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I absolutely adore Etsy. I love to shop there. I love knowing that I am supporting small businesses. I love establishing relationships with other sellers and with my customers. I love knowing, and seeing, the difference that I can make in the life of a stay at home mom, a disable veteran, or a child learning about business.

When I really started focusing on the business, around August 2014, I joined a team on Etsy. I want to share a little bit about each member of that team, and the wonderful items they have. I have purchased from several members, and it is really exciting to be able to share our personal photos of the items we just had to have.

I decided last year to do as much Christmas shopping as I could on Etsy. I started ordering stuff months in advance, and everything turned out absolutely amazing. Angie, from CraftyMom75, just made our Christmas perfect though!

We started talking about skirts, and agreed that fleece was not the way to go. Instead, she was able to find some comfortable, lightweight material that included Sven and Kristoff!

6 7

She creates these awesome fleece tie blankets, and when I saw she had some Olaf fabric, I knew my younger daughter would need this in her life.

1 2

Out of the left over fabric from the blanket, she made a stocking for my younger daughter. And, she designed a stocking for my older daughter, using a Stitch patch. And this was after spending about 3 weeks looking for Stitch fabric for me!

3 5

I bought this apron without even telling her, I surprised her with this order. This apron is a craft fair vendor’s dream. It has a ton of pockets, and it is super sturdy, and actually stays around your waist. It saved me at Funky Finds. However, I did not get a photograph of me wearing it.

Angie is a stay at home mom to two boys. She started sewing when she was very young, about 4, and just like most kids, gave up for a long time. After her boys were no longer in the infant stage, she started to sew again. She started up this store to help supplement her income, to be able to provide all sorts of extras and fun times for her boys. Her family is also a bunch of avid Disney lovers, and try to make it to Disney World at least every other year. She is one of the kindest souls I have met on Etsy, always willing to give advice and help out wherever is necessary. And, best of all, she makes the cutest stuff!

One thought on “CraftyMom75

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Cuba Calling

After many years, U.S. citizens are allowed to travel to Cuba. Ryan, Anthony, and I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to visit the largest city in Cuba at during a very interesting time.

Havana’s historic streetscapes are lined with opulent buildings from another era, most built pre 1930 and a few dating back to the 17th century. The ornate architecture alternates between meticulously maintained, recently restored, and vacated ruins. Classic cars cruise around the city and bici-taxis cart both tourists and locals down the narrow roads. The setting seemed as though we had traveled back to the past, but glimpses of modern ruins sporadically conjured visions of dystopian future.

U.S. travelers must declare a reason for travel to Cuba from a list of twelve approved categories of authorized travel and keep Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and keep a itinerary of all activities during the trip. We selected “Educational – People to People” and have our full itinerary available for the U.S. government and anyone else who is interested. We spent most of our short time in Cuba exploring Old Havana on foot — the ubiquitous street art, colorful murals, numerous galleries and art studios, museums, and historic architecture — and soaking up the rich culture and music that echoes through the streets.

We booked a tour in a 1953 hot pink convertible and went across the bay to the centuries-old fort “El Morro” and El Cristo statue for beautiful view of the city and ocean.

Cuba’s state-sponsored restaurants are typically over-priced and bland, but privately-operated “particulares” pleased our palates. Here are a few restaurants and bars worth a mention:
  • 303 Oreilly: tasty small plates and fantastic mojitos on a hip, relaxed rooftop setting.
  • Ivan y Justo: Tucked away into a side street, an eclectic space with home-cooked delicacies.
  • El Cocinero: originally the headquarters for Havana’s electricity company, then converted to an olive oil factory, now with open air seating looking into the Fabrica del Arte Cubano. It has a spiral staircase up to a balcony with a bar in a hollowed smokestack. Definitely way cool for school but so much fun.
  • Vistamar: a bit outside the center of town but a gorgeous, quiet view of the ocean.
  • Hotel Nacional: Beautiful grounds of the historic hotel with an excellent view of the Malecon.
  • Foridita: Birthplace of the daiquiri frequented by Ernest Hemingway.

Money is a little tricky. US credit cards are not currently accepted in Cuba, so we budgeted out our expected expenses for the trip and brought cash. While you can exchange U.S. Dollars in Cuba, there is an extra 10% fee, so we saved a couple of bucks by buying Euros in DC before we left and exchanging those once we arrived. In Cuba there are two currencies: CUP which is used mostly for locals and CUC which is a convertible currency for tourists to mainly use. Overall, it’s a relatively inexpensive city to visit, and the hurdles somehow add to the charm of this unique and magical place.

Hasta la vista, Habana.

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5 Guidelines Gaining Good Weight And Muscle For Men

Rests between sets should be minimized to around 60-90 seconds for cardiovascular purposes and better muscle voluminizing impact. Sets should be 6-15 cycles everyone exercise.

Now in my case I'd multiply my BMR (2579) by 1.55 merely I go to health club 3-4 times per week, and this comes to 3996. Can this lead to? It's incredibly easy; I've get just about 4000 calories each day to keep my body-weight. If I want to to lose weight, I'd want much much less, as well as the other hand, simply wanted to acquire weight, my each day calorie intake would want up.

This essential when beginning any involving weight lifting or fitness program. Decide what your goals are then tailor your program to reach those goals. Map out a plan of attack and your destination won't be any surprise.Your program should be designed to your pounds reduction goals recommendations what you're attempting for. For you to Thrustuline ought to concentrate on a routine for geared to building the posterior tibial muscle. By recording and writing down prior you will significantly build up your chances of success.

Increase your cardio physical program. This throws the metabolism into overdrive which causes your body to burn more fat and calories than it normally have. Doing this in the morning will let your metabolism to operate throughout day time.

Dumbbell Line. As the Bench Press is towards Chest, the Row is always to the Come back! You thought you were done with those types of questions an individual took the SAT or ACT right? Well it's back! The point will be the Row is tried and true. It is one of the highest quality exercises for Back Development both for lats and rhomboid muscle mass tissue. Single Arm or Double Arm Rows are both possible. That you can do variations with elbows in or outside. You can adjust your hand position (which way your palms are facing). All ones variations keeps the row interesting and stimulate Thrustuline growth. Whatever you do, of your physiques shape, keep rowing!

For the beginner: start easy. Start at your core and move in an outward motion. Work big muscles before small entire body. Fat burning happens most in the largest muscles (legs and back), so encouraging them develop will anyone with the fastest fat-loss information. After your first workout, you tend to be sore. It would be much better to avoid for you to your full overload potential the first week, assist you to your joints time to adjust to larger activity. However, soon search for see growth, and best of all, you will see the fat start to melt.

Don't will depend on cardio: Cardio workouts will sabotage your muscle gains, modest. When it in order to building muscle fast you'll need avoid very much cardio because they are counterproductive once your trying to speed up your muscles growth. Cardio is only good whenever your goal end up being to lose fat, not build muscle.

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text:
Get Ready For Winter

  • Clean, oil and store tools for the winter.
  • Prepare snow-blower for winter use. Consider a tune-up and servicing.
  • Apply winter fertilizer on lawn after the last mowing. This can be done around the same time as your lime application.
  • Consolidate all your garden notes for the year-favorite varieties, successful new plants.

For The Holidays & After

  • This is a great time to make gifts from your garden. Wreaths, herb bouquets, herbal vinegars, pressed flowers are just a few ideas.
  • Keep that bird feeder well stocked for the winter. Your birds depend on you.
  • Have a happy holiday season!

For Your Flower Bed

  • Shred and compost freshly collected leaves. Alternate layers with the last of the grass clippings from your lawn.
  • Apply a final mulch to foundation beds, perennials and roses. Make sure ground is frozen. This additional mulch layer prevents heaving during periodic thaws in January and February.
  • Apply boughs from spent Christmas trees and wreaths as a mulch layer for perennial beds. Wait until ground freezes.

For Your Trees and Shrubs

  • Apply WiltPruf, an anti-dessicant, to protect broad-leaf evergreens as well as your holiday greens, wreaths, even your fresh cut Christmas tree. See our staff, or visit the WiltPruf website, for details and further instruction. Now is the time to apply it to your evergreens, including hollies. It acts as a “chap-stick” for your plants, protecting them from moisture loss due to drying winter winds.
  • Pre-dig hole if you’re planning on purchasing a live Christmas tree.


text:
Through The Magic Door

Distractions aplenty

Trifle Cupcakes

trifle cupcakes

I am going to start this post about Trifle Cupcakes with a confession. I don’t actually like trifle. I am not a big fan of fruit, or cream, or custard, or any of those things in combination with one another. But the one thing above all others that stops trifle from passing my lips – jelly. I have a jelly phobia. Seriously. I cannot eat it. I don’t even like looking at it.
Yes, I know that’s weird.

But most people do like jelly, and most people love trifle.
To begin with I thought I could just leave out the jelly layer and just have fruit instead, but according to my trifle consultants this was a no-no. Apparently everyone makes their trifle differently but my trusted sources use jelly, so I have to use it too.
This then brought about the dilemma of how to use jelly in a cupcake. Make up and set outside of the cupcake and spoon in later? Or set in the hollowed out baked cupcake? I turned to google for advice but of course google is American, and jelly is jam. So what is jelly if it’s not jelly? I had no idea. Well after about 30 minutes I learnt that it’s jello (and then of course immediately remembered the episode of Friends with the jello shots. Thanks brain, you’re normally full of useless information but where were you when I needed you). And to get a firm layer of jelly you need to have it set outside of the cake otherwise it all just soaks into the sponge.

With that lesson learnt the Trifle Cupcakes were set to be a breeze from this point onwards, and to save time with the jelly I used a little pot of ready-to-eat I found in the supermarket. Of course you don’t have to do this, but allow several hours beforehand for the jelly preparation if not. You can also make your own custard too if you have a favourite recipe, but I didn’t do that either (which meant these cupcakes were very quick and easy to make).

Trifle Cupcakes Recipe (makes 9)

2 eggs (weighed in their shells, approx 120g)
The same weight as the eggs in butter, caster sugar, and self-raising flour
1tsp vanilla
Strawberry jelly
Whipped cream
Chocolate flake
Fruit (raspberries/strawberries) optional

Bake the cupcakes (cream together the butter and sugar, beat in the eggs and vanilla, fold in the flour, divide between cupcake cases and bake at 170C for approx 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown). Hollow out the cupcakes. Add a layer of fruit (optional). Add a layer of jelly. Add a layer of custard. Top with whipped cream and a crumbled chocolate flake. Pop into the fridge to allow the custard and cream to firm up and set a little bit (I didn’t do this at first and learnt the hard way when trying to cut one in half to take a photo).

trifle cupcakes

2 comments on “Trifle Cupcakes

  1. fallfromgrace349
    April 5, 2014

    they look and sound so yummy! 🙂

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text:
Tired of feeling like I’m in the wrong place, with the wrong people, doing the wrong thing at the wrong time heading in the wrong direction having made the wrong choices.

Some days I just feel like my true self is off somewhere living my true life in my true home while I just keep on being in this shell of myself, going through the motions. I need a change, but to what?

How does one find themselves again and how does one get to where they are supposed to be?

You know I meet people who seem really content and solidly inside of themselves but I’ve only ever wanted to keep moving. Perhaps I got gypsy in the blood. Perhaps that’s all it is.

November 25, 2016

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It’s my older nephews birthday today & we nicknamed him Tintin as he graced this planet on the date that one of the most famous & loved private detective Tintin also celebrates his birthday. The comic character has been our family’s favourite ever since we first laid our eyes on the first Tintin comic book or graphic novel as they are now called. And the same goes for my nephew… we all just fell in love with him from the first moment. He’s 11 now & I find it so amazing that so many years have passed. He used to be the most adorable baby with his little button nose and his cute mannerisms. Today he’s a strapping 5′ 6” tall and as awkward as any pre-teenager can be. He may not hug us as much anymore or respond to all our strange cutesy weird nicknames we call him but he will always be the first whom we all fell in love with.
Sourab Banerjee, we love you so much.
And then Mihir came soon after Sourab… and now its hard to decide who was a cuter baby… Mihir is like cherry pie, ice-cream, honey & cream… oh dear…  I love my nephews 🙂
Happy Birthday Sourab for 10th January & Mihir for 21st January!!!!

Love… Always.


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New Facebook group to share your makes, competitions and more at
New online retail store now open for all your Tando goodies at

Thursday, 30 December 2010

Flower Frames

I have made this layout as a gift for my Riding Teacher for Christmas. It features her favourite horse and its foal born earlier this year.
I have used My Mind's Eye Portobello Road papers and embellishments and added 3 Flower frames, which have simply been painted with Silver Mica mist and a small circle of the paper added.
The layout is now in a frame ready to be wrapped

Wednesday, 29 December 2010

Kitchen canvas

A bit of painting going on today to create this kitchen canvas.  The chipboard is a fabulous base for acrylic paint.  I used a canvas board which was also painted with acrylic... before adhering the completed kitchen pieces to it to create a faux clock.

 I love to have artwork that I can display in my home but I think this piece would be equally nice as a gift for someone.

Shame that I'm not the world's best cook... I definately won't be wearing a chefs hat anytime soon :D
Chris xx

Tuesday, 28 December 2010

Mini Book

I have made this little mini book using 8x8 Tando Chipboard, a little Tando Butterfly and Tando Letters.
The chipboard sheets have been covered in paper, punched with book rings added and a load of ribbon added.
The butterfly and letters were sprayed with pink Mica, then Glossy accents added and a load of Glamour Dust added.
The book contains pictures of my Riding teachers Daughter called Lucy with her favourite pony, I hope she likes it!

Monday, 27 December 2010

Compass and Anchors

Allsorts of things brought this canvas togather, a love of sunsets the sun makes a great basic compass.    Rope from my days with a boat sales business used it to practice splicing a skill not likely to be needed in the future.   Love this pair of anchors and the compass which also comes in a pair just used the smaller one here.

Acrylics used to paint the canvas and then ferro paste added for greater texture.   The compass panted with Inka Gold and then gold crako.   Anchors sprayed with GM and then turquoise Crako and then copper and finally some Viva metallic paint.    Finally the whole canvas was sprayed with more GM.

Sunday, 26 December 2010

When my kids saw this Reindeer they loved it!! I decided to decorate it to display in the lounge.
I have simply sprayed it with Mica Mists in Coffee and Copper and added Gold glamour dust to it.

Friday, 24 December 2010

Christmas Screen

What a treat we have for you for Christmas Eve...this fantastic Christmas Screen by Sarah.  Just look at the detail in it....AMAZING.

You can find all the instructions to make this fab project over on Bubbly Scrumptious HERE.

Thursday, 23 December 2010

Sue's gorgeous canvas and 3D tree...

Sue made this gorgeous canvas at a class run by our very own Carol.  It not only has our Christmas greeting there but also the little snowflakes that are in the mini's sets.

Do pop over to Sue's blog HERE for more info.

Sue also decorated on our 3D Christmas trees, this one looks absolutely stunning.  More deets on Sue's blog HERE.

Don't forget we have popped a link to Sue's blog in our sidebar so do pop over to see her other gorgeous creations.

Wednesday, 22 December 2010

Sarah's 1st Christmas book

Sarah has made this gorgeous 1st Christmas book using the Tando Christmas Tree mini book pieces.  You can find instructions and loads of gorgeous pictures HERE on Bubbly Scrumptious.

Tuesday, 21 December 2010

Christmas star

Not long now before we will all be waking up to the delights that Santa brings.... you do believe in him don't ya ;-)  So in honour of the cuddly man with the white beard I created his very own star.

He likes to have his photo taken and it deserved it's very own Tando mini frame.  Coloured with copic marker and then covered in Tim Holtz crackle paint.

I took out the hearts from the frame and added them on top before painting and adding a bit of bling.

Chris xx

Monday, 20 December 2010

Christmas heart

Another heart used from the ' Home ' hanging chipboard set....this time to create a decoration for my Christmas tree.   I covered the heart in this gorgeous Crafty Individuals Christmas paper and added some hand cut wings covered in the same.

Tip : Don't throw out your Tando packaging... the card comes in really useful for little extras like these wings, ATC backs and to put through your diecutting machines ;-)

I used a tube of 3d glitter glue to add around the edges and also a little snowflake charm and clear gem for a little bit of luxury.

A really easy project but something I can keep in my decorations box to use for lots of years to come.

Happy Crafting
Chris xx

Sunday, 19 December 2010

Feeling Festive by Emy

Emy has used one of our reindeer for this gorgeous layout over on the Bubbly Scrumptious blog.

Take a look HERE to find out all the details.

Saturday, 18 December 2010

Bird House box

You always need more storage don't you?    Just got a new home for some of those bits and bobs with this little bird house.

Stamped the walls with a woodgrain stamp then painted over them with watered down acrylic.   Punched the holes in the sides to push a small piece of dowling through.   Slotted the house togather and glued to bottom on.   The scollop edges have been traced down the roof sides over painted with watereddown acrylic and then gone over with ProMarkers Cool Grey #4.   Little wired flowers around the front, some reingdeer moss falling over the opening and some Viva Craco on the side, Viva Ferro in the roof which is hinged on the inside but not stuck.   This one was great fun LOL

Here is the naked product

Friday, 17 December 2010

Artist Trading Cards

Sometimes I get really fed up with creating 'pretty' things.... just depends on my mindset I guess :-)  So every now and then I have an urge to be a little bit more wild.  I haven't created an ATC for ages so had great fun making these.

I used free images from Altered bits to have a bit of fun.  This handsome guy is baring his heart (from Tando mini arch frame set) because he is soooo in Love :-D

SHE is honoured to be the recipient of his affections... he's just her kind of guy!! lol

He keeps her acrylic, painted ,framed portrait on his bedside table.  Don't ya just love a Love Story :-)

Chris xx

Thursday, 16 December 2010

Some new releases....

We have put together some changes to our Animal and Bird Section and we have now released these new Zoo sets.

They come in large and small and feature our Hippo that has been around for a while and also a Lion and the fabulous Elephant that Karen Gist designed absolutely AGES ago but I've simply taken this long to release it *roll eyes*

Wednesday, 15 December 2010

Day of love lo

My latest page was made with another new print of my DDIL wedding photo.. I did a whole  wedding album- actually about 75 pages for the young  couple. but now I decided to scrap one regular 20-30 pages album for us. as the groom's parents and this is the 4-5th page of it..
So I used this couple of Tando creative big swirls as the base for not only flowers, but 4 small photo prints and painted it  with white acrylic paint and glittered just a bit with some pink glitter..
LOL- I can even call it " multiphoto lo"- thing that is very special for my scrapping style..

Tuesday, 14 December 2010

Christmas Stocking

I haven't created many Christmas things this year but when I came across a piece of paper that I had inked, sprayed and splodged (technical on some time ago... I just knew it would look great on the Tando Christmas Stocking.

So I got out the modge podge and after glueing the paper on....I wasn't disappointed .

I even managed to bling it up a bit with some shiny gems.... just a little different from the usual red 'n' white stocking and a welcome addition to my Christmas decorations.
Chris xx

Monday, 13 December 2010

Our bride lo

Sorry that I wasn't here for a while, but my beloved camera went dead, so I had to buy a new one to show you some of my new creations done with Tando creative chipboards.
This wedding page is the very  first one,  done with my DDIL lovely wedding photo and with this gorgeous pumpkin carriage chipboard..
Isn't wedding is all about fairytales? I think it is.. So here is our princess going to her royal ceremony and this  huge - 15*15 cm. - pumpkin is all she needs (actualy it was some Toyota..LOL)
This chipboard was painted with white fence Ranger crackled paint and then, when it was dry, I just added some pink Ranger distressed inks.
Then I decorated the carriage with Petalloo white flowers and some buttons.
See you soon with my next creations..


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The Rockin’ Preachers

May 25, 2012

Well, summer is finally here and I don’t know about you but for me that means lots of Beach Boys, Ramones and classic 60s Reggae/Ska/Rocksteady on the stereo. Now, like I stated in my review of Unitone HiFi/Jefferson Belt‘s split 7″ (read it here) I am fully aware that it’s a bit snobbish attitude but my main problem with modern reggae is the production. It’s just too clean-sounding and lack the grit and sheer oomph of let’s say Lloyd Charmers‘ outings. French group The Rockin’ Preachers might still sound a bit too polished but they thankfully avoid the modern dancehall sounds and sure have the vibe and songwriting down!

Four songs of upbeat, midtempo summer-esque reggae/ska vibes are served up on their debut (?) EP (the last one an instrumental version) – my favorite being Give Me Some Light. Great, great musicianship and some really good vocal delivery from the lead singer and his back-ups (sorry, no names as their site is low on info and no linked website) proving me once again wrong. Enjoy yourself (it’s later than you think)!

Sample track:

Website: N/A

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text:
CS Handbook

Why Should Pick Up The CS Handbook?

  • I am looking for a simple organized approach to CS
  • I want to be confident to present ANY case in the CS exam
  • I need to be organized in my approach to the patient during the 15 min encounter
  • I just need the essentials & not the extraneous clutter out there.
  • I have very little time before my exam & need a quick read
  • I need to write a good patient note & pass ICE first time
  • If I need tips to crack SEP, CIS, challenging situations and beat the time factor
  • If you said ‘Yes’ to any of the above click below

Amazon Reader Review

"Thank you Dr. Mary June! I wish I had read your book earlier; I bought the Kindle version about 3 days before my exam. The way this handbook is laid out is very helpful in the study process; neither the First Aid or Uworld had lay outs like this! I also joined Dr. June's online free webinar in which she explained the process of studying for this exam and how to excel. The manual gave me a lot of reassurance in my knowledge; it was a perfect wrap-up of other study materials all in one organized place. Keep practicing & good luck to you all! I hope it helps you as much as it did for me!"

What Do Previous Students Say
About The Handbook

I attended online classes of target usmle. Her kindle edition book is awesome, she used to guide you all the part of the exam and I strongly recommend to do it with her.

Dr. Himangini


text:
The Australian Women Writers Challenge

I do a lot of reading.  Some of the books I read are review books I’ve been offered or have selected.  Some of what I read are books suggested by friends.  Sometimes I select books from the library, or from browsing in a bookshop.  I suspect that I’ll need to live for about 200 years to do all of the reading I’ve identified.

For the past couple of years, I’ve been participating in the Australian Women Writers Challenge and deliberately seeking out books by Australian Women Writers.  I’ve joined up again this year, and am frequently discovering new (to me) authors or rediscovering some of the classics I read as a child.  So far this year, my reading has included books by Alison Alexander,  Deborah Adelaide, Emily Bitto, Christina Stead, LJM OwenCarol BaxterJo WilesRosalie HamEleanor LimprechtJustine LarbalestierCharlotte WoodTamsin Harvey  (I really need to find time to make one of the wonderful quilts in Tamsin’s book),Amanda Ortlepp and Alice Robinson.

I have a long list of books to read during the rest of the year.  I’m not exclusively reading Australian women authors, but they are a significant part of my planned reading.

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Kill Switch by Steve N. Lee

Kill Switch by Steve N. Lee

‘Like playing Russian roulette in slow motion, waiting for death tortured Catalina.’

I have to admit, the opening sentence caught my attention, and not necessarily in a good way.  A little further down the page, I read:

‘Reminding her of home, the architecture had given her a welcome glow.’

And I almost stopped reading.  For good.  But I kept going, determined to find out more about the glow-giving powers of architecture, and Catalina’s wait for death.

Mr Lee has written a fast-moving short novel (just over 160 pages), and if it isn’t always realistic it certainly held my attention.  While travelling in Krakow with her mother Elena, Catalina goes missing.  Tess Williams, a woman with a mysterious past, is also travelling in Krakow.  Elena enlists Tess’s help to find Catalina.  Tess, who seems to be well versed in martial arts, is more than happy to take on the bad guys while helping Elena.  Can Elena and Tess find Catalina?  How many people will lose their lives along the way?

‘People looked for their answers in countless places.  However, few realized they were all looking for the same thing – purpose, a reason to be.’

‘Kill Switch’ is the first of seven novels in ‘The Angel of Darkness’ series.  While ‘Kill Switch’ introduces Tess, and we learn something about her training, there is clearly a lot more to her story. While I enjoy stories with strong female protagonists, I’m not yet hooked on Tess’s story.

If you are interested in a fast-moving and violent story, with a strong (but at this stage enigmatic) female character, then this series may be for you.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

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Do Lectures, Australia

Talking about esoteric technology? Easy. Talking about my life? Hard.
By Taylor Davidson | March 26th, 2015

When I told people I was going to a conference / retreat / ideas festival / adventure in rural Victoria in Australia, people looked at me like I was mad.

"Do Lectures? What’s that?"

* * *

After I went to the Do Lectures in Wales in 2014, I explained the experience as something that’s hard to explain but easy to love, once you’ve taken the plunge:

The spirit of Do is hard to explain but easy to love, once you’ve experienced it. It’s a small and intimate event that’s not quite a conference, not quite a festival, not quite anything we’re used to. You’ve probably never heard of the speakers. You’ve probably never been asked to hand-write answers and draw a self-portrait to apply just to attend. You’ve probably never camped in a tent at a conference. You’ve probably never taken a workshop on rabbit skinning.

But you’ve probably never had so many great, meaningful, fulfilling conversations with interesting, talented, accomplished people. You’ve probably never had food, coffee and wine as good, each with a story behind where it came from, how it was prepared, why it’s there. You’ve probably never experienced lectures so personal, so heart-wrenching, so stimulating to the soul.

Do is about conversations, and everything about Do encourages interaction and conversation among everyone there, speakers, attendees, organizers, staff, volunteers. Everyone is there for a reason, and everyone has a story.

So when Samantha Bell invited me to come to Australia and share my story at Do Lectures Australia, I was floored. Another Do Lectures, another continent, another great round of conversations, another opportunity to listen and talk to some genuinely interesting people. And a bit of nervousness.

* * *

I’m not a naturally comfortable public speaker. I spent most of my youth shying away from speaking in public, content to keep my answers and questions to myself or save them for one-on-one interactions. It’s not something that comes easy to me, but slowly I’ve built up the confidence and ability to speak in public. And I’ve come to enjoy it: I’ve enjoyed all the talks, panels and classes I’ve given the last couple years about really esoteric technology - native advertising, the Internet of Things, financial modeling, venture capital, fundraising - but I’ve never really given a talk about me, my story, and my path.

Talks at Do are unlike talks I’ve seen anywhere else; as I explained last year:

When you look at the speaker list, the names don’t jump out. But when you’re there, listening to people, the stories do. The lectures aren’t the most polished and professional, and they aren’t the most intellectual or focused. But they are real. Heartfelt. Amazingly intimate and open. Sharing their stories, how they came to find what they do and why they do it. And worth every ounce of your attention.

That’s a high bar, and to be honest, I didn’t hit it. But at least I was real: I talked about learning by doing, acknowledging the process of learning and mastery and accomplishment that comes from dedicating yourself to learning. I talked about how I learned about the power of doing from my parents, how I taught myself to be a photographer, how I learned financial modeling, website development, and basically taught myself every skill I use today. Throughout my life I’ve optimized for learning and experiences rather than money, and I talked about the pros and cons to that approach. I talked about how I use rejection and friction as a fuel - "If you’re not hearing no, you’re not doing enough." - and about how I value and elebrate the hours and accomplishment spent learning and building than the titles and external marks of success. I talked about how I embrace the varied path I’ve taken in my life even as I wouldn’t wish my path on anyone. Watch my talk here.

Courtesy Mark Lobo Photography

Preparing for the talk, Do Lectures

My view from the stage, Do Lectures

My talk, visualized, at Do Lectures

Telling my story was hard. Even today I have a nagging discomfort with my talk, about how it could have been delivered better, crisper, without the mistakes and stops and starts and doubts about what I chose to talk about and what I left out. It wasn’t intellectual or focused or packaged. But then I guess that’s the spirit of Do.

If you ever have a chance to go to Do, do it. No expectations, no preconceptions; an appetite for conversations, a desire to share and listen, an open mind, an open heart. Just go.

* * *

My favorite talk from Do Lectures Australia was by Dennis McIntosh, watch it here. Listening to his story is well worth it.

* * *


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Fedora 18 under Hyper-V on Server 2012

0 votes

I have been persuaded to move an application running under linux on to a Hyper-V VM. I am having significant performance issues and hope some one can cast some light on them.

I am having to run on a legacy network card as the 'synthetic' NIC gives poor through put. This gives a drop of about 50% compared with the original machine.

Disc I/O is down by a factor of 8 when copying significant amounts of data. (say 7 Gbyte) The application originally ran on Fedora 15 on an HP DL385 (8-cores) with 8Gbyte memory. The VM is running under Fedora 18 on a Dell R520 with 8 Gbyte with a fixed VHD disc

Am I correct in assuming that Fedora 18 kernel has the latest Microsoft Integration Modules?

posted May 30, 2013 by anonymous

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1 Answer

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most likely since they are upstream output of "lsmod" in the guest may help

however, you need to configure the ocrrect virtual hardware Linux jas as example VMware's "vmxnet" driver but if i configure a different virtual network card this would not help

the same applies for virtual disks

vmw_balloon 13415 0
vmw_vmci 61376 0
vmxnet3 49578 0
vmw_pvscsi 22858 2
answer May 30, 2013 by anonymous
Similar Questions
+1 vote

When I use multi-home function to setup link between 2 fedora 18 hosts, I can not use sctp_sendmsg to send any message and return error "Invalid Parameters" . but the same program runs well in Centos 6.

And the most wired thing is when I run Server side in centos and run Client side in fedora, I have the problem, but everything is fine when I run client side in centos but run server side on fedora.

Does anyone has the same problem?

0 votes

When I try:

 ping -R

I get:

PING ( 56(124) bytes of data.

but the list of nodes does not appear, and I wait for more than 5 minutes. traceroute gives immediately the list of nodes.

This is fedora 18, iptables stopped (and flushed), firewalld stopped.Could it be somehow due to not flushing firewalld rules ? (I don't know much about firewalld)

0 votes

Is there a simple way of changing the font used by lpr to print out a text file,
after say "lpr foo.txt" on a Fedora-18 CUPS printer?

The font in my case is much too small for my eyesight.

0 votes

Why system-config-lvm disappeared since fedora 18? Is there a reason?

+3 votes

We are developing internal software using MySql dB and are planning to use Fedora for the server.

The question is how do we know that this hardware (motherboard, CPU) really support Fedora version 18 or 19? We are looking at mobo from Asus or Intel or Gigabyte, but did not find firm answer. We did not find the info from mobo websites either.

The mobo that got our interest are the ones with H77 or Z77 or H87 chipsets.

Is there any URL for me to get the information we need?

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Extensions Gain More Steam As Shareaholic Is Chrome-Ready

Screen shot 2009-12-03 at 5.36.46 PMGoogle has begun its big push to bring extension support to its Chrome web browser. Currently, it’s accepting extensions from developers that it will be placing in some sort of gallery to launch at a later date. Last week, we showed the nice, new Aviary extension for Chrome. Today, we get very popular Firefox extension that is now Chrome-ready, Shareaholic.

As we noted in September when Shareaholic closed its seed funding, the extension has surpassed over 1 million downloads for Firefox. And for good reason: It makes sharing on just about every service on the web as simple as two-clicks. The new Chrome version works pretty much exactly the same as the Firefox version; you click the button and you are presented with a drop down list of social options for sharing. A shortened URL is automatically made for the webpage you are sending.

If you have a Shareaholic account you can set options for the extension including picking and choosing which social networks to include in the drop-down. You can also pick which URL shortener to use (Bit.ly is the default one). But you don’t have to have a Shareaholic account to use the extension, it will simply use the default sharing options (such as Twitter, Facebook, Delicious, etc) to populate your drop-down.

The extension is fast, and thankfully, does not seem to slow down Chrome at all. Obviously, extension support is a big key to Chrome competing with Firefox, the browser known for its extensions. And this simple extension support also gives Chrome a huge leg up over the top dog of the browsers, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

Shareaholic’s extension, which is technically still is beta, is accessible through this direct link. Once you download it, simply drag it into your Chrome (version 4.0 or greater, which is still testing) browser window to install it. One note: It’s not working correctly with the latest dev build of Chrome for Mac, but it is working in the latest Chromium builds for Mac. Chrome for Mac’s beta launch is imminent, but Google has stated that extension support will not be in that build right away.

Shareaholic noted that the team at Google helped them port the extension over to Chrome. Clearly, they want to have the best extensions available early.


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Crovitz Nails It on Software Patents and the Federal Circuit

by on December 16, 2013 · 0 comments

Gordon Crovitz has an excellent column in today’s Wall Street Journal in which he accurately diagnoses the root cause of our patent litigation problem: the Federal Circuit’s support for extensive patenting in software.

Today’s patent mess can be traced to a miscalculation by Jimmy Carter, who thought granting more patents would help overcome economic stagnation. In 1979, his Domestic Policy Review on Industrial Innovation proposed a new Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, which Congress created in 1982. Its first judge explained: “The court was formed for one need, to recover the value of the patent system as an incentive to industry.”

The country got more patents—at what has turned out to be a huge cost. The number of patents has quadrupled, to more than 275,000 a year. But the Federal Circuit approved patents for software, which now account for most of the patents granted in the U.S.—and for most of the litigation. Patent trolls buy up vague software patents and demand legal settlements from technology companies. Instead of encouraging innovation, patent law has become a burden on entrepreneurs, especially startups without teams of patent lawyers.

I was pleased that Crovitz cites my new paper with Alex Tabarrok:

A system of property rights is flawed if no one can know what’s protected. That’s what happens when the government grants 20-year patents for vague software ideas in exchange for making the innovation public. In a recent academic paper, George Mason researchers Eli Dourado and Alex Tabarrok argued that the system of “broad and fuzzy” software patents “reduces the potency of search and defeats one of the key arguments for patents, the dissemination of information about innovation.”

Current legislation in Congress makes changes to patent trial procedure in an effort to reduce the harm caused by patent trolling. But if we really want to solve the trolling problem once and for all, and to generally have a healthy and innovative patent system, we need to get at the problem of low-quality patents, especially in software. The best way to do that is to abolish the Federal Circuit, which has consistently undermined limits on patentable subject matter.

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Category Archives: Graphics and Image

Home Printers – Refilled or Original? (TUPdate)

When consumers buy a home printer, they’re also buying ink for as long as they use their printer. HP has the lowest rate of US consumers using refilled ink. Of the major brands, HP has the lowest share – 16%, while Brother and Dell have the highest share, 37%. Over the last two years, this refill share has only slightly wavered.

This is based on the most recent wave of Technology User Profile (TUP), the 2017 edition.

The majority of HP’s home printer customers are using HP’s ink, and only 7% are using a replacement brand such as Office Depot or Staples.

Similarly, most of Epson and Canon’s ink is their own brand, making up two-thirds of home printer users.

Outside of the US, the picture is somewhat similar.

The majority of ink being used in HP printers is HP-branded, at a rate that is being closely trailed by Dell. While the US original-ink rate is strongest in the US for most major home printer brands, this rate is lower in nearly every country in the TUP 2017 survey: China, India, and Germany.

Brother’s original-ink share is nearly as strong in India as it is in the US, at just under one-half of home printers.

Who are the refillers?

Refillers around the world are younger than those who buy original ink – whether the same brand as the printer or a competitive offering. While the average (mean) age of adults who use refills in their home printers is 36, the age of original ink users is 41, a full five years older. Those using competitive ink are yet again another 4 years older.

There’s also a difference in choice of ink with respect to employment status.

Those using refilled ink have a higher share that are employed or self-employed than those using original ink. Those using competitive ink are less likely to be employed outside the home than those using original ink.

Related research results

MetaFacts Technology User Profile (TUP) includes extensive printer-related information: printer usage volume, actively used printer features, printer activities, wireless printing, high-capacity and subscription ink, and more.

The information in this TUPdate is based on a survey of online adults in mid-2017 as part of the MetaFacts Technology User Profile (TUP) study. The TUP study universe included a representative sample of online adults, carefully selected and weighted to be fully representative. Current TUP subscribers can obtain the results of this newest research at a discount. For more information about MetaFacts and subscribing to TUP, please contact MetaFacts.

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Filed under Graphics and Image, Market Research, Printers, TUP 2017, TUPdate

The Most Creative – PCs or Smartphones? (TUPdate)

The Most Creative – PCs or Smartphones? – a TUPdate by Dan Ness, February 9, 2017

Creativity eludes definition, yet we know and admire it when we see or feel it. Well beyond simple clicks, creative activities greatly add to the collective oeuvre while also giving voice to expression.

It might well be argued that creativity is shown in the clever use of hashtags, emojis, or Snapchat video filters. I’m choosing to identify creativity broadly and practically – how the most-creative, most-involved tech activities get done. Activities such as creating presentations and videos require forethought and a blending of skills. Some activities such as taking photographs are now so widely commonplace that the activity spans the professional photographer to the budding amateur. So, for this analysis, I’m considering this a moderately-creative activity.metafacts-td1702-creatives-diagram-2017-02-09_13-27-42

From our most recent TUP (Technology User Profile) survey, I chose six core activities as being more creative than the many other everyday activities we track by device and user.

I drilled down into the TUP data to see what differences there may be by device type – PCs versus Smartphones. When it comes to creative activities, there are differences.

Which devices have the most users doing creative activities?

Creative activities are strongest where the tools are richest. Ask any oil painter if they benefit by having ready canvases, easels, paints, and lighting. Continue reading

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Filed under Desktops, Graphics and Image, Mobile Phones, Multiple Devices, Notebooks, Smartphones, Tablets, TUP 2016, TUPdate

Is there an age skew for using VR Headsets? (MetaFAQs)

Is there an age skew for using VR Headsets?

metafacts-metafaqs-mq0047-480-cexage-2017-02-02_11-00-09Virtual reality hasn’t reached market reality, despite decades of experimentation and overhyped false starts. Recent investment has brought renewed attention, hope, and development to the prospects of widespread VR use. Based on our TUP 2016 US survey, only 2% of connected adults are actively using a VR headset, such as the Oculus Rift or Samsung Gear VR. This modest acceptance rate is only part of the research finding, though, as there is more that can be learned from the early adopters.

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Filed under Entertainment, Graphics and Image, Market Research, MetaFAQs, Smartphones, TUP 2016

Device Primacy and OS – What we Hold Near (TUPdate)

Device Primacy and OS – What we Hold Near – a TUPdate by Dan Ness, January 18, 2017

Primacy. The first device you reach for, the one you stay near, the one you rely on. You might think that it’s the Smartphone, and that’s correct for many, but not all. For many activities and market segments, PCs and tablets dominate. A user’s activity focus affects which devices they choose most often, as does their operating system collection, among other factors.

Primacy by OS Family

All-Apple and all-Windows users are living in different worlds – as they have strikingly different preferences for their primary devices.
Among Apple-only users, Smartphones are the primary device for most types of activities. The PC (Mac or MacBook in this case) is their primary device for cloud storage/sharing and for search and information-related activities. Half (50%) of these adults using only Apple iOS or MacOS devices (no Microsoft Windows or Google Android or ChromeOS) do most of their cloud storage/sharing activities on a PC, and just under one-third (32%) primarily use a Smartphone.

In contrast, among Windows-only users, the PC is strongly the primary device for every major type of activity. Smartphones are only ranked second for productivity/personal and graphics/images activities. A tablet is the second choice for the greatest number of activity types – cloud storage/sharing, search/information, shopping, and social networking.metafacts-device-primacy-primary-secondary-device-2017-01-18_17-08-39

Apple’s iPad doesn’t rank as a second device for any type of activity among Apple-only users. This low level of primacy may seem surprising given that penetration of iPads is higher than average among this Apple-loyal segment. Sixty-one percent of Apple-only users regularly use an Apple iPad, more than double the national rate of 29%. This primacy analysis doesn’t mean Apple-only users aren’t enjoying their iPads – simply that they’re lower on the list of devices they choose for a wide range of activities.

Devices and Primacy
Across the entire base of connected adults, the PC is the leader for nearly every type of activity. The Swiss Army Knife broad nature of PCs continues its appeal. Smartphones only lead PCs for communications and graphics/imaging activities. Many of the specific activities in these two categories are strongly mobile – making phone calls, staying in touch, and taking and sharing photos.

OS Family

Connected Devices are dominated by three operating systems families – Microsoft Windows, Apple’s MacOS and iOS, and Google’s Android and Chrome OS. The base of Windows, once exclusively dominant, is well-overlapped by Apple and Google. The majority of users are living a multi-OS lifestyle, juggling more than OS family. The two largest OS combinations are nearly equal in market size. Just over one-fourth (26%) of users use connected devices running Windows and Google, and none with an Apple OS. Another fourth (25%) have Windows and Apple devices, with none as Google.metafacts-device-primacy-2017-01-12_16-25-15

Profile highlights of OS Family groups

It might be assumed that Apple-only users are early adopters while Windows-only users are laggards, partly explaining why they might choose different devices as primary or secondary. This is only partly true. The Windows-only users do include many tech laggards and the late majority, with 38% being the last of their age group to have first used a PC, mobile phone, or tablet. However, the Apple-only users aren’t especially early adopters, as 32% meet that definition, which is slightly less than the 33% nationwide who also do. There are other characteristics that set them apart.
Windows-only users are the oldest of the major OS family groups, on average 10 years older than every other group. They also include the smallest share of full-time employees, highest share of low-income households, and lowest average number of devices.metafacts-device-primacy-user-profile-highlights-by-os
Apple-only users have the highest share of younger millennials, have relatively high incomes, although are middling with respect to tech early adopters and laggards.
The jugglers of all three OS are the youngest, high incomes, more devices in use, and have the highest share of tech early adopters.

Activity types, primacy, ages and tech spending

Primacy of device by activity also varies with respect to the user’s age and consumer tech spending on devices and services. Younger adults aren’t necessarily the biggest tech spenders, nor are Smartphone users. In fact, those who primarily use their PCs for social networking or image/graphics activities are the biggest tech spenders and older than those who mostly use Smartphones for those activities.metafacts-device-primacy-age-device-spend-2017-01-18_12-36-08

The average age of adults who use a PC for the majority of their image/graphics activities – from managing photos to creating presentations – is 44, nearly five years older than those whose primary image/graphics device is a Smartphone. The graphics PC group also spends more than $1,450 per year more than Smartphone-focused users. Similarly, PC-focused Social Networkers are more than 8 years older and spend $730 more per year on consumer tech devices and services than their Smartphone counterparts.

Looking ahead

We expect tablets to continue to languish as a minor device for most users and most activity categories. As more 2-in-1 and convertible notebooks emerge and grow in acceptance, they will continue to relegate tablets to secondary or tertiary use.
Smartphones will continue their market penetration, replacing the basic cell phone among the last stalwart holdouts. Whether the last new Smartphone adopters will choose to go with Android or Apple Smartphones will set them on a course strongly affecting their next PC and tablet purchase. It’s most likely they will choose Google Android since this segment is more price-sensitive and less tech-savvy than average.
PCs will continue their gradual decline from primacy, to be replaced by Smartphones. Within PCs, there will be a broader division between the activity profiles for desktop and mobile PCs. We expect desktop PCs to continue their broad primary and secondary use, due to inertia and the as yet unmatched broad capabilities of PCs. Mobile PCs, however, while pressuring tablets, will themselves feel the strongest pressure from Smartphones as their broad usefulness continues to expand.

About this TUPdate

This TUPdate includes a complimentary brief summary of recent MetaFacts TUP (Technology User Profile) research results. These results are based on the most-recent results of the MetaFacts Technology User Profile 2016 survey, its 34th wave, with 7,334 respondents (US). For more information about MetaFacts and subscribing to TUP, please contact MetaFacts.

Current TUP subscribers can tap into any of the following TUP information used for this analysis or for even deeper analysis. This TUPdate is based on the TUP Life Stage section, which is within the TUP 2016 User Profile Chapter.

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Filed under Basic cell phones, Behaviors and Activities, Cloud Storage, Communication, Desktops, Devices, Entertainment, Graphics and Image, Information and Search, Market Sizing, Mobile Phones, Multiple Devices, Notebooks, Shopping, Smartphones, Social Networking, Tablets, TUP 2016, TUPdate, Video calling

Subscription Ink – Only for Busy Youngsters?

Is there an age skew for subscribing to an ink replacement plan?

Consider the person racing to print that important report or family photo, only to discover their printer is out of ink. While office supply and discount retailers still lead as major sources for printer ink purchases, the most-recent market disruption offers a preemptive choice – ink by subscription.metafacts-metafaqs-mq0030-ink-subscription-2016-11-30_11-44-36

Busy and convenience-oriented youngish adults have lead the adoption of subscription ink. Adults age 25-39 have the highest rates of subscription ink usage.

While the national average rate is 22% of adults with printers that subscribe to an ink replacement plan, among adults age 30-34 the rate is double that – at 45%. This is narrowly followed by Adults age 35-39 with 43%.

In addition to their quest for ease and convenience, these age groups are also highest in the presence of children full-time employment and household income, a very active life stage. These sociological factors help drive the demand for family photos, recipes, and greeting cards.

Looking ahead, we expect the attitudes of this often-engrossed group to continue, furthering adoption of subscription ink within this age segment.

This is based on our most recent research among 7,336 US adults as part of the Technology User Profile (TUP) 2016 survey.

This MetaFAQs research result addresses one of the many questions profiling active technology users, and is based on the following TUP table set: 460 SUxAGE in the Age Category Section of the TUP User Profile Chapter.

Many other related answers are part of the TUP service, available to paid subscribers. The TUP chapter with the most information about printers and printing activities is the TUP 2016 Printer Chapter, and about age-skewed tech usage in the TUP 2016 User Profile Chapter.

For more information about MetaFacts and subscribing to TUP, please contact MetaFacts.

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Due to manufacturing defects, Sony has suspended sales of the Xperia Tablet S after being on sale for just a month, what manufacturing defect you ask?

Well after putting on a show at CES 2012, Sony has found the tablet to not be as water-resistant as they originally thought  with gaps between the screen and the case.

Customers who have already purchased the tablet will be able to have their tablet inspected and replaced free of charge if an issue is found, the problem according to Sony, is a manufacturing fault at their plant in China which they expect to have fixed by the end of October.

There’s no exact amount of how many tablets are effected, but it’s expect that around 100,000 of the tablets have been sold already.

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Pakistan Post launches online shopping facility

Pakistan Post launches online shopping facility

Pakistan Post has always been active in introducing latest technology trends for its customers to meet the rising expectations of their customers.

Continuing this tradition, Pakistan Post has recently launched UMS Cash on Delivery Service (COD) for the customers.

Launching of Cash on Delivery Service will prove a beneficial step in terms of customer satisfaction and convenience and will enable individual and corporate clients to send cash on delivery across the country.

With the help of this initiative, cash on delivery services will be available all over the country.

Currently, this service is available in 226 cities and towns linked with UMS network.

Pakistan Post will enable the service of online shopping for the customers on its website very soon.

About The Author

Nabahat Tahir leads the content production team at Techober. She also works as a web content manager at Centangle Interactive, an Islamabad-based digital media agency.


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Mushkin Source SSDs bring solid-state performance at friendly prices
— 4:45 PM on March 22, 2018

Yesterday's storage news was all related to datacenter gear for those overseeing acres of tightly-packed server hardware. Today's data conservation talk concerns a...

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Corsair Hydro H60 gets a new look and improved performance
— 3:15 PM on March 22, 2018

I reckon more than a few gerbils are familiar with Corsair's H60 closed-loop liquid cooler. It's Corsair's top-selling model, after all. Small radiators like these...

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International Goof Off Day Shortbread
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Thursday deals: an Acer ET322QK for $350, powerful laptops, and more
— 12:16 PM on March 22, 2018

Yay, spring! Oh wait, it's winter. Never mind, it's spring again. This refrain is being heard around most of Europe and the US right now....

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Adata's XPG SX8200 takes the company's SSD speed crown
— 10:40 AM on March 22, 2018

You could be forgiven for thinking that the Adata XPG SX8200 is a minor upgrade or revision of the prior XPG SX8000, and...

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Seagate floats 14 TB of storage in the helium-filled Exos X14
— 4:23 PM on March 21, 2018

At this year's OCP Summit, Seagate teased a new drive for its storage-hungry enterprise clients. This hard drive adds a new tier of storage...

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Toshiba shows off CD5, XD5, and HK6-DC SSDs and KumoScale software
— 10:53 AM on March 21, 2018

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Samsung PM883 SSDs and 64-GB RDIMMs are open for business
— 9:09 AM on March 21, 2018

All the real-time ray-tracing talk this week might give on the impression that the Game Developer's Conference is the only computer-related gathering going on. As...

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National Ravioli Day Shortbread
— 3:00 PM on March 20, 2018

Seems like there are a lot of days dedicated to pasta... PC hardware and computing MyDigitalSSD SBX M.2 NVMe...

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Tuesday deals: cheap SSDs, a 32" 4K display, and more
— 12:15 PM on March 20, 2018

Hi there, gerbils! Yesterday's real-time ray tracing news brought a wave of nostalgia over me. It's interesting to look back at how the technology...

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GeForce 391.24 drivers are ready to plunder the Sea of Thieves
— 11:00 AM on March 20, 2018

AMD isn't the only graphics company hoisting sails in preparation for Rare's Sea of Thieves. Nvidia's developers have also added day-one support for the...

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Radeon Software 18.3.3 looks for A Way Out of the Sea of Thieves
— 9:22 AM on March 20, 2018

Can you believe it's already March 20? Yes indeed, we're in the third week of the month, and AMD has apparently taken that as a...

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Nimbus Data's ExaDrive DC100 SSD is as roomy as they come
— 1:20 PM on March 19, 2018

When SSDs started to show up in PC build guides for enthusiasts, the first question on my mind was "why are they 2.5" drives?" As...

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Microsoft offers $250,000 bounty for speculative-execution bugs
— 10:45 AM on March 16, 2018

The January reveal of the Meltdown and Spectre speculative-execution attacks sent ripples through the entire computer industry. Part of Intel's response was a

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Everything You Think is Wrong Day Shortbread
— 2:41 PM on March 15, 2018

Mondays, amiright? PC hardware and computing Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite 10 review @ PC Perspective Analyzing Threadripper thermals @

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Firefox 59 flies in with faster page loading speed
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Tuesday deals: a Ryzen 5 1600X combo deal, curved displays, and more
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text:
Picture Time!

In lieu of a blog about Serious, Meeting Human Needs Stuff or Fruit of the Day (although I did try one! get excited!) or Deep Thoughts, here are some pictures! Don’t be angry.  (also: sometimes I worry that you guys won’t think I’m working or making a difference. I can’t vouch for the difference part yet, but I am working pretty hard. Sometimes it hard to capture that with a picture. So, I’ll write about that soon, but, I dunno, don’t think I’m just goofing off.)

It’s my buddy Hadassah and her mom, Lori. Them’s is some of my favorite people.

This is the school where we have church. And one of the 17,000 stray dogs.  They are everywhere. This one is actually kind of cute. Most of them are mangy and slightly terrifying. But they always have some agenda, it seems. They are always jogging somewhere with a purpose, not just meandering. So, either they are jogging or they are lying there. That part has less agenda.

Artsy Photo of the Day (it’s not the best photo, but I do love it when the sky is blue [which is so rare, sadly] and they buildings are colorful.)

Game night! With Saul and Paulo and Susan and Holly and I. We played slapping games. You can see the tension on their faces.

Okay, dude-elbugs (see what I did there? Clever!) this is the post you get for today. But! News!

1. Lindsey is here! The third and final intern! Booyah! It’s gonna be a fun time with all three of us.

2. There’s a new girl at House of Glory! Please join me in thanking God for bringing her here, and please pray for her (and all the girls) that they would experience Christ’s love and the healing of their deep hurts as they learn to care for their babies, pre and post birth.

Peace out, yo’s.

4 Comments on “Picture Time!”

  1. Mom says:

    I have no worries that you are working hard. Rest is part of God’s plan too, you know!

  2. Tell more about Glory House. Have you already done that and I missed it? What’s your part there? friendship? encouragement?

  3. Renee says:

    D’ahhhh… Babies.

  4. Your Dad says:

    Praying that God’s peace and love will grip your heart.

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First Ozone Standards, Now This?

by Ted Glick

I woke up this morning wondering if my ears had deceived me. I didn’t remember hearing anything in Obama’s speech last night about clean energy investments or clean energy jobs. So I looked up the transcript and went through it.

It turns out Obama did say something along these lines. One thing, one part of a sentence. Here it is:

If we provide the right incentives, the right support — and if we make sure our trading partners play by the rules — we can be the ones to build everything from fuel-efficient cars to advanced biofuels to semiconductors that we sell all around the world. That’s how America can be number one again.

That was it, nothing more.

To compare, here’s what Obama said in his State of the Union speech seven and a half months ago along these lines:

“This is our generation’s Sputnik moment. Two years ago, I said that we needed to reach a level of research and development we haven’t seen since the height of the Space Race. And in a few weeks, I will be sending a budget to Congress that helps us meet that goal. We’ll invest in biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean energy technology — (applause) — an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people.

“Already, we’re seeing the promise of renewable energy. Robert and Gary Allen are brothers who run a small Michigan roofing company. After September 11th, they volunteered their best roofers to help repair the Pentagon. But half of their factory went unused, and the recession hit them hard. Today, with the help of a government loan, that empty space is being used to manufacture solar shingles that are being sold all across the country. In Robert’s words, “We reinvented ourselves.”

“That’s what Americans have done for over 200 years: reinvented ourselves. And to spur on more success stories like the Allen Brothers, we’ve begun to reinvent our energy policy. We’re not just handing out money. We’re issuing a challenge. We’re telling America’s scientists and engineers that if they assemble teams of the best minds in their fields, and focus on the hardest problems in clean energy, we’ll fund the Apollo projects of our time.

“At the California Institute of Technology, they’re developing a way to turn sunlight and water into fuel for our cars. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, they’re using supercomputers to get a lot more power out of our nuclear facilities. With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015. (Applause.)

“We need to get behind this innovation. And to help pay for it, I’m asking Congress to eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies. (Applause.) I don’t know if — I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they’re doing just fine on their own. (Laughter.) So instead of subsidizing yesterday’s energy, let’s invest in tomorrow’s.

“Now, clean energy breakthroughs will only translate into clean energy jobs if businesses know there will be a market for what they’re selling. So tonight, I challenge you to join me in setting a new goal: By 2035, 80 percent of America’s electricity will come from clean energy sources. (Applause.)”

He didn’t mention the climate crisis in that speech but most, not all, of what I quote above was pretty good. Last night he took another step backwards, one week after he made his lousy decision to punt on strengthening ozone standards.

I appreciated, on Wednesday night, that one of the questioners asked the Republican Presidential candidates where they stand on the issue of the climate crisis. I was surprised to hear Jon Huntsman say that “98 out of 100” climate scientists believe the climate is heating up and human activity is the major reason.
It’s looking like, as far as the climate issue being a major issue of the 2012 election campaign in this time of extreme weather and record-breaking heat waves, it’s not going to come from the Presidential candidates of either major party. It’s up to the organizers, activists, debate moderators, bloggers, commentators and grassroots folks to make it so.

We have to get serious, find our “inner lion” and “bare out teeth,” in Michael Marx’s words, to make sure the biggest civilizational crisis we have ever faced, one getting worse much more quickly than scientists expected, is not “forgotten” over the next 14 months until election day, and beyond.

Ted Glick is the National Policy Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. Past writings and more information can be found at He can be followed on twitter @jtglick.


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Ping spikes and internet issues...Long post

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So I live in a small town so my ISP options are quite limited. My current provider constantly tells me everything looks great on their end and on my end and yet I have massive ping spikes when pinging google and when playing games. Also now at peak times my net slows down tremendously. So on a speedtest.net (Which they suggest to test there) it shows my speeds slowing but still somewhat reasonable even though it feels slow as hell like youtube buffering, netflix buffering etc... I pay $100 a month for a 30mb down and 5 up and I can't even watch PS vue in HD! So here is a test on speedtest.net and here is my result from testmy.net . As you can see they are vastly different. I feel like they are full of crap and know they over sold their internet and it's pure crap now and the fact they charge that much for this garbage is robbery. So the other day I said screw it and downgraded to their lowest internet and I had a new ISP come out and install some weird line of sight internet from a radio tower nearby... I know nothing of this technology but it sounds like it would suck but it was cheaper and I was sick of getting no help from my current ISP, I just figured i'd have to give up gaming online and streaming. So the crazy thing, here is a test from speedtest (I was blown away) and here is testmy.net. That's a massive difference and the ping is quite good which really surprised me too. Anyone know much about this Line of Sight type of internet? Maybe I just got lucky and no one else is even using it.

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text:
Another mysterious countdown from Square Enix.

Mysterious countdown from Square Enix

Mysterious countdown from Square Enix

A mysterious countdown clock appeared on the Square Enix JP site. Previously they had another countdown clock which over time revealed an artwork. It turned out to be a Final Fantasy spin off: Final Fantasy Gaiden: The  Four Warriors of Light for Nintendo DS. I basically knew that it wouldn’t be a big Square Enix project because the artwork wasn’t impressive at all. This new countdown site seems to have very good artwork and it might be a major projects for Square Enix. The countdown is set to end on August 7, which is on my birthday! A nice RPG for PS3 would be a great birtday present for me!

I think it might be Fabula Nova Crystallis related because the countdown has the exact same time as when the  Final Fantasy XIII North American/European and Japanese Trailers page launched. Also at that time Square Enix Members blog said that the countdown for Final Fantasy XIII would be “One of the many countdowns to come”. Also Tetsuya Nomura said back in March that he would show something impressive for Final Fantasy Versus once they got to a certain point.

What do you think? Is it an updated Japanese page for FF Versus or Agito XIII. Or is it maybe the announcement of Final Fantasy Haeresis XIII, which was patented a long time ago. I’m getting nervous and I hope it will be a really nice birthday gift for me.

Check it out here:

P.S.: I know there was news regarding FFXIII and XIV that they will appear at GamesCon this august. I will post this article later because I have something to add.

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Random Q&A: Nora Raleigh Baskin

This week, we talk with Nora Raleigh Baskin, author of ANYTHING BUT TYPICAL (Simon and Schuster, 3/24/09). Read on to learn more about short stories, tantrums and resurrections.

1) What is your typical writing day like?

I definitely do not have a typical writing day. When I m working on a book, either first draft or revision, I could write all day long, break to eat and run, maybe make dinner. That could go on for weeks. But there are days and weeks I don’t write at all. When I am teaching I find it hard to write. I get very involved with my student’s work and being there for them.

2) Why did you decide to write YA?

I started out trying to write for adult short stories but I found I was always writing about children. When I wrote my first children’s story for my son’s second grade class, I got the best response and I found the most satisfaction. When I began sending out my children’s stories and got the nicest, personal rejections, I knew I had found where I belonged.

3) What is the biggest surprise you’ve experienced when it comes to  book publishing?

That I don’t make any money… Ha! Just kidding. Sort of. Maybe the biggest surprise was how many books are actually published out there–and even when you get good reviews it takes a lot to stand out in this market. I haven’t figured it out yet, but it takes something. Big.

4) Do you ever have any “dark days,” when you wonder why you’re a  writer? What are those like, and how to you get through them?

Never. I wanted to be a writer since I was in fifth grade and most of my young adult life I spent trying to get published. I am grateful every single day of my life…seriously.

5) Authors talk about “the call.” Usually, it has to deal with  getting an agent or getting published or getting an accolade. What  was the best “call” you ever received in terms of your writing, and  how did it go down?

I certainly remember the “call” from my first editor when my first manuscript was bought. She was the first one to read it. I remember my older son was having some kind of tantrum and I was terrified that she would hear him in the background and that she would change her mind about the book. I also remember the call from Publisher’s Weekly that I had been chosen a Flying Start.  I felt like a star for a brief moment or two. That’s nice.

BONUS QUESTION: This week, we talk about the heroines that got away. Do you have one that you want to write about one day?

I don’t think any of my heroines have gotten away because they are always resurrected in one form or another. For example, I wrote three books in a series called The Life and Times of Natalie Appleby that was never published. More than ten years later, she reemerged as Natalie Gordon, a fifteen year old in ALL WE KNOW OF LOVE (Candlewick, 2008).

For more Nora, visit her here.

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Robin’s Randoms: Girls That Have Captured My (Writing) Fancy

I have quite a few untapped heroines in my future.  They are either half finished, or they lost their mojo part way into their WIP, but someday they’ll flesh themselves out and be the focus of their own story.

1. Klepto-girl: I wrote a few chapters that I loved and then the story went nowhere fast.  What was the focus?  She stole because… why?  Was she a bully, a kleptomaniac, was it just a phase?  The scenes were cool, I thought, but I never figured out what her back story was, so I went on to something else.

2. Rocker girl: This girl was the daughter of a washed up rock star.  I got into this and then I realized I didn’t like half the characters.  It needed too much of my time for repair, so I moved on to another WIP.  I still love the idea I started with, but I need nicer people.

3. Dream state girl: I have a series idea that I really want to write NOW.  That’s a problem because I’m writing something else, but that what happens when I write: writing generates writing, ideas generate ideas.  This story is a paranormal, I guess.  She learns things from the dream states she falls into.  This is good and bad.

4. Sister 1: This story, LSH, is yet another WIP.  It’s about a sister–which sister is still a question mark.  While I think it can be about their relationship and not one girl’s story, I feel like it would be stronger if it was told by just one of them.  One is older and a bit of a golden child.  Sound cliché?  That’s why I stopped.

5. Sister 2: I told LSH from the little sister’s POV because it was more interesting, but I didn’t want her to be bad.  Did I say cliché?  But it seemed cliché no matter what I did so I stopped.  Now, as I write this, I have another idea: they both tell the story and it centers around a specific event that they see, but from different points of view—much like real life.

Filed under Robin's Randoms

Susan’s Randoms: The Heroines Hanging Out in My Brain

This week, I’ve been trying to flesh out a new heroine for my WIP–Lane “Don’t Call Me Laney” Anderson. As I wrestle with making her character match her motivations and actions, I think about some of the other heroines I’ve wrestled with and that are waiting for me to get back to them when I’m ready to Frankenstein ’em to life.

1) No-Nonsense Chick. I’d love to write about a heroine who has the brains of Hermione, the moves of Buffy, and the arms of Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2 as she leads her class to defend themselves (a la Buffy against the Mayor or Patrick Swayze et al in Red Dawn).

2) I Ain’t ‘Fraid of No Ghosts Chick. I would love to write about a heroine who isn’t scared of the ghosts she can see everywhere, a la Anita Blake in the Laurell K. Hamilton vampire series. The twist? Don’t know yet. That’s why I haven’t written her yet. ;o)

3) Mean Girls Chick. I would love, love, LOVE to write an anti-hero, like a girl bully who starts seeing the error of her ways, a la Crash in Jerry Spinelli’s Crash. After all, a bully has a backstory, too.

4) I May Boil Your Rabbit Chick. I would love to write about revenge, a la John Tucker Must Die. C’mon, how many high school girls do you know who would like to make a boy or two pay for standing them up/not calling/hitting on them to get to their best friend.

5) Damsel in Distress Chick. I would love to write a character like Bella in Twilight. The damsel in distress has a place in literature; you’ve just gotta make sure you got a sympethetic, motivated DID. And when you do? You, too, can be a bajillionaire like Stephenie Meyer.

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Robin’s Randoms: Time-Sucked & Dried-Up

Scared?  Try freaked out.  Here are my favorite five freak-outs for a Friday.

1. Time: Life isn’t always the way I plan it, so I don’t get in the time I want and need for my book.  I long for the days when I had the big blocks of time with my story, and the room to spread the chapters out on the floor.  It’s hard for me to accept that the times have changed and I need to adjust.  I guess I’m scared of the that time-sucking monster.

2. The Zone: I love the feeling of being in the zone.  Or the flow.  Or riding the wave.  Whatever you call it, it’s the sensation of being so in the story that you lose track of time (in a good way) and you know you’ve been somewhere else.  I fear not having that experience because I know that it’s key to good story making.

3. Reviews: I can only do one thing to make good reviews happen.  I can write the best book I can, but I can’t control the reviews.  It’s scary knowing that they matter.

4. The Big House: With editors and houses in flux, I worry.  Will my house be okay?   Should I call my editor?

5. Drying up and blowing away: I have ideas, but I’m not always where I can write them down. When I do get the time to act on them will they be there?  If I don’t use them right off will they dry up and blow away?

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Amanda’s Randoms: Fear and Loathing in the Publishing World

There are many writerly things that haunt me at night—and in the morning—and in the afternoon.

1. But this isn’t what I thought it was going to be??? I’ll echo everyone’s fears about completing a book bought on a synopsis—or with two of my upcoming books—a paragraph. Total nightmare inducing fear! I had a close call with my last book. I had a very clear idea where it was going from the get go, but when my editor read the first draft she expressed concern that the focus wasn’t on the love triangle but another aspect. Eek! She read the synopsis and first pages and thought it was going one way, while I had always planned for it to go the other way. It worked out in the end, but it just sets the stage for more panic.

2. Looks can be deceiving: I worry that the cover for my next book, DEVOURED, doesn’t match up with what’s inside. It’s by far my absolute favorite cover, but does the romance implied on the outside match the ghost story/murder inside?

3. Twilight Fans: Some Twilight fans scare me. I had one read UNINVITED and she was so bothered by it that she got online and warned Twilight lovers not to read it because I “killed the vampire.” Um, I didn’t realize all vampire novels had to be romances. I never set out to make UNINVITED one, and if you read the back cover it pretty much clues you into what kind of a story it is—troubled teen fighting her inner demons. Now I love a paranormal romance as much as anyone, but do all paranormal books have to end with undying love? Isn’t there room for other kinds of stories? When UNINVITED came out I joked with my friends that it should come with a sticker that says “not a romance.” Apparently that was something I should’ve looked into.

4. Big Chains: Not having the big book store chains stock my books scares me. So far so good, but I know tons of authors who aren’t getting in and with each book coming out the fear starts all over again.

5. Meeting Deadlines: I have three more books to write this year—two of them for a new editor. Will I stay focused? Be creative? Knock her socks off? I’m scared!

Filed under Amanda's Randoms

Random Q&A: Cara Lockwood

This week, we talk to Cara Lockwood, who’s dropped by The Randoms before, but this time we pick her brain on what it takes to be a writer for YA and adult books (her latest is EVERY DEMON HAS ITS DAY). Read on about 80s pop cultural references and Deadwood sheriffs.

1) What’s the toughest challenge you face as you change gears between writing an adult novel and a YA novel?

I’d say the toughest challenge is keeping in mind the different perspectives of the adult reader versus the YA reader. In some ways, they both want the same things – like great characters and plot development – but in other ways they want different things. Your average YA reader, for instance, probably wouldn’t appreciate ’80s references like my adult audiences do.

2) Are the writing communities different between YA and adult novels? Which one feels more supportive?

I’ve found lots of support in both communities, but if I had to say which one was warmer, I’d say the YA community. YA fans are really so very generous with their compliments and their time.

3) Do you promote an adult book differently than a YA book?

I promote them in very similar ways, but for a YA book I put more emphasis on Facebook and MySpace, although adults are slowly taking over those sites.

4) Do you try to put yourself on a schedule–write two YA books and then write an adult book? Or is it left up to the publishing gods? Does your agent try to help you plan out your books?

I have no control over my schedule, really, it’s all about what my publisher is willing to publish (a.k.a. the publishing gods). My agent tells me what she thinks will sell, but otherwise, the plan is really just to pitch books that my publisher will buy!

5) Do you think you have to work at making your voice different for adult books vs. YA books? And with this paranormal adult done, are you going to branch into paranormal YA?

I do work at making my voice different for adult books versus YA books. Actually, come to think of it, each book has a different voice. It’s really what makes sense for that particular story or character, not just whether it’s for adults or teens.

And I’d love to do some paranormal YA. We’ll have to see what the publishing gods say about it, though.

BONUS QUESTION: If Steven Spielberg ever came a’knockin, who would you cast in EVERY DEMON HAS HIS DAY?

That’s a tough one! I’d say I’d cast Christina Applegate as Constance (I’m a huge fan of Samantha Who? and she has great comic timing). As for Nathan, I’d cast Timothy Olyphant from HBO’s Deadwood. He’s the best sheriff ever.

For more Cara, go here.

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Angie’s Randoms: Contracts and Reviews—the Nightmare Continues

Though it’s not on the following list, rejection is the underlying theme in all of these writer fears. Look closely. Can you see it??

1. Quality. This one looks a lot like what Susan talked about, when a book that was supposed to be the next Heathers turns into Dude, Where’s My Car? What scares me is having the exact image of a story in my head—the setting, tone, everything—so solid and literary, and having the actual written story turn out nowhere near it.

2. Reviewers. I have this nightmare. It goes something like this: a new message pops up in my email inbox, and it’s an update from all of my friends on Goodreads. I scroll through and everyone has rated my book a 2 or 3.

3. My Blog. I love blogging, and reading my friends blogs. But yes, my blog does produce some stress in my life. What if I can’t find anything to write about? What if no one reads my blog? What I’m boring? OK, I know I’m boring, but what if other people realize that??

4. Buzz. I need to repeat a mantra to myself these days. It’s out of my hands, it’s out of my hands, it’s out of my hands. Scholastic is going to do everything they can to build buzz, and so am I, and basically…I just need to move on!

5. Book Two in a Contract. Expectations, expectations, expectations! The book has been acquired, and it’s not even written yet? Does that seem a little stressful to anyone else?

Filed under Angie's Randoms