Like Rick Riordan did previously with Son of Sobek and the paperback release of The Serpent's Shadow, Riordan and Disney have released The Staff of Serapis with the paperback release of The Mark of Athena. Like with Son of Sobek where it also included the first chapter of the then upcoming The House of Hades book, The Staff of Serapis has the first chapter of Blood of Olympus, the final and climactic book in the Heroes of Olympus series. The paperback version of Mark of Athena came out April 8th. As I didn't care to buy that book a second time, I waited for the e-book version to come out which was released May 20th. The e-book version comes in 2 versions. One is the short story with the 1st chapter of Blood of Olympus and sells for $1.99. In the 2nd version, Rick Riordan tells the story via audio and, it too has the 1st chapter of Blood of Olympus. The 2nd version costs $2.99. I bought the 2nd version as I thought it would be cool to listen to Riordan tell the story. Plus, it's only cost an extra $1. The Riordan audio version comes in 3 parts. The first 2 parts last 34:45 roughly each and the 3rd part lasts 32:15 roughly. Riordan does a great job of leaving you hanging at the end of the first 2 parts to where you can't wait to hear the next part.
The short story itself is a good one and leaves a fascinating opening for Riordan to continue the Olympus stories with a new tangent (I leave it to you the reader to find out what that is). However, if Riordan decides to go that way, he won't be able to do it for a while as he is supposed to start work on a new series that features the Norse mythology. It'll be interesting to see what he does with that. The story also has a possible spoiler in it which I won't reveal. Again, you'll have to find out what it is yourself. I don't think it'll sadden any of Riordan's readers. Whereas the Son of Sobek featured Carter Kane and Percy Jackson, The Staff of Serapis features Annabeth Chase and Sadie Kane.
Concerning the first chapter in the Blood of Olympus novel, it doesn't excite any but, it does make you wish they would come out with the book sooner. It's not supposed to be released until October 7th, 2014 (groan, grumble, grumble, grumble). For those who don't want to buy The Staff of Serapis short story, the 1st chapter will be released later this summer according to Riordan's website.
Overall, I liked The Staff of Serapis. I'd recommend to any fans of Riordan's books. I confess, I'm waiting big time for Blood of Olympus to come out in October. I want to find out how things end. Do the Roman and Greek demigods make peace instead of war? Do the 7 demigods on the quest some how defeat the giants? Will 1 of the 7 demigods die in the final book? There have been a number of references to a big sacrifice being necessary. We'll see. For now, I'll content myself with The Staff of Serapis and the first chapter of Blood of Olympus. Happy reading all!
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Hard Rock Rewards Program Assessment
I've been a member of the Hard Rock Rewards program for over a year and a half now. I thought it time to write an assessment of the program and why I don't like it as much as I liked their previous rewards program called All Access.
The current Hard Rock Rewards program has 2 levels. There is the free level which doesn't cost you anything and, there's the VIP level which costs you $24.95 per year. The advantage of the VIP level is you get greater benefits than the free level. The most noteworthy in my opinion is the 10 additional reward points per dollar spent at each cafe you visit. Those 10 points per dollar can make a big difference on when you earn your next $15 reward. With the free membership, you'll have to spend $250 for each $15 reward certificate. With the VIP level, you'll spend $166.66. So, with the VIP level, you'll save $83.34 for each reward certificate. In this way, you'll get back the price of the VIP membership with your first rewards certificate.
Update October 27, 2015: This is no longer true. Hard Rock International has done away with the VIP level for reasons unknown to me.
Concerning the program itself, your reward points are good for 12 months after which you lose those points. Each reward certificate you earn is good for 6 months before they expire. If you don't have any activity with your VIP membership for 12 months and your VIP membership has expired, Hard Rock can delete your membership though they will notify you 30 days before they do so. (See Update)
Between the 2 levels of membership, the VIP membership is the better one though you have to renew it every year i.e. pony up another $24.95 each year. (See Update)
In comparison the previous All Access program, the Rewards program isn't as good. With All Access, your points NEVER expired as I remember whereas they do with the Reward program. You could keep amassing your rewards to where you can could amass a serious reward (I got up to $140 worth of rewards before sadly Hard Rock got rid of the All Access program) vice getting the $15 rewards certificate which you must use within 6 months. You can't carry over your rewards like you could with the All Access program. The All Access was totally free. There wasn't a VIP level where you had to pay $24.95 a year as I remember. For all these reasons, I'm not thrilled with the Hard Rock Rewards program BUT, it is better than nothing. (See Update)
I plan to stay a member and keep trying to visit Hard Rock Cafe's I haven't been to before. Last month, I got to visit their cafe in Cartagena, Colombia for the first time which was pretty neat. Next year, I hope to visit their cafe in Helsinki, Finland for the first time as well as visit their cafe's again in Stockholm, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark. I very much like getting their t-shirts and showing the world some of the Hard Rock cafes I've been to. Cheers all!
Addition October 27, 2015: Not all cafes participate in the rewards program. I found this out thankfully before trying to visit the Hard Rock Cafe in Stockholm, Sweden. If you're planning a visit to a Hard Rock Cafe, you might want to check their website and see if they participate in the program before you visit the cafe.
Also, I did get to visit the Copenhagen, Denmark cafe this August and, I found out it's no longer right next to the Tivoli Gardens. I don't know when it moved. I did find it a fine cafe though I didn't eat there (that wouldn't have made any sense with all the fine FREE food on board the cruise ship I was sailing on). I bought some souvenirs and gifts but, I still found it nice. Staff there were very helpful.
Lastly, I visited the London, England Hard Rock Cafe while en-route to my July/August 2015 cruise. Their gift/souvenir shop is across the street from the cafe vice behind it. I did have dinner at this cafe and, I very much enjoyed it. I got very happily stuffed there. Visiting this cafe brought back lots of memories. This was the first Hard Rock Cafe I ever visited and was like a home away from home when I was stationed in the United Kingdom with the U.S. Air Force. It was great to get to visit it again.
The current Hard Rock Rewards program has 2 levels. There is the free level which doesn't cost you anything and, there's the VIP level which costs you $24.95 per year. The advantage of the VIP level is you get greater benefits than the free level. The most noteworthy in my opinion is the 10 additional reward points per dollar spent at each cafe you visit. Those 10 points per dollar can make a big difference on when you earn your next $15 reward. With the free membership, you'll have to spend $250 for each $15 reward certificate. With the VIP level, you'll spend $166.66. So, with the VIP level, you'll save $83.34 for each reward certificate. In this way, you'll get back the price of the VIP membership with your first rewards certificate.
Update October 27, 2015: This is no longer true. Hard Rock International has done away with the VIP level for reasons unknown to me.
Concerning the program itself, your reward points are good for 12 months after which you lose those points. Each reward certificate you earn is good for 6 months before they expire. If you don't have any activity with your VIP membership for 12 months and your VIP membership has expired, Hard Rock can delete your membership though they will notify you 30 days before they do so. (See Update)
Between the 2 levels of membership, the VIP membership is the better one though you have to renew it every year i.e. pony up another $24.95 each year. (See Update)
In comparison the previous All Access program, the Rewards program isn't as good. With All Access, your points NEVER expired as I remember whereas they do with the Reward program. You could keep amassing your rewards to where you can could amass a serious reward (I got up to $140 worth of rewards before sadly Hard Rock got rid of the All Access program) vice getting the $15 rewards certificate which you must use within 6 months. You can't carry over your rewards like you could with the All Access program. The All Access was totally free. There wasn't a VIP level where you had to pay $24.95 a year as I remember. For all these reasons, I'm not thrilled with the Hard Rock Rewards program BUT, it is better than nothing. (See Update)
I plan to stay a member and keep trying to visit Hard Rock Cafe's I haven't been to before. Last month, I got to visit their cafe in Cartagena, Colombia for the first time which was pretty neat. Next year, I hope to visit their cafe in Helsinki, Finland for the first time as well as visit their cafe's again in Stockholm, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark. I very much like getting their t-shirts and showing the world some of the Hard Rock cafes I've been to. Cheers all!
Addition October 27, 2015: Not all cafes participate in the rewards program. I found this out thankfully before trying to visit the Hard Rock Cafe in Stockholm, Sweden. If you're planning a visit to a Hard Rock Cafe, you might want to check their website and see if they participate in the program before you visit the cafe.
Also, I did get to visit the Copenhagen, Denmark cafe this August and, I found out it's no longer right next to the Tivoli Gardens. I don't know when it moved. I did find it a fine cafe though I didn't eat there (that wouldn't have made any sense with all the fine FREE food on board the cruise ship I was sailing on). I bought some souvenirs and gifts but, I still found it nice. Staff there were very helpful.
Lastly, I visited the London, England Hard Rock Cafe while en-route to my July/August 2015 cruise. Their gift/souvenir shop is across the street from the cafe vice behind it. I did have dinner at this cafe and, I very much enjoyed it. I got very happily stuffed there. Visiting this cafe brought back lots of memories. This was the first Hard Rock Cafe I ever visited and was like a home away from home when I was stationed in the United Kingdom with the U.S. Air Force. It was great to get to visit it again.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Tech Tools PI-810 World Time Travel Alarm Clock With Flashlight Product Review
The main travel clock I use for my travels is the Tech Tools PI-810 world travel clock with flashlight. While it has some drawbacks, it is the easiest to change time zones on as far as I know (I'll give an example later in the review). The clock is sold on Amazon for between $11 and $12 which isn't vary expensive. The clock is small (guesstimate is it's 6 inches long and an inch and a half wide) so it doesn't take up a lot of space in your suitcase. It has a drawback in that the buttons on it are exposed and so they can be hit causing it to beep. I try to pack the clock around things that won't cause it to go off. Another drawback to the clock is it uses 2 different types of batteries. It uses 3 LR44 lithium cell batteries for the flashlight and 2 AAA for the clock functions. This is annoying. Also, you must have the directions that come with the clock in order to set the alarm functions or change the temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius or vice versa (press the down arrow while in normal time mode). The temperature gauge as far as I know is accurate and handy.
The biggest plus of this clock is the ease you can change it between time zones. It has 18 time zones on it. Each time zone is covered by a particular city example: New York for the Eastern Standard time zone. In order to change between time zones, you simply twist the rotating knob at the end of the clock to the city that has the time zone you want. During my recent Panama Canal cruise on Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas ship, I changed time zones 3 times. Thanks to this convenient clock, all I had to do was turn the knob one click to the next time zone.
Overall, I think Tech Tools PI-810 world travel clock is a decent travel clock. It is particularly handy if you're going to be travelling to different time zones. With it, you just turn the knob to the appropriate time zone vice having to reset the time on the clock like with my Brookstone Microbeam travel clock. Personally, I'd recommend it but, I know from reading reviews on Amazon that not every one likes the clock. So, you may want to order one and if you don't like it, you can return it like some have apparently done. Happy travels all!
The biggest plus of this clock is the ease you can change it between time zones. It has 18 time zones on it. Each time zone is covered by a particular city example: New York for the Eastern Standard time zone. In order to change between time zones, you simply twist the rotating knob at the end of the clock to the city that has the time zone you want. During my recent Panama Canal cruise on Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas ship, I changed time zones 3 times. Thanks to this convenient clock, all I had to do was turn the knob one click to the next time zone.
Overall, I think Tech Tools PI-810 world travel clock is a decent travel clock. It is particularly handy if you're going to be travelling to different time zones. With it, you just turn the knob to the appropriate time zone vice having to reset the time on the clock like with my Brookstone Microbeam travel clock. Personally, I'd recommend it but, I know from reading reviews on Amazon that not every one likes the clock. So, you may want to order one and if you don't like it, you can return it like some have apparently done. Happy travels all!
Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas Wi-Fi
Recently, I got to sail on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas cruise ship. While on-board, I tried out the ship's Wi-Fi and found out what the prices were for its various Wi-Fi plans. The plans can vary from ship to ship and, that was the case in this instance.
Independence of the Seas offers 4 plans:
1 hour plan - $29.95
1 day plan - $59.95
Unlimited plan for 1 device - $189.95
Unlimited plan for 2 devices - $229.95
With the 1 hour plan, you get 60 minutes that you can use at various times. This is different from their 1 day plan which for some reason must be used continuously for 24 hours. I confess I didn't like that I had to use the 1 day plan all in 1 day and, I wouldn't recommend it. With the unlimited plans, the big thing there is how many devices you can have hooked up to the Wi-Fi at one time. With the unlimited plan for 2 devices, you can have 2 devices hooked up at the same time. This would be handy for families. If you're on a long cruise and surf the web a lot, the unlimited plans are definitely the way to go. I do wish Royal Caribbean offered the unlimited plans on more of their ships. Right now, it's only available on this ship, Allure of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas. I would've greatly preferred it over the 1,600 plan I got on their Legend of the Seas ship.
For Crown & Anchor members, the Diamond discount is $29.95. This will get you 1 hour of free Wi-Fi or $29.95 off one of the other plans. I'm Diamond and since I wasn't staying for the whole cruise, I took the 1 hour free Wi-Fi. I wasn't wiped out with this offer otherwise. $160 (after the discount) for unlimited Wi-Fi still isn't cheap in my book though it is way better than what Royal Caribbean has offered before.
One final difference I found between the Wi-Fi on Independence of the Seas and Legend of the Seas was you could hook up to the Wi-Fi using the Mozilla Firefox browser. The sheet with the information on the ship's Wi-Fi states that Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari version 3 or higher will work on their Wi-Fi. Internet Explorer as far as I know works on all of Royal Caribbean's ships and apparently is their preferred browser. On Legend of the Seas, I tried logging on Mozilla Firefox and, the page would lock up at the log-in point. On Independence of the Seas, the log-in page worked fine. As I don't have the Safari browser, I didn't test that one. It would be nice if they added the Chrome browser to the list of browsers you can use.
Lastly, the Wi-Fi is available throughout the ship. This is one of the upgrades Royal Caribbean is doing to its entire fleet and will encourage people to use the Wi-Fi. It's a real pain to have to search for a hotspot on the ship. Happy surfing on the Internet all!
Independence of the Seas offers 4 plans:
1 hour plan - $29.95
1 day plan - $59.95
Unlimited plan for 1 device - $189.95
Unlimited plan for 2 devices - $229.95
With the 1 hour plan, you get 60 minutes that you can use at various times. This is different from their 1 day plan which for some reason must be used continuously for 24 hours. I confess I didn't like that I had to use the 1 day plan all in 1 day and, I wouldn't recommend it. With the unlimited plans, the big thing there is how many devices you can have hooked up to the Wi-Fi at one time. With the unlimited plan for 2 devices, you can have 2 devices hooked up at the same time. This would be handy for families. If you're on a long cruise and surf the web a lot, the unlimited plans are definitely the way to go. I do wish Royal Caribbean offered the unlimited plans on more of their ships. Right now, it's only available on this ship, Allure of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas. I would've greatly preferred it over the 1,600 plan I got on their Legend of the Seas ship.
For Crown & Anchor members, the Diamond discount is $29.95. This will get you 1 hour of free Wi-Fi or $29.95 off one of the other plans. I'm Diamond and since I wasn't staying for the whole cruise, I took the 1 hour free Wi-Fi. I wasn't wiped out with this offer otherwise. $160 (after the discount) for unlimited Wi-Fi still isn't cheap in my book though it is way better than what Royal Caribbean has offered before.
One final difference I found between the Wi-Fi on Independence of the Seas and Legend of the Seas was you could hook up to the Wi-Fi using the Mozilla Firefox browser. The sheet with the information on the ship's Wi-Fi states that Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari version 3 or higher will work on their Wi-Fi. Internet Explorer as far as I know works on all of Royal Caribbean's ships and apparently is their preferred browser. On Legend of the Seas, I tried logging on Mozilla Firefox and, the page would lock up at the log-in point. On Independence of the Seas, the log-in page worked fine. As I don't have the Safari browser, I didn't test that one. It would be nice if they added the Chrome browser to the list of browsers you can use.
Lastly, the Wi-Fi is available throughout the ship. This is one of the upgrades Royal Caribbean is doing to its entire fleet and will encourage people to use the Wi-Fi. It's a real pain to have to search for a hotspot on the ship. Happy surfing on the Internet all!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas Wi-Fi
From April 3rd to April 16th, 2014, I sailed on Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas ship (the rates posted are current at the time of this sailing). I used the ship's Wi-Fi considerably (approximately 1,500 minutes) which is the most I think I've ever used the Wi-Fi on any of their ships I've been on. The ship's Wi-Fi worked really well. I never had a problem getting on though I think I did get bumped off a few times for unknown reasons. The Wi-Fi is available throughout the ship including all cabins. I primarily used it in my inner cabin and, it worked fine there. I can't tell you how fast the connection speed was though I had no problems holding a texting chat with a friend on Facebook.
The pay as you go rate is a very high 85 cents a minute. The pre-paid plans available are as follows:
38 minutes - $24.95 which breaks out to 66 cents a minute
90 minutes - $49.95 which breaks out to 56 cents a minute
208 minutes - $99.95 which breaks out to 48 cents a minute
555 minutes - $199.95 which breaks out to 36 cents a minute
1,599 minutes (the Wi-Fi sheet showed 1,666) - $399.95 which breaks out to 25 cents a minute
I bought the 1,599 minute package as I didn't want to have to worry about my Internet time. I was on a 2 week cruise and, I figured correctly I'd use most of the time up. I think this package would be better for families vice 1 person like myself.
I discovered that Royal Caribbean's Wi-Fi has connection problems with Google's Chrome browser and Mozilla's Firefox. I would try to log in at the connection page and, it would repeatedly hang up. I was never able to connect to their Wi-Fi going solely through those browsers. Apparently, you must use Internet Explorer though I did discover a workaround for my Nook e-reader which is an Android device which I'll blog about later. Microsoft doesn't make an Internet Explorer version for Android devices which creates real problems for those who want to use them on Royal Caribbean's Wi-Fi. I mentioned this to Royal Caribbean on my cruise feedback. I don't know if Royal Caribbean will do anything about this problem.
You can use your Crown & Anchor Wi-Fi discounts on the pre-paid plans. I used my Emerald discount which was 15% and saved $60!
Overall, Legend of the Seas's Wi-Fi worked really well but, it was expensive. I wish Royal Caribbean would introduce an unlimited plan like they have on their Allure of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas. If you want to save money, you would do well to look for places in the various ports that offer cheaper Wi-Fi. I found them in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Happy web surfing all!
Update October 18, 2014: I did a Maine/Canada cruise Legend of the Seas last month. I was able to re-check the ship's Wi-Fi rates. They haven't changed. Because of its expensive rates, I searched for and was able to find places during the cruise that had free Wi-Fi such as Starbucks on Commercial Street in Portland, Maine.
FYI, for Diamond Members, I found out they got 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi. I don't know why you get less time on this ship than I got on Independence of the Seas.
Overall, I wasn't pleased with the ship's expensive Wi-Fi rates. Unless you really need to get on the Internet, I'd avoid using this ship's Wi-Fi. You will really pay a lot for the privilege.
The pay as you go rate is a very high 85 cents a minute. The pre-paid plans available are as follows:
38 minutes - $24.95 which breaks out to 66 cents a minute
90 minutes - $49.95 which breaks out to 56 cents a minute
208 minutes - $99.95 which breaks out to 48 cents a minute
555 minutes - $199.95 which breaks out to 36 cents a minute
1,599 minutes (the Wi-Fi sheet showed 1,666) - $399.95 which breaks out to 25 cents a minute
I bought the 1,599 minute package as I didn't want to have to worry about my Internet time. I was on a 2 week cruise and, I figured correctly I'd use most of the time up. I think this package would be better for families vice 1 person like myself.
I discovered that Royal Caribbean's Wi-Fi has connection problems with Google's Chrome browser and Mozilla's Firefox. I would try to log in at the connection page and, it would repeatedly hang up. I was never able to connect to their Wi-Fi going solely through those browsers. Apparently, you must use Internet Explorer though I did discover a workaround for my Nook e-reader which is an Android device which I'll blog about later. Microsoft doesn't make an Internet Explorer version for Android devices which creates real problems for those who want to use them on Royal Caribbean's Wi-Fi. I mentioned this to Royal Caribbean on my cruise feedback. I don't know if Royal Caribbean will do anything about this problem.
You can use your Crown & Anchor Wi-Fi discounts on the pre-paid plans. I used my Emerald discount which was 15% and saved $60!
Overall, Legend of the Seas's Wi-Fi worked really well but, it was expensive. I wish Royal Caribbean would introduce an unlimited plan like they have on their Allure of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas. If you want to save money, you would do well to look for places in the various ports that offer cheaper Wi-Fi. I found them in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Happy web surfing all!
Update October 18, 2014: I did a Maine/Canada cruise Legend of the Seas last month. I was able to re-check the ship's Wi-Fi rates. They haven't changed. Because of its expensive rates, I searched for and was able to find places during the cruise that had free Wi-Fi such as Starbucks on Commercial Street in Portland, Maine.
FYI, for Diamond Members, I found out they got 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi. I don't know why you get less time on this ship than I got on Independence of the Seas.
Overall, I wasn't pleased with the ship's expensive Wi-Fi rates. Unless you really need to get on the Internet, I'd avoid using this ship's Wi-Fi. You will really pay a lot for the privilege.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Brookstone Flip Calculator with World Clock Product Review
I bought Brookstone's Flip Calculator with World Clock because I lost the operating instructions for my Journey's Edge Robotic Calculator with World Time Clock. The 2 calculator/clocks are basically the same though slightly different. The instructions I received with my Brookstone device worked for my Journey's Edge device. The slight differences are with the front of the case that opens up and, how you access the compartment that holds the batteries. The front of the case has a different appearance i.e. one is smooth while the other has a button you can use to close the clock. The battery compartment is different in that with the Brookstone device, you can slide the cover with your fingers to open it while with the Journey's Edge, you have to use a small philips head screwdriver to unscrew a small screw to open the compartment - a small hassle. Both devices use AG13/LR44/357 batteries. Ironically, it may cost you almost as much to replace the batteries on the device as what it cost you to buy it. I bought a 3 pack of 357 batteries for $5.67 at Wal-Mart.
In terms of price, both are priced closed to each other. I bought the Brookstone model on sale for $6.99. Supposedly, it regularly sells for $9.99. Ebay lists the Journey's Edge model for $7.99. You shouldn't pay more than $10 for one of these calculator/clocks and, you may be able to pay less depending on the deal you might be able to find on Ebay.
Both devices can display the time and date for 16 different time zones. The device will be set for a base time example: New York and, you press one of the other 15 buttons to see the time and date for the other time zones which are listed by a single city example: Tokyo or Moscow. If you don't know what time zone your particular city is in or the one you'll be traveling to, you'll have to look up what time zone it shares with what city. One minor annoyance is that you can't keep the clock set on the time zone you're traveling in like you can with Tech Tools PI-810 Traveling World Time Clock (I'll be reviewing this another time).
As for the calculator function, it works fine but, I question how much you need a calculator barring figuring to determine what something costs in your local currency.
Both devices come with an alarm and a countdown timer though the alarm isn't super loud. Another plus of the device is its light weight. Also, it takes up very little space when folded up.
Overall, it's an ok travel clock but, I think the TI clock I mentioned is better and is only a little bit more expensive than this device. Brookstone has a Microbeam Travel Clock which comes with a built in flashlight which can be handy traveling but, it doesn't have the different times zones this calculator/clock has and, it costs over 4 times more than this device ($29.99 for the Microbeam clock). This device has 2 pluses over the TI clock in that the buttons for it are protected when it's closed and, it uses just 1 type of battery i.e. AG13's where as the TI clock uses 3 AG13's and 2 AAA batteries (I'll explain why in my review of this travel clock). Happy travels all!
In terms of price, both are priced closed to each other. I bought the Brookstone model on sale for $6.99. Supposedly, it regularly sells for $9.99. Ebay lists the Journey's Edge model for $7.99. You shouldn't pay more than $10 for one of these calculator/clocks and, you may be able to pay less depending on the deal you might be able to find on Ebay.
Both devices can display the time and date for 16 different time zones. The device will be set for a base time example: New York and, you press one of the other 15 buttons to see the time and date for the other time zones which are listed by a single city example: Tokyo or Moscow. If you don't know what time zone your particular city is in or the one you'll be traveling to, you'll have to look up what time zone it shares with what city. One minor annoyance is that you can't keep the clock set on the time zone you're traveling in like you can with Tech Tools PI-810 Traveling World Time Clock (I'll be reviewing this another time).
As for the calculator function, it works fine but, I question how much you need a calculator barring figuring to determine what something costs in your local currency.
Both devices come with an alarm and a countdown timer though the alarm isn't super loud. Another plus of the device is its light weight. Also, it takes up very little space when folded up.
Overall, it's an ok travel clock but, I think the TI clock I mentioned is better and is only a little bit more expensive than this device. Brookstone has a Microbeam Travel Clock which comes with a built in flashlight which can be handy traveling but, it doesn't have the different times zones this calculator/clock has and, it costs over 4 times more than this device ($29.99 for the Microbeam clock). This device has 2 pluses over the TI clock in that the buttons for it are protected when it's closed and, it uses just 1 type of battery i.e. AG13's where as the TI clock uses 3 AG13's and 2 AAA batteries (I'll explain why in my review of this travel clock). Happy travels all!
Saturday, March 08, 2014
Porthole Cruise Magazine Review
Here is the promised review on Porthole cruise magazine. As I said in my review on Cruise Travel magazine, I think the Porthole magazine has a more professional/higher quality look and feel to it though it also contains more advertising in it. The magazine like Cruise Travel offers useful information on ports and as well as telling about various cruises on offer. For example: the February 2014 issue had an insider's look at Marseille, France as well as what it's like to cruise on the Tere Moana and the Aranui 3. I thought the Aranui 3 was particularly interesting as it goes to places you'd never get to visit other wise like the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. Also, it had an article on tips for socializing at sea. One downside to cruising vice group land tours is you are very much on your own on a cruise unless a spouse/significant other, relation or friend comes along. For those curious what the future holds for cruising, it had an article on what might await future cruisers.
Price wise, the magazine is nearly half the price of Cruise Travel for a 1 year/6 issue subscription ($19.99 vice $38.95) and is less than half the price for a 2 year ($29.99 vice $68.90) with no extra charge for getting the digital version as well. If you want to buy just the digital version (an option not offered with Cruise Travel though it may be offered with the app (I plan to check on this)), it costs $15.99 for a 1 year subscription and $19.99 for a 2 year subscription (a real bargain).
Overall, this is a fine cruise magazine. It differs from Cruise Travel in that it doesn't technical details on some ships as well as offering a listing of what lines sail into what ports but, it does offer excellent (and potentially useful) articles with very good pictures. I'd say it's a more upscale cruise magazine compared to Cruise Travel. If you're into cruising, I think it's worth subscribing to especially with the cheaper subscription prices. Happy travels all!
Disclaimer: All views expressed here are my own. I didn't receive any compensation for writing this review and, I paid out of my own pocket for the February issue of Porthole magazine which I based my opinions of it on.
Price wise, the magazine is nearly half the price of Cruise Travel for a 1 year/6 issue subscription ($19.99 vice $38.95) and is less than half the price for a 2 year ($29.99 vice $68.90) with no extra charge for getting the digital version as well. If you want to buy just the digital version (an option not offered with Cruise Travel though it may be offered with the app (I plan to check on this)), it costs $15.99 for a 1 year subscription and $19.99 for a 2 year subscription (a real bargain).
Overall, this is a fine cruise magazine. It differs from Cruise Travel in that it doesn't technical details on some ships as well as offering a listing of what lines sail into what ports but, it does offer excellent (and potentially useful) articles with very good pictures. I'd say it's a more upscale cruise magazine compared to Cruise Travel. If you're into cruising, I think it's worth subscribing to especially with the cheaper subscription prices. Happy travels all!
Disclaimer: All views expressed here are my own. I didn't receive any compensation for writing this review and, I paid out of my own pocket for the February issue of Porthole magazine which I based my opinions of it on.
Sunday, March 02, 2014
Cruise Travel Magazine Review
I know of 2 magazines that cover specifically travel on cruise ships. They are Cruise Travel and Porthole (will be reviewed by me later). I think Porthole is the more professional looking of the two magazines BUT, Cruise Travel magazine has its advantages in my opinion. One of them is some great and potentially useful articles. Example: the January/February 2014 issue tells readers what kind of wedding at sea packages are available on cruises as well as the rules on having the ship's captain marry would be newlyweds. The November/December 2013 issue has a cruise calendar that shows all the itineraries for different cruise lines for the winter/spring period. This can be handy in that it allows you to compare itineraries helping you find the one that best fulfills your travel desires.
Cost wise, the magazine sells for $5.99 (U.S. dollars). 1 year subscriptions sell for $38.95 and 2 year for $68.90. The magazine comes out bi-monthly (every other month).
The only down sides I've seen with the magazine is I wish there were more articles and, I think some of their reviews of various ships were a bit gushy. One reviewer of a Silversea cruise I think was a bit over the top on their praise of the ship and the things it had on board. Still, the magazine does give good information on what various ships and cruise lines have to offer.
Overall, I think the magazine is worth subscribing to if you like to go on cruises or are interested in doing it. It provides good information on different cruises, ports, ships and things to do in various ports. I was impressed enough with the magazine that I plan to subscribe to the magazine myself. Happy cruising all!
Cost wise, the magazine sells for $5.99 (U.S. dollars). 1 year subscriptions sell for $38.95 and 2 year for $68.90. The magazine comes out bi-monthly (every other month).
The only down sides I've seen with the magazine is I wish there were more articles and, I think some of their reviews of various ships were a bit gushy. One reviewer of a Silversea cruise I think was a bit over the top on their praise of the ship and the things it had on board. Still, the magazine does give good information on what various ships and cruise lines have to offer.
Overall, I think the magazine is worth subscribing to if you like to go on cruises or are interested in doing it. It provides good information on different cruises, ports, ships and things to do in various ports. I was impressed enough with the magazine that I plan to subscribe to the magazine myself. Happy cruising all!
Garmin Nuvi 2797 LMT GPS Review
I've had a Garmin Nuvi 750 Global Positioning System (GPS) unit for a number of years. I've been very pleased with it BUT, I began to run into problems with its memory. The new map updates kept getting larger in size and, the unit didn't have enough memory built in to handle them. So, I had to cut out various updates. I tried to upgrade the memory on the unit but, it had problems with the new large memory mini-cards. So, I decided to buy a new GPS unit. I settled on the Garmin Nuvi 2797 LMT because of its 7 inch screen, the lifetime map and traffic updates and, you'll never have to upgrade the memory on it (I don't know why).
The unit sells for $269.99 at Best Buy (where I bought mine). It comes with a suction cup thingy as well as a car power cord you can plug into your car's cigarette lighter and a cable for hooking it up to your computer so you can download map updates.
The unit is very easy to use. I haven't had any problems trying to find addresses on it. I particularly like the split screens where it'll show the exit I want and what lane I should stay it. Also, it shows special warnings when you enter school zones. Bluetooth wise, it has a function where it can tie in to your bluetooth capable phone and enable you to talk on your phone through the unit (I haven't tried this function to see how well it works). The 7 inch screen comes in handy in that it's very easy to see various roads on it as well as what's coming up ahead of you.
Overall, I've been very pleased with this GPS. I don't use it all the time because I don't travel that much but, when I do need it, it works great. I would definitely recommend it to others. The unit gets a 4.6 out of 5 (164 reviews at the time of this post) on Best Buy's website by other units which to me means others think it's a pretty good unit too. Happy traveling all!
Update December 9, 2015: I tried out the Bluetooth phone link with this GPS this past October when I was driving down to Richmond to see my friend Harvey. The link proved handy as I was able to talk to my friend without having to hold my smart phone while driving. Later, after I got a map update, I found I had to re-link my smart phone with the GPS unit. Apparently, that information gets lost or wiped out during the map update. Overall, I am pretty pleased with this feature even though I doubt I'll use it much.
The unit sells for $269.99 at Best Buy (where I bought mine). It comes with a suction cup thingy as well as a car power cord you can plug into your car's cigarette lighter and a cable for hooking it up to your computer so you can download map updates.
The unit is very easy to use. I haven't had any problems trying to find addresses on it. I particularly like the split screens where it'll show the exit I want and what lane I should stay it. Also, it shows special warnings when you enter school zones. Bluetooth wise, it has a function where it can tie in to your bluetooth capable phone and enable you to talk on your phone through the unit (I haven't tried this function to see how well it works). The 7 inch screen comes in handy in that it's very easy to see various roads on it as well as what's coming up ahead of you.
Overall, I've been very pleased with this GPS. I don't use it all the time because I don't travel that much but, when I do need it, it works great. I would definitely recommend it to others. The unit gets a 4.6 out of 5 (164 reviews at the time of this post) on Best Buy's website by other units which to me means others think it's a pretty good unit too. Happy traveling all!
Update December 9, 2015: I tried out the Bluetooth phone link with this GPS this past October when I was driving down to Richmond to see my friend Harvey. The link proved handy as I was able to talk to my friend without having to hold my smart phone while driving. Later, after I got a map update, I found I had to re-link my smart phone with the GPS unit. Apparently, that information gets lost or wiped out during the map update. Overall, I am pretty pleased with this feature even though I doubt I'll use it much.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Salvation Army Family Store and Donation Center Jessup Maryland Review
I've visited the Salvation Army Family Store and Donation Center in Jessup, Maryland a number of times to donate items but, I've never gone inside the family store. Today, I decided to check it out so, I could report to you my readers on what it has and what it's like.
The store and center is located at 10350 Guilford Road in Jessup, Maryland. It's open Monday through Saturday though I don't know its exact hours (I'll have to get those on another visit). Donations are accepted in the back of the building while there is parking in front of it for shoppers. For bargain hunters, the best day to visit the family store is on Wednesdays when all clothing is half off. I was able to get 2 pairs of Men's Dockers pants for $3.25 a pair! Mind you, you will have to hunt a good bit to find something that fits clothing wise and, in some cases, you'll have to try it on (they have rooms for that) as some clothing doesn't have tags telling what the size is. Also, there are NO refunds or returns. Once you buy it, that's IT!
Another plus for this store is for those looking for a good deal on furniture. I was surprised by the selection of sofas, dresser drawers and dining tables. You might find a nice bargain here.
Lastly, all books, CDs, DVDs (this selection didn't impress) and records were $1 each. I did see a few decent CDs for sale there though I didn't browse the books.
I found the staff at the store helpful and patient which was a plus (especially for someone who hadn't been in there before).
Overall, I thought it a pretty nice store. I do wish they would mark the sizes of the various clothes so, you wouldn't have to hunt all over them to find them if they have it on them. It has a great location in that it's just off the Maryland 32 and Route 1 intersection heading toward Jessup so, it's easy to get to.
Here's a link to the Salvation Army Family Stores which provides driving directions to the Jessup, Maryland store as well as directions to other stores in Maryland. Lastly, buying things from this store does help a good cause. The Salvation Army does a lot of good work and, they help a lot of people. Happy shopping all!
The store and center is located at 10350 Guilford Road in Jessup, Maryland. It's open Monday through Saturday though I don't know its exact hours (I'll have to get those on another visit). Donations are accepted in the back of the building while there is parking in front of it for shoppers. For bargain hunters, the best day to visit the family store is on Wednesdays when all clothing is half off. I was able to get 2 pairs of Men's Dockers pants for $3.25 a pair! Mind you, you will have to hunt a good bit to find something that fits clothing wise and, in some cases, you'll have to try it on (they have rooms for that) as some clothing doesn't have tags telling what the size is. Also, there are NO refunds or returns. Once you buy it, that's IT!
Another plus for this store is for those looking for a good deal on furniture. I was surprised by the selection of sofas, dresser drawers and dining tables. You might find a nice bargain here.
Lastly, all books, CDs, DVDs (this selection didn't impress) and records were $1 each. I did see a few decent CDs for sale there though I didn't browse the books.
I found the staff at the store helpful and patient which was a plus (especially for someone who hadn't been in there before).
Overall, I thought it a pretty nice store. I do wish they would mark the sizes of the various clothes so, you wouldn't have to hunt all over them to find them if they have it on them. It has a great location in that it's just off the Maryland 32 and Route 1 intersection heading toward Jessup so, it's easy to get to.
Here's a link to the Salvation Army Family Stores which provides driving directions to the Jessup, Maryland store as well as directions to other stores in Maryland. Lastly, buying things from this store does help a good cause. The Salvation Army does a lot of good work and, they help a lot of people. Happy shopping all!
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Kerrygold Ballyshannon Cheddar Review
The Irish Kerrygold brand is definitely doing their best to sell their Irish butter and cheeses in the United States (U.S.). Recently, while shopping at the Laurel, Maryland Sam's Club store, I stumbled upon their Ballyshannon cheddar. As the cheese is made in Ireland and, I like Ireland a lot, I decided to buy a pre-cut block of their Ballyshannon and Dubliner (review coming later after I've tried it) cheeses.
As I stated, their Ballyshannon cheddar comes in pre-cut and wrapped blocks packed by the Irish Dairy Board Inc in Evanston, Illinois. Sam's Club sells the cheese for $5.97 (U.S.) a pound. My pre-cut block weighed 1.8 pounds. The cheddar is different from other cheddar cheeses I've seen in that it has an ivory color vice the normal yellow. Like other cheddar cheeses, the Ballyshannon is a firm cheese with a good flavor. The cheese has a good shelf life as the one I tried supposedly would've been good till the end of October. However, like other cheeses, it must be refrigerated at all times.
Store wise, there are a wide range of stores in the United States that carry Kerrygold products. I checked the www.kerrygoldusa.com webpage for locations near where I live that sell their products and, I found out, Giant, Weis, Safeway, Shoppers Food Warehouse also sell their products. While I didn't see it listed on their website, I know the Costco in Elkridge/Columbia sells their Dubliner and Blarney Castle (review coming later once I've tried it) cheeses. I can't tell you how their prices stack up compared to Sam's Club. I would think Costco would be comparable with the others being more expensive.
Overall, I was pretty pleased with the Ballyshannon cheddar. It reminded me of my tour of Ireland and my hope I can visit there again some day. I'm looking forward to trying the Dubliner and Blarney Castle cheeses I bought. Stay tuned for reviews on those. Bon appetit!
Update February 26, 2014: I visited Costco's Glen Burnie, Maryland store and, I found out you'll pay a premium for Kerrygold's Irish butter. Their butter sells for $4.66 a pound there which is over $2.50 more a pound than Costco's brand which sells for $2.12 a pound. Personally, I suspect Kerrygold's butter isn't worth the premium (butter is butter to me) though I haven't taste tested it yet.
As I stated, their Ballyshannon cheddar comes in pre-cut and wrapped blocks packed by the Irish Dairy Board Inc in Evanston, Illinois. Sam's Club sells the cheese for $5.97 (U.S.) a pound. My pre-cut block weighed 1.8 pounds. The cheddar is different from other cheddar cheeses I've seen in that it has an ivory color vice the normal yellow. Like other cheddar cheeses, the Ballyshannon is a firm cheese with a good flavor. The cheese has a good shelf life as the one I tried supposedly would've been good till the end of October. However, like other cheeses, it must be refrigerated at all times.
Store wise, there are a wide range of stores in the United States that carry Kerrygold products. I checked the www.kerrygoldusa.com webpage for locations near where I live that sell their products and, I found out, Giant, Weis, Safeway, Shoppers Food Warehouse also sell their products. While I didn't see it listed on their website, I know the Costco in Elkridge/Columbia sells their Dubliner and Blarney Castle (review coming later once I've tried it) cheeses. I can't tell you how their prices stack up compared to Sam's Club. I would think Costco would be comparable with the others being more expensive.
Overall, I was pretty pleased with the Ballyshannon cheddar. It reminded me of my tour of Ireland and my hope I can visit there again some day. I'm looking forward to trying the Dubliner and Blarney Castle cheeses I bought. Stay tuned for reviews on those. Bon appetit!
Update February 26, 2014: I visited Costco's Glen Burnie, Maryland store and, I found out you'll pay a premium for Kerrygold's Irish butter. Their butter sells for $4.66 a pound there which is over $2.50 more a pound than Costco's brand which sells for $2.12 a pound. Personally, I suspect Kerrygold's butter isn't worth the premium (butter is butter to me) though I haven't taste tested it yet.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Sogel Fresh Cooked Mussels Review
While shopping at the Laurel, Maryland Sam's Club, I stumbled upon a product I hadn't seen before. It's Sogel's Fresh Cooked Mussels. As I like mussels, I decided to try them.
The mussels come precooked in 2 one pound bags. You can heat them up 2 ways: 1) you can boil 1 of the bags for 4 to 5 minutes in rapidly boiling water and let cool for 1 minute or 2) you can microwave on high 1 of the bags for 3 to 4 minutes and let cool for 1 minute. If you microwave the mussels, you must cut 3 small punctures in the bag to let steam escape.
The mussels come in a garlic butter sauce which is pretty good. They must be refrigerated at all times between 34 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 to 3.3 Celsius). The mussels are grown on ropes on Prince Edwards Island, Canada. Cost wise, the Laurel, Maryland Sam's Club I bought them at sold a box (2 bags) for $9.98 U.S.
Overall, I was very pleased with this product. I really like mussels and, this was a very easy way (I microwaved the ones I tried) to have some. Price wise, I think they're very reasonably priced though I'm not an expert on what imported mussels are selling for. If you like mussels and would like a very easy way to have some, I heartily recommend you try this product. Bon Appetit!
The mussels come precooked in 2 one pound bags. You can heat them up 2 ways: 1) you can boil 1 of the bags for 4 to 5 minutes in rapidly boiling water and let cool for 1 minute or 2) you can microwave on high 1 of the bags for 3 to 4 minutes and let cool for 1 minute. If you microwave the mussels, you must cut 3 small punctures in the bag to let steam escape.
The mussels come in a garlic butter sauce which is pretty good. They must be refrigerated at all times between 34 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 to 3.3 Celsius). The mussels are grown on ropes on Prince Edwards Island, Canada. Cost wise, the Laurel, Maryland Sam's Club I bought them at sold a box (2 bags) for $9.98 U.S.
Overall, I was very pleased with this product. I really like mussels and, this was a very easy way (I microwaved the ones I tried) to have some. Price wise, I think they're very reasonably priced though I'm not an expert on what imported mussels are selling for. If you like mussels and would like a very easy way to have some, I heartily recommend you try this product. Bon Appetit!
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
8700 Washington Boulevard Savage Maryland McDonald's Wi-Fi Review
I had a McDonald's coupon which would get me 2 of their large sandwiches for the price of 1. Because of that, I decided to stop by the McDonald's which is close to the Extended Stay America I'm staying at. While waiting for my order to be filled, I tried out their Wi-Fi.
I picked up 2 signals which may be the problem at this McDonald's. Both signals came in very strong. One was for ATT and the other was for Wayland Portal which I'd never seen before. McDonald's standard Wi-Fi provider is ATT. For whatever reasons, every time the webpage came up where I would press on the I accept button (accepting the terms of use), nothing would happen. After trying for something like 10 minutes, I gave up.
Because of my failure to connect, I have to give this McDonald's a thumbs down Wi-Fi wise. I plan
to go back at a later time and, I'll test their Wi-Fi again. We'll see if it works that time. Stay tuned.
Update February 19, 2014: I was off today so, I decided today was a good day to test this McDonald's Wi-Fi again. Plus, I had coupons where I could get 2 Big Macs or 2 Filet-o-Fish sandwiches for $4. I think I saved $4 with each coupon. This McDonald's will let you use up to 2 coupons per visit which is nice.
Concerning their Wi-Fi, this time it worked very well. One neat thing about Nook e-reader is when you visit a place you've been to before, it'll automatically connect to that place's Wi-Fi signal. This time, there wasn't any conflict between the ATT and Wayland signals and, it promptly connected to the ATT signal which was very strong. I did have a minor glitch in that I was able to post to Facebook BEFORE the standard agree to terms of use window came up. Because I hadn't accepted the terms, Facebook wouldn't let me put where my location was with my post which was weird. Once I accepted the terms of use, it would.
Overall, I was very pleased with this McDonald's Wi-Fi and, I give it a big thumbs up. If you're in this area, this is a place worth stopping at if you need Internet access. Happy surfing all!
Correction: I discovered that I put the wrong town name on my first post for this review. Apparently, this McDonald's is considered to be in Savage (according to the McDonald's website any way) even though the Extended Stay which is less than a block away is in Jessup. I confess I don't understand how they determine which town places like these are in which are on the boundaries of the town.
I picked up 2 signals which may be the problem at this McDonald's. Both signals came in very strong. One was for ATT and the other was for Wayland Portal which I'd never seen before. McDonald's standard Wi-Fi provider is ATT. For whatever reasons, every time the webpage came up where I would press on the I accept button (accepting the terms of use), nothing would happen. After trying for something like 10 minutes, I gave up.
Because of my failure to connect, I have to give this McDonald's a thumbs down Wi-Fi wise. I plan
to go back at a later time and, I'll test their Wi-Fi again. We'll see if it works that time. Stay tuned.
Update February 19, 2014: I was off today so, I decided today was a good day to test this McDonald's Wi-Fi again. Plus, I had coupons where I could get 2 Big Macs or 2 Filet-o-Fish sandwiches for $4. I think I saved $4 with each coupon. This McDonald's will let you use up to 2 coupons per visit which is nice.
Concerning their Wi-Fi, this time it worked very well. One neat thing about Nook e-reader is when you visit a place you've been to before, it'll automatically connect to that place's Wi-Fi signal. This time, there wasn't any conflict between the ATT and Wayland signals and, it promptly connected to the ATT signal which was very strong. I did have a minor glitch in that I was able to post to Facebook BEFORE the standard agree to terms of use window came up. Because I hadn't accepted the terms, Facebook wouldn't let me put where my location was with my post which was weird. Once I accepted the terms of use, it would.
Overall, I was very pleased with this McDonald's Wi-Fi and, I give it a big thumbs up. If you're in this area, this is a place worth stopping at if you need Internet access. Happy surfing all!
Correction: I discovered that I put the wrong town name on my first post for this review. Apparently, this McDonald's is considered to be in Savage (according to the McDonald's website any way) even though the Extended Stay which is less than a block away is in Jessup. I confess I don't understand how they determine which town places like these are in which are on the boundaries of the town.
McDonald's Shamrock Shake Review
It's that time of year again when McDonald's comes out with their shamrock shake. It's a green mint flavored shake they sell till St. Patrick's Day (Ireland's Patron Saint) here in the United States (U.S.). I thought I'd reviewed the shake before but, I couldn't find the review on my blog. So, I'm reviewing it again.
The shake is green, mint flavored and topped with a maraschino cherry. I bought a large shake at the McDonald's located on 8700 Washington Boulevard in Jessup, Maryland. Price wise, it cost me $3.19 before tax. I found the shake good. I like things with the flavor of mint and, the shake has a nice mint flavor. Plus, I like that it reminds me of Ireland which I enjoyed visiting and would like to visit again some time.
Overall, if you like mint milk shakes, I think you'd like this one. I know I did. I plan to have another when I visit McDonald's again. Do remember, you can only get these seasonal milk shakes till St. Patrick's Day. After that, you'll have to wait another year to get one. Cheers all!
The shake is green, mint flavored and topped with a maraschino cherry. I bought a large shake at the McDonald's located on 8700 Washington Boulevard in Jessup, Maryland. Price wise, it cost me $3.19 before tax. I found the shake good. I like things with the flavor of mint and, the shake has a nice mint flavor. Plus, I like that it reminds me of Ireland which I enjoyed visiting and would like to visit again some time.
Overall, if you like mint milk shakes, I think you'd like this one. I know I did. I plan to have another when I visit McDonald's again. Do remember, you can only get these seasonal milk shakes till St. Patrick's Day. After that, you'll have to wait another year to get one. Cheers all!
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
The Lightning Thief Graphic Novel Review
I'm a big fan of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books. I read all 5 of the first series and all 4 of the Heroes of Olympus. And, like other fans, I'm impatiently waiting for the final book - Blood of Olympus, to come out next fall. I bought The Lightning Thief graphic novel purely because of the shipping deal Amazon has. If you spend $35 or more, you get free shipping. If you don't, you can get clobbered. The main item I wanted from Amazon was a travel clock which cost a little over $10 and, the shipping would've been half the price of the clock. As I didn't care for that, I looked for $25 worth of other items so, I could get the free shipping. As I like Riordan's books, one of the items I decided to get was The Lightning Thief graphic novel.
The graphic novel was released on October 12, 2010. So, it's a bit late to review the thing. Still, I thought I'd put in my 2 cents worth. The novel has 128 pages and cuts out a lot of bits (the meeting with Medusa and the Tunnel of Love episodes come to mind) to keep it that short. That's something I didn't like about it. In one case, they even changed the story. Close to the end, Percy has gotten Zeus's master lightning bolt back BUT, he's stuck in California and, the big meeting between Zeus and his father Poseidon is going to be taking place above Manhattan. He has to get there pronto. In the novel, he raised the airfare by playing on people's sympathies while in the graphic novel, he apparently get's one of Hades minions to spring the money to fly him back.
The artwork in the graphic novel is good. The story does move along in the graphic novel like it does in the novel. I liked seeing what the characters looked like. I found the bit where Luke tries to figure out who Percy's father might be funny. Price wise, I paid $7.67 for my copy which I thought very reasonable. However, I still wasn't wiped out with the story in the graphic novel. I like the full length book version a LOT more than the graphic novel.
Overall, I found myself disappointed with the graphic novel. I wish it were longer so they didn't cut out as many bits. Personally, I wouldn't recommend it. Stick to the book version, it's a LOT better than the graphic novel. Happy reading all!
The graphic novel was released on October 12, 2010. So, it's a bit late to review the thing. Still, I thought I'd put in my 2 cents worth. The novel has 128 pages and cuts out a lot of bits (the meeting with Medusa and the Tunnel of Love episodes come to mind) to keep it that short. That's something I didn't like about it. In one case, they even changed the story. Close to the end, Percy has gotten Zeus's master lightning bolt back BUT, he's stuck in California and, the big meeting between Zeus and his father Poseidon is going to be taking place above Manhattan. He has to get there pronto. In the novel, he raised the airfare by playing on people's sympathies while in the graphic novel, he apparently get's one of Hades minions to spring the money to fly him back.
The artwork in the graphic novel is good. The story does move along in the graphic novel like it does in the novel. I liked seeing what the characters looked like. I found the bit where Luke tries to figure out who Percy's father might be funny. Price wise, I paid $7.67 for my copy which I thought very reasonable. However, I still wasn't wiped out with the story in the graphic novel. I like the full length book version a LOT more than the graphic novel.
Overall, I found myself disappointed with the graphic novel. I wish it were longer so they didn't cut out as many bits. Personally, I wouldn't recommend it. Stick to the book version, it's a LOT better than the graphic novel. Happy reading all!
Sunday, February 02, 2014
The Mall in Columbia Wi-Fi Review
The Mall in Columbia as it's titled (it's located in Columbia, Maryland) brags about offering free Wi-Fi. I decided to test it and find out if there are any strings attached with their Wi-Fi. I found out really fast there is. The first is you have to join The Club. The Club is where they send promotions and events by email. You can also receive them by text message though this part is optional. The email thing isn't. Second, once you've sign up for The Club, you click on freewifi-TheClub signal. Then, you call up a brower window where you'll use your email address to log in to their free Wi-Fi. According to my Nook e-reader, their Wi-Fi signal rated as good though I think it's more ok. When I first tested the mall's Wi-Fi, the signal actually dropped out and, I had to disconnect and re-connect to it to get it to work again. I'm definitely not impressed with their free Wi-Fi.
However, there is an alternative. The Mall in Columbia has a Starbucks located in the C section of the mall next to the entrance (close to Sears) on the upper level. Starbucks doesn't require you join anything. All you have to do with them is agree to their terms of use. Like at other Starbucks, ATT provides their Wi-Fi connectivity. Signal strength wise, it was good. Sadly, their signal doesn't carry very far so, you must be in the Starbucks or right next to it to use it.
Between using the mall's Wi-Fi and Starbucks, I found I preferred Starbucks Wi-Fi as it was more reliable and has fewer hassles. Also, I suspect you won't have to deal with as many people using the bandwidth. Happy surfing all!
However, there is an alternative. The Mall in Columbia has a Starbucks located in the C section of the mall next to the entrance (close to Sears) on the upper level. Starbucks doesn't require you join anything. All you have to do with them is agree to their terms of use. Like at other Starbucks, ATT provides their Wi-Fi connectivity. Signal strength wise, it was good. Sadly, their signal doesn't carry very far so, you must be in the Starbucks or right next to it to use it.
Between using the mall's Wi-Fi and Starbucks, I found I preferred Starbucks Wi-Fi as it was more reliable and has fewer hassles. Also, I suspect you won't have to deal with as many people using the bandwidth. Happy surfing all!
Saturday, February 01, 2014
Twining's Rooibos Tea Review
Before I begin on my review, I feel I should mention that I like Twining's tea a lot. I first tried them while I was stationed in England with the United States Air Force. I got to visit at least twice their original store on 216 The Strand, London, England which was opened in 1706 and, I still have the Royal Spode tea cup/mug and saucer I bought from that store. They are a very British tea company and, they make great teas.
Twining's rooibos tea is a fine product in their product line. Their rooibos tea comes from the Cedarberg Mountains in South Africa. Rooibos tea is interesting in that for centuries, South Africans made a bush tea from the plant's leaves (Source: Wikipedia). Dutch settlers in South Africa used the bush tea as an alternative to the expensive black tea which had to come from ships in Europe. Since the 1930's, the tea has taken off. The tea doesn't contain any caffeine and, it's naturally high in antioxidants (Source: Wikipedia).
Twining's rooibos tea is red is like all rooibos teas. I feel it has a brash taste like their English breakfast tea but without the caffeine as I previously noted. Cost wise, Wegmans sells a 20 bag box of the tea for $2.99. You can get the tea for the same price on Twining's U.S. website store but, you'll have to pay shipping.
Overall, I was very pleased with this tea. Thanks for to it not having any caffeine, it's one I can drink in the afternoon without having to worry about it keeping me up. The potential health benefits (see the Wikipedia article) are an added plus. If you like herbal teas, this tea is worth trying out. It's a very good one. Happy drinking all!
Twining's rooibos tea is a fine product in their product line. Their rooibos tea comes from the Cedarberg Mountains in South Africa. Rooibos tea is interesting in that for centuries, South Africans made a bush tea from the plant's leaves (Source: Wikipedia). Dutch settlers in South Africa used the bush tea as an alternative to the expensive black tea which had to come from ships in Europe. Since the 1930's, the tea has taken off. The tea doesn't contain any caffeine and, it's naturally high in antioxidants (Source: Wikipedia).
Twining's rooibos tea is red is like all rooibos teas. I feel it has a brash taste like their English breakfast tea but without the caffeine as I previously noted. Cost wise, Wegmans sells a 20 bag box of the tea for $2.99. You can get the tea for the same price on Twining's U.S. website store but, you'll have to pay shipping.
Overall, I was very pleased with this tea. Thanks for to it not having any caffeine, it's one I can drink in the afternoon without having to worry about it keeping me up. The potential health benefits (see the Wikipedia article) are an added plus. If you like herbal teas, this tea is worth trying out. It's a very good one. Happy drinking all!
Laurel Sam's Club Wi-Fi Review
I don't know if all Sam's Clubs offer free Wi-Fi. I checked their website and, they don't say anything about the service. I do know that their club in Laurel, Maryland offers free Wi-Fi. This past Wednesday, I finally got to test it out using my Nook e-reader. ATT provides their Wi-Fi connectivity. You click on the ATT signal and, it gets you an Internet Protocol (IP) address. Then, you have to call up a webpage that shows the address of the Sam's Club and, you have to check that you agree to their terms for using their free Wi-Fi. Once you do that, it connects you.
I found the signal at this Sam's Club to be excellent. I had no problems surfing the web or posting on my Facebook page. I consider this service a big plus over Costco which definitely doesn't offer free Wi-Fi at their stores. I plan to visit other Sam's Clubs in Maryland to see if they offer free Wi-Fi as well. Stay tuned for more updates on that.
I found the signal at this Sam's Club to be excellent. I had no problems surfing the web or posting on my Facebook page. I consider this service a big plus over Costco which definitely doesn't offer free Wi-Fi at their stores. I plan to visit other Sam's Clubs in Maryland to see if they offer free Wi-Fi as well. Stay tuned for more updates on that.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Arundel Mills Mall Wi-Fi Review
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.
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.
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!
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