July 31, 2007

There goes the neighborhood!

It was a bit of shock to see what’s been added to the front corner of the little local mall out here on the Waianae Coast. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see another shop selling Automotive detailing supplies or maybe another thrift store or fast-food place. What I never anticipated was a Starbucks! It’s open for business already, so I suppose I must have been passing “coming soon” signs and other indicators for a while, but I was totally oblivious until yesterday when I drove by and spotted it. Now, I happen to like Starbucks and I like that it will now be convenient for me to spend way too much money on a very good cup of coffee so close to home. I’m the type who could become addicted to the stuff quite easily. There are probably folks who will appreciate the Jamba Juice that is soon to open next door, too.

But, see, I’m a little puzzled. I was disappointed on several levels when the Payless Shoes that had been there forever closed a while back. We wear sandals here year round, and Payless was a good place to get inexpensive ones that I could tear up on the beach if I wanted. More importantly, this is an economically depressed area. Inexpensive shoes are a necessary commodity for the folks out here, especially those with children in school. Still, our economy wasn’t brisk enough to keep them open, so now they’re gone. If our community couldn’t provide enough business to keep a cheap shoe store that was much needed, why in the world did Starbucks invest here? Yes, poor people need a little treat every now and then, but can they afford to drink enough coffee to keep a Starbucks up and running? I’m thinking it will be a short venture.

Technorati Tags: coffee, economy, poverty, Starbucks

Quartile

I want this game! I’m a game-playing fool. If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I grew up playing games, and you’ve even seen a tiny peek into my current games cabinet. My son scours the universe to give me a new game every Christmas, because not just any old game will do. My criteria are that they must be group games that can be played with family and friends, that they be relatively uncomplicated, and (the criteria that’s harder to meet) that they be artfully designed. I’ve just found a brand new game that meets my exacting requirements, but I don’t want him to give it to me for Christmas. I can’t wait that long and am ordering it for myself. I also want to win one of the limited-edition, hand-crafted prototypes of Quartile that its creator is giving away.

The first thing you’ll notice about Quartile is that it’s absolutely gorgeous to look at. I love touchable art and Quartile is certainly that. Don’t you just want to carress those lovely wood tiles? There’s something very satisfying about holding and touching wooden art. (That’s something else you’ll find a bit of if you ever visit my home.) The Quartile game pieces are fine art, crying out to be touched and played with. I can enjoy a well-crafted game made of paper, cardboard and plastic, but the experience is taken to a whole new level when the game also provides a visual and tactile pleasure. Quartile qualifies!

I grew up playing dominos, so there is something of the familiar about the pieces and gameplay of Quartile. In dominos, like pieces are matched. Quartile ups the challenge by requiring the players to add adjacent pips to match the total shown in the middle of the piece being played. The rules are simple enough that the whole family can play. There’s a brief Quartile game play video that will teach you the ins and outs, but here’s a synopsis:

Mix up all 49 tiles into a facedown area called the quarry.
Every player takes four tiles.
Lay a random tile face down in the middle of the play area. This tile is “wild” on all
sides and no one should know which tile it is.
Each player “bids” their lowest number tile. Winner picks who goes first. It is not
always best to go first.
On your turn place a tile so that if it touches any existing tiles the outside numbers
add up to the central number of the tile you are placing.
For everyside that matches (adds) up you score X points where X = (central
number x matching sides).
At no time can you play a tile if all sides do not add up when touching other
tiles. Thus if any sides touch other tiles they HAVE to add up correctly.
After you play a tile draw a tile from the quarry. If no tiles are in the quarry just play
until all tiles are played.

Many years ago there was a game advertisement on TV that stated something along the lines of “a moment to learn, a lifetime to master.” Sorry, I don’t remember what game that was, but the phrase comes to mind now. A good strategist will position each Quartile piece to their own best advantage while minimizing their opponents’ opportunity to play off of the piece they’ve placed. Developing the skills to do that will keep the game new and fresh over years of play. I can see it becoming a family favorite, up there with Scrabble, Risk, and a handful of other games that present a similar challenge. An added bonus is that you can downplay the strategy and play the game with children, who will enjoy honing their math skills in such a fun setting.

I tried to order a copy of Quartile for myself and there is an error on the site right now. I’m in touch with the game’s creator, so I’ll let him know that he needs to do a little maintenance. If you’re ready to buy and encounter the same problem, let me know and I’ll see to it that you have a way to complete your order. EDIT: Per comment from Steve, the game’s creator, sales will go live tomorrow, August 1st. I’m already in line to buy the first! Greedy soul that I am, I want the commercial version and the prototype I mentioned above. (Have I mentioned that I love games? Yeah, I thought so!) I want that prototype so badly that I’m tempted to withold the information that you can win it in a contest. Why increase my odds? I can’t do that to my peeps, though, so here’s how you take a shot at it. Go to Ramblings From The Marginalized, read his post about creating the game, and write a post (much like this one) to help him publicize his creation. He’ll enter you in his contest to win one of the limited edition, hand-made prototypes with marble tiles! He only created a few of these to use in his initial marketing, so when they’re gone there will be no more. If there’s anything I’d love more than a new game that meets all of my personal criteria, it’s one that will instantly be a collector’s item! I’d like you to blog about Quartile. Bloggers are the first wave of publicity that will help this game take off in the marketplace. I want it to do well so that the creator will be well-compensated for bringing us such a beautiful game. So write your piece and we’ll all give the guy a helping hand. But let me win, please? I really want this one!

Technorati Tags: board games, family games, games, Quartile

Tuesday Teaser for July 31, 2007

Can you identify the item depicted above? Take your best guess and post it in the comments below. If your guess wins, you’ll win a nifty prize. Here’s how it works:

1. Write a comment giving your guess as to what the item is.
2. First person to identify the item wins.
3. The author of this blog will be the sole judge as to what constitutes a correct answer.

What will you win?

1. The author of this blog will write a LINKY LOVE POST (review) about the winner’s blog. The LLP will contain the url for your blog plus at least two deep links and will be posted here on Skeet’s Stuff, a PR4 blog. Skeet writes good reviews.
2. The winner’s name will be entered into a drawing for a $10.00 gift card from Starbucks or Amazon.
3. Drawing for the gift card will be held on or about Augist 3, 2007, and will include all weekly winners for the month. There are five Tuesdays in July, thus the maximum number of people who will be eligble is five.

Other stuff

1. All comments to this blog are time and date stamped. The winner will be the first person (according to time and date stamp) to provide the correct answer.
2. No hints will be given.
3. Answers must specifically identify the item. For instance, if the item depicted were to be a button on a remote control, the answer “button on something electronic” would not suffice.
4. Decisions of the judge are final. Don’t argue with me. I won’t answer.
5. I will attempt to post every few hours as to whether or not a winner has been declared, but I am not continuously at the keyboard so please be patient.
6. Entries must be posted before 9:00 a.m. Thursday, August 2, 2007, Hawaii time (GMT -10, approximately forty-eight hours from now.)
7. This is intended to be an ongoing feature at Skeet’s Stuff. If it turns out to be a dud it will cease to exist, but all qualified winners will get their prizes.
8. Skeet’s Stuff is a do-follow blog, so you get some link value just for commenting.
9. Let the fun begin!

Technorati Tags: contests, photos, photo contest, blog contest

July 30, 2007

BizMark Tech

Opening a small business is fraught with pitfalls. Just ask me. I’ve been there and done that, and I’ve learned everything the hard way, through trial and error. It would have been nice to have had a website that anticipated my needs and helped me locate the resources that would have made it easier. Deb has established BizMark Tech with that in mind. She’s waded through the morass of information available out there to find what’s useful and help us make sense of it. Most business websites seem to be unaware that one size does not fit all when it comes to establishing a business. What works for large corporate entities doesn’t necessarily apply to the mom and pop business with five employees or to someone like me, working with no employees at all. Most corporations these days require a college degree to consider you for hiring, so there are common assumptions about the knowledge you may have when you enter business. Many small business owners have skipped over those steps, though, and didn’t have a professor to teach them about how to structure a business or determine which type of tax and insurance programs are most applicable. Those are some of the situations that Deb can help us address.

The Small Business Administration is a resource every small business owner can use, but they spew out so much information that many people leave their site frustrated, not having found what they were looking for. Deb scours the SBA for relavent info and passes it on to her readers. I’ve been to their site many times, but was unaware that they offer live business chats on many specialized topics until Deb pointed that out. What a great resource, to be able to pick the minds of the SBA!

Did you know that you can rent a computer for short-term needs or to try out a new model before you buy? It never would have occurred to me that that was possible. I’ve been thinking about buying my first laptop. It’s so logical to try out several models in real life before I make that investment, but I didn’t even know such a service was available.

Insurance is another area that most of us consider a “necessary evil” when operating a business. I’m required by law to carry business general liability insurance, but what else do I need in order to fully protect myself from loss and lawsuits? Your insurance agent has a vested interest in selling you every kind of insurance under the sun. All of us will profit from learning about the different types of insurance coverage before we sign on the dotted line.

These are just a few examples from a menu chock-full of helpful info at BizMark Tech. I haven’t even touched on the marketing and technology tips Deb has researched for us. If you’re in business, and especially if you’re operating a small business, you’ll want to bookmark BizMark Tech.com and visit frequently. It’s a smart business move!

Technorati Tags: blogs, business, business blogs, small business

It’s here!

My kid knows me well. I knew he was sending the latest Harry Potter for my birthday. He knows me well enough to know that I would buy it immediately if he didn’t warn me that he was sending it. So that part of my birthday gift was no surprise. I had no idea he was sending the entire second season of Lost, though. Y’all will pardon me if I disappear for a while, won’t you? When the last HP came out, I re-read the entire series before cracking its covers. I’m too anxious this time and will dive right into The Deathly Hallows and see where the story goes. I will need to watch the entire first season of Lost before I delve into the second, though. So many little intricate details that I will need to call to mind in order to establish continuity. If you don’t see me for the next few days, it won’t because I’ve checked into drug rehabilitation, though I may well need some kind of intervention when I come out the other side of the other-worldly experiences that await me.

Technorati Tags: birthdays, Harry Potter, Lost, sons

Get Featured!

If you’re looking for a way to promote your blog and increase your readership, check out fechr.com. It’s a new take on web site promotion and is already showing great promise. My friend Lisa was selected as the featured blog and got so many hits it crashed her site, lol! This from a brand new site that can only grow as the word gets out. The service is free right now, but people will eventually be lining up around the block to pay for it, so get your request in now. How can you Get Featured? Easy! Write a post (like this one) about fechr.com (pronounced “featured”) and submit it. Blogs are randomly selected to be the featured site of the day. When your blog is selected, readers at fechr.com will be directed to your content. It’s probably a good idea to make sure your bandwidth is up to speed first, because you’ll be getting hundreds of new visitors during the twenty-four hours that your blog is featured. Your chances are as good as anyone else’s, so get cracking!

July 29, 2007

Self Portrait Sunday for July 29, 2007

The face of exhaustion. I worked hard in the yard this afternoon, and actually forgot about my self-portrait until just before sundown as I was finishing up outside. I had had an inspection earlier in the day, unusual for a Sunday, and I had a chore that needed doing, so I had to do it in the afternoon heat.

I don’t let my dogs into the front yard. I found some suspicious food out there once and suspected that an irate neighbor might have been trying to poison them. I had a gate installed to keep them in the back, and I xeriscaped with gravel in their area. They could go right under the house to access the front, though, so I had to deal with that, too.



I dug a trench directly beneath the outside edge of the house and filled it with concrete, using a 1/2 X 2 inch furring strip to create a channel in the low concrete footing that I had created. My contractor installed the lattice and trimmed it all up for me. That was a year and a half ago. Lance (goofy beagle!) likes to rub up against things like a cat will do, and he decided the lattice made a fine rubbing surface. Unfortunately, he managed to bow in the lattice and today it finally popped out of the concrete at the bottom. I discovered this when I heard him under the house chasing a feral cat. I’m seriously considering swapping him for a goldfish or maybe a Basset Hound - either one would be lower-maintenance, I think. Anyway, I didn’t want to wait until I could find a helper, so I decided to tackle the chore myself. First I raked all of the gravel away from the lattice. Then I had to pull the entire eight foot length of the base of that piece of lattice out in order to clean gravel out of the channel so I could reseat the lattice. I used some 1/4 inch shim-like pieces on the crawl space side of the base of the lattice to make it a little more resistent to goofy beagles, then popped the garden trim and lattice back in place. I re-leveled the gravel to finish up. Sheesh, doesn’t sound like much written out that way, but it was a pretty difficult job to do alone & took several hours. Thus the tired self-portrait, with sweat and my cold-water hose-off dripping off of my face.

Now let’s go see what my friends are doing with their self-portraits today over at Digi-Cass, where you’re invited to join us with your own self-portrait each Sunday!

Technorati Tags: self portrait, Self Portrait Sunday, photos

Posted by skeet @ 8:23 pm • Photos, Meme • 12 comments  

July 28, 2007

Aloha Allysther

The Table of Contents usually meets about once a month. Dear friend Allysther has been absent for two years and was with us for only a little over a week, so we met this weekend, despite having had a pleasant gathering last week. We shared a “family style” Chinese meal and managed to swap a few books. Tomorrow Allysther, the boy and a mountain of luggage will be ferried to the airport for the final leg of the journey that will bring their reunion with Zanla at his new post in Korea. We here in Hawaii have a great appreciation of our military, but forgive me for resenting, just a little, the frequent removal of dear friends from our fair isles.

I was momentarily taken aback last week when I asked the little man if he remembered me and he said no. He was, however, only four when they moved away, and two years is a long time at that age. He’s six as of yesterday. I’m glad we had the chance to get to know each other again, and that he’s still young enough to be charmingly , unselfconsciously silly with chopsticks.

Aloha kakou, dear friends. Aloha ‘oe. Aloha kaua. You take a piece of each of our hearts with you. Hurry home when you can!

Technorati Tags: aloha, BookCrossing, friends, goodbyes, millitary life

July 27, 2007

What I’m doing

I’m the first to admit that I’ve got a strong leaning toward obsessive compulsiveness. Reading, needlework, swimming and, my home remodel efforts are just a few of the passtimes that have consumed me at one time or another. When I like something I’m likely to go overboard, dedicating time to it that would better be used doing the day-to-day things that would keep my life organized and functioning smoothly. People whose business income is suffering would do well to spend a lot of time at their office desks, right? So I’m doing that. My business isn’t growing much from the efforts, though.

Can I excuse myself by saying it’s been a long, hot week, my office is air conditioned and it’s Friday? Yeah, that’ll work!

Technorati Tags: computer games, Cubis2, procrastination, time sucks

July 26, 2007

Simile: A blog is like …

A blog is like a busy intersection in the middle of a city.

There’s always traffic, sometimes more, sometimes less. Some of the traffic is “the regulars,” who come by pretty much every day. They’re familiar with their corner and know, generally speaking, what they expect to find there. Other’s are causal passersby. Maybe they have some brief task in the neighborhood, or they might even be there by chance, having wandered around lost before arriving. Some come at the behest of friends who tell them that they’ll find something interesting. Newcomers might find such pleasantness that they add the intersection to their routine and become daily visitors themselves. Others won’t find quite what they’re looking for and will continue their search elsewhere.

There is much about the intersection that is stable and unchanging. The basic framework is always recognizable and is part of what brought the intersection its popularity in the first place. Changes, growth and improvement occur over time, but they build on the existing foundation rather than clashing with it.

The sad truth is, though, that an intersection can outlive its usefulness. If neglected and allowed to become shabby, the vitality and life will quickly drain away. Bad choices and reckless maintenance can destroy overnight that which took years to build up. Some will regret its passing, mourning its loss. Most will feel the immediate impact of its loss, but will quickly find another intersection that provides for their needs and takes them where they want to go. Within a short period of time it will be forgotten by most, if not all, of those who once thought it would always be a part of their lives.

Technorati Tags: blogs, blogging, simile, writing, writing exercise