Epinions Recent Reviews for jrs

Awful

Thu, 3 Jan 2002 22:58:56 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - Of all the new "innovative" balls on the market, the Mikasa Olympic really takes the cake. I've played and coached with almost every ball in creation, and this might be the worst I've ever used. You probably don't believe me since you'd expect the...

Snapfish Online Store: No Complaints

Thu, 22 Nov 2001 02:12:13 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - First, Epinions isn't paying me much lately, so I'm not going to write much of a review. But I do like Snapfish, and at the very least I'd like to go on record with my four stars.

Snapfish competes directly with drugstore/grocery film...

Subtly Spectacular

Mon, 2 Apr 2001 20:53:12 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - I'm not sure whether Joshua Tree is the world's funnest playground or a breathtaking scenic marvel. Really, it's both.

I went to Joshua Tree only because I had too -- long story -- so I didn't know what to expect, and I certainly didn't...

Monster.com: Biggest is Probably Best

Sun, 1 Oct 2000 20:01:31 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - I have my qualms with Monster.com, but after taking my sweet time finding a job -- a whole year, in fact -- I grew satisfied that, even with flaws, Monster ranks head and shoulders above all other job sites.

My job search focused on pretty...

Loss of Men's VB Taints LMU Sports

Fri, 4 Aug 2000 13:31:15 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - In a dictatorial move by new Athletic Director Bill Husak, LMU recently eliminated men's volleyball. Citing budget constraints, Husak said that he decided men's VB was expendable, and he cut it without any warning and without any opportunity for the LMU...

Historic and grand, but not ideal for MLS soccer

Sat, 3 Jun 2000 03:02:35 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - I firmly believe that the Rose Bowl ranks among America's great sports venues. I get chills thinking that every college football game that we think of as being "big time" owes a debt to the visionaries in Pasadena who thought that 100,000...

eFax: What the net was made for

Fri, 26 May 2000 19:25:35 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - [Note: This review isn't going to be humorous at all because, let's face it, faxes just aren't funny.]

Hands down, Efax is one of the single best services on the net.

I was a little nervous when I first heard of efax. It promised...

Like Flying Greyhound

Mon, 15 May 2000 12:36:44 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - TWA is old-school, and not in the good way.

I flew TWA from Los Angeles to New York for a recent weekend trip, and though I can't put my finger on any single disastrous or distasteful incident, the trip compels me to not recommend TWA...

DeLonghi O 30 Toaster Oven: DiLonghi XU 400/O 30: Stick to Black & Decker

Wed, 5 Apr 2000 13:18:59 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - [Note: I have the basic XU 400, which seems to be equivalent to the O 30.]

Like Ferrari and Prada, DiLonghi promises sleek Italian design that will add class to any kitchen and make you proud of your purchase for years to come as you happily...

Mt. Lemmon: Tiny Desert Skiing

Sun, 26 Mar 2000 15:59:25 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - Here's a paradox: within a 150-mile radius of the peak of Mt. Lemmon, there is nothing but desert. Sagauro cacti, 100-plus degree heat and golf courses extend in every direction. But in the alpine island above 7000 ft., just enough snow falls to...

A Decent Shave

Tue, 7 Mar 2000 15:58:59 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - I was hoping that German engineering would be my savior after years of nicking myself constantly with blades. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

Though the Braun Flex Integral looks promising -- foil with double-blades, good brand name, etc. -- the...

Typical Pac-10

Mon, 14 Feb 2000 02:48:10 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - Like most big public schools with big athletic programs, the U of A offers much to fans of football and basketball, but not much else to anyone interested in the other 10-12 varsity sports that the university fields. There is a good amount of Wildcat...

Household Cleaners/Laundry: Anti-Anti-Bacterial

Sun, 6 Feb 2000 03:29:54 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - (Could there be any more boring topic? Probably not, but it inspires the Ralph Nader in me....)

Sometimes the American marketing machine ceases merely to amaze and shifts into full-on, high-gear mind-blowing. The emergence and indeed...

Big Sur: Beauty and Elephant Seals!

Tue, 25 Jan 2000 18:37:30 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - I drove Big Sur -- a remote stretch of Highway One along California's central coast -- this weekend for the first time in ages.

The drive itself is a total pain in the neck. Hairpin turns, creeping tourists and legitimately tough stretches...

Magic Mountain Bites

Fri, 31 Dec 1999 15:08:44 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - A friend of mine received several free passes to Magic Mountain that were to expire Jan. 1. Unable to use them, my friend graciously offered them to me and several out-of-town guests, and though none of us is at all the amusement park type, we figured...

Desert Fun

Thu, 23 Dec 1999 22:30:55 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author jrs -

I've always felt that bright kids should endeavor to attend the best school they can possibly get into. If you're a reasonably smart and accomplished high school grad, no matter what kind of adventure you're looking for, the U of A is not...

Boone's Farm: Slumming with the Best of Them

Fri, 10 Dec 1999 23:15:57 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - A crisp, refreshing alcoholic beverage, Boone's Farm offers a tasty array of products that can be loosely referred to as wine.

The vintner's equivalent of malt liquor, Boone's is not produced so much in oak casks and picturesque...

Great sport, mediocre coverage

Thu, 2 Dec 1999 17:58:46 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - True, Volleyball Magazine IS the best magazine for volleyball enthusiasts. But it's also the only magazine for volleyball enthusiasts.

As a journalist myself, I know how hard it is to crank out a good publication on a regular basis. Also...

Mt. Baldy: Big Terrain Above the Smog

Thu, 11 Nov 1999 19:21:35 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - I first skied Mt. Baldy on a day of legends.

It was April 1991. Until the middle of March, Southern California had been suffering its worst drought in years. Drinking water was rationed. Pools were drained, and all the local ski hills had...

Wonderment and Frustration Afoot in Guatemala

Sat, 23 Oct 1999 03:09:24 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - If you're looking for the real Central America -- echoes of pre-Columbian culture sounding amidst a heritage of Spanish imperialism, gorgeous but rarely visited scenery, a vibrant native culture and just a touch of civil unrest and military dictatorship...

Sporting Equipment: Euphoric Mayhem at the Davis VB Festival

Mon, 18 Oct 1999 19:11:02 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - If the thought of spending a week among a frenzied mass of teenage girls -- replete with hairspray, issues of YM and a nearly lethal doses of Brittany Spears -- sends you into a mild bout of nausea, then by all means, steer clear of the Davis Volleyball...

Sporting Equipment: New Rule Changes: A Travesty

Mon, 11 Oct 1999 00:30:17 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - If epinions offered "zero stars" as a rating, that's what I would give to the new slate of rule changes that the FIVB, the international governing body of volleyball, has imposed for the upcoming season.

Some history: volleyball at...

Port Douglas: Australia with a Tropical Flavor

Sat, 9 Oct 1999 02:54:51 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - As the Aussies will be quick to remind you, the Great Barrier Reef spans 1000 miles (or, if you prefer, 1,600 kilometers). As such, there are about a million towns, cities and beachy outposts that claim to be the "Gateway to the Reef" and for...

Sydney: A long way to go to the beach

Wed, 6 Oct 1999 18:06:57 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - For everyone who has marvelled at Sydney or at least heard all the romantic tales of not-too-foreign travel, I suspect that my impression of Sydney may not be terribly popular, but after spending 10 days there in August 1999 and trying very hard to find...

Super Happy Fun Ball

Mon, 4 Oct 1999 16:41:36 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author jrs - Back in high school, Tachikara was THE ball. That was before the days when Molton got into the act in the men's game with its super-bouncy, rock hard Pro Touch and before Mikasa started messing around with balls just this side of a nerf. As such, it...