Rev1 Ventures invested in a record number of startups in 2017 and its portfolio companies brought a combined $201 million revenue and new capital to Central Ohio – bringing cumulative economic impact since 2013 to $1.4 billion.
Those companies will have to triple the flow of dollars in 2018 – maybe post a spectacular acquisition – if Rev1 is going to hit its goal of a $2 billion impact by year’s end. With $90 million under management, the Columbus venture capital firm investing in early-stage…
Everyone should be using a VPN by now. The news is consistently awash with articles detailing the abject destruction of your privacy. And once gone, it is gone forever. The trouble is that using a single VPN requires you to set up each device in your house.
Luckily, there is an alternative method. Instead of painstakingly entering credentials on individual devices, why not upgrade to a VPN router and protect every device all at once? Here’s what you need to know about VPN routers.
VPN client: A VPN client on your computer protects data transmissions for that system alone. Once you sign-up and download a client, the VPN protects the individual device. Many services offer protection for multiple devices under the same subscription, but you have to download the software/app for each device.
The Best VPN Services We’ve compiled a list of what we consider to be the best Virtual Private Network (VPN) service providers, grouped by premium, free, and torrent-friendly. Read More
, but covers every device on the network. All of the devices in your home can simultaneously use and benefit from a VPN without fiddling around with masses of login credentials and app downloads. The tradeoff, however, is having to set up a VPN router.
VPN routers were once the sole reserve of security and network buffs. But as internet users seek to improve their privacy and security, VPN routers have become more accessible.
Different Types of VPN Routers
VPN routers come in a few different flavors depending on your requirements. Almost all require you to run a custom router firmware, like DD-WRT or Tomato. These Linux-based custom router firmware projects offer far greater customization than a standard OEM setup. Support varies from router to router, depending on manufacturer and device hardware.
In that, you have two options: purchase a router with your firmware choice preinstalled, or buy a compatible router and take matters into your own hands.
The Best VPN Routers
Without further ado, here are the best VPN routers you can lay your hands on.
The Asus RT-AC5300 is a visually impressive router that will make your friends wonder about their inferior router choices. It has eight antennas and can blast wireless signal across 5,000 square feet, making it perfect for anyone with a large home or office.
The RT-AC5300 is a tri-band router that uses Asus’s Smart Connect feature to level out demand. This means the router switches between 5GHz bands to make sure there is no network congestion.
In addition, the router packs a decent 1.4GHz dual-core CPU with a similarly decent 512MB RAM, has eight Gigabit Ethernet ports for cable connections, and uses MU-MIMO for better speeds with multiple devices. Another bonus is the USB 3.0 port for external storage devices (as well as a USB 2.0 port too).
This VPN router is an excellent choice for network intensive environments, or even just large, bandwidth-hungry families, albeit at a high cost. The RT-AC5300 supports DD-WRT but not Tomato.
Purchase without VPN provider or custom firmware via Amazon
Purchase with your choice of VPN service provider with DD-WRT custom firmware via FlashRouters
The Netgear Nighthawk R7000 (our review) is one of the cheapest options on this VPN router list. But cheap VPN router status aside, the Nighthawk R7000 is well worth your time. The R7000 features a 1GHz dual-core processor with 256MB RAM, as well as four gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB 3.0 port, and a USB 2.0 port.
The Nighthawk R7000 is a dual-band router, allowing it to switch seamlessly between bands. Also, the router has a number of Quality of Service (QoS) features to boost streaming and data throughput. For instance, you can optimize traffic for video streaming or online gaming, and so on. You also get some NAS functionality through Netgear’s ReadyShare technology, allowing you to use a large external drive as a basic NAS.
This isn’t the fastest or most powerful router on the list (most models have 802.11ac mode, but some only have “b/g/n”—do not buy any router without at least “n”). But the Nighthawk R7000 provides a cheap entry level VPN router experience, especially if you purchase the router and flash the firmware yourself. The Nighthawk R7000 supports DD-WRT and Tomato, as well as other custom firmware. It also looks cool.
Purchase without VPN provider or custom firmware via Amazon
Purchase with your choice of VPN service provider with Tomato custom firmware via FlashRouters
Purchase with a NordVPN subscription with DD-WRT custom firmware via FlashRouters
Purchase without VPN provider with Sabai OS custom firmware via Sabai Technology
Asus develop and release a considerable amount of routers with VPN capabilities. The Asus RT-AC86U is a powerful dual-band VPN router featuring 512MB RAM and a 1.8GHz dual-core processor. It comes with three high-power antennas that broadcast over a huge area, as well as packing in NitroQAM technology to boost your data transmission rates by utilizing extra wireless band capacity.
The RT-AC86U features four Gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB 3.0 port, and a USB 2.0 port. You can use Asus’s AiPlayer and AiDisk as a media server and file server in conjunction with an external hard-drive, doubling up as a NAS of sorts.
But best of all, the Asus RT-AC86U is easy to setup with your own custom VPN router firmware, with support for Asuswrt-Merlin (a customized version of Asus’s existing firmware), Tomato, and DD-WRT variants. Unfortunately, I cannot find a retail option with a pre-installed VPN provider and custom firmware—but there are several tutorials online that will guide you through.
Purchase without VPN provider or custom firmware via Amazon
The Linksys WRT3200ACM consistently features in “best VPN router” lists and for a good reason. Like the RT-AC86U, it features a powerful 1.8Ghz dual-core processor with 512MB RAM.
As well as this, the WRT3200ACM uses MU-MIMO to keep those speeds high. In addition to MU-MIMO, the WRT3200ACM uses Linksys Tri-Stream 160 technology to boost Wi-Fi speeds across wireless bands (somewhat similarly to NitroQAM). The WRT3200ACM broadcasts using four antennas with an extensive range. You’ll also find a USB 3.0 port, along with a combined USB 2.0/eSATA port for plugging in peripherals.
Finally, the WRT3200ACM supports OpenWrt and DD-WRT custom firmware, allowing you to customize your VPN router as you see fit. However, pre-installed WRT32000ACM VPN routers are available, with the ExpressVPN/OpenWrt combination one of the easiest to use. This VPN router really does have a considerable amount of support, allowing you to fine-tune your setup.
The D-Link AC5300 DIR-895L/R (our review) comes with a 1.4GHz dual-core processor with 256MB RAM, broadcasting using eight antennas (dead spider robot, anyone?). The router is tri-band, using MU-MIMO to provide consistently high speeds to every device in your household or office, with a total theoretical combined throughput of 5,332Mbps (1,000 Mbps in 2.4GHz, plus 2,166 Mbps in 5GHz and 2,166 Mbps in 5GHz).
The DIR-985L/R also comes with four gigabit Ethernet ports, along with a USB 3.0 port and a USB 2.0 port. Like most of the other listed routers, the DIR-985L/R will function as a simple-but-effective NAS if you attach an external hard drive of sufficient size.
The AC5300 DIR-895L/R has extensive support for DD-WRT, with some support for other OpenWrt projects such as LEDE. This is a well-rounded VPN router that provides ample power for a large household with multiple devices (up to 20!), or even a small office.
Purchase with VPN provider or custom firmware via Amazon
Which VPN Router Will You Choose?
You have five excellent VPN routers to choose from. But if these VPN routers don’t suit your requirements, there are plenty more on the market to check out.
How to Set Up Your Own VPN Server Using DD-WRT Whether you want to crank up home network security or connect to your home network remotely, you’ll need your own VPN. Here’s how to set one up for free using DD-WRT. Read More
is no longer a daunting task only network savants should attempt.
Avengers: Infinity War includes just about every major MCU character yet. But Marvel could have added many other characters under their parent company’s umbrella to round out the cast even further. Nerdist envisions what that movie might have been like.
Inside House 40, archeologists found a young victim of the massacre.Photo: Kalmar County Museum
Scientists in Sweden have completed a preliminary investigation of one of the most disturbing archaeological sites to be uncovered in recent memory. Over 1,500 years ago, scores of villagers were mercilessly killed in their homes by an unknown band of marauders, who left the bodies where they fell. And inexplicably, the killers refrained from collecting the many riches that lay inside the village.
As a new study published today in the science journal Antiquity makes painfully clear, life during the early Middle Ages was rough. A team of archaeologists led by Clara Alfsdotter and Helena Victor has completed a survey of Sandby Borg, a fifth-century fort located on the shore of Öland island near the southeast coast of Sweden (borg means fort in Swedish). Today, the ring fort is barely recognizable, a green mound encircled by rocks. But back then, it was a vibrant and wealthy community containing dozens of small homes, all protected by 16-foot-high walls.
And then it all ended in a horrific massacre.
An aerial view of Sandby Borg as it exists today. Photo: Sebastian Jakobsson
A three-year-long analysis of the site has revealed the skeletal remains of at least 26 villagers, including those of children. Less than 10 percent of the decayed fort was excavated, so many more bodies may still be waiting to be found. Some skeletons were found in their houses; others were sprawled out on the fort’s main circular street. The positions of the bodies and the nature of their injuries point to a sudden, violent attack. Some were killed instantly, while others took longer to die of their wounds. Traces of half-eaten food, pots still in their hearths, and scattered possessions were also uncovered, suggesting the villagers had no idea what was coming.
Schematic of the ring fort. Image: C. Alfsdotter et al., 2018
Incredibly, everything inside the fort—including the bodies—has been left unperturbed since the day of the massacre. “The evidence suggests that no survivors”—if there were any—“or neighbours could, or wanted to, enter the site after the massacre,” write the researchers. Öland island was an active place during the Middle Ages, featuring at least 15 ring forts and nearly 1,000 stone houses. So it’s not as if there was no one on the island to care about Sandby Borg.
The dead were found lying where they fell, along with the skeletal remains of livestock that likely died of starvation, trapped in their pens. It’s as if the old fort suddenly became cursed, with no one daring to venture inside. Over the course of hundreds of years the bodies decayed, the roofs of the dwellings collapsed, and dirt piled up on top.
Local people warned the archaeologists to steer clear of the site, according to the paper. And indeed, while no oral or written history exists to explain what happened, stories are still circulating in the region describing it as a dangerous place.
The archaeologists aren’t entirely sure what happened, or what prompted the killings, but they suspect a link to the fall of the Western Roman Empire around 475 AD. It was during the fifth-century that this crusty old empire finally collapsed, leading to political shifts, tremendous social upheaval, and the rebalancing of power as lucrative trading contracts between Swedish elites and Rome came to an end. And indeed, Late Roman gold coins were found at Sandby Borg—coins that may have been brought to the fort by Swedish mercenaries who came home after serving in the Roman army. Perhaps these returning troops had something to do with the massacre, but it’s not certain.
Inside House 40, a youth with feet lying over the midsection of an adultPhoto: Kalmar County Museum
The scenes uncovered by the archaeologists are beyond description. Take House 40 for example. The remains of nine individuals were found inside this dwelling, two of which were partially burnt by fire. It appears as if the attackers tried, unsuccessfully, to burn the house down. The skeleton of a young person aged 12 to 15 suggests they stumbled backward over the body of another victim; their final extended position on the ground suggests he or she was unconscious before hitting the ground. In House 52, the skeletal remains of an elderly man suggest he fell, again either dead or unconscious, into an open fireplace. His flesh burned as his body lay in the hearth, according to the paleontological evidence.
In other grim discoveries, a man’s skull was found packed with several sheep’s teeth—perhaps a final insult to the dead. Nearby, a bone from a tiny arm shows not even children were spared.
The nature of these injuries, the researchers say, and the configuration of the bodies indicates an attack on individuals who were caught completely unaware and unprepared. The absence of typical defensive wounds suggests total surprise and helplessness.
“The trauma evident on several skulls, on one man’s shoulder and one man’s hip resulted from blows aimed at the back or the side of the bodies,” write the researchers in the study. “Damage resembling common battle injuries, such as parry fractures or facial trauma both typically produced when facing an opponent—has so far not been identified. This pattern leads us to conclude that the perpetrators comprised a large number of people, striking simultaneously in several houses, and that several of the victims were not in a position to defend themselves.”
After the killing had ended, the fort was completely abandoned and left alone. Either no one was around, or no one was willing to care for and bury the dead. Partially eaten food, such as a half-eaten herring lying next to the hearth in House 40, along with cooking pots, strongly suggests “human activity inside the house ceased immediately following the massacre,” according to the research. “In houses where the roof turf did not collapse as a result of fire, the bodies would have been left to decompose unburied where they lay, until the houses eventually caved in.”
A sampling of the riches found in House 40.Photo: Daniel Lindskog
And then there’s the issue of scattered jewelry and other valuable remains. For reasons that are lost on the archaeologists, the killers left a surprising amount of riches behind after the massacre. Artifacts uncovered at the site include gilded silver brooches with an animal ornament, imported glass beads, cowrie shells brought in from the Mediterranean or Black Sea, silver pendants, rings, and a Roman gold coin. It’s not obvious why these treasures were ignored, but the presence of these items points to the conspicuous wealth of this island settlement.
Indeed, Sandby Borg contains some strange juxtapositions: murdered inhabitants surrounded by unlooted wealth, and homes inside a fort with no apparent defenses. Indeed, no weapons were uncovered by the archaeologists, who say it’s possible that the villager’s weapons were confiscated after the attack and taken as trophies, or thrown into a nearby bog as a ritual offering, but they don’t really know. The best conclusion they have is that the Sandby Borg massacre is evidence of post-Roman power struggles on the island, with the perpetrators working to establish themselves as the new local elite. As for the complete abandonment of the fort, it may have been left as dire warning to others.
There’s still plenty of work to be done at the site, and the researchers are planning for a summer dig. Perhaps we’ll learn more about this horrific massacre in the coming months, and get answers to the many mysteries left in its wake.
Shen Yue works as a “programmer motivator” at a consumer finance company in China. As the name suggests, her job is to inspirit programmers at her company, which involves chatting them up, coordinating social activities, and even giving them massages, according to a recent report from the New York Times.
Ms. Shen is 25-years-old with a degree in civil engineering, but her role at Chainfin.com is about keeping morale up as well as looking good at the front desk. “They really need someone to talk to them from time to time and to organize activities for them to ease some of the pressure,” she told the Times.
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Zhang Jing, the HR exec who hired Ms. Shen, reportedly said that a “programmer motivator” has to have certain physical attributes, noting that applicants must have “five facial features that must definitely be in their proper order,” know how to put on makeup, and be more than 5-feet-2-inches tall. Ms. Zhang also said that applicants should have a gentle speaking voice and, as the Times put it, a “contagious laugh.”
The Times reported that on a recent workday, Ms. Shen walked up to a male programmer, who complained about a sore wrist after long hours, on a foldout bed in the workplace. “The company’s intention is for me to give you a massage, though my technique might not be great,” Ms. Shen told the employee before they laughed and she gave him a shoulder massage.
It remains to be seen how widespread programmer motivators are in China, but the Times noted that a job search site run by Chinese tech company Baidu showed seven companies with job ads for such a position. What is pervasive in China, however, are openly sexist and discriminatory job postings. A new 99-page Human Rights Watch report published this week revealed that 19 percent of China’s 2018 national service job list ads stated that they were “men only,” “men preferred,” or “suitable for men.”
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The report also included examples of major tech companies flaunting the physical attributes of female employees to entice male candidates. A 2016 job posting on Baidu’s recruitment WeChat account, for instance, described its “pretty front desk girls” and “strong security men,” Human Rights Watch found. Meanwhile, Alibaba recently posted job ads bragging about its “beautiful girls” and “goddesses” at the company, and also posted a series of photos of young female employees on its recruitment social media account as a way to point out its “late night benefits.” Tencent included an article with a quote from a male employee on its recruitment WeChat account that stated that the reason he joined the company “originated from a primal impulse. It was mainly because the ladies at human resources and that interviewed me were very pretty.”
This also isn’t the first report of women hired in China with the sole purpose of cheering up programmers. In 2015, Trending in China reported on “programming cheerleaders.” The publication characterized them as “pretty, talented girls that help create a fun work environment. Their job includes buying programmers breakfast, chitchatting and playing ping-pong with them.”
A 31-year-old Chainfin employee, Feng Zhiyi, told the Times that “he was envious” after seeing photos of female programmer motivators online—they were fanning their male colleagues. “And now we have one, too,” he said.
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Xu Jiaolong, a female programmer at the company, said she doesn’t have any issues with Ms. Shen’s job, but reportedly quipped that the company should hire a male programmer motivator. Her colleague Feng, however, appeared cynical about the notion of male programmer motivators. “A man chatting with another man, it’s like going out on a date with a guy,” he said. “A little awkward, isn’t it?”
It’s important to note that Ms. Shen reportedly doesn’t see her position as degrading towards women. “Many feminist ideas are too extreme now,” she told the Times. “I think women should be independent, self-reliant and have self-respect. And that’s enough.”
There’s nothing inherently wrong with someone tasked with improving company morale. But if the job openly discriminates against women that look or sound a certain way, and is also viewed as a “women’s job,” and includes giving massages, it’s hard not to see it as anything short of profoundly demeaning.
American Towmanis billed as "Towing’s premier magazine," and they’ve covered the industry for decades, primarily focusing on emergency road service. Here their Field Editor Terry Abejuela provides a simple, easy-to-grasp demonstration of different configurations, how they work and what they do:
If any of you are interested in pulleys, sound off, and I can make a video showing you how I use them in my photo studio to make tasks easier.
Since the beginning, our aim with G Suite has been to help companies transform the way they work with our suite of cloud-based collaboration and productivity apps.
Today we’re announcing major updates to help the more than 4 million paying businesses that use G Suite work safer, smarter and more efficiently. This includes an all-new Gmail, with a brand new look on the web, advanced security features, new applications of Google’s artificial intelligence and even more integrations with other G Suite apps. We’re also introducing a new way to manage work on the go with Tasks.
Keep sensitive data secure with new Gmail security features
Keeping your data secure is our top priority, which is why last month, we introduced new phishing protections to help address Business Email Compromise (BEC) threats—or when someone impersonates an executive to get sensitive information. With these new protections, Gmail has helped block 99.9 percent of BEC attempts by warning users or automatically moving messages to spam for them.
Today, we’re introducing a new approach to information protection: Gmail confidential mode. With confidential mode, it’s possible to protect sensitive content in your emails by creating expiration dates or revoking previously sent messages. Because you can require additional authentication via text message to view an email, it’s also possible to protect data even if a recipient’s email account has been hijacked while the message is active.
New confidential mode in Gmail lets you set expiration dates for sensitive information.
Built-in Information Rights Management (IRM) controls also allow you to remove the option to forward, copy, download or print messages. This helps reduce the risk of confidential information being accidentally shared with the wrong people. Confidential mode will begin to roll out to consumer Gmail users and a limited number of G Suite customers in the coming weeks (broader rollout following).
We’ve also redesigned our security warnings within Gmail so that they are simpler to understand and give a clear call to action to employees. These bigger, bolder warnings will help you be even more informed when it comes to potentially risky email.
Bigger, bolder security warnings help you keep your company’s confidential information safe.
And it’s always worth a reminder: we do not scan Gmail for the purposes of targeting ads, and there are no ads shown in Gmail for G Suite customers.
Stay on top of email effortlessly using artificial intelligence in Gmail
New AI-powered features in Gmail, like Nudging, Smart Reply and high-priority notifications, can now help you spend more time on work that matters.
Most of us get more emails than we can deal with at one time, and sometimes things slip through the cracks. With Nudging, Gmail will proactively remind you to follow up or respond to messages, making sure you don’t drop the ball.
Now Gmail will intelligently (and subtly) “nudge” you when you need to prioritize actions in your inbox.
Last year, we introduced Smart Reply to our Gmail mobile apps. Smart Reply processes hundreds of millions of messages daily and already drives more than 10 percent of email replies on mobile. Today we’re bringing Smart Reply to Gmail on the web to help you respond to messages faster.
New notifications on mobile help you stay focused on what’s important (and eliminate clutter, too.).
We’re also introducing new features on mobile to help you minimize interruptions and clutter. High-priority notifications is a new setting that only notifies you of important messages, keeping interruptions to a minimum. Gmail can also recommend when to unsubscribe from mailing lists. Using intelligence, unsubscribe suggestions appear based on cues like how many emails you get from a sender and how many of them you actually read. You’ll start to see these notifications show up in your inbox over the coming weeks.
Over the past few months, Salesforce has tested the new Gmail to collaborate on global projects. “As the global leader in CRM, the ability to quickly and securely communicate with our stakeholders around the world is critical,” says Jo-ann Olsovsky, executive vice president and chief information officer of Salesforce. “Gmail’s new easy-to-use interface and built-in intelligence enable our employees to collaborate faster and smarter, spending less time managing their inboxes and more time driving our customers’ success.”
Gmail’s new easy-to-use interface and built-in intelligence enable our employees to collaborate faster and smarter.Jo-ann Olsovsky EVP, CIO of Salesforce
Accomplish more from your inbox with easy-to-use tools
We redesigned the Gmail web application to help you take action even quicker. Now you can see and click attachments in your inbox before ever opening a thread. You can also hover over messages (you don’t have to click into them) to do things like RSVP to a meeting invite, archive an email thread or snooze an email until the time is right.
Gmail’s new design helps you take action quicker.
As a part of the redesign, we’re also tightly integrating Gmail with other G Suite apps you use every day. Now you can quickly reference, create or edit Calendar invites, capture ideas in Keep or manage to-dos in Tasks all from a side panel in your inbox.
The side panel also makes it easy to access Gmail Add-ons, too, like third-party business apps you might use. This way you don’t have to switch between tabs or apps to get work done. You’ll start to see the new side panel integration in other G Suite apps in coming months—like inside of your Calendar, Docs, Sheets and Slides apps.
Use the new side panel in Gmail to access all of your favorite G Suite apps, like Google Calendar.
New native offline capabilities in Gmail on the web can help you work without interruption when you can’t find Wi-Fi. Search, write, respond, delete, or archive up to 90 days of messages, just as you would working online, but offline. Teams can start using offline capabilities in coming weeks.
Track projects and meet deadlines with Tasks’ refreshed design on the web and brand new mobile apps.
Like we mentioned, we’re introducing an all-new Tasks on web, as well as new mobile apps to help you handle work on the go. You can use Tasks to create tasks and subtasks, and even add due dates with notifications to help you stay on track.
And because Tasks closely integrates with G Suite, you can simply drag and drop an email from Gmail into Tasks to create a to-do. Tasks with due dates can also appear in your Calendar. You can download the new Tasks mobile apps from the Google Play Store or iOS App Store today.
The all-new Gmail experience is available for businesses to start using today in the G Suite Early Adopter Program (EAP) and can be turned on in the Admin console. Heads up: you’ll start to see offline support, confidential mode (limited release), Nudging, high-priority notifications and unsubscribe suggestions appear in the coming weeks. Keep up with the latest news on these features in the G Suite Updates blog.
Personal Gmail users can opt-in to the new experience, too (Go to Settings in the top right and select “Try the new Gmail.”).
Email is a necessity for most of us. We use it to stay in touch with colleagues and friends, keep up with the latest news, manage to-dos at home or at work—we just can’t live without it. Today we announced major improvements to Gmail on the web to help people be more productive at work. Here’s a quick look at how the new Gmail can help you accomplish more from your inbox.
Do more without leaving your inbox
Gmail’s new look helps you get more done. Click on attachments—like photos—without opening or scrolling through large conversations, use the new snooze button to put off emails that you just can’t get to right now or easily access other apps you use often, like Google Calendar, Tasks and Keep.
Gmail will also “nudge” you to follow up and respond to messages with quick reminders that appear next to your email messages to help make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
We’re also adding Smart Reply to Gmail on the web to help you reply to messages faster.
New features on mobile, like high-priority notifications, can notify you of important messages to help you stay focused without interruption. Plus, Gmail will start suggesting when to unsubscribe from newsletters or offers you no longer care about.
And you might notice new warnings in Gmail that alert you when potentially risky email comes through.
Finally, a new confidential mode allows you to remove the option to forward, copy, download or print messages—useful for when you have to send sensitive information via email like a tax return or your social security number. You can also make a message expire after a set period of time to help you stay in control of your information.
Get started
You can start using these new updates in Gmail on the web today, with some features appearing within the coming weeks. Go to Settings (the cog wheel in the top right corner of your inbox) and select “Try the new Gmail.” If you want to switch back later down the road, you can go to the same place and select “Go back to classic Gmail.”
If you’re interested in learning more about how you can use Gmail in the workplace, check out our G Suite post which has more detail on all of the ways Gmail can help you stay productive.
I used to think I didn’t like asparagus, but it turned out to be—as these aversions often are—a textural problem. Their stalks would remain fibrous and tough even as half the stalk and the tips turned to mush. My mind was changed a few years ago when some restaurant dish I ordered came with a salad of pleasantly al dente asparagus, the tips tender but not mushy.
At home, I tried blanching the stalks, grilling them, baking them, but nothing recreated that texture—until I learned of a combination boiling-steaming method involving a mason jar and very little kitchen skill. The technique came to my attention via Ari LeVaux’s cooking column in my local newspaper Missoulian. (Strange coincidence: When my boyfriend and I visited Missoula to decide whether we wanted to move here, we stayed in LeVaux’s AirBnb, not knowing we had the food-writing beat in common. He had a solid-looking backyard garden.)
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Anyway, LeVaux recommends a method for cooking asparagus that he gleaned from the translation of an ancient Latin cookbook compiled in the first century A.D. Known as Apicius, it’s a tome that’s inspired cooks for centuries all the way until the present-day. But though it’s often called “the world’s oldest cookbook,” the Apicius collection is not really a cookbook in the modern sense. Its instructions are more guidelines than recipes, lacking precise measurements and of course, baffling modern readers with lost-in-translation Latin terms.
It’s a good thing LeVaux did the asparagus research for me, scrounging up a mid-1930s translation that helped illuminate this ancient cooking method. Basically, it recommends cooking the asparagus in boiling water “rursum,” which is translated to mean “backwards.” Apicius’ instructions call for a bunch of asparagus to be stood stalk-side down in boiling water that doesn’t reach all the way up the stalk. This way, the boiling water tenderizes the thicker stalks while steam merely tenderizes the tips. No mushy tips, no tough stalks.
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To recreate this, I placed a bunch of asparagus—I cut about 1/4-inch off the bottom—in a dry pickle jar. (You could use a mason jar, but a pickle jar is slightly fatter.) I boiled a few inches of water in a large stock pot, then carefully placed the jar in the pot. The water bubbled about halfway up the jar while the steam swirled around the tips. After 25 minutes, I removed the jar. Now, I know what you’re thinking: 25 minutes?! For asparagus?! But it’s a passive 25 minutes—I started cooking something else while this was happening—and it’s worth it to nail the perfect texture for both tips and stems.
Success! The stalks were the same texture as the tips—tender but not mushy. Levaux added cream, butter, and garlic into his jar to infuse some flavor into the asparagus, but I left mine plain since they were destined for this sweet-tart balsamic, asparagus, and pecan salad.
Now that I know of the Apicius method for cooking asparagus, I’ll never go back to my failed grilling or blanching or sautéing. If someone could solve my next kitchen conundrum—how to devein shrimp in under two hours and without being bored to tears—I’m ready for it.
If you’ve recently received a concealed carry weapon (CCW) permit, you probably feel ready to start carrying your firearm everywhere. Just because you’ve been issued a permit doesn’t mean you’re immune to legal or other kinds of trouble with your handgun. There are some common mistakes gun owners make which can easily be avoided. Instead of risking an incident which could have serious costs and consequences, keep the following tips in mind to be an effective and responsible concealed carrier.
1. Take Carrying Seriously
From the start, you need to be in the proper mindset to carry a firearm. Having a handgun carries with it a lot of responsibility with potentially serious consequences. It’s too easy when you first start to carry to feel invincible because of your weapon.
Instead, always see your pistol as a tool for self-defense and be realistic about scenarios you may encounter. Your ultimate goal should be to avoid conflict if at all possible. Your firearm is a last resort, not a show of force.
2. Stay Trained with Regular Practice
In most states, obtaining a permit requires proper firearm training to cover the basics. But just because you’ve taken a class doesn’t guarantee success using your firearm in a real-life situation.
Seeking out more training – and practicing those skills – is essential to being effective if and when the time comes. Following through with regular practice in a secure situation like a gun range will ensure your skills stay sharp. This can also teach you more about how your weapon performs, how to handle a malfunction, and reloading under stress; all of which are critical to know before a dangerous situation occurs.
3. Pair Your Firearm With the Right Holster
Choosing the right firearm for your situation is only part of the job; you also need a proper holster. It’s best to test a few options to find the perfect fit for your weapon and body type.
Selecting between an inside the waistband (IWB) or outside the waistband (OWB) holster is a good place to start. You’ll also want to find one that is made of a durable material which will be comfortable to wear all day.
Whatever holster you choose, make sure it offers good retention while allowing a fast, smooth draw with the firearm you plan to carry.
4. Make Carrying Second-Nature
If you intend to carry a gun, you should make it a point to carry as often as is appropriate. Make your handgun a part of your normal routine so you can become more comfortable wearing it. This will help you be accustomed to it so that strapping on your holster will be as second-nature as fastening your seatbelt when you drive.
5. Avoid Unnecessary Attention in Public
The advantage of a CCW permit is that you can carry your weapon without anyone being aware you’re armed. But that advantage is lost if you behave in a way that draws attention to your firearm in public.
People new to carrying often focus too much on their gun and may constantly reach back to check their weapon. They may fidget with their holster if it isn’t secure or slips out of position.
Both of these common behaviors should be curbed as much as possible. The last thing you want is to lose the concealed part of concealed carry. Having a high quality holster that’s comfortable, and limiting any adjustments only to private settings can keep everyone calm.
6. Consider Your Clothing When Carrying
Speaking of being comfortable, when you carry, it’s important to consider your holster’s impact on your outfit. Form-fitting fabrics may cause you rig to “print,” making the outline of your weapon visible.
Certain styles of clothing, such as overtly tactical or camouflage gear can also impact your ability to stay discreet. Instead, try to wear loose-fitting styles and fabrics. Not only will they make concealing your weapon more effective, but they provide better draw access.
7. Keep Informed About Local Laws
As the debates regarding gun ownership and carrying continue, changes to laws are bound to happen in various jurisdictions. One of the most important ways to be a responsible CCW permit holder is to stay up-to-date about the laws in any area to which you plan to travel with your weapon. Make sure you’re 100% familiar with restrictions about where you can legally carry and use your firearm before you get there.
Brian Ford is a freelance writer and blogger based in Austin, Texas. With a love for hunting, hiking, and the great outdoors in general, he often writes outside. In his free time, he enjoys spending afternoons at his local range.
Rev1 Ventures invested in a record number of startups in 2017 and its portfolio companies brought a combined $201 million revenue and new capital to Central Ohio – bringing cumulative economic impact since 2013 to $1.4 billion.
