Daddy’s got a brand new toy

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On my recent work stint to Victoria it became apparent that my 13″ Macbook Pro (early 2015) was getting a bit long in the tooth. Surprisingly it still did everything I wanted it to, but it was a bit sluggish on the more data intensive tasks and the battery life was moderate. The nail in the coffin was my own bad habits—I like to open too many programs at once when doing ebook development. Typically I might have Photoshop, Word, Excel, Sigil, BBEdit, IA Writer, Preview, Calendar, Mail, NewsNetWire, iTunes and be popping in and out of InDesign and Visual Studio Code. It was just a bit too much for my poor old Macbook’s 2.9GHz Dual-Core intel i5 with 8 GM of memory and work slowed down noticeably.

And since I had been offered a work machine when I started at Orca I thought it might be time to take advantage of the deal. A few conversations later and I order this new beauty. Now this new machine is way over-powered for what I actually need it to do work-wise but since I got almost 8 years out of my old one I figured to go big and focus on longevity over price. I did have to top up the fund because  the company wasn’t that generous, but we worked out a more-than-fair deal.

 

 

Downsides

Of course every cloud has its tarnished lining … or whatever that saying is… In this case it is USB C ports and peripherals. One of the reasons to go with the Macbook Pro is that it at least comes with 3 thunderbolt (USB C) ports and a HDMI port. The Air’s only come with 2 ports… period. But as it stands I currently have 4 external HDs, cables for my iPhone and ereader, a webcam, an external keyboard, and second monitor and ethernet—that’s 10 in total and I still need spare ports for plugging in extra SSDs etc. <y current setup has a generous 4 USB C ports and 2 USB A ports and I have two USB A hubs and I still don’t have enough sometimes 🙂

And since the new Macbook supports USB 3.2 (with a super speedy 10 GB/S) I might as well take advantage of it and at least get the externals’ file transfer rates up to max speeds. So it means a new hub and a bunch of new dongles… But the choices seem pretty thin. Oh well… who doesn’t like researching tech on the web?

But… but… the Mac Mini?

Those of you who follow along (lol) will know I just bought a new computer (“just bought” being a relative thing) back in Nov. 2020. It was (is) a Mac mini (2018) 3.2 GHz 6-core Intel i7 with 16 Gb of RAM. The issue now is how do I divide the workload? I can’t see working on the slower computer when the new M2 chips are supposed to be so screaming fast. And switching from one machine to another is a bit of a pain (although I highly recommend Barrier as a virtual KVM).

It worked ok with the mini and two monitors being my main machine and using Barrier to control the old laptop, but if I want to use the monitors  with the. laptop (and I do…) then the mini either becomes a remote machine (which sucks for anything other than the most basic of tasks) or I need to invest in a real KVM so I can switch monitors as well.

And I don’t really need it as a media server although I suppose I could retire my old Mini (mid-2011). Decisions… decisions…

But regardless I  happily await the arrival of my new machine and the hours of setting up and settling in to get it just right

Brief Update

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I just realized I never finished last year’s posts (I didn’t even finish any videos!). I will fill things in, I promise, but we are back aboard enjoying some time in Victoria. Short trip this year, only a month—and two weeks of that in Victoria. But enjoyable so far nonetheless.

Here’s what our mornings looks like this week.

And our new custom cutting board courtesy of my brother. I still haven’t decided if we will leave it on board or not.


—Bruce #Posts

Photo…shop

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My  illustrious son was trying to do something nice for a friend and needed to make some decals for his P-40 Warhawk. Seems said friend liked the Pokemon Purrloin, so it occurred to him that he could put the two together. Or more specifically I could put the two together for him.

 

This is what he sent me:

Open photoOpen photo

 

And this is what I made:

I think I did ok, if I do say so myself.

For those uninformed of you, the P40 was the plane the famed Flying Tigers flew in China and they had great gnashy shark’s teeth painted on them. The Flying Tiger logo (just behind the cockpit) was created by Walt Disney himself:

Instagram Since Last Time

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Instagram Since Last Time
It’s been a beautiful couple of days to end the year. Here’s hoping 2023 is just as beautiful.
Instagram Since Last Time
Just finished the best meal/experience I’ve had in a decade at @la_petite_iza served up by none other than Chef Shaun of the early Enjoy Centre days. Magnifique, 10 stars, so very very enjoyable!
Instagram Since Last Time
It’s all about the cuff links.
Instagram Since Last Time
Je me souveins…

Books 2022: Missed it by ‘that’ much

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Last year’s title:

Books 2021—The Last Year of the Covid

Well…maybe not. …

These were the words I opened last year’s book count. Tempting fate much? Just before Xmas this year I caught a wicked cold… or did I?  Ya, it was probably Covid. Or else the wickedest cold with fever I’ve ever had. 3 years of avoidance and then poof. Sigh.

Relevant to this post? Well it means for the first time ever I will be finishing the year with some unfinished books. My brain has been a puddle and I really couldn’t make my way through Greg Bear’s conclusion to his highly philosophical War Dogs series. So Take Back the Sky will have to wait until 2023 to make it onto the list. I also have two Standard Books works-in-progress (The Blithedale Romance and Elmer Gantry) that can’t technically make it to the 2022 count due to fuzz-brain. Instead the last week I have been rereading old stuff who’s fluffiness suited the state of my brain cells. On the upside it gave me three or four extra titles that I probably wouldn’t have read in the usual course of events.

Le List

Books 2022

January (12)

  • The Hot Gate: III John Ringo (2011)
    Book 3 of Troy Rising – ebook; reread
  • The Blacktongue Thief Christopher Buehlman (2021)
    Book 1 of The Blacktongue Thief – ebook;
  • On Basilisk Station David Weber (1992)
    Book 1 of Honor Harrington – ebook; reread
  • The Honor of the Queen David Weber (1993)
    Book 2 of Honor Harrington – ebook; reread
  • The Short Victorious War David Weber (1994)
    Book 3 of Honor Harrington – ebook; reread
  • Field of Dishonor David Weber (1994)
    Book 4 of Honor Harrington – ebook; reread
  • Flag in Exile David Weber (1995)
    Book 5 of Honor Harrington – ebook; reread
  • You Sexy Thing Cat Rambo (2022)
    – ebook;
  • Dangerous Liaisons Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (1782)
    – ebook;
  • The Kaiju Preservation Society John Scalzi (2022)
    – ebook; from galley
  • The Stone in the Skull Elizabeth Bear (2017)
    Book 1 of The Lotus Kingdoms – ebook;
  • The Red-Stained Wings Elizabeth Bear (2019)
    Book 2 of The Lotus Kingdoms – ebook;

February (10)

  • The Origin of Storms Elizabeth Bear (2022)
    Book 3 of The Lotus Kingdoms – ebook; from galley
  • Light From Uncommon Stars Ryka Aoki (2021)
    – ebook;
  • Leviathan Falls James S. A. Corey (2021)
    Book 9 of Expanse – ebook;
  • Death Before Wicket Kerry Greenwood (1999)
    Book 10 of Phryne Fisher Mysteries – ebook
  • The Game Beyond Melissa Scott (1984)
    – ebook; reread
  • All the Seas of the World Guy Gavriel Kay (2022)
    – ebook; from galley
  • All Systems Red Martha Wells (2017)
    Book 1 of The Murderbot Diaries – ebook; reread
  • Artificial Condition Martha Wells (2018)
    Book 2 of The Murderbot Diaries – ebook; reread
  • Rogue Protocol Martha Wells (2018)
    Book 3 of The Murderbot Diaries – ebook; reread
  • Exit Strategy Martha Wells (2018)
    Book 4 of The Murderbot Diaries – ebook; reread

March (7)

  • Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory Martha Wells (2020)
    Book 4.5 of The Murderbot Diaries – ebook; reread
  • Network Effect Martha Wells (2020)
    Book 5 of The Murderbot Diaries – ebook; reread
  • Fugitive Telemetry Martha Wells (2021)
    Book 6 of The Murderbot Diaries – ebook; reread
  • Last Exit Max Gladstone (2022)
    – ebook; from galley
  • Shards of Earth Adrian Tchaikovsky (2021)
    Book 1 of The Final Architecture – ebook;
  • Foundation’s Edge Isaac Asimov (1982)
    Book 4 of Foundation – ebook; reread
  • Golf Stories P.G. Wodehouse (1922)
    – ebook;

April (10)

  • Eyes of the Void Adrian Tchaikovsky (2022)
    Book 2 of The Final Architecture – ebook; from galley
  • She Stoops to Conquer Oliver Goldsmith (1773)
    – ebook;
  • The Grief of Stones Katherine Addison (2022)
    Book 2 of The Cemeteries of Amalo – ebook; from galley
  • Night Train to Rigel Timothy Zahn (2005)
    Book 1 of Quadrail – ebook; reread
  • Away with the Fairies Kerry Greenwood (2001)
    Book 11 of Phryne Fisher Mysteries – ebook;
  • Jade Legacy Fonda Lee (2021)
    Book 3 of The Green Bone Saga – ebook;
  • The Library of the Dead T. L. Huchu (2021)
    Book 1 of Edinburgh Nights – ebook;
  • The Phoenix Guards Steven Brust (1991)
    Book 1 of The Phoenix Guard – ebook; reread
  • Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments T. L. Huchu (2022)
    Book 2 of Edinburgh Nights – ebook;
  • Five Hundred Years After Steven Brust (1994)
    Book 2 of The Phoenix Guard – ebook; reread

May (20)

  • Five Hundred Years After Steven Brust (1994)
    Book 2 of The Phoenix Guard – ebook; reread
  • The Paths of the Dead Steven Brust (2002)
    Book 1 of The Viscount of Adrilankha – ebook; reread
  • The Lord of Castle Black Steven Brust (2002)
    Book 2 of The Viscount of Adrilankha – ebook; reread
  • Sethra Lavode Steven Brust (2003)
    Book 3 of The Viscount of Adrilankha – ebook; reread
  • Jhereg Steven Brust (1983)
    Book 1 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Yendi Steven Brust (1884)
    Book 2 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Teckla Steven Brust (1987)
    Book 3 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Taltos Steven Brust (1988)
    Book 4 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Phoenix Steven Brust (1990)
    Book 5 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Athyra Steven Brust (1993)
    Book 6 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Orca Steven Brust (1996)
    Book 7 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Dragon Steven Brust (1998)
    Book 8 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Issola Steven Brust (2001)
    Book 9 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Dzur Steven Brust (2006)
    Book 10 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Jhegaala Steven Brust (2008)
    Book 11 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Iorich Steven Brust (2010)
    Book 12 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Tiassa Steven Brust (2011)
    Book 13 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Hawk Steven Brust (2014)
    Book 14 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Vallista Steven Brust (2017)
    Book 15 of Vlad Taltos – ebook; reread
  • Six of Crows Leigh Bardugo (2015)
    Book 1 of Six of Crows – ebook;

June (17)

  • Crooked Kingdom Leigh Bardugo (2016)
    Book 2 of Six of Crows – ebook;
  • Sword of the Lamb M.K. Wren (1981)
    Book 1 of The Phoenix Legacy – ebook; reread
  • Shadow of the Swan M.K. Wren (1981)
    Book 2 of The Phoenix Legacy – ebook; reread
  • House of the Wolf M.K. Wren (1981)
    Book 3 of The Phoenix Legacy – ebook; reread
  • Prince of Fools Mark Lawrence (2014)
    Book 1 of The Red Queen’s War – ebook;
  • The Liar’s Key Mark Lawrence (2015)
    Book 2 of The Red Queen’s War – ebook;
  • The Wheel of Osheim Mark Lawrence (2016)
    Book 3 of The Red Queen’s War – ebook;
  • Sounding Dark Jo Graham (2021)
    Book 1 of The Calpurnian Wars – ebook;
  • Dauntless Jack Campbell (2006)
    Book 1 of The Lost Fleet – ebook; reread
  • Fearless Jack Campbell (2007)
    Book 2 of The Lost Fleet – ebook; reread
  • Courageous Jack Campbell (2007)
    Book 3 of The Lost Fleet – ebook; reread
  • Valiant Jack Campbell (2008)
    Book 4 of The Lost Fleet – ebook; reread
  • Relentless Jack Campbell (2009)
    Book 5 of The Lost Fleet – ebook; reread
  • Victorious Jack Campbell (20010)
    Book 6 of The Lost Fleet – ebook; reread
  • Rabbits Terry Miles (2021)
    – ebook;
  • Scholar L.E. Modesitt (2011)
    Book 4 of Imager Portfolio – ebook; reread
  • Princeps L.E. Modesitt (2012)
    Book 5 of Imager Portfolio – ebook; reread

July (12)

  • Imager’s Battalion L.E. Modesitt (2013)
    Book 6 of Imager Portfolio – ebook; reread
  • Busy Doing Nothing: 51 days from Japan to Canada Rekka Bellum & Devine Lu Linvega (2021)
    – ebook;
  • Antiagon Fire L.E. Modesitt (2013)
    Book 7 of Imager Portfolio – ebook; reread
  • Regis Rex L.E. Modesitt (2014)
    Book 8 of Imager Portfolio – ebook; reread
  • Madness in Solidar L.E. Modesitt (2015)
    Book 9 of Imager Portfolio – ebook; reread
  • The Thursday Murder Club: a Novel Richard Osman (2020)
    Book 1 of The Thursday Murder Club – ebook
  • Valiant Dust Richard Baker (2017)
    Book 1 of Breaker of Empires – ebook;
  • Restless Lightning Richard Baker (2018)
    Book 2 of Breaker of Empires – ebook;
  • Orders of Battle Marko Kloos (2020)
    Book 7 of Frontlines – ebook;
  • Centers of Gravity Marko Kloos (2022)
    Book 2 of Frontlines – ebook; from galley
  • Treachery’s Tools L.E. Modesitt (2016)
    Book 10 of Imager Portfolio – ebook; reread
  • Scornful Stars Richard Baker (2019)
    Book 3 of Breaker of Empires – ebook;

August (13)

  • Assassin’s Price L.E. Modesitt (2017)
    Book 11 of Imager Portfolio – ebook; reread
  • Endgame L.E. Modesitt (2019)
    Book 12 of Imager Portfolio – ebook; reread
  • Vic’s Vultures Scott Warren (2016)
    Book 1 of Union Earth Privateers – ebook;
  • The Conscious Lovers Richard Steele (1722)
    – ebook;
  • A Blessing of Unicorns Elizabeth Bear (2020)
    Book 2 of Sub-Inspector Ferron Mysteries – ebook;
  • The Man Who Died Twice Richard Osman (2021)
    Book 2 of The Thursday Murder Club – ebook
  • Murder in Montparnasse Kerry Greenwood (2002)
    Book 12 of Phryne Fisher Mysteries – ebook
  • Trouble and Her Friends Melissa Scott (1994)
    – ebook; reread
  • Imager L.E. Modesitt (2009)
    Book 1 of Imager Portfolio – ebook; reread
  • Imager’s Challenge L.E. Modesitt (2009)
    Book 2 of Imager Portfolio – ebook; reread
  • Imager’s Intrigue L.E. Modesitt (2010)
    Book 3 of Imager Portfolio – ebook; reread
  • Revolt 2100 Robert A. Heinlein (1953)
    – ebook; reread
  • In the House of Aryaman, a Lonely Signal Burns Elizabeth Bear (2017)
    Book 1 of Sub-Inspector Ferron Mysteries – ebook;

September (8)

  • Tunnel in the Sky Robert A. Heinlein (1955)
    – ebook; reread
  • The Moon is a Harsh Mistress Robert A. Heinlein (1955)
    – ebook; reread
  • The Rolling Stones Robert A. Heinlein (1952)
    – ebook; reread
  • I will Fear No Evil Robert A. Heinlein (1970)
    – ebook; reread
  • Stranger in a Strange Land Robert A. Heinlein (1961)
    – ebook; reread
  • Methuselah’s Children Robert A. Heinlein (1958)
    – ebook; reread
  • Time Enough For Love Robert A. Heinlein (1973)
    – ebook; reread
  • Ancillary Justice Ann Leckie (2013)
    Book 1 of Imperial Radch – ebook; reread

October (7)

  • Ancillary Sword Ann Leckie (2014)
    Book 2 of Imperial Radch – ebook; reread
  • Ancillary Mercy Ann Leckie (2015)
    Book 3 of Imperial Radch – ebook; reread
  • A Deadly Education Naomi Novik (2022)
    Book 3 of Scholomance – ebook;
  • The Bullet that Missed Richard Osman (2022)
    Book 3 of The Thursday Murder Club – ebook
  • War Dogs Greg Bear (2015)
    Book 1 of War Dogs – ebook; reread
  • The Spare Man Mary Robinette Kowal (2022)
    – ebook;
  • The Lies of Locke Lamora Scott Lynch (2006)
    Book 1 of Locke Lamora – ebook; reread

November (8)

  • Midnight Riot Ben Aaronovitch (2011)
    Book 1 of Rivers of London – ebook;
  • Killing Titan Greg Bear (2015)
    Book 2 of War Dogs – ebook;
  • Terminal Peace Jim C. Hines (2022)
    Book 3 of Janitors of the Post-Apolcalypse – ebook;
  • The Bayern Agenda Dan Moren (2019)
    Book 1 of Galactic Cold War – ebook;
  • Dance with the Devil Kit Rocha (2022)
    Book 3 of Mercenary Librarians – ebook;
  • The Empress of Salt and Fortune Nghi Vo (2020)
    Book 1 of The Singing Hills Cycle – ebook;
  • Moon Over Soho Ben Aaronovitch (2011)
    Book 2 of Rivers of London – ebook;
  • The Practice Effect David Brin (1984)
    – ebook; reread

December (12)

  • March Upcountry David Weber & John Ringo (2001)
    Book 1 of Empire of Man – ebook; reread
  • March to the Sea David Weber & John Ringo (2001)
    Book 2 of Empire of Man – ebook; reread
  • March to the Stars David Weber & John Ringo (2002)
    Book 3 of Empire of Man – ebook; reread
  • We Few David Weber & John Ringo (2005)
    Book 4 of Empire of Man – ebook; reread
  • The Atlas Six Olivie Blake (2021)
    Book 1 of Atlas – ebook;
  • The Man Who Sold the Moon Robert A. Heinlein (1950)
    – ebook; reread
  • Orphans of the Sky Robert A. Heinlein (1941)
    – ebook; reread
  • Tiger Burning Bright Marion Zimmer Bradley & Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey (1995)
    – ebook; reread
  • The Goblin Emperor Katherine Addison (2014)
    – ebook; reread
  • Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance Lois McMaster Bujold (2012)
    Book 12 of Miles Vorkosigan – ebook; reread
  • Old Man’s War John Scalzi (2005)
    Book 1 of Old Man’s War – ebook; reread
  • The Ghost Brigades John Scalzi (2006)
    Book 2 of Old Man’s War – ebook; reread

 

((\
(-.-)
o_(“)(“)

 

Show me the numbers!

Total read: 136

rereads 84
11.33 books/month
2.6 books/week
.372 books/day

Books by women: 38 (23/52 new books)
Non SF/Fantasy: 9
Oldest 1722 (The Conscious Lovers)

Of Note

These books made a real impression on me in 2022:

  • T. L. Huchu’s  Edinburgh Nights series —a magically talented youngster on the down and out making her way through the world with her side-hustles.
  • The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman — classic thief fantasy but I really enjoyed it.
  • The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo — a novella where the story of a recently dead queen is told by/to an itinerant monk whose job it is to record history. Looking forward to future books in the series.
  • Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki — I don’t know what to say. It deserves all the accolades it’s received. It would be a hard sell to anyone based on a synopsis but it does everything it tries to do — supremely well.

Mysteries and Procedurals

I also expanded my foray into non-sf/fantasy by adding in a few more series of mysteries.

  • Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fischer — I am still plugging my way through these. Fun fluff.
  • Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club series — we became big Richard Osman’s fans by watching his unlikely TV show Richard Osman’s House of Games. So when I saw he had written a book, and a murder mystery at that I immediately got it for L. Then I read it and the follow ups. Delightful in that British sort of way.
  • Ben Aaronovitch’s  Rivers of London series — speaking of British. L had taken Book One of this series from the library and I happened to read the synopsis: “Midnight Riot is what would happen if Harry Potter grew up and joined the Fuzz. It is a hilarious, keenly imagined caper.” Not, as it turns out, a very accurate description but it is funny, very British and the kind of writing that keeps making you go “ooh, that’s clever” Technically fantasy though…

Some Meh

I’d read War Dogs by Greg Bear years ago and remembered being disappointed by its ending. Turns out that’s because it was a book 1 of a series. Who knew? But trying to get through the sequels has been a slog and I think I might have been better off with leaving it alone.

L had wanted to read Mary Robinette Kowal’s latest The Spare Man despite my warning that the Lady Astronaut series was an anomaly for her. I should have taken my own advice. The very epitome of meh. Not bad, but not really my schtick — as I knew it wouldn’t be…

I took a look at another self published author: Scott Warren and the first book in a series: Vic’s Vultures. I won’t condemn it outright and I might give book 2 a go when I am feeling generous but man, oh man this is the kind of situation where you would see a professional editor shine. The book really, really needed a good substantive edit and some serious tightening.

Some Reviews

Speaking of my opinion, I tried some reviewing this year by signing up for NetGalley and then building a sub-site to host my critical pretensions: https://macblaze.ca/books/ Check it out if you are bored — I only managed 13 reviews before life kicked in. Hopefully I will take it up again in 2023.

A Side Note

Busy Doing Nothing: 51 days from Japan to Canada by Rekka Bellum & Devine Lu Linvega is another self-published work I read. I met these two “virtually” back in 2015 and since then they took their 33-foot sailboat down to Mexico, across to Polynesia, up to Japan and back home to Victoria. The book is their story of the long trip home from Japan. A great read that really captures the highs and lows of long-distance cruising (at least as far as I can tell from other reading…I’m not that crazy). We got to meet them in person up in Desolation Sound this spring and they really are a fascinating pair. (https://hundredrabbits.itch.io/busy-doing-nothing)

In Conclusion

I swore I had read more new books and I really would have sworn I read more books by women. But I think all the series rereads I did (e.g. Honor Harrington, Vlad Taltos, The Lost Fleet, The Imager Portfolio, The Empire of Man — that’s almost 50 books there) skewed both of those numbers.  But as noted above, if you only count new books I did come close to 50% on women authors.

Why do I care? I don’t particularly. Many, many of the favourite authors from my my youth were (or turned out to be) women. But I think that actually worked against me and I’ve assumed they made up a large chunk of the writers I consume. Turns out all this counting  has proven me very, very wrong on that point. I occasionally rebel (in my head) against the real effort towards diversity that sf/fantasy publishers are consciously making these days and a bit of counting goes a long way to proving they’re right and I’m wrong. Thank you Sesame Street‘s The Count for a lesson well taught 🙂

So keep reading, try to ignore the name/spelling/gender/ethnicity or even flavour/politics/online persona etc. of the author and trust the publishers, they actually do know what they are doing (another strike against self-publishing I guess). There is way, way more good stuff out there than bad.

My fellow book counters: Dr. Leslie’s 2022 book and music list and the one, the only, the original, Earl J. Woods’ Books I Read in 2022 .

Links to previous years’ book count posts:

Stop pretending

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Stupid Human tricks, December Edition

A recent headline in a newsletter I received.

Drag storytimes are “a simple, positive way to teach acceptance” yet hate groups are targeting them (CBC)
— Booknet News, Booknet Canada

I get why it was phrased that way but I think it would be much more effective (and activating) to change “yet” to “so.”

Drag storytimes are “a simple, positive way to teach acceptance” so hate groups are targeting them.

You can’t effect change until you recognize the resistance to change. FWIW, I think these kind of events are exactly what we as a society should be promoting. Hit ’em where it scares them the most and we’ll all be amazed what we can slip in behind them.

As always, just my 2 cents.

(Fay Slift and Fluffy Soufflé)