Ghosted

I have had a need to simplify my websites and the expenses that come with them. That changed today.

A year ago I transferred this website to a self-hosted instance instead, for simplicity and ease of use but I gave up too much control. Today, I transferred it to a Ghost server and have taken control back. This move will save over half of the expense, too. At the same time, I moved my photography website back and to Adobe.

Today is a fresh start for this site. I am in the process of moving all of the articles published previously to an Archives page. There was an unfortunate issue with migrating the data over resulting in the first ten years going missing or a corrupt .xml file. Now the records go back to only 2011. I’ll keep sorting that out as I don’t want to lose all those memories.

ChrisDenbow.com was rebuilt in a couple of hours but it is still not finished.  It will take time to clean up the migration process, slap some paint on the walls and customize the site to my liking. For now, we’ll log this attempt at version 1.0

Update– Yes, everything from former website has migrated over smoothly except all the images in the previous posts. Those are broken for now. Eventually, I may go back to the more recent posts and add the images manually back.

ARTifical

I toyed around with DALL-E today and asked for a random but specific depiction of “a dark background oil painting of an intelligent looking fox smoking his tobacco pipe while working on his MacBook”

And here are the results. I think this is a brilliant use of modern technology.

But is it art?

Amazon Kindle

After years of dragging my feet, I have finally purchased not one, but two, Amazon Kindle e-reader devices. The first was a cheap ($15) Fire tablet from a pawn shop. I had no intention of buying anything, just a passing curiosity, but then I saw it and thought, Why not have a dedicated reader? I liked it. Furthermore, I enjoyed having a smaller tablet to read myself to sleep with every night, rather than a large iPad or my phone. However, the weight of the tablet, the highly reflective, smudgy, glass screen and the fact that the tablet had the capability for distractions (apps) had me wondering if I should just go back to what I had using the iPhone instead.

I came across the Kindle Paperwhite edition yesterday and took another look at the possibilities. This is a minimal, reading-focused, no distraction reader that has a wonderful glare-free screen that weighs less than nothing. Perfect. So I left the store and stewed on it. Not two hours later, I went back and purchased.

After signing in to a new Amazon account (ugh, I despise Amazon) I realized there were constant ads on the Home Screen. Nope. After researching online, I discovered they can be removed for a $20 fee? I chatted up an Amazon rep, and they were able to waive the $20 instantly. Now it is perfect again. I have no intention of purchasing digital books from Amazon ever again. I learned this way back in 2013 when I canceled my original Amazon account and discovered I could not take my books with me. Digital Rights Management (DRM) be damned. For the past few years, I have enjoyed reading books from public libraries using their Libby app on my iDevices. But now I can read in their app or send to the Kindle instead. Brilliant. Now I need a solution to export all highlights and notes I make on the Kindle to other software platforms to use as a reference. I hope that with the proper tools such as the Kindle, I will be able to exceed my reading goals again.

Amazon Kindle

After years of dragging my feet, I have finally purchased not one, but two, Amazon Kindle e-reader devices.

The first was a cheap ($15) Fire tablet from a pawn shop. I had no intention of buying anything, just a passing curiosity but then I saw it and thought, “Why not have a dedicated reader?”. I liked it. I enjoyed having a smaller tablet to read myself to sleep with every night as opposed to a large iPad or my phone. However, the weight of the tablet, the highly reflective, smudgy, glass screen and the fact that the tablet had the capability for distractions (apps) had me wondering if I should just go back to what I had using the iPhone instead.

I came across the Kindle Paperwhite edition yesterday and took another look at the possibilities. This is a minimal, reading-focused, no distraction reader that has an amazing glare-free screen that weighs less than nothing. Perfect. So I left the store and stewed on it. Not two hours later I went back and purchased.

After signing in to a new Amazon account (ugh, I despise Amazon) I realized there were constant ads on the Home Screen. Nope. After researching online, I discovered they can be removed…for a $20 fee? I chatted up an Amazon rep and they were able to waive the $20 instantly. Now it is perfect again.

I have no intention of “purchasing” digital books from Amazon ever again. I learned this way back in 2013 when I canceled my original Amazon account and discovered I could not take my books with me. Digital Rights Management (DRM) be damned.

For the past few years I have enjoyed reading books from public libraries using their Libby app on my iDevices. But now I can read in their app or send to the Kindle instead. Brilliant.

Now I need a solution to export all highlights and notes I make on the Kindle to other software platforms to use as a reference.

I hope that with the proper tools such as the Kindle, I will be able to exceed my this year’s reading goals again. 

Avoid The Noise

Be a good steward of your gifts. Protect your time. Feed your inner life. Avoid too much noise. Read good books, have good sentences in your ears. Be by yourself as often as you can. Walk. Take the phone off the hook. Work regular hours.

Jan Kenyon, “A Hundred White Daffodils”

Random Thoughts

I like to borrow e-books from the library. If I buy a physical book, it will be only after I know it is a book I will love and come back to.This prevents me from buying and owning books I don’t love. Saves money too.

Life as an extrovert can be rewarding and exciting. A dual life as an introvert is quiet, inward, reflective.

I am not a perfectionist by nature. So why do I think my writing has to be perfect and hinder my creativity?

Words without action seems fraudulent to me. But here I am, a big fraud.

Am I following my desires or am I on cruise control?

The Soma,(mind-altering joy drug featured in the book “Brave New World”) is spot on for current events. Media, politics, social media, 24-hr “Breaking News”, etc, all distract us from what is real. Be wary, mindful and discerning with the intake of these drugs.

Mindful meditation and breathing reduces physical and mental concerns.

Our neural passages are malleable, meaning, we can change ourselves for the better if we choose to.

The easy path is way too easy. Challenge myself.

Being enthusiastic about something should be worth 20 IQ points alone.

The Strange Library

I just started and finished (33m) my first book of 2023 titled “Fushigi na Toshokan” or “The Strange Library” by Haruki Murakami. A fantastical illustrated short novel about a boy imprisoned in a nightmarish library. The story of a lonely boy, a mysterious girl, and a tormented sheep man plotting their escape from a nightmarish library, the book is like nothing else Murakami has written.

Although, at 96 pages with beautiful illustrations by Chip Kidd, I would consider this a short story, or micro fiction.

Learn

“Learn to like what doesn’t cost much.
Learn to like reading, conversation, music.
Learn to like plain food, plain service, plain cooking.
Learn to like fields, trees, brooks, hiking, rowing, climbing hills.
Learn to like people, even though some of them may be different…different from you.
Learn to like to work and enjoy the satisfaction of doing your job as well as it can be done.
Learn to like the songs of birds, the companionship of dogs.
Learn to like gardening, puttering around the house, and fixing things.
Learn to like the sunrise and sunset, the beating of rain on the roof and windows, and the gentle fall of snow on a winter day.
Learn to keep your wants simple and refuse to be controlled by the likes and dislikes of others.”

– Lowell L. Bennion

What Did I Learn In 2022?

What did I learn, or discover during the year of 2022?

“I learned that I have more to learn.”

My book reading total surpassed the goal of 22 books in 2022. I keep track because I need to look back to remember what I have read. The number of books read is pointless if I haven’t learned something or retain the enjoyment of the novel.

I learned that I know almost nothing of consequence anymore and this needs to change.

By the time this post has been read, I have managed to survive fifty years in 2022. But in my mind, I think I am just getting started. I’ve learned that I have become complacent and content with what I have. But then again,

“Nothing good comes when you are comfortable and cozy”

I don’t want to talk about things and not see change. I want to make things happen for myself.

I have learned that politics, media, and social media have validated my personal beliefs that they are useless. Those three have justified my thinking in their actions and behaviors.

Surprising myself, I learned that I am adaptable and can acclimate myself towards the cold winter months. The shorter days no longer affect my mood. The harsh weather, barring any blizzards, is tolerable enough for me to work outdoors all day.

Less is more. The desire to purge the extra stuff in the house is real. Or as a friend tells it: “De-bullshit my life.”

I learned that I am in better shape than some people my age, but there is much room for improvement. I learned, once again, that less truly is more.

I discovered that I am more prone to becoming an introvert these days as opposed to me previously being an extrovert.

I am reminded that the desire to travel to Cambodia, Japan, Mexico, Italy, Spain and Portugal is growing stronger.

I learned my Spanish sucks but that will become rectified in 2023.

I learned the desire to tune my bicycle and hit the city’s trails is still there. I learned that there are more trails to hike and there are always more places to explore.

I learned that there are amazingly intelligent and talented individuals outside of social media. I want to be friends and learn from them.

I learned I need to be even more patient and more flexible.

I learned a newfound appreciation for classical music, Tibetan singing bowls and other meditative music.

I learned the perfect workflow does not exist. The perfect book does not exist and I won’t stop looking for either.

I learned that the best laid plans are elusive.

I learned not to trust employers because they will always sell out good employees to save money.

I learned to trust and appreciate my supportive family and friends more.

I learned that domestic air travel is to be avoided if possible.

I am learning that despite having and maintaining a website for twenty years, that hitting “Publish” in my software app is still one of my favorite things to do.

The 2022 book has been closed and a new book with twelve chapters has been opened in 2023. After the past two months of sloth, gluttony and consumption, I learned I am ready to see positive changes this year.

Changes

A quick list of things I want to accomplish for the new year; or more accurately, “Changes I need to see in 2023.”

  • Learn Spanish
  • More meditation & yoga
  • Learn Adobe Bridge, PS and LR more
  • Quit smoking
  • No alcohol
  • No Soda
  • Lower BP

Learn Spanish with the Duolingo app in small increments everyday. Attempt to retain it by using it in the real world as opposed to just going through the lessons and forgetting it. I know people who have done this and with good results. Success in this will be able to have conversational Spanish by the end of 2023. Bonus: the Italian & Spanish languages are similar so the Italian module is downloaded as well. Two languages in one year? Ambitious!

Meditation and yoga almost daily. I have the software to do so such as Apple Fitness + and Music meditation. Guided podcasts, etc. I just grabbed a new padded floor mat to help with this. Success here will be lower BP, increased flexibility, calmer mind, more patience.

Learning Adobe products should be easy. I have the fundamentals down because I’ve been using it for years. But I want a deep dive. This will come in handy for my photo archive organization. The end result will be an organized archive system where I can easily find and use any one photo on demand.

After the NYE party on Saturday, the pipe and tobacco will be stored away in a tote. I am over smoking and the removal should help. I need to purchase some gum or mints to help with those cravings. This will help me breathe easier, lower my BP and overall health.

Stopping alcohol consumption is not difficult for me, even when I am at a bar I can refrain. I should see less weight and overall health as a result.

Lowering my BP should be my number one priority this year. Less, salt. Less sugar. Less eating out. Increase my cardio with more walking, yoga. More supplements and eventually the diuretic prescription again. All of this should help me lower my weight and eventually those readings will come down.

When I fall (and I will fall), get back up, learn from my mistakes, and continue pushing forward because failure is a byproduct of growth. It’s all part of the process. If I plan on recycling the exact resolution I’ve made every year since 2018, perhaps it’s time to try something different. Now that I have the right tools, making 2023 the year I follow through on my New Year’s resolution is entirely up to me.

Books I’ve Read In 2022

Not a complete list, because I am notoriously lazy about logging these things. But overall, I did manage to surpass my goal of 22 books in 2022.

Next year I want to integrate more non-fiction titles which is a challenge for me. I read books to escape reality as opposed to reading about reality.

Also, I’ve updated the Library page to include 2023 books to be read and a rating system.