His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass)

Now that The Golden Compass film it out in theaters,  the controversy returns. The ironic thing is that if it were not for the people complaining about the books, I would not have heard about them, therefore would not have read them at this time. Currently I am reading the third book of the trilogy called the Amber Spyglass. I listened to the first two, The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife, in audio book form, and I couldn’t stop listening. I have now purchased the third book as a hardcover to experience the story as a reader as opposed to a listener. So far it is hard for me to put the book down. Even-though I have just started the third book, I really cant figure out what the hubbub is all about. I don’t want to give anything away, but I would highly suggest that anyone upset about the idea of Philip Pullman creating a book to spite religion, should try reading it before taking someone’s word for it. As I read through the books (or listen), I don’t know how these books can be categorized as Children’s Books.  I have not read the Chronicles of Narnia or any of the Harry Potter books, but the Pullman books seem to be a little graphic. I would suggest that parents  read the books themselves first and make a judgement as to wether or not they would want there kids listening or reading the material. As far as the controversy, whether or not I was Christian or any sect of religion, I would want to expose my children (if I had any) to as much information that I can so that they can make a decision for themselves when they were old enough to make such decisions. I would explain my thoughts about the book and what my take on them are and move on. No harm no foul. After all, they are fictional books, with fictional characters. The last time I checked, animals do not have the capabilities to speak, even though I do talk to my dog all the time. Does that make me crazy? In the end, please read the books, I highly recommend them. (The Audible.com version of the book is really good also!)

Apple Black Friday Sale!

I just purchased a copy of iWorks today during the Apple Black Friday sale. I figure that this will be the only time that they will discount their software. I thought $79 dollars is pretty cheap for their software suites but to get them at $68, what a deal! I couldn’t pass it up. I usually use Office, but I thought this would be a great opportunity to try out iWorks!

Warner Springs Ranch!

I just returned from a mini vacation to Warner Springs Ranch. What a cool little getaway. The room that I stayed in was pretty small but has a fire place and an Adobe feel to it. It also feels as though you are camping, with many cabins surrounding the grounds.. Although the smell from the natural mineral waters is not pleasant, they were very relaxing. They have a decent golf course on the premises, and I did not play well at all. I think maybe I had a little too much to drink during the round. The service was very good and the staff was friendly. They have a small bar there that has a live band that plays every Saturday night. Warner Springs is a members only resort, so I was invited by a friend of a member who has a annual trip with a group of friends. I had a great deal of fun and would recommend anyone who has a chance to go Warner Springs,  to take advantage of the opportunity.

Win a box of Olor del Cibao Cigars. Rules Updated!

Here is a great cigar blog that is giving away a box of cigars. For those of you who like to smoke em’ here and there. As for me, I love to wind down with a cigar and a glass of scotch!Cigar Contest!

Verizon and my new Blackberry 8830.

I wanted to share an recent experience that I had with Verizon Wireless. Last week I called tech support to let them know about issues I was having on my current phone (The LG VX9800, it was shutting down by itself two to three times a day.) While going through the motions with tech support we discovered that the phone was shorting out due to moisture damage. So I decided to upgrade my phone at this time to a Blackberry 8830.The women that helped me was very helpful and friendly! I received my phone a couple of days later, and to find out that the discounts that we had discussed were not applied. I then called customer support to speak to a supervisor, and they told me that they will call me back in about fifteen minutes. I waited forty five minutes and called them back. At that time a supervisor still wasn’t available and said that I should continue to wait until the original supervisor calls me back. I waited an additional hour and a half and called them back. They said to wait another hour because they are probably at lunch. I called again over an hour later to finally get a supervisor that did nothing for me. He was blunt and straight with me and did not offer any help. I was pretty upset at this point and decided to wait until the original person that I ordered the phone with comes back on Monday. This morning I called the women I originally spoke with and she apologized several times, and took care of me right of way. She was awesome! I have been a customer of theirs since Airtouch days (about 13 to 14 years). Companies continue to abandon their customer service and treat everyone like a number, it is such a shame. It is good to know that Verizon Wireless has at least have one employee that cares, and values the loyalty of their customers. She should be rewarded for her efforts. By the way, I love my phone! I am just trying to figure out how to optimally use it with my Mac. Thanks for listening!

Hello world!

This is my very first blog ever! So please bear with me as I figure things out. So far Word Press seems to be a great tool for people to easily create a blog and share it with the world. Hello all, and thanks you for being patient with my learning curve!