any minute, while another person reported she had said (moments later) that our table was still occupied and they couldn't kick out other patrons, even if they were taking forever to pay. In truth, they were overbooked and understaffed.When we finally got to our table, there was no apology or acknowledgement of the situation or how long we had to wait, even with a reservation. The food (which, unsurprisingly, took forever to arrive) was decent but not worth the headache and certainly not the best brunch I've had in Toronto. We all left with the impression that because Wish is so trendy, they don't care about providing any actual service. You feel like you're just a number, which is surprising for such a cozy, intimate space. I know that brunch places can easily get overwhelmed on Sundays but if the staff had acted like they cared and not like they were doing us a favour, it would have made a difference.Also, be warned, if you're seated in the front part of the restaurant, it will be so noisy that you can hardly hear the people you're with. What you can hear exceptionally well is the bell chiming from the kitchen and cooks yelling orders to each other, but I'm assuming it's a deliberate attempt to be edgy.Go elsewhere for better food and way better service. -Probably one of the best meals in a while! Was taken here by a lover and had absolutely no expectations. When I first entered Byblos I was endeared by their lovely decor and ambience, you could tell that great thought was put into the design, flow and layout of this place. The place fills up real quick during the nights and the night I came had many tables reserved. The food portions are adequate and fills you up without leaving too heavy of an after taste. The flavor pairings of the dishes were very well though out beginning with waitress' recommendation of fig salad; the herbs and leafs in this was so fresh I almost felt like I was eating it straight from the plant. The sauces and seasoning was so eloquently used that everything balanced out so well, not ashamed to say that I quickly chowed down the entire plate in mere seconds. Next I had the crispy squid, similar to calamari but a little lighter and smaller tentacles. Also had the steak tartare paired with greek yogurt (they call it labneh) which melted in your mouth, albeit being a little plain. The lamb rib felt a little stingy; each bone was probably one bite-size, nothing special.Probably the best dish tonight was the oxtail basmati rice, a little on the heavy size, it was aromatic, creamy and rich. The flavour of the oxtail was imbued into each scoop of the yellow golden rice, while the kale offered a variation in texture with every mouthful. This I am definitely coming back for.To finish had the chocolate mousse and burnt honey ice cream. Mousse was typical, but the ice cream was interesting - I actually don't know how they got that flavour so on point! Must try (and it's only $3).An amazing discovery I had tonight was dukkah: crushed hazelnuts, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, cumin. The texture and aroma of this garnish is addictive, and Byblos isn't afraid to abuse their dukkah. I left craving for more, and now I'm in the search for making some at home. -This place looks like a really expensive restaurant that is classy and upscale...BUT rest assured, it's not that pricey. With that said, I really enjoyed my visit to this restaurant. The moment you walk in you can see how classy and elegant the design of this place is. My wife made reservations for two on a Saturday evening. From the door at the main entrance I was amazed. We walked in, the staff took us to our table and sat us down. We ordered our appetizers and dinner at the same time after taking in the view and deciding from the excellent menu options. To our surprise the dinner and the appetizers came out at the same time. It was weird at first but then all we had to do was request that the appetizers come out before the main course. So that wasn't a big deal for us and we didn't mind at all. The food was very delicious.The restaurant becomes a lounge with good music as the evening progresses. There is a lounge area that has beautiful couches and throw pillows where you can enjoy drinks with friends in a great ambiance. All in all, a great dining experience with great service. The food doesn't deserve a 5 star (maybe a 4 star) but I rate this a 5 star for the experience and feeling that my wife and I felt as we left the restaurant. -I went here and loved it. One of the best dining experiences I've had in awhile. Despite the pre-selected menu, you do have many options. Don't come here for the ambience. Its a tiny place with minimal decorations. The presentation of the food was beautiful. I prefer pretty food that smells heavenly to flowers on the table. The food was tasty and seasoned well, portions were big, service was warm. Food truly was healthy. Fresh produce was used and you see them cook your meal as the kitchen is next to the dining area. I like to watch my food being made. The chef was exceptional. Don't come here if you don't like veggies or fruit though. I left full and happy. Such a great experience that I wanted to tip well but couldn't leave as much money as I wanted because I ran out of Canadian money. Bottom line I have payed more for not as good a meal. -This is one of the most interesting restaurants to dine in downtown! The decor is great and the old courthouse space makes for good conversation while waiting for your order to arrive. I came here with a large group and we had a room all to ourselves, so the noise factor was reduced quite a bit. It was rammed at 6pm on a Saturday night and there is a lot of seating here so come early if you want a good table.I thought the service was great and the pizza and pasta were both excellent - I had the seafood pasta and the smoked salmon pizza. The bathrooms are a bit small and cramped but I guess they face the basement problem that most downtown restaurants have here. I had the chocolate-covered gelato in espresso for dessert - delicious! -My fav thai place with another location! Less busy / more space, food that is on par with the other sukhothai locations but with more variety, and friendly staff. Loved the ox tail curry, papaya salad, and the mango sticky rice -I really like this place. The first time my friend took me here, though, I had a better experience than the second time. The first time was a definite 5 star, and the second a 3 star, so here we are!The food is overall, great. It is really reasonably priced -- as long as you don't over-order. The first time I went I had the chicken soup and shared the spring rolls with my friend and everything was super delicious (5 stars!). The second time I went, I ordered the large thai beer and it was huge -- way too much beer, and my boyfriend ordered the basil beef on top of the soups and spring rolls to share and it was way too much food (not to mention not that great in itself). But, all in all, the food is really great and extremely inexpensive for what you get. A definite recommend! -FABULOUS. :)a little house tucked in from the hustle of the yonge and york mills interesection. the moment you reach the gorgeous white double french doors, you feel special walking into a countryside home with BEAUTIFUL Ambiance. It's as romantic as it gets!The newly renovated decor truly lives up to the auberge name (french for 'inn').Glorious service that spoils you to no end beginning with their sweet hosts and knowledgeable servers. My friend was a vegetarian and they catered to her needs with zest. The food was intricate, beautiful, and delicately balanced, and every bite was a big bang and wow in your mouth. Each dish was full of bold and big flavoured organic ingredients. at one point our server recommended a spruce birch non alcoholic beer, and we tried it and i am still dreaming about it -- it was amazing.YUM YUM YUMfrom the articoke spread for your freshly baked ethereal bread that comes out fluffy and crunchy at the perfect temperature with olivesto the passion fruit granita,amuse bouche soup octopus terrineorganic greens, and the amazingly sauted kimpachi --every bite was memorable. and that is definitely a mouthful to say. ;)esp in toronto.highly recommended for a nice night out.~$70-100/ person -The food is fine,weekday Lunch AYCE for $17.99. But their dishes and water mug are not really clean. The service is not satisfied.Our waitress is an older woman, she forgot our items and rush to leave before we finish our order. -Came here with family for a birthday and though the price was higher than other AYCE sushi places, it was probably worth it, though we would not indulge like this very often at $23 a head. It seemed that service was quicker for the hot items and desserts than for sushi, sashimi, and rolls, but perhaps more people ordered sushi. Was very impressed with variety and taste of dinner menu items included in the AYCE, the variety of the rolls especially. Had silly little items such as a small piece of fish with a bit of sauce served on a Pringle chip, and deep-fried scallops with a dollop of katchup on them. Come hungry and as I recommend for every AYCE joint, go with friends to maximize the number of unique items you can order and be able to taste more of a variety. Try to make a reservation if you will be more than three people- the place was packed and it was a Tuesday night (albeit the week of Christmas). -I can't say enough about this restaurant. The food is amazing and the service is fantastic. I loved their quails and it was my most favourite dish but they have recently removed that :(The only bad experience i had was a couple of years ago when we decided to celebrate my husband's 30th birthday there. I called ahead of time and brought them a bottle of rare wine we had brought with us from South Africa so they could open it and let it breath prior to dinner. I personally spoke to the sommelier and discussed it with him. But when we got there for dinner I noticed they hadn't opened our bottle that they so insisted I bring hours prior to dinner. But all in all it is a fantastic restaurant with great food. Highly recommended. -I really like the food. The chicken was pretty tasty and perfectly cooked (tender). Other reviewers had complained about the relatively small portion. That, I concur. Chinese places always undercook their chicken, but not this place. Btw, The fried chicken skin were divine. Next time I will eat in and enjoy their cocktails. -Horrible service. Manager was very rude. Will never return. Anyone who is deciding to go here, be smart and try any of the other 100 restaurants in the area. You will be very disappointed with the service. The food was also very greasy. Also, they will try to pack your boys with extra calories. TOURISTS BEWARE! -I finally had the opportunity to try Byblos after struggling to secure a reservation on a weekend a number of times. Settled with a 6:30 pm slot on a Monday evening and although it was relatively busy, you could probably take your chances doing a walk-in on a weekday.Contemporary decor but still had a very classy vibe. Lamb Ribs ($14) - These were delicious but tiny!! 3.5 small lamb ribs (the 4th one was more like a twig with barely any meat) that are tender, mildly flavored with a crispy texture. Not exactly the best value but taste-wise, 4/5 Roasted Red Beets ($13) - I debated whether or not to order this dish pretty much until the very last minute when I decided to just take a leap of faith and trust my fellow Yelpers. So glad I did as it was the highlight of the night. I was hesitant because my boyfriend and I aren't the greatest fan of red beets but you can hardly taste it when mixed with the labneh which had the perfect consistency and creaminess. Served with some delicious barbari bread, this dish is one you don't want to pass up on. 5/5Crispy Squid ($13) - This one was a decent portion but the individual pieces of squid are very small. Lightly fried and the spices and garlic sauce (toum) give it a nice kick. Very flavorful dish overall and tasted great with our rice. Probably one of the least traditional items because frankly, it's basically calamari with some Eastern Mediterranean seasonings. But I wasn't there to judge (nor would I know) how authentic their food was, so 3.5/5 Turkish Manti Dumplings ($14) - I was looking forward to this the most but it ended up being the biggest disappointment of the night. Such a shame. The dumplings were underwhelming to say the least. I actually didn't even know they were filled with eggplant until the fourth one or so because the ones I ate prior had nothing in it. The molasses balanced the yogurt really well but other than that, nothing special. 2/5Tartufata ($30) - Probably the most expensive rice I've ever had.The truffle and mushrooms were decadent and the fried chick peas were amazing. Crispy and flavorful. The rice itself is very ordinary. So all things considered, I can't say it was completely worth it. I wouldn't order it again because I'd like to try their other rice offerings which looked and sounded just as appealing. 4/5Seared Cauliflower ($8) - It's considered to be a side so I'd recommend ordering this with one of their meat dishes (ribeye, lamb shoulder, etc.) because I think it'd compliment it quite well. We just thought cauliflower with duck fat sounded awesome so we couldn't resist and ordered it anyway. I prefer stronger flavors so I loved this but heads up it can be a bit heavy. 4/5As for dessert, we had the Loukmades ($12) - Fantastic! We were pretty full and while waiting, we kept negotiating how many bites each person would take to finish it. Ended up fighting over the last piece. Pretty much burnt honey icecream on a krispy kreme donut (but a different shape). So good and a must-order!! 5/5 Service was lackluster. Our server was kind and filled our water pretty often but eventually disappeared. We found ourselves waiting a lot - to order dessert, to ask for the bill and to pay. Service shouldn't end after the customer finishes their main course but rather when they walk out the door. Also, typical of many high-end restaurants, they explain what's in every dish but it was spewed out so quickly that a lot of it was incoherent. Didn't really add any value to our dinner. A little overhyped but I'd come back because their menu still has a few other interesting items I'd like to try. I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone who's looking to celebrate a special occasion or somewhere nice to go for a first date. Just don't expect to be blown away. -All I can say is wow! Impeccable service. You are made to feel very special here, and the service is down to earth and unpretentious. We were literally thanked by 20 people on the way out. The steak is delicious, the Caesar salad (made at your table according to your specifications), the mushrooms, asparagus, potatoes, and fries too. The chocolate cake was unbelievable. They made me a fruity drink that wasn't on the menu; it was tropically delicious. Loved it! One of the best dining experiences I've had in Toronto. We weren't rushed, and were given complementary muffins for breakfast, complimentary chocolate, and champagne as our friends were celebrating their anniversary. -My cousin took me here for my belated birthday lunch and she has officially ruined normal GTA sushi for me. The crazy 5 star ratings is 100% deserved here and I can't wait to take my boyfriend very soon for a special lunch date. This is how sushi should be done and presented! The food was visually stunning. They've put a lot of thought and care into the presentation which really makes the entire experience all the better. The staff are very knowledgeable and take the time to explain the specials and dishes to you. I really appreciated that!We ended up getting the chef's special *Miku Zen* which differs, so you should ask the server first. Ours had a tofu salad (I hate tofu and I ate the whole thing.. didn't taste like tofu at all and well seasoned), beef, fish, and a spin of fish & taro chips. It came with 5 pieces of chef select Aburi (torched) sushi. Each one was delicious and the flavours are already there. You will not be using any soy sauce of wasabi for this sushi meal. We also got the Kale Goma-ae salad which was also very delicious.Dessert was the best. For a limited time, they're having this mochi dessert that's got condensed milk whip on the inside and a walnut cookie base. The mochi comes with a scoop of black sesame ice cream (my favourite) and drizzle of tarragon honey & various fruits. The mochi is so soft and fluffy it's like eating a cloud!!!!Everything was well seasoned and balanced and the chefs really take care to present and create each dish so every bite is a whole new experience. The decor is fantastic, service is excellent, and the food was just outstanding. Not an everyday type of lunch spot, but a nice treat once in a while. We all deserve to be mind blown by amazing food!!! -Truly the best Thai restaurant in the city. We arrived around after 7 on a Wednesday night which was prime time. They do not take same day reservations. The wait was just about under an hour and decided to wait. You may sit by the bar and there is also a bench in another room that you can sit and wait. We waited about 45 mins unil we got to our table.The vibe is very loud and they played great music. The decor was very cozy as if you are at your friend's house for dinner. I loved all the photographs on the wall.They have daily drink specials. I ordered mango juice and and my bf ordered a beer. We could not decide on an appetizer so we had asked the server their favourite dish to which she suggested the battered squash. BTW unfortunately I do not remember the Thai names.When it arrived, it looked like fritters and shoe strings. The dip was like a mixture of sweet chili sauce and fish sauce. It was so delicious. What a great start to our dinner.For our mains, we ordered the Khao Soi and or course, a curry fiend.. the Coconut Green Curry. It is served in a coconut.My Coconut Green Curry was definitely the BEST in the city that I have ever had. I can also scrape off the coconut which soaked in all the flavors. The Khao Soi was also so delicious.I cannot wait to go back and try the other dishes. Also an awesome place for after work drinks! !! -I love visiting Colette Cafe not just for their delicious teas and caffinated beverages but also to admire their beautiful interior design and decor. For those who know me, my absolute favourite colour is blue. They just make everything look so elegant and precious. I'm literally obsessed with every detail they have from tiles, paint, furniture and fixtures. It's very European, which they are, and I absolutely adore. I never really had the chance to pick out anything other than their hot beverages and a buttered almond croissant here and there, but they most certainly offer items such as baguettes, cupcakes, special donuts, cake, macarons, quiches and salads. Honestly I get so focused and fixated on their restaurant designs that I lose focus on the actual menu itself. I'm don't have much of a sweet tooth so I'm not necessarily drawn to the sweet items like most of my friends do. Other than that, if you enjoy tea they have a wide selection of aromatic teas to choose from. Colette also has a really great patio which is open during the warmer months. It is located on a smaller street in Toronto so if you like a more quiet, outdoor environment to do work you may want to check this place out. -Great atmosphere, awesome cocktails, SUPER fast service and delicious food. Win!Really enjoyed all the food and drinks we ordered! -Ambiance is on point. Beer is on point. Food is on point. Neighbourhood is on point. This is a great spot to chill and have drinks. A great spot to come for dinner. There are a lot of other bars and restaurants around so you could jump around and binge on excess. -My husband took me here for my birthday, and I loved everything about it! We had reservations on a Thursday night at 630pm. Once we walked in, our jackets were taken and coat checked, and we were quickly seated. The ambiance great! Our waiter came quickly, was very friendly, and took his time to explain the menu to us as it was our first time there. We started off with Aburi Beef Carpaccio, which was awesome! I loved the shoyu eggs, it was perfectly cooked. The baby green and pear complimented the beef very nicely (although a lot less greens would have been good). The beef carpaccio itself was amazing, it melted in my mouth and was packed with flavour! We then had the Kaisan Soba, which was basically a seafood soba. You can choose to get it mild or spicy. I got it spicy, which I thought was a very nice kick, I didn't find it too spicy. I was surprised with the generous amount of seafood that came with the soba. There were clams, mussles, prawns, scallop and squid. The seafood were all huge, and super fresh. The soba had a very nice texture to it, definitely one of the best soba I've had. Keep in mind this isn't your traditional soba dish though, it seemed a bit more stir fried. Anyways, overall it was super yummy!Miku is known for their Oshi Sushi (aka the blow torch pressed sushi), so I definitely had to try that. I had the salmon and mackerel. Both were amazing! The rice was very sweet and soft. And both the salmon and mackerel were torched perfectly. The salmon sushi came with a small jalapeno on top, which adds a bit of a kick to it. My husband really liked that touch, I personally took it off before eating the sushi. We also ordered the Miku roll, which was to die for. This roll literally melts in your mouth. What I loved the most about it is that there was such a thin layer of rice around the roll, with each bit, I mostly just tasted the salmon and uni and tobiko, which was awesome!!! I would recommend that everyone must try this roll!! Everything was plated beautifully. I thought the price actually quite reasonable for the quality and ambiance of the restaurant. I can't wait to come back again! -It's good. But not *that* good. Not good enough to wait for two hours. Definitely not good enough to wait for two hours when it's cold outside. If you're going to do the no reservation thing, at least have a phone/text system to alert people. The food is really reasonably priced. And there are lots of interesting items on the menu - but nothing that made me feel that the super long wait that I endured was worth it. I'll give it another shot when the 2nd location is open. -Friendly staff, fast service, great toppings. Finally ordered a pizza with all the toppings. So good! Need a location close to my work or home... -Best sushi spot in Toronto. Great service and location. Staff always welcomes you with great suggestions on their favourites and explanations on the freshest items on the menus. Their cakes are a must -This place was quite good by my ramen standards. Up there with Santouka and Orenchi (a hometown favorite in Santa Clara, Calif). They offer two kinds of noodles - the thick one looked better. -It was amazing experience, I suggest to try the lobster pasta and especially mushroom ravioli. It was savory, creamy, and the entire plate had a whimsical texture to it. We came in at unusual hours of 4 pm to have lunch and service was on point. We also bought a jar of their own hot sauce, which we paired with oysters there. Worth the try! -Great food and beer! Fantastic service! -Favourite taco joint in the city!The interior is cozy and eclectic often with rap music playing in the background. My go-tos include their Baja Fish taco (every time! the fish is so light crispy and delicious!) , their coconut cream pie (not sure what those white marshmallow pieces sticking out of the pie but it's THE best), and a bottle of Mexican beer to compliment the food.I've had their ceviche, chips and dip, as well as other offerings, but I still gravitate towards the tacos as they are always fresh and flavorful and never disappoint. -Still till this day my fave spot to grab Italian food. I went here with my fam and ordered the seafood pasta, gnocchi tomatoes pasta, pear and white sauce prosciutto pizza as well as the tomato sauce one. Delicious! All the pastas are done in house so the aldante texture is surely there. The sauce is flavorful and thick not watery at all. I have had the pear pizza before so I knew I had to get it since it was so good. The caramelized pear thinly sliced on the pizza gives it that sugary and honey flavor. I highly recommend that pizza! It's not your everyday pizza. If you are a fan of things pizza you will surely love it.The service as usual was excellent! Friendly and professional. -Good food, clean, affordable. More spacious than other restaurants I've been to in Chinatown. -This place has an amazing vibe! duck fat friest are a must! favourite sausage is the venison! wild boar is also really good and its cooked perfectly, spicy and a great texture. Kangaroo is a little on the dry side, nice to try just to say you had it but not up to par with the other game meats. Kangaroo hardly has any fat so what do you expect.Place is amazing and love the bench tables structure. great for a lunch with coworkers or a night out before partying! -I went to this place expecting a lot. Ramen being one of my favourite things. Was here on a wednesday night with a few friends. i was really looking forward to the ramen. i feel the interior design was nice and spaciousi ordered a spicy pork miso ramen. the soup in the ramen was very salty, and MSG taste. basically i couldn't drink any soup becuase it was really over salted. the noodle feels like instant noodles. and the pork is average. the egg was good, which i had to pay extra for. The ramen was really missing a lot of toppings and literally this regular sized ramen only had 1 piece of pork. my feeling is for the price they are charging, and the flavour it wasn't worth it. The taste is not good. and the portion is not a deal at all. there are so many ramen places in the area. which is why i'm surprised why this one had such a high rating, because it is really not good or worth the money. i would not recommend this to anyone, as there are much better ramen places in the area, and as well in the city. it is not worth it taste wise or price wise -The thing about scaddabush is that you enter and are immediately expecting a great night - the decor, personable hostesses, vibe, even price points are all great. The issue with this place comes with the service -- which is slow, slow, slow. Ive been here twice in the last two weeks and both times the service is less than desirable. Which is hard to understand as there are a plethora of servers working the floor. -This place is usually packed so better to reserve or go at not a peak time. Pretty much everything on the menu is delicious. Must try the Pad Thai and any of the Currys. Quick service. Once I had a hair in my curry and they apologised and gave me my meal for free. Not at intimate place to eat, gets very loud during peak times. Shared tables if you come in twos. -If I could give this place zero stars I would. Just another below average mall chain restaurant headlined by a celebrity chef charging outrageous prices for dishes that my Italian neighbour could make better. We only came here as a backup bc joey's yorkdale could not accommodate a group larger than 10. Beware - they also take your credit card for reservations and state that they will charge you $20 per person for no shows... Who the heck does that?! I ended up ordering a bunch of sharables w my friends. Crispy squid and mushrooms fritti aka battered mushroom spears. They were average... Not very many pieces. We were going to order the tomatoe bruschetta until the server told us it was only 1 piece of bread and not very sharable ($10 for 1 slice of bread - wtf?!). So we resorted to the garlic bread w sundried tomatoe and olive tapenade.. It was ok. Then we ordered the fungi, Margherita, and Parma pizza. They were the size of a small pizza.. Cut into 4. Honestly, you're better off going to Pizzaville and ordering their Margherita pizza and paying 4 bucks compared to this place. Or if you want great pizza.. Go to libretto downtown. Overall, this place doesn't deserve to be a part of yorkdale. The food is not flavourful, expensive, small portions. It looks nice, wooden decor, legs of Proscuitto hanging from the ceiling of the bar. Looks rustic, but everything else is a disappointment. Could not pay me to ever come back and eat here and would not recommend to anyone... Spend your money elsewhere. -Location: On Dundas just east of Yonge-Dundas square. Parking lots are available but pricey. The lot right next to Santouka is $10 flat on weekends. The one behind Santouka is $6 flat on weekends. Facility: Fairly small, almost always packed, very little waiting room. The corridor fits only about 5 people before it starts feeling cramped, then you'll have to stand outside. Floor to ceiling windows and an open kitchen. Washrooms are nice but TINY. Anyone taller than 5'9 may have to duck.Food Quality & Price: Meat was soft and tender. I was impressed by the presence of crunchy bamboo shoots and black fungus in my shio ramen. The egg was also very well done, marinated just right with a yolky middle that wasn't cold at all. I personally didn't like that the default noodles were so thin (almost like instand noodles), but they were cooked well enough. The regular/small size is a decent portion and really hit the spot. The only negatives about this ramen is that there is noticeable MSG in the soup base and it is very salty. While I don't doubt that the soup has been simmering for days, I think it would be just fine without MSG. You can ask for LESS salt and LESS fat, but I'm reviewing the default dish that you get without customization. Service: Good service with a smile from both the ladies and the gents. Fast, and checked in on us just the right amount of times. Didn't feel rushed.Overall: I would return to Santouka if I was in the area. I do believe that Santouka caters to general ramen eater who prefer a great deal of flavour and artificiality in their soups. So while it appeals to the masses, I find that it's a bit of a cop out. While the location boasts of Japanese locals seeking out their establishment, I think it's just a matter of decent food at a prime location. They earned a solid 4 stars but could improved by automatically reducing the amount of salt and removing MSG from their soup. -So this was my second time coming to Insomnia! Just wanna try their brunch before 3pm!We sat in the comfy sofa at around 1.50pm and ordered Charlotte, Heaven on Earth, black coffee and hot chocolate.Hot chocolate and coffee came first. Disappointedly we didn't have the hot chocolate but a warm one, despite the fairly good glass that holds the chocolate. Black coffee is normal. Although there are just few tables of customers, the food came long after we finished the chocolate. So we also got a jar of water that came slow. At first when I was yelping and saw the Heaven on Earth french toast photo, I thought the cheese inside was ice cream but no. So I then ordered a ice cream topping too for my french toast since I think ice cream with any french toast is the best combination ever for me!! And yes, this combination never goes wrong.As I am not a cheese person (I can accept cheese like in grilled cheese), I think the thick cheese that stuffed in the french toast is too much for me. This would be a little reminder for some of you like me, to be careful of it haha. Stuffed Blueberries and strawberries are OK. One interesting note is that the french toast has a quite unique texture than most of the typical ones. The egg-like texture is soft and thick..with crispy corners of the bread. Perfect with maple syrup alone or the addition of ice cream.The salmon egg benedict was great too. The side potatoes are like potato fries; they won't occupy much of your stomach but instead giving you a crispy outer layer and hot and soft potato crust. The salmon was fantastic and it makes me speechless. I wonder how they cook it. Muffin below reminded me of McDonalds' muffins. Eggs were well-cooked; they are like poached eggs. Good for those egg lovers!Maybe because we went there late and finished our brunch late like 4pm, the waitress got us the bill once we finished our food. We didn't even have some time to rest or chat since she just came and asked us if we have anything to order, we said no and she said okay just the bill and she went to get us the bill right away. We felt weird or funny that why everything happened so fast lol haha. But all in all that was a quite good experience comparing to my last time late night dinner here. (If only the food came faster and we had more time to just stay, cos there were almost no one in there - or will they close before dinner hours?) -Most ultimate restaurant for a lovely lunch with girlfriend (and babies or not), friends, colleagues or clients. The space is big so you are not side by side with another table. The service is always impeccable, the food divine, and ou HAVE TO try the pancakes as a dessert (ask for a smaller portion if you can't do the full dish;-) -I should probably preface this by saying I am related to the owner, but that only adds to the appeal! So what if I get a free beer once in awhile? I come here anyways!Having lived in Belgium, I come here to relive some of my favourite Belgian foods and beer (although, I am admittedly not much of a beer drinker). The cheese fondue and frites are authentic standouts, as well as the pulled pork sandwich even if it's not really Belgian. You have to ask for the pulled pork as it's not on the menu, but it should be since it's so popular. Maybe I should see to this since I have the connection and all! -Their steak is really good AND it doesn't break the bank if you wanna have a nice dinner. There are different sauce flavours you can choose from as well!The table next to us had a mussels appetizer and the portion looked huge! Definitely eyeing the all-you-can-eat mussels and fries for next time.. it's just such a deal for $22! Or.. maybe I should listen to my boyfriend who always says my eyes are hungrier than my stomach and just order the appetizer.... Also the match stick fries are delicious, make sure you order that as a side -3.5*. While the food was just okay, the ambiance was great and really made the experience here worthwhile. Located in the heart of the Distillery District, we visited on a Thursday evening and had the choice of sitting on the patio or indoors - it wasn't too cold, and we chose the patio which is heated. They also provide blankets for you to wrap around yourself in case the heaters aren't enough for you. First, parking. There are several Green P's located in the area surrounding the Distillery District (on a weekday evening, the average was around $4.50 an hour, or around $8.00 flat for the evening if you arrived after 6:00 PM).Second, ambiance. Beautiful, inside and out. Pretty lights, an intimate setting amongst a good sized space. This restaurant is a great option for both group dinners and dates. Plus, they take reservations.Third, the food. We had the guacamole (which they mash in front of you), Baja Fish Tacos ($15.95 for 3 tacos), Campechanos Tacos ($15.95 for 3 tacos), Costilla Courta ($16.95 - braised short rib), the Love Boat ($14.95 - fried plantains with braised beef), and Churros. Overall, the Baja Fish Tacos were the best item we ordered (nice, crispy, light, with decent flavor). The tacos were an okay size, but a bit on the small side. The guacamole was just okay (I wish it had more of a kick and body). Generally speaking, the food was just average, but it was the environment that made the experience enjoyable. A wonderful atmosphere for our group dinner, with great service (thanks so much to our awesome server, Christina, for a nice evening!). We would definitely come back here again for the ambiance, but it's not our first choice if we were strictly looking for the best Mexican food in Toronto. -Came here a few times and loved it each time. How can you complain about all you can eat fresh meat. Service is fine. Ambiance is great! Love the dancing ladies. The Parmesan beef thing was ridiculously good. This place is not for cheapos. In fact I think all cheapos should not eat out at all. They should all cook at home and be cheap to yourselves and not bother anyone else. The salad bar for all you vegetarian losers is good also. Not that a vegetarian should even step one foot inside this place. -Not sure why just west of Yonge & Dundas is becoming Toronto's 'hypebeast Asia-town'. In the area, there are line-ups for ramen, bubble tea, matcha, and Japanese cheese cake/tarts as a lot of global Asian brands are opening locations here -- and Asian kids just love lining up for trendy Asian food. These businesses are completely sustained by IG-'foodies'.Anyways, I don't know too much about Pablo - other than it being a Japanese chain that specializes in cheesetarts. I didn't really have interest, but the lady wanted to try it out and there were no lineups.We got a full size cheese tart for around $15 and it was about 8. The texture of the filling is similar to flan or pudding - taste was very light (not eggy or cheesy at all). Most of the flavour comes from the apricot topping. The crust was pretty flaky. Neither of us will try it again - just not a great value proposition (their 'premium' cheese tart is the same size but $25 with a creme brulee topping).Although not the same, Uncle Tetsu is probably their nearest competitor (geographically and figuratively). I'm not a huge fan of sweets, so I do prefer the more subtle taste and better texture of Tetsu's 'cheesecake' (which I probably won't have again anytime soon either). However, with Tetsu, it's hard to find a good substitute -- with Pablo, I rather have a good Chinese egg tart or a Portuguese egg tart... and I won't have to pay $15 - $25 for either. -Quick update to my review...I came back with two friends during the summertime and had a BLAST again. This time, I sat at the bar right in front of the chefs who were quite amusing to watch.Note to all -- GO ON YOUR BIRTHDAY! It is amazing to see these chefs and waitstaff whip out silly glasses, do a silly dance, and sing you an original happy birthday song. They have so much energy. I can't do the explanation justice.The waitstaff and chefs also shout a LOT, so be prepared for the loudness. However, listening to their amusing little side songs and comments in Japanese made for a very fun evening. We loved our experience there!The food was good and filling. One surprising tasty dish was the gomaae, spinach with sesame sauce. So delicious! The deep fried pumpkin with egg inside was prepared interestingly and it was very satisfying to eat. My friends loved the ramen... they said the pork was done perfectly! I had some of the broth and that was pretty tasty.Saba and oden are always great staples here too.I heart this place! -Heard great things about this place, but slightly disappointed overall.For a start, the service was great and our waiter was very attentive. Appetisers wise, we ordered the squash fritters, the chicken wings, and a starter bowl of tom yum soup. The chicken wings were amazing, and I especially liked that the tom yum soup was slightly sweet instead of being too sour like it is at most places. The squash fritters were tasty, but the portion was huge - way too much for 2 persons, and more suitable for a party of 4 or 5. For mains, we ordered the green curry in a coconut and the basil pork. The green curry was great, but we waited about 30 minutes for it. We also specifically requested it to be served piping hot, but to our disappointment, the curry arrived to our table at room temperature. This was the same for our tom yum soup, which was unfortunate. The basil pork was good, but I have definitely had better. Sangria was great - refreshing and tasty. The Thai iced tea was way too sweet, but not too bad. Restaurant had a trendy, eccentric hipster vibe, and was overall not a bad dining experience. More towards a 3.5 stars. -This place started out at a four star review, the food was very good, the service was not awful (hence the four, instead of five star original rating) then, out of nowhere, the lights were dimmed and the most awful top 40 rap started blasting!!! We then couldn't find our server because she was so busy serving tables like ours who were trying to get the heck out of there ASAP!!!! Had to sit for 20 minutes in the midst of a sudden club atmosphere when I was just trying to have a nice, laid back dinner and some drinks. (Drinks menu is great, I just CAN'T understand why they would turn it suddenly into a club!!!) awful. -If you're looking for a hip place to have some amazing seafood and drinks with friends, this is the place. I went on Thursday where you can eat 100 oysters for $100. Every oyster was shucked to perfection and the servers kept the hot sauce and vinegar toppings coming. I also ordered the mahi mahi dish with coconut rice (amazing!). It melted in my mouth and was just the perfect amount of fish to rice, along with the savoury seasoned veggies (which were all cooked perfectly and not limp).I brought my 6 month old baby here and it was a by too loud for him but this is definitely not the type of restaurant that you should bring a baby to. The one thing I would suggest is for the servers to refill the water a bit more often. We put the water container on the outside part of the table, hoping a waiter would notice because they just kept whipping by (it was packed) but no one noticed until we eventually stopped someone. My parents had the calamari and loved it! I will definitely be coming back here again to try some more menu options (sans baby!) -A tad small (my only complaint, but hey its Kensington Market) but sooo damn tasty. Don't bother with one- YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST TWO! The blackened mahi mahi was incredible! Highly recommend it. Note: very limited seating (around 4) and some places to stand, so either be prepared to stand and eat or savor the food experience somewhere outside - either way it will be an unforgettable. I will be back to taste the others. -Its a little frustrating to rate this restaurant as we had a fantastic time here. The setting, decor and ambiance is just lovely, I went here with a friend for food and cocktails. Cocktails were fab, we had one at the bar while waiting 15mins for our table and another with our meal. While our food was slow the waitress recognised this and was very attentive keeping us up to date.The big but is that the food just isn't great, we both found the meals bland, the table side guac was the same and the chips were stale. Maybe 3 is a little unfair and if this was a bar not a restaurant I could forgive the food. But this is a restaurant and it is not a cheap one so this is too disappointing to ignore. -Location: On Dundas just east of Yonge-Dundas square. Parking lots are available but pricey. The lot right next to Santouka is $10 flat on weekends. The one behind Santouka is $6 flat on weekends. Facility: Fairly small, almost always packed, very little waiting room. The corridor fits only about 5 people before it starts feeling cramped, then you'll have to stand outside. Floor to ceiling windows and an open kitchen. Washrooms are nice but TINY. Anyone taller than 5'9 may have to duck.Food Quality & Price: Meat was soft and tender. I was impressed by the presence of crunchy bamboo shoots and black fungus in my shio ramen. The egg was also very well done, marinated just right with a yolky middle that wasn't cold at all. I personally didn't like that the default noodles were so thin (almost like instand noodles), but they were cooked well enough. The regular/small size is a decent portion and really hit the spot. The only negatives about this ramen is that there is noticeable MSG in the soup base and it is very salty. While I don't doubt that the soup has been simmering for days, I think it would be just fine without MSG. You can ask for LESS salt and LESS fat, but I'm reviewing the default dish that you get without customization. Service: Good service with a smile from both the ladies and the gents. Fast, and checked in on us just the right amount of times. Didn't feel rushed.Overall: I would return to Santouka if I was in the area. I do believe that Santouka caters to general ramen eater who prefer a great deal of flavour and artificiality in their soups. So while it appeals to the masses, I find that it's a bit of a cop out. While the location boasts of Japanese locals seeking out their establishment, I think it's just a matter of decent food at a prime location. They earned a solid 4 stars but could improved by automatically reducing the amount of salt and removing MSG from their soup. -Amazing cheesecake! I waited in line and it was totally worth the wait. Sooo good. I also tried their Angel Hat original cheesecake, a small sized one for 10.00. It was really moist in texture and a bit different from the original cheesecake but still just as good. Then headed over to their match store for some Madeleines which where tasty for breakfast. =) -Miku is one of those places where it's correct to boast it's cultural dishes. The dishes were a bit pricier than the usual a la carte sushi but it was definitely worth it. You wouldn't be wasting a penny on the food or service.We had the sashimi lunch platter which had red tuna, salmon, yellow snapper, and scallop. It was fresh and tasted perfectly seasoned even without the soy sauce and wasabi. Which is what I feel sashimi should actually taste like.The Miku four dish spring set was made with seasonal food and had a variety of seared fish (tuna, red snapper), salad, and ingredients native to Japanese dishes. The dessert was amazing, perfectly balanced in sweetness and tartness. Would definitely come back when the sushi craving strikes! -I can see why some people would rave about this place, but personally wasn't impressed. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't something I would go nuts about. Especially since I hate Kale.I have been a couple times as my date would want to go but won't make reso.The place is crammed which I hated and super loud. The steak tartar was good though. Pizza was okDrinks though were on point -Surprisingly decent quality food for a good price. Really fast service at a convenient location. Will return. -The food here isn't too bad, but it also isn't excellent. When I ate here I had by far some of the WORST service I've ever had. To start off, I am really against the idea of ordering off iPads. Especially when we had a larger group who had to pass around one iPad to order. It took forever to place our orders because of the size of the group (over 30 minutes). I see the iPads being good for one or two people, or if everyone in your party was going to order all-you-can-eat. But it all became very confusing, very quickly. Our food was coming at the most random times and they ended up giving me the wrong food. It was all very confusing. To top off all the frustration and confusion, our waiter spilt hot soup on someone at our table. I get it, mistakes happen...but with everything that was happening we were not impressed. When it came time to get our bills it took ages to sort everything out. We were already running behind from the slow service and we didn't have time to wait another 20 minutes for them to sort the bills out. We were finally able to pay and get out of there. I was not happy with the price I had to pay for the mediocre food I had eaten. I will NEVER be coming back here again. -My friend has been telling me about this place for about 2 months now. She works in the area and goes at least twice a week. So last night, just before we went to the movies, we finally tried it. We were in a group of 3 girls. Seating is very limited, so your best bet is probably to get take out and eat it on a nearby bench. That is my only negative for this place, hence the 4/5 rating. From here on in, it's all amazing all the time!My mouth was watering as I stood in line and checked out the menu. I'm obsessed with Korean food, so the Kalbi beef Bahn mi caught my eye immediately...as did the Kimchi fries. My heart hurts a little as I write this, because at the very last second, I opted to get the sweet potato fries instead! I know...shocking! My reasoning for such a heinous act? My two girlfriends don't eat meat...so I figured we could at least share them. The Kimchi fries have pulled pork on them...totally unshareable with Veggie Friends. i wil get you next time, Kimchi Fries...oh yes...I will!Each bite was delicious! And for a person who loves spicey food like me, thie kalbi beef bahn mi had just the perfect amount of kick to it. My mouth is actually watering as I write this and it's only 9:42am...I think this might what the beginning stages of a drug addiction must feel like!I digress. For first timers gearing up to visit The Boys...here are a few little things you should know...that I didn't...and kinda felt like a very green rookie.First of all, don't call it a sandwich...it's a Bahn Mi.... So call it that. I felt like I kind of insulted the guy taking my order when I almost said can I get the Kalbi Beef...sand... He promptly corrected me (not in a rude way at all...just totally informatively) that it's called a bahn mi.Also, they ask how spicy you want it just before they make your order... I got the Thai Red Chillies....DELICIOUS!Next time, I'm going to tackle a couple of the tacos. And then the time after that I'm going get the Steamed bao...then, the time after that.... -We revisited here again. This time is for our dinner time. Same things, great food and great decor. I enjoy the quiet and gentle atmosphere in a restaurant and definitely it wins my heart.We ordered green curry with veg, khao sow with chicken, tom yum soup with shrimps, mango sticky rice and ginger tea and a beer.Food: Authentic Thai Street FoodPrice: $$ ReasonableService: Friendly and Welcoming and Fast Speedy Cooking time (considering there was 3 more tables at the same time) A surprise to us was that we got a free appetizers , what a lovely owner!! :) Thanks Jatujak @ Victoria Park Will recommend this place and so missing Thailand and here I can find the taste again!! We are the fan from now -To be honest, I had higher expectations for this place. I am not vegan myself, and typically I don't eat at vegan places. However, I was in the area and a friend recommended it so I thought I'd try it out.The restaurant has a very elegant, chic feel. The décor is amazing and the setup is very aesthetic. Loved the circle tables, comfortable chairs, and earthy feel with the plant wallpaper. I ordered the Sweet Mess Tacos and for its price, the portion size was very small - only two tacos! However, it did taste very good. I'm not a fan of cilantro so I took it off my plate but the beans, sweet potato, and avocado blended together very well. I usually eat chicken or beef tacos, but these were so good that I forgot it was vegan!The service was also amazing. There were plenty of servers who refilled our water constantly. And our food came in a timely manner as well.All in all, this place is definitely on the pricey side. Since I am not vegan, I don't exactly see the value in paying almost $15 for two tacos. It was a good experience, but I don't see myself coming back. -Today we went there for lunch with a group of 10 people. TERRIBLE SERVICE! WillNot return. The restaurant was not busy and still no one helped us. They sat us down and didn't give us menus. We asked three different people for menu. Our main waitress had an unhappy face and very rude. She gave us menus then no one brought tea. They force you to accept very large lobster with very tough meat. We ordered extra friend rice and noodles to eat with the lobster but they never came until the end. No one offered water, waitress was never found. We had their congee - bland and watery. We asked for soy sauce and it was brought out in rice bowls, 10 bowls of soy sauce!! Never before have we seen such thoughtless service. We brought a family of friends there for Father's Day lunch and were so embarrassed that we chose this restaurant. Our food took too long to come. Not going back there. -Came here for my birthday and saw $1000+ steak...which they were sold out of!!! I can't even imagine what that steak tastes like but it must come wrapped in bills. OK, I'm kidding.Anyways, the place was packed...we had no reservation...dropped in the last minute and did I mention it was right before Xmas. The hostess did a walk around and found us a table at the upstairs bar. They were the last seats in the house and the best seats in the house!The place looks like a steakhouse and feels like a steakhouse...or what a modern one should be. It's pretty slick. We sat down and our bartender/waiter was awesome. He helped us through some of the drinks and we ended up ordering 2 steaks, 1 from Alberta and 1 from the US, as well as beefsteak tomatoes and the potato gratin. The steaks came cut in strips (we made the request) and were cooked perfectly! I do prefer the American beef over Alberta beef, sorry Canada, I hope this doesn't make me a terrible Canadian! Both steaks were excellent though. The tomatoes (feta and thyme) and potatoes were excellent as well. After our meal we got a small tour of the see through steak fridge and some explanation of steaks are aged. It's a pretty cool ending to a great meal. The service is excellent and food does match it. It was one of the best overall experiences I had in 2013 which was filled with amazing experiences. -LOVE LOVE LOVEI came here a while back in the summer and was blown away here!My hunni loves seafood, so I chose this restaurant downtown when I knew we were going down for errands. When you walk in you are greeted by a beautiful and dim restaurant. It has a bit of a romantic feel, but with more energy. It can be a great date place if you don't mind it being a bit loud. We were seated promptly ( since I made a reservation) and were lucky to get a booth that was like a bench, where we sat on one side with the table infront of us. Making it a bit more intimate for us (which was nice). The waiter was helpful and knowledgable with the menu and was attentive and excellent during our meal. Now the food:Of course, one needs to order the seafood tower at pearl diver, because you need to bask in it's holy glory at least once in your life. The tower is damn beautiful, with two tiers of seafood beauty.On the top tier you have your shrimp cocktail, salmon and king crab legsOn the bottome you have your assortment of oysters with 3 dipsFRESH AF pretty much sums up the tower. JUST TRY IT. Chicken Liver & Oyster PateI really enjoyed this, but my hunni thought it was a bit weird. I mean it seems like a weird combo, but I thought it was a great savoury dish. So i think this is probably a hit or miss item. It's pretty difficult to explain the taste of the pate, but it's oyster so... if you're adventurous or an oyster lover, go for it!Cured Fish PlateAssorted and served with rye breadFresh. not the highlight but still a great appetizerSticky Toffee PuddingThe hype about it is true. It's a decadent dessert that really hits the spot after the meal, the pudding is soft and melts in your mouth. ** we also ordered two cocktails but I forgot the names, but they were both very good and would 100% recommend**Overall, I had a great time here !! I liked the food, atmosphere and had a great waiter. This place also seemed to be great for birthdays since I saw a large table in the back celebrating a birthday and another birthday celebration in one of the booths as well. -The last few visits were very disappointing!A waste of time, drive and money!From poor SLOW service, and OVERPRICED to bland mediocre food. And terribly long waits to get seated outside!We're talking 1 hour! (I can think of hundreds of other activities I'd rather do on our night out then stand in a line up for bad food and service) or how about go next door? ? Our pre last visit was a disappointment as our child had gotten a bone in his food and hurt his tooth, the manager approached us had a chat and tried to make it better by offering other foods, and invited us back with no wait.We took him up on his offer, We had returned as a family of 5, were seated promptly and had the visit from the manager, he had gotten our child order inn right away and was pleasant, however as soon as he left it all went down hill! The servers were not pleasant/ actually quite rude and moody! Our food took extremely long to arrive! As a comparison, the table next to us arrived after us! As they were enjoying coffee and dessert we had still not gotten our main meals!?? Our servers did not clean our tables from dirty plates, we had to keep calling them over for that, to clear our dirty plates were piling up from apps and dirty cups from drinks... they did with attitude for some reason...We had contacted the manager and had tried to fill him inn on the poor service and food quality (which I had sent back my food, as it arrived after most people around my table finished their food, and mine wasn't even good after all that wait for a tiny 4oz or so fish- ridiculous)he served also had the nerve to argue with me, trying to put the blame on me as he claims he warned me it would take longer- I had 4 others at my table witness this and that it's a lie- as well as it's the smallest plate and should not have taken THIS LONG! the manager had read our messages. And weeks later still had not reached out.Very disappointing, a let down really...we feel we've given this place enough try's to finally say- other then the decor there's nothing good here! Nothing to return for. And was a huge waste of our time and money! It used to be better, a few years back. From quality to service- had truly gone down!! A shame. -The interior is similar to a dive restaurant. It's fairly clean with a mix of high seat tables or regular tables. Having come on a friday night at 8:30pm it was quite busy. The wait was well over 45min, but the server said he could text me when my table was ready. Luckily my friend suggested we sit at the bar as the servers had no problem serving food there. We got our menus and have to say that this place is a little more on the expensive side. It won't break the bank, but can you put that much added value?We got the Gaeng Hunglay - Ox Tail, Pad Thai, and chicken skewers. the food came out really quick even though the restaurant was so busy. The skewers tasted great and it came with peanut sauce and a sweet/vinegar based dip with thai chili's inside. The peanut sauce was well made and authentic instead of taking a glop of peanut butter and blending it with some hot sauce. The vinegar based sauce tasted great as well and my friend practically drank the sauce. The pad thai tasted as expected, the portion wasn't too big, but satisfying. A good mix of chicken, sprouts and everything else evenly throughout. Nothing stood out from it and the foreigner spicy translated to mild. The Gaeng Hunglay was something else though, think curry, but a little sweeter and hints of ginger. I thoroughly enjoyed that dish more then the pad thai Thai cuisine doesn't have a lot of expensive ingredients, the pad thai costs around 15$ and it wasn't special or outstanding enough for me to order it again. However, the Ox tail was delicious and if I were to come again and I would definitely order something along those lines.For authenticity this place would be 4.5/5 for Thai cuisine -I will agree that the soup is on the salty side. But the ramen is still really good!We got the spicy tan tan and the tonkotsu with thick noodles (curly, great for slurping and retaining the soup). I loved both the broths. The tonkotsu had a good pork bone flavor with this creaminess that comes when it's cooked with the ramen. The tan tan was spicy, but just enough that you want to keep on slurping the ramen and drinking the soup! By the way, there is only one slice of pork belly for the tan tan but two for the tonkotsu.Adding any extras, like shitaki mushrooms, will cost you more, but I definitely recommend adding the mushrooms because it has a sweet flavor that complements the salitness very well.I would NOT recommend getting the gyoza - it's mediocre for the price really, and their star is the ramen. Would want to go back again for the ramen! -The tacos are delicious - no doubt - and the taco included a very generous portion of fish. We got the basa fillet taco and the spicy shrimp one. The basa fish was a tiny bit bland but the fish tasted very fresh. The shrimp was deliciousssss... a bit sloppy since the sauce was dropping all over the place... but packed with flavour and just a hint of spice. The shrimp is definitely a must try! I also loveeee their flour tortillas which tasted very fresh and they double up the tortilla per taco. Four stars for in total since $6 is a bit pricey for one taco (even $5 is a lot better) but compared to some of the other taco joints, their tacos are definitely top notch in Toronto. Warning though, there are really no seats in this place, mostly just a pick up and go -The ambience was nice and the food was good too. Giving it 3 stars because I had really high expectations and the salad I got was subpar. -What can I say about Byblos? Possibly my favorite dining experience ever, even better than Splendido and Gramercy Tavern in NYC (my next favorites...now).The hostess was very pleasant and helpful, our server was efficient and very personable, and the manager James was a great host, checking in often to see how we were doing. Top notch service in every way!The food...wow. We started with a very nice salad and a fantastic artichoke and yogurt dish (I don't even like artichoke) that we devoured. Next, succulent lamb ribs with a coriander based (I think) crust on them that is similar to the excellent bread that they serve. Delicious!Wagyu beef on a cauliflower hummus that just bursts with flavor in every bite. Cooked perfectly and seasoned according to the rich fat of the wagyu to combine for the perfect bite of steak, IMO. A creamy lobster dish, some exceptional short ribs and some phenomenal Israeli couscous (and Brussels sprouts with haloumi cheese and bacon!!!) and we were pretty much stuffed, but James the host also provided us with three small desserts that were also fantastic. We also had one of their chilled alcoholic teas, and wow, does that ever finish a meal off perfectly. Can't say enough about our experience at Byblos. My wife and I are now presented with the challenge deciding how long we should wait before going back. We love trying new restos and don't like to overdo one spot, but I don't think we can wait much longer! -An excellent addition to this saturation of mediocre restaurants close of king street. A perfect pre or post theatre dinner or drinks. Love how it feels like I've walked into a tropical island and left the city. Right now their menu still seems to be finalized. There were items that weren't on the menu like the ox tail curry and pork belly everything. I found the portions small at first but it was a good size in the end for two people. We had the ox tail curry which was excellent and the fried fish with tamarind sauce. It was delicately fried and not greasy. For dessert the mango sticky rice was really good and recommended. They have a nice mat kneeling area good for A good size group. Also a small nook to the left and a private party room begin the bar ? Lots of options for drinks and fun. No liquor license yet! -I haven't tried many Thai places in Toronto, but I was born and raised in Chicago. When it comes to food I'm critical. Pai indeed lives up to my expectations! Taste and quality is amazing. It's reasonable priced especially during lunch hour. I always get my pad Thai with tea ross, but green curry is amazing too! -Authentic Japanese home-cooking and premium-quality sashimi. Karaage is outrageously moist and crisp, while beef sukiyaki houses a variety of deliciously fresh ingredients in a rich and aeronautic broth. Staples like gyudon and katsudon are comfort foods not to be missed. Finish off the meal with some of the city's best cakes, meticulously crafted to a Japanese master's standards. Tofu cheesecake, earl grey chiffon, and matcha are some of many standouts. -Great little place with delicious food! Has a really homey, comfort feeling to it. I will definitely be going back. A must go to if you're in the area! -A Jack of All Trades, but a Master of Noneis the perfect figure of speech to describe the the Pickle Barrel at Young and Dundas.The first thing that you notice when sitting down is that the menu is roughly 10 pages long and they have nearly every type of eats from thai and chinese, to all day breakfasts and seafood, not to mention Rose Reisman's healthy choices (which are undoubtedly the best picks on the menu, albeit slightly more pricey, and are excluded from a lot of the bashing the rest of the establishment is about to take from me). The large selection is about the only good thing about this particular restaurant. Which isn't especially saying much since the large selection comes with the large prices, with most entrees looking to put you back $15-30.The service... I don't even know why they bother hiring the hostess (VERY loosely used term) upstairs because she's obviously there for show. The last two times I've entered through the upstairs entrance I had to wait for the hostesses (these were two different people by the way) to finish texting before telling me to walk downstairs and through the restaurant in order to have the downstairs hostess put my party on a list for a table.I can deal with that, just enter through the downstairs entrance through the Atrium, better service. Once in the basement though, which is sort of drab, dreary and just uncomfortable as fine dining atmospheres go, all the waiters I've had have been excellent.Now the food... All I can say is mediocre at best.Their calamari is decent as a large appetizer. Yet beware, their batter is incredibly rich and takes on a lot of oil (over-fried) so expect to feel some bloating.I personally had their eggs benedict today which was horrendous. If you want a benedict, go somewhere else (yes, even Golden Griddle who had a surprisingly good benedict last time I dropped by). Eggs were overcooked and didn't seem like they were freshly made, the bacon was obviously heatlamped, and the english muffin tasted stale. The only good point of the breakfast was the potato latke which was nothing like a latke and was more like a hashbrown, yet it tasted good, albeit a little salty. In the past I've had their a few of their steak and pasta items. I'd highly advise against the steak (dry, overcooked, tasteless), though the pasta is definitely passable.I saved the best for last. The dessert.I'd personally recommend the Killer Milkshake at $4. It's massive. You'll probably be able to find a better milkshake in town, but not one that size, and not one for that price.I know a lot of my friends love their brownies and cake, I haven't tried them though so YMMV.In closing, Pickle Barrels isn't a place I'd particularly recommend to go. It definitely has the menu, but the food ruins it by being mediocre. There are so many better eats for better prices in the area. -if you are meat lover and like to try different kind of meats and flavours then this is your paradise. abundant of tender meat made to perfection served at your table and don't mis the pineapple it's so delicious -This place is ALWAYS busy. It is a fast food Vietnamese restaurant. And don't expect 5 star food. But for what it is it's great! My boyfriend and I go here when we are looking for a quick bite to eat. For both of us with a drink its $20. You order at the till an have a seat, 2 minutes later they have the food in front of you. I love it and recommend it. -Guu has really good food, amazing cocktails and nice staff. Try the sake in bamboo! -I came here for breakfast with my family. The menu is full of egg puns. Nevertheless they do have a fruit salad plate which is vegan. Fruits are fresh, colorful, and very filling. Display is a work of art! Booths are comfy. Staff is friendly and very accommodating. I wish they had more vegan friendly options like tofu scrambles. Feel free to order toasts / potatoes with no butter. Coffee is bottomless. -Their Kalbi Beef tacos are addicting with the perfect ratio of meat to veg and any of their steamed baos are the perfect cure for you hunger or hangover pangs. I've only every gotten takeout but they have me hooked! delicious but no cheap eat -Quite the disappointment. Had high expectations for a restaurant owned by Oliver & Bonacini. Service was slow, the kitchen was slow, and the food was underwhelming. -I came here to celebrate my birthday a few days ago because of all the great things I've heard about it! I was extremely excited, and rightfully so. This restaurant has a fancy upscale vibe to it and looks stunning on both the inside and outside. The atmosphere is perfect for a celebration, but still OK for a casual meal. I came mainly to try the aburi sushi, and it truly was the highlight of my dinner!The service was GREAT. Everyone was so polite and friendly from the moment we walked in to when we walked out. The servers are incredibly attentive and the food expeditors really make sure to describe what your dish is made out of as they come out. I really liked the detail in these descriptions. The place is pricey, but it's worth it for the quality of food and service. Overall, I had an amazing time at Miku!Here is a small breakdown of what I ordered and my thoughts on it:Albacore Tuna and Wakame Tartare ($18) - thought this tasted pretty good. The tuna was fresh, and it came with avocados which is my favourite. It was a cool item to try, but I probably wouldn't buy it again.Salmon Oshi Sushi ($17) - this was the best part of my dinner and I would honestly come back just to buy this again. I absolutely love it! And you probably won't be able to find aburi sushi like this in Toronto (other than at JaBistro).Red Wave Roll ($18) & Miku Roll ($22) - got 1/2 of each. Both were must haves!! I personally enjoyed the red wave roll much more though (not a big fan of uni, but I LOVE tuna). Aburi Sushi Sampler ($20) - perfect dish to start off with because you get to try a variety of different things! I'd totally recommend this to anyone who's in for trying something new.Atlantic Salmon Sashimi (6 pieces for $16) - salmon sashimi has always been one of my favourite things to eat, but I didn't find anything too special about the sashimi here. Tasted great, fresh, but not TO DIE FOR or anything like that! Just average.Uni (Sea Urchin) and Cho Toro (Tuna Belly) at market prices - I LOVED the tuna so much!! I want to go back just to have more! Didn't enjoy the uni at all though. It was my first time trying it, and it tastes extremely seafoody! It's a bit of an acquired taste and was certainly not right for me.Green Tea Opera Dessert ($13) - the green tea ice cream tasted pretty regular to me, but the CAKE with many layers to it was absolutely delicious! Must try if you're into the green tea flavour. -Guu is the hottest little piece of culinary wonder to have hit Toronto in a really long time. The buzz about this place has been absolutely ridiculous. I am not really a follower in this aspect, usually I would just get disappointed and feel ripped off. Guu was really a great surprise for me. A girlfriend and I have been eying this place for a while. Usually, I would wait until all the hype dies down but for this restaurant I don't think it's going to die down anytime soon. Regardless of the day or time, this place is always packed but trust me the wait was absolutely worth it. I guess what made this place really stand out is the environment. Once you step through those doors, you are literally transformed into a different world. It felt like you just nested into the heart of small Tokyo bar. This place is really ALIVE with all the sights and sounds of what a real Japanese restaurant should be like. Just on the environment alone, I already fell in love with this place. I wish we sat at the bar however, it would be so fascinating to watch the cooks & staff interact with each other. They seem like the really love what they are doing and just by that, you know the food would definitely deliver.So, we ordered a couple of things. Here's my take on them:TAKOWASABI: You have to be a true fan of wasabi to like this dish because it really hits you in the face. ABURI SALMON: The texture of this dish was amazing - the salmon melts in your mouth and the fried onion chips really added that extra something-something to it.HOTATE CARPACCIO: I loved this dish, it was light and refreshing but I really wish we got this dish first. With all the other overwhelming flavours of the other dishes, this dish found itself on the bland side. Pity really because the presentation was beautiful.SOY SAUCE MARINATED B.C TUNA: Literally MELTS in your mouth but it didn't stand out to the other dishes. However, still some of the best tuna sashimi I've had to date. TAKOYAKI: MUST MUST MUST try. Once I had one, I just wanted more. Enough Said.KABOCHA KOROKKE: This is probably my favourite dish, maybe because I am a huge pumpkin fan however, I was slightly disappointed. I was expecting the outside to be a lot crisper. Maybe it was just ours. Will have to try it again!! & TOFU CHEESECAKE: Yum. Yum. Yum. Period.It was just overall an amazing experience and I really can't wait to head back. There's still a lot on the menu that I would still love to try out. Although the food & environment was amazing, the icing on the cake was the staff. They were fast and ran like a well oiled machine. The waiters were cheerful and helpful. A small incident happened at Guu, a waiter accidentally broke a glass bottle behind my friend and in literally 10 mins, the mess was cleaned up and the boss came out to apologize and offered us some complimentary edamame. That, there my friends is what you call superb customer service. We ordered 8 things and it came up to be $50 dollars. Honestly, thats an amazing deal for the quality and services Guu provided. Folks, all that hype from this place is there for a reason. Guu is really really Guu(d)! -Fusion kitchen at its best... We got the chef's menu. They kept bringing all these dishes while we enjoyed the food and the company. The Singapore slaw is no any slaw.. It's the slaw of slaws. We started our meal with slaw and ended it with slaw, not to mention all the great dishes that were in between. I was filled up to the brim by the end of the night. -One of the best friend chicken and bang for your buck. At one point, my boyfriend and I were so hooked, we went twice in a week - we must've went to the gym twice as much that week too.So why is the best? The skin is a major reason for me. It's so crispy and perfectly salted, you can probably get a heart attack from it tbh. But I'll still eat it. The chicken is second. Tender and cooked to perfection. It's steaming hot when it comes to you and as much as you want to let it cool, you can't help it and you burn your fingers and tongue trying to eat it in the first 5 mins. Thirdly, the fries. Those crispy, crispy, fries. It's like their deepfried 3 times or something. And you get so much of it, you likely won't finish it. Aside from the food, their service is awesome - quick, no chit chatting and friendly. Ahh.. Fried chicken... I am salivating just writing this review. -I appreciate the variety offered, but in terms of taste, the dishes I had were solidly average. spring rolls, Pad Thai, curry chicken, sticky rice. None stood out, really. -Good thai food downtown, nice and spicy, service was good and turn around was quick, portion was a decent size. nice flavours! -Great breakfast (ginger pancakes and eggs benny)! Fast service, delicious food and simple but solid breakfast/brunch menu. Highly recommended. -So happy that Yelp led us to possibly the best Thai food in Toronto! There is definitely a vibe in this restaurant - the music was a little loud, the tables were very close together, and it seems to cater to younger people, but we had no problems with it. It was packed during lunch time, and I expect probably during dinner time as well, so plan accordingly.The menus were colorful and descriptive -- my boyfriend has a deadly shellfish allergy, and they were able to accommodate his allergies by taking out oyster sauce and shrimp paste (with no detriment to the taste), so A++ for that. We ordered the chicken pad thai (YUM, BEST EVER!), and the braised beef Khao Soi. I've never had such good Khao Soi -- they said that they were sold out of chicken drumsticks, but I bet it's even better with the drummies. The prices are a little expensive for lunch, but it is SO WORTH IT. Would absolutely come back again! -Get the cheese dishes! They're the best!! Other tapas are good too but a little overpriced to be honest. Servers were really nice and attentive. Our server was very patient when explaining the menus to us and making recommendations. Really nice decor as well. -Neo Coffee Bar is a spacious, modern cafe near old town Toronto. The decor is filled with industrial materials, concrete and wood. Soft, fluffy cake with yummy creamy filling; Neo's roll cake are delicious. Most of their pastries are made from whole wheat pastry flour, organic free-range eggs, organic milk and organic cane sugar. Everything is made from ingredients sourced from local purveyors. There seems to a wide range of healthy, gluten-free and vegan options. My companion and I shared the infamous Matcha and Aduki roll cake. The cake is made with Kyoto matcha and organic red beans. We devoured it within seconds. Great drinks, delicious treats, fabulous atmosphere - this little tucked away cafe is one of the best places to work out of! -The food is very fresh and surprisingly good. Not cheap. But worth the price for sure! The uni I had was extremely sweet and full of flavour. Will go back again. Remember to book the reservation since it's very tiny space. -Overall had a pretty disappointing experience with the service. Food was average but I am from Vancouver so quality of Japanese food in Toronto can't be compared.We ordered the omakase sushi .. on the menu it says 18 pieces. Chef selection. No substitution. When it arrived..there were only 17 pieces. We asked the server about it. She counted twice to confirm it is indeed 17 pieces and said it was because uni and ikura are considered premium sushi so they give us one piece less.I find it pretty ridiculous... The menu says 18 pieces yet that can give us any amount they want? Neverthrless, is it THAT costly for the restaurant to give us that 1 extra piece of sushi? I'd say its false advertising. Service was not great either-water was never filled-never offered to order drinks when we sat down -expected us to make room for the server to put down the food- didn't even place the plate properly in the right directionI spoke to the manager and told him I was very disappointed with the service I received and all he said was I am very sorry without even asking what went wrong. Unbelievable.If they position themselves as a higher end Japanese restaurant, as reflected in the price, I am expecting a better dining experience. -Dim sum was tasty, but was not spectacular, service was bad for fine dining. I thought there's an early bird special, probably outdated pic from yelp. So I did check with the mgr before I ordered, and she said yes they have the special, so I ordered thinking there's a special flat price for small, medium, and large. For the total of 6 dishes I ordered, the bill including a 15 percent tip and tax was $40. This gotta be the most expensive dim sum I have ever eaten lol! ESP considering I don't have much left over and I didn't order a special kitchen dish like BBQ or fried noodle! So for slight better in ingredient and taste, I would agree with fellow yelpers that this place is not worth it. If u have lots of cash and would like the better ingredients and decent taste, then it's probably ok. Luckily my work is footing the bill, but that means I have $15 left to eat lunch and dinner the rest of today :p -We went as a party of four for dinner without a reservation. The place was packed but the hostess was very nice and found a booth that could accommodate us within 15 minutes or so. We had a drink at the bar during this time.Once we got our table, we ordered 24 assorted East Coast oysters. Personally, I liked the ones from Martha's Vineyard best. The oysters were fresh and tasty. For the main course, I ordered sesame seed ahi tuna and it was delicious. The tuna was cooked perfectly and the side was a wasabi mashed potato which was also great. We finished things off with a cheese platter that was good but sadly didn't live up to the rest of the experience.The food was good if a bit pricey for what you get, the service was good and accommodating and overall it was a rather pleasant experience. The atmosphere was great and the music was good. I will definitely go back at some point. -We had a disappointing experience at Cluny last night which is what is prompting me to sign up on Yelp and write this review. Although I am new to writing an official review on Yelp, my husband and I are no stranger to frequenting a variety of top restaurants in Toronto and around the world for that matter. Last night was our first time at Cluny and we were both very excited to try it out. When we walked in, we were immediately impressed with the quaint French bistro décor and overall feel and ambiance. Loved the little bakery at the front of the restaurant. When we arrived, we were not greeted by anyone (restaurant wasn't even busy at this point 6:45 Monday evening), after about 5 mins of standing there looking around, someone that looked like he was one of the Chefs (who happened to be getting something in the stock room/closet, finally said someone will be with you shortly. We were greeted by the hostess with a less than impressive hello. After we were seated, it took about 10mins before we were acknowledged by our Waiter for the evening. Again, was not impressed by his demeanor and lack of interest in us as guest. We've probably had better service at a local Chain restaurant or a drive thru for that matter! Our appetizers came relatively quickly (Oysters, Cod balls and Caesar salad). The Caesar salad was a complete disappointment, perhaps I had high expectations but when you proudly call a dish Cluny Caesar with a price tag of $13+ I would expect a little more than 2 branches of Romaine barely drizzled with dressing and 4-5 chick peas and feta lining the bottom. We ordered Oysters and when it was brought to us, the Waitress was trying to explain the different Oysters and said Oh and I forget what this one is called.... Anyway, I don't want to get too lengthy with the review here but all in all I would rate the food quite good (minus the Caesar salad) at this restaurant but the underwhelming service takes this place to a whole new low. The atmosphere in terms of décor and ambiance were excellent, very reminiscent of a bistro in Paris which is a rare find here. The service was beyond below average. Our waiter (middle aged male, appeared quite sloppy if I can be honest) was inattentive, unpleasant and simply unprofessional. He did not check on us until our dinner was done and did not even utter a Thanks or good bye when we paid the bill. This is definitely a very poorly managed establishment with very disengaged, unprofessional/untrained staff, you can see it in their demeanor and even the way they are dressed. I think the hostess was wearing running shoes and some other waiters were dressed in black golf shirts or sports bra like gym attire. I am disappointed because this place has potential. -Inspired by Munich style beer halls, Wvrst opened mid last year in the Toronto King West area, serving up some exotic sausages and a wide variety of beers. I've been wanting to try this place since it opened and luckily I was able to find someone who was yet to have tried it. Thanks for coming with me Justine H! In a nutshell, this place is like Oktoberfest, and now you can have it everyday at Wvrst!Wvrst definitely has flavours of a European sausage and beer hall, and really reminded me of Oktoberfest (except nicer). It's spacious and dimly lit with with ceiling strung lights --a casually comfortable place.Wvrst MenuScattered around the hall tables were these long sheets of recycled paper which would be the menu. If you're looking for something other than fries, sausages, and alcohol, you're probably at the wrong place. The menu is simple, but the numerous options lie in the type of each you fancy.At the back of the establishment there is a long open space that leads up to a rather small counter where you order and pay. I imagine this empty space is filled up by a line up during busier lunch hours. It wasn't too bad on the Tuesday night that we went.Sausage Display CaseThe display case is neatly organized with all the different sausages that they have. If you're in the mood for some exotic meats, then you're in luck. They have everything from kangaroo to venison, rabbit to guinea fowl. Justine H and I weren't too appetized looking at it, but after we managed to get over its appearance we went up to the counter to order.DrinksThey have quite a number of beers here, bottled and on tap. Definitely not as many as a place like Beer Bistro might have, but more than just your commonly seen brews. Justine opted for the San Pellegrino Orange, and me an Austrailian beer Stiegl. Figured it was only fitting that I had a beer in the given setting!Bratwvrst ($6) -Veal, Pork, and WineDuck ($9) -Maple and Fois GrasThese contemporary European sausages for the most part were quite good. Juicy and full of flavour. Didn't feel like I was eating a super artificial chunk of meat like I do having hot dogs from street vendors. In terms of flavour, I think it really depends on the sausage you order. You could definitely taste the fois gras in the Duck sausage, which was something Justine H didn't enjoy too much. I didn't mind it and found it to be an interesting combination, but I definitely liked the Bratwvrst more. I'd like to add that these sausages are quite small, and even with my small appetite I was unsatisfied having just the one hot dog.Duck Fat Fries ($4.50)Lots of other food enthusiasts raved about these fries, so we ordered a serving to share. Perhaps it was the heightened expectations from all the amazing reviews, but these duck fat fries fell just a bit short. They were full bodied, thick, and buttery, but they just weren't amazing. To be honest, I couldn't differentiate what difference the duck fat had on the fries compared to the ones made in regular oil. The order of fries comes with one dipping sauce, and the Wvrst Spicy we chose was great. Definitely not the best fries I've had, but they are quite tasty still, and would easily satisfy those random starchy fry cravings.One last thing to note, is that they are big on leafs games here! They have a ticket giveaway at around 6:30pm the night of every Leaf's game at the Air Canada Center. With TV's all around the dining hall and tables that encourage conversation, it would be a great place to go catch the game along with a couple of drinks. But be warned, it might get pretty rowdy later in the night with cheering Leafs fans who've had a couple drinks or two! -I went on a Wednesday night (during great patio season weather) for a table of 4 and there was no wait time.The prices were great, the best part is that tax is included in the price. That being said, this is a snack bar, and the portions are quite small and not intended to substitute dinner (which was what I originally intended to do). I ordered the KFC (which was just okay), the steak tartare, and the foie torchan. My favourite was the steak tartare!! I would come back again if I wanted a quick stop for a snack and a drink with friends. -Fantastic beer, delicious food, relaxing ambiance (speaking more to my recent, winter and spring month experiences, sitting inside, upstairs). This is the very first choice when thirst and hungry strike at the same time.The inside looks tiny here, but there is an area upstairs that overlooks the front of the restaurant and the back brewing area. Service is always great up there even though you feel like you're tucked away in your own private alcove.The beer list changes a fair bit and I appreciate the detailed descriptions on their menu card. I've tended towards trying the IPAs and have loved them all.While Bellwoods gets a standing ovation for its beer, the food has to be applauded loud and long. This is not just a brewery with food, these are really well thought out and well prepared beer accompaniments. I wouldn't be surprised if people come here for grub who don't order beer. Me and my DC have mostly always ordered the same items on every visit and they've been consistently excellent - the kale and ryeberry salad, the duck meatballs - sometimes the fries, and the corn cobs when they're available... all are unique in their own way. We tried the queso fundido last time - surprisingly scoopable and so decadent with the chicharrones. Portion sizes are spot on.We've only really had one food miss here - the smoked bratwurst (which seems to have disappeared the lamb sausage with fennel curry, which we really loved). It is difficult to eat and not worth $14. Everything else on the menu is elevated though it's pretty simple fare, and this one seems a spin on the, IMO, now-overly-prevalent genre of fancy-not-fancy junk food. -After MANY suggestions I finally decided to try and brought my mom and sister along. The food was really great, we had the duck confit, the short rib tacos, cheeseburger spring rolls, truffle fries and the chicken and waffles. Despite being good, the service was awful. It started out well, but then we got a table beside us with four people. The server must have known them. They got their food before us, despite arriving a half hour after us. The server was very attentive to them gave them each a dessert for it being their birthday, when they expressed that it was intact only ONE of their birthdays. So they all got dessert with a candle. We were still waiting for our last entree. They had all 8 of their plates come out and we were waiting for our 5th. It took 25 minutes to get the bill and the server went to the group beside us to cash them out first. It was extremely frustrating seeing everyone getting their food and special service. The food was great but the service seriously put a damper on the night. I honestly won't go back, there are way better restaurants with great and attentive service. After all, it's a part of the ambiance and experience. -Byblos is one of those restaurants you're always reading about but somehow you just never get around to visiting. But given that we had theater tickets one Friday night, the time was finally right to sample Byblos' much-ballyhooed wares.We arrived at around 6:15 and we promptly shown to our reserved table near the front. Our very helpful waitress appeared shortly after and we began the slow process of figuring out just what to eat. We ultimately chose six items:Duck Kibbeh (dried fig + date molasses + tahini): This was easily the highlight of the entire meal. I've eaten plenty of kibbeh over my lifetime but this is unquestionably the tastiest version of this venerable dish I've ever had. Everything was perfect, from the delectable spices to the unctuous, melt-in-your-mouth meat to the note-perfect sauce. Just astounding.Spanish Octopus (fingerling potato + biber chili vinaigrette + preserved lemon): Although the octopus was cooked about as well as I've ever had it - the octopus at Bar Isabel, for example, was far chewier - there was nothing about this dish that really stood out. Perhaps it's because it came on the heels of the sublime Duck Kibbeh, but there was nothing here that really blew me away in terms of flavor - although the presentation was quite nice.Sujuk Pide (turkish paste + persian feta + za'atar): I'm a big fan of sujuk (a spicy Middle Eastern sausage), so I was especially excited about this one. It's very good. All the components work extremely well together and the enveloping crust is baked perfectly. I suppose my one complaint is the sujuk itself, which, in addition to not tasting like any sujuk I've ever had, is completely lacking in the heat I've come to associate with the sausage.Mejadra (lentil + hung yogurt + fried shallot): Again, this is something I've been eating my entire life and I have to say, unfortunately, that this dish just didn't measure up. Despite the aforementioned dollop of yogurt, the rice is just dry as heck. It's been cooked in a skillet, which allows the side and bottom rice to get crispy - an idea which sounds great in theory but doesn't really work here. Far more problematic is the fried shallot on top. Traditionally, the shallots (or onions) are taken beyond the point of caramelization, which lends the dish a rich flavor that's unfortunately completely absent here. This was definitely the biggest disappointment for me.Seared Cauliflower (duck fat + tahini sauce + sesame + coriander): This is a very tasty side that's almost workmanlike in its execution. It's well done but it's nothing special, sadly.Turkish Manti Dumplings (smokey eggplant + yogurt sauce + molasses): This incredibly rich dish admittedly goes well with the Mejadra, as it cuts that dryness I mentioned. But it might be just a little too rich; between the heavy yogurt sauce and the sweet molasses, it's impossible to taste the smokey eggplant supposedly contained within the dumplings.All in all, I quite enjoyed my meal at Byblos. The ambiance is inviting, the service is flawless, and the food is, for the most part, quite above average. And I'd sure as heck go back just to eat that Duck Kibbeh again. -This place feels like a Toronto classic with a fusion twist on Asian classics! My go to here is usually kimchi poutine, or one of the sandwiches. All the food is always hot and fresh (probably because of how busy they are), and the ingredients taste authentic, even though the dishes are fusions. The spaces are usually small, and definitely not intended for long stays. I usually take my food to go and find a nicer area nearby (parks and public spaces abound). Definitely good for quick eats! \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/paragraph-validation.tripadvisor.txt b/reference_files/paragraph-validation.tripadvisor.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ed7304661cc4b541de528ddfc23325e435f36b01..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/paragraph-validation.tripadvisor.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,143 +0,0 @@ -Very charming hotel with artsy interior, located in the perfect part of town for sightseeing. The staff was extremely helpful and responsive. The room was lovely -- only problem was a wall air conditioner that didn't work very well in that the "low" setting was a full-on cold air blast. The room was stuffy and warm or getting blasted with cold air, so that wasn't so great. Otherwise, comfy bed and loads of amenities. Definitely eat at the hotel's cafe -- delicious high-end fare at incredibly reasonable prices. Loved our stay -- we will come back again... in the winter! -Great location on Union Square, booked twin and king both with city views. Rooms both good size. When checking in worth asking for a room on higher floor, The restaurant and bar on the top floor is well worth a visit. We had a drink there in the evening, fantastic views, equally so in the morning for breakfast which was very good value. Expensive valet parking but when you dont know your way around a city there isnt really any other option. Watch where you book these rooms. The hyatt website proclaims to offer the cheapest rate and offers a price promise however when I found a cheaper rate elsewhere which met all of their published criteria they started quoting other criteria that I had to meet which wasnt published on their site. As we were travelling from the UK I had booked with Virgin holidays who were much cheaper than anyone else. -My daughter and I stayed 5 nights at Hotel Whitcomb during her spring break. My husband suggested this hotel because of the special rate at the time and the fact that the BART stopped right outside. When we saw the pictures on their web site we were both psyched to stay there. It turned out to be a great choice for us. I didn't want the bother of parking a rental car in SF. We took the BART from the airport and got a Muni Passport which allowed us unlimited rides on the cable cars, buses and the subway. Right outside the hotel was a stop for buses and cable cars, down stairs was the subway. With the map the hotel provided we could find our way to anywhere in the city. The hotel was charming, clean and except for sirens, quiet. The staff was friendly. Our room was small, but the beds were super comfortable. We joked that we had a suite. The closet was really big and we used it for a changing room. The only thing we missed in the room was a coffee maker. However, there is a Starbucks downstairs and a couple of places the next block down that had even better coffe and a great selection of doughnuts. There are good places to eat across the street - Sam's Diner, Munch Haven Cafe. Even though I am from a tiny town, I never felt threatened outside. A special bonus - Wicked was playing at the Orpheum on the next block across the street. We both had a fantastic time!I highly recommend this hotel. -Disappointed in rooms. After checking out the huge beautiful lobby we were excited about the rooms. Rooms in need of repair. Closet mirror doors falling off track and ridiculous to open. Bathroom tile and grout old and chipping. I thought counters were dirty, but just old and can't clean. Something removed from wall and metal parts still there. No ventilation fan in bathroom so had to keep tossing bags or ice bucket on the floor to keep the door open a crack for air. Internet and parking way overpriced for the quality of the rooms. Lucky to have a good view in one of the rooms and although the furniture run down, the bedding and towels were nice. Location was great though, and the employees wonderful. We never did find the "Lobby Bar". Nobody was at the front desk to ask so assuming the only bar is in the restaurant which closes too early to go to after theatre. -Thanks to Jesse the Mgr for making our 12 yr post-honeymoon/pre-anniversary trip to SF the best getaway we've ever had! The hotel was in the perfect location, reasonably priced, and everything fell into place. We were pleasantly surprised at how close we were to the pier (Bus#47 was our 2nd home), in fact we traveled down there twice a day with a bus transfer. Yes, we did the whole trip w/o a Rental! From the Airport we took the BART and Bus!! So yes, the transportation was safe, and we even ventured out past the hotel (on Polk). As a result, we experienced the charm of SF. We ate at the Victor's Pizza (who will deliver to your room) and Chai-Yo (excellent dessert). We searched on yelp.com and locked in the hotel's address, and read the reviews of those in the neighborhood. We can kick ourselves for not trying the Greek restaurant, down on Polk St., but we'll definitely be back!!We planned our whole trip on transit511.org from our room (yes via the internet access). I can go on and on, but I wanted to share our wonderful experience and thank everyone for their wonderful reviews in helping us to find the HI gateway, because we'll be returning REALLY SOON!! Thanks Jesse and the HI Staff! Oh yah! Tell the cleaning crew that next time we won't lock ourselves in the room so long that they can't come in and clean it! HEE HEE! -We stayed at the Hotel Rex for four nights in early November. The check in staff were extremely helpful and friendly and we found all staff were the same high calibre. We had a deluxe double double room and found it plenty big enough even with our cases laid out on the floor. The beds were very comfy and the shower wonderful. I would've liked to have had a coffee maker in the room but complimentary tea and coffee was available in the bar area in the morning. Also, missed a complimentary breakfast. Cafe Andree, next door, served breakfast but it is quite pricy in comparison to local restarants. The complimentary wine of an evening was great though!The hotel was in a great location, a block or so from Union Square and with a cable car station in the adjoining street. The hotel staff are great for recommending tours and restaurants. We'd recommend Lori's diner for breakfast and great coffee and Puccini and Pinetti for dinner.Overall, we'd recommend the Hotel Rex for a stay in this wonderful city. -Stayed at Hotel Serrano for 5 nights (Jan. 06). Location is a block or two off of Union Square--ideal for first-time visitors and returnees like me. The suites and exec. king rooms(we peeked in a few) were well laid out, not huge but not small. Our suite had a decent sized living room with a view of the city and a peek of the bay far, far away, very nice to wake up to. The bathroom tub was large, but the bathroom was small and had no counter space (we moved a table in from the living room). This hotel is part of Kimpton chain, with fun bathrobes and Aveda bath amenities in our room. The 24 hour dry sauna was delightful (there's also a small gym and 2 computer terminals for web browsing. Wine was served at 5pm in the lobby, but only pretzels to nibble on. Morning coffee and tea was a nice touch. Staff was helpful and accomodating. We had a B&B package that provided an OK (not exciting) continental breakfast at the adjacent restaurant. The only drawback is that the cost of parking (adjacent to hotel or at a different lot across the street) is very costly ($30 per 24 hours). THere is no available neighborhood parking so if you are driving there, be forewarned . -We stayed here for 4 days when we arrived for a 3 week trip to california. Our room was on the same level as reception and we had a view over the city. We knew it was located in Pacific Heights and not near Downtown but it is a beautiful neighbourhood with amazing views over the bay, golden gate bridge and Presidio within just a short walk. The staff were fantastic - couldn't have been more helpful - they gave us good recommendations for restaurants and were able to give us clear directions and a map of bus routes (which made getting around town very easy), they were also extremely pleasant and welcoming. The wine and cheese in the evening is a lovely treat after a day on the go! Our room was very clean and the bathroom was excellent. We stayed one more night later in the holiday and were given a room on the dining room level - admittedly this room wasn't just a nice as the first one we'd had but it was just for a night and we were fine with that. Thank you Hotel Drisco - it was an absolute pleasure staying with you! If we're back in SF some time we'll be back to stay with you! -We stay at this hotel often when we visit friends and family in the area and it is still terrific. As other people have noted, the lower rooms don't have the great views the upper floors do, but the rooms are all still large (by Union Square standards) and clean. Everyone from the front desk, the concierge, the maid service and valet -- is always polite and prompt to take care of our many requests (we travel a lot and tend to be picky). The location is great. For shoppers, Union Square is paradise. The main entrance to Chinatown is a short 2 blocks walk away. North Beach is a 10 minute cab ride, F'sherman's Wharf and Pacific Heights are about 15 min by cab. The Ferry Bldg with its fabulous new weekend market is about 5 mins away. There are also a variety of public transportation options at Union Square. What's the only downside? You don't need a car if you're just touring San Francisco (the public transportation is fabulous), but if you have one (we visit outside the city) parking is OUTRAGEOUS all over San Francisco. Valet at the hotel was $42 a day (ouch!) -The motel is very nice with renovated, spacious rooms. It is situated in walking distance to wisherman's warf. We really can recommend the hotel. It was the best quality of rooms that we had during our trip and all that for a very good rate.Thanks again for the hospitality and kind service!If we are back in SF we definately will stay again at Redwood Inn!Manuel&Tabea -I go to San Francisco on business several times a year and have usually stayed at the Stanford Court. My last couple visits were less than satisfactory. I recommended the hotel to other co-workers who stayed there and they did not receive complimentary coffee. When I wrote to the management, it was checked out and determined that one WAS delivered (tho the time stated was after the guest checked out!!) and the other one just "slipped through the cracks" or some such thing. I was told that on my next visit, I would be given an upgraded room with a view. When I stayed there again (Feb 2005), I brought the letter that said I'd be given an upgraded room and was told that the manager who wrote the letter no longer worked there. The room I got was an interior room with NO view! The following day, I stopped at the vending machine on the 2nd floor to get bottled water and the machine dispensed soda instead. I brought it to the front desk for either a refund or replacement and the clerk asked a bellboy to get me some bottled water to replace it and he said that there was none in the fridge. The clerk then told me that WARM water was better for me than cold anyway. I just said that I had paid for cold water. I went back to my room and a while later, housekeeping brought me some warm bottled water. As others have said in reviews, the location is great, but the hotel itself worn and tired, some of the staff ok, others indifferent at best. Personally, I won't stay there again. Grosvenor Suites is right around the corner and a better deal. -I like both an overall review and details when I use this site, so I'll do both here.HILTON STAFF WERE AMAZINGThe staff at this hotel were wonderful. Scott in reservations was incredibly gracious to us when we were in a bind and made magic happen before we even arrived. He saved our trip.The rest of the staff had the same can do attitude, from checking in to constantly being greeting in the elevators and hallways, all the way to the end when we retrieved our bags.ROOMS WERE GREATThe rooms were also nice, well appointed. The bathroom and closet area is a little tight but a small thing considering all the views. Our friends had an AMAZING view of the bay and downtown. We also had so much fun with the views. I love to people watch down on the street; this view afforded that opportunity. The bed was medium in terms of firmness and the pillows a mix of feather and non. All very nice.There was a long desk area by the window and a chair with ottoman by the bathroom wall so, plenty of places to lounge and store things.We are light sleepers but were a little surprised by the road noise, especially bc we were on one of the highest floors. However, turning the AC unit to "on", playing music and/or using ear plugs solved the problem.FITNESS = FUNThe amenities were great as well. Being into hotel fitness centers, I was elated at how nice this one was! Treadmills, stationary bikes, weight machines, etc. Even apples and water in the room, all with a great view in front of you.LOCATION WAS IDEALThe location was perfect for us. Chinatown is right there with plenty of restaurants. We ate at E Tutto Qua which is .2 miles from the hotel and it was lovely. Not a bad walk to Union Square, the BART, etc. Just enough away from all the big touristy areas. We walked the whole time from the hotel, only taking a cab once and the BART to and from SFO. It's a great location.OVERALL - THANK YOU, HILTON!This was a great stay. All six of us in our group had a wonderful time. It was always nice to go back to our rooms each day after playing hard. The Hilton did it right and we tremendously enjoyed it! -This was a wonderful experience. A pal helped me book and got me a room for $90. Even if it had been $200, I'd still give this place great marks. First, the place was truly modernized and had really fresh, design-y furniture, bedding, accessories. Second, my view - I think I was in the 20-something floors - was magnificent. I had a beautiful wide view of the north side of the city, including North Beach, Golden Gate Bridge, etc. Just wonderful to wake up to. My main complaint is the high cost of parking - $42 for valet or self-parking. That's downtown SF for you. I found my own lot - there's one just across the street - and paid a bit less. -Teriffic location; fantastic bar with complimentary wine every afternoon. Rooms more than adequate; and best of all, a very competitive price. -Hotel is close to China town and Union Square, a little further walk to Fisherman's wharf. Cable car stop just outside. Room was amazing. Beautiful views of the city. Bathroom was luxurious. Service was outstanding. The slightest request brought swift and curtious responses. Only thing was the dining room was closed when we arrived at 6pm for some reason, and valet parking added $50 a day to an already expensive bill. -Great hotel! Excellent location. We walked everywhere. Front desk staff was friendly, knowledgeable and really helpful. Room (double/double) was lovely: clean, quiet and well-appointed. Take the stairs to your room and enjoy reading quotes from famous writers on each floor. Maximo the pug is an extra special addition. Every hotel should have such an ambassador. -A fantastically central hotel. Close enough to shopping and Union Square that we felt comfortable leaving our kids off to shop on their own. Wonderful concierge service. We did have a bit of a mess up when we tried to change rooms for an interconnecting room but overall we can live with that. I would recommend asking for a high up room on the 1st Tower as the views are great. A small point of note we were on the 25th floor. I can't speak for the other floors but the odd numbered rooms are smaller than the even on that floor. I know of people that stayed on the even on the 44th floor and they said that the views were stunning. Overall can't fault it.. Very busy but quiet at the same time away from the foyer. -Reading the reviews on TripAdvisor, we contacted the Drisco and booked a triple room for my husband, my elderly mother and myself. Although we were kindly warned by the staff that the room was too small to comfortably accomdate three people, we were pleasantly surprised. The room was spacious, with the most comfortable beds we had ever tried, a huge bathroom, and all the possible amenities. The staff is extremely gracious and ready to help with suggestions for places to go shopping or dining, the best transportation options, and even doing the booking on your behalf. There is nothing they do not go out of their way williningly to do for their guests. I have to single out Bob, with his warm friendly attitude, big smile and exhaustive knowledge of the neighborhood and extreme kindness to my elderly mother; the well read Julio and the extremely cooperative Tan. The hotel is in a lovely picturesque neighborhood with several options for dining and shopping - even just walking up and down the streets - although steep - is a pure joy. The hotel provides a filling breakfast with plenty of options that keep you satisfied easily through lunch and also offers a wine and cheese hour by which you can easily skip lunch simply have only dinner. Coffee is available 24/7; even at 3 in the morning, you can count on freshly brewed coffee in the lobby.If you are going to Frisco, there is no other place to stay. Don't look beyond the Drisco! -My husband and I stayed here on our wedding night after a terrible fiasco at the Inn Above Tide in Sausalito (awful place) which forced us to find another hotel ASAP. We chose the Hotel Monaco and were so happy with our choice!We stayed in a Monte Carlo Suite, which looked EXACTLY, if not better, than it did online. Our suite was #323, and was two rooms, with large floor to ceiling windows, fabulous and fun decor, enourmous bed with down comforter, huge plasma TV, free wireless and a large bathroom with elegant fixtures and a two-person whirlpool tub. Not to mention plentiful Aveda bath products, which were refilled daily.Everything about our stay was top-notch. Excellent customer service from valets, front desk staff, room service staff, housekeeping. They have a great wine hour from where they offer free chair massages and tarrot card readings. We took advantage of both and had a great time. Also, they offered a large selection of fine wines and were very generous with the amount they poured.We oreded a room service dinner and it was wonderful. It is served from the Grand Cafe located in the hotel and we were very pleased. They also offered a nightly turn-down service which was a nice touch. We cant wait to come back for our 1 year anniversary. Keep up the excellent work, Hotel Monaco!!!PS - I would share my photos of the room, but they look exactly the same as the ones online. For once, a website which actually shows what you get! -My friends and I have our quarterly Girlfriends' Getaway and this getaway was special as it fell on our birthdays. The stay at the Inn was FANTASTIC--EXCEEDING OUR EXPECTATIONS!!! From the moment we walk in the door we were treated as though we were royalty. Joseph, Tony, Wayne Olson, Heidi, Omar, and our favorite, Josie, were very accommodating in providing not only great service, but recommendations on what to see, where to go, where to eat, etc. The nightly wine and cheese reception was a nice touch and very relaxing after a day of sightseeing and shopping. Wayne and Heidi made certain we had everything and spent time chatting with us about the sights of San Francisco. Tony and Josie were great and made certain we didn't want for anything. Joseph and Omar provided great tips on where to eat, shopping areas (not that we needed help on that one) and took the time to ask how our day went when we returned to the Inn. We stayed in the Penthouse and never bumped into each other as we each had plenty of room. The continental breakfast provided healthy choices and again, was so relaxing you hated to get up. We will definitely return to the Inn. Thank you all for making this one of our best weekend getaways! -I just returned from a week-long stay at The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, and my experience there was great. The view from the room I was given at first was not what I expected, and the room was also in a noisy location. However I contacted the front desk and they promptly upgraded me to an even larger room, that had a breathtaking view of the bay--for the same cost. The service at the hotel was wonderful--everyone I encountered there was very accomodating and professional. I especially enjoyed the exceptional room service. The room service menu was extensive and the food was delicious. The hotel's restaurants were also quite good. The Tonga Room was a very unique restaurant with an interesting atmosphere and refreshing Asian-Polynesian cuisine. The room itself was wonderful. It was very clean, and well kept, and was also decorated nicely. The bathroom was large and spotlessly clean.The beautiful lobby was another thing about this hotel that I loved. It had a very classic feel to it, with marble floors and lovely furnishings.The hotel felt safe and secure and it was also in a good location within walking distance to Union Square and close to Cable Cars. Overall, the hotel was wonderful and I look forward to returning to it for my next visit to San Francisco. -We enjoyed our four-night stay here in late July. We had a "Grand View" room on the 25th floor in the tower, with a great view stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge on one side (when visible) to Coit Tower and some of the bay. The room was spacious for a city hotel, and nicely done, with a large, attractive bath. (This is clearly a hotel where booking a better room category makes a big difference in your experience.) Views from the Tower elevators were equally impressive, although in a different direction, and made each elevator ride a real treat. The lobby of the tower building was very elegant and attractive, while the lobby of the main hotel maintained a nice mix of the historic architecture and modern decor. We took advantage of the mid-week special dinner menu for St. Francis guests at Michael Mina, which was wonderful, and a fraction of the cost of the more extensive normal menu. The breakfast buffet at the Oak Room was very good, with lots of fresh fruit and excellent pastries (great chocolate croissants and banana nut muffins) as well as the usual hot items. (Although not listed on the menu, the cold buffet is available for less than the full buffet.) Some mornings we just picked up good pastries and coffee from the small bar in the lobby of the tower building, with plenty of spacious seating. The spa is convenient, and I was able to make bookings on less than a day's notice. The services and locker room/facilities were fine, but this is clearly a convenience offering, not a "destination spa." While this is a huge, busy hotel (often with lines for the concierge), our floor and rooms were very peaceful and quiet, and the hotel has both history and personality. Go speak to the delightful gentleman who runs a shoe-shining service near the Oak Room - he will surely put a smile on your face, and may even sing you a song! -we stayed here for 4 nights before travelling on to vegas. we went for a honeymoon and it couldn't have been more perfect. very friendly staff on arrival. Ice bucket with champagne in our room. very comfortable room, very clean. The hotel was in an excellent location right in the centre of union square so you will never get bored! The hotel swimming pool is a nice area although we didnt really get to use it because of the weather! The hotel restaurant "the daily grill" was excellent food and very good value for money! Reception staff were very friendly and helpful!All in all a wonderful trip and I would definitely stop at this hotel if I went back to San Francisco -We just spent three days at the Clift and found the experience mixed. The good:1. Location--can't be beat.2. Front desk crew--helpful and friendly.3. Bed and bed linens--comfy.The OK:1. Lobby decor2. Doormen--friendly enough, but rarely open the door for you.The bad:1. Lighting--terrible in the lobby and in the rooms. Hard to even read.2. Storage--essentially none. They use funny plastic cubes as nightstands and have no dresser available.3. Room size. Pretty small for a good hotel. SMALL bathroom.3. Charge for internet service. -If you are not on an expense account this is a simple, clean, quiet and centrally located place to stay. Beds were comfortable and the showers had great water pressure and heat. Continental breakfast was sufficient to get you going before taking the bus right outside to Fisherman's Wharf or walking 5 blocks to Union Square. Great mix of Americans, Europeans, Football Fans and Airline crews all who came and went during the day. Staff was friendly and helpful. No need to drive as the hotel is a short 10-15 minute relatively flat walk from BART which directly connects either to SFO or OAK. A great find. We will be back. -This is the perfect place to base your trip to San Francisco. The Hotel is literally in the middle of it all and is incredibly easy to find from either car or public transport. This is an historic gem of a Hotel. We stayed on the twelth floor of the old tower, which according to my research was built in 1908. Yes it is old, but well kept and in excellent condition. I appreciate the 'old' smell. The Hotel staff seemed nice enough although we had no interactions with them except for at check in and check out. Pros: Historic PropertyProximity of cable cars/BART/ F LineAt the center of it all feelingQuick walking distance to shopping and restaurantsCons:None!Would definitely stay here again as there are always cheap deals to be found online. -This is a hard to find hotel in the financial district. When I arrived the bellman said " you couldn't park there." I said "what I am checking in this hotel" he said "you are going to get a ticket.. " I said "Can I get my baggage out of my car?".. Finally I went to another bellman and said that guy said I cant park her but I need to check in.. He said "sorry" and when and got my luggage. I don't know if the was a language problem or what? But it not the usual greeting I get at hotels. I complained as I checked in and got a cool response apology. It was Valentine Day weekend and stayed in the Lotus Suite. I had flowers delivered and I noticed the bell man had them in his hand in a box.. I quietly said to him why do you have the flowers in your hand in a box, it supposed to be in the room as a surprise. He seemed not to understand as he puts the flower down on the dresser, I ask can I get a vase? It was a weird start to a trip at a 5 star hotel. The trip got better because the Lotus Room was simply beautiful and the view was spectacular out each window. I say through out my 3 day stay, I didn't find the front desk to be that friendly like other 5 star hotels, but the room made up for the lack of good customer service. A week after I the trip I received a request for a customer survey like many hotels send. I gave the hotel great marks besides customer service. When I marked down customer service then the survey ask me why low on customer service and I told them what happen when I arrived. Within a week I received a scolding letter from the hotel customer service supervisor mad because I marked them down in customer service. I couldn't believe it? They were saying will we investigated and they were making excuses for the bellman and said the bellman said he was sorry. Which didn't happen the other bellman said sorry for his co worker. But it wasn't just that incident that made me give low grades on customer service, it was the overall way they treated us. They didn't greet you as you pass the lobby, didn't rush to open the door as you came and they weren't that friendly or welcoming. I wasn't going to write a review on this hotel but when I got a scolding letter from the hotel because I marked them down was very insulting. When I wrote back and told them well I thought the customer service could be better and that I never got a apology from the bell man, they NEVER wrote back or responded to my letter it was like they just want to tell me off about my survey answers. The hotel has great views and the bed felt wonderful but just don't look for excellent customer service!!! -This Hotel is a great choice. It is very comfortable, very european and is just plain fun. The hotel is only 4-5 blocks from Union Square and the Embarcadero BART Station. They have a wine and beer hour 5-6PM. The Ponzu Restaraunt attached is great too. Next door is first class wine shop. The only down fall is that is right next to the Tenderloin District, but don't let that stop you. This place is a great value and awesome place to stay in the City. Also check out the lepoard print fun wear in the rooms. -What a pleasant stay. We have been to San Francisco several times before and expected very cramped accomodations. We were pleasantly surprised. We booked 2 rooms for 2 nights and had the staff open the door between as our daughters were next door. Nicely decorated, excellent staff, and very comfortable atmosphere. Matresses could have been better but they were bearable. The weather was cool and the room heating was nice. Again, the lobby and staff were just so pleasant. I definitely recommend this hotel. Also, we enjoy walking and had a nice walk to Union Square, China Town, and other surrounding areas. The staff made good recommendations on areas to visit and to avoid. Parking is tough but we utilized the parking directly across the street. Pricey but again... it is San Francisco and you must expect that. -My four-day stay at the Hotel Monaco was fabulous. Because I was in San Francisco to attend a conference, I wanted a place that was quiet and comfortable. My accomodation requests, made months prior through a centralized conference coordination system, asked for a non-smoking room far away from elevators and other noise-making devices (like electrical/mechanical rooms). With other hotels, this request is rarely granted (or it is ignored entirely). Even though the Hotel Monaco was booked solid when I checked in--and late at that, since my flight was delayed--they had reserved a room for me that was ideally located, per my requests. Amazing!The hotel staff were courteous, friendly, and pleasant. The atmosphere was welcoming, and rarely have I felt so relaxed at a hotel. Coming back to my room after hours of sessions, or just sitting by the fireplace in their lobby, felt like returning home rather than returning to "the hotel." -Got the Columbus Motor Inn recommended through Trip Advisor and glad we decided to stay there. Just returned from 4 night stay and would definatley stay there again. In ideal location just two minute walk from Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard Street and Washington Square. Free parking was excellent. Busses stop right outside and the cable car was two minutes away. Staff were really helpful and gave us lots of tips for getting around etc. -I traveled to the Hilton for a conference, I thought the location was great, close to the Powell Street BART. The amenities were good. The restaurant was good. I wish there was free internet available. -This hotel is not for everyone, but I got the sense of that after reading about it on their website and on Trip Advisor. We needed a place to stay for one night before we flew back home, so I figured I'd give the Phoenix a try.We got in later in the evening. I was tired from being in the car all day. Parking was difficult - very small lot and not enough spaces, but we got the car squeezed in and checked in. The front desk clerk was pleasant, but definitely had his own "style," which I could see might put someone else off. I was too tired to spend much time chatting. We had a lot of stuff to take out of the car and repack for flying the next day, so the fact that there was parking right there, easily accessible, was a plus. Our hotel was on the first floor - opens right into the courtyard. It was Friday night and the Bambuddaha Lounge was rockin'!! It was such a vibrant scene of young people partying. We thought it was pretty funny and if we hadn't been so exhausted, would have gotten changed and checked out the scene. The heated pool was small, but very funky. It is open late, which is nice, and their were young kids playing in the pool, right near all these hip young party-goers, which was neat to see.The hotel is so funky - decorated with lots of interesting art. The rooms are standard '60s motel rooms repainted and furnished to make them seem hip and current. The room was big and comfortable. My only critique would be the bathroom needed a little updating - but even that was fun with a funky shower curtain and kitchy duck decales in the tub.The noise from the club was pretty loud. If you are looking for a quiet retreat, I wouldn't recommend staying here on a Friday night. I think they close down at 2 a.m., we had no trouble getting to sleep, but the big windows don't block out all the noise. We had fun listening to drunk people try to carry on conversations and pick up girls/boys. I woke up around 4 a.m. and could still hear people talking outside.We took advantage of the continental breakfast by the pool. A very nice spread for a continental breakfast and it was nice to have it right out the door by the pool. They have these cool "cabana" type things set up with curtains and people were having their breakfast there. We opted for poolside chairs. The best part was that they included Pop Tarts in the offerings - how cool is that?!Overall, it was a fun experience. The neighborhood was not a great one and it was bit off-putting to get a note about car vandalism and theft when you got your parking tag. I'm not sure I would rush back to stay here next time I'm in San Francisco, but I'm not disappointed I tried it. If you are young, like to party, and can appreciate the kitchy fun atmosphere, I say, go for it!!! -We stayed at the hilton for two nights as part of a Caravan tour. unlike other viewers who say the hotel was noisy, we stayed in a section which faced a courtyard, and the room was very quiet..others in our group did face the street and commented that it was a bit noisy there......the room was clean and relatively new, the staff was pleasant and helpful, and went out of the way to help us with a problem we had with a piece of luggage that was damaged at the airport...the location is fine if you want to be near fisherman's wharf, but if I had a choice, I would have stayed up near union square, I think that is a better location overall....but I have nothing bad to say about this two story hotel, everything was just fine, including the breakfast there which is quite good. -On first sight the Castle hotel is not great, but the rooms are fine and the location is good once you get your bearings.Varsa, the hotel manageress was wonderful.She advised us to buy an 18 dollar , 3 day public transport pass which was well worth the money and enabled us to use the bus and trolley system all day long.If you are looking for luxury then the Castle is not for you, but for a clean, convenient place to stay its great. -We stayed one night at Le Meridien on Memorial Day weekend. The room was fantastic, well decorated, with a fantastic view. The service from the check in staff was exceptional. We really enjoyed our time there, we would definately go back. -The Mosser Hotel in San Francisco, was recommended to us by friends. We were looking to stay at a great boutique hotel with some charm and history. The experience was great. It's beautifully renovated in keeping with the original details. The staff is very personable and accomodating. The hotel's consideration of the environment was another plus. Adjacent to the hotel is Anabelle's Bar & Grill, which has been there since 1913. Definitely recommend going there. We can't wait for our next visit to the hotel. -Stayed over President's Day weekend as a birthday surprise for my girlfriend. It was enjoyable and memorable.The hotel is in a wonderful location at the top of Nob Hill. We had upgraded to an upper floor room with city view, which cannot be beat. The valet service and the check-in were friendly and efficient, with our package details clearly spelled out. However, there was a snafu with the bags and I ended up having to go back downstairs to get them myself. The room was nicely appointed and clean. The room size was fairly small, not surprising for an older hotel but adequate for 2 people. Elevators were a bit slow, but acceptable considering the property is 80 years old.The Top of the Mark was great for late evening drinks (no kids allowed, drinks average $10 and proper dress is expected) with wonderful nighttime views of the city. Breakfast was outstanding, a high quality buffet with panaromic views stretching from downtown to Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. There is a cable car stop outside which can get you around, otherwise you are looking at a VERY steep walk to get down to Union Square and a real killer to walk back up Powell to California Street. Checkout was a bit slow, but all charges were clearly explained, unlike some earlier posters who seemed to have problems. Maybe it helps to be an InterContinental member. The car was waiting outside with no delay.Overall, if you like a place with history and class, this is a great place to stay. The package value I received was outstanding, for $219 a great room, parking ($50) and breakfast for two ($52 value) included. Classic architecture, romantic history and a fabulous view of a wonderful city make for a memorable stay. -As others have noted, Hotel Nikko is located in a great neighborhood. Steps from Union Square and the Powell Street Bart Station. Shopping is literally steps away. I followed the advice of other tripadvisor members (exiting right out of the hotel, rather than left) and was able to avoid the Tenderloin (which is apparently very close).The hotel itself is clean and has all of the normal amenities. The rooms are on the large size for San Francisco. Flat panel TV was nice. As others have noted, the mini bars are the kind where if you take something out, it ends up on your bill. Don't think about buying a soda and then replacing it later.The staff were friendly and helpful. The hotel was busy, but check in was quick and efficient, and staff were available when I needed help or information.The adjacent Starbucks is convenient and opens early (if you're an east coaster who is up and needs caffeine).The only trouble I had was with the hotel's wireless. I never was able to connect to the internet (never even could get to the place where you enter the credit card). I suspect that they must use javascript (or something else that my company deems a security risk).All in all, a please (albeit short) stay. -After reading the reviews on this site, I was terrified of my choice, but had already paid in full through Expedia. The hotel turned out better than I expected and I completely relaxed. Room was charming, although it was the absolute smallest hotel room that I have ever stayed in, and the bathroom was really itty bitty!Didn't have much contact with the staff, but what contact I did have was pleaseant. I arrived at the hotel at 11 a.m. was allowed to check in, which helped me enjoy a full day in San Francisco without worrying about check in times, etc.I took Bart from the airport and highly recommend it over taking a $40 or more taxi ride. -We stayed at the Grand Hyatt a few weeks ago, on the last leg of our 10 day vacation. I thought I had found a great bargain in an expensive city (I had a discount for $100 off a 2 night stay) and was prepared to give this hotel 4 stars. After reading other users' reviews, I've changed my opinion--I think I'm going to have to start using Priceline! Hearing that people stayed here for $75 a night makes me feel like I got ripped off since we paid just under $200 a night (without the discount). We figured for that price, the location, and the Hyatt name, it would be worth the price. Thinking back, the hotel was really nothing special. It was ok as far as decor, and the room wasn't THAT small. We were only on the 5th floor, so we had no view. Also, you could hear people talking in the hall and in adjacent rooms, which was annoying. I don't think the hotel has a pool (not that we found, anyway) which would be an amenity you would expect to find at most of the larger hotels. The parking fee was outrageous! The staff was friendly and helpful with directions and suggestions of where to eat. I really wish that we had stayed closer to Fisherman's Wharf, because that's where we ended up spending most of our time anyway. All in all, we had a pleasant stay, but now that I look back on it, I don't think we got our money's worth. -The hotel was in a GREAT location, close to all the downtown shopping.but once we walked in the room was average. we stayed on the 32nd floor and had a great city view. but the tv was likely a 10 year old tv. The Bed was great.the bathroom was average, and had a small 5" tv. that was long and likely from 1990.there is NO pool.. I just assumed a 4 star hotel would have a pool.the view from the 36th floor restaurant was amazing, but you could stay at motel 6 and come eat up here as well.the lobby is just average.I travel a bunch, and this would easily be a 3 star hotel. -The hotel is proximate to a lot of interesting things -- it's at the terminus of the cable car line to Chinatown, there's a BART stop right out the door, the Moscone and MoMA are three blocks away. The disadvantage of this location is the location: that part of the city is very noisy. The staff were top notch in helpfulness and enthusiasm. The room was small, but comfortable with a lot of pillows on the bed and a ceiling fan for cooling. For amenities, there was a flat screen TV (basic channels), free wireless, coffee maker, and hair dryer.As for minuses: the bathroom had mini-blinds whose louvers weren't adjustable, but pointed down. The problem was the hotel across the street would have a [bad] into the activities in the bathroom. -I had a great stay at this beautiful, historic hotel while in San Francisco for a meeting. My room which was reasonably priced had a lovely view and although near the elevator was very quiet. I enjoyed the Tonga room and am sorry to hear that it will be closing . The only reason I did not give the hotel 5 stars is that on more than one occasion personnel seemed to be steering me to specific restaurants and/or tour companies. -This is one of the best hotel experiences we have ever had - stunning views of the city, top notch service, and very nice rooms with all of the amenities you would expect from a Mandarin Oriental. The courtesy car was a pleasant surprise and helped us save on taxi fares when going out to dinner at night. Highly, highly recommended. -I had high hopes for our trip to San Francisco and staying at the Drisco ensured a wonderful trip. From my first contact with the staff to make our reservation, everything went incredibly smoothly. The staff is exceptional, always willing to go the extra step. They are professional yet friendly and if they can't answer a question immediately they will find the answer quickly. The actual number of staff is also impressive. The hotel is located in a magnificent area in SF and while it is not in the center of all the action, the view from the hills of Pacific Heights is far more exciting. The hills are rigorous but we also had a car and we had no trouble parking. You do have to move the car every three hours but the staff offered to do it for us if we weren't around! We had no trouble getting a cab as the hotel called them for us and they were there within 10 minutes. You are also near the Fillmore Street and Chestnut Street shopping areas which are a lot of fun. Our family stayed in a lovely two bedroom city view suite, which gave us ample room and stunning views. The bathrooms are large and well appointed. The continental breakfast and wine and cheese hour included for all guests makes the Drisco even more special and affordable. The dining room and sitting rooms are quite comfortable and inviting. We stayed a week and were extremely happy and would not even think of staying anyplace else when we return to SF. -We just returned from our Easter trip. My family was pleasantly welcomed by the door man "Ken" He gave us tips on the area and chatted like he was a dear friend.Next we approached the front desk and again, greeted warmly ! Then our sweet "Benji" took us to our room (Our home- sweet- home for the next 4 days)We requested a gold fish for our 8 year old daughter. She was thrilled with "Spacehog" THANKS !!We were amazed at the warm greetings (by name) each time we passed by staff. Rooms are charming and have style. Great wine hour. Nice restaurants. A perfect hotel and I'm VERY picky. Tuscan Inn and MacArthur Place could learn from this place. Miss the Monaco already ! -My family stayed for two nights in August at the Marriott Fisherman's Wharf at the start of our California trip. We arrived about noon and had easy check-in with the very courteous staff up front. Our room was small but clean and nice. The location is excellent, right near the Wharf and close to North Beach and Chinatown. Easy to walk everywhere if you enjoy exercise!The staff here was really great..friendly and professional. We were amazed at the international feel of the guests...it was fun to hear the different languages.The lounge area downstairs is nice...great bar with microbrews on tap and big screen TV.No pool or spa...only markdowns for that and rooms are a little small..otherwise a great place to stay!. -This is an boutique hotel with small rooms and an excellent location. But the hotel has a weird smell... Like being in a horse stable. I don't know what they use for cleaning, but it doesn't smell nice.When we arrived, we discovered that the top blanket on the bed was dirty with stains. We went to the front desk and asked for another, and he sent op a man to remove it.The bathroom was clean but needed a remodeling, it seemed pretty outdated. The complimentary breakfast was not even a breakfast, but only three kinds of pastry and coffee/tea. Thats too poor for a 3 star hotel. No free internet. But the location is very good and close to everything. -I really have no complaints about this hotel, the staff was courteous, the room was clean (although very small). The sheets on the bed were sub-par, which I wouldnt complain about except for the fact that we were paying $180 a night. Overall, my stay was plesant but I would only stay here again if I got a significantly discounted rate. My advice is to check out the Chancellor Hotel...its closer to union square, has the same size rooms and service, but is half the price. The only difference between the two is that the Chancellor's lobby isnt as nice, and the carpet is older at the Chancellor as well. -This hotel is really well located - it's next to a BART station so it's easy to get to and from the airport without having to get a cab; it's one or two blocks from all the great shopping at Union Sq; it's around the corner from the cable car; it's walking distance to some good bars/restaurants. Getting to Pier 39 was no problem as it's just a short cab ride away. China Town is also walking distance - about 10 minutes or so as long as you don't mind walking up steep roads! It is best to get a cab to go to Golden Gate Bridge - and get their number so you can call for a cab back as it can be difficult to flag down a cab here!The rooms are well equipped with the basics. We booked a standard room which was compact but prefectly fine. Rooms are clean. The bed is big and really comfortable. The bathroom could do with an update as they are really old. It's not a fancy hotel, so if that's what you're looking for don't stay here. However, the hotel does have lots of pluses, location being one of them and which is why we chose to stay here. -My husband and I stayed for a long weekend in September with our 6yr old son. We got a good deal through Hotwire, $220/nt. The room was comfortable and well appointed, if a bit small. The service was great. The concierge was very helpful recommending terrific restaurants every night. We also used the nanny service they suggest and they are great! We have only 2 complaints: 1) the ice maker on our floor was broken. This was fantastic for our son who loved riding the elevator down a few floors to get ice! 2) Room service and restaurant hours are short. We would stay there again if we could get another good deal. . -I can't believe I booked this room at a rate of $189.00 per night.. I must have had the same room as the reviewer from Germany. The staff was nice enough but this place smelled horrible, had ratty bedding, and no air conditioning. Noisy room with a view of a brick wall. Since there's no air conditioning all windows in hotel were open which allowed for cigarette smoke, sirens, and other guests noise to float right into my room. If you are a woman traveling alone I would avoid this place. The doors were not very secure and there was so little staff in the lobby there's no way they had any real security. This place was so bad I left after the first night and moved into the San Fransico Marriott a few blocks away. -Got a great deal: paid the state rate and then got upgraded to a jr suite in the best tower with the best view. The room was very large. It had a computer desk chair to die for. i loved to sit in it and just look out the huge picture window. Employees were friendly, my room steward was great. She took really good care of me the four nights I was there. The place is huge. I enjoyed it. Nice lobby and other features such as a Starbucks. Great conference hotel. -My 81 year old Mom visted. We are seasoned travelers. We loved The Mark Hopkins. Sort of older style hotel... but very classy, comfortable, clean etc. Rooms are great, beds are great. Staff is short handed when check check out is crowded, but they are very attentive. The best prices believe it or not are on their own website. Same price we got on Priceline. The $169 rooms are almost the same as the $189 rooms. The $169 room have a lower floor view. Both are great.If you go to The Top of The Mark Rest.... do it for drinks and the view. The food is very expensive. Breakfast while ok was too much money. Take the cable car down to Union Square or walk and go to smeoplace like Sears or The Diner.dcr, Middletown, Ca -Perfect location. Would stay again. Hotel was fairly new and very pleasant. The rooms were good size, comfortable, and stylish. The Continental Breakfast was quick and convenient. The cinnamon rolls were a family favorite! Excellent value. -There is not much to add to the previous glowing and detailed reviews. The service is friendly yet professional. Our room was immaculate and nicely decorated. The breakfasts and evening wine tastings (including cheeses, crackers, almonds, dried fruit and chocolate) as well as the hot cider and cookies were greatly appreciated. And the location was perfect. I have mixed emotions writing this review because I'd like to keep it my little secret but I think the word is out. -My husband and I stayed here for a night in December when he had a business trip of SF. The front desk staff was very nice and upon hearing it was my birthday, they upgraded us to a corner room on one of the high floors, so we had a beautiful view and a larger room. The rooms are nice, clean and beds are comfortable. The bathroom was nice sized as well. The hotel itself is modern (kind of sterile feeling). It is close to Union Square and a couple blocks from Chinatown. If you are travelling with kids, I would recommend staying closer to Fishermans Wharf, but for adults visiting, this is a nice choice. -I have been a regular visitor to the bar and restaurant at this hotel for many years, back when I used to live in the Bay Area. Recently I booked a 1 year anniversary trip with my wife and decided to stay here. We had some sort of large suite that was very spacious, but very sparse. The bed was not exceedingly comfortable, but wasn't bad either. The rooms are edgy but cold. The bathroom was huge but felt like a hospital and had a serious issue with the water from the shower ending up in the hallway.The lobby is fantastic and the Redwood Room Bar and Asia De Cuba restaurant are some of the cooler spots in the entire city. We returned nightly to long lines of people waiting to get past the ropes into the bar, but the staff remembered us by sight and let us through quickly with a pleasant hello. Most staff remembered our names even though we were only here for 4 days. The staff were as good as any Four Seasons or Peninsula. Surprisingly the incredibly loud bar scene of the lobby did not make it to our room on the 5th floor. Street noise, however, had no problem at all getting into our room at all times and woke us up every morning. The location is excellent.Ultimately the hotel will guarantee a pleasant and exciting stay- but not a quiet and luxurious one. Like most Ian Schrager properties (hotel owner) the aim is for a Cool, Hip, Edgy feeling, not pampering. The staff are great though- no edge at all just awesome service. We knew what we were getting into and liked it. Probably would have been more appropriate for another type of trip, rather than a 1 year anniversayr because "romantic" doesn't come to mind- but we had a great time anyway.No spa onsite. We went to the Ritz for that. -Me and my friend checked in the hotel on August 15, 2007 and checked out on August 18, 2007. I was nicely surprised to find a spacious room with a nice size bathroom and a walk-in closet(something rare for SF). Everything was extremely clean!!! The staff was very friendly and attentive. The hotel has a cozy lobby with a fireplace and couches. In addition, the hotel is environment -friendly. The hotel is located in a very safe place, close to downtown and Union Square; however, it is a 30+ min walk to the bay. There is valet and self parking available in the hotel (something like $30/$20 per day). There is in/out up until midnight.Later on our trip, me and my friend stayed in a Ramada Limited hotel in Santa Cruz, CA ($150 per night) where the room was bigger but lacked the clean feel of the room in Carlton. Also, stayed in a Carmel hotel in Santa Monica, CA ($130 per night) where the room was tiny, very dated, and not as clean as the one in Carlton. Both of these hotels were same price or more expensive than the Carlton (paid on average $130 per night) and not worthed the money at all.I would definately recommend this hotel to everyone. You will enjoy your stay!!! -My wife is picky about hotels and not easily impressed. The lobby was a good start-- easy on the eye, jazzy techno in the background. The staff was friendly and helpful with hints like "don't waste your time at Pier 39." But when the missus entered our room, she exclaimed: "Oh, hell yes." Cool furniture, nice bed and bathroom. Plenty of space. There was even a small couch and an i-pod adapter on the nightstand. I'd done well picking this place. -We started staying at the Pan Pacific 15 years ago on our Honeymoon night. Every once in a while we try a different hotel in SF and are dissapointed and go back to Pan Pacific. The rooms are typical size for SF but the luxury is there in every room. It is not only clean and beautiful, but the service is perfect and we stay there probably 4 or 5 times a year and it is always consistent. I am a very picky traveler and this hotel fits the bill. If you stay here you won't be disspointed. -We stayed at the Mark while attending a Holiday Party. My boyfriend won a free stay in his company raffle, and as we live 15 miles away, we went ahead and stayed the night.The hotel is pretty average for San Francisco standards. A small room, nicely decorated, with breathtaking views. The staff was a disappointment, when I called to confirm the reservation, I was transferred 4 times and then hung up on. They weren't much nicer in person.Parking runs something like $48.00 a day. That's (unfortunately) about normal for San Francisco. However, we shopped around online and saw that you can park at the Nob Hill Masonic Center, which is located at 1111 California Street (apprx. 1 1/2 blocks away) for $27 for a 24 hour period. And that's only if you need to drive. San Francisco has fantastic public transportation, so usually a car is not necessary.The rooms were okay, the room service prices were ridiculous, $18 for a cheeseburger!! (but that's par for the course, I guess). The only reason I would recommend this hotel would be for out of town visitors who want some views and don't know which parts of the City to avoid (we do have our problem areas). The hill leading up to the hotel is one of the steepest in the City, so I don't recommend this hotel for anyone who has trouble walking.Overall, we weren't really impressed with the hotel, but we didn't pay anything for it, so it was okay. I'd stay there again, but only if the room was free. -We stayed at The Holiday Inn at Fishermans Wharf for 3 nights at the end of April 2006. This was our first stop on our tour of California. We had flown all the way over from the UK and was absolutely exhausted when we arrived. We were greated by a friendly Bell Boy once entering the main reception and were checked in by a helpful and friendly receptionist. We were told that we were in the Annex building on Beach Street which is just opposite. (It would appear that the Brits package holidaymakers are put in the annex building - we booked through Virgin). The building hads a 24 hr Dennys restaurant on the ground floor and it also has a reception area, however it wasn't always manned when we were there. The Denny's restaurant is really handy, and the staff very polite and courteous. It was a little more expensive than the other Denny's restaurants that we have used, but the food and service was excellent. Our hotel room was in very good/ clean order and it would appear that it was newly refurbished. The carpet was like new and the general decor in very good order. There is a in room safe, iron and Ironing board and tea making facilities provided in the room. In the main building, there is a little gift shop, coffee bar, restaurant and bar. It is also very well located to Pier 39, and the restaurants and shops etc locally. This is a all round excellent hotel, and would definately stay here again. -Beautiful hotel, both inside and out. We got an excellent rate using expedia. The hotel is located in union square, making it extremely convenient to get around. -I booked the Hotel Whitcomb for a one-night stay on Hotwire for $73 and then read the reviews on TripAdvisor and was a little skeptical. However, my stay at the Whitcomb was great. I guess I lucked out with a good room. The customer service was excellent. The staff at the check-in desk were very friendly and enthusiastic. The lobby is very impressive and beautiful. Sure, the hotel is not in a great neighborhood, but it's SF - neighborhoods change block by block. Plus, with the BART entrance literally steps outside the hotel entrance, it couldn't be more convenient. My room was on the 7th floor at the back of the hotel (not facing Market St). It was quiet and decently-sized. The bathroom was very small, but I was traveling alone, so it was fine. The bed was comfortable and the room had all the amenities I needed. It seemed to be very clean. The decor was nice, I felt like the hotel had a lot of character. I travel to SF on a regular basis for work and will plan to stay at the Whitcomb again. -My husband and I stayed at the Handlery in May this year for 3 nights. The location of this hotel is fantastic being right outside Union Square. We had a standard room which was nice, a king bed which was really comfy, and it also had a mini fridge. The concierge was extremely helpful and went out of his way to help. Their on site restaurant "The Daily Grill" is really good for breakfast or dinner. I highly recommend the Key Lime Pie! -We chose this hotel because of its location, the price and the good reviews on Trip Advisor. We were not disappointed.We used the BART to and from the airport - a couple blocks walk from the Powell station to the hotel. Lots of great restaurants, theatre (live), and MUNI stations very close. The location is great.The price was very reasonable. We were given a room on the "historic" side of the hotel - the older side. Our room had one double bed and it almost filled the room - that was fine with us as we don't need a lot of space. We actually don't spend much time in the room anyway - other than sleeping. The room was very clean, the bathroom was very clean and it had a good shower, good lighting, hot water and lots of water pressure. The bed was comfortable. Our window looked out to an inner courtyard, but mostly we could just see hotel walls and windows around the courtyard - not a good view, but that is not what we were after. The staff were all very helpful and courteous. We used the adjacent Daily Grill for our breakfasts and it was very good - food and service. We would definitely book here again and would readily recommend the hotel to others. -The Palce Hotel is everything we were hoping for. The hotel is a piece of history, very beautiful and the staff was great. -We stayed in this hotel for 4 nights in August. The front of house staff member was unsmiling but efficient at check in.Our two rooms were "Club " rooms and overlooked onto the street which had a pub virtually opposite. Unfortunately the noise from the pub was loud and meant most nights we were disturbed. Maybe triple glazing would help.The hotel has a room in the lobby area with computer terminals available for use at $5 for 20mins, ideal when travelling with teens. The rooms themselves were large with comfortable beds and co-ordinated soft furnishing. There was adequate tea and coffee making facilities and each room had a small fridge for milk if you did not want to use the powder milk provided. The bathrooms were provided with toiletries and bathrobes, towels appearred to be changed daily irrespective of wether used ones had been hung up. The pool area had loungers and chairs but no pool towels available. Unfortunately this also appearred to be the area that was used by smokers resident in the hotel. This hotel is very well placed for shopping and sightseeing and the concierge was extremely helpful with maps, and advice. I would stay at this hotel again, but I would ask for a pool view room next time. -Very nice hotel in Fishermans Wharf, close to all amenities. Arrived at the hotel at 10.00 pm and was greeted by a very friendly receptionist, we got a room on the 3rd floor, the room itself was nice and big but the bathroom was tiny. The hotel is in a great location in Fisherman's Wharf, close to some lovely bars and restaurants, the food and drink in the hotel is quite expensive so worth while having a walk around, especially around Pier 39, it is only a block from the hotel. I would definately stay here again. -This is a great little inn with a fantastic wine & cheese hour and great continental breakfast. We stayed at the Westin St. Francis (right across the street) the next night and I wish we would have stayed at the Inn at Union Sq. both nights. Not only a much more charming experience, but also a better value. Great rooms and very comfortable beds. -I made the mistake, apparently like every other person who has left a review about this hotel, of going without checking the other reviews left online. But THIS review is more about what they put us through AFTERWARDS then during....(not putting any names in this review, but now, we knew that entire hierarchy by name, as you will later see)Our stay was starting on August 11th. My two friends and I arrive after our flight at 11AM, so we decide to drop off our bags in the lobby and go around town before check-in at 3PM. We get to the lobby, and my friend, who has major asthma, asked if we could get a peek at one of the rooms. The woman at the front desk was kind enough to give us a key to take a look. We opened the door, and the smell of mold hit us in the face like a brick. My friend was nervous, because she didn't think she'd be able to handle the smell, but we decided to wait to see if the room they gave us was the same, or if this was just a fluke.3PM comes, and we check in, and the room that they gave us is the same exact way. My friend already starts to feel a slight reaction, so we go to the lobby to see about a switch. According to the same rude and horrible Indian guy that everyone else describes working there, there are no other rooms available. I say that she cannot stay in that room because of her condition, and he says that his supervisor will be in in a half hour, if we want to talk to him. I said that we'll wait to ask about a refund, and suddenly, he had another room for us to check out. THAT room, however, was even worse! The door didn't lock fully, a light didn't work, the mold smell was even worse, and there was what seemed to be cat hair all over the single chair and the countertops. Now, the fun starts:We go back downstairs, and we say that we absolutely cannot stay there, and we want a refund. Apparently, we booked the non-refundable rate, the money was already taken out and there was nothing we could do about it. I said that we'd wait for his supervisor, and suddenly, he wasn't coming in anymore that night. He wasn't answering his phone, and we had to call back the next day between 9AM and 1PM. (Obviously, with the line of people out the door still waiting to check in with the horrible service, they didn't want any problems in the lobby) We said fine, and spent the rest of our first day in San Francisco looking for another hotel.Tthe next day, the woman who answered the lobby phone said that the supervisor DID come in about an hour after we left, and got off at 8:30 in the morning, RIGHT BEFORE we were supposed to call. I asked when he was going to be in again...she said 3:00. I asked for the manager's number. She gave me a different phone number and a different name, and asked me to explain the situation to her. I did, and she suddenly said that the supervisor wasn't coming in anymore today because he was tired, and I don't have to call the manager, but to deal with the supervisor, who will be in TOMORROW between 10 and 2. I called back at 3, and again, the Indian guy answered, and said the supervisor was around, but it was hard for him to get to a phone, and he'll do his best, but he doesn't know if he'll be able to talk. To make a long story longer, the supervisor never called back. We called the manager several times, and we are STILL being given the run around to get a refund for our non-stay. This hotel is the worst experience I have EVER had in ANY hotel. It should be closed down immediately, people should not be subjected to it, and the people at the front desk and in charge should never be allowed to work in a hotel again. I spent a total of about 20 minutes in this place, and the stress and trouble they are causing us now to get a refund for a time we didn't spend there is awful (especially since it's not like we didn't show up....we did, and they expect to just take our money for nothing, because WE have some sort of decency and hope to sleep comfortably without bed bugs, mold, and sickness).Please avoid this hotel at all costs....I would give it negative stars if possible...... -Our family (2 adults and 2 teenagers) stayed here for 3 nights at the end of July. The room was fairly typical and nothing special but it was clean. The hotel is in a very safe area and we felt perfectly happy walking around at night. The staff were incredibly helpful. The hotel has interesting touches around the lobby, bar and lounge areas which are copper/brass items placed around, e.g. a pair of slippers in front of the fire and a cat curled up. The pool was very nice (if smaller than I expected) and there was a small terrace outside that overlooks the central courtyard. The courtyard itself was a pleasant place to sit and all the public areas were well kept up. We didn't eat in the hotel as it was expensive but there were lots of places within walking distance to eat at. I would recommend this hotel. -I stayed at the Omni for 2 nights over Memorial Day weekend. I got a great weekend rate at $169 a night. LOCATION: The location could not be any better. We took the BART and walked 4 blocks (10 minutes) to the hotel. Just make sure you don't have too much luggage. The hotel is also within walking distance of Union Square and Chinatown. There are also Muni lines and cable car lines very close by.HOTEL:I knew that it was an older hotel, but I guess I expected the rooms to be nicer. It is very clean, but there was no "wow" factor that I have seen at other hotels like Novotel Singapore or Venetian in Vegas. It was a regular room with regular t.v. with nice amenities but nothing ultra-modern. The bed was very comfortable. The rooms were very quiet, although you could hear some hallway noise, but nothing from outside the building. I guess that is why they are not considered a 5 star hotel. Minus one star for the room.SERVICE:The service was very good overall. Check in was quick and all the staff were extremely friendly. We are a select guest, so we get morning beverage service (you are supposed to get a card outside your room and you hang it out with your beverages). Since this is our first stay, we had no idea how this worked. We never got a card and got no beverages in the morning. When I called the front desk, they forwarded me to room service, and I got my beverages. I also told front desk that I didn't get a beverage card, just a room service, when they asked if I hung it outside. Well, for a #1 rated Tripadvisor and 4 star hotel, I would expect a select guest beverage card the following night, but no. So, minus one star for that. However, when I wanted coffee the next morning at 11:00 a.m. (they have a pot of coffee in Bob's every morning until 10:00 a.m.), the staff got me one, so add one star.Overall, this is a great hotel with great service. I can see why it is not 5 stars, but the service really makes it above the rest.HOTEL TIPS:Get free water and fruit in the fitness room. There is also free fruit in the afternoon and free lemonade in the lobby. There is free coffee in the morning at Bob's bar until 10:00 a.m. But, you get free beverage service delivered to your room if you sign up as a selected guest.RESTAURANT TIPS:We found two great restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. Both are highly rated on yelp. The first is Bix. It is on Gold St., which is about 5 blocks north of Montgomery (10 minutes walk). It's in a small alley, and the food is awesome and moderately priced (entrees $25 to 35 range). Their appetizers are incredible, and the atmosphere is very nice. The second is Great Eastern in Chinatown for dim sum. This place is located on Jackson St. by Kearny. It is very clean compared to the other Chinatown places, and you order off of a menu with pictures (no carts). Service is a bit slow, but if you are looking for an adventure in Chinatown, definitely try dim sum there. Go early (before 11:00) to avoid the crazy crowds! -We stayed at this hotel for a week in late February. We chose the Regency club, which meant we were on a higher floor and breakfast was included. Great hotel and staff. Rooms are very comfortable, view wonderful! Would definitely stay there again. -After being delayed on the way to SF we didn't check into the hotel until just after midnight. We were made welcome by Tove on front desk who even though it was late answered any questions which we had and also gave us a menu for a takeaway because we'd not eaten properly for almost 15 hours. We got up for breakfast which was ok (it was a free breakfast so don't expect a huge variety) it had selve serve waffle makers which always had a line, mini muffins, boiled eggs, bread for toast and tea and coffee making facilities. The room was spacious, we had bay views, a television with a variety of channels. The bathroom wasn't very big but it was ok. The hotel itself is in a great location about 6 blocks away from fishermans wharf and in a good location for bars and restaurants in the evening. I would recommend this hotel it is a great base, not the most luxurious in the world but a good option and the staff are really nice. -We stayed here over Labor Day for 3 nights in a deluxe queen room. The room wasn't huge but it was a good size for two people. The bed was a true queen size and very comfortable with nice bedding. The room was nicely decorated and had a medium size TV, a desk, 2 chairs, cd player with cd's, AC, and a small fridge. The room was very clean and housekeeping did a wonderful job cleaning everyday. We had our bedding and towels changed every day. Although you have the option of not having them changed everyday to save water (good idea!). They also have a turn down service and left yummy chocolates on our pillows. The bathroom has a small hairdryer and Aveda products. Our room didn't have much of a view but we didn't mind since we didn't spend much time in the room anyway. The hotel staff was very friendly. We were allowed to check in early and they asked if we needed help with restaurant reservations or general information about SF. There are free maps and guidebooks in all tourist spots so no need to bring your own. The hotel also has free computer access and a room where you could either work or read. The restuarant is very small and didn't have a chance to eat there. I think there are less than 20 seats. So it's wise to make a reservation or arrive early. There was also a bar/lounge area. The elevator is fairly small and if there were other people waiting, we just took the stairs. The hotel is within walking distance from the BART station. Exit Powell and it's about ten minute walk. The fridge is fully stocked but like any other hotel, the prices are high. There is a Walgreens down the street from the hotel where you can stock up on water or snack. There are a lot of restaurants in the area. Some a bit expensive but it's expected as SF as a whole is expensive. There are 3 Starbucks coffee houses near the hotel. If you like to shop, the hotel is minutes from Union Square and is also within walking distance to Chinatown. We actually walked from Pier 39 and it didn't seem far at all. SF has reliable and efficient transportation that is fairly priced in case you don't want to walk. I don't recall the exact price for parking since we flew but most of the hotels charge from $40 and up per night. Overall we had a great stay at this hotel. I highly recommend it and would stay here again. -Although my stay was only one night, it was great! Located right next to the Chinatown gate, I couldn't have asked for a better location for my final night in San Fran. I loved the fact that it was a green business as well- not many hotels go to the lengths they do to be green. The bed was fabulous with extremely comfortable and fluffy bedding. The service was great- all questions and needs were taken care of. Wireless access in my room and a printer available downstairs in the business center were convenient. ~4 blocks from BART (montgomery st station). Very clean and well kept hotel. -A Pleasant surprise ---the Galleria Park HotelDate : July 23, 2008Reviewer: Las Cruces, NMMy wife and I have just returned from the Galleria Park Hotel and had a pleasant surprise. A great hotel with a fantastic staff situated in almost a perfect location.Mind you this is a simple euro style hotel with basic amenities. If you do not mind walking it is ... Four blocks from Chinatown Five from Market Square, 15 from the Ferry Building. The wine hour from 17:30 -18:30 was nice and the staff offered great sightseeing ideas and helpful hints for dining , coffee and nightlife. Truly a great stay ! No breakfast but great coffee ! If you are interested in SEEING San Francisco ... I would recommend not taking a car into SF as most hotels charge $35 - $50.00 a night for parking. Lorrie Taxi will pick you up at the airport and take you to you hotel. Also the "MUNI " pass for $11 a day or $18.00 for 3 day will get you around SF via bus/ cable car / trolley and train. -The location of this hotel is great. Lots to see and do and just a short taxi ride to see the San Francisco Giants! The hotel staff was friendly and the breakfast buffet was nice in the morning. The biggest problem was the noise...and the people by us weren't even noisy! The walls and ceilings are very "thin". You could hear EVERY word anyone said next door and above us..much more so than other hotels we have stayed. This could be a risky hotel to stay at if you are wanting a quiet night, fortunately for us our neighbors turned the tv of before midnight each night. -I've stayed at many Marriott locations around the world and this was my first time staying at a JW Marriott. The hotel is beautiful. A great lobby but this is matched by equally great spacious rooms which are tastefully furnished. I stayed there on points so I'm not sure if its really value for money if you're going to put your credit card down.There was one problem with the girl at the check in desk but that was a one off. (See had a bit of an attitude and got my room specifications wrong. It took a few phone calls to straighten it out.) However all other staff were great. They even refunded my the full bar tab when there was an issue with the bill. Concierge was great. Very knowlegable and informative. The hotel is central. Everything you need/want is around you or in walking distance.One of the best chain hotels I've stayed at....globally.Yes it was that good! -Just returned from 3 nights at the Sheraton Fishermans Wharf. A nice facility in the heart of Fishermans Wharf. Our double room overlooked a/c units on the roof (I don't think any of the rooms have much of a view). Room was well appointed & clean with great beds. Bathroom was extremely small as stated by other reviewers, contained tub and commode. My only complaints are no free wifi in rooms and ridiculous prices at coffee bar in lobby. -We stayed for one night after an international flight. We were so tired we stayed at the hotel for most of tour stay. We booked directly.We have ambassador status and our upgrade request was honored.1) Rooms 4/5 - This was a historic hotel and the rooms were designed that way with modern conveniences. The bathrooms had marble floors and granite tops. I did not like the tub area because it looked old. The views were great. The room was not as large even with the upgrade. 2) Customer service 5/5 - it was excellent, they checked us in early at 9 am. Porters were busy but tried to help as much as they can. Their concierge was helpful with directions and arranged an airport limo which was the same price as a cab ride.3) Location 4/5 - excellent and safe but it was difficult to walk around due to the steep incline. Otherwise, Nob hill is a good place to be.Overall, if you like historic hotels, this is one of them. Customer service is great and the views are one of the best in San Francisco. -I arrived midday during a business trip and needed to get some work done and found myself in a beautiful room with all the amenities to make my "office time" great. Sunny, spacious, and supremely comfortable. Fantastic, gracious staff...very personal...almost felt like I was staying in a private inn or B&B. Wonderful neighborhood. This hotel entirely changed my view (literally and figuratively) of SF, as I'd only stayed in downtown hotels on past visits.I'd recommend to colleagues, family or friends (and already have!). I will definitely visit again when returning to SF. -We stayed at this hotel for two nights on a vacation. It was awful. My own complaints are very similar to the other reviews. We booked on priceline. We also called to confirm a smoking king room (and also emailed). When we checked in we were told we could not have the room we had requested (and they confirmed). The hotel manager (sounds like the same one discussed in earlier reviews) told us "thats what you get for booking on priceline" and said that we should have booked through them instead. The front desk staff was extremely rude. This is no four star hotel. The rooms are dirty and dingy. Ours faced the driveway on the ground floor. All night there were cars driving in and out, idling their engines. Our window was blocked by a wooden beam and cement post. The washroom was tiny and the tiles were caved in around the faucet and appeared to be rotten underneath. The rooms are also extremely small. I do not know if this is all rooms, or just the second class rooms that they relegate people who do not book directly through their site to. We asked for guest robes and were told we would have to "sign them out" (again, duplicating the treatment of an earlier reviewer who felt like a criminal). The location is the only positive feature...but it is not worth it! There are so many nicer (and less expensive) hotels in the area with the same location.When we checked in (in the early afternoon) there were still dirty breakfast dishes (with dead flies floating in the orange juice) left outside our door in the hallway. It was dirty and dingy. We requested an in room fridge (none were available) and to get ice we had to walk to a different building, and then up an elevator and down a hall. I felt very poorly treated. For the amount of money that they charge, this hotel is not worth it. It is not the same class or standards that you might expect from other hotels in the Sheraton line. It was awful. Do not stay here. -After getting this hotel on Priceline, I read some of the reviews from other travelers and was a bit "scared" about what I was in for.....I was prepared for a horrible room, snotty desk people, hard beds, etc.. I was plesantly relieved! We payed $80.00 for a nice room. I called the hotel in advance and requested a king bed which they gave me with no problem. We did not have a view of the street, but their courtyard. The desk staff and concierge were wonderful. The hotel was extremely quiet and was located right next to two of SF's most expensive hotels on Nob Hill. We walked down the STEEP hill to Union Square for breakfast at Sears Pancake House. We had wonderful Swedish pancakes and made the walk back to the hotel....WHEW!!! A real workout. The only downfall is the parking fee of 43.00. But that is SF, parking is expensive. I would recommend this hotel again. -The mosser hotel allowed us to stay in the middle of union square for a more than reasonable rate. The service was amazing as was the location! The staff were warm and friendly!! Loved it and will be back -We were very unhappy with this hotel. The location is not great, close to the Civic Center and Van Ness, the area is frequented by crack heads, prostitutes, drunks and homeless. The hotel itself is very outdated, carpets are dirty; the hotel, including rooms, smell of cigarette smoke and sour mop. Of course the pillows smell bad, too. The bed cover was absolutely filthy with many cigarette burns. We had no other choice since all hotels were fully booked due to a conference in town. We woke up in a freezing room, the heater had no knobs to control the temperature. We requested to be moved to another room but were told that the hotel was fully booked although their web site suggested that number of rooms were available. Also, the hotel was very noisy throughout the night and early morning. I will definitely stay away from this place. -Let me be clear... this is NOT a new hotel! It's a refurbished old high rise close to the "Tenderloin" district. It's close to Union Square alright, but it's also very very close to lots of shady places in town. The immediate neighborhood looked dirty. Overall, the hotel has received a nice face lift, but there are definitely some issues here: the water pressure is god-awful, the furniture - though stylish - looks a bit cheap; elevators can take awhile; and parking really sucks. Staff is nice, but I frequently overheard casual conversations between the bell staff and the front desk employees (subject was usually cars) and some comments from the Maintenance crew (about leaks). The restaurant is great. Loved the bar! Very busy, too, so make sure to call ahead for reservations. -Stayed at the Grand Hyatt on Union Square with my sister for a fabulous weekend 9/25/08-9/29/08. It is conveniently located close to Union Square shopping, the Mason St cable cars and the streetcars on Market down to the wharf. The hotel was very nice. The accomodations were clean and comfortable. There was individual air/heat control in the room-not one of those awful noisy wall units. The concierges were amazing. They knew the best ways to get around. They recommended a wonderful Hop-on/Hop-off tour of the city with the tickets good for two days at a very reasonable price. They recommended a fabulous little Italian restaurant "Fino" about 2 blocks walk away and made the reservations for us. They had an appropriate solution to any question or challenge we presented them. They went above and beyond the call of duty in all things. The staff in the breakfast area were very accomodating also and made sure our needs were met in a timely manner. Housekeeping was superb-when asked to bring an extra towel, they were there within 10 minutes. I would certainly stay in this wonderful hotel with this fabulous staff again. As a matter of fact, I am trying to talk my husband into a trip there next year. The beds are comfortable with down comforters and plenty of pillows for all tastes.We were hesitant based on some of the previous reviews. Once we realized that some of these reviews were 3 to 4 years old and when we saw the hotel and the quality of the service, we were sure we made the right choice. -We visited the Mandarin Oriental the first week of October. It was our first trip to San Fran and without a doubt will definitely return to both the city and the hotel. We don't even want to consider another hotel.We had a Bridge to Bridge view room (worth every penny) with outstanding views of Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, & Alcatraz. The bathroom was large with beautiful tile and really nice amenities (scale, slippers, Frette linen hand towel, nice size amenities, & where else do they give you a loofah sponge with bath gel?) The service was very good and prompt; staff was friendly. The welcoming tea service was a very nice touch and the maids always offered lots of bottled water. The decor had an Asian influence which was nice for a change, and it wasn't too overboard. Can't wait to return. -We spent the weekend at the Westin St. Francis. We arrived at the hotel via BART from SFO, it is only a short 3 block walk up Powell and if you are looking to save a little money riding BART is not a bad option. Once at the hotel there was a short check-in line, but there was an employee greeting people in the line and thanking them for their patience. Once thru the line we were quickly checked in and head up to our room on the 26th floor. It is definitely worth the little extra for a higher room because of the view, but mainly because of the glass elevator ride each time you go to and from the room. The room was a nice size and had a flat screen TV (with actual HD programming) and of course the heavenly bed was great. We used the concierge a couple of time and Glen was great giving suggestions for things to do and places to eat, and remembered our names the second day we saw him. However one of the other concierges was not as friendly and he acted as we were inconveniencing him with numerous questions. The location is great right on Union Square, close to shopping and adjacent to the cable car line. If you are spending multiple days get the MUNI 3-day pass it is only $18 and you can ride the cable cars, electric street cars and buses as much as you like during the 3 days and save some money, as it is $5 to ride one way on the cable car. -My wife and I took two trips to San Fran in 2004 and stayed at the best western both times. The first was for a week in January. The hotel location was great. We flew in to San Fran airport, took the BART downtown, and then took a cable car to a stop 1 block from the hotel. We didnt have or need a car so we didnt have to deal with parking a car I believe it is $30 a day-- par for the city. The hotel is clean and neat, our room was clean and comfortable. If I had to be critical the room could use a little updateing, but not a big deal. The front desk was friendly, however not terribly knowledgeable--I would assume high turnover. The location is great, if your an active person you can walk everywhere from this hotel, in fact we took a long run up the shore --crissy field and accross the golden gate bridge. North Beach starts a block away and heads north, we skipped the touristy fishermans warf area. Restaurants are everywhere, however we did not eat at the Tuscan restaurant in the hotel. As far as convenience--the cable car stop is 1 block away and that along with the outstanding bus system will get you everywhere you need to go. We plan on visiting the city often, and we plan on staying at this location for the foreseeable future. -Our recent weekend stay at The Palace was a mixed bag overall. Here's my take on the pros and cons of this hotel:Pros: Central location is fairly handy, lobby area was quite classy and beautiful, room nicely appointed/furnished, great view of Market street from our large window that opened, nice linens, superb showerhead, valet parking was VERY quick and the housekeeping staff was exceptionally friendly. Pool/spa area on 4th floor looked nice though we only walked through to take a peek. Cons: Standard room was quite small -(common in S.F, I know) a nice chair with ottoman was so close to bathroom door you usually bumped right into it on the way out, vanity area was very small - just a very small amount of room around sink in bathroom, awful hallway noise after midnight - could clearly hear people talking in the halls and a couple of slamming doors jolted me awake more than once during the night, price was a bit steep at $199 per night and the buffet breakfast in hotel was outrageous at $21.99.Overall, a classy yet overpriced hotel for what is delivered. I have definitely stayed in less expensive hotels in S.F. and was much more satisfied with my overall experience so I will not be returning to The Palace unless someone else is footing the bill. -A lovely boutique-type hotel 3 mins from Chinatown, Nob Hill right next to the Hyde-Powell cable car stop. Was here for 3 days on business and got upgraded to a suite (room 301). Great space and a gargantuan bathroom. Hotel staff were wonderful, pleasant greeting from door staff through to the cleaners, really top notch. They couldn't have been more helpful.The hotel is very central and on my one day off, was a great starting place to walk through Chinatown to North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf. Room itself was clean, tidy, well decorated and the bed was fantastic, if I could've sneaked it out of the room and to my house, I would have. Would definitely come back again. -I attended a conference in town and stayed here. Initially, I was going to stay at a different hotel in Union Square, but I'm so glad I chose the Hilton instead! I got into town early and I was able to check in early. The service at the front desk was prompt and friendly. I was given a room on the 22nd floor. The staff were helpful in guiding me to the nearest MUNI stops - there is one a short walk around the corner of the building. This hotel is located right in Chinatown and close to the Financial District. It is a nice 10 minute walk to the nearby Embarcadero Center (where you can go shopping). This hotel is about 15 minutes from the SF airport. The room was very clean and I was very impressed with everything. The bed was soft, as were the pillows, and the comforter. I wish my own bed was as nice! The towels were fluffy and the bathroom had Evelyn Crabtree amenities. When I left the hotel and asked for a cab, the staff were prompt with getting me one. They went out in the streets and hailed each taxi that drove by. I had a very nice time here and would definitely stay here again on my next visit. -The rooms are compact but well organized with very comfortable beds and pillows, good lighting and adequate storage. There is a flat screen TV and free wireless connection in a spotless, modern setting. The bathrooms are well appointed with Aveda products. The water pressure seemed weak, perhaps to save water.The windows do not open which is a drawback when you just want fresh air. Although the AC/heating system worked well, it was very noisy. Also, avoid a room with an adjoining room door. The doors are not very soundproof, but the efficient staff moved us right away to a quieter room. We also prefer the rooms facing the street than some of the rooms that have the wall of another building as your view.The buffet breakfast was disappointing and boring. Better to get a rate without breakfast and eat elsewhere (french cafe across the street). Also, the gym is very small and claustrophobic.In many respects we prefer their sister hotel, but the hotel's LEEDcertification and emphasis on sustainability is very appealing. Hopefully, it will become the industry standard. Overall, the staff was very helpful and friendly making our stay enjoyable. -We have just spent 4 nights at the Handlery hotel in the Club section overlooking the pool. The king room was a good size for the two of us and the bed was comfortable and pillows soft. The bathroom was clean I always like to see really clean towels which they were. A small downside was that our room (316) was a little too near the elevator and although there was no noise from the elevator itself there was from guests coming and going at early/late hours. Staff made us feel at ease and answered all our enquiries and requests quickly and were very helpful. We ate both breakfast and dinner in the attached Daily Grill and were not disappointed by either the prices or the quality of food served. The pool area is a lovely sun spot and the pool was warm to swim in. Altogether a very nice hotel (Club Section) with helpful and willing staff. Would stay again if visiting the Union Square area again. -This is a very modern "Green" hotel - rooms had separate bins for bottles, paper, trash, etc. Everything seemed very clean and well maintained. Front desk staff were friendly and attentive. Beds were very clean and comfortable, especially with the down comforters. Housekeeping staff were almost a bit too attentive (just be careful when using those "Do Not Disturb" cards - one side says "Please clean room early!") Hotel itself is VERY small - lobby has no lounge area, just the front desk and the restaurant. Rooms also have dvd players, which I wasn't expecting. Free dvds are available for rent if you ask at the front desk - not a huge selection though. Room service is extremely expensive for what you get - I would not recommend that. Otherwise, hotel experience was generally good. -What a wonderful hotel. My husband and I were from the San Francisco area and recently moved to Hawaii. We were back for the holidays and stayed here right before Christmas and we loved it! The staff were so pleasant and greeted us each night when we came in. We felt like they went above and beyond to be pleasant. The location is close to all, near Union Square and close to good restaurants. I will definitely stay here again. -I LOVE this clean, economical, funky hotel in the Marina District! The property is cool, the neighborhood is fantastic (short cab ride to any attractions you can't walk to, but you can walk to plenty!). The front desk staff make the Del Sol the BEST choice. They'll set you up with all the info you could ever want, from practical needs like laundry and dry cleaning, to day trip ideas/restaurats/bars that aren't in the guide books. They all go above and beyond to ensure a great stay. Frasier, in particular, is knowledgeable,friendly and super helpful - he's always a star! I discovered the Del Sol over a year and a half ago, and have been back SEVEN times since then. I'll never stay at another hotel in SF. FREE PARKING - that's unheard of! My only advice for making a good stay even better is to bring earplugs if you'll be there on the wkend, but that's good advice no matter where you're staying. -We have just return from our stay in Omni. Hotel was beautiful. Service was unbelievable. Bathrobe and slippers were provided. Everyone was extremely friendly. Very convenient location, in front of the cable car line, but very quiet on the weekend. We walked to Chinatown, the Coit Tower, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf. You can also take a bus to all the tourist attractions. Great shower in the bathroom. Loved our stay. -I was travel to SF for business for a few days and vacation for the last few days. I had a few friends meet me up there and I was excited to stay at a hotel that I thought would live up to all the standards of a 4-star hotel.Room Quality - horribleWhen we arrived in on our floor, we were disappointed to find the hallways had a musty odor. We figured it was an older property, so we looked the other way until we arrived in our room only to find the same. The room smelled very musty and the carpets looked horrible. Our view of what they call a "courtyard" is a view of the roof with some astroturf looking material. The bathrooms were not the cleanest and very small. And if someone can tell me why they would even leave the 1970's TV in the already small bathroom, is beyond me. The room is very outdated, with what seemed to be Hawaiian headboard, flowery-printed drapery, and asian lamps and pictures on the wall. I've seen nicer rooms at college dorms. The beds were very uncomfortable and it seems that the mattresses were extremely old (perhaps purchased at the same time as the TV in the bathroom!). I shared a bed with my sister and the bed was so saggy that we ended up rolling into the middle of the bed - making for an unpleasant evening with a lovely backache to start off the day. They did have the feather-down comforter and pillow, but that can only do so much.Poor customer service - horribleWhen I arrived at check-in, no one even greeted us to check in. I had to ask the person at the front desk for some assistance. I received a $500 Marriott Travel Card for recognition from my employer. No one on the front desk staff new how to process this card. They then tried to call the number on the back of the card to verify that I really had a $500 balance on the card. There was woman who worked at the front desk who assisted me after the initial person didn't know what to do with the travel card. I can't remember her name but she had big glasses and short spiked grey hair. She seemed impatient not only with me, but with the front desk associate who originally assisted me. I mentioned to them both that I had received and used these travel cards in the past and how they were processed. They continued to tell me that's not what they do, and then told me I would need to surrender the travel card. My two nights stay would not total $500, so I questioned why I would need to give up my card that would still have a balance remaining after my stay. Again, the front desk staff didn't know how to handle this and instead tried to credit my room with $500. After my apparent frustration, they called the manager out and he wasn't quite sure how to handle it, but said if there was a credit balance, he would just credit one of my credit cards or send me a check in the mail. I knew this was probably not supposed to work that way, but had already stood at the front desk for 15 minutes and did not want to debate with them any longer. About 15 minutes after arriving in my room, I received a phone that I needed to come down to the front desk and pick up my travel card. I went back down, picked up my card. The next morning, the message light came on, and it was the front desk telling me they needed to see me because they didn't properly obtain a credit card at check in. This was all extremely frustrating as I tried to handle all of this when I originally checked in. I had 2 guests with me, and I can honestly say that we will never stay at this property and perhaps a Renaissance property again. I also called for a wake up call, and thought I would take advantage of the complimentary hot coffee and hot chocolate service that came with the wake up call. We received the complimentary beverages 30 minutes before the 9 a.m. wake-up call (only because my friend heard them through the paper-thin walls). When the beverages arrived, coffee and tea had been delivered. We had requested hot chocolate, so I called down to the front desk to inquire about this. They said they had me down for tea. I informed them I specifically asked for hot chocolate as I do not drink tea. Their exact words were in a very abrupt and rude voice, "Well it says here you requested tea." I very politely informed her that I had requested hot chocolate and wanted to see if we could have some sent up. Her response to me was, "You can't have this unless you request it the night before." I then told her that I had requested this the night before, that is how I received this service in the first place. She then sighed and said she would send some hot chocolate up. The concierge staff was rude and didn't even want to try and help us. I must say however, the driver with their complimentary car service was the only highlight of our stay.I definitely would stay far, far away from this property. Thank goodness I didn't really have to spend much time in my room during the day. It really is a depressing room. Its too bad, as I stay in Marriott properties at least 15 times a year. The location is great, but too much of a sacrifice in my mind. -I stayed at the Mark Hopkins Hotel for 7 days last July and I had a wonderful time. The service was excellent, room service was great and the food was so good. My Mom always say "You get what you pay for." That's exactly what you'll get at Mark Hopkins. You pay a higher price for an excellent hotel stay. You will not be disappointed. In fact, I have made another reservation to stay at this hotel while I am in San Francisco for business. I don't think I can ever stay elsewhere. I highly recommend this hotel. -This is a beautiful hotel, befitting its name. We parked at the Walnut Creek Bart station on a Friday ($1 for the weekend, and $8.50 round trip) and took Bart into SF; the Palace was less than a block from the Montgomery station. The history of the Palace is explained in little exhibits throughout the lobby. We found the room where President Warren G. Harding died when we went to get ice. We didn't eat at the Garden Court, but it was very lovely to see so many people enjoying brunch there Saturday, such a light and airy place. We had a great crab cake at the Pied Piper Bar with our wine Friday evening before setting out for our evening's entertainment. Although we were staying for a $139 rate, offered by the hotel on the Internet, the check-in and service were superb, as was our room - very quiet and comfortable. We have used promotional rates at other supposedly fine hotels in SF and have been stuck by the elevators or ice machines, but not here. -This hotel is in great location close to Union Square, and all the major shopping areas. The employees are attentive, friendly and provides excellent service. And the room is very clean with nice amenities. Strongly recommended for leisure or business stay. Cheers -The Palace Hotel is a lovely building with beautiful public spaces. The rooms have high-celings and nice (if a bit worn) empire furniture, but they don't seem as grand as the rest of the building and they don't live up to the Luxury Collection expectations I had when I checked in. The service here is merely adequate, not bad, but not really good either. I was, frankly, surprised, as my experiences at other Luxury Collection properties have all been marked by very good to excellent service. My stay at the Palace (earlier this month) was fine, but I doubt I'd stay here again. I would suggest Starwood either rebrand this hotel as a Sheraton, or work with the hotel's owners to freshen the rooms and revitalize the service. -Stayed here for four nights on business last month and it was a pleasant although not perfect experience. Location is great, right next to Chinatown and close to Union Square, lots of places to walk to for food and coffee.The room was good, got upgraded to a superior king with a view to Bush street. Room was very quiet, bed and linens were great, loved the recycling bins right in the room too. The bathroom was large and laid out pretty well but I prefer more water pressure in the shower, I have long thick hair and it felt like it took me a half hour to wash it! Loved the EO products provided, especially the grapefruit mint glycerin soap. Would have preferred to receive USA Today rather than the local paper, and never saw the USA Today available in the lobby as was mentioned in the room, but oh well, that's no biggie.Fitness center had nice machines but there are only three (!) - one bike, one treadmill and one elliptical plus a small area with a mat and an excercise ball. I know it's not a big hotel but IMO there should be more machines available, a minimum of two treadmills and at least some free weights. Also thought it was gross that there was no sanitizer to wipe the machines with - yuck. Luckily, there is a lot of cardio available from the city itself :)Did not have room service since there are so many options nearby - Starbucks kitty corner from the hotel, Working Girl's Cafe going the other way (awesome place) and Cafe Amici down the block (wouldn't really recommend that one). Favorite restaurant of the trip? Capurro's down at the wharf - great seafood, pizza and steaks, awesome happy hour and fabulous service. We liked it so much we went there three times in four days! Had lunch at Nonna Rose down by the wharf and liked it alot, and went to the trusty Boudin for tasty and inexpensive food too. Also went to the Irish Bank Bar and Restaurant which I would never recommend to anyone - horrible food, service and the place was dirty. Two out of three of us got a stomach ache after dinner here. All in all, I would choose to stay at the Orchard Garden again. It's not my favorite hotel but it certainly fills the bill for a business trip. -The staff and rooms here are great. We spent Sunday, Monday nights and a Friday night. The rooms are not huge but definetly big enough for us. They are clean. Our only complaint was the noise level at night. The hotel is located right on the highway leading to and from the Golden Gate Bridge. The traffic noise in the front of the hotel was very loud on Sunday and Friday nights. Also if you call the hotel you can get a better rate (for us $25/night) then if you go through one of the web sites. Overall it was a nice experience and a very clean hotel with great staff. -spend 4 days there for business. try to get a room with a view over the bay: I was overlooking Alcatraz Prison! the hotel has a great history as it is probably one of the first luxurious hotel of SF. Many famous people, from US president to actors came there. You feel the history with the rococo design. a bit kitschy but perfect for a romantic stay and great if you like this kind one hotel which reminds you the French Riviera. The staff was very helpful. the rooms are big, bathrooms nice with bath and shower, 32 LCD TVs. the lobby is huge with lots of private space if you need to meet people. There is a bar where you can have a big breakfast in the morning or have a drink later in the day. there is also another bar in the former swimming pool with an Tahitian theme where you can have cocktails or diner. didn't try the food but the cocktail were good (and pricey as it is a first class hotel). the gym is ok but you have to pay, sthg like $10 or $15/day. the hotel in on top of a hill so if you are a lazy type person you will have to take a cab or the tramway to come back or find another hotel downtown! it s a 5 min cab ride to go downtown and there are always cabs waiting at the entrance. the concierge has great restaurant recommendations. indicated me an awesome tapas place in the Spanish area. I would definitely come back even if they lack a pool....(I was there in the winter so not so inconvenient).last thing: have a drink in the hotel next door, in the tower: great view over SF -The location is good, close to pier 39 and to the cable cars stop. The room was ok with comfortable beds. The car parking is very expensive 49$ per night . We felt that it was a rip off and they should have reduced the rate for hotels guests. There is a public car park near by that charges 25$ per night. Not sure that we would stay there again. -This hotel was absolutely horrible! I always read trip advisor before staying at a hotel. However, considering we were in San Francisco for a cheer competition, we thought it would be in our best interest to stay at the Whitcomb with the rest of our daughters team. I just could not take it! As we checked in , I thought to myself that the hotel did not seem too bad, the lobby was descent. But oh my goodness....when we went upstairs, it was terrible. I never stayed somewhere like this! The rooms and beds were so small, I wondered how my 6'2" husband would fit in these beds. The shower area was just disgusting! And the smell was just undescribable, it sort of smelled like mildew. I literally began to fell nauseated. This hotel needs to go under serious renovations. I do not recommend this place to anyone. We stayed in this room all of 2 hours and went to the Hilton approximately 5 minutes away. The rate was only $20 more a night. Well worth it! The Hotel Whitcomb has given me a new appreciation for nicer hotels. This website is an awesome source for information concerning any hotel. -Great setting at the end of the wharf (so your not in the midst of all of the craziness associated with the shops/bars). Very close to a lot of things....and reasonable cab ride to any SOMA, Marina, or Pacific Heights restaurants you may want to try out. There is a Starbucks at the back of the building....just in case you like a quick cup of coffee to help you get your day going. No complaints - really happy with what this hotel offered for the price. It's not the Mandarin Oriental or Four Seasons (these would be 5 star, excellent hotels) - but it is a quality 4-star hotel that allows you to start your San Francisco visit off on the right foot! We ventured off to Sonoma, Muir Woods, Sausalito, Alcatraz, SOMA/Mission District, and Pacific Heights...we never once felt inconveniences or let down by our hotel - the guys at the front door and front desk are very friendly and helpful as well. -Our room was very clean! The beds were really comfy in my opinion with goose down pillows and the sheets were changed every day! Our room was on the 16th floor, which I really LOVED! The view was awesome at night and during the day. The flat screen TV was a nice bonus, too! The bathroom was very clean as well. The hotel was awesome in regards to keeping the noise level down. It felt like we were the only ones there. So quiet and peaceful; the Japanese style sliding doors that covered the glass doors that led to the balcony allowed for virtually no light to peak through so it was very dark at night and kept noise out of the room from outside. The neighborhood seemed very safe. Overall, we really liked this hotel. My two kids and husband enjoyed it just as much as me! I would definitely recommend this hotel again. Just don't pay their $35 a night parking for valet. There is a parking garage adjacent to the hotel for $16 a day, but you have to pay to go in and out. Just park along the street during the day and pay $16 overnight. -I just completed a 13-night stay here while I was in San Francisco on business. The original reasons I decided to stay at the Diva were the 10,000 frequent flier miles my airline was offering for the stay, and the free wireless internet service they offer in all the rooms (if you have a laptop). While the internet was nice and convenient and I was happy to get tons of airline miles, the hotel itself left a lot to be desired. The floors creak like you wouldn't believe, and when your "neighbor" takes a shower at 6 AM it sounds like a loud freight train, making it impossibile to sleep. Speaking of 6 AM, I must mention the morning they gave me an unrequested wake-up call at 6 on a Saturday. A SATURDAY. The one morning I was able to sleep in and they screwed it up. The room and the entire hotel had this really strange odor which never really went away the whole time I was here, and the TV had far fewer channels than practically every hotel I've stayed at before.The excercise room was okay. Nothing special but it had everything I needed (treadmill and stairmaster) so I can't complain too much about that. As I mentioned, the in-room wireless internet was nice but it sure did break down a bunch, at least twice a day. It was always back up and running an hour or so later, but still an inconvenience. I should also mention that the room was pretty quiet (besides the creaky floors and loud pipes), since they gave me a room that faced the "courtyard" instead of Geary Street, but I've heard it can get really loud if you get a room facing the street so definitely keep that in mind if you decide to stay here.The only reason I give the hotel 2 dots out of 5 instead of 1 is due to the free internet as well as the decent location. The hotel needs a major overhaul, and I seriously doubt I'll ever stay here again no matter how many miles my airline offers me. -I have stayed at this property several times on business trips when I had a limited budget. Since I am working, I do not spend too much time in the room. Every visit, I have found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. If you take the right exit from BART, the Hotel entrance is just steps from the station exit. It is also a few blocks from Davies Hall, where the Symphony plays. The down side of the location is that this is not a great section of Market and most people probably will not feel too comfortable walking at night. So, take BART or the ample public transit. The hotel is nicely kept and clean. The building has some interesting architectural details. Still, it is an old and somewhat tired property and some of the remodeling is not the best. Same for the fitness center -- the room and equipment are older, but meet my needs. The food is good, but overpriced. If you are bothered by traffic notice, ask for a quiet room in back. The rooms in front overlook Market, which is a busy street. The staff, the price and the BART station make the difference for me. -I have used trip advisor for several trips now and I have not been disappointed. I have found that you are the best source to find a hotel. My family and I were traveling to Yosemite and decided to stay three days in San Francisco. It was a hard decision to make but after reading your reviews decided on the Pan Pacific in San Francisco. What a wonderful decision. The hotel' s location is great -- it is within walking distance of many many stores/shopping. It is a short distance (5 minute walk) to the cable cars, Chinatown (walking distance a little longer), if you are renting from Hertz I believe they will do that for you (at least I know they will return the car for a $5 fee), and many other restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are also close to several drug stores and mini markets. The hotel is beautiful inside and the rooms were roomy for 2 adults and 2 children with 5 pieces of luggage. The service and concierge were exceptional and went out of their way to do extra things for us. I cannot say enough about this place and the people who are working there. After going to Yosemite and several others places we needed to return to San Francisco for our return flight home and wanted to stayed again at the Pan Pacific which we did. The concierge printed our boarding passes for our airline and even arranged for a cab to be downstairs at a certain time to take us to the airport. This hotel even offers free car service during certain times of the day and several times instead of a cab they offered us the car for our own use. We loved this hotel and its location and would definitely stay here again. Finally, although a little more in price I was able to go on the Pan Pacific web site and get an internet special for several nights. Even if you pay a little more for this hotel -- you get what you pay for! -Stayed at the Chancellor recently for 3 nights. What a find. Can't beat the location. Staff very helpful and the suite we had on the 14th floor was great with 2 bathrooms and a great view. Our room wasn't ready when we arrived so we went down Powell for a cafe lunch. We're pretty low maintenance hotel guests as we prefer to do our own research on sightseeing, restaurants, etc but everyone at the hotel was pleasant from Alice in housekeeping to Matthew who helped us with luggage at check in . For a hotel that's been around since 1914, the Chancellor has been kept in good condition and has a comfortable, quality feel to it. Don't know what the other reviewer meant by thin walls, but we didn't hear a peep from any other guest. Rooms are updated as well with flat screen TVs and free wireless internet. Can't wait to return! -We moved here after an awful experience at Hotel Monaco and were grateful to get in for the three nights we stayed. The hotel is located in the middle of SF on Market St, which was very central for all of the sights and good restaurants. I'm sure there are other more trendy areas of SF to stay, but this was ideal for getting to all the places we wanted to. Service was impeccable and reliable - all our requests were accomodated and we were shown a couple of different rooms on check-in. We found Market Street typical of SF - quite noisy - and it was nice to be 10 stories or so up - good view and relatively quiet. Rooms are not the most impressive of the FS I have stayed at but decent size and very acceptable. Public areas nice and bar okay but nothing special compared to other FS. Concierge hugely helpful and everything felt relaxed - what you pay for with FS. I'm sure there are plusher and more trendy hotels in SF - and possibly better value. But there are certaintly far worse in our experience and the FS did everything it says on the tin. You simply don't have to worry about poor room, poor location, poor service or stress. Solid but expensive - but you won't go far wrong. -Location in Japan Town was excellent and close to great food and culture. Hotel was OK but nothing out of the ordinary. Lobby and Garden were as described and quite beautiful but the rooms were basic and standard at best. My number one complaint was the popcorn ceiling. Really?...in this day and age? Scrape that old stuff off! The bathroom perplexed w/too many doors that actually hit each other if opened all at once. The restaurant had great decor but the Sunday breakfast buffet was forgettable. $18 dollars for powdered eggs? Luckily, we were there for the City and not the Hotel. But, would have liked to have been 'Wowed'. One last thing...the advertised 'welcoming tea' was non-existent. :-( -I stayed at Hotel Vitale for a bachelorette weekend and it was wonderful. The service, decor and beds were awesome. The staff was at our beckon call and we loved sleeping in the beds!! The hotel was kind enough to give us a bottle of champagne and a tray of gourmet cupcakes for the group which was super sweet. We loved the rooftop terrace (what a view!) and overall the hotel was great. Overnight parking was $$ at $40/night but that was my only complaint....we went to the bar in the hotel and had a lot of fun there as well. Next time I go to this hotel, I am going to do a more romantic trip as the hotel is good for both scenarios...great stay overall. Thanks Hotel Vitale! (more specifically Nicole Muller) -Loved the location - so close to Union Square and you can walk to so many key locations. Loved the authenticity - felt like I was part of the history of San Francisco. The hotel is old but it was clean, the bedding was fresh and the bathroom sparkled. Loved the service - the people at the desk were helpful and went out of the way to ensure we got everything we needed. Loved the free breakfast and wine reception - the free breakfast was a great way to save a bit of money and the waffles were great - the wine reception helped reduce our wine bill at dinner and was a great place to meet others and share the day's experiences. Loved the price - the hotel honoured a great deal that was briefly available on the internet even though I had already booked our rooms. $110.00 U.S. a night. Only problems - there was some work being done outside our rooms during the day which was a problem for those trying to get a catnap in late in the afternoon prior to going out for dinner. As well, we were there during an unbelievable cold snap and gettingthe temperature just right in the room was a bit difficult given the age of the hotel. Cheers -Exceptional service. The concierge will respond to your every request very promptly and eagerly. I was very impressed with how they responded when I asked if they could get a rental car for me. Within 20 minutes there was one waiting outside the hotel and I just had to sign the contract and take the keys. If you like to not have to lift a finger when you are on a vacation/getaway, this is a great place to stay. Also very clean and comfortable room with a great view. -I was traveling on business but with a significant other, so this trip was as much a vacation as anything. I booked this hotel on Priceline for a quarter what it was selling for on the open market. From what I can tell Priceliners usually get a very cramped room with no view in the "old" section. That was still fine with me, as the spectacular location, gorgeous public spaces, fantastic staff, and Heavenly Bed and Bath were good enough for me. And regardless, for about $60 a night they would have upgrading into the newer section (still a good value). We checked in late and, I'm assuming as a result, were given an upgraded room in the "new" tower on a high floor. It was magnificent. Spacious, clean, modern and with great views of San Francisco... it transformed out trip. As I mentioned, all Westin rooms (including this one) had wonderful beds and bathrooms. The front desk staff was friendly and more importantly polished - something I find less and less of these days. The room service, cleaning staff, and doormen were all excellent as well. I find the reviews complaining about extra charges at a four star hotel a little lame. It is, in fact, really annoying to pay high fees for internet, the business center, parking, fitness, breakfast etc. However that high end hotels charge for these services is no secret - avoiding them is a big part of why so many business travelers stay at places like Courtyard or Hilton Garden Inn. While those hotels might be a better value, they simply cannot touch the heritage and, frankly, class of the Westin St. Francis and its staff. They actually succeeded in turning a hotel stay into a memorable experience for my partner and me - something very hard to come by for otherwise budget travelers. -We recently enjoyed a weekend stay at The Fairmont San Francisco through Disney Vacation Club points usage. As a quintessential San Francisco property, there is much to this property as well as nearby.We stayed in room 590, the Dunkirk suite. It is a corner accomodation with great city views. It is well appointed in the classic sense; elegant Napoleonic decor along with modern touches like large flatscreens and two full baths. Along with numerous lounges and restaurants, I would recommend the Tonga Room. It is a Polynesian themed lounge and restaurant replete with thatched roofs, tiki iodols and rain falling from the ceiling accompanied by thunder from the loudspeaker. A true nostalgic experience!This hotel is ideally situated at the intersection of two cable car lines, and walking distance to Chinatown. It boasts an enviable location atop Nob Hill, and the service aspect from the staff is one of total service.This hotel is ideal for couples or families on a holiday, all the way to conventions. As it is a classic hotel, it will not have all the wired amenities of newer properties like a W Hotel, and Nob Hill is a bit far from the airport or Silicon Valley. However, if you enjoy classic hotels, this is among the best. -Yep, I have to agree with all those folks who gave the Castle Inn 5 stars. Spacious rooms, clean and tidy, and modern furnishings in excellent condition. No noise or security problems. Central location in a decent neighbourhood, and pretty close to just about anywhere you might want to go. Walgreens just around the corner for all your bits and pieces, and you can catch the 49 and 47 buses (to get you to Market Street) two minutes from the hotel. Very friendly and helpful folks on the front desk. And very reasonably priced. Overall, excellent value for money and highly recommended. -Hotel is close to China town and Union Square, a little further walk to Fisherman's wharf. Cable car stop just outside. Room was amazing. Beautiful views of the city. Bathroom was luxurious. Service was outstanding. The slightest request brought swift and curtious responses. Only thing was the dining room was closed when we arrived at 6pm for some reason, and valet parking added $50 a day to an already expensive bill. -We stayed at this hotel for two nights while recently in San Fran. Be warned the photos you see of this place on the web and in magazines make it look A LOT nicer that it really is. Art hotel, sure. Boutique hotel, noooo way!Rooms are surely individual and uniquely painted, but that is all that they have going for them. Contemporary beds and the room furniture were nothing more than plywood construction w/ a nice coat of black paint. At least our chair was from Ikea. The carpet is dingy + we wore sandals the entire time for fear of foot-born illness. There was graffiti on our toilet seat. Sick. I can't imagine what it would have been like had we not splurged for the private bath.Worst of all...I woke up in the middle of the night w/ really itchy legs. After being awakened at 6:30 am by someone using a saw in the building next door, I noticed my calves and thighs were covered in bites that i didn't have prior to getting into be there. Bed bugs to the max!!! We found the staff to be quite unhelpful and not friendly. They seemed like they just don't want to be there. This place is totally a hostel in disguise. Setup and facilities aside, be aware of the lack of cleanliness. Take your money + go elsewhere. -We had a wonderful time at the J.W. Marriott. The staff was top rate, very attentive. For e.g., when we checked in, the computer showed our room was not ready but the staff went to the room personally to check on it and found that it was ready, saving us the wait. I asked for extra hangers for the closet and they were delivered in a matter of minutes. The hotel is in a nice location, and has great amenities inc. their concierge room. We stayed in a room not yet renovated, but still very clean and pleasant. -A friend and myself visited San Francisco for 4 days. We booked rooms at the Whitcomb through Orbitz and had a very reasonable rate for staying in the City. The hotel is classic and the rooms were quite nice with high ceilings and fully furnished. The bathrooms are huge. It is an historic hotel and with that you would expect high ceilings and larger rooms and that is what you get. At check in, I requested rooms at the front of the hotel overlooking Market St. I am so glad I did that. We both had rooms with a view of City Hall and at night it was wonderful to have this view. As is typical of older city hotels, this hotel does have rooms that overlook nothing or a wall. Always ask for rooms at the front of the building. The Starbucks in the lobby is quite nice and the service is totally fast Starbucks. Other people here have reviewed this hotel and complained about the homeless population around the hotel. Well, guess what? There are homeless everywhere in San Francisco, this is NOT a reflection of this hotel. The neighborhood is safe and equal to any in the City. The transportation outside the front door is wonderful, you can go ANYWHERE in the City from this hotel front door. My encounters with the concierge desk were wonderful. They were friendly and quite helpful, AND they knew what they were talking about. There was no "Hmm, I don't know". It was like staying in a hotel in Europe for me, the hallways were huge, so old style. And the elevators were there in seconds. They all worked and did the job well. The staff was friendly and helpful. Thank you for a nice stay. Only problem I could come up with is that the internet service seem to be overwhelmed, so slow to download, but that is the fault of the service that they contract with, they could try another service. And I was on the 6th floor and the ice machine was missing, so I had to hoof it to the 5th or 7th floor for ice. But maintenance is maintenance. -My stay at the Hotel Adagio provided me with the opportunity to experience the best of San Francisco. Within short walking distance to Union Square, excellent dining, shopping and theatre Hotel Adagio is a wonderful retreat. It's spacious rooms, wonderful views, hip decor and professional, friendly service make it hard to leave. The atmosphere at Cortez, Adagio's restaurant is fabulous and the food even better. I look forward to my next visit! -My boyfriend and I stayed at the Nikko July 4 - July 8. The price on Expedia was a better deal than what the hotel's website was directly offering so I called Nikko and they matched it. Upon arriving we checked in and were immediately helped by the very friendly staff. No lines and it took only a few minutes.Our room was 1523 and yes the room was kind of small but we were never in the room so it didn't matter. The bed was VERY comfortable and the flat screen tv was an added bonus. We didn't have a spectacular view but a hotel room isn't the reason we decided to come to San Fran. The bathroom is on the old side but served it's purpose fine. The only issue we ever had is that they didn't clean our room one day. We even called twice during the day and asked them to come clean it and when we arrived back to our room at 11pm it still hadn't been cleaned. But other than that, no problems.The location is absolutely perfect. Very easy to get to the cable cars and shopping. Taxis are always lined up on the street between the Nikko and the Hilton. We had drinks at Farleys across from Starbucks and First Crush which is on OFarrell and Cyril. Very dark and romantic and very nice service. We sat at the bar and saw a couple get engaged behind us. We never made it to Anzu although we heard it was great. Starbucks every morning and there is always a line but it goes very fast. Check out was very easy b/c we had no problem with our bill and could just check out through the tv. Overall, great stay! -After months of research and obsessing over which hotel to book for our 15 yr. annversary trip, we chose the Westin St. Francis. We could not have been more thrilled! What a beautiful hotel. We stayed in a Grandview room in the newer tower rooms. To die for beds, awesome views and great room service. We ordered room service one evening and was delivered quickly and was DELICIOUS. For breakfast one morning, we ordered from the menu that you leave on your doorknob the night before and choose your delivery time. It was delivered right on time and was the best breakfast I have ever had! And the location is unbeatable. The cable cars, buses and BART are just short steps away. The hotel is really beautiful, convenient and safe. Take time to explore this historic beauty. I will NEVER stay anywhere else!!!TIP: You can walk to Chinatown or hop on the bus on Stockton Street. The 30 and 45 will take you to Chinatown, North Beach, Fishermans Wharf... get a muni passport for 3 or 7 days and ride unlimited rides on the buses, BART, cable cars and street cars. Alcatraz - Awesome, book tickets online if you can. Fills up fast. Bike the Bridge - If you are up to it. It is really a wonderful experience. The map is easy to navigate. Ride is beautiful and you ride a ferry back with you bike from Sausolito. If you eat breakfast out of the hotel, Sears Fine Dining is just up the street on Powell (Bkfst, Lunch, Dinner). There are several Lori's Diners up and down from the hotel. -I stayed here for 3 nights on our trip through California. Overall, was very impressed with the Hotel Whitcomb, a beautiful building - must have been a very grand hotel back in its day. Yes, it has aged but they have done a great job at keeping it maintained.Rooms are a little small but the beautiful high ceilings certainly make up for it. Bathroom is also a good size and was clean and neat. Beds were super comfortable and big TV. Aircon worked well too!There is a good business center downstairs if you don't have a computer with you ($5 minimum for 20 mins), if you have a laptop, wireless in rooms works ok but can be a little tempremental.Really enjoyed our stay here, however, I would caution anyone travelling on their own that its not the best location to be roaming around on your own after dark. Its in a little bit of a sketchy area of town but the metro stop is literally right outside the door as does the F Line street car which takes you straight down to the Fisherman's Wharf. Location is very close to Union Square only about 5-10 minute walk and 5 minute walk from the Powell Street station where you can catch the cable cars if you want to.My only complaint would be about the restaurant (a little bit too up market for the location and bit too expensive), we are budget travellers (hence our choice to stay at the Hotel Whitcomb) and felt that food wise, it was a little more expensive then what we would have liked. Ended up having Starbucks breakfast most mornings and got Subway in the evenings (just across the road).Apart from that I would definitely recommend the Hotel Whitcomb for any budget travellers out there. Just be aware of the area you are staying in and take precaution after dark. -I would recommend this hotel as a place to stay, it has really friendly, welcoming and knowledgable staff, is situated in a lovely part of San Fransisco and the room we had was perfect - clean, large and very comfortable - I loved the bathrobes !We arrived from the UK having been travelling for most of the day and it was great to get such a warm welcome from David at the front desk. Registration was carried out very efficiently and we were impressed with the spacious, clean and welcoming room we were given.We asked David for advice on where to eat and he gave us four recommendations, all of which we tried over the following couple of days - Max, Scampos (I think the name was) , Four Seas and Finos. The breakfast buffet was really good with a choice of cereal, croissants, bagels, pastries, yogurt, fruit etc. All of the staff were very friendly and more than willing to give us a hand with our luggage and order and hail taxi's for us The hotel is ideally situated in San Fransisco within walking distances of public transport and near some great shops. When we mentioned to one of the other staff that we were going to Macy's he gave us a 10% off voucher that proved very useful.If we ever come to San Fransisco again we would definately stay here and I have no problems recommending this hotel -I used an online discount site (Priceline) and after submitting my request for a 4 Star Room etc I was assigned the Mark Hopkins. Only stayed one night as was in town for office party. Check in was simple (once you were able to get their attention). Since I booked through a discount site, had to call ahead and request double bed smoking room (not guaranteed) and that's the room I got. Sadly, I saw no difference between this room or one at a Hyatt. Actually, looked exactly like a Hyatt room. Was small and basic and a disappointment. Not that the room was awful, but should not be advertised as a 4 Star at all. Would not recommend if your looking for a 4 star room to spoil yourself or do something different, or are accustomed to 4 star lodging. Room service was good, food was delicious but also pricey. Two cheeseburgers with fries= 55.00. Went to the Top of The Mark (hotel rest and bar) for a nightcap but they were shutting down and it wasn't even midnight! Neighborhood is nice, but beware and either take the bus (1 California) or take a cab, because the hills are steep....very steep. Think mountain. -I was traveling to San Francisco with my parents and we booked Hotel Drisco based on the great reviews from Trip Advisor, making our reservation nearly two months before arriving in SF. When we made our reservation we were torn between booking two separate non-suite rooms or the adjoining two bedroom suite. We ended up going with the two separate rooms because of the giant cost difference. When we arrived at Hotel Drisco to check in, we were told that my parent's room had been upgraded to a suite, however both rooms were located in the basement, down the hall from the service entrance, across from an ice machine and the breakfast room. Our windows overlooked the kitchen of the hotel and the rooms were very dark. Needless to say we were disappointed and considered switching hotels, however the desk staff was able to move us both into an adjoining two bedroom suite on the corner of the top floor. The new rooms had beautiful light, gorgeous views of the Bay and Alcatraz and it was like we were staying in a completely different hotel. We loved, loved loved our new rooms.The adjoined two bedroom suites are great if you're traveling as a group, however one of the bedrooms in these two bedroom suites has no bathroom attached. You have to cross the private hall (to which both bedrooms in the suite have access) to get to the bathroom. If the person staying in the other bedroom is not traveling with you, you could conceivably be walking out of your shower into your room and pass a stranger in the hall. It was a bit bizarre. I would recommend this hotel ONLY if you are given a room on the top two floors. It would be quite loud otherwise, and much less private. The only problem is, you are given no guarantees as to where your room is until you check in. It's a bit of a gamble. Also, beware. The prices of rooms fluctuate. When we were moved to the double room suite, the price we were quoted at the desk was nearly $100 less per night than what we were quoted when we originally made the decision to stick with the smaller, single rooms. That said, bathrooms in both suites and non-suites were beautiful and large, the breakfast were very nice, and Thanh (sp?) the bellhop/doorman was so kind and friendly. We loved the private, neighborhood feel of Pacific Heights. There are some great nearby restaurants (try Sociale) and the buses run frequently if you're wanting to go further afield. There's also a complimentary town car service running to Union Square every morning between 7 and 9, which is handy. -I stayed at the Fairmont in San Francisco once before about eight years ago and had memories of outdated decor and paper-thin walls. I decided to give it another try for a recent overnight stay, enticed by a good rate, and was thoroughly impressed. Usually when I come into town I stay at the Campton Place hotel on Union Square, which I have always liked for being an upscale but smaller and more personal hotel with great value rates. While the location for the Campton Place is better (the Fairmont is at the top of Nob Hill and while it has stunning views it can be a bit of a hike to get someplace, or you need to take a taxi), I was impressed with the Fairmont this time around and would stay there again.I was given a beautiful, large renovated room on the 6th floor with a view of the garden courtyard and a distant view of the Transamerica Tower. There was not a problem with noise this time around and I did not hear anyone in the surrounding rooms. Room service was efficient and very good, and the quality of everything from the bed linens to the bathroom fixtures was very luxurious.Parking is expensive at $57 a day and I paid it because I needed access to my car for business appointments outside the city. If you can avoid it, you should, as getting a taxi was very easy through the nice doormen at the front of the hotel.The business center is accessable with your room key and has internet access, printers and fax machines. It has not been renovated like other areas of the hotel but I found it quite functional, albeit no frills. -The Palace Hotel is a cool place. It has a grand elegance and appears to have history. The location was great for us. It is within easy walking distance to the Ferry Building. The staff was great and the room was clean and comfortable. Two things to know. The walls are thin. When the folks next door decided to watch TV at 11:30pm, I could hear every word (we had to get up at 4am for a flight!). Also, the charge to keep your car in their valet garage is $48 per night! They don't tell you this until they have possession of your vehicle. Beware! -Hotel Drisco was two blocks away from where we were attending a 50th Anniversary Celebration and was a joy to come home to. We could not have been happier with the Concierge Marti, the front desk Michael and Bob who helped with everything. The breakfast was excellent and fully staffed. Everyone else has said it all. Top quality and fabulous staff. -Traveled to San Francisco with my wife and friends. We all stayed at the Drake. We found this to be an extremely enjoyable experience and would recommend it highly to anyone looking for a unique experience. Yes the rooms were a bit small, but they were nicely furnished and comfortable. From our room we could see the bay and part of Union Square. We will stay here again! Our friends also enjoyed this hotel! -My first impression was this place is beautiful. When I walked into the room, It was immaculate. It is the best and most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed at. Everyone was very courteous and charming. I definately would recommend to anyone to stay at Hotel Drisco and hopefully I will stay here again. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/paragraph-validation.txt b/reference_files/paragraph-validation.txt deleted file mode 100644 index f29e41dafae4e14eeb526f971444aceba5a8fff6..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/paragraph-validation.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,665 +0,0 @@ -There's a little of Bernadette in all of us - the ranger, the avoider, the snob, the artist. The well-adjusted among us keep those things under control, and that's how Bernadette differs. She hardly ever tries - and never very hard - to suppress her urges. Thank goodness, or we wouldn't have such a good time reading about her. You'll find something to laugh about no matter what your own beliefs and convictions happen to be. Read this! -It's difficult to find the right words to even describe how good Hunger Games is. I would definitely place it on my top 5 list of all times and I have read hundreds and hundreds of books.Katniss is such an engaging character. The reader is drawn to her instantly, as we are plunged into a futuristic world of oppression, poverty and despair. Katniss has taken on the responsibility of caring for her family after her father died in a mining explosion and her mother shut down. Katniss is daring and ventures out into forbidden areas to hunt and gather food to sell to the people in her "district". Her only goal in life seems to be keeping her little sister safe.The government has set up a lottery in each of the twelve "districts" in this futuristic country. One boy and one girl are chosen to go fight to the death with the "tributes" from the other eleven districts. When Prim, Katniss's little sister, is chosen for the Hunger Games as they are called Katniss steps forward and volunteers to go in her place.Katniss goes to the capitol with the other tribute from her district, a boy named Peeta, and there they must put on a good show before the game begins. If they set up the right image they could get sponsors during the game, which means they will receive gifts and help once they enter the arena. Sponsors are the difference between life and death for many tributes so it is important to give the people what they want.The game itself is brutal. It reminded me a tiny bit of the show survivor, only in this game you have to kill off all the other players. Katniss has a slight advantage from her hunting and gathering experience, but she must also use her wits and bravery to keep herself alive. Foreign alliances with other players can be helpful, but true trust and friendship is practically impossible since there can only be one winner.The book drives its characters to the very edge of their abilities. We see how people react in the most primal and brutal situations: forced to kill or be killed. I loved seeing the tributes come up with different strategies for survival, and how the game makers who control everything in the arena throw the tributes at each other through force and bribery.I read this book yesterday, and had dreams and nightmares about it all night. While this book is reminiscent of "The Giver", "1984", and "Brave New World" it has its own voice and its own story to tell. At the end of the book you will be left starving for more and I can't wait for the next book to come out. I still can't quite capture the essence or brilliance of this book through the words in this review, so all I can say is go read it and you will understand. -I love this book! I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of Louise Penny's latest mystery novel "How the Light Gets In", the ninth in the series about Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and the Homicide Division of the Surete du Quebec. I had already reserved a hard copy for the book's August 2013 release date because this is one author I buy in hardcover; the better to savor her writing. This truly gifted author has the ability to make you FEEL - so much so, that this is almost more novel than mystery - although there are three compelling mysteries entwined in this latest book.In talking about this book, Ms. Penny says "My books are about terror. That brooding terror curled deep down inside us. But more than that, more than murder, more than all the rancid emotions and actions, my books are about goodness. And kindness. About choices." I guarantee she will make you feel all this and so much more. She will bring you to the edge of your seat, make your heart pound in anticipation and ache as you feel the suffering of her always well-constructed characters. Because she also lets you feel hope and joy, the struggle between the light and the dark is that much more vivid.This book opens as Christmas approaches and the author deftly portrays the joy and anticipation of the season played off against the sadness as Gamache's elite squad is dismantled and scattered while unscrupulous forces are at work in the Surete. Who will settle for nothing less than Gamache's destruction? and that of his next in charge Jean-Guy Belavoir? A terrible alliance that has been 30 years in the making will once again bring evil into the heart of the tiny village of Three Pines and threaten all that the inhabitants hold dear.To those who have read all the previous books in the Chief Inspector Gamache series, you will not be disappointed, as her writing somehow is brought to an even higher level, her plots are even more complex, her characters more finely drawn. We know these people and we care about them; we feel with them.I highly recommend this book, but if you find yourself curled up in your chair, unable to stop reading far into the night, remember you were warned.... -This book is hilarious!! Laugh out loud, you’ll be rolling on the floor laughing so hard tears will be coming out of your eyes. And the banter…oh my…just fantastic.Simon & Caroline’s connection is fun and hot. Great anticipation. The story has the perfect mix of humor and romance leaving you wanting more. -This book is by far one of the best books I have ever read. I briefly had a problem adjusting to writing style but once lost in the story I was hooked. This author is exceptionally talented. Many other authors might fill several pages with description while this author paints extremely vivid pictures with only a few brush strokes. I also enjoyed the conversational tone of the narrative. As if, Katniss was telling her tale directly to me in my own home and if you know Katniss, she doesn't just trust anyone. So the illusion that I might just be a personal friend and confident to Katniss was truly impressive. And oh, did I feel her pain, her rage, her despair! Not very often there comes a story that is truly magic! I mean, Harry Potter, was a story about magic and has the place of highest honor on my bookshelves next to the Lord of the Rings books, but this one is entirely different. This book made me apart of the action. It made me feel like I know the characters on a personal level and once I was back in my own world I was left with a feeling like I'd just had a visit from an dear friend. I can't remember if I've ever read a book like it. -After Insurgent, the story picks up with Tris in trouble and Evelyn in control of the city. Soon, Tris, Four and some others choose to leave Chicago and pursue the meaning of the Edith Prior video. Most of the remaining story takes place inside a special facility a short drive from Chicago, where we find out what the story is about Chicago and the factions, as well as what it really means to be divergent. Three-quarters of the way into this story, I was very disappointed. It felt like the author was just going through the motions, and frankly, the story was boring and dull--lots of talking and philosophical introspection, but not much plot movement. The last quarter of the book salvaged things for me and raised the story from one star to 3.5. No, like a thousand others, I didn't like the ending, and I didn't think the ending was necessitated in any way by the story arc. It seemed almost as if the author realized the story about to crash and burn, so she tossed in this ending to slap us in the face. HOWEVER, the ending was well done and beautifully written, and it was quite evocative. I thought the writing went from passable and average to excellent and gripping. BUT, I'm only at 3.5 stars because the ending doesn't really fit the overall trilogy IMO. So, for those that want a 'they all lived happily ever after' ending, don't read this book. Stop with Insurgent and think up your own ending. For those of you, who--like Tris--aren't afraid to jump off the roof into the net below, you should read it and experience the pain. I just wish the first part of the book was written nearly as well as the ending. Yo, Tris, you...well, you know what i mean. -I am a big fan of Colleens' Slammed series and this book was just wow...amazing. I couldn't put it down. It kept me guessing and the story is just so emotional and touching. This is that book...the one I would recommend to all my friends and will most likely find myself reading again because I just need to "feel" it again. Thanks Colleen, well done!!! Keep them coming! -The reviews of this book frequently use the word "delightful" and that's an apt word. The characters are charming, the period voice feels right, there are enough painful stories from the war to make it feel real without having so many as to make the book unpleasantly grim, and well, this is just a nicebook to read.I'd especially recommend it for fans of Helene Hanff's 84 Charing Cross Road; the tone and the literary references are so similar I'd be shocked if that book weren't one of the influence on this one. (After all, even in England in 1946 were there all *that* many fans of Elia?)I'm subtracting one star for holes in the internal logic; I have some trouble believing that the island's inhabitants would be so happy to have a book written about them by someone they'd known for so short a time. People seem very quick to trust, in general, especially right after so many years of having to be so cautious of betrayal. I may be wrong, but I think the British reserve and the remnants of the class system would have played a greater role throughout than they do here; the language in the first part is perfect 1946 (I wasn't around; I'm using Hanff as a standard) but it's a bit less period-perfect toward the end of the book.It deserves four stars, though, because none of these things diminished my enjoyment of the book; they just left me thinking "But, wait-" afterward. -In 1933, the newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed William Dodd to be the first United States Ambassador to Germany, under Hitler. Dodd, at the age of 64, would have preferred to retire from his job as a professor of the history department at the University of Chicago, and complete his memoir "Old South." Out of respect for the President and duty to his country Dodd reluctantly accepted the appointment. With his wife, Martha, an adult son and daughter, set sail for Berlin, on July 5, 1933 shortly after Hitler became Chancellor of Germany.Though appalled by Nazi persecution of Jews, Roosevelt refrained from issuing any direct statement of condemnation. He expected from Dodd to see to it that Germany pays her debts to the American creditors. Some of State Department's most senior officers harbored an outright dislike of Jews. William J Carr, an assistant Secretary of State called the Jews "kikes"; Russian and polish immigrants are filthy, un-American and often dangerous in their habits (P.30). It is very disturbing to read in the book the anti-Semitism that prevailed in 1930's among many Americans. Dodd complained that there were too many Jews on his own staff. The indifference and anti-Semitism in the U.S. obviously couldn't hinder Hitler's ascent and march of conquest with tragic consequences. Dodd was one of the few voices in U.S. government to warn of the true ambitions of Hitler and the dangers of American isolationists' stance. Most Americans wanted to stay out of Europe's squabbles. In June 1938, Dodd talked of Hitler's hatred of Jews and warned that his true intent was "to kill them all." (p.351)As a captive in Nazi concentration camp, I had been wondering; why the United States, a nation founded and populated by many oppressed immigrants, of different faiths, from many lands did not stop Hitler's genocide? Where were the good Samaritans among the American Christians? They were expected to have compassionate regard for all people, not just some people! Where were the fighters for human rights? How could their humanitarian reputation be maintained when our suffering became unbearable? Why civilized nation did shirk their responsibilities to show pity for us. I doubted if the faithful, of religious denominations, said a prayer for our deliverance! Was it not a betrayal of basic human solidarity? Was it not a failure of the entire moral fabric of society? Even mass demonstrations, in the democratic countries around the world would have forced the German to stop or at least moderate their policy of Ausrottung (the extermination) of European Jewry. If President Roosevelt had been more vociferous in expressing his and the American people's indignation, the nonchalant world would have been awakened and protested the slaughter innocent people.. The indifference enabled the Nazis to victimize every Jew; subsequently not every victim was a Jew. Winston Churchill said: the Holocaust was not just a Jewish tragedy; it was the world's tragedy, because the world did let it happen.THE GARDEN OF BEASTS is compelling and horrifying. Larson is a masterful storyteller. Although much given detail does not pertain to the core story, the book based on Dodd's diary and the ancillary writings of others, is extensively researched, and very well written. The book makes history come alive. -This was a book I didn't know what to expect at each corner. You get settled down with a cup of tea and right away the author draws you into the mystery of what happened to the main character. You get yourself captivated at each situation wondering if you would handle it the same way. I like the main character was strong And didn't just fall into the typical extremely handsome, rich, Moody male lead. The story line was good at keeping the reader encased but some parts of the final product fell flat. -Pushing the Limits is a brilliant addition to the burgeoning mature YA genre that has recently become one of my favorites to dabble in. This book takes two emotionally screwed up characters and tells the story about how they find salvation in one another. This is not a typical YA novel. Yes, main character Noah is self-confident, brash and tattooed, and main character Echo is beautiful, smart and funny, but that is where the similarities to normal YA-type teenagers end. This book contains copious amounts of swearing, drugs, sexual situations and heavily damaged people. This is not your run-of-the-mill light and happy read about teenaged angst.This book changes point of view quite frequently, telling the story from both Echo's and Noah's perspective. Echo and Noah are both assigned a therapist at their Kentucky high school for vastly different reasons. Echo has suffered an unthinkable crime against her, that her mind cannot bring itself to remember. She has been left scarred, both emotionally and physically from this crime. On top of this tragedy, she is dealing with normal high school angst - her social situation, her parents' divorce and her father's subsequent remarriage to her former baby sitter, her mother's disappearance, and her extremely strained relationship with her father and stepmother. Noah is a foster child that has been moved between families several times in the previous two years. Where he was once an all-star athlete from a Rockwellian American family, he is now considered a stoner and a punk. He's very intelligent, yet refuses to take school seriously. He hangs out with the "wrong" crowd and is best known for being gorgeous, yet a player. He is only into one-night stands and smoking pot.Noah needs help, though. He has two younger brothers in the foster system that he wants to gain custody of, and in order to do that, he needs to pass drug tests, pull his GPA up and find a job. Echo is in need of extra money. Although her father has money, he won't lend her any to finish fixing up the car that her deceased brother was working on before his death. Echo is asked to tutor Noah, therefore earning extra money.Soon after Echo was attacked, she came back to school as a social introvert. She was known formerly as the popular, beautiful girl who dated the captain of the basketball team. When she returned to school after the episode, she had broken up with her boyfriend and was seen as a social outcast. Her friends have been trying very hard to get her back into school society, and having any contact with Noah the stoner is a social faux pas. The relationship between Noah and Echo gets off to a rocky start. He sees her scars, which she usually keeps hidden. Echo is afraid that Noah will tell the entire school about them.Noah has a chip on his shoulder, too, although he does not care about what his classmates think about him. Noah came from an idyllic family. He had loving parents, a home, a place in his school's society before tragedy struck him. He is used to keeping his guard up, because the state foster system has not been a good experience for him. Noah, though, is ready for a girl like Echo, and he's been waiting for her.Noah and Echo travel a path of lows and highs in their relationship, each one trying to hash out their personal lives without hurting the other. They fall hard for one another, but sometimes love just isn't enough. Noah is still attempting to reunite his family, and Echo is still trying to reconcile what tragedy happened to her and who's fault it was. Echo is struggling with her desire to be loved by those that matter most to her, while Noah is struggling with a never ending loneliness, a hole in his heart that he can't seem to fill.I have to mention that both of Echo's parents are not model parents. We do meet Echo's mom and although she has issues that are out of her control, she is one of the worst mothers I have come across in literature. She is selfish and unrelenting. Where once Echo holds her mom in high regard, we learn how truly wrong Echo was. While Echo is only looking for acceptance and love from her father, we learn about some terribly bad decisions he made that will affect Echo for the rest of her life.The ending of this book is action packed and emotional. The two things that these characters are fighting for, Noah for his brothers and Echo for her memories and sanity, come quickly to a head. We learn a lot about the pasts of these characters, and we see how they grow up and change through this novel. Although both Noah and Echo have less than desirable pasts, they find refuge in one another and it's a beautiful thing. This book is an excellent study in character development and I urge you to run to the nearest book store and pick up a copy. -The Book Thief (New York: Albert A. Knopf, 2007), a novel by Australian writer Markus Zusak, accomplished a rare feat for Holocaust literature: the novel won numerous literary awards and became a long-standing international best seller, including being on the New York Times best seller list for a record of 230 weeks. What’s even more surprising about the novel’s success is not only its somber theme, but also the fact it’s a work of literary fiction (as opposed to genre fiction), a style of writing that rarely becomes a mainstream hit. Although the distinction between literary fiction and genre fiction is not cut-and-dry—for instance, Elizabeth Kostova’s novel, The Historian, fits both genres--I’d say that genre fiction places emphasis upon a fast-moving, interesting plot, while literary fiction privileges psychologically nuanced characterizations and a unique narrative style.Death characterized the Holocaust, and Death is the real narrator of the novel, which begins with the heroine’s end: Liesel Meminger’s death, many years after WWII, after she’s lived a full life and had children and grandchildren of her own. As Death carries the elderly woman’s soul to the other side, it also takes and narrates her childhood diary.In the late 1930’s and early 40’s, Liesel is a young adopted girl living in Germany. She has her first encounter with Death when her brother, Werner Meminger, who is also given up for adoption along with her, dies on the train to Molching. He’s buried by the railway station. That day, Liesel’s obsession with books—and death--begins. She picks up The Grave Digger’s Handbook, a book dropped by the funeral director at her brother’s funeral.Shortly thereafter, the distraught girl joins what might be seen as a typical German family, with whom she bonds quickly. Liesel’s adoptive father, Hans Hubermann, is a loyal German, who served during WWI, but is not sympathetic to the Nazi regime. Despite his reservations, Hans is enlisted in the German army during WWII. Artistic and sensitive—a painter and accordion player--Hans probably characterizes the attitude of a vast majority of Germans who were not anti-Semitic yet were forced to participate in the Nazi regime. His wife, Rosa, is a no-nonsense woman with a sharp tongue and a loving heart. She washes people’s clothes to supplement their income but gradually, one by one, her customers fire her.Liesel also meets Max Vandenburg, a Jew hidden by the Hubermann family from the Nazis, whose father fought during WWI alongside Hans Hubermann. Liesel befriends him. When Hans becomes ill, she reads to him. He eventually recovers, in part, the novel suggests, because of the power of friendship transmitted through the act of reading. Liesel and her family have a close call with the Gestapo, as soldiers search their house to see if they can use their basement as a shelter. Fortunately, they deem it too shallow and they leave.In all respects, Liesel blends in with her adoptive family. Their hardships and struggles become hers as well. She becomes especially close friends with Rudy Steiner, a blond “Aryan” boy a few months older than her, who develops a crush on her. Although the girl refuses to kiss him, together they embark on many adventures, which bond them to one another. Together, they become book thieves when the Mayor and his wife also fire Rosa. Their love of books and of the forbidden, representing a kind of protest against the Nazi regime and against injustice in life in general, binds the two children even more.Perhaps the strongest character of the novel is Death itself, its main narrator. Death may be brought about by war and by the savage murders perpetrated by the Nazis, but it is not sympathetic to them. Rather, Zusak depicts Death as a kind of Humanist, philosophical character: humane and disapproving of senseless violence, hatred and destruction. In parts, Death touches upon the comic and the absurd, needing “a vacation” from its job during the war.I think the strength of this novel lies in its complex characterizations: the German characters in particular are nuanced and multifaceted, not stereotyped in any way. They too struggle with the evils perpetrated by the Nazi regime and try to help victims, as much as they can. In the end, however, they too become victims of Hitler’s war, as Rosa, Hans and Rudy all die when the Hubermann house is bombed. Rudy doesn’t even get to experience Liesel’s first kiss, dying seconds before she finally declares her love for him and kisses him. Only Liesel survives and gets the chance to have a full life.If I were to identify any weakness in the novel it would be in the narrative style. Since style functions as a kind of author’s unique fingerprint in literary fiction, it’s largely dependent upon each reader’s subjective taste. The choppy, short sentences and disjointed, subjective structure of the novel weren’t to my personal taste, particularly since I usually look for a dense, sweeping and well-informed description of lived history in Holocaust literature. This novel, however, is impressionistic in both style and structure. But these stylistic features also made The Book Thief popular with readers of all ages, particularly with young readers, who could identify with the characters and appreciate its accessible form. Due to its literary success, The Book Thief was recently made into a movie directed by Brian Percival, released in November 2013. The movie, however, unlike the book, received mixed reviews.Claudia Moscovici, Literature Salon -I think I'm about the last person on the planet earth to read this book, and also about the first person not to absolutely adore these books. I had been told to read them for ages, particularly from Gail. The last 100 pages or so is really what redeemed it for me.My big issue with this book was the writing. It seriously almost made me put it down, but every time I was about to do that, the book would redeem itself slightly. The first third to half of the book was awfully slow. It was slow reading, but at the same time intriguing. I didn't really understand all of what was going on, so I wanted to know everything.I loved the characters. Most of them all had such depth and were wonderful. Rue was absolutely my favorite character of the book. I adored her. Peeta was a character I liked right off the bat. Katniss was an interesting character, but I found her a bit annoying. I just didn't like her thoughts. I found her flat and I didn't like her at all.Another thing about The Hunger Games I really did like was the world. I thought it was simply fascinating and I loved how Collins set it up.This was overall a good read, but it just didn't live up to what I thought it would be. I have heard nothing but glowing things for it, and while I loved all the character (minus Katniss some of the time) and thouht the plot was original and intriguing, the plot was slower and I really wasn't a fan of the writing. The ending though, was ace, and has me extremely excited for Catching Fire. -As I was reading the publishing page in the front of the book in preparation for this review, I noticed that the hardbound copy is printed on acid free paper. I know why the publisher went to extra effort and expense in printing this book- it simply is a modern masterpiece of devotional literature that you will keep for a lifetime.My first copy of The Purpose Driven Life, was audio. Each morning as I walked my dog along the river, I would listen to another chapter. Almost immediately I realized that the audio book was the wrong format for me. Rick's insights into scripture are so good that I wanted to read them again and again. Three weeks later, I bought a hardbound copy.For pastors, this book is a must. To be sure, it is pretty basic stuff; but Rick's genius is to communicate the basics in a very delightful and insightful way. As I listened on my MP3 player, I kept trying to make mental notes, saying to myself, That stuff will really preach. For a pastor, there is a years worth of sermon ideas and outlines you will be able to expound on.Most devotional books I find to be disappointing, so much so, I gave up reading them. I am sure glad that I gave Rick a chance. Every Sunday I beg my congregation to purchase this book, telling them that it will give them a foundation to build their Christian life.By the way, I was especially appreciative of Ricks use of multiple translations in his quoting of Scripture. It gives the reader (or hearer) a fresh perspective on already familiar passages. Good job, Rick, you done good! -If there is one author on this planet that doesn't get enough credit for her genius, it is Colleen Hoover. With every book she has published, I swear she can't possibly get any better, could not possibly top herself. And yet she does. Every. Single. Book. is better than the last. And that says a lot considering her first book was Slammed. I mean, seriously?? How does she do it? I am in complete awe. I say it every time, I know I do, but my admiration and respect of this author has reached New heights.Hopeless was a phenomenal book. The story was heartbreaking... the story of Hope/Sky and her life literally broke me. The love story between Sky and Holder was a beautiful one, undeniably so. But Losing Hope just took all my love for this story and multiplied it exponentially.First off, we met Dean Holder again but we get to know him in a whole new way. A way that makes me love him even more than I thought I already had. His telling of his sister's suicide was possibly the most heart wrenching depiction of a suicide I've ever read. Suicide is always tragic, of course... But unless you've lived through that kind of personal loss, I think we take the depth of this kind of tragedy for granted. Well Colleen Hoover takes you there. Dean's story shredded me. I found the entire story line surrounding Les... Her childhood, her utter hopelessness, her subsequent death... I found it almost more heart breaking than Sky's story. It just struck a chord with me this time around that I will never get over. Colleen Hoover really nails you in the gut with Les' suicide, it's agonizing to think of what lead Les to this place of feeling absolutely nothing anymore and her willingness to give it all up. I could taste Dean's feeling of hopelessness, of second guessing everything he could have said or done differently to save his sister from something that seems so preventable but in reality, was near impossible to save her from. I felt every ounce of anger he felt toward her about what she left behind, his anger toward her for what he and her family were left to deal with, the pain that never went away. And the letters... the letters made me laugh, cry, get angry... they were perfect. They kept Les alive in her absence, they created this amazing dynamic within the story that would have been virtually impossible to achieve any other way. We got to know Les, we grew to know the relationship between the siblings through these letters, we felt the range of Dean's emotions through his writing. It was just a perfect element that added so much to this book.Getting to relive the love story between Sky and Dean again was an amazing thing... But there's just something magical about getting it all from Dean's point of view. All those blanks filled in, all those stones unturned. You just get the whole package with a sequel from the other partner's perspective and it really gives you completion and satisfaction and closure that the love you know Sky felt for Dean is reciprocated tenfold. But knowing what Dean felt for Sky, what he felt for Hope, and knowing the pain he had lived with for years in between literally stole my breath away. It's a miracle this guy came out of all that he endured... all that he carried on his shoulders since he was practically a toddler, really. Yes, Hope disappeared when they were five. But he was her rock for years before that, just holding the pinky of the sad little girl next door. And with Losing Hope, you're treated to this amazing miracle of how he felt finding her again and how truly miraculous it is that his love for Hope and his love for Sky were both independent from each other, but yet undeniably connected. It's as if no matter where Hope went, had she never even gone anywhere, or whether or not Hope did or didn't end up as Sky, Dean Holder was meant to love her.This story is so layered. I'm still sitting here trying to get my chin off the floor as I go over and over the web that Colleen Hoover has woven with this book. The links between these characters, no matter how separated they thought they had become, how lost they believed they were to each other... their lives were so tied up in each other. Aside from the obvious, that Dean and Sky lived within miles of each other without ever knowing so, so much about how severely their lives overlapped, how one's decisions and choices and actions effected the others without ever consciously knowing it... it's absolutely awe inspiring to think about what Ms Hoover created here. Brilliant is really the only word I can use and I still don't believe that does the book justice. You live this book.I think too often an author attempts to retell a story from the male perspective and it becomes a story of cut and paste. You come out of it feeling like you just reread a story you already knew. This book is like reading an entirely different story. You think you know this story, you think you know the plot because you read Hopeless... You believe you know these characters and their story of how it began, how it ended and everything in between. But here's a bomb... You know nothing. You know nothing until the very last page of Losing Hope, when you finally have all the pieces, the completed puzzle... You have closure, you find peace with this story. You learn forgiveness in this book, you regain hope. This book is amazing. This book is a masterpiece of epic proportions. -Wow. I didn't intend to read Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl when I did. Two other books sat on the top of the reading pile, begging for a thorough read, the Amazon reader review thing, and so on. But one dark day, I needed a book with an edge to it, and having peeked at a sample page of Gone Girl already, I knew where to find that edge.Gone Girl is the story of Nick and Amy, a seemingly perfect couple to anyone looking in from the outside. But at the start of the book, on the couple's fifth anniversary, when Nick comes home to a ransacked living room and a missing wife, the marriage has already deteriorated to a far from perfect state. Talk about your love hate relationship. Nick and Amy have one in spades at this point - mostly hate, but with love so excruciatingly painted around the edges you can't imagine a better combination.Nick's clumsy handling of himself during the police investigation and an accumulating, increasingly-damning pile of evidence soon point the finger at him as the murderer. We, the readers, don't know whether he is one or not, even though we've been reading most passages from his first person point of view.So is he or isn't he? I won't spoil it. Let me instead touch on two compelling aspects of this novel. First, Gillian's voice is one that many writers would kill for (bad pun, I know). Through the first half of the book she alternates her passages from Nick's point of view (written in a Jess Walter voice, and you never think for one second that hmmm this is a woman trying to write from a man's POV), and Amy's point of view as found in diary entries written before the climactic murder or abduction or whatever actually happened (because I still refuse to tell). Amy's voice is much different than Nick's and I love that. She's brilliant and has a fascinating perceptiveness about each of those many people who just can't help but revolve around her irresistible gravitational force.The other can't-put-it-down aspect of this novel is the quick pacing both before and after a sudden switch in plot halfway through. By that point, as a reader, you think you know the whole story and how it will all end, and you can't imagine what the second half of the book will be for. Why isn't this a novella? What's coming next?What's coming next is motive, and true circumstances, plans going awry, plans being reshaped, and a remarkable elevation of compromise to an art form.I loved this book.Joe -It's 1962, a time when escalating tensions are rising between African-Americans (then known as "coloreds") and their white employers and neighbors! Told from three different points of view, this story probes the intimate thoughts about what it's like for the maids of wealthy and middle class white people in Jackson, Mississippi. It's more than just hard, hard work; it's trying to survive in a constantly demeaning, life or death survival environment! That may sound trite, but trust this reviewer - these accounts are absolutely riveting, heart-stopping and poignant in ways that put new definitions on these commonly used terms!A young woman, Miss Skeetter, wants to be a journalist while her family and friends believe that finding a husband is all that matters, no matter what one's educational background is. Her first question that opens the central plot is to ask if one of the maids, Aibleen, wishes things were different.Aibleen never gets to complete the conversation, but she remembers the comment as she continues to care for three-year-old Mae Mobley. Aibleen, like other hired "help," is more of a mother to Mae Mobley than her own distant, punishing mother by birth. The pain Aibleen feels over this coldness is stunning when one learns the numbing background of her own deep loss. Yet through it all, Aibleen's quietly muttered thoughts and written prayers to God make the reader roar with laughter and ponder what's important in the schemes and nonsense of daily family life. It is she who provides the impetus for Miss Skeeter's project, to get a few black women to talk about the joys, sorrows, challenges and downright insanity of their service employment.Then you'll meet Minnie, another maid who doesn't keep jobs too long because of her outspoken, funny, but offensively blunt comments to her employers. When that doesn't work, lies will do to get rid of her since she obviously doesn't know her "place" in this cold, tough world! Her challenges include a violent home life and an employer who is from the seedier side of Southern life, what used to be called "white trash." Miss Celia is lonely and constantly striving to fit in, but it's clear she doesn't have a clue about much!The project begins on a wrong note and seems doomed to die before it gets going, but tragedy will change all that. Then the reader will be just as stunned at the gritty, fiercely determined nature that arises in a dozen women to tell their tale despite what just might be brutally lethal results. They express their fury and their hysterical barbs as well at the turn of a plan by whites to create toilets for the "diseased" help.So many other characters and events fill these 464 wonderful pages. This reviewer hardly ever says this about any book, but this is a book you will not be able to put down and will be so, so sorry when it's over. It will change hearts and minds wherever it's experienced!This is Kathryn Stockett's first novel, a brilliant, potent celebration of astonishing and noteworthy hope for light to surmount darkness, be it in a person's color or behavior! The Help is a wonder to behold and cherish!Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on December 29, 2008 -Re; the Girl with the dragon Tattoo & the Girl who played with firehave read both and note that the new novel 'the girl who played with fire' is much better. it makes the characters believable by going in detail into their history and resulting psychological profiles, at the same time it is a white knuckles thriller.I strongly recommend this book.for some strange reason it was available in English prior to Christmas everywhere except USA. cant wait for the third book in the series, will there be a fourth? apparently Larsen wrote half of the 4th before suffering a fatal heart attack. -Story is intriguing though incredulous. But I felt the book dragged on a bit too long. I did not feel compelled to any of the characters. -When I first started reading Gone Girl, I almost stopped after discovering it is a dual narrative. To put this in perspective, the last book I had finished was Allegiant, of the Divergent series, and had it been an actual paper book I was reading rather than the kindle app on my iPad, I would have set it on fire. It was the worst experience I've ever had as far as books go, and a large part of that was due to the dual narrative.I am so glad I didn't stop reading because let me tell you, HOMEGIRL ROCKED THE DUAL NARRATIVE.It was like an illness. I COULD NOT STOP. I kid you not, I called in sick for work one day because I reached an especially exciting point in the book the night before, and couldn't bear waiting another 8 hours before continuing.And then I thought I would crap myself once the second part started.And then the third part started and I was just slack-jawed at the insanity exhibited by these two.It's a horrifying tale of "if I can't have you nobody can" wrapped up with some soul-crushing dependence, all told through a who-dun-it type of story. I will read this again and again, that is for dang sure. -I usually choose my yearly 100th book to read based on it meaning something to me, but this year I couldn't come up with anything, but then I remembered this book. I have a few friends, one in particular (hi, <a href="[...]">Lisa</a>!), who have been hounding me to read these for a while. Honestly, it's YA, it's somewhat SciFi and the description just didn't seem to grab me. But I decided that my 100th book would be a nod to my friends and family that are always telling me "Oh, you HAVE to read this book". So, then...I got about 5% into the book and was completely disgusted. I think I may have called Lisa a very bad name. You see, I could NOT PUT THE BOOK DOWN. It was darn well nearly physically attached to my hand. I lost sleep, I gasped in certain places, I yelled "no!" a few times, I was, in short, insane for the day it took me to read this one.The author completely sucks you into this world of the future. Of kids dying as sacrifices to the capital. Of a love triangle. Of family bonds. Of humanity. There is so much going on in the book that it seems like it would be confusing, but in reality, you are so caught up in the entire story that it doesn't matter. It's all-encompassing. It's all-consuming. It's, as Lisa told me, un-put-down-able.There are scenes that rip your heart out in this book. I had to remind myself when I was done that it was YA (Young Adult) because I enjoyed it immensely. Most YA material I can take or leave but this had me hitting the "buy" button for the next in the series within 2 minutes of finishing it.This one makes my must-read list for 2010. I also do not know how to recommend this for, I simply cannot come up with anyone that might not enjoy it. I am not sure I would let my 7-year-old read it, but my 10-year-old would probably enjoy it just as much as my mother or my 70-year-old grandmother would. Read it. Seriously. -I was anxious to read The Host because i wanted to try a Stephanie Meyer book that wasn't Twilight related. I thought the book started out good and interesting but it definately slowed down in the middle to the end. I was worried i wasn't going to finish it but i did and i am glad. First off it did not feel like a romance novel i'm pretty sure she didn't try to write it that way. I like Wander side alot more then melanie to. The characters did get confusing at times. This book wasn't terrible but i didn't fall in love with it. -Has hilarious stories! If you ever need a good laugh, this is the book you should pick up. Made my dad and I laugh so hard. -The concept for this story is exciting. The execution by the author though failed to meet my expectations. The characters are thin and the plot flails about without direction. -I don't understand the negative reviews of this book. This book is entertaining. It has a happy ending. What more could anyone want? It's almost as if people wanted Bella or someone else to die. I hate when people I love in books die. I'm all for happy endings. I also think some of the people who didn't like this book are not a fan of the series and are getting a kick out of bashing this book. I think other people who dislike this book might be concerned Moms who think the book is a little too mature for their teens to read. I'm so glad my parents never banned books for me. I think that's ridiculous. The only parts of this book I disliked was Jacob imprinting with Renesmee. Can I get a big eww? I'm not thrilled with the idea of grown men imprinting with baby girls. It's nasty. I don't get how anyone can think that is ok. It's just wrong. I also though Jacob's "book" within the book was way too long. The book dragged towards the end when the vamps were all gathering together and preparing to fight the Volteri vamps. I hated the name, Renesmee. I thought it was a joke at first. It's awful. I loved that Bella and Edward had a baby. Renesmee was adorable. I loved her. Her "talent" was pretty cool. My favorite part of this book was definitely the begining when Bella and Edward got married. I was shocked when I realized she was pregnant. I loved how the book took a dark turn when the pregnancy was difficult and how she born etc. I loved that this book was a little more adult than the previous books. I hope Stephenie Meyer realizes she has many adult fans and writes more books in the future for us. I enjoyed reading Bella as a vampire. I loved how she wasn't a typical newborn vamp. All in all, it was a good book. I'm satisfied. It's not a 5 star book, but most books aren't. -The characters were different. There was a bit of mystery, a bit of the supernatural, a bit of magic. The ending leaves you wanting more and leaves the story open for another book. -This is a suspenseful, first-person account of the raid that took down Osama bin Laden in May, 2011. The author, writing under the pseudonym of Mark Owen, was one of the elite SEAL Team Six operators that participated in the raid (his real name has since been revealed as Matt Bissonnette). The book debuted at number one on Amazon. It does not disappoint.The first half of No Easy Day covers Bissonnette's work in SEAL Team Six prior to the Osama bin Laden raid. After a cliffhanger opening that anticipates the climax of the book, the story backs up several years to Bissonnette's Green Team training. He was already a Navy SEAL at this point, but he was trying to become a member of the elite Seal TEAM Six, which is composed of the "best of the best." We follow his deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where the recounting of certain missions serves to establish the proficiency of the author and his team at their job. This is rather standard fare for the subgenre.The latter half of the book is devoted to the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound, including the extensive preparations and some of the political aftermath. The actual raid is told in almost moment-by-moment detail, transporting the reader to the compound in Abbottabad. The scene is described so richly that it feels as though we are climbing the stairs with the team as they close in on bin Laden. Several maps and charts help us to picture the location.No Easy Day focuses almost exclusively on Bissonnette's training and deployments. We learn very little about his personal life, which--combined with his intentional pseudonymity--makes it harder to connect with him emotionally. This information was omitted for obvious security reasons. He does share the toll that SEAL life takes on family life, however. "Many of my teammates suffered through bitter divorces. We missed weddings, funerals, and holidays. We couldn't tell the Navy no, but we could tell our families no. And we did often. . . . Work was always the number one priority. It took everything out of you and gave back very little. . . . everything else in the world took a backseat" (106-7). For those wanting a fuller portrait of a Navy SEAL's personal life, see the excellent book by Eric Blehm,Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown, which details the life of SEAL Team Six operator Adam Brown.Bissonnette does not engage in self-aggrandizement or bravado, which has marred some earlier books by former Navy SEALs. The author seems to have a realistic view of himself. He says at one point: "I am not unique or special" (298). He does not hesitate to share instances in combat when he was afraid or made a mistake. He occasionally engages in self-deprecating humor. He regularly dishes out praise for his teammates. Bissonnette says that today's SEALs have "evolved past being egomaniacs" (289). Such professionalism is appreciated.Bissonnette states in the introduction that he has sanitized the book so that it presents no threat to national security. The identities of those involved are masked; special tactics and technology are not revealed; and certain information is generalized. The author says, "If you are looking for secrets, this is not your book" (x). Yet none of these precautions affect the impact of the book. There is still enough specific information to make the action riveting.Despite Bissonnette's precautions, the book is nonetheless generating controversy. Some special operators have challenged his decision to reveal details about the mission, breaking their traditional code of silence. The Department of Defense has threatened to sue because he did not present the book to the Pentagon for inspection prior to publication. The author has responded by pointing out that many people, from the President on down, have revealed details about the mission. He says, "If my commander in chief is willing to talk, then I feel comfortable doing the same" (298). He claims that everything in the book has already appeared in other unclassified sources (xi). I for one am glad that the book was released. It shows that those who commit acts of terror will suffer retribution--perhaps even deadly retribution--for their evil. This should serve as a warning to our enemies.At the end of the book are the names of those SEALs who have paid the ultimate price since September 11, 2001. Bissonnette claims that he is donating the majority of the proceeds from the book to charities that support the families of these fallen Navy SEALs. He encourages readers to donate as well.The book is well-written and a page-turner. Even though the outcome of the book was already known, it maintains a high degree of suspense throughout to see how the situation actually played out. I read it in one sitting. Highly recommended. -Welcome to the world of Amy Elliott Dunne and her husband Nick Dunne. On their fifth wedding anniversary, a day Amy always celebrates to the hilt, she disappears under mysterious circumstances. Nick is the prime suspect and does nothing to make his family, the media, or the public think differently. Thus begins a highly suspenseful tale loaded with twists and turns to keep you eagerly turning the pages. I am in awe of author Gillian Flynn's clever plotting and now anxious to read her two previous books. To go more deeply into the story line would involve spoilers, so I will avoid that and just say Amy and Nick are two of the most dysfunctional, psychotic people you may ever come across. Their story is riveting, appalling, and highly readable. A smart and stylish golden couple who complete each other in every way, their story and the inside look into their marriage will have readers mesmerized from romantic beginning until the stunning finale. -Wow. just wow.I had no idea what to expect when starting this but I knew I had to read it right away because I absolutely loved Slammed and Point of Retreat. It exceeded any expectations I had. Easily one of my favorite books of the year. The story was so touching and had me guessing the entire time I was reading. I was almost positive I knew the way the story was going to play out and was proved wrong with a seriously shocking and great twist. This book was written with so much emotion it was literally jumping off of the pages and consuming me. I am so glad this was released early because I was already having a hard time waiting for this!5++ stars. Another success by Colleen Hoover. -Definitely the best book of the series but all 3 are highly engaging and worth reading. I didn't know anything about this book when I bought it, but I had heard of it and wanted a good book to put on my brand new Kindle. I seriously could not put it down, and finished it in one day and immediately purchased the other 2 books in the trilogy.I was surprised to find out that this was meant for kids! It is so captivating, and fairly gruesome. Definitely the best book I have read in a long time, I would recommend this to any and everyone! -If you aren't up to date on the publication and release drama surrounding the Cuckoo's Calling author, I'll give you a second to catch up. Good? Okay. The Cuckoo's Calling by J.K. Rowling was orignally masqueraded as a excellent debut novel by newcomer Robert Galbraith. In the statement "debut novel", critics reveal a bias toward letting some flaws slide and overlooking the less-than0stellar details of the book, while praising the good things it does well. Now that we know Robert Galbraith is not a newcomer, and no less he is the great J.K. Rowling, I think it's time we all looked at it through the lens of a regular critique: that this is the third outing of a well-known author... and it is also her weakest.The Cuckoo's Calling concerns itself with the apparent suicide of super model Lula Landry, who jumped out of her third floor balcony due to depression. Our detective is Cormoran Strike, a one-legged veteran-turned-private-eye, who finds himself randomly teamed up with a young woman named Robin, who was sent over by a temp service that he forgot to cancel. After receiving the assignment from a worried brother of Lula's, the two hit the streets of London to find out what actually happened the night the model died.The plot is surprisingly feeble, especially for a murder mystery. From the first few pages of the novel, there isn't anything particularly gripping or suspenseful about what is going to happen. You know two things from the get-go: there is a mystery and we will get a resolution eventually. There never was a "how are we going to figure this out?" or "what will we do if we can't?" moment-- Strike lines up a list of suspects and witnesses and goes through them, one by one, for 400 pages. Each suspect lasts one to two chapters, they tell there side of the story, and then Strike moves. Absolutely no clues are given to the reader during this time, and then somewhere around page 400, a surge of true information comes out and then the book is neatly wrapped up. This makes the plot structure very weird, like one long expository flatline and then a huge drop of a sudden resolution.But despite the plot, the writing in here is superb. It's what you'd expect from the first person to make a billion dollars writing books. The writing is tight, clean, and clinical at times, matching the investigative nature of the story. At first, this may seem a little jarring, and hard to get in to. A few of the paragraphs do tend to go on a sentence fragment or two too long. But the writing does it's job, never gets in the way of the story, and pulls the reader along the way... even if the plot doesn't.The dialogue in this book is phenomenal, easily one of it's strongest points. Each line of each character's speech is carefully written, hand picked to reflect their background, their views, and their characteristics. It is truly a treat to visit each and every witness or suspect and get their side of the story, even if that story isn't compelling. From Tansy Bestigui to Guy Somé, each character has distinctive speech patterns, a feat which does not go unnoticed after working through each of the novel's 40 or so characters. Sometimes the author even writes in Dialect, which goes well in every case except for one particular one (Lula Landry's birth mother, who's cockney drawl was a headache to read and interpret, especially for an American).After sifting through the various things this book has to offer, you finally get to the end. Many readers and reviews before me have praised this part of the book, but in my opinion, it was nothing special. The loose ends get tied up in a satisfactory way, but nothing shocking or surprising really happens, and, in truth, some of the motives for one specific character get a little murky and quite silly. Of the eight hundred million things that are clarified and revealed to the reader in the final forty pages, only one of them managed to actually surprise me, and it wasn't the "oh dang!" moment I was expecting from a mystery with this many high reviews.I'm not sure if my opinion on this book is going to change your mind over whether or not you read it. I mean, come on, it's JK Rowling, it's the talk of the month. You're going to read it. But I hope that my points inspired some thought in you over whether or not you enjoyed this book. As for me? I'm surprised this is the one all the hubbub is about. Personally, I thoughtThe Casual Vacancywas a much better book with a way more solid ending. -I have a friend who was actually an orphan and on an orphan train, so this book is meaningful to me. I think the writing and the content is very good. -This was a great book, until the end. Some parts were dark. Twisted. But after reading all those pages, some of which were redundant, it just stops. Like there should be part 2 which I would not read. Readers deserve closure. BIG waste of my time and money -The Time Traveler's Wife never appealed to me because of the title. I don't usually care for science fiction and time traveling, but my friend recommended the novel and gave me a copy as a gift, so I tried it out. Just as I expected, I didn't care for the time traveling. I found the first thirty pages terribly confusing as dates and ages jumped around. For me, The Time Traveler's Wife had a rough start, but it picked up after the first hundred pages or so once I figured out the time structure of the story, and it culminated with the final scene as the best scene in the book.The book tells the love story between Henry, a librarian plagued with a genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily time travel, and his wife Clare. The story and concept are unique, interesting, and captivating. They touch upon a wide variety of philosophical topics, such as love, free will, age differences within relationships, sex, waiting for love, and genetic therapy. It provides a lot of material for both self-reflection and discussion with others.Although I enjoyed reading the novel and became engrossed in the storyline, I also found many faults with the book. My main complaint is that the characters were flat. The story is told with the alternating perspectives of Henry and Clare, however, I oftentimes could not remember whose perspective I was reading. The two characters are too similar and are poorly developed as separate individuals. Henry is clearly the main character, and Clare simply waits for him throughout her entire life. Some people might find her relentless waiting as a testament to her love for Henry, but I found it pathetic and irritating. She has no personality beyond Henry. Furthermore, I found Henry interesting because of his time traveling predicament, but he is not at all what I would envision of as a romantic hero in a love story. The author sets up numerous situations in which she could have explored their deeper emotions, but instead she only skims the surface. Similarly, the author sets up some great supporting characters, but fails to give them any depth.In the end, The Time Traveler's Wife is not a bad book, but it's not a great book either. The story and concept were captivating, but unfortuantely, the characters were disappointing. -Weird, weird book. Very surprised considering its popularity. Had to finish it, though, and it was okay. I hate to say I wouldn't recommend it to a friend. Both characters were very odd and had several issues of their own. No real "good guy" I guess. Left me with a big ole question mark dangling at the end of this one. -I was in the mood for some light beach reading. This book was perfect for that. It was entertaining throughout and I laughed out loud a lot! The characters were likeable and I could not put this book down. -So beautifully written that you literally have to stop and close the book for a few minutes savoring what she's written. Her prose is so clear, so direct and yet so humorous that you smile through every paragraph.Gilbert is a born writer and one of the few I've read lately that make you turn immediately back to the first page to start over when you finish one of her books. Highly recommended. -I have little respect for authors that borrow characters from other work (-5 stars) of their own, give them new names and toss them into a different story. No matter how interesting the storyline (4 stars) I feel as if the author is cheating, lazy and looking to turn a quick buck ( or meet an impossible deadline etc). The concept is intriguing (4 stars) and the pace satisfactory ( 3 stars) but it lacks the depth it needs to be exceptional. I was a bit confused at the beginning, thinking I was reading a second or third book in a series (i did check to make sure). The reader is dropped into the story with no introduction (-3 stars). It did not make sense. I ignored this issue thinking the story would evolve in a way that would explain. I later found that it was not important. There were times when I did not want to put it down and was looking forward to my reading time (5 stars). The ending is completely set up for a sequel and when it is released I will read it with hope that she put a little more effort into it. -The best thing about this book is: it is so simple to read and understand, and hence easy to remember. The concepts laid down are so simple, and yet sometimes surprising. Mr. Collins did not complicate the findings, and use very simple terms and stories to illustrate his findings. Since the results are driven from detail researches, it adds certain credibility to the overall framework. Ignoring the notes of the researches, the book only has +200 pages. This is a must read of even the most busiest executives. -As I write this, there are already over five hundred reviews of this book in ahead of me, so there would not seem to be much I can write about it that hasn't already been written. Given these circumstances, I'll cut right to the chase. This is a terrific book, and it is apparently just the first of six that will make up the entire "Fire And Ice" series.Tolkien is the standard by which I measure adult fantasy and, while my experience in this genre is limited, "A Game Of Thrones" is the most compelling and well-conceived tale I've found since Tolkien (and I liked Kay's "Tigana" and Brooks' Shannara books very much). It lacks Tolkien's deft touch of humor, but the plotting is intricate and multi-faceted and the characters have real depth, with elements of both good and bad in their personalities. Some are at once likeable but on the wrong side, and vice versa. Further, the "good guys" in this story are just as much at risk as the "bad guys". Death can strike down anyone, and it sometimes does so with stunning suddenness.The plotting is truly fascinating. Most immediately, the political and personal intrigue within the seven kingdoms is fast-moving and treacherous. But, beyond that, there is the Princess Daenerys, the last suviving member of the previous ruling house of the Seven Kingdoms, who dreams of returning from exile and reclaiming the throne for herself. Lurking beyond even that, however, is the ominous threat that "winter is coming". The great northern ice wall separates the Seven Kingdoms from a vague danger that is, as yet, only hinted at but which seems to be perhaps the greatest danger of all.This is great storytelling. A real page-turner. There's never a dull moment and, as a reader, I was always anxious to see what was going to happen next. I have the next book (#2), but book #3 doesn't come out in paperback for a couple of months and the remaining books in the series are farther down the line. I'm resisting the urge to plunge right into #2 for this reason, but I guarantee that I won't wait very long. Read this book. You'll be looking forward to more, too. -When my dad read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a while back, every time I walked by him he looked up (or didn't, because he was so insanely engrossed in the novel) and said, "Natanya, you HAVE TO READ THIS." Although I knew that I would not be as blown away by it as he was (my dad spends most of his time reading emails, not novels, and he's a computer geek), I knew I had to see whether the novel lived up to the hype. And now that I've read it, I can say that the majority of it did. The real meat of the story--the main mystery--is quite the thrill ride, and I found it pretty impossible to guess who the "culprit" was until the end. I loved Salander and her various methods of getting information or making things work to her advantage. Blomkvist was a little blah at times, but that didn't really hinder the novel very much--he provided a pretty good contrast to Salander's unpredictability.However, the mystery is framed by this financial libel disaster that Blomkist got himself into, and, consequently, I found the beginning and end of the novel to be very boring. While I was largely able to ignore Larsson's often excessive amount of detail for the bulk of the book (some of which became relevant later, others which were really not necessary), I had to force myself through the first 75 pages or so of detail and financial crap that was relevant to Blomkvist's life, but entirely irrelevant to the rest of the book. I suppose it is better that Larsson fleshed out the context rather than just throwing it in as a wimpy reasoning for why Blomkvist could spend a year on this mystery, but, honestly, I have little interest in the financial world.But, while this boring frame (and maybe it was just boring to me) made the novel a bit less enjoyable, the bulk of it is much more applicable to a college age girl (at times terrifyingly so), and is also far more graphic, shocking, gruesome, and totally gripping. As a warning, though, it does get pretty gross at times, and I had a hard time falling asleep a couple nights after reading this. So you may not want to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo right before going to sleep, but if you like mysteries or thrillers, or are just looking for a hold-onto-your-pants ride of a novel, do read it. -I really loved this book. It's got a great blend of science fiction and 80s nostalgia, all wrapped together in a plot that moves like a roller coaster.In 2044, most of humanity is plugged into a virtual world called OASIS, the brainchild of a genius named Jim Halliday, who was raised in small town America and was a child of the 80s. Halliday, before his death, left a series of puzzles and clues that would lead one lucky player to his fortune. Wade Watts (nee Parzival) wants to be the first to find this treasure, and does find and solve the first of many puzzles. Now the world is watching. Wade's friends Aech and pseudo-girlfriend Art3mis aid him, and he meets up with other virtual warriors (Daito and Shoto). However, a large corporation, IOI, led by a man named Sorrento, also wants to find Halliday's fortune and they've got the firepower and resources to do it.The characters are all likable (with the exception of Sorrento) and the 80s nostalgia is amusing (Halliday codes his puzzles with dialogue from 80s films like 'WarGames'). The pacing is brisk; once Wade finds the puzzles, the action starts and doesn't really stop until the conclusion, where Wade must solve the final puzzle. The author thanks several movie executives in the acknowledgements, and I truly hope this book is made into a film. I can't tell which I'd rather watch first: this, or "Robopocalypse."This book is highly recommended. It doesn't matter if you're a diehard gamer, an 80s child, or a WoW guild member. Even if your only exposure to video games was watching "Wreck-It Ralph" in theaters last year, read this book; you will not be disappointed. -This book was good, and I really did enjoy it (already started the second one). There were a few things about the characters that bugged me, but no one is perfect. I have read a lot of NA books and it was up to par, the sex scenes were hot and good (a little repetative at times but still good), better than fifty shades but no where near as good as "Rush" (the breathless series), that by far is my favorite. Overall it was a good book and an easy read (finished it in a day or so). The characters I hope will grow a little more in the second novel. -This story line is amazing. I love the sacrifice. That author did an amazing job building characters and plot. Great read. -The final book in the Divergent Trilogy left a lot to be desired... That being said, the book wasn't necessarily bad and I feel that most fans of the series will ultimately be at least satisfied with the trilogy's ending. (In other words, it could have been a lot worse.) There's not much I can say about the story without giving too much away; the action and intrigue that comprised the first two books is still present in Allegiant. Also present is the ensuing romance between Tris and Tobias. Despite having the core elements that made up the first two books, there were a few things that I took issue with in Allegiant...For one, this book is told from the perspectives of both Tris AND Tobias. I was initially very excited about this aspect of the book. However, I just feel that this idea was better in theory. The dual perspective was not executed very well. There was no real distinction between the voices of Tris and Tobias. If you were to open to a random page and read it you would not be able to distinguish who was speaking (except for use of pronouns, names, etc.). I feel that Roth should have spent more time developing a clear voice for Tobias instead of using the same writing style she's used for Tris's voice.I was also a little disappointed about what was "beyond the fence." Don't get me wrong, it was interesting and thought-provoking, but... I just expected more! I feel like the explanation for the secrets behind Tris's world were just very bland (for lack of a better word). The previous two books were just so mind-blowing that I expected the same sort of pizzaz from Allegiant, but it just wasn't there.Despite these errors, Allegiant really is a decent ending to the trilogy. Even though it doesn't necessarily end the way you want it to. However, its flaws keep it from entering the realm of 5-star books like its predecessors, Divergent and Insurgent. -The series takes some very unexpected but not unpleasant twists in the second installment. This one is hard to put down. -I rate books on how much of an impact they have on me and whether or not I will think about or want to discuss the contents after I've read the last page and closed the cover.The Roadis a post apocalyptic novel that will stay with me a very long time. The bleakness of the journey that this unnamed father and son embark on is quickly evident -- they are going south but have no real plan and no endpoint or destination in mind. They traverse an unrelenting and very bleak landscape of ash and burnt out flora, fauna and civilization -- devoid of any life except for the occasional creature that bears little resemblance to what was once humankind. The man and the boy stick to the endless blacktop, the road -- the only somewhat permanent residual marker in a very changed world. They walk by day, pushing a metal grocery cart full of their meager possessions, avoiding the marauding bands of cannibals and even the lone survivors as trust is not a trait they can afford to have when it is survival of the fittest at stake.Though the story is very grim, the love and protectiveness that the father has for his son is the only light in this otherwise very depressing narrative. They are all unto each other -- there is no one else and nothing else. Memories that the man has are soon discarded as his reality is faced with plugged determination -- a search for food, water, warmth -- merely to survive another day.I'm eager to see the movie based on this book and hope it's a faithful adaptation. This is definitely a novel that I will think about time and again as it haunts me with its stark portrayal of whatever comes after "the end of the world as we knew it."I gave this 5 stars, not because it was a pleasant story, but because of the impact it had on my psyche and my senses as I read it.I can't really say I LOVED this book, but I did live it.Recommend. -If you're not DARING TO BELIEVE GOD for the impossible,you may be SLEEPING THROUGHsome of the BEST PARTS of your Christian Life.I really thought this book was thought provoking and insightful. The writing style is very easy to follow. Furtick uses a lot of great illustrations. He also uses a lot of scripture to back his points. The book really challenges us to pray big prayers and expect God to do big things for us. He uses the term "Audacious faith" a faith that challenges you to live with boldness. I love the statement he used "A lot of Christians I know stagger through life in a daze. Suffering from posttraumatic faith disorder, they hunker down in the basement, open a can of Beanie Weenees, and wait for the end of the world." This has a great and challenging book.I received this book free from Multnomah Books as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." -What a great book and start to an awesome series.Characters: 5/5Cassandra knows how to create great characters. The good ones are nice, the snarky ones are awesome and the bad ones wind you up. I love the humor she brings into the scenes as well.Clary - I like her from the start. Clary is easy to connect with and she is smart. Sometimes she can't see what is right in front of her but she keeps it together and is determined to find her mom.Simon - Simon is Clary's best friend and I love his humor and optimism. He is an awesome character. He is so witty and kept me laughing throughout the book. I really enjoy the comfortableness that is there in his friendship with Clary.Jace - I love his snarky and badass wit. He is smart, brave and just a great character. On the surface he is serious, honest and smart - underneath Clary brings out a more sensitive, caring side. Just like Alec says - Jace thinks he needs to save the world.Isabelle - I love Isabelle's way. She isn't out rightly a nice person but she isn't a mean person either - just really honest and a bit arrogant. My favourite scene with her is right at the end with Clary - where have a beautiful bonding moment.Alec - Initially Alec comes across really rude and offish, especially towards Clary. I could see why Alec seemed put out by Clary. It's as if Jace doesn't need him anymore and is utterly absorbed by Clary. I could see his troubles and I think great things will still come for Alec.Magnus Bane - I loved Magnus in The Infernal Devices. I don't feel he played a huge part in this story but I do think (and hope) to see more of him in the rest of the series.Hodge - Hodge is such a misunderstood character, I felt so sorry for him. I don't think he really knows where his loyalties and heart lie. He may have started off on one side, but near the end he makes some decisions to help people, regardless of what is in store for him.I cannot say I have one favourite character - I love them all!Plot, Pace, Writing style: 5/5The plot was captivating and gripping. Cassandra has a beautiful way with words and is an amazing writer. The pace is perfect and there is so much to build on in the books to come.Cover talk: 5/5 I love the covers in this series! They are beautiful and original.Final Thoughts: I am really excited to continue this series -This is a groundbreaking book, at least to me. I have read plenty of marriage and parental improvement books, but none that I recall address the potential pitfalls and methods of working with introverted individuals. Cain has an engaging writing and storytelling style that makes this book an easy read. I didn't necessarily think of myself as an introvert until I began reading through the checklist she put together at the beginning of the book. I knew I enjoyed my personal time to read, enjoyed expressing my feelings in writing and sometimes just had to get away from others, but only as I read this book did it dawn on me that these traits put me largely in the introvert camp. As the father of a possibly introverted child, there are some good take aways for me from this book as well. And the conclusion - talk about a life's manifesto! Overall, well done and fascinating read. -Nell Hawthorne is an ordinary girl sweet and well educated. Kyle Calloway is only days older than her, for many years he is her best friend, until he admits his feelings changed and he becomes her great love. Their life is pure bliss until a tragic event rips them apart forever.The void he left and the guilt she feels make her life painful and she has troubles coping.When she meets Colton Klyle's older brother for the first time, he seems to accept and understand her. Some years later when they meet again their scared souls seem to recognize each other. Colton teaches her how to cope with the pain, how to let go and accept the pain.The love they develop is deep and fragile. Together they learn to love again to accept their pain and to, sometimes enjoy life.Oh Mrs. Wilder what did you do?I enjoyed your book wounded a lot and now you create two more characters that are amazing. I really enjoyed the rhythm, the characters, the story and the blazing hot sex scenes. I loved the fact that the reader understood the feelings without you having to explain and show everything. At the end I noticed that I was going to underscore every single sentence of the last pages... so I just enjoyed reading then and bookmarked the pages.Thank you a lot for this book I am really waiting for your next one.I hope you will enjoy the read as much as I did.Please keep feel free to comment. MBTM -One of my new favorite books of all time!!! Colleen Hoover just writes perfection. My words cannot accurately describe how I feel about this book. It's brilliant. I loved it, everything about it. Holder is freaking amazing. Sky is the perfect book heroine. The story is fresh. I would recommend to anyone and everyone. So butterflying fantastic! -Cade MacKenzie is a marked man. After his cover was blown while working to take down the del Fuego cartel, he saw the woman he was in love with taken away. He is no longer the man he once was. There is darkness in him that wasn’t there before, but when he moves in next door to Bayleigh Scott she awakens something in him that he thought was long dead.Cade is the definition of alpha male. He is hard, sexy, and in control. Yet his past leaves a trace of vulnerability that is very attractive. He is also cocky in a way that is a total turn on instead of off putting. Bayleigh is a tough one in her own right, but her insecurities are a little clearer. I love the way Cade just sends her into a tailspin!Hart delivers her readers a very sexy suspense, and I completely ate it up. Of course I have read romantic suspense before with the emotionally wounded alpha male, and the woman who brings him redemption. It is a fairly common formula, but it is for a reason. Readers respond to it plain and simple. Cade’s story reached out to me, and I fell for him right along with Bayleigh. This is a couple that can crank up the heat! The scenes between the two are both sexy and erotic. The element of danger was also a plus. I must say Hart did a wonderful job. I giveCade: A MacKenzie Family Novel 4 masks!After finishing the book my first thoughts were of Cade’s brothers and how I need to know about them. This isn’t the first MacKenzie family novel, but Cade stands alone really well.. My second thought was I want to review every one of them! All of the lovely readers out there who have been braving the subzero temperatures need to grab this read and let Cade warm you up on a winter’s night!**Reviewed by Teresa D. for ThatsErotica.com** -I appreciated the way data was presented - very readable and engaging. There is a little bit of a "Venus vs. Mars" feel to it but the book is helpful toward understanding different personality traits and provides good advice regarding how to navigate them, whether in personal relationships, parenting, teaching or workplace settings. I did find it a little repetitive but the book is clearly well researched and accessible. -I love books by Micheal Crichton and buy all of them. I think his best were Jurassic Park and the Andromeda Strain. This book is entertaining and offers some interesting insights into 13th century mores,but the science discriptions were missing and the story was not really compelling. While I do recommend it, I just wish he would write something really gripping again. -***ARC received by Simon & Schuster for review***"You're trying to save him, and he's hoping you can. You two are a disaster."I smiled at the ceiling. "It doesn't matter what or why it is. When it's good, Kara...it's beautiful."This quote describes Beautiful Disaster perfectly! I had read a couple of good reviews about this book and when I saw Beautiful Disaster on NetGalley a couple of weeks ago, I decided to get it and planned to squeeze it my reading list sometime in the next couple of months. But after reading a particular review by Debbie at I Heart YA Books, I just simply had to put all of my other books aside and I HAD to read it right away! I started reading this book around 11:30pm and I stayed up until 2:30am reading half of the book (even though I had to wake up at 5:30 the next morning) and finishing the whole thing the next night. So yes, this book was simply unputdownable. (Is that a word?)Let me start off by saying that this book is not perfect and at times it was a bit of a disaster but that's why I loved it so much. Travis and Abby were two very flawed characters with a lot of issues to work through. For some reason these always become my favorite types of characters. To me, it makes it even more special to see them grow and change and I feel like the payoff is even bigger at the end. I know a lot of people really didn't like Travis but I absolutely and completely LOVED him, everything about him! The good and the bad. Yes, he can be a jerk and he has one hell of a temper and some major jealousy issues but all of these flaws just made him even more realistic to me. Don't worry because he doesn't stay that way throughout the whole book. Once he meets Abby he slowly starts changing, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But the important thing to me is that he tries to be a better person for Abby. There is another character in this book, Parker, who is somewhat a love interest to Abby. He was pretty much perfect: good looking, rich, nice, good manners, Harvard-bound...and I absolutely could not stand him! He was such a bore. Maybe it's just me and maybe I'm not right in the head but I like reading about the messed up characters. The more screwed up they are, the better I like them. (Most of the time)Abby was a very complex character. She has a shady past and has worked hard to move on from it. But from the moment she meets Travis, she can't help but feel drawn to him. Don't worry; this isn't one of those insta-love stories. In fact, it's the completely opposite. It's one of those almostexcruciating but awesome slow build-ups that pushes them together one moment only to have them ripped apart the next. Abby and Travis have such a complicated and messed up friendship and their relationship is even more messed up. Just like the quote above says, when things are good between them it was such a beautiful thing. But when things went bad, it was definitely disastrous. At first, I really liked Abby because she was really tough and she would stand up to herself to Travis and didn't take any of his bullshit. But the closer they got, and the more blurry the line between friendship and romance got, she did some very stupid things which made me want to reach into the book and slap her a couple of times. (Maybe more than a couple)It's official! I found my new favorite category: New Adult! I mostly read YA (hence the blog name) and as much as I love them I sometimes feel like there is something missing. Well I found out what that was: sex! This is another thing that adds a realistic element to the story. I don't know why but it always bugs me when couples in YA wait until the third book to finally have sex. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against waiting and I definitely love the sexual tension until then, but what is it about the third book that makes it ok then? The relationship between Travis and Abby is scorching hot without being graphic or inappropriate. It's also such a refreshing change to move away from the high school setting (and drama). All of these things including the language make it so much more real to me.The plot definitely took a couple of crazy turns but overall, I absolutely fell in love with this book! The only thing that I didn't like about the book was that Travis has this nickname for Abby: Pigeon or Pidge. It briefly gets explained why he gave her that nickname although it didn't really make sense (to me). I mentally programmed my brain to just read `Abby" every time the word Pigeon came out. I also loved Shepley and America who are Travis and Abby's best friends (and also a couple). Travis and Abby are one of my new favorite couples and Beautiful Disaster has made it into my top 10 all-time favorite books. I read on the author's blog that she is writing a companion to this book, Walking Disaster which is basically this story but told from Travis's POV! Travis has some serious issues and I can't wait to get inside his head. Counting down the days until we get to read a new perspective on Travis on Abby.Due to the content and language of this book, it is recommended for ages 17+. (New Adult) Beautiful Disaster is not for everyone. I have seen some pretty harsh reviews for this book and it looks like it's one of those books you are either gonna LOVE or HATE. It's raw and intense and very emotional and it tackles some pretty serious issues. Whether you love it or not, one thing is clear: everyone is talking about Beautiful Disaster! Read it and make up your own decision about it instead of staying away from it because of the bad reviews.5 out of 5 very sparkly stars!!! A MUST-read!Some of my favorite non-spoiler quotes from Beautiful Disaster:-"You're only making it worse by brushing him off. He's not used to that.""What do you suggest I do? Sleep with him?"America shrugged. "It'll save time."-He leaned in close and whispered in my ear. "I don't wanna sleep with you, Pidge. I like you too much."He walked past me to the bathroom, and I stood, stunned.Kara's words replayed in my mind. Travis Maddox slept with everyone; I couldn't help but feel deficient in some way knowing he had no desire to even try to sleep with me.-I clinked my bottle against his. "To being the only girl a guy with no standards doesn't want to sleep with." I said, taking a swig."Are you serious?" he asked, pulling the bottle from my mouth. When I didn't recant, he leaned toward me. "First of all...I have standards. I've never been with an ugly woman. Ever. Second of all, I wanted to sleep with you. I thought about throwing you over my couch fifty different ways, but I haven't because I don't see you that way anymore. It's not that I'm not attracted to you, I just think you're better than that."-"Abs?" What are you a workout video?" he sneered."Pigeon?" I said with the same amount of disdain. "An annoying bird that craps all over the sidewalk?"-I yanked his shirt over his head, fumbling in the dark with his belt buckle. He jerked it open, ripped it off, and threw it on the floor. He lifted me from the mattress with one hand and unzipped my dress with the other. I pulled it over my head, tossing it somewhere in the dark, and then Travis kissed me, moaning against my mouth.***Read more of my reviews at:Nereyda @Mostly YA Book Obsessed -The book captures the reader from the beginning. I liked watching the movie n going back to the book and rereading it again n knowing the book is so much more detailed than the movie. Of course I know u cant put everything from the book into the movie but its fun to pick out the movie in the book -I red this book that I had been anticipating for some time with a mixture of excitement and drowsiness, which I guess comes of making a wal-mart run at midnight and reading until 4 A.M. then starting again 6 hours later. I thought that overall it was good, but not as good as book 4. It felt like throughout the series people were growing and changing, and yet either we took a step backwards or the people were always static. Of course some of the background characters have really matured and changed, like Neville, and some things we've been reading about in the other books finally pay off, but it almost feels like what is revealed in this book could and should have taken place in a much earlier novel. The beginning of the conflict between good and evil was sadly anticlimactic. However the talk between Harry and Dumbledore has some truly tense and interesting moments.While I truly enjoy the entire series, This one seems like the weak sister of the group. -I was fascinated by Bill O'Reilly's book on Jesus's life and death. Part 'straight from the Bible' and part 'straight from the history books', this rendition of Jesus's life and the convoluted and trumped up explanations for that brutal death (and yes, this book pulls no punches about exactly how brutal and horrifying the crucifixion he suffered was) is not for those looking for an easy read. I won't say I "loved" this book, because that would dilute its power and honesty. I will say it's one of the most memorable and visceral renditions of Jesus's life and death that I have ever read. However, the reader must be aware of exactly what kind of old world 'justice' this is about. Do I recommend it? Oh yes! But know what you're getting into. -Every character in this book is odd. The plot is odd. And I must be odd myself because I kept coming back for more. Although I may not read any of the Odd Thomas sequels, I don't regret experiencing this one....no disgusting sex or language earns an extra star from me. -With all due respect to the 5 and 4 star reviewers, I am not sure that I read the same book. I will not get in a long drawn out review as to why this book deserves only 1 star I will just keep it short and sweet. The ending of this book is terrible! I actually set there holding my kindle wondering what just happened. Terrible -This fourth book in the Harry Potter series blows the first three books away! Harry finally comes face to face with his enemy and is forced to use everything he has learned to survive. This book is slightly "darker" and more frightening than the other three, but even more engaging. Though this book is over 700 pages, I found myself wishing it were even longer. Incredible! -This is an exceptionally well written, well-researched book about two events that were intertwined, the Chicago World's Fair and the crimes of a serial killer in late nineteenth century Chicago. The book is rife with period detail and highly descriptive passages that give the reader a taste of what living in Chicago was like at that time.The book provides a fascinating look at the enormous work and planning that went into creating the Chicago World's Fair, making it into one that was truly remarkable for its time, given some of the problems that the architects had to overcome. It also provides a fascinating look into the lives of some of the key players involved in its creation.Meanwhile, an enterprising and charismatic killer was also at work, his story being tied into that of the creation of the Chicago World's Fair itself. His story, however, is the weaker part of the book, as it lacks the detail that is evident in the other segment of the book. Still, it provides an interesting look into the life of a serial killer who seemed to go about his grisly business with impunity, as well as a look at crime, law enforcement, and the state of criminal justice in late nineteenth century Chicago.The photographs that were included in the book are excellent and illustrative. The only problem is that there are not enough of them, as the few that are included simply make the reader desire more of them. Still, those with an appreciation of history will enjoy this work of non-fiction and look forward to reading more by this author. -Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick."This book is not a snuggie. The words on these pages will not go down like Ambien. I'm not writing to calm or coddle you .... In short, I'm out to activate your audacious faith. To inspire you to ask God for the impossible. And the process, to reconnect you with your God-sized purpose and potential."Steven Furtick writes this book to challenge us to see the immense power of God and to claim it in our own lives and ministries. Expounding Biblical principles of audacious prayer from the story of Joshua praying for the sun to stand still in the midst of battle, Furtick shows that God is waiting for us to ask Him to do incredible things ... but too often we don't believe God can really help us.Along with solid Biblical insight, Furtick weaves powerful stories (many from his personal life) about praying audacious prayers and seeing God answer. At a very young age (I think he is still under 30), Furtick planted the Elevation Church in Charlotte NC. In about 4 years, this church has become one of the fastest growing, most influential churches in America, with over 6, 000 in attendance. As I said, he has prayed for miracles and has seen miracles happen.Sun Stand Still is not a heavy theology book. It is an easy read that is written for the church audience at large (not just church leadership. The book didn't really have many new insights into the power of prayer, but it is a book that reminded me of how much God wants to do in my life ... more than I usually take time to consider.Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. -this was a great read I thought the suspense and action was good. I like James Rollins way of keeping you reading right to the end. -If your looking for real love plus a little bit of intimacy you must read this book. My heart feels so full of love after reading this love story. It is a.must read!!!!! -I first watched the movie and then decided I needed to read the book. Whether this story is completely true or not it was a wonderful read. I enjoyed it thoroughly and then decided I had to re-watch the movie. Liked the book much more than the movie and would highly recommend it.Book also arrived in excellent condition and within 2 days of being ordered. Great service! -"The Eye of the World" is probably the most famous fantasy novel written in the last generation, but it doesn't deserve to be. About the only thing that's going for this novel is the terrific ending, with a huge surprise waiting in the final line. But to get there, you have to wade through about 650 pages of tripe, and that's in the hardcover edition.For most of the book, the plot is fairly straightforward. There's a group of eight people who need to get from point A to point B, where point A is called The Two Rivers and point B is called Tar Valon. Meanwhile, an archvillian known as The Dark One sends overwhelming sinister forces to stop them. This portion of the book isn't developed with much skill, which is what makes it pretty boring. All that the good guys have to do is swing their swords around a few times and they can easily defeat entire armies of bad guys. One top of that, the good guys are led by an Aes Sedai (a female wizard) who can do more or less anything, so there's never any real sense of danger. The action scenes also grow very repetitive. For instance, there's one scene where our heroes are being chased by a horde of villians, but luckily they're able to run into a magic place where the bad guys just aren't willing to go. This exact same scene gets repeated twice later in the novel.Many people seem to think that the characterizations are one of this novel's strengths, but I don't agree. The main character is named Rand al'Thor, and the novel is supposed to show him changing from an ordinary farmboy into a great warrior. The problem is that he doesn't act like an ordinary person at the start; none of the five characters who grew up in a small down do. They all acts like soldiers right from the start. They're willing to plunge into battle without any hesitation, and the children always act totally grown up. I found the characters to be largely static and unbelievable.This certainly isn't a terrible novel. As I mentioned, it does have a wonderful surprise ending. Just don't expect to be swept away by it. Also, be sure to read the gloassary at the end, which is more entertaining than most of the book. -"Help" is a perfect name for this book. As you read it you will realize why and it will blow you away. I agree with the readers that from the very beginning this book grabs you and does not let go. After I finished the story I re-read it to study the minute nuances because it is such a haunting tale. It is a story about relationships in the south at the beginning of the civil rights movement. Not just relationships between white women and their black help, but also about relationships between white women and their husbands, white women with each other, white women and their mothers from another generation, black women and each other, black women and the white children they raised and so much more. To only have seen the one relationship between white women vs the black help is to have missed out on many of the lessons taught within these pages.The plot of the story is about a young white woman, Miss Skeeter, who realizes that to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer, she must dig deeper within herself and write about what matters to her. She decides to write a book about the relationships between white women and their black female helpers as a way to better understand the love she felt for her own helper, Constantine who had abandoned her under mysterious circumstances. With clandestine meetings with her best friends' helpers she is able to interview a dozen other black women employed by white families and learns of stories both good and bad. I admire the author for not writing in graphic detail any sort of absolute acts of injustice or inhumanity such as rape and police brutality, which of course did frequently take place in those times. It is in the consistent subtle mistreatment which causes the most harm and it is also the small kind gestures that have the strongest ability to heal one's soul and shine the brightest.Regardless of whether or not you think the writing is bad, this is a story that needs to be told. To think about who the President of the United States is today emphasizes just how important this story is. The story reminds us of where we were and the kind of progress and transformation this nation has made that would've made the characters of this book paralyzed with shock. Some with joy and some with horror. Recognizing this progress gives even more hope to the leaps and bounds possible for our children's future. The accessibility of this story outweighs any criticism I have for the actual writing and character development. There were times that I found the book to be predictable as another reviewer mentioned, but that is where the importance lies, in the remembering and not in the discovery. After all, this is historical fiction. This book opens up a dialogue that many of us are no longer having but desperately need. The evidence of this point is illustrated by the number of those who gave it 1 star vs those who gave it 5.Needless to say, I highly recommend this book. -I don't know what to say about this book. It's definitely has the steamy sex and a waydifferent romance but I'm so confused. Jesse is mentally unstable but I feel Ava is also. I'm not sure if I'm going to buy the next book, I'm sure I will but like I said I'm so CONFUSED!!!!!!! -This is one of the most hyped books of last couple of years and this reviewer cannot see why. The story has a cast of too many just for the sake of confusion. The plot is plodding, the prose is poor and from a standpoint of a mystery, only the confusion of the many characters can mask the whodunit.The main characters are cold, quirky and barely likeable. There are many times when things just happen to go our "heroes" way. Without giving anything away, it is inconceivable that one person could do all of the high tech damage being done without any training at all. And not only was this person perfect with a keyboard, but was simply able to outwit an entire corporation and the banking system in Switzerland.The plot was hung up on religious fervor and then, suddenly, it wasn't. The finale was satisfying but hardly described. The financial attack was basically an overview without any detail at all. This is from an author that needed nearly fifty family members to smoke screen the mystery earlier in the story. I guess the editors woke up and decided that enough was enough.Other Scandinavian authors have written better novels that bring the atmosphere of that region to the reader. The locale of this novel could have been anywhere for as much as the author used it.I am rounding it up to three stars for an adequate plot and at least a satisfying ending. -I found this book to be a beautiful and emotional tale of a young women's rediscovery of locked away memories and second chances. There are so many revelations along her journey that truly make this an amazing story and I'm struggling to not give any spoilers, but convey how great this story was. Read the book synopsis and know that if you love NA Romance you will love the story and journey of Sky and Holder. I highly recommend this book. -Karou is a seventeen year old art student in Prague. Well, among other things. She's been raised by a non-human bearing the ominous name Brimstone and runs errands to do rather grizzly things for him. With her blue hair, Karou stands out, anyway, but by her skills and background, she is even more unusual than appearances would dictate. Taylor develops the story well, beginning with the art student, and gradually expanding our knowledge of her and her skills, `family', and other activities. Through her life with Brimstone and others in their difficult to access nooks around the world, Karou discovers enemies and peers she wasn't aware of. In fact a goodly part of the story involves Karou's working to find out who and what she is. She makes mistakes based on curiosity and impulsivity, but does so mostly through good intentions. She befriends fellow art student Zuzana, and finds a badly needed loyal tie. Karou faces many challenges, some from romantic feelings, some from obligation to Brimstone and her surrogate family, some to higher principles, some to humans and non-humans of unsavory lives, Taylor weaves these all deftly to create a very novel world beyond Karou's Prague home and develops a complex and enjoyable young woman in a well-sequenced way so that the reader unfolds her and her challenges gradually and engagingly. The created other world and its animosities are also believable in their sentiments, if a bit farfetched as appropriate in a fantasy story, and frightening for Karou. Too much happens to comment further on events of the story. That said, while I usually don't consider fantasy my genre of choice, in YA books there seems to be a difference for me. I thought this worth reading and recommending, and have already purchased its sequel. -This is a return to form for Brown. It has the same mechanical plot development as usual but the premise is interesting, being based on the work of Dante. With settings in Venice and Florence, references to "Moonraker" (where Bond throws the bad guy through a Venetian clock) and a famous painting of Dante thrown in, and many many more, this is crammed full of thoroughly-researched aspects of Italy, Italian culture, evil plots to destroy the world and modern science.Thorough research is one thing, but Brown is one of those writers who has to show you all the research he did, and that, in addition to the way he frequently stumbles down winding side alleys of unnecessary thought-associations, make the book a little wearying, now and again.That said, the strange similes, the show-off piling on of irrelevant detail have always been part of Brown's repertoire, without greatly harming the volume of his sales. So you can't exactly blame Brown for giving his readers what they want, can you?Robert Langdon's new female assistant bears some remarkable similarities to the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, a leather-wearing, sassy, spiky haired chick with attitude and an itchy trigger finger. But that's either coincidence or a sign that such heroines are a dime a dozen these days.Even if it is a hokey kind of plot, Brown's new book has some interesting, forward-looking elements, and so you keep turning the pages. It may not be especially intelligent or eye-opening, but it does entertain you when you're in that lazy, hazy mood for unchallenging, easy reading.So I would recommend this to all Brown fans - this is a return to form and the standards he set in his finest works. -I'm new to Neil Gaiman, having only read "Good Omens" before, about four years ago. With "American Gods" I might become inspired to truly dive into this author's rich body of work. This book has a very creative treatise. Old pagan gods still live on as destitute characters in the real world, as long as a few isolated pockets of people still venerate them. Meanwhile, really old gods that are completely forgotten by humanity have disappeared into oblivion. The major religions couldn't even obliterate these decrepit old pagan gods for good, but the real gods of modern America may finally do it - the harsh gods of money and technology. The straight man in the novel is a hapless ex-con named Shadow, who eventually realizes that the bizarre characters he keeps running into are those decaying pagan gods who need his help in their struggle. Shadow also eventually bumbles into the realization that these gods are allying themselves with him for a greater purpose. The concepts behind this book are indeed fascinating and highly creative. Unfortunately the book must be docked one star because the action peters out towards the end, and the anti-climax takes way too long wrapping up a bunch of boring subplots. But still, Neil Gaiman is clearly one of the modern masters of innovative, speculative fiction. -I regret investing the money and time in this series. I started by wanting to see what all the fuss was about, and kept going because I kept thinking it would get better and I'd already paid for it. It's a rip-off combination of Twilight and Pretty Woman, and not as well done as either of them. There is no basis for why these characters come together, back story is provided only when it's required by a new absurd event, plotting is thin and unrealistically paced, and threads and characters are left dangling. Anastasia is bland and two-dimensional. The shame is that it really had the potential to be fantastic. The real ending is boring and unsatisfying, and the add-on ending proves that the author and editor know they screwed this up. They should have started over with Christian as the main character and told it through his eyes. As they handled it, they were a day late and a dollar short. -I liked this legal mystery for several reasons. First and foremost, it has a great plot that flows well despite many twists and turns. Equally good is the cast of fully-fleshed out characters that populates the book. Virtually the whole cast is multi-dimensioned and nuanced. The author skillfully sets up a conflict between good and evil, but there is nothing over-the-top in either direction--these are real people reflecting their times and circumstances. It gets pretty ugly when the story dips into the racial history of the South--Mississippi in particular--but there is always the hope of redemption held out for contemporary characters who are the heart of the book.So "Sycamore Row" is, at its base, a very, very entertaining story. Very hard to put down in any of its section, and impossible to stop reading in its last 150 pages. Highly recommended. -Subject matter is difficult, of course, but through the eyes, heart, and mind of a an adolescent girl, this book is beautifully and hauntingly written. It is crucial that we truly know this truth of our humanity and history. -I was excited to come across a book that has over 4000 reviews, and still have 4.5 stars at that, so I knew it would be good...I didn't know it would be INCREDIBLE! This book was NOT written hastily, it is apparent how well thought out and planned, and ultimately executed with every turn of the page. The banter between the characters is also hilarious, especially at the beginning, I found myself laughing out loud so often I was happy I was just sitting on my couch reading it! It is also a complete book from beginning to end (that can't be said for a lot of releases with similar young couples in the romance novel category around the same time frame) so that's worth a bonus star at this point too! This was just a really good read, and would also be a really good movie too! -(Spoiler alert)I just finished reading Mockingjay and had to write a review because I am floored at how bad this book is considering I absolutely loved the first two books in the series. I understand that war is not fun and that this series is not Harry Potter, but I never expected this book to be so dark and well, just flat out not fun. The first two books were serious, but action packed and had a certain momentum that kept the pages turning much the same way the Harry Potter series did. But this book is so far different in tone from the other two novels in the series that it's really shocking. There is no momentum whatsoever and there were substantial portions of this book that I started to skim out of sheer boredom, which never happened when I read the first two novels. This book is so strange that the only thing I can really compare it to is the movie Apocalypse Now because it is such a pyschological nightmare and of course the theme in both is that war is hell ("the horror, the horror"). The only difference is that I loved Apocalypse now, but Mockingjay is one of the worst novels (and sequels) that I have ever read. The things Katniss has to endure in this book (district 13 basically as bad as the capital, Peta becoming crazy, her sister being killed in the end, Katniss being burned basically from head to toe) is just flat out brutal. I guess I am naive because I expected this book to be kind of Star Warsish with the districts (the rebels) taking on and beating the evil capital in a thrilling conclusion. I figured Gale or Peta would die heroically and Katniss would live happily ever after with the survivor. But instead Katniss ends up broken both mentally and physically. I assume the author was not satisfied with writing something that was just a fun piece of popular fiction (like the Harry Potter series) and instead wanted something that would be remembered with the great works of literature (1984, Brave New World, Ender's Game, etc), but if that was the attempt then she has failed miserably. All I can really say in conclusion is that like a lot of people who loved the first two books in the series and I had very high hopes for Mockingjay, but in the end it is one of the most bizzarre, truly ugly novels I have ever read. It is so bad in fact that it will forever cloud my opinion of the series as a whole. -I try to read fiction interspersed with all the non-fiction reading to give myself a break from harder reading and so I decided to give `Hunger Games' a go after seeing that the movie was going to come out and asking my mom if the book was worth it. She said to read the series. I read the book in two days. I found the topic interesting in that the future where a small group of elite control everything and live high off the hog while basically enslaving the rest of the people to work and live in squalor is actually, if you read around off the beaten path, a goal of the powers that be psychopaths running the show currently. If you read what is being funded by the government (think DARPA) you will see the technological horrors presented in the book or something along the same lines are being furiously pursued by the elite. They want total control and are pursuing a means to that end.And so it was with that in mind that I think the book has relevance not only for entertainment. I think it shows what the future holds unless people of conscience stop wanting to just have a quiet life without the responsibility to question and champion the causes of liberty and freedom. The hunger games parallel the dog eat dog entertainment we are presented with as normal, such as Survivor, and it is high time take the blinders off and see the crap presented by the elite for what it is. Sad to say the final touches on total National Security State are being put on as I write (NDAA, Executive Orders for full confiscation powers, Patriot Act renewal, etc). It isn't for the majority of peoples benefit where something akin the life portrayed in this book is a rosy picture as compared to what is actually coming down the pipe. -EEEEKKKKK, Colleen Hoover has done it again. Hopeless is one of my all time favorite books and I thought there was no way she could top it. But boy was I wrong, I think I love Losing Hope just a smidge more!! Dean Holder, oh how do I love thee. You stole a little bit of my heart in Hopeless but oh in Losing Hope you stole the whole damn thing. Losing Hope is not just Hopeless retold in Holders point of view, it is so much more. We learn so much more about the day Hope was taken, the day Les dies and how everything unfolds through Holdens eyes. I was a crying mess while reading this book. The emotions that are brought out are simply amazing. Holder is truly a special character and will forever be number 1 in my heart. I cant even continue this review, no words I will ever write will do this book justice. I don¡t want to spoil anything and yet I want to tell you everything. All I can say is thank you Colleen Hoover, your gift with words is simply amazing.One Million Star review************************************************************************************************************** Sophie -We've read the stories of the holocaust before, the terrors brought to Germany and the rest of Europe by Hitler, the horrific plight of the Jews during World War II. This is not a new story. Think a reverse Anne Frank without the naivete. But you've never read it like this.Markus Zusak uses the point of view of Death to tell the heartbreaking story of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old soon-to-be orphan at the beginning of the book. Death is intrigued by Liesel and follows her throughout her daily tasks for the five years during the war.Because of a promise made during another war, Liesel's foster parents take in a young Jewish man, hiding him in their basement. The young man and Liesel become friends by sharing words.This is a story of words: how they are used for creation and destruction, stolen and given, how they bring life to some and death to others. Markus Zusak cradles and loves every word he writes, just as Death cradles the souls he collects. The Book Thief brought me to tears more than once, not just because of my empathy and support of Liesel and her loved ones, but because of the sheer beauty of those words. There were several times that I had to stop reading, go back and reread a sentence slowly just to let it dance in color and brilliance between my eyes for a minute.The description of Death was chilling - not terrifying, mind you, but chilling. He was a likeable, realistic, empathetic, and surprisingly nurturing character who has a love / hate relationship with his job.I would highly recommend The Book Thief to anyone. Its descriptions of this terrible war are realistic and historically accurate without being gory, the story is a wonderful page-turner, the characters were believable and lovable, and the writing is superb. It is one of the best books I've ever read. -I thought this book was incredible and definately worthy of the Booker. Many of my friends feel the same and we have had long debates about our various 'theories'. In saying that I currently have a friend who just cant get through it - yes it seems a bit pointless at times, even a bit ridiculous ( a tiger in a boat !)but people if you dont get to the end you miss the WHOLE POINT ! It has a brilliant 'oh my god''moment' right in the last few pages - so seldomly found(successfully) in many novels. Very clever - thought provoking, you may need to go right back to the beginnning. To those who didnt like it I would guarantee you DIDNT FINISH IT! -Oh god, this book. This book gave me all the FEELS. I knew this book would be dealing with some serious stuff but I didn’t expect to feel such a wide range of emotions. I laughed, I bawled my eyes out, and even got angry. So many feelings that I wasn’t expecting.Pushing the Limits was so much more than a romance story. While the romance was smoking hot, I have to say I enjoy learning more about Noah and Echo as characters and seeing them overcome their struggles more than the romance. Both Echo and Noah are very trouble characters and have dark secrets they have kept buried inside. Katie McGarry was not afraid of tackling the nitty gritty and serious issues, which I really liked. She was able to capture the emotional struggles Echo and Noah were facing so well that I was in tears for these poor, poor characters.Normally I am not a fan of alternating points of view, one of the characters always seem to come off as weaker or it just does nothing for the plot, but in the case of Pushing the Limits the alternating point of view worked perfectly. I loved getting into both Echo and Noah’s head. The writing helped create these characters who you come to care about and get emotionally attached to. Katie McGarry wrote these fabulous characters and as a reader you were truly was able to get into each of their heads. When a chapter ended and switched characters it didn’t feel awkward, the story flowed and it didn’t feel like head jumping (thankfully!).Now Noah and Echo, man, I just wanted to give them a hug. And boy, do they need one. Noah is the boy everyone warns their daughters against, but he’s so much more. While he has the tough, bad boy exterior, Noah is one of the most caring, motivated, strong teenagers I’ve seen. Despite all the struggles he’s had to face, like losing his parents and growing up in foster care, he’s extremely dedicated to his two brothers who have been separated from him. Noah’s devotion to his younger brothers, oh god. It was the sweetest thing. The scenes with Noah and his brothers made me tear up so much, I’m not afraid to say it. He loves them so much and will do anything for them. Noah gives everything to those he loves and will do anything to protect those he loves, such an admirable trait. I loved that aspect of his personality so much. I loved how he grew as a character over book.And then there is Echo. That poor poor girl. She definitely has it rough. Her father is overprotective and overbearing, she is not allowed to see her mother because of an event Echo cannot remember but left her with horrible scars over her arms. Despite everything, Echo still wants to remember the horrible event that almost killed her and still cares for her mother. Her struggle to learn the truth about that night was hard to read. All she wanted was to know. When she finally learns the truth, I was in tears with her. Like Noah, she grew so much over the story. She was willing to come to terms with what happen and open up to those around her, thanks to Noah. While they might be the two messed up character ever, they were so adorable and perfect together.The romance in this book was electric. Noah and Echo’s chemistry jumped off the page and you couldn’t help but want them to be together. They needed to be together for each other. But the romance did not define this book. Yes, it might be how they market it, what with the cover and all but it was so much more. The emotional struggles in the book are what really made me love it. The romance was a nice bonus.If you read one book this year, it definitely should be Pushing the Limits. Its such a great read that captivates you with its amazing characters and draws you in with their struggles. I’m super excited to see what Katie McGarry writes next because she has me next. A companion book staring a secondary character for this book is being published so I’m super excited for that! Hands down, Pushing the Limit is a must read.P.S. I think these lines from the Broadway show Next to Normal define what Noah and Echo both are ultimately working toward in their struggles: “I don't need a life that's normal—/ That's way too far away, / But something...next to normal / Would be okay. / Yeah, something next to normal— /That's the thing I'd like to try. /Close enough to normal / To get by...” -Amazing. This story was so intriguing, so emotionally intense. Strange that I grew to like the narrator so much, knowing who he is and all. Everything from the point of view to the characters and the way the story was told made this novel unique. The characters felt so real to me. Their story is deep, tender and painful. I laughed, I cried. Stories with some historical truth like this one--especially those set in the Holocaust era and the like--always make me cry. So unjust. So sad. This is a story I will remember. -I would recommend this book to anyone, this series is great. My daughter in law recommended this book to me because she new that I read and liked 50 shades. -This story was AWESOME!!!!!! I couldn't put it down. I knew from the beginning the pretend wouldn't last. I just love the way they adore each other. PERFECT in every way. -Humanity is almost obsolete on earth. The human body now serves as a "host" to unseen invaders from another life form. These invaders plan to take over and make the earth a more civilized place, and it won't be tainted by things like war, sexual perversity, hatred and other human complexities. "Wanderer" invades the body of Melanie Stryder. It should be simple enough. At first, the Wanderer will experience some withdrawal, where the former soul refuses to succumb and the invader experiences thoughts and memories that are not her own. But as Wanderer goes on with her life and career, she realizes that Melanie lives within her, tormenting her thoughts. The reason to the host's refusal to move on dawns on Wanderer: Melanie is looking out for two humans, one of whom is the love of her life. Things reach a head, and Wanderer can no longer distinguish between her thoughts and Melanie's, and soon their feelings for Jared are in synch as well. How will it all unfold?Stephenie Meyer once said that she was a better storyteller than she was a writer. I think I get what she means after reading this book. I bought this a year ago, began to read it, then put it down after about one hundred pages. Now I dust it off, open it to the dog-eared page, and carry on reading it. I didn't have to reread the first hundred pages, for it was not difficult to pick it up where I'd left it off. The first two hundred or so pages are extremely dull. It is nothing more than a series of flashbacks and Wanderer having an internal dialogue with Melanie. Things pick up after this rather tedious beginning. However, things drag on and on to a point where I almost throw the book to the nearest wall in more than one occasion. This book should have been at least two hundred pages shorter. The redundancy is extremely exhausting. Science fiction has never been my favorite genre. I cannot imagine green-colored men and aliens with six or seven eyes that are found in those books. (I do like paranormal fantasy though, which is why I enjoyed Meyer's Twilight series better.) However, this one is entertaining and at times compelling. If only it had been better written and edited. But oh well. I needed to know why this book was so popular (still in hardback and an NYT bestseller after over one year), and so that's out of the way. Read it if you must. -After reading this book, I had a flashback to a conversation I once had with an old German woman at a bus stop. We were both tourists in Sweden and after some small talk she mentioned that she had been living in Dresden during the firebombing of WWII. I tried to press her for details, but it was clear that the mere mention of that event was opening up horrible memories for her and she couldn't bear to talk about it anymore. This was in 1995 -- 50 years after the event.Mockingjay is a remarkable novel, because it brings the reader deep inside the psyche of a person like that woman on the bench. Through Katniss, we are able to see a person transform from a little girl learning about the forest from her father into a woman whose nightmares are almost unbearable, and which will never go away. Most admirable is that this important lesson about the long term cost of warfare, is being directed at a Young Adult readership.The transformation of Katniss felt real, and it felt natural, and it felt like something that was in the plans from the very first pages of this book. I remember that when I first met Haymitch, I found his negative attitude irritating. By the end of this book, I was left feeling like I could totally understand where he was coming from. In fact, by understanding Katniss, I even found myself finally having a better understanding of what might have driven Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain to suicide in 1994.I am very grateful to Suzanne Collins that she did not make this a story of a little girl transforming into a superhero. War heros are real, but even in the most justified war situation, war heroes leave the battlefield scarred for life. Collins knew this, because her own father was a Vietnam vet who had a lifetime of nightmares to contend with. The best way of honoring these people, like her father, is to depict this depressing reality of the unavoidable cost of war.Reading Katniss's story was so compelling that I found myself able to overlook many of the unsatisfying aspects of this book. My chief problem with these books is that as Katniss ventured further and further from her beautifully depicted home in District 12, the environment she found herself in felt less and less fully realized and more and more contrived. These gripes began in earnest with the second book, and contined with this third book. The biggest offender here is The Capitol, which is described in much more detail than before. I am sure the author has good reasons for why the city planners of The Capitol needed to fill it with booby traps. For me, the place just felt like a silly videogame, which detracted a bit from the very serious drama taking place on the streets of that city. Still, these are minor issues that I found myself able to overlook. It is only because the psychological storylines are so strong that I wish this book's description of environment was as detailed and satisfying as it was in Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, but I realize that this is an unrealistic expectation.I am surprised by the many negative reviews written about this book. So many detractors of this book seem to be let down by the negative tone of this book. It is interesting how these negative reviews contrast so sharply with the near universal praise the book has received from adult book critics. I do think that older readers probably have more personal life experiences to help them appreciate the negative tone of this book. Us older people understand that there are some sad memories that never go away, and that life can be worth living anyways. So, to those young readers depressed by this book, I only implore you not to despair over the fact that Katniss's life didn't turn out as nice as you hoped, but instead take heart in the fact that so many adults have embraced these books. I would venture to say that almost all of us adults who are parents have some dark corners buried in our psyche that can keep us awake at night, but like Katniss we have all found our own ways to cope with the inevitable disappointments that life has thrown us, and for the most part we all eventually find a way to enjoy life despite all the lousy stuff that we have to step through along the way. -I totally disagree with those who do not like this book. I found Christian to be a very sweet, sensitive (SEXY HOT) man who while having a dark past, struggles daily with his issues while truly putting Ana's feelings first. Ana, as innocent and young as she is, accepts the fact she is totally in love with a complicated man. Their romance is sexy and fun.Yes, at times the author is a little repetitious but I take into consideration the fact that this is her FIRST book and quite honestly, I think she did a great job. I've read all 3 books and will read them again and again. -I would love to read more from this author, if only she would use a more traditional means of writing and pay attention to editing and correct word usage. I really had to struggle through this book and almost deleted it more than once. If the story line had not been good, I would not have finished. I hope to see a better presentation from this author, as I believe she has great stories to tell. -Worked as advertised. I have not had any of the issues with the case putting my device to sleep when folded back. This is a great buy. Even though it does not llok like my Nexus & is protected on the sides it is. The side are open but the catch the hold the device in seem to be strategically positioned so as to protect the device in critical areas if dropped. The case is not bulky and actually fits in most of my pant pockets. Only issue is the first angled notch is not quite deep enough and does not stay in place well. -I first fell in love with Klipsch in the 80s when I purchased a set of Klipsch Cornwall II speakers. I was expecting good things from them for a computer speaker system but was blown away by the ProMedia 2.1s. Highs and mids are crystal clear and BIG. Bass booms, a little more than I am use to, so I backed the sub off a little until it was what I wanted. These speakers are more than I expected am am more than satisfied with their performance thus far. These are high quality speakers both in sound output and construction. -The Keyboard:The keys are very soft and smooth, they do not make a huge clicking sound when you type. At first I thought the smaller flatter keys would make my typing a lot less accurate because its harder to feel out individual keys but I actually type a lot better on this keyboard! The F and J keys have raised bumps on them to help you find where you need to put your pointer fingers. I love the full-sized backspace key (my old keyboard had a tiny one) but I wish it also had a raised bump on it to find it easier. The capslock key has a tiny green light to indicate it is active but the scroll and numlock keys do not have indicators.On the top of the keyboard are media keys - to adjust the volume on the right side, and play/forward/backward on the left side. The F keys double as hotkeys via the FN key next to the right-side alt. There are keys to open your browser, media player, and even restart your pc! On the right side there are even more useful keys! keys for going forward and backward in your browser, opening your bookmarks menu, and opening the calculator. the calculator key is really handy for me as I do my math homework online, and i love that it is right above the number pad!The keyboard is pretty big and has a ledge on the bottom to rest your wrists on I guess. My keyboard tray is a bit small so I would prefer if the keyboard did not have this ledge! I keep my keyboard at an angle and it is just inconvenient. This is really my only complaint about the keyboard! Everything else is great.OH! one last thing to mention about the keyboard is that the keys are nestled tightly on the board so its a lot harder to get crumbs stuck in there! That's a definite plus for me because I have major night eating habits..The Mouse:the mouse is not tiny but also not huge. It is very basic, two buttons and a scroll wheel. It fits very comfortably in my small hands. I've used it both right handed and left handed and its very ergonomic! It only runs well if you have it on a mousepad, which is my only complaint because with other mouses I've used they have worked fine without a mousepad on my keyboard tray. But on the mousepad it runs very smoothly and comfortably.Overall I think this is a great combo! I bought it at Fry's and there was a rebate, so I think I paid $30? for it. I normally do not buy expensive keyboards because I tend to break them a lot..But this combo is definitely worth it. Its of great quality and very sturdy. I drop both components all the time and have not ever even experienced lag!I just want to edit this review to say that the keyboard has lasted 1000000000000000 times longer than any other keyboard I've owned. It is covered in nail polish and many parts are melted from spilling acetone on it. The paint on many keys has rubbed off from greasy and acetone covered fingers. The media button for going to the previous song got something sticky trapped around it so it is pretty much unusable. I have thrown this keyboard on the floor and across the room probably a thousand times. It falls off my keyboard tray onto my chair or the floor just about every time i get up. It sometimes does become unresponsive for as much as a minute at a time, which is unbearable. I hit it furiously when that happens. Crumbs HAVE managed to find their way through the cracks between the keys but its cool. I really think this keyboard is great for what I put it through.The mouse is in...gently used...condition. It works fine. -I bought these speakers to replace some older Altec Lansing speakers with a subwoofer. In short they simply outperform a lot of the more expensive 2.1 speaker sets out there. These speakers won't annoy the neighbors any time soon, but they produce a deep bass and the sound is very clear and crisp. So if I am listening to music or playing games I am very happy with these speakers. While other speaker sets with a subwoofer actually have the speaker cone exposed without any protection while this one is completely enclosed. It may not be important to others, but since you usually put the subwoofer on the floor I appreciate the extra protection. -This is a good mouse I epically like how you can unlock the scroll while that will let you scroll through pages as fast as you want also the back buttons are good and easy to use when going back and forth in between web pages. The only down side for this mouse is the battery life is real short maybe about a week at best then you need to charge it other then that it is a nice mouse. -This is definitely a high quality product. The leather is soft and the material on the inside feels very nice too. The bonus is that there is a stylus holder-this was not mentioned in the description. It holds the iPad tight and allows all ports and buttons to be accessible. The pictures do not do it justice. If you are on the fence about buying this product, just go ahead and do it. -These speakers ROCK. I've tried Cyber Acoustic products against Logitech and Altec Lansing, and these speakers are by far the best in their category.Firstly, the satellite tower design includes two speakers per tower, which helps distribute sound over a greater area than with single speaker designs. This greatly improves the listening experience, as the "sweet spot" area has widened so listeners perceive full-sounding stereo from a variety of locations in a small room. Additionally this avoids the pitfalls of "small" computer speakers which sound small, like music playing from a tin box. (the CA speakers 1 level below these with a single speaker design by comparison sound MUCH worse).Secondly, the bass and speakers are very powerful for their size, and have little to no distortion even at full-volume.The sub-woofer volume is adjustable independently of the other speakers. This lets you boost bass for music genres with a lot of low-frequency sounds, such as electronic/dance or hip-hop/rap, and likewise decrease bass for genres like classical and acoustic where the bass could overwhelm the instruments or vocals.The cord is conveniently long ans contains a circular volume control with a headphone jack and aux input.NOTE: I have two of these speaker systems because a roommate dropped a satellite speaker and broke the plastic foot. They are plenty sturdy if you respect them and should last a long time if handle them carefully. I guess that also shows how good these speakers are, that they broke and I bought them again.I'm a recording enthusiast, and these speakers satisfy my needs. They are not studio monitors but it's definitely possible to create good mixes on them. They take up considerably less space than professional studio monitors and are hundreds of dollars cheaper, but the sound quality is not significantly worse than monitors I've tried. They are easily 10x better than integrated speakers in TVs, laptops, etc. and they are a few steps above every speaker set in the less than $70 price range. -I've been running the Dell Venue Pro 8 daily for about a week now so I'll give you my brain dump.The form factor really appeals to me. Super light, almost pocketable size makes it really easy to just pick up and go anywhere with it. 10" tablets always make me think (albeit only briefly) about were I'm going to stash it.Battery life has been pretty much right on the "all day" claim, assuming that you stop to eat every few hours and aren't playing online games and pooping in a diaper. I can surf the web essentially all day, at least as much as I can stand.Screen is good, but I've seen way better IPS panels than this one. Brightness is good when you disable the auto-management function. People who bitch that the resolution is too low have NO idea what they're talking about. The screen is only 8 inches! Any higher resolution and you'll need a magnifying glass to see the menus. Seriously. This is Windows, not Android and it handles DPI differently.Performance is impressive considering there's no active cooling at all on this. The combination of quad-cores and SSD makes everything very snappy. The processor benchmarks similarly to a Core2Duo and just under some of the slower Core i3 chips. Processor heavy apps won't be impressed (haven't tried Photoshop or anything like that) but everything else runs smoothly.Really does cold boot in seconds and resumes from sleep instantly.Single micro USB port can't simultaneously charge the device and run USB peripherals without a little trickery. That said I've seen video of it running quad external displays with a keyboard and mouse all through the one USB port no problem. If you're really determined you could run it as a dockable desktop. I got a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse for mine to eliminate that concern.Windows 8.1. I don't use Metro apps much, they either don't have what I need or suck 80% of the time. I set mine to boot to desktop. Having said that the Metro apps that don't suck are GREAT. Netflix, Adobe, Amazon, and a few random games rock.Built-in Office 2013 works well with touch and you can tell they put some thought into it.Bottom line: Good performance and the most portable full Windows experience money can buy. Small screen hinders getting heavy work done so you have to ask yourself which side of the "portability versus visibility" balance you prefer. I'm happy. -I've been an iPad user since the original came out. I also have an iPad 3. I have worked in IT for the past few years so I would say I am pretty good with technology and fancy new devices. With that introduction out of the way, I will be reviewing key points that I have seen touched upon in other reviews. Here goes...BUILDThe device feels nice and solid. I'm a little surprised at how heavy it is, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The rubberized backing is always nice for added grip. It's not as nice as say unibody aluminum, but it's not $500 either.SCREENThe screen is fantastic. But my problem is the same as when iPad got Retina Display, other than the OS, most apps look rather pixelated. A lot of the games I tried are not high definition, at least not high enough to look smooth on this screen. Hopefully apps get updated to higher resolutions.LOCK SCREEN ADSYeah there are ads on my lock screen. I'm not sure why this is such a big deal. How much time do people really spend looking at the lock screen? The first thing I thought when I saw the ads is WOW the pictures are really crisp! The ads are there to subsidize some of the $200 price tag. I might pay the $15 to get rid of them so I can customize it, but I might not. I feel like this has been blown out of proportion by other customers.SOUNDThe sound from the speakers is great. Much better than you would get from more expensive devices, very crisp and clean. I have the official Amazon case on and it has not affected the sound at all. Nothing much else to say, I doubt anyone will complain about this.CRASHINGI've had two apps crash on opening. I don't know if it is the app or the OS. It's probably somewhere in the middle. Again, not a big deal for me. If it crashes, then I just tap it again and it works. I've also watched a few movies using the built in player as well as Netflix and Amazon Prime. No crashes for me at all. I'm sure OS stability will be improved as time goes on.OVERALL SATISFACTIONCompared to my iPad 3, obviously the Fire HD is not as "good" so to speak. I mainly got it because I wanted something smaller. I also mainly used the iPad to surf the web, watch videos, and play some simple games. The Fire HD accomplishes this and does so much more. If you are expecting an iPad killer, or a desktop replacement, or a productivity machine, then you should look elsewhere.I bought this to be a media device, and I believe that is what Amazon meant this to be. In this regard, I think this is a great device. In fact, I decided to keep this and sell my iPad 3, which will give me another $200+ to spend on other things. Just remember, this device is not for everyone. If you want a media device, you will be happy with this. Do not expect an iPad for $200.UPDATE 9/18/12Just wanted to add a few more things I have noticed over the past 24 hours.- Power/Volume Buttons: There are a bit hard to press, which is somewhat alleviated by having the official case. Maybe it's because I'm a longtime iPad user, but this will definitely take some getting used to.- Screen Glare: It took me a little while to notice, but I was playing a Seek & Find game while on Caltrain, with the bright Palo Alto sun shining right on me, and didn't have any trouble seeing the screen. I remembered that Amazon mentioned how the screen was changed to reduce glare, and they did an amazing job.UPDATE 9/20/12Two days later and I am still very happy with the device. Here are some more thoughts from me:BATTERY LIFEI have been playing Enigmatis (a hidden object game) for about an hour and a half each day on my commute. This drains about 15 - 20% of the battery with the screen brightness almost at the highest setting. Again, not iPad gold standard, but still very good.SYNCING MUSICI have a Samsung Galaxy S3 and used an app called Easy Phone Transfer to get all my music from iTunes onto the phone. It transferred everything, including album covers, and I was hoping to find something like that for this device. I tried iSyncr, a $3 app, which did the job, but did not sync over album covers. I uploaded all my music into the Cloud, then downloaded it from Amazon, which increased the audio quality for a lot of my songs and added artwork, but this still did not show up on the device.I got very frustrated getting all the album artwork over and eventually just gave up. It's not a big deal but I am kind of anal about those kinds of things. Just a heads up if anyone else out there is crazy about it like I am.UPDATE 09/21/12I got a call from Amazon Customer Service about this review, which surprised me very much. They advised me the best way to get the artwork to show up is have the songs in both the Cloud Player as well as the device, which I know does work fine. I was hoping to have the artwork show without needing things in the Cloud, but not a big deal any more.I am more impressed with the fact that Amazon called me to give me advice on how to remedy the situation and ask if there were any other questions I had on the Kindle. The representative said he wanted to make sure I was happy with the Fire HD. This is one of the big reasons I went with the Kindle, and with Amazon in general. I have had great experiences with their customer service, who have always been able to handle my issues quickly and efficiently. No need to set up an appointment days later with a wannabe IT guy with a hugely overstated job title.So this update is not really for the device itself, but sometimes it's not just the device, it's the company that offers it that makes a difference. This is why I no longer have any Apple devices, as cool as they may be. But it's not 100% gravy, as I have noticed lately that the keyboard keeps popping up randomly on screens where there is nowhere to enter text, ie. while playing a game. I just have to press the Back arrow to get rid of it, but maybe a bug the Amazon engineers want to take a look at.UPDATE 10/05/12So I don't know if it was always there, but over this past weekend I noticed a dead pixel on my Kindle's screen. I called Kindle Support and after a short 5 minute call, they sent me a new Kindle, no questions asked. So once again, very happy with Amazon customer service. I am still very happy with the device, and have some more thoughts on it:HDMI CONNECTIONI bought an HDMI cable to hook up the Fire to my 46" Samsung and was quite impressed with the results. The quality was very good, not Bluray quality of course, but better than SDTV on an HD screen. You actually see every single thing you do on the big screen, like you are using a giant Kindle.GOOGLE PLAY APPSOne of the main drawbacks in my opinion is, or should I say was, the lack of all the Google Play apps available on the Kindle. With a little research, I found out how to add apps that are not available in the Amazon store. It is pretty easy to do and works very well with the apps I tried. This greatly improves my opinion of the Fire HD.PLASTIC AROUND THE SCREENThe outer most edges of the Kindle are plastic. I noticed some kind of discoloration on the corner of mine, and just thought it was some dirt to scratch off. So I rubbed my thumb nail on the area, and noticed there were visible marks on the plastic. It appears this plastic can scratch some what easily, but I think this is just cosmetic as not of the plastic actually flaked. If you are not very anal about how your stuff looks, you probably won't notice it.OS CHANGESHere are two small gripes I have with the OS that I'm sure could be fixed with an OS update:- Battery Meter: It would be nice if the battery meter could show percentage instead of just a graphic bar. Some people have mentioned Battery HD, but you still have to swipe down to see the percentage, so this makes it easier but does not solve the issue I had.- Personal Videos: The mp4 videos I put on the device are located in the "Personal Videos" app, which shows screen shots of all the videos I put in. The problem is, all that is shown are the screen shots. You can get more info by holding your finger down on each video, but when you have multiple seasons of a show on the Kindle, it can get confusing. Ideally we should be able to look at videos in a list like our music.UPDATE 11/15/12Still very happy with the device. Here are some more thoughts:LEFT HAND MODEI did't think this would be a problem until I played a Solitaire game that DID have a left-handed mode. As a lefty who usually uses the Fire in landscape, I often have to reach across the screen to access the Settings or Home button in the menu. It's a small grievance, but can be really annoying when watching a movie or reading something. If there was an option for a left-handed layout with the menus on the left side of the device, that would be great.PERSONAL VIDEOS APPI had earlier complained about this app, as it did not list my movies and crashed playing a pair of them. I recently drove down to LA from SF, and put 5 movies on device, only to find that 4 of them would not play! I was pretty mad, until I remembered a simple solution, download another app. I downloaded Avia Media Player, which is not the greatest either, but it played all the movies I put on the Kindle. My faith was restored.GOOGLE PLAY APPSA lot of people have asked how to do this. If you are not having luck with Google searches, try this:[...] -I tried this out because it would be nice to see the keys in the dark (I always hate when I can't see the keys at night), but I don't care for the design. There is not enough space in between the keys, and the keys feel like those of a laptop. What I mean by that is that they aren't raised high enough. I have big fingers and need keys that are spaced far enough apart and that are raised somewhat so it's comfortable to work with. I'll stick to my old board. -Did I get a dud? I had a broken set of rabbit ears hooked to my brand new 55" LED TV and could pick up some channels perfectly. I got this because on windy/stormy days I had issues and I wanted to get more channels. I hooked it up per the instructions along with the power USB cable and I got exactly zero channels. Yes, I went through the channel scan on my TV. I consider myself tech savvy and fiddled with this thing for way too long. Maybe I have a unique situation or my unit was defective. Either way, I gotta calls it like I sees it. -First of all, it is not a miracle device. What Chromecast does is to cast "cast-supported" apps from your smart phones, tablets, and stream media from your laptops and PCs to the TV on the same local network (LAN).Setup is easy and straight-forward. Connect Chromecast to your TV, download Chromecast apps from Google Play / iTune to your device, making sure Wifi-is on, setup Chromecast's Wifi connection via your mobile device, and it is done. Setup only needs to be done once. Other supported devices connected to the same local network will then all be able to use the same Chromecast.Now Google Play has a section dedicated to Chromecast compatible apps. For some reason, this section is only shown via Google Play app, not browser version, but going to chromcast.com/apps would also give you the list. Currently the selection is quite limited, with a great deal of them just variations of apps for streaming media from your local computers and media servers to Chromecast. Others like YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, and so on frequently requires paid subscription to truly make a difference.Basically, Chromecast combines your mobile device and TV into a fast-response SmartTV.The Touch-Ups which could potentially make Chromecast a perfect device:Currently, the only way to cast PC Desktop screens onto Chromecasted TV is to download the Google Chrome extension "Google Cast" by Google (sorry, mobile Google Chrome is currently not supported). It gives your the option to stream a dedicated browser Tab or cast the entire desktop screen. However, there are some flaws:1. In general, casting would mess up your Google Chrome "non-maxed" window size. It is a mild annoyance, but still annoying anyhow.2. Tab cast mode has no option to display mouse cursor. Not an issue for portable laptops, but a serious issue for a casting PC from another room.3. Desktop cast mode does display mouse cursor, but it could only cast the whole desktop. If you have a multiple monitor setup, it practically makes the cast useless.4. Neither Tab mode nor Desktop mode have build-in PC control mechanism. Although this could be easily fixed by using app such as "Unified Remote," it is still one extra step.*How 4. works, Google Cast to cast PC desktop + Unified Remote on your tablet/smart phone to control the PC -> result displays on TV**Better solution: Chomecast app integrates with Google Cast. It still needs PC, TV, and mobile device to work, but require one less app to install.If the above touch-ups could be implemented, Google Chromecast could be a potentially monopoly-accused TV casting device. -These Earbuds have very good sound, they're cheap, and colorful. The sound is VERY clear, from the bass, the mids, and the high treble. The sound isolation is great: i can't hear my parents yelling at me, which is really saying something. These are just plain awesome. I'm thinking about buying a pair of headphones from Skullcandy too. Like any earbuds, you should take care of them. I have friends that say Skullcandy sucks, i don't agree because these are amazing. -I really like this keyboard. I give it 4 stars because it doesn't have a CAPS LOCK key so I never know if my caps are on. But for the price, it really suffices as a wireless keyboard. I have very large hands and this keyboard is compact, but I have no complaints. -I got this to replace my aging Logitech MX700 (still running strong since 2001). Mouse feels great. I might have appreciated a rubberized feel to the sides of this mouse rather than the textured hard plastic, but it's just as effective.This mouse lost a star due to a couple annoyances I have.First off, this does not use the Logitech universal receiver that the company uses for other wireless keyboards/mice. It's receiver polls at a much higher frequency. This paired with the fact that the mouse runs off of one AA NiMH battery, means the battery life is pretty abysmal; few hours at most. They've cleverly designed the charging cable to turn the mouse into a cabled variant which is convenient, but I now find myself almost exclusively using the mouse in this way rather than via wireless which defeats the purpose.Secondly, I lift my mouse off the mat while using it quite often. It's a habit I've had for 15 years or so. When I do that with this mouse, I almost always push one or two of the bottom thumb buttons. It's been enough of a problem that I've had to manually set these buttons to do nothing in games and the Logitech software (it would affect the DPI of the mouse). This probably won't affect twitch gamers or anyone else that doesn't have this habit though. -This particular card is fast and reliable. No problems so far. We will see with time if it holds up as well asthe San Disk Pro and Lexar Pro. -Reading many of the reviews on here, they recommended to use these headphones for at the very least 24 hours straight before giving them good field use. Turns out, they're all correct.When I first bought the Image S4's at a local best buy, they sounded "pretty" good out of the box, but they also sounded pretty painful in certain frequency ranges -- in the treble most notably. "S" and "ch" sounds in lyrics would punch my ears in the face and make me wince. Songs had a certain shrilling tinny quality to it, that was definitely not comfortable. Well, I left the S4's on my desk plugged into my Zune HD overnight, playing music at random. About 18 hours later, I can already hear a massive appreciable difference in the sound quality. The treble has softened back to a beautiful balance with the mids, no more shrilling pain from lyrics, and the bass has solidly found its place without trying to overpower the whole track. At lower volumes, the bass, mids, and treble are easily audible and full -- which was not the case before, where the bass would drop out, and the treble would overpower the mids.My opinion on the S4's went from "If things don't improve, I will return them," to "FOUND A KEEPER HERE." -- And that's only with about a three-quarters of a day worth of burn-in! Most people recommend at least two to three days worth of burn-in to get the truly wonderful sound these headphones are capable of producing. I'm interested to see just how much they'll get from here in the coming hours.Elsewhere, the S4's fit my ears superbly. The oval tips on the buds fit perfectly into my canals. I don't get any discomfort from the build of pressure as I push them in -- the design seems to allow excess air to escape very well. This also means that then I put them in, I've yet to hear the speaker "crinkle." The other nice part about the oval design is that if I pull the muscles around my ear to make my ear stretch upward, the seal on the buds are not lost, which always happened on my old Lenntek Sonix. I would have preferred to have seen a braided cord on these, and the buds made from milled aluminum billets to really add some durability value to these, but they're quality isn't lacking as-is. The cord feels a bit thin, (not weak, just thin,) but at least klipsch added some of the best stress-relief shielding I've seen on a pair of buds. You won't see your cable weaken and drop signal on these for a long, long time -- if ever.I've trusted Klipsch before to impress me with my choice of desktop / entertainment center speakers, so when it was time to get new headphones, I thought I would place trust on them again -- and sure enough I'm not disappointed. -This monitor was purchased as a gift for my father, but I couldn't help myself, and opened it up to "test it out" for him, for a few days. Anything to make sure dear ol' dad has a Merry Christmas!The construction seems very solid for the price payed, especially considering that they had to budget in an IPS screen. The stand swivels and rotates, so that you can use it in portrait mode if you so choose. Little notches on the base tell you the angle that the monitor is at. I don't know how often I'm going to use this feature, but it's nice to have.The screen looks great next to my older, non-IPS monitors. They all look dark and bluish in comparison. No amount of picture correction made them stand a chance to the ASUS, though they were much older and cheaper monitors to be fair. the screen is also matte, which is the only way to go. No annoying reflections from lights in the room.The USB ports are a nice feature. Not sure if I will use them, but I like having the option.Finally, the price on this monitor is rock-bottom for something of its caliber. It isn't a touch screen, and won't bedazzle your desk with its style, but it appears to be a solid workhorse that won't get in your way. To me, an ideal product is one you don't have to fuss over for years to come, and this looks like a good candidate. -I read numerous reviews about the OM-D E-M5 before making the purchase (from another vendor as Amazon now charges sales tax to CA residents). It has far exceeded my expectations. Beautiful to look at (I went with the silver) with its retro styling, very comfortable to hold, and and an incredible amount of customization. The IBIS is as good as people say, and the pictures are stunning especially when used with good glass. The kit lenses (14-42, 12-50) are ok, but you won't get the benefit of the great sensor with them. I'm using my OM-D with the Pany 25/1.4, Oly 45/1.8 and Oly 60/2.8 macro and am amazed at my results. And if you are on a budget, definitely take a look at the Sigma 19/2.8 and 30/2.8 being sold together for an unbelievable package price from the famous NY dealers. Both of them have excellent image quality and for 2 bills for the pair of lenses, you can't beat the price for 2 high quality primes. I just ordered the combo package as well though I will likely use the previously mentioned 3 on my OM-D and the 2 Sigmas on my Pen E-PL2 bodies (1 visible and 1 IR).And yes, after getting the OM-D, I realized I didn't want to lug around my heavy arsenal of Nikon bodies (D300, D7000) and lenses any longer. The image quality from the OM-D with the primes listed above far exceeds what I ever got from my Nikon setup so I had no hesitation in selling it all. And with my new setup being so small and light, I find I am much more likely to take it with me. The OM-D and Pany/Oly prime lenses have renewed my interest in photography and I am enjoying every minute.Note: The resolution, noise levels, and dynamic range of the OM-D are very comparable to the newest high end Nikon crop sensor bodies. It still doesn't compare to Nikon Full Frame bodies, obviously the sensor size does limit that, but given the cost of a FF body and FF (FX) lenses, not to mention the weight, I think 90% of photographers would be fine with this set-up.I hope this is helpful. -As with most Microsoft products, great hardware, poor software, but oh well.Now I'm using this thing right now, and I never noticed the spacebar thing, but it's true, if you don't press the spacebar correctly and press it on the upper area, it's hard to press down. I've always pressed spacebars as they were meant to be pressed so I had no issues adjusting.The largest challenge with this keyboard is using home row correctly, Microsoft puts out products based on the standard, and has done this with its' Natural line since the start. I use my left hand correctly, my right, on my Logitech Elite, went all over the place; I can only imagine how wrong my right hand usage was. This keyboard forces you to relearn typing, for typing classes, a Natural keyboard would be perfect, it makes you type correctly. I don't much like the N key, but I've learned to use it and the M key correctly, no more hitting my enter key while going for quotes either.The zoom function is novelty, not necessity, it's fun to use normally but mostly useless otherwise, really exclusively for the always-in-office user, what they need to do is make it a scroll button too, it's highly sensitive and easy to use, which would make scrolling silky smooth in a way only overpriced mice manage.Therein lies the problem, the software is inferior to my cheapie Logitech Elite(Which had more functions I might add as well as better software.), there is hardly any customization to be had. There is no taskbar icon; most of the remapping done is through an interface integrated into the already well-hidden Keyboard area under the control panel. Remapping options are less than fantastic, the favorites keys are useless, the back and forward buttons will work with either a browser or a media player, not both, zoom cannot be reconfigured, and Mail only allows one indicated program to be opened.This is what is wrong with the favorite's keys, they allow but five programs to be opened, you cannot indicate that you wish to open a menu of programs to select, merely one program per key, same with all of the other keys. The lack of "My" keys for the F# Buttons is annoying, but that's just a design decision for a non-media keyboard, and I don't mind much.This keyboard would've done better to have more configuration and just a couple more media keys, but I suppose it's my fault for asking that much of it, it's designed for the office, not a music listeners hands. I'll go into the aesthetics of this baby now to round it off.Some may notice the shift keys are smaller, and the enter key even smaller, the right of the keyboard is larger than the left in the way of keys, which seems fine, to me at least, I find reaching the Backspace key uncomfortable, placing your hands on this keyboard is like a match made in heaven, seems a shame to reach so far away and break off from paradise.That leads me to this palm rest, wow, sick of those cheap detachable plastic palm rests(Read: Wrist Destroyers)? This is your ticket, so soft, yet strong, it's the cashmere of palm wrests. The 2x3 layout is back to normal, which I very much enjoy, insert is back home and delete is too. The keys above the numpad offer more functions that I have yet to use, but are nice to have all the same, the curvature of the keys takes getting used to, particularly the aforementioned N key and it's sibling the M key. The Alt, Ctrl, Windows, Menu, and Start keys are all gigantic and hard to miss, they feel pretty great.The spacebar, apparently if struck correctly, is amazing, it's designed for this keyboard in a way that no spacebar has ever been, it's almost destructive of what you're typing looking down while you type, seeing it all functioning the way it does, it's almost like some kind of alien technology, which is why I don't look.The...crappy plastic attachment that comes attached(Oddly enough) to this masterpiece is best taken out(Easily) and forgotten, it's all personal preference of course, I didn't like it, the slope of the keys makes leaving your hands where they are painless and then very comfortable. The prop-ups on the back make it more conventional and I rather like them, but now the size.This keyboard is undeniably the largest keyboard I have ever laid eyes on, the sheer width and height is enough to make a laptop user gawk for moments at a time, it is critical you have a large amount of desk space to place this on, I didn't, and I had to move my entire PC over more to the left just to manage a nice cozy fit. When the legs on this baby are propped it also reaches monitor height, I.E., it will not fit very well under a monitor, which is why it is best used in a keyboard tray, though I'd worry about it's large scale hurting the tray after a long enough time.In conclusion, this is a masterful piece of hardware, and it has virtually no flaws, the software is pathetic at best and obviously designed for the dullard worker drone, it's a pity really, all the same, it deserves four stars, here's to hoping they manage to improve the boring, bland software.8/10 (Not an average) -These headphones are strong, well built, good looking. Sound wise they are quite capable of sounding loud and full based on hooking up to a ipod nano. They are bassy. If you like bass, you will like the sound of these.What I didn't like about these is the fit. Even though the band has stretched after certain period of time, I still find them uncomfortable. I can listen to these for an hour or so. Then I find my ears feel hot and these headphones are pressing my ears. Then again I am spoiled by the comfort and lightness of the bose OE2 which has become my default over the ear headphones of choice.So if you like bass, ad are used to over the ear headphones that are of a tight fit, you will likely love these. For me personally, I use them less often as they are uncomfortable for me. These are the design and I can't hold it against the manufacturer. Therefore I minused only one star. -Outstanding fit and finish. A must have for the Nexus 7 FHD. The materials are strong and the magnetic screen sleep works as advertised when you close the screen cover. Angled viewing positions keep the tablet in place and its very comfortable to use and manage. I highly recommend this Stand Cover. -I've only been using this charger for a week, but in that time I've had no issues with it. I mention this because I have heard that accessories like this tend to work great in the beginning and then die suddenly after 2 months, and I also plan to follow up on the review. For now, I will say that this charger is great. It is designed really well and tastefully- the black and silver look sleek and the illuminated blue "M" is beyond nice. The quality of the materials exceeded my expectations- it's not cheap or flimsy feeling at all. I use it to charge my HTC Incredible 2, and it does so quickly and without problems. The cord is a comfortable length and the coil keeps it from becoming an annoyance. Love it so far!**Update: After 3 months of daily use, I've run into a problem. The plug seems to not fit the por quite right anymore, and now charges only if it is in the perfect position. Not happy about that. -This cable is excellent. I have not had any type of problem with it at all. The cable has worked on every product that I have used it on. For the price of the cable, you can't beat it. There is no point in buying an expensive cable that is only going to be outdated in a few months. This hdmi gives you the picture and the quality that you need for any component. Highly recommended that you buy it. -I bought this for my digital point and shoot as it needed a class 10 card to do HD video. The price was perfect. This was just what I needed -These headphones are my first pair of Bluetooth ear buds. The ear pieces themselves are huge! You really need to adjust it correctly in order to keep it in. Then again, my ears are pretty tiny. I don't know about the other reviews that say the bass is rubbish, when it's amazing. It's not $200 headphones, were you would except the best bass, but the bass is excellent for the price. The fact that it's water resistant is even greater. The battery life is okay for me. I only listen to music about 1-3 hours a day, so it's perfect for me. Call quality isn't that great though. My friends had a hard time hearing me. Still, the best ear buds i have owned in general. I would recommend it. -Still getting used to the menu so four stars. I ordered from Amazon warehouse used like new and saved a good amount. Charged it, did a firmware update (on windows 8 it worked better with with a manual update), put some audio books on and put some music on a micro SD card and put it in. Starts where it left off, has good sound quality, weighs almost nothing, takes Micro SD cards. Costs less than $20. This thing is great for working out, mowing the grass, in the car for WMA books from the library, etc. -If you have a big house with multiple floors and/or outdoor areas of your home where you would like to receive good wifi coverage, this is a great choice for a range extender. Probably would be a good primary router as well, but I use it as a range extender. I now get 3 bars downstairs where I used to get zero signal, and 4 bars out on the deck.I wish I could say the set up was easy, but because my wifi router is 7 years old and was set to WEP security it wasn't the simplest to get it to work. I had to call tech support. Thankfully the woman was incredibly helpful. She walked me through switching my router's security type to WPA and then the set up for the Almond Securifi was a breeze. So if you've got a newer main router to begin with, or at least one not using outdated security types, you'll probably just plug it in, click on the signal from your current router in the list, enter your router password, then wait 30 seconds for the Almond to do the rest. You'll then see a graphic showing the connection and can just direct your devices to the new signal instead of the old one. She was also going to show me how to merge the listings for the two signals, so that only one would show instead of ABC and ABC_almond, but I actually prefer seeing the two separate.I love that you can visually see the connection, and that each morning when I plug both devices in again, since I unplug both devices overnight (don't want to expose myself to more electromagnetics than necessary), within just seconds it finds all its settings and there are those green visuals showing the connection again. No need to reconfigure anything.It's also quite small and sleek looking, so not an eyesore in the middle of the kitchen (the halfway point in my house). I like it so much that when I decide to retire my old router I will definitely be getting a second one of these. It's signal is also not quite strong enough to cover my entire property with just one (has range of 100 ft), but with two of them I'll be in great shape.Special bonus, if you are a T-mobile cell user, you already know you can use your wifi connection to make calls and send texts/surf the web. So extending your wifi range to all of your property, not just where your computer is, will be even more worthwhile. Just be sure to unplug all this wireless stuff when everyone goes to bed at night if you're going to amp up the coverage so that it's hitting the bedrooms too. You'll sleep better. (Test it yourself and see if you don't.) -These wireless headphones are really awesome! The base unit comes with a phono plug to 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter, and then a 3.5 mm headphone jack to left/right RCA audio adapter. The base unit has nice, long RCA cables on it. They are not heavily shielded or anything, but they are on par with a good set of headphone wires.The wireless has worked awesome for me! No static or noise or any interference! I was worried that there might be a slight amount of static due to all of my computer and electronic devices planted only inches away from the Sennheiser base unit. I have not had a single issue at all! Amazing!The headphones have a on/off switch on the left ear cup. It also houses the 2 x AAA batteries (rechargeable ones that were included). The right ear cup has two dials. One for volume, and one to tune the headphones. The volume is fine, no problems. However, I find the "tune" dial to be a little archaic. The base unit itself has a toggle switch that lets you select between 3 channels. I have 3 units, all set to different channels, so I can tune into which ever one I want to at the time, and my brother and sister can too. I would have preferred a similar switch to have been present on the headphones, even though it is easy as pie to tune the signal in, and you have a good wide range where you get superb sound (unlike some tuning devices where you have that magical sweet-spot that is harder than a fruit-cake to get perfect so you don't have static). The headset itself is also a bit heavy, so if you plan on leaning forward with them on, be ready to keep them from sliding off your head. Not too bad, considering they have batteries and all.The price is not too bad! And, being made by Sennheiser, these headphones are great! If you are looking for a wireless headset, I recommend these, unless you are looking to spend MUCH more, or are willing to gamble on quality. I was amazed to find the Sennheiser RS120's at such a great price and such awesome performance! -I have an AMD FX-8120 8-Core Black Edition and the stock fan was noisy and not very effective. I mainly play Black Ops 2 and I was starting to worry about overheating from a few hours worth of game play. Part of it has to do with your ambient room temperature, but that fan just couldn't keep up.This liquid cooler was easy to install, looks great, and was very affordable. The mounting is likely to be more solid than the standard flip down lever because you are able to tighten with thumb screws on an AMD board. You do want to tighten them down a little at a time so you don't have one side lifted or put more pressure on one side than the other.Others said that the instructions were poor but I didn't have any issues following. It was easier to assemble than anything I have gotten from IKEA and that stuff is usually easy to assemble.I would buy again and for sure recommend it to anyone that wants to protect their investment. -The Belkin QODE Portable Bluetooth Keyboard Case for All New Kindle Fire HDX 8.9-Inch is a very nice accessory to have for your Kindle. I don’t like typing on the Kindle so this is a very beneficial product.Pros:+ Holds the Kindle securely+ Provides a lot of utility+ Good battery life+ Keyboard is responsive+ Pairing was easy and fastCons:-Magnets fell off. Easy fix with glueOverall Assessment:The Belkin QODE Portable Bluetooth Keyboard Case is a convenient accessory if you do not like typing directly on the Kindle. The keyboard is easy to use and works great. -It worked at times but not consistently. Price was good, delivery was fast but it only worked sometimes. I tried different cables with the same results. -I always like to buy Cisco products if the prices are right. This item does take a little away from speed but not even noticeable if you are on a faster network. It certainly works as described and fairly simple to set up. I had a little trouble the first time I tried and had to reset to clear the settings I put in but once it was reset I was able to go in and successfully set it up no problem. Now I have almost full signal all through my house and a good ways around it too instead of the front two rooms that I got with the stock wireless router. Bought this in the past and would certainly purchase again. -I'm always in search of a solid USB drive that won't break off of my key chain that I keep clipped to my hip. It's a very small, all-metal enclosure, which I don't see bending or breaking. I did read that some people had the electronics slip out of the bottom (which upon inspection seems completely possible if the glue gives up), so I put a small piece of tape around the bottom as insurance against that. It's not the fastest writing drive, but a slightly slower drive is better than a drive that has broken off my key chain and has gone missing completely! -Been looking for a keyboard for my ipad for a while and happened upon this. I've had good luck with New Trent's stuff so I thought I'd give it a shot. I really like the fact that it doubles as a case (hence the clamshell) when closed up. The Blutooth keyboard pairs in a snap and works great. Love the added function keys (home button, etc.) and found the size more than comfortable to type on. I've had this on my ipad for a while. I thought this would be one of those things I'd use solely for travel but the truth is this case/keyboard has stayed on my iPad since I bought it. The matte finish is nice and I love that it's not emblazoned with stupid logos. Doesn't add a lot of weight and I really like the adjustability of the screen angle. Battery life is pretty terrific, too. One other nice thing - I like being able to 'detach' the iPad and set that up as a separate piece from the keyboard. There are some other nice touches - the rubber feet, the fact that you can change from portrait to landscape. Once you remove the iPad from the arm, the hard plastic case stays with it so conceivably you could just travel with that. It's not perfect - I realized carrying it in my bag that it is just a little heavier than I would like. And it would be nice if the hinge had a ratchet action. But overall this is a really nice set up, and I've had experience with a number of these types of keyboards. All in all, I'm really happy with it. -I had been looking for a replacement for my old Sony monitor headphones.I was thinking about 5.1 or wireless ones and then a few days ago the V-MODA was a today's deal.After reading the reviews and checking some Audiophile review sites I decided to give them a try.Checking the packaging and carry case top notch and the two braided kevlar cables are the best I have seen on a set of cans.Now the sound excellent right out the box blows the Sonys away.I have two pairs of Ultimate Ears that have great sound the V-Modas beats them.I use Flim & the BB's Tricycle to test any audio components because I know what its supposed to sound like.The highs are crisp and the bass sounds the way it's meant to be.Some say the bass is overpowering I don't think so not like Beats that sound terrible.I'm burning them so the sound should get even better.I very happy with this deal. -I really love my macbook air, and I seriously considered buying another one for my kids to use. Then this little guy showed up. I was sold when Engadget said it was 80% of the macbook air experience at a fraction of the price. I'd say it's more like 60% of the macbook air experience, but that's still an incredible deal for the price.Drawbacks:You can't print. You can set up google cloudprint but I haven't gotten it to work yet. You can't do anything that isn't inside a web browser. 95% of my computer usage is inside google chrome anyway, so that's not a huge deal for me as a second computer. You can't edit video or do anthing else that requires more than a simple file system and a web browser.Advantages:The keyboard and touchpad are near-mackbook quality. That makes them better than 70 percent of all laptops out there. Not a small thing. I love the two-finger scrolling which you can reverse so it works like a mac. Google calls it simple scrolling. There is two-finger right click too.The screen is fine. I wish I could put the bottom-of-the-screen launcher bar on the side of the screen to save precious vertical pixels.Interface is good. I set up separate user account for each of my kids. Not as smooth as a mac but smoother than windows 7.Build quality is better than your average laptop but not up to macbook standards. Considering the price it's amazingly well put together.Bottom line: For someone like me who spends most of my computer time in chrome for mac, this is a natural second computer. It would be great for a student computer. If you want to edit videos or do other things that don't work very well in a web browser you should look elsewhere.You could easily spend three times this much and get a computer with a lesser keyboard, lesser touchpad, and inferior build quality. -I purchased two of these, one for my desktop computer the other for my downstairs TV. The sound is awesome, better than I expected for the low price. I'm very pleased! -This product has amazing speed and range. Even from my patio I can receive a fairly strong internet signal -- and sometimes even after exiting the condo itself! I highly suggest and recommend. The set up is easy. ASUS has done it again! -Lasts a full charge and some! Orange to green light charging and will stop charging when the battery is full. Works perfectly. -Other than some confusion when configuring the various settings, this wireless/broadband router has been great. Performance and coverage has been great everywhere in my home. I have no complaints about how this works. We've even seen a drop in overall electrical usage over the previous router we had.The one issue I have with this router is in the configuration. There are a large number of options that aren't described well. Without a deep knowledge of wireless/routing terms I would have been lost. I also would have liked the firewall in this router to have a stealth mode like my previous routers (see grc dot com for a description of stealth mode). But, it works, and once configured, there are no problems. -I've owned 4 Kindles so far and they all perform very well. The one major drawback is the power cord connection. It is not durable at all and you have to be very careful not to move the Kindle while it's plugged in. I had to replace 3 Kindles in the last 2 years and thankfully it was under warranty. I don't have the the new version HDX Kindle yet so I can't comment on those. -The first one of these I bought was over a year ago for a home office. Job changed so the monitor became part of a multi display home office along with a Dell monitor from years ago.The difference in picture quality is enough that I got another Asus to replace the dell. The Asus monitor is much brighter, higher contrast, and deeper colors. Text is easier to read. This is in all ambient light conditions I've had to deal with. These are the VS247H-P 23.6 inch displays.About the stand. It is not up to the job. If your desk is rock solid it will hold the monitor, but if you have desks that shudder every time someone passes by, or when you nudge it inadvertently, the monitor will wobble annoyingly. Dell does have solid stands on the monitors they sell. So when I ordered the second I didn't bother attaching the stand. Instead I removed the "neck" and attached both monitors to a two monitor VESA compliant stand: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002R9HQLI/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc;=1Now they are both rock solid (or at least as solid as the cheap desk they're on). If you get a single monitor consider one of the monitor stands Amazon sells for single displays.Haven't attempted the rebate process. I'll report back on that. -It's much too difficult to navigate and download files. Everything needs an app. I have discovered that I don't have much use for it. I thought that I would be able to use this chromebook as a sort of easy-to-carry backup for my desktop. I am able to download files but I am not able to access the information. For three days all I did was download one app after another as instructed and I am still not able to access file download from my desktop. Fortunately, I have found someone willing to purchase this item for less than I paid along with the two books I purchased to help me learn to use it.Lesson learned: I really needed to do more research before buying another notebook or computer. -I was interested in using this router to replace a DLink-655, which has been having intermittent connection failures requiring a reboot. I have a fairly large area that i want to cover. Note that unlike a typical router user, I specifically wanted to use this as an access point, thus my use case and experience are a bit different than typical.Overall, I was very pleased with this router.Because I couldn't figure out from the documentation how to set it up as an access point, i contacted tech support. I expected a response within a day or so. They responded in less than half a day with detailed instructions.Setup an install was very fast and easy. Basically, needed the router to the LAN and replace the internet connection on a computer, then access it via IP. This was all very simple to do. After that, needed to configure the two wireless band configurations and a few other settings. The overall menu system on the router is well laid out, with good explanations and has a good depth of controllable features. Responsiveness is quite fast. For the configuration i was doing i needed to do a software reboot, and that kept the connection nicely throughout.Once i setup the router, connections were strong and solid. I've used both bands without issues. Signal seems good and stable. I'm also running a number of direct lines from the router as well as the wireless connections. All is good. -I purchased one of these drives to replace a drive that died in my parents computers (drive that died was ~5 or 6 year old Maxtor.) I've always been a fan of the Barracuda line and the price was right so I jumped on this drive. My parents need almost no storage to check their e-mail and surf the web so this drive was perfect! -AmazonBasics are a fantastic value for quality of cable you get. No need to spend any more money on a "high quality" name brand cable for even the most demanding AV equipment. AmazonBasics will perform just the same, as they must meet the same specifications and the signal is digital. A digital signal, is simply there, or not.I've purchased a few of the AmazonBasics optical interconnects, HDMI's and now this HDMI to DVI. All great! I highly the digital cables. -I got these on amazon about a day ago, i got them to work out with, not the best choice i know but i love good sound quality and with a Trusted name like Klipsch that is what i got. The sound is great, good bass nice Sound isolation due to the rubber ear molds. They sit differently then any other headphones iv had and even running on my readmill they have yet to fall out of my ear. I also got them on sale for 55$ due to them being open box from a Vendor on amazon so that was key in buying them also. The one flaw with this product that I see has already been mentioned is that the Cord is very thin... thin to the point that im worried i will break it or pull it loose at some point. Other then that these are great and the sound isolation is very good. -I bought the H100 as part of a new gaming computer setup. Living in Texas means a base temperature indoors of about 80F for much of the year and I've had some bad issues with overheating and crashing on my previous rig when playing games.Installation on an Intel based mainboard was painless (AMD looks slightly more intimidating from the manual). In fact, it was not harder than installing a stock cooler and absolutely nothing when compared with the complexity of traditional waterbased cooling systems. It comes with pre-applied thermal paste that does the job just fine, although I suspect you could get even better cooling results with high end thermal paste. The H100 installs very conveniently in the case and does not clutter up the interior at all, which I consider a definite plus.The cooling performance of the product is excellent, and better than what Corsair advertises on the box. The difference to the stock cooler that came with my processor is dramatic, double digit degrees on all settings. The H100 has three speed settings for the fans controlled via a button located on top of the part attached to the CPU. Unless you have an easily accessible case, you will likely not be changing fan speeds very much. There's apparently an additional hardware product that can be used to control the fans from an optional front panel, but I have not found it necessary to change speed away from the minimum setting unless I seriously overlock my CPU.The noise profile of the device is great, but certainly not silent, as long as it is not set to it's maximum speed setting.Some words of caution: This cooler requires some serious space and there are not many cases on the market that will work with it outside the box. On my Level 10-GT gaming case installing it meant removing one of the 210mm fans that came preinstalled to allow installation of this one. Do yourself a favor and do some research if your case has space for the H100 (The grill slightly larger than the 2 fans attached to it).Bottom line: Excellent cooler, comparatively easy installation, decent noise profile. Easiest water-cooling solution I've ever installed. Acceptable price. -Short answer: good quality, reasonable price, excellent customer service.I have zero complaints about these cables. I bought two: one for the XBox 360 and another for the 3D Blu-ray player in the bedroom. The construction quality is as good, if not better, than the more popular branded HDMI cables. These cables are thick and feel durable.As far as performance goes, I haven't noticed any lag or problems for either 3D gaming or 3D Blu-ray movies.The shipping was fast. The cables came in minimal packaging (no excessive plastic shells to cut through or overload of marketing garbage that tell you zero about the technical specs.The price was what HDMI cables should cost. I'm not sure why Blu-ray and HDTV manufacturers can't include an HDMI cable with their products; it has to cost about the same to manufacture an HDMI cable as it does to make the set of composite cables they still include for some reason. Mediabridge seems to have found the perfect balance of quality and cost--I hope they don't change their prices as they gain popularity.I was also surprised to get a thank you e-mail for choosing these cables. I usually don't like getting e-mails from companies about products, but this one was short and to the point. It thanked me for my purchase, and listed a customer support number, should I encounter any problems. There was no mention of their other products or services; no attempt to sell me warranties or anything else I'm not actively looking for.It's nice to see a company put customer service and satisfaction ahead of their investors and shareholders. It seems that most companies have forgotten their biggest and most important investors are their customers. -I've had the Chromecast for about a week now, and despite a few little hiccups have been incredibly impressed and pleased. Considering the price, I feel like this is a no-brainer purchase if you enjoy streaming shows from Netflix, clips on Youtube, and/or movies out of Google's store.Setup was a little more complicated than I was expecting. I have a dual-band router, both with the same hidden SSID. The Chromecast has an option to enter in your hidden SSID so it seemed like there'd be zero issue. Entered it correctly, verified, and it just couldn't find my network. I went back and tried a few times, thinking I must have been fat-fingering a button. No luck. I un-hid my 5ghz SSID, tried connecting, no luck. It only worked after exposing the SSID on both 2.4 and 5ghz bands before it would connect. Somewhere on the device page it says it does work with 2.4ghz hidden SSIDs, and I may try re-naming that band and hiding the 5ghz again. But I hear that's not actually too terrible a thing to break through if somebody's actually seeking to get in so I might not even worry about it.Anyway, once setup, it's worked great with my HTC One. Finding content through Netflix, Google Play, and Youtube on your phone is so much more convenient and intuitive than searching on the apps on your TV, or 360, etc. Basically - any box where you have to fumble with a remote to do searching and navigation, this is better than. You kick off a movie/clip, cast it to your TV, and the phone is free to do whatever else you want while the content plays. At any time you can get back into the casting app and pause/resume content. Super slick.I tried out the casting extension on my chrome browser, and it works about like you'd expect. You can cast a tab, and all content on that tab is sent to your TV. Works reasonably well for me, and I can definitely see the use cases (photo sharing, watching things you can't get to through the other mediums you have). I tried streaming a movie through my Amazon Prime account, and while it worked, the audio wasn't 100% synced up. And of course if you want it full-screen, you have to give up your laptop while the movie plays. Also - my laptop (retina MBP) got really hot, and really noisy. My recommendation would be to not expect to use this feature on a regular basis for streaming content.One other downside I noticed is that while casting a netflix movie, the netflix screen takes up the entirety of my lock screen. I received a phone call, and the phone was ringing but the caller information was missing, as were the 'Answer' and 'Ignore' buttons. Had to "back" out of the netflix info (which is just weird on the lock screen to have to do) before they showed up. Google Play Movies did not have this problem, yet still allowed you to pause/resume from the lock screen.Anyway - I really can't recommend this thing enough. It isn't perfect, but it's also not expensive enough to expect perfection. If you like Netflix, Youtube, and Google Play content to be on your TV, this is the easiest and cheapest way to get it there. If you have other ways to get it there, this is still a worthy investment as it's infinitely more pleasing to use than a TV-remote based application.Very, very pleased. -Well, have had this thing for a couple of days now.Been doing lots of testing with it in various configurations, drivers, BlueTooth adapters, etc via phone, voip on computer and cell... bottom line is this:SOUND QUALITY (ie: in your ear)- Music : GREAT- Computer Sounds and Video : GREAT- Bluetooth connected calls : Tinny and Shallow; no warmth, fullness or body to the voiceCALL QUALITY (ie: calling someone else on it)- Cell via Bluetooth : Tinny, but liveable.- Computer via Bluetooth : Very Tinny and no mids/lows, no warmth or body to the voiceCALL QUALITY (TO THE PERSON YOU ARE CALLING... the IMPORTANT PART) - TERRIBLE!And I quote here from some of my calls over the past 2 days with it:- You sound like you are talking through a Paper Towel or Toilet Paper Tube- You sound like you are in another universe, and I can hear everything and everyone around you too.Bottom line for me, given the amount of time that I spend on conference calls, and want a comfortable headset, AND more importantly, that the person on the other end of the call can hear me CLEARLY and PLAINLY without sounding muffled, in a well, echo chamber or via a Paper Towel Tube...So far NOT a happy camper with this one,I LOVE design of this, but need a much more superior call quality to the caller, and thats where this one falls short.I may see if its usable for my son on his PS3, but for use in a professional situation... this is a no go.>>>>> UPDATE NOV 7, 2012 >>>>>1. I did try it out with my son's PS3...- It did connect.- It did work within the games for communication to the other remote players in the game- It WILL NOT also work to route 100% of the GAME SOUNDS and GAME AUDIO to the device. Note: This is NOT a limitation of the device, its the audio implementation on the PS3 consoles. To route GAME AUDIO and In-Game Communication to a wireless headset, you need $250-500 bucks for the high end and uber-expensive Turtle Beach rig.2. After lots of trial and error and comparing notes with those in the office that have one also...- The device that you are connecting it to, and its Bluetooth audio capabilities have A LOT to do with the call quality of it.- Via a computer with NATIVE Bluetooth or an aftermarket Bluetooth USB adapter... its still not going to sound as good as a Plantronics Blutooth device that has a custom audio functionality built in. My Plantronics BT300M sounds like you are right there as far as your vocals to the person on the other end of the call. It sounds like you. It doesn't sound like a highly compressed tin can. The LG HBS700 on the other hand... you are in a compressed, metallic sounding mode.- The device via a cell phone depends on the cell phone. I recently switched from an LG handset to a Samsung Galaxy SIII and that made a HUGE difference. The LG sounded tinny. The Samsung sounds wonderful and realistic.Bottom line, this thing WEARS like a dream. Battery life is incredible. Music plays wonderfully. Call quality will depend on whatever device you are connecting it to, and even at that, its just trial and error.If LG or Plantronics want a market winner here... THEY NEED TO COLLABORATE!!! LG for the device, PLANTRONICS for the Call Quality! -I pre-ordered the PS4 after both Sony and Microsoft had their presentations at E3. I haven't had a Sony console since the PS2 and my most recent console was the Xbox 360. The console arrived on time for launch day and was a breeze to set up. The Playstation Network (PSN) was more than a bit congested due to the massive number of accounts hitting it within the 24 hour launch day.I was able to set up my console and download the initial software update with no problems. Getting my PSN account logged in took a bit of time, but that was to be expected given the high demand for the system and large network traffic. Since I couldn't access the store from the console, I opted to use the nifty feature of purchasing a digital game through Sony's website and setting it to download to the PS4. That bypassed the traffic and immediately started the download to the console. The play while you download feature is nice, but be aware that you need to download a specified portion of the game before you can start. With a retail size game, that still takes time. My example was Battlefield 4. 6GB is necessary to start playing. You can then play single player while the remaining 33GB downloads.The hardware itself is pretty great. I love the simple design of the case and the power is a sufficient leap over the previous generation of consoles that it makes it worth it. The DualShock4 controller takes a bit of getting used to if you have been using an Xbox controller, but it's a great controller. I haven't used the touchpad yet, but it's a potentially interesting feature. The triggers are different, but I think they are quite adequate for my primary gaming need - shooters.The user interface is simplistic, but everything seems sorted into logical areas. I've only got about 8 hours into usage, so my experience is still that of a new user.Included in the box is a 30-day trial for PS+, which is required for online multi-player. You also get some pretty great games free every month. I already have a favorite launch game and it was free - Resogun. There is also a 30-day trial of Sony's streaming music service. I tested it out briefly and it works well, though I'm not sure I'd subscribe to it after the trial is up.The best part is that I was able to set up a PSN account for my wife so she can access everything I can but there is no fee for her account. Also, Sony has not put any of the media streaming services not owned by Sony (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant, etc.) behind a paywall. This simplifies multiple accounts on the console accessing streaming media.Overall, I'm very satisfied with my purchase and I highly recommend a Playstation 4 to people looking at upgrading to a next-gen console. -I really do feel like this mouse was designed from the ground up just for me! I have always been a fan of thumb buttons since my first mouse that had them, the original Microsoft Intellimouse explorer. This has 4 thumb buttons, that are easy to use, and in the perfect spot for me. All of the buttons are easy to access, and fully programmable. Overall, it it very comfortable, and I love the thumb rest. This is the mouse I would have designed for myself.I use it for playing World of Warcraft, and while the game does not directly recognize any buttons beyond the first 5, you can program and macro the rest of the buttons, giving you very quick access to lots of stuff.I also really like the scroll wheel. Being able to switch between free scrolling and normal scrolling is great. I like free scrolling while web surfing, it lets me get to the bottom of a page very quickly, but free scrolling sucks in games, because your camera view can be accidentally moved very easily. The button for switching scrolling modes is right behind the scroll wheel, making mode switching super easy and quick. My cordless 620 had the mode switch underneath, which was a bit of a pain.The build quality is excellent, the rechargeable battery included is of the best quality, and the finish texture gives a secure grip.I tend to be very critical and picky, but so far the only slight cons I have with it is, its a bit heavy. It does move well though. The price is a bit steep, but I have no regrets so far. -Decent sound, but there are negatives to considerThe quality of the construction and materials seems average. I would prefer if they were a little better built, but they're acceptable for the price. The fabric used on the ear pieces and the head padding is the same fabric they use in fabric lint rollers. It's soft enough, but collects lint accordingly. The mic boom is flexible rubber and decent quality, but it doesn't allow you to adjust its location in and out and sits further from the mouth than expected.Pros:Sound - The sound quality is very decent. I'm not an audiophile so take it with a grain of salt, but both games and music are quite enjoyable for me with this headset.Comfort - At first I found these uncomfortable and pinching which after an hour of use caused significant discomfort. However, once I lowered the ear pieces to wear this a bit loose (more loose than I normally prefer headphones) they fit much better. After hours of use they are still comfortable for me.Microphone - The mic is very sensitive and picks up sound really well.Cons:USB - The USB interface is one you want to avoid for headsets if you have a good soundcard. USB headsets include their own audio card built-in to the device in order to work. Therefore, using these will bypass the soundcard in your computer. Also, the USB cable is quite short. This device isn't compatible with USB 3.0. Since I only have 3.0 on the front panel of my computer I would prefer a longer cord to run it from the back.Dolby - The simulated 7.1 is not appealing to me. It simulates surround by making the audio more `spatial'. This doesn't add to the audio quality though; it makes the sound worse in my opinion. The default setting is off,Volume Control - The volume control is a rocker switch in a convenient location on the back of the left ear-piece. The rocker switch is annoying. You rotate and hold it in one direction or the other to change the volume. I would prefer a dial instead of holding a switch.No Audio Controls - This device has no equalizer to adjust the audio. The audio levels it ships with is okay, but if you wanted to customize your sound you should purchase a different headset.Microphone - The mic is overly sensitive and even on low input volumes it picks up any background noise like you mouse and keyboard, breathing, etc.In summary, decent sound and comfort for the price, but has some limitations. -I've had this remote for a month now and really like it. It didn't set up very fast and took a number of tries to get the macros right for turning on the TV and switching input devices, but once it was set it's been great. My kids are 12 and 15 and are thankful for the remote. They don't have to ask for my help to play video games or watch a DVD anymore.A few particular features I like about the remote:1. The keys for the most part are backlit and when you move the remote the display and backlight are activated, you don't have to push a button.2. It is rechargable. I hate having to replace batteries every few months. It lasts almost a week on one charge... but I put it on the charger after about 3 or 4 days. I don't want to chance being without this baby.3. It will learn commands from my other remotes. This was very helpful when setting up the macro for switching TV inputs. Even tho I put the TV make and model in it didn't know how to switch from SAT input to DVD input without a little learning. This all depends on your TV. Mine is a Mitsubishi WD-65733. I also had to tell it what the inputs were called and which ones were listed in what order. Beware... I think it was case sensitive in setup.4. If you want to go into the advanced features of one of your devices without using the macros to do what you want to do you can still do that. Just a double click of a button and you can set the surround sound on your stereo receiver or modify the night display on your DVD player... and so on.5. It controlls my HD DVR from DirectTV so I can still FWD,RWD, pause, and record without any problems. It does everything the remote for the device did.6. You can upload your own photos to the remote and set them as the background in the display.What I don't like???There are really only two things I would change about it and that's the feel of the buttons and the ease of setup. Some buttons are very small and they're hard plastic. Some remotes have the nice big rubber buttons and for some people they really like those. I don't know how you could make it easier but I did have to get it to learn a few commands from my TV remote. Some people just aren't into computers and electronics much and could get frustrated by this.Over all, this is one sweet remote. My friends are jealous when they come over. A co-worker went out and had to buy the same one because he liked it so much. I highly recommend it. -I have had the router for a few weeks now in the office. My initial impression of the product out of the box was very good. It has a quality look and feel to it. As soon as I powered it on, the first thing I did was update the firmware. That was a very easy process.Pros:The user management interface is very nice and user friendly.Performance is amazing! I have it hooked up to a static gateway, which splits up my modem's connection to two other routers. The bandwidth tests I have ran over WiFi with the Asus are showing higher speeds on average than the other router which the PC's are physically connected to via Ethernet. That alone is pretty impressive. It'ss also very reliable and I haven't had any problems with it till this point. Still early, but only time will tell. The WiFi range is very strong. Two previous wireless N routers did not even come close to the range I am getting with the Asus. And even at the edge of the range, the bandwidth is still decent.Cons:Some parts in the QOS section were a little confusing, but Asus support was able to clear up the confusion for me after an email. This is really not a con because they just verified what I was assuming anyway, but I wanted to ask the questions to be sure.Price was a bit high, but other high end routers are in the same price range.I would highly recommend this router for those looking for a highend, wireless router. All WiFi dveices used on my network are N devices, so I have not yet been able to take advanatage of the AC performance gains, so I can't comment on that. I can't comment on wired performance either. -I am still getting used to this speaker set, but for the price, it is great so far. No it is not like some super concert hall quality set, but for the price it really delivers. I have seen all the various reviews of people complaining of anemic performance(not about this product, but in general) and I always wonder what people expect out of a 2.1 system. For I would say 80% of one's general audio needs, this is a great buy. If you want to shake the pictures off the wall, then maybe go for another package.On a basic user level, I like this unit because all the controls are located on a remote that sits on the desktop. Having to reach under the desk to adjust the bass is not necessary. Also, the various inputs/outputs are located in the same remote. The only complaint I have is that ergonomically, the remote is a bit unbalanced in the various controls - the volume knob is huge and the base is a bit hidden on the side. But that is really small potatoes overall.Regarding the actual sound, it is fine for what it is. Decent bass, the highs and overall frequency balance is fine. As with most audio setups, if you do not have an equalizer on your computer, see about getting one. While this unit is ok in its flat response, it certainly can use some tweaking to get it just right.Overall - especially in terms of price to performance - this is an A+ product. If you are some crazy audiophile, you may not be completely impressed. But for the vast majority of users out there, this is a very affordable and effective computer audio solution. -Why pay Apple prices when you can get the same thing in black for less? Just follow the instructions published here and everywhere to format the drive when you first get it to work efficiently with your Macbook. It is small, light and does not require a wall wart. I hate wall warts and any product that does away with them is a plus in my book. Put all your excess junk, Logic files, photoshop (if you are still using photoshop anymore) and all the big stuff and free up your hard drive. Access is fast and 1 TB is quite a bit of storage! -Pros - Easy setup, lots of apps, GREAT little remote, Android app has great functionality, small footprint, stylish.Cons - Zero.Honestly, it never freezes, holds a great connection to my 5 Ghz wifi connection, the remote is durable and it's a little unit. Does everything I wanted it to do. -Tablets of all kinds are a lot of fun for me, and as an owner of last year's Asus Google Nexus 7 Tablet (8 GB) - Quad-core Tegra 3 Processor, Android 4.1, I was keen on giving Google and ASUS' most recent effort a short. The tablets I've owned that I could compare this one to included theHP TouchPad Wi-Fi 32 GB 9.7-Inch Tablet Computer, the original Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1,Apple iPad MD366LL/A (16GB, Wi-Fi + AT&T; 4G, Black) 3rd Generation,ASUS Transformer TF300 T-B1-BL 10.1-Inch 32 GB Tablet (Blue)(with matching dock), the aforementioned Nexus 7,Google Nexus 10 (Wi-Fi only, 16 GB), and myMicrosoft Surface (32GB). The Nexus 7 has turned out to be a worthy addition to this collection. Here's why.PROS+ Lightweight build. Last year's Nexus 7 was hardly a slouch in this department, and was more than portable enough for most. The iPad Mini (which I purchased as a gift) is slightly thinner, but it doesn't really make any drastic improvements. This device is markedly lighter than both, which makes it surprisingly easier in the hands. You wouldn't think there was much room for improvement here (given the first generation was quite nice), but ASUS managed to pull it off.+ Great, understated looks. Sure, the top and bottom bezels are a little larger, but compared to last year's Nexus 7, this device has a lot more "class" to it. The exterior bezels now lack the bright silver banding, which helps the screen melt away into the bezels. That's all the better, since as an LCD panel (which won't achieve the same black-levels as a AMOLED display from Samsung) is the centerpiece of this device, it's best to keep your focus on it. The back is nice and smooth, with the word "NEXUS" inscribed into the back. The branding is non-obtrusive and otherwise non-existent on a device that all around has a sophisticated, matte look to it.+ Powerful performance. Without getting into too much technical information, the processor in this device (a rebranded Qualcomm Snapdragon 600) is significantly more powerful than the Nexus 7's Tegra 3 in every way. It's also more power efficient, so you can watch your movies and games for longer, all while enjoying stunning looks. Which brings me to the next two points...+ Beautiful screen. This is a Full HD (1080p) panel in a 7" package. The best effort prior to this was Amazon's own Kindle Fire HD 8.9, which had a 1080p panel as well. At present, this device has the sharpest screen (in terms of PPI) of any device, even compared against Apple's iPad 3 and Samsung's Nexus 10. Colors are sharp and vivid and the screen has no motion blurring or ghosting. My unit also doesn't have any light bleed, although I've seen some people complaining about it.+ Better hardware for longevity. You may have heard of the recent kerfuffles around last year's Nexus 7, which has started to slow down and lag for many users. The problem lay in how the device managed its onboard storage-- which, to put it mildly, was poor. If you didn't mind tinkering and rooting your device, you could fix the issue, but that should never be a requirement in a consumer product. Luckily enough, the refresh's hardware boasts better memory and Android 4.3 will automatically keep things in good shape, so you won't have to worry about this.+ Sound is pretty good for a small device. It gets plenty loud without much distortion. Unfortunately, ASUS elected to keep the speakers on the back for some unknown reason (especially with nice bezels on the top and bottom that could have provided stereo in landscape-- which is where you'd need those speakers most). This is especially perplexing considering how well-reviewed the speakers on the Nexus 10 and HTC One were-- both packed front-facing stereo speakers.+ Android 4.3 under the hood means you've got a faster, more secure mobile experience than any previous version. Even if you're primarily an iOS user, the Nexus 7 is definitely worth a look. The Play Store's got almost all the heavy hitters you'd use on a tablet (such as Amazon Kindle, Netflix, a YouTube experience second to none, and the full power of Google's own services as an example), as well as some amazing Android-exclusive apps (such as Press, a beautiful RSS reader for those who prefer to take their news this way). Many people have griped in the past about Android and tablet apps, but...+ You'll also find a mature and solid ecosystem waiting for you. As a 7" device, the refreshed Nexus 7 sits between traditional 10"-class tablets and the smartphone, meaning it can use apps designed for either very well. Although most Android apps are still designed for phones, they scale up very well on the Nexus 7 (nothing like Apple's frankly laughable 2x zoom mode available on the iPad/iPad Mini). Android tablet apps are also getting better by the day, so unless there really is that one killer app you can't leave behind, give it a whirl!+ Android 4.3 also provides multiuser support, so if you have this tablet in any social settings (having friends over, throwing a party, and so on), you can easily set up a guest profile for friends to use while keeping your own stuff under lock and key. It's also great as a family tablet-- share the device among multiple members while keeping everyone's stuff separate. Things have also gotten a lot faster since the 4.2 days, so if you had any issues before, give it another go.+ Notification light! Hoorah! Long-time Android users will instantly recognize how useful these things are, and as a casual device to leave lying around your desk, the light makes things much better. Let's say you're walking by a coffee table and you receive an e-mail. With an iOS device, the screen will light up for a few seconds, and a pulsing icon will let you know that you've got a message of some sort. And both iOS and Android handsets without a light (such as last year's Nexus 7) will beep or produce a tone to let you know the same. But if you happen to walk by after those time out, you'd never know that you have something waiting for you. With a notification light, you get a persistent, unobtrusive and instantly-visible way of seeing that something's waiting.+ Great battery life. Although the battery's smaller than last year's Nexus 7 (probably to slim down the build), Android 4.3 and the newer Snapdragon processor make for quite a powerful (hehe) package that will run all day and then some without trouble. I have yet to charge mine after receiving it two days back, and I'm still looking at 50% remaining after heavy use.Of course, this isn't all sunshine and daisies. Make sure you're making an informed purchase. Here are some cons I've noticed.CONS- The cameras are forgettable. Good enough for video calling, but it won't even replace most smartphone cameras.- I'm having screen lift issues in the upper left hand-hand side of my tablet, which means the back creaks a little if I press on it. It doesn't impact functionality at all, and hopefully it may go away after a while, but my launch-day 8GB Nexus 7 from last year also had this issue. needless to say, I'm a little annoyed that they weren't more rigorous this time around. Not something you should have to deal with as a consumer.- Top and bottom bezels make the device a little larger than it has to be. Depending on how you use this device, it could actually be a major pro for you (as wider bezels give you a better surface to grip without accidentally touching the screen). For me, it's a definite con, since I think it makes the device look a tad silly.- Slightly less grippy than last year's model. The refresh loses the dimpled texture of the original, which makes it a little more "slick" in the hand. It's not awful by any means, but do keep in mind that it can slide a little more on surface than you'd expect.- The buttons. Are maddening. They're basically flush with the chassis, and while there's solid feedback on all three (power, volume up, volume down), they're very close to one another and feel exactly the same. Expect to hit volume up a lot trying to wake this device up.All in all, I'd say buy this one with confidence. It's well worth the upgrade if you're on the fence, and if you're new to the Android tablet land, this is an amazing place to start. As a Nexus device, it'll get long software support and fast upgrades, so you'll always be getting the latest and greatest. Questions? Let me know in the comments below! -First, the price is nice, if it were $10-15 more I would rank it a 3, as in, "it's okay" or better but a bit too pricey for what it is. However, at this price, "I like it" a lot. If it is durable it may earn my "I love it" -- especially since I will probably use it pretty hard (8-12 hours a day, in and out of a laptop bag nearly every work day), and since it is a $15 mouse I won't be all that careful about it.It is my main mouse for a desktop replacement laptop, both travel with me to work most days. So, I will see how it holds up and update if it wares out or develops problems - if I don't update that means that it is still going strong and I still stand by this review. If it lasts into the 5 year range I will update and probably change it to 5 stars.Next the review points:Pros:To start, I like this mouse. It feels good in my medium-large man hands. The grip on the thumb side feels good; although, I had to push mine into place as it was peeling on arrival and it continues to be somewhat loose or prone to getting pulled out of place, it sits to high above the surrounding plastic [Edit, this continues to be "loose"]. (I do wish there was a thin strip on the pinky side.)The adjustable DPI will probably be nice for some light game play and some situations, but I generally just keep it on the lowest setting. But having the option is a bonus.The mouse is nice and responsive and I have not noticed any lags (I'm using it on an Ivy Bridge I5 3230m in a Toshiba Satellite L series, Windoze 8 and will be dual booting Kubuntu, when I get a chance to set it up; if I don't update the mouse works fine as a native in Ubuntu as I expect it will [edit, confirmed, works in every distro I've played around with lately (all Debian/Ubuntu forks)]).The back and forward rocker works great and is also very nice to have.The mouse moves smoothly and works on every reasonable surface I've tried it on, including the number pad on the side of my laptop keyboard, which is nice.Range is good, as advertised about 15 feet through walls, etc and about 25 feet in the perfect situation (in the same room or outside).Cons:I wish it had a real off switch since it wakes the Laptop up on button click, until the mouse shuts itself off; you have to take the dongle out when you are transporting the laptop or shut off the wake up settings.This boarders on nitpicking and is related to the previous point: I wish it had a clip like some Logitech mice do so that it clips to the back of my screen and when clipped it shuts off the mouse so that it doesn't wake up the pc -- [edit, I really, really wish that it had such a clip]. This is a good thing because it protects the mouse by ensuing that it is in the padded case with the laptop, rather than just thrown into the bag or outside pocket to get banged, bumped, and (maybe) broken. I really don't understand why anyone would manufacture a wireless mouse without this feature. It just makes good business sense and is relatively cheap.Finally, the mouse does feel a bit less high end. As I mentioned the grip pad for the thumb was out when I took it out of the box, but other things don't quite fit right. One corner of the battery cover sticks out and is a bit stiff to remove (feels like you might break it), but hopefully I'll only replace the battery ever year or so.Overall the mouse feels just solidish. As in, somehow I suspect it isn't as durable is my partners beat up 3-4 year old Logitech that is still going strong. But only time will tell and that Logitech was almost twice the price.Nit-picking (in order of importance):The scrolling wheel is a little high and I wish it was closer to the tip of my middle finger.This boarders on obnoxious nitpicking, but the material you touch is that slick glossy plastic and I wish it had a bit of texture.The slick material feels, sweaty or something, I don't know, I don't like touching it as much as other mouse textures -- yeah, it is nitpicky, I know.At this point I strongly recommend this product. I like it a lot right now for its price, but if it proves durable that may make me love it (as in 5 stars).If you are a cheap-skate like me and looking for a good mouse, I think this is it. If you are a high-end type, this isn't it.I will update when the battery dies, currently it has one AA Eneloop that was fully charged when installed.[Edit, a month after purchase, I like it okay, but I think the 4 stars will stick and I very much wish that I'd gotten one with a off switch and/or a clip - I would've payed $10-15 more for these things.] -Didn't use it for a really long time yet, but from the little I saw it has great quality, very sharp image and dark blacks, incredibly neat monitor! -Batteries are excellent and the eneloop does hold a charge longer than older style re-chargeables. 1 star off because it is suppose to charge AAA. If so I can't determine how. -Love/hate with this product.For all the positives it has, I ended up returning it because of its' construction.Pros:- great connectivity, battery life and comfort. The earbuds fit well and the sound is very clear. It also holds a charge through a solid 5 hours a day. I would charge it at the end of every day, so not sure how much longer it would last if I kept using it.Cons:- Although it is very comfortable and easy to wear during active runs and gym sessions, it just feels flimsy to me.The little earbuds are supposed to be held onto the neckband with little magnets. These magnets are far too weak and barely hold them in when they are stationary. They are also not the easiest to fit in place while the neckband is still around your neck.If you do manage to fit them in, the slightest head movement causes them to fall out.This is not only frustrating, but with them just dangling there, they easily got caught on my jacket, shoulder strap of my purse and scarf.It was an accident waiting to happen and I just knew they'd get torn off one day soon.Another concern was how they'd hold up being toted around in bag. If you don't want to walk around with them hanging around your neck, there's really no easy way to transport them. I'd wear them on the train to listen to music, but didn't want to leave them on once I got to work. I'd put them in my bag, but then had to wrestle with a tangle when I retrieved them.Overall very disappointed because although user unfriendly, the sound and comfort of these were great. If you're just going to be using them at home and not taking them with you, they will suffice. A bit pricey for being limited like that though. That's why I ultimately returned them. -I ordered two of them to hook up to two amps. a high end pioneer and an older onkyo.At first I didn't really notice the sound was bad as I was playing dub step and other electronic music... but when alanis morisette came on I noticed something... it sounds like a bathroom or hall effect has been added to the music. Most will probably not notice this unless you have good speakers..but I could hear it...I then tried it on my pioneer sc09 and high end speakers and it was really bad. Since I had two units I tried swapping them out but both exhibited same poor sound quality. Well the quality wasn't all bad...just that annoying bathroom echo effect ...also this device does not auto connect when your within range but rather requires you to go into Bluetooth settings and pair every time you want to use itRange was not bad about 20-30 feet throug a couple of interior walls much better than expected -This keyboard is decent enough and for the price - it's hard to complain. My only issue is the keys get stuck very easily - if a little bit of something falls into the crack between the keys and the base pf the key board, you get pppppppppppppppppppppppppp all across the screen until you get the 'p' key unjammed (for instance) -Anyone who wants to listen to tunes while working, these are the ticket. No more wires getting snagged, tangled, ripped, or in the way. The battery lasts for DAYS. sound quality is incredible. From voice clarity listening to talk radio app, to the stones, to pitbull...all sounds as good as any wired earbuds ive ever heard. hands free phone calls are crystal clear. Very durable. Ive recommended them to several of my friends and coworkers, and they swear by them as well. I work for a telco, so these have been through some tough areas. Working on a pole in the rain, running data wires for call centers, crawlspaces, attics, whatever...they hold up..cords for the earbuds have an adjustable strap to keep cords out of the way and out of harms way. Ive had mine for a long time and they are in fantastic shape. -This will be a ramble - I am generally well satisfied with this product but there are a few things to be aware of. Firstly, I purchased the product as a refurbished unit and only paid $75 including shipping - I added two additional batteries quite inexpensively through eBay.It is easily portable and seems to have fairly good battery time - here's a sample of 720 P quality - not bad. [...]I suspect that this is a generic criticism as the small microphones embedded in this type of a video recorder has no resistance to wind. What you can expect is that if you are moving and experience when passing across the microphone you will get wind noise.My original intention was to use this video camera on my bicycle and to that end, I constructed a helmet cam mount. This would probably work but I found that the additional weight on top of my helmet was unacceptable - the camera weighs 4.4 ounces - seemingly trivial but noticeable on top of your head. At five megapixels, the still picture capability is adequate but nothing special. I chose to get a ZX3 as opposed to the newer ZX5 - there were several reasons for this choice:The ZX3 has removable batteries, the five does not. The charge coupled device is larger on the ZX three and quite a few sophisticated reviewers felt that the ZX five was a downgrade in some respects. And then there was the issue of a dramatically lower price.Summarizing, this camera is good enough and portable enough that I will often carry the camera in situations where I would have been lugging my Canon T1 I. Go for it! -I recently purchased this and use this to back up my pictures and as a USB hard drive for my Wii. So far it works great and the noise is low. It has a on and off switch and I have had no problems with this Item. I would recommended this item to a family member or a friend. -I am very much disappointed with this product considering how many stars it received.From the moment opening the packaginig it was disappointing because you can see that thes cheap with leathery piece glued onto it - you can see the glue that makes it look even cheaper. And some other reviewer mentioned, the cover is stiff and N7 will NOT stand. To be fair it fits well and every "outlets" are in line with N7.To sum it up, I would NOT RECOMMEND this product if you are expecting something nicer. -product had been opened and programed. Password had been changed and there were finger prints all over it. What I ordered was supposed to have been new and this had obviously been opened and used by someone but all the parts were there. A novice would have ended up returning this item in the condition it arrived. Had to reset it so that the default password would work and I could get into it, after that it worked fine. Interface is not user friendly to set up. It is all there just not friendly. I have worked with a lot of routers and this one seemed to have a confusing interface. The help files were helpful. There are easier routers out there. This one has really good range. Set up is kind of awkward. I bought it for the range and it is a good router just the interface is not intuitive. -I was scared about the price I will not lie. It is in fact a great buy though. Installed in a breeze and handles the weight on the tv. The levels that come with it is great! Planning on buying another real soon -I heard a lot of good comments about this tablet, but for me, the jury is out until I get one in my hot little hands. It's in my hands now and I like it! It's very fast and I really think the screen resolution and clarity of display is very good! It's also very light, and lighter than my iPad (4th gen).I feel this is a product worth considering as an alternative to the iPad (starting with cost) and you can do a lot with it. -This thing is awesome, especially now that it supports HBO Go. Just be sure you have an extra outlet or a USB device to plug it in. Google is hella shady in their marketing and doesn't show the GIANT CABLE sticking out of the back. Thankfully the product works really well. -The Anker Astro E5 is a great external battery for anyone's Apple and Android Device. The Astro E5 size is exactly the same size as it predecessor, the Astro E4. The weight of it is pretty heavy holding it in your hand but not anything that is noticeable if you have a bunch of stuff in a bag with this battery in it. The on/off button is quite easy to press and easily pressed if it is stuffed into a bag. The flashlight in the external battery is a big plus. It is a bright LED light that works well if the power is out or looking for something in the night. The light is easily turned on because of the easily pressed on/off buttons. The flashlight is activated by pressing 2 times fast on the on/off button. This battery has 2 USB ports. One is 5 volts at 2 amps and the other is 5 volts at 1 amp. There are 4 LED's that tell how much power the battery pack has left for charging other devices. The battery has a smooth, shiny, reflective and stylish finish which looks awesome. The finish on the battery also attractions a lot of fingerprints which could make the battery look bad if not cleaned every so often.This battery has a massive 15000mah lithium ion battery in it that is packed in a small casing. This battery is smaller than most other external batteries I have researched in the past which is ideal for packing in a small bag. I use this battery to charge my iPhone 5 and my iPod touch 5. I can charge both these devices simultaneously.This product is ideal for someone who travels a lot and uses a smartphone for their business when traveling. This battery is also good for people who go camping and are not around power that watch movies and play games on their device for long periods of time. Other than the buttons being easily pressed this is the perfect external battery for those looking into buying one to use for a long trip or power your friends device and keep your devices charged in case of a black out.The Anker Astro E5 is closely comparable to the Astro E4.Anker Astro E4 13000mAh External Battery Pack Portable Power Bank Charger for iPhone 5, 4S, 4, iPad 4, 3, 2, Mini, iPods; Samsung Galaxy S4, S3, S2, Note 2; HTC One, EVO, Thunderbolt, Incredible, Droid DNA; Motorola ATRIX, Droid; Google Nexus 4, Nexus 7... (This has a 13000mah lithium ion battery) Both of these batteries look identical from the looks to the locations of the ports but the Astro E5 has a 15000mah battery that puts it over the top of the Astro E4.Overall the Anker Astro E5 is a great external battery that can charge your smartphone to 100% and do it again 6-8 more times and has a modern look most smartphones have today. You won't have to worry about your phone dying for more than a week when using this external battery.So far i have charged my iPhone 5 twice and it still has 4 LEDS.Another Update: i have charged my ipod touch 2 times and my iPhone 5 3 times and it now has 1 LED and can still charge my devices.I was supplied a sample for test and evaluation, and I promised that my review is fair and honest. -It works well. My only complaint is, for it to act as print server you have to download software for you to connect. Not a true server like i hoped. Wifi signal is very good, webgui is nice. -I bought this unit to replace a similar device that stopped working. This unit seems well built and is easy to setup but the sound quality is terrible. Going to return and try a different one. -This tablet has exceeded my expectations. The screen is very bright and vibrant, its processor is very fast. Video playback is excellent. I find myself using this tablet for everything from surfing the web to creation of documents. Another plus point is that is has Android ICS on it, which in my opinion is way better than the previous versions. I like the metallic styling, seems more durable than the plastic casings most tablets have. The touchscreen is very responsive & quick. The battery life is excellent, I can use it almost all day with a full charge, this include watching lots of videos. I don't care too much for the camera on it, it's lacking, but I dind't buy the tablet because of the camera so it's not a big disadvantage for me. I was frustrated when I found out the difficulties involved with getting picasa albums to sync with the gallery, but once I got it to sync it's been no problems since. I really don't know how I got it to sync, but I went into the gallery and saw that my picasa albums were synced. The keyboard is also nice, its keys well space for my big fingers & paired with the very responsive touch screen make it second nature to type on, to me it feels almost like typing on my desktop keyboard. I can't wait to find out the endurance of this tablet, I'm hoping it will last a long time.03/14/2014: After a year I'm still pleased with this purchase. The tablet works just as good as it did when I got it. The battery life is great, I use this tablet more than my PC. My only gripe with it is sometimes it's slow to come out of sleep mode, other than that I'm overly pleased. I'm thinking of purchasing about 3-4 more. -Perfect for 10.2 Gbps data transfer. I have a 4k Ultra TV and it works great. I purchased a few of the 19 Gbps cables and they're not necessary as far as I can tell. Maybe if you're doing some gaming online in 4k Ultra they're necessary, but I haven't encountered it yet. Promptly shipped and the price was really good! -This remote is excellent.. It was easy to setup and it has so many features that you can use. I replaced all my 4 remotes with this one. Excellent product with an excellent deal... -Yes, there is always a 'but'. I bought 3 of these drives mainly because I was getting tired of using external hard drives that required their own power supply, and like the idea of a portable, USB powered backup.I've had WD drives before and not experienced any issues with them (I've got a couple of their 'powered' drives). But these little buggers have been frustrating!ALL 3 WORK independently. No issues there. The trouble begins when you try to daisy chain and use more than one at a time! A single 2TB drive was not going to be enough, so the plan was to link these together using a powered hub.My system: HP 19" laptop, running windows 7, 64 bit. 4 GB RAMHow I prepared and set up the drives:1 - The drives are ready to go out of the box. The cables that come with them are PATHETICALLY SHORT. About a foot long.2 - For each drive, I plugged them in one at a time and went into the properties to give them a unique drive name as to not confuse the computer, and keep them straight in windows explorer. To keep it easy, I named them "My Passport 1", "My Passport 2", and "My Passport 3". (I get the same problem I am about to describe if I have spaces in the name, or not)3 - To link them together, I made use of the following:a - HDE 2 Port USB 3.0 54mm Express CardB0046XUMDWb - Anker USB 3.0 7-Port Hub with 36W Power AdapterB006TT91TWc - AmazonBasics USB 3.0 A-Male to A-Female Extension CableB008EQYRRY4 - I tested the cable (3c Above) first by plugging each drive into the female end, and the male end into the express card (3a above). the drive spun up, computer recognized it with no issues. All 3 drives checked out OK.5 - I then tested the powered hub (3b above). Plugged it into the Express Card (3a above) directly, the other end into an outlet. I plugged in each drive one at a time (tested individually)... no issues. all drives recognized.6 - next, I tested the hub WITH the cable. I plugged the cable (3c) into the express card (3a), then the Hub (3b) into the cable (3c), AC adapter into the outlet. The PC recognized the hub with no issues.This is where it gets puzzling:7 - I plugged "My Passport 1" into the Hub (3b). Little blue light on the hub came on. The hard drive started to flicker, computer made the 'discovery' sound, and windows explorer opened showing the new drive, and it appeared as 'My Passport 1" in the directory tree. could access the drive with no issues.8 - I plugged "My Passport 2" into the Hub (3b). Little blue light on the hub came on. The hard drive started to flicker, computer made the 'discovery' sound, and windows explorer opened showing the new drive, and it appeared as 'My Passport 2" in the directory tree. could access the drive with no issues.9 - I plugged "My Passport 3" into the Hub (3b). Little blue light on the hub came on. The hard drive started to flicker, computer made the 'discovery' sound, AND THAT WAS IT. windows explorer would not see the 3rd drive, yet the computer must, because you get the audio tone as you did with the first 2. I clicked on the properties for the drivers; on 'manage'; checked in 'device manager' - no way on earth to get to the 3rd drive. yet you can pick it up and feel it is running.I installed the software that came with the hub, rebooted after installing each drive, nothing seems to work.10 - I ruled out a bad drive by repeating the procedures above, but changing the order of the drives being connected to the hub. I started with 'my passport 3' - fired up, recognized no problems (yet in #9 - the computer would see it based on the sound, but that was it). plugged in 'my passport 1'. it also fired up, computer recognized - windows explorer opened - good to go. plugged 'my passport 2' into the hub, behavior was similar to #9.things I have not tried yet: 2 drives in the Express card and one drive into the onboard USB2 port, but what sense would THAT make? all 3 USB 3.0 drives will boot individually with the hub, but no more than 2 of them.ANYONE else had this problem or have a solution? you should be able to plug all 3 drives into the 7 port hub with no issues. I can plug 2 drives into the hub, and then plug an older USB 2.0 drive into the hub, 2 thumbnail drives - all work in harmony. but 3 WD 2TB drives? haven't figured that one out yet -The airbendar case is an excellent accessory for the ipad. I am using it with an ipad 2. I purchased it after I was happy with two other iPad keyboard purchases. The Airbender is lime having three accessories in one. First it functions as a keyboard, second as a case; and third as a stand. The nearly unlimited amount of positions the keyboard/case can be configured is awesome. The entire Keyboard can be separated from the iPad half of the case which is perfect for users that desire a little more distance between the two. The iPad can be used independent of the keyboard while still retaining half the case to protect the bottom and sides. It uses a pinch lock mechanism to quickly unsnap it. Other keyboard case solution areMuch more tedious. The keyboard has worked flawlessly since purchase. It was extremely easy to pair with the iPad. Feedback on the keys is excellent. Much better than those keyboards with the soft rubbery feel. The keyboard is also larger then most iPad keyboard which makes using it much, much easier for people like me with large hands. I charged the case once and 8 days later and its still working off the initial charge. I have no doubt that it will stay charged for weeks or months. Another great feature is the Airbender functions as a stand and can be configured in portrait mode for typing documents or landscape mode for games and movies. The case also shuts off the iPad when closed with the magnetic switch. The case looks great open or closed. I brought it to work and had several people asking me about it and where I got it. It has a very cool functional design. The iPad is held securely in place and all ports and switches are easy accessible. I highly recommend this keyboard/case combination. -I'm not a sound enthusiast so I can't give an expert opinion on the sound quality - but, it certainly isn't anything to complain about (as a gamer). The price was well within my range and I haven't had any issues after a few months.The headset is comfortable enough that you can wear it for several hours, the mic is up to par, and in-line audio controls are always a plus. The sound seemed a little hollow to me when I first started to use these but I would hardly say so anymore.I have two complaints about this product, first. the cord is obscenely short and will only reach the front audio jacks of a desktop. If this is not an option, then get an extension cable. Secondly, they hardly hold sound in at all. Even listening to music at a moderate level I can remove the headset and hear it a few feet away. This isn't an issue for me because I do not share the room with anyone, but if you're around someone who might be bothered then you may want to find a different headset. -I read all of the reviews and bought these headphones. I knew the Sennheiser name so felt I would be on the right track. I have 3 pair of headphones. A pair I bought at Radio Shack 5 years ago for $27 (bedroom), which died and is the reason for my purchase. I also have the Sony headphones for $150 (TV room). These cost $75 (bedroom). My $27 headphones were the best in every way; sound, no problems, always worked. Radio Shack no longer has the headphones. When I first got the Senn headphones they worked 50% of the time and it was very frustrating. We found out that when we had them plugged into the back of the TV (brand new LCD TV), that was the reason for them working only 50% of the time but when we plugged them into the back of our DVR, they work 100% of the time and we have had no more problems. The only thing I don't like about these headphones is that they are not comfortable and fall of my head easily. I didn't know they weren't the type that covers the whole ear. The type that covers the whole ear are the most comfortable and the sound is better because your ear is encased. Also they don't fall off. When I'm sitting in bed watching TV with my head against a couple of pillows, it moves these headphones forward slightly off my ears and the sound is not as loud. As for recommending these headphones, I would say get the headphones that cover the ear whatever brand. -I bought this router after reading the review on smallnetworkbuilder.com, where it was rated the fastest WIFI router at the time. The review has been accurate in my case and I have seen an improvement in both range and performance over my previous WRT 350N router.On the downside like many reviews I read I found the firmware to be unstable. That is within the first 24 hours the router had dropped all the wireless connections in the house and devices were not able to connect consistently. Having read many reviews and some forums I knew this was a possibility but I also new that I had options. There are 3 alternative firmware versions available that will all work on this router so if the stock asus firmware is not fitting the bill you have a choice of Merlin, Tomato or DD-WRT. At this point however a simple update to the latest Asus firmware resolve my problem and the router has been stable since that time.There are some other things I do not like about the Asus software:Parental Controls - The only option here is to set a calendar of access times. The Web 2.0 interface is awkward and you must set a different schedule for each MAC address. I found it time consuming and problematic. I would have preferred to create an access class assign the schedule to the access class and then assign the MAC address to the class. But at least I was able to disable WIFI during nighttime hours so my children aren't watching HULU or worse all night in bed.Static IP - While it gives you the ability to create leases, you cannot name them. And as such the DNS from the router will not serve a name for them. This has been a feature I have used for a while and has been available on every previous router that I have purchased. It makes it easy to setup a static entry for my ReadyNAS, and networked Xerox printer and then access them in a browser by name instead of IP. All of the alternative firmwares provide this capability so I will likely switch to one of them, going to try Merlin first as it has the best performance.QoS - I really don't get it, why would you invent your own version of QoS when a standard 802.11Q already exists and would make your device compliant with other devices that also support the standard such as my 24 port gigabit switch. The lack of this feature has effectively nullified the capability on my 24 port switch as I have no congestion within the switch, only when accessing the internet. Instead they provide a very dumbed down custom QoS implementation that has been very buggy by all reports. I am hoping that I might be able to get 802.11q with DDWRT or Tomato, but doubt that Merlin will provide it.In general the interface is just simplified, and it is clear that it was intended for the novice user. Some advanced features are available, but for the most part it is designed for the non-technical user.To be clear, I find the problems above endemic across all SOHO offerings. They are adequate, but dumbed down for grandma to the point they do not work the way a technologist would expect. Based on the performance I am seeing with update firmware, I can highly recommend this if you need a Dual Band WIFI router, I have deducted 1 star because you will need to flash the firmware to get it to be stable. -This Router is excellent! Installation is painless and fast. It comes with a CD but you do not need it! The quick start guide is all you need and you have wifi in 10 minutes :-)! This is so much faster and more consistent than our old netgear router. -It was and excellent tablet and I loved it however I had to return it for a refund because in less than 1month, out of know where it just stopped working, no power, wouldn't charge, it just stopped. Luckily they were very quick and awesome about giving me a quick refund. Seller was great, loved my tablet but I think it was just a malfunction and not anyone's fault. Thanks for being great about my return guys. -From the beginning:I had been interested in a wireless speaker for awhile and had gone to the Apple store as well as Best Buy to look at some products in person. I wasn't really able to tell a big sound difference between them in store at the time.I ended up purchasing a Jawbone Jambox as it was considerably cheaper and I enjoyed the different color options. At first I enjoyed the sound, and it was of good quality. The speaker felt solid in your hand, but the one thing I noticed is that there was not a large amount of bass that came out of it.After sending it back, I ordered the Bose SoundLink Mini.Having owned it for over a month now, I am very, very happy with my purchase. This speaker is made very well, it has a full metal body that surrounds the outside of the speaker and its contents. The bass is very powerful and the sound quality is, as you'd expect from Bose, phenomenal.I get decent range with bluetooth in my house, about 30 feet. I have never had the speaker die due to the battery just draining. I charge it maybe, once a week, if that.Overall it is a well designed portable speaker that is aesthetically pleasing, has great sound quality, and well worth the price.I would recommend this to anyone looking for a portable speaker but unsure which one to choose. -The first one of these I bought was over a year ago for a home office. Job changed so the monitor became part of a multi display home office along with a Dell monitor from years ago.The difference in picture quality is enough that I got another Asus to replace the dell. The Asus monitor is much brighter, higher contrast, and deeper colors. Text is easier to read. This is in all ambient light conditions I've had to deal with. These are the VS247H-P 23.6 inch displays.About the stand. It is not up to the job. If your desk is rock solid it will hold the monitor, but if you have desks that shudder every time someone passes by, or when you nudge it inadvertently, the monitor will wobble annoyingly. Dell does have solid stands on the monitors they sell. So when I ordered the second I didn't bother attaching the stand. Instead I removed the "neck" and attached both monitors to a two monitor VESA compliant stand: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002R9HQLI/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc;=1Now they are both rock solid (or at least as solid as the cheap desk they're on). If you get a single monitor consider one of the monitor stands Amazon sells for single displays.Haven't attempted the rebate process. I'll report back on that. -We just returned from a trip overseas and brought both the S95 and the SX260. We have owned the S95 for the past 2 years and really liked the camera but we wanted to get another camera as a backup and also to get one with a higher optical zoom. We tested both cameras in multiple situations on the trip and came to the conclusion that the S95 takes better night shots but the SX260 takes better shots in the day and the 20X optical zoom is extremely useful. The S95 allows you to go full manual but the SX260 gives you many options to play with your photo taking. Overall, if I could only take one camera I would take the SX260 because the optical zoom and picture quality is great. The night photos were pretty good too but not as good as the S95 (obviously if you are planning on taking more night shots, then the S95/100 would probably be better for you). On a side note, the GPS on the SX260 sucks battery life very quickly and the camera has a difficult time finding the GPS signal (we left it off for most of the trip) -I have been using this for the last three months and it is working really well. I had bought 2 cheap ones on ebay and it stopped working in a month. This has worked in my car as well as in laptop and I dont have to worry about adjusting the cable or any of that sort. The cable is quite thick which gives the wear and tear. If someone is looking for a good quality cable at a cheaper price than from Apple store, I would recommend this. -I ordered my new NewTrend Airbender Pro NT610KR from Amazon. I received it a few days later. It was great timing because I was just getting ready to leave on a business trip. I rapidly removed it from the box. My initial impression was great. Starting from the cool box to the wireless keyboard case. The case looks great. It feels very sturdy and nice looking. It is little thicker than my old case (another great case from NewTrend Airbend 2.0 (NT510K)).Next, I had to charge the case to use it. I had only a few hours left before I left. Now the charging process is a little strange. The manual says that the light indicator should be lighted in RED, but I never saw it. I waited and eventually the light turned BLUE (maybe the RED indicator only shows when the battery is dead. I will have to post an update once the first charge is over).Then came it came to placing my iPad Air into the new case. I struggled a little. The case is very tight. It is harder to take it apart. Putting it together was very easy once I figured out how to take it apart. Each of the important input places are protected by a small tab which fits perfectly and makes the iPad well protected. The case comes with a screen protector which is nice (I already have my screen protector), but I figured it will provide a double protection. Now I had everything ready for my trip.When I boarded my flight, I was finally ready to use it. First I needed to open the case to the position that felt most comfortable. There is a release button in the on the side of the case that releases the extension arm. I pulled it too far and it came apart. It was no problem. Pressed the button and placed the extension arm to the right level. Now, I was truly ready to use it, but before I use it I had to pair the wireless keyboard and my iPad Air (updated to the last iOS). First, I could not figure out how to turn on the keyboard. I did not read the manual, but I eventually figured that I need to hold the on/off button for a few seconds to turn it on and off. Then I pressed the pairing button which connected easily to my iPad. Used extensively the keyboard during my 10 hours flight. I wrote emails and made notes in preparations for my upcoming client meetings. The keyboard felt nice. It was not clunky and was a good size. With my first Airbender 2.0, I had some problems with the keyboard freezing my iPad which this worked perfectly. During my trip, the passenger next to me commented about the case too. He said it looks really nice.During the week and my flight back, the case was still working perfectly. So far, no problems. I took some pictures with iPhone 5s. These may not be the greatest pictures, but it will provide you with some sense of this great case. If you have iPad and wants it to be protected and a great wireless keyboard, you must consider the Newtrend Airbender Pro (NT610KR)!Durability~5 (so far, no issue to report)Functionality~5 (it has all of the options I would want)Quality~5 (so far it has been great and fun to use it)Protective Capability~5 (this is a fantastic case)Shipping of product~5 (the box is pretty cool too) -Really impressed. Even for the price i paid these are LOUD with great quality sound. The bass is great, i love the little control unit as well.The one drawback i'd include with this is the speakers are a bit too sensitive to whatever direction theyre facing. That is to say, if the speakers aren't directly facing you, they suffer a great deal of clarity unless you jack the volume much louder than necessary. -My previous router would continuously drop and have to be rebooted, so after reading all the reviews decided to purchase this Medialink. Although, I was not familiar with the brand the price was very good, and the reviews were generally very positive which is hard to find especially about routers. Well, the router is great, works as described, fast, good range, easy set up, strong internet single, does not drop or need to be rebooted... so glad I upgraded, this perfect product even if the blue lights are a tad bright. I can finally enjoy my internet access without frustration. I love this router! -These are great! I bought 8 to house all my old drives. The plastic is sturdy, the design is simple and minimal, none have gone wrong yet. Really easy to pop them open again and swap a drive out.In my experience these enclosures can break whether they're an expensive Lacie or G-Drive or a cheap Orico, it's all pot luck, and I've had USB controllers die in every kind of enclosure and device. So for $12 you can't go wrong. -I thought the description mentioned that the drive would need to be re-formatted for Mac or Linux, however I must have miss-read the description. Apparently the drive is simply unusable with the Linux OS and since I use Virtual Windows Systems inside a Linux host, the drive was useless to me.One thing I will mention is that I did test it on my nephew's Windows 7 laptop (USB 2.0 only) and it appeared to load (after a bit of a delay) and work properly however I wasn't able to do much testing with it unfortunately. It seems like a sturdy little drive and the capacity would've been nice. If I used Windows or Mac natively on any system, I probably would have kept it. -I bought this for my wife for Christmas and she just loves it. The video quality of the HD is awesome. -These cables are extremely well made, have the extra feature of incorporating an ethernet path and are a really great buy. I was able, by using this cable, to eliminate a full 4 pair cable run for the ethernet connection to my flat screen TV. I highly recommend this cable. -I thought these were good. I like the butter cookies that come out in the blue tin around Christmas, and these tasted similiar. They weren't too sweet. I liked the ingredient list a lot. They weren't that sweet. They were a hit with a particularly picky vegetarian girl that I had along on a trip. Afraid they ruined her diet because she ate about 1/2 the bag at once. I made the mistake later of thinking I'd try one with some nutella - that is dangerous beyond belief. These are crazy good with just a bit of nutella. I'd probably buy them again just to put nutella on. They crumble a bit but the bag we had was not that bad - the cookies don't really crumble as much as they leave crumbs.The bag is resealable on the top. -I realize that doesn't sound overly compelling, but I expected these healthful crackers to be dry as dust. Instead, they've actually got some nice flavor and body to them, and aren't any dryer than any other graham cracker I've ever eaten. I added some Nutella to these and they made a stellar snack! I would definitely be just as likely to purchase these as any other graham cracker - even for s'mores! -I'm one of the few ones that actually like drinking water and do it not just for the health benefits but it's actually my drink of choice. I buy all different waters and this one is perfect. It's clean tasting and smooth. It has no metallic taste or aftertase.Just a great water... -The South Beach Living Fiber Fit Mocha bar comes with 5 to a package. At 120 calories, they make a great choice if you are watching your weight. They taste pretty good for a bar with so much fiber. These bars make a nice healthy choice when you are in need of a snack. Mocha isn't my favorite flavor, but these bars are still quite good. -The Keebler Town Pita cracker (Sea Salt) is definitely a little on the salty side - which means that I would make my hummus with less salt than usual. The flavor is nice and the cracker is quite crunchy. It was a little much salt to eat without a dip, so in the future, I'll be sure to make a dip to go with them. I thought they were an interesting alternative to regular crackers and butter crackers, so I was pleased with them on the whole. -First off, the taste is pretty awesome. I smelled it and automatically thought that it smelled like cough syrup and wasn't going to be any good, but it surprised me and was actually pretty tasty. This does give you a little energy and I noticed if I took it about an hour before I worked out, I felt better while working out. Over all I would buy this product. I also noticed my allergies haven't been as bad as they usually are.12-10-12:I prefer this instead of taking daily vitamins. I was taking vitamin c (I still will take a couple extra a week, its flu season now), vitamin B, vitamin D, vitamin A, magnesium, and Echinacea, I much prefer to grab a bottle of water squirt this in it and call it a morning. Has all those vitamins plus more, I'm a full-time student so I try and take vitamins, since not everyone is clean sanitary at college...works great, I stopped taking it for about two weeks, taste gets boring after a while and I ended up with strep throat. I've been taking it ever since then and I feel fine and haven't gotten sick since then. This says a lot for me, since the last time I got strep I got it three times in one year.... -These cookies are only OK. The texture is fine, but the flavor is quite bland, not nearly as chocolatey as I expected given that the cookie itself is chocolate as well as the filling. Despite the name, the filling is not particularly gooey, but I don't consider that to be a drawback. As noted on the package, these cookies are soft - very soft. Often, I find that soft cookies tend to stick together in the package, then break apart when you try to separate them. These cookies, however, did hold together fairly well.The cookies come in the resealable package, which I like very much.I probably wouldn't buy these cookies in the store because the flavor was so bland. -I like a pretty wide variety of cereals, and I'm a proud member of the "cereal is good for any meal or snack at any time of day" club. Having tried this new product, I'll be adding it to my (admittedly lengthy) cereal shopping list.The taste is fairly sweet, but not overly so. When looking at the amount of sugar in a serving, bear in mind that the natural sugar here is not the same crap as the processed white sugar and corn syrup found in less healthy foods. The flakes and dried fruit are distinct, and don't mix together in a single sugary flavor like sweetened kids' cereals often do. However, at least in the box I got, the fruit was a little sparse. If I were designing the ideal mix, I'd probably increase the ratio of fruit pieces to flakes.The glazed flakes are very thick and very crunchy. In fact, I get to the bottom of the bowl before they start to get soggy at all. This distinguishes this cereal from other, similar products with thinner flakes. Those who have trouble chewing and prefer a soft cereal probably won't like it. The slightly powdery dried fruit is closer to what you find in other cereals of this nature.The rather substantial flakes make this cereal pretty filling, more so than you might think from looking at it (it lies somewhere between other flake & fruit types and granola), but the box is still pretty small. Those who, like me, generally eat a large bowlful will go through a box in about three servings tops. At the time I'm writing this, the product is "currently unavailable," so I don't know what the price will be when it returns to Amazon. So bear in mind that this 6-box pack will probably give you about 18 bowls of cereal when considering the cost. -This is a cute little packet and an easy way to find a simple lunch when you're on the move and don't like fast food. What's even nicer is that these are heart healthy and contain no MSG, HFCS, or trans fats. It's a definite treat to find them all in a one portion lunch kit.This has a good little selection of items in it, the salmon and crackers, a fruit and nut mix, dry roasted edamame, and a small piece of dark chocolate. Although I was a little suspicious of salmon in a plastic container, it is tasty. The salmon has a little kick to it that keeps it from tasting like tuna fish. The dried fruit and nut mix are surprisingly good. The edamame? It's alllll riiiiight if you like that sort of thing. Put enough salt on it and I'll eat it. A small piece of chocolate brings this lunch to a sweet and dark end.I'm planning to get a six pack of these to keep in the car. So many times when I'm out running errands, I dig around the bottom of my purse and end up having a smushed protein bar for lunch. This is an awesome replacement. -I got a package of these to review for the Amazon Vine program. I'm not normally a big fan of these add to water drinks. But, this one is really good. It's not as much green tea as it is mango and pineapple. If you're a tea lover, you might not like this so much. It's very fruity. I like the fact that it's not all artificially sweetened even though it does contain an artificial sweetener. At least there is some honey in it. I would definitely buy these. I couldn't keep them away from my daughters and my wife. -I was looking forward to trying this cereal, because not too long ago I was able to try a wonderful granola cereal by Nature's Path, which I liked very much.So, I expected to like this cereal too. Unfortunately I don't! I poured alittle bit of the cereal into a bowl. On my first bite what I tasted seemed salty to me. I also do not really taste a vanilla flavor, or much of a vanilla flavor.I love the flavor vanilla, especially if it's real vanilla flavoring, but there is also another mainstream brand of cereal that also came in a vanilla flavor that so many people also seemed to love, and I didn't really care for that cereal either.It does look interesting when you pour the cereal into your bowl, different shapes, which consist of corn, rice,flax, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth.When I read the nutrition facts, except for the fact that this cereal is organic, which to me is major, the health benefits really are no better than even alot of mainstream cereals, this cereal is no higher in important nutrients.The total carbohydrates per 2/3 Cup serving is 25 grams, which is 8%,dietary fiber is 3 grams, which is 12%, and sugars is 7 grams. The sodium level is only 130 mg, which is only 5%. There is only 1 gram of total fat, and 4% iron. I would call this a reasonably healthy cereal, and it is gluten free.Iam not impressed. I wish I were. It does not keep me from wanting to try other Nature's Path products, but Iam disappointed to find that I did not like this cereal after reading such wonderful feedback about it.Maybe I just don't like vanilla flavored cereals? -Simply put, this drink is delicious, and I didn't reach this conclusion on my own. I introduced Izze's Sparkling Apple to more than three people, and everyone who tried it loved it. Even my dad, who's pretty picky about drinks, really liked it a lot. It's not too sweet, it's not too carbonated... it's like apple cider with a twist! It's great!It smells delightful, and I liked the packaging as well. I thought the cans were some of the most appealing I've seen in awhile.I definitely recommend Izze's All-Natural Sparkling Apple, and I'm sure you'll like it too! -It seems like none of these superfood/supplement powders ever taste GOOD. Some of them have made me downright sick. This one is about the only one I've found that is drinkable by itself. There is an earthy, grassy undertone to it that is a bit rough, but I mix one scoop of this (about a heaping teaspoon's worth) and one tablespoon of Ovaltine to 8 ounces milk (sometimes soy milk) and it's delicious. Sometimes I'll mix it with the Bolthouse Farms Chocolate Soy Protein drink. If I know I'm going to have a busy day I'll mix it with milk and a half-scoop of whey protein powder.No matter what powder drink supplement/meal replacement mix you choose, you'll want to invest in one of these:LaCuisineTM 18oz Tornado Portable Mixer. Add a little liquid, start blending, add your mix and then fill with more liquid. Your drink is now smooth and if you're a slow drinking like me you can zap it before a sip to keep your drink smooth all the way.Beyond taste, after a week of using the Amazing Grass Chocolate Superfood and changing nothing else in my diet or activities, I find myself having less trouble falling asleep, and I'm waking up earlier and with more energy.If you're wondering exactly what the difference is between this and the Amazing Grass Meal, the answer is about 100 calories and I'm not sure what else. The scoop in the meal can is about three heaping tablespoons (the superfood scoop is about a heaping teaspoon). The taste is almost identical. -Looking for a change from your typical coffees & teas? Well, let's give Gold Kili's Instant Ginger Lemon Drink to see if it's worth a rank among the staples of hot beverages.This caffeine-free lemon drink comes individually packaged in foil packages, though the name ("Instant Ginger Lemon Drink") is a bit too generic in my opinion. Still, it's up front about what you're getting.The instructions are simple: Pour contents, add hot water (250 ml), stir, and serve instantly. Upon first opening the packet, the smell of the mix isn't overly appetizing. The oddly coloured crumbly mix isn't very appealing either. Also, after the pour, I realized that the 250 ml it calls for isn't even a full cup. Maybe that's a good thing (it is).The timing to try this out couldn't have been better. My sore throat looking for a bit of relief. Unfortunately, this drink just made things worse. It was just, for lack of a better word. . . nasty! The first moment it hit my tongue, I felt my lips pucker and my throat constrict. Lemon & ginger are both powerful flavours, but they can be used well together. This is not an example of that. Instead, it has an overpowering taste of that fake lemon flavouring you'll find in low-quality desserts and drinks. I even tried adding a bit more hot water to dilute the flavours a bit, but to no avail.Overall, just avoid this toxic concoction. It's not at all worth it. -I sampled Kali Ginger and Lemon drink mix on a cold wintry day when my throat was a bit inflamed and sore. I drank it hot as directed on the foil pouch. To be honest, the first few sips burned quite a bit as they went down due to the ginger, but as I continued to drink, the lemon and honey flavors came to the fore. After finishing the whole cup, my throat felt a little bit better, and I realized that overall, I had liked the beverage.That said, the big question is: did I like it well enough to order more? And my honest answer is: probably not. Gold Kali Ginger & Lemon is one of those products that I might enjoy on a rare occasion, but not one that I'm tempted to stock up on and make part of my regular diet. There will definitely be a group of consumers that this spicy drink will appeal to, and to them, I heartily recommend it. But as for me, a man who enjoys more traditional warm and cold beverages, let's just say that it really isn't my cup of tea. -I just wish it was a Fair Trade product since that protects employees. I do not buy rainbow quinoas since they sell for a high price without having enough red or black but more of white but C & F sells one of the best white and red mix since C & F offers more red than white in the mix. I usually buy the white, red and black separately and mix as I wish as well since quinoa is just an important part of my diet.KEEN-Waah... A complete protein source, a seed related to other healthy cousins like spinach and beets. In a pot I place quinoa, frozen peas, carrots, corn, add water and tomato paste. Spinach is added at the end the last minute. Stewing tomatoes for a half hour increases the cancer fighting lycopene content by 35 percent. Cooking also unlocks another nutrient, beta-carotene, in corn and carrots since heat breaks down the fibrous cell walls, releasing more of these antioxidants. The same goes for spinach but then you need to get your vitamin C from something else since that is the first vitamin which is depleted with heat. I saute lots of onion separately then in ten minutes I add paprika, cumin, dillweed, gram marsala, crushed red pepper, turmeric and lots of garlic2 x 2 Pound Fresh Garlic USA California Heirloom Monviso Gilroy Finest (4 Pounds Total), mix it well and add the mix to the pot and let it sit without heat for five minutes. This is what vegans consume instead of beef since it is a complete protein. Greens, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc. may have protein but the fact is that only quinoa has a complete protein and all others do not since all others are missing few amino acids here and there but not quinoa. I rarely ever consume beef, chicken, etc. so fish and quinoa are the only source of complete protein with all amino acids for me. Organic, whole grain, very fulfilling due to some starch with host of vitamins, minerals that no beef or chicken can even come close to. Cooks in ten minutes with some water, no fat, no salt, no sugar... I consume it with eggplant, onions, okra, smoked hearings, curry type dishes with lots of spices and delicious juices. I never ever have to wash and rinse before cooking either. I keep the uncooked portions in double zip lock bags in freezer. I consume so much that I never have to worry about the unused portion going rancid and unlike brown rice which loses its oil in less than six months and becomes worthless even if kept in freezer, quinoa will last longer. Obviously I never ever do that with any food since I only purchase what I need in order to get the nutrients which are a healthy portion of my diet. Gluten free, the best product for me when I go camping since all I do is add lemon and tomato and that way I never have to worry about paying arm and leg for that lousy, awful tasting dry foods. I ground chia+flax+sesame, mix it with cocoa+isolate+soy milk before my workouts every single day or no workout regardless. Three tbsp of quinoa in my power drink offers me 4gr of pure, complete protein with all amino acids. I add organic paprika to regular yellow quinoa and it turns the dish into a beautiful red color. Healthy, healthier and healthiest of many seeds, delicious sprouts only in 3 days with all amino acids. I am an athlete with a healthy diet. I used to consume brown rice heavily years ago but no longer. I can consume quinoa with tomato and lemon juice and it is the best food I can take with me anywhere on any sports trip and I do not even have to wash it either. Delicious, delicious, delicious.FRESHNESS: Fresh means nutritious and delicious. I consume lots of seeds, beans, grains, vegetables, etc. and freshness is a priority regardless of the brand so I always purchase my food ingredients in small quantities from reputable sellers with high turnover. When fresh, food is nutritious and that goes for any food in any form, from frozen to canned. Fresh food is nutritious as well as delicious since nutrients give food its delicious taste. When old or rancid, nutrients are gone and any food item becomes an empty calories with no taste and absolutely worthless regardless of the brand or price, organic or conventional. For few years I consumed seeds in oil form since physicians advised me to do so not knowing that majority are not aware that seeds hardly offer any nutrients unless; seeds are fresh, not old which means rancid, not in oil form, not in supplement form, not hulled, ground and consumed within few days, kept in dark cold temperatures, away from light-sun-moisture since the oil in seeds and nuts go rancid regardless. That is why brown rice which has its nutrients will go rancid even if kept in freezer while white rice will last for years at room temperature since it hardly has any nutrients or oil. I ground in my coffee grinder sesame, flax, chia, amaranth, hemp then add cocoa, isolate protein, soy milk and consume it before my workouts on daily basis for its vitamins, minerals, protein and many nutrients, without much spike in my glucose. Un-hulled seeds are full of nutrients. I never consume hulled seeds which are empty calories, absolutely worthless since the nutrients have been removed.STARCH: Some carbohydrates, such as sugars and most starch are rapidly digested and absorbed as glucose into the body through the small intestine and subsequently used for short-term energy needs or stored. Resistant starch on the other hand, resists digestion and passes through to the large intestine where it acts like dietary fiber. Sugar, honey, maple syrup, white flour, white rice, whole-grain pastry flour, packaged cold cereals, commercial fruit juices, and fruit-juice sweetened beverages are the same foods some dentists claim rots the teeth from the inside out by changing the balance and ratio of calcium to phosphorous in the bloodstream. Your immune system goes down when you wolf down sweets, especially around events and holiday meals. High Glycemic foods quickly turn to sugar in your blood stream, causing excess insulin to pour into your blood to get rid of the excess sugar. The excess insulin pushes the calcium and fat into your arteries, especially if you have only a few cholesterol receptors on your liver (which is genetic). Whole wheat and white bread have essentially the same impact on blood sugar so I try to consume bread with whole sprouted grains, even flourless breads, and no-yeast breads. Black beans, northern beans, navy beans, red kidney beans, lentils, split peas, black-eyed peas, brown rice, rolled oats, millet, corn, black rice are all Resistance Starch. King of starch for me is quinoa and Navy Beans before and post expedition trips, 17.6gr vs. 15.4gr for 100gr serving. No wonder the price of quinoa is going up, up, up... -I got these crackers for my husband since I do not like cheese and he eats Ritz crackers and cheese for snacks every day, so I thought he would enjoy these.Here's his review:If you've ever purchased cheese and crackers from a vending machine you've eaten one of these. Even though they are packaged air tight the cheese was crumbly and the cracker seemed like it was staler than it should have been. This cracker would normally be a little hard, but this was more so. I didn't care for the multigrain. I was really surprised at the quality of this cracker because I eat the original Ritz crackers every day. I only ate one cracker and that's plenty. -We've had this on chicken, pork ribs and as a dipping sauce for some cheap chicken nuggets and it was good with all of them. For a habanero sauce this is actually quite mild and the ginger aspect of it is more of an aftertaste than a prominent flavor.All in all it is well done. My only gripe is that it doesn't have much kick too it, something I have grown to expect from most things containing habanero peppers. -My wife has occasional heartburn with drinking more then one cup of coffee, particularly with bolder blends. I got this for her since she likes dark roasts, but doesn't like the problems associated with them. After two cups, she found that the coffee wasn't bitter and was very smooth for a dark roast. No heartburn at all. The overall flavor wasn't bad, but it wasn't something that she would be drawn to in the future. Might try other flavors though. -I love these snack sized and portable bags of almonds. They're great for throwing into my purse, and the almonds inside are fresh and tasty. My mom is a huge nut fan and went crazy for these, though we both agreed they could have used a little more salt. -Interestingly, even when comparing with other sauces, this immediately brought to mind Taco Bell. I never realized their sauces were so distinctive.With regard to the sauce itself, the consistency is thick, tasting like a mayonnaise base with some BBQ Sauce added and then mixed with some chipotle (minus the seeds). Mildly warm, extremely creamy... certainly not bad... more like comfort food - what you would grab in the middle of the night, not what you would feed to honored guests.So... it fills the bill for standard fare, but would be just as easy to make your own and cut down some of the fat and salt (of which this sauce has a ton of both!!!) and pick up some extra flavor and "freshness". Hope this review is helpful.All the best,Jay -Unfortunately I only received 1 Organic Cherry Cashew Bar, so I shared it with my father and my friend. The reviews were mixed. I really liked the tart and tangy taste and texture. It was very cherry-licious and chewy, so it made me feel more full than I really was after all that chewing. My dad, who is 88 years old and loves everything (foodwise)thought it was "super", while my friend Keiko liked the way it tasted, but she didn't care for the way it smelled. It reminded her of oatmeal. So, all in all we thought it was very good and we will definitely be buying more of these, especially since they are gluten free, organic and relatively inexpensive. -While I'm not a licorice fanatic like some of my friends, I do enjoy a licorice twist now and then! I really liked the Newman Pomegranate twists. They are sweet, but not too sweet. The texture is smooth and not grainy. The licorice was fresh and tasty. I'll definitely buy this for a low calorie treat in the future! -I am an admitted tea and coffee snob but was looking for a product that I can travel with and also prepare in different ways. I normally use Nescafe Classic Freeze Dried coffee when using instant coffee but these new packets of Taster's Choice are so convenient, travel well, are easily opened, dissolve completely and the taste is quite satisfactory for a freeze dried product. I have prepared it hot, cold (iced) and used it in coffee flavored ice cream drinks. NESCAFÉ TASTER'S CHOICE is made with a blend of Robusta and Arabica beans. That is, just real beans used to make real coffee then the coffee itself is freeze dried for your convenience.Here is my recipe for iced coffee - I prefer milk in mine...2 tablespoons hot water1 packet of NESCAFÉ TASTER'S CHOICE Instant Coffee GranulesIce cubes6 oz.cold water or milk1 tablespoon sugar (optional)Combine hot water, sugar, if desired and coffee granules in tall glass; stir until coffee is dissolved. Fill glass with ice. Pour cold water or milk over ice; stir to combine.Here is my recipe for an Almond Coffee Shake -1 packet NESCAFÉ TASTER'S CHOICE Instant Coffee Granules2 tablespoons hot water1/2 cup milkdash of almond extract or flavoring1 cup vanilla ice creamCombine coffee granules, almond, and water, stirring until coffee dissolves. Stir in milk.Pour into blender along with and ice cream; blend until smooth and frothy. Pour into tall glass; serve immediately.This product is great for camping and travel and tastes as good as a freeze dried product could ever taste! -I had low expectations as I'm usually not a fan of health food bars. These, however, were quite good. I enjoyed the slightly chewy texture and the fresh nuts. The bars have a bright and fruity flavor that is very pleasant. I also tried the blueberry, but preferred the tart flavor of these a little more. I would definitely buy these again. -I could smell the chocolate wafting through my house on Sunday morning as the coffee brewed and hoped that it would taste as good as it smelled. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised that it was just as delicious. Now, caution to those that are not big flavored coffee drinkers....this one may not be for you. I love coffee, flavored, not flavored, with sugar, black if I must, just caffeinate me, and make it a nice cup of good coffee.This coffee was delicious for Sunday, but would also be a lovely dessert coffee with a bit of cream and sugar. I drank it black with sugar and it was a nice rich cup of coffee. Very smooth, and as I sit writing this I am just enjoying the scent of the dark chocolate. I do love a coffee that I gives me a full experience, good scent, good flavor and that leaves me satisfied.I would definitely like to try more of their coffee flavors in the future. -Vanilla to me is like licorice: one of those flavors with so many artificial, bad-tasting imitations that it's a pleasure to experience the real thing.Starbucks new Natural Fusions line of flavored coffee may say 'a hint of vanilla' but to my taste, the natural flavoring is richly aromatic and full-bodied. I take coffee with milk and no sugar; the vanilla adds just enough sweetness without detracting from the coffee itself.Many flavored coffees are over-flavored, probably on the assumption they're competing with large amounts of sugar. The vanilla in Natural Fusions complements the fine coffee taste rather than competing or overwhelming it. It's all about balance. You want to preserve the experience of the main component while taking it to a new level. I think Starbucks got it right here.If you're trying to cut down on sugar (or you know you should but aren't), give Natural Fusions vanilla a try; you may find you don't miss the sugar as much as you think.Instructions: Raise the cup to your lips, inhale, take a sip, inhale again. Repeat to your heart's content. -Our family [Father (39), Mother (40), Son (12), Daughter (9)] taste test this advertised 'All Natural Nestle Jamba Energy Drinks deliver great benefits'.Father "Too sugery tasting - why would someone drink this."Son " Kind-a natural tasting, sweet" and he drank his whole portionDaughter ' Ugh and spit it out screaming it was making her tongue numb."Mother , I drank my portion had a green apple flavor but the after taste was terrible.Over all my family asked that we not buy the product. -Dark chocolate taste is delicious, satisfying and not sweet.Nutrition as per the nutrition panel is good.This is not a sweet, sticky granola bar as many tend to be.I'm more of a milk chocolate lover but this bar was very good. -At around 4 bucks a box (about 16 bucks for a pack of 4 boxes), and 6 crackers per box, these crackers run about 67 cents apiece. For a dollar, I can get a 2-ounze bag of cheez-its, a nature valley granola bar, a 2-pack of pop tarts, animal crackers, or chips out of the vending machines at work.I usually don't eat snack foods, but when I do, it's usually because I get hungry at work... so I think comparing the pricing of these individually-wrapped crackers w/ work vending machine prices is valid. Bottom line there is price seems equivalent to, or maybe slightly higher than, similar snacks from a vending machine.These crackers are tasty -- the cracker is crispy, the cheesy filling is flavorful -- but I'm not that impressed with them overall. I'd rather go full-junk-food and have a nice bag of Cheez-Its, or stay healthy and eat carrots or fruit for less $. -No complaints whatsoever. This is a tasty coffee drink. The coffee is strong and good and the sweetener is perfect - just sweet enough without being that kind of sickly sweet that mars something like Starbucks' pre-made iced coffee drinks. Just about perfect. Refreshing and a nice boost for the afternoon. -I tried this The Switch Black Cherry flavor as well as the Watermelon Strawberry. I happen to like black cherry as a flavor for beverages, so keep that in mind as you read this review.FLAVOR:The beverage was sweet, but not overly sweet, and not at all tart. It tasted similar to other black cherry carbonated drinks I've had. I would compare it in taste to Knudsen's Black Cherry Spritzer with Switch being a tad more "soda" tasting. It is much lighter tasting than actual black cherry sodas I've had, such as Dr. Brown's.INGREDIENTS:The Switch is advertised as 100% juice. It is, but it is juice from concentrate. I prefer juice squeezed from the fruit or vegetable itself. In the case of The Switch the concentrate is filtered sparkling water. I'm fine drinking concentrates and I drink soda too so I'm not being a health fanatic, but be aware if you are expecting actual juice, this product is filtered water used to reconstitute the juice concentrate. The juices uses are apple, grape, acerola and cherry. If you aren't familiar with acerola, it is a cherry like fruit, but with three lobes. Acerola is high in Vitamin C.NUTRITION:One 8.3 ounce can of The Switch Black Cherry contains:* 130 calories* 15 mg sodium*35 g carbs (33 g sugar)So keep in mind while it has no added sugar it still has the sugar content from its ingredients. It has more calories than a can of Coke Classic! It does not have any corn syrup or added sugars though.It also contains 100% of the recommended level of Vitamin C.PRICE:The product costs more than soda, but the ingredients are better. It costs a little less than Knudsen's Black Cherry Spritzer product. I use this comparison because the Knudsen product is similar in taste and basic content (filtered sparkling water, fruit concentrate), but a little different in ingredients (no acerola, using pear, pineapple and plum instead), with The Switch having a slight bit more carbs and sugars.Overall, this is a tasty drink. It is somewhere between a soda and a health drink, definitely better for you than a soda, but not quite as "natural" as say all natural juices. However, if you want a carbonated drink, The Switch is better for you than soda. -I bought these because the price was excellent and my husb sometimes drinks 5 cups per day. He has a home office and a stressful job!My husb never complains about the coffee but with this one he asked me what it was and that he didn't really like it much and to not order it again...!Also, I found myself reaching for Tully's or Deidrichs and not using this one. It is OK but the flavor is not quality to where you feel special while drinking it...ya know? Hard to explain but it's just plain ole coffee.However, I decided to go for the blue label Martinson, Brazilian, and that one is much better.I do have to say that we both really like the new Brooklyn Beans...price is EXCELLENT and the Fuggetaboudit is great! but they just can't seem to keep it in stock. Unfortunately, I see a price increase as their heads enlarge. -Good and bad points from this product:Good: I thought the taste was good - the packaging describes the chocolate as velvety and I think that's a pretty good word for it. The size is also larger than I realized it would be from the box - you get three pieces in one package and the package overall is about the same size (in length) as a regular candy bar would be, although the pieces are thinner than you average candy bar.Bad: I think that for most people trying to maintain or attain "skinny," this product is not going to be that useful. If you're cutting calories, having a snack or dessert that is 130 calories without doing much to fill you up is not helpful. The product also contains 7 grams of fat and 0 grams of fiber (eating food with fiber is important if you're losing weight because it makes you fill fuller and less like snacking again later in the day). Honestly I wish the chocolates came individually packaged so that I could just have one for 1/3 of the calories instead of having to eat the whole package.Personally I wouldn't buy this product because I'd rather eat a chocolate with less calories (these would usually be significantly smaller) or at least one that has more fiber and thus is more filling (like the Fiber One brownies). -Illy makes great coffee and I did enjoy the taste of this beverage. But buys should beware that what they're getting when they order this product is not so much a Cappuccino, but a regular slightly flavored can of coffee. This did not taste like an iced cappucino.Whether you choose to purchase this product is likely based on your preference for canned coffee. I can tell you that illy excels at the canned coffee product. Their coffee does not taste artificial or fake, like many of the other products. I cannot drink the Starbucks Double Shot espresso without gagging and that largely put me off the stuff. I'm not sure if I'll continue drinking this stuff, but it wasn't bad.Canned coffee is expensive if you consider how cheap and relatively easy it is to make iced coffee. But if you're a believer in canned coffee, you'll probably like the taste of this one. Even if it's not really Cappuccino, at least it tastes good. -This coffee smelled great, but the taste was less impressive. It wasn't that the coffee was too bitter or strong, it was that the taste was sort of blah. There was nothing remarkable about the flavor, it really was quite boring, if one can call a coffee boring. This coffee would do the job in the morning if I didn't have any better stuff to drink, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it. It's just not very flavorful. If it tasted like it smelled it would have been so much better. -These bars are so convenient and so healthy. Most bars have added chemicals or flavorings. These bars are just cashews and dates which means pure God made food. We like how these are grain free as well. -The ginger in this drink is almost overwhelming. It is so strong that when I would go to take a sip, I would almost choke before I even had the drink in my mouth from the fumes of it. Then, after swallowing, my tongue and throat were still burning. The ginger tastes like actual ginger root, not artificial. Under the very strong ginger taste, you can taste a little bit of lemon and the drink is sweet. I can't say that I would buy this drink in the future, but if you really like the taste of ginger, you won't be disappointed in this drink. It was easy to prepare and dissolved nicely in hot or cold water. The ginger taste was much stronger when the drink was hot. -This microwave popcorn comes from my favorite brand of popcorn, which I usually make in my hot air popcorn popper.This tries to incorporate a nifty bowl into the bag, by opening in such a way at the top that the bag becomes a ready made bowl. In this regard it is an epic fail. The "bowl" bag has a red strip that you pull which supposedly causes the top of the bag to open widely into a bowl shape. I could not manage to pull the top red strip in the way shown on the package, and instead had to rip the entire top of the bag off. I had to then pour the popped corn into a big bowl to eat it, the same as any other microwave popcorn. I consider myself very handy at most such tasks too. This simply doesn't work the way it was intended to.The popcorn is almost delicious if you like a lot of salt on it. There is no butter flavor at all that I could detect, but since I never put butter on my popcorn I didn't miss it, but still, I was expecting to taste at least a bit of butter in this.This fully popped and was almost starting to burn in the microwave in under two minutes, although the directions say to pop it for 2 - 2.5 minutes.Even if I had managed to get the top of the "bowl" open as directed, there was no flat bottom on it that would have allowed it to stand up on its own. The taste of the popcorn is very good however so for that I gave it two stars. There were more unpopped kernals than I would have liked.I don't recommend this. Left a bad taste in my mouth for a long time after I ate it---yicki. -I tell you what, the very first bite I didn't like the bar at all. The texture was odd and the flavor was odd too.By the end of the bar I was sold though. I've eaten other bars with much worse texture and plenty with worse flavor too. The thing about this bar is that, as I said, I liked the bar by the time I'd finished it. Not so with others where I didn't care for it from the first bite.Plenty of blueberry flavor and crunchy nuts with no bad aftertaste. The texture takes some getting used too but I think part of that is knowing what to expect. Kinda like taking a sip of tea when you expect coke. I don't eat organic food but I could appreciate the experience of feeling pretty close to nature with this bar. Sounds corny huh.Anyway, as an alternative to a candy bar it is excellent. Better in every way and not even super expensive compared to candy prices. I like the serving and a half of fruit you get too.Darin -I usually buy high quality coffee such as Pete's, or Tully's because I like my coffee strong, and rich, but not bitter or burnt tasting. (Thats why i don't like Starbucks) Since this is dark roast, I was a bit apprehensive because often dark roast can have a bitter edge. This Community coffee was very smooth, rich and deeply flavorful. No bitterness at all. I was very happy with it. You can make it as strong as you want, and it just tastes rich and smooth. The price is also great. tastes like much more expensive brands. I am so glad I tried it. I will definitely buy it again. -Sauce is really good. Can make a quick meal in less than 10 minutes depending on the type of pasta that is used. This was just enough for a family of 3 but might have to use a couple for larger families. Great idea. -This product is very easy to use. Just squeeze into your water. I like that you can control the amount of sweetness. If you like your drinks sweeter, just add a bit more. The fruit punch flavor tastes just like Kool-Aid's fruit punch flavor. It is zero calories. One serving is one squeeze. It contains 24 servings per 12 ounce bottle.Each serving contains:40 mg CAFFEINEVitamin C 120%Vitamin B6 40%Vitaimin B5 40%Vitamin B3 40%Vitamin B12 40%Chromium 10%Once the bottle is opened it does need to be refrigerated. It also says that it should be used within 30 days after opening.The sweetener used in this product is sucralose.I think a big drawback of this product it that there are 40mg of caffeine per serving. I try to limit the amount of caffeine in my diet, so this product is not something I will be using again. Also, this makes it something I would avoid giving to kids. -I generally love the "natural" cereal brands. I am not adamant about my food being organic (please adjust the DNA to my taste), but I find that the products are typically made with more care and simply make me feel good. I am not quite sure, then, what went wrong with this little box of cereal. It is made of recycled paper. It looks like it was made by cute little hippies in hemp clothing! How could it not be amazing!?Well, it doesn't feel like the hemp endowed chefs even tried to make it taste good. It is extremely basic "cereal 101" in flavor and feels like a first attempt at throwing some generic ingredients together, rather than a finely tuned flavor combination. Unlike other reviewers, I did not find it too sweet or lacking in nutrition (fiber is always good). I just found it edible, decent, and nothing more. I am sorry to say that while you may enjoy the box to some degree, I can't recommend it outside of a very good sale. -Knorr roasting bags and seasoning is a pretty simple way to bake tender chicken. If my sister had made this, I would call it a hit with my low expectations of her cooking, but at the end of the day, I prefer my own seasoning. First off, the directions are easy to follow although I was running out of room wiggling the pieces apart from one another. I also would categorize it as roasted, but more steamed. The result is a very moist and tender chicken so I have no complaints there. I think the ideal combination would be my own seasoning baked in a roasting bag. -I have tried most flavors of Switch and I think Watermelon Strawberry is hands down my most favorite.When you first sip it, the flavor of fresh watermelon (not candy sweet watermelon) is crisp yet light and enhanced by the carbonation, this is quickly followed by a strawberry flavor that can best be described as identical to the strawberry juice at the bottom of the bowl. Even though this doesn't have added table sugar, the strawberry sweetness (enhanced by other fruit juices) does taste like strawberries with a little bit of sugar sprinkled on them- so the juice at the bottom is sweet but not syrupy thick and sweet...Delicious and carb wise I would use this as a tasty alternative to regular sodas. Good stuff. -If this water tastes like your tap water, we should all live where you live! My tap water is terrible and this is some of the best tasting water I have had. I am already a regular drinker of PH water but it is 8.4 and this particular one is 9.5. I have found that PH water really does give me more energy and I have found that it allows me to eat some foods I love that I used to have more problems with because of the acid, like tomatoes and uncooked apples.I know this water is man made but they do the job right with reverse osmosis. I love the extra things added to this water because many of us need them so much in our busy lives, things like electrolytes and potassium. I will buy this water as an extra when I am out and about or when I run out of water but I am sticking with my 8.4 alkaline water because it is cheaper, has the same smooth, good taste and is natural as well as less expensive than this one. -Feeding my great nephew while babysitting is a joy. I adore him.But getting him to eat green vegies has been a challenge. When Ihad the chance to try this, I jumped at it for my sake as much as for his!First time out, Baby Gourmet Organic Simple Puree got his seal of approval.I wish I could have posted the picture I have of his enthusiastic endorsementof the product.Of course I had to taste it myself, and I have to say that I agree. This is atasty choice for your little one, and if Owen could talk ( or type ) I am pretty sure thathe would add his recommendation to mine.One last thing, the packaging is brilliant, space saving and simple. Veryeasy to toss into a travel or diaper bag. Well done Baby Gourmet!ETAI put this food into a bowl and feed him with a spoon. -Disclaimer: I am NOT into organic, I am NOT into diet foods, I am NOT into the new craze to be a celiac, I am NOT into raw foods- unless they taste good. This does!This bar is tasty but not at all too sweet, the bar does not contain cane sugar (though, by the way, cane is a natural growing sugar) there are a lot of other things this bar does not contain also: no preservatives, no gluten, no dairy, no trans fat.It has a full serving of fruit, it is rich in omega-3s, it is certified organic, and vegan.A single bar has 190 calories, 8g fat, , 3g fiber, 17g sugar, 7g protein, 5mg sodiumBut never mind all that, just enjoy it guilt free as a great snack for its tasty cashews, dates, cherries and walnuts. It is chewy in a very satisfying way. Great to tuck in a purse or back pack for a quick delightful snack on the go. -This is a nice little gift set for you favorite chocolate lover. The ingredients are organic and Fair Trade Certified. The gift box also states it is suitable for vegetarians. The collection consists of twelve miniature chocolate bars that measure approximately 2 1/4 inch by 1 inch. The bars are 1/4 inch thick. You get two of each flavor in each box. The collection consists of Dark 70%, Milk, Toffee, Almond, Ginger and Cherry flavored bars. The Milk, Toffee, and Almond bars are milk chocolate. The Dark 70%, Ginger and Cherry are dark chocolate. My favorite was the ginger bar which boasted a subtle ginger flavor, with bits of crystallized ginger incorporated in the chocolate. The dark chocolate is good without being overly bitter like some dark chocolate can be. The milk chocolate is smooth and creamy in flavor. I enjoyed each flavor.This collection is a bit pricey as most good chocolate is, but I think it would make an excellent gift. The box has a wonderful presentation and the chocolates are delicious as well! It is a gift you can feel good about giving! I know I would be happy to receive a box of these chocolates as a gift! -This is for the health conscious who doesn't like reading a list of ingredients which are clearly not good for you. It consists of juice and carbonation. The taste is clean and refreshing. -The ALOE GLOE Natural Aloe Water drinking water has a noticeably distinct taste compared to the regular bottled ones you buy in the store. And I say this from a bottled-water drinker perspective. Water in my part of the country is specially hard, even when applying consumer filtration. That is why we have regular drinking water delivery. But after trying ALOE GLOE, I have a brand new perspective of what drinking water should be. Nothing beats water that is organic and contains the right minerals and ph balance. It is also gluten-free which is good for people who is intolerant of gluten. Unlike other consumer grade bottled drinking water, the ALOE GLOE is organic, free of any preservatives. This a truly long lasting hydrating liquid is that it is infused with electrolytes and life essential minerals that you cannot get with consumer-grade bottled water. ALOE GLOE hydrates better making drinking water fun and far in between. Very highly recommended!! -I've purchased the dried apples from this company before and figured I would give the clusters a try.I appreciate the fact that this food id USDA organic, gluten free, corn free, and vegan. In fact, the ingredients are simple: organic apples, organic apple juice concentrate, organic potato starch, organic cinnamon.In a 1/4 cup of these apple clusters, which remind me of rolled up oats ans/or hemp cereal, you receive 60 calories, with 0 calories from fat. There is no cholesterol, no protein, 1% of calcium, 2% of vitamin C, 2g of dietary fiber, 10 g of sugar, and 14 g of total carbohydrate.All in all, a healthy snack. The packaging makes it convenient for the on the go snack -- it is in a resealable 2.1 oz pouch (60 g), or four servings per package. Just enough to tantalize the senses, but not enough to pig out.The clusters are sugary bowls with a tint of cinnamon and a crunch reminiscent of cereal.Honestly, I prefer the taste of a real apple or the dried apples this brand sells at Starbucks, but in lieu of that, this is a good healthy snack alternative.Allergy alert: If you are extra sensitive, beware that this food is processed in a facility with nuts, dairy, wheat and soy. -I ordered these about three months ago for the first time and then put them in my pantry closet without even trying them because somewhere between the point of ordering them and getting them I stopped being excited by the thought of consuming them. I guess I figured that I would ultimately be disappointed since that's has often been my experience when trying a k-cup coffee for the first time. I "found" them a few weeks ago and thought why not eh - I was tired of drinking the same old coffee.And what a nice surprise it was. This coffee smells good when its brewing - quick as that brewing experience is in a Keurig coffee maker. The first sip - with half and half and a small teaspoon of sugar sealed the relationship. This is simply said a well balanced cup of coffee. A fully body taste without the bitterness that coffee can often contain. No lingering after taste, a huge plus for me in a coffee. And I drink this cup of coffee completely - something I haven't done since leaving dunkin donuts behind in New York ( there is literally just one dunkin donuts in all of Colorado and its about 20 miles away - a little further then I think is reasonable to drive for my first cup of coffee in the morning.).So "cheers" to Coffee People for this really yummy coffee and to Amazon for the frustration free packaging and the subscribe and save option. -I am an iced coffee (particularly mocha flavored) connoisseur. No, I am really, really serious about it! Not the coffee shop $5 a piece kind - the ones you buy in glass bottles or cans. When I say "connoisseur", I mean drinking one almost every day for the past eight years kind of connoisseur. Having stopped drinking one popular brand, and not being able to find a substitute - I ended up resorting to blending my own. However, this completely killed the portability that I loved, as well as the ability to grab one our the fridge and head out the door.Then I was asked to try this brand. Let me just say I am immediately putting this on "subscribe and save" for a monthly delivery.What makes it good is its balanced flavor. You know you are drinking coffee, not chocolate milk someone put into a used coffee cup. Not black coffee some tried to flavor a bit too late with a sugar bomb. This drink is well blended and the flavors are well balanced.While I absolutely appreciate they kept calories down (100 calories a serving) - I think they accomplished this by using quite a few "ingredients", many I needed to look up to see exactly what they were. While they don't sound life threatening, it makes the list of ingredients twice as long as a Starbucks Frappuccino in a glass bottle (although it does have 80 less calories than the Starkbucks brand at only on ounce less drink per can)coffee, lowfat milk, sugar, cocoa powder, potassium bicarbonate, cellulose gel, potassium citrate, cellulose gum, carrageenan. Caffeine content: 81 mgSo, if you are a person who really doesn't like a lot of chemicals or funky science going on in their food - you may be tempted to skip this one. There are other drinks one doesn't need a chemistry degree to ingest.With that said, the taste is smooth and balanced. I new I was drinking coffee - although it had the chocolate and milk flavors that I crave as well. I didn't get the shakes from too much caffeine and the price is reasonable compared to what you would pay in your average grocery store for similar products. Like I said, I am putting it on subscribe and save. However, I will probably still be on the lookout for iced coffee products that use more natural ingredients. It really is a good tasting product!Also, for those curious. This is a Cocoa-cola product that is a product of Denmark. -This baby food has very simple ingredients: no sugar added, no preservatives (lemon juice only), no coloring. It is mostly all pear however. There is very little iron (2%), that I though it should have had from spinach, and virtually no protein - again, I though broccoli would add protein to this mix. It does have 70% of vitamin C however. Taste good: not over the top sweet from the pear and not over the top tart from the lemon juice. I really wish it would have more greens in it though. -I don't have a cold right now but since I often take ginger and honey for a sore throat, I thought this might be a nice alternative.It might be, in a pinch.The ginger is strong. Strong in a good way if you have a sore throat but you may not be that accustomed to it. When I make ginger tea I use perhaps 3-4 thin slices steeped in a cup of water for about 5-10 minutes with a tablespoon or two of honey.I used about cup hot water for a pouch instead of the cup. The ginger is nice and strong, lingering in the mouth and back of the throad.Unfortunately it's a bit sweeter than I would prefer (even when brewed to the recommended level) and there's really no lemon taste- just an aroma.There's also a somewhat bitter aftertaste that I'm not so fond of. This taste is not chemical, more like an herbal bitter note. I'm more of a coffee person so you tea drinkers out there might actually prefer it.I'm having a hard time deciding between three stars and four. It's good, not great. Probably 3 for flavor (It's OK) , four for convenience (I like it) -I really like cashews and this bar has large pieces of them in it, which made me really happy. The bar is a good size for an afternoon snack or a pick me up while exercising/hiking at 1.7 oz. The ingredients are very natural with organic dates, cashews, cherries, walnuts, almonds, agave nectar and rice protein being the entirety of them. The cherries are a bit tart which helps give the bar a good flavor with enough sweetness added by the agave nectar. The bar is rather soft, but firm enough to hold. It is a tad sticky but won't leave a residue on your fingers. I really liked this bad. -For now, my search for a good de-caf coffee is now complete. I've tried many brands and this is the best I've come across. This coffee is smooth and flavorful with no aftertaste. -My wife and I have seen the Krave cereal in stores, but we havenever bothered to pick it up. She's pretty much a chocolate Mini-Wheats person and I am more a Honey Nut Cheerios person (Unless they bring back Smurfberry Crunch). We had a choice of either box as an Amazon Vine option and I chose to do the double chocolate thinking the wife would like it better. Little did I suspect that we would try a few handfulls dry for a texture and taste sample...and then proceed to eat nearly the entire box in one day. Both of us are pretty physical fit people that watch our wastelines and exercise regularly, buy man oh man, did we keep coming back to the box for "just one more taste." This cereal is delicious and we'll be picking up another box (and probably the other flavour) until we get sick of it or Kellog's decides not to make it any more (ala General Mill's and my beloved childhood favorite Fruity Yummy Mummy).I was really happy to see that there was no high fructose corn syrup in Krave and that it's actually pretty nutritous for a chocolate cereal. It's low in fst, has no cholesterol and has a decent amount of fiber. A single serving is only 120 calories and there are only 10 grams of sugar, whichs urprised me as it has a nice sweet taste to it. There really is no downside to the cereal. Our household is really happy with it (even the rabbits!) and we'll definitely be getting this again. -We love Honey Maid grahams in our house. This new packaging is nice. My kids especially liked that the grahams were in the squares, smaller serving, easier for smores or peanut butter graham sandwich. I liked that it was a smaller stack, keeping the grahams from getting stale also easier to put in tupperware/rubbermaid container to pack as a snack. Convenient, delicious product. -I was not overly impressed with this flavor of raw fruit & nut bar. It was okay... not bad but not great. I don't think I would buy this flavor. There was a lack of nuts and the cherry and cashew flavors just did not seem to go together that nicely. The texture was fine (aside from the lack of nuts).The Wild Blueberry Pure Bar is definitely my favorite and worth seeking out. Cherry cashew - not so much. I still give the cherry cashew version 3 stars because it is organic and contains all recognizable ingredients and is pretty healthy. -I must confess to being completely taken by this juice. I adore the packaging, the name, and even the story behind its birth.The taste is delightfully refreshing and different. And while it does nothing in aiding the diet or lowering your sugar intake, it does make you feel better about drinking it since it is not a soft drink per say.My husband who hates all things that could potentially be healthy would allow me to put this into his lunch. It was a huge deal that he liked these. Again, it's better than the Mountain Dew he constantly drinks otherwise.Fun, fruity, and unique... we do buy this juice occasionally. However, it too is hard to find and expensive when we do to carry it as a regular grocery staple. -Taste? Ok. The strawberry and banana flavors weren't bad, but there is an acidic bite to the drink as well. Tastes like Red Bull mixed up with Hawaiian Punch.Healthy? Naw. 20 grams of sugar. All natural ingredients . . . but I doubt it is any healthier than your average soda.Energy? Yep. Same caffeine as a cup of coffee.Overall: If you want to wake up in the morning without drinking coffee or Diet Coke, this could be your drink of choice. The flavor is not great, but its comparable with the other energy drinks out there and you will get your caffeine fix. -I love granola-like snacks, especially when they are more healthy! These apple clusters--which come in a convenient resealable pouch--seemed to fit the latter, as they are made from real organic apples and just three other ingredients (organic apple juice concentrate, organic potato starch, and organic cinnamon; they are gluten-free, too). Each quarter-cup serving (quite small; there are just 4 servings in the tiny bag) is 60 calories, with no fat, 10 grams of natural sugar, and 2 grams of fiber.Okay, so these apple clusters are generally healthy, but I found the taste to be disappointing. The clusters are small and round, and I found them to have a pleasant crunch. However, I detected somewhat of an odd flavor; to me, it tasted almost like mustard, but perhaps it was just the particular apple variety? Whatever it was, it overpowered any apple or cinnamon flavor, making these clusters a disappointment and not something that I would-repurchase.I believe taste is very individual, so others certainly might like these; there are enough positives here to make them worth a try. -This is one of those cereals that isn't just for breakfast. Generally it can be very filling and the flavor is excellent. The fruit really is an added bonus. Milk doesn't make this a soggy cereal. The crunchiness is nice to have as I really enjoy the texture. I think this cereal would be excellent any time of day you need that extra pick me up. The fact it's all natural makes it that much better. Although the boxes are smaller than the standard cereal aisle selections one box should last an individual about a week. Overall this has become one of my favorite cereals that doesn't need anything to be excellent. -This is a very rich and flavorful chocolate that can add some excitement to your morning cup of joe. The dark chocolate truffle flavor is not too overpowering, just strong enough to make this a very unique-tasting coffee. Coffee is very rich and smooth, but not too strong. If you are looking for a gourmet coffee i would very strongly recommend that you try this one. I am exceptionally satisfied with it. -The tea is a hardy, warm tasty brew. The taste of the tea is strong and not delicate but its flavor is very nice. It is similar to Earl Grey tea. I added a little milk and sugar to the tea. The tea goes great with toast and other breakfast items such as danish or croissant. Very appealing and nice to drink. -This sauce is spicy enough..just doesn't really taste that good. The texture is creamy as advertised, but I wouldn't pour it on my taco or tortilla chips..ever. Might be good as a sauce over boneless skinless chicken. Somewhere in the taste, it makes me feel like mayo has been added..or something I can't identify exactly. Make yr own salsa, you would be better off. -At first these two ingredients really do not go together. Granola is often thought of as a healthy food and chocolate - well, not so much.The taste is not really one or the other - but a good break if you feel like something mildly sweet and somewhat solid. A rare craving - but if you have it - then it is good stuff.The chocolate is tasty and seems to have just enough to make you want more. Not too much to drown out the granola ... -First, let me say that I have only tried the Chocolate and Raspberry flavors so far, but love them! I have added the chocolate to my diet coke and it is really good- I like the fact you only need about 1/2 a cupful to get enough flavor. I have also bought carbonated water and added the raspberry flavor to it- an instant 'pop'. These bottles are quite large, and I would certainly recommend at least the two flavors referenced. I'll try to remember to review the others as I try them! -I'm pretty picky when it comes to cheese and crackers. I love to have something like this in my purse for long days when snacks are a must, but many brands are small, with little to no flavor and no crisp crackers (or crackers that taste stale).I tried these because they were Ritz brand. The crackers are excellent! The cheese filling... not so much. It was gritty, with a strange aftertaste.However, overall, these are better than other brands on the market. They are big, with a sharp crunch. If I can find the crackers sold separately, I'd buy them and make my own with Laughing Cow or goat cheese. The crackers alone would also be excellent with hummus. -Gold Kili All Natural Instant Ginger and Lemon is a powdered drink mix that can be served using either hot or cold water. The fine powder dissolves quickly and the beverage is mixed and ready to drink in less than one minute.I like the taste of lemons and ginger, but I wasn't prepared for the taste of this beverage. I admit that it does have a nice, enticing aroma and the combination of these two ingredients sounds appealing, both for the potential flavor and for the settling effects on the stomach. However, the taste of this beverage is not what I expected. It doesn't taste as natural as I thought it would and it has a certain harshness that is most evident in the back of the throat. I followed the directions and added a cup of hot water, but considering the harsh flavor, perhaps I should have used more water.Among the flavors present, the ginger is the one most noticeable and it's the spicy finish that creates that harshness. I was able to finish mine off by taking only small sips at a time, but I can understand why some would have a difficult time drinking this instant beverage. My enjoyment of spicy foods and drinks made it a little more tolerable for me, but I would bet that others would have a difficult time consuming this drink.Ginger and lemons might be a nice combination, but they don't mesh very well in this instance. I won't be buying this drink again, as I found it less smooth and less enjoyable than its taste combination promises. -I'm a big fan of organics as well as dark chocolate. When the Newman's Own Dark Chocolate bar arrived, I was going to pace myself and have just a little and save some for the next day. Ha! After I took the first bite, that wasn't going to happen. This chocolate, unlike other dark chocolates I've tried, was creamy and totally delicious. There was no bitter aftertaste. Best chocolate I've had in a long time. -This is a extremely tasty drink, but I am partial to watermelon flavors. The flavor is subtle, but you absolutely pick up the watermelon flavor. Its not drowned out by the strawberry, which is usually the case in strawberry-watermelon flavored food items. This drink is lightly carbonated, much less than a standard cola drink, but the carbonation transforms the drink from a juice-like, powdered drink type to a much more refreshing, original beverage. The drink is not overly sweet, but just enough to enhance the watermelon-strawberry flavor, and not too caloric. I am anxious to try the other flavors. (its a small can, but the price is not too bad.) -Some say this sauce is too sweet, some say it is too spicy; but for the average person, this sauce is amazing! Every dish i have made with it or poured it on has been delicious. It's great with beef, chicken, pork and fish, and I even tried it on a salad once (not recommended though). I love this sauce and even though i am not a huge fan of "raspberry" tasting things, this sauce is great and adds a very nice sweet flavor to your savory dishes. -This review is for Quaker Real Medleys Apple Walnut Oatmeal.Each container in the package is good for one serving. The cooked contents filled up 60% of the container.There was an ample amount of dried apple and walnut in each serving, and there were even quite a few pieces of dried cranberry. The apple, walnut, and cranberry pieces all tasted good. The cooked oatmeal was a bit mushy, and with 22 grams of sugar in a relatively small amount of oatmeal (each serving is 75 grams), the whole thing came out just a bit too sweet for my taste, and I'm not too crazy about the 290 calories you get per serving either. -Lipton's Half & Half tea and honey is a very sweet drink. It prominently displays 5 calories on the front of the box; however each on the go package makes a 16.9 oz. drink which then equals 10 calories. That's still not a lot; however I do not appreciate attempted deception and to me that's what this is.The drink itself is nice if you like very sweet tea/berry drinks. You do not have very much of a tea or berry taste - just sweetness. It still has that powdery taste of ice tea mixes, but it's pleasant to have in order to add to water bottles for flavor - just make sure it's a 16 oz. bottle or the sweetness would be too cloying. -After receiving these today, I once again gathered the household testers together (aka, the missus and munchkins) to try these cookies.First, let me describe them. (The cookies, not the testers! :-) ) They are about two inches across, maybe an eight of an inch thick, and are a darker brown than shown on the package. Inside the cookie is a thin layer of fudge. The cookies have a bit of a dampish-texture and were all stuck together.The taste of the "outside" part of the cookie was slighly similar to soft-baked chocolate chip cookies. However, the texture was a bit "grainy", somewhat like an soft oatmeal cookie. The fudge layer on the inside was tasty, but was a little overpowered by the rest of the cookie. It wasn't quite as firm as the layer you'd find in an oreo cookie, and was more like a spread.I love chocolate chip cookies, and I love fudge, so I had high hopes for these. My wife has similar tastes and also thought they'd be a good cookie to try. However, the testers and I unanimously agree that they are somewhat mediocre in taste and appearance. While they aren't terrible by any means, they didn't grab me enough to make me want to go out and get more. Everyone's taste is different, though, so you may love them. I give these cookies a three star rating ... that is to say they're not good, they're not bad, they're only fair.As an aside, I received these cookies to evaluate as part of the Amazon Vine program. The Amazon shipping container was very well protected and undamaged, but when I opened the pack of cookies, about a third of them had been reduced to crumbs, and only two thirds of them were in a condition to eat. (And those were all stuck together.) I don't know if that was due to rough handling or excessive heat during shipment, so I didn't consider it as part of my rating. I only mention it as something to watch for in the event that it's a flaw in the cookie itself. -Interestingly, even when comparing with other sauces, this immediately brought to mind Taco Bell. I never realized their sauces were so distinctive.With regard to the sauce itself, the consistency is thick, tasting like a mayonnaise base with some BBQ Sauce added and then mixed with some chipotle (minus the seeds). Mildly warm, extremely creamy... certainly not bad... more like comfort food - what you would grab in the middle of the night, not what you would feed to honored guests.So... it fills the bill for standard fare, but would be just as easy to make your own and cut down some of the fat and salt (of which this sauce has a ton of both!!!) and pick up some extra flavor and "freshness". Hope this review is helpful.All the best,Jay -Original review:I love Gevalia coffees. I used to be a subscriber to their coffee service and would look forward to my monthly shipments. For the most part their coffee is simply stellar. This coffee smells delicious out of the package, and while brewing, but the chocolate taste is too much for my palate. Never thought I would say that something is too chocolatey but this is! If you are a choco-holic this might be the perfect coffee for you. It is a chocolate truffle so I guess it is to be expected.Update to this review:A couple of weeks later I returned to this coffee. But with one difference. I halved the amount of coffee I brewed with and voila! The flavors came right out in a very pleasant way. The mistake was definitely mine. I like my coffee strong yet I was defintely making this coffee too strong! I say, if you love chocolate and coffee you should give this a shot but make it with about half of what you use to make regular old coffee. The flavors just come right out in a balanced way. My original review was three stars, I have upgraded to four. Could be a 4.5. I would definitely buy this coffee again.I have written many reviews and have never updated one. I was so surprised by how good this coffee turned out that I felt impelled to re-write my review. My original title was: "Smells great but way too chocolatey" and it just doesn't apply once I got the right quantity. -This is not the ideal or the most nutritious of drinks, but if it stops you from drinking sugary drinks, then it is definitely an alternative to consider.The taste is mostly strawberryish in a Kool Aid kind of way. I diluted it in water (dilutes fairly easily) and then added ice cubes for an icy cold drink.Each box comes with ten individually wrapped packets. The corner of each packet is pre-cut, so it is easier to open and you don't have to hunt for hard to find perforations. Each packet is good for a 16oz drink. If you find it too rich, you can always increase the amount of water or use one packet to make drinks for multiple people.One packet has 10 calories, all sugars. There is no other nutritional value on the label.If you are cautious about artificial sweeteners, this one has sucralose.The green tea is decaf, and indeed I did not feel a caffeine kick.The outside box is nice and colorful, but the drink definitely doesn't taste as good as it looks in the picture.The bottom of the outside box and the individual packets show an expiration date, but it is not written in a straightforward fashion from a consumer's perspective.The overall rating is closer to 3.5 stars out of five, but closer to a 4 than a 3. It gets bonus points for reasonable taste and convenience, but sucralose brings it down. -Essentia is a good tasting water. There are some botteled waters out there that have a horrible metallic taste to them but this isn't one of those. It has a good refreshing taste that I really enjoy. If I see this the next time I am needing some botteled water I will definitely buy it again. -These new Newtons Fruit Thins are delicious. They have a really natural fruit flavor, and the texture is very light and crisp. Perfect for a snack, because they are not too sweet like so many other cookies. I think they are especially good with a cup of tea. They are my new favorite because they are not overly sweet but have a real fruit taste. -I love cherries and cashews and this organic Pure raw fruit and nut bar. I am always looking for a bar that I can take on the go that won't MELT in my backpack from spring and summer weather. I love that it contains raw ingredients meaning nothing is processed and is completely organic. I was afraid the cherries would be too tart but I found the balance of the nutty cashews mellowed the cherries. I typically don't like dates but I didn't find them overwhelming in this bar. I think it is great and healthier alternative to many other convenience foods (bars) on the market. -What a pleasant surprise Kraft Velveeta Chicken and Broccoli Skillets Dinner Kit provided! I was a little leery, having tried a number of boxed dinner kits that were bland and disappointing. I wondered if I should spice it up a little, but decided against it because I wanted to review the product without tinkering.Kraft supplies everything but the chicken, and there is a spice packet, but I still wasn't convinced this was going to be much more than mac & cheese with a few pieces of broccoli and chicken. WRONG!On a night when dinner was left to the last minute, I prepared the Chicken & Broccoli skillet and served it with fresh picked tomatoes and basil. Not expecting much, we were amazed how good it was, certainly as good (if not better) than a meal from a family restaurant. It is superior to the frozen skillet and microwave steamer dinners we've tried (and we've tried a wide variety). As for spicing it up--that's totally unnecessary. We both thought the meal was delicious. In fact, we couldn't wait to have the leftovers (which were still good). -First off, let's start with the product description for these cashews that appears on the product page: "Lightly roasted with natural sea salt and a hint of pepper - Value added seasoning for the consumer who is tired of plain old cashews." From reading that description, one would assume that these cashews have "a hint of pepper." That is not the case. These cashews are LOADED with pepper. When I first opened the container and saw these nuts, it looked like someone had wet them and dredged them in black pepper. And believe me...You can taste the pepper; and it stays with you. Very, very spicy. Too much so for me. I also agree with other reviewers who have said the nuts are too salty. WAY too salty, with 270mg of sodium in a single 1 oz. serving. Now, back to the "value added seasoning" description...Nowhere in the product description does it mention that these nuts have SUGAR added to them. Sugar? With salt and pepper? Add that to the "granulated onion" that also appears on the list of ingredients and maybe you can understand what I mean when I say that there's just a bit too much going on here flavorwise. You can't even taste the nuts!! I love cashews. And I love seasoned cashews. But these just don't make the grade. I think my biggest complaint is definitely the amount of pepper that are on these. It's WAY more than a "hint." Stay away from these nuts unless you want to make your taste buds very, very angry and give yourself some major heartburn. -Firstly, I am picky with water. I do not like Aquafina or Dasani because I think they taste like the plastic bottle. My favorite waters are Deer Park and Poland Spring. Both have a clean, crisp flavor, with no funky after taste or odd plastic taste.Essentia has a nice clean, fresh taste. Just pure clean water. No after taste, no odd tastes overall. I love the bigger sized bottle. I cannot attest to the benefits of drinking pH water specifically because I only tried the one bottle and of course did not see any benefits or notice anything spectacularly different from any other water.I suppose if you have great interest in the long term benefits of drinking Essentia with its 9.5pH and if you do not mind the price, it is worth it. I myself cannot see spending so much on bottled water, although it does have a very good, pure taste. -I got these for my husband, since I don't really go for graham crackers.His thoughts:The crackers have a wholesome, natural flavor and satisfying crisp, though a little sweeter might be nicer; the honey-cinnamon flavor is a little subtle for me. They don't have the artificial aftertaste some others have. 3 stars from me, as in "ok"Mine:I like that they are not to sweet. I find most graham crackers obnoxious because of the overly strong flavor and, as he mentions, the aftertaste. Because of the neutrality, they play well with other accompaniments like preserves, or even cheeses. 5 stars from me, oddly enough. I don't like this type of snack, but these were good.This makes an average of 4 stars between us.Some nutritional information:(per serving of 2 full cracker sheets in % daily value)110 Calories, 20 from fatTotal Fat 2.5g (4%), 1.5g from monounsaturated "good" fats that are heart-healthyNo cholesterolSodium 130mg (2%)Potassium 85mg (2%)Carbs 21g (7%)Fiber 2g (8%)Sugars 7gProtein 2gOverall, the fiber content is pretty high, and the ingredients list is short and simple. NO high fructose corn syrup or refined sugars, no artificial coloring:Graham flour from whole grains, whole grain rolled oats, evaporated cane juice, safflower oil, honey, raisin paste, brown rice syrup, leavening, sea salt, cinnamon, vitamin E to protect flavor. -Not only does this product taste great, it is good for baby. These are very handy to carry in a diaper bag, and can be eaten without a spoon. Remember to keep an eye on the expiration date because their shelf life is relatively short due to the fact that they are organic. I just rec'd this last week and it expire in July -- only 2 months. I would highly recommend this for anyone interested in organic baby food, but it is rather expensive. -The soup is rich and tasty, but DON'T buy it from Amazon. The packaging is so poor that the cans arive dented as did the replacement shipment. I got my money back but now have to pay more to buy this wonderful soup from my local grocer. -I can't say I truly enjoyed these "meals". First, this is not really a meal, it's a snack at best. Sure, if you were trapped in the wilderness you may enjoy this, but for most regular people, this isn't the size of a meal.The GoodThe food is nutritious as far as fiber and protein.The crackers were good.The dried fruit wasn't too bad.The BadThe salmon doesn't taste good in my opinion.The size is too small for a meal.The package expires within months...I expected the shelf life to be longer I guess.Bottom Line: I would pass on these, or at least buy one package and try it out first before buying this multiple pack. -ADDENDUM, Sept. 2013: It looks like Amazon combined all of the GoPicnic product pages into just one page. This review is for "Sunbutter and Crackers" and was originally posted on that product's own individual page.------If you've already tried GoPicnic meals before, you know basically what to expect here: a main dish, a couple of side items, and a dessert.While all GoPicnic meals are gluten-free, this meal is designed to avoid SEVEN types of allergens: wheat, dairy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs. It's also completely vegan. Just about anyone should be able to eat each of the included components of the meal.The main dish isSunButter Creamy Sunflower Seed SpreadwithCrunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers.The sunbutter is pretty interesting- you have to sort of knead it before opening the package to make sure it's nice and mixed and pliable. It tastes a lot like peanut butter and is similarly sticky. The texture is more on the smooth side than the crunchy side. The crackers are pretty good- they're crisp and have a mild, subtle flavor.The side dishes are a seed-and-fruit trail mix and a fruit snack.The trail mix is really good- it'sMountain Mambo Nut Free Trail Mix, Gluten, Dairy & Nut Free, the main ingredients of which are pre-shelled sunflower seeds and bits of dried fruit (raisin and apple). My only complaint is that there's only 0.75oz of it, so it goes really quickly. The fruit snack is Niagara Natural Simply Fruit Tropical Bites (no Amazon link, sorry). They're shaped like little pellets or logs and have a flavor and texture that vaguely reminded me ofFruit Roll-Ups. They're mostly made of apple-based ingredients, but a few other fruit juices are also included.The dessert is aEnjoy Life Double chocolate Crunchy Cookie). The cookie is definitely crunchy! I was surprised when I bit into it, though not really in a bad way. The flavor was okay, but honestly, I'd have preferred a little square of real chocolate like you get in theGoPicnic Hummus + Crackersmeal.One thing to note, though, is that this all ends up being a little light on protein. This meal has 12g, versus 25g forGoPicnic Hummus + Crackers. Also, a word of warning: although the meal is pretty healthy, it doesn't skimp on the fat. This little box crams in 26 total grams of fat.Bottom line:Pros: Gluten-free and nut-free; even picky eaters should enjoy every item; high in fiber and low in sodiumCons: Not very filling; flavors, while good, aren't very exciting or varied; dessert is good, but not great; fat content is surprisingly high([...]) -I was excited to get this product for review. Yes, I am a sucker for nuts, raisins, and walnuts. To have all three in a yummy chewy bar sounded like heaven. Then I looked on the back of the package.Carbs. TONS and TONS of carbs. Now, I admit I am biased since I have Type C Diabetes. But it is because of my diabetes that I check labels. Pamela's may SAY that these bars are healthy, and the ingredients listed are pretty good -- but it was the carbs and sugar contents of each bar that deterred me from being able to fully enjoy my sample.Size. Pamela's Products Whenever Bars are small. Very, very small. The bar itself is chewy and tastes great. I don't agree that it would keep a person from being hungry or that it could be used as a meal. Did I mention that the bar was tiny?Price. These babies are expensive.While I enjoyed the couple of bites I was able to experience, the excess of carbs in each tiny bar and the expensive retail price will definitely keep me from buying more.Natalie S. -This sauce really has unique flavor: predominantly mango with some ginger and just right amount of hot Habaneros. It is medium spicy and goes very well with fish. My only criticism is that the label follows the letter but not the spirit of the law: print is so small that you need a magnifying glass to read it! -I was already familiar with the Honey Maid crackers and always enjoyed them. The flavor is always consistently good. This option is better because the box contains six individually wrapped packages with about eight or ten crackers in each pack. It's great because you don't have to open the whole box with worry about the remainder of the crackers getting stale. The individually wrapped packs would also be good for snacking on the run. It's easy to just grab a package of these and put them in your purse for later. The only drawback is that sometimes eight crackers is just more than desired for a snack and there is no way to really seal the bag to save them for later. But, overall, this cracker is a delicious snack choice, especially if you are on the go. -I like the texture of this coconut oil. I use it on my hair, for cooking and I even put a spoon full in a smoothie. I also put it on my skin under makeup. I have dry skin. -I'll make no qualms about the fact that I love graham crackers and graham cracker like products like Teddy Grahams. Almost nothing beats a cup of hot chocolate and a graham cracker or two on a cold winter evening in my book.That said, I recently had the opportunity to try out Back to Nature 100% Natural Golden Honey Oat Graham Crackers. My verdict? They're a delicious and healthier way of eating graham crackers.The size of the product is similar to Nabisco's Honey Grahams. Each cracker is perforated into four evenly sized pieces. The texture is much rougher and heartier than what you would find in Honey Grahams with oat pieces that are discernible in the crackers. Because of the texture and heartier composition these grahams are a bit more brittle than Nabisco's product. Though my box arrived with mostly intact crackers.I found the taste of the Back to Nature grahams to be comparable to Honey Grahams but not nearly as sweet or intense. Personally, I'm willing to compromise some of the taste for a healthier snack and these crackers fit the bill perfectly. Back to Nature proudly labels the front of the box with "no artificial preservatives, flavors or colors and no high fructose corn syrup". Sounds good to me!Each box contains 3 individually wrapped packages containing seven graham crackers. One serving equals two full crackers sheets with 110 calories, 2.5g of fat and 21g of carbs.Recommended. -These single-serve pods are everything good; Eco-friendly, "Ethically Farmed * Artesian Rosted," organic, and when you're done, it's ready for the compost bin. Other than the "This Side Down" printed on each pod, there are no directions on the package, but they are intended for use in most home and office brewers....and I guess perfectly acceptable to use like a tea bag, which I tried and got a very tasty cup of coffee from it.The aroma when you break open the individually wrapped little pod package is tantalizing, and the flavor very robust. The box is full of references to the great Bob Marley, and the company is owned by his son. There are other icons on the box too, from the coffee producers, ITAL, who are "...committed to sourcing the finest quality 100% Arabica beans" and "Kicks for Cause" which sends a portion of the proceeds to charity.All in all, this "Exotic Floral and Berry" blend makes a very nice cup of coffee, and is extremely handy if you are busy, so get your One Love pod in a brewer or cup and enjoy! I'm factoring the convenience of the product into my rating. If this was loose coffee, it would get 4 stars. -There are not many k-cups that deliver true espresso body and flavor, but this one comes very close to what you might get in a coffee shop. Using a Keurig model that makes a 4-oz. cup of coffee, this k-cup produces a rich, dark, full-bodied espresso that can be enjoyed as is or used to make espresso drinks. If you use the 6-oz setting, the coffee will be strong and rich but will not have the body of espresso. I've tried just about every other dark, Italian and French roast k-cup on the market and I definitely prefer this one for espresso. One caveat: if you don't like Starbucks' dark roasts, this may be too strong or dark for your taste. I tried this as a brew-over-ice, but did not like it as much, as the cold temperature seemed to bring out bitter and muddy flavors in the brew. However, for a hot espresso or espresso drink, I always keep this k-cup on hand. -This was an enjoyable and refreshing treat on a hot summer day. I poured the coffee over ice to enjoy it colder and it was very good. It has a strong, bold coffee flavor, not bitter, and is slightly sweetened but not very sweet. You could always add more sweetener to suit your taste, but I personally didn't find it necessary. At only 50 calories a can this is a nice light drink. -I have to say I loved this film. Principally, because I empathised so much with Hawke's character that I spent at least the first hour of the film trying to make excuses for Washington's character's behaviour. Perhaps I am just slow or naive, but I genuinely could not decide whether Washington was good or evil or just human in this film until the last half hour or so, when it becomes very obvious. I was sitting there debating with myself; is that truly the only way to approach this? Is there no other? I study Criminology and as such, the film was fascinating. I make no pretence that it was a particularly deep or thought-provoking film, only that it did address issues that I am interested in.I fully admit that I am no expert on crime on the streets of L.A. and so I make no judgement about how realistic this film was, except to say that while probably overdramatised, the issues raised are extremely relevant and far more common that you might believe. -This movie is one amazing feat. Aside from the insanity that was involved during the making of this film, the movie looks amazing. Each scene is memorable and filmed with such expertise. The DVD version looks great in the widescreen format. The extras are nice, but what is really great is the movie itself. One of the most powerful films ever made, it is also one that is a marvel to watch again and again. Please buy it. -Don't get me wrong this is a great show and the boys are in fine form. Trent Reznor damn near makes your ears bleed and the sound and picture quality is awesome. Filmed during the North American tour in 2006 it's also complete in terms of its song selection and the price is reasonable. However if you're looking for some insight into the band, interviews or backstage footage it just isn't here. The concert has also been filmed from a distance which wasn't really what I had in mind when I bought this. Instead of actually seeing Trent, Josh, Alessandro or Jordie performing for most of the DVD you get a really long shot of a small blurry person on stage and a bunch of waving arms and heads covering the bottom half of the TV screen. Occasionally someone will crowd surf past obscuring things even more. The picture quality although great is dark, grainy and smoky. Towards the end of the concert a giant gauze screen comes down and covers the stage entirely then we get to see pictures of amoebas, random animals and world atrocities but again No Band.The extras aren't much better in terms of insight just footage of the band rehearsing in 2005; Everyday Is Exactly The Same and Love Is Not Enough. We also get a couple of music videos; The Hand That Feeds and Only and a stills gallery shot during the performance.Unless you're a die-hard fan I'm sorry but I can't really recommend this and I know you'll hate me for it. But I bought this hoping to at least see the band perform or possibly speak during an interview or random backstage moment I didn't expect to once again feel like I've got a bad seat to the show. I've already seen the crowd shots, outstretched arms and tiny man on stage. Maybe we just aren't meant to get close to NIN, maybe they are an enigma. -First of all, I couldn't decide whether to give three or four stars. I finally decided four just could not be justified, so it's really more like 3.5/5 from me. So, as you know by now, this is not a great movie, but it's better than Episode I by a considerable margin. The special effects are great and seamless (moments in Episode I and especially the ones added to the 3 original SW films were quite flawed). The asteroid chase and rain planet and Yoda's lightsaber duel were all memorable. I noticed some grainy scenes in the theater, but everything looks good -- almost TOO good -- on the DVD. The plot this time around is less convoluted and more coherent and flows more naturally from scene to scene. The video and surround audio are both reference quality on this DVD, and there's enough extras to keep the most ardent fans busy for a long time. 'Nuff said about that -- no complaints at all there.But alas, the characters and their interactions with each other, is the film's downfall, due to poor acting, directing, and screenwriting. I appreciated trying to add some romantic facets, but the dialogue is laughably bad in many scenes, and certain actors are so blandly disinterested they cannot overcome the material to convince us otherwise. Hayden Christiansen is simply awful, there is no other way to put it. The annoying, forgettable, hokey child actor in Episode I has been replaced by an annoying, forgettable, hokey teenage actor here. Natalie Portman is only slightly less wooden than in Episode I, which must be blamed on the direction, because in other places she's proved herself to be a competent actor. And although I generally like him, I never quite bought Samuel Jackson as a Jedi Knight. He goes through the entire film with an odd look on his face and I get the distinct feeling he was always on the verge of breaking into laughter reading his lines. Christopher Lee and Ewan McGregor are the only actors worthy of the roles, along, of course, with the vocal talent that gives the CG Yoda life. Thankfully the insipid Jar Jar Binks is less prominent in this film, although even after five seconds he begins to grate on you. I guess he had to put in an appearance so they could pump another action figure into Toy 'R' Us stores around the world. As for the direction, Lucas needs to just give it up and let someone who knows what they are doing handle it. He is NOT a great director. His two best films, Empire and Raiders, were directed by someone other than him. There was some great screen chemistry in the original Star Wars but it must have just been stars-aligning dumb luck, since he has never been able to reproduce it since.Reading this you might think I hated this movie, but I actually didn't. You just need to let yourself become a kid again for a few hours and ignore the bad things. Then it just becomes fun, and if you are expecting something more from a Star Wars film then you aren't being realistic. The first three Star Wars films also had lots of bad acting, bad screenwriting, uneven direction, cheesy special effects, and a ridiculous plot but we never saw that, because we were young and unjaded and had no preconceptions or expectations for the films to live up to, and we were experiencing instead of analyzing as we watched. If you can force yourself to do the same here, you'll enjoy it. -I think this movie was introduced in the Arts. Not a popular one. but its so well done and quirky and funny and the scenery is amazing. I will watch it again. The father of a 40 year old man goes to France to pick up his sons body, who died from a hiking accident. you see him in flash backs. by the real father and son actors Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. He decides to walk the trail his son died on carrying his ashes and scattering them along the way. He meets up with a chain smoker strange lady, a writer with writers block and 2 others that share the trail with him off and on through out the movie. Its so funny and fun to watch. very well acted by all. I think you will like this movie. I do not recommend it for kids. A stroll though France and Spain. if for nothing else see it for the scenery. You wont be sorry. -About a month ago I bought a Samsung UN75F7100 3D LED TV set. About 2 weeks ago I bought an OPPO BDP-103 3D Blu-Ray player on Amazon. Of course, I didn't have any 3D Blu-Ray disks to play so I bought Avatar. Wow! If you got the equipment to play this you gotta' get it. Picture and sound quality are excellent and the 3D is only as good as a movie originally shot in 3D could be. I'm afraid that any other move shot in 2D and processed up to 3D will not stand up to this one. Oh. By the way. I thought the movie was great! Hope there will be a sequel. (In 3D of course.) -From my perspective as a long-time, rabid fan of horror, I have to say that Cabin Fever is simply a dreadful horror film. I'm not talking about a few bad scenes, either; this film starts out bad and goes downhill from there. Just because you put a bunch of kids in the woods, throw in a few crazy rednecks, dump buckets of blood all over the place, and rip off a number of scenes from old horror classics, it doesn't mean you've made a good horror movie.I hardly know where to start on this one. I knew there was going to be a problem from the very start. You have a bunch of kids celebrating the end of exams by going camping for a week, then you can't help but notice the woods covered with fallen leaves. What kind of school has final exams in autumn, for Pete's sake? And these kids - each one is very different from the others, yet they are all equally impossible to like. "Frat Guy" man is one of the most annoying characters I've ever encountered. Normally, when you watch horror, there's at least one character you fervently hope lives through the ordeal - not so here. I was ready to see all five of the main characters taken out after spending just a few minutes with them.I guess I should mention the premise of this thing. Basically, these five kids have their good time ruined by some strange hermit with a serious skin condition - he can't keep his skin on his body, to be exact. It's a similar setup to Evil Dead, only the source of the trouble here is a flesh-eating virus. As you might expect, the kids start getting the same disease one by one, begin to turn on each other, blah blah blah. Their efforts to get help are thwarted by their own incompetence as well as the attitude of the local rednecks they encounter. I was desperately pulling for the virus, and it could not do its work quickly enough to satisfy me, as this film felt like it would never end. There is a lot of blood in Cabin Fever, and that's normally a good thing, but once you've seen some walking rotten corpse projectile-vomiting blood a few times, it loses some of its appeal. I guess I can say that the special effects weren't too bad overall, though. The music, though, was awful. I have to question the whole vision thing of young director Eli Roth; it's as if he periodically inserted a few silly montages and highly discordant music for no reason other than to make his movie look slightly artistic.Many of the gorier parts of the film come straight from classics such as Evil Dead, Night of the Living Dead, and Dawn of the Dead - as such, they did not impress me at all, especially those that happened during the very late and supposedly climactic moments of the movie. The so-called comedy that is interspersed throughout Cabin Fever is not even groan-worthy for the most part. There is one exception to this, though, and this is the closest thing this film has to a saving grace of any kind: the very last scene is absolutely hilarious - and that's all I'm going to say about it.When it comes to the Special Features, let me just say that I watched them so you won't have to. There's a half-hour documentary on the making of the film, a really stupid Family Friendly Version of Cabin Fever, really low-quality (and thankfully short) video of a martial artist wannabe, and three short animated films starring The Rotten Fruit - rotten is truly the key word here. There are five commentaries of the film, but there's no way I could sit through this film a second time, let alone five more times. There's also a Chick-Vision option for watching the film.All in all, in almost every way possible, Cabin Fever is just a very unimpressive horror movie. It's not scary, it's not funny, the gore does nothing to instill squeamishness, the script is weak, and the soundtrack is a constant source of annoyance. Doggone it, I looked forward to seeing this film, expecting good things from it, and I was just bitterly disappointed. -You would expect more out of Academy Award winning, Peter Jackson. But it seems we were expecting too much. The film is visually stunning. It's worth seeing just for that reason. But the overall film suffers in many areas, resulting in a mediocre remake.First of all, the casting was bad. Often the actors are very out of place in their roles, even though they give good performances. Some of the selections are very peculiar, Jack Black for instance. Very strange, although he is quite good in his role.It has some memorable moments, but the majority of the film is boring and pointless. It seems Jackson feels the need to make every movie as long as possible, and the film really suffers because of this. Even with the strange casting, the film still could have been great. The length is what really knocks it down a level. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a 3 hour long movie as much as anyone else, but the extra length was pointless. It didn't add anything to the movie.As I said before, it's worth a watch for the special effects. Just don't go in expecting an amazing film.Rating: 2 1/2 StarsThank you for your time. -Wow kids, thanks for the trivia but what does that have to do with how wonderful the movie is!?"Chicago" is a very well written musical by Fred Ebb, John Kander and Bob Fosse that is still playing on Broadway today in its revival incarnation. In 2002, Mirimax released the wonderful motion picture adaptation. Catherine Zeta-Jones sings and dances Velma Kelly just as well as previous Velma, Chita Rivera and ever better than Bebe Newirth. Richard Gere, although nasil, does a wonderful job as Billy Flynn. Renne Zellwegger plays Roxie nicely, like a Kewpie doll, only problem: if she'd open those eyes!John C. Reily is great at Amos. I wish he were given more to do. But the real scene stealer is Queen Latifah as Marton Morton. She is a true musical performer who has great comic timing.Rob Marshall's direction and choreography is excellent. The editing is even better. Bill Condon's screenplay is brilliant. The two men have put together a brilliant spin on the great show."Chicago", like previous reviewers have said, won 6 Oscars including Best Picture. A film this good and this sucessful (most finanically sucessful of all Mirimax films) deserved a two disc set. When it was released on DVD in 2003, I for one was shocked. It got a single page chapter guide and one flimsy disc with the movie, the cut song "Class", an audio commentary and a commerical of a "Behind-the-Scenes" look.Now, we finally get a THREE disc "Chicago" set. Hopefully it will include some info on the wonderful, if ignored, Bob Fosse directed 1975 production and some information on some of the breifly mentioned in the commentary ideas for the cut songs "Me and My Baby" and "My Own Best Friend."I'm really looking foward to this great DVD transfer of this great film! -I specially liked the interesting twist to the legend of King Arthur. Good effort to add more "facts" to the script, particularly regarding the origin of knights, King Arthur and other characters of Arthurian legends, including Merlin, Lancelot or Guinevere (Percival is badly missing here though). Some of this ideas has been somehow treated more recently in movies such as "The last legion". I liked the excellent depiction of saxon invaders and the effort to fit the whole story with the historical anglo-saxon invasions to British Isles. Finally, the movie has a good pace, great battle scenes, good photography, and a nice soundtrack.The bad things include the acting of Clive Owen and too much "freedom" exclamations, the "battle horse" of nowadays arguments to justify invasions all over the planet..., but you can easily skip that garbage. Finally, stop the the movie at about 4 min before ending and view the alternate ending provided on the extras. Even so, you will appreciate how Hollywood directors do not learn how to end movies.In short, King Arthur went beyond the expectations of somone whose favorite King Arthur movie still remains John Boorman's Excalibur. Plus, a good deal for the price. -Every episode is interesting. Creative characters, and very addictive series.Looking forward to Season 3!As far as rating Amazon Video goes, what a great service. I hope that Amazon Prime customers always have this because it's wonderful. -This set collects some of the best shows to air on television. The set also comes with funky retro packaging that would make any self-respecting geek drool in a way that will insure their being single until the next season of Star Trek is released (giving them more time to enjoy this collection). Sadly, Paramount is squeezing us Trekkies/Trekkers/Addicts like members of the mob would squeeze an inner-city grocery-store, with their outrageous prices. $85.00 AFTER a 35% discount? Ironic, being that in the show they're selling, money is no longer used. Another thing that's bugged me in ALL the Trek DVD sets is the horrendous chapter break that happens after opening credits. It jumps you about five minutes into the actual episode. There is no way to skip the credit sequence, without missing a good chunk of the show. Sure, it's fun the first 135 you narrate along with Captain Kirk talking about the Final Frontier, but it gets old by the 140th session, unless you really start adding variety by sucking in a balloon full of helium before speaking the words William ... Shatner ... reads ... with ... such ... high ... melodrama. The picture quality is decent. Probably not what you'd expect for the price. Paramount didn't send in a restoration team to make this look as pretty as something released today should. You know something wasn't done right with this set when these shows from the 60s look WORSE than Chaplin movies from the 20s do, in the Chaplin Collection (now THAT'S restoration). What makes this worth the purchase are the compelling stories, great chemistry between the cast, nifty mini-skirts, cheesy alien outfits and finally getting to own the original episodes on DVD. Is that worth $85.00, when you can still watch any of these shows for free on television? It's your call. At these prices, I've only purchased season 3, 4 and 5 of The Next Generation and this set of The Original Series. I've rented each season of Deep Space Nine (at a more reasonable price, I would have bought them) and stopped, pointed and laughed wildly at the first three seasons of Voyager, whenever I pass them in the store. You make the call and make sure you make the right one, because the execs at Paramount would just assume stomp a Tribble with bare feet than they would issue you a refund because you feel ripped-off, after opening the set and realizing you're basically getting a sort of washed-out collection of episodes in neat packaging and nothing more (the extras are weak).5 stars for the shows. 2 stars for the value. 3 stars overall. -Wedding Crashers is the kinda film alot of people will love because it is stupid but alot of others like myself, won't enjoy. two womanizers fall in love, one because he finds out that his gf is not actually a virgin, like first off, what does virginity have to do with love? & second, who would actually believe that she was telling the truth when she said that she was a virgin? & then Owen Wilson's character fall in love with Rachel's McAdams character and well, that's the usual predictable romance plot. the problem with this film is it's not that funny. it seems to think it's better then it is. I don't think I hardly laughed during this film. the part about the "supposive" gay guy like people think he is gay so therefore of course, because it's this kind of film, he ends up being gay and of course, he tries to hit on Vince Vaughn's character in a scene that is beyond creepy. lets just say that "gay" guy is prob one of the worst actors I've seen. & then we get a cameo from Will Ferrell, alot of people I know find this guy "so" funny. but I don't get it. it just wasn't funny to me. u know, I loved the classic, "American Pie" that was just stupid for its own good but it delivered the goods to make it a great comedy! this film wasn't so much funny as stupid. & for the most part, I'm not going to remember this film in 5 years from now because it's just an average film. -This is without a doubt the best feature film anime around. All the action and suspense you come to expect in this genre. The storyline is intriguing, to say the least. You will not regret getting this movie, watching it numerous times. -Basically all the criticisms of this movie upon its release are on point. The story is choppy and confusing; the special effects are terrible, even for 1984; and the appearance of the film in general leaves you wondering if the intent was not to make a serious recreation of the novel but rather something campy, like "Flash Gordon" -- except that it is much darker, with occasional gory intrusions. What you're left with is basically all the novel's mumbo-jumbo ("Bene Gesserit," "Maud'Dib," "Kwisatz Haderach") but nothing of the sense you get from the best science fiction of a complete, alternate time and place. In addition, some of the acting is downright terrible, especially Brad Dourif's (Piter de Vries), whoever he is. Sting too, while bringing back memories of his hairstyles from that era, is pretty unconvincing. Poor Max von Sydow cannot but come across well, but he's killed after about 10 minutes on screen. There's really no saving this movie: fans who wanted it to work, and wanted David Lynch to do it well, can maintain that it was brutal editing that caused the problem, but it's just not the case. No amount of additional scenes would have made this a good movie. It is definitely a disappointment. On top of it all, this DVD release (I am reviewing the "extended version," with the theatrical cut on side A and the "Alan Smithee" version on side B) looks very poor. It's been put into a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, which sounds fine, if uninspiring, but the picture quality looks rough and aged. One suspects that given the source no one thought it was worth the time to restore. They were probably right. Two stars: One for Toto, one for Sean Young, cornerstone of 80's sci-fi babedom. -I marginally liked this film when I first rented it, but somehow it resinated with me, and I recently bought it. I didn't even know it was based on a video game. I thought the cinematography was fantastic, and the score was mesmorizing and haunting. The whole film plays out like a mystical dream or a bad nightmare, that all depends upon your style. The special effects are fantastic, it puts you in that demon world. Radha Mitchell is one of those obscure actresses. She also plays in "High Art", which is another fantastic film. Hopefully there will be another "Silent Hill", the script leaves more to the imagination. -A great (albeit short) first season of a very funny show. Although the best episodes are in the third and fourth season, the first season is more consistent. All the episodes are funny. Probably the best ones are "Hell is Other Robots" (which features the voice of Homer as the Robot Devil in a musical number), "A Flight to Remember"(a spoof of Titanic, featuring the hilariously pompous Zapp Branigan), and "When Aliens Attack" (which spoofs television and introduces the Omacron Persei aliens). All in all a great show with talent voice acting and well-written scripts. -BATMAN (1989) is the one Tim Burton film where his directorial style worked in perfect synergy with mainstream Hollywood. Many of his other earlier films, including BEETLEJUICE (1988), EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1993), ED WOOD (1994), and ironically BATMAN RETURNS (1992) are 100% TIM BURTON! They are all great in that Burtonesque way. While Burton's first Batman film BATMAN has obvious Burton touches: odd and disturbing characters, dark tone, neo-noirish look, the film still manages to be generally accessible to the mass audience. It moves at a fast, breezy pace and has an epic, Hollywood feel to it, with a satisfying conclusion. But that, in this case, is not a bad thing! I have re-watched this entertaining flick so many times it isn't funny! It just works. Can't say that for many of the superhero films in this new PC, uninspired generation of films.I actually saw BATMAN (1989) when it first came out in movie theatres and was blown away by it's originality and scope...still am. Even more so now since it holds up 20+ years later as great entertainment. In retrospect, Michael Keaton was the perfect choice to play the fractured, flawed antiheroic Bruce Wayne AKA Batman. But I always felt he was the right choice! Keaton captures the guarded loneliness of the Bruce Wayne character, while still being very convincing as a tough guy who can hold his own when donning the cape and cowl! Mr. Burton...you made the right choice!The other inspired (and perhaps more obvious) choice was casting the legendary Jack Nicholson as Jack Napier AKA The Joker. Nicholson is convincing as high-level "yes man" thug Napier who through a nasty accident becomes facially scarred and assumes the Joker persona. And Nicholson really looks like The Joker in this! He has so many memorable lines that I think about all the time. The hero-villain chemistry between he and Keaton is electric.Kim Basinger (at her most gorgeous!) admirably plays nosy photojournalist Vicki Vale, who arrives in Gotham City to unlock the secret of the mysterious Caped Crusader who has been "terrorizing" low level criminals throughout the city. She ends up falling in love with Bruce Wayne (lucky bastard!). Basinger is the weakest link of the main actors, but she still does a good job of emoting, being simultaneously fascinated and repulsed by Batman and Joker's antics. She screams a lot, but look at the freaks she's dealing with! Can you blame her?The solid supporting cast includes Michael Gough (wonderful turn as Alfred, Bruce's ever-so-reliable and dependable butler and caretaker), Robert Wuhl (in an energetic turn as Vicki's fellow reporter Alex Knox), Billy Dee Williams (as DA Harvey Dent), and Pat Hingle (as world-weary Police Commissioner Gordon). In particular, Keaton and Gough have an effortless chemistry as though they have been close their whole lives. Gough came back for Schumacher's cartoonish campy films and he had none of the chemistry with either Kilmer or Clooney that he had with Keaton in the Burton ones. It was weird watching Gough's Alfred interact with those tepid versions of Bruce Wayne.As previously stated, I am amazed at how Burton's style fused perfectly with more conventional Hollywood touches and created something special out of it. It could have been a monumental failure, but instead ended up being a template for all future superhero films. -C.S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia" with its seven allegorical books is becoming the latest film franchise. This first movie based upon the second book in the series is filled with talking animals and mythical creatures like centaurs, satyrs, fauns, gryphons, dwarfs, a wicked albino witch, and four charming and innocent British school kids. The movie is entertaining, but it does not seem to resonate with any great significance or meaning despite Lewis's reputation as a Christian polemicist.The four siblings who have been evacuated from the London blitz during War II are staying with a rich man in his country mansion. The youngest, a girl, travels to the snowy land of Narnia by entering a magic wardrobe. She meets a faun and the wicked witch. The most important creature in Narnia is Aslan, the lion.The film is entertaining, well-cast and well-acted, has some great special effects as well as a few hokey ones, the voices of some famous stars, but there's no there there; it lacks the underpinning of a substantive reason for being.William Mosely who plays the older brother is every teenage girl's heartthrob. It's a fun movie for kids as well as adults who'll get a kick out anthropomorphic animals and mythological creatures. Holds your interest. -There have been a lot of half-crazed movie characters in film history, you know the one; the kind of vaguely insane person that the movie truly revolves around, with the other characters only there to provide stark contrast with their recognizably sane posture. They're also there to wonder aloud to themselves and each other, "What's the matter with him?" To which someone usually responds, "I don't know, but there's something about him that I like." The thing about those movies (a lot of them came out of the 80's and early 90's, I know because in school we all imitated them), was the the core of those movies was the zany character exploration, and that was just about it. See what kind of situations we can cook up and then throw this crazed, witty personae in there and see what happens.What's different about Pirates of the Caribbean, and Jack Sparrow in particular, is that the world he inhabits gave birth to him. In the crazed personae movie--the nut-job seems to come out of nowhere, completely unexpected, which is half the fun but also half the shortcoming. In Pirates of the Carribean, we expect Jack Sparrow to come sailing out of the horizon and to suddenly arrive in that world, and what a world!I think what lends Sparrow such credibility is his mixture of characterization. Yes, he's wild and I suppose "free," but there are moments where he gets serious (saluting the dead pirates), moments when he has to act and can pull through (like jumping in to save Elizabeth), moments where he has to educate (telling Will Turner the truth about his father). When this happens, we give the character Sparrow something we don't give the hollow, crazed personae; respect. Give Johnny Depp all the credit for being able to switch between these modes as well; being serious and respectable while maintaining the aura of Jack Sparrow; that he'll stick his tongue out at us and run off with the gold at any moment, but not without his effects.The world of "Black Pearl" is lush and surprising. I didn't expect to believe the world of pirates, where all the exsists is ocean and the few ports that you can sail to. Come to think of it, we only really see three locales during the whole movie, and the rest of it is on water. How'd they pull that off? My favorite scene is in the pirate pub where the bar-fight is perpetual; Jack Sparrow and his cohort (can't remember his name) sit and talk about ports, treasures, old pirates, schemes, boats, etc. all in the warm glow of candles and wood as they chug ale. A pirate's life for me!Geoffery Rush, brilliant as ever. When he says, "Too long have I been without the taste of food or the comfort of a woman" I believe him. The man is a pirate outright, but in his eyes you can see the years of torment on a man from the curse piling up on him slowly. Notice too how he rolls his eyes perfectly when he's at the moment of breaking the curse, and somehow Jack Sparrow convinces him not to. How? Maybe "Curse of the Black Pearl" is really how Jack Sparrow has dogged Barbossa his whole career.The supporting cast is good, even Orlando Bloom who is still in Legolas mode. Even though he played up Will Turner nicely as a bright-eyed, talented, somewhat intense young man (who has serious anxieties about his lineage, but why not? It would bar him from his chances of Elizabeth), I did keep expecting him to jump up and go, "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn!" He does have a great moment where he jumps onto a ship with Sparrow and goes, "Aye, avast!" to which he's promptly laughed at. -I had 48 hrs to watch this movie and the sequel. But for some reason it kept pausing and pausing and it got stuck and it was long pauses like 5 minutes and then it would start and pause after a few minutes. If I can figure out I would like to get a refund or a re rental. Other than that the movie was very graphic as far the joker but the concept was good. -If that's even possible. I loved the first one, and I was absolutely in love with this one even more! Wolverine and Nightcrawler are probably my favorite characters, both in the movie, and in the comics. So the fact that this one had Nightcrawler made me extremely happy. The story in this one is even better, the action is more intense and exciting, and the effects are brilliant! Nightcrawler's ability looks absolutely real, you actually believe that he's teleporting, and it looks awesome. Great great movie. The only sore spot, if any, is Halle Berry.....I've never liked her, but luckily she's not in this one much, and I've heard rumours that she's not in the next one at all. Fine by me! -There are two things I love: pirates and Johnny Depp. Putting those two together is a dream come true. And to have Depp play a pirate is even better. I loved Pirates of the Caribbean. This entertaining action-adventure film is a roller coaster ride of action-packed scenes and a feast for the eyes as well. Set in eighteenth century, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl tells the story of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and the governor's daughter Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) and their adventures after they encounter the rather bizarre and enigmatic Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). Jack wants to find the ship Black Pearl and his nemesis, Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and settle an old score. But Barbossa has his own plans -- he wants to reverse an old spell that has left him and the other borders of the Black Pearl living as immortals that keeps them from enjoying the simple pleasures of life (like eating, drinking, etc.). This puts Elizabeth in danger and Will Turner will be there to rescue her, but in doing so he discovers a few things about himself.I had my doubts about this film at first because... well, it's a movie inspired by a theme park ride, for crying out loud. But since I love Johnny Depp and all things that are remotely set in a different time frame, I decided to give it a whirl. This film is such a fun treat! Both children and adults could enjoy it and the special effects are wonderful. I love the cast, especially Depp and Bloom. Johnny Depp is gorgeous (even in over the top pirate regalia) and so talented. He's a chameleonic actor who once again showcases his abilities to portray a character flawlessly. Orlando Bloom is another gorgeous specimen and I enjoyed him a whole lot. The weakest link to me is Keira Knightley, but fortunately the story doesn't completely revolve around her character. The supporting cast, namely Jack Davenport, is also great. I loved this action/adventure flick and I look forward to watching the sequel. -The show is interesting, with a good assortment of supernaturals (Wesen) which kept my interest. What got the 3 star rating is the packaging for this particular season on DVD. I don't know if the blu ray is different (I hope so) but the package is some of the worst I have ever encountered. The discs slide into flimsy plastic (feels like grocery bags) sleeves that are tucked inside the cardboard folder. I was so confused by this that at first I tugged until I pulled one of the plastic "bags" out of the cardboard. Trying to return the discs to the package is painful, as the plastic does not hold its form at all, and the disc tends to just crumple the plastic up at the back of the cardboard sleeve, which causes me to have to shove my fingers into the cardboard to retrieve the plastic, and the glue holding the cardboard into a sleeve eventually fails. It is the first of my hundreds of seasons that I am actually considering repackaging, or selling off and buying the blu ray to get rid of the terrible packaging.The characters are sympathetic, the acting is good, the plots are good to fascinating. Monroe is my favorite character by far so far. -I never knew I could love a superhero movie so much. What made this film great was its action, story, and great characters with came together to form a near-perfect film. Usually I don't understand superhero movies; I watched all three Spider-Man movies and I still don't understand, I didn't get the second X-Men movie, and I didn't like Fantastic 4. But The Dark Knight takes a different approach for all movie goers. It's easy to understand (Usually I need a superhero guru of knowledge to explain things to me), it didn't focus too much on relationships (Unlike Spider-Man), and it was more about action than talking.WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Batman (a.k.a. Bruce Wayne) is considered a fugitive by Gotham City, and is wanted despite his heroism and getting scum off the street like the mob groups. He eventually forms an alliance with the police and the district attorney Harvey Dent, and even his former girlfriend Rachel, and together they remove several mob groups and hundreds of fugitives are arrested. All seems to be well for a small period of time until a person known only as The Joker shows up and starts killing people, all in return for Batman to reveal himself or more people get killed. Batman becomes the most despised person in Gotham over the fact that people's lives are being taken every day because of him, and there is nothing they can do about it. So Batman must hunt down The Joker and save his friends and the citizens of Gotham City, only this movie doesn't end how you'd predict it to.MUSIC: The music is fantastic and goes great with the already near-perfect film.DISTURBING FACTOR: I never expected a superhero movie to be this creepy and disturbing. There are some scenes which make this film borderline an R-rating for how violent some of them are. Heath Ledger really does a great job at portraying Joker as a complete psychopath who you'd be terrified to come across.ACTION: Lots of shooting, lots of hand-to-hand combat, lots of vehicular mayhem, lots of explosions, and even more! This is one of the best action films I've seen in quite some time.ENTERTAINMENT: This film has a lot of unexpected scenes, even things occurred that I would have never been able to predict. This film is a roller coaster ride of plot twists, adrenaline-rushing action scenes, and it's even suspenseful, all the way to the bizarre ending. This is without a doubt one of the best films I've seen in quite some time, and is a definite must-see for any movie buffs. You don't even need to be a fan of superheroes to enjoy this kickass movie, just go watch it... NOW!OVERALL: The beginning of the movie is slow with some relationship problems and a few other things, but when the ball starts rolling it doesn't stop and you don't want it to end any time soon.THE GOOD: Great story, great actors, great action, surprisingly disturbing, little focus on relationship problems, and it's an overall kickass movie.THE BAD: The beginning is slow and goes into relationship problems, but it ends quickly at least. -Joss Whedon's unmistakeable flair comes clearly across in this popcorn movie. The dialogue is crisp and witty, and it genuinely looks as though the cast is having fun making it. I loved the gag reel, too. I can't wait for the next one to come out! -What would it take to make a movie as timeless and as enjoyable as the Wizard of Oz? Talented directors and actors have for decades taken stories from OZ and brought them to us in that attempt. Most of the time the story is warm and enjoyable (as is this one), but cannot touch the classic.There are enough interesting scenes in this movie to make it watchable. There has obviously been some heart put into it. I, sadly found the acting a bit 'off' and never could accept any of the actors in their roles.I can only say the movie is watchable and maybe if they had attempted to film it the old fashioned way with no CGI, it would have given it more of a prequel feeling of the classic.Anyone notice that they DID leave a story untold for a sequel? They still must tell us the tale of the Ruby slippers........... -Read the book in high school. While it's been done many times they never came close to following the book which was always disappointing. This one is the only one to follow the book as they took the time ( 6 episodes) to develop all the characters fully. They clearly spent the money to be true to the book. The many supporting actors ( at least 25) were all outstanding and perfect for their respective parts. Colin Firth and Jennifer Uhle were certainly outstanding but the supporting cast makes this movie.Add to that the outstanding music that was chosen and this is about as prefect a presentation that you can get. Since we bought this, we've probably re-watched it a dozens times- it's that enjoyable. -It's been years since I've read _The Vampire Lestat_ or _Queen of the Damned_, so I remember only bits and pieces of detail from them. This probably contributed greatly to my enjoyment of the film, because the screenwriters largely mangled the plot from both of those books, combining them into one movie. If I had looked forward to the actual QotD plotline, I would've been disappointed.Akasha actually has a relatively small role in the film, and Mekare is entirely absent. Maharet is alive and well in the Mojave Desert. Still, it all comes together, and focuses primarily upon Lestat, his transformation into a vampire, and his career as a rock star (his singing voice is Jonathan Davis, the lead singer from Korn, who is perfect for Lestat.)For those unfamiliar with Rice's books, Lestat is a bad boy, even by vampire standards; he likes to cause trouble, and lots of it. We learn why he has a hard time being a vampire, and what he yearns for most of all. In the first few moments of the film, he awakens from a 100-year nap to find an entirely different world - a world in which he can cope much better. He outs himself as a vampire to the whole world, becomes the biggest rock legend around, and begins giving away the secrets of the vampires living among humans. The other vampires are, needless to say, a bit peeved about this, and they come after him. There are several driving forces in the film - Lestat himself, the covens coming after him, Akasha's awakening and subsequent quest for a lover, and Marius, who in this film is Lestat's sire.While the last 20 minutes are somewhat less than gratifying, the rest of the movie is fairly sound and enjoyable. It felt shorter than it actually was, strangely enough. Large sections of the original plot are left out entirely or are incorrectly depicted, and if one were to focus on that point alone, one would probably not enjoy this movie at all. I went into it with the sole intent of just enjoying a movie that looked like it was very beautiful - and it was.Aesthetically, this film is top-notch. The costumes, make-up and special effects are wondefully done. The acting is very good, and the screenplay itself isn't bad, either. Aaliyah did a fine job as Akasha, and Stuart Townsend was a great Lestat - much, much better than Tom Cruise. The settings are appropriately dark and moody, filled with beautiful sets, sensual people, and a wonderful soundtrack, and there is an almost dreamlike quality to much of the film.The one problem I had with the film was that too much was cut out of it for a lot of details and characters to make a great deal of sense. When many of the ancients arrive on the scene, many questions hung in the air, chiefly "ok, who *are* you guys, and why are you helping this person?!" The DVD features many scenes that were cut, though, and includes notes on why the filmmakers removed them. Many of them help things come into focus more clearly, and it's unfortunate that they were deleted. Perhaps someday, an extended version will be released, reintegrating these scenes.Overall, it was a very enjoyable movie experience, and I think even Anne Rice fans will enjoy it, if they can look beyond the liberties taken with the storyline, and just try to enjoy a vampire movie that's better than most. -Even if you don't like pirate movies, I recommend you seeing this one. The actors were wonderful and the action was plentiful. Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow will have you cracking up out loud. The twists in the story line make this movie not your average pirate seeking gold movie. Rent this one!!! -I am outraged at the negativity toward a brilliant film. Not only does this movie nail the 70's in so many ways, but mirrors current events (New Jersey) in such perfect concordance, that it seems completely predictive of a thousand news stories circling the planet. How current does a movie have to be when it looks deep in the heart of darkness in American politics and then it all plays out right in front of us?American Hustle is an excellent and entertaining Comedy/Crime Drama that combines great direction,a terrific cast,a wonderful script and a fantastic soundtrack all of those elements make American Hustle a great film that has to be seen.Set in New York City in the late 1970s,American Hustle tells the story of two con artists,Irving Rosenfield(Christian Bale)and Sydney Prosser(Amy Adams)who have been forced by FBI agent Richie DiMasso(Bradley Cooper)to participate in a FBI operation called ABSCAM,a sting operation to set up corrupt politicians including Camden,New Jersey Mayor Carmine Polito(Jeremy Renner)and gangsters. As the stakes become higher and with danger coming at every corner Irving and Sydney have to figure out how to get out and survive.Throughout the history of cinema,con artists and Grifters have been covered in movies ranging from The Sting(1973),The Grifters(1990)and now American Hustle,an amazing film from beginning to end that keep your attention with fantastic movie making that never stops. Right from it's weird and offbeat opening American Hustle is a movie that combines Comedy,Crime Drama and a true life tale that is funny and quirky and at other times serious and intense giving viewers a movie that plays by it's own rules and creates it's own world. With American Hustle David O'Russell gives us a movie that is dazzling bringing viewers into the crime world of the 1970s showing the personal and professional lives of con artists,federal agents,politicians and gangsters never knowing where the story or it's characters will go and even though AH is a fact based story the movie is not too dark. When you look at AH you will see that the movie was obviously influenced in many ways by Martin Scorsese's classic Gangster epics such as Goodfellas(1990)and Casino(1995)with the way the camera moves,the style and look of the film and the use of narration replacing Gangsters and Mobsters with con artists but O'Russell takes the style and makes it his own. The Comedy in AH is great and hilarious because the laughs are never forced on viewers or telling them when scenes are funny but lets the viewers figure out when scenes are funny whether it's in some of the scenes or in the main characters dialog or actions. The Comedy is balanced out by the Crime Drama elements as well which are done with attention and detail like a other Crime Dramas and you are gripped with every scene that involves cops and crime. But the Crime Drama element isn't always serious and is entertaining. The beautiful photography by Linus Sandgren and amazing production design by Judy Becker truly add to the film and give AH a realistic look and feel of the 1970s with vibrant colors and sets that pull you into the world that AH wants to portray and it's one of the reasons the movie succeeds. The main characters in the film whether it's the con artists,federal agents are fascinating and interesting with laughs and depth because with each main character everyone wants to succeed at what they do whether it's good or bad. Also,with the characters there is no black and white but a gray area that is complex and real and you will relate to some of the characters in some ways. The screenplay by Eric Singer and David O'Russell is impressive and well-done with dialog that is a mixture of funny and serious. The ending of American Hustle is wonderful,surprising and unexpected and fits with films about con artists and Grifters. An outstanding conclusion to a great movie.The whole cast is amazing. Christian Bale is excellent and at his best as Irving Rosenfield,with Bale bringing intensity and emotional(and physical)depth to the role. Bradley Cooper is brilliant and funny as FBI agent Richie DiMasso,with Copper being offbeat and dramatic. Amy Adams is terrific and beautiful as Sydney Prosser,Irving's partner in crime and has great scenes with Bale,Cooper and Lawrence. Jeremy Renner is outstanding as Mayor Carmine Polito,a New Jersey politician. Jennifer Lawrence is amazing and sexy as Roselyn Rosenfield,Irving's attractive but overbearing wife. Also,lookout for a great uncredited appearance from Robert De Niro in a great performance as Victor Tellegio,a high level gangster. Louis C.K(Stoddard Thorsen),Jack Huston(Pete Musane),Michael Pena(Paco Hernandez),Shea Whigham(Carl),Alessandro Nivola(Anthony Amando)and Paul Hermane(Alfonse Simone)give good performances as well.The direction by David O'Russell is brilliant and stylish,with O'Russell always moving the camera with tracking shots,close-ups and a nice visual style. Terrific direction,O'Russell.The score Danny Elfman isn't always used but good when it's heard. The film has a great soundtrack with songs by Elton John(Goodbye Yellow Brick Road),Wings(Live And Let Die),The Temptations(Papa Was A Rolling Stone),Duke Ellington(Jeep's Blues)and more. Outstanding soundtrack.. -I always enjoy this movie! It is very fun, entertaining, and Julie Andrews is absolutely amazing! A classic film for every generation and those to come. The blu ray surprisingly looks really well but not perfect. It does contain some scenes that are grainy, but they still are very enjoyable. The sound is significantly better and colors are brighter and more vibrant than the DVD version. A must own classic! -"The Phantom Of The Opera" is impressive! Gerard Butler is impressive as the Phantom. Emmy Rossum is equally impressive as Christine Daae. Patrick Wilson is also impressive as Vicomte de Chagny, aka Raoul. The music is magnificent. The directing by Joel Schumacher is excellent. The screenplay by Schumacher & Andrew Lloyd Webber (on whose play that the movie is based on) is excellent. The visual design of the movie is beautiful. -The trailer was great...most trailers are. They find all the best parts, put them together and then you want to see the movie. Sadly, you know from the first five minutes how this movie is going to go. There are no big surprises here and the movie just doesn't work. I wanted to like this movie...really I did. -Wes Anderson's third film, "The Royal Tenenbaums," is nothing short of amazing and was easily the best film of 2001. Why it wasn't nominated for more than Best Original Screenplay at this year's Oscars is beyond me. The same went for his sophomore effort (and what I feel is his best film of the three) "Rushmore."One of many of Anderson's gifts lies in his appreciation of and ability to identify deadpan humor. My three favorite moments of the film are when Richie suffers a breakdown at his tennis match and tosses his racquet at the returned ball he lightly served over the net in the first place, when Chas holds a mock fire drill and tells his boys that they all would have died, including their dog, because it took them four and a half minutes to get out of the house, and when Raleigh St. Clair replies to the question "Can the boy tell time?" with "Heavens, no."He also has the uncanny ability of accompanying his films with the perfect music (though he has been ostracized for not including certain songs that appear in his films on the actual soundtrack.) He did it in "Rushmore" with British Invasion songs and he doesn't falter here. The absolute best moment of the film (in a depressing, psychotic kind of way) is when Richie attempts to kill himself by slicing his wrists. The reason for this wholly rests on the fact that the entire montage was accompanied by Elliot Smith's haunting song "Needle in the Hay."The other reason Anderson gets good marks is because of the fabulous ensemble cast. Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Danny Glover, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill Murray, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson are all at their best here.Kudos to everyone involved in this film; it is sure to gain classic status years from now. A worthy addition to anyone's DVD collection. -First off, Reservoir Dogs is a wonderful movie. It's funny, smart and entertaining. The dialogue is superb, as is Quentin Tarantino's other masterpiece Pulp Fiction, but the characters in Reservoir Dogs are just great. Even though they're criminals, you can relate to many of their dilemmas and motives during the course of the movie. The acting is also top-notch, and, for a movie where the actors had to wear their own suits to the set, very proffessional looking. Watch this movie.The DVD packaging is a pretty cool concept, with the different character covers, but if your going to buy this DVD just for that, don't. The advertisements boast "a booklet with many memorable quotes and photos". Sure there are quotes, but I wouldn't consider TWO being many. Well, maybe they consider two many when they repeat each one TWICE, but I sure don't. The photos are nice, but each one is the size of half a page, so there aren't all that many. The extras are good, but not really great.All in all, the movie alone is worth buying this DVD, and the extras are just an added bonus to an already wonderful experience. -Its too bad because this film could have been great. The special effects were awesome but as VanHelsing proved , it takes more than that to make a good film. There was just too many scenes that were over the top and unrealistic, like the Brontosaurus scene with our actors running between their legs but incredibly never getting hurt. Cmon guys. In the end You never really care enough about Kong to get sad because there were too many scenes that were ridiculous. The most important element to the film was the romance between woman and beast, and this could have worked, in fact I was praying it would, but it failed because there were too many implausible scenes earlier on, too many ridiculous scenes involoving humans outrunning dinosaurs and what not. Worth seeing, but Ive got to give it a thumbs down. More than anything I was disappointed. The synopsis of the film was: ape meets girl ,ape loses girl, ape tries to get girl back but falls off big building. -Having just seen Kill Bill, Vol. 2, I can confirm that the interviews and press reports are accurate: By splitting one film into two, what you get are two halves that each has its own very pronounced merits, but need each other to survive. In fact, I think if the two volumes had cross-pollinated a little more, you wouldn't have had just a good movie and a half, but two great films.But for now, Kill Bill Vol. 1. It's the "action" half of the twins, and it dazzles right from the start with an audacious, extended extreme close-up on Uma Thurman's face. The scene after, the duel between The Bride and Vernita Green, is classic Quentin Tarantino, heralding a return to his outrageous, dramatically intense roots. Probably the strongest scene he's directed since the Mr. Pink-Mr. White altercation in Reservoir Dogs. Unfortunately, after The Bride wakes up from her coma, the dramatic content flies down the meter, with a lot of posing and one-liners but very little in terms of character or emotional satisfaction. Which means it's up to the endless action set pieces to grab our attention. And they do. However, I find them a little too bloody, even though I've spent the last 16 months digging through Shaw Brothers films (through the excellent Celestial Pictures VCD and DVD releases). The endless bloodletting in Kill Bill Vol. 1 is shocking in the beginning, but after about five minutes in the extended climactic massacre, it's numbing.And for the record, Kill Bill Vol. 1 is not a Shaw Brothers kind of film, despite the Shaw logo which opens the film. You would have to wait until the "training" sequences in Vol. 2 to get Shaw Brothers-style cinema (which Tarantino appropriates very well there). Vol. 1 is much more a paean to the Japanese style of filmmaking: Extremely saturated colours courtesy of cinematographer Robert Richardson (even Shaw films didn't go this far in terms of garish colours -- we're in '80s Kurosawa territory here), emphasis on extreme wide shots, the very long builds, the brilliant music by The RZA. And the martial-arts sequences are modern in their multi-angularity and speed cuts; Shaw Brothers action as epitomized by Chang Cheh's style focuses much more on choreography and mise en scene than multi-angularity, letting long medium shots capture the movement of the actors and fighters, relying very little on cuts.All in all, the most lacking element in Kill Bill Vol. 1 is still story and character. Uma Thurman has some great moments (such as when The Bride first wakes up in the hospital), but after those blazing first 30 minutes, she will mostly become a statuesque hellfire angel who doesn't have a great deal of emotional advancement. You will get that in spades in Vol. 2, which is hands down a superior story and film -- without the visual eye candy and endless action of Vol. 1, but with such powerful dramatic moments that it barely matters. Again, I think if Tarantino had been able to meld the action and the drama a little more, rather than separate them into two movies that contain most of one and almost none of the other, he would have made both films greater than what they are. As it stands, Vol. 2 will be what truly burns these characters and Tarantino's vision into your mind, while Vol. 1 is the adrenalized thrill ride with energy to spare, but without much in terms of thematic depth. -I was very optimistic when I watched this film. I expected a good or excellent movie. WOW was I wrong. First of all, I was totally baffled by the main character, played by Matt Damon, as he was lifeless and only had like three lines in the whole movie.This is the only movie I've ever seen where the main character didn't speak. Why were women attracted to him? I've never been attracted to mutes myself. Also the plot was a confusing, jumbled mess. I think this film committed the worst crime possible-it didn't give the viewer a reason to care about the characters or the plot.It was also a very boring film.Considering all the critics' hype I was expecting at least a marginally enjoyable film. Alas, not so.Also, wierdly, the deleted scenes are also very long and boringI hope Ocean's 13 and The Bourne Ultimatum will be more enjoyable. But I'm not holding my breath. -I'm curious about why so many reviewers made a point of saying this movie was nothing like The Ring other than the fact that both are Americanized remakes of the Japanese originals. The two films are very similar in that they are both ghost stories...very Japanese ghost stories. In fact, I kind of wish I had seen The Grudge before I saw The Ring because the Grudge (and the DVD interviews with Sam Raimi and Takashi Shimizu) explains why both films were so creepy and disturbing.At the heart of both film's effectiveness is the difference between Western and Eastern ghost tales. In the West, there is almost always some type of redemption: the wicked are punished, the innocent are damaged but wiser, and the ghost is at peace. In Eastern stories, ghosts (at least those of a person who died confused and angry) are always hungry for revenge and can never be at peace. In addition, anyone is fair game no matter how guilty or innocent. One of the shockers in The Ring is the false conclusion where we find out that what we thought put the ghost at peace had no effect at all other than to solve the mystery of how the girl died.The demons are also very Eastern: not the ugly, leering Christian demons from hell but ones that are unsettling and watchful. More portents of distruction than bringers.I actually appreciated the restraint with CGI and gore after having seen Exorcist: The Beginning just the night before. Although the thinking behind films these days seems to be that the audience expects lots of gore and special effects (otherwise they won't pay to see the film), I think the over-the-top approach usually detracts from the story as was the case in Exorcist I (which had potential but ended up being an abortion of a movie).The non-linear approach to telling the story didn't bother me; in fact I enjoyed it because it sustained the mystery. In another inevitable comparison to The Ring, I think The Grudge, is far more satisfying it it's explaination for why the vengeful ghost and why the seemling indiscriminate selection of victims.One more plus, the DVD interviews with Sam Raimi and Takashi Shimizu were a lot more enlightening than the typical gushing sound bites you find on most DVDs. They seemed to have left the over the top superlatives to the American performers.The movie has some weaknesses which is why I gave it only three stars.First, the pacing seems glacial: there aren't many extreme emotional events for the first 30 minutes. Even events that seem like they should be disturbing, left me feeling "why should I care?" Because Sam Raimi ("Evil Dead" and "Spiderman") isn't exactly the most understated of filmakers, I imagine the quietness and pacing of the film was a deliberate decision. For me, it didn't work.Second, the lead played by Sarah Michelle Geller, seemed to be not much more than a one-dimensional vehicle for keeping the story moving. If you're expecting Buffy kicking demon ass, you'll need to look at reruns or DVD compilations. Buffy is no where to be found in this movie.Bottom line: I recommend this movie IF you are open to the fact that it is a Japanese ghost story and with the exception of casting American actors, does little to Westernize the film. If you're expecting The Ring (the Westernized version) you'll be disapointed. -Wow. And I don't mean to bore you with details, so I won't. But there's a lot of ground to cover.First, some context. Believe it or not, I never read or was read "The Hobbit", though I own it on audiobook (but I keep falling asleep while it's playing). I also never bothered to watch any of the "Star Wars" movies (no, none of them). Therefore, I have no comparison point to the book or Jar Jar Binks which everyone else seems to want to throw this under. I did watch the extended editions of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and I will do some comparatives there.For those that don't know the book, this has actually little to do with the book itself. In fact, while it shares the name and the basic premise, there is a lot of fluff thrown in for 'good' measure. It is important that you approach this movie the way I did: It is essentially a prologue to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, a device to help explain what happened before the "Fellowship of the Ring". While the book is supposed to be the same, there were a lot of missing elements in the story due to J.R. Tolkien not living long enough to get everything tied up. His son tried, but this movie is really the first time we see the puzzle pieces fitting together. The end result is rather confusing, so try best to follow along.The movie begins with a voiceover from Bilbo Baggins, who is writing what will eventually be "There And Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale", seen at the end of the "Return of the King". What he is speaking is found in the letter that he has left for Frodo at the end of his adventure. It then goes to the now infamous starting line from the book: "In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit..." and the whole first few sentences. It then goes to a brief conversation between Bilbo and Frodo (yes, Elijah Wood). This culminates into a first meeting with Gandalf, and the dwarves who are embarking on an adventure.I had a number of problems with how this started. It felt like Jackson was trying desperately to match what was said in the book - down to the corny diatribe from Gandalf to Bilbo - even though none of it matched the character. Yet, the full duration of the movie is full with blatant attempts to be a prequel to "Lord of the Rings". As such one would expect somewhat clear personality similarities, especially with Gandalf, that simply aren't there in the first parts of the movie. Secondly, while I wasn't as upset with the dwarf-at-hobbit-hole scene as other reviewers, I had tons of questions. Why are they not questioning their being sent there? Why are they simply trusting of Gandalf that this hobbit is the right person? And why was Bilbo so eager to join the squad? Again, from what little I recall from the story, Bilbo is constantly reluctant to go on the adventure the entire time. Yet in the movie this is brushed off as just a brief hesitation.Once the real adventure begins, the movie starts a sharp divergence from the story. It still keeps certain elements but there are many others that were simply patched in from other Tolkien stories such as "The Silmarillion" and "Unfinished Tales". For example, there isn't a serious session with Saruman and Galadriel with Agent Lord Elrond, with Saruman chewing Gandalf out for making the party (BTW, when Elrond said "purpose", he WAS Agent Smith. Poor Hugo). There's no epic battle with Albino orcs. The list goes on and on, and clearly the intent is to maintain the same level of majesty found in the trilogy, so it's understandable why fans of the book might be miffed at some of what's thrown in, nevermind exposing certain characters that were never in "The Hobbit" to begin with (aka Frodo and others).The remainder of the movie is wrought with the same amount of orchestral marching scenes panning gorgeous landscapes in New Zealand as are found in the trilogy. Thinking of this movie in a different angle, you might not expect this since the book itself is quite short and not the epic adventure that the movie portrays it to be; this is precisely why I say that you must set aside that expectation before approaching the movie. Seen as simply a prequel to the trilogy, everything makes perfect sense and obviously that's how Jackson saw the endeavor. He wasn't trying to turn the book literally into the movie (though the first 30 minutes would convince you otherwise).Much has been made of Radagast the Brown. Turned from a couple of colorful sentences in the book to a larger-than-life character, Radagast's parts could easily have been excluded entirely. He adds nothing to the story except finding a certain sword that is shown to Saruman (and thus dismissed as unverified). I didn't have as much issue with how the character was presented with bird droppings in his beard and down the side of his face; indeed, most book-to-movie attempts result in the exact same (see "A Wrinkle in Time" by Disney as a perfect example). As with the aforementioned, if the target is to appeal to the children that read the book rather than the child that is now an adult watching the movie, sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone.Regarding the Blu-ray...my TV, an Insignia that I got about 3 years ago at a really good deal, has the ability to closely emulate the 48fps that the movie was presented at in theaters; just not in 3D (I hate 3D). So I was able to experience the "speed" of things that people were talking about. The best way I can describe it would be like a play, or a live action event where you are watching things right there on set while they're filming it. It didn't bug me too much since Back to the Future Blu-ray did the same thing at times, but where it got weird is any scene that was filmed with obvious fake props. The most notable I saw was a scene where they panned over a landscape that was obviously not real; fake trees stuck into fake grass rather than a real area. Also, when Gandalf is talking to Galadriel, the pillars to her left and right were too fake looking. Gandalf himself, it was just seeing Ian McKellen in makeup all the time, unlike the trilogy where he blended into the character so well. Overall, the quality was so clear and clean that you were easily able to see such imperfections and it took you out of the movie, combined with this new filming speed.If I had to name my biggest complaints, it would be the fight scenes; every last one of them. They're all the same: party gets stuck into some sort of impossible situation with enemies twice or larger their size. Even with so many dwarves they still manage to get beat down and either tied up, incapacitated, or stuck. In every situation except one, Bilbo is the one that saves them. This is stark opposite of the trilogy where Frodo didn't do hardly anything. In fact Frodo was more of a coward than Bilbo in the movie even though the book has Bilbo being less willing to chip in and save the day.Then there is the introduction of Bilbo to Gollum. A lot of people applaud this as the best scene in the movie, but frankly it was nothing special. The Gollum character was played well, and the creepy mannerisms are something to behold, but the scene itself was quite unremarkable.Frankly, it was not a bad movie nor was it too long. I didn't get the same sense of overall fulfillment from it that I got from Fellowship, nor did I gain much from the Bilbo character here. Bilbo in the trilogy was a lot more entertaining overall, and "The Hobbit" at times felt mislabeled; as though it should have been called "The Dwarven Quest" because they dominated the screenplay almost exclusively. This might have been in response to complaints about Frodo and Sam dominating the trilogy; I'm not sure. In any case, as long as you don't bring book bias the movie is worth a watch. But don't expect it to blow you away. It's a decent movie, not a great one.If you buy the Blu-ray be sure to opt for the triple set with 3D Blu-ray, regular Blu-ray, and DVD. It was 2 bucks more than the non-3D version. If you do get a 3D TV in the future then you'll already be set. I wouldn't worry about the extended edition unless you're so fan clouded you must have it, but I felt the movie was quite long enough. -Hot-shot pilot moves in expensive, cutting edge fighter jets, wide-scenic shots of Tom Cruise on a motorcycle...get "Take My Breath Away" out of your head - we're talking about Oblivion here! While the similarities between Oblivion and Top Gun end at the aforementioned, there is no question that "Maverick" has all the right moves to portray galactic mechanic, Jack Harper in the most visually dazzling film of the year so far.Oblivion opens in 2077 after an alien threat has left Earth a barren wasteland fit only for extracting a few vital resources before humanity abandons the planet altogether to start a new existence on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Cruise's Harper is a glorified serviceman who supervises and repairs the various resource-extraction devices along with his partner Victoria (Andrea Riseborough). As the two near the completion of their jobs on Earth, Harper begins having visions of his life prior to the mandatory memory-wipe that is required for service-workers. These visions lead him on a chain of events that cause him to question everything he thought he knew about his life.Director Joseph Kosinski creates a vividly rich and nuanced futuristic environment where much of the technology feels like what truly is on the horizon. Kosinski directed 2010's under-rated visual spectacle, Tron Legacy, and it is apparent that he has his finger on the pulse of crisp, sci-fi style. Narrative-wise, Oblivion is a much more complex story than is likely expected. The complexities do provide some depth to the film and force the audience to pay close attention; however, the juxtaposition between the style and the narrative is not smooth. Occasionally, the film is forced into a lull as it tries to tie up its intricate plot points without sacrificing its visual pageantry. This is most apparent in the scenes that develop the sub-plot involving a human resistance leader named Beech (Morgan Freeman) and a mysterious NASA survivor named Julia (Olga Kurylenko).Oblivion's chief attributes are clearly its visual elements. Freeman and Kurylenko's characters are thinly developed and the actors are mostly unremarkable. However, it is becoming more and more apparent that any film that features Morgan Freeman in any role is most likely not a bad movie. Thematically, the film is successful at developing some intriguing ideas about discovery and purpose. The film acts as a subtle homage to familiar films like Alien, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and even Wall-E. Speaking of familiar, the score is oddly reminiscent of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight films. This is simply an observation, but having Morgan Freeman in the film as well certainly makes one wonder if this is some form of statement. Regardless, while some will no doubt be puzzled or dissatisfied with the conclusion, Oblivion mostly works as an epic and visually alluring entry into the science-fiction canon. B+On a side note, seeing the film in IMAX or an XTREME screen is recommended as the film has so much to offer visually. Oblivion is rated PG-13 and runs 125 minutes. -A lot of the parts are at night or in the dark. It seemed like the end was anti-climatic. Tom Hanks is great. -I am going to try to refrain from writing a lengthy review for this film, and keep it as succint as possible, although for a film like this, the task almost seems impossible. Many reviewers have already said some things that I am going to say, and would have liked to say, but the review will go on, anyway.This is a powerful movie, in which it's main theme centers around drug abuse & addiction, and the dangerous consequences that may follow. But, the film centers on more than just drug abuse and addiction: to me it also centers on life, and how the average folk go about trying to embellish what seems like the emptiness of life. To try and enhance (and possibly) facilitate the meaning of that last sentence, think about this: many people do -- and/or try to reach for -- things that are supposed to make one's life more meaningful and complete: getting married, experiencing the birth of one's first child, going to college, becoming wealthy and/or famous, et al. In society, we are basically brought up to believe that if we follow along certain patterns (e.g. becoming wealthy, etc), we will be happy & fulfilled. One of the many things this film shows us, is that sometimes, what we are brought up to believe, can be a devastating illusion, or at least, there is a strong possibility of this.This story focuses on four main characters, and their addiction to drugs. The story is also cleverly told over the course of four seasons (three, technically), and like another reviewer pointed out a few pages back, the mood of each season correlates with the psychological and circumstantial happenings of each character (or vice versa.) The film starts with the Summer, which correlates with adolescent feelings. In this case, these four characters seemed as if they were happy (or at least we may think they are happy), and seemed to be filled with laughs, smiles and confidence in their future and dreams. In the Autumn, which represents added responsibility, and preparation for "darker times", things start to slowly go downhill for the gang. We can see their circumstances beginning to spiral, and their dispositions begin to follow downward as well. By, Winter (which represents "death" or the "ending"), each of these four members seem to meet the "finality" of their fates, to disturbing effect, to say the least. Spring, which represents birth, and fresh, new beginnings, never arrived. Heavy stuff, there.Some reviewers have complained about the camera techniques used in this film to be nothing more than flash for flash's sake, and similarly, some have said that some of the disturbing scenes found in the film were there for shock value only. I couldn't disagree more. For starters, like another reviewer has pointed out, the "speeding up" and "slowing down" techniques are supposed to correlate with the "speeding" or "raciness" of the characters' thought processes while under the influence of...well...speed (and other drugs.) I found this to be very clever and fascinating. Secondly, while there *are* indeed disturbing images in the film, I didn't necessarily find the images to be the most disturbing aspect of the film, but rather *how* these images were shot. In other words, it's more *psychologically* disturbing, than it is *graphically* disturbing, if that can be basically understood. The way this film was made alone, should not be taken lightly, and it is indeed clever and noteworthy filmmaking. You'd have to see the film for yourself to possibly get a better understanding of what I am talking about.Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans and Jennifer Connelly did wonderful and convincing jobs in their respective roles. Their performances truly helped to make the film what it was, and it wouldn't have been as complete without them. Ellen Burstyn's performance seemed to get a droves-worth of accolades, and deservedly so. Her performance was undoubtedly the most frightening, disturbing and heart-wrenching thing about this film. In moments, her character made me laugh, want to cry, and at other times, made me want to turn my head away from the screen altogether. The whole movie is powerful indeed, and the last segment (Winter) is indeed the most intense and hellish part of the movie.I watched this film with another member of my family, and by the time the "Winter" segment had arrived, we were *both* saying things like, "I will *never* watch this movie again. It's a little *too* much reality." Nightmarish, disturbing, cautionary, thought-provoking, and moving, this film will stay in your mind long after it has ended, and many will gather their own responses as to what the movie meant to them. And, if some of you think that what happened to these characters can't happen to anyone in real-life, think again: it's *very* real, and *can* happen (and no doubt *has* happened to some in real-life.) Indeed, reality can be too much at times.Before I close out this review, let me share a brief story with you about someone who used drugs: it was documented in a program (I can't remember the name of it right now) that a female experimented with a drug, and not too long after that, her friends were quick to comment that she was becoming excessively paranoid and delusional. She was sent to a specialist who did a brain scan on her. When the doctor took a look at the scan, we the viewers (and no doubt the girl, and her mother, who happened to be alongside her) saw something *very* disturbing: there were various holes -- large holes -- throughout her brain: like the equivalent of looking at a piece of cheese after a mouse had nipped through it quite well. The result? This girl now suffers from acute bipolar/manic-depressive disorder. And you know what else? This was the result of her experimenting with a drug: after ONLY ONE TRY! That's right, this girl is now stuck with a "psychotic disorder" for the rest of her life, as the result of her experimenting with a drug after only *one* try. Yes, indeed, reality can be a bummer. I recommend seeing this film at least once; this goes for everyone. -This film is about a group of seniors who all find them selves on their way to India to retire and live because for one reason or another, they can no longer afford to retire in England, their home. This is a timely, realistic story for today with some fun characters. There are some wonderful Indian actors and fantastic dependable English ones too! The cast is fantastic ( Maggie Smith & Judy Dench) and charming. I really enjoyed this one! -I didn't really love season 4 like I loved 2 and 3. It had some new ideas and concepts and some of them didn't really work in the right ways for me. But it did have some brilliant episodes, and got us more interested about the military involvement in vampire slaying.WARNING: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS!Here's my episode-by-episode guide to Season 4#1 THE FRESHMAN - 4/5. A very good opener. Lots of comedic scenes and also shows the estrangement of your first few days of college nicely.#2 LIVING CONDITIONS - 3.5/5. Funny funny episode! I wasn't really all that happy with how it turned out, but it keeps the laughs coming on in, and the editing techniques were great.#3 THE HARSH LIGHT OF DAY - 4/5. This episode gets better with repeated viewings. Lots of good insights on relationships and such. Good music too, and seeing Spike in the sunlight was a treat.#4 FEAR, ITSELF - 4/5. Genuinely creepy episode with great production design. Also some good foreshadowing for the rest of the show.#5 BEER BAD - 2/5. Stupid, pointless episode. But I did kind of enjoy it's silly qualities. Quite funny in parts but overall - just lame and unneeded.#6 WILD AT HEART - 4.5/5. The girl who plays Veruca was atrocious and brought this episode down from a 5. Everything else was excellent!#7 THE INITIATIVE- 4/5. We finally learn about those damn commando guys! A good episode with many funny scenes that got the story-arc going.#8 PANGS - 2.5/5. Gets worse everytime I watch it. The story isn't really needed to the arc of the season, and seems just pointless...#9 SOMETHING BLUE - 4/5. Awesome comedic episode, with great performances by Sarah Michelle Gellar and James Marsters.#10 HUSH - 5/5. Brilliant episode of BTVS - one of the best ever if you ask me! Joss did a brilliant directing and writing job. A unique, very frigtening, funny and just excellent and enjoyable hour of TV!#11 DOOMED - 4/5. Keeps getting better with every viewing. Written by Marti Noxon, Jane Espenson and David Fury - this mixes all of their talents together - drama, comedy and action. Good episode, if not perfect.#12 A NEW MAN - 4/5. Very almost a 4.5, maybe after more viewings. This episode was hilarious and finally Giles got his own little story arc. It didn't really move the story-arc along or anything, but fun all the same.#13 THE I IN TEAM - 4/5. In which we are introduced to the big bad for season 4, and a questionable big bad he is...but the rest of this episode was 4.5 material!#14 GOODBYE IOWA - 3.5/5. Didn't hold my interest as much as the previous episode, but this one definitely gets the big bad's story-arc on the road as we learn more about him. Marc Blucas' acting is also brilliant here.#15 THIS YEAR'S GIRL - 4.5/5. Praise FAITH! She is just an amazing character and I can't explain how great it was to have her back. Everything about this episode was enjoyable - one of the best of the season!#16 WHO ARE YOU - 5/5. Just when I thought it couldn't get better than This Year's Girl, they give us a true Jossian episode with Who Are You. It's a weird idea that could've gone awry, but instead it turns out to be a brilliant one that furthers our knowledge of the characteristics of both Faith and Buffy. Funny, dramatic - brilliant!#17 SUPERSTAR - 4/5. Groovy little episode that gets better every time I watch it. Danny Strong did a great job and the alteration to the credits is just classic in the best sense of the word. Great job!#18 WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE - 0.5/5. Even worse than Superstar. This episode gives a good reason for people to say why they don't like BTVS. This is probably the worst episode of the show ever.#19 NEW MOON RISING - 4.5/5. Thank God for Oz! After those two HORRIBLE episodes beforehand, on comes Oz for his final episode of BTVS (I think, you never know with Joss). The acting here is great, and there is a lot of brilliantly written drama by Marti Noxon.#20 THE YOKO FACTOR - 4.5/5. Good good good! A funny episode that prepares us for the showdown with Adam and the Initiative. Very well done and with great acting by Marc Blucas and David Boreanaz.#21 PRIMEVAL - 4/5. Lots and lots of great action sequences here, and it was awesome to see the gang working as a team once more. The fight with Adam is just classic!#22 RESTLESS - 5/5. One of the most amazing episodes of the show. Though it doesn't quite beat out Hush for best episode of the season. It is very close though. There is a lot of character development here, and the directing job is probably the best the show will ever have. A great way to finish S4!--- DVD REVIEW ---This DVD is great and gives you deeper insight into the ideas for the season. The writers and directors give you a lot of good insights into the episodes they wrote. I love this DVD package. You can buy it in NZ on Region 4 and it is excellent, so when it comes out in the USA, all you American BTVS fans better order a copy from Amazon! -I saw the first Star Wars film in the summer of 1977 - before George Lucas knew he had a hit on his hands and started retroactively numbering the sequels - so I started in on the ground floor with Episode 4: A New Hope. I recommended the film to a relative and we saw it together. Then I saw it with a friend, then with another, and so on, until I had seen the (still-unsubtitled) film ten times. I eagerly awaited the next (fifth) episode (The Empire Strikes Back, 1980), and impatiently anticipated the "third" (sixth) episode (The Return of the Jedi, 1983). Afterward known as the Star Wars Trilogy, I was thrilled with the action and adventure, although the quasi-religious "Force" they talked about seemed irrelevant to all that, if not downright ridiculous.Then something happened. Maybe it was a sequel too far. Maybe I got older, maybe the characters weren't as interesting, or maybe the films just got more and more ridiculous. By 1999, when Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace came along, I had had enough of that George Lucas world a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. In this latest installment of his tired series, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, I was disappointed to find no image, no line of dialog, that didn't disappear from my memory as soon as it dissolved from the screen.Oh, yes, Episode II is a technical marvel: here, the sets are totally computer-generated; the aliens are truly inventive and all computer-generated; the visual effects are seamless and brilliantly computer-generated. I even liked seeing tiny Yoda dancing with his light saber in battle with the evil Count Drac-, er, Count Dooku (played with CGI face by Christopher Lee!). But I felt double-crossed by the dialog and cheated by the characters. Ewan McGregor as the young Obi-Wan Kenobi - played memorably in Episodes 4-6 by the late Sir Alec Guinness - was at least entertaining to watch. But the love dance between the maturing Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and the Princess Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman, who actually has talent) was entirely bland and unconvincing. Get a clue, kids: love means passion.The Star Wars franchise George Lucas created inhabits a godless-yet-spiritual universe, with an uneasy alliance between technology and a pop-theology. Among people made uncomfortable by human progress and the dizzying advance of technology, perhaps this is more comfortable - also more masculine, that is, more appealing to male teenagers and less intellectually demanding - than the more explicitly god-free universe of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, however cool it is to see Jedi priests swing their light sabers. Personally, I prefer Trek to Wars, principally because I see more potential for improving the human condition with technology than with theology - even the generic, anti-intellectual, anti-technology, anti-progress variety called The Force.That is my objection to Star Wars in general. As to Attack of the Clones in particular, I see Lucas's deep investment in Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) that might as well be cartoons for all they help the film. I am not opposed to CGI per se. But I do think it should work to elucidate, not invalidate, the story and the characters. The subtitle contains less poetry than truth. -This a pretty good movie and it had A LOT of blood. However, it did not have enough depth. They could have added some more to the movie but it was alright anyway and it makes you want to watch the sequel. The movie did have some good fight scenes though. Overall it was pretty interesting to watch so if you are looking for a good action movie, this is a good one to see. However, warning, this is not for the faint of heart. There is much blood and gore. But if you don't mind watching someone getting their head chopped off and then seeing the blood spill out of their lifeless body then by all means this is the movie for you. By the way all of the blood looks extremely fake and seems to be made the same way the blood was made for the comic book scenes. What a pity. -I suppose I was nave to think that this third installment of the Twilight cultural phenomenon would be any better or more interesting than the first two "films" in the series. To be honest, I watched this (and read the first three books) out of a sense of pop culture obligation--I do need to stay abreast of the popular trends in YA literature and culture. Sometimes that obligation is enjoyable and rewarding (e.g., the Harry Potter novels and films), and sometimes that obligation is an excruciating act of penance (e.g., any and all things Twilight). What can I say to express the profound artistic void that this film represents? That the acting is wooden and hammy? That the story is about as interesting as watching bread mold? That the script is amateurish and insipid? That the film looks as if it were shot in a teenager's basement and backyard? That the special effects are, in effect, anything but special? That the only thing worth looking at in this entire film is Taylor Lautner's bare torso? I shudder to think that the final installment of this series will be divided into two films. Please, have mercy and end this entire Twilight fiasco already. -Okay, so I don't actually drink tea. But I must admit, I really don't care for this movie that much. Personally, I don't understand what all the hoopla's about concerning HSM. Sure, the songs are not bad, and the actors are kinda cute, and you gotta give those guys credit for putting a lot of time and effort into this movie. But for some reason, this little teenybopper flick just doesn't turn me on like it seems to do with everyone else. Just about everywhere I turn, it's always "High School Musical this" and "High School Musical that", and all I can say is: "Give me a break." -It's outstanding! I bought it for my dog and she enjoyed it enormously. The service and price were excellent. I bought this movie for my dog. My cat said it was childish and didn't like it. But my 4 year old dog loves it. She's watched it many times. -Jennifer Lawrence could read the phone book and I would be fascinated. However, the plot of the Hunger Games is rather weak. Predicting the future has always been a stumbling block for most science fiction writers. We've seen plenty of versions regarding how terrible the future will be... going all the way back to Huxley and Wells. This one divides the country (I presume it is America) into the very wealthy and the very poor, with one poor person given the chance to survive a publically broadcast games that pit children against one another until only one is left standing. This is about as likely as never happening. The premise is so weak as to make the rest of the movie a joke. Supporting performances are also weak. The film relies almost entirely on special effects and the performances of Lawrence and veteran Donald Sutherland. While I love science fiction, I found the end did not justify the means. The plot is weak throughout and solution is open ended, hence Hunger Games, two - will Jennifer end up with her true boyfriend; will she have to volunteer for the games again (she'd have to survive because I believe there is a book three!!!!). Unfortunately, it did well at the box office and Hollywood loves a winner so there will be more coming... but I will not be watching. -Always been a Trekkie and this movie is awesome! I loved it from beginning to end and would watch it repeatedly if I could get away with it! -If you aren't a Brenden Fraser fan, stop right here and search for another film.If you are, you'll like "Journey".This is a good family film. We were able to watch it very comfortably with our 9 year old grand-daughter.The movie, which is about three people trapped far beneath the earth with prehistoric plants and creatures, is both exciting and funny. The main characters are all likable, and Brendan Fraser is at his charming and funny best.Sadly, even if you do all the work to correctly track down the 3D dvd version of this film and the 3D glasses. it won't do you much good. The home 3D presentation doesn't exactly jump off the screen at you, so my advice would be to skip the extra trouble and expense that I went through to that end.Suspension of disbelief is no greater for this 'follow-up' film than it was for the Verne book or for the original movie with James Mason and Pat Boone. The special effects are good, and the same solid dinosaurs about to eat people type that you've come to appreciate ever since Jurassic Park. The story is NOT meant to be a cover of the Verne book, it is sort of a sequel, in a way. That element of the movie was handled in a very interesting fashion.This is not the best movie you've ever seen, but it is enjoyable, and one of few you can enjoy with the family, so it does have value. -I agree with the other haters on this one. I like Tarantino's work generally but this movie fell flat. There are scenes that seem to go on forever with a bunch of uninteresting characters spouting boring dialog about things you don't care about. ALL IN SUBTITLES! Pitt's character is ridiculous as is the entire premise of the movie.I know it is a fantasy but it comes off as silliness as the plot and the situations portrayed in the film are completely asinine. It is also mildly disturbing that the horror of WWII is trivialized somewhat, if only it would have been that easy to kill the Nazis.I truly don't understand the rave reviews here. Tarantino rips off himself and other film cliches that have been done a million times before only better. He is a spent force. -"Pocahontas" was not exactly what I expected from Disney. (For one thing, the princess doesn't wind up with the "prince" -- a little closer to Pocahontas' real life story). That said ... the music, animation, and so on are all outstanding. One of the real surprises in this film is Mel Gibson's talent as a voice actor and *singer* - he's extremely good. Gibson describes himself as a "shower-only singer," and I think that is a real misnomer.Pocahontas has her amusing animal friends, Flit (the humming bird) and a truly humorous little raccoon whose name escapes me at the moment. It is because of her friendship with these animals that she works so hard to convince John Smith (Gibson) of the importance of living in harmony with the land.I think the film carries a couple of good messages, along with its high entertainment value. The first is, of course, to live in harmony with the land. The second is that "savage" is often defined by which side of the line you happen to stand on - people often see those who are different as "wrong." "Pocahontas" goes a long way toward teaching young people the importance of shedding that viewpoint. -Action was fun to see but storyline was blah and of even their cheesy lines you expect to hear were poorly placed. -RUSH IN RIO is a excellent 2-disc DVD set. I really don't get into live cd's or dvd's but I make exceptions. I went to see them on there 30th Anniversary Tour on June 2 and that by far has been the best show I have seen, every time I watch this DVD it remains me of the show I seen, this is like the show I see but different cause of the setlist and location. This DVD is excellent, besides the show I really enjoyed the documentary on the 2nd disc is very good. I would like to see a documentary on the whole band cause I would think that would be intresting. Rush is a excellent live band, what's cool about there live music is that it changes from time to time, you listen to "Closer To The Heart" on A Show Of Hands and Different Stages thou the lyrics are the same the music is slightly different and that's what I like about Rush's live stuff is that they evolve musically and it very cool to listen to. -I watched this film with high expectations, you would expect a star wars film to be nothing less than extravagant, but this time round it was not the case. First of all my interest started to drift from this film, when I spotted acting flaws in both hayden and Ewans performance. However after talking to many people who have watched the film and reading other reviews, it seems i'm not the only one who spotted bad acting. The worst performance came from Hayden Christensen, especially on the emotional scenes. I have read that George Lucas was initially going to take on Leornardo DiCaprio to play Anakin, which in my opinion was a much better choice. Not only DiCaprio looks like the boy in Phantom Menace, but he is a better actor and would've held a stronger screen presence. Surprisingly, Ewan's performance wasn't as strong in this one, as it was in the Phantom Menace, I think maybe he was too relaxed in his role. I think Lucas focused so much on special effects and the digital yoda, that he forgot what makes a good film in the first place, and thats 'performance.' After watching the documentaries on the dvd, Christopher Lee said that despite the fact that the effects have taken over a fair bit, there is still a strong need for performance, however since Lee's character was played by a body-double in most of his scenes, I find this ironic.Now the positive aspects of the film. Well done ILM, for bringing digital Yoda to life. Superb scene, with Yoda fighting with his light saber, but I dont think this was enough to save the film from its demise. The soundtrack was the strong hold of the picture, I think John Williams scored superbly, bringing the feel of love into the story.The film wasn't all bad, but you would expect better from a Star Wars film, and the bad acting did let the film down dramatically. I hope Lucas can pick up on his mistakes from this one, and improve on his next film. -"Brokeback Mountain" is the story of two all-man cowboys that find love in each other. The film is unique because it is not the typical gay stereo-type; perhaps it is the first mainstream film ever made on this topic?Ennis Del Mar (played by the very talented Heath Ledger) is a very quiet and rough around the edges kind of man. He doesn't show his feelings very well and is somewhat of a loner. Jack Twist (played by the equally accomplished Jake Gyllenhaal) is more vocal about his feelings and emotions, but can still be pushed around (although I did enoy it when he stood up to his bigoted father-in-law).What makes this tale so bitter is that their's is a forbidden love. It is reminiscent of "Titanic" or Romeo and Juliet. Please keep in mind that the picture took place during 60's, 70's, and early 80's, in Middle-America where no one was openly gay, much less a cowboy. But, despite all their differences and personal demons both men loved each other more than life itself.Anyone with connected eyeballs can tell that Ennis and Twist were deeply in love (this was not an affair, rather it was a serious relationship that lasted over two decades). It was proof that Twist loved Ennis when they were on the hill getting ready to leave after he playfully lassoed and punched Ennis. Twist looked so sad to have intentionally inflicted pain on his lover. But Ennis holed off and punched him, because no one was gonna make Ennis his fool. And it was evident that Ennis loved Twist when he sobbed like a baby on the street after they departed Brokeback Mountain separately.The cinematography in this picture was absolutely stunning. The soundtrack is also amazing. I am certain that this picture is very Oscar-worthy.I saw this movie about a month ago and I still can't get it out of my mind. It is a very full-toned and haunting picture. To say that it was the very best film that I have ever seen would simply trivialize it, because it is much more than just a movie. -The packaging and the quality of each and every video is AWESOME! If you love Laurel and Hardy, this package will please you beyond words. Worth every dime spent! Even though the disks are NOT Blu-Ray, I played them on a Blu-Ray player. The quality of these videos is quite evident. Enjoy them folks. Like Laurel and Hardy, this package is one of a kind. -Who would have thought Disney still had it in them!? I found a couple instances where I would say they tried a little to hard to make something funny, a classic Disney 'he just stepped in the #2' moment that made us laugh the first time and now it's just old, then again it is a kids movie more so and simple humor is sometimes best.I loved right after she gets out of the tower, it was perfect. Yep, she's definitely a woman, then the guy half trying to figure out what he should do. Yep, that guy is a man. -Firefly has the same problem that all of Whedon's shows have. It is unfocused and meanders for far too long. You can throw away about eight episodes a season because he does not know where he wants to go with them. He spends too much time fumbling around in the dark looking for a purpose or a plotline to follow and that is what happened with Firefly. The only difference is that he spends more time world building in this one instead of creating a purpose for the season.After seeing all of the episodes, well it does not live up to the hype. The characters are generic Whedon archetypes. It spends too much time with its being cutesy poo dialog, which is not witty or clever. It spends way too much time explaining insignificant details of the universe that will never pay off. I would probably have enjoyed the show, but the diehard Firefly fans ruined any enjoyment I might get out of it. They built this show up to be one of the greatest shows ever made, proclaimed every episode is golden and chided a network for acting like a business.And nd no, I'm not some lone warrior looking to start a fight. I'm just speaking to the truth that a lot of you are in denial about. Firefly failed not because of some correct order nonsense. If the producer had an idea where he was going, the show would have lasted longer. The general science fiction fanbase saw a badly made show that was confusing to follow. They saw a show whose producer did not have the decency to give them a reason to tune in the following week.Before you spout your correct order nonsense, the science fiction audience had an opportunity to see it in the correct order when SciFi aired for the 13 weeks leading up to the Serenity movie premiere. They did not watch it then, nor did they watch when it was on 13 hour marathons. It was the lowest rated show on SciFi. Ridicule it all you want, but this was from back in the day when SciFi still showed quality science fiction, like Galactica and Farscape. If it did poorly back then, what should that tell you about the show.I am sorry if you Whedonites do not like hearing this, but that is reality. If the show was good, then it did not matter the order it was aired. If the show was good, it would be in its 8th or 9th season. If the show was good, it would not need your wishful thinking and vitriolic responses to keep it alive. If the show was good, it would have expanded beyond the Whedonite audience. Sorry, but the show was not good and you are doing a disservice by hyping the hell out of it. -To my surprise, T3 didn't turn out to be as bad as I thought it would have been. I had low expectations of this film due to all the factors that gave reasoning for this to be a bad film such as the absenses of James Cameron and Linda Hamilton. But after I saw this film, I was BLOWN AWAY from all those thoughts. This film was terrific! It would have been nice Linda Hamilton and Ed Furlong (the kid who played John Conner in T2)to return but not everything is perfect in life. This easily one of Arnold's best movies he has made in years. But compared to the first two, this is the worst Terminator movie yet, but it is still a mind blowing action-packed thrill ride. Atnold's back and better then ever and has his mind set on a new intense adventure as a machine. Anyway, here is the plot..It has now been ten yrs since skynet was blown away. Sarah Conner is now deceased and John Conner is now basically doing whatever he can to avoid the life he was destined for. He basically does what he can to stay alive and keeps traveling hundreds of miles but really has no idea where he is going. Nut it turns out that blowing up Skynet doesn't prevent Judgement Day; it only postponed it. That means that the Terminators will still exist, and now there is one a new and very advanced one. It is called the T-X (Terminatrix), played by Kristanna Loken who is wicked hot! She is Faster, stronger,and can control and heavy machinery with her mind . As in she can drive a car, but she won't be in the car, she will be somewhere else while her mind will be controlloing the car. This Terminator is sent to do the obvious-Kill John Conner. But that is not all. Conner isn't going to be the only general in the war against the machines in the future. There will be other generals in the war and the T-X must kill everynody who will become a general in the future right now so they won't be able to fight in the war. Also a T-850 (Arnold Schwarzenegger). It is slighlty more advanced then the T-800's that were sent back in the first 2 films. His mission is of course protect Conner and his fri9end Kate Brewster (Clare Danes). It seems that Brewster's father is the man who will create Skynet and is almost finished with the project. Now it is up to them to stop that from happening and before the T-X can get to them and terminate them. One other thing, Earl Boen makes a small reappearence as Dr. Silberman (the guy who treated Sarah Conner in the first 2 films)Anyway, T3 is loaded with instense action and lots of destruction. This film had the most destruction out of the 3. The only thing that keeps that this film from getting a perfect 5/5 is that part is confusing and there are some things in this movie that seem ridiculous. Things such as the T-850 kicking an ambnulance and cousing it to tip over. This film however doesn't come close to as good as the second was. T2 was way better, even the original Terminator (1984) was better. But this is still good and should be ssen while it is still in theaters. -This series is great, it dose start out slow and a little less scary but it dose make it up for that later on. The story is great and the characters are awesome. I thought when it came out the same time Once Upon Time it would be canceled and never be spoken about every again but its up for third series and I think its better than once Upon a Time. they use the fairy tell creatures wisely. NO TWILIGHT WEREWOLF'S wannabees and no kid friendly creatures. I am happy and a shamed to say this but Disney doesn't have its pixie dust hands all over this like they do with Once Upon a Time. This is how Once Upon Time should have been. Its dark its well designed and the graphics don't look like it belongs on the set. Everything fits and looks good. Its okay to have fairy Princesses but when mix with our world you want it to work, look awesome, and keep the Grimm stories true with reality. And the Grimm series dose just that. I recommended you watch this show and buy it you will love it. -Let me start off by saying that I am one of the people that saw Avatar multiple times in theaters and loved it. The CGI , as well as the 3D technology infused, were by far the best I have ever seen. James Cameron and all of the people who participated in the making of this movie did a tremendous job. Weta workshop is taking its place at the top of the mountain, as far as visual effects companies go. Watching this movie was like being transported to a different universe. I was completely immersed throughout the almost three hours I was in the theater.As for the story and acting for the film, I am probably in the minority on most of these reviews. The story for me, while predictable and reminiscent of other movies I'd seen previously (What movie isn't nowadays?), was extremely enjoyable. Watching this made me feel young again. It made me forget about all the worries that an adult life brings, and just enjoy myself in the moment. Many people argue that the acting in this movie was subpar. These people say that the portrayals of the characters were downright cartoonish. I would argue strongly against that. For the type of movie that this is, the good versus evil portrayals given by the actors works in the movie's favor. Sam Worthington especially does well. If you haven't seen him in Terminator: Salvation, do so. He made the movie worth watching.Now, to get to the actual product at hand. I ordered the Blu Ray / DVD combo pack from Amazon. From the moment the menu came onto my screen, I knew this was going to be something special. When I pressed play, there was no turning back. Over the next three hours, my senses were completely assaulted and my mind was dumbstruck. Simply put, James Cameron's Avatar on the Blu Ray format is the best picture and audio we have seen or heard to date. I have a feeling it will be years before anything better is brought to the table. Watching the visuals was more stimulating than looking at a real life forest. Every detail could be seen from far and away. The walls of my house shook, and I just hope the neighbors did hear. I would tell them to buy the movie themselves and experience it.With this release comes certain issues. While I don't have any of them myself, I will still talk about them as it would be uninformative of me to not. This release of Avatar is not in 3D. Many people complain about this, and a large percentage of those people do not even have the right equipment to properly experience 3D yet. The technology for home theater 3D is very new and very pricey. Next year, after all the quirks have been worked out, is when we will likely see Avatar in a home release 3D format. Another gripe is the complete lack of special features. This again has a good reason. In the Special Edition coming later this year, there will be scenes incorporated into the movie not even visually completed yet. Documentaries in high definition have to be put together. A commentary track needs to be recorded. No one is being forced to buy this "stripped" edition, however. I am one of the people who will knowingly double or triple dip on this. The reason for that is because I love it so much.Now to the biggest complaint. During the initial release, many people were complaining that Avatar would not play in their Blu Ray players. The reason for that seems to be some new copy protection put on the disc. While I was not one of the people with this problem, I can certainly sympathize with those who did. A new firmware update is all it will take to fix the issue. My PS3, which serves as my Blu Ray player, had a firmware update ready for me before I watched the movie.So if you are one of the millions who loved Avatar when you saw it in theaters, or one of the people who didn't get around to seeing it, now is your time. Pick this movie up right away without hesitation. Keep an open mind, and let yourself become immersed. You do not want to miss what many people believe is one of the top movies of all time. -This is a neat show... it has a few very long episodes so it's one you need to be prepared to sit for a while to watch, but the season is very short. The characters are very quirky which I enjoy. The main characters are consistent and well developed, and all other characters are just minor roles that are there to pop in and out... not well developed and overall fairly unimportant. Sherlock is written in a unique way for an investigative show... as in you see him quickly pick up on all the clues all at once (the way this is shot is different). -As one of the most awaited movies in history, it would be very hard to live up to the hype that surrounded Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. But it does - and does so very, very well. If Episodes I and II were the appetizers, Episode III is the main course and the desert for the Star Wars prequel trilogy.If you don't know, the Star Wars prequel trilogy was designed to be the story of a good man's decent into evil - eventually leading him to become one of cinemas most iconic villains: Darth Vader. In Episodes I and II we see glimpses of this character as Anakin Skywalker fights off his inner anger and fear in the face of turmoil. In Episode III, these feelings become even stronger because of the love he has for his secret wife, Padme, and his allegiance to Chancellor Palpatine. As the Republic falls apart at the hands of Palpatine, so does Anakin. It is truthfully painful to watch our hero's decent to the Dark Side of the Force, but the part is played magnificently by Hayden Christensen.Anakin is truly and thankfully the central character of this movie, but the other characters in the movie are pivotal as well. Ian McDiarmid (the aforementioned Chancellor Palpatine) delivers a wonderful, Oscar-worthy performace as Skywalker's "friend" who twists Anakin's mind and heart leading him to his eventual destruction. Ewan McGregor also does an incredible job as Obi-Wan Kenobi, as he did in Episodes I and II, who plays a pivotal role in the movie as a protector of the galaxy and as Anakin's mentor, friend, and conscience. The scenes between Anakin and his wife, Padme (played by Natalie Portman), are very good, heartbreaking, and touching. Anakin discovers Padme is pregnant (with twins, unbeknownst to them - eventual Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia) which makes it all the more difficult for them to continue this marriage in secrecy. Portman delivers a wonderful performance, although her screen time is limited compared to the previous two prequels. Both of the droids, C3PO and R2-D2, are back as well, as well they should be. They are as essential a part of the saga as anyone is and any scene that they are in is definitely enjoyable. The supporting cast of Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, Christopher Lee as Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus, and the voice acting of Frank Oz as Yoda are wonderful as well.Being the last of the Star Wars films and the movie that connects the prequel trilogy to the original one, anyone familiar with Star Wars can see the end in sight when watching Episode III. As George Lucas has said, this movie has most of the plot that he had envisioned when he decided to go back and do a prequel trilogy - and the plot does shine. This movie totally pulls you in from start to finish. From the awe-striking space battle, through the multiple incredible lightsaber and ground battles, through Anakin's heart-wrenching struggle to choose what is most important to him and all of the confusion that these choices cause, and to the heartwarming, yet tear-jerking end - this movie is absolutely incredible and one for the ages.If you are a Star Wars fan, or even if you have never really checked it out before - this is an incredible movie for all audiences. It may be a little scary and violent for younger viewers (hence the series' first PG-13 rating), but all of these movies are incredibly clean with no objectional content whatsoever (other than what I would call "mild" violence with no blood or gore). I would recommend seeing the others before seeing this one, but this movie can definitely stand alone as a truly great movie. This is definitely a MUST SEE, in my opinion, and is a MUST BUY for anyone who has been on the incredible ride that Lucas started in 1977 with a little movie that no one thought would succeed called "Star Wars". -The Hunger Games is the start of another franchise of movies based a series of teen books. However, I did not think the movie was that bad, but actually quite good. I do not think it is as good as the Lord of the Rings films, Narnia films, or the Harry Potter films, but still fairly enjoyable. Compared to the string of teen fantasy movies that have come out recently like Percy Jackson or Twilight this movie is god.The story is pretty simple. It takes place in the distant future. There was once a big civil war which has left North America in ruins. Instead of countries there now exists twelve districts. Each year the capital of Panem forces either a boy or a girl from each district to compete in the Hunger Games where they all battle to the death. From District 12 a girl named Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is chosen to compete along with her friend/love interest Gale (Liam Hemsworth).People accuse this film of ripping of another film called Battle Royale. Firstly I have not seen Battle Royale so I cannot say which film is better. Secondly, I'm sure that Battle Royale was not the first of its kind either. Everything is inspired by something. There have been movies and TV shows that have come out after this that have a similar premise of people put somewhere and are forced to fight to the death. For all anime fans out there, there is an anime that came out last year (the same year that the Hunger Games came out) called Btooom that has pretty much the same premise yet I do not see many people complaining that that show ripped-off Battle Royale.Plus the film is still well structured, well, acted, and can be entertaining. The characters are pretty solid. I do like Katniss and it is easy to sympathize with her given the situation. The stuff that she goes through is pretty scary and intense. I can say that I would be dead in the first ten minutes if I was put in the Hunger Games.The movie has some great effects, decent actions scenes, and an interesting world. I cannot comment on the 3D because I only saw the film in 2D. There is one complaint I have and that is the middle portion. I found much of the middle of the film to be kind of boring. The middle mostly focuses of the political aspect of this world and preparing Katniss for the games.Overall, the Hunger Games was a pleasant surprise. I did not expect much upon going to see it. I basically saw it because my mother made me see it. I have to admit it was much better than I thought it was going to be. It was nothing incredible but it was still good. -There is no substitute when it comes to King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. This movie is simply the one to watch. The story truly captures the dirt and grime of medieval times and the fantastic legend of the sword in the stone. It has an incredible cast and the chosen musical score is superb, including Carmina Burana and excerpts of the funeral march from Die Valkyre by Wagner (it has the best use of Carmina Burana I've yet seen (the Doors is a close second)). Truly a must see, great film. -This is a wonderful depiction of the lives of a wealthy British Lord, his family and friends in the 19th century. The characters have been cast perfectly, the acting is marvelous and the filming (on location at an actual mansion) is simply perfect. -Very funny movie. This talking Teddy Bear is a hoot. Makes you want a teddy bear that could talk. I recommend this movie to any on who has a good sense of humor. -If you like violence and comedy then watch the Expendables 2, just as funny and outrageous as the first. Take a bunch of washed up action heroes and give them guns and look out. The action is fast and furious. If you are looking for reality, skip this movie as nothing real about it. If you are looking for plausibility, skip this movie but if you want laughs with intense ridiculous action then you might like this movie. -"Galaxy Quest" is one of the most fine and fun Sci-Fi Vids. Altho, meant as a spoof -- with many archetypical Sci-Fi aspects -- it actually demonstrates good Sci-Fi Vid production values. The plot, drama, dialog, romance, acting and actors are excellent -- as are the scenes, effects and Hi-Tech. The sets and settings are grand and galactic. Also, as are the audio effects and dramatic music. Also, as are the wheels-within-wheels of Sci-Fi reference aspects -- to "Star Trek", "Star Wars" and many other Vids -- and action-adventure in general. Also, as are the reversed archetypes. Especially great are the starships of the good and bad folks. As are the appearance of the good and bad folks. The Sci-Fi Con scenes are way funny -- as are the young geeks and nerds, who give critcal assistance to the "real" good folks. This Vid is a great Ideal of movie production in general -- that many folks can enjoy -- may The Farce be with you +++ -Slasher films are a dime-a-dozen. HALLOWEEN. NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. The list is lengthy. Some of them introduce new characters that send goose bumps up our backs. Others tread over old material and put a fresh spin on them. But THE DESCENT doesn't do any of that.Comically labeled as "Six Chicks With Picks," this cave exploration thriller has the obligatory fright scenes (you know the kind ...where something weird suddenly and loudly burst toward screen), the attractive die-off cast, and themes trodden over time and again (from ALIENS to the horrible film THE CAVE.)For some reason this flick has gotten several positive reviews by professional film critics, but I fail to see why. There's nothing original. Nothing that lingers after watching it. No truly memorable cast members.That we're supposed to sympathize with Sarah (Shauna Mcdonald), the main character, is rammed down our throats (and through her husband's head) when a car accident takes Sarah's family from her. A year later, a group of girlfriends get together to go spelunking and to try and heal the wounds left by the death of Sarah's husband and child. There's a touch of deceit going on as Juno (Natalie Jackson Mendoza) was obviously having an affair with Sarah's husband before the accident. Whether Sarah knows of this or not is up for interpretation.As the group of six descend into the cave we quickly learn that this is an unexplored hole. And when a cave-in happens, they're forced to find another way out. But with them in the caverns is something pale and insidious (think about the Morlocks from THE TIME MACHINE and you won't be far off). But are they really there? Is it possible that Sarah's had a meltdown and only imagined seeing these creatures?It isn't the question of Sarah's sanity that'll put you off The Descent, but rather the ho-hum attitude most will have after seeing the film. It just doesn't have any emotional impact. You don't care whether these gals live or get their stomachs ripped open.The filming is also very dark and it's often difficult to see what exactly is going on. Although caves are dark and difficult to see in, this doesn't necessarily translate well to an entertaining movie experience.Still, those with a fear of enclosed spaces will probably be pretty freaked out by The Descent. The claustrophobia is easily felt, and when you add to that some bizarre ghost-like creatures with Spiderman-like crawling abilities, some might find this a lightly entertaining creep-fest. -Like most Star Wars fans, I literally counted down the days until this was released. Then, on opening day, I saw it. And all the magic I experienced as a kid was gone. Sure it has great visual fx, but my God! The story was horrible! The Trade Federation is blockading the planet of Naboo? Huh?! What the hell does that mean? How many kids are going to understand that? At least in the original trilogy the story was easy to comprehend. An evil empire. A big, bad Death Star that can destroy entire planets. A princess that needs rescuing. It was simple, but it worked. With this new trilogy, George Lucas seemed to think that computer fx was all he needed to make a great movie. The story, obviously was secondary. As was the acting. I swear, there were times I literally cringed when certain dialogue was spoken. Ok, enough of that. It did have a few good things to offer us "old fans", but not enough to give this even a 3 star rating. Here is where I think the film succeeded and where it failed.The good:1) The visual fx. Wow. The film sure looks good. The vehicles, the digital characters. It sure makes the fx in the first trilogy look antique.2) The pod race. Holy crap! The was ten times more exciting than the speeder bike race in "Return of the Jedi".3) Darth Maul. Need I say more?4) The lightsaber battles. Finally we get to see what the Jedi (and the Sith) are really capable of.5) The origin of C-3PO. So, Vader/Anakin made him huh? Cool!6) R2-D2. As usual, he pulls everybody's fat out of the fire.Now, the bad:1) The acting. Ugh! Awful. It looks as if everybody learned their lines five minutes before they went in front of the camera. Natalie Portman is especially bad here. Sorry, but it's true. Her acting is horrible.2) Yoda. While it's great to see the old Jedi Master again, he doesn't look like the Yoda we remember. He looks...well, I'm not sure. But does have fat lips. And a strange head.3) The story. As stated earlier, it's too confusing and many times just makes no sense. Why would the Trade Federation blockade Naboo of all planets. And why would the senate condone it? The whole story just seemed forced.4) Anakin. Boy, is he annoying.5) Jar Jar Binks. He's the worst one of them all. He's a very stupid, annoying and just plain dumb character. He's not funny. He adds nothing to the story. Sure, the film needed some humor, but not like this! Lucas may as well have put digital versions of the Three Stooges in here!Okay, I've been a little harsh, but I was expecting so much more from George Lucas. It was fun at times, but overall, it actually embarrassed me. Sorry, but that's the truth. -GREAT movies, Great Blurays, love em!FELLOWSHIPPQ - 3.5-4/5AQ - 5/5MOVIE - 5/5TWO TOWERSPQ - 4-4.5/5AQ - 5/5MOVIE 5/5RETURN OF THE KINGPQ - 4.5-5/5AQ - 5/5MOVIE - 5/5Fellowship is a little soft, but that is because it is the first film, the budget was lower, but is an improved upgrade from dvd, it still looks great, I give it a 3.5-4 on the picture quality. Two towers is better, much sharper, 4-4.5 on picture quality, And Return of the King is the best, solid 4.5-5 on the picture. Some say DNR was used, but I am not seeing it, facial detail and hair detail, clothing detail is all there in all 3 films. The sound on all is awesome. CGI issues, this is not a problem with the transfer, but I feel the CGI gets better with each film. DVD hides CGI flaws, lower resolution, Blu makes things stand out even more, at the beginning of Towers, Gollum seems to float above the ground in some scenes. But by ROTK, Gollum is integrated into scenes perfectly. All the CGI has nothing to do with the transfers, it is how they were made and just not noticable on dvd. In all 3 films there are dark scenes that are a little washed out, like they filmed it too dark and spot lightened an area of the frame, they do this all the time in movies now, but it just flattens that area. This is the best LOTR has ever looked I am not disappointed in anyway for getting them.The extras, I am giving it a 3, since they are the same as the dvd, my gripe, they should have been in HD, not standard def. I've seen them all on the original releases and the EE releases. I expect them to be in HD, upconvert them, do what every, they should be in HD.The Mbps on the EE dvd's is 6-7, The Mbps is 20-30 on the Blu rays. That's 6 times better then the EE DVD's. For those who says there is no differance in the DVD's to Blu, you must have a crappy tv or bad eyes.Would rather have had both versions in one package, YES. But i am happy with the theatrical versions, the versions that one 17 Academy Awards, until the EE come out on Blu ray in 2012 -Ever since "The Lord of the Rings" ended, fans have been clamoring for "The Hobbit" to be adapted as well.Well, it took nine years of obstacles, but now we have "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," the first part of a trilogy of "Hobbit" movies. It has some few flaws (enough with the comedy!), but overall feels like a pleasantly familiar return to Middle-Earth -- fire, elves, orc-killing, a magic ring and lots of sweeping New Zealand landscapes.Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is a nice boring gentlehobbit who has no interest in adventures. Then the wizard Gandalf descends on Bag End with thirteen dwarves. They are setting out for the lost city of Erebor, which the dragon Smaug stole many years ago -- and now Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) wants to reclaim it. Also, Gandalf has volunteered Bilbo as an expert burglar.Despite Bilbo's initial reluctance, he soon finds that the world outside the Shire is a pretty dangerous place -- trolls, goblins, stone giants and an albino orc who wants Thorin's head. And in a deep, dark cave, Bilbo encounters a grotesque creature known as Gollum...At the same time, Radagast the Brown Wizard (Sylvester McCoy) warns Gandalf of something that is poisoning the woods and animals of the Greenwood. Even worse, it's moved into the old fortress of Dol Guldur, and has the power to summon the dead.It took me two viewings of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" to really generate a valid opinion. The first time I was overwhelmed with fan squeeing over the spectacle, as a moderate-to-obsessed Tolkien nerd. The second time, I was able to more objectively view the movie's pros and cons.Peter Jackson has to be admired for managing to whip the first third of "The Hobbit" (plus chunks of "Unfinished Tales") into a three-act narrative structure, especially since the story is very small-scale and linear. It's a lighter story than any of the "Lord of the Rings" movies (the dwarves raiding Bilbo's pantry), but there's always a dark undercurrent reminding you that there is serious stuff afoot.And Jackson does a typically brilliant job evoking Middle-Earth's danger and majesty, sweeping us across glittering mountain citadels, murky forests and rotted fortresses. There are some absolutely stunning action scenes, such as Thorin stalking down a fallen, burning tree to fight his mortal enemy. He also fleshes out the storyline by exploring the Council investigating the Necromancer (three guesses who he is!), and a prologue showing everything that Thorin's people have suffered and lost. They're depicted as a proud people who have lost everything, and it adds a powerfully tragic undercurrent to the story.However... there are some problems with the movie. The comic relief characters (the trolls, the singing goblin king) simply don't work. And it needs some serious fat trimmed off, with some scenes (the stone giants) that could have been cut completely. It should have been maybe a half-hour shorter, with those scenes reserved for the extended edition.But the actors are pretty much all brilliant. Martin Freeman is the perfect mix of fussiness and gutsiness as Bilbo, and we can see him slowly growing into his friendships with the Dwarves. Richard Armitage is similarly brilliant as a butt-kicking dwarf prince who can be prickly and crabby, but who has also suffered a lot of humiliation and loss.And of course, we have familiar faces like Ian McKellen as the delightfully grumpy Gandalf, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett and Christopher Lee. McCoy is adorably scatterbrained as a wizard who likes animals more than people, and the various dwarves are all given personality and development to make them distinctive. That's a pretty impressive feat with such a large main cast.As for the extended special edition, this only has twelve minutes of new footage -- and since it was a long movie from a duology-turned-trilogy, that isn't surprising. But it will have the vast wealth of extras that we've come to expect from Peter Jackson: "The Appendices," a massive documentary that explores the entire filming of the movie. NINE HOURS OF EXTRAS, including audio commentary from Jackson and Phillipa Boyens.The comedy can be a bit grating, but "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is still a beautiful, intriguing start to Bilbo Baggins' journey. And the journey will only get more epic and dark. -** This review contains spoilers for the book and the movie. **Katniss Everdeen lives in poverty stricken District 12 with her sister Primrose and her mother. The Reaping is approaching fast and Primrose is frightened she will be chosen even though it will be the first time her name is in the drawing. When Prim's name is called, Katniss volunteers as tribute to take part in the Hunger Games, where 2 young people (boy and girl, aged 12 to 18) from each of the 12 districts fight to the death for prestige and goods for their district. Only one victor survives. Katniss is plunged into a completely different world where being memorable and likeable will mean her survival. She will do what it takes to survive, but will it be enough?I read The Hunger Games a couple of years ago and it was never my favorite in the series. I felt it was a Battle Royale ripoff and the later books explored the dystopic world better and went beyond the obvious comparisons between the two works. This film made me forget all that. I was completely blown away and I really want to watch it about 20 more times. I haven't felt like this about a movie in a really long time. The ensemble cast was amazing, giving believable portrayal of characters I feel I know very well after reading 3 books about them. Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen acted wonderfully. She always had an air of sadness yet responsibility. She made the tough heroine believable and relatable because her emotions were close beneath the surface despite her hard exterior. Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket provided much needed humor that alleviated the emotion and drama of the story. The other most notable actors were Woody Harrelson as Haymitch (more comic relief and makes Katniss realize the gravity of the reality TV aspect) and Isabel Fuhrman as Clove (sociopath and career tribute that left me with a chill every time she was onscreen).This film did 3 things extremely well that made it one of the best book to film transitions I've ever seen: capturing the emotions, humanizing the otherwise unlikeable characters, and working out timing. Two scenes in particular were very emotional for me. The scene where Katniss volunteers as tribute for her sister was absolutely heartwrenching even though I had seen at least some of the scene hundreds of times in the past month from the commercials. The other scene that made me bawl like a baby was when Rue died. It was so sudden it took me a few moments for her death to process. I had cried at the scene in the book, but it's different seeing it on the screen. It was captured perfectly and there wasn't a dry eye in my theater. The other tributes were well humanized despite being portrayed as villains, especially the career tributes. Marvel at the end made a speech about how even he won he would be doomed because the Games are all he was good for. It showed that the other tributes aren't the real villains; President Snow and all those that perpetuate these sadistic Games are. I was surprised at how well the film flowed from scene to scene. About half of the film was dedicated to portraying the world, the assessing of the tributes, and the reality television aspect of the Games. The Games took up the latter half. I was never bored and I never thought any of the scenes ran too long. Although every single scene of the book wasn't included in the film, the essential scenes were preserved and given a satisfying amount of time.The most important triumph of this film was that I was never distracted by analyzing each and every difference from the novel. I was completely immersed in the cruel and depressing world of The Hunger Games and wondered at the characters' capacity for hope in the face of a bleak totalitarian regime. The only drawback at all was the shaky cam got a little extreme at points. Usually I'm against it on principle, but it let the film keep a gritty edge without pushing the boundaries into rated R territory by showing graphic scenes of children killing each other. I did not consider this book the best in the series and this movie was simply amazing. I can't wait to see what great films will be made of Catching Fire and Mockingjay. -This will not doubt be compared to "Red Eye" since both came out so closely to the same time and both take place aboard an airplane. Both are also psychological thrillers. But the plots and details are very different.In Flight Plan, there are not flying on just "any" airlplane. It is the new two story plane that is the worlds largest which in reality will start flying this year. Jodie Foster's character is no ordinary person. She is a propulsion engineer who had a big role in designing the plan. Where Red Eye takes an average flight with (apparently) average people and puts them in a great plot, Flight Plan makes the lead character a powerful person. To me this is a negative. I'm sure the fact that she is an engineer, a job which few women hold, helped its political correctness score.But back to the movie. I gave it four stars because it was very entertaining. But like so many have said, it falls apart on closer scrutiny. Wouldn't SOMEONE have seen or noticed the little girl coming on the plane? Wouldn't someone have seen her being taken? The "plot" had been planned out so thoughtfully by the antagonist (the air marshall), but what would have happened to the plan to take the girl if Foster's character had not fallen asleep. There are only some of the problems with the movie.A strong part of the movie is that it sets up a very dreadful mood on the plane. We can almost feel the emotions that Foster is feeling. I could almost put myself in her position under those cicumstances. One reviewer (not to give away more info. but I assume most people reading this review have already seen the movie) mentioned that the movie seemed to be going in the direction that she WAS dillusional and there really was no girl to being with. Some viewers would have been angry at a "sad" ending like that, but it also would have bold and surprising.To me it would have make it a much better movie. As it is, sit back and enjoy the movie, just don't try to make too much sense out of it. And try not to be too dissapointed by the ending. -Hotel Rwanda sheds light (as it should do) on the 1994 Rwanda genocide that led to the deaths of close to a million people while the world looked on.The manager of a Belgian owned luxury hotel, an ethnic Hutu, tries desperately to save his Tutsi wife and children as the world around him descends into chaos and madness; a nightmare where hatred and slaughter are the order of the day...Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Joaquin Phoenix, Nick Nolte, Jean Reno and the rest of this AMAZING cast have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are extraordinary to say the least! All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is something else)! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide important insight not to mention more than a few tears.More relevant than ever, the movie does a great job as an eye-opener to one of the darkest events of the twentieth century. The film provides the necessary background as well as an accurate description of conditions on the ground during the few months that the conflict lasted. The world's reaction, or lack of it, (especially the American and British hypocrisy and inaction, and the French support of the Hutu perpetrators) is briefly touched upon.Moreover, it could have been and it should have been much more graphic in showing what really took place in Rwanda's "killing fields."Hopefully more will be done to stop the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Western Sudan and we will not have to wait for another movie to come out after it's all over before people become aware and do that which is humane.Similarly to movies like The Lord of War, The Last King of Scotland, and Blood Diamond to name a few, Hotel Rwanda draws attention to some pretty important issues facing Africa.In short, Hotel Rwanda is a movie definitely worth watching and one to seriously consider adding to your movie collection! -Wow! Having enjoyed X-Men thoroughly, I was pleasantly surprised to see that its sequel, X2, was actually better! Now, the only thing stopping me from a full 5 stars is the fact that the plot is simplistic and rehashed from similar movies. You know the type - bad guys (once good) were wronged by the good guys and now seeks ultimate revenge. Had the plot been more original, it would boost the score one notch. Then again, it's based on a comic book series so how deep can it really get? I feel no particular need to explain the story as it's been done thoroughly by other reviewers and I never like to divulge the story line or it spoils it for the rest.However, having said that, I was so impressed with the characterization, acting, and special effects. The latter was amongst the best I've viewed bar none, particularly for the genre. It totally makes up for the lack of originality in the plot.Do yourself a favor, whether you are a die-hard comic book fan or a person who tends to dislike sci-fi or action movies, this flick will not disappoint! See it on the big screen. After being awed, purchase the DVD when it comes out. I plan to do so! -Well, this movie is like any other ever made. Because of its religious nature, it is nearly impossible to judge it simply as some flick to go see. However, I'll first judge the film on whether or not you should go out and see it in the theatres, then on its movie merits, and I'll conclude with some thoughts on what this movie means theologically.If you are looking for a film to escape into, or looking for great entertainment value, or basically most of the reasons we go to see movies, The Passion is not the movie for you. Firstly, this film is horrifyingly graphic and violent. It is an accurate reflection of life as it was. Outside of the graphic nature of the film, the 100 minutes of cellulite that represents that sum total of Christ's sacrifice is agonizing. Though Mel Gibson breaks some of this up with flashbacks from Christ's earlier years, it's just so intense that if you don't understand the theology of the film, you won't enjoy this at all. Simply said, this film was made for Christians that are committed to their faith, not for agnostics, atheists, or the average filmgoer.I don't mean to imply that this film is somehow "too good" for atheists, agnostics and non-believers. I simply mean to state that this film is not attempting to be entertaining, or thought provoking, or anything else. Christ's teachings are skimmed over, and not really mentioned, the consequences of the crucifixion are not expelled upon. Simply, this is a portrayal of The Passion of Jesus as He went through what was destined.The merits of the film as a film are not lacking by any stretch of the imagination. Though the film is based on the Gospels, as a story the life of Christ is far from boring. Betrayal, skepticism, murder, conspiracy, love, belief, purpose. All are part of the story of His last day.Similarly, there aren't any plot problems, subplot problems, theme issues, or major holes to speak of. The accounts of His crucifixion take less than three pages of text per gospel. As such, simplicity prevents questions of direction and purpose.Mel Gibson directed this film quite well. The film flows together quite well. Mel's vision of the last day of Christ is well done. I am at a lack for words when it comes to describing the thanks I have for Mel Gibson for doing this film in the way he has. His choice to be the man who nails Christ to the cross is important, and all but avoids silly questions about the anti-Semitic nature of this film. Gibson's vision of the humiliation and struggle on His last day are awakening. As a convert from atheism to Christianity, this movie has helped me in ways innumerous.Mel Gibson aside, the acting in The Passion is extraordinary in itself. The highlights are Hristo Shopov's portrayal of Pontius Pilate. Also, kudos are needed for Rosalinda Celentano's thankless portrayal of Satan. Ms. Celetano's performance was visually spectacular . Finally, James Caviezel gives an unbelievable performance of endurance as Jesus. These actors deserve a lot of credit for making this film what it is.What is this movie? An attempt to show the earthly pain that God as Man went through for us, all of humanity. He carried our sins, the sins of all Mankind in an ongoing sacrifice. That burden is incomprehensible to us as humans, but we get a taste of it here in this film. Thank you Mel Gibson. -This movie is gripping hardcore, shocking, scary, and very emotional. You will never look at flight crew and airline pilots in the same way again. All of the action takes place in the first 30 minutes of this 2 hour movie. There is a moral principal to this movie. The rest of the movie is all administrative investigations. All parents beware that there is full on female nudity in this movie, not recommended for kids under 16 unless you want to be embarrassed. The nudity is at the very beginning of the movie. I was shocked by nudity, as it did nothing for the movie. I hate it when producers do that, what if you're with family members??? Can we say awkward!!! This movie has solid acting, a great storyline, good cinematography, and sound. All CGI effects are solid A+, very impressive, true realism effects. ALL sets and props are solid. This is a stunning movie and I do recommend on Blue Ray. Thanks -This series is fun to watch and enjoyable. In the mode of Dowton Abbey, the period dresses and suits are fun to watch and enjoy. Acting is very good with Jeremy Piven leading the way. The plot is good but does wander a bit toward the end of the Season 1, nevertheless it is worthwhile watching. Looking forward to season 2. -My granddaughter loved this movie. The songs especially! It is perfect for young children...imaginative, humorous, and tuneful! It allows children to flex their imaginations. They can sing along and pretend ... Something very important in development. Imagination is very important in the creative process. The color and film quality were excellent. It just never gets old! -Life isn't always what it seems, and it doesn't always turn out the way we had envisioned or hoped. In this movie, we watch the inner lives of several characters "of a certain age" unfold and expand. With the bloom of youth past, retirement upon them and circumstances inducing radical change, all of them decide to retire in India at the Marigold Hotel. When they arrive, they find that the hotel isn't the luxurious retreat for the elderly that was described in the brochures that led them there. It is not without its charms, however, and the manner in which the retirees meet both the good and the bad of their new home lays the groundwork for their blended individual stories. The dialogue is excellent, the cast and the acting is brilliant, and the message is hopeful without violating believability. Baby boomers will see themselves in one or more of the characters' situations, and they will come away from the film with a renewed sense of hope and worth.The film's perspective on two ways to grow older is beautifully executed. Not all the characters "make it." Given the same opportunity for adjustment and change as their companions, a couple of them cannot forgive, hope or move forward. Others, however, find a new beginning by embracing change and welcoming a future which is completely different from the past they left behind.In all, the movie is provocative. It is funny, sad, engaging and substantive. A refreshing change from saccharine happily-ever-after or hopeless all-is-doomed films, this is a thinker's must-see for people in their sixties and a please-see for the young. (The young people in this movie are wonderful, too.) Kudos to the writers, producers, directors and actors for a job superbly done. -This is one of my favorite scary movies, and one of Kubrick's best! Everyone in the cast gives great performances, and the direction is super, but the real star of the film is the Overlook Hotel. WOW. Creepiness. The way the camera ventures around the place is totally freaky, cause you have no idea whats going to be around the next corner...Basically, its about a man driven to insanity when he and his family volunteer to be caretakers at the Overlook for the summertime. Gradually, Jack Nicholson becomes very hostile towards his wife and son, all brought on by "cabin fever". As the spirits that live within the hotel begin to appear to Jack, things get weirder and weirder. This all leads to the cat-and-mouse finale, which is horrifying.You must buy this horror classic on video or DVD! Highly recommended! -Everyone knows this story so I will be brief. 1979 version w/ Jessica Lange had a stronger sexual element to the monkey/girl relation, but was very touching nonetheless. The relation here is more of an 'obsession' with a prized possession to protect, that the gorilla has with the girl, versus some type of purely sexual interest.I hate to say it, but here goes, fellows, we have all been that ape at one time or another. You know what Im saying. So the story is universal in that we can identify with the feelings of the protagonist, even if it is a monkey.Certain scenes are visually unforgettable. Such as when Kong escapes the theatre and finally sees the Girl again in NYC, walking smokily down a blue lit street in pitch black winter. You can see his expression go from fear it wont be her, to calm, and sad acceptance. Throughout, Kong looks doomed and aware of it, even on the island. He seems to be an older creature, and tired of the throne, which makes the protector relation to the girl more convincing.Really, a true classic. Snubbed at the Oscars, but then LOTR was grossly overpraised, so it evens out. Do not miss this. -8-9-02:I have changed my rating from four stars to five. The quality of the transfer is so good it makes an improvement on the big screen. The scenes in Moria are clearer and you can see the balrog much clearer. The negatives I wrote in the earlier review seem to be much less noticeable or important now. The extras on disc two are interesting and the previews for the extended version and TTT accomplish their purpose extreemly well.***original review below.***First the bad.The movie CHOPS 20% of the book -in one big chunk- (muttering a chapter title doesn't count!). The story of how Merry and Pippin become involved is cut and CHANGED. The old forest and the Barrow Wights are also missing. Some of Tolkien's best descriptions are found in the forest scenes (gnarly, old, and aware trees; gloom and darkness; spiders and other creatures lurking! The Galadriel scene is BAD. And there are two things wrong with Moria. 1. The cave troll scene is too long and it should have some texture on its skin (of fur). 2. I would have liked to see a bit more of Moria. The special effects when the ring is worn are overdone. One too many sweeping helicopter shots of the river. Finally, the scene where Sam goes into the river at the end was done all wrong!***Now for the GOOD***The history of the ring is told very well. Many scenes show a great deal of very good creativity. The Shire scenes are wonderful. Good humor (except in Rivendell, and taht the "conspiracy unmasked" was cut out). ***The reactions of Gandalf and especially Boromir to being near the ring really helps display the evil power of the ring. Their acting (and the direction in these scenes) is PERFECT!*** The wraiths were also done very well.The special effects and music are teriffic. The color and "tone" of the river and the huge statues at the end are especially tastefully done. Shrinking the Hobbits was just plain unbelieveable when they were running around several other characters. The scene at Orthanc was visually spectacular and the duel was creatively and tastefully done.Substituting Arwen for Glorfindel neatens things. The moria scenes (except for the above criticisms), are superb -especially when Gandalf "defeats" the balrog.[All of the smaller plots of the book could have been done except it would have confused and blurred things for the unread, and the movie would have been five hours long! Maybe six movies would have been required for everything???]***The DVDs' extras look extreemly promising!*** -Road House is one of the worst movies ever made--it's poorly acted, badly written and sloppily directed. But that's why it's so much fun!Patrick Swayze plays a bouncer named Dalton who has a degree in philosophy, carries his medical history with him and is known as the best bouncer in the country. The owner of a hick bar approaches him to help him clean up his establishment since he's come into a large sum of money and wants to improve it.Dalton's efforts lead to some of the most unintentionally funny lines ever used in movies. A bouncer having sex with a female patron in a closet tells her "Yeah, you're gonna be my regular Saturday night thing!" just before Dalton walks in on them and fires the bouncer. In another scene, a bouncer Dalton fires shoots back with "You **expletive**! What am I supposed to do?" Dalton answers "There's always barber school."Co-starring are Ben Gazzara as a sadistic rich guy who owns nearly the entire town (a role he hams up with glee), Kelly Lynch as a doctor and Dalton's love interest (though she's really just there as eye candy) and Sam Elliott as Dalton's friend and mentor who comes to help out when Dalton realizes he's not going to pull the job off alone.The movie is predictable and formulaic, but for fifteen bucks, it's good dumb fun. For a good double bill of movie trash, watch this with Anaconda! -When I was little my father would play Johnny Cash records and I distinctly remember "I Walk The Line". While watching Joaquin Phoenix perform the song, you'd swear that it was Johnny Cash, himself.Walk the Line is a great movie. When you watch it, you feel as though you are watching Johny Cash in person. Phoenix has done an excellent job capturing Cash, the man. Not the legend and not what everyone thought he would be. What made Johnny Cash such an icon was that he was an "everyman" and Phoenix gives his all to not only capture every subtle nuance but also to make him believable as a flawed human being. Reese Witherspoon's performance, as well, is surprisingly good. There are precious few points in the film where you remember she was in Legally Blonde, and her vocals and live performances are stronger than many I've seen from Hollywood actresses in recent years.The music performances are enough to make this film worth seeing. But the love story between these two, the way that June and her family helped him back from his drug addiction are what gives the film its heart. I would recommend this film to anyone, Johnny Cash fan or not. If you don't like him now, you will when the movie is over -So why the 5-star review, you might ask?There is just something about this movie that I can't put my finger on. The actress playing Dale Arden (sp?) is painfully bad, especially during the football fight scene where she claps her hands, joyfully egging Flash on with "Go, Flash, go! Go, Flash, go!" Topol (Fiddler on the Roof) is over-the-top as the mad genius scientist who is the only one on Earth to realize that all of the natural disasters are a direct result of an alien attack. Max von Sydow plays his villainous role as Ming the Merciless with "muhahahahaha" glee. Timothy Dalton doles out his dalliance as Prince Barin, ruler of Arboria. Brian Blessed is priceless as Vultan, leader of the Hawkmen; how he got through the enitre movie wearing what had to be uncomfortable (and very upsetting) leather shorts is admirable.The effects are cheesy (although, at times, brilliant - The Sea of Fire near the beginning is still eye candy for me). The acting is campy. The drama is laughable.So why does it continue to fascinate me? Despite its horrible trappings as a stand-alone movie, it truly is an embodiment of the Saturday morning serial (which Star Wars PROFESSES to be, but has degenerated into a contest of making something fake look real). With THAT in mind, the movie plays out as good, cheesy campy fun and always has you wondering how the hero continues to cheat death in a nearly 2-hour movie (as opposed to the next weekly installment). The matter-of-fact discussions about Earth's imminent destruction, our hero and damsel-in-distress somehow instantly falling in love and the inexplicable onset of early jealousy after having only traded about 10 lines of dialogue, the sometimes brilliant lines of dialogue delivered by Max von Sydow (especially how he discusses with Zarkoff why it's HIS fault that Earth is being destroyed), etc., brews an unusual beverage of serial episode fun that was purely misunderstood back when this was released. That, and what has to be one of the most unusual (and quite good!)soundtracks by Queen--especially the In the Space Capsule theme--has me coming back and watching just another curious addition to a catalog of Dino de Laurentis films. -Some scenes were gross and inappropriate particularly the bag of poo while having dinner and adamant and borat fighting in bed. -Arguably the best crime film of 1968, and certainly one of the most influential films of the genre...."Bullitt" established new directions in the mood and style of crime thrillers, and firmly established McQueen as one of the key anti-hero stars of the 60's. Based on the gritty novel "Mute Witness" by Robert L. Pike, this was the first, and only, time McQueen portrayed a police officer (albeit a maverick one) in his movie career. In 1968 Steve was then riding high on the success of his previous heist film, "The Thomas Crown Affair", and "Bullitt" just propelled his star even higher into the cinematic heavens !The plot is tight, economical and well crafted....taciturn, moody Detective Frank Bullitt (McQueen) is charged with the protection of a key witness vital to an upcoming trial involving Mafia connections. Whilst hidden away in a supposed secure location, the witness and his police guard are brutally gunned down by unknown assailants. The heat is turned up on Bullitt by his tough Captain (Simon Oakland) and the manipulative, opportunistic politician Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) to come up with the right answers fast ! Between the draining investigation, Bullitt struggles to maintain his relationship with his cultured, sensitive girlfriend, Cathy (Jacqueline Bisset)Primarily coming from a TV series background, Englishman Peter Yates (directing his fourth movie) did a commendable job as director on "Bullitt"...producing a complex, intense crime thriller with a unique style that would ultimately influence many other films. Yates would later to go onto direct tough guy Robert Mitchum in the excellent 1973 "sleeper" crime film "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" !And of course "Bullitt" is reknowned for it's now legendary car chase between Frank Bullitt's 390 GT Mustang and the two hitmen in their black, Dodge Charger 440 Magnum barrelling through the city streets and highways of San Francisco....just don't pay too much attention to how many times they pass that slow-moving, green VW Beetle !!The DVD transfer is excellent in both sound and picture quality, and the Limited Edition Collectors Set with the additional goodies (Single sheet poster, shooting draft, lobby cards etc.) is a real bonus for keen film fans !!One of my favourite cop thrillers....McQueen sizzles on screen !! -The cast was outstanding and included the Indian star from Slumdog Millionaire. He is an excellent actor. The movie was a real treat for me as I'm going back to India this year, and I am about the age of most of the main characters. -Just watched this again on TV the other day. The acting is simply astounding. I can feel for the actors, as the dialogue is so atrocious that it's almost beyond belief, but still. Were they physically prevented from doing the thing that we normally think of when the word "acting" is mentioned? I mean, blurting out some dialogue, or reciting it as if you're making an emotionless statement, that's not acting. Seriously, this is what I expect from fifth graders appearing in their very first school play. It's just astonishes me every time one of the characters says something. It's like a big, dumb, obvious summary of what's going on at the moment. "Mom, I'm not a slave any more!" Mom: "All your dreams have come true." Said with all the emotion of "Oh, you remembered to pick up the potato chips from the store." Probably 80% of the dialogue in this movie is like this. Most first-time script readthroughs on a soap opera must be far superior to this. Seriously, Scooby Doo has better acting - much, much better. I honestly can't remember ever seeing anything like this, except maybe in the worst of the worst of Sci-Fi Originals. And even then, it's not every member of the entire cast like it is here.Then of course there's Jar Jar, the baby talking donkey. I guess Lucas was really reaching out for the 2 and under audience. And the big battle at the end, with a villain we hardly know, so there's really no drama there (except what can be created with CGI), and he looks downright silly in that Halloween face paint. Oh, let's not forget the story, as Annakin's fighter gets hit, causing him to go out of control. He ACCIDENTALLY flies into the space station, then while shooting at some droids, ACCIDENTALLY hits the main reactor, which nicely waits for him to get to a safe distance before exploding. Good grief, it's too stupid and pathetic to even bother criticizing.Overall, this is an astonishingly bad movie, with dialogue that keeps one in a constant state of "What the **** did I just see?". I mean, constantly,. throughout the whole film. The action is much the same, dumb, silly, dopey. the tone of the movie goes from "epic drama" to dopey silliness, back and forth, pretty much every thirty seconds. Dopey droids are vwooshed in half by the increasingly boring sounds of light sabers, which now look more like a fluorescent tube than any sort of weapon. And then they chop another two dozen in half, then another three dozen, then another dozen. Then another two dozen. -Batman: Under the Red Hood was better than I thought it would be, the animation was good but not great, and the story was very good. I was afraid I had wasted my money on another bad dvd. I was surprised to find that it was really a good story even though the joker was didn't have very many shining moments. The animation was typical for a batman animated film but was not something to get excited about. The thing about this dvd that got me truly interested was the story. the opposing veiws in the philosophy of Batman and Red Hood were what created the conflict in this story. overall it was a really good dvd. -I am an average SW fan. Not a fanatic. But I did love the originals. I think people remember the original trilogy when they were like 12 and so nobody minded all the unrealistic and childish elements then. As kids, Star Wars was flawless. The scene in "Empire Strikes Back" still irks me, where they land inside a giant worm's stomach and of course, there is air pressure and gravity just like on Earth, even though they are in an asteroid! Nobody even checks to see if its safe to leave the ship.Episode I was superior in many aspects. NOTHING in the old trilogy is anywhere near as visually stunning as Naboo and Corusant. Those two things alone make the movie worth watching. The costumes, and the ships are much sleeker and more believable than the originals ever were. The light saber duel was ten times more exciting than anything in the first trio. Even John Williams' score "Duel of the Fates" is unforgettable and far beyond any of the original music. As for Jar Jar being annoying, yes, he was annoying, but that didn't bother me a bit! Because he was PLAYING an annoying character! He was SUPPOSED to be annoying. He annoyed Obi and Qui-Gon too. That was part of the necessary comic relief to play as a foil to the stoic Jedi.As for the Jedi acting stiff, well of course they were, THEY ARE JEDI! Jedi aren't supposed to be emotional. And still I really felt for Qui-Gon in the end. Anakin I must admit didn't act all too well. But what really irks me about TPM are the small things. The robot going; "Roger Roger" made me want to scream; "IS THIS SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS?" And what I hated most, the way most people felt about Jar Jar, is how I felt about that dumb two headed announcer. I mean he looked so cartoonish, and he sounded just like Howard Cosell! That was simply too much of a stretch of the imagination. But the plot, in my mind, was superb. Those who didn't like it didn't understand it maybe. It was rather deeper than the others. Basically it involved a corrupt Galactic Senator trying to get himself elected to a higher position by creating a Trade Dispute with a foreign planet, putting himself as the person who would "save the day" when in actuality he is the cause of the dispute. You could even argue that after Episode 1 the bad guys actually won.As for buying this VHS, I really think we should all unite as Star Wars fans and send a clear message to Lucas that; "We are not going to fall for these stupid business tactics! We know the only reason you won't release TPM on DVD is because you KNOW we will buy the VHS and the DVD." Let's not allow him to manipulate us this way, his faithful consumers.Nick -This movie was my first taste of Jane Austen. I have to admit, when it first came out I was a kid, so I wrote it off as boring and didn't bother to watch. In my teens I realized that I actually liked period drama's, and this movie quickly became a favorite of mine!The movie itself, as a period drama is first class! Although it isn't completely faithful to the book, it is my favorite of the adaptations I've seen ('07, and '81). The casting is superb (although 2 of the actors were a bit older than their book counterparts); and their acting leaps & bounds better than the '81! The scenery, and stately homes are stunning!! Also, the soundtrack fits the period, and compliments the storyline very well.Most likely, if the viewer hasn't read the book, the alterations, and missing characters shouldn't affect their opinion much._______**SPOILER ALERT**As for the (most notable) missing scenes/parts:- Willoughby's visit, and conversation with Elinor at Cleveland (during Marianne's sickness). The movie tried to rectify it by way of Col. Brandon. After his revealing Willoughby's seduction of his ward to Elinor, he proceeds to tell her he inquired, and has reason to believe that Willoughby's intentions were not entirely as dishonorable toward Marianne...It's not quite as satisfying as hearing it come from Willoughby himself though.- Edward's week stay, not long after they arrived (on his way back from visiting Lucy in Plymouth). The book scene conveyed the troubled mind of Edward, and his internal conflicting feelings as regards Elinor, and Lucy.And provided a hint of what was to come, with the lock of hair seen by all in his ring (which he passed off as Fanny's, and the Dashwood sisters supposed he somehow obtained a lock of Elinor's without her knowing).- The dinner party with Mrs. Ferrars & Jennings, the Dashwood's, Steels', and Middleton's. Not a major loss there, being that Fanny made it clear at the beginning that their mother expected Edward to marry a woman of means and fortune, otherwise suffer being disinherited.And before revealing her engagement, Lucy told Elinor she finally met Mrs. Ferrars (after being invited to stay with the J. Dashwood's in London).______The missing characters:I personally don't mind the fact that Lady Middleton (& children) were left out (the movie stated Sir John was a widower).In the book, Miss Austen describes her as "(though perfectly well bred,) she was reserved, cold, and had nothing to say for herself beyond the most common-place enquiry or remark".With that said, it wasn't that much of a loss to leave her out being that she and Mrs. (John) Dashwood were so much alike ("there was a kind of cold hearted selfishness on both sides, which mutually attracted them; and they sympathized with each other in an insipid propriety of demeanour, and a general want of understanding").In the book, all she really did was dote on her children, and play hostess.They also left out the other Miss Steel, which wasn't a big deal either. They just had Lucy out herself to Fanny instead. -I'm speechless, this BLU-RAY/DVD set is, without question, one of the best transfers ever. I love everything about JAWS, and the extras are great. Get it! -Had friends from out of province visiting and this was top on my list as the old courthouse has some of the best interior design in the city. Great ambiance with hip hop music playing in the background. Arrived for dinner on a week night, reservations recommended but not necessary for small groups. Extensive menu with a huge pizza selection and daily specials. Average to higher prices but excellent service. Ordered the special ravioli di malale (with braised pork) and pesto. It wasn't amazing, the pesto tasted a bit bland and could have used a bit more garlic. The ravioli was pretty standard and slightly chewy. But the Tonnarelli alla Norine was delicious! Generously covered in black truffles, it was filling and flavorful with each bite. The pastas are generally more chewy which was perfect to my friend's liking. Tiramisu was not special, probably wouldn't order again but the hazelnut gelato was amazing. So rich and creamy, immediately regretted ordering my go to Tiramisu. The menu has lots of options which brings me back every time. Would really say 3.5 stars but can't give half stars on here. -We went here with our expectations quite low. After all, this was, and still is, a restaurant for kids. And one that I quite liked when I was one. I was hoping the same would be the case for my 3-year-old. He liked it. And I liked the decor. Same charming antiques that I remembered still lined the place. The difference? A wait staff that seemed to be annoyed by customers that decided to look at them. Apparently, we were getting in their way. Fair enough. But hey, perhaps the artifacts that line your restaurant should come down if you down if you actually don't want our eyes on them? But then that would mean you'd only have your food to rely on. Our server was just as cold. We felt like we were at Arby's on the side of the highway. No how are you doing or Is everything ok. Just rushed, abrupt, unfriendly, almost annoyed service. It was as if she assumed that we were tourists and therefore could treat us like she'd never see us again. Well, we're not tourists, but I assure you, this was definitely our last visit. As for the food..where do I start. My wife's salad looked like it was fished out of the Mcdonald's trash bin. My soup was a step down from something in a can. And our pasta tasted like a Michelina's minus the microwavable box. I'm sentimental. Very much so, actually. But when the service and food is this bad, next time I'll get my fill of nostalgia on Youtube. -I like the atmosphere of the entire place. When you enter the restaurant, they will greet to you loudly in Japanese-style welcome. Although they greet to every customers who enter of leave, you may feel they are crazy. Its really a what a izakaya feels like.The food is truly fantastic and the service is professional as well. We ordered deep fried chicken knees, cheese oysters (which I like the most), Udon and unagi rice. I would strongly recommend cheese oyster which tastes amazingly delicious. For the next time, I would order more side food because after around 1 hour, I felt hungry again.Anyway, this is the place you can't miss and you want to go more than once after you tried the food there. -This place was suggested to my wife and I by some foodie friends on a recent trip to Toronto. Give yourself plenty of time. We waited about 30 minutes to check-in and another 30 or so to get seated. We were able to find a corner of the bar to grab some drinks for the wait. Great atmosphere and decor. Be sure to read the story behind Pai that is in a few places of the restaurant. Our food was really good and we left with full, happy bellies! -Absolutely gorgeous restaurant! This is your standard Keg restaurant only it is located in a HUGE mansion, making for an amazing ambiance and a gorgeous setting. I went here for a friend's birthday on a Saturday night, we were a group of 15 and since they don't take reservations on Fridays or Saturdays we were certainly in for a long wait (we were told about an hour). After our wait had exceeded an hour and we asked for an update we were told we would be seated shortly and the manager would do something for us. Figuring our group was on the verge of starvation (which we were) the manager came to us with a plate of canopies topped with a goat cheese bruschetta, absolutely delicious! A few minutes later she comes with a giant plate of fully loaded nachos, and these may have been some of the best nachos I have ever had! Loaded with lots of cheese (and high quality cheese at that) made them warm and very gooey, lots of jalapenos added a nice kick, I would definitely order these when I go back! When we were finally seated everybody seemed to enjoy their food. It's the standard Keg menu so you are guaranteed a good steak. I had the French Onion soup to start and this was mind-blowing! So much cheese on top that was perfectly melted without being greasy, the broth was very rich and had a good beef flavour while the onion added a nice sweetness. I have never had a bad steak at the keg, and this occasion was no different. New York strip was cooked to perfection and was so tender it practically melted in my mouth, this time I tried it cooked Chicago style (meaning it is charred on the outside and cooked to order inside). This added a nice charred crust to the steak and actually did a better job of sealing in the juices; this cooking style is definitely worth a try. For sides I always go for the twice baked potato; bacon, cheese, and baked potato how could you go wrong? This place gets bonus marks for letting our huge group split the bills and not adding an automatic gratuity (which most restaurants do for large groups). Definitely a great place to go with a large group, on a special occasion, or simply for a nice dinner. Overall great food, beautiful restaurant and good service! *My only complaint is the drinks were pretty expensive, bought a shot for my friend and it was nearly $9 for a standard shot! That's pricy! -I think we found the best tacos in Toronto. Great tasting big tacos for a reasonable price. Faves were the mahi mahi and baja fish. Gobernador was a bit too salty for me. Cool drinks available too to wash down the tacos. Only open for lunch or early dinner, but awesome place. -The Monarch Tavern is a place that you can bring in your lunch or dinner from one of the many great local eateries (California Sandwiches, San Francescos, Bitondos etc). There is now an in house option.Caplansky's is in the back of the second floor of the Monarch Tavern. The menu is very limited, but it makes up for its size in quality. The owner brines and smokes beef to come up with a truly great smoked meat. It's not like any deli meat I've had in Toronto, Montreal or New York. It's a deli meat but much more smoky, yet not overly so. If you like deli, go to Caplanskys for a sandwich. His hand cut fries are pretty good too. -Amazing food with amazing servers!! The menu was filled with different dishes that everyone can enjoy. I cant eat no pork nor shrimp but in Pai they have multiple dishes that suite my needs. The server we got was Jason and he's amazing!!! My sister knows him personally so he hooked us up with dessert. Jason was very informative and knew all the dishes as well as gave his personal opinion on certain foods he likes. The atmosphere had a chill vibe with some cool indie pieces. The restaurant was situated underground and near a cool district with lots of other cool restaurants. Food,I went for the vegetable spring rolls as a starter and boy oh boy it was very tasty. The dipping sauce it came with was a winner. The roll was your typical vegetable spring roll with a hard crispy breaded coating that delivers an incredible taste. Next is the main appetizer, I got the Chicken Pad Thai in medium. Slightly disappointed because I expected it to be a bit more spicy but nonetheless it was still tasty! Not your typical pad thai for sure. Generally I dont finish food from other restaurants but Pai was an exception. Every bite I took from the pad thai made me want to get another. The portion you get was massive, enough to feed two but if you're really hungry then this should be a good size portion. Lastly the dessert, I'm saddened to think, I actually forgot the name of the dessert but if your Filipino it was a twist on suman. The dessert was sticky rice but it had a sweet taste to it. The taste wasn't a sweet overpowering dessert it was quite subtle. It had mango on top. Overall Pai is the best Thai food i've ever ate in my life. If you need to impress someone or need a place to eat, make sure to check out this place. Dont forget to ask if Jason could serve you, he's awesome! Coming back for sure. -Banh Mi Boys is fast food at its best. Cheap & tasty like my women. Love this place. -I give two stars for the view only. The attitude of the server was very terrible because I was NOT satisfied with the dish he presented. The dish was made for at least 4 people and he did not warn us how big the dish it would be. Aside from the size of the dish, the taste is beyond horrible. I grew up eating oyster and I immediately noticed how unhealthy the color and the taste of the oyster was. We asked him to bring us a plate of fresh cracked oyster after the complain and this time he actually brought us fresh oyster and it looked completely different from the oyster he gave us originally. Also the muscles were empty, literally. We found more than 15 shells and they were all empty.. where did my muscles go? The salmon is smoked and baked and tastes very dry. Over all the service was ok and the food I give it 1.8/10 -Glorious! Unlike every other Japanese style restaurant in Toronto, Guu is definitely an experience with its decor to the way it greets its customers. More importantly, the food was divine and the Japanese wine was unlike other wines I have tasted. As Will mentioned, the dishes span from $4-$11. In my party of 8 people, we ended up ordering I think 3/4ths of the menu + alcohol. Unfortunately, I came in after my party ordered (I was running late), hence from my pictures I have no idea what dishes we actually ordered. Altogether, our bill came out to approximately $250 which I thought was reasonable considering how much food we all ate. Surprisingly, we all cleared our plates but suffered (at least I did) a bout of food coma. I will definitely be back for another round. -I really enjoyed my meal at Momofuku Daisho and was very impressed with the food and service. I came with a party of 6 and our server was very helpful in making sure we ordered enough food and the right dishes. We ordered the buttermilk biscuits which were the best biscuits I've ever had in my life and I don't even like biscuits. We also got the heirloom tomato salad, the poached cod, the beef short ribs, the rice cakes and the chanterelles. My favourite dish was definitely the rice cakes, they were spicy but not painfully spicy. All of the food was really good and I would recommend someone to order our exact order except maybe the heirloom tomato salad as that didn't really wow me. My only complaint about Daisho is the cocktail list. I expected a higher level of drinks available- more unique tasting cocktails with fruits, flowers, etc. I had the lavender lemonade and it literally just looked and tasted like a normal lemonade. Other than the drink list I would happily return to Daisho! It was oddly affordable too we split all of our dishes between 5 of us and I had two cocktails and my bill was only $60. -My boyfriend brought me to Byblos for my birthday celebration! We loved our experience at Byblos and decided to revisit :) Service was excellent. Our server had great recommendations for popular items on the menu and was very friendly. The atmosphere is candlelit and dim, good for dates!ORGANIC HOUSE LABNEH (5/5)(Fennel + Honey + Olive Oil + Barbari Bread)Tasted like a very yummy humus haha! It's soo delicious! The bread was covered with different types of sesame seeds so eating the bread itself was already very tasty. Adding the labneh was a plus! Loved it!EGGPLANT KIBBEH (4/5)(Zucchini Flower + Baharat + Chickpea Batter + House Yogurt)I was super excited to try this crispy eggplant again but I realized they cooked it differently from how they did before. I'd prefer the crispy eggplant than this way of cooking. Both are still good.WAGYU LAHMEH PIDE (5/5)(House Turkish Paste + Fior De Latte + Toum + Basil Cress)How can flat bread taste so good?! I'd order this again and again. The wagyu paste was delicious and the bread itself was very chewy. This dish wasn't dry at all because a lot of cheese was drenched on top of the bread. The smell makes you even more hungry.GRILLED WHOLE BRANZINO (5/5)(Chermoula + Saffron Toum + Watercress)We came back for more of this!! I told my friends to order this dish at Byblos and all their reactions were like..Fish..?! Yes! Fish! They make it so good! The fish meat is drenched with flavour and the best part of this is.. It's boneless! DESSERTS:LOUKOUMADES (5/5)(Attiki Honey + Walnut Praline + Burnt Honey Ice Cream + Halva)Tasted like chewy donuts dipped with honey glaze. It tastes really really good - especially the burnt honey ice cream! I suggest eating each of these little bits separately first. Each one has its own flavour. Once mixed together, it creates another type of texture!PIZZELLE (3/5)(Baklava Ice Cream + Salted Caramel + Cous Cous Praline)The Baklava ice cream was amazinggg! The cous cous praline on top of the cookie was also delicious. The only thing lacking was the cookie itself. It was kind of soggy. -This place is over priced for their food and the food has no quality. Bad service the manager was rude asking us to pay 20% tip the seatings are not enough about lucky not coming back. They wouldn't clean the table very terrible experience -Bad Service. Excellent food. Too bad the service was horrible. Because the service was so bad, I even downloaded this app, made an account and am writing this review because it was that bad. The waiter was rude as ****. Here is why. When my friends and I were ready to order, we called the waiter over and he told us to wait so we waited. It turns out he was getting the card machine for the table next to us. After he gave the card machine to the table next to us, I asked him again because now I had a question about the menu and he responded to I told you to wait. I was shocked because I had a question and he was just standing there waiting for the person at the other table to be done with the card machine. In all honesty, I had a question about how many pieces the sashimi and sushi was. So my friends and I waited until he came over. When he came over, I asked him how many pieces the sushi and sashimi came in he told us. Knowing that the sushi came in two pieces and sashimi came in three pieces, i momentarily asked my friends to clarify what we wanted - it was less than 10 seconds - and the waiter told us to call him when we were ready and he chucked his notepad at the bar table (which was right infront of our table). The tone he was using was unbelievably rude, disrespectful and discourteous. I was shocked that he had the audacity to treat us perhaps because we were just some university kids and were not grown ups which does not mean the waiter could treat us that way. It was ridiculous. Not only that when it came down to the bill, when I was in mid sentence to telling him that we were going to split two ways, he took off who knows where when the restaurant was empty. I was absolutely shocked. There were so many other things I would have tried but because of the terrible service my hunger ceased immediately. For a high end restaurant, to have such a rude server was just very sad and disappointing. Compared to Jabistro, Jabistro's service and food were on par. However, this restaurant was just too disappointing. -Best ramen in Toronto , great service and consistently great broth! The beef curry is also amazing! -I was really excited to try the food at Khao San Road, since I had heard such great things and seen the Yelp ratings. And, the raves about the food are absolutely correct. The food is good (but even still, I've had better Thai). Unfortunately, the owners and the service I received completely ruined my experience. I was staying at a local hotel, which made reservations for our party (and I heard the concierge make the reservation). When we got to the restaurant, they first couldn't find our reservation; after waiting 10 minutes, they tried to seat the four of us at a table for two in the back corner. There was no way the four of us could fit around this small table. So, the OWNER (note: not just an employee) apologized and offered us a round of drinks on the house to make up for the delay. We were finally seated, but again the owner came over to our table to tell us that we didn't have a reservation and basically called us a liar. We asked him what he would like us to do - we already had appetizers on the table, so he told us to stay (so what was the point of him harassing us again?). The bill came and our drinks were not taken off the bill. We called the two co-owners over and they told us we all must have misheard and that had never said anything like that. Blatant lie. He then called us liars and told us we were trying to get out of paying. He then proceeded to charge our credit cards twice, so somehow I now am paying three times what I should have been paying (since those drinks were never taken off). As a customer, I've never been treated so poorly. So, yes, the food is good, but there are equally good / better places out there that don't treat their customers so horribly. Do yourself a favor, avoid the crowd and wait, the insults and harassment, and go eat somewhere else. -Came here for a lunch with colleagues. I've been here a couple of times before and always had a good experience. This time was no exception. I had heard from another yelp elite friend about some dish off the menu called Islamic noodles and decided to try it. And I have to say that it was absolutely delicious! It's basically noodles with vegetables and your choice of protein tossed in a nicely seasoned creamy curry sauce. Sooo good!! This is a dish I will definitely order again. On the bad side, the water quality here is really really bad. I normally just have tap water with my food but the water here tastes chlorine! It's like drinking diluted bleach. I don't know why the water tastes so bad here because everywhere else in Toronto the water quality is good. I think Salad King should look into this because it really brings down the food experience. Because of the poor water quality I rate them 3 stars, although food alone would get 5 stars. -Loved it!!!AMBIENCEI really like I was like n Thailand. The place is underground and it was a cool place. It had ample seating and a sizeable bar for a nice hangout if you were going for drinks. My guests and I sat at the tall tables, group of six. There's is cell phone charging station, very safe and useful I left my phone charging over dinner. A nice place to hangout with friends or a date night.SERVICEI like the staff, there was cool and took care of us. We also had a canteen of water and our food always was served hot and fresh. It was just the way I like it.FOODSo gooood!!! Starter - grabong = squash fritters; paired with a tangy sauce. Not oily and nice and crispy.Plah Nua - beef salad. Roasted rice with some lime sauce. So good!!!Som Tom Tad - papaya salad. Perfect citrus levels.Entree - gaeng kiaw wan in a coconut. Green curry was served a coconut, it was so good. Creamy, savoury and perfect balance. I ate all of the way down to the coconut meat. So my favourite.Dessert - mango sticky rice. It was good not something that really stuck out. I don't think I would eat. Just not my preference.I am looking forward to returning again, soon! -Amazing from start to finish!We sat on the back patio, which has a great atmosphere, on a weekday for an early dinner. The patio is all communal tables which adds to the casual and social feel. All of the front of house staff were charming and welcoming. They were attentive and friendly without being obtrusive or fake. I had the jesus juice cocktail, which was tasty and refreshing and had just the right amount of sweetness for a very hot summer day. We had a bunch of the tacos, and all were perfect. A big standout for me was their shrimp taco. The shrimp inside was breaded and fried, which made me nervous that it would only taste like batter and oil. I was so wrong. It had a wonderful shrimp flavor that was perfectly complemented by the sauce. The beef cheek was also a highlight. Although there are lots of places to get cheaper tacos in the city, I will definitely be back to Grand Electric. The patio, service, cocktails, and variety of delicious taco options make it absolutely worth it. Would recommend to anyone. -I have mixed feelings about this place. Although I love the ambiance, decor, and the food... I wasn't a fan of the service. Once we had arrived, it took a while for the host(ess) to notice us and have us seated. After ordering there was some confusion and delay as well. The food was really good.... we ordered the charcuterie board and I think the Diavolo pizza. I loved the cured meats (every bite!) and the lightness of the pizza. The drinks are really good too! I've been here on a couple of late nights and the patio is the perfect place to be on a warm summer night. -If you want cheap Thai food this is the place to go! This place is always packed and there's always a line. But the wait isn't too long. People come and go really quick. If you don't have much time it's a good place for take out too. Came here a couple of times already and decided to write a review. Most of the time I ordered the curry. The curry here is delicious but the rice that comes with it isn't too good. Portions for the curry is a little small. Needs more rice. The fried rice dishes here are also pretty good. The tom yum soup here is cheap but is lacking flavour. It really sour and spicy. Wouldn't recommend it. I've also ordered the Thai street noodles. The portions are huge. There's a lot of rice noodles. But the broth lacked flavour even though it's cooked with shrimp and chicken. It was just too sour. It's so sour that the noodles taste sour. It's not salty enough. The only thing you can taste is sour and spicy. Really would not recommend. They need to make major improvements to the recipe of this. Additionally, there's a problem. The water here is tap water like most places but it has a really weird odour. You should ordered a drink instead..... The Thai ice tea is good. Overall, good for the curries ! -After all the hype - just ok. View was FANTASTIC and the revolving part was really great. We dined about an hour before sunset so we saw the city in the day, dusk, and after dark, all lit up. Service wasn't very good - I think it was kind of busy, but that's not really an excuse. It seemed like they wanted it to be a very fancy dining experience (prices, decor) but it came off as pretty touristy. There were lots of families there with loud children and people wearing jeans. For ~$100/person I would have expected better service, food, and atmosphere. The food was alright - ate from the pre fixe menu and it was normal 'fancy food' salmon, small salads, chocolate cakes, etc. The worst part was that near our side of the restaurant, we happened to have a great view as the sun was disappearing, so lots of other people crowded around our table to take pictures of the sunset against the glass - rude. Good for the view, but maybe just go up there to have drinks? Much better view that the observation deck (which we stopped at on the way down) TERRIBLE view..it was all fenced in for safety I assume, but it made for an awful view. -Been here twice. First time was quite a while back but I had their fried chicken dinner and it was phenomenal!!!! Must try if you haven't yet. My dinning companion at the time had a burger, it was a solid, big burger. But of course the fried chicken was better. Yesterday I finally went to the Stockyards again so I can try their ribs. Some bits were dry and chewy, but overall good value for what you pay for ($15 for half rack, $30 for one rack). My dinning companion had the pulled pork sandwich. I tried a bit, it was veryyyy good. Bottom line: fried chicken is a must get. -The Thai food scene in Toronto has taken off lately. If you are aching for some really good Thai food, this place might not be for you. Having that said, Salad king is a fine place for a bite for run-of-the-mill Thai dishes.My favourite dish here is their golden curry which is quite tasty. Prices are cheap and you can get a decent dish for around $12-13 (after tax+tip)The place is quite busy on weekends, and it is almost always quite loud. Communal seating in the middle of the restaurant can be charming and annoying at the same time.A thing I do notice here is that service tends to be slow. Food comes fast once you ordered, but the hard part is waiting for your server....and the same happens when you want to pay. If you are in a rush and think this is a place for a quick meal, you might be disappointed. -I've been hearing a lot about this place, but have been hesitant about going because a lot of people have said it isn't worth the extra money compared to the regular $2 Banh Mis on Spadina. They are wrong. Although the $2 Banh Mis are a steal, and make for a quick lunch, you are certainly getting what you pay for when you go to Banh Mi Boys. My sandwich came up to $6.77, which was very reasonable for what I got. This place must have an immense amount of pressure to keep their prices down given a) the competition in the areab) the fact that most people who know what a Banh Mi is are used to paying $2 on SpadinaTherefore, the fact that they can offer what they do at this price point is impressive.The Food (Pork Belly Sandwich):- The bread was very fresh, tasty, and was toasted perfectly (not too hard, not too soft)- There was a decent amount of tasty, tender meat. It was a little fatty, but this is to be expected from pork belly- The meat was of good quality; leaps and bounds better than the mystery meat of the classic $2 Banh Mi. - The vegetables were also very fresh, and I enjoyed how there was a pickle in the sandwich which I have never had before- The hot sauce was great as always (I'm a big fan of this sweet hot sauce in Banh Mi sandwiches)- I asked for spicy, and the hot sauce was unevenly distributed with one half being medium and the other half being very hot. This isn't a deal breaker, but just an observation.The atmosphere:- Loved the music they were playing in here. Great old school hip hop playing at good volume- The decor was decent. I liked the lamp shades on the lights- The staff was friendly and helpful.- The cleanliness of the place was pretty poor, and this is why the place gets a 3, instead of the 4 it would have received if it was cleaner. There were discarded napkins and food under every single table, with as many as 10 or more discarded napkins under some tables. The 2 tables that were free had varying degrees of mess on the tables from previous customers. There were no tables whose tops were completely clean. I can understand that some customers are quite messy and that the employees may not have had time to clean up after these people, but given that there was a mess under and on every table indicates to me that staff had not cleaned in while, and did not care about the establishment's general cleanliness. One of my biggest pet peeves at a fast food joint is when the place is this messy, because it makes me feel like I'm eating in a barn.That being said, the food here was great, and I will go back to this place, and change my review if the place cleans itself up. This restaurant is a welcome and significant improvement to the other fast food options on this corner, being McDonalds, A&W and Hero Burger. -It seems like many of the Yelpers concur that Jacobs is the place to be. From the moment they accommodated me by placing the roses I ordered at our table, to the time our evening ended, it was amazing. Pure class! It's not your typical dark dungeon of a steakhouse. Dimly lit but you could see who was around you. First when we arrived, the provided us a with complimentary glasses of champagne to celebrate our anniversary. The server gave us a moment and then explained the types of steaks that were on the menu. The bread was freshly made and would have ordered more if we wanted plenty of carbs. It was so deelish. The bread was shaped like a large muffin. It was light and melted it your mouth. Then came the ever popular Caesar Salad made right at your table. The person serving it to us explained what went into the salad. I would never order another Caesar Salad from a restaurant again. The person mentioned that there is a video of how to make their version of the salad. I'm gonna do it. Then came the steaks. For sure you will pay a pretty penny for them, but they are to die for. I got the 10 oz Wagyu steak and my gf got an 8 oz aged steak. As always, she said mine was better. :) We shared ice cream for dessert. You have a choice of three of the six flavours. We chose mango, white chocolate and dark chocolate. In the end, they provide you with 2 chocolate chip muffins.The food and the service was definitely excellent. I would definitely recommend this restaurant and would go back in a heartbeat. -I used to love this place. Gorgeous view of the lake, cute chairs and blankets, yummy burgers, and a live DJ. I even came here to celebrate St. Patrick's day last month and had a great time. However, it seems as though the reception is handled by unprofessional hostesses who make old customers feel very unwelcome. I'll tell you why I say this. We came down here at a semi busy time, but from what we checked, there were plenty of empty tables both upstairs and on the patio on both sides of the restaurant (The restaurant has 2 different entrances). We were greeted by a hostess who told us that the wait time to get a table is about 30 minutes. When we told her there are plenty of empty tables, she said that there are people ahead of us on the waiting list, when clearly there was nobody around waiting to be called! As a matter of fact, we saw a guy who came and told her that they never called his name and he got angry when she said she had called his name and there was no response.My boyfriend did not like her attitude and neither did I. We ended up sitting at the loud bar, instead of the more spacious area upfront. Now, I'm not going to ignore the fact that the waiters are very good at their job and that I like their food and beer. That's why I'm giving them a 2 stars instead of 1. You see! A terrible hostess with a crappy attitude can change the whole game. -Definitely lives up to the hype! It's busy at all times but if you're a small group it shouldn't be too hard to get a seat. They pack people in tight like a can of sardines so don't expect much privacy or quiet. Service was about what you'd expect in a packed place, food came quicker than i was expecting and appetizer arrived in minutes.Food was amazing. We ordered the Fresh Rolls as a starter, which is a pretty standard thai dish but their dipping sauce was really impeccable (just the right amount of heat for an appetizer). As our main course we shared a chef's special pad thai (chicken) and a pad gra prao (minced beef on rice). The pad thai was greasy and delicious, I like how they put a twist on the standard pad thai (noodles+sauce made it a bit soggy but i think that was on purpose because it tasted awesome). The pad gra prao tasted good as well, but was kind of overshadowed by the pad thai. It's a pretty common dish, but i enjoyed the way they made it (nice and filling).If you like spicy you might want to go hotter than medium, which was more of a slow burning aftertaste, than a sweating forehead hotness. -MMMKKKAAAYYYY here comes the review I've been putting off for a while, because I don't have enough words to describe and I get lost in thought. So here's point/numbered form:1. We waited for 2.5 hours on a Saturday night, we got here around 730 and got to eat at 10pm. Went to Queen and Beaver after putting our name down. They're supposed to call you if you're next in line but we just showed up.2. It was PACKED, looud, crammed, full of happy laughing people. 3. Every time somene leaves the restaurant the whole place screams and waves at them and it's amazing and hilarious4. They have 1L jugs of Sapporo. HOLY MOTHER OF GOOODDDDD!!!!! I was in heaven. 1L jugs of anything are ma kinda jugs5. We ate the following: deep fried brie, shrimps (battered), cheesey mushroom rice in hot stone pot, beef tongue, beef sashimi, pork cheek, deep fried chicken, fried calamari... I think that's it. I discovered a burning, passionate love for tapas bars...i was so worried when I was coming here that I would just get to try one or two dishes. PHEW! The brie and beef sashimi were my favorite, the calamari were disappointing.6. All that food, 3 1L beers and two of those glass bottle drinks (where you have to pop the glass ball in to drink it) and the bill came to appx $150. Now cheap but there were 4 of us, a lot of the dishes come with 4 pieces so it worked out perfectly. Bathrooms were amazing, they have mouth wash, cream, hair spray, etc - so cool! and clean! Great experience, I would go here again...I don't mind waiting and hitting up a bar before dinner either :)) -I had heard rave reviews about Wish and decided to make a reservation for Sunday brunch, which was my first mistake. After arriving with a small group at this cute little restaurant, I gave my name, but was warned by the customer ahead of us in line that reservations don't mean a thing at Wish. She was right: we proceeded to wait 45 minutes to be seated. As for an explanation, the manager couldn't get her story straight. She told me that our table was being set up and would be ready any minute, while another person reported she had said (moments later) that our table was still occupied and they couldn't kick out other patrons, even if they were taking forever to pay. In truth, they were overbooked and understaffed.When we finally got to our table, there was no apology or acknowledgement of the situation or how long we had to wait, even with a reservation. The food (which, unsurprisingly, took forever to arrive) was decent but not worth the headache and certainly not the best brunch I've had in Toronto. We all left with the impression that because Wish is so trendy, they don't care about providing any actual service. You feel like you're just a number, which is surprising for such a cozy, intimate space. I know that brunch places can easily get overwhelmed on Sundays but if the staff had acted like they cared and not like they were doing us a favour, it would have made a difference.Also, be warned, if you're seated in the front part of the restaurant, it will be so noisy that you can hardly hear the people you're with. What you can hear exceptionally well is the bell chiming from the kitchen and cooks yelling orders to each other, but I'm assuming it's a deliberate attempt to be edgy.Go elsewhere for better food and way better service. -Probably one of the best meals in a while! Was taken here by a lover and had absolutely no expectations. When I first entered Byblos I was endeared by their lovely decor and ambience, you could tell that great thought was put into the design, flow and layout of this place. The place fills up real quick during the nights and the night I came had many tables reserved. The food portions are adequate and fills you up without leaving too heavy of an after taste. The flavor pairings of the dishes were very well though out beginning with waitress' recommendation of fig salad; the herbs and leafs in this was so fresh I almost felt like I was eating it straight from the plant. The sauces and seasoning was so eloquently used that everything balanced out so well, not ashamed to say that I quickly chowed down the entire plate in mere seconds. Next I had the crispy squid, similar to calamari but a little lighter and smaller tentacles. Also had the steak tartare paired with greek yogurt (they call it labneh) which melted in your mouth, albeit being a little plain. The lamb rib felt a little stingy; each bone was probably one bite-size, nothing special.Probably the best dish tonight was the oxtail basmati rice, a little on the heavy size, it was aromatic, creamy and rich. The flavour of the oxtail was imbued into each scoop of the yellow golden rice, while the kale offered a variation in texture with every mouthful. This I am definitely coming back for.To finish had the chocolate mousse and burnt honey ice cream. Mousse was typical, but the ice cream was interesting - I actually don't know how they got that flavour so on point! Must try (and it's only $3).An amazing discovery I had tonight was dukkah: crushed hazelnuts, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, cumin. The texture and aroma of this garnish is addictive, and Byblos isn't afraid to abuse their dukkah. I left craving for more, and now I'm in the search for making some at home. -This place looks like a really expensive restaurant that is classy and upscale...BUT rest assured, it's not that pricey. With that said, I really enjoyed my visit to this restaurant. The moment you walk in you can see how classy and elegant the design of this place is. My wife made reservations for two on a Saturday evening. From the door at the main entrance I was amazed. We walked in, the staff took us to our table and sat us down. We ordered our appetizers and dinner at the same time after taking in the view and deciding from the excellent menu options. To our surprise the dinner and the appetizers came out at the same time. It was weird at first but then all we had to do was request that the appetizers come out before the main course. So that wasn't a big deal for us and we didn't mind at all. The food was very delicious.The restaurant becomes a lounge with good music as the evening progresses. There is a lounge area that has beautiful couches and throw pillows where you can enjoy drinks with friends in a great ambiance. All in all, a great dining experience with great service. The food doesn't deserve a 5 star (maybe a 4 star) but I rate this a 5 star for the experience and feeling that my wife and I felt as we left the restaurant. -I went here and loved it. One of the best dining experiences I've had in awhile. Despite the pre-selected menu, you do have many options. Don't come here for the ambience. Its a tiny place with minimal decorations. The presentation of the food was beautiful. I prefer pretty food that smells heavenly to flowers on the table. The food was tasty and seasoned well, portions were big, service was warm. Food truly was healthy. Fresh produce was used and you see them cook your meal as the kitchen is next to the dining area. I like to watch my food being made. The chef was exceptional. Don't come here if you don't like veggies or fruit though. I left full and happy. Such a great experience that I wanted to tip well but couldn't leave as much money as I wanted because I ran out of Canadian money. Bottom line I have payed more for not as good a meal. -This is one of the most interesting restaurants to dine in downtown! The decor is great and the old courthouse space makes for good conversation while waiting for your order to arrive. I came here with a large group and we had a room all to ourselves, so the noise factor was reduced quite a bit. It was rammed at 6pm on a Saturday night and there is a lot of seating here so come early if you want a good table.I thought the service was great and the pizza and pasta were both excellent - I had the seafood pasta and the smoked salmon pizza. The bathrooms are a bit small and cramped but I guess they face the basement problem that most downtown restaurants have here. I had the chocolate-covered gelato in espresso for dessert - delicious! -My fav thai place with another location! Less busy / more space, food that is on par with the other sukhothai locations but with more variety, and friendly staff. Loved the ox tail curry, papaya salad, and the mango sticky rice -I really like this place. The first time my friend took me here, though, I had a better experience than the second time. The first time was a definite 5 star, and the second a 3 star, so here we are!The food is overall, great. It is really reasonably priced -- as long as you don't over-order. The first time I went I had the chicken soup and shared the spring rolls with my friend and everything was super delicious (5 stars!). The second time I went, I ordered the large thai beer and it was huge -- way too much beer, and my boyfriend ordered the basil beef on top of the soups and spring rolls to share and it was way too much food (not to mention not that great in itself). But, all in all, the food is really great and extremely inexpensive for what you get. A definite recommend! -FABULOUS. :)a little house tucked in from the hustle of the yonge and york mills interesection. the moment you reach the gorgeous white double french doors, you feel special walking into a countryside home with BEAUTIFUL Ambiance. It's as romantic as it gets!The newly renovated decor truly lives up to the auberge name (french for 'inn').Glorious service that spoils you to no end beginning with their sweet hosts and knowledgeable servers. My friend was a vegetarian and they catered to her needs with zest. The food was intricate, beautiful, and delicately balanced, and every bite was a big bang and wow in your mouth. Each dish was full of bold and big flavoured organic ingredients. at one point our server recommended a spruce birch non alcoholic beer, and we tried it and i am still dreaming about it -- it was amazing.YUM YUM YUMfrom the articoke spread for your freshly baked ethereal bread that comes out fluffy and crunchy at the perfect temperature with olivesto the passion fruit granita,amuse bouche soup octopus terrineorganic greens, and the amazingly sauted kimpachi --every bite was memorable. and that is definitely a mouthful to say. ;)esp in toronto.highly recommended for a nice night out.~$70-100/ person -The food is fine,weekday Lunch AYCE for $17.99. But their dishes and water mug are not really clean. The service is not satisfied.Our waitress is an older woman, she forgot our items and rush to leave before we finish our order. -Came here with family for a birthday and though the price was higher than other AYCE sushi places, it was probably worth it, though we would not indulge like this very often at $23 a head. It seemed that service was quicker for the hot items and desserts than for sushi, sashimi, and rolls, but perhaps more people ordered sushi. Was very impressed with variety and taste of dinner menu items included in the AYCE, the variety of the rolls especially. Had silly little items such as a small piece of fish with a bit of sauce served on a Pringle chip, and deep-fried scallops with a dollop of katchup on them. Come hungry and as I recommend for every AYCE joint, go with friends to maximize the number of unique items you can order and be able to taste more of a variety. Try to make a reservation if you will be more than three people- the place was packed and it was a Tuesday night (albeit the week of Christmas). -I can't say enough about this restaurant. The food is amazing and the service is fantastic. I loved their quails and it was my most favourite dish but they have recently removed that :(The only bad experience i had was a couple of years ago when we decided to celebrate my husband's 30th birthday there. I called ahead of time and brought them a bottle of rare wine we had brought with us from South Africa so they could open it and let it breath prior to dinner. I personally spoke to the sommelier and discussed it with him. But when we got there for dinner I noticed they hadn't opened our bottle that they so insisted I bring hours prior to dinner. But all in all it is a fantastic restaurant with great food. Highly recommended. -I really like the food. The chicken was pretty tasty and perfectly cooked (tender). Other reviewers had complained about the relatively small portion. That, I concur. Chinese places always undercook their chicken, but not this place. Btw, The fried chicken skin were divine. Next time I will eat in and enjoy their cocktails. -Horrible service. Manager was very rude. Will never return. Anyone who is deciding to go here, be smart and try any of the other 100 restaurants in the area. You will be very disappointed with the service. The food was also very greasy. Also, they will try to pack your boys with extra calories. TOURISTS BEWARE! -I finally had the opportunity to try Byblos after struggling to secure a reservation on a weekend a number of times. Settled with a 6:30 pm slot on a Monday evening and although it was relatively busy, you could probably take your chances doing a walk-in on a weekday.Contemporary decor but still had a very classy vibe. Lamb Ribs ($14) - These were delicious but tiny!! 3.5 small lamb ribs (the 4th one was more like a twig with barely any meat) that are tender, mildly flavored with a crispy texture. Not exactly the best value but taste-wise, 4/5 Roasted Red Beets ($13) - I debated whether or not to order this dish pretty much until the very last minute when I decided to just take a leap of faith and trust my fellow Yelpers. So glad I did as it was the highlight of the night. I was hesitant because my boyfriend and I aren't the greatest fan of red beets but you can hardly taste it when mixed with the labneh which had the perfect consistency and creaminess. Served with some delicious barbari bread, this dish is one you don't want to pass up on. 5/5Crispy Squid ($13) - This one was a decent portion but the individual pieces of squid are very small. Lightly fried and the spices and garlic sauce (toum) give it a nice kick. Very flavorful dish overall and tasted great with our rice. Probably one of the least traditional items because frankly, it's basically calamari with some Eastern Mediterranean seasonings. But I wasn't there to judge (nor would I know) how authentic their food was, so 3.5/5 Turkish Manti Dumplings ($14) - I was looking forward to this the most but it ended up being the biggest disappointment of the night. Such a shame. The dumplings were underwhelming to say the least. I actually didn't even know they were filled with eggplant until the fourth one or so because the ones I ate prior had nothing in it. The molasses balanced the yogurt really well but other than that, nothing special. 2/5Tartufata ($30) - Probably the most expensive rice I've ever had.The truffle and mushrooms were decadent and the fried chick peas were amazing. Crispy and flavorful. The rice itself is very ordinary. So all things considered, I can't say it was completely worth it. I wouldn't order it again because I'd like to try their other rice offerings which looked and sounded just as appealing. 4/5Seared Cauliflower ($8) - It's considered to be a side so I'd recommend ordering this with one of their meat dishes (ribeye, lamb shoulder, etc.) because I think it'd compliment it quite well. We just thought cauliflower with duck fat sounded awesome so we couldn't resist and ordered it anyway. I prefer stronger flavors so I loved this but heads up it can be a bit heavy. 4/5As for dessert, we had the Loukmades ($12) - Fantastic! We were pretty full and while waiting, we kept negotiating how many bites each person would take to finish it. Ended up fighting over the last piece. Pretty much burnt honey icecream on a krispy kreme donut (but a different shape). So good and a must-order!! 5/5 Service was lackluster. Our server was kind and filled our water pretty often but eventually disappeared. We found ourselves waiting a lot - to order dessert, to ask for the bill and to pay. Service shouldn't end after the customer finishes their main course but rather when they walk out the door. Also, typical of many high-end restaurants, they explain what's in every dish but it was spewed out so quickly that a lot of it was incoherent. Didn't really add any value to our dinner. A little overhyped but I'd come back because their menu still has a few other interesting items I'd like to try. I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone who's looking to celebrate a special occasion or somewhere nice to go for a first date. Just don't expect to be blown away. -All I can say is wow! Impeccable service. You are made to feel very special here, and the service is down to earth and unpretentious. We were literally thanked by 20 people on the way out. The steak is delicious, the Caesar salad (made at your table according to your specifications), the mushrooms, asparagus, potatoes, and fries too. The chocolate cake was unbelievable. They made me a fruity drink that wasn't on the menu; it was tropically delicious. Loved it! One of the best dining experiences I've had in Toronto. We weren't rushed, and were given complementary muffins for breakfast, complimentary chocolate, and champagne as our friends were celebrating their anniversary. -My cousin took me here for my belated birthday lunch and she has officially ruined normal GTA sushi for me. The crazy 5 star ratings is 100% deserved here and I can't wait to take my boyfriend very soon for a special lunch date. This is how sushi should be done and presented! The food was visually stunning. They've put a lot of thought and care into the presentation which really makes the entire experience all the better. The staff are very knowledgeable and take the time to explain the specials and dishes to you. I really appreciated that!We ended up getting the chef's special *Miku Zen* which differs, so you should ask the server first. Ours had a tofu salad (I hate tofu and I ate the whole thing.. didn't taste like tofu at all and well seasoned), beef, fish, and a spin of fish & taro chips. It came with 5 pieces of chef select Aburi (torched) sushi. Each one was delicious and the flavours are already there. You will not be using any soy sauce of wasabi for this sushi meal. We also got the Kale Goma-ae salad which was also very delicious.Dessert was the best. For a limited time, they're having this mochi dessert that's got condensed milk whip on the inside and a walnut cookie base. The mochi comes with a scoop of black sesame ice cream (my favourite) and drizzle of tarragon honey & various fruits. The mochi is so soft and fluffy it's like eating a cloud!!!!Everything was well seasoned and balanced and the chefs really take care to present and create each dish so every bite is a whole new experience. The decor is fantastic, service is excellent, and the food was just outstanding. Not an everyday type of lunch spot, but a nice treat once in a while. We all deserve to be mind blown by amazing food!!! -Truly the best Thai restaurant in the city. We arrived around after 7 on a Wednesday night which was prime time. They do not take same day reservations. The wait was just about under an hour and decided to wait. You may sit by the bar and there is also a bench in another room that you can sit and wait. We waited about 45 mins unil we got to our table.The vibe is very loud and they played great music. The decor was very cozy as if you are at your friend's house for dinner. I loved all the photographs on the wall.They have daily drink specials. I ordered mango juice and and my bf ordered a beer. We could not decide on an appetizer so we had asked the server their favourite dish to which she suggested the battered squash. BTW unfortunately I do not remember the Thai names.When it arrived, it looked like fritters and shoe strings. The dip was like a mixture of sweet chili sauce and fish sauce. It was so delicious. What a great start to our dinner.For our mains, we ordered the Khao Soi and or course, a curry fiend.. the Coconut Green Curry. It is served in a coconut.My Coconut Green Curry was definitely the BEST in the city that I have ever had. I can also scrape off the coconut which soaked in all the flavors. The Khao Soi was also so delicious.I cannot wait to go back and try the other dishes. Also an awesome place for after work drinks! !! -I love visiting Colette Cafe not just for their delicious teas and caffinated beverages but also to admire their beautiful interior design and decor. For those who know me, my absolute favourite colour is blue. They just make everything look so elegant and precious. I'm literally obsessed with every detail they have from tiles, paint, furniture and fixtures. It's very European, which they are, and I absolutely adore. I never really had the chance to pick out anything other than their hot beverages and a buttered almond croissant here and there, but they most certainly offer items such as baguettes, cupcakes, special donuts, cake, macarons, quiches and salads. Honestly I get so focused and fixated on their restaurant designs that I lose focus on the actual menu itself. I'm don't have much of a sweet tooth so I'm not necessarily drawn to the sweet items like most of my friends do. Other than that, if you enjoy tea they have a wide selection of aromatic teas to choose from. Colette also has a really great patio which is open during the warmer months. It is located on a smaller street in Toronto so if you like a more quiet, outdoor environment to do work you may want to check this place out. -Great atmosphere, awesome cocktails, SUPER fast service and delicious food. Win!Really enjoyed all the food and drinks we ordered! -Ambiance is on point. Beer is on point. Food is on point. Neighbourhood is on point. This is a great spot to chill and have drinks. A great spot to come for dinner. There are a lot of other bars and restaurants around so you could jump around and binge on excess. -My husband took me here for my birthday, and I loved everything about it! We had reservations on a Thursday night at 630pm. Once we walked in, our jackets were taken and coat checked, and we were quickly seated. The ambiance great! Our waiter came quickly, was very friendly, and took his time to explain the menu to us as it was our first time there. We started off with Aburi Beef Carpaccio, which was awesome! I loved the shoyu eggs, it was perfectly cooked. The baby green and pear complimented the beef very nicely (although a lot less greens would have been good). The beef carpaccio itself was amazing, it melted in my mouth and was packed with flavour! We then had the Kaisan Soba, which was basically a seafood soba. You can choose to get it mild or spicy. I got it spicy, which I thought was a very nice kick, I didn't find it too spicy. I was surprised with the generous amount of seafood that came with the soba. There were clams, mussles, prawns, scallop and squid. The seafood were all huge, and super fresh. The soba had a very nice texture to it, definitely one of the best soba I've had. Keep in mind this isn't your traditional soba dish though, it seemed a bit more stir fried. Anyways, overall it was super yummy!Miku is known for their Oshi Sushi (aka the blow torch pressed sushi), so I definitely had to try that. I had the salmon and mackerel. Both were amazing! The rice was very sweet and soft. And both the salmon and mackerel were torched perfectly. The salmon sushi came with a small jalapeno on top, which adds a bit of a kick to it. My husband really liked that touch, I personally took it off before eating the sushi. We also ordered the Miku roll, which was to die for. This roll literally melts in your mouth. What I loved the most about it is that there was such a thin layer of rice around the roll, with each bit, I mostly just tasted the salmon and uni and tobiko, which was awesome!!! I would recommend that everyone must try this roll!! Everything was plated beautifully. I thought the price actually quite reasonable for the quality and ambiance of the restaurant. I can't wait to come back again! -It's good. But not *that* good. Not good enough to wait for two hours. Definitely not good enough to wait for two hours when it's cold outside. If you're going to do the no reservation thing, at least have a phone/text system to alert people. The food is really reasonably priced. And there are lots of interesting items on the menu - but nothing that made me feel that the super long wait that I endured was worth it. I'll give it another shot when the 2nd location is open. -Friendly staff, fast service, great toppings. Finally ordered a pizza with all the toppings. So good! Need a location close to my work or home... -Best sushi spot in Toronto. Great service and location. Staff always welcomes you with great suggestions on their favourites and explanations on the freshest items on the menus. Their cakes are a must -This place was quite good by my ramen standards. Up there with Santouka and Orenchi (a hometown favorite in Santa Clara, Calif). They offer two kinds of noodles - the thick one looked better. -It was amazing experience, I suggest to try the lobster pasta and especially mushroom ravioli. It was savory, creamy, and the entire plate had a whimsical texture to it. We came in at unusual hours of 4 pm to have lunch and service was on point. We also bought a jar of their own hot sauce, which we paired with oysters there. Worth the try! -Great food and beer! Fantastic service! -Favourite taco joint in the city!The interior is cozy and eclectic often with rap music playing in the background. My go-tos include their Baja Fish taco (every time! the fish is so light crispy and delicious!) , their coconut cream pie (not sure what those white marshmallow pieces sticking out of the pie but it's THE best), and a bottle of Mexican beer to compliment the food.I've had their ceviche, chips and dip, as well as other offerings, but I still gravitate towards the tacos as they are always fresh and flavorful and never disappoint. -Still till this day my fave spot to grab Italian food. I went here with my fam and ordered the seafood pasta, gnocchi tomatoes pasta, pear and white sauce prosciutto pizza as well as the tomato sauce one. Delicious! All the pastas are done in house so the aldante texture is surely there. The sauce is flavorful and thick not watery at all. I have had the pear pizza before so I knew I had to get it since it was so good. The caramelized pear thinly sliced on the pizza gives it that sugary and honey flavor. I highly recommend that pizza! It's not your everyday pizza. If you are a fan of things pizza you will surely love it.The service as usual was excellent! Friendly and professional. -Good food, clean, affordable. More spacious than other restaurants I've been to in Chinatown. -This place has an amazing vibe! duck fat friest are a must! favourite sausage is the venison! wild boar is also really good and its cooked perfectly, spicy and a great texture. Kangaroo is a little on the dry side, nice to try just to say you had it but not up to par with the other game meats. Kangaroo hardly has any fat so what do you expect.Place is amazing and love the bench tables structure. great for a lunch with coworkers or a night out before partying! -I went to this place expecting a lot. Ramen being one of my favourite things. Was here on a wednesday night with a few friends. i was really looking forward to the ramen. i feel the interior design was nice and spaciousi ordered a spicy pork miso ramen. the soup in the ramen was very salty, and MSG taste. basically i couldn't drink any soup becuase it was really over salted. the noodle feels like instant noodles. and the pork is average. the egg was good, which i had to pay extra for. The ramen was really missing a lot of toppings and literally this regular sized ramen only had 1 piece of pork. my feeling is for the price they are charging, and the flavour it wasn't worth it. The taste is not good. and the portion is not a deal at all. there are so many ramen places in the area. which is why i'm surprised why this one had such a high rating, because it is really not good or worth the money. i would not recommend this to anyone, as there are much better ramen places in the area, and as well in the city. it is not worth it taste wise or price wise -The thing about scaddabush is that you enter and are immediately expecting a great night - the decor, personable hostesses, vibe, even price points are all great. The issue with this place comes with the service -- which is slow, slow, slow. Ive been here twice in the last two weeks and both times the service is less than desirable. Which is hard to understand as there are a plethora of servers working the floor. -This place is usually packed so better to reserve or go at not a peak time. Pretty much everything on the menu is delicious. Must try the Pad Thai and any of the Currys. Quick service. Once I had a hair in my curry and they apologised and gave me my meal for free. Not at intimate place to eat, gets very loud during peak times. Shared tables if you come in twos. -If I could give this place zero stars I would. Just another below average mall chain restaurant headlined by a celebrity chef charging outrageous prices for dishes that my Italian neighbour could make better. We only came here as a backup bc joey's yorkdale could not accommodate a group larger than 10. Beware - they also take your credit card for reservations and state that they will charge you $20 per person for no shows... Who the heck does that?! I ended up ordering a bunch of sharables w my friends. Crispy squid and mushrooms fritti aka battered mushroom spears. They were average... Not very many pieces. We were going to order the tomatoe bruschetta until the server told us it was only 1 piece of bread and not very sharable ($10 for 1 slice of bread - wtf?!). So we resorted to the garlic bread w sundried tomatoe and olive tapenade.. It was ok. Then we ordered the fungi, Margherita, and Parma pizza. They were the size of a small pizza.. Cut into 4. Honestly, you're better off going to Pizzaville and ordering their Margherita pizza and paying 4 bucks compared to this place. Or if you want great pizza.. Go to libretto downtown. Overall, this place doesn't deserve to be a part of yorkdale. The food is not flavourful, expensive, small portions. It looks nice, wooden decor, legs of Proscuitto hanging from the ceiling of the bar. Looks rustic, but everything else is a disappointment. Could not pay me to ever come back and eat here and would not recommend to anyone... Spend your money elsewhere. -Location: On Dundas just east of Yonge-Dundas square. Parking lots are available but pricey. The lot right next to Santouka is $10 flat on weekends. The one behind Santouka is $6 flat on weekends. Facility: Fairly small, almost always packed, very little waiting room. The corridor fits only about 5 people before it starts feeling cramped, then you'll have to stand outside. Floor to ceiling windows and an open kitchen. Washrooms are nice but TINY. Anyone taller than 5'9 may have to duck.Food Quality & Price: Meat was soft and tender. I was impressed by the presence of crunchy bamboo shoots and black fungus in my shio ramen. The egg was also very well done, marinated just right with a yolky middle that wasn't cold at all. I personally didn't like that the default noodles were so thin (almost like instand noodles), but they were cooked well enough. The regular/small size is a decent portion and really hit the spot. The only negatives about this ramen is that there is noticeable MSG in the soup base and it is very salty. While I don't doubt that the soup has been simmering for days, I think it would be just fine without MSG. You can ask for LESS salt and LESS fat, but I'm reviewing the default dish that you get without customization. Service: Good service with a smile from both the ladies and the gents. Fast, and checked in on us just the right amount of times. Didn't feel rushed.Overall: I would return to Santouka if I was in the area. I do believe that Santouka caters to general ramen eater who prefer a great deal of flavour and artificiality in their soups. So while it appeals to the masses, I find that it's a bit of a cop out. While the location boasts of Japanese locals seeking out their establishment, I think it's just a matter of decent food at a prime location. They earned a solid 4 stars but could improved by automatically reducing the amount of salt and removing MSG from their soup. -So this was my second time coming to Insomnia! Just wanna try their brunch before 3pm!We sat in the comfy sofa at around 1.50pm and ordered Charlotte, Heaven on Earth, black coffee and hot chocolate.Hot chocolate and coffee came first. Disappointedly we didn't have the hot chocolate but a warm one, despite the fairly good glass that holds the chocolate. Black coffee is normal. Although there are just few tables of customers, the food came long after we finished the chocolate. So we also got a jar of water that came slow. At first when I was yelping and saw the Heaven on Earth french toast photo, I thought the cheese inside was ice cream but no. So I then ordered a ice cream topping too for my french toast since I think ice cream with any french toast is the best combination ever for me!! And yes, this combination never goes wrong.As I am not a cheese person (I can accept cheese like in grilled cheese), I think the thick cheese that stuffed in the french toast is too much for me. This would be a little reminder for some of you like me, to be careful of it haha. Stuffed Blueberries and strawberries are OK. One interesting note is that the french toast has a quite unique texture than most of the typical ones. The egg-like texture is soft and thick..with crispy corners of the bread. Perfect with maple syrup alone or the addition of ice cream.The salmon egg benedict was great too. The side potatoes are like potato fries; they won't occupy much of your stomach but instead giving you a crispy outer layer and hot and soft potato crust. The salmon was fantastic and it makes me speechless. I wonder how they cook it. Muffin below reminded me of McDonalds' muffins. Eggs were well-cooked; they are like poached eggs. Good for those egg lovers!Maybe because we went there late and finished our brunch late like 4pm, the waitress got us the bill once we finished our food. We didn't even have some time to rest or chat since she just came and asked us if we have anything to order, we said no and she said okay just the bill and she went to get us the bill right away. We felt weird or funny that why everything happened so fast lol haha. But all in all that was a quite good experience comparing to my last time late night dinner here. (If only the food came faster and we had more time to just stay, cos there were almost no one in there - or will they close before dinner hours?) -Most ultimate restaurant for a lovely lunch with girlfriend (and babies or not), friends, colleagues or clients. The space is big so you are not side by side with another table. The service is always impeccable, the food divine, and ou HAVE TO try the pancakes as a dessert (ask for a smaller portion if you can't do the full dish;-) -I should probably preface this by saying I am related to the owner, but that only adds to the appeal! So what if I get a free beer once in awhile? I come here anyways!Having lived in Belgium, I come here to relive some of my favourite Belgian foods and beer (although, I am admittedly not much of a beer drinker). The cheese fondue and frites are authentic standouts, as well as the pulled pork sandwich even if it's not really Belgian. You have to ask for the pulled pork as it's not on the menu, but it should be since it's so popular. Maybe I should see to this since I have the connection and all! -Their steak is really good AND it doesn't break the bank if you wanna have a nice dinner. There are different sauce flavours you can choose from as well!The table next to us had a mussels appetizer and the portion looked huge! Definitely eyeing the all-you-can-eat mussels and fries for next time.. it's just such a deal for $22! Or.. maybe I should listen to my boyfriend who always says my eyes are hungrier than my stomach and just order the appetizer.... Also the match stick fries are delicious, make sure you order that as a side -3.5*. While the food was just okay, the ambiance was great and really made the experience here worthwhile. Located in the heart of the Distillery District, we visited on a Thursday evening and had the choice of sitting on the patio or indoors - it wasn't too cold, and we chose the patio which is heated. They also provide blankets for you to wrap around yourself in case the heaters aren't enough for you. First, parking. There are several Green P's located in the area surrounding the Distillery District (on a weekday evening, the average was around $4.50 an hour, or around $8.00 flat for the evening if you arrived after 6:00 PM).Second, ambiance. Beautiful, inside and out. Pretty lights, an intimate setting amongst a good sized space. This restaurant is a great option for both group dinners and dates. Plus, they take reservations.Third, the food. We had the guacamole (which they mash in front of you), Baja Fish Tacos ($15.95 for 3 tacos), Campechanos Tacos ($15.95 for 3 tacos), Costilla Courta ($16.95 - braised short rib), the Love Boat ($14.95 - fried plantains with braised beef), and Churros. Overall, the Baja Fish Tacos were the best item we ordered (nice, crispy, light, with decent flavor). The tacos were an okay size, but a bit on the small side. The guacamole was just okay (I wish it had more of a kick and body). Generally speaking, the food was just average, but it was the environment that made the experience enjoyable. A wonderful atmosphere for our group dinner, with great service (thanks so much to our awesome server, Christina, for a nice evening!). We would definitely come back here again for the ambiance, but it's not our first choice if we were strictly looking for the best Mexican food in Toronto. -Came here a few times and loved it each time. How can you complain about all you can eat fresh meat. Service is fine. Ambiance is great! Love the dancing ladies. The Parmesan beef thing was ridiculously good. This place is not for cheapos. In fact I think all cheapos should not eat out at all. They should all cook at home and be cheap to yourselves and not bother anyone else. The salad bar for all you vegetarian losers is good also. Not that a vegetarian should even step one foot inside this place. -Not sure why just west of Yonge & Dundas is becoming Toronto's 'hypebeast Asia-town'. In the area, there are line-ups for ramen, bubble tea, matcha, and Japanese cheese cake/tarts as a lot of global Asian brands are opening locations here -- and Asian kids just love lining up for trendy Asian food. These businesses are completely sustained by IG-'foodies'.Anyways, I don't know too much about Pablo - other than it being a Japanese chain that specializes in cheesetarts. I didn't really have interest, but the lady wanted to try it out and there were no lineups.We got a full size cheese tart for around $15 and it was about 8. The texture of the filling is similar to flan or pudding - taste was very light (not eggy or cheesy at all). Most of the flavour comes from the apricot topping. The crust was pretty flaky. Neither of us will try it again - just not a great value proposition (their 'premium' cheese tart is the same size but $25 with a creme brulee topping).Although not the same, Uncle Tetsu is probably their nearest competitor (geographically and figuratively). I'm not a huge fan of sweets, so I do prefer the more subtle taste and better texture of Tetsu's 'cheesecake' (which I probably won't have again anytime soon either). However, with Tetsu, it's hard to find a good substitute -- with Pablo, I rather have a good Chinese egg tart or a Portuguese egg tart... and I won't have to pay $15 - $25 for either. -Quick update to my review...I came back with two friends during the summertime and had a BLAST again. This time, I sat at the bar right in front of the chefs who were quite amusing to watch.Note to all -- GO ON YOUR BIRTHDAY! It is amazing to see these chefs and waitstaff whip out silly glasses, do a silly dance, and sing you an original happy birthday song. They have so much energy. I can't do the explanation justice.The waitstaff and chefs also shout a LOT, so be prepared for the loudness. However, listening to their amusing little side songs and comments in Japanese made for a very fun evening. We loved our experience there!The food was good and filling. One surprising tasty dish was the gomaae, spinach with sesame sauce. So delicious! The deep fried pumpkin with egg inside was prepared interestingly and it was very satisfying to eat. My friends loved the ramen... they said the pork was done perfectly! I had some of the broth and that was pretty tasty.Saba and oden are always great staples here too.I heart this place! -Heard great things about this place, but slightly disappointed overall.For a start, the service was great and our waiter was very attentive. Appetisers wise, we ordered the squash fritters, the chicken wings, and a starter bowl of tom yum soup. The chicken wings were amazing, and I especially liked that the tom yum soup was slightly sweet instead of being too sour like it is at most places. The squash fritters were tasty, but the portion was huge - way too much for 2 persons, and more suitable for a party of 4 or 5. For mains, we ordered the green curry in a coconut and the basil pork. The green curry was great, but we waited about 30 minutes for it. We also specifically requested it to be served piping hot, but to our disappointment, the curry arrived to our table at room temperature. This was the same for our tom yum soup, which was unfortunate. The basil pork was good, but I have definitely had better. Sangria was great - refreshing and tasty. The Thai iced tea was way too sweet, but not too bad. Restaurant had a trendy, eccentric hipster vibe, and was overall not a bad dining experience. More towards a 3.5 stars. -This place started out at a four star review, the food was very good, the service was not awful (hence the four, instead of five star original rating) then, out of nowhere, the lights were dimmed and the most awful top 40 rap started blasting!!! We then couldn't find our server because she was so busy serving tables like ours who were trying to get the heck out of there ASAP!!!! Had to sit for 20 minutes in the midst of a sudden club atmosphere when I was just trying to have a nice, laid back dinner and some drinks. (Drinks menu is great, I just CAN'T understand why they would turn it suddenly into a club!!!) awful. -If you're looking for a hip place to have some amazing seafood and drinks with friends, this is the place. I went on Thursday where you can eat 100 oysters for $100. Every oyster was shucked to perfection and the servers kept the hot sauce and vinegar toppings coming. I also ordered the mahi mahi dish with coconut rice (amazing!). It melted in my mouth and was just the perfect amount of fish to rice, along with the savoury seasoned veggies (which were all cooked perfectly and not limp).I brought my 6 month old baby here and it was a by too loud for him but this is definitely not the type of restaurant that you should bring a baby to. The one thing I would suggest is for the servers to refill the water a bit more often. We put the water container on the outside part of the table, hoping a waiter would notice because they just kept whipping by (it was packed) but no one noticed until we eventually stopped someone. My parents had the calamari and loved it! I will definitely be coming back here again to try some more menu options (sans baby!) -A tad small (my only complaint, but hey its Kensington Market) but sooo damn tasty. Don't bother with one- YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST TWO! The blackened mahi mahi was incredible! Highly recommend it. Note: very limited seating (around 4) and some places to stand, so either be prepared to stand and eat or savor the food experience somewhere outside - either way it will be an unforgettable. I will be back to taste the others. -Its a little frustrating to rate this restaurant as we had a fantastic time here. The setting, decor and ambiance is just lovely, I went here with a friend for food and cocktails. Cocktails were fab, we had one at the bar while waiting 15mins for our table and another with our meal. While our food was slow the waitress recognised this and was very attentive keeping us up to date.The big but is that the food just isn't great, we both found the meals bland, the table side guac was the same and the chips were stale. Maybe 3 is a little unfair and if this was a bar not a restaurant I could forgive the food. But this is a restaurant and it is not a cheap one so this is too disappointing to ignore. -Location: On Dundas just east of Yonge-Dundas square. Parking lots are available but pricey. The lot right next to Santouka is $10 flat on weekends. The one behind Santouka is $6 flat on weekends. Facility: Fairly small, almost always packed, very little waiting room. The corridor fits only about 5 people before it starts feeling cramped, then you'll have to stand outside. Floor to ceiling windows and an open kitchen. Washrooms are nice but TINY. Anyone taller than 5'9 may have to duck.Food Quality & Price: Meat was soft and tender. I was impressed by the presence of crunchy bamboo shoots and black fungus in my shio ramen. The egg was also very well done, marinated just right with a yolky middle that wasn't cold at all. I personally didn't like that the default noodles were so thin (almost like instand noodles), but they were cooked well enough. The regular/small size is a decent portion and really hit the spot. The only negatives about this ramen is that there is noticeable MSG in the soup base and it is very salty. While I don't doubt that the soup has been simmering for days, I think it would be just fine without MSG. You can ask for LESS salt and LESS fat, but I'm reviewing the default dish that you get without customization. Service: Good service with a smile from both the ladies and the gents. Fast, and checked in on us just the right amount of times. Didn't feel rushed.Overall: I would return to Santouka if I was in the area. I do believe that Santouka caters to general ramen eater who prefer a great deal of flavour and artificiality in their soups. So while it appeals to the masses, I find that it's a bit of a cop out. While the location boasts of Japanese locals seeking out their establishment, I think it's just a matter of decent food at a prime location. They earned a solid 4 stars but could improved by automatically reducing the amount of salt and removing MSG from their soup. -Amazing cheesecake! I waited in line and it was totally worth the wait. Sooo good. I also tried their Angel Hat original cheesecake, a small sized one for 10.00. It was really moist in texture and a bit different from the original cheesecake but still just as good. Then headed over to their match store for some Madeleines which where tasty for breakfast. =) -Miku is one of those places where it's correct to boast it's cultural dishes. The dishes were a bit pricier than the usual a la carte sushi but it was definitely worth it. You wouldn't be wasting a penny on the food or service.We had the sashimi lunch platter which had red tuna, salmon, yellow snapper, and scallop. It was fresh and tasted perfectly seasoned even without the soy sauce and wasabi. Which is what I feel sashimi should actually taste like.The Miku four dish spring set was made with seasonal food and had a variety of seared fish (tuna, red snapper), salad, and ingredients native to Japanese dishes. The dessert was amazing, perfectly balanced in sweetness and tartness. Would definitely come back when the sushi craving strikes! -I can see why some people would rave about this place, but personally wasn't impressed. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't something I would go nuts about. Especially since I hate Kale.I have been a couple times as my date would want to go but won't make reso.The place is crammed which I hated and super loud. The steak tartar was good though. Pizza was okDrinks though were on point -Surprisingly decent quality food for a good price. Really fast service at a convenient location. Will return. -The food here isn't too bad, but it also isn't excellent. When I ate here I had by far some of the WORST service I've ever had. To start off, I am really against the idea of ordering off iPads. Especially when we had a larger group who had to pass around one iPad to order. It took forever to place our orders because of the size of the group (over 30 minutes). I see the iPads being good for one or two people, or if everyone in your party was going to order all-you-can-eat. But it all became very confusing, very quickly. Our food was coming at the most random times and they ended up giving me the wrong food. It was all very confusing. To top off all the frustration and confusion, our waiter spilt hot soup on someone at our table. I get it, mistakes happen...but with everything that was happening we were not impressed. When it came time to get our bills it took ages to sort everything out. We were already running behind from the slow service and we didn't have time to wait another 20 minutes for them to sort the bills out. We were finally able to pay and get out of there. I was not happy with the price I had to pay for the mediocre food I had eaten. I will NEVER be coming back here again. -My friend has been telling me about this place for about 2 months now. She works in the area and goes at least twice a week. So last night, just before we went to the movies, we finally tried it. We were in a group of 3 girls. Seating is very limited, so your best bet is probably to get take out and eat it on a nearby bench. That is my only negative for this place, hence the 4/5 rating. From here on in, it's all amazing all the time!My mouth was watering as I stood in line and checked out the menu. I'm obsessed with Korean food, so the Kalbi beef Bahn mi caught my eye immediately...as did the Kimchi fries. My heart hurts a little as I write this, because at the very last second, I opted to get the sweet potato fries instead! I know...shocking! My reasoning for such a heinous act? My two girlfriends don't eat meat...so I figured we could at least share them. The Kimchi fries have pulled pork on them...totally unshareable with Veggie Friends. i wil get you next time, Kimchi Fries...oh yes...I will!Each bite was delicious! And for a person who loves spicey food like me, thie kalbi beef bahn mi had just the perfect amount of kick to it. My mouth is actually watering as I write this and it's only 9:42am...I think this might what the beginning stages of a drug addiction must feel like!I digress. For first timers gearing up to visit The Boys...here are a few little things you should know...that I didn't...and kinda felt like a very green rookie.First of all, don't call it a sandwich...it's a Bahn Mi.... So call it that. I felt like I kind of insulted the guy taking my order when I almost said can I get the Kalbi Beef...sand... He promptly corrected me (not in a rude way at all...just totally informatively) that it's called a bahn mi.Also, they ask how spicy you want it just before they make your order... I got the Thai Red Chillies....DELICIOUS!Next time, I'm going to tackle a couple of the tacos. And then the time after that I'm going get the Steamed bao...then, the time after that.... -We revisited here again. This time is for our dinner time. Same things, great food and great decor. I enjoy the quiet and gentle atmosphere in a restaurant and definitely it wins my heart.We ordered green curry with veg, khao sow with chicken, tom yum soup with shrimps, mango sticky rice and ginger tea and a beer.Food: Authentic Thai Street FoodPrice: $$ ReasonableService: Friendly and Welcoming and Fast Speedy Cooking time (considering there was 3 more tables at the same time) A surprise to us was that we got a free appetizers , what a lovely owner!! :) Thanks Jatujak @ Victoria Park Will recommend this place and so missing Thailand and here I can find the taste again!! We are the fan from now -To be honest, I had higher expectations for this place. I am not vegan myself, and typically I don't eat at vegan places. However, I was in the area and a friend recommended it so I thought I'd try it out.The restaurant has a very elegant, chic feel. The décor is amazing and the setup is very aesthetic. Loved the circle tables, comfortable chairs, and earthy feel with the plant wallpaper. I ordered the Sweet Mess Tacos and for its price, the portion size was very small - only two tacos! However, it did taste very good. I'm not a fan of cilantro so I took it off my plate but the beans, sweet potato, and avocado blended together very well. I usually eat chicken or beef tacos, but these were so good that I forgot it was vegan!The service was also amazing. There were plenty of servers who refilled our water constantly. And our food came in a timely manner as well.All in all, this place is definitely on the pricey side. Since I am not vegan, I don't exactly see the value in paying almost $15 for two tacos. It was a good experience, but I don't see myself coming back. -Today we went there for lunch with a group of 10 people. TERRIBLE SERVICE! WillNot return. The restaurant was not busy and still no one helped us. They sat us down and didn't give us menus. We asked three different people for menu. Our main waitress had an unhappy face and very rude. She gave us menus then no one brought tea. They force you to accept very large lobster with very tough meat. We ordered extra friend rice and noodles to eat with the lobster but they never came until the end. No one offered water, waitress was never found. We had their congee - bland and watery. We asked for soy sauce and it was brought out in rice bowls, 10 bowls of soy sauce!! Never before have we seen such thoughtless service. We brought a family of friends there for Father's Day lunch and were so embarrassed that we chose this restaurant. Our food took too long to come. Not going back there. -Came here for my birthday and saw $1000+ steak...which they were sold out of!!! I can't even imagine what that steak tastes like but it must come wrapped in bills. OK, I'm kidding.Anyways, the place was packed...we had no reservation...dropped in the last minute and did I mention it was right before Xmas. The hostess did a walk around and found us a table at the upstairs bar. They were the last seats in the house and the best seats in the house!The place looks like a steakhouse and feels like a steakhouse...or what a modern one should be. It's pretty slick. We sat down and our bartender/waiter was awesome. He helped us through some of the drinks and we ended up ordering 2 steaks, 1 from Alberta and 1 from the US, as well as beefsteak tomatoes and the potato gratin. The steaks came cut in strips (we made the request) and were cooked perfectly! I do prefer the American beef over Alberta beef, sorry Canada, I hope this doesn't make me a terrible Canadian! Both steaks were excellent though. The tomatoes (feta and thyme) and potatoes were excellent as well. After our meal we got a small tour of the see through steak fridge and some explanation of steaks are aged. It's a pretty cool ending to a great meal. The service is excellent and food does match it. It was one of the best overall experiences I had in 2013 which was filled with amazing experiences. -LOVE LOVE LOVEI came here a while back in the summer and was blown away here!My hunni loves seafood, so I chose this restaurant downtown when I knew we were going down for errands. When you walk in you are greeted by a beautiful and dim restaurant. It has a bit of a romantic feel, but with more energy. It can be a great date place if you don't mind it being a bit loud. We were seated promptly ( since I made a reservation) and were lucky to get a booth that was like a bench, where we sat on one side with the table infront of us. Making it a bit more intimate for us (which was nice). The waiter was helpful and knowledgable with the menu and was attentive and excellent during our meal. Now the food:Of course, one needs to order the seafood tower at pearl diver, because you need to bask in it's holy glory at least once in your life. The tower is damn beautiful, with two tiers of seafood beauty.On the top tier you have your shrimp cocktail, salmon and king crab legsOn the bottome you have your assortment of oysters with 3 dipsFRESH AF pretty much sums up the tower. JUST TRY IT. Chicken Liver & Oyster PateI really enjoyed this, but my hunni thought it was a bit weird. I mean it seems like a weird combo, but I thought it was a great savoury dish. So i think this is probably a hit or miss item. It's pretty difficult to explain the taste of the pate, but it's oyster so... if you're adventurous or an oyster lover, go for it!Cured Fish PlateAssorted and served with rye breadFresh. not the highlight but still a great appetizerSticky Toffee PuddingThe hype about it is true. It's a decadent dessert that really hits the spot after the meal, the pudding is soft and melts in your mouth. ** we also ordered two cocktails but I forgot the names, but they were both very good and would 100% recommend**Overall, I had a great time here !! I liked the food, atmosphere and had a great waiter. This place also seemed to be great for birthdays since I saw a large table in the back celebrating a birthday and another birthday celebration in one of the booths as well. -The last few visits were very disappointing!A waste of time, drive and money!From poor SLOW service, and OVERPRICED to bland mediocre food. And terribly long waits to get seated outside!We're talking 1 hour! (I can think of hundreds of other activities I'd rather do on our night out then stand in a line up for bad food and service) or how about go next door? ? Our pre last visit was a disappointment as our child had gotten a bone in his food and hurt his tooth, the manager approached us had a chat and tried to make it better by offering other foods, and invited us back with no wait.We took him up on his offer, We had returned as a family of 5, were seated promptly and had the visit from the manager, he had gotten our child order inn right away and was pleasant, however as soon as he left it all went down hill! The servers were not pleasant/ actually quite rude and moody! Our food took extremely long to arrive! As a comparison, the table next to us arrived after us! As they were enjoying coffee and dessert we had still not gotten our main meals!?? Our servers did not clean our tables from dirty plates, we had to keep calling them over for that, to clear our dirty plates were piling up from apps and dirty cups from drinks... they did with attitude for some reason...We had contacted the manager and had tried to fill him inn on the poor service and food quality (which I had sent back my food, as it arrived after most people around my table finished their food, and mine wasn't even good after all that wait for a tiny 4oz or so fish- ridiculous)he served also had the nerve to argue with me, trying to put the blame on me as he claims he warned me it would take longer- I had 4 others at my table witness this and that it's a lie- as well as it's the smallest plate and should not have taken THIS LONG! the manager had read our messages. And weeks later still had not reached out.Very disappointing, a let down really...we feel we've given this place enough try's to finally say- other then the decor there's nothing good here! Nothing to return for. And was a huge waste of our time and money! It used to be better, a few years back. From quality to service- had truly gone down!! A shame. -The interior is similar to a dive restaurant. It's fairly clean with a mix of high seat tables or regular tables. Having come on a friday night at 8:30pm it was quite busy. The wait was well over 45min, but the server said he could text me when my table was ready. Luckily my friend suggested we sit at the bar as the servers had no problem serving food there. We got our menus and have to say that this place is a little more on the expensive side. It won't break the bank, but can you put that much added value?We got the Gaeng Hunglay - Ox Tail, Pad Thai, and chicken skewers. the food came out really quick even though the restaurant was so busy. The skewers tasted great and it came with peanut sauce and a sweet/vinegar based dip with thai chili's inside. The peanut sauce was well made and authentic instead of taking a glop of peanut butter and blending it with some hot sauce. The vinegar based sauce tasted great as well and my friend practically drank the sauce. The pad thai tasted as expected, the portion wasn't too big, but satisfying. A good mix of chicken, sprouts and everything else evenly throughout. Nothing stood out from it and the foreigner spicy translated to mild. The Gaeng Hunglay was something else though, think curry, but a little sweeter and hints of ginger. I thoroughly enjoyed that dish more then the pad thai Thai cuisine doesn't have a lot of expensive ingredients, the pad thai costs around 15$ and it wasn't special or outstanding enough for me to order it again. However, the Ox tail was delicious and if I were to come again and I would definitely order something along those lines.For authenticity this place would be 4.5/5 for Thai cuisine -I will agree that the soup is on the salty side. But the ramen is still really good!We got the spicy tan tan and the tonkotsu with thick noodles (curly, great for slurping and retaining the soup). I loved both the broths. The tonkotsu had a good pork bone flavor with this creaminess that comes when it's cooked with the ramen. The tan tan was spicy, but just enough that you want to keep on slurping the ramen and drinking the soup! By the way, there is only one slice of pork belly for the tan tan but two for the tonkotsu.Adding any extras, like shitaki mushrooms, will cost you more, but I definitely recommend adding the mushrooms because it has a sweet flavor that complements the salitness very well.I would NOT recommend getting the gyoza - it's mediocre for the price really, and their star is the ramen. Would want to go back again for the ramen! -The tacos are delicious - no doubt - and the taco included a very generous portion of fish. We got the basa fillet taco and the spicy shrimp one. The basa fish was a tiny bit bland but the fish tasted very fresh. The shrimp was deliciousssss... a bit sloppy since the sauce was dropping all over the place... but packed with flavour and just a hint of spice. The shrimp is definitely a must try! I also loveeee their flour tortillas which tasted very fresh and they double up the tortilla per taco. Four stars for in total since $6 is a bit pricey for one taco (even $5 is a lot better) but compared to some of the other taco joints, their tacos are definitely top notch in Toronto. Warning though, there are really no seats in this place, mostly just a pick up and go -The ambience was nice and the food was good too. Giving it 3 stars because I had really high expectations and the salad I got was subpar. -What can I say about Byblos? Possibly my favorite dining experience ever, even better than Splendido and Gramercy Tavern in NYC (my next favorites...now).The hostess was very pleasant and helpful, our server was efficient and very personable, and the manager James was a great host, checking in often to see how we were doing. Top notch service in every way!The food...wow. We started with a very nice salad and a fantastic artichoke and yogurt dish (I don't even like artichoke) that we devoured. Next, succulent lamb ribs with a coriander based (I think) crust on them that is similar to the excellent bread that they serve. Delicious!Wagyu beef on a cauliflower hummus that just bursts with flavor in every bite. Cooked perfectly and seasoned according to the rich fat of the wagyu to combine for the perfect bite of steak, IMO. A creamy lobster dish, some exceptional short ribs and some phenomenal Israeli couscous (and Brussels sprouts with haloumi cheese and bacon!!!) and we were pretty much stuffed, but James the host also provided us with three small desserts that were also fantastic. We also had one of their chilled alcoholic teas, and wow, does that ever finish a meal off perfectly. Can't say enough about our experience at Byblos. My wife and I are now presented with the challenge deciding how long we should wait before going back. We love trying new restos and don't like to overdo one spot, but I don't think we can wait much longer! -An excellent addition to this saturation of mediocre restaurants close of king street. A perfect pre or post theatre dinner or drinks. Love how it feels like I've walked into a tropical island and left the city. Right now their menu still seems to be finalized. There were items that weren't on the menu like the ox tail curry and pork belly everything. I found the portions small at first but it was a good size in the end for two people. We had the ox tail curry which was excellent and the fried fish with tamarind sauce. It was delicately fried and not greasy. For dessert the mango sticky rice was really good and recommended. They have a nice mat kneeling area good for A good size group. Also a small nook to the left and a private party room begin the bar ? Lots of options for drinks and fun. No liquor license yet! -I haven't tried many Thai places in Toronto, but I was born and raised in Chicago. When it comes to food I'm critical. Pai indeed lives up to my expectations! Taste and quality is amazing. It's reasonable priced especially during lunch hour. I always get my pad Thai with tea ross, but green curry is amazing too! -Authentic Japanese home-cooking and premium-quality sashimi. Karaage is outrageously moist and crisp, while beef sukiyaki houses a variety of deliciously fresh ingredients in a rich and aeronautic broth. Staples like gyudon and katsudon are comfort foods not to be missed. Finish off the meal with some of the city's best cakes, meticulously crafted to a Japanese master's standards. Tofu cheesecake, earl grey chiffon, and matcha are some of many standouts. -Great little place with delicious food! Has a really homey, comfort feeling to it. I will definitely be going back. A must go to if you're in the area! -A Jack of All Trades, but a Master of Noneis the perfect figure of speech to describe the the Pickle Barrel at Young and Dundas.The first thing that you notice when sitting down is that the menu is roughly 10 pages long and they have nearly every type of eats from thai and chinese, to all day breakfasts and seafood, not to mention Rose Reisman's healthy choices (which are undoubtedly the best picks on the menu, albeit slightly more pricey, and are excluded from a lot of the bashing the rest of the establishment is about to take from me). The large selection is about the only good thing about this particular restaurant. Which isn't especially saying much since the large selection comes with the large prices, with most entrees looking to put you back $15-30.The service... I don't even know why they bother hiring the hostess (VERY loosely used term) upstairs because she's obviously there for show. The last two times I've entered through the upstairs entrance I had to wait for the hostesses (these were two different people by the way) to finish texting before telling me to walk downstairs and through the restaurant in order to have the downstairs hostess put my party on a list for a table.I can deal with that, just enter through the downstairs entrance through the Atrium, better service. Once in the basement though, which is sort of drab, dreary and just uncomfortable as fine dining atmospheres go, all the waiters I've had have been excellent.Now the food... All I can say is mediocre at best.Their calamari is decent as a large appetizer. Yet beware, their batter is incredibly rich and takes on a lot of oil (over-fried) so expect to feel some bloating.I personally had their eggs benedict today which was horrendous. If you want a benedict, go somewhere else (yes, even Golden Griddle who had a surprisingly good benedict last time I dropped by). Eggs were overcooked and didn't seem like they were freshly made, the bacon was obviously heatlamped, and the english muffin tasted stale. The only good point of the breakfast was the potato latke which was nothing like a latke and was more like a hashbrown, yet it tasted good, albeit a little salty. In the past I've had their a few of their steak and pasta items. I'd highly advise against the steak (dry, overcooked, tasteless), though the pasta is definitely passable.I saved the best for last. The dessert.I'd personally recommend the Killer Milkshake at $4. It's massive. You'll probably be able to find a better milkshake in town, but not one that size, and not one for that price.I know a lot of my friends love their brownies and cake, I haven't tried them though so YMMV.In closing, Pickle Barrels isn't a place I'd particularly recommend to go. It definitely has the menu, but the food ruins it by being mediocre. There are so many better eats for better prices in the area. -if you are meat lover and like to try different kind of meats and flavours then this is your paradise. abundant of tender meat made to perfection served at your table and don't mis the pineapple it's so delicious -This place is ALWAYS busy. It is a fast food Vietnamese restaurant. And don't expect 5 star food. But for what it is it's great! My boyfriend and I go here when we are looking for a quick bite to eat. For both of us with a drink its $20. You order at the till an have a seat, 2 minutes later they have the food in front of you. I love it and recommend it. -Guu has really good food, amazing cocktails and nice staff. Try the sake in bamboo! -I came here for breakfast with my family. The menu is full of egg puns. Nevertheless they do have a fruit salad plate which is vegan. Fruits are fresh, colorful, and very filling. Display is a work of art! Booths are comfy. Staff is friendly and very accommodating. I wish they had more vegan friendly options like tofu scrambles. Feel free to order toasts / potatoes with no butter. Coffee is bottomless. -Their Kalbi Beef tacos are addicting with the perfect ratio of meat to veg and any of their steamed baos are the perfect cure for you hunger or hangover pangs. I've only every gotten takeout but they have me hooked! delicious but no cheap eat -Quite the disappointment. Had high expectations for a restaurant owned by Oliver & Bonacini. Service was slow, the kitchen was slow, and the food was underwhelming. -I came here to celebrate my birthday a few days ago because of all the great things I've heard about it! I was extremely excited, and rightfully so. This restaurant has a fancy upscale vibe to it and looks stunning on both the inside and outside. The atmosphere is perfect for a celebration, but still OK for a casual meal. I came mainly to try the aburi sushi, and it truly was the highlight of my dinner!The service was GREAT. Everyone was so polite and friendly from the moment we walked in to when we walked out. The servers are incredibly attentive and the food expeditors really make sure to describe what your dish is made out of as they come out. I really liked the detail in these descriptions. The place is pricey, but it's worth it for the quality of food and service. Overall, I had an amazing time at Miku!Here is a small breakdown of what I ordered and my thoughts on it:Albacore Tuna and Wakame Tartare ($18) - thought this tasted pretty good. The tuna was fresh, and it came with avocados which is my favourite. It was a cool item to try, but I probably wouldn't buy it again.Salmon Oshi Sushi ($17) - this was the best part of my dinner and I would honestly come back just to buy this again. I absolutely love it! And you probably won't be able to find aburi sushi like this in Toronto (other than at JaBistro).Red Wave Roll ($18) & Miku Roll ($22) - got 1/2 of each. Both were must haves!! I personally enjoyed the red wave roll much more though (not a big fan of uni, but I LOVE tuna). Aburi Sushi Sampler ($20) - perfect dish to start off with because you get to try a variety of different things! I'd totally recommend this to anyone who's in for trying something new.Atlantic Salmon Sashimi (6 pieces for $16) - salmon sashimi has always been one of my favourite things to eat, but I didn't find anything too special about the sashimi here. Tasted great, fresh, but not TO DIE FOR or anything like that! Just average.Uni (Sea Urchin) and Cho Toro (Tuna Belly) at market prices - I LOVED the tuna so much!! I want to go back just to have more! Didn't enjoy the uni at all though. It was my first time trying it, and it tastes extremely seafoody! It's a bit of an acquired taste and was certainly not right for me.Green Tea Opera Dessert ($13) - the green tea ice cream tasted pretty regular to me, but the CAKE with many layers to it was absolutely delicious! Must try if you're into the green tea flavour. -Guu is the hottest little piece of culinary wonder to have hit Toronto in a really long time. The buzz about this place has been absolutely ridiculous. I am not really a follower in this aspect, usually I would just get disappointed and feel ripped off. Guu was really a great surprise for me. A girlfriend and I have been eying this place for a while. Usually, I would wait until all the hype dies down but for this restaurant I don't think it's going to die down anytime soon. Regardless of the day or time, this place is always packed but trust me the wait was absolutely worth it. I guess what made this place really stand out is the environment. Once you step through those doors, you are literally transformed into a different world. It felt like you just nested into the heart of small Tokyo bar. This place is really ALIVE with all the sights and sounds of what a real Japanese restaurant should be like. Just on the environment alone, I already fell in love with this place. I wish we sat at the bar however, it would be so fascinating to watch the cooks & staff interact with each other. They seem like the really love what they are doing and just by that, you know the food would definitely deliver.So, we ordered a couple of things. Here's my take on them:TAKOWASABI: You have to be a true fan of wasabi to like this dish because it really hits you in the face. ABURI SALMON: The texture of this dish was amazing - the salmon melts in your mouth and the fried onion chips really added that extra something-something to it.HOTATE CARPACCIO: I loved this dish, it was light and refreshing but I really wish we got this dish first. With all the other overwhelming flavours of the other dishes, this dish found itself on the bland side. Pity really because the presentation was beautiful.SOY SAUCE MARINATED B.C TUNA: Literally MELTS in your mouth but it didn't stand out to the other dishes. However, still some of the best tuna sashimi I've had to date. TAKOYAKI: MUST MUST MUST try. Once I had one, I just wanted more. Enough Said.KABOCHA KOROKKE: This is probably my favourite dish, maybe because I am a huge pumpkin fan however, I was slightly disappointed. I was expecting the outside to be a lot crisper. Maybe it was just ours. Will have to try it again!! & TOFU CHEESECAKE: Yum. Yum. Yum. Period.It was just overall an amazing experience and I really can't wait to head back. There's still a lot on the menu that I would still love to try out. Although the food & environment was amazing, the icing on the cake was the staff. They were fast and ran like a well oiled machine. The waiters were cheerful and helpful. A small incident happened at Guu, a waiter accidentally broke a glass bottle behind my friend and in literally 10 mins, the mess was cleaned up and the boss came out to apologize and offered us some complimentary edamame. That, there my friends is what you call superb customer service. We ordered 8 things and it came up to be $50 dollars. Honestly, thats an amazing deal for the quality and services Guu provided. Folks, all that hype from this place is there for a reason. Guu is really really Guu(d)! -Fusion kitchen at its best... We got the chef's menu. They kept bringing all these dishes while we enjoyed the food and the company. The Singapore slaw is no any slaw.. It's the slaw of slaws. We started our meal with slaw and ended it with slaw, not to mention all the great dishes that were in between. I was filled up to the brim by the end of the night. -One of the best friend chicken and bang for your buck. At one point, my boyfriend and I were so hooked, we went twice in a week - we must've went to the gym twice as much that week too.So why is the best? The skin is a major reason for me. It's so crispy and perfectly salted, you can probably get a heart attack from it tbh. But I'll still eat it. The chicken is second. Tender and cooked to perfection. It's steaming hot when it comes to you and as much as you want to let it cool, you can't help it and you burn your fingers and tongue trying to eat it in the first 5 mins. Thirdly, the fries. Those crispy, crispy, fries. It's like their deepfried 3 times or something. And you get so much of it, you likely won't finish it. Aside from the food, their service is awesome - quick, no chit chatting and friendly. Ahh.. Fried chicken... I am salivating just writing this review. -I appreciate the variety offered, but in terms of taste, the dishes I had were solidly average. spring rolls, Pad Thai, curry chicken, sticky rice. None stood out, really. -Good thai food downtown, nice and spicy, service was good and turn around was quick, portion was a decent size. nice flavours! -Great breakfast (ginger pancakes and eggs benny)! Fast service, delicious food and simple but solid breakfast/brunch menu. Highly recommended. -So happy that Yelp led us to possibly the best Thai food in Toronto! There is definitely a vibe in this restaurant - the music was a little loud, the tables were very close together, and it seems to cater to younger people, but we had no problems with it. It was packed during lunch time, and I expect probably during dinner time as well, so plan accordingly.The menus were colorful and descriptive -- my boyfriend has a deadly shellfish allergy, and they were able to accommodate his allergies by taking out oyster sauce and shrimp paste (with no detriment to the taste), so A++ for that. We ordered the chicken pad thai (YUM, BEST EVER!), and the braised beef Khao Soi. I've never had such good Khao Soi -- they said that they were sold out of chicken drumsticks, but I bet it's even better with the drummies. The prices are a little expensive for lunch, but it is SO WORTH IT. Would absolutely come back again! -Get the cheese dishes! They're the best!! Other tapas are good too but a little overpriced to be honest. Servers were really nice and attentive. Our server was very patient when explaining the menus to us and making recommendations. Really nice decor as well. -Neo Coffee Bar is a spacious, modern cafe near old town Toronto. The decor is filled with industrial materials, concrete and wood. Soft, fluffy cake with yummy creamy filling; Neo's roll cake are delicious. Most of their pastries are made from whole wheat pastry flour, organic free-range eggs, organic milk and organic cane sugar. Everything is made from ingredients sourced from local purveyors. There seems to a wide range of healthy, gluten-free and vegan options. My companion and I shared the infamous Matcha and Aduki roll cake. The cake is made with Kyoto matcha and organic red beans. We devoured it within seconds. Great drinks, delicious treats, fabulous atmosphere - this little tucked away cafe is one of the best places to work out of! -The food is very fresh and surprisingly good. Not cheap. But worth the price for sure! The uni I had was extremely sweet and full of flavour. Will go back again. Remember to book the reservation since it's very tiny space. -Overall had a pretty disappointing experience with the service. Food was average but I am from Vancouver so quality of Japanese food in Toronto can't be compared.We ordered the omakase sushi .. on the menu it says 18 pieces. Chef selection. No substitution. When it arrived..there were only 17 pieces. We asked the server about it. She counted twice to confirm it is indeed 17 pieces and said it was because uni and ikura are considered premium sushi so they give us one piece less.I find it pretty ridiculous... The menu says 18 pieces yet that can give us any amount they want? Neverthrless, is it THAT costly for the restaurant to give us that 1 extra piece of sushi? I'd say its false advertising. Service was not great either-water was never filled-never offered to order drinks when we sat down -expected us to make room for the server to put down the food- didn't even place the plate properly in the right directionI spoke to the manager and told him I was very disappointed with the service I received and all he said was I am very sorry without even asking what went wrong. Unbelievable.If they position themselves as a higher end Japanese restaurant, as reflected in the price, I am expecting a better dining experience. -Dim sum was tasty, but was not spectacular, service was bad for fine dining. I thought there's an early bird special, probably outdated pic from yelp. So I did check with the mgr before I ordered, and she said yes they have the special, so I ordered thinking there's a special flat price for small, medium, and large. For the total of 6 dishes I ordered, the bill including a 15 percent tip and tax was $40. This gotta be the most expensive dim sum I have ever eaten lol! ESP considering I don't have much left over and I didn't order a special kitchen dish like BBQ or fried noodle! So for slight better in ingredient and taste, I would agree with fellow yelpers that this place is not worth it. If u have lots of cash and would like the better ingredients and decent taste, then it's probably ok. Luckily my work is footing the bill, but that means I have $15 left to eat lunch and dinner the rest of today :p -We went as a party of four for dinner without a reservation. The place was packed but the hostess was very nice and found a booth that could accommodate us within 15 minutes or so. We had a drink at the bar during this time.Once we got our table, we ordered 24 assorted East Coast oysters. Personally, I liked the ones from Martha's Vineyard best. The oysters were fresh and tasty. For the main course, I ordered sesame seed ahi tuna and it was delicious. The tuna was cooked perfectly and the side was a wasabi mashed potato which was also great. We finished things off with a cheese platter that was good but sadly didn't live up to the rest of the experience.The food was good if a bit pricey for what you get, the service was good and accommodating and overall it was a rather pleasant experience. The atmosphere was great and the music was good. I will definitely go back at some point. -We had a disappointing experience at Cluny last night which is what is prompting me to sign up on Yelp and write this review. Although I am new to writing an official review on Yelp, my husband and I are no stranger to frequenting a variety of top restaurants in Toronto and around the world for that matter. Last night was our first time at Cluny and we were both very excited to try it out. When we walked in, we were immediately impressed with the quaint French bistro décor and overall feel and ambiance. Loved the little bakery at the front of the restaurant. When we arrived, we were not greeted by anyone (restaurant wasn't even busy at this point 6:45 Monday evening), after about 5 mins of standing there looking around, someone that looked like he was one of the Chefs (who happened to be getting something in the stock room/closet, finally said someone will be with you shortly. We were greeted by the hostess with a less than impressive hello. After we were seated, it took about 10mins before we were acknowledged by our Waiter for the evening. Again, was not impressed by his demeanor and lack of interest in us as guest. We've probably had better service at a local Chain restaurant or a drive thru for that matter! Our appetizers came relatively quickly (Oysters, Cod balls and Caesar salad). The Caesar salad was a complete disappointment, perhaps I had high expectations but when you proudly call a dish Cluny Caesar with a price tag of $13+ I would expect a little more than 2 branches of Romaine barely drizzled with dressing and 4-5 chick peas and feta lining the bottom. We ordered Oysters and when it was brought to us, the Waitress was trying to explain the different Oysters and said Oh and I forget what this one is called.... Anyway, I don't want to get too lengthy with the review here but all in all I would rate the food quite good (minus the Caesar salad) at this restaurant but the underwhelming service takes this place to a whole new low. The atmosphere in terms of décor and ambiance were excellent, very reminiscent of a bistro in Paris which is a rare find here. The service was beyond below average. Our waiter (middle aged male, appeared quite sloppy if I can be honest) was inattentive, unpleasant and simply unprofessional. He did not check on us until our dinner was done and did not even utter a Thanks or good bye when we paid the bill. This is definitely a very poorly managed establishment with very disengaged, unprofessional/untrained staff, you can see it in their demeanor and even the way they are dressed. I think the hostess was wearing running shoes and some other waiters were dressed in black golf shirts or sports bra like gym attire. I am disappointed because this place has potential. -Inspired by Munich style beer halls, Wvrst opened mid last year in the Toronto King West area, serving up some exotic sausages and a wide variety of beers. I've been wanting to try this place since it opened and luckily I was able to find someone who was yet to have tried it. Thanks for coming with me Justine H! In a nutshell, this place is like Oktoberfest, and now you can have it everyday at Wvrst!Wvrst definitely has flavours of a European sausage and beer hall, and really reminded me of Oktoberfest (except nicer). It's spacious and dimly lit with with ceiling strung lights --a casually comfortable place.Wvrst MenuScattered around the hall tables were these long sheets of recycled paper which would be the menu. If you're looking for something other than fries, sausages, and alcohol, you're probably at the wrong place. The menu is simple, but the numerous options lie in the type of each you fancy.At the back of the establishment there is a long open space that leads up to a rather small counter where you order and pay. I imagine this empty space is filled up by a line up during busier lunch hours. It wasn't too bad on the Tuesday night that we went.Sausage Display CaseThe display case is neatly organized with all the different sausages that they have. If you're in the mood for some exotic meats, then you're in luck. They have everything from kangaroo to venison, rabbit to guinea fowl. Justine H and I weren't too appetized looking at it, but after we managed to get over its appearance we went up to the counter to order.DrinksThey have quite a number of beers here, bottled and on tap. Definitely not as many as a place like Beer Bistro might have, but more than just your commonly seen brews. Justine opted for the San Pellegrino Orange, and me an Austrailian beer Stiegl. Figured it was only fitting that I had a beer in the given setting!Bratwvrst ($6) -Veal, Pork, and WineDuck ($9) -Maple and Fois GrasThese contemporary European sausages for the most part were quite good. Juicy and full of flavour. Didn't feel like I was eating a super artificial chunk of meat like I do having hot dogs from street vendors. In terms of flavour, I think it really depends on the sausage you order. You could definitely taste the fois gras in the Duck sausage, which was something Justine H didn't enjoy too much. I didn't mind it and found it to be an interesting combination, but I definitely liked the Bratwvrst more. I'd like to add that these sausages are quite small, and even with my small appetite I was unsatisfied having just the one hot dog.Duck Fat Fries ($4.50)Lots of other food enthusiasts raved about these fries, so we ordered a serving to share. Perhaps it was the heightened expectations from all the amazing reviews, but these duck fat fries fell just a bit short. They were full bodied, thick, and buttery, but they just weren't amazing. To be honest, I couldn't differentiate what difference the duck fat had on the fries compared to the ones made in regular oil. The order of fries comes with one dipping sauce, and the Wvrst Spicy we chose was great. Definitely not the best fries I've had, but they are quite tasty still, and would easily satisfy those random starchy fry cravings.One last thing to note, is that they are big on leafs games here! They have a ticket giveaway at around 6:30pm the night of every Leaf's game at the Air Canada Center. With TV's all around the dining hall and tables that encourage conversation, it would be a great place to go catch the game along with a couple of drinks. But be warned, it might get pretty rowdy later in the night with cheering Leafs fans who've had a couple drinks or two! -I went on a Wednesday night (during great patio season weather) for a table of 4 and there was no wait time.The prices were great, the best part is that tax is included in the price. That being said, this is a snack bar, and the portions are quite small and not intended to substitute dinner (which was what I originally intended to do). I ordered the KFC (which was just okay), the steak tartare, and the foie torchan. My favourite was the steak tartare!! I would come back again if I wanted a quick stop for a snack and a drink with friends. -Fantastic beer, delicious food, relaxing ambiance (speaking more to my recent, winter and spring month experiences, sitting inside, upstairs). This is the very first choice when thirst and hungry strike at the same time.The inside looks tiny here, but there is an area upstairs that overlooks the front of the restaurant and the back brewing area. Service is always great up there even though you feel like you're tucked away in your own private alcove.The beer list changes a fair bit and I appreciate the detailed descriptions on their menu card. I've tended towards trying the IPAs and have loved them all.While Bellwoods gets a standing ovation for its beer, the food has to be applauded loud and long. This is not just a brewery with food, these are really well thought out and well prepared beer accompaniments. I wouldn't be surprised if people come here for grub who don't order beer. Me and my DC have mostly always ordered the same items on every visit and they've been consistently excellent - the kale and ryeberry salad, the duck meatballs - sometimes the fries, and the corn cobs when they're available... all are unique in their own way. We tried the queso fundido last time - surprisingly scoopable and so decadent with the chicharrones. Portion sizes are spot on.We've only really had one food miss here - the smoked bratwurst (which seems to have disappeared the lamb sausage with fennel curry, which we really loved). It is difficult to eat and not worth $14. Everything else on the menu is elevated though it's pretty simple fare, and this one seems a spin on the, IMO, now-overly-prevalent genre of fancy-not-fancy junk food. -After MANY suggestions I finally decided to try and brought my mom and sister along. The food was really great, we had the duck confit, the short rib tacos, cheeseburger spring rolls, truffle fries and the chicken and waffles. Despite being good, the service was awful. It started out well, but then we got a table beside us with four people. The server must have known them. They got their food before us, despite arriving a half hour after us. The server was very attentive to them gave them each a dessert for it being their birthday, when they expressed that it was intact only ONE of their birthdays. So they all got dessert with a candle. We were still waiting for our last entree. They had all 8 of their plates come out and we were waiting for our 5th. It took 25 minutes to get the bill and the server went to the group beside us to cash them out first. It was extremely frustrating seeing everyone getting their food and special service. The food was great but the service seriously put a damper on the night. I honestly won't go back, there are way better restaurants with great and attentive service. After all, it's a part of the ambiance and experience. -Byblos is one of those restaurants you're always reading about but somehow you just never get around to visiting. But given that we had theater tickets one Friday night, the time was finally right to sample Byblos' much-ballyhooed wares.We arrived at around 6:15 and we promptly shown to our reserved table near the front. Our very helpful waitress appeared shortly after and we began the slow process of figuring out just what to eat. We ultimately chose six items:Duck Kibbeh (dried fig + date molasses + tahini): This was easily the highlight of the entire meal. I've eaten plenty of kibbeh over my lifetime but this is unquestionably the tastiest version of this venerable dish I've ever had. Everything was perfect, from the delectable spices to the unctuous, melt-in-your-mouth meat to the note-perfect sauce. Just astounding.Spanish Octopus (fingerling potato + biber chili vinaigrette + preserved lemon): Although the octopus was cooked about as well as I've ever had it - the octopus at Bar Isabel, for example, was far chewier - there was nothing about this dish that really stood out. Perhaps it's because it came on the heels of the sublime Duck Kibbeh, but there was nothing here that really blew me away in terms of flavor - although the presentation was quite nice.Sujuk Pide (turkish paste + persian feta + za'atar): I'm a big fan of sujuk (a spicy Middle Eastern sausage), so I was especially excited about this one. It's very good. All the components work extremely well together and the enveloping crust is baked perfectly. I suppose my one complaint is the sujuk itself, which, in addition to not tasting like any sujuk I've ever had, is completely lacking in the heat I've come to associate with the sausage.Mejadra (lentil + hung yogurt + fried shallot): Again, this is something I've been eating my entire life and I have to say, unfortunately, that this dish just didn't measure up. Despite the aforementioned dollop of yogurt, the rice is just dry as heck. It's been cooked in a skillet, which allows the side and bottom rice to get crispy - an idea which sounds great in theory but doesn't really work here. Far more problematic is the fried shallot on top. Traditionally, the shallots (or onions) are taken beyond the point of caramelization, which lends the dish a rich flavor that's unfortunately completely absent here. This was definitely the biggest disappointment for me.Seared Cauliflower (duck fat + tahini sauce + sesame + coriander): This is a very tasty side that's almost workmanlike in its execution. It's well done but it's nothing special, sadly.Turkish Manti Dumplings (smokey eggplant + yogurt sauce + molasses): This incredibly rich dish admittedly goes well with the Mejadra, as it cuts that dryness I mentioned. But it might be just a little too rich; between the heavy yogurt sauce and the sweet molasses, it's impossible to taste the smokey eggplant supposedly contained within the dumplings.All in all, I quite enjoyed my meal at Byblos. The ambiance is inviting, the service is flawless, and the food is, for the most part, quite above average. And I'd sure as heck go back just to eat that Duck Kibbeh again. -This place feels like a Toronto classic with a fusion twist on Asian classics! My go to here is usually kimchi poutine, or one of the sandwiches. All the food is always hot and fresh (probably because of how busy they are), and the ingredients taste authentic, even though the dishes are fusions. The spaces are usually small, and definitely not intended for long stays. I usually take my food to go and find a nicer area nearby (parks and public spaces abound). Definitely good for quick eats! -Very charming hotel with artsy interior, located in the perfect part of town for sightseeing. The staff was extremely helpful and responsive. The room was lovely -- only problem was a wall air conditioner that didn't work very well in that the "low" setting was a full-on cold air blast. The room was stuffy and warm or getting blasted with cold air, so that wasn't so great. Otherwise, comfy bed and loads of amenities. Definitely eat at the hotel's cafe -- delicious high-end fare at incredibly reasonable prices. Loved our stay -- we will come back again... in the winter! -Great location on Union Square, booked twin and king both with city views. Rooms both good size. When checking in worth asking for a room on higher floor, The restaurant and bar on the top floor is well worth a visit. We had a drink there in the evening, fantastic views, equally so in the morning for breakfast which was very good value. Expensive valet parking but when you dont know your way around a city there isnt really any other option. Watch where you book these rooms. The hyatt website proclaims to offer the cheapest rate and offers a price promise however when I found a cheaper rate elsewhere which met all of their published criteria they started quoting other criteria that I had to meet which wasnt published on their site. As we were travelling from the UK I had booked with Virgin holidays who were much cheaper than anyone else. -My daughter and I stayed 5 nights at Hotel Whitcomb during her spring break. My husband suggested this hotel because of the special rate at the time and the fact that the BART stopped right outside. When we saw the pictures on their web site we were both psyched to stay there. It turned out to be a great choice for us. I didn't want the bother of parking a rental car in SF. We took the BART from the airport and got a Muni Passport which allowed us unlimited rides on the cable cars, buses and the subway. Right outside the hotel was a stop for buses and cable cars, down stairs was the subway. With the map the hotel provided we could find our way to anywhere in the city. The hotel was charming, clean and except for sirens, quiet. The staff was friendly. Our room was small, but the beds were super comfortable. We joked that we had a suite. The closet was really big and we used it for a changing room. The only thing we missed in the room was a coffee maker. However, there is a Starbucks downstairs and a couple of places the next block down that had even better coffe and a great selection of doughnuts. There are good places to eat across the street - Sam's Diner, Munch Haven Cafe. Even though I am from a tiny town, I never felt threatened outside. A special bonus - Wicked was playing at the Orpheum on the next block across the street. We both had a fantastic time!I highly recommend this hotel. -Disappointed in rooms. After checking out the huge beautiful lobby we were excited about the rooms. Rooms in need of repair. Closet mirror doors falling off track and ridiculous to open. Bathroom tile and grout old and chipping. I thought counters were dirty, but just old and can't clean. Something removed from wall and metal parts still there. No ventilation fan in bathroom so had to keep tossing bags or ice bucket on the floor to keep the door open a crack for air. Internet and parking way overpriced for the quality of the rooms. Lucky to have a good view in one of the rooms and although the furniture run down, the bedding and towels were nice. Location was great though, and the employees wonderful. We never did find the "Lobby Bar". Nobody was at the front desk to ask so assuming the only bar is in the restaurant which closes too early to go to after theatre. -Thanks to Jesse the Mgr for making our 12 yr post-honeymoon/pre-anniversary trip to SF the best getaway we've ever had! The hotel was in the perfect location, reasonably priced, and everything fell into place. We were pleasantly surprised at how close we were to the pier (Bus#47 was our 2nd home), in fact we traveled down there twice a day with a bus transfer. Yes, we did the whole trip w/o a Rental! From the Airport we took the BART and Bus!! So yes, the transportation was safe, and we even ventured out past the hotel (on Polk). As a result, we experienced the charm of SF. We ate at the Victor's Pizza (who will deliver to your room) and Chai-Yo (excellent dessert). We searched on yelp.com and locked in the hotel's address, and read the reviews of those in the neighborhood. We can kick ourselves for not trying the Greek restaurant, down on Polk St., but we'll definitely be back!!We planned our whole trip on transit511.org from our room (yes via the internet access). I can go on and on, but I wanted to share our wonderful experience and thank everyone for their wonderful reviews in helping us to find the HI gateway, because we'll be returning REALLY SOON!! Thanks Jesse and the HI Staff! Oh yah! Tell the cleaning crew that next time we won't lock ourselves in the room so long that they can't come in and clean it! HEE HEE! -We stayed at the Hotel Rex for four nights in early November. The check in staff were extremely helpful and friendly and we found all staff were the same high calibre. We had a deluxe double double room and found it plenty big enough even with our cases laid out on the floor. The beds were very comfy and the shower wonderful. I would've liked to have had a coffee maker in the room but complimentary tea and coffee was available in the bar area in the morning. Also, missed a complimentary breakfast. Cafe Andree, next door, served breakfast but it is quite pricy in comparison to local restarants. The complimentary wine of an evening was great though!The hotel was in a great location, a block or so from Union Square and with a cable car station in the adjoining street. The hotel staff are great for recommending tours and restaurants. We'd recommend Lori's diner for breakfast and great coffee and Puccini and Pinetti for dinner.Overall, we'd recommend the Hotel Rex for a stay in this wonderful city. -Stayed at Hotel Serrano for 5 nights (Jan. 06). Location is a block or two off of Union Square--ideal for first-time visitors and returnees like me. The suites and exec. king rooms(we peeked in a few) were well laid out, not huge but not small. Our suite had a decent sized living room with a view of the city and a peek of the bay far, far away, very nice to wake up to. The bathroom tub was large, but the bathroom was small and had no counter space (we moved a table in from the living room). This hotel is part of Kimpton chain, with fun bathrobes and Aveda bath amenities in our room. The 24 hour dry sauna was delightful (there's also a small gym and 2 computer terminals for web browsing. Wine was served at 5pm in the lobby, but only pretzels to nibble on. Morning coffee and tea was a nice touch. Staff was helpful and accomodating. We had a B&B package that provided an OK (not exciting) continental breakfast at the adjacent restaurant. The only drawback is that the cost of parking (adjacent to hotel or at a different lot across the street) is very costly ($30 per 24 hours). THere is no available neighborhood parking so if you are driving there, be forewarned . -We stayed here for 4 days when we arrived for a 3 week trip to california. Our room was on the same level as reception and we had a view over the city. We knew it was located in Pacific Heights and not near Downtown but it is a beautiful neighbourhood with amazing views over the bay, golden gate bridge and Presidio within just a short walk. The staff were fantastic - couldn't have been more helpful - they gave us good recommendations for restaurants and were able to give us clear directions and a map of bus routes (which made getting around town very easy), they were also extremely pleasant and welcoming. The wine and cheese in the evening is a lovely treat after a day on the go! Our room was very clean and the bathroom was excellent. We stayed one more night later in the holiday and were given a room on the dining room level - admittedly this room wasn't just a nice as the first one we'd had but it was just for a night and we were fine with that. Thank you Hotel Drisco - it was an absolute pleasure staying with you! If we're back in SF some time we'll be back to stay with you! -We stay at this hotel often when we visit friends and family in the area and it is still terrific. As other people have noted, the lower rooms don't have the great views the upper floors do, but the rooms are all still large (by Union Square standards) and clean. Everyone from the front desk, the concierge, the maid service and valet -- is always polite and prompt to take care of our many requests (we travel a lot and tend to be picky). The location is great. For shoppers, Union Square is paradise. The main entrance to Chinatown is a short 2 blocks walk away. North Beach is a 10 minute cab ride, F'sherman's Wharf and Pacific Heights are about 15 min by cab. The Ferry Bldg with its fabulous new weekend market is about 5 mins away. There are also a variety of public transportation options at Union Square. What's the only downside? You don't need a car if you're just touring San Francisco (the public transportation is fabulous), but if you have one (we visit outside the city) parking is OUTRAGEOUS all over San Francisco. Valet at the hotel was $42 a day (ouch!) -The motel is very nice with renovated, spacious rooms. It is situated in walking distance to wisherman's warf. We really can recommend the hotel. It was the best quality of rooms that we had during our trip and all that for a very good rate.Thanks again for the hospitality and kind service!If we are back in SF we definately will stay again at Redwood Inn!Manuel&Tabea -I go to San Francisco on business several times a year and have usually stayed at the Stanford Court. My last couple visits were less than satisfactory. I recommended the hotel to other co-workers who stayed there and they did not receive complimentary coffee. When I wrote to the management, it was checked out and determined that one WAS delivered (tho the time stated was after the guest checked out!!) and the other one just "slipped through the cracks" or some such thing. I was told that on my next visit, I would be given an upgraded room with a view. When I stayed there again (Feb 2005), I brought the letter that said I'd be given an upgraded room and was told that the manager who wrote the letter no longer worked there. The room I got was an interior room with NO view! The following day, I stopped at the vending machine on the 2nd floor to get bottled water and the machine dispensed soda instead. I brought it to the front desk for either a refund or replacement and the clerk asked a bellboy to get me some bottled water to replace it and he said that there was none in the fridge. The clerk then told me that WARM water was better for me than cold anyway. I just said that I had paid for cold water. I went back to my room and a while later, housekeeping brought me some warm bottled water. As others have said in reviews, the location is great, but the hotel itself worn and tired, some of the staff ok, others indifferent at best. Personally, I won't stay there again. Grosvenor Suites is right around the corner and a better deal. -I like both an overall review and details when I use this site, so I'll do both here.HILTON STAFF WERE AMAZINGThe staff at this hotel were wonderful. Scott in reservations was incredibly gracious to us when we were in a bind and made magic happen before we even arrived. He saved our trip.The rest of the staff had the same can do attitude, from checking in to constantly being greeting in the elevators and hallways, all the way to the end when we retrieved our bags.ROOMS WERE GREATThe rooms were also nice, well appointed. The bathroom and closet area is a little tight but a small thing considering all the views. Our friends had an AMAZING view of the bay and downtown. We also had so much fun with the views. I love to people watch down on the street; this view afforded that opportunity. The bed was medium in terms of firmness and the pillows a mix of feather and non. All very nice.There was a long desk area by the window and a chair with ottoman by the bathroom wall so, plenty of places to lounge and store things.We are light sleepers but were a little surprised by the road noise, especially bc we were on one of the highest floors. However, turning the AC unit to "on", playing music and/or using ear plugs solved the problem.FITNESS = FUNThe amenities were great as well. Being into hotel fitness centers, I was elated at how nice this one was! Treadmills, stationary bikes, weight machines, etc. Even apples and water in the room, all with a great view in front of you.LOCATION WAS IDEALThe location was perfect for us. Chinatown is right there with plenty of restaurants. We ate at E Tutto Qua which is .2 miles from the hotel and it was lovely. Not a bad walk to Union Square, the BART, etc. Just enough away from all the big touristy areas. We walked the whole time from the hotel, only taking a cab once and the BART to and from SFO. It's a great location.OVERALL - THANK YOU, HILTON!This was a great stay. All six of us in our group had a wonderful time. It was always nice to go back to our rooms each day after playing hard. The Hilton did it right and we tremendously enjoyed it! -This was a wonderful experience. A pal helped me book and got me a room for $90. Even if it had been $200, I'd still give this place great marks. First, the place was truly modernized and had really fresh, design-y furniture, bedding, accessories. Second, my view - I think I was in the 20-something floors - was magnificent. I had a beautiful wide view of the north side of the city, including North Beach, Golden Gate Bridge, etc. Just wonderful to wake up to. My main complaint is the high cost of parking - $42 for valet or self-parking. That's downtown SF for you. I found my own lot - there's one just across the street - and paid a bit less. -Teriffic location; fantastic bar with complimentary wine every afternoon. Rooms more than adequate; and best of all, a very competitive price. -Hotel is close to China town and Union Square, a little further walk to Fisherman's wharf. Cable car stop just outside. Room was amazing. Beautiful views of the city. Bathroom was luxurious. Service was outstanding. The slightest request brought swift and curtious responses. Only thing was the dining room was closed when we arrived at 6pm for some reason, and valet parking added $50 a day to an already expensive bill. -Great hotel! Excellent location. We walked everywhere. Front desk staff was friendly, knowledgeable and really helpful. Room (double/double) was lovely: clean, quiet and well-appointed. Take the stairs to your room and enjoy reading quotes from famous writers on each floor. Maximo the pug is an extra special addition. Every hotel should have such an ambassador. -A fantastically central hotel. Close enough to shopping and Union Square that we felt comfortable leaving our kids off to shop on their own. Wonderful concierge service. We did have a bit of a mess up when we tried to change rooms for an interconnecting room but overall we can live with that. I would recommend asking for a high up room on the 1st Tower as the views are great. A small point of note we were on the 25th floor. I can't speak for the other floors but the odd numbered rooms are smaller than the even on that floor. I know of people that stayed on the even on the 44th floor and they said that the views were stunning. Overall can't fault it.. Very busy but quiet at the same time away from the foyer. -Reading the reviews on TripAdvisor, we contacted the Drisco and booked a triple room for my husband, my elderly mother and myself. Although we were kindly warned by the staff that the room was too small to comfortably accomdate three people, we were pleasantly surprised. The room was spacious, with the most comfortable beds we had ever tried, a huge bathroom, and all the possible amenities. The staff is extremely gracious and ready to help with suggestions for places to go shopping or dining, the best transportation options, and even doing the booking on your behalf. There is nothing they do not go out of their way williningly to do for their guests. I have to single out Bob, with his warm friendly attitude, big smile and exhaustive knowledge of the neighborhood and extreme kindness to my elderly mother; the well read Julio and the extremely cooperative Tan. The hotel is in a lovely picturesque neighborhood with several options for dining and shopping - even just walking up and down the streets - although steep - is a pure joy. The hotel provides a filling breakfast with plenty of options that keep you satisfied easily through lunch and also offers a wine and cheese hour by which you can easily skip lunch simply have only dinner. Coffee is available 24/7; even at 3 in the morning, you can count on freshly brewed coffee in the lobby.If you are going to Frisco, there is no other place to stay. Don't look beyond the Drisco! -My husband and I stayed here on our wedding night after a terrible fiasco at the Inn Above Tide in Sausalito (awful place) which forced us to find another hotel ASAP. We chose the Hotel Monaco and were so happy with our choice!We stayed in a Monte Carlo Suite, which looked EXACTLY, if not better, than it did online. Our suite was #323, and was two rooms, with large floor to ceiling windows, fabulous and fun decor, enourmous bed with down comforter, huge plasma TV, free wireless and a large bathroom with elegant fixtures and a two-person whirlpool tub. Not to mention plentiful Aveda bath products, which were refilled daily.Everything about our stay was top-notch. Excellent customer service from valets, front desk staff, room service staff, housekeeping. They have a great wine hour from where they offer free chair massages and tarrot card readings. We took advantage of both and had a great time. Also, they offered a large selection of fine wines and were very generous with the amount they poured.We oreded a room service dinner and it was wonderful. It is served from the Grand Cafe located in the hotel and we were very pleased. They also offered a nightly turn-down service which was a nice touch. We cant wait to come back for our 1 year anniversary. Keep up the excellent work, Hotel Monaco!!!PS - I would share my photos of the room, but they look exactly the same as the ones online. For once, a website which actually shows what you get! -My friends and I have our quarterly Girlfriends' Getaway and this getaway was special as it fell on our birthdays. The stay at the Inn was FANTASTIC--EXCEEDING OUR EXPECTATIONS!!! From the moment we walk in the door we were treated as though we were royalty. Joseph, Tony, Wayne Olson, Heidi, Omar, and our favorite, Josie, were very accommodating in providing not only great service, but recommendations on what to see, where to go, where to eat, etc. The nightly wine and cheese reception was a nice touch and very relaxing after a day of sightseeing and shopping. Wayne and Heidi made certain we had everything and spent time chatting with us about the sights of San Francisco. Tony and Josie were great and made certain we didn't want for anything. Joseph and Omar provided great tips on where to eat, shopping areas (not that we needed help on that one) and took the time to ask how our day went when we returned to the Inn. We stayed in the Penthouse and never bumped into each other as we each had plenty of room. The continental breakfast provided healthy choices and again, was so relaxing you hated to get up. We will definitely return to the Inn. Thank you all for making this one of our best weekend getaways! -I just returned from a week-long stay at The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, and my experience there was great. The view from the room I was given at first was not what I expected, and the room was also in a noisy location. However I contacted the front desk and they promptly upgraded me to an even larger room, that had a breathtaking view of the bay--for the same cost. The service at the hotel was wonderful--everyone I encountered there was very accomodating and professional. I especially enjoyed the exceptional room service. The room service menu was extensive and the food was delicious. The hotel's restaurants were also quite good. The Tonga Room was a very unique restaurant with an interesting atmosphere and refreshing Asian-Polynesian cuisine. The room itself was wonderful. It was very clean, and well kept, and was also decorated nicely. The bathroom was large and spotlessly clean.The beautiful lobby was another thing about this hotel that I loved. It had a very classic feel to it, with marble floors and lovely furnishings.The hotel felt safe and secure and it was also in a good location within walking distance to Union Square and close to Cable Cars. Overall, the hotel was wonderful and I look forward to returning to it for my next visit to San Francisco. -We enjoyed our four-night stay here in late July. We had a "Grand View" room on the 25th floor in the tower, with a great view stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge on one side (when visible) to Coit Tower and some of the bay. The room was spacious for a city hotel, and nicely done, with a large, attractive bath. (This is clearly a hotel where booking a better room category makes a big difference in your experience.) Views from the Tower elevators were equally impressive, although in a different direction, and made each elevator ride a real treat. The lobby of the tower building was very elegant and attractive, while the lobby of the main hotel maintained a nice mix of the historic architecture and modern decor. We took advantage of the mid-week special dinner menu for St. Francis guests at Michael Mina, which was wonderful, and a fraction of the cost of the more extensive normal menu. The breakfast buffet at the Oak Room was very good, with lots of fresh fruit and excellent pastries (great chocolate croissants and banana nut muffins) as well as the usual hot items. (Although not listed on the menu, the cold buffet is available for less than the full buffet.) Some mornings we just picked up good pastries and coffee from the small bar in the lobby of the tower building, with plenty of spacious seating. The spa is convenient, and I was able to make bookings on less than a day's notice. The services and locker room/facilities were fine, but this is clearly a convenience offering, not a "destination spa." While this is a huge, busy hotel (often with lines for the concierge), our floor and rooms were very peaceful and quiet, and the hotel has both history and personality. Go speak to the delightful gentleman who runs a shoe-shining service near the Oak Room - he will surely put a smile on your face, and may even sing you a song! -we stayed here for 4 nights before travelling on to vegas. we went for a honeymoon and it couldn't have been more perfect. very friendly staff on arrival. Ice bucket with champagne in our room. very comfortable room, very clean. The hotel was in an excellent location right in the centre of union square so you will never get bored! The hotel swimming pool is a nice area although we didnt really get to use it because of the weather! The hotel restaurant "the daily grill" was excellent food and very good value for money! Reception staff were very friendly and helpful!All in all a wonderful trip and I would definitely stop at this hotel if I went back to San Francisco -We just spent three days at the Clift and found the experience mixed. The good:1. Location--can't be beat.2. Front desk crew--helpful and friendly.3. Bed and bed linens--comfy.The OK:1. Lobby decor2. Doormen--friendly enough, but rarely open the door for you.The bad:1. Lighting--terrible in the lobby and in the rooms. Hard to even read.2. Storage--essentially none. They use funny plastic cubes as nightstands and have no dresser available.3. Room size. Pretty small for a good hotel. SMALL bathroom.3. Charge for internet service. -If you are not on an expense account this is a simple, clean, quiet and centrally located place to stay. Beds were comfortable and the showers had great water pressure and heat. Continental breakfast was sufficient to get you going before taking the bus right outside to Fisherman's Wharf or walking 5 blocks to Union Square. Great mix of Americans, Europeans, Football Fans and Airline crews all who came and went during the day. Staff was friendly and helpful. No need to drive as the hotel is a short 10-15 minute relatively flat walk from BART which directly connects either to SFO or OAK. A great find. We will be back. -This is the perfect place to base your trip to San Francisco. The Hotel is literally in the middle of it all and is incredibly easy to find from either car or public transport. This is an historic gem of a Hotel. We stayed on the twelth floor of the old tower, which according to my research was built in 1908. Yes it is old, but well kept and in excellent condition. I appreciate the 'old' smell. The Hotel staff seemed nice enough although we had no interactions with them except for at check in and check out. Pros: Historic PropertyProximity of cable cars/BART/ F LineAt the center of it all feelingQuick walking distance to shopping and restaurantsCons:None!Would definitely stay here again as there are always cheap deals to be found online. -This is a hard to find hotel in the financial district. When I arrived the bellman said " you couldn't park there." I said "what I am checking in this hotel" he said "you are going to get a ticket.. " I said "Can I get my baggage out of my car?".. Finally I went to another bellman and said that guy said I cant park her but I need to check in.. He said "sorry" and when and got my luggage. I don't know if the was a language problem or what? But it not the usual greeting I get at hotels. I complained as I checked in and got a cool response apology. It was Valentine Day weekend and stayed in the Lotus Suite. I had flowers delivered and I noticed the bell man had them in his hand in a box.. I quietly said to him why do you have the flowers in your hand in a box, it supposed to be in the room as a surprise. He seemed not to understand as he puts the flower down on the dresser, I ask can I get a vase? It was a weird start to a trip at a 5 star hotel. The trip got better because the Lotus Room was simply beautiful and the view was spectacular out each window. I say through out my 3 day stay, I didn't find the front desk to be that friendly like other 5 star hotels, but the room made up for the lack of good customer service. A week after I the trip I received a request for a customer survey like many hotels send. I gave the hotel great marks besides customer service. When I marked down customer service then the survey ask me why low on customer service and I told them what happen when I arrived. Within a week I received a scolding letter from the hotel customer service supervisor mad because I marked them down in customer service. I couldn't believe it? They were saying will we investigated and they were making excuses for the bellman and said the bellman said he was sorry. Which didn't happen the other bellman said sorry for his co worker. But it wasn't just that incident that made me give low grades on customer service, it was the overall way they treated us. They didn't greet you as you pass the lobby, didn't rush to open the door as you came and they weren't that friendly or welcoming. I wasn't going to write a review on this hotel but when I got a scolding letter from the hotel because I marked them down was very insulting. When I wrote back and told them well I thought the customer service could be better and that I never got a apology from the bell man, they NEVER wrote back or responded to my letter it was like they just want to tell me off about my survey answers. The hotel has great views and the bed felt wonderful but just don't look for excellent customer service!!! -This Hotel is a great choice. It is very comfortable, very european and is just plain fun. The hotel is only 4-5 blocks from Union Square and the Embarcadero BART Station. They have a wine and beer hour 5-6PM. The Ponzu Restaraunt attached is great too. Next door is first class wine shop. The only down fall is that is right next to the Tenderloin District, but don't let that stop you. This place is a great value and awesome place to stay in the City. Also check out the lepoard print fun wear in the rooms. -What a pleasant stay. We have been to San Francisco several times before and expected very cramped accomodations. We were pleasantly surprised. We booked 2 rooms for 2 nights and had the staff open the door between as our daughters were next door. Nicely decorated, excellent staff, and very comfortable atmosphere. Matresses could have been better but they were bearable. The weather was cool and the room heating was nice. Again, the lobby and staff were just so pleasant. I definitely recommend this hotel. Also, we enjoy walking and had a nice walk to Union Square, China Town, and other surrounding areas. The staff made good recommendations on areas to visit and to avoid. Parking is tough but we utilized the parking directly across the street. Pricey but again... it is San Francisco and you must expect that. -My four-day stay at the Hotel Monaco was fabulous. Because I was in San Francisco to attend a conference, I wanted a place that was quiet and comfortable. My accomodation requests, made months prior through a centralized conference coordination system, asked for a non-smoking room far away from elevators and other noise-making devices (like electrical/mechanical rooms). With other hotels, this request is rarely granted (or it is ignored entirely). Even though the Hotel Monaco was booked solid when I checked in--and late at that, since my flight was delayed--they had reserved a room for me that was ideally located, per my requests. Amazing!The hotel staff were courteous, friendly, and pleasant. The atmosphere was welcoming, and rarely have I felt so relaxed at a hotel. Coming back to my room after hours of sessions, or just sitting by the fireplace in their lobby, felt like returning home rather than returning to "the hotel." -Got the Columbus Motor Inn recommended through Trip Advisor and glad we decided to stay there. Just returned from 4 night stay and would definatley stay there again. In ideal location just two minute walk from Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard Street and Washington Square. Free parking was excellent. Busses stop right outside and the cable car was two minutes away. Staff were really helpful and gave us lots of tips for getting around etc. -I traveled to the Hilton for a conference, I thought the location was great, close to the Powell Street BART. The amenities were good. The restaurant was good. I wish there was free internet available. -This hotel is not for everyone, but I got the sense of that after reading about it on their website and on Trip Advisor. We needed a place to stay for one night before we flew back home, so I figured I'd give the Phoenix a try.We got in later in the evening. I was tired from being in the car all day. Parking was difficult - very small lot and not enough spaces, but we got the car squeezed in and checked in. The front desk clerk was pleasant, but definitely had his own "style," which I could see might put someone else off. I was too tired to spend much time chatting. We had a lot of stuff to take out of the car and repack for flying the next day, so the fact that there was parking right there, easily accessible, was a plus. Our hotel was on the first floor - opens right into the courtyard. It was Friday night and the Bambuddaha Lounge was rockin'!! It was such a vibrant scene of young people partying. We thought it was pretty funny and if we hadn't been so exhausted, would have gotten changed and checked out the scene. The heated pool was small, but very funky. It is open late, which is nice, and their were young kids playing in the pool, right near all these hip young party-goers, which was neat to see.The hotel is so funky - decorated with lots of interesting art. The rooms are standard '60s motel rooms repainted and furnished to make them seem hip and current. The room was big and comfortable. My only critique would be the bathroom needed a little updating - but even that was fun with a funky shower curtain and kitchy duck decales in the tub.The noise from the club was pretty loud. If you are looking for a quiet retreat, I wouldn't recommend staying here on a Friday night. I think they close down at 2 a.m., we had no trouble getting to sleep, but the big windows don't block out all the noise. We had fun listening to drunk people try to carry on conversations and pick up girls/boys. I woke up around 4 a.m. and could still hear people talking outside.We took advantage of the continental breakfast by the pool. A very nice spread for a continental breakfast and it was nice to have it right out the door by the pool. They have these cool "cabana" type things set up with curtains and people were having their breakfast there. We opted for poolside chairs. The best part was that they included Pop Tarts in the offerings - how cool is that?!Overall, it was a fun experience. The neighborhood was not a great one and it was bit off-putting to get a note about car vandalism and theft when you got your parking tag. I'm not sure I would rush back to stay here next time I'm in San Francisco, but I'm not disappointed I tried it. If you are young, like to party, and can appreciate the kitchy fun atmosphere, I say, go for it!!! -We stayed at the hilton for two nights as part of a Caravan tour. unlike other viewers who say the hotel was noisy, we stayed in a section which faced a courtyard, and the room was very quiet..others in our group did face the street and commented that it was a bit noisy there......the room was clean and relatively new, the staff was pleasant and helpful, and went out of the way to help us with a problem we had with a piece of luggage that was damaged at the airport...the location is fine if you want to be near fisherman's wharf, but if I had a choice, I would have stayed up near union square, I think that is a better location overall....but I have nothing bad to say about this two story hotel, everything was just fine, including the breakfast there which is quite good. -On first sight the Castle hotel is not great, but the rooms are fine and the location is good once you get your bearings.Varsa, the hotel manageress was wonderful.She advised us to buy an 18 dollar , 3 day public transport pass which was well worth the money and enabled us to use the bus and trolley system all day long.If you are looking for luxury then the Castle is not for you, but for a clean, convenient place to stay its great. -We stayed one night at Le Meridien on Memorial Day weekend. The room was fantastic, well decorated, with a fantastic view. The service from the check in staff was exceptional. We really enjoyed our time there, we would definately go back. -The Mosser Hotel in San Francisco, was recommended to us by friends. We were looking to stay at a great boutique hotel with some charm and history. The experience was great. It's beautifully renovated in keeping with the original details. The staff is very personable and accomodating. The hotel's consideration of the environment was another plus. Adjacent to the hotel is Anabelle's Bar & Grill, which has been there since 1913. Definitely recommend going there. We can't wait for our next visit to the hotel. -Stayed over President's Day weekend as a birthday surprise for my girlfriend. It was enjoyable and memorable.The hotel is in a wonderful location at the top of Nob Hill. We had upgraded to an upper floor room with city view, which cannot be beat. The valet service and the check-in were friendly and efficient, with our package details clearly spelled out. However, there was a snafu with the bags and I ended up having to go back downstairs to get them myself. The room was nicely appointed and clean. The room size was fairly small, not surprising for an older hotel but adequate for 2 people. Elevators were a bit slow, but acceptable considering the property is 80 years old.The Top of the Mark was great for late evening drinks (no kids allowed, drinks average $10 and proper dress is expected) with wonderful nighttime views of the city. Breakfast was outstanding, a high quality buffet with panaromic views stretching from downtown to Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. There is a cable car stop outside which can get you around, otherwise you are looking at a VERY steep walk to get down to Union Square and a real killer to walk back up Powell to California Street. Checkout was a bit slow, but all charges were clearly explained, unlike some earlier posters who seemed to have problems. Maybe it helps to be an InterContinental member. The car was waiting outside with no delay.Overall, if you like a place with history and class, this is a great place to stay. The package value I received was outstanding, for $219 a great room, parking ($50) and breakfast for two ($52 value) included. Classic architecture, romantic history and a fabulous view of a wonderful city make for a memorable stay. -As others have noted, Hotel Nikko is located in a great neighborhood. Steps from Union Square and the Powell Street Bart Station. Shopping is literally steps away. I followed the advice of other tripadvisor members (exiting right out of the hotel, rather than left) and was able to avoid the Tenderloin (which is apparently very close).The hotel itself is clean and has all of the normal amenities. The rooms are on the large size for San Francisco. Flat panel TV was nice. As others have noted, the mini bars are the kind where if you take something out, it ends up on your bill. Don't think about buying a soda and then replacing it later.The staff were friendly and helpful. The hotel was busy, but check in was quick and efficient, and staff were available when I needed help or information.The adjacent Starbucks is convenient and opens early (if you're an east coaster who is up and needs caffeine).The only trouble I had was with the hotel's wireless. I never was able to connect to the internet (never even could get to the place where you enter the credit card). I suspect that they must use javascript (or something else that my company deems a security risk).All in all, a please (albeit short) stay. -After reading the reviews on this site, I was terrified of my choice, but had already paid in full through Expedia. The hotel turned out better than I expected and I completely relaxed. Room was charming, although it was the absolute smallest hotel room that I have ever stayed in, and the bathroom was really itty bitty!Didn't have much contact with the staff, but what contact I did have was pleaseant. I arrived at the hotel at 11 a.m. was allowed to check in, which helped me enjoy a full day in San Francisco without worrying about check in times, etc.I took Bart from the airport and highly recommend it over taking a $40 or more taxi ride. -We stayed at the Grand Hyatt a few weeks ago, on the last leg of our 10 day vacation. I thought I had found a great bargain in an expensive city (I had a discount for $100 off a 2 night stay) and was prepared to give this hotel 4 stars. After reading other users' reviews, I've changed my opinion--I think I'm going to have to start using Priceline! Hearing that people stayed here for $75 a night makes me feel like I got ripped off since we paid just under $200 a night (without the discount). We figured for that price, the location, and the Hyatt name, it would be worth the price. Thinking back, the hotel was really nothing special. It was ok as far as decor, and the room wasn't THAT small. We were only on the 5th floor, so we had no view. Also, you could hear people talking in the hall and in adjacent rooms, which was annoying. I don't think the hotel has a pool (not that we found, anyway) which would be an amenity you would expect to find at most of the larger hotels. The parking fee was outrageous! The staff was friendly and helpful with directions and suggestions of where to eat. I really wish that we had stayed closer to Fisherman's Wharf, because that's where we ended up spending most of our time anyway. All in all, we had a pleasant stay, but now that I look back on it, I don't think we got our money's worth. -The hotel was in a GREAT location, close to all the downtown shopping.but once we walked in the room was average. we stayed on the 32nd floor and had a great city view. but the tv was likely a 10 year old tv. The Bed was great.the bathroom was average, and had a small 5" tv. that was long and likely from 1990.there is NO pool.. I just assumed a 4 star hotel would have a pool.the view from the 36th floor restaurant was amazing, but you could stay at motel 6 and come eat up here as well.the lobby is just average.I travel a bunch, and this would easily be a 3 star hotel. -The hotel is proximate to a lot of interesting things -- it's at the terminus of the cable car line to Chinatown, there's a BART stop right out the door, the Moscone and MoMA are three blocks away. The disadvantage of this location is the location: that part of the city is very noisy. The staff were top notch in helpfulness and enthusiasm. The room was small, but comfortable with a lot of pillows on the bed and a ceiling fan for cooling. For amenities, there was a flat screen TV (basic channels), free wireless, coffee maker, and hair dryer.As for minuses: the bathroom had mini-blinds whose louvers weren't adjustable, but pointed down. The problem was the hotel across the street would have a [bad] into the activities in the bathroom. -I had a great stay at this beautiful, historic hotel while in San Francisco for a meeting. My room which was reasonably priced had a lovely view and although near the elevator was very quiet. I enjoyed the Tonga room and am sorry to hear that it will be closing . The only reason I did not give the hotel 5 stars is that on more than one occasion personnel seemed to be steering me to specific restaurants and/or tour companies. -This is one of the best hotel experiences we have ever had - stunning views of the city, top notch service, and very nice rooms with all of the amenities you would expect from a Mandarin Oriental. The courtesy car was a pleasant surprise and helped us save on taxi fares when going out to dinner at night. Highly, highly recommended. -I had high hopes for our trip to San Francisco and staying at the Drisco ensured a wonderful trip. From my first contact with the staff to make our reservation, everything went incredibly smoothly. The staff is exceptional, always willing to go the extra step. They are professional yet friendly and if they can't answer a question immediately they will find the answer quickly. The actual number of staff is also impressive. The hotel is located in a magnificent area in SF and while it is not in the center of all the action, the view from the hills of Pacific Heights is far more exciting. The hills are rigorous but we also had a car and we had no trouble parking. You do have to move the car every three hours but the staff offered to do it for us if we weren't around! We had no trouble getting a cab as the hotel called them for us and they were there within 10 minutes. You are also near the Fillmore Street and Chestnut Street shopping areas which are a lot of fun. Our family stayed in a lovely two bedroom city view suite, which gave us ample room and stunning views. The bathrooms are large and well appointed. The continental breakfast and wine and cheese hour included for all guests makes the Drisco even more special and affordable. The dining room and sitting rooms are quite comfortable and inviting. We stayed a week and were extremely happy and would not even think of staying anyplace else when we return to SF. -We just returned from our Easter trip. My family was pleasantly welcomed by the door man "Ken" He gave us tips on the area and chatted like he was a dear friend.Next we approached the front desk and again, greeted warmly ! Then our sweet "Benji" took us to our room (Our home- sweet- home for the next 4 days)We requested a gold fish for our 8 year old daughter. She was thrilled with "Spacehog" THANKS !!We were amazed at the warm greetings (by name) each time we passed by staff. Rooms are charming and have style. Great wine hour. Nice restaurants. A perfect hotel and I'm VERY picky. Tuscan Inn and MacArthur Place could learn from this place. Miss the Monaco already ! -My family stayed for two nights in August at the Marriott Fisherman's Wharf at the start of our California trip. We arrived about noon and had easy check-in with the very courteous staff up front. Our room was small but clean and nice. The location is excellent, right near the Wharf and close to North Beach and Chinatown. Easy to walk everywhere if you enjoy exercise!The staff here was really great..friendly and professional. We were amazed at the international feel of the guests...it was fun to hear the different languages.The lounge area downstairs is nice...great bar with microbrews on tap and big screen TV.No pool or spa...only markdowns for that and rooms are a little small..otherwise a great place to stay!. -This is an boutique hotel with small rooms and an excellent location. But the hotel has a weird smell... Like being in a horse stable. I don't know what they use for cleaning, but it doesn't smell nice.When we arrived, we discovered that the top blanket on the bed was dirty with stains. We went to the front desk and asked for another, and he sent op a man to remove it.The bathroom was clean but needed a remodeling, it seemed pretty outdated. The complimentary breakfast was not even a breakfast, but only three kinds of pastry and coffee/tea. Thats too poor for a 3 star hotel. No free internet. But the location is very good and close to everything. -I really have no complaints about this hotel, the staff was courteous, the room was clean (although very small). The sheets on the bed were sub-par, which I wouldnt complain about except for the fact that we were paying $180 a night. Overall, my stay was plesant but I would only stay here again if I got a significantly discounted rate. My advice is to check out the Chancellor Hotel...its closer to union square, has the same size rooms and service, but is half the price. The only difference between the two is that the Chancellor's lobby isnt as nice, and the carpet is older at the Chancellor as well. -This hotel is really well located - it's next to a BART station so it's easy to get to and from the airport without having to get a cab; it's one or two blocks from all the great shopping at Union Sq; it's around the corner from the cable car; it's walking distance to some good bars/restaurants. Getting to Pier 39 was no problem as it's just a short cab ride away. China Town is also walking distance - about 10 minutes or so as long as you don't mind walking up steep roads! It is best to get a cab to go to Golden Gate Bridge - and get their number so you can call for a cab back as it can be difficult to flag down a cab here!The rooms are well equipped with the basics. We booked a standard room which was compact but prefectly fine. Rooms are clean. The bed is big and really comfortable. The bathroom could do with an update as they are really old. It's not a fancy hotel, so if that's what you're looking for don't stay here. However, the hotel does have lots of pluses, location being one of them and which is why we chose to stay here. -My husband and I stayed for a long weekend in September with our 6yr old son. We got a good deal through Hotwire, $220/nt. The room was comfortable and well appointed, if a bit small. The service was great. The concierge was very helpful recommending terrific restaurants every night. We also used the nanny service they suggest and they are great! We have only 2 complaints: 1) the ice maker on our floor was broken. This was fantastic for our son who loved riding the elevator down a few floors to get ice! 2) Room service and restaurant hours are short. We would stay there again if we could get another good deal. . -I can't believe I booked this room at a rate of $189.00 per night.. I must have had the same room as the reviewer from Germany. The staff was nice enough but this place smelled horrible, had ratty bedding, and no air conditioning. Noisy room with a view of a brick wall. Since there's no air conditioning all windows in hotel were open which allowed for cigarette smoke, sirens, and other guests noise to float right into my room. If you are a woman traveling alone I would avoid this place. The doors were not very secure and there was so little staff in the lobby there's no way they had any real security. This place was so bad I left after the first night and moved into the San Fransico Marriott a few blocks away. -Got a great deal: paid the state rate and then got upgraded to a jr suite in the best tower with the best view. The room was very large. It had a computer desk chair to die for. i loved to sit in it and just look out the huge picture window. Employees were friendly, my room steward was great. She took really good care of me the four nights I was there. The place is huge. I enjoyed it. Nice lobby and other features such as a Starbucks. Great conference hotel. -My 81 year old Mom visted. We are seasoned travelers. We loved The Mark Hopkins. Sort of older style hotel... but very classy, comfortable, clean etc. Rooms are great, beds are great. Staff is short handed when check check out is crowded, but they are very attentive. The best prices believe it or not are on their own website. Same price we got on Priceline. The $169 rooms are almost the same as the $189 rooms. The $169 room have a lower floor view. Both are great.If you go to The Top of The Mark Rest.... do it for drinks and the view. The food is very expensive. Breakfast while ok was too much money. Take the cable car down to Union Square or walk and go to smeoplace like Sears or The Diner.dcr, Middletown, Ca -Perfect location. Would stay again. Hotel was fairly new and very pleasant. The rooms were good size, comfortable, and stylish. The Continental Breakfast was quick and convenient. The cinnamon rolls were a family favorite! Excellent value. -There is not much to add to the previous glowing and detailed reviews. The service is friendly yet professional. Our room was immaculate and nicely decorated. The breakfasts and evening wine tastings (including cheeses, crackers, almonds, dried fruit and chocolate) as well as the hot cider and cookies were greatly appreciated. And the location was perfect. I have mixed emotions writing this review because I'd like to keep it my little secret but I think the word is out. -My husband and I stayed here for a night in December when he had a business trip of SF. The front desk staff was very nice and upon hearing it was my birthday, they upgraded us to a corner room on one of the high floors, so we had a beautiful view and a larger room. The rooms are nice, clean and beds are comfortable. The bathroom was nice sized as well. The hotel itself is modern (kind of sterile feeling). It is close to Union Square and a couple blocks from Chinatown. If you are travelling with kids, I would recommend staying closer to Fishermans Wharf, but for adults visiting, this is a nice choice. -I have been a regular visitor to the bar and restaurant at this hotel for many years, back when I used to live in the Bay Area. Recently I booked a 1 year anniversary trip with my wife and decided to stay here. We had some sort of large suite that was very spacious, but very sparse. The bed was not exceedingly comfortable, but wasn't bad either. The rooms are edgy but cold. The bathroom was huge but felt like a hospital and had a serious issue with the water from the shower ending up in the hallway.The lobby is fantastic and the Redwood Room Bar and Asia De Cuba restaurant are some of the cooler spots in the entire city. We returned nightly to long lines of people waiting to get past the ropes into the bar, but the staff remembered us by sight and let us through quickly with a pleasant hello. Most staff remembered our names even though we were only here for 4 days. The staff were as good as any Four Seasons or Peninsula. Surprisingly the incredibly loud bar scene of the lobby did not make it to our room on the 5th floor. Street noise, however, had no problem at all getting into our room at all times and woke us up every morning. The location is excellent.Ultimately the hotel will guarantee a pleasant and exciting stay- but not a quiet and luxurious one. Like most Ian Schrager properties (hotel owner) the aim is for a Cool, Hip, Edgy feeling, not pampering. The staff are great though- no edge at all just awesome service. We knew what we were getting into and liked it. Probably would have been more appropriate for another type of trip, rather than a 1 year anniversayr because "romantic" doesn't come to mind- but we had a great time anyway.No spa onsite. We went to the Ritz for that. -Me and my friend checked in the hotel on August 15, 2007 and checked out on August 18, 2007. I was nicely surprised to find a spacious room with a nice size bathroom and a walk-in closet(something rare for SF). Everything was extremely clean!!! The staff was very friendly and attentive. The hotel has a cozy lobby with a fireplace and couches. In addition, the hotel is environment -friendly. The hotel is located in a very safe place, close to downtown and Union Square; however, it is a 30+ min walk to the bay. There is valet and self parking available in the hotel (something like $30/$20 per day). There is in/out up until midnight.Later on our trip, me and my friend stayed in a Ramada Limited hotel in Santa Cruz, CA ($150 per night) where the room was bigger but lacked the clean feel of the room in Carlton. Also, stayed in a Carmel hotel in Santa Monica, CA ($130 per night) where the room was tiny, very dated, and not as clean as the one in Carlton. Both of these hotels were same price or more expensive than the Carlton (paid on average $130 per night) and not worthed the money at all.I would definately recommend this hotel to everyone. You will enjoy your stay!!! -My wife is picky about hotels and not easily impressed. The lobby was a good start-- easy on the eye, jazzy techno in the background. The staff was friendly and helpful with hints like "don't waste your time at Pier 39." But when the missus entered our room, she exclaimed: "Oh, hell yes." Cool furniture, nice bed and bathroom. Plenty of space. There was even a small couch and an i-pod adapter on the nightstand. I'd done well picking this place. -We started staying at the Pan Pacific 15 years ago on our Honeymoon night. Every once in a while we try a different hotel in SF and are dissapointed and go back to Pan Pacific. The rooms are typical size for SF but the luxury is there in every room. It is not only clean and beautiful, but the service is perfect and we stay there probably 4 or 5 times a year and it is always consistent. I am a very picky traveler and this hotel fits the bill. If you stay here you won't be disspointed. -We stayed at the Mark while attending a Holiday Party. My boyfriend won a free stay in his company raffle, and as we live 15 miles away, we went ahead and stayed the night.The hotel is pretty average for San Francisco standards. A small room, nicely decorated, with breathtaking views. The staff was a disappointment, when I called to confirm the reservation, I was transferred 4 times and then hung up on. They weren't much nicer in person.Parking runs something like $48.00 a day. That's (unfortunately) about normal for San Francisco. However, we shopped around online and saw that you can park at the Nob Hill Masonic Center, which is located at 1111 California Street (apprx. 1 1/2 blocks away) for $27 for a 24 hour period. And that's only if you need to drive. San Francisco has fantastic public transportation, so usually a car is not necessary.The rooms were okay, the room service prices were ridiculous, $18 for a cheeseburger!! (but that's par for the course, I guess). The only reason I would recommend this hotel would be for out of town visitors who want some views and don't know which parts of the City to avoid (we do have our problem areas). The hill leading up to the hotel is one of the steepest in the City, so I don't recommend this hotel for anyone who has trouble walking.Overall, we weren't really impressed with the hotel, but we didn't pay anything for it, so it was okay. I'd stay there again, but only if the room was free. -We stayed at The Holiday Inn at Fishermans Wharf for 3 nights at the end of April 2006. This was our first stop on our tour of California. We had flown all the way over from the UK and was absolutely exhausted when we arrived. We were greated by a friendly Bell Boy once entering the main reception and were checked in by a helpful and friendly receptionist. We were told that we were in the Annex building on Beach Street which is just opposite. (It would appear that the Brits package holidaymakers are put in the annex building - we booked through Virgin). The building hads a 24 hr Dennys restaurant on the ground floor and it also has a reception area, however it wasn't always manned when we were there. The Denny's restaurant is really handy, and the staff very polite and courteous. It was a little more expensive than the other Denny's restaurants that we have used, but the food and service was excellent. Our hotel room was in very good/ clean order and it would appear that it was newly refurbished. The carpet was like new and the general decor in very good order. There is a in room safe, iron and Ironing board and tea making facilities provided in the room. In the main building, there is a little gift shop, coffee bar, restaurant and bar. It is also very well located to Pier 39, and the restaurants and shops etc locally. This is a all round excellent hotel, and would definately stay here again. -Beautiful hotel, both inside and out. We got an excellent rate using expedia. The hotel is located in union square, making it extremely convenient to get around. -I booked the Hotel Whitcomb for a one-night stay on Hotwire for $73 and then read the reviews on TripAdvisor and was a little skeptical. However, my stay at the Whitcomb was great. I guess I lucked out with a good room. The customer service was excellent. The staff at the check-in desk were very friendly and enthusiastic. The lobby is very impressive and beautiful. Sure, the hotel is not in a great neighborhood, but it's SF - neighborhoods change block by block. Plus, with the BART entrance literally steps outside the hotel entrance, it couldn't be more convenient. My room was on the 7th floor at the back of the hotel (not facing Market St). It was quiet and decently-sized. The bathroom was very small, but I was traveling alone, so it was fine. The bed was comfortable and the room had all the amenities I needed. It seemed to be very clean. The decor was nice, I felt like the hotel had a lot of character. I travel to SF on a regular basis for work and will plan to stay at the Whitcomb again. -My husband and I stayed at the Handlery in May this year for 3 nights. The location of this hotel is fantastic being right outside Union Square. We had a standard room which was nice, a king bed which was really comfy, and it also had a mini fridge. The concierge was extremely helpful and went out of his way to help. Their on site restaurant "The Daily Grill" is really good for breakfast or dinner. I highly recommend the Key Lime Pie! -We chose this hotel because of its location, the price and the good reviews on Trip Advisor. We were not disappointed.We used the BART to and from the airport - a couple blocks walk from the Powell station to the hotel. Lots of great restaurants, theatre (live), and MUNI stations very close. The location is great.The price was very reasonable. We were given a room on the "historic" side of the hotel - the older side. Our room had one double bed and it almost filled the room - that was fine with us as we don't need a lot of space. We actually don't spend much time in the room anyway - other than sleeping. The room was very clean, the bathroom was very clean and it had a good shower, good lighting, hot water and lots of water pressure. The bed was comfortable. Our window looked out to an inner courtyard, but mostly we could just see hotel walls and windows around the courtyard - not a good view, but that is not what we were after. The staff were all very helpful and courteous. We used the adjacent Daily Grill for our breakfasts and it was very good - food and service. We would definitely book here again and would readily recommend the hotel to others. -The Palce Hotel is everything we were hoping for. The hotel is a piece of history, very beautiful and the staff was great. -We stayed in this hotel for 4 nights in August. The front of house staff member was unsmiling but efficient at check in.Our two rooms were "Club " rooms and overlooked onto the street which had a pub virtually opposite. Unfortunately the noise from the pub was loud and meant most nights we were disturbed. Maybe triple glazing would help.The hotel has a room in the lobby area with computer terminals available for use at $5 for 20mins, ideal when travelling with teens. The rooms themselves were large with comfortable beds and co-ordinated soft furnishing. There was adequate tea and coffee making facilities and each room had a small fridge for milk if you did not want to use the powder milk provided. The bathrooms were provided with toiletries and bathrobes, towels appearred to be changed daily irrespective of wether used ones had been hung up. The pool area had loungers and chairs but no pool towels available. Unfortunately this also appearred to be the area that was used by smokers resident in the hotel. This hotel is very well placed for shopping and sightseeing and the concierge was extremely helpful with maps, and advice. I would stay at this hotel again, but I would ask for a pool view room next time. -Very nice hotel in Fishermans Wharf, close to all amenities. Arrived at the hotel at 10.00 pm and was greeted by a very friendly receptionist, we got a room on the 3rd floor, the room itself was nice and big but the bathroom was tiny. The hotel is in a great location in Fisherman's Wharf, close to some lovely bars and restaurants, the food and drink in the hotel is quite expensive so worth while having a walk around, especially around Pier 39, it is only a block from the hotel. I would definately stay here again. -This is a great little inn with a fantastic wine & cheese hour and great continental breakfast. We stayed at the Westin St. Francis (right across the street) the next night and I wish we would have stayed at the Inn at Union Sq. both nights. Not only a much more charming experience, but also a better value. Great rooms and very comfortable beds. -I made the mistake, apparently like every other person who has left a review about this hotel, of going without checking the other reviews left online. But THIS review is more about what they put us through AFTERWARDS then during....(not putting any names in this review, but now, we knew that entire hierarchy by name, as you will later see)Our stay was starting on August 11th. My two friends and I arrive after our flight at 11AM, so we decide to drop off our bags in the lobby and go around town before check-in at 3PM. We get to the lobby, and my friend, who has major asthma, asked if we could get a peek at one of the rooms. The woman at the front desk was kind enough to give us a key to take a look. We opened the door, and the smell of mold hit us in the face like a brick. My friend was nervous, because she didn't think she'd be able to handle the smell, but we decided to wait to see if the room they gave us was the same, or if this was just a fluke.3PM comes, and we check in, and the room that they gave us is the same exact way. My friend already starts to feel a slight reaction, so we go to the lobby to see about a switch. According to the same rude and horrible Indian guy that everyone else describes working there, there are no other rooms available. I say that she cannot stay in that room because of her condition, and he says that his supervisor will be in in a half hour, if we want to talk to him. I said that we'll wait to ask about a refund, and suddenly, he had another room for us to check out. THAT room, however, was even worse! The door didn't lock fully, a light didn't work, the mold smell was even worse, and there was what seemed to be cat hair all over the single chair and the countertops. Now, the fun starts:We go back downstairs, and we say that we absolutely cannot stay there, and we want a refund. Apparently, we booked the non-refundable rate, the money was already taken out and there was nothing we could do about it. I said that we'd wait for his supervisor, and suddenly, he wasn't coming in anymore that night. He wasn't answering his phone, and we had to call back the next day between 9AM and 1PM. (Obviously, with the line of people out the door still waiting to check in with the horrible service, they didn't want any problems in the lobby) We said fine, and spent the rest of our first day in San Francisco looking for another hotel.Tthe next day, the woman who answered the lobby phone said that the supervisor DID come in about an hour after we left, and got off at 8:30 in the morning, RIGHT BEFORE we were supposed to call. I asked when he was going to be in again...she said 3:00. I asked for the manager's number. She gave me a different phone number and a different name, and asked me to explain the situation to her. I did, and she suddenly said that the supervisor wasn't coming in anymore today because he was tired, and I don't have to call the manager, but to deal with the supervisor, who will be in TOMORROW between 10 and 2. I called back at 3, and again, the Indian guy answered, and said the supervisor was around, but it was hard for him to get to a phone, and he'll do his best, but he doesn't know if he'll be able to talk. To make a long story longer, the supervisor never called back. We called the manager several times, and we are STILL being given the run around to get a refund for our non-stay. This hotel is the worst experience I have EVER had in ANY hotel. It should be closed down immediately, people should not be subjected to it, and the people at the front desk and in charge should never be allowed to work in a hotel again. I spent a total of about 20 minutes in this place, and the stress and trouble they are causing us now to get a refund for a time we didn't spend there is awful (especially since it's not like we didn't show up....we did, and they expect to just take our money for nothing, because WE have some sort of decency and hope to sleep comfortably without bed bugs, mold, and sickness).Please avoid this hotel at all costs....I would give it negative stars if possible...... -Our family (2 adults and 2 teenagers) stayed here for 3 nights at the end of July. The room was fairly typical and nothing special but it was clean. The hotel is in a very safe area and we felt perfectly happy walking around at night. The staff were incredibly helpful. The hotel has interesting touches around the lobby, bar and lounge areas which are copper/brass items placed around, e.g. a pair of slippers in front of the fire and a cat curled up. The pool was very nice (if smaller than I expected) and there was a small terrace outside that overlooks the central courtyard. The courtyard itself was a pleasant place to sit and all the public areas were well kept up. We didn't eat in the hotel as it was expensive but there were lots of places within walking distance to eat at. I would recommend this hotel. -I stayed at the Omni for 2 nights over Memorial Day weekend. I got a great weekend rate at $169 a night. LOCATION: The location could not be any better. We took the BART and walked 4 blocks (10 minutes) to the hotel. Just make sure you don't have too much luggage. The hotel is also within walking distance of Union Square and Chinatown. There are also Muni lines and cable car lines very close by.HOTEL:I knew that it was an older hotel, but I guess I expected the rooms to be nicer. It is very clean, but there was no "wow" factor that I have seen at other hotels like Novotel Singapore or Venetian in Vegas. It was a regular room with regular t.v. with nice amenities but nothing ultra-modern. The bed was very comfortable. The rooms were very quiet, although you could hear some hallway noise, but nothing from outside the building. I guess that is why they are not considered a 5 star hotel. Minus one star for the room.SERVICE:The service was very good overall. Check in was quick and all the staff were extremely friendly. We are a select guest, so we get morning beverage service (you are supposed to get a card outside your room and you hang it out with your beverages). Since this is our first stay, we had no idea how this worked. We never got a card and got no beverages in the morning. When I called the front desk, they forwarded me to room service, and I got my beverages. I also told front desk that I didn't get a beverage card, just a room service, when they asked if I hung it outside. Well, for a #1 rated Tripadvisor and 4 star hotel, I would expect a select guest beverage card the following night, but no. So, minus one star for that. However, when I wanted coffee the next morning at 11:00 a.m. (they have a pot of coffee in Bob's every morning until 10:00 a.m.), the staff got me one, so add one star.Overall, this is a great hotel with great service. I can see why it is not 5 stars, but the service really makes it above the rest.HOTEL TIPS:Get free water and fruit in the fitness room. There is also free fruit in the afternoon and free lemonade in the lobby. There is free coffee in the morning at Bob's bar until 10:00 a.m. But, you get free beverage service delivered to your room if you sign up as a selected guest.RESTAURANT TIPS:We found two great restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. Both are highly rated on yelp. The first is Bix. It is on Gold St., which is about 5 blocks north of Montgomery (10 minutes walk). It's in a small alley, and the food is awesome and moderately priced (entrees $25 to 35 range). Their appetizers are incredible, and the atmosphere is very nice. The second is Great Eastern in Chinatown for dim sum. This place is located on Jackson St. by Kearny. It is very clean compared to the other Chinatown places, and you order off of a menu with pictures (no carts). Service is a bit slow, but if you are looking for an adventure in Chinatown, definitely try dim sum there. Go early (before 11:00) to avoid the crazy crowds! -We stayed at this hotel for a week in late February. We chose the Regency club, which meant we were on a higher floor and breakfast was included. Great hotel and staff. Rooms are very comfortable, view wonderful! Would definitely stay there again. -After being delayed on the way to SF we didn't check into the hotel until just after midnight. We were made welcome by Tove on front desk who even though it was late answered any questions which we had and also gave us a menu for a takeaway because we'd not eaten properly for almost 15 hours. We got up for breakfast which was ok (it was a free breakfast so don't expect a huge variety) it had selve serve waffle makers which always had a line, mini muffins, boiled eggs, bread for toast and tea and coffee making facilities. The room was spacious, we had bay views, a television with a variety of channels. The bathroom wasn't very big but it was ok. The hotel itself is in a great location about 6 blocks away from fishermans wharf and in a good location for bars and restaurants in the evening. I would recommend this hotel it is a great base, not the most luxurious in the world but a good option and the staff are really nice. -We stayed here over Labor Day for 3 nights in a deluxe queen room. The room wasn't huge but it was a good size for two people. The bed was a true queen size and very comfortable with nice bedding. The room was nicely decorated and had a medium size TV, a desk, 2 chairs, cd player with cd's, AC, and a small fridge. The room was very clean and housekeeping did a wonderful job cleaning everyday. We had our bedding and towels changed every day. Although you have the option of not having them changed everyday to save water (good idea!). They also have a turn down service and left yummy chocolates on our pillows. The bathroom has a small hairdryer and Aveda products. Our room didn't have much of a view but we didn't mind since we didn't spend much time in the room anyway. The hotel staff was very friendly. We were allowed to check in early and they asked if we needed help with restaurant reservations or general information about SF. There are free maps and guidebooks in all tourist spots so no need to bring your own. The hotel also has free computer access and a room where you could either work or read. The restuarant is very small and didn't have a chance to eat there. I think there are less than 20 seats. So it's wise to make a reservation or arrive early. There was also a bar/lounge area. The elevator is fairly small and if there were other people waiting, we just took the stairs. The hotel is within walking distance from the BART station. Exit Powell and it's about ten minute walk. The fridge is fully stocked but like any other hotel, the prices are high. There is a Walgreens down the street from the hotel where you can stock up on water or snack. There are a lot of restaurants in the area. Some a bit expensive but it's expected as SF as a whole is expensive. There are 3 Starbucks coffee houses near the hotel. If you like to shop, the hotel is minutes from Union Square and is also within walking distance to Chinatown. We actually walked from Pier 39 and it didn't seem far at all. SF has reliable and efficient transportation that is fairly priced in case you don't want to walk. I don't recall the exact price for parking since we flew but most of the hotels charge from $40 and up per night. Overall we had a great stay at this hotel. I highly recommend it and would stay here again. -Although my stay was only one night, it was great! Located right next to the Chinatown gate, I couldn't have asked for a better location for my final night in San Fran. I loved the fact that it was a green business as well- not many hotels go to the lengths they do to be green. The bed was fabulous with extremely comfortable and fluffy bedding. The service was great- all questions and needs were taken care of. Wireless access in my room and a printer available downstairs in the business center were convenient. ~4 blocks from BART (montgomery st station). Very clean and well kept hotel. -A Pleasant surprise ---the Galleria Park HotelDate : July 23, 2008Reviewer: Las Cruces, NMMy wife and I have just returned from the Galleria Park Hotel and had a pleasant surprise. A great hotel with a fantastic staff situated in almost a perfect location.Mind you this is a simple euro style hotel with basic amenities. If you do not mind walking it is ... Four blocks from Chinatown Five from Market Square, 15 from the Ferry Building. The wine hour from 17:30 -18:30 was nice and the staff offered great sightseeing ideas and helpful hints for dining , coffee and nightlife. Truly a great stay ! No breakfast but great coffee ! If you are interested in SEEING San Francisco ... I would recommend not taking a car into SF as most hotels charge $35 - $50.00 a night for parking. Lorrie Taxi will pick you up at the airport and take you to you hotel. Also the "MUNI " pass for $11 a day or $18.00 for 3 day will get you around SF via bus/ cable car / trolley and train. -The location of this hotel is great. Lots to see and do and just a short taxi ride to see the San Francisco Giants! The hotel staff was friendly and the breakfast buffet was nice in the morning. The biggest problem was the noise...and the people by us weren't even noisy! The walls and ceilings are very "thin". You could hear EVERY word anyone said next door and above us..much more so than other hotels we have stayed. This could be a risky hotel to stay at if you are wanting a quiet night, fortunately for us our neighbors turned the tv of before midnight each night. -I've stayed at many Marriott locations around the world and this was my first time staying at a JW Marriott. The hotel is beautiful. A great lobby but this is matched by equally great spacious rooms which are tastefully furnished. I stayed there on points so I'm not sure if its really value for money if you're going to put your credit card down.There was one problem with the girl at the check in desk but that was a one off. (See had a bit of an attitude and got my room specifications wrong. It took a few phone calls to straighten it out.) However all other staff were great. They even refunded my the full bar tab when there was an issue with the bill. Concierge was great. Very knowlegable and informative. The hotel is central. Everything you need/want is around you or in walking distance.One of the best chain hotels I've stayed at....globally.Yes it was that good! -Just returned from 3 nights at the Sheraton Fishermans Wharf. A nice facility in the heart of Fishermans Wharf. Our double room overlooked a/c units on the roof (I don't think any of the rooms have much of a view). Room was well appointed & clean with great beds. Bathroom was extremely small as stated by other reviewers, contained tub and commode. My only complaints are no free wifi in rooms and ridiculous prices at coffee bar in lobby. -We stayed for one night after an international flight. We were so tired we stayed at the hotel for most of tour stay. We booked directly.We have ambassador status and our upgrade request was honored.1) Rooms 4/5 - This was a historic hotel and the rooms were designed that way with modern conveniences. The bathrooms had marble floors and granite tops. I did not like the tub area because it looked old. The views were great. The room was not as large even with the upgrade. 2) Customer service 5/5 - it was excellent, they checked us in early at 9 am. Porters were busy but tried to help as much as they can. Their concierge was helpful with directions and arranged an airport limo which was the same price as a cab ride.3) Location 4/5 - excellent and safe but it was difficult to walk around due to the steep incline. Otherwise, Nob hill is a good place to be.Overall, if you like historic hotels, this is one of them. Customer service is great and the views are one of the best in San Francisco. -I arrived midday during a business trip and needed to get some work done and found myself in a beautiful room with all the amenities to make my "office time" great. Sunny, spacious, and supremely comfortable. Fantastic, gracious staff...very personal...almost felt like I was staying in a private inn or B&B. Wonderful neighborhood. This hotel entirely changed my view (literally and figuratively) of SF, as I'd only stayed in downtown hotels on past visits.I'd recommend to colleagues, family or friends (and already have!). I will definitely visit again when returning to SF. -We stayed at this hotel for two nights on a vacation. It was awful. My own complaints are very similar to the other reviews. We booked on priceline. We also called to confirm a smoking king room (and also emailed). When we checked in we were told we could not have the room we had requested (and they confirmed). The hotel manager (sounds like the same one discussed in earlier reviews) told us "thats what you get for booking on priceline" and said that we should have booked through them instead. The front desk staff was extremely rude. This is no four star hotel. The rooms are dirty and dingy. Ours faced the driveway on the ground floor. All night there were cars driving in and out, idling their engines. Our window was blocked by a wooden beam and cement post. The washroom was tiny and the tiles were caved in around the faucet and appeared to be rotten underneath. The rooms are also extremely small. I do not know if this is all rooms, or just the second class rooms that they relegate people who do not book directly through their site to. We asked for guest robes and were told we would have to "sign them out" (again, duplicating the treatment of an earlier reviewer who felt like a criminal). The location is the only positive feature...but it is not worth it! There are so many nicer (and less expensive) hotels in the area with the same location.When we checked in (in the early afternoon) there were still dirty breakfast dishes (with dead flies floating in the orange juice) left outside our door in the hallway. It was dirty and dingy. We requested an in room fridge (none were available) and to get ice we had to walk to a different building, and then up an elevator and down a hall. I felt very poorly treated. For the amount of money that they charge, this hotel is not worth it. It is not the same class or standards that you might expect from other hotels in the Sheraton line. It was awful. Do not stay here. -After getting this hotel on Priceline, I read some of the reviews from other travelers and was a bit "scared" about what I was in for.....I was prepared for a horrible room, snotty desk people, hard beds, etc.. I was plesantly relieved! We payed $80.00 for a nice room. I called the hotel in advance and requested a king bed which they gave me with no problem. We did not have a view of the street, but their courtyard. The desk staff and concierge were wonderful. The hotel was extremely quiet and was located right next to two of SF's most expensive hotels on Nob Hill. We walked down the STEEP hill to Union Square for breakfast at Sears Pancake House. We had wonderful Swedish pancakes and made the walk back to the hotel....WHEW!!! A real workout. The only downfall is the parking fee of 43.00. But that is SF, parking is expensive. I would recommend this hotel again. -The mosser hotel allowed us to stay in the middle of union square for a more than reasonable rate. The service was amazing as was the location! The staff were warm and friendly!! Loved it and will be back -We were very unhappy with this hotel. The location is not great, close to the Civic Center and Van Ness, the area is frequented by crack heads, prostitutes, drunks and homeless. The hotel itself is very outdated, carpets are dirty; the hotel, including rooms, smell of cigarette smoke and sour mop. Of course the pillows smell bad, too. The bed cover was absolutely filthy with many cigarette burns. We had no other choice since all hotels were fully booked due to a conference in town. We woke up in a freezing room, the heater had no knobs to control the temperature. We requested to be moved to another room but were told that the hotel was fully booked although their web site suggested that number of rooms were available. Also, the hotel was very noisy throughout the night and early morning. I will definitely stay away from this place. -Let me be clear... this is NOT a new hotel! It's a refurbished old high rise close to the "Tenderloin" district. It's close to Union Square alright, but it's also very very close to lots of shady places in town. The immediate neighborhood looked dirty. Overall, the hotel has received a nice face lift, but there are definitely some issues here: the water pressure is god-awful, the furniture - though stylish - looks a bit cheap; elevators can take awhile; and parking really sucks. Staff is nice, but I frequently overheard casual conversations between the bell staff and the front desk employees (subject was usually cars) and some comments from the Maintenance crew (about leaks). The restaurant is great. Loved the bar! Very busy, too, so make sure to call ahead for reservations. -Stayed at the Grand Hyatt on Union Square with my sister for a fabulous weekend 9/25/08-9/29/08. It is conveniently located close to Union Square shopping, the Mason St cable cars and the streetcars on Market down to the wharf. The hotel was very nice. The accomodations were clean and comfortable. There was individual air/heat control in the room-not one of those awful noisy wall units. The concierges were amazing. They knew the best ways to get around. They recommended a wonderful Hop-on/Hop-off tour of the city with the tickets good for two days at a very reasonable price. They recommended a fabulous little Italian restaurant "Fino" about 2 blocks walk away and made the reservations for us. They had an appropriate solution to any question or challenge we presented them. They went above and beyond the call of duty in all things. The staff in the breakfast area were very accomodating also and made sure our needs were met in a timely manner. Housekeeping was superb-when asked to bring an extra towel, they were there within 10 minutes. I would certainly stay in this wonderful hotel with this fabulous staff again. As a matter of fact, I am trying to talk my husband into a trip there next year. The beds are comfortable with down comforters and plenty of pillows for all tastes.We were hesitant based on some of the previous reviews. Once we realized that some of these reviews were 3 to 4 years old and when we saw the hotel and the quality of the service, we were sure we made the right choice. -We visited the Mandarin Oriental the first week of October. It was our first trip to San Fran and without a doubt will definitely return to both the city and the hotel. We don't even want to consider another hotel.We had a Bridge to Bridge view room (worth every penny) with outstanding views of Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, & Alcatraz. The bathroom was large with beautiful tile and really nice amenities (scale, slippers, Frette linen hand towel, nice size amenities, & where else do they give you a loofah sponge with bath gel?) The service was very good and prompt; staff was friendly. The welcoming tea service was a very nice touch and the maids always offered lots of bottled water. The decor had an Asian influence which was nice for a change, and it wasn't too overboard. Can't wait to return. -We spent the weekend at the Westin St. Francis. We arrived at the hotel via BART from SFO, it is only a short 3 block walk up Powell and if you are looking to save a little money riding BART is not a bad option. Once at the hotel there was a short check-in line, but there was an employee greeting people in the line and thanking them for their patience. Once thru the line we were quickly checked in and head up to our room on the 26th floor. It is definitely worth the little extra for a higher room because of the view, but mainly because of the glass elevator ride each time you go to and from the room. The room was a nice size and had a flat screen TV (with actual HD programming) and of course the heavenly bed was great. We used the concierge a couple of time and Glen was great giving suggestions for things to do and places to eat, and remembered our names the second day we saw him. However one of the other concierges was not as friendly and he acted as we were inconveniencing him with numerous questions. The location is great right on Union Square, close to shopping and adjacent to the cable car line. If you are spending multiple days get the MUNI 3-day pass it is only $18 and you can ride the cable cars, electric street cars and buses as much as you like during the 3 days and save some money, as it is $5 to ride one way on the cable car. -My wife and I took two trips to San Fran in 2004 and stayed at the best western both times. The first was for a week in January. The hotel location was great. We flew in to San Fran airport, took the BART downtown, and then took a cable car to a stop 1 block from the hotel. We didnt have or need a car so we didnt have to deal with parking a car I believe it is $30 a day-- par for the city. The hotel is clean and neat, our room was clean and comfortable. If I had to be critical the room could use a little updateing, but not a big deal. The front desk was friendly, however not terribly knowledgeable--I would assume high turnover. The location is great, if your an active person you can walk everywhere from this hotel, in fact we took a long run up the shore --crissy field and accross the golden gate bridge. North Beach starts a block away and heads north, we skipped the touristy fishermans warf area. Restaurants are everywhere, however we did not eat at the Tuscan restaurant in the hotel. As far as convenience--the cable car stop is 1 block away and that along with the outstanding bus system will get you everywhere you need to go. We plan on visiting the city often, and we plan on staying at this location for the foreseeable future. -Our recent weekend stay at The Palace was a mixed bag overall. Here's my take on the pros and cons of this hotel:Pros: Central location is fairly handy, lobby area was quite classy and beautiful, room nicely appointed/furnished, great view of Market street from our large window that opened, nice linens, superb showerhead, valet parking was VERY quick and the housekeeping staff was exceptionally friendly. Pool/spa area on 4th floor looked nice though we only walked through to take a peek. Cons: Standard room was quite small -(common in S.F, I know) a nice chair with ottoman was so close to bathroom door you usually bumped right into it on the way out, vanity area was very small - just a very small amount of room around sink in bathroom, awful hallway noise after midnight - could clearly hear people talking in the halls and a couple of slamming doors jolted me awake more than once during the night, price was a bit steep at $199 per night and the buffet breakfast in hotel was outrageous at $21.99.Overall, a classy yet overpriced hotel for what is delivered. I have definitely stayed in less expensive hotels in S.F. and was much more satisfied with my overall experience so I will not be returning to The Palace unless someone else is footing the bill. -A lovely boutique-type hotel 3 mins from Chinatown, Nob Hill right next to the Hyde-Powell cable car stop. Was here for 3 days on business and got upgraded to a suite (room 301). Great space and a gargantuan bathroom. Hotel staff were wonderful, pleasant greeting from door staff through to the cleaners, really top notch. They couldn't have been more helpful.The hotel is very central and on my one day off, was a great starting place to walk through Chinatown to North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf. Room itself was clean, tidy, well decorated and the bed was fantastic, if I could've sneaked it out of the room and to my house, I would have. Would definitely come back again. -I attended a conference in town and stayed here. Initially, I was going to stay at a different hotel in Union Square, but I'm so glad I chose the Hilton instead! I got into town early and I was able to check in early. The service at the front desk was prompt and friendly. I was given a room on the 22nd floor. The staff were helpful in guiding me to the nearest MUNI stops - there is one a short walk around the corner of the building. This hotel is located right in Chinatown and close to the Financial District. It is a nice 10 minute walk to the nearby Embarcadero Center (where you can go shopping). This hotel is about 15 minutes from the SF airport. The room was very clean and I was very impressed with everything. The bed was soft, as were the pillows, and the comforter. I wish my own bed was as nice! The towels were fluffy and the bathroom had Evelyn Crabtree amenities. When I left the hotel and asked for a cab, the staff were prompt with getting me one. They went out in the streets and hailed each taxi that drove by. I had a very nice time here and would definitely stay here again on my next visit. -The rooms are compact but well organized with very comfortable beds and pillows, good lighting and adequate storage. There is a flat screen TV and free wireless connection in a spotless, modern setting. The bathrooms are well appointed with Aveda products. The water pressure seemed weak, perhaps to save water.The windows do not open which is a drawback when you just want fresh air. Although the AC/heating system worked well, it was very noisy. Also, avoid a room with an adjoining room door. The doors are not very soundproof, but the efficient staff moved us right away to a quieter room. We also prefer the rooms facing the street than some of the rooms that have the wall of another building as your view.The buffet breakfast was disappointing and boring. Better to get a rate without breakfast and eat elsewhere (french cafe across the street). Also, the gym is very small and claustrophobic.In many respects we prefer their sister hotel, but the hotel's LEEDcertification and emphasis on sustainability is very appealing. Hopefully, it will become the industry standard. Overall, the staff was very helpful and friendly making our stay enjoyable. -We have just spent 4 nights at the Handlery hotel in the Club section overlooking the pool. The king room was a good size for the two of us and the bed was comfortable and pillows soft. The bathroom was clean I always like to see really clean towels which they were. A small downside was that our room (316) was a little too near the elevator and although there was no noise from the elevator itself there was from guests coming and going at early/late hours. Staff made us feel at ease and answered all our enquiries and requests quickly and were very helpful. We ate both breakfast and dinner in the attached Daily Grill and were not disappointed by either the prices or the quality of food served. The pool area is a lovely sun spot and the pool was warm to swim in. Altogether a very nice hotel (Club Section) with helpful and willing staff. Would stay again if visiting the Union Square area again. -This is a very modern "Green" hotel - rooms had separate bins for bottles, paper, trash, etc. Everything seemed very clean and well maintained. Front desk staff were friendly and attentive. Beds were very clean and comfortable, especially with the down comforters. Housekeeping staff were almost a bit too attentive (just be careful when using those "Do Not Disturb" cards - one side says "Please clean room early!") Hotel itself is VERY small - lobby has no lounge area, just the front desk and the restaurant. Rooms also have dvd players, which I wasn't expecting. Free dvds are available for rent if you ask at the front desk - not a huge selection though. Room service is extremely expensive for what you get - I would not recommend that. Otherwise, hotel experience was generally good. -What a wonderful hotel. My husband and I were from the San Francisco area and recently moved to Hawaii. We were back for the holidays and stayed here right before Christmas and we loved it! The staff were so pleasant and greeted us each night when we came in. We felt like they went above and beyond to be pleasant. The location is close to all, near Union Square and close to good restaurants. I will definitely stay here again. -I LOVE this clean, economical, funky hotel in the Marina District! The property is cool, the neighborhood is fantastic (short cab ride to any attractions you can't walk to, but you can walk to plenty!). The front desk staff make the Del Sol the BEST choice. They'll set you up with all the info you could ever want, from practical needs like laundry and dry cleaning, to day trip ideas/restaurats/bars that aren't in the guide books. They all go above and beyond to ensure a great stay. Frasier, in particular, is knowledgeable,friendly and super helpful - he's always a star! I discovered the Del Sol over a year and a half ago, and have been back SEVEN times since then. I'll never stay at another hotel in SF. FREE PARKING - that's unheard of! My only advice for making a good stay even better is to bring earplugs if you'll be there on the wkend, but that's good advice no matter where you're staying. -We have just return from our stay in Omni. Hotel was beautiful. Service was unbelievable. Bathrobe and slippers were provided. Everyone was extremely friendly. Very convenient location, in front of the cable car line, but very quiet on the weekend. We walked to Chinatown, the Coit Tower, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf. You can also take a bus to all the tourist attractions. Great shower in the bathroom. Loved our stay. -I was travel to SF for business for a few days and vacation for the last few days. I had a few friends meet me up there and I was excited to stay at a hotel that I thought would live up to all the standards of a 4-star hotel.Room Quality - horribleWhen we arrived in on our floor, we were disappointed to find the hallways had a musty odor. We figured it was an older property, so we looked the other way until we arrived in our room only to find the same. The room smelled very musty and the carpets looked horrible. Our view of what they call a "courtyard" is a view of the roof with some astroturf looking material. The bathrooms were not the cleanest and very small. And if someone can tell me why they would even leave the 1970's TV in the already small bathroom, is beyond me. The room is very outdated, with what seemed to be Hawaiian headboard, flowery-printed drapery, and asian lamps and pictures on the wall. I've seen nicer rooms at college dorms. The beds were very uncomfortable and it seems that the mattresses were extremely old (perhaps purchased at the same time as the TV in the bathroom!). I shared a bed with my sister and the bed was so saggy that we ended up rolling into the middle of the bed - making for an unpleasant evening with a lovely backache to start off the day. They did have the feather-down comforter and pillow, but that can only do so much.Poor customer service - horribleWhen I arrived at check-in, no one even greeted us to check in. I had to ask the person at the front desk for some assistance. I received a $500 Marriott Travel Card for recognition from my employer. No one on the front desk staff new how to process this card. They then tried to call the number on the back of the card to verify that I really had a $500 balance on the card. There was woman who worked at the front desk who assisted me after the initial person didn't know what to do with the travel card. I can't remember her name but she had big glasses and short spiked grey hair. She seemed impatient not only with me, but with the front desk associate who originally assisted me. I mentioned to them both that I had received and used these travel cards in the past and how they were processed. They continued to tell me that's not what they do, and then told me I would need to surrender the travel card. My two nights stay would not total $500, so I questioned why I would need to give up my card that would still have a balance remaining after my stay. Again, the front desk staff didn't know how to handle this and instead tried to credit my room with $500. After my apparent frustration, they called the manager out and he wasn't quite sure how to handle it, but said if there was a credit balance, he would just credit one of my credit cards or send me a check in the mail. I knew this was probably not supposed to work that way, but had already stood at the front desk for 15 minutes and did not want to debate with them any longer. About 15 minutes after arriving in my room, I received a phone that I needed to come down to the front desk and pick up my travel card. I went back down, picked up my card. The next morning, the message light came on, and it was the front desk telling me they needed to see me because they didn't properly obtain a credit card at check in. This was all extremely frustrating as I tried to handle all of this when I originally checked in. I had 2 guests with me, and I can honestly say that we will never stay at this property and perhaps a Renaissance property again. I also called for a wake up call, and thought I would take advantage of the complimentary hot coffee and hot chocolate service that came with the wake up call. We received the complimentary beverages 30 minutes before the 9 a.m. wake-up call (only because my friend heard them through the paper-thin walls). When the beverages arrived, coffee and tea had been delivered. We had requested hot chocolate, so I called down to the front desk to inquire about this. They said they had me down for tea. I informed them I specifically asked for hot chocolate as I do not drink tea. Their exact words were in a very abrupt and rude voice, "Well it says here you requested tea." I very politely informed her that I had requested hot chocolate and wanted to see if we could have some sent up. Her response to me was, "You can't have this unless you request it the night before." I then told her that I had requested this the night before, that is how I received this service in the first place. She then sighed and said she would send some hot chocolate up. The concierge staff was rude and didn't even want to try and help us. I must say however, the driver with their complimentary car service was the only highlight of our stay.I definitely would stay far, far away from this property. Thank goodness I didn't really have to spend much time in my room during the day. It really is a depressing room. Its too bad, as I stay in Marriott properties at least 15 times a year. The location is great, but too much of a sacrifice in my mind. -I stayed at the Mark Hopkins Hotel for 7 days last July and I had a wonderful time. The service was excellent, room service was great and the food was so good. My Mom always say "You get what you pay for." That's exactly what you'll get at Mark Hopkins. You pay a higher price for an excellent hotel stay. You will not be disappointed. In fact, I have made another reservation to stay at this hotel while I am in San Francisco for business. I don't think I can ever stay elsewhere. I highly recommend this hotel. -This is a beautiful hotel, befitting its name. We parked at the Walnut Creek Bart station on a Friday ($1 for the weekend, and $8.50 round trip) and took Bart into SF; the Palace was less than a block from the Montgomery station. The history of the Palace is explained in little exhibits throughout the lobby. We found the room where President Warren G. Harding died when we went to get ice. We didn't eat at the Garden Court, but it was very lovely to see so many people enjoying brunch there Saturday, such a light and airy place. We had a great crab cake at the Pied Piper Bar with our wine Friday evening before setting out for our evening's entertainment. Although we were staying for a $139 rate, offered by the hotel on the Internet, the check-in and service were superb, as was our room - very quiet and comfortable. We have used promotional rates at other supposedly fine hotels in SF and have been stuck by the elevators or ice machines, but not here. -This hotel is in great location close to Union Square, and all the major shopping areas. The employees are attentive, friendly and provides excellent service. And the room is very clean with nice amenities. Strongly recommended for leisure or business stay. Cheers -The Palace Hotel is a lovely building with beautiful public spaces. The rooms have high-celings and nice (if a bit worn) empire furniture, but they don't seem as grand as the rest of the building and they don't live up to the Luxury Collection expectations I had when I checked in. The service here is merely adequate, not bad, but not really good either. I was, frankly, surprised, as my experiences at other Luxury Collection properties have all been marked by very good to excellent service. My stay at the Palace (earlier this month) was fine, but I doubt I'd stay here again. I would suggest Starwood either rebrand this hotel as a Sheraton, or work with the hotel's owners to freshen the rooms and revitalize the service. -Stayed here for four nights on business last month and it was a pleasant although not perfect experience. Location is great, right next to Chinatown and close to Union Square, lots of places to walk to for food and coffee.The room was good, got upgraded to a superior king with a view to Bush street. Room was very quiet, bed and linens were great, loved the recycling bins right in the room too. The bathroom was large and laid out pretty well but I prefer more water pressure in the shower, I have long thick hair and it felt like it took me a half hour to wash it! Loved the EO products provided, especially the grapefruit mint glycerin soap. Would have preferred to receive USA Today rather than the local paper, and never saw the USA Today available in the lobby as was mentioned in the room, but oh well, that's no biggie.Fitness center had nice machines but there are only three (!) - one bike, one treadmill and one elliptical plus a small area with a mat and an excercise ball. I know it's not a big hotel but IMO there should be more machines available, a minimum of two treadmills and at least some free weights. Also thought it was gross that there was no sanitizer to wipe the machines with - yuck. Luckily, there is a lot of cardio available from the city itself :)Did not have room service since there are so many options nearby - Starbucks kitty corner from the hotel, Working Girl's Cafe going the other way (awesome place) and Cafe Amici down the block (wouldn't really recommend that one). Favorite restaurant of the trip? Capurro's down at the wharf - great seafood, pizza and steaks, awesome happy hour and fabulous service. We liked it so much we went there three times in four days! Had lunch at Nonna Rose down by the wharf and liked it alot, and went to the trusty Boudin for tasty and inexpensive food too. Also went to the Irish Bank Bar and Restaurant which I would never recommend to anyone - horrible food, service and the place was dirty. Two out of three of us got a stomach ache after dinner here. All in all, I would choose to stay at the Orchard Garden again. It's not my favorite hotel but it certainly fills the bill for a business trip. -The staff and rooms here are great. We spent Sunday, Monday nights and a Friday night. The rooms are not huge but definetly big enough for us. They are clean. Our only complaint was the noise level at night. The hotel is located right on the highway leading to and from the Golden Gate Bridge. The traffic noise in the front of the hotel was very loud on Sunday and Friday nights. Also if you call the hotel you can get a better rate (for us $25/night) then if you go through one of the web sites. Overall it was a nice experience and a very clean hotel with great staff. -spend 4 days there for business. try to get a room with a view over the bay: I was overlooking Alcatraz Prison! the hotel has a great history as it is probably one of the first luxurious hotel of SF. Many famous people, from US president to actors came there. You feel the history with the rococo design. a bit kitschy but perfect for a romantic stay and great if you like this kind one hotel which reminds you the French Riviera. The staff was very helpful. the rooms are big, bathrooms nice with bath and shower, 32 LCD TVs. the lobby is huge with lots of private space if you need to meet people. There is a bar where you can have a big breakfast in the morning or have a drink later in the day. there is also another bar in the former swimming pool with an Tahitian theme where you can have cocktails or diner. didn't try the food but the cocktail were good (and pricey as it is a first class hotel). the gym is ok but you have to pay, sthg like $10 or $15/day. the hotel in on top of a hill so if you are a lazy type person you will have to take a cab or the tramway to come back or find another hotel downtown! it s a 5 min cab ride to go downtown and there are always cabs waiting at the entrance. the concierge has great restaurant recommendations. indicated me an awesome tapas place in the Spanish area. I would definitely come back even if they lack a pool....(I was there in the winter so not so inconvenient).last thing: have a drink in the hotel next door, in the tower: great view over SF -The location is good, close to pier 39 and to the cable cars stop. The room was ok with comfortable beds. The car parking is very expensive 49$ per night . We felt that it was a rip off and they should have reduced the rate for hotels guests. There is a public car park near by that charges 25$ per night. Not sure that we would stay there again. -This hotel was absolutely horrible! I always read trip advisor before staying at a hotel. However, considering we were in San Francisco for a cheer competition, we thought it would be in our best interest to stay at the Whitcomb with the rest of our daughters team. I just could not take it! As we checked in , I thought to myself that the hotel did not seem too bad, the lobby was descent. But oh my goodness....when we went upstairs, it was terrible. I never stayed somewhere like this! The rooms and beds were so small, I wondered how my 6'2" husband would fit in these beds. The shower area was just disgusting! And the smell was just undescribable, it sort of smelled like mildew. I literally began to fell nauseated. This hotel needs to go under serious renovations. I do not recommend this place to anyone. We stayed in this room all of 2 hours and went to the Hilton approximately 5 minutes away. The rate was only $20 more a night. Well worth it! The Hotel Whitcomb has given me a new appreciation for nicer hotels. This website is an awesome source for information concerning any hotel. -Great setting at the end of the wharf (so your not in the midst of all of the craziness associated with the shops/bars). Very close to a lot of things....and reasonable cab ride to any SOMA, Marina, or Pacific Heights restaurants you may want to try out. There is a Starbucks at the back of the building....just in case you like a quick cup of coffee to help you get your day going. No complaints - really happy with what this hotel offered for the price. It's not the Mandarin Oriental or Four Seasons (these would be 5 star, excellent hotels) - but it is a quality 4-star hotel that allows you to start your San Francisco visit off on the right foot! We ventured off to Sonoma, Muir Woods, Sausalito, Alcatraz, SOMA/Mission District, and Pacific Heights...we never once felt inconveniences or let down by our hotel - the guys at the front door and front desk are very friendly and helpful as well. -Our room was very clean! The beds were really comfy in my opinion with goose down pillows and the sheets were changed every day! Our room was on the 16th floor, which I really LOVED! The view was awesome at night and during the day. The flat screen TV was a nice bonus, too! The bathroom was very clean as well. The hotel was awesome in regards to keeping the noise level down. It felt like we were the only ones there. So quiet and peaceful; the Japanese style sliding doors that covered the glass doors that led to the balcony allowed for virtually no light to peak through so it was very dark at night and kept noise out of the room from outside. The neighborhood seemed very safe. Overall, we really liked this hotel. My two kids and husband enjoyed it just as much as me! I would definitely recommend this hotel again. Just don't pay their $35 a night parking for valet. There is a parking garage adjacent to the hotel for $16 a day, but you have to pay to go in and out. Just park along the street during the day and pay $16 overnight. -I just completed a 13-night stay here while I was in San Francisco on business. The original reasons I decided to stay at the Diva were the 10,000 frequent flier miles my airline was offering for the stay, and the free wireless internet service they offer in all the rooms (if you have a laptop). While the internet was nice and convenient and I was happy to get tons of airline miles, the hotel itself left a lot to be desired. The floors creak like you wouldn't believe, and when your "neighbor" takes a shower at 6 AM it sounds like a loud freight train, making it impossibile to sleep. Speaking of 6 AM, I must mention the morning they gave me an unrequested wake-up call at 6 on a Saturday. A SATURDAY. The one morning I was able to sleep in and they screwed it up. The room and the entire hotel had this really strange odor which never really went away the whole time I was here, and the TV had far fewer channels than practically every hotel I've stayed at before.The excercise room was okay. Nothing special but it had everything I needed (treadmill and stairmaster) so I can't complain too much about that. As I mentioned, the in-room wireless internet was nice but it sure did break down a bunch, at least twice a day. It was always back up and running an hour or so later, but still an inconvenience. I should also mention that the room was pretty quiet (besides the creaky floors and loud pipes), since they gave me a room that faced the "courtyard" instead of Geary Street, but I've heard it can get really loud if you get a room facing the street so definitely keep that in mind if you decide to stay here.The only reason I give the hotel 2 dots out of 5 instead of 1 is due to the free internet as well as the decent location. The hotel needs a major overhaul, and I seriously doubt I'll ever stay here again no matter how many miles my airline offers me. -I have stayed at this property several times on business trips when I had a limited budget. Since I am working, I do not spend too much time in the room. Every visit, I have found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. If you take the right exit from BART, the Hotel entrance is just steps from the station exit. It is also a few blocks from Davies Hall, where the Symphony plays. The down side of the location is that this is not a great section of Market and most people probably will not feel too comfortable walking at night. So, take BART or the ample public transit. The hotel is nicely kept and clean. The building has some interesting architectural details. Still, it is an old and somewhat tired property and some of the remodeling is not the best. Same for the fitness center -- the room and equipment are older, but meet my needs. The food is good, but overpriced. If you are bothered by traffic notice, ask for a quiet room in back. The rooms in front overlook Market, which is a busy street. The staff, the price and the BART station make the difference for me. -I have used trip advisor for several trips now and I have not been disappointed. I have found that you are the best source to find a hotel. My family and I were traveling to Yosemite and decided to stay three days in San Francisco. It was a hard decision to make but after reading your reviews decided on the Pan Pacific in San Francisco. What a wonderful decision. The hotel' s location is great -- it is within walking distance of many many stores/shopping. It is a short distance (5 minute walk) to the cable cars, Chinatown (walking distance a little longer), if you are renting from Hertz I believe they will do that for you (at least I know they will return the car for a $5 fee), and many other restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are also close to several drug stores and mini markets. The hotel is beautiful inside and the rooms were roomy for 2 adults and 2 children with 5 pieces of luggage. The service and concierge were exceptional and went out of their way to do extra things for us. I cannot say enough about this place and the people who are working there. After going to Yosemite and several others places we needed to return to San Francisco for our return flight home and wanted to stayed again at the Pan Pacific which we did. The concierge printed our boarding passes for our airline and even arranged for a cab to be downstairs at a certain time to take us to the airport. This hotel even offers free car service during certain times of the day and several times instead of a cab they offered us the car for our own use. We loved this hotel and its location and would definitely stay here again. Finally, although a little more in price I was able to go on the Pan Pacific web site and get an internet special for several nights. Even if you pay a little more for this hotel -- you get what you pay for! -Stayed at the Chancellor recently for 3 nights. What a find. Can't beat the location. Staff very helpful and the suite we had on the 14th floor was great with 2 bathrooms and a great view. Our room wasn't ready when we arrived so we went down Powell for a cafe lunch. We're pretty low maintenance hotel guests as we prefer to do our own research on sightseeing, restaurants, etc but everyone at the hotel was pleasant from Alice in housekeeping to Matthew who helped us with luggage at check in . For a hotel that's been around since 1914, the Chancellor has been kept in good condition and has a comfortable, quality feel to it. Don't know what the other reviewer meant by thin walls, but we didn't hear a peep from any other guest. Rooms are updated as well with flat screen TVs and free wireless internet. Can't wait to return! -We moved here after an awful experience at Hotel Monaco and were grateful to get in for the three nights we stayed. The hotel is located in the middle of SF on Market St, which was very central for all of the sights and good restaurants. I'm sure there are other more trendy areas of SF to stay, but this was ideal for getting to all the places we wanted to. Service was impeccable and reliable - all our requests were accomodated and we were shown a couple of different rooms on check-in. We found Market Street typical of SF - quite noisy - and it was nice to be 10 stories or so up - good view and relatively quiet. Rooms are not the most impressive of the FS I have stayed at but decent size and very acceptable. Public areas nice and bar okay but nothing special compared to other FS. Concierge hugely helpful and everything felt relaxed - what you pay for with FS. I'm sure there are plusher and more trendy hotels in SF - and possibly better value. But there are certaintly far worse in our experience and the FS did everything it says on the tin. You simply don't have to worry about poor room, poor location, poor service or stress. Solid but expensive - but you won't go far wrong. -Location in Japan Town was excellent and close to great food and culture. Hotel was OK but nothing out of the ordinary. Lobby and Garden were as described and quite beautiful but the rooms were basic and standard at best. My number one complaint was the popcorn ceiling. Really?...in this day and age? Scrape that old stuff off! The bathroom perplexed w/too many doors that actually hit each other if opened all at once. The restaurant had great decor but the Sunday breakfast buffet was forgettable. $18 dollars for powdered eggs? Luckily, we were there for the City and not the Hotel. But, would have liked to have been 'Wowed'. One last thing...the advertised 'welcoming tea' was non-existent. :-( -I stayed at Hotel Vitale for a bachelorette weekend and it was wonderful. The service, decor and beds were awesome. The staff was at our beckon call and we loved sleeping in the beds!! The hotel was kind enough to give us a bottle of champagne and a tray of gourmet cupcakes for the group which was super sweet. We loved the rooftop terrace (what a view!) and overall the hotel was great. Overnight parking was $$ at $40/night but that was my only complaint....we went to the bar in the hotel and had a lot of fun there as well. Next time I go to this hotel, I am going to do a more romantic trip as the hotel is good for both scenarios...great stay overall. Thanks Hotel Vitale! (more specifically Nicole Muller) -Loved the location - so close to Union Square and you can walk to so many key locations. Loved the authenticity - felt like I was part of the history of San Francisco. The hotel is old but it was clean, the bedding was fresh and the bathroom sparkled. Loved the service - the people at the desk were helpful and went out of the way to ensure we got everything we needed. Loved the free breakfast and wine reception - the free breakfast was a great way to save a bit of money and the waffles were great - the wine reception helped reduce our wine bill at dinner and was a great place to meet others and share the day's experiences. Loved the price - the hotel honoured a great deal that was briefly available on the internet even though I had already booked our rooms. $110.00 U.S. a night. Only problems - there was some work being done outside our rooms during the day which was a problem for those trying to get a catnap in late in the afternoon prior to going out for dinner. As well, we were there during an unbelievable cold snap and gettingthe temperature just right in the room was a bit difficult given the age of the hotel. Cheers -Exceptional service. The concierge will respond to your every request very promptly and eagerly. I was very impressed with how they responded when I asked if they could get a rental car for me. Within 20 minutes there was one waiting outside the hotel and I just had to sign the contract and take the keys. If you like to not have to lift a finger when you are on a vacation/getaway, this is a great place to stay. Also very clean and comfortable room with a great view. -I was traveling on business but with a significant other, so this trip was as much a vacation as anything. I booked this hotel on Priceline for a quarter what it was selling for on the open market. From what I can tell Priceliners usually get a very cramped room with no view in the "old" section. That was still fine with me, as the spectacular location, gorgeous public spaces, fantastic staff, and Heavenly Bed and Bath were good enough for me. And regardless, for about $60 a night they would have upgrading into the newer section (still a good value). We checked in late and, I'm assuming as a result, were given an upgraded room in the "new" tower on a high floor. It was magnificent. Spacious, clean, modern and with great views of San Francisco... it transformed out trip. As I mentioned, all Westin rooms (including this one) had wonderful beds and bathrooms. The front desk staff was friendly and more importantly polished - something I find less and less of these days. The room service, cleaning staff, and doormen were all excellent as well. I find the reviews complaining about extra charges at a four star hotel a little lame. It is, in fact, really annoying to pay high fees for internet, the business center, parking, fitness, breakfast etc. However that high end hotels charge for these services is no secret - avoiding them is a big part of why so many business travelers stay at places like Courtyard or Hilton Garden Inn. While those hotels might be a better value, they simply cannot touch the heritage and, frankly, class of the Westin St. Francis and its staff. They actually succeeded in turning a hotel stay into a memorable experience for my partner and me - something very hard to come by for otherwise budget travelers. -We recently enjoyed a weekend stay at The Fairmont San Francisco through Disney Vacation Club points usage. As a quintessential San Francisco property, there is much to this property as well as nearby.We stayed in room 590, the Dunkirk suite. It is a corner accomodation with great city views. It is well appointed in the classic sense; elegant Napoleonic decor along with modern touches like large flatscreens and two full baths. Along with numerous lounges and restaurants, I would recommend the Tonga Room. It is a Polynesian themed lounge and restaurant replete with thatched roofs, tiki iodols and rain falling from the ceiling accompanied by thunder from the loudspeaker. A true nostalgic experience!This hotel is ideally situated at the intersection of two cable car lines, and walking distance to Chinatown. It boasts an enviable location atop Nob Hill, and the service aspect from the staff is one of total service.This hotel is ideal for couples or families on a holiday, all the way to conventions. As it is a classic hotel, it will not have all the wired amenities of newer properties like a W Hotel, and Nob Hill is a bit far from the airport or Silicon Valley. However, if you enjoy classic hotels, this is among the best. -Yep, I have to agree with all those folks who gave the Castle Inn 5 stars. Spacious rooms, clean and tidy, and modern furnishings in excellent condition. No noise or security problems. Central location in a decent neighbourhood, and pretty close to just about anywhere you might want to go. Walgreens just around the corner for all your bits and pieces, and you can catch the 49 and 47 buses (to get you to Market Street) two minutes from the hotel. Very friendly and helpful folks on the front desk. And very reasonably priced. Overall, excellent value for money and highly recommended. -Hotel is close to China town and Union Square, a little further walk to Fisherman's wharf. Cable car stop just outside. Room was amazing. Beautiful views of the city. Bathroom was luxurious. Service was outstanding. The slightest request brought swift and curtious responses. Only thing was the dining room was closed when we arrived at 6pm for some reason, and valet parking added $50 a day to an already expensive bill. -We stayed at this hotel for two nights while recently in San Fran. Be warned the photos you see of this place on the web and in magazines make it look A LOT nicer that it really is. Art hotel, sure. Boutique hotel, noooo way!Rooms are surely individual and uniquely painted, but that is all that they have going for them. Contemporary beds and the room furniture were nothing more than plywood construction w/ a nice coat of black paint. At least our chair was from Ikea. The carpet is dingy + we wore sandals the entire time for fear of foot-born illness. There was graffiti on our toilet seat. Sick. I can't imagine what it would have been like had we not splurged for the private bath.Worst of all...I woke up in the middle of the night w/ really itchy legs. After being awakened at 6:30 am by someone using a saw in the building next door, I noticed my calves and thighs were covered in bites that i didn't have prior to getting into be there. Bed bugs to the max!!! We found the staff to be quite unhelpful and not friendly. They seemed like they just don't want to be there. This place is totally a hostel in disguise. Setup and facilities aside, be aware of the lack of cleanliness. Take your money + go elsewhere. -We had a wonderful time at the J.W. Marriott. The staff was top rate, very attentive. For e.g., when we checked in, the computer showed our room was not ready but the staff went to the room personally to check on it and found that it was ready, saving us the wait. I asked for extra hangers for the closet and they were delivered in a matter of minutes. The hotel is in a nice location, and has great amenities inc. their concierge room. We stayed in a room not yet renovated, but still very clean and pleasant. -A friend and myself visited San Francisco for 4 days. We booked rooms at the Whitcomb through Orbitz and had a very reasonable rate for staying in the City. The hotel is classic and the rooms were quite nice with high ceilings and fully furnished. The bathrooms are huge. It is an historic hotel and with that you would expect high ceilings and larger rooms and that is what you get. At check in, I requested rooms at the front of the hotel overlooking Market St. I am so glad I did that. We both had rooms with a view of City Hall and at night it was wonderful to have this view. As is typical of older city hotels, this hotel does have rooms that overlook nothing or a wall. Always ask for rooms at the front of the building. The Starbucks in the lobby is quite nice and the service is totally fast Starbucks. Other people here have reviewed this hotel and complained about the homeless population around the hotel. Well, guess what? There are homeless everywhere in San Francisco, this is NOT a reflection of this hotel. The neighborhood is safe and equal to any in the City. The transportation outside the front door is wonderful, you can go ANYWHERE in the City from this hotel front door. My encounters with the concierge desk were wonderful. They were friendly and quite helpful, AND they knew what they were talking about. There was no "Hmm, I don't know". It was like staying in a hotel in Europe for me, the hallways were huge, so old style. And the elevators were there in seconds. They all worked and did the job well. The staff was friendly and helpful. Thank you for a nice stay. Only problem I could come up with is that the internet service seem to be overwhelmed, so slow to download, but that is the fault of the service that they contract with, they could try another service. And I was on the 6th floor and the ice machine was missing, so I had to hoof it to the 5th or 7th floor for ice. But maintenance is maintenance. -My stay at the Hotel Adagio provided me with the opportunity to experience the best of San Francisco. Within short walking distance to Union Square, excellent dining, shopping and theatre Hotel Adagio is a wonderful retreat. It's spacious rooms, wonderful views, hip decor and professional, friendly service make it hard to leave. The atmosphere at Cortez, Adagio's restaurant is fabulous and the food even better. I look forward to my next visit! -My boyfriend and I stayed at the Nikko July 4 - July 8. The price on Expedia was a better deal than what the hotel's website was directly offering so I called Nikko and they matched it. Upon arriving we checked in and were immediately helped by the very friendly staff. No lines and it took only a few minutes.Our room was 1523 and yes the room was kind of small but we were never in the room so it didn't matter. The bed was VERY comfortable and the flat screen tv was an added bonus. We didn't have a spectacular view but a hotel room isn't the reason we decided to come to San Fran. The bathroom is on the old side but served it's purpose fine. The only issue we ever had is that they didn't clean our room one day. We even called twice during the day and asked them to come clean it and when we arrived back to our room at 11pm it still hadn't been cleaned. But other than that, no problems.The location is absolutely perfect. Very easy to get to the cable cars and shopping. Taxis are always lined up on the street between the Nikko and the Hilton. We had drinks at Farleys across from Starbucks and First Crush which is on OFarrell and Cyril. Very dark and romantic and very nice service. We sat at the bar and saw a couple get engaged behind us. We never made it to Anzu although we heard it was great. Starbucks every morning and there is always a line but it goes very fast. Check out was very easy b/c we had no problem with our bill and could just check out through the tv. Overall, great stay! -After months of research and obsessing over which hotel to book for our 15 yr. annversary trip, we chose the Westin St. Francis. We could not have been more thrilled! What a beautiful hotel. We stayed in a Grandview room in the newer tower rooms. To die for beds, awesome views and great room service. We ordered room service one evening and was delivered quickly and was DELICIOUS. For breakfast one morning, we ordered from the menu that you leave on your doorknob the night before and choose your delivery time. It was delivered right on time and was the best breakfast I have ever had! And the location is unbeatable. The cable cars, buses and BART are just short steps away. The hotel is really beautiful, convenient and safe. Take time to explore this historic beauty. I will NEVER stay anywhere else!!!TIP: You can walk to Chinatown or hop on the bus on Stockton Street. The 30 and 45 will take you to Chinatown, North Beach, Fishermans Wharf... get a muni passport for 3 or 7 days and ride unlimited rides on the buses, BART, cable cars and street cars. Alcatraz - Awesome, book tickets online if you can. Fills up fast. Bike the Bridge - If you are up to it. It is really a wonderful experience. The map is easy to navigate. Ride is beautiful and you ride a ferry back with you bike from Sausolito. If you eat breakfast out of the hotel, Sears Fine Dining is just up the street on Powell (Bkfst, Lunch, Dinner). There are several Lori's Diners up and down from the hotel. -I stayed here for 3 nights on our trip through California. Overall, was very impressed with the Hotel Whitcomb, a beautiful building - must have been a very grand hotel back in its day. Yes, it has aged but they have done a great job at keeping it maintained.Rooms are a little small but the beautiful high ceilings certainly make up for it. Bathroom is also a good size and was clean and neat. Beds were super comfortable and big TV. Aircon worked well too!There is a good business center downstairs if you don't have a computer with you ($5 minimum for 20 mins), if you have a laptop, wireless in rooms works ok but can be a little tempremental.Really enjoyed our stay here, however, I would caution anyone travelling on their own that its not the best location to be roaming around on your own after dark. Its in a little bit of a sketchy area of town but the metro stop is literally right outside the door as does the F Line street car which takes you straight down to the Fisherman's Wharf. Location is very close to Union Square only about 5-10 minute walk and 5 minute walk from the Powell Street station where you can catch the cable cars if you want to.My only complaint would be about the restaurant (a little bit too up market for the location and bit too expensive), we are budget travellers (hence our choice to stay at the Hotel Whitcomb) and felt that food wise, it was a little more expensive then what we would have liked. Ended up having Starbucks breakfast most mornings and got Subway in the evenings (just across the road).Apart from that I would definitely recommend the Hotel Whitcomb for any budget travellers out there. Just be aware of the area you are staying in and take precaution after dark. -I would recommend this hotel as a place to stay, it has really friendly, welcoming and knowledgable staff, is situated in a lovely part of San Fransisco and the room we had was perfect - clean, large and very comfortable - I loved the bathrobes !We arrived from the UK having been travelling for most of the day and it was great to get such a warm welcome from David at the front desk. Registration was carried out very efficiently and we were impressed with the spacious, clean and welcoming room we were given.We asked David for advice on where to eat and he gave us four recommendations, all of which we tried over the following couple of days - Max, Scampos (I think the name was) , Four Seas and Finos. The breakfast buffet was really good with a choice of cereal, croissants, bagels, pastries, yogurt, fruit etc. All of the staff were very friendly and more than willing to give us a hand with our luggage and order and hail taxi's for us The hotel is ideally situated in San Fransisco within walking distances of public transport and near some great shops. When we mentioned to one of the other staff that we were going to Macy's he gave us a 10% off voucher that proved very useful.If we ever come to San Fransisco again we would definately stay here and I have no problems recommending this hotel -I used an online discount site (Priceline) and after submitting my request for a 4 Star Room etc I was assigned the Mark Hopkins. Only stayed one night as was in town for office party. Check in was simple (once you were able to get their attention). Since I booked through a discount site, had to call ahead and request double bed smoking room (not guaranteed) and that's the room I got. Sadly, I saw no difference between this room or one at a Hyatt. Actually, looked exactly like a Hyatt room. Was small and basic and a disappointment. Not that the room was awful, but should not be advertised as a 4 Star at all. Would not recommend if your looking for a 4 star room to spoil yourself or do something different, or are accustomed to 4 star lodging. Room service was good, food was delicious but also pricey. Two cheeseburgers with fries= 55.00. Went to the Top of The Mark (hotel rest and bar) for a nightcap but they were shutting down and it wasn't even midnight! Neighborhood is nice, but beware and either take the bus (1 California) or take a cab, because the hills are steep....very steep. Think mountain. -I was traveling to San Francisco with my parents and we booked Hotel Drisco based on the great reviews from Trip Advisor, making our reservation nearly two months before arriving in SF. When we made our reservation we were torn between booking two separate non-suite rooms or the adjoining two bedroom suite. We ended up going with the two separate rooms because of the giant cost difference. When we arrived at Hotel Drisco to check in, we were told that my parent's room had been upgraded to a suite, however both rooms were located in the basement, down the hall from the service entrance, across from an ice machine and the breakfast room. Our windows overlooked the kitchen of the hotel and the rooms were very dark. Needless to say we were disappointed and considered switching hotels, however the desk staff was able to move us both into an adjoining two bedroom suite on the corner of the top floor. The new rooms had beautiful light, gorgeous views of the Bay and Alcatraz and it was like we were staying in a completely different hotel. We loved, loved loved our new rooms.The adjoined two bedroom suites are great if you're traveling as a group, however one of the bedrooms in these two bedroom suites has no bathroom attached. You have to cross the private hall (to which both bedrooms in the suite have access) to get to the bathroom. If the person staying in the other bedroom is not traveling with you, you could conceivably be walking out of your shower into your room and pass a stranger in the hall. It was a bit bizarre. I would recommend this hotel ONLY if you are given a room on the top two floors. It would be quite loud otherwise, and much less private. The only problem is, you are given no guarantees as to where your room is until you check in. It's a bit of a gamble. Also, beware. The prices of rooms fluctuate. When we were moved to the double room suite, the price we were quoted at the desk was nearly $100 less per night than what we were quoted when we originally made the decision to stick with the smaller, single rooms. That said, bathrooms in both suites and non-suites were beautiful and large, the breakfast were very nice, and Thanh (sp?) the bellhop/doorman was so kind and friendly. We loved the private, neighborhood feel of Pacific Heights. There are some great nearby restaurants (try Sociale) and the buses run frequently if you're wanting to go further afield. There's also a complimentary town car service running to Union Square every morning between 7 and 9, which is handy. -I stayed at the Fairmont in San Francisco once before about eight years ago and had memories of outdated decor and paper-thin walls. I decided to give it another try for a recent overnight stay, enticed by a good rate, and was thoroughly impressed. Usually when I come into town I stay at the Campton Place hotel on Union Square, which I have always liked for being an upscale but smaller and more personal hotel with great value rates. While the location for the Campton Place is better (the Fairmont is at the top of Nob Hill and while it has stunning views it can be a bit of a hike to get someplace, or you need to take a taxi), I was impressed with the Fairmont this time around and would stay there again.I was given a beautiful, large renovated room on the 6th floor with a view of the garden courtyard and a distant view of the Transamerica Tower. There was not a problem with noise this time around and I did not hear anyone in the surrounding rooms. Room service was efficient and very good, and the quality of everything from the bed linens to the bathroom fixtures was very luxurious.Parking is expensive at $57 a day and I paid it because I needed access to my car for business appointments outside the city. If you can avoid it, you should, as getting a taxi was very easy through the nice doormen at the front of the hotel.The business center is accessable with your room key and has internet access, printers and fax machines. It has not been renovated like other areas of the hotel but I found it quite functional, albeit no frills. -The Palace Hotel is a cool place. It has a grand elegance and appears to have history. The location was great for us. It is within easy walking distance to the Ferry Building. The staff was great and the room was clean and comfortable. Two things to know. The walls are thin. When the folks next door decided to watch TV at 11:30pm, I could hear every word (we had to get up at 4am for a flight!). Also, the charge to keep your car in their valet garage is $48 per night! They don't tell you this until they have possession of your vehicle. Beware! -Hotel Drisco was two blocks away from where we were attending a 50th Anniversary Celebration and was a joy to come home to. We could not have been happier with the Concierge Marti, the front desk Michael and Bob who helped with everything. The breakfast was excellent and fully staffed. Everyone else has said it all. Top quality and fabulous staff. -Traveled to San Francisco with my wife and friends. We all stayed at the Drake. We found this to be an extremely enjoyable experience and would recommend it highly to anyone looking for a unique experience. Yes the rooms were a bit small, but they were nicely furnished and comfortable. From our room we could see the bay and part of Union Square. We will stay here again! Our friends also enjoyed this hotel! -My first impression was this place is beautiful. When I walked into the room, It was immaculate. It is the best and most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed at. Everyone was very courteous and charming. I definately would recommend to anyone to stay at Hotel Drisco and hopefully I will stay here again. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/question-test.books.txt b/reference_files/question-test.books.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4a1c1e3e042dd8c2b8a5a7e55df4d0c7bb0d90aa..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/question-test.books.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,191 +0,0 @@ -How is the information? -How was the romance? -How great is the information in this book? -Does the characters are interesing enough? -How is the plot? -How is the character? -How is the character? -How is the character? -How much respect do you have for the theme of the new book? -What is the way like? -Does the plot rich? -How is the way? -How is the information about the environment? -What is your opinion of the plot? -How is character? -How do you like the background? -Was it interesting? -Is this history told in the book good? -What was character like? -What is the best plot invented last year? -Was the character in the book lovable? -How is the outcome of the voices? -What do you think about background? -What is your impressions about the material of the book? -What do you think about plot? -Why do I have a pretty cover? -How are the characters? -How many flaws have? -How is the character? -How is the information? -Do you think that the story is reflected in a realistic way? -How is plot? -What is the quality of feel? -Is the journey comfortable or not? -How is the character? -How is the character? -Are those characters simple? -How was the set? -Who is the best character? -How is the life of the man? -Is the truth strange? -How was the cover? -How are the characters in the book? -What is the character's past? -How is the cover of the book written by Barbara Erskine? -Is the plot fresh? -Can you tell about the main character of this book? -What was the character characteristic? -How do you like the character? -How is the description? -How is the character? -What is your interest in cooking? -What kind of characters has the author created? -Which is your favourite character? -What was character like? -Does it have multiple similarity? -How is respect? -How is the plot going? -How do I identify the character? -How is that character so exceptional? -Do you enjoy journey? -How could you describe the journey of the book? -How is an intelligent character? -Why is the character dumb? -How do you esteem the film plot? -Was the plot full dangerous and full of twists? -How is the truth? -How is the character? -How do you esteem the film plot? -How are the descriptions? -What do you feel about this character? -Does the product have the description? -How is the plot? -How is the romance? -What about character? -Is it a good character? -How is the plot? -How is the plot? -How is the character? -What do you think of the characters? -What is your opinion of the characters in the movie supergirl? -How is the character? -What is the most fabulous character? -Is it a good way? -How many characters should we have? -How did you find the way to the city? -How is an intelligent character? -How weak was that plot? -Why is the plot deep? -How is the character? -How are the romance series? -Is the character matched with the actor? -Which way was easier to rescue the injured? -Is the character mature? -What is character? -Do you think that the story is reflected in a realistic way? -How is past? -How do you like the plot of her new work? -What is the plot of the movie? -Can you show some respect for the deads? -How is the information? -Does have a such good characters? -How does the author handle the dilemma of daenery? -How was the cover? -How is the romance? -How is the character? -How did you like the length? -What is the plot of this novel? -How are the characters personality developed in the book? -How much character do the characters have? -How is the way? -How is the character? -Do you want a long or short plot? -How is the plot on the story? -Is the plot fresh? -What romance so little good? -How would you describe the main character? -Dose this character nice? -What is the way to go for the character? -How was the cover? -How is the quality of plot? -How do you like the character? -Is this character credible? -How was the plot? -Is plot ready? -How's the plot? -How is the way? -How are the characters of the writer? -What is the biggest secret of tully's past? -Do you like romance novels? -What is the genuine character? -How well written is the plot? -What is the way in which the author incorporates the old Jacob? -How do you classify the performance of the animated characters? -How was the bond? -What question do you have regarding this book? -Was the female leader character good enough? -How was the plot? -How great is the information in this book? -How is it the character? -How is the plot? -How did you like the plot? -How is the plot in this reading? -How is the descriptions were? -How did you like the shooting set? -How much character do the characters have? -How could you describe the journey of the book? -Is the character interpreted for a man or a woman? -Does have a such good characters? -What sort of arguments are in this creationist book? -How is the plot? -What's your favourite character? -How is the character? -What is lot? -Is one way great? -How do you like the plot of her new work? -How was the subject there? -Are the characters vivid and appeal? -How is the quality and humor on the serie? -Was the character well drawn? -How is the plot? -How interesting was the set? -Where does the plot become good? -How is the character? -What is your impressions about the material of the book? -What is your opinion of the plot of the movie Flash? -Are those characters simple? -Where do I get a magazine with good character? -How is the character? -What do you think about interest? -How would you describe the characters of the book? -Is the plot as good as the narrative? -How do you esteem the film plot? -How did you like the set? -How was the set? -How is the information? -What is your level of respect? -How is character? -How is the character? -How is the man? -How is the plot? -How is it the man? -Why is the character dumb? -How much character do the characters have? -How is it plot? -How much information should I have? -Do you like romance novels? -What do you think about character? -How is the quality of the plot? -How is the character? -How are the characters? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/question-test.electronics.txt b/reference_files/question-test.electronics.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ebd715d4d856486056aa5dd1c3369012b588a665..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/question-test.electronics.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,238 +0,0 @@ -How is the case? -Does this headphone cord has enought length? -How is case? -How is the lens? -What is build quality on lenses? -How would a concise review describe the video quality, in one word? -How is the thing? -How is the quality of the fan? -How was the case at that time? -What about case? -How is the picture quality? -How is the case? -What is the quality of the contrast? -Is this thing hard to handle? -How does build quality work? -How is the picture quality? -How is the range? -Where is there a good contrast of colors? -How is the picture? -How are one was inexpensive? -How is the case? -How is the sensor? -How is the case fitting your product? -How is the clarity of this team? -How is picture? -How is it the fit? -How good is the phone? -How is the case? -Is the software installed easy to use for novices? -What is the quality of the construction? -How is the picture quality? -How is the software? -How is the range of the house? -Why are things solid? -How is case? -How is the case? -How is the software? -How is the case? -How is day? -How is the strap? -Can I get the best quality cord? -How was the picture? -How is picture? -How is the picture quality? -What is the danger range? -How is the bag? -How was the case at that time? -How is the one? -What is the price of this guitar cord? -Is the cord safe to grab the transformer? -How is the thing? -What is the best layout? -How was tthe video quality? -How is the functionality? -How is the case? -How is the scroll wheel? -How is case? -How is the picture? -Where can I get a luminous case? -How is the picture? -How is the picture quality? -How do the lenses work? -What is software? -How is the picture? -How is the picture quality? -How is the picture? -How is that thing? -Was the audio quality good? -How is the picture quality? -Was the mouse you had perfectly good? -What is the cord like? -Why is bag fairly sturdy? -How slow is the internet service? -What is case? -Which case do you prefer? -How much is the power of the camera? -How is the case? -What do you think about thing? -What is the quality of case? -How can I have more usb port on my PC? -What is case? -How are case? -What is the length of the cable of a television? -How much is the margin to achieve an optimal line of sight? -How is the cord? -Is your bag full of lenses? -How is the side? -How is the picture taken by the camera? -How is the thing like? -How is the picture quality? -How is the photo? -What was the range you have? -How is the case? -Do you think the cable length is right? -How is the mouse? -How is picture? -What is the quality of the contrast? -How does the fan work? -What is the range? -How would you describe the texture of the lens at all focal lengths above 150mm? -How is the functionality? -How is the quality of the autofocus? -How about case? -How good is the phone? -How is the lens? -What is range? -How would you define the quality of ones? -How do you like the lens? -How is the case? -How many radio collection do you have? -What did this case look like that protects your equipment properly? -How is the bag? -How was the fit? -How is the quality of the construction? -How is the antenna? -How is the case fitting your product? -How is the software? -Why do you think it's a perfect case? -How is the lens? -How is that thing? -How is the case? -How is the functionality? -What about case? -How is the speed of the thing? -Do you think the cable length is right? -How many radio collection do you have? -How was the case at that time? -How was the sound quality? -How do you like the lens? -How is the build quality? -What is the cord like? -Was the case loose? -How is the build quality like? -How can you issue? -How is the reception? -What quality is the mouse? -How is the sound quality? -What is the range of this gun? -Where is there a good contrast of colors? -How is the look? -How is the speed of the thing? -How was the thing? -How was the quality of pictures? -What can you do when your phone is dead? -What is the size of the mouse? -How can you describe the voice? -How do you describe the case? -Is the best mouse? -Where can I find a well built thing? -How is the autofocus? -How big is your hand? -How is the new mouse? -What is construction? -Where was the issue? -What is the size of the camera sensor? -How is the antenna? -How is it picture quality? -How is the camera lens is one of worse? -How poor is the range? -How is the quality sound on this device? -How is the case? -How is it the the purchase this one? -Was the mouse you had perfectly good? -How is the quality of picture? -How is the cord? -How is the camera strap? -How is the build quality on this place? -What lenses do you prefer? -Is the power cable fit? -How is it picture? -What landscape picture do you like? -How does the case work? -How was the fit? -How is the cord? -How would you describe the texture of the lens at all focal lengths above 150mm? -What size is the mouse? -Does the software available? -How is the lens? -What is the best layout? -What is the picture like? -How is the quality sound on this device? -How can I have more usb port on my PC? -Why do I have a large area? -How is the autofocus? -How is the presence of mid? -How is picture? -How do you like the reception? -What is the quality of the software? -Is a speakers a light thing? -How is the construction of the cable? -How is the picture? -How is the capability? -Do this computer comes with mouse? -How is the strap? -How much is the power of the camera? -How is the lens? -How quality is the photo pictures? -What software do you want to use? -How comfortable is your mouse? -How is the build quality? -What click are you looking for? -What is the tonal balance of these headphones? -How good is the phone? -How is that fan so big? -How is the mid? -How do you like the picture? -Is sports mode great? -Is this thing hard to handle? -How is the bag? -How do you describe the case? -Is the software included good? -How is the build quality? -How is the range? -How do you like picture taken from the camera? -How is the lcd video screen? -Is this thing hard to handle? -What image had better brightness? -How does this fan work? -How is it the case? -How about this thing? -How is the sound quality? -How is the photo? -How is it photo? -What is the weight of the thing? -How fit was the case? -Does this picture vivid? -How does the fan work? -How can I get good things at this hotel? -How do you like number one? -Do I have to use my phone? -How is the clarity of this team? -Is the picture quality clear? -How is the case? -Why do I have a large footprint? -Where can I find a hotel with the name of colonial hope? -How do you like the lens? -How is the cord? -How is the case fitting your product? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/question-test.grocery.txt b/reference_files/question-test.grocery.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4431658d43aa974027201c5c4e15c232c7e86594..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/question-test.grocery.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,379 +0,0 @@ -How a chip is crispy? -What is your impression about these foods for the health benefit? -How did you think the aroma? -How was the recipe? -How is the flavor? -How was the ginger flavor? -Is it flavor? -How is tea? -How is it flavor? -How is the oil? -Which of the cookie flavors do you find better? -Which flavor was there? -How is tea? -What is flavor? -How is flavor? -What do you think about flavor? -How light is the cookie? -Does the chips a good cooking point? -How is cookie? -What is flavor? -What flavor does it have? -Is a dry cookie? -How do you like scent? -How is the flavor? -How do you like having cookie in your breakfast? -What do you think about flavor? -What was the smell like? -Why are crisp cookies so delicious? -How is the scent? -Do you want some tea? -Is the flavor of the deep fried fish good? -How is oil? -How light is the cookie? -How did you like the price? -How is the price? -Is it a bad flavor what it feels like? -How good is the cookie? -How was flavor? -Where do I get the best flavor? -How is it flavor? -How is the product? -What do you think about content? -How is the aroma? -How about the tea? -What do you think about flavor? -Does cookie crumble? -What flavor does it have? -How about aroma? -Is the flavor tasty? -Was it a good flavor? -Which flavor was there? -How about aroma? -What flavor do drinks have? -How was tea? -Why do I have a chocolate flavor nice? -What kind of spice do you mean? -How is the tea? -How is the product? -Which of the cookie flavors do you find better? -How is oil? -Which flavor was there? -What is your favorite flavor? -How is the flavor? -How is flavor? -How is the product? -How much was the content of seeds and nuts? -What is the flavor of your tea? -How is health benefit? -How is the tea? -How is cookie? -How is the flavor? -Why do I have a tea green? -How nice is the flavor? -How tasty are cookies? -How is the aroma? -How was the spice? -How is the product? -Which flavor was there? -How is the flavor? -How tangy is the flavor? -How is the flavor of each is pretty? -What is the flavor of the roses? -Is it a good cookie? -Does the chips a good cooking point? -How would you rate the flavor of the salad? -How is the product? -What is the most pleasant tea you have tried? -What is the quality of flavor? -How light is the cookie? -What flavor does it have? -Is the flavor of honey natural honey? -What is your favorite flavor? -What food had more flavor? -How is the aroma? -How much was the content of seeds and nuts? -What is the smallest portion? -How good is the cookie? -What was the smell like? -What do you think about flavor? -Why do I have enough flavor? -What are cookies? -How was the product? -How much was the content of seeds and nuts? -How is the quality of the flavor? -Is there a variety of flavor? -How good is the cookie? -How is the flavor? -How was the flavor? -Is the tea taste good? -What is your favorite flavor? -Does this flavor better than corn syrup? -How is the flavor? -How is the cookie? -What is the quality of the tea? -How do you like the quality of the tea? -How is the tea? -How is the price? -What is the quality of flavor? -What is your take on the juice flavor? -How is the flavor? -Where is your family? -How do you rate the flavor? -How is flavor? -How a chip is crispy? -Do you want a cookie? -What flavor does it have? -How is the quality of flavor? -How stron is the tea in here? -How is the product? -How is health benefit? -What do you think about price? -How much is the flavor on this? -How is flavor? -Where do I get the best flavor? -How do you like the product? -Was it a good flavor? -Which flavor do you like chocolate or vanilla? -How is the tea? -What is the taste of this product? -What flavor does it have? -How is the tea? -Is it a bad flavor what it feels like? -What about product? -Is the price too high? -Where is the flavor of the plain? -What is your favorite beer flavor? -How do you like the product? -What is the flavor of your tea? -What flavor does it have? -How is the product? -How stron is the tea in here? -How is tea? -How do you like tea? -What is the quality of the tea? -How is the tea? -Is the tea fresh? -Does the chips a good cooking point? -What opinion do you give us about cookies? -How good is the quality of flavor? -How about the tea? -How do you like the smell? -How is the flavor? -What about the flavor? -What is the flavor? -What are some meaningful terms that the consumer used to describe the candy? -How is the flavor? -How light is the cookie? -Where can I get the best tea in town? -How much is the flavor on this? -Where is a good tea? -How did you like the product? -How do you like tea? -What are some meaningful terms that the consumer used to describe the candy? -What is your favorite beer flavor? -How is the aroma? -Is it okay to have a decent flavor? -What is the chocolate flavor? -How was the product? -How tangy is the flavor? -What do you think about flavor? -How is the smell? -Does the chips a good cooking point? -How is the product? -How is product? -How is cookie? -How is the flavor? -Why do I have a tea green? -How is the flavor? -How much is the flavor on this? -What is the flavor of the roses? -How is the product? -What is flavor? -How pleasing is the aroma? -What are cookies? -How lovely is the flavor? -How is the reaction to food and preservatives? -How is flavor? -How is the tea? -Which flavor do you like chocolate or vanilla? -What would be a perfect mix for you? -How do you rate the flavor? -How about the tea? -Is this product bad? -Is it a bad flavor what it feels like? -How fantastic is the aroma? -Where can i buy some potatoe chip? -How much was the content of seeds and nuts? -How is the flavor? -How is the quality of flavor? -How is the product? -How is the tea? -What do you think about flavor? -How about the tea? -Why is the product good? -How is the flavor? -How was the flavor? -How about flavor? -How is oil? -How is the flavor of each is pretty? -How is the flavor? -How would you describe the bagged tea flavor? -How is the flavor of the chipotle sauce? -How did you like the cookie? -What flavor does it have? -How is the chocolate flavor? -How is the reaction to food and preservatives? -Which of the cookie flavors do you find better? -How good is the quality of flavor? -How can the bread be described? -How is flavor? -What is the quality of the tea? -Do you want some tea? -How big is this candy? -How is the flavor taste? -Is it flavor? -How is the flavor? -Is the flavor a very pleasing sensation? -How is the aroma? -How is flavor? -How is health benefit? -Does the chips a good cooking point? -How taste the cookies? -What is your favorite beer flavor? -What flavor do you like? -What is your impression about these foods for the health benefit? -How is it flavor? -What is your take on the juice flavor? -How is the vanilla flavor? -How good is the cookie? -What is the flavor like? -How was tea? -How is it flavor? -What is the chocolate flavor? -How nice is the flavor? -How is cookie? -How is the tea? -How is the flavor? -Which flavor was there? -How is the quality of flavor? -How tasty are cookies? -How much is the flavor on this? -Which of the cookie flavors do you find better? -How is the flavor? -What is your favorite beer flavor? -How is flavor? -How is the price? -How is the oats? -How a product is high? -What is the quality of the food? -What is the flavor? -How do you rate the flavor? -How is the flavor? -How is the flavor? -How pleasing is the aroma? -How lovely is the flavor? -What do you think about content? -How many flavors of ice cream do you have? -Why do I have an amazing tea? -What kind of oatmeal is it? -How is the price of the product? -Why do I have a chocolate flavor nice? -Does this flavor better than corn syrup? -How is the price? -What is the healthiest product? -How do you like tea? -Is a comparable price to other? -How is flavor? -How was the product? -What flavor does it have? -How is it flavor? -How do you like the quality of the tea? -Why do I have a tea green? -How is the flavor? -What is your favorite flavor? -Is the aroma of the tea heavenly? -Do you want some tea? -How is flavor? -How is the tea? -How is price? -How is the aroma? -How is the scent? -How is the tea? -How light is the cookie? -How is the tea? -Does this drink have a high sodium percentage? -Dose this aroma delicious? -How do you like the flavor? -What was the smell like? -How are the pieces? -How about tea? -How is the flavor? -How was the flavor? -How is it flavor? -How is the flavor? -How do you like the quality of the tea? -How is the aroma? -How was the spice? -How was the product? -How is the oil? -How is cookie? -How much is the sodium content? -Is the tea cold? -How is scent? -How do you like the quality of the tea? -Is there food at a good price? -How is the tea? -How is it flavor? -Was it a good flavor? -How is the result? -How do you evaluate the price of the bell? -What is flavor? -How stron is the tea in here? -What is the quality of the product? -How much is the flavor on this? -How is the flavor? -Is this tea healthier? -How fantastic is the aroma? -How is the flavor? -How do you like the price? -Why are crisp cookies so delicious? -How is the flavor? -What is the flavor? -What is your take on the juice flavor? -How can I get a room with a good aroma in this hotel? -How is the flavor? -How is the flavor? -What is your impression about these foods for the health benefit? -How is the flavor? -Why are the flavors so delicious? -What about product? -Which of the cookie flavors do you find better? -How was the smell? -How is the chocolate flavor? -How a chip is crispy? -What is the quality of flavor? -How is the chocolate flavor? -How can the bread be described? -Why do I have an amazing tea? -What do you think about flavor? -How is the flavor? -How is the flavor? -Where do I get the best flavor? -How lovely is the flavor? -How is this tea compared to other ones? -How was the cookies? -What is your favorite flavor? -How is the flavor? -How is result? -What is flavor? -How is the price? -How is the vanilla flavor? -What flavor do you want? -How is the flavor? -How do you like the quality of the tea? -How do you rate the flavor? -How was the product? -Is it flavor? -Does this tea have a good aroma? -Is the flavor tasty? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/question-test.movies.txt b/reference_files/question-test.movies.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 6b84f607892c92070d51042b57aaba306c5d5127..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/question-test.movies.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,154 +0,0 @@ -How is the quality of the costume? -What do you think about the acting? -How was the end? -How is the season? -Is violence present? -How much great it's the acting in the movie? -How is it act? -How is the costume? -What did you think of the actress's performance? -How is the sound quality? -How is the act of the documentary? -What's act? -How is the book? -What about sound? -How is act? -How would you rate the season 2 of series Gangaa? -What do you think about direction? -How is the suspense? -How is the suspense? -How is the costume? -What is your take on the direction the movie is taking? -How was the action scene? -Is this storyline interesting or strong? -How is the script of the hitchcock film? -How is the script? -How many shocking moment are there in the movie? -How is the performance? -How is the moment? -How is the costume? -How was the script? -How is video quality? -How is the laugh? -What is the storyline in this movte? -Was the place in high peak season, how do you rate it? -How is the time? -How kind can the same character be? -How was the performance on the film? -What do you think about my performance? -What is your relationship with Jesus? -How is it act? -How is the season? -How many shocking moment are there in the movie? -What was an impeccable act? -How about the quality of the details? -Where can I see the player act? -How is the book? -Where can I see the player act? -How is the storyline in this new version compared to the original version? -How is the violence? -How is the end? -How is the quality of act? -How is storyline? -How good has this movie been until the end? -How is the performance? -Is the performance of the actor good in the movie? -How was the act? -How is the visual quality of the video? -Is the direction of the movie fantastic? -What was an impeccable act? -How does your father feel? -How was the action scene? -How realistic is the acting? -How is the quality of sound? -Is the direction of the movie fantastic? -How was the acting? -How is role? -How do you like the fan? -What is the end? -Was the place in high peak season, how do you rate it? -What was an impeccable act? -How was the costume and the actors? -How about the quality of the details? -Do you like this last season? -How is the script? -How bad is the sound? -How is it act? -How is the stylistical act of the Tenebre movie? -Why is our act subpar? -How is the laugh? -How did you like the video quality? -What quality is the work in this movie, is it excellent? -Is your relationship very interesting? -Is the costume not beautiful? -How is act? -What is your moment that you remembed? -Can I enjoy new funny jokes with my family? -How amazing was the end? -How is the moment? -What is the end? -How good is the costume? -How is the quality of the performance? -How is the laugh? -How is the book? -How is the time? -How is the storyline in this new version compared to the original version? -How is the script? -How is the script? -How would you rate the ending? -How is the role? -Does the storyline is strong? -What do you think about performance? -What do you think about performance? -What was the sound like? -How is the sound? -Do you think this act is satisfying? -Is the direction of the movie fantastic? -Is it recommended as a detail? -Is the script interesting enough to watch? -What about the costumes? -What is the criticism of the script? -How was the quality of the acting? -How is the performance? -How is the visuals of the film? -Was the storyline credible? -Was a impressive performance? -What is this sound in the nights? -Was the price fair? -Was a impressive performance? -What do you think about the script? -How is the sound quality? -What is it performance? -How is the season? -How do you find the act of this film? -Why do I have a good twist? -How is the storyline? -How would you rate the season 2 of series Gangaa? -How do you like the movie's acting, singing and dancing? -How is the script? -How is the act? -How was the end? -What is the maximum time of rest? -How is the act? -How is the performance like? -How was the look? -How is a superb performance? -How is the book? -How is a superb performance? -What quality is the work in this movie, is it excellent? -Does the movie have a terrible end? -When does the superman season begin? -How realistic is the acting? -How would you rate all the stuff presented by the musical group? -How is the season? -How is the book? -How is the act? -What's act? -How was the acting? -What is the best relationship of the movie? -Is the sound of the movie a reason to recommend it? -What is performance? -What is the end? -How is the script of the hitchcock film? -How kind can the same character be? -How is the act? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/question-test.restaurants.txt b/reference_files/question-test.restaurants.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9ddfde5b54f5008355f5e97eeeee6c1aae0c931e..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/question-test.restaurants.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,136 +0,0 @@ -What do you think about decor? -How is the ambiance? -How great was the wine selection? -How about the taste of the rice? -How is the decor? -What was the quality of the lamb? -How is it the coffee? -Does the wait a problem with the service? -How is serving? -How is the quality of the season? -How was the guacamole? -How is waitress? -Would you say that the decoration is gorgeous? -Can I avoid bad crowd? -How much variety do you have? -What drink would you recommend? -How is drink? -How did you like the quality of the group? -How kind is waitress? -How is the ambiance? -How was the decor? -How is the quality of patio? -Do you like to spice up meals? -Is the chicken have perfect balance of spice? -Does the hotel drink after dinner? -What do you think about dining experience? -How is wine selection? -How is the views and overall experience? -Is the drink well served? -How is the topping? -Does they offer reservation? -Which is the best option? -How was the decor? -How is the location of the spot for? -What is the best dining experience? -Is it recommended to eat rib? -How is the quality of patio? -How is the salmon? -How is the coffee? -How is the option? -Which is the best option? -Which patio is better? -Do you enjoy your dining experience? -Is the drink strong? -How is the waitress? -Does the hotel have awesome view? -How is drink? -Was the tempura coated with thick batter? -What do you think about decor? -Why do I have the best dining experience? -How did waitress behave? -How is the patio? -How is decor? -What drink does the bar recommend? -Was the decoration good? -How was the roll? -Is it a better option? -Does the coffee amazing? -What was the level of ambiance here? -How is the bar inside? -Does this place a good decor? -How is the views and overall experience? -How is the waitress? -How is the size of the bar? -How is the drink? -How is the group like? -What is the quality of the food and drink here? -How is option? -What do you think about patio? -How amazing was the patio? -Are this soft bun? -What do you think about wait? -Where can I have a good conversation while having dinner? -How is the overall experience of the restaurant? -What is the rib like? -What is the best dining experience? -How was the drink? -Does this hotel have coffee service? -How much variety do you have? -How is the balance? -Does the hotel have awesome view? -Where is rice from? -What is the best ambiance? -Do you enjoy your dining experience? -How do you like the drink? -How is group? -How is waitress? -How is the drink? -How is waitress? -How was the waitress service? -How is the drink? -How is decor? -How is the reservation? -What drink does the bar recommend? -How to improve the attitude? -How is the drink? -How was the quality of the drink served at the hotel? -How is the wing? -How did you like the quality of the group? -What is the best ambiance? -How to recommend an item? -How is it the coffee? -What do you think about decor? -What do you think about decor? -How is drink? -How is the view? -How is the patio? -How do you like to wait? -What is the ambiance like? -Are you a fan of Thai food? -What do you think about patio? -What is the ambiance like? -How was the drink? -What drink does the bar recommend? -Does the wait a problem with the service? -How is the decor going? -How is patio? -How cute is the decor? -How is the quality of the option? -Why is cook it's just delicious? -How is patio? -How is the bar inside? -Do these place have a patio? -How is the drink? -Can i eat on this place with a large group of people? -What is your overall dining experience? -How is the company? -How about the taste of the rice? -When really love patio? -Do you have a great patio? -Which is the best option? -How is the roll? -How is the bar inside? -How is the rib? -How is the wait? -How is the quality of the coffee? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/question-test.tripadvisor.txt b/reference_files/question-test.tripadvisor.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d8d518aeda9cb9894f0ab1c49c35bf3bbb5810c3..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/question-test.tripadvisor.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,397 +0,0 @@ -How is pillow? -When is the thime for a breakfast? -How is location? -How do you remember the location? -How is a cool room? -How is the location? -How is the room? -How is noise? -How is the wine reception? -How is breakfast? -How large is the room? -How is the quality of the room? -Where do you like to do more shopping? -How is the shop? -Is it location? -What can you say about the price? -How is the breakfast? -What do you think about location? -How is a superb location? -How is the location found? -What is the size of the room? -How is the condition of pillow? -How is pillow? -How is it the location? -How is the space? -How was the breakfast? -How is the street? -How is the room? -What is the quality of the room? -How is it the room? -Is a cramped room? -How is restaurant? -How is the breakfast? -Does the doorman have a good attitude? -Is there a nice view of city? -How is the room? -How is the location? -What is the location of the place? -How classy are the rooms here? -How are room? -How is the wine reception? -How is the restaurant? -Is it room? -How is the breakfast like? -How is the location? -How is the wine reception? -Is there a nice view of city? -How is thel location? -How do you like breakfast? -What do you think about the facility? -How good was the breakfast? -Was the breakfast at the hotel delicious? -How was the room? -How is the room? -Where is the room? -Do you like the rooms with a great size? -How is the location? -Was your room in the small side? -Where do I find a hotel with a good location? -What do you think about room? -What is your favorite breakfast? -How is the restaurant? -How is thel location? -How much noise was there? -How good was the breakfast? -Where do they serve breakfast? -Was the hotel in a good location? -What is our room? -How is the room? -Where is room? -Where is room? -How is the location? -Was the room at the monaco clean and good? -How is the quality of the room? -Is that room not spacious? -What is the price of the restaurant? -How much does a room with a spacious lobby cost? -Are the guys at the reception attentive? -How is the location? -How is the location? -Was the hotel in a good location? -How is the 4th floor with respect to street noise? -Does the hotel offer a good room for couples? -How is the front desk staff? -How is thel location? -How is restaurant? -Where is the gym located? -What do you think about location? -How do you like the space? -Is it a comfortable room? -How is noise? -How is the room? -How is room? -How is the breakfast? -How do I get to the restaurant location? -How is the location? -How is the quality of room? -Is it a good room? -How was the restaurant? -How was the restaurant? -How was the restaurant? -How is the breakfast? -How is the breakfast? -How was the room? -How is the front desk staff? -How many employees does the company have? -Was the atmosphere of the tourist areas of san fransisco peaceful? -How is the breakfast? -How is the price? -What is location? -Was the room very comfortable? -How is the breakfast? -What do you think about room? -How did you like the room? -Does the price in the hotel expensive? -How is the quality of the location? -What is the price of the place? -Where is the agent of the front desk staff? -How is the front desk staff? -How much does a room with a spacious lobby cost? -Where is the agent of the front desk staff? -How is it the location? -How was the room on this hotel? -How is the breakfast? -Was the room at the monaco clean and good? -How is the room? -How was the breakfast? -How many employees does the company have? -How is the location? -Is it a good room? -Does this hotel provide a free breakfast? -Do you like the rooms with a great size? -How is the space? -Do you like the breakfast served and the overall experience? -How small is the room? -How is the quality value of the room? -How is the restaurant? -How small is the room? -What is the size of the room? -How is attraction? -How do you like the toilet? -What is the price of the couple room? -Is a restaurant near the hotel? -How's the location? -How is the breakfast? -How is the front desk staff? -Is that room not spacious? -Is a cramped room? -How was the quality of the room that you had booked? -How is it the breakfast? -How small is the room? -How is the breakfast? -How is room? -How is space? -How is room? -How is the room? -How is the wine reception? -How is room? -How is the quality of the room? -What can you say about the price? -What's your location actually? -How's the location? -How is the room? -How is the front desk staff? -Where do I find the front desk staff? -How can I request a pillow from the service staff? -How big was the room? -How is the quality of the room? -How was the breakfast? -Is price worthy? -How is the gym? -How large is the room? -Is that room not spacious? -How is room? -What about atmosphere? -Is the location ok? -Is a restaurant near the hotel? -How is the room like? -How is the restaurant? -How is closet? -Where can I find a hotel that has spacious rooms? -Is it breakfast? -Is the breakfast simple? -Which room do you like? -How do I get to the restaurant location? -How do you like the room? -How is the breakfast? -How is the breakfast like? -How much noise was there? -How is the noise? -What are the front desk staff like, are they nice? -How is the quality of the room? -How is the room? -How is street? -How do you like the room? -What is the price of this pillow? -Where do I find a hotel with a good location? -How is the location? -Is it a good pillow? -What do you think of the room? -How is the location? -How is the room? -How is the front desk staff? -How is the quality value of the room? -What is your favorite breakfast? -How is room? -How is the location? -How good is the quality of the restaurants? -What do you think about breakfast? -Where is this room located? -How is the room? -What is your take on the new look of the rooms in the house? -How tastefully decorated was the room? -What is room? -How is it the room? -How was the restaurant? -How was breakfast? -How is the room? -How is the room? -How is the noise oon the hotel? -How would you rate the room, good or bad? -Does the room is furnished? -What about the vistas of the city? -How is the location? -What is the price of the restaurant? -What measures does your room have? -How is the location? -Is the room a good size? -Where is the location of the hotel? -Does this hotel have a good location? -Is that room not spacious? -What do you think about pillow? -Is a cramped room? -How much does a room with a spacious lobby cost? -How was the room ilumination? -How is the room? -How is the room? -Where do you like to do more shopping? -How did you like the room? -How is the quality of the restaurant? -What is your opinion of the price? -Are the guys at the reception attentive? -Is that restaurant too overpriced? -How was the room ilumination? -How is the room structured? -How's the location? -Are those rooms dirty? -How's the location? -How is the room? -How is the quality of the room? -How is the location? -Are there shops nearby to buy at this hotel? -Is there a nice view of city? -How was the room? -How is the restaurant? -How is the front desk staff? -How is the breakfast? -What does the continental breakfast contain? -What do you think about location? -What about the free breakfast? -How was breakfast? -Was the breakfast at the hotel delicious? -Is this toilet clean and functional? -How do you use breakfast? -Is the breakfast simple? -How kind is the guy? -How is the location? -How do you like breakfast? -How is the room? -Where do I find the front desk staff? -What is the location of the hotel? -How is the room? -How is the room? -What is your favorite breakfast? -How is the room? -Was the room very comfortable? -Where is the location? -How good was the breakfast? -Where is the room located? -Are the guys at the reception attentive? -How is attraction? -How is location? -How was the breakfast? -How does wireless technology work? -What do you think of the room? -Who said the room is horrible? -How is the location? -How is the breakfast? -How is the breakfast? -What about atmosphere? -How is the room? -Which room do you like? -How was the breakfast? -How do you remember the location? -How is the room? -What do you think about breakfast? -How is the location? -How is it room? -How is the breakfast? -How is the time? -How is the breakfast? -Where is the location of the hotel? -What was the room like? -How is the breakfast? -What a rate the hotel for all facilities? -How would you describe the manager? -Is this location near to russian hill area? -Where is the exact locations of the store? -How was the room? -How far is the hotel from the restaurants? -How was the room? -How is the room? -How do you like breakfast? -What is the quality of breakfast? -Do you like the rooms with a great size? -How would you describe the manager? -How's the room? -Does the site have a good location? -What is breakfast? -How is the room? -How is the location of the hotel? -Do you have a good breakfast? -How is it the room? -What do you think about room? -Do you like the breakfast served and the overall experience? -How large is the room? -How far are restaurants from the hotel? -What size do the rooms come in? -How do you remember the location? -How is the room? -How is the location? -Is a restaurant near the hotel? -How is attraction? -How is the room? -How is the room? -Why is it not restaurant nearby? -Was your room in the small side? -What is the route to the gym? -Is a cramped room? -How is restaurant? -What can you say about the price? -How is the location? -How is the location of the place? -Is the breakfast simple? -How did you see the room? -How is the breakfast like? -How is the front desk staff? -Is your room clean? -Where do they serve breakfast? -How is the location? -What do you think about location? -Is the reception staff friendly? -Where is room? -Was the room at the monaco clean and good? -How large is the room? -How is the location? -How do you like breakfast? -How is the location for this hotel? -What do you think about breakfast? -How is the breakfast? -How is the quality of the location? -How nice was the doorman? -Where can I get a hotel with good facility? -What does the continental breakfast contain? -How is the employee service on this hotel? -How is the price? -How was the breakfast? -Where is the gym located? -How are the rooms in the front of the hotel? -How about air conditioner? -Where do they serve breakfast? -Is the location ok? -Was the atmosphere of the tourist areas of san fransisco peaceful? -Where do they serve those breakfasts? -How is the quality of room? -What is the location like? -How is it the breakfast? -How is the breakfast? -Is the reception staff friendly? -What is location? -How is the room? -Are the guys at the reception attentive? -How is the room? -How was the breakfast? -Where do I find a hotel with a good location? -Why does it make so much noise in this room? -How is the price? -How was the breakfast? -How is the breakfast? -How is the location? -How is the location? -Is the room espacius? -Is it close to pier? -How is the room? -How was the price of the hotel? -How is the room? -How would you describe the manager? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/question-test.txt b/reference_files/question-test.txt deleted file mode 100644 index f2e7e30e766028cc3b1e2e87591808245e8b12e4..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/question-test.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1495 +0,0 @@ -How is the information? -How was the romance? -How great is the information in this book? -Does the characters are interesing enough? -How is the plot? -How is the character? -How is the character? -How is the character? -How much respect do you have for the theme of the new book? -What is the way like? -Does the plot rich? -How is the way? -How is the information about the environment? -What is your opinion of the plot? -How is character? -How do you like the background? -Was it interesting? -Is this history told in the book good? -What was character like? -What is the best plot invented last year? -Was the character in the book lovable? -How is the outcome of the voices? -What do you think about background? -What is your impressions about the material of the book? -What do you think about plot? -Why do I have a pretty cover? -How are the characters? -How many flaws have? -How is the character? -How is the information? -Do you think that the story is reflected in a realistic way? -How is plot? -What is the quality of feel? -Is the journey comfortable or not? -How is the character? -How is the character? -Are those characters simple? -How was the set? -Who is the best character? -How is the life of the man? -Is the truth strange? -How was the cover? -How are the characters in the book? -What is the character's past? -How is the cover of the book written by Barbara Erskine? -Is the plot fresh? -Can you tell about the main character of this book? -What was the character characteristic? -How do you like the character? -How is the description? -How is the character? -What is your interest in cooking? -What kind of characters has the author created? -Which is your favourite character? -What was character like? -Does it have multiple similarity? -How is respect? -How is the plot going? -How do I identify the character? -How is that character so exceptional? -Do you enjoy journey? -How could you describe the journey of the book? -How is an intelligent character? -Why is the character dumb? -How do you esteem the film plot? -Was the plot full dangerous and full of twists? -How is the truth? -How is the character? -How do you esteem the film plot? -How are the descriptions? -What do you feel about this character? -Does the product have the description? -How is the plot? -How is the romance? -What about character? -Is it a good character? -How is the plot? -How is the plot? -How is the character? -What do you think of the characters? -What is your opinion of the characters in the movie supergirl? -How is the character? -What is the most fabulous character? -Is it a good way? -How many characters should we have? -How did you find the way to the city? -How is an intelligent character? -How weak was that plot? -Why is the plot deep? -How is the character? -How are the romance series? -Is the character matched with the actor? -Which way was easier to rescue the injured? -Is the character mature? -What is character? -Do you think that the story is reflected in a realistic way? -How is past? -How do you like the plot of her new work? -What is the plot of the movie? -Can you show some respect for the deads? -How is the information? -Does have a such good characters? -How does the author handle the dilemma of daenery? -How was the cover? -How is the romance? -How is the character? -How did you like the length? -What is the plot of this novel? -How are the characters personality developed in the book? -How much character do the characters have? -How is the way? -How is the character? -Do you want a long or short plot? -How is the plot on the story? -Is the plot fresh? -What romance so little good? -How would you describe the main character? -Dose this character nice? -What is the way to go for the character? -How was the cover? -How is the quality of plot? -How do you like the character? -Is this character credible? -How was the plot? -Is plot ready? -How's the plot? -How is the way? -How are the characters of the writer? -What is the biggest secret of tully's past? -Do you like romance novels? -What is the genuine character? -How well written is the plot? -What is the way in which the author incorporates the old Jacob? -How do you classify the performance of the animated characters? -How was the bond? -What question do you have regarding this book? -Was the female leader character good enough? -How was the plot? -How great is the information in this book? -How is it the character? -How is the plot? -How did you like the plot? -How is the plot in this reading? -How is the descriptions were? -How did you like the shooting set? -How much character do the characters have? -How could you describe the journey of the book? -Is the character interpreted for a man or a woman? -Does have a such good characters? -What sort of arguments are in this creationist book? -How is the plot? -What's your favourite character? -How is the character? -What is lot? -Is one way great? -How do you like the plot of her new work? -How was the subject there? -Are the characters vivid and appeal? -How is the quality and humor on the serie? -Was the character well drawn? -How is the plot? -How interesting was the set? -Where does the plot become good? -How is the character? -What is your impressions about the material of the book? -What is your opinion of the plot of the movie Flash? -Are those characters simple? -Where do I get a magazine with good character? -How is the character? -What do you think about interest? -How would you describe the characters of the book? -Is the plot as good as the narrative? -How do you esteem the film plot? -How did you like the set? -How was the set? -How is the information? -What is your level of respect? -How is character? -How is the character? -How is the man? -How is the plot? -How is it the man? -Why is the character dumb? -How much character do the characters have? -How is it plot? -How much information should I have? -Do you like romance novels? -What do you think about character? -How is the quality of the plot? -How is the character? -How are the characters? -How is the case? -Does this headphone cord has enought length? -How is case? -How is the lens? -What is build quality on lenses? -How would a concise review describe the video quality, in one word? -How is the thing? -How is the quality of the fan? -How was the case at that time? -What about case? -How is the picture quality? -How is the case? -What is the quality of the contrast? -Is this thing hard to handle? -How does build quality work? -How is the picture quality? -How is the range? -Where is there a good contrast of colors? -How is the picture? -How are one was inexpensive? -How is the case? -How is the sensor? -How is the case fitting your product? -How is the clarity of this team? -How is picture? -How is it the fit? -How good is the phone? -How is the case? -Is the software installed easy to use for novices? -What is the quality of the construction? -How is the picture quality? -How is the software? -How is the range of the house? -Why are things solid? -How is case? -How is the case? -How is the software? -How is the case? -How is day? -How is the strap? -Can I get the best quality cord? -How was the picture? -How is picture? -How is the picture quality? -What is the danger range? -How is the bag? -How was the case at that time? -How is the one? -What is the price of this guitar cord? -Is the cord safe to grab the transformer? -How is the thing? -What is the best layout? -How was tthe video quality? -How is the functionality? -How is the case? -How is the scroll wheel? -How is case? -How is the picture? -Where can I get a luminous case? -How is the picture? -How is the picture quality? -How do the lenses work? -What is software? -How is the picture? -How is the picture quality? -How is the picture? -How is that thing? -Was the audio quality good? -How is the picture quality? -Was the mouse you had perfectly good? -What is the cord like? -Why is bag fairly sturdy? -How slow is the internet service? -What is case? -Which case do you prefer? -How much is the power of the camera? -How is the case? -What do you think about thing? -What is the quality of case? -How can I have more usb port on my PC? -What is case? -How are case? -What is the length of the cable of a television? -How much is the margin to achieve an optimal line of sight? -How is the cord? -Is your bag full of lenses? -How is the side? -How is the picture taken by the camera? -How is the thing like? -How is the picture quality? -How is the photo? -What was the range you have? -How is the case? -Do you think the cable length is right? -How is the mouse? -How is picture? -What is the quality of the contrast? -How does the fan work? -What is the range? -How would you describe the texture of the lens at all focal lengths above 150mm? -How is the functionality? -How is the quality of the autofocus? -How about case? -How good is the phone? -How is the lens? -What is range? -How would you define the quality of ones? -How do you like the lens? -How is the case? -How many radio collection do you have? -What did this case look like that protects your equipment properly? -How is the bag? -How was the fit? -How is the quality of the construction? -How is the antenna? -How is the case fitting your product? -How is the software? -Why do you think it's a perfect case? -How is the lens? -How is that thing? -How is the case? -How is the functionality? -What about case? -How is the speed of the thing? -Do you think the cable length is right? -How many radio collection do you have? -How was the case at that time? -How was the sound quality? -How do you like the lens? -How is the build quality? -What is the cord like? -Was the case loose? -How is the build quality like? -How can you issue? -How is the reception? -What quality is the mouse? -How is the sound quality? -What is the range of this gun? -Where is there a good contrast of colors? -How is the look? -How is the speed of the thing? -How was the thing? -How was the quality of pictures? -What can you do when your phone is dead? -What is the size of the mouse? -How can you describe the voice? -How do you describe the case? -Is the best mouse? -Where can I find a well built thing? -How is the autofocus? -How big is your hand? -How is the new mouse? -What is construction? -Where was the issue? -What is the size of the camera sensor? -How is the antenna? -How is it picture quality? -How is the camera lens is one of worse? -How poor is the range? -How is the quality sound on this device? -How is the case? -How is it the the purchase this one? -Was the mouse you had perfectly good? -How is the quality of picture? -How is the cord? -How is the camera strap? -How is the build quality on this place? -What lenses do you prefer? -Is the power cable fit? -How is it picture? -What landscape picture do you like? -How does the case work? -How was the fit? -How is the cord? -How would you describe the texture of the lens at all focal lengths above 150mm? -What size is the mouse? -Does the software available? -How is the lens? -What is the best layout? -What is the picture like? -How is the quality sound on this device? -How can I have more usb port on my PC? -Why do I have a large area? -How is the autofocus? -How is the presence of mid? -How is picture? -How do you like the reception? -What is the quality of the software? -Is a speakers a light thing? -How is the construction of the cable? -How is the picture? -How is the capability? -Do this computer comes with mouse? -How is the strap? -How much is the power of the camera? -How is the lens? -How quality is the photo pictures? -What software do you want to use? -How comfortable is your mouse? -How is the build quality? -What click are you looking for? -What is the tonal balance of these headphones? -How good is the phone? -How is that fan so big? -How is the mid? -How do you like the picture? -Is sports mode great? -Is this thing hard to handle? -How is the bag? -How do you describe the case? -Is the software included good? -How is the build quality? -How is the range? -How do you like picture taken from the camera? -How is the lcd video screen? -Is this thing hard to handle? -What image had better brightness? -How does this fan work? -How is it the case? -How about this thing? -How is the sound quality? -How is the photo? -How is it photo? -What is the weight of the thing? -How fit was the case? -Does this picture vivid? -How does the fan work? -How can I get good things at this hotel? -How do you like number one? -Do I have to use my phone? -How is the clarity of this team? -Is the picture quality clear? -How is the case? -Why do I have a large footprint? -Where can I find a hotel with the name of colonial hope? -How do you like the lens? -How is the cord? -How is the case fitting your product? -How a chip is crispy? -What is your impression about these foods for the health benefit? -How did you think the aroma? -How was the recipe? -How is the flavor? -How was the ginger flavor? -Is it flavor? -How is tea? -How is it flavor? -How is the oil? -Which of the cookie flavors do you find better? -Which flavor was there? -How is tea? -What is flavor? -How is flavor? -What do you think about flavor? -How light is the cookie? -Does the chips a good cooking point? -How is cookie? -What is flavor? -What flavor does it have? -Is a dry cookie? -How do you like scent? -How is the flavor? -How do you like having cookie in your breakfast? -What do you think about flavor? -What was the smell like? -Why are crisp cookies so delicious? -How is the scent? -Do you want some tea? -Is the flavor of the deep fried fish good? -How is oil? -How light is the cookie? -How did you like the price? -How is the price? -Is it a bad flavor what it feels like? -How good is the cookie? -How was flavor? -Where do I get the best flavor? -How is it flavor? -How is the product? -What do you think about content? -How is the aroma? -How about the tea? -What do you think about flavor? -Does cookie crumble? -What flavor does it have? -How about aroma? -Is the flavor tasty? -Was it a good flavor? -Which flavor was there? -How about aroma? -What flavor do drinks have? -How was tea? -Why do I have a chocolate flavor nice? -What kind of spice do you mean? -How is the tea? -How is the product? -Which of the cookie flavors do you find better? -How is oil? -Which flavor was there? -What is your favorite flavor? -How is the flavor? -How is flavor? -How is the product? -How much was the content of seeds and nuts? -What is the flavor of your tea? -How is health benefit? -How is the tea? -How is cookie? -How is the flavor? -Why do I have a tea green? -How nice is the flavor? -How tasty are cookies? -How is the aroma? -How was the spice? -How is the product? -Which flavor was there? -How is the flavor? -How tangy is the flavor? -How is the flavor of each is pretty? -What is the flavor of the roses? -Is it a good cookie? -Does the chips a good cooking point? -How would you rate the flavor of the salad? -How is the product? -What is the most pleasant tea you have tried? -What is the quality of flavor? -How light is the cookie? -What flavor does it have? -Is the flavor of honey natural honey? -What is your favorite flavor? -What food had more flavor? -How is the aroma? -How much was the content of seeds and nuts? -What is the smallest portion? -How good is the cookie? -What was the smell like? -What do you think about flavor? -Why do I have enough flavor? -What are cookies? -How was the product? -How much was the content of seeds and nuts? -How is the quality of the flavor? -Is there a variety of flavor? -How good is the cookie? -How is the flavor? -How was the flavor? -Is the tea taste good? -What is your favorite flavor? -Does this flavor better than corn syrup? -How is the flavor? -How is the cookie? -What is the quality of the tea? -How do you like the quality of the tea? -How is the tea? -How is the price? -What is the quality of flavor? -What is your take on the juice flavor? -How is the flavor? -Where is your family? -How do you rate the flavor? -How is flavor? -How a chip is crispy? -Do you want a cookie? -What flavor does it have? -How is the quality of flavor? -How stron is the tea in here? -How is the product? -How is health benefit? -What do you think about price? -How much is the flavor on this? -How is flavor? -Where do I get the best flavor? -How do you like the product? -Was it a good flavor? -Which flavor do you like chocolate or vanilla? -How is the tea? -What is the taste of this product? -What flavor does it have? -How is the tea? -Is it a bad flavor what it feels like? -What about product? -Is the price too high? -Where is the flavor of the plain? -What is your favorite beer flavor? -How do you like the product? -What is the flavor of your tea? -What flavor does it have? -How is the product? -How stron is the tea in here? -How is tea? -How do you like tea? -What is the quality of the tea? -How is the tea? -Is the tea fresh? -Does the chips a good cooking point? -What opinion do you give us about cookies? -How good is the quality of flavor? -How about the tea? -How do you like the smell? -How is the flavor? -What about the flavor? -What is the flavor? -What are some meaningful terms that the consumer used to describe the candy? -How is the flavor? -How light is the cookie? -Where can I get the best tea in town? -How much is the flavor on this? -Where is a good tea? -How did you like the product? -How do you like tea? -What are some meaningful terms that the consumer used to describe the candy? -What is your favorite beer flavor? -How is the aroma? -Is it okay to have a decent flavor? -What is the chocolate flavor? -How was the product? -How tangy is the flavor? -What do you think about flavor? -How is the smell? -Does the chips a good cooking point? -How is the product? -How is product? -How is cookie? -How is the flavor? -Why do I have a tea green? -How is the flavor? -How much is the flavor on this? -What is the flavor of the roses? -How is the product? -What is flavor? -How pleasing is the aroma? -What are cookies? -How lovely is the flavor? -How is the reaction to food and preservatives? -How is flavor? -How is the tea? -Which flavor do you like chocolate or vanilla? -What would be a perfect mix for you? -How do you rate the flavor? -How about the tea? -Is this product bad? -Is it a bad flavor what it feels like? -How fantastic is the aroma? -Where can i buy some potatoe chip? -How much was the content of seeds and nuts? -How is the flavor? -How is the quality of flavor? -How is the product? -How is the tea? -What do you think about flavor? -How about the tea? -Why is the product good? -How is the flavor? -How was the flavor? -How about flavor? -How is oil? -How is the flavor of each is pretty? -How is the flavor? -How would you describe the bagged tea flavor? -How is the flavor of the chipotle sauce? -How did you like the cookie? -What flavor does it have? -How is the chocolate flavor? -How is the reaction to food and preservatives? -Which of the cookie flavors do you find better? -How good is the quality of flavor? -How can the bread be described? -How is flavor? -What is the quality of the tea? -Do you want some tea? -How big is this candy? -How is the flavor taste? -Is it flavor? -How is the flavor? -Is the flavor a very pleasing sensation? -How is the aroma? -How is flavor? -How is health benefit? -Does the chips a good cooking point? -How taste the cookies? -What is your favorite beer flavor? -What flavor do you like? -What is your impression about these foods for the health benefit? -How is it flavor? -What is your take on the juice flavor? -How is the vanilla flavor? -How good is the cookie? -What is the flavor like? -How was tea? -How is it flavor? -What is the chocolate flavor? -How nice is the flavor? -How is cookie? -How is the tea? -How is the flavor? -Which flavor was there? -How is the quality of flavor? -How tasty are cookies? -How much is the flavor on this? -Which of the cookie flavors do you find better? -How is the flavor? -What is your favorite beer flavor? -How is flavor? -How is the price? -How is the oats? -How a product is high? -What is the quality of the food? -What is the flavor? -How do you rate the flavor? -How is the flavor? -How is the flavor? -How pleasing is the aroma? -How lovely is the flavor? -What do you think about content? -How many flavors of ice cream do you have? -Why do I have an amazing tea? -What kind of oatmeal is it? -How is the price of the product? -Why do I have a chocolate flavor nice? -Does this flavor better than corn syrup? -How is the price? -What is the healthiest product? -How do you like tea? -Is a comparable price to other? -How is flavor? -How was the product? -What flavor does it have? -How is it flavor? -How do you like the quality of the tea? -Why do I have a tea green? -How is the flavor? -What is your favorite flavor? -Is the aroma of the tea heavenly? -Do you want some tea? -How is flavor? -How is the tea? -How is price? -How is the aroma? -How is the scent? -How is the tea? -How light is the cookie? -How is the tea? -Does this drink have a high sodium percentage? -Dose this aroma delicious? -How do you like the flavor? -What was the smell like? -How are the pieces? -How about tea? -How is the flavor? -How was the flavor? -How is it flavor? -How is the flavor? -How do you like the quality of the tea? -How is the aroma? -How was the spice? -How was the product? -How is the oil? -How is cookie? -How much is the sodium content? -Is the tea cold? -How is scent? -How do you like the quality of the tea? -Is there food at a good price? -How is the tea? -How is it flavor? -Was it a good flavor? -How is the result? -How do you evaluate the price of the bell? -What is flavor? -How stron is the tea in here? -What is the quality of the product? -How much is the flavor on this? -How is the flavor? -Is this tea healthier? -How fantastic is the aroma? -How is the flavor? -How do you like the price? -Why are crisp cookies so delicious? -How is the flavor? -What is the flavor? -What is your take on the juice flavor? -How can I get a room with a good aroma in this hotel? -How is the flavor? -How is the flavor? -What is your impression about these foods for the health benefit? -How is the flavor? -Why are the flavors so delicious? -What about product? -Which of the cookie flavors do you find better? -How was the smell? -How is the chocolate flavor? -How a chip is crispy? -What is the quality of flavor? -How is the chocolate flavor? -How can the bread be described? -Why do I have an amazing tea? -What do you think about flavor? -How is the flavor? -How is the flavor? -Where do I get the best flavor? -How lovely is the flavor? -How is this tea compared to other ones? -How was the cookies? -What is your favorite flavor? -How is the flavor? -How is result? -What is flavor? -How is the price? -How is the vanilla flavor? -What flavor do you want? -How is the flavor? -How do you like the quality of the tea? -How do you rate the flavor? -How was the product? -Is it flavor? -Does this tea have a good aroma? -Is the flavor tasty? -How is the quality of the costume? -What do you think about the acting? -How was the end? -How is the season? -Is violence present? -How much great it's the acting in the movie? -How is it act? -How is the costume? -What did you think of the actress's performance? -How is the sound quality? -How is the act of the documentary? -What's act? -How is the book? -What about sound? -How is act? -How would you rate the season 2 of series Gangaa? -What do you think about direction? -How is the suspense? -How is the suspense? -How is the costume? -What is your take on the direction the movie is taking? -How was the action scene? -Is this storyline interesting or strong? -How is the script of the hitchcock film? -How is the script? -How many shocking moment are there in the movie? -How is the performance? -How is the moment? -How is the costume? -How was the script? -How is video quality? -How is the laugh? -What is the storyline in this movte? -Was the place in high peak season, how do you rate it? -How is the time? -How kind can the same character be? -How was the performance on the film? -What do you think about my performance? -What is your relationship with Jesus? -How is it act? -How is the season? -How many shocking moment are there in the movie? -What was an impeccable act? -How about the quality of the details? -Where can I see the player act? -How is the book? -Where can I see the player act? -How is the storyline in this new version compared to the original version? -How is the violence? -How is the end? -How is the quality of act? -How is storyline? -How good has this movie been until the end? -How is the performance? -Is the performance of the actor good in the movie? -How was the act? -How is the visual quality of the video? -Is the direction of the movie fantastic? -What was an impeccable act? -How does your father feel? -How was the action scene? -How realistic is the acting? -How is the quality of sound? -Is the direction of the movie fantastic? -How was the acting? -How is role? -How do you like the fan? -What is the end? -Was the place in high peak season, how do you rate it? -What was an impeccable act? -How was the costume and the actors? -How about the quality of the details? -Do you like this last season? -How is the script? -How bad is the sound? -How is it act? -How is the stylistical act of the Tenebre movie? -Why is our act subpar? -How is the laugh? -How did you like the video quality? -What quality is the work in this movie, is it excellent? -Is your relationship very interesting? -Is the costume not beautiful? -How is act? -What is your moment that you remembed? -Can I enjoy new funny jokes with my family? -How amazing was the end? -How is the moment? -What is the end? -How good is the costume? -How is the quality of the performance? -How is the laugh? -How is the book? -How is the time? -How is the storyline in this new version compared to the original version? -How is the script? -How is the script? -How would you rate the ending? -How is the role? -Does the storyline is strong? -What do you think about performance? -What do you think about performance? -What was the sound like? -How is the sound? -Do you think this act is satisfying? -Is the direction of the movie fantastic? -Is it recommended as a detail? -Is the script interesting enough to watch? -What about the costumes? -What is the criticism of the script? -How was the quality of the acting? -How is the performance? -How is the visuals of the film? -Was the storyline credible? -Was a impressive performance? -What is this sound in the nights? -Was the price fair? -Was a impressive performance? -What do you think about the script? -How is the sound quality? -What is it performance? -How is the season? -How do you find the act of this film? -Why do I have a good twist? -How is the storyline? -How would you rate the season 2 of series Gangaa? -How do you like the movie's acting, singing and dancing? -How is the script? -How is the act? -How was the end? -What is the maximum time of rest? -How is the act? -How is the performance like? -How was the look? -How is a superb performance? -How is the book? -How is a superb performance? -What quality is the work in this movie, is it excellent? -Does the movie have a terrible end? -When does the superman season begin? -How realistic is the acting? -How would you rate all the stuff presented by the musical group? -How is the season? -How is the book? -How is the act? -What's act? -How was the acting? -What is the best relationship of the movie? -Is the sound of the movie a reason to recommend it? -What is performance? -What is the end? -How is the script of the hitchcock film? -How kind can the same character be? -How is the act? -What do you think about decor? -How is the ambiance? -How great was the wine selection? -How about the taste of the rice? -How is the decor? -What was the quality of the lamb? -How is it the coffee? -Does the wait a problem with the service? -How is serving? -How is the quality of the season? -How was the guacamole? -How is waitress? -Would you say that the decoration is gorgeous? -Can I avoid bad crowd? -How much variety do you have? -What drink would you recommend? -How is drink? -How did you like the quality of the group? -How kind is waitress? -How is the ambiance? -How was the decor? -How is the quality of patio? -Do you like to spice up meals? -Is the chicken have perfect balance of spice? -Does the hotel drink after dinner? -What do you think about dining experience? -How is wine selection? -How is the views and overall experience? -Is the drink well served? -How is the topping? -Does they offer reservation? -Which is the best option? -How was the decor? -How is the location of the spot for? -What is the best dining experience? -Is it recommended to eat rib? -How is the quality of patio? -How is the salmon? -How is the coffee? -How is the option? -Which is the best option? -Which patio is better? -Do you enjoy your dining experience? -Is the drink strong? -How is the waitress? -Does the hotel have awesome view? -How is drink? -Was the tempura coated with thick batter? -What do you think about decor? -Why do I have the best dining experience? -How did waitress behave? -How is the patio? -How is decor? -What drink does the bar recommend? -Was the decoration good? -How was the roll? -Is it a better option? -Does the coffee amazing? -What was the level of ambiance here? -How is the bar inside? -Does this place a good decor? -How is the views and overall experience? -How is the waitress? -How is the size of the bar? -How is the drink? -How is the group like? -What is the quality of the food and drink here? -How is option? -What do you think about patio? -How amazing was the patio? -Are this soft bun? -What do you think about wait? -Where can I have a good conversation while having dinner? -How is the overall experience of the restaurant? -What is the rib like? -What is the best dining experience? -How was the drink? -Does this hotel have coffee service? -How much variety do you have? -How is the balance? -Does the hotel have awesome view? -Where is rice from? -What is the best ambiance? -Do you enjoy your dining experience? -How do you like the drink? -How is group? -How is waitress? -How is the drink? -How is waitress? -How was the waitress service? -How is the drink? -How is decor? -How is the reservation? -What drink does the bar recommend? -How to improve the attitude? -How is the drink? -How was the quality of the drink served at the hotel? -How is the wing? -How did you like the quality of the group? -What is the best ambiance? -How to recommend an item? -How is it the coffee? -What do you think about decor? -What do you think about decor? -How is drink? -How is the view? -How is the patio? -How do you like to wait? -What is the ambiance like? -Are you a fan of Thai food? -What do you think about patio? -What is the ambiance like? -How was the drink? -What drink does the bar recommend? -Does the wait a problem with the service? -How is the decor going? -How is patio? -How cute is the decor? -How is the quality of the option? -Why is cook it's just delicious? -How is patio? -How is the bar inside? -Do these place have a patio? -How is the drink? -Can i eat on this place with a large group of people? -What is your overall dining experience? -How is the company? -How about the taste of the rice? -When really love patio? -Do you have a great patio? -Which is the best option? -How is the roll? -How is the bar inside? -How is the rib? -How is the wait? -How is the quality of the coffee? -How is pillow? -When is the thime for a breakfast? -How is location? -How do you remember the location? -How is a cool room? -How is the location? -How is the room? -How is noise? -How is the wine reception? -How is breakfast? -How large is the room? -How is the quality of the room? -Where do you like to do more shopping? -How is the shop? -Is it location? -What can you say about the price? -How is the breakfast? -What do you think about location? -How is a superb location? -How is the location found? -What is the size of the room? -How is the condition of pillow? -How is pillow? -How is it the location? -How is the space? -How was the breakfast? -How is the street? -How is the room? -What is the quality of the room? -How is it the room? -Is a cramped room? -How is restaurant? -How is the breakfast? -Does the doorman have a good attitude? -Is there a nice view of city? -How is the room? -How is the location? -What is the location of the place? -How classy are the rooms here? -How are room? -How is the wine reception? -How is the restaurant? -Is it room? -How is the breakfast like? -How is the location? -How is the wine reception? -Is there a nice view of city? -How is thel location? -How do you like breakfast? -What do you think about the facility? -How good was the breakfast? -Was the breakfast at the hotel delicious? -How was the room? -How is the room? -Where is the room? -Do you like the rooms with a great size? -How is the location? -Was your room in the small side? -Where do I find a hotel with a good location? -What do you think about room? -What is your favorite breakfast? -How is the restaurant? -How is thel location? -How much noise was there? -How good was the breakfast? -Where do they serve breakfast? -Was the hotel in a good location? -What is our room? -How is the room? -Where is room? -Where is room? -How is the location? -Was the room at the monaco clean and good? -How is the quality of the room? -Is that room not spacious? -What is the price of the restaurant? -How much does a room with a spacious lobby cost? -Are the guys at the reception attentive? -How is the location? -How is the location? -Was the hotel in a good location? -How is the 4th floor with respect to street noise? -Does the hotel offer a good room for couples? -How is the front desk staff? -How is thel location? -How is restaurant? -Where is the gym located? -What do you think about location? -How do you like the space? -Is it a comfortable room? -How is noise? -How is the room? -How is room? -How is the breakfast? -How do I get to the restaurant location? -How is the location? -How is the quality of room? -Is it a good room? -How was the restaurant? -How was the restaurant? -How was the restaurant? -How is the breakfast? -How is the breakfast? -How was the room? -How is the front desk staff? -How many employees does the company have? -Was the atmosphere of the tourist areas of san fransisco peaceful? -How is the breakfast? -How is the price? -What is location? -Was the room very comfortable? -How is the breakfast? -What do you think about room? -How did you like the room? -Does the price in the hotel expensive? -How is the quality of the location? -What is the price of the place? -Where is the agent of the front desk staff? -How is the front desk staff? -How much does a room with a spacious lobby cost? -Where is the agent of the front desk staff? -How is it the location? -How was the room on this hotel? -How is the breakfast? -Was the room at the monaco clean and good? -How is the room? -How was the breakfast? -How many employees does the company have? -How is the location? -Is it a good room? -Does this hotel provide a free breakfast? -Do you like the rooms with a great size? -How is the space? -Do you like the breakfast served and the overall experience? -How small is the room? -How is the quality value of the room? -How is the restaurant? -How small is the room? -What is the size of the room? -How is attraction? -How do you like the toilet? -What is the price of the couple room? -Is a restaurant near the hotel? -How's the location? -How is the breakfast? -How is the front desk staff? -Is that room not spacious? -Is a cramped room? -How was the quality of the room that you had booked? -How is it the breakfast? -How small is the room? -How is the breakfast? -How is room? -How is space? -How is room? -How is the room? -How is the wine reception? -How is room? -How is the quality of the room? -What can you say about the price? -What's your location actually? -How's the location? -How is the room? -How is the front desk staff? -Where do I find the front desk staff? -How can I request a pillow from the service staff? -How big was the room? -How is the quality of the room? -How was the breakfast? -Is price worthy? -How is the gym? -How large is the room? -Is that room not spacious? -How is room? -What about atmosphere? -Is the location ok? -Is a restaurant near the hotel? -How is the room like? -How is the restaurant? -How is closet? -Where can I find a hotel that has spacious rooms? -Is it breakfast? -Is the breakfast simple? -Which room do you like? -How do I get to the restaurant location? -How do you like the room? -How is the breakfast? -How is the breakfast like? -How much noise was there? -How is the noise? -What are the front desk staff like, are they nice? -How is the quality of the room? -How is the room? -How is street? -How do you like the room? -What is the price of this pillow? -Where do I find a hotel with a good location? -How is the location? -Is it a good pillow? -What do you think of the room? -How is the location? -How is the room? -How is the front desk staff? -How is the quality value of the room? -What is your favorite breakfast? -How is room? -How is the location? -How good is the quality of the restaurants? -What do you think about breakfast? -Where is this room located? -How is the room? -What is your take on the new look of the rooms in the house? -How tastefully decorated was the room? -What is room? -How is it the room? -How was the restaurant? -How was breakfast? -How is the room? -How is the room? -How is the noise oon the hotel? -How would you rate the room, good or bad? -Does the room is furnished? -What about the vistas of the city? -How is the location? -What is the price of the restaurant? -What measures does your room have? -How is the location? -Is the room a good size? -Where is the location of the hotel? -Does this hotel have a good location? -Is that room not spacious? -What do you think about pillow? -Is a cramped room? -How much does a room with a spacious lobby cost? -How was the room ilumination? -How is the room? -How is the room? -Where do you like to do more shopping? -How did you like the room? -How is the quality of the restaurant? -What is your opinion of the price? -Are the guys at the reception attentive? -Is that restaurant too overpriced? -How was the room ilumination? -How is the room structured? -How's the location? -Are those rooms dirty? -How's the location? -How is the room? -How is the quality of the room? -How is the location? -Are there shops nearby to buy at this hotel? -Is there a nice view of city? -How was the room? -How is the restaurant? -How is the front desk staff? -How is the breakfast? -What does the continental breakfast contain? -What do you think about location? -What about the free breakfast? -How was breakfast? -Was the breakfast at the hotel delicious? -Is this toilet clean and functional? -How do you use breakfast? -Is the breakfast simple? -How kind is the guy? -How is the location? -How do you like breakfast? -How is the room? -Where do I find the front desk staff? -What is the location of the hotel? -How is the room? -How is the room? -What is your favorite breakfast? -How is the room? -Was the room very comfortable? -Where is the location? -How good was the breakfast? -Where is the room located? -Are the guys at the reception attentive? -How is attraction? -How is location? -How was the breakfast? -How does wireless technology work? -What do you think of the room? -Who said the room is horrible? -How is the location? -How is the breakfast? -How is the breakfast? -What about atmosphere? -How is the room? -Which room do you like? -How was the breakfast? -How do you remember the location? -How is the room? -What do you think about breakfast? -How is the location? -How is it room? -How is the breakfast? -How is the time? -How is the breakfast? -Where is the location of the hotel? -What was the room like? -How is the breakfast? -What a rate the hotel for all facilities? -How would you describe the manager? -Is this location near to russian hill area? -Where is the exact locations of the store? -How was the room? -How far is the hotel from the restaurants? -How was the room? -How is the room? -How do you like breakfast? -What is the quality of breakfast? -Do you like the rooms with a great size? -How would you describe the manager? -How's the room? -Does the site have a good location? -What is breakfast? -How is the room? -How is the location of the hotel? -Do you have a good breakfast? -How is it the room? -What do you think about room? -Do you like the breakfast served and the overall experience? -How large is the room? -How far are restaurants from the hotel? -What size do the rooms come in? -How do you remember the location? -How is the room? -How is the location? -Is a restaurant near the hotel? -How is attraction? -How is the room? -How is the room? -Why is it not restaurant nearby? -Was your room in the small side? -What is the route to the gym? -Is a cramped room? -How is restaurant? -What can you say about the price? -How is the location? -How is the location of the place? -Is the breakfast simple? -How did you see the room? -How is the breakfast like? -How is the front desk staff? -Is your room clean? -Where do they serve breakfast? -How is the location? -What do you think about location? -Is the reception staff friendly? -Where is room? -Was the room at the monaco clean and good? -How large is the room? -How is the location? -How do you like breakfast? -How is the location for this hotel? -What do you think about breakfast? -How is the breakfast? -How is the quality of the location? -How nice was the doorman? -Where can I get a hotel with good facility? -What does the continental breakfast contain? -How is the employee service on this hotel? -How is the price? -How was the breakfast? -Where is the gym located? -How are the rooms in the front of the hotel? -How about air conditioner? -Where do they serve breakfast? -Is the location ok? -Was the atmosphere of the tourist areas of san fransisco peaceful? -Where do they serve those breakfasts? -How is the quality of room? -What is the location like? -How is it the breakfast? -How is the breakfast? -Is the reception staff friendly? -What is location? -How is the room? -Are the guys at the reception attentive? -How is the room? -How was the breakfast? -Where do I find a hotel with a good location? -Why does it make so much noise in this room? -How is the price? -How was the breakfast? -How is the breakfast? -How is the location? -How is the location? -Is the room espacius? -Is it close to pier? -How is the room? -How was the price of the hotel? -How is the room? -How would you describe the manager? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/question-validation.books.txt b/reference_files/question-validation.books.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 016b843f858942701b6c2257ac58ba184720f197..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/question-validation.books.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,92 +0,0 @@ -What is the sentiment of the majority of the moments in the book? -How is the writing style? -What is your sentiment about this book? -Was the tension thick? -How do you rate the write? -What story do I tell you? -How is story? -How is the child? -Does this book have an educational purpose? -How was story line of these book? -How is the relationship? -How is the book? -How good it's the write? -How is the book? -Is this book about pain and suffering? -Where can I find book with excellent review? -How is the opinion? -Where is the five element available? -How is the story line? -Is thi book a fantasy one? -How would you rate the quality of the book? -Does the book have a good start? -Why do I have a funny part? -Does this book have a good story? -What concern did the reader have about the end of the book? -How was the story? -How is the book? -How fascinating is the book? -What do you think about the story? -Is it book? -Was a long chapter? -What is the story like? -How many chapters are missing from this story? -What is the main concept of books? -How do you like the story? -What is the heroine like? -How is the reader? -What's the idea? -Is the story have a good message? -Which part do you prefer? -Is it book? -How is the pace? -How is the sex? -How is book? -How is the effect? -Does this one great? -What is the sentiment of the story? -How is the book? -What do you think about the story? -How is the write? -How was her love for Owen? -What can you say about the book? -How is the quality of the sex? -How is book? -How is idea? -Does the book have a healthy relationship? -Is this book like this? -How is insight? -What is the book about? -What do you think about thing? -How is end? -What is your opinion of the book? -How author passion is reflected in the book? -How is the insight? -Does its contains a lot of action? -Is it good for so much star awarded? -How is the event category? -How is the story? -How is the book? -How is the quality of the sex scene? -What is hero? -Do you travel or flying in chapter? -How is the world? -Which is the good premise principal? -What is the concept of the book? -How is a good development? -How is the flow like? -How were the words heard? -Is it a good story line? -How is the book? -How is book? -How is work? -How does Jacob Jankowski's life describe in the book? -How is writing style? -How is the relationship? -How is the story like? -How is the series? -What do you think about odd thomas book one? -How many pages does the book have? -How is the opinion? -What is your favorite heroine? -How did you like the story line? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/question-validation.electronics.txt b/reference_files/question-validation.electronics.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c45eeac49cc039e25ad388d0ab77c1419585725e..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/question-validation.electronics.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,99 +0,0 @@ -What is great about this stand? -What is the bass provide? -How is the keyboard? -Is the sound clear? -Do you have good control of the acceleration? -What do you think about clasp? -How are the bass? -What color is brighter? -How is processor? -How long are those finger? -How fast was the connection? -How is the device? -How is the earphone? -Does the keyboard lightweight? -Are you satisfied with the battery life of the kindle? -Why the card got too slow? -How is the bass? -Where can I fix my screen? -How better is the image quality of this camera? -How do you like the keyboard? -How is ear? -How useful is this cutout? -Is this phome comes with a charger? -How quality is the connector? -What is the price? -How was the sound? -Is it product? -Is the unit easy to configure? -Does this headphone look better? -How do you like the installation? -How is the keyboard? -How low is the cost? -What did you think of the modem signal? -How is the quality of the drive? -Is the design nice? -How loud does the bass sound? -Do you have a good screen? -How is the sound? -How do you like the interface? -How good is the charger? -What do you think about the performance? -Do you have a big problem? -How is the screen? -How are the results? -How is design? -How is drive? -Do you have good image quality? -How is the bass? -How is the unit? -How is the quality? -How is the video quality for this gaming system? -Is the battery good? -Why is it a good hardware? -Where did you find the best price for headphones? -How is the sound quality of these plantronics microphone? -How did you like the function? -How is the design? -How is ear? -How is the capacity? -How is the ability? -What is the best color? -How is the grip? -What about level? -Why is the battery more pleasant? -How is the sound quality of this product? -How is the quality? -What is typing? -How is the sound quality of the headphones? -How good is the battery? -What do you think about noise? -Why don't you like to cover? -How much control does the camera give you? -What is the screen size of your tv? -How is the screen? -How is the product? -How is the battery? -How is connection? -How is the quality? -How is the touch screen? -How much fair is the price? -Is the remote great? -What about cable? -Can I get best keyboard in amazon? -How do you hear the mic? -Does the sound fantastic? -What is the small problem? -Is he a good driver? -How about the specs? -Is the bass sound the deepest? -What text do you prefer? -How is the zoom? -What is the lenght of this cable? -How does the selector protection me? -How are the bass? -How is the quality of review? -How is the plastic holding? -How is the quality of the drive? -Does the video and pictures extremely sharp? -What is the quality of the product? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/question-validation.grocery.txt b/reference_files/question-validation.grocery.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 202e93f7c1ad934e232caa5fe1ee92dabb372ba5..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/question-validation.grocery.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,101 +0,0 @@ -How is the texture? -How is the texture? -Does it taste nice? -Where is the best bar? -What is cracker? -How delicious is the taste of coffee? -How is the taste? -How is the stuff? -What is chocolate? -Does the product have problem after use sometimes? -How is the cereal we bought from Germany? -How natural does it taste? -How is the ingredient? -How is the taste of the peach rings? -How is honey? -How is the seed? -How is the cracker? -How was the sauce? -How is the taste? -How is the almond? -How was the taste? -How is it the ingredient? -What about the texture of the cookies? -How is the packet? -Does this tea have natural sweetness? -How good is coffee? -What is the quality of the blend? -How is the aftertaste? -How much fiber does it have? -How do you like cracker? -How is the cost of this coffee? -What amount of minerals and vitamins present in this? -How is cost? -What is the chocolate like? -How was the coffee? -How do you like the coffee? -Can we co-operate avoiding intolerance? -How is the drink? -How was the taste popcorn? -How is the quality of the taste? -How do you like the bag? -How was the sauce? -How is the taste? -What is the easy access? -How is preparation? -How is the aftertaste? -How is the taste? -What do you think about variety? -How is the taste of this mayonnaise? -Was the chocolate very bitter? -How is the taste? -How is water? -Is it taste good? -How was the coffee? -What is the taste, taste and quantity of food they serve? -How is the thing? -How is honey? -What is bar? -Is the taste of this sauce so good for all kinds of food? -What is the size of the box of chocolates? -How was the packaging? -How is the texture? -How is the drink? -How does one of candy taste like mint? -How much sugar should diabetic patients consume? -How is it fruit? -How did you think about coffee? -How was the taste? -How is the sauce? -What do you think about chocolate? -How is it the bottle? -What is cracker? -How is the taste? -How is the chocolate? -How is the taste of a good black licorice? -How is the possibility like? -What kind of oatmeal do you like? -What is the taste of this stuff? -How is the taste? -How is a texture thick? -How is the flavor of the coffee? -How is the packet? -Why is the first one perfect? -How is it bag? -How do you like the cherry? -Does the meal tasty? -How is the nuts? -Does it have a strong taste? -How was the snack? -How is the amount? -What is your opinion about this soup? -How was the fruit? -How is the texture of this food? -How is the bar? -How distinctive is the taste? -What is the package? -How is the skin? -What about the taste of the sauce? -How is the coffee? -Is coffee good? -How good was the stuff in the dishes at the hotel? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/question-validation.movies.txt b/reference_files/question-validation.movies.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b08c35184910457d7204c09a93e823e0dba38846..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/question-validation.movies.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,101 +0,0 @@ -Is the film fascinating? -Is it a good film? -How do you like the disc? -How is the dialogue? -Is the scenery beautiful? -How is audio? -What is the quality of the movie? -How is the scene? -How is the music? -Do you have other idea for the movie? -How you would describe this episode edition? -How is the quality of episode? -What about the film? -Was the story complex? -How was its effect? -What is your opinion about cinematography of this film? -How is the show? -How is the film? -Is that film good? -How fun is the story? -How is movie? -How is the action? -How is the effect? -How was the series? -Is the scene of the movie great? -Who wrote the interaction that took place between Jeff and Barbra? -How is the film? -What is the rest of the cast like? -What is the quality of the soundtrack? -What do you think about actor? -How is the quality of the cast? -How is the audio quality? -How is it the set? -How is the story? -How is the sense? -How long did the dialogue last? -How were the effects? -Does the soundtrack perfect? -How would you describe the length of the movie? -How is the movie? -What is the quality of the video? -How is style? -How can i begin? -Is this movie horror? -Why is the cast phenomenal? -How many episodes are there? -Does this story is good enough? -How do you like the film? -Is film good? -Is there a good song in the movie? -Is the packaging excellent? -How would you rate the movie? -How is the movie? -What about story? -How you rate the film? -How good was the music? -How were the stunts? -Is the music cool? -How was the film? -What does the movie have? -What is your favorite collection? -Do you think humor is good? -How is the show? -How was the scene? -What is the series like? -How many dimensions does the character have? -How is the character? -How is it the movie? -What is the maximimum productions of the company? -How was the film? -Why do I have an amazing actor? -How is sense? -How is action? -What do you think about the plot? -What is the impact it will make on children in the 5th grade? -How is character? -How is the picture? -How is the scene? -How is the movie? -Is a good film? -Does at least one sure of the background of her new employee? -Is a good sequel? -How is the movie? -How is movie? -What is write? -Is the image fully charged? -How is the actor? -Does this movie have any scary part? -What's the greatest scene? -How can I find extra interesting movies? -How can the plot be described as? -How is part? -How is the effect? -What is the plot of the scene? -When is the shot recreated? -Why is the cast phenomenal? -How is the part? -How is the animation? -How is one of the books? -How was the cast? -What do you think about dvd? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/question-validation.restaurants.txt b/reference_files/question-validation.restaurants.txt deleted file mode 100644 index f2c9eefcc512ea2483b9d9b728f7c13299657df6..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/question-validation.restaurants.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,129 +0,0 @@ -Is it a good pasta meal? -Does this food stink others? -How do you like the environment? -What do you think about location? -What about place? -How do you like the food? -How would you rate lunch? -How is the server? -How is the food they serve daily? -How is that food satisfying? -How good is the food? -Why is the menu so creative? -How did you like the dish? -What do you think about food? -How was the service? -How can I get a good soup in this hotel? -Is price affordable? -What is the quality of the food? -Is it a good location? -Is it a good menu? -How fast was the bartender? -How is the lunch? -How is the food? -What do you think about burger? -How are the prices of the place? -Who is the third place? -How was the state of the table? -How is the quality of place? -How was the ambience? -How is that experience so beautiful? -Why do I have a big food? -How ambient is the light in this place? -Do they have a good menu? -How was the restaurant? -How is the sauce in that restaurant? -How was the service? -What is the quality of the food? -What opinion would you give me about the restaurant? -How is that food satisfying? -How small is the piece? -How is the service? -What is the quality of the chicken? -What is your favorite sport? -What is the quality of the food? -How is it steak? -How is the flavour? -How good is the menu? -How is the place? -How ambient is the light in this place? -How is the snack? -How is the menu? -How is the food? -What is the quality of the customer service provided in the restaurant? -How is the staff? -What is the nice noodle? -How was the service staff? -How is the service? -How is the taco? -Does the restaurant have a good service? -What is the cleanliness of the place? -How is vibe? -How do you like the ramen? -How is the server? -What about service? -How is the food? -How is the flavour of food there? -Is this service a bit slow? -How is service? -How is the beer? -How is the steak? -How is the flavour? -How was it served and removal of the plate from your table? -Is space narrow or broad? -How is the restaurant food? -How is the atmosphere? -How is the appetizer? -What do you think about calamari? -Is it a good seat? -How is the server? -How is the quality of taste? -What was the texture like? -How is the presentation of the food? -How is the place? -How is the quality of the menu? -How is it food? -How is the seat? -Is the appetizer a good recommend? -What plate do you want for dinner? -How did you think about lobster? -What was the quality of the server? -How was the service provided at the restaurant? -How was the service in the hotel? -How do you judge the restaurant service? -What do you think of the soup? -How is the food? -How is the evening? -Which service do you enjoy most? -How is that food satisfying? -How did you like the service? -How is the cake? -How is the vibe? -How is the food? -Is it a good meal? -How is the menu? -What was the fill inside the pork belly? -How is the breakfast? -How is the quality of the food? -What do you think about dinner? -How did you like the dish? -What rating would you give dinner without having tried it? -How is the quality of the dish? -How much would you consider to be a healthy portion? -How was the service? -How is the spicy food? -How do you like egg? -How is the table? -How good was the server? -How to make a cake? -What is the quality of the food taste? -How is the service? -How was the restaurant? -How is the oyster taste? -What is the review on the waiters for this restaurant? -How is it the sausage? -How was the bartender's deal at the club you attended? -How is the beer? -Does the waiter bad? -How is the dinner? -Is it good to eat in that restaurant? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/question-validation.tripadvisor.txt b/reference_files/question-validation.tripadvisor.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 00e169f50e5fa4ad485640e953e2988bb93be64d..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/question-validation.tripadvisor.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,143 +0,0 @@ -Is the staff are professional of this hotel? -How is view? -How is the security that you need? -How is shower? -What's the hotel like? -How is the staff? -What is the availability of coffee? -Does this hotel have a good concierge service? -Is the parking fee expensive? -Is it a good motel? -What is the quality of the property? -What do you think about the ambiance? -Do you have a good experience? -Is there a good bar located next to the hotel? -How is the service? -How is the hotel? -How do you like the view? -How was the hotel staff? -What is the customer service? -How would you rate the wine? -How did you find the hotel staff? -How is it the hotel? -Does the staff is friendly? -Why is this hotel a funny place? -How is the function of the bathroom in this place? -How is sight? -How nice is the view? -How is the place? -How was the staff? -How is the hotel? -How is the parking? -How is the check in? -Where is the parking lot located? -Why you buy everything? -Does the hotel offer good service? -How is the stay? -Can I find a cheap good hotel near sea side? -How is the drink? -How is it tv? -How is the hotel? -Is the parking fee expensive? -How is the view? -How do you like the street noise? -How is the hotel? -How is service? -Is staff helpful? -When is the wine tasting? -How to be near a wharf with a car? -How is the smell? -How is the staff? -What is the location of the hotel? -What did you expect from the service? -Is it a good place? -How is the treatment of the staff in that hotel? -How is the food? -How is the hotel? -What is your take on the service by the doctors in the city hospital? -What about the front desk? -What is the customer service? -How was the attention of the staff? -How is bed? -How was your overall experience of this hotel? -What is room size? -What do you think about the receptionist? -How is hotel? -What is the customer service? -Why do I have a good bed? -How is the treatment of staff? -What property is very well equipped? -How do you like the street noise? -How is the bar? -How is the breakfast buffet? -What is the price of parking? -How is the hotel? -Is this a real good food service? -How was the view? -Does this hotel offer a lot of food? -What is missing elevator so they can pass? -How is the bed? -Is this hotel have wine hour? -How is it the breakfast buffet? -How was the concierge service? -How would you describe the size of the bathroom? -How was the service in the hotel? -Does this hotel have a good concierge service? -How is front desk? -How does the concierge behave? -What is the customer service? -How can I recommend this hotel? -How is place? -Where is the concierge office? -How is service? -Does the hotel provide awesome bed? -How is the hotel? -What is the cost of the trip? -Is your bed comfortable? -How is the service? -How is the staff? -How is the pool? -How did you like the front desk? -What is the quality of the hotel? -Is the decoration scary? -How can you describe the shower? -How is smell? -How is the food? -How would you rate this hotel in the rank of decency? -How good was the staff? -How is the room service? -How is bathroom? -How is it the traffic? -How is bathrooms quality on rooms of this hotel? -Is the valet parking expensive at the hotel? -What has been the most terrible hotel in New York? -How was the hotel? -How is the view? -What material is the floor? -How is the hotel like? -How is the service? -How do you rate the staff? -How is the service? -Is it food? -How was the bed? -What is your take on the service in the Norfolk hotel? -Does the hotel have a good view? -How is the staff in means of friendly? -How is the view? -Is it value for money? -How is the view from this hotel? -How did you find the staff? -Is staff helpful? -Where is that elegant lobby? -Does this hotel have a good city view? -What do you think about the view? -How is the bed? -Is this area recommended? -How was the service of the staff member? -How would describe the price of the food? -How was the suite where your daughter stayed? -Does this hotel have a good city view? -How is the hotel? -How is the attention of your staff? -Would you call the stay in that hotel memorable? -How pretty is the hotel overall? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/question-validation.txt b/reference_files/question-validation.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9b62fc3dd8f1c1fe1215db035e189ade1fbf60eb..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/question-validation.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,665 +0,0 @@ -What is the sentiment of the majority of the moments in the book? -How is the writing style? -What is your sentiment about this book? -Was the tension thick? -How do you rate the write? -What story do I tell you? -How is story? -How is the child? -Does this book have an educational purpose? -How was story line of these book? -How is the relationship? -How is the book? -How good it's the write? -How is the book? -Is this book about pain and suffering? -Where can I find book with excellent review? -How is the opinion? -Where is the five element available? -How is the story line? -Is thi book a fantasy one? -How would you rate the quality of the book? -Does the book have a good start? -Why do I have a funny part? -Does this book have a good story? -What concern did the reader have about the end of the book? -How was the story? -How is the book? -How fascinating is the book? -What do you think about the story? -Is it book? -Was a long chapter? -What is the story like? -How many chapters are missing from this story? -What is the main concept of books? -How do you like the story? -What is the heroine like? -How is the reader? -What's the idea? -Is the story have a good message? -Which part do you prefer? -Is it book? -How is the pace? -How is the sex? -How is book? -How is the effect? -Does this one great? -What is the sentiment of the story? -How is the book? -What do you think about the story? -How is the write? -How was her love for Owen? -What can you say about the book? -How is the quality of the sex? -How is book? -How is idea? -Does the book have a healthy relationship? -Is this book like this? -How is insight? -What is the book about? -What do you think about thing? -How is end? -What is your opinion of the book? -How author passion is reflected in the book? -How is the insight? -Does its contains a lot of action? -Is it good for so much star awarded? -How is the event category? -How is the story? -How is the book? -How is the quality of the sex scene? -What is hero? -Do you travel or flying in chapter? -How is the world? -Which is the good premise principal? -What is the concept of the book? -How is a good development? -How is the flow like? -How were the words heard? -Is it a good story line? -How is the book? -How is book? -How is work? -How does Jacob Jankowski's life describe in the book? -How is writing style? -How is the relationship? -How is the story like? -How is the series? -What do you think about odd thomas book one? -How many pages does the book have? -How is the opinion? -What is your favorite heroine? -How did you like the story line? -What is great about this stand? -What is the bass provide? -How is the keyboard? -Is the sound clear? -Do you have good control of the acceleration? -What do you think about clasp? -How are the bass? -What color is brighter? -How is processor? -How long are those finger? -How fast was the connection? -How is the device? -How is the earphone? -Does the keyboard lightweight? -Are you satisfied with the battery life of the kindle? -Why the card got too slow? -How is the bass? -Where can I fix my screen? -How better is the image quality of this camera? -How do you like the keyboard? -How is ear? -How useful is this cutout? -Is this phome comes with a charger? -How quality is the connector? -What is the price? -How was the sound? -Is it product? -Is the unit easy to configure? -Does this headphone look better? -How do you like the installation? -How is the keyboard? -How low is the cost? -What did you think of the modem signal? -How is the quality of the drive? -Is the design nice? -How loud does the bass sound? -Do you have a good screen? -How is the sound? -How do you like the interface? -How good is the charger? -What do you think about the performance? -Do you have a big problem? -How is the screen? -How are the results? -How is design? -How is drive? -Do you have good image quality? -How is the bass? -How is the unit? -How is the quality? -How is the video quality for this gaming system? -Is the battery good? -Why is it a good hardware? -Where did you find the best price for headphones? -How is the sound quality of these plantronics microphone? -How did you like the function? -How is the design? -How is ear? -How is the capacity? -How is the ability? -What is the best color? -How is the grip? -What about level? -Why is the battery more pleasant? -How is the sound quality of this product? -How is the quality? -What is typing? -How is the sound quality of the headphones? -How good is the battery? -What do you think about noise? -Why don't you like to cover? -How much control does the camera give you? -What is the screen size of your tv? -How is the screen? -How is the product? -How is the battery? -How is connection? -How is the quality? -How is the touch screen? -How much fair is the price? -Is the remote great? -What about cable? -Can I get best keyboard in amazon? -How do you hear the mic? -Does the sound fantastic? -What is the small problem? -Is he a good driver? -How about the specs? -Is the bass sound the deepest? -What text do you prefer? -How is the zoom? -What is the lenght of this cable? -How does the selector protection me? -How are the bass? -How is the quality of review? -How is the plastic holding? -How is the quality of the drive? -Does the video and pictures extremely sharp? -What is the quality of the product? -How is the texture? -How is the texture? -Does it taste nice? -Where is the best bar? -What is cracker? -How delicious is the taste of coffee? -How is the taste? -How is the stuff? -What is chocolate? -Does the product have problem after use sometimes? -How is the cereal we bought from Germany? -How natural does it taste? -How is the ingredient? -How is the taste of the peach rings? -How is honey? -How is the seed? -How is the cracker? -How was the sauce? -How is the taste? -How is the almond? -How was the taste? -How is it the ingredient? -What about the texture of the cookies? -How is the packet? -Does this tea have natural sweetness? -How good is coffee? -What is the quality of the blend? -How is the aftertaste? -How much fiber does it have? -How do you like cracker? -How is the cost of this coffee? -What amount of minerals and vitamins present in this? -How is cost? -What is the chocolate like? -How was the coffee? -How do you like the coffee? -Can we co-operate avoiding intolerance? -How is the drink? -How was the taste popcorn? -How is the quality of the taste? -How do you like the bag? -How was the sauce? -How is the taste? -What is the easy access? -How is preparation? -How is the aftertaste? -How is the taste? -What do you think about variety? -How is the taste of this mayonnaise? -Was the chocolate very bitter? -How is the taste? -How is water? -Is it taste good? -How was the coffee? -What is the taste, taste and quantity of food they serve? -How is the thing? -How is honey? -What is bar? -Is the taste of this sauce so good for all kinds of food? -What is the size of the box of chocolates? -How was the packaging? -How is the texture? -How is the drink? -How does one of candy taste like mint? -How much sugar should diabetic patients consume? -How is it fruit? -How did you think about coffee? -How was the taste? -How is the sauce? -What do you think about chocolate? -How is it the bottle? -What is cracker? -How is the taste? -How is the chocolate? -How is the taste of a good black licorice? -How is the possibility like? -What kind of oatmeal do you like? -What is the taste of this stuff? -How is the taste? -How is a texture thick? -How is the flavor of the coffee? -How is the packet? -Why is the first one perfect? -How is it bag? -How do you like the cherry? -Does the meal tasty? -How is the nuts? -Does it have a strong taste? -How was the snack? -How is the amount? -What is your opinion about this soup? -How was the fruit? -How is the texture of this food? -How is the bar? -How distinctive is the taste? -What is the package? -How is the skin? -What about the taste of the sauce? -How is the coffee? -Is coffee good? -How good was the stuff in the dishes at the hotel? -Is the film fascinating? -Is it a good film? -How do you like the disc? -How is the dialogue? -Is the scenery beautiful? -How is audio? -What is the quality of the movie? -How is the scene? -How is the music? -Do you have other idea for the movie? -How you would describe this episode edition? -How is the quality of episode? -What about the film? -Was the story complex? -How was its effect? -What is your opinion about cinematography of this film? -How is the show? -How is the film? -Is that film good? -How fun is the story? -How is movie? -How is the action? -How is the effect? -How was the series? -Is the scene of the movie great? -Who wrote the interaction that took place between Jeff and Barbra? -How is the film? -What is the rest of the cast like? -What is the quality of the soundtrack? -What do you think about actor? -How is the quality of the cast? -How is the audio quality? -How is it the set? -How is the story? -How is the sense? -How long did the dialogue last? -How were the effects? -Does the soundtrack perfect? -How would you describe the length of the movie? -How is the movie? -What is the quality of the video? -How is style? -How can i begin? -Is this movie horror? -Why is the cast phenomenal? -How many episodes are there? -Does this story is good enough? -How do you like the film? -Is film good? -Is there a good song in the movie? -Is the packaging excellent? -How would you rate the movie? -How is the movie? -What about story? -How you rate the film? -How good was the music? -How were the stunts? -Is the music cool? -How was the film? -What does the movie have? -What is your favorite collection? -Do you think humor is good? -How is the show? -How was the scene? -What is the series like? -How many dimensions does the character have? -How is the character? -How is it the movie? -What is the maximimum productions of the company? -How was the film? -Why do I have an amazing actor? -How is sense? -How is action? -What do you think about the plot? -What is the impact it will make on children in the 5th grade? -How is character? -How is the picture? -How is the scene? -How is the movie? -Is a good film? -Does at least one sure of the background of her new employee? -Is a good sequel? -How is the movie? -How is movie? -What is write? -Is the image fully charged? -How is the actor? -Does this movie have any scary part? -What's the greatest scene? -How can I find extra interesting movies? -How can the plot be described as? -How is part? -How is the effect? -What is the plot of the scene? -When is the shot recreated? -Why is the cast phenomenal? -How is the part? -How is the animation? -How is one of the books? -How was the cast? -What do you think about dvd? -Is it a good pasta meal? -Does this food stink others? -How do you like the environment? -What do you think about location? -What about place? -How do you like the food? -How would you rate lunch? -How is the server? -How is the food they serve daily? -How is that food satisfying? -How good is the food? -Why is the menu so creative? -How did you like the dish? -What do you think about food? -How was the service? -How can I get a good soup in this hotel? -Is price affordable? -What is the quality of the food? -Is it a good location? -Is it a good menu? -How fast was the bartender? -How is the lunch? -How is the food? -What do you think about burger? -How are the prices of the place? -Who is the third place? -How was the state of the table? -How is the quality of place? -How was the ambience? -How is that experience so beautiful? -Why do I have a big food? -How ambient is the light in this place? -Do they have a good menu? -How was the restaurant? -How is the sauce in that restaurant? -How was the service? -What is the quality of the food? -What opinion would you give me about the restaurant? -How is that food satisfying? -How small is the piece? -How is the service? -What is the quality of the chicken? -What is your favorite sport? -What is the quality of the food? -How is it steak? -How is the flavour? -How good is the menu? -How is the place? -How ambient is the light in this place? -How is the snack? -How is the menu? -How is the food? -What is the quality of the customer service provided in the restaurant? -How is the staff? -What is the nice noodle? -How was the service staff? -How is the service? -How is the taco? -Does the restaurant have a good service? -What is the cleanliness of the place? -How is vibe? -How do you like the ramen? -How is the server? -What about service? -How is the food? -How is the flavour of food there? -Is this service a bit slow? -How is service? -How is the beer? -How is the steak? -How is the flavour? -How was it served and removal of the plate from your table? -Is space narrow or broad? -How is the restaurant food? -How is the atmosphere? -How is the appetizer? -What do you think about calamari? -Is it a good seat? -How is the server? -How is the quality of taste? -What was the texture like? -How is the presentation of the food? -How is the place? -How is the quality of the menu? -How is it food? -How is the seat? -Is the appetizer a good recommend? -What plate do you want for dinner? -How did you think about lobster? -What was the quality of the server? -How was the service provided at the restaurant? -How was the service in the hotel? -How do you judge the restaurant service? -What do you think of the soup? -How is the food? -How is the evening? -Which service do you enjoy most? -How is that food satisfying? -How did you like the service? -How is the cake? -How is the vibe? -How is the food? -Is it a good meal? -How is the menu? -What was the fill inside the pork belly? -How is the breakfast? -How is the quality of the food? -What do you think about dinner? -How did you like the dish? -What rating would you give dinner without having tried it? -How is the quality of the dish? -How much would you consider to be a healthy portion? -How was the service? -How is the spicy food? -How do you like egg? -How is the table? -How good was the server? -How to make a cake? -What is the quality of the food taste? -How is the service? -How was the restaurant? -How is the oyster taste? -What is the review on the waiters for this restaurant? -How is it the sausage? -How was the bartender's deal at the club you attended? -How is the beer? -Does the waiter bad? -How is the dinner? -Is it good to eat in that restaurant? -Is the staff are professional of this hotel? -How is view? -How is the security that you need? -How is shower? -What's the hotel like? -How is the staff? -What is the availability of coffee? -Does this hotel have a good concierge service? -Is the parking fee expensive? -Is it a good motel? -What is the quality of the property? -What do you think about the ambiance? -Do you have a good experience? -Is there a good bar located next to the hotel? -How is the service? -How is the hotel? -How do you like the view? -How was the hotel staff? -What is the customer service? -How would you rate the wine? -How did you find the hotel staff? -How is it the hotel? -Does the staff is friendly? -Why is this hotel a funny place? -How is the function of the bathroom in this place? -How is sight? -How nice is the view? -How is the place? -How was the staff? -How is the hotel? -How is the parking? -How is the check in? -Where is the parking lot located? -Why you buy everything? -Does the hotel offer good service? -How is the stay? -Can I find a cheap good hotel near sea side? -How is the drink? -How is it tv? -How is the hotel? -Is the parking fee expensive? -How is the view? -How do you like the street noise? -How is the hotel? -How is service? -Is staff helpful? -When is the wine tasting? -How to be near a wharf with a car? -How is the smell? -How is the staff? -What is the location of the hotel? -What did you expect from the service? -Is it a good place? -How is the treatment of the staff in that hotel? -How is the food? -How is the hotel? -What is your take on the service by the doctors in the city hospital? -What about the front desk? -What is the customer service? -How was the attention of the staff? -How is bed? -How was your overall experience of this hotel? -What is room size? -What do you think about the receptionist? -How is hotel? -What is the customer service? -Why do I have a good bed? -How is the treatment of staff? -What property is very well equipped? -How do you like the street noise? -How is the bar? -How is the breakfast buffet? -What is the price of parking? -How is the hotel? -Is this a real good food service? -How was the view? -Does this hotel offer a lot of food? -What is missing elevator so they can pass? -How is the bed? -Is this hotel have wine hour? -How is it the breakfast buffet? -How was the concierge service? -How would you describe the size of the bathroom? -How was the service in the hotel? -Does this hotel have a good concierge service? -How is front desk? -How does the concierge behave? -What is the customer service? -How can I recommend this hotel? -How is place? -Where is the concierge office? -How is service? -Does the hotel provide awesome bed? -How is the hotel? -What is the cost of the trip? -Is your bed comfortable? -How is the service? -How is the staff? -How is the pool? -How did you like the front desk? -What is the quality of the hotel? -Is the decoration scary? -How can you describe the shower? -How is smell? -How is the food? -How would you rate this hotel in the rank of decency? -How good was the staff? -How is the room service? -How is bathroom? -How is it the traffic? -How is bathrooms quality on rooms of this hotel? -Is the valet parking expensive at the hotel? -What has been the most terrible hotel in New York? -How was the hotel? -How is the view? -What material is the floor? -How is the hotel like? -How is the service? -How do you rate the staff? -How is the service? -Is it food? -How was the bed? -What is your take on the service in the Norfolk hotel? -Does the hotel have a good view? -How is the staff in means of friendly? -How is the view? -Is it value for money? -How is the view from this hotel? -How did you find the staff? -Is staff helpful? -Where is that elegant lobby? -Does this hotel have a good city view? -What do you think about the view? -How is the bed? -Is this area recommended? -How was the service of the staff member? -How would describe the price of the food? -How was the suite where your daughter stayed? -Does this hotel have a good city view? -How is the hotel? -How is the attention of your staff? -Would you call the stay in that hotel memorable? -How pretty is the hotel overall? \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/sentence-test.books.txt b/reference_files/sentence-test.books.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 57150713515bd054d6c2b7426b9f52a7ee60b212..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/sentence-test.books.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,191 +0,0 @@ -This book was wonderful . -Echo and Noah's relationship is very sweet and it was nice to see that they saved each other. -I found this section of the book personally interesting because I read through it going, "Oh, That's why I am like that." -The characters could not have been better , the story is based on something which in 1964 would have been nothing short of revolutionary and finally the writing style is smooth like calm waters. - On the strong side , the writing is superior and the post-apocalyptic world that Cole creates is imaginative and she builds it well. -His dialogue rings true, and with such an expansive cast of characters, sometimes it can be hard to remember them all or they end up sounding alike, but all these characters are easily identifiable as themselves . -It was better than good it was GREAT! The characters are rich and fantastic and devious and wonderful and heart-breaking and maddening. -Every now and then Brimstone calls for her to run an errand. -This book ran true to my memories of the South. - But I absolutely loved it . -My favorite aspect of this book is the fact that the ending had my stomach in knots and gripped with suspense . -Her writing style and perspective was great . - He has some good info but I was just not overly impressed -The plot device of finding each clue and solving it got a little bit tedious at times . -but I enjoyed being with the characters so much and the writing is just terrific that I enjoyed spending the time with this book. -The beginning was interesting . -All this happened because I was interested in a single book . -The overall story was good, but not really intriguing to me . -I even recommended it to my mother! The characters are memorable and well written . -Wow! The ending was interesting .. not sure its what I would have done, in Nicks place, however I can see his reasoning. -I really enjoyed both the characters and the story setting . -Imagine living during the middle 19th century as a free man in New York State with a wonderful family and having the talent to play the fiddle so well that you are requested to play numerous venues for pay. -Michel Thomas's, the Pimsleur series, and the Barron's version of the Foreign Service Institute course are the three top-selling courses on Spanish, and I did extensive research on the various high end courses before buying his. -Though the individual sections were interesting, I was disappointed that there wasn't an overall theme . -The idea for the plot is an interesting one . -Before I forget- 4 stars for me means that I enjoyed reading it, but would not have it on my own personal shelf . -So beautifully written, so uplifting, I am so happy that I gave this book a chance .Thank -That is why I gave it one star because I hated it . - All the characters are so rich in their descriptions that I feel I would recognize them on the street if I was to run into them. -When I saw this book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain, I knew I had to choose it for my review . --- A Romantic Book Affairs ReviewOkay, I've obviously lost cool points for not reading Hopeless sooner. -Story line was very interesting . -Still, it is very good and worth the time and money . -Whether or not you believe in heaven, this story is exceptional! The journey that this little boy took is absolutely amazing and worth the little bit of time it will take to read. -The characters were interesting and the history was sad and powerful not only the history from 80 years ago but from the communication just 40 years ago. -All good characters have flaws . -She creates some complete characters alongside some comical stock characters. - I see why the reviews are less than the other books, although I have a different set of reasons than most . - Character development is very intricate , as is the story line. - And, because she is so utterly sweet, is cajoled into interviewing Christian Grey, a mega rich , surprisingly young man with a million dollar company, for her best friend's school paper. -Like everyone else who read it, I loved "Seabiscuit". Loved it. I found this surprising given the fact that I had never had any interest in horses or horse racing before. But from the first sentence, the prose in that book is as beautiful and engaging as prose can be."Unbroken" is not "Seabiscuit". Don't get me wrong, the story is remarkable, and it's exhaustively researched. You can't sneeze at 397 endnotes. But Laura Hillenbrand's writing in this outing is less like poetry and more like reporting. Jammed with details, the book reads like the world's longest New Yorker article.The topic is hardly new. WWII has been pretty exhaustively covered, and this particular story has been told before. The hero of the book, Louis Zamperini, published his own memoirs only a few years ago. The hardships of war and the cruelty of the Japanese come as no surprise.Louie's story is so remarkable and so detailed that, frankly, it strains the limits of credulity. I'm not challenging the facts; I'm just saying that it's a lot to remember. Personally, I wouldn't even want to. I wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes drifting in that life raft. I would have eaten all the chocolate and stuck my head in a shark. How anyone could remember the ordeal in hour-by-hour detail is beyond me.Ultimately, I couldn't finish the book. I feel bad that I didn't have the strength to read the experiences someone else had to live, but I gave up on about my third POW camp. Starvation, deprivation, cruelty, disease, humiliation, I got the picture. Repeated cycles don't necessarily make for a great story; it just makes for a tedious narrative.Which made me ponder the purpose of the book. As a moving story, it's too detailed to carry a theme. As reporting, it's redundant and profoundly out of date. What's the take-away message supposed to be?I tried to skip to the end, but the `redemption' part just didn't grab me. It's not hard to believe that someone who lived this life would be scarred forever. I practically got PTSD just reading it. It's also not hard to believe someone who got that scarred would find religion. -It gets a star because the cover is so pretty .Where -The characters were entertaining and the banter was witty and hilarious . -And while we learn about a lot of his past, he ends the story still being somewhat mysterious .I really liked Nora's character. - I thought the cover was interesting the idea was unique . - They still are drawn to one another and love each other, but their trust is being taxed and their reliance on the strengths of the other is not assured. - The characters have an amazing relationship and nothing happens between them until after TJ is a legal adult . -I really liked that the romance with the conflicts it had was quite believable.....not just the wine and roses and the crazy lengths of character development with their thoughts and conflicts that sometimes go on and on ! -The other character, Hassan, is genuinely, perhaps, the most decent human being you can ever come across out there . - How Ms. Tartt was able to get into this young man's psyche is incredible! -It is such a clever book, all the details neatly come together, every detail is of some importance, the writing is straightforward, but amazingly descriptive, the characters are so realistic ( I actually know people like them -I have a personal interest in the machinations of Rome and the Knights Templar. -It didn't really hold my interest and I found the characters to be one -dimensional and rather dull. -Perfect development of the characters - the bond they build is palpable, believable and quite beautiful. -Both have the main male character being drop dead sexy, rich businessmen that are very protective over the women they love, and have also been through terrible tragedy. -Suzy Wilson's review Apr 23 , 20135 of 5 starsbookshelves: dystopia, strong-female-protagonistRead in April, 2013I received a copy of this novel as an electronic Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin, in return for an honest review. -This is my only problem really , in that the other characters feel quite undeveloped - i don't feel I know, or care about them very much. -The plot is compelling if gruesome and disturbing at several points . - Women are always stronger than men . -They have great character development ! -But the journey they take was exciting and an absolute blast to read, and I actually like the way things wrapped up. - The first is that of "time slicing", which demonstrates how important information can be encoded in a very short period of time. Most of Gladwell's examples are socioloical, and the most striking of which was research which aimed to predict whether married couples would get divorced after analyzing a single conversation with them.The other concept is how the brain acts subconsciously to certain stimulus . -Gillian Flynn has a great writing style and her characters are perfectly and realistically twisted . -The characters are completely unbelievable in their roles . -The book is amazing, and I would definately would have given it 5 stars but for certain aspects of the book, but I think parts of the book made some people, especially men, uncomfortable given the extremely detailed romantic impulses and actions of the female protagonist and her lover . -Being a person who rarely reads fantasy , I was a little uneasy about reading this book, especially when I looked at the character log in the back, with all the houses listed and its history. -The tragic story of a woman with 5 young children who, by way of her death from a particularly vicious cancer, should help save the lives of probably almost every one of us, is positively fascinating. - Billionaire falls for a girl and likes to be in charge of all aspects of his life . -4.5 starsMiss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is one of those books that is completely unexpected and almost swathed in mystery . -Jodi Picoult's The Storyteller is a fictional account of a young woman-Sage- who befriends an older gentleman-Josef- she meets at a grief group. -I loved that Sam wasn't an alpha wolf . -Also, there were time where the lengthy descriptions of unnecessary things (furniture, for example) got so detailed that it would take you out of the book; I'd find myself skipping paragraphs a time and losing nothing from the story. - "Divergent" has an amazing plot and I think its a fairly unique one when you think about how many dystopian novels are hitting the shelves. -The mystery and the romance combined are just perfect . -It took half the book to develop the main character . -Stop saving everyone else and save himself. -Fantastic characterisation and an always exciting plot . -I find that the plot is excellent in terms of its riveting sequence of events . - His description about sitting in the dining room was so real . -The story line was easy to follow and while it was difficult at times to like Joss, the main character, I fell in love with Braden and Ellie ! - I really loved this book, and thought it brought together the characters endings in a lovely way . -Perhaps it's a reinforcement of the story setting where no one is enlightened and all kings are blood-thirsty savages with no brains that need Aes Sedai to guide them and all women are helpless and need men around to protect them, but I seem to have higher expectations.Edit update: 1/3 of the way through Book 10Ok, things did slow down a bit. Part of the issue is that there are so many players and so many tangents that it takes forever to tell one and get back to another. Still, petty good overall so I'll try and finish it out. -Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire is exactly as the title says. - Mr. Zusak has a wonderful and unique way with words . -The love story was beautiful, the characters loveable . -In this wonderful book, set in Jackson, Mississippi in the years 1962-1964, we meet three unforgettable women: Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, a young white woman, who is 22, a budding social activist and writer; Aibileen, a black maid raising her 17th white child; and Minny, Aibileen's best friend, who has just lost another job for speaking out to the white woman she worked for. -When Jacqueline follows her high school sweetheart, Kennedy, to the college of his dreams she thinks that they are the perfect couple but just months later he tears her heart out by breaking up with her and she falls into a deep depression. -What ugly, disgusting language used over and over and to no disernable purpose . -At over 700 pages it isn't a quick read , but GRRM does a great job of making an already excellent story even better. -The characters are rich and wonderful and the imagery is immersive . - What you can expect from J. Lynn (a.k.a Jennifer L. Armentrout) is solid writing , a great push and pull between Cam and Avery, witty banter and a touching story. - It was hard to read some of this, but the character development was excellent . -It's hard to write about this book . -The setting and characters are perfect ! -The characters in the book are very likeable and you can very easily sympathize with them . -I like that the characters felt real .Then came the end, more so the last few chapters. -His past is so dark that haunts his dreams , so dark even he has great fear confronting it. -Have you every started a book and it just wasn't good but you read through it because eventually it did or because the rest of the series was good, well that's not the case here. -This was recommended to me by another bibliophile who loves a good yarn , great plot development and real characters. -But the thing I liked most was how he managed to portray Christopher as the only character with real depth and texture . -When I started this book I had high hopes and the information about Berlin and the change to Nazism and the often cruelty and attacks on American citizens were very interesting. - It was a great story, The characters were wonderful, I just didn't want it to end . - This one had a surprising number of pretty high reviews -The cover is really pretty (though am I the only one who thinks the cover model looks like Mandy Moore?) and draws you into the story . -Incarnate by Jodi MeadowsPrint Length: 400 pagesPublisher: Katherine Tegen Books (January 31, 2012)Sold by: HarperCollins PublishersASIN: B005GG0K80My Review~ The cover is stunning !! - The two main characters, Anna and Christian are not believable and to me, annoying. -What a funny, funny read . -Of course, the purpose of this review is not to compare two books side-by-side, but to review Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" as a standalone novel .The premise is simple. -The characters have more depth, and the jumping from place to place makes more sense . -They are fleshed out more than well enough, as the plot of necessity relies -- Landay intended it to rely -- more on the swift action provided by any excellent legal thriller . -Erik Larson has a unique ability to write about historical events in a truly intriguing way . -She is a writer in charge of her craft . -Compelling, cool story, solid character development, and well-constructed plot . -The storyline is fascinating and compelling . -The pacing is excellent, and the mystery in the book keeps feeding you enough clues to keep you interested. - Best of all, the book had real depth and the romance was not the least bit one dimensional . -It was like reading the same awful book three times in a row.1) Characters:The characters are uninteresting and boring . - I was always heartened to see another Bailey chapter in the book as I read, while the Celia and Marco chapters didn't hold my interest as well, as the characters were too lifeless for me to be emotionally invested in them .That's my only quibble with this book, however -- the rest is one of the most enthralling and beautiful fictional worlds I have ever come across in a work of fiction. -The scene setting, the character development, the plot twists, and the dialogue are all superb . -This is hand-down the most beautiful cover I have ever seen before (and I have seen some pretty beautiful covers before like "Fallen" and "Torment" by Lauren Kate, "Halo", and whatnot). -I just loved this book . -No really, the characters are fabulous and addictive. I felt the heartbreaking tale of Joss' loss and subsequent lifestyle. I loved every step of her journey . -Rowling manages to write characters that aren’t exactly likeable , yet she still manages to make them likeable, if that makes any sense at all. -I thoroughly enjoyed this book , and its sequels. -Just the word "maze" incites an instant mental picture of adventure, mystery, danger, and bravery. - Several twists and turns keeps interesting . -This probably wasn't the best of the trilogy...perhaps the worse . -I really like this book - the character were likable , it was a good length, there wasn't too much angst -It is a whirlwind romance , emotions are high but when the secret is revealed, Ethan stands to lose the one thing he loves the most.. - The romance is very light and sweet . - I get the feeling the author wanted to create the perfect family who focus on the right things but are just too poor, but there's not enough human flaws. - Though the background is quick, it is efficiently concise. - That it was not over the second they found relief . - The characters were delightful , both the main character and all the others. -Conflicted. Frustrated . -I don’t think I’ve ever said the word “duck” so much while reading a book in my entire life as I did while reading Bang. -There are a few other characters in this book that I liked as well. -I don't read a lot of mystery's, but I found a lot of the plot points to be pretty transparent that details seemingly mentioned off handedly by characters are going to be important in the solution to the mystery, almost like having it highlighted IMPORTANT POINT HERE! -This book has some good , reasonable advice. -The characters are very endearing and lovable . - She has some major mental problems and is under guardianship, but we also see early on that there is some sort of genius within. -but I will not go into details (yet) as I have other more important things to do than rant about this piece of bull. -The narration switches mostly between Cinder and Prince Kai , giving a well-rounded view the events taking place as the intimidating Queen Levana of the Lunars visits....and things get pretty complex once she shows up. -When you see over 3,000 4 or 5-star reviews (over 90% of the total reviews), then this book has to be good - and it is! - That the storyteller was "Death" was also strange for me . -I often find that books in these categories are either a) completely unbelievable and I get eye strain from rolling my eyes so often, or b) the characters are so flat and transparent that I really don't give a fig about what happens to them. -This book was interesting to read but I was disappointing in the subject matter. -The characters are strong women , and triumphant. -how the characters are related and involved . -Unfortunately since his first book Nassim Taleb has become more and more unbearable from my perspective . - Overall it could have been good but instead just became annoyingly predictable . -Now remember, these characters are in their late 40s . -The characters and plot line in this novel are very entertaining and thankfully , clean and upscale. -There's just too much setting up for it to get far enough into the story that it'll be done at the end of 374 pages. -Overall, if you are looking for answers to the big questions in life, or just some really good food for thought, this book is well worth reading .Other recommended reading:Create Your Own Reality - The Ancient Wisdom -The entire plot was lame only to be surpassed by a terrible ending . -But the information in the book is truly fascinating and worth putting up with the clumsy format to dig it out. -The plot was exciting, and I thought the characters were marvelous . -The characters are funny , and monologue between them is hilarious! -The characters are believeable and the plot line moves along at a good pace. -The plot is fast -paced and full of plenty of twists, which made it a blast to read. -The plot, characters, and setting is much more interesting and developed than the other series .When - When I had only a few more chapters to read I went back to Amazon and looked to see if the author had any other books published, since I enjoyed this one so much . - The characters are rich, complex , and pull at your heart on every page. - It's just a fun read and a book I feel is a must read . - The story was a bit slow for me at first, but once I became invested in the characters and plot , I could hardly put it down. -His characters are full of life and substance . -This book started out with such promise . - The characters were original, but deep down just like every other teenager . - If someone is looking for an informative read that is inspiring and interesting, this is an excellent book . -I find that my favorite books are the ones where none of the characters are all good or all bad . -The first half was super slow and it wasn't until the second half that the character s came together and the story line rolled on . -The mystery is creative if a bit inscrutable . -The Kite Runner is very easy to read , because it keeps your interest throughout the entire book. -I LOVE THIS BOOK.Don't let what others say make you shy away from this book or series; some people, it seems, get a little too into a story and forget that this is only a fiction piece. - Figured the book had to have more information about everything (books are always better than the movie) - -If I didn't already have a great appreciation for the Seals, and the great men and women that also serve, this book really enhances my understanding and gratitude. It does not compromise national security or seek personal agrandizement. -I absolutely loved Ms. Tartt's other books, "The Secret History" and "The little Friend". - All I can say is that, like so many before and after me, this book captivated my interest and set up some great characters, and in the books to come, the new characters to arrive are all at least as cleverly developed... and let me just say that, if you are a fantasy-lover newcome to Jordan, you will UNDOUBTEDLY enjoy this and the next 2-3 books. -It's a good read too - he was a difficult man , with the temperment and sensibility of an artist, not an engineer, which makes for good drama in the narrative of his life. -no matter, the premise of the story is clever . - It also helped that I got the audio book featuring the performing talent of the impressive Linda Stephens. -The writing was choppy and poor and the characters were never really defined . -By page 200, the story had become a Lifetime Movie with caricatures instead of complicated and complex characters . -This is the first book in the Trylle trilogy by Hocking . -Do the strategies work? I implemented three different strategies described in the book in my own companies, and I am ecstatically pleased with the results. -I liked this serie very much! I found it poetic and sensitive . - The characters are excellent and their personalities are very individual . - The story is gripping and well -written, but it's the characters more than anything else that kept me coming back. - The character development was great . -The characters were bland ; the writing poor; and the imagination was unimaginative. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/sentence-test.electronics.txt b/reference_files/sentence-test.electronics.txt deleted file mode 100644 index e9449b2a0af8adeb3af4a0e498413f63d04970cb..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/sentence-test.electronics.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,238 +0,0 @@ -The good: The case is great for the more upright positions. -The length is also good @ 2 meters -This cover is solid, well designed to let the iPad stand freely without flopping over. Travel with this safer in a backpack on airlines too. Again, this baby is built to last and protect your investment.Absolutely delighted. - If you're indoors , or shooting at dusk, be prepared to wait up to several seconds for the focus to be set; if it can acquire focus at all. -This lens is one of the least expensive, quality lenses that could find . -Frankly, the images are generally fuzzy . -This thing is awesome . -Performance of the cooler is amazing, the fans blow incredibly cold air towards the laptop , through a metal mesh grill that keeps airflow moving. -It imbues one with a confidence that the case will protect your iPad Mini from most falls and bumps, although I have not been brave enough to venture an actual physical test. -Also the case is rather unattractive if you don't account the leather strap . -The picture is amazing. It is so clear and sharp. I upgraded from a 32 inch Vizio. -The case is very sturdy and works well it was a little thicker then the MoKo case for my 2012 Nexus 7. -The bokeh when shooting wide open at 1.8 is absolutely amazing! -Easy as pie to install and works exactly as advertised . -Up until a couple of weeks ago , I had never heard of a headphone amp. -Picture quality is great as well as the quality of the cable -Oh, and the range is pretty good too. -It just appears the buttons are flush into the glossy bevel . -After spending $100 to $1,400 on cameras, I was stunned to see how great the pictures and videos came out. -This is a very basic item but the price was good and I do prefer SanDisk. -The case is very beautiful , stylish, rugged and well designed. -It is the only camera in this class or in similar size with a sensor this big . -The case is built well . -The sound cancellation and quality are awesome on these ear buds . - The picture is not as good as plasma in terms of clarity when looking a people's faces, but it is a fine picture . - The bendy wire attached to the ear bud makes it hold tight to your ears. The clip is pretty useless, and the pouch is really small.The sound is decent. Not great. It's a little tinny and lacks any real base, but everything is audible and there isn't a lot of noticeable distortion.I purchased these to replace a pair of Shure isolating ear buds. Let's be real. They are a cheap replacement. The audio quality is no where near the Shure set. - In my opinion they are worth the steaper price than some of the others . -However, from my point of view it becomes a little heavier than other cases , one of the reasons that I love the kindle is so light, but not too much weight with this case without a little for my taste. -Its easy to use and shows quality workmanship. -The case fits my Nexus 7 perfectly and has a very professional and expensive look to it. -The picture and sound are fine . -This drive is very fast, the included software from Samsung is pretty good, including the imaging software which is fast and easy to use. -Works great on my computer and console, just plug in and you are ready to go , it has a decent range, i can now control my pc from my couch as well as my consoles, and the backlight is nice. -Easy to install . -Nice feeling of cover and easy to operate when opening and closing . -It fits perfectly , snug with no room to move around. -Sometimes you'll have to program the device every time you boot up , because the file won't save correctly. -KeyboardThe keyboard on this case is very nice . -but I still find myself looking for 3 buttons from time to time...but really love how I can use it on my Idea Pad y510p which has a horrible touch pad (although everything else about the laptop is great!). -Also the pockets are very helpful and the straps to hold a tripod seems to hold well a tripod there . - The cord is really nice , very well built, and works very well. -This cable is very good quality, and my picture is stunning . -I recommend spending the extra $50 and getting the HD version . - Picture quality is clear and I used other's settings mentioned on here for the picture adjustments . - The speed is outstanding and the range is exceptional .All in all, TP-Link N600 comes equipped with ALMOST every major function you could want from a router. -This bag is soo perfect for my Canon XS camera. - While lacking a few features, the Airbender v1.0 is still a nice case and has features that excel when compared with some of its competitors many of which cost more . -I purchased a few of these since they are small , well priced, and designed well. -These speakers are one of a kind!They are perfect for their price!The quality is a solid 9/10The sound (Loudness without distortion) 9/10The price is exceptional 10/10The durability is a strong 10/10 (The speakers have held up for over a year and sound as new)Now, of course you can purchase a much higher quality set of speakers at a much inflated price, but for $40 these are by far superior to any otherThere is little to no distortion when music is loud. -The cord is very long and durable , the jack is strong and well constructed. -This is the best.... -Now it has become the most comfortable keyboard I've ever used . -The video and audio with even really old footage is excellent .The next day, I had no problem at all getting it to cast at 1:00 a.m., from my laptop. -Love the ease of use of the chromecast, stopped using PS3 for Netflix cause this thing is so nice and easy to use . -This case deserved all 5 stars! the case feels good in terms of material and the magnetic sleep/wake functions perfectly, and the case is sleek and slim enough to not be bothersome. -This mouse feels great and operates nicely when it is working , but I use mine for work and multiple (15+) times a day, the mouse starts jumping around the screen instead of moving smoothly. -This is a nice case that provides more than adequate protection---but considering the price and design, that should go without saying... -Of course as with any projector the more control over light in the room the better the picture . - This case has a really rugged metal arm that won't break like the plastic arms that some of the cases have. -The picture on it was not good , but I figured it had to be the store had some funky settings. -The Flip outperforms them all . -Here is what I like about it.1 . -I have my 1000w PC, 23in monitor, modem and router hooked up to it and I can get 25min of battery power out of it!! The software that comes with it is great , it shuts down your computer safely when the power has been out for how ever long you tell it to, and has an option to turn off the alarm when the power goes out which is nice. - The picture this thing has to offer is unbelievable . -Bought this today and installed it--fairly easy--needed the builtin WiFi cause we have no wired connection available upstairs--thought to get a 40" same model from Costco vs Amazon cause Costco has sale on but when we got there and saw how large the screen was compared to the older model "tube" tv we were taking out, it was no brainer to go with 32 and save some more money...not as cheap as Amazon's price but we get extra year's warranty from Costco for free... -This camera is just all right at best, The pictures are poor and the videos are worse. -It meets the latest HDMI 1.4 standards, and should work fine with any HDMI compliant video device- and at a very attractive price , too. -two perfectly matched microphones and outstanding recording quality .The most popular use for the H1 is to record separate audio for DSLR videos. -And guess what, at normal viewing distances, the picture quality is comparable to Dish!I'm even contemplating of buying a DVR . -I've been using an HP wireless keyboard/mouse combo for a year...the combo came with my new computer and I finally had enough of wonky functionality (the receiver was literally inches away from the keyboard/ mouse yet it would still cut out at times ) - The only thing that I did not like about it was that the cord is either too short and too long . - Has a place for everything and holds so much ! - Don't expect to always get the 150Mbps , but your upstream connection to the internet is probably slower than that anyway -OK, I could have given this case 3 stars for some of the cons . -Last year I built my first P9X79 Deluxe system using the Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced Full Tower and was very happy with its quiet fans. - Noticed Cyberpower also won an award recently from resellers . -I really like this case, it feels sturdy and fits the paper -white perfectly. -i waited until recently to get one because i wanted to make sure the android apps were available to meet my needs. - They were correct as my case is awesome . -Has 4 extra usb ports this is great . -Case works perfectly , keyboard feels great and the hotkeys are amazing! - And like I said, several cases are sold in the 20-25 dollar range , so it is nice that this one clocks in at below $19 (though that price is subject to change, I suppose...) - Cable from the amplifier to the speakers should be of lower guage but does not to be the best since the cable runs are relatively short .To close, the cables here are of decent quality good for their length and would seem to be a reasonable deal. -If your scared to buy this because you have to modify it, dont be . -The cord itself is great , its long, and it isn't stiff, so its quite useful, but the micro end of the cord is just odd. -I can fit about 5 lenses and a camera body in this case. The case seems to be fairly water resistant, but I would not feel too confident in a heavy downpour! -The case overall is nice . - I've already gotten comments about how good the picture was for " that tiny little camera you were carrying around ". -There is no way of telling if this drive will stand the test of time, but so far, this thing has been excellent . -Picture quality is simply stunning and there were no problems . - This allows the camera to take MUCH better pictures in low light . -This router is very good, and has very good range . - This case's flexibility makes it a leader as it swivels, and detaches, allowing seemingly unlimited combinations of viewing and portability . - This cable is perfect. It's well made and heavy-duty . -This is a great wireless mouse , as are most of Logitech's products. -the picture on it is beautiful . -It is too bright at nightPerformance: I think that the performance (colors, contrast, brightness) is very good for home use - it looks great surfing the web, looking at pictures, or watching movies. - very annoying but the fan is really really good ! - Unfortunately, I didn't get any range improvement in one area of my house and my main laptop is still around -60db (and about 1 MB/s) I was hoping to get a little more but the faster router processor seems to keep the data flowing very steadily. -but for me this lens is my walking around lens, so much better than the 1.8 , this has metal construction and I love the speed of primes - My only real gripe is the MLB.tv app. -I bought this lens mostly for video, as the STM lenses have almost completely silent autofocus , which helps tremendously when shooting video with the internal mic, or a camera-mounted mic. -This New Trent Airbender case is a remarkably lightweight keyboard case and while it doesn't feel heavy duty by any stretch of the imagination, it also doesn't seem cheap or flimsy. - Sound is great and noise cancelling is excellent but after wearing for 20-30 minutes they start to hurt my ears. -Anyway, this is a great all around lens and is my favorite for event photography and as my personal "walkabout" lens when I'm on vacation . - While it is advertised to have superior range, I find it pretty average at best . - The device works as it's supposed to and it doesn't junk up my key chain. -The bokeh is 'creamier' than you're used to compared to Nikon or Zeiss lenses , but I like it. - The case is very convenient with the several different options available for display . -Passively cooled however for reducing noise ( It has vents on the top ) and very well shielded inside and in my tests it indeed is very fast in data transfers thanks to the USB 3.0 interface. -this case is awesome . -However, the bag is huge, so big I can fit my DSLR, Camcorder and even a point and shoot camera. - The craftsmanship is excellent , all seams are straight with no loose thread, the fit is excellent as is the overall appearance. - The verdict is in- this cable is a very high quality cable which works beautifully with no problems at all .Despite -OK let me start by saying I have studied antennas pretty extensively as a hobby . -This case is super slim, super sleek, and fits the Nexus 7 perfectly . -On the plus side, the setup software is easy and it's attractive . -The latter barely works (at least for me) but otherwise the case is fine . - A cropped sensor makes this 40mm lens the equivalent of a 56mm . -This product is perfect for what I needed it for. -This case is beautiful , inside and out. -I would highly recommend this accessory for everyone . -The case fits snug to the device and allows for good support and viewing angles . -Your computer will wait on you instead of you waiting on your computer. -These cables are great ! - I am a 39 year old male and this review is for the Zune HD and what it is like to OWN one so that others may decide if they want one. First off, you will notice that this review is "Amazon Verified" - yes, I purchased the Zune from Amazon and waited a couple of weeks to actually USE the product before submitting a review of it unlike some of the others here. Enjoy....Packaging:The Zune comes in a nice small black box that slides open to reveal the contents which are the Zune HD, headphones, USB cable and some paperwork. It's very stylish and nice. Not much else to say as the box has been tucked away ever since opening.The look and feel:Ever since the first time I saw pictures on the net of the Zune HD I have wanted one. Being a previous owner of a couple of different MP3 players the Zune was a must have just for the looks alone. It really has nice lines and the color is just right; black and silver. I hate this new term "sexy" and cringe when I hear a guy say it about an electronic device. It does describe the Zune but I won't call it that. The weight is very nice and it feels good in your hand. I love the modern look and if they ever turned this device into a phone I would by one in a heartbeat! I sometimes hold it to my ear and think, "WoW what a cool phone this would be." The Zune logo on the back and a simple "ZUNE" on the front - very elegant. On top is a power on button, the left side a volume rocker and the home button on the front. The bottom is where you plug in your headphones and next to that is where the docking connector/USB cable plugs in. It's the kind of device that has looks that will never get old and you want to just keep staring at it. Very pleasing to have something you want everyone to see.The screen:OLED - it's the big talk these days. I have a few pictures on my device right now and I have to say they look great. The blacks are true blacks because the device shuts down the pixels where there should be black so you see true blacks and vibrant colors. Outside I agree with most folks about the glare. I have the brightness turned all the way up and it looks nice inside but outside the glare on the glass makes it as if you want to look at the reflection then back to what's on the screen. I don't see this as a problem as I can't imagine any other electronic device no matter what it is not having this same problem. For me, I can still see what is on the screen and have no problem with it. It is just the right size at 3.3 inches.UI interface:Although inside the box there was no manual you would really have to be pretty stupid if you couldn't figure out how to navigate on this device. Also, on the Zune web page is everything you need to know about how to work this device - who needs paper these days anyway??? The transitions from screen to screen are so fluid, smooth and animated. The touch only needs to be light and it works flawlessly. After using the device for a few minutes you get the idea of how to navigate. You start off with a list of items to choose from on the main menu; pictures, music, apps, ect, etc. As you click one you dive into that section and dive even deeper as you work what ever you have chosen clicking/touching away. At all times the home button on the front will take you back to the main menu. The accelerator zips from landscape to portrait very fast and smooth. I really like that and feel the tegra chip inside is working for me without strain when I see this - video especially. Multi touch works well and tapping is fine too especially on the web browser. Everything is laid out nicely and there is no confusion about how to find something. This is a plus for first timers and experienced users alike.Zune software: (APPS & Marketplace)This is a free download and helps you manage the Zune contents and updates. The software mimics some of the icons on the Zune so you quickly identify the UI and what you need to click. Syncing is a breeze and Zune will let you customize what content you want on the device and what you want Zune to do with it. I have all of my MP3's in my music folder on my computer and it grabbed all of them when I plugged in for the first time with no problems. There are some complaits about the software and how it takes forever to download - not true. There are not a lot of apps right now. I hope this blossoms as the months go by. I have downloaded all of them so far as they are free but would gladly pay for any others if they should come about and would be useful. The weather app is nice and lets you add as many cities as you want and shows you not only current conditions but a five day forecast as well. The calculator well is a calculator. The games have been just OK - I feel they do not utilize the Tegra chip but in the future I am sure the games will utilize the chip as it would be a waste if they didn't. There is a chess game, Texas hold em, space ship shooter, a Bejeweled like game, soduku, and some game where you try to figure out where an item is hidden after mixing up three robots. All are fun for a short while but I wait for more advanced cool games. Also the games have ads just before they start - we are talking about 5 seconds of a video clip. For a free download I think they have every right to put this here. Also, FOUR to FIVE SECONDS is what we are talking about. Is it that much time??? Patience!!!! The marketplace is just something you need to experience. Music, Videos, Podcasts and more.... EVERYTHING is here for you to choose from. There is an option for a Zune pass and for $14.99 a month you can go nuts with this and download as much media as yo want - you get to keep 10 songs a month too. This alone is worth buying the Zune HD. There is so much content at the market place that I can't really explain. Imagine walking into a store that has no one in it but you and the inventory consists of basically every kind of music you can think of as well as tons of other types of media just for you alone to walk up and down the isle to choose from. I just hope for more apps in the future and (I know) this thing just came out so while I wait for apps I will enjoy my Zune....Docking station:I went with the basic Zune HD sync doc ($49) and lucked out with it. There is an A/V dock you can purchase too($89). I will tell you the only difference between the two is 1) the price and 2) the A/V doc comes with the HDMI and optical cables. So if you already have these cables, which most of us do, save $40+ dollars and get the regular sync doc. I have a review on the doc here on Amazon (where I purchased it) so check that out. It is nice to just plug it in and sync and charge. Also I can hook it up to a TV if I wanted or a receiver and utilize the Zune to transfer music and video to my home entertainment center. The doc compliments the Zune and is very stylish looking and most importantly - Functional.Battery life:The OLED must be doing what it is supposed to do - save power. I take the train every day to work from Milford, CT to Greenwich, CT and I can go about a week without charging using the Zune about an hour or so a day. Wonderful! The only thing I have noticed is the back gets warm when in use. Very strange. I have been impressed with the battery and hope it stays that way.Screen protectors:I never had one before and at the time I received my Zune there was only Ghost Armor available. I got one screen protector and had no problem putting it on but being a noob I didn't spray my fingers and my finger print was stuck on the adhesive side. So I took it off. Ghost armor was very nice and sent me a replacement but instead of just the screen protector they sent the full body armor - how nice of them! This time around I was very careful and it went on with no problems BUT....I noticed the screen protector was about an eighth of an inch too short on top. It was enough to bother me so I took it off. (I know you are thinking I am nuts) So I looked and found BodyGarudz on the net. Not only do they sell TWO screen protectors for the price of ONE but it also fit perfectly. I used the squeegee and applicator solution from Ghost to put the BodyGaurdz shield on - why? Because BodyGaurdz's applicator solution wasn't as good as Ghosts and Ghost's squeegee was much better than BodyGaurdz. So my insane suggestion - go with BodyGaurdz for the screen protector. One other thing - the Ghost armor seems thicker - I can feel the sharp edges of the plastic now on the Zune because it has full body protection. I hope they come out with some cool cases so I can rip this stuff off and throw more cash down the drain...! The BodyGaurdz screen protector is thinner and looks great.Internet: (WiFi)The browser works well on the Zune HD. I connected to my home network in seconds and at work it's even quicker. You can tap and multi-touch to zoom in and move the pages around. The keyboard is OK and can be used in landscape or portrait mode. You can store pages in favorites and check AOL mail and what not. It uses Bing to find what you are searching for. I use it mostly for mail as at work the computers are restricted but WiFi is open. You can sync via WiFi and download too which is very nice.Music (Sound):There is an internal equalizer with different settings depending on what type of music you are listening too. It works OK - the music sounds fine to me. I didn't use the supplied headphones as I have a pair of Sony Ear buds and they work better for my ears. The music sounds great and the interface is cool - volume can be operated via the rocker on the side or touch screen. Filtering music, making playlists and and just listening is a pleasure - this is what I got the device for - MUSIC - so everything else is just an added bonus to me. I haven't bothered with the HD Radio much but it is cool to have. Remember...added bonus....Conclusion:I just love this Zune HD. It really is functional for what I need it to do and the style, look and feel are just so right. I hope this review helps you in your decision. I will continue to update this review in the future so check back and best of luck to you and take care! -The iPad felt very well protected in the case.3 . - People I'm talking to can't tell I'm using it, the sound is quiet and clear . - From my perspective, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages and I do recommend this lens to be your everyday standard camera lens. -Solid enough build quality , feels sturdy. -Cable is nice and long, and flexible ... - This product has a belt holder (clip) and an inside pocket for a credit card or driver license but not much else. -You can get excellent sharpness and great soft backgrounds with this lens. -The cord to keep it attached to my iPad helps so that I'll never lose this one . -I give it 5 stars for indoor antennas . -and I got this one for for $19.99 first Logitech I tried and its the best mouse ive ever had and it doesnt have to be 12 inches away from your pc to work I got this one to work from more then 15 feet way and works fine. -What I can tell you is that the Sound quality is very good but not as good as my wired Senheisser .I use the in the Office to listen to music, make phone calls, etc…These are a “MUST HAVE” if you ride a motorcycle. -Range is excellent, gets reception over 50 ft away . -Images are clean and crisp, and the autofocus is butter smooth . -Also, it gives the phone a cool blackout look . -This is ridiculously fast . -Store it for fun things like music, photos, video clip, or things you want to share with others. -The picture was outstanding , not one hiccup or stutter, and no buffering at all, not once. -This charger looks good, and functions great, and the price can't be beat . -this mouse is pretty good i ordered it for a good price it shipped fast and got it in a few daysa few things about this mouse is1. -Not only does this work very well as a speakerphone (with two microphones for better noise cancelling) but it can send anything from my phone via FM to my radio (I have an older car without a direct connect). -The case is sturdy and although it doesn't feel like your typical leather case I actually like it . -The mouse is stable and comfortable to use for big hands . -I had kinda low expectations, but this thing is PERFECT in every way. -Sometimes I think about the EOS 60D's speedier performance, more advanced autofocus system and that wonderful electronic level and wonder if I made the right choice . -I have medium sized hand and I have no problem extending my fingers to the "sweet spot" button press area. -(Update)This mouse suddenly started working for me after months of the frustrations I listed below . -It has a really nice look to it and fits perfectly in my case. -One was the main router and the other was an access point connected to the first via Ethernet cable. -There is just so much to praise about this camera - large LCD screen which is very clear, faster focusing, especially when using centre focus point, larger burst rate - ok -The difference is that the Winegard antenna picked up only stations from the direction the antenna was pointed , while my current antenna also picks up stations from 3 nearby cities in other directions. -It picks up way more channels than I thought it would and the picture quality is awesome . -The potential for this once pandora and chrome (from Android) casting is available is why I bought it. -Range is excellent , Basically if you can see the words you are typing on the screen, you will be able to type them. -For the people who complain about wire quality causing knots, I suggest you coil the wire by wrapping it around your index and little fingers in figure 8s and then twist the last bit of wire around the waist of the 8. -The size, material, and quality is great . -I was concerned about reading how the size of the phone-end of this cable would be too large . -Boy was I happy I did! The mouse is very smooth and easy to use . -sure, the build quality is cheap . - The wires are sturdier , it comes with 3 sizes of ear buds, and sounds great! -This backpack camera bag is an excellent buy . -Secondly, the build of these headphones are solid . - The lens is built dust and weather resistant , meaning that it can stand up to a little weather here and there, etc. Additionally it comes with a pouch and lens hood included. -The only thing that I wanted to add to the existing reviews on this item is that unlike theCase Logic VNA214 14.1-Inch Laptop Attache (Black)which has three toploading slots, this unit has only two toploading slots. - The fist year I shot with a Canon Rebel T2i (AKA 550D) The image quality was good on this camera but the speed was lacking .What I didn't realize until I got the 7D was how much the speed was lacking. -Something about the software on the TV I guess, just has some kind of error and if you are watching TV at the time, the picture gets stuck , and the buttons stop working. -The case wakes up or puts to sleep the kindle . -The sound is excellent for earbuds, the ear fit is good with the medium sized inserts and the buttons work well with my iPhone. -It's a cable, not rocket science, so all one needs is a sturdy, well-constructed product that does the job and this certainly does that - because of the way I use it, the cable gets plugged and unplugged from my computer numerous times and the connection is still firm. - Even if you have other zoom lenses that cover this range as I do, this lens is unbelievably useful in low light to no light situations . -This mouse is excellent for gaming . -I had heard that the new software (Cisco Cloud Connect) was very intuitive and easy to use, despite some early controversy about it. -The lens is tack sharp wide open and focuses quickly and quietly with the center AF point. - The touch is good and the touchpad works perfectly . -The picture is excellent any way you look at it. -These headphones are amazing . -i have a macbook pro so i don't have many usb ports and this works great and was really cheap! -Working right out of the box. -It's by far the cheapest lens I own (the others are the $700+ Canon 15-85, the $400+ Canon 60 macro, the $400 Tamron 28-75).I considered getting the Canon 70-200mm f/4 IS L lens but for 5x the price you get less zoom range, a heavier and bulkier lens , and perhaps a little more snob appeal with the white barrel and that precious red ring. -Pretty basic ear peices ! -If I had but one regret, it's that I couldn't afford the larger version! Picture is absolutely incredible ! - The reception and sound are great for a radio this size, and because it's light and has batteries, I can carry it from room to room, wherever I need it. -The design of the drive is very sleek and stylish . -WHAT!!!Because Iove to read in bed the back- light feature is awesome . -The build quality of these is exceptional. They are thick and well shielded and the picture and sound quality is equal to that of the 8x more expensive Monster cables. - Unfortunately, this model was a big disappointment: The picture is great , but the sound was very tinny & flat. -However outside, in my car placed this unit on the dashboard , and I was picking up signals from blocks and blocks away. -Both are low profile , small mice with comfortably positioned 4 & 5 buttons. -The strap could be softer and wider , that's why I gave it 4 stars. - I figure if 2300 has this much power , the 5500 must have even more power. -This lens is awesome . -This is a wonderful little lens that will give you levels of sharpness, color, and image quality that will blow most consumer (non-f2.8) zooms out of the water. -That said, I have always only used Logitech keyboards and headsets and I love them just as much. -The mouse is very excellent and easy to use has a battery operated for a long time. -The build quality and quality for the price are amazing . -BATTERY: I understand it has an extremely high quality or state-of-the-art brand of AA rechargeable battery. -I have been a headphone fanatic for thirty years and have owned and used a variety of headphones over those years, to include Stax SR-5, Sennheiser HD-424 and HD-580. - For me, these headphones are BETTER and half the price of the Etymotics. -First, thank you to all those who take the time to write customer reviews. -The mids sound great . -Picture looks great and no issues . -This one was my fault, I did not ever read about the batteries before I bought the camera, but like above, if the Video was better , I could look the other way.3) Video: -The instructions were easy to follow giving the right color of wires to cut and splice. -A very high quality bag for your DSLR , lenses and accessories. -The case is surprisingly light for its seemingly durable construction . -Installing and running the software was quite straightforward ( I'm on a 3Mbps DSL connection ) . I find the software to be fairly intuitive , but did note the "strange" English that other reviewers have mentioned. -There is only one pin on the hot shoe plate so I'm pretty sure if it's attached to your camera it doesn't do TTL. -It has great wireless range , is fairly compact yet fully functional. -The picture is amazing , displaying everything in crystal clear images. - The LCD screen on the back is crisp, clear, and bright so you can see it even in daylight . -This product is easy to set up and works in my 2007 Pontiac G6 Convertible . -The contrast and brightness are great , and my eyeballs are happy. - It works great but I have 2 issues with it which you need to be aware of. -This is an excellent case for the Nexus 7 . -Personally, I thought it was going to be more difficult to setup from what I've read, but It was actually a breeze despite not being very intuitive . -Best 7$ I've spent on headphones ever! The sound quality is clear and the bass loud . - The photos are clear and bright , and the "distance" photo options produce really clear pictures even when it is a bit hazy. - This lens is great and the images that are produced are stunning . -I recieved the airbender bluetooth keyboard and have some pros and cons about it. -This small briefcase can be used for netbooks from 7-10 inches. - Picture is sharp and crisp . -My laptop's rubber stops on the bottom keep it anchored pretty well, and the fan itself isn't super loud. There is an adjustable dial to change fan speed , but when I'm gaming, I generally just have it on max, and when I'm not gaming, I turn the cooling pad off altogether. -I hope you have better luck , it has gotten a lot of great reviews, but first the sticker(!) covering the contacts on the back fell off, then the card died completely. -To me, there is little special with any cable modem. This modem is DOCSIS 3.0 which is the most important feature to know. -I can attest that the blue LED is extremely bright , but luckily my outlet is located inside the center console of my car so I can't see it when driving. -The sound quality is amazing . -Picture quality was terrible . -The magnetic tabs hold the case closed .... -It's HUGE, and the 'wingspan' with the three antennas attached makes it about the same footprint as a 15" laptop . -The idea is good, but the execution is pretty bad .Pros: the only popular option for Amazon Instant Video. -This lens is awesome , for the price you can not beat. -I generally buy the cheapest earphones I can find because they end up really abused and only last a few months before the cord gets loose at the earphone or at the jack . -Unfortunately, it is slightly cumbersome just for day to day use, but if you use the iPad rigorously this case is perfect . \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/sentence-test.grocery.txt b/reference_files/sentence-test.grocery.txt deleted file mode 100644 index eb2d821184a979e723964041acaa5498116ccd0b..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/sentence-test.grocery.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,379 +0,0 @@ - The chips are very tasty and have good texture . -I eat it, the dog eats it , the horses eat it. -The aroma is rich and delicious .Opinions will differ on taste. -a mini recipe booklet with more ideas. -The combination of the salty cashews, sweet pomegranates, and vanilla is delicious and very flavorful . -I find tea for me has medicinal benefits for me (your results may vary.) -The flavor isn't as great as the packaging , though this is the most appealing of the three I've tried. -The tea is good but not very strong. - The flavors even sounded good , at least most of them: tomato mint, spinach chive, fennel spice, carrot curry, broccoli cilantro and beet cabbage. - Wow! This natural oil has so many uses and is extremely healthy ! -These are definitely a winner, and any chocolate lover will give these two sticky-gooey thumbs up . -This isn't my favorite tea ever, but it does have a unique flavor that I've never had before - really original, which is hard to come up with in a tea. I'll buy it again, plus I'll try some of the other interesting looking flavors that Lipton has come out with recently. -This tea is aromatic, smooth, and pleasant. Happily , the taste is not overly strong, as cardamom can be. -I don't usually like plain almonds; when I eat almonds they are usually highly sugared, covered in cinnamon or gooey'd up in honey like the ones you can get warm at the mall. -I tried this The Switch Black Cherry flavor as well as the Watermelon Strawberry . -So, the taste is spice and nothing behind it .I was also amazed that this tea is packaged as 'higher caffeine' because I wouldn't have known that from drinking the tea. - I was surprised at how reasonable the ingredients were and how low in fat the single serve package was. -Really though, these chips are nice and crunchy while also being light and airy. -Overall, I liked the cookies for their flavor, pleasant aroma and texture . -There is natural flavoring added , which isn't specific and could be misleading. - The flavor was bland and I did not care for the texture which I found to be pastey . -These cookies are NOT good .Small - This tea has a mildly sweat citrus flavor that I enjoy with a hint of a green tea flavor. -I had great fears this tea would be somehow too heavy on the vanilla as it seems every product that's labelled as having some vanilla flavoring overdoes it a little. -I love me some oatmeal cookies. Throw in some chocolate chips instead of raisins and you have the ultimate experience ...sometimes. -As an addicted coffee drinker, I love trying out new flavors . -It has a very strong, deep aroma. Very much like being in a Turkish coffee house . -The filling has a light, creamy lemon taste . - All the flavors have an earthy taste . -These are the little cups that you use for the tea machines . - However, the flavor of each of the selections was simply awful . -It's also very good for making popcorn . -The cookies are perfect for a light treat with a cup of tea , and the thinner size keeps them from being too sweet or filling. -This unique flavor is perfect served hot or iced . -The shelf life is long enough for you to buy it in bulk, and Amazon's price is good , so treat yourself to a proper cuppa. -It reminds me of the days when I was young drinking Boones Farm Apple wine on a Friday night . -Overall, the cookie is bland . -However, the flavor seemed a little weak compared to other kinds of teriyaki beef jerky that I have had . -I, however, thought that the flavor was perfect . - It is a mix of whole grains, blueberries, and flax seeds that are then lightly flavored with vanilla. The different ingredients all have different tastes and consistencies that make this mix feel good in your mouth. -The nuts are what make this bar tolerable. The texture without them is unpleasant . -This stuff is strong. It's billed as a coffee drink, but it really is more of an espresso, so keep that in mind . -The tea has a nice spice flavor, medium dark reddish brown coloring, and light aroma . -I use the same mug I usually drink my lipton black tea in every day. -This tea has a warm, spicy flavor to it, sort of like chai. Chai is not one of my favorite kinds of teas, but if you like it, then you'll probably like this. -These cookies would be better if they were made with rolled oats instead of oat flour. -I love Ritz crackers, but these are dry and crumble easily , as other reviewers have said. - The aroma while it is brewing is outstanding and it really delivers once you take a drink. -The flavor is excellent and the tea bag is a pretty cool design. -(While stevia, which is used as a sweetener in this beverage can have a bitter taste, that is not the flavor that I experienced.)What I liked :* - Well, although the sauce is tasty and creamy , there is very little zing (hence the 4 stars). -Lipton Herbal Pyramid Tea Blackberry Vanilla has a nice aroma that features herbs , vanilla, and dark fruit with some tea lurking in the background. - This is good water . - The tea comes out perfectly without having to steep it . -Well, unless it's bacon, bacon doesn't need chocolate .When I saw this Nature's Path, I thought it would be a great replacement for my typical evening treat of Cocoa Krispies. -The ranch flavor isn't very pronounced, but it has a slightly spicy kick to it . -Numi Teas are the most wonderful teas I've tasted in a long time . -Lipton To Go Stix Iced Green Tea Mix is convenient and refreshing . - I like that there is only one side of the cookie in these, but those looking for more crunch may want to get the regular fudge dipped oreos , I do not know if they make a mint version of those. - The oils are nice and pack some flavor . -The actual Taco Bell Restaurants used to have a taco salad that I liked and, unexplainably, they discontinued it -- but by incorporating the ingredients that they formerly used and by topping the salad with this dressing, it tastes much the same to me. -I am looking forward to trying more Prima Taste stuff based on how good this was. Highly Recommended ! - The coffee is smooth , and the flavor is subtle but definitely there. -I love the flavor of this ! - Perfect for snacking . -If you are extra sensitive, beware that this food is processed in a facility with nuts , dairy, wheat and soy. -Have been enjoying this tea with the warmer days here. -My husband and I use a lot of organic coconut oil for baking and as an addition to vegetable dishes . -This tea is very aromatic. It has a very smooth flavor. Others have noticed that it is very sweet, and it is more sweet than black tea normally is. - The Fruit Thins are a great alternative to a regular processed cookie , however, and are 140 calories and only 5 grams of fat for 3. - It has a naturally sweet flavor without being artificial or too "sticky" sweet. - I recommend this green tea because the lemon adds to the flavor and brings out the best in the tea leaves which makes the tea taste bright and lively . -The tea has a nice spice flavor , medium dark reddish brown coloring, and light aroma. -Also, having been through the shipping system, many of the cookies were broken . -The Viva Labs product is "extra virgin." Since it hasn't been refined or heavily processed, it has a very mild coconut taste and aroma , both of which were very pleasant to my palate and nose. - It's got the tiniest tinge of spice , but isn't powerful in the least; the taste of this product does not qualify as "bold." -These are diced-dried organic apples with a dash of cinnamon; they are tasty and have a nice crunchy flavor . -I really enjoy the flavor of ginger , so I was really hoping that the ginger flavor would be prominent in this tea. - I really enjoyed the taste and flavor . - The flavor is very balanced in body, mouth feel, acidity and spiciness . - The flavor is pleasant and not overly sweet , and the peppermint flavor is obvious but not as strong as I expected- a good thing, in my view. - Spicy, sweet, flavorful, fun, crispy, lower fat than chips , I loved it. - The cookies were fresh and delicious . -Kettle Brand chips don't have trans fats , MSG or artificial flavors and colorings. -There are hints of cardamom in this, but just like theGinger Pu'erh Tea Bags, 16-CountI have a hard time finding spiciness in the flavor .The package contains 16 individually sealed non-GMO biodegradable tea bags. - Viva Labs' coconut oil smells great, tastes great, and adds a hint of coconut/sweetness to whatever I cook . -I especially love this blend when eating a Caramel Apple Cobbler Clif Bar . -I don't see myself ever reordering this tea; it's just too strange a flavor and too weak for my taste . -The cookie advertise all natural and they are good . - The texture is OK, it definitely is a very strong chocolately flavor , and overall will satisfy the need for a chocolate cookie. - It has a wonderful flavor . - The licorice itself has a beautiful rich color and is made from cane sugar and tastes like real licorice unlike some which are more waxy and tough and lacking authentic flavor . -There is very little tea taste, you can taste a fruity flavor and a little honey -The taste of the Pomegranate licorice is strong and sweet . -This does indeed meet that specification. -The 100-calorie pack is very convenient --it's perfect for an afternoon snack, or as a substitute for a granola bar in the morning. - I think the outer cookies were great as well, so no complaints from me - - The coffee has a very strong aroma of vanilla , a lot like freshly baked cookies. - This Blackberry Vanilla sounded delicious ,, not a flavor combination I had seen before. -This one is definitely different . -I am a big fan of all types of cookies , including all varieties of Fig Newtons. -The tea is decaf , and works equally well night or day. -There are 4 grams of fiber , which is decent. -I also won't pick apart how authentic the flavors are, because again, personally I think the taste is pleasant and I would make it a point to purchase this flavor in the future .Possibly because of the tea bag material, or maybe because of the chunkiness of the tea, it brews fast, making a drinkable cup of tea in just over a minute. - The price was great for this but in the variety pack there might have been a few 'bold brew' that tasted like coffee . - The cookie is thin and light and crispy . -Perhaps the other flavors might be better but the orange tangerine had a bad aftertaste. - I will say that the flavor is pleasant and it is nice to drink , but I don't see any conduit between the taste and the flavor proclaimed on the bottle. - The tea isn't bad , I just think it's average and haven't awarded it a higher star rating. -I've wanted to try dry rendang for a long time. -FLAVOR: While eating the bar , I could definitely taste the cherries. - the taste is good , a bit tart, slightly sour. - These cookies are fantastic! I have long been a fan of ginger snaps but have often been disappointed by the bland, tasteless versions I found in the stores. - This green tea is mild , and has a very light color and a smooth taste. -This tea is so delicious , so fragrant, that for the first time, I choose to drink a hot tea without sweetener of any kind. -This herbal tea is well balanced and pleasant . -the price was great too . -The flavors of the teas aren't overly strong as one would have assumed from smelling the tea bag . -I'm not much of a juice drinker , but my daughter is so I bought this for her to try out. - The ingredients are all natural , so it's a snack I feel comfortable serving to my children. -My wife couldn't really taste the basil and she thought it was bland .So let's put it this way. -I am sorry folks but this review went down very fast, I am sorry I cannot recommend this drink due to it's over use of sweetener. -It is very simple to use and the flavor was just fantastic . -What I do know is that these chips are very good - crispy and airy , and not at all like baked chips (which I never did like).I really like these chips, both the taste and the texture. -Very taste little cookies with rich chocolate fudge. The cookies were fresh and delicious . -The flavor is strong and enjoyable if you like ginger and dark , caffeinated drinks. -(Also, make the Passion Fruit less dominant than it is.) By combining all three flavors, it becomes too much . -steep the teabags, and then add the sugar, cream, etc, before enjoying a cup of tea . - I'd certainly give it a go if another flavor was available , but Mango just didn't do it for me. -If you take a little bit of it and rub it into your skin it moisturizes and makes your skin very smooth . -The pods were novel back in 2011, and the price of other K-Cups had gone up much more than I liked , so I decided to give this brand a try. -The blackberry vanilla tea has a nice aroma and a great taste. - It has a sweet and spicy taste to it that is wonderful. -All you need is a regular bottle of spring water or whatever you want to use, in goes the powder and voila, instant iced tea drink (well, instant in that you have to shake it first). The flavor (mango pineapple in this case) is very tasty and refreshing. -This water is a nice little pick me up, but not something I plan on buying . -Vitamin Squeeze Energy Drink Fruit Punch isn't overly sweet & is similar in flavor to the powdered drinks , but also contains added vitamins, minerals & caffeine. -I love dark chocolate , so I was excited to try this Newman's Own Dark Chocolate bar. -I drink Lipton iced tea and this tea is great but I thought it was a little to expensive. -A tasty meal that my entire family praised , including my finicky older father enjoyed. - BUT, we will not be buying these again which is why despite amazing taste and good ingredients I am only giving it 3 stars. -I really like the one I got.)Anyway, the tea itself is excellent and it provides the great flavor that we have come to expect from Lipton. -Admittedly, I am not a big French Roast fan as it tends to taste bitter to me and acidic . - It's quick, convenient, and easy .Now, what sets this Vitamin Squeeze Energy Drink apart from competitors such as the MIO things? - I might buy this if it was on sale AND I had a coupon for it; Newman's Own stuff tends to be a bit pricy for me . -Though in my opinion this coffee is way overpriced as the flavor is lacking and it still manages to be bitter. -These kind of taste like apple potato chips. -I enjoyed it so much , I will be purchasing more. -I was quite excited to try Lipton's new Tea & Honey To Go packets. -Not what I would call a cold season tea, Blackberry Vanilla Caffeine Free Herbal Tea from Lipton has a very interesting fruity flavor , more reminiscent of a spring day than the upcoming fall season. -I originally purchase this product to use in my hair as a moisturizer (mixed with water) during my transition of going natural -Tea isn't a beverage for me , it's an event, starting from boiling the water to when the last drop vanishes down my esophagus. - Good quality decaf green tea is really hard to find in my local area; thanks again Amazon! - I'm a pretty big fan of tea , so I naturally jumped at the chance to get some nice chai tea. -This tea is perfect as an iced tea (3 bags for 2 quarts) or for a nice cup of hot peppermint tea to settle the tummy or clear your nose/throat. -By itself, this tea is very strong and bitter (almost soapy). - The Lemon Balm, Lemon Grass, and Verbena work well with the green tea , taking away the 'dry' aspects of green tea and making it a bit more 'green leafy' and lemony. -These chips are very crisp , with a strong potato flavor, but also have a slightly burnt taste. -What can I say, these cookies are yummy ! -The pyramid shape of the tea bag allows those pieces more room to spread through the water so the infusion of flavor is stronger .The -Got the box yesterday and have already used 4 teabags ... -It smells great it taste amazing. -Illy's coffee drink has exactly the right balance of sweetness and coffee flavor . -I loved the taste and the texture. -Vitamin Squeeze Energy drink is a concentrated fruit punch flavored water additive . -I find that the chocolate is incredibly creamy, and the peanut butter center is not as crisp as a traditional Butterfinger bar, but creamier with just enough "Butterfinger crunch" to add interest.I like how they are packed. Unlike competing peanut butter cups, there are no paper wrappers around the candy. The candy is simply formed in the shape of a cup. I like this because it's less packaging and requires less effort to unwrap and consume.I consider this product a treat -- a candy product, after all. So I'm not going to belabor the nutritional value of the product. -The Fischer & Wieser Mango Ginger Habanero Sauce does add flavor and sweetness to food . -Like any food product, your opinion of the product will depend on your taste preferences and also your expectations . -My favorite tea isYogi Green Tea Mint Garden, which is just green tea and some mint. - The taste was fine , just not the sensation. -This tea is very good . -Tea Bags by Numi, the aroma was a bit off putting with an odor that seemed slightly bitter and earthy . - It's very mild and smooth tasting both on its own and when honey and milk are added. I'm left with a neutral reaction . -The candy is creamy and smooth with the caramel swirls blended in at the same consistancy as the chocolate so there's no problem with caramel sticking to your teeth. - But hands down,Pure Bar Organic Chocolate Brownie, Raw Fruit & Nut Bar, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)is my favorite and I love it best ! -Numi Tea has an admirable mission statement: " Numi inspires well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea . -I have tried more than 6-7 lipton flavors and each one of them is good in its own way . -This chocolate is only 54% cocoa solids . -All in all, this is a great food -- tastes great, has wonderful ingredients, doesn't have unnecessary additives, and is very convenient. - If you've tried the Lara bars I would say the flavor and consistency are very similar . -Flavor: It has a reasonably bold flavor, which I like (I find k-cups are often weak in flavor relative to what you'd get at a coffee shop for instance). -As we've all seen, there are numerous energy drinks out there. Many of them are loaded with artificial chemicals. -Overall the chips are tasty, they have very nice potato flavor and a great crunch ! -It's very tasty but very high in calories . -The color of the bar isn't appetizing; however, the taste is pleasant though a little too nutty for my preference . -Since there is actual peppermint filling, as opposed to just peppermint-flavored cookie, I liked these cookies very much . -Not what I would call a cold season tea, Blackberry Vanilla Caffeine Free Herbal Tea from Lipton has a very interesting fruity flavor , more reminiscent of a spring day than the upcoming fall season. -I have been drinking a lot of green tea , every day, for about 8 years, when I heard that it might help with allergies. -I just tried this Puroast Low Acid Coffee and from first impressions the coffee is very nice and the low acid nature helps with the sour-y aftertaste that I generally experience when drinking black coffee. -The best thing about this mint- mocha coffee is that the flavor is more subtle than in a lot of flavored brews . -This version of the water flavor enhancer has too little flavor for too much money . -the coconut flavor was a bit too strong for putting on flavored ice creams. - The apple and cinnamon flavors are mild and natural -tasting, and the texture of the crackers is very good. -The tea has a nice spice flavor, medium dark reddish brown coloring, and light aroma . -They're just sweet enough to satisfy without loading you up with sugar .These are a winner. - I eventually realized that there were two general classes of teas : those padded with hibiscus and rose hips, and those more pure (less flowery) in flavor. -It is nearly impossible to get my teenager to drink water, so these Mio flavor enhancers are a lifesaver in our house! I personally prefer the peach tea one because it has a more natural flavor , and I think this one is a bit sharp on the throat if you use enough to get a good flavor (not really a burning sensation but you feel it, if that makes sense). - It was the addition of the ginger that prompted me to try this as I love the flavor of ginger , so I was disappointed to find that I can neither smell nor taste any ginger in this tea. -This tea is nice with a strong hint of fruitiness . -Inside is a white chocolate filling that is DELICIOUS. Several guests have tried these, and it's fun watching their eyes go wide when the flavor hits. These make for a decadent treat and look really classy left in a bowl for guests. Of all the individually wrapped bonbons or truffles I've had, I think these are my favorite. The white chocolate really is just so luxurious and delicious .FIVE STARS! -The fusion of exotic ingredients creates new flavors that work quite nicely. So if you think this might be too hot, fear not, it is just very tasty. It is an excellent grilling sauce . -I don't care if it is just juice concentrate, reconstituted with carbonated water instead of plain water -- the stuff tastes good ! -This aromatic tea is pure pleasure - spicy, fragrant and relaxing, while at the same time being an ideal first-tea-of-the-day wake-up . -I was pleasantly surprised by this drink . -Whenever there is a bowl of them at a party, you will find me nearby happily munching away . -Even the aroma while brewing smelled artificial.The other reviewers who mention how greatly improved the flavor became once cream was added is an indication of a consistent problem. I love the taste of coffee and like it unadorned - no cream or sugar. I only add cream if I am in a restaurant and the coffee doesn't taste good. I use the cream to doctor-it-up in hopes of salvaging some of the flavor and masking the poor aspects whether caused by bitterness or coffee that's been sitting in the pot too long. This coffee is no exception, the cream vastly improved the drinkability, but the action is akin to smearing butter on a day old roll. Underneath it is still a stale roll, and although the butter tastes delicious, it would not be accurate to call the combination a buttery delight.On the positive side, flavored coffees are usually light body and the Gevalia is definitely medium body. The packaging is quite attractive and the name is clever, but in the end may work against the product because Dark Chocolate Truffle evokes a clear taste profile for most people and the coffee doesn't live up to the name. I am rating the coffee three stars instead of less because if the purchaser always uses cream in their coffee, many of the taste issues I encountered should be if not resolved, at least mitigated. -I like the texture of these chips . -I'm trying my first bar of PURE Organic Cherry Cashew Raw Fruit and Nut Bar as I type this. - It has an excellent flavor , much better than other cardboard varieties and the berries seemed real, notrubbery. -Taste - The chunks are like little explosions of flavor. -I take mine with just a pinch of salt, enough to enhance both the savory and sweet notes, and the flavors were delicious . -Very pleasant tea -drinking experience indeed from beginning to end. -It has all the savory flavors of the soup without heaviness and calories . -I used to love Tazo but Numi is my new favorite. -This is a very good tasting granola . -Taste ? -Compared to other teas, this has a light spicy flavor . -But I must say that I was expecting a more robust tea all around (pu'eh may taste like dirt on its own, but it is a pretty full-flavored tea) . - It has enhanced each one of them like no other coconut oil I have used in the past . - But, this one is really good . -Since I am a fan of flavored coffee , particularly coffee flavored with natural ingredients, I knew I had to try this coffee. -The flavor of this tea is somewhat subtle even though I let it steep for several minutes . -At the recommended time, the flavor was just piquing . -Practically perfect like Mary herself! Boy these cookies are awesome - it's a good thing I got only one cookie cup - I can see eating these for ten days straight. -The flavor is just okay . - The chocolate flavor is super rich . -These Peeled Snacks Organic Apple Clusters are a healthy choice if you want something sweet with a good crunch . - However, the cookies themselves are relatively small (just slightly larger than a Thin Mint or Oreo in diameter), and I/we did note a chemical taste not unlike that found inChips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies . -Though it is labeled as blackberry vanilla, I did not taste any vanilla flavor , nor is vanilla listed as an ingredient. - The bread was fresh for days right up until the last crumb was gobbled up. -What's more, this flavor is very nice with a touch of Cointreau for a sophisticated and festive cocktail. -This tea is quite good in the morning as a wake up for those of us who have to avoid caffeine. -I drink Lipton iced tea and this tea is great but I thought it was a little to expensive. - The candy is good, if nothing special, and is small enough to even please those on diets . - I've been enjoying Numi teas lately because they make an excellentNumi Organic Tea Golden Chai, Full Leaf Black Tea , 18-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 3)and they are one of the few mainstream purveyors ofNumi Organic Tea Emperor's Puerh, Full Leaf Black Tea, 16-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 2), an excellent aged Chinese tea. -My husband enjoys the 'taste' of stevia and says this stuff is good. - While the flavors are blended well together, the overall flavor is fairly mild , even with a good amount of steeping. -The ingredients are good for you but with not nuch flavor . -This drink has a pleasant aroma and a spicy /sweet flavor. -Are your children asking for soft drinks, but you don't want them to have all that added sugar? This is a wonderful alternative . - From what I've read, I believe Pu'erh tea is supposed to have health benefits , which is always a benefit. - They are crunchy chips that are not fried, and not baked, but created using heat and pressure to make them pop into being . -The cookies are moist and soft , with a layer of chocolate in the center. -The woodsy taste of this sauce is just right. - With each bite I took, I liked the flavor and really wanted to like the bar , but I just couldn't get past the texture. -At the end of this test both sides of my body felt equally moisturized .Pros of Viva Labs product- it will definitely last longer than a lotion moisturizer & lack of multiple ingredients reduces risk that your skin may react to it. -(And I am!) The whole mix of flavors is nice and this stuff is very crunchy. - The flavors of the peppermint weren't overpowering , and you still get the flavor of the latte coming through just fine. -This is good coffee - not weak, and not overly strong, but the vanilla flavor is a little strong for my preference . -The cookies arrived fresh and in good shape . -In short: It's good food . -The K cups just makes things easier and maybe even more acceptable to drink tea at the office . -a very complex flavor , and can command rather high prices. - Not so this new Dark Chocolate Truffle flavor . -I drink tea every day and I love green tea and all sorts of chinese tea and earl grey, etc. - Yes, the cookies are soft, but they really aren't as "gooey" as the name implies . - Yes, the tea bags looka little bit different than other tea bags, but they steep just fine and the tea tastes great . - I do, however, like this tea and thought it had a good taste with no aftertaste like some teas, and unlike other teas with a ginger predominance the ginger didn't overwhelm me or leave a bad aftertaste. -I think it has a hint of smokey flavor that is almost wood-like . - The aroma is amazing . - I think only six or seven cookies survived intact, the rest were in variously sized crumbs.)Now, biting into one of these cookies, you won't immediately think, "Gee, I can't tell if these are homemade or store-bought!" You can definitely tell the difference. -This is a very tasty and spicy beverage , which may not be your cup of tea, so to speak. - That said, the cookies have a purity of flavor that's usually lacking in most store-bought treats. -A nice mix of berries (dehydrated) and crunchy, crunchy cereal that has a slight sweetness but none of the prefab who-knows-what of supermarket cereal .I grew up enough to know what is good for me but still appreciate a fun cereal and this is one of them. -I love raspberries and hot sauces , so my expectations were pretty high. - It is kind of hard to describe the taste, but it has a nice balance of sweet and tart. - The price is great . -If you like steel cut oats you will love this . -I've tried to write this review three times now, and every time I get a power blip or something happens to the browser and I lose it. -Rancid is a process of mother nature and has nothing to do with organic, conventional , GMO or the type of seed since rancid has to do with oil. -It is firm but not hard, so you actually have something to chew on and the taste is amazing .My -The flavor is not great , but its comparable with the other energy drinks out there and you will get your caffeine fix. -The flavor is great and it doesn't have a nasty after taste like some of those other energy drinks. -I tend to stay away from some berry teas because the flavor can almost be tart tasting . -I found the aroma to be very complex and pleasant .If you like a bold tea, the flavor here will not disappoint. -I really like the flavor of this tea . -At just 50 calories in a 6.8 ounce can, it seems almost impossible that the drink should be this good. At once slightly sweet with the bitter tinge of a good cup of coffee, illy issimo rivals the Starbucks' espresso shots for quality quick canned coffee drinks . -This is my first time trying PURE fruit and nut bar. -Our company is rooted in the principle of creating a healthful product that nurtures people and honors the planet . - They are definitely yummy and not too chocolatey , but I will say I expected more "gooey" from them and really inside the fudge is thicker and not really gooey at all. -Aside from the price , I have to say it is my new favorite 'brand' of water. -It's made from natural ingredients and doesn't contain artificial flavors , preservatives, hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. -This bar, however, was nice and moist (which my husband particularly enjoyed).And we were both in shock to find that there was absolutely no sodium in this bar - -Too much oil for my taste Still like em and the price is decent .. -Nothing artificial . - I do love tea , and I love trying different types and flavors. -The water is on the pricier side but I still recommend giving Smartwater a try. -As far as flavor goes, the ginger was just too strong and nasty . - This cereal was perfect for that. -First is taste - The taste is fine . - It has a unique flavor ....strong but not bitter though it does have a bit of an after taste. -The Ginger Tea is a pleasant cuppa , and I will definitely try other varieties of Numi Tea. -a bit bland , so I ordered this to see how it tasted. -Excellent meal replacement bar .I really really really enjoyed the cherry cashew date nut bar. -And since I love ginger and lemon flavors , I love this intensity. - She also noted that it had a subtle sweet quality . -Anyway, enough of my babbling ...this is a good tea. - The most important thing is, it's DELICIOUS . -This tea is great . -When I opened the first pouch for the Ginger Pu'erh - The taste was fine, just not the sensation . -Numi Cardamom Pu'erh tea is a delicious and flavorful treat for tea lovers . -This tea is absolutely delicious ! -The cookies are crispy but also crumbly , if you know what I mean. - Good quality decaf green tea is really hard to find in my local area; thanks again Amazon! -The main problem I had was the high sweetness factor which I assume was used to cover up the taste of the non-traditional ingredients required for the bars to be labeled gluten free. - It has a really enticing aroma and didn't have that burnt taste that you sometimes experience with some of the darker roasts. - However I don't like the taste . -As I've already said, the smell of vanilla is strong , but the actual vanilla flavor is very slight. -Nutritionally speaking this is a decent package , but it was in no way good enough to justify the price. -Tea is my favorite beverage for just about any occasion . - The flavor wasn't bad, but it was overpoweringly blackberry . -I tested the tea to see if it would become bitter if the tea bag was left in, and even after 15 minutes it still did not pick up the nasty flavor that dark teas usually infuse after the tea bags are left in too long . -Peeled Snacks Organic Apple Clusters Cinnamon Crunch didn't agree with my taste buds and I didn't enjoy the taste of these at all . -The flavor on the whole was not bad , but certainly not anything I would pay extra for. -This is a wonderful quality white jasmine tea . - This tea brought me right back to those days, it has a pleasing aroma and nice ginger taste without being overwhelming. - This one was spicy -- but not overpowering, and had a really nice flavor. -This is NOT your usual type of tea . -This is the third brand I taste and so far, it's the best one . -I was skeptical that packaged cookies would be soft, but these cookies actually are very soft around the edges . -In one pouch, there is 1.4g of sodium which is 60% of the recommended daily maximum. - Then again, I generally don't add anything to any green tea . -And you get that nice, subtle coconut smell … mmmmmm, does it make my wife smell yummy!I got a sample of this from Viva Labs for review, but I will definitely be placing an order for some more. -But I suppose that makes them air-tight which is a good thing . -Gluten free, the best product for me when I go camping since all I do is add lemon and tomato and that way I never have to worry about paying arm and leg for that lousy, awful tasting dry foods. ----Unfortunately, this tea wasn't very good as iced tea . - They are pretty crunchy , and I found some of the pieces to be a bit harder than others, so those with soft or sensitive teeth may want to tread carefully. -The flavors of the teas aren't overly strong as one would have assumed from smelling the tea bag. -So far I have used it to season chicken, fish and vegetables and have had good results . - Also, the price was decent - I'm happy. -Likes:- Smell: these smell fresh, wheat, cinnamon, and apple aroma.- Texture: these are a little firmer and crunchier than our usual name brand.- Flavor: good overall flavor . -This tea is good , but important to only leave it steeping for about two minutes- -I didn't particularly find it any more refreshing than any other water . - Still, the flavor was a bit too bland for me, and I like a mild coffee. -All of the "Sparkling ICE Spring Water" flavors are delicious . -The cinnamon is way too strong. It made me sick at my stomach , and the aftertaste is horrible. -The lovely aroma was so enthralling that the family member who dislikes /hates coffee insisted on having a cup. -Honestly none of the instant coffees are any good , just get up 5 minutes earlier and make a pot of real coffee, hello. -The price point is a bit lower now, which is a good thing , but it's still a bit steep for less than seven ounces of something you can brew at home. -I first saw these cookies at "Big Lots" discount store. They were on sale there for $1.80. Their appearance in Big Lots means that they didn't sell especially well or too many were made so they were shuffled off to an outlet store. This doesn't have to be a bad sign, but it often reflects that a product isn't the most popular among consumers.These are not the best that Keebler has to offer in their cookie line up, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. On the plus side, the cookies have a decent texture and are crispy and fresh. The filling has a good lemon flavor, albeit an artificial one. They're also very sweet, but most sandwich cookies with a cream-style filling are. That's often the purpose of the filling, but it can be overpowering cumulatively if you're not having a drink along with them.Usually when I sample a product which I'm not crazy about, but I think it's generally okay, I wonder who the target market is supposed to be. Given the Keebler brand mascots, I tend to think they're targeting children, but lemon isn't that popular a flavor among kids (who tend to prefer chocolate or vanilla). My sense is that these are not going to really appeal to most kids are are too sweet for most adults. This may explain why they're on sale at Big Lots. Though not a bad cookie, I wouldn't go out of my way to have these again. - It's hard to describe what the PURE bar (blueberry flavor) tastes like, but it's not an unpleasant flavor . -The fruit punch flavor is nice , and having this product sure makes it convenient to add those "vitamins" to your drink. -The flavor of peppermint is not very strong . -The aroma is great when I open the package and dumped the ground coffee into my coffeemaker. -As with any food or drink , the taste is personal and subjective. -This particular flavor is quite different from the standard powdered mixed drinks , having a strong honey taste with a light strawberry twist. -I've never heard of Pu'erh - I do like some flavored teas, especially cinnamon , which cover up some of the tea taste and once in a while I will have some chamomile tea to relax. -I tried the wild blueberry organic pure bar . -About this product, it must be said: I didn't have very high hopes . - Possibly for those who are used to eating a lot of sugar and processed cookies, these might be the ticket, but I'll stick with the classic Oreo , which has a rich cocoa flavor and has never disappointed me. -The smell and consistency of this licorice are good , but the flaver is quite disappointing. -They are in fact very soft and have a great chocolate taste . -Perfect with hamburgers or a sandwich, these chips are crispy and tasty ! - The coffee didn't have an artificial flavor and was actually quite good . - It has a nice chocolate taste and nice aroma . -a GOOD pancake when being gluten free. -This tea will be a regular now in my rotation but it may well be my regular morning tea , with others rotated in place sparingly. WONDERFUL! - Both flavors are distinctive . - Switch tastes like tangy, carbonated orange drink , and that's fine with me! -Both the flavor and texture are superior , and I like that it's organic. -There's a calculated "crisp" flavor that a keeps it from getting bland and must be coming from a blend of apple and lemon juices and it must be due to the right apples because you can't taste lemon. -The flavor of it was very delicate and relaxing. - Some of these teas were black teas, while others were green teas . -These cookies tasted fresh and crisp , with a subtle vanilla butter flavor that is good, but didn't insist I eat more. -There is just a remarkable variety of teas available and in general their flavor is a bit more intense. But I also like the convenience of bag teas . - The flavor is delicious and it's very refreshing . - As Illy is a respected "high end" brand of coffee, I had higher hopes than usual and overall, I was not disappointed .I poured the contents into a glass with two ice cubes. - The flavoring is present but not overpowering, which I enjoyed . -I get this coffee from my Amazon subscribe program and the price is excellent . - This creates a rich (but not overly strong) soothing vanilla flavored coffee . - And, I sensed a metallic like aftertaste . - Recommended for taste and low acid , not for cost. -Cardamom Pu'erh Tea Bags, 16-Count*Rich pu-erh tea blended with spicy cardamom*Pu-erh is traditionally used as a slimming tea and to aid digestion*100% real, organic, non-GMO verified tea and ingredients*Pu-erh has more antioxidants that green teaAh, my first time trying Cardamom Pu'erh Tea . - The flavor is fantastic . -This is pretty good cereal . -These are really good licorice: chewy, sweet, GREAT flavor . -The Ginger Tea is a pleasant cuppa, and I will definitely try other varieties of Numi Tea. - Even though the beans are pre-ground, the flavor after brewing was still deep and rich , and the aromatic fragrance of vanilla still permeated after I opened the vacuum sealed bag. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/sentence-test.movies.txt b/reference_files/sentence-test.movies.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4a3f778a7a71bcbc267d30b52440014f0eaa8e94..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/sentence-test.movies.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,154 +0,0 @@ - The costumes are magnificent and they wear them more than once to give the Granthams and Crowleys more of a reality. - I think he does a wonderful job as Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle does a wonderful job as Miss Elizabeth Bennet . -The movie ending was great . -I have now watched the entire nine season run of "The X-Files" from start to finish on DVD and my primary reaction to the final season was that it was not Mulder that I missed for most of these last 20 episodes but Scully. - The tributes (forced to participate contestants) must contend with each other, the weather and days in a technologically controlled battlefield in which the goal is to try and survive while killing all others . -There really is nothing funning about the Holocost . -The acting was so cheesy , the story line was lacking, the effects were poor, there were a ton of "3D" effects that were waaay over the top (we did not watch it in 3D--because we hate 3D--so it was even worse because of that). -The sets are spectucular, the costumes are so authentic I lose myself and think they are really from that period instead of a dramatization. -The acting was very good . - The sound quality isn't as good , and I noticed a few drop outs here and there, but considering the age and scarcity of the material, I think the Roan Group did and excellent job in restoring this fine film. -"Open Water" is a low-budget, mildly thrilling shark flick . -The acting was overdone . -a GOOD movie about Young adults being forced to kill other young adults watch Battle Royale. -The sound is crisp and clear and during the battle scenes is very impressive . -Acting was tremendous . -Season two is just getting on my nerves ! -This is a dark film in all senses of the word with very few likeable characters . -the suspense was great . -The suspense slowly builds up because we don't know what kind of movie we are in for . -The costumes and staging are superb , and the direction is sensitive to the subject matter. -The direction by Ang Lee is flawless in almost every frame .I was angered by the film for not giving a clear explaination for one of the character's death. - From the start, Episode 1 had a lot going against it . -When they get there they discover...a load of confusing, muddled nonsense that is far from frightening and is only just barely above mildly interesting .Alien was populated with 7 single or double-syllabled characters that felt real and authentic thanks to their quiet interactions and dialogue. -This movie was fantastic ! -In confronting the issue of drug addiction , Aronosky (who co-wrote the screenplay with Hubert Selby Jr.) has chosen to tell two stories that, although they run along basically parallel tracks for most of the film's duration, do occasionally intersect. -I can understand why everyone would want this to succeed, but there are three reasons why it didn't. -Her performance is perfect , and Christina Ricci as her selfish, lesibian lover gives a performance that is also well worth watching. -Brian De Palma's Body Double is an underrated gem of a suspense /thriller. -The costumes and sets are gorgeous , and it's fun to watch if only for that reason. -The script was poor and the storyline didn't make sense. - The picture quality and sound are fantastic , and I didn't find any green tint in the movies. -The cast is in top notch performance, the special effects are fantastic but not overwhelms the movie, God, everything is fantastic here . -Greatest movie from Disney since the Lion King! The plot is great and the two princess are extremely lovable ! -Some of the plot was a bit disappointing . -the writers kept it a little too big , basically made both villains nearly invinsible, then at the end gave us a laughable end-of-villian finish. -Bought this for my wife as a chick flick . -Her performance is outstanding . -The acting is stellar , in particular Portman and Owen (both nominated for Academy Awards) as the initial foils for their partners Law and Roberts, respectively. - And - By the way - I am a Christian (NOT Catholic) who was brought up Unitarian . - It's a very interesting and important scene in the movie and that's why I like it. -Couples are central to BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER throughout its seven-year run, so how might one pair the seasons themselves?If Seasons One and Two of BUFFY are Origin Years-- establishing the show's mythos in Season One , then stretching and deepening them in year Two-- then Seasons Three and Four are definitely Years of Consolidation, playing with, clarifying and reorganizing the show's fictional universe and strengthening the bond between show and viewer before diving into the darker, riskier events of Seasons Five and Six (which we might call Years of Daring and Yearning). - But seeing as the studio gave Bryan Singer all the money in the world, plenty of time, and quite a bit of creative control and artistic license (I cannot imagine that DC comics was eager to have Superman portrayed as a deadbeat dad!), there should be more than just a few good moments . -The acting was amazing . -The animation is very special and in 3D it is wow. - The acting was much better, the script was emotional , but not hokey. -In order to produce a magnificent achievement for the paying customers, the movie must remain true (to an extent) to the books created by J.K. Rowling and the whimsy and fantasy of those tales must remain no matter the cost . - Just make sure you give it some room, and wide-screen DVD with which to do it. - Most notably , the film also introduces the Minions - Gru's short, yellow workers that speak gibberish and often find themselves engaging in an endless amount of comical hijinks. - The violence and gore are severe and off -putting, which is a shame because the movie is such an effective suspense thriller beyond these moments that people who are looking for nerve-frying suspense of a classic nature, but can't stomach the carnage will be missing out. -This is a must see film, Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes are excellent in this and the film is very well written. -I give it two stars, let me give 5 stars to the cast - incredible acting , especially from Russel Crowe. -a superb storyline ), into a spectacular and spooky film. -Despite some problems with the middle sections, When a Stranger Calls is a highly suspenseful and very creepy movie with excellent performances. -But the shockingly real performances of the three starlets was amazing . -I'm generally not a big fan of this sort of epic-level drama, but the actors pulled off the dramatic ending well , and I found it very moving. -The acting is flat and one-dimensional because characters aren't' written with any depth. -The special effects are excellent as is the underwater adventure .The droids are enemies of the Republic, who want to change it and take it over; thereby, enslaving its inhabitants. - His performance was moving and emotional , a flawless piece of art. -All I can say, it was fantastic . -Ofelia's father has been killed in the Spanish Civil War and her desperate mother marries the cruel Vidal, played by Sergi López, one of Franco's captains, who (as has been written repeatedly) joins the screen's pre-eminent villains. - This movie really didn't pay any homage to old Vampire/Werewolf mythology, it didn't really have much action , and the Romeo & Juliet thing is not really expressed and there's only one kiss between the two main people. -Thank goodness however the entire movie was not filmed using this technique ! - The image of the featureless, pasty- white mask hovering above a dark set of clothes is unnerving, and the early sightings of him in Haddenfield are amazingly effective-even when you know he is there, it is sometimes difficult to spot him. -Though Peter Jackson had always claimed that the 208 minute (roughly equal to "Seven Samurai" in length) DVD version of "Lord of the Rings'" first installment was not a director's cut, its vast superiority to the shortened theatrical release becomes clear immediately. -The truth is what makes this movie such a gem is that it doesn't need to come out and smack you in the head with the type of dull, predicatable nonesense like most movies do these days. -Each actor has had or currently owns a major role in a television/movie . -I am a long time fan of the web head and was not sure if the movie would do the long time comic hero justice but it did in a huge way. - As for the controversy as to whether this film is actually Kubrick's final cut , it is. -Like the series and this season was a good follow up to the first. -Bale's performance is superb and I think it's the best of his career. Jackman is also very convincing and the supporting cast is flawless. I'm always impressed by Rebecca Hall, but Bowie's cameo as Tesla was a revelation . -***CONTAINS SPOILERS***A historical costume drama with some powerful performances, THE DUCHESS is the study of The Duchess of Devonshire and her battles with The Duke during their strained marriage. -So what if the story isn't very original ? -The 3 seasons have been wonderful . -We're talking about a film here with an uneventful plot and characters completely void of depth . -In particular, kudos to the quality of the sound reproduction, which I've found to be excellent whether pushed through a 5.1 home theater or stereo headphones . - Unfortunately, the dialogue is clunky when the characters talk to one another as well. -Actually, " Dennis the Menace" is probably the better movie, in retrospect.I just saw "Revenge of the Sith" last night, and it reminded me how awful "Attack of the Clones" truly is; not because "Sith" is a good movie, but because it was pretty much on the same level. -Thus the so-called transformation into Darth Vader is more like the flipping of a switch - more binary than analog. - Such is the case with the cornball science fantasy movie "Galaxy Quest.""Galaxy - Despite the fact that it is an older movie and shot primarily in lowlight conditions, details are sharp, colors are vibrant and blacks are deep . -Not saying that "The Ring" is either superior or inferior, but it stayed very truthful to the original material it was based on , too truthful. -It is really a film about timeless qualities now hopelessly out of fashion: things like duty, honour, loyalty, friendship, mutual reliance and the questing spirit. -In it you get a look at the premier, at part of Emmy Rossum's screen test, the fun of trying to understand Jennifer Ellison's (Meg) accent, Patrick Wilson singing opera in sport pants, the Mask of the Red Death swigging from a water bottle, plus a look at the outrageously elaborate costumes and what the chandelier falling looked like in real life. -Russell Crowe's performance is absolutely brilliant . -I am a Spiderman fan from way back . -This movie is not funny at all . -The ending was absolutely awesome , it makes the experience not so empty and wasted. -Ok, so all these people are saying the film isn't funny . - Action is not what you would expect from Rogen, and although he handles it well, especially in the last 30 minutes, the action packed ending does run a bit long. Overall, "Pineapple Express" delivers what it promises: a funny stoner comedy. - The sets and costumes were spectacular without a doubt .But unlike THE TUDORS, THE BORGIAS series still lacked "something". -It was like they were trying to cram as much of the book in as possible , resulting in drawn out stories. -The deleted scenes are very funny and I think a lot of them should have been retained in the first cut. -I was extremely skeptical at first, not wanting to get sucked into a fad, but the books and movie(s) are genuinely good, with great actors and superb visual effects. Definitely recommend. -This is one of the cutest , funniest sports/girl power/rousing comedy films I have seen in a while! -The story is sadly lame and contrived . - One of the things that I enjoy most about the Coen brothers' movies is that they both understand their art form: movies are primarily visual works of art . -...no real gore, no bad language to express how they were really feeling and half the story and edge gone due to editing . -they fight in these awesome battles to the death, and some of the battle scenes and who dies and how is surprising.overall, the movie is awesome, and the ending is clever too , which leads to a possible AVP 2. -This movie showcases the true talent Christopher Nolan posses. -The new crew is excellent and the story is good , although it brings back a couple of old enemies in this new reality that skirts off the true nature of their reality and did not explore it suffiently in my opinion.. I will not tell you who this is referring to. -The individual performances by the actors were stellar in every way . -Without being over the top, his performance is amazing . -i received this yesterday on blu-ray and was VERY impresssed ... for what i paid ($[...] with free shipping), it was an AMAZING deal. -comes with lots of bonus features too. The picture looks great!!! Thank you! -The acting was good and all players did their jobs well but I was a bit put off by the smirking 'we're so smart and hip attitude' of the movie. -This film is almost flawless - the acting, the sets, the script, the special effects, the originality. -Rather than describe the remainder of the story in detail , I will say, instead, that the director does not allow the project to make any fatal mistakes. -I recommend this movie to those who like a good laugh . - It's gorgeous, the sets are gorgeous, the costumes are gorgeous , and the so are the actors. -The only bright spot in the movie was that Jar Jar Binks was reduced to cameo performance . -The acting and dialogue is not good either . -First off, you people just can not accept a new world of Star Wars. -Never had a "Star Wars"-film a greater emotional impact."The Phantom Menace" is definetly not on par with that film, nor has it the originality of "A New Hope", but still I liked this film a lot. I actually found it better than "Return Of The Jedi". Even those who dispised the movie must acknowledge that it has its merits. The special effects are fantastic, and in contrast to other films with superior FX , they are also highly imaginative because they create entire worlds of their own. -This is a truly terrific caper movie, one that works well by both showcasing the emerging star power of both Donnie Wahlberg and Charlize Theron and also having a terrific storyline . -This movie was very depressing , had me choked up half the time, crying, and upset that there is just too much bad things that happen........ - Picture and sound are awesome .The only thing is that the packaging could have been a little better. -And enough about the price drop . -This film presents a very good and deep insight into the world of drug addiction . - I don't think it would have worked if they had done a serious , soapy type movie. -The sound also got a boost from the original mono track to stero , and the special features have me intrigued. -The acting is superb . -The first season was a great start to the show , the second season was amazing, and the third season somehow managed to become even better. -The script is appalling, the acting non-existant (everyone just stands around saying their lines, without any feeling or emotion, looking like they desparately want to know what's happening on that green-screen behind them), and the computer generated FX so overwhelming that its like having spectacular fireworks let off in your face for 2 hours ... - The magic, the twists were all great . -After a horrid third film and a suprising fourth , superman returns for a fifth film. -It proves I was wrong ! -Burlesque was AMAZING! I fell in love this the movie! Dancing, singing, storyline, acting , directing the whole set up was wonderful. -The script was terrible. The direction was terrible. The only reason I can come up with for the film's popularity among so many Superman fans is that they have been so hungry for a film that they would have liked almost anything. I give it 2 stars for at least trying to make Superman relevant again.The thing to remember is that even though Superman has Kryptonian abilities, his personality is 100% human. He was raised since infancy on a farm in Kansas. He might feel different, but at heart he is a small town American and this film completely missed that. In focusing on the 'alien among us' angle, they gutted Superman's personality that was so well portrayed by Christopher Reeve and Brandon Routh. The Clark Kent we have all come to know and love through the years was completely missing. There were so many elements of the plot that made no sense. There was CGI overkill. Superman Returns had some plot problems, and could have put Superman in a few more action scenes, but overall that movie was far more faithful to the origins of the Superman character.The fact that Avengers was so successful should prove that a superhero movie doesn't have to copy The Dark Knight to be a hit. A superhero movie can be light, it can be funny, it can be human, and still be a fantastic movie. I have nothing to say about the relationship of this movie to recent comic book adaptations or graphic novels. As a movie, it is no better than all the other CGI-fests out there with tons of explosions and destruction. Superman is supposed to be special. -The acting is unbelievable , amazing, and very convincing. - The Rock and Flair put on great performances. Surprising ending . -In 20 minutes , Jillian gets me going and sweating and back in shape. -Acting wise the movie is poor , Eric Bana's accent is bad considering how poor his fellow Aussies do with accents thats saying alot. -This is the most perverted, disorganized movie I ever saw. -Sound,video, avengers, Marvel Magic . -The performances given by Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellwegger, Queen Latifah and Richard Gere are perfect! With Catherine standing out a little bit more, because of her musical background (she deserved the Oscar). -The book was entertaining and full of facts and images hard to duplicate in a movie. -the performances were outstanding and extremely believable, Ellen Burstyn should have recieved that Oscar, she was unbelievable.... -"Star Trek Into Darkness" is excellent ! -This ending should have been King's ending and I usually never say that about a printed piece of work from an author ; but here I think we have a better ending in the movie, rather than on paper. -The stories so fun and exciting and fresh compared to the turgid retreads of modern "Trek". -I'm hardly a prude, I celebrate both nudity and sexuality in all cinematic shapes and sizes and varieties .... and I don't condemn violence in film if it makes a point or moves along a story or a character's development... and I sincerely applaud directors who aren't afraid to go to the edge. - It was heart-warming and wonderful, sad and depressing , silly and did I say wonderful. -This show is addictive . -Maybe not exceptional, but I found the movie to be fairly true to the book . - People usually act this way when they're discussing politics or religion . -The actors are all fine , with Bryan Cranston and the six diplomatic escapees-in-hiding turning in particularly excellent performances. -When her acting career fizzled , after making her less than memorable acting debut in her father's film "Godfather III", Sophia Coppola apparently turned her hand to directing and was let loose upon an unsuspecting public. -Courageous is the story of four policemen who are also after a time, four brothers in the Lord. -Picture and sound were crystal clear and the disc had more special features than Disney DVDs I've bought in the past. -Frank Sinatra gives a moving and powerful performance as he frantically tries to beat the clock in what is to be,unknown until the very end,the assassination of the presidential candidate, and the insertion of a puppet senator controlled(unknowingly) by Communists in his place. - The characters are not well established from beginning to end -- so you honestly don't care whether they live or die. - Liam Neeson is great and the story itself is very poignant . -The movie is very violent and has some sexual content so be warned . -The Dark Knight is the sequel to director Christopher Nolan's outstanding and uplifting Batman Begins. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/sentence-test.restaurants.txt b/reference_files/sentence-test.restaurants.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4f24bbeb34d05f065a5eca7f350e0754fe534a16..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/sentence-test.restaurants.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,136 +0,0 @@ - It had some delicious white fish in a chinese style steamed bun. Great starter . -First up, the place is beautiful . -now).The hostess was very pleasant and helpful , our server was efficient and very personable, and the manager James was a great host, checking in often to see how we were doing. -What I like about the katsu is that it is fried perfectly crisp but doesn't feel oily. -This is a really good restaurant with an awesome staff! The place is awesome and the food is just delicious! -I hate to give such a highly- regarded place three stars, but here goes nothing. -Cute cafés are my jam! Jimmy's Coffee was a very average experience , however. -When you walk into the restaurant, the first thing that hits your nose is the smell of pork bones simmering away. You can also ask for less lard but why. Toppings: I love bamboo, glad it's included. I also had seaweed, slice of fish cake and green onion. Extra toppings are pricey (corn is $2.50, egg $1.80) which I didn't opt for. Chashu: Seems like I got the chashu scraps...got two small chunks of meat cut along the grain and a slab of pure fat. While it was tender, it was upon leaving the restaurant and seeing the display of noodles that my friends told me that they both got 2 regular slices of chashu. What the. Service: Friendly. Fairly quick turnover of tables. Bathroom: The sketchiest bathroom I have ever been in. My friend said it was like being in a horror movie and I had to agree. Dim eerie staircase leading to a dark dirty bathroom with a low ceiling. Given how popular and clean the restaurant is, they definitely could have forked over a little bit of money to improve the washrooms! -Usually about 10 mins wait until you actually get your food, which isn't too bad ! -Not your run of the mill Thai restaurant . -If you like guacamole, you will love their chips and guacamole . -It's a nice atmosphere and service is not bad . -Good vibe, neon décor , online reservations, delicious tapa style dishes and a menu of tequila tastings. -My second experience at Pai was great on a few fronts. -The staff is very friendly and attentive .I recommend ordering the seared sushi if you want to try something different from your normal sushi. -If you are in the distillery, do yourself a favour and spend your money elsewhere . -how cheap the drinks were and the Moscow Mules, although a bit sweet, were very down-able. -Always impressive service, whether it's brunch or dinner. Great drinks, wonderful gluten free and dairy free options - I would take a picky eater there anyday! -Good service . -Still, the restaurant did a great job in keeping everything well organized . -Not too loud and the decor is stunning . -The patio was busy (as usual) but the ambience and service was good. -Highly recommend hot sauce if you're thinking of eating at this place. -The last experience here when we came out was absolutely wonderful. -Fantastic food and relatively inexpensive , butternut fritters for starter were great and the pad thai was extremely tasty. -Love the atmosphere! All the dishes we tried were so good! We got the lamb and it was unreal and good drink menu . -Nice ambiance, atmosphere, good food and wine . -But I loved the whole experience! The view is incredible and our waitress was down to earth and very accommodating. - Service was great . -I have been meaning to come here for awhile, so when a Groupon came up, it was the perfect opportunity . -It's popular so make reservations possible! They have an easy online system . - I really liked all their vegetarian options but unfortunately I went with a bland jambalaya and he went with a bison burger. - The decor is fantastic . -This place gets packed at dinnertime, and it's a fun place to meet up with people for drinks. -I have gone to Jacobs a few times over the past couple of years and I always come out with the same content feeling after a fantastic steak meal . -I'm not a rib expert so maybe the baby back ribs were supposed to be dry . -It is a good place to experience if you are in the area and it has a really nice patio in the summer . -This place is very hit or miss , and unfortunately, my most recent time was a huge miss! -The girl filling our coffees and grabbing us ketchup seemed to hate existing in this world but I just ignored her foul attitude, everyone has an off day you know! -Excellent !! -Good selection of beers on tap , and menu seemed like there were a lot of comfort food type options. -I highly recommend dining outside if you love patio dining . -Although, it is located inside the hotel, the only way to have outside access is through the elevator that runs directly into the restaurant . -The place is crowded meaning patrons waiting their table will be (im)patiently watching you eat from the sidelines, so eat quickly and don't hang out after your meal! -The waitress we got was impatient, rude, sarcastic, and just a horrible server . -I always recommend this place for any special occasion or just a great dinner ! The view is breathtaking , - Overall a good spot to stop for a beer and snack (as long as you don't mind waiting in line to get in)! -The sauce or lack thereof was a bit bland but the bread was tasty. -At the encouragement of one of our group members , my 5 friends and I decided to hold our exchange reunion at Pai, as opposed to another popular Thai restaurant (hint: it starts with a K and ends in Road; y'all know who I'm talking about). -I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone who's looking to celebrate a special occasion or somewhere nice to go for a first date. Just don't expect to be blown away . -Sounds like a good deal to me!The waitress was very friendly and prompt. We didn't have to wait very long for service . - I haven't ordered much here, I mostly come for drinks on the patio .I have had the spicy mussles which were really good, White wine, onions and jalapenos. -The atmosphere here is cool , unique, and playful - way better than any school environment I've ever been in. -I ordered the BetterBeer (which is the Harry Potter inspired Butterbeer) and it was so yummy!! -I finally see the light .I was surprised to find out that Miku was as fusion-y as it was. -The waitresses are a bit clueless and the sushi is not fresh- actually chewy ... -I went here with high expectations . -The coffee is always strong , they make a firm cappuccino. --when we ordered drinks it took them that same about of time to bring it Other than that I liked the atmosphere and the vibe . -Ambience is nice and the bar is awesome . - The vibe and decor of the place is really cool . -The view is also breathtaking . -Service here wasn't to bad either , it didn't feel like we were being rushed out like what happens in most Chinese restaurants. -I came by myself after a coworker had suggested it and ate at the bar. No , it wasn't awkward like some places can be when you eat by yourself. -Great food and atmosphere, drinks are okay priced but really really good . -Probably one of my favorite places in Toronto for Thai food ... -Probably the best seats since you get to watch how the drinks are made . - The options at the restaurant include various food options that are also vegetarian friendly which is very important to me . -You can eat indoors or in the patio, which is shaded and pretty large . -I've been to Gusto 101 several times and absolutely love it! They have a gorgeous patio which is heated in the winter. -I enjoyed eating the tater tots though they could be a bit more crispy and warm . -Lets just start by saying YUMMMAfter reading the reviews I came here on a Saturday around noon expecting a huge line up, which there was. I was told it would be an hr wait , which wasnt a big deal because things seemed to be moving well . -Good place to hang with friends . -Great restaurant, the oysters were awesome , Mike our waiter was very helpful, nice and friendly. -Great BBQ , Great time, I've had pretty much all the meats they have on offer and love them. -One thing that would've made my experience better is having the menus labelled for persons with dietary restrictions . -The Mad Man was served in a very cool pipe shaped glass , the drink was strong but smooth. -Since going to Baretto for the first time, it has become one of my favourite Coffee / Breakfast and Italian lunch places . -Yes, the price is quite steep for not a whole lot of food but the quality really is top notch!Lobster Miso Soup. -The pad gra prow was definitely my favourite, the way the flavours all melded together was perfect . -However if your looking for somewhere with a fantastic view over the lake and city this would be your place. -Why come here? The sushi . -From the food (best steaks in Toronto!), the friendly & extremely professional staff, and the warm ambiance . -You come here for the experience, not so much for the food. It was my first time visiting the CN Tower and dining at the 360 Restaurant the best way to go about it. -Amazing!I went last night (valentines day), and they gave out a free complimentary martini which was nice .The food is pretty good here! -The place is very loud and noisy with the waiters constantly screaming in Japanese, which makes for a fun environment and a good place for a group of friends to get together and eat and drink. -The only downside is that it is very crowded so the service is really slow , people are willing to wait more than an hour standing outside in the line so keep that in mind. -We had one server who introduced us and said she would be right back to take our order for drinks , we never saw her again. -We waited and waited, but our waitress was no where around . -Small portions and alil pricey but Delicious food and every dish had a flavourful palette. -Cons: Drinks are pretty expensive (that's how they make their money I guess), the music inside is blaring (like, uncomfortably so - you can barely hear people), they don't take debit - just cash or credit (like, not even Visa Debit!?) & the service isn't great (our server was obviously overloaded -The food is superb, the staff is welcoming and the decor gives a great warm home feeling . -The service was really good , and the food was very flavourful. -Instead we got a Befuddlement Draft to share, which was still pretty cool and delicious. -No doubt this is a five stars restaurant for the food however, the 3 stars is for the attitude of the restaurant . -Drinks are a little pricey but that is to make up for the $4.95 food menu which isn't bad. -Drinks were unique but expensive and if you want to overindulge this wouldn't be the place . -Its always delivered on amazing wings . -The food is delicious! The service is good and the atmosphere is inviting . -In my many years of living in Toronto I've probably been to over 50 restaurants. -I recommend the baked brie and the octopus balls ! -Delicious breakfast and plenty of it! -The interiors are gorgeous and obviously a lot of detail went into it. -Love this place , reservations make it easy to book unlike Khao San Road which is not saying anything about their delicious menu options. -Seems like the drinks are great . -Every time I visit Toronto I love taking in the views of Lake Ontario and Cityline from the harbour, from the island and looking down from the 54th floor of the TD tower. -They have a fantastic patio in the summer . -Upstairs have additional space and it will be a take out / snack bar as per the staff . -The setting is intimate, cozy and comfortable . -the owner is very friendly & was helpful. jerk chicken poutine is something to try. -It gets really busy especially on weekends where it turns into a social bar- literally- where you can't find a spot anywhere and the patio is open during the summer . -Overall it was a good experience . -This place has to be one of the most interesting restaurants that I have ever been to! -It was not what I had expected, but it was a delicious and a pleasant surprise . The mussels was delicious . -good food and reasonable price . -i wanted to come here on a very special occasion, so i decided to go for my first anniversary with my girlfriend. -I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere and I'd be back. -The decor was unique and cool- very east meets west. - The place is underground and it was a cool place . -This review is for dinner and I speculate that brunch is a different ( and hopefully better ) experience altogether. -The patio is gorgeous as it looks over liberty and is very airy. The food is good, but nothing to rave about. The pizzas are fresh, which is nice, the Cobb salad is kind of just a salad (with no blue cheese :[). Overall, food is good, but it kind of feels your average run of the mill chain restaurant. Come here to drink after work for the views if anything. -and they took a few minutes to arrive but the bar was busy and the bartenders didnt stop moving . -The patio is GREAT . -The staff were friendly and accommodating, and we enjoyed getting breakfast and meeting up for drinks with friends at the cafe . -Khoa San Road is probably the best Thai food that I have ever had in Toronto. -Great food (tasting menu) and great service (Greg and Seth) combined for a special meal . -Best restaurant in terms of everything . -My greatest complaint would be that the rice was too soggy and had clumped together instead of standing alone as individual grains. -We enjoyed one of the best tables on the patio, great food and the best service we have experienced in awhile. -Also goo prices with the portions you get . -but I find it quite hard too as every time I've gone here I've been disappointed . -it kinda sucks when i left my earphones there.. i called them and they said they have it.. when i got there they said that they dont have it anymore.. -Guacamole is decent, drinks are ok,the rest is a mess . -The ribs were over cooked and dry . -The wait time was long but definitely worth the wait! -The food is really amazing, ambience & decor is classy and contemporary, coffee is really delicious , mimosas are such a nice addition too. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/sentence-test.tripadvisor.txt b/reference_files/sentence-test.tripadvisor.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1970f3ed18d6db993a3f1eccb0679906999d71ea..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/sentence-test.tripadvisor.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,397 +0,0 @@ -The bedding and towels were new and clean, the rugs are brand new, the pillows were great and everything about the room smelled good . -My 3-day stay at the Andrews Hotel was a pleasant one overall; I was satisfied with the clean, comfortable room (a "cozy double") and generally good service. I booked the room directly with the hotel , getting them to match the rate of $79 for weeknights, $99 for weekends, that was quoted by several web booking sites. -The location was excellent , close to the cable car stop, art galleries, shops and Union Square. -Our room was clean, well appointed, if a little snug and comfortable. The bathroom wasn't brand new, but was just fine. Service was very good overall. We had to wait a bit too long for our room, but the staff did everything they could to get it ready for us as quickly as possible. As everyone else has noted, no A/C! This was pretty awful, as the rooms get quite warm, especially the smaller ones. If you left the fan on all day, it helped cool things down a bit.Our room was the very last one in the hotel (450) so we were on the main road side, which was quite noisy at night. Lots of sirens and road cleaners going past at all hours. Also, the free wireless didn't reach that end of the hotel, so if that's an essential feature, ask for something more in range of the front desk, maybe. Custom Burger was very expensive, and not at all worth the price in my opinion. The shakes are fantastic though! Right across the road at the Good Hotel, is a pizza place on the bottom floor. Good pizza, good prices and friendly staff, esp Ashanti. Eat here over CB anytime. The location isn't great , but we walked toward the "bad" part of town in daylight hours and had no problems. -The room was very small but clean and unique . -Location was fantastic, so easy to go anywhere. -It was the most disgusting room I ever stayed in . -Well my trip was on memorial weekend, and yes i did expect it to be a little noisy.the room next to me was so loud . -The nighty wine reception in the lobby from 5 to 6 was also a great bonus . -There's a great family diner across the street for breakfast . -The room was very comfortable - no view, but then we did not expect one as we were out and about - not sitting in the room. -Room gorgeous with view to the West, almost could see China in the distance . -It was in the heart of the city, near to shops, malls, Chinatown, trollies, public transportation and food. -if you enjoy shopping . -The actual hotel itself is OK, the issue we had was the location. -Everything about this place was excellent. For the very low price you pay you get a large room, great facilities, free breakfast, the most helpful staff i've ever encountered. -First the positives: great staff - very helpful front desk, service at the wine reception and breakfast was great and our housekeeper was absolutely delightful . -If you want a clean, reliable hotel with a decent location , this is the one for you. -We were in the older part of the hotel and on the 6th floor which was fine. -The hotel is centrally located and was great for shopping at Westfield , Macys and all that Union Square has to offer. -Stayed in the JW Marriott on the last night of our holiday as a treat! We did the rest of the trip (which included Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco the previous weekend, Yosemite and Santa Cruz) on a budget and decided to blow the budget on the last night as we had to catch two flights home the following day which was to take about 20hours in total. -Bathroom: cool, Bed : comfy, great pillow . -the pillows very flat in the standard rooms so we upgraded for our single night stay. -Great location --walking distance to LOTS of fun spots. -(movie rentals are available for about 12 bucks a night it would make more sense to buy a DVD disc at Borders or Virgin which are both a few blocks away.) There was also a serious lack of storage space in the room .Bathroom was tight. -The high speed internet was great and the complimentary breakfast was awesome and made it worth the stay. -That street is very loud and alot of traffic . -Yes, the room the smallish , but the rest is incredible. -There was no smiling at all from her when she checked us in or when she checked us out. -The Grand Hyatt in San Fran is an awesome hotel - big rooms , great bedding, fitness center on 6th floor. -The hotel rooms are small , and the desk is not really useable for a long period of work. -We received three great restaurant recommendations from the front desk and they always provided us with accurate directions to our destination. -The breakfast is better than the usual Continental , the waffles deserve a special mention. -Room service was also excellent as was the breakfast in the lovely Silk Restaurant .Verdict - A wonderful choice and most recommended :)! -We stayed in room 590, the Dunkirk suite. It is a corner accomodation with great city views . -My room requirements were done perfectly . -We stayed at the Westin St Francis from the 29th June 2009 for 4 nights. -March 2005My second time, staff very friendly, great views and location is awesome . -This hotel is very funky and fun . The staff are very cool , nice and knowledgeable. -that the rooms are very small - however, the space is used very efficiently, and I never felt cramped. -The wine hour in the cozy lobby was great . -The restuarant is very small and didn't have a chance to eat there . -The Hotel is beautifly decorated and was immaculate in condition . -Cafe Andre was really good & very reasonable! Had a great breakfast . -However, the location is great for shopping in Union Square. -Also, the wine hour is very nice and I don't even drink wine. -we stayed on the 32nd floor and had a great city view . -The hotel is in a very safe area and we felt perfectly happy walking around at night. -Breakfast was convenient and good . -Over all, Hotel Carlton is a good place to stay and it is a good value . -Excellent shower head with great pressure . -The service at this hotel is excellent and since we had stayed here before we knew about the wonderful breakfast , the warm fireplace, the cookie jar and the great people at the front desk. -The hotel was good, room was a little small but very clean and the bed was very comfortable . -Dirty, moldy, smelly!! Some rooms had working phones, tvs, lights, other rooms didn't. Very inconsistant. Bedding was dirty, one towel in one room , none in the others. -The rooms were clean comfortable and affordable . -We stayed for 7/4 fireworks, the shuttle was only two blocks away, it's very convenient. -The location was ideal . -This was a nice hotel, the rooms very a little on the small size but very pleasant. -This hotel is located in a fabulous location near Fisherman's wharf . -What a GEM! The rooms were obviously recently remodeled and were very nice . -The hotel offers a continental breakfast , with juices, cereals, bagels, and fresh pastries every morning. -The food is very expensive. Breakfast while ok was too much money. -* STAFF - excellent - friendly staff* LOCATION - average - Definitely NOT walking distance to the wharf or Chinatown. -Our third floor room faced the Sheraton and we could hear every bus, every car, constant noise day and night . -And breakfast at the hotel restaurant, it was terrible and overpriced . -The room was large, with 2 double beds, a nice bathroom and cleaned daily, although if you wish to stay in your room later than 8am I would hang the privacy tag on the door as the maid knocks early and loudly!!!!The breakfast is basic, but free, so very convenient . -The hotel is definitely well run . -Our room was not extra large but we would only be sleeping there . -The room was very clean, updated, with a cool view of the city below . -The hotel is a bright spot in a not-so-nice area of SF (I believe the tour guide referred to the area as 'The Tenderloin'.) -The rooms were big and the service was warm , friendly and efficient - the hotel service hat trick! -though!The hotel was in a great location , a block or so from Union Square and with a cable car station in the adjoining street. -The lobby of the Ramada is quite cool (it used to be the old City Hall), but the rooms are fairly run down and not particularly clean . -The high floor rooms need time to cool off , but if you close your curtains and remember the sun does shine during check-in at 2pm it all cools off by the time you arrive back from dinner in the evening. -THe room was a little on the small side , but acceptable. -The onsite restaurant is outrageously overpriced even for Union Square. -We quickly discovered that this was one of the former spacious rooms from the old Clift that we remembered so fondly, but it had been chopped up into two rooms ... creating a window-less bedroom area and very cramped sitting area. -Sadly it wasn't really "fixed" as it kept blocking again and again, so we had to use the hallway, shared bathroom, even though we payed extra for our own. -Free parking is a definate benefit in San Francisco and the location so near to Fishermans Wharf was great . -It reminded me of European boutique hotels that I've stayed in . -The area isn't too bad. Just don't go west or south (Tenderloin). Go north, and you hit Nob Hill. Go east, and you hit Union Square .If you need parking, park across the street at the California Garage for $32 total. -Nice beds and room decor ( quiet with no street noise)- Lots of taxis right outside the door- -Internet is $17 per day. -Their staff was rude , the beds were hard, and if they didn't forget to leave tea bags, they forgot stirring sticks, sugar, or cups. -so it's a decent location . -Great restaurants nearby . -Bathroom necessities smell amazing, was tempted to swipe them! The gym is great , not huge but certainly new and good equipment. -It's in a handy location if you are fairly fit and don't mind walking. -The rooms are tiny , very old, and LOUD. -We stayed in the older section of the Hotel in a small but comfortable room . -It's no secret that the Parc 55 Hotel is in the path of lots of street noise , especially if you are facing Market Street. -I was concerned about trying a new hotel in the Union Square area . -roomservice is great , housekeeping is wonderfull, location of the hotel is really good for shopping and exploring the city on foot: we went to Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, Coit Tower, Pacific Heights,... -The complimentary breakfast was delicious (scrambled and boiled eggs, sausage, quiche, danishes, scones, croissants, assortment of breads (great sourdough, wheat, white), fresh cut fruit, coffee, tea, orange juice, and cranberry juice ). -Location is excellent less than 2 blocks from fishermans Wharf & ; easy walking distance to cable tram and other attractions. -We find the overall location perfect , right at Union Square, close to the BART, Westfield Mall, walking distance to the Embarcadero, North Beach and Chinatown. -The room was a bit small but given the prime location it is understandable that a builder would want to create as many possible rooms while still maintaining comfort. -Tuscan was wonderful! The rooms were clean and nicely decorated. The rooms were also quiet and we felt safe . -We did not really know what to expect when we booked rooms for my husband and myself, and one for our two college age sons, except that it had good reviews , was moderately priced (by San Francisco standards) and was well located in the city. -the service is poor , and for those used to staying in Kimpton hotels... this Kimpton is a real surprise. -The location is fantastic with restaurants, shops, diners very close. If I picked fault then I would say that the sanitary fittings were a bit worn and the air con unit (which we needed) was noisy. -There was a coffee maker, blow dryer, fridge, microwave, clock radio and internet access! The continental breakfast was great , the pool was beautiful, and the free parking was...well, free parking! -The breakfast was a wonderful way to start the day of sight seeing. -Room was in good shape . -We stayed at the Hotel Rex and the rooms were clean and neat and the hotel staff are very friendly , helpful and provide you with exceptional customer service. -As usual, for a Starwood property, the bed was soooooo comfortable . The location was great , very centrally located for shopping, dining and public transportation. -We enjoyed San Fran. way more then we ever thought we would and we owe that to The Argonaut Hotel and there staff. -The breakfast was good, although the "hot" items were lukewarm . -The price was great considering that of other places, the kingsize bed very comfortable and the continental breakfast was very satisfying as we set out each day. -Yes, there are some homeless people walking around, but they do not bother you ! -Room was very big with loads of storage space . -The breakfast was complementary but our family likes to sleep in a little so when we got to the breakfast there was limited choices because most things got used up. -The room was decent size but the decor was beyond outstanding . -Our room was small but very unique and quaint . -Some of the reviewers have complained about the high price of breakfast. -Incredible location . -If you have it, go spend your $200 plus a night somewhere else . -standards!The staff were excellent , very friendly and helpful. -We stayed there this past weekend and LOVED it! The front desk was friendly and prompt . -(movie rentals are available for about 12 bucks a night it would make more sense to buy a DVD disc at Borders or Virgin which are both a few blocks away.) There was also a serious lack of storage space in the room .Bathroom was tight. -The hotel is in a great location and the staff are excellent, very helpful and friendly. -Excellent location for "getting out on foot" to see the City. -So, of course, they put us on the Van Ness side of the building which is incredibly noisy . -First the positives: great staff - very helpful front desk, service at the wine reception and breakfast was great and our housekeeper was absolutely delightful. -This room was cleaner but the ceiling fan was broken. -The room was clean and comfortable . -Breakfast was also pricey (and not as outstanding) -Hotel staff were very accomodating with our 18 month old- providing a cot, toy and stroller for him. -Loved everything about the stay - there for the Nike Woman's Marathon - Lovely location would go again - very nice - -My room was nicely decorated and modern looking. -There is no noise from room to room, and our room was right outside the parlour where folks on our floor had breakfast . -The rooms were very spacious and we found them to be exactly as pictured on the website. -My negative experience began with the reservationist who booked a King Room for us , I doubly confirmed this because I knew that the city was extremely booked at this time. -Loved my stay. Great location and breakfast was great . -Not large rooms but enough so that there was a bit of privacy for everyone. -Hotel was dirty, room was small, smelled like smoke although we asked for a non-smoking room .,So it was a wonderful experience going to the Pan Pacific and being greeted by the valet. -There are tons of shopping nearby and good restaurants . -The rooms are a little small but the front desk was friendly and helpful . -The room itself was a bit small , but the space was utilized very well in my opinion. -There are countless kiosks in the area for different tours and attractions . -I stayed at the Hyatt for a conference for 4 days and was not at all impressed for the pretty high group rate we were paying. -The second room was bigger and again nice and great decor - admittedly we decided to pay a little bit extra per night for this room ( only about $10 i think) in the hope that we would get more sleep. -There are various inexpensive but good restaurants nearby (Milano, just up the road, is recommended) and reception will be happy to point some out to you. -We got a great deal on this hotel on Priceline for 3 nights in mid February 2009 . -The quality is good, with fresh high quality pastries and coffee as well as cereal, boiled eggs, bagels, cheese, fruit, tea, etc . -The front desk was very friendly and our room was very comfortable. -The room was a good size if not big . -The room was way too small to have a bath, which should ahve been ripped out and replaced with a decent shower unit.........a true design feature would have been a small wet room with a screen dividing the shower from the basin and toilet. -Our room was very nice , it was in a recently remodeled section and everything was very clean and new. -The breakfast was very average . -The rooms were probably a bit small , but really that was a non-issue for us. -This is a great little inn with a fantastic wine & cheese hour and great continental breakfast . -Our room had a queen size bed with a choice of different pillows, a safe, a flat screen TV, wireless internet, a large walk-in closet, a nice bathroom with plenty of towels and toiletries including a rubber duck for your bath(Nice touch). -So after reading amazing reviews of this hotel i was expecting a great comfortable place to stay after a tiring 2 weeks sightseeing in Europe. -Bathroom was luxurious . -Room was small, kind of dingy and smelled musty . -The free wine hour was great but the lobby was overcrowded with people due to lack of chairs. -The bed was extremely comfortable and we slept like babies for the four nights we were there . -The front desk falls over itself to welcome you, and we were asked if we'd like a free upgrade to a better view of the city simply because he could offer it (we are members of the Fairmont frequent traveler club)! The rooms themselves were plush , with linens you felt you could float on--fluffy down comforters, tons of pillows. -The rates were very reasonable ($70 ish), rooms were a bit snug, but we didn't plan on spending much time there -The location is superb , near the sights but quiet at nightime with a trolley stop almost outside the door. -the location was perfectly fine ?! -The new rooms had beautiful light , gorgeous views of the Bay and Alcatraz and it was like we were staying in a completely different hotel. -This hotel was great to stay in, the staff were extremely helpful and friendly and the standard of service provided was exceptionally good. -Beds very comfy with lovely pillows , free in room safe gives peace of mind. -Free wireless Internet- Excellent location - less than a block from Union Square- Comfortable bed and great pillow "menu"- A rubber ducky in the bathroom - hilarious!- Large walk-in closetBad/Ugly:- Room was quite cold (San Francisco was going through a bit of a cold spell) and the central heating system was not very reliable. -We had a lovely, quiet room, spacious quarters , a terrific bathroom and lots of room. -The rooms are wonderful , clean and have everything you need and if you are missing something just call the butler... -I did like the breakfast which is a real time & money saver if you are traveling with kids. -Overall, we loved San Francisco and thought that the hotel was very good, considering the price and location . -I travel to San Francisco often for work; the St. Regis is the nicest and coolest one I have stayed at yet! The decor is modern, but not over the top modern, just contemporary. Beautifully appointed entry and very welcoming staff. They walked me up to my room to explain the new technology - which is highlighted by a digital device that controls everything from room service to lighting to the do not disturb sign, all with bedside convenience. The beds are fluffy and obviously extremely clean. The place was spotless. Bathroom necessities smell amazing, was tempted to swipe them! The gym is great , not huge but certainly new and good equipment. -But whilst we were there it poured with rain most of the time, and we found the room quite small when we were trying to dry out our soggy clothes . -Room was on the smallish side, but perfectly adequate . -I like stylish hotels, this is why I chose the Adagio and here are my comments: Room: not too big but very well furnished and decorated . -It really is a great atmosphere . -The location of this hotel is wonderful , you can't beat Union Square for shopping and theaters and a bustling nightlife. -Many restaurants just blocks away in a safe and interesting area. -I requested a high floor & got a room with a spectacular view of the city. -Great shopping, cable cars go right by, plenty of restaurants and fantastic people watching. -Our room had a huge closet where we stored our luggage , so we had plenty of room to move around. -The room I stayed at was the best Marriott property room I ever stayed in . -The breakfast was wonderful, probably the epitome of & quot;continental breakfast" ; -- everything was fresh, and the atmosphere was first-rate. -The free breakfast was decent . -The view from the 16th floor was amazing ...especially at night. -It's a charming hotel with beautiful rooms in a perfect location . -The staff was friendly, the room was cute although the comforter was a little dirty (the sheets were clean). -Complimentary breakfast is basic and they do have hot food, which is good enough. -We loved the beds and linen! They offer a full and delicious breakfast , an evening happy hour with yummy hordeurves and wine not to mention friendly setting to share experiences with fellow travelers. -Reasonably clean, great location by attractions but horrifically noisy, both from street traffic and denizens of the hotel itself . -There was a lot of street noise and noise from the people next to us. -Overall the hotel was very decently priced, the staff was freindly and attentive , and the rooms were super clean. -When I walked into the room, It was immaculate . -We took it and were so glad we did! The room was awesome . -Free wi-fi in the lobby area. -This hotel is bad and is not a value at the price of about $70 a night (+ $22 per day parking).As soon as I opened my room's door the smell of dirty old man body order pierced through my nose making my eyes water . -The exceptional thing that happened is that I had mentioned being in town for my birthday . -This motel has very nice, newly renovated rooms with plasma TV. -The hotel was in an amazing location , right in the middle of Union Square, shopping mecca! -The bedding and towels were new and clean, the rugs are brand new, the pillows were great and everything about the room smelled good. -Our room was dark and dreadful . -I found his attitude and manner toward a guest of his hotel less than acceptable . -What an outstanding hotel in every way! The rooms are so beautiful , clean and comfortable, I would say they are beyond compare. -Customer service is also very poor. We met several rude staff . -I LOVED the room , and the staff were beyond helpful. -Breakfast was minimal (coffee, tea, and excellent fresh muffins) , but was included in the room rate. -Room was on the smallish side, but clean . -The location is superb-- right in Union Square. -This place doesn't have to try too hard to be ultra hip or cool . -The breakfast was delicious and varied and I was very glad I upped my reservation for this alone. -The hotel is very nice overall, close to Union Square neighborhood, cable car on Powell street and public transportation at Market/Powell bus and metro/BART . -From the greetings as we entered the grand lobby area (the smell of fresh flowers is truly wonderful), to the beautiful room , we truly enjoyed the experience. -very clean and in good shape.. they also use newer keys than the old magentic cards . -But the biggest surprise was - that upon request - we received our favourite room. All this, combined with it's charming location in one of the most attractive cities of the world, makes the Drisco a true gem. -Lovely hotel, comfortable rooms , great front desk lady! -The room was amazing and in fantastic condition with great decor . -What makes a great hotel experience? In my opinion it's the personal comfort level, the suitability of the accomodations for your purpose as well as exemplary customer service, the kind of service that anticipates your needs and fulfills them graciously. -The breakfast was a bit expensive but you can always go out and have breakfast in one of many restaurants nearby. -The room itself felt dirty . -Rooms are huge , and when we stayed the hotel had just put in flat screen TVs in all the rooms. -We had a 3rd floor king w/ city view , nice view however if you open the windows the noise from Lombard Street is very loud , once closed noise barley audiable. -The room had an aweful musty odour, furniture and soft furnishings looked tired and the carpet was in a terrible state . -The room was very well appointed with quality furnishings and it was decorated in a classy and individual style, not what you normally expect from a chain hotel in a touristy location. -recommended by my sister as amazing value for money and excellent location in the heart of all the shops and things to do . -The location is great - very central and always felt safe walking around the area . -Yes - the bar and restaurant are on the expensive to the OMG side - especially if you dive into the steak menu at dinner ($54 for a veal chop - wow!) -The rooms are roomy and nicely appointed. -I have to admit that the location and view was perfect . -Nice clean spacious rooms , looked newly remodeled. -The hotel is in a very convenient location for tourists and close to lots of shopping . -Very nice . -Rooms are smallish , but adequate for a business stay, or a weekend, tho romantic, it ain't! -The bed and tolietries are my only complaints -- the bed in our room was HARD and uncomfortable and the pillows were very small . -The Andrews Hotel rooms were very small , but nicely decorated & furnished, the cleanilness was excellent. -But it was in reasonably good condition , the beds were comfortable, it was quiet at night (being two blocks from Highway 101), we had a fridge and microwave, and there was plenty of hot water. -and I stayed here over Memorial Day and our room was disgusting . -Rooms are big , beautiful, clean... nothing unexpected of the Mark Hopkins. -The room was large, bright and airy. The bathroom was large enough and everything was spotless. -The location is perfect in that it is very near Union Square, shopping, restaurants, but also near the business district . -The room is very petite . -They recommended both a French and Italian restaurant and both were within walking distance and just delicious (Fleur de Lis / Fino). -Free wine reception on Fridays and Saturdays, worth going. -Just return from the Hotel Nikko this afternoon and can't wait to write this review. -Restaurant is on the pricey side, but there are plenty of less -expensive options within walking distance. -Dirty, moldy, smelly!! Some rooms had working phones, tvs, lights, other rooms didn't . -My friend and I shared a room with two double beds and our "biggest" complaint was that there weren't enough electrical outlets for us to charge our wireless phones and Garmin gps units . -The location was awesome and we enjoyed walking to Union Square and all the shops. -When I arrived at my room (659), I was greeted by a broken switchplate and the odors of both mildew and cigarette smoke . -Location is fine - no need to go into the Tenderloin unless you choose to do so and only a 10 minute walk downhill to Union Square . -The room was great size for the four of us . -While the lobby and some other rooms are gorgeous , the sound quality of the rooms (you really can hear everything) and the majority of the Fairmont staff are not up to standards. -You are really paying for location with this hotel. This is also a historic hotel , so please do not expect it to look like the Westin in Hollywood Florida. -The Cartwright is just four blocks from Union Square, with theaters and shopping nearby . -We got a nice room, with a good view of the city but unfortunately we woke every morning with really sore throats from the air conditioning which we couldnt turn off and there are no windows to open to let some fresh air in. -Room was nice, with all the amnities you need . -Room looked down at 3rd St, no view of the bay or bridges, but I'll sacrafice that for a great rate. Restaurant was pricey as hotels are. They ran out of empty refrig's to replace our pay-mini-bar, but allowed us to remove and replace items without a charge to store our leftovers & drinks. Beds were comfy with lots of fluffy pillows. Valet staff was more friendly and helpful than concierge. Parking, valet only, was $42/day + $5.50 tax. May look into public parking across street next time. Very close to subway stations, large mall, & trolley stops. -We were in a large king room which looked out over a courtyard of trees--surprising in the middle of San Francisco! Hotel staff were uniformly nice , complimentary wine was of reasonable quality and served graciously. -The hotel staff are all very friendly, rooms are actually good sized for the Bay area, free snacks in the bar at night and a great continental breakfast for Hilton Honors members....definately recommend this hotel (but leave your car at home if possible...parking is around $50 a night)!! -This was a great alternative to all the other big name hotels in the Square district. -The location was handy - we were able to walk everywhere . -The breakfast was excellent with a number of different choices (both hot and cold food available). -Breakfast was also pricey (and not as outstanding) but you can add pastries, fruit and even a breakfast sandwich on to your complimentary breakfast beverage order for not too big a hit so we went that route and enjoyed a more affordable breakfast in our room. -Breakfast was a nice add , with cereals, waffles, coffee, etc. -The yellow 70's bathroom bothered me the most as it was very dirty . -The complimentary breakfast is great , and the rooms are large. -Simple breakfast . -Upon a late evening arrival we were greeted by cheerful staff . -Must say the service,staff and location were amazing . -The continental breakfast was a nice starter . -Our rooms were quite large and impeccably clean . -Probably will stay there again just because of how well we felt they took care of our family . -The location is great . -Rooms clean, warm and comfortable beds . -Our rate also included a very adequate continental breakfast. -We went around the corner to Mel's Diner on Mission St to supplement our breakfast - great food , cheap. -I'd checked out the Trip Advisor reviews and the website and the rooms looked cosy and clean . -The staff is very friendly, my room (King suite) was HUGE , clean, and quiet. -Not a bad location, plenty of buses and only a short 10min walk to the water front . -Overall a nice hotel - though like many hotels in San francisco it is quite pricey - SF hotels are pricier than NYC or Boston Breakfast is expensive for what you get - much better value in the Omni in Boston! - which is hard to beat for breakfast! -Located in the financial district , everything is closed over the weekend, have to walk that little bit further for coffee, etc. -Friendly and helpful manager . -Approaching the hotel looks very magestic and granduer. -It was the perfect location and so comfortable . -We had a fire place (and since it was chilly in San Fran during our stay - the fire place was great!)Breakfast in the morning was nice . -Internet is available (wifi in room ) and you can print in the lobby too.//FoodI didn't try the food at Powell Hotel. -The room was nice , clean & confortable , facing Sutter Street on the 6th floor, with a fantastic bed (see picture). -we asked for a twin room and it was tiny, 2 tiny single beds that were like a saggy lilo. Overall a horrible hotel and I won't be returning. -Location, service, accommodations and staff are excellent . -We were located right beside the breakfast reception area . -My husband and I just returned from a trip to SF and stayed 3 nights at the HI Express FW. -The bar staff were friendly, drink prices were reasonable.and there was a good atmosphere . -Our west facing room on the 5th floor was comfortable, clean, and spacious . -The room was large, clean, and well maintained . -The full, and I do mean full, breakfast in the morning is incredible and it's a chance to chat with guests from all over the world about their plans for the day. -The down side of the location is that this is not a great section of Market and most people probably will not feel too comfortable walking at night. -Understood renovations were accomplished; not as elegant as expected; did not has elete floor as told so had to wait in line in the lobby for coffee; rooms has 2 double not queen beds and NOT enough room for 2 people to walk around room; not enough room to get in one side of bed; the veiw was great; they did change molded shower curtain when asked; Great location! -This is a wonderful hotel with nice rooms, wonderful breakfast each morning (the waffles are awesome) and close to everything. -The lobby was beautiful and the location can not be beeat . -The room was horrible . -I was able to have a light breakfast and enjoyed the view of the city streets below. -First time booking with Expedia on a recent trip to San Francisco and was not really sure what to expect but our expectations were surely exceeded! -The free breakfast was decent . -Since the hotel is right at the end of the Powell trolley line , I was unhappy to realize that my room was filled with the clang-clang late into the evening and early in the morning -- something of a wake up call, I guess. -i was able to see golden gate bridge we loved the jet spa bathtub good experience in there! -The breakfast was basic but did the job. -We got a really good rate of $109/night on hotwire. -To their credit, the reception staff were very friendly and understanding , and fulfilled my request straight away (rooms at the rear of the building, whilst smaller, are far quieter).The rooms themselves were clean and comfortable, but a single room isn't overly spacious. -The hotel is at a fairly good location with easy access to the shopping district and a Walgreens a block away. -We have stayed there on 2 occasions & the wonderful staff, convenient location, & clean, quiet rooms keep us coming back! Located at Broadway & Van Ness , Castle Inn is in a nice neighborhood with drug store, grocery, cafes & cute shops within close walking distance. -the room was not very spacious , but worked for it. -There are lots of restaurants within walking distance . -That room was nice . -The room had much dust , e alergic tavelers may hav problems... -The Continental Breakfast was quick and convenient . -The hotel itself is very nice looking with a modern decor. Our room, single king bed, was more than adequate. -The room was quiet and spacious as well as clean. -The desk staff is extremely friendly and helpful . -The staff are friendly, the rooms are a good size and everything is clean and modern . -The location's great as it's near Union Square and Westfield Shopping Centre ! -There was a light breakfast offered , the bagels were very good. -The hotel was built in 1906 after the earthquake so the rooms are not huge but the are beautiful and clean . -The Hotel is in a great location , the staff are very friendly and helpful. -Quiet and spacious rooms, friendly staff and fabulous breakfasts . -This hotel has great amenities ...great location... and generally excellent service. -It was super clean, rooms were clean and nice and a good size . -Did I mention super polite? The wonderful and bountiful breakfast spread in the morning on each floor . -The rooms are comfy and include all the amenities you expect from a major hotel. -Many restaurants were within walking distance and the view to the water from some of the rooms was fabulous. -The hotel is excellent and good value for money with good sized rooms and breakfast included, only a short walk to Fisherman`s Wharf and Pier 39 , Regular bus services running past the hotel, and close to the Street and Cable cars. -But if you want a place centrally located in SF that's cheap (at least the rate I got on Priceline was), it is fine . -The room was outstanding - we were upgraded to a front room suite which looked towards the S.F. bay. -Great location --easy walking distance to lots of thngs and easy access to public transportation. -And, the location of the hotel is perfect-- while my husband was at his meeting, I had TONS of shopping and restaurant hopping to do ! -The hotel is walking distance to many attractions . -We were fortunate enough to have a courtyard room which I gather is a better option . -The room wasn't huge but had an awesome bed, an LCD TV, Bose clock radio, etc . -There are restaurants near the Holiday Inn . -We were shocked at how SMALL the room was! The room is very small . -Oh and there is also fresh fruit in the gym , which might be a nice snack as the mini bar and room service are quite pricey. -We have a room with 2 beds, very tight! The view overlooking Union Square was spectacular. -The location is perfect for the theater, shopping at Union Square, has a fantastic restaurant , Cortez, and it was a totally yin and yang experience. -You might be a little skeptical about this place, because it is way, way, cheaper than hotels in the general area . -The location is fantastic , assuming you prefer Union Square to the Wharf. -Everything about our stay at Best Western- Tuscan Inn was great, location to the wharf , cable cars and everything we wanted to see and do. -Breakfast is limited to toast and muffins with plenty of choice with drinks though. -Read all the reviews prior to booking and arriving so we knew what to expect and we were not disappointed. -Rooms were quite large - very exquisite - excellent service and great breakfast . -One last thing was the front desk was very rude . -This hotel is a DUMP ! -The breakfast on each floor is simple but nice . -which proved to be a bad location which will elaborate on later. -We enjoyed the location of the hotel (5 minutes from Union Square). -Friendly personnel and top location! -Good location in town, decent sized rooms and pretty helpful staff . -The rooms were not particularly clean and our final night was ruined by the incompetence of the hotel staff. -Room was large , comfy, clean, great bathroom. -The hotel is in a wonderful location at the top of Nob Hill . -The breakfast is fine i.e. not great -We stayed at the Hotel Whitcomb (formerly Ramada (@ 8th & Market) in San Francisco during Easter weekend 2007 . -The breakfasts were wonderful ; fresh fruit, croissants, fresh hot breads, quiches, sausages, scrambled eggs, french toast, as well as hot and cold cereals, juices, coffee and teas. -Quiet and spacious rooms, friendly staff and fabulous breakfasts . -The location is outstanding for the convention center , SFMOMA, Yerba Buena Gardens, Union Square, and BART. -With that said, the hotel itself was very clean, amenities felt new, and the staff was superb ! -We met up with a friend in San Francisco and he booked this hotel for us -Room on the 4th floor northside facing Pine. -We even missed the free wine hour but what the heck, the staff was so pleasant and not in a superficial,' I don't mean it' kind of way. -This place was so great! The location was amazing and the free parking makes it even better. -The breakfast was excellent and featured homemade baked goods , and we enjoyed the little treats that were available in the lobby throughout the day. -They did a great job!They gym at this hotel is very nice with great cardio and weight machines. -The room was fine , basic but nice with a comfortable bed. -The air conditioning unit needs to be placed in a recycling yard , it does ruin the look of the room and is quite noisy. -Nice rooms, reasonable buffet breakfast included, with plent to do nearby . -The location is outstanding for the convention center , SFMOMA, Yerba Buena Gardens, Union Square, and BART. - The restaurant next door called Daily Grill serves some good food and not too pricey and always busy with good atmosphere . -(even provided salsa when requested) Location can't be beat . -The room at first glance was very nice but then you can see real age . -A perfect location , can get loud outside, but overall would recommend hotel! -The breakfast that is provided was quite enough to satisfy my needs and very tasty . -The breakfast was decent for a hotel complimentery breakfast . -Reception staff very friendly and helpful . -The hotel is is a good location (in some respects) as it is very close to Fishermans Wharf, and the accomadations are reasonably good .On -The rooms were beautiful and we loved the bathroom . -Our room was clean, the owner was very friendly and helpful with directions, suggestions on places to eat and places to avoid. -The staff were so helpful!! They upgraded us to a wonderful room !! -The food was expensive as you would expect in a downtown hotel . -The hotel is in a incredible location on Fisherman's Wharf with an approximate walk of ten minutes to Pier 39. -This hotel completely ruined what was a lovely trip up until then. -Good value for the price . -The breakfast is perfect as is the afternoon wine and cheese. -Breakfast was fine . -The location is fantastic - right in the midst of union square. -Horrible location , it's skidrow. -He shows up & lets me into the room - which is actually a pretty big suite w/ a kitchenette, roof-top access & a killer view. -The location is super - just across from Pier 39 and walking distance to Alcatraz pier, tram and many other sights. -This place was near perfect and much cheaper than the other hotels in the area. -at the hotel, really good deal compared to the price and the location . -My first time in SF would've been better if we had booked a better hotel. -The desk staff was very friendly and knowledgable with any info. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/sentence-test.txt b/reference_files/sentence-test.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1686708f963278e9c9697fab75c9c1e874dad2c6..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/sentence-test.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1495 +0,0 @@ -This book was wonderful . -Echo and Noah's relationship is very sweet and it was nice to see that they saved each other. -I found this section of the book personally interesting because I read through it going, "Oh, That's why I am like that." -The characters could not have been better , the story is based on something which in 1964 would have been nothing short of revolutionary and finally the writing style is smooth like calm waters. - On the strong side , the writing is superior and the post-apocalyptic world that Cole creates is imaginative and she builds it well. -His dialogue rings true, and with such an expansive cast of characters, sometimes it can be hard to remember them all or they end up sounding alike, but all these characters are easily identifiable as themselves . -It was better than good it was GREAT! The characters are rich and fantastic and devious and wonderful and heart-breaking and maddening. -Every now and then Brimstone calls for her to run an errand. -This book ran true to my memories of the South. - But I absolutely loved it . -My favorite aspect of this book is the fact that the ending had my stomach in knots and gripped with suspense . -Her writing style and perspective was great . - He has some good info but I was just not overly impressed -The plot device of finding each clue and solving it got a little bit tedious at times . -but I enjoyed being with the characters so much and the writing is just terrific that I enjoyed spending the time with this book. -The beginning was interesting . -All this happened because I was interested in a single book . -The overall story was good, but not really intriguing to me . -I even recommended it to my mother! The characters are memorable and well written . -Wow! The ending was interesting .. not sure its what I would have done, in Nicks place, however I can see his reasoning. -I really enjoyed both the characters and the story setting . -Imagine living during the middle 19th century as a free man in New York State with a wonderful family and having the talent to play the fiddle so well that you are requested to play numerous venues for pay. -Michel Thomas's, the Pimsleur series, and the Barron's version of the Foreign Service Institute course are the three top-selling courses on Spanish, and I did extensive research on the various high end courses before buying his. -Though the individual sections were interesting, I was disappointed that there wasn't an overall theme . -The idea for the plot is an interesting one . -Before I forget- 4 stars for me means that I enjoyed reading it, but would not have it on my own personal shelf . -So beautifully written, so uplifting, I am so happy that I gave this book a chance .Thank -That is why I gave it one star because I hated it . - All the characters are so rich in their descriptions that I feel I would recognize them on the street if I was to run into them. -When I saw this book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain, I knew I had to choose it for my review . --- A Romantic Book Affairs ReviewOkay, I've obviously lost cool points for not reading Hopeless sooner. -Story line was very interesting . -Still, it is very good and worth the time and money . -Whether or not you believe in heaven, this story is exceptional! The journey that this little boy took is absolutely amazing and worth the little bit of time it will take to read. -The characters were interesting and the history was sad and powerful not only the history from 80 years ago but from the communication just 40 years ago. -All good characters have flaws . -She creates some complete characters alongside some comical stock characters. - I see why the reviews are less than the other books, although I have a different set of reasons than most . - Character development is very intricate , as is the story line. - And, because she is so utterly sweet, is cajoled into interviewing Christian Grey, a mega rich , surprisingly young man with a million dollar company, for her best friend's school paper. -Like everyone else who read it, I loved "Seabiscuit". Loved it. I found this surprising given the fact that I had never had any interest in horses or horse racing before. But from the first sentence, the prose in that book is as beautiful and engaging as prose can be."Unbroken" is not "Seabiscuit". Don't get me wrong, the story is remarkable, and it's exhaustively researched. You can't sneeze at 397 endnotes. But Laura Hillenbrand's writing in this outing is less like poetry and more like reporting. Jammed with details, the book reads like the world's longest New Yorker article.The topic is hardly new. WWII has been pretty exhaustively covered, and this particular story has been told before. The hero of the book, Louis Zamperini, published his own memoirs only a few years ago. The hardships of war and the cruelty of the Japanese come as no surprise.Louie's story is so remarkable and so detailed that, frankly, it strains the limits of credulity. I'm not challenging the facts; I'm just saying that it's a lot to remember. Personally, I wouldn't even want to. I wouldn't have lasted 10 minutes drifting in that life raft. I would have eaten all the chocolate and stuck my head in a shark. How anyone could remember the ordeal in hour-by-hour detail is beyond me.Ultimately, I couldn't finish the book. I feel bad that I didn't have the strength to read the experiences someone else had to live, but I gave up on about my third POW camp. Starvation, deprivation, cruelty, disease, humiliation, I got the picture. Repeated cycles don't necessarily make for a great story; it just makes for a tedious narrative.Which made me ponder the purpose of the book. As a moving story, it's too detailed to carry a theme. As reporting, it's redundant and profoundly out of date. What's the take-away message supposed to be?I tried to skip to the end, but the `redemption' part just didn't grab me. It's not hard to believe that someone who lived this life would be scarred forever. I practically got PTSD just reading it. It's also not hard to believe someone who got that scarred would find religion. -It gets a star because the cover is so pretty .Where -The characters were entertaining and the banter was witty and hilarious . -And while we learn about a lot of his past, he ends the story still being somewhat mysterious .I really liked Nora's character. - I thought the cover was interesting the idea was unique . - They still are drawn to one another and love each other, but their trust is being taxed and their reliance on the strengths of the other is not assured. - The characters have an amazing relationship and nothing happens between them until after TJ is a legal adult . -I really liked that the romance with the conflicts it had was quite believable.....not just the wine and roses and the crazy lengths of character development with their thoughts and conflicts that sometimes go on and on ! -The other character, Hassan, is genuinely, perhaps, the most decent human being you can ever come across out there . - How Ms. Tartt was able to get into this young man's psyche is incredible! -It is such a clever book, all the details neatly come together, every detail is of some importance, the writing is straightforward, but amazingly descriptive, the characters are so realistic ( I actually know people like them -I have a personal interest in the machinations of Rome and the Knights Templar. -It didn't really hold my interest and I found the characters to be one -dimensional and rather dull. -Perfect development of the characters - the bond they build is palpable, believable and quite beautiful. -Both have the main male character being drop dead sexy, rich businessmen that are very protective over the women they love, and have also been through terrible tragedy. -Suzy Wilson's review Apr 23 , 20135 of 5 starsbookshelves: dystopia, strong-female-protagonistRead in April, 2013I received a copy of this novel as an electronic Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin, in return for an honest review. -This is my only problem really , in that the other characters feel quite undeveloped - i don't feel I know, or care about them very much. -The plot is compelling if gruesome and disturbing at several points . - Women are always stronger than men . -They have great character development ! -But the journey they take was exciting and an absolute blast to read, and I actually like the way things wrapped up. - The first is that of "time slicing", which demonstrates how important information can be encoded in a very short period of time. Most of Gladwell's examples are socioloical, and the most striking of which was research which aimed to predict whether married couples would get divorced after analyzing a single conversation with them.The other concept is how the brain acts subconsciously to certain stimulus . -Gillian Flynn has a great writing style and her characters are perfectly and realistically twisted . -The characters are completely unbelievable in their roles . -The book is amazing, and I would definately would have given it 5 stars but for certain aspects of the book, but I think parts of the book made some people, especially men, uncomfortable given the extremely detailed romantic impulses and actions of the female protagonist and her lover . -Being a person who rarely reads fantasy , I was a little uneasy about reading this book, especially when I looked at the character log in the back, with all the houses listed and its history. -The tragic story of a woman with 5 young children who, by way of her death from a particularly vicious cancer, should help save the lives of probably almost every one of us, is positively fascinating. - Billionaire falls for a girl and likes to be in charge of all aspects of his life . -4.5 starsMiss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is one of those books that is completely unexpected and almost swathed in mystery . -Jodi Picoult's The Storyteller is a fictional account of a young woman-Sage- who befriends an older gentleman-Josef- she meets at a grief group. -I loved that Sam wasn't an alpha wolf . -Also, there were time where the lengthy descriptions of unnecessary things (furniture, for example) got so detailed that it would take you out of the book; I'd find myself skipping paragraphs a time and losing nothing from the story. - "Divergent" has an amazing plot and I think its a fairly unique one when you think about how many dystopian novels are hitting the shelves. -The mystery and the romance combined are just perfect . -It took half the book to develop the main character . -Stop saving everyone else and save himself. -Fantastic characterisation and an always exciting plot . -I find that the plot is excellent in terms of its riveting sequence of events . - His description about sitting in the dining room was so real . -The story line was easy to follow and while it was difficult at times to like Joss, the main character, I fell in love with Braden and Ellie ! - I really loved this book, and thought it brought together the characters endings in a lovely way . -Perhaps it's a reinforcement of the story setting where no one is enlightened and all kings are blood-thirsty savages with no brains that need Aes Sedai to guide them and all women are helpless and need men around to protect them, but I seem to have higher expectations.Edit update: 1/3 of the way through Book 10Ok, things did slow down a bit. Part of the issue is that there are so many players and so many tangents that it takes forever to tell one and get back to another. Still, petty good overall so I'll try and finish it out. -Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire is exactly as the title says. - Mr. Zusak has a wonderful and unique way with words . -The love story was beautiful, the characters loveable . -In this wonderful book, set in Jackson, Mississippi in the years 1962-1964, we meet three unforgettable women: Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, a young white woman, who is 22, a budding social activist and writer; Aibileen, a black maid raising her 17th white child; and Minny, Aibileen's best friend, who has just lost another job for speaking out to the white woman she worked for. -When Jacqueline follows her high school sweetheart, Kennedy, to the college of his dreams she thinks that they are the perfect couple but just months later he tears her heart out by breaking up with her and she falls into a deep depression. -What ugly, disgusting language used over and over and to no disernable purpose . -At over 700 pages it isn't a quick read , but GRRM does a great job of making an already excellent story even better. -The characters are rich and wonderful and the imagery is immersive . - What you can expect from J. Lynn (a.k.a Jennifer L. Armentrout) is solid writing , a great push and pull between Cam and Avery, witty banter and a touching story. - It was hard to read some of this, but the character development was excellent . -It's hard to write about this book . -The setting and characters are perfect ! -The characters in the book are very likeable and you can very easily sympathize with them . -I like that the characters felt real .Then came the end, more so the last few chapters. -His past is so dark that haunts his dreams , so dark even he has great fear confronting it. -Have you every started a book and it just wasn't good but you read through it because eventually it did or because the rest of the series was good, well that's not the case here. -This was recommended to me by another bibliophile who loves a good yarn , great plot development and real characters. -But the thing I liked most was how he managed to portray Christopher as the only character with real depth and texture . -When I started this book I had high hopes and the information about Berlin and the change to Nazism and the often cruelty and attacks on American citizens were very interesting. - It was a great story, The characters were wonderful, I just didn't want it to end . - This one had a surprising number of pretty high reviews -The cover is really pretty (though am I the only one who thinks the cover model looks like Mandy Moore?) and draws you into the story . -Incarnate by Jodi MeadowsPrint Length: 400 pagesPublisher: Katherine Tegen Books (January 31, 2012)Sold by: HarperCollins PublishersASIN: B005GG0K80My Review~ The cover is stunning !! - The two main characters, Anna and Christian are not believable and to me, annoying. -What a funny, funny read . -Of course, the purpose of this review is not to compare two books side-by-side, but to review Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" as a standalone novel .The premise is simple. -The characters have more depth, and the jumping from place to place makes more sense . -They are fleshed out more than well enough, as the plot of necessity relies -- Landay intended it to rely -- more on the swift action provided by any excellent legal thriller . -Erik Larson has a unique ability to write about historical events in a truly intriguing way . -She is a writer in charge of her craft . -Compelling, cool story, solid character development, and well-constructed plot . -The storyline is fascinating and compelling . -The pacing is excellent, and the mystery in the book keeps feeding you enough clues to keep you interested. - Best of all, the book had real depth and the romance was not the least bit one dimensional . -It was like reading the same awful book three times in a row.1) Characters:The characters are uninteresting and boring . - I was always heartened to see another Bailey chapter in the book as I read, while the Celia and Marco chapters didn't hold my interest as well, as the characters were too lifeless for me to be emotionally invested in them .That's my only quibble with this book, however -- the rest is one of the most enthralling and beautiful fictional worlds I have ever come across in a work of fiction. -The scene setting, the character development, the plot twists, and the dialogue are all superb . -This is hand-down the most beautiful cover I have ever seen before (and I have seen some pretty beautiful covers before like "Fallen" and "Torment" by Lauren Kate, "Halo", and whatnot). -I just loved this book . -No really, the characters are fabulous and addictive. I felt the heartbreaking tale of Joss' loss and subsequent lifestyle. I loved every step of her journey . -Rowling manages to write characters that aren’t exactly likeable , yet she still manages to make them likeable, if that makes any sense at all. -I thoroughly enjoyed this book , and its sequels. -Just the word "maze" incites an instant mental picture of adventure, mystery, danger, and bravery. - Several twists and turns keeps interesting . -This probably wasn't the best of the trilogy...perhaps the worse . -I really like this book - the character were likable , it was a good length, there wasn't too much angst -It is a whirlwind romance , emotions are high but when the secret is revealed, Ethan stands to lose the one thing he loves the most.. - The romance is very light and sweet . - I get the feeling the author wanted to create the perfect family who focus on the right things but are just too poor, but there's not enough human flaws. - Though the background is quick, it is efficiently concise. - That it was not over the second they found relief . - The characters were delightful , both the main character and all the others. -Conflicted. Frustrated . -I don’t think I’ve ever said the word “duck” so much while reading a book in my entire life as I did while reading Bang. -There are a few other characters in this book that I liked as well. -I don't read a lot of mystery's, but I found a lot of the plot points to be pretty transparent that details seemingly mentioned off handedly by characters are going to be important in the solution to the mystery, almost like having it highlighted IMPORTANT POINT HERE! -This book has some good , reasonable advice. -The characters are very endearing and lovable . - She has some major mental problems and is under guardianship, but we also see early on that there is some sort of genius within. -but I will not go into details (yet) as I have other more important things to do than rant about this piece of bull. -The narration switches mostly between Cinder and Prince Kai , giving a well-rounded view the events taking place as the intimidating Queen Levana of the Lunars visits....and things get pretty complex once she shows up. -When you see over 3,000 4 or 5-star reviews (over 90% of the total reviews), then this book has to be good - and it is! - That the storyteller was "Death" was also strange for me . -I often find that books in these categories are either a) completely unbelievable and I get eye strain from rolling my eyes so often, or b) the characters are so flat and transparent that I really don't give a fig about what happens to them. -This book was interesting to read but I was disappointing in the subject matter. -The characters are strong women , and triumphant. -how the characters are related and involved . -Unfortunately since his first book Nassim Taleb has become more and more unbearable from my perspective . - Overall it could have been good but instead just became annoyingly predictable . -Now remember, these characters are in their late 40s . -The characters and plot line in this novel are very entertaining and thankfully , clean and upscale. -There's just too much setting up for it to get far enough into the story that it'll be done at the end of 374 pages. -Overall, if you are looking for answers to the big questions in life, or just some really good food for thought, this book is well worth reading .Other recommended reading:Create Your Own Reality - The Ancient Wisdom -The entire plot was lame only to be surpassed by a terrible ending . -But the information in the book is truly fascinating and worth putting up with the clumsy format to dig it out. -The plot was exciting, and I thought the characters were marvelous . -The characters are funny , and monologue between them is hilarious! -The characters are believeable and the plot line moves along at a good pace. -The plot is fast -paced and full of plenty of twists, which made it a blast to read. -The plot, characters, and setting is much more interesting and developed than the other series .When - When I had only a few more chapters to read I went back to Amazon and looked to see if the author had any other books published, since I enjoyed this one so much . - The characters are rich, complex , and pull at your heart on every page. - It's just a fun read and a book I feel is a must read . - The story was a bit slow for me at first, but once I became invested in the characters and plot , I could hardly put it down. -His characters are full of life and substance . -This book started out with such promise . - The characters were original, but deep down just like every other teenager . - If someone is looking for an informative read that is inspiring and interesting, this is an excellent book . -I find that my favorite books are the ones where none of the characters are all good or all bad . -The first half was super slow and it wasn't until the second half that the character s came together and the story line rolled on . -The mystery is creative if a bit inscrutable . -The Kite Runner is very easy to read , because it keeps your interest throughout the entire book. -I LOVE THIS BOOK.Don't let what others say make you shy away from this book or series; some people, it seems, get a little too into a story and forget that this is only a fiction piece. - Figured the book had to have more information about everything (books are always better than the movie) - -If I didn't already have a great appreciation for the Seals, and the great men and women that also serve, this book really enhances my understanding and gratitude. It does not compromise national security or seek personal agrandizement. -I absolutely loved Ms. Tartt's other books, "The Secret History" and "The little Friend". - All I can say is that, like so many before and after me, this book captivated my interest and set up some great characters, and in the books to come, the new characters to arrive are all at least as cleverly developed... and let me just say that, if you are a fantasy-lover newcome to Jordan, you will UNDOUBTEDLY enjoy this and the next 2-3 books. -It's a good read too - he was a difficult man , with the temperment and sensibility of an artist, not an engineer, which makes for good drama in the narrative of his life. -no matter, the premise of the story is clever . - It also helped that I got the audio book featuring the performing talent of the impressive Linda Stephens. -The writing was choppy and poor and the characters were never really defined . -By page 200, the story had become a Lifetime Movie with caricatures instead of complicated and complex characters . -This is the first book in the Trylle trilogy by Hocking . -Do the strategies work? I implemented three different strategies described in the book in my own companies, and I am ecstatically pleased with the results. -I liked this serie very much! I found it poetic and sensitive . - The characters are excellent and their personalities are very individual . - The story is gripping and well -written, but it's the characters more than anything else that kept me coming back. - The character development was great . -The characters were bland ; the writing poor; and the imagination was unimaginative. -The good: The case is great for the more upright positions. -The length is also good @ 2 meters -This cover is solid, well designed to let the iPad stand freely without flopping over. Travel with this safer in a backpack on airlines too. Again, this baby is built to last and protect your investment.Absolutely delighted. - If you're indoors , or shooting at dusk, be prepared to wait up to several seconds for the focus to be set; if it can acquire focus at all. -This lens is one of the least expensive, quality lenses that could find . -Frankly, the images are generally fuzzy . -This thing is awesome . -Performance of the cooler is amazing, the fans blow incredibly cold air towards the laptop , through a metal mesh grill that keeps airflow moving. -It imbues one with a confidence that the case will protect your iPad Mini from most falls and bumps, although I have not been brave enough to venture an actual physical test. -Also the case is rather unattractive if you don't account the leather strap . -The picture is amazing. It is so clear and sharp. I upgraded from a 32 inch Vizio. -The case is very sturdy and works well it was a little thicker then the MoKo case for my 2012 Nexus 7. -The bokeh when shooting wide open at 1.8 is absolutely amazing! -Easy as pie to install and works exactly as advertised . -Up until a couple of weeks ago , I had never heard of a headphone amp. -Picture quality is great as well as the quality of the cable -Oh, and the range is pretty good too. -It just appears the buttons are flush into the glossy bevel . -After spending $100 to $1,400 on cameras, I was stunned to see how great the pictures and videos came out. -This is a very basic item but the price was good and I do prefer SanDisk. -The case is very beautiful , stylish, rugged and well designed. -It is the only camera in this class or in similar size with a sensor this big . -The case is built well . -The sound cancellation and quality are awesome on these ear buds . - The picture is not as good as plasma in terms of clarity when looking a people's faces, but it is a fine picture . - The bendy wire attached to the ear bud makes it hold tight to your ears. The clip is pretty useless, and the pouch is really small.The sound is decent. Not great. It's a little tinny and lacks any real base, but everything is audible and there isn't a lot of noticeable distortion.I purchased these to replace a pair of Shure isolating ear buds. Let's be real. They are a cheap replacement. The audio quality is no where near the Shure set. - In my opinion they are worth the steaper price than some of the others . -However, from my point of view it becomes a little heavier than other cases , one of the reasons that I love the kindle is so light, but not too much weight with this case without a little for my taste. -Its easy to use and shows quality workmanship. -The case fits my Nexus 7 perfectly and has a very professional and expensive look to it. -The picture and sound are fine . -This drive is very fast, the included software from Samsung is pretty good, including the imaging software which is fast and easy to use. -Works great on my computer and console, just plug in and you are ready to go , it has a decent range, i can now control my pc from my couch as well as my consoles, and the backlight is nice. -Easy to install . -Nice feeling of cover and easy to operate when opening and closing . -It fits perfectly , snug with no room to move around. -Sometimes you'll have to program the device every time you boot up , because the file won't save correctly. -KeyboardThe keyboard on this case is very nice . -but I still find myself looking for 3 buttons from time to time...but really love how I can use it on my Idea Pad y510p which has a horrible touch pad (although everything else about the laptop is great!). -Also the pockets are very helpful and the straps to hold a tripod seems to hold well a tripod there . - The cord is really nice , very well built, and works very well. -This cable is very good quality, and my picture is stunning . -I recommend spending the extra $50 and getting the HD version . - Picture quality is clear and I used other's settings mentioned on here for the picture adjustments . - The speed is outstanding and the range is exceptional .All in all, TP-Link N600 comes equipped with ALMOST every major function you could want from a router. -This bag is soo perfect for my Canon XS camera. - While lacking a few features, the Airbender v1.0 is still a nice case and has features that excel when compared with some of its competitors many of which cost more . -I purchased a few of these since they are small , well priced, and designed well. -These speakers are one of a kind!They are perfect for their price!The quality is a solid 9/10The sound (Loudness without distortion) 9/10The price is exceptional 10/10The durability is a strong 10/10 (The speakers have held up for over a year and sound as new)Now, of course you can purchase a much higher quality set of speakers at a much inflated price, but for $40 these are by far superior to any otherThere is little to no distortion when music is loud. -The cord is very long and durable , the jack is strong and well constructed. -This is the best.... -Now it has become the most comfortable keyboard I've ever used . -The video and audio with even really old footage is excellent .The next day, I had no problem at all getting it to cast at 1:00 a.m., from my laptop. -Love the ease of use of the chromecast, stopped using PS3 for Netflix cause this thing is so nice and easy to use . -This case deserved all 5 stars! the case feels good in terms of material and the magnetic sleep/wake functions perfectly, and the case is sleek and slim enough to not be bothersome. -This mouse feels great and operates nicely when it is working , but I use mine for work and multiple (15+) times a day, the mouse starts jumping around the screen instead of moving smoothly. -This is a nice case that provides more than adequate protection---but considering the price and design, that should go without saying... -Of course as with any projector the more control over light in the room the better the picture . - This case has a really rugged metal arm that won't break like the plastic arms that some of the cases have. -The picture on it was not good , but I figured it had to be the store had some funky settings. -The Flip outperforms them all . -Here is what I like about it.1 . -I have my 1000w PC, 23in monitor, modem and router hooked up to it and I can get 25min of battery power out of it!! The software that comes with it is great , it shuts down your computer safely when the power has been out for how ever long you tell it to, and has an option to turn off the alarm when the power goes out which is nice. - The picture this thing has to offer is unbelievable . -Bought this today and installed it--fairly easy--needed the builtin WiFi cause we have no wired connection available upstairs--thought to get a 40" same model from Costco vs Amazon cause Costco has sale on but when we got there and saw how large the screen was compared to the older model "tube" tv we were taking out, it was no brainer to go with 32 and save some more money...not as cheap as Amazon's price but we get extra year's warranty from Costco for free... -This camera is just all right at best, The pictures are poor and the videos are worse. -It meets the latest HDMI 1.4 standards, and should work fine with any HDMI compliant video device- and at a very attractive price , too. -two perfectly matched microphones and outstanding recording quality .The most popular use for the H1 is to record separate audio for DSLR videos. -And guess what, at normal viewing distances, the picture quality is comparable to Dish!I'm even contemplating of buying a DVR . -I've been using an HP wireless keyboard/mouse combo for a year...the combo came with my new computer and I finally had enough of wonky functionality (the receiver was literally inches away from the keyboard/ mouse yet it would still cut out at times ) - The only thing that I did not like about it was that the cord is either too short and too long . - Has a place for everything and holds so much ! - Don't expect to always get the 150Mbps , but your upstream connection to the internet is probably slower than that anyway -OK, I could have given this case 3 stars for some of the cons . -Last year I built my first P9X79 Deluxe system using the Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced Full Tower and was very happy with its quiet fans. - Noticed Cyberpower also won an award recently from resellers . -I really like this case, it feels sturdy and fits the paper -white perfectly. -i waited until recently to get one because i wanted to make sure the android apps were available to meet my needs. - They were correct as my case is awesome . -Has 4 extra usb ports this is great . -Case works perfectly , keyboard feels great and the hotkeys are amazing! - And like I said, several cases are sold in the 20-25 dollar range , so it is nice that this one clocks in at below $19 (though that price is subject to change, I suppose...) - Cable from the amplifier to the speakers should be of lower guage but does not to be the best since the cable runs are relatively short .To close, the cables here are of decent quality good for their length and would seem to be a reasonable deal. -If your scared to buy this because you have to modify it, dont be . -The cord itself is great , its long, and it isn't stiff, so its quite useful, but the micro end of the cord is just odd. -I can fit about 5 lenses and a camera body in this case. The case seems to be fairly water resistant, but I would not feel too confident in a heavy downpour! -The case overall is nice . - I've already gotten comments about how good the picture was for " that tiny little camera you were carrying around ". -There is no way of telling if this drive will stand the test of time, but so far, this thing has been excellent . -Picture quality is simply stunning and there were no problems . - This allows the camera to take MUCH better pictures in low light . -This router is very good, and has very good range . - This case's flexibility makes it a leader as it swivels, and detaches, allowing seemingly unlimited combinations of viewing and portability . - This cable is perfect. It's well made and heavy-duty . -This is a great wireless mouse , as are most of Logitech's products. -the picture on it is beautiful . -It is too bright at nightPerformance: I think that the performance (colors, contrast, brightness) is very good for home use - it looks great surfing the web, looking at pictures, or watching movies. - very annoying but the fan is really really good ! - Unfortunately, I didn't get any range improvement in one area of my house and my main laptop is still around -60db (and about 1 MB/s) I was hoping to get a little more but the faster router processor seems to keep the data flowing very steadily. -but for me this lens is my walking around lens, so much better than the 1.8 , this has metal construction and I love the speed of primes - My only real gripe is the MLB.tv app. -I bought this lens mostly for video, as the STM lenses have almost completely silent autofocus , which helps tremendously when shooting video with the internal mic, or a camera-mounted mic. -This New Trent Airbender case is a remarkably lightweight keyboard case and while it doesn't feel heavy duty by any stretch of the imagination, it also doesn't seem cheap or flimsy. - Sound is great and noise cancelling is excellent but after wearing for 20-30 minutes they start to hurt my ears. -Anyway, this is a great all around lens and is my favorite for event photography and as my personal "walkabout" lens when I'm on vacation . - While it is advertised to have superior range, I find it pretty average at best . - The device works as it's supposed to and it doesn't junk up my key chain. -The bokeh is 'creamier' than you're used to compared to Nikon or Zeiss lenses , but I like it. - The case is very convenient with the several different options available for display . -Passively cooled however for reducing noise ( It has vents on the top ) and very well shielded inside and in my tests it indeed is very fast in data transfers thanks to the USB 3.0 interface. -this case is awesome . -However, the bag is huge, so big I can fit my DSLR, Camcorder and even a point and shoot camera. - The craftsmanship is excellent , all seams are straight with no loose thread, the fit is excellent as is the overall appearance. - The verdict is in- this cable is a very high quality cable which works beautifully with no problems at all .Despite -OK let me start by saying I have studied antennas pretty extensively as a hobby . -This case is super slim, super sleek, and fits the Nexus 7 perfectly . -On the plus side, the setup software is easy and it's attractive . -The latter barely works (at least for me) but otherwise the case is fine . - A cropped sensor makes this 40mm lens the equivalent of a 56mm . -This product is perfect for what I needed it for. -This case is beautiful , inside and out. -I would highly recommend this accessory for everyone . -The case fits snug to the device and allows for good support and viewing angles . -Your computer will wait on you instead of you waiting on your computer. -These cables are great ! - I am a 39 year old male and this review is for the Zune HD and what it is like to OWN one so that others may decide if they want one. First off, you will notice that this review is "Amazon Verified" - yes, I purchased the Zune from Amazon and waited a couple of weeks to actually USE the product before submitting a review of it unlike some of the others here. Enjoy....Packaging:The Zune comes in a nice small black box that slides open to reveal the contents which are the Zune HD, headphones, USB cable and some paperwork. It's very stylish and nice. Not much else to say as the box has been tucked away ever since opening.The look and feel:Ever since the first time I saw pictures on the net of the Zune HD I have wanted one. Being a previous owner of a couple of different MP3 players the Zune was a must have just for the looks alone. It really has nice lines and the color is just right; black and silver. I hate this new term "sexy" and cringe when I hear a guy say it about an electronic device. It does describe the Zune but I won't call it that. The weight is very nice and it feels good in your hand. I love the modern look and if they ever turned this device into a phone I would by one in a heartbeat! I sometimes hold it to my ear and think, "WoW what a cool phone this would be." The Zune logo on the back and a simple "ZUNE" on the front - very elegant. On top is a power on button, the left side a volume rocker and the home button on the front. The bottom is where you plug in your headphones and next to that is where the docking connector/USB cable plugs in. It's the kind of device that has looks that will never get old and you want to just keep staring at it. Very pleasing to have something you want everyone to see.The screen:OLED - it's the big talk these days. I have a few pictures on my device right now and I have to say they look great. The blacks are true blacks because the device shuts down the pixels where there should be black so you see true blacks and vibrant colors. Outside I agree with most folks about the glare. I have the brightness turned all the way up and it looks nice inside but outside the glare on the glass makes it as if you want to look at the reflection then back to what's on the screen. I don't see this as a problem as I can't imagine any other electronic device no matter what it is not having this same problem. For me, I can still see what is on the screen and have no problem with it. It is just the right size at 3.3 inches.UI interface:Although inside the box there was no manual you would really have to be pretty stupid if you couldn't figure out how to navigate on this device. Also, on the Zune web page is everything you need to know about how to work this device - who needs paper these days anyway??? The transitions from screen to screen are so fluid, smooth and animated. The touch only needs to be light and it works flawlessly. After using the device for a few minutes you get the idea of how to navigate. You start off with a list of items to choose from on the main menu; pictures, music, apps, ect, etc. As you click one you dive into that section and dive even deeper as you work what ever you have chosen clicking/touching away. At all times the home button on the front will take you back to the main menu. The accelerator zips from landscape to portrait very fast and smooth. I really like that and feel the tegra chip inside is working for me without strain when I see this - video especially. Multi touch works well and tapping is fine too especially on the web browser. Everything is laid out nicely and there is no confusion about how to find something. This is a plus for first timers and experienced users alike.Zune software: (APPS & Marketplace)This is a free download and helps you manage the Zune contents and updates. The software mimics some of the icons on the Zune so you quickly identify the UI and what you need to click. Syncing is a breeze and Zune will let you customize what content you want on the device and what you want Zune to do with it. I have all of my MP3's in my music folder on my computer and it grabbed all of them when I plugged in for the first time with no problems. There are some complaits about the software and how it takes forever to download - not true. There are not a lot of apps right now. I hope this blossoms as the months go by. I have downloaded all of them so far as they are free but would gladly pay for any others if they should come about and would be useful. The weather app is nice and lets you add as many cities as you want and shows you not only current conditions but a five day forecast as well. The calculator well is a calculator. The games have been just OK - I feel they do not utilize the Tegra chip but in the future I am sure the games will utilize the chip as it would be a waste if they didn't. There is a chess game, Texas hold em, space ship shooter, a Bejeweled like game, soduku, and some game where you try to figure out where an item is hidden after mixing up three robots. All are fun for a short while but I wait for more advanced cool games. Also the games have ads just before they start - we are talking about 5 seconds of a video clip. For a free download I think they have every right to put this here. Also, FOUR to FIVE SECONDS is what we are talking about. Is it that much time??? Patience!!!! The marketplace is just something you need to experience. Music, Videos, Podcasts and more.... EVERYTHING is here for you to choose from. There is an option for a Zune pass and for $14.99 a month you can go nuts with this and download as much media as yo want - you get to keep 10 songs a month too. This alone is worth buying the Zune HD. There is so much content at the market place that I can't really explain. Imagine walking into a store that has no one in it but you and the inventory consists of basically every kind of music you can think of as well as tons of other types of media just for you alone to walk up and down the isle to choose from. I just hope for more apps in the future and (I know) this thing just came out so while I wait for apps I will enjoy my Zune....Docking station:I went with the basic Zune HD sync doc ($49) and lucked out with it. There is an A/V dock you can purchase too($89). I will tell you the only difference between the two is 1) the price and 2) the A/V doc comes with the HDMI and optical cables. So if you already have these cables, which most of us do, save $40+ dollars and get the regular sync doc. I have a review on the doc here on Amazon (where I purchased it) so check that out. It is nice to just plug it in and sync and charge. Also I can hook it up to a TV if I wanted or a receiver and utilize the Zune to transfer music and video to my home entertainment center. The doc compliments the Zune and is very stylish looking and most importantly - Functional.Battery life:The OLED must be doing what it is supposed to do - save power. I take the train every day to work from Milford, CT to Greenwich, CT and I can go about a week without charging using the Zune about an hour or so a day. Wonderful! The only thing I have noticed is the back gets warm when in use. Very strange. I have been impressed with the battery and hope it stays that way.Screen protectors:I never had one before and at the time I received my Zune there was only Ghost Armor available. I got one screen protector and had no problem putting it on but being a noob I didn't spray my fingers and my finger print was stuck on the adhesive side. So I took it off. Ghost armor was very nice and sent me a replacement but instead of just the screen protector they sent the full body armor - how nice of them! This time around I was very careful and it went on with no problems BUT....I noticed the screen protector was about an eighth of an inch too short on top. It was enough to bother me so I took it off. (I know you are thinking I am nuts) So I looked and found BodyGarudz on the net. Not only do they sell TWO screen protectors for the price of ONE but it also fit perfectly. I used the squeegee and applicator solution from Ghost to put the BodyGaurdz shield on - why? Because BodyGaurdz's applicator solution wasn't as good as Ghosts and Ghost's squeegee was much better than BodyGaurdz. So my insane suggestion - go with BodyGaurdz for the screen protector. One other thing - the Ghost armor seems thicker - I can feel the sharp edges of the plastic now on the Zune because it has full body protection. I hope they come out with some cool cases so I can rip this stuff off and throw more cash down the drain...! The BodyGaurdz screen protector is thinner and looks great.Internet: (WiFi)The browser works well on the Zune HD. I connected to my home network in seconds and at work it's even quicker. You can tap and multi-touch to zoom in and move the pages around. The keyboard is OK and can be used in landscape or portrait mode. You can store pages in favorites and check AOL mail and what not. It uses Bing to find what you are searching for. I use it mostly for mail as at work the computers are restricted but WiFi is open. You can sync via WiFi and download too which is very nice.Music (Sound):There is an internal equalizer with different settings depending on what type of music you are listening too. It works OK - the music sounds fine to me. I didn't use the supplied headphones as I have a pair of Sony Ear buds and they work better for my ears. The music sounds great and the interface is cool - volume can be operated via the rocker on the side or touch screen. Filtering music, making playlists and and just listening is a pleasure - this is what I got the device for - MUSIC - so everything else is just an added bonus to me. I haven't bothered with the HD Radio much but it is cool to have. Remember...added bonus....Conclusion:I just love this Zune HD. It really is functional for what I need it to do and the style, look and feel are just so right. I hope this review helps you in your decision. I will continue to update this review in the future so check back and best of luck to you and take care! -The iPad felt very well protected in the case.3 . - People I'm talking to can't tell I'm using it, the sound is quiet and clear . - From my perspective, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages and I do recommend this lens to be your everyday standard camera lens. -Solid enough build quality , feels sturdy. -Cable is nice and long, and flexible ... - This product has a belt holder (clip) and an inside pocket for a credit card or driver license but not much else. -You can get excellent sharpness and great soft backgrounds with this lens. -The cord to keep it attached to my iPad helps so that I'll never lose this one . -I give it 5 stars for indoor antennas . -and I got this one for for $19.99 first Logitech I tried and its the best mouse ive ever had and it doesnt have to be 12 inches away from your pc to work I got this one to work from more then 15 feet way and works fine. -What I can tell you is that the Sound quality is very good but not as good as my wired Senheisser .I use the in the Office to listen to music, make phone calls, etc…These are a “MUST HAVE” if you ride a motorcycle. -Range is excellent, gets reception over 50 ft away . -Images are clean and crisp, and the autofocus is butter smooth . -Also, it gives the phone a cool blackout look . -This is ridiculously fast . -Store it for fun things like music, photos, video clip, or things you want to share with others. -The picture was outstanding , not one hiccup or stutter, and no buffering at all, not once. -This charger looks good, and functions great, and the price can't be beat . -this mouse is pretty good i ordered it for a good price it shipped fast and got it in a few daysa few things about this mouse is1. -Not only does this work very well as a speakerphone (with two microphones for better noise cancelling) but it can send anything from my phone via FM to my radio (I have an older car without a direct connect). -The case is sturdy and although it doesn't feel like your typical leather case I actually like it . -The mouse is stable and comfortable to use for big hands . -I had kinda low expectations, but this thing is PERFECT in every way. -Sometimes I think about the EOS 60D's speedier performance, more advanced autofocus system and that wonderful electronic level and wonder if I made the right choice . -I have medium sized hand and I have no problem extending my fingers to the "sweet spot" button press area. -(Update)This mouse suddenly started working for me after months of the frustrations I listed below . -It has a really nice look to it and fits perfectly in my case. -One was the main router and the other was an access point connected to the first via Ethernet cable. -There is just so much to praise about this camera - large LCD screen which is very clear, faster focusing, especially when using centre focus point, larger burst rate - ok -The difference is that the Winegard antenna picked up only stations from the direction the antenna was pointed , while my current antenna also picks up stations from 3 nearby cities in other directions. -It picks up way more channels than I thought it would and the picture quality is awesome . -The potential for this once pandora and chrome (from Android) casting is available is why I bought it. -Range is excellent , Basically if you can see the words you are typing on the screen, you will be able to type them. -For the people who complain about wire quality causing knots, I suggest you coil the wire by wrapping it around your index and little fingers in figure 8s and then twist the last bit of wire around the waist of the 8. -The size, material, and quality is great . -I was concerned about reading how the size of the phone-end of this cable would be too large . -Boy was I happy I did! The mouse is very smooth and easy to use . -sure, the build quality is cheap . - The wires are sturdier , it comes with 3 sizes of ear buds, and sounds great! -This backpack camera bag is an excellent buy . -Secondly, the build of these headphones are solid . - The lens is built dust and weather resistant , meaning that it can stand up to a little weather here and there, etc. Additionally it comes with a pouch and lens hood included. -The only thing that I wanted to add to the existing reviews on this item is that unlike theCase Logic VNA214 14.1-Inch Laptop Attache (Black)which has three toploading slots, this unit has only two toploading slots. - The fist year I shot with a Canon Rebel T2i (AKA 550D) The image quality was good on this camera but the speed was lacking .What I didn't realize until I got the 7D was how much the speed was lacking. -Something about the software on the TV I guess, just has some kind of error and if you are watching TV at the time, the picture gets stuck , and the buttons stop working. -The case wakes up or puts to sleep the kindle . -The sound is excellent for earbuds, the ear fit is good with the medium sized inserts and the buttons work well with my iPhone. -It's a cable, not rocket science, so all one needs is a sturdy, well-constructed product that does the job and this certainly does that - because of the way I use it, the cable gets plugged and unplugged from my computer numerous times and the connection is still firm. - Even if you have other zoom lenses that cover this range as I do, this lens is unbelievably useful in low light to no light situations . -This mouse is excellent for gaming . -I had heard that the new software (Cisco Cloud Connect) was very intuitive and easy to use, despite some early controversy about it. -The lens is tack sharp wide open and focuses quickly and quietly with the center AF point. - The touch is good and the touchpad works perfectly . -The picture is excellent any way you look at it. -These headphones are amazing . -i have a macbook pro so i don't have many usb ports and this works great and was really cheap! -Working right out of the box. -It's by far the cheapest lens I own (the others are the $700+ Canon 15-85, the $400+ Canon 60 macro, the $400 Tamron 28-75).I considered getting the Canon 70-200mm f/4 IS L lens but for 5x the price you get less zoom range, a heavier and bulkier lens , and perhaps a little more snob appeal with the white barrel and that precious red ring. -Pretty basic ear peices ! -If I had but one regret, it's that I couldn't afford the larger version! Picture is absolutely incredible ! - The reception and sound are great for a radio this size, and because it's light and has batteries, I can carry it from room to room, wherever I need it. -The design of the drive is very sleek and stylish . -WHAT!!!Because Iove to read in bed the back- light feature is awesome . -The build quality of these is exceptional. They are thick and well shielded and the picture and sound quality is equal to that of the 8x more expensive Monster cables. - Unfortunately, this model was a big disappointment: The picture is great , but the sound was very tinny & flat. -However outside, in my car placed this unit on the dashboard , and I was picking up signals from blocks and blocks away. -Both are low profile , small mice with comfortably positioned 4 & 5 buttons. -The strap could be softer and wider , that's why I gave it 4 stars. - I figure if 2300 has this much power , the 5500 must have even more power. -This lens is awesome . -This is a wonderful little lens that will give you levels of sharpness, color, and image quality that will blow most consumer (non-f2.8) zooms out of the water. -That said, I have always only used Logitech keyboards and headsets and I love them just as much. -The mouse is very excellent and easy to use has a battery operated for a long time. -The build quality and quality for the price are amazing . -BATTERY: I understand it has an extremely high quality or state-of-the-art brand of AA rechargeable battery. -I have been a headphone fanatic for thirty years and have owned and used a variety of headphones over those years, to include Stax SR-5, Sennheiser HD-424 and HD-580. - For me, these headphones are BETTER and half the price of the Etymotics. -First, thank you to all those who take the time to write customer reviews. -The mids sound great . -Picture looks great and no issues . -This one was my fault, I did not ever read about the batteries before I bought the camera, but like above, if the Video was better , I could look the other way.3) Video: -The instructions were easy to follow giving the right color of wires to cut and splice. -A very high quality bag for your DSLR , lenses and accessories. -The case is surprisingly light for its seemingly durable construction . -Installing and running the software was quite straightforward ( I'm on a 3Mbps DSL connection ) . I find the software to be fairly intuitive , but did note the "strange" English that other reviewers have mentioned. -There is only one pin on the hot shoe plate so I'm pretty sure if it's attached to your camera it doesn't do TTL. -It has great wireless range , is fairly compact yet fully functional. -The picture is amazing , displaying everything in crystal clear images. - The LCD screen on the back is crisp, clear, and bright so you can see it even in daylight . -This product is easy to set up and works in my 2007 Pontiac G6 Convertible . -The contrast and brightness are great , and my eyeballs are happy. - It works great but I have 2 issues with it which you need to be aware of. -This is an excellent case for the Nexus 7 . -Personally, I thought it was going to be more difficult to setup from what I've read, but It was actually a breeze despite not being very intuitive . -Best 7$ I've spent on headphones ever! The sound quality is clear and the bass loud . - The photos are clear and bright , and the "distance" photo options produce really clear pictures even when it is a bit hazy. - This lens is great and the images that are produced are stunning . -I recieved the airbender bluetooth keyboard and have some pros and cons about it. -This small briefcase can be used for netbooks from 7-10 inches. - Picture is sharp and crisp . -My laptop's rubber stops on the bottom keep it anchored pretty well, and the fan itself isn't super loud. There is an adjustable dial to change fan speed , but when I'm gaming, I generally just have it on max, and when I'm not gaming, I turn the cooling pad off altogether. -I hope you have better luck , it has gotten a lot of great reviews, but first the sticker(!) covering the contacts on the back fell off, then the card died completely. -To me, there is little special with any cable modem. This modem is DOCSIS 3.0 which is the most important feature to know. -I can attest that the blue LED is extremely bright , but luckily my outlet is located inside the center console of my car so I can't see it when driving. -The sound quality is amazing . -Picture quality was terrible . -The magnetic tabs hold the case closed .... -It's HUGE, and the 'wingspan' with the three antennas attached makes it about the same footprint as a 15" laptop . -The idea is good, but the execution is pretty bad .Pros: the only popular option for Amazon Instant Video. -This lens is awesome , for the price you can not beat. -I generally buy the cheapest earphones I can find because they end up really abused and only last a few months before the cord gets loose at the earphone or at the jack . -Unfortunately, it is slightly cumbersome just for day to day use, but if you use the iPad rigorously this case is perfect . - The chips are very tasty and have good texture . -I eat it, the dog eats it , the horses eat it. -The aroma is rich and delicious .Opinions will differ on taste. -a mini recipe booklet with more ideas. -The combination of the salty cashews, sweet pomegranates, and vanilla is delicious and very flavorful . -I find tea for me has medicinal benefits for me (your results may vary.) -The flavor isn't as great as the packaging , though this is the most appealing of the three I've tried. -The tea is good but not very strong. - The flavors even sounded good , at least most of them: tomato mint, spinach chive, fennel spice, carrot curry, broccoli cilantro and beet cabbage. - Wow! This natural oil has so many uses and is extremely healthy ! -These are definitely a winner, and any chocolate lover will give these two sticky-gooey thumbs up . -This isn't my favorite tea ever, but it does have a unique flavor that I've never had before - really original, which is hard to come up with in a tea. I'll buy it again, plus I'll try some of the other interesting looking flavors that Lipton has come out with recently. -This tea is aromatic, smooth, and pleasant. Happily , the taste is not overly strong, as cardamom can be. -I don't usually like plain almonds; when I eat almonds they are usually highly sugared, covered in cinnamon or gooey'd up in honey like the ones you can get warm at the mall. -I tried this The Switch Black Cherry flavor as well as the Watermelon Strawberry . -So, the taste is spice and nothing behind it .I was also amazed that this tea is packaged as 'higher caffeine' because I wouldn't have known that from drinking the tea. - I was surprised at how reasonable the ingredients were and how low in fat the single serve package was. -Really though, these chips are nice and crunchy while also being light and airy. -Overall, I liked the cookies for their flavor, pleasant aroma and texture . -There is natural flavoring added , which isn't specific and could be misleading. - The flavor was bland and I did not care for the texture which I found to be pastey . -These cookies are NOT good .Small - This tea has a mildly sweat citrus flavor that I enjoy with a hint of a green tea flavor. -I had great fears this tea would be somehow too heavy on the vanilla as it seems every product that's labelled as having some vanilla flavoring overdoes it a little. -I love me some oatmeal cookies. Throw in some chocolate chips instead of raisins and you have the ultimate experience ...sometimes. -As an addicted coffee drinker, I love trying out new flavors . -It has a very strong, deep aroma. Very much like being in a Turkish coffee house . -The filling has a light, creamy lemon taste . - All the flavors have an earthy taste . -These are the little cups that you use for the tea machines . - However, the flavor of each of the selections was simply awful . -It's also very good for making popcorn . -The cookies are perfect for a light treat with a cup of tea , and the thinner size keeps them from being too sweet or filling. -This unique flavor is perfect served hot or iced . -The shelf life is long enough for you to buy it in bulk, and Amazon's price is good , so treat yourself to a proper cuppa. -It reminds me of the days when I was young drinking Boones Farm Apple wine on a Friday night . -Overall, the cookie is bland . -However, the flavor seemed a little weak compared to other kinds of teriyaki beef jerky that I have had . -I, however, thought that the flavor was perfect . - It is a mix of whole grains, blueberries, and flax seeds that are then lightly flavored with vanilla. The different ingredients all have different tastes and consistencies that make this mix feel good in your mouth. -The nuts are what make this bar tolerable. The texture without them is unpleasant . -This stuff is strong. It's billed as a coffee drink, but it really is more of an espresso, so keep that in mind . -The tea has a nice spice flavor, medium dark reddish brown coloring, and light aroma . -I use the same mug I usually drink my lipton black tea in every day. -This tea has a warm, spicy flavor to it, sort of like chai. Chai is not one of my favorite kinds of teas, but if you like it, then you'll probably like this. -These cookies would be better if they were made with rolled oats instead of oat flour. -I love Ritz crackers, but these are dry and crumble easily , as other reviewers have said. - The aroma while it is brewing is outstanding and it really delivers once you take a drink. -The flavor is excellent and the tea bag is a pretty cool design. -(While stevia, which is used as a sweetener in this beverage can have a bitter taste, that is not the flavor that I experienced.)What I liked :* - Well, although the sauce is tasty and creamy , there is very little zing (hence the 4 stars). -Lipton Herbal Pyramid Tea Blackberry Vanilla has a nice aroma that features herbs , vanilla, and dark fruit with some tea lurking in the background. - This is good water . - The tea comes out perfectly without having to steep it . -Well, unless it's bacon, bacon doesn't need chocolate .When I saw this Nature's Path, I thought it would be a great replacement for my typical evening treat of Cocoa Krispies. -The ranch flavor isn't very pronounced, but it has a slightly spicy kick to it . -Numi Teas are the most wonderful teas I've tasted in a long time . -Lipton To Go Stix Iced Green Tea Mix is convenient and refreshing . - I like that there is only one side of the cookie in these, but those looking for more crunch may want to get the regular fudge dipped oreos , I do not know if they make a mint version of those. - The oils are nice and pack some flavor . -The actual Taco Bell Restaurants used to have a taco salad that I liked and, unexplainably, they discontinued it -- but by incorporating the ingredients that they formerly used and by topping the salad with this dressing, it tastes much the same to me. -I am looking forward to trying more Prima Taste stuff based on how good this was. Highly Recommended ! - The coffee is smooth , and the flavor is subtle but definitely there. -I love the flavor of this ! - Perfect for snacking . -If you are extra sensitive, beware that this food is processed in a facility with nuts , dairy, wheat and soy. -Have been enjoying this tea with the warmer days here. -My husband and I use a lot of organic coconut oil for baking and as an addition to vegetable dishes . -This tea is very aromatic. It has a very smooth flavor. Others have noticed that it is very sweet, and it is more sweet than black tea normally is. - The Fruit Thins are a great alternative to a regular processed cookie , however, and are 140 calories and only 5 grams of fat for 3. - It has a naturally sweet flavor without being artificial or too "sticky" sweet. - I recommend this green tea because the lemon adds to the flavor and brings out the best in the tea leaves which makes the tea taste bright and lively . -The tea has a nice spice flavor , medium dark reddish brown coloring, and light aroma. -Also, having been through the shipping system, many of the cookies were broken . -The Viva Labs product is "extra virgin." Since it hasn't been refined or heavily processed, it has a very mild coconut taste and aroma , both of which were very pleasant to my palate and nose. - It's got the tiniest tinge of spice , but isn't powerful in the least; the taste of this product does not qualify as "bold." -These are diced-dried organic apples with a dash of cinnamon; they are tasty and have a nice crunchy flavor . -I really enjoy the flavor of ginger , so I was really hoping that the ginger flavor would be prominent in this tea. - I really enjoyed the taste and flavor . - The flavor is very balanced in body, mouth feel, acidity and spiciness . - The flavor is pleasant and not overly sweet , and the peppermint flavor is obvious but not as strong as I expected- a good thing, in my view. - Spicy, sweet, flavorful, fun, crispy, lower fat than chips , I loved it. - The cookies were fresh and delicious . -Kettle Brand chips don't have trans fats , MSG or artificial flavors and colorings. -There are hints of cardamom in this, but just like theGinger Pu'erh Tea Bags, 16-CountI have a hard time finding spiciness in the flavor .The package contains 16 individually sealed non-GMO biodegradable tea bags. - Viva Labs' coconut oil smells great, tastes great, and adds a hint of coconut/sweetness to whatever I cook . -I especially love this blend when eating a Caramel Apple Cobbler Clif Bar . -I don't see myself ever reordering this tea; it's just too strange a flavor and too weak for my taste . -The cookie advertise all natural and they are good . - The texture is OK, it definitely is a very strong chocolately flavor , and overall will satisfy the need for a chocolate cookie. - It has a wonderful flavor . - The licorice itself has a beautiful rich color and is made from cane sugar and tastes like real licorice unlike some which are more waxy and tough and lacking authentic flavor . -There is very little tea taste, you can taste a fruity flavor and a little honey -The taste of the Pomegranate licorice is strong and sweet . -This does indeed meet that specification. -The 100-calorie pack is very convenient --it's perfect for an afternoon snack, or as a substitute for a granola bar in the morning. - I think the outer cookies were great as well, so no complaints from me - - The coffee has a very strong aroma of vanilla , a lot like freshly baked cookies. - This Blackberry Vanilla sounded delicious ,, not a flavor combination I had seen before. -This one is definitely different . -I am a big fan of all types of cookies , including all varieties of Fig Newtons. -The tea is decaf , and works equally well night or day. -There are 4 grams of fiber , which is decent. -I also won't pick apart how authentic the flavors are, because again, personally I think the taste is pleasant and I would make it a point to purchase this flavor in the future .Possibly because of the tea bag material, or maybe because of the chunkiness of the tea, it brews fast, making a drinkable cup of tea in just over a minute. - The price was great for this but in the variety pack there might have been a few 'bold brew' that tasted like coffee . - The cookie is thin and light and crispy . -Perhaps the other flavors might be better but the orange tangerine had a bad aftertaste. - I will say that the flavor is pleasant and it is nice to drink , but I don't see any conduit between the taste and the flavor proclaimed on the bottle. - The tea isn't bad , I just think it's average and haven't awarded it a higher star rating. -I've wanted to try dry rendang for a long time. -FLAVOR: While eating the bar , I could definitely taste the cherries. - the taste is good , a bit tart, slightly sour. - These cookies are fantastic! I have long been a fan of ginger snaps but have often been disappointed by the bland, tasteless versions I found in the stores. - This green tea is mild , and has a very light color and a smooth taste. -This tea is so delicious , so fragrant, that for the first time, I choose to drink a hot tea without sweetener of any kind. -This herbal tea is well balanced and pleasant . -the price was great too . -The flavors of the teas aren't overly strong as one would have assumed from smelling the tea bag . -I'm not much of a juice drinker , but my daughter is so I bought this for her to try out. - The ingredients are all natural , so it's a snack I feel comfortable serving to my children. -My wife couldn't really taste the basil and she thought it was bland .So let's put it this way. -I am sorry folks but this review went down very fast, I am sorry I cannot recommend this drink due to it's over use of sweetener. -It is very simple to use and the flavor was just fantastic . -What I do know is that these chips are very good - crispy and airy , and not at all like baked chips (which I never did like).I really like these chips, both the taste and the texture. -Very taste little cookies with rich chocolate fudge. The cookies were fresh and delicious . -The flavor is strong and enjoyable if you like ginger and dark , caffeinated drinks. -(Also, make the Passion Fruit less dominant than it is.) By combining all three flavors, it becomes too much . -steep the teabags, and then add the sugar, cream, etc, before enjoying a cup of tea . - I'd certainly give it a go if another flavor was available , but Mango just didn't do it for me. -If you take a little bit of it and rub it into your skin it moisturizes and makes your skin very smooth . -The pods were novel back in 2011, and the price of other K-Cups had gone up much more than I liked , so I decided to give this brand a try. -The blackberry vanilla tea has a nice aroma and a great taste. - It has a sweet and spicy taste to it that is wonderful. -All you need is a regular bottle of spring water or whatever you want to use, in goes the powder and voila, instant iced tea drink (well, instant in that you have to shake it first). The flavor (mango pineapple in this case) is very tasty and refreshing. -This water is a nice little pick me up, but not something I plan on buying . -Vitamin Squeeze Energy Drink Fruit Punch isn't overly sweet & is similar in flavor to the powdered drinks , but also contains added vitamins, minerals & caffeine. -I love dark chocolate , so I was excited to try this Newman's Own Dark Chocolate bar. -I drink Lipton iced tea and this tea is great but I thought it was a little to expensive. -A tasty meal that my entire family praised , including my finicky older father enjoyed. - BUT, we will not be buying these again which is why despite amazing taste and good ingredients I am only giving it 3 stars. -I really like the one I got.)Anyway, the tea itself is excellent and it provides the great flavor that we have come to expect from Lipton. -Admittedly, I am not a big French Roast fan as it tends to taste bitter to me and acidic . - It's quick, convenient, and easy .Now, what sets this Vitamin Squeeze Energy Drink apart from competitors such as the MIO things? - I might buy this if it was on sale AND I had a coupon for it; Newman's Own stuff tends to be a bit pricy for me . -Though in my opinion this coffee is way overpriced as the flavor is lacking and it still manages to be bitter. -These kind of taste like apple potato chips. -I enjoyed it so much , I will be purchasing more. -I was quite excited to try Lipton's new Tea & Honey To Go packets. -Not what I would call a cold season tea, Blackberry Vanilla Caffeine Free Herbal Tea from Lipton has a very interesting fruity flavor , more reminiscent of a spring day than the upcoming fall season. -I originally purchase this product to use in my hair as a moisturizer (mixed with water) during my transition of going natural -Tea isn't a beverage for me , it's an event, starting from boiling the water to when the last drop vanishes down my esophagus. - Good quality decaf green tea is really hard to find in my local area; thanks again Amazon! - I'm a pretty big fan of tea , so I naturally jumped at the chance to get some nice chai tea. -This tea is perfect as an iced tea (3 bags for 2 quarts) or for a nice cup of hot peppermint tea to settle the tummy or clear your nose/throat. -By itself, this tea is very strong and bitter (almost soapy). - The Lemon Balm, Lemon Grass, and Verbena work well with the green tea , taking away the 'dry' aspects of green tea and making it a bit more 'green leafy' and lemony. -These chips are very crisp , with a strong potato flavor, but also have a slightly burnt taste. -What can I say, these cookies are yummy ! -The pyramid shape of the tea bag allows those pieces more room to spread through the water so the infusion of flavor is stronger .The -Got the box yesterday and have already used 4 teabags ... -It smells great it taste amazing. -Illy's coffee drink has exactly the right balance of sweetness and coffee flavor . -I loved the taste and the texture. -Vitamin Squeeze Energy drink is a concentrated fruit punch flavored water additive . -I find that the chocolate is incredibly creamy, and the peanut butter center is not as crisp as a traditional Butterfinger bar, but creamier with just enough "Butterfinger crunch" to add interest.I like how they are packed. Unlike competing peanut butter cups, there are no paper wrappers around the candy. The candy is simply formed in the shape of a cup. I like this because it's less packaging and requires less effort to unwrap and consume.I consider this product a treat -- a candy product, after all. So I'm not going to belabor the nutritional value of the product. -The Fischer & Wieser Mango Ginger Habanero Sauce does add flavor and sweetness to food . -Like any food product, your opinion of the product will depend on your taste preferences and also your expectations . -My favorite tea isYogi Green Tea Mint Garden, which is just green tea and some mint. - The taste was fine , just not the sensation. -This tea is very good . -Tea Bags by Numi, the aroma was a bit off putting with an odor that seemed slightly bitter and earthy . - It's very mild and smooth tasting both on its own and when honey and milk are added. I'm left with a neutral reaction . -The candy is creamy and smooth with the caramel swirls blended in at the same consistancy as the chocolate so there's no problem with caramel sticking to your teeth. - But hands down,Pure Bar Organic Chocolate Brownie, Raw Fruit & Nut Bar, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)is my favorite and I love it best ! -Numi Tea has an admirable mission statement: " Numi inspires well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea . -I have tried more than 6-7 lipton flavors and each one of them is good in its own way . -This chocolate is only 54% cocoa solids . -All in all, this is a great food -- tastes great, has wonderful ingredients, doesn't have unnecessary additives, and is very convenient. - If you've tried the Lara bars I would say the flavor and consistency are very similar . -Flavor: It has a reasonably bold flavor, which I like (I find k-cups are often weak in flavor relative to what you'd get at a coffee shop for instance). -As we've all seen, there are numerous energy drinks out there. Many of them are loaded with artificial chemicals. -Overall the chips are tasty, they have very nice potato flavor and a great crunch ! -It's very tasty but very high in calories . -The color of the bar isn't appetizing; however, the taste is pleasant though a little too nutty for my preference . -Since there is actual peppermint filling, as opposed to just peppermint-flavored cookie, I liked these cookies very much . -Not what I would call a cold season tea, Blackberry Vanilla Caffeine Free Herbal Tea from Lipton has a very interesting fruity flavor , more reminiscent of a spring day than the upcoming fall season. -I have been drinking a lot of green tea , every day, for about 8 years, when I heard that it might help with allergies. -I just tried this Puroast Low Acid Coffee and from first impressions the coffee is very nice and the low acid nature helps with the sour-y aftertaste that I generally experience when drinking black coffee. -The best thing about this mint- mocha coffee is that the flavor is more subtle than in a lot of flavored brews . -This version of the water flavor enhancer has too little flavor for too much money . -the coconut flavor was a bit too strong for putting on flavored ice creams. - The apple and cinnamon flavors are mild and natural -tasting, and the texture of the crackers is very good. -The tea has a nice spice flavor, medium dark reddish brown coloring, and light aroma . -They're just sweet enough to satisfy without loading you up with sugar .These are a winner. - I eventually realized that there were two general classes of teas : those padded with hibiscus and rose hips, and those more pure (less flowery) in flavor. -It is nearly impossible to get my teenager to drink water, so these Mio flavor enhancers are a lifesaver in our house! I personally prefer the peach tea one because it has a more natural flavor , and I think this one is a bit sharp on the throat if you use enough to get a good flavor (not really a burning sensation but you feel it, if that makes sense). - It was the addition of the ginger that prompted me to try this as I love the flavor of ginger , so I was disappointed to find that I can neither smell nor taste any ginger in this tea. -This tea is nice with a strong hint of fruitiness . -Inside is a white chocolate filling that is DELICIOUS. Several guests have tried these, and it's fun watching their eyes go wide when the flavor hits. These make for a decadent treat and look really classy left in a bowl for guests. Of all the individually wrapped bonbons or truffles I've had, I think these are my favorite. The white chocolate really is just so luxurious and delicious .FIVE STARS! -The fusion of exotic ingredients creates new flavors that work quite nicely. So if you think this might be too hot, fear not, it is just very tasty. It is an excellent grilling sauce . -I don't care if it is just juice concentrate, reconstituted with carbonated water instead of plain water -- the stuff tastes good ! -This aromatic tea is pure pleasure - spicy, fragrant and relaxing, while at the same time being an ideal first-tea-of-the-day wake-up . -I was pleasantly surprised by this drink . -Whenever there is a bowl of them at a party, you will find me nearby happily munching away . -Even the aroma while brewing smelled artificial.The other reviewers who mention how greatly improved the flavor became once cream was added is an indication of a consistent problem. I love the taste of coffee and like it unadorned - no cream or sugar. I only add cream if I am in a restaurant and the coffee doesn't taste good. I use the cream to doctor-it-up in hopes of salvaging some of the flavor and masking the poor aspects whether caused by bitterness or coffee that's been sitting in the pot too long. This coffee is no exception, the cream vastly improved the drinkability, but the action is akin to smearing butter on a day old roll. Underneath it is still a stale roll, and although the butter tastes delicious, it would not be accurate to call the combination a buttery delight.On the positive side, flavored coffees are usually light body and the Gevalia is definitely medium body. The packaging is quite attractive and the name is clever, but in the end may work against the product because Dark Chocolate Truffle evokes a clear taste profile for most people and the coffee doesn't live up to the name. I am rating the coffee three stars instead of less because if the purchaser always uses cream in their coffee, many of the taste issues I encountered should be if not resolved, at least mitigated. -I like the texture of these chips . -I'm trying my first bar of PURE Organic Cherry Cashew Raw Fruit and Nut Bar as I type this. - It has an excellent flavor , much better than other cardboard varieties and the berries seemed real, notrubbery. -Taste - The chunks are like little explosions of flavor. -I take mine with just a pinch of salt, enough to enhance both the savory and sweet notes, and the flavors were delicious . -Very pleasant tea -drinking experience indeed from beginning to end. -It has all the savory flavors of the soup without heaviness and calories . -I used to love Tazo but Numi is my new favorite. -This is a very good tasting granola . -Taste ? -Compared to other teas, this has a light spicy flavor . -But I must say that I was expecting a more robust tea all around (pu'eh may taste like dirt on its own, but it is a pretty full-flavored tea) . - It has enhanced each one of them like no other coconut oil I have used in the past . - But, this one is really good . -Since I am a fan of flavored coffee , particularly coffee flavored with natural ingredients, I knew I had to try this coffee. -The flavor of this tea is somewhat subtle even though I let it steep for several minutes . -At the recommended time, the flavor was just piquing . -Practically perfect like Mary herself! Boy these cookies are awesome - it's a good thing I got only one cookie cup - I can see eating these for ten days straight. -The flavor is just okay . - The chocolate flavor is super rich . -These Peeled Snacks Organic Apple Clusters are a healthy choice if you want something sweet with a good crunch . - However, the cookies themselves are relatively small (just slightly larger than a Thin Mint or Oreo in diameter), and I/we did note a chemical taste not unlike that found inChips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies . -Though it is labeled as blackberry vanilla, I did not taste any vanilla flavor , nor is vanilla listed as an ingredient. - The bread was fresh for days right up until the last crumb was gobbled up. -What's more, this flavor is very nice with a touch of Cointreau for a sophisticated and festive cocktail. -This tea is quite good in the morning as a wake up for those of us who have to avoid caffeine. -I drink Lipton iced tea and this tea is great but I thought it was a little to expensive. - The candy is good, if nothing special, and is small enough to even please those on diets . - I've been enjoying Numi teas lately because they make an excellentNumi Organic Tea Golden Chai, Full Leaf Black Tea , 18-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 3)and they are one of the few mainstream purveyors ofNumi Organic Tea Emperor's Puerh, Full Leaf Black Tea, 16-Count Tea Bags (Pack of 2), an excellent aged Chinese tea. -My husband enjoys the 'taste' of stevia and says this stuff is good. - While the flavors are blended well together, the overall flavor is fairly mild , even with a good amount of steeping. -The ingredients are good for you but with not nuch flavor . -This drink has a pleasant aroma and a spicy /sweet flavor. -Are your children asking for soft drinks, but you don't want them to have all that added sugar? This is a wonderful alternative . - From what I've read, I believe Pu'erh tea is supposed to have health benefits , which is always a benefit. - They are crunchy chips that are not fried, and not baked, but created using heat and pressure to make them pop into being . -The cookies are moist and soft , with a layer of chocolate in the center. -The woodsy taste of this sauce is just right. - With each bite I took, I liked the flavor and really wanted to like the bar , but I just couldn't get past the texture. -At the end of this test both sides of my body felt equally moisturized .Pros of Viva Labs product- it will definitely last longer than a lotion moisturizer & lack of multiple ingredients reduces risk that your skin may react to it. -(And I am!) The whole mix of flavors is nice and this stuff is very crunchy. - The flavors of the peppermint weren't overpowering , and you still get the flavor of the latte coming through just fine. -This is good coffee - not weak, and not overly strong, but the vanilla flavor is a little strong for my preference . -The cookies arrived fresh and in good shape . -In short: It's good food . -The K cups just makes things easier and maybe even more acceptable to drink tea at the office . -a very complex flavor , and can command rather high prices. - Not so this new Dark Chocolate Truffle flavor . -I drink tea every day and I love green tea and all sorts of chinese tea and earl grey, etc. - Yes, the cookies are soft, but they really aren't as "gooey" as the name implies . - Yes, the tea bags looka little bit different than other tea bags, but they steep just fine and the tea tastes great . - I do, however, like this tea and thought it had a good taste with no aftertaste like some teas, and unlike other teas with a ginger predominance the ginger didn't overwhelm me or leave a bad aftertaste. -I think it has a hint of smokey flavor that is almost wood-like . - The aroma is amazing . - I think only six or seven cookies survived intact, the rest were in variously sized crumbs.)Now, biting into one of these cookies, you won't immediately think, "Gee, I can't tell if these are homemade or store-bought!" You can definitely tell the difference. -This is a very tasty and spicy beverage , which may not be your cup of tea, so to speak. - That said, the cookies have a purity of flavor that's usually lacking in most store-bought treats. -A nice mix of berries (dehydrated) and crunchy, crunchy cereal that has a slight sweetness but none of the prefab who-knows-what of supermarket cereal .I grew up enough to know what is good for me but still appreciate a fun cereal and this is one of them. -I love raspberries and hot sauces , so my expectations were pretty high. - It is kind of hard to describe the taste, but it has a nice balance of sweet and tart. - The price is great . -If you like steel cut oats you will love this . -I've tried to write this review three times now, and every time I get a power blip or something happens to the browser and I lose it. -Rancid is a process of mother nature and has nothing to do with organic, conventional , GMO or the type of seed since rancid has to do with oil. -It is firm but not hard, so you actually have something to chew on and the taste is amazing .My -The flavor is not great , but its comparable with the other energy drinks out there and you will get your caffeine fix. -The flavor is great and it doesn't have a nasty after taste like some of those other energy drinks. -I tend to stay away from some berry teas because the flavor can almost be tart tasting . -I found the aroma to be very complex and pleasant .If you like a bold tea, the flavor here will not disappoint. -I really like the flavor of this tea . -At just 50 calories in a 6.8 ounce can, it seems almost impossible that the drink should be this good. At once slightly sweet with the bitter tinge of a good cup of coffee, illy issimo rivals the Starbucks' espresso shots for quality quick canned coffee drinks . -This is my first time trying PURE fruit and nut bar. -Our company is rooted in the principle of creating a healthful product that nurtures people and honors the planet . - They are definitely yummy and not too chocolatey , but I will say I expected more "gooey" from them and really inside the fudge is thicker and not really gooey at all. -Aside from the price , I have to say it is my new favorite 'brand' of water. -It's made from natural ingredients and doesn't contain artificial flavors , preservatives, hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. -This bar, however, was nice and moist (which my husband particularly enjoyed).And we were both in shock to find that there was absolutely no sodium in this bar - -Too much oil for my taste Still like em and the price is decent .. -Nothing artificial . - I do love tea , and I love trying different types and flavors. -The water is on the pricier side but I still recommend giving Smartwater a try. -As far as flavor goes, the ginger was just too strong and nasty . - This cereal was perfect for that. -First is taste - The taste is fine . - It has a unique flavor ....strong but not bitter though it does have a bit of an after taste. -The Ginger Tea is a pleasant cuppa , and I will definitely try other varieties of Numi Tea. -a bit bland , so I ordered this to see how it tasted. -Excellent meal replacement bar .I really really really enjoyed the cherry cashew date nut bar. -And since I love ginger and lemon flavors , I love this intensity. - She also noted that it had a subtle sweet quality . -Anyway, enough of my babbling ...this is a good tea. - The most important thing is, it's DELICIOUS . -This tea is great . -When I opened the first pouch for the Ginger Pu'erh - The taste was fine, just not the sensation . -Numi Cardamom Pu'erh tea is a delicious and flavorful treat for tea lovers . -This tea is absolutely delicious ! -The cookies are crispy but also crumbly , if you know what I mean. - Good quality decaf green tea is really hard to find in my local area; thanks again Amazon! -The main problem I had was the high sweetness factor which I assume was used to cover up the taste of the non-traditional ingredients required for the bars to be labeled gluten free. - It has a really enticing aroma and didn't have that burnt taste that you sometimes experience with some of the darker roasts. - However I don't like the taste . -As I've already said, the smell of vanilla is strong , but the actual vanilla flavor is very slight. -Nutritionally speaking this is a decent package , but it was in no way good enough to justify the price. -Tea is my favorite beverage for just about any occasion . - The flavor wasn't bad, but it was overpoweringly blackberry . -I tested the tea to see if it would become bitter if the tea bag was left in, and even after 15 minutes it still did not pick up the nasty flavor that dark teas usually infuse after the tea bags are left in too long . -Peeled Snacks Organic Apple Clusters Cinnamon Crunch didn't agree with my taste buds and I didn't enjoy the taste of these at all . -The flavor on the whole was not bad , but certainly not anything I would pay extra for. -This is a wonderful quality white jasmine tea . - This tea brought me right back to those days, it has a pleasing aroma and nice ginger taste without being overwhelming. - This one was spicy -- but not overpowering, and had a really nice flavor. -This is NOT your usual type of tea . -This is the third brand I taste and so far, it's the best one . -I was skeptical that packaged cookies would be soft, but these cookies actually are very soft around the edges . -In one pouch, there is 1.4g of sodium which is 60% of the recommended daily maximum. - Then again, I generally don't add anything to any green tea . -And you get that nice, subtle coconut smell … mmmmmm, does it make my wife smell yummy!I got a sample of this from Viva Labs for review, but I will definitely be placing an order for some more. -But I suppose that makes them air-tight which is a good thing . -Gluten free, the best product for me when I go camping since all I do is add lemon and tomato and that way I never have to worry about paying arm and leg for that lousy, awful tasting dry foods. ----Unfortunately, this tea wasn't very good as iced tea . - They are pretty crunchy , and I found some of the pieces to be a bit harder than others, so those with soft or sensitive teeth may want to tread carefully. -The flavors of the teas aren't overly strong as one would have assumed from smelling the tea bag. -So far I have used it to season chicken, fish and vegetables and have had good results . - Also, the price was decent - I'm happy. -Likes:- Smell: these smell fresh, wheat, cinnamon, and apple aroma.- Texture: these are a little firmer and crunchier than our usual name brand.- Flavor: good overall flavor . -This tea is good , but important to only leave it steeping for about two minutes- -I didn't particularly find it any more refreshing than any other water . - Still, the flavor was a bit too bland for me, and I like a mild coffee. -All of the "Sparkling ICE Spring Water" flavors are delicious . -The cinnamon is way too strong. It made me sick at my stomach , and the aftertaste is horrible. -The lovely aroma was so enthralling that the family member who dislikes /hates coffee insisted on having a cup. -Honestly none of the instant coffees are any good , just get up 5 minutes earlier and make a pot of real coffee, hello. -The price point is a bit lower now, which is a good thing , but it's still a bit steep for less than seven ounces of something you can brew at home. -I first saw these cookies at "Big Lots" discount store. They were on sale there for $1.80. Their appearance in Big Lots means that they didn't sell especially well or too many were made so they were shuffled off to an outlet store. This doesn't have to be a bad sign, but it often reflects that a product isn't the most popular among consumers.These are not the best that Keebler has to offer in their cookie line up, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. On the plus side, the cookies have a decent texture and are crispy and fresh. The filling has a good lemon flavor, albeit an artificial one. They're also very sweet, but most sandwich cookies with a cream-style filling are. That's often the purpose of the filling, but it can be overpowering cumulatively if you're not having a drink along with them.Usually when I sample a product which I'm not crazy about, but I think it's generally okay, I wonder who the target market is supposed to be. Given the Keebler brand mascots, I tend to think they're targeting children, but lemon isn't that popular a flavor among kids (who tend to prefer chocolate or vanilla). My sense is that these are not going to really appeal to most kids are are too sweet for most adults. This may explain why they're on sale at Big Lots. Though not a bad cookie, I wouldn't go out of my way to have these again. - It's hard to describe what the PURE bar (blueberry flavor) tastes like, but it's not an unpleasant flavor . -The fruit punch flavor is nice , and having this product sure makes it convenient to add those "vitamins" to your drink. -The flavor of peppermint is not very strong . -The aroma is great when I open the package and dumped the ground coffee into my coffeemaker. -As with any food or drink , the taste is personal and subjective. -This particular flavor is quite different from the standard powdered mixed drinks , having a strong honey taste with a light strawberry twist. -I've never heard of Pu'erh - I do like some flavored teas, especially cinnamon , which cover up some of the tea taste and once in a while I will have some chamomile tea to relax. -I tried the wild blueberry organic pure bar . -About this product, it must be said: I didn't have very high hopes . - Possibly for those who are used to eating a lot of sugar and processed cookies, these might be the ticket, but I'll stick with the classic Oreo , which has a rich cocoa flavor and has never disappointed me. -The smell and consistency of this licorice are good , but the flaver is quite disappointing. -They are in fact very soft and have a great chocolate taste . -Perfect with hamburgers or a sandwich, these chips are crispy and tasty ! - The coffee didn't have an artificial flavor and was actually quite good . - It has a nice chocolate taste and nice aroma . -a GOOD pancake when being gluten free. -This tea will be a regular now in my rotation but it may well be my regular morning tea , with others rotated in place sparingly. WONDERFUL! - Both flavors are distinctive . - Switch tastes like tangy, carbonated orange drink , and that's fine with me! -Both the flavor and texture are superior , and I like that it's organic. -There's a calculated "crisp" flavor that a keeps it from getting bland and must be coming from a blend of apple and lemon juices and it must be due to the right apples because you can't taste lemon. -The flavor of it was very delicate and relaxing. - Some of these teas were black teas, while others were green teas . -These cookies tasted fresh and crisp , with a subtle vanilla butter flavor that is good, but didn't insist I eat more. -There is just a remarkable variety of teas available and in general their flavor is a bit more intense. But I also like the convenience of bag teas . - The flavor is delicious and it's very refreshing . - As Illy is a respected "high end" brand of coffee, I had higher hopes than usual and overall, I was not disappointed .I poured the contents into a glass with two ice cubes. - The flavoring is present but not overpowering, which I enjoyed . -I get this coffee from my Amazon subscribe program and the price is excellent . - This creates a rich (but not overly strong) soothing vanilla flavored coffee . - And, I sensed a metallic like aftertaste . - Recommended for taste and low acid , not for cost. -Cardamom Pu'erh Tea Bags, 16-Count*Rich pu-erh tea blended with spicy cardamom*Pu-erh is traditionally used as a slimming tea and to aid digestion*100% real, organic, non-GMO verified tea and ingredients*Pu-erh has more antioxidants that green teaAh, my first time trying Cardamom Pu'erh Tea . - The flavor is fantastic . -This is pretty good cereal . -These are really good licorice: chewy, sweet, GREAT flavor . -The Ginger Tea is a pleasant cuppa, and I will definitely try other varieties of Numi Tea. - Even though the beans are pre-ground, the flavor after brewing was still deep and rich , and the aromatic fragrance of vanilla still permeated after I opened the vacuum sealed bag. - The costumes are magnificent and they wear them more than once to give the Granthams and Crowleys more of a reality. - I think he does a wonderful job as Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle does a wonderful job as Miss Elizabeth Bennet . -The movie ending was great . -I have now watched the entire nine season run of "The X-Files" from start to finish on DVD and my primary reaction to the final season was that it was not Mulder that I missed for most of these last 20 episodes but Scully. - The tributes (forced to participate contestants) must contend with each other, the weather and days in a technologically controlled battlefield in which the goal is to try and survive while killing all others . -There really is nothing funning about the Holocost . -The acting was so cheesy , the story line was lacking, the effects were poor, there were a ton of "3D" effects that were waaay over the top (we did not watch it in 3D--because we hate 3D--so it was even worse because of that). -The sets are spectucular, the costumes are so authentic I lose myself and think they are really from that period instead of a dramatization. -The acting was very good . - The sound quality isn't as good , and I noticed a few drop outs here and there, but considering the age and scarcity of the material, I think the Roan Group did and excellent job in restoring this fine film. -"Open Water" is a low-budget, mildly thrilling shark flick . -The acting was overdone . -a GOOD movie about Young adults being forced to kill other young adults watch Battle Royale. -The sound is crisp and clear and during the battle scenes is very impressive . -Acting was tremendous . -Season two is just getting on my nerves ! -This is a dark film in all senses of the word with very few likeable characters . -the suspense was great . -The suspense slowly builds up because we don't know what kind of movie we are in for . -The costumes and staging are superb , and the direction is sensitive to the subject matter. -The direction by Ang Lee is flawless in almost every frame .I was angered by the film for not giving a clear explaination for one of the character's death. - From the start, Episode 1 had a lot going against it . -When they get there they discover...a load of confusing, muddled nonsense that is far from frightening and is only just barely above mildly interesting .Alien was populated with 7 single or double-syllabled characters that felt real and authentic thanks to their quiet interactions and dialogue. -This movie was fantastic ! -In confronting the issue of drug addiction , Aronosky (who co-wrote the screenplay with Hubert Selby Jr.) has chosen to tell two stories that, although they run along basically parallel tracks for most of the film's duration, do occasionally intersect. -I can understand why everyone would want this to succeed, but there are three reasons why it didn't. -Her performance is perfect , and Christina Ricci as her selfish, lesibian lover gives a performance that is also well worth watching. -Brian De Palma's Body Double is an underrated gem of a suspense /thriller. -The costumes and sets are gorgeous , and it's fun to watch if only for that reason. -The script was poor and the storyline didn't make sense. - The picture quality and sound are fantastic , and I didn't find any green tint in the movies. -The cast is in top notch performance, the special effects are fantastic but not overwhelms the movie, God, everything is fantastic here . -Greatest movie from Disney since the Lion King! The plot is great and the two princess are extremely lovable ! -Some of the plot was a bit disappointing . -the writers kept it a little too big , basically made both villains nearly invinsible, then at the end gave us a laughable end-of-villian finish. -Bought this for my wife as a chick flick . -Her performance is outstanding . -The acting is stellar , in particular Portman and Owen (both nominated for Academy Awards) as the initial foils for their partners Law and Roberts, respectively. - And - By the way - I am a Christian (NOT Catholic) who was brought up Unitarian . - It's a very interesting and important scene in the movie and that's why I like it. -Couples are central to BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER throughout its seven-year run, so how might one pair the seasons themselves?If Seasons One and Two of BUFFY are Origin Years-- establishing the show's mythos in Season One , then stretching and deepening them in year Two-- then Seasons Three and Four are definitely Years of Consolidation, playing with, clarifying and reorganizing the show's fictional universe and strengthening the bond between show and viewer before diving into the darker, riskier events of Seasons Five and Six (which we might call Years of Daring and Yearning). - But seeing as the studio gave Bryan Singer all the money in the world, plenty of time, and quite a bit of creative control and artistic license (I cannot imagine that DC comics was eager to have Superman portrayed as a deadbeat dad!), there should be more than just a few good moments . -The acting was amazing . -The animation is very special and in 3D it is wow. - The acting was much better, the script was emotional , but not hokey. -In order to produce a magnificent achievement for the paying customers, the movie must remain true (to an extent) to the books created by J.K. Rowling and the whimsy and fantasy of those tales must remain no matter the cost . - Just make sure you give it some room, and wide-screen DVD with which to do it. - Most notably , the film also introduces the Minions - Gru's short, yellow workers that speak gibberish and often find themselves engaging in an endless amount of comical hijinks. - The violence and gore are severe and off -putting, which is a shame because the movie is such an effective suspense thriller beyond these moments that people who are looking for nerve-frying suspense of a classic nature, but can't stomach the carnage will be missing out. -This is a must see film, Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes are excellent in this and the film is very well written. -I give it two stars, let me give 5 stars to the cast - incredible acting , especially from Russel Crowe. -a superb storyline ), into a spectacular and spooky film. -Despite some problems with the middle sections, When a Stranger Calls is a highly suspenseful and very creepy movie with excellent performances. -But the shockingly real performances of the three starlets was amazing . -I'm generally not a big fan of this sort of epic-level drama, but the actors pulled off the dramatic ending well , and I found it very moving. -The acting is flat and one-dimensional because characters aren't' written with any depth. -The special effects are excellent as is the underwater adventure .The droids are enemies of the Republic, who want to change it and take it over; thereby, enslaving its inhabitants. - His performance was moving and emotional , a flawless piece of art. -All I can say, it was fantastic . -Ofelia's father has been killed in the Spanish Civil War and her desperate mother marries the cruel Vidal, played by Sergi López, one of Franco's captains, who (as has been written repeatedly) joins the screen's pre-eminent villains. - This movie really didn't pay any homage to old Vampire/Werewolf mythology, it didn't really have much action , and the Romeo & Juliet thing is not really expressed and there's only one kiss between the two main people. -Thank goodness however the entire movie was not filmed using this technique ! - The image of the featureless, pasty- white mask hovering above a dark set of clothes is unnerving, and the early sightings of him in Haddenfield are amazingly effective-even when you know he is there, it is sometimes difficult to spot him. -Though Peter Jackson had always claimed that the 208 minute (roughly equal to "Seven Samurai" in length) DVD version of "Lord of the Rings'" first installment was not a director's cut, its vast superiority to the shortened theatrical release becomes clear immediately. -The truth is what makes this movie such a gem is that it doesn't need to come out and smack you in the head with the type of dull, predicatable nonesense like most movies do these days. -Each actor has had or currently owns a major role in a television/movie . -I am a long time fan of the web head and was not sure if the movie would do the long time comic hero justice but it did in a huge way. - As for the controversy as to whether this film is actually Kubrick's final cut , it is. -Like the series and this season was a good follow up to the first. -Bale's performance is superb and I think it's the best of his career. Jackman is also very convincing and the supporting cast is flawless. I'm always impressed by Rebecca Hall, but Bowie's cameo as Tesla was a revelation . -***CONTAINS SPOILERS***A historical costume drama with some powerful performances, THE DUCHESS is the study of The Duchess of Devonshire and her battles with The Duke during their strained marriage. -So what if the story isn't very original ? -The 3 seasons have been wonderful . -We're talking about a film here with an uneventful plot and characters completely void of depth . -In particular, kudos to the quality of the sound reproduction, which I've found to be excellent whether pushed through a 5.1 home theater or stereo headphones . - Unfortunately, the dialogue is clunky when the characters talk to one another as well. -Actually, " Dennis the Menace" is probably the better movie, in retrospect.I just saw "Revenge of the Sith" last night, and it reminded me how awful "Attack of the Clones" truly is; not because "Sith" is a good movie, but because it was pretty much on the same level. -Thus the so-called transformation into Darth Vader is more like the flipping of a switch - more binary than analog. - Such is the case with the cornball science fantasy movie "Galaxy Quest.""Galaxy - Despite the fact that it is an older movie and shot primarily in lowlight conditions, details are sharp, colors are vibrant and blacks are deep . -Not saying that "The Ring" is either superior or inferior, but it stayed very truthful to the original material it was based on , too truthful. -It is really a film about timeless qualities now hopelessly out of fashion: things like duty, honour, loyalty, friendship, mutual reliance and the questing spirit. -In it you get a look at the premier, at part of Emmy Rossum's screen test, the fun of trying to understand Jennifer Ellison's (Meg) accent, Patrick Wilson singing opera in sport pants, the Mask of the Red Death swigging from a water bottle, plus a look at the outrageously elaborate costumes and what the chandelier falling looked like in real life. -Russell Crowe's performance is absolutely brilliant . -I am a Spiderman fan from way back . -This movie is not funny at all . -The ending was absolutely awesome , it makes the experience not so empty and wasted. -Ok, so all these people are saying the film isn't funny . - Action is not what you would expect from Rogen, and although he handles it well, especially in the last 30 minutes, the action packed ending does run a bit long. Overall, "Pineapple Express" delivers what it promises: a funny stoner comedy. - The sets and costumes were spectacular without a doubt .But unlike THE TUDORS, THE BORGIAS series still lacked "something". -It was like they were trying to cram as much of the book in as possible , resulting in drawn out stories. -The deleted scenes are very funny and I think a lot of them should have been retained in the first cut. -I was extremely skeptical at first, not wanting to get sucked into a fad, but the books and movie(s) are genuinely good, with great actors and superb visual effects. Definitely recommend. -This is one of the cutest , funniest sports/girl power/rousing comedy films I have seen in a while! -The story is sadly lame and contrived . - One of the things that I enjoy most about the Coen brothers' movies is that they both understand their art form: movies are primarily visual works of art . -...no real gore, no bad language to express how they were really feeling and half the story and edge gone due to editing . -they fight in these awesome battles to the death, and some of the battle scenes and who dies and how is surprising.overall, the movie is awesome, and the ending is clever too , which leads to a possible AVP 2. -This movie showcases the true talent Christopher Nolan posses. -The new crew is excellent and the story is good , although it brings back a couple of old enemies in this new reality that skirts off the true nature of their reality and did not explore it suffiently in my opinion.. I will not tell you who this is referring to. -The individual performances by the actors were stellar in every way . -Without being over the top, his performance is amazing . -i received this yesterday on blu-ray and was VERY impresssed ... for what i paid ($[...] with free shipping), it was an AMAZING deal. -comes with lots of bonus features too. The picture looks great!!! Thank you! -The acting was good and all players did their jobs well but I was a bit put off by the smirking 'we're so smart and hip attitude' of the movie. -This film is almost flawless - the acting, the sets, the script, the special effects, the originality. -Rather than describe the remainder of the story in detail , I will say, instead, that the director does not allow the project to make any fatal mistakes. -I recommend this movie to those who like a good laugh . - It's gorgeous, the sets are gorgeous, the costumes are gorgeous , and the so are the actors. -The only bright spot in the movie was that Jar Jar Binks was reduced to cameo performance . -The acting and dialogue is not good either . -First off, you people just can not accept a new world of Star Wars. -Never had a "Star Wars"-film a greater emotional impact."The Phantom Menace" is definetly not on par with that film, nor has it the originality of "A New Hope", but still I liked this film a lot. I actually found it better than "Return Of The Jedi". Even those who dispised the movie must acknowledge that it has its merits. The special effects are fantastic, and in contrast to other films with superior FX , they are also highly imaginative because they create entire worlds of their own. -This is a truly terrific caper movie, one that works well by both showcasing the emerging star power of both Donnie Wahlberg and Charlize Theron and also having a terrific storyline . -This movie was very depressing , had me choked up half the time, crying, and upset that there is just too much bad things that happen........ - Picture and sound are awesome .The only thing is that the packaging could have been a little better. -And enough about the price drop . -This film presents a very good and deep insight into the world of drug addiction . - I don't think it would have worked if they had done a serious , soapy type movie. -The sound also got a boost from the original mono track to stero , and the special features have me intrigued. -The acting is superb . -The first season was a great start to the show , the second season was amazing, and the third season somehow managed to become even better. -The script is appalling, the acting non-existant (everyone just stands around saying their lines, without any feeling or emotion, looking like they desparately want to know what's happening on that green-screen behind them), and the computer generated FX so overwhelming that its like having spectacular fireworks let off in your face for 2 hours ... - The magic, the twists were all great . -After a horrid third film and a suprising fourth , superman returns for a fifth film. -It proves I was wrong ! -Burlesque was AMAZING! I fell in love this the movie! Dancing, singing, storyline, acting , directing the whole set up was wonderful. -The script was terrible. The direction was terrible. The only reason I can come up with for the film's popularity among so many Superman fans is that they have been so hungry for a film that they would have liked almost anything. I give it 2 stars for at least trying to make Superman relevant again.The thing to remember is that even though Superman has Kryptonian abilities, his personality is 100% human. He was raised since infancy on a farm in Kansas. He might feel different, but at heart he is a small town American and this film completely missed that. In focusing on the 'alien among us' angle, they gutted Superman's personality that was so well portrayed by Christopher Reeve and Brandon Routh. The Clark Kent we have all come to know and love through the years was completely missing. There were so many elements of the plot that made no sense. There was CGI overkill. Superman Returns had some plot problems, and could have put Superman in a few more action scenes, but overall that movie was far more faithful to the origins of the Superman character.The fact that Avengers was so successful should prove that a superhero movie doesn't have to copy The Dark Knight to be a hit. A superhero movie can be light, it can be funny, it can be human, and still be a fantastic movie. I have nothing to say about the relationship of this movie to recent comic book adaptations or graphic novels. As a movie, it is no better than all the other CGI-fests out there with tons of explosions and destruction. Superman is supposed to be special. -The acting is unbelievable , amazing, and very convincing. - The Rock and Flair put on great performances. Surprising ending . -In 20 minutes , Jillian gets me going and sweating and back in shape. -Acting wise the movie is poor , Eric Bana's accent is bad considering how poor his fellow Aussies do with accents thats saying alot. -This is the most perverted, disorganized movie I ever saw. -Sound,video, avengers, Marvel Magic . -The performances given by Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellwegger, Queen Latifah and Richard Gere are perfect! With Catherine standing out a little bit more, because of her musical background (she deserved the Oscar). -The book was entertaining and full of facts and images hard to duplicate in a movie. -the performances were outstanding and extremely believable, Ellen Burstyn should have recieved that Oscar, she was unbelievable.... -"Star Trek Into Darkness" is excellent ! -This ending should have been King's ending and I usually never say that about a printed piece of work from an author ; but here I think we have a better ending in the movie, rather than on paper. -The stories so fun and exciting and fresh compared to the turgid retreads of modern "Trek". -I'm hardly a prude, I celebrate both nudity and sexuality in all cinematic shapes and sizes and varieties .... and I don't condemn violence in film if it makes a point or moves along a story or a character's development... and I sincerely applaud directors who aren't afraid to go to the edge. - It was heart-warming and wonderful, sad and depressing , silly and did I say wonderful. -This show is addictive . -Maybe not exceptional, but I found the movie to be fairly true to the book . - People usually act this way when they're discussing politics or religion . -The actors are all fine , with Bryan Cranston and the six diplomatic escapees-in-hiding turning in particularly excellent performances. -When her acting career fizzled , after making her less than memorable acting debut in her father's film "Godfather III", Sophia Coppola apparently turned her hand to directing and was let loose upon an unsuspecting public. -Courageous is the story of four policemen who are also after a time, four brothers in the Lord. -Picture and sound were crystal clear and the disc had more special features than Disney DVDs I've bought in the past. -Frank Sinatra gives a moving and powerful performance as he frantically tries to beat the clock in what is to be,unknown until the very end,the assassination of the presidential candidate, and the insertion of a puppet senator controlled(unknowingly) by Communists in his place. - The characters are not well established from beginning to end -- so you honestly don't care whether they live or die. - Liam Neeson is great and the story itself is very poignant . -The movie is very violent and has some sexual content so be warned . -The Dark Knight is the sequel to director Christopher Nolan's outstanding and uplifting Batman Begins. - It had some delicious white fish in a chinese style steamed bun. Great starter . -First up, the place is beautiful . -now).The hostess was very pleasant and helpful , our server was efficient and very personable, and the manager James was a great host, checking in often to see how we were doing. -What I like about the katsu is that it is fried perfectly crisp but doesn't feel oily. -This is a really good restaurant with an awesome staff! The place is awesome and the food is just delicious! -I hate to give such a highly- regarded place three stars, but here goes nothing. -Cute cafés are my jam! Jimmy's Coffee was a very average experience , however. -When you walk into the restaurant, the first thing that hits your nose is the smell of pork bones simmering away. You can also ask for less lard but why. Toppings: I love bamboo, glad it's included. I also had seaweed, slice of fish cake and green onion. Extra toppings are pricey (corn is $2.50, egg $1.80) which I didn't opt for. Chashu: Seems like I got the chashu scraps...got two small chunks of meat cut along the grain and a slab of pure fat. While it was tender, it was upon leaving the restaurant and seeing the display of noodles that my friends told me that they both got 2 regular slices of chashu. What the. Service: Friendly. Fairly quick turnover of tables. Bathroom: The sketchiest bathroom I have ever been in. My friend said it was like being in a horror movie and I had to agree. Dim eerie staircase leading to a dark dirty bathroom with a low ceiling. Given how popular and clean the restaurant is, they definitely could have forked over a little bit of money to improve the washrooms! -Usually about 10 mins wait until you actually get your food, which isn't too bad ! -Not your run of the mill Thai restaurant . -If you like guacamole, you will love their chips and guacamole . -It's a nice atmosphere and service is not bad . -Good vibe, neon décor , online reservations, delicious tapa style dishes and a menu of tequila tastings. -My second experience at Pai was great on a few fronts. -The staff is very friendly and attentive .I recommend ordering the seared sushi if you want to try something different from your normal sushi. -If you are in the distillery, do yourself a favour and spend your money elsewhere . -how cheap the drinks were and the Moscow Mules, although a bit sweet, were very down-able. -Always impressive service, whether it's brunch or dinner. Great drinks, wonderful gluten free and dairy free options - I would take a picky eater there anyday! -Good service . -Still, the restaurant did a great job in keeping everything well organized . -Not too loud and the decor is stunning . -The patio was busy (as usual) but the ambience and service was good. -Highly recommend hot sauce if you're thinking of eating at this place. -The last experience here when we came out was absolutely wonderful. -Fantastic food and relatively inexpensive , butternut fritters for starter were great and the pad thai was extremely tasty. -Love the atmosphere! All the dishes we tried were so good! We got the lamb and it was unreal and good drink menu . -Nice ambiance, atmosphere, good food and wine . -But I loved the whole experience! The view is incredible and our waitress was down to earth and very accommodating. - Service was great . -I have been meaning to come here for awhile, so when a Groupon came up, it was the perfect opportunity . -It's popular so make reservations possible! They have an easy online system . - I really liked all their vegetarian options but unfortunately I went with a bland jambalaya and he went with a bison burger. - The decor is fantastic . -This place gets packed at dinnertime, and it's a fun place to meet up with people for drinks. -I have gone to Jacobs a few times over the past couple of years and I always come out with the same content feeling after a fantastic steak meal . -I'm not a rib expert so maybe the baby back ribs were supposed to be dry . -It is a good place to experience if you are in the area and it has a really nice patio in the summer . -This place is very hit or miss , and unfortunately, my most recent time was a huge miss! -The girl filling our coffees and grabbing us ketchup seemed to hate existing in this world but I just ignored her foul attitude, everyone has an off day you know! -Excellent !! -Good selection of beers on tap , and menu seemed like there were a lot of comfort food type options. -I highly recommend dining outside if you love patio dining . -Although, it is located inside the hotel, the only way to have outside access is through the elevator that runs directly into the restaurant . -The place is crowded meaning patrons waiting their table will be (im)patiently watching you eat from the sidelines, so eat quickly and don't hang out after your meal! -The waitress we got was impatient, rude, sarcastic, and just a horrible server . -I always recommend this place for any special occasion or just a great dinner ! The view is breathtaking , - Overall a good spot to stop for a beer and snack (as long as you don't mind waiting in line to get in)! -The sauce or lack thereof was a bit bland but the bread was tasty. -At the encouragement of one of our group members , my 5 friends and I decided to hold our exchange reunion at Pai, as opposed to another popular Thai restaurant (hint: it starts with a K and ends in Road; y'all know who I'm talking about). -I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone who's looking to celebrate a special occasion or somewhere nice to go for a first date. Just don't expect to be blown away . -Sounds like a good deal to me!The waitress was very friendly and prompt. We didn't have to wait very long for service . - I haven't ordered much here, I mostly come for drinks on the patio .I have had the spicy mussles which were really good, White wine, onions and jalapenos. -The atmosphere here is cool , unique, and playful - way better than any school environment I've ever been in. -I ordered the BetterBeer (which is the Harry Potter inspired Butterbeer) and it was so yummy!! -I finally see the light .I was surprised to find out that Miku was as fusion-y as it was. -The waitresses are a bit clueless and the sushi is not fresh- actually chewy ... -I went here with high expectations . -The coffee is always strong , they make a firm cappuccino. --when we ordered drinks it took them that same about of time to bring it Other than that I liked the atmosphere and the vibe . -Ambience is nice and the bar is awesome . - The vibe and decor of the place is really cool . -The view is also breathtaking . -Service here wasn't to bad either , it didn't feel like we were being rushed out like what happens in most Chinese restaurants. -I came by myself after a coworker had suggested it and ate at the bar. No , it wasn't awkward like some places can be when you eat by yourself. -Great food and atmosphere, drinks are okay priced but really really good . -Probably one of my favorite places in Toronto for Thai food ... -Probably the best seats since you get to watch how the drinks are made . - The options at the restaurant include various food options that are also vegetarian friendly which is very important to me . -You can eat indoors or in the patio, which is shaded and pretty large . -I've been to Gusto 101 several times and absolutely love it! They have a gorgeous patio which is heated in the winter. -I enjoyed eating the tater tots though they could be a bit more crispy and warm . -Lets just start by saying YUMMMAfter reading the reviews I came here on a Saturday around noon expecting a huge line up, which there was. I was told it would be an hr wait , which wasnt a big deal because things seemed to be moving well . -Good place to hang with friends . -Great restaurant, the oysters were awesome , Mike our waiter was very helpful, nice and friendly. -Great BBQ , Great time, I've had pretty much all the meats they have on offer and love them. -One thing that would've made my experience better is having the menus labelled for persons with dietary restrictions . -The Mad Man was served in a very cool pipe shaped glass , the drink was strong but smooth. -Since going to Baretto for the first time, it has become one of my favourite Coffee / Breakfast and Italian lunch places . -Yes, the price is quite steep for not a whole lot of food but the quality really is top notch!Lobster Miso Soup. -The pad gra prow was definitely my favourite, the way the flavours all melded together was perfect . -However if your looking for somewhere with a fantastic view over the lake and city this would be your place. -Why come here? The sushi . -From the food (best steaks in Toronto!), the friendly & extremely professional staff, and the warm ambiance . -You come here for the experience, not so much for the food. It was my first time visiting the CN Tower and dining at the 360 Restaurant the best way to go about it. -Amazing!I went last night (valentines day), and they gave out a free complimentary martini which was nice .The food is pretty good here! -The place is very loud and noisy with the waiters constantly screaming in Japanese, which makes for a fun environment and a good place for a group of friends to get together and eat and drink. -The only downside is that it is very crowded so the service is really slow , people are willing to wait more than an hour standing outside in the line so keep that in mind. -We had one server who introduced us and said she would be right back to take our order for drinks , we never saw her again. -We waited and waited, but our waitress was no where around . -Small portions and alil pricey but Delicious food and every dish had a flavourful palette. -Cons: Drinks are pretty expensive (that's how they make their money I guess), the music inside is blaring (like, uncomfortably so - you can barely hear people), they don't take debit - just cash or credit (like, not even Visa Debit!?) & the service isn't great (our server was obviously overloaded -The food is superb, the staff is welcoming and the decor gives a great warm home feeling . -The service was really good , and the food was very flavourful. -Instead we got a Befuddlement Draft to share, which was still pretty cool and delicious. -No doubt this is a five stars restaurant for the food however, the 3 stars is for the attitude of the restaurant . -Drinks are a little pricey but that is to make up for the $4.95 food menu which isn't bad. -Drinks were unique but expensive and if you want to overindulge this wouldn't be the place . -Its always delivered on amazing wings . -The food is delicious! The service is good and the atmosphere is inviting . -In my many years of living in Toronto I've probably been to over 50 restaurants. -I recommend the baked brie and the octopus balls ! -Delicious breakfast and plenty of it! -The interiors are gorgeous and obviously a lot of detail went into it. -Love this place , reservations make it easy to book unlike Khao San Road which is not saying anything about their delicious menu options. -Seems like the drinks are great . -Every time I visit Toronto I love taking in the views of Lake Ontario and Cityline from the harbour, from the island and looking down from the 54th floor of the TD tower. -They have a fantastic patio in the summer . -Upstairs have additional space and it will be a take out / snack bar as per the staff . -The setting is intimate, cozy and comfortable . -the owner is very friendly & was helpful. jerk chicken poutine is something to try. -It gets really busy especially on weekends where it turns into a social bar- literally- where you can't find a spot anywhere and the patio is open during the summer . -Overall it was a good experience . -This place has to be one of the most interesting restaurants that I have ever been to! -It was not what I had expected, but it was a delicious and a pleasant surprise . The mussels was delicious . -good food and reasonable price . -i wanted to come here on a very special occasion, so i decided to go for my first anniversary with my girlfriend. -I enjoyed the food and the atmosphere and I'd be back. -The decor was unique and cool- very east meets west. - The place is underground and it was a cool place . -This review is for dinner and I speculate that brunch is a different ( and hopefully better ) experience altogether. -The patio is gorgeous as it looks over liberty and is very airy. The food is good, but nothing to rave about. The pizzas are fresh, which is nice, the Cobb salad is kind of just a salad (with no blue cheese :[). Overall, food is good, but it kind of feels your average run of the mill chain restaurant. Come here to drink after work for the views if anything. -and they took a few minutes to arrive but the bar was busy and the bartenders didnt stop moving . -The patio is GREAT . -The staff were friendly and accommodating, and we enjoyed getting breakfast and meeting up for drinks with friends at the cafe . -Khoa San Road is probably the best Thai food that I have ever had in Toronto. -Great food (tasting menu) and great service (Greg and Seth) combined for a special meal . -Best restaurant in terms of everything . -My greatest complaint would be that the rice was too soggy and had clumped together instead of standing alone as individual grains. -We enjoyed one of the best tables on the patio, great food and the best service we have experienced in awhile. -Also goo prices with the portions you get . -but I find it quite hard too as every time I've gone here I've been disappointed . -it kinda sucks when i left my earphones there.. i called them and they said they have it.. when i got there they said that they dont have it anymore.. -Guacamole is decent, drinks are ok,the rest is a mess . -The ribs were over cooked and dry . -The wait time was long but definitely worth the wait! -The food is really amazing, ambience & decor is classy and contemporary, coffee is really delicious , mimosas are such a nice addition too. -The bedding and towels were new and clean, the rugs are brand new, the pillows were great and everything about the room smelled good . -My 3-day stay at the Andrews Hotel was a pleasant one overall; I was satisfied with the clean, comfortable room (a "cozy double") and generally good service. I booked the room directly with the hotel , getting them to match the rate of $79 for weeknights, $99 for weekends, that was quoted by several web booking sites. -The location was excellent , close to the cable car stop, art galleries, shops and Union Square. -Our room was clean, well appointed, if a little snug and comfortable. The bathroom wasn't brand new, but was just fine. Service was very good overall. We had to wait a bit too long for our room, but the staff did everything they could to get it ready for us as quickly as possible. As everyone else has noted, no A/C! This was pretty awful, as the rooms get quite warm, especially the smaller ones. If you left the fan on all day, it helped cool things down a bit.Our room was the very last one in the hotel (450) so we were on the main road side, which was quite noisy at night. Lots of sirens and road cleaners going past at all hours. Also, the free wireless didn't reach that end of the hotel, so if that's an essential feature, ask for something more in range of the front desk, maybe. Custom Burger was very expensive, and not at all worth the price in my opinion. The shakes are fantastic though! Right across the road at the Good Hotel, is a pizza place on the bottom floor. Good pizza, good prices and friendly staff, esp Ashanti. Eat here over CB anytime. The location isn't great , but we walked toward the "bad" part of town in daylight hours and had no problems. -The room was very small but clean and unique . -Location was fantastic, so easy to go anywhere. -It was the most disgusting room I ever stayed in . -Well my trip was on memorial weekend, and yes i did expect it to be a little noisy.the room next to me was so loud . -The nighty wine reception in the lobby from 5 to 6 was also a great bonus . -There's a great family diner across the street for breakfast . -The room was very comfortable - no view, but then we did not expect one as we were out and about - not sitting in the room. -Room gorgeous with view to the West, almost could see China in the distance . -It was in the heart of the city, near to shops, malls, Chinatown, trollies, public transportation and food. -if you enjoy shopping . -The actual hotel itself is OK, the issue we had was the location. -Everything about this place was excellent. For the very low price you pay you get a large room, great facilities, free breakfast, the most helpful staff i've ever encountered. -First the positives: great staff - very helpful front desk, service at the wine reception and breakfast was great and our housekeeper was absolutely delightful . -If you want a clean, reliable hotel with a decent location , this is the one for you. -We were in the older part of the hotel and on the 6th floor which was fine. -The hotel is centrally located and was great for shopping at Westfield , Macys and all that Union Square has to offer. -Stayed in the JW Marriott on the last night of our holiday as a treat! We did the rest of the trip (which included Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco the previous weekend, Yosemite and Santa Cruz) on a budget and decided to blow the budget on the last night as we had to catch two flights home the following day which was to take about 20hours in total. -Bathroom: cool, Bed : comfy, great pillow . -the pillows very flat in the standard rooms so we upgraded for our single night stay. -Great location --walking distance to LOTS of fun spots. -(movie rentals are available for about 12 bucks a night it would make more sense to buy a DVD disc at Borders or Virgin which are both a few blocks away.) There was also a serious lack of storage space in the room .Bathroom was tight. -The high speed internet was great and the complimentary breakfast was awesome and made it worth the stay. -That street is very loud and alot of traffic . -Yes, the room the smallish , but the rest is incredible. -There was no smiling at all from her when she checked us in or when she checked us out. -The Grand Hyatt in San Fran is an awesome hotel - big rooms , great bedding, fitness center on 6th floor. -The hotel rooms are small , and the desk is not really useable for a long period of work. -We received three great restaurant recommendations from the front desk and they always provided us with accurate directions to our destination. -The breakfast is better than the usual Continental , the waffles deserve a special mention. -Room service was also excellent as was the breakfast in the lovely Silk Restaurant .Verdict - A wonderful choice and most recommended :)! -We stayed in room 590, the Dunkirk suite. It is a corner accomodation with great city views . -My room requirements were done perfectly . -We stayed at the Westin St Francis from the 29th June 2009 for 4 nights. -March 2005My second time, staff very friendly, great views and location is awesome . -This hotel is very funky and fun . The staff are very cool , nice and knowledgeable. -that the rooms are very small - however, the space is used very efficiently, and I never felt cramped. -The wine hour in the cozy lobby was great . -The restuarant is very small and didn't have a chance to eat there . -The Hotel is beautifly decorated and was immaculate in condition . -Cafe Andre was really good & very reasonable! Had a great breakfast . -However, the location is great for shopping in Union Square. -Also, the wine hour is very nice and I don't even drink wine. -we stayed on the 32nd floor and had a great city view . -The hotel is in a very safe area and we felt perfectly happy walking around at night. -Breakfast was convenient and good . -Over all, Hotel Carlton is a good place to stay and it is a good value . -Excellent shower head with great pressure . -The service at this hotel is excellent and since we had stayed here before we knew about the wonderful breakfast , the warm fireplace, the cookie jar and the great people at the front desk. -The hotel was good, room was a little small but very clean and the bed was very comfortable . -Dirty, moldy, smelly!! Some rooms had working phones, tvs, lights, other rooms didn't. Very inconsistant. Bedding was dirty, one towel in one room , none in the others. -The rooms were clean comfortable and affordable . -We stayed for 7/4 fireworks, the shuttle was only two blocks away, it's very convenient. -The location was ideal . -This was a nice hotel, the rooms very a little on the small size but very pleasant. -This hotel is located in a fabulous location near Fisherman's wharf . -What a GEM! The rooms were obviously recently remodeled and were very nice . -The hotel offers a continental breakfast , with juices, cereals, bagels, and fresh pastries every morning. -The food is very expensive. Breakfast while ok was too much money. -* STAFF - excellent - friendly staff* LOCATION - average - Definitely NOT walking distance to the wharf or Chinatown. -Our third floor room faced the Sheraton and we could hear every bus, every car, constant noise day and night . -And breakfast at the hotel restaurant, it was terrible and overpriced . -The room was large, with 2 double beds, a nice bathroom and cleaned daily, although if you wish to stay in your room later than 8am I would hang the privacy tag on the door as the maid knocks early and loudly!!!!The breakfast is basic, but free, so very convenient . -The hotel is definitely well run . -Our room was not extra large but we would only be sleeping there . -The room was very clean, updated, with a cool view of the city below . -The hotel is a bright spot in a not-so-nice area of SF (I believe the tour guide referred to the area as 'The Tenderloin'.) -The rooms were big and the service was warm , friendly and efficient - the hotel service hat trick! -though!The hotel was in a great location , a block or so from Union Square and with a cable car station in the adjoining street. -The lobby of the Ramada is quite cool (it used to be the old City Hall), but the rooms are fairly run down and not particularly clean . -The high floor rooms need time to cool off , but if you close your curtains and remember the sun does shine during check-in at 2pm it all cools off by the time you arrive back from dinner in the evening. -THe room was a little on the small side , but acceptable. -The onsite restaurant is outrageously overpriced even for Union Square. -We quickly discovered that this was one of the former spacious rooms from the old Clift that we remembered so fondly, but it had been chopped up into two rooms ... creating a window-less bedroom area and very cramped sitting area. -Sadly it wasn't really "fixed" as it kept blocking again and again, so we had to use the hallway, shared bathroom, even though we payed extra for our own. -Free parking is a definate benefit in San Francisco and the location so near to Fishermans Wharf was great . -It reminded me of European boutique hotels that I've stayed in . -The area isn't too bad. Just don't go west or south (Tenderloin). Go north, and you hit Nob Hill. Go east, and you hit Union Square .If you need parking, park across the street at the California Garage for $32 total. -Nice beds and room decor ( quiet with no street noise)- Lots of taxis right outside the door- -Internet is $17 per day. -Their staff was rude , the beds were hard, and if they didn't forget to leave tea bags, they forgot stirring sticks, sugar, or cups. -so it's a decent location . -Great restaurants nearby . -Bathroom necessities smell amazing, was tempted to swipe them! The gym is great , not huge but certainly new and good equipment. -It's in a handy location if you are fairly fit and don't mind walking. -The rooms are tiny , very old, and LOUD. -We stayed in the older section of the Hotel in a small but comfortable room . -It's no secret that the Parc 55 Hotel is in the path of lots of street noise , especially if you are facing Market Street. -I was concerned about trying a new hotel in the Union Square area . -roomservice is great , housekeeping is wonderfull, location of the hotel is really good for shopping and exploring the city on foot: we went to Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, Coit Tower, Pacific Heights,... -The complimentary breakfast was delicious (scrambled and boiled eggs, sausage, quiche, danishes, scones, croissants, assortment of breads (great sourdough, wheat, white), fresh cut fruit, coffee, tea, orange juice, and cranberry juice ). -Location is excellent less than 2 blocks from fishermans Wharf & ; easy walking distance to cable tram and other attractions. -We find the overall location perfect , right at Union Square, close to the BART, Westfield Mall, walking distance to the Embarcadero, North Beach and Chinatown. -The room was a bit small but given the prime location it is understandable that a builder would want to create as many possible rooms while still maintaining comfort. -Tuscan was wonderful! The rooms were clean and nicely decorated. The rooms were also quiet and we felt safe . -We did not really know what to expect when we booked rooms for my husband and myself, and one for our two college age sons, except that it had good reviews , was moderately priced (by San Francisco standards) and was well located in the city. -the service is poor , and for those used to staying in Kimpton hotels... this Kimpton is a real surprise. -The location is fantastic with restaurants, shops, diners very close. If I picked fault then I would say that the sanitary fittings were a bit worn and the air con unit (which we needed) was noisy. -There was a coffee maker, blow dryer, fridge, microwave, clock radio and internet access! The continental breakfast was great , the pool was beautiful, and the free parking was...well, free parking! -The breakfast was a wonderful way to start the day of sight seeing. -Room was in good shape . -We stayed at the Hotel Rex and the rooms were clean and neat and the hotel staff are very friendly , helpful and provide you with exceptional customer service. -As usual, for a Starwood property, the bed was soooooo comfortable . The location was great , very centrally located for shopping, dining and public transportation. -We enjoyed San Fran. way more then we ever thought we would and we owe that to The Argonaut Hotel and there staff. -The breakfast was good, although the "hot" items were lukewarm . -The price was great considering that of other places, the kingsize bed very comfortable and the continental breakfast was very satisfying as we set out each day. -Yes, there are some homeless people walking around, but they do not bother you ! -Room was very big with loads of storage space . -The breakfast was complementary but our family likes to sleep in a little so when we got to the breakfast there was limited choices because most things got used up. -The room was decent size but the decor was beyond outstanding . -Our room was small but very unique and quaint . -Some of the reviewers have complained about the high price of breakfast. -Incredible location . -If you have it, go spend your $200 plus a night somewhere else . -standards!The staff were excellent , very friendly and helpful. -We stayed there this past weekend and LOVED it! The front desk was friendly and prompt . -(movie rentals are available for about 12 bucks a night it would make more sense to buy a DVD disc at Borders or Virgin which are both a few blocks away.) There was also a serious lack of storage space in the room .Bathroom was tight. -The hotel is in a great location and the staff are excellent, very helpful and friendly. -Excellent location for "getting out on foot" to see the City. -So, of course, they put us on the Van Ness side of the building which is incredibly noisy . -First the positives: great staff - very helpful front desk, service at the wine reception and breakfast was great and our housekeeper was absolutely delightful. -This room was cleaner but the ceiling fan was broken. -The room was clean and comfortable . -Breakfast was also pricey (and not as outstanding) -Hotel staff were very accomodating with our 18 month old- providing a cot, toy and stroller for him. -Loved everything about the stay - there for the Nike Woman's Marathon - Lovely location would go again - very nice - -My room was nicely decorated and modern looking. -There is no noise from room to room, and our room was right outside the parlour where folks on our floor had breakfast . -The rooms were very spacious and we found them to be exactly as pictured on the website. -My negative experience began with the reservationist who booked a King Room for us , I doubly confirmed this because I knew that the city was extremely booked at this time. -Loved my stay. Great location and breakfast was great . -Not large rooms but enough so that there was a bit of privacy for everyone. -Hotel was dirty, room was small, smelled like smoke although we asked for a non-smoking room .,So it was a wonderful experience going to the Pan Pacific and being greeted by the valet. -There are tons of shopping nearby and good restaurants . -The rooms are a little small but the front desk was friendly and helpful . -The room itself was a bit small , but the space was utilized very well in my opinion. -There are countless kiosks in the area for different tours and attractions . -I stayed at the Hyatt for a conference for 4 days and was not at all impressed for the pretty high group rate we were paying. -The second room was bigger and again nice and great decor - admittedly we decided to pay a little bit extra per night for this room ( only about $10 i think) in the hope that we would get more sleep. -There are various inexpensive but good restaurants nearby (Milano, just up the road, is recommended) and reception will be happy to point some out to you. -We got a great deal on this hotel on Priceline for 3 nights in mid February 2009 . -The quality is good, with fresh high quality pastries and coffee as well as cereal, boiled eggs, bagels, cheese, fruit, tea, etc . -The front desk was very friendly and our room was very comfortable. -The room was a good size if not big . -The room was way too small to have a bath, which should ahve been ripped out and replaced with a decent shower unit.........a true design feature would have been a small wet room with a screen dividing the shower from the basin and toilet. -Our room was very nice , it was in a recently remodeled section and everything was very clean and new. -The breakfast was very average . -The rooms were probably a bit small , but really that was a non-issue for us. -This is a great little inn with a fantastic wine & cheese hour and great continental breakfast . -Our room had a queen size bed with a choice of different pillows, a safe, a flat screen TV, wireless internet, a large walk-in closet, a nice bathroom with plenty of towels and toiletries including a rubber duck for your bath(Nice touch). -So after reading amazing reviews of this hotel i was expecting a great comfortable place to stay after a tiring 2 weeks sightseeing in Europe. -Bathroom was luxurious . -Room was small, kind of dingy and smelled musty . -The free wine hour was great but the lobby was overcrowded with people due to lack of chairs. -The bed was extremely comfortable and we slept like babies for the four nights we were there . -The front desk falls over itself to welcome you, and we were asked if we'd like a free upgrade to a better view of the city simply because he could offer it (we are members of the Fairmont frequent traveler club)! The rooms themselves were plush , with linens you felt you could float on--fluffy down comforters, tons of pillows. -The rates were very reasonable ($70 ish), rooms were a bit snug, but we didn't plan on spending much time there -The location is superb , near the sights but quiet at nightime with a trolley stop almost outside the door. -the location was perfectly fine ?! -The new rooms had beautiful light , gorgeous views of the Bay and Alcatraz and it was like we were staying in a completely different hotel. -This hotel was great to stay in, the staff were extremely helpful and friendly and the standard of service provided was exceptionally good. -Beds very comfy with lovely pillows , free in room safe gives peace of mind. -Free wireless Internet- Excellent location - less than a block from Union Square- Comfortable bed and great pillow "menu"- A rubber ducky in the bathroom - hilarious!- Large walk-in closetBad/Ugly:- Room was quite cold (San Francisco was going through a bit of a cold spell) and the central heating system was not very reliable. -We had a lovely, quiet room, spacious quarters , a terrific bathroom and lots of room. -The rooms are wonderful , clean and have everything you need and if you are missing something just call the butler... -I did like the breakfast which is a real time & money saver if you are traveling with kids. -Overall, we loved San Francisco and thought that the hotel was very good, considering the price and location . -I travel to San Francisco often for work; the St. Regis is the nicest and coolest one I have stayed at yet! The decor is modern, but not over the top modern, just contemporary. Beautifully appointed entry and very welcoming staff. They walked me up to my room to explain the new technology - which is highlighted by a digital device that controls everything from room service to lighting to the do not disturb sign, all with bedside convenience. The beds are fluffy and obviously extremely clean. The place was spotless. Bathroom necessities smell amazing, was tempted to swipe them! The gym is great , not huge but certainly new and good equipment. -But whilst we were there it poured with rain most of the time, and we found the room quite small when we were trying to dry out our soggy clothes . -Room was on the smallish side, but perfectly adequate . -I like stylish hotels, this is why I chose the Adagio and here are my comments: Room: not too big but very well furnished and decorated . -It really is a great atmosphere . -The location of this hotel is wonderful , you can't beat Union Square for shopping and theaters and a bustling nightlife. -Many restaurants just blocks away in a safe and interesting area. -I requested a high floor & got a room with a spectacular view of the city. -Great shopping, cable cars go right by, plenty of restaurants and fantastic people watching. -Our room had a huge closet where we stored our luggage , so we had plenty of room to move around. -The room I stayed at was the best Marriott property room I ever stayed in . -The breakfast was wonderful, probably the epitome of & quot;continental breakfast" ; -- everything was fresh, and the atmosphere was first-rate. -The free breakfast was decent . -The view from the 16th floor was amazing ...especially at night. -It's a charming hotel with beautiful rooms in a perfect location . -The staff was friendly, the room was cute although the comforter was a little dirty (the sheets were clean). -Complimentary breakfast is basic and they do have hot food, which is good enough. -We loved the beds and linen! They offer a full and delicious breakfast , an evening happy hour with yummy hordeurves and wine not to mention friendly setting to share experiences with fellow travelers. -Reasonably clean, great location by attractions but horrifically noisy, both from street traffic and denizens of the hotel itself . -There was a lot of street noise and noise from the people next to us. -Overall the hotel was very decently priced, the staff was freindly and attentive , and the rooms were super clean. -When I walked into the room, It was immaculate . -We took it and were so glad we did! The room was awesome . -Free wi-fi in the lobby area. -This hotel is bad and is not a value at the price of about $70 a night (+ $22 per day parking).As soon as I opened my room's door the smell of dirty old man body order pierced through my nose making my eyes water . -The exceptional thing that happened is that I had mentioned being in town for my birthday . -This motel has very nice, newly renovated rooms with plasma TV. -The hotel was in an amazing location , right in the middle of Union Square, shopping mecca! -The bedding and towels were new and clean, the rugs are brand new, the pillows were great and everything about the room smelled good. -Our room was dark and dreadful . -I found his attitude and manner toward a guest of his hotel less than acceptable . -What an outstanding hotel in every way! The rooms are so beautiful , clean and comfortable, I would say they are beyond compare. -Customer service is also very poor. We met several rude staff . -I LOVED the room , and the staff were beyond helpful. -Breakfast was minimal (coffee, tea, and excellent fresh muffins) , but was included in the room rate. -Room was on the smallish side, but clean . -The location is superb-- right in Union Square. -This place doesn't have to try too hard to be ultra hip or cool . -The breakfast was delicious and varied and I was very glad I upped my reservation for this alone. -The hotel is very nice overall, close to Union Square neighborhood, cable car on Powell street and public transportation at Market/Powell bus and metro/BART . -From the greetings as we entered the grand lobby area (the smell of fresh flowers is truly wonderful), to the beautiful room , we truly enjoyed the experience. -very clean and in good shape.. they also use newer keys than the old magentic cards . -But the biggest surprise was - that upon request - we received our favourite room. All this, combined with it's charming location in one of the most attractive cities of the world, makes the Drisco a true gem. -Lovely hotel, comfortable rooms , great front desk lady! -The room was amazing and in fantastic condition with great decor . -What makes a great hotel experience? In my opinion it's the personal comfort level, the suitability of the accomodations for your purpose as well as exemplary customer service, the kind of service that anticipates your needs and fulfills them graciously. -The breakfast was a bit expensive but you can always go out and have breakfast in one of many restaurants nearby. -The room itself felt dirty . -Rooms are huge , and when we stayed the hotel had just put in flat screen TVs in all the rooms. -We had a 3rd floor king w/ city view , nice view however if you open the windows the noise from Lombard Street is very loud , once closed noise barley audiable. -The room had an aweful musty odour, furniture and soft furnishings looked tired and the carpet was in a terrible state . -The room was very well appointed with quality furnishings and it was decorated in a classy and individual style, not what you normally expect from a chain hotel in a touristy location. -recommended by my sister as amazing value for money and excellent location in the heart of all the shops and things to do . -The location is great - very central and always felt safe walking around the area . -Yes - the bar and restaurant are on the expensive to the OMG side - especially if you dive into the steak menu at dinner ($54 for a veal chop - wow!) -The rooms are roomy and nicely appointed. -I have to admit that the location and view was perfect . -Nice clean spacious rooms , looked newly remodeled. -The hotel is in a very convenient location for tourists and close to lots of shopping . -Very nice . -Rooms are smallish , but adequate for a business stay, or a weekend, tho romantic, it ain't! -The bed and tolietries are my only complaints -- the bed in our room was HARD and uncomfortable and the pillows were very small . -The Andrews Hotel rooms were very small , but nicely decorated & furnished, the cleanilness was excellent. -But it was in reasonably good condition , the beds were comfortable, it was quiet at night (being two blocks from Highway 101), we had a fridge and microwave, and there was plenty of hot water. -and I stayed here over Memorial Day and our room was disgusting . -Rooms are big , beautiful, clean... nothing unexpected of the Mark Hopkins. -The room was large, bright and airy. The bathroom was large enough and everything was spotless. -The location is perfect in that it is very near Union Square, shopping, restaurants, but also near the business district . -The room is very petite . -They recommended both a French and Italian restaurant and both were within walking distance and just delicious (Fleur de Lis / Fino). -Free wine reception on Fridays and Saturdays, worth going. -Just return from the Hotel Nikko this afternoon and can't wait to write this review. -Restaurant is on the pricey side, but there are plenty of less -expensive options within walking distance. -Dirty, moldy, smelly!! Some rooms had working phones, tvs, lights, other rooms didn't . -My friend and I shared a room with two double beds and our "biggest" complaint was that there weren't enough electrical outlets for us to charge our wireless phones and Garmin gps units . -The location was awesome and we enjoyed walking to Union Square and all the shops. -When I arrived at my room (659), I was greeted by a broken switchplate and the odors of both mildew and cigarette smoke . -Location is fine - no need to go into the Tenderloin unless you choose to do so and only a 10 minute walk downhill to Union Square . -The room was great size for the four of us . -While the lobby and some other rooms are gorgeous , the sound quality of the rooms (you really can hear everything) and the majority of the Fairmont staff are not up to standards. -You are really paying for location with this hotel. This is also a historic hotel , so please do not expect it to look like the Westin in Hollywood Florida. -The Cartwright is just four blocks from Union Square, with theaters and shopping nearby . -We got a nice room, with a good view of the city but unfortunately we woke every morning with really sore throats from the air conditioning which we couldnt turn off and there are no windows to open to let some fresh air in. -Room was nice, with all the amnities you need . -Room looked down at 3rd St, no view of the bay or bridges, but I'll sacrafice that for a great rate. Restaurant was pricey as hotels are. They ran out of empty refrig's to replace our pay-mini-bar, but allowed us to remove and replace items without a charge to store our leftovers & drinks. Beds were comfy with lots of fluffy pillows. Valet staff was more friendly and helpful than concierge. Parking, valet only, was $42/day + $5.50 tax. May look into public parking across street next time. Very close to subway stations, large mall, & trolley stops. -We were in a large king room which looked out over a courtyard of trees--surprising in the middle of San Francisco! Hotel staff were uniformly nice , complimentary wine was of reasonable quality and served graciously. -The hotel staff are all very friendly, rooms are actually good sized for the Bay area, free snacks in the bar at night and a great continental breakfast for Hilton Honors members....definately recommend this hotel (but leave your car at home if possible...parking is around $50 a night)!! -This was a great alternative to all the other big name hotels in the Square district. -The location was handy - we were able to walk everywhere . -The breakfast was excellent with a number of different choices (both hot and cold food available). -Breakfast was also pricey (and not as outstanding) but you can add pastries, fruit and even a breakfast sandwich on to your complimentary breakfast beverage order for not too big a hit so we went that route and enjoyed a more affordable breakfast in our room. -Breakfast was a nice add , with cereals, waffles, coffee, etc. -The yellow 70's bathroom bothered me the most as it was very dirty . -The complimentary breakfast is great , and the rooms are large. -Simple breakfast . -Upon a late evening arrival we were greeted by cheerful staff . -Must say the service,staff and location were amazing . -The continental breakfast was a nice starter . -Our rooms were quite large and impeccably clean . -Probably will stay there again just because of how well we felt they took care of our family . -The location is great . -Rooms clean, warm and comfortable beds . -Our rate also included a very adequate continental breakfast. -We went around the corner to Mel's Diner on Mission St to supplement our breakfast - great food , cheap. -I'd checked out the Trip Advisor reviews and the website and the rooms looked cosy and clean . -The staff is very friendly, my room (King suite) was HUGE , clean, and quiet. -Not a bad location, plenty of buses and only a short 10min walk to the water front . -Overall a nice hotel - though like many hotels in San francisco it is quite pricey - SF hotels are pricier than NYC or Boston Breakfast is expensive for what you get - much better value in the Omni in Boston! - which is hard to beat for breakfast! -Located in the financial district , everything is closed over the weekend, have to walk that little bit further for coffee, etc. -Friendly and helpful manager . -Approaching the hotel looks very magestic and granduer. -It was the perfect location and so comfortable . -We had a fire place (and since it was chilly in San Fran during our stay - the fire place was great!)Breakfast in the morning was nice . -Internet is available (wifi in room ) and you can print in the lobby too.//FoodI didn't try the food at Powell Hotel. -The room was nice , clean & confortable , facing Sutter Street on the 6th floor, with a fantastic bed (see picture). -we asked for a twin room and it was tiny, 2 tiny single beds that were like a saggy lilo. Overall a horrible hotel and I won't be returning. -Location, service, accommodations and staff are excellent . -We were located right beside the breakfast reception area . -My husband and I just returned from a trip to SF and stayed 3 nights at the HI Express FW. -The bar staff were friendly, drink prices were reasonable.and there was a good atmosphere . -Our west facing room on the 5th floor was comfortable, clean, and spacious . -The room was large, clean, and well maintained . -The full, and I do mean full, breakfast in the morning is incredible and it's a chance to chat with guests from all over the world about their plans for the day. -The down side of the location is that this is not a great section of Market and most people probably will not feel too comfortable walking at night. -Understood renovations were accomplished; not as elegant as expected; did not has elete floor as told so had to wait in line in the lobby for coffee; rooms has 2 double not queen beds and NOT enough room for 2 people to walk around room; not enough room to get in one side of bed; the veiw was great; they did change molded shower curtain when asked; Great location! -This is a wonderful hotel with nice rooms, wonderful breakfast each morning (the waffles are awesome) and close to everything. -The lobby was beautiful and the location can not be beeat . -The room was horrible . -I was able to have a light breakfast and enjoyed the view of the city streets below. -First time booking with Expedia on a recent trip to San Francisco and was not really sure what to expect but our expectations were surely exceeded! -The free breakfast was decent . -Since the hotel is right at the end of the Powell trolley line , I was unhappy to realize that my room was filled with the clang-clang late into the evening and early in the morning -- something of a wake up call, I guess. -i was able to see golden gate bridge we loved the jet spa bathtub good experience in there! -The breakfast was basic but did the job. -We got a really good rate of $109/night on hotwire. -To their credit, the reception staff were very friendly and understanding , and fulfilled my request straight away (rooms at the rear of the building, whilst smaller, are far quieter).The rooms themselves were clean and comfortable, but a single room isn't overly spacious. -The hotel is at a fairly good location with easy access to the shopping district and a Walgreens a block away. -We have stayed there on 2 occasions & the wonderful staff, convenient location, & clean, quiet rooms keep us coming back! Located at Broadway & Van Ness , Castle Inn is in a nice neighborhood with drug store, grocery, cafes & cute shops within close walking distance. -the room was not very spacious , but worked for it. -There are lots of restaurants within walking distance . -That room was nice . -The room had much dust , e alergic tavelers may hav problems... -The Continental Breakfast was quick and convenient . -The hotel itself is very nice looking with a modern decor. Our room, single king bed, was more than adequate. -The room was quiet and spacious as well as clean. -The desk staff is extremely friendly and helpful . -The staff are friendly, the rooms are a good size and everything is clean and modern . -The location's great as it's near Union Square and Westfield Shopping Centre ! -There was a light breakfast offered , the bagels were very good. -The hotel was built in 1906 after the earthquake so the rooms are not huge but the are beautiful and clean . -The Hotel is in a great location , the staff are very friendly and helpful. -Quiet and spacious rooms, friendly staff and fabulous breakfasts . -This hotel has great amenities ...great location... and generally excellent service. -It was super clean, rooms were clean and nice and a good size . -Did I mention super polite? The wonderful and bountiful breakfast spread in the morning on each floor . -The rooms are comfy and include all the amenities you expect from a major hotel. -Many restaurants were within walking distance and the view to the water from some of the rooms was fabulous. -The hotel is excellent and good value for money with good sized rooms and breakfast included, only a short walk to Fisherman`s Wharf and Pier 39 , Regular bus services running past the hotel, and close to the Street and Cable cars. -But if you want a place centrally located in SF that's cheap (at least the rate I got on Priceline was), it is fine . -The room was outstanding - we were upgraded to a front room suite which looked towards the S.F. bay. -Great location --easy walking distance to lots of thngs and easy access to public transportation. -And, the location of the hotel is perfect-- while my husband was at his meeting, I had TONS of shopping and restaurant hopping to do ! -The hotel is walking distance to many attractions . -We were fortunate enough to have a courtyard room which I gather is a better option . -The room wasn't huge but had an awesome bed, an LCD TV, Bose clock radio, etc . -There are restaurants near the Holiday Inn . -We were shocked at how SMALL the room was! The room is very small . -Oh and there is also fresh fruit in the gym , which might be a nice snack as the mini bar and room service are quite pricey. -We have a room with 2 beds, very tight! The view overlooking Union Square was spectacular. -The location is perfect for the theater, shopping at Union Square, has a fantastic restaurant , Cortez, and it was a totally yin and yang experience. -You might be a little skeptical about this place, because it is way, way, cheaper than hotels in the general area . -The location is fantastic , assuming you prefer Union Square to the Wharf. -Everything about our stay at Best Western- Tuscan Inn was great, location to the wharf , cable cars and everything we wanted to see and do. -Breakfast is limited to toast and muffins with plenty of choice with drinks though. -Read all the reviews prior to booking and arriving so we knew what to expect and we were not disappointed. -Rooms were quite large - very exquisite - excellent service and great breakfast . -One last thing was the front desk was very rude . -This hotel is a DUMP ! -The breakfast on each floor is simple but nice . -which proved to be a bad location which will elaborate on later. -We enjoyed the location of the hotel (5 minutes from Union Square). -Friendly personnel and top location! -Good location in town, decent sized rooms and pretty helpful staff . -The rooms were not particularly clean and our final night was ruined by the incompetence of the hotel staff. -Room was large , comfy, clean, great bathroom. -The hotel is in a wonderful location at the top of Nob Hill . -The breakfast is fine i.e. not great -We stayed at the Hotel Whitcomb (formerly Ramada (@ 8th & Market) in San Francisco during Easter weekend 2007 . -The breakfasts were wonderful ; fresh fruit, croissants, fresh hot breads, quiches, sausages, scrambled eggs, french toast, as well as hot and cold cereals, juices, coffee and teas. -Quiet and spacious rooms, friendly staff and fabulous breakfasts . -The location is outstanding for the convention center , SFMOMA, Yerba Buena Gardens, Union Square, and BART. -With that said, the hotel itself was very clean, amenities felt new, and the staff was superb ! -We met up with a friend in San Francisco and he booked this hotel for us -Room on the 4th floor northside facing Pine. -We even missed the free wine hour but what the heck, the staff was so pleasant and not in a superficial,' I don't mean it' kind of way. -This place was so great! The location was amazing and the free parking makes it even better. -The breakfast was excellent and featured homemade baked goods , and we enjoyed the little treats that were available in the lobby throughout the day. -They did a great job!They gym at this hotel is very nice with great cardio and weight machines. -The room was fine , basic but nice with a comfortable bed. -The air conditioning unit needs to be placed in a recycling yard , it does ruin the look of the room and is quite noisy. -Nice rooms, reasonable buffet breakfast included, with plent to do nearby . -The location is outstanding for the convention center , SFMOMA, Yerba Buena Gardens, Union Square, and BART. - The restaurant next door called Daily Grill serves some good food and not too pricey and always busy with good atmosphere . -(even provided salsa when requested) Location can't be beat . -The room at first glance was very nice but then you can see real age . -A perfect location , can get loud outside, but overall would recommend hotel! -The breakfast that is provided was quite enough to satisfy my needs and very tasty . -The breakfast was decent for a hotel complimentery breakfast . -Reception staff very friendly and helpful . -The hotel is is a good location (in some respects) as it is very close to Fishermans Wharf, and the accomadations are reasonably good .On -The rooms were beautiful and we loved the bathroom . -Our room was clean, the owner was very friendly and helpful with directions, suggestions on places to eat and places to avoid. -The staff were so helpful!! They upgraded us to a wonderful room !! -The food was expensive as you would expect in a downtown hotel . -The hotel is in a incredible location on Fisherman's Wharf with an approximate walk of ten minutes to Pier 39. -This hotel completely ruined what was a lovely trip up until then. -Good value for the price . -The breakfast is perfect as is the afternoon wine and cheese. -Breakfast was fine . -The location is fantastic - right in the midst of union square. -Horrible location , it's skidrow. -He shows up & lets me into the room - which is actually a pretty big suite w/ a kitchenette, roof-top access & a killer view. -The location is super - just across from Pier 39 and walking distance to Alcatraz pier, tram and many other sights. -This place was near perfect and much cheaper than the other hotels in the area. -at the hotel, really good deal compared to the price and the location . -My first time in SF would've been better if we had booked a better hotel. -The desk staff was very friendly and knowledgable with any info. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/sentence-validation.books.txt b/reference_files/sentence-validation.books.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 3b468ca5dcdd40069025e0d1c759d06c20b45be6..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/sentence-validation.books.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,92 +0,0 @@ - The well- adjusted among us keep those things under control , and that's how Bernadette differs. - The reader is drawn to her instantly, as we are plunged into a futuristic world of oppression, poverty and despair. -I love this book! I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of Louise Penny's latest mystery novel "How the Light Gets In", the ninth in the series about Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and the Homicide Division of the Surete du Quebec. -This book is hilarious !! -This book is by far one of the best books I have ever read. -After Insurgent , the story picks up with Tris in trouble and Evelyn in control of the city. - It kept me guessing and the story is just so emotional and touching . -The characters are charming , the period voice feels right, there are enough painful stories from the war to make it feel real without having so many as to make the book unpleasantly grim, and well, this is just a nicebook to read. -Although much given detail does not pertain to the core story, the book based on Dodd's diary and the ancillary writings of others, is extensively researched , and very well written. -The story line was good at keeping the reader encased but some parts of the final product fell flat. - On top of this tragedy, she is dealing with normal high school angst - her social situation, her parents' divorce and her father's subsequent remarriage to her former baby sitter, her mother's disappearance, and her extremely strained relationship with her father and stepmother. -The Book Thief (New York: Albert A. Knopf, 2007), a novel by Australian writer Markus Zusak, accomplished a rare feat for Holocaust literature: the novel won numerous literary awards and became a long-standing international best seller, including being on the New York Times best seller list for a record of 230 weeks. -I adored her . -As I was reading the publishing page in the front of the book in preparation for this review , I noticed that the hardbound copy is printed on acid free paper. -The story was heartbreaking ... the story of Hope/Sky and her life literally broke me. -Two other books sat on the top of the reading pile, begging for a thorough read, the Amazon reader review thing, and so on. -It's 1962, a time when escalating tensions are rising between African-Americans (then known as "coloreds") and their white employers and neighbors! Told from three different points of view , this story probes the intimate thoughts about what it's like for the maids of wealthy and middle class white people in Jackson, Mississippi. -I strongly recommend this book.for some strange reason it was available in English prior to Christmas everywhere except USA . -Story is intriguing though incredulous . -It's a horrifying tale of "if I can't have you nobody can" wrapped up with some soul-crushing dependence, all told through a who-dun-it type of story. -Honestly, it's YA, it's somewhat SciFi and the description just didn't seem to grab me . -I thought the book started out good and interesting but it definately slowed down in the middle to the end. -Has hilarious stories ! -The concept for this story is exciting . -I loved that this book was a little more adult than the previous books . - There was a bit of mystery, a bit of the supernatural, a bit of magic . - Highly recommended . - Their story is riveting, appalling, and highly readable. A smart and stylish golden couple who complete each other in every way, their story and the inside look into their marriage will have readers mesmerized from romantic beginning until the stunning finale. -The story was so touching and had me guessing the entire time I was reading . -Definitely the best book of the series but all 3 are highly engaging and worth reading. -A few of the paragraphs do tend to go on a sentence fragment or two too long . -I think the writing and the content is very good . -Like there should be part 2 which I would not read . -The story and concept are unique, interesting, and captivating. They touch upon a wide variety of philosophical topics, such as love, free will, age differences within relationships, sex, waiting for love, and genetic therapy. -Very surprised considering its popularity . -The characters were likeable and I could not put this book down. -Highly recommended . -The concept is intriguing (4 stars) and the pace satisfactory ( 3 stars) but it lacks the depth it needs to be exceptional. -The best thing about this book is: it is so simple to read and understand, and hence easy to remember . -Tolkien is the standard by which I measure adult fantasy and, while my experience in this genre is limited, "A Game Of Thrones" is the most compelling and well-conceived tale I've found since Tolkien ( and I liked Kay's "Tigana" and Brooks' Shannara books very much ). -While I was largely able to ignore Larsson's often excessive amount of detail for the bulk of the book (some of which became relevant later, others which were really not necessary), I had to force myself through the first 75 pages or so of detail and financial crap that was relevant to Blomkvist's life, but entirely irrelevant to the rest of the book . -I really loved this book . -Overall it was a good book and an easy read (finished it in a day or so). -This story line is amazing . -and I feel that most fans of the series will ultimately be at least satisfied with the trilogy's ending. -This one is hard to put down . -Though the story is very grim, the love and protectiveness that the father has for his son is the only light in this otherwise very depressing narrative . -I really thought this book was thought provoking and insightful . -The good ones are nice , the snarky ones are awesome and the bad ones wind you up. -This is a groundbreaking book , at least to me. -Kyle Calloway is only days older than her, for many years he is her best friend, until he admits his feelings changed and he becomes her great love . -One of my new favorite books of all time !!! -The scenes between the two are both sexy and erotic . -I did find it a little repetitive but the book is clearly well researched and accessible . -I think his best were Jurassic Park and the Andromeda Strain . -(Is that a word?)Let me start off by saying that this book is not perfect and at times it was a bit of a disaster but that's why I loved it so much. Travis and Abby were two very flawed characters with a lot of issues to work through. For some reason these always become my favorite types of characters. To me, it makes it even more special to see them grow and change and I feel like the payoff is even bigger at the end. I know a lot of people really didn't like Travis but I absolutely and completely LOVED him, everything about him! The good and the bad. Yes, he can be a jerk and he has one hell of a temper and some major jealousy issues but all of these flaws just made him even more realistic to me. Don't worry because he doesn't stay that way throughout the whole book. Once he meets Abby he slowly starts changing, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But the important thing to me is that he tries to be a better person for Abby. There is another character in this book, Parker, who is somewhat a love interest to Abby. He was pretty much perfect: good looking, rich, nice, good manners, Harvard-bound...and I absolutely could not stand him! He was such a bore. Maybe it's just me and maybe I'm not right in the head but I like reading about the messed up characters. The more screwed up they are, the better I like them. (Most of the time)Abby was a very complex character. She has a shady past and has worked hard to move on from it. But from the moment she meets Travis, she can't help but feel drawn to him. Don't worry; this isn't one of those insta-love stories. In fact, it's the completely opposite. It's one of those almostexcruciating but awesome slow build-ups that pushes them together one moment only to have them ripped apart the next. Abby and Travis have such a complicated and messed up friendship and their relationship is even more messed up. Just like the quote above says, when things are good between them it was such a beautiful thing. But when things went bad, it was definitely disastrous. At first, I really liked Abby because she was really tough and she would stand up to herself to Travis and didn't take any of his bullshit. But the closer they got, and the more blurry the line between friendship and romance got, she did some very stupid things which made me want to reach into the book and slap her a couple of times. (Maybe more than a couple)It's official! I found my new favorite category: New Adult! I mostly read YA (hence the blog name) and as much as I love them I sometimes feel like there is something missing. Well I found out what that was: sex! This is another thing that adds a realistic element to the story. I don't know why but it always bugs me when couples in YA wait until the third book to finally have sex. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against waiting and I definitely love the sexual tension until then, but what is it about the third book that makes it ok then? The relationship between Travis and Abby is scorching hot without being graphic or inappropriate . -I liked watching the movie n going back to the book and rereading it again n knowing the book is so much more detailed than the movie. -I red this book that I had been anticipating for some time with a mixture of excitement and drowsiness, which I guess comes of making a wal-mart run at midnight and reading until 4 A.M. then starting again 6 hours later. -I was fascinated by Bill O'Reilly's book on Jesus's life and death . -Every character in this book is odd. The plot is odd . -The ending of this book is terrible ! -This fourth book in the Harry Potter series blows the first three books away! -This is an exceptionally well written , well-researched book about two events that were intertwined, the Chicago World's Fair and the crimes of a serial killer in late nineteenth century Chicago. - The book didn't really have many new insights into the power of prayer, but it is a book that reminded me of how much God wants to do in my life ... -this was a great read I thought the suspense and action was good . -If your looking for real love plus a little bit of intimacy you must read this book. -Liked the book much more than the movie and would highly recommend it. - All that the good guys have to do is swing their swords around a few times and they can easily defeat entire armies of bad guys. One top of that, the good guys are led by an Aes Sedai (a female wizard) who can do more or less anything, so there's never any real sense of danger. The action scenes also grow very repetitive. For instance, there's one scene where our heroes are being chased by a horde of villians, but luckily they're able to run into a magic place where the bad guys just aren't willing to go. This exact same scene gets repeated twice later in the novel.Many people seem to think that the characterizations are one of this novel's strengths, but I don't agree. The main character is named Rand al'Thor, and the novel is supposed to show him changing from an ordinary farmboy into a great warrior. The problem is that he doesn't act like an ordinary person at the start; none of the five characters who grew up in a small down do. They all acts like soldiers right from the start. They're willing to plunge into battle without any hesitation, and the children always act totally grown up. I found the characters to be largely static and unbelievable.This certainly isn't a terrible novel. As I mentioned, it does have a wonderful surprise ending. Just don't expect to be swept away by it. Also, be sure to read the gloassary at the end, which is more entertaining than most of the book. -As you read it you will realize why and it will blow you away . -It's definitely has the steamy sex and a waydifferent romance - The plot is plodding, the prose is poor and from a standpoint of a mystery, only the confusion of the many characters can mask the whodunit .The main characters are cold, quirky and barely likeable. -Read the book synopsis and know that if you love NA Romance you will love the story and journey of Sky and Holder . - The created other world and its animosities are also believable in their sentiments , if a bit farfetched as appropriate in a fantasy story, and frightening for Karou. -It has the same mechanical plot development as usual but the premise is interesting , being based on the work of Dante. -The concepts behind this book are indeed fascinating and highly creative. -There is no basis for why these characters come together , back story is provided only when it's required by a new absurd event, plotting is thin and unrealistically paced, and threads and characters are left dangling. - First and foremost, it has a great plot that flows well despite many twists and turns . -Subject matter is difficult, of course, but through the eyes, heart , and mind of a an adolescent girl, this book is beautifully and hauntingly written. -I didn't know it would be INCREDIBLE ! -(Spoiler alert)I just finished reading Mockingjay and had to write a review because I am floored at how bad this book is considering I absolutely loved the first two books in the series . - I found the topic interesting in that the future where a small group of elite control everything and live high off the hog while basically enslaving the rest of the people to work and live in squalor is actually, if you read around off the beaten path, a goal of the powers that be psychopaths running the show currently. - All I can say is thank you Colleen Hoover, your gift with words is simply amazing .One Million Star review************************************************************************************************************** Sophie -We've read the stories of the holocaust before, the terrors brought to Germany and the rest of Europe by Hitler, the horrific plight of the Jews during World War II. -In saying that I currently have a friend who just cant get through it - yes it seems a bit pointless at times , even a bit ridiculous ( a tiger in a boat !) -While the romance was smoking hot , I have to say I enjoy learning more about Noah and Echo as characters and seeing them overcome their struggles more than the romance. -This story was so intriguing , so emotionally intense. -I would recommend this book to anyone, this series is great . -This story was AWESOME !!!!!! - I bought this a year ago, began to read it, then put it down after about one hundred pages . -Reading Katniss's story was so compelling that I found myself able to overlook many of the unsatisfying aspects of this book. -I found Christian to be a very sweet, sensitive ( SEXY HOT ) man who while having a dark past, struggles daily with his issues while truly putting Ana's feelings first. - I really had to struggle through this book and almost deleted it more than once . \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/sentence-validation.electronics.txt b/reference_files/sentence-validation.electronics.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 55da5148ed6e9cb48134922cdda63c772aaac971..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/sentence-validation.electronics.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,99 +0,0 @@ - The case is not bulky and actually fits in most of my pant pockets . -Bass booms , a little more than I am use to, so I backed the sub off a little until it was what I wanted. -This is really my only complaint about the keyboard! Everything else is great .OH! - These speakers won't annoy the neighbors any time soon, but they produce a deep bass and the sound is very clear and crisp. -This is a good mouse I epically like how you can unlock the scroll while that will let you scroll through pages as fast as you want also the back buttons are good and easy to use when going back and forth in between web pages. -This is definitely a high quality product . -These speakers ROCK . -The form factor really appeals to me. -BUILDThe device feels nice and solid . - I have big fingers and need keys that are spaced far enough apart and that are raised somewhat so it's comfortable to work with. -I hooked it up per the instructions along with the power USB cable and I got exactly zero channels . -First of all, it is not a miracle device . -These Earbuds have very good sound, they're cheap, and colorful. - I have very large hands and this keyboard is compact , but I have no complaints. -This paired with the fact that the mouse runs off of one AA NiMH battery, means the battery life is pretty abysmal ; few hours at most. -This particular card is fast and reliable . -At lower volumes, the bass, mids, and treble are easily audible and full -- which was not the case before, where the bass would drop out, and the treble would overpower the mids. -This monitor was purchased as a gift for my father , but I couldn't help myself, and opened it up to "test it out" for him, for a few days. -Both of them have excellent image quality and for 2 bills for the pair of lenses, you can't beat the price for 2 high quality primes. -The zoom function is novelty, not necessity, it's fun to use normally but mostly useless otherwise, really exclusively for the always-in-office user, what they need to do is make it a scroll button too, it's highly sensitive and easy to use , which would make scrolling silky smooth in a way only overpriced mice manage. -Then I find my ears feel hot and these headphones are pressing my ears. -I highly recommend this Stand Cover . - For now, I will say that this charger is great . -This cable is excellent . -The price was perfect . -when it's amazing . - Starts where it left off , has good sound quality, weighs almost nothing, takes Micro SD cards. -I wish I could say the set up was easy , but because my wifi router is 7 years old and was set to WEP security it wasn't the simplest to get it to work. -These wireless headphones are really awesome! The base unit comes with a phono plug to 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter, and then a 3.5 mm headphone jack to left/right RCA audio adapter. -The mounting is likely to be more solid than the standard flip down lever because you are able to tighten with thumb screws on an AMD board. -The keyboard is easy to use and works great. - Price was good , delivery was fast but it only worked sometimes. -Now I have almost full signal all through my house and a good ways around it too instead of the front two rooms that I got with the stock wireless router. -I'm always in search of a solid USB drive that won't break off of my key chain that I keep clipped to my hip. -Love the added function keys (home button, etc.) and found the size more than comfortable to type on. -I had been looking for a replacement for my old Sony monitor headphones. -The screen is fine . -The sound is awesome, better than I expected for the low price. I'm very pleased! -This product has amazing speed and range . -Lasts a full charge and some ! - Performance and coverage has been great everywhere in my home. - It is not durable at all and you have to be very careful not to move the Kindle while it's plugged in . -The Asus monitor is much brighter, higher contrast, and deeper colors . -It's much too difficult to navigate and download files . -All is good . -I purchased one of these drives to replace a drive that died in my parents computers ( drive that died was ~5 or 6 year old Maxtor.) I've always been a fan of the Barracuda line and the price was right so I jumped on this drive. My parents need almost no storage to check their e-mail and surf the web so this drive was perfect ! -AmazonBasics are a fantastic value for quality of cable you get. -The sound is great, good bass nice Sound isolation due to the rubber ear molds. -Living in Texas means a base temperature indoors of about 80F for much of the year -Short answer: good quality , reasonable price, excellent customer service. -I've had the Chromecast for about a week now, and despite a few little hiccups have been incredibly impressed and pleased . - Battery life is incredible . -I was able to set up my console and download the initial software update with no problems . -Overall, it it very comfortable , and I love the thumb rest. -Decent sound , but there are negatives to considerThe quality of the construction and materials seems average. -Over all, this is one sweet remote . -Performance is amazing! I have it hooked up to a static gateway, which splits up my modem's connection to two other routers. -But for the vast majority of users out there, this is a very affordable and effective computer audio solution. - Put all your excess junk, Logic files, photoshop (if you are still using photoshop anymore) and all the big stuff and free up your hard drive . -Pros - Easy setup, lots of apps, GREAT little remote , Android app has great functionality, small footprint, stylish. -Tablets of all kinds are a lot of fun for me, and as an owner of last year's Asus Google Nexus 7 Tablet (8 GB) - Quad-core Tegra 3 Processor, Android 4.1, I was keen on giving Google and ASUS' most recent effort a short. -The grip on the thumb side feels good ; although, I had to push mine into place as it was peeling on arrival and it continues to be somewhat loose or prone to getting pulled out of place, it sits to high above the surrounding plastic [Edit, this continues to be "loose"]. -Didn't use it for a really long time yet, but from the little I saw it has great quality , very sharp image and dark blacks, incredibly neat monitor! -Batteries are excellent and the eneloop does hold a charge longer than older style re-chargeables. - The earbuds fit well and the sound is very clear . -Well the quality wasn't all bad...just that annoying bathroom echo effect ...also this device does not auto connect when your within range but rather requires you to go into Bluetooth settings and pair every time you want to use itRange was not bad about 20-30 feet throug a couple of interior walls much better than expected - My only issue is the keys get stuck very easily - if a little bit of something falls into the crack between the keys and the base pf the key board, you get pppppppppppppppppppppppppp all across the screen until you get the 'p' key unjammed (for instance) -sound quality is incredible . -This will be a ramble - I am generally well satisfied with this product but there are a few things to be aware of. -So far it works great and the noise is low . -And some other reviewer mentioned, the cover is stiff and N7 will NOT stand. - I bought it for the range and it is a good router just the interface is not intuitive . - Installed in a breeze and handles the weight on the tv . - It's very fast and I really think the screen resolution and clarity of display is very good ! -This thing is awesome , especially now that it supports HBO Go. -The Anker Astro E5 is a great external battery for anyone's Apple and Android Device . -Wifi signal is very good , webgui is nice. - This unit seems well built and is easy to setup but the sound quality is terrible . - The touchscreen is very responsive & quick . - Promptly shipped and the price was really good ! -This remote is excellent .. - The cables that come with them are PATHETICALLY SHORT . -The nearly unlimited amount of positions the keyboard/case can be configured is awesome. -The headset is comfortable enough that you can wear it for several hours, the mic is up to par , and in-line audio controls are always a plus. - When I'm sitting in bed watching TV with my head against a couple of pillows, it moves these headphones forward slightly off my ears and the sound is not as loud . - I found it time consuming and problematic . -This Router is excellent ! -but I think it was just a malfunction and not anyone's fault. -The bass is very powerful and the sound quality is, as you'd expect from Bose, phenomenal. -Text is easier to read . -Overall, if I could only take one camera I would take the SX260 because the optical zoom and picture quality is great . -The cable is quite thick which gives the wear and tear. -If you have iPad and wants it to be protected and a great wireless keyboard, you must consider the Newtrend Airbender Pro (NT610KR)!Durability~5 (so far, no issue to report)Functionality~5 (it has all of the options I would want)Quality~5 (so far it has been great and fun to use it)Protective Capability~5 (this is a fantastic case)Shipping of product~5 (the box is pretty cool too) -Really impressed . -My previous router would continuously drop and have to be rebooted, so after reading all the reviews decided to purchase this Medialink . -The plastic is sturdy , the design is simple and minimal, none have gone wrong yet. - It seems like a sturdy little drive and the capacity would've been nice. -The video quality of the HD is awesome . -These cables are extremely well made, have the extra feature of incorporating an ethernet path and are a really great buy . \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/sentence-validation.grocery.txt b/reference_files/sentence-validation.grocery.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 5bd74a3b703391a4445ce262fc842b879c228f3d..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/sentence-validation.grocery.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,101 +0,0 @@ - They crumble a bit but the bag we had was not that bad - the cookies don't really crumble as much as they leave crumbs. -I realize that doesn't sound overly compelling, but I expected these healthful crackers to be dry as dust . - It has no metallic taste or aftertase .Just -The South Beach Living Fiber Fit Mocha bar comes with 5 to a package. -The Keebler Town Pita cracker (Sea Salt) is definitely a little on the salty side - which means that I would make my hummus with less salt than usual. -First off, the taste is pretty awesome . -The texture is fine, but the flavor is quite bland , not nearly as chocolatey as I expected given that the cookie itself is chocolate as well as the filling. - So bear in mind that this 6-box pack will probably give you about 18 bowls of cereal when considering the cost . - A small piece of chocolate brings this lunch to a sweet and dark end .I'm -It's not as much green tea as it is mango and pineapple . - I would call this a reasonably healthy cereal, and it is gluten free .Iam not impressed. -I definitely recommend Izze's All- Natural Sparkling Apple , and I'm sure you'll like it too! -Sometimes I'll mix it with the Bolthouse Farms Chocolate Soy Protein drink . -Looking for a change from your typical coffees & teas? - To be honest, the first few sips burned quite a bit as they went down due to the ginger, but as I continued to drink, the lemon and honey flavors came to the fore . -Un-hulled seeds are full of nutrients . - I only ate one cracker and that's plenty . -For a habanero sauce this is actually quite mild and the ginger aspect of it is more of an aftertaste than a prominent flavor. -After two cups, she found that the coffee wasn't bitter and was very smooth for a dark roast . -They're great for throwing into my purse, and the almonds inside are fresh and tasty . -With regard to the sauce itself, the consistency is thick , tasting like a mayonnaise base with some BBQ Sauce added and then mixed with some chipotle (minus the seeds). -Unfortunately I only received 1 Organic Cherry Cashew Bar, so I shared it with my father and my friend. -The texture is smooth and not grainy . -I normally use Nescafe Classic Freeze Dried coffee when using instant coffee but these new packets of Taster's Choice are so convenient, travel well, are easily opened, dissolve completely and the taste is quite satisfactory for a freeze dried product. - I enjoyed the slightly chewy texture and the fresh nuts . - I love coffee , flavored, not flavored, with sugar, black if I must, just caffeinate me, and make it a nice cup of good coffee. -Starbucks new Natural Fusions line of flavored coffee may say 'a hint of vanilla' but to my taste, the natural flavoring is richly aromatic and full-bodied . -Father " Too sugery tasting - why would someone drink this. -Nutrition as per the nutrition panel is good .This is not a sweet, sticky granola bar as many tend to be. -For a dollar, I can get a 2-ounze bag of cheez- its, a nature valley granola bar , a 2-pack of pop tarts, animal crackers, or chips out of the vending machines at work. -This is a tasty coffee drink . -It also contains 100% of the recommended level of Vitamin C.PRICE:The product costs more than soda, but the ingredients are better. -Unfortunately, I see a price increase as their heads enlarge . -Good and bad points from this product:Good: I thought the taste was good - the packaging describes the chocolate as velvety and I think that's a pretty good word for it. -Illy makes great coffee and I did enjoy the taste of this beverage. - There was nothing remarkable about the flavor , it really was quite boring, if one can call a coffee boring. -These bars are so convenient and so healthy. -Under the very strong ginger taste, you can taste a little bit of lemon and the drink is sweet . -This microwave popcorn comes from my favorite brand of popcorn , which I usually make in my hot air popcorn popper. -I tell you what, the very first bite I didn't like the bar at all . -I usually buy high quality coffee such as Pete's, or Tully's because I like my coffee strong , and rich, but not bitter or burnt tasting -Sauce is really good . -The fruit punch flavor tastes just like Kool -Aid's fruit punch flavor. - I am sorry to say that while you may enjoy the box to some degree, I can't recommend it outside of a very good sale. -If my sister had made this, I would call it a hit with my low expectations of her cooking, but at the end of the day , I prefer my own seasoning. -When you first sip it, the flavor of fresh watermelon (not candy sweet watermelon) is crisp yet light and enhanced by the carbonation , this is quickly followed by a strawberry flavor that can best be described as identical to the strawberry juice at the bottom of the bowl. -If this water tastes like your tap water , we should all live where you live! -I adore him .But getting him to eat green vegies has been a challenge. - This does!This bar is tasty but not at all too sweet , the bar does not contain cane sugar (though, by the way, cane is a natural growing sugar) there are a lot of other things this bar does not contain also: no preservatives, no gluten, no dairy, no trans fat. -The milk chocolate is smooth and creamy in flavor . - The taste is clean and refreshing . -That is why we have regular drinking water delivery . -Honestly, I prefer the taste of a real apple or the dried apples this brand sells at Starbucks, but in lieu of that, this is a good healthy snack alternative. -This coffee smells good when its brewing - quick as that brewing experience is in a Keurig coffee maker. -However, this completely killed the portability that I loved , as well as the ability to grab one our the fridge and head out the door. -This baby food has very simple ingredients : no sugar added, no preservatives (lemon juice only), no coloring. -The ginger is strong . -The bar is a good size for an afternoon snack or a pick me up while exercising/hiking at 1.7 oz. -For now, my search for a good de-caf coffee is now complete . -We had a choice of either box as an Amazon Vine option and I chose to do the double chocolate thinking the wife would like it better. - This new packaging is nice . - The texture was fine (aside from the lack of nuts).The Wild Blueberry Pure Bar is definitely my favorite and worth seeking out. - And while it does nothing in aiding the diet or lowering your sugar intake, it does make you feel better about drinking it since it is not a soft drink per say. -Tastes like Red Bull mixed up with Hawaiian Punch .Healthy? - Each quarter-cup serving (quite small; there are just 4 servings in the tiny bag) is 60 calories, with no fat, 10 grams of natural sugar , and 2 grams of fiber. - The fruit really is an added bonus . -Coffee is very rich and smooth , but not too strong. - The taste of the tea is strong and not delicate but its flavor is very nice. -This sauce is spicy enough ..just doesn't really taste that good. -The taste is not really one or the other - but a good break if you feel like something mildly sweet and somewhat solid. -These bottles are quite large , and I would certainly recommend at least the two flavors referenced. -I'm pretty picky when it comes to cheese and crackers . -I like the taste of lemons and ginger , but I wasn't prepared for the taste of this beverage. -There was no bitter aftertaste . -This is a extremely tasty drink , but I am partial to watermelon flavors. -I love this sauce and even though i am not a huge fan of "raspberry" tasting things, this sauce is great and adds a very nice sweet flavor to your savory dishes. - The apple, walnut, and cranberry pieces all tasted good . -Lipton's Half & Half tea and honey is a very sweet drink . -The taste of the "outside" part of the cookie was slighly similar to soft- baked chocolate chip cookies . -Interestingly , even when comparing with other sauces, this immediately brought to mind Taco Bell. -This coffee smells delicious out of the package , and while brewing, but the chocolate taste is too much for my palate. -Each packet is good for a 16oz drink . -Essentia is a good tasting water . -They have a really natural fruit flavor, and the texture is very light and crisp . -I love cherries and cashews and this organic Pure raw fruit and nut bar. -We both thought the meal was delicious . -These cashews are LOADED with pepper. When I first opened the container and saw these nuts, it looked like someone had wet them and dredged them in black pepper. And believe me...You can taste the pepper; and it stays with you. Very, very spicy. Too much so for me. I also agree with other reviewers who have said the nuts are too salty . -Essentia has a nice clean, fresh taste. Just pure clean water. No after taste, no odd tastes overall. I love the bigger sized bottle. I cannot attest to the benefits of drinking pH water specifically because I only tried the one bottle and of course did not see any benefits or notice anything spectacularly different from any other water.I suppose if you have great interest in the long term benefits of drinking Essentia with its 9.5pH and if you do not mind the price, it is worth it. I myself cannot see spending so much on bottled water, although it does have a very good, pure taste . -I don't like this type of snack , but these were good. -Not only does this product taste great , it is good for baby. -The soup is rich and tasty , but DON'T buy it from Amazon. -I expected the shelf life to be longer I guess. -The texture is more on the smooth side than the crunchy side . - The bar itself is chewy and tastes great . -This sauce really has unique flavor: predominantly mango with some ginger and just right amount of hot Habaneros . -This option is better because the box contains six individually wrapped packages with about eight or ten crackers in each pack. -I have dry skin . -I found the taste of the Back to Nature grahams to be comparable to Honey Grahams but not nearly as sweet or intense . -If this was loose coffee, it would get 4 stars . -There are not many k-cups that deliver true espresso body and flavor, but this one comes very close to what you might get in a coffee shop. -This was an enjoyable and refreshing treat on a hot summer day. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/sentence-validation.movies.txt b/reference_files/sentence-validation.movies.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 0aa2b6e3bffc6db3ac634961ac039226df9b376c..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/sentence-validation.movies.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,101 +0,0 @@ -I have to say I loved this film . - One of the most powerful films ever made , it is also one that is a marvel to watch again and again. -Trent Reznor damn near makes your ears bleed and the sound and picture quality is awesome . -I finally decided four just could not be justified, so it's really more like 3.5/5 from me. -if for nothing else see it for the scenery . -Picture and sound quality are excellent and the 3D is only as good as a movie originally shot in 3D could be. -From my perspective as a long-time, rabid fan of horror, I have to say that Cabin Fever is simply a dreadful horror film . -The film is visually stunning . -Wow kids, thanks for the trivia but what does that have to do with how wonderful the movie is!?"Chicago" is a very well written musical by Fred Ebb, John Kander and Bob Fosse that is still playing on Broadway today in its revival incarnation. -Some of this ideas has been somehow treated more recently in movies such as "The last legion". -Every episode is interesting . -This set collects some of the best shows to air on television . -u know, I loved the classic, "American Pie" that was just stupid for its own good but it delivered the goods to make it a great comedy! this film wasn't so much funny as stupid . - The storyline is intriguing, to say the least . -The story is choppy and confusing; the special effects are terrible , even for 1984; and the appearance of the film in general leaves you wondering if the intent was not to make a serious recreation of the novel but rather something campy, like "Flash Gordon" -- except that it is much darker, with occasional gory intrusions. -I marginally liked this film when I first rented it, but somehow it resinated with me, and I recently bought it. -A great (albeit short) first season of a very funny show . -BATMAN (1989) is the one Tim Burton film where his directorial style worked in perfect synergy with mainstream Hollywood. Many of his other earlier films, including BEETLEJUICE (1988), EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1993), ED WOOD (1994), and ironically BATMAN RETURNS (1992) are 100% TIM BURTON! They are all great in that Burtonesque way. While Burton's first Batman film BATMAN has obvious Burton touches: odd and disturbing characters, dark tone, neo-noirish look, the film still manages to be generally accessible to the mass audience. It moves at a fast, breezy pace and has an epic, Hollywood feel to it, with a satisfying conclusion. But that, in this case, is not a bad thing! I have re-watched this entertaining flick so many times it isn't funny! It just works. Can't say that for many of the superhero films in this new PC, uninspired generation of films.I actually saw BATMAN (1989) when it first came out in movie theatres and was blown away by it's originality and scope...still am. Even more so now since it holds up 20+ years later as great entertainment. In retrospect, Michael Keaton was the perfect choice to play the fractured, flawed antiheroic Bruce Wayne AKA Batman. But I always felt he was the right choice! Keaton captures the guarded loneliness of the Bruce Wayne character, while still being very convincing as a tough guy who can hold his own when donning the cape and cowl! Mr. Burton...you made the right choice!The other inspired (and perhaps more obvious) choice was casting the legendary Jack Nicholson as Jack Napier AKA The Joker. Nicholson is convincing as high-level "yes man" thug Napier who through a nasty accident becomes facially scarred and assumes the Joker persona. And Nicholson really looks like The Joker in this! He has so many memorable lines that I think about all the time. The hero-villain chemistry between he and Keaton is electric.Kim Basinger (at her most gorgeous!) admirably plays nosy photojournalist Vicki Vale, who arrives in Gotham City to unlock the secret of the mysterious Caped Crusader who has been "terrorizing" low level criminals throughout the city. She ends up falling in love with Bruce Wayne (lucky bastard!). Basinger is the weakest link of the main actors, but she still does a good job of emoting, being simultaneously fascinated and repulsed by Batman and Joker's antics. She screams a lot, but look at the freaks she's dealing with! Can you blame her?The solid supporting cast includes Michael Gough (wonderful turn as Alfred, Bruce's ever-so-reliable and dependable butler and caretaker), Robert Wuhl (in an energetic turn as Vicki's fellow reporter Alex Knox), Billy Dee Williams (as DA Harvey Dent), and Pat Hingle (as world-weary Police Commissioner Gordon). In particular, Keaton and Gough have an effortless chemistry as though they have been close their whole lives. Gough came back for Schumacher's cartoonish campy films and he had none of the chemistry with either Kilmer or Clooney that he had with Keaton in the Burton ones. It was weird watching Gough's Alfred interact with those tepid versions of Bruce Wayne.As previously stated, I am amazed at how Burton's style fused perfectly with more conventional Hollywood touches and created something special out of it. It could have been a monumental failure, but instead ended up being a template for all future superhero films. -The movie is entertaining , but it does not seem to resonate with any great significance or meaning despite Lewis's reputation as a Christian polemicist. -There have been a lot of half- crazed movie characters in film history, you know the one; the kind of vaguely insane person that the movie truly revolves around, with the other characters only there to provide stark contrast with their recognizably sane posture. -Other than that the movie was very graphic as far the joker - The story in this one is even better, the action is more intense and exciting , and the effects are brilliant! - Both children and adults could enjoy it and the special effects are wonderful . -The show is interesting , with a good assortment of supernaturals (Wesen) which kept my interest. -What made this film great was its action, story, and great characters with came together to form a near- perfect film . -Joss Whedon's unmistakeable flair comes clearly across in this popcorn movie . -I can only say the movie is watchable and maybe if they had attempted to film it the old fashioned way with no CGI, it would have given it more of a prequel feeling of the classic. -The many supporting actors ( at least 25) were all outstanding and perfect for their respective parts . -While the last 20 minutes are somewhat less than gratifying, the rest of the movie is fairly sound and enjoyable . -Johnny Depp as Capt . -Hustle is an excellent and entertaining Comedy/Crime Drama that combines great direction, a terrific cast ,a wonderful script and a fantastic soundtrack all of those elements make American Hustle a great film that has to be seen. -The sound is significantly better and colors are brighter and more vibrant than the DVD version. -The music is magnificent . -Sadly, you know from the first five minutes how this movie is going to go . -Wes Anderson's third film, "The Royal Tenenbaums," is nothing short of amazing and was easily the best film of 2001 . - The dialogue is superb , as is Quentin Tarantino's other masterpiece Pulp Fiction, but the characters in Reservoir Dogs are just great. -The special effects were awesome but as VanHelsing proved , it takes more than that to make a good film. -1 is much more a paean to the Japanese style of filmmaking: Extremely saturated colours courtesy of cinematographer Robert Richardson (even Shaw films didn't go this far in terms of garish colours -- we're in '80s Kurosawa territory here), emphasis on extreme wide shots, the very long builds, the brilliant music by The RZA . -I 've never been attracted to mutes myself . -In fact, I kind of wish I had seen The Grudge before I saw The Ring because the Grudge (and the DVD interviews with Sam Raimi and Takashi Shimizu) explains why both films were so creepy and disturbing .At the heart of both film's effectiveness is the difference between Western and Eastern ghost tales. - Overall, the quality was so clear and clean that you were easily able to see such imperfections and it took you out of the movie, combined with this new filming speed. -Thematically, the film is successful at developing some intriguing ideas about discovery and purpose. -A lot of the parts are at night or in the dark. -It's a little *too* much reality." Nightmarish, disturbing, cautionary, thought-provoking, and moving , this film will stay in your mind long after it has ended, and many will gather their own responses as to what the movie meant to them. - There are some wonderful Indian actors and fantastic dependable English ones too ! -The fight with Adam is just classic!#22 RESTLESS - 5/5. -I recommended the film to a relative and we saw it together . -This a pretty good movie and it had A LOT of blood . -I suppose I was nave to think that this third installment of the Twilight cultural phenomenon would be any better or more interesting than the first two "films" in the series . -Sure, the songs are not bad , and the actors are kinda cute, and you gotta give those guys credit for putting a lot of time and effort into this movie. -The service and price were excellent . -Jennifer Lawrence could read the phone book and I would be fascinated . -Always been a Trekkie and this movie is awesome ! -If you aren't a Brenden Fraser fan, stop right here and search for another film. - Pitt's character is ridiculous as is the entire premise of the movie. - That said ... the music , animation, and so on are all outstanding. -Action was fun to see but storyline was blah and of even their cheesy lines you expect to hear were poorly placed. -that they evolve musically and it very cool to listen to. -The film wasn't all bad, but you would expect better from a Star Wars film, and the bad acting did let the film down dramatically . -It is a very full-toned and haunting picture . -The packaging and the quality of each and every video is AWESOME! If you love Laurel and Hardy, this package will please you beyond words . -I found a couple instances where I would say they tried a little to hard to make something funny, a classic Disney 'he just stepped in the #2' moment that made us laugh the first time and now it's just old, then again it is a kids movie more so and simple humor is sometimes best. -Firefly has the same problem that all of Whedon 's shows have . - This film was terrific ! -This series is great , it dose start out slow and a little less scary but it dose make it up for that later on. - Simply put, James Cameron's Avatar on the Blu Ray format is the best picture and audio we have seen or heard to date. -The main characters are consistent and well developed , and all other characters are just minor roles that are there to pop in and out... not well developed and overall fairly unimportant. -As one of the most awaited movies in history, it would be very hard to live up to the hype that surrounded Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith . - I do not think it is as good as the Lord of the Rings films, Narnia films, or the Harry Potter films, but still fairly enjoyable. -Truly a must see, great film . -The characters have been cast perfectly, the acting is marvelous and the filming (on location at an actual mansion) is simply perfect. - I recommend this movie to any on who has a good sense of humor . -If you are looking for plausibility , skip this movie but if you want laughs with intense ridiculous action then you might like this movie. -The plot, drama, dialog, romance, acting and actors are excellent -- as are the scenes, effects and Hi-Tech. -It just doesn't have any emotional impact . -As was the acting. I swear, there were times I literally cringed when certain dialogue was spoken . -GREAT movies , Great Blurays, love em!FELLOWSHIPPQ - 3.5-4/5AQ - 5/5MOVIE - 5/5TWO TOWERSPQ - 4-4.5/5AQ - 5/5MOVIE 5/5RETURN OF THE KINGPQ - 4.5-5/5AQ - 5/5MOVIE - 5/5Fellowship is a little soft, but that is because it is the first film, the budget was lower, but is an improved upgrade from dvd, it still looks great, I give it a 3.5-4 on the picture quality. -They are setting out for the lost city of Erebor, which the dragon Smaug stole many years ago -- and now Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) wants to reclaim it. -I did not consider this book the best in the series and this movie was simply amazing . -To me it would have make it a much better movie . - The film provides the necessary background as well as an accurate description of conditions on the ground during the few months that the conflict lasted. -Having enjoyed X-Men thoroughly, I was pleasantly surprised to see that its sequel , X2, was actually better! -Well, this movie is like any other ever made. -This movie is gripping hardcore , shocking, scary, and very emotional. - In the mode of Dowton Abbey , the period dresses and suits are fun to watch and enjoy. -My granddaughter loved this movie . -Kudos to the writers, producers, directors and actors for a job superbly done. -The way the camera ventures around the place is totally freaky , cause you have no idea whats going to be around the next corner... - Such as when Kong escapes the theatre and finally sees the Girl again in NYC , walking smokily down a blue lit street in pitch black winter. - The extras on disc two are interesting and the previews for the extended version and TTT accomplish their purpose extreemly well.***original review below.***First the bad.The movie CHOPS 20% of the book -in one big chunk- (muttering a chapter title doesn't count!). The story of how Merry and Pippin become involved is cut and CHANGED. The old forest and the Barrow Wights are also missing. Some of Tolkien's best descriptions are found in the forest scenes (gnarly, old, and aware trees; gloom and darkness; spiders and other creatures lurking! The Galadriel scene is BAD. And there are two things wrong with Moria. 1. The cave troll scene is too long and it should have some texture on its skin (of fur). 2. I would have liked to see a bit more of Moria. The special effects when the ring is worn are overdone. One too many sweeping helicopter shots of the river. Finally, the scene where Sam goes into the river at the end was done all wrong!***Now for the GOOD***The history of the ring is told very well. Many scenes show a great deal of very good creativity. The Shire scenes are wonderful. Good humor (except in Rivendell, and taht the "conspiracy unmasked" was cut out). ***The reactions of Gandalf and especially Boromir to being near the ring really helps display the evil power of the ring. Their acting (and the direction in these scenes) is PERFECT!*** The wraiths were also done very well.The special effects and music are teriffic. The color and "tone" of the river and the huge statues at the end are especially tastefully done. Shrinking the Hobbits was just plain unbelieveable when they were running around several other characters. The scene at Orthanc was visually spectacular and the duel was creatively and tastefully done.Substituting Arwen for Glorfindel neatens things. The moria scenes (except for the above criticisms), are superb -especially when Gandalf "defeats" the balrog.[All of the smaller plots of the book could have been done except it would have confused and blurred things for the unread, and the movie would have been five hours long! Maybe six movies would have been required for everything???]***The DVDs' extras look extreemly promising!*** -Road House is one of the worst movies ever made --it's poorly acted, badly written and sloppily directed. - Reese Witherspoon's performance, as well, is surprisingly good. There are precious few points in the film where you remember she was in Legally Blonde, and her vocals and live performances are stronger than many I've seen from Hollywood actresses in recent years. -The effects are cheesy (although, at times, brilliant - The Sea of Fire near the beginning is still eye candy for me). -Some scenes were gross and inappropriate particularly the bag of poo while having dinner and adamant and borat fighting in bed . -Arguably the best crime film of 1968, and certainly one of the most influential films of the genre...."Bullitt" established new directions in the mood and style of crime thrillers, and firmly established McQueen as one of the key anti-hero stars of the 60's. -The cast was outstanding and included the Indian star from Slumdog Millionaire. - The action is much the same , dumb, silly, dopey. -Batman: Under the Red Hood was better than I thought it would be, the animation was good but not great , and the story was very good. -As kids, Star Wars was flawless. - The casting is superb (although 2 of the actors were a bit older than their book counterparts); and their acting leaps & bounds better than the '81! -I'm speechless, this BLU-RAY/DVD set is, without question, one of the best transfers ever . \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/sentence-validation.restaurants.txt b/reference_files/sentence-validation.restaurants.txt deleted file mode 100644 index be891e9f08e14abb763302251b7fbac89e40a6de..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/sentence-validation.restaurants.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,129 +0,0 @@ -The pastas are generally more chewy which was perfect to my friend's liking. -But when the service and food is this bad , next time I'll get my fill of nostalgia on Youtube. -I like the atmosphere of the entire place . -Great atmosphere and decor . -Absolutely gorgeous restaurant ! -I think we found the best tacos in Toronto . - The menu is very limited , but it makes up for its size in quality. -Amazing food with amazing servers !! -Banh Mi Boys is fast food at its best . -Aside from the size of the dish, the taste is beyond horrible . - More importantly, the food was divine and the Japanese wine was unlike other wines I have tasted . -We also got the heirloom tomato salad, the poached cod, the beef short ribs , the rice cakes and the chanterelles. -My boyfriend brought me to Byblos for my birthday celebration! We loved our experience at Byblos and decided to revisit :) -Bad service the manager was rude asking us to pay 20% tip the seatings are not enough about lucky not coming back. -Bad Service. Excellent food. -Best ramen in Toronto , great service and consistently great broth! -Unfortunately, the owners and the service I received completely ruined my experience. I was staying at a local hotel, which made reservations for our party (and I heard the concierge make the reservation). -And I have to say that it was absolutely delicious ! - The place is underground and it was a cool place . -The patio, service, cocktails, and variety of delicious taco options make it absolutely worth it. -The drinks are really good too ! -Overall, good for the curries ! -The food was alright - ate from the pre fixe menu and it was normal 'fancy food' salmon, small salads, chocolate cakes, etc. -My dinning companion at the time had a burger, it was a solid, big burger . -Prices are cheap and you can get a decent dish for around $12-13 (after tax+tip)The place is quite busy on weekends, and it is almost always quite loud. -My sandwich came up to $6.77, which was very reasonable for what I got. - From the moment they accommodated me by placing the roses I ordered at our table, to the time our evening ended, it was amazing . -I used to love this place . -Definitely lives up to the hype ! -and clean! Great experience , I would go here again... -We all left with the impression that because Wish is so trendy, they don't care about providing any actual service . -The place fills up real quick during the nights and the night I came had many tables reserved. -We ordered our appetizers and dinner at the same time after taking in the view and deciding from the excellent menu options . -The food was tasty and seasoned well , portions were big, service was warm. -This is one of the most interesting restaurants to dine in downtown! -Less busy / more space, food that is on par with the other sukhothai locations but with more variety, and friendly staff . -But, all in all, the food is really great and extremely inexpensive for what you get. -FABULOUS . -The food is fine ,weekday Lunch AYCE for $17.99. -Had silly little items such as a small piece of fish with a bit of sauce served on a Pringle chip, and deep-fried scallops with a dollop of katchup on them. -The food is amazing and the service is fantastic . -The chicken was pretty tasty and perfectly cooked (tender). -Manager was very rude . -Also, typical of many high-end restaurants, they explain what's in every dish but it was spewed out so quickly that a lot of it was incoherent . -The steak is delicious , the Caesar salad (made at your table according to your specifications), the mushrooms, asparagus, potatoes, and fries too. -Each one was delicious and the flavours are already there. -We could not decide on an appetizer so we had asked the server their favourite dish to which she suggested the battered squash. -It is located on a smaller street in Toronto so if you like a more quiet, outdoor environment to do work you may want to check this place out . -Great atmosphere, awesome cocktails, SUPER fast service and delicious food. -Neighbourhood is on point . -We started off with Aburi Beef Carpaccio, which was awesome! I loved the shoyu eggs, it was perfectly cooked. -The food is really reasonably priced . -So good ! -Staff always welcomes you with great suggestions on their favourites and explanations on the freshest items on the menus. -They offer two kinds of noodles - the thick one looked better . -We came in at unusual hours of 4 pm to have lunch and service was on point . -Great food and beer! Fantastic service! -I've had their ceviche, chips and dip, as well as other offerings, but I still gravitate towards the tacos as they are always fresh and flavorful and never disappoint. -The service as usual was excellent ! -Good food, clean, affordable. More spacious than other restaurants I've been to in Chinatown. -favourite sausage is the venison! -Ramen being one of my favourite things . -The issue with this place comes with the service -- which is slow, slow, slow . -Quick service . -The food is not flavourful, expensive, small portions . -Food Quality & Price: Meat was soft and tender . -So we also got a jar of water that came slow . -The service is always impeccable , the food divine, and ou HAVE TO try the pancakes as a dessert (ask for a smaller portion if you can't do the full dish;-) - So what if I get a free beer once in awhile? I come here anyways!Having lived in Belgium, I come here to relive some of my favourite Belgian foods and beer (although, I am admittedly not much of a beer drinker). -Their steak is really good AND it doesn't break the bank if you wanna have a nice dinner. -Overall, the Baja Fish Tacos were the best item we ordered (nice, crispy, light, with decent flavor ). - Service is fine . - In the area, there are line-ups for ramen, bubble tea, matcha, and Japanese cheese cake/tarts as a lot of global Asian brands are opening locations here -- and Asian kids just love lining up for trendy Asian food. -We loved our experience there!The food was good and filling . -For a start, the service was great and our waiter was very attentive. -This place started out at a four star review, the food was very good , the service was not awful (hence the four, instead of five star original rating) then, out of nowhere, the lights were dimmed and the most awful top 40 rap started blasting!!! -My parents had the calamari and loved it ! - Note: very limited seating (around 4) and some places to stand, so either be prepared to stand and eat or savor the food experience somewhere outside - either way it will be an unforgettable. -Its a little frustrating to rate this restaurant as we had a fantastic time here . -Washrooms are nice but TINY. -It was really moist in texture and a bit different from the original cheesecake but still just as good. -The dishes were a bit pricier than the usual a la carte sushi but it was definitely worth it. -The place is crammed which I hated and super loud . -Surprisingly decent quality food for a good price. -The food here isn't too bad , but it also isn't excellent. - Seating is very limited , so your best bet is probably to get take out and eat it on a nearby bench. -We revisited here again . -I ordered the Sweet Mess Tacos and for its price, the portion size was very small - only two tacos! -They force you to accept very large lobster with very tough meat . - We sat down and our bartender/waiter was awesome . -The waiter was helpful and knowledgable with the menu and was attentive and excellent during our meal. -The last few visits were very disappointing!A waste of time, drive and money!From poor SLOW service, and OVERPRICED to bland mediocre food . -For authenticity this place would be 4.5/5 for Thai cuisine -The tan tan was spicy, but just enough that you want to keep on slurping the ramen and drinking the soup ! -The tacos are delicious - no doubt - and the taco included a very generous portion of fish. -The ambience was nice and the food was good too. -Top notch service in every way!The food ...wow. - I found the portions small at first but it was a good size in the end for two people. -When it comes to food I'm critical . -Finish off the meal with some of the city's best cakes , meticulously crafted to a Japanese master's standards. -Great little place with delicious food! Has a really homey, comfort feeling to it . -All I can say is mediocre at best .Their calamari is decent as a large appetizer. -if you are meat lover and like to try different kind of meats and flavours then this is your paradise . -It is a fast food Vietnamese restaurant . -Guu has really good food , amazing cocktails and nice staff. -The menu is full of egg puns . -but they have me hooked! delicious but no cheap eat -Quite the disappointment . -Overall, I had an amazing time at Miku!Here is a small breakdown of what I ordered and my thoughts on it: Albacore Tuna and Wakame Tartare ($18) - thought this tasted pretty good. -Although the food & environment was amazing , the icing on the cake was the staff. -Fusion kitchen at its best... We got the chef's menu. -One of the best friend chicken and bang for your buck. -I appreciate the variety offered , but in terms of taste, the dishes I had were solidly average. -Good thai food downtown, nice and spicy, service was good and turn around was quick , portion was a decent size. -Great breakfast ( ginger pancakes and eggs benny )! -There is definitely a vibe in this restaurant - the music was a little loud, the tables were very close together , and it seems to cater to younger people, but we had no problems with it. -Get the cheese dishes! They're the best !! -Soft, fluffy cake with yummy creamy filling; Neo's roll cake are delicious . -The food is very fresh and surprisingly good. Not cheap. But worth the price for sure! The uni I had was extremely sweet and full of flavour . -Overall had a pretty disappointing experience with the service . -Dim sum was tasty, but was not spectacular , service was bad for fine dining. -The oysters were fresh and tasty . - Although I am new to writing an official review on Yelp, my husband and I are no stranger to frequenting a variety of top restaurants in Toronto and around the world for that matter. Last night was our first time at Cluny and we were both very excited to try it out. When we walked in, we were immediately impressed with the quaint French bistro décor and overall feel and ambiance. Loved the little bakery at the front of the restaurant. When we arrived, we were not greeted by anyone (restaurant wasn't even busy at this point 6:45 Monday evening), after about 5 mins of standing there looking around, someone that looked like he was one of the Chefs (who happened to be getting something in the stock room/closet, finally said someone will be with you shortly. We were greeted by the hostess with a less than impressive hello. After we were seated, it took about 10mins before we were acknowledged by our Waiter for the evening. Again, was not impressed by his demeanor and lack of interest in us as guest. We've probably had better service at a local Chain restaurant or a drive thru for that matter! Our appetizers came relatively quickly (Oysters, Cod balls and Caesar salad). The Caesar salad was a complete disappointment, perhaps I had high expectations but when you proudly call a dish Cluny Caesar with a price tag of $13+ I would expect a little more than 2 branches of Romaine barely drizzled with dressing and 4-5 chick peas and feta lining the bottom. We ordered Oysters and when it was brought to us, the Waitress was trying to explain the different Oysters and said Oh and I forget what this one is called.... Anyway, I don't want to get too lengthy with the review here but all in all I would rate the food quite good (minus the Caesar salad) at this restaurant but the underwhelming service takes this place to a whole new low. The atmosphere in terms of décor and ambiance were excellent, very reminiscent of a bistro in Paris which is a rare find here. The service was beyond below average. Our waiter (middle aged male, appeared quite sloppy if I can be honest ) was inattentive, unpleasant and simply unprofessional. -Sausage Display CaseThe display case is neatly organized with all the different sausages that they have . -The prices were great , the best part is that tax is included in the price. -Fantastic beer , delicious food, relaxing ambiance (speaking more to my recent, winter and spring month experiences, sitting inside, upstairs). -They got their food before us, despite arriving a half hour after us . -Everything was perfect , from the delectable spices to the unctuous, melt-in-your-mouth meat to the note-perfect sauce. -Definitely good for quick eats ! \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/sentence-validation.tripadvisor.txt b/reference_files/sentence-validation.tripadvisor.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 8ed7e93da04deaf03496e49128e1093c53b86467..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/sentence-validation.tripadvisor.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,143 +0,0 @@ -The staff was extremely helpful and responsive . -We had a drink there in the evening, fantastic views , equally so in the morning for breakfast which was very good value. -The only thing we missed in the room was a coffee maker. -After checking out the huge beautiful lobby we were excited about the rooms. -Thanks to Jesse the Mgr for making our 12 yr post-honeymoon/pre-anniversary trip to SF the best getaway we've ever had! The hotel was in the perfect location , reasonably priced, and everything fell into place. -The check in staff were extremely helpful and friendly -Morning coffee and tea was a nice touch. -The wine and cheese in the evening is a lovely treat after a day on the go! Our room was very clean and the bathroom was excellent . -You don't need a car if you're just touring San Francisco (the public transportation is fabulous), but if you have one (we visit outside the city) parking is OUTRAGEOUS all over San Francisco . -The motel is very nice with renovated, spacious rooms. -As others have said in reviews, the location is great, but the hotel itself worn and tired , some of the staff ok, others indifferent at best. -Our friends had an AMAZING view of the bay and downtown. We also had so much fun with the views. -This was a wonderful experience . -Teriffic location; fantastic bar with complimentary wine every afternoon . -Service was outstanding . -Front desk staff was friendly, knowledgeable and really helpful . -and they said that the views were stunning . -The staff is extremely gracious and ready to help with suggestions for places to go shopping or dining , the best transportation options, and even doing the booking on your behalf. -Excellent customer service from valets, front desk staff, room service staff, housekeeping . -The nightly wine and cheese reception was a nice touch and very relaxing after a day of sightseeing and shopping. -The service at the hotel was wonderful --everyone I encountered there was very accomodating and professional. -(This is clearly a hotel where booking a better room category makes a big difference in your experience.) -The hotel restaurant "the daily grill" was excellent food and very good value for money! Reception staff were very friendly and helpful!All in all a wonderful trip -Location--can't be beat.2. Front desk crew--helpful and friendly.3. Bed and bed linens--comfy.The OK:1. Lobby decor2. Doormen--friendly enough, but rarely open the door for you. The bad:1. -Beds were comfortable and the showers had great water pressure and heat . -This is the perfect place to base your trip to San Francisco . -The hotel has great views and the bed felt wonderful but just don't look for excellent customer service!!! -This place is a great value and awesome place to stay in the City . -What a pleasant stay. -My four-day stay at the Hotel Monaco was fabulous . -Free parking was excellent . -The amenities were good . -This hotel is not for everyone , but I got the sense of that after reading about it on their website and on Trip Advisor. -but I have nothing bad to say about this two story hotel, everything was just fine , including the breakfast there which is quite good. -On first sight the Castle hotel is not great , but the rooms are fine and the location is good once you get your bearings. -We really enjoyed our time there , we would definately go back. -The Mosser Hotel in San Francisco , was recommended to us by friends. -The Top of the Mark was great for late evening drinks (no kids allowed, drinks average $10 and proper dress is expected) with wonderful nighttime views of the city. -Flat panel TV was nice . -Room was charming, although it was the absolute smallest hotel room that I have ever stayed in, and the bathroom was really itty bitty!Didn't have much contact with the staff, but what contact I did have was pleaseant. -The parking fee was outrageous ! -we stayed on the 32nd floor and had a great city view . -The problem was the hotel across the street would have a [ bad ] into the activities in the bathroom. -I had a great stay at this beautiful, historic hotel while in San Francisco for a meeting. -This is one of the best hotel experiences we have ever had - stunning views of the city, top notch service , and very nice rooms with all of the amenities you would expect from a Mandarin Oriental. -The staff is exceptional , always willing to go the extra step. -Great wine hour . -My family stayed for two nights in August at the Marriott Fisherman's Wharf at the start of our California trip. -I don't know what they use for cleaning, but it doesn't smell nice .When we arrived, we discovered that the top blanket on the bed was dirty with stains. -The sheets on the bed were sub-par, which I wouldnt complain about except for the fact that we were paying $180 a night. -This hotel is really well located - it's next to a BART station so it's easy to get to and from the airport without having to get a cab; it's one or two blocks from all the great shopping at Union Sq; it's around the corner from the cable car; it's walking distance to some good bars/restaurants. -The service was great . -The staff was nice enough but this place smelled horrible, had ratty bedding, and no air conditioning. Noisy room with a view of a brick wall. Since there's no air conditioning all windows in hotel were open which allowed for cigarette smoke, sirens, and other guests noise to float right into my room. If you are a woman traveling alone I would avoid this place. The doors were not very secure and there was so little staff in the lobby there's no way they had any real security. This place was so bad I left after the first night and moved into the San Fransico Marriott a few blocks away. -Employees were friendly , my room steward was great. -The $169 rooms are almost the same as the $189 rooms . -Hotel was fairly new and very pleasant . -The service is friendly yet professional . -The front desk staff was very nice and upon hearing it was my birthday , they upgraded us to a corner room on one of the high floors, so we had a beautiful view and a larger room. -The staff were as good as any Four Seasons or Peninsula. -Everything was extremely clean!!! The staff was very friendly and attentive . -But when the missus entered our room, she exclaimed: "Oh, hell yes." Cool furniture, nice bed and bathroom. -I am a very picky traveler and this hotel fits the bill . -A small room , nicely decorated, with breathtaking views. -We were greated by a friendly Bell Boy once entering the main reception and were checked in by a helpful and friendly receptionist . -Beautiful hotel , both inside and out. -I booked the Hotel Whitcomb for a one -night stay on Hotwire for $73 and then read the reviews on TripAdvisor and was a little skeptical. -We had a standard room which was nice, a king bed which was really comfy , and it also had a mini fridge. -The staff were all very helpful and courteous . -The Palce Hotel is everything we were hoping for. -Our two rooms were "Club " rooms and overlooked onto the street which had a pub virtually opposite. -The hotel is in a great location in Fisherman's Wharf, close to some lovely bars and restaurants, the food and drink in the hotel is quite expensive so worth while having a walk around, especially around Pier 39, it is only a block from the hotel. -This is a great little inn with a fantastic wine & cheese hour and great continental breakfast . -I made the mistake, apparently like every other person who has left a review about this hotel, of going without checking the other reviews left online. -The hotel is in a very safe area and we felt perfectly happy walking around at night . -Service is a bit slow , but if you are looking for an adventure in Chinatown, definitely try dim sum there. -Rooms are very comfortable, view wonderful ! Would definitely stay there again. -The room was spacious , we had bay views, a television with a variety of channels. -The elevator is fairly small and if there were other people waiting, we just took the stairs. -The bed was fabulous with extremely comfortable and fluffy bedding . -The wine hour from 17:30 -18:30 was nice and the staff offered great sightseeing ideas and helpful hints for dining , coffee and nightlife. -The hotel staff was friendly and the breakfast buffet was nice in the morning. -Concierge was great . -Bathroom was extremely small as stated by other reviewers, contained tub and commode. -2) Customer service 5/5 - it was excellent , they checked us in early at 9 am. -Fantastic, gracious staff ...very personal...almost felt like I was staying in a private inn or B&B. Wonderful neighborhood. -The front desk staff was extremely rude . -The desk staff and concierge were wonderful . -The service was amazing as was the location! -Also, the hotel was very noisy throughout the night and early morning . -It's close to Union Square alright, but it's also very very close to lots of shady places in town . -Stayed at the Grand Hyatt on Union Square with my sister for a fabulous weekend 9/25/08-9/29/08. -The bathroom was large with beautiful tile and really nice amenities (scale, slippers, Frette linen hand towel, nice size amenities, & where else do they give you a loofah sponge with bath gel?) The service was very good and prompt ; staff was friendly. -The room was a nice size and had a flat screen TV (with actual HD programming) and of course the heavenly bed was great . -The hotel location was great . -Cons: Standard room was quite small -(common in S.F, I know) a nice chair with ottoman was so close to bathroom door you usually bumped right into it on the way out, vanity area was very small - just a very small amount of room around sink in bathroom, awful hallway noise after midnight - could clearly hear people talking in the halls and a couple of slamming doors jolted me awake more than once during the night, price was a bit steep at $199 per night and the buffet breakfast in hotel was outrageous at $21.99.Overall, a classy yet overpriced hotel for what is delivered. -Room itself was clean, tidy, well decorated and the bed was fantastic , if I could've sneaked it out of the room and to my house, I would have. -The service at the front desk was prompt and friendly . -The doors are not very soundproof, but the efficient staff moved us right away to a quieter room. -The pool area is a lovely sun spot and the pool was warm to swim in . -Front desk staff were friendly and attentive . -What a wonderful hotel . -I LOVE this clean, economical, funky hotel in the Marina District! The property is cool , the neighborhood is fantastic (short cab ride to any attractions you can't walk to, but you can walk to plenty!). -Great shower in the bathroom . -The room smelled very musty and the carpets looked horrible. -The service was excellent, room service was great and the food was so good . -This is a beautiful hotel , befitting its name. -The employees are attentive, friendly and provides excellent service. And the room is very clean with nice amenities. Strongly recommended for leisure or business stay. Cheers -The rooms have high -celings and nice (if a bit worn) empire furniture, but they don't seem as grand as the rest of the building and they don't live up to the Luxury Collection expectations I had when I checked in. -The bathroom was large and laid out pretty well but I prefer more water pressure in the shower, I have long thick hair and it felt like it took me a half hour to wash it! -The traffic noise in the front of the hotel was very loud on Sunday and Friday nights. -the rooms are big, bathrooms nice with bath and shower , 32 LCD TVs. -The car parking is very expensive 49$ per night . -This hotel was absolutely horrible ! -It's not the Mandarin Oriental or Four Seasons (these would be 5 star, excellent hotels ) - but it is a quality 4-star hotel that allows you to start your San Francisco visit off on the right foot! -Our room was on the 16th floor, which I really LOVED! The view was awesome at night and during the day. -The floors creak like you wouldn't believe , and when your "neighbor" takes a shower at 6 AM it sounds like a loud freight train, making it impossibile to sleep. -If you take the right exit from BART, the Hotel entrance is just steps from the station exit. It is also a few blocks from Davies Hall, where the Symphony plays. The down side of the location is that this is not a great section of Market and most people probably will not feel too comfortable walking at night. So, take BART or the ample public transit. The hotel is nicely kept and clean. The building has some interesting architectural details. Still, it is an old and somewhat tired property and some of the remodeling is not the best. Same for the fitness center -- the room and equipment are older, but meet my needs. The food is good, but overpriced. If you are bothered by traffic notice, ask for a quiet room in back. The rooms in front overlook Market , which is a busy street. -The service and concierge were exceptional and went out of their way to do extra things for us. -Staff very helpful and the suite we had on the 14th floor was great with 2 bathrooms and a great view. -Service was impeccable and reliable - all our requests were accomodated and we were shown a couple of different rooms on check-in. -The restaurant had great decor but the Sunday breakfast buffet was forgettable . -The service, decor and beds were awesome . -Loved the service - the people at the desk were helpful and went out of the way to ensure we got everything we needed. -Also very clean and comfortable room with a great view . -The room service, cleaning staff, and doormen were all excellent as well . -It is a corner accomodation with great city views . -And very reasonably priced. Overall, excellent value for money and highly recommended. -Beautiful views of the city . -Bed bugs to the max!!! We found the staff to be quite unhelpful and not friendly . -The staff was top rate , very attentive. -A friend and myself visited San Francisco for 4 days. -It's spacious rooms, wonderful views , hip decor and professional, friendly service make it hard to leave. -We didn't have a spectacular view but a hotel room isn't the reason we decided to come to San Fran. -To die for beds , awesome views and great room service. -I would definitely recommend the Hotel Whitcomb for any budget travellers out there . -I would recommend this hotel as a place to stay, it has really friendly , welcoming and knowledgable staff, is situated in a lovely part of San Fransisco and the room we had was perfect - clean, large and very comfortable - I loved the bathrobes ! -Not that the room was awful, but should not be advertised as a 4 Star at all. -The new rooms had beautiful light, gorgeous views of the Bay and Alcatraz and it was like we were staying in a completely different hotel . -While the location for the Campton Place is better (the Fairmont is at the top of Nob Hill and while it has stunning views it can be a bit of a hike to get someplace , or you need to take a taxi), I was impressed with the Fairmont this time around and would stay there again. -The Palace Hotel is a cool place . -Top quality and fabulous staff . -Yes the rooms were a bit small , but they were nicely furnished and comfortable. -It is the best and most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed at. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/reference_files/sentence-validation.txt b/reference_files/sentence-validation.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c9732f6f924de86e775da94f8d0c120e1434274d..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 --- a/reference_files/sentence-validation.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,665 +0,0 @@ - The well- adjusted among us keep those things under control , and that's how Bernadette differs. - The reader is drawn to her instantly, as we are plunged into a futuristic world of oppression, poverty and despair. -I love this book! I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of Louise Penny's latest mystery novel "How the Light Gets In", the ninth in the series about Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and the Homicide Division of the Surete du Quebec. -This book is hilarious !! -This book is by far one of the best books I have ever read. -After Insurgent , the story picks up with Tris in trouble and Evelyn in control of the city. - It kept me guessing and the story is just so emotional and touching . -The characters are charming , the period voice feels right, there are enough painful stories from the war to make it feel real without having so many as to make the book unpleasantly grim, and well, this is just a nicebook to read. -Although much given detail does not pertain to the core story, the book based on Dodd's diary and the ancillary writings of others, is extensively researched , and very well written. -The story line was good at keeping the reader encased but some parts of the final product fell flat. - On top of this tragedy, she is dealing with normal high school angst - her social situation, her parents' divorce and her father's subsequent remarriage to her former baby sitter, her mother's disappearance, and her extremely strained relationship with her father and stepmother. -The Book Thief (New York: Albert A. Knopf, 2007), a novel by Australian writer Markus Zusak, accomplished a rare feat for Holocaust literature: the novel won numerous literary awards and became a long-standing international best seller, including being on the New York Times best seller list for a record of 230 weeks. -I adored her . -As I was reading the publishing page in the front of the book in preparation for this review , I noticed that the hardbound copy is printed on acid free paper. -The story was heartbreaking ... the story of Hope/Sky and her life literally broke me. -Two other books sat on the top of the reading pile, begging for a thorough read, the Amazon reader review thing, and so on. -It's 1962, a time when escalating tensions are rising between African-Americans (then known as "coloreds") and their white employers and neighbors! Told from three different points of view , this story probes the intimate thoughts about what it's like for the maids of wealthy and middle class white people in Jackson, Mississippi. -I strongly recommend this book.for some strange reason it was available in English prior to Christmas everywhere except USA . -Story is intriguing though incredulous . -It's a horrifying tale of "if I can't have you nobody can" wrapped up with some soul-crushing dependence, all told through a who-dun-it type of story. -Honestly, it's YA, it's somewhat SciFi and the description just didn't seem to grab me . -I thought the book started out good and interesting but it definately slowed down in the middle to the end. -Has hilarious stories ! -The concept for this story is exciting . -I loved that this book was a little more adult than the previous books . - There was a bit of mystery, a bit of the supernatural, a bit of magic . - Highly recommended . - Their story is riveting, appalling, and highly readable. A smart and stylish golden couple who complete each other in every way, their story and the inside look into their marriage will have readers mesmerized from romantic beginning until the stunning finale. -The story was so touching and had me guessing the entire time I was reading . -Definitely the best book of the series but all 3 are highly engaging and worth reading. -A few of the paragraphs do tend to go on a sentence fragment or two too long . -I think the writing and the content is very good . -Like there should be part 2 which I would not read . -The story and concept are unique, interesting, and captivating. They touch upon a wide variety of philosophical topics, such as love, free will, age differences within relationships, sex, waiting for love, and genetic therapy. -Very surprised considering its popularity . -The characters were likeable and I could not put this book down. -Highly recommended . -The concept is intriguing (4 stars) and the pace satisfactory ( 3 stars) but it lacks the depth it needs to be exceptional. -The best thing about this book is: it is so simple to read and understand, and hence easy to remember . -Tolkien is the standard by which I measure adult fantasy and, while my experience in this genre is limited, "A Game Of Thrones" is the most compelling and well-conceived tale I've found since Tolkien ( and I liked Kay's "Tigana" and Brooks' Shannara books very much ). -While I was largely able to ignore Larsson's often excessive amount of detail for the bulk of the book (some of which became relevant later, others which were really not necessary), I had to force myself through the first 75 pages or so of detail and financial crap that was relevant to Blomkvist's life, but entirely irrelevant to the rest of the book . -I really loved this book . -Overall it was a good book and an easy read (finished it in a day or so). -This story line is amazing . -and I feel that most fans of the series will ultimately be at least satisfied with the trilogy's ending. -This one is hard to put down . -Though the story is very grim, the love and protectiveness that the father has for his son is the only light in this otherwise very depressing narrative . -I really thought this book was thought provoking and insightful . -The good ones are nice , the snarky ones are awesome and the bad ones wind you up. -This is a groundbreaking book , at least to me. -Kyle Calloway is only days older than her, for many years he is her best friend, until he admits his feelings changed and he becomes her great love . -One of my new favorite books of all time !!! -The scenes between the two are both sexy and erotic . -I did find it a little repetitive but the book is clearly well researched and accessible . -I think his best were Jurassic Park and the Andromeda Strain . -(Is that a word?)Let me start off by saying that this book is not perfect and at times it was a bit of a disaster but that's why I loved it so much. Travis and Abby were two very flawed characters with a lot of issues to work through. For some reason these always become my favorite types of characters. To me, it makes it even more special to see them grow and change and I feel like the payoff is even bigger at the end. I know a lot of people really didn't like Travis but I absolutely and completely LOVED him, everything about him! The good and the bad. Yes, he can be a jerk and he has one hell of a temper and some major jealousy issues but all of these flaws just made him even more realistic to me. Don't worry because he doesn't stay that way throughout the whole book. Once he meets Abby he slowly starts changing, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. But the important thing to me is that he tries to be a better person for Abby. There is another character in this book, Parker, who is somewhat a love interest to Abby. He was pretty much perfect: good looking, rich, nice, good manners, Harvard-bound...and I absolutely could not stand him! He was such a bore. Maybe it's just me and maybe I'm not right in the head but I like reading about the messed up characters. The more screwed up they are, the better I like them. (Most of the time)Abby was a very complex character. She has a shady past and has worked hard to move on from it. But from the moment she meets Travis, she can't help but feel drawn to him. Don't worry; this isn't one of those insta-love stories. In fact, it's the completely opposite. It's one of those almostexcruciating but awesome slow build-ups that pushes them together one moment only to have them ripped apart the next. Abby and Travis have such a complicated and messed up friendship and their relationship is even more messed up. Just like the quote above says, when things are good between them it was such a beautiful thing. But when things went bad, it was definitely disastrous. At first, I really liked Abby because she was really tough and she would stand up to herself to Travis and didn't take any of his bullshit. But the closer they got, and the more blurry the line between friendship and romance got, she did some very stupid things which made me want to reach into the book and slap her a couple of times. (Maybe more than a couple)It's official! I found my new favorite category: New Adult! I mostly read YA (hence the blog name) and as much as I love them I sometimes feel like there is something missing. Well I found out what that was: sex! This is another thing that adds a realistic element to the story. I don't know why but it always bugs me when couples in YA wait until the third book to finally have sex. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against waiting and I definitely love the sexual tension until then, but what is it about the third book that makes it ok then? The relationship between Travis and Abby is scorching hot without being graphic or inappropriate . -I liked watching the movie n going back to the book and rereading it again n knowing the book is so much more detailed than the movie. -I red this book that I had been anticipating for some time with a mixture of excitement and drowsiness, which I guess comes of making a wal-mart run at midnight and reading until 4 A.M. then starting again 6 hours later. -I was fascinated by Bill O'Reilly's book on Jesus's life and death . -Every character in this book is odd. The plot is odd . -The ending of this book is terrible ! -This fourth book in the Harry Potter series blows the first three books away! -This is an exceptionally well written , well-researched book about two events that were intertwined, the Chicago World's Fair and the crimes of a serial killer in late nineteenth century Chicago. - The book didn't really have many new insights into the power of prayer, but it is a book that reminded me of how much God wants to do in my life ... -this was a great read I thought the suspense and action was good . -If your looking for real love plus a little bit of intimacy you must read this book. -Liked the book much more than the movie and would highly recommend it. - All that the good guys have to do is swing their swords around a few times and they can easily defeat entire armies of bad guys. One top of that, the good guys are led by an Aes Sedai (a female wizard) who can do more or less anything, so there's never any real sense of danger. The action scenes also grow very repetitive. For instance, there's one scene where our heroes are being chased by a horde of villians, but luckily they're able to run into a magic place where the bad guys just aren't willing to go. This exact same scene gets repeated twice later in the novel.Many people seem to think that the characterizations are one of this novel's strengths, but I don't agree. The main character is named Rand al'Thor, and the novel is supposed to show him changing from an ordinary farmboy into a great warrior. The problem is that he doesn't act like an ordinary person at the start; none of the five characters who grew up in a small down do. They all acts like soldiers right from the start. They're willing to plunge into battle without any hesitation, and the children always act totally grown up. I found the characters to be largely static and unbelievable.This certainly isn't a terrible novel. As I mentioned, it does have a wonderful surprise ending. Just don't expect to be swept away by it. Also, be sure to read the gloassary at the end, which is more entertaining than most of the book. -As you read it you will realize why and it will blow you away . -It's definitely has the steamy sex and a waydifferent romance - The plot is plodding, the prose is poor and from a standpoint of a mystery, only the confusion of the many characters can mask the whodunit .The main characters are cold, quirky and barely likeable. -Read the book synopsis and know that if you love NA Romance you will love the story and journey of Sky and Holder . - The created other world and its animosities are also believable in their sentiments , if a bit farfetched as appropriate in a fantasy story, and frightening for Karou. -It has the same mechanical plot development as usual but the premise is interesting , being based on the work of Dante. -The concepts behind this book are indeed fascinating and highly creative. -There is no basis for why these characters come together , back story is provided only when it's required by a new absurd event, plotting is thin and unrealistically paced, and threads and characters are left dangling. - First and foremost, it has a great plot that flows well despite many twists and turns . -Subject matter is difficult, of course, but through the eyes, heart , and mind of a an adolescent girl, this book is beautifully and hauntingly written. -I didn't know it would be INCREDIBLE ! -(Spoiler alert)I just finished reading Mockingjay and had to write a review because I am floored at how bad this book is considering I absolutely loved the first two books in the series . - I found the topic interesting in that the future where a small group of elite control everything and live high off the hog while basically enslaving the rest of the people to work and live in squalor is actually, if you read around off the beaten path, a goal of the powers that be psychopaths running the show currently. - All I can say is thank you Colleen Hoover, your gift with words is simply amazing .One Million Star review************************************************************************************************************** Sophie -We've read the stories of the holocaust before, the terrors brought to Germany and the rest of Europe by Hitler, the horrific plight of the Jews during World War II. -In saying that I currently have a friend who just cant get through it - yes it seems a bit pointless at times , even a bit ridiculous ( a tiger in a boat !) -While the romance was smoking hot , I have to say I enjoy learning more about Noah and Echo as characters and seeing them overcome their struggles more than the romance. -This story was so intriguing , so emotionally intense. -I would recommend this book to anyone, this series is great . -This story was AWESOME !!!!!! - I bought this a year ago, began to read it, then put it down after about one hundred pages . -Reading Katniss's story was so compelling that I found myself able to overlook many of the unsatisfying aspects of this book. -I found Christian to be a very sweet, sensitive ( SEXY HOT ) man who while having a dark past, struggles daily with his issues while truly putting Ana's feelings first. - I really had to struggle through this book and almost deleted it more than once . - The case is not bulky and actually fits in most of my pant pockets . -Bass booms , a little more than I am use to, so I backed the sub off a little until it was what I wanted. -This is really my only complaint about the keyboard! Everything else is great .OH! - These speakers won't annoy the neighbors any time soon, but they produce a deep bass and the sound is very clear and crisp. -This is a good mouse I epically like how you can unlock the scroll while that will let you scroll through pages as fast as you want also the back buttons are good and easy to use when going back and forth in between web pages. -This is definitely a high quality product . -These speakers ROCK . -The form factor really appeals to me. -BUILDThe device feels nice and solid . - I have big fingers and need keys that are spaced far enough apart and that are raised somewhat so it's comfortable to work with. -I hooked it up per the instructions along with the power USB cable and I got exactly zero channels . -First of all, it is not a miracle device . -These Earbuds have very good sound, they're cheap, and colorful. - I have very large hands and this keyboard is compact , but I have no complaints. -This paired with the fact that the mouse runs off of one AA NiMH battery, means the battery life is pretty abysmal ; few hours at most. -This particular card is fast and reliable . -At lower volumes, the bass, mids, and treble are easily audible and full -- which was not the case before, where the bass would drop out, and the treble would overpower the mids. -This monitor was purchased as a gift for my father , but I couldn't help myself, and opened it up to "test it out" for him, for a few days. -Both of them have excellent image quality and for 2 bills for the pair of lenses, you can't beat the price for 2 high quality primes. -The zoom function is novelty, not necessity, it's fun to use normally but mostly useless otherwise, really exclusively for the always-in-office user, what they need to do is make it a scroll button too, it's highly sensitive and easy to use , which would make scrolling silky smooth in a way only overpriced mice manage. -Then I find my ears feel hot and these headphones are pressing my ears. -I highly recommend this Stand Cover . - For now, I will say that this charger is great . -This cable is excellent . -The price was perfect . -when it's amazing . - Starts where it left off , has good sound quality, weighs almost nothing, takes Micro SD cards. -I wish I could say the set up was easy , but because my wifi router is 7 years old and was set to WEP security it wasn't the simplest to get it to work. -These wireless headphones are really awesome! The base unit comes with a phono plug to 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter, and then a 3.5 mm headphone jack to left/right RCA audio adapter. -The mounting is likely to be more solid than the standard flip down lever because you are able to tighten with thumb screws on an AMD board. -The keyboard is easy to use and works great. - Price was good , delivery was fast but it only worked sometimes. -Now I have almost full signal all through my house and a good ways around it too instead of the front two rooms that I got with the stock wireless router. -I'm always in search of a solid USB drive that won't break off of my key chain that I keep clipped to my hip. -Love the added function keys (home button, etc.) and found the size more than comfortable to type on. -I had been looking for a replacement for my old Sony monitor headphones. -The screen is fine . -The sound is awesome, better than I expected for the low price. I'm very pleased! -This product has amazing speed and range . -Lasts a full charge and some ! - Performance and coverage has been great everywhere in my home. - It is not durable at all and you have to be very careful not to move the Kindle while it's plugged in . -The Asus monitor is much brighter, higher contrast, and deeper colors . -It's much too difficult to navigate and download files . -All is good . -I purchased one of these drives to replace a drive that died in my parents computers ( drive that died was ~5 or 6 year old Maxtor.) I've always been a fan of the Barracuda line and the price was right so I jumped on this drive. My parents need almost no storage to check their e-mail and surf the web so this drive was perfect ! -AmazonBasics are a fantastic value for quality of cable you get. -The sound is great, good bass nice Sound isolation due to the rubber ear molds. -Living in Texas means a base temperature indoors of about 80F for much of the year -Short answer: good quality , reasonable price, excellent customer service. -I've had the Chromecast for about a week now, and despite a few little hiccups have been incredibly impressed and pleased . - Battery life is incredible . -I was able to set up my console and download the initial software update with no problems . -Overall, it it very comfortable , and I love the thumb rest. -Decent sound , but there are negatives to considerThe quality of the construction and materials seems average. -Over all, this is one sweet remote . -Performance is amazing! I have it hooked up to a static gateway, which splits up my modem's connection to two other routers. -But for the vast majority of users out there, this is a very affordable and effective computer audio solution. - Put all your excess junk, Logic files, photoshop (if you are still using photoshop anymore) and all the big stuff and free up your hard drive . -Pros - Easy setup, lots of apps, GREAT little remote , Android app has great functionality, small footprint, stylish. -Tablets of all kinds are a lot of fun for me, and as an owner of last year's Asus Google Nexus 7 Tablet (8 GB) - Quad-core Tegra 3 Processor, Android 4.1, I was keen on giving Google and ASUS' most recent effort a short. -The grip on the thumb side feels good ; although, I had to push mine into place as it was peeling on arrival and it continues to be somewhat loose or prone to getting pulled out of place, it sits to high above the surrounding plastic [Edit, this continues to be "loose"]. -Didn't use it for a really long time yet, but from the little I saw it has great quality , very sharp image and dark blacks, incredibly neat monitor! -Batteries are excellent and the eneloop does hold a charge longer than older style re-chargeables. - The earbuds fit well and the sound is very clear . -Well the quality wasn't all bad...just that annoying bathroom echo effect ...also this device does not auto connect when your within range but rather requires you to go into Bluetooth settings and pair every time you want to use itRange was not bad about 20-30 feet throug a couple of interior walls much better than expected - My only issue is the keys get stuck very easily - if a little bit of something falls into the crack between the keys and the base pf the key board, you get pppppppppppppppppppppppppp all across the screen until you get the 'p' key unjammed (for instance) -sound quality is incredible . -This will be a ramble - I am generally well satisfied with this product but there are a few things to be aware of. -So far it works great and the noise is low . -And some other reviewer mentioned, the cover is stiff and N7 will NOT stand. - I bought it for the range and it is a good router just the interface is not intuitive . - Installed in a breeze and handles the weight on the tv . - It's very fast and I really think the screen resolution and clarity of display is very good ! -This thing is awesome , especially now that it supports HBO Go. -The Anker Astro E5 is a great external battery for anyone's Apple and Android Device . -Wifi signal is very good , webgui is nice. - This unit seems well built and is easy to setup but the sound quality is terrible . - The touchscreen is very responsive & quick . - Promptly shipped and the price was really good ! -This remote is excellent .. - The cables that come with them are PATHETICALLY SHORT . -The nearly unlimited amount of positions the keyboard/case can be configured is awesome. -The headset is comfortable enough that you can wear it for several hours, the mic is up to par , and in-line audio controls are always a plus. - When I'm sitting in bed watching TV with my head against a couple of pillows, it moves these headphones forward slightly off my ears and the sound is not as loud . - I found it time consuming and problematic . -This Router is excellent ! -but I think it was just a malfunction and not anyone's fault. -The bass is very powerful and the sound quality is, as you'd expect from Bose, phenomenal. -Text is easier to read . -Overall, if I could only take one camera I would take the SX260 because the optical zoom and picture quality is great . -The cable is quite thick which gives the wear and tear. -If you have iPad and wants it to be protected and a great wireless keyboard, you must consider the Newtrend Airbender Pro (NT610KR)!Durability~5 (so far, no issue to report)Functionality~5 (it has all of the options I would want)Quality~5 (so far it has been great and fun to use it)Protective Capability~5 (this is a fantastic case)Shipping of product~5 (the box is pretty cool too) -Really impressed . -My previous router would continuously drop and have to be rebooted, so after reading all the reviews decided to purchase this Medialink . -The plastic is sturdy , the design is simple and minimal, none have gone wrong yet. - It seems like a sturdy little drive and the capacity would've been nice. -The video quality of the HD is awesome . -These cables are extremely well made, have the extra feature of incorporating an ethernet path and are a really great buy . - They crumble a bit but the bag we had was not that bad - the cookies don't really crumble as much as they leave crumbs. -I realize that doesn't sound overly compelling, but I expected these healthful crackers to be dry as dust . - It has no metallic taste or aftertase .Just -The South Beach Living Fiber Fit Mocha bar comes with 5 to a package. -The Keebler Town Pita cracker (Sea Salt) is definitely a little on the salty side - which means that I would make my hummus with less salt than usual. -First off, the taste is pretty awesome . -The texture is fine, but the flavor is quite bland , not nearly as chocolatey as I expected given that the cookie itself is chocolate as well as the filling. - So bear in mind that this 6-box pack will probably give you about 18 bowls of cereal when considering the cost . - A small piece of chocolate brings this lunch to a sweet and dark end .I'm -It's not as much green tea as it is mango and pineapple . - I would call this a reasonably healthy cereal, and it is gluten free .Iam not impressed. -I definitely recommend Izze's All- Natural Sparkling Apple , and I'm sure you'll like it too! -Sometimes I'll mix it with the Bolthouse Farms Chocolate Soy Protein drink . -Looking for a change from your typical coffees & teas? - To be honest, the first few sips burned quite a bit as they went down due to the ginger, but as I continued to drink, the lemon and honey flavors came to the fore . -Un-hulled seeds are full of nutrients . - I only ate one cracker and that's plenty . -For a habanero sauce this is actually quite mild and the ginger aspect of it is more of an aftertaste than a prominent flavor. -After two cups, she found that the coffee wasn't bitter and was very smooth for a dark roast . -They're great for throwing into my purse, and the almonds inside are fresh and tasty . -With regard to the sauce itself, the consistency is thick , tasting like a mayonnaise base with some BBQ Sauce added and then mixed with some chipotle (minus the seeds). -Unfortunately I only received 1 Organic Cherry Cashew Bar, so I shared it with my father and my friend. -The texture is smooth and not grainy . -I normally use Nescafe Classic Freeze Dried coffee when using instant coffee but these new packets of Taster's Choice are so convenient, travel well, are easily opened, dissolve completely and the taste is quite satisfactory for a freeze dried product. - I enjoyed the slightly chewy texture and the fresh nuts . - I love coffee , flavored, not flavored, with sugar, black if I must, just caffeinate me, and make it a nice cup of good coffee. -Starbucks new Natural Fusions line of flavored coffee may say 'a hint of vanilla' but to my taste, the natural flavoring is richly aromatic and full-bodied . -Father " Too sugery tasting - why would someone drink this. -Nutrition as per the nutrition panel is good .This is not a sweet, sticky granola bar as many tend to be. -For a dollar, I can get a 2-ounze bag of cheez- its, a nature valley granola bar , a 2-pack of pop tarts, animal crackers, or chips out of the vending machines at work. -This is a tasty coffee drink . -It also contains 100% of the recommended level of Vitamin C.PRICE:The product costs more than soda, but the ingredients are better. -Unfortunately, I see a price increase as their heads enlarge . -Good and bad points from this product:Good: I thought the taste was good - the packaging describes the chocolate as velvety and I think that's a pretty good word for it. -Illy makes great coffee and I did enjoy the taste of this beverage. - There was nothing remarkable about the flavor , it really was quite boring, if one can call a coffee boring. -These bars are so convenient and so healthy. -Under the very strong ginger taste, you can taste a little bit of lemon and the drink is sweet . -This microwave popcorn comes from my favorite brand of popcorn , which I usually make in my hot air popcorn popper. -I tell you what, the very first bite I didn't like the bar at all . -I usually buy high quality coffee such as Pete's, or Tully's because I like my coffee strong , and rich, but not bitter or burnt tasting -Sauce is really good . -The fruit punch flavor tastes just like Kool -Aid's fruit punch flavor. - I am sorry to say that while you may enjoy the box to some degree, I can't recommend it outside of a very good sale. -If my sister had made this, I would call it a hit with my low expectations of her cooking, but at the end of the day , I prefer my own seasoning. -When you first sip it, the flavor of fresh watermelon (not candy sweet watermelon) is crisp yet light and enhanced by the carbonation , this is quickly followed by a strawberry flavor that can best be described as identical to the strawberry juice at the bottom of the bowl. -If this water tastes like your tap water , we should all live where you live! -I adore him .But getting him to eat green vegies has been a challenge. - This does!This bar is tasty but not at all too sweet , the bar does not contain cane sugar (though, by the way, cane is a natural growing sugar) there are a lot of other things this bar does not contain also: no preservatives, no gluten, no dairy, no trans fat. -The milk chocolate is smooth and creamy in flavor . - The taste is clean and refreshing . -That is why we have regular drinking water delivery . -Honestly, I prefer the taste of a real apple or the dried apples this brand sells at Starbucks, but in lieu of that, this is a good healthy snack alternative. -This coffee smells good when its brewing - quick as that brewing experience is in a Keurig coffee maker. -However, this completely killed the portability that I loved , as well as the ability to grab one our the fridge and head out the door. -This baby food has very simple ingredients : no sugar added, no preservatives (lemon juice only), no coloring. -The ginger is strong . -The bar is a good size for an afternoon snack or a pick me up while exercising/hiking at 1.7 oz. -For now, my search for a good de-caf coffee is now complete . -We had a choice of either box as an Amazon Vine option and I chose to do the double chocolate thinking the wife would like it better. - This new packaging is nice . - The texture was fine (aside from the lack of nuts).The Wild Blueberry Pure Bar is definitely my favorite and worth seeking out. - And while it does nothing in aiding the diet or lowering your sugar intake, it does make you feel better about drinking it since it is not a soft drink per say. -Tastes like Red Bull mixed up with Hawaiian Punch .Healthy? - Each quarter-cup serving (quite small; there are just 4 servings in the tiny bag) is 60 calories, with no fat, 10 grams of natural sugar , and 2 grams of fiber. - The fruit really is an added bonus . -Coffee is very rich and smooth , but not too strong. - The taste of the tea is strong and not delicate but its flavor is very nice. -This sauce is spicy enough ..just doesn't really taste that good. -The taste is not really one or the other - but a good break if you feel like something mildly sweet and somewhat solid. -These bottles are quite large , and I would certainly recommend at least the two flavors referenced. -I'm pretty picky when it comes to cheese and crackers . -I like the taste of lemons and ginger , but I wasn't prepared for the taste of this beverage. -There was no bitter aftertaste . -This is a extremely tasty drink , but I am partial to watermelon flavors. -I love this sauce and even though i am not a huge fan of "raspberry" tasting things, this sauce is great and adds a very nice sweet flavor to your savory dishes. - The apple, walnut, and cranberry pieces all tasted good . -Lipton's Half & Half tea and honey is a very sweet drink . -The taste of the "outside" part of the cookie was slighly similar to soft- baked chocolate chip cookies . -Interestingly , even when comparing with other sauces, this immediately brought to mind Taco Bell. -This coffee smells delicious out of the package , and while brewing, but the chocolate taste is too much for my palate. -Each packet is good for a 16oz drink . -Essentia is a good tasting water . -They have a really natural fruit flavor, and the texture is very light and crisp . -I love cherries and cashews and this organic Pure raw fruit and nut bar. -We both thought the meal was delicious . -These cashews are LOADED with pepper. When I first opened the container and saw these nuts, it looked like someone had wet them and dredged them in black pepper. And believe me...You can taste the pepper; and it stays with you. Very, very spicy. Too much so for me. I also agree with other reviewers who have said the nuts are too salty . -Essentia has a nice clean, fresh taste. Just pure clean water. No after taste, no odd tastes overall. I love the bigger sized bottle. I cannot attest to the benefits of drinking pH water specifically because I only tried the one bottle and of course did not see any benefits or notice anything spectacularly different from any other water.I suppose if you have great interest in the long term benefits of drinking Essentia with its 9.5pH and if you do not mind the price, it is worth it. I myself cannot see spending so much on bottled water, although it does have a very good, pure taste . -I don't like this type of snack , but these were good. -Not only does this product taste great , it is good for baby. -The soup is rich and tasty , but DON'T buy it from Amazon. -I expected the shelf life to be longer I guess. -The texture is more on the smooth side than the crunchy side . - The bar itself is chewy and tastes great . -This sauce really has unique flavor: predominantly mango with some ginger and just right amount of hot Habaneros . -This option is better because the box contains six individually wrapped packages with about eight or ten crackers in each pack. -I have dry skin . -I found the taste of the Back to Nature grahams to be comparable to Honey Grahams but not nearly as sweet or intense . -If this was loose coffee, it would get 4 stars . -There are not many k-cups that deliver true espresso body and flavor, but this one comes very close to what you might get in a coffee shop. -This was an enjoyable and refreshing treat on a hot summer day. -I have to say I loved this film . - One of the most powerful films ever made , it is also one that is a marvel to watch again and again. -Trent Reznor damn near makes your ears bleed and the sound and picture quality is awesome . -I finally decided four just could not be justified, so it's really more like 3.5/5 from me. -if for nothing else see it for the scenery . -Picture and sound quality are excellent and the 3D is only as good as a movie originally shot in 3D could be. -From my perspective as a long-time, rabid fan of horror, I have to say that Cabin Fever is simply a dreadful horror film . -The film is visually stunning . -Wow kids, thanks for the trivia but what does that have to do with how wonderful the movie is!?"Chicago" is a very well written musical by Fred Ebb, John Kander and Bob Fosse that is still playing on Broadway today in its revival incarnation. -Some of this ideas has been somehow treated more recently in movies such as "The last legion". -Every episode is interesting . -This set collects some of the best shows to air on television . -u know, I loved the classic, "American Pie" that was just stupid for its own good but it delivered the goods to make it a great comedy! this film wasn't so much funny as stupid . - The storyline is intriguing, to say the least . -The story is choppy and confusing; the special effects are terrible , even for 1984; and the appearance of the film in general leaves you wondering if the intent was not to make a serious recreation of the novel but rather something campy, like "Flash Gordon" -- except that it is much darker, with occasional gory intrusions. -I marginally liked this film when I first rented it, but somehow it resinated with me, and I recently bought it. -A great (albeit short) first season of a very funny show . -BATMAN (1989) is the one Tim Burton film where his directorial style worked in perfect synergy with mainstream Hollywood. Many of his other earlier films, including BEETLEJUICE (1988), EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1993), ED WOOD (1994), and ironically BATMAN RETURNS (1992) are 100% TIM BURTON! They are all great in that Burtonesque way. While Burton's first Batman film BATMAN has obvious Burton touches: odd and disturbing characters, dark tone, neo-noirish look, the film still manages to be generally accessible to the mass audience. It moves at a fast, breezy pace and has an epic, Hollywood feel to it, with a satisfying conclusion. But that, in this case, is not a bad thing! I have re-watched this entertaining flick so many times it isn't funny! It just works. Can't say that for many of the superhero films in this new PC, uninspired generation of films.I actually saw BATMAN (1989) when it first came out in movie theatres and was blown away by it's originality and scope...still am. Even more so now since it holds up 20+ years later as great entertainment. In retrospect, Michael Keaton was the perfect choice to play the fractured, flawed antiheroic Bruce Wayne AKA Batman. But I always felt he was the right choice! Keaton captures the guarded loneliness of the Bruce Wayne character, while still being very convincing as a tough guy who can hold his own when donning the cape and cowl! Mr. Burton...you made the right choice!The other inspired (and perhaps more obvious) choice was casting the legendary Jack Nicholson as Jack Napier AKA The Joker. Nicholson is convincing as high-level "yes man" thug Napier who through a nasty accident becomes facially scarred and assumes the Joker persona. And Nicholson really looks like The Joker in this! He has so many memorable lines that I think about all the time. The hero-villain chemistry between he and Keaton is electric.Kim Basinger (at her most gorgeous!) admirably plays nosy photojournalist Vicki Vale, who arrives in Gotham City to unlock the secret of the mysterious Caped Crusader who has been "terrorizing" low level criminals throughout the city. She ends up falling in love with Bruce Wayne (lucky bastard!). Basinger is the weakest link of the main actors, but she still does a good job of emoting, being simultaneously fascinated and repulsed by Batman and Joker's antics. She screams a lot, but look at the freaks she's dealing with! Can you blame her?The solid supporting cast includes Michael Gough (wonderful turn as Alfred, Bruce's ever-so-reliable and dependable butler and caretaker), Robert Wuhl (in an energetic turn as Vicki's fellow reporter Alex Knox), Billy Dee Williams (as DA Harvey Dent), and Pat Hingle (as world-weary Police Commissioner Gordon). In particular, Keaton and Gough have an effortless chemistry as though they have been close their whole lives. Gough came back for Schumacher's cartoonish campy films and he had none of the chemistry with either Kilmer or Clooney that he had with Keaton in the Burton ones. It was weird watching Gough's Alfred interact with those tepid versions of Bruce Wayne.As previously stated, I am amazed at how Burton's style fused perfectly with more conventional Hollywood touches and created something special out of it. It could have been a monumental failure, but instead ended up being a template for all future superhero films. -The movie is entertaining , but it does not seem to resonate with any great significance or meaning despite Lewis's reputation as a Christian polemicist. -There have been a lot of half- crazed movie characters in film history, you know the one; the kind of vaguely insane person that the movie truly revolves around, with the other characters only there to provide stark contrast with their recognizably sane posture. -Other than that the movie was very graphic as far the joker - The story in this one is even better, the action is more intense and exciting , and the effects are brilliant! - Both children and adults could enjoy it and the special effects are wonderful . -The show is interesting , with a good assortment of supernaturals (Wesen) which kept my interest. -What made this film great was its action, story, and great characters with came together to form a near- perfect film . -Joss Whedon's unmistakeable flair comes clearly across in this popcorn movie . -I can only say the movie is watchable and maybe if they had attempted to film it the old fashioned way with no CGI, it would have given it more of a prequel feeling of the classic. -The many supporting actors ( at least 25) were all outstanding and perfect for their respective parts . -While the last 20 minutes are somewhat less than gratifying, the rest of the movie is fairly sound and enjoyable . -Johnny Depp as Capt . -Hustle is an excellent and entertaining Comedy/Crime Drama that combines great direction, a terrific cast ,a wonderful script and a fantastic soundtrack all of those elements make American Hustle a great film that has to be seen. -The sound is significantly better and colors are brighter and more vibrant than the DVD version. -The music is magnificent . -Sadly, you know from the first five minutes how this movie is going to go . -Wes Anderson's third film, "The Royal Tenenbaums," is nothing short of amazing and was easily the best film of 2001 . - The dialogue is superb , as is Quentin Tarantino's other masterpiece Pulp Fiction, but the characters in Reservoir Dogs are just great. -The special effects were awesome but as VanHelsing proved , it takes more than that to make a good film. -1 is much more a paean to the Japanese style of filmmaking: Extremely saturated colours courtesy of cinematographer Robert Richardson (even Shaw films didn't go this far in terms of garish colours -- we're in '80s Kurosawa territory here), emphasis on extreme wide shots, the very long builds, the brilliant music by The RZA . -I 've never been attracted to mutes myself . -In fact, I kind of wish I had seen The Grudge before I saw The Ring because the Grudge (and the DVD interviews with Sam Raimi and Takashi Shimizu) explains why both films were so creepy and disturbing .At the heart of both film's effectiveness is the difference between Western and Eastern ghost tales. - Overall, the quality was so clear and clean that you were easily able to see such imperfections and it took you out of the movie, combined with this new filming speed. -Thematically, the film is successful at developing some intriguing ideas about discovery and purpose. -A lot of the parts are at night or in the dark. -It's a little *too* much reality." Nightmarish, disturbing, cautionary, thought-provoking, and moving , this film will stay in your mind long after it has ended, and many will gather their own responses as to what the movie meant to them. - There are some wonderful Indian actors and fantastic dependable English ones too ! -The fight with Adam is just classic!#22 RESTLESS - 5/5. -I recommended the film to a relative and we saw it together . -This a pretty good movie and it had A LOT of blood . -I suppose I was nave to think that this third installment of the Twilight cultural phenomenon would be any better or more interesting than the first two "films" in the series . -Sure, the songs are not bad , and the actors are kinda cute, and you gotta give those guys credit for putting a lot of time and effort into this movie. -The service and price were excellent . -Jennifer Lawrence could read the phone book and I would be fascinated . -Always been a Trekkie and this movie is awesome ! -If you aren't a Brenden Fraser fan, stop right here and search for another film. - Pitt's character is ridiculous as is the entire premise of the movie. - That said ... the music , animation, and so on are all outstanding. -Action was fun to see but storyline was blah and of even their cheesy lines you expect to hear were poorly placed. -that they evolve musically and it very cool to listen to. -The film wasn't all bad, but you would expect better from a Star Wars film, and the bad acting did let the film down dramatically . -It is a very full-toned and haunting picture . -The packaging and the quality of each and every video is AWESOME! If you love Laurel and Hardy, this package will please you beyond words . -I found a couple instances where I would say they tried a little to hard to make something funny, a classic Disney 'he just stepped in the #2' moment that made us laugh the first time and now it's just old, then again it is a kids movie more so and simple humor is sometimes best. -Firefly has the same problem that all of Whedon 's shows have . - This film was terrific ! -This series is great , it dose start out slow and a little less scary but it dose make it up for that later on. - Simply put, James Cameron's Avatar on the Blu Ray format is the best picture and audio we have seen or heard to date. -The main characters are consistent and well developed , and all other characters are just minor roles that are there to pop in and out... not well developed and overall fairly unimportant. -As one of the most awaited movies in history, it would be very hard to live up to the hype that surrounded Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith . - I do not think it is as good as the Lord of the Rings films, Narnia films, or the Harry Potter films, but still fairly enjoyable. -Truly a must see, great film . -The characters have been cast perfectly, the acting is marvelous and the filming (on location at an actual mansion) is simply perfect. - I recommend this movie to any on who has a good sense of humor . -If you are looking for plausibility , skip this movie but if you want laughs with intense ridiculous action then you might like this movie. -The plot, drama, dialog, romance, acting and actors are excellent -- as are the scenes, effects and Hi-Tech. -It just doesn't have any emotional impact . -As was the acting. I swear, there were times I literally cringed when certain dialogue was spoken . -GREAT movies , Great Blurays, love em!FELLOWSHIPPQ - 3.5-4/5AQ - 5/5MOVIE - 5/5TWO TOWERSPQ - 4-4.5/5AQ - 5/5MOVIE 5/5RETURN OF THE KINGPQ - 4.5-5/5AQ - 5/5MOVIE - 5/5Fellowship is a little soft, but that is because it is the first film, the budget was lower, but is an improved upgrade from dvd, it still looks great, I give it a 3.5-4 on the picture quality. -They are setting out for the lost city of Erebor, which the dragon Smaug stole many years ago -- and now Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) wants to reclaim it. -I did not consider this book the best in the series and this movie was simply amazing . -To me it would have make it a much better movie . - The film provides the necessary background as well as an accurate description of conditions on the ground during the few months that the conflict lasted. -Having enjoyed X-Men thoroughly, I was pleasantly surprised to see that its sequel , X2, was actually better! -Well, this movie is like any other ever made. -This movie is gripping hardcore , shocking, scary, and very emotional. - In the mode of Dowton Abbey , the period dresses and suits are fun to watch and enjoy. -My granddaughter loved this movie . -Kudos to the writers, producers, directors and actors for a job superbly done. -The way the camera ventures around the place is totally freaky , cause you have no idea whats going to be around the next corner... - Such as when Kong escapes the theatre and finally sees the Girl again in NYC , walking smokily down a blue lit street in pitch black winter. - The extras on disc two are interesting and the previews for the extended version and TTT accomplish their purpose extreemly well.***original review below.***First the bad.The movie CHOPS 20% of the book -in one big chunk- (muttering a chapter title doesn't count!). The story of how Merry and Pippin become involved is cut and CHANGED. The old forest and the Barrow Wights are also missing. Some of Tolkien's best descriptions are found in the forest scenes (gnarly, old, and aware trees; gloom and darkness; spiders and other creatures lurking! The Galadriel scene is BAD. And there are two things wrong with Moria. 1. The cave troll scene is too long and it should have some texture on its skin (of fur). 2. I would have liked to see a bit more of Moria. The special effects when the ring is worn are overdone. One too many sweeping helicopter shots of the river. Finally, the scene where Sam goes into the river at the end was done all wrong!***Now for the GOOD***The history of the ring is told very well. Many scenes show a great deal of very good creativity. The Shire scenes are wonderful. Good humor (except in Rivendell, and taht the "conspiracy unmasked" was cut out). ***The reactions of Gandalf and especially Boromir to being near the ring really helps display the evil power of the ring. Their acting (and the direction in these scenes) is PERFECT!*** The wraiths were also done very well.The special effects and music are teriffic. The color and "tone" of the river and the huge statues at the end are especially tastefully done. Shrinking the Hobbits was just plain unbelieveable when they were running around several other characters. The scene at Orthanc was visually spectacular and the duel was creatively and tastefully done.Substituting Arwen for Glorfindel neatens things. The moria scenes (except for the above criticisms), are superb -especially when Gandalf "defeats" the balrog.[All of the smaller plots of the book could have been done except it would have confused and blurred things for the unread, and the movie would have been five hours long! Maybe six movies would have been required for everything???]***The DVDs' extras look extreemly promising!*** -Road House is one of the worst movies ever made --it's poorly acted, badly written and sloppily directed. - Reese Witherspoon's performance, as well, is surprisingly good. There are precious few points in the film where you remember she was in Legally Blonde, and her vocals and live performances are stronger than many I've seen from Hollywood actresses in recent years. -The effects are cheesy (although, at times, brilliant - The Sea of Fire near the beginning is still eye candy for me). -Some scenes were gross and inappropriate particularly the bag of poo while having dinner and adamant and borat fighting in bed . -Arguably the best crime film of 1968, and certainly one of the most influential films of the genre...."Bullitt" established new directions in the mood and style of crime thrillers, and firmly established McQueen as one of the key anti-hero stars of the 60's. -The cast was outstanding and included the Indian star from Slumdog Millionaire. - The action is much the same , dumb, silly, dopey. -Batman: Under the Red Hood was better than I thought it would be, the animation was good but not great , and the story was very good. -As kids, Star Wars was flawless. - The casting is superb (although 2 of the actors were a bit older than their book counterparts); and their acting leaps & bounds better than the '81! -I'm speechless, this BLU-RAY/DVD set is, without question, one of the best transfers ever . -The pastas are generally more chewy which was perfect to my friend's liking. -But when the service and food is this bad , next time I'll get my fill of nostalgia on Youtube. -I like the atmosphere of the entire place . -Great atmosphere and decor . -Absolutely gorgeous restaurant ! -I think we found the best tacos in Toronto . - The menu is very limited , but it makes up for its size in quality. -Amazing food with amazing servers !! -Banh Mi Boys is fast food at its best . -Aside from the size of the dish, the taste is beyond horrible . - More importantly, the food was divine and the Japanese wine was unlike other wines I have tasted . -We also got the heirloom tomato salad, the poached cod, the beef short ribs , the rice cakes and the chanterelles. -My boyfriend brought me to Byblos for my birthday celebration! We loved our experience at Byblos and decided to revisit :) -Bad service the manager was rude asking us to pay 20% tip the seatings are not enough about lucky not coming back. -Bad Service. Excellent food. -Best ramen in Toronto , great service and consistently great broth! -Unfortunately, the owners and the service I received completely ruined my experience. I was staying at a local hotel, which made reservations for our party (and I heard the concierge make the reservation). -And I have to say that it was absolutely delicious ! - The place is underground and it was a cool place . -The patio, service, cocktails, and variety of delicious taco options make it absolutely worth it. -The drinks are really good too ! -Overall, good for the curries ! -The food was alright - ate from the pre fixe menu and it was normal 'fancy food' salmon, small salads, chocolate cakes, etc. -My dinning companion at the time had a burger, it was a solid, big burger . -Prices are cheap and you can get a decent dish for around $12-13 (after tax+tip)The place is quite busy on weekends, and it is almost always quite loud. -My sandwich came up to $6.77, which was very reasonable for what I got. - From the moment they accommodated me by placing the roses I ordered at our table, to the time our evening ended, it was amazing . -I used to love this place . -Definitely lives up to the hype ! -and clean! Great experience , I would go here again... -We all left with the impression that because Wish is so trendy, they don't care about providing any actual service . -The place fills up real quick during the nights and the night I came had many tables reserved. -We ordered our appetizers and dinner at the same time after taking in the view and deciding from the excellent menu options . -The food was tasty and seasoned well , portions were big, service was warm. -This is one of the most interesting restaurants to dine in downtown! -Less busy / more space, food that is on par with the other sukhothai locations but with more variety, and friendly staff . -But, all in all, the food is really great and extremely inexpensive for what you get. -FABULOUS . -The food is fine ,weekday Lunch AYCE for $17.99. -Had silly little items such as a small piece of fish with a bit of sauce served on a Pringle chip, and deep-fried scallops with a dollop of katchup on them. -The food is amazing and the service is fantastic . -The chicken was pretty tasty and perfectly cooked (tender). -Manager was very rude . -Also, typical of many high-end restaurants, they explain what's in every dish but it was spewed out so quickly that a lot of it was incoherent . -The steak is delicious , the Caesar salad (made at your table according to your specifications), the mushrooms, asparagus, potatoes, and fries too. -Each one was delicious and the flavours are already there. -We could not decide on an appetizer so we had asked the server their favourite dish to which she suggested the battered squash. -It is located on a smaller street in Toronto so if you like a more quiet, outdoor environment to do work you may want to check this place out . -Great atmosphere, awesome cocktails, SUPER fast service and delicious food. -Neighbourhood is on point . -We started off with Aburi Beef Carpaccio, which was awesome! I loved the shoyu eggs, it was perfectly cooked. -The food is really reasonably priced . -So good ! -Staff always welcomes you with great suggestions on their favourites and explanations on the freshest items on the menus. -They offer two kinds of noodles - the thick one looked better . -We came in at unusual hours of 4 pm to have lunch and service was on point . -Great food and beer! Fantastic service! -I've had their ceviche, chips and dip, as well as other offerings, but I still gravitate towards the tacos as they are always fresh and flavorful and never disappoint. -The service as usual was excellent ! -Good food, clean, affordable. More spacious than other restaurants I've been to in Chinatown. -favourite sausage is the venison! -Ramen being one of my favourite things . -The issue with this place comes with the service -- which is slow, slow, slow . -Quick service . -The food is not flavourful, expensive, small portions . -Food Quality & Price: Meat was soft and tender . -So we also got a jar of water that came slow . -The service is always impeccable , the food divine, and ou HAVE TO try the pancakes as a dessert (ask for a smaller portion if you can't do the full dish;-) - So what if I get a free beer once in awhile? I come here anyways!Having lived in Belgium, I come here to relive some of my favourite Belgian foods and beer (although, I am admittedly not much of a beer drinker). -Their steak is really good AND it doesn't break the bank if you wanna have a nice dinner. -Overall, the Baja Fish Tacos were the best item we ordered (nice, crispy, light, with decent flavor ). - Service is fine . - In the area, there are line-ups for ramen, bubble tea, matcha, and Japanese cheese cake/tarts as a lot of global Asian brands are opening locations here -- and Asian kids just love lining up for trendy Asian food. -We loved our experience there!The food was good and filling . -For a start, the service was great and our waiter was very attentive. -This place started out at a four star review, the food was very good , the service was not awful (hence the four, instead of five star original rating) then, out of nowhere, the lights were dimmed and the most awful top 40 rap started blasting!!! -My parents had the calamari and loved it ! - Note: very limited seating (around 4) and some places to stand, so either be prepared to stand and eat or savor the food experience somewhere outside - either way it will be an unforgettable. -Its a little frustrating to rate this restaurant as we had a fantastic time here . -Washrooms are nice but TINY. -It was really moist in texture and a bit different from the original cheesecake but still just as good. -The dishes were a bit pricier than the usual a la carte sushi but it was definitely worth it. -The place is crammed which I hated and super loud . -Surprisingly decent quality food for a good price. -The food here isn't too bad , but it also isn't excellent. - Seating is very limited , so your best bet is probably to get take out and eat it on a nearby bench. -We revisited here again . -I ordered the Sweet Mess Tacos and for its price, the portion size was very small - only two tacos! -They force you to accept very large lobster with very tough meat . - We sat down and our bartender/waiter was awesome . -The waiter was helpful and knowledgable with the menu and was attentive and excellent during our meal. -The last few visits were very disappointing!A waste of time, drive and money!From poor SLOW service, and OVERPRICED to bland mediocre food . -For authenticity this place would be 4.5/5 for Thai cuisine -The tan tan was spicy, but just enough that you want to keep on slurping the ramen and drinking the soup ! -The tacos are delicious - no doubt - and the taco included a very generous portion of fish. -The ambience was nice and the food was good too. -Top notch service in every way!The food ...wow. - I found the portions small at first but it was a good size in the end for two people. -When it comes to food I'm critical . -Finish off the meal with some of the city's best cakes , meticulously crafted to a Japanese master's standards. -Great little place with delicious food! Has a really homey, comfort feeling to it . -All I can say is mediocre at best .Their calamari is decent as a large appetizer. -if you are meat lover and like to try different kind of meats and flavours then this is your paradise . -It is a fast food Vietnamese restaurant . -Guu has really good food , amazing cocktails and nice staff. -The menu is full of egg puns . -but they have me hooked! delicious but no cheap eat -Quite the disappointment . -Overall, I had an amazing time at Miku!Here is a small breakdown of what I ordered and my thoughts on it: Albacore Tuna and Wakame Tartare ($18) - thought this tasted pretty good. -Although the food & environment was amazing , the icing on the cake was the staff. -Fusion kitchen at its best... We got the chef's menu. -One of the best friend chicken and bang for your buck. -I appreciate the variety offered , but in terms of taste, the dishes I had were solidly average. -Good thai food downtown, nice and spicy, service was good and turn around was quick , portion was a decent size. -Great breakfast ( ginger pancakes and eggs benny )! -There is definitely a vibe in this restaurant - the music was a little loud, the tables were very close together , and it seems to cater to younger people, but we had no problems with it. -Get the cheese dishes! They're the best !! -Soft, fluffy cake with yummy creamy filling; Neo's roll cake are delicious . -The food is very fresh and surprisingly good. Not cheap. But worth the price for sure! The uni I had was extremely sweet and full of flavour . -Overall had a pretty disappointing experience with the service . -Dim sum was tasty, but was not spectacular , service was bad for fine dining. -The oysters were fresh and tasty . - Although I am new to writing an official review on Yelp, my husband and I are no stranger to frequenting a variety of top restaurants in Toronto and around the world for that matter. Last night was our first time at Cluny and we were both very excited to try it out. When we walked in, we were immediately impressed with the quaint French bistro décor and overall feel and ambiance. Loved the little bakery at the front of the restaurant. When we arrived, we were not greeted by anyone (restaurant wasn't even busy at this point 6:45 Monday evening), after about 5 mins of standing there looking around, someone that looked like he was one of the Chefs (who happened to be getting something in the stock room/closet, finally said someone will be with you shortly. We were greeted by the hostess with a less than impressive hello. After we were seated, it took about 10mins before we were acknowledged by our Waiter for the evening. Again, was not impressed by his demeanor and lack of interest in us as guest. We've probably had better service at a local Chain restaurant or a drive thru for that matter! Our appetizers came relatively quickly (Oysters, Cod balls and Caesar salad). The Caesar salad was a complete disappointment, perhaps I had high expectations but when you proudly call a dish Cluny Caesar with a price tag of $13+ I would expect a little more than 2 branches of Romaine barely drizzled with dressing and 4-5 chick peas and feta lining the bottom. We ordered Oysters and when it was brought to us, the Waitress was trying to explain the different Oysters and said Oh and I forget what this one is called.... Anyway, I don't want to get too lengthy with the review here but all in all I would rate the food quite good (minus the Caesar salad) at this restaurant but the underwhelming service takes this place to a whole new low. The atmosphere in terms of décor and ambiance were excellent, very reminiscent of a bistro in Paris which is a rare find here. The service was beyond below average. Our waiter (middle aged male, appeared quite sloppy if I can be honest ) was inattentive, unpleasant and simply unprofessional. -Sausage Display CaseThe display case is neatly organized with all the different sausages that they have . -The prices were great , the best part is that tax is included in the price. -Fantastic beer , delicious food, relaxing ambiance (speaking more to my recent, winter and spring month experiences, sitting inside, upstairs). -They got their food before us, despite arriving a half hour after us . -Everything was perfect , from the delectable spices to the unctuous, melt-in-your-mouth meat to the note-perfect sauce. -Definitely good for quick eats ! -The staff was extremely helpful and responsive . -We had a drink there in the evening, fantastic views , equally so in the morning for breakfast which was very good value. -The only thing we missed in the room was a coffee maker. -After checking out the huge beautiful lobby we were excited about the rooms. -Thanks to Jesse the Mgr for making our 12 yr post-honeymoon/pre-anniversary trip to SF the best getaway we've ever had! The hotel was in the perfect location , reasonably priced, and everything fell into place. -The check in staff were extremely helpful and friendly -Morning coffee and tea was a nice touch. -The wine and cheese in the evening is a lovely treat after a day on the go! Our room was very clean and the bathroom was excellent . -You don't need a car if you're just touring San Francisco (the public transportation is fabulous), but if you have one (we visit outside the city) parking is OUTRAGEOUS all over San Francisco . -The motel is very nice with renovated, spacious rooms. -As others have said in reviews, the location is great, but the hotel itself worn and tired , some of the staff ok, others indifferent at best. -Our friends had an AMAZING view of the bay and downtown. We also had so much fun with the views. -This was a wonderful experience . -Teriffic location; fantastic bar with complimentary wine every afternoon . -Service was outstanding . -Front desk staff was friendly, knowledgeable and really helpful . -and they said that the views were stunning . -The staff is extremely gracious and ready to help with suggestions for places to go shopping or dining , the best transportation options, and even doing the booking on your behalf. -Excellent customer service from valets, front desk staff, room service staff, housekeeping . -The nightly wine and cheese reception was a nice touch and very relaxing after a day of sightseeing and shopping. -The service at the hotel was wonderful --everyone I encountered there was very accomodating and professional. -(This is clearly a hotel where booking a better room category makes a big difference in your experience.) -The hotel restaurant "the daily grill" was excellent food and very good value for money! Reception staff were very friendly and helpful!All in all a wonderful trip -Location--can't be beat.2. Front desk crew--helpful and friendly.3. Bed and bed linens--comfy.The OK:1. Lobby decor2. Doormen--friendly enough, but rarely open the door for you. The bad:1. -Beds were comfortable and the showers had great water pressure and heat . -This is the perfect place to base your trip to San Francisco . -The hotel has great views and the bed felt wonderful but just don't look for excellent customer service!!! -This place is a great value and awesome place to stay in the City . -What a pleasant stay. -My four-day stay at the Hotel Monaco was fabulous . -Free parking was excellent . -The amenities were good . -This hotel is not for everyone , but I got the sense of that after reading about it on their website and on Trip Advisor. -but I have nothing bad to say about this two story hotel, everything was just fine , including the breakfast there which is quite good. -On first sight the Castle hotel is not great , but the rooms are fine and the location is good once you get your bearings. -We really enjoyed our time there , we would definately go back. -The Mosser Hotel in San Francisco , was recommended to us by friends. -The Top of the Mark was great for late evening drinks (no kids allowed, drinks average $10 and proper dress is expected) with wonderful nighttime views of the city. -Flat panel TV was nice . -Room was charming, although it was the absolute smallest hotel room that I have ever stayed in, and the bathroom was really itty bitty!Didn't have much contact with the staff, but what contact I did have was pleaseant. -The parking fee was outrageous ! -we stayed on the 32nd floor and had a great city view . -The problem was the hotel across the street would have a [ bad ] into the activities in the bathroom. -I had a great stay at this beautiful, historic hotel while in San Francisco for a meeting. -This is one of the best hotel experiences we have ever had - stunning views of the city, top notch service , and very nice rooms with all of the amenities you would expect from a Mandarin Oriental. -The staff is exceptional , always willing to go the extra step. -Great wine hour . -My family stayed for two nights in August at the Marriott Fisherman's Wharf at the start of our California trip. -I don't know what they use for cleaning, but it doesn't smell nice .When we arrived, we discovered that the top blanket on the bed was dirty with stains. -The sheets on the bed were sub-par, which I wouldnt complain about except for the fact that we were paying $180 a night. -This hotel is really well located - it's next to a BART station so it's easy to get to and from the airport without having to get a cab; it's one or two blocks from all the great shopping at Union Sq; it's around the corner from the cable car; it's walking distance to some good bars/restaurants. -The service was great . -The staff was nice enough but this place smelled horrible, had ratty bedding, and no air conditioning. Noisy room with a view of a brick wall. Since there's no air conditioning all windows in hotel were open which allowed for cigarette smoke, sirens, and other guests noise to float right into my room. If you are a woman traveling alone I would avoid this place. The doors were not very secure and there was so little staff in the lobby there's no way they had any real security. This place was so bad I left after the first night and moved into the San Fransico Marriott a few blocks away. -Employees were friendly , my room steward was great. -The $169 rooms are almost the same as the $189 rooms . -Hotel was fairly new and very pleasant . -The service is friendly yet professional . -The front desk staff was very nice and upon hearing it was my birthday , they upgraded us to a corner room on one of the high floors, so we had a beautiful view and a larger room. -The staff were as good as any Four Seasons or Peninsula. -Everything was extremely clean!!! The staff was very friendly and attentive . -But when the missus entered our room, she exclaimed: "Oh, hell yes." Cool furniture, nice bed and bathroom. -I am a very picky traveler and this hotel fits the bill . -A small room , nicely decorated, with breathtaking views. -We were greated by a friendly Bell Boy once entering the main reception and were checked in by a helpful and friendly receptionist . -Beautiful hotel , both inside and out. -I booked the Hotel Whitcomb for a one -night stay on Hotwire for $73 and then read the reviews on TripAdvisor and was a little skeptical. -We had a standard room which was nice, a king bed which was really comfy , and it also had a mini fridge. -The staff were all very helpful and courteous . -The Palce Hotel is everything we were hoping for. -Our two rooms were "Club " rooms and overlooked onto the street which had a pub virtually opposite. -The hotel is in a great location in Fisherman's Wharf, close to some lovely bars and restaurants, the food and drink in the hotel is quite expensive so worth while having a walk around, especially around Pier 39, it is only a block from the hotel. -This is a great little inn with a fantastic wine & cheese hour and great continental breakfast . -I made the mistake, apparently like every other person who has left a review about this hotel, of going without checking the other reviews left online. -The hotel is in a very safe area and we felt perfectly happy walking around at night . -Service is a bit slow , but if you are looking for an adventure in Chinatown, definitely try dim sum there. -Rooms are very comfortable, view wonderful ! Would definitely stay there again. -The room was spacious , we had bay views, a television with a variety of channels. -The elevator is fairly small and if there were other people waiting, we just took the stairs. -The bed was fabulous with extremely comfortable and fluffy bedding . -The wine hour from 17:30 -18:30 was nice and the staff offered great sightseeing ideas and helpful hints for dining , coffee and nightlife. -The hotel staff was friendly and the breakfast buffet was nice in the morning. -Concierge was great . -Bathroom was extremely small as stated by other reviewers, contained tub and commode. -2) Customer service 5/5 - it was excellent , they checked us in early at 9 am. -Fantastic, gracious staff ...very personal...almost felt like I was staying in a private inn or B&B. Wonderful neighborhood. -The front desk staff was extremely rude . -The desk staff and concierge were wonderful . -The service was amazing as was the location! -Also, the hotel was very noisy throughout the night and early morning . -It's close to Union Square alright, but it's also very very close to lots of shady places in town . -Stayed at the Grand Hyatt on Union Square with my sister for a fabulous weekend 9/25/08-9/29/08. -The bathroom was large with beautiful tile and really nice amenities (scale, slippers, Frette linen hand towel, nice size amenities, & where else do they give you a loofah sponge with bath gel?) The service was very good and prompt ; staff was friendly. -The room was a nice size and had a flat screen TV (with actual HD programming) and of course the heavenly bed was great . -The hotel location was great . -Cons: Standard room was quite small -(common in S.F, I know) a nice chair with ottoman was so close to bathroom door you usually bumped right into it on the way out, vanity area was very small - just a very small amount of room around sink in bathroom, awful hallway noise after midnight - could clearly hear people talking in the halls and a couple of slamming doors jolted me awake more than once during the night, price was a bit steep at $199 per night and the buffet breakfast in hotel was outrageous at $21.99.Overall, a classy yet overpriced hotel for what is delivered. -Room itself was clean, tidy, well decorated and the bed was fantastic , if I could've sneaked it out of the room and to my house, I would have. -The service at the front desk was prompt and friendly . -The doors are not very soundproof, but the efficient staff moved us right away to a quieter room. -The pool area is a lovely sun spot and the pool was warm to swim in . -Front desk staff were friendly and attentive . -What a wonderful hotel . -I LOVE this clean, economical, funky hotel in the Marina District! The property is cool , the neighborhood is fantastic (short cab ride to any attractions you can't walk to, but you can walk to plenty!). -Great shower in the bathroom . -The room smelled very musty and the carpets looked horrible. -The service was excellent, room service was great and the food was so good . -This is a beautiful hotel , befitting its name. -The employees are attentive, friendly and provides excellent service. And the room is very clean with nice amenities. Strongly recommended for leisure or business stay. Cheers -The rooms have high -celings and nice (if a bit worn) empire furniture, but they don't seem as grand as the rest of the building and they don't live up to the Luxury Collection expectations I had when I checked in. -The bathroom was large and laid out pretty well but I prefer more water pressure in the shower, I have long thick hair and it felt like it took me a half hour to wash it! -The traffic noise in the front of the hotel was very loud on Sunday and Friday nights. -the rooms are big, bathrooms nice with bath and shower , 32 LCD TVs. -The car parking is very expensive 49$ per night . -This hotel was absolutely horrible ! -It's not the Mandarin Oriental or Four Seasons (these would be 5 star, excellent hotels ) - but it is a quality 4-star hotel that allows you to start your San Francisco visit off on the right foot! -Our room was on the 16th floor, which I really LOVED! The view was awesome at night and during the day. -The floors creak like you wouldn't believe , and when your "neighbor" takes a shower at 6 AM it sounds like a loud freight train, making it impossibile to sleep. -If you take the right exit from BART, the Hotel entrance is just steps from the station exit. It is also a few blocks from Davies Hall, where the Symphony plays. The down side of the location is that this is not a great section of Market and most people probably will not feel too comfortable walking at night. So, take BART or the ample public transit. The hotel is nicely kept and clean. The building has some interesting architectural details. Still, it is an old and somewhat tired property and some of the remodeling is not the best. Same for the fitness center -- the room and equipment are older, but meet my needs. The food is good, but overpriced. If you are bothered by traffic notice, ask for a quiet room in back. The rooms in front overlook Market , which is a busy street. -The service and concierge were exceptional and went out of their way to do extra things for us. -Staff very helpful and the suite we had on the 14th floor was great with 2 bathrooms and a great view. -Service was impeccable and reliable - all our requests were accomodated and we were shown a couple of different rooms on check-in. -The restaurant had great decor but the Sunday breakfast buffet was forgettable . -The service, decor and beds were awesome . -Loved the service - the people at the desk were helpful and went out of the way to ensure we got everything we needed. -Also very clean and comfortable room with a great view . -The room service, cleaning staff, and doormen were all excellent as well . -It is a corner accomodation with great city views . -And very reasonably priced. Overall, excellent value for money and highly recommended. -Beautiful views of the city . -Bed bugs to the max!!! We found the staff to be quite unhelpful and not friendly . -The staff was top rate , very attentive. -A friend and myself visited San Francisco for 4 days. -It's spacious rooms, wonderful views , hip decor and professional, friendly service make it hard to leave. -We didn't have a spectacular view but a hotel room isn't the reason we decided to come to San Fran. -To die for beds , awesome views and great room service. -I would definitely recommend the Hotel Whitcomb for any budget travellers out there . -I would recommend this hotel as a place to stay, it has really friendly , welcoming and knowledgable staff, is situated in a lovely part of San Fransisco and the room we had was perfect - clean, large and very comfortable - I loved the bathrobes ! -Not that the room was awful, but should not be advertised as a 4 Star at all. -The new rooms had beautiful light, gorgeous views of the Bay and Alcatraz and it was like we were staying in a completely different hotel . -While the location for the Campton Place is better (the Fairmont is at the top of Nob Hill and while it has stunning views it can be a bit of a hike to get someplace , or you need to take a taxi), I was impressed with the Fairmont this time around and would stay there again. -The Palace Hotel is a cool place . -Top quality and fabulous staff . -Yes the rooms were a bit small , but they were nicely furnished and comfortable. -It is the best and most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed at. \ No newline at end of file