Epinions Recent Reviews for Syd_Kick

My Most Useful Kitchen Appliance

Tue, 31 Dec 2002 06:46:07 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - Decades ago, a roommate introduced me to the joys of cooking in an electric frying pan, as an extension of the stove or a substitute for one. I can't even remember when or where I bought my first one, but, after years of service, it finally pooped out in...

Serendipit-eMac

Tue, 23 Jul 2002 06:11:55 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - I was VERY disappointed and VERY upset, but it was my own fault. I had waited and waited to upgrade to a "classic" iMac, hoping to get a great deal on a close-out, since the new iMac (flat panel on a dome) was bound to be the rage. I placed my order with...

All Ups-On Epson C80

Tue, 23 Jul 2002 03:50:28 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - I anticipated when I bought a new eMac to replace my vintage '95 Performa 6400, I would be entering the Brave New World of USB peripherals. Starting with the most necessary device, a printer, I stuck to a brand that had served me well, Epson, to help...

Addr.com Web Hosting: Why I'm mADDR than Hell!

Wed, 15 Aug 2001 15:03:43 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - Although I made several goofs along the way, my Fatal Mistake was not thinking to first consult Epinions before signing up for web site hosting with ADDR.com.

I am web master of a non-profit site operating since April, 2000. Our purpose is to...

Talley - Ho-Hum - Not My Style

Mon, 19 Feb 2001 23:37:13 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - (This review is of the Talley Vineyards 1998 Arroyo Grande Estate Bottled Pinot Noir, temporarily placed in here until Epinions administration figures out that wine is more similar to produce than it is to widgets.)

(This is the...

Lane Tanner - Pinot Noir Specialist

Sun, 18 Feb 2001 23:43:26 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - (This is a review of the Lane Tanner 1998 Santa Maria Valley "Bien Nacido Vineyard" Pinot Noir, placed here temporarily, until Epinions Administration adds the proper category.)

(This review is the second of a three-part taste-off...

Elke - A Singular Focus on Pinot Noir

Sat, 17 Feb 2001 23:37:13 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - This review is of the Elke Vineyards 1998 Anderson Valley "Donnelly Creek Vineyard" Pinot Noir (Temporarily placed here until Epinions administration broadens the brands available to review in the wine category.)

(This review is part...

Lost In Space

Mon, 10 Jul 2000 05:38:55 GMT
rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - Pinot Noir is probably, no make that undoubtedly, the most controversial wine grape on planet Earth. Fans can share a love of this varietal and yet be so exclusively enamored of polar opposite styles, that each thinks the other is either from Mars or...

Reserve Judgment

Mon, 10 Jul 2000 05:08:32 GMT
rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - Byron Winery does what every California winery should do and probably someday will: specialize. Sticking to the varietals that are the most successful in the South Coast area, Byron concentrates on the traditional Burgundian varietals, mostly Pinot Noir...

Cornelia Scores on a Blind Date with Syd

Mon, 10 Jul 2000 04:43:49 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - One of the earliest Wine Epinions I ever read and still one of my all-time favorites is Cornelia's "Oldest Living Wine Idiot Tells All" [

Archived Web Services Reviews: On-Line Shopping is Not the Answer This Time

Sat, 1 Jul 2000 07:46:50 GMT
rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - Today I decided to really give shopping on-line a chance. Historically, using catalogs or the phone to shop has not provided me with a particularly satisfying experience, so I have expected little more from E-commerce and have only made two purchases...

Mason Sauvignon Blanc, built like a brick...

Sat, 29 Apr 2000 08:13:20 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - Circumstances this past week led me to taste several Sauvignon Blancs, including one that was really exceptional and exemplified nearly every quality I want and look for in this varietal.

The occasion was a tasting that local retailer Old...

One Toe-Tapping, Brain-Thumping Text

Wed, 5 Apr 2000 14:26:10 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick -

Deftly interweaving historical vignettes of Rock musicians with his theories of American popular culture, author Greil Marcus penned the most interesting and intelligent book ever written on the subject of Rock'n'Roll music. First published...

Hunky Pinot Stands Out From Crowd

Sat, 1 Apr 2000 00:32:52 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - CTO Final Round

Down to the final two of the March Madness Coast to Coast Cyber Taste-Off. While the West Coast team checks out the Sanford 1997 Santa Barbara Pinot Noir, the East Coast team evaluates the Ravenswood 1997...

The One Book All Writers Should Have

Mon, 27 Mar 2000 13:02:58 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White, is a pamphlet so valuable, I would place its worth ahead of any dictionary. After all, wouldn't you sooner risk misspelling than misspeaking? Think about it: a misspelled word rarely...

1998 Bonny Doon "Pacific Rim" Dry Riesling: Fortunate Chinese Cook-he says, "Grahm is Crackers!"

Sun, 26 Mar 2000 06:54:29 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - Well, All Right, So I've Been Foolish. Well, All Right, Let the People Say...

Drinking Riesling with beef? Am I nuts? Well, not this time, but thanks for asking. This situation came about through a circumstantial combination of events...

Punk Romance Lite for Guys

Sun, 19 Mar 2000 11:29:43 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - Not much of a reader in the traditional sense, most of my visual communication input comes from (in order of frequency and volume absorbed, although not necessarily retained):

the daily paper

"roadies" (navigation signs, billboards,...

Awop-Bop-A-Loo-Mop-A-Lop-Bam-Boom!

Sat, 18 Mar 2000 00:33:39 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - NOW we're Rockin'. The sexy and straightforward, un-hyped packaging, combined with the killer Tutti-frutti!-Aw-rootie! monster flavors, make this Zinfandel the in-your-face slam-dunk blowout winner on my court!

March Wine Madness: The Coast...

Your Mind Tricks Won't Work With Me, Jedi...

Sat, 18 Mar 2000 00:18:51 GMT
rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - Zowie! A "deaf and dumb" tasting? Super! When Leah explained the "The March Wine Madness Cyber Taste Off" and invited me to participate, I was charged! After all, the whole point of tasting is to form your own impressions,...

1998 J. Lohr Monterey "Wildflower" Valdiguie: The Holy Grail of Non-Nasty Vino Darko

Wed, 15 Mar 2000 08:49:29 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - Ever since that segment on CBS' "60 Minutes" about "The French Paradox", you've looked for a red wine that didn't taste like Satan's answer to Kool-Aid. After all, why should the French get to eat all that butter and eggs and cheese...

Makes My Desert Island List

Mon, 13 Mar 2000 14:49:28 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - * * * WARNING: NC-17, PARTS OF THIS REVIEW MAY MMM-HHMMH, OH YEAH! * * *

Some crime-mystery-thriller-drama flicks build suspense, hint at character flaws and suggest plot manipulation possibilities up to the very last scenes and then unload...

Reliable Producer of an Underappreciated Varietal

Mon, 13 Mar 2000 10:17:49 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - Sauvignon Blanc is THE varietal white wine that deserves to be on more tables and more restaurant wine lists. The world of wining & dining is so hung up on Chardonnay, that sometimes I just want to grab an old barrel stave and run through the current...

Delicious and Affordable Red!

Sat, 11 Mar 2000 09:44:10 GMT
rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - Although my "favorite wine" has bounced around over the years and seasons, for the past several months I've stuck mostly to reds. No particular reason, no macho posturing, no enlightened health agenda, I just like 'em! I'll even order a glass...

iMac: Bare Butts Beat Gun Butts!

Fri, 10 Mar 2000 12:25:01 GMT
rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - Glamorizing gun violence as a legitimate form of expression towards even an inanimate object is incredibly moronic.

"Lighten up," you say, "It's a joke!"

"Wise up," I respond, "Victims aren't...

Jenny, Jenny, Who Can I Turn To?

Fri, 10 Mar 2000 10:51:37 GMT
rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author Syd_Kick - ..when I get down, I can always tur-urn to...

Oh, hey! Hi, there! Just calling to brag about my new Nokia 6160. I got it to replace my 2160 model, after logging 200+ hours over 3 years of ownership. It still works fine, so I converted it to...