I came across pi-hole recently – an ad blocker and {{DNS}} service that you can run on a {{Raspberry Pi}} in Raspian (or any {{Debian}} or {{Ubuntu}} (ie Debian-like)) system. Using pi-hole should obviate the need for running ad-blockers in your browser (so long as you’re on a network that is running DNS queries through pi-hole). …
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Category:review
maggie
It had such promise. Or, should have. How could you go wrong? Slow zombies. {{Arnold Schwarzenegger}}. A plot. It was also [almost] direct-to-video. What am I talking about? {{Maggie}}. The worst movie Ahnold has been in since {{End Of Days}} (and boy was that one bad). No, it was worse than {{End Of Days}}. I don’t …
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jump start your brain by doug hall
I’m happy I didn’t pay for this copy of {{Jump Start Your Brain}}. I’m saddened someone else did in order to give it to me. The core of {{Doug Hall}}’s creative self-help book from 1996 is decent: get outside yourself, remember what it’s like to be a kid, have fun, don’t take yourself too seriously, and …
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steam by andrea sutcliffe
{{Andrea Sutcliffe}}’s book {{Steam: The Untold Story of American’s First Great Invention}} was a pure joy to read. Being the second review I’m writing with my “new” system, I hope you find this book as interesting as I have. In 1784, {{James Rumsey}} designed a boat that could, by purely mechanical means, move its way …
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draft day – the second football movie of the year
And while not as good as {{When The Game Stands Tall}}, still a very good movie. The parents’ guide warnings from IMDB may be helpful – there’s more language than needed for the story-telling, though I guess that’s what brought it into the PG13 range instead of PG. I’m not a huge fan of sports …
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programming your home by mike riley
{{Mike Riley}}’s entry in {{The Pragmatic Programmers}} series, {{Programming Your Home}} – automating with {{Arduino}}, {{Android}}, and your computer – was a lot of fun. While I am not really in a position to do many of the mini projects given in the book (wrong type of house plus we rent), reading some of the …
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coolidge by amity shlaes
{{Calvin Coolidge}} is my favorite president. Has been for a long time. So when I saw {{Coolidge}} at my local bookstore recently, I was very excited to grab a copy and read {{Amity Shlaes}} rendition of his life. In just the first 18 pages is enough to inspire anyone to love the man we call …
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germline by t c mcarthy
As promised when I finished {{Mira Grant}}’s {{Newsflesh}} trilogy, I did read {{Germline}} by {{T C McCarthy}}. I wasn’t able to get into the second book of the trilogy ({{Exogene}}), and haven’t attempted the last ({{Chimera}}) – but {{Germline}} was amazing. A quick disclaimer first – this book is most certainly NOT for the faint of stomach, …
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kingmakers by karl ernest meyer and shareen blair brysac
{{Karl Ernest Meyer}} and {{Shareen Blair Brysac}} present what should be a fascinating history of the modern Middle East in their recent book {{Kingmakers: The Invention of the Modern Middle East}}. I have been interested in Middle Eastern history (ancient and modern) for many years, and so was excited to see this book as I …
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why nations fail by daron acemoglu and james a robinson
I first came across {{Why Nations Fail}} at my local Half Price Books. After seeing it on the shelves a couple times, but still being unsure about whether I really wanted to read it or not, I reserved it at my local library. Now I wish I had bought it (and likely will) – {{Daron …
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the seven stages of expertise
I recently found The Seven Stages of Expertise in Software Engineering. Stage 1: Innocent barely knowledgeable if at all Stage 2: Exposed seeking knowledge Stage 3: Apprentice has read case studies and tries to apply those techniques Stage 4: Practitioner can actually apply concepts learned in one context to a not-identical context Stage 5: Journeyman …
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to engineer is human by henry petroski
I’ve ogled {{To Engineer is Human}} by {{Henry Petroski}} for several years. So when I saw it at a local used book store for just a couple dollars, I snagged a copy. Along with some of his other works, such as {{The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance}}, I’ve found the titles interesting, and …
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pmp project management professional certification exam preparation course in a book for passing the pmp project management professional exam by william manning
New record for longest blog title I’ve ever had. I think. First, the pros: it’s concise, finishing at a mere 91 numbered pages, including sample questions and the index. Second, the cons: it’s 63 pages of bullet points with little-to-no explanation of terms, examples, etc. {{William Manning}} appears to have done an admirable job of …
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blackout by mira grant
I finished the {{Newsflesh}} trilogy this week, which culminated in {{Mira Grant}}’s book {{Blackout}}. The basic storyline and character development continued apace, and the story does end admirably. If you’ve read the first two, you should finish the trilogy. This one adds human cloning as a core plot point, and does it well. However, I …
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alif the unseen by g willow wilson
Along with {{Mira Grant}} (Feed & Deadline reviews), I think I have found a female author I can read. {{G Willow Wilson}}’s debut novel, {{Alif the Unseen}} blends technothriller (a la {{Cryptonomicon}}), Arab mythology, statism, distrust of the government, and more. The story follows a young mixed-blood technophyte who has been making his living on …
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deadline by mira grant
I read {{Feed}} (review) a few weeks ago, and just finished the 2d installment in {{Mira Grant}}’s {{Newsflesh}} trilogy, {{Deadline}}. The frenetic pace of book 1 was upped a level in book 2 (along with some more language). Mira is a fantastic author, and I cannot wait to read {{Blackout}} (it’s on my library queue). …
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the 7 habits of highly effective people by stephen r covey
This should have been titled “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective – but incredibly rigid and hard to to please – People” by Stephen Needs Coffee. But it’s not. {{Stephen R Covey}}’s work is extremely well-known, and millions have purchased {{The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People}} since it was released. I’m sure I have …
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krakatoa: the day the world exploded, august 27 1883 by simon winchester
I have been interested in volcanoes for a long time. I first wrote about them for a college essay in 1999, but my attraction to them began far earlier. Most likely it was triggered by hearing from my mom that her wedding day was the first time she’d ever really had allergies – just 6 …
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how to win friends and influence people by dale carnegie
tl;dr: {{Dale Carnegie}}’s {{How to Win Friends and Influence People}} is what {{Robert Greene}} was trying to redo with {{The 48 Laws of Power}} and {{The Art of Seduction}} (both of which I’ve previously reviewed). It’s probably the only “self-help” book I’ve ever read that didn’t either talk down to you, nor treat you as …
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the 50th law by 50 cent and robert greene
The 50th Law The greatest fear people have is that of being themselves. They want to be 50 Cent or someone else. They do what everyone else does even if it doesn’t fit where and who they are. But you get nowhere that way; your energy is weak and no one pays attention to you. …
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the 33 strategies of war by robert greene
I’ve now read [almost] all of {{Robert Greene}}’s books (just pending is {{The 50th Law}}, which I’ll have reviewed in a couple weeks). Thanks to my local library, I have not had to spend gobs o’ cash in the process (though at least one of his books I think is most definitely worth the expenditure). …
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feed by mira grant
After some time of not reading fiction, I saw {{Mira Grant}}’s {{Feed}} recently in a store, checked my local library, and reserved a copy. Now I need to read {{Deadline}} and {{Blackout}}. Grant’s writing, while typically female in style (first person dialog – both inner and outer, and the main character is a girl), does …
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char steakhouse, raritan nj
I got taken out (along with several other people) recently to Char Steakhouse in Raritan NJ. The food was nice, and the service was decent – but for $50+ per person, it should be AMAZING. And it wasn’t. There was nothing wrong with the food, and indeed the sides were several steps above a Logan’s or …
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the traveler by john twelve hawks
I first heard about {{The Traveler}} in {{Albert-László Barabási}}’s book {{Bursts}} (review). Now that I’ve had a chance to read {{John Twelve Hawks}}’ novel, I can say I can’t recommend it. Not because it’s a bad story – but because I couldn’t get into it. I think it has the potential to be a good …
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atlas of the year 1000 by john man
It was with great excitement I reserved {{Atlas of the Year 1000}} from my local library. {{John Man}}’s work did not disappoint (excluding the humorous typo of “a a” when only the single article use was intended). Starting with the Americas, then working Eastward to Europe, the Islamic region, and Asia before moving back west …
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