Book Review: Too Much Information by David Haskell

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

 

I was excited to read this book, Too Much Information since it is one of my favorite genres.  I really enjoyed the way the author blended some of the elements of present day technology with a dystopian future.  I really knew I was going to like it from the first few pages which is my usual m.o. The author just has to get me into it right away and David Haskell did it. 

A little about the book:   

It is one of those high tech thriller books which has always been a favorite of mine. I love digging deep into the freaky worlds of others.  I enjoyed how it really wrapped all the high tech aspects of our life into it seamlessly.  There is a lot in the book that mimics some of the reality we are wrestling with right now between our government, our security and technology.  What can people do?  What can they see?  How much can they really access and is it a good thing or can it just go too far sometimes?  Security goes waaaayyy too far in Too Much Information and it is scary and exciting to read this novel.  It is hard to put down once you read those first few pages….you will see.

The book had excellent development of the different characters, even ones that appeared so briefly but were key to the novel.  I just got a real sense of each one of the characters quickly and that helped me to get hooked into the story.

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A little more about the book from the author: 

In an era of terrorism and pandemics, with constant threats from differing but equally destructive sources, Thermo-Magnetic Imaging machines represent a seemingly perfect solution. But as privacy and health concerns grow ever more complex, this cutting edge technology delivers more than anyone had bargained for. While the forces behind the scenes fight to conceal their true agenda, the public struggles to cope with a new paradigm so invasive their innermost secrets are laid bare under its powerful lens.

Rob Folsom is a civil liberties activist, a staunch defender of privacy rights. Rosa Perez, a government agent specializing in surveillance, seems an unlikely candidate for him to represent. As Rob is pulled into her world, a world of high-tech spying, corporate intrigue, and black ops government agencies, he becomes caught in a perilous game of cat and mouse. As the target of interest switches from client to advocate, Rob has to find a way to stop them before they sabotage everything he has worked for...

You can buy his book right on Amazon and see a bit more about it as well.  You can check out David Haskell’s website and his blog too.  He has a Facebook page as well so you can follow him there.
  

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

NEW method of laser teeth whitening which does not cause anysensitivity at the Dublin Vitality Center

Disclosure:  I received this information through Dublin Vitality Center. I was compensated for sharing this information with my readers. My opinion is my own.

I recently got some wonderful information for anyone that either lives near Dublin, Ireland or who might be traveling there on vacation. I have had quite a few friends spend some lovely vacations enjoying the beauty of Ireland over the years.  Wouldn't it be just wonderful to have gorgeous, sparkling white teeth again?  You don't have to just dream about it either. If you live by Dublin Vitality Center you can zip right on over to get your teeth done in one hour!  If you are planning a vacation, you can book an appointment and return from your trip rested, relaxed and looking younger than ever with gorgeous pearly white teeth. 

Dublin Vitality center provides professional laser teeth whitening by qualified dental nurses. I didn't know that in Ireland, dental nurses train for 2 years and actually work with dental surgery procedures.  These skilled dental nurses have been providing quality laser teeth whitening in Dublin since 2008 so you can count on them.  They use the absolute most up to date mothods of laser teeth whitening too. Their specialized system will allow you to achieve 8 - 12 shades of whitening during your 60 minute treatment. They even have movies to watch during your treatment so you can truly relax and have some entertainment at the same time.  You can even bring your own DVD if you have one you have been meaning to watch. This is the perfect time to do it!

They do not use any peroxide either which means that you will not experience that horrible sensitivity issue that was common with older methods of dental whitening.  You can be confident when you go to Dublin Vitality Center because they shared that they have become Dublin's leading teeth whitening destination.  They offer reasonable pricing and patient's are thrilled with their excellent whitening results.

You can contact Laser Teeth Whitening Dublin Vitality Center by calling them at 01-8201602.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was compensated financially for sharing this information with my readers. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Valentine's Day Reads: The Marriage You've Always Wanted Book Review{Giveaway}

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. “Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Are you looking for some peace, understanding and maybe some giggles in your marriage?  This is the book for you! "The Marriage You've Always Wanted" is a super book for couples. You can see the perfect marriage in your minds eye, but you know it is a challenge with kids, jobs and all the other responsibilities. How to squeeze in the time and effort to really have a wonderful marriage?  Where do you even start?

Trusted counselor and relationship expert Dr. Gary Chapman reasons that the most sought-after ingredient in any marriage is true oneness.  In The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, he presents expert wisdom and simple but common sense methods to establishing that true unity on emotional and practical levels. He shares the wit and insight into marriage that makes his worldwide presentations and marriage conferences so popular. 

Some of the common mistakes and pitfalls are:

• Are you trying to change your spouse?
• Do you know what it means to really love someone?
• Do you feel ignored or even alone in your effort to improve your marriage?

Dr. Chapman has answers and action steps for you!  He addresses topics from expressing your emotions to managing your money.  There is a way to solve your problems and get past your issues all in a format that will have you and your spouse talking and learning with every page. 

His book is just out now from Moody Publishers. It retails for $15.99 and is an easy to read 144 pages.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: DR. GARY CHAPMAN
As anyone who has attended one of his marriage conferences knows, Dr. Gary Chapman’s expertise in marriage begins with the success and failures he and his wife Karolyn have experienced in their marriage for more than 45 years. He is just the man to turn to for help on improving or healing our most important relationships. His own life experiences, plus over thirty-five years of pastoring and marriage counseling, led him to publish his first book in the Love Language series, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. Many of the millions of readers credit this continual New York Times bestseller with saving their marriages by showing them simple and practical ways to communicate love.

Since the success of his first book, Dr. Chapman has expanded his Five Love Languages series with special editions that reach out specifically to singles, men, and parents of teens and young children.  Gary Chapman is the author of numerous other books published by Moody Publishers/Northfield Publishing, including Anger, The Family You’ve Always Wanted, The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, Desperate Marriages, God Speaks Your Love Language, How to Really Love Your Adult Child, and Hope for the Separated. With Dr. Jennifer Thomas, he co-authored The Five Languages of Apology.

Dr. Chapman speaks to thousands of couples nationwide through his weekend marriage conferences. He hosts a nationally syndicated radio program, A Love Language Minute, and a Saturday morning program,Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, both airing on more than 400 stations. Dr. Chapman and his wife have two grown children and currently live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he serves as senior associate pastor at Calvary Baptist Church.

Dr. Chapman holds BA and MA degrees in anthropology from Wheaton College and Wake Forest University, respectively, MRE and PhD degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and has completed postgraduate work at the University of North Carolina and Duke University.

Visit the official website here.  You can also follow him via Facebook and Twitter
They even have small group curriculum available here. 

Don't forget to enter to win your own copy of his book in my Rafflecopter giveaway below!a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Fun Day at Sahara Sam's Indoor Water Park in Berlin, New Jersey! @usfg @saharasams {Giveaway}

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

We spent today having a blast at Sahara Sam's Water Park in Berlin, NJ.  Sahara Sam's is New Jersey's largest Indoor Water Park. They totally take fun to the next level! We arrived a few minutes after they opened at about 10:20 am today on Sunday and they were open and ready for guests to enjoy the day.  We were greeted at the door by a friendly young man who provided a quick bag check for safety.  He also politely reminded customers that New Jersey state law does not permit Sahara Sam's to allow outside food and drinks inside their facility. Good to know ahead of time. They also post this information on their website.

We passed through the turnstiles and headed into the water park for an afternoon of fun! I was pretty impressed right away. Their website boasts 58,000 Sq. Ft of Splashtastic Fun, SAMAZON Adventure The WORLD'S tallest Ropes Course (an outdoor attraction), A 3,000 Sq. Ft Modern Arcade with great prizes - no admission required.  They are not kidding. This is a nice sized park but not too big...just the right size to keep track of the kids but enough space to spread out and have a ball. The kids were super excited about  the FlowRider indoor surfing simulator too. My little one had done this a few years ago down at the shore but I didn't realize that Sahara Sam's had this ride too.  If you want to do the Flow Rider or the Ropes Course I suggest you print and fill out your waivers ahead of time.  You need to sign them and fill in your driver's license at Sahara Sam's so leave those fields blank.  It will save you a few minutes and you will thank me.

The Flowrider was a popular attraction and did not disappoint. Check it out in action above! It was a chilly winter day though so the outdoor Ropes Course was not open. We are going to have to return to go on that one when it is warmer.  It looked like fun but there was plenty inside to keep us busy all day long.  Inside, Sahara Sam's had several areas to grab a bite to eat and a bar area for the adults. They also had a bright and airy full-service restaurant called the Desert Palm Cafe with lots of seating.  It had plenty of options for snacks, soft drinks and quick meals.  Nothing fancy but fun foods appropriate for a day out and about. They did have some healthy salad options if you are trying to keep it light too.

I saw as I went in that they have an annual pass and membership deal going on now which you can take advantage of online or at the door. $59.95 per person for an annual pass which means you can pop by Sahara Sam's all year long as many times as you like for essentially the price of about two visits.  That is one great deal. If you live even sort of close by that is a perfect option for the spring, summer fall and winter....keep the kids busy and you can relax with a magazine while they have fun all day long rain, shine or even snow.  Check their website for coupons and deals.  Once the weather gets warmer they have a whole outdoor Beach Club where you can even rent cabanas. They do have a a few indoor cabanas for rental as well. Tons more rides outside too so a wonderful destination year round.

I was impressed as I walked through Sahara Sams because it looked extremely well maintained. It even smelled clean...not a chlorine scent, just clean and fresh.  The floors were clean as well. I was reassured to know that they seem to keep the facility clean.  You could be sure by the afternoon it was kind of wet but, well, it is a water park and with kids around and in and out of the water some water on the floor during the day is to be expected. So, expect that. It actually looked pretty decent even by the afternoon. I saw staff out there cleaning and tidying up all day long.

I suggest flip-flops or water shoes but I always like to bring them to any pool indoors or out. Good idea for when you have to go into the restrooms as well. Just common sense. By the way, the restrooms and locker rooms were very clean too. I am such a clean freak I always notice these kinds of things. The ladies room had plenty of soap, paper towels and tp thank goodness. There were even spacious private changing rooms outside of the men's and ladies room which made it so much easier to change into or out of the bathing suits! Lockers galore too...available for a nominal rental fee.

There were plenty of open chairs and we settled in for the day. We found a spot with some chairs by the Flowrider area. Several lifeguards were set up in strategic spots to monitor the riders. The kids hopped on the Flowrider line which was almost non-existent. They waited about 4 minutes and were on. We got some great videos of their surfing safari.  I liked that the lifeguards were totally all eyes on the the Flowrider and the kids.  Extremely attentive. In fact, I noticed lifeguards were out all over the water park and there were plenty of them too. It sure made me feel more secure. I saw tons of lifeguards pacing their assigned areas by the different water attractions including the lazy river.  They were all equipped with appropriate safety equipment in a fanny pack.

The kids and all of us enjoyed the NileMile body slide. 350 feet and tons of fun. The kids went on this a bunch of times after we went on it with them. I liked that the lines were very short even as the day went on. There was a good crowd but it was very well maintained. The kids said that everyone was very nice...no pushing or poor behavior by anyone which makes for a fun day for everyone.

Hubby got roped heehee into Mount Kilimanjaro--the family slide. A quick walk up the stairs and they were there. Good exercise too! The kids and hubby reported that it was fun but be ready for a little dark and twisty turns. Not for me who gets kinda motion sick...I have to pick and choose my rides. Fun for them.  I like a straight shot so the body slide was better for me.  Everyone gets inside a big round rafts for the family slide and holds on for fun. You can get up to four people in a raft. They just LOVED it.

My friend and I enjoyed a little relaxing run on the Lazy River with the girls. It can go faster or slower depending on how many people are in the water but it is a fun way to pass a few minutes.

I liked that the park was nice and warm all day long.  We have been to other water parks in the winter and I was always so chilly. I noticed that I was very comfortable the whole day.....I think they had the thermostat set perfectly.  We brought our own towels...if you forget you can buy them there.  They do have complimentary life vests and I saw a few of the younger children wearing them.

The kids had a super fun time and got to go on all the rides they wanted. The wait times were minimal to none which made for a pleasant afternoon. A really nice bunch of guests too. We can't wait to go back and are looking forward to another fun filled day! I have a giveaway if you want to see for yourself, you can enter here to win a Family 4 Pack of tickets to Sahara Sam's.