Bottle Water Round-Up!

Welcome to the Bottle Water Review!
You thought I was pulling your leg, HA! So as you can see by the half way decent picture to the left that I've gone out and purchased every Name Brand Bottle of Water that I could find and sat down and tried and reviewed each and everyone. Who won? Why the heck are you asking at the beginning of the review? Come on! Also my Girlfriends Cat helped with the Taste section... Yeah a Cat... He's Water snob who better then him? On with it we go! The water was judge first on Taste, then on the Bottle Structure. Let's Begin shall we?

CONTREX - For starters I had never had this water before so I was actually looking forward to trying it. Unfortunately I was disappointed by it. It had a strong "Earthy" taste to it, that lingered in my mouth even after I had moved on to try the next Brand. I ultimately had to brush my teeth and continue this practice in between each trial so that I didn't have the same results. The bottle was very awkwardly shaped, but actually easy to grip and I wouldn't worry about it toppling over. I would worry about it slipping from my hand due to the fact that it's so bottom heavy. Over all this French Company has nothing going for it other than the fact that it's apparently made for women... I read that after trying it so who knows maybe being a man I don't like it. I give it kudos for as the tag says, "Contrex helps replenish your body and is a good, natural source of the calcium that women may lack when watching their calories." I'm going out on a limb here to say this waters suppose to help you watch your weight. I guess it's all that calcium that I was tasting in the back of my mouth. The Cat didn't like it either, he only tried one sip before walking away and looking at the other bottles.

Taste - 3

Bottle Shape - 5

Lid - 8
Cat - 1

Score - 4.3

EVIAN - I was actually disapointed that Evian scored so low once I compared it to other Waters. Especially when it's fifty cents to a dollar more than other brands. The taste was okay, but it did leave a faint after taste that I didn't care for. The Cat liked this one slightly better taking three sips before quiting and looking at me like I was trying to piss him off or something. The bottle was almost the exact opposite of Contrex, this time being top heavy and I would worry about it toppling over but not out of my hand. The grip was very good though, and the plastic of the bottle was super thick (Not ECO Friendly if I do say so myself).

Taste - 5
Bottle Shape - 5
Lid - 8
Cat - 3
Score - 5.3

FIJI - I went with the smaller bottle of Fiji, due to the fact that I would not judge the bottle grip and size fairly. I've knocked over way to many big bottles of Fiji to give it anything over a 3. As for the small one I enjoyed it's shape and size, I think that it's unique and practical enough. The taste was excellent, no after taste and it didn't leave a film or anything in my mouth. The Cat cried for more after finishing an entire lid full so I think he rated it pretty high. The Lid was the average lid size but worked best for the bottle. The previous two were both slightly bigger but again work well with the bottle.

Taste - 10
Bottle Shape - 6
Lid - 7
Cat - 10
Score - 8.3

CRYSTAL GEYSER - For myself the taste was all chemicals and I didn't enjoy it at all, but surprisingly it didn't leave an after taste so I could rip it on that. The cat for some reason drank that whole thing but didn't go for seconds when poured more so I won't say he gave it a 10 either. Bottle was practical and resembles the old Arrowhead/New Aquafina bottles.

Taste - 4
Bottle Shape - 8
Lid - 7
Cat - 8
Score - 6.8

DASANI - This one was another disappointment, the price, the taste. I once heard that the French bathed in this water... I think that's probably a good use for it. Tasted like salt, left a faint after taste but it you got past the taste then it probably wouldn't bother you. The bottle was too think and again way to much plastic was used to make it. The Lid was of average size but would have evened out the bottle if it was wider. The Cat didn't really care for it either and only drank half of the lid. I know your thinking, "He was probably tired of water." I'll remind you again, this Cat is a water snob and drinks a lot of water!

Taste - 5
Bottle Shape - 4
Lid - 5
Cat - 7
Shape - 5.3

AQUAFINA - Surprisingly this one scored around what I thought it would. Average taste, no after taste. It's lid size is way to big and completly impractical, if you were to drink this while flying down the highway you are almost sure to spill it. The grip is almost too big grip but not as bad as Dasani. I think its taste is better in smaller form, probably because they use less plastic to make the small bottles. Overall it was very decent but didn't have enough to make it stand out.

Taste - 7
Bottle Shape - 5
Lid - 2
Cat - 6
Score - 5.0

ARROWHEAD WATER - Overall this company does the best job of making practical, good tasting, fairly priced water. Their new ECO-FRIENDLY bottle shape is designed for a better grip and uses less plastic than before. I myself drink this water everyday due to it's affordable nature but tried not to let that sway my judgment.

Taste - 9
Bottle Shape - 10
Lid - 8
Cat - 10
Score - 9.3

SMART WATER - I personally like Smart Water a lot, but when you first try it the taste is a little different. It's not a bad taste it has a lot to due with how it's made. It's not spring water or mineral water it's Vapor Distilled. After the initial first taste I found it to be quite refreshing. The tall bottles are a little awkward but I enjoyed the shape and found them easy to grip but wouldn't recommend putting them in your cup holder. To answer your question, no it doesn't make you smarter that refers to the way it's made. It's made smarter. The price is actually pretty good considering how much you get for it. Overall I'd say it's a great product that I hope will continue into the future.

Taste - 9
Bottle Shape - 8
Lid - 9
Cat - 10
Score - 9.0

And the Winah! Arrowhead Water with a score of 9.3. In second place Smart Water with a score 9.0 and Fiji Water whose bottle shape hurt them the most with a score of 8.3. The Best Taste Award goes to Fiji with it's perfect score of 20 since the Cat and I both gave it a 10! I think it needs to be said that my Girlfriend came home around the time I finished this. I made her try the Contrex made for women and she said it was bland and lacking taste so it must really not be for guys at all. Thanks for reading and why not try some of these fine brands that I'll receive zero dollars for reviewing!

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Stranger than Fiction (2006) DVD

Stranger than Fiction

Directed by: Marc Forster
Written by: Zach Helm

Starring: Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhall,
Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman,
Queen Latifah and Tony Hale.

It's not like this movie is new or anything, in fact you probably wanted to see it in the theater but there was probably something else out at the time or it was released on that weird week where nothing else comes out and you really didn't want to have to solely commit to it when standing in line for tickets. Something to that extent. Now a days I have a hard time sitting down and watching a rental, I'm afraid I'm going to get bored or see the ending coming and it's rare to find a movie that I'm in the right mood for. Stranger than Fiction was one of those movies for me, I wanted to watch it but I wanted to be in the right mood for it so that I didn't judge the movie to harshly and take it for what it is and not what I would have made it into.

The thing about good movies... they can change your mood, they can take you out of a funk and put you at ease. This movie did that for me. I'm not going to drone on and on about what the movies about, I'll just simply say it's about Harold Crick (Ferrell) who is the main character of a book, only he's a real person. One day he hears a narration while brushing his teeth. The Narration continues through his day to day life until taking a nasty turn for the worst and simply says, "Little did he know that this simple, seemingly innocuous act would ultimately result in his death." Thus spilling the proverbial beans that our Main Character is in fact on his way to a timely death. Like any person he wants to find out why he's going to die and what he can do to change the ending.

That's all I'll tell you because that's all you should know going in to the movie. I'll admit that when I first heard the plot of this movie I thought, "Sounds Chessey." Well I was wrong. Will Ferrel and frankly everyone on the cast do a wonderful job, and each character is just fun to watch. Gyllenhall and Ferrel give great performances and interact with each other amazingly but you'll be hard pressed to decide who you want to see more Hoffman or Gyllenhall? Both characters are interesting and make you laugh so I guess you'll just have to decide for yourself. What I like most about this movie and other movies that I would group in this same genre, is that they have heart. They make you laugh, but then at the end they truly have heart and were able to strike a chord with the audience. I have read good reviews and bad reviews and perhaps if I watched it again I would find some inconsistencies but again it's a good movie. Good movies should just be watched and enjoyed, not over analyzed based on the Star of the movie. I have to give this movie a 10.0 because few movies make me regret not seeing them in the theater and also convince me to pick up the DVD at the same time. Even if your still 'Iffy' about it at least rent it and allow it to change your mood for you.

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The Plain Janes - From Minx Comics

The Plain Janes

Written by: Cecil Castellucci
Art by: Jim Rugg
Published by: Minx Comics / DC Comics

Release Date: May 16, 2007

Hello Again, it's time for another review! Today's comic is actually considered a Young Adult Book so rub your nose in that! Any ways, The Plain Janes is the first from DC Comics Young Adult line "MINX" and they have quite a few books coming out so if you really like Young Adult stories or Manga, or your a girl, you might like these books. What? Oh that last comment came off as sexist? Nope sorry but each and every book coming out stares a girl and is geared towards capturing the female comic reader and why not? There's room for everyone to read comics, and kudos for DC for trying to be the first to capture it. Heck, if the rest of the books turn out half as good as Plain Janes did, then we might actually get some good stories out of their exploits towards women. Whoa! That paragraph took a lot out of me!

Allow me to sum the book up for you in the simplest of ways possible without directly plagrising the back of the book. Jane narrates the book for us as we follow her moving to a small town, to "Be Safe" as her parents put it. She was a victim of an attack while living in the city and now her parents fear for her safety. Of course doing what any parent would do, they move to the suburbs. Being the new kid Jane gets that free pass into the "Cool Kids Club" but turns it down opting to either A) be alone or B) sit with the rejects. Well it's not to hard to see where I'm going with this, she picks the cool kids... psyche! Not funny? Ah well any ways, she sits down at a table of three girls and begins ranting away (SEE SIDE) and what else do you do when meeting new people? You introduce yourself. Jane cracks up with laughter as she meets Three other Janes.

Now that introduces you to the book, that's the hook that they sell you on for the most part but it doesn't tell you anything about the book right? Well we have to go back to the attack that Jane lived through. See she saved a man's life, but this man didn't have a wallet or anything on him. Just a sketch book with the words, "Art Saves" written on the front. Unfortunately the man was knocked into a coma and having no I.D., became John Doe. Before moving away Jane would go and visit 'John' each day in the hospital and talk to him about her day and about Art. Let's go forward, Jane is having a problem getting the Janes to talk to her and finding her place in the school. After many failed attempts to join all the clubs all the Janes were interested in she quite literally stumbles upon an idea. Uniting the Janes, shes makes a 'Girl Art Gang' called P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art In Neighborhoods) They begin leaving 'Art' everywhere, starting with a vacant lot that's soon to become a strip mall. The Janes sneak out and pick up all the trash and rubble, making it into three pyramids and attaching a note. I don't want to ruin the note for you so you can just read the page to the side instead. They follow that by putting bubbles in the town fountain, Stuffed animals at the animal shelter; and wrapping ordinary objects all over town from mail boxes to statues.

On my own made up scale I would give this book a straight up 10.0 and highly recommend picking it up. The art fits the story perfectly and even though the book looks a little thick I read it in twenty minutes. It could be that it was just that good so I whizzed through it, but I have a feeling anyone willing to pick this book up will have a similar experience. Now as I said this book is predominately geared towards women, but that's what makes it great. Books like this and 'Blue Monday' always have these characters you wish you knew, I wish that I went to school with Jane. Then there's the romantic interest, the Male Character that you wish you were or knew. Everyone thinks they're that interesting 'Lone Wolf' at least once in there life and this book gives you that character that is actually cooler than you ever were. Please pick up a copy of this book and support it, it retails for just $9.99. That's like getting three comics and knowing each of them is going to be really, really good! Thanks for reading feel free to let me know if you picked up the book and leave a comment on what you thought about it!

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