Tag: Technology
March 12, 2024 / Journal

I’ve Lost The Way

I can’t tell you how many times in the past ten years that there was a desire to build and maintain a map as a photo gallery of places I have been and things I have seen in all of my travels. No, it’s more than one map. I have wanted to build my own map(s) displaying all the images of hidden and discovered geocaches across the country. A separate map showcasing all the neon signs I have documented from Miami to Portland and all points in between. Another map to display all the locations of documented wall art from New Orleans to Chicago, you know, up and down the length of the Mississippi River.

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“If you have no road map, you have to create your own.” – Jacqueline Woods

Thanks to careful documentation in the past, I tagged GPS coordinates on to images to look them up later. Then, with incoming new technology, GPS coordinates were built in to the EXIF data of every image, making it so much easier to locate. But what does one do with that information? Build a map to document your travels, of course.

Previously, I relied on Google’s “My Maps” which allows you to enter these in and attach photos to them, but I do not like Google. Unfortunately, they are one of the best, free sources (free as in they will hoover all of your data for their use, of course.) But I’ve always known there exists open-source mapping programs to help me build one myself. After all of this time, this may be a good opportunity to build and ship one out, allowing me to lovingly document these locations. You know, as a photo diary.

Just a few of my neon images attached inside Google My Maps

So, I downloaded Visual Studio Code, an IDE, installed Python inside and went to work creating a photo gallery that works with ArcGIS, a mapping software tool. Then created an account on GitHub to keep all of my code in the cloud and act as a virtual server, ready for me to pull requests down when needed. Well, I discovered that the costs to maintain these wouldn’t be a solution, especially ArcGIS (Geographic Information System.) Enter QGIS, an open-source tool that allows me to do this at zero cost.

Python code inside an integrated development environment

Then I went to work in Python, coding out the framework and processes to make these maps a reality…and then hit a brick wall. Do I really want to do this? I do, yes, but currently I can’t be arsed. It isn’t laziness, it is restlessness. What else could I be doing instead? But wait, I have the time to do this now because in the near future I may not.

So frustrating is this internal debate that I upload what little code I had to GitHub and then decide what to do with all of this…later. Maybe the reason is I just spent the last few weeks in code building this website and the Archive website and writing articles on here, and creating newsletters and podcasts and and and I just need a break. I’ve lost my way and my desire.

Speaking of breaks, I am going to relax and finish listening to this album that was playing in the background while typing this up:

Delta Kream by The Black Keys
March 6, 2024 / Journal

Five Years Later

March 5, 2024 / Journal

Well, That’s Sorted

While going through all of my files, I discovered they were all scattered across multiple hard drives, backed up multiple times. A mess. I decided to make a master file and import all data into it. Then I started to weed out all the quadruplicates. Now the master archive is backed up and synced to the external hard drives, the file server and the cloud. It only took me sixteen years.

March 3, 2024 / Journal

Text Is Best

While migrating old web articles I have published in/out of databases, there are standard formats that should be universal or compatible with others. The issue I am having is that when exporting old data from a .json formatted document, I run into a long string of data objects that are not readable. Other examples or .xml data that is difficult to convert as well.

JSON viewer

All of that to say I am having difficulty migrating old writing into my Archives due to incompatible file formats. This is why I prefer .txt files that are easily readable and future-proofed. Meaning, the file will be compatible for generations after I am gone. But noooo…we have to use .json and .xml with no easy way to convert them.

So now I have to parse each article, cut/paste into the Archives one-by-one manually. There are 374 of these. Damn.

March 2, 2024 / Journal

Update On iPhone Experiment

I must have thought this was a good idea a year ago because I took the time to write it down and then promptly ignore it.

A few days ago I wrote that this was the time to minimize my iPhone usage as an experiment for a day and…it mostly worked.

Instead of a phone, I brought the Kindle to catch up on my reading while I waited to get a haircut. It was pleasant. Not so pleasant was the other people queued up had their phones out and watching videos, or talking loudly into them. How very annoying. I don’t do this even with my phone on me. Rude.

I encountered two setbacks during this experiment: I needed to send Nikki off via courier, but didn’t have the shipping label, nor access to the email with the label on it so I had to go back home, retrieve the phone and try again. Success, but annoyed.

The next time the phone was turned on was during Snappy Hour so I can keep my daily streak and keep my 365/2024 photo project going. I knew this going in and that was supposed to be my one exception.

Overall, I did not miss the phone nor feel compelled to reach for it out of muscle memory and that encourages me to try again soon, maybe try three days instead of one. And then five and then…
February 29, 2024 / Journal

Minimal iPhone Experiment

Apple has built-in software into their devices that allows you to track how much usage they get during a determined period of time and it is simply called ScreenTime. I noticed my screen time using the iPhone this past week was pretty high and I wondered what can I do about this. I’m addicted to my phone and you are too probably. I am going to do something I have wanted to try for a long time- put the iPhone in my desk drawer and leave it alone for a few days.

My Apple Watch has cellular capability to make/receive calls and text (just like Dick Tracy from the 1940’s!) check the mail, remind me to take my meds, take voice notes, listen to music and podcasts through my AirPods, record workouts, navigate while driving or walking, etc.

Dick Tracy circa 1946

The only thing I would miss out on is taking photos, especially since I am on a 1-photo-a-day project with a specific camera. I may have to fire that phone up only ONCE a day just for this. The rest of the time I can carry a small camera with me.

Speaking of carrying things with me, instead of the iPhone I will bring a long a notebook, pen, e-reader, camera and wallet. Now, I know what you are thinking and…you’re right. Those are more cumbersome to carry than that large iPhone. But that isn’t the only goal, to minimize my everyday carry. The idea is to start weaning myself of the device dependency, remember?

Kobo e-reader, Field Notes, Zebra F-701 pen, Apple AirPods Pro 2, Apple Wallet & Watch

I want to be present and engaged by my surroundings and people. Instead of watching a mindless show and scrolling on my phone, I can just find a better show to absorb without distraction. I’ll be able to read more books. I will do everything I should be doing when I am not otherwise having a phone in my face.

We went out for dinner tonight and it was difficult to hear her across the table because of the family of five sitting across the restaurant with their music, videos and games blaring as they ignore each other. Uh-uh, not me. No way.

This isn’t for everyone, I am doing this as an experiment if you recall. I don’t believe the general public could last one hour without their screens sucking their souls out. Nor do I make judgements. But I do recommend giving it a go, just to see if you can. Try it for an hour then increase it if you make it that far.

I hope I can make it that far.

February 28, 2024 / Journal

Process

In the early days in the life of this website, I never had a writing workflow. Each post was dumped from my brain to the keyboard with a shrug and a push of a button to send. Over time, I picked up tools such as converting all-in to the Apple ecosystem and accompanying software that manifested into a more thoughtful and organized work path.

First things first, I need ideas. These come from various input/output sources, such as reading frequently, or having multiple creative outlets. From here, ideas formulate and sometimes appear after connecting a string of previously consumed inputs/outputs to connect the dots. These go into a file on my personal database, Grey Matter. I’ll let them percolate in my brain for a bit, do some research, check sources and relax. Now I have something to write about.

These ideas generate from multiple inputs such as a book I am reading, RSS feeds from other’s personal websites, X, formerly known as Twitter, Substack, et al. Once I see an article I’d like to return to I will send it to Matter to read it later and delete the rest. Inside Matter, I will return to a saved article, highlight the interesting bits and add my notes and initial thoughts into the marginalia.

Now it is time to sit down to the MacBook Pro, open up the Ulysses writing software and draft an outline. That’s the skeleton of the article, so it’s time to flesh it out. Here’s where everything from the inputs, the outputs and my thoughts just start flowing into this massive article, not caring about grammar, spelling or formatting yet. Eventually, there are words and paragraphs that need to be paired down and culled. Inside Ulysses there are helpful tools that checks for grammatical mistakes, typos, punctuation, etc., and prompts me to make the needed changes before publishing the draft to my website.

Image 1: time to edit that down – Image 2: time to edit those mistakes

Now that the draft is in, it’s time to format and design of the article because it is a mixture of design, photography, etc. To get an over-all visual I run a new branch in Git that runs a new file with metadata such as title, author, date.

—

title: ${title}

date: “${date}”

type: ${type}

tags:

notoc: true

cover: cover.jpg

coversocial: social.jpg

path: /blog/${path}/

description: write description here

—

write content here

—

Afterward, the header image is added — always in black and white to maintain consistency and an overall clean look. Colors can be too distracting, I think.

Once the article is ready to post, I ensure whether to distribute as an article, to my newsletter subscribers and always out to RSS.

According to Ulysses, this article will take you almost two minutes to consume on your device, less if you are scanning, so you can hurry and go check your social feeds (lol.)

I was enjoying this playlist while editing this article:

February 27, 2024 / Journal

Post-Process

I just said goodbye to the $112 Adobe Lightroom annual subscription, again. Now I need to dismantle my Portfolio. I’ll let the $75 annual Flickr subscription lapse to and see which of the 47k+ images they’ll cull down to 1,000 on a free account.

This leaves me with nowhere to post my photos since I really do not want to do that on my blog. Not that it matters because no one sees them anyway.

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UPDATE 2024/02/27: I have decided to go with an inexpensive, self-hosting option on my server using the Piwigo template. Right now it is basic and barebones, but I will build it out over time. For now, here it is naked: http://www.photodenbow.com

Why bother with any of it?

However, I will save money and time by not futzing with any of it, regardless of how much enjoyment and utility I received from those services.

Hmm…
February 27, 2024 / Journal

What Have I Done? (2)

With Apple support, I have gained partial access to some devices except my MacBook and AirPods.

Apparently they are signed in on another, older Apple ID.

I have been attempting to add/drop devices onto old ID and try again on new ID but now the password suddenly fails on the old ID? I call BS as I wait one hour for a security reset.

Getting closer to all analog all the time.

February 26, 2024 / Journal

What Have I Done?

I have made a mess of things while trying to simplify.

I let a domain name expire that also had a custom email address attached to it and according to my domain registrar, lost both to a third party who scooped up that domain name so I no longer have access to it.

Therefore preventing me to do what I need to do with some of my Apple devices and old Apple ID.

Henceforth, this current domain, chrisdenbow.website and its associated email address, hello [at] chrisdenbow.website is here to stay forever.

If I want simplicity, then I really should take a few steps backward and just go analog everything and I am tempted to do so! (not yet.)
February 22, 2024 / Journal

Connecting Ideas

There have been some questions/discussions about my research-thinking-writing process and I thought I would address them here. First step is to gain input. I read voraciously- not just books but articles from other critical thinkers on a wide variety of subjects up and down the Dewey Decimal System. There is zero chance I can remember all of this input so I dump them into my custom built personal database that I call “Grey Matter” where I can retrieve at will.

The process is extensive but worth it. I’ll read something of interest and make notes and highlights which immediately transfers into my digital brain. Inside there I wrote code scripts to organize and catalog these ideas to be referenced for later.

Connected ideas on one subject in a customized graph view
Another view of connected ideas on a specific subject for easier reference
Highlights & notes automagically imported into my digital brain for reference

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/0:33

Mesmerizing look inside my brain at how ideas are connected and grow on each other.

Personal knowledge management, or digital asset management can be daunting but if it is set up correctly to connect ideas and go down the rabbit hole of new thoughts. It is amazing to me to come across an article and then be immediately capable of connecting those thoughts expressed into my own while completely connecting them to other thoughts for an entirely new line of thought.

February 22, 2024 / Journal

Stereo Denbow

For the past few months I have been slowly acquiring digital music files cheaply either through small purchases at record stores or through local libraries. The idea being is to minimize subscriptions and future costs.

The feeling of taking old media and converting it into new media formats takes me back to the days of LPs, cassettes and CDs where you would insert the media format onto a player, set it to the desired side or song and then study the inside jacket for the band’s cover art/bio/lyrics as the music played. Today I slide compact discs into the Apple SuperDrive CD reader connected to the MacBook Pro (aka Mac), and do the same thing- study the over art/bio/lyrics as the files are converted. Eject, plug a new compact disc in and then overtime, your digital library grows.

Then all of these freshly ripped music files are transferred quickly via the internal home network to be stored inside my local server (Minnie.)

Now whenever I need to I can stream/download these files to my iPhone and/or iPod and be on my merry musical way.

Recent haul from a local library and the SuperDrive on bottom.

While editing this post I was listening to an album I ripped:
February 19, 2024 / Journal

You’ve Been Served

Now that I am back home for a bit I can finally play around and setup the Mac Mini desktop computer as a standalone file server.

“Minnie” is all setup to host and share any number of photos, music, videos and documents to any of my (and Sweet T’s) iDevices. Even better, I will have the ability to retrieve these documents from anywhere in the world as long as I have access to an internet connection.

And now for the moment of truth…will it work?
Of course it did(!), I am brilliant.
And here is the setup configuration as seen from Minnie’s screen.
Offsite backup? Yessss…

In the near future I will migrate all of my website code and documents on to Minnie and use it as a cheap, self-hosting website.

Time Machine back-ups of all of my hard disks, will be stored and easily retrieved if necessary. (Hopefully it won’t be necessary)

I will also be able to host and serve all of my own Podcast files as opposed to relying on a third-party file host that I pay for.

And then, I can run and publish other sites I need including my own RSS server.

All of this is designed for easy access, off-site backups/restoration, and file sharing with family/friends. Which reminds me, eventually I will allow access so family members can view/download our family’s images. “Hey Chris, do you have those pics from that 2012 Christmas party?” Yep, go fetch!
February 18, 2024 / Journal

Two Essential Apps

Day One- Over the previous ten years I have enjoyed using this journaling app and just re-subscribed. I appreciate the attention to logging every detail that may be used in context with, well, the text I input. Details such as the music I was listening to, the location, weather, fitness activities and more.

An inside look into my digital journal using Day One.

Book Tracker- Quite simply, one of the best purchases I have made to remind me of what I have read that includes stats, reading progress, reading goals, what I plan to read next, track the physical library I have on my shelves, etc. Adding tags to help me catalog specifics such as what year I have read a book, and where it was consumed such as physical, Kindle, Kobo, audio, etc.

Books read for my 2024 reading goals and books I am currently reading to the left
January 28, 2024 / Journal

Kobo

Yes! The new e-reader is here and by the looks of it, everything I wanted. I purchased a book from the Kobo bookstore that has been on hold at the library for 27 weeks (half a year!) and got it for 50% cheaper than Amazon. In case you are wondering about the cat on the cover of the title Starter Villain:

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“In a dog-eat-dog world, be a cat.”

I was able to synchronize the reader to my Pocket “read-it-later” account so any article from the web I want to save for later can be synced to the device.

Successfully added .txt documents, .pdf books and installed .epub books from a variety of sources like Gutenberg Press, Standard E-books and Global Grey Ebooks all titles are generally classics and in the public domain.

The ability to highlight text and make notations was great as those sync to my personal FoxOS database for references. W00t!