Ingress do you need an invite? spare invitation gone

Right now I only have access to a few iOS devices and nothing mobile running Android, so can't use this myself. If anyone still needs an Ingress Invite, please post here and let me know.
 
Edited - Sorry folks, I had originally posted this earlier today to my (limited) circles of friends, and had no takers in about 12 hours. I decided to open it up to the public so the code would at least be used. It's a bit late now, but I only just saw a message from a friend I have known for years saying they were interested in getting it too.

I feel like a tease, but after considering things, I've decided to forward the code to my friend instead of drawing names of public plussers from a hat in the morning. I hope you understand. 

- Robin

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LOL - I loved this cartoon. (And yes, while it is technically not completely accurate, it does get it right on some level)

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Brilliantly said. (See http://xkcd.com/ if you're not familiar with xkcd.)

The secret to being furiously happy...

Warning - contains some strong language, so if you are at work or are offended easily by swear words you might want to give this video a pass. The essential message is a good one though, and I found it, while couched in comedy, very worth listening to.

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This looks really good... from +Shinae Choi Robinson, re-shared by +Liz Eberhardt 

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SPICY SALMON POKE WITH CRUNCHY CUCUMBER
Serves 2 over steamed rice or sushi rice as a meal
Serves 3 to 4 as an appetizer with tortilla chips or fried wonton wrappers

Pin it: http://pinterest.com/pin/499969996101976275/

- 3/4 pound fresh raw salmon, cut into 1/2" cubes
- 1 medium Persian cucumber, cut into 1/2" cubes
- 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced (you can use white or yellow too)
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chilies (optional - I used jalapenos but serranos would also be good)
- 5 sprigs cilantro including stems, chopped
- 1/2 Tablespoon soy sauce to start
- 1/2 Tablespoon chili garlic paste to start (you can also use sriracha or sambal oelek)
- 1/2 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 Tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice to start
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Put all ingredients into a large bowl, toss to season thoroughly and evenly, and enjoy!

You can also make little appetizer tacos with this stuff by putting about 3 Tablespoons of it into a small charred corn tortilla with a little shredded fresh cabbage, a drizzle of sour cream thinned down with a little lime juice or Mexican sour crema, a squeeze of lime juice, and a lashing of sriracha. YUMS! :)

*Note: You can buy sushi fish at places like 99 Ranch, H-Mart, Marukai, Mitsuwa, and online at Catalina Offshore Products, among other places. If you're buying it at the market, be sure to ask them for a bag of ice on which to take it home, and transport it in a cooler to keep it nice and cold.

#SFPRawThings  
#SFPRecipes  
#SFPSushi  

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Via +Nancy Blake - here was the picture I had mentioned earlier.

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Holy crap!

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Please take the time to read this

Speaking as someone who nearly drowned as a kid and has had a huge fear of submersion ever since (I know - strange for someone who grew up on an island, right?), this is something more people need to know.

Via +Steve Hall

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*PLEASE READ THIS.*

I saved 3 people from drowning before I was 16, two of whom were within arm's length of a wall. One of them, the mother was watching and didn't know. This is absolutely critical knowledge.

I need to check this out soon!

Christmas musings...

When people talk about the War on Christmas and how offended they get at things that people do that negatively reflect on their own beliefs, I have a hard time understanding why. I really never saw what anyone was stressing over. I'm not Christian myself, but I am equally happy to be wished a Merry Christmas, or any other holiday greeting that you choose. Hanukkah Blessings, Happy Yule? That works for me too... it is a good wish. Maybe growing up in Trinidad, where everyone celebrated with everyone else - no matter their own persuasion, had something to do with it.

I can see how, in our era of wanting everyone to be politically correct and to not offend anyone, businesses might want their employees to use the "safer" phrase of Happy Holidays, when dealing with customers, but you have to admit that it is, overall, pretty harmless, and what has been dubbed this "War on Christmas" is more like people's simple disagreements on holiday philosophy and celebrations... and everyone is still entitled to their own opinions.

I just would rather that people be more inclusive and positive with one another, instead of dwelling on the negative feelings.

Anyway, speaking for myself, have a wonderful and blessed time this season my friends, in whatever way you celebrate it!

Remember too "There are many ways in the universe. You travel yours - and should you need it, my sword will protect you as I travel mine."

Data Disasters can happen to anyone...

Just a quick PSA that I was reminded of because of what I do for a living. Have you backed up your important files recently? It doesn't matter what platform you use - if you were to have a hard drive crash or your laptop or smartphone stolen today, would you be able to get back all your valuable data? What about if your email account was hijacked? Do you have important data tucked away somewhere else that you can securely access it if needed?

Don't wait until it is too late to implement a data disaster plan please folks!

Feel free to ask if you have any questions about this. I'm always willing to help out if I have the spare time.

Final Fantasy Distant Worlds - Eyes On Me
At the Ohio Theater, 8/25/2012

Here is the first of two videos I uploaded from the Distant Worlds concert. The lighting was not the best for iPhone recording, but the audio came out better than I expected. This is Susan Calloway performing "Eyes on me", from Final Fantasy VIII, at the Distant Worlds concert in the Ohio Theater on 8/25/2012. Enjoy!

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Found via +Steve Hall - a great story for any of us online.

- Nothing is withheld from us which we have conceived to do.

- Do things that have never been done.


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Pretty good story. H/t to +Linda Lawrey 

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Mac OS X (Lion or Mountain Lion) WiFi utility

I just found this via +Steve Hall - a neat WiFi utility that you may not have known was available on your Mac.

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Very, very interesting.

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I found this via +Bearman Cartoons - amused the heck out of me. Enjoy!

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Hello Thursday. You aren't pretty like Friday is but I found this for you anyway. I would like to make a movie where I travel back in time and stop Lucas from making the prequels. I would call this movie "Hot Night in Ninjatown"

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Make it easier to read comments / replies in G+ on Chrome

Thanks to +Christina Lihani & +Beverly Rivera for pointing out this great extension, and to +Tzafrir Rehan for creating it!

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Remember my whole Mr. Magoo post yesterday? Yeah. This totally fixes the grey on grey text that you see in in the comment's section of posts. It even works with the red notification box as well. Holy friggin batman of no more impending bifocals thank you to +Tzafrir Rehan for creating this extension.

I was blind, and now I see.

Tagged: #newgoogleplus #feedback
I urge you to reshare this post and or mention it to others for those struggling with Chrome.

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Via +Daria Musk :)

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GROWING UP
When I saw this beautiful rendering of my beloved Calvin and Hobbes - a comic created by Bill Watterson - all grown up my heart melted! Calvin taught me big words, made me laugh, stirred up mischief and late-nights pondering the mysteries of the universe in a little me who used to flip through the giant books...

THE FIERCE JOY OF CHILDHOOD DREAMS
It seems like growing up is way cooler than we ever thought it could be... Our childhood fantasies like cars that drive themselves and singing concerts for people all around the world without stepping out the front door... They're possible and real. It's crazy if you stop and think about it, so don't. Just go for it, get grass stains on your knees and refuse to go to bed on time. ;)

GROWING OUT
Let's dream bigger than ever this weekend. We're not even growing up, we're growing out! Outward into this interconnected world. I can't wait to bust open more doors with you, crash more parties, make more dreams real...

XO,
D

CALVIN ON GROWING UP
Calvin “When a kid grows up, he has to be something. He can’t just stay the way he is. But a tiger grows up and stays a tiger why is that?”
Hobbs “No room for improvement.
Calvin “Of all the luck, my parents had to be humans.”
Hobbs “Don’t take it too hard. Humans provide some very important protein.”

Photo found via +Paul Roustan & +Zaine Ridling! Thanks guys!

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:)

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Being Hindu myself, this picture and +Chris Chabot's post was especially nice to see. It's been years since I had the chance to attend a "Holi" celebration like this, and I am just glad to be able to see others enjoying it. :)

You can learn more about the festival here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi

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4615 photos in one day

So copying and reviewing the photos I took yesterday is going to take a little while - I got home a few hours ago and after tallying up all my different memory cards it turns out I took 4615 photos yesterday.

So my computer's working it's way through them as I speak and once that's done in a couple of hours I can start looking at which images to post - it'll be a bit of a process.

But I think it is very telling about just how much fun this festival was, amazing good vibes, stunning colors every where and tens of thousands of people who love to have their photo taken - I wish I could've shot twice as much!

So here's another quick preview of the colorawesomerama that the #festivalofcolor was at the #jarviewalk

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog

I still get some of the songs stuck in my head and am not ashamed to admit I tend to sing along (loudly) to NPH when I have the CD playing in the car. If you have not yet seen the show, check it out. As a sample track, look up "I Cannot Believe My Eyes" & Dr. Horrible on YouTube.

Hopefully the sequel will be able to be done soon.

I just found this and it made me laugh. Makes you think, do we consider ourselves too entitled and take technology for granted?

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This about sums up my own philosophy on life...

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Human beings are not intrinsically selfish, which isolates us from others. We are essentially social animals who depend on others to meet our needs. We achieve happiness, prosperity and progress through social interaction. Therefore, having a kind and helpful attitude contributes to our own and others' happiness.

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Interesting piece. To do this right, education does need to have the proper funding though... here is hoping that we can see this come to fruition.

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Simply put, we can’t keep preparing students for a world that doesn’t exist. We can’t keep ignoring the formidable cognitive skills they’re developing on their own. And above all, we must stop disparaging digital prowess just because some of us over 40 don’t happen to possess it. An institutional grudge match with the young can sabotage an entire culture.

Game of Thrones Panel, San Diego Comic Con 2011

For anyone else, who is wishing they could be there for things like this, here is a a video of the GoT panel from yesterday.

Enjoy!

Cosplay Fever: Raise Your Glass (Music Video)

This made me smile. It's been a few years since I was at Dragon Con in Atlanta, but I do miss the conventions. Hopefully once we are moved back to the US my wife and I will be attending things like this more.

For the folks who are able to attend the San Diego Comic Con this year - have fun! (I'm jealous!)

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I found this via +Steve Hall - and I have to say it is an interesting take on things. I have to agree... Google+ is not what a lot of people were expecting. Me included.

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Google+ Tip for the day: Stop treating Google+ like Facebook.

When I got my Google+ invitation, I was already itching to shed my Facebook profile. I still feel that way, but I’m starting to realize something really surprising (at least for me): I don’t think Google is my Facebook stand-in. I think Google is far more than a measly “social network,” and that’s why some of my Facebook friends who are migrating over right now seem to be, as they say on the Internet, “doing it wrong.”

I've been a devoted Googlephile for many years, so if Google wanted me to use G+ instead of Facebook, it was gonna happen -- unless they really goofed it up, of course (I'm still not entirely over my breakup with Wave, Google -- but at least I've stopped leaving those creepy voicemails, right?). The push and pull factors were there. They were obvious: Facebook is for “moms” and spam robots -- Google was going to be my new social network.

But something didn't feel quite right about treating my Google+ profile like my Facebook profile, nor treating my Circles like the Facebook social groups I wished I'd always had. There was content everywhere, written by people I’d heard of -- and many I hadn’t. Something about this space was very different than anything Facebook has ever allowed me to experience. It felt like something else, something... bigger, maybe more important. Something collaborative, perhaps. How very Google!

My friends, however, don’t seem to be having the same Google+ experience I am. My tendency so far has been to add as many people with as many interesting views as possible to my Circles, and then to read voraciously and respond all over the place. Meanwhile, my real-life friends are complaining that there’s not enough content to appease them, and I’m the only one dominating their Streams. Why is this happening for them? I think it comes from a fundamental set of expectations about moving from Facebook to Google+. People are treating their Google+ accounts just like Facebook accounts. And I think that’s a doomed approach.

Here is how I think Google+ can be most fully enjoyed and utilized, at this early stage:

Think about what you use Facebook for. If it’s for keeping up with old friends and for keeping up with current, local friends, great. You can use Google+ for that, and it’s definitely got a leg up on Facebook for filtering content.

Interact with content created by users you don’t know personally. If you don’t follow people you don’t already know, you’re going to get bored, and not just because your friends aren’t all here yet. You’ll get bored even after they’ve all arrived. Why do you think Facebook started implementing games and applications? Well, to make money, obviously, but what was the draw for the userbase? I’m willing to bet Facebook figured out that simply reading your friends’ thoughts all day long gets old, and let’s be honest: very few of us have enough friends with enough interesting posts to keep us engaged.

If you like the social games on Facebook, well...you’re not really my target audience. Sorry. For the rest of you -- if you don’t like how Facebook allowed third party junk to start bombarding you with game requests and access to your information, embrace its absence here so far!

I realize that at some point, developers may come up with cool ways to implement games on Google+, but I expect that Google will have learned from the clunky, disorganized, and downright invasive way developers approached this in Facebook. And the best way to keep Google+ rich in content and devoid of lame, invasive apps is to let go of your old ideas about what it means to be on a social network.

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Here is a very useful collection of info for those of us getting the hang of this new system.

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By the way, I'm sure many of you are aware of this, but for those who aren't, there is a collaborative Google Doc available for you to read that has all kinds of cool tips, tricks, and techniques for Google+. Check it out here:

Tolkien fans might like this...

Warning, put down your drink before viewing. When my wife shared this with me I nearly snorted diet coke out my nose. :)

Miami Herald - Annual Employee Video

For any of my old co-workers who had not yet seen this, Natalie shared this link via internal email and on the Alumni Facebook page too. Enjoy!

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I found this interesting and for the most part, I can certainly relate to what he describes. Definitely good to think about this, whether or not you personally agree with his idea of support and structure etc.

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Kids Need Structure a great TED talk by General Colin Powell

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Given that I work in the news industry too (and have friends at CNET), this story was particularly painful to see. Editorial independence, journalistic integrity and credibility are of the utmost importance for people who make this their career. I may be one of those people who view the world through rose-tinted glasses, but it still always comes as a big let down to see the reports of stuff like this.

I'm still mentally digesting things here... and hoping the best for the journalists there who have been put into a bad situation by all of this.

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How a bad decision at CBS has thrown the credibility of two major news organizations into chaos - http://onemansblog.com/cbs-cnet

A friend of mine is one of the concept artists on this project. If you're into Action-RPG video games, please check this out and help spread the word!

Practicing what I preach...

Before the end of 2012, I hope to be done with backing up all the data on the various electronic devices, from phones to tablets to the PCs and Macs, around here. The most critical of these backups will then be swapped out with the copies I  have stored away from the home.

Don't forget to back up your important data and photos etc folks!

~ Robin

Mumford & Sons - The Cave

I always loved this album and am just sharing this song before I head to bed. Good night plussers! :)

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Your brain on video games:

This is worth checking out. I'd heard of a lot of this research before, but what really impressed me was the long lasting effects of the "training" with video games.

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(Sat03) The impact of video games on your brain. Guess what, it's positive.

(Shared using #DoShare)

Movember - Changing the face of men's health

Here is my #movember  week three picture. The trucker / horseshoe is filling out fairly well.

Again, if you can, please donate to the fight against prostate cancer at my page here: http://mobro.co/robin-r or at least consider sharing this, to spread the word.

If you were not aware of how #movember  got started, here is a link to a Ted Talk by one of the co-founders of the movement. You might find this both amusing and enlightening http://tinyurl.com/movember-ted

Grandpa's Diary

On Veteran's day, my father in law emailed us a copy of the transcript he had been making of his father's diary from World War II. My wife and I started dating over a decade after her Grandpa had passed, but reading it gives his perspective, and makes me wish more that I had known him.

Here is an article about it, with some excerpts, from the local paper if you are interested.

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I just love this picture.

Enjoy!

Via +Linda Huscher, original post by +Cavalier Zee

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~ Face To Face ~

A magical meeting with a rapid falcon, taken from a camouflage in Hungary.

By Kai Jensen
Via: http://1x.com/photo/42755

I'm writing replies to email at work and listening to this and other songs in the background. I love this song - and the sound of this group in general. Something about some of Nate's vocals occasionally brings back good memories of Queen and other old favorites. The music video is off-kilter enough to amuse me too, which never hurts. :)

Enjoy!

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I so would love to get one of these too! :)

Found via +Chanchal Bhatia 

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Shut up and take my money!!!!!
#food   #foodporn   #foodfriday  

Chalk this one up to +Shinae Choi Robinson making me crave Stir Fry after reading about her recent cooking. This was my vegetarian lunch today. Next time I'll add shrimp or chicken.

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It's a couple days after my own Diwali celebrations here, but this picture was too nice not to re-share.

May we all enjoy the blessings of better health, happiness & prosperity in the coming year...

Found via +Shinae Choi Robinson, original post by +Prabhat Parimal

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Ghee (Clarified butter) Lamp
Happy Diwali

Ghee is considered very sacred in the Hindu religion as it helps sustain fire - one of the five classical elements (four others are: Air, Water, Earth, and Quinta)  . It is used in many religious rituals and also in the funeral pyre.
  Today is Diwali, popularly known as the 'Festival of lights'. Nowadays people use artificial lights and even candles to decorate their houses, as Ghee is expensive and also it is  tedious and time consuming to light clay lamps.

+Breakfast Club +Gemma Costa +Andrea Martinez ... +PhotographingIndia      

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This made me smile - I just saw this short re-shared by +Christina Lihani, originally posted by +Manuel Strehl. Enjoy! :)

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If you love short movies and cute animals and black humor, this video is for you.

Movember - "Trucker" me

http://MoBro.co/robin-r - if you can afford to, please chip in towards the #Movember  fight against prostate cancer at my donation page. If you can't afford to, please at least consider spreading the word. Thanks!

This is my latest pic after one week - the Mo is coming along nicely!

Henri 4 - L'Haunting

And another. :)

Henri - Le Vet

These were found via Green Eyes... "Le Vet" in the family.

Enjoy!

WARNING: contains some of my thoughts about the upcoming elections
(Read at your own risk)

I am a person who avoids confrontation and argument. I've "liked" status messages, +1'd posts, and commented on other threads, but so far I have mostly avoided political posting myself because of this personality trait. Most of my friends will know my own leanings, and even though I can not yet vote in the upcoming US elections, how things go will affect me as a resident of this country. It is very important to me too.

I have friends and loved ones on both sides of things - some who are staunch Republicans, and some who are equally dedicated Democrats. I have met politicians, who don't necessarily agree with my own views, but for whom I still have great respect. I have seen others do and say things that make me very wary of trusting them. With that said, I just want to urge all of you to please try to keep some things in mind for the sake of the quiet ones like me.

1) Whatever your political leanings, PLEASE VOTE. If you avoid participating, the process will not truly reflect what the people want to see happen. Every vote cast is one that CAN make a difference. This is especially true where I live now in Ohio.

2) Political opinions posted online can potentially lead to heated arguments. PLEASE TREAT EACH OTHER WITH THE RESPECT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED WITH YOURSELF.

3) And finally, I can't stress this enough... PLEASE VERIFY THINGS BEFORE SPREADING MISINFORMATION about the latest conspiracy theory or even the sound bites that come off as so unflattering from politicians on either side.

Things taken out of context, or inelegantly stated, can seem more damning than they should. We have resources like http://www.politifact.com/ and the links to other sites from their page that we can turn to. Don't be part of the misinformation machine. It makes me cringe every time I hear someone else make a joke about "binders of women" or say that Obama never provided adequate proof of his US birth... we should be better than that by now folks.

Leave a comment if you care to, or +1 this post, but please keep things constructive.

And one more quote from an Air Force buddy of mine when I posted this elsewhere: "Amen. While freedom to express personal thoughts on political parties, policies, and elected officials is a right bought with blood in this country, too many people also believe it is their right to denigrate those who think differently. Respect your fellow Americans as they exercise their rights as well."

'nuff said.

#election2012   #respect   #vote2012   

Always loved this song...

There are some great authors on this list. You can support some worthwhile charities and get some good e-books too!

"Coexist" - Nicely done with OS logos.
Found via Shirt.Woot!

I'm sharing this because I figure there are lots of other people here who are as platform-agnostic as I am (i.e. not wedded to one OS platform, but glad to use any of them as I need). Hopefully this will be amusing for them too!

There’s often lots of fumin’, and battle lines get drawn
It’s because we’re only human, but what’s really going on?
Well, Apple looks quite nice but everything inside is quirky.
And plus the users tend to be defensive and quite jerky.
Ubuntu has a lot to give and usually runs fine,
But they’ve never even met someone in graphical design.
And Debian, sweet Debian, it really does a lot!
As long as you already think like the designers thought,
But skyOS? Let’s face it, that’s here just to be a letter.
And chromeOS? You really think that Google should be bigger?
Solaris has some street cred, but requires education,
So no one’s really going to bother besides some big corporation.
And finally, good ol’ Windows, about which we would write,
But our system found new updates and rebooted in the night.
Let’s face it, every OS just meets someone else’s needs.
And no one cares for you and me, they just want to succeed.
And we’re not gonna write one, so we’re stuck inside their haze.
It’s sad we can’t accept it, they just suck in different ways.

(The above was taken from the Woot! blog here: http://shirt.woot.com/blog/post/coexist)

Enjoy!

A collage of pictures of the "younger me" that I had originally shared earlier this year as a part of a Photo-a-day project. +Melissa Bryan, the 1988 one is me from the end of High School. :)

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Kevin Spacey on Inside the Actor's Studio

This was fun... I had never known he was this good at impersonations!

h/t to +Richard Englund for the original post.

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An amazing actor......Kevin Spacey

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This was a fun performance...

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one word: SHEFFIELD!!

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I just love this photo, and had to share.

Found via +Jeffrey J Davis

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Pirates of the Caribbean

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R.I.P. Neil Armstrong

Wil put it so eloquently...
"Rest in peace, Neil. Because of your bravery and your courage, an entire species will forever look into the night sky and see not a mystery, but a destination."

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I met Neil Armstrong once, at a dinner to honor Jimmy Doohan in the early 2000s.

He was not much taller than me, but he was a giant of a man.

I don't remember what I said to him, or what he said to me, because all I could think the entire time was "This man has walked on the fucking moon."

Rest in peace, Neil. Because of your bravery and your courage, an entire species will forever look into the night sky and see not a mystery, but a destination.

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This was awesome...

I know both side of the argument, that people want to protect their creations and intellectual property, and that others are overjoyed to see new things born from the spark they first generated. I don't want to debate that.

I'm just glad that Gotye chose this way of looking at things...

Enjoy!

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Doing The Internet Right

While most "artists" are bitching, whining, and complaining about other people using their material, or remaking it, etc., and while the whole copyright scene is taking over the internet, here is one example of a musician doing the internet right. 

Gotye, the man who made the song, "Somebody that I used to know" that's been blowing up airwaves for months, took notice of all of the youtube clips of people redoing or attempting to remix his now hit song. Instead of being a douche about it, he simply showed his appreciation by taking all of their versions, and remixing it back into one. 

And it's amazing! 

Good Guy Gotye! 

Bravo!

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I saw this comiic via +Melissa Bryan and had to re-share it. It's too true!

Even after all these years, I still have nights where Green-Eyes falls asleep in front of the PC while we both are gaming. We have our machines set up side by side.

It's amusing that while I tend to wake her and get her to bed... she tends to just let me sleep there. I blame this on her not being able to wake me easily. Maybe she needs to make some comment about the loot pool next time... :)

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Must.Keep.Playing.

I'd like to say I'm not this bad when I get into a game... but I'd be lying... Oops!

http://www.cad-comic.com/cad/20120528

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Found via +John Camacho - a good tool to check if your email is one that has been known to have been compromised recently.

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Has your email (or that of someone you know) been hacked recently?

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While I would have loved to make it to Comic-Con myself, this should be a good alternate way to experience some of the things I would have wanted to see there.

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Firefly TV Special coming in November!

To celebrate the cult-favorite sci-fi drama’s 10th anniversary, Science Channel is shooting a new one-hour special chronicling the Firefly cast reunion at Comic-Con this week.

Exciting!
Browncoats Unite will air on Science, along with an all-day marathon of Firefly episodes, on Sunday, Nov. 11.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/07/11/firefly-reunion-tv-special/

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I just found this via +Penny P - given the last picture I shared, this was also amusing. :)

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Omitting the 'i' leaves lots of interpretation if this is With Love or What the H_ _ _. Whoever said vowels aren't important!

#twt

This made me LOL.

Green Eyes spotted this licence plate while out for our walk yesterday. All we managed was this crappy picture, but it still makes me grin uncontrollably. 

Ghost friends

Putting aside the sympathetic horror that reading about his bad book review made me feel, I thought this was a good read. I find the story he relates amusing - especially given that I have had gaming handles for MMO's, have occasionally role-played those characters or written short stories about them with friends. Even people who first knew me by my AOL screen name still sometime refer to me as Ari.

It does make me think more about all the 'Ghost Friends' I have made over the years while gaming and online - and how many of them have turned into real friends that I have met offline too. They are fun memories!

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G+ woman rant

I replied on +Kimberly Hurlbut's share of this post, and I know I tend to mostly be quiet here myself - reposting things I find interesting and replying to questions more than using the platform for a soap-box. This is something that I really feel strongly about though, so please take the time to read the re-shared post and to think about anything you can do too.

To paraphrase Terry Goodkind from Wizard's First Rule, simply put "People are idiots" - way more than we would like to admit. It's been my observation that this applies more so to those posting online, thought maybe that is just because being online 1) widens the pool from which the sample is taken, and 2) makes them less inhibited because of their relative anonymity.

Would the people who treat women like this online behave this way in person, in their everyday life? Or just when inebriated?

As a guy who has played MMORPGs online with a female toon (the short explanation: my wife and I both play and tend to have matching toons), I have been on the receiving end of the idiotic way guys can tend to treat women online. It's more than just irritating at times. With no other recourse in many situations, there are just a lot of people who end up being blocked or /blacklisted in the games. This gets worse when it comes to other social media like G+ and so on, since the possibility of real-world stalking, for example, gets higher.

Unfortunately, I don't have a solution. I just know that it exists from first hand experience, and know that it is something I don't like in the least. Not all guys online are like that. Some of us are willing to speak out against it... but the idiots seem to be everywhere!

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G+ woman rant

I'm officially irritated by choice which irritates me even more. Here's what I'm thinking right now and I'm not bothering with notifications, being gender politically correct, posting limited or changing my profile pic to a fucking cat. If you see it you see it.

1. A woman's open and healthy attitude toward sex does not constitute an invitation for sexual harassment from any Tom, Dick or Sanjeev.
2. A woman's profile pictures are not meant to be shared.
3. If a woman does not respond to your messages, maybe, just fucking maybe, she's either (A) busy (B) did not get the notification or (C) she's ignoring the idiotic stream of 'hi' and 'sexy time' messages in favor of messages that actually warrant a response.
4. Saying the woman shouldn't post publicly or post her photos or should create an alias or limit her entire social media existence if she wishes to avoid harassment is akin to blaming the victim.
5. Lastly, man the fuck up and treat a woman as you would in real life. If this is how you'd treat a woman in real life then you have bigger problems my friend.

/lastfuckgiven

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LOL - this amuses me because it is so true.

Seriously, there are more positive things we can spend our time and energy on folks.

#applevsandroid

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How "Apple vs Android" makes me feel.  This stuff wasn't around 10 years ago and 10 years from now what you have in your hand now will seem like dog poo, only less desirable.  

Enjoy what you use and go live your life.  No need to create converts, it's not a religion..

#applevsandroid  

I'm just popping in to G+ to share a good sale, before getting back to work :)

Ben's Outlet has the Zagg Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard and hard-shell case for the iPad 2 & new iPad on sale for $30 right now. This includes shipping and is way better than the regular retail price of around $100. I have this one myself folks - it's a good deal!

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Free Coachella Music Festival Live-Stream

Resharing +Steve Hall's post, since I am sure quite a few of my friends will like to see this too!

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"...make it down to California..."? Most people in the US and Canada live east of the Golden State. How about just "...make it to California..."

Other than that pickiness on my part (hey, I'm stuck in South Dakota listening to Jimmy Buffett's "One Particular Harbor" right now!), this sounds pretty cool.

I blame +ian stearns for this choice for lunch. :)

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Via +Denise Malia :)

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An Important Public Safety Announcement.

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Via +Mike Elgan: I haven't read Mad Magazine in years. I'm going to give this version a try though, and might just get an annual subscription if Green Eyes is interested too. Ah, nostalgia...

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Mad Magazine comes to iPad!

Although back issues are $1.99 each, and the current issue is $4.99, you can get an annual subscription for $9.99. Cheap!

I just signed up for the annual subscription.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mad-magazine-cheap!/id511459864?mt=8

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There are just no words, I hope this story spreads like wildfire. Let's get some air time for the good ones, alright?

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As +Steve Hall says, this was a pretty insightful article - worth checking out.

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Pretty insightful article on why we often don't see the type of Apple upgrades we expect.

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I just saw this via +Max Love. It made me chuckle, even though I think it would be too dangerous to actually use one in public that was colored that dark. Too easy for it to be mistaken for the real thing, which could lead to issues.

Get me a version that looks like the Nintendo "NES Zapper" gun and I'd be more comfortable taking a dog on Duck Hunt walks. :)

Oh yeah, I'd probably need a dog too...

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I loved this video I found via +Denise Malia. :)

Enjoy!

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Too Freakin' Cute!

h/t to +Daryl Shaw and +Ross LaRocco

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Loved this! :)

(via +Shira Lazar)

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Word of the day!!

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Thanks to +Kevin Staff for sharing this (via +John Williford)

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"Strum Trooper" T-Shirt from Ript Apparel

I just ordered one of these. :) Any other Star Wars fans out there might appreciate this too.

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Take a look at +Steve Hall's suggestion folks. It's a great way to do both things!

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It's Girl Scout Cookie Week at Serious Eats! Our granddaughter is a Daisy Scout (I think?), so we've purchased ours and donated them to troops overseas. If you don't want to eat them yourself, you could do the same, and aid two worth causes—and have a (possible) tax deduction!

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Found via +Steve Hall

I found this pretty interesting. check it out. My own first thought is about how many times I wanted to get a color match on something in the real (non-digital) world, but didn't have my Pantone guide handy. Sure, nowadays I resort to taking a couple quick pictures with a digital camera, but depending on the lighting and angle, even that is not always perfect. This type of device could be very handy.

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Via +Ivo Bozic
Just awesome..

IT Barrier Tape

OK, doing tech support for a living can make you jaded. I have to admit this made me chuckle and wonder if I needed to send any to my boss. Thanks to +Apolonia Skywalk for the original link! :)

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Via +Steve Hall & +Clare Cosgrove.

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Share, +1, and comment if you vote yes to an ability to report harassment.

Women, are you tired of reading weird harassing comments on your posts? Think that the internet is a jerk factory, where if you block one another pops up? Do you wish that the community discouraged harassment? Then you need a harassment reporting tool (not available on all networks).
Men, are you sick of losing women to Pininterest and Facebook? Wish they had a safe place to post publicly? Then you need a harassment reporting tool (not available on Google Plus).
Anyone, do you wish that you could do something more than blocking when a bully or a creep posts something that promotes discrimination, bigotry, racism, hatred, or harassment toward you or others? Then you need a harassment reporting tool (if you want one on your social network you are going to have to fight for it!).

Please, if you want Google Plus to make it possible to report harassment, #voteithot by sharing, +1'ing, and commenting. With enough support, we can make harassment a reportable offense.

#feminism #antibullying #community #socialmedia

The Tedeschi Trucks Band

I just found out that the Tedeschi Trucks Band will be playing a local concert here in Ohio on the 29th of March. Unfortunately I have a class that night, and am bummed to miss their performance. I've been a fan since I first saw Susan live in Madison in the 90's. This petite woman on stage, with Winnie the Pooh stickers on her guitar, started singing and the voice that belted out the blues from that tiny frame took me by surprise. Her chops on guitar are overshadowed by Derek's, but she holds her own there too... they really compliment each other well.

My wife and I have been lucky enough to catch them at a few shows over the years including in Florida and most recently at the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival in New Brunswick back in 2010. If you like Jazz and Blues and have not listened to them yet, here is a sample. Check out things like Midnight in Harlem as another favorite of mine too.

Steampunk style iPad case

For my friends who are into Steampunk, here is something you might like! The price is a bit on the steep side in my own opinion, but it was a neat idea that can be translated into so many other uses.

If you are crafty and into leather work yourself, hope this provides you with some inspiration!

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IMO sooo true...

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Love this answer. :)

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Move, Eat, Learn.

Three very nicely done videos... check it out.

_"3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films.....

= a trip of a lifetime."_

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This guy did some moving, all right:

http://vimeo.com/27246366

Not to mention, learning:

http://vimeo.com/27244727

And eating:

http://vimeo.com/27243869

More on travel:

http://travel.alltop.com/

Science Tricks for parties

These were some neat tricks worth learning. Enjoy!

A quick PSA for new Google+ users on dealing with the "signal to noise" ratio.

I've seen quite a few people mention that they get initially overwhelmed with their stream of info posted on Google+. The best initial tips I have to offer are these:

First, you don't have to add everyone to your circles, just because they added you.

I know the temptation is sometimes there, but, if someone has added you to one of their circles, there is a link on the left side of your G+ page that says "Incoming" that will let you read their shared posts. This is where the posts from people who are following you, but who you are not following, show up. You can choose to browse that from time to time and see if their writing catches your interest before adding them to a circle of your own.

Second, reading the stream is like reading your twitter feed without using lists. Learn how to focus your attention on certain circles.

There are some days, especially if you follow people who are prolific posters like +Guy Kawasaki or +Xeni Jardin (both of whom post things that I love to read), where you can easily lose track of that one post from a co-worker, in between the 10 posts from each of the other popular bloggers you also follow.

OK, this may not be the best analogy, but for my own use of twitter, I had a list of friends, another list for general news reports, another for tech, and another for celebrities I am a fan of. In TweetDeck I would set up columns for each of these and depending on how much time I had to spare, I could just look at the tweets from my friends, or browse the news, or see what +Jeri Ryan was tweeting today etc. It gave my use of Twitter some focus and helped me deal with all the noise that could come from every news agency simultaneously reporting on the same things online, and then the stories being repeated by a lot of other people too.

Similar to Twitter lists, each Circle you create in Google+ can let you weed out the things that are important to you from all the rest of the noise that can be out there. Look at the menu to the left side of the web page - you will see the name of each circle you have created under the main "Stream" link. Clicking on one you have named Friends, should only bring up friends posts. I've set up another one for the tech bloggers that I follow, and another for the photographers... and I can focus what I want to read by just clicking on each of those links.

It really helps to improve the signal to noise I see in my stream sometimes. Try it too when you can - it can help.

Are there any additional tips you can think of to add? Are there any questions you have that I can possibly help with too? Post and let me know - and I'll do my best to give you a hand.

---
Edit: I commented on this below, but if you are seeing this post for the first time, and use Google Chrome as your browser, check out this extension (Plus Minus): https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pidkbnhjgdngcfcaikoocdanfijkgdli

It lets you customize your stream view (via check boxes) so that you can turn off the circles you may consider "noise". I now have an un-checked, "Following" circle for news and frequent posters, and everything else is switched on for my main Stream.

News Reporting: It should be all about integrity, truth and serving the public

I admit, I'm one of the people who still think of it as a noble profession. Maybe it's because I have been lucky enough to see "the daily miracle" first hand, have worked at a major newspaper for half my life, and have become friends over the years with many reporters who I trust and respect for their own work ethic.

The preponderance of examples of things like the News of The World scandal and so on though does unfortunately flavor everyone's views. It's such a shame...

VLC Media Player note
Always download from the official VLC web site only (www.videolan.org) !

VideoLAN developer Ludovic Fauvet posted on his Blog about a bunch of people trying to trick users into downloading malware infected versions of one of my favorite media players. There is not much they can do to fight it, just try to educate users to not get the downloads from these rogue sites. This stuff really ticks me off too. Read more about it at the link below.

Weird Things customers say in bookshops

I'm sharing something I found funny - some of these quotes are hilarious! Given that I work in a customer support role, I have seen my own share of the odd things that people say... but none as good as some of these.

Enjoy!

A quick note about leaving the Google+ service and email notifications:

One of my favorite authors, lets just call him Neil G. for now (in the interest of not potentially adding to his spam), today reported on Twitter that he had deleted his Google+ profile, but then continued to get spammed by emails from all the G+ people who either used his (now defunct) profile name in a post or even just mentioned his name here. It was very frustrating for him, which I can understand based on the sheer number of followers he possibly had accumulated due to his popularity.

Use this link to turn off these email notifications if you ever need to as well.

I posted a note about this earlier. It may not have gone through since I am still getting used to using this service (or gotten nuked, if you're a conspiracy theorist). Anyway - here it is again with some additional editing after more reading on my part. For folks like Photographers, Artists, Videographers and anyone who produces media for a living, please make sure to read and understand your rights to the content you upload here under Google's TOS. This is important not just here, but for other services like Twitter or Facebook too.

This Washington Post blog I'm linking to, warns that by uploading your media, you are granting a pretty broad licence to Google to re-use it with no royalties etc. This can potentially impact your earnings, depending on how/if Google chooses to re-use your work. I say potentially, because a closer re-reading of the current TOS shows some more detail that the Post article either edited out, or that may have been changed after they did the piece. Most importantly to me are these two things from section 11 that gives things a more palatable slant:

"You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services."

and

"This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services."

As with all distribution of media on the web, if you are a content producer that depends on this for your livelihood - know your rights and be careful of what you share, especially outside of your own controlled domain.

- Robin

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I loved hearing this in The Hobbit. Not a bad rendition by Malu either...

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New cover! Misty Mountains from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. I'm so happy to finally be able to share this. It took me awhile to figure out an arrangement for it! Hehe. It would have helped if I was a male dwarf with a deep voice! :D Have a great weekend!! <3

Sunrise at work in Miami

I'll probably upload a bunch of more shots after we have moved out of the old building... but I will miss this view. The new building inland has it's own charm, but the sun coming up over the water never gets old.

Free Windows tools for removing malware

For any of my friends who use Windows, this article provides links to some very good free tools you can use to help clean up bugs that might get to Windows XP through Windows 8 systems, without necessarily needing an expensive repair call.

A nice new piece by the Piano Guys. I plan on picking up this album too...

Paging Columbus: Folklore, Legend, Myth
Thursday, April 4, 2013 - 6:00pm - 8:00pm

I hope my fellow plussers are having a good Monday so far! If you are in the Columbus area, this may be of interest to you too. More info at the link.

Once upon a time, you were told a story to help you sleep. Of cloaks, woods, wolves, elves, spiders, potions, swans, and apples. Of first words and the hijinks of your great-great-grandparents as children. Of Brothers Grimm and Jim Henson. Come to Paging Columbus: Folklore, Legend, Myth, as Alex Fabrizio, Matt Sumpter, and Lo Kwa Mei-en will share work inspired by the stories we learn, borrow, and retell.

Turkish delight and magic potions (read: cookies and coffee) will be served.

About Paging Columbus:

Join poet and instructor Hannah Stephenson on the first Thursday of each month for Paging Columbus!, a literary event series at OSU Urban Arts Space. Paging Columbus celebrates the vibrant community of writers, readers, and creative thinkers in our city.

A Macintosh OS X related PSA:
How to remove 'Yontoo' adware Trojan from your OS X system
 
There is a new Mac OS X Trojan that lures users to install a Web plug-in that tracks their browsing and presents ads. Here's how to remove it, courtesy of CNET. I personally don't know of anyone who has been affected by it yet, but the potential is there.

Also, if any home user wants more info on Anti-Virus options for their Mac, here are two links that I keep on hand. The first article is a little dated, but still good, and the second link below will get you a decent Mac Anti Virus program for free, if you don't already have one:

A non-alarmists guide to Mac Malware protection.
http://lifehacker.com/5800267/the-non+alarmists-guide-to-mac-malware-protection

Sophos Antivirus - free mac home edition download
http://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition/download.aspx

- Robin

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Just helping get the word out too. Tim had an incredible career of photos!

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Retired Miami Herald photographer Tim Chapman is looking to give away a treasure trove (free to a good home!) I'm sure someone here will have a good suggestion or two.

http://wlrn.org/post/jonestown-cocaine-cowboys-mariel-boat-lift-one-kind-photo-collection-needs-home

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I love this... another great song by +Malukah Fenix

Check out her other songs too folks!

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A Halo/Cortana tribute. :)

Some free DVD Ripping/Video Conversion software for Windows

This is a limited time offer for software that some of you guys might find useful. It can create video files for use on your various Apple and Android devices. Note that you need to follow the instructions at the link carefully, and NOT click the "Buy Now" link if you want to get the free version. Also the registration code is only good if used before January 3rd.

Full details can be found at the linked article.