Last August, my Mother told some of her friends in Pennsylvania that I was hired as an Adjunct Professor at Monmouth University. These lovely folks were glad to hear it and gave me one of the best gifts that one can receive - a book! This book, The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell, is a historical fiction…and it was an amazing read!

For some perspective - I haven’t really had a chance to read too many books since I started teaching part-time. It’s just tough to read the material for the course, prepare the PowerPoints and handouts for the course, and keep-up with some of my freelance reading choices. However, since class officially ended, I returned from my Miami trip, and the Christmas season came to an end I’ve had some free time to begin reading my own choices again. It took me less than a week to rip through The Last Kingdom - it’s a hard book to put down!

This historical fiction is a story about Uhtred, son of Uhtred, who was also son of Uhtred, etc. His land is usurped from him by his uncle and he is taken captive by the marauding Danes at the tender age of 10. This story is set during the late 800’s AD when England was being ransacked by what we would call “Vikings” today. Cornwell sticks to historical facts when he calls them Danes instead of Vikings since during the time of the story “to vike” was a verb and not a noun. Anyway, Uhtred is taken captive as a young boy as his father dies in battle defending their family’s land.

The Danes raise him and one Dane in particular, Ragnar, essentially adopts Uhtred as his own. This affords Uhtred a great deal of protection and a great source of knowledge on many topics - the most important of which is combat. As he grows up, he begins raiding English territories with the Danish fighters. Remember, now, Uhtred is an Englishman…yet he still goes ahead and raids his homeland’s territories.

Cornwell moves the story along at the perfect pace and the reader is shown Uhtred’s thoughts as he moves through the various stages of becoming a man in a war-torn land. His inner conflict is very well written; Uhtred’s inner discussions regarding with whether or not he should be fighting with the Danes or with the English is particularly well done. Ultimately, he goes back to his people though there are various reasons that lead him to that end. Uhtred, though, begins to believe that he ends up fighting for the English because of fate.

The concept of fate and whether or not a man has free will is explored at different points of the story. Uhtred is first a young by being taught the ways of Catholicism through the local priests (in spite of his family’s history being intertwined with the pagan gods). The Danes worship Thor and his set of gods and Uhtred begins to follow and believe in that religion. The compelling argument that changes his mind is the usefulness of one God versus many gods. In other words, Ragnar and the Danes ask how the Catholic God could be worth worshiping if he does not bring victory to his followers. For the young Uhtred, he sees the simplistic logic in this argument and agrees.

One of the best parts of the religious overtones in this book is how, later in the book, Uhtred is forced to wonder about some of the basic teachings of his pagan faith. Once the English begin to fight back and win battles against the Danish warriors, Uhtred wonders if the pagan religion is really the better of the two? Are the three spinners - who the Danes believe write the story of the world and thus assign everyone their fate - really spinning their webs? Or is the one God of Catholicism really mightier than the aggregated power of the pagan gods? Personally, I enjoyed this little bit of give and take that was more subliminal than written.

The novel has a great climatic scene where a great Danish warrior is defeated by the hand of Uhtred. This is one of the best written battle scenes that I’ve ever read. It seems as though describing the motions and situations of the shield walls and various battles are second nature to Cornwell. This is a testament to his comfort level when writing this historical fiction.

If it’s not obvious by this point, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of The Last Kingdom. This is the first in “The Saxon Novels” series by Cornwell. I’ve already gone out and purchased two more Cornwell books - the next in the Saxon Novels and the first in a different series. Go out and grab a copy if you can; Christmas may be over, but this book still makes a great gift!

Great post-Christmas gifts are still available on eBay! One of the best, cost effective gifts you could pick up for a friend or loved one is a Harmony Ball. I have three of these little Harmony Ball figurines in my room - Plato, an Owl, and Jesus Christ. They’re pretty cool.

My Mother sells these things at a great price on eBay so I highly suggest that you check out which figurines she has on sale if you’re still looking for that good post-Christmas gift. Enjoy!

Khaled Hosseini, the author of The Kite Runner, deserves all of the credit that he’s been getting in literary circles. This novel, his first, won at least a half dozen awards and was a #1 New York Times bestseller - very impressive. After hearing some folks on the radio talk about how excited they were for the movie coming out, I went and purchased a copy of this book to see what the big fuss was all about. I wasn’t disappointed.

The Kite Runner is a powerful story of a man named Amir. The story follows Amir from his days as a young boy to a fully grown man. Amir is born a child of privilege in Afghanistan during the 1970’s. His father, Baba, is a well known Afghani having given many of his neighbors their first “chance” whether it be a loan or a job or a hand out when it was most needed. Baba has a servant, Ali, who has a son named Hassan. Amir and Hassan grow up together and The Kite Runner is essentially the story of how their close friendship affects Amir for the rest of his life (or at least until the end of the book).

Hassan is fiercely loyal and protects Amir from some of the bad kids in the neighborhood - though he does this at the cost of his own safety. Ultimately, defending Amir puts Hassan in a situation where he is harshly abused by another boy and his two cronies. Amir witnesses the assault and his response determines the path of his mental stability for the rest of his life (or depending upon how you read the book, until the end of the story).

Amir buries his knowledge of the assault and goes on living with Baba until the Russians begin to invade Afghanistan. At that point he is rushed with his father out of the country and they eventually wind up in America. Baba - who has given Amir much of the direction in his life - passes away from cancer, but not before assisting Amir in becoming engaged to a young Afghanistan woman named Soraya. It turns out that there is a large Afghan community in the San Francisco area and Amir becomes a part of this community with his new wife and her family. Then, almost out of the blue, he is called to Pakistan at the request of one of his father’s former business associates who is now dying. Before the associate passes away, he makes a request of Amir: to make everything good again for both his father and himself. To make things good, Amir will need to find Hassan’s son, Sohrab, and bring him to a better life.

The story gets very quick and very interesting at this point and the last hundred pages or so are very good. As a child, Amir won a large kite-flying tournament and he had some assistance from Hassan to help collect the prize kite. The final scenes of this book revisit a kite race setting and gives hope to the reader that there might be hope for Hassan’s son, Sohrab.

There are times during this story when I feel like Amir tortures himself too much over his inaction as a child. Amir expects much from himself, but that is because of what his father expected of him as a young boy. I wonder if all young people have this mentality about themselves and their actions. I hope not!

I am grossly oversimplifying the last 100 pages of the book for the sake of this review, but I would suggest reading The Kite Runner if you have some free time and are looking for a good story. And if you do read it, let me know what you thought!

Will Smith’s latest movie, I Am Legend, will go down as a movie with some of the best previews and trailers in recent history. And, for my part, I have to say that it will go down as a major bore for all of the people who had the pleasure/displeasure of sitting through it. This one didn’t just miss the mark, it fired the gun in the opposite direction!

In truth, I hate to give this movie a bad review because there was so much potential in the concept and the original story is pretty entertaining. Yet, as a viewer I found myself wanting to care about the characters, but it just wasn’t possible. You get vague hints of the back story (though I imagine that most people know it thanks to the power of the internet) and the ending is impossible to care about (it’s too rushed, too out of line with 90% of the film, and too “easy”).

Will Smith does the best that can be expected in a role where he plays opposite a dog for most of the movie. The use of rabies-infected zombies is only marginally scary in the movie and the filmmakers missed a major opportunity to explore the zombie world during the middle of the film. Not good planning at all.

It looks like I Am Legend has grossed about $34 million to date (probably more once the Christmas numbers are added). I don’t think the movie has much drawing power left in it - almost every word-of-mouth review that I heard has been negative. Most of them go something like this, “Yeah, it was alright - not what I expected. It wasn’t that good.”

I agree. It was alright - not the worst movie ever, but not really a good movie either. My recommendation is that if you really want to see this movie, make it a Blockbuster night this spring.

The folks at MSNBC.com finally posted something worth reading. The other day they had an article that talked about how charities are finding it harder to plug the holes in their budgets with donations. As someone who makes a lot of donations each year and also works in and studies the nonprofit industry, I found this article very interesting. For me, one of the best parts of the article was:

It costs more to acquire new donors than to retain them, experts say. But churning through donors also makes it harder to woo benefactors. “Donors don’t want to be funding fundraising,” says Sargeant. “They want to be funding the work you’re trying to do.”

And they’re demanding much more accountability from the nonprofits they bankroll. If they don’t get it, they walk, says Penelope Burk, president of the fundraising consultancy Cygnus and Associates.

This is it - this is what the nonprofit industry comes down to. First, are you asking for someone to make a donation that goes to a cause or goes towards paying for salaries? Second, are you willing to explain your expenses and why money is put in certain places as opposed to others? Third, are you doing what you actually said you would be doing?

The answers to these three questions are why I donate to the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation. When I donate to the SPEF, I am giving a tax-deductible donation to two specific funds (both of my choosing) that are managed by people I know on a first-name basis and can e-mail at 1:00pm and receive a personal response by 2:00pm. These funds are under the oversight of a Board where I know many of the members on a first-name basis and have many of the cell phone numbers in my phone.

That level of trust is hard to come by in the nonprofit sector.

I helped put these two funds together and I know where each dollar is spent. I know how much of the fund’s earnings are spent on administrative expenses and I know how much goes back to the overall end-user and it what forms (scholarships for the undergraduate fraternity brothers). At any time I can pick up the phone and call the President of the SPEF and have a discussion with him.

There’s a level of trust and reliability there that you cannot build very easily. Hell, my own company is a nonprofit and I’ve yet to donate or invest any money with them! I’ll be changing that in the New Year, but it has taken me the better part of 16 months as an employee to even reach that level of comfort.

So be sure that you know the places that you’re donating to and be sure that you know where the money is being spent. And hey, if you feel like you can’t make an impact with any organization, then donate to the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation! It’s a good group with a good cause which I’d be more than happy to talk to any of you about!

This movie is fantastic! The other day I had the opportunity to watch Hatchet, the Unrated Director’s Cut. I honestly had no idea what to expect going into this movie and I was ready to be let down (I’m not big into the horror scene and I hadn’t heard of this movie before). Wow - I was completely stunned at how great this movie turned out! Now folks, let me first state that there is a lot of gore, cursing, nudity, and adult commentary on this DVD. Got it? Good, let’s move on.

You have to watch this movie if, for nothing else, to see Joel David Moore as Ben. Hilarious! He plays this quasi-loser who is really excited for a ghost tour down in New Orleans (in the middle of Mardi Gras, that is). He winds up guilting his buddy Marcus (played by Deon Richmond) into coming along with him. I don’t want to tell too much of the story because you really have to see it to appreciate the amazing mix of humor and horror, but let me say this - the work of Moore and Richmond is reminiscent of the Judd Apatow style of dialogue. It was excellent - very impressive!

I also got a good laugh out of Perry Shad who acted as the tour guide and Joleigh Fioreavanti and Mercedes McNab who acted as two, ummm, I don’t know. I guess you’d call them “Girls Gone Wild” type of girls. Absolutely hilarious dialogue between these two!

An example of some of the humor in this film… As the guests are getting ready for the tour there is a crazy man screaming trying to get their attention. The guide (Shad) tells them that the crazy man is a nut case and that they shouldn’t even bother listening to him. Shad mentioned that the guy even drank his own piss! The boat starts up and the tour moves out into the bayou. As the tour is moving out, the crazy man says:

“Y’all gonna die.” With a very remorseful look, like he knows what’s coming. Then he drinks a bottle of his own piss. Hilarious!

There are funny moments like this littered throughout the movie. But one of the biggest draws is obviously the story of Victor Crowley (played by Kane Hodder). The story is told - brilliantly - by Marybeth (played by Tamara Feldman). I don’t want to tell the story here because it’s pretty much the meat and potatoes of the movie, but you won’t be disappointed. In fact, this entire part of the movie is excellent. Not to ruin this part for anyone, but two older tourists are killed and it is absolutely hilarious!

Take my suggestion here, folks. Buy, rent, or borrow this movie now! The subtitle on the DVD Box says “Old School American Horror.” Not only is this movie made in the old school horror movie style, but it’s got the perfect mix of humor to go with the gratuitous gore. I highly recommend Hatchet, the Unrated Director’s Cut! I even went out and got a copy as a Christmas gift!

This really should be titled as a “Pamphlet Review,” but it’s no big deal. Also, please remember that this manual is written for New Jersey citizens! This manual is a product of the Center for Civic Responsibility and is authored by Harry S. Pozycki. I believe that this manual is an important read for anyone who intends on or is thinking about becoming engaged in local politics. Some of the points addressed in the manual are extremely relevant given many of the town meetings that I have attended.

One of Pozycki’s best points is about how local citizens can act for change in a community or a region. He details the need to be well-versed on the subject area that you seek a change in and he talks about how one must show respect to those in elected positions. In other words, don’t storm into a council meeting and demand that a business be condemned because you think they are too loud in the morning! Instead, speak with the business and try to handle the problem yourself. If that does not work, then speak with neighbors to get their views and - if support exists - prepare a petition that asks the town council to sanction the business unless certain guidelines are met. And at all times, be very respectful to everyone around you because remember - most of the people who are in positions of power are not paid to be there.

Pozycki also does a nice job of explaining how the planning board and school board has a great deal of power to make significant changes in local municipalities. Many times people overlook these two entities and make all of their judgment calls based directly on the town council. That’s not only not fair to the hard working men and women on the planning and school boards, but it does not do much to accomplish and real change in an area.

One of the best pieces of this manual is that it tells people about party committee seats. These are seats that are elected locally and election district-specific. The folks who serve as committee seat-holders are the ones who get to help decide a specific political party’s slate of candidates and who will fill the holes left by retirements or elected officials stepping down. This is a great way for a local person to become engaged in the political process, though you usually only find Republican and Democratic party committee seats…options that not too many of New Jersey folks may find appealing!

There are a variety of other topics covered in this manual. The manual is written in a way that cuts through the BS and gets right down to business. You can download this manual download as a PDF by clicking here. I highly suggest giving the manual a read if you are into this type of stuff!

One of my co-workers read this book last spring and she was very high on it. I picked up a copy around April because it was in the bargain bin and I admit, it’s a good read. Most of the information is dated (the book was published in 1996), but the core financial principles are universal in scope.

The authors of this book, Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko, have been studying millionaires for decades. They study everything about millionaires from their automotive decisions to their shopping habits to how they treat their children, where they live, where they work, and a multitude of other variables. The end results are fascinating. Most millionaires are the people living next door to you!

Stanley and Danko make some large, common sense generalizations about how to become a millionaire: spend frugally, research large expenses before they are made, be ware of get rich quick schemes, teach your children to be careful with money, don’t spoil your kids, don’t spoil your adult children, save for the future, etc, etc. All of these are basic principles that we each know (whether you realize it or not), but sometimes hearing real-life stories that back-up these principles can be very powerful. Stanley and Danko create a very powerful book by using excellent examples.

I highly suggest reading this book if you are interested in money or growing wealthier. It’s a quick, easy read that you will find hard to put down once you get to reading it. And hey - you never know…you might learn something about money!

This is BS, damn it! The entire northern part of New Jersey is covered in ice and snow and here I am living in Deal and working in Trenton with NO snow OR ice! It’s winter time, damn it! I want snow!

One of my clients called me today and said he was surprised I was able to get to work. This client lives in Morris Plains. When I told him that not only did it not snow, sleet, or ice over the weekend, but that it was somewhat temperate for this time of the year, he couldn’t believe it. He has a foot of snow and 3 inches of ice on top of it!

Is it global warming that is causing there to be a foot of snow about an hour north of where there is nothing at all? Who knows (likely yes!), but all I know is that it’s winter time, it’s the Christmas season…and I want some damn snow!

Two articles were published today that I found interesting. The first is from TheStreet.com and it focuses on how Nintendo’s publishers are not seeing the windfall that Nintendo is seeing with respect to the incredible demand for Wii systems. The second is from PC World which relays information recently released by Nintendo regarding their market research, which happens to be the exact opposite of what TheStreet.com says!

Now, I know that many folks are not interested in reading about this aspect of the video game industry, but I had to get these articles out there. To me, these are fun reads because you have a somewhat serious issue (3rd party profits) being debated between two different entities. How exciting is that?!

Sorry, I’m a professional student at heart. The thought of two opposing arguments gets me excited - even if it has to do with video games! As a side note, Nintendo’s study marks the average Wii gamer at 29 years old. I’m 26, so I’m actually too young for the system!

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