Blog Archive: April 2016

Home Remodeling - Season 2 starts now

29 April, 2016 | Home Remodeling | 9 seen

Loyal readers of this blog are already familiar with the home renovation and remodeling process which we started a year ago, if not, make sure you check out article - How it all starts.

On April 14, 2016 we made a long and tired journey with our cats to get where we left this process at the end of Summer 2015. I was really glad that I had spent whole winter improving my photographer skills (see digital photography school), so it was just a matter of installing a tripod in meadow and setting my camera to capture HDR images.

There are two major things we did last year - replaced roof and landscaped surrounding territory - the results - looks amazing (if compared how it was a year ago). For this years plans - a water supply is a must have, in order to get water here, we need to dug a well at first. We plan to construct a bathroom (for that we will need to change few bearing beams and rebuild from scratch few walls). I believe a lot of effort will be put on territory improvement, one of the things we plan to do on this - to dug our small fish pond a bit bigger). But for now - take a look, how well Spring around our rural house looks through my camera lens.

Drupal String Overrides For Comment form + Translated Month names

27 April, 2016 | Drupal Development | 9 seen

In yesterday's article How to hide Drupal comment Subject line and help text I talked about a simple and neat module Simplify, with help of whom I was able to get rid of confusing Subject line field and help area under Drupal comments. I was working with a Drupal for a non-English language website and had to translate some strings - of course I could go for Internationalization module, but since this site is just in one language - Internationalization might be too much - I didn't wanted to install Drupal in other language than English - I was left with few options to rewrite some of English language strings to other language. 

Luckily, some time ago I was working on Georgian language site, and I remember I used neat module String Overrides:

Provides a quick and easy way to replace any text on the site.

For todays challenge - I had to change (translate) strings on Drupal comment form and provide translated version for month names. Let's start with changing strings for comment form:

Download and install String Overrides module, from modules configuration page enter Original string, for…

How to hide Drupal comment Subject line and help text

26 April, 2016 | Drupal Development | 37 seen

There are several ways of hiding Input format options for Drupal comments, the simplest (but the wrongest) way is by just hiding area with CSS (display:none), second -  you can use the hook_form_alter function to make changes to a form before it is rendered (See article: How to Theme the Comment Form in Drupal 7)  and third one is by using a simple module with simple name: Simplify.

In this article you will find how to hide help area for Drupal comments using module Simplify.

I must admit, I have always avoided using default Drupal comment system (which ships out of box for any Drupal site, you just need to enable it from modules page) - I don't now actually why I have been avoiding them, and opted to use third party comment providers (Disqus, for example)

I was working on non-profit Drupal site (voluntary) and wanted to build it without involving any third party plugins, the site involves blog posts and for a comment system I opted in for default Drupal comment system. Just shortly after enabling them - I really didn't like them, because of - confusing Subject field and filter tips area.…

Top 20 Intel Core i7 processor Laptop / Notebook models

25 April, 2016 | Laptop Reviews | 720 seen

When it comes to power and endurance a fast processor, plenty of RAM and a great graphics card are among the top three to look at.

In this article, I have listed the Top 20 laptop models with the  Intel Core i7 processors.

Below listed models will be the top choice among gamers and business users. Creative graphic designers, video animators, and photographers will enjoy these powerful laptops as well.

See: Top 5 Best Selling Intel Core i9 (Gaming) Processor Laptops

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This article contains affiliate links to Amazon.com, by clicking on links on this page and by making a purchase on the Amazon site, I will earn an affiliate income at no cost to you. Prices for laptops listed on this page are retrieved using Amazon Product  Advertising API and are updated daily. For actual prices please refer to the product page on Amazon.

Drupal - How To Add Read More Link To Copied Text (addtocopy)

25 April, 2016 | Drupal Development | 12 seen

Time after time I have received negative comments on my blog, where users were complaining about disabled copy functionality from my blog - For a very long time I had disabled to copy any text and images from my blog using simple but neat Drupal module: Copy Prevention. See case study here: How To Protect Drupal Content (Articles and Photos) From Being Copied

My main concern was at least to somehow protect my digital artworks (I have a few gigabytes of my photos uploaded and stored in this blog).

Following words I used to describe my situation around a year ago:

Some time ago I noticed some website has copied my content including all texts and photos. I immediately contacted the website owner with a request to take down this copy/pasted content. This simple approach worked this time and indeed my content was taken down.

Although in next morning I found another website has just copy/pasted my content with text and images, again I contacted them with request to take my content down, because of I have not given such permission to re-publish my contents and photos.- Read more: https://www.reinisfischer.com/how…

Cafe La Brioche in Batumi

23 April, 2016 | Restaurant reviews | 30 seen

Cafe La Brioche is located at Batumi Pizza square on top floor at clock tower - delicious Italian coffee, masterpiece desserts and gourmet food is served here.

If being in Batumi you feel an aroma of Italian coffee in the air, bravely follow it because you will be surely led into the heart of the city, on the Piazza Square, in the famous French Cafe “La Brioche”.

Entrance doors at Piazza clock tower 

Inside interior at Cafe La Brioche

Free English newspapers are available here, while waiting for our supper to be served I red a few ones.

Here lovers of magnificent architecture and live music can always relax in the summer outdoor cafe. And fans of the more quiet atmosphere and comfortable ambience can spend time at the cafe on the third floor of the tower with a library of more than 700 books from all over the world.

Strawberry dessert 

Start your day at «La Brioche» with filling breakfast. On the menu is oatmeal porridge, fried eggs, omelette, pancakes, cr?pes, croissants and of course the best Italian coffee from 100% Arabica beans.

Mushroom cream soup

Piazza Square in Batumi

22 April, 2016 | Tourism objects | 105 seen

Piazza square in Batumi is one of the landmarks of city - square features luxury and boutique hotels, cafeterias and interesting architectural elements. A small Italian renaissance in Georgian sauce. 

The visiting - card of Batumi, local peoples and tourists favorite place of meeting. Batumi Piazza was built in 2009 in Old Batumi. Square was designed by famous Georgian architect Vazha Orbeladze and it is a mixture and an unique ensemble of different styles and trends.

Clock tower at Piazza square in Batumi

Inside the tower building there are lovely restaurant and a boutique hotel located

Piazza Square in Batumi

Visit www.piazza.ge to learn more

Argo Entertainment Center and Cable Car (Viewing Platform in Batumi)

21 April, 2016 | Tourism objects | 22 seen

By saying Argo Entertainment Center and Cable car I wanted actually to say - Batumi viewing platform. As this place is located at the other end of Batumi Aerial tram ropeway, and from here a spectacular view towards Batumi bay can be seen. 

Cable car station at Anuria mountain in Batumi

There is a small lovely church located next to the station building.Inside the building there are small cafeteria.

I have headed here especially for taking lovely sunset photography, the ride price in cable car 10 GEL (as of 2016). Speaking of actual entertainment here, I can't name anything than just a small cafeterias and few paid binoculars, but here is what gobatumi.com has to say about it:

Entertaining center Argo is located on Anuria Mountain, 250 meters high from the sea level. The complex offers spectacular views of Batumi, the Black Sea and the surrounding mountains. The center comprises restaurants, cafes, retail shops, open air halls, podium and roof terraces as well. The building is designed using Argo symbols, the ship by which mythical Jason and Argonauts sailed to Kolchida. Entertaining center also…

Cafe - Bar Qaravan in Batumi

20 April, 2016 | Restaurant reviews | 19 seen

If there is a reason to visit Qaravan restaurant in Batumi, Kiev's Cutlet, Olivie salads are just a few of my reasons.

First discovered by accident back at the start of 2011, this place has been on my radar ever since.Located next to the Batumi Circus building on Nikoloz Baratashvili street 23.

Kiev's Cutlet at Qaravan in Batumi

Gosh, the best Kiev's Cutlets here

Olivie salads

The interior here at Qaravan bar-cafe is a bit old and neglected, the music box in the corner playing top songs from Soviet era will throw you in a few decades back in the history, thus the food is just amazing and prices are really affordable.

Ali and Nino- The Statue of Love in Batumi

19 April, 2016 | Tourism objects | 26 seen

Batumi will never end to surprise you, and so does the Miracle park close to Batumi Bay. Exactly here is located a really cool statue of Love, meet Ali and Nino.

I spent a lovely morning at Batumi Miracle park and photographed here a lot, when was turn to photograph Ali and Nino, I had already switched my kit lens to more powerful telephoto lens - got a really cool close ups at the end.

Ali and Nino Statue of Love

Created by Georgian artist Tamar Kvesitadze (Georgian: თამარ კვესიტაძე), the figures move toward each other and merge into one piece every 10 minutes. (Source: ABOUT ART – “STATUE OF LOVE” IN BATUMI) 

It was fun to learn that idea behind the statue was taken from Kurban Said novel with the same naming - Ali and Nino a novel about a romance between a Muslim Azerbaijani boy and Christian Georgian girl in Baku in the years 1918-1920.

Ali and Nino

Q1 2016 Blog Traffic and Online Income - 136,784 Users / $2,467.48

18 April, 2016 | Blogging | 13 seen

For the past two years I was doing online income reports each month, at start I even had separate versions for traffic and income reports, as time went, and in last September I decided to combine them in one post, latter at the end of the year I got a feeling that monthly reports are probably a bit overdose -  today I'm representing first quarterly report covering early months of 2016 - January, February and March.

In a long run - I believe quarterly reviews can give a better understanding of what actually happens, also it gives more time to observe effects of new implementations.

For a complete list of tools and resources I use to power my blog, check out resources page.

Right, if you had red until this place, you already know my results for website traffic and pure online income from it at Q1 of 2016. If you would love to learn more what' s behind scenes and see some comparison with past quarters, please continue reading. 

Blog traffic for the past six month had been very stable - about 45,000 monthly users. First quarter of 2016 if compared…

Kalina Ukrainian Restaurant in Tbilisi

17 April, 2016 | Restaurant reviews | 27 seen

Kalina is a Ukrainian cuisine restaurant in Tbilisi (located on 18 Shalva Dadiani street). Last time I was here (2016), you could try varenyiki, dumplings and other Ukrainian goodies..

The place has a pretty decent retro style interior, seems this interior style is trendy for Tbilisi. The same interior you can find at Gardenia, Barberstan... this retro interior style is trendy all over the world, chandelier lamp shades, jars on shelves and so on.

Interior at Kalinka

Overall the interior is pretty fine (just boring, as have been seen a dozen of times already) let's speak about food - Since this place serves Ukrainian cuisine I opted for Herring in coat, dumplings in a pot with sour cream and vareniki. 

Look at Herring in coat:

Herring in coat at Kalinka restaurant

Vareniki

Dumplings in the pot

Chacha Tower in Batumi

16 April, 2016 | Tourism objects | 20 seen

Chacha tower is really interesting tourist attraction site in Georgia's Black Sea resort town of Batumi. Originally built in 2012, it was meant to feature Georgian national spirit chacha fountain instead of water. 

It has been noted that noted that chacha will flow once a week for 15 minutes. Frankly speaking I have never seen chacha flowing here yet.

Chacha Tower in Batumi

The tower is surrounded by 4 fountain pools, near which the dispensers with sensor taps are installed.

Chacha dispensers 

Construction of 25-meter Chacha Tower costed around 800,000 Georgian Lari (around 500,000 USD) to Batumi City Hall, which financed the project. Tower was constructed in traditional style

Chacha tower in Batumi

Chacha is a strong Georgian spirit, sometimes described as grape brandy or grappa.

Alphabetic tower in Batumi

15 April, 2016 | Tourism objects | 21 seen

Alphabetic tower is one of the many skyscrapers of Batumi. The tower symbolizes the uniqueness of Georgian alphabet and people.

Located in the Miracle park, Alphabetic tower of Batumi can be considered as one of the main tourist attraction sites in the city. 

Alphabetic Tower is a total of 130 meter tall. The structure combines the design of DNA, in its familiar double helix pattern. Two helix bands rise up the tower holding 33 letters of the Georgian alphabet, each 4 meters tall and made of aluminum.

In the middle of the building is an exposed elevator shaft leading to very the top of the building, in the crown of the structure, where a colossal silver ball is located.

Alphabetic tower in Batumi

Alphabetic Tower was built by Spanish company CMD Ingenieros. Construction began on 10 October 2010 with the exterior of the structure completed in December 2011. The building cost $65 million to build.

Batumi Miracle Park

14 April, 2016 | Tourism objects | 48 seen

Miracle park located on the shores of Georgian Black sea resort town Batumi, features Alphabet tower, Statue of Lowers, Lighthouse, Ferris wheel and Chacha tower. It is directly connected to Batumi boulevard and Batumi city bay. 

Visitors of Batumi city will enjoy unique and really interesting architecture, featuring some of the tallest buildings in country.

View towards Batumi skyscrapers

When I first visited Batumi back in 2011, there was just one unfinished skyscraper (Radisson building at left). When I moved to live in Batumi for about six months in 2012, a new university were built (now it's turned into some city administration building, Alphabet tower was built and Chacha tower bas established here). That huge building (with crane on top if) was meant to be a Trumps Tower (he even visited Batumi in 2012 and together with former president Mikheil Saakashvili laid the foundation for this building)

Bicycle rental at Batumi Miracle park

I was not able to rent a bicycle here using that ATM box at the left (March 2016)

Ferris wheel and Batumi lighthouse

Alphabet tower and…