The Zippity Zinger
Hank Zipzer Book 4
Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
Penguin Canada
ISBN 0448431939
What does any child fear? Looking like a fool in public. Hank loves baseball but he doesn't think he can play very well, and even with his grandfather wanting to spend time helping him hone his skills he doesn't want to try out for the school Olympiad. PS87 is having their annual Olympiad and the students are divided into two teams - team Yellow and team Blue. There are three events - Brain Buster Trivia, Softball and Triple C, Clean and Clutter Free. Hank had signed up for the 3C but while practicing with his Grandpa starts throwing wicked pitches. Unfortunately he thinks it is because of his sister's red socks with pink monkeys. He believes they are lucky socks.
Soon however, his sister is looking for them for her own part in the Olympiad. His sister Emily is a brain, and always knows way more on a topic than most people would care to know. Hank on the 
other hand, struggles in school because of his dyslexia and has a low self image because of his consistent struggles and failures. Once Emily is looking for the socks, he struggles with the idea of hiding them from her. He has already committed to pitching in the Olympiad but does the right thing and gives her back her lucky socks. Can he still pitch? Will his yellow team win? Read to find out. This is yet another good book in this great series.
Books by Henry Winkler and Lin OliverHank Zipzer Books:
1. Niagara Falls, or Does It?
2. I Got a "D" in Salami
3. Day of the Iguana
4. Zippety Zinger
5. The Night I Flunked My Field Trip
6. Holy Enchilada!
7. Help! Somebody Get me out of Fourth Grade!
8. Summer School? What Genius thought That Up?
9. My Secret Life as a Ping-Pong Wizard
10. My Dog's a Scaredy-Cat: A Halloween Tail
11. The Curtain Went Up, My Pants Went Down
12. Barfing in the Backseat: How I Survived My Family Road Trip
13. Who Ordered This Baby? Definitely Not Me!
14. Life of Me
15. A Tail of Two Tails
16. Dump Trucks and Dogsleds: I'm On My Way, Mom!
17. A Brand-New Me!
Ghost Buddy Books:
1. Zero to Hero
2. Mind If I Read Your Mind?
3. How to Scare the Pants off Your Pets
Tony Horton
One on One
Volume 1 Disk 2
Power 90 Road Warrior
Beachbody
This workout is designed to show you that you can get in a great workout with one exercise band at one resistance. Tony basically shows you a workout you can do while traveling or on the road and achieve results. It covers Chest, Back, Shoulder, Biceps, Triceps, Gluts and Legs each for four rounds. At just under 55 minutes it is a great workout.
The exercises are:
Round 1
Push Ups
Lawnmowers
Shoulder Press
Bicep Curls
1 Arm Tricep Extension
Weighted Squats
Weighted Lunges
Round 2
Side Arm Balance Pushups
Heavy Pants
Swimmer's press
Open Arm Bicep Curl
2 Arm Tricep Kickback
Run Stance Squats
Side to Side Lunge
Round 3
Out and In Push Ups
Lawn Mower Intervals
Straight Arm Shoulder Flys
Bicep 21s
Side Tri Rise
12, 12, 12 Squats
Switching Lunge
Round 4 Bonus Speed Round
Push Ups
Lawnmowers
Shoulder Press
Bicep Curl
1 Arm Tricep Extension
Weighted Squats
Weighted Lunges
Bicycles
It was a good hard workout. What I like best about working out with Tony and with using the One on one's is that Tony is constantly introducing new movements and greater variety. This workout is 21 exercises in a row followed by the first 7 repeated at double time. Some of his workouts are 9 or 12 exercises repeated. Some do three than repeat then another 3. The constant variety and changing workout patters and exercise is the muscle confusion that Tony is known for and helps to achieve maximum results. Even though this workout is a variation on one of Tony's Power 90 workouts he has new exercises and changes up the pace and pattern, thus keeping it new and interesting so we will keep pushing play and working out with him.
One on One with Tony Horton has been on the market a little over a year, from Beachbody. One on One is offered in two ways: first as a subscription service where you get a new DVD mailed to you each month, or if you're a little more picky or are on a tighter budget, you can just order individual disks to work into your workout regime. For about $20 a pop you won't get a much better bang for your fitness buck. These advanced workouts were first offered the year Tony Horton turned 50, for all the fans of his other fitness programs that wanted more and something new. This way they get something new every month and get some great workouts. These are advanced workouts for people already in good shape looking to take it to the next level, or just change things up. They are intended for graduates of Power90, P90X, or other Beachbody or other fitness programs.
To find out more about this series or other workout in the collection follow the links below.
Volume 1, Disk 1: Plyo Legs
Volume 1, Disk 2: Power 90® Road Warrior
Volume 1, Disk 3: Killer Abs
Volume 1, Disk 4: Just Arms
Volume 1, Disk 5: 30-15: The Upper-Body Massacre
Volume 1, Disk 6: Fountain of Youth
Volume 1, Disk 7: Super Cardio
Volume 1, Disk 8: Mammoth UML
Volume 1, Disk 9: Bun ShaperVolume 1, Disk 10: Medicine Ball Core Cardio
Volume 1, Disk 11: Recovery 4 Results
Volume 1, Disk 12: Diamond Delts
Volume 1, Bonus Disk - Holiday Workout
Volume 2, Bonus Disk - Pay It Forward
Volume 2, Disk 1: Cardio Intervals
Volume 2, Disk 2: Core Ball Sandwich
Volume 2, Disk 3: Patience "Hummingbird"
Volume 2, Disk 4: 10-Minute Crusher Pack
Volume 2, Disk 5: Butt and Belly (I Dare You)Volume 2, Disk 6: Back and BellyVolume 2, Disk 7: On One Leg
Volume 2, Disk 8: Iso Abs
Volume 2, Disk 9: Cardio Confusion - Mason's Choice
Volume 2, Disk 10: 100/30/20
Volume 2, Disk 11: On One Leg 4 legs
Volume 2, Disk 12: Upper Body Balance
Volume 3, Disk 1: Chest, Back & Balls
Volume 3, Disk 2: ARX2 (Ab-Ripper X 2)
Volume 3, Disk 3: Shoulders and Arms MC2Volume 3, Disk 4: Base and Back
Volume 3, Disk 5: MC2
Volume 3, Disk 6: Plyocide
Volume 3, Disk 7: Stretch And Recovery
Volume 3, Disk 8: V Sculpt
Volume 3, Disk 9: Core Synergistics MC2
Volume 3, Disk 10: UBX
Volume 3, Disk 11: PAP
Volume 3, Disk 12: Total Body X
(Disclaimer: I am asked frequently if I am a Beachbody Coach, no I am not, I am just some one who has used their products, P90X, 1on1 with Tony Horton and more and liked them and achieved good results. I am not paid by Beachbody or any of their affiliates. You can see my full disclaimer here.)
Tony Horton
One on One
Volume 1 Disk 3
Killer Abs
Beachbody
Wow. This program is just crazy. Ab Ripper followed by Ab Ripper X back to back in under 30 minutes. It tool me 2 months to be able to do all the reps of Ab Ripper X at the pace Tony sets. Fortunately in this one he has a little mercy on us and only does 20 reps per exercise not 25, 
but it is still crushing both to the abs and to the ego. I have attempted this workout 4 times now and have yet been able to keep up with Tony, and that is after graduating from P90X. But if you have the will and the determination it is an amazing Ab workout.
One on One with Tony Horton has been on the market a little over a year, from Beachbody. One on One is offered in 
two ways: first as a subscription service where you get a new DVD mailed to you each month, or if you're a little more picky or are on a tighter budget, you can just order individual disks to work into your workout regime. For about $20 a pop you won't get a much better bang for your fitness buck. These advanced workouts were first offered the year Tony Horton turned 50, for all the fans of his other fitness programs that wanted more and something new. This way they get something new every month and get some great workouts. These are advanced workouts for 
people already in good shape looking to take it to the next level, or just change things up. They are intended for graduates of Power90, P90X, or other Beachbody or other fitness programs.
To find out more about this series or other workouts in the collection follow the links below. I have created a random workout generator that uses 1 on 1's and P90X if your interested.
Volume 1, Disk 1: Plyo Legs
Volume 1, Disk 2: Power 90® Road Warrior
Volume 1, Disk 3: Killer Abs
Volume 1, Disk 4: Just Arms
Volume 1, Disk 5: 30-15: The Upper-Body Massacre
Volume 1, Disk 6: Fountain of Youth
Volume 1, Disk 7: Super Cardio
Volume 1, Disk 8: Mammoth UML
Volume 1, Disk 9: Bun ShaperVolume 1, Disk 10: Medicine Ball Core Cardio
Volume 1, Disk 11: Recovery 4 Results
Volume 1, Disk 12: Diamond Delts
Volume 1, Bonus Disk - Holiday Workout
Volume 2, Bonus Disk - Pay It Forward
Volume 2, Disk 1: Cardio Intervals
Volume 2, Disk 2: Core Ball Sandwich
Volume 2, Disk 3: Patience "Hummingbird"
Volume 2, Disk 4: 10-Minute Crusher Pack
Volume 2, Disk 5: Butt and Belly (I Dare You)Volume 2, Disk 6: Back and BellyVolume 2, Disk 7: On One Leg
Volume 2, Disk 8: Iso Abs
Volume 2, Disk 9: Cardio Confusion - Mason's Choice
Volume 2, Disk 10: 100/30/20
Volume 2, Disk 11: On One Leg 4 legs
Volume 2, Disk 12: Upper Body Balance
Volume 3, Disk 1: Chest, Back & BallsVolume 3, Disk 2: ARX2 (Ab-Ripper X 2)
Volume 3, Disk 3: Shoulders and Arms MC2Volume 3, Disk 4: Base and Back
Volume 3, Disk 5: MC2
Volume 3, Disk 6: Plyocide
Volume 3, Disk 7: Stretch And Recovery
Volume 3, Disk 8: V Sculpt
Volume 3, Disk 9: Core Synergistics MC2
Volume 3, Disk 10: UBX
Volume 3, Disk 11: PAP
Volume 3, Disk 12: Total Body X
(Disclaimer: I am asked frequently if I am a Beachbody Coach, no I am not, I am just some one who has used their products, P90X, 1on1 with Tony Horton and more and liked them and achieved good results. I am not paid by Beachbody or any of their affiliates. You can see my full disclaimer here.)
The Good Neighbors:
Kith - Book Two
Holly Black (Author)
Ted Naifeh (Illustrator)
Graphix an imprint of
Scholastic
ISBN 9780439855631
I have been anticipating this book for more than a year, since I read book one, Kin. Now to be honest, I am not a huge graphic novel reader. I can count on one hand how many I have read in the last decade, but this book I could not wait for and the next year, until book three comes out, is going to seem to last forever.
Graphix is the graphic novel arm of Scholastic press, most famous for Jeff Smith's 
Bone. This book is the second in a trilogy from Holly Black, one of the authors of the Spiderwick Chronicles. The series called The Good Neighbors began with Kin last fall, and continues this year with Kith. This is an incredible graphic novel. The story that started strong and compelling in book one, becomes even better in this follow-up story. The characters are enticing and draw the readers in, and the artwork is incredible.
This is the continuing story of Rue Silver. Rue thought she was a typical student - she had good friends, hung out, went to class and broke into abandoned buildings to climb and explore in them. But after finding out that her mother was really of the faery folk, she finds out that her grandfather Aubrey wants to take over the town. He wants to surround the whole area in a spell and separate it from the human world. Rue is torn in her loyalties - her family among the faeries or her friends and all the humans in the town. An epic battle is brewing between man and faery and Rue is stuck right in the middle.
This story has a very dark edge. Rue and her friends are university students, struggling with issues of loyalty, fidelity, lust, and all the other emotions and decisions they need to make. Unfortunately they also all know about the faery world, and once you learn about something you cannot unlearn it. Her friends are drawn into this power struggle and she must decide what side she is on.
Unfortunately the book ends with a cliffhanger, leaving the reader salivating and waiting for the next installment due in the fall of 2010. This is a book very well-done with an amazing storyline and fantastic artwork.
(First Published in Imprint 2009-11-13 as 'From Spiderwick to Fantastic'.)
Other Books by Holly Black:
The Poison Eaters and Other Stories (2010)
The Modern Faerie Tales
Tithe (2002)
Valiant (2005)
Ironside (2007)
The Spiderwick Chronicles
The Field Guide (2003)
The Seeing Stone (2003)
Lucinda's Secret (2003)
The Ironwood Tree (2004)
The Wrath of Mulgarath (2004)
Arthur Spiderwick's Notebook of Fantastical Observations (2005)
Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You (2005)
Care and Feeding of Sprites (2006)
Beyond Spiderwick
The Nixie's Song (2007)
A Giant Problem (2008)
The Wyrm King (2009)
The Good Neighbors
Kin (2008)
Kith (2009)
Kind (2010)
The Curse Workers
White Cat (2010)
Red Glove (2011)
Black Heart (2012)
Anthologies
Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd (2009)
Zombies vs. Unicorns (2010)
Welcome to Bordertown (2011)
Tony Horton
One on One
Volume 1 Disk 11
Recovery For Results
Beachbody
This is about the lowest impact and intensity workout I have seen from Tony Horton. That is not a bad thing; Tony did this workout when he was completely worn down from a workout the day before. As I was working through it, I was thinking this would be a great option for when you
are under the weather, fighting a cold or flu. Then about two thirds of the way through, Tony says the same thing. There is no timer, no pressure. This is a nice slow-paced workout, including some stretching, some plyometrics and some resistance work, all done in a more temperate way than we are accustomed to from Tony.
I personally do not like to miss days working out, either because of illness or days off. P90X has the X-Stretch option for the rest day. This would be another great little extra workout just to do something. It is perfect for when 
you are burnt out physically or under the weather. It is another great addition to the Tony Horton cannon of workouts. Thank you for this option.
One on One by Tony Horton is a workout series that you can either choose individual workouts to purchase or on a subscription where you get a new DVD each month. It's just Tony mostly working out in his home gym at his pace. There is less talk and instruction than his standard series and it moves at a 
quicker pace and has fewer breaks. They are also intended for people in good shape already, or graduates of Power90, P90X, or other Beachbody or other fitness programs.
To find out more about this series or other workouts in the collection follow the links below. I have created a random workout generator that uses 1 on 1's and P90X if your interested.
Volume 1, Disk 1: Plyo Legs
Volume 1, Disk 2: Power 90® Road Warrior
Volume 1, Disk 3: Killer Abs
Volume 1, Disk 4: Just Arms
Volume 1, Disk 5: 30-15: The Upper-Body Massacre
Volume 1, Disk 6: Fountain of Youth
Volume 1, Disk 7: Super Cardio
Volume 1, Disk 8: Mammoth UML
Volume 1, Disk 9: Bun ShaperVolume 1, Disk 10: Medicine Ball Core Cardio
Volume 1, Disk 11: Recovery 4 Results
Volume 1, Disk 12: Diamond Delts
Volume 1, Bonus Disk - Holiday Workout
Volume 2, Bonus Disk - Pay It Forward
Volume 2, Disk 1: Cardio Intervals
Volume 2, Disk 2: Core Ball Sandwich
Volume 2, Disk 3: Patience "Hummingbird"
Volume 2, Disk 4: 10-Minute Crusher Pack
Volume 2, Disk 5: Butt and Belly (I Dare You)Volume 2, Disk 6: Back and BellyVolume 2, Disk 7: On One Leg
Volume 2, Disk 8: Iso Abs
Volume 2, Disk 9: Cardio Confusion - Mason's Choice
Volume 2, Disk 10: 100/30/20
Volume 2, Disk 11: On One Leg 4 legs
Volume 2, Disk 12: Upper Body Balance
Volume 3, Disk 1: Chest, Back & Balls
Volume 3, Disk 2: ARX2 (Ab-Ripper X 2)
Volume 3, Disk 3: Shoulders and Arms MC2Volume 3, Disk 4: Base and Back
Volume 3, Disk 5: MC2
Volume 3, Disk 6: Plyocide
Volume 3, Disk 7: Stretch And Recovery
Volume 3, Disk 8: V Sculpt
Volume 3, Disk 9: Core Synergistics MC2
Volume 3, Disk 10: UBX
Volume 3, Disk 11: PAP
Volume 3, Disk 12: Total Body X
(Disclaimer: I am asked frequently if I am a Beachbody Coach, no I am not, I am just some one who has used their products, P90X, 1on1 with Tony Horton and more and liked them and achieved good results. I am not paid by Beachbody or any of their affiliates. You can see my full disclaimer here.)
I just love learning and I love certification, I am a Certification Junkie or Addict! The problem I have had is that the two testing centers in my town have both closed down in the last 24 months. It caused me more than a little frustration and set back my Certification schedule. I currently have to travel over 100KM to write and that means taking a half day off work to go. With how busy certain projects have been at work that has not been an option as much I would have liked. If your enjoying this series you will probably enjoy the Microsoft Born to Learn blog. Microsoft is currently offering student discounts on a number of certifications, up to 53% off the normal exam price. Since I am in my last term to Graduate with my BA from the University of Waterloo, that is some good news at least until the spring when my student card expires. yet even with those setbacks I have been able to add a few credentials in the 6 months. (CompTIA has changed their branding so I have added the new logo's to this post. I personally prefer the old colors and logo's.)
The certification's I have earned are:
Exams Written:
Mac VS PC an It Guys Perspective
Inner Geek - Updated June 2011
Inner Geek - Updated December 2011
Inner Geek - Updated December 2012
other hand, struggles in school because of his dyslexia and has a low self image because of his consistent struggles and failures. Once Emily is looking for the socks, he struggles with the idea of hiding them from her. He has already committed to pitching in the Olympiad but does the right thing and gives her back her lucky socks. Can he still pitch? Will his yellow team win? Read to find out. This is yet another good book in this great series.
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