This doesn’t sound like an issue for those who use Fusion frequently, however you may want to find ways to get local files, just to be safe.

So I am moving 14 hours to a new place with my SO, and got into a debate with my Dad about fuel efficiency. I argued that since we were towing the car it would be more fuel efficient than driving the 2 vehicles separate. He disagreed that it would be less since the truck would be working harder since it’s pulling both the car and the trailer. Especially since the vehicle we are towing is a Yaris.

Since we were picking up the trailer in the next state over, we got both data for driving both vehicles and towed.

So I just crunched the numbers, on hilly terrain pulling the truck was 11% more efficient.

While on flat terrain it was 20% more efficient.

While I was happy to win my bet, my dad decided to sour my victory by changing one parameter. Did we save money?

Since we knew the ratio of how much more efficient the moving truck was to the car, we could estimate how much gas the Yaris would’ve used to drive the distance.

The result: Car would’ve sucked back $60 worth of gas while the trailer rental cost around $200.

So while I won the bet, I lost the war. 😭

Well this was a fun way to start my day. I was trying to install Davinci Resolve on my Mint PC (since Mint 22 broke some of Resolves dependencies), and it was still giving the warning of missing dependencies.

One of the dependencies libasound2 couldn't install but apt recommended 2 others. Tried both and non worked. So I decided to uninstall both, and then Cinnamon Setting disappeared. I tried to fix it by reinstalling Cinnamon itself, but yeah... on reboot it would crash on the Mint file check.

However after trying the Recovery mode to get access to the terminal. I was able to access Timeshift, get the backup from yesterday and I'm back up and running.

So happy I enabled Timeshift. Hurray for safety nets actually working to protect me from myself.

I just got an email about this today. Here is more context:

To our valued Linux users:

After a great deal of internal discussion, we have made the difficult decision to sunset Linux support following the upcoming release of LightBurn 1.7.00.

Many of us at LightBurn are Linux users ourselves, and this decision was made reluctantly, after careful investigation of all possible avenues for continuing Linux support.

The unfortunate reality is that Linux users make up only 1% of our overall user base, but providing and supporting Linux-compatible builds takes up as much or more time as does providing them for Windows and Mac OS.

The segmentation of Linux distributions complicates these burdens further — we've had to provide three separate packages for the versions of Linux we officially support, and still encounter frequent compatibility issues on those distributions (or closely related distributions), to say nothing of the many distributions we have been asked to support.

Finally, we will soon begin building LightBurn on a new framework that will require our development team to write custom libraries for each platform we support. This will be a significant undertaking and, regrettably, it is simply not tenable to invest our team's time into an effort that will impact such a small portion of our user base. Such challenges will only continue to arise as we work to expand LightBurn's capabilities going forward.

We understand that our Linux users will be disappointed by this decision. We appreciate all of our users, and assure you that your existing license will still work with any version of LightBurn for which your license term is valid, up until LightBurn version 1.7.00, forever. Prior releases will always be made available for download. Finally, your license will continue to be valid for future Windows and Mac OS releases covered by your license term.

If you are a Linux-only user who has recently purchased a license or renewal that is valid for a release of LightBurn after v1.7.00, please contact us for a refund.

Rest assured that we will be using the time gained by sunsetting Linux support to redouble our efforts at making better software for laser cutters, and beyond. We hope you will continue to utilize LightBurn on a supported operating system going forward, and we thank you for being a part of the LightBurn community.

Sincerely,

The LightBurn Software Team

I’ve been buying games off of eBay before I’ve ever owned a credit card, and its web page could render on a PSP. Over the years I’ve purchased consoles, rare games, and common guff for my game library with virtually no issues.

Obviously eBay is full of scams and I’ve purchased my fair share of crap from china which either didn’t work, or never arrived, and grew to look at local sellers with returns or a good reputation. I’ve always saw the eBay Buyer Protection and thought it was neat, and that I’d never use it. Oh boy was a wrong.

Last month I found a console going for an insane price, not too low that it would’ve been an immediate red flag, but good though that I didn’t worry about the sellers non existent returns. The system looked good in the photos and the seller feedback looked legit. The only weird thing was the description was written by AI (eBay is pushing it and it’s as useless as you can imagine), but the condition was used, so I got it.

When it arrive the console was dirty as it was in photos. But nothing that a bit of elbow grease can’t fix. Then I noticed the ports were a bit dirty, and there was signs that it was opened by an ape before I got it. So I got my new cables, purchased separately since it wasn’t coming with any, plugged her in and… nothing.

No light, no life.

Took the system apart myself and the insides of the console was a complete mess. Rust and corrosion everywhere, so much I thought it was used as a boat anchor at some point. Or the side of the road in the rain.

So I contacted the seller and asked them for a refund. They offered to exchange it, and thought to play ball… 2 days later the other system was missing. Suuurreee.

I gave them an offer for a partial refund. Saying hey, this is so broken it’s not with the return shipping. Why don’t we compromise and you give me a return minus the amount it would cost me to return it and we’ll call it even. I paid $92 and I offered $67. They then offered me $27.

Nope going full refund. Then they went silent with no messages or instructions.

I escalated it with eBay, who gave them 3 option, pay for return shipping and refund me when it arrives, I pay for shipping and they reimburse me, then I got the rest of the money back, or we figure something else out.

They opted for the first option. I printed the label and I waited for their currier to pick it up. The seller also gave no instructions but thankfully tracking had enough info from the tracking label I knew what was happening.

Then the day arrived for the parcel picked up, and the currier was a no show. I checked the label and the address was wrong. Despite it showing up. Informed the seller, and they canceled the label. But ghosted me again.

EBay got back to me and told me the case will default in 3 day if it was not picked up. Then 3 days passed and I had to reach out to eBay again, who tried to restart the process. At this point I was frustrated and told them it’s been 3 weeks since I started this return claim, please either refund me or escalate this.

I got my refund that afternoon.

What I learned about eBay buyer protection is this. It works, but it’s work too. It’s quite fair to the seller, but its resolution is heavily in the buyers favor. My only advice is for buyers who’ve been scammed like I was, is to keep on top of your eBay rep, as replies are handed in a shared pool, and the support agent is not going to look back on the case history.

TL:DR got scammed on eBay, got money back from eBay buyer protection, however it took 3 weeks and keeping on top of eBay support.

The last time I touched Xbox was with the 360, and only because I needed to test used games to sell on eBay. But I've wanted to try out modern Xbox to see if things like GamePass and what exclusives they do have is worth it. Especially since on the used market, Xbox One games can be cheaper than PS4 games. With the loose justification of buying Conkers Bad Fur Day as my target price I bought Rare Replay and a Xbox One.

--- Console Hardware --- The Xbox I got was the Original Xbox One, mostly because it was cheap, and because I got the Halo 5 version. I don't play Halo, but I love the aesthetics and blue accents. I wanted the Xbox One S since it's smaller and I like the design better. But I had a hard rule of "not buying white" and the color variants aren't as appealing.

From first boot to getting my games installed, I can tell a lot of care an attention went into the hardware and the UI. Might be my imagination, but the interface feels snappier than it does on PS4. And the store is actually usable and not bloated like Sony tends to do later into a console life cycle. I wish there was more customization to the menu, but there is a clear aesthetic which Xbox wanted to have for their console, and I can respect that.

The Xbox One controller has now become the "default" controller for me. Everything targets it, and since it now has a functional d-pad (looking at you 360), it's good. I prefer the musher feeling of a Nintendo D-Pad and shoulder buttons (or bumper as Xbox calls them). But it's a solid controller and with using AA batteries rather than LiPo, it'll last as long as I take care of it.

I really like the overall package. The only thing I wish I could do is test the HDMI In on the system. But I am pretty sure it's broken or defective. No a problem for a Games Box, but it is annoying.

--- Games ---

I got my Xbox One for one game, Rare Replay. And if I am honest, it plays fine. While I will praise Xbox for not mucking about with the interface there is no denying that this is a game box from 2013. Games play just as well as they do on PS4, and has the same level of support as the PS4 does.

I feel it's interesting that all games even disc ones install to the system. As I know not all games on PS4 like LittleBigPlanet 3 still run parts of the game from the disc itself.

Overall the quality of Xbox One was about as much as I expected it to be. No worse than PS4, and maybe better at times.

--- Game Pass ---

Nah the big draw for me was two thing, Game Pass and Backwards Compatibility (which is the next section).

Game Pass to me has always been the much needed revival of game rentals. For a modest fee, you get access to a treasure trove of games from just about everyone. And I got to try just about every game I wanted to try for my system. To build a list of games I wanted to play/try.

Unfortunately for Xbox, many of the Game Pass games I've played, like Nickelodeon All Stars 2, Physconaughts 2, and Persona 3 Reloaded, are games I feel I want to play on other consoles or PC's. I liked them, but I don't want them to be tied down to the system. While other times they offered me experiences to stay away from, or confirmed that they were games I wouldn't like.

But there are a few games which I honestly didn't think of or needed to play myself which I will be populating my Xbox with, and maybe even moving over to Xbox for. Like Sunset Overdrive, Halo 5, and Forza Horizons 5. Heck I tried Assassin's Creed Origin's and honestly I prefer to play it on Xbox rather than PS4. Plus the benefit I can have all the original games on one system is really tantalizing. Especially since the original 4 games can be found at bargain bin pricing at any good thrift store.

--- Backwards Compatibility ---

Which neatly brings me to Backwards compatibility. Like the native games, disc games are installed via the web rather than run off of disc. And I am fine with that. And it runs soooo well. Honestly I feel it's worth owning an Xbox One for the Backwards Compatibility alone.

Sure not every game works. But most of the ones you'll want to play are here. I've been replaying the crap out of Saints Row 2, and finally getting the chance to enjoy Saints Row 1. Or at least I was until the Xbox Servers went down.

--- Online ---

Now I've always known Xbox as the online gaming console. For the guys looking for achievements and playing Call of Duty with friends. But that's not me. I just want to play Rare Replay and other single player games.

But man has online gaming on consoles gotten bad since I last checked on PS3. I couldn't even start EA's Star Wars Battlefront II, with them demanding I make an account with them (or link my Xbox one to theirs). Most Xbox games I played almost expect you to be playing online and have that lobby menu thingy along side it. Guys I just want to play Halo, I don't even have the friends to even try co-op with.

Nope, but what killed any recommendation for this system was when Xbox's servers went offline, and my Xbox immediately turned into a brick. Sure I could look at things. But no game I installed would boot, not even my disc games and the system won't work unless I am signed in. Even my backwards compatible games refused to load a save until I remounted the "cloud storage".

On PS4 or Switch this isn't an issue, but if it was, one could make a Guest account, or an offline account. But that's not possible on Xbox. It's required that any account on any Xbox has to have a Microsoft account attached with it. Even for kids.

This wasn't a requirement on 360, and I remember Microsoft being a laughing stock of E3 2013 with their whole, "online only thing" and "Discs being locked to a single console". And while we didn't get the latter, I am shocked that the Xbox community is OK with the former.

But I wouldn't blame Xbox for this, as this decision has corporate Microsoft's hand prints all over it. Mandatory log in are now apart of even Windows 11. Ads taking up the lower third of your screen is also being baked into other aspects of Microsoft's software too.

--- Conclusion ---

And what's tragic is that this strong arming is hurting the end user experience on their hardware. I can't in good faith recommend an Xbox to friends or family, especially since if they want their kids to play Minecraft, they have effectively two choices. Let Microsoft track their kids and their every movement, or give their kids access to daddy's credit card since they have to use his account.

But as I said, I don't blame the Xbox team for this, I blame corporate Microsoft.

And for the services and continuing support for what is a 10+ year old console at this point. I am extremely impressed. Xbox One is still an extremely viable system in 2024 and I don't feel it's been outright abandoned like other systems of it's age, like the Wii U.

Honestly who I would recommend an Xbox to is the same demographic I use to see playing Xbox, teenagers. It's cheaper than a PC, plays almost all of the same games, and if they want to play online they'll need to jump through the same hoops.

And unlike Sony or Nintendo, who've destroyed their previous game console's library during the transition to newer hardware. I feel I can at least trust that Microsoft will continue to bring forward their game library to whatever they do next.

Yes Sony has more exclusives. But that's quickly becoming a very short list, as they've languished in the years which the PS4 has had dominance.

So If you don't want a PC which is the only other hardware with a larger game catalogue, or don't want to deal with the shoehorned in third party drm for every publisher. Then the Xbox isn't a bad platform to invest into, especially if you want to explore new games you want to try that's available on Game Pass.

TL:DR Using an iPad as a PC is possible, but only in a limited use case. I feel that for the average user the iPad can be as capable as a PC for them. However apple needs either allow proper third party app stores on their devices. Or add in missing functionality to iPad OS to make it feature parity to Mac OS, like being able to connect with third party devices over USB-C.

----Pre-Ramble My thoughts on an iPad and why I have one----

I think everyone has seen, or at least hear of this apple add, where a kid with an iPad asks "what's a computer". This ad has always irritated me since the iPad has never had the same power, let along software or support a traditional PC has ever had. At the time, and up until recently the iPad for me has been a Glorified iPod Touch with a bigger screen.

However since then Apple has attempted to make the hardware more computer like, moving from the more conventional A series of chips to their M series for their newer higher end devices. They moved away from lightning to USB-C on the iPads before the European Union forced them across their entire lineup. And with official keyboard accessories and the like, to my eyes the iPad was looking more and more like a Computer, than it use to.

I eventually got my own, a 3rd gen iPad Pro when they were discounted. I assumed the M chips would have a long shelf life, which so far has proven correct with iPad OS 18 support promised. It's purpose was for Facetime and iMessage chats with family, but eventually grew to be my Streaming Video player and Web Comic reader.

I tried to do more on my iPad to see if it could do more. But every time I found that the App I wanted was behind a subscription paywall, had hidden fees, or was always online. A sad reality as a result of Apple's policies and complete lack of third party app stores. As much as I detest Android tablets, because of services like F-Droid, they have a much more robust software library which I can trust. Even though I do prefer the iPad software library which feels like they were designed for the device.

----Using my iPad as a Computer----

Now the reason I tested to see if I could use my iPad like a PC was because of my useless laptop. It's a Gigabyte U4UD, and it has the worse battery life I've ever seen in a PC. It literally cannot last more than 30 minutes off the charger. Even when the battery was working well, it barely lasted 1-2 hours on a charge.

The reason I care about battery life was because I was going to visit my in-laws in the next Provence over. With several hours on the road and no guaranteed power jack near where I'll set up and I needed a device with a battery that will last long enough for me to do some work.

And my iPad... was the only device that was left. On paper it could do the work, I've settled on my Office Suite with Apple Works (Pages, Number, Keynote), the default mail client is better than K-9 on android, and for web browsing I just switched over to the Orion Web Browser, and while it's not perfect, it has a much nicer browsing experience than default Safari.

So I packed a much smaller bag, and was off on my 4 day trip.

I actually didn't charge my iPad the night before, and when we arrived at our first overnight spot it still had a charge. Now if you've used a modern PC with Modern Standby you should know how much of a shock this was to me. And the wins kept coming. I brought along a Pi Media Server for movie nights and it was acting up. I needed to SSH into it to see what was up. I didn't preload anything and a quick google search showed Termius would do the job, and it did. Though I feel my Logitech keyboard case really helped here.

My only issue was that I wanted to listen to music on my iPad, and forgot to sync my library via iTunes before I left. No issue I though most Apple app will let you import the files by "sharing" them. So I move a few songs over to test and... no share option. One Google search later revealed that it's not possible. Thanks Apple. Sure I could've used VLC, but I've already dug out my phone at just use that instead.

Day 2 we were on a ferry, and I again still haven't charged my iPad. It was around 30% ish I think. And I was able to spend most of that 1.5h ferry ride doing work on my iPad with Pages. Now Apple Work's isn't the best Office Suite, it feels more like Wordpad more than Word. But as it is a proper offline office software I couldn't complain. Google Docs and Word technically work, but are online office suites, which I don't trust to work where the internet isn't a guarantee. Collabora Office would be a good alternative (Libre Office is my goto at home), but it has virtually no compatibility with the iPad keyboard mode. So it's more frustrating to use than helpful.

By the time we arrive at our Hotel the iPad had 8% left. God I love M class silicon. But I also got a renewed hatred for iPad OS. We went for Fish and Chips and I got some nice photos on my Phone I wanted to share with those on iMessage. I tried to connect my iPad to my Android phone over USB-C and... nothing. I tried KDE Connect, and I couldn't find it. Why Apple, did I have to upload my pictures to Facebook, download them on my iPad before I could send them to people when my Phone was right there, and I know M chips can talk with Android, because I know MacOS can. Lessons learnt for next time, BRING USB-C FLASH DRIVE TO AVOID APPLE SHENANIGANS.

But we got to count our blessing when they happen. Because hey, I was playing The Legend of Zelda Oracle of Ages on my iPad via Delta from the App Store. Sure it wasn't a perfect experience, there was a bug that de-synced audio the longer you played GBC games (no I wasn't using Bluetooth headphones). And I was able to connect my PS Vita to my iPad to move the save over... even if the connection is finicky.

Apple really doesn't want you to connect anything to their devices do they?

Day 3 was were things got really interesting. Because I saw the light, the iPad started making sense. Sure I can't connect much to it. But when you are woken up by the 5am sun and you don't want to wake your wife sleeping next to you. The last thing you'd want is to mess around with cables and adapters and make too much noise.

I got work done in pages, check up and fired off some emails, all while listening to some video and podcast on my browser. I really wish the iPad had a headphone jack, but I've grown use to the USB-C adapters at this point. Even then I took some nice photos the day before and was going to wait and edit them when I got home. But remembered I could do them now since I had Affinity Photo (which was half off).

If you don't do much off device work, the iPad can be as capable as any PC. Especially now that most software designed for computers are just websites. Sure you can't code on an iPad, and outside of drawing most professional software is gimped. But if all you do is light office work and web browsing, then the iPad really makes sense, especially on the go.

----Closing thoughts----

Nothing interesting really happened on the last day. But when I got home, I was reminded yet again just how good the battery life was. On this trip the iPad tried to be my PC, and despite a few issues it did almost everything I asked of it. My iPad effectively replaced my phone at our overnight spots, meaning when I went out, my phone actually had a charge. Yeah, it had issues, 2 of them. I couldn't move photos over from my phone to my iPad, and I couldn't add downloaded music to Apple Music. But when I looked at the word I did while I was out, and how I can work around those drawbacks with better planning and a USB-C Flash drive. I think I can forgive it.

I am in love with the idea of the iPad for a small form factor travel machine. And it is perfect for that work load. Though when I got home, I tried to use it more, by my hand got cramps with the Logitech keyboard case. So I am back to my laptop/desktop if I need to do actual work. But with a massive move planned for me soon, I am happy to know I can pack away my laptop and lighten my load.

----Extra Notes----

I wanted to make this into a video, but I lost some footage, and I don't think this ramble would've been entertaining to watch. But I still wanted to get my thoughts out somehow.

Jokes aside. I wanted to do a fun numbers game and see if I could get an Xbox One and Rare Replay for the price of the N64 copy of Conkers Bad Furday. And it turns out I can.

Conkers Bad Furday on N64 costs around $150-$175CAD (before tqx) given the condition and its shipping location.

Meanwhile I was able to pick up Rare Replay for $10CAD at my local EB Games, and I was able to find Xbox Ones for as low as $100CAD, but on average around $140CAD.

This particular Xbox One was $160 at the end of the day, a bit over budget, but I love the colors and design. Even if I don't play Halo.

Totals

Xbox One - $121.39 + $25 Shipping + 21.96 tax = $168.35

Rare Replay - $7.99 + $1.20 tax = $9.19

Total - $177.54 CAD

Got the games years ago for the GBC, and I've always love it. But I always got stuck in a handful of dungeons. Level 3, level 4, level 6, and finally the black tower.

But I was finally able to solve it myself with no hints! This is in my view one of the best Zelda games.

So I wanted a small, and thin friction hing for another project, and I couldn't find the metal ones that they use for the iPad's Magic Keyboard case. So I design my own the parts I had on my desk.

The smallest nut that I had was 4mm wide which really limited how thick the design can be. The result is this

!

It folds flat at measure at a maximum thickness of about 10mm

!

It works a lot better than I thought it would, especially since this is my first prototype print. Need to figure out some things, like to stiffen the arms and to prevent/reduce twisting.

!

But as a basis to start from this works nicely. I think if I add a TPU washer on the back end, I might be able to get it stiffer and more consistent feeling. But I'll do that at another time.

So a very long time ago now, I upgraded from my ancient AMD FX 6100 to a Ryzen 5 1600, and now I am on my 3rd CPU with an Intel i3 12100f.

Why did I go with an i3 and not the i5? Simple, I was on a budget and I couldn't justify spending more than $250 CAD for this upgrade. I could've squeezed in the 12400 if it was in stock, but it wasn't.

Why didn't I just get a new AMD CPU and slot it in? Well I tried, but my Gigabyte motherboard (even with updates) refused to play nice with the 5500 I tried to upgrade too. If I was keeping with AMD I'd need to buy a new Motherboard and if I was buying a new Motherboard for this I might as well get the best bang for my Buck.

So what did I get.

Motherboard: MSI PRO B760M-P since it had the IO I wanted (2x M.2 slots and a USB C Port on the back)

CPU: Intel i3 12100f

And the results are... honestly surprising. Despite loosing 2 core and 4 threads, I gained in performance everywhere, or I was GPU limited with my 3050. 2 minutes off of my 10 minute handbrake render, 50fps extra in Doom 2016, and a doubling in Geekbench single core performance which I need thanks to my work in FreeCAD. FreeCAD is still slow, but the models I am loading are demanding.

Overall I am happy with my upgrade, and the best part is, since I am buying my Motherboards at the end of a socket generation rather than the beginning, it means when I want to upgrade in a few years, it should work with intel 13th and 14th gen CPU's.

Geekbench before: https://browser.geekbench.com/v6/cpu/6614622

Geekbench after: https://browser.geekbench.com/v6/cpu/6616466

TL:DR Emulators installed via Flatpak won't recognize steam inputs during remote play, However AppImages will work. So if you want to play PCSX2 via Steam Link from your main rig, install the AppImage version.

So this whole journey started when I wanted to play PS2 games from my PC on my Big Screen TV. Years ago I got a Steam Link, and outside of it forgetting my Bluetooth devices it's been quite reliable.

However when I switched over to Linux and installed my emulators via Flathub, I could start the emulator, but outside of mouse inputs, the emulator refused to recognize the inputs outside of those directly connected to the PC. I presume it's due to how Flatpaks work.

Reported the problem on the Steam Linux Beta github page, but that still left me without a solution. It's not like there exists a *.deb for every emulator, and if there existed one, it was out dated, so it was hit or miss if I could start a game with a controller.

However when I tried AppImages, it worked! I presume it's due to the fact that the AppImage runner is a locally installed package, which means it can hook into the systems inputs, like Steam Input. Thus far I've tested PCSX2, DuckStation and Retroarch, and everything appears to be working beautifully!

I think I saw parts of the engine a little while back.

Running Linux Mint, with the latest updates on both my iPad and my PC. And it just worked. Needed to put my password in to trust my device, but duuude! It just works. So nice.

Just saw this on a walk. No idea why this happened.

Here is the reverse side:

!

For the long and short of what this is. I make 3D Printable e-reader cases that are held together by stitching cloth or leather. Up to now the cover had the magnet as a part of the design, but with no way to upgrade or change it out. This is my solution for that.

With 8 screws and a tight fit, the cover can be swapped out when you upgrade or change out your e-reader. That way you can keep the case itself and just upgrade the components you need when you need it.

Still testing it, but very happy with how it turned out.

I feel this happens to everyone. Buy a PC, be happy that it's better than what it replaces, then after a few years get annoyed that's slow.

This happened to me with my now 6/7 year old Ryzen 5 1600x. It was so much faster then my FX 6100, but my workload changed, and while multicore it's good, single core leaves much to be desired, especially since my CAD software of choice FreeCAD is very dependent on single core/thread performance.

So I've been keeping an eye on the markets, waiting for a deal to be had, and I found one, with the Ryzen 5 5500 going into my budget. So I bought it thinking that my old Gigabyte B350M Motherboard would support it. I mean Gigabyte says it's supported and they've never lied about anything before... let alone deny by rebate claim for my laptop.

So I installed the CPU, booted it up, and boot loop. So I took out a stick of ram and it posted, was planning on fixing that later. Configured my BIOS to my liking, saved and restarted into my OS. It booted, for 3 seconds, then promptly black screened and crashed. Not even the power and reset buttons worked, so I had to hard kill it.

OK Troubleshooting time. Check BIOS version. 52h, hummm looks good but there is a 53, lets install that. And a reboot after, no fix.

OK let ask Google, within the dozens of responses asking for BIOS version, there was reseating the RAM. That did nothing, and underclocking the CPU to 3000MHz. That shockingly worked, and I booted into my OS. Neat, I can troubleshoot that later.

Now let's install my other stick of RAM and lets get to fixing this sucker... and it's boot looping again. I've reset the CMOS, put both sticks of RAM into all slot configurations, and nothing.

So I re-installed my 1600x to sanity check myself, and it worked, with both RAM installed. So back to Canada Computers I went to get a refund. While I was tempted by the Intel CPU's on the way out, I got new thermal paste and now I am writing this post on my PC with the 1600x.

Lessons I learned today.

1. If you are upgrading a 1000 series Ryzen stick with the 3000 series as 5000 compatibility is dodgy depending on the manufacturer.

2. The Manufacturers can and will lie about compatibility, and hardware upgradability is hit or miss depending on the Motherboard.

3. I'm not buying from Gigabyte ever again. Though I've heard Asus isn't much better.

Now PLEASE NOTE BEFORE COMMENTING. I do not have the 5500 and will not go back and get it again, so no troubleshooting, please. I just wanted to share my experience and kind of warn those who plan on doing the same.

I took this picture at Peggy's Cove NS.

In my continuing adventures of finding quotes in every Bookworm volume for a new web forum, I'm finally over the hump and have started Volume 2... AKA the volume where it gets good.

On a side note, I read this on the new Clara BW, while it's a marginal improvement over the Clara 2e, there's a weird bug which prevented me from highlighting lines near the sides and top. This also impact the Clara Color, which is fun. Oh well.

---- Review ----

While Volume 2 is leagues better than Volume 1, it still took me a couple of days to get through it. Better than the multiple weeks that Vol 1 takes me, but not as gripping as future Volumes. I am looking forward to re-reading the swap day.

What's good about this volume is that Myne becomes likeable, as her attention moves away from Books to making paper... to make books. Look she's getting there, and she's evolving into a budding Chaos Gremlin. This is also the start of the Merchant chapters, and the beginning of the battles of whit. Which is just sooooo good.

The bad, is that the pacing is still about as slow and expositiony as the first volume. It's necessary for first time readers, and I remember lapping it up after watching the anime. But during re-reads it's easy to skim read, and potentially missing something I missed the first time.

But man that cliffhanger is a doozy, I do wonder what will happen next. /s

---- Quotes ----

Prologue

• ...and explained that in the first place she wasn't expecting much from Myne's efforts. Her expression said that she was dead confident that Myne would fail. [Ouch, Myne does deserve this from Effa, but you should have some faith]

• "...It feels like Myne isn't Myne lately. She still gets sick and passes out all the time, but she doesn't cry about this being unfair anymore." [Oh crap, they're onto you Myne! Quick run... I mean walk... umm, never mind, you OK kiddo?]

• "She'll become more capable over time, more understanding of her limits, and eventually she'll stop pushing herself too far." [... ummm no she won't and I have Lutz here with evidence to the contrary]

Chapter 1

• "How could I not be excited? I mean, we're making paper here! Paper! I can make books with paper. Ahahah yes!" [As you can see from the evidence she will never calm down, all you can do is prepare to weather this storm]

• "...Myne, alright, we're making paper. But how are we gonna do it? I've got no clue myself. Don't we need toold or something? Is this gonna work?" Lutz calm questions threw a bucket of cold water over my excitement. [Good on you kiddo, this is why you are the Myne manager]

• "Welcome back. Don't feel bad Myne. You'll Be useful to someone Someday." [Ouch that one hurt me, who let Tuuli play with fire]

• "Bwuh? Tuuli, what's going on?" [Number 1, our first Bwuh of the Volume]

• The problem with making tools? We didn't have the tools to make tools. [Wise words from someone who rarely thinks far enough ahead]

• If anyone wanted the shampoo, it would be a girl... A girl?! His wife?! If his beloved wife wants the shampoo, it all makes sense. [Otto your simping so hard even a 6 year old realized it.]

• "A merchant has a lot of things he heeds to keep secret so..." "...Can't I start practicing with something easier?" [Myne dear, Lutz is right, having Lutz hide things from Karla is like sending a lv.1 hero to fight the end boss]

Chapter 2

• And you can't decline this invitation anyways. If you do, your mom and older sister will probably get fired from their jobs." [Ouch, poor Effa, I am sure Corinna is doing this to good reasons]

• "Fear not, Captiain. I take full responsibility for your daughter and will ensure she remains safe." [Unless my wife's involved and I get scammed by a 6 year old. Then it's anyone's guess what happens]

• "Oh my, was it not boorish to observe a woman while she's prettying up?" "... I just said that because I didn't want him flirting with you while I was working." "Oh my! Aha, I do wonder how Otto behaves outside of the house, if a little girl such as yourself would fear that from him." [Corinna, you can I both know you don't need to "wonder" to get your answer]

• Despite claiming to be so busy, he handled all of the budget season work himself, negotiated with the merchants that came to sell equipment and commodities, exploited his position as city guard to obtain as much information as possible, and so on. [Is Otto what Ferdi would be if he was a Commoner?]

• "It's fine. Otto's giving me nails in return for all this." "...Nails? Truly? Is he not selling you short?" [Yes he is sweetie, and no she won't ever realize it]

• "Listen, Myne. Would you do me a favor and remember some important errands you have to do?" [Gunther getting an unexpected urge that he should beat up Otto when he gets back]

• "If you give me all of them I might be able to think of an excuse that will convince Dad." [And Otto this is why you lost her to Benno]

• "Oh? Lutz? What're you doing here?" "Myne?! That's my line! What are you here? Wha? Are you alone?!" [Imagine finding your Grandpa who's stuck in a wheel chair and needs nurses on them 24/7 just sitting in the middle of a kids park and you'll understand Lutz freakout]

Chapter 3

• His mom, Karla, was constantly on his back saying that he had given up on becoming a travelling merchant, so why couldn't he give up one more and become a carpenter? [... mother of the year. And the answer is because that sets a bed president and he'll give up on that too, probably out of spite]

• Otto lived on the third floor of Corinna's family home, and that has been arranged because her older brother was worried for his cute little sister. In other words. Corinna was Benno's little sister, which makes Otto his... "...You're his brother-in-law?" [Funnily enough 5 parts in and she is still this gullible]

• Benno was sitting at an administrator's desk behind which was a shelf crammed with wood boards and pieces of parchment. ...Wait, is that a bookshelf?! [Oh lord, the gremlin is loose! Who forgot the leash?!]

• "...Thinking's your job, ain't it? Whatever you want to do is fine with me, Myne." [Lutz you fool, what have you done]

• "...Um, did he just way contract magic? That's what it sounded like. Wha? Wait, has this been a fantasy world all along?" [Geeze this was what gave it away for you? Not the rainbow of hair colors, or the fantasy plants that bleed. Lord she's dense]

Chapter 4

• "Myne, do you know what tools and materials you need? " "Yes, don't worry." [This is when you want to worry]

• “Myne, you have pot written here, but how large of a pot do you want?” “Ummm... I was thinking a pot about as big as the second-biggest pot at my home.” Mark’s brows furrowed deeper [Why did you think this answer his question, you fool]

• I somehow managed to write supply orders for everything except the screen, which Mark gave up on. [Dear gods, she reach this man’s limit. I can’t imagine the headache he has to have right now]

• My excitement for a fantasy world full of magic shattered in an instant. Seriously...? A power only nobles have? [Careful what you wish for sweetie]

• “Bwuh?! It’s fine! The contract has our exact agreement written on it, there’s no problems at all.” [It took a while for Bwuh Number 2.]

• “Your turn” ...No thanks! This magic’s just scary! [Side eyeing P5V9]

• “Bwuuuh... Hyah!” Holding back tears, I put blood on my thumb and stamped my name. [Number 3]

• “You... You are Myne, right?” [My boy, there are questions you are better off not asking.]

Chapter 5

• “...Can you manage that?” “I’ll be fine.” I clenched my fist to show strength. [I can’t believe like myne I miss understood what Lutz asked here]

• “I’m afraid not. Those who deserve trouble shall receive it.” “Noooo...” [Corinna would make a good mom]

• “Bwuh?! I Couldn’t ask him to do that I’ll apologize to him and then go home on my own!” [Number 4, and sweet lord she needs Ferdi to call her a fool. Good new is Benno will call in the thunder]

• “WHAT IS! WRONG! WITH! YOU!” “Bwuh?!” “I said go home!” “Kyaaah!” [Benno used Thunder... it was super effective against Myne. Number 5]

• “You are no longer allowed in my store without the boy! If you’ve got a brain in that head, don’t forget” [Myne, meet leash, leash meet Myne, and never let go]

• “But y’know, now I get it. You collapse in no time. You’re smart but careless, you’re weak, you’re tiny, and thinking about it, there’s a ton of things you can’t do. Now you can’t even go into the store without me” “So mean, Lutz! I’m useful to people too, sometimes!” [Myne just take the L this time]

• “Bwuh?! I can carry stuff too! I’m a lot stronger than I used to be.” [Number 6, while yes you can carry things. He’ll need to carry you home if you did]

• “Myne, I know that look. You’re just pretending to agree, aren’t you? You’re not listening to us at all.” He... He saw through me?! [And has for a while now you fool]

Chapter 6

• That made me so happy I immediately pumped my fit and said “Let’s go!”, only to get hit on the head from behind by Lutz. [Oh my sweet boy is growing up so fast]

• “It seems that Myne wishes for me to carry her today as well.” “Bwuh?!” [Number 7, and Mark you are truly a gentlemen]

Chapter 7

• It’s a weird fantasy fruit! Apparently, the red fruit was brother to those weird ingredients I sometimes had to fight with to make supper. [In a far off land, there lies a former God, who felt a great disturbance in the force]

• “I was gonna ask why you didn’t go to the other side of the river, but... I’m guessing it was too much for you.” “...It was too much.” I was breathing a lot harder than Lutz [Honestly this is an amazing feat, she didn’t just pass out Lutz, you should praise her]

• Over time I had gotten better at managing fires so they didn’t get too bug, but I often would take my eyes off it just long enough for it to get out of control. [Oh gods, who’s bright idea was it to let the gremlin manage a fire, this is almost as dangerous as those red fruits]

• “This one’s no good. It’ll make your limbs tingly and you won’t be able to move for three days. This is no good either. It’ll make your stomach hurt for two days. This is worse, you’ll froth at the mouse and die if you eat it.” [Ferdi in the background taking notes]

• Incidentally, twenty percent of those mushrooms were poisonous. ...I just don’t get it. How does this keep happening... ? [I’ll take this as the will of the gods of chaos reminding you, that you have more important things to do, Benno still has his hair]

Chapter 8

• “Bwuh?! Ah, uummm, yeah. Pretty good right?” [Number 8, and girl, you need to keep your act together, he’s already suspicious and you’re just digging yourself into a deeper hole]

• “Yeah! You can trust me! I’ve done this before.” “...When, and Where said Lutz Sharply [In your eagerness to appear useful, you’ve made things worse, you only have yourself to blame here]

• “Ngh? U-ummm, th-that’s a girl’s secret! Don’t even think about prying!” [And Myne has thrown water onto that oil fire]

• ...Oof , that look hurts. He’s definitely figured me out. [You think! He figured you out a very long time ago]

• “Alright. Hey... Eh, scratch that. I’ll say it after the paper’s done,” [Hey babe, we need to talk levels are coming from Lutz]

Chapter 9

• “Are we going to talk out here? Do you want to go into the storage building” [Oh shit Myne’s gloves are off]

• Urano just followed her whims and read the books around her, which was nothing like who I had become. [I feel that has more to do with the lack of books than anything else]

• “Th-That was just... I wasn’t trying to make you own me or anything, I just... gaah, crap!” “Why did you say it, then?” “Don’t ask me that! Let it go! Forget about it!” [Awww, I wonder how red he is here, and only if our future romance novelist was here]

• “Myne won’t come back even if you leave, right? And if you’ve been her for a whole year, then the Myne I know is mostly just you,” [This is sooo sappy I love it. Now I wonder how a certain noble would write this out as]

Chapter 10

• “It’s really too bad we can’t just grow trombes ourselves.” “Don’t even think about it!” [Lutz what’s the worse that can happen?]

• “Bwuh?! They’re that dangerous? It didn’t look like that happened with the one we saw” [Number 9, & Myne just remember the geneva convention doesn’t exist here, so you’re good to go ahead]

• “If you really want to throw in something extra, how about... information on some kind of new product to sell, or something like that?” [If a future reflection Otto remember the exact moment he lost Myne to Benno forever]

• “...H-Holy crap. How’d you turn paper into this? I have no idea what you just did.” [I’m looking at the step by step guide here Lutz and I too don’t get it]

• Wait... How much is this origami crane worth, from a materials perspective? [I mean from your end not much, from a “how much I could’ve sold it for” more than what your dad makes in a month I recon]

• “If you want to sell hair stick, what about that other kind? The thing you made Tuuli for her baptism.” [this was the exact moment Myne went from working at the Castle Gate to working at Benno’s store]

• “Do we pass? Will you take on Lutz as your apprentice?” [Very nice wording Myne. I am surprised that Benno didn’t ask about your apprenticeship after this]

Chapter 11

• “You’re slow! This is a waste of time,” and picked me right up [I’m shocked that there was no Bwuh]

• “That’s right. It’s powerful and greedy. You gotta pay to register an apprentice, you gotta pay more if you want to start a new business, and basically anything you do there will have some kind of fee attached” [I can see Benno demanding less taxes]

• “Keep quiet and don’t say anything unnecessary” [Benno you are asking the impossible from Myne here]

• “The first floor here is used for parking carriages and carts” [You know, I don’t think we’ve ever seen this. Since it’s in the Ivory building I wonder what it looks like?]

• Immediately, the gate shone with a white light and then melted into thin air until it was gone. “Bwuh?! What was that?!” “It’s a magic tool. Lutz, don’t let go of my hand. It’ll knock you back” [Number 10, and oh oh, I know how this tool work... neat]

• “Wait, is that a bookshelf?!” [Oh lord she’s loose Benno call in Lutz to try and stop her!]

• “If you get too excited, you’ll pass out before getting to read anything.” No... Anything but that [Fhew, Crisis adverted]

• “This one, Ehrenfest. The family name of the area’s lord is used as the name of the city” [I wonder if Lord is no longer the correct term here, or that commoners just associate all nobles under the same banner]

Chapter 12

• The only time Tuuli had worn this hairpin was during her baptism. What had happened then? [Everyone saw the angle which Tuuli is, and wanted to imitate her image. Fredia just so happens to have the money to pay for it]

• ...Lutz, no fair! Why do you get to hide behind Benno?! [What not like you’d throw him to the wolves if you had the chance.

• The second I did, Benno clicked his tongue. ...Bwuh?! What’d I do wrong [Open your mouth... which appears to be a frequent occurrence, also Number 11]

• “Bwuh?! Blood?!” Was blood essential to make magic work? [Number 12, should we tell her?]

• ...Magic tools were convent, but scary. [The further in we go, the more this statement rings true]

• “Sh-She resembles her grandfather?” I tried imagining a little girl with the guidmaster’s face, but it just didn’t work.” [Lutz please smack this fool for me]

Chapter 13

• “Are you Myne, pray tell?” “Bwuh?! Ah, yes! That’s right. Are you Frieda?” [I believe it is customary amost chaos gremlins to give a customary greeting of Bwuh as we see here with this startled one. Number 13]

• “I see. I thought that maybe Grandfather has been surprisingly considerate, but in reality, you have him from himself.” [F, I don’t think he’ll survive burns that severe]

• “Oh, that’s no issue. I can just repay him for you.” “Bwuh? Ummm...” [I wonder if they are deliberately miss interpreting “repay”, or that’s not a phrase here. Number 14]

• The rumours were all true. Benno’s fears hadn’t been unfounded. .. She is just like the guildmaster! She’s saying the same things, just in a different tone. [Watch as she never says this to anyone else]

• ...Banno, I’ll stop whining about you ripping people off, so please save meeee! [After this, Myne still whines about Benno ripping people off.]

Chapter 14

“Also, uh... I thought she was a lot like Myne.” “Bwuuuh?! How?!” That’s just... unbelievable! I demanded an explanation for his shockingly bad opinion. [Number 15, and Lutz, you are a brave man for challenging Darth Myne.]

• “...I’m sorry. I feel a little regret now.” “You should be feeling a lot of it.” [Yeah she won’t change anything folks]

• “Welcome back, Myne. How was the girl you weere meeting today? Are you friends now?” [Awww Tuuli you are such an angel. Thinking that a fly caught in a spiders web can be friends with said spider]

• “You’re an angel, Tuuli. The healer of my hear. You’re the greatest older sister in the world” [Keep the praises to Tuuli coming]

• “...but I’m a weird little sister who acts way different from how she looks. Sorry, Tuuli.” “Haaah... You just now realized?” Tuuli sighed [Damn, Frida’s not the only one playing with fire today]

• After the much more lively than expected meal was over, I caught Mom and asked her to return the needles I used for thread.” “What for?” [The sewing gremlin is up against the chaos gremlin, the will be no winners only losers]

• “Please show me that thread, dear.” My mom, a dyer by trade and a skilled seamstress, didn’t even try to hide how interested in the thread she was. [Myne the difference between you and her is the fact she can control herself.]

• Dad who was drinking while keeping an eye on us, called out to Mom, who was eagerly watching my hands. “Hey, Effa. If you’re that interested in all this, want me to make another needle?” “Dada, I want one too! Can you me two?” Mom’s enthused hug and Tuuli’s cure request put Dad straight into a good mood. [When Gunther asking, you know you have a problem]

Chapter 15

• “Aaah, hold it. You two will be eaten alive if you go there alone. I’ll go with you.” Surely he was exaggerating? We were just going to make an appointment. [You fool did you forget what happened just the other day]

• “One moment please. The guildmaster said that if children by the name of Myne and Lutz were to come, let them in immediately” “Buwh?!” [Told, you see I told you. Number 16]

• Wow... Freida made her first friend, huh? I don’t know who it is but congratulations [Man she’s dense]

• “... You ended up friends with that geezer’s granddaughter?” “Bwuh?! Me?! Umm... I wonder about that” [Number 17, and lol]

• Ngh... Curse you, rich people. [You know, I’ve been hearing this a lot lately]

• “I’ve accepted the products and paid their price. Now we can become friends without any hesitations.” [And the triangle peg goes in the... you right the square hole.]

• Maybe this kind of thing was never discovered because nobles, those who bought most luxury goods, just compensated with magic. [This is certainly a chicken and egg scenario]

Chapter 16

• Um, Mom? Do you not trust your daughter at all? [Ummm, why do you think they pay Lutz to keep an eye on you]

• “At times like these, you never know when you’re fine” And at times like these, you’re so stubborn that you never give in. [Yeah, sweetie when he does you feint, or get to the verge of death so suck it up]

• Usually it’s less. You’re making a little more since we’re not dealing with the boss of any shops, but still. “Bwuuuh?! Not even a single middle copper?” [Number 18, and poor Myne all that hard work for nothin]

• Benno grimaced, rubbing his temples “...You again?” “Bwuh?” What does he mean, me again? [Benno don’t expect the natural disaster which will remake the market anew to know what they did. Number 19]

• “Lutz, don’t take your eyes off this idiot. I get the feeling she’ll try to read the card on her way home and end up in an accident.” [Wise words indeed, Truck-kun was almost the reason she was brought here in the first place]

• “Lutz, why all the thread?” Mom... why are you asking that to Lutz and not me, your daughter. [Is she a goldfish, how does she keep forgetting things, like how you are so untrustworthy that they need to play Lutz to keep an eye on you]

• Tuuli started to laugh, but then she froze in place and pointed behind me, blinking rapidly. I turned around to see Mom, who was standing still with her hand on her cheek. She was thinking really hard about something “Myne. Should I join you two after finishing your special dress?” ...Um, Lutz? Mum mom looks really pumped about starting this. We might need more pins. [Myne you have unleashed the sewing gremlin. While I would ask you to reflect, and how your own actions can impact other like this. But we know you’ll forget this by the morning.]

Chapter 17

• It was pig day. Unlike last year, my family trusted me just enough to leave me at home alone, so they left early in the morning without me. [And Gunther also increased his home insurance for some unknown reason]

• I pushed it down into me, visualizing a cover being put onto a pot, and let out another sign. [It’s a surprise tool that will help us later]

• “..how much would link cost?” “About 4 small silvers.” “Bwuh?!” [Number 20, and poor myne, you have your paper, but nothing to write on it with, taking bets on Myne destroying the ink market]

Chapter 18

• ...because he was both unable to think of a better name himself and used my original name for it, he settled on shortening it to “rinsham.” Um... Is that really good enough? [Hey it’s better than what they came up with in the Anime]

• “Myne, it sounds like you know a lot more than you’ve been letting on, huh?” I did, but I wasn’t about to dig my hole any deeper. [...0_0 did she learn from last time... no that can’t be right. The chaos gremlin can’t be taught... right?]

• The moment the foreman answered, Benno hefted me up and abducted me into the conference room. “Bwuhbwuhbwuh?!” [Number 21, and wow 3 whole bwuh’s in one word... sadly it only counts as 1]

Chapter 19

• He told me with slumped shoulders that it was easier to do all the work himself than run the risk of pointing out the mistakes of his superiors. [Yeah Otto is totally commoner Ferdi]

• “I am positively delighted to receive such lavish praise from one of your esteem.” [Suckup]

• “Huh?! What?! Butter?! Why butter?! What for?!” Waaait, did I not tell him about it? Whoops, whoops. [Proceeds to not explain herself. Classic Myne]

Chapter 20

• Mom pointed at the eighty-percent-finished hairpin and gave a troubled smile. That wouldn’t take long at all given how fast she worked. Tuuli and I tip-toed into the bedroom, making sure not to wake Dad. ...So why where there two finished hairpins on the table when I woke up? Did you stay up late Mom? Tuuli’s mad since she wanted to keep working too. [Yeah know, I get this a feeling Myne gets at least some of her impulses from Effa]

• Thiiis isn’t good. The power of money is simply too strong. I didn’t expect them to speed up this much. [Ahhh the power of Capitalism, with the addition of not one but two gremlin’s and it’s unstoppable]

• “Okay. Want me to cast a magic spell on your family too?” [And by magic she mean narcotics]

• Benno let out a sigh as he walked up to me, then immediately hefted me up and literally tossed me to mark’s direction “Bgyaaaah?!” [We need a “Handle with care” sticker for Myne]

Chapter 21

• “Actually I remember you calling the pins stuppghpph!” Zasha clamped his hands over Lut’s mouth and glared at him. “You didn’t tell us nothing about the pay.” [Ah boys will be boys, and by that I mean not listen until you see it in front of your face]

• “Get fired up! Do you wanna die!” [consider what this chapter is called, it’s a real possibility]

• “Sproutday, Fireday, Leafday, Winday, Fruitday, and Earthday alternate on a cycle, yeah?” [I keep forgetting this order.]

Echapter 1

• but her fever just kept going up, to the point where it felt like her body was about to melt. In fact something resembling yellowish vapor was rising off her body like steam. [Oh that’s how you know it’s about done. Just wait 10-15 more minutes of until she’s golden brown]

• “Listen, Lutz. This girl’s not as young as she looks. At the very least, she’s mature enough to smile and take care of others when she’s suffering herself. Don’t let her fool you. Don’t take advantage of her help.” [Damn Benno, not even her family recognized that]

Echapter 2

• The guildmaster was a petty man who proposed to my mother in the immediate wake of my father’s death, and upon being refused, began harassing us in small but infuriating ways. [So let propose to do this again, who know maybe 4th time lucky.]

• “If my brother cannot find a wife due to this, perhaps I shall have Myne take responsibility?” I suggested with a laughter of my own. [Oh lord no, don’t I can feel the Thunder coming down.]

Echatper 3

• “I’ll go hurry her up and start getting ready myself. The things I do for her...” [Man Tuuli, you got some sas]

• It seemed that Myne has pleasant dreams whenever she fell asleep with a fever, and she was never as happy as she was when talking about the wold of her dreams. [That’s heavy man]

• Inspired by the tales of knights in minstrel stories as he was, he mimicked a knight when courting me. He got on one knew before me and held up a magic stone he had obtained after slaying a feybeast. [I hope Effa can tell this story to Myne one day]