"I'll try that!"

New game: GermChain

2009-04-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

So since my last post, my hard drive died... but I got a new one and had most of my files backed up on my external, so no big deal.

Here is GermChain!

Try not to smash your mouse in frustration.

New game

2009-03-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

I made another game... actually started it about 6 months ago, when i was learning flash so it's not perfect but, it is a stepping stone:

Asteroid Chunks

Have fun, more to come.

Movie: Batman Forever

2009-02-17T20:11:00.000-08:00

http://illtrythat.blogspot.com/

3/5/08 - 2/17/09

(above photo stolen without permission)

Go buy t-shirts..(leave me a message if you want larger sizes or different styles/colors, and i mean anything, graphics or designs, just nothing copyrighted). http://zebrahdesigns.spreadshirt.com/us/US/Shop/
or play my game... http://www.kongregate.com/games/ZebraHDH/tangraze

See ya suckers! (really, its been fun... Here's a quick list of things i tried and never told you about: Wazoo Candy bars, Quadratini- tiramisu flavor, FUZE drinks, white chocolate M&M's, 74 movies(16 on dvd), 11 Xbox360 games, 5 Nintendo Wii games, 3 deodorants, a fish tank with 3 types of fish, 2 hats, some gum, 3 kinds of floss, 4 toothbrushes, and a dentist) Good luck deciding and trying things on your own... Here are some stats:

Illtrythat--

Income from Google Ads: $2.39
Income from Amazon Associates: $0
Income from Stimulus Bill- $0

Not Illtrythat--

Income from Spreadshirt (t-shirts): $15.50
Income from Kongregate (flash games): $14.41
Income from selling my old crap on Ebay: $850'ish and some odd cents

So yeah, I'll be putting more time into other things now... it was nice to do this for nearly a year, but i ended up boring myself to death with my own reviews... I would much rather do something i enjoy.
Thanks for watching, and have a great 2009-2076.

When are we allowed to start saying "Twenty-oh-nine", or is it next year in, "Twenty-ten", I don't recall anyone saying, "Man, I'm glad we took care of all the Y2K updates back in one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine." 2000 was the only* exception in my opinion, *as will be 3000, 4000, and after the second coming of Jesus 1000 again. On that topic, we have BC, and AD... so what will be next? AR (after returning)? AJCB (after Jesus came back)? WHFO (when hell froze over)? Ok, ok, ok enough of that.. How will the between time be measured? Forwards from 1AD to 3127AD and then its back to 1AJCB? or do we rewrite everything and get rid of the AD? Making it counting down from BCWBTDTECB (before christ was born then died then eventually came back) leading to ACCBTETWMIKOSTKTOWTTIC (after christ came back to end the world making it kind of silly to keep track of what this time is called)... Yeah that seems correct... Ok, before I end up ranting... goodbye forever(but not in a suicidal way, think "Batman Forever").

Candy: Snickers 'ROCKin NutROAD'

2008-11-26T00:50:00.001-08:00

It just occurred to me that I forgot to post this.

It's a Snickers bar, Rocky Road style.

Very good if you like nuts and marshmallow.

Give this one a try if they have it in your area.

Movies: Happy Halloween Spooky Movie Lists

2008-10-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

Since this year Halloween falls on a Friday, I think the holiday should extend to the entire weekend. So, since you'll have all that extra time to be spooked, I thought I would make a couple of lists for you to theme your scary movie festivals with.

Classics:
Dracula (1931) starring Bela Lugosi
The Wolf Man (1941) starring Lon Chaney Jr.
Frankenstein (1931) starring Boris Karloff
The Mummy (1932) starring Boris Karloff

Vampires:
Interview with a Vampire (1994) starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt
30 Days of Night (2007) starring Josh Hartnett
From Dusk Til Dawn (1996) starring George Clooney and Juliette Lewis
The Lost Boys (1987) starring Corey Haim and Feldman

Zombies:
28 Days Later (2002) starring Cillian Murphy
Resident Evil (2002) starring Milla Jovovich
Dawn of the Dead (2004) starring Sarah Polley and Ving Rhames
Night of the Living Dead (1990) starring no one of interest

Torture:
Saw (2004) starring Danny Glover
Hostel (2005) starring Jay Hernandez
Ôdishon aka "Audition" (1999) starring Japanese people
Turistas (2006) starring Josh Duhamel and Olivia Wilde

Car broke down is the worst place ever:
House of 1000 Corpses (2003) starring Karen Black and Sid Haig
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) or (2003) starring Jesica Biel
The Hills Have Eyes (2006) starring Vinessa Shaw (you know, the girl from Corky Romano)
Wrong Turn (2003) starring Eliza Dushku

Fun Stuff:
Club Dread (2004) starring Bill Paxton, Jordan Ladd, and Brittany Daniel
Shaun of the Dead (2004) starring Simon Pegg
Dead Alive or "Braindead" (1992) starring *cough*
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) starring Nathan Baesel and Robert Englund

These are some other random ones I thought of that are worth mentioning:
Pulse (2006)
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
The Descent (2005)
Cloverfield (2008)
Planet Terror (2007)
Nightmare on Elm Street- and sequels (1984-1994)
Friday the 13th- and sequels (1981-2001)
The Thing (1982)
and finally,
The Masters of Horror TV series has put out it's share of crap but there are a few that are fantastic. The 2 that stick out in my mind:
Jenifer (2005) with Steven Weber
Pelts (2006) with a M. E. Atloaf. (yeah, Meat Loaf)

And that concludes this year's Halloween Movie recommendations. I purposely did not include movies I didn't see. I don't need anyone coming back to tell me that I ruined the Movie Fest by suggesting a movie that turned out to be complete rubbish. But, that means I may have missed some good ones too. Let me know if you have any old or new scary movies in your collections that I failed to mention.

Be safe.

Kids, don't forget to let your parents check you candy before you start eating it, and parents don't forget to check the candy.

Also check out the sexual predators in your area, Halloween is their Christmas, only the gifts are bringing themselves. http://www.familywatchdog.us/

That last thing was supposed to be a joke, but it ended up just sounding like good advice.

Happy Monster Day.

TV Show: Fringe

2008-10-07T23:37:00.000-07:00

Fringe is one of the new shows on TV this season. I thought I would give a quick summary for people that might not have given it a chance.

First off, the series is a main storyline, but each episode has a self contained story as well. It's easily comparable with the X-files, as the subject matter is science fiction.

The title "Fringe" is actually the idea behind each story. Years ago, the government invested in research into "fringe sciences", meaning the abnormal and theoretically impossible, and that leads us to the present where the scientist is helping a special task force to solve unusual cases. It's very "Mad Science'y" but in a fun, "I wish this were possible" kind of way.

The cast is very good. Note: Joshua Jackson is in it, and does well. The rest of the cast is fine for there "token" parts in a series like this. The special effects are top notch, and believable, which really helps to emerge you into the story.

It hasn't won me over 100% yet. But, I have watched, and will continue watching just to see what "fringe" subject is tackled next. They are available to watch online from the link, so give it a try. Let me know what you think.

Sorry for the "quote heavy" post.... But hey look at me... posting... Neat!

PC Game: Spore

2008-09-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

Never before have I ever purchased a game for my computer that was so worth the price.

Spore, from the creator of Sim city, is a simulation/strategy game loaded with customizable content. Let me walk you through a game:

You start as a tiny cell wading around the primordial ooze of your planet. Choose to be an herbivore or a carnivore, and later an omnivore, then get to eating chunks of food. When you acquire some new body parts you can call your mate over to edit your offspring's appearance, then play as it. This process repeats a few times until you finally evolve a bigger brain.

Your new brain allows you to evolve into the "Creature Stage" and add the first set of legs to your character. This stage is on the land of your planet, which is populated by about a hundred other species of creatures. You can choose to befriend them, or make them your enemy, or even your food. Along your adventure, you will come across new and more complex parts to add to your creature, which can be done by finding your mate using your mating call.

Now, you have made some friends, and enemies, evolved a creature that can sing and dance, bite and spit, and even grew a bigger brain. It's time to discover fire. You make the final adjustments to your creature, adding "graspers"(hand-types) is a good idea, because the next stage you will not be a lone creature anymore, you will be commanding a tribe of them.

Your tribe has one objective, absorb the other tribes, seven or so in all. You can attack their village using spears, stone hammers, and torches, or make them an ally by gifting them some food and play your didgeridoos. You will also have your first bit of shame, luckily there is some tribal clothing for you. Add it anyway you like.

So the tribes are all gone now except for yours, and your village is getting bigger. Time to make your first city and move on to the next stage: Civilization. Build a city hall out of the huge selection of parts to begin. Now, your citizens decide, based on your actions throughout the game until now, what type of city you will be. Were you aggressive and violent? Then, you will likely be a military city. Passive and constantly recruiting friendships? Then, you are a religious city. Or, perhaps you have always known when to attack and when to befriend, this make you and economic city. Whatever your people decide, the first thing to do is build a car for doing your business with. Later in the stage you will have the opportunity to build boats and planes as well, these are the units that you will be commanding around your planet. There is some new garb to choose from too, in case you want to look more sophisticated. When your city gets more money and power you will want to build yourself some houses to add to the population, some factories to add to productivity, and some places for entertainment to keep the people's minds off of work. Ah! Lots and lots of customization, I love it.

So the planet is yours, you have dominated the other cities in one way or another. What is left? SPACE OF COURSE! Build a spaceship. Leave your planet...Leave your solar system...Explore the galaxy! There is a seemingly endless amount of stars, planets, and other galactic phenomenon Meet other beings from other worlds, trade with them, do missions for them, perhaps go to war with them. You can colonize planets, and terraform them for safe living, mine the precious spices, and customize the surfaces with oceans, rivers, mountains, etc., and the colors too.

That's the game, in a huge nutshell. It is highly addictive. Your content is shared with others online so their planets have your creatures, buildings and vehicles on them, and vice versa.

The game is a bit too much for an older computer to handle, so check the specifications before you buy it. oh and BUY IT!

OK, here is some info, link and all that good stuff.

The Spore Creature Creator--- FREE TRIAL(limited parts, but still very fun)

My most recent creations: (This is not working at the moment but i copy/pasted the code exactly so the problem is on their end. I am going to leave it here in case it ever gets fixed. You can see my stuff here if you like.)

Not absent yet.

2008-09-08T01:57:00.000-07:00

I'm still here, and haven't forgot about you.

Just looking for something good to review.

Stay tuned, I'll try to get something to you this week.

Thanks!

Movies: Summer Movies

2008-08-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

So I had the joy of seeing most of the movies I wanted to this summer, and even though the summer is not over yet, the "Summer Blockbusters" have come and gone. So I thought I would go through the films I got to see in theaters and let you know what I thought of them, as well as whether or not to grab it on DVD.

Ironman- This was an incredible film. Everything about it was fantastic from the beginning to end. You don't even need to be a fan of comic books to enjoy it. Terrorism, corruption, and greed are the enemy throughout the movie, and the hero is the opposite of all of heroes you've ever known. Robert Downey Jr. was the only man that could have played the character and he did it flawlessly. DVD: There is no doubt that I will be getting this when it comes out. I imagine there will be loads of special features to make this a very good buy.

Hancock- The first thing that comes to mind, is strange. Its a very clowny movie that tried very hard to get you to root for the characters, but there is a twist toward the end that will either make you wonder what's going to happen next, or why are you watching this movie. Will Smith is good, but when has he not been. I really like Jason Bateman, who plays Hancock's PR guy, so his addition to the cast made it much more watchable. DVD: This isn't a movie I feel that I will need to watch ever again, unless it's to refresh my memory for if a sequel ever happens (which I doubt ever will). Rent it if you like the genre, or Will Smith acting like a douche.

The Incredible Hulk- This one I am really on the fence with. It is loads better than the previous attempt, but not enough better that I would say that its the best they can do. The storyline is much more like the TV series (kinda), and you are somewhat thrown into it forced to have a tiny bit of an idea as to what the back story is. So it's not a big deal if you know somethings about Hulk but not so good if you know nothing. As it goes on, you get caught up with the past and present situations but a hardcore fan may not make it that far into the movie to care. Edward Norton got the job done, but not in any way that someone else couldn't have done it the same. The only thing that was truly entertaining is the action scenes and the main villain. DVD: This is definitely a rent if you didn't get to see it, and would like to. Whether or not to buy it is totally based on how much you liked it. I am choosing to skip this one.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army- I saw this on an impulse. I didn't love the first one, in fact, I barely even remember it. The main reason for seeing it was "Pan's Labyrinth". It was such a deep and profound film, that I figured I owed it to Guillermo del Toro to see his next movie, even though he did the first one too. So all in all, I would say I did enjoy it. I really laughed at some parts, and marveled at others. Visually, the film is right up there with "Pan's Labyrinth". The only genuinely weak aspect of the film is it's climax. There is so much build to it that you end up expecting more from it. DVD: There is no reason for me to own this one, as I don't own the first.

The Dark Knight- I can't really add anything to all the raving reviews of this excellent film. Batman Begins was great, and so is this, only on a much higher level. I love most of Christian Bale's movies, and he is one of the few actor's I would be very star-struck and intimidated by. I am super psyched he will be starring in the new Terminator Movie. Heath Ledger, dead or alive, should be awarded for his portrayal of The Joker. I really wish I could have seen this in IMAX. DVD: I will probably end up getting this. I don't know how much behind the scenes type stuff there will be though, and if possible I would love to see and uncut, unrated edition. With any luck they will release this in a 2-pack with Batman Begins.

Step Brothers- The last movie, to date, that I have seen this summer was so nonstop funny I wish I could have seen it again immediately after the first time. I love Will Farrell's humor and comic delivery, and not many people can say they don't agree. John C. Riley has been his comic "wingman" of sorts in many films now making them comedy gold. As a side note, "Semi-Pro" with Will Farrell, surprisingly not that great, however, "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox" Story with John C. Riley is one of the funniest musical-esque movies of all time. DVD: This is a 100% no-brainer BUY for me. There will definitely be an unrated version because half of the commercials for the film featured lines that were not even in the movie. The standard Will Farrell movie DVD usually is loaded with improv and outtakes as well.

Looking back at the movies I saw this past couple months, I would say that some of the best movies of the past ten years came out this year. I would love to hear your opinions on these or any movies I missed.

Stay classy San Diego... and thanks for stopping by.

TV: Generation Kill

2008-08-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

Greetings gals and gents!

In my quest to NOT let my blog drop into the depths of the Internet, I bring you a quick "check this out" type of thing.

Generation Kill is an HBO Film's mini-series that follows a battalion of US Marines from the beginning of the invasion of Iraq. There are the obvious creative liberties being taken but there are many aspects taken straight from newspaper headlines.

I will admit that I was not even slightly interested in watching it until a night that there was nothing of interest on TV, so I browsed the OnDemand. HBO OnDemand has the entire series (to date) up, so you can catch up in the story and characters just in time for the finale on August 24th. If you don't have HBO OnDemand you should still be able to catch some encore showings on HBO.

Enjoy.

DVD: Cloverfield

2008-08-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

This movie is basically Blair Witch Project meets Godzilla.

Notes--
If you get motion sickness easily, you will probably have to look away from the screen a few times throughout the film.

The larger and louder the movie is when you view it, the better the experience is.

It is easier to enjoy the "horror" of it if you turn off your brain. If you start to ask why this happens or how they did see something, you are going to find too much wrong with the scenario to get into it.

There is a huge Internet viral campaign for Cloverfield, and it is worth it to look into it before AND after seeing the movie.

The DVD is packed full of interesting stuff. its about a 7 out of 10 as far as the extras are concerned.

Verdict: Exciting film. Very unique to the genre of "Giant Monster" movies. Worth seeing at least once, and perhaps more than once if it's you type of thing.

Cloverfield - definitely check out the external links at the bottom of the wiki.

Amazon.com Widgets

Web Games: Old School Nintendo

2008-07-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

Hey! If you like the original NES, you will love this site: http://www.nintendo8.com/

It has a huge selection of NES games to play online.

Candy: Trident Wild Blueberry Twist

2008-07-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

Welcome back! This is the new "I'll try that!" now. You may be wondering, "What makes it new?" Well, I have lost alot of the will to keep this up. I feel like I gave it a try, and it's just not something I enjoy doing enough to continue doing it at the extent I was doing it in. Got it?

So, instead of giving up completely, I am going to shorten it down to something that is most likely going to be less fun to read. I know, it stinks, but it was either this or nothing.

I'm going to try to add some new aspects though. Things like: Links to games I like, short musings about one thing or another, and I may continue doing "Guess What I tried!" as well as a few other interactive things like that.

Anyway, I bought this Trident Wild Berry Twist. It's gross. What is Xylitol and why is it in all Trident gum? The Answer.

(This is the top left picture in "Guess What I Tried!"3)

Verdict: "Stick" to chewing your favorite gum.

Ahhhh!- Update

2008-07-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

Hey gang! I just wanted to drop a quick line to let you know I am trying to update as often as possible. It has been a busy few weeks and I am really backed up on products to review.

So if you are willing to bare with me, I promise I will get lots of new stuff up, as well as finish up the current "Guess What I Tried!" so I can start the new one.

Thanks for checking in!

Food: California Pizza Kitchen Crispy Thin Crust Margherita Pizza For One

2008-06-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

I like pizza... Scratch that... I LOVE PIZZA!

I eat pizza as often as I can, so I am always looking for better microwavable personal size pizzas when I am at the market. They generally only take a few minutes to make and fill me up well and good.

The California Pizza Kitchen is a restaurant chain that made quite a bit of success in a small amount of time. The next logical step was to get their pizzas in the super markets. There are many different 'flavors' and sizes, but this was my first time seeing a microwavable one. Hooray!

The Margherita Pizza is a little "tomatoey" for me but it was delicious none the less. These are very high quality microwaveable pizzas.

(This is the bottom left picture in "Guess What I Tried!"3)

Pros:
Conveniently microwavable.
Great flavor selection.

Cons:
It's not a very healthy meal.
A bit pricey.

Verdict:
As a pizza junky I love these, but they may not be for everyone. I don't really see myself getting these often, but definitely occasionally. Try these, or others from this brand, out, you'll enjoy them as a treat.

Snack: Dannon Light & Fit- White Chocolate Raspberry Yogurt

2008-06-23T01:01:00.000-07:00

In my quest to eat more healthy foods, I have decided to make yogurt a new snack in my diet. The only problem is that I hate yogurt. So, I was pretty happy when I came across this yummy flavor of Dannon's Light & Fit.

The best way to describe the taste, is a favorable mix between white chocolate pudding and raspberry yogurt, only it still feels and smells like yogurt.

Anyway, it's delicious and good for you.

(This is the bottom right picture in "Guess What I Tried!"3)

Pros:
Yogurt is good for you.
This flavor is a good "gateway" or "starter" yogurt.

Cons:
It rarely ever quenches my hunger, so i end up eating something else right after.
It expires fairly fast, so you need to eat them pretty soon after purchasing.

Verdict:
Well, its yogurt. All I can say about it is that if you think you want to try eating yogurt, this is a good flavor to get you eating the stuff. Then, you can venture into uncharted flavors in the future.

(By the way, I am dropping the ads for grocery store type product reviews for two reasons. Reason 1- Most of the time it's hard to get them on Amazon in anything smaller than a case. Reason 2- No one buys yogurt or M&M's or deodorant on the Internet. So this means less ads for you to avoid, and less time wasted for me finding them for every single post I make. Booyah!)

"Guess What I Tried!" 3

2008-06-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

"Guess What I Tried!"

Take a look at these cleverly cropped images of some of the things I will be reviewing soon, and see if you can guess what they are! Try to be as specific as possible. I will note them in their review as being part of the game, so guess as many times as you like. And, keep an eye out at the store to see if you can spot them!

Have fun!

Snack: Nilla Cakesters

2008-06-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

Nilla Cakesters are Nabisco's not-so-likable version of the much more popular, much more delicious, Oreo Cakesters.

The Cakester concept is actually directly ripped off from a state fair/local bakery treat called a "chocolate gob" that is two massive cake cookies
sandwiched together with creamy white frosting.

(This is the bottom right picture in "Guess What I Tried!"2)

Pros:
It's probably the newest thing to happen to Nilla in 20 years

Cons:
Nilla is very bland and so are these, yet they manage to pull off being incredibly sweet.

Verdict:
I have and always will be a fan of the Oreo version. The Nilla version is not for me. They lack flavor to go with the sweetness.

DVD: In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale

2008-05-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

This is a review I have been really trying to avoid writing. I have nothing good to say at all, but if I don't tell you, who will?

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale is a film with an unreasonably long title. Perhaps you've noticed that already. Anyway, moving on.

The movie stars Jason Statham, an actor with the worst agent in the world, unless of course any of his horrible movies make any money. Now, don't get me wrong, I actually do like him, and his career must be doing well considering his is making a Transporter 3 and Crank 2. Seriously though, are these movies better than Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch? No.

I could go on and on about him, but unfortunately I can't in this blog because so many people were screwed by this film.

So, who else was in In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale? Buckle your seat belts:

*Leelee Sobieski- Apparently, trying to come off of that career-high role in Wicker Man.
*John Rhys-Davies- I enjoy him. He was in the Lord of the Rings films, and one of my favorite cheesy sci-fi shows, Sliders. You also may have seen him in every made for TV movie ever made. He also does lots of voice over work for toons and games.
*Ron Perlman- He is other guy that does lots and lots of voice overs. He is mostly known as Hellboy though.
*Matthew Lillard- I don't expect much from him, because he must have the same agent as Statham. He went from Hackers and Scream to Scooby Doo and Without a Paddle.
*Burt Reynolds- I can't say anything directly bad about him. He was born in 1936, been acting since 1959, and still looks like a million bucks.

and the final person worth pointing out is.....

*Ray Liotta- He was in Goodfellas and also Wild Hogs. You be the judge.

Now, you may be saying to your computer screen, "Hey Mr. "I'll Try That!" Blogger, I think that cast sounds great! Why are you bashing them?"
Well, this movie was terrible, but not necessarily at the fault of the actors.

The first thing I will point out, is the horrific musical score. Imagine watching an action movie to a kid's movie soundtrack, and you'll get it. The dialogue was unreal. Not WOW!, more like OW! There is a part where two characters fall from a rope 100 feet into a shallow river, and their lines were: "WwwwwwHhhhOooAaa!" Ugh. The only thing that tops that line, is all of Ray Liotta's. The directing and editing are epic... epic failures.

~~I just want to note that I usually would edit the links so they would open in a new window, however the amount of links in this entry is more than usual, so you're all going to have to either right click to open in a new window, or navigate back and forth. Sorry!~~

(This is the top left picture in "Guess What I Tried!"2)

Pros:
The best thing about this DVD is..... *just picture me spitting on the screen here*

Cons:
It's my vote for the worst movie ever made.
Bad Dialogue.
Bad musical score.
Bad Editing.
BAD BAD BAD!!!

Verdict:
If I ever heard somewhere down the line that they made this movie on a dare, or everyone involved was caught at some big Hollywood coke party and this screenplay was written by the judge that ruled on the cases; letting them go if they agreed to make it... I would totally believe it. The only reason I would tell someone to watch this movie is if they honestly don't believe how bad it is. Just having to think about the movie while writing this has made me feel a little sick.

Hygiene: Right Guard Xtreme: Arctic Refresh

2008-05-25T21:18:00.000-07:00

I will spare the details of my experiences that led me to this product because no one wants to hear about sweat and armpits.

I will simply say this:

I have been a canned, spray deodorant/antiperspirant user for many years. The problem I have had is that each brand I have used has discontinued production. I blame this solely on the "body spray" industry, which is only covering up the smell off sweaty men everywhere so they can also sell antiperspirant stick/roll-on. It's the biggest con ever, and there are also people putting cologne on over these other two scents.

It's so backwards and wasteful it makes me sick.

Anyway, the most effective antiperspirant I have ever used was the cans of Right Guard Xtreme Cool Spray. This is the stick version, and it works great.

(This is the bottom left picture in "Guess What I Tried!"2)

Pros:
It works. That's all it should do.

Cons:
I have to rub it in my armpits. Please bring back the Cool Spray.

Verdict:
Any man looking for a new deoderant should consider this first. The scent I have chosen is easily the most mild out of all the scents, of all the brands, in the store.

Soft Drink: Vitamin Water vital-t

2008-05-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

Today's product is a pretty easy one to review.

Glaceau makes a great product called Vitamin Water. If you haven't seen, heard of, or tried it before, you really should get out more. It has inspired commercials like:
50 cent Conducts the National Symphony
David Ortiz and Brian Urlacher Play Badminton
Shaquille O'Neal Becomes a Jockey
Kelly Clarkson Charms a Snake
Kasey Kahne Herds Yaks
Lebron James Becomes a Lawyer
and
Tracy McGrady is a Sheep Tosser

Brilliant advertising.

Anyhow, this one is lemon tea flavored, and though I expected it to taste like watered down iced tea, it's actually a very well balanced tea-to-water flavor ratio.

Here's a wacky talking Vitamin Water viral thingy. I tried to make one to post on this blog, but it was loading really funky so I didn't leave it up.

(This is the top right picture in "Guess What I Tried!"2)

Pros:
Another great flavor to add to the list.
The story on the bottle is entertaining. (It mentions a certain TV show that featured four elderly women.)

Cons:
As with all Vitamin Waters, you will notice that the nutrition facts are equal, if not worse than a regular (non-diet) can of soda pop. It's actually very misleading, since there is so much information on the bottle of why it's "good" for you.

Verdict:
Vitamin Water, of any flavor, always gets my seal of approval and this one is no different. It's actually a great 'gateway drink' to lure an avid Snapple drinker over to the dark side.

"Guess what I tried!" 2

2008-05-17T13:29:00.001-07:00

"Guess What I Tried!"

Snack: Osem Bissli Smokey Flavor

2008-05-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Yuck! Well, not entirely, but pretty close...

This product from Osem, is not something you are going to find in a convenience store or gas station mart. It's apparently a traditional wheat snack in Israel. Check out the Bissli page.

I should have known when it said "Smokey Flavor". It walks a thin line between completely disgusting and almost bearable.

It's just gross. I can't even get the taste out of my mouth. They managed to take a hard wheat tube and make it taste like smoke. Eww.

(This is the bottom right picture in "Guess What I Tried!"1)

Pros:
Um... it's Kosher.

Cons:
It's hard, tastes like smoke, and and smells like pork rinds (which is ironic).
I am probably going to have nightmares about eating this.

Verdict:
If you go to Israel, bring snacks with you... If you are celebrating passover, just snack on Matzo Crackers.

Candy: Herbert's Fully Loaded Blueberry Bites

2008-05-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Herbert's Candies is the self proclaimed maker of 'New England's Finest Chocolates'. We'll see about that.

The Fully Loaded aspect of this candy has to do with the combination of fine chocolate and a filling, in this case fruit, but they also have nuts and creams. I had my choice at the store and figured that I rarely eat any chocolate and blueberry mixtures so this would be the one to try.

The packaging is tantalizing and sexy. You almost feel ashamed to buy it, like its a naughty product from the adult room of the video store. YES, its THAT sexy.

I might be exaggerating a bit, but I will say that I had no idea what to expect when opening the thing up. Turns out they are in the range of, bite-size peanut butter cups, cherry cordials, and the chocolates that are in those romantic heart-shaped(and non heart-shaped) boxes. It was wrapped in purple foil with "Fully Loaded" patterned all over it, while unwrapping it reveals the flower design on the top of the chocolate. Strange, but I guess it's a trademark or something like that.

Now, the fun part: Tasting. The chocolate itself is rich, and a nice bittersweet for dark chocolate. The filling is fruity as promised, but also a sweet counter to the bitterness of the chocolate. The blueberry flavor is mouthwatering, but mild and quickly overpowered.

Good stuff, very gourmet tasting.

(This is the top right picture in "Guess What I Tried!"1)

Pros:
Nice package quantity.
Very inviting packaging.
High quality candy and flavor.

Cons:
I expected an entire blueberry to be inside based on the package.
I also had no idea what I was buying. (candy shape and size)
Intense sweetness, you really can only eat one or two without going into sugar shock.

Verdict:
A nice treat, or gift. It's not an everyday candy, but this is definitely something to keep in a bowl on your coffee table or on your desk at work. This candy could become your trademark. It's very, very good.

Candy: Bartons Monopoly Creamy Milk Chocolate

2008-05-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick review of an impulse buy at the checkout line.

Bartons Candy doesn't ring any bells for me, so I don't believe I have ever had any of their products before. I am also not one to snack on a simple chocolate bar, but I have to admit that the main reason for buying this was the Monopoly tie-in.

Win $5000 instantly? Sure!

So, long story short, I didn't win anything.

(This is the top left picture in "Guess What I Tried!"1)

Pros:
Decent Chocolate.
Chance to win prizes.

Cons:
Nothing memorable about the product at all.

Verdict:
Buy it to try to win something, not for the chocolate.

Soft Drink: Snapple Noni Berry Juice Drink

2008-05-04T17:41:00.000-07:00

Snapple is making more and more interesting drinks lately, everything from waters to teas and juice drinks. In fact, Snapple may one day have it's own aisle in the supermarket.

I have never met, or drank, Snapple I didn't like, and I generally will try anything once. So, seeing the Noni Berry flavor instantly had me wondering what it was going to be comparable to, if anything at all.

Apparently, Noni is some sort of Polynesian fruit, this is according to the bottle.

The juice was pretty good, not overpowering and actually quite mild. It's up there with Kiwi Strawberry in the flavor range but there is obvious differences, such as a lack of kiwi.

(This is the bottom left picture in "Guess What I Tried"1)

Pros:
Amazingly the bottle is only about 20 calories. Much lower than other drinks like this.
Mild flavor makes it easy to drink with most meals of snacks.
It's allegedly good for you metabolism too.

Cons:
It's kinda blah.
It's a tad expensive.

Verdict:
Unfortunately, I won't be stocking my fridge with Noni Berry Juice anytime soon. It was okay, but not outstanding. It's good to try, its considerably better for you than most drinks that are not plain water, and it's a unique flavor but I will only buy this on the rare occasion I can't find something better.

"Guess What I Tried!" 1

2008-05-02T18:42:00.001-07:00

I am pleased to announce the "I'll try that!" game called,

"Guess What I Tried!"

Remember, I'll try anything. Have fun!

Candy: Wonka Giant Chewy Nerds

2008-05-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

The wacky world of Wonka is responsible for so many innovative candy treats, one has to wonder where they come up with all of the ideas. Some of the my favorites: Bottle Caps, Laffy Taffy, and Pixy Stix.

Then a few years ago they decided to start making every "hard" candy they make, have a "chewy" counterpart. Bravo. Some examples: Chewy Runts, Chewy Gobstoppers, and Chewy SweeTARTS.

But by far, the most recognizable, never duplicated, candy to come from the famous factory is Nerds. They have come in many flavors over the years, even sour. Then, they managed to come on a rope. However, nothing will top the day I came across Giant Chewy Nerds!

The science behind them is a mystery, but to an ordinary man they can best be described as a jellybean enclosed in a nerd-like shell. The flavors are pretty basic with strawberry, lemon, grape, orange, and watermelon.

I can confidently say that this is the most unique candy I have had in a long while. The "crunchiness" and tartness of a handful of nerds with the chewy texture of a jellybean. A match made in heaven.

Pros:
It's like a new invention, even thought its just a marriage of two others.
Yummy, Yummy, Yummy.

Cons:
Could have used some more risky flavors.
Probably could have packed more in a bag.

Verdict:
Buy them. If you like Nerds and/or jellybeans (and not jellybelly gourmet jellybeans, I'm talking about real Easter basket beans), the Giant Chewy Nerds are what your life has been leading up to. I bought 2 bags to try, and I have already been back to the store for more. Wonka, you have done it again.

Candles: Old Virginia Candle Company Apple Vanilla Wax Melts

2008-04-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

I enjoy candles. I like the way they look. I like burning them. I like the way they smell. So while I was looking at candles at the store the other day, I decided to try something a little different.

I bought a wax warmer.

It's a little building, or pot, that you put a tea light candle in the bottom of. The candle heats the top part, which is where you put the scented wax melts. It sounds much more complicated when you have to write it out like this, but it's very simple.

So I got a few different, I like to call them "flavors", wax melts to try out in my new set up. There are all different brands but the ones I am trying are Old Virginia Candle Company. I like their products and they are not as expensive as other name brands.

Apple Vanilla sounded absolutely delicious. I smelled the package and was convinced this was one I wanted. So when I got home I popped it in the pot and lit my "burner".

About 10 minutes later, I was less excited. The apple vanilla scent that won me over in the store became more of an earthy, dirt smell. This is not to say that someone may not like it, and it was not unbearable, but it was clearly not the smell of an ice cream cone in an apple orchard.

Pros:

It smelled nice in the package.

Cons:

There was a drastically different smell when it was melted.

Verdict:

Well, this scent for me, was a big miss. Candle and wax melt scents are always a gamble as the scent mixtures may not be the same from batch to batch. I would not recommend this particular scent, but I do recommend getting a wax melt warmer and trying out some scents that sound good to you.

It's been slow.

2008-04-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

I know it's been slow around these parts this month. There's been a lack of new things at the stores I've been to recently. With summer just around the corner there will be lots of new and interesting products that need trying and reviewing. So, please be patient and check back here soon.

Got any product suggestions? Leave a comment.

Thank you to all of the returning and first-time visitors!

Much, much more to come.

Candy: Mint Crisp M&M'S®

2008-04-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

What happens when you combine an m&m, a rice crispy, a junior mint, and the marketing power behind the new Indiana Jones movie?

Mint Crisp M&M'S®.

Mars has done it again! Yet another flavor of M&M's has graced the checkout lines and this time it's got a friend on the package: Indiana Jones.

There could not be more cheese on this packaging. First off, it says, "DIG NEW" because Indiana Jones is famous for digging things up as a treasure hunter, and trouble maker. The little green m&m girl is saying, "Treasure is a girl's best friend." I honestly can't believe they couldn't think of something better than that. I would love to hear your alternatives; here's mine, "Is that a crystal skull in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" Okay, maybe it is harder than I thought. Then finally, instead of the usual tag of "Limited Edition" the package simply says, "Get "m" Before They're Lost!" It's clever but I don't condone the shortening of the word "them" to "em", and then furthermore to just "m".

If you remember the Crispy M&M's, they are an M&M with a puffed rice center. These are the same only minty and decorated with Indiana Jones themed graphics around the "m" stamps. These designs are things like Mayan pyramids, crystal skulls, and ancient sun dials.

Pros:
Gives you minty, fresh breath.
Indiana Jones "Arti-FACT" on the back of the package like, "The car driven by Short Round in "Temple of Doom" is a 1936 Auburn Boattail Speedster."

Cons:
They will probably be gone once the movie is in theaters.

Verdict:
- You really need to like things like Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies, York Peppermint Patties, and Junior Mints to like this kind of M&M. The mint lingers in your mouth like a toothpaste or mouthwash.
- If you are feeling adventurous, and you enjoy M&M's, you should give them a try.

Office Supplies: Mead Memo Pad

2008-04-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

This may seem like an interesting thing to have here, but I haven't had one of these memo pads since the 3rd grade. When I saw it at the store, I realized how many times I wish I had it to jot down something in a hurry.

Mead memo pads might be the most useful and efficient paper purchase I have made in a long time, which is saying a lot considering I opted for the 3-pack!

A spiral bound notebook is not really something that needs reviewing, but the uses of it are:

-Stop taking an entire piece of printer paper to write down a phone number or something similar, it's a unnecessary waste.
-Put it in your car (along with a pen), should you ever need to leave a note or exchange information in an emergency situation.
-Keep it by the bed. If you are anything like me, as soon as your head hits the pillow you start thinking about everything you have/want to do the next day. Writing them down will put your mind to rest allowing you to sleep better knowing you won't forget.
-Stick one in the kitchen, so you can make a grocery list. Not just before you go shopping but throughout the week when you run out of things.

And those are just the uses I had written down on my notepad.

It feels nice to pick up a pen and write something for a change. I am constantly on a computer of cell phone, which is great, but it really lacks personal touch. That's why I'm going to insert memo notepads back into my life.

Pros:
Small, compact. Fits just about anywhere and takes up very little space.
Unlimited usefulness for lists, notes, numbers, reminders, etc.
Saves you from using large pieces of paper for small things.
Pulls you out of the digital world, even if only for a moment.

Cons:
Requires a writing implement.
Paper cuts.

Verdict:
-There is no reason why you shouldn't have at least one.

DVD: Firefly: The Complete Series

2008-04-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

Firefly is one of the best, if not the best, most interesting and captivating, science-fiction television series of all time. Yet, it only managed to air 11 episodes before being cancelled. This lead to the production of an excellent movie based on the series called, Serenity.

Firefly is, as I said, a science fiction series but it comes with a twist of old westerns. The series seamlessly combines interplanetary space travel with cowboy antics such as, saloon brawls, gunslingers, smuggling and good ole fashion thievery.

On top of the action, the character dialogue even has a wild west twang to it. Now, on the topic of dialogue, I have problems with shows that put people in insane predicaments and situations and have the characters say "Gosh!", or "Holy heck!". It's not the 4-letter words used by actual people, and it reminds you how not real a TV show is. Well, Firefly has somehow figured out the perfect solution. They blurt out phrases in Chinese. I have no idea what they are saying, but it sounds like "Oh sh*t." to me. Besides that, it is blended so well into the conversations that you really believe this is how they talk.

The acting is superb, and the characters are so well developed that you are instantly brought into their world, caring about their relationships, causes, and general well-being. If you care to know more about the characters, I strongly suggest reading the bios in one of the links above.

This DVD set is four discs, featuring 14 episodes, commentary on some, Behind the scenes featurettes, four deleted scenes, gag reel, and a few other little things. Worth every penny.

Pros:
Fresh scifi TV show, that uses subtle special effects to enhance the stories, not make them.
Movie based on the series (Serenity).
Packed DVD. Even includes the 3 unaired episodes.
Yes, that's the guy who played Steve the Pirate, in Dodgeball.

Cons:
Series has been cancelled for years now.
Not only is it cancelled, but there is only one season of it.

Verdict:
- This is very easy, watch the movie, Serenity. If you like it, you will love Firefly. If you are not 100% won by the film, you could still very easily like the series.
- This is for scifi fans, or even people that like the Robin Hood theme of 'taking from the rich and giving to the poor'.
- It's just so unique and innovative that I can't say for sure who might like it. It is definitely worth your time.

Candy: Peanut Butter Whoppers

2008-04-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

Whoppers are a classic candy from the classic candy company, Hershey's.

As far back as I can remember, this was my number one choice for snacking on at the movies. The boxes, or sometimes cartons, seem to never end until the moment you realize, you've eaten the whole thing.

So, Hershey's got this wild idea. The thought, "Hey! People like Whoppers, and people like Reese's Peanut Butter candies. So why not combine them?" Then, they did; and I have tried them!

In case you are not familiar with the Whoppers make-up, they are a malted milk ball, covered, in this case, with a smooth peanut butter coating. The original Whopper is covered in chocolate.

I can honestly say that the only thing better than this, would be if they managed to somehow combine the chocolate and peanut butter coatings, either on the Whopper itself, or in a box.

The peanut butter flavor is mild and very true to the established Reese's taste. I am not a huge fan of peanut butter, or such flavored candies, so I have broken up this carton into a few different snacking sessions and casual handfuls when I get the urge. Yummy.

Pros:

New flavor Whoppers!

Not just peanut butter, but Reese's Peanut Butter.

Milk-carton style packaging.

Cons:

Addictive. It's hard to stop yourself from eating them, even when you are choking from peanut butter overload.

Peanut butter can become overwhelming after eating it like this.

You need to mix Chocolate Whoppers in yourself!

Verdict:

- These Whoppers are not far off from the classic, therefore you can enjoy them without feeling like its some totally new candy. If you are familiar with the original, I suggest trying them.

- If you like Reese's Peanut Butter anything, I think you will enjoy these quite a bit.

- If you have peanut allergies, you better stay clear. These could actually kill you.

Snacks: Pocky

2008-03-31T14:12:00.000-07:00

Pocky is a Japanese treat from the company Glico.

There is not very much to Pocky. It's a thin cookie-like stick dipped in chocolate. But, Pocky is not limited to just chocolate. There is a huge variety, though not all found in the US, of flavors and combinations available. Examples: Plain Almond Crush Pocky, Green Tea Mousse Pocky, and Strawberry Pocky.

Whatever your flavor preference is, I'm sure there is a Pocky for you.

Pros:
Packaged in a box with a foil package inside. I have never had a broken Pocky.
Delicious.
Convenient. A great snack for people on the go.

Cons:
The only flaw that I have found with Pocky, is that if they are stored in a warm place, the chocolate will melt, fusing all of the sticks together when it re-hardens.

Verdict:
Get some Pocky. There is no one on earth that will not love it. In fact, if aliens landed here tomorrow, I would suggest giving them Pocky too. Pocky is THAT fantastic!

Candy: Duvalin

2008-03-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

As a great follow-up to yesterday's post, I have another product from the Ricolino Company. I also found the official site, believe it or not, it was Ricolino.com, but I didn't try that until today.

Duvalin is a small, shallow cup of what I can only describe as a frosting of some kind. There was a choice of two flavor combinations, I chose hazelnut and vanilla. The other was strawberry and vanilla.

I will be the first to admit that this is the most confusing "candy" I have ever eaten. First off, I didn't even know for sure what the consistency was going to be, but like I said, it's like frosting.

So how do you eat this tiny tub of frosting in moderation? With the tiny, flat spoon provided to you of course!

I don't speak any Spanish, but by the end of my Duvalin, I was saying, "¡Muy bueno!"

Pros:
Nice Flavor.
Perfect serving size for something so sweet.
A tiny souvenir spoon!

Cons:
Borders on being too sweet.

Verdict:
- Simply because this product is basically a cup of frosting, if that sounds appetizing to you, you will probably love it. Kids, adults, seniors, you will all love it.

Candy: Bubu Lubu

2008-03-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

Bubu Lubu is a Mexican candy by Ricolino that is very similar to products from the Joyva Company.

It is basically a candy bar made of marshmallow, strawberry jelly, and covered with chocolate. Joyva makes the same thing, only are not combined, meaning you can get chocolate-covered Marshmallow bars, or jelly bars (or rings).

The chocolate is very rich in flavor, the jelly is tasty, and the marshmallow it light and fluffy but kind of gritty.

Not bad for a knockoff.

Pros:
Cheap in price.
Strange fluffy mascot with a scarf and mittens.

Cons:
Cheap in quality.
Not widely available.

Verdict:
- If you see them, give them a try, you may have to buy a box of 8, but you could give the rest away on Halloween if you hate them.
- Otherwise, stick with a well established brand and product by only buying Joyva.

Candy: Skittles Chocolate Mix

2008-03-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

Well, the good folks over at Skittles have decided to start making a "Chocolate Mix" of their popular candy. So, let's see how they did.

It's not a very appetizing way to start a candy review, but I simply cannot go without mentioning something. Skittles has the slogan: "Taste the Rainbow." So the first thing that pops into my head when I open this bag is, "What feces-infested sewer do you have to visit to see a rainbow made of different shades of brown?" Okay, glad I got that out of the way.

There are five flavors:

S'mores- These are flesh tone in color, and taste nothing like a s'more. They went a little heavy on the marshmallow flavor, and if the after taste is supposed to be graham cracker they are way off the mark. It almost tastes like what you would expect s'more flavored aspirin to taste like.

Vanilla- These are a nice creamy vanilla color, and the taste is exactly what you would expect. The word "vanilla" is sometimes used to describe something as bland and uninteresting, but there is nothing vanilla about the vanilla flavored Skittle. Does that make sense?

Chocolate Caramel- This might just be the worst flavor in the bag. I think Skittles knew it too, since there was only 7 in the bag. Something about it burns the back of my throat while I bite into it. By the end, it ends up tasting a little bit like caramel, but nothing like chocolate caramel. They must have been desperate to get another flavor in the bag.

Chocolate Pudding- First of all, half of the bag consisted of this flavor. It is a very dulled done version of chocolate pudding but after a few, you really have the taste in your mouth as if you were eating pudding.

Brownie Batter- The final flavor is almost black in color. And black is what you think of when you eat them since they taste like burnt brownies. Oddly enough, this still makes them the best flavor.

It was quite difficult to eat the entire package in one sitting which is absurd when talking about Skittles. I once ate a 16 ounce bag of the original flavors in a single night. So, I should know.

Pros:
Another new experiment in flavor from the Skittles people, there is an enormous list of Skittles flavors (Original, Wild Berry, Tropical, Carnival, Ice Cream, Smoothie, Sour) and the effort is appreciated.

Cons:
The flavors are hit or miss, and some are even hard to swallow.

Verdict:
-The only way you will know if you are going to like these is if you try them. The flavors are inconsistent. You shouldn't need to eat 5 of them before you can tell if you like it or not. But, some people may like that. So to break it down for you, I recommend you eat the things the flavors are based on if you have a real chocolate craving.
-If you want Skittles, pick another one of their many available flavor mixes.

Movie: Sunshine

2008-03-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

I thought I would change up the the pace here today and do a quick review of a movie I rented the other night, from my cable box's On Demand Movies section.

The film I decided on was a science fiction-thriller called Sunshine (official site here).

The first thing I want to touch on is the director, Danny Boyle. This guy has directed some really great movies like: 28 Days Later, The Beach, and Trainspotting. He has a very artistic eye that really makes his films beautiful even in the most disturbing situations.

Now, to the actors. The cast is a split down the middle of no one you would know and people you recognize but don't know their name. The star of the movie (besides the sun) is Cillian Murphy. Cillian is familiar with the director having starred in 28 Days Later. He also in Red Eye, and is probably best known for play The Scarecrow in Batman Begins and the upcoming sequel Dark Knight. He's a little creepy, but likable to some extent. The only other person worth mentioning is Chris Evans, since he is the Human Torch in the Fantastic 4 films. So with an accomplished director and a few familiar faces, the movie had some potential to start out with.

The story premise is simple. It's the future and the Sun is dying, which means the earth is cooling and everything on it is dying. So someone (I'm guessing it's whatever is left in the way of a world government) builds a giant ship to fly to the Sun in order to reignite it with a massive bomb they refer to as "the payload". But something happens, and the ship never gets to the sun nor does it return to earth. So, Sunshine is about the second (and final) attempt.

I don't want to give away anything so I will keep it very nonspecific. The movie takes place in the spaceship with a small crew. You should expect a certain amount of space movie cliches. And about half way through the movie takes a strange turn into the horror genre.

After a 2 hour investment, you're done.

Pros:
Extremely visual movie, the effects are beautiful and powerful.
Very well-written characters. You get a very wide range of human emotion and thought process.
Not too over-the-top. Sometimes these movies get ridiculous with technological advancement, but Sunshine keeps it in the realm of possible.

Cons:
Small cast in small spaces. Don't expect variety.
They wait so you wait. The movie is about getting to a destination, so you end up waiting for the action to start at times (it does eventually come).
Frustrating, in the vain of, when your watching horror movies and the girl runs upstairs instead of out the front door.

Verdict:
- I found this to be an enjoyable movie, but it is something you have to be in the mood to watch.
- If you like scifi, specifically space-themed movies, you should probably give this a try. It has many good qualities that are not in most of films of this type.
- The same applies to horror movie buffs. If you can convince yourself to watch it based on the storyline, and make it through the first third of the running time, you will probably enjoy it.
- Everyone else should just wait until it hits basic cable or the movie channels.

Snacks: Yan Yan

2008-03-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

Yan Yan is a product from the Singapore company Meiji. They may or may not be hard to find in a local store, as the ones I have were given to me as a gift.

Looking over the packaging, the first thing you notice is the familiarity of the idea behind Yan Yan. It's basically an edible stick with dip, much like Dunk-a-roos or Sargento® Chocolate Dip & Cookie Sticks. Next, you see that the cookie sticks have little messages on them, described as "fun lines", with an animal name and cartoon head. They say things like:
"Gallop away (Horse)"
"Go for a swim (Duck)"
"Do not be timid (Mouse)"

And finally, I skim over the ingredients and nutrition facts. This is where i come across an odd, yet reassuring, statement. Below the nutrition facts is the manufacturing information with the company address:
"MNFD BY: MEIJI SEIKA (S) PTE. LTD.
36 QUALITY ROAD SINGAPORE 618806
PRODUCT OF SINGAPORE. DOES NOT CONTAIN PIG FAT."

Wow! All the taste of pig fat without the actual pig fat? Pig Fat-tastic!

So I tear the lid off, and have at them. I choose to only take a single, generous dip of chocolate with the first few cookie/cracker sticks, hoping that there will be enough chocolate to last the twenty or so sticks. I can always increase my dipping towards the end.

The taste is pretty good. It's a buttery, crackerish cookie. The chocolate is just chocolate, nothing funky or unusual, which is good. Together they form an enjoyable snack and experience. To sum it up simply, Yan Yan is fun!

Unfortunately, I did run out of chocolate prematurely. But, it did last longer than other snacks with this theme, and it had more crackers than the them too. So after eating the last few pieces dipless, I see there are a few bonus broken pieces at the bottom of the container. I poured them into my mouth and licked out the chocolate compartment for good measure.

Pros:
Awesome packaging.
Yummy flavor combination.
Very nice quantity of sticks.
Doesn't contain pig fat.

Cons:
Hard to find in stores.
'Tasty choco cream' tends to run out before the sticks.
Doesn't contain pig fat?

Verdict:
- Great for all ages! If you can find them, give them a try. There are three different flavors available, so you should base your choice on what you might want in a cake frosting, or ice cream flavor. And if you can't decide, try to the double dip version that has chocolate and strawberry in the same container!

Snacks: Pringles Stix

2008-03-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

I consider myself lucky to live in an area that does product testing. It gives me the opportunity to see, and try, things before they hit the mainstream, if ever.

My most recent find is a box of Pringles Stix. I had my choice between pizza and honey butter, though there are apparently other flavors available. I picked up the pizza flavored Stix.

The box contains 10 packages. When I opened a package, I was a little worried that eating these was going to resemble eating something like uncooked spaghetti.

I munch on a few, with no real opinion one way or the other. The pizza flavor is not the same as the one they use on their potato chips, which is a little strange. One would think that a company would stand behind their decision of what the flavor of pizza really is. My only guess is that potato and wheat are to different in taste to have kept the mixture the same. I think an easy way around this confusing mess would have been to call the Stix version "Italian" since that is a much more accurate description of the taste.

You should be getting by now that I was not particularly impressed with these. I was ready to make a judgement.

Pros:
Less than 100 calories per pack.
3 other flavors to try
The actual stick is fun to eat; its a nice change from chips, crackers, & pretzels.

Cons:
Bland. It really lacks the flavor cleverly packed into Pringles brand chips
Fragile! About half of the sticks in the package were broken in half or smaller pieces.

Verdict:
- I feel comfortable giving a general verdict on the Pizza flavor. Skip it.
- As for the other flavors, maybe give them a try if you feel the urge. They might be more exciting, and less disappointing.

Soft Drink: Diet Cherry Chocolate Dr. Pepper

2008-03-08T17:01:00.000-08:00

If you've ever had a Dr. Pepper, then you know it has a unique taste. But, Did you know that Dr. Pepper has truly figured out how to make diet soda taste more like the non-diet counterpart? Well, they have!

Diet Cherry Chocolate Dr. Pepper is the newest, and also limited edition, flavor added to the Dr.Pepper lineup. I enjoy Dr. Pepper every now and again, but it's hardly a soda pop you can chug with dinner. I have always thought of Dr. Pepper as a dessert drink. And this new flavor, "takes the cake!"

The first sips you take instantly foam in your mouth. The carbonation of this beverage is simply incredible. Then, you begin to taste the perfectly blended mixture of the original Dr. Pepper flavor infused with chocolate dipped cherries! What come to mind is a drink I enjoyed on special occasions as a child, Canfield's Diet Cherry Chocolate Fudge Soda.

I continued to savor the taste of the drink, as I sat down to make this very judgement.

Pros:
It's diet and delicious, which can be hard to come by.
A perfect blend of flavors.

Cons:
This is another limited edition product.
It won't quench your thirst.

Verdict:
-A soda fan may not get what they bargained for on the first sip, but should easily adjust to the uniqueness of the drink.
-A person on a diet will truly enjoy this as an occasional treat.

DVD: Beowulf Director's Cut

2008-03-07T17:59:00.000-08:00

I recently picked up the Director's Cut of Beowulf on DVD.

First off, I hadn't been totally sure that this film was completely animated. From previews I had seen, I always assumed digital effects were used, as in other epics like 300 or Troy, just not as effectively blended with live action. This distracted me as I started watching but I get to that.

The DVD menu is pretty standard quality for this type of film, showing clips in a designated area while you navigate the options. I always check the setup options first, to make sure the commentary and subtitles are off, and to make sure the sound is set to English. I know the one time I don't do this, the movie will start dubbed in Spanish with French subtitles, so its a habit I am happy to have.

The movie starts, and as I said, its animated. The easiest comparison to make is with the Shrek franchise. This isn't a bad thing, since Shrek is a very well animated series of films.

As opening progresses, it quickly becomes apparent this is not going to be like Shrek. Blood and violence is the forefront of this tale, and I was happy to see it wasn't dulled down. (I don't want to spoil any of the movie so I'll keep out the details.)

The film goes on telling a story that could easily be stretched to the length of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The action scenes are generally smaller than I hoped, and the story progression is kinda jumpy, which leaves you not caring much about some of the vital characters. So when the movie ends, I was looking for more.

Now, I go in search of the deleted scenes. Maybe they will contain the bits of the story I remembered from my 9th grade reading assignments? To be blunt, no. They didn't. The deleted scenes are recorded dialogue played over the very basic polygon renderings of the unfinished characters and scenery. Very disappointing.

Then, I browsed the "Art of Beowulf" and watched the featurettes (one on the making of, and another on designing the creatures). Altogether, they were a adequate at best.

Pros:

The DVD is organized nicely, making it easy to find what you are looking for.

The movie is very well animated.

Nude, but nippleless, animated version of Angelina Jolie.

Cons:

Deleted scenes would have been fine as audio only.

The movie was too short and choppy (Imagine Jaws going from the first attack to the final battle with no indication of what was going on in between).

Nippleless, animated version of a nude Angelina Jolie.

Verdict:

-The average DVD buying person can probably skip this one. Rent it, if you really want to see it.

-DVD aficionados should skip this one too, since a super extended Collectors Edition will probably come out eventually.

-Fans of epics, or Beowulf in general, might want to try renting the 2005 movie Beowulf & Grendel. I haven't seen it, but it's live action, looks much more promising, and Gerard Butler (who starred in 300 the following year) plays Beowulf.

Candy: Wildly Cherry M&M'S®

2008-03-06T23:30:00.001-08:00

Today, I had the pleasure of running into a bag of Limited Edition Wildly Cherry M&M'S®.

I have to admit, I don't love cherry as a flavor, as there are many more interesting flavor combinations to come by. However, I do like chocolate cherry cordials so why not give these M&M'S® a try?

The first impression, often important with something you are going to eat, was that these are larger than regular M&M'S®, and perhaps peanut M&M'S® as well (didn't have any to compare). I took one and popped it in my mouth. The flavor is pretty intense! I expected a much more mild flavor, but the cherry is very "in your face", or in this case, mouth.

The next one from the bag I decide to bite in half. I had expected to find a freeze dried cherry inside of it, based on the flavor and texture of the previous one. But alas, it's chocolate all the way through. This was enough playing for me, so I proceeded to gobble up the rest of the bag in handfuls.

Pros:
A nice new flavor from M&M'S®.
Larger that original M&M'S®.

Cons:
"Limited Edition", which means they might not be around for long.
Not much variety: two colors, one flavor.

Verdict:
-If you like cherry flavor and chocolate, you will love these, so buy them by the case before they are gone forever. Then, start writing letters to M&M'S®, demanding they make them a regular product.
-If you are a fan of candy, but don't care much for M&M'S®, you may just want to share a bag with a friend. That should be enough to satisfy you, and then in 10 years when someone says, "Hey, remember Wildly Cherry M&M'S®?", you can say that you tried them.

Welcome to the "I'll try that!" Blog-o-goodness!

2008-03-05T02:59:00.000-08:00

With all of the initial setup being just about complete, there is still a ton of work I am doing to get this place looking a lot more interesting!

So, make yourself a note and check back soon to see the progress being made, as I will be looking for thoughts and comments from YOU!

Then once the page is looking spiffy, I can get to the oodles and oodles of product reviews. If you have any products in mind that you would like me to try and review on "I'll try that!", feel free to leave a comment letting me know. I am open to just about anything and everything!

That's all for now. See you real soon!