Review Bunker is a review blog where the goal is simply to review everything. Below are the latest reviews. In the About section you can read more about this blog and it's author. Comments are always appreciated, so if you've got something to say, please feel free!
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The third movie in a successful series of heist films, Ocean’s Thirteen did not disappoint - especially when compared to it’s predecessor, Ocean’s Twelve. I loved the fast pace of this film, as well as the “revenge” aspect to the storyline. Much like the other films, “Thirteen” involved a highly complicated plot to score a huge pile of money. The intricacies of the plan were clever and involved, keeping me interested in the progression, and as expected, the movie ends with a few plot twists that make you smile.
Some people might find that “Ocean’s Thirteen” is too predictable, but I feel that it varied enough from the first two in the series to set it apart, and it had many unique facets. Of course, the humor that marked the original two films is again present here - and done quite well. The entire cast of stars did an impressive job of not only working together, but once again playing their unique characters nicely. The ‘headliner’ Al Pacino does an especially great job at playing the ‘bad guy’ prick.
The only aspect of this film that I didn’t like was the showcase of non-existent and unlikely technological gadgets and computer tricks that the team is able to pull out of nowhere to complete their feat. I expected some of this imaginary gadgetry, as in the previous films, but I feel that this time it might have gotten just a bit too ridiculous.
If you were a fan of either of the first two Ocean’s movies, this is definitely a must-see - it is fun, involving, and clever.
What did you think of this movie? Have any movie recommendations for me?
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While it has been clear to me for quite a long time that newegg is a great place to buy computer hardware - as I have been their customer for many years, I’ve never actually had a chance to interact with their customer service department until today. I’m not going to write a formal review, but instead I will post my ‘live chat,’ chat log - which highlights just how great their service is:
Kevin: Hi, I recently ordered some parts, and realized that I bought an IDE drive instead of a SATA drive
Kevin: I would like to return the IDE drive
Kevin: and get a new one
Chloe: Unfortunately, we do not do exchanges; we only refund or replace with the same made/model.
Kevin: I understand, I am interested in a refund
Kevin: and I will place a separate order
Kevin: for the item I need
Chloe: Is the item (item # 13-128-059) unopened?
Kevin: The item I would like to return is an OEM item, and doesn’t have packaging
Kevin: it is number N82E16827106228
Kevin: according to my ‘order detail’ screen
Chloe: Since it is no worth to waste your time to send it back to us, I will make an exception to refund $24.99 to you directly.
Kevin: okay, that would be greatly appreciated
Chloe: Please hold on…
Kevin: holding
Chloe: I have refunded $24.99 to your source of payment.
Kevin: thank you very much
Chloe: Please allow approximately 3-5 business days for the funds to be available onto your account.
Kevin: okay
Chloe: You are welcome. Is there anything else I can assist you with today
Kevin: no, that is it - I am very happy with my order, thank you for the great support!
Chloe: Thank you for contacting us. Have a nice day!
Kevin: you too
I am not sure why they wouldn’t want their product back - but I can definitely say that I am a very satisfied customer today. If you haven’t ever had the chance to buy from newegg, I highly suggest it.
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We recently had dinner and took in the show at the Adams Mystery Playhouse in Denver, CO (2406 Federal Blvd). The tickets to the show were a birthday present for Crystal, and we ended up going with a group of 6 people. Tickets were $39 per person (including our add-on group members). The show we attended was “Murder at an Irish Wake,” and the entire experience was fun. The ‘theater’ is actually a converted house, which according to the staff at the show, used to be a mortuary. The way they have the place setup is actually pretty cool; before the show starts the audience is brought into a parlor/waiting area with a cash bar, and anyone interested is given a scavenger hunt to complete while they wait. The scavenger hunt is simple, but it kept us entertained before we were seated.
During the pre-show mingling time, the cast of the show is also interacting and talking with the audience. I personally talked to ‘the priest’ - gave a confession, and had fun chatting with him for a few minutes. Crystal was given an audience role, as were a handful of other audience members, to encourage audience interaction. A pretty large area of the house was converted into a dining room with a small stage. Once we were allowed into the dining room to take a seat, the staff started bringing one table at a time over to go through the buffet of catered food, while they sang a few Irish and Scottish songs, and kept everyone entertained.
The catered dinner choices were actually more limited than I imagined they would be, but were decent quality. We had salad, fruit trays, rice pilaf, baked chicken, and bread to choose from. I took some of everything, and although basic, it was satisfying. I had been expecting at least two choices of dinner entrees, and I was somewhat disappointed to only find chicken. The rice was very tasty. On the tables were pitchers of lemonade and water, and alcoholic drinks and sodas were available for purchase at the cash bar in the parlor. For desert we were offered coffee along with brownies and pirouline type cookies on trays.
The show lasted from about 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, and was very funny and entertaining. The entire cast was good, and had excellent comedic timing as well as commitment to their roles. The plot of the “murder mystery” was actually surprisingly complex, and all of the audience involvement helped get people in the mood for solving the crime. The Irish theme of the show was fun, and fit well with the recency of St. Patrick’s Day. At the end of the show we were all asked to form our tables into teams and decide which of the characters was the culprit. The entire experience was fun, and there was a mood of relaxed humor throughout the night.
I enjoyed the entire production, and I was satisfied, if not impressed with dinner. I enjoyed the effort and commitment that many of the cast put into their roles, and I would definitely be interested in seeing what other shows they come up with in the future. I am not sure if I would be willing to pay $39 per person on a regular basis to enjoy these shows, but I can see it being a fun outing every few months. If you are looking for a unique way to spend a fun evening in Denver, I would recommend checking out what’s playing at the Adams Mystery Playhouse.
Adams Mystery Playhouse (Denver, CO):
4/5
4/5
Have you ever been to a dinner theater?
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A Relic of the Dark Ages in Computer Hardware
Back when I actually played PC games regularly, a large monitor was one of the most desired pieces of hardware for a good gaming system, and the only way to not spend a load of money in the acquisition of a huge monitor was to buy a monstrous CRT. Of course, the downside of a CRT is the desk space it takes up, especially when you have a 21″ screen - but at the time it was worth trading desk real estate for screen real estate. It was the crown jewel of my geek kingdom. It was so heavy that anyone lifting it had a 56% chance of giving themselves a hernia. It graced my desktop for many years, dwarfing everything. My keyboard barely fit.
Unfortunately for my old 21″ IBM monitor, things change, and the old relic has been banished to the storage shed. It’s been replaced with an affordable, sleek, thin, and widescreen LCD from Acer. Advances in LCD technology paired with a drop in pricing made the switch irresistible.
The Acer AL2016WBbd 20″ Widescreen LCD
My new widescreen LCD is much more modern, and was a reasonably cheap replacement for the old behemoth. Costing me only $189.99, I feel that I’ve purchased a high quality, advanced piece of hardware for a very reasonable price. It fits on my desk perfectly (a nice change) and it modernizes my entire computer setup by 10 years.
Out of the box this LCD is very bright (almost too bright) and came with no dead pixels. I am used to the 1600 x 1200 screen resolution found on my IBM CRT, and I am a bit surprised by how different the 1680 x 1050 resolution is on this new Acer LCD. The missing 200 pixels of height makes such a difference in how I experience the desktop and other software I use. I am going through the process of teaching myself to use the width that a widescreen monitor provides.
The viewing angle of the AL2016WBbd 20″ LCD isn’t amazing, but it’s decent enough for most needs - I could see possible loss of quality if this were being run as a dual-monitor setup, where the user isn’t directly in front of the screen. I love the fact that the edging around the screen is thin, and the entire base is small and non-intrusive. The base has a nice rubbery surface on the bottom which keeps it in place, no sliding around which could be a potential issue as it is so light. The tilt range is pretty decent. Like many LCD monitors, it could use a height adjustment. The brightness, color, and contrast are all an improvement over what I am used to, and seem to perform well from highest to lowest setting. The clarity is outstanding. Basically, you get a lot of screen for a great price - it definitely seems bigger than expected once it’s setup. Although this Acer 20″ isn’t considered high-end, it has been great for all of my needs.
Acer AL2016WBbd 20″ Widescreen LCD Monitor: 
4.5/5
4.5/5
Now I just need to upgrade the rest of my 6 year old desktop system, and get rid of my old CRT. Anyone out there want to purchase a used 21″ IBM CRT for $25?… anyone?
Have you considered upgrading your old CRT to LCD? Already have an Acer AL2016WBbd? Tell me what you think of it!
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Tonight we decided to check out a newer restaurant near our house here in Fort Collins called Maya Cove. The Maya Cove website (which could definitely use a facelift) describes the restaurant as contemporary Caribbean/American cuisine in a relaxing Island atmosphere - I would say that this is a quite accurate description of the place, except that it also features a bar. The menu is diverse, with a range of sandwiches to steaks and pastas, most with a slight tropical spin. The atmosphere is very laid back, with a selection of wooden barstool-height tables and relaxed patio furniture to sit in, as well as tropical decorations and signs on the walls. The atmosphere was almost too relaxed, seeming more like a bar and grill than a sit-down restaurant. The food on the other hand was delicious and diverse, and definitely gave Maya Cove back some of it’s true restaurant credit. The Island atmosphere is successfully implemented, but some of the decor seemed a bit cheap.
To start out, we shared an artichoke dip appetizer ($8), which was pretty tasty. The dip came with freshly-fried tortilla chips that were very crunchy, as well as fresh vegetables. The dip didn’t stand out as anything unique, but tasted good. We ran out of chips well before the dip was gone, unfortunately. Crystal ordered a french dip sandwich ($8) for her entree, which was served with french fries and a pickle wedge. She enjoyed the french dip, citing it’s quality meat, and she particularly liked the french fries. I ordered a Buffalo Shrimp Po’Boy sandwich ($10), which contained 4 buffalo-sauce-dipped tiger shrimp of pretty decent size on a sandwich with lettuce, ranch, and tomatoes. The tomatoes were fresh and juicy, as were the shrimp. The sandwich as a whole was delicious, but very messy to eat (shrimp kept flying out of my sandwich, and my hands were nearly constantly covered in either buffalo sauce or ranch dressing). I had never had shrimp on a sandwich before this Maya Cove offering, and I was pleasantly surprised at the result. They also serve fish tacos, something I haven’t been brave enough to try in the past, but might have to return to Maya Cove for in the future. My sandwich was also served with french fries and a pickle wedge. We unfortunately didn’t sample any of the tropical drinks being offered on the drink menu this time around. We also didn’t have any desert, as they didn’t seem to offer any.
Our service was great, which wasn’t a surprise, as there were very few customers around. The bar area had a few patrons, hanging out to watch hockey and basketball, but our server, Chris, had enough time to check on us multiple times, as well as tend the bar, and keep everyone happy. He seemed to really enjoy hanging out at the restaurant, and knew many of the coming and going customers by name. I definitely enjoyed the friendly and relaxed atmosphere created by the staff and other customers - maybe a true extension of Caribbean ambiance?
Overall, we were a bit surprised by the atmosphere of Maya Cove, but we enjoyed the relaxed feel, as well as the food. The pricing wasn’t cheap, but couldn’t be considered expensive either, and I was happy with the variety of choices on the menu. The great service and friendly staff definitely made us feel welcome. I recommend Maya Cove Restaurant to anyone looking for a unique dining experience in Fort Collins.
Maya Cove Restaurant (Fort Collins, CO): 4/5
4/5
Have you eaten at Maya Cove? What do you think about their menu choices on their website?
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