Amazon Vine Review: The Dracula Dossier

I have just finished reading The Dracula Dossier by James Reese, and my review is hot off the press. It is not for everyone, but if you like the thriller/horror genre it's worth a look. However, don't be misled by the title. There is no mention of Dracula or vampires in the novel at all. Reese's writing suggests in footnotes how Jack the Ripper might have influenced Bram Stoker's writing of Dracula, but that's the extent of the tie in.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Vine Review: Logitech Squeezebox Boom

In the year plus that I've been in Amazon Vine, I've come across so pretty cool stuff. However, the Logitech Squeezebox Boom is truly a WOW product. You have probably gathered that music is a pretty big deal to me based on all of the CD reviews that I've posted about, and both of the Squeezebox products that I've used have made it easier to enjoy. I would expect that many teens will have this on their Christmas list this year.

Until next time...
PH

October on the Vine

The first offering from Vine for October presented a couple of vary different treats. I will be expanding my wireless music system to include the Logitech Squeezebox Boom. You may remember seeing my review of the Logitech Squeezebox Duet earlier this year, and the "boom" will complement this system nicely. It's due to arrive by UPS tomorrow so stay tuned (pun intended) for more in the days to come.

From the category of night and day different comes The Work From Home Handbook. This was a nice, quick read, and my review is up for your viewing pleasure. If you are curious about telecommuting (part time or full time), this is a good place to start for more information.

Until next time...
PH

Tire Pressure and the Weather

Yesterday morning was the first extra cool morning this fall, and I didn't really think much of it at first.  However, as I was leaving for church yesterday morning, I noticed that I had a warning light on my dashboard as I was heading out of the neighborhood.  It was from the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) on the Civic.  I was fairly certain that the drop in temperature was the culprit so I dropped by the local QT station to check the tire and make use of their free air pump.  

I was rather surprised at what I discovered.  Rather than one of the tires being low, all four were 6-8 lbs. below the 32 lbs. that they should have held.  I was in effect driving on about 2 1/2 tires worth of air pressure.  However 10 minutes at the QT put things back in order quickly.  No big deal.

Well, the big deal to me was that in the past I would have never known that the tires were low.  They didn't visibly "look" low.  This is the value of having a TPMS.  Our Nissan Quest also has one, and I would guess that it is a pretty common feature on newer vehicles.  However, if your vehicle does not have one of these, it would be a good idea to check your tires after a drop in temperature.  It's just one of those many things that is easy to forget about.

Until next time...

PH

Amazon Vine Review: Sea of Poppies

Just a quick entry this evening. It took the better part of three weeks, but I finished Sea of Poppies yesterday at lunch. I found it to be a challenging book, but ultimately one that I was hooked (no pun intended) on by the time I finished it. See my review for the details.

Until next time...
PH

Kids, Bikes, and Cellphones

I have noticed something recently that I find troubling.  Saturday morning, I was leaving my neighborhood, and I noticed a kid (about 12 or 13) riding his bike while talking on his cellphone.  It made me think back to something that I had considered a fluke a few weeks ago.  That time, I was coming into my neighborhood, and I was almost home.  Then I had to honk at a kid who was flying down his driveway and pulled out right in front of me.  It was to my dismay that I noticed that he was staring at the ground talking on his cellphone.  If I had been a few seconds earlier, I would be talking about hitting the kid on his bike rather than just scaring him with a honk of the horn!

Much has been made about the dangers of talking on your cellphone while driving.  I would say that it is just as dangerous for kids to be doing so on their bikes.  Are your kids doing this?  Are you sure?  Make sure they know the dangers.

Until next time...

PH

Amazon Review: iPod Shuffle and More...

I had mentioned earlier that I had recently picked up an iPod Shuffle.  I've been using it for a couple of weeks ago, and I've posted a review on Amazon with the results.  I had also been in the market for a set of in-ear earbuds because the ones that come with mp3 players tend to fall out when jogging.  To remedy that, I've been using a pair of Skullcandy Buds Ink'd Earbuds, and I also have a review of these up as well.  Enjoy.

Until next time...

PH

Alarm System Scam

Today's topic is not a lot of fun, but I need to let you know about an attempted scam that came our way earlier this week. Someone from Northstar Alarm came by, and they did almost verbatim what you can read here. The guy was only going to be in our neighborhood that day, and he wanted me to sign up on the spot. I was shocked by the boldness of this ploy.

The best advice I can give you is to trust your instincts. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If something doesn't seem right, there's probably something wrong. I know I just recently wrote about getting something for nothing, but in my experience this is the rare exception.

Until next time...
PH

Amazon Review: Meat Glen Campbell

Continuing with yesterday's thoughts about enjoying the simple things, I received a few CDs and books for my birthday that I will be reviewing weeks to come.  The first one is a gem of a CD that I got from Dad (thanks again!) by Glen Campbell called Meet Glen Campbell.  I heard about this on the radio about a month or so ago, and I had been really interested in it.  It certainly did not disappoint.  See my review for the details.

Until next time...

PH