Welcome to Nic’s Core Dump. Enjoy.

It is impossible for a person to begin to learn what he already thinks he knows

Smell the Foam Finger

Nic starts a new podcast about—gasp!—American sports.

Book roundup, part 25

Mostly excellent non-fiction in this installment. Includes Fantasyland, The Miracle of Dunkirk, Das Reich, The Undoing Project, Waiting for the Punch, Vacationland and Points of Impact.

The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their bread

A report from surveillance cylinder land as we wait for HomePod

Nic reports his experiences so far with voice computing from Amazon and Google and is a bit mystified at the reaction to Apple’s HomePod.

It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them

iPhone X impressions

After a few weeks of using iPhone X I’m ready to join the congratulatory choir.

The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they’ve found it

Smart homes for the wealthy

Nic is interested in smart homes. His contractor let him know how the wealthy are already using them.

Book roundup, part 24

Lots of sci-fi in this installment. Includes Retribution, Boomerang, The Collapsing Empire, All Systems Red, and Ninefox Gambit.

Review: Bosch TV series

A longtime Bosch reader looks at the TV series.

Getting started with podcasting

A concise guide to getting started with podcasting, including equipment, editing, mic technique and hosting.

Review: Novels of the Malazan Empire

A worthy inclusion to the Malazan canon and great high fantasy to disappear into in troubled times.

Either America will destroy ignorance or ignorance will destroy the United States

An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it

Photos from Pacific Beach

The Lindhs visit Pacific Beach and discover a huge bass system and surfers.

Book roundup, part 23

Includes a mea culpa, Hillbilly Elegy, Gulp, The Stars are Legion, and The Kill Society.

Putting new gaskets on the Kamado grill

Nic commits putty knife violence on his grill to replace the gaskets.

Wings of Freedom

Remembering the cost of World War II through airplanes.

The innocent feel guilty, the guilty feel nothing

Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real estate above principles

The pro market, the nerds, and the vision

Apple’s neglect of the pro market is causing a lot of gnashing of teeth in Apple-nerd circles, but it’s true to Apple’s vision.

Never retreat. Never explain. Get it done and let them howl

A wet man does not fear rain

What to expect when you’re expecting a Hackintosh

There is unrest in the Mac community about Apple’s commitment to the platform. Some are turning their eyes to building a Hackintosh to get the kind of computer Apple doesn’t provide. Here’s what it’s like to run a Hackintosh.

Book roundup, part 22

Lots of fiction series in this one. Includes Grunt, 1177 B.C., Louder Than Hell, Smarter Faster Better, The Hanging Tree, Death’s End, Chains of Command, and Who Killed Sherlock Holmes?.

It’s so much easier to suggest solutions when you don't know too much about the problem

Malazan Book of the Fallen

Hey kids, you like epic fantasy? ’Cause I've got some epic fantasy for you.

The car is going digital and that’s a good thing

Car nerds are dealing with some cognitive dissonance as car technology changes.

Review: Kindle Oasis

The Oasis is Amazon’s best e-ink reader to date, but it’s not good enough for the price.