My novel finally has a cover (and a wallpaper)

Writing.

I finally settled on a cover and a pen name. So now both my writing related websites are up-to-date. Unfortunately I haven't released the story yet...

Well, I have to start somewhere 😇

Photon (1997)

Anime Review

You'd be tempted to think I watch loads of anime... but I don't. These are old reviews I wrote over the years, most for Dapper. I promised to post something every Monday, and I have been a bit busy, work wise, so here's another review of something old.

Photon then... Six episodes... Drawing style is somewhat childish, plot is somewhat illogical, purpose is somewhat undefined, it's all somewhat... vague.

Typewriters... (re)live the experience!

Column / Writing.

Do you remember good ol' typewriters? Man, the horror! 😣😂

I don't think there's anyone who has good memories about typewriters. I'm certainly not one of them.

Xara / Magix Designer Pro - Love it or hate it?

Datatalk.

The Xara Designer Pro software package is quite nice, and capable of incredible things. It never got the traction it deserved, and has been picked up and then abandoned, more or less, again and again.

Some time ago Magix picked it up, and that rarely bodes well...

A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

Movie Review

Wanna' see something incredibly old? (No, it's not a picture of me 😄)

Here's a very old Fantasy / Supernatural / Romance movie, A matter of Life and Death from 1946!

Book And Chapter Sizes... in words

Writing + Reference

The optimal chapter size is driven by your audience and publication platform. The size of the book is just all those chapters together. Too little words and people are going to be unhappy. Too many words and they'll get bored.

This means you either have to adjust your chapter size to the target, re-chapter before publication, or simply don't give a damn 😁

Ranma 1/2 (199x)

Anime Review

Revisiting the past... ever heard of Ranma 1/2? Boy meets girl, which appears to be just another fiancée. Credits to daddy. Girl meets boy. But boy is, sometimes, a girl.

Don't go and look for anything politically correct, or any LGBTQ+ sensitivity. This dates back to the early nineties, and is slapstick anime comedy, aimed at younger teens.

Wallpaper - Beach

Wallpaper.

We had -17º degrees a few days ago... as in one real week of winter. I wonder if we'll ever see it again with all that global warming...

Nevertheless, it was warm inside, and I couldn't help myself from thinking about warmer weather, and walking on the beach...

Skyland (2005)

Anime Review

Ten years ago or so Skyland was showing on Dutch television. At the time I downloaded a few episodes, and noticed that the broadcasted version was post-processed to look more 'dirty'. Which made it look a lot better, to be honest. 

Story wise both versions are the same and okay.

Galactik Football (2006)

Anime Review

I'm not into soccer much, but the anime series Galactic Football wasn't too bad. Though it wasn't too good either, to be honest 😅 Most interesting was perhaps the drawing style, CGI 'cell shaded' characters on more detailed backgrounds.

The writing process

Column + Writing + Reference + Mindmap

Writing is hard. It's very hard. People have no clue how hard it actually is. Even writers themselves are clueless.

So, I set out to document the writing process. Read on (besides, it was about time I created another mindmap)...

Converting and formatting manuscripts

Writing + Reference

Every writer has their own preference. For example, I prefer to write with empty lines instead of indents. (There are some disadvantages to that method, but I just find it easier that way.)

Still, you might want to go for the 'official' 'manuscript' format when submitting. Unfortunately, there's no such thing...

Netflix - The Queen's Gambit (2020)

Series Review.

I’m in love. Not necessarily with Anna Taylor-Joy (who, frankly, is way easier on the eyes than I am 😂 even if deliberate make-up choices make her look a little weird now and again), no, I'm in love with the sixties. I’m a bit surprised that nobody is mentioning Beth Harmon’s… eh… predecessor / inspiration misses Emma Peel 😅

Windows 10 shortcuts to batch files and Store Apps

Windows

Windows 10 is pretty inconsistent when it comes to creating and pinning shortcuts. Here's some information if you need to pin a shortcut to a batchfile to the taskbar, if you want to create a desktop shortcut to a Microsoft Store App, or if you want to automate stuff...

Rename a Bluetooth device on Windows 10

Windows 10.

You can rename your Bluetooth devices under Windows 10 (1909 and 2004). But it's not obvious how to do it, and in some cases it simply doesn't work at all.

Follow these steps...

Wallpaper - Dual Monitor - Avatar vs. Alita

Wallpaper

This month's dual monitor wallpaper features two James Cameron heroines. No points for those who recognize the movies 😁

Click on image to enlarge

Will Wight - Cradle 1 - Unsouled

Book Review.

A typical (?) LitRPG, no tables, but it’s all about leveling and power, and boring as hell. It’s book 1 of the Cradle series, and I got the first eight books for free, but I doubt I will enjoy any of them.

Anything even vaguely resembling LitRPG or GameLit is a definite no-go for me.

Disney+ - Ready or not (2019)

Movie Review + Disney+

I’m typically not into the horror genre, but this one a. was a gift from some online service, and b. is more action than horror. Call it a light horror movie, I’d say a B+. The best scene is the one in which the bride watches herself in the mirror, holding an elephant rifle. I think just that single image would make the movie deserve a sequel.

I want to write but I have no idea / the best idea ever

Writing

Writing is a lot of hard work, but can be a lot of fun and very rewarding. If you want to write, go ahead!

But if you ended up here you need help. Definitely. And the person to help is the one that looks back at you in the mirror... Read on!

Francis James Blair - Bulletproof Witch - The Delivery of Flesh (2019)

Audiobook Review.

Just started this YA (?) series, about an alternative reality in which a gun-slinging daughter tries to take down the demon that killed her grandpa. I never heard of it before, but a reader told me Kind’s Kiss made him think of that series, so I had to try. (I think it's very different, but that's okay.)

Disney+ - The Mandalorian

Series Review.

Finally. Redemption.  After the promising The Force Awakens came The Last Jedi, which was so bad I completely gave up on the Star Wars universe. I still don’t know why they did not base the latest trilogy on Zahn’s three books (some seriously good reads)… still, TFA was promising. Then came TLJ and I thought I would never enjoy anything Star Wars again. (Except perhaps for the cartoons.)

Netflix - The Order (2019..2020)

Series Review.

Better than I expected. I didn’t watch it when the first season was released, especially because season one had a cliffhanger. When season two came along I gave it a chance. Light fare, teen demography, werewolves versus magicians.

And weirdly enough, this series is more interesting than it has any right to be...

Critique Swaps

Writing.

Welcome in 2021! It's time to wrap up my first novel, but I could use a little more feedback, so... how about some critique swaps?

Interested? Then read on...

Wallpaper - Doctor Strange

Wallpaper.

Some wallpapers are stranger than life... (Click the image to enlarge.)

I believe wallpapers are an essential part of our day-to-day computer experience, so of course I have a whole slew of 'm, that automatically rotate on every reboot.

I'll (try to) share one every month.

2020

Wrapping up 2020, and Welcome to 2021!

The image to the left takes you to the home screen which lists all major topics.

To search this blog you have to use the desktop version of this blog.

This link will show all 2020 posts.

All you didn't want to know about 2020...

Idiotic DRM

Datatalk + Music

Buy a CD in Germany on Amazon.de, and you can immediately download the DRM free MP3 rip of it. You can even buy it digital only. Buy that same CD in the Netherlands on Amazon.de, and you only get the physical carrier, so you have to rip it yourself.

Of course, the music company will add copy protection. Seriously? How will that stop anyone?

Non-native speakers writing in English

Writing + Reference

A non-native English speaker runs into problems that may not be that obvious to a native speaker. To a native speaker, some of these mistakes may look funny, or stupid, but then I would like to invite the English speaker to try his or her hand at Dutch or Chinese.

Wattpad no more

Column + Writing

How useful is online publishing? More specifically, will online platforms help you to become a (published) writer, help you to improve your writing, or simply help you find readers?

I have my doubts...

Writer's block

Writing

Is there such a thing as 'writer's block'?

I, honestly, have no idea. But sometimes I'm just stuck, and I found a few tricks that work for me. Perhaps they work for you...

Alexandra Quick Audiobooks

Book Review

Not only did Inverarity finish the fifth book of the Alexandra Quick series, there is now an audio book as well! Sam Gabriel is narrating them, find the podcasts here.

(If you don't know what Alexandra Quick is all about go here.)

Wow...

Netflix - A Certain Magical Index / A Certain Scientific Railgun

Anime Review

Combine 'slice of life' with superpowers, heroic fights, add a dip of magic, and give it a little girl x girl x boy twist (though very, very minor). Fairly regular stuff, although not too bad. What made it stand out and interesting is the 'sisters' arc, especially in the spin-off, which is a lot darker than the rest.

SP-200-48 oud versus nieuw, Conrad versus Reichelt, Taiwan versus China (Dutch)

DIY + Dutch

(Naar aanleiding van de defecte modules uit de WHR950.)

Ik heb twee SP-200-48's gekocht, eentje van Conrad, en eentje van Reichelt.

Netflix - Bloodshot (2020)

Movie Review

Is Vin Diesel salty because he's just a voice in the biggest Marvel / Superhero series? Perhaps. Let's hope he keeps voicing Groot because this superhero movie Bloodshot certainly isn't worth your while, unless you like a. Vin Diesel, b. a perfect Vin Diesel, c. an unstoppable Vin Diesel, and d. Vin Diesel for president.

Hoogbouw en schaduw (Dutch)

Column / Dutch,

Triest. Dat is het enige passende woord.

De gemeente Capelle aan den IJssel houdt geen enkele rekening met bestaande bewoners van hun 'modelwijk' Fascinatio.

Ventilator in Mean Well SP-200-48 geschakelde voeding (uit WHR950) defect (Dutch)

DIY + Dutch

Wat te doen met een Mean Well geschakelde voeding van 15 jaar oud, waar de ventilator van stuk is?

WHR950 (oud model) badkamer schakelaar en slim ventileren (Dutch)

DIY + Domotics + Dutch

In de handleiding van de nieuwere versies van de WHR950 staat een aansluiting voor een badkamer schakelaar beschreven. In de oudere versie zit deze functie ook, zij het iets minder duidelijk aangegeven. Zoek op de print naar de aansluiting DI2L. Dat is 'm!

Hierbij mijn 'mini' projectje om de WTW installatie automatisch in de hoge stand te zetten wanneer nodig. De principes werken natuurlijk ook met andere merken / producten.

SqueezeBox - Update SqueezeBox Touch - Firmware to 7.8.x

Datatalk + Squeezebox

I recently picked up another SqueezeBox touch, to replace my older, misbehaving unit. This stuff is getting old, with the last SB Touch units being manufactured in 2012. When I tried to connect my new second-hand unit to my server, it kept asking me to update the server.

A link to a webpage doesn't work from inside Excel, but works fine from a browser

Datatalk / Excel.

Symptoms: funny error messages, such as 'Cannot locate the Internet server or proxy server'.

Cause: Excel (office) doesn't simply launch a browser, but does a test first. That test may fail (for example lack of login cookies) and return the wrong error message.

The reader's first impression, or 'what comes before the plot'

Writing

You're an aspiring author. And your work just... sucks. Potential readers run away with polite excuses, and it seems they can't understand your great vision. Fear not! You can get better, or at least better than me 😁

It's not that hard. But before you craft wonderful plots, believable characters, and encompassing worlds, you might want to have a quick peek at the basics, and what kind of first impression your work will leave behind.

Printer stuck in landscape mode - Windows 10 / Brother J5620DW J5720DW

Windows 10 / Brother MFC

When you use Add printers & scanners then Windows scans your network for printers. Sometimes, if I install my networked Brother printers this way, they only allow me to print in Landscape, no matter what I try. There is a workaround, fortunately.

My book... is still alive

Column / Writing.

I know the series' name will cause some dispute and raised eyebrows, but I still decided to use the 'concept' name I used for my story.

Don't worry. It has nothing to do with the actual killing of people. 

Netflix - Ghost in the Shell SAC2045

Anime Review

Painful, skip these.

The live move with Scarlett Johansson was better, the two older anime movies and the original Stand Alone Complex TV series were yet another step (or two) above that. (In other words, those were pretty damn good.)

I cannot comment on the comics as I’ve never read those, but this 'new' series was inconsistent and contained more plot holes than Gouda cheese. Horrid stuff.

Chrome - home button, pin to taskbar, default page on new tab, custom homepage

Chrome is my favorite browser. It has an important place in my daily workflow, but by organizing things a little I save a couple of clicks on every startup, adding up to quite a few clicks per day.

Ouch!

Column.

Lacking motivation? Watch this.

Never give up. Never fear to fail. And if you fall, fall forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUDCzbmLV-0

 

Edmund Hughes - Arcane Dropout

Audiobook Review.

A download, noticed too late it contained ‘adult scenes’. Would be a reasonable book, except for the sex scenes, and the epilogue. 

I probably won’t read any of the sequels after that epilogue. Such a pity.

Alastair Reynolds - Revenger 3 - Bone Silence (2020)

Audiobook Review.

Third book in the Revenger series. In the same vein as the previous two, yet explaining a lot more, but I thought the first two books to be a little better. This one seems a bit rushed near the end. I have a feeling he will return to this universe with a different cast of characters.

Netflix - Warrior Nun - Season 1 (2020..2022)

Series Review

Okay, a guilty pleasure. But anything Buffy-like easily piques my interest. Haven’t read the comics but I liked the show. Dead teen gets another lease on life when a relic gets implanted in her back. And yet it is entertaining in a Buffy kind of way.

Veronica Roth - Divergent

Movie Review / Audiobook Review.

There's a movie, and there's a book. I've seen and read both. The movie wasn't too bad, although the main character in the movie seems a bit 'soft' compared with the book.

Both movie and book are okay, but aimed at the angsty teen crowd hungering for some apocalyptical romance.

Practical network (and Wifi) speeds

Datatalk

There are many complex and perfect ways to test your network speeds, but here are a few practical examples, that do not require a degree in Science or Math...

This is a simplified explanation, but it seems to work fine for me 😏

Rachel Aaron - Part-Time Gods / Night Shift Dragons (2020)

Audiobook Review.

Part-Time Gods and Night Shift Dragons are both nice, 'uppety' 'peppy reads'. Some action, some magic, some romance. These are parts 2 and 3 of the DFZ series, which started with Minimum Wage Magic, and take place in the same universe as the Heartstriker series.