kevinpaquet.com

http://rapidshare.com/files/42401148/Dungeon_Siege_II_-_Bound_Together_Story.pdf

Geek Books

This is an awesome book to help out with your child and you with homework issues. Make sure you stick your ground and this book will help , I promise! I loved it and it is a great read. Thanks to the publisher, I got a copy to review!

o help beleaguered parents assist their children (ages 6 – 18), Ann K. Dolin, M.Ed., a former public school teacher with over 20 years of teaching and tutoring experience, has written a book offering concrete solutions to common homework problems.

In Homework Made Simple: Tips, Tools and Solutions for Stress-Free Homework, she discusses the core problems that commonly cause homework stress and helps parents identify six key types of students who struggle with school and homework. She then offers specific proven solutions to help each type, providing lots of examples and easy-to-implement, fun tips.

Dolin places a great deal of emphasis on organization. That is because it is such a crucial part of success. Homework Made Simple details six study skills that are easy to teach and incredibly effective in helping students master content and build confidence. They include strategies to improve:
- Active reading for comprehension
- Note-taking necessities
- Memory methods
- Proper planning
- Use of individual learning styles, and
- Problem-solving skills.

Finally, Dolin helps parents create their own Action Plan to help ease homework stress in the home. To craft a plan, she suggests parents take the following steps:

1. Identify one or two problems that are causing the most distress.

2. Craft specific goals related to these issues.

3. Write down one to three strategies you can realistically implement to achieve this goal. Ask yourself, “Can I honestly do this for the rest of the school year?”

4. Implement these strategies.

5. Assess progress after one week and then again after 21 days (four school weeks).

6. Once you consistently see change, pull back slightly so that you are less involved and your child has ownership over the strategy.

Moms and Dads have only the best of intentions of doing all the right things for their children. They have a strong desire to help their children accept responsibility, work efficiently, and stay organized. They want to ensure that their kids are on top of their school work and are reaching their potential. Universally, parents yearn to raise children who are motivated to learn, succeed in school, and go out in the world to do good things.

Dolin hopes Homework Made Simple will offer some workable tips and strategies to make all these hopes a reality.

274 pages, Trade paperback, 14 b&w photgraphs, Charts, Resources, 5.5 x 8.5
ISBN: 978-0-9714609-8-0 .95
Pub Date: September 1st, 2010
Published by: Advantage Books
Distributed by: National Book Network (NBN)

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Geek Mom Who Reviews Gadgets, Books, and Everything Else

Join us this week for the best of the rest from E3 2010. We’re talking Nintendo’s big press conference with the 3ds, and all their new iterations of beloved franchises as well as Sony’s obsession with glowing colored balls. We run down the list of the stuff we think was the coolest that came out of the convention this year, as well as some advice for novice home cooks in our mailbag segment. Enjoy!

The Weekly Geek

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir A.C.Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He studied to be a doctor at the University of Edinburgh
and set up a small practice at Southsea in Hampshire during his 20s. While the practice proved largely unsuccessful, the lack
of patients provided him with the opportunity to create possibly the most popular character ever introduced in the history of
fiction, Sherlock Holmes.

http://rapidshare.com/files/40345990/Sherlock_1_-_Complete_Works.rar

Geek Books

Wonder Woman’s costume has always been a wearable tribute to the American flag. Through out the years the colors have stayed the same. Red top with the American bald eagle in gold, blue bottoms with white stars, red boots and her tiara. The top and bottoms have always been skimpy. More or less the same thing since 1941.

Wonder Woman, as seen above, is getting a new look- and it’s about time! While most super heroes from her era have already had their costumes altered through the years to keep up with the times. Wonder Woman always stuck out, clinging to her retro look..not anymore.

Her story is even getting a bit of a face lift along with her appearance and wardrobe.

“In the reimagining of her story, Wonder Woman, instead of growing up on Paradise Island with her mother, Queen Hippolyta, and her Amazon sisters, is smuggled out as a baby when unknown forces destroy her home and slaughter its inhabitants.”

This change to her story and to her costume, hopefully will help in the campaign to get Wonder Woman on the big screen.

The Amazon thing about Wonder Woman always bugged me. But I can see what the creator was thinking. Guys like hot babes, guys like the idea of an island of all hot babes and guys like comics…. $$$$$$$

[Source]

                          

MandyMadrox.com

According to the guys over at 9 To 5 Mac, Apple are about to release OS X 10.6.5, and it should be available some time later this week.

The latest version of Mac OS X 10.6.5 was recently released internally, and this means it should be going out for general release a few days later.

You can see the range of new features and bug fixes in mac OS X 10.6.5 in the photo below.

TUAW via TFTS

Geeky-Gadgets

Microsoft is holding its launch event for Alan Wake tomorrow at the Oxford Bookstore in Delhi, which seems fitting, because while Alan Wake might not have covered wars, but he’s been published, and apparently writing of some sort is required for fighting zombies, and shadowy undead things.

Before the game hits the shelves and you part with your Rs 2400 (okay, I lie, it’s 2399) to get a copy, I’ll be giving you an in-depth review of the game, but time spent at the offices of Microsoft last week was enough to convince me that I need to see more of the game.

The game is a 3rd person horror/adventure title, which places you in control of the titular protagonist and super-successful horror story writer Alan Wake. You’ve been facing a problem with writers block, and so you go to a rural lakeside getaway to spend some time with your wife and get your writing groove back on. Unfortunately, and somewhat predictably, you’re having strange nightmares about shadowy creatures, and pretty soon it turns out that that’s exactly what’s happening in the world as well. Oh and they’ve kidnapped your wife. Oh and you’ve apparently written a manuscript about everything that will happen through the course of the game, and then helpfully scattered the pages in carefully selected locations. Shocking, right?

I spent almost three hours in game, which is a fair third of the game and while the game might not be an overwhelming experience, it is an enjoyable game, which merits at least a second look.

The game has been in development hell for more than half a decade now, and that shows – the look of the game is thoroughly dated – with a shockingly jarring moment early on in the game, where you come across a cardboard cutout of a life size Alan Wake, presumably to make you (the player) realise how successful you (the character) are. Unfortunately, a simple 2D image is laid on the poster, and it looks a lot more realistic than the 3D Alan standing right next to it.

The game’s other big draw is supposed to be its writing, but if you’re looking for Stephen King or Peter Straub, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s B-movie writing at its worst, but it serves the purpose. It’s grating and annoying at times, and some of the voice acting does not help the cause, but it creates an ambiance which you can accept.

Which brings us to the game’s big schtick. The thing which holds everything together. Lighting. That’s the heart and soul of the game, and when going through the tutorial (presented as a nightmare Wake has at the start of the game) you will probably feel a little skeptical about the whole thing. There’s too much ammo, and it’s a little too easy to kill off enemies, since they freeze when you shine your slashlight on them (using the left trigger) making it easy to blast them to bits with your guns. The weaponry itself plays a minor role in all this, although the rocket flares the game provides you with are pretty cool – not only do they create their own light to demolish enemies with, but the red lit areas they leave behind really look good.

At the same time, the heavy dependance forced by the mechanic might seem to be tedious and forced, particularly in the first level, or episode in the game’s terminology, but the game changes things up and does not seem to get tedious, at least up until the three hour mark.

We’ll provide a more detailed review about it soon, but at this point at least, Alan Wake seems worth checking out, even if it is not a game changing experience.

Split-Screen :: The Game-Geek’s Daily Read

*Starred Review* During the last five years, Stross has garnered a reputation as one of the most imaginative practitioners of hard sf. Expanded from several stories originally published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, Stross’ latest novel follows several generations of the Macx family through the rapidly transforming, Internet-enabled global economy of the early twenty-first century to the human and transhuman populated worlds of the outer solar system a half century later. The saga begins with Macx patriarch Manfred, a freelance “venture altruist,” giving away patentable high-tech ideas in exchange for endless handouts while looking forward to the day when nanotech-programmed smart matter surpasses humanity in intelligence and productivity. Fifteen years later, his adolescent daughter Amber is an indentured astronaut trolling the orbit of Jupiter, and by 2070, Sirhan is Amber’s permanently space-bound offspring, paying witness to the fruits of his grandfather’s early innovations as something ominous and nonhuman is systematically dismantling the planets from Pluto to Earth. Stross has his thumb squarely on the pulse of technology’s leading edge and exults in extrapolating mere glimmers of ideas out to their mind-bending limits. His brilliant and panoramic vision of uncontrollably accelerating technology vaults him into the front rank of sf trailblazers, alongside Gibson and Stephenson, and promises to become a seminal work in the genre. Carl Hays

http://www.mediafire.com/?crdd240xs4i

Geek Books

Not sure how much time you spend sitting in front of a computer, and if you are reading this, I bet you spend at least a few hours everyday mousing your way online. There’s tons of data available about the ill effects of computer overuse; especially for people who do not use the computer in a healthy manner. By healthy, I refer to proper ergonomics. Yet, even with proper ergonomics in place, there is still the risk of ill effects of overuse; especially overuse of the mouse hand.

There are an endless number of hand ailments and medical conditions with cold hand symptoms and side effects. Some of these ailments include arthritis, tendonitis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, diabetes, migrain headaches, poor circulation, alcohol abuse, cigarette addiction, and the list goes on and on. Cold hands when trying to get computer work completed are annoying and painful. Not only do they cause pain to your mouse hand, cold hands actually become numb, and fingertips feel as though they are frozen.

Exposed hands working at the computer need warmth. If you work in a cold room, office or a drafty space, it is wise to use a heated computer mouse. A heated mouse generates warmth through the skin’s layers penetrating the muscle tissue. There are a variety of heated computer devices using an USB connection and many of them use a carbon fiber which transmits infrared heat. Infrared heat is known to create a healing effect for sore muscles. The Eastern cultures have been using infrared heat for centuries. The sun is a natural source of infrared heat. The nice thing about an infrared heated mouse is getting all the benefits of the sun without the harmful UV rays.

Further research indicates 20-30 minutes of infrared heat daily can actually provide healing results. So, if you’re like me, an USB infrared heated mouse would certainly be a welcomed relief for cold mouse hand pain. A heated mouse stimulates the flow of blood, and in turn reduces stiffness in finger and wrist joints. If muscles are sore, the heated mouse will penetrate deeply to soothe aching muscles.

Chemical toxins in the blood are a concern today with all the food we eat and the air we breathe. The infrared heat generated by the warmth of an USB heated mouse helps to detoxify our system of the unhealthy toxins. The heat releases the toxins from blood cells ridding the body of unnecessary toxic build up.

Massage therapists use heat to relax muscles. Why not use heat at home while we work? Keep your mouse hand relaxed, your blood flowing to reduce poor circulation and detoxify your system with the use of an infrared heated computer mouse.

If you enjoy the feel of the sun’s heat on your face on a warm summer day, then you’ll truly enjoy the warmth of a warm mouse while you are sitting at work in front of a computer!

For more information about the heated mouse and other infrared heated computer devices visit http://www.IGMproducts.com or http://www.ValueRays.com.

Anna Miller

Mouse Hand Warmer – Infrared Heated Mouse & Infrared Heated Mouse Pad

The Perfect Mouse Hand Environment

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anna_Miller

Geek Gadgets

Part of the three great angry English men who burst out of the music scene in the late 70′s (the other two were Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson), Graham Parker earned his chops on the famous pub rock circuit, which gave us Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Brinsley Schwarz and much of the late Stiff label roster.

While Costello drew from early 60′s rock and Jackson rocketed across short, sharp songs, the always-in-aviator-shades Parker was heavily influenced by Motown and other soul music genres which he wore on his sleeve. He infused his rock periodically with Funk Brothers licks and reggae beats (“Don’t Ask Me Questions”). With his mates, Parker played as a true band and their recordings were full of energy, a totally live vibe, and often with his own four-piece horn section.

In the first years of his recording career on the Mercury label, Parker cut cover versions of soul classics like a stomping “Hold Back The Night” (by the Trammps), that had the twin guitar attack Thin Lizzy made famous, and The Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back,” which stays true to the original, as much as nobody sounds like Michael and his brothers!

However, unlike those R&B songs he clearly loved, Parker was full of rage and agony. His lyrics showed a man who didn’t believe in compromises in love and friendship, yet often felt betrayed. He didn’t suffer fools, and wasn’t afraid of sharpening that poison pen in his lyrics. He always had a penchant for two things: somehow bringing in the weather in his lyrics (often raining, with thunderstorms) and making his chorus the entire title of his song (“Passion Is No Ordinary Word,” “Discovering Japan,” “Stick To Me”). Parker’s tunes were anthemic and bluntly confessional sometimes (“Fool’s Gold” and “Pouring It All Out”). My friend John’s college floor hockey team was named after Parker’s “Heat Treatment” and blasted it before each game.

Savvy artists covered his songs, notably his buddy Dave Edmunds (“Back To Schooldays” and “Crawling From The Wreckage”) and what I consider to be the definitive version of his song “Thunder and Rain,” performed on a long out-of-print album on CBS by singer/actress Ellen Foley (definitely the subject of a future post — she belted the female date role in Meat Loaf’s famous “Paradise By The Dashboard Light”).

Parker wanted to break the US market in the worst way, and deservedly so considering his talent. Watching his buddy and former producer Nick Lowe climb on to US radio with “So It Goes” and “Cruel To Be Kind” didn’t sit well with him. Finally, after he released a three-sided live album The Parkerilla to fulfill his contract (yes, in the vinyl days, you could do this!), Parker moved to Arista Records.

His first post-Arista signing recording was a bootleg single aimed right at the record company who he felt failed to promote him properly. Usually wrath is incurred towards ex-girlfriends and other creeps, but Parker packed all the venom he could to blast Mercury Records, which truly marked the end of his “pub rock and soul era.” A collector’s item (which I have somewhere in a box in my basement), the one-sided “Mercury Poisoning” single had a skull and crossbones on the label. And yes, this is probably the catchiest singalong record label blow-off you’ll ever hear.

No more pretending now,
the albatross is dying in its nest.
The company is crippling me,
the worst trying to ruin the best, the best.

Their promotion’s so lame
They could never ever take it to the real ball game.
Maybe they think I’m a pet,
Well I’ve got all the diseases
I’m breaking out in sweat, you bet, because

I got, Mercury poisoning
It’s fatal and it don’t get better!
I got, Mercury poisoning
The best kept secret in the
we–est, hey the we–est.

The boys and me are getting real well known around town
But every time we try to spread the action
Someone always brings it down, down.
I ate the orange and I don’t feel well
For them it’s inconvenience for me it’s hell.
The geriatric staff think we’re freaks.
They couldn’t sell kebabs to the Greeks, the geeks,
Inaction speaks, and

I got, Mercury poisoning
It’s fatal and it don’t get better!
I got, Mercury poisoning
The best kept secret in the
we–est, hey the we–est.

Is this a Russian conspiracy,
no it’s just idiocy.
Is this a Chinese burn
I gotta dinosaur for a representative
It’s got a small brain and it refuses to learn!

Their promotion’s so lame
They could never ever take it to the real ball game.
Listen I ain’t a pet,
I ain’t a token hipster for your monopoly set
You bet because…

I got, Mercury poisoning
It’s fatal and it don’t get better!
I got, Mercury poisoning
The best kept secret in the
we–est, hey the we–est.

Now a triple live video treat from Graham Parker — one original and two covers from the Mercury era: First, “Mercury Poisoning” from Japan in 1979… then “Hold Back The Night” from the BBC’s “Top Of The Pops in 1977… and finally, “I Want You Back” (featuring some inaccurate voiceover in the beginning talking about Parker’s first two albums “in 1969!”).

TOTAL MUSIC GEEK by Drew Kerr