Just thought I’d bring your attention to this awesome giveaway. A FREE iPad or equivalent value. There’s a lot of Rafflecopter clickng involved, but hey, an iPad is worth $600. That’s a pretty nice prize! So spend 5 or 10 minutes over there, enter the giveaway, and meet some cool indie authors.
The Amazon Android Appstore is celebrating its fourth birthday today by setting 105 paid apps and games free and offering a $25,000 sweepstakes. Amazon is anxious to start getting a bigger piece of the Android app market (well, okay, they’re anxious to get a bigger piece of every market 🙂 ), and this is their way of getting people in there. I’m heading over to enter right now, and you should, too!
Well, I’ve never been to Hell, but I’ve been to Niagara Falls, and I’ve never seen it like this! As a matter of fact, I was born in Niagara Falls and still have a few die-hard relatives up there. I hope they’re taking advantage of the opportunity to see it on one of its rare frozen-over days. Okay, it doesn’t actually freeze completely over, but the mist and falling water on top do freeze, creating the so-called ice bridge between the U.S. and Canada. It’s a rather incredible sight, as these pictures from the Daily Mail show.
Go read this thing. It’s meant to be funny, but it’s so, so accurate. Is this really the direction we want our country to be heading? Where everyone is scared to death of everything that might possibly, conceivably, someday hurt them in some way? The world is not a safe place, people. It never has been. And contrary to what our leaders will have you believe, it’s a heck of a lot safer today than at any time in the past, and that’s despite, not because of, the numerous and sundry safety measures our governments have inflicted upon us. There will always be a balance between freedom and safety. If you don’t care about the freedom to drive a car wherever you’d like to go, to eat and drink the foods you choose, to live your life as you see fit, then don’t try to place those restrictions on others, even if you think your choices are superior. It’s their life, their body, and their decision! We can’t protect everyone from everything without sacrificing the joy of living.
I saw this cartoon over at The Meta Picture, and couldn’t help but relate it to what I’ve been feeling for the last week or so. When Christmas shopping for loved ones, you want to find that perfect gift—that item that says “I know you. I know what you like. I know what’s important to you.” Or at least one that doesn’t scream, “I grabbed this off the check-out rack last night, while I was buying milk at the mini-mart.” | Rice Krispie Turkey Legs Yes! I can do this. These are so cute and fun, and the recipe doesn’t involve baking, basting, roasting, or sautéing. I’m on it. |
 | Pumpkin Skinny Dip This low-calorie dessert dip is intended to delight your health-conscious Turkey Day guests. Right. Look, if it’s not going to pack a layer of flab on your fanny, I’m not including it in my holiday line-up. |
 | Gourds & Greens Festive Table Decorations Wait, you mean people actually do this? Other than professional home stagers, that is. Sorry, not happening. Besides, this would totally clash with the Autumn Leaves Chinet. |
 | Sweet ‘n Spicy Chicken Bacon Wraps OMG, for realz? Do you know how many ingredients this thing has? It takes five pictures just to show the steps! How am I gonna watch Miracle on 34th Street with this going on? Ain’t nobody got time for that. |
 | Five Ingredient Easy Crock Pot Creamed Corn Yo, domestic goddesses, got a tip for ya: you can buy this stuff ready-made. That’s one ingredient. I’ll loan you my can opener. |
 | Holiday Fork Caddy Why? Seriously, why? |
 | Autumn Fun Pie Crust Also known as too-much-time-on-my-hands Pie Crust, this little beauty is just the kind of thing that would make me go, “Help! I’ve been abducted by the Stepford Wives!”. |
 | Pretty Pumpkin Toilet Paper No. Please. God. No. |
So I’m working on my next book. It’s the second in The Gifted Ones series, and deals with a mystery from the American pre-Colonial era and has a couple major characters who are Native American Indians. As a result, I’ve been brushing up on the history of that period and Indian cultures of North Carolina. In the process, I came across this meme. Had to share.
One of the cutest and best designed tiny houses I’ve ever seen. If you’re a fan, hobbyist, or just curious about the tiny house movement or off-grid living, check out the interior and other details.
The Disgraceful Entrapment of Jesse Snodgrass: Keep the Narcs Out of Our Schools
