UML Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Standard Object Modeling Language

I was introduced to programming with Kernighan and Ritchie's C book. I loved reading that book. It's a classic because it's so concise, easy to read, and practical. A lot of my interest in the field came from just this one book.

UML Distilled is the OO design analog of K&R C. I tore through this book in about a week. It's actually a fun read which is an extreme rarity for anything computer science related. The author did a good job of cutting the fat off a very fat-rich specification. And I think the author quickly turns design via UML into a collaborative effort and not an automata (MDA? Really?).

Reviews of reviewers:
"Didn't follow the spec" Fowler dedicated the first chapter explaining his views on UML's role in the design process. It's bleedingly obvious that he sees UML as a "sketching" tool. If you want an MDA book, go buy one, and good luck.

"Condescending attitude" I didn't get that. I saw a neutral tone throughout. A 10-year fad in IT books is to get cutesy with the material (see the Dummies series). This spills out even to the more serious topics and publishers. There is no cutesy in this book, just fast paced information. Maybe that's mistaken for condescending.

"Couldn't keep up" First, Fowler seems to break his examples up between Java and C#. And his programming examples hold some finer nuances of each. Second, I think OOP and OOD jargon is rich and diverse. Students will get overwhelmed quickly. So I don't think this is the right book to learn OOP. But on the other hand, if you still can't approach this book after a year or two of real world OO programming, something is wrong.

For those serious developers out there, here's a link to get a copy for yourself.

Seven Languages in Seven Weeks: A Pragmatic Guide to Learning Programming Languages

Ruby, Io, Prolog, Scala, Erlang, Clojure, Haskell. With Seven Languages in Seven Weeks , by Bruce A. Tate, you'll go beyond the syntax-and beyond the 20-minute tutorial you'll find some place online. This book has an audacious goal: to present a meaningful exploration of seven languages within a single book. Rather than serve as a complete reference or installation guide, Seven Languages hits what's essential and unique about each language. Moreover, this approach will help teach you how to grok new languages.

For each language, you'll solve a nontrivial problem, using techniques that show off the language's most important features. As the book proceeds, you'll discover the strengths and weaknesses of the languages, while dissecting the process of learning languages quickly--for example, finding the typing and programming models, decision structures, and how you interact with them.

Among this group of seven, you'll explore the most critical programming models of our time. Learn the dynamic typing that makes Ruby, Python, and Perl so flexible and compelling. Understand the underlying prototype system that's at the heart of JavaScript. See how pattern matching in Prolog shaped the development of Scala and Erlang. Discover how pure functional programming in Haskell is different from the Lisp family of languages, including Clojure.

Explore the concurrency techniques that are quickly becoming the backbone of a new generation of Internet applications. Find out how to use Erlang's let-it-crash philosophy for building fault-tolerant systems. Understand the actor model that drives concurrency design in Io and Scala. Learn how Clojure uses versioning to solve some of the most difficult concurrency problems.

It's all here , all in one place. Use the concepts from one language to find creative solutions in another-or discover a language that may become one of your favourites.

Click here to buy this book now!

Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible

Pastor Steven Furtick has done an AMAZING job breaking down the elements of audacious faith. It's one thing to write about it...but it's another to live it out. Pastor Steven and Elevation Church have stretched for the impossible and God has delivered in ways in which only He can get the credit.

This book will challenge you, push you, step on your toes and call you out. If you're ok being stagnant in your faith...don't read this...because it is sure to change your way of thinking and will cause you to pray for the impossible and act immediately.

This book is hardcore and will remind you that "If God is for us, who can be against us."-Romans 8:31

Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager

This book is not your atypical text book style or instructional book. It really reads much more like a blog or fictional short story. I found it to be light, easy to read and laugh-out-loud funny at times. It also had a Dilbert-esq feel at times. I caught myself nodding in agreement and wondering when he had been employed at my office.

The catch is, hidden in all the funny stories and apparent wanderings, are actually a lot of valuable tidbits of information. If you are a beginning tester or manager this probably isn't going to help you much, except to entertain you (or scare you as you contemplate your new career).

For those of us with more than a few years under our belts, they are in there if you pay attention. Personally, I have to say it was nice to be learning something without it being done in a lecture or preachy style for a change. It was a breath of fresh air from the usual textbooks available.

You can check out a copy here.

Cracking the Coding Interview, Fourth Edition: 150 Programming Interview Questions and Solutions

I've read several books on interviewing, so I knew some of the stuff in this book. I still learned a bunch though. I got some valuable techniques on approaching problems, as well as for how to prepare. The resume advice is also great.

One thing though - make sure you follow the author's advice to the letter. It's tempting to just read through the interview solutions from start to end - don't! Actually take the time to go through them methodically, using the techniques from the book. You'll learn much more and, really, that's what good interview prep is all about.

I did actually get offers from Traffic, Imation, BT and the BBC (ended up going to BT- woot!). Who knows what would have happened otherwise, but I'm guessing this book had a lot to do with it.

Will definitely re-read before any future interviews as well.Get a copy if you're in search of jobs in software development.

Being Geek: The Software Developer's Career Handbook

I don't even work in the software industry, but, Michael Lopp's writing style and content transcends many different industries and is very interesting.

Many people are rating this book low, or lower, due to spelling mistakes, pronunciation mistakes, etc. Get over it. There are several, but they in no way shape or form detract from the content or message of the book.

If you want to read something that is interesting, true, funny, and fluid, then this book is for you. If you work in a large company, this book is for you. If you work in a small firm, this book is for you. If you are a technical person, this book is for you.

The only warning I will give is if you are an avid reader of his blog, then you'll find you've read some of the "chapters" already. If you read Managing Humans, you'll find you've read some of the "chapters" already. However, there is significant new content for people who have done both.

If discovering this will make you mad, you won't like the book. If you can move past this, you'll enjoy it.

Pinheads and Patriots: Where You Stand in the Age of Obama

Regular viewers of "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox Television will be thrilled with this volume. As with his previous books it is easy reading, fair and balanced (believe it or not), and includes lots of Bill's famous, dry humor.

You can almost see his sly smile as you read some of his statements. This short, 250 page book can easily be finished in only a day or so of reading, depending how much time can be devoted to it. Bill defines what he means by both the terms pinheads and patriots. He then points out that many people are both depending on the circumstances of their various actions.

He talks about many well known politicians and gives examples of their actions some of which would qualify them as pinheads and others as patriots. Yes, even Mr. O'Reilly admits to occasionally being a pinhead and he also acknowledges that it's too early to know whether some of his opinions will eventually put him in which P&P category. We all act as pinheads sometimes.

How I save on Amazon's Fall Blowout Sale‏

Start the fall season off right with great deals on thousands of items featured during Amazon’s Fall Blowout Sale. The event will include sale prices on a great selection of items, including electronics, sporting goods, clothing, home furnishings, and more. Give your readers the opportunity save, and earn advertising fees on subsequent qualifying purchases.

To see all of the great products that Amazon has collected for this event, which runs through September 26, 2010, go here.

The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World

Just as Chris has done with his previous ventures, the The Art of Non-Conformity really resonates on a visceral level. There is no easy way to describe what topic best characterizes this book. It's a business book and a self-help book and a philosophy book and a guide to life book. Chris truly believes that there is enough out there for everyone and relishes in helping people find their way to true happiness.

His examples and stories are incredibly relate-able. So much so that I called my 7 year old son in to sit with me and read some of the parts on fear and pushing through the walls that hold us back from experiencing life. Those lessons made sense to my son and I know that this book will make sense to anyone that gives it a chance.

The Art of Non-Conformity is destined to be a book that people will credit as causing turning points in their life. I know it will for me.

 The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World

Professional Android 2 Application Development

A great book, very impressed with the introduction. I was struggling with other two books including Hello Android. but the authors of this book care for starters to understand concepts first. for example another book i used went directly to use the static class R, and I couldn't figure what it meant.

As I struggle looking at complex examples, only helped me to get more familiar with Android 2, but now i am having a clearer understanding. I really recommend this book to others like me who are starting. In my case, this book helps me understand by giving small examples rather than looking to an endless sudoku example from Hello Android. :) You will see it when you read it.

More >>

The Grand Design

God the Universe I was in the womb. The womb was in my mother. My mother was on the earth. The earth is in the solar system. The solar system is in the Milky Way. The Milky Way is in the universe. Well, now where is the universe? What happens to logic? Some say it fails, some say it ends, some say physics is complete. Stephen Hawkings perhaps persumes that universe created itself from nothing. Nothing? I am sure when Dr Hawkings said god he means the entity in which the god's men have faith based on belief. So says he that the universe is not created by the so called god. If God is not an entity then Hawkings can be right for assuming the universe or the creation itself as god and so he has faith based on physics that universe created itself. First please debate whether god is an entity or a non entity.

One comment on this controversy asks Dr Hawkings what was before the Big Bang. Well, it was the colllapsing universe into the largest singularity, having the total energy, both the energy that manifests and the energy that does not manifest fused together. This singularity further collapses to trigger the Big Bang. The birth of the universe gives out two energies one that manifests into matter and the other which does not manifest remains as energy and expands along with the matter to hold them. Since this expansion and collapse occurs once in 100 years(NOT TERRESTRIAL YEAR)he must have said the universe creates itself from nothing.

Religions live in the past. Scientists live in the future. God's men
think god made man in his own immage for ever. Science tells us about evolution and man is not the final form of evolution. He can take mutation and get higher level of intelligence and find the answers and the Truth one day. It's unfair to expect science to unfold all the secrets in our lifetime. After all we humans even after thousands of years are not sure about god.

More than Dr Hawkings' declaration, I am amused by the reactions from godmen. Why not ask a couple of questions.Where was god the entity before his creation? Did he create the universe around him or outside. Why did he choose that particular time to create? What was he doing before the creation? Why is god addresed as He and not She. When god said let there be light and there was light...how did sound come into being?God created the universe in an order (the order of evolution). Why cant he create in the reverse?

A comment said seeing is not believing. Is hearing believing? For ages now we believe that Mosses came down from the hill top and said that he spoke with god. Fortunately for some and unfortunately for others Erich von Daniken was not there, if he was he would'nt have believed it.
MargoKSam India

About Helen

My name is Helen Neely and I’m the creator and maintainer of this blog. I launched it in September 2004 and, just barely a year later, the site receives thousands of page views a month and has lots of  RSS subscribers. Even more, I have spent no money at all on direct advertising for the site – I have never spent a dime to steer readers my way.

How did I do it? I spent a month collecting every technique I used to achieve this success. This isn’t “how to start a blog” material – anyone can write about that. What I focused on is how to build an audience and write quality content. These ideas were originally posted as a series of entries at here and other various blogs. But over time, I had to move all my content in one place and work more to make this place the final home for those content.

 Today, I finally gave in and decided to put up a post so about myself, how I started this blog and to answer some of the questions people have been asking over the years. Like most bloggers I know, writing about one self is very hard - you don't want to be seen as beating your own drum, so that has put me off writing this for a very long time. Even as I type this, I'm still asking myself if it is necessary...so, being the sort of person I am, I will let this pass for now and come back to it later.

Will you link to me? Yes, I mostly link to those who have good quality content on the blog, it does not matter what sort of area your blog covers, as long as it is well written and thought through, I will add it to my blogroll. You don't have to linkback to me. Sometimes it makes sense to link to people and not ask them to return the favour.

Do you accept guest posts? I have never really thought of it, but shoot me an email or leave a comment if you'd like to post here. Keep your post clean, no offensive language, discrimination or anything that would cause offence - think of readers from different cultures and backgrounds.

 What's your day job? I currently work as a senior software engineer, my day is spent writing software with Python, JSON/XML, MySQL and Django, and I make heavy use of MongoDB and Pymongo. I used to be a Java developer for 6 years, but gave it up when I discovered the joy of Python programming. At night and when I have free time, I manage this blog and work on my second book. I also help out on the Python-tutor answering questions that those new to Python post on the mailing list.

What else? Yes, I once had a page here, but rarely update it these days, but do check it out.

Tips - How to Rename the Suffix of a Group Files on Windows

Very simple, use cmd and go to the directory,

rename *.abc *.xyz

DONE.

Helen on Usability

A nice perk from working in the software development department in my company: we’re allowed to buy books on the company credit card as long as we share the knowledge with the team afterwards.
I decided to try this out by ordering the “Rocket Surgery Made Easy “ by Steve Krug, the sequel to “Don’t Make Me Think“. I haven’t finished the sequel yet, but I thought it would benefit the team to do a 15 minute presentation on the original: [need a thumbs up from manager to post slide here ]

I’m quite pleased with my first ever presentation (not including primary school). I assure you, it makes more sense if I’m standing there talking you through it!
Oh, and I’d highly recommend “Don’t Make Me Think” if you’re thinking of purchasing a web usability book. It really is quite good, although a little out of date.

Blogger Needed to create simple 100 word blog posts

As someone who has been blogging for years, I still get a bit excited when a request like this pops into my inbox once in a while. Woke up this morning and noticed this in my inbox: Blogger Needed to create simple 100 word blog posts    The good part is that it does not cost a penny to post these articles,  instead, you get paid for it ($25-$100).

It is open to anyone with a good enough blog with unique content. The requirements are simple: Write a blog post on a given topic, place the article on your own blog and get paid for it. Now, you tell me, can there be anything simpler?

Pick any topic from the list and post the article within 7 days. Here's the link if you are interested.

Good luck

Hurry, grab one of these Kindle Wireless Reading Devices

The Kindle 3 is a well designed, well crafted product -- a rarity. I don't typically give 5 star ratings because there are no perfect products and there are almost always significant and unnecessary negatives. But, that's not the case here.

I agree with the many other positive reviews which have gone into detail, so I'll skip and skimp somewhat.

The screen is clear and easy to read. When I first opened the box, the displayed screen saver appeared as a printed film to be removed. The paper-like quality is a pleasure to read. And, of course, the screen is exceptional in bright light such as sunlight.

What could be improved? Better resolution and color.

The new iPhone's retina display shows amazing detail for such a small screen, 3.5". This is due to the large number of pixels, 640 x 960. The Kindle 3 screen has 600 x 800 pixels, but less densely packed in a larger 6" screen. The screen size affects how close you need to be to the screen. But, the pixels affect what can be shown without panning or without loss of detail. So, while the Kindle 3 can display similar detail to an iPhone 4, if it had even higher resolution, with a similar pixel density, it could display even more.

Though the black and white display is most suitable for fonts and even most images are crisp, clear and pleasing, color would be welcome. Color would provide an improvement for graphs, illustrations and images of course.

Are these negatives for the K3? No. The current pearl display is no doubt eInk state of the art technology or nearly so. The technology can and will be improved -- that's all. Do I feel disappointed by the display? Absolutely not! I'm wow'ed by the display.

What else... the web browser. I had hoped that web browsing would be decently usable. It is much better than that.

Most web pages display properly. Page load time is about that of dial-up. It could be better, but it's more than usable. One trick is to turn off Javascript -- it's not needed for most sites and this speeds up load times, esp. near the end when the page can seem stuck. Mobile versions of web sites work well. But even regular sites are readily viewable with either zooming, switching to landscape mode or a combination, or using Article mode (which is an excellent feature though it doesn't, and can't, work for all sites). Am I writing this review on my K3? No, I have a laptop. Do I use my K3 for surfing the web when I go out or when I'm lazy sitting on the sofa? Yes.

An easter egg: create a folder named "pictures" on your K3. You can create sub-folders under it and copy over jpg, bmp, gif, or png files. Viewing the pictures is a little glitchy, but it works.

Another area for improvement: allow mp3 files to be individually chosen to be played, and provide some rudimentary playlist means.

So, there is room for improvement, but the negatives are either minor or understandable. And, the many positives are very high.

I'm still just getting used to my K3 as it's one of those "game changer" devices. I was going to hard-copy print some emails the other day that I needed to refer to, but instead printed them to a pdf and copied it to my K3. I carry my K3 with me much of the time. I don't know how useful it may become as the novelty wears off, but it has a lot of unexplored potential.

Sh*t My Dad Says

Okay, so I have a Blackberry 9700 and I have the Kindle application on my phone. I was browsing through the library and found this book. It sounded remarkably like the guy I followed on Twitter so I decided to read the excerpt and realized it was! So I purchased the book and have been reading it in my downtime at work and I have to say that I have been laughing all day! I could not believe that someone's dad was this vulgar but at the same time at least you always knew what he was talking about and did not try to push things under the carpet like a lot of sensitive people tend to do these days. I am enjoying every moment and cannot wait to get home and order a pizza and finish this book.

For the people who are complaining that the book was too vulgar, I refer you to the title. If you have profanity in the title, what made you think it was going to be innocent like "A River Runs through It"? In this day and age it seems that everyone is so uptight. You can't say this; you can't say that, etc. It's nice to see someone who was not afraid of his own shadow in his own house and who was not afraid to stick up for his son's when needed-be. My mother was not as frank as he was but she certainly has had her time or two down at the schools defending me and my siblings. I say that times, work, economy is so hard on everyone right now. Sometimes you need to just sit back and ask yourself "what did he just say??" and have a good long laugh instead of bringing more unhappiness in your life by over-analyzing and complaining all the time. You have enough of that and I certainly do. We call this sort of humor close to what is termed "grave-yard humor", especially with the line about the dog. So stop complaining, sit back, grab a beer and some pizza, and laugh!

I know this is not supposed to be a literary genius book and I am good with that. Again, my life is stressful and I am tired and I just like the fact that I could just laugh because I have not genuinely done so in a very long time! Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did! 5 stars all the way

Amazon Affiliates Did Not Receive Associates Payment

Just like most affiliates, I have been promoting Amazon products for a long time on this and many of my other blogs and sites. This used to be a fun way to make decent revenue stream outside your normal wage but recently, I started seeing post on many forum threads about Amazon not sending out cheques to affiliates. This of course is unlike Amazon - they have been at the forefront of Affiliate marketing and they publishers loved them. 

But with the latest payment issue, it looks like they will be turning their backs and moving on to something else. The reason I'm posting this is because I too did not receive my last month direct payment. Despite a number of emails to their support team, I still haven't seen a single penny. To make the matter worse, this is another month, bringing the total of unreceived payments to two (2).

I did a quick search online and noticed that even more people are posting queries in the line of: Amazon Affiliates Did Not Receive Associates Payment.

So, I thought I would post this in case there are still those wondering if they are the only ones affected. You are not in this alone - there are many others including myself that have not received our payment for the second month running. Like I said above, I have been in contact with them, but have not got any positive updates from the. If you too have contacted them and have any response, please post in the comment to share with others.

Until I get my payments I don't see myself promoting any of their products.

For SE: Amazon Affiliates Did Not Receive Associates Payment & amazon payment associates

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1)

When Tessa Gray arrives in London on a ship from New York, she's eager to see her brother, Nate. But before she can find him, she's intercepted by two women, known as the Dark Sisters, who kidnap her and force her to learn how to use the strange magical powers she never knew she had, all the while promising her that she is lucky, and she will soon meet the sinister Magister. Terrified and confused, Tessa is rescued by two young Shadowhunters , Will and Jem, and is taken to The London Institute, where she learns that her powers are just the beginning of a strange, magical world she never knew existed, full of wonder, but also full of hate, prejudice, and danger...and Tessa is in the center of it.

Clockwork Angel, the first in Cassandra Clare's new Infernal Devices trilogy, is a descriptive and elaborate book and a strong start to what is sure to be another knock-out trilogy. It takes about thirty pages or so before the book, which is set in the Victorian era, to reach familiar ground readers might be looking for, but once it does, the book unfolds quickly and smoothly. The times dictate that the mannerisms are a bit more refined in the characters, but Clare manages to sneak in plenty of humor and fun alongside the darker and riskier action scenes. There are a plethora of excellent new characters readers are introduced to, and each one is very realistic, and many have their secrets and mysteries--for Tessa, it is her heritage, and Will and Jem both have hazy backgrounds that are bound to become bigger issues later on.

One conflict that Clare portrays quite well was the struggle for the women Shadowhunters to be proper young ladies and women that society demands while balancing the Shadowhunters' need for strong fighters. Two characters, Jessamine and Charlotte, while on opposite ends of the controversy, both have to deal with it in their own way, and it's an issue that sets Clockwork Angel apart from Clare's previous work while at the same time making the setting more believable.

The idea of a clockwork army is brilliant, and the forethought and plotting that went into the book is impressive. There are plenty of intriguing mysteries and labyrinthine twists toward the end that will leave the reader far from where they were at the beginning of the book. Clare's talent for writing well-developed and entertaining characters and her fearlessness when it comes to creating dramatic, complicated conclusions to her books will garner Clockwork Angel plenty of attention and will leave readers impatient for the sequel.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition

What an excellent book!!! I had issues finding it, but once I found it on Amazon.com , they sent it to me in record time. I knew nothing about APA (not much more now either...), but at least I have a guideline to follow. Well worth the effort to get it!

It's a good book. It ties up all the loose ends with regard to the new APA changes from the previous edition.  This APA Manual was a great for less than a dollar . I am a doctoral student and we are able to use the 5th Edition for our dissertation because we were grandfathered in upon entering our program of studies before the sixth edition was published.

Easier event scheduling in Google Calendar - Official Gmail Blog

Easier event scheduling in Google Calendar - Official Gmail Blog

Now, it should be much simpler to schedule events in the latest Google calendar. If like me you spend time working all day on your computer, this is definitely going to come in very handy. Be sure to check it out.

Sennheiser HD 202 Headphones

These Sennheiser HD 202 Headphones are great headphones overall for someone who isn't interested in spending a ton of money on headphones. It has great treble and bass levels (enough so that you can tell its there but not so much that you get a headache after an hour). The design is sleek and not bulky like some other headphones out there.

I have a slightly larger head size than other people so I find that these sennheiser headphones are rather small for me. I have to set them to their largest size and even then, the headphones press down on my head, however, the well cushioned headband helps to offset the discomfort. Also, the earpieces are smaller than usual so if I wear them for more than 2 hours at a time, my ear will be slightly chafed and sensitive. Also, the mateirial the covers are made out of makes it rather inefficient at canceling out sound. If I wear them, I can still clearly hear people talking around me. The last part about these Sennheiser HD 202 Headphones that I'm not really thrilled about is its 10 ft cord. I being a person who takes these to school with me and everywhere else practically find that this is very annoying. The headphones do have a plastic clip that you can wind excess cord around to shorten its length however its not very secure. If I move even a little,the whole roll of wire comes undone.

Besides that, it is a great set of headphones. It does not seal in sound very well so even at 50% sound on my ipod, people will still complain about being able to hear my music.

For devoted techno and metal enthusiasts, I would not recommend this product due to its tendancy to crackle at higher pitches and volumes.

Anyway, these Sennheiser HD 202 Headphones  were completley worth the $30 I paid for them. I've been using them for 4 monthes so far and there haven't been any defects with the product.

PC Repair carried remotey online

One of the magical things about modern technologies is the way they have changed things. Most things that we used to do that required weeks, if not months to do, no takes seconds or minutes (depending on how much further effort is required). I remember when we used to wait weeks on end for a technician to come over and get our computer fixed. And when they eventually turned up, there would be one thing or another that needs replacing; so it turns into backwards and forwards trip before it eventually gets fixed.

But nowadays, everything happens instantaneously - there's no more waiting ages for your computer to be inspected and then fixed, which could drag into weeks, if not months. PC Repair has changed dramatically. In fact, it does not apply to PC Repair alone, banking and other vital financial and supply chain industries have all embraced the modern computer technology. Gone are those days when you would have to wait for just about anything for a period of a week or more before you get any response. Sending letters took weeks to arrive and another to get a reply - in most cases, the round trip could take over a month. By the time the full circle completes, the initial reason for the letter would have been resolved.

Which is why I love the way most PC Repair shops work these days. My computer was having problem with the screen. Every once in a while, I would notice a blink on the screen, just like a flash light. I thought it was something to do with my sight. But I took it seriously when my friend also noticed it and told me there was a quick flash across the screen. So, not risking losing my work and vital data on my computer, I contacted the PC Repair guys who quickly used one of their remote tools to connect and fix the problem.

For the last couple months I have not noticed another flash. It did not take long to get right, in fact, nothing was replaced as I feared, he only updated a graphic card driver and asked that I restart the computer.

So, have you used a remote support before, did it go well? If not, what ever your experience please share with us.

The Cobra - Frederick Forsyth

A new Forsyth thriller -- I was delighted! However, this solution to the cocaine problem, using one ingenious, ruthless man to mastermind the whole project (carte blanche, no holds barred) didn't turn out so well as the author intended. Essentially, it was good guys against bad guys, and no character development of anyone in the story. (The amoral leaders of both sides were purportedly devout Catholics. Did Forsyth run afoul of a nun or cleric at one time? Sounded like he had an axe to grind.)

The first two thirds of the story was finely tuned plotting, so I could hardly wait to see where it all was going to go.

The last third of the story just fell apart. No telling where or how the solutions developed, so it lacked coherence. Maybe I was reading too fast or something. I would go back and read it over again to see what I missed, but it wasn't that good.

The best part was just at the beginning, the ten-thousand word summary of the cocaine business -- that was informative.

My favorite books by this author were "The Fist of God," "The Day of the Jackal," and "The Eye of the Needle," all way much better storytelling than The Cobra.

Comparing Latest Amazon Kindles Made Easy

If you have been thinking of getting yourself a Kindle like me, then this is the sort of post you should read. We all know how confusing things can get when it comes to buying something - all of a sudden you are confronted with many versions of the same product; making it even harder to remember which one it was you initially wanted.

The same thing applies to Amazon Kindle. A work colleague bought one that looks very portable and sleek. Being the sort of person I am, I thought I won't need to go through the hassles of checking every device before settling on one. Given that my colleague already has one, it would make sense to get the same.

But things aren't that easy these days where technologies change and move on over night. The Kindle I wanted all of a sudden is now an antique - forcing me to look for something more modern and up to-date. With that in mind I headed to Amazon and browsed around for the latest models. The funny thing was that the more I looked around the more confused I became. Why can't they make things easy for those of us who are not techies savvy. Lo and behold, it looks like they read my mind and decided to make things alot easier.

So, seeing how things have improved since the last time I checked, I thought I would post the link here for anyone else who is in need of one of those Shiny Amazon Kindles and would like a detailed and comprehensive comparison between all the different  models to help you make you choice. Here's the link. Check it out and leave your comments.

If you find the comparison page useful, please share your thoughts here with other readers.
Good luck!

Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food

Alton Brown fans take note! You need a copy of Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks and Good Food. Seriously, this book takes everything I enjoy about Alton's shows and combines them into a book for the beginner, novice and pro alike.

Sure some recipes may seem basic. Extremely basic actually. It may seem weird to some that there are people who cannot even scramble an egg, but I've learned from experience that these people do exist. When my neighbour came flying out her house with a smoking pan, it had simply contained olive oil and water for boiling pasta but she'd turned on her stove and forgotten all about it. It became apparent that people can even burn water if given the opportunity.

Everything you need to know about cooking is in this book. From kitchen set-up and equipment to simple tips like reading a recipe completely before getting started, Cooking for Geeks has everything you need to start preparing home-cooked meals.

The book offers more than 400 pages of tips, recipes and even interviews with geeks of today. I loved reading Mythbuster's Adam Savage share his love of science and cooking. Learn easy recipes like a 30-Second Chocolate Cake or ones that may seem a little tougher like Butterflied Chicken. By the time you're done, you'll understand that kitchen and be able to whip together nutritious meals for yourself and others.

It's a very rare event that I come across a review book that I feel I must rush out and purchase a copy as soon as it is released. This is one of those situations. I can't imagine NOT owning this cookbook and I love to cook and know more than the basics already. With outstanding recipes, entertaining interviews and witty writing, this is definitely a book you should hand your friends, family and especially neighbours who do come running out of their home with flaming pans.

Pro Android Games

This book will be obsolete ~6 months from now after the Android team removes its collective cranium from its collective digestive endpoint in response to the IPhone continuing to clobber it with better games despite the frustratingly unexposed hardware superiority of recent Android phones like the Droid and the Nexus One. And that time will be the moment they release the Android equivalent of DirectX. Interpreted Java without a JIT to back it up crossed with some very limited media APIs just isn't enough to compete with compiled C and a much more robust media API on the IPhone.

And I apologize for the short editorial, but I need it to set the stage for why you should indeed buy this book even though it will soon be irrelevant.

For if you need to write native-level games now, this is the book to buy, now. It's full of typos, it needed another round of proofreading, and it's already dated somewhat by NDK 1.6, but it shows how to get games like Wolf3D and Doom running in C on the Android and it's in print rather than out there on a set of disparate web pages. There's nothing else out there like it at the moment.

5 stars for content as it really does deliver on the goods and 3 stars for coherency and lack of sufficient proofreading.

iPhone and iPad Apps for Absolute Beginners

First, to all the people giving low ratings because of a few typos - Get Over It! Any first printing of a technical book like this will have them, especially when things like the OS, SDK and dev tools are updated all the time. You have to judge the book on it's content, not a few mistakes in printing.

As for the book, this is EXACTLY what I needed. I've never programmed any iPhpne before in my life, but like everyone else I want to learn iPhone programming & make a million dollars. :P

I started with a few other "beginning iPhone programming" books and every one of them was way too out of my league. Inevitably the first chapter would say "You need to know Objective-C first...". So I'd grab a book on Objective-C for beginners and that would be over my head & the first chapter of those would say "You need to know C first..." So I'd grab a book on C for beginners. The one thing all of these books had in common was THEY DIDN'T EXPLAIN WHY THINGS WORK. So after reading a couple books on C, a couple on Objective-C, I was still completely lost when I started on the iPhone books.

Then I found this book. It is really the start I needed. Things are explained quite well and I was finally able to actually understand what I was doing, not just memorizing code. When learning something this foreign, it is much more helpful to have it explained thus; "This piece of code controls... and make the program do this..." or "This bit of code makes... happen because...". Analogies are used in a terrific way so you can understand the mechanics behind it all.

To use an analogy, if you never worked on a car engine,it would be far more helpful if someone explained what a spark-plug does than just telling you you need to have them. That is the kind of teaching Dr. Lewis provides in this book. I can't praise it and thank him enough for writing it & can't wait for more from him.

As for the typos (and there are really only a few), I actually benefited because it gave me a bit of a crash course in debugging and figuring out how things should really work. If you get confused or lost because of them, don't fret it, just come to the forum for this book and one of us will be happy to help out. [...]

If you are like me, "An Absolute Beginner, then you'll be hard pressed to find a better book to get you started. Trust me, I wasted many months trying.

Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty Collector's Edition

I got the special edition and just have to say the Dog Tags alone are worth the $40 difference the other stuff is cool but not nearly as nerd-worthy. The fact that it glows is just icing on the cake. The Art book is amazing as usual and the soundtrack is again sweet. I'm so happy I was able to spring on a Special Edition, it helped that although the game was $10 more expensive than normal but the special edition was priced the same as any other special edition I've purchased.

I assume if your looking at the special edition you are a fan boy or girl like myself so you are already aware of some of the drawbacks like the connection to B-Net. Again Broadband is listed as a requirement so that should be a clue.
If you don't meet minimum system requirements you should not be buying a game. For the record my little brother ignored this and got the game anyways and thanks to Blizzards lowest common denominator method of development he got it to play almost flawlessly on a $300 Walmart eMachine well below the minimum requirements.

For any of you who are upset about Blizzards attempts to stop illegal software you need to do your research and realize how pandemic the problem is. I have had both accounts stolen and CD keys stolen so the fact that it is tied to B-Net and I can encrypt my account with an Authenticator makes this one of the greatest points and I appreciate the security.

Ignore all 1 star ratings on the basic game the fine folks who gave it 3 stars are correct in there negatives and I commend them for there well thought out responses. However I say that the game is well worth any drawbacks and even with them is a 5+ star game.

Sennheiser HD800 Premier Headphone

I am a speech recognition developer for [...] and isolating myself from my environment is essential to maintaining my concentration. My previous headset was the Senneheiser HD 650 which sounded good but like all other high-quality Sennheiser headsets, which completely surround your ears, I found the HD 595 and the HD 650 to be uncomfortable after about 20 minutes.

PROS:
I'm pleased to report that the HD 800s can be comfortably worn all day and from a sound quality point of view, nothing comes close to the HD 800. Recordings sound as close to the original studio master as anything we've ever heard. My listening tastes run from Mozart to Folk to Rock. Although I used to own a recording studio, I'll refrain from the technical aspects and simply state that the off angle oversized speakers, oversized magnets and general construction (right down to the padding# are like nothing I've ever experienced.

There is a tendency to wear the headset backwards but it doesn't really detract from the sound quality. It's easy to appreciate the hand assembled German engineering right down to the serial number and the oxygen free audio cable that no longer slips out if you accidentally snag it, unlike previous Sennheiser models.

NEGATIVE:
The only negative thing we can say is that the $1400 price is ridiculous and unacceptable. Although we can appreciate the fact that this headset is nothing like anything else Senneheiser has made #or any other manufacturer for that matter# and we suspect that developmental costs were relatively high, other than greed, there is no excuse for attempting to recoup the R&D with an outrageous $1400 price. A $599 - $699 street price would have been more than adequate considering that this headset is MAP priced #price controlled). We've also heard of limited runs of this microphone and people having a hard time to find them but a closer investigation shows that only a few thousand of these headsets have been manufactured to date. We believe that if Senneheiser were willing to pump up the production and lower the price, they would make a higher profit and the public wouldn't feel so much like they're being taken advantage of.

CONCLUSIONS:
For me personally, the best high fidelity is of the utmost importance and obviously, at $1400, I'm willing to pay any price to accommodate my music addiction. I highly recommend this headset to anyone who appreciates listening to music the way it originally sounded in the studio and can afford the price because I can almost guarantee that you'll hear sounds in your recordings that you never heard before and in some cases, you might even hear things that the studio engineers never intended to be recorded but didn't pick up on their own equipment. 

The Best Samsung LN46C630 46-Inch 1080p Yet

The picture on this TV was stunning right out of the box. After a few minor adjustments it was as close to perfect as I could imagine. It came with the SQ01 panel and it would be hard to differentiate the color depth and quality from some of the plasma sets I looked at. The TV is in a very bright room and the matte screen cuts out glare with no picture degradation. The viewing angle is very good, though we are never more than 25 to 30 degrees off center. The picture is very stable from channel to channel with no change in the back lighting that I can see, and the standard definition picture is almost HD quality when using the 16:9 picture format.

It has separate settings for processing speed and anti-judder for motion blur when using the Custom view mode, unlike the majority of sets that combine both settings into one. I watch a lot of sports and really don't notice motion blur at 60hz so its certainly not an issue at 120hz. I'm not a gamer, so for my viewing habits I see no need to spend more for a 240hz option. The sound is very good for normal TV viewing. It can be connected to a home network and I have also hooked it up to my laptop using the VGA connection to watch Netflix and even that produces an acceptable SD picture.

There are multiple picture settings you can use to suit just about any programming source, including watching at 120hz without the "soap opera" effect that some people find so annoying. There are 4 HDMI and 2 USB connections, plus one for headphones. There is no S video so you may need cables to hook up older external equipment. UVerse is the programming source.

One thing about settings. The first evening the picture suddenly got much darker and even though I would reset the brightness, it would get dark again once I left the menu. I spoke with Samsung and they had no idea why this was happening. It turns out this set automatically adjusts the picture to your room brightness in the Standard viewing mode, which is the factory default. You can change this in the Eco portion of the picture menu to never go below a certain brightness level or you can turn it off completely. This is not an issue when using any other viewing mode.

The last time I bought a LCD I continued to look around in case I found something better. That will not be the case this time as I am completely satisfied. Pilot shipping through Amazon was great. They delivered on time, set up the TV and swivel stand, and had everything working in 5-10 minutes.

Garmin Forerunner 205 Wrist Worn GPS Personal Training Device

This is a very powerful piece of kit - I use it for road biking exclusively. The instructions that come with it are reasonably clear and in use it is very effective. However, it takes ages to lock onto satellites, and the Training Centre software that comes with it looks as though it was designed in the 1990s. I have an iPhone and run the Motion GPX app alongside this. Huge advantage of the latter - much better visual feedback, because it includes an onscreen map, and of course you can view it on a holder on the bike in front of you - you don't have to keep looking at your wrist and press buttons on the side of the watch to get additional readings. However, the Garmin has the big advantage of battery life - the iPhone with a juice pack attached lasts four hours at best. Another advantage of the Garmin, of course, is that it is relatively water resistant, so you can wear it in the rain. No way with the iPhone.

The latest version of the Training Centre at least allows you to save your tracks as GPX, so you can view them in a myriad of other mapping programs.

The included heart rate monitor seems to record very high figures - I haven't checked its accuracy, but it did record a maximum heart rate of 191 at one stage! That's unknown territory for me, although I was climbing a one in six hill at the time and, yes, I was breathing very heavily!

Interface is OK - it does seem a bit like an old-fashioned LCD watch in some respects and you have to press the buttons quite firmly. It's also quite bulky, but overall, highly recommended if you're serious-ish about your training. It does the business.

The latest Canon EOS Rebel T2i 18 MP CMOS APS-C Digital SLR Camera

I just purchased this camera 7-15 and its the best DSLR for the money! I looked at D70 Nikon's and they couldn't touch this. I bought mine at bestbuy because they had it for $899.00 which is a great deal,also bought the camera bag and the 8 gb of sandisk extreme sd card. This camera takes some amazing photos.

I have a friend that has a Canon 7D as well and yes that thing is a beast, but this isnt about size. Its about pictures. As far as Im concerned and my friend as well, this camera takes just as good pictures as the 7D. And for half the price. Video takes a little getting used to, but WELL worth it. Im a prof. photog. and this was a big upgrade from my XSi. Well worth the price over the 7D. 

New Sanyo HD Video Camera VPC-HD2000EBK Full 1920x1080 High Definition Dual Video Camcorder & 8MP Photo Camera - Black

This new Sanyo HD Video Camera is the best! it has all the automatic point-and-click features to make this a great video and photo camera, plus the menu to change standard settings is real easy to use. You certainly stand out from the crowd at the school concert!

The grip style means you can easily hold the camera for long periods with straining your hand.
The size means you can carry it safely in your pocket and it has a real quick start up time when you are ready to use.

This is the second time I bought this Sanyo HD Video Camera; my first survived being dropped on a stone floor, but it didn't make it past a burst-drinks-bottle my baby son stuffed into my rucksack! If adventure is your thing try the waterproof versions, I just bought my Brother-in-law one for his birthday.

Top product and a great price - bought in preference to a hard drive competitor as SD cards are so cheap! and it looks better than anything else in its catagory, plus photos as well as video.

Who needs anything else?

Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 9.7" Display, Graphite, 3G Works Globally – Latest Generation

My wife has the Sony touch ereader, but I looked long and hard at the various options and settled on the Amazon kindle DX. While I'm a little upset (As I'm sure many are) about having just missed out on the newer version, the kindle is proving to be an excellent choice over the Sony. The biggest being the 3G roaming, coupled with the ever lethal Amazon one-click. The screen is absolutely gorgeous, and one comment I got was "Why can't all displays be like this!?"

The keyboard is not as intrusive as I first thought it might be, the device is quite light (like a mid-sized hard-back) and the screen is amazing in bright, full-on, sunlight. Battery life is ok, but even better with the 3G turned off. The new MP3 player is a really good addition, but definitely needs work, along with the experimental browser. For me though, being able to cart around Peter F. Hamilton's "Night's Dawn" trilogy in a device that weighs less than the paper-back version of the first book is just great.

I got the leather cover. Ironically this weighs more than the kindle does, and I end up removing the kindle from the cover to read, because it's lighter. made the mistake of getting the EU power adapter rather than the UK power adapter, but that was my fault at the store.

To be honest, I love my kindle. It's corny, and kitsch, but true. It was expensive, but you get what you pay for and the free international 3G is definitely worth it. I've done more reading recently than I have done in a long time. My only real gripe is not being able to download books outside the US that don't have rights. I really wanted Niven and Barnes's "Dream Park" but I can't download it without a US address. :( There's no warning until you attempt to purchase it through the kindle store. In which there could be more books made available. Preferably more out-of-print books.

FREE Dragon's Song by Blitzen Trapper

I just happened to bump into this free copy of latest Dragon's Song
by Blitzen Trapper and thought I would post it here. If you're a fan as well, rush down now and request a FREE copy of their latest work right now.

Good luck

Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 with 1080p Video

I have used several Logitech webcams over there years and I have placed them on the top 10 best headphones and webcam, so I was excited to receive the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910. I have always owned webcams that sit on the desk (you know, those little orb ones from Logitech) so this is my first experience with one that sits atop my monitor.

It does not have any clips or attachments to hold it there; it just sort of perches up there using the back hinge to "tighten/loosen" the grip. The actual width of the perch part is 1 & 1/4" from the front lip to the hinge at back. My desktop monitor is perfect for this, but I can see where some people with thinner-edged monitors (like laptops) would have a problem getting it to perch in a sturdy manner. On my monitor, it's a very steady platform.

Unlike those older orb style webcams from Logitech, there is no privacy shade to pull down over the lens. However, it does tilt, so you can tilt it towards the ceiling while not in use to prevent someone from spying on you (I was shocked to read, recently, that this is a real issue!). Or just unplug it!

Another first for me in a webcam--dual mics for stereo recording. They seem to do well masking out unwanted background noise while giving you crisp sound, or so I am told by the person I chat with. One sound issue I encountered during set up, worth mentioning, is that I had my USB headset plugged in at the time I installed the webcam, so the camera mic defaulted to my headset mic during setup. It was a simple fix to go into the webcam control preferences and set it back to the webcam mic, but at first I didn't know why I had almost inaudible sound. My fault, not the webcams.

The picture quality is the really impressive thing about this Logitech webcam. It sports an auto-focusing Carl Zeiss lens, the same as my digital camera! It captures both foreground and background images in amazing clarity, with video up to 1080p (selectable: 360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p) and still images up to 10MP (selectable: 640x480, 1.2MP, 5MP, 10MP). Of course, that's local. When transmitting on a video call, you can get up to 720p, which is still pretty impressive. The C910 comes with Logitech Video Effects software for making filters, avatars, masks and fun effects etc. I have only used the webcam with MS Messenger, and it works perfectly.

About the only negative thing I have to say about the C910 is that the USB cable is rather on the short side--just shy of 5 feet in length, which for most users will reach from the top of their monitor to a USB port or hub somewhere on their desk (I plug mine into a hub on my desk). If your PC tower (and only USB port) is on the floor beside your desk, it won't be long enough to reach. Even though this was not an issue for me, I am knocking off a star for a short cable.

In conclusion, I'll just say that for such a small little camera, you get a big quality picture. This is definitely one of the best quality webcams out there and has gone on the list of the best headphones and webcams.

Michael Moore's Sicko (Special Edition)

Mr. Moore sometimes gets attacked for being a fatso socialist who doesn't really make documentaries.

In SICKO Moore leads a small film crew that shares the unravelled fate (of only a few of the 24,000) volunteered and desperate US health care victims who quickly replied to his call for attention.

Moore, as an artful dodger, sheds light on some of the the most outrageously unfair cases upon an international stage. It is this staging that provokes the outrage of staid documentary consumers who feel easily threatened by health care systems which are less driven by stock market greed.

I think Michael Moore is a movie angel US people must be grateful for the good job he is doing.He is helping to open eyes and minds to reality. Here's a clip from the movie you whet your appitite and give you a taster of what to expect. Get a copy of the movie today...it is a good addition to one's DVD collections.

The Third Man: Life at the Heart of New Labour (Hardcover)

The Third Man: Life at the Heart of New Labour - The hotly anticipated memoir of one of New Labour’s three founding architects.

Peter Mandelson is one of the most influential politicians of modern times. The Third Man is his story – of a life played out in the backroom and then on the frontline of the Labour Party during its unprecedented three terms in government.

Much of the book is devoted to the defining political relationships of Peter Mandelson’s life – with Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Charting what he terms the ‘soap-opera’ years of the Labour government, his book is certain to ruffle many feathers.

Forced to resign from Cabinet twice in three years, Peter Mandelson has cut a divisive figure through British politics but his time as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland gained him many supporters. He was a highly regarded European Commissioner before being brought back into British politics by Gordon Brown in 2008 to serve as Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, and as First Secretary.

Containing a mixture of autobiography, personal reflection and political history, The Third Man draws heavily on detailed diary notes that Peter Mandelson took during the events, discussions and meetings that shaped the government and the Labour Party over 25 years. He began writing the book while serving as European Commissioner, and has been completing it since leaving office in May.

Much has been written about Peter Mandelson as the person at the heart of the New Labour project but this is the first time we have heard the unvarnished truth from the man himself. The Third Man is set to become the most talked about political memoir of the year.

See yesterday's interview about the book and other trailers.

Cross-Platform Development In C++ – Building Mac OS X, Linux And Windows Applications

Cross-Platform Development in C++ is the definitive guide to developing portable C/C++ application code that will run natively on Windows, Macintosh, and Linux/Unix platforms without compromising functionality, usability, or quality.

Long-time Mozilla and Netscape developer Syd Logan systematically addresses all the technical and management challenges associated with software portability from planning and design through coding, testing, and deployment. Drawing on his extensive experience with cross-platform development, Logan thoroughly covers issues ranging from the use of native APIs to the latest strategies for portable GUI development. Along the way, he demonstrates how to achieve feature parity while avoiding the problems inherent to traditional cross-platform development approaches.

This book will be an indispensable resource for every software professional and technical manager who is building new cross-platform software, porting existing C/C++ software, or planning software that may someday require cross-platform support.

Build Cross-Platform Applications without Compromise

Throughout the book, Logan illuminates his techniques with realistic scenarios and extensive, downloadable code examples, including a complete cross-platform GUI toolkit based on Mozilla’s XUL that you can download, modify, and learn from. Coverage includes

• Policies and procedures used by Netscape, enabling them to ship Web browsers to millions of users on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux
• Delivering functionality and interfaces that are consistent on all platforms
• Understanding key similarities and differences among leading platform-specific GUI APIs, including Win32/.NET, Cocoa, and Gtk+
• Determining when and when not to use native IDEs and how to limit their impact on portability
• Leveraging standards-based APIs, including POSIX and STL
• Avoiding hidden portability pitfalls associated with floating point, char types, data serialization, and types in C++
• Utilizing platform abstraction libraries such as the Netscape Portable Runtime (NSPR)
• Establishing an effective cross-platform bug reporting and tracking system
• Creating builds for multiple platforms and detecting build failures across platforms when they occur
• Understanding the native runtime environment and its impact on installation
• Utilizing wxWidgets to create multi-platform GUI applications from a single code base
• Thoroughly testing application portability
• Understanding cross-platform GUI toolkit design with Trixul

This book will be an indispensable resource for every software professional and technical manager who is building new cross-platform software, porting existing C/C++ software, or planning software that may someday require cross-platform support.

Smashing WordPress: Beyond the Blog (Smashing Magazine Book Series)

I consider myself to have a slightly better than a beginning understanding of PHP language. Even then, I found the book somewhat difficult to understand. The author uses his own blog theme (Notes Core) as the foundation for the exercises he uses in this book. I did like his coverage on theming Wordpress, template tags, hooks, and plugin's. I just wished the author would have clarified a little bit more in his examples. I feel I may have to read this book again just to 'get it' about customizing Wordpress. At any rate, I will be sure to rely on it as a referemce before I delve into the WordPress Codex.

One thing the book does illustrate very effectively, is using Wordpress as a Content Management System. There are several examples on how to create static pages, how to customize pages based on category tags, custom programming involving multiple Wordpress Loops and hooks, and much more. I needed to know this information, as I'd like to use WordPress as a starting foundation for my web designs, be they blogs or webpages.

One nitpick; the book has full color throughout? Why couldn't the code examples be syntax highlighted by color? I'm trying to parse the PHP code examples, but after looking at PHP code in my IDE, I just find it difficult to follow such code in any other way. Line numbers would be great, so that the content can refer to them in explaining the code. This way, this book could be a little bit more accessible to PHP programmers who have not had much experience. (Like me, for instance!)

Flight of the Conchords: The Complete First and Second Seasons w/CD

Jermaine and Bret are a pair of New Zealand musicians, living in New York City and hoping to hit it big. Yeah, "Flight of the Conchords: The Complete Collection" sounds like a terrible generic sitcom, but instead this series is one of the most hilarious comedies of the last decade -- a quirky, weird, tongue-in-cheek little show with hilarious dialogue. Think a musical version of "The Office."

Folk-pop group Flight of the Conchords is Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie (played by themselves), who came all the way from New Zealand to New York. They are being managed by the ineffectual New Zealand Consulate official Murray (Rhys Darby), and they have exactly one fan/stalker, Mel (Kristen Schaal). They don't have many gigs, and even fewer successful ones.

As they chase elusive fame'n'fortune, the guys have to deal with girlfriend woes (dating the same girl, a "Yoko", a girl who just wants to use Bret for sex), financial difficulties (Bret bought a cup!), jobs, muggings, anti-Kiwi racism, a problematic rock'n'roll tour, two new fans with impure intentions, a semi-professional actor/compulsive liar who makes Murray think they've got a multimillion-dollar deal, the Crazy Doggz, Australians, epileptic terriers, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, hair gel, and a stage musical based on their misadventures.

If I had to come up with a description for "Flight of the Conchords," it would be that they're the folky New Zealand love child of Spinal Tap and "The Office." No laugh track, rambling dialogue, and the main characters tend to spontaneously break into song-and-dance at pivotal parts of the plot. And it's brilliant.

The writing is brimming over with effortless weirdness, as the guys encounter everyday problems (threesomes, girlfriend woes, weird dreams) which soon turn into hilariously surreal situations (the disturbing children's show, "Albi the Racist Dragon"). The dialogue is amazing ("When I first met you you tried to have me deported from New Zealand because you thought I was an Australian"), and full of rambling conversations that just get stranger with every line ("Have you ever had a threesome?" "Nearly." "What do you mean, nearly?" "I've had a twosome").

The songs are gutsplitting as well, since they're all about homicidal robots, mermaids, toothpaste, hip-hop spoofs, hermaphrodites ("Oh you sexy hermaphrodite lady-man-ladies"), rappers, cannibalism, and the hiphop-potamus. Not to mention "Frodo, Don't Wear the Ring" and its accompanying music video, which are a nod to McKenzie's role as the elf Figwit.

But none of this would be even half as funny if it weren't for the actors -- Clement's self-named chatacter is stoic and kind of weird (he writes a song about putting a wig on Bret), while McKenzie's is more childlike, naive and likes to sit in a cardboard box. Darby rounds out the cast as their harried, rather pathetic manager (who isn't even supposed to be managing a band), and Schaal is also quite funny as a woman who has a creepy sexual fixation on the guys.

This edition also comes with the "Distant Future" EP, which is a nice addition if not a full soundtrack -- it has the hilariously faux-seductive "Business Time," the equally hysterical "If You're Into It" ("Is that what you're into/him and you, in the nude?"), the sad "Not Crying," and live versions of "The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room."

"Flight of the Conchords: The Complete Series" is one of the rarest kind of comedy out there -- steady, hysterical, and only gets better with repeated viewings. And boy, are you sorry when it's over.

Sony MDR-V150 Monitor Series Headphones with Reversible Earcups

I'd been looking for headphones that weren't ear buds and that didn't look like Princess Leia's ear buns, and these fit the bill. The price was terrific, too. I used them on a long flight and they were perfect. The fit was great and I could hear everything quite well. Unfortunately, due to the confines of an airline seat, I accidentally snapped off the connector mid-flight and I had to use the airline headphones.

I could really tell how good these headphones were then. The difference between crappy airline headphones and these was astounding. I'm going to buy another pair just to make sure I have them available whenever I need them!

These are very VERY great headphones. I was going to buy some more expansive headphones, but ended up buying these at wal-mart (20 dollars, say 5 bucks buying it here.) I'm very happy, some complain about the base, but it seems fine to me. I'm also happy because if they break, I can buy a new pair for $[...] bucks.

These are the best voip headphones and audio headphones I have ever had. Sound quality is great and they are light weight. This is the second set I have owned.

Sanyo VPC-CG102 High Definition Camcorder and 14 MP Camera w/12x Optical Zoom

Whenever I record an event I start and stop the Camcorder several times. Most people do. On this Camcorder when you start and stop recording each time it will create a totally separate and new file. So let's say you are at a wedding and you start and stop recording 15 times...that means you have to spend a lot of time trying to join clips which are of the same event.

Also, when you join files you are limited to 9 files and it's another additional-job to join them. I urged tech support to work toward an option that would allow a choice of one continuous file even if you stopped and started the Camcorder. Who knows what they will do?

Overall this is a good camera but needs this update >>.

Sony HDR-TG1 4MP High Definition Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Super Steady Shot Zoom (4GB Memory Stick Included)

What's the point of having an HD camcorder if you don't use it? This unit is compact enough to carry everywhere so I can capture those random precious moments. Picture quality is sharp and it's a breeze to use. The videos come out amazing on my Sony HDTV. This is coming from someone who isn't exactly technically savvy. Two complaints though - 1) Shoots terribly in low light / indoor situations; & 2) The memory sticks are quite expensive. They use the Sony branded memory which carries a premium.

Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend this camera to everyone except the avid videophile professional who is more focused on the technicals rather than having a convenient take anywhere piece of equipment.

Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 9.7" Display, Graphite, 3G Works Globally – Latest Generation

I bought this after using a glossy screen MacBook Pro for reading for about a year, which resulted in me getting bigger prescription glasses. I was very delighted to hear about Kindle , apparently purpose built to not put a strain on the eyes.

After using Kindle DX for 2 months (daily reading) I must say it's not quite what I expected.

The screen doesn't reflect much light, but you still have to consider the angle if you want to enjoy a comfortable reading. The backlighting is way too dark. In fact, I think there is no backlighting on this device. A normal paper (book, newspaper, magazine) is far more visible than the Kindle under the same lighting conditions.

It requires one of those attached lights for consistent use, which I assume will considerably shorten its battery life.

The screen is quite sensitive. I didn't get a screen protector, nor a cover for the device, but I highly recommend them (especially the cover).

The global wi-fi works great even at the edge of its declared coverage area (I've used it in Eastern Europe) but it's only available for use within the Amazon store.

Battery life is also great. I recharged it three times in two months of daily reading (2 - 4 hours every day), although you must shut off the wi-fi to get the most of it.

The size of the screen is perfect, and so is its weight, even if you feel like resting your arms after a full hour of holding it up for a good reading position.

The ease of use is a five star, even if the response time of the device is very slow (only compared to a notebook), and I understand efforts have been made to improve this. It's not something you can't get used to, but it does feel strange after using a laptop all day long.

As I travel a lot and I do like to read just as much, this product is a valuable asset by replacing a couple of dozen pounds in my suitcase. But because of the weak lighting it will probably be used half the time it was intended to.

I still wouldn't buy a iPad for the same money, although many would not agree, but this device need more work put into before it becomes what it is meant to. So, I would say, for a second version, it's not bad, but it's overpriced.
I recommend it for reading only with an attached light.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella (Twilight Saga)

I personally believe that this is milking the cash cow when some many fans didn't want a book about a character who is such a minor character. Many fans wanted Midnight Sun to be published, but instead fans have gotten Bree. It also felt like a gimmick to advertise the new movie coming out.

Having read all the Twilight books, I was really disappointed with The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. There was little character development and the booked really dragged for being so short.

Her character was ok. She wasn't very shallow compared to Bella. There seems to be more detail put in this story than in the 4 other books of the Twilight saga.

This story was entertaining in some places. Personally though the talk of super hero characters was bland to me, but that's a such a minor detail really. It is a fast read, but it's not really impacting to the series.

Payingpost is a Scam

This is not the usual blog post about making money or that sort of thing. But it relates to it in more ways than one - but I would spear you the long boring and regurgitated story about making million in under a month on today's entry.

But what I'd not spare you however, is that most paid-to-blog companies out there are just scamming innocent users and bloggers for nothing. A friend of mine who will remain nameless was talking about how he wrote the usual initial blog post for PayingPost - that was over 3 months ago, and have not got any response from them after emailing to inform that he had written the test post they asked for.

I know, I know...things are hard, but how many of you out there can honestly say they've made something reasonable from PayingPost? There's none. Most of the people I've seen have either done one or nothing at all. The worst bit of it all is that your emails remain unanswered.

Now, if all these bloggers have each written one or two blog post for them, it means cheap and free publicity. According to their site, you'd have to earn $50 before you get your payment. That means all these bloggers would have to wait indefinitely before they can feel, touch or enjoy the fruit of their labor. Which in my book is insane.

Again, I didn't want to post this entry because I was worried I would be giving them even more publicity. So, I made the concious decision not to create an active link to their site. But I can only hope you don't sign up with them :(

However, if you are a blogger and have used them, and got any payments, please leave a comment here for people to see. And finally, if you're from PayingPost and would like clarify things to prove us wrong, we would love to hear it; and admit that we were wrong. In return, you will get a post for you free on this very blog. :)

That's a promise!