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I'm really not sure what I expected at the Baltimore Book Festival ... more well-known authors, more freebies, a new car. Nevertheless, I did expect a little more. I learned, however, a few things to be prepared in greater detail for next year:

1. Check the schedule: I had seen a brief schedule, but I didn't bring it with me, nor did I attempt to obtain one at the festival. There were a handful of things, including a tour of the Peabody Library, that I wish I had attended.

You can learn a lot about people by finding out what types of books they like. In the past, that meant grilling them on what they had read, what they own, etc. Maybe they remember every book they have ever seen, but most likely, unless you come up with a title and/or author, they'll have no clue if you spout off about a book they love.

Do you have a great idea for a new invention? Do you have the perfect business plan to make millions? Do you have the means to bring peace to the world and bring a fortune to yourself?

I'm not exhibiting at the Baltimore Book Festival, for a couple of reasons. But that doesn't mean I won't be attending.

From the information on the website, it looks as if there's a lot going on at the festival, for all ages. Also, it begins Friday night and continues Saturday and Sunday, which means you should have the opportunity to check it out at some point.

Attention Windows shoppers: You may want to glaze over the next few paragraphs, because this isn't for you.

It is, however, for music lovers who wish to create your own beats on a Mac. I have been using GarageBand for a month or so, and I'm pretty confident that I have the next album to go platinum stored right here on my machine. OK, maybe it's not that good, but at the very least, it's fun to make your own mixes.