Apparently someone didn’t want to pay for the iPad Smart Cover at my garage sale and decided to steal it instead.

Apparently someone didn't want to pay for the iPad Smart Cover at my garage sale and decided to steal it instead.

To make up for grossing many of you out with my last photo, I present to you Homer Simpson, Gumby, and Spy vs. Spy.

To make up for grossing many of you out with my last photo, I present to you Homer Simpson, Gumby, and Spy vs. Spy.

What does it look like when a spider egg sack opens and baby spiders rush forth? This.

What does it look like when a spider egg sack opens and baby spiders rush forth? This.
Posted by Instagrate to WordPress

A ripping I shall go, a ripping I shall go, hi ho the darry-o, a ripping I shall go. Time to take all these Blu-ray discs, rip them to massive MKV files, put ’em on my @Synolygy NAS, and watch ’em on @Plex!

A ripping I shall go, a ripping I shall go, hi ho the darry-o, a ripping I shall go. Time to take all these Blu-ray discs, rip them to massive MKV files, put 'em on my @Synolygy NAS, and watch 'em on @Plex!

Elizabeth Warren: “You Didn’t Build That”

I’m a believer in capitalism and working hard to make profit and succeed – but I find myself feeling almost like a left-wing socialist when put in the context of the American political system. The raw, unchecked power American corporations have over the political process – and thus over the laws the regulate their behaviour – is truly terrifying. Things are just broken, and they’ve largely remained broken since the financial meltdown of 2008. Not much has changed.

Elizabeth Warren is playing a vital role in power-checking the big banks and corporations that have, for the most part, completely abdicated their socially-responsible role in our society. Here’s a great article about Warren, and a great quote that sums up part of the problem:

“You built a factory out there? Good for you. But I want to be clear: You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for; you hired workers the rest of us paid to educate; you were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn’t have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory, and hire someone to protect against this, because of the work the rest of us did.” – Elizabeth Warren

Taking public transit for the first time since moving to the USA. I feel so grown up! In Atlanta, jumping on a train to the airport. #Marta

Taking public transit for the first time since moving to the USA. I feel so grown up! In Atlanta, jumping on a train to the airport. #Marta

My least favourite part of setting up a Windows PC from scratch. I miss the days of service packs.

My least favourite part of setting up a Windows PC from scratch. I miss the days of service packs.

Chromecast Randomly Rebooting? Check Your USB Power Source

chromecast

 

When Google’s Chromecast first came out, like many a geek, I ordered one right away because it was ridiculously cheap, and seemed like the long overdue bridge we were waiting for to connect our Android phones and tablets to our TVs. With all due respect to HTC, the MediaLink HD just wasn’t a solid product and never got the development work and improvements it needed.

Continue reading Chromecast Randomly Rebooting? Check Your USB Power Source

Magazine Subscriptions: How Much Cheaper Can They Get?

Popular-Photography-Magazine-Discount

It’s been interesting – and depressing if you’re in the magazine industry – to watch as many magazines have become less and less costly to subscribe to over the past few years. As more people do their reading online, subscription bases have shrunk, and many magazines are rapidly sliding toward become free and purely ad-supported vs. subscriber supported. I find this quite sad, as quality journalism is worth supporting, but it’s hard to be upset with incredibly cheap prices as a consumer. I know what this means for the future of the magazine though…

I subscribed to Popular Photography a few years back, but let my subscription lapse because I wasn’t reading all the issues. I was surprised when I received an offer in the mail to get the magazine for only $7 for the whole year. SEVEN DOLLARS. At that price even if I only read a few issues a year, that would be worth it. I’ve seen similar, though not quite as deep, discounts from Maximum PC, the only magazine I’ve maintained a subscription to for over a decade.

I truly will mourn the day when most magazines fold and things are purely digital…I enjoy the non-distracted, deep reading that magazines can bring a reader.