Tip O Da Day Recommends…

Rack-O

noreply@blogger.com (Pete) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:07:00 +0000

The best card game, no one has ever heard of. In Rack-O you try to be the first to line up your cards from lowest to highest, without re arranging the cards you have. You have to draw and discard cards and hope no one else beats you to do it. You can go for the quick victory and score 75 points, but if you can wait and get three cards in sequential order you get 50 bonus points, but only if you win. If someone else beats you to it, there is no bonus. Original Rack-O is a simple, addictive card game that doesn't have any wild cards or mess like that. Newer versions of the game are a little less true to form, but you can easily ignore the wild cards and play straight.

Explaining the game and why it is so fun is hard to do, but simply stated, it is just the most fun you'll ever have loosing to me in a card game

Jack in the Box

noreply@blogger.com (Blair) — Sat, 24 May 2008 23:30:00 +0000

The fast food burger joint is gaining fast in popularity but they've been around a long time. The reason you probably havent heard of them is what they don't want you to know.

"In 1993, Jack in the Box suffered a major crisis involving E. coli bacteria. Some people (many of them children) died and others became sick after eating undercooked patties contaminated with the bacteria at locations in the Seattle area and other parts of the Pacific Northwest. The chain was faced with several lawsuits, each of which was quickly settled. Due to the backlash reaction to the crisis, Jack in the Box closed every single location in Colorado by May 1996." (Wikipedia)

I find it appalling that they think they can act like it never happened. Eat there at your discretion.

WLEX Channel 18

noreply@blogger.com (Pete) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:55:00 +0000

The local NBC affiliate has fallen out of favor after pre-empting coverage of the LIVE US Figure Skating National Championships to show a 3 hour special on the African-American Ball from the previous weekend that they could have shown any time. They added insult to injury by advertising on their website that their HD channel was going to show the figure skating, but changed plans one day in advance to also show the Ball on HD. I know I want to watch previously live skating from 2-5am instead of sleeping. One question... Can you return a slightly used HD tuner?

-Renee

Miguel's

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:56:00 +0000

Located in Natural Bridge Park right by Red River Gorge. This is a must stop for all hikers, campers, and climbers. They offer pizzas in 2, 4, and 8 pieces (1/4, 1/2, and 16''). You can mix and match any toppings or sauces of your choice. They also serve Ale-8-One. This is a great place to end a day of exercise and outdoorsy time.

Surf's Up Grille

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 03:07:00 +0000

Located at/near Fayette Place across from Bella Notte. We went as a group of twelve on a Friday night, which should not have been a problem because there weren't many people there. It took a long time to get even our drink orders. We were there about an hour before getting our food at this semi-fast food restaurant. The french fries were disgusting. The burger bun was slightly burnt. A friend's quesadilla looked like bean paste in a burnt tortilla.

Summary: bad food; bad service

Graeters

noreply@blogger.com (Blair) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 23:55:00 +0000

I went to the Graeters in Palomar Center and bought a butter pecan ice cream cone that costs $3.71 but I only had $3.57 in cash on me at the time so I paid with the cash I had and offered to pay the remaining 14 cents with my credit card (multiple format transactions can be done at the register) and they said dont worry about it. They saved me 14 cents!

Beef O' Bradys Family Sports Pub

noreply@blogger.com (Pete) — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:02:00 +0000

In the middle of the lunch day, this reviewer ate lunch with a large group and was greeted with horribly slow service. When our lackluster food did come, this reviewer was greeted with a very large hair baked into his sandwich. Totally gross.

I did leave it on the receipt as a tip.

American Freight Furniture

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 19:15:00 +0000

Furniture is EXPENSIVE. But why pay full price for it, when most of what you're paying for is advertising, showroom costs and sales commissions? Why not head down to American Freight furniture on 272 W. New Circle Rd. in Lexington. They're basically a crude warehouse with lots of brand new, but never claimed freight offered at discount rates. You'll think you're pulling into a shady place, but when you step inside, you'll see lots of great furniture, and a very helpful staff. And "se habla español!"

McDonald's Sweet Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 19:14:00 +0000

This recommendation is coming from a true sweet tea connoisseur. (Btw, I vow to learn to spell that word some day.) I mean, I have taste-tested sweet tea from all over, and have to say McDonald's new sweet tea (not available in all areas) is very high ranking. And at present, for only a dollar for 32 ounces of sugary goodness, you can't go wrong!

Sallie Mae

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:59:00 +0000

Sallie Mae is worthy of our utmost scorn, for many reasons. The multi-billion-dollar student loan servicer/provider engages in a lot of questionable accounting, billing and lending practices, and preying on some of the most financially unstable individuals in society--recent college grads. A class action suit against them calls to the table lots of shady dealings with hundreds of thousands of Sallie Mae's customers. A few things Sallie Mae has done that will make you hate her:

First, Sallie Mae offers independently-funded student loans, that are subject to intense interest rate spikes. (Mine is currently at 9.25% and rising.)

Second, Sallie Mae has clauses in their contracts that state they reserve the right to hold onto your loans, and not allow them to be bought out by other lenders. (Which they did to me). Because of student loan laws, it's also not possible to get a line of credit to pay for these loans, so you're pretty much stuck with Sallie if you have her.

Third, their accounting practices. If you miss a payment, or are late, they will show you a line item for "Late Fee" but with a dollar amount of "0.00." That seems nice, right? Wrong. The bloated lender will actually add a $20 late fee into your principal, which means you not only pay the $20, you also pay capitalized interest on it, often at an exorbitant rate. What's more, good old Sallie made a huge accounting error resulting in undercharging 800,000 of its customers for a year. Rather than take the responsibility for the clerical error, they instead billed their customers for the entire amount, and I think even charged them back interest on their "missed payments" as they should have known the proper amount.

Fourth, they're "in bed" with a lot of Financial Aid offices and politicians. They have friends in high places to ensure that Sallie Mae is the lender of choice, and to ensure that they can continue to engage in questionable practices. They basically have undercut all smaller lenders creating a monopoly.

Fifth, they have many ways to double their money at your expense. If you ever become late in making your payments, and your account goes to collection, the agency they use is actually owned by Sallie Mae. They often will still have their collection agency collect all its fees even once disputes are resolved.

Sixth, they have iron-clad contracts that lock you into a lot of fine print (like not being able to sell your loan, and also a clause that prevents you from suing them unless you first take up the matter with an arbitrator.)

Seventh, if you're ever in any hardship, they actually charge you a hefty fee (that you have to pay in CASH) to defer your loans, or obtain a forbearance. If you can't pay it, your loans will default. Oh, and during that time, you'll be accruing not just interest, but CAPITALIZED interest, in which you pay thousands more for the same amount.

Kick Sallie Mae to the curb.

Holiday Inn

noreply@blogger.com (Pete) — Sat, 26 May 2007 12:34:00 +0000

Despite the name, you'll be glad when your vacation is over and you can go back home. We were surprised when we got to the room, they had a "Pillow Menu" sitting on the bed, it advertised that they are a few different pillow options depending on your preference, just call the front desk and they'll get you the kind of pillow your head likes. But the front desk had no idea what you were talking about, they had to ask someone else who then had to sort through a small assortment of pillows to inform you that they didn't have the type you requested. Their free wireless internet is painfully slow (tested in Tennessee and Texas), it felt like everyone in the hotel was sharing one AOL account. Plus there is this Sign of Cheesyness™:

Oh yeah, and the hotels kind of smell.

Beef O' Bradys Family Sports Pub

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda) — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:47:00 +0000

Located in Palomar Center by Great Harvest. This chain restaurant has amazing wings - get the garlic flavored. The curly fries are also yummy. A couple friends got beer battered onion rings and were quite happy about them. They have indoor/outdoor seating. While the service wasn't stellar, the food was great. It's a little restaurant that is nice alternative to Applebee's or other bigger chains.

American Airlines

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 14:46:00 +0000

Congratulations, American Airlines, for earning the absolute lowest rating possible for your shockingly horrible service! (Three strikes, you're out.) We "award" American Airlines this "destigious" award for a variety of reasons. First, strike one, poor treatment of baggage. I was flying to Texas for a shoot, and carried my HD camera on with me, but of course, had to gate check it, where I thought it would be more safely treated. Upon re-arrival in Lexington, my lens had been forcibly jostled off the camera and was left opened up for scratches or damage. It will need to be sent back for cleaning and possible repair. Of course I was frustrated and annoyed, but figured these things happen, so wanted to call Customer Service. Here comes strike two. AA does not publish ANY phone number for customer service. It's basically saying "we do NOT want to talk to you, and we expect you will have problems." Niiiice. So, you have to fill out a clunky web-based email form, which I did, and received a prompt auto-reply. Strike three: a week later, no reply. Even in my spam. Nothing. Not a word. Strike four: I finally decided to call the one number they did list--for "returns and refunds" which was a pay call, not toll free. When I did call, I went through nearly 10 minutes of informational messages, and heard them repeat my ticket number approximately 8 times, only to finally reach the coveted "press 0 for an operator," which I did. But, the phone rang once and said everyone was busy, and hung up on me! So, I find myself completely unable to discuss the matter with anyone, and when using their only method available to communicate, they still won't respond. Aside from not giving you nuts on the plane, American Airlines' blatant disregard for customer service and mankind in general not only places them in the mile-high, three-strike club, it also literally makes me wonder how they're still in business.

Tony Roma's

noreply@blogger.com (Blair) — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 02:27:00 +0000

Located near Jospeh Beth Booksellers this place serves everything from Ribs, Seafood, to Steaks. And for those who dont mind getting a little messy they have a BBQ Sandwich with sweet BBQ sauce and a hot brownie ice cream sundae on the dessert menu that is sure to leave you full.

Broadway Kino

noreply@blogger.com (Kris) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 22:36:00 +0000

Broadway Kino!
The Broadway Kino is a movie theater in Germany that shows movies in the original language. That's right, a non-military movie theater that shows movies in English in Germany! How cool is that? Well, it gets cooler...while the military theaters have to wait for one of the 7 copies they receive of a new movie to make it to a local theater to have one showing on one weekend, the Kino releases movies at the same time they are released in the US! Plus, their lobby is a cool piano bar. That's right, they have big red couches, and a full bar!
Just like in the US, you can call ahead and get your tickets early. Like the I-Max, you have assigned seating, but unlike the I-Max, you have the ability to choose your seat so all your friends can sit together, even if they get there late! And the best thing is that unlike at the military theaters, they have more than one worker at the front, and you don't have to stand before the previews for the national anthem!

Windstream

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 04:46:00 +0000

If you're looking for an Internet Service Provider that costs a lot, goes down often, has poor customer service, tells their employees conflicting information, and bills you about $15 more than advertised, Windstream is the company for you! From the beginning I should've known better than to go with Windstream, but I thought I'd take the cheaper route. When I first setup service, I was told by one employee that my order was confirmed, but a day later called only to find out that I never existed. I also was told the service cost one price, but a higher price by the second rep. I was also told once that a phone line was not required, but then later found out that was only a myth. When I cancelled my appointment, they showed up anyway, and somehow also sent two modems (which both took about 3 weeks to arrive--"which is normal," according to customer service.) My service has been going down at least once a week and hold time for customer service typically is 30 minutes. Oh, and my supposedly cheaper service is padded in about $15 of taxes, fees, and special services.

Vonage

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 04:37:00 +0000

We've all seen/heard the commercials "woo hoo, woo hoo hoo" annoyingly in the background. But this is one brand that delivers on its promise: "a better phone service for less." Vonage, a Voice-Over-IP telephone company, provides telephone services over the internet. So, for a flat monthly rate, you get either a set amount, or unlimited minutes, and your phone plugs into a provided modem rather than a phone jack. At a rate much cheaper than most local plans that DON'T include long distance, Vonage's minutes are local or long-distance; even international. Here are a few great boasts about Vonage. 1. Take your number anywhere. If you have your modem with you, your number goes where you do, be it a different state or a different country. All you need is Internet. 2. "Simul-ring." This feature enables your Vonage account to ring another phone (or 5) if you think you may miss your call in the office. Whichever phone picks up first answers the call. 3. Great voicemail options. An array of voicemail options are included. The standards which include time-sensitive messages, and caller-based voicemail, but also automatic web voicemail enables you to check your messages just by logging onto your account--no phone needed. Vonage is an outstanding company you will not be disappointed with.

Rating:    1/2 4.5 out of 5 Apples

Jonathan's At Gratz Park

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 04:31:00 +0000

Jonathan's, a five-star dining experience, has pretty outstanding food. But what's consistently not outstanding is the service. My trip to Jonathan's was with a very well-dressed crowd on a weekend night when it wasn't very busy. Still, our table was neglected for refills on drinks, our initial order, and our check. Our food took the better part of an hour to be delivered, and only after multiple requests from our "server." Typically we don't decommend a restaurant based on one trip; however, we had heard from many others who dined at Jonathan's that service was equally poor. These shenanigans are expected at low-priced chains like Applebee's and Chili's, but not at a restaurant with few items under $30.

Pazzo's Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 04:27:00 +0000

While they make outstanding pizza, calzones and the like, and have a fun collegiate atmosphere, we have to decommend Pazzo's Pizza Pub for consistently poor service. Multiple trips to Pazzo's during varied hours of the day and week have proven extremely slow service. Drinks take longer than 15 minutes (and good luck with a refill) and don't count on your pizza being ready for 45-minutes to an hour, maybe longer if you're in a large group. Oh, and never bring a service dog in or the wait staff and owner will ignorantly preach to you about how your "pet" is not allowed in the restaurant. Other things never to ask for: a to-go box, or your check. Both will take a long time to be delivered. Bottom line, if you have plenty of time to kill and want a good piece of pizza, head to Pazzo's. If you get frustrated by waiting and negligent service, try Joe Balogna's.

Nicholasville Paint

noreply@blogger.com (Jay) — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 04:19:00 +0000

Nicholasville Paint provided me with one of the finest shopping experiences I've ever had! I was surprised, I must say. The gentleman who greeted me was actually one of the owners, a nice older man with a kind face. Based on the way I was dressed, I was not the typical Nicholasville clientele, and I quickly informed him I was looking for only one gallon of paint. Yet, he walked me around the store, helped me find the proper color and finish, and asked me if I needed any other items. When I mentioned brushes, he quickly led me to the cheaper of the brushes, informing me that they worked just as well as the pricier ones. As he rang me up, I received a hand-written invoice sheet and was informed that he gave all his customers a contractor's discount, whether they bought one or one thousand gallons. He sincerely thanked me for my business and even invited me to his church. You just don't get this kind of service anymore! I told him I'd return for a staining project I had, and I did, and they were equally helpful. Prices, great. Service, extraordinary. And right here in Nicholasville!

Nicholasville Paint
228 Wilson Drive
Nicholasville, KY 40356
859-885-4304

Rating:      5 out of 5 apples

Pizza Hut - Nicholasville, KY

noreply@blogger.com (Pete) — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 18:15:00 +0000

The Pizza Hut lunch buffet is a wonderful concept. But turns out the idea is easier to implement than the actual running of a restaurant. During one sumer day last year, members of the Tip O Da Day Labs went undercover into an unassuming restaurant in Pizza Hut's home state. They had everything you would expect from a place that sold pizza. Lots of yummy, piping hot pizza. However they were severely lacking in things you would expect from a restaurant. After being rudely shown our seat we went up to grab some pizza off the buffet, only to find that there were no plates (or bowls for that matter). Luckily our opps team was made just of guys, so we quickly realized we could just eat it like we would have home, just pick up the piece and eat it with our hands. But one thing you do need is napkins. No utensils with their convent napkin wrapper were given to us. So one member of our team, to protect our true identities we'll call him "Fowler". So Fowler went up and found their napkin stash and grabbed a couple for the team. Into about our second piece of pizza the waitress comes up and asks what we would like to drink. I kindly ask "Can I get a root beer?" "NO", um ok. "Can I get a Pepsi then??" Needless to say we were excited when the five bowls were brought out, we beat a couple of kids to the buffet to grab em, cause you just eat a salad with only a napkin.

This same level of service continued and just to top it all off, it was so cold in there that there was condensation dripping from the air-conditioner. There were many other details I could go into, such as getting our own refills at a sit down restaurant, but I think you get the point. We took the phone based customer survey printed on the receipt. And after 13 minutes of automated questions, none of which actually asked if we actually had silver-wear, they were more concerned with the cleanliness of the parking lot. I finally got to talk to a person, and she was speechless for a few seconds after I told our story. We got a free pizza out of the deal, but I just don't know where I'm going to use it.

I wish any part of this story were hyperbole or exaggerated, but its not. The Pizza Hut in Nicholasville, KY is actually the site of the worst restaurant service ever!