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So Much Stuff I Can't Recall

Monday, June 16, 2008

Reap Yourself a Dark Harvest

If you'd like a chance to win a copy of Dark Harvest, the anthology I blogged about over the weekend, check out author Michelle Pendergrass' blog.

If contest info's not up yet, it will be sometime before the end of the 17th.

Enjoy!

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Mikesell : 10:36 PM : 0 snarky remarks

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Ooooo ... Spooky Hoosiers

(yes, class ... that's assonance: the repetition of vowel sounds.)

Looking for a good read heading on into summer? Check out Dark Harvest, an anthology of short stories written by members of the Indiana Horror Writers. Thirteen dark tales from the nation's (ba-thump, ba-thump, ba-thump) heartland. Twenty bucks (OK, twenty-two -- double-deuce as they say. They who? Exactly -- with shipping). A buck-seventy per story; less than that, really, because there's some nifty artwork in the book, too. Not too shabby.

Nor are the stories. Shabby, that is. Good stuff here. Haven't finished them all, but those I have, have given chills. Some have provoked thought. Yeah, I know -- scary.

Faves so far: "Goodnight" by Michael West and "Saigon Seventeen" by Michelle Pendergrass*. "Trolling" (also by West) almost lost me halfway through -- so it's that kind of story, I thought -- but it won out in the end.

Looking forward to reading the rest. You should get started.

*Yes, she's a Misfit, one of my writing group. That's why her story's so strong: good writers tend to write good stories. Duh.

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Mikesell : 9:56 AM : 1 snarky remarks

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Another Gift(card) You Give Yourself

Linda mentioned in her comment on the last post that she wouldn't have thought to buy the Target USB flash drive gift card, then present it to herself to use on her next Target purchases.

I say, look for more opportunities to give yourself a gift. No doubt I have been influenced unduly by Special Agent Dale Cooper: "I'm going to let you in on a little secret," he told Sheriff Harry S. Truman (no relation) in Twin Peaks. "Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it. Don't wait for it. Just let it happen. It could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot black coffee."

It takes a bit of planning, but here's how to save on those two cups (or more) of good (or at least halfway-decent), hot black coffee.

First: Buy yourself a Starbucks gift card. Maybe for ten dollars. Maybe for twenty. Whatever feels right to you (and your hot black coffee tendencies).

Second: Follow the instructions to register the card. Call a toll-free number. Do it online. Again: whatever feels right, go for it.

Third: When purchasing your next Starbucks coffee, use the gift card. As per the Starbucks Giftcard Registration FAQ: "Brewed coffee refills come at no charge." And if black coffee isn't your deal, "you’ll get syrup and milk options for your beverage on the house," too.

So, if you're tired of office chair catnappery and your closet's full of new shirts from the men's store, gift yourself a Starbucks Giftcard. And don't stop at the second cup. Go for two or three refills. You deserve it.

In fact, order the small ("tall") size coffee to save money up front and maximize your number of free refills.

Hot black coffee. Mmmmmm.

(Warning for folks "new to the coffee": Beware.)

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Mikesell : 9:55 PM : 1 snarky remarks

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Free(ish) USB Flash Drive

Shop at Target? Need a 64MB flash drive? Don't completely hate the new live-action Speed Racer movie?

Check out the Target Speed Racer gift card with built in USB flash drive.

To get yours free (without outright hoarking one), follow these steps:
  1. Figure out what you're fixing to spend at the store.

  2. Grab a gift card (I saw them in the birthday card section here in Plano).

  3. Take it to the register and load the card with the amount you determined in Step One.

  4. Go back and buy what ever it was you went to the store to buy in the first place.

  5. Pay with the gift card you loaded in Step 3.

  6. Keep the gift card and go on your way.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Enjoy the content preloaded on the card and/or erase it and load it with 64MB of your own goodies. (Don't grouse; that's like three 1988 hard drives-worth of stuff ... get off my lawn!)

(photo yoinked from OhGizmo!)

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Mikesell : 9:52 PM : 1 snarky remarks