Anathem
by Neal Stephenson
Anathem, the latest invention by the New York Times bestselling author of Cryptonomicon and The Baroque Cycle, is a magnificent creation: a work of great scope, intelligence, and imagination that ushers readers into a recognizable—yet strangely inverted—world. ... more
Big goals are not only more fun and exciting; they carry more weight than small ones. Ambitious, serious, “weighty goals” have attraction power.
They attract others into the process and magnetize ideas and resources. Big goals pull you along. They pull you through the difficult times and help you remain diligent. They inspire you to greater innovation and effective action.
Yesterday, I stopped to fill up at a local BP station where I shelled out $3.99 a gallon to fill ‘er up. Just down the road, the same grade was over $4.00. I drive an older model Ford Taurus, and it costs about $70.00 for a full tank. In my house, we have a full size Chevrolet Silverado which cost approximately $100.00 to fill and gets a measly 15 mpg in the city. My daughter’s car, a Chevy Malibu, probably gets the best gas mileage out of the three; she can go over 230 miles on a full tank. Not great, but better than the Silverado and the Taurus.
It seems like every day gas prices are going up with no real reason for the increase, and while there are quite a few fuel-efficient vehicles on the market, not everyone can afford to buy a new Toyota Prius or a fancy Hybrid. I did some research and found the Automotive Oil Change Association recently offered up a few recommendations to help us get the most out of our mileage. If you can’t car-pool or take mass transit, the AOCA offers the following tips and tricks:
http://www.carsforgirls.com/index.php/10-tips-to-increase-gas-mileage/
Dolly Parton: The Book LadyWith six million books emailed each year, Imagination Library recently teamed up with Rotary International to encourage individual Rotary clubs to cover the cost of new volumes and shipping. more » » »
If there is one person who personifies selflessness, un-wavering love and caring the first to come to mind should be your mother. She cradled you for your fist nine months and held your hand though all the challenges life could throw at you. Like with all true heroes books are littered with examples of hundreds of miracle moms from the classic Hester Prynne in the Scarlet Letter, who taught her daughter it's not shameful to have pride in one’s self, to the more contemporary Mrs. Weasley the super poor super mom who took in Harry Potter like he was her own son.
However not all the mothers in literature come out smelling like roses. Abandonment, abuse, and adultery are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the bottom of the barrel of fictional mothers. To help you forget that time your mom forgot your birthday BookFinder.com has compiled a list of the 10 worst mothers in fiction.
If you give a cat a cupcake
by Laura Numeroff
If you give a cat a cupcake, he'll ask for some sprinkles to go with it. When you give him the sprinkles, he might spill some on the floor. Cleaning up will make him hot, so you'll give him a bathing suit . . . and that's just the beginning! ... more
I have been so disappointed in the last two books that I have read that I don't want to spend any more time thinking about them - even the time to write a blog post. So I am going to alert you to a new tool that I discovered that may help you answer the perennial question: "What should I read next?"
What happens when you combine artificial intelligence with social networking (don't stop reading - I promise that you won't have to participate in any network)? The result is www.gnooks.com.
You can't polish sandshoes! The only way to achieve a high gloss sheen on a pair of shoes is to start with quality shoes. The same applies for expertise. You can't manufacture a GURU!
Experts are created through quality thought. They are not just manufactured through marketing.
Here is a useful five step thinking process for developing expertise.
You've been asked to speak for an audience. However, the event organizer or meeting planner tells you they can't pay you. Your heart sinks knowing that speaking for free will cost you in the long run. You think of all the expenses you'll incur gas, parking, photocopying materials, babysitter and speaking for free means you won’t be reimbursed for these incidental costs.
Although a free gig can eat into your bottom line, you don't need to refuse it altogether. If you're still building your expertise, free gigs can help you to refine your message and try out new concepts on an eager audience. ... read more here
Memoirs are the new novels. True or not, artfully or artlessly enhanced autobiography now commands the kind of front-list attention usually reserved for heavyweight novelists. Why not, then, take a memoir to the beach or backwoods this summer along with the usual fiction? As this fourth Short Takes of 50 titles reveals, summer's offerings boast all the traits of a blockbuster movie. more
