Ever have one of those days? I’m having one today.

Things started out well enough. I had a couple of meetings this morning, knocked several items off my todo list, and was feeling right proud of my productivity when I decided to take a break and go pick up my mail. That’s when things got weird.

Now I’m sitting at my kitchen table, nursing a headache, and bleeding…from the top of my head.

So how did my productive day turn bad so quickly? I’ll tell you.

When I stepped outside, it was a beautiful, sunny, 75 degree day— pretty much par for the course here in Southern California. The birds were signing and there was a gentle breeze coming from the west. Nice.

I was about halfway down my driveway when something hit me in the head. Something heavy. What the heck was that, I thought, ducking involuntarily and clutching cranium. Did something fall out of a tree? I’ve got plenty of those around, but none hang over this part of my driveway.  Still ducking, I looked around and spotted what I instantly recognized as my attacker disappearing off to my left. 

I felt so betrayed. I’d just been assaulted by “my” hawk! Well, he’s not exactly “mine,” but I kinda think of him that way. He hangs around my property looking all regal, and I admire him. That’s our deal. I also feed him — sort of. I let him have all the rodents, rabbits, and rattlesnakes he can carry off my ranch, and in exchange I get to think of him as “my” hawk. Once in a while I see him flying off with some rodent or another and I thank him for ridding me of another varmint.  

But today, something changed. Maybe he hasn’t been finding enough to eat and was trying to tell me to restock his hunting ground. Or maybe he’s a she, and thought she was defending a nest from “that tall ground dweller”. Or maybe I look like a rabbit in this outfit. Who knows. Whatever the case, I don’t like this new turn in our relationship.

I can hear him outside now, making that stereotypical keening sound Hawks are famous for. Is he mocking me? Telling his avian allies how he, “took it to the man,” and came out on top?

One thing for sure, I’m glad I’m six foot two and over 200 pounds or I’d be have more than a bump on the head to worry about right now. Maybe I should start wearing my motorcycle helmet when I go outside. Wish me luck!

OK, I admit it. I'm a word nerd. I spend a lot of time obsessing about language. That's not to say I'm a language expert. I'm more of a fan, really. I have several eBook readers, and even have bookshelves filled with, well, actual books. They don't come off the shelf very often, but I feel more comfortable having them around. I read word blogs like World Wide Words and listen to language podcasts like Grammar Girl and A Way With Words for entertainment.  

So you can imagine how thrilled I was to run across some actual entertainment centered around words. Word Crimes is the latest product from the mind of parody master Weird Al Yankovic. It pokes fun at all the ways we torture language and grammar on the web these days.  

Enjoy.

Hmmm, now I'm feeling really paranoid. I'd better go back this post for errors one more time. Nah, I'll just post it as is and wait for you to show me the error of my ways.

I logged in to my Cox Cable account today intending to add voicemail to my telephone service. I already have their triple play -- tv + internet + phone -- and wanted to leave my old answering machine in the past where it belongs.

I was please to see there was a promotion going on that would reduce the price of the upgrade for a few months, and even more please to see an invitation to "Go Faster with an Internet Speed Upgrade" too. I was ready to upgrade my internet package for a special price of only $5.00 extra per month, and excitedly pressed the happy blue ORDER NOW button, like an obedient consumer.

But my excitement faded when I went to check out and saw that upgrade would be $33.00 more per month AND there would be an additional $75 one time fee. 

Funny how it didn't say any of that before I was ready to check out. I've always had a good experience with Cox, and was surprised by the disconnect. I figured it was just a problem with the website, so I called the toll-free number to speak with someone, fully expecting them to straighten things out.

Ruh-Roh

What I was told was that the $5.00 upgrade doesn't apply to me, since I already have the second-best internet service. That offer is only good for people with slower service than I already have. I was logged in to my account when I got the offer. It seems to me the site should have known what I already had, and not offered me something it couldn't make good on. Or at the very least, there should have been an asterisk next to the offer leading to some fine print saying, "Doesn't apply to the Ultimate service."

What's That Now?

But leaving that aside, I asked what the one time charge was all about. After all, it didn't say anything about that on the page offering me to upgrade. Not even in asterisked fine print. The agent told me that was an error. It should have been $60 not $75. 

Apparently, to get the "Ultimate" internet service, Cox needs to send a technician to your house. Not to install any equipment -- I already have the required DOCSIS 3 modem. No, he has to come out to check the lines and make sure everything is working properly.  

And I have to pay for that? 

Yes, according to Cox. Although it's not necessary for any of the other service changes -- just the one I wanted.

Fool Me Once -- I Trash My Shopping Cart

Feeling like I'd been the victim of a bait and switch, I decided not to upgrade my internet service -- nor my phone service. So Cox missed out on what would have earned them hundreds and hundreds of dollars over the next few years -- I've been a customer since 1994 -- and left a bitter taste in the mouth of a long-time customer all because they chose  not to be up-front with the real charges.

A poor choice for them to have made, in my opinion.

Full disclosure: I'm not a *real* graphic designer, but often breakout Adobe Creative Suite to play the role as part of my job being the marketing guy for clients.

You’ve spent days (weeks?) honing and polishing your resume and now it shines in a way no recruiter or hiring manager could possibly ignore. You figure you’re as good as hired, right? All you’ve got to do is send that résumé out, then kick back and relax while you wait for the phone to start ringing off the hook. Then…CRICKETS

What happened? Didn’t they get your résumé? Why hasn’t anybody called?

Well, some people in the business decided to shed some light on the situation by sharing what they know, and it isn’t pretty.

While you spent countless hours writing your resume, the recruiter at the other end probably spend 5 to 7 seconds looking at it.

Why? Probably because they started receiving résumés 200 seconds after pressing the POST button on their system…followed by 249 more. Yup, an average of 250 résumés are received for every job posted. You’d better hope your résumé stands out — for the right reasons.

What to do

Here are some things you can do to tilt the odds in your favor:

• Use a professional email address. Keep that cute or clever email to use with your friends, and get a proper one to use on job applications. Something like firstname.lastname@gmail.com is probably a good bet.
• Keep the selfies to yourself. Resumes with a picture of the applicant on them are rejected 88% of the time.
• Watch what you say online. While your party antics or politically incorrect witticisms may make you the life of the party at home, they may just cost you a job. 1 in 3 employers have rejected candidates because of something they found about them online.
• Check your spelling and grammar. Then check it again. And again. And again. And…well, you get the idea. A single spelling of grammar mistake will cause your resume to be tossed without hesitation. Unreasonable? Probably. But hirers hold all the cards these days, so they don’t have to be reasonable. Best not to argue and make sure to dot your I’s and cross your t’s — so to speak.

Well there you have it. Now you know why that phone isn’t ringing. While the odds are stacked against you, at least you know the facts and can take action to minimize the odds of your résumé residing in the round file.

Good luck with your search — ummm, I mean — your transition.

Squeals of protest rose from the tires as she drifted through turn one at Sonoma Raceway, dancing at the outer limits of traction. The 500 HP engine screamed as she powered down the straightaway, pushed firmly against the seat by more force than she’d ever experienced. But she wasn’t worried. Her face betrayed no apprehension as she willed the beast to slow down for the next turn. Instead, she seemed gripped by a heady mixture of concentration and delight with keen focus in her eyes and an ear-to-ear grin on her lips. What could cause this mild mannered corporate executive to carve up the racetrack like a seasoned racer? The mighty Audi R8!

OK, truth be told our pace was a mere trot for the R8, but to us — and to everyone else on track in their own S-Series Audi — we were racetrack superstars.

The Audi Driving Experience

Audi makes high performance cars, and they want their customers — and potential customers — to experience their products as they were intended to be driven. Their solution is to offer the “Audi Driving Experience.” Actually, they offer several programs ranging in length from a half-day, to two full days, so you can pick the one that best suits your needs — and wallet.

While Audi’s cars are brilliant, their command of the web is less impressive. It almost seems like they don’t want people to find out about it. Searching for “audi driving experience” leads to a page that no longer exists, so you’re greeted with a very pretty “page not found” error. Fortunately their page for the Audi Sportscar Experience is still up, so you can read up on it to see if you’re interested.

I was invited to join my friend — the corporate executive-cum-race car driver I talked about at the beginning of this post — for an Audi experience that would have us driving a range of S-series Audi’s in a variety of situations. On the menu that day? The S4, RS5, S6, S7, S8 , TTS, and the king of the S-heap — an R8.

Our  Experience

Our day started by signing in at the reception area where we were served snacks and (non-alcoholic) drinks while we waited for our group’s turn. Then it was off to a brief introductory classroom session where we learned about the company’s history and racing tradition. 

We also got an overview of what was on the agenda for the day. The driving is broken up into three segments, each designed to let you experience a different facet of the Audi performance lineup.

A Leisurely Start

First, we took to the public roads, driving each model in turn over a range of normal driving conditions. There was some stop-and-go traffic, some rough roads that showed off the suspension, and a fun twisty part. 

Autocross Time

Once back at Sonoma Raceway, we were taken to the autocross track. Basically a section of the parking lot with a course laid out in traffic cones. Everybody got one timed run in each of the cars provided — in this case there was an S4 and an RS5. Then, to make things interesting, we each got one final lap in a TTS. The person with the quickest time on their TTS lap wins an extra lap on the big track in the passenger seat of an R8 as one of Audi’s professional drivers puts it through its paces — at speed! Since the TTS is turbo-charged, while the cars we got to practice on were supercharged, our one and only TTS lap was a surprise and a disappointment to most of us. Those twin turbochargers seem to take forever to spool up off the starting line when the clock is running and there’s a prize at stake. Still, once it finally got underway that little TTS was a delight to throw into those tight autocross corners.

The Big Track

Finally it was time for the main attraction. It was our group’s turn on the big track at Sonoma Raceway. We each got one lap in each of the cars. It would be nice if we got more than one lap, because by the time you felt you were getting the hang of that particular model you were driving, it was time to get out and start over again with a different one. Bummer. 

Before you get too excited, let me tell you that these are not open track sessions. You have to ride each lap in single file behind a lead car driven by an instructor. Yeah, I know. It would be nice to just have at it, but that just wouldn’t be practical. Most of the people in our group had never been on a track before, and some where clearly out of their element. By enforcing their follow-the-leader policy in place, Audi avoids having their expensive toys wadded up all across the track. 

Each of the cars in our experience was an “S” model, meaning it had the upgraded suspension and other goodies that improve performance over the base “A” models. So it wasn’t surprising when each and every one of them was a joy to pilot around the track. 

I loved the way the TTS handled, and thought the RS5 had the best balance between power and handling. But the real standout was, not surprisingly, the R8. When it was my turn at the wheel of Audi’s flagship sports car, I realized the R8 is not in the same league as the others. We weren’t going any faster — I managed to restrain myself and stick to the follow-the-leader rule — but the car made running that pace seem easy. At one point, I even took one hand off the wheel, and drummed my fingers on the dash to show how easy it was to steer, brake, and corner the thing at a pretty respectable clip. Phenomenal. Wish I could afford one.

The Takeaway

All of the cars we drove impressed us. Even the bigger ones, like the S7, acquitted themselves admirably on and off the racetrack. And that’s the point Audi is trying to make with these driving experiences. They want you to come away knowing that new Audi you’ve been eyeing at your local dealership will do a great job no matter what you throw at it. Whether you’re commuting to work, picking up the kids from school, getting groceries, or carving up the canyon roads on the weekend, your Audi is up for it. Based on all the grinning faces we saw at the end of the day, I’d say Audi got their message across.

So, Was it Worthwhile?

Heck yeah! I’d recommend it to anyone who has an Audi and wants to see what it can really do. In a safe place. Without endangering fellow motorists and pedestrians on the public roads. I’d also recommend it to anyone who has never been on a racetrack before. It’s something every driver should experience and the Audi Driving Experience is a safe way to do it.

So check out the options, pick a date and sign up. You won’t regret it.

-Lionel Gibbons

Have been to an Audi Driving Experience yourself? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Some would argue that the dehumanizing of corporations started when personnel departments took “persons” out of the department name and replaced them with “human resources.” How…industrial. 

The rise of BigData in the enterprise may usher in a new wave of de-personalization as more Human Resource departments move to expand thie analysis of humans. According to this report on High-Impact Talent Analytics from Bersin by Deloitte more than 60% of companies are investing in Big Data and analytics tools for HR. However, most haven’t reached the point where they can use the technology to its fullest potential. Only 4% of companies can do predictive analytics of their workforce, and only 14% have done significant statistical analysis of their employee data. But everyone working on it, so it won’t be long before big employers will manager their big workforces using big data for big profit. 

Am I the only one that thinks this might be a big deal for us little guys? Maybe I worry to much. 

Let me know what you think in the comments.

With all the hype around Big Data these days, you could be forgiven for thinking that the era of the supercomputer is past. But some in the EU think the battle for supercomputer supremacy is on — and that Europe has to take action or be left behind. In this special report entitled, Supercomputers For All (pdf), the Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe (PRACE)  makes the case that supercomputing will drive a new wave of economic growth.

PACE was formed in 2010 to promote the use of supercomputing resources and services for commercial use in Europe, but “much remains to be done to bolster Europe’s position in the supercomputer league,” according to Catherine Rivière, PACE’s chair.

We tend to think of supercomputers as high-performance hardware, but the special report makes the point that what’s needed now is next-generation technology and applications — in other words, software. The report says that China and the US are leading the world in supercomputing, and that Europe can catch up if it acts now.

If you’re interested in the EU economy, in supercomputing, or both, you will find the PRACE special report an interesting read.

If you’re into tech at all, you’ve no doubt heard that we’re about to be inundated by smart watches from vendors of all types. Should we care? Should we be excited? I’m not so sure. Let me explain.

Don’t get me wrong. I love me some gadgets. In fact, I was once the proud owner of a then state-of-the-art Seiko Data 2000 circa 1983. It had a detachable keyboard that communicated wirelessly to the watch. Don’t laugh — it was once the epitome of geek chic. But truth be told, it never was all that useful. Syncing the calendar was a pain, and using that little chicklet keyboard and teeny-tiny display did not make for a great user experience.  But times have changed. Maybe the technology has caught up to the smart watch concept. Let’s look at what’s out there now.

The new wave of smart watch fever was ushered in by the Pebble. This Kickstarter project was announced with much fanfare, and released in January of this year. While it has had some success, selling over 85,000 units in the first 6 months, it hasn’t exactly taken the world by storm.  

Undaunted, other vendors have waded into the market with their own smart watch offerings. Sony, once the darling of tech fans everywhere, recently released their SmartWatch 2. Samsung, one of the current darlings of tech fans everywhere, released their entry to the space too — the Galaxy Gear smart watch. Both have some advantages over the Pebble, but all share a common attribute — they’re all tragically clunky. Eerily reminiscent of that  inelegant square from Seiko that I wore all those years ago.

There other choices, of course, from a variety of vendors. Some familiar. Some not. Some surprising, like the Toq from Qualcomm. However, in my opinion, none of them have cracked the code. At the very least, that tiny screen has to be useful, and the battery has to last more than a day. 

The rumored Google smart watch may be on the right track with its focus on Google Now functionality. Those context-relevant cards might be just the thing to put a watch back on my wrist. But even if a Google smart watch hits the shelves soon, I’ll probably wait to see what Apple’s up to before putting down my hard earned cash.

Apple hasn’t admitted they’re developing a smart watch, of course. They never do, do they? But that never stops people from speculating. And if the rumors of an iWatch are true, it may be just the gadget I’ve been looking for to replace my old Seiko Data 2000.

How about you? Thinking of getting a smart watch? Which one? Why?

As a responsible motorcyclist and a concerned citizen, I am writing about the incident that occurred in New York City on Sunday, Sept. 29, involving an SUV driver and some motorcyclists.

I am troubled by the serious injuries caused by the SUV driver and by the actions of some motorcyclists who apparently decided to take the law into their own hands. Some in the media have reported the facts but others are sensationalizing the story. I urge you to report this incident factually and objectively.

I ride responsibly and do my best to represent motorcycling in a positive light. Those of us who ride support rider education and often raise funds for charitable causes in our community. The safety of all road users, especially motorcyclists, is of the utmost concern to me and I do not support actions by any road users that violate the law.

Each year, the American Motorcyclist Association sanctions hundreds of well-organized recreational events.  At these events, law-abiding motorcyclists gather to enjoy camaraderie and spend their tourist dollars in host cities and surrounding communities.

One unfortunate event of this kind, reported frequently by national and local media, can create a false image of all motorcyclists by the general public.

Motorcycling has become an enjoyable mainstream activity and almost everyone today has a family member or friend who rides. The actions of the motorcyclists portrayed in the video of the encounter in New York City do not represent me, my friends, or the vast majority of the 27 million motorcyclists in America. 

By Lionel Gibbons

Ever ask someone for directions at a Las Vegas hotel? They inevitably start with the phrase, “Go through the casino…”  It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to find the elevators, the restaurant, or a taxi, everything in Vegas is set up so you have to pass through the casino first. After all, casinos are the heart of Vegas.

I was reminded of this arrangement recently while reading the news that Brazil intends to break away from US-centric network connections. This move appears to be the latest consequence of National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelation that the US Government is listening in to everything we do on the internet.

Washington has given assurances that the surveillance is aimed at foreigners, which did reassure some US citizens. But it also had the unintended consequence of raising fear around the world. It was, after all, a tacit admission that the NSA was indeed listening. 

Some, like Brazil, have decided to keep their data out of the US whenever possible. But given the way the Internet is wired, having your traffic avoid the US may not be so easy. A look at TeleGeography’s submarine cable map shows that most of the connections from Brazil to Europe make a quick stopover on the East coast of the United States before heading across the ocean. 

It will be interesting to see if Brazil is able to reroute enough traffic around the US to accomplish their goals — and how much it will cost them.

I’m not sure they’ll be successful. What do you think?

By Lionel Gibbons

If you’re an iOS fan — like me —  you probably spent (wasted?) a bunch of time today updating your iDevices and playing with the new features of iOS7. If you’re a productivity junkie — also like me — you’re probably feeling pretty guilty about spending so much time on activities of questionable productivity.

Fortunately, the good folks at The Omni Group have provided a way to both enjoy the new iOS7 and increase your productivity.  They’ve introduced three updated versions of their iOS apps that any productivity fan will want to check out.

OmniFocus 2 for iOS7 (iPhone)

First, they’ve released an all new version of their powerhouse task manager app, OmniFocus. OmniFocus 2 for iPhone has a completely new look and feel that fits right in with the colorful iOS7 environment. If you’re already an OmniFocus for iPhone user, switching over is simple. It uses the same database format, so all your critical todo lists and projects will still be at your finger tips. But now they’re wrapped in clean, white iOS7 UI goodness. There isn’t a new version for the iPad yet, but I expect that will be coming along at some point too. 

OmniOutliner 2 for iOS7 (iPad)

OmniOutliner actually preceded OmniFocus in the Omni Group’s product portfolio, and remains one of the most popular — and most powerful — outlining tools for the Mac and iOS today. The recent addition of the OmniPresence cloud service, which syncs your data between iOS devices and the Mac, has greatly increased the usefulness of OmniOutliner for iOS. It’s another great productivity and information organizational tool to have in your arsenal. I use it for all manner of structured list making now. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get the new OmniOutliner 2 for iPad to sync up with the OmniPresence server yet, but I chalk that up to day one glitches. I’ll keep trying.

OmniPlan 2 for iOS7 (iPad)

I have no connection to The OmniGroup, and therefore have no insider information, but I suspect that OmniPlan is less popular than the other two apps released today. It’s a full-on project management tool akin to Microsoft Project, and therefore has less widespread appeal and applicability. However, if you have a need for real project management, and happen to me a Mac user, you may want to do yourself a favor and check in to OmniPlan for the Mac. Now with OmniPlan 2 for the iPad, you can leave your Mac behind, and bring those beautiful project plans with you wherever you go. 

If you want to learn more about it, check out Omni’s blog post on their iOS7 plans. 

So What’s the Catch?

OK, so that’s the good news. What’s the bad news? None of these are free upgrades. Even if you already own the previous versions for iOS, you’ll still need to pay full price for the new versions. Booo, right? Well, yes and no. The Omni Group is a small, independent developer that has been providing world class software to the Mac and iOS community for years now, and they deserve to earn a living. Considering what some of the big guys charge for upgrades (think Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Suite), the Omni Group isn’t asking much. If I have to pay for major upgrades to keep them producing the software I rely on to accomplish what I need to do in my work (and my life), the so be it.

What say you?

By Lionel Gibbons

Sometimes it seems like a new “must join” web site pops up every day. Besides the mainstays of Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus, there are dozens of social networking sites competing for a slice of our attention. 

If you’re like me, you probably join them all — just to see what they’re all about. After a while, you’re a member of more sites than you can ever hope to patronize with any regularity. You may even be thinking about getting out. Cutting the social-networking cord. But have you actually tried to quit? Not so easy, eh? Many of these sites make the quitting process less than obvious.

Fortunately, the folks at AllThingsD have put together A Handy Guide to Deleting Digital Accounts to help guide the way.

If you’ve decided to unplug from parts of the web-o-sphere, tell me about your experience. How did it go? Did you say out, or were you sucked back in by the allure of being connected?

By Lionel Gibbons

Do you remember when there was a special lane on the highway reserved for passing? Ahh, the good old days.

I may be dating myself, but it seems to me that when I first piloted my Dad’s humongous Buick Le Sabre onto the highway as a teenager, there was some rule about keeping that left-most lane clear for people running late for their appointments. I remember my Dad teaching me that when I was in the “passing lane,” I could move over if someone came up behind me — no matter how fast I was going. Why? “Courtesy. That’s just the way things should be done,” he said. Today, I often find myself in the position of that guy in a hurry, but rarely — if ever — does anybody move over for me. The last time I got stuck behind someone using the fast lane to go slow, I began to wonder if I was missing something. Had the rules changed? I decided to look it up.

What does the law say?

According to the United States Uniform Vehicle Code:

“Upon all roadways any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic …”

OK, so I’m not imagining things. People are supposed to move over when I come up behind them in the passing lane. I’m not the only one noticing the problem, either, as these sites dedicated to correcting — or just complaining about — the problem attest.

• TheLeftLaneIsForPassing
• Left Lane Drivers of America

What is considered proper use varies from place to place, and some states are stepping up to the challenge of keeping things moving along. For example, Florida is considering a new law — House Bill 7125 — that includes a provision that would make it illegal to drive more than 10 mph slower than the posted speed limit in the “fast” lane.

There is hope

Has Road Etiquette Gone the way of the buggy whip? My nostalgia for the road etiquette of days gone by may be just that — nostalgia. But there may be hope. Perhaps if more of us followed the guidelines laid out in this article in “The Art of Manliness” blog, the art of good driving could make a comeback.

Share your pain

Tell me about your passing lane peccadillo in the comments. How did you handle it? In the meantime, I’ll work on heeding the advice of Eddie Cantor, who once said,

“Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going to fast — you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.”

Ommmmmmm.

photo credit: Diana Lee Photography via photopin cc

By Lionel Gibbons

"Dad, can you help me build this?"

That was the text message I received from my college-going daughter recently. It was accompanied by a link to some pictures of a shipping pallet sitting on top of traditional, turned wood table legs.

“Cool”, I thought.  

Ok, to be honest, my first thought was actually, “Why???” But I managed to set aside my old-fashioned views on furniture design to work on this project with my daughter.

That was my first introduction to what seems to be a growing trend — building practical furniture out of old scrap. 

Now I’m sure my daughter’s generation believes they invented this meme. That it’s based on an ethos of eco-friendly pursuits. But building furniture from junk has been around a long time, and the invention sprang from economic necessity, not eco-altruism.

Pallet Furniture

The “Pallet Furniture” phenomenon reminds me of the “good old days” when I helped my sister furnish her first apartment with a coffee table made out of an old wooden cable spool, and shelves built from cinder blocks and old planks. There was even a sofa which, if I recall correctly, consisted almost entirely of old milk crates. Some of those items must have held real sentimental value for her, as they remained part of my sister’s decor long after she could afford an upgrade. 

Today, the lowly cable spool has joined the shipping pallet as a source of furniture once again. And some entrepreneurial individuals have even turned the lowly cable spool table into a commercial product.

We Built It

In case you’re wondering, we did build that pallet desk my daughter wanted. With a little sanding, a simply built table base, and a few coats of stain and lacquer, we came up with something she’s pretty happy with. That's it up at the top of this post with her laptop and notebooks on it. 

The best part is that we built it together, making it more valuable than the finest pieces from Ethan Allen — to us, anyway.

Have you had any success building scraptastic furniture? I'd love to hear your story. Please share it in the comments.