It’s interesting to slide behind the wheel of the vehicle that you know the British royal family drives around when they’re in “go out and play” mode. I found myself looking for a good scone almost the whole week I test-drove the Range Rover.

Listen, the Queen’s kin might like taking this thing out for a little off-roadin’, but if you’re paying about $86,000 (the version I tested), then I expect you might be a wee bit reluctant to go barreling over a rutted mountain pass. Just sayin’. But the original luxury SUV has a lot going for it, as you can read here… (more…)

So I spent a week driving the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country Limited, and by the end I was turning around and yelling at imaginary soccer kids in the back, just because I felt I had to.

Please, let me have some fun with this. I’m a single guy, so it’s not often I’m behind the wheel of a mini-van. However, I’ve driven my share of them for reviews, and my week with this entry left me a bit underwhelmed. Here’s the scoop… (more…)

Yes, I can be surprised when it comes to reviewing cars. My first glance at the Scion XB parked in my driveway did create a chuckle within me, and I anticipated a relatively tough week behind the wheel. But, lo and behold, I turned in the keys a week later and felt a bit of respect for the boxy little thing. It started with my lead foot… (more…)

I had to chuckle when I read somewhere that not even the good people at Toyota know how to describe the Venza…but they are quick to exclaim “it’s not an SUV!” Apparently SUV needs another character, because it’s already lumped into the four-letter-word category in some peoples’ minds. Here’s what I thought of the Venza after a week behind the wheel… (more…)

I talked about this on a segment of News For Nerds. NASA wants some help in naming a new section of the International Space Station. Right now it’s simply called “Node 3,” but that’s no fun.

This could be a fun project for classrooms. To find out more, just go to NASA’s site and get all the info!

We started talking about this in the fall, and now it’s underway. Yes, it’s a puzzle with - are you ready? - 24,000 pieces. Not 240, not 2400… but 24,000. When it’s finished (yes, it will eventually happen), the puzzle will measure 14 feet long by 5 feet tall, and will find its way to a good home, perhaps a school or library.

In case you’re wondering, the puzzle is broken up into four sections, each with 6000 pieces. Here are a few shots of the first of many puzzle parties, starting with the empty table…

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Listen, it’s not that I don’t like grocery stores. I do. It’s just that it’s always been my mission to get in and out as quickly as possible. But because of that, there are apparently a TON of tasty delights that I’ve missed.

So, with my friend Jen acting as my official guide, it was time to spend some quality time, hitting every single aisle. And you know what? It was good! I now have a much happier fridge and pantry.

Here are a few shots from the day… (more…)

I get a lot of emails from Dom and Jane listeners who want to find out more about writing and publishing a book idea that they have. Well, here’s a great opportunity for you.

In late March I’ll be the emcee for the 2009 Colorado Independent Publishers Association’s annual college. It’s three days full of facts, ideas, and information about independent publishing, but it’s also a chance for you to meet a lot of people with a lot of know-how. Getting your idea from notes to a finished book is a long process, but this is a fantastic starting point.

It’s March 26-28 at The Red Lion Inn near Stapleton, off I-70 and Quebec. You can go all three days, or one, or two. Here’s a link to help you find out more info, and to sign up. See you there! 

Wow! What a terrific turnout! Hundreds of Dom and Jane listeners showed up at The Tattered Cover Book Store on Saturday, Jan. 31st, for the official launch party for my book for young adults, The Comet’s Curse. I talked about the twisting/turning journey of writing (and publishing) a book, and also had a chance to talk about my foundation called The Big Brain Club (www.BigBrainClub.com). Thanks to everyone who came by!

On one hand it’s cool to sell out of books at an event like this, but I also feel bad for people who came by and didn’t get one. Please be sure to order one soon. If you’d like, here’s a link to the book’s page on Amazon.

More signings are on the way, with details to follow soon!  Check out pictures from the event here… (more…)

I never could have imagined this just a few years ago when I sat down to scribble out a few ideas about a young adult novel that I wanted to write. Now, The Comet’s Curse is set for major international release, and there’s even a trailer for it. Yep, a quick two-minute “movie” of the book.

It’s posted on about three dozen Web sites so far, but here are some of the biggies. The young star (she plays the lead character, Triana) is also in the current hit film “The Unborn.” Anyway, enjoy! And send the link to everyone you know!

Click here to watch on YouTube

Click here to watch on Google

Click here to watch on MySpace

Click here to watch on Yahoo!