tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35126629675061812822024-03-13T07:40:27.079-06:00Tyson/Sara Snow, Esq., LLP.One is a intellectual property / employment discrimination litigator / grown-up kid. He is very cool. The other is chemical engineer / patent attorney / jill-of-pretty-much-all-trades. She is also very cool. Meet the Snows. (Get it? Cool. Snow. Clever eh?).Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.comBlogger191125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-34860167772073992852014-04-03T23:26:00.001-06:002014-04-03T23:26:19.568-06:00Review: Divergent<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13335037'><img alt='Divergent' border='0' src='http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328559506m/13335037.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13335037'>Divergent</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4039811'>Veronica Roth</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/900458973'>3 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> I have mixed feelings about this book. While I was reading, I kept thinking of criticisms. And then I kept reading. This is another entry in the category of books that are not particularly well written but catch readers with interesting stories and engaging characters.<br /><br />To be sure, Roth's story outline is not particularly unique. You have typical characters, in typical positions, doing typical things. I don't want to offer up spoilers so I won't give any more details. But you know what I mean. In the beginning, I really struggled with narrative point of view. It seemed like every sentence started with: "I". "I this..., I that..., I saw..., I felt..., I went..." It shows some inexperience in writing first person narration. But it's Roth's first book. Plus, this genre doesn't care much about literary qualities. It's about fun and losing yourself. And this book does it.<br /><br />I have issues with the sequencing and plot build-up. I knew certain things were going to happen but it took a long time to get to the point where they did. I have the same criticism of the ending. I read this, on my Kindle, as part of the trilogy; I had no idea I was close to the end. Then, boom, done. I was really surprised. I am glad I didn't read this before Insurgent came out. Had I, the frustration with waiting for the story to continue would have been immense.<br /><br />So, all criticism aside, I enjoyed the story. The book reveals that Roth is a young, female author; you can tell by the way the characters interact. I have already started Insurgent and I am hoping to find that Roth has better developed the story and matured in her writing style.<br /><br />This is a great teenage fiction read. Definitely a book you can use to get your daughters, nieces, cousins, friends, etc., to read, especially if they are typically averse to books. So, enjoy! I am off to read more about Tris. <br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/900458973'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-57695815458499590252014-03-11T16:44:00.001-06:002014-03-11T16:44:27.999-06:00Review: The Pillars of the Earth<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5043'><img alt='The Pillars of the Earth' border='0' src='http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388193707m/5043.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5043'>The Pillars of the Earth</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3447'>Ken Follett</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/849788332'>2 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> Meh. The story was entertaining enough but I felt like the writing was somewhat sloppy. I was hoping for more out of Follet, a well-known grocery-store-checkout author (you know, the types of books that are always on display at the checkout stand). I guess the typical, popular thriller doesn't require much literary technique.<br /><br />The obvious, sloppy trick that Follet used was sex. Lots and lots of sex. And while it was not overly explicit, it was a shame that Follet chose sex as a way to introduce characters and move the story along. Many of the characters were underdeveloped as a result of this "technique" and I found that it distracted, in a significant way, from the story itself (which I actually liked).<br /><br />I have started reading the latest Brandon Sanderson book, and its quality has cast a harsh light on that offered by Follet in Pillars. I have a hard time recommending the book given the weaknesses that I see in it. <br /><br /><br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/849788332'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-12080311945237729662013-09-02T18:28:00.001-06:002013-09-02T18:28:30.234-06:00Review: Franny and Zooey<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5113'><img alt='Franny and Zooey' border='0' src='http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1355037988m/5113.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5113'>Franny and Zooey</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/819789'>J.D. Salinger</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6911693'>5 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> Just read it again... Good stuff...<br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6911693'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-19705720234116642192013-07-27T13:24:00.001-06:002013-07-27T13:24:59.631-06:00Review: Blood Song<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13569581'><img alt='Blood Song' border='0' src='http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1363126955m/13569581.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13569581'>Blood Song</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5804101'>Anthony Ryan</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/662592805'>4 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> I really liked this book. It has a fantasy feel to it but it isn't your typical fantasy novel. There is a slight magic system involved but, for the most part, it is a fantasy-laced war and adventure novel. Ryan mixes in great threads of religion, politics, friendship, and betrayal. There are some interesting twists and turns that are fairly unexpected. While the end does not tie everything up into a neat little bow, you do end up with a good understanding of what has taken place and where things might head in the future.<br /><br />This book is fairly clean with a few cuss words here and there. I think it is good for anyone 14 or 15 and up. Some of political and religious aspects may be tough for a younger reader to grasp but I think it will be a very entertaining read for whoever picks it up.<br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/662592805'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-73990043959876487942013-07-08T19:45:00.001-06:002013-07-08T19:45:25.841-06:00Review: Michael Vey 2: Rise of the Elgen<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12988089'><img alt='Michael Vey 2: Rise of the Elgen' border='0' src='http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1332381957m/12988089.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12988089'>Michael Vey 2: Rise of the Elgen</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/46097'>Richard Paul Evans</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/662480479'>2 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> The first Michael Vey book was great. This one was basically the exact opposite. I don't think it was particularly clever. I RPE could have done a much better job with the characters. The story, the setting, and the use of the characters' special "powers" each lacked creativity. Candidly, this is what I expected to get from RPE in the first Michael Vey book. Maybe this is the proverbial sophomore slump and the third book will be back on track. I hope so because the ending to this book was fairly lame but I was happy to get to the end so I could move on to something else (and that is just kind of sad).<br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/662480479'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-57552987301787006652013-06-08T09:05:00.002-06:002013-06-08T09:05:57.225-06:006/8/13 Ride - Sometimes I Wish I Was Fast...<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="http://app.strava.com/activities/59000625/embed/01425450e72d72956df038f5cd79613a0d38d2b8" width="590"></iframe>Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-9049322770523223612013-06-01T22:33:00.001-06:002013-06-01T22:33:44.454-06:00Review: The Rithmatist<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10137823'><img alt='The Rithmatist' border='0' src='http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348506712m/10137823.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10137823'>The Rithmatist</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/38550'>Brandon Sanderson</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/630633508'>0 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> I am extremely interested in reading this book. This is Brandon Sanderson's (one of the worlds best fantasy authors) first foray into Y.A. (Young Adult) fiction. Some people say that it is even appropriate for kids 11 and 12.<br /><br />I love Sanderson. I love all his books. And I love a good teen fiction read. So, my fingers are crossed and I hope this book delivers on its promises. I will let you know.<br /><br />Whee! Here we go.<br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/630633508'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-948928881075471412013-06-01T22:27:00.001-06:002013-06-01T22:27:31.614-06:00Review: The Emperor's Soul<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13578175'><img alt='The Emperor's Soul' border='0' src='http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1343059311m/13578175.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13578175'>The Emperor's Soul</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/38550'>Brandon Sanderson</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/630630443'>4 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> This is a fantastic book to get young readers into the fantasy genre. It has a very simple magic system and the main character, a feisty young female, does a great job of drawing readers into the book.<br /><br />This is a short novella by one of the best fantasy writers alive today (Brandon Sanderson) and I suggest that you give it a try ($2.99 on Amazon Kindle) if you have any interest in broadening your literary horizons. I was amazed at how fast I plowed through this. <br /><br />As I expect with all Sanderson books, this one was a very good read.<br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/630630443'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-11858785651415056402012-09-15T10:07:00.001-06:002012-09-15T10:07:09.743-06:00Today's Ride - Getting Lost in Daybreak<iframe height='405' width='590' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='http://app.strava.com/runs/22028326/embed/6ac0f5d3c8f10fbd872c13c861483619cc2f339e'></iframe>Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-7684130236837268642012-09-01T11:29:00.003-06:002012-09-01T11:29:39.951-06:00Today's Ride - Suncrest / Traverse Mountain<iframe height='405' width='590' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='http://app.strava.com/runs/20477044/embed/cb564ef397df554c87a660bed653c3c2fc10961b'></iframe>Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-71422587393814555992012-08-25T10:51:00.001-06:002012-08-25T10:51:29.514-06:00Today's Ride - 30 Miles / 2,900 Feet of ClimbingSo I got a new bike several weeks ago and I guess I'm finally starting to ride into shape. Today felt good. Pretty high average speed considering the number of climbs.
<iframe height='405' width='590' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='http://app.strava.com/runs/19679526/embed/1386389d78edc226adaf61f9034bb1fb336edc3d'></iframe>
Fun stuff.Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-4979238473856436902012-08-22T15:12:00.002-06:002012-08-22T15:12:34.225-06:00Things that Happen in 60 Seconds - InfographicReally cool infographic:
<a href="http://www.go-gulf.com/60seconds.jpg"><img src="http://www.go-gulf.com/60seconds.jpg" alt="60 Seconds - Things That Happen On Internet Every Sixty Seconds" width="700" /></a><br />Infographic by- <a href="http://www.go-globe.com/web-design-shanghai.php" > Shanghai Web Designers</a>Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-26753587514918069932012-08-07T21:02:00.001-06:002012-08-07T21:02:48.034-06:00Review: The Last Guardian<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9307674'><img alt='The Last Guardian' border='0' src='http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1330969364m/9307674.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9307674'>The Last Guardian</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10896'>Eoin Colfer</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/386555259'>3 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> It was alright. Not the best in the series, not the worst. It felt a little forced, otherwise fairly entertaining.<br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/386555259'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-16187788964754741132012-03-17T17:59:00.001-06:002012-03-17T17:59:47.300-06:00Review: Dead or Alive<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7997069'><img alt='Dead or Alive' border='0' src='http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275613160m/7997069.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7997069'>Dead or Alive</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3892'>Tom Clancy</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/276723521'>2 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> Meh. Maybe it's because I haven't read a Tom Clancy book in a long time or maybe it is because the characters that I grew up reading about (Jack, Ding Chavez, John Clark, etc.) seemed so much more impressive in other books, but I didn't think this was that great.<br /><br />The story is entirely unoriginal. The characters were all flat. For the most part, I kept reading just so I could finish it (and move on to something else). There are so many good Tom Clancy books. In my mind, this is not one of them.<br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/276723521'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-45944339901073330822012-02-12T21:10:00.001-07:002012-02-12T21:21:59.117-07:00Avvocating 2012: Legal Marketing in the era of Social Media.Many of you know that I frequently write, blog, and present on social media and the law. (<i>See </i>my blog, <a href="http://www.socialmediaesq.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #4d469c; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; text-decoration: none;">Social Media, Esq.™</a>) Anyway, I have been asked to participate as a panelist at <a href="http://www.avvo.com/" target="_blank">Avvo.com's</a> <a href="http://www.avvo.com/about_avvo/avvocating" target="_blank">2012 Avvocating</a> conference this coming May. For what it is worth, Avvo is a site started by the same guy involved in starting Expedia and Zillow. A quick summary of the event:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">The digital marketplace is changing rapidly and more competitive than ever before - hear the latest trends that are impacting the legal industry and learn the skills to enhance your online presence, stay one step ahead and ultimately drive more business to your firm.</blockquote>The event is going to be awesome and I am grateful for the opportunity to participate and hopefully contribute. I am more excited to attend the other sessions of the conference to hear from such experienced and successful people. More information on the event can be found at:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.avvo.com/about_avvo/avvocating-speakers" target="_blank"><img alt="Avvocating 2012 Speaker" src="http://media.avvo.com/avvo/cms/avvocating_speaker_badge.png" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I recognize that this isn't targeted specifically at the readers of this blog but hey, a lot of our friends our lawyers and I think there is a lot that to be learned at the conference. Plus, like I would let something like this happen without bragging about it. You all know me after all.</div>Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-10796071254173125652012-02-12T20:45:00.000-07:002012-02-12T20:45:12.897-07:00The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archives Book #1)<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7235533-the-way-of-kings" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1316131688m/7235533.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7235533-the-way-of-kings">The Way of Kings</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/38550.Brandon_Sanderson">Brandon Sanderson</a><br/><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/120774544">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
My review:<br />
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This book is awesome. I cannot wait for the series to develop. Sanderson is definitely the best the fantasy writer I've ever read. The Mistborn series was great but The Stormlight Archives are going to be awesome.<br />
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Call me crazy, but this series is going to be the next "Wheel of Time" in fantasy circles. Sanderson is masterful at creating vibrant characters and worlds. Even more impressive is how he weaves in politics, religion, and a system of "magic" into a realistic environment that you actually feel a part of. Now, a quick caveat, I really don't read fantasy books very often, so my opinion should probably be taken with a large grain of salt.<br />
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But I read a lot of books. And I read a lot of teen fiction, which frequently balances on the precipice of falling into the fantasy realm. And I'm sticking by my guns on this one.<br />
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Admittedly, I had a hard time getting into the book. That's why it is four rather than five stars. I try a couple of times before I really got going. I was confused, didn't have a lot of context, and really didn't like the system of "magic" Sanderson chose to use. Of course, that is because I didn't understand it. Now that I get the system, I think it is brilliant. So, my advice is this: read until you meet Kaladin; once that happens, you will know all you need to know, you will pound through the 1000 pages with eager excitement, and you will anxiously await the next installment.<br />
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Well done Mr. Sanderson. Well done. That's my short review. I'm sure there are plenty, more substantial, more thorough, and more accurate. But I can honestly say that I wish this 10-volume series (currently planned to be 10 volumes as I understand it) was fully available now. I would have 10,000 pages (well 9,000 pages) of excellent reading ahead of me.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/392236-tyson">View all my reviews</a>Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-33063497092023193962011-12-06T00:18:00.001-07:002011-12-06T00:18:26.993-07:00Review: The Confession<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7933437'><img alt='The Confession' border='0' src='http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320541779m/7933437.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7933437'>The Confession</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/721'>John Grisham</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/243592469'>2 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> One of Grisham's worst books. It was more a tirade against the death penalty than an actual story. The book was entirely predictable and was clearly nothing more than an attempt by Grisham to publicize his own political views. I would not recommend this book to anyone (unless you have serious negative feelings about the death penalty -- if that is the case, you will feel better about your political leanings after reading this).<br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/243592469'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-80266126853799831722011-10-07T15:31:00.000-06:002011-10-07T15:31:42.352-06:00BYU Fans: Bummed About the Big12?Don't be. Have some faith. It will be alright. In the meantime, enjoy these two new BYU videos:<br />
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<center><iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xrmphaJM2b4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lDmoN5yNIqc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
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Feel better?Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-62825234793772867932011-08-26T13:50:00.001-06:002011-08-26T13:50:33.645-06:00Review: Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11337912'><img alt='Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25' border='0' src='http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51jOnun3xbL._SX106_.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11337912'>Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/46097'>Richard Paul Evans</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/202438777'>4 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> Wow! Seriously? I certainly didn't expect this from Richard Paul Evans of all people. Great book for any teenage fiction fan. I am actually eagerly anticipating the next book. (My review may be biased because, well, the book is written by Richard Paul Evans and so my expectations were fairly low--no doubt he can write but who knew he could write teenage fiction?)<br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/202438777'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-17785739221300081072011-05-22T11:24:00.001-06:002011-05-22T11:24:50.894-06:00Review: Great American Short Stories<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/143467.Great_American_Short_Stories'><img src='http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172155673m/143467.jpg' border='0' alt='Great American Short Stories (Dover Thrift Editions)'/></a><a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/143467.Great_American_Short_Stories'>Great American Short Stories</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/82932.Paul_Negri'>Paul Negri</a><br/><br />My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/163206002'>3 of 5 stars</a><br/><br/><br />Interesting compilation of some classic American authors. Short stories are always a little tough on me. I was ambivalent towards most of them. Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" was by far the best. Hawthorne's take on Puritanism is always fun to read. On its own, probably worth five stars. Sherwood Anderson's "The Egg" was quite a surprise. My second favorite in the book (and given the line-up of authors, that is saying something). Four stars on that one. F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" was probably worth 3-4 stars. Everything else, somewhere between 2-3 stars. In any event, a good read for those who haven't been exposed to a lot of classic American novelists. Lots of different styles and a good sample spectrum for "classic" American literature.<br /><br/><br/><br /><a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/392236-tyson'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-42037752798389159082011-04-24T11:09:00.001-06:002011-04-24T11:09:31.843-06:00Review: The Lost Hero<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7624272-the-lost-hero'><img src='http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1277070467m/7624272.jpg' border='0' alt='The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus, #1)'/></a><a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7624272-the-lost-hero'>The Lost Hero</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15872.Rick_Riordan'>Rick Riordan</a><br/><br />My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/161575826'>4 of 5 stars</a><br/><br/><br />A popular book on my friends "currently" or "to read" list... I've run out of other books for the moment. Not the biggest Riordan fan but I'll give it a shot.<br/><br/>Okay. Pleasantly surprised. Super-fast read (like most of Riordan's books). Good story. My only complaint is that it feels like a reset of the Percy Jackson series. But seeing as I'm not really a fan of the Red Pyramid series, I guess I should be okay with that. Four stars.<br /><br/><br/><br /><a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/392236-tyson'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-22773000782356303702011-04-16T21:52:00.001-06:002011-04-16T21:52:00.560-06:00Review: A World Without Heroes<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8306745-a-world-without-heroes'><img src='http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51tEb-Z8CZL._SX106_.jpg' border='0' alt='A World Without Heroes (Beyonders, #1)'/></a><a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8306745-a-world-without-heroes'>A World Without Heroes</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/25052.Brandon_Mull'>Brandon Mull</a><br/><br />My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/161573234'>4 of 5 stars</a><br/><br/><br />I wish I could give it 3.5 stars. I don't really like the way it ended. I get that it is a trilogy though. Typical Brandon Mull page-turner. I couldn't put it down. And as much as I complain about the ending, I can't wait for the next book to come out (to find out what happens), so maybe Mr. Mull is more clever with his endings than I give him credit for.<br /><br/><br/><br /><a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/392236-tyson'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-70641300487586423002011-03-26T13:44:00.001-06:002011-03-26T13:45:17.871-06:00Trip to Denver for the NCAA Tourney (Picture Journey)My wife and I had a great trip:<br />
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<b>First we learned how to Jimmer</b><br />
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<b>Then we hung out with all sorts of crazy fans:</b><br />
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<b>We saw Brandon Davies right where he should be:</b><br />
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<b>Then this:</b><br />
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<b>Followed by this:</b><br />
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<b>Helped lead to this:</b><br />
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<b>Which caused all of this:</b><br />
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<b>And now I guess it is time to fulfill this:</b><br />
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Great trip. Great memories. We saw old friends. Ran into older friends randomly. Sat on Row 2 for the first game. High-fived all the players and coaches coming in and out of the locker room. We got to see John Stockton. But most of all, we get to say that we were there.Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-9536903738039483622011-03-17T15:31:00.000-06:002011-03-17T15:31:26.695-06:00ESPN Roadshow FameOkay, it is only for about 1 or 2 seconds. And you have to pay really close attention. But at about 3:10 in the following video, if you look, you can see me and my crew at the MWC Tourney in Vegas. ESPN shot this video from the aisle right as Emery threw down an awesome dunk. We went crazy.<br />
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You can easy see Weston White, myself, David Castleberry, and Mark Mendoza going crazy in the background. Fifteen more minutes I guess.<br />
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<object width="384" height="216" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" id="ESPN_VIDEO" data="http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf" allowScriptAccess="always" allowNetworking="all"><param name="movie" value="http://espn.go.com/videohub/player/embed.swf" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="wmode" value="opaque"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"/><param name="flashVars" value="id=6209761"/></object><br />
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We all think it is pretty funny. The cheering was supposed to be staged but there was nothing staged when Emery threw down that dunk. It was utter madness.Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512662967506181282.post-88995762736985234702011-03-08T23:57:00.001-07:002011-03-09T00:37:08.360-07:00More TJ Fredette; Official Radio Release of Amazing, featuring Na DruaSomeone of you might know that I have been lucky enough to get to know TJ over the last year, months, and, in particular, weeks. I've been in studio with him and the guys from a band known as Na Drua (I'll do a Na Drua post in a couple of days -- they deserve their own). I like to think that I have been able to help TJ get some of the wrinkles ironed out with respect to ownership of tracks and licensing / copyright issues but, in the end, I'm just a fan who happens to be a lawyer that is trying to help out a friend.<br />
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Long story short, the first of several new tracks was officially released tonight: Here is the mastered version. I love it. I recommend you go to YouTube, like it, and leave a comment:<br />
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<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YyD4CAWl6AI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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Now, I was also at the performance where they premiered the song (before releasing it to the public. The sound quality isn't great because there were problems with Na Drua's mics and, let's face it, the Marriott Center wasn't built for acoustics and concerts. But Mr. Fredette, as always, put on quite the show and here is the "official" release (the first ever public performance) of the Official Radio Release of Amazing. <br />
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<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hpqnpzgLWC8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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Same suggestions. Go like it and leave some comments.<br />
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Look for the tracks from TJ Fredette and Na Drua to hit iTunes in the near future. These are great guys and I can personally assure you that they would love to have your support, even if it is just a "like" on their YouTube videos.<br />
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Now for BYU to win the MWC Tourney, the NCAA Tourney / March Madness, and for Jimmer Fredette to be declared the greatest basketball player in the history of the world (thus completing my bucket list).Tysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02963901678785679184noreply@blogger.com0