So, unless you live under a rock, you know that Apple announced a new tablet computer they are calling the iPad. Umm...really?? iPad??? That's the best name some of the most creative minds in computer-dom could come up with? Fellas, I have two words for you marketing fail.

Anyhoo, poor naming aside, it's a beautiful thing:



Now, many in the media and the blog-o-sphere have been less than impressed with the iPad (bleh). And no I'm not linking to any of them...jeez, peeps, haven't I told you to embrace the Google? I think some people are focusing on it as a direct competitor to the Kindle a little too much. Apple never said they wanted to sell an ereader...yes, they are setting up the new iBooks store. Because, of course people will use the iPad to read ebooks - just like they use their Macs, MacBooks, etc. - and Apple does love to sell stuff to people so why force people buy their books elsewhere? Apple is all about ease of purchase. :-D Also, anything that opens up more people to reading ebooks is a good thing, says me. I mean, honestly, before the iPod came along, how many of us regularly downloaded music?? The possibilities...I seez them.

Anyway, back to iPad vs Kindle - I have no real desire for a Kindle. I'm sure it is an excellent reading experience and Amazon has made it very, very easy for people to buy books for their Kindles. However, I am leery of anything with a proprietary format - which is why I only get the free stuff for the Kindle app on my iPhone. Until I have a way to have a book I can read wherever I like (on my iPhone or on my MacBook or wherever I choose), I think I'll pass. And yes I know they say they are developing a Kindle for Mac desktop program...I'm sure the announcement of the iPad moved that right to the top of Amazon's to-do list, don't you think? Heh. I also think someone might manage to develop a setting that will somewhat mimic eInk. I'm not a techie so I don't know that it's possible but it could be and those crazy Apple folks might just manage it.

Moving on - I think the iPad is for people who want something more portable than a laptop but bigger than an iPhone (or whatever other smartphone). Something that will let them play music, view photos and videos, read books, surf and play games - and hopefully do more than one thing at a time, for crying out loud. I think the iPad will be excellent for travel. If Apple does One More Thing (tm Uncle Steve) - I want a full blown version of iPhoto on the iPad. If they can manage to put versions of the iWork programs on there (and yay that they did that!), they can also manage to put iPhoto there soon. I know there is a Photos app but it seems to be geared more toward viewing and less to importing, setting up slideshows, etc. - things needed if you're vacationing and taking lots of pictures. And you know I love me some vacay, peeps. :-D I know there are other things people would like - an iSight camera, for example.



Well, there's my rambling take on the iPad (gah!), peeps. I will be waiting to see what the early adopters say about the iPad. I'm not rushing out to buy one but it's going on my Christmas list. By then, there should be an update or two that should make me a Happy Mac.

Labels: 2 cents, apple, computer stuff, ebooks, gadgets, lolcat

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies. ~ Martin Luther King Jr.


...and we still have so much to learn.

Labels: holiday

Doesn't that sound impressive? Like, all official and stuff?

First, a re-cap - in 2008 I read 115 new to me books. Maybe. I'm not convinced...I didn't do a good job keeping track of all my ebook reading last year.

Now for 2009 - I read (as near as I can tell) a grand total of 124 new to me books. Woo hoo! I actually read more this year, maybe (see note above). Still, a lot of those are ebooks that were a bit shorter than the average paper book. And I didn't do a good job of keeping track of re-reads (I will do better on that this year). Also I've been in a new-book-reading slump since early November so that kept the total down, too. It could have been an awesome reading year...sto0pid slump. *mutters*

Anyhoo, let me break it down for you. First my top ten (I'm too lazy to link to anything - embrace the power of teh Google, peeps). These are in alphabetical order by author, since that's the way they popped up after I sorted my spreadsheet:

1. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley
2. Dark of Night by Suzanne Brockmann
3. One Week as Lovers by Victoria Dahl
4. Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James
5. Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas
6. The Dark Tide by Josh Lanyon (the first time an ebook has made my top ten, I think, so wo0t!)
7. The Host by Stephanie Meyer
8. Faefever by Karen Marie Moning (ZOMG ZOMG!!)
9. Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning (ZOMG!)
10. Glitter Baby by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
11. Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh

The ratings breakdown:
10/9 books: 11
8 books: 34
7 books: 54
6 books: 21
5/0 books: 4

Contemporaries read: 68 (practically all of the ebooks I read were contemporaries) and if I add in the category books, the total goes up to 74
Historicals read: 42
Fantasy/futuristics read: 7
Time-travels read: 1

If I break down those numbers a bit further -

Paranormals read: 20
Suspense/mysteries read: 5

Number of new-to-me authors I tried this year: 19! Impressive, yes? Some of the newbies - Ann Aguirre/Ava Gray, Katie Allen, Lauren Dane, Sarah Mayberry and Sydney Croft.

Author with most books read by me in 2009: Victoria Dahl. I read 5 of her books. Heh. I know she's proud. :-D

ETA: I had my Fever books mislabeled...which happens when you do a post really late at night AND don't read it. So tis fixed now. And Faefever had to get a double ZOMG for the cliffhanger. O_O Those of you who have read it, imagine me onboard a ship bound for Iceland and reading that ending in the wee hours of the morning...do you understand the double ZOMG?? I think you do. LOL

Labels: 2 cents, 2009, book stuff, ebooks

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, fabulous 2010!

:o)

Labels: holiday

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"



Merry Christmas to all my peeps! I hope you have a fabulous holiday! :o)

Labels: holiday

So last weekend I met my mom and her sisters in Nashville at the Opryland hotel for some holiday fun. It was my first time seeing the hotel all dressed up for Christmas - WOW! We are talking serious decorations, peeps. I also did a bit of location scouting for the RWA 2010 attendees and tweeted my findings. ;-)

Check out some of the pics:


Umm...a river runs through it. Didja know?


There were bunches of huge trees but this was the only picture that didn't have tons of people in it, too. ;-)


The big main inside nativity scene - there was a much bigger one outside on the lawn.

Included in our package were tickets to ICE! - which was very cool (literally and figuratively). LOL This year's theme was Charlie Brown (the last few years it has been the Grinch). Amazing!


Popsicle trees!


The doctor is IN.


OOOOOoooooooooo!


My sweet babboo! With the ice slide behind him. My mom chickened out so I didn't slide either. Booooo!


Yup, a nativity made of ice, too. You can really see how they put the huge sculptures together when the ice is clear like this.


Anybody else been doing fun holiday-ish things?

Labels: holiday, pictures, roaming