MonkeyJar Maintains “Inglorious Bastards” is a MustSee

Tarantino’s latest is a twist-of-fate, blood-letting extermination of the value-less Nazi regime. MonkeyJar applauds as Tarantino’s cast gives the old one-two to the WWII National Socialists, never expecting that killing them off would be so entertaining.

Brad Pitt plays the “I’ll be damned,” Pattenesque commander perfectly (we all knew he would) as Lt. Aldo Raine. Pitt’s heroics are countered, punch for punch, by the shrewd and calculating SS Col. Hans Landa’s dastardly work, played by Christopher Waltz.

The opening brings us to Nazi occupied France, where we are introduced to the cunning Landa. Typical of Tarantino, we are witnesses to some entertaining and courteous dialogue before the Nazi atrocities are laid bare for us to see.

Enter Aldo, who by now can do no wrong in his vengeful mission to rid the planet of Nazi filth. His band of bastards are the kind of guys you would hate to see on an internet social call gone wrong (Craigslist, anybody?).

You would think after waiting on your knees for thumper Donny Donowitz, aka “The Bear Jew,” to deliver some head blows with his 32 oz. ash, the Nazi’s would learn to value their worth. But they don’t. And thankfully so as Aldo continues to wreak havoc through all levels of the Nazi forces.

With the Bastards plotting their plan to take down the regime, limb-by-limb, the culminating chapters bring an ending only Tarantino can pull off. Entertainment value-ists always appreciate a good ending, and this one doesn’t disappoint.

Buy your tickets off the internet early, because by now the secret is out, and you’re not going to be the only one spending your valued time at the box office for this MonkeyJar treat!

$20 Anthropologie outfit: A frugalista retail shopping experience via MonkeyJar

I am a frugalista—one of those hybrid types who combines a fervent love for retail shopping and new outfits with a tightwad attitude. In any shopping experience, I look for fabric, fit and a high original MSRP, then I look for a killer deal. This method is not for the faint of dress. The ultra-discounted outfits at any retail store are typically a little out of the ordinary. It takes time to develop an eye to spot the odd but fabulous 80-percent-off outfit that will actually work.

I’ll give an example of a recent shopping experience. Anthropologie, the upscale sister retail store of Urban Outfitters, is any quirky modern girl’s shopping mecca. Each outfit looks like a carefully-crafted work of art from a hip seamstress who shops consignment. I’ve heard several of my friends, after they walk into the elaborately bohemian retail space, say, “If I could afford it, I would buy every single outfit in here.” True, true.

However, who could possibly shop that way when the original retail prices are typically $100 for any little thing, even the beautifully designed t-shirts and costume jewelry? Well now, maybe you can. Just look harder, and you’ll see a ray of frugalista light in any shopping experience. I found a cobalt-blue, elegantly-tailored sleeveless cotton dress with a dramatic collar marked down from $98 to $19. It hits just above the knees and looks professional, hip and sassy at once. I paired it with a thick black belt that came with a $125 A.B.S. skirt (found for $12 at Ross Dress for Less) and $80 Eitenne Aigner black mules (found for $20 at Ross Dress for Less). Fabulous. Just like MonkeyJar.

Monkeyjar Review of Costco Wholesale Retailer

The retail outfit, Costco Wholesale store  is one shopping experience I won’t soon forget.

When you first walk in the door you’re greeted by friendly staff members who stand ready to check your membership card. The way the store is setup you are constantly bombarded with a wide variety of selections of consumer products. Everything from sporting goods to clothing to food and electronics. Starting with the electronics department you will find products ranging from digital cameras to Dell desk tops and laptops. At this particular Costco I was amused to find that if I were in the market to buy one, I would be able to purchase an Evolutions Spa; a 60-jet, 6 person spa with fold-out steps and towel warmer.

I was especially impressed with their food selection. In the far back left corner of the store, there is a huge, walk-in cooler where you can find a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

As I walked up and down each aisle it came as no surprise that I was able to find my way through easily, as each individual aisle is clearly marked with the contents of that particular aisle; such as food, cleaning supplies, and everything in between. The store is well lit and never seems to be overly crowded, even on weekends. However, I found staff appear to be few and far between. When I was unable to locate spaghetti sauce for instance, I searched for ten minutes attempting to locate someone to assist me. Needless to say I was unsuccessful.

I found the cashier to be a bit unfriendly but nothing I would consider rude.
Overall I’d describe my experience at Costco Wholesale to be a positive one, and I plan on shopping there again in the future.

Electronics Review – Panasonic TC-PS1 Series Plasma Displays

For HDTV shoppers who recognize that burn-in and product lifespan, two bugaboos that have plagued the public perception of plasma TVs since their introduction, are largely not worth worrying about today, one potential hurdle on the path to plasma remains: power consumption. Plasma has always used significantly more power than LCD. Panasonic aims to narrow that gap with a new plasma display panel it calls, naturally, Neo PDP. The least expensive of the company’s numerous 2009 plasma models to boast the new panel is the TC-PS1 series.

The new Panasonic design looks a lot like the old, albeit more rounded on the corners and the edges. The TC-PS1 series sports the hidden speakers that have become fashionable in HDTVs lately, with sound coming from underneath. Glossy black covers the entire frame, with a slim strip of silver shaped to mirror the gently curved bottom edge of the panel.

Aside from 1080p resolution, the power-saving Neo PDP panel represents the S1’s major feature improvement over the company’s entry-level TC-PX1 series.  The S1 models lack the THX display certification, 1080p/24-friendly refresh rate and VieraCast interactive add-ons found on the step-up G10 series.

Compared with a lot of other name-brand HDTV makers, Panasonic offers far fewer picture adjustments. Yes, the basics are there, including Contrast, which the company was calling Picture for years. We liked that all four of the global picture modes, including the dim-by-design Standard mode, are adjustable and that the fifth, called Custom, is independent per input.

Panasonic also offers ways to avoid temporary image retention, aka burn-in, and address it should it occur. A pixel orbiter slowly shifts the image around the screen, and you can elect to have it happen either automatically or in user-set periodic intervals. You can choose bright or dark gray bars alongside 4:3 programs. And if you do see some burn-in, chances are the scrolling bar function, which sweeps a white bar across a black screen, will clear it up after a while.

Overall the TC-PS1 series delivered excellent picture quality, with deep black levels and shadow detail, the former helping lend plenty of pop or saturation to colors. Color accuracy itself was an issue, but not enough to spoil an otherwise commendable performance.

Home and Garden review

My review of a Home and Garden store for MonkeyJar begins with my wife and I going to one of our local Lowe’s Hardware retail stores. We were looking for bits for my Dremel rotary tool. After doing some research on their prices on the internet we decided this was the place to go.

Upon entering their store we were greeted promptly and warmly by their retail sales staff, which started off the experience nicely, then we simply had to look up at the signs they have hanging to know where to begin our shopping, we then followed the signs to the tools section. When we arrived at what we perceived to be the proper section we saw a large poster depicting a Dremel we knew we had the right department, although the poster gives you the impression that the bits would be under it, it only took a moment to locate the right area as the tools section is laid out very well, and all the different bits (for Dremel, drill, and other rotary tool) are grouped together.

Right away we noticed that the prices were lower than those we saw on the internet which again made it a good shopping experience. I had a couple of questions about certain bits because they have more in stock than is listed on their internet site, but I was able to quickly find a retail associate located in the kiosk at the front of the department to ask. He answered my questions about the bits, although he did seem a bit reluctant to leave his post, so I had to bring them to him.

After making our selection my wife and I headed to the front of the store to check out, I had a couple of questions regarding their return policy and they were very helpful and explained their policy to me, and thanked us for shopping with them. Overall the shopping experience was quick, convenient, and pleasant, from looking them up on the internet, shopping the retail store, to writing the review for MonkeyJar.

Monkeyjar Writer Travels to Minnesota

Travel can be a wonderful experience, especially if you’re writing a review for Monkeyjar. On a recent trip to Minnesota I found that travel can also be a trying experience if you make online reservations with companies like United Airlines and Enterprise Car Rental.

My assignment from Monkeyjar was to find out what the average traveler would experience as a result of making all of their reservations online. One of the things I quickly discovered was that a traveler can become quite frustrated trying to find the best fares and convenient flights. As a Southwest Airlines Rewards member I began my quest at Southwest.com where I tried to find a flight between Reno and Minneapolis using their online reservation system. I did find I could travel via Southwest, but only if I was willing to spend hours sitting in Chicago, so I went to my other favorite online travel reservation site, Expedia.com. At Expedia I was able to make more convenient reservations on United Airlines and I also reserved a rental car from Enterprise.

Making online reservations and actually traveling are two very different experiences, of course. When it came time to fly I discovered that United Airlines doesn’t provide a very pleasant travel experience due to their policy of cramming everyone into the back of the plane unless you’re willing to cough up some extra dough. In fact, they wanted almost as much extra for a seat in the front of coach as I paid for the original ticket online! In addition, the lunch that was promised by the online reservations system wasn’t offered. Needless to say, I don’t look forward to the United Airlines experience any time soon.

Oh, and what about the rental car I reserved online? It was brand new, worked perfectly, got great mileage, and was fun to drive. So my experience with Enterprise was one I’ll gladly repeat.

Top Selling CD “Hello Love” Not Ready to Say Goodbye Yet – MonkeyJar Review

Anyone who listens to Christian music is sure to have heard the sounds of Chris Tomlin. Almost all of Tomlins’ work throughout the last several years has been in the top 10 for album sales and song downloads at one time or another. “Hello Love” is no exception.

Songs like, “Jesus Messiah” and “I Will Rise” are truly captivating and passionate songs of worship and praise that make Christian music what it is today. These songs engage your spirit into an overflow of love, emotion and passion that will leave you wanting more.

Not only has Chris taken the Christian Entertainment world by storm, but the secular culture too. With his hit song “Amazing Grace” (My Chains are Gone) from the blockbuster movie “Amazing Grace”, Chris earns himself another Dove award as Male Vocalist of the year in 2008, just one of 4 total Dove awards.

“Hello Love” is a cry out to God and to the world, a true exclamation of love through the gift of music and song. The CD proclaims the truth and fulfillment only found in Christ and his saving grace.

Like most of Tomlins work, this album was produced and recorded by the great Ed Cash at his home in TN. This record still captures the innocence of Chris’s voice, emotion through instrumentation, and unity that comes from prayer before heading into the studio. In review over the years, the audio quality continues to grow alongside of this ever-changing world of music.

Today’s Entertainment industry and product is more and more exclusively becoming absorbed by sexual innuendos and sex itself. More and more negative messages are being broadcast over the airwaves and television stations. With an open heart, and a open mind, one listen to this album from start to finish will instill a positive feeling, a spiritual connection and a sense of urgency to get out and make this world a better place.

If you are looking for something a little more positive musically, morally, and emotionally, you should be sure to buy this CD.

MonkeyJar supports this positive influence and you can too – Buy this CD through your MonkeyJar mall at Wal-Mart, Best Buy or iTunes.

“Hello Love” uplifted my soul and reminded me that I have purpose in my life and a reason to live.

MonkeyJar Eats Up Julie & Julia

At first glance, MonkeyJar thought Julie & Julia was going to be yet another chick flick, but we were oh-so-wrong. It is a foodie film from start to finish. If you do not leave this film ravenous, head straight to the grocery store and start shopping for the ingredients for your favorite butter/cream/cheese-filled recipe, then you will (at the very least) leave it and head to your favorite restaurant to eat your favorite butter/cream/cheese-filled item on the menu.

Director Nora Ephron does weave a romantic thread into the movie and you cannot help but fall in love with both Stanley Tucci as Paul Child and Chris Messina as Eric Powell (because who doesn’t deserve someone who values us that much), but it really is all about the food as Julie Powell (Amy Adams) cooks her way through all the recipes in Julia Child’s (Meryl Streep) groundbreaking first cookbook in one year. Running parallel to the story of Julie’s self-imposed cooking challenge and journey of self-discovery is the tale of how Julia Child overcame prejudice to become a Cordon Bleu chef and launched a career that lead to her becoming a household name in entertainment.

If you value your figure, do not see this movie because the Coq au Vin that you must eat afterwards will surely add an inch to your waistline. Otherwise, hit the Internet, buy your tickets online, and be sure to get the extra butter on your popcorn!

The Cabela’s Experience

You don’t have to hunt or fish to appreciate the over-the-top sports retail experience provided by Cabela’s, the outdoor outfitter chain headquartered in Sidney, NE. Find out why in this MonkeyJar review:

Cabela’s built its retail sports empire upon a world-famous mail order catalog business. Its website gives you instant access to tens of thousands of products. But even if slaying Bambi or landing a largemouth bass is the furthest thing from your mind, you owe yourself an experience at a Cabela’s retail location, whether its in your neighborhood or you’re just passing by.

One of the newest Cabela’s retail locations opened in Post Falls, Idaho to rave reviews. The huge 125,000 square foot retail showroom can be seen for miles during your approach. The entrance will remind you of an outdoor tourist attraction at a theme park or national monument.

Just inside the door a towering exhibit of world-class taxidermy displays big game animals in facsimiles of their natural environments, in different seasons. Bighorn sheep pose on mountain crags. Huge elk defiantly stare you down. A cougar threatens with a vicious snarl.

Everywhere you look, attractions vie for your attention. Huge game fish swim lazily in gigantic aquariums. Gleaming firearms shine in polished cases. There’s even a shooting gallery for the kids—but the parents have just as much fun plinking away at pheasant, deer, ducks and squirrel.

Why not stay for lunch? Take a break from shopping at Cabela’s White Pine Café. Order a deli sandwich made from elk, wild boar, buffalo or ostrich. The kids will love the ice cream novelty bars.

For an hour, or even two, Cabela’s is a great sports retail experience for the entire family. Casting a line or stalking a buck may not have been your thing when you walked in, but it could be on your way out.

Is MonkeyJar Ready for Plus Size Fashion?

I decided to treat myself to a small shopping spree at the local Lane Bryant. I have a hard time finding a well fitting and well made outfit in my size. They also are known for being a very good experience for the plus sized female shopper.

When I walked inside, the retail store was small. But each area was neatly filled with outfit displays, showing eye pleasing outfit combinations. Lane Bryant also uses a separate sizing system, making the shopping experience easier.

The store had day wear, evening wear, swimming wear, and very eye pleasing lingerie. The selections were of actual outfits that weren’t a XXL shirt, or a muumuu adding to the fun experience.

I particularly was shopping for some well made jeans that actually slimmed down my midsection but fit my smaller legs. The store clerks were all very happy to help me out, down to specifically measuring out the inseam and out seam of my legs and waist to determine my Lane Bryant size of a 6.

All the of staff were also wearing store outfits showing that they didn’t just work here, but enjoyed shopping here as well! All in all I walked out with 3 pairs of jeans, and some gorgeous tops to mix and match with. Is there room for a plus size store on MonkeyJar? I think so. Go and support this small chain in this bad economy- and tell them MonkeyJar sent you!