A few weeks ago, I received a copy of Lightning-Fast Japanese by Carolyn Woods. The book is a learner’s guide to teaching you’re children basic Japanese. Mrs. Woods covers the basics, including numbers, colors and everyday household objects. You work the words into everyday conversations so that your children pick them up. There are also word games that you can play as well.I have been teaching myself Japanese on and off for a few years now, and have picked up a little bit here and there…mostly by watching moves, anime and tv dramas in subtitles. The book is a great tool to help you learn, but I noticed that there are a few fundamental things missing from it. The first thing is that there isn’t an explanation or diagram of the alphabet. The alphabet is phonetic, meaning that the way something is the way that it sounds when you speak it. For example, “baka” means idiot or fool. The alphabet is “ba” (ば) and “ka” (か). There are also several parts to the alphabet as well: ...
Product Review – Massage Envy
Last week, I was treated to a free massage at Massage Envy. Massage Envy is the leader in affordable message and spa services. They offer various types of massages and facials that use Murad skin products. I’ve never had a professional massage before, so I was very excited to get the offer. I went to the Rockwall location since that was the closest one to my house. When I first arrived, I filled out a questionnaire asking if I had ever had a massage before and what type of massage I wanted. I then waited for my massage therapist to come and get me. The therapist took me to my room, and I undressed to the level I was comfortable with. We went over what type of massage I wanted, which was a deep tissue massage. I also mentioned my current knee issues and decided that have her stay away from that area. When she first started the massage, she told me to let her know if she was too rough. It was a little uncomfortable, so I had her lighten the pressure. Once she did that, I ...
Impromptu Vacation
We took a quick vacation this week to the Villages Resort in Flint, Tx, then spent the next few days trying to get caught up on stuff around the house. I've been working on some reviews and other stuff, so I will begin posting them tomorrow. ...
Guest Article – Bicycle Month: Why You Should Get a Bicycle
It was said that a work becomes a marvel of engineering not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. In engineering, simplicity is indeed beauty. And when it comes to beauty of mechanical engineering, the apple of my eyes is the bicycle.The bicycle is a simple yet useful machine. It is one of the first sophisticated forms of vehicle that multiplies the work that your body produces, through the use of some simple machines, to increase the distance travelled. And because it's bicycle month, I will be giving some ideas about the great perks that you can get by using a bicycle. Hopefully, this will help many of us appreciate this beautiful piece of engineering.Sophisticated EngineAmong all of the vehicles created, the bicycle has one of the most complex and wonderful engines around. Its engine is powered by organic fuels and produces zero pollution. This engine is you, the human body. This vehicle relies on your strength and multiplies that strength ...
Photo Card Creations Giveaway
Photo Card Creations is a leading online retailer of premium custom thank you cards, announcements & invitations. They specialize in wedding, baby, party & holiday cards. They are passionate about providing exceptional quality products & customer service. They are excited about their new Online Design Tool, which was recently implemented and the over 100 new card designs that will be added in 2012! The new design tool makes ordering much easier by allowing customers to design, view & approve their cards online!Photo Card Creations is giving one lucky reader 25 FREE Custom Cards! To enter, take a look around their website, making sure to check out their Girl / Boy Birth Announcement, Party Invites, & Graduation Invitations & Announcements, then tell me which design you like the best in a comment below. Once you do that, you will be able to complete the extra entires on the Rafflecopter form. The giveaway is open to US residents only & ends June 3 @ midnight EST.I will ...
Product Review – PearlMountain Image Converter
Last week, I was invited to try out the PearlMountain Image Converter software. The software allows you to take any images you have and convert them into different file types, as well as make size and color adjustments. The software is pretty straight forward and very easy to figure out. You can convert to several different file formats, including Ico, Jpg, Pdf, and Png. You can also make contrast & brightness/darkness corrections, add a border, rename & resize, crop, and add a watermark. There is also preset image sizes for use on Facebook, iPhones & websites, plus standard thumbnail sizes. The best part about the software is that you can do all this with large batches of files. You can load however many you need and then make the adjustments needed to each one, then save them all in one go. This is extremely useful to photographers, artists, & even stock photographers. For example, I do a lot of photography & artwork. I usually put a watermark of some ...