Blog Archive: July 2022

Velēna church

28 July, 2022 | Churches and Monasteries | 22 seen

The Velēna Lutheran Church is at the crossing of the Smiltene-Gulbene-Lizums roads. I would call this as one of the most beautiful churches in Latvia.

It's said the first built church here was a wooden church with a turf roof. This is where the place got its name from – Velēna (Torf). Visitors can still enjoy one of the most beautiful organs in Latvia, built in 1898 in W. Sauer Company, they are considered as one of the best preserved organs in Latvia.

My mother, a Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church pastor Sarmite Fišere served here back in the 1980-ties and again briefly at the end of 1990-ties.

One Day in Micini

26 July, 2022 | | 12 seen

Micini has a very special place in my heart - I spent a brief time, about two years here, back in the 90-ties, living with my grandmother. Back in the days - there was some life here - a farm with more than 100 cows, few families, and even a public bus twice a week connecting to Valka.

My relatives from gradmother's side have been living here for a few centuries (at least) - and the scenery was much different here before WW2, when here lived my great grandfather with my great grandmother and their family. 

A lot has changed ever since, mostly all the older generations have passed away, and what is left - is just ruins and beautiful scenery. In today's Piece of Life series - one day in Miciņi

During the Soviet days a collective farm was established here and a small 4 apartment apartment block was built for farm workers. i remember at the start of 90-ties some Lithuanian boy Arturas lives here, as well some lady from Saint Petersburg (Tamara or Tatiana). My grandmother loved to visit neighbours and watching soap operas with the lady from Saint Petersburg. They left around 1994.

A state run collective farm was run here. In the 90-ties, other relative of mine, Jānis Jundzis built another, modern farm (can see in the background). From what I remember, both were like arch enemies - Jundzis and Gulbis.

In the clump of trees was the house we were living with my grandmother. Opposite us, there was another house belonging to Jundzis, were his workers lived and a small pig farm was run. 

I have found the owners of this land plot and contacted them with the hopes buying back the land plot, but so far I haven't get any positive feedback. 

Top 15 Gaming laptops with AMD Ryzen 7 5800 processor

25 July, 2022 | Laptop Reviews | 73 seen

Ryzen is a brand of multi-core x86-64 microprocessors designed and marketed by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) for desktop, mobile, server, and embedded platforms based on Zen microarchitecture. It consists of central processing units (CPUs) marketed for mainstream, enthusiast, server, and workstation segments and accelerated processing units (APUs) sold for mainstream and entry-level segments and embedded systems applications.

In this article, I've listed the top 15 gaming laptops powered by AMD Ryzen 7 5800 CPU

A quick note: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon.com, by clicking on links on this page and by making a purchase on Amazon site, I might earn an affiliate income from that. Prices for laptop computers listed on this page are retrieved using Amazon Product Advertising API and is updated daily. For actual prices please refer on the product page on Amazon.

Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S6 Creator Laptop | 14" Full HD 100% sRGB | AMD Ryzen 7 5800U | NVIDIA RTX 3050Ti Laptop GPU | 16GB LPDDR4X | 512GB SSD | Wi-Fi 6 | Backlit KB | Amazon Alexa | Windows 10 Home

• Ultimate Performance. Uncompromised Battery Life: Speed up tasks with AMD Ryzen 7 5800U processor with Zen 3 Core Architecture, available for ultrathin laptops, so you can save time and get back to creating
• RTX, It's On: The latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU (4GB GDDR6 VRAM) is powered by award-winning Ampere architecture with new Ray Tracing Cores, Tensor Cores, and streaming multiprocessors supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate for incredible creativity
• A True Visual Representation: Create your best content on the 14" Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS Widescreen LED-backlit 100% sRGB display with 300 nits brightness and 16:9 aspect ratio
• Internal Specifications: 16GB LPDDR4X memory (maximum 16GB); 512GB NVMe SSD; 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Dual-Band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz featuring 2x2 MU-MIMO technology; Bluetooth 5.2
• Windows Hello with Fingerprint Reader: Biometric fingerprint reader and Windows Hello sign-in options help keep your Acer PC secure
• Using Alexa on your PC is as easy as asking a question. Just ask and Alexa can check your calendar, create lists, play music, answer questions, read the news and more.
• Made to Move: At just 3.06 lbs, this Acer Swift X laptop is ready to go where you go. The metal design is thin and lightweight, but packs a whole lot of battery power with fast charging capability

List price: [amazon B093TK1PXF listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Lenovo - Legion 5 - Gaming Laptop - AMD Ryzen 7 5800H - 16GB RAM - 512GB Storage - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti - 15.6" FHD Display - Windows 11 Home - Phantom Blue

• Escalate your game with up to 8 high-performance cores in the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and 512GB NVMe SSD storage
• Includes free 3-month trial of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate - Play over 100 high-quality PC games on Windows PC; includes iconic Bethesda games, new day one titles, and the EA Play on PC catalog
• With NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics, enjoy the depth and visual fidelity of real-time ray-tracing; the 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display on the Legion 5 gaming laptop delivers speed and color clarity for full-fidelity gaming
• Legion TrueStrike keyboard with 4-zone RGB backlight; 2 x 2W speakers with Nahimic Audio for Gamers
• Connectivity: Built-in 720p webcam with e-shutter, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 4 USB, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, RJ45 Ethernet

List price: [amazon B09BDGD2TZ listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

ASUS VivoBook Pro 15 OLED Ultra Slim Laptop, 15.6” FHD OLED Display, AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 11 Home, Quiet Blue, M3500QC-DS71

• Complimentary 3-month Adobe Creative Cloud subscription with the purchase. Learn more on ASUS website for more details
• 15.6” OLED FHD 400 nits display with ultra-slim 4-sided NanoEdge bezels
• Pantone Validated, DCI-P3: 100% Glossy display with 84% screen-to-body ratio
• Latest AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Processor
• Discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 - RTX Studio Ready

List price: [amazon B09MMX24B8 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45-R92M Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7 5800H (8-Core) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU |15.6" FHD 144Hz IPS Display | 16GB DDR4 | 512GB NVMe SSD | WiFi 6 | RGB Backlit Keyboard

• AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Mobile Processor (8-core/16-thread, 20MB cache, up to 4.4 GHz max boost) | Windows 10 Home
• 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) Widescreen LED-backlit IPS Display with 144Hz Refresh Rate | 16:9 aspect ratio
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM with NVIDIA DLSS | NVIDIA Resizable BAR | NVIDIA Dynamic Boost 2.0 | NVIDIA GPU Boost
• 16GB DDR4 3200MHz Memory | 512GB NVMe SSD (2 x PCIe M.2 Slots - 1 Slot Open for Easy Upgrades) & 1 - Available 2.5" Hard Drive Bay
• Wireless: Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX200 802.11ax Dual-Band 2.4GHz and 5GHz featuring 2x2 MU-MIMO technology (Max Speed up to 2.4Gbps) | LAN: Killer Ethernet E2600 Gigabit Ethernet LAN | Bluetooth 5.1
• 4- Zone RGB Backlit Keyboard | Acer CoolBoost Technology with Twin Fans and Dual Exhaust Ports

List price: [amazon B08YZ6Z1G3 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

ASUS ZenBook 14 Ultra-Slim Laptop 14” FHD Display, AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, Radeon Vega 7 Graphics, 16GB RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, NumberPad, Windows 11 Pro, Pine Grey, UM425QA-EH74

• 14 inch wide-view Full HD 4-way NanoEdge bezel display
• Latest AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Processor (16M Cache, up to 4.4GHz, 8 cores) with AMD Radeon Vega 7 Graphics
• Fast storage and memory featuring 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD with 16GB LPDDR4X RAM
• ErgoLift hinge and backlit keyboard, NumberPad and IR webcam with Windows Hello support
• Windows 11 Professional

List price: [amazon B09LCGRL9V listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop, 15.6" FHD Display, AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti, Windows 10H, Phantom Blue

• Escalate your game with up to 8 high-performance cores in the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and 512GB NVMe SSD storage
• With NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics behind you, you can enjoy the depth and visual fidelity of real-time ray-tracing – RTX Gaming, It's On
• The 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display on the Legion 5 gaming laptop delivers speed and color clarity for full-fidelity gaming
• Legion TrueStrike keyboard with 4-zone RGB backlight; 2 x 2W speakers with Nahimic Audio for Gamers
• Connectivity: Built-in 720p webcam with e-shutter, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 4 USB, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, RJ45 Ethernet

List price: [amazon B08YKG5K7F listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Dell G15 15.6 Inch FHD 120Hz LED Gaming Laptop | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Processor | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti | Backlit Keyboard | Wi-Fi 6 | Windows 10 Home | Gray

• Substantial high-bandwidth 8GB RAM to smoothly run your games and photo- and video-editing applications, as well as multiple programs and browser tabs all at once. A flash-based 512GB SSD has no moving parts, resulting in faster start-up times and data access, no noise, and reduced heat production and power draw on the battery.
• The AMD Ryzen 7 5800H is a processor for big (gaming) laptops based on the Cezanne generation. The R7 5800H integrates all eight cores based on the Zen 3 microarchitecture. They are clocked at 2.8 (guaranteed base clock) to 4.4 GHz (Turbo) and support SMT / Hyperthreading (16 threads). The chip is manufactured in the modern 7 nm process at TSMC. Compared to the 5800H (up to 54 W), the 5800HS is configured to a TDP of 35W.
• 15.6” FHD screen (1920 x 1080) offers crystal-clear images.1920 x 1080 resolution showcases your games and HD movies with impressive color and clarity. Antireflective finish reduces eyestrain and widens the field of view.
• Backed by 4GB GDDR6 dedicated video memory for a fast, advanced GPU to fuel your games. NVIDIA Optimus technology optimizes the laptop for both graphics performance and battery life conservation.
• Built-in HD webcam with microphone,Backlit keyboard,Wi-Fi, Ethernet,3-cell Lithium-ion battery,Windows 10 Home 64-bit

List price: [amazon B09K3N8J1B listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

ASUS VivoBook Pro 16X OLED Slim Laptop, 16” WQUXGA 16:10 Display, AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Windows 11 Home, 0°Black, M7600QE-DB74

• Complimentary 3-month Adobe Creative Cloud subscription with the purchase. Learn more on ASUS website for more details
• Intuitive ASUS DialPad: Change brush size, saturation and more to streamline workflow. Function settings are customizable in ProArt Creator Hub, learn more on ASUS website for details
• 16” WQXGA+ (3840 x 2400) 16:10 OLED Screen 400 nits display with ultra-slim 4-sided NanoEdge bezels
• Latest AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Processor (16M Cache, up to 4.4GHz)
• Discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti - RTX Studio Ready
• Fast storage and memory featuring 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD and 16GB DDR4 RAM, with Windows 11 Home

List price: [amazon B09NMRBX32 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

ASUS ROG Strix G15 (2021) Gaming Laptop, 15.6” 300Hz IPS Type FHD Display, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, AMD Ryzen R7-5800H, 16GB DDR4, 1TB PCIe SSD, RGB Keyboard, Windows 10, Black, G513QE-ES76

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6 with ROG Boost
• Latest AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Processor (16M Cache, up to 4.4 GHz)
• 300Hz 15.6” Full HD 1920x1080 IPS-Type Display
• 16GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM | 1TB PCIe SSD
• ROG Intelligent Cooling thermal system with Thermal Grizzly Liquid Metal Thermal Compound

List price: [amazon B093TZMNFR listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Newest HP Pavilion Laptop, 15.6" Full HD Touchscreen, AMD Ryzen 7 5825U Processor, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Home, Silver

• The PC memory has been upgraded to 16GB DDR4 SDRAM for enhanced high bandwidth to easily switch back and forth between open applications; Hard drive has been upgraded to 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD for fast boot up and speedy data transfer
• AMD Ryzen 7 5825U (8 Cores, 16 Threads, 16MB L3 Cache, Base 2.0GHz up to 4.5GHz Max Turbo Frequency)
• 15.6" Touchscreen IPS Micro-Edge BrightView FHD (1920 x 1080) 250-Nits Display
• 1x SuperSpeed USB Type-C (USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4, HP Sleep and Charge), 2x SuperSpeed USB Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Headphone/Microphone Combination Jack
• Windows 11 Home

List price: [amazon B0B4X2ZN33 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Dell G15 15.6 Inch FHD 120Hz LED Gaming Laptop | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Processor | 32GB RAM | 1TB SSD | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti | Backlit Keyboard | Wi-Fi 6 | Windows 11 Home | Gray

• Substantial high-bandwidth 32GB RAM to smoothly run your games and photo- and video-editing applications, as well as multiple programs and browser tabs all at once. A flash-based 1024GB SSD has no moving parts, resulting in faster start-up times and data access, no noise, and reduced heat production and power draw on the battery.
• The AMD Ryzen 7 5800H is a processor for big (gaming) laptops based on the Cezanne generation. The R7 5800H integrates all eight cores based on the Zen 3 microarchitecture. They are clocked at 2.8 (guaranteed base clock) to 4.4 GHz (Turbo) and support SMT / Hyperthreading (16 threads). The chip is manufactured in the modern 7 nm process at TSMC. Compared to the 5800H (up to 54 W), the 5800HS is configured to a TDP of 35W.
• 15.6” FHD screen (1920 x 1080) offers crystal-clear images.1920 x 1080 resolution showcases your games and HD movies with impressive color and clarity. Antireflective finish reduces eyestrain and widens the field of view.
• Backed by 4GB GDDR6 dedicated video memory for a fast, advanced GPU to fuel your games. NVIDIA Optimus technology optimizes the laptop for both graphics performance and battery life conservation.
• Built-in HD webcam with microphone,Backlit keyboard,Wi-Fi, Ethernet,3-cell Lithium-ion battery,Windows 11 Home 64-bit

List price: [amazon B09LGYCW7T listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Acer Swift X Creator Laptop | 14" Full HD 100% sRGB | AMD Ryzen 7 5800U | NVIDIA RTX 3050Ti Laptop GPU | Wi-Fi 6 | Backlit KB | Windows 10 Home (16GB RAM | 2048GB PCIe SSD)

• Ultimate Performance. Uncompromised Battery Life: Speed up tasks with AMD Ryzen 7 5800U processor with Zen 3 Core Architecture, available for ultrathin laptops, so you can save time and get back to creating
• RTX, It's On: The latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU (4GB GDDR6 VRAM) is powered by award-winning Ampere architecture with new Ray Tracing Cores, Tensor Cores, and streaming multiprocessors supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate for incredible creativity
• A True Visual Representation: Create your best content on the 14" Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS Widescreen LED-backlit 100% sRGB display with 300 nits brightness and 16:9 aspect ratio
• Internal Specifications: 16GB LPDDR4X memory (maximum 16GB); 2TB NVMe SSD; 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Dual-Band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz featuring 2x2 MU-MIMO technology; Bluetooth 5.2
• Windows Hello with Fingerprint Reader: Biometric fingerprint reader and Windows Hello sign-in options help keep your Acer PC secure

List price: [amazon B09JWWSQ9C listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro 16" 165Hz QHD IPS NVIDIA G-Sync 500 nits Gaming Laptop AMD Ryzen 7-5800H 16GB RAM 1TB SSD RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 TGP 130W

• Processor Manufacturer: AMD
• Processor Type: Ryzen 7
• Processor Model: 5800H
• Processor Core: Octa-core (8 Core)
• Processor Speed: 3.20 GHz

List price: [amazon B09NS2SMKP listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED Ultra Slim Laptop, 14” WQXGA+ 16:10 OLED Touch Display, AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, NumberPad, Windows 11 Home, Jade Black, UN5401QA-DH71T

• Complimentary 3-month Adobe Creative Cloud subscription with the purchase. Learn more on ASUS website for more details
• 14” WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) 16:10 OLED Touch Screen 400 nits HDR display with ultra-slim 4-sided NanoEdge bezels
• Pantone Validated, DCI-P3: 100% Glossy display with 88% screen-to-body ratio
• 360° ErgoLift hinge with backlit keyboard
• Latest AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Processor with AMD Radeon Graphics
• Fast storage and memory featuring 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD and 16GB LPDDR4X RAM
• Extensive connectivity with USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A, HDMI, 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, Micro SD card reader, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.0

List price: [amazon B09V1S1M2Q listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Lenovo ThinkBook 13s G3 ACN 20YA0012US 13.3" Notebook - QHD - 2560 x 1600 - AMD Ryzen 7 5800U Octa-core (8 Core) 1.90 GHz - 16 GB RAM - 512 GB SSD - Mineral Gray

• With 16 GB SDRAM of memory, users can run many programs without losing execution
• The 13.3" 2560 x 1600 screen provides a great movie watching experience
• Windows 10 Pro comes with improved 2 x 2 snapping, helps you make more productive at work

List price: [amazon B09J96FSK9 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Cafe Papes Vēji

23 July, 2022 | Restaurant reviews | 29 seen

Cafe Papes Vēji is a summer cafe located next to the Pape channel in Western Latvia near the Pape Lighthouse.

This place serves traditional Latvian cuisine, and cold beer and some can buy smoked fish (apparently in the season)

I have been fond of this area for a few years already and first discovered this cafe about a year ago, now in Summer 2022 we made a stop here, had a hearty dinner, and bought some smoked fish. Awesome

Seems there is also a museum on site available. During our visit here, many tourists from Lithuania, Germany and of course Latvia were present. 

Sup boards are gaining the momentum in Latvia and are present almost everywhere.

Seems this is the one and only cafeteria in the area. Grab your cup of coffee or get some smoked fish if you get lucky.

Listing Vilgāle apartment for sale

22 July, 2022 | | 13 seen

After some thinking, I decided to list for sale our Vilgāle apartment. 

I bought this apartment about two years ago in an online auction, paying about EUR 4,000. During the past two years, we have done some serious renovation with a total investment being closer to EUR 18,000. 

Today I bought my first flat on an online auction site

I decided to list it for EUR 25,000 on local ss.lv website, here is the advert:

The owner is selling a renovated apartment in Vilgale - double glazed windows, Estrich warm floor tile/laminate covering. Installed pellet central heating, unfinished bathroom / sauna construction. Water on meters. Registered in the land register.

Low payments - managed by "Kuldīgas communal services", management fee around 26 EUR/month. Good neighbors.

Good location, close to school, grocery store, bus stop. 5 min walk to Vilgale lake.

Distance to Kuldīga 16km, Aizpute 28km, Riga 164km

https://www.ss.lv/msg/lv/real-estate/flats/kuldiga-and-reg/kurmales-pag/UnwBHU1lRls=.html?1658345246

After first 24 hours there haven't yet been any call for this property, which means the listing price might be to high, or just simply there are not enough interest / money. I guess it will take some 1-2 years before I will actually sell this place, and fine with that. Mean time I will use it as a storage and maybe will finish the bathroom.

If I wont be able to sell it by the end of August 2022 for 25,000 or get any interesting offer - I will re-lsit it for EUR 26,000 with better futures for the Winter season.

Feel free to contact me if you are interested

Summer Cafe Kazbārs in Kazdanga

20 July, 2022 | Restaurant reviews | 10 seen

Summer café-bar “Kazbārs” is located next to the watermill in the heart of the scenic park of Kazdanga.

This place serves freshly ground coffee, Italian dessert affogato, refreshing soft ice cream (including vegan options), cold live beer, and vegan soups. 

Place is run by energetic couple from Riga, if you will be happy enough you could catch up with host Ernests and enjoy the conversation about the running restaurant, flying planes, local area and more

Top 3 Things to do in Kazdanga, Latvia

Kazbārs offers to rent sup boards (around EUR 5/h in 2022), as the lake is located across the street, this seems quite attractive.

Sup boards are getting the momentum in Latvia. Smart to have them at rural cafeteria I guess.

The place is open May-September. 

They are looking to open indoor restaurant and serve steaks soon. 

If you happen to be in area - make sure to visit Kazbārs

Laidi, Ječi & Verbelnieki

19 July, 2022 | | 7 seen

Another interesting day has been recorded for history. We started this morning by unloading a cellar in Laidi castle. Later in the afternoon visited Ječi and for the second time, this week already went for a lovely dinner at Verbelnieki.

In the evening we returned to Laidi and I had a chance to observe the stock market for a few minutes - my positions were in recovery ING was up, and Barrick Gold also.

Life is good!

Fun day in Liepāja, Ječi and Verbelnieki

15 July, 2022 | | 10 seen

The day started with visiting the cinema Cinamon in Liepaja, a cool movie about Minions in Latvian.

After the movie went to the Fontaine place to order some pizza and then headed to Jeci to visit our new property and trim the grass, I already bought an electric lawnmower a few weeks ago in Riga. Now was a good time to excel.

After a few hours of lawn moving we went for dinner and sunset photography to Verbelnieki - a really awesome camping area next to the Baltic sea.

Returned for an overnight stay in Jeci. 

Tried to trade options outside, but mosquitos won and literally ran inside. Fun day.

How to type ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ on MAC

13 July, 2022 | | 32 seen

The shrug emoji 🤷 is a popular image used to convey confusion or emphasize a question.

I first noticed ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ at the end of some tweet and wondered how to type it actually? upper line/slash/underline.. squares and then some strange symbols I doubt I have on my MAC.

After googling it - I found this brilliant article: How to Type the Shrug Emoji ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ in 2 Seconds Flat

And here is how:

1. Copy "¯\_(ツ)_/¯"

2. Go to System Preferences

3. Click Keyboard

4. Press Text

5. In the Replace box, type "shrug"

6. In the With box, paste "¯\_(ツ)_/¯"

Top 11 gaming / business laptops with 64 GB RAM 2022

11 July, 2022 | Laptop Reviews | 78 seen

Laptops with 64GB RAM memory are getting momentum and are quite affordable in 2022. 

Most of the 64 GB RAM laptops come with the latest Intel Core i7 processors, also the Intel core 9 is gaining momentum. Though not as popular as less RAM-enabled models, these models will find their audience among gaming enthusiasts and business users

For a better gaming performance or high-end business, use expect to spend at least $1,500 up to $4.000 for a 64 GB RAM laptop

Keep reading to find out the TOP 11 laptops with 64 GB RAM memory in 2022 alternatively, see 

Top 20 Laptops with 64GB RAM (Gaming / Business)

A quick note: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon.com, by clicking on links on this page and by making a purchase on Amazon site, I might earn an affiliate income from that. Prices for laptop computers listed on this page are retrieved using Amazon Product Advertising API and is updated daily. For actual prices please refer on the product page on Amazon.

Lenovo Legion 5 17.3" FHD Gaming Laptop Computer, AMD Ryzen 5-5600H(Beats Intel i7-9750H), 64GB RAM, 2TB PCIe SSD, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics, Nahimic 3D Audio, Win 11, Black, 32GB USB Card

• 1920 x 1080 resolution boasts impressive color and clarity, Anti-glare Energy-efficient screen.
• Ultra-low-voltage platform. Hexa-core, twelve-way processing provides maximum high-efficiency power to go. Nahimic 3D Audio with Built-In Speakers & Webcam.
• Plenty of high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run your games as well as multiple programs.
• Save files fast and store more data. With massive amounts of storage and advanced communication power, great for major gaming, multiple servers, backups, and more.
• Allows you to enjoy comfortable and accurate typing, even in dim lighting.
• with dedicated video memory provide everyday image quality for Internet use, basic photo editing and casual gaming.
• 15.7” x 11.4” x 1.03”. Ports: 4x USB Type A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, 1x Headphone jack, 1x HDMI, 1x SD card reader, 1x RJ45. Wireless-AC and Bluetooth, Black. Bonus 32GB USB Card.

List price: [amazon B09MJJSN8V listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

2022 MSI GE76 Raider 17.3" 144Hz (64GB RAM, 2TB PCIe SSD, Intel 8-Core i7-11800H (Beat Ryzen 7 5800H), RTX 3060), FHD Gaming Laptop, Thunderbolt 4, Webcam, RGB Backlit, IST HDMI, Windows 10

• This laptop is upgraded from a brand-new base model. The manufacturer box is opened and resealed to install the parts to achieve the specifications as advertised. One-year warranty from Manufacturer. Three-year warranty for upgraded RAM / SSD from Issaquah Highlands Tech. 64GB DDR4 RAM, 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD
• Intel Core i7-11800H (8 cores 16 threads, base clock speed 2.3GHz, max turbo to 4.6GHz, 24MB L3 Cache); Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675 (2x2) + Bluetooth 5.2
• 17.3" Thin Bezel FHD (1920x1080) IPS-Level 144Hz, 16:9, 45% NTSC; GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU Up to 1802MHz Boost Clock, 130W Maximum Graphics Power with Dynamic Boost; Supports external 3 digital monitors via HDMI, Thunderbolt 4 & mDP v1.4, External monitor resolution: 8K @ 60Hz
• 2 x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1 x Thunderbolt 4 USB4 (Supports DisplayPort and Power Delivery); 1 x Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1 x HDMI (supports 4K @ 120Hz, 8K @ 60Hz), 1 x Mini DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x RJ45, 1x SD Card Reader SD7.0 (XC/HC), 1 x Audio Combo (1/8")
• Windows 10 Home 64-bit - ideal for family entertainment, daily productivity, casual gaming, streaming, online class, remote learning, Zoom meeting, video conference, etc.

List price: [amazon B09VSVGQTD listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

ASUS ROG Strix G17 17.3" FHD 144Hz Gaming Laptop Computer, AMD Ryzen 7-4800H 8-core, 64GB RAM, 2TB PCIe SSD, Backlit Keyboard, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Graphics, Windows 10, Gray, 32GB USB Card

• 1920 x 1080 resolution boasts impressive color and clarity, Anti-glare Energy-efficient LED screen.
• Ultra-low-voltage platform. Octal-core, sixteen-way processing provides maximum high-efficiency power to go. Dolby Atmos with Stereo speakers.
• Plenty of high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run your games as well as multiple programs.
• Save files fast and store more data. With massive amounts of storage and advanced communication power, great for major gaming, multiple servers, backups, and more.
• Allows you to enjoy comfortable and accurate typing, even in dim lighting.
• with dedicated video memory provide everyday image quality for Internet use, photo editing and intensive gaming. VR ready.
• 90WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion battery. 15.55” x 11.10” x 1.11”, 5.95 lbs. Ports:3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C(support DisplayPort/power delivery/G-SYNC), 1x Headphone jack, 1x HDMI. Wireless-AC + Bluetooth, Eclipse Gray. Bonus 32GB snowbell USB Card.

List price: [amazon B09LTFBXBJ listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

2022 HP Pavilion 15.6" FHD IPS Laptop, 11th Gen Intel 4-Core i7-1165G7(up to 4.7GHz), 64GB RAM, 2TB PCIe SSD, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, Audio by B&O, Win 11 Pro, Fast Charge, WiFi 6, w/Accessories

• up to 4.7 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 12 MB L3 cache, 4 cores. Gives you the instant responsiveness and best-in-class connectivity modern users crave.
• Ultra-wide 178-degree viewing angles with consistent detail and a vibrant 1920 x 1080 resolution, you'll always have a great view of your favorite content.
• Windows 11 Pro blends seamlessly and powerfully with this HP 15 Laptop for an optimized computing experience
• Substantial high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run your games and photo- and video-editing applications, as well as multiple programs and browser tabs all at once.
• Provides massive storage space for huge files, so that you can store important digital data and work your way through it with ease. It gives you enormous space to save all of your files.

List price: [amazon B096Y2S1LJ listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 G733 17.3" Full HD 360Hz Gaming Notebook Computer, AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX 3.3GHz, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 16GB, Windows 10 Pro, Free Upgrade to Windows 11

• ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 G733 17.3" Full HD 360Hz Gaming Notebook Computer - Power Adapter - ASUS 1 Year Limited Warranty
• Compete at the highest level of Windows 10 Pro gaming with the ROG Strix SCAR 17
• Improve everyday comfort and usability with an active touchpad area that's 85% larger than previous generations
• Resizable BAR is an advanced PCI Express feature that enables the CPU to access the entire GPU frame buffer at once, improving performance in many games
• Unplug and do more on move with high-capacity 90Wh battery

List price: [amazon B09X1TWMCV listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

2022 Newest HP 17t Laptop, 17.3'' HD+ Non-Touch Screen, Intel Core i7-1165G7 Quad-Core Processor, 64GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth, HDMI, Webcam, Windows 11 Home, Black

• The PC memory has been upgraded to 64GB DDR4 SDRAM for enhanced high bandwidth to easily switch back and forth between open applications; Hard drive has been upgraded to 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD for fast boot up and speedy data transfer
• 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 Processor (4 Cores, 8 Threads, 12MB Cache, 2.80 GHz base frequency, up to 4.70 GHz max turbo frequency), Intel Iris Xe Graphics
• 17.3" diagonal, HD+ (1600 x 900), BrightView, 250 nits
• 2 x SuperSpeed USB Type-A, 1 x SuperSpeed USB Type-C, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Combination Audio Jack, Realtek Wi-Fi 5 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5 Combo
• Windows 11 Home

List price: [amazon B09X619XMG listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Newest HP Notebook, 15.6" Full HD Touchscreen, Intel Core i7-1165G7, 64GB RAM, 2TB PCIe SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Reader, Webcam, WiFi 5, HDMI, Type-C, Bluetooth, Windows 11 Home, Silver

• Memory is 64GB high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once. Hard Drive is 2TB PCIe NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive which allows to fast bootup and data transfer
• 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 2.80GHz Quad-Core Processor (12MB Cache, up to 4.70GHz), Intel Iris Xe Graphics
• 15.6" Full HD IPS Touchscreen LED display (1920 x 1080)
• 2x USB 3.0 Type A, 1x USB 3.0 Type-C, 1x HDMI, 1x headphone/microphone combo, 1 x Multi-Format SD Media Card Reader, Realtek Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• Windows 11 Home

List price: [amazon B09LGDQ3Q7 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

HP Newest Laptop, 15.6'' Full HD IPS Touchscreen, Intel Core i7-1165G7 Processor, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD, Bluetooth, Type-C USB, Media Card Reader, Windows 11 Home, Natural Silver

• The PC memory has been upgraded to 64GB DDR4 SDRAM for enhanced high bandwidth to easily switch back and forth between open applications; Hard drive has been upgraded to 2TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD for fast boot up and speedy data transfer
• Intel Core i7-1165G7 Processor (2.80 GHz to 4.70 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 12 MB L3 cache, 4 cores)
• 15.6" diagonal, Full HD (1920 x 1080), Touchscreen, IPS, Micro-edge, BrightView, 250 nits, 45% NTSC
• 1 x SuperSpeed USB Type-C 5Gbps signaling rate; 2 x SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate; 1 x HDMI 1.4b; 1 x AC smart pin; 1 x Headphone/microphone combo
• Windows 11 Home

List price: [amazon B09TV36THW listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

HP 17.3" HD Touchscreen Business Laptop, 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7, Windows 11 Pro, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, HDMI, WiFi 6, Webcam, Long Battery Life, 32GB USB Card

• The HP Laptop is powered with the latest 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 Processors (4 Cores, up to 4.7 GHz, 8 Threads, 12MB Cache) and 64GB high-bandwidth DDR4 memory, powerful processing for advanced multitasking, demanding computing, smooth gaming, multiple tabs browsing, and everyday tasks. 2TB SSD offers ample storage, quick boot-up times, fast data access, and improves the overall performance
• The slim and portable HP laptop, and you can work seamlessly, anywhere. 3-Cell 41 Wh Li-ion Battery, 45W AC adapter. Every detail is crafted for comfort and style, with all the power you need to get things done
• 17.3" Touchscreen BrightView HD+ (1600 x 900) 250-Nits Display delivers a clear, crispy image that’s easy on your eye. Integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics gives you a new level of graphics performance with vibrant, lifelike color and details for internet use, photo/video editing, streaming, and gaming.
• Windows 11 Pro 64-bit (best version of Windows OS, optimal for Business and Education) protects your data with enterprise-grade security, boosts productivity with powerful management tools, and keeps going with long battery life. Powerful Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5 supports Gigabit speed and smooth streaming of high-resolution videos, HP True Vision 720p HD Camera with integrated dual array digital microphones ready for remote work, virtual meeting, and online class
• The windows laptop PC is sensibly optimized for productivity and flexibility with 1x SuperSpeed USB Type-C, 2x SuperSpeed USB Type-A for fast data transfer, 1x HDMI, 1x headphone/microphone combo delivers true sound quality. 1-year manufacturer warranty.

List price: [amazon B09W8XJQSB listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Newest Lenovo Legion 5i Gaming Laptop, 17.3" FHD 144Hz IPS Display, Intel Core i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3060, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD, Backlit KB, Wi-Fi 6, HDMI, Webcam, Windows 11 Home

• 64GB high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once; 2TB PCIe NVME M.2 Solid State Drive allows to fast bootup and data transfer.
• Intel Cor i7-11800H Processor (8 Cores, 16 Threads, 24MB Intel Smart Cache, Base Frequency at 2.3 GHz, up to 4.6 GHz); NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, 6GB GDDR6
• 17.3" FHD IPS (1920 x 1080) 144Hz refresh rate, 72% NTSC, 300 nits, Dolby Vision enabled
• Wi-Fi 6 802.11 AX (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.1; 2 x Thunderbolt 4, 4 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x Microphone/Headphone Combo Jack , 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x RJ-45, 1 x Power port; SD Card Reader; Webcam; White Backlit Keyboard
• Windows 11 Home - Beautiful, more consistent new design, Great window layout options, Better multi-monitor functionality, Improved performance features, New videogame selection and capabilities, Compatible with Android Apps

List price: [amazon B0B1944HX2 listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

Newest HP Envy Laptop, 17.3" Full HD Touchscreen, Intel Core i7-1165G7 Processor, NVIDIA GeForce MX450 Graphics, 64GB DDR4 RAM, 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Home, Silver

• The PC memory has been upgraded to 64GB DDR4 SDRAM for enhanced high bandwidth to easily switch back and forth between open applications; Hard drive has been upgraded to 2TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD for fast boot up and speedy data transfer
•  11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 Processor (4 Cores, 8 Threads, 12MB Cache, 2.80 GHz base frequency, up to 4.70 GHz max turbo frequency), Intel Iris Xe Graphics & NVIDIA GeForce MX450 Graphics (2 GB GDDR5 dedicated)
• 17.3" diagonal, FHD (1920 x 1080), multitouch-enabled, IPS, edge-to-edge glass, 300 nits, 100% sRGB
• 1 SuperSpeed USB Type-C 10Gbps signaling rate (USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4, HP Sleep and Charge); 1 SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate (HP Sleep and Charge); 2 SuperSpeed USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate; 1 HDMI 2.0; 1 AC smart pin; 1 headphone/microphone combo; 1 multi-format SD media card reader
• Windows 11 Home

List price: [amazon B09X1Y9H2K listpriceformattedprice] Buy this laptop on Amazon (Paid link)

How to Sell a Car in Riga / Latvia

8 July, 2022 | | 15 seen

We bought a used Mercedes Benz ML 400 Diesel car in Riga a few months ago. We hoped the car would suit us for the years to come, but in the end, the vehicle was faulty even before we bought it. So the car died (or almost died) - with the problem being - a timing belt, which needed to be replaced.

I asked to a few handymen how much it could cost, and understood that I'm not willing to take the extra burden on this already old car, so we decided to list it on the local ss.com website. After talking with several handymen I decided to list it for EUR 1,800 just to test the waters.

In my advert, I was honest and said, that the car needs its timing belt to be replaced while all the rest seems good. Apparently, the regular car buyers were left out and I was left alone with fixer-up guys. 

After my initial listing, I got 2 offers - one guy was offering EUR 800, while the second was EUR 600. I replied to the first one that I'm ready to sell for EUR 1,000 if he will take it today, and to the second I replied I'm ok with EUR 1,200.

Both didn't agree on my terms. And I decided to wait for a few more days, before adjusting my advertisement and listing the car for EUR 1,499 next week.

Luckily I didn't have to adjust my advertisement as I got an offer for selling this car for EUR 1,500 and I agreed. Sold. SOLD. SOLD!

Average Monthly Salary in European Union 2022

7 July, 2022 | Macroeconomics | 1,099 seen

In 2022 three were 27 member states in the European Union (EU), and 20 of the 27 EU member states have adopted the euro (€) as their common currency.

In this article, I've listed European Union member countries by the gross monthly average salary in 2022.

I wouldn't call the below written scientific research or take it too seriously, as most of the data in this article are taken from Wikipedia's article List of European countries by average wage. 

All calculations are done using Google Spreadsheets. The data provided below might not be 100% accurate but they should give an overall insight into average salary levels across European Union member countries.

Countries are ranked by average gross salary in 2022

Data source: List of European countries by average wage

This is a list of countries containing monthly (annual divided by 12 months) gross (before taxes) and net income (after taxes) average wages in Europe in EUR currency.The table above reflects the average (mean) wage as reported by various data providers. In less developed markets, actual incomes may exceed those listed in the table due to the existence of grey economies.

The gap (in terms of monthly gross salary) between the richest (Denmark) and the poorest (Bulgaria) is 7.24. Which actually is decreasing, as in 2020 the gap between Denmark and Bulgaria was more than 7.5 times.

There is one thing that should be kept in mind, not all countries in this list have adopted EUR currency, in fact, there are 7 out of 27 countries in the EU using their national currencies instead of EUR. ( Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden)

Cafe Pāvilostas Enkurs

6 July, 2022 | Restaurant reviews | 31 seen

Cafe Pāvilostas Enkurs is located on Dzinstaru street 69 in Latvian Summer Capital Pavilosta.

they serve fish and chips, pizza, and traditional Latvian cold soup here. 

One of the best fish and chips I've tried in Latvia

Seems like a popular place in Pāvilosta, many tourists

Give it a try once in Pavilosta

GDP Per Capita in European Union 2022*

5 July, 2022 | Macroeconomics | 94 seen

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total population of about 447 million. 

The other morning I was talking to a friend from South Africa, after a nice conversation about living in Georgia, railways, copper, and African Union I decided to look back on my old articles about African Union and GDP data from there.

After a few hours of research, I come up with a newly updated article and was quite surprised to see a decline in GDP per capita in many of the African economies.

Now I decided to take a fresh look at data about GDP per capita in European Union

Many years ago I did an article about GDP Per Capita in European Union 2013.

Without further ado, here is the raw data:

GDP per Capita in European Union 2022 vs 2013

Data source: World Bank

As we can see from the Table above, GDP per capita has increased in almost every EU member state, except - Sweden, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, and Greece

Of the countries mentioned above, all but Sweden use EUR as their national currency, in the case of drop-in Swedish GDP per capita I could explain related to Sweden's Krona exchange rate to USD.

Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, and Greece seems to be slowing down. Which might be good for the runner-up countries from the East. 

The rest of the EU member states have enjoyed growth, some slower, some greater, with the most of the growth coming from the East

The biggest surprise might be Ireland, which has experienced 76% growth in less than 10 years, growing its GDP per capita well above $80,000.

Here I find a good explanation about Ireland: Multinationals make Ireland’s GDP growth ‘clearly misleading’

Ireland’s GDP is principally distorted by the presence of more than 1,500 multinationals, among them most of the world’s top tech and pharma firms. Ireland is also the world’s top hub for aviation leasing.

Overall GDP per capita in the European Union has raised by an average of 8.57% during the last 9 years and totals $34,835 thousand per capita.

The GDP per capita is clearly growing in the European Union, not in all countries, but the overall growth rate seems healthy.

We might talk about multispeed Europe, with new growth coming from the East and a slowdown in the West. The question is, will the runner-ups will be able to catch up, say in 10-15 years.

What are your thoughts? Leave me a comment, readers and I would love to hear!

*The GDP prices are from 2020, which was not the best for the Worlds economy, but still as the latest data available when publishing this article in June 2022