Book Review: How To Write Anything

writeanythingHow To Write Anything – is a complete guide by Laura Brown.  It is broken down into 3 sections – The Writing Process, E-Writing and the Technology Revolution and The Entries.

The Writing Process tells you about how you can write anything. And Finding your process.

E-Writing explains how to Choose Your Weapon and the process of e-writing.

The Entries is all the ways you can write – Announcements, Invitations, Apology, Thank Yous and is also broken down even more to writing at School and Writing at Work.

The author has been teaching writing for nearly 30 years.  She says that there is no one who “can’t write”, only those intimidated by the process.  I have to say, sometimes I am intimidated myself. With a blog there’s a lot of times when I want to write something or have to write something and just have no idea how to tackle it.  While I like to think I’m a “writer”, I am always looking for new ideas and tips which is why I decided to read this book.

The E-writing chapter gives a lot of tips on how to differentiate between Instant Messaging, Testing, Emails, etc. Each has its own purpose and should be used as such.  There is also a checklist included (and each item explained) on what you should be looking for when you revise.  I think this is where I fall short. I write things and then often don’t take the time to go over what I’ve written again to try and make things make more sense or correct spelling or grammatical errors. The author suggests making this a habit – and I think I need to print out the check list and stick it to my computer monitor just to make sure I am doing this!

The 3rd part of the book came across as more of a reference.  While I read through everything in order to write this review, it might be best to pick up this book and review the section depending on what you are writing. There are tips and examples included which are great guidelines for what you should and shouldn’t be including in your writing.

Additional information can also be found at http://www.howtowriteanything.com/

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

A practical guide to everything you’ll ever need to write — at work, at school, and in your personal life.

With more than two hundred how-to entries and easy-to-use models organized into three comprehensive sections on work, school, and personal life, How to Write Anything covers a wide range of topics that make it an essential guide for the whole family. You want your boss to fund a special project. How can you write a persuasive email that will win his approval? It’s time to apply to college. How can you write an essay that will stand out? The mother of one of your co-workers has died. What’s the best way to express your condolences?

Grounded in a common-sense approach, friendly and supportive, How to Write Anything is Internet-savvy, with advice throughout about choosing the most appropriate medium for your message: e-mail or pen and paper. At once a how-to, a reference book, and a pioneering guide for writing in a changing world, this is the only writing resource you’ll ever need.

Author Bio
Laura Brown, PhD, 
author of How to Write Anything: A Complete Guide, has taught writing to just about everyone — from corporate executives to high school students. Her expertise encompasses instructor-led training, individual coaching, classroom teaching, and e-learning development. She has more than twenty-five years’ experience providing training and coaching in business writing, and she has also taught composition and literature at Columbia University. She lives in New York.

Book Review: What Einstein Didn’t Know

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What Einstein Didn’t Know is a book about all sorts of scientific questions and their answers – like why is the sky blue? Why are bubbles round? And lots of other things that you’ve probably wondered but never known the answer to.  The book is written in a really easy to understand format and has a lot of great tips and bar bets that you can make with your friends based on what you learned in the book.  The book is just over 200 pages but is a relatively quick read – if you don’t stop to do some of the experiments included.  If you do try them, it’ll probably take a bit longer – but will probably be worth your while!

I’m a big fan of science so I really enjoyed this book although I probably could have gone without the details about what jello and gummy bears are made out of.  It’s not like I didn’t know already, but it’s just something I choose to not really think about!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Discover how cricket chirps can tell us the temperature, why you can’t unburn a match, why ice floats, and a host of mysteries of modern living — including some riddles that maybe even Einstein couldn’t solve. From the simple (How does soap know what’s dirt? How do magnets work? Why do batteries die?) to the more complex (Why does evaporation have a cooling effect? Where does uranium get its energy?), this book makes science more understandable and fun.
Author Robert Wolke provides definitive and easy-to-comprehend explanations for things that we take for granted, like the illumination behind neon signs and the mysteries of beverage carbonation. Wolke also dares readers to explore and conduct their own experiments with food, kitchen utensils, and common household products. This fifteenth anniversary edition of his bestselling popular science classic has been completely revised and expanded.

Book Review: Netwars

netwarsNetwars: The Code is the first episode in this series. The book is short, only about 60 pages so it was perfect for a quick read! There was so much action and drama going on in it though, you wouldn’t think so much could fit into just a few pages, but it did!  The book is about Anthony Prince and Strider.  Prince is a big shot at a high-tech security firm and Strider is a hacker.  I of course love any high-tech based book so I was certainly into this book and I love thrillers as well.  I can’t wait to read future episodes!  If they are all this short but this jam packed with entertainment as this first one – I am sure to love them!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

 

About the Book

Netwars: The Code. A high-tech serial thriller from the dark side of the net. Episode 1.

Welcome to the Deep Web. Those parts of the internet no search engine explores. The place where you can buy anything. Drugs, children, weapons. 
Anyone can do it. And get away free. 

Anthony Prince, head of PrinceSec, a firm which provides high-tech security for the government and major corporations, dies in a plane crash when crossing the English Channel. Responsible for Prince’s death is a hacker named Strider. His real name is Scott Mitchell and in his day job at the National Cyber Crime Unit he uses legitimate means to get the bad guys. As Strider, his means are less legal. On the same night, PrinceSec is the target of a cyber-attack. When the NCCU is called to assess the damage, a link is found between Prince and a criminal hacker group called Black Flag. The race is on for Mitchell to protect his identity as Strider and to stop Black Flag before it’s too late.

Throwback Thursday – NSYNC 2000

Headliner: *NSYNC
Opener(s): Pink, Innosense, Ron Irizarry
Cost: $50
Setlist:

No Strings Attached
I Want You Back
It’s Gonna Be Me
God Must Have Spent
Tearin’ Up My Heart
Human Beat Box
I Drive Myself Crazy
I Thought She Knew
Just Got Paid
Makes Me Ill
Space Cowboy
This I Promise You
Digital Get Down
Bye Bye Bye

 

Recap:

I think I remember more about trying to get these tickets than the actual show LOL  Me and 2 of my brother’s friends Moms went to “camp out” for tickets at the mall. (This was before ticketmaster.com was a thing)  They gave out numbers and then called a number and that was the first person to buy tickets and then everything went in number order from there (so getting there the earliest didn’t really mean anything)  Except that the shows sold out in like 2 seconds.  They added a couple more shows – but we ultimately went home empty handed.  MEANWHILE – my Dad was at home trying on the phone and was instructed to get us 8 tickets if he could get through.  He did – but the phone was having a glitch and was not giving out confirmation numbers.  So I got home and he was like “I GOT THEM!” (no cell phones lol) and I had heard other people in line talking about no confirmation number meaning you wouldn’t get them so I was like “did you get a confirmation number?” and he was like “No…”  But then one night a little bit later Ticketmaster called and said the order was pending but since we didn’t get a confirmation number – did we want the tickets still?  At that point we bought tickets for DC instead but we ended up getting the MSG tickets too.  This was I believe the night before they recorded it for HBO so they were doing a run through of it with the cameras and all that.  This was also my first time on a Subway and I didn’t realize it just took off before you got a seat so I went flying and ended up being caught by some old guy lol (I am now a Subway pro and can even ride it standing)

 

Where Are They Now:

Pink is now a HUGE star. I did not like her at all back in 2000 though.

Ron has apparently still been doing music and had shows around Florida last year according to his reverbnation page!

Innosense is no longer together… and yeah.

 

iHeartRadio #Ultimate Pool Party

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There ain’t no party quite like an iHeart Radio party! I know this, because last year I went to the music festival village at the lot in Las Vegas.  This year I unfortunately won’t be making it to any of the shows in person – but fortunately the CW Network has brought the iHeartRadio Ultimate Pool Party to me and aired it last night!  The pool party was in Miami, FL and took over the Fontainbleu Resort’s famous pool.

The great thing about iHeartRadio is that their shows and parties always seem to involve artists from all different genres of music – yet somehow it works!  The pool party kicked off with a set from Lil Jon – where he started with the popular song “Get Low” and then went in to “Turn Down For What”, I have to say – this song has been EVERYWHERE lately and I’m kind of sick of it! Everyone else seems to love it though and Lil John is sure putting on a show!

The party is hosted by Nick Cannon – how many jobs does this guy have? Wow! I remember once we had the chance to meet Nick and didn’t take it several years ago.  Who knew then what he would have become now?

Iggy Azalea was up next with her single “Fancy”, if you ask me if I like her I’ll probably say no – but I’ll let you in on a little secret – more often than not I have her song stuck in my head… Such an earworm! So catchy. who dat who dat i-g-g-y…

Speaking of super catchy songs that are always stuck in my head… next up performing was Ariana Grande with “Problem”, when “Fancy” isn’t stuck in my head, “Problem” usually is!  I got the chance to see Ariana live a couple of years ago – but would love to catch her again! She is such a great singer and performer and just always seems to be having so much fun!  I’m kind of jealous that the people at this pool party got to see the performance with Iggy too!

Next up is Neon Trees’ Tyler &  Tiesto! I’ve actually somehow never managed to hear this song “Red Lights” before. Not sure how that happened?  This is catchy though and I like it! I’ve seen Neon Trees before but would love to see them again – if only to see what kind of fun outfit Tyler is wearing! Tonight he has on blue slacks and a printed top with all sorts of fun colors.

Ariana is back now to perform “The Way”,this song reminds me so much of Mariah Carey!

Neon Trees was up next – Tyler changed so that made me happy – got to see another outfit! They did their popular single – Animal.

Nick Cannon hits the stage to perform his new single that is with Pitbull.  Unfortunately it doesn’t look like Pitbull is there though. If there’s anyone I’d love to see live, it’s Pitbull. (I’ve seen Nick on the All That tour several years ago!)  Nick’s outfit is making me think of old school LL Cool J.

Next up is Magic! who has a super catchy song “Rude” that is currently on the radio that I am absolutely loving. It’s a bit of reggae and a bit of rock and it’s just awesome – and another catchy ear worm! This is definitely a band that has recently been added to my “must see” list, they just seem like their music would be so fun and even better live!

(Side note this Jane the Virgin show looks like it might be pretty good!)

And finishing out the night – my girl JLo! She performed “First Love” in what amounted to her swimsuit.She also performed “On the Floor”, “Booty” and “Jenny from the Block”

Overall the iHeartRadio Ultimate Pool Party did not disappoint – If I couldn’t be there, watching it on TV was the next best thing!  I think that JLo and Ariana were my favorite performances of the night!

Did you watch too? What were your thoughts on the show?

 

 

 

 

How Do You Find Out About New Music?

headphones

 

A lot of people assume that just because I go to a lot of concerts, when I’m not at a show I must have music constantly playing.  While this may have been the truth several years ago, lately I don’t listen to music much at all.  If a new album comes out, I’ll listen to it in the car on the way to/from work and maybe listen to it at work once or twice as well.  Otherwise, I listen to Top 40 radio on the way to and from work and that’s about it.

While trying to figure out content for the blog that is more music focused, I realized just how out of the loop I am.  I used to go to a lot more local music shows that had 800 openers before who I was there to see and while a lot of them were just starting out and probably nothing to write home about, every now and then you’d find a gem.  For whatever reason these types of shows aren’t really on my radar much anymore so I don’t know much about who may be up and coming until it’s too late – they’re already on Top 40 radio and on the verge of being over played.

Then I realized another problem – I record several TV shows that have musical acts nearly every day – The Tonight Show w/ Jimmy Fallon, Late Night w/ Seth Meyers and VH1 Morning Buzz now that Nick Lachey is hosting.  This could easily expose me to some new acts – maybe some I’ll even fall in love with – but I find myself stopping the show before the musical act is on if it is someone that I’ve never heard of! Totally defeating the purpose of trying to find new music and I am trying to make a better effort to actually watch the entire show or at least give the musical guest a few minutes to try and catch and keep my attention.

(I also was alerted to this article which says radio IS the way most people find out about new music!)

So that brings me to my question – how do YOU find out about new music and bands?

 

Book Review: Top 5 Lists of All Things Travel + Giveaway

top5Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

The Top 5 Lists of All Things Travel is a book written by travel enthusiasts Kristine and Toni.  Between them they have visited 19 countries.  They love traveling and want to encourage it and they think making lists is fun (I agree, on both counts) so they combined them into one great book!  The book contains many lists with things to think about when booking vacations.  Where do you want to stay? What kind of amenities are you looking for? There’s even tips on how to save for your trip.  This always seems to be the question I get, but it’s always phrased in a rude “but how can you afford all that?” way. (Don’t worry about me and my finances, they are not your problem they are mine and in fact are not a problem at all.)

One of the things I disagreed with though is leaving the camera at home.  It does say “unless you are a photo buff” which I guess I am, but still.  The thought of people relying on their phones for photos when on vacation just doesn’t sit well with me. (Even though my last trip I had a brand new phone and did find myself using it just as much as my actual camera to “try it out”)  They do also list tips for taking great photos with your phone, but I’m still not sold on it. A lot of the tips I was also already doing, but there were certainly some things that I hadn’t thought about before included as well.

The book also has a list of other great resources if you want to do even more research after reading it.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

About the Book

Whether you are a travel newbie or a seasoned explorer, there is always something new to learn.

Kristine and Toni, co-founders of travel company, Journey Soulo, have visited 19 countries around the world and have collected tips, tricks and stories on each trip. The result? The Top 5 Things of All Things Travel — a book full of simple (and sometimes silly) lists that will help you plan and embark on your next trip.

Through this quick read you will:

• Discover fun places to stay that you may never have considered.
• Learn new ways to save for your next trip.
• Learn to avoid the pigeon **** pickpocket.
• Discover what this means: Wo kann ich Lederhosen in meiner Größe?
• Be inspired to plan your next trip now!

The Top 5 Things of All Things Travel also includes stories from fellow travelers, links to helpful websites and apps, and space for you to add your own lists (in the paperback version).

The Top 5 Things of All Things Travel provides you with a planning template to use whether you’re preparing for a trip to a neighboring state or a foreign country, traveling with a group or making a go of it solo. By the end of the book you’ll be ready to book the trip of your dreams!

WIN IT! ONE CONCERT KATIE READER WILL WIN A COPY OF THE BOOK

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Try It Tuesday: Peanut Butter Balls

peanutbutter

I guess this post is one of the pinterest failed or “nailed it!” posts that seem to be going around the internet.  A while back I saw a peanut butter ball on pinterest that looked delicious and had peanut butter and chocolate chips around the side.  When I saw the peanut butter chips at the store I decided to pick them up to make the ball – not having checked out the ingredients before hand.  Well, the recipe on pinterest had cream  cheese in it and basically if I made it I’d be the only one eating it because the rest of my family would have flipped out if they found out it had cream cheese in it.  So, rather than try and be deceiving I decided to modify my go-to Peanut Butter Fudge recipe and instead of putting it in to a dish to harden and cut into squares, I’d instead roll it in a ball and then roll it in the mixture of peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Well, that was quite a fail as the recipe called for more powdered sugar than we actually had in the house.  What we had was close – but unfortunately not close enough to make it thick enough to grab and roll. So instead I used a cookie scooper to make “balls” and then dropped the chips on top.  Once they were in the fridge for a while and hardened they really weren’t that bad tasting, but they sure did look bad.

Here’s the Alton Brown recipe I typically use for Peanut Butter Fudge that is really, really good.

 

pbfudge

Product Review: Mangrate

Mangrates are American made grilling grates designed to sit on top of any existing grill and give the griller the steakhouse quality food they want. ManGrate’s cast-iron design utilizes radiant heat—instead of convection heat or “hot air”—searing in the juices but allowing food to cook evenly. The smoke rails are the angled ledges on each bar of the ManGrate. These ledges are designed to trap and retain oils and fats released during grilling, and it’s these juices that aid in the natural smoking process giving meats a rich, barbecued flavor. They also serve to reduce flare ups.

One of the problems we had been having lately is that our burgers have not been cooking fully through and it seems no matter how long we leave them on the grill, it kept happening.  So we decided to give Mangrate a try to see what would happen.  While the burgers did end up getting cooked fully through all the way, it did seem to lose some of the juices we were used to having using the grill the old way.  (Maybe we left them on too long to overcompensate for them taking so long to cook the old way!) Hot Dogs cooked the same as always and even had some nice grill marks on them as well.

Our next attempt will be to try some other different meats on the grill – maybe some chicken or steak!

 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Music Monday: Tyrone Wells The Christmas Album

Since I bought  several new Christmas CDs at Christmas time last year – and then never got the chance to listen to them – I figured rather than wait until next Christmas (when no doubt some more Christmas CDs would be released) I would instead do a Christmas in July feature for Music Monday.  Hopefully if you are in a hot place they will make you feel a bit cooler thinking of snow – or if you are freezing in the AC it will feel appropriate. (I was about to put gloves on my my office the other day the AC is just THAT freezing cold in my office!)

 

 

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The Christmas Song
Jingle Bells
Christmas At Home
Away In A Manger
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Wrap Her Up For Me
Silent Night
Carol of the Bells
O Come All Ye Faithful

Tyrone is one of my favorite voices. I could just listen to him sing forever! So it’s no problem to listen to him singing about Christmas and snow in July ;).   I also love how he put his own twist on a lot of these songs.  I’m sure you’ve heard Jingle Bells nothing less than 8 million times – but I bet you’ve never heard it quite like Tyrone does it on the album!  He also has 2 original songs on the album in addition to the classics – “Wrap Her Up For Me” and “Christmas at Home”

Christmas at Home is a more emotional track while Wrap Her Up For Me is a more humorous track.

If you’re looking for a new Christmas album for heavy rotation in a few months (or all year round, if that’s your thing) then you should certainly check out Tyrone Wells The Christmas Album. You won’t be disappointed. (It also helps that he has my favorite Christmas song ever on his CD – Carol of the Bells!)

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