T E O T W A W K I (Doomsday 2012)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: T E O T W A W K I

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

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Mankind has always been obsessed with the end of the word. On several occasions throughout history, members of cults have gathered together in caves or other locations to wait out the end of the world - which of course has never ended. The latest obsession is the belief that when the Mayan Long Calendar ends on 12/21/12, the world will end. This blog will spend a year chronicling the evolution of this most current fear, "Doomsday 2012" - from the books published on the subject to the TV shows made to the people who believe it and their actions. We also study the culture of the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas. And we'll also discuss the psychology and literature of those individuals and organizations who await for TEOTWAWKI . While we believe these individuals are misguided, articles will be posted in a respectful manner. Only the dawn of December 22, 2012 will prove who is right in that regard. This blog is updated at least a couple of times a week.

MY REVIEW: This blog represents the danger of using an in-joke as a name. I don't think very many people will be doing a search on T E O T W A W K I (the end of the world as we know it). Much better if they'd named it Doomsday 2012, or The Doomsday Seekers, or something like that.

For those folks who don't know why a certain amount of people think the world will end on Dec 21, 2012, this is the blog for you.

For those who wonder why people are so quick to embrace the end of the world...this blog will eventually be for you!

RECENT POSTS:
--The Mayan Calendar
--ROONEY BIN: Hoping for an end to doomsday predicti...
--The Mayan Series of Calendars
--What is a baktun?
--Manifesto
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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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Check out my kindle BOOKS!:
Whose Body, by Dorothy Sayers (the Annotated Edition)
The Coldest Equations (science fiction)
The Lady and the Tiger...Moth

The Notepad (stationary and party etiquette)

REVIEWED BY: Marguerite Zelle

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: The Note Pad

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.americanstationery.com/blog/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Personalized Stationery and Party Etiquette

MY REVIEW: This is the blog to a commercial website, American Stationery, that sells everything related to the literary life - correspondence cards, embossed notes, business stationary, envelopes, address labels, business cards, unique personalized gifts, etc.

If you want to add a little distinctiveness to your literary endeavors - throwing parties, announcing good news, or just annoucning yourself, this blog makes for interesting and educational reading.

Sample post:

Back to School: Grade School Students and Teens
3 August 2011

Grade School Age
Children are typically excited about their first school year experiences. Many kids have gone home and played school with their stuffed animals or imitated their favorite teacher. Here are a few items that will personalize their play and imagination.

Your Child's Fun Penmanship Stationery
Allow your child to practice what they learn at school at home.

Kid's Travel Desk
A desk of their own... just like teacher, complete with pencil cup. This desk is travel appropriate, but will also contain all their teaching goodies: pens, pencils, crayons, scissors, stickers, and more.
Pre-Teen & Teens

The pre-teen and teen alike see school as an opportunity for learning, but also for socializing with friends. The school year is filled with all kinds of things to do with friends. Here are some ideas for your pre-teen and teen this school year.

Kid's Pillowcases and Door Hangers
Slumber parties and sleepovers are a lot of fun for both boys and girls. Children of this age are searching for their personal space and belongings. Why not show your child that their personal space is important to you too. Our pillowcases give a place to reflect their personality and our door hangers clearly state where their space begins.

Pizza Party Invitations, Bar / Bat Mitzvah Invitations and Sweet Sixteen Invitations
Nothing is more social for a kid than a party. Your pre-teen or teen may have a variety of reasons to have a celebration. Perhaps you want to throw your child their first boy/girl party, or maybe your son or daughter is starting a new chapter in their lives, or your daughter is celebrating her once in a life time, sweet sixteen. What ever the occasion, celebrate it with a little personalized style.

RECENT POSTS:
--Disposable Placemats
--Back to School: Grade School Students and Teens
--Back to School: For the Students - Pre-School Aged
--Back to School: For the Teachers
--Back to School: For the Parents
--Needing Some Time To Yourself?
--Creating a Photographic Memory
--Writing a Love Letter - Part 3
--Writing a Love Letter - Part 2
--Writing a Love Letter - Part 1


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Reviews published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
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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

Cigar Hell (lifestyle and literature, men's interest)

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES, with reservations

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Cigar Hell

WEB ADDRESS: http://cigarhell.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Cigar Hell is published 5 days a week (M-F), and features tobacco related news, opinion pieces, and reviews of cigars and pipe tobacco. The news is published each weekday morning, and there may be times when the blog is updated more than once a day, as reviews or breaking news comes in. It is formatted with the Kindle in mind.

Any Brother or Sister of the Leaf is welcome here: pipe and cigarette smokers as well as cigar fans. We hope you like it and find it useful. Please feel free to offer any criticisms, comments, or suggestions you may have.

Come grow with us!

MY REVIEW: I'm not a fan of smoking, but I have no objections to other people doing it. (Second hand smoke? Please! We all walk around inhaling effluvia all day long.) [On the other hand, cigars do stink and chewing tobacco - revolting.] In any event, if you're a fan of tobacco, you'd enjoy this blog. My caveat - it hasn't been updated since the end of April, 2010.

RECENT POSTS:
--Going From Bad To Worse
--British Tobacco Fights Back
--Another One Bites The Dust
--My First Attempt At Blending, Part Two
--Welcome, Kindle Readers!

Harry and Helen (Lifestyles & Culture)

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: Yes

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Harry and Helen

WEB ADDRESS:http://harryandhelen.sulekha.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: This blog presents poems and art which reflect the many years Harry and Helen Kottler have been practicing the path of Siddha Yoga.

MY REVIEW: This is a blog that I could not help but find to have a calming effect on me. (And, I am unfamiliar with the practice of Siddha Yoga.) Each daily post has an interesting graphic or picture with a short description of the poem that follows. Some of the pictures are actually computer drawings by Harry himself. The poems are thoughtful and well written, each quietly speaking to the topic. For those unfamiliar, I did some research on the subject: Siddha Yoga is “a spiritual path of discipline, of mastering the mind and the senses with teachings and practices. . . a path imbued with grace.”

I recommend this tranquil blog, but don’t let my review lull you, it is not dull and boring. The topics are interesting and Harry’s comments let you peak into events in his life.

[A note from Ms Cairo: This is one of those blogs where it makes a lot more sense to subscribe to it via the Kindle then to try to read it on the web. I just went to the web URL and it is all cluttered and extremely difficult to find anything! The Kindle is definitely the way to go with this blog.]

RECENT ARTICLES:
--When Bravery is Colored Blue
--Patience
--See Like an Eagle
--Angels and Creatures of the Dark
--The Mind's the Key to Everything

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

Future Savvy Journal (Lifestyles & Culture)

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Future Savvy Journal

WEB ADDRESS: http://futuresavvy.net

BLOG DESCRIPTION: The Future Savvy Journal discusses and expands on topics of the book, Future Savvy. It brings content and method together to promote critical thinking about foresight, and how to better anticipate, manage, and improve the future.

Future Savvy, published by The American Management Association (Amacom Press, NY, 2009) is a user's guide to judging predictions. It shows forecast consumers how to discern quality in future-thinking they read and hear, with examples and case studies of interest to both business and policy decision-makers. It views expert foresight as a crucial resource, but puts sharp tools in the hands of forecast users.

MY REVIEW: This is a well-written business-oriented blog that deals with foresight and the tricky business of prediction in today's international industrial and commerce markets. The subjects are wide ranged and vary from Wal-mart to electric cars to risk assessment. The blogger brings many sources to the table.

However, it is rarely updated - I did the math and in the past 6 months, the posts have averaged one every 11 days. This is not as much a blog as it is part of the overall website for Future Savvy. So be aware of that.

Sample post, from latest entry, March 16

The ’start-up’ visa and green card, a far-sighted recessionary surprise
Published by Adam Gordon under business, economy, forecast filtering, history, policy, social change

Legislation is the route by which ‘the people’ (or powerful sectarian interests, take your pick,) influence the future. It is often underestimated as a future force, or viewed merely as legislators playing catch-up with technology or societal change. But legislation can be far-sighted, and profoundly shape outcomes.

In a fascinating recent development, John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Richard Lugar, Republican of Indiana, introduced the Start-up Visa Act to the US Senate, as reported in Inc. magazine.

The legislation is a forward-looking bid to turbo-charge entrepreneurial venturing in the U.S. by attracting foreign entrepreneurs and connecting them to U.S. capital, therein driving new economic growth and local jobs. What’s really interesting is it goes against past common wisdom that recessions are ‘bad for immigration’ (as citizens demand job protection.)

If passed, the bill gives U.S. visas to foreigners who can raise $100,000 from an angel investor or $250,000 from a qualified VC firm. After two years, if the immigrant entrepreneur can create five or more jobs (excluding family), attract an additional $1 million in investment, or produce $1 million in revenue, he or she gets a green card (permanent residency.)

The only current option, the EB-5 business investment visa, requires immigrants to invest at least $1 million in the U.S. and employ 10 people.

Job creation
The National Venture Capital Association says 25 percent of America’s venture-backed, publicly-traded businesses, incl. Google, Yahoo!, eBay and Intel have been founded or co-founded by immigrants. According to Richard Herman, author of Immigrant, Inc.: Why Immigrant Entrepreneurs Are Driving the New Economy, nearly all U.S. job creation in the past 20 years has come from companies less than five years old.

The history of US immigration policy has been schizophrenic to say the least, with periods of great social openness followed by about-face door slamming. The slamming has always corresponded to economic downturns or anxiety thereto. But here we have the opposite effect. And we have legislators taking a forward view! Both proof that the future is sure to surprise us.

RECENT ARTICLES:
--The happy medium is a guide to the future for Toyota, McDonalds, and all of us
--Telling words on a running controversy in risk & foresight, from Peter Bernstein
--Haiti, when the present trumps the future, but possibly jolts it too
--What goes around comes around, like Yule and mom-and-pop shops inside Wal-Mart

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

How to Boil an Egg (Cooking)

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: Yes

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: How to Boil an Egg, published by Chef Danielle Turner

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

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Want to learn the right way to cook an egg? Frustrated by fennel? “How to Boil an Egg” is a tasty mix of food know-how and how-to written by personal chef and food writer Danielle Turner. Danielle shares her knowledge as a chef and cooking instructor to teach basic cooking techniques along with tips on entertaining with ease and simple and delicious recipes.

MY REVIEW: This is a great blog about how to do the basic things no cook books ever tell you because they assume you know like: how to whip cream, choose the best wax paper, know what the temperature of your oven is, make your own buttermilk. I fancy myself as an accomplished cook and I was fascinated by the blog. It is well written, basically well done.

The blog is updated once a week. (It went from being a daily blog until Christmas '09, then it skipped a month, then posts 3 days, then quiet for almost a month, but now in March seems to have picked up speed again.) So check it out!

Sample post:

How to Break Out of Your Culinary Comfort Zone
Six ways to bring life back to your table

It happens to the best of us. Despite the stacks of dog-eared cooking magazines piled high on our coffee tables, the eclectic cookbook collections that fill our bookshelves, or even our best intentions of whipping up delicious fare for our families, dinnertime can turn into an uninspiring rotation of the same handful of reliable recipes, week after week, month after month.

As a personal chef, I make my living preparing meals for individuals and families alike, but professional experience aside; I’m still a busy working mom who’s often stymied by the age-old question – “What’s for dinner?”

When I get caught in a dinnertime dead zone, I rely on six sure-fire tips that always help get my creative cooking juices flowing.

1. Cabinet Foraging
Remember the electric pasta machine you absolutely had to have? The meat grinder you picked up on a whim? Or the sorbet maker that was so on sale it would’ve been a sin not to buy? If you’re like me, many of these items are lucky to have been used once before assuming their position in the Cabinet of Forgotten Gadgetry, where instead of inspiring your culinary endeavors, they now sit gathering dust. There’s no better way to dig yourself out of a rut and make the most of money already spent than to find the dustiest piece of equipment in your kitchen and put it to use. Odds are the new gear will force you to pull out a new recipe or revisit an old, forgotten favorite.

2. Travel the Globe
No passports or long airport security lines required! Choose a city or country that you love or that you’re curious about and scour your cookbooks or the internet for a recipe or dish that flavorfully represents that locale. Take a stroll through your grocery store’s international food aisle for further inspiration. You’ll be doing double duty as you savor new ingredients and learn about foods from far way (or close at hand) lands.

3. Buy Something You’ve Never Seen Before
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is simple. On your next visit to the produce section, spend a few extra minutes taking in the scene, keeping your eye out for your next great ingredient. You’ll know it when you see it, because you won’t know what it is when you see. Walk right up to that mystery vegetable or other-worldly-looking fruit and pop it right into your reusable shopping bag. Most produce sections have a kiosk or recipe rack featuring info and recipes on how to use various fruits and vegetables. Armed with a free recipe and your mystery produce, your plated adventure can’t be far behind.

4. Face Your Biggest Food Fear
Just the mere mention of the word soufflé can cause fear in the hearts of many home cooks. For others, it’s roasting a whole chicken, making pie crust from scratch or deep-frying anything. I am deathly terrified at the prospect of making Turducken (a deboned turkey stuffed with a deboned duck that’s stuffed with a deboned chicken. Seriously.) However simple or complex, identify the one thing that makes you afraid to step into the kitchen, find a recipe for it and make it. That’s it. Just make it. You’ll likely conquer your food fear and add a new recipe to your repertoire to boot.

5. Take a Cooking Class
One quick internet search or browse of the phone book (remember those?) and no matter where you live, you’re likely to find several places where you can learn to chop, braise and sauté from a pro. Taking a recreational cooking class will give you an opportunity to learn a new skill or two and you’ll go home with several new recipes in hand. Besides the recipes, you’ll also have a chance to bounce your cooking questions off a trained professional. Most cooking schools offer a choice of classes that are hands-on, where you’ll actually get to cook; or demonstration, where you get to sit back and watch the instructor in action. Either way, you’ll leave with some level of familiarity with the recipes, making it more likely that you’ll give them a go at home.

6. Become a Locavore for a Day
Jumpstart your cooking and help save the environment by becoming a locavore for a day. You’ll only be eating foods that are grown or harvested within a 100-mile radius of your hometown, but not to worry, you’ll still have plenty to choose from at your local farmers’ markets and at some higher end grocery stores that make a point of offering locally grown foods. These different, fresher selections may give you a new pool of foods to choose from and fresher food can only breed fresh ideas for how to prepare them.

Keep these tips handy and you’ll be ready to face your next dinner dilemma with ease.

RECENT ARTICLES:
--Secrets of a Skinny Chef
--How to Break Out of Your Culinary Comfort Zone
--Blood Oranges
--How to Clean Leeks
--How to Make Mayonnaise

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

Blogbdon (Lifestyles & Culture)

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: No. Not suitable for Kindle.

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Blogbdon

WEB ADDRESS: http://brandonblattner.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: I like four things: sports, rap, sneakers and computers. Thus, this blog shall reflect these interests of mine and nothing else.

MY REVIEW: Interesting blog covering a broad range of interests of the blogger, from TV shows to sports to commercials. The posts are fairly regular, short text with a video/ web link. This heavy reliance on the links make it unsuitable for reading on a Kindle.

RECENT ARTICLES:
--Watch yourself grow older
--Empire sizzle
--Human chameleon
--Jamie Lynn Spears quote of the year
--Marriage rejection at the NBA game


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Ann Currie publishes My Life a Bit South of Normal www.abitsouthofnormal.com and
Silver Pieces: The Strange and Peculiar

Hoystory

REVIEWED BY: Ms. Cairo

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION LINK: Hoystory, published by Hoystory.

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

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Commentary and criticism on media, politics and society.

MY REVIEW: This is a right-wing blog, which means that it's a conservative blog. I have no problem with that. Indeed, as I said a few weeks ago when I first started reviewing Democraft and Republican blogs, although I'm a Republican, I like reading blogs from "the other side" so as to get the complete story on any one issue before making up my mind. Perhaps I'm more of an independent than a Republican.

In any event, posts are driven by what's happening in the world on that particular day. It's interesting. Give it a try.

Some sample paragraphs:

Have you ever wondered why your flood insurance doesn’t pay off when your house burns to the ground?

No?

Well, then you’re smarter than that guy in the White House.

When I was young, just got out of college, I had to buy auto insurance. I had a beat-up old car. And I won’t name the name of the insurance company, but there was a company — let’s call it Acme Insurance in Illinois. And I was paying my premiums every month. After about six months I got rear-ended and I called up Acme and said, I’d like to see if I can get my car repaired, and they laughed at me over the phone because really this was set up not to actually provide insurance; what it was set up was to meet the legal requirements. But it really wasn’t serious insurance.

Now, it’s one thing if you’ve got an old beat-up car that you can’t get fixed. It’s another thing if your kid is sick, or you’ve got breast cancer.

This just in: the state insurance minimums, which is what Obama certainly had if he was driving “a beat-up old car,” cover liability. Not comprehensive. Not collision.

I can see it now. Everyone is required to buy liability, comprehensive, collision, towing by the federal government because we don’t want stupid people to be confused. Yes, they’ll pay more, but they’re getting better insurance – whether they want it or not. Driving a 1978 Ford Pinto that requires you to park on a hill because the starter’s shot? Is the floor rusted almost clean through? Well, you definitely need collision coverage on that clunker.

Was Obama paying attention in driver’s ed? They cover this stuff there.

RECENT ARTICLES:
-Remember, He's Smart (pointing out Obama's errors on health care)
-Health care reform (comments on the health care debate between Obama and the Dems and the Republicans
-Don't bring a spork to a gun fight (Howard Friel and a book called The Lomborg Deception) on global warming) A post that necessitates you go to the web to download a PDF
-The right to be paid for what you create (complaints about uncompensated journalism, and appropriate of stock photos without paying for them - done from "liberal sites" like Huffington Post) [as an aside, if people are willing to write for free, even if it does drive down fees for writers who like to be paid for what they write...it's a free country. As for using stock photos - hey, that's what stock photo means! So many people use them on the web that eventually it's impossible to know who - if anybody - owns it. I'm willing to cut some slack on this.]
-This used to get people fired (MSNBC regular Donny Deutsch calls Republican senate candidate Marco Rubio of Florida as a coconut.) Hoystory points out that its analgous to calling a black person an Oreo. A coconut is deragatory slang for a Latino attempting to appear white. Although this did create some controversy, apparenlty Deutsch is still employed (and you know that had he been a Republican leaning reporter saying that about a Democrat, he'd've been fired the next day!)

Foodiemama (Lifestyles & Culture)

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

Happy Kreg (Lifestyles & Culture)

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: No, unsuitable for Kindle

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: HappyKreg

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

BLOG DESCRIPTION: The official HappyKreg world in blog form.

MY REVIEW: This blog is only updated every two weeks. The posts are random YouTube videos and pictures. There seems no rhyme or reason for this blog. I cannot recommend it.

RECENT ARTICLES:
--Sexy Mama!
--A moment in the yarden
--Wyatt had his head caught in a truck door and all he got was this cool animation.
--Ok, I’m getting a little freakish about plants and plant books.
--The Bumbling Gardener

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

Every Little Counts

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Every Little Counts

WEB ADDRESS: http://www.every-little-counts.blogspot.com/

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Every Little Counts is about love. This is a collection of my loves, obsessions, thoughts, memories, and influences, all of which inspire my clothing line "Every Little Counts".

MY REVIEW: Mainly written to accompany her web store by the same name that specializes in rather seductive sleep wear - the writer describes it best as being about young love, romance, and nostalgia. The posts, which are every other day or so, ramble easily from comments on old movies, complete with pictures, romantic quotes, and pictures of her modeling some of her new ware. Along the way, she comments about her life. The blog definitely stays with its theme. It is light and well done.

The blog is heavy on the photos and links to her on-line shop that are not accessible to the Kindle.


RECENT ARTICLES:

A perfect Day

Toujours Tois & Family Affair F/W 2010

Gen Art New Garde 2010

lolita

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Ann Currie publishes My Life a Bit South of Normalwww.abitsouthofnormal.com/
and also, Silver Pieces: The Strange and Peculiarstrangeandpeculiarsilver.blogspot.com/

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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From Here to Uncertainty

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: From Here to Uncertainty

WEB ADDRESS: www.fromheretouncertainty.com/blog

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Two parents, two kids and too damn much luggage... Life wasn't working, and the job was going down the drain, so the Redpath Family has sold nearly everything they own and set off for Europe for a year. Watch as they figure out their new lives as digital nomads.

MY REVIEW: Take a family of four and send them on their way. Give them a Kindle, blogging parents, and the adventure of a lifetime and you a get a great blog. Sometimes the father posts, sometimes the mother, sometimes both. Most of the time there are pictures of the family trips and what they are experiencing. The posts are well written and not formualatmatic. They vary depending on what the subject is – a day trip to Stonehenge, a mother-daughter day out, a father pondering life, a discussion with a friend about his new book. The posts are frequent, well written, and long enough to be interesting, but short enough to hold your attention and get you to come back for more. Most of all it is a digital journey their friends can follow and they can treasure for the rest of their lives. I highly recommend this blog for those of us who fear throwing caution to wind and stay in our 9 to 5 lives.

RECENT ARTICLES:
--Golden Reel Awards, I'll be missing the party--Unintended Consequences
--Happy Chinese New Year
--Like Mother, Like Daughter
--We love Paris in the Winter

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

Frugal Village

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Frugal Village

WEB ADDRESS:www.frugalvillage.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Web site that offers practical, money-saving strategies for everyday living.

OUR REVIEW: Everything is in here including the kitchen sink (I didn’t see it but I’m sure it is in here somewhere). Chocked full of recipes and tips about saving money and making that dollar go further.  

Many of the tips are obvious (or were to me) such as check the stores for deals on holiday candy and items the day after the holiday. But the some folks need to be reminded. It has a wealth of information and ideas on recycling – and I’m not talking about in the bins – I’m talking about reusing, everything from that three ring binder to that styrofoam meat tray. A very useful blog and in today’s economy can be well worth your time. Posted to frequently – several times a week.

THE GOOD: Lot's of money savings tips.

THE BAD: N/A.

RECENT ARTICLES:

Enjoy a cup of rose-hip tea

Free (or inexpensive) and frugal iPhone applications

Reduce Salt in your diet

Save money at golf pro-shops
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Hoofprints

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Hoofprints

WEB ADDRESS: hoofprints.typepad.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Get a horse fix on your Kindle! For horse lovers and horse owners alike. Hoofprints will take you to the real world of horses, their people and their dreams!

MY REVIEW: A blog that covers everything horse related from feeding horses to handling manure to exercising to local politics concerning stables to equine health and more. One of the more interesting features is following the release of the blogger's first book, a teen horse novel, titled, Winning Bet. The blog is interesting, informational, and personal.

It is well written with pictures in most posts. It does suffer from my usual complaint infrequent and inconsistent postings. Sometimes she posts two days in succession, sometimes it will be a week between posts or more. I feel certain her readers would be happy with more.

RECENT ARTICLES:

• Horse operations : Agriculture?
• Fencing Francas - Tips for Sanity
• Clipping your cool
• Stable Land use rules: We're back.
• Manure happens . . . and it's good stuff

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Ann Currie publishes My Life a Bit South of Normalwww.abitsouthofnormal.com/
and also, Silver Pieces: The Strange and Peculiarstrangeandpeculiarsilver.blogspot.com/

The Hookah Whisperer

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: NO (Not Kindle Compatible)

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: The Hookah Whisperer

WEB ADDRESS: www.hookahwhisperer.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: When we first started kicking around the idea of what this blog should be, many different images came to mind. But what stuck out to me, was the fact that it is not that I am The Hookah Whisperer, but all of us that love the hookah lifestyle in general are Hookah Whisperers. So, what is the Hookah Lifestyle…you tell me. There doesn’t seem to be a true demographic. I have enjoyed smoking hookah with people from ages 18 to 63. I myself am 46, but I have a passion for the hookah and truly enjoy the social aspect of a good long smoke with friends.

I do want to explain a bit about my love of the Hookah and the lifestyle of smoking hookah. Earlier this year, I lost my oldest son, Garrison, to suicide. He was a nineteen year old Libertarian-ish, economics student at Ball State University. He first introduced me to hookah a few years back, and we spent many, many hours sitting on our patio smoking hookah and discussing all sorts of topics. If any of you knew Garrison, you will know what I mean. I had spent the last ten years working in finance and of course the bottom fell out and I was unemployed. A friend of mine asked if I wanted to be involved in an e-commerce start up, and the first thing I thought of was Garrison and Hookahs.

So, to conclude this ramble, I am not The Hookah Whisperer…all who love hookah are Hookah Whisperers. I really encourage you to use this site as a resource for your hookah thoughts, questions, and needs, but also as a safe place to post your thoughts, not just about hookahs, but about life, school, family, job…whatever is in your head. I do ask that you refrain from too much profanity, but mostly I hope you enjoy and engage with other Hookah Whisperers.

MY REVIEW: I found this to be an incredibly interesting blog about something I previously knew nothing about - Hookahs. If you are also ignorant - they are a type of Turkish water pipe that one uses to smoke tobacco and other things.

The unique thing about this blog, besides the subject, is the way it is set-up. The blogger posts a description and introduction about the product he plans to smoke and adds a short video each times that discusses the product and gives a review of the experience as he smokes it. (The non-tobacco products are made of different herbs and fruits.) He is articulate and entertaining (as is his side kick who is also featured in the video.)

Unfortunately, this is therefore not suitable to be read on a Kindle. To fully appreciate it you must visit it on the web.

RECENT ARTICLES:

• Social Smoke releases new Shisha
• Fumari White Peach review OWWWW!
• Hookah Freak Blueberry Pancake Review - Please pass the syrup
• Al Waha Orange review. Is it spring yet?
• Three Kings Charcoal Review

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Ann Currie publishes My Life a Bit South of Normalwww.abitsouthofnormal.com/
and also, Silver Pieces: The Strange and Peculiarstrangeandpeculiarsilver.blogspot.com/

How I started my own publishing company with less than $1,000

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: NO

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: How I started my own publishing company with less than $1,000

WEB ADDRESS: mortifiedbooks.blogspot.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: To inform those aspiring to become indie publishers/authors in the digital world how easy it is to get started without going into any debt. It's as simple as having access to the internet and owning a PC. This blog is also for an novice or seasoned author looking to get a quality published book for less!

MY REVIEW: As the title says, this is a commentary on the publishing business from the independent side. The blogger shows how he went about getting his book published POD (publish on demand)- on shelves - on Amazon - and in e-book format. There are posts commenting on the status of the publishing industry today. It is all very interesting.

Another facet of this blog is his personal life - he is a minister and there are posts included dealing with his profession. (At one point he refers to himself as the "Writing Reverend".)

The posts are well written, as you would expect. However, once again, he is not a consistent poster. Posts can be as frequent as every two days or every two weeks.
It doesn't matter how well it is written, if it a blog is not regularly updated, I cannot recommend it. As of February 22, this blog had not been posted to since January 12. In my book, that makes it Inactive.

RECENT ARTICLES:

• Mye Book - How did I get here.
• My Thought on the Publishing future
• Check out Writers Inspirational Articles
• Reviewing of E-books for free.
• Our Logo

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Ann Currie publishes My Life a Bit South of Normalwww.abitsouthofnormal.com/
and also, Silver Pieces: The Strange and Peculiarstrangeandpeculiarsilver.blogspot.com/

Blueshelled.com

REVIEWED BY: Ann Currie

MY RECOMMENDATION: YES

AMAZON SUBSCRIPTION PAGE: Blueshelled.com

WEB ADDRESS: www.blueshelled.com

BLOG DESCRIPTION: Life is like a game. You are going along and all is well. You are in first and in the 3/3 lap and all of a sudden life, or some jerk who is in last place pulls out the nasty blue shell a la mario kart. BAM. You go from 1st place to last in a matter of the 3 seconds it takes you to get back on your feet. The good news is that you always do. Even under pressure. I'm a busy wife and mom who works and goes to school.

MY REVIEW: I always find it interesting that someone is into their own blog about their life, but then don't post but every week or two. This is one such blog. Granted the writer, like many of us has many balls in the air. But, if you commit yourself to a blog, make it public, then offer it for Kindle subscriptions, you really owe to your audience to post more often. I'll step off my soap box.

This is an interesting blog with a humorous look at her life. Many of us can relate, few of us can articulate it this well. The more you read the more you can relate.

THE GOOD: Interesting and well written.


THE BAD: Folks - if you are going to blog, commit yourself and post regularly, especially if you are asking people to pay for a subscription to your blog. Once every week or so is not an active blog.


RECENT ARTICLES:

• Even Stevens, do you hear me
• Living in a Snowglobe
• And, for something serious
• Loser
• Happy Birthday AJ

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Ann Currie publishes My Life a Bit South of Normalwww.abitsouthofnormal.com/
and also, Silver Pieces: The Strange and Peculiarstrangeandpeculiarsilver.blogspot.com/