Wednesday, September 28, 2011

$2 Free Credit in Amazon MP3 Store

Get a $2 MP3 credit from Amazon, by entering promo code FALLMP3S. No purchase and no social media action required, just use the credit to add two free songs, take half off today's $3.99 MP3 album (Patti Smith's Outside Society). I'm thinking of using mine to get the $1.99 album 99 Must-Have Classic Gold, which will leave me with a penny credit to use later. LOL!


A few other choices:

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Kindle Books Now At Local Libraries

     I am reading the newest book in the Kay Scarpetta series from Patricia Cornwell for free on my kindle. How you ask as it is 9.99 at Amazon.  We checked it out from the local library. The best place for free books has gone wireless, and not just here in Knox County but likely in your county too. Go to your library website, and enjoy reading for free or a small one time fee (cost is different from county to county). Even better enjoy this great value without leaving your home as even if you don't have a kindle most libraries now let you check out books on-line and then mail them to you.

Brian

Monday, September 26, 2011

Peeling Pears

     The danger of picking pears or anything from the garden is that you then have to either eat it immediately or find a way to store it for later. Rotting vegetables or fruit is great for making compost but it means you end up spending money in winter on things you had plenty of in summer, such a waste. The problem is it only takes a couple of hours of peeling pears to understand how underpaid people working in the canning factory are.

Brian

Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Danger of MMO's

     So I joined an MMO, which is a Massively Multi player Online game. They are often free as is the one I joined Stronghold Kingdoms. They are also slowly addictive. They work on the basis of you have to keep checking in to maintain your move upward. They make money by offering you short cuts for money. Watch out for that and do not get started paying. I fully understand how kids today have no time to play outside. Ten minutes at their favorite MMO, ten minutes at Facebook, watch a couple of videos at YouTube and next thing you know another hour has gone by. So if you are thinking about a MMO, limit yourself.

Brian

Friday, September 23, 2011

Dog Training

     Since we finished intermediate dog training class for Chesty, my step moms new Rottweiler, I was thinking what would you do if you didn't have 99 dollars a class to spend to train your dog. So I did a search of dog training books at Amazon and came up with one strange free book for training Hunting Dogs, and 10 books under a dollar you can choose from to train your dog. This list is in no particular order so please investigate on your own before purchasing.

 1. Effective Dog Training for Your Puppy
 2. How I Trained my Trick Dog Snow White
 3. It's Not the Dog - Behavior training For Humans
 4. The Happy Dog Manual
 5. Puppy Training, Puppy Proof Your Home and Obedience Training the Natural Way
 6. Good Dog, Happy Dog
 7.  Training your Dog
 8. Puppy Essentials: How to Raise a Well Behaved Pooch
 9. Americas's Favorite Dog Training Tips: How to be the Dog Whisperer of Your Dreams
10. Training a Puppy

    Ten Chances to end up with a better dog than if you didn't get any help at all.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

New Additon to Worth Reading List

     A thriller with excellent reviews, The Manicurist is now free at the Kindle store. This is the type of thriller that makes you want to stay up late to find out what happened. Who needs sleep anyway, right?  Rainy days are coming so make sure you have this one on your Kindle and loaded to go.

Brian

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Twitter Promo for Android

     For those who have a Twitter account, be sure to click HERE and follow the directions to get a free $2 credit in the Amazon Android Appstore. You'll have until December 15th, 2011, to use the credit. Don't be surprised if it doesn't work the first time or two you try it (if twitter usage is too high, it can take a few tries). When it does work, you'll see a green Congratulations message and can then go spend your $2 in the Appstore. While you are there, be sure to pick up today's free game, Happy Vikings.

Christmas Jobs are Taking Applications

     I was walking around the strip mall the other day, and I saw hiring signs at a number of the bigger stores. For you that are unemployed that means get out your navy suit and sensible dress shoes and start putting in applications before the employed remember they need extra money for the holidays, and get a temp job to help extend or restart that unemployment.

Brian

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Free Game for Your Kindle

     For a limited time the game Pirate Stash is free for your Kindle. It is a puzzle game so it helps you work your brain while eating up time during those long unemployed days. Good reviews so should also be fun.

Brian

Monday, September 19, 2011

More Legally Free Music

     Amazon came out with a list of free new artist so here is the best off that list plus a couple of blues pieces worth owning. First is a cool electronica song from the band Little Dragon called Ritual Union. Next is a sweet dance piece from Jessica 6 called White Horse. The third worth listening to is another numbered band, this one more of a singer songwriter style piece from Nick 13 called Carry My Body Down.  On to the Blues songs of the week. If you  haven't heard of Roomful of Blues yet they are just a very sweet, tight band with some wonderful music. The free one reminds me of a couple of other pieces but from what I could dig up is actually an original called Talkin' to You Eye to Eye. Finally we have the very talented and imaginative Son Seals with the simply titled Sadie. Some tasty sounds in today's group so enjoy.


Brian

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Legally Free Music Available Today

      A Classic hit from Foreigner Feels Like the First Time is now available free at Amazon. This was a top ten single in its day, and is a gritty rocker from Foreigners hey day.


Brian

New Free Books Worth Reading

     I found three new free books for your Kindle. The first is The Everything Soup, Stew and Chili Cookbook with over three hundred recipes, along with some good advice on making these types of dishes, an excellent investment for the unemployed. Second is a modern fiction book with some good reviews called In the Light of You. The third book is called Sasha: A Trial of Blood and Steel Book One. This book is from Joel Shepherd who also wrote the Cassandra Kresnov novels which I really enjoyed. Another great day for reading is here and now we have something to read too.

Brian

Friday, September 16, 2011

Good Mystery Now Free Again

     I have just added the first book in the Kendall O'Dell mystery series, Deadly Sanctuary by Sylvia Nobel to my free books worth reading list. This is a pretty popular series set in small town Arizona with consistently good reviews. So go ahead and grab while it is free.

Brian

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Cool quiz on music

     Here is a fun little quiz you can do to help pass the time while your home and unemployed. It is an indie music quiz testing your knowledge of the music industry. Cool sounds and a chance to prove how little you know, but still pretty fun.


Brian

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

New Additon to Worth Reading List

     I have to wonder how long a book with this good of reviews will stay free. The name of the book is End of Days by Peter Brown Hoffmiester. It is a gritty look and adolescence from a survivor. Written in a tone we can all relate to this is one book worth adding to your Kindle.


Brian

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Free Ebook With a Cool Title

     I haven't had a chance to read this book yet, but I couldn't resist the title. It is called Goddamn Redneck Surfer Zombies and is by Michael Jasper. With that title it should be a fun read. At this price it is irresistible, so download it today

Brian

Free EP, Song at iTunes

     A new Bob Seger EP is now available at iTunes. These are old songs either redone or now live so get some old friends into your music library for free. Also available free this week is a new Crosby & Nash song, this is a classic sounding piece about a newer subject. Enjoy the music.

Brian

Free Books on Politics

     Now is your chance to get a closer look at the contenders for the people running for the Republican nomination for President. Vook publishers has released five free ebooks on the leading candidates. They are: 
Sarah Palin: A Politician's Journey
Rick Perry: A Politician's Journey
Mitt Romney: A Politician's Journey
Michelle Bachmann: A Politician's Journey
Ron Paul: A Politician's Journey


     These are quickie biographies so they will give you the bare bones about each candidate but that will still be a lot more info than you will ever glean from television, radio or today's cheap newspapers. Worth the read especially if you are un or under employed.

Brian

Monday, September 12, 2011

More Legally Free Music

    Time for another set of legally free music. This week we are going to start with a guy I saw live a couple of years a couple of years ago, Michael Burks. I was really impressed with his guitar work.  Strange Feeling is the free single and it is a sweet little modern blues track.  Next we have The Jay Trainer Band. Show me Yours is a sneaky little Honky Tonk blues piece with a message. My third blues piece for the week is another personal favorite, Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King who are just a spectacular example of electric blues. The single is My Dog's Still Walkin' and it is just another of a long line of great songs by this duo. This next one I couldn't resist, having done two stints in the eighties and early nineties at Heavy Metal radio stations. The find is Sebastian Bach, the current reality TV star and former lead singer for Skid Row, his song is called Kicking & Screaming and it displays his still kickin' voice. Finally I am going to indulge my weakness for female singer songwriters with the new song from Barnaby Bright - Gravity a  thoughtful piece from a young songwriter with a good sound. Today I also want to mention a great deal from an absolute Blues legend. Boom Boom 80 Essential Tracks from John Lee Hooker is the album and right now it is on sale for just 6.99. This is a super steal as it has all his best plus some depth so you get a real feel for the genius of the man. Enjoy the music.

Brian

Sunday, September 11, 2011

The Dangers of Gardening?

     Working in the orchard we have here on the property I found myself rolling away from a nest of yellow jackets that had infested the overgrown area below our biggest apple tree. Apparently yellow jackets build their nest on or near the ground and will continue to attack until you vacate the area.. I was bit at least half a dozen times, including at least 3 in my right forearm that still sting today. I always think of gardening as an almost sedentary pursuit but this was a bit of a wake up call. I still have to recover my tools sometime today. Unlike bees, yellow jackets are not much good in the growing scheme of things, so we will get out some bug spray and hopefully get rid of them that way.

Brian

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Three Free Games for Your Kindle

     Free is always best for us unemployed. Good games that are also free in this world can be hard to find. That is why I was pleasantly surprised to find these games free for the Kindle. First is the very first game they released for Kindle called Every Word. It is in the boggle style in that it gives you a bunch of letters for you to find words from. Good news for you thoughtful thinkers, there is no time limit, They also clue you in to how many words you need to find as it puts a space for each one. Second is the computer classic Minesweeper , it even has the different size grids to choose from. Third is the casino classic Blackjack, an easier to play game has rarely been invented and yet there is just enough strategy to keep it interesting. So have some fun in your down time.

Brian

Friday, September 9, 2011

Finished Book Review

   Finished Sara Paretskys' Body Work last night. I really enjoy the V I Warshawski series of detective novels and this one did not disappoint. It was a well framed story in which the heroine, who is now around 50 so aging like the rest of us, has not changed her basic personality, just gotten deeper with age. I really like this series. One of the things I like about it is that each story stands on its own, so that if this is your first V I Warshawski novel you don't feel too lost by what has gone on in the past. If it isn't, you'll see many of the same side characters, and yet they never fall out of their established personality or weigh down the story. As always from Sara Parestky a good read you won't want to put down.

Brian

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Free Contest Worth Entering

     I Google searched for some free contest and found a bunch. I will list five that look cool to me. First is the Green Lantern Sweepstakes which has a 10,000 first prize and a guarantee of a 20% off coupon for all entrants at a Halloween shop. Second is our friends at Publishers Clearing House with a 5,000 dollars a week for life contest. I could live on that. Third, Monroe has a cool little 50,000 dollar sweepstakes going with an instant win for a small baseball package.  Fourth, Dr. Pepper giving away a home theater system but the nice thing about this one is you get a 5000 dollar visa gift card that they suggest you use for the home theater system but you can actually spend it on anything. Fifth is the free caddy contest . On this one I sure like the prize, a new caddy, but I am not sure I like the entry form so I recommend you only enter once. There are literally hundreds of different giveaways and contest out there, so it probably doesn't hurt to take an hour each week to search around and see if you can get lucky.

Brian

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Free concerts, Knoxville, Portland and Your Town

    So you, like a lot of us, now find you have free time to enjoy life, but no money to enjoy it with. Your city would like to help. In Knoxville we have the Blue Plate Special. One of the local public radio stations has it's radio booth downtown and it can be overseen on Gay St. Every day in the spring, summer and fall they do an interview with a band, where the band plays songs live throughout the interview for all to see and hear for free. This is in your budget. In Portland (OR.), they have the Tunes at Noon all summer long. Twice a week there is live music in Pioneer square downtown. Good, mostly local bands worth listening to. A lot of other things go on in Pioneer Square so I have set the link for the Pioneer Square site. My advice is to look online and find the free music near you when you need some entertainment in a social setting, or want to get out of the house with friends and not strain your budget.

Brian

Free Music Albums Now Legally Free

     Going through the free MP3's at Amazon the other day I found a couple of albums in the folk genre that are entirely free. The first is Riley Etheridge Jr. - Until this Moment.  Riley has a whiskey voice and a nice artistry with his lyrics that is ofter emulated in art houses across the country, but not as well as he does it. The second is Tony Lucca - Solo and as the album title says this is Tony and his guitar and nothing else. Tony has voice, a sweet tenor that is very pleasing to listen to. He also has timing in that he rarely sounds awkward or out of sync with his music as so many newer artist do. At this price both albums are worth cluttering up you music library with,

Brian

Monday, September 5, 2011

New Free Books Worth Reading

     I am only going to put one on my list but there are actually two free science based books and one business book available right now worth reading. The one I am putting on the list is The Logic of Chance: The Nature and Origin of Biological Evolution. This is an excellent look using new science to figure out how evolution works in nature. The other science book is called City of Dust: Illness, Arrogance and 9/11 and is a insightful look into the aftermath of 9/11 for those who survived but were near it. The business book is Do the Right Thing, from former Southwest Airlines CEO James F Parker. It is an inspiring book of anecdotes on how doing the right thing can make companies long term successful. Three good reads to expand the mind at one great price, free!

Brian

Free Gluten Free Books

     Browsing the free book list yesterday I noticed three books on living gluten free. The books are Gluten Free Weight Loss, Gluten Free Meals - The How-to Guide and Gluten Free Gourmet - The How- to Guide. So why did these catch my eye. In my family an allergy to gluten is pretty common as both my mom and grandfather developed it later in life and my uncle was born with it and died from it. So it is highly likely at some point that I will need this info. Celiac disease, as  the allergy to gluten is known, is a common recessive for anyone with Jewish ancestry even if that ancestor is three or four generations removed. So if this is you, it is something you should mention to your doctor especially if you start having auto immune deficiency type symptoms. So while these books are free take advantage.

Brian

Saturday, September 3, 2011

New Free Books Worth Reading

     I have added three new books to my free and worth reading list.  First is The Score from Richard Stark. The Score comes under the humorous mystery genre so have some laughs while you solve the crime. Next is another F. P. Lione, this one is called The Deuce. Set in New York City it gives a you fine feel for post 9/11 New York, and for the realities of police work. Finally, staying in the mystery genre is Mama Does Time an excellent debut novel from Deborah Sharp. Since mysteries actually help you sharpen your mind enjoy with a good feeling.


Brian

Friday, September 2, 2011

More Legally Free Music

    There is still plenty of good free music to tell you about from Amazon. I am going to start with a blues band out of New York city called The Robbie Cook Band. The song is called Know My Name and is a rockin' good piece of blues work. Next is a very nice version of the electric blues classic Hypnotized by Eddy " the Chief" Clearwater, who it turns out was one of the many bluesmen who migrated from Mississippi to Chicago in the late fifties. Third on my list is Saffire- The Uppity Blues Women with Going Down to the River a sweet modern blues number. Fourth is a cynical little protest song from Todd Lorenz called I Could be Wrong. Finally a much more upbeat piece of cynicism from a personal favorite Buckwheat Zydeco called Ninth Place.

Everybody enjoy



Brian

Free Sci-Fi from Phoenix

     Every first of the month the nice guys from Phoenix are kind enough to send out a coupon for a free Science Fiction book. This month the book is Radix by A. A. Attanasio, which was nominated for a Nebula award in 2009. To get your free book simply link here and enter the coupon code 9991421 and enjoy a book worthy of consideration for an award.

Happy reading

  

     Brian

Thursday, September 1, 2011

What to get your unemployed over 40 for his birthday.

      So your unemployed son, daughter, husband, mom or dad is having a birthday and you do not know what to get them. My step mom got me a new Laptop and if you can afford it please do this, it is a huge winner. Most of us can't, and for you I suggest an Amazon Gift Card. Gift cards are always in your budget as they can be for anywhere from fifteen cents to six thousand dollars. Amazon has things listed from free and a penny, to tens of thousands of dollars, so your recipient can find what is right for them, and you get the good feeling of knowing you remembered a loved one, important both for your self esteem and his. Such a win, win and win situation. Why am I thinking of this now, because my birthday was yesterday meaning I only have one year left to claim I am in my forties before I have to move on. 


PS. All belated birthday presents are gladly accepted

Brian

Finished book

     So I finished another book, The Reality Dysfunction which is the first book in the Nights Dawn trilogy. Like many books where the author is planning to take a long time to tell the story this one takes it's time setting up the characters, but once it gets going it is a pretty fun book. I enjoyed the heroes and how you didn't always know who the bad guys were going to be.Overall this was an enjoyable book and I am already starting to read the second book in the series The Neutronium Alchemist and it starts off with  a bang so I will probably finish the second book a little quicker than the first. Good read so far.

Brian