Archive for April, 2010

	Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: Vanguard Press; Reprint (March 23, 2010) Language: English ISBN-10: 1593155662 ISBN-13: 978-1593155667	Order from here:

The last two years have been devastating to people. People investing their money in 401K’s, Stocks, etc. lost much of their investment. This book presents an idea to combat situations like that. It’s called the Bank on Yourself plan. The general idea is if you want to buy a car for 30K, you borrow the money from yourself, then pay yourself back each month with interested just as you would with a financed vehicle. This can be applied to almost any purchase. You use your own money, pay yourself back with interest, increase your own account. The benefit is, for example, when your car is paid off, you have the car, and you have all the money you paid for it plus interest. The alternative, you’d have the car, but the money would be in a bank somewhere.

How is this achieved? Through Life Insurance. But not just any life insurance, but Whole Life Insurance specifically set up for the purposes described in this book. There are apparently only 200 advisers in the country that can help you set it up. Theoretically, it sounds to me like it could work. But I see some issues with the plan itself. Something I’d need to investigate further.

But, I’m not here to review the plan, I’m here to review the book. The book is divided into different sections. First you get a background in what the plan is. Then you get a narrative showing a couple going through their life after investing in the plan, and how it worked for them. Then you have testimonials, and information on how it can be applied to different areas.

How was the book. It packed a lot of information regarding the plan into it’s pages. There wasn’t information though that didn’t seem to be repeated on their website, though probably more detailed here. The narrative involving Paul and Katie I felt was very much like an infomercial. That was probably my greatest issue with the book itself, a lot of it came across as a written seminar/infomercial in investing in this type of product. The author did very good at describing the product and how it all worked, but I found myself still having questions.

There were a lot of referrals back to their website, as well as forms to send in for a free analysis. If you want an alternative to high risk investments, this seems like this may be one of those alternatives. I can recommend the book, if you want to learn about this process and examine it for yourself. It did make me more curious to investigate their process further and possibly see if it works, and that’s probably the point of the book. If you want to pick it up though for a lot of concrete answers, I’m not sure you’d find them here. You almost have to get involved in the process to get those answers.

You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.. I’d like to know, have you tried this? How did it work for you? Drawbacks? Benefits? Discuss it below.

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The Rise of the CMO — But Where M = Mobility
By Emily Nagle Green,
Author of Anywhere: How Global Connectivity is Revolutionizing the Way We Do Business

I recently chatted with John Bruggeman, CMO of Cadence, the electronic design automation firm. Just back from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, I was talking about the battles in the mobile revolution.

John says there are three significant battles still underway in that sector that have do-or-die stakes for the businesses in the actual battle: the mobile operating system (Nokia, Google, and Microsoft — the latter making another run at it with a rethought Windows Mobile), the mobile device platform (the usual handset suspects, Apple, and possibly some daring consumer electronics players), and the prevailing semiconductor architecture — which he sees as boiled down to a question of whether high-performance Intel processors make inroads against the widely used low-power ARM architecture.

Who’ll win that third battle, I asked. The ARM platform has a massive lead in the mobile space, its core IP going into the processor for virtually every handset sold in the world. “Intel is smart, has loads of cash, and knows this is a long-term game,” said John. “Over the next 5 years, they will co-exist. Beyond that, these two worlds — low-power handsets and high-performance portable computing — bleed together. The devices following that time period won’t be about fast web page refreshes; they’ll be about transactions, making fast hits on cloud-based data. When that happens, our mobile devices will want both low power and performance.” Given the time parameters involved, he doesn’t count out Intel’s push to take its desktop/laptop dominance into the smaller more diffused computing domain.

From that topic we wandered over to one that’s a new favorite of mine: that 2010 is the year that mobility as a business issue rises to the boardroom. My logic goes like this:

1. The commercialization of the Internet first hit businesses as an external, largely superficial change, in which they essentially stapled websites to their existing operations.
2. But the subsequent maturation of Internet computing compelled those same businesses to pull the net throughout their activities, affecting supply chains, marketing and sales, manufacturing, and virtually every other function in the company.
3. The mobile revolution has begun similarly. Most major enterprises at this stage have now begun to create mobile experiences for their customers (although, as Carl Howe’s reports on mobile web experiences establish, at widely varying levels of quality).
4. The diffusion of the impact of mobility will be no different than that of the Internet. Thus, corporate board members should begin considering how strategically their enterprises’ leadership is thinking about mobility. How else will governance insure that the business is pushing the leverage of connectivity into every nook and cranny of its operations?

John bought it — and he took the thinking a couple of steps further: “The first automation of business in the 20th century happened with the advent of mainframe computing. The central information systems function arose then. The re-automation of business, driven by desktop computing, pushed IT further out into the business and, organizationally, led to the rise of the CIO. What you’re talking about — the rise of mobility as a strategic issue for businesses — will mean that we’ll see the rise of a Chief Mobility Officer.”

Fascinating idea, and one Yankee Group will pursue in a research report over the next few months with Josh Holbrook taking the lead. But beware: John followed his prediction of the emergence a new type of corporate CMO with this one: “Sadly, many businesses who take this step will put a networking guy in the job. What they’ll need will be an imaginative business person, someone who’s able to look at all the activities of the business and re-think them completely.”

© 2010 Emily Nagle Green, author of Anywhere: How Global Connectivity is Revolutionizing the Way We Do Business

Author Bio
Emily Nagle Green is president and CEO of Yankee Group, a leading firm in researching global connectivity change. Yankee Group supports businesses worldwide that use, operate, or help build networks with powerful ideas, forecasts, conferences, and strategy consulting. Green is also vice-chair of MITX, the largest association for digital marketing and media technology in the United States. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

For more information please visit http://anywhere.yankeegroup.com.

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A Writer’s Orgasm

Recently, readers have asked why I decided to write erotica after writing seven mainstream titles. For me, it was a natural transition to write erotica, being that thus far, all of my books have included very steamy scenes and intense sexual connections. I’ve worked hard to make sure that each encounter, whether it involves a threesome or an oral sex scene between two women, is necessary for the evolution of the story and mainly, for purposes of defining those characters. Erotica or not, it’s a story.

I enjoy writing sex scenes, but more importantly, I enjoy writing about the lives of individuals who are either positively or negatively affected by sex. Whether it be swingers or sexaholics, or women who have been sexually repressed and are now ready to breakout and get naughty, sex is a part of all of our lives. After all, the revolution of sex cannot be ignored. I feel that sex can be a character in itself. It can be a villain and it can be a sanctuary. We can choose to go with it, or choose to resist it for religious reasons or ethical reasons or for purposes of detoxification. One’s response to sex says a lot about their morals and willpower and upbringing. I, for one, am very sexually liberated and have always had a lust for life. It’s important to me that women enjoy themselves and pay close attention to where their ideals about sex came from. We’ve been told early on to keep our legs closed and to save ourselves for our husbands. I don’t believe that boys are not put under the same type of pressure. Actually, they learn to conquer and pursue and society has this, “boys will be boys” attitude (which should also change), whereas girls are taught that if we don’t keep our vaginas to ourselves, we’ll be labeled as non-virtuous sluts, far from marriage material.

I am a strong advocate of safe sex, though I do think sex is meant to be enjoyable and that women need to love and explore their bodies and learn about what pleases them so that they can express their needs openly, without shame and without judgment. I have a post-chapter in Erotic City called Women Have Wet Dreams, Too, which is written from the point of view of the main character, Milan Kennedy who owns a swingers’ club. She’s very comfortable with her sexuality and enjoys spreading the word about guilt-free sex for women.

When I conducted research for Erotic City, I attended quite a few sex clubs and interviewed many lifestyle members. The common trait I found was that these individuals don’t have as many hang-ups about sex as most people do, though some would argue that swingers are dysfunctional or that they’re sexual deviants. I’ve addressed this controversy in Erotic City, which is one reason why the topic of swinging was so intriguing to me.

I’m enjoying the experience of writing erotica and I hope that you enjoy my stories as much as I enjoy bringing them to you. Whether writing mainstream or erotica, I put a lot of work into the psychology of my characters. It is my intention to make sure that the main characters each have something they want and something they fear. I make a point to remind myself that I’m not writing about what I would do. I’m writing about what the characters would do. It’s their story, not mine. It’s my desire that you enjoy the stories of my characters, and that those characters stay in your head long after the last page because you fall in love with them or worry about them or love to hate them, because you care about their journey. It is my desire, as Pynk, that you are satisfied. That, to me, would be orgasmic.

Copyright © 2008 by Pynk

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Miki, Valencia, Teela Raye, and Brandi share one thing…they are all addicted to sex. United through Sexaholics Anonymous, these women try to recover from their dependence on wild, spontaneous, and even sometimes, dangerous sex. From whips and chains, to sex in public, they have done it all! Led by Dr. Rachel Cummings, each woman takes the first step to recovery by sharing her biggest sexual act with the group. SEXAHOLICS takes readers through the outrageous experiences of four women on their long path to success.

With a special Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group I am able to offer you 1 of 5 copies of this book. To enter for a chance to win, simply follow these simple rules:

1) One Entry if you’re a follower [You can follow through Google Friend connect to the right, you can also sign up to follow through Twitter or Facebook].
2) An Additonal Entry if you blog about this contest.
3) An Additonal Entry if you’re a new follower.
4) One entry each for posting on facebook and/or twitter.
5) Must leave a comment letting me know how you follow me, blog link to this post, facebook/twitter link, etc.
6) Contest will continue until May 1, 2010.
7) This giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada. No PO Box addresses (street mailing only).

Look for our review of this book and a Q&A with the author next week.

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See James Patterson discuss the book in the video.

Separated by timeFrom his grandmother, Alex Cross has heard the story of his great uncle Abraham and his struggles for survival in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. Now, Alex passes the family tale along to his own children in a novel he’s written–a novel called Trial.

Connected by blood

As a lawyer in turn-of-the-century Washington D.C., Ben Corbett represents the toughest cases. Fighting against oppression and racism, he risks his family and his life in the process. When President Roosevelt asks Ben to return to his home town to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan there, he cannot refuse.

United by bravery

When he arrives in Eudora, Mississippi, Ben meets the wise Abraham Cross and his beautiful granddaughter, Moody. Ben enlists their help, and the two Crosses introduce him to the hidden side of the idyllic Southern town. Lynchings have become commonplace and residents of the town’s black quarter live in constant fear. Ben aims to break the reign of terror–but the truth of who is really behind it could break his heart. Written in the fearless voice of Detective Alex Cross, Alex Cross’s Trial is a gripping story of murder, love, and, above all, bravery.

With a special Thanks to Valerie at Hachette Book Group I am able to offer you 1 of 3 copies of this book. To enter for a chance to win, simply follow these simple rules:

1) One Entry if you’re a follower [You can follow through Google Friend connect to the right, you can also sign up to follow through Twitter or Facebook].
2) An Additonal Entry if you blog about this contest.
3) An Additonal Entry if you’re a new follower.
4) One entry each for posting on facebook and/or twitter.
5) Must leave a comment letting me know how you follow me, blog link to this post, facebook/twitter link, etc.
6) Contest will continue until May 1, 2010.
7) This giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada. No PO Box addresses (street mailing only).

Look for our review of this book later this month.

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“I am Iron Man.” With those words, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark revealed his secret identity. Now a famous high-tech superhero, he uses his powers to protect mankind. Yet things are not going well for Tony Stark. The U.S. military demands control of the most powerful weapon on earth–the Iron Man suit. His beautiful new assistant has a strange, mysterious agenda while his best friend, Rhodey, has betrayed him. And Tony is hunted by a vengeful Russian criminal armed with a lethal technology that may be stronger than Tony’s suit. But even as he fights his demons, the hero faces his greatest threat–one that no armor can defend against . . .

With a special Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group I am able to offer you 1 of 5 copies of this book. To enter for a chance to win, simply follow these simple rules:

1) One Entry if you’re a follower [You can follow through Google Friend connect to the right, you can also sign up to follow through Twitter or Facebook].
2) An Additonal Entry if you blog about this contest.
3) An Additonal Entry if you’re a new follower.
4) One entry each for posting on facebook and/or twitter.
5) Must leave a comment letting me know how you follow me, blog link to this post, facebook/twitter link, etc.
6) Contest will continue until May 1, 2010.
7) This giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada. No PO Box addresses (street mailing only).

Look for our review of this book later this month.

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PRESUMED INNOCENT brings to life our worst nightmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of crimes. Prosecutor Rusty Sabich is transformed from accuser to accused when he is handed an explosive case–that of the brutal murder of a woman who happens to be his former lover.

With a special Thanks to Valerie at Hachette Book Group I am able to offer you 1 of 3 copies of this book.  To enter for a chance to win, simply follow these simple rules:

1) One Entry if you’re a follower [You can follow through Google Friend connect to the right, you can also sign up to follow through Twitter or Facebook].
2) An Additonal Entry if you blog about this contest.
3) An Additonal Entry if you’re a new follower.
4) One entry each for posting on facebook and/or twitter.
5) Must leave a comment letting me know how you follow me, blog link to this post, facebook/twitter link, etc.
6) Contest will continue until May 1, 2010.
7) This giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada. No PO Box addresses (street mailing only).

Look for our review of this book later this month.

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	Paperback: 192 pages Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Original edition (April 20, 2010) Language: English ISBN-10: 0446566381 ISBN-13: 978-0446566384	Order from here:

I has a Hotdog is a collection of dog photos with captions related to something going on in the photo. There is a website at http://ihasahotdog.com/ that allows you to add your own captions. The captions and photos seem to be from the credits in the book, from those who submitted them. The general idea is that it gives what the dog could be thinking, and in broken, dog like english. Some are pretty funny, others are just so-so. I think though if you are a dog lover, you’d probably get a kick out of this book, or giving it as a gift to someone who is a dog lover. I’ve included two scans from the book to give you an idea of what it’s like. About the Author Professor Happycat is the illustrated cat featured on the popular I Can Has Cheezburger and I Has a Hot Dog websites. Ben Huh is the CEO of Pet Holdings, Inc, which owns and operates IHasAHotdog.com, ICanHasCheezburger .com, and other popular websites. Ben has been featured in the New York Times, TIME, the LA Times, and Wired magazine, among many publications in print and online.

With a special Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group I am able to offer you 1 of 3 copies of this book.  To enter for a chance to win, simply follow these simple rules:

1) One Entry if you’re a follower [You can follow through Google Friend connect to the right, you can also sign up to follow through Twitter or Facebook].
2) An Additonal Entry if you blog about this contest.
3) An Additonal Entry if you’re a new follower.
4) One entry each for posting on facebook and/or twitter.
5) Must leave a comment letting me know how you follow me, blog link to this post, facebook/twitter link, etc.
6) Contest will continue until May 1, 2010.
7) This giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada. No PO Box addresses (street mailing only).

You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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