New post published:
Improving Early Kindles
I will never let it rest.
A guide wrapper about how to bring old Kindles, such as the Kindle Keyboard, as well as the Kindle 4, and Kindle 5 up to speed a bit to be usable in the modern era. Covering screensaver hacks, improved font handling, and more comprehensive customisablity with KOReader.
https://vale.rocks/posts/improving-early-kindles
New post published:
An Inventory of Lexical Loves
A wonderous wealth of words.
A collection of my favourite words (as defined by their extreme specificity, enjoyment to say, and overall zaniness) presented with definitions and in some cases their etymologies and my justification for inclusion. Including quality terms including defenestration, vellichor, contronym, bloviate, and schlock.
https://vale.rocks/posts/an-inventory-of-lexical-loves
New post published:
The Flow State
The hypnotic trance of productivity.
A description and look at the productive trance that is the flow state (AKA zen state). An attempt at capturing in words the essence of complete cognitive immersion and the enthralling rush it brings.
https://vale.rocks/posts/the-flow-state
I misinput a value in one of my recent articles, so it stated the post was revised in February rather than January.
Out of the thousands of viewers, only one person caught it and pointed this out to me.
It is so important to get fresh eyes on things and to seek feedback.
Remember: For every person who reports an issue, there are likely dozens or hundreds (or even thousands) who noticed but stayed quiet.
https://pointersgonewild.com/2019/11/02/they-might-never-tell-you-its-broken/
😀 🤪 🤩
I had a great time building the website for Revolt’s Mutant Remix emoji pack! The project was all about blending creativity with functionality to showcase these fun and quirky emojis. It’s great fun capturing that energy in a site!
I designed and developed the site using my static site generator, Adduce, creating a simple, accessible layout that captures the playful spirit of the pack. It was a fun challenge to bring the emojis to life online!
Check out the website here:
https://mutant.revolt.chat
New post published:
My Experience Biohacking
I'm pretty much a cyborg now.
My experience getting an xG3 bio-magnet implanted in my hand. Covering the implantation, healing, and my newfound abilities.
https://vale.rocks/posts/my-experience-biohacking
I love the process of creating and refining things to perfection!
- Build something.
- Put it out there.
- Observe how it’s received and gather feedback.
- Identify, plan, and enact action to improve it.
- Repeat until it’s as close to perfection as possible!
The OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) loop is a powerful framework—not just for decision-making, but for building better products and experiences.
It’s also invaluable in avoiding wasting time building things that nobody wants or needs.
My article on HTML’s legacy colour parsing was featured on Manuel Matuzović’s HTMHell today. 🎉
For those unfamiliar, the HTMHell Advent Calendar is a fantastic publication bringing together authors from around the world to share insightful articles on web development topics like security, accessibility, UX, and performance.
In my article, I dive into the quirks of HTML’s legacy colour parsing, exploring just why the value ‘chucknorris’ outputs red and talk about the resilience of the web.
https://www.htmhell.dev/adventcalendar/2024/20/
Lost my pet chicken of 8 years today. She was with me from primary school all the way through high school and beyond.
She hasn’t been well these past few days. Today when I came out to see her, she really wasn’t well but was still hanging on. I think she was waiting for me to see her before she went.
I picked her up and cradled her for a while before she passed in my arms. There is a bit of comfort knowing I was with her in her last moments and that she wasn’t alone.
I’ll miss you Garbin. Love you.
