Book Reviews and Money Saving Tips

Belkin Classic Tab Case for Kindle Fire HD 7", Purple Lightning (will only fit Kindle Fire HD 7") This is a nice case for the Kindle Fire HD.   The purple is a true purple and looks good.   It holds the Kindle snugly.    If you are looking for some protection for the Kindle this is fine.   However it does not prop up to sit on a table or your stomach when reclined.   What can I say? I like reading reclined and my other case allows me to prop up the Kindle on my rather substantial belly.    I also like to read while eating and this case, again, does not stand up easel like to make it easy to read and swipe pages.    Then there is the price.    This is currently not priced at Amazon but I did look elsewhere and the price was $28.00.    As much as I like Belkin products and as many as I sold while a computer dealer, I have difficulty with a $28.00 price tag on something that is primarily a glorified ...

This is a nice little cover.   It installs easily and fits snugly.    It does stand up well and that meets the manufacturer’s claim that it will stand anywhere.    Quality is good.    It has a lifetime warranty which is fine but I have long wondered exactly what lifetime warranties mean.   I think it is a good case but the price ($40) is more than double the price I paid for my Kindle cover ($14.95).    Frankly I don’t see enough differential between the cases to justify that significantly higher price.   On the other hand, the company that I bought the first case from no longer has a presence on Amazon so perhaps they under priced their case.     If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

  Paraphrasing the old adage of “build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door”, this does seem like a better mouse trap.   I am pretty much addicted to gadgets.   This mouse trap is a gadget.   Since I haven’t gotten any mice yet, I can’t comment on its effectiveness.    I like the fact that it included batteries.   I think the instructions with the trap should be clearer as to baiting.   It needs to have bait to work and the instructions on the packaging do not make that glaringly apparent.    I am surprised they haven’t come up with an electronic air freshener type of bait to go with this electronic trap.    I am using peanut butter but so far no mice.   Of course I haven’t seen any mice in my other traps so I have to reserve judgment.    I will report back if any fried mice appear.    If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That wil...

I’m not a person who normally sews.   My pre-existing machine is over 40 years old.   It has a foot pedal and eight stitches.   It has an untranslatable name, in I think Japanese.   I can no longer get needles for it.   With those pre-established criteria, it may be clear why I am totally amazed at the Brother machine. I purchased the Brother XL2600i for my eight year old granddaughter for Christmas.    She was sewing on Christmas day.   It is that easy to use.   Seeing her delight and the ease of use of the machine, I was totally impressed.    When this machine came available for review, I jumped on it.    The Brother HC1850 is a degree difference in capability and complexity over the XL2600i.   As an example it has 130 built in stitches compared to the 25 in the XL2600i.   It is pointless to list all the differences as you can do that by just comparing the specifications. ...

This sound bar was a bit disappointing.    I was looking for a convenient method of improving the sound on my Toshiba 40” which has lousy sound quality.    It is very inexpensive ($106.00 including shipping at Amazon) so I wasn’t anticipating a $1000.00 Yamaha experience.   Most of the inexpensive sound bars I could find did not have an optical connection.    I figured if I was going to buy an inexpensive audio source the least I could do was connect it with it’s best possible connection.        Of course the sound bar came with no cables to connect it.    That isn’t really too surprising.    I happened to have a wealth of old RCA connectors and hooked it up via the RCA sound port.   Sound was ok.   I ordered a SPDIF cable from Amazon and hooked it up via the optical connection.   Sound quality was better. I have not figured out how to have the sound bar respond to the TV ...

After writing this review I tried to uninstall this software.  It is a major pain in the butt to get off your system.  They even have troubleshooting advice as to how to get it off so they are aware they have issues.  Too bad the troubleshooting doesn't work.  It took me over an hour to get this off.  Amazing and not in a good way. Buyer beware!   First impressions often last, my first impression here was how in the world can it take over 35 minutes to install a software package.   When it finally finishes installing and reboots your computer you still can’t use it because it wants you to install the latest updates.    You download the latest updates and here is no flashing icon, nothing to tell you it is working in the background.   So you start the program and it is immediately interrupted by the update finally starting it’s process.   What it was doing in the interim is beyond me.   Now the update just ...

I don't normally put book reviews on this blog, but I feel this book is well worth reading.   T his is a tough story to read, particularly if you have empathy for kids.   Two boys learn a great deal about fire and it’s dangers.  This book deals with bi-lateral support, perhaps characterized by the blind leading the blind scenario.    This is a tale of two boys who discover themselves by paying for the consequences of their behavior. Curtis and Bobby are not cut from the same cloth.   They look at life differently and have vastly different skill sets.    Life throws them together and the ensuing story is heart wrenching and heart warming at the same time.  A pre-occupation with fire can result from may things.    Some of those ways are the same reasons that kids get into drugs, alcohol or other aberrant behaviors.   Kids who are mistreated by family and peers, kids who feel alienated and alone can easily...

This was purchased for a serious minded eight year old as a Christmas present.  She would have totally disdained a "Dora" or other kid's sewing machine.  This is a nice little machine but it is not a toy.  Frankly considering the price, it seems live an amazing value.  It is also easy to use.  She was sewing on Christmas day.  For ease of use, size, features and quality this is a very nice product.  I am not a seamster or seamstress but this beats the bejabbers out of my old four times the cost and three times as heavy sewing machine.  If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.