Review of Becoming by Michelle Obama

I just finished reading Becoming by Michelle Obama.📚 I did not know much about the Obama family when starting this book, but I remember that I was following the campaign a bit more closely at the time, so I was interested in the book to get some insight and perspective from the inside.

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A small sculpture I found on my desk today. Build by my daughter- so cute!

A small sculpture I found on my desk today. Build by my daughter- so cute!

This is so true!

You can’t tell kids anything. Kids want to be like adults. They want to do what the adults are doing. You have to let them see adults behaving like the whole, human beings you’d like them to be.

⤑ Love what you do in front of the kids in your life.

Got a new toy. Hopefully This helps with getting better video quality.

Got a new toy. Hopefully This helps with getting better video quality.

To install RAM Doubler — software that radically changed the way the OS worked — all you had to do was copy one file to the Extensions folder in your System folder.

⤑ 25 Years Ago: RAM Doubler

I still remember this piece of software fondly, as a child I never asked how it works but today this is the first question I get when I tell about it.

My latest project a picture frame from reclaimed wood. Birthday present for my father.

My latest project a picture frame from reclaimed wood. Birthday present for my father.

Review of The Invisible Gorilla by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons

Review of The Invisible Gorilla by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons.📚

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Fixing the sound card in the headphone stand.

Fixing the sound card in the headphone stand.

Just programmed a ATtiny85 for the first time!

Just programmed a ATtiny85 for the first time!

I love webcomics

The other day I realized that I read a lot more than books as I’m also an avid reader of webcomics. And over the past several years I’ve read quite a lot, and I’ve never spoken about it – quite the opposite to all the books I consume.

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I just got asked if I‘m old enough to vote at a political rally in town — and I was standing there with my wife and daughter 😀.

Here’s a reflection: the value proposition of democracy is that it provides for a peaceful transfer of power, once an incumbent regime loses its political legitimacy. If you have a working democracy you don’t need revolutions to get rid of incompetent leadership.

⤑ Someone please cancel 2019 already?

Review of Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

Last week I finished reading Mortal Engines (Predator Cities Book 1) by Philip Reeve.📚 Seen the trailer for the movie before Christmas and was intrigued about the story. The book is an easy read. Unfortunately, the author is quite repetitive in his writing. Multiple characters are saying the same things. I understand that these are like proverbs in this world, but it still sounds a bit forced. Luckily the book took some unexpected turns towards the end, and I’m glad it did not lead to an entirely happy ending.

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General relativity resolved the matter by establishing that the universe could be both finite — i.e., could contain a finite number of stars in a finite volume of space — and unbounded. The key to this realization lay in Einstein’s demonstration that, since matter warps space, the sum total of the mass in all the galaxies might be sufficient to wrap space around themselves. The result would be a closed, four-dimensionally spherical cosmos, in which any observer, anywhere in the universe, would see galaxies stretching deep into space in every direction, and would conclude, correctly, that there is no end to space. Yet the amount of space in a closed universe would nonetheless be finite: An adventurer with time to spare could eventually visit every galaxy, yet would never reach an edge of space.

⤑ Coming of Age in the Milky Way (via Kottke.org).

This looks like an interesting book to read.

Just received some new toys today (ATiny85 and a programmer).

Just received some new toys today (ATiny85 and a programmer).

It’s time again for “Oliebollen” Happy new year!

It’s time again for “Oliebollen” Happy new year!

Books in 2018

2018 was a good reading year. And I’ve started again keeping a list of each 📚 I’ve read. But I only started the list mid-year with the revival of my blog. So In this post, I try to get a complete list of all the books I’ve read in this year.

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Family walk to the summit above our house.

Family walk to the summit above our house.

The moment you realize that you built the project the wrong way around and it’s already glued ☹️

The moment you realize that you built the project the wrong way around and it’s already glued ☹️

Enjoying a day in the snow.

Enjoying a day in the snow.

Hungry - eating at the Mongolian Barbecue.

Hungry - eating at the Mongolian Barbecue.

Started with my next project. A nightstand for my daughter.

Started with my next project. A nightstand for my daughter.

Getting ready for the party. A big table is always handy ;-)

Getting ready for the party. A big table is always handy ;-)

Tools to help my colleague to move. And get is network running again.

Tools to help my colleague to move. And get is network running again.

Preparing for the Christmas production at the kindergarden.

Preparing for the Christmas production at the kindergarden.

A case about rereading books

In recent years, I developed a habit of re-reading some books over and over. The first books were the Harry Potter series—I’ve reread all of the books each time a new issue was released. Some books I’ve now read more than ten times (and I still like them). But I’ve done the same for other long-running series as well, like Wheel of time and a game of thrones. And then we just have my favorites book of all time – Jumper which I read at least once a year.

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Finally the right weather to test our kite. Video of the build is here

Finally the right weather to test our kite. Video of the build is here

Puh, I’m tired, but we successfully cleaned and removed some of the old furniture out of my daughter’s room. Day goal achieved and now of into the kitchen to create some burgers :-D

Last day in the mostly empty office.

Last day in the mostly empty office.

Les Misérables

At the beginning of this year, my long obsession with the play and book Les Misérables reached a new high which caused me to read the book.

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I like pancakes 🥞.

I like pancakes 🥞.

Soup on the fire.

Soup on the fire.

Homemade chicken nuggets.

Homemade chicken nuggets.

A rainy hike next to a river.

A rainy hike next to a river.

Review The Wizard Hunters (The Fall of Ile-Rien Trilogy Book 1)

I was following the discussion of some of the people on Micro.blog about Martha Wells and decided that I want to read The Wizard Hunters (The Fall of Ile-Rien Trilogy Book 1) by Martha Wells.📚 I like, how the author does the worldbuilding in this book. It has a refreshing combination of a modern tale about ware sprinkled with fantasy elements. I had some problems with getting the motivation of the main character, but after the first third of the book the motivation was understandable, and to the end of the book, it was also relatable.

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I like ordering stuff from the internet, but I’m always wondering why the boxes in which they send items in are so big. Usually it has around 30% air in the box, but today I received a carton which...

I like ordering stuff from the internet, but I’m always wondering why the boxes in which they send items in are so big. Usually it has around 30% air in the box, but today I received a carton which was indeed of the charts. Approximately 90% air inside the box. And the best thing was it was a box in a box.

They could have just sent it with the smaller box; it also had bubble wrap in both boxes.

City from above - picture I’ve drawn recently.

City from above - picture I’ve drawn recently.

Found motivation to finally change the sandpaper for the first time on the disk sander.

Found motivation to finally change the sandpaper for the first time on the disk sander.

Autumn is starting (two mushrooms in our lawn).

Autumn is starting (two mushrooms in our lawn).

Review of Borderline – Book one of the Arcadia Project series)

Borderline (The Arcadia Project) by Mishell Baker 📚 is a rather short book which went onto my reading list, I think while browsing Amazon the other day. Due to travel plans for the weekend, I needed something new to read, so I gave it a shot. I only realized after half of the book that this is sort of a detective/crime solving novel, a genre I usually avoid. It was a lucky happenstance as otherwise, I would have missed out of a good book and possible series.

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Review Twenty Thousand Leagues Under

I’ve read Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas by Jules Verne.📚 when I was a child quite some time ago and decided it is time for a reread. It is still a beautiful book to read, but I completely forgot that it consists of mostly listing of fish and other beast living in the sea. I’m not sure if as a child I was riding an abridged version of this book. As I remembered it as being quite an action-packed, which this book is not. So there was some skipping involved in reading this book – something I usually don’t do an feel quite bad about :-(

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On the London Eye.

On the London Eye.

Off to London for the Weekend.

Off to London for the Weekend.

Home grown kiwi from my parents garden.

Home grown kiwi from my parents garden.

Finally finished and delivered my latest project.

Finally finished and delivered my latest project.

Review Children of the Mind

The last book in the Ender series (Children of the Mind📚) and the second best in my opinion after the first part. I’ve started reading this book and did not realize how fast I was reading it when I’ve next looked at the page counter, and it was already up to 75 percent.

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No luck so far. But found a train instead.

No luck so far. But found a train instead.

A monster drawn by my daughter today. The first time she used an alternating color pattern.

A monster drawn by my daughter today. The first time she used an alternating color pattern.

Fog by the river.

Fog by the river.

This was a productive weekend. Spent two days in the shop and also finished and released another YouTube video. Oh and end ended reading my current book as well. Right now I’m happy.

Just picked up wood for my next project. Another table.

Just picked up wood for my next project. Another table.

Double rainbow – after the first longer rain this summer.

Double rainbow – after the first longer rain this summer.

Working on my hammock stand. Not quite finished but it works.

Working on my hammock stand. Not quite finished but it works.

First time sleeping outside with my daughter. All went well!

First time sleeping outside with my daughter. All went well!

I’m hungry. Let’s cook 😀

I’m hungry. Let’s cook 😀

Back from the wedding. It was beautiful.

Back from the wedding. It was beautiful.

Spring cleaning in summer :-) Better late then never.

Spring cleaning in summer :-) Better late then never.

Working on my next video.

Working on my next video.

Wow just found the Webmentions protocol. This looks interesting. And mir work for me ;-)

Working on a new movie for YouTube. Notter sure if this will work out.

Working on a new movie for YouTube. Notter sure if this will work out.

Home office 👍

Home office 👍

And I’m nearly over my jetlag. I hope.

WWDC was an adventure!

Waiting until the circus presentation starts in the kindergarden.

First decent breakfast this week.

First decent breakfast this week.

Trying to get through the day somehow.

Trying to get through the day somehow.

Material for the next project.

Material for the next project.

Nice construction site.

Nice construction site.

Working on my next project. And testing image posting from the iPhone.

Working on my next project. And testing image posting from the iPhone.