Da Vinci's Blog

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: N/A

WEB ADDRESS: http://davinci.wordpress.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Daily Research Updates from The Da Vinci Code Research Lab from the Authors of “The Da Vinci Code – The Facts Behind The Fiction”

MY REVIEW: This blog has not been updated in 5 years - it has entries for 3 months in 2006, presumably when the movie The Da Vinci Code came out. But these three months worth of posts are there, and they are pretty interesting from a religious standpoint.

The plot of The Da Vinci Code, if you recall, was that Jesus did get married to Mary Magdalen and have a son.

The blog makes for interesting reading. Check it out.

RECENT POSTS:
-- If Jesus Were Indeed Married To Mary Magdalene, Does His Bloodline Still Exist?
--Did The Church Evolve From Pagan Religions?
--Why are three so many Mary’s in the bible
--The Last Supper and it’s clues!
--How Many Gospels Were There?
--What Is The Quest Of The Grail?
--Does The Priory Of Sion Really Exist?
--Can you name the five major religions?
--Alex Tracey Spotted This!
-- What Was The Role Of The Freemasons?


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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
___________________________
Check out my kindle BOOKS!:
Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)
The Coldest Equations (science fiction)
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
The Lady and the Tiger...Moth

Retro Review #25: The Kindle Taproom

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: The Kindle Taproom

WEB ADDRESS: http://kindletaproom.blogspot.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Friendly, entertaining bar chat on all manner of topics, but especially great stuff on Kindle.

MY REVIEW: The author, Joe Menta, posts on average a couple of times a day (the Sample posts below are his first posts on each day, not all the posts on one day). He'll review a book available on Kindle, or a movie, tell a joke, and so on. Because of the great amount of content, I highly recommend the blog.

He writes well, he's amusing (when he makes his posts, I actually don't find the jokes he shares amusing, but then I never have cared for jokes) and he articulates his reviews well. He's a friendly guy, I think you'll like sharing time with him in the Taproom.

A FEW SAMPLE PARAGRAPHS:

Following up on my post of a few days back, we did end up seeing Shutter Island over the past weekend. Despite my fears, the movie was not an overblown special effects extravaganza (as the trailer seem to indicate), but a well-crafted, moody, slow-burn psychological drama that keeps viewers involved from beginning to end. I should have trusted Mr. Scorsese more. The big special effects scenes in the trailer, by the way, are mostly associated with hallucinatory scenes in the movie, scenes that are used sparingly and effectiviely.

There are definitely big, lurid moments and instances of underlined melodrama in the film, accompanied by disturbing blasts from the none-to-subtle musical score, but it all serves Scorsese's aim to emulate the psychological dramas of the 50's, which were at the same time overstated and artfully done. Kind of like those old 50's paperbacks, which sported lurid covers of violence and heaving bosoms, but very often subtle, well-done stories once you got past the covers.

In any event, the lurid (I love that word) and more subtle aspects of Shutter Island work together to deliver a decent movie, one that we both liked a lot.

RECENT ARTICLES:
-Pretty Good King (review of Stephen King's Blaze) (Feb 24, 2010)
-At the movies (review of Shutter Island) (Feb 23, 2010)
-Spirited try falls short (review of The Spirit movie) (Feb 22, 2010)
-One fine Sunday in the local pub (a joke) (Feb 21, 2001)

The Cubicle Rebel (business, humor)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: N/A

WEB ADDRESS: http://thecubiclerebel.wordpress.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Jennifer Kley is a reluctant cubicle dweller who plots her escape every waking moment. She resents CubicleVille and all of its trappings. She types 85 wpm with few mistakes and loathes paper cuts. She keeps snacks in her desk drawer because she believes the vending machine is part of a grand conspiracy to make and keep workers fat and lethargic and therefore underpaid.

Kley is the author of the book “Cubicle Rebel: Ramblings of a Tragic Employee”, a memoir of sorts of her hilarious and quite painful jobs from age 11 to mid-adulthood. She’s a rebel for only pretending to conform and she’s tragic for her failed efforts. Kley is a self-described comedy writer who infuses mental shortcomings and right-brain driven mishaps into her musings. She resides in the Washington, D.C. area, she avoids traffic like shootouts, thinks SUVs are increasingly evil, plans to get a dog soon, is far too often hormonal and is perpetually ornery.

Her photo isn’t included because she doesn’t want the thumbnail to end up on a Russian web site advertising “dynamic, feisty American frumpy women for dating and good times.” Actually, she doesn’t want her current Establishment to discover that she writes about them in books and on the web. (Shhhhhhhhhh!!!)

Also…(now I’ll speak in the first-person):

I’m a lifelong Cubicle Rebel.

I run from office environments.

They make me itch.

And plotz.

And kvetch.

I was always a tragic employee. Always…from the actual swivel chair to the beige or gray partitions surrounding me from 8-4 or 9-5 or 8-4:30 or whatever daily time period I’ve been sentenced to until whenever I decide that I can really truly live off of the land.

WELCOME REBELS. ‘-)

And all others.

MY REVIEW: This is an enjoyable, funny blog, written by the author of the book, The Cubicle Rebel. Workers, especially those in cubicles, will enjoy this it.

Sample post:

Ladies and Gentlemen:

DO NOT DRINK THE KOOL-AID.

I repeat:

DO NOT DRINK THE KOOL-AID.

Your chosen Establishment is a ways to a means; a way for you to pay for your housing, your car, ridiculous gas prices, potato chips, chewing gum, maxi pads, shaving cream, newer shoes, batteries, whole grain bread, Starbucks cult elixir, new underwear when the elastic boings out of the old ones…You get the picture.

But your Establishment is NOT a place for your mind to be taken over.

You must remain in control of your journey.

You must protect yourself from becoming viscerally one of them.

When you hear words and phrases too often such as:

“The Team”

“We”

“Our”

“Associates”–particularly “Our Associates…”

“Together we can…”

“Let’s…”

Be wary. Be very wary.

This is cult speak. Companies, organizations, your chosen Establishment is out for mind control. They want you to believe that the oganization you work for needs you but not as much as you need them. They want you to think that they care about you, even your family. They want you to believe that what they are paying you is enough, especially before taxes. They want you to play nice and not revolt and subserviently ignore that you will never ever have a seat by a window. EVER. They want you to believe that your squeaky “ergonomic” chair is perfect for your frame even when you spill over it.

They want you to eat microwavable meals for twenty years and use the same water fountain they do to wash down miscellaneous noodles.

They want you to disclose personal information about your health so that they’ll know how to–ahem–insure you adequately. They want you to eat leftover muffins and previously fondled donuts that The Executives flown in from the midwest didn’t want. They want you to be a Follower, regardless of the ongoing “educational” training they offer to keep you feeling auspicious about your career path there.

It’s all a game. And if you’re losing it’s because your first mistake was to trust them with your next twenty years.

First rule of thumb:

Bring your own Kool-Aid.

RECENT POSTS:
--I Mean, It’s Your Butt
--Short Work Week
--Illegal Interview Questions?
--The Evil Vending Machine
--Cult-Like Speak


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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
___________________________
Check out my kindle BOOKS!:
Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)
The Coldest Equations (science fiction)
Volcano Seven: Treasure and Treasure Hunters
The Lady and the Tiger...Moth

3 woman pilot blogs

I'll share a few of these every now and again:

http://toriaflies.blogspot.com/: Toria Flies: Thoughts of a red-headed Aviatrix

I'm slowly but surely learning my way about the world and becoming the woman I'm destined to be. I'm eclectic, I'm passionate, I'm a giver. I'm an always dreamin', airplane flyin', avid crocheter. I'm a girl who loves to be on a "mission" whether it's organizing a fundraiser or seeing how many turtles I can catch in the lake in a day. I don't like raisins, but love raisinets and yogurt covered raisins. I don't like purple grapes, but love the green ones. I hate blueberries except if they are in muffins. That about sums up the way my brain works.

I'm an instrument rated commercial pilot and work as a sales assistant for Aviation Insurance Resources. I am a co-host of the aviation podcast, the StuckMic AvCast. I am an active member of the Sugarloaf chapter of the Ninety-Nines, a VIP member of Women of Aviation Week and a member of Women in Aviation International and the Airplane Owners and Pilots Association. I also organize the Women Fly it Forward event in Frederick, MD.

http://www.myskymom.com/: Aviation wit and wisdom

(Danielle Gibeault is a CFI, CFII, and MEI for those in the know. To the rest of us, that translates to Certificated Flight Instructor, Instrument Instructor, and Multi Engine Instructor. I also hold a Ground Instructor Certificate, Advanced and Instrument. That’s right, the FAA trusts me to spend my days getting into airplanes with people who don’t know how to fly them! I’ve been a pilot for 13 years and a flight instructor for more than 5. I started my aviation career on my 18th birthday driving fuel trucks, parking airplanes, and doing all the rest of that glamorous grunt work that keeps the airplanes flying. Haven’t looked back since.)

The blog below hasn't been updated in a year, as she completed her goal, but the archives are there and make for interesting and fun reading.
http://flyingwisconsin.wordpress.com/: Flying Wisconsin

Who is this person who loves “flying Wisconsin?” I’m a general aviation and airport advocate who appreciates the beauty of my home state. My first flight lesson was at Alexander Field-South Wood County Airport (ISW) in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, on my 30th birthday, a few years ago. I haven’t lost the passion yet - it helps that my husband, John, a 9000-hour pilot, loves it as much as I do! Me, I was out of currency for a while, concentrating on life’s other responsibilities since getting my private pilot certificate in 1992 and instrument rating 10-years later. But at this time in my life I’m closing in on 500 hours and flying more than ever. I’m lovin’ it!

This blog begins with the adventurous goal my husband and I are accomplishing in the summer of 2010: Flying to all 60 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties that have a public-use airport – in four flights. Several people have suggested that we share this story online, so here it is! Once we reach that goal, I’ll add new pages, sprinkling in some aviation memories, goals, and current projects I’m working on.

I’m a mom to two adult children and they, along with my husband, are the wind beneath my wings. My daughter, Sister Maria Caeli, is a Dominican Sister and middle school teacher, and my son, Luke, is a student at UW-Stout and one of the best motorcycle hillclimbers and off-road action sports videographers in the Midwest. Check out his work at LPmultimedia.com and LPmotocross.com. (Yeah, I’m proud of their accomplishments.)

As the owner of SkyWord Communications, LLC, I offer writing, marketing, and consulting services to aviation businesses, airports, and organizations. As president of the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame and editor of its quarterly magazine, Forward in Flight, I lead an effort to collect, preserve, and share Wisconsin aviation history, and honor those who made it. I’ve worked as an editor at EAA and have written dozens of aviation articles for various online and print publications, and even won a few awards for it.

Startng Wednesday I *WILL* keep to a schedule

I know I seem to have promised that every other week... I really mean it this time!

Rertro Review #24:

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: John Brown Kin

WEB ADDRESS: http://johnbrownkin.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Follow a direct descendant of John Brown as she researches and documents her family history

MY REVIEW: I am more interested in the Civil War time period itself (the military battles) rather than the time period leading up to it, when diplomacy ultimately failed and "cold iron" was necessary to settle the question. Nevertheless, it's fascinating to read about the people of that time period, and what they were willing to sacrfice for their beliefs.

This is a well-written blog, with an author who knows her stuff. Obviously, since she is a descendant of John Brown. Anyone with an interest to the time period leading up to the Civil War, and anyone interested in genealogy, will find this blog of interest.

A FEW PARAGRAPHS FROM A SAMPLE POST

At the John Brown Remembered Academic Symposium held at Harpers Ferry, WV in October 2009, I had the pleasure of meeting Ian Barford. Ian is an actor, documentary film maker, and the proud father of twins! Last week, Ian traveled to Texas to do interviews for the documentary he is currently working on about John Brown. He traveled to Austin first to interview my good friend Evan Carton, author of Patriotic Treason. He then drove up to Allen to interview me. While he was here I showed him my prized family artifact - Oliver Brown's Bible that he carried throughout his years in Kansas.

The Bible is small, 2 1/2 inches x 3 1/2 inches and just over an inch thick. Just the right size to be carried in an inside pocket of a wool overcoat. The cover is black leather embossed with an ornate design. On the spine, the words Holy Bible are embossed in gold. For a book that is over one hundred sixty years old, the binding is realitively tight, the cover only slightly torn.

On the inside back cover the following is written in pencil, in an ornate old-timey script:

This Bible was carried all through the Kansas troubles by Oliver Brown.
On the left hand inside back page is written the name of the original owner of the Bible, Oliver Brown, in ink and in a beautiful calligraphic hand.

But it is what can be found on the front inside cover that makes this Bible so valuable to me personally -- in pencil, written over and over again, in the handwriting of a young girl perfecting her signature, is the name Annie Brown. It makes me smile to think of young Annie, my great-great grandmother, scrounging around for a piece of paper to practice her penmanship on, and noticing a clean white space inside the cover of big brother's Bible. The temptation was more than she could resist. I imagine that she got into a great deal of trouble when it was discovered that she used the inside cover of the Lord's word for her penmanship practice.

Annie had the Bible in her possession when she moved to California in 1863, and it is one of the items that escaped the fire that distroyed her house and most of her belonging in 1896. Annie passed the Bible to her granddaughter Beatrice Cook Keesey, my grandmother.

RECENT ARTICLES:
-Join Me at the 2010 DFW Writer's Conference in April (FEb 19, 2010)
-2010 Winter GeneaBloggers Olymics Update (Awarding herself medals of appropriate colors for things she's accomplished on her blog - very amusing!) (Feb 18 2010)
-Tarantino to Free the Slaves Next? (Not happy about Tarantino's plan to film a movie about John Brown, given his penchant for violence in his films) (Feb 18, 2010)
-Letter from CORE - Letter to Gov to save John Brown Farm (Feb 17, 2010)
-Winter 2010 GeneaBloggers Olympic Games (Participating in the "Olympics' with other geneolocgical bloggers (Feb 14, 2010)

Retro Review #22: Breast Cancer? But Doctor, I Hate Pink

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Breast Cancer? But Doctor, I Hate Pink

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.butdoctorihatepink.com.

BLOG DESCRIPTION: With an humor and intelligence, Ann Silberman, breast-cancer "ass-kicker," describes her life since diagnosis. She found her lump in May 2009 and was diagnosed in early September. She is sharing her journey through surgeries and chemo as they happen. A must-read for anybody who either has cancer or has a family member with this disease. Ann writes with wit and energy in her blog: Breast Cancer? But Doctor ... I hate pink.

MY REVIEW: The author of this blog, Ann, found out she had breast cancer in August, 2009. This blog tells the story of her fight against the disease. It is very moving, very affecting, the more so because she does indeed manage to be funny and heroic at the same time. (Yes, there are heroes who, in a split second, risk their lives for others, such as our soldiers, and police and firemen and just regular people, and then there are people who have chronic illnesses in which they suffer every day and have to rise to that challenge every day. They are just as heroic.)

If you have just been diagnosed with breast cancer, or have a friend or loved one who has been - this is an excellent resource for you to know what the future holds. There are photos, there's talk of the various drugs and the chemotherapy and so on. If you're just interested in how people live their lives when faced by chronic illness, you will find this blog uplifing as well.

A few paragraphs from a sample post:

I am a small person with bird bones. My wrist is five inches around; I wear a size 4 1/2 ring. I can't purchase a watch without a picture of Hannah Montana on it, and I buy bracelets to use as anklets.

I have correspondingly small veins. Watching people draw my blood has always amused me, because I have a strong sadistic streak and no needle phobia whatsoever. I like seeing sweat on the brow of the phlebotomist responsible for getting blood out of me and into that vial. It just doesn't happen without hard work.

Typically, the way it goes is the first tech pokes around a while, moving the needle in and out, muttering about tiny veins until she either pops one or freaks out. She then calls the specialist with the butterfly needle who has the finesse to start the flow. Even when I try to make it easy - drink lots of water and wear warm clothing to "plump the veins," it's never enough to get the well pumping.

I'm so dry if I was Bella, Edward would leave me. [Is this a Twlight reference? KBR ed]

RECENT ARTICLES:
- Chemo Angel (Feb 21, 2010)
- Vampire Diaries (Feb 20, 2010)
- Did I mention before, that I hate leukine? (Feb 19, 2010)
- Chemo number...oh I can't remember (Feb 18, 2010)
- Chemotherapy-induced anemia (Feb 17, 2010)

Retro Review #21: Tales from the administrative minefield

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Tales From The Administrative Minefield

WEB ADDRESS: http://administrativemadness.wordpress.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: I am a seasoned executive adminstrative assistant with over fifteen years experience who loves her job. Very few other employment opportunites exist that allow me to manage people, events, and offices to my heart's content, then go home and have a life.

My many years of employment have given me plenty of opportunities to scratch my head and wonder what my employers and co-workers were thinking. As a consumate professional, I have just kept a smile on my face, done my job, and listened to my gut for the next opportunity.

Welcome to my world and I hope you enjoy the ride.

MY REVIEW: As a former administrative assistant, I know where this author is coming from. Very little gets done in an office in an efficent manner unless the admin assistant is herself (or himself) efficient. And yet they get so little credit for keeping the machine running smoothly.

This blog tells the story of one such admin assistant, and her adventures in the world of business.

Here's a few paragraphs from an entry on that ever-present evil - outsourcing work overseas [more often than not to the detriment of the business, costing them more money than they save, in loss of good will if nothing else!, IMHO]

Nothing seems to be safe anymore in today’s employment climate. Gone is security of generations gone by. Very few people can stick with one company for their entire career. If they manage to do that, they have to reinvent themselves to stay ahead of the latest management model that leans toward automation, downsizing or out-sourcing.

I realize that there are many processes that can be outsourced, off-shored, and just plain automated. When all these cost cutting measures are taking place, what happens to the actual employee, who helped build the company? The general morale? The principles that built the company? More importantly the corporate history?

While the government gives lip-service to keeping jobs in the country, more and more companies are sending department functions overseas. Why? ‘Because it can be done cheaper elsewhere’. Sure, there are binding contracts that impose penalties if things are not done to the SLA’s (service level agreements) of the corporation, but what happens to the customer service interface? There are no guarantees that expectations will be met.

To be frank the customer wants to interface with employees they feel confident will fulfill their needs. Not third-party vendors that have no clue as to why the company even exists

.

This blog is well-written, by a "soldier on the battlefield." Admin Assistants - the good ones, anyway, know what is going on in the office. Know how things are done and why they are done in that way. Aspiring admin assistants, and the people who have them, should read this blog!

I would like a bit more grounding for the blog, however. If not the specific business she works for, at least a general sense of what the company does.

RECENT ARTICLES:
-Melting the Myth [of perfection]
-On the Cheap [outsourcing]
-Valuable Resources [admin assistant's role in the work place]
-Upon Your Actions
-Follow Instructions [sales people, especially!

Retro Review #20: Foodie Momma

REVIEW BY: Ann Currie

OUR RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Foodiemama

WEB ADDRESS: http://foodiemama.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Teaches you how to save money, streamline ingredients and save time and stress at dinnertime. Dinner becomes a breeze with Foodiemama.

MY REVIEW: A food blog, that lists easy family friendly recipes. Tips and advice are offered and each recipe is tagged with the "Feeding by Age" to help Moms and Dads) chose meals that will appeal to the kids. Each recipe has a short introduction and comment followed by the ingredients and directions which are clearly given. Entries are only posted every 7 or 8 days and 2 recipes are included in each post.

The recipes are ok, but the posts are infrequent. There is nothing unique or entertaining about the text. If you want a good basic Mom friendly food blog this is one of many.

RECENT ARTICLES:
--Easy Ham Barbque Biscuits
--Honey Mustard Salmon
--Butternut Squash Gnocchi
--Soft Caramel Popcorn
--Party Food for Tots

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Ann Currie publishes My Life a Bit South of Normal> and Silver Pieces: The Strange and Peculiar

Retro Review #19: evie s.

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: evie s.

WEB ADDRESS:www.evie-s.com/news

BLOG DESCRIPTION: A design, craft, and beauty blog by graphic designer Evie Shaffer. Highlighting art, DIY projects, and beautiful design.

MY REVIEW: This blog is tied to her etsy shop. She posts about crafts for your wardrobe and home she has done with before and after pictures. Most posts refer to items that can be purchased from her shop. She posts interviews she has conducted with artists. And, there are some DIY (Do It Yourself) projects. 

One interesting personal project are the pictorial posts that follow the progression of her second pregnancy. If you are interested in crafts, some DIY projects, and evie s.' store, then this blog will probably interest you. I found it more of an extension of her shop, than a blog, but there are many like that on the web.

RECENT ARTICLES:

Finally painting again

Last minute valentine's ideas

A beautiful idea - Artists changing the world

Winter Beauty

Yet another wardrobe refashion
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Retro Review #18: Fragrant Liar

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

OUR RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Fragrant Liar

WEB ADDRESS:fragrantliar.blogspot.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: An irreverent woman's witty rants, raves, reflections, and ROFL.

OUR REVIEW: Although I wouldn’t say it exactly like the blog author does, and I am on my first - and hopefully only husband (it’s hard enough to get used to one, why change in mid-stream) - I can relate to much of what she is writing about. She is irreverent and wickedly funny. Most of all, she is a survivor – of a lot.

The author posts several days a week about her kids (grown and gone), her “coupla husbands”, the house, and anything else that pops in her head. What woman wouldn’t be thrilled at the idea of complete control of the remote? This is a good blog, that stays on track and is not only entertaining but is reliable and consistent.

Men may not share the humor, however!

RECENT ARTICLES:
--Wee wisdom
--Sadly, I'm frigid
--Whack-a-mole
--The chicken or the leg
--All by myself


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Ann Currie publishes
My Life a Bit South of Normal
Strange and Peculiar Silver

Mummy Whisperer (parenting and couples with kids)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: N/A

WEB ADDRESS: mummywhispererblog.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: As a 'Mummy Whisperer' my priority is to help the Mum, because when she is happy and contented either her family tends to settle around her, or she rediscovers her own natural instinct to help her family deal with it's daily challenges.

I'm not here to tell you what to do, or offer another one-size fits all parenting technique which can't possibly work for all the shapes and sizes of family.

Instead I teach skills that adapt as the family grows and I use techniques that help Mums clear the stress, fear, guilt and brain noise from their lives. The aim is to boost your self-belief and increase the contentment, sparkle and closeness in your family’s life; as you are the expert on your own family, sometimes you might just need reminding of how fabulous you are!

MY REVIEW: This is both a parenting blog, and a blog for couples who still want to keep the excitement and romance in their own personal lives while also raising children.

The author is British so Americans will have to get used to some British-isms, but of course that's not a difficulty.

A very interesting blog - check it out.

Sample post:

Men, did you miss an opportunity for sex with your wife?
At the weekend I was pointed to a blog by a guy called ‘Athol Kay’ about making sure you still get sex as a married man by the Daily Mail; yes I admit it, sometimes I skim the front page of the mail’s website for fun or annoyance. I’m so going to have to blog about this guys site loads, because it was full of all sorts of ‘you must be kidding’, ‘really?’, ‘thats so true’ and ‘seriously no ones going to believe that are they?’. In general though, its a pretty good blog, very much written from a blokes perspective and in that bloke language that they keep hidden from us, if wise.

So it had me thinking? How many blokes were out there this weekend complaining that their wife doesn’t give them sex, who were so involved in the complaining that they didn’t take the opportunity that the Royal Wedding afforded? I bet there were tonnes who wouldn’t know an opportunity if it slapped them in the face.

Let’s run through all the opportunities that there were, especially if they went to one of the hundreds of royal wedding parties …

- Compliments: Tell her how pretty she is when she comes down the stairs in her outfit for the party. Compliments might not get you sex, but they will definitely get a warmer wife. Bear in mind though that they need to be accompanied by the right tone of voice and a fond/amorous look. Plus it’s not the same as telling her she looks hot in her underwear. She knows your a bloke, so that is kind of a given.

- Make her feel appreciated: At the party, unless it’s an out and out lie, tell her how lucky you are to be with her and how pretty/beautifully dressed/gorgeous/’most true compliment you can find’, in comparison to all the other wives there. She needs to know that you appreciate her and know how lucky you are to have her.

- Cuddle up: sitting next to her during the ceremony and cuddling up would be bound to give extra bonus points. Plus being in physical contact, kind of makes being in contact later more likely. This doesn’t work from across the room with a drink in hand and all the other blokes making ‘guffaw we’re not very interested in all this girly stuff noises’.

- Talking to her: reminiscing about your own wedding, feeling nervous on the day, the honey moon, joking light heartedly about the stresses (unless they were so bad they should never ever be mentioned again), will give her that warm romantic feeling.

- Kissing: Athol’s blog recommends a 10 second kiss, and as a big fan of kissing I’m in total agreement with him. Any guy who didn’t make sure he got a kiss in soon after the balcony scene was totally missing a trick.

- Looking after the kids: If your wife was really enjoying the wedding, then keeping an eye on the kids for her is bound to be seen as a big gold star. Plus a harassed, ‘been running around after the kids all day at a party’ kind of wife, is much less likely to fancy you later on.

- Buying her something: Some husbands might have even seen the opportunity to treat their wives to a new dress for the party, or some flowers, or a little something that reminded you of your own wedding.

Any husband who hit all or some of these was then bound to be seen in the light of a romantic royal prince, and be rewarded with a honeymoon night to remember (unless after all that he drank too much beer and passed out on the sofa, or managed to mess it up in some obvious way). Bear in mind you have to translate them to your wife’s language as well, so into what she likes doing or having; but they would be a good start!

So to the guys now hitting their heads and going ‘Doh’; don’t worry, but stop complaining and keep your eyes open as there are bound to be other romantic sure thing options at some point. There’ll be another wedding at some point in the next ten years I’m sure! I’m kidding. The lesson is to look out for opportunities, and to be really caring. Ironically, just as in other things in life, if you don’t really care about your wife and it is all about the ulterior motives, she is going to smell a rat and it won’t work. So the final important thing is that you really care about making her feel good!

I’d love to know from the Mums out there, what do you think? Would any of the above have worked on you?

RECENT POSTS:
--What makes a Man sexy?
--Amazing Competition: For a Radio Flyer!
--Men, did you miss an opportunity for sex with your wife?
--How David Tennant Made My Day
--Question Corner: What would you advise a husband whose wife doesn't want to sleep with him

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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
___________________________
Check out my kindle BOOKS!:
Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)
The Coldest Equations (science fiction)
The Lady and the Tiger...Moth

Retro Review #17: Twig and Thistle

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Twig and Thistle

WEB ADDRESS: www.twigandthistle.com/blog

BLOG'S DESCRIPTION: Daily Inspiration For Home & Life

MY REVIEW: This is an updated blog that is more arts and crafts. Each post has at least one idea of how to make an item – a gift, a goodie, something for your home. The recipe or instructions are always included (or a link is) and a picture.

The author is quick to give credit to friends and colleagues for their contributions. She is always upbeat and positive. (She is one of those folks whom you wonder if she ever has a bad day!)

The blog is full of pictures of items she has found, shops and resteraunts she has visited. It is inspirational, but you draw the inspiration from her. I am not an “a&c” person, but this is an excellent blog.

And, let me explain myself here, when I say arts and crafts, I am not talking about simple “let’s glue these 2 sticks together and wrap them in colorful pipe cleaners” crafts. I’m talking about very sophisicated and impressive work that takes talent. And, some of it is clever. A great blog. Upbeat and creative, she shares and gives credit.

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• Alt Love No. 1
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Retro Reviews #16: Eyes for Lies: The Blog of the Human Lie Detector

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Eyes for Lies: The Blog of the Human Lie Detector.

WEB ADDRESS: www.eyesforlies.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Scientists have identified 50 individuals who are able to spot deception with great accuracy after testing. More than 15,000 people. Eyes for Lies is one of the 50 people.

MY REVIEW: This one caught my eye. In one post she reviews the video of Josh Powell concerning the disappearance of his wife. She uses her special "skills" to determine if he is guilty by watching his video. Then she dissects the interview piece by piece and describes what she sees and how she interprets it. Each post deals with a prominent criminal case in the news.

Some of the posts can get almost a little sensational, but that is the nature of the beast. The blog is interesting (I have always loved mysteries). She posts everyday.

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• Sam Thompson
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