Blog Archive: July 2019

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Zoom Lens Review

26 July, 2019 | Digital Photography School | 15 seen

At the end of July, I finally got replacement lens for original Canon Rebel T5 (Canon 1200D) DSLR camera - I ordered online from Amazon Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Zoom Lens.

For the original kit lens, the autofocus stopped working properly and for the most time I had to shoot in manual mode, it's perfectly fine for me, but I admit having working autofocus is really neat, it can help a lot (for example in bright sunlight).

I was inching between 18-55mm zoom lens and 24mm pancake lens, but after all, I went tor the 18-55mm (as I have been shooting with it for the last 4 years)

Top 5 Best Selling Canon EF / EF-S Lenses 2019

Designed for high-quality still image and video capture while being compact and lightweight, the new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens features the optics, AF and image stabilization necessary for shooting in any number of situations.

Please note this article contains links to Amazon by clicking on links on this page and by making a purchase on Amazon site, I might earn an affiliate income from that at no cost to you.

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Zoom Lens

In total, I paid ~ $79 for this STM zoom lens, which is a fair price. The STM is quiet and will work for video shooting excellent.

When you see a Canon lens with STM in the name, it means that it features Canon’s Stepper Motor technology. Canon introduced this motor design to be a quieter and smoother focus system that allows for near-silent focusing during video recording. When Canon’s lenses were first designed many years ago, DSLRs could not shoot video so there was no need for them to be extremely quiet. These days, not only do Canon’s DSLRs and mirrorless cameras shoot video, but they also have the Cinema EOS line of movie cameras which also use the same EF Mount lenses.

Capturing details with Canon EF-S 18-15mm lens

For brilliant image quality, it has one high-precision aspheric lens to reduce chromatic aberration throughout the zoom range. It features optimized lens coatings to ensure exceptional color balance while minimizing ghosting and flare and a 7-blade circular aperture to ensure beautiful, soft backgrounds. For outstanding performance, the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens perfectly complements the Movie Servo AF feature found on select EOS Cameras with a compact six-group zoom system and a new stepping motor and focus mechanism to deliver smooth and quiet continuous AF during movie shooting. Still photography benefits from a high-speed CPU and an optimized AF algorithm.

Full-time manual focus is available in AF mode and the front element does not rotate during focus, perfect for use with polarizing filters. Handheld photography is enhanced by the lens' Optical Image Stabilizer system, offering the equivalent of four stops of compensation. Compact and highly versatile, it is the ideal lens to carry anywhere.

Landscape photography at 55mm

Specifications

• Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 18–55mm 1:3.5–5.6
• Lens Construction: 13 elements in 11 groups
• Diagonal Angle of View: 74°20' – 27°50'
• Focus Adjustment: Inner focusing system
• Closest Focusing Distance: 0.82 ft. / 0.25m
• Filter Size: 58mm
• Max Diameter x Length, Weight: 2.7 x 3.0 inches, approx. 7.2 oz. / 69.0 x 75.2mm, approx. 205g

Fix for Drupal 'Social Share Counter' module - Facebook Counter Not Working

16 July, 2019 | Drupal Development | 9 seen

I have been using Drupal's Social Share counter module for some time already. It worked great until recently it stopped and all posts were showing 0 shares.

After a quick research on the modules issue page, I found the solution: Facebook share counter not working

Facebook has changed its API recently, so the URL http://graph.facebook.com/?id=URL, which is used by the module no longer works and the share counter is always 0.

There is also a patch provided to fix this issue:

After patching social share counter was back and counting. Hope it helps

Gonio Fortress

14 July, 2019 | Military Heritage | 19 seen

Gonio fortress, previously called Apsaros, or Apsarunto, is a Roman fortification in Adjara, Georgia, on the Black Sea, 15 km south of Batumi, at the mouth of the Chorokhi river. The village sits 4 km north of the Turkish border.

Gonio has been on my radar since I probably first visited Batumi back in the Summer of 2011, but for the first time, I visited this ancient Roman site at the end of April 2019, while doing an easy weekend trip around the region of Adjara.

The entrance fee was 3 GEL (April 2019)

Fortification walls at Gonio Fortress

For those of you interested in history:

The oldest reference to the fortress is by Pliny the Elder[ in the Natural History (1st century AD). There is also a reference to the ancient name of the site in Appian’s Mithridatic Wars (2nd century AD). In the 2nd century AD it was a well-fortified Roman city within Colchis. The town was also known for its theatre and hippodrome. It later came under Byzantine influence. The name "Gonio" is first attested in Michael Panaretos in the 14th century. In addition, there was a short-lived Genoese trade factory at the site. In 1547 Gonio was taken by the Ottomans, who held it until 1878, when, via the San-Stefano Treaty, Adjara became part of the Russian empire. In the fall of 1647, according to Evliya Çelebi, Gonio was captured by a Cossack navy of 70 chaikas, but quickly recovered by Ghazi Sidi Ahmed, ruler of the Tortum sanjak, with a force of 1,000 Turks and 3,000 "Mingrelians".

Inside the Gonio fortress

The grave of Saint Matthias, one of the twelve apostles, is believed to be inside the Gonio fortress. However, this is unverifiable as the Georgian government currently prohibits digging near the supposed gravesite. Other archaeological excavations are however taking place on the grounds of the fortress, focusing on Roman layers.

Gonio fortress

Gonio is currently experiencing a tourism boom. Most tourists come from Tbilisi in the summer months to enjoy beaches that are generally regarded as cleaner than Batumi's beaches (located 15 km to the north).

Free parking in front of the main entrance gates of Gonio fortress

One Year Anniversary for the Child's Stock Investment Portfolio

13 July, 2019 | Investments | 13 seen

Today, on July 13th, we are celebrating both 1-year anniversaries for our baby daughter and her stock investment portfolio.

In today's article, I will shed some light on the second (investment portfolio) a year after.

Originally I come up with a plan to build a high-yield $10,000 child investment portfolio by the time our baby girl will turn 2. (July 2020). Right now we are looking at $80-$100 monthly dividends by the time she will turn 2.  

Since July 2018 we have invested $5,485.07 in 8 stocks. In our first year, we have generated a dividend income of $241.36 ($71.12 back in 2018; $170.14 in 2019). That's about 4.4% dividend yield.

Unfortunately, we have experienced a -4.75% value drop, luckily dividends level things up, and after the first year, the value + dividends = -0.13%. 

Market value

Our child's portfolio now has as TTM at $590.64, giving daily $1.62 and hourly 0.07$. 

• On the average portfolio generates $49.22/mo

Plans / Goals for Second child's Stock Investment anniversary

We are looking on about invested $10.000 by July 2020, our goal is to reach on the average $110/mo from dividend income.

For the next year, I will look for more stocks on which we could sell options to generate additional income, and boost our dividend income portfolio for baby daughter. 

Investment Goal #7 - Selling Puts to Own / Generate Income

HP ENVY x360 - 15-cn0003ur Convertable Touchscreen Laptop Review

9 July, 2019 | Gadget Reviews | 46 seen

HP ENVY x360 - convertible touchscreen Laptop is the latest addition to our home office. Bought at the local Tbilisi shop in early June 2019. Paid about $1,150 but I believe you could get one much cheaper on Amazon

Equipped with Backlit keyboard, FULL HD 1920X1080 screen resolution, this laptop will make many envy it. lol

Top 20 Laptops with Full HD 1920X1080 Resolution

From its distinctive materials and iconic design, this PC exudes unparalleled beauty. Built thin and light for those on-the-go - expect premium design features including a brilliant backlit keyboard, seamless profile, and geometric pattern speaker grill.

Top 20 Best Selling Laptops with a backlit keyboard 2019

Please note this article contains links to Amazon by clicking on links on this page and by making a purchase on Amazon site, I might earn an affiliate income from that at no cost to you.

HP Envy in a box

More power, more security, and more ways to do it all. The convertible 15" (38.1 cm) HP ENVY x360 lets you adapt to anything your day has in store, without sacrificing power or security. With the power and versatility you want and a suite of cutting-edge security features you need, you can stay productive and protected like never before.

Top 20 Aluminium Chassis Notebook / Laptop Computers

HP Envy x360

Last, but not least this laptop easily converts into a tablet

HP Envy x360 tablet mode

Technical details

Kirman Belazur Resort &Spa Review in Antalya, Turkey

5 July, 2019 | Hotel reviews | 27 seen

Situated at the seafront, Kirman Hotels Belazur Resort & Spa has a private beach but you don't need a beach when you have one of the longest warm water outdoor pools. 

There is a water park and a bowling alley on site and guests can enjoy the restaurant and bar. Free WiFi is featured throughout the hotel and free private parking is available on site.

We booked a tour package from Tbilisi to Turkey's region of Antalya and chose this 5-star resort hotel in Belek (the total amount we paid for this tour package with a charter flight from Tbilisi to Antalya and Back was about USD 1,200 for a 6-night stay). Our trip took us here in early June 2019. For booking this trip we chose the local Georgian company Discovery which sold us a tour in partnership with Pegas Touristik

Top 5-star Luxury Hotels in Belek (Antalya /All - Inclusive)

For me, this was the first time experience booking all-inclusive tour package with a charter flight. Actually, there are not many all-inclusive hotels from my travel list, the last one I remember was back in 2016 in Spain's Torremolinos (see: Hotel Parasol Garden Review in Torremolinos, Spain) 

Kirman Belazur Resort & Spa hotel in Belek, Turkey

During our 6 night stay here I made about 200 hundred photos here, mostly family portraits and just in the last evening I took a tripod and made the above long exposure picture.

What can I say - rooms are decent, we got a seaside view room in a separate building, the room was soundproof, or there were little guests during our stay there.  Cannot complain about sounds issues.

Food is good, and you can eat all day along, including taking free alcohol, there are two coffee bars (the lobby and on the ground level, where you can get drinks all day long). We opted for cappuccinos and sprite with ice instead of sipping wine or something stronger. Also, I didn't notice any drunk persons during our time here. Probably because this is because the hotel is very kid friendly, and there were many families with kids, including us with our little baby girl, during our stay here, she was 11-month old.

There are many activities for kids, starting a small baby pool, ending a separate aqua park, which unfortunately we didn't visit any time this time. There is a gym, which is basic, just a few treadmills, dumbbells and a few machines. I visited gym twice and was very satisfied taking a swim after a workout at the outdoor pool.

About rooms: Each room comes with a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. Some rooms include a seating area where you can relax. Some units have views of the mountains or pool. Each room has a private bathroom. For your comfort, you will find free toiletries and a hairdryer.

The resort offers a spa and wellness centre. There is a sauna, hammam, and a fitness centre on site. You can also engage in various activities, such as golfing and canoeing.

My partner visited SPA in the first day and spent about USD 100 for more than  2 hour (anti-stress package, face-lift, massage with oils and so on). Very professional SPA, not touristic service. You got what you paid for..

June 2019 Dividend Income Report - $299.51

3 July, 2019 | Investments | 18 seen

Welcome to the twenty-sixth (#26) dividend income report, covering earnings I've made from dividend-paying stocks, peer to peer lending (both fiat and cryptocurrencies) in June 2019.

At the start of June, we booked an All - Inclusive tour package from Tbilisi to Turkey's Antalya and spent a week in a 5-star hotel SPA and resort in Belek.

I made the following long exposure picture in the last evening while in the resort:

Kirman Belazur Resort and Spa 5-star hotel in Belek, Turkey

Learn more: Kirman Belazur Resort&Spa Review in Antalya, Turkey

$299.51 was taken from dividend stocks and peer to peer lending in June 2019. Ahh, so close to crack $300, that we could even smell it, but unfortunately not this time.

Actually, I doubt I will manage to crack $300 anytime soon (at least not this year, though anything could happen), but on the other hand we are in the two hundreds

Additional $408.80 were made from options trading, but as options trading is not actually a passive form of making money while you are sleeping it wouldn't be fair to include them in dividend income report. On the other hand option income is a nice way to give a boost to the overall portfolio.

And in fact, last month, income from options + dividends helped to generate 2.32% yield from the total value of the portfolio. That's about 27.84% annually.

Dividends + income from options trading made pretty decent $708.31 income last June. Awesome. 

I have a plan for the next 3 months to make at least $600/mo. Let's see how it will work at the end.

Last but not least, last June I resumed my trading efforts with cryptocurrencies, and I made 0.232 ETH trading ETH options on Deribit. 0.232 ETH was worth of $71.68 at the end of June 2019.

Trading Bitcoin / Ethereum Options (Selling Puts) on Deribit - Part 1

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links to mintos.com peer to peer lending and deribit.com options trading websites, by clicking on links on this page and by making investment mintos.com or derbit.com, I might earn affiliate income at no cost to you. Also, I'm not a financial advisor and I don't give you any advice, I'm just sharing my own experience. Investments in stocks, funds, bonds or cryptos are risk investments and you could lose some or all of your money. Do your due diligence before investing in any kind of asset. 

Sign up for Mintos.com here. By using my affiliate link for registration both you and I will receive — 1% of our average daily balance which should be paid in 3 installments for the first 90 days.

Interest income in June 2019

From the stocks, Mintos.com peer to peer lending and from cryptocurrency lending on Poloniex.com I got following income last month:

Ticker

Earnings

Mintos

€56.42

BGLF

€48.00

NCN1T

€21.59

TVEAT

€20.24

WPG

€16.55

PEI

€15.79

ATRS

€13.50

XIN

€12.74

USA

€11.76

NHCBHFFT

€10.00

VTA

€8.70

EDF

€6.77

CLM

€5.41

EDi

€5.11

RA

€4.19

Poloniex

€3.85

AWP

€3.76

NCV

€3.71

Total: EUR 267.42 / USD 299.51

In total there were 18 great companies paying us dividends in June

Mintos continues to be #1 in terms of interest income generated

Mintos.com Review After 24 Month of Investing in Peer to Peer Lending

The YoY growth rate for my dividend income in June 2019 was + 103.14% or  $152.07 more than a year ago in June 2018. Now, that's some serious growth.

Monthly income

My journey towards million dollars in savings account now is more than 2 years old. The result, so far, looks quite good. Dividends are growing. 

Monthly Income chart as of June 2019

The cumulative earnings for 2019 now are $1,126.24 which is exactly 55.07% from my goal of 2019 ($2,045). On average, it would ask me to generate $153.13 every month for the next 6 months to reach my goal. Looks easy now, as I'm pretty confident reaching this goal, as there are more months planned to have dividend income at the level of $200/mo and more.

2018 in Review and Financial Goals for 2019

Goals for June 2020

This is my favorite part of the reports - trying to forecast/set goals for the next year. But before setting a goal for 2020, let's see what I forecasted/said a year ago:

My goal for June 2019 is dividend income of $200. Should be easy.

Indeed, it was very easy. Not only $200 was reached and cracked, but almost $300 were cracked. Awesome.

For 2020, I'm looking to take at least $400 in dividend income.