tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14392213938504438612024-02-07T21:19:36.217-08:00Brian's Product ReviewsBrianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-49401300805595414192015-02-24T07:42:00.000-08:002015-03-02T08:12:43.169-08:00Amazon's Echo (Alexa) Review<div style="text-align: left;">
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After weeks of anticipation, the day finally came. Yesterday my Amazon Echo (Alexa) arrived in the mail. <br />
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Amazon Echo is a speaker that you can speak to. If you've used Siri or other personal assistants on your phone, you're familiar with the concept. Alexa can answer questions, tell you the weather, set timers, etc. all via voice commands. Alexa is always on and ready to take a command. Simply say "Alexa, what's the weather?" or "Alexa, set the alarm for 7 am." and Alexa will do your bidding.<br />
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The first thing out of the box that I noticed was.... the box... Amazon packages its products very nicely. The packaging reminds me of Apple or Monster. The build of the Echo is sturdy and attractive. It's unobtrusive enough to put in your kitchen or family room or bedroom. The speaker quality is excellent for the size. Echo comes with a remote (that I think you will rarely- if ever use). The remote has a built in microphone for when it's too noisy or you're too far away from the Echo for it to hear you clearly. The remote also has the standard play, up, down, forward and backward buttons on it. The remote comes with a holder that is magnetic so you can put it on any magnetic surface. I put mine on the refrigerator, so I would know where it is if I ever need it- unlikely). The Echo itself is practically buttonless. There is an "action" button to wake the device or to turn off an alarm or time. There is a button to turn off the microphones (I don't know why you would want to do that) and that is it. No power button. No visible volume control. The volume is controlled by a ring around the top of the speaker that you would never know is there if you don't read the instructions, but no worries, you can also control the volume by voice command. The Echo's state is indicated by a led light ring around the top. When the Echo is on and in standby mode the only way to tell is a small white light near where the plug goes in at the back and bottom of the speaker. When you say the key word (by default "Alexa") the Echo wakes up and the led ring goes blue indicating Alexa is ready to take your command.<br />
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<b><u>Set Up</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
Setting the Echo up couldn't have been easier. I put the batteries in the remote. When you turn the Echo on for the first time, the ring glows orange and it tells you to set it up by downloading the Echo app on your phone. The first thing you're going to do is connect your phone to a wifi network that the Echo transmits. You download the app, log into your Amazon account and you enter your wifi password to get the Echo on your home network. I'm not sure why they don't use Bluetooth to connect your phone to the Echo, but no matter. It worked great. The Echo was on my network in no time. <br />
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<b><u>Voice Recognition</u></b><br />
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I have only had the device for about 24 hours, but so far voice recognition has been great. My wife even called Alexa Alexis and it still responded. It has no difficulty understanding our questions. <br />
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<b><u>Speaker</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
When considering the utility of the Echo, consider it's a pretty good Bluetooth speaker if nothing else. I'd pay $100 just for the Bluetooth speaker functionality I am having difficulty getting my music into Amazon Music (see below) and was thinking I would not be using this for playing music since it does not connect to iTunes and we are an Apple family. Then it hit me, I could use it as a Bluetooth speaker, so I can still stream music from my phone (using iTunes Match) to Alexa and use Siri to control the music if I like.<br />
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<b><u>Music</u></b><br />
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If you have Amazon Prime, you have access to a bunch of free music from Amazon. They say it's over a million songs, but of course the first song I tried to play wasn't in there. Through Amazon Music, any music you've bought from Amazon (even CDs) are included in your own music library. For free, you can upload up to 250 songs from your own collection. Any more and you will have to pay $24.99 a year (for up to 250,000) Again, the music you've bought from Amazon is not counted against that number. Unfortunately, the process of getting your own music into the Amazon Cloud is clunky and for me didn't work at all. I'm on a Mac. I had to download a separate app called the Amazon Music Installer, run a scan against my library, find the song I wanted and try to upload it. Long story short, after spending a lot of time on the phone with support, Amazon ended up giving me a $1.00 credit to buy the song from them because uploading it just wouldn't work. I then tried it with another song and the same results. Both were songs I have bought from iTunes so maybe there's some digital rights thing I haven't figured out yet, but I buy most of my music from iTunes and I pay for iTunes Match. So, I will not be paying for Amazon Music to upload more than 250 songs. Never-the-less, I can play the music I bought from Amazon as well as anything in Amazon Prime. Be aware, there is a slight lag when accessing music from the Cloud through the Echo app on your phone. Nothing horrible, probably 3-5 seconds. <br />
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<b><u>Utility</u></b><br />
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The biggest question for me was "Is the Echo going to be worth the money?" List price as of February 2015 is $199. As a Prime member, I was offered the introductory price of $99. Without a doubt, it's worth $99. $200 is a bit of a stretch though. The hardware is really well done. But, what can Echo really do? Well, it's a great timer in the kitchen and couldn't be easier to use. "Alexa, set timer for 20 minutes." I was just making my morning oatmeal and Alexa is in the kitchen and my office is on the other side of the house. When the alarm went off, I could hear it clearly in my office. As I walked into the kitchen I just said "Alexa off". Voila! Alexa is also good for those times you're in the kitchen and realize you are out of something "Alexa add rosemary to the shopping list". The next time you're at the store, you check the Echo app's shopping list and you pick up rosemary. The app also keeps track of to do's on a to do list, timers and alarms.<br />
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<b><u>Privacy</u></b><br />
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You can turn the microphone off via a button on top of the Echo. Or if you're super paranoid, you could unplug it. Some people have a problem with a device that is "always listening", I'm not one of those people. There would be a gagillion megabytes of data for Amazon to sort through if they were storing everything. I'm guessing the Echo only starts recording anything when it hears the key word- Alexa (you can set it to Amazon). But one thing that is weird is everything you ask Alexa or tell her to do gets stored in the app and is visible on your phone. You can delete individual interactions from the app, but if you want to delete your whole history you have to contact Amazon support (weird, IMO). They don't suggest you do this because it could "degrade your experience" with the Echo. If you're a tin-foil hat person, you're not going to like this product.<br />
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<b><u>Shortcomings</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
If you're used to Siri you will immediately, or very shortly, notice Alexa ain't Siri. Siri is integrated with Apple's contacts and your calendar and can even launch apps. So, you can check your calendar and even schedule appointments using Siri. The Echo isn't integrated in with music in iTunes- so if your music is there you will have to use the workaround I described above. For the grocery list, I already use a fantastic app called GroceryIQ which allows me to have a synchronized list across my phone, my wife's phone, etc. We can even create different lists for different stores. If I'm going to use the function on the Echo, the software just isn't as robust. <br />
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And, of course, the Echo has no screen. If you have a Kindle Fire tablet, for certain information Alexa retrieves you can say "Alexa, show this on my Fire HDX (or my Fire tablet)". I don't have a Kindle Fire tablet though. Your interactions with the Echo are strictly via voice which is a bit of a limitation.<br />
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<b><u>Hey Siri or OK Google</u></b><br />
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After I ordered my Echo it dawned on me that Siri and Google offer similar always on functionality. At least on the Apple platform, if your device is plugged in (and only if it's plugged in), you can say "Hey Siri" or "OK Google" and ask it questions. You could leave your phone or you iPad plugged in and do a lot of what you can do with the Echo. For example "Hey Siri, set a timer for 10 minutes". I often ask Siri to schedule appointments for me. But, my phone isn't always in the same spot nor plugged in. So, the Echo being stationary means it's always going to be there when you need it.<br />
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<b><u>Bottom Line</u></b><br />
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I expect that Amazon Echo will improve over time- probably very quickly. Whether Amazon opens it up to other developers (the Echo software) will be key in how far it can go IMO. Right now I can't use it to make phone calls or schedule appointments and the app feels like kind of like a 1.0 version. It's not bad, but there's a LOT more it could do. Would the speaker alone be worth $200? Maybe. Having it plugged in and ready to set a timer or answer a question, "Alexa, how many teaspoons in a tablespoon?", is nice. <br />
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For the $100 I spent on it, it was definitely worth it. $200 is pushing it. If you get it and get hooked on it, you might want more than one. I could see one on the nightstand in the bedroom as an alarm clock and to play music before you go to sleep, but right now the alarms are individual. You can't set a repeating alarm. You'll have to set it every night And you cannot set more than one alarm at at time. My wife has her alarm on her iPhone set for a different time depending on the day of the week and that repeats week after week. With Alexa, you'd have to set the alarm every day and you can't set if for more than 24 hours out. But, it's so simple "Alexa, set the alarm for 7 AM". Boom! So, the software is pretty version 1.0.<br />
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I might say to wait to get the Echo, but it looks like you'll be waiting no matter what. Amazon is now listing availability at 4-6 months. So, if you want to give one for Christmas, better get in line.<br />
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<b><u>Pros</u></b><br />
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<ul>
<li>If you can get one for $99, get it</li>
<li>Good quality Bluetooth speaker for $99, mediocre for $200</li>
<li>Always available- stays in one spot</li>
<li>Looks great and quality build</li>
<li>Simple to use- anyone can set it up. Anyone can use it to set timers, answer questions, etc.</li>
<li>Plays iHeart Radio, NPR, ESPN, etc.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<b><u>Cons</u></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Amazon Music is awful- really hard to use</li>
<li>Doesn't integrate with a calendar function or a phone</li>
<li>Software is version 1.0- for example only one alarm at a time and no more than 24 hours out</li>
<li>Doesn't integrate with other apps</li>
</ul>
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<b><u>Update</u></b>- </div>
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I've had the Echo for a week now. Here are the things Amazon needs to do ASAP.</div>
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Integration with a calendar- for me the choice would be iCal. I'd like to be able to make appointments and set reminders using Echo</div>
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Integration with iTunes- still haven't gotten that Amazon music import thing solved.</div>
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Integration with my phone to make calls and receive calls. It would be really nice if when I get a call I could answer it using the Echo as a speaker phone</div>
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Echo does a few things pretty well. It could do a LOT more. Siri can do all the things I've put on my wish list for Alexa. If Apple built one of these with Siri (are you listening Apple?), that would be great.</div>
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I got this from Amazon today. This is very promising. </div>
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<strong>Software Development Kit Beta</strong>—For those who want to help shape Echo's future, the team is working on an SDK to help hobbyist and enthusiast developers create new apps and experiences. If you're interested in building your ideas during a limited-participation beta ahead of the SDK's public release, sign up <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/r.html?R=XW8QGTG4QNF4&C=3CFRX37YZKQGT&H=JOUAOQCRXDQ9QKJFQ8CXQ82BFAMA&T=C&U=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fhtml-forms-controller%2FEcho_Developer_Interest%3Fref_%3Dpe_81240_133956620">here</a>.</div>
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As always, the Amazon Echo team looks forward to your feedback via the Amazon Echo App, and be sure to tag your social media posts with #AmazonEcho!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 18px;">The Amazon Echo Team</span> articles</h4>
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<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li-image zemanta-article-ul-li" style="background: none; display: block; float: left; font-size: 11px; list-style: none; margin: 2px 10px 10px 2px; padding: 0; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: 84px;"><a href="http://appadvice.com/appnn/2015/01/amazon-echo-now-lets-you-control-spotify-pandora-and-itunes-using-your-voice" style="border-radius: 2px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #999; display: block; padding: 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img src="//i.zemanta.com/325518926_80_80.jpg" style="border: 0; display: block; margin: 0; max-width: 100%; padding: 0; width: 80px;" /></a><a href="http://appadvice.com/appnn/2015/01/amazon-echo-now-lets-you-control-spotify-pandora-and-itunes-using-your-voice" style="background-image: none; display: block; height: 83px; line-height: 12pt; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 2px 0 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon Echo now lets you control Spotify, Pandora and iTunes using your voice</a></li>
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li-image zemanta-article-ul-li" style="background: none; display: block; float: left; font-size: 11px; list-style: none; margin: 2px 10px 10px 2px; padding: 0; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: 84px;"><a href="http://abc30.com/technology/echo-amazons-answer-machine/500559/" style="border-radius: 2px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #999; display: block; padding: 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img src="//i.zemanta.com/325803563_80_80.jpg" style="border: 0; display: block; margin: 0; max-width: 100%; padding: 0; width: 80px;" /></a><a href="http://abc30.com/technology/echo-amazons-answer-machine/500559/" style="background-image: none; display: block; height: 83px; line-height: 12pt; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 2px 0 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Echo: Amazon's answer machine</a></li>
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li-image zemanta-article-ul-li" style="background: none; display: block; float: left; font-size: 11px; list-style: none; margin: 2px 10px 10px 2px; padding: 0; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: 84px;"><a href="http://www.techi.com/2015/02/what-is-amazon-echo-and-how-good-is-it/" style="border-radius: 2px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #999; display: block; padding: 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img src="//i.zemanta.com/noimg_48_80_80.jpg" style="border: 0; display: block; margin: 0; max-width: 100%; padding: 0; width: 80px;" /></a><a href="http://www.techi.com/2015/02/what-is-amazon-echo-and-how-good-is-it/" style="background-image: none; display: block; height: 83px; line-height: 12pt; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 2px 0 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">What is Amazon Echo and how good is it?</a></li>
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li-image zemanta-article-ul-li" style="background: none; display: block; float: left; font-size: 11px; list-style: none; margin: 2px 10px 10px 2px; padding: 0; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: 84px;"><a href="http://www.kdrv.com/consumer-reports-amazons-echo/" style="border-radius: 2px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #999; display: block; padding: 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img src="//i.zemanta.com/329054292_80_80.jpg" style="border: 0; display: block; margin: 0; max-width: 100%; padding: 0; width: 80px;" /></a><a href="http://www.kdrv.com/consumer-reports-amazons-echo/" style="background-image: none; display: block; height: 83px; line-height: 12pt; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 2px 0 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Consumer Reports: Amazon's Echo</a></li>
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li-image zemanta-article-ul-li" style="background: none; display: block; float: left; font-size: 11px; list-style: none; margin: 2px 10px 10px 2px; padding: 0; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: 84px;"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/01/27/amazon-echo-review-promising-but-not-fully-mature/22404285/" style="border-radius: 2px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #999; display: block; padding: 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img src="//i.zemanta.com/324778044_80_80.jpg" style="border: 0; display: block; margin: 0; max-width: 100%; padding: 0; width: 80px;" /></a><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/01/27/amazon-echo-review-promising-but-not-fully-mature/22404285/" style="background-image: none; display: block; height: 83px; line-height: 12pt; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 2px 0 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon Echo: A promising but not fully mature voice</a></li>
</ul>
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-68248516372302914682014-12-19T11:21:00.000-08:002014-12-19T12:28:47.375-08:00American Express Blue Cash Reward Card- Not So Rewarding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJo-RW7ACNL96asxnsAe6qn0fDXyrEFECh_EeFm87PqvZquf4TDVxvmY9WpDej2uBuzAnR0IdmkcdOra0bInbYfOa5or1ejfiWmxFQRnEAEEsZCpPcRE8VEUvdAGbpNyX_ldk-ye4EdQo/s1600/0303_amex_inline_315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJo-RW7ACNL96asxnsAe6qn0fDXyrEFECh_EeFm87PqvZquf4TDVxvmY9WpDej2uBuzAnR0IdmkcdOra0bInbYfOa5or1ejfiWmxFQRnEAEEsZCpPcRE8VEUvdAGbpNyX_ldk-ye4EdQo/s1600/0303_amex_inline_315.jpg" height="125" width="200" /></a></div>
I got an American Express Blue Cash reward card a few years ago because my Discover card (at that time) had a limit on how much cash back I could earn. Subsequently, I got an American Express Cost membership card that also offers cash back. Then, Discover removed the cap on their rewards and I shop a LOT at Costco, so the Blue Card kind of fell off my radar until one day I was on their site and noticed I had accumulated a bunch of "reward dollars" that I had never used. Jackpot I thought. I'll just take it in cash. <br />
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Not so fast. Unlike Discover which offers you options of cash, using it to shop at Amazon, a credit towards your statement or shopping on their site (with small discounts), American Express Blue "reward dollars" can't be redeemed for cash. Since I hardly ever use the card anymore I didn't want to apply it to my statement. So, I decided to shop on their site using my reward dollars to buy things I would buy anyway. Well, the gift cards for restaurants, etc., etc. are full price. So, there's no real benefit to using them for gift cards. But, here is the real kicker. The merchandise you can buy in their shop on-line store is not only not discounted, it's marked up. In some cases way up.<br />
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For example, the Jawbone UP24 which I recently bought for $90 is $173 reward dollars on their site. Jawbone is selling it for $100 on their site. That's a 73% markup over and above the retail price. The Fitbit Flex which is selling for $100 at Costco (with two bonus bands) is $119 at the AmEx store. That's a 20% markup.<br />
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I'm insulted. I'm taking my dollars in Amazon gift cards and shopping there where I can get the full value for them. And, the AmEx Blue Card goes back to the back of the wallet.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-86142807089737788152014-09-05T07:01:00.000-07:002014-09-05T07:01:04.612-07:00Kirkland Cinnamon Streusel Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2X28B0_zaXi5jBkkP_jYWHrRKGPRzM810X_TBFNNZm_qcBlkH_fI2Cl3bbMATihC0RqgPqUQv53a-pmfriEzMZj8numLvgJMjmaJlRuB2Y7jTBqFxTfkbob26fMh5JSlOvYAcrTxudo/s1600/Screenshot+2014-09-05+10.00.12.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2X28B0_zaXi5jBkkP_jYWHrRKGPRzM810X_TBFNNZm_qcBlkH_fI2Cl3bbMATihC0RqgPqUQv53a-pmfriEzMZj8numLvgJMjmaJlRuB2Y7jTBqFxTfkbob26fMh5JSlOvYAcrTxudo/s1600/Screenshot+2014-09-05+10.00.12.png" /></a></div>
In a word. Delicious. I tasted this bread in the store a couple of weeks ago. I kind of wish I hadn't. I am addicted now. <br />
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It is, by far, the best cinnamon bread I've ever had even though it doesn't contain raisins or any icing. It's not sickening sweet like some and it's a dense bread with large slices. One is enough for breakfast (but I just had two).<br />
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It rivals the cinnamon crunch bagel at Panera. At 210 calories per slice it's not diet food by any stretch, but is is yummy.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #474338; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #474338; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #474338; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Sugar, water, yeast, palm oil, unsalted butter, brown sugar, contains 2% or less of the following: cinnamon, whole grain oats, nonfat milk, wheat gluten, natural flavors, salt, oat flour, potato flakes, soybean oil, fractionated palm kernel oil, soy lecithin, monoglycerides (emulsifier), yellow corn flour, spice oils for color (turmeric, annatto), citric acid, calcium sulfate, calcium propionate (mold inhibitor).</span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-43357033564955027732014-06-19T13:59:00.000-07:002014-06-19T13:59:00.694-07:00The Worst Thing About Costco (The Auto Buying Program)<div class="zemanta-img" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Costcostorehenderson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Entrance in Henderson, Nevada" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" height="257" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Costcostorehenderson.jpg/350px-Costcostorehenderson.jpg" style="border: medium none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="350" /></a></div>
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I have been a loyal Costco customer for I can't even remember how long now. I evangelize about Costco. I wish I had a dollar for every time I've bragged about Costco. So, it will come as a shock to some that I have found a service at Costco that has really let me down. It's the Costco Auto Program.<br />
<br />
I am in the market for a new car and thought that since I'm a Costco member I'd take advantage of one of the services I haven't used in the very long time I've been a member. The Costco Auto Program you might think would be a program where you buy your car through Costco since you see the cars lined up in your local warehouse. You'd be wrong. You might think the Costco Auto Program gets you a pre-negotiated price that is the same for every Costco member in the country. You would be wrong. You might think the Costco Auto Program would give you a price you can take into the dealership. You would be wrong. You might think the Costco Auto Program would cover any car as long as Costco has an agreement with a particular dealership. You would be wrong. <br />
<br />
The Costco Auto Program simply puts you in touch with a dealer who is in the program and the dealer has worked out a price with Costco. Great, but you don't know the price until you go visit the dealer. My first stab at the program was to try to get a price for a 2015 Kia Optima. I could not find the car on the website. I thought I must be missing something. Other 2015 Kia's were on the site. 2014 Kia Optimas were on the site. But, no 2015 Kia Optima. I called the program and was told it was probably too new. They didn't know when it would be on the site/in the program, just keep checking back. It's normally 30-60 days. Or so they guessed. They really didn't seem to know.<br />
<br />
I am also considering a 2015 Mazda 6. I thought I'd try my luck with that car. I live just outside of Cincinnati, OH and there are many Mazda dealerships fairly close. I was surprised when the dealership it came back with is in Columbus, OH- about two hours away from me. I called the program again. They said it was probably because the car is too new. We tried the 2014 Mazda 6. The same dealer came up- Columbus, OH. I asked if they expected me to drive two hours to get a price on a car. The agent told me the dealership <b>might</b> give me a price on the car over the phone, but some dealerships require you to come in to get a price.<br /><br />I was really hoping this program would make buying a car easy. It certainly hasn't so far. And, from what I've read the Costco price is pretty good, but not great. It varies depending on where you are in the country. I don't like the fact that you go into the dealer not knowing what the price will be. You'll still need to do your homework because the negotiated prices are reported to be around $500 more than the "best" price a good negotiator can get. So, while it may be a good price if you don't know how to deal or don't want to deal, you can probably get that price or your own by doing a little research and playing one dealer against another. I would not recommend just taking the Costco price without seeing if you can do better first.<br />
<br />
So, back to the drawing board for me. I'm using Truecar.com to get a price to start with instead of the Costco price, which I may never know. Truecar.com gives you a certificate with a price on it, so you know what you're dealing with before you go into the dealership.<br />
<br />
Sorry Costco, you let me down this time.<br />
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-13630871639104296882014-04-16T11:43:00.003-07:002014-04-16T11:43:32.569-07:00Anker MFI (made for iPhone) Battery Case<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR4cZdQ1TJT7M82oq0XEttCBTe8C079zDy2-pzP1CuloXOAOmAgM9Dvq2GVBLi10wN_CULh0BH2kG60uuP3QX9Fa1y8Htd8FfQSCkWpiAhUtbKBtcpyd698uIAMpkK0pefObMwZ3s07A/s1600/Screenshot+2014-04-16+14.40.53.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR4cZdQ1TJT7M82oq0XEttCBTe8C079zDy2-pzP1CuloXOAOmAgM9Dvq2GVBLi10wN_CULh0BH2kG60uuP3QX9Fa1y8Htd8FfQSCkWpiAhUtbKBtcpyd698uIAMpkK0pefObMwZ3s07A/s1600/Screenshot+2014-04-16+14.40.53.png" height="320" width="220" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">Anker MFI Battery Case Review</span><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">Pros</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">Relatively small and light. Basically doubles thickness of iPhone 5S</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">Adds less than 3 ounces to the weight of the iPhone 5S</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">Feels great in hand. Good tackiness. Rubberized feel</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">Micro USB connection- can use cheap, readily available micro USB cables instead of expensive Lightning cables</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">Simple to operate- one button to start charging and stop charging your phone from the case</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">Anker thought of everything box includes</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">2 frames for phone (front of case)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">extension cord for audio jack access</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">micro usb cord for charging</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">Cons-</span><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">Micro USB connection- if you have an iPhone 5S, it’s likely you’ve also invested in Lightning connection cables</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">Makes audio port nearly inaccessible for most 3.5 mm jacks- the Apple headphones will fit into the jack- they are straight in and narrow. (but it comes with an extension, you just have to carry that around with you)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">Makes phone bulky (every battery case does and many normal cases do). But, I like a thin, lightweight phone.</span></li>
</ul>
<br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">As smart phones have gotten smarter, they’ve gotten thinner and lighter, something I really appreciate, but the challenge has been the things we do with them require more and more battery power. Battery capacity is not growing at the pace where we get longer battery lives now than we did years ago. In fact, in many instances they’ve gotten shorter. We no longer just talk on our “phones’ (Why do we still call them phones anyway?). As I watch videos, listen to music play games, etc. while I’m traveling I often find my phone won’t last half a day- let alone the whole day without needing another charge. I could carry an adapter with me and I often do and can find somewhere to plug it in, but there are those times when you just can’t plug your phone in. That’s when you need the Anker MFI Battery case which doubles the battery life of your iPhone 5S.</span><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">There are two battery extension alternatives for when you’re on the go. There are external batteries that you charge and carry separately. I’ve reviewed several of those. They work fine. The advantage of using those is they keep the form factor of your iPhone itself exactly the asme. I’m a minimalist when it comes to cases for my phone, I want the case to “go away”. If you’ve got a bag you can throw an external battery into, they work great. However, if you don’t want to carry them and their cable separately, the Anker Battery Case is the way to go.</span><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">The case has a great feel- feeling slightly rubberized. The finish is pleasant. It’s slightly tacky in your hands, which I like. It gives you a good grip on your phone and feels kind of “soft”. It basically doubles the thickness of your phone and adds less than 3 ounces in weight, not even doubling the weight of the phone. The frame (it ships with two in the box) protects the front edges of your phone and the battery on the back protects the back. You might see a smoked frame and a clear frame (both translucent) in some pictures of the device. Mine came with two jet black opaque frames. Others have also mention a kick stand. I guess that has been removed. Mine did not come with a kick stand (which I wouldn’t want). It has speaker ports, so the sound from the iPhones speakers (located at the bottom of the phone) is not muffled. In fact the ports direct the sound to the front of the phone instead of coming out of the bottom, maybe making it even better.</span><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">The battery pack is simple to use. There is a single button in the back and four LED lights that display the remaining power. It came fully charged. You simply slide the Lightning connector into the bottom of your phone and snap the frame around the front. Be sure to snap it down all the way around. I didn't at first and it was kind of loose. But, once I installed it properly it was secure. To remove it, I had to use a small screwdriver to pry it apart at the bottom. It charges through a micro USB cable (included). You can charge both the phone and the case together (so you never really have to remove the case). The cable plugs into the side of the case and charges the phone first, the battery pack second. To use the battery to charge the phone, you just hold the power button down for 3 seconds to begin charging your phone and hit it again for 3 seconds to stop charging. The LED lights show you how much of a charge you have left on the battery pack.</span><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">It’s been reported it can take more than two hours to fully charge the phone from the battery and some have complained the phone never reached 100% charge. Neither of those things matters because you can use your phone while it’s charging from the battery. BTW, my phone did go up to 100% charge from the battery case.</span><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">The micro USB connector that is used for the case is both a positive and a negative. I realize that Apple’s Lightning adapter is proprietary and micro USB is more prevalent (and cheaper), but I’ve invested in Lightning cables in my car, all over the house on my computer, etc. When I go to plug my phone in, I’m much more likely to find a Lightning connector than a micro USB. I’ll have to keep up with the micro USB cable to charge the case. You can charge the case separately by removing your phone, or you can charge your phone while in the case. It charges the phone first, then the battery in the case.</span><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">The second slight drawback to using the case is the thickness at the bottom means you’re probably not going to be able to plug much into the 3.5 mm headphone jack on your phone without using an adapter. The good news is Anker thought of that and thoughtfully includes an extension cord that allows you to plug your headphones in. The Apple headphones (that ship with the iPhone) have a narrow, straight in plug, so they will actually work with the case. Most of my headphones have a 90º bend on them and will not work without the extension.</span><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">I was pleasantly surprised by the cost of this case. It’s not much more (not any more) than you would pay for some cases alone. Given that it both protects your phone and doubles the battery life, it’s well worth it. I’m a minimalist when it comes to cases though. I’m not a fan of the cases that ruin the form factor of my phone. I carry the lightest thinnest case (transparent) that I could find. I will use the Anker for those occasions when I need a battery boost, but won’t use it for daily use. That’s just me though. If you don’t mind the extra thickness and weight, this is a great case.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">p.s.- the manufacturer provided this case to me in exchange for my honest review. The opinions expressed here are purely my own. I received no compensation for this review.</span><br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-52140989973110876222014-03-26T06:07:00.000-07:002014-03-26T07:16:40.053-07:00Harman Kardon Onyx Wireless Speaker System Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SaQhQ3NmdWwRrdpYMmSO4RauWHvlCvql_aW6CCWqWQIHfF6Vuw2VAJ710_NqQLAHgrVx6VnlhFaLjC2Tgkuz9AqaMK8Y87R778BaJ3imYuvqV3udzW-MCsJR257e62cHIhNVV89ioEA/s1600/IMG_0086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SaQhQ3NmdWwRrdpYMmSO4RauWHvlCvql_aW6CCWqWQIHfF6Vuw2VAJ710_NqQLAHgrVx6VnlhFaLjC2Tgkuz9AqaMK8Y87R778BaJ3imYuvqV3udzW-MCsJR257e62cHIhNVV89ioEA/s1600/IMG_0086.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
The <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/vehicles/class/class-GLK" rel="mercedesbenz" target="_blank" title="GLK Class">Harman Kardon</a> Onyx Wireless Speaker System is a thing of beauty.
You can sense the quality from the moment you begin to open the
packaging. I love the design with the brushed stainless steel loop that
forms both the single foot for the speaker and the handle. The
round shape looks very organic and the black cloth grill and black
leather back make it look rich and at home in any decor. All of the buttons (touchpoints really- not buttons) are flush with the unit and backlit. They run around the top of the speaker system making them easy to access but invisible until you want to see them.<br />
<br />
The sound quality of the system is exceptional for the size and
considering that you can't get true <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonic_sound" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Stereophonic sound">stereo separation</a> with all of the
components in one cabinet. This is a trade off you make for
portability. For a place where I am going to have the
system set up permanently and where I have the space- like in my office
attached to my computer, I still prefer my Harman Kardon Soundsticks at
less than half the price of this speaker system. But, for
the combination of portability and sound, this system is going to be
hard to beat. <br />
<br />
The Harman Kardon Onyx Wireless Speaker System has a ridiculous number
of ways to connect it to your music source- most of them being
wireless- And that is really the point of buying this system, its
wireless connectivity. <br />
<br />
One of my pet peeves is buying a $500 or 600 device and having the
manufacturer skimp on the manual, but H-K definitely did just that. It
comes with a worthless "Important Safety Instructions" booklet and an
almost equally worthless sheet of hieroglyphics that are supposed to
show you how to set it up. I've bought my share of IKEA furniture
in my time and the pictures in this thing are harder to understand than
IKEA instructions. The good news is there is a link to the full
manual on H-K's website and the full manual is quite useful. It also
comes with 30 days free technical support so you can call for
help. I doubt you'll need that though. Just save yourself the
aggravation of trying to reac the sheet it comes with and download the
full manual. Getting it to work with my iPhone was a piece of
cake. I downloaded the H-K Remote App as the manual suggested,
but I'm not sure that was necessary. It instructed me to connect via
<a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.bluetooth.org/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Bluetooth">Bluetooth</a> which was quick and painless. You can also connect it
via WiFi, WPS, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_Conference" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="National Football Conference">NFC</a>, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://dlna.org/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Digital Living Network Alliance">DLNA</a> and other ways including a plain old 3.5 mm
wired connection if you like. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pros:</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Connectivity- A plethora of ways to connect. Frankly,
you'll probably only need one, but the options are there for future
ensuring it doesn't become obsolete any time soon. I've just
retired a speaker system bought for my iPhone/iPod back in the day of
30 pin connectors. I don't have to worry about a form factor change
with this system.</li>
<li>Design- this will look great in your house. It looks like a
piece of art.</li>
<li>Portability- while it's a little large and doesn't come with a
carrying case, the fact that it has a six hour battery life and is an
all-in-one unit makes it easy to move from room-to-room in the house or
to take with you on the road.</li>
<li>Sound- Great sound for an all-in-one- I have a pair of Paradigm
speakers mounted in the ceiling in my kitchen. This sounds just as good
as they do. Rich bass, nice tight treble. The volume is all
you'll need for a small to medium sized space.</li>
<li>Convenience- The speakers in my kitchen are connected to the
stereo system in my family room. It's much easier to just connect
my phone to it (via Bluetooth) and start playing music than to have to
go to the other room, turn on the stereo and select the speakers in the
kitchen.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Cons:</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Durability- I'm not sure of the durability of this from a
cosmetics standpoint. If you take it with you, you'll want to be
careful transporting it and the cloth grill and leather back seem a bit
fragile to me for a speaker you're going to be hauling around.
Something like the Jawbone seems a bit more durable.</li>
<li>Price- at $500-600 dollars, there are a lot of lower cost
alternatives. Some are better in some ways and not as good in
others. As mentioned above, for my desktop I prefer my
Soundsticks with two separate satellite speakers and a subwoofer.
I think the sound is superior and they cost less than half the price of
this device. But, they aren't at all portable.</li>
</ul>
<br />
If you're looking for a great looking, portable speaker that sounds
really good, I do recommend this speaker system. It's amazing looking
and the sound and battery life make it worthwhile for listening to at
home or to take with you.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=onyx%20harman%20kardon&linkCode=ur2&sprefix=onyx%20harman%20%2Caps%2C327&tag=thebeauhere-20&url=search-alias%3Delectronics" target="_blank">Link to the Product on Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thebeauhere-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: none !important; display: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: 0 !important; visibility: hidden !important;" width="0" /><br />
<br />
I received this speaker system in exchange for my honest review. I receive no compensation from the manufacturer. The opinions expressed are my own, frank assessment of the product.<br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-79148936222705322702014-03-24T12:46:00.000-07:002014-03-24T12:46:35.172-07:00Explosion Fitness Solutions Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvY_I6rhEIuEPE7aE1-LGgV5BPIrdzaQMVL152eI_MG1nlvVSpjzv66f1Vf4gpizyFz53I53V6BbruqavKa4u0gLk4DxWe-7q8SD_fWoKVxOChdAilXWjp3cUfix_aWX8k6I_7PLpTTQ/s1600/Screenshot+2014-03-24+15.38.14.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvY_I6rhEIuEPE7aE1-LGgV5BPIrdzaQMVL152eI_MG1nlvVSpjzv66f1Vf4gpizyFz53I53V6BbruqavKa4u0gLk4DxWe-7q8SD_fWoKVxOChdAilXWjp3cUfix_aWX8k6I_7PLpTTQ/s1600/Screenshot+2014-03-24+15.38.14.png" height="75" width="320" /></a></div>
Exp<a href="http://www.explosionfitnesssolutions.com/">losion Fitness Solutions</a> has been a great experience for my 14 year old daughter who developed a severe case of "<a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patellar_tendinitis" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Patellar tendinitis">Jumper's Knee</a>" which kept her sidelined from basketball. After a few sessions with Explosion Fitness Solutions she is back on the court after an almost two year absence.<br />
<br />
My daughter is 14 year old basketball player. When she was 12 she tore her ACL in an AAU game. After trying to rehab it for several months, it was determined that she needed surgery. She had the surgery in January 2013 and began physical therapy shortly after that at <a class="zem_slink" href="http://hospitals.findthebest.co.uk/l/858/Birmingham-Children" rel="ftbhospitals" target="_blank" title="Birmingham Children Hospital">Children's Hospital</a> in Cincinnati. The physical therapist at Children's did a great job getting her surgically repaired knee back in shape. The problem is during rehab, she developed Jumper's Knee in the opposite knee. We were assured Jumper's Knee was something she could overcome. But the rehabilitation was dragging out for months. Finally in the fall of 2013 after doing all kinds of treatments, including electrophoresis anti-inflammatory drug treatments, we decided to give Explosion Fitness Solutions a try. <br />
<br />
After just a few minutes assessing her, Brad her trainer, came over and told us he could tell the problem was stress being placed on her knee by overly tight hamstrings and quads. He stretched her out and the pain reduced just in those few minutes. He assured us that, with therapy, he could have her back quickly. This was more information that we had gotten from Children's Hospital and really lifted her spirits. Explosion Fitness Solutions worked with us and our insurance to come up with a plan that was affordable. They even gave us the evaluation sessions at no charge. Between the training sessions with Brad and the exercises he gave her to do at home, it wasn't long before she was practicing and then playing again.<br />
<br />
When it comes to sports training or rehabilitating a sports injury, I would definitely trust the people at Explosion Fitness Solutions.<br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-18157208789427368992014-03-21T11:54:00.002-07:002014-03-21T11:55:03.632-07:00Hydor Koralia Nano 240 Aquarium Circulation Pump 240 GPH- Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzHKHYspzSqXu71bse4vc6DnSRbgJ3nUMAOVAKi-BxFY2Zu0mBunK3n4O4odolZCssxIRFOXTlUfOf0M2ZcTWC9x2YAsxd8qlqvX598Z35mxKamSpGzCwCS4kv1WQbNwr0mkjxLYh7So/s1600/Screenshot+2014-03-21+14.38.39.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzHKHYspzSqXu71bse4vc6DnSRbgJ3nUMAOVAKi-BxFY2Zu0mBunK3n4O4odolZCssxIRFOXTlUfOf0M2ZcTWC9x2YAsxd8qlqvX598Z35mxKamSpGzCwCS4kv1WQbNwr0mkjxLYh7So/s1600/Screenshot+2014-03-21+14.38.39.png" height="270" width="320" /></a></div>
This is my first experience with a <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerhead" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Powerhead">powerhead</a>. After an outbreak of ich in my tank, I've got the heat cranked up to kill the ich and wanted to provide some extra aeration for the fish. I had heard good things about these powerheads and decided to give this one a try. I have a freshwater tank. So, I wasn't looking for a whole lot of circulation, just something to break up the dead spot in the corner opposite my HOB filter and disturb the surface of the water.<br />
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The instructions that come with it are minimal, but there is a video on <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda_Aquarii" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Lambda Aquarii">Hydor</a>'s website that helps. It's actually pretty self-explanatory. The instruction sheet shows "assembly, but it comes fully assembled except you have to snap the ball into the ball and socket joint made between the pump and the suction cup/magnet that holds it. The suction cup/magnet assembly is ingenious. Trying to get suction cups to stick can sometimes be a pain and then once you get them on, it's hard to move them. The second piece on the outside of the tank gives you a handle that you can use to maneuver the device into place. Just get it on the wall you want it on, then grab the outside handle and slide it into place. Also, should the suction cups wear out, the magnet will last forever.<br />
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I like that it's timer compatible. I've set mine to come on with the lights and go off after the lights go off so the fish are assured of being undisturbed during sleeping times. I have used air pumps for increased aeration on other tanks. This is more quiet than the quietest air pump I've found (I've tried two brands) and does a nice job of disturbing the surface of the water and creating flow at the same time.<br />
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According to the recommendations this pump is undersized for my 40 gallon tank, but since it's a freshwater tank I don't think I need or would want any more flow.<br />
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I just installed it, so of course, I have no idea how durable it will be but it's a simple design. I expect it'll run just fine for a while.<br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-86685180499375509912014-03-21T10:34:00.000-07:002014-03-21T12:03:48.454-07:00OXA 4 port USB Wall Charger Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXM8nsqdwvHzkmIog5VNryDQ0xzmIh5HIGQ3bu17Tq3JCi5mMqH3gr7OxrYVompQv4SR0njbgbf5ZclNFvj-uRtQdcs1Gn87AqOiLz78WxFNx5Xa_P28kj1_EbxdX0PBMOL2k86_DG_LE/s1600/Screenshot+2014-03-21+13.22.19.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXM8nsqdwvHzkmIog5VNryDQ0xzmIh5HIGQ3bu17Tq3JCi5mMqH3gr7OxrYVompQv4SR0njbgbf5ZclNFvj-uRtQdcs1Gn87AqOiLz78WxFNx5Xa_P28kj1_EbxdX0PBMOL2k86_DG_LE/s1600/Screenshot+2014-03-21+13.22.19.png" height="320" width="292" /></a></div>
We have so many iPhone and iPods in the house it seems someone always needs to charge something. The OXA 4 Port USB Wall charger is a handy and inexpensive wall unit allows you to charge up to four devices at a time and includes a high capacity port to charge the power-hungry iPad. The prongs fold in making it great for traveling and it is designed so that if you plug it into the lower outlet, the other outlet remains available for other devices. I have a similar wall charger from another manufacturer that tries to overcome the problem of blocking the second outlet by putting an electrical outlet on the place which covers the entire wall plate. I like this design much better. Keep in mind, this is just a device with 4 USB ports, you will need to provide your own cables specific to the devices you are charging.<br />
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The unit looks good and has nice blue LED lights that the packaging says confirms the device is properly connected. I think the LEDs are unnecessary as they simply tell you the device is plugged into the wall. You don't need LEDs to confirm that. I typically leave my wall charger plugged in and even though I know it's a tiny amount of power, I feel like it's wasting power powering those LEDs. They'd be more useful if they lit up when a device is plugged in and charging. <br />
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OXA makes really convenient devices at great prices. I recommend this wall charger. It's a nice, simple design and it's a great price.<br />
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I received this item from the manufacturer in exchange for giving it a fair review. I receive no compensation from OXA. The opinions expressed here are my own.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GN6SC7I/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00GN6SC7I&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeauhere-20">OXA 5V/5.4A AC 90-240V Quad 4 USB Port Universal Portable Wall Charger Travel Charger Power Adapter, 4-Port Wall Family-Sized Charger for iPad, iPhone, Samsung Tab, Samsung Galaxy, HTC Smart Phones, Amazon Kindle models, Android Devices and most Digital Products (White)</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thebeauhere-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00GN6SC7I" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-50137622231615567722014-03-14T06:29:00.001-07:002014-03-21T11:56:11.681-07:00OXA 3000mAh Perfume Ultrathin Mini Stylish Power Bank Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2B2WusolRsqz9Ht08TpvNw7YY6KZDvr0zIK1AB8YFfTyfnCv4EeTsDdOaipY7zgTnbvH7Ig2ybkM0SCjvxWoiNPcJJNl6dhLCoRiyimuXS95ltJx9LZxBp5RuWGGUbw54R5gvsbhrt70/s1600/Screenshot+2014-03-14+09.13.46.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2B2WusolRsqz9Ht08TpvNw7YY6KZDvr0zIK1AB8YFfTyfnCv4EeTsDdOaipY7zgTnbvH7Ig2ybkM0SCjvxWoiNPcJJNl6dhLCoRiyimuXS95ltJx9LZxBp5RuWGGUbw54R5gvsbhrt70/s1600/Screenshot+2014-03-14+09.13.46.png" height="320" width="287" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I received this device in exchange for my honest review. Portable external batteries are almost a necessity now as phones suck up more and more juice and the internal batteries are so small to keep the phones thing and light. The prices of these external batteries have plummeted making them extremely affordable. The OXA Power Banks are a great way to get power on the go.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This device is thin and light. It almost looks as if it could have been designed by Apple. It's simple to use. A red light for when it's charging a blue light for when it's discharging. OXA says their devices support the new Apple iPads and iPhones, but beware even thought they come with a USB cable with multiple interchangeable adapters for mini-USB, 30 pin, etc, they do NOT come with a lightning adapter. You will have to provide your own cable to go from the Power Bank to your device.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">At 3000 mAh, this device is powerful enough to charge my iPhone twice. I love it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I'm giving it four stars because there is no battery gauge on it. At this price, I'm not sure I'd really expect one and I'm not sure it's really necessary. Just fully charge it every three months and whenever you use it. But, a battery gauge would make it perfect.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HG6WF5Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HG6WF5Y&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeauhere-20">OXA 3000mAh Perfume Ultrathin Mini Stylish Power Bank with Chain for iPhone 5 5S 5C 4 4S 6, Samsung Galaxy S4 S3 S2 Note3 Note2, Google Nexus 4 5 7 10, Nokia Lumia 520 920 925 928 1520 N8, HTC One, Sony Xperia Z, BlackBerry Z10, Motorola Droid, LG Optimus G and More Smartphones (Black)</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thebeauhere-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00HG6WF5Y" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-86414952267604634422014-02-24T06:01:00.001-08:002014-03-21T11:56:11.702-07:00OXA 2600 SAFE External Battery Review<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thebeauhere-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00E2YI052" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As our smart phones get smarter and smarter one thing that doesn't improve is the battery life. My iPhone won't even last a full day if I'm using it heavily and I can't always get to a place to plug it in. External batteries used to be too expensive for me to justify. This one is not. At the price it is selling for on Amazon right now, it's worth the investment.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I own another external battery which only came with a USB to micro usb cable (basically a cable for charging the battery). The OXA comes with a USB cable with multiple adapters to fit micro USB, 30 pin Apple, and more. The only thing you need to be aware of is even though the documentation says it works with iPhone 5s and the new iPads, while it will charge them, it does NOT come with a lightning connector. You will need to use your own cable. For other devices, the end of the USB cable pops off and you can pop on an adapter for them.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Pros-</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Simple to use</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Compact</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Cons-</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">No battery meter</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The only drawback to this battery is the fact that it lacks a meter. While I might be able to get multiple charges out of it, I don't know if fully charging my iPhone drains it 50% or more or less. Therefore, I would recommend recharging it after each use. At the original list price, I would expect a battery meter. At the price it's selling for now, I can live without the meter.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E2YI052/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00E2YI052&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeauhere-20">OXA 2600mAh SAFE External Battery 18M WTY Premium Samsung Cells Key Chain charger external portable power supply (Check Amp for tablets) for Smartphones and other electronic devices</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=thebeauhere-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00E2YI052" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-66943311664257100932014-01-08T05:43:00.002-08:002014-03-21T11:56:11.685-07:00Vtech DS6522 Cordless Handset Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was thrilled with this system, while it worked. It was inexpensive- I paid less $40.00 for it at <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.costco.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Costco">Costco</a>. The call quality was good. The Bluetooth connection to my cell phone was a nice bonus. When someone called my cell phone, the home line would ring so I didn't have to be in the same room with my phone to answer. In fact, you can use this system to replace your landline and exclusively use your cellphone and make and receive calls from three points in the house. What's not to love?<br />
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Well, after 9 months, the system failed. But, not only did it fail, it failed in a weird way that could have cost me a fair amount of money. One night we noticed the notice on the phone that the line was busy while there was no one was on the telephone. When I picked up the receiver, I heard the signal you hear when a receiver is left off the hook for a while. I tried going to all the handsets and resetting them. No luck. I unplugged the base and plugged it back in. Still no luck. The line was open no matter what I did. I called my telephone service provider and they said the line was open. They had me unplug the lines from the telephone modem and as soon as I plugged them back in- again the line was open. That's when they suggested it was probably a wiring problem and wanted me to call an electrician to check our house wiring.<br />
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That didn't seem right to me. So, I tried one more troubleshooting step and disconnected the unit from the phone line. When I did that, the line was available again. Somehow this had failed such that it was holding the line open. When I plugged it back in, it would say "no line" but it was still holding the line open.<br />
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This is probably just an anomaly. While the system worked, I really liked it and it was inexpensive. I'm only writing this negative review because of the WAY it broke, very unexpected. By breaking in such a way to hold the line open, I could have spent money having an electrician out to troubleshoot my home phone wiring which is fine. I also spent a couple of hours on the phone with my telephone service provider and my home security system service provider eliminating those as the source of the problem. <br />
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I would have gotten another one, but when I returned it to Costco they were no longer selling this system or any Vtech systems. I ended up going with a more expensive AT&T option.<br />
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p.s.- big shout out to Costco again. Even though the system was under warranty, I didn't really want the hassle of dealing with the manufacturer, having to go through their troubleshooting, mail the system back, wait days for a new phone, etc. I called Costco and told them the phone system I bought there in March had broken. They said to box it up and bring it in. No hassles. They gave me the full price I paid for it which I applied toward the new system that cost about $30 more.<br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-10636778917455107952014-01-05T06:21:00.002-08:002014-03-21T11:56:11.636-07:00The Acase Case for iPad Air Is Skinny and Smart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I now own three iPad Air cases. I was given two, including this one, in exchange for my honest review. I previously owned the iPad 2- second generation iPad and appreciate the smaller, lighter and thinner iPad Air that I recently stepped up to. The last thing I want is a case that detracts from all of the engineering Apple has put into making the iPad Air feel so great in your hand. This case does not disappoint. <br />
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The outside of the case is a nice faux leather that feels and looks high quality. The front flap on the interior is a microfiber material that feels like a smooth suede. Your iPad snaps into a polycarbonate shell that provides full protection for the back and around all four sides. Unlike a previous case I purchased from another manufacturer, the stand functionality is completely intuitive and easy to use. Even though the iPad is protected on all four sides, you do not need to snap it out of any of the four sides to use the stand. The back cover is hinged. What becomes the base of the iPad (as pictured in the product image) sits into a groove on the front cover giving you five viewing angles. Frankly, the grooves are kind of shallow due to the extreme thinness of the front of the case making them slightly more difficult to engage than the other case I had previously. Still, I think I like this case a bit better because it is extremely thin and light. I cannot imagine a case being significantly more thin and light without being completely worthless. My iPad is protected from scratches and I get the on/off functionality from the magnet in the front cover. This is not a case that provides a ton of drop protection and I have no problem with that. I'm looking for something that protects my screen, keeps my iPad from getting scratched up, turns the iPad off and on and makes it feel good in my hand. The Acase hits all of those points. To get drop protection you're going to need to do go to a heavy, thick case and I don't want to do that.<br />
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Pricing on this case is higher than the one I paid for myself. However, the fit and finish is probably a little better. The other case I have includes a holder for the stylus which is nice. Also the front cover on the other case, in addition to the magnets clips around the iPad itself when you close it for a more secure closure. Compared to Apple's case though, this one is an incredible bargain. Of the three I have (the other two area also reviewed here on Amazon), pricing aside, I would recommend this one over the other two by a slim margin. Taking pricing into consideration any of them are far better bargains than the Apple branded case or the Smart Cover which provides zero protection for the back of your device and at a higher price than any of the other cases I own.<br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-76015024870929439762013-08-29T12:04:00.001-07:002014-03-21T11:56:11.689-07:00Corte Composite Deck Cleaner Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Three years ago we built a composite deck (TimberTech). I guess I thought low maintenance meant no maintenance, so I hadn't done anything to the deck since it was built. It's been nice not having to worry about staining or painting it. Earlier this spring, I noticed black spots on the deck, which began to grow and multiply until it ended up looking like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfglDvMBBccUhxjAR37rvdP_qFeuONrx174QoDe8sWeT5erYpSh55Gf7a17w2err9M7XAqr3Sadp-7kd8Ve8JOn0yYXrehBpMJxIzAFBXi74-9ykGliYpOGuYnuWru4O5AzsRUyvaWAfo/s1600/IMG_0927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfglDvMBBccUhxjAR37rvdP_qFeuONrx174QoDe8sWeT5erYpSh55Gf7a17w2err9M7XAqr3Sadp-7kd8Ve8JOn0yYXrehBpMJxIzAFBXi74-9ykGliYpOGuYnuWru4O5AzsRUyvaWAfo/s400/IMG_0927.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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After doing some research on the internet I discovered many people have had problems with black mold forming on their composite decks. Some have had great difficulty removing it. I decided to try Corte Composite Cleaner based on the reviews I had seen and the fact that it appears several composite manufacturers recommend it. </div>
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The product got more than its share of negative reviews on Amazon.com, which was made me concerned. However, I realized the manufacturer says to <b>not</b> use the product beyond its expiration date, otherwise you might not get satisfactory results. My guess is some gray marketers were putting old product on Amazon. I decided to buy from the manufacturer's website to ensure I got a fresh batch. However, with Labor Day weekend coming up and guests coming over, I decided I needed to get the deck done <b>now</b>. I called the manufacturer and found a retailer fairly close to me. That retailer said they had just gotten a shipment last week. The expiration date on the bag I bought is August 2014 one year from this month. So, the product does not have an extremely long shelf life. I recommend making sure you get a fresh bag.</div>
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To do the project I needed:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Mixing bucket- already had</li>
<li>1 gallon pump spray- picked up for $10 at the local hardware store</li>
<li>Deck brush- a scrub brush on a handle to save your back. $7 at the local hardware store</li>
<li>Corte Cleaner- $30</li>
</ul>
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The product is a white powder that you mix with water. It reminded me of trying to use Oxi-Clean. It was not easy to mix. I tried it first with room temperature tap water. For my second batch, I used warm water. I stirred and stirred and stirred and could not get all the crystals to dissolve. I began by hosing down the deck and going over it lightly with my brush to get the loose dirt off. To my (pleasant) surprise a great deal of the dirt/mold came off with just plain water. In fact, my wife came out and commented on how great the product was working and I hadn't applied it yet.<br />
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I let the deck dry, per the manufacturer's instructions and began spraying the Corte Clean on. Using the fine sprayer I had, the product was more than enough to cover the recommended square footage. It went on kind of like dishwater- slightly soapy and as it reacted, began to foam up, reminding me of oven cleaner. I reapplied the product as necessary to keep it wet while I waited the 20 minutes for it to do its thing. To my surprise I could see the dirt being lifted out of the wood as the suds went from white to brown.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkM85CIr7ylgWVJBt8YySB2MN9XAQhGP7mPYOzUloFXJccwRfXvCG6goNimk_FNH1fwRk-8xAaTdl7C9SbzhZSYNG1dh3XiajvTvY04tPunPehE_rFomy5xP3QqUnb1WaVh0pWoMynHg/s1600/IMG_0936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkM85CIr7ylgWVJBt8YySB2MN9XAQhGP7mPYOzUloFXJccwRfXvCG6goNimk_FNH1fwRk-8xAaTdl7C9SbzhZSYNG1dh3XiajvTvY04tPunPehE_rFomy5xP3QqUnb1WaVh0pWoMynHg/s400/IMG_0936.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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After approximately 20 minutes, I hit the deck with the brush again. I wanted to be sure I got as much of this gunk off/out as possible. Then, I began rinsing. As I rinsed, I could see the dirt flowing off with the water. Rinsing took <b>forever</b>. I rinsed and rinsed and rinsed. Now it was about 95º the day I was doing this and I did it in full sun. The manufacturer recommended doing it in the sun, but not at that temperature. I don't know if that had anything to do with it or not. Each time it would let it dry completely I'd see a bit of white haze, not horrible, but enough I wanted it off. However, the deck was completely clean. <br />
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Pros:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Easy process</li>
<li>"Eco friendly" product. No bleach. No harsh chemicals. Safe for plants and animals.</li>
<li>Works!</li>
<li>Protects?- The manufacturer suggest that doing the cleaning on a regular basis will help prevent mold from coming back and make it easier to remove it if it does</li>
</ul>
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Cons:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Didn't mix well. The crystals barely seem water soluble</li>
<li>Took a long time to rinse- but, the manufacturer says any left on the deck surface will continue to clean until it is thoroughly rinse off. So, not so bad as long as you don't leave too much on there.</li>
<li>Expensive? I didn't compare the price to other deck cleaners, but at $30 a bag for a bag that does the average size deck, it seemed a little on the high side to me. Of course, it is far less expensive and far easier than staining or painting the deck. I think when I try it again, I'll dilute it more than they suggested because it seems the concentration was pretty high anyway. It was difficult to mix and difficult to rinse. A lower concentration should be easier to work with.</li>
</ul>
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Overall, I was very pleased with the product and would recommend it. Now that I know how easy it is to do, I won't wait three years to clean the deck again.</div>
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<br />Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-39578338477050191372013-06-12T10:35:00.001-07:002014-03-21T11:56:11.664-07:00Kirkland (Costco) Organic Lemonade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It goes without saying I am a lover of all things <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.costco.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Costco">Costco</a>. Well, I just found another great Kirkland product. Kirkland Organic Lemonade. I grew up drinking lemonade, but I hardly ever make it because, well, I'm lazy. This is pretty close to homemade without the hassle of squeezing your own lemons.<br />
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It's not exactly like homemade because the lemon juice is from concentrate. I like that it has no artificial sweeteners and uses real sugar. What I really love is that it's nice and tart. Surprisingly tart. I do not like things very sweet and this isn't even close to being overly sweet, not even for me, the guy who likes lemonade that makes you pucker.<br />
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I'm not a stickler when it comes to organic, but all of the ingredient listed on the label are organic including the sugar and the lemon flavor which is the last ingredient on the list. So, if that's important you, there you go.<br />
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There are two three quart bottles for $5.99. I'm sure this is a seasonal product. So, around the end of summer, I plan to stock up.<br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-26559620186674143212013-04-29T14:08:00.002-07:002014-03-21T11:56:11.651-07:00ADT Security Monitoring Service<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/67755197@N00/1096645153" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="ADT" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="180" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1043/1096645153_b481655cdd_m.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center;">ADT (Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/67755197@N00/1096645153" target="_blank">nadbasher</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We have been an ADT customer for close to 15 years now. We started off paying about $20 a month for them to do basically nothing (monitor our system and call the police or fire department IF there is an alarm). Every year, they send a letter raising the rate another $1.00 or so a month). Slow drip. Every year, I get annoyed, intend to look at an alternative and end up doing nothing. This year, they were going to take our rate to $37.52 Well, no more.<br />
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This year, I called NextAlarm.com. They have a monitoring system that works over the internet. $17.95/month for the same service ADT is giving me now. I would have to buy some hardware and install it myself or have it installed. That made me a bit uncomfortable, so before I pulled the trigger and ordered the hardware, I called ADT. After going through their voicemail maze to reach a real person, I finally was transferred to the customer loyalty department. I simply told them I was not happy with my rate and was talking with NextAlarm.com about switching. but before I switched I wanted to know if they could do any better on their price. They dropped the bill to $19.99/month (didn't say for how long and I didn't ask). For the extra $2.00 a month and not having to make any changes or install any hardware, I'll stick with them until they try to raise it again.<br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-90145554656200257032013-04-23T05:16:00.000-07:002014-03-21T11:56:11.710-07:00Draftmark Tap System Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As part of a <a href="http://www.bzzagent.com/">BzzAgent</a> campaign I received a Draftmark Tap System to review. The Draftmark Tap System is a beer delivery system that allows you to enjoy cold draft beer from your refrigerator. I've always liked draft beer better, but never understood why. There are two factors that make draft beer better. The first is it's unpasteurized. The second is the delivery system that delivers the beer under pressure making it taste smoother and giving a more dense head. So, is the Draftmark worth the expense and trouble? To my surprise, I think so. I wouldn't have paid $50 to try this. Offered one for free, I thought "Why not?" Read on to find out why I think it's worth the investment.<br />
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The Draftmark Tap System is a fairly sophisticated but easy-to-use, self-contained system that delivers beer from non-refillable plastic refills you buy at your local beer retailer. As of this writing, April 2013, the beer is available in 14 markets across the country. So, before you rush out and buy one, check to make sure someone in your area sells the beer. Draftmark has a list of retailers on their website. Unfortunately, due to state law in Ohio, they couldn't list the actual retailers where I live and I got my system on the weekend- when the distributor was closed. I am an impatient man. So, I took a chance and went to <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.junglejims.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="Jungle Jim's">Jungle Jim's</a>. They had the system and the refills (however, they only had Bass Ale). You should be able to find Bass Ale, ShockTop, Michelob Amberbock and/or Budweiser (yuck!). The marketing materials I received also indicated they would have Goose Island, even though their website isn't showing that at the moment. The refills are 1 gallon plastic jugs that are sealed and non-reusable. They were $13.99 each at my local retailer- except Goose Island- which they didn't have, but there was a sign saying it was $14.99. I compared that to a six pack of Bass to see if this system was saving me any money. A six pack of Bass was on sale for $7.49, normally $8.49. The price of the beer in the keg and the price in a bottle was almost exactly the same at around $0.10/ounce. The Draftmark system itself is about $50 retail. So, you're not going to buy this to save money. After the $50 investment in the system, the beer is going to cost you about the same as buying it in bottles. I'm cheap. So, this would be a problem for me if the beer didn't taste better. The good news is the beer does taste better. Draftmark gives one of the benefits of their system as less packaging. That's true. Maybe you're saving the planet, but the cost savings is not being passed along to you. As I said, it's going to cost you roughly the same as buying a premium quality beer. I didn't do the pricing for Budweiser, but as far as I can tell the Budweiser refills are the same price, so I would think Budweiser would cost you more than buying Bud in bottles. Why you'd buy Budweiser draft is beyond me though.<br />
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Back to the Draftmark. The system itself is compact and self-contained. Some of those disposable kegs you buy to put into your refrigerator take up a lot of room (a problem in my house). The Draftmark Tap System lays horizontally and should fit easily into your refrigerator. The system has a compressor that senses when it needs to come on. There is no on and off switch. However, there is a rechargeable battery. There is no assembly required with the system and the instructions are clear and easy to follow when it comes to inserting the beer keg. There is practically no cleaning involved because each keg comes with a disposable replacement spout. The keg is supposed to keep for 30 days in your refrigerator. If you're not drinking ten 12 ounce beers in 30 days, you're probably not going to invest in a Draftmark. The cost of the spout may be one reason the refills are fairly expensive. The most difficulty I had in setting it up was that the instructions said something about the spout snapping into place and that didn't happen for me in spite of repeatedly installing it. It wasn't really a difficulty. I now know I had the spout in correctly. I just wanted to be sure. I did not want beer pouring out all over the inside of my refrigerator. After you insert the spout, the keg slips into the Draftmark and you twist it to lock it in place. You swing the door closed and that taps the keg. You're ready to pour your first beer.<br />
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The system comes with clear instructions and there is a technical support line, just in case you have problems. I shot a video of me assembling it, but now I realize <a href="http://www.draftmark.com/">Draftmark</a> has one on their website.<br />
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If you want draft quality beer at home, don't have the room or the money for a kegator and don't drink enough beer to justify that for your man cave, the Draftmark Tape System is a great alternative that will fit into a normal sized refrigerator and won't cost you an arm and a leg. <br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-18388431215046345632013-03-21T06:58:00.001-07:002014-03-21T11:56:11.644-07:00Apple Lightning Connector- poor design?<div class="zemanta-img" style="text-align: right;">
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We have had one Apple Lightning Cable in our home. My daughter bought a 5th gen iPod Touch in December 2012. The first cable was defective out of the box. Fortunately, we live in a city with an Apple store. The exchange process was quick and painless. We contacted Apple, took the defective cable to the Apple Store and walked out with a new one. OK, sometimes manufacturing defects happen, but a couple of nights ago, my daughter called me into her bedroom and showed me the cable had become worn near the end where it plugs into the iPod (the Lightning connector end). She has not abused it at all even though she is attached to her iPod about 16 hours a day. I was pretty upset that after only three months of relatively normal, maybe heavy, use the cable had failed. We've had regular iPod usb cables last for years. <br />
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The good news is Apple's support was again fantastic. The cable was covered under warranty. I had a copy of my receipt and I had registered the iPod with Apple Support. After a quick chat with a specialist, she set up an appointment for me at the Genius Bar just a couples of hours after our chat. I took the cable back along with my receipt to show the serial number of the iPod and I walked out with a new one. I'm wondering though is there a design problem with this cable. And, like all Apple accessories, it's not cheap listing at $19.00. My first thought was that we were going to have to buy a new one. I did find out, before I checked on the warranty that MonoPrice makes one for less than 12.00. As of the time I'm writing this, they are sold out with an ETA of almost 2 months for the 3 ft white version and there is a limit of (5) per customer. That is another indication to me that there might be something wrong with this cable. Why such a huge demand for something that ships with every new iPhone 5 and iPod Touch? People might want additional ones, but I suspect a lot of them are failing. Amazon also has one for $15.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009SYZ8OC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009SYZ8OC&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeauhere-20">AmazonBasics USB A to Lightning Compatible Cable (3 Feet/0.9 Meter)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebeauhere-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B009SYZ8OC" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="0" />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-35435365194815894842013-03-04T12:26:00.002-08:002014-03-21T11:56:11.660-07:00LongHorn Steakhouse SteakHouse Dinner for Two Review<div class="zemanta-img" style="text-align: left;">
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I am always looking for a deal. Since visiting <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.longhornsteakhouse.com/" rel="homepage" target="_blank" title="LongHorn Steakhouse">Longhorn Steakhouse</a> a few months ago with a gift certificate from a friend, I have been on their email list. I got an email with the Steakhouse Dinner for Two and a coupon for a free dessert or appetizer. This was a deal that was too good to pass up. The Steakhouse Dinner for Two is $25 and includes either an appetizer to share or dessert, two salads and two entrees (with one side dish each). Included in my mailing was a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert, making this a four course meal for two for $25. <br />
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Ty and I went and had the calamari as the appetizer. It's a ridiculously large portion of calamari and bell pepper strips battered and fried along with a sweet/smoky sauce. I would have preferred marinara and it's not the best calamari I've ever had, but it is a good starter. We each had a Caesar salad. Again, very good, not great. I had the 6 ounce filet for a $6 upcharge and Ty had the 7 ounce salmon which came on a bed of rice. We each got "sweet potato bites" which were little chunks of sweet potatoes that were kind of candied. I'm not sure how they were prepared exactly, but they were very good. By the time for dessert we were stuffed, but it was free. So, of course, we got the dessert sampler which included small piece of strawberry cheesecake, a piece of chocolate cake, some ice cream and apple pie. <br />
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I had two glasses of wine with my meal. Ty had a beer. Our total bill, including alcohol and exclusive of tip was $50. Amazingly inexpensive for what we had.<br />
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The service was excellent. In fact, while we were there the District Manager and his boss were in town visiting the restaurant. I told them we had come as a result of the deal we got. We had a nice chat with them and they told us how with their buying power they are able to serve such good food at such low prices. We had returned to the restaurant because we forgot our leftover sweet potato bites that we wanted to take home. They made a fresh order for us, to go, no charge. <br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-78031601649719083042013-02-15T11:32:00.000-08:002014-03-21T11:56:11.697-07:00Simple Truth Products from Kroger<img alt="" src="https://img.bzzagent.com/image/simpleTruth.jpg?Type=activity&Activity=9409655513&Campaign=5946155625&Uid=1379565&token=66d1c8b0cc1a3e14e13517b7bb0ebd28" />I was asked to evaluate Kroger's new line of Simple Truth and Simple Truth Organics. I like eating (somewhat) healthy and I'm always looking for a bargain. So, the idea of better for you foods at a good price is something I was very interested in. Simple Truth says it is free of 101 "artificial" ingredients. As a Chemical Engineer by training, I have nothing against chemicals. But, if you can make a product without adding chemicals, make it taste great, give it a good shelf life and can make it at a great price- why not?<br />
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I was given the Peanut Chocolate energy bar and the Blackberry Pomegranate soda to try. The soda is not exactly "health food", still containing a great deal of sugar. I don't drink a lot of soda. When I do have one, I prefer sodas like Izze's, which this remind me of. I only drink Izze's when I can get it on sale because it's so expensive. I will look for the Kroger Simple Truth soda the next time I shop and, if it's less expensive, as I suspect it is, will get some. <br />
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The energy bar was moist and delicious unlike many I've had. <br />
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All-in-all, I've got nothing bad to say about Simple Truth. I live in Cincinnati. So, there is a Kroger right around the corner from me. I will definitely try more Simple Truth products in the near future.Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-49204526498635904452012-12-17T05:10:00.001-08:002014-03-21T11:56:11.673-07:00Which is cheapest, Seachem Prime, Alpha or Safe?<div class="zemanta-img" style="text-align: left;">
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Sometimes in life the problem isn't too few choices, it's too many. I started keeping fish within this last year and I'm always looking for the best and the cheapest way to do anything. I had settled on Seachem Prime to treat my tapwater for my freshwater tank. I've been using Prime for months and loving it. I'm about to replace my first bottle and I discovered that Seachem has two alternatives to Prime, Alpha which is sold mostly for saltwater tanks (and seems to be a more concentrated Prime) and Safe- which is Prime super-concentrated in a dry powder form.<br />
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Based on the reviews I've read and how much Prime does (removes chlorine, chloramines, makes ammonia safe, reduces the impact of nitrites and nitrates and improves slime coat without adding sugars to the water), I have been very comfortable with Prime. It's so concentrated it turns out to be way more economical than the treatments that appear to be cheaper because they are cheaper per ounce. A 500 ml bottle (about 17 ounces) treats up to 5,000 gallons of water. I thought my bottle would last me for years (that is until I started adding tanks to my house). <br />
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So, if Prime, Safe and Alpha all effectively neutralize all the bad stuff in my water, the choice comes down to price and convenience. It seems Safe is no more difficult to use as it doesn't have to be pre-mixed, just added to the water as I do my water changes. I always treat for the full volume of the tank, even when I'm doing a partial change. I ran some quick numbers based on the prices of each product on Amazon.com in December 2012. They are pretty heavily discounted on Amazon and all are extremely cost effective costing well less than a penny a gallon (the most is about 0.30 CENTS per gallon) at recommended doses. <br />
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So, which is the least expensive (cheapest), Seachem Prime, Safe or Alpha? I based my numbers on the size I was most likely to purchase. <br />
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First Prime- a 500 ml bottle sells for $14.62 right now. It'll treat 5,000 gallons. Price per gallon is 0.29 cents (not dollars). This time around I'd probably buy the 2L bottle, making it 0.17 cents per gallon. The two liter bottle of Prime is $34.96 and would treat 20,000 gallons<br />
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Second- Alpha- a 1 L bottle of Alpha is selling for $25.42. Alpha treats 50% more water than the same volume of Prime. The recommended dosage of Prime is 5ml/50 gallons. So, this bottle will treat 15,000 gallons. Price per gallon 0.17 cents. About the same price as the 2L bottle of Prime.<br />
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Third Seachem Safe- according to a Q&A on Seachem's website normal dosage is around 4 measures per 20 gallons with a a measure being 100 mg (it comes with scoop that is a "measure") . The bottle on Amazon.com I looked at is 8.8 ounces or 250g. It sells for $14.77 That'll treat 12,500 gallons for a cost of 0.12 cents per gallon. <br />
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All three, Seachem Prime, Seachem Alpha and Seachem Safe would seem to be just as effective and easy to use. In fact, I'm wondering if Safe might not be a little easier to use. I started using a 5 ml syringe to draw my Prime out of the bottle. But, as the bottle got low, I used the cap as a 5 ml measure and I just estimate for my 10 gallon tank since the syringe won't reach far down into the bottle. If I get the 2 L bottle, I won't be able to use the cap as a measure. Safe comes with a dosage spoon and an 8.8 ounce jar would be a lot easier to handle and measure small amounts from than a 2 liter jug.<br />
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I'm going to try Safe. It's not a huge investment, it's the cheapest and maybe the easiest and most accurate to use for small tanks (I have (2) 40s, a 10 and a 75 gallon tank). <br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-28687662921455351312012-11-05T05:11:00.001-08:002014-03-21T11:56:11.656-07:00Meritage Restaurant- Glendale, OH - Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, 'Lucida Grande', 'Bitstream Vera Sans', verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">Last night I had one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. Good food at a restaurant is important, of course, but of as much importance is the ambiance and the service. Meritage didin't disappoint in any of those areas. Meritage used to be the Gas Light Cafe which was nice. But, the new owners have kicked it up a notch. Meritage is a converted house in historic Glendale. The decor is contemporary but cozy. There was a guitar player performing in the bar area where we had a short wait while waiting for a booth. The dining room is small but doesn't feel overly crowded and isn't noisy. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, 'Lucida Grande', 'Bitstream Vera Sans', verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">My wife and I were celebrating our 22nd wedding anniversary and wanted to splurge a little. We started with the scallops which were prepared to perfection. I don't know why so many people have trouble sautéing scallops which should be quite easy. But, they are often overcooked or don't have enough color on them. Ours were prepared to perfection, not overly done, and with a wonderful chili sauce. The general manager recommended an excellent bottle of wine that I was not familiar with and we loved it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, 'Lucida Grande', 'Bitstream Vera Sans', verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">My wife had the wedge salad and I had the Caesar salad. The wedge salad was great, if you're a fan of bleu cheese (which we both are). It was loaded with bleu cheese dressing with crumbles of bleu cheese a bit of a balsamic vinegar reduction. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to Caesar salad. I did notice the menu said it came with bacon. But, I skipped over the fact it came with red onions, too. In my opinion, it wasn't really a Caesar salad. But, it was good.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, 'Lucida Grande', 'Bitstream Vera Sans', verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">For the main course, my wife had a fish we can't recall the name of. It was from South America and was really good. It was most similar to grouper. I had been to Merigae for lunch once and had a fish sandwich, I do recall that fish. It was golden tile and it was the best fish sandwich I've ever had. So, if you go to Meritage and you like fish, try the fish of the day even if you don't recognize the name of the fish. My wife's fish was pan fried and served over a bed of rice with asparagus. I had the prime rib which was done to perfection. That came with a loaded baked potato. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, 'Lucida Grande', 'Bitstream Vera Sans', verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">For dessert, we were both stuffed. But, we had to try to the creme brûlée. Frankly, I'm not a huge fan of creme brûlée except for the caramelized sugar on top. When it came we both sighed because the portion was huge. But, we ate the whole thing. I think it was the best creme brûlée I've had anywhere.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, 'Lucida Grande', 'Bitstream Vera Sans', verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">The service was excellent. I like the little things like they kept our water glasses full and our server, instead of telling us to keep our forks between each course, brought out new silverware for every course. The prices are reasonable for such good food and a wonderful atmosphere.</span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-27588861344017695602012-10-29T05:32:00.000-07:002012-10-29T05:32:16.191-07:00Proof Of Heaven- Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-left;">I've read several books on NDEs. With the ambitious title <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451695195/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1451695195&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeauhere-20">Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebeauhere-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1451695195" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
and the quotes on Amazon from Ray Moody and Pim Van Lommel and the fact that it was written by a neurosurgeon, this book set very high expectations. I've been around the block enough times to suspect that the use of the word "Proof" in the title was hyperbole, just like when I read <a class="zem_slink" href="http://charterforcompassion.org/" rel="homepage" title="Karen Armstrong">Karen Armstrong</a>'s "Proof" of God. Again, I was right. There's no proof of anything in this book. It it well written although short. It's a very quick read and it drew me in right away. There is quite a bit about <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eben_Alexander" rel="wikipedia" title="Eben Alexander">Eben Alexander</a>'s life before the NDE and that is quite interesting. Almost as fascinating as the NDE itself is the fact that he contracted the type of meningitis he did (a 1 in 10 million chance) and that he survived the type of brain trauma he experienced as a result. The fact that the guy is upright walking around and talking is a miracle. So, you could say there are three miracles that happened to him that week.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-left;">As another reviewer noted, I was left wanting more of the NDE itself. Dr. Alexander talks of great insights he received while unconscious in our world. But, what he gives us in the book are generalities that most NDE experiencers seem to bring back. Those being that we are all greatly and unconditionally loved and there is a purpose to all of this madness. One of the unusual things about his NDE is, while in that state, he has no recollection of Earth. I had a friend a few years ago who had two <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out-of-body_experience" rel="wikipedia" title="Out-of-body experience">Out of Body Experiences</a> that sound very similar to Dr. Alexander's. He talked of places like the Core and the Gateway (mentioned in the book) and of being in a state where he had no language, no real thoughts and was just experiencing things. I haven't heard any other NDErs describe things that way.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-left;">Overall, the book is good. But, if you're looking for "proof" of heaven, I'm afraid you'll have to keep looking. I've read of other NDEs where the person experiencing them, who should have no knowledge of what is going on on Earth, has been able to describe things he could not possibly know. There's no such proof in Dr. Alexander's experience. Dr. Alexander tries to explain why his experience couldn't have been produced by his brain. I wanted to believe and I do. But, while I believe him, I don't think he proves beyond any doubt that it could not have been created as he was coming out of the coma. We've all had dreams where seconds in that dream state seem like minutes or even days.</span><br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-84546703324883012592012-10-28T06:17:00.002-07:002014-03-21T11:56:50.649-07:00Cichlid Stones by Underwater Galleries- Review<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WYM6Z4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002WYM6Z4&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeauhere-20" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2D8gpwUbCPmRZ77ElOKvR1tP8CQlkzlXfh4JTwckYFQ2exFOh4XF7GNOQsDWkD8vW9yTVEhHXnqN9UzepqlKJMrYMuWI_sE2Ss5-waRFiDm_wPKA78sSInBZAivOVTrJ1RVNV7OS0ogE/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a>I just got my 75 gallon tank a week ago and decided to stock it with African Cichlids. More specifically, <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Malawi" rel="wikipedia" title="Lake Malawi">Lake Malawi</a> Mbunas- which, I've been told, are very aggressive and need lots of hiding places. I looked at several alternatives to provide a backdrop for the aquarium and hiding places for them and decided to go with the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WYM6Z4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002WYM6Z4&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeauhere-20">Underwater Galleries Cichlid Stone Bulk Pack</a><img alt="" border="0" class="xrkhtgevxjymakaofglz" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebeauhere-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002WYM6Z4" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
. They arrived yesterday. So far, the little guys love 'em and I do too.<br />
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The other alternatives I considered were:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Texas Holey Rock</b>- a natural limestone with holes worn through it. Pros- looks great and provides natural holes. Con- expensive, heavy, displaces a lot of water and how many holes is dependent on the piece since each is naturally formed.</li>
<li><b>An artificial Texas Holey Rock</b>- there's a company that makes modules that look like Texas Holey Rock but are more lightweight. Pros- more lightweight and has more holes then natural Holey Rock might. Cons- still expensive.</li>
<li><b>Clay pot</b>s-some people just break up clay flower pots and/or drill holes in them. Pros- cheap. Con- looks anything but natural</li>
<li><b>PVC pipe</b>- you can use PVC pipe, gravel and aquarium silicone to create caves. Pros- they look pretty natural, inexpensive. Cons- not as natural look as I would like, requires some work, not very stackable- takes up a lot of horizontal space.</li>
<li><b>Build my own from stones</b>- either buying rock locally at a landscaping store or going out to find rock. I live in an area with a lot of limestone (which naturally raises water pH and hardness- something Malawi cichlids love). Using some rock and aquarium silicone, I could build caves. Pros- inexpensive and natural looking. Cons- some amount of work, heavy, displaces a lot of water.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
After considering all of the alternatives, I decided to go with the Cichlid Stones from Underwater Galleries. They weren't too expensive. They ended up being about $70 for the 15 pack- no matter the source. In total, the 15 pack only weighs about 15 pounds. The equivalent amount of any type of stone would weigh several times that.<br />
<br />
Here's what I like about them:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>They are ceramic, not plastic</b>- eco friendly. Fired stone. I'm assuming/hoping they'll be good for the water chemistry as well as being good for the planet.</li>
<li><b>They are lightweigh</b>t- I don't have to worry about the silicone failing, them falling and having a cracked tank or dead fish.</li>
<li><b>They are easily installed, rearranged and/or removed</b>- because they are completely separate, you can arrange them any way you like. Scatter them around the floor or stack them up. When I first got them I thought the tops should be flat so they could stack easily. A few of the medium sized ones do have flat tops. But, I realized they look more natural not being flat on top and bottom. To get them to stack, I just rested the pile against the back wall of the aquarium.</li>
<li><b>They don't displace a lot of water</b>- Because they're hollow, they fill up completely with water. My 75 gallon tanks still has about 75 gallons of water. An equivalent amount of stones would not only be much heavier, they would displace much more water giving me smaller amount of water to carry oxygen, etc.</li>
<li><b>They provide a LOT of hiding spaces for the volume they take up</b>. Any other alternative other than the pots and possibly the PVC piping would provide less hiding spaces and room for my cichlids.</li>
<li><b>They look pretty realistic</b>- the paint job is good and the shapes look very natural. Of course, you don't see natural rocks with holes in them and hollowed out. But, this is a good trade-off to get so much space for the fish. As they get some algae on them, I think they're going to look even better.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
I've only had them for a day. But, unless the finish wears off and they turn white, I can't see why they would just get better over time. I'm very happy with my purchase. <br />
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Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06035489123868573312noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1439221393850443861.post-26815932617431897072012-09-24T05:11:00.001-07:002012-09-24T05:11:56.460-07:00Margaret's Ark- Book Review<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=thebeauhere-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0983732906" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Even though many of us were taught the story in Sunday school, Noah's Ark is not a children's story in my opinion. We tend to think of the story from the perspective of Noah and his family surviving and being spared by God, rather than think of the millions of men, women, children and animals that drowned because they were all so evil. Because that story has such moral problems- like why did God have to kill every living thing? Couldn't he have been a bit more selective? For those reasons, I read a book <a class="zem_slink" href="http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Ark-Anne-Provoost/dp/0733618227%3FSubscriptionId%3D0G81C5DAZ03ZR9WH9X82%26tag%3Dthebeauhere-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0733618227" rel="amazon" title="In the Shadow of the Ark">In the Shadow of the Ark</a> which looked at the flood from the perspective of those not on the Ark. It's a story that disturbed me the older I got and the more I thought about those outside the Ark. And that's why I was interested to read <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0983732906/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0983732906&linkCode=as2&tag=thebeauhere-20%22%3E">Margaret's Ark</a>. I wondered which perspective the writer would take.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I could not figure out whether the author intended this book for devout fundamentalist Christians, who might not have a problem with the literal interpretation of Noah's Ark; or for more progressive Christians who might think of the story as allegory or for just general fiction readers. By the end I still hadn't figured out the audience for this book. There was some pretty rough language, which will offend some Christians. The angels who visited th Ark builders were quirky at best. There was unnecessary violence, not as bad as Stephen King. But, too much for many Christians. The author realized that In the Bible God agrees not to destroy the Earth by flood again and indicates it's different this time. God is not destroying all life on Earth, but instead saving those who choose to be saved from a natural disaster. But, apparently God, while having the power to give dreams to people all around the world, the power to give a foreshadowing of what is to come in the way of a not-so-natural worldwide rain as a warning shot, does not have the power to stop this "natural disaster". And this God is a god of playing hide and seek. He only gives the dreams to certain people. He only gives the dreams to those not in positions of power or authority. He is a god many fundamentalists might be able to relate to. But, as I said, I would expect they would have a problem with the unnecessary language and violence in the book.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The books's chapters are numbered in descending order and skip numbers. I thought the Kindle version of the book might be missing chapters. Then, I realized the numbers of the chapters were a countdown to D-Day. I read with great anticipation to see if there would be an actual flood, how it would be pulled off to come at a certain time, since rains would take days to drown people in high places. The people given the dreams were given a time on the day to expect the flood. I thought maybe the "twist" would be the people in the Arks would die and the others would be spared. I love a good twist. There was a twist- sort of. But, I felt the twist here was a cheat.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I was disappointed when I finished the book. The payoff was disappointing to say the least. I felt almost as if the book could have started at the point where it ended. I don't know if the author plans a second part. But, it felt like the first book in what should be a two book set. The book left me feeling far less than satisfied.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">**SPOILER ALERT**</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">There is an actual flood. The device used to create it was clever. But, it is far from a "natural" disaster, defies the laws of physics and thus was an act of God. So, God broke His promise. I expected a twist at the end. In fact, I hoped for one. But, it makes me angry when the twist "cheats". God once again destroyed the Earth by flood, against His promise and once again indiscriminately killed billions. People who behaved the way most normal people,would behave were executed in a horrendous flood. However, this time, I'm not even sure why they were killed. One of the people given the dreams isn't even given instructions to build an Ark. The book ends with some of our main characters on Margaret's Ark. But, we don't know where they are going to land or what kind of world they'll discover/create when they do. An epilogue would have been nice. This book has gotten great reviews. But, I don't get it. I was not only disappointed when I finished it, I was a bit angry.</span><br />
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