Reviews and More

When I was growing up, I always had a couple of shelves filled with reference books such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauruses, quotation anthologies, and the like. I often needed those things for school projects and it was nice to have them at hand so I didn’t have to rely solely on the local library for help.

These days, however, my reference shelf is considerably smaller — mostly due to the fact that I can look nearly everything up online for free. Nevertheless, I still buy some reference books, including ESPN’s Baseball Encyclopedia.

I know there are thousands of sports sites out there that have all the baseball stats I could ever ask for, but for some reason, I really like having a hard copy of all this data. I have the 2006 version of the Encyclopedia, which I bought several months ago to replace an older version, and I pull it off the shelf at least once a week.

The reason I like ESPN’s Baseball Encyclopedia so much is that it contains a lot of articles to supplement the usual stats and figures. There’s a short capsule about each World Series, plus detailed info about the MVP, Cy Young, and other postseason awards.

At 1,700+ pages, the ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia is a hefty volume that is a must-have for any true baseball fan out there!

I used to work with a guy from India who was a HUGE cricket fan. He tried on numerous occasions to explain the nuances of the game to me, but I never got it. At any rate, I know he’ll get a kick out of this site called CrickeM.com. It’s a social networking site aimed specifically at cricket fans and is pretty much a cross between MySpace and YouTube. Members can upload videos, write blogs, and build their own fan clubs. Sounds sweet, so if you love cricket, check out this fun site!!

I was sifting through my TiVo today to delete stuff that I’ve already seen in order to free up more memory for the second half of the television season when I came across a nice surprise: there was a new episode of Justice waiting for me. I hadn’t been checking the TV listings recently because I figured that all my regular shows were on hiatus due to the holidays, but the TiVo was recording as usual (luckily enough). I then logged on to write up a review of episode 1×12, “Christmas Party,” but when I checked Fox.com to get a few details about the guest stars, I saw that Justice is no longer listed on the site.

So…. that was a rather ignominious run, wasn’t it? Just 12 episodes? I’ve been expecting this move from FOX for a long time now, so it wasn’t surprising. I guess I won’t bother writing out a full review, then!!

As any gambler will tell you, there’s nothing like the adrenaline rush you get from being in a casino surrounded by all the familiar sounds: the musical notes of slot machines as they pay out a big winner, the whooping and hollering from large groups huddled around the craps tables, and the random calls of “Blackjack!” from the blackjack pit.

But there are times when a trip to the casino just isn’t a viable option. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t have a gambling session. You can always get on the Internet and check out websites that offer online poker, blackjack, and other casino favorites.

One site I’ve read a lot about is PokerSavvy.com. It’s a poker information portal with excellent resources, including poker articles, for players of all skill levels. You can also find out when upcoming online poker tournaments will be held and can get discounts by signing up through PokerSavvy.

If you’re into poker, this site is for you!

In the last couple of months, I’ve been busy moving my blogs from blogspot over to my own domains. I decided to use the WordPress blogging platform because I’d heard such good things about it, but didn’t know the thing about installing the software. I tried to follow the installation instructions on the WordPress.org site, but it was too complicated for me (I’m pretty illiterate when it comes to websites). So I ran a search for a WordPress installation tutorial and came up with an excellent one by Rachel Cunliffe.

Rachel’s video tutorial is very clear and easy to understand, even to a rank beginner like myself. I followed her steps exactly and was able to get my WordPress blog up and running in about 30 minutes. What I liked best about Rachel’s video was the way she explained why some of the steps were necessary instead of just telling us to do this, this, this, and this.

I really can’t say enough about Rachel Cunliffe’s WordPress tutorial. If you’re trying to set up a WordPress blog on your own domain, you have to check out her video!

I’ve been gambling ever since age 18 when I was finally able to gain access to the casinos based on the many Native American reservations in Wisconsin and Minnesota. I started out playing blackjack and craps, but have recently been exposed to a lot of poker thanks to several friends who are avid players.

One thing I’ve noticed about poker players in the several sessions that I’ve attended is that they’re very serious about every aspect of the game and rarely overlook a single detail. Those are the kind of people who would definitely be interested in purchasing custom poker chips like the ones sold on E-Pokerchips.com.

On that site, you can put your very own design on poker chips in order to give your game a more authentic look and feel. The printing process is done on high-end equipment and the chips weigh 11.5 grams each, so you’ll be getting a quality product. That’s got to be much better than those flimsy plastic red, white, and blue chips that you can buy at the corner gas station, right? Check out some of the custom poker chips at E-Pokerchips.com now and see what you think!

I have extremely sensitive skin and have a hard time finding facial cleansers that won’t clog my pores or cause me to break out. Yes, I’m in my 30’s, but acne is still a concern for me! As a result, I can’t use regular facial cleansers from Dove, Pond’s, etc. Even Neutrogena products cause redness and irritation, so I can’t use those either.

I finally had to ask my dermatologist for a recommendation and she suggested that I use a soap called Purpose. It’s from Johnson & Johnson, is reasonably priced, and is widely available at grocery stores, drug stores, and the like.

I have to say that I am very pleased with the results. I use Purpose twice a day and do not experience any of the excessive dryness or irritation that I get from other products. It’s very mild, doesn’t have a “medicated” odor, and doesn’t clog my pores. That’s all I want from a facial cleaner, so I’m happy!

If you have had similar problems with your skin, I suggest giving Purpose a try. It’s an excellent product!

If you take a lot of different medications, then Epocrates.com is a site you won’t want to miss. It’s a free, comprehensive online drug reference site that gives both regular users and medical professionals important information about thousands of frequently prescribed pharmaceuticals, such as Atenolol, Plavix, Lopid, and more.

After creating a free account on the Epocrates site, visitors will be able to look up a drug by name, and then view information about dosing, potential reactions or side effects, the manufacturer’s name, and prices. Furthermore, you can even view pictures of the pills and find out what some of the generic equivalents of the drug are.

All in all, this is a handy site so be sure to check it out!