Diary of a Network Geek

Now, you can take David Hobby with you on the road!

Okay, not really.  I mean, I suppose you can if you’re Joe McNally or somebody like that, but guys like me, and my faithful readers (both of you!), probably can’t afford to actually take the famous Strobist with us on a shoot.  (If you’re not familiar with David Hobby or his blog, The Strobist, you really should check it out, by the way.  He used to post a lot more…
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There are no excuses for not writing.

Even though I make excuses all the time.
The biggest excuse, or “writerly lie”, that I tell myself is that I don’t have enough time.  But, honestly, that’s bullshit.  Because, as it turns out, I always have enough time to drop whatever I’m doing to serve someone else.  I don’t make time for myself and make my writing, or photography, priorities.  My creative pursuits are the first thing to drop by the wayside when I…
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One-page short-cuts to basic photographic knowledge.

Well, after last week, I can tell you that I’m eager to get out and get shooting!
But, I’m also really rusty.  I mean, it’s been so long since I was shooting photos regularly that I’m not sure I know an aperture from an f-stop!  It’s bad.  Really bad.  Thankfully, I’m pretty sure that I’m not the only one, because the fine people at the Photo Argus shared a post filled with links to Photography Cheat…
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The infamous science-fiction workshop lexicon of “things to not do”.

Over the years, so much has been written about what to do and what NOT to do in fiction that it’s a little overwhelming sometimes.
Personally, when I write, I’m almost always trying to write fantasy or science-fiction, or what is sometimes referred to as “speculative fiction”.  On the surface, that seems easier, since, essentially, a writer can make up virtually every and any aspect of their fictional universe, but, good speculative…
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Do you feel stale?

I know I complain about this all the time these days, but my photography, such as it is, feels really, super stale.  I’m completely uninspired and just feel, well, “stuck” when it comes to my creativity in general and my photography in particular.  I have the photographic equivalent of “writer’s block”.
I have photographer’s block!

So, what to do?
Regular readers, and you know who you are, will know that I mostly try to share something interesting, fun and free…
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So, I’ve kind of been on a big ebook, Nook, freebie kick this month and I figured I might as well just go ahead and continue with that.

There are actually a lot of places to search up free ebooks, but I found a great list of places to get free books specifically for the Nook at EBookFriendly.com.  They have quite a long list there that’s worth checking out, but I want to point out two particularly good sources from that…
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Wow, what a busy week!

I’m sorry that my weekly post of something fun and free isn’t more than this or more in keeping with a theme for the month, but, well, it’s the best I can do this week.  I’m not absolutely sure that I haven’t used this link before, in fact, but, if I did, I’m sure they’ve since added more material to their site.

This week, I’ve got a link to 425 free ebooks!

They’ve got everything from classics of…
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Can you tell I’m really enjoying my new Nook HD+?

I hadn’t really intended for this to be my focus this month, my personal choice of ereader, but, well, sometimes these things just happen.
I love my Nook and I enjoyed my last one, too, which, honestly, is a surprise to me.  I used to be one of those hipster snobs who “preferred actual books” to these new-fangled, science-fictional tablety reader things.  And, now, here I am.
Another reason I love it is…
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I like to read.

In fact, I like to read a lot, as anyone who’s spent time with me can tell you.  I have to admit, I read a lot of trash, but, still, at least I’m reading.  And, since getting my newest Nook HD+ back around Mother’s Day, I’ve been reading more than ever.  I cannot tell you how much I love this thing.  I suppose the Kindles are the same way, but since Barnes and Noble has upgraded their…
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Although, I suppose it doesn’t have to be Japanese…

I’m talking about bento, in this case.  Since I seem to be switching between photography links and talking about Japanese food, I thought I’d just go ahead and keep that up.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never actually had bento, but I have read about bento boxes and their cultural significance.  And, also, they’re a feature of virtually every really good anime.  I have several cook books that are dedicated to bento, actually, though…
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