After spending a nice 3 hours in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, I decided to ride my TMAX to the Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, Maryland. I wanted to put some more tokens on my Dave & Buster's power card only to find out once I got there, I'd forgotten the thing. :-( My 2nd objective there was to test the mall's FREE Wi-Fi. I found out from the mall's website www.simon.com/mall/arundel-mills that it offers free Wi-Fi though they warn you that you'll have to agree to their terms and conditions (standard for free Wi-Fi). As I didn't have a problem with their terms and conditions, I gamely tried to connect at the Arundel Mills Mall. On the list of Wi-Fi signals, you click on Simon WiFi. I did that, my Nook e-reader tried to find me an IP address and, I promptly started getting Wi-Fi errors. Uh oh! Shades of the Starbucks at the Trump Boardwalk Hotel. I decided to move around the mall to see if that would help and, it helped in that the log-in page came up. It asked for my first and last names and either an email address or cell phone number. It claimed this information was mandatory in order to hook up. The company that runs the mall would use your email address to send you emails telling you of specials at the mall as well as new stores. If you supplied your cell phone number, they'd text about such things. I filled in the information and tried to connect and repeatedly got errors where I had to go back and try sending the information AGAIN. After the 3rd try, I noticed a little further down was a box you could check that would get you out of the emails or text messages. I checked the box as I wasn't feeling generous with the mall after all the problems I was having connecting to their Wi-Fi.
Eventually, I did get the service to work though I suspect I spent at least 15 minutes or more repeatedly trying to connect. During the whole process, I would receive at least 2 more Wi-Fi errors. Once I did connect, the connection was sufficiently fast. I will give the mall at little slack as I wonder if part of the problem was a number of people using their free Wi-Fi. The mall was packed today I suspect because it being Martin Luther King Day. I'll have to test the mall's Wi-Fi another day when there aren't such large crowds.
For now, I can't rave about this mall's free Wi-Fi. I had a real job trying to get it to work. If you wanted an easier free Wi-Fi connection, the Arundel Mills Boulevard McDonald's I reviewed was close by. It was definitely easier to use than the mall's Wi-Fi. Still, you can put this mall on your list of places that do offer legitimate free Wi-Fi. Happy surfing all!
Update February 17, 2014: I tried connecting to the Arundel Mills Mall free Wi-Fi and, I had problems again. I definitely wouldn't recommend their Wi-Fi. Also, while I was at the mall, I tried the free Wi-Fi at their Books-a-Million store. Their Wi-Fi worked great. However, Books-a-Million has apparently instituted a policy where if you don't belong to their Millionaire's Club, you have to pay a small fee to use their Wi-Fi. Club members get to use their Wi-Fi for free. As I'm a member, this isn't a problem for me but, it could be for others.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Inner Harbor Barnes & Noble Wi-Fi Review
After I had a nice lunch at the Baltimore Hard Rock Cafe, I walked next door to the Barnes & Noble located at 601 East Pratt Street in the Inner Harbor. The store is located in a former power station. The store has retained some of the huge piping and wooden floors from the former power station giving the store a nice character. In terms of Wi-Fi, once you press to connect to B&N under the Wi-Fi signals, a disclaimer may pop up. I don't remember if one did. I do remember I had fewer hassles hooking up to their Wi-Fi then I had when I tried to connect to the Wi-Fi at the Starbucks I tested in Columbia, Maryland. If you have a Nook e-reader like I do, the store will offer you free reading for up to 1 hour of a number of e-books. I didn't try it out so, I don't know how well it works or how vast the selection is. The store offers drinks for sale which can be nice while your surfing the web.
Overall, I was very pleased with this store. It was easy to connect to their Wi-Fi and, I had no serious hassles (see my review about Arundel Mills Mall). This is definitely an easy place to hook up to the web if you're in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Happy surfing all!
Overall, I was very pleased with this store. It was easy to connect to their Wi-Fi and, I had no serious hassles (see my review about Arundel Mills Mall). This is definitely an easy place to hook up to the web if you're in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Happy surfing all!
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Inca Kola Review
On a train trip from Ollantaytambo, Peru to Aguas Calientes, Peru to see the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu, I got to try Inca Kola for the first time. My tour director Mauricio told me it's the national soft drink of Peru. I found it different. To those of us in the United States (U.S.), Inca Kola is VERY different from what we're used to cola drink wise. All colas in the U.S. are black in color. Inca Kola is bright yellow. Also, Inca Kola has a some what sweet taste and, folks in the U.S. would say it tastes like bubble gum or club soda. To me, it tastes like bubble gum.
After my Peru tour ended and, I returned to the U.S., I stumbled upon Inca Kola at a Shopper's Food Warehouse (SFW) supermarket. As I'd an awesome time in Peru, I decided to get a bottle of the soft drink. I found I still like the stuff. Price wise, Wegmans sells a 2 liter bottle of it for $1.79 while SFW sells the 2 liter bottle for $1.89. However, SFW offers a greater range of the product. They have it in glass bottles, cans, plastic bottles and the diet version. Wegmans only offers it in the 20 ounce and 2 liter plastic bottles in the regular flavor i.e. no diet version. Inca Kola isn't found in the normal soda section of either store. You'll find it in the International Foods sections of each chain.
In preparation for this post, I did a little further research into the soda and, I discovered some interesting facts about the soda. The reason it is so popular in Peru is because it originated there and, the company based a lot of its appeal on Peruvian nationalism. Inca Kola is interesting in another way in that they are one example where the local brand beat out the International brand. Coca Cola tried to beat Inca Kola in Peru and lost due to better marketing on the part of Inca Kola Corporation and its parent company Jose R. Lindley Corporation (source: http://marketing.blogs.ie.edu/archives/2008/09/inca_kola_the_s.php). Sadly, Inca Kola decided to sell out to Coca Cola in 1997 for $300 million dollars though they got to keep the rights to the product in Peru as well as take over the distribution of all Coca Cola products there. Coca Cola in turn promised to promote the soda throughout the world and apparently has done so some what as it is available in the U.S. One last note though on the downside is that the U.S. version of Inca Kola may have more caffeine that its Peruvian version. According to a poster on the source webpage, the U.S. version may have 2 or 3 times the amount of caffeine than Coke (shades of Mountain Dew Batman). I wonder if Coca Cola decided to try to have the product compete with Mountain Dew in that way as they are close in color.
Overall, I like Inca Kola though others may not. I'm not crazy about the high level of caffeine in it but, I do like the taste and, it reminds me a lot of Peru when I enjoy a glass of the soda. Also, it isn't that much more expensive and than other name brands in the U.S. If you haven't tried Inca Kola and, you think you might like a soda that tastes like bubble gum, you might want to give it a try if you can find it. Happy drinking all!
After my Peru tour ended and, I returned to the U.S., I stumbled upon Inca Kola at a Shopper's Food Warehouse (SFW) supermarket. As I'd an awesome time in Peru, I decided to get a bottle of the soft drink. I found I still like the stuff. Price wise, Wegmans sells a 2 liter bottle of it for $1.79 while SFW sells the 2 liter bottle for $1.89. However, SFW offers a greater range of the product. They have it in glass bottles, cans, plastic bottles and the diet version. Wegmans only offers it in the 20 ounce and 2 liter plastic bottles in the regular flavor i.e. no diet version. Inca Kola isn't found in the normal soda section of either store. You'll find it in the International Foods sections of each chain.
In preparation for this post, I did a little further research into the soda and, I discovered some interesting facts about the soda. The reason it is so popular in Peru is because it originated there and, the company based a lot of its appeal on Peruvian nationalism. Inca Kola is interesting in another way in that they are one example where the local brand beat out the International brand. Coca Cola tried to beat Inca Kola in Peru and lost due to better marketing on the part of Inca Kola Corporation and its parent company Jose R. Lindley Corporation (source: http://marketing.blogs.ie.edu/archives/2008/09/inca_kola_the_s.php). Sadly, Inca Kola decided to sell out to Coca Cola in 1997 for $300 million dollars though they got to keep the rights to the product in Peru as well as take over the distribution of all Coca Cola products there. Coca Cola in turn promised to promote the soda throughout the world and apparently has done so some what as it is available in the U.S. One last note though on the downside is that the U.S. version of Inca Kola may have more caffeine that its Peruvian version. According to a poster on the source webpage, the U.S. version may have 2 or 3 times the amount of caffeine than Coke (shades of Mountain Dew Batman). I wonder if Coca Cola decided to try to have the product compete with Mountain Dew in that way as they are close in color.
Overall, I like Inca Kola though others may not. I'm not crazy about the high level of caffeine in it but, I do like the taste and, it reminds me a lot of Peru when I enjoy a glass of the soda. Also, it isn't that much more expensive and than other name brands in the U.S. If you haven't tried Inca Kola and, you think you might like a soda that tastes like bubble gum, you might want to give it a try if you can find it. Happy drinking all!
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Pacific Gas & Electric Bill Scam Alert
I thought I'd let everyone know that someone possibly in India is using the Indian company Anka International's email address (ankamachines.com) to send out bogus Pacific Gas & Electric bills. I received an email today informing me I owed the company over $500! There's a couple problems with that. First, Pacific Gas & Electric is based in California and, I live in Maryland. Second, I don't own a home or rent an apartment or house at this time. In fact, at this time, I don't have to pay any utility bills at all so, this is obviously a scam. Please be watchful of this apparent scam.
Sunday, January 05, 2014
Arundel Mills Boulevard McDonald's Wi-Fi Review
As my readers know, I was a bit irked when I found out the Wi-Fi at the Benson Drive McDonald's in Columbia, Maryland was down. I really wanted to try McDonald's free Wi-Fi and see if it's any good. So, today, I made a visit to the McDonald's at 7053 Arundel Mills Boulevard in Hanover, Maryland just to try out their Wi-Fi.
I didn't see any markings on the building saying anything about Wi-Fi at this McDonald's. Maybe, they assume people will know about it. After I placed my order at the counter, I found a seat and turned on my Nook e-reader. I found this McDonald's uses AT&T Corp (ATT) for its Wi-Fi service (just like Starbucks). I don't know if that's true throughout the entire United States. The ATT Wi-Fi signal came in strong and, I had no problems getting an Internet Protocol (IP) address. When I clicked on a browser window, McDonald's page came up where I had to agree to their conditions as far using their Wi-Fi service. Once passed that, I was free to check my emails and surf the web.
I found the connection speed plenty fast though I can't post any numbers as far as bytes per second. I didn't do any extensive testing but, McDonald's free Wi-Fi should be fast enough for those doing normal surfing and checking of emails.
Overall, I was very pleased with McDonald's free Wi-Fi. I would definitely recommend it. Plus, according to their website, it is available in over 11,000 McDonald's restaurants. I'll definitely be putting McDonald's on my list of places to try when I want to use Wi-Fi to surf the web. Happy web surfing all!
I didn't see any markings on the building saying anything about Wi-Fi at this McDonald's. Maybe, they assume people will know about it. After I placed my order at the counter, I found a seat and turned on my Nook e-reader. I found this McDonald's uses AT&T Corp (ATT) for its Wi-Fi service (just like Starbucks). I don't know if that's true throughout the entire United States. The ATT Wi-Fi signal came in strong and, I had no problems getting an Internet Protocol (IP) address. When I clicked on a browser window, McDonald's page came up where I had to agree to their conditions as far using their Wi-Fi service. Once passed that, I was free to check my emails and surf the web.
I found the connection speed plenty fast though I can't post any numbers as far as bytes per second. I didn't do any extensive testing but, McDonald's free Wi-Fi should be fast enough for those doing normal surfing and checking of emails.
Overall, I was very pleased with McDonald's free Wi-Fi. I would definitely recommend it. Plus, according to their website, it is available in over 11,000 McDonald's restaurants. I'll definitely be putting McDonald's on my list of places to try when I want to use Wi-Fi to surf the web. Happy web surfing all!
Wednesday, January 01, 2014
Extended Stay Hotel Jessup Maryland Wi-Fi Review
One of the things Extended Stay America brags about is its FREE Wi-Fi. It is a noteworthy service considering what I've seen some places can charge to hook up to the Internet. I remember one Hyatt hotel in New York City I stayed at years ago that charged 50 cents a minute to hook up to the Internet.
At the Extended Stay hotels, they do have FREE Wi-Fi though they also offer a Wi-Fi service you have to pay for. What's the difference? Connection speed. The FREE Wi-Fi is what they call Wi-Fi Lite. Speed wise, it averages about 85 kilobytes per second (source: speed observed by me when I downloaded some map updates for my Global Positioning System (GPS) device). Their pay Wi-Fi service which I think they call high speed Wi-Fi costs up to $20 a month. The price depends on how long you want the service. I think they offer it for an hour, a day and a month (I use the month option). Connection speed wise, it does live up to its claim that it's 2 and 1/2 faster than their Wi-Fi Lite. I observed connection speeds of 235 kilobytes per second with it sometimes being faster than that.
Signal wise, they offer a very good signal which is pretty strong. To my surprise, I've even been able to pick up the signal in the hotel parking lot with my Nook e-reader. To those who might be tempted to try to get some FREE Wi-Fi this way, you have to have a password given to you when you check into your room at the reception desk in order to connect.
Another item of note. Each device you use to connect will be given it's own Internet Protocol (IP) address. You can use multiple devices to hook up to the Wi-Fi in your room HOWEVER, you will have to use the password the first time to log in on Each device. If you pay for the faster Wi-Fi, that will be good only for the device you pay for it on. It doesn't switch over to other devices you may use as I've found out from personal experience. If you want the faster service for a 2nd or 3rd device, you'll have to pay the charges for EACH device.
The faster service can be helpful if you're going to download some big files like GPS map updates or Windows operating system updates.
Overall, I've found the free Wi-Fi at Extended Stay America hotels (I've stayed at 2) to be a very nice service. It isn't free as you have to stay at the properties to be able to use it BUT, it can save you money or hassle (you don't have to go in search of a free Wi-Fi hotspot). I've been very pleased with it. Happy Internet surfing all!
At the Extended Stay hotels, they do have FREE Wi-Fi though they also offer a Wi-Fi service you have to pay for. What's the difference? Connection speed. The FREE Wi-Fi is what they call Wi-Fi Lite. Speed wise, it averages about 85 kilobytes per second (source: speed observed by me when I downloaded some map updates for my Global Positioning System (GPS) device). Their pay Wi-Fi service which I think they call high speed Wi-Fi costs up to $20 a month. The price depends on how long you want the service. I think they offer it for an hour, a day and a month (I use the month option). Connection speed wise, it does live up to its claim that it's 2 and 1/2 faster than their Wi-Fi Lite. I observed connection speeds of 235 kilobytes per second with it sometimes being faster than that.
Signal wise, they offer a very good signal which is pretty strong. To my surprise, I've even been able to pick up the signal in the hotel parking lot with my Nook e-reader. To those who might be tempted to try to get some FREE Wi-Fi this way, you have to have a password given to you when you check into your room at the reception desk in order to connect.
Another item of note. Each device you use to connect will be given it's own Internet Protocol (IP) address. You can use multiple devices to hook up to the Wi-Fi in your room HOWEVER, you will have to use the password the first time to log in on Each device. If you pay for the faster Wi-Fi, that will be good only for the device you pay for it on. It doesn't switch over to other devices you may use as I've found out from personal experience. If you want the faster service for a 2nd or 3rd device, you'll have to pay the charges for EACH device.
The faster service can be helpful if you're going to download some big files like GPS map updates or Windows operating system updates.
Overall, I've found the free Wi-Fi at Extended Stay America hotels (I've stayed at 2) to be a very nice service. It isn't free as you have to stay at the properties to be able to use it BUT, it can save you money or hassle (you don't have to go in search of a free Wi-Fi hotspot). I've been very pleased with it. Happy Internet surfing all!
Snowden River Starbuck Wi-Fi Review
The second place I decided to check Wi-Fi wise today was the Snowden River Starbucks located at 7090 Deepage Drive in Columbia, Maryland.
The Starbucks there is your standard Starbucks. It offers good parking, the standard Starbucks menu and FREE Wi-Fi (it isn't always free as I found out when I used it in Nassau, Bahamas, see my review on that). The Wi-Fi is provided by ATT. When you click on it, it says there is a log-in which threw me initially. However, I persevered and found out there isn't any password you need. You click on a button that takes you to an ad provided by the sponsor of the Wi-Fi which you can skip if you wish. Once you're past the ad, you're in. The Wi-Fi has good connectivity though I can't tell you what the connection speed is there. I didn't try to access any video to if it could handle that. I posted on my Facebook page and checked emails on my Nook e-reader and, it worked fine.
The only thing I could knock about the place was I wasn't wiped out by their peppermint hot chocolate venti I bought. I don't know what milk they used if they used any but, it wasn't very good though it did have a noticeable mint flavor to it. Still, this has nothing to do with the Wi-Fi which was the most important thing to me. Other people like me used it to surf the web and as far as I could see, they weren't having any problems either. This Starbucks did seem to be pretty popular as they were doing a good bit of business today. Happy web surfing all!
The Starbucks there is your standard Starbucks. It offers good parking, the standard Starbucks menu and FREE Wi-Fi (it isn't always free as I found out when I used it in Nassau, Bahamas, see my review on that). The Wi-Fi is provided by ATT. When you click on it, it says there is a log-in which threw me initially. However, I persevered and found out there isn't any password you need. You click on a button that takes you to an ad provided by the sponsor of the Wi-Fi which you can skip if you wish. Once you're past the ad, you're in. The Wi-Fi has good connectivity though I can't tell you what the connection speed is there. I didn't try to access any video to if it could handle that. I posted on my Facebook page and checked emails on my Nook e-reader and, it worked fine.
The only thing I could knock about the place was I wasn't wiped out by their peppermint hot chocolate venti I bought. I don't know what milk they used if they used any but, it wasn't very good though it did have a noticeable mint flavor to it. Still, this has nothing to do with the Wi-Fi which was the most important thing to me. Other people like me used it to surf the web and as far as I could see, they weren't having any problems either. This Starbucks did seem to be pretty popular as they were doing a good bit of business today. Happy web surfing all!
Benson Drive Columbia Maryland McDonald's Wi-Fi Review
Note to all: I specified Benson Drive in the title because there are 4 McDonald's Restaurants in Columbia, Maryland.
According to the McDonald's website, there are over 11,000 McDonald's restaurants that offer FREE WiFi. I had to pick the one who's WiFi was down. I'd never tested the WiFi at a McDonald's and, I wanted to see if there were any problems with it. The Wi-Fi at the 8305 Benson Drive McDonald's in Columbia, Maryland definitely has problems at the time of this post. The restaurant was reportedly recently remodeled. As far as I could tell, this was true and, they did a very nice job of it. However, according to the person who took my order there, while doing the remodeling, they cut 3 of the wires that helped run the WiFi at the restaurant knocking it out. I tested it with my Nook e-reader and found that I could pick up a very strong signal however, I got repeated WiFi errors if I tried to get an Internet Protocol (IP) address. So, for now, there isn't any WiFi at this restaurant. I plan to check back at the place in about a month or so and see if they get it fixed. Stay tuned for an update.
Update June 1st, 2014: My apologies to my readers for taking so long to get back to this McDonald's to test its WiFi. I finally made it there today. I found out the WiFi is working there though it seems to have some kind of problem. I kept getting WiFi errors saying no Internet connection even though I had an Internet connection that worked i.e. could post stuff on Facebook, check emails, etc. Go figure. So, you may get WiFi errors but, you will be able to connect to the Internet here. Happy Internet surfing all!
According to the McDonald's website, there are over 11,000 McDonald's restaurants that offer FREE WiFi. I had to pick the one who's WiFi was down. I'd never tested the WiFi at a McDonald's and, I wanted to see if there were any problems with it. The Wi-Fi at the 8305 Benson Drive McDonald's in Columbia, Maryland definitely has problems at the time of this post. The restaurant was reportedly recently remodeled. As far as I could tell, this was true and, they did a very nice job of it. However, according to the person who took my order there, while doing the remodeling, they cut 3 of the wires that helped run the WiFi at the restaurant knocking it out. I tested it with my Nook e-reader and found that I could pick up a very strong signal however, I got repeated WiFi errors if I tried to get an Internet Protocol (IP) address. So, for now, there isn't any WiFi at this restaurant. I plan to check back at the place in about a month or so and see if they get it fixed. Stay tuned for an update.
Update June 1st, 2014: My apologies to my readers for taking so long to get back to this McDonald's to test its WiFi. I finally made it there today. I found out the WiFi is working there though it seems to have some kind of problem. I kept getting WiFi errors saying no Internet connection even though I had an Internet connection that worked i.e. could post stuff on Facebook, check emails, etc. Go figure. So, you may get WiFi errors but, you will be able to connect to the Internet here. Happy Internet surfing all!
Monday, December 30, 2013
Wegmans Thousand Island Salad Dressing Review
I like thousand island salad dressing and when I saw the Wegmans brand thousand island salad dressing, I decided to give it a try. I know Wegmans makes good stuff. I found that their thousand island salad dressing lived up to their name. It has a good thousand island flavor and wasn't very expensive. A 1 pint (16 ounce) bottle sells for $1.99. Diet wise, the dressing is gluten free, lactose free and trans fat free. It does have a bit of fat in it. A 2 tablespoon serving will provide you with 17% (11 grams) of your daily allowance for fat (based on 2,000 calorie diet). Also, it has a bit of salt as the same serving has 260 milligrams of sodium (11% daily allowance). Calorie wise, 2 tablespoons of the dressing has 130 calories with 100 fat calories. (Source for nutrition information: one of the bottles of the dressing I bought).
Overall, I thought it was fine salad dressing. I don't know how it stacks up price wise compared to bigger name brand dressings like Wish Bone or Kraft. I plan to check that out some time and will post an update on it here. Happy dining all!
Overall, I thought it was fine salad dressing. I don't know how it stacks up price wise compared to bigger name brand dressings like Wish Bone or Kraft. I plan to check that out some time and will post an update on it here. Happy dining all!
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Calbee Shrimp Chips Review
While stationed in England, I discovered prawn (shrimp to those in the Unites States) flavored crisps (potato chips to those in the United States). I thought they were pretty cool. I munched many a bag of prawn flavored crisps. While searching through the snacks sections on Wegmans webpage, I discovered they offered Calbee Shrimp Chips. They reminded me of England and, I decided to try them.
The chips are different from prawn flavored crisps in that they have ground up shrimp in them. For those who are allergic to shellfish, you'll want to avoid these. The crisps have a shrimp flavor to them. As they're baked not fried, they're not as fattening as crisps (potato chips). The chips have no cholesterol or trans fats. A 1 ounce serving has 5 grams of total fat and 130 calories. Price wise, Wegmans sells a 4 ounce bag for $1.99. The only down side to see to this tasty snack is they use Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in them. I don't like MSG and, I think they put it in too many processed foods.
Overall, I liked Calbee's Shrimp Chips. They remind me of England even though they're made in California. Strangely, Wegmans stocks them in the International Food section. I don't know why. I'd definitely recommend them if you like shrimp. Happy snacking all!
The chips are different from prawn flavored crisps in that they have ground up shrimp in them. For those who are allergic to shellfish, you'll want to avoid these. The crisps have a shrimp flavor to them. As they're baked not fried, they're not as fattening as crisps (potato chips). The chips have no cholesterol or trans fats. A 1 ounce serving has 5 grams of total fat and 130 calories. Price wise, Wegmans sells a 4 ounce bag for $1.99. The only down side to see to this tasty snack is they use Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in them. I don't like MSG and, I think they put it in too many processed foods.
Overall, I liked Calbee's Shrimp Chips. They remind me of England even though they're made in California. Strangely, Wegmans stocks them in the International Food section. I don't know why. I'd definitely recommend them if you like shrimp. Happy snacking all!
Monday, December 23, 2013
E- book Review of Cruise Ships Ports and Tips - An Under and Over View by Steve Duell
Beginning in August of 1992, Steve Duell began working on various cruise ships as a singer and guitar instrumentalist. After many years, he wrote an e-book titled Cruise Ships Ports and Tips - An Under and Over View. This is a review of that e-book.
Judging from the title of Duell's e-book, you would assume it's about various ports and tips to travelers cruising to them. While Duell does give information on some of the 30 ports he traveled to while working on cruise ships, in my opinion, the book isn't so much a book about those ports as it's a glimpse into what it's like to work on a cruise ship. This is what really interested me about the 93 page e-book. As my readers know, I did an All Access tour on Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas. I found the tour really interesting because you get to see what goes on behind the scenes. In Duell's e-book, you get to read about what it's like from someone who actually worked on at least 10 different cruise ships. It isn't all wine and roses. There are long hours and long separations from family. Another thing that is trying for those who work on the cruise ships is they work for set time contracts - 6 month minimum up to a year (I believe). After that, you out-process from the ship, go home and wait to see if they offer you another contract. This part of working on the ships would really dissuade me from working on them. For Duell, I suspect it wasn't a problem because he's used to working from gig to gig. For him, it would be a plus in a way in that he would have 6 months of guaranteed gigs plus room, board and the chance to travel thrown in.
The only negative I have about Duell's e-book was I felt it needed more editing. I found misspelled words and missing words in other sentences. These imperfections however are minor compared to the interesting information he shares. Also, Duell's e-book isn't expensive. Barnes & Noble sells it for $2.99 and, it doesn't take that long to download it.
Overall, I thought it an interesting and affordable short read. If you want more information on Duell, his website is: www.onebusyguy.com Happy reading all!
Judging from the title of Duell's e-book, you would assume it's about various ports and tips to travelers cruising to them. While Duell does give information on some of the 30 ports he traveled to while working on cruise ships, in my opinion, the book isn't so much a book about those ports as it's a glimpse into what it's like to work on a cruise ship. This is what really interested me about the 93 page e-book. As my readers know, I did an All Access tour on Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas. I found the tour really interesting because you get to see what goes on behind the scenes. In Duell's e-book, you get to read about what it's like from someone who actually worked on at least 10 different cruise ships. It isn't all wine and roses. There are long hours and long separations from family. Another thing that is trying for those who work on the cruise ships is they work for set time contracts - 6 month minimum up to a year (I believe). After that, you out-process from the ship, go home and wait to see if they offer you another contract. This part of working on the ships would really dissuade me from working on them. For Duell, I suspect it wasn't a problem because he's used to working from gig to gig. For him, it would be a plus in a way in that he would have 6 months of guaranteed gigs plus room, board and the chance to travel thrown in.
The only negative I have about Duell's e-book was I felt it needed more editing. I found misspelled words and missing words in other sentences. These imperfections however are minor compared to the interesting information he shares. Also, Duell's e-book isn't expensive. Barnes & Noble sells it for $2.99 and, it doesn't take that long to download it.
Overall, I thought it an interesting and affordable short read. If you want more information on Duell, his website is: www.onebusyguy.com Happy reading all!
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Owings Mills Mall Review
Yesterday, I visited the Owings Mills Mall for the first time. From the outside, it looks like a nice mall. However, when I walked in, I got a serious shock. Owings Mills Mall is a mall that is dying. I walked around and saw a number of empty shops in the mall. It reminded of Laurel Mall which slowly died before they finally tore it down. I don't know why this mall is doing so poorly. It looks like it's in good shape. It has plenty of parking. Yet, it clearly isn't drawing the business it needs. Unless it has a store you need something from and it's close to where you live, I'd pass on this one.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Pilot G2 Gel Pen Review
A.C. Nielsen claims that Pilot's G2 gel pen is the #1 best selling gel pen in America. I don't know if that's true or not. I do know Pilot makes a good gel pen that comes in a very nice array of colors. Before I get started on my review, I have to clarify just which G2 pen I'm reviewing. There are 6 different categories of G2 pens. They are:
- Breast Cancer Awareness pen
- G6 which is a bigger G2 pen
- G2 Pro
- G2 Limited
- G2 mini
- regular G2 pen
The Breast Cancer Awareness Pen, it comes in Black and Pink ink in fine point though you can only buy the black ink pen from their United States website: www.pilotpen.us. I don't know if various stores sell the pink ink pen. This pen as far as I know is the same G2 pen with the only difference being it has the pink ribbon emblem on them symbolizing breast cancer and every purchase of these pens causes a contribution to be made to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. A set of 2 will cost $4.41 on Pilot's U.S. website.
The G6 is a larger version of the G2 and comes in blue, black and red ink (not nearly the great range of colors the standard G2 has) in fine point only. It comes singly ($2.88), 2 pack ($5.69) and 12 pack ($32.40). Note: Prices quoted are from the Pilot's U.S. website.
The G2 Pro is a more stylish sleek pen which comes in 3 different barrel colors (red, black and blue) with black ink and a fine point. It comes in single packs and sells for $5.15.
The G2 Limited is a high end G2 pen which comes in a metallic finish in fine point with black ink. It sells in single packs for $15.
The G2 Mini is the smaller version of the G2. It comes in fine point with blue, black, red and green inks. The 3 pack sells for $4.50 (no green pen). The 4 pack sells for $6 (all 4 colors or just black). The 12 pack sells for $17.76 (just black or blue).
The regular G2 pen comes with 4 different points: ultra fine, extra fine, fine and bold. For ultra fine, extra fine and bold, you have a choice of just 4 colors: black, blue, red and green. For the fine point, there are an incredible 15 colors. They are:
- Black
- Blue
- Red
- Green
- Purple
- Pink
- Turquoise
- Navy
- Burgundy
- Hunter Green
- Orange
- Teal
- Periwinkle
- Lime Green
- Caramel
One thing I found that confounds me a bit is Pilot's G2 20 pen fine point set. The G2 20 pen set contains ALL 15 colors as well as 4 additional black pens and 1 additional blue pen. The Pilot website doesn't offer this pen set for sale and yet, you can buy it at Sam's Club for $16.24 and higher on Amazon and Ebay. I don't understand why that's the case. If you want to get all 15 colors on Pilot's Internet store, you'll have to buy the 12 pen assorted box ($25.68 - doesn't include shipping) AND the 4 pen set that contains Teal, Periwinkle, Lime Green and Caramel ($8.61 - doesn't include shipping). Shoppers would do better to buy the 20 pen set at Sam's Club or on-line at Amazon or Ebay.
Another plus about the 20 pen set is it comes in a decent case that you can store the pens in. This keeps them from getting beat up.
Another issue I have with Pilot and their G2 pen is their claim that it's refillable. This is only partially true in the United States (U.S.). If you need a refill for a black, blue, red, green or purple pen, you're in luck. If you want any of the other colors except Hunter Green (they apparently don't offer that color any more in the United Kingdom), you'll have to order the refill from a British website. I found 2 that offer 14 of the color refills for L1.15 without Value Added Tax (VAT) and L1.38 with VAT. I don't know what they charge for shipping to the U.S. though both state they ship there. The 2 British websites where you can buy the refills are:
- www.tigerpens.co.uk
- www.cultpens.com
Writing wise, I found the regular G2 pen to write fine. It glides across paper smoothly enough. I don't know if Pilot's claim that it lasts twice as long as other gel pens is true. The ink cartridges do seem to have the normal amount of ink in them.
Overall, I like Pilot's G2 pens. I particularly like the regular fine point pen because of the array of colors it comes it. I think that's a big plus compared to other gel pens. If it weren't for that option, I don't think the pen is any better than other gel pens on the U.S. market. Happy writing all!
Update January 3, 2016: I've tried 3 different nib/point sizes with these pens so far. I didn't realize they had an ultra fine point (yes, I know I mentioned it in this blog entry but, it's been a while since I wrote it). I plan to buy an ultra fine point G2 pen to see how well it writes. Of the broad (1mm), fine (.7mm) and very fine (.5mm) point sizes, I've found the broad and fine points write very smoothly. Conversely, it feels like the very fine point scratches the paper when I write with it. Because of that, I don't like writing with it as much as I like writing with the other 2 point sizes. The broad point lives up to its name in that it does have a broad line. One last bit of information for this post: I had to buy a 4 pack of the broad point pens at the Laurel, Maryland Staples to try one of them out. The 4 pack cost me $7.99 (just to give you a current price on the pens). Stay tuned for another update once I get an ultra fine point pen and see how well it writes.
Update April 30, 2016: I've tried the G2 ultra fine point nib i.e. .38mm and, I feel it scratches the paper too like the .5mm does. On a different subject, I've found out Pilot produces G2 fine point pens in metallic colors - silver, gold, blue, green, purple and pink. The set also came with a black pen and a white ink pen. I don't think I've seen these in many stores. I had to buy my set through Ebay. Also, they sell outside the United States a set of pastel colored G2 pens - green, yellow, pink, purple and blue. This set came from an Ebay seller in Greece. I've never seen these pens in the United States. I continue to be pleased with these pens though I like Pilot's erasable Frixion pens too (see my recent review on those).
Update May 18, 2016: From now until June 5, 2016, Sam's Club has a special on G2 pens for Advantage Plus members. You can buy up to 3 fourteen pen packs of either black or blue fine point pens for $11.43 vice the normal price of $14.43. Also, you can buy up to 3 twenty pen packs of assorted colors (has all 15 colors in it, I checked!) for $13.98 vice the normal price of $16.98. I think this is a particularly good deal compared to the black or blue pen packs. You're talking getting 6 more pens for just $2 more. One slight downside with the 20 pens packs is they have the nice carrying case they used to have. I really like the carrying case and, I think it's a bummer they don't have it anymore at Sam's Club.
- Breast Cancer Awareness pen
- G6 which is a bigger G2 pen
- G2 Pro
- G2 Limited
- G2 mini
- regular G2 pen
The Breast Cancer Awareness Pen, it comes in Black and Pink ink in fine point though you can only buy the black ink pen from their United States website: www.pilotpen.us. I don't know if various stores sell the pink ink pen. This pen as far as I know is the same G2 pen with the only difference being it has the pink ribbon emblem on them symbolizing breast cancer and every purchase of these pens causes a contribution to be made to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. A set of 2 will cost $4.41 on Pilot's U.S. website.
The G6 is a larger version of the G2 and comes in blue, black and red ink (not nearly the great range of colors the standard G2 has) in fine point only. It comes singly ($2.88), 2 pack ($5.69) and 12 pack ($32.40). Note: Prices quoted are from the Pilot's U.S. website.
The G2 Pro is a more stylish sleek pen which comes in 3 different barrel colors (red, black and blue) with black ink and a fine point. It comes in single packs and sells for $5.15.
The G2 Limited is a high end G2 pen which comes in a metallic finish in fine point with black ink. It sells in single packs for $15.
The G2 Mini is the smaller version of the G2. It comes in fine point with blue, black, red and green inks. The 3 pack sells for $4.50 (no green pen). The 4 pack sells for $6 (all 4 colors or just black). The 12 pack sells for $17.76 (just black or blue).
The regular G2 pen comes with 4 different points: ultra fine, extra fine, fine and bold. For ultra fine, extra fine and bold, you have a choice of just 4 colors: black, blue, red and green. For the fine point, there are an incredible 15 colors. They are:
- Black
- Blue
- Red
- Green
- Purple
- Pink
- Turquoise
- Navy
- Burgundy
- Hunter Green
- Orange
- Teal
- Periwinkle
- Lime Green
- Caramel
One thing I found that confounds me a bit is Pilot's G2 20 pen fine point set. The G2 20 pen set contains ALL 15 colors as well as 4 additional black pens and 1 additional blue pen. The Pilot website doesn't offer this pen set for sale and yet, you can buy it at Sam's Club for $16.24 and higher on Amazon and Ebay. I don't understand why that's the case. If you want to get all 15 colors on Pilot's Internet store, you'll have to buy the 12 pen assorted box ($25.68 - doesn't include shipping) AND the 4 pen set that contains Teal, Periwinkle, Lime Green and Caramel ($8.61 - doesn't include shipping). Shoppers would do better to buy the 20 pen set at Sam's Club or on-line at Amazon or Ebay.
Another plus about the 20 pen set is it comes in a decent case that you can store the pens in. This keeps them from getting beat up.
Another issue I have with Pilot and their G2 pen is their claim that it's refillable. This is only partially true in the United States (U.S.). If you need a refill for a black, blue, red, green or purple pen, you're in luck. If you want any of the other colors except Hunter Green (they apparently don't offer that color any more in the United Kingdom), you'll have to order the refill from a British website. I found 2 that offer 14 of the color refills for L1.15 without Value Added Tax (VAT) and L1.38 with VAT. I don't know what they charge for shipping to the U.S. though both state they ship there. The 2 British websites where you can buy the refills are:
- www.tigerpens.co.uk
- www.cultpens.com
Writing wise, I found the regular G2 pen to write fine. It glides across paper smoothly enough. I don't know if Pilot's claim that it lasts twice as long as other gel pens is true. The ink cartridges do seem to have the normal amount of ink in them.
Overall, I like Pilot's G2 pens. I particularly like the regular fine point pen because of the array of colors it comes it. I think that's a big plus compared to other gel pens. If it weren't for that option, I don't think the pen is any better than other gel pens on the U.S. market. Happy writing all!
Update January 3, 2016: I've tried 3 different nib/point sizes with these pens so far. I didn't realize they had an ultra fine point (yes, I know I mentioned it in this blog entry but, it's been a while since I wrote it). I plan to buy an ultra fine point G2 pen to see how well it writes. Of the broad (1mm), fine (.7mm) and very fine (.5mm) point sizes, I've found the broad and fine points write very smoothly. Conversely, it feels like the very fine point scratches the paper when I write with it. Because of that, I don't like writing with it as much as I like writing with the other 2 point sizes. The broad point lives up to its name in that it does have a broad line. One last bit of information for this post: I had to buy a 4 pack of the broad point pens at the Laurel, Maryland Staples to try one of them out. The 4 pack cost me $7.99 (just to give you a current price on the pens). Stay tuned for another update once I get an ultra fine point pen and see how well it writes.
Update April 30, 2016: I've tried the G2 ultra fine point nib i.e. .38mm and, I feel it scratches the paper too like the .5mm does. On a different subject, I've found out Pilot produces G2 fine point pens in metallic colors - silver, gold, blue, green, purple and pink. The set also came with a black pen and a white ink pen. I don't think I've seen these in many stores. I had to buy my set through Ebay. Also, they sell outside the United States a set of pastel colored G2 pens - green, yellow, pink, purple and blue. This set came from an Ebay seller in Greece. I've never seen these pens in the United States. I continue to be pleased with these pens though I like Pilot's erasable Frixion pens too (see my recent review on those).
Update May 18, 2016: From now until June 5, 2016, Sam's Club has a special on G2 pens for Advantage Plus members. You can buy up to 3 fourteen pen packs of either black or blue fine point pens for $11.43 vice the normal price of $14.43. Also, you can buy up to 3 twenty pen packs of assorted colors (has all 15 colors in it, I checked!) for $13.98 vice the normal price of $16.98. I think this is a particularly good deal compared to the black or blue pen packs. You're talking getting 6 more pens for just $2 more. One slight downside with the 20 pens packs is they have the nice carrying case they used to have. I really like the carrying case and, I think it's a bummer they don't have it anymore at Sam's Club.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Jules Destrooper Butter Biscuits Review
While shopping recently at the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans, I stumbled upon some Jules Destrooper Butter Biscuits. The biscuits come in a neat retro looking tin so, I decided to buy some and see how good they are.
The biscuits are made in Lo, Belgium by the Biscuiterie Jules Destrooper N.V. which was founded in 1886. According to the tin, they've won gold medals at expositions in Paris (1911) and Ghent (1922). For those of us who in the United States, we wouldn't consider the biscuits to be biscuits. They look more like waffle wafers to us. They're thin and have a criss cross design on them. The biscuits are different from what Americans are use to but, they're still pretty good. The neat tin they come in makes them even cooler in my opinion. However, the tin and the fact they're imported from Belgium make them more expensive. A 240 gram (approximately 8 and 1/2 ounces) tin sells for $11.99 at Wegmans.
If you can't make it to a Wegmans, you can buy the biscuits on-line at the following website: http://julesdestrooper.elsstore.com/. They're called butter crisps at the website and sell for $5.79 for a 6.1 ounce box (this price doesn't include shipping). However, you can't get the biscuits/crisps in the tin from the website. Happy munching all!
The biscuits are made in Lo, Belgium by the Biscuiterie Jules Destrooper N.V. which was founded in 1886. According to the tin, they've won gold medals at expositions in Paris (1911) and Ghent (1922). For those of us who in the United States, we wouldn't consider the biscuits to be biscuits. They look more like waffle wafers to us. They're thin and have a criss cross design on them. The biscuits are different from what Americans are use to but, they're still pretty good. The neat tin they come in makes them even cooler in my opinion. However, the tin and the fact they're imported from Belgium make them more expensive. A 240 gram (approximately 8 and 1/2 ounces) tin sells for $11.99 at Wegmans.
If you can't make it to a Wegmans, you can buy the biscuits on-line at the following website: http://julesdestrooper.elsstore.com/. They're called butter crisps at the website and sell for $5.79 for a 6.1 ounce box (this price doesn't include shipping). However, you can't get the biscuits/crisps in the tin from the website. Happy munching all!
Shorai LFX Battery Review
As I previously reported, I've had problems with my Yamaha TMAX battery dying on me in cold weather or when I accidentally ran it down. Because of this, I decided to get a better battery for my bike. The battery Heyser Cycle recommended to me was the Shorai LFX battery. The battery is supposedly a lot tougher and wouldn't have any problems starting my bike in the winter. It would be over 6 months before I'd get to find out how true that was.
We had a really bad patch of cold weather here in Maryland where I wasn't able to ride my TMAX for 2 weeks. I hadn't forgotten my previous battery problems and so was concerned when I was finally able to ride my bike again. Initially, it looked like my fancy new battery was going to fail. The electronics flickered on my bike and, I thought "oh shit!" Then, the bike kicked over. The new battery had proved itself worth the money. I'm certain that if I'd had the old battery in the bike, I would've had to re-charge it. If you're going to ride your TMAX in the winter, you might want to think about getting a Shorai LFX battery for it. It sure beats the hassle of having to re-charge a dead battery. Happy riding all!
We had a really bad patch of cold weather here in Maryland where I wasn't able to ride my TMAX for 2 weeks. I hadn't forgotten my previous battery problems and so was concerned when I was finally able to ride my bike again. Initially, it looked like my fancy new battery was going to fail. The electronics flickered on my bike and, I thought "oh shit!" Then, the bike kicked over. The new battery had proved itself worth the money. I'm certain that if I'd had the old battery in the bike, I would've had to re-charge it. If you're going to ride your TMAX in the winter, you might want to think about getting a Shorai LFX battery for it. It sure beats the hassle of having to re-charge a dead battery. Happy riding all!
Sunday, December 08, 2013
Calbee Snapea Crisps Review
While doing my weekly shopping at the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans, I came across Calbee's Snapea Crisps in the condiment aisle. They sounded different so, I decided to try the 3 varieties as well as their Lentil Snaps which are just like the Snapea Crisps.
What are Snapea Crisps? They're baked green pea pods (or lentil pods in the case of the lentil snaps). Apparently baking the pods can make them nice and crunchy and Calbee adds 4 different flavorings (salted, ceasar, black pepper and tomato basil for the lentil snaps) to give them some kind of taste. The flavorings aren't overbearing and don't contain any monosodium glutamate (big plus in my book). The crisps/snaps offer a big plus over regular potato chips in that they have less fat, more fiber and less sodium than regular potato chips. They're an easy way to get your veggies (no cooking involved) which everyone needs.
Price wise, the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans sells the 4 different kinds for $1.99 for each 3.3 ounce bag (3 ounces for the lentil snaps). Compared to potato chips, this does make them a little pricey though any veggie snack as far I know isn't going to be cheap barring potato chips.
Taste wise, I found they taste fine. They advertise the tomato basil as Zesty. I found it tame.
Overall, I think they're a nice natural snack that is better for you than potato chips or corn chips. Also, I like that they are a very easy way for me to get my veggies. Do remember if you're interested in these crisps that you'll find them in the condiment section vice the snack section. I think they do that because they are veggies. Wegmans puts pickles, olives, peppers and pickled okra in the condiment section too. Bon appetit all!
January 5, 2014 Update: From January 2, 2014 to January 26, 2014 Costco is offering 20 ounce resealable bags of Calbee's Lightly Salted Snapea Crisps for $5.39 (after they take off $1.50 for the promotion). This is a great deal if you like these crisps. You're talking paying about getting the same product for less than half the cost - 60 cents an ounce at Wegmans vice 27 cents (rounded up) an ounce at Costco. The only down side I see to this deal is you can only get it in the lightly salted flavor. For those who like these crisps, this is a deal they should take advantage of while it lasts.
What are Snapea Crisps? They're baked green pea pods (or lentil pods in the case of the lentil snaps). Apparently baking the pods can make them nice and crunchy and Calbee adds 4 different flavorings (salted, ceasar, black pepper and tomato basil for the lentil snaps) to give them some kind of taste. The flavorings aren't overbearing and don't contain any monosodium glutamate (big plus in my book). The crisps/snaps offer a big plus over regular potato chips in that they have less fat, more fiber and less sodium than regular potato chips. They're an easy way to get your veggies (no cooking involved) which everyone needs.
Price wise, the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans sells the 4 different kinds for $1.99 for each 3.3 ounce bag (3 ounces for the lentil snaps). Compared to potato chips, this does make them a little pricey though any veggie snack as far I know isn't going to be cheap barring potato chips.
Taste wise, I found they taste fine. They advertise the tomato basil as Zesty. I found it tame.
Overall, I think they're a nice natural snack that is better for you than potato chips or corn chips. Also, I like that they are a very easy way for me to get my veggies. Do remember if you're interested in these crisps that you'll find them in the condiment section vice the snack section. I think they do that because they are veggies. Wegmans puts pickles, olives, peppers and pickled okra in the condiment section too. Bon appetit all!
January 5, 2014 Update: From January 2, 2014 to January 26, 2014 Costco is offering 20 ounce resealable bags of Calbee's Lightly Salted Snapea Crisps for $5.39 (after they take off $1.50 for the promotion). This is a great deal if you like these crisps. You're talking paying about getting the same product for less than half the cost - 60 cents an ounce at Wegmans vice 27 cents (rounded up) an ounce at Costco. The only down side I see to this deal is you can only get it in the lightly salted flavor. For those who like these crisps, this is a deal they should take advantage of while it lasts.
Saturday, December 07, 2013
Another Generic Propecia Enters the U.S. Market
This past September, Camber Pharmaceuticals, Incorporated based out of Piscataway, New Jersey announced it would begin selling generic Propecia in the U.S. market. The company will be offering the drug in the 1 milligram pill in 30 count and 90 count containers. (Source: http://camberpharma.com/news/camber_PR_New%20Products%20copy.pdf) This breaks the exclusivity that Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited had at the beginning of the year when they entered the U.S. market in what I believe was the first offering of generic Propecia.
I found out about this when I bought my latest Propecia refill and found out it was made by Camber Pharmaceuticals. Also, I found out that the new generic is apparently cheaper than that for sale by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories. Sam's Club is offering the new generic in 90 count form for $72.53 (that's the price I paid at their Laurel, Maryland store on December 6, 2013) which is over $30 less than the generic (which was probably Dr. Reddy's) back in September (see my September 4, 2013 post). Please note that to get this price at Sam's Club, you must have an Advantage Plus membership.
The cost difference between the generic Propecia and name brand Propecia is now such that you can buy a 9 month supply of the generic for the same price approximately as you can for a 3 month supply of the name brand. This is a HUGE savings. Personally, I hope the generics continue to bring the price down on this once expensive drug.
Update March 9th, 2014: The price on this generic is holding steady. Last week, I bought a 3 month refill at Sam's Club for $72.50. Do remember you must have an Advantage Plus level membership to get this price.
Update June 6th, 2014: The price on this generic has apparently gone down a little. I bought my latest 3 month refill yesterday and, it cost me $64.43.
I found out about this when I bought my latest Propecia refill and found out it was made by Camber Pharmaceuticals. Also, I found out that the new generic is apparently cheaper than that for sale by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories. Sam's Club is offering the new generic in 90 count form for $72.53 (that's the price I paid at their Laurel, Maryland store on December 6, 2013) which is over $30 less than the generic (which was probably Dr. Reddy's) back in September (see my September 4, 2013 post). Please note that to get this price at Sam's Club, you must have an Advantage Plus membership.
The cost difference between the generic Propecia and name brand Propecia is now such that you can buy a 9 month supply of the generic for the same price approximately as you can for a 3 month supply of the name brand. This is a HUGE savings. Personally, I hope the generics continue to bring the price down on this once expensive drug.
Update March 9th, 2014: The price on this generic is holding steady. Last week, I bought a 3 month refill at Sam's Club for $72.50. Do remember you must have an Advantage Plus level membership to get this price.
Update June 6th, 2014: The price on this generic has apparently gone down a little. I bought my latest 3 month refill yesterday and, it cost me $64.43.
Thursday, December 05, 2013
EZ Pass Review
As I mentioned in my review on the Starbucks at Trump Plaza Boardwalk, this past Sunday, I drove up to Philadelphia and Atlantic City. The trip brought back memories when my travel friend Harvey and I drove to Atlantic City and stay at least 1 night at the Trump Taj Mahal. The drive ended being an adventure as neither of us were prepared for all the toll roads we hit going to and coming back from Atlantic City. Repeatedly, we had to stop at toll booths and dig out change or small bills to pay the various tolls. Later, when I drove to a hotel I stayed at not far from Dulles International Airport, I got caught by surprise again and remember counting nickels to pay the tolls on my way to the hotel. Those trips (to and back) got me interested in the EZ Pass program.
The program is simple enough. You buy a transponder from 1 of the participating state agencies (prices vary depending on the transponder), pay in advance enough money to pay for 1 month of tolls and set up an account to where you can recharge your account ensuring you always have money in it to pay for the various tolls.
The toll booths in the participating states will have lanes where you can pay with your EZ Pass. You drive into the lane, an antenna picks up your transponder and your account is charged. Most of the time, you can drive right through the lanes without having to stop saving lots of time. On my recent trip, I would've had to stop 9 times to pay over $28 in tolls. The EZ pass was priceless in this way. One downside to the EZ Pass is you will be charged a $1.50 a month service fee if you don't use the pass for that month. Still, if you're going to be driving on toll roads on the following states, it is really worth getting an EZ Pass.
The following states participate in the EZ Pass program:
Delaware
Illinois
Indiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
New York City
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Virginia
West Virginia
For information on each of these state's particular EZ Pass program, go to the following webpage and click on the appropriate state: https://www.ezpassmd.com/en/about/facilities.shtml
Overall, if you're going to be driving on the various toll roads in the previously mentioned states, EZ pass can save you lots of hassle and time. I was really glad I had mine on my trip north. I'd definitely recommend the program to those who have to drive on the mentioned toll roads. Safe travels all!
The program is simple enough. You buy a transponder from 1 of the participating state agencies (prices vary depending on the transponder), pay in advance enough money to pay for 1 month of tolls and set up an account to where you can recharge your account ensuring you always have money in it to pay for the various tolls.
The toll booths in the participating states will have lanes where you can pay with your EZ Pass. You drive into the lane, an antenna picks up your transponder and your account is charged. Most of the time, you can drive right through the lanes without having to stop saving lots of time. On my recent trip, I would've had to stop 9 times to pay over $28 in tolls. The EZ pass was priceless in this way. One downside to the EZ Pass is you will be charged a $1.50 a month service fee if you don't use the pass for that month. Still, if you're going to be driving on toll roads on the following states, it is really worth getting an EZ Pass.
The following states participate in the EZ Pass program:
Delaware
Illinois
Indiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
New York City
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Virginia
West Virginia
For information on each of these state's particular EZ Pass program, go to the following webpage and click on the appropriate state: https://www.ezpassmd.com/en/about/facilities.shtml
Overall, if you're going to be driving on the various toll roads in the previously mentioned states, EZ pass can save you lots of hassle and time. I was really glad I had mine on my trip north. I'd definitely recommend the program to those who have to drive on the mentioned toll roads. Safe travels all!
Monday, December 02, 2013
Starbucks Trump Plaza Boardwalk Wi-Fi Review
Yesterday, I drove to Philadelphia and Atlantic City so, I could visit the Hard Rock Cafe's there. I wanted to get them added to my Hard Rock travel map and get closer to earning my first reward for visiting so many different cafe's. You get the first one when you visit 10 different cafe's.
While in both cities, I visited Starbucks so I could use their free Wi-Fi to post updates on my travels on Facebook. For me, the biggest reason I visit Starbucks is because of the free Wi-Fi. I have to use Wi-Fi to access the Internet when I use my Nook e-reader. Accessing the Internet this way is way easier than carrying my laptop around. I use a Sprint USB modem I own to access the Internet on my laptop.
I thought all Starbucks shops offered free Wi-Fi barring the small ones in airports as I found out in the Miami airport. To my surprise, the one in Trump Taj Mahal doesn't have Wi-Fi (according to the lady who was working behind the counter). So, I went in search of another Starbucks. I figured there had to be another one some where in Atlantic City.
To my delight, I found another Starbucks at the Trump Plaza Boardwalk. They confirmed they have free Wi-Fi. I tried connecting and, it requested a password. They told me the password is starbucks (makes sense). I entered the password and, my nook e-reader waited and waited and waited and waited for an IP address that never came. I asked the folks there what might be the problem. First, they said try turning the Wi-Fi off and on. It didn't help. Then, they suggested I completely shutdown my e-reader and bring it up. That caused me to get constant Wi-Fi errors stating that the network was overloaded and, I couldn't connect. The people at the Starbucks assured me their Wi-Fi worked but, I was never able to connect there. Later, a saleslady at the Under Armour Outlet store said she'd had the same problem. As luck would have it, there is a Starbucks at 120 North Michigan Ave which is less than a block from the Under Armour store. I tried to connect to their Wi-Fi and, my e-reader connected immediately. Also, I didn't have any problems connecting to the Starbucks Wi-Fi at the Philadelphia shop on 12th and Maple (I believe that's the address) I visited. Because I didn't have any problems elsewhere and the lady at Under Armour experienced the same problem, I have to believe there is some kind of problem with the Wi-Fi at the Trump Plaza Boardwalk. I definitely wouldn't recommend the place because of this.
Note: there are Starbucks located at the Showboat, Caesar's, Golden Nugget, The Borgata, Tropicana Casino and Resort and Tropicana Marketplace which MAY offer Wi-Fi. As I didn't know about these other locations, I didn't visit them to try them and see if they offer or how well the Wi-Fi works at these places.
While in both cities, I visited Starbucks so I could use their free Wi-Fi to post updates on my travels on Facebook. For me, the biggest reason I visit Starbucks is because of the free Wi-Fi. I have to use Wi-Fi to access the Internet when I use my Nook e-reader. Accessing the Internet this way is way easier than carrying my laptop around. I use a Sprint USB modem I own to access the Internet on my laptop.
I thought all Starbucks shops offered free Wi-Fi barring the small ones in airports as I found out in the Miami airport. To my surprise, the one in Trump Taj Mahal doesn't have Wi-Fi (according to the lady who was working behind the counter). So, I went in search of another Starbucks. I figured there had to be another one some where in Atlantic City.
To my delight, I found another Starbucks at the Trump Plaza Boardwalk. They confirmed they have free Wi-Fi. I tried connecting and, it requested a password. They told me the password is starbucks (makes sense). I entered the password and, my nook e-reader waited and waited and waited and waited for an IP address that never came. I asked the folks there what might be the problem. First, they said try turning the Wi-Fi off and on. It didn't help. Then, they suggested I completely shutdown my e-reader and bring it up. That caused me to get constant Wi-Fi errors stating that the network was overloaded and, I couldn't connect. The people at the Starbucks assured me their Wi-Fi worked but, I was never able to connect there. Later, a saleslady at the Under Armour Outlet store said she'd had the same problem. As luck would have it, there is a Starbucks at 120 North Michigan Ave which is less than a block from the Under Armour store. I tried to connect to their Wi-Fi and, my e-reader connected immediately. Also, I didn't have any problems connecting to the Starbucks Wi-Fi at the Philadelphia shop on 12th and Maple (I believe that's the address) I visited. Because I didn't have any problems elsewhere and the lady at Under Armour experienced the same problem, I have to believe there is some kind of problem with the Wi-Fi at the Trump Plaza Boardwalk. I definitely wouldn't recommend the place because of this.
Note: there are Starbucks located at the Showboat, Caesar's, Golden Nugget, The Borgata, Tropicana Casino and Resort and Tropicana Marketplace which MAY offer Wi-Fi. As I didn't know about these other locations, I didn't visit them to try them and see if they offer or how well the Wi-Fi works at these places.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Haddon House Smoked Mussels Review
I like mussels and so when I saw Haddon House Smoked Mussels for sale at the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans, I decided to try them.
According to the box which holds the 3 ounce tin of smoked mussels, the mussels are farm raised in China. They are packed in a tin, covered with sunflower oil with some salt added. Each 3 ounce tin holds approximately 2/3 of a cup of mussels. Calorie wise, a 1/3 cup serving of the mussels has 95 calories with 45 of those coming from fat. The mussels do have some saturated fat but no trans fat. Also, they have 50 milligrams of cholesterol. Interestingly, a single serving of the mussels can supply a person with 40% of their daily requirement for iron (based on a 2,000 calorie diet). Price wise, a tin of the mussels will cost you $1.99 which isn't too exorbitant. Taste wise, the mussels were bland though I think that's typical of mussels. Shelf life wise, they seem to have a good shelf life. They box I bought said they were good till April 2014 which would give them at last a 5 month shelf life (I bought the ones I sampled last month).
Overall, I thought the mussels were ok. They didn't wow me though they are a convenient way to have them. You don't have to cook them. You can eat them right out of the can like I did. If you like mussels, you might want to give them a try. Bon Appetit all!
According to the box which holds the 3 ounce tin of smoked mussels, the mussels are farm raised in China. They are packed in a tin, covered with sunflower oil with some salt added. Each 3 ounce tin holds approximately 2/3 of a cup of mussels. Calorie wise, a 1/3 cup serving of the mussels has 95 calories with 45 of those coming from fat. The mussels do have some saturated fat but no trans fat. Also, they have 50 milligrams of cholesterol. Interestingly, a single serving of the mussels can supply a person with 40% of their daily requirement for iron (based on a 2,000 calorie diet). Price wise, a tin of the mussels will cost you $1.99 which isn't too exorbitant. Taste wise, the mussels were bland though I think that's typical of mussels. Shelf life wise, they seem to have a good shelf life. They box I bought said they were good till April 2014 which would give them at last a 5 month shelf life (I bought the ones I sampled last month).
Overall, I thought the mussels were ok. They didn't wow me though they are a convenient way to have them. You don't have to cook them. You can eat them right out of the can like I did. If you like mussels, you might want to give them a try. Bon Appetit all!
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