Epinions Recent Reviews for basykes1

Paradise on Earth

Sat, 16 Oct 2004 16:17:48 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - I'd been told that Western Australia is "paradise," but I didn't really believe it until I saw it for myself. I planned my trip for spring, when the wildflowers would be in bloom. The weather was perfect--in the mid range the entire six weeks I was...

Better than DaVinci

Sat, 16 Oct 2004 13:38:31 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - The DaVinci Code brought Dan Brown to the attention of the world, but I think that his earlier Angels and Demons is actually a better book. The thing takes off like a shot and doesn't stop until the last page. Of course by the time you're 3/4 of...

May be David's best

Sat, 16 Oct 2004 11:49:07 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - Those who are fans of David's blood-and-gore Chtorr books, or the hard core sci fi stories may disagree that this book is his best, but I have a soft spot in my heart for this story. I read it in its novella version, the story of a sci fi author who...

Best one yet

Sat, 16 Oct 2004 11:40:58 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - This is my four digital camera, and the best one yet. This replaced my Minolta diMage Z10, which was overall a good camera, with lots of nice features, but no image stabilization. When the microphone went out (after less than a year), I traded it in...

What a find!

Sat, 16 Oct 2004 11:04:39 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - Jet Blue has just begun service from Sacramento to New York, running only one flight daily (one in, one out). On a recent trip to The Big Apple, we decided to give it a try. What a fantastic trip! The trip west to east is a red eye, which is OK for...

Too rich for my blood

Sat, 16 Oct 2004 10:58:45 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - We were making our first trip to Chicago and found a special rate on the Internet for $129 a night. A big more than we would ordinarily pay, but we were only going to be there over the weekend, and here was a chance to see how the other half lives...

Don't leave home without it

Fri, 26 Jul 2002 21:44:56 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - For the past two years, I've been very happy with a Sony Mavica 73. I adjusted to using an LCD screen instead of a viewfinder and though the resolution was not the greatest, it still was much better for my uses than a film camera.

In the...

Always the higher ground

Sat, 22 Dec 2001 22:14:06 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - I re-discovered John Denver in 2000 and remembered why it was that I always enjoyed his music. Not only some of the tunes I remember when he and I were growing up (I think we would be about the same age, if he were alive), but also a discovery of tunes...

Around the World with John Denver

Sat, 22 Dec 2001 21:46:49 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - Calypso, a sort of musical round the world trip, would rank high on my list of John Denver CDs. The title song was written to honor Jacques Cousteau and the arrangement wonderfully evokes the feel of being on a boat in the sea with the waves washing...

See Vagina Monologues, even if you don't have one

Sun, 21 Oct 2001 18:49:11 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - By the end of "The Vagina Monologues," if nothing else, you will no longer be embarrassed by the word "vagina."

We saw this play in London, where it was performed by three marvelous woman, each reading parts of hundreds interviews conducted by...

Museum of the City of London

Sun, 21 Oct 2001 18:17:39 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - The Museum of the City of London is not one of the biggies on people's lists of "must see's" in London, though it is far and away my very favorite museum. It is set up so that you travel through London's entire history, from prehistoric times through to...

Where the heck is Orkney?

Sun, 21 Oct 2001 00:15:02 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - When we were invited to visit a friend who lives on an island in the Orkneys, my first reaction was to ask "where the heck is Orkney?" It's not exactly #1 in any guidebook of the UK (I don't believe Rick Steeves even mentions it). But the Orkney...

Compaq Presario 7000T Series: There ain't no free lunch

Wed, 30 May 2001 17:34:12 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - It was my fault. I let myself get talked into a deal on a Compaq Presario through a uBid auction. The price was fabulous. I've lived to regret it, and all things considered, I'd have been better off buying a full price Gateway or other floor model...

London and The Commodore Hotel -- [UPDATED 10/20/01]

Tue, 22 May 2001 14:07:13 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - LONDON

We have just taken our fifth trip to London. In the past I have loved visiting this city. There are so many museums, with such a variety of offerings; the biggies (Westminster, The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, etc.) are fun to...

Piqued My Interest

Thu, 19 Apr 2001 23:02:39 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 -

I've read some of the negative comments about Bill Bryson's "In a Sunburned Country," and it seems to me that the problem is that people are looking on Bryson as a travel writer. While he does indeed write about his...

Riverdance on Tour

Thu, 19 Apr 2001 10:39:22 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - Is there anyone in the country who is not at least somewhat aware of this celebration of Irish music, song and dance?

Riverdance began in 1994 as an filler act for the Eurovision Songfest, which was hosted that year by Ireland. The host...

A skosh more room in the seat

Wed, 18 Apr 2001 22:33:22 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - We happened to be booked on United Airlines the day a major storm hit Denver, our hub city, and the Boston airport was a mess, with hundreds of travelers having to be rescheduled since the Denver airport was closed.

Our first impression was...

Archived Book Reviews: Bittersweet

Tue, 9 Jan 2001 14:20:43 GMT

rating: 0/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - Nevada Barr, who is better known for her Anna Pigeon mysteries, presents in "Bittersweet," a novel depicting the life of women in the late 1800s. The story centers on a school teacher, Imogene Grelznik, run out of town following the discovery...

BROTHER P-TOUCH PT-85 LABEL PRINTER Printer: Label anything, anywhere

Thu, 16 Nov 2000 10:02:23 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - I'd been in the market for a label maker. I didn't know why. I just knew I wanted one. Office max had the PT85 on display and I'd played with it every time I went into the store. Finally I found it on sale ($25 instead of the usual $29) and decided...

Touring Company Production

Thu, 16 Nov 2000 09:41:18 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - It’s a tale as old as time: She’s the daughter of the crazy old town inventor, ridiculed by the townsfolk for her bookishness and her dreams of finding her prince charming. He’s a prince with a curse on his head, hiding his hideous form away in a...

I fell asleep

Thu, 2 Nov 2000 14:40:25 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - I don't know that this review will actually help anyone with this movie. I've read other reviews, professional and non-professional, and it appears to be highly rated. I'm familiar with Robert Altman movies being character studies. I loved...

Shutterfly Online Store: Good product; questionable service

Thu, 17 Aug 2000 11:18:00 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - I was pleased to discover Shutterfly. I've spent an awful lot of money over the years on photo developing, only to have mountains of photos waiting my attention, getting them into scrapbooks. When I acquired a digital camera and discovered Shutterfly,...

Century Hotel

Tue, 8 Aug 2000 02:55:23 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - We have just spent four nights at the Century Hotel in Tualatin, a suburb of Portland, and I cannot say enough wonderful things about this hotel. For a reasonably priced ($94/night for a queen size bed) hotel, it offered some of the best features I've...

Outstanding Evening

Tue, 8 Aug 2000 02:45:19 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - A group of about 20 of us descended on Higgins, on the fringes of downtown Portland. The restaurant was ready for us and had a long table, complete with real candles (we appeared to have the only table with candles; our host had explained to the...

Shrimp, Shrimp, Shrimp

Sat, 29 Jul 2000 16:54:01 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author basykes1 - What can you say about a restaurant with only three things on the menu? Ingenious! You get the feeling that someone came up with a great recipe for shrimp that was served at all the parties at home and people kept saying "You should open a...