StorybookCat

Easy Beef and Broccoli Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 20:21:00 +0000

Easy Beef and Broccoli recipe

Ingredients:

At least 3/4 lb of beef

At least 1 crown of broccoli

A pat of butter (roughly 15ml or 1T)

A pinch of salt (roughly 1ml)

Instructions:

Slice beef into bite-size pieces. Melt a pat of butter in a pan with medium-low heat. Lay the meat in the pan to sauté with a pinch of salt. Cut crowns of broccoli into bite size pieces, and add these to the pan while it cooks, stirring occasionally. Use a lid, and stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes, until it reaches your desired level of doneness.

Makes two lunch-size plates. Men, teenagers, and very hungry people will need to increase ingredients proportionally.

This meal pairs well with spaghetti, rice, or baked potatoes.

Cauliflower, sweet peppers, or green onions would add more flavors to the sauté.

Review: Elephant & Piggie: I will Surprise My Friend!

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 20:51:00 +0000

Elephant & Piggie: I will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Williams, the famed author of the Pigeon books.

There are 25 Elephant and Piggie books. This one is one of my favorites because the emotion is very genuine. The two friends decide they will jump out and surprise each other. When they lose track of each other, Gerald the Elephant lets his worries about his friend run away with him. Piggie wonders if Gerald left to get lunch.

Elephant and Piggie caters to beginning readers, and frequently employs a repeating sentence structure. Williams also reinforces the ideas with thought bubbles, and lots of expressions on his characters' faces. Most of the pages show the two friends (and occasionally, other animals) on a simple background. It creates a clean and uncluttered look, with a character-driven story.

Five stars!

Review: Libby

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 07:23:00 +0000

Libby

` Libby is a library app for borrowing books. Yay! Free books! I love it, it has normal books as well as audiobooks and read-alongs.

I love the audio books and read-alongs especially. It gives my little one the ability to read her books while I catch up on dishes. It’s very easy to use. A library card will allow you to borrow up to five books at a time. The borrowed books can be downloaded onto your device for 14 days. (This is in settings, and can be changed to suit your preferences, along with the file type to be delivered). I like it, the books can come along for a car ride, or anyplace else without an internet connection. After 14 days, there is an option to renew, unless other people have placed a hold on that particular book.

My library consortium has put some very good options on, and there are audio dramatizations by major actors. There are filters on the search function to narrow down what type of book you’d like to browse. Libby allows patrons to use multiple library cards. This is nice on a shared account, because it gives me room to borrow something, even if the first five card slots are in use.

Five stars!

Cold Ends: Murder Aboard the Invisible Velvet

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 15:04:00 +0000

Cold Ends: Murder Aboard the Invisible Velvet

The lights flickered and went out in the cell of the small jail on Turtle Station, a small outpost in the middle of nowhere. Dr. Dala, an older man of average height, blinked his dark brown eyes in the sudden darkness. The door creaked loudly. It swung in crookedly, in a listless manner that was entirely wrong for a solid out-swinging cell door. Dala saw a figure with a headlamp, a crowbar, and a pocket propane torch beckoning him to come out. He ventured out, and moved towards a crumpled figure with concern.

“He’ll live.” The headlamped figure hissed. “Come quick.”

Doc followed the figure through a bewildering mess of corridors into the lower decks of the station.

“Aren’t there cameras?” Asked Doc.

“Not here. It interferes with the locals' business dealings, so they get vandalized a lot.” Dagger answered quietly. Dagger was a non-descript man in his early 20s. He was a bit taller than the doctor, and pale from being indoors far too much.

“Why’d you come back for me?” Asked Doc.

“I felt bad, with you taking the rap for my deeds and all.” Dagger shrugged.

“That doesn’t sound like you.” Doc noted.

“True. Fine. The people who hired me now want me dead, because I botched the mission and you and Cade are still alive. I’ve been stabbed, and I want someone to fix it up, discreetly.”

“How do I know you won’t try to kill me?”

“Time’s up on that job. No payout. Just fix the wound, and hang around in case I get stabbed again, and I’ll get you off the station.” Dagger said.

“Are you planning on being stabbed again? I don’t want to be stabbed.” Doc stated.

“These things just happen.” Dagger hissed, and put a finger to his lips warningly. “Come with me or go back to your cell.”

Dr. Dala hesitated, looking back at the failed protective custody arrangement with a sense of loss. He shook his head in resignation and followed Dagger.

Time wore on slowly in Dagger’s hideout, somewhere in the underbelly of Turtle Station. Dagger’s injury was healing. It was not too bad, just painful. Dr. Dala estimated about a week had elapsed before Dagger’s plan to quietly leave Turtle Station was put in motion.

“Now - and I cannot emphasize enough how important this is - I should do all the talking.” Dagger insisted to Doc.

Doc tried to get his helmet set straight.

“You were taciturn and sullen the whole time you were pretending to be our entomologist.”

“So I wouldn’t get asked bug questions. I don’t know anything about bugs. I know what I’m doing here. You shhhh.” Dagger held a finger to his lips menacingly. “Also, back me up if anything happens.”

Dagger tucked his own helmet under his arm and marched out, with Doc following quietly behind. They came to a waiting room full of other applicants milling about.

“Are you all here for the security job?” Dagger asked incredulously.

“Yeah.” One responded with a shrug. “The numbers are over there.” He gestured to a ticket dispenser.

“Well, this won’t do at all.” Said Dagger. He thought for a minute, then put on his helmet.

“Everybody out!” He shouted. His helmet amplified his voice so it reverberated through the small room. He pulled a smoke bomb out, activated it, and just stood there. Many of the candidates scurried out, not willing to risk their lives before they were even on the payroll. One stood, and casually emptied a fire extinguisher onto Dagger’s hand. Dagger tried to punch him, but he quietly dodged and sat back down.

“Four openings. Three of us left.” The man said quietly.

“Ah. Well in that case.” Dagger said, and quickly locked the door to prevent any bolder candidates or late arrivals from adding competition for the job.

“This way please.” A voice from across the room announced. “All three of you.” The butler took their business cards as he led them into the prince’s study.

“John Milton, Independent Security Guard, and Jason Dagger of Weaponized Fists Protection Detail, with his associate.

“Marvelous!” Cheered the Duke. “That was the most entertaining interview I’ve seen yet. You’re all hired. Bert, keep the helmets when you assign uniforms, and have stripes painted to match the capes.” They followed Milton and Butler Bert’s example and bowed and left.

Back in the interviewing room, Bert eyed them.

“Milton’s in charge. I’ve worked with him before. Once you’re on the clock, tone down the theatrics. Your job is to identify and distract threats while I move the Duke to safety.” He guided them through some paperwork and security checks, then handed them each a key card.

“This is for our suite. A bunkhouse for the servants adjoins it. Put your stuff there, and be back here, in uniform, by 0300.”

“That’s it?” Doc asked when they were walking away.

“Yeah, he’s not really important. Or really wealthy. He just has the title, and hires some extras to impress. That’s why the pay is so bad. If you read through what we signed we’ll be doing everything from cleaning to waiting tables. He probably wants us to keep the helmets so he can pretend he has more than three servants.”

“Then why are we doing this?”

“They didn’t pay for full security checks. The ship won’t double-check the Duke’s entourage. Easy.”

A shadow rippled away from Turtle as the Invisible Velvet took off. It was as black as the inner void of a black hole, and it was more detectable by the light it blocked then what little light it emitted. The underlit interiors rippled with curtains, and oversized posh furniture that had been all the rage among the upper class, albeit several decades ago. It was clean, anyway. Doc stood on guard outside the Duke’s suite, ceremonial spear in hand. There were a few others standing guard along the hall, neatly decked out in modern suits. Doc wore a long cape and loose uniform tunic. Boot-shaped covers attached to his shoes and went up his shins. It was the perfect uniform to fit almost any adult male, regardless of size. It was well-made, at least, and the rippling blue cape felt very formal against his gray tunic and boots. The black pants he had supplied himself, or rather, Dagger had sourced some that fit decently well, as long as some white dress shirt for dinner work later.

Despite the early hour, a fair number of people were coming through the hall with luggage, settling in after a last-minute boarding. A middle-aged lady with light curls frowned deeply at him as she passed, and pulled a card out of her purse.

“See that Albert gets this.” She ordered, and marched on shortly. A younger lady followed, dragging a burdened luggage cart.

Dr. Dala passed the card on to Bert the card when Dagger relieved him from guard duty later that morning.

“That was the Duke’s cousin, Theodora.” Bert explained. “She’s in politics. Just watch for reporters around and stall the Duke if you see her again. Her handlers will take it from there.”

Doc nodded. This was an odd job, but it would be over soon. The days passed quietly.

“Cade’s here.” Dagger stated, waking Doc up as he came into their small shared sleeping area.

“Shhhh.” Doc glared at him. He had another good 20 minutes to rest before he had to get up and stand, and sort dishes and fetch things until his feet and joints ached. Dagger seemed immune to both the glare and the drudgery. The joys of youth.

“That Danny fellow is here too, disguised as part of the engine crew.” Dagger said casually.

“Daniel’s an engineer. He’s probably working. Good for him.” Doc turned his glare to the upper bunk. It was useless trying to go back to sleep.

“And Cade?” Dagger pressed.

“She’s off your hit list, right?”

“Yeah.”

“None of your business then.”

“Oh come on Doc.”

An alarm blared softly, and the ship’s intercom announced “This is your Captain speaking. There has been a criminal incident. For your safety, please lock yourselves in your cabins while our security team investigates.” Instead of a repeat message, there were several angry voices clearly yelling at the Captain about pirates and not paying ransoms, which were quickly cut off.

Doc sighed and prepared to go back to work. Dagger looked incredibly annoyed at the intercom.

The intercom returned with a calm voice “We apologize for the interruption. We are investigating an internal criminal incident. We ask you to remain secured in your cabins while our security team investigates, in order to expedite the process and ensure your safety while we apprehend the responsible party. Again, this is an internal incident, and our security is here to ensure your safety. Please stay in your cabins, so we can resolve this quickly.”

Milton stuck his head in. “Dagger, go ahead and go off duty, but be ready to go quick when called. Dr. Dala, with me please.”

“You know my name?” Doc was surprised, as he had signed his name illegibly to align with whatever forgery Dagger was pushing.

“I checked with Turtle Security. Clean record, by the way, unlike your companion here.” Milton noted. “Anyway, come.” He continued seriously. Dr. Dala went with Milton to see the Duke, who was clearly upset. Milton quietly excused himself.

“Theodora’s dead. Poisoned.” The Duke said flatly. He waved his hands in the air, “She was just, just.” His voice trailed off and he slumped into a couch, and buried his head in his hands. Bert brought in some hot tea.

“Their call was recorded.” Bert said quietly. “Ship security already has a copy. We’d like you to watch the video, and tell us what killed her and when it would have been administered.”

“Pardon,” said Doc “shouldn’t we let the ship security handle this?”

“We will.” The Duke nodded. “I want an independent opinion.”

“I’ll do what I can, sir.” Dr. Dala said solemnly. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Bert led him to a small room, and replayed the video. The lady from the hall earlier was there, dressed in a formal gown with pearls. There was a wine glass in her hand. She was tired, and complaining of a headache, and had a long conversation with the Duke while they both sipped wine from their respective suites. From the conversation, it seemed like the Duke was prone to romantic and press disasters, and Theodora tried to keep him quiet for the sake of her political career. Bert quietly moved into the frame to refill the Duke’s glass, and left again. Theodora suddenly slumped over in the chair as her wine glass hit the floor. She did not move again. Doc replayed the moment several times, slowing it down each time.

“Why did the Duke think she was poisoned?” asked Dr. Dala.

“Do you disagree?” responded Bert.

“I can’t tell.” said Doc.

“What can you determine?” asked Bert.

“She was tired and had a headache, which could be poisoning, but she seems pretty coherent here, and her behavior stayed the same until she collapsed. I don’t know what she’s usually like, so I don’t know if she was acting odd. She jerks her head here.” Doc paused the video at the right moment. “But I can’t tell if there’s an outside force. She’s really pale after she collapses, but I can’t see an injury or blood because of how she’s fallen.”

“Could you at least give a timeframe?”

“Yes. At this point there is no breathing, and no visible pulse.” Doc indicated the paused video. “Did help get there quickly?”

“We were told that the ship’s medical team was there within five minutes. The call stopped because the Duke ran to the other phone to call for help, and the call ended after 60 seconds due to inactivity.”

“If they couldn’t revive her, my best estimate is that she died when she collapsed. It looks sudden, but without any kind of toxicology report, I can’t rule out poisons or anything else. I’m sorry. Do you want me to tell the Duke?”

“I’ll handle that.” Bert said solemnly. “I do have a few more questions. How did you come to be traveling with your associate?”

“He broke me out of protective custody to help him with an injury. I’m not keen on this arrangement, but it was in my best interest to leave Turtle Station quietly, at least while there is a possibility someone wishes me ill.”

“Do you trust him?” asked Bert incredulously.

“He’s a mercenary. I trust him not to kill me unless he can get paid for it.” Doc shrugged. “Of all my travel options, this seemed the least deadly.”

“Who wants you dead?”

“That is an interesting web of conspiracy theories, which I would be happy to discuss at length, when I am sure of my own safety. It seems to be related to corporate finances, and not anything political. Back to Dagger, which is not, I believe his real name, I cannot rule him out as a suspect. I would also not rule him in without a monetary incentive in play, if that is what you are asking.”

“Who can you rule out?” asked Bert.

“Myself. I know I was not involved.”

“He was asleep.” Milton confirmed when Bert called him in. “We have internal logs on the doors. Dagger was on guard the whole evening, and Theodora did not pass through this hallway today. So he’s out too. Cameras are good, no tampering. Ship security will double-check that, of course.”

“The Duke was here, as were both of us.” Bert stated. “Milton, keep up security as if you can trust all five of us, including Dagger. We’ll run checks on all the food before any of us eat, and stay in our quarters. Then we just wait until more information is available.”

“Doc!” Dagger hissed at Doc, while Doc was slowly dicing some carrots. Dr. Dala nodded with patience.

“Dagger.”

“Do you have any information?”

“The Duke’s cousin has passed away suddenly. Nothing involving us is going on, so far as I know.” Doc finished with the carrots, scooting them neatly into a pan for cooking. “Do you have any active contracts or enemies which are going to cause a problem anytime soon?”

Dagger glared at him. “I have my business under control.” He looked tense, then added quietly, “If anything were to happen to me, your location would be sent to those who mean you harm. Call it insurance.”

“Don’t threaten me. If you could do that you’d have already sold my location for the cash. Now, why do you think something would happen to you?”

Dagger glared at him and left. Dala finished cooking his dinner, and enjoyed it with Milton in peace. Later that night, he was suddenly awakened by a crash and shouting outside their bunkroom. Milton and Dagger were fighting, and Dala saw Dagger pull a knife out of his boot. Bert and the Duke came in quietly. Bert had a pistol in his hand, and the Duke was carrying his ceremonial sword, which looked alarmingly sharp in the dim light of the quarters. Seeing he was outnumbered, Dagger sheathed his knife, and leaned against the wall.

The Duke stepped in, and held his sword towards Dagger. “Why did my cousin Theodora send you money?” He asked coldly. Bert eyed the sword warily, prepared to intervene.

“It’s a private matter.” Dagger said coldly.

“She’s dead. Would the ship's security be interested in this private matter?” Asked the Duke.

“I had nothing to do with what happened. She hired me to do a job. I haven’t had a chance to get it done.”

“What job?”

“A private job. Nothing to do with anything.” Dagger shrugged. “As I’ve said, I haven’t finished it yet.”

“If she hired you to harass somebody, that person could have reason to kill her.” Bert noted somberly.

“I haven’t done anything yet! I can’t be in trouble for not causing trouble!” Dagger protested.

“You are in trouble for having a large, unexplained, transfer of money from my dear cousin, who appears to have been murdered.” The Duke said coldly.

“Fine. She thought her separated husband was smuggling drugs. She hired me to get rid of the drugs. I haven’t done anything yet.”

“Was he?” Asked Bert.

“I don’t know. It’s not like smuggled drugs get labeled with the owners' names.” Dagger said with annoyance.

The ship’s security came around to question everyone that evening. As Doctor Dala was asleep at the time of the incident, and his whereabouts prior to that accounted for, they had very little interest in him. The next day everyone was allowed out of their cabins to eat and mingle, despite no official announcements being made on the progress of the case. The Duke and his servants stayed in, not having anything safer to do. That evening, Theodora’s newly widowed husband suddenly died of a drug overdose. The press had caught the story by now, and ran all caps headlines relating the late Senator Theodora had been shot.

Dagger and Doc were alone in the bunkroom.

“What would it take to shoot someone quietly in a small room, and remain unseen?” asked Doc.

“Quietly? Maybe a railgun or a crossbow. If you knew where the person was, maybe just shoot them through a wall, but that much force would be noisy.” Dagger thought. “It’d have to be something remotely operated. But, if you’re talking about the senator, her staff should have been scanning for any odd signals. It would be easier just to shoot her in a crowd while she’s out and about.”

“How much of a signal? Could it just be a command to fire?”

“Theoretically, yes. Realistically, anything small enough to be that quiet’s going to need a very good aim. What are you getting at?”

“She died on a call with the Duke. It was recorded. The Duke asked me to watch to determine the cause of death.”

Dagger blinked, and stared at Doc for a full minute, thinking. “I still need you alive for a while.” He said suddenly.

“Thanks?”

“So, we’re going out for drinks now, and you need to just follow my lead.”

“But shouldn’t I stay out of sight?”

“Yes. And not work on murder cases where the suspects are still at large, and know you’ve seen important evidence. But here we are, and here we go.” They left quickly. Milton was on guard duty, and cheerfully called out that he expected to be relieved in a couple hours. Dagger told him not to worry with the same cheerful energy. Dala followed the younger man as they weaved chaotically through everything. They wound up at a passenger cabin door on a shabbier level.

“You knock, she doesn’t like me.” Dagger stated. Doc knocked, and was shoved from behind into the towering Danny as the door swung open. Dagger used the fall to squeeze himself into the doorframe.

“Is Cade here?” Dagger asked. Danny swung at him, and he dodged. “Okay, I’m taking that as a yes.” Dagger pulled Doc up from where he was trying to stand, using him as a shield from Danny. “No matter what happens next, stay off the lifeboats. Stay here.” Dagger ran.

“Are you okay? What are you doing with him?” Danny demanded.

“What’s going on?” Cade demanded, weakly propping herself up on the doorframe with one hand, gun ready in the other.

“Captain!” Doc and Danny rushed to help her and she waved them off.

“Cara, please. I’m not your captain anymore. What’s going on?”

Doc explained, and finished “so Senator Theodora’s murder seems like an inside job. I don’t know the motives, but both the Duke and his butler Bert had the opportunity. I’d say the butler, because the senator knew him by name, and they were coordinating security, so he may have had access to her cabin to plant the projectile. Could have been one of her servants too, of course, but I don’t know their whereabouts.”

“Her staff had a surprise night off, except for the guy on guard duty. Birthday or something. They were giving interviews this morning.” Cade said quietly.

“That really narrows it down.” Said Danny. “I think you and that problem character narrowly missed being arrested or involved with the ship’s investigation.”

“He’s going by Dagger now.” Doc explained. “There’s more. Senator Theodora paid him to do something. I don’t think he had the opportunity to give her husband an overdose, but he was gone early the day Theodora died, and I’m pretty sure drug smuggling is involved.”

“We land in two days. Stick with us until then.” Cara Cade said seriously.

“I’d feel safer if someone is here to protect the captain while I work.” Danny added.

The lights cut out, and an emergency siren blared across the ship.

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How to Write a Good Argumentative Essay Easily

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 22:57:00 +0000

An argumentative essay seeks to support an evidence based opinion with solid facts and research.

Choose a topic

It’s easier to write about something you are knowledgeable in, or have an interest in. What do you enjoy doing? What do you have questions about? Are there any historical figures you admire? Are you concerned about some current events? What animals do you like? Don’t overthink it, it’s better to start with a random question like “Why are bananas yellow?” over getting stuck with writer's block and procrastinating.

Create a thesis statement draft

Polar bears do not eat penguins.

Pretty simple is fine for now. If it’s an upper-level essay, something less obvious will be better for a thesis statement. But, it is pretty easy to start with something general, and narrow it down as more information is found. Leave it simple, and circle back to this because it will be much easier to define a clear thesis after doing a bit of research into the subject.

Brainstorm

What basic information is known about the topic?

Polar bears live in the Arctic north, and penguins live in the Antarctic south.

Done, right? But my essay now has 20 words, and the assignment has a much longer word count. Also, it needs to sound smarter. It needs supporting information. What do polar bears eat, since penguins are off the menu? How big are the polar bear and penguin habitats (maybe look up a map of their range).
Take a few minutes and write down everything you know about the topics of your essay and any questions you have about it. Don’t worry about grammar or sentence structure. What you need is a mess of ideas and information to pick through.

Don’t worry about how much you’re typing either. If you type at 50 words per minute, a 200 word salad essay would take four minutes to write. The hard job is figuring out what to say, and getting your point across. This is just brainstorming, and it is the important, hard work of essay writing, so write down everything you can think of on the topic.
In a proper research article, summarizing known information and prior research takes up a lengthy section of the introduction. All the general information readers need to know to understand the topic is relevant to the essay. Search for some of the data and questions that resulted from just writing for a few minutes. Remember to use quotes around any copied material to avoid plagiarism, and save the links and any information needed for citation and references. I don’t typically write out the references at this point unless I’m sure I’ll use them, I just stick in the hyperlink, and circle back to fix it once I’ve decided what to keep.

Fix the thesis statement

I now have a lot of information about the diet and territory range of polar bears. A better thesis based on this information could be:

Polar bear diets are changing due to global warming.

The best part is that most of the research and writing for the body of the essay can be kept, it just needs more of a focus on changes in polar bear and prey ranges. I’ll need to lose the references to the penguins, sadly.

The body of the essay

This is the biggest piece. It can be broken into two parts:

The introduction, or everything you need to know about the topic to understand and care about the thesis statement. For my essay, this would be a typical diet and territory range of polar bears, and any interesting facts.
The argument, or information that supports the thesis statement. For my essay, these would be facts about how warmer seas are causing prey species to go farther north, or the polar bears are roaming farther south for food. If I find information that indicates their diet is not changing, I could add another section for a counter-argument.

References

References are important for making a good argument. Good references convey accurate information from an authoritative and credible source. Peer-reviewed journal articles are the gold standard. Information from experts, textbooks, university and government websites are also excellent. Established news outlets with good reputations are good. Getting information from bloggers and random sites can be sketchy. Anyone can say anything on the internet. Almost anyone can edit Wikipedia, and the Wiki links to the source information break from time to time. Wikipedia is a good place to start, but use their reference list to get the information straight from the source. Personal stories and first-hand accounts can draw readers in and make the data relatable, so these are good sources for persuasion, but any information needs to be supported by research.

As an example of possible problems with sources, I present this totally legit and 0% photoshopped image of a polar bear and a penguin I found on the internet:

Introduce the source so the audience knows they are credible. An article written for York University by Sandra McLean has a good example of showing credibility. She writes

“The researchers, including Faculty of Science PhD Candidate Melissa Galicia, who led the research, and Professor Gregory Thiemann of the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, have found polar bears, originally thought to eat mainly ringed and bearded seals, are actually flexible eaters. They will eat what's readily available and this makes them ideal as a monitoring tool to track environmental changes in the Arctic.
"Polar bears need the sea ice to hunt. When there is a reduction in the sea ice, they're hunting less or they're potentially hunting different prey species," says Galicia.”
(McLean, 2021).

Note McLean introduces her sources, and explains why they are qualified. Then she quickly summarizes her source’s research so her audience understands the discussion. By the time we get to the quotes, it is clear Galicia is a polar bear expert, and can be trusted to provide accurate information.

Making a point

The key to getting a point across is to repeat it at least three times.

Tell the audience what your point is. (Thesis statement).
Support it, convince them that it is true and important. (The argument, or body of the essay).
Summarize the information. (Summary or conclusion).

In conclusion

I’m basically going to repeat my thesis statement, and the main facts that support it. Climate change is forcing polar bears to change their diets. If you want to put in a marketing-style hook, and ask the audience to take a small step to support your topic, this is a good place for it.

In order to ensure everyone gets to enjoy these magnificent creatures for generations to come, please consider using fewer plastic bottles.

It’s best to ask for a small manageable change, task or amount of money.

Not done

On to the editing phase. Ideally, the essay should be ignored for at least a week. This way, one forgets what one was writing about, and any errors or lapses in the essay become more apparent. After that, read it out loud, and have someone else read it if possible. Look for awkward phrases, grammar issues, and misspellings. Fix any issues. Each paragraph should be at least three sentences, and support the main thesis in some way. As a rule of thumb, sentences should be 20 words or fewer. It’s okay to have longer sentences, but longer sentences can get confusing quickly. It’s a good idea to see a writing tutor at this point.

Now it’s done.

McLean, S. (2021, October 27). Polar bear diet may indicate prey distribution changes due to climate shifts. York University. https://news.yorku.ca/2021/10/27/polar-bear-diet-may-indicate-prey-distribution-changes-due-to-climate-shifts/

Winter Driving

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 23:26:00 +0000

Winter Driving

Tabarka Snow Forest Road by Rotalimus, CC BY-SA 4.0

Maneuvering

Slower is better. If the road is very bad, go to an empty parking lot or side street where you won’t hit anything, bring the car up to a safe (and legal) speed, and hit the brakes to see how far you slide. If the car slides, the Automatic Braking System may kick in. This is very useful, especially if the car happens to be sliding straight forward. If the car is sliding sideways, I have found gently pressing the gas to get the tires slowly rolling provides better traction in some conditions. But, brakes are the best basic way to stop the skid, so that’s the best way to go in general.

With rear-wheel drives especially, the nose follows the tail for a skid. Turning slightly in the direction the tail is going can help keep the vehicle safe.

Everything slides. Please be careful and leave plenty of space.

Other drivers

It is best to assume that all the other drivers are crazy southerners who have never seen snow. Stay away from them. In good weather, a large vehicle going about 50 miles an hour on clear roads can take 15 to 30 seconds or more to make a complete stop, once the driver hits the brakes. A fully loaded tractor trailer can take half a mile or more to stop, in good conditions. Stay far away from them.

Studless Tire 2, by Lombroso, Public domain

Tires

The more tread, the better for winter driving. To test your tread depth, take a U.S. penny, and stick it into the groves of your tire, with Lincoln’s head upside down. If the hair on the top of Lincoln’s head is visible from eye level with the top of the tire, the tread is low. If his entire head is visible, the tread is at or under 2/32 of an inch, and needs to be replaced. Auto parts stores sell tire tread depth gauges, for those who want a more precise measurement. Check a couple spots, because tires don’t always wear evenly. If the tire mesh is visible, the car is majorly hazardous to drive, and the tires need to be replaced immediately or sooner. Also check for cracks or wear along the sidewalls.

Sand bags

At least one for each back wheel. These are available at most hardware stores, and come in 40 to 60lb bags. (Most stores will load them into your car for you if you ask). Sand bags massively improve the handling on a rear wheel drive, and are nice to have on a front wheel drive. The weight improves traction.

Stuck in snow by Andreas Tille, CC BY-SA 4.0

When the car gets stuck.

Sand or cat litter under the drive wheels can help. Shovel away the excess snow, then put sand as far under the drive tires as possible. Rock the vehicle back and forth. If other adults are present, having someone push the car from behind may help. Ask your passengers to bounce up and down together as you rock it back and forth. Once the car starts to pull free, keep driving slow and steady. Do not stop. Do not stop until the car is safely on the road, or up the closest hill.

Any solution that involves boiling water should be vetoed immediately.

Putting boiling water on an icy or cold windshield will cause it to shatter. It’s designed to withstand impacts, not temperature shocks. It’s not cookware.

While boiling water can melt the snow under your tires, it can also freeze into ice. If the ground is frozen, it’s going to be hard for the water to seep away. So, boiling water leads to ice puddles. If there is a significant amount of snow, a shovel will help more than melting anything.

Please comment with your own best advice or stories from winter driving!

Science Fiction. Cold Ends: A Brush with Death

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 20:38:00 +0000

Cold Ends:

A Brush with Death

By Lee Austin


Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Views - STS-41B by NASA

The Captain screamed, and her scream was lost to the silence of a vacuum. The void was a horrible shock. The tether desperately dragged her back, and her lungs painfully inflated as the air filled her spacesuit helmet.

“She’ll live.” A deep voice above her said solemnly. “But this was sabotage.”

Two days later, Captain Cade breathed gingerly while resting in sickbay. She wanted to get up, but everything hurt. Of her five fellow crew members, who would want to kill her?

Doc had recounted to Cade that Danny had rushed to drag her back into the airlock. Danny was a stocky giant who barreled into things and grinned cheerfully whenever he was happy, which was often. Not a killer. No motives for murder came to mind. Not that the rest of the crew were better suspects.

Doc could have killed her anytime in the twelve years they had worked together. They’d had plenty of arguments in that time, during which he generally attempted to summarize a dozen articles that supported his point. Born researcher. They annoyed each other, but were good friends regardless. Come to think of it, no one really had a motive.

The Doc wandered back through to check on her, and Kesa, the pilot and first officer, popped her head in as well.

“Oh good, you’re awake.” Kesa said with concern.

Cade smiled at her and raised her head, then winced, and resolved not to move again. Kesa was next in line for captaincy, but this was Cade’s last run before retirement, so she did not have anything to gain by her death. Also, the Doc had said Kesa’s movements had been accounted for by both the internal cameras and computer logs. She was on the bridge. No opportunity.

“How are you feeling?” Asked the Doc.

“I’ve been better.” Cade responded, trying not to move too much.

“If you’re feeling up to it, we’d like to have a meeting.” Kesa said.

“May as well, I’m not going anywhere.” Cade responded.

Kesa took a breath and explained, “So we’ve been looking into what happened, and it looks like your air line was cut between the time Danny and Doc were checking your attachments, and before you went into the airlock.”

“I was with Danny the whole time. I helped him check his suit once we were done with yours.” The Doc added seriously.

“I don’t think either of you would kill me.” Cade responded. “I trust Danny too.”

“If you count us out,” Kesa stated, “the only two left are the botanist, who was confirmed to be asleep then, and the entomologist, who was on camera staring at his experiment the whole time. The trouble is the cameras. We have a black box system that saves all the videos and instrument data in real time. Doc hit the alarm when Danny was pulling you in, which triggered it to eject a copy file, and lockdown the main alarm.”

“Yes?” Asked the Captain. That was what it was supposed to do.

“The copy clears everyone except the Doc, but” Kesa hesitated “it looks legit, but I think it’s been cut. There’s a bit where it’s a little jellied, like an AI was smoothing it over.”

“It looks fine to me.” Doc shrugged.

“Is there any way this could have been an accident?” Asked Cade quietly.

Kesa shook her head.

“No. The line was cut.”

“Any chance there could be a stowaway?” Cade asked, knowing it was unlikely.

“No.” Kesa responded. “A seventh person would use more life support then is currently being drawn.”

“Kesa, please bring everyone in here. We need to get this sorted out without it turning into a witch hunt. And Kesa? How long until we reach Turtle Station?”

“78 hours.”

Captain Cade sighed. If she counted out her friends, that left the two new crew members. Cade didn’t know either of them well. This was their first trip, and they kept to themselves a lot. The botanist was Gilad. He had signed on for a five year tour to save up enough to buy some land on his homeworld, so he could grow more plants. Cade allowed some of the overflow from his workstation to grace the mess hall, and well, it was slowly taking over the ship. Cade was ignoring this for the moment, as it kept him occupied between assignments, and Gilad’s plan involved trading a good bit of the mess for some interesting dirt at the next station.

The entomologist, Joncas, on the other hand, was definitely weird. He didn’t talk much, and when he did, he tended to ramble, and somehow always wound up on the topic of venomous spiders. He had been permanently excused from dinners for eating live cockroaches. Joncas was fine on work assignment, he just preferred to be left alone. They were, in fact, dropping him off at a very isolated cylinder where he would live almost entirely alone.

So Danny and the doctor had an opportunity. The whereabouts of Kesa, Gilad, and Joncas were accounted for. No one had a clear motive. Assuming the logs could be tampered with (which would basically take an admiral-level override once it had been locked down, or equivalent hacking skills), then it would have happened after she checked her spacesuit, and before she left the ship. She furrowed her brow. She had fully checked her suit immediately prior to putting it on. It had been fine. The doctor helped her with a few of the attachments, then left. Danny also suited up to follow her out. They left her alone for about five minutes while she was getting into the suit. Anyone could have come in once the bulky thing narrowed her field of vision, assuming the culprit stayed behind her, and was very, very quiet. Possible, but unlikely. Kesa was out — in a tricky gravity, and she wouldn’t leave her station with an extravehicular activity in progress. Even if she ran, it would take about seven minutes to make it there and back without bumping into anyone. So it would be extremely difficult, with a high risk of getting caught. The biologist was out. He was farther away then Kesa, and-

The entomologist, Joncas, came into the sick bay.

“Feeling better?” He asked awkwardly.

The captain nodded, and winced with pain. Doc came in to help her adjust the bed so she was sitting up. The rest of the crew came in and awkwardly perched or stood against the wall.

“Well,” Said Danny. “The air line was cut, I know I didn’t do it. That leaves you Doc, but neither Captain Cade nor Kesa think it was you, and frankly I thought we were all good friends by now. So, that leaves you two newbies, but you were too far away. So I reckon one of you taped a knife to one of those little drones.” The large man was angrily eyeing Gilad, who was shifting between his feet, holding a plant with a “get well soon” stuck among the foliage as if it possibly shield him from the large, angry engineer.

“Danny!” Called the Captain. “Did you find any evidence of a knife-wielding drone?”

“Not yet Captain. But I will.”

“I’d no part in this, Captain.” Gilad said angrily. “I’ll cooperate with any official investigation to clear my name, but I want someone impartial investigating.”

“Same.” Joncas. “We weren’t even there. Also, I don’t know why it was decided to leave you alone with the Doc, since he’s the prime suspect.”

Kesa interjected “We don’t have anyone else onboard who could keep Cade alive, and none of us are good enough at medical to stop Doc if used the wrong drug, or the wrong dose.”

“You don’t suspect him, though.” Pointed out Joncas. “You’re trusting friendship over opportunity.”

“Why were you targeted, specifically?” Gilad asked the Captain. “Could anyone else be in danger?” There was silence at this. “Could we pair up or something to stay safe?”

“If we stay in pairs, someone is always alone with a would-be murderer.” Pointed out Kesa. “We’d need to stay in groups of three.”

“Wouldn’t work.” Joncas stated. “All you’d need to do is stab the target and blame it on the witness.” He thought for a moment and added “Or stab anyone in another group covertly, and boom, off the suspect list.” The crew stared at him. “Captain, do you have a reason for this meeting? I have work to do.”

“I’d rather have everything out in the open than deal with any private witch hunts.” The Captain pointedly looked at Danny, who crossed his arms and looked away. “We also need a way to keep everyone safe for the next three days, then we can have someone impartial from Turtle Station investigate and pull the black box. Does anyone have any evidence-backed theories?” The crew looked at each other and shuffled quietly.

“Why don’t we each grab some extra food, and lock ourselves into our own space?” Suggested Gilad. “I’d feel safer that way.”

“Works for me.” Said Kesa. “I can stay on the bridge. Everyone should take an emergency air tank, too. Captain, you’d still need Doc? I could stay with you for safety, and have Danny man the bridge.”

“No. I’ll have Danny in down with the engines, and Doc here. I’ll be okay, and we’d be the only ones together. The four of you should go together to get the supplies.” Everyone nodded except Joncas, who looked alarmed.

“No, wait, this won’t work.”

“Why not?” Asked Kesa.

“Because... “ Joncas hesitated, struggling to find the right words. “You’d be alone with the doctor.”

“I’ve known Doc for twenty years.” The Captain protested.

“So?”

“So, I trust him.”

“What if there’s an emergency, like the ship we pass in about twelve hours?” Joncas persisted.

“It’s on a different course.” Kesa stated. “And if you’re worried about piracy, we’d barricade ourselves anyway and let insurance deal with it.”

“What if the killer gets out and comes after us one by one?” Joncas asked.

“Joncas, I will show you how to seal and lock a door. You will be fine. Let’s go.” Kesa said firmly.

“I...” Joncas was looking panicked.

“What’s with you anyhow?” Asked Danny. ‘You like to be alone.”

“Hey look, I don’t know how to say this, but, well.” He paused with annoyance. “Look, it’s just a job, alright? A very lucrative client, with many, easy high-paying jobs. But also a very careful client, if you catch my drift.”

“You are drifting alright.” Stated Danny. “Make your point.”

“There is a significant chance that the ship we pass in twelve hours will have orders to kill us if no message reporting the Captain’s death is sent out in the three hours.” Gilad and Kesa stepped away from Joncas, and Danny straightened up menacingly.

“Just a job.” Joncas raised his arms in a peaceful gesture. “Just a job. Here you’d have a quick death, the doc would take the fall, and I would have a nice payout. Now you are all loose ends, if you follow my meaning, and I’m concerned that any back-up plan may include that very well armed ship which will pass close in about twelve hours. So new plan, join me, and make all our retirements a little earlier and less permanent.”

“Joncas, you tried to kill me?” Asked the Captain.

“Yes. So we send the message, and make it to the station. I have a way out from there. Get me that far, and I’ll take you as far as” Joncas hesitated, figuring in his head “New Kansas. For a price of course.”

“You tried to kill me, you’re just telling us this, and you want us to pay you to take us someplace else?”

“To take you there alive. The alive part is difficult. That is why I ask for money. A lot of money, since you don’t need money if you’re dead, which you will be without my services.” Joncas explained. “And since I’ve botched the job, the Frontier Company probably wants me dead too. No witnesses.”

“Why should we believe you?” Asked Kesa.

“Just call up any of your old pals from retirement tier three or higher. They’ll know.” Joncas said, looking at the doctor. The rest of the crew also looked towards him. Doc could have retired years ago.

“Money attracts problems.” The doctor shrugged. “There’s a high rate of kidnappings and weird accidents and so forth. A few of my old buddies are okay. A bunch are not.”

“Is that why you haven’t retired?” Asked Kesa.

“I’m happy here. I have time for my research. I travel everywhere, and I don’t have to deal with sick people very often.” Doc explained casually.

“Excuse me! Ship of death. Eleven hours. Act now, plan later.” Joncas interrupted.

“Joncas, I’m not going to hire you to keep us safe.”

“No worries. Scratch that. Many worries. Just send out the message that Cade is dead, and we’ll part ways at Turtle.”

“Should I arrest him now, and find a spot to hold him for a while?” Kesa asked. The Captain looked thoughtful, and Kesa added “We’re not really entertaining this lunatic are we?”

“I’ll take responsibility. If there’s a chance our lives are at risk, then I want to hear ALL of the options.” The captain decided. “Can you prove that we will be in danger if we do not send out that message?”

“Not directly. I can prove I tried to kill you. I used a sharp, razor thin wire on a high-speed motor to cut the air tube from the inside.” Joncas looked dejected “and it’s probably floating who knows where by now. I have knife skills. I understand poisons.” No one looked convinced. “And the real Joncas is stuffed into my cold storage locker.”

Enjoy this? Never miss a post by following!

Passport processing times

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 08:40:00 +0000

Passport processing times

I recently went to get a passport (and by recently, I mean June, and it’s November already). I was warned, of course, that it would take eighteen weeks when I had my passport appointment, but it’s not like I’m in a rush to go anywhere. So, standard processing, and it just showed up in the mail last week. This seems like a long time to wait.

Standard passport processing is currently eight to eleven weeks, according to the U.S. Government (United States, 2021). This is 56 to 77 days, if you were wondering. This seems like a very long time. Is this normal?

I looked at other countries. To sort through the myriad options, I assumed the applicant is an adult, who does not live conveniently close to the central passport office, and is applying from within his or her own country, to obtain a non-rushed first-time passport. I also assumed this adult had made it to the point of the passport appointment with all the appropriate paperwork (and alarmingly, bribes). From there I counted the outer range of time, based on when you could pick it up or when the issuing authority stopped counting. This is an issue, as some countries allow you to pick it up, some mail it, some count the mailing time in their processing estimates, and some have decided the postal wait is a separate issue.

To sum that up, this is how long you may wait for a passport after your appointment:

Albania’s standard first-time adult passport can be had within 15 days (eAleat, 2021).

Angola, 30 days (Jornal de Angola, 2019).

Antigua and Barbuda, 21 days (Antigua and Barbuta, 2015).

Argentina, 15 days (Argentinia, n.d.).

Australia, 21 days (Australia, n.d.).

Austria, 5 days (Austria, 2020).

Bahamas, 35 days (Bahamas, 2020).

Brazil, 10 days (Brasil, 2021).

Canada, 20 days (Canada, 2021).

Hong Kong, 10 days, plus a long list of possible delaying factors (Hong Kong, 2021).

Indonesia, 7 days (Indonesia, 2019).

Taiwan, 4 days (Taiwan, 2021).

United States, 77 days (United States, 2021).

The larger countries of India and China have broken their passport duties down, so each state, region, or territory handles issuing passports for the people who live there. I wondered if the number of people handled by each issuing agency made a difference. So I checked Indonesia, and they advertise a seven day processing time on a main website for the whole country (Indonesia, 2019). It's possible to be efficient for a large population, it's just not happening in the United States.

For my list, I was going to get all the countries, but it turned out to be extremely time-consuming. Often the issuing body does not post how long it takes to get a passport, as in the case of Greece. Still, Greece advertises rush passports to its citizens within a single day, which indicates pretty decent efficiency.

“Généralement beaucoup d'attente”

To illustrate the problems gathering data, I present France. Their official time estimate is “Généralement beaucoup d'attente,” which means “usually a lot of waiting” per google translate (France, 2021). They also have this graph to explain how their wait times vary over the course of the year.

It looks like the French passport office has the fastest turn-around in the fall. It is still unclear how long you will wait.

I’d like to track it all down the rest of it and run some statistics, but this was a spare time project. I’ve included everything I’ve found so far. (If this sparks someone's interest let me know, and I’ll track down some more numbers).

What seems pretty obvious so far is that waiting up to 11 weeks for a passport to be processed is not normal. In fact, any Department of Motor Vehicles could probably do better, even if staffed solely with sloths, it's that bad. At this point, the U.S. Federal Government appears to be among the worst in the world for efficient passport processing. This wait for passports is unreasonable and unnecessary. The U.S. Federal Government has shown they are unable to manage passport processing with any degree of competence. I recommend that the process be turned over to the States. If you have other ideas for how to fix this, I’d be interested in hearing them.

In the meantime, the contact information for your U.S. Senator can be found here, and your U.S. Representative here.

References

Antigua and Barbuta. (2015). Passports. Immigration Department. https://immigration.gov.ag/general-services/passports/

Argentinia. (n.d.). Tramitar el Pasaporte regular. Ministerio del Interior. https://www.argentina.gob.ar/servicio/tramitar-el-pasaporte-regular

Australia. (n.d.). How long to get a passport. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. https://www.passports.gov.au/getting-passport-how-it-works/how-long-get-passport

Austria. (2020, January 29). Reisedokumente. Bundersminterium FÜR Inneres. https://www.bmi.gv.at/news.aspx?id=64435935726F6F4A70454D3D

Bahamas. (2020). Applying for a passport. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. https://mofa.gov.bs/applying-passport/

Brasil. (2021, October 12). Obter Passaporte. Viagens e Turismo. https://www.gov.br/pt-br/servicos/obter-passaporte-comum-para-brasileiro

Canada. (2021, April 29). Services for Canadians in Canada. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada service standards. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/service-declaration/service-standards.html

eAleat. (2021). Pasaportë biometrike. eAleat Identity Services. https://www.aleat.al/al/pasaporte-biometrike

France. (2021). Rendez-vous en mairie pour un passeport. France. https://passeports.fr/mairies-agrees

Hong Kong. (2021, May 31). Application for HKSAR Passport. Immigration Department. https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/service/travel_document/apply_for_hksar_passport.html

Indonesia. (2019, January 7). Membuat Paspor Biasa Secara Online. Portal Informasi Indonesia. https://indonesia.go.id/layanan/keimigrasian/sosial/membuat-paspor-biasa-secara-online

Jornal de Angola. (2019, Feburary 20). Tempo de emissão de passaporte cai para 15 dias. Jornal de Angola. jornaldeangola.ao/ao/noticias/tempo-de-emissao-de-passaporte-cai-para-15-dias/

Taiwan. (2021, February 22). Method I of applying for first passport in Taiwan. Bureau of Consular Affairs. https://www.boca.gov.tw/cp-304-6325-0b52a-2.html

United States. (2021, October 29). Passports. U.S. Department of State. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html

Review: I Can Only Draw Worms

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Tue, 18 May 2021 00:19:00 +0000

I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt lives up to his initial claim that he can only draw worms. The art is terrible. The entire book is composed of pictures of worms that look like they've been drawn with a black marker and two highlighters. It's also terribly clever and hilarious. I was laughing. What I Can Only Draw Worms lacks in pictures, it makes up for in jokes. The premise is a basic counting book, and the worms go and have adventures and are confused with each other because they look so much alike. No matter what adventure the worms have, we only see the worms. Because Mabbitt can only draw worms, apparently. And half worms. Poor worm eight, and poor worm eight and a half. You are not two worms. Sad but funny. So funny.

I Can Only Draw Worms is encouraging, because it shows you don't have to be a great artist to create enjoyable art. Mabbitt is engaging and comedic, and plays to those strengths.

Five stars!

Review: Every Llama Needs a Scarf

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 11:12:00 +0000

Every Llama Needs a Scarf by Tunisia Williams is a hilariously well-put together book. It is not, in fact, about llamas. Rather, it is a collection of animals wearing accessories while out and about having fun. I especially like the sloth, and I would like to know where he’s going, and why his journey is taking so long. Every Llama Needs a Scarf is funny, it's improbable, and it made me laugh. Very entertaining.

The art is very good. The animals are easily identifiable, and well proportioned. Jessica Roberts has paid attention to shading and details like fur texture and background objects as well. It looks like it has been drawn with markers, and the strokes have been left unblended to arrange a textured look with lots of character.

It’s a good book, one I wouldn’t mind reading again.

Five stars!

*I was given an advance review ebook by the author.

Review: What is that? Said the Cat

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 14:46:00 +0000

"What Is THAT?" Said the Cat by Grace Maccarone is a level one scholastic reader. Maccarone uses rhyming sight words to create an intriguing story. There is a large wood box that says "DO NOT OPEN." Naturally, all the animals want to know what is inside. But how can they open it?

Jeffrey Scherer has done a great job with simple illustrations, which show an ever-growing crowd of curious animals. The pictures stay simple, but there are little details like the fox hanging out with some juice and a straw that add depth to the story. And when they finally open the box, Scherer does a good job with all their reactions to what’s inside.

Five stars!

Review: Sheep Dog and Sheep Sheep

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 22:33:00 +0000

Sheep Dog and Sheep Sheep by Eric Barclay is a story about a happy sheep who spends her days dancing and being helpful, and the responsible, patient sheep dog who keeps watch over her. Their personalities are very real and consistent. Sheep chatters away, and Sheep Dog listens. Sheep has lots of dances to dance and things to find, and Sheep Dog follows along quietly, keeping her safe. There are a lot of dangers out there for a little sheep who closes her eyes when she dances. I love how Sheep Dog is just quietly moving predators along like a bodyguard, and doesn't interfere with Sheep's actions. The Sheep just goes where she wants to go and she is safe because Sheep Dog is there.

Barclay did his own illustrations for the book, and they enliven the story quite nicely. The story takes place on an interesting landscape, with rolling hills and bluffs leading to a river. There is a nice mix of meadows, trees, and buildings, which have been redrawn for each scene. The landscape and buildings are also consistent through angle changes, which looks difficult. The animals show a lot of emotion, and Sheep's dances are just adorable.

This book is very relatable for little ones who like to dance and wear bows in their hair. This will appeal to young picture book aficionados.

Five stars!

Review: Nighttime Ninja

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 22:27:00 +0000

Nighttime Ninja by Barbara DaCosta is a unique approach to a bedtime story. It starts with a ninja carefully climbing over the rooftops to reach his mission objective. This is a very short story, and it is more fun if you don't know the ending the first time reading it, so I'll leave it at that. It is very child-appropriate.

The art by Ed Young is composed of paper cutouts. I like it, it's different. The contrasting textures work well with the ninja coming in over the house. The book uses dark shadows, which create a bit of an ominous tone at first, but it's a nice moonlit night, and not scary. This will appeal to young readers.

Five stars!

Review: Kenny & the Book of Beasts

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 11:30:00 +0000

Kenny and the Book of Beasts by Tony DiTerlizzi is the wonderful, charming sequel to Kenny and the Dragon (reviewed here). The sequel would make sense if read alone, but both books are absolutely excellent. I believe this one is better because the characters are deeper.

In the opening pages, we find that Kenny has graduated from being the only child, with the addition of a dozen delightful tiny bunnies. They are an adorable handful, and keep Kenny’s parents busy. Between the new litter, and Kenny’s friends being busy with their own life plans, Kenny feels lonely. This is even harder when his best friend Grahame gets the chance to catch up with his long-lost old friend. DiTerlizzi did an excellent job with the details. The adorable dozen are never in danger, and Kenny’s parents take time to check on him when he’s feeling down. Excellent plot.

This story is really well-timed, as so many of us have had to reduce socializing lately. Also, plenty of adventure and action. I was really looking forward to this book, and I was not disappointed.

The art is lovely. DiTerlizzi has done an exceptional job with his drawings. Each one is as interesting and detailed as his covers. And the sheep are back! I love the sheep!

Five stars!

Review of Sule: The Proverb Detective. The Case of the Tied-up Lion

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 11:26:00 +0000

Sule: The Proverb Detective. The Case of the Tied-up Lion by Rene Rawls is a story about a detective helping his friend Fara. Fara is overwhelmed with preparations for a party later that day, when she bumps into Sule. Sule tells her the old proverb “When spiders unite, they can tie up a lion.” and takes off with her list. Thus begins a search and find as Fara attempts to find Sule and her friends in the marketplace. It's a delightful and engrossing tale of friendship.

The use of a detective to weave in hidden object puzzles is a clever premise, and it is very entertaining. The Case of the Tied-up Lion is filled with a variety of hidden object puzzles. The readers look for spiders, people, and objects on different pages.

The illustrations by Brittnie Brotzman are two-dimensional cartoons, and the scenes are very detail intensive. The color choices are well-done, with soft natural colors muting the bold clothes and wares of the vendors. The hidden object puzzles are good, challenging, but not too difficult for a younger audience.

Sule: The Proverb Detective is a series that includes two short animated episodes. One of these, Sule and the Case of the Tiny Sparks, is currently available on YouTube.

Five stars!

*I was given an advance review ebook by the author.

Inkscape Tutorial: Bonsai Elm

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Sat, 09 Jan 2021 15:00:00 +0000

This is for beginning Inkscape users. The pot is mostly manipulating shapes, while the tree requires drawing with a mouse. You need to know how to create circles, drag lines around, and follow keyboard shortcuts. The goal of this tutorial is be able to draw bonsai, so it goes through a lot of steps quickly. There are some very thorough tutorials listed at the bottom that cover each tool in depth. If you just want the Bonsai Elm svg file to download, go here.

Set up

I have the basic page with A4/letter size paper. No grids, and page visible, which can be adjusted in document properties (Shift+Ctrl+D). I found the number of buttons and controls a bit overwhelming when I was starting, so I have tried to break it down. This tutorial only needs three toolbars visible. I like keyboard shortcuts. The Commands Bar (Or the Edit menu) also accesses the duplicate command.

View → Show/Hide → Select: Snap Controls Bar, Tool Controls Bar, and Toolbox.

Part One: Draw a pot.

Pot lip

Use the circle (F5) to create an oval. Bonsai pots are wide and shallow.

The circle fill (Shift+Ctrl+F) is RGBA color code c0632cff, and the stroke paint is set to black, RGBA color code 000000ff.

Select the oval and duplicate it (Ctrl+D). Move the duplicate oval down by dragging it, using the down arrow on your keyboard, or using the transform dock (Shift+Ctrl+M) to move it down vertically.

Select (F1) the duplicate oval on the bottom and change it from an object to a path (Shift+Ctrl+C).

Select the duplicate oval and select edit path by Nodes (F2). You should see nodes along the oval. Add one node on the upper half of the bottom oval by double clicking along line.

Enable snapping for the quadrant points of eclipses.

Use the edit path by nodes tool (F2) to snap the two nodes on the top of the oval to far edges of the oval above it.

Use the straight line button on the node toolbar to straighten the top and sides.

Object → Lower (Page down).

Pot body

Select the piece you just lowered and duplicate it (Ctrl+D). Move the duplicate down by dragging it, using the down arrow, or using the transform dock (Shift+Ctrl+M) to move it down vertically.

Select the new piece and use Transform (Shift+Ctrl+M) Scale to reduce the size, or adjust the size with the corner arrow (this is easier if the ratio of the piece is locked).

Enable snapping to cusp nodes.

Use the edit path by nodes tool (F2) to snap the two nodes on the top of the new piece to the edges of piece above it.

Select the new piece and use Transform (Shift+Ctrl+M) Scale to reduce the size, or adjust the size with the corner arrow.

Object → Lower (Page down).

Dirt: Duplicate (Ctrl+D) the original top oval. Select the new piece and use Transform (Shift+Ctrl+M) Scale to reduce the size, or adjust the size with the corner arrow.

Drag the dirt down, snapping quadrant point to quadrant point with the original oval.

Reduce the height of the dirt oval using the top arrow from the selector tool (F1).

Final coloring (Shift+Ctrl+F).

Dirt: RGBA 4b2711ff

Pot lip: RGBA d2733bff

Pot body: RGBA c0632cff

Select all (Ctrl+A). Group (Ctrl+G). Adjust the stroke paint (Shift+Ctrl+F) to no paint to remove the lines. This can also be accomplished by setting the stroke width to zero.

Part two: Draw an elm tree.

Tree Trunk

Use the Bezeir tool (Ctrl+F6) to draw a tree trunk. It is also possible to use the freehand drawing tool for this, but that will generate a lot of nodes. The menu Path → Simplify (Ctrl+L) will help if you choose this route, but the more nodes there are, the slower Inkscape will run. This tutorial can help with slow loading or crashing issues.

A basic polygon or rectangle is all that is really needed for a tree trunk. The leaves are going to cover the branches. I prefer to have branches, because it looks nice to have them peeking out from between the leaves here and there. Bonsai should have thick, interesting trunks.

I used the Bezeir tool (Ctrl+F6) in Regular Mode to create the drawings above. I'm keeping the more complicated drawing (Select the object or path and press Backspace to delete it), and using the edit path by Nodes tool (F2) to smooth it out and make it more interesting and tree-like. It is helpful to toggle the snaps off (%).

No step-by-step for the Node editing because there isn't a wrong way to do this, as long as the end result vaugely resembles a tree. Roy Torley did a very thorough tutorial on the Pen/Bezeir and Node tools. The branches are optional, and will be covered by leaves.

Using the paint menu (Shift+Ctrl+F) set the stroke paint to no paint to remove the lines, and set the paint fill for the tree to RGBA 5c3015ff.

Tree Leaves

Elm tree leaves, by MPF, CC BY-SA 3.0

Use the Bezeir tool (Ctrl+F6) to make a triangle or pentagon, and the edit path by Nodes tool (F2) to pull it into an elm leaf shape. Notice one side of the leaf is a little bigger then the other. Repeat these steps to create three to five unique leaves. No step-by-step because this is artistic license. Another option is to draw a circle or oval (F5), call it good, and proceed.

Optionally, duplicate (Ctrl+D) the leaves and flatten on the top edge with the edit Nodes tool (F5) to create half leaves.

Choose the best leaves, and move and rotate them to form a nice bunch. Click on an already selected (F1) object or path to turn it, or use the move buttons, or the Transform (Shift+Ctrl+M) Dock

Select all object on the page (Ctrl+A) and hit the lock button so nothing is warped as it is moved around.

Select just the leaves. Group them together (Ctrl+G). Using the paint menu (Shift+Ctrl+F) set stroke paint to no paint to remove the lines, and set the paint fill for the leaves to RGBA 3b5a15ff.

Adjust the sizes of all the objects until they look correct, and assemble the bonsai. Select and transform objects: F1. Transform dock: Shift+Ctrl+M. To raise or lower object use menu: Object → Lower (Page down) or Object → Raise (Page up). Flip vertically: v, flip horizontally: h

Duplicate (Ctrl+D) the group (Ctrl+G) of leaves. Move the duplicate copy to another spot and adjust the rotation if needed. Repeat this until the tree has at a blanket of leaves.

Duplicate (Ctrl+D) a set of leaves and set the paint fill to RGBA 466b19ff, which is a lighter green. Add another blanket of leaves in the new color.

Duplicate (Ctrl+D) a set of leaves and set the paint fill to RGBA 54811eff. Add another blanket of leaves in the new color. The layers of different color leaves create depth.

Helpful Inkscape keyboard shortcuts:

Bezeir tool: Ctrl+F6
Delete: Select unlucky object or path, Backspace
Document properties: Shift+Ctrl+D
Duplicate: Ctrl+D
Edit path by nodes: F2
Flip horizontally: select+h
Flip vertically: select+v
Create circles, ellipses, and arcs : F5
Fill and Stroke: Shift+Ctrl+F
Group: Ctrl+G
Lower object: Page down
Object becomes a path: Shift+Ctrl+C
Raise object: Page up
Save: Ctrl+S
Select and transform objects: F1
Snaps on/off: %
Transform: Shift+Ctrl+M
Undo: Ctrl+Z
Ungroup: Ctrl+Shift+G
Zoom in: +
Zoom out: -
Zoom to drawing: 4
Zoom to page: 5

I'm running Inkscape 0.92.4 on Chromebook's Linux Beta.

For more information on bonsai check out Peter Chan’s youtube channel, Herons Bonsai. [Warning: This is one of those fascinating internet rabbit holes that can contribute to overaccumulation of tiny trees.]

Official Inkscape tutorials are here.

The Official Inkscape Beginner's Guide is here.

Roy Torley created some very comprehensive tutorials here.

Review: Go, Dog. Go!

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 15:45:00 +0000

Go, Dog. Go! is P.D. Eastman’s classic tale of dogs doing stuff. Lots of stuff. They work, they play, they attend parties. Lots of parties. They go up and down. They come in many different colors, including green and blue. Unlike many tales, there is no central character, although many of the dogs reappear throughout the story. There is also a “Do you like my hat?” subplot between two unnamed dogs.

Go, Dog. Go! is one of the often read books from my childhood. I like it because it is a simple story that younger children can easily follow, but there are lots of details that keep it interesting. For instance, on the page “Three dogs at a party on a boat at night.” The dogs are playing checkers and a banjo. P.D. Eastman draws nice cartoons, simple, but detailed enough that motion and lights are reflected in the water’s ripples. The shadows are also done nicely, and use a consistent light source.

5 stars!

Review: P.B. Bear's Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 16:33:00 +0000

P.B. Bear’s Birthday Party by Lee Davis is about a stuffed bear who has a birthday adventure. He receives a big box in the mail, and his friends come for a birthday party. They bake a cake, open the big box, and set off for a picnic. It’s a nice afternoon outing out in the country.

The art is photographs of stuffies, all placed in a scene like stop-motion characters. The text is interspersed with pictures, so instead of reading “P.B. Bear” there will be a little picture of P.B. Bear. The pictures are simple objects, so it was pretty easy to follow. It took me a couple times to remember all the animal names instead of just saying “the dog,” but there is a glossary of labeled pictures on both of the inside covers.

This is the book to read again and again and again, according to an adorable two-year-old.

5 stars!

If you need more, the four original books are:

P.B. Bear's Birthday Surprise
P.B. Bear's Treasure Hunt
P.B. Bear's School Day
P.B. Bear's Christmas

All follow the same general plot. P.B. Bear’s Treasure Hunt has more puzzles with things to find. P.B. Bear’s School Day has a lot of arts and crafts related objects. Lee Davis wrote more P.B. Books, and there was also a short T.V. series.

Review: Pepper and Carrot

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 22:12:00 +0000

Dawn, by David Revoy

Review of Pepper & Carrot

Pepper and Carrot by David Revoy is an open source webcomic which is also published as a series of comic books. Pepper is a student witch studying the magic of Chaosah under the tutorage of her three godmothers. They all live together in an idyllic cottage surrounded by a strange garden turned wacky by a profusion of conflicting and cast-off potions. Carrot is her loyal cat. He enjoys naps and has a tendency to get into things.

The magic is a mix of potion and spell-casting, and both require a great deal of study from the library. Pepper’s magic seems to be based in a karma-directed chaos. Her friends have different sources for their magic. The world-building is excellent and remains remarkably consistent throughout. Revoy has taken a very creative artistic approach, so multiple magics mix, cities float, and a robot sits at the door to a medieval-style castle.

The drawings are truly a work of art. It’s very obvious that a lot of work has gone into each panel, as the landscapes are breathtaking, and the characters are very detailed. Revoy used digital art, and has paid exceptional attention to light and shadows. Pepper and Carrot live in a gorgeous fantasy world.

I love it. It’s original and innovative, with outstanding art and a creative plot. Five of five stars. I will be reading this one again. There are currently 33 episodes, with more on the way.

No gore. No one dies, except possibly some of the undead (if undead can die? Re-die?). I would recommend this for teenagers through adults.

5 stars!

Review: Mia and Nattie

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Sun, 15 Nov 2020 16:21:00 +0000

Review of Mia and Nattie:

One Great Team

Mia and Nattie: One Great Team is a children’s picture book about a little girl and her lamb by Marlene M. Bell. When a little newborn sheep is abandoned in the barn, Mia brings her into her Grandmother’s house, and bottle feeds her. Eventually she grows big enough to live outside. Mia loves Nattie, and wants to keep her as a pet. Nattie is a very small sheep, too small to flock with the rest of the herd. She needs to find her a way to be useful so she can stay on the working farm with Mia.

Mia and Nattie is an honest depiction of raising livestock, which is a little sad at times, although it all works out for the little sheep in a very nice way.

The art is digital cartooning done in a two-dimensional style. Grace Sandford uses thick outlines, and pencil-thin lines for details and textures. There are lots of details in the scenes, there are wood swirls on the fences, and the fleece is fluffy. Lots of soft colors complement the natural colors of sheep’s wool. I liked all the drawings of the little lambs. They look very soft and friendly.

4 Stars!

Review: Merren and the Heron

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 18:55:00 +0000

Review of Merren and the Heron

Merron and the Heron by Tony Dow is a delightful rhyming story about a trip to the zoo. The children set out to “photograph an animal that sounds just like your name!” The children set out to do just that, and meet an adorable array of animals cutely camouflaged into their environments.

The art here is just, wow. Darya Shch uses a soft-edged digital art that blends bold colors into gentle pastels. It’s cartoon style, and the characters are shown naturally moving from multiple angles. The scenes have been set up very nicely, so the animals are right there, even though it’s clear they are in defined spaces. The heron is an exception to this, as you see Merron and the heron having a captivating adventure throughout the book, and their story moves in the background of the other children’s adventures. Every child in the book does have a turn seeing their zoo animals. It’s very entertaining, and definitely something I would reread. Five stars.

Obligatory note: Merren and the Heron is a cute story, and the heron seems to be in on the fun. However, please be aware that wild birds may attack if they feel threatened or if you come too close to their nests.

5 stars!

*Disclosure: I was given a review copy of the e-book by the author.

Review: Feelu: Explore your feelings

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 16:20:00 +0000

Review of Feelu: Explore your feelings

Feelu: Explore your feelings by Nilofar Shafiei is a children’s book on basic emotional expression and meditation. This is a nice introduction to teaching children how to define and communicate the emotions they are feeling. The meditations are suitable for young, school-aged children. Feelu is more of a supplement to therapy or an educational book, not an entertainment piece (although the illustrations are very engaging). Shafiei did a good job with the research, and Feelu does a good job covering age-appropriate grounding techniques and strategies. While it provides some basic advice for handling bullies, action should be taken if bullies are an issue for the child, as being bullied can cause problematic behaviors and poor health (Lin & Lin, 2017). For normal situations, Feelu is great.

The art is cute. It’s done in a simplistic cartoon style, with nice bright colors that will appeal to children, and there are many different and interesting animals. Fazel has drawn a charming baby elephant who is the main character in the book, and is featured in a visual mood chart for identifying feelings. I really like the frog in particular, as he looks very happy.

There is an app that goes along with the book, which I have not tried.

4 stars!

*Disclosure: I was given a review copy of the e-book by the author.

Review: Lleydrin

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 20:39:00 +0000

Review of Lleydrin

Lleydrin by J.B. Moran is a fun sci-fi fantasy novel. On a dinosaur-infested planet, a city keeps the forest dangers at bay with a shield. Danger looms as the intergalactic company Devcorp begins a blockade to force Lleydrin’s ruling family to sell the planet. A ranger core banished to the jungle long ago now finds mercenaries hunting them. Luckily, the city has been quietly building its own space program, and now needs teen recruits to learn piloting from a space pirate marooned on Lleydrin. The rangers send a martial-arts-expert teen girl to infiltrate the program, and find out who controls the mercenaries.

Pretty much all the most popular tropes in 21st century science fiction, but Lleydrin is well put together. Moran keeps a fast, entertaining pace throughout. It made me laugh. Lots of action, and multiple characters working at cross purposes. Every chapter is strewn with action and adventure. Tactical research was used for space battles, so there are some nice dogfights.

The characters are fairly standard action heroes and villains, cliched but consistent. Good stock character archetypes, and they interact well. They are not deep, but they are fun. Most of them are kind. Moran tends to dwell on the good in people, and a few characters are able to make positive changes in their lives. Lleydrin is a nice light engaging read. I didn’t want to put it down.

Clean language, minimal fantasy violence, focuses on friendships instead of romances. There is a set-up for a second book, but the Moran ends this one nicely and it feels complete. (I am looking forward to reading the next one, of course!)

Four stars!

*Disclosure: I was given a review copy of the e-book by the author.

Review: Melody Finch

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 18:38:00 +0000

Review of Melody Finch

In Melody Finch, by Ian Boyd and Gary Luck, an Australian girl named Melody Klomp turns into a finch. In bird form, she travels upriver, meeting a diverse range of Australian animals. Melody learns about a lot of different animals, and sees how they are struggling with drought. While the different creatures are the main focus of the book, there is also an interesting plot to keep it moving. Melody must reach her grandmother to tell her of the coming rains so she will not sell her tourist boat. There are villains: A fisherman with abysmally bad gun safety standards, and his carnivorous pet Osprey.

Melody Finch is politically pro-environment, pro-animal rights, and anti-gun. Mild language.

I enjoyed Melody Finch because there is such a variety of Australian wildlife shown in detail. Boyd and Luck include a lot of information on each animal, including what they eat, and details like the Rainbow Bee-Eaters build their nests in the riverbanks instead of in trees. It’s informative, and the story moves at a nice pace. Melody turns into a Diamond Firetail Finch, which is a very beautiful bird, and meets a Rainbow Bee-Eater, who is just gorgeous.

Four stars!

*Disclosure: I was given a review copy of the e-book by the author.

Diamond Firetail. Image Credit:
Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA

Rainbow Bee-Eaters.
Aviceda / CC BY-SA

Review: Celdric Kane: The Unwished

noreply@blogger.com (Lee Austin) — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 20:58:00 +0000

Review of Celdric Kane: The Unwished

I really enjoyed reading Celdric Kane: The Unwished, by Nina Mofme. In a magical world, the leaves of the magical Sphiere tree can grant magical wishes to deserving children. Celdric Kane and his brother, Dyl, witness the theft of the tree’s only seed. In their haste to escape the burglars, they cause a magical accident, and Dyl is flung into the realm of non-humans clutching the seed. It’s up to Celdric, his sister Sera, and their grandmother to bring Dyl back safely and solve the theft.

The Unwished is really well-written. The magical system is very clearly defined, and presents a variety of different magical wishes and objects consistently. Celdric Kane’s family are supportive of each other, and go to great lengths to keep each other safe. Some of the magic is a bit convenient to the situation, but it’s always set up earlier in the book, so the magical gifts are not just flying out of nowhere.

What is most impressive about this book is how there is almost always someone watching or protecting the children. There is danger and suspense, and Celdric gets in a mess of trouble, but it is a nice worry-free story, and the plot focuses on how they will evade the villains and save the Sphiere Tree seed. Excellent for the middle grade audience it is intended for. Plenty of action, monsters and fairies.

This is book one, but is fairly self-contained, as Mofme wraps up most of the important plot points by the end of the book. However, it is very clear that the story continues. Only book one is out right now, and I am very eager to read book two.

Needs proofreading, mostly due to the use of plurals that should be singular and vice versa. It’s well worth rereading, and I really enjoyed this one, which puts it at five stars. I am subtracting half a point because it needs proofreading throughout, so four and a half stars. This is a first time author, and proofreading is fixable.

4.5 stars!

*Disclosure: I was given a review copy of the ebook by the author.