2024-07-02 15:23:56
I am in a mood again. Thinking about keeping this website online as a private online archive while at the same time, writing to the journal inside my own offline database.
If I do take this private, it'll be a stripped down HTML-only version.
Stay tuned.
2024-07-10 12:53:43
I’ve had a pretty shit week. If I wanted to sugarcoat anything, I’d go buy a beignet. The amount of stress-induced breakdowns and resulting physical ailments I had these past seven days is taking a toll. It was mostly job stress, but also a lot of living in my head. Thinking about the what ifs, the whys, and the why nots. On top of it all, insomnia decided to pay a visit too.
Despite me resigning back in February, the relocating and the waiting, I need a day off from my thoughts. I need to relax and enjoy something but it isn’t possible.
I need someplace to call my own, where I can relax, be surrounded and feel grounded. A feeling I have not enjoyed since 2008- sixteen years!
I look around other’s homes and began to notice that there was stuff, art walls, tchotchkes, mementos, clutter, decor, unneeded items, cozy blankets, pillows, flowers, mismatched mugs and chairs, books, and photos - everywhere. I guess things make a home look lived in. Then I thought, Maybe I am over the essentialism and minimalism. Maybe I need something, or something’s to make me feel at “home.”
I thought about my own places that I have lived in the past 16 years and my own things. And I noticed that today, I have very few of these little mementos in my home, or none at all. Hell, I donated all of my furniture before moving. People barely collect things of worth anymore, I know I haven’t.
And why should we? All we need to revisit our memories is in the cloud. All photos are there, with a click of a button.
Not only does not touching a photograph, and not having any physical presence of it in my home makes it lose its value and to a degree its meaning, we also cannot derive any happiness from digital media without actively looking at it. How often do we look at those digital photos? Digital dust is all that they are.
Music, books, movies, and past memories used to be tangible things in our homes that ”sparked joy” without actively interacting with them. Digital media doesn’t do that. Digital Media creates minimalism
We were told that we had too much stuff, and that having said stuff was bad. Getting rid of all of my stuff, however, would make me free and happy.
Does it? Will having more stuff make me happier or sadder?
Art used to be visible, tangible, tactile, and it made a home feel like a home. Now art is small and fits on one tiny device, as if it isn’t allowed to take up space anymore.
I am rambling here, but to wrap it all up, as soon as I have the opportunity, I am going to fill my space with things that make me happy. Things that remind me of people I love and miss. It’s time to turn our house into a home. Now where is the nearest Ikea?
2024-07-10 21:26:17
There are many reasons as to why I was looking forward to utilizing my typewriter after I relocated. One, was to make art from it. I’ve been a long time fan of ASCii art but there are people out there that have taken it to the next level and then some.
After nerdscrolling and falling down a few internet rabbit holes, I’ve discovered so many type-art resources out there.
Such as a pamphlet from 1979 turned into a pdf from the Internet Archive entitled Typewriter Mystery Games.
Obviously this would utilize multiple ribbons, paper and practice but I’d love to explore this further.
Until next time,
2024-07-11 11:13:52
Two weeks after receiving my specialized USB Stick, I am finally in the club. Now I can share files with others and pick/choose what files I would like. File formats include pdf, jpg, mov, etc. Here’s a look at the console below. Once I have inserted the USB and verified my secure credentials, I am in.
I have only had time to share one file, a .pdf of JPG photo magazine from 2007 (I miss that periodical), and have downloaded an image shared by another. So I look forward to becoming more involved in the ♣️.
Until next time,
2024-07-11 11:42:16
Halfway through the 2024 reading list and I feel as if I am on a spree. The first quarter of the year was slow reading with work travel, relocating and heavy, difficult books to sort out. The libraries felt generous and dumped four books on me all at once to hurry and consume, but it just won’t be possible to do this and give them justice.
99% of the books on my list are fiction and yet, halfway through it, I am looking for some non-fiction. No biographies, self-help, politics or history. Something thought-provoking. The search is on.
2024-07-11 17:09:03
I’ve added a Micro page to the website that compiles all of my quick thoughts in one setting (think Twitter-like feed).
I also built a TIL (Things I’ve Learned) page shared on a weekly basis.
2024-07-14 10:28:01
Twelve years ago I was driving through the River Oaks area in Houston at night and came across 200 cyclists with their rigs all lit up, and their flags flapping in the breeze. It looked fun but annoying because cyclists are always preaching “share the road!” But they were not. The group was a local chapter of the national Critical Mass cycling group. Think Hash House Harriers but on wheels.
Last night I participated in my first ride with a local chapter on Sanibel Island for a ten mile night ride along dedicated bike trails. The island is known for its luxurious homes, golf courses, yachts, beautiful trails along brackish water and we were in good company. Absolutely looking towards another ride with this fun, relaxed group.
2024-07-15 08:12:10
The iguana from Tijuana smoked her marijuana.
2024-07-15 16:32:38
Today I learned group names for some of the fauna I’ve seen around the Southwest Florida area and they are a lot of fun. The group names for:
Parliament is in session
2024-07-15 21:23:31
Picking up the pace here on my 24 books in 2024 reading goal. Check them out on the Library page
2024-07-16 07:50:50
The medium is the message.
2024-07-16 07:53:31
(Noun) A person who instigates shenanigans.
2024-07-16 07:55:46
“To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.”
- Kurt Vonnegut
2024-07-16 21:02:59
Things I Learned In 2024 Week 28 |
2024-07-16 21:05:33
Things I Learned In 2024 Week 29 |
2024-07-17 16:44:11
I came across an old post from 2017 on some ongoing goals I wished to achieve. Let’s check in seven years later to see how it is going.
2024-07-22 12:48:19
”Intellectuals pride themselves on their intelligence but they'd be more intelligent if they prided themselves on their curiosity.” - Gurwinder
2024-07-23 21:42:52
While researching an unrelated article, I came across that phrase, “Theseus' Paradox” and went down a rabbit hole of nerd-scrolling after that. The Wikipedia page here details the story and the philosophy about it so I won’t get into details for now.
However, it does refer to the “Ship of Theseus”, from the Ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Then something sparked in me where I recalled I have a book in my library titled “S.” by J.J. Abrams, the famous movie director. Long time readers will remember a post back in March where I was tempted to read it but was overwhelmed at the time and wanted to read it properly. Well, after this new round of frequency illusion it is time for me to dive even deeper to see how far down the rabbit hole goes. Unrelated except by name only, there is a documentary film out of India with the same title, “Ship of Theseus” that has to do with photography. I need to find and watch this soon as well.
2024-07-23 22:34:39
Do bursts of mental energy and inspiration come to me as I am ready for bed? Oh look, another rabbit hole to go down!
2024-07-24 19:54:00
The objective, or desire, in creating this personalized database is ultimate vanity. It is ludicrous that such a disorganized individual such as myself can even hope to maintain it properly. Since I am a ludicrous individual I will go ahead and make the attempt anyway.
I want to be organized, disciplined and to catalog decades of writing, reading journals and notes all into one location for posterity. My interests are varied, the desire is great, and I need to do this for myself, and just maybe, someone else may find it of interest in the future. A legacy? Is that what I want for this project? Something to pass on to someone who may or may not be interested in any of this? Perhaps this can be of some use to my child someday.
Now, how to organize all of my works into one location? That is the purpose of DenbowOS, the Denbow Operating System. That is a challenge, and as of now, I have the time.
2024-07-24 19:58:28
I just discovered that my blog editor now has back-linking capabilities.
Huh.
2024-07-24 20:18:06
Back in December I was pondering whether or not I wanted to go back to Flickr after extinguishing my account back in 2019. After shutting down my photography website due to various reasons, including a lack of interest from anyone but myself, I need somewhere to store/display/backup my images.
Since 2004, Flickr has stuck it out as a platform and I was with them for 15 years. Now with their own changes and growth, I can see myself starting up a brand new, unlimited Flickr Pro account and upload decades worth of images. But, that will have to wait until funds are available. Once that happens, I am all in on Flickr again.
2024-07-24 20:25:24
As a result of some new changes in website design and future-proofing my database, I'll have to resist the temptation to add images to posts. I want this site and the database to be lightweight and streamlined. In the near future, I will add blog-related images to a specific Flickr folder designated "Website Images" or something to that effect. Maybe even add links to both that are easily accessible to the public here and there. That was the original intent of the social internet after all.
2024-07-28 23:33:32
I've been on a cycling kick for the past few months. Having access to a great road bicycle, dedicated bike lanes, flat surfaces, a patient trainer, a partner willing to try it and rides with me as well as finding a local group of other cyclists contribute to this.
Right now I am cycling every other day on an average of five miles. Group rides are ten miles and are encouraging. Weekly, I'd like to see myself at 35-40 miles and build from there.
An annoying setback, literally, is my lower back. I am doing a lot of pain management with ibuprofen and jacuzzi time. I am hoping that like any muscle after a good training session, that I can power through it to the point it is no longer an issue.
Psychologically, the rides are therapeutic in that I can relax and not think about anything other than taking in the sights and sounds as I breeze by them. I’ll ride by all sorts of flora and fauna then smile.
In the meantime, here is a half video of my most recent group ride in Naples as recorded in the Strava fitness app.
2024-07-31 16:06:14
I’ve been experimenting with digital crossword puzzles and newsprint lately. With crosswords, I’ll solve the puzzle (entertaining in its own right) and then bonus(!) I will take a screenshot of it when complete. Then, in Apple Photos, use my Apple Pencil to markup the image to find words that stand out. After those are mapped out I will then cross out the rest to come up with some poetry. Although, that is limited to the words on the puzzle so they are more statement than poetry.
After reading an interesting article with Apple News, I will take a screenshot and do the same for the article- try to connect words and to form a new phrase or sentence.
The whole premise is ridiculous but it is mentally challenging and time consuming. I’ll see how long the fun lasts but for now, I am enjoying it.
2024-07-31 16:35:22
Just doodling a few of the things I am seeing around when I am out and about cycling.
