Zombie attacks, zombie apocalypse, the
undead... all material for a frightful novel, but the real threat is already
here and present in our very neighborhoods and yards... the Garden Gnome.
Be honest... you mean to tell me you've never looked at those creepy
little bearded creatures and wondered what they're up to? We owe
a debt of gratitude to Chuck Sambuchino for warning and preparing us for
this crisis in his book How
to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack: Defend Yourself When the Lawn Warriors
Strike (And They Will). With
the combination of awareness and preparation, you can survive this nightmare
that could be unleashed upon the unsuspecting any day now.
Seriously (or not, as the content may
suggest), this is a tongue-in-cheek parody of zombie survival books, using
garden gnomes as the menace facing us. It's a fun read, and Sambuchino
does a good job with treating the subject with pseudo-serious concern without
going overboard. The pictures that are scattered throughout are perfect,
as they depict the "innocent" gnome hiding axes and knives, posing
in positions that do seem to add a sinister intent to those chubby little
cheeks. I learned that Miracle-Gro is one of the best weapons, as
it creates chlorine which can be deadly to those only a foot off
the ground. Bolting down the opening to your chimney would be a good
idea too, as those suckers will look for *any* opening to exploit. All
I can say is they better not attack here, as hockey sticks are considered
one of the best defenses for hand-to-gnome combat, and we have a number
of them...
This book isn't going to scare or frighten
you like the thought of trying to escape from the undead. It's a
quick read, and will put a smile on your face (and will probably make a
dent in the profitability of the garden gnome market.) Just sit back,
have fun, and accept the fact that you'll never trust one of those cute
little statues again. :)
Disclosure: Obtained From: Amazon Vine Review
Program Payment: Free
Book Review - 11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King
Sun, Feb 12th 2012 8:41p Thomas Duff While I end up liking most of the books
that I read by Stephen King, he isn't an author that I salivate over when
something new comes out. I'm not sure why, as I like the genre and the
style of writing. Perhaps I'll chalk it up to having too many other things
to read. :) Anyway, 11/22/63:
A Novel caught my interest in
terms of what it might be like to go back and prevent an event in history
that changed the world. Once I started reading, I was pretty much hooked.
King put a slant on [read] Keywords:
110
The Companion
Sun, Feb 12th 2012 3:50p Thomas Duff The Companion
Never far way, the companion follows.
An unwelcome traveler, tracking my steps.
I know the shadow is there, but I never
know where.
I run fast, but not always fast enough.
I'm caught, and the shadow surrounds
me.
All is darkness, direction is lost.
I know light exists outside the shadow,
but how deep is the darkness?
Will I break out into light with the
next step,
or will the journey out of the dark
be long?
I'll keep moving, keep hoping that the
n [read] Keywords: traveler
71
Book Review - Curse of The Narrows: The Halifax Disaster of 1917 by Laura M. Mac Donald
Sun, Feb 12th 2012 1:31p Thomas Duff I'm always amazed when I run across
a major event or disaster that I've never heard about before. That happened
last year when I was on a cruise that had a stop in Halifax. It was there
that I learned about the 1917 Halifax explosion that nearly leveled the
town. To get more information (and based on the recommendation of a friend),
I went to the library and picked up Curse
of The Narrows: The Halifax Disaster of 1917 by
Laura M. Mac Donald. It's not an easy read due to the overwhelmi [read] Keywords: mac
87
Book Review - How Do You Kill 11 Million People?: Why the Truth Matters More Than You Think by Andy Andrews
Sun, Feb 12th 2012 10:50a Thomas Duff How
Do You Kill 11 Million People
by Andy Andrews is one of those books that, on the surface, has a title
that seemingly begs to get people riled up. The mind quickly goes
to politics, ethics, religion, or a myriad of other issues that cause instant
controversy and division in today's society. But if you take a step back
and clear your mind, the message here is one that is true and transcends
labels that we place on people and groups. In short... how do you
kill 11 million people?
[read] Keywords:
384
Would you like to win a free copy of the IBM Sametime 8.5.2 Administration Guide?
Mon, Feb 6th 2012 6:08a Thomas Duff Do you like to win a free copy of the
IBM Sametime 8.5.2 Administration Guide?
Well, all you need to do is visit IBM
Sametime 8.5.2 Administration Guide
and tell us the one feature that makes you want to own this book in the
comments section below. Make sure to enter your email address, so that
I can in touch with you. Two individuals who have mentioned the best reasons
will be provided with an e-copy each.
This drawing will run through February 19th, and we'll select two winner [read] Keywords: administration
ibm
lotus
sametime
email
Managing your message at a social conference by deleting comments... Really?
Mon, Jan 16th 2012 11:27a Thomas Duff So I'm out on PlanetLotus, looking over
the blogs for today's OGS and such, when I find this blog entry from Avabiz
and ReduceMail: Come
talk to ReduceMail Booth 320: IBM’s Showcase Customer Went to Outlook.
I find that a little odd that a vendor
at Lotusphere would be taking that particular angle as a blog entry to
promote their product. But looking at all their blog entries, I see
the same pattern. People are defecting from Notes, so come talk to
us about our mail prod [read] Keywords: ibm
lotusphere
notes
outlook
planetlotus
156
Book Review - 1,000 Mitzvahs: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire, and Change Your Life by Linda Cohen
Mon, Jan 9th 2012 7:00a Thomas Duff One of my goals/resolutions for 2012
is to incorporate intentional acts of kindness as a regular part of my
daily life. About the same time I committed to that, I ran across this
title that became available at our library... 1,000
Mitzvahs: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire, and Change Your
Life by Linda Cohen. What perfect
timing... This gave me some ideas and inspiration for things I could do
above and beyond the "say something nice to someone" efforts.
It also caused me t [read] Keywords:
170
Book Review - Stories From Jewish Portland by Polina Olsen
Sun, Jan 8th 2012 8:27a Thomas Duff Portland has a colorful past, with varied
influences from multiple ethnic groups and cultures shaping the city over
the years. One group I hadn't seen covered much from that angle is the
Jewish community. How did they make it to Portland? What role did they
play in the city? What struggles and triumphs did they have? Polina Olsen
helps to answer some of those questions in her book Stories
From Jewish Portland. Olsen writes
a column called "Looking Back" for the Jewish Review, and here
[read] Keywords: community
office
897
Book Review - Micro: A Novel by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston
Mon, Jan 2nd 2012 5:35a Thomas Duff It's been a while since I've picked
up a novel by Michael Crichton. When our library put Micro
by Crichton and Richard Preston
into circulation, I grabbed a copy in order to try and catch up a bit.
I was a bit surprised when I read the intro and found that Crichton had
died and Preston took over to finish the novel. I think I probably heard
or knew about his death at one point, but I certainly hadn't remembered.
So how does this Crichton/Preston novel fare? I'll be honest... to
try [read] Keywords:
