Below is a long blog post about 2013, but it’s not really that long. If you are one of the people who has made an effort to come and see me play in 2013 then thank-you very much! It was wonderful meeting all of you at shows during this year; I always love seeing familiar faces on my travels, as well as getting to know new people too (in fact there were several times when I forgot names or places because everyone is so friendly).…

Below is a long blog post about 50 Shades of Grey. The full text was originally posted on http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/631478-the-bitchy-bookworm-on-50-shades-of-grey but has been edited slightly for this posting here at my website I have to admit I’m not sure how I feel about the Fifty Shades Trilogy by E L James, which became a publishing sensation after it went viral online in early 2012. It started out as Twilight fan fiction and then got published.…

Below is a long blog post about 1870s-era children’s literature, but first: A very cute cat and dog. (via The Presurfer) I saw this on the subway today; I wonder if it’ll still be there tomorrow? It seemed to me that people were leaving money for it all day yesterday — even though nobody was using those little paper pencils. This weekend I read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. This novel has been one of my favorite books since childhood (and as an adult, too).…

Below is a long blog post about 3-D printing. It has been removed from its original home, and placed here because it contains no links to anything other than the original source material (the book). It’s also not very well formatted as I wrote it in WordPress, so if you want to read it without my comments on formatting or spelling mistakes then copy this into an html editor first before pasting: https://medium.…

Below is a long blog post about 3-D printing. You might want to read it in installments, or use the “Jump” links above. Some people say that 3-d printers will replace factories and make everyone an artist. But what if they don’t? What if this new technology just gives us more choices? More options for how we create things? That’s not such bad thing — especially when you consider all of the wastefulness inherent in our current production model.…

Below is a long blog post about 4th of July in New York City. I hope you find it interesting! The Fourth of July (Independence Day) has always been one of my favorite days, even though as an adult the day is no longer spent at a barbecue or picnic with friends and family. Instead Independence Day for me now means reading patriotic books like “My Fathers’s Glory” by Marcel Pagnol (my first introduction to French culture), watching the movie version of “Gettysburg,” listening to music such as The Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds , John Philip Souza marches, or even “An American In Paris.…

Below is a long blog post about 102 inch wide sofas. I have been looking for some time to find the best couches and loveseats that I can fit into my home with two little ones running around! I found these on Amazon, but unfortunately they are only available at Costco (for now). The first one is $649 or you can get it as part of their “3-piece” set which includes an arm chair too if desired for just over $750 total – not bad considering what else is out there in terms of quality/design options!…

Below is a long blog post about 3D printing in the news over the past few months. It’s been quite an exciting time for 3D printers and we are starting to see the industry really come into its own with some incredible developments being made by companies both large and small. There have also been plenty of headlines created from those who don’t understand how this technology works or what it can do, so let’s take a look at these stories one-by-one and give you our thoughts on them too!…

Below is a long blog post about 3-D printing and some of the things that we are doing with it. It was originally posted on my personal web site, but I thought you might find something interesting in it. First off – what exactly does this mean? What can be created through 3-D printing technology today? There’s an excellent video from ABC News that explains all kinds of applications for 3-D printers: http://abcnews.…

Below is a long blog post about 3D printing. I am not sure if this is the best place for it, but since there are so few readers of my personal site and no one else here writes much anyway… Some years ago (2014), we started to use Makerbot Replicator printers at work - and now almost everyone has his own MendelMax or similar printer at home. But all these printers have their drawbacks: The quality is often too poor and they do not print fast enough.…