text:
Charting Progress on Key Environmental Goals in FY20 Sustainability Report

At Logitech sustainability is pervasive across all our activities and a reflection of our culture. We are reimagining product design throughout all lifecycle phases. Since last year, we have made multiple forward-looking public commitments and made good progress with our key environmental goals of improving carbon, toxicity and circularity of our products and our operations. You will see many examples of this progress throughout our most recent Sustainability report now available at

Our climate actions efforts are focused on 3R’s – Reduce, Renew and Restore. Our goal is to Reduce our carbon footprint in support of the 1.5OC goal to reduce global warming; Renew our footprint by using 100% renewable electricity; and what we are not able to reduce or renew we will Restore through investments in forestry while supporting climate-impacted communities.

To achieve our carbon reduction goal we have developed a number of lifecycle carbon, sustainable material and circularity analysis toolkits to inform and measure our progress. Our design for sustainability principles are integrated into our product development process. We have invested in new materials development and advanced sustainability research, in partnership with industry groups and academic institutions. These investments are helping us transition from product-level improvements to platform-level transformations.

We are increasingly using post-consumer recycled plastic resins in our products to create more circular supply chains and lower our product carbon footprint. We have established several packaging design principles to remove plastics and reduce weight, and are moving to FSC(R)-certified paper and vegetable-based ink.

88% of our global electricity demand is now sourced from renewable sources, nearing our RE100 commitment of 100% renewable electricity and we are working with our partners to make similar progress. We eliminate 131 tons of PVC contributing to our goal to be 100% PVC-free. We are 98% to our goal of complete conflict mineral certification and already at 100% for tungsten and tantalum. Last year we established a global recycling standard for end-of-life devices and have directly enabled recycling of over 50,000 tons of devices since CY10.

Our entire gaming portfolio, corporate travel, and our production facility are carbon neutral. We took this a step further by becoming the first consumer electronics company to commit to carbon transparency. We will share the lifecycle carbon footprint of all our products to drive better design decisions internally and for our consumers to better understand their carbon consumption. We are advocating for our industry peers to join us in carbon transparency and will share our know-how.

Externally, our approach is resonating with the industry and partners. The UN- sponsored World Benchmark Alliance has included Logitech in the SDG2000, a list of companies with the greatest potential to influence a more sustainable future. In 2019 and again in 2020, we won the World Finance Magazine Sustainability Award for our sector. We are also listed as a Leader in technology by Sustainalytics and maintained our inclusion on the FSTE4GOOD Index and Swiss SIX Sustainability Index as one of the “top 25 most sustainable Swiss companies.”

For the first time in an interconnected world, we witnessed the impacts of a global pandemic. In this time, we have seen how we as humans can adapt and positively improve our life on this shared planet. Our FY20 sustainability report stands to reflect a mix of what we have done, what we are committed to doing, and how we will act to help others along the way. We know there is much to do. We remain committed to sharing openly and to learn from others.

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The continued adventures of the traveling audiophile: going wireless

IMG_0513b copy

As with everything, it’s very easy to go off the deep end with audio – even personal, in-ear audio – and land up in a position where you have an extremely expensive piece of hardware that has zero secondary value (anything custom, for instance) and feel compelled that you have to make that decision before trying all options. And even if you’re lucky enough to be able to try all feasible options, 10-15 minutes of listening and A-B comparisons in an often less that representative (let alone ideal) location simply aren’t enough to make an informed decision. It also doesn’t help that you (I, at least) hit fatigue after perhaps half a dozen samples and can’t really hear the difference anymore – even if I might have fairly acute hearing on a normal day. But, I digress before I’ve even started. Last year’s move to the iPhone 7 and its forced choices of a) no charging with music if you use the Lighting to 3.5 adaptor, b) charging if you use the bulky as hell USB multiport thing and a small amp such as an AudioQuest Dragonfly Red, or c) wireless – has left me with a messy solution when travelling, which with involvement in three businesses in four countries and international clients, I seem to be doing even more of these days.

[Read more…]

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text:
So Neil Gaiman has a new book coming out in June. It’s called The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

I mention this for those of you who live deep in the wilderness or high atop some craggy mountain. (I’m assuming you access my blog with the help of some sort of friendly pigeon, or by using a type of prana-bindu meditation.)

I assume everyone except a complete eremite knows this book is coming out. Because generally speaking, I’m pretty clueless, and I’ve known about it for over half a year.

That means for half a year I have *craved* this book. I have desired it with a sort of grim, white-knuckled intensity that is normally the purview of sociopaths and teenage boys.

The worst part was that I knew Advance Reading Copies existed somewhere, but I didn’t know who I could schmooze to get one. You see, I’m at that point in my career where I know how publishing works, but I’m not exactly sure if it’s entirely cool to… say… contact Neil’s publisher and just ask for an ARC.

Trapped between my powerful desires and my own uselessness, eventually I did the modern equivalent of crying out the name of my beloved to the unfeeling sky, which is to say that I whined about it on goodreads.

Surprisingly, this helped a bit. I got it off my chest and was able to move on with my life.

Then, months later, when I’d almost manged to forget about it, something arrived in the mail:

full book

And on the back cover….

Back coverWait. Wait for it….

It gives me a tingle

Y’know, I feel like I should try to be cool about this. I am a professional author after all, have been for years. That means in some odd way I’m a colleague of Gaiman’s. Part of me feels that, as a professional, I should feign some sort of nonchalance about getting this book.

But it’s just not true. I am the furthest thing from nonchalance. I am brim-full of chalance. Overflowing with it.

The truth is, when I opened the envelope and saw this book, my heart actually beat faster. I was filled with a giddy joy. For a couple days, I carried it around with me. I showed it to my friends, filling them with rage and despair.

The truth is, I’m not a grown up. Underneath all of this, I’m still the same kid who used to spend all his allowance at Waldenbooks.

The truth is, I love books. I love them beyond all reason and sense. I will not pretend otherwise, and I am not ashamed. I am a geek, and the thought of having a special book signed by one of my absolute favorite authors fills me with a ridiculous and disproportionate amount of joy.

So. I got the book. My fondest wish. My heart’s desire.

You know about the shape of stories. You know where things go after this. Now we gently slide into a sweet and simple ending, an easy ever-after. Right?

No. Oh no. If you think that then you’re forgetting who I am. You’re forgetting who Gaiman is too.

I lack the ability to write a simple story with a simple ending. (I am, even now, telling you a story about a story. I cannot help it.)

And Gaiman’s stories, while they may be sweet, are never merely sweet. And when his stories are simple, they are deceptively so.

So this is the place where the story takes a turn.

*     *     *

Once I had the book, I did not read it.

At first the reason was a simple one. I was in the middle of a book. I can’t stop a book halfway any more than you can stop a sneeze. Neither can I read two books at once. The very idea strikes me as being vaguely obscene.

So I finished the book I was reading.

But still I didn’t read The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

The problem this time was that I was busy, putting in 12-14 hour days. Then I was traveling and didn’t want to risk taking the book. When I returned, I was swamped again, desperately trying to catch up on the work I had missed.

Then I caught up a little bit. Not entirely, but enough to have some breathing room. Enough to read.

Still I didn’t read the book.

Through all of this, the book sat on my desk where I could see it. It was nice having it there. Looking at it made me happy. Sometimes I would reach out and touch it a little bit. Occasionally I would pick it up and turn it over in my hands a little.

Then I would put it back down, unopened and unread.

I didn’t think much about it at first. After all, I was still busy. I would wait until I had enough time to relax and enjoy it….

So it continued to sit by my computer. I would reach out and touch it. Its presence comforted me.

Then, after a couple of days, something occurred to me. This is addict behavior. This is exactly how an experienced drug addict with good coping mechanisms treats their stash. Those of you who have had junkie friends will probably know exactly what I’m talking about…

Once I started thinking about my reading in these terms, the parallels were a little disturbing. I read about 150 novels a year, that’s not counting the comic books I’m increasingly fond of. Not nearly as much reading as I used to do, but it’s still a hell of a lot considering I’m usually working 10-12 hours a day.

I binge read. I read compulsively. I have been known to break plans with others in favor of staying home and reading. When I go too long without reading, I get irritable and depressed. The list goes on and on….

It kinda sounds like I’m making a joke here, but I’m really not. While labeling my reading a full-blown addiction would be a little silly (not to mention insulting to folks who struggle with genuine chemical addictions) I actually suspect that I may have an honest-to-god compulsive obsession with reading.

That said, as far as compulsions go, I’m pretty okay with it.

Besides, even if I wanted to fight it at this point, I doubt I could break the habit. The thought fills me with genuine horror. (Which is, of course, another sign of addiction.)

Still, the realization was a little troubling. So, looking for a little comfort, I did what I always do.

I started reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane. The only reason it took two sittings is because the restaurant closed and kicked me out.

(I feel as if I should mention at this point there won’t be any spoilers in this blog. I don’t go in for that sort of thing.)

I will say this. It made me smile. I laughed out loud. I cried. Not because of any particular sad moment, but because sometimes the shape a story makes is like a key turning inside me and I cannot do anything but weep.

Gaiman’s stories do this to me with fair regularity, which is one of the reasons I’m so fond of him. We are not similar writers. Not at all. But I like to think we share a fondness for the shape of stories.

Ultimately, when you tell a friend about a book, there is only one truly meaningful question to answer: “Is this book worth your time?”

So I will simply say, “Yes.”

If you’re curious to hear more, I wax more rhapsodic over here on goodreads.

P.S. Absolutely worth your time…..

This entry was posted in a few words you're probably going to have to look up, cool things, love, Neil Gaiman, Stories about stories.. By Pat85 Responses

  1. CL
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 5:05 AM | Permalink

    Congrats, Patrick! I must say, you’ve made considerable progress on the book blurbing front. Now, instead of being politely interested in checking out one of your recommendations, I’m frothing at the mouth.

  2. Sandman
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 6:07 AM | Permalink

    “That means for half a year I have *craved* this book. I have desired it with a sort of grim, white-knuckled intensity that is normally the purview of sociopaths and teenage boys.”

    That is how I feel about the Kingkiller Chronicles Book 3. Except longer. :-)

  3. RegistrationIsStupid
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 7:19 AM | Permalink

    Hmm, I hate you now, I guess. Why, the last time I got an unexpected package there were electric pepper and salt mills in it.
    Not only did you get a copy of the new Gaiman ahead of time, you got a 1 of 100 LE and it was signed. And you didn’t read it right away. Well your explanation of not having time and all the addict thing going on sounds reasonable, but here is a different threory:
    Image you stumbled upon the holy grail. No thats a bad example, too much religion in there, image instead you stumbled upon The long lost treasure goblet, would you go ahead and eat your cereals out of it the next breakfast?
    Or would you rather put it where you could see it every day. Would you rather show it to friends, because not showing off something cool is for chickens and loners. And, when you have come to grips with you excitement of possessing said special item, only then would you make actual use of it.

  4. kdculb
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 7:28 AM | Permalink

    Pat, I have read a lot of books in my day, but I confess I have never read Gaiman. I think I will give this one a try. Thanks.

  5. Posted May 31, 2013 at 7:44 AM | Permalink

    Hi, I’m Steve and I also am a book addict. I’m fine with that.

  6. jayh
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 8:02 AM | Permalink

    So, the next question is, are you going to auction it off at next years World Builders (assuming Gaiman is cool with that), or have you relegated this copy to your realm of “my precious”?

    • Posted May 31, 2013 at 11:42 AM | Permalink

      Normally, I would donate it to Worldbuilders…. But this time I’m really not sure. I think I might have to be a little selfish just this once and keep it to myself….

      • sandibd
        Posted May 31, 2013 at 1:46 PM | Permalink

        Look at it this way Pat. You have given so much of your time & money to Worldbuilders and the time you give to your fans is more than generous (who appreciate it very much, especially enjoy watching the kickstarter videos for the card deck), and you deserve something special to call all your own.

      • JeremyM
        Posted May 31, 2013 at 2:02 PM | Permalink

        I know you don’t need my permission or advice but if there was a vote I would definitely vote for you to keep it. You do A LOT for other people so it sounds like this is karma’s way of paying you back a little bit. I have the limited edition on pre-order plus a copy from the signing I’m going to that I am looking forward to receiving. Thanks for the write up of the book!

      • jayh
        Posted May 31, 2013 at 3:21 PM | Permalink

        If I read that right, it say’s special edition 1 of 100, which means Holy F#$king Collectibles, batman. Plus, reading between the lines, the fact that he gave you #1 probably means something too.
        I’d say you’re perfectly justified in keeping it for yourself as a really cool token of his regard. That’s just way too awesome to give away even for a great cause like Heifer.

      • SporkTastic
        Posted May 31, 2013 at 3:45 PM | Permalink

        As a fan, donator, and fellow bibliophile, I’m firmly in the “treat yourself, you’ve earned it” camp on this one; seriously, imagine the day when you can share how awesome this is with Oot.

      • Gorewolf
        Posted May 31, 2013 at 7:52 PM | Permalink

        Oh no, don’t donate it! The amount of work you put into writing and your charity you need something every now and again to keep yourself going! Frankly i think you should already be made a saint for the work you do, if you donated it we would have no choice to start Rothfussism.

      • maine character
        Posted June 2, 2013 at 2:11 AM | Permalink

        If you donated it, you would only wake up, night after night, crying out for it, and eventually spend the next few weeks tracking it down, only to end up on your knees on someone’s steps, begging them to let you read just a page. Don’t do that to yourself. Enjoy it.

      • Jose Antonini
        Posted June 3, 2013 at 6:07 PM | Permalink

        It was a gift, it would be impolite of you to give it away.

        (You can tell that to the annoying voice in your head if its giving you a hard time.)

  7. Albender
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 8:28 AM | Permalink

    reads 150 books a year
    10-12 hours writing a day…
    has a family
    do signings
    attend cons

    • Robo
      Posted May 31, 2013 at 10:42 AM | Permalink

      That’s how you can tell he loves what he does. #jealous

    • Posted May 31, 2013 at 11:41 AM | Permalink

      You’re not wrong….

  8. ashley_capes
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 8:31 AM | Permalink

    Wow! Very jealous, wish I didn’t have to wait even a few more weeks for this book. Fantastic, can’t wait to read the dickens out of it

  9. Glirmin
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 8:42 AM | Permalink

    I am not addicted….. I can stop anytime I want

  10. ModreztheWeird
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 8:42 AM | Permalink

    I listened to all your Story board episodes and some interviews… but now after spending a lot of time with the kickstarter Hangouts I hear your voice in my head when reading your blog :D let me just say that you have a pleasant and beautiful voice.

    • Mercurial1
      Posted May 31, 2013 at 9:10 AM | Permalink

      Hear, hear!!

    • sandibd
      Posted May 31, 2013 at 1:47 PM | Permalink

      OMG me too! His voice so filled this blog.

  11. savasmooth
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 8:44 AM | Permalink

    I was able to take the day off for my birthday, and reading this makes me smile. I am going to see Neil Gaiman at the War Memorial Auditorium when he comes through Nashville in July. With the purchase of that ticket, I get a signed copy of the book. Only problem is it isn’t until July! Being poor as I am, I can’t afford to buy two copies, so I will wait. But July! At least I know there is someone else out there who understands what it is like to fiend whilst waiting for a highly anticipated book. Thanks, Pat!

  12. ali rahemtulla
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 9:10 AM | Permalink

    I have the same problem pat, and my best friend does two. I get kinda depressed and cranky when I’m in a reading slump. My friend once when seven days without reading a book at all. Eventually, he started staring at his great-grandparents book covers (they didn’t allow him to touch them) for hours. I really do get what you mean Pat, but it’s easy for me to get my fix. I have quick access to books, and the various manga that I read come out almost day by day. Anyways, thanks for the recommendation as I didn’t know about it (Once, when asked for my date of birth, I got it wrong three times in a row. My dad had to step in :) )

  13. RH
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 9:26 AM | Permalink

    Did you know Mr Gaiman keeps bees? A friend of his who always wanted to have bees but lives in an apartment helps him with it, and occasionally posts about it in her blog. Here is one such entry with a Gaiman video.

  14. ccomer38
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 9:33 AM | Permalink

    so i read half of memory of light (in a day) and then haven’t picked it up again.. does that make me an addict? :( its so nice to see it sitting next t my bed.. knowing that there’s still going to be more story! When i finish it, then it’ll be over…

  15. Alphonse
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 9:55 AM | Permalink

    I think I can relate a bit.
    After reading the Name of The Wind for the first time, It felt like I was going to go mad if I didn’t have the sequel right this moment. The year was 2008.
    At first I managed to cope by re-reading the book. Then, I would daydream about it and imagine new adventures for Kvothe. But my imaginings were poor and I would get frustrated. Besides, It would take up too much of my time and I my studies were suffering from it. So I hid the book and resolved to forget all about it.
    It’s a bit hard when you tell yourself not to think about something. At first, you can’t focus on anything else, and then oblivion comes and goes by increasing stretch of times. But if you don’t have anything to remind you too much, then one day, oblivion comes to stay.
    So in June 2011, I haven’t thought about the Name of The Wind in more than a year. And then I notice a book called the Wise Man’s Fear in a bookstore because the cover is beautiful and it’s really big.
    The name of the author doesn’t ring a bell, but the map which the book opens up to when I take it into my hands for a peek, really really does.
    So I take the book home and I place it in a place of honour on a shelf which I dust beforehand. I look for the Name of the Wind and finally I find it, and I put it on the shelf right next to my new acquisition. And then I will myself to hold out on reading them for as long as I can and when I inevitably crack, I will myself to read as slowly as possible and in as many sittings as possible.
    A week later, I’ve finished the Wise Man’s Fear and I feel like I’m going mad again.

  16. roxie
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 10:15 AM | Permalink

    I gotta say that I got chills when I looked at the pictures of the book.

  17. Robo
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 10:44 AM | Permalink

    I read 200+ books a year. Not trying to one-up you, but it’s part of my job. I read this back in December and loved it. I tried to describe it to a few people but I think you need to be a poet to do it justice. Needless to say, those same people are having the same trouble trying to explain it to their friends now.

  18. Dan
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 12:05 PM | Permalink

    Love both reviews. You might want to fix the spelling of paean over on the over on goodreads.

    • Dan
      Posted May 31, 2013 at 12:06 PM | Permalink

      Talk about a spelling typo with a another typo; cursed I am as I should be.

      • Posted May 31, 2013 at 1:53 PM | Permalink

        I think both paean and paen are legal spellings.

  19. Posted May 31, 2013 at 12:16 PM | Permalink

    Idonno…. You make it sound SO appealing, but then you make Lots of things sound appealing. I’d never heard of Gaiman before reading one of your posts where you referenced it (and American Gods specifically)… so I threw it into my queue. I’m struggling to find something to say about that experience, but childhood lessons of “saying nothing unless I have something good to say” keep getting in the way. Maybe I’m a dullard, but it didn’t do anything for me and while I was able to finish the book (can’t say that about other big-name authors ~ I quit Game of Thrones mid-book 4 or 5 amid much disgust/frustration), I surely didn’t have any desire to read more. I had to cleanse the palate a little and re-read 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 before moving on.

    But June is Gaiman month on the calendar, and I’ve been reading the author of the month through their month. Might be time to try again…

    • sandibd
      Posted May 31, 2013 at 1:54 PM | Permalink

      I get you Brian. I like most of Gaiman’s stuff, but not everything is for me. I loved “American Gods.” Then I read or saw (can’t recall) an interview with him. He was asked something along the lines of why all his books seem to teeter on religious themes. I loved his response. He said the ten commandments: “thou shalt put no other God before me.” really interested him. So is that God acknowledging there are other Gods out there? His books toy with that theme. When I read that, I saw (whether intended or not) a sense of humor in that thinking. Some people might view it as sacrilegious, but it amused me. Plus I loved the episodes of Dr. Who he wrote.

    • Posted May 31, 2013 at 2:59 PM | Permalink

      A lot of folks have mixed feelings about American Gods, and it’s not typical of Gaiman’s work. He himself said,

      “As far as I can tell, for every five people who read it, one loves it utterly, two or three like it to varying degrees, and one hates it, cannot see the point to it and needs convincing that it’s a novel at all.”

      • Bartb11
        Posted May 31, 2013 at 10:53 PM | Permalink

        I too am a voracious reader…I get completely jittery if I don’t read every day. I carry a book with me every where I go…just in case I might find a moment to read. I read before bed to clear my head or I wouldn’t sleep. But then, when the book is TOO good, I don’t sleep because I can’t put the book down (NOTW, I love thee so).

        Thank you for that Gaiman quote as I did not like American Gods AT ALL. Normally if recommended on your blog I *love* the book, or at least enjoy it. I also love to get book ideas out of your blog comments and usually enjoy the books recommended by fellow Rothfuss fans. But NOT that one. So glad I’m not the only self confessed voracious-reader-geek who disliked it.

      • tanis0
        Posted June 4, 2013 at 11:11 AM | Permalink

        I’m glad you posted this because I feel like I’m completely missing the point of Gaiman’s books in general. To be clear, I don’t feel like this is a failing with Gaiman but rather with myself. I started with American Gods and thought it was kind of ok but not great. After chatting about it at Stellarcon, I picked up Neverwhere and while I liked it a little more, it still didn’t get me to where you, Sanderson, Zelazny, etc. get me. I did enjoy Good Omens, but I fear it may be the Pratchett elements in that case.

        If anyone who loves Gaiman’s novels is interested in answering, what is it that you love? Is it voice, worldbuilding, plot, characters, tension, or what (and don’t just say yes lol). I find that I enjoy the voice, but the characters I really like don’t get much screen time (Vandemar and Croup for example), and the plots just haven’t grabbed me. Also, can anyone recommend one last Gaiman novel which might turn me around, or do you think I might just not be in his audience?

        • gryphyn
          Posted June 18, 2013 at 9:08 PM | Permalink

          @tansio Definitely try some of his other works. He’s one of my favorite authors and yet I really don’t like “American Gods” or “Anansi Boys” very much. “Neverwhere” is my favorite though (with a blazing passion) and I see it didn’t really fly for you. After that one I think “The Graveyard Book” is next up in my list.

          I think it’s the off-kilter-ness that I like. The way he has of taking normal and reflecting it through a fun house mirror of sorts. With “Neverwhere” it’s London Below, “Coraline” it’s literally a twisted version of reality, and with the new book it’s memory and I’m not sure what else because I read it too darn fast (came today and I’m done already). I also like that (mostly) his heroes aren’t really heroes. No special training or birthright. Just people caught up in something strange, who have to rely on themselves and are often surprised by the results when they make it through.

          I’ve found though that as much as I like reading his books (and that’s lots and lots), I love(!) listening to them. That might be worth a try for you. He does his own narrations and he might not be the best at doing different voices, it’s more than made up for by the fact that’s it’s _his_ story and has all the little pauses and inflections that he means it to have.

        • wickedstpmom
          Posted June 24, 2013 at 8:43 PM | Permalink

          Try Anansi Boys. You don’t really need to read American Gods to love this book. If you like audio books, it is even more of an experience when recreated by Lenny Henry.

  20. Bewitchedh
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 12:37 PM | Permalink

    At least you know you are not alone in your reading addiction. Also, that you are personally producing our drug of choice. It has a long anticipatory rise, followed by hours to days of heightened emotion, followed by a long withdrawal period and occasionally echoes. I should have just said no…

  21. trunuyawkr
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 12:41 PM | Permalink

    I, too, am a book addict. While I do not read 150 per year at this point, that is only because I have 4 children and they have this thing with wanting to be clothed, fed, entertained, and shuttled off to various sports / educational / social practices and events, the silly gooses. My husband always knows when I have reached my breaking point, however – when it has been too long without my fix. He takes the boys, hands me a book or three, gives me a kiss and sends me upstairs for some peace and reading time. I have seriously been known to pace in circles between my bookcases if I find myself without anything good to read…….. it’s a glorious “problem” to have. :)

  22. novaengliae
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 12:45 PM | Permalink

    I myself am excited as I have a copy of this book on hold for me at a bookstore in Miami where I will be going to a Neil Gaiman book signing! After meeting Pat last month, all my fan-girl dreams will have been fulfilled!

  23. phiredrops
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 12:50 PM | Permalink

    The truth is, I’m not a grown up. Underneath all of this, I’m still the same kid who used to spend all his allowance at Waldenbooks.

    It’s funny you should say this because I can relate so much and then some. I was a Waldens devotee growing up and was lucky enough to work there before The Dark Days. During that time our store received an unasked-for massive brick of an ARC that nobody dared touch because it was from an unknown and the aforementioned girth of said book was just a bit daunting. However, fantasy ARCs were rare for our store and it was my section, so I was obligated to give it a chapter. As it turns out that ARC was Name of the Wind and I read the ever loving fuck out of that book. It is My Precious and I was lucky enough to have you sign it. That giddy feeling seeing the signature and quick inscription? I know that feel. Don’t even think of auctioning it off. Please, keep it.

    • Bartb11
      Posted May 31, 2013 at 10:59 PM | Permalink

      I once had a second job working at a small local bookshop..alas, it didn’t do much for my income as I spent most of my paycheck there. But I guess it did help since I wasn’t spending all the money from my ” day” job there.

  24. sfgiantsjo
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 12:55 PM | Permalink

    And now, Neil himself is linking to YOU on Twitter, Pat! He’s like, your total BFF! Congrats and man, am I ever jealous! https://twitter.com/neilhimself/status/340524893995155457

    • Posted May 31, 2013 at 3:01 PM | Permalink

      And now I squee with delight….

      • Posted May 31, 2013 at 3:01 PM | Permalink

        Um. Very *manly* delight….

        • SporkTastic
          Posted May 31, 2013 at 3:47 PM | Permalink

          “We’re *men*! We’re men in tights! (Tight tights!)”

  25. Holly
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 12:57 PM | Permalink

    I am so glad that I am not the only one who is addicted to reading! Everything you just described is exactly how I am as well. But, the way I see it, there are worse things besides books a person could be addicted to.

  26. David Healy (Windmill)
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 12:59 PM | Permalink

    It’s blog posts like these that push me further toward a career in writing. If I become a success, thanks Pat (and maybe a few others). If not, I hold you personally accountable.

    Pre-ordered on Amazon.

  27. Posted May 31, 2013 at 12:59 PM | Permalink

    I am so envious! But if someone who isn’t me gets an advance copy, I’m glad it’s you. (and I get my copy in 2 weeks, when I see Neil in Bath, so I can just about bear to wait.)

    And yes, I’m a book addict, too. I don’t think I *could* give it up, even if I wanted to (which I don’t).

  28. SevenWords
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 1:02 PM | Permalink

    I am half way through American Gods. I had to stop, it was intense. Now it sits back on my desk. I often want to grab it again. It scares me that it may end. I hope one day fear will pass. Until that time comes, it will wait. I think it is my favorite book.

  29. sandibd
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 1:58 PM | Permalink

    I finished a book once during an afternoon read. I had no next book lined up and ready to go…I sat in bed that night, not really knowing how to go to sleep without a book to read for a while before lights out. It was a most disturbing feeling. Times like these I used to pick up Harry Potter. I mean, I can read what I want until I find the next book to read, then put it down no loss. Now, after NOTW and WMF I just can’t do that anymore. The bar has been raised. Luckily, I LOVE re-reading books that I thoroughly enjoyed. As I look at the many (not as many as Pat’s) books on my bookshelves, I see how my taste in reading has changed over the years. I was slow to the fantasy genre, but am glad I am here.

  30. Celt42
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 1:59 PM | Permalink

    My husband says that when I go too long without a book I act like a cat who’s fur has been rubbed the wrong way, then prevented from grooming itself. I hiss and spit a lot. When that happens he hands me one of my favorite books, kisses me on the forehead, and tells me to go get lost for awhile.

    • Posted May 31, 2013 at 3:02 PM | Permalink

      That sounds like a good relationship.

  31. Posted May 31, 2013 at 3:22 PM | Permalink

    I think this is the most relatable blog I’ve read of yours yet! I have actually struggled a bit with my own reading obsession. Every year I set a goal to read a certain amount of books. If I hit the goal, which I usually do, I raise the bar the next year and try to read 5 more books than the previous year. It’s a fun thing to do. This year though, I really thought about where all this reading was getting me. I was doing some of the same things you mention here, specifically, blowing off chill sessions with people just so I could read more. So instead of raising my goal 5 books this year I lowered it 10 and I’m actually really happy I did. Just that little bit has left me with enough free time to show the people I love I appreciate them more and explore some new hobbies. Turns out, real life ain’t all that bad if you actually give it a shot. LOL.

    Outside of that, I’m not the ultimate Gaiman fan or anything, but I think I’d still keep the book on my desk just to touch it. Whatever. Take happiness where you can get it. I fondle my talent pin at least once day…LOL. I actually squeeled with girlish glee and proceeded to jump up and down upon reciept. So I know whatcha mean.

    Also – that review really made me want Smore’s and a serious Dr. Who discussion, since I just recently started watching it. Gods bless you Netflix.

  32. hail2daredskinz
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 3:23 PM | Permalink

    i ordered 2 autographed editions months ago… eagerly awaiting their arrival.

    i just finished WMF about 20 minutes ago for the 5th or 6th time and just realized tempi never got paid for his part in taking down the bandits. did he just give his gold coin to the school or did he eventually go to severen to collect? out of all the deep, disturbing questions one could take away even after multiple readings, this is the one thing that stuck out to me this time.

    • sandibd
      Posted May 31, 2013 at 3:40 PM | Permalink

      Interesting minutia to take away. I bet Pat knows the answer, and just hasn’t told us.

      Oh and Pat…btw, I am not famous, never will be. I will never have my own blog, or be recognized everywhere I go. But I still squeed with delight when I got the autographed NOTW in the mail I ordered off The Tinker’s Pack. I was very surprised how fast it came. Even though I didn’t get to meet you and have you sign the book in person, it meant just as much. (But I will save WMF for some future signing in person.)

  33. Hnnh
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 4:18 PM | Permalink

    This blog just proves why I love your blog so much. I can relate to what you’re saying. When I got your book “the Wise man’s fear” I did that, I just kept it by my side while I was finishing a book, I brought it to school for some days until I finally read it.

    If you say I should read it, I will, because I started reading Gaiman and got some other books thanks to your recommendations, let me tell you that you have good taste in novels, my friend. I’ll buy this book when I see it, it certainly seems like a “must have”.

    • Hnnh
      Posted May 31, 2013 at 4:22 PM | Permalink

      This entry just prove why I love your blog so much. Sorry, I reread after I sent it and was like “what did I just write?”. This happens when I don’t sleep as much as I should.

  34. Posted May 31, 2013 at 4:19 PM | Permalink

    What an amazing gift to get!! And I love how you fanboyed out over it, because that’s precisely what I would do.

    And no, don’t donate this one. You’ve got to keep it, it’s too rare and awesome and wonderful and beautiful.

  35. kuraku
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 4:59 PM | Permalink

    “I cried. Not because of any particular sad moment, but because sometimes the shape a story makes is like a key turning inside me and I cannot do anything but weep.”

    • Posted June 1, 2013 at 8:29 AM | Permalink

      My wife plays the piano; I sing along. Often I’m reading the sheet music, looking ahead, and I see someone’s perfect musical idea. I lose my voice in tears, miss the moment — and now I know how to explain it.

      Thanks, Pat.

  36. sade-senn
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 5:14 PM | Permalink

    I identified most strongly with the feelings of withdrawal after a book is finished and the blackout period where time just disappears and you are enmeshed in a world away. Though I don’t remember, I was in grade school when a teacher returned after lunch to find me still reading in my desk. I’d missed hearing the bell, the mass exodus of students from the classroom, and nearly the entire lunch hour because I’d been reading. So, I hear you on the addicted-to-books thing. There’s a wide-open, direct channel from stories to my heart. I’ve never been ashamed of it and I’ll never quit loving stories with a depth that sometimes scares me. Gaiman is very near and dear to my heart and though I have not read your books before, I intend to get started right away!

  37. FollowYourMuse
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 6:53 PM | Permalink

    Hello, my name is Jeanette and I’m a readaholic.

    In the past when I hit the point of not having anything specific to read next. I would return to favorites, read the dictionary or any written word I could get my hands on.
    Now I consider Pat to be my anonymous reading buddy, when I am at a loss on what to read next I look to his recommendations and reviews to get me through the next reading fix.

    Loved this review, with two weeks to go I was already experiencing panic on making the decision between reading Pratchett or Gaiman first when both books will be delivered the same day. This review put The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the top.

  38. Posted May 31, 2013 at 7:48 PM | Permalink

    “Obsessive / compulsive book addict.”
    “One book at a time.”
    “Cancel events to stay home and read.”

    Yep. I’m a book addict. Cracking open a fresh book is like the first time with a new lover….and almost as exhilarating.

    You nailed it, Pat.

    Book geek and proud.

  39. Gorewolf
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 8:02 PM | Permalink

    I wont lie, i had to look up eremite to find out what i apparently am; didn’t know about the book and have never read Gaiman before.

    Not because i don’t want to, i really only heard about Gaiman when he wrote Dr Who and as i read by author nowadays Hobb, Eddings and Pratchett have taken up all my time since then.

  40. Foxbat4619
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 8:38 PM | Permalink

    Thanks, I always enjoy seeing what authors you recommend!

  41. Green Man
    Posted May 31, 2013 at 9:12 PM | Permalink

    This made me chortle first and that rolled right into a deep laugh. You’re not alone! I am that same kid too. :)

    • Green Man
      Posted May 31, 2013 at 9:13 PM | Permalink

      Crap, that whole quote thing didn’t work at all. Let’s just try this instead:

      The truth is, I’m not a grown up. Underneath all of this, I’m still the same kid who used to spend all his allowance at Waldenbooks.

  42. chaelek
    Posted June 1, 2013 at 2:03 PM | Permalink

    Pat, while your cataloguing of your reading as an obsession probably isn’t too far from the truth, calling it an addiction gives it a negative connotation, as if it’s something to be reviled.

    I, too read over a hundred novels a year, with a schedule of similar intensity to your own (Med school, ‘nuf said). I find it to be one of the things that keeps me centered as a person, however. More like quiet meditation than, say, shooting up. It’s a great stress reliever, and so I find the busier I am, the MORE I read, to counter my increased work load.

    I find different avenues, maybe. I’ve recently started using Audible, so I’ll “read” a book while jogging, or doing dishes, or driving.

    All that said, I definitely understand the addiction idea. Good books (yours come to mind) are addictive as ophalum, and I’d stand knee deep in snow, naked and dancing, if someone held a copy of WMF over my head.

  43. Fiendo
    Posted June 1, 2013 at 10:31 PM | Permalink

    Great story- reminds me of a similar experience. I attended a book reading/meet and greet with Vince Flynn for his latest Mitch Rapp super spy novel. At the time I was in about week 3 of the FBI academy, which I told Vince while he was signing my book. He made it out to “Special Agent” (name withheld). I couldn’t let myself read it until I graduated from the academy 18 weeks later. After staring at it for all those weeks, I devoured it in one sitting.

  44. Phaedron
    Posted June 1, 2013 at 10:53 PM | Permalink

    I was lucky enough to get a publisher’s copy of “M is For Magic,” signed by both Neil Gaiman and Gahan Wilson, on eBay from the awesome Clifford Meth. Sure, Gaiman’s a star, but Wilson is legendary. Actually holding something signed by him was the big, sweaty, trembling “get” for me. Right now, I’m caressing it sweetly with my left hand as I pick out keys with my right. But the pressing question that derives from your account is: Increasingly fond of WHICH comic books??

    • Posted June 4, 2013 at 12:13 AM | Permalink

      I talk about them on goodreads a lot….

  45. Richard
    Posted June 3, 2013 at 2:16 AM | Permalink

    I realized years ago that we all have our addictions. The trick is to choose them carefully. As far as that goes, reading is a lot more benign than some of the other popular choices…

  46. Matt the Librarian
    Posted June 3, 2013 at 3:34 PM | Permalink

    As my screen name says, I am a librarian. One of the powers granted us librarians is the ability to request Advanced Reader Copies from publishers. It doesn’t always work, but I am pleasantly surprised when it does (I have been able to score a few Brandon Sanderson ARCs in the past).

    A few months ago, I faxed a request to Gaiman’s publisher, hoping to get an ARC of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. About a month after sending the request, I had not received anything, but I did have a dream: in this dream a package arrived in the mail, and upon opening it, a beautiful, hardbound version of TOatEotL revealed itself. Strangely, my dream version almost looked like Pat’s. I was ecstatic. And (strangely) like Pat, I started showing it off to my friends and family, including my mom. However, after glancing at it, she handed it back and said “this isn’t Neil Gaiman’s book” . I looked at it, and to my horror (as happens in dreams) it had become a beautiful, hardbound ARC of a new Dale Brown “techno-thriller”. Along with it was a letter from the publisher explaining that they could not provide me Gaiman’s book and hoped I would be happy with Dale’s instead (I was not). And then I woke up, saddened that in both reality and my dreams, I was denied Gaiman’s ARC. (I’m not sure what it says about me that these are the kinds of dreams I have. Oh well. I think this crowd will understand).

    So Pat, I was pleasantly surprised to see your blog post today and I am glad your reality went so much better than my dream/nightmare.

    I never did receive the ARC, and that is fine. I will happily read the book when it is released in two weeks.

  47. froznpeas
    Posted June 3, 2013 at 5:18 PM | Permalink

    Pat, I *do* live deep in the wilderness, so thanks for the update on the new Gaiman book! You (and he) have fans everywhere, even in the remote woods.

  48. Brady Dill
    Posted June 3, 2013 at 5:59 PM | Permalink

    Neil Gaiman is truly amazing. I’m so jealous right now…

    On a side note, are you aware of anyone who has ever noticed that “Manet” is Latin for “He remains”? Do I win the prize for being first?

    Of course, Ivare Enim Euge is much, much more questionable Latin (sort of like how “Exspecto Patronum” means “I await the stone”).

  49. Hollie
    Posted June 4, 2013 at 5:47 PM | Permalink

    I used to be among these ranks… then my world fell apart.

    I’ve always been a voracious reader, since I learned to read I’ve consumed books one after another. Upon the advent of the Kindle, my appetite grew even further, and every thirty seconds I had waiting for an elevator or to cross the road I would cram in a few pages. I couldn’t fall asleep at night without reading. It was my passion, my escape, my coping mechanism, my joy, all wrapped up into one. I also followed Pat’s blog with almost religious devotion.

    About three years ago my husband and I decided it was time to start a family. So we tried and tried to no avail, and many tests and a surgery later, found out I had a congenital abnormality that was interfering in our efforts. We had just accepted we weren’t going to get anywhere without intervention and were preparing for further action when I got pregnant. For me it was a miracle, like light in the darkest of places. I loved, adored, and cherished our son growing inside me, all the while knowing and fearing the odds that were horribly stacked against my little miracle. At five months, we found out he was in danger, and I was put on bed rest, and guess what I did while I lay in bed all day and night – I read, and read, and read.

    A month later I went into labor and our son was stillborn. And I stopped reading.

    For the first few months I was so depressed it was all I could do to zombie through my days at work and get a few bites of food down. As the pain dulled I tried to go back to reading. If there was ever a time I needed an escape this was it. But I couldn’t do it, my beloved books had transformed from my escape from everyday life to a reminder of what I lost, and the stories that used to excite me seemed trivial.

    It’s been nine months now, and I haven’t been able to re-kindle my joy of reading, despite my best efforts, and this really disturbs me. I share this rather personal story because while almost anyone can understand my greif over the loss of my son, I figure very few can understand my grief and anxiety over the loss of my reading, so it isn’t something I’ve really tried to express before. But after reading Pat’s expression of his devotion and obsession, and everyone elses here in the comments, I figure this is one group that would understand. So I decided to unload a little.

    Pat said he’s not sure he could stop his compulsion if he wanted to. I would not have thought so either, but there are things that can change you even to those deepest levels. I finally started reading the blog again in the last week, and I hope to re-join the ranks of the book geeks someday soon. Until then it’s really nice to see others enthusiasm and joy, maybe it will rub off on me a little ;)

  50. pentjak
    Posted June 12, 2013 at 11:02 AM | Permalink

    I’m not sure you’d want to use me as your moral compass in this matter (or any matter, frankly) but I there’s a nice parallel with my coffee addiction here. I’ve been drinking coffee for as long as I can remember. My parents would put a very tiny amount mixed with milk in my sippie-cups way back when and yada yada yada now at 33 if I don’t have a cup in the morning I get a headache by 1pm or thereabouts.

    This bothered me for a while. I felt like I should have complete control of my body and would randomly think about having to forcibly detox in one situation or another (plane crashes on desert island, given the choice by a genie of an evening with Christina Hendricks or a single cup of coffee for the day, etc). Then I came to the realization that a) Coffee is completely delicious b) It’s ok to not have complete control over some of your passions.. that’s kind of one of the things that clues you into the fact that you’re passionate about them.

  51. Issy2202
    Posted June 12, 2013 at 2:04 PM | Permalink

    I just read your goodreads comment =) – and if you happen to have a CNC mill (or know anyone who has one), this is THE thing you have to make if you’re planning on having a good go at Settlers of Catan (I’d make it for myself, since I like it a lot, but I don’t have one available) – it’s so cool:

  52. gryphyn
    Posted June 18, 2013 at 8:38 PM | Permalink

    This might be my favorite quote of all time: “… because sometimes the shape a story makes is like a key turning inside me and I cannot do anything but weep.”

    I think I need to go put this on a mug or something, so I can look at it everyday and think “Yes, that’s why I read. To find the keys.”

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Create more compact layouts with the new Form Table Designer [Guide]

Form table designer guide

Resco Spring release arrived with a ton of new functionality, and one of the freshly added features includes an improved workflow for designing the layout of your form views.

The updated Form Table Designer in Woodford helps you to create more compact views and see all the essential information quickly in the app. Let’s check out how you can use all its advantages to optimize the UI of your app.

Continue reading

Will employees want to use wearables at work? Here is how to approach this as a company

workplace wearables

As we’ve discussed before, smartwatches and wearables in general, have the potential to be the next big thing in enterprise utilization. Their power lies in the ability to increase productivity, satisfaction, and safety of workers. As a result, combined with improved work conditions and processes digitalization, companies are more effective in achieving their goals. But despite the ever more appealing benefits, some employee concerns regarding workplace wearables remain.

Continue reading

2019: Customer and partner support in numbers

Light Bulbs Concept

Customer support is only as good as the team around it, and we are proud to have the best and most dedicated team at Resco, whose members are ready to resolve any challenge at any time. The team did a great job in 2019, let’s look at the statistics that prove it. Continue reading

How can Beta Testing reduce risks before the official App Update

Think of beta testing as an important phase of your business mobile strategy. Why?

Because when the new version of your app comes, you and your users will be ready to work with it without compromises. Beta testing simply means improving the experience for your users and reducing potential risks.

How it works Continue reading

Quick tip: How to use custom fonts in your Resco mobile application

We understand that everyone wants their application to stand out and follow their branding. Specific coloring, custom themes and icons are a good start, but the custom font is one of the things that majorly contribute to the application’s visual and identity.

That’s why we have introduced an option to use custom fonts in the December release. All you need, to set a custom font is the specific font in TrueType file type (.ttf) and Resco’s Woodford configuration tool. Continue reading

5 Enterprise Mobility predictions for 2019

Someone wise once said that life only moves forward, and this also applies to technology. The landscape changes quicker than ever, and will only continue to do so. That requires us to be constantly on our feet and embrace the change, so we have a chance to grow too.

Continue reading 2018: Becoming your partner for complete enterprise mobility

5 key statements from Resco CEO’s keynote at 2018

After Vienna, Munich, and Amsterdam, Resco has brought its annual conference to Prague on November 15-16. And with over 200 attendees from 92 companies and 24 countries in the audience, Resco CEO, Radomir Vozar, took the stage to share the bold new enterprise mobility strategy for the company and its product offering, partner ecosystem, technology development and beyond.

What follows is an overview of key topics discussed by Resco’s CEO and his guests during the Opening Keynote at 2018. Continue reading

Learn how to attach a signature to the Questionnaire Report (for MS Dynamics and RescoCRM)

Many clients request their questionnaires to be signed upon completion by creating a separate question with a signature field. So it is understandable that they would like to see the corresponding signatures attached to mobile reports as well.

Given that this process is not as straightforward as it could sound, we have prepared this short guide to show the exact steps on how to achieve it.
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Video: See the upcoming Resco Inspections Designer in action

Inspections are one of the most common work assignments for mobile workers. So what if you need an effective solution that would enable you to simply design, schedule and complete questionnaires? Continue reading

Integrating MailerLite, GetResponse and MailChimp with Resco Cloud

Resco Cloud’s marketing module consists of 2 parts. An external marketing service and its integration with the Resco Cloud server. We decided for this approach, because we believe that it is more effective to utilize a mature external service with extensive marketing functionality than to develop a new marketing service from scratch. Continue reading


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What is a Standing Order and How Does it Work?

Revolut Contributor

 · April 08, 2020  · 04/08/2020

Let’s start with the basics. What does “standing order” actually mean? What is a standing order, and how do people use them?

Standing orders are a type of automatic payment. You may use them to make regular payments of the same amount, at the same intervals. If you know what you want to pay, and when you want to pay it, a standing order means you can instruct your bank to pay it automatically – so you don’t need to remember an identical payment time and time again.

With standing orders, you choose how much to pay, how often (for example, weekly, monthly, or annually) and when to make the payment. For instance, you could choose to pay on the 6th day of every month. The benefit of this scheduling is you can tailor it to suit your needs, and once you’ve set up your standing order, it won’t change - unless you make those changes yourself.

A common standing order example is the payment you might make for rent, or a person whose services you regularly employ, such as a cleaner or personal trainer.
Standing orders aren’t the only kind of automatic payments out there. Read about the benefits of paying via direct debit here.

How Do I Set Up a Standing Order?

We’ve covered the standing order definition, but how do standing orders work, exactly?

Setting up a standing order is fairly simple. The first step is for you to access your bank account. You can do this from home, either online or over the phone. Next, you give the instruction to set up a standing order by completing a simple form. This will ask you who you are paying, how much and when. Just make sure you know the account number and sort code of the person you are paying.

As for how standing orders work, once you’ve given the bank your instruction, the standing order payment will go ahead automatically, exactly as you directed it. The only way this changes is if you change or cancel it yourself.
Useful to know: most banks won’t charge anything for setting up or using a standing order. If you want to change or cancel your standing order, you can do so at any time.

What Time Are Standing Orders Paid?

You’ve set up a standing order or you’re expecting a standing order payment from someone else. When can you expect the money to move in or out of your account?

With standing orders, you can give exact instructions as to which day the payment takes place. Until recently, different banks processed standing orders at different times during the day. However, the introduction of the Faster Payments Scheme means most banks are required to process standing orders in the early hours of the morning, when the system is least busy with other payments.

What If I Want to Change a Standing Order?

If you need to make changes to or cancel your standing order, it’s your responsibility.

It’s important you have all the correct information to hand when you create your standing order, as you are less protected (compared to direct debits) if a payment goes out in error. The same goes for if you forget to cancel a standing order.

You can change or cancel a standing order from home via online banking or over the phone. Useful to know: Standing orders don’t usually have payment notifications, so it’s up to you to check if the payment has gone ahead.

More questions?

If you have more questions about standing orders, you may want to check out our blog post on standing orders vs direct debits. If you want to learn more about similar topics, check out our articles below:


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The PERFECT Sensory Craft For Memorial Day!

We absolutely love holidays and want all our kids to be able to join in on the fun. We figured that for Memorial Day, this glittery and easy to make sensory bottle was the perfect DIY. It’s simple to create, looks like beautiful fireworks, and is perfect for play throughout the summer!

Gather up a water bottle, glitter glue, water, glitter, food coloring, and some festive craft tape – click the picture below for instructions!

Have another festive sensory craft you and your kids love? Let us know in the comments!

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Tag Archives: teaching abroad

Random Life in Khobar

Life catches up to everyone.  We all get into the same monotonous pattern day after day.  It seems that life here in Saudi can become even more monotonous than even in the U.S.

I have been driving now for over a month.  Driving is not as bad as what people make it out to be. Sure, the drivers here are more careless than in the rule filled US, but as long as you balance your defensive/offensive driving, you’ll be fine.

There are roundabouts here, which I though I would hate.  Actually, I am not sure why more US cities do not have roundabouts.  They keep the flow of traffic moving rather nicely.  I guess it is our rebellion from England despite the fact that we had been an independent nation for over 100 years after cars were invented.

I have been playing in a basketball league at Aramco.  Aramco is the company that controls the oil here in Saudi Arabia.  Way back when the first dug here, they brought in US and other western engineers to run their oil business.  They built this enormous compound (about 12,000 people) that is heavily guarded.  They have actual grass, even a very nice grass golf course on their compound.  There are schools, grocery stores, government building, office building, parks, softball fields, gymnasiums, and plenty of swimming pools there.

You have to know someone to get onto Aramco.  You drive to the gate, tell them why you are there, then go to another parking lot and gate and check in with your drivers license, Iqama (green card), and car registration card.  People riding with you only have to present their Iqama or passport.  The guard then calls the number of the person who you know at Aramco.  This person has to be at their home number (no cell phones).  The guy lets then prints up all names of people wanting in ALWAYS misspelling the names.  It is actually quite funny.

You pass through the gate and drive where you need to go.  I have been going for a basketball league and once per week for Ultimate Frisbee.  I will also go in the Spring for softball.  It keeps my week pretty busy.

Jamie is in Kenya for the week.  I am hoping that she will blog about it when she returns.

We are still playing Settlers of Catan every Friday and sometimes through the week.  A new game introduced by a friend was Dominion, a strategy card game which has caught on.  Darts has also been a hot game to play.

This week, I was finally able to put up some picture frames around the house.  What is funny about that is that there are not any actual pictures in them.  We’ll get to that later when I have time to go print some.  We have a color printer, but I worry about the quality when I print them.

I have been pulling some long days by going in early and then tutoring right after school.  Tutoring is something that many people do here.  It is usually for just 1 hour for how many ever days you want.  I do 4 days per week, which is quite a bit, but the money is outstanding. Jamie and live off my tutoring money alone.  It was a pleasant surprise that we were able to do that.

Finally received a bank account and my ATM card.  I now have my check direct deposited so I do not have to go sit at that evil Saudi Hollandi bank any more.  I now sit at a probably just as evil Sabb bank for any banking needs. Banks usually on have about 2 tellers and only one of them will actually do any work.  You have to get a number and wait for the 1 teller to go through all of the people.  I have not been in a bank for less than 45 minutes. This is just to cash a check.  Crazy.

School here is as busy as anywhere.  The school offers a ton of things for the kids to do.  This week, it was Book Fair.  Nice selection as the student order the books, then they bring them in from Bahrain.  Only takes about 2 weeks from what they tell me.  I ordered a Dr. Seuss book I had never heard of called Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?  I also ordered those Brain Quest trivia questions and an Italian cookbook.

All for now.  I’ll try and talk Jamie into posting sometime about her Habitat for Humanity Kenya trip.  Interestingly, she is sleeping in the Southern Hemisphere and working in the Northern Hemisphere.  I think yesterday she went on a Safari – cool!

I’ll try and take pictures in the next couple of weeks.  It won’t be much to look at, but it might give you an idea of where we live.

Getting Griffey into the Kingdom

Getting Griffey into Saudi Arabia took the customs official here about 15 seconds to look at the paperwork.  That was the easy part.  The hard part came the previous 12 days.  So, how do you get a dog into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the United States in 12 days?  Here is how I did it…

I first had to obtain an import permit from the Saudi end of things allowing Griffey into the country.  To do this, I went to a local vet here, who I paid to get this permit for me.  I’m not sure it can even be done without the services of a vet.

Secondly, I had to get my school government relations department to write a letter stating that it was OK for the vet to pick up the import permit for me.  This had to be done on the school letterhead and signed by the head of the GR department.  I also had to sign the letter.

Third, Griffey went to the vet to get a clean bill of health and obtain a vaccination record as well as a international health certificate.  I also needed a regular health certificate to send back to the vet in Saudi Arabia so he could finalize the health certificate.  The vet also ended up writing a “Guard Dog Letter” stating that he was in fact used for personal protection purposes.  This is funny for anyone who has ever met Griffey. Saudi Arabia will only allow certain dogs into the country, and even then they have to be for guard dog, hunting, or seeing eye purposes.

Fourth, after obtaining the international health certificate, it needs to be signed and stamped by the following agencies: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States State Department, and finally the Saudi Arabian consulate in Washington DC.

Here is the hard part.  Airlines only honor an international health certificate for 10 days while countries and other agencies will honor it for 30.  If you can get it stamped by all those agencies in 10 days before your flight date, you are good to go.  Unfortunately, Tennessee does not have all of those agencies in their backyard, so it took me getting creative on how to get them all signed within 10 days.

The USDA stamp can be done in 3 business days counting mailing it up to Nashville and back.  The US State Department takes up to 15 business days while the Saudi consulate… well, that is a whole other story as the “sometimes close down for someone’s birthday” as was told to me.

Here is how I did it.  Dad and I drove to Nashville on the same day when Griffey went to the vet and got his international health certificate by the vet.  We took it to the USDA and got it stamped and FedEx it overnight to the Shady Springs Animal Kennel in Baltimore, Maryland, where we had paid a guy to serve as a courier for us.  The next 3 days, he took it to the State Department and the Saudi consulate and had it mailed back to me overnight.

It all came back on the morning of our flight in time.  Griffey was then checked into live cargo on our plane and rode the whole way.  I next saw him on the side of the baggage claim in the Dammam airport nearly 17 hours later.

If you want the costs for such a process, I can get it for you.  I can also give you the names and numbers and addresses of the specific people who helped me out.  It did cost considerably less than getting him in and out of China, so that is a plus.

Griffey is safe and sound here and enjoying the compound life.

NESA Leasdership Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal

By default, I was able to take a trip to Kathmandu for a leadership conference. Middle school teachers were asked if anyone wanted to go to the conference. No one responded, so we were asked again. Finally, after a 3rd attempt by administration, I submitted a slight interest in attending. I knew I would be busy, but thought it would be a good experience.

The school provides some money for professional development funds, but Jamie and I had hoped to use that money on tuition. However, trip to Nepal sounds pretty appealing at this point, and I think it’ll be a good experience for me.

A van picked us up from our villa at 3:00 am and we took a 35 minute flight to Doha, Qatar. After a 2 hour layover, we were on our way to Kathmandu, Nepal. Upon landing, it was a pretty quick line through customs, the hassle of dealing with dozens of guys asking you if you need a taxi, and then a ride through the crazy streets of Kathmandu to our hotel, Radisson, near the center of the city.

We dropped our bags off and headed out immediately downtown to meet our superintendent at a nice little restaurant called Fire and Ice, complete with cold beverages and a great pizza. A fairly long day, but we walked back to our hotel where I completely crashed.

Today was the first full day of sessions for the conference, but our hotel was about a 20 minute ride to the Hyatt, which was a bit of a hassle, but something we dealt with.

Each day of the conference, we basically had a morning speaker followed by 2 – 2 hour sessions. The first and second day of the conference dealt with grading and grade reporting, while the last 2 days focused on instruction. They served us a marvelous buffet lunch each day with some Nepalese and Indian dishes. NESA brought in some pretty big names in the educational research community with Jay McTighe, Charlotte Danielson, Thomas Guskey, and Art Costa all leading sessions and making keynote addresses.

After the conference each day, we usually went out to see some of the sites of Kathmandu. We didn’t have a ton of daylight hours, but enough to go to a few places.

The first day, we walked from the Hyatt to the Baudu Stupa, a Buddhist stupa, and quite extraordinary. There were locals and tourist walking around clockwise and spinning the prayer wheels. Around the stupa was a variety of shops where you could buy all sorts of souvenirs if you so desired.

Dinner that night was catered by our conference at the Hyatt with a variety of finger foods and free drinks. Great conversation and times were held by all.

One the 2nd day after the conference, a colleague and I went to Pasupati, a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction. We were not allowed to go into the temple, but were able to visit and witness the live cremation of bodies. Funeral pyres were built of wood and the bodies were wrapped in white cloth and burned in 7 different pyres, historically representing the 7 levels of the caste system. The ashes and any remaining body parts were then thrown into the river along with flowers and other items the family offered. The river, the Bagmati, flows into the sacred Ganges River, so it is considered sacred in Nepal.

We went back to Thamel to do some shopping along with dinner at a place called Roadhouse, which had some pretty tasty pork. My shopping included Northface coats, singing bowls – READ HERE, prayer wheels – READ HERE, baby yak shawls, and pashmina scarves.

After the conference on the 3rd day, NESA took us to Bakhtapur, a town about a 45 minute bus ride from Kathmandu. The city greeted us as we participated in pretty much a “parade.” I called it the “parade of white people” as the locals lined the streets and watched us walk by. We wound through the old streets of the city before finally ending in a city square where a dinner was prepared for us as we watch some local costumed dancing. We were also able to see a “living goddess” take her reign. This young girl is raised from birth to become a living goddess when she reaches a certain age and serves until she reaches puberty.

On our 4th and last night after the conference, a few of the guys ended up in Thamel once again and hung out downtown, walked the streets, and shopped for our wives before finally meeting up with the whole school to eat at Everest Steakhouse, where they prepared some delicious filet mignon for us all. I turned in early that night and packed up because we were leaving early then next morning.

Kathmandu and Nepal is definitely a place I’ll go back, especially with Jamie or even other family members. Next time, I would like to do some sort of flyover of Mt. Everest or particularly a hiking trek into the countryside toward Everest.

Nice people despite such a poor, hectic, and quite dirty town. A huge contrast from Saudi Arabia, and as I type this, I am making my descent on the plane back into Saudi.

Car Shopping in the Kingdom

I obtained my Saudi Arabia drivers license the other day. The school arranged all of the paper work, but I had to go to the hospital to obtain a blood type test and an eye test. It was simple enough, but all of the things at the hospital are sort of ala carte. You pay for each procedure at different desks. Somewhat frustrating but I’ll look by it.

Later, a friend took me to some dealerships to start my search for a new car. Since I’ll be the only one driving it, Jamie has pretty much left it to me. I think we’ll go for a small SUV and probably buy new. Our school gives us a 2 year no interest loan and simply deducts the amount from our account each month. Nice and most everyone takes advantage of that deal.

We go into a few new car showrooms, Hyundia, Jeep, Chevy, and walked around looking for my perfect car. Unfortunately, like everything else in Saudi, it seems the workers could care less if you ever purchase a car from them and didn’t even stand up or look our way when we entered. Imagine going into any dealership in the US and being ignored? Strange…

My car search continues, and I’ll be in full purchase mode when I return from Nepal.

First Holiday in Saudi Arabia

Since we couldn’t go anywhere, it wasn’t much of a holiday, but we still enjoyed ourselves nonetheless. Jamie and I took this week to buy some things needed for our villa including some much needed kitchen items as well as a not so much needed rather than wanted new TV and surround sound system. I’m happy with both the kitchen items and the audio/video equipment.

Not many people on the compound left for this break since it was so close to the beginning of the year, so there were lots of compound activities. At times, it seemed as though we were bombarded with requests of things to do, place to go, etc. The compound next door to us is an old BAE compound complete with its own restaurant and beverage facility. We are invited over there occasionally to partake in the fish and chips and frosty beverages, which is a nice outing because it is not like you can go “out” here in Saudi.

Other activities this week have included rides to town and stores. This may not seem like a big deal, but when you do not have a car, you have to rely on either a) the compound bus which only goes at certain times during the week b) a taxi which is fine but can get pricey or c) a neighbor who offers or you simply ask. Fortunately, we have been paired with a buddy couple who have been very generous, but everyone has been very nice to give us lifts when needed. With the end of Ramadan a few days ago, the stores are now on regular schedule. By regular schedule, I mean they open at what we would call normal hours, but remember, they still close for prayer times, which are becoming closer and closer together as the days become shorter. This can be hectic when scheduling your shopping times.

There of course have been a couple of poker nights and yoga classes and I went to the driving range in the desert again, but Jamie and I have both enjoyed learning how to play Settlers of Catan, a simulation board game which can be very addicting. It is a big hit here on the compound and a few people even have the expansion packs. A bit nerdy, but very fun.

The weather has been cooling down, especially in the morning. This morning was the first one where I actually ran outside. A loop in our compound is .23 miles, so a little over 4 times around becomes a mile. It gets a bit monotonous running around, but not as bad as running on a treadmill, plus I can vary my speeds easier. A few people play tennis and basketball and we have some decent courts here, so I’m looking forward to playing soon as the temperature cools even more.

Jamie and I have worked on our dissertations a little bit this week, although not as much as what we should have. I am right in the middle of Chapter 4 (of 5), while Jamie is rewriting her Chapters 1 – 3.

Our big news this week was the great flight deal we received for Christmas break, so we’ll be coming home. We haven’t made it home for Christmas since moving overseas, so we are excited and I believe our families are too.

Have a great weekend, but it’ll be the start of the week for us!

TAIW – Thank Allah It’s Wednesday

Ironically, the have the restaurant here… T.G.I.F, but it doesn’t really true here as you have your first workday on Saturday. We’ve changed it around as TAIW.

We’ve had a busy week here with school in full blown session, lots of compound activities, and trying to rest in the process.

Let me first say that we are still really enjoying living here. The temperature, or at least the humidity, has dropped off a little bit and going outside at least becomes bearable. Our villa is coming together nicely as we purchase small items to fill it out. We purchased a new printer that can print some photos, so we’ll be adding some photos and frames around the villa to make it look a little homier.

Last weekend, we were hosted by our friends next door to a delicious pancake breakfast. We then had some brunch of scones and other Kiwi snacks with some other friends a few villas down. This seems to be the thing to do with the newbies here, and Jamie and I have already discussed having a good southern meal for our compound friends some day.

Our kitchen is coming together nicely as we purchase small items to help us in there. We still haven’t purchase dishes. We received 4 plates, forks, spoons, etc when we arrived, but it is getting old washing the same 4 things over and over again. Our trip to IKEA last weekend came up empty on something we liked, so we’ll try another home store somewhere. There are only a dozen in the city, so it shouldn’t be too hard.

Tamimi’s, which is like Safeway back home, drives to our compound to take us to the store. Jamie and I have used this before and it might be something we do often from now on. It is very convenient. There is also a compound bus that leaves 3 days per week and takes us pretty much wherever we need to go. This is also a great option to get us out of the compound so we can shop. Of course, all of these procedures will change once we get a vehicle, but it is nice to know we have the option.

On Monday night, we went to the compound next door for “night out.” The compound next to us is the BAE (British Aerospace) compound. BAE is HUGE around here and employs probably hundreds of people. They are actually building a super compound outside the city, so Las Dunas will be vacant. We are hoping we can move in there as the facilities are nicer. They have a “pub” inside their compound, so we were able to go over there for some drinks as well as take home some. Good food of fish and chips were delivered and we overall had a wonderful time with our co-workers and new friends. Since Saudi has really no nightlife, this is just another example of the type of activities one can do here. It isn’t much, but it is fun.

Tuesday nights are poker nights here on the compound and apparently have been for years. I participate and really enjoy it. When the weather cools, people also play bocche, tennis, and of course more of the pool. I have done OK at poker, but there is always room for improvement. A group of ladies went for yoga on another compound, but Jamie didn’t participate.

Wednesday night, we had a pot luck meal for the newbies on the compound. There is actually a small compound committee that organizes these events and I believe they organized Thanksgiving meals, Christmas dinners, and other holiday festivities for those who want to participate. It was a good showing last night and we enjoyed it. Great food. Props to the single male who made the pizza spaghetti!

Since everything comes to life during Ramadan at night, I was driven around by a nice family to purchase some necessary items like a vacuum cleaner, surge protectors, and other things necessary for our villa. We have a shipment still coming in from China that will round out our belongings, but so far so good here.

Hope everyone enjoys there weekend.

Tuesdays are poker nights here on the compound.

A new colleague and neighbor of mine found a driving range and desert golf course about 30 minute drive outside the city.  He had been previously and was telling me about it, so I just had to go.

As you will see from the picture, it really does seem as though it is out in the middle of the desert.  Well… it is.  There are some sort of warehouses around where we were and plenty of electrical lines, but for the most part, it was all sand, sand, sand.

My first impression was of the quite funny sign that told all ladies to make sure they had “male protection.”  Women can play out there with no problem and even do not have to wear an abaya, but do have to wear long sleeves and pants.  No one was playing today, but my friend tells me that women do play out there.  The South Koreans who live in Saudi love to play golf.

We arrived and as you can see from the pictures, it is a small 2 shack operation, but with a solid cover for driving range balls, a small putting “brown,” and even some mats thrown down so you can hit on the range.  The yardage is marked accordingly.  There is actually 18 holes on that course complete with rules and everything.  Apparently, you purchase your own little square piece of artificial turf, drive the ball down the lightly packed fairway, and then try and your ball on the finely packed “brown” (green).  Walking only.

We only hit about 50 balls each, but we will definitely go back when the weather cools down.  Not a bad rate to play either, and it will certainly be an experience.

Welcome to the Kingdom!


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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

CeBIT Computer Exhibition in Sydney

The CeBIT Computer Exhibition is on a Darling Harbor in Sydney, until 30 May. I went along Tuesday afternoon to see what was new in computer hardware, software, education and management. The exhibition takes up three of the large halls at Darling Harbor and one smaller hall. The layout is themed and as I entered I went through "Security World" with anti-hacking products, then broadband infrastructure (with an NBN Pantechnicon, parked prominently).

At the back of Hall 3 is Skills and eLeanring, with both traditional universities and some new e-learning commercial startups showing their offerings. An unusual entry is the Federal Attorney-General's Department, with their Protective Security Training College (PSTC). The PSTC is a registered training organization offering vocational qualifications for government employees and staff from the private sector who need to know how to protect government information and investigate breeches.

Several Australian federal agencies and state Governments had large booths. The most interesting was NSW, with mini-booths for commercial start-ups, including Open Learning (which offers an on-line platform for free and fee based courses) and Fishburners  Co-working Space (low cost office space for startups).

The one trend from the show was the rise of Asia in IT. There were very large displays from Chinese regions and India.  One surprise was a very strong showing by Sri Lanka, with several companies offering IT outsourcing services.

CeBIT Sydney is worth a visit, provided you have a free ticket. I am not sure it is worth the full $99 entry price.

1 comment:

Tom Worthington said...

I was impressed by the Sri Lanka display at CeBIT Sydney. Also apparently were the judges, who selected it for an award.


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Designing the new Twitter developer experience

By Alyssa Reese
Wednesday, 12 August 2020

We recently announced Early Access to the new Twitter API and shared our plans for the future. As part of building the new API, we've also completely reimagined the developer experience – starting with the redesigned developer portal, updated docs, and new support section that all roll out today. Since everyone likes to peek  behind the scenes, here's an inside look at our design process as we've been rebuilding the developer portal, your new home for all things Twitter API.

We’ve been doing a lot of listening to developers...

In the past two years, we’ve interviewed hundreds of developers, opened up a feedback forum, released surveys all over the world, experimented in the open, tested our ideas with hundreds of people, and even invited developers into our offices to co-create with us (don’t worry we gave them lots of snacks).

You see, we want developers to get moon-eyed when they talk about our documentation. To have error messages that are so helpful they’re almost as pleasant as getting a handwritten letter in the mail. Our aim is to be a company that other developer platforms reference when they are looking for inspiration (and we know we have a way to go). We know that it takes hard work to reach that level of excellence and that it starts and ends with listening to you, and acting upon your feedback.

Tell us about yourself

In late 2018 we kicked off a global study with the core question of understanding what developers were trying to accomplish with the Twitter API.

We learned so much, including that you are an amazingly talented and diverse group of people! Within our vast community of active developers, there were people working to help businesses succeed on Twitter, building consumer apps, doing academic research, learning how to code, and even one person who used the Twitter API to make a doorbell 😍. We'd been using a one-size-fits-all approach to developers that treated everyone like they had commercial intent. That approach was not serving people’s needs and we needed tailored solutions for different types of developers.

Twitter Developer Labs

As we set out to improve, we decided that building behind closed doors wasn’t going to cut it. We built Twitter Developer Labs to put early-stage and experimental endpoints out into the world so you all could tell us what you loved and what you hated. We learned a lot that has been incorporated into the fabric of the new Twitter API.

Developers + Twitter employees + design = ❤

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This Tweet is unavailable.

After receiving hundreds of pieces of feedback through these methods we decided to up the ante and invite some developers into our offices to design with us. We knew our developer portal needed a drastic overhaul, so we hosted a co-creation workshop where developers told us what was most valuable to them in a portal experience. Since we like to draw — and we like to make unsuspecting people draw — we even asked them to draw what they imagined this portal to look like.

Designing alongside developers in person is a very different experience than simply running a user test or survey. You can generate ideas that build off of each other. You can cycle through the process of creation and feedback a dozen times in an hour and it blurs the line between who is the creator and who is giving feedback. We loved this new way to work with our developer community and are already daydreaming about our next co-creation workshops.

The most common themes that developers asked for were:

  • Access to an active and engaged community of other developers building with the Twitter API.
  • A sandbox tool where you can play around when first getting started.
  • Resources based on skill level and language.
  • A quick and easy process to get to their first request.
  • Quick and clear access to all the relevant documentation. In fact the most common thread across every developer interview we've done is that success or failure with our API hinges on the quality and ease of use of the documentation. Give the people their docs!

We took these insights to heart. Some of them are built into the foundations of what we are releasing today, and some of them are areas of work we’re excited to invest in more in the future.

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This Tweet is unavailable.

Ta da! Enter the new developer experience

At this point you’re thinking “okay but what did you do with all that information?” While we have so much more to build, we have taken some critical first steps on our path to improve the experience of all kinds of developers using the Twitter Developer Platform. We’ll talk in depth about our improvements to the developer portal below but don’t forget to check out how we improved the technical foundation of  the API as well.

Easier onboarding

It’s now easier to get started in the new developer portal. Our onboarding wizard has drastically simplified the process of creating your first App and getting API keys — getting you what you need faster. We reduced our initial App creation process from 10 fields to 1 so that you can get to the good stuff and start trying out the API quickly.

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This Tweet is unavailable.

We’ve also included an API demo tool that lets you look at the structure of different requests and responses before you even open up your terminal. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

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This Tweet is unavailable.

Contextual documentation links

We know you don’t have time to go hunting around for the right documentation so now we’re bringing the docs to you, linking relevant and helpful information throughout your setup and App management journey.

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This Tweet is unavailable.

Docs to swoon over

Since #docsarelife, we have been working hard to improve our documentation. We introduced an updated navigation system, improved landing pages to help you find relevant content more quickly, a new centralized tools and libraries section, and more. We even changed our visual formatting to improve readability so you have less strain on your eyes and brain.

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This Tweet is unavailable.

A centralized support page

We know building things can be hard. While we can’t come to your house and give you a hug, we can help you find guidance and answers when you’re stuck. We’ve launched a brand new support center to help answer your questions and point you in the right direction if you run into problems. It contains a large number of resources thoughtfully curated by our developer relations team to help you get unstuck fast.

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This Tweet is unavailable.

And more…

You’ll have to come try out all the new stuff to discover everything we’ve added. Keep an eye out for other improvements such as easier App settings management, added security for your keys and tokens, and the ability to generate a bearer token with the click of a button.

Our work is nowhere near finished. We will continue to grow, listen deeply, incorporate your feedback, and improve our developer experience with each new release. You can get access to the new developer portal today, where you’ll also find all of your existing Apps, Twitter Developer Labs, and our existing premium APIs. Check it out and feel free to tell us your feedback. We’re listening.

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This Tweet is unavailable.

Alyssa Reese

Senior Product Designer


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AsiaEP scores not with a great product but with great PR

The Star’s article, Googling for growth, looks like one of those articles where the PR team exchange high fives and back slaps because they’ve spun what seems to be a great story, and succeeds in pushing up the company’s stock price.

The story is about Malaysian e-marketplace provider AsiaEP Bhd, who is launching their it@h B2B search engine. The article talks about how qualified AsiaEP is to create this search engine and goes so far to dub AsiaEP the ‘Malaysian Google’.

The article quotes Managing Director Dr Bernard Tan as saying:

What we have done over the last 10 years is to create a search engine exclusively related to business and manufacturing purposes. We are likely the first in the world to create a business search engine with a simplified format.

The article goes on to talk about the revenue potential of the company and ends with this paragraph:

Teoh is expecting AsiaEPâ€™s FY08 and FY09 net profit to grow by 194.7% and 115.2% year-on-year to RM10.1mil and RM21.8mil respectively : â€œWe believe the assumptions underlying our forecast are conservative as we assume AsiaEP to garner just 0.2% and 0.5% of global B2B paid search market share in FY08 and FY09 respectively.â€?

My first thought when reading this article is that AsiaEP is putting the horse before the cart a bit. At the moment their search engine doesn’t even work very well – it returns results from trade directories and e-marketplaces mainly, and I don’t find the results are relevant as they claimed. Compare a search for “plastics supplier Malaysia” on it@h and on Google.

So their product doesn’t work great yet and they’re already singing about their earnings prospects? Like I said, good work for the PR team. Until then, I’ll be watching to see how this ‘Malaysian Google’ will do in the next few years.

1 Comment on "AsiaEP scores not with a great product but with great PR"

  • I am an asshole. I have been working my ass day and night for this search engine.

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Computing Services Maintenance for Wed, 11/18 and Thurs, 11/19

***Computing Services Maintenance for Wednesday, 11/18/20***

Beginning at 6:00 PM this evening, and lasting approximately 2 hours, we will be updating the System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) environment, which pushes all Window updates, software updates, and new applications. During this time, we expect no impact to users.

***Computing Services Maintenance for Thursday, 11/19/20***

Beginning at 9:00 PM Thursday evening, 11/19, Computing Services will be:

–Installing Microsoft Windows patches to all Windows-based systems, including employee, lab and TEC Classroom computers, even ASU-owned computers being used by employees at home. These patches will force a reboot, so please log off and leave your computers on at the end of your work day Thursday to assist with installation.

–Installing November Microsoft updates on all Windows production servers. Throughout this time, users will experience intermittent outages (5-10 minutes) and brief interruptions to network services as systems reboot.

–Performing changes to the proxy servers and other back-end systems. Users can expect a brief period (approximately 15 minutes) of unavailability of most web services, including Banner 9, Self-Service, Web-Services, School Services, and DegreeWorks.

Computing Services thanks you for your patience and understanding as we perform these critical maintenance activities. As always, if you have any questions, please call the ASU Computing Services Helpdesk at (719) 587-7741 or contact us via email at

Have a great day,
Computing Services

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February 28, 2019

The Kentucky 'Pension Flu' Has Hit Teachers Once Again

Several school districts have been forced to close due to a large number of teachers calling out sick in protest of a pension-reform bill.

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