Misc. Ramblings

Can’t you just see it? Me, designing things for the runway? Hey if it was all this easy – I’d be right on it!

I’ve researched other reviews for this book on the internet, and they were all glowing and wonderful. Which made writing this review even harder for me. Now don’t get me wrong it was a good book, in its way, but it just wasn’t a book for me.

I’m an escapist. When I read, I want to disappear into the story and forget what’s going on in my life.  I want to be so pulled into a book that I forget to sleep and have to pay for it the next day. She-Rain was not that story for me.

While others stated that this book “was written with the most beautiful prose”, and that it was but that’s exactly what threw me off kilter. The story was heartfelt and wonderful, but I had to think too much. No, I am not a dumb blond (though blond I be), but when I read I want to escape, not think!

Mr. Cogdill is a talented story teller, but I don’t think that he is someone  that I would be reading on a regular basis. Here is a little information on She-Rain:

In the early 20th Century, a pair of North Carolina mountain children sow the seed of a love that becomes their only solace in the hard yet beautiful world they know. They grow it from steep ground of poverty, ignorance, and violence. A landscape so brutal it can kill hope long before claiming life.

Bloodshed years later finally sends Frank Locke on the run, deep into wilderness, abandoning his extraordinary love, Mary Lizbeth. When a whitewater river washes this desperate soul into the hands of Sophia, he discovers a luminous woman steeped in mystery, trapped in a tragically brilliant life. Far ahead of her time. Secreted from the world. As she awakens Frank’s mind, they rise to meet a love that binds three people for a lifetime.

This love triangle forms a beauty no one sees coming. From the wilds of Appalachia, crossing nearly a century, it runs deep into a lush American fortune, and lives in letters of adoration and hope of the least expected.

In a rhapsody of Southern voices, mingling hilarity and sorrow, She-Rain speaks of lives soaring beyond heartbreak, fundamentalism, and self-destruction. Through the most graceful longing, two women in love with one man ultimately prove the power of human hearts to answer high callings. They show us all how to heal — and thrive — to the very end.

Author Bio
Michael Cogdill is blessed as one of the most honored television storytellers in America. His cache of awards includes 24 Emmys and the National Edward R. Murrow for a broad range of achievement, from live reporting to long-form storytelling. His television credits as a journalist include CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and The Today Show, and Michael’s interview history crosses a wide horizon: The Reverend Billy Graham, Dr. Mehmet Oz of Oprah fame, Dr. Henry Kissinger, Abby Hoffman, Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator John McCain, Howard K. Smith, James Brown, Keith Lockhart of the Boston Pops and many other newsmakers. His coverage credits include Presidents and Vice Presidents of the United States.

Michael spent ten years writing She-Rain, letting it evolve into a world of fiction drawn from his upbringing in Western North Carolina but reaching far beyond. His other writing credits are Cracker the Crab and the Sideways Afternoon — a children’s motivational book, and a self-help volume, Raise the Haze. Michael makes his home in South Carolina with his wife, Jill (a publishing entrepreneur), and their second-generation golden retriever, Maggie. He’s currently working on his second novel.

For more information, please visit http://she-rain.blogspot.com.

Reviews
“Beautiful novel!  Such gorgeous prose, such singing speech. So Southern in its music and perfect word choice. You write like no other living Southerner. She-Rain is so exquisitely sounded out on the page that I find myself muttering certain passages out loud to myself — common enough when I read poetry, but rarely prose. Bravo!”
–Actor/Writer/Director, Peter MacNicol

I can’t help it – I’m addicted. It’s really bad, and I know I should stop….but would you?

Riddles Me This app was cute at times, but just didn’t keep me entertained. There was a lack of updated content on the app, so you end up rereading riddles.

I do have to say that the kids enjoyed some of the riddles. I even overheard them retelling them to their friends.

The commenting on the riddles became a little monotonous due to some people’s attitude on every post.

This app is fun for a time and then is looses its appeal. (kinda like cheap bubble gum loosing its flavor!)

***

Asteroid Runner is a rather aggravating game, at least when I first tried to play. I was ready to delete the game after about 10 tries.

My 9 year old son asked if we could have a ‘challenge’ with the game. I told him I would give it a shot, but I wasn’t very good.

You have to understand something about my son; everything he touches turns to gold. He played Asteroid the first time and it seemed as if he had been playing since birth. He gave me a few pointers, and I was off.

At the beginning I would have claims to you that the speeds were off. Slow was mega turbo, medium was holey hell, and fast was light speed! Well there is no way that it could go slower. You wouldn’t be able boost your thrusters the proper way and you would keep running into asteroids. (Much like I do!)

This game became addictive very quickly. It’s fast paced and you just want beat the last score. What a great game to blow a couple of minutes or even more! Let me know how you like if you get to try it. This is an extremely easy game that’s very hard to conquer.

NavigArt is a very handy little app.  We live in the middle of no-friggin’-where, so being able to find eateries, hotels, shopping, and hospitals can be quite crucial.

With a simple click of a button you can have all of that information, and more right at your fingertips.

I did have a few squabbles about the app though. I’m not a huge fan of the user interface, it can be rather slow and I’ve gotten several GPS errors.

I don’t see this app replacing the iPhone maps program for me, but I can see it coming in handy.

***

AbcDJSplatter just was not my cup of tea. I love music, my kids love music, and even my fiancé loves music. But not one of us could figure out this app. With no instructions to be seen, this app became a test of futility.

I’m sure that the ‘splat’ portion of the app was cool to some, but it just made me think of blood. It caused most of the controls to become unreadable, and thus making the game that much more annoying.

I don’t see myself keeping this app on my collection, but I’m sure there are people who would disagree.

My Brute-yet another app I didn’t like very much. The highlight of the game is when you get to create your brutes. It’s pretty cool to see what your characters will end up.

Again, there is no user manual to explain how building your brute a certain way gives it different properties. Nor does it tell you how the game works.

When I first started playing I was expecting a little more interaction. When you battle other brutes you tap a button and your brutes by itself. You sit back and watch.

Another part that did overly thrill me is that each brute can only fight 5 times in a 24 hour period.

There is no way that you can become addicted to this game with only the opportunity to play 15 times (quick matches) a day.

**

I’m possibly the most frugal person I know. Well actually I think Shelley from Shelley’s Swag has me beat! She gets some of the best deals, and it makes me so mad, well not really!

The app Discounted has my little heart all aflutter. What this program does is calculate your discount on an item that’s on sale. You put your tax rate in to the calculator, enter the before sale price, % off and it tells you net cost.

I know, you’re saying that even a caveman with a calculator can do that. Well you’re right, but it doesn’t keep tally, and include tax in one fail swoop!

A definite must have for this Krazy Koupon Lady!

We miss you Kurgan and will forever love you and hold you dear to our hearts! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox