Day: August 11, 2010

$99 Color E-Reader and Social Platform to Challenge Amazon, B&N This Fall

On By Michel McDonaldIn Books, eBook, Kindle, NookLeave a comment

via $99 Color E-Reader and Social Platform to Challenge Amazon, B&N This Fall.

I like this idea that the Copia is a $99 color e-book reader. However, I don’t like the fact that it’s an LCD screen and has a battery time of 4 hours. Those are the only 2 things I don’t like about it. When I’m reading an e-book, I don’t want to screw my eyes up more than they already get with an actual book. Reading from a LCD screen isn’t going to help my eyes at all.

The Copia does have a lot of cool functions though but personally I think it’s all too distracting from what you’re true intentions are when turning it on, reading. If I want to read reviews or recommendations on a book I can do that on the computer. When I want to read a book I want to read it without the temptation of all the other functions. By the time I’m ready to start reading the battery is already dead because I’ve been looking at reviews for the last 4 hours. Then I’m back at square one, no book to read despite my prior intentions.

Although the $99 price is very tempting, I think that I would rather spend the extra $30 or $50 for a Kindle or aNook.

Rainbow eBooks – My Heart is Within You

On By Michel McDonaldIn Books, eBook, Gay, NookLeave a comment

I said that I would buy a book from Rainbow eBooks on August 3rd and I did just that. The book that I chose was a vampire novel because I love vampires and since this website sells gay ebooks then I get the best of both worlds, a gay vampire story. “My Heart is Within You” is part 1 in a 3 part series called the Triquetra Trilogy.

It took me a week to read it because I could only read a few chapters every day. The reason is that I had to read the e-book on my computer via Mobi pocket Reader. If I had an e-book reader then I probably would’ve finished a lot sooner but my eyes can only take staring at the computer for so long.

I loved this book. It was a bit strange at first because every chapter was through the eyes (or mind) of a different person. Well, the 2 main characters anyway. The first chapter was Kristair (the vampire) and the second chapter was Jacob. When I started reading chapter 2 I was very confused because I wasn’t expecting the book to be on Jacob. After the 3rd chapter when I was back on Kristair I knew that it was going to be this way throughout the rest of the novel and I learned to adapt.

It is listed under gay, fiction, romance, fantasy and horror. I would have to say that if you are a gay man who loves Vampires, this book is for you.

Every vampire story ever told seems to be different and this is no exception. In Twilight the vampires skin sparkles in the sunlight and they don’t burst into flame for some odd reason. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and Angel) the vampires burst into ash when they get killed. Just as any vampire novel, they need blood and this was no different.

The main character, Kristair, who is an ancient vampire can do things that not a lot of vampires can do such as being able to walk through walls and communicating with their vessels (Jacob) with their minds. He also passed along a lot of abilities to Jacob when he gave him his heart (hence the title) such as being able to heal right away after being bitten and evidently his blood must regenerate too because he doesn’t die from lack of blood. Jacob also has a lot more strength than most humans do because of these new abilities.

Unfortunately the end of this novel came to a grave ending with the death of Kristair. This isn’t the end of the story though, it’s just the beginning. There are 2 more books, Haunted By Your Soul is the 2nd book and Our Sacred Balance is the 3rd and final book.

I won’t be able to get the 2nd book right away because I have some other books in line but I will buy it in September. I’m doing that to give my eyes a rest from the LCD screen. I would much rather read natural paper or an e-ink screen.

Glass and Clay Beads by madebyhippies on Etsy

On By Michel McDonaldIn craftsLeave a comment

via View Glass and Clay Beads by madebyhippies on Etsy.

I’ve been chatting with Erik Granström from the Made by Hippies website who told me about these Rastaman beads for making the hemp bracelets and necklaces with. You know I never even thought about using these kind of beads. I had just assumed that the best beads to use were those wood beads.

This gives me a good idea on what kind of jewelry I could make as Christmas presents this year. He also told me about mixing in color hemp but it occurred to me that I have tons of embroidery floss from when I was 17 years old when I learned how to make friendship bracelets. I’ve been buying so many of them that I had to buy an organizer to store them in and I don’t even use them.

So, when I start making bracelets again I’m going to make them a bit more interesting.

They sell those beads by the way in that link at the top so if you are interested in buying cool rastaman beads for your projects go and click. They also have some cool salt and pepper shakers too. All of those things are one of a kind, you can’t find them anywhere else.

People Say I’m Full of Bologna

On By Michel McDonaldIn FoodLeave a comment

Sing along with me. My Bologna has a first name, it’s O-S-C-A-R. My Bologna has a second name it’s M-A-Y-E-R. Oh I love to eat it every day and if you ask me why I’ll say. Cause Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A.

My mother made me bologna sandwiches for lunch nearly every day when I was a kid until I was old enough to make them for myself. We alternated between bologna, ham and pb&j. When I took them to school as my lunch I much prefered the bologna or ham sandwiches as opposed to the pb&j because at least the mayo didn’t soak into the bread like the jelly did but at the same time, mayo shouldn’t be sitting in a lunch box or paper bag for a few hours before you can get to it. It’s a wonder I’m still alive lol.

I wasn’t really that big on the bologna though, I mean I liked it enough that I was eating it but I wasn’t this huge fan. I ate it because that is what was given to me. When I was on my own I never really voluntarily bought it for myself because after so many years of bologna sandwiches several times a week you get sick of it.

Over the last 20 years I’ve been more of a turkey or ham sandwich kind of guy. Occasionally a PB&J will do but not too often anymore since I found out that I was diabetic.

Yesterday I was at the grocery store looking for some lunch meat and I got to thinking, I haven’t had bologna in over 20 years. But, I’m trying to lose weight, should I? I looked carefully at each new type of bologna they had because there are more options now than there were in the last 40 years.

One caught my eye. Oscar Mayer 98% fat-free Bologna made with turkey. WHAT?!?! Turkey is a healthy alternative, a meat that I have been eating a lot of lately along with chicken. The regular bologna is about 170 calories (give or take) but this 98% fat-free bologna with turkey is only 25 calories with 0 grams of fat. Uh sign me up for that action.

The bread that I’ve found is called Nature’s Own and the whole wheat bread is only 50 calories per slice. The Kraft fat-free mayo that I’ve been using is only 15 calories for 1 tbsp which is enough mayo to spread on both slices with some leftover that you can put back in the jar. 1 sandwich is 140 calories with 3.5g of fat. That is not a bad sandwich if I do say so myself. It’s so good, I ate 2 and I didn’t feel one bit of guilt.

The turkey bologna tastes so much better than the original, although I’m not saying the original tasted bad, I liked it but this is better and has way fewer calories and no fat.

The good thing is that it wasn’t expensive either. Usually if something is good for you, it’s going to be expensive. I can’t remember the exact price but it was on sale for a buck and change. Although the regular price was two bucks and change.

So, I guess you could say that I am a bologna person again, as long as they keep making this stuff I’m on board with it.

The Four Fingers of Death

On By Michel McDonaldIn BooksLeave a comment

via The Four Fingers of Death – Hachette Book Group.

A few months ago I won a book on GetGlue called The Living Dead by George Romero and then I found out in a stage Q&A video on YouTube that he knew nothing about the book and denied it’s existence. Today I got an email from GetGlue telling me that the Hatchette Group who I apparently won the book from has offered 4 other alternatives. Here they are:

ADAM by Ted Dekker
A serial killer known only as Eve is on the loose. The victims are sixteen young women, each murdered on the night of a new moon. Special Agent Daniel Clark is determined to find Eve at any cost, even if it means he might be the next target.

THE FOUR FINGERS OF DEATH by Rick Moody
Rick Moody’s masterful new novel vividly imagines a lowdown, darkly comic future, as inspired by a drive-in movie classic.

THE CAPITOL GAME by Brian Haig
New York Times bestselling author Brian Haig returns with a riveting new thriller about a man caught between the politics of big government and the corruption of big business.

POSTCARD KILLERS by James Patterson and Liza Marklund
James Patterson teams up with #1 European bestseller Liza Marklund to create the scariest vacation thriller ever.

I think it was very cool that they offered a new book instead of making me wait for the book that they offered me a couple of months ago. Since I already knew that The Living Dead wasn’t going to happen, I gave up on waiting for it.

The only issue that I have with these 4 books is that they are not an equal alternative to “the livingdead”. They aren’t zombie books which is what I won for being the guru of a zombie book.

So because I had to choose 1 I chose The Four Fingers because it sort of has a zombie in it, the reanimated arm with the middle finger missing. That should be interesting to read about considering it is the remains of an earth human who went to Mars and the only thing that came back was his arm. I’d also like to see how the arm came back to Earth lol.

The other 3 books seemed suspenseful but I’m not into murder mysteries. The book genre I’m really into is fantasy and horror. You know, vampires, demons, zombies, magicians, wizards and witches.  If it is supernatural then I like it. Those other 3 did not seem very supernatural to me.

It is hardcover which is a bit of a bonus and I look forward to receiving it but I won’t hold my breath for too long.

Update 2011-01-27: I still have yet to receive this book

Update 2012-10-03: I STILL have yet to receive any book.  I gave up a long time ago.  In fact, I totally forgot about it until I received an email saying that 2 of the links from this post were broken.  I tried to fix them, but 1 of them isn’t even on the Hatchette Group website anymore.  The Capital Game.  Oh well.  I guess after nearly 3 years I might as well just give up ever expecting to receive any “free” gift other than stickers from GetGlue.

Mel Gibson’s Father, As Crazy As Mel

On By Michel McDonaldIn Amplify, CelebritiesLeave a comment

Is this guy serious? Some would say that because he is 91 years old you should just give him a break because he was born in another time and that back then… whatever . I’m sure he was raised by racist bigots and so he raised his son Mel to be a racist bigot and Mel’s going to raise his kids… the chain will probably never end.

It’s too bad too because it’s the year 2010 and instead of being so hateful to other people who you don’t know or understand, it’s time to start doing what the bible says and Do Unto Others! Treat people the way you would want to be treated. If you don’t want to be called a bigoted name then don’t call people a bigoted name. It’s that easy. I don’t want to have to bash this old guy in my blog but I will do unto him the way he is doing unto the pope. Not that I really care about the pope you know but still.

Amplify’d from www.dailymail.co.uk

Now Mel Gibson’s father brands the Pope ‘gay’ in outrageous radio outburst

The Braveheart actor’s father, Hutton Gibson – a devout Catholic like his son – has reportedly blasted the Vatican and labelled Pope Benedict XVI as ‘gay’ on a US radio show.

According to gossip website TMZ.com, Gibson senior rang Stateside radio talk show the Political Cesspool Radio Program, which is broadcast on the Liberty News network, during which he’s asked if the Catholic Church was addressing issues such as homosexuality.

The 91 year-old responded: ‘It’s not willing to do so because half of the people there in the Vatican are queer.’

Read more at www.dailymail.co.uk

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/8knx

Spark Peoples Mobile Makeover

On By Michel McDonaldIn DietLeave a comment

Spark People has finally given their mobile site a long overdue makeover. I was having trouble with my slow computer so I turned my PSP on to log my dinner through their mobile site and found a cool new look.

As you can see they have added the ability to track your weight and water as well as being able to browse Restaurant foods. That is a nice addition for those on their mobile phones when they are out at the local Burger King so as they are eating their “salad” (yeah right) they can look up how many calories they are eating then track it.

Here are some more pictures.

Even though I’m not technically a huge mobile user, I do appreciate that they are finally working on their mobile version. I do use it occasionally because it loads much faster than it does in the browser on my slow computer.

Bob’s Big (Hippie) Boy

On By Michel McDonaldIn crafts, JewelryLeave a comment

I realize that on the dorkometer I am probably off the charts but I was bored earlier today so I made a necklace for my Bob’s Big Boy piggy bank lol.

It’s not an exact replica but it was the best I could do with what I have to work with. Of course I had to attach a picture of my necklace below his to show how the colors are the same, although they are spaced quite a bit apart and the hemp is smaller in mine but it’s basically the same thing. Who cares about semantics hehe.

It was fun to make, there were times I thought it might be too long with all the knots and the amount of beads but it worked out on the first try.

Now, I see 2 teddy bears who don’t have any jewelry on.