Friday, January 27, 2012

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

New Free Books Worth Reading

     I have added three new books to my worth reading list. First off we have a fun little romp from L Ron Hubbard called the Iron Duke. Set during World War 2 this was actually pulp fiction when it was written. Good quick read. Pay Me in Flesh is much more modern version of pulp fiction. Bennett writes her own rules on Zombies and you end up with a fun little thriller with a Zombie bent. Finally I found another cool little cookbook from Gooseberry Patch. Quick & Easy Family Dinners are simple and tested recipes that taste great and anybody can use. Remember it is always cheaper to eat at home. Enjoy the books in depth reviews below.

Brian



 The Iron Duke In the short space of a few pages, Hubbard gives us a fun, adventuresome character in Blacky Lee and if you are a fan of the sort of hijinx that occur in the OCEAN'S ELEVEN movies or Hitchcock's TO CATCH A THIEF then you're going to feel right at home with your feet curled right next to the fire with this story. Long on wit, short on fat, IRON DUKE is a movie that hasn't happened yet--but should. I would cast George Clooney in the lead with the Coen Bros. as the directing-producing team. This is a story that plays into all their sensibilities and period piece excellence.
I urge all my readers to pick this one up and give it a try. If I were to find fault with any of it, it would be that the story is too short. A small nit to pick to be sure in a story that features con games, sword fights, train escapes, royal politics, humor and romance. --Pulp 2.0

Quick & Easy Family Dinners Cookbook
There's nothing like gathering around the table for a homecooked meal. Our favorite dinners are always those tried & true recipes that have been handed down, or ones shared by a good friend. Start with Homestyle Baked Spaghetti, Oven Beef & Noodles or Barbecued Honey Ham, and then add a tasty side dish like Confetti Coleslaw, Creamy Macaroni & Cheese or Mom's Potato Salad. And who can resist scrumptious desserts? Cherry Delight, Peach Crinkle, Crustless Apple Pie and Sunny Day Brownies are all yummy ways to end a family meal.

Pay Me in Flesh (Mallory Caine, Zombie at Law)
 Hungry For Justice-And Brains
Meet Mallory Caine. Attorney at law. Zombie at large. She's not like those "Living Dead” losers you see in the movies. She doesn't slobber, drool, or lurch-she's smart, stylish, and sexy. Sure, she's a zombie and a lawyer but, hey, a girl's got to eat. When Mallory's not in the courtroom, going head to head with her ex-boyfriend, killer-prosecutor Aaron Argula, she's in the seedy streets of Hollywood, hunting brain after brain. That is, until some psycho starts hunting zombie after zombie…

Free Android App of the Day

     A free treasure hinting game is the free app of the day

Free Offer for Congressmen

Limited to qualified buyers only

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Free MP3 of the Day

      A fun game to share with your child or grandchild is today's free app.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Free Android App of the Day

      Today's free app is pretty cool, it is a general purpose tracker. So you can track anything in your life from sales at work to when you last did laundry. There has to be something you want to keep track of.

Brian

Friday, January 20, 2012

Free Audiobook - You Are Not Your Brain

      Tanto Audio is giving away the audiobook Your Are Not Your Brain a self improvement book designed to help you get control of your life. This is a download only offer but once you get it downloaded transferring it to your favorite mp3 player will be easy. Free help to get your life on track is always a good idea. Summary down below.

Brian 

Summary
 
A leading neuroplasticity researcher and the coauthor of the groundbreaking books Brain Lock and The Mind and the Brain, Jeffrey M. Schwartz has spent his career studying the structure and neuronal firing patterns of the human brain. He pioneered the first mindfulness-based treatment program for people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, teaching patients how to achieve long-term relief from ther compulsions.

For the past six years, Schwartz has worked with psychiatrist Rebecca Gladding to refine a program that successfully explains how the brain works and why we often feel besieged by bad brain wiring. Just like the compulsions of OCD patients, they discovered that bad habits, social anxieties, self-deprecating thoughts, and compulsive overindulgence are all rooted in overactive brain circuits. The key to making life changes that you want—to making your brain work for you—is to consciously choose to starve these circuits of focused attention, thereby decreasing their influence and strength.

In You Are Not Your Brain, Schwartz and Gladding carefully outline their program, showing listeners how to identify negative brain impulses, channel them through the power of focused attention, and ultimately lead more fulfilling and empowered lives.




    

Free Game for Your Kindle

      A cool game just became free in the Kindle Store. It is called Hamster Habitat and looks pretty fun. I downloaded it right away and can't wait to try it out.

Free Android App of the Day

     A knight on a steed, that's you today in Lame Castle the free app available from Amazon

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Free Android App of the Day

      Today's free app is a great deal and truly valuable, as it is a budgeting app.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Chesty is a Champion Crawler

     Have I said yet what a cool dog Chesty is. By now you probably think he is a terror from the video and pictures I have posted. Actually he is a well behaved 9 month old with a plethora of tricks up his paw and the sale of at least one training class. Here is a video from his last Click a Trick class.


Brian

Free Android App of the Day

     It is kind of a two for one today as the free game is both a strategy and a word game


Brian

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Free Android App of the Day

     No social commentary here just letting you know today's app is 50 ways to make Cookies & Milk and since the only control you have over milk is the type you choose at the store I think it is all about the cookies.


Brian

Monday, January 16, 2012

New Free Books Worth Reading

     Three new books this week worth reading and since it is the new year two are self help type books. First one that I may read but will never actually follow. Organized Simplicity is the name of the book and for those who feel unmotivated to unclutter their lives it makes it easy to do. Rave reviews for both this book and the next one called Unspoil Your Child Fast which is an easy to use guide to easier and happier children. Finally one of my favorite type of books. Dangerous Angels is the first book in the Weetzie Bat series designed to get twelve year old out of their picture books and into regular length books. Like the best of these books this one is fun, a quick read and easy to understand with just enough life lessons to convince you or your child it is worth spending time on. Three winners this week for your reading enjoyment. Official reviews below


    
Remove the Mess, Add Meaning
Simplicity isn't about what you give up. It's about what you gain. When you remove the things that don't matter to you, you are free to focus on only the things that are meaningful to you. Imagine yo

About the Author

Tsh Oxenreider is the writer and editor of the popular blog SimpleMom.net, and is the founder of SimpleLivingMedia.com. She spends her days with her husband and young children -- exploring the world, reading and learning, and being inspired by whatever surroundings their travels take them.   Simple Mom is a member of the exclusive 9 Rules network, and was nominated for Best New Blog of 2008 in the 2009 Bloggies. All five blogs in her company, Simple Living Media, are geared towards simple living and receive almost one million page views monthly.
    

Review

"It's a snappy read, so you can't claim you don't have time. And the method's simple, so you can't pretend you aren't qualified to use it." Newsday, -- Kristin Taveira, Newsday, December 31, 2007

It's a lively, engaging, helpful book that offers a look at our generation of parents and why we're tempted to indulge our children. -- Nell Casey, Cookie Magazine

Offers practical advice with great empathy and wit, and shows parents how they can drastically improve their family life. -- Rochelle Sharpe, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist

This concise read offers quick and easy info for parents struggling with their self-focused (aka spoiled) child, and describes helpful, pertinent and loving ways to correct spoiled behavior before it becomes a serious problem. A must-read for today's overindulgent parents -- Ashley Haugen, ParentWorld.com

Product Description

For a limited time, the collection of Francesca Lia Block’s Weetzie Bat books, Dangerous Angels, is available with a special sneak peek of Pink Smog, a new prequel to Weetzie Bat, and excerpts to the lush paranormal romances Pretty Dead and The Frenzy.

Free Android App of the Day

     Today's app is a space shooter game called Galactic Blast. What's nice about this one is you shoot space junk not ships.


Brian

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Sunday Funnies, Puppies and Chesty

     Lots of dogs in the Sunday Funnies today and a new Chesty video for all.
       And finally the fierce Rottwieller takes on the friendly lab

Free Android App of the Day

     A classic missile defense game called wonders of wonders Missile Defender is the free app of the day


Brian

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Free Android App of the Day

      The first racing game I've seen for free is today's free app of the day.

Brian

Friday, January 13, 2012

Free Android App of the Day

     The free app of the day is Word Ball which is both a spelling game and a timed game which is double healthy to keep your mind young.

Brian

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Free Android App of the Day

     Today's free app is a differentiating game for you and your child or grandchild.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

New Legally Free Music

      Lots of great new free songs out there today. Today I searched the folk section for free song and found that they have a very loose definition of folk. The first song I found that moved me is actually  more modern swing than folk, may I present Jenny Boneja and the Ballroom Shakers with there new release Set My Soul on Fire a truly groovin' song for every cool cat out there. Next is a perky little pop piece from The Generationals called Trust. The only truly folk band in the bunch is the Wicked Saints, the single is called Walkin' on the Water and has a nice modern take on folk the is easy to sing along with. The last two song are more bluegrass or americana than folk. I am bringing back the Lovell Sisters with a new song called Time to Grow. Finally I found a song from the ditzy blond morning jock on Sirius' Outlaw Country station Elizabeth Cook performing the very traditional song Old Dan Tucker.
      This is where I usually stop but I noticed that I hadn't seen any new songs from Alligator Records at Amazon for a while so I went over to their site to see if they had stopped giving songs away. Good news, they haven't. I found 5 songs I hadn't downloaded yet including a new single from Blues legend Charlie Musslewhite. The set of six songs here all are great, and well worth the time it takes to download them.

Brian

Free Android App of the Day

     The free app of the day is Noodles - To Do List which is an easy to use app for those of us who work and live better with a reminder of what we want to accomplish each day.



Brian

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Free Android App of the Day

      No it is not an Angry Birds rip off but a matching game instead.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Free Audiobook - METAtropolis

Audible is once again giving away a free download of METAtropolis ($11.99 Kindle), by Jay Lake, Tobias Buckell, Elizabeth Bear, John Scalzi and Karl Schroeder. They did this in April 2009, but this is a different ASIN and perhaps a different edition, although I can't really check, as the old listing is now missing; I suspect it is the same, as all the details other than release date are the same as the non-free listing for this one at Audible. If you haven't read either John Scalzi or Elizabeth Bear, I highly recommend both of them and i am very excited by this free book.
Book Description
Welcome to a world where big cities are dying, dead - or transformed into technological megastructures. Where once-thriving suburbs are now treacherous Wilds. Where those who live for technology battle those who would die rather than embrace it. It is a world of zero-footprint cities, virtual nations, and armed camps of eco-survivalists.

Welcome to the dawn of uncivilization.

METAtropolis is an intelligent and stunning creation of five of today's cutting-edge science-fiction writers: 2008 Hugo Award winners John Scalzi and Elizabeth Bear; Campbell Award winner Jay Lake; plus fan favorites Tobias Buckell and Karl Schroeder. Together they set the ground rules and developed the parameters of this "shared universe", then wrote five original novellas - all linked, but each a separate tale.

Bringing this audiobook to life is a dream team of performers: Battlestar Galactica's Michael Hogan ("Saul Tigh"); Alessandro Juliani ("Felix Gaeta"); and Kandyse McClure ("Anastasia 'Dee' Dualla"); plus legendary audiobook narrators Scott Brick (Dune) and Stefan Rudnicki (Ender's Game).

John Scalzi, who served as Project Editor, introduces each story, offering insight into how the METAtropolis team created this unique project exclusively for digital audio.
Get the free audiobook from Audible, narrated by Michael Hogan, Scott Brick, Kandyse McClure, Alessandro Juliani, Stefan Rudnicki and John Scalzi. You'll need an Audible account (it's free) and the free offer may be geographically limited to those with a US address.

New Free Books Worth Reading

     A couple of great new books worth reading this week. The first is an obvious one for this site as it is called 20 Retirement Decisions You Need to Make Right Now and it has gotten great reviews, including some who believe if you have started working then you are old enough read this book. Another great modern thriller has also been made free, Lion of Babylon from Davis Bunn. It is is placed in the middle east and well worth your time.


      Also free right now is a great pre-order from Tor,  Some of the Best from Tor.com: 2011 Edition: A Tor.Com Original which has some great Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories from newer authors that are well worth reading, as all are well written and some will be the next stars of the genres.

     Reviews below, good reading,

Brian





Lion of Babylon - Marc Royce works for the State Department on special assignments, most of them rather routine, until two CIA operatives go missing in Iraq--kidnapped by Taliban forces bent on generating chaos in the region. Two others also drop out of sight--a high-placed Iraqi civilian and an American woman providing humanitarian aid. Are the disappearances linked? Rumors circulate in a whirl of misinformation.

Marc must unravel the truth in a covert operation requiring utmost secrecy--from both the Americans and the insurgents. But even more secret than the undercover operation is the underground dialogue taking place between sworn enemies. Will the ultimate Reconciler between ancient enemies, current foes, and fanatical religious factions be heard?


20 Retirement Decisions You Need to Make Right Now. You're in control of Your Retirement Future, Inside are twenty major financial decisions which could profoundly impact your lifestyle over the next forty years. For many retirees, these decisions come as a surprise and must be made hastily without proper consultation. But by reading the expert, commission-free advice in this book, you'll learn how to manage your assets and prepare for the best possible retirement.
  • Do I have enough money to retire now?
  • How will I cover my medical expenses during retirement?
  • When should I begin taking Social Security?
  • How much should I invest in stocks, bonds, and cash?
  • What criteria should I use to identify the best investments?
  • Should I cancel my life insurance policy?
  • Should I pay off my mortgage at retirement?
Ray E. LeVitre is a Certified Financial Planner with nearly twenty years of experience in the financial services industry, working for Fidelity, CitiCorp, Mutual of New York, and Merrill Lynch before starting his own firm. He has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Money magazine, Newsweek, and Kiplinger's. A fee-only advisor, Ray does not receive commission from any product or service he recommends.

Free Android App of the Day

Great app today, mobilearn talking phrasebook has more than one language for travel, or just practice at home.




Brian

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Friday, January 6, 2012

Son of a Preacher Man (being stupid on youtube)

So it's a contest, or maybe a poll, here on top is the definitive version of Son of a Preacher Man with Dusty Springfield. Found a live version from Albert Hall in 1979 that is pretty good. Then I found a whole bunch more versions. Now tell me did anyone else ever do it better? This is what you do with too much time and a computer in your hands.

You can tell the different generations as later gens have video, older just audio.

Brian

Free Android App of the Day

Today's app of the day is very cool as it let's you access your home computer from you smartphone or tablet.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Free Android App of the Day

     Some cool  puzzles to share with a child or grand child in today's free app

Brian

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Free Android App of the Day

     A fun little spaceship defender game is the free app of the day.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

More Legally Free Music

      I have spent the afternoon whittling down a collection of free songs to the five best. The best of the best is a brand new song from soon to be pop sensation Atlas Sound with a catchy, easy on the ears new song Mona Lisa. Next I found a Decemberist song for free, 16 Military Wives. This is an older tune re released on a tribute type album but still very apropos today and well worth the download. Now a band that is already starting to get some solid airplay for a new band and deservedly so, Young The Giant with the single Apartment free right now. Time for me to go a little farther on the edges. First a hard to define sound somewhere between Folk and Americana comes the band FHoneyHoney with Old School Friends a nice reminder that the people we've known the longest are most likely to like us for who we've always been. Finally I can't resist the Irish, Pop, Reggae type of influenced music I keep finding, and this one just left me smiling. The song is Coffee and Wine and the band is Chadwick Stokes. No new blues but lots of fun stuff to enjoy.




Brian

Free Audiobook - Abby Cooper: Psychic Eye

You can get a free audiobook version of Abby Cooper: Psychic Eye ($7.99 Kindle), the first in Victoria Laurie's Psychic Eye Mystery series, over on Audible (likely geo restricted to those in the US and using a linked Amazon account).
Book Description
In Royal Oak, a suburb of Detroit, Abby Cooper lives a life that's kind of like vanilla ice cream - good enough, but a little bland. Her work as a P.I. - Psychic Intuitive - can be rewarding, but she feels like she's missing out on something. Now she's getting what she wished for - when a client winds up dead and the clues start pointing in Abby's direction. Turns out she knows too much about the murder for her own good ... and the lead investigator for the case is the gorgeous blind date she just met.
Get the free audiobook from Audible.

Free Android App of the Day

Get yourself organized today with the Tasks N Todos Pro and do it for free from Amazon today

Monday, January 2, 2012

New Free Books Worth Reading

     New year, new free books as the old ones are no longer free. First off some humor. Lois Winston is one of the up and coming stars in the Mystery Comedy field and I am delighted to find the hilarious Assault with A Deadly Glue Gun in the free box this week. For a more serious mystery, Steven James' The Pawn is a rough and ready thriller that is making other authors jealous with it's well crafted story line, and well researched background. Finally for the new year a nice escape from fantasy author J. M. McDermott is the first book in the Dogsland Trilogy Never Knew Another because how can you go wrong with chicks in animal skins carrying swords. More in depth descriptions below.

Brian


When Anastasia Pollack's gambling-addicted husband permanently cashes in his chips in Vegas, her life craps out. She's left with two teenage sons, a mountain of debt, and her nasty, cane-wielding Communist mother-in-law. Not to mention a loan shark demanding fifty thousand dollars.
Anastasia's job as crafts editor at American Woman magazine makes life even stickier when she discovers the dead body of über-ambitious fashion editor Marlys Vandenburg hot-glued to Anastasia's office chair. Marlys collected enemies and ex-lovers like Jimmy Choos. When evidence surfaces of an illicit affair between Marlys and Anastasia's husband, Anastasia becomes the prime suspect. Can she sew up the case and keep herself out of jail before the real killer puts a permanent end to her investigation?

From Publishers Weekly

In this riveting thriller, the first of a planned trilogy, James (Story) introduces FBI agent Patrick Bowers. His professional specialty is environmental criminology, which attempts to track lawbreakers by analyzing the significance of the time and place at which the crime occurred. When corpses of young women start turning up near Asheville, N.C., Bowers is called in. The killer's MO is to tie a yellow ribbon in his victims' hair and leave a chess piece somewhere on the scene. Bowers begins to suspect that the governor of North Carolina, rumored to be the next Republican presidential contender, is somehow connected to the murders, and that a cult with links to Jonestown might also be involved. Making matters trickier, the special agent supervising Bowers turns out to be a longtime colleague with whom Bowers has some bad blood. Bowers, a recent widower with a surly teenage stepdaughter to raise, tries to keep his grief and parental confusion at bay so that he can focus on the case as the killer targets more innocent women. Christian faith makes a subtle appearance in the story and appears to be a theme that will be developed in future installments. A gripping plot and brisk pacing will win James some fans eager for his next offering.

From Publishers Weekly

This well-wrought fantasy trilogy launch maps the boundaries and sensibilities of Dogsland, a quasi-medieval domain that is hostile to any resident tainted by demon blood. McDermott (Last Dragon) evokes the lifestyles, politics, and attitudes of the realm through the experiences of three half-demons trying to go about their business unobtrusively: Jona, a dispossessed lord working as a noble's guard; Rachel Nolander, a cleaning maid living with her thuggish fully human brother; and Salvatore, a thief whose activities threaten to call attention to the unsavory activities of Jona's employer. Paths cross randomly and soon interesting connections develop among the characters. McDermott leaves many questions open, including the identities of the tale's wolfskin-wearing narrators, and readers will be eager to return to Dogsland in hope of finding answers.

Free Android App of the Day

     A great game for you and your kids is the free app of the day Beaver's Revenge 

     Enjoy

Brian

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Free Android App of the Day

     Another fun game for your tablet or phone today. Dragon Fire is the App of the day.




Brian