![\"2005](\"https://fedi.vale.rocks/media/ed074232db320066b40645a6fbf3c9054650e8bd34e7dda90670c2dadeebbf3d.avif\")
Chinese pronunciations are not intuitive for English speakers. The Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, also known as Hanyu Pinyin or just pīnyīn, is a romanised version of Chinese that uses Latin letters in ways that don’t match typical English usage.
\nThis cheat sheet is not comprehensive but does cover the basics and many common pitfalls.
\nConsonants
\nThe primary hurdle is the distinction between the J, Q, X sounds (tongue forward/down) and the Zh, Ch, Sh sounds (tongue curled back).
\n| Pinyin | \nSounds Like… | \nExamples / Notes | \n
|---|---|---|
| C | \nTs | \nLike the end of ‘cats’. | \n
| Z | \nDz | \nLike the end of ‘suds’. | \n
| J | \nJee | \nLike ‘edge’. | \n
| Q | \nChee | \nA sharp, aspirated ‘ch’ . | \n
| X | \nShee | \nA soft ‘sh’ with the tongue behind the lower teeth. | \n
| Zh | \nJ | \nTongue curled back, like the ‘j’ in ‘judge’. | \n
| Ch | \nCh | \nTongue curled back, like ‘church’. | \n
| Sh | \nSh | \nTongue curled back, like ‘shore’. | \n
| R | \nR / Zh | \nNot a rolled ‘r’. Buzzy, like the ‘s’ in ‘pleasure’. | \n
Vowels & Combinations
\nPinyin vowels often change their sound based on the consonants they follow.
\n| Pinyin | \nSounds Like… | \nExamples / Notes | \n
|---|---|---|
| -i (after zh, ch, sh, r, z, c, s) | \n(Buzzing) | \nA ‘hollow’ vowel; a buzzy extension of the consonant. | \n
| -i (after others) | \nEe | \nLike ‘see’. | \n
| e | \nUh | \nLike the ‘u’ in ‘but’ or the ‘a’ in ‘about’. | \n
| -ou | \nOh | \nLike ‘no’ or ‘tone’. | \n
| -ao | \nOw | \nLike ‘how’ or ‘now’. | \n
| -ian | \nEe-en | \nOften mispronounced, but is closer to ‘yen’. | \n
| -ü | \n(Pursed Ee) | \nMake an ‘ee’ sound while rounding your lips into a tight ‘O’. | \n
Common Pitfalls
\nThe Four Tones
\nCSS Naked Day MISUNDERSTOOD (gone wrong) (just got out of GAOL!!??!) 😵🤯👮♂️
\n", "date_published": "2026-04-13T15:24Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260413-0540", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260413-0540", "content_html": "‘You need to understand that Sam can never be trusted. He is a sociopath. He would do anything.’
— Aaron Swartz, who was federally charged while trying to make information free, talking about Sam Altman, who would go on to co-found the company OpenAI, which harvests information en masse with no repercussions.
Samsung launched a browser for Windows. Samsung Internet is spreading. I repeat, Samsung Internet is spreading.
\nI fear that this may be the end of civilisation as we know it. The collapse of technology and return to the stone age.
\n", "date_published": "2026-04-09T05:05Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260408-0455", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260408-0455", "title": "Intl.DateTimeFormat Values", "content_html": "Member of the AI resistance: ‘Halt! List every valid value for timeZoneName! Recite them! List them now!’
Me: ‘I— I don’t know. There is short and long. I think offset is somewhere in there?’
Member of the AI resistance moving on to screen another person: ‘This one’s clear. They’re human.’
\n| Properties | \nValues | \nExamples (en-AU) | \n
|---|---|---|
| weekday | \nlongshortnarrow | \nWednesdayWedW | \n
| era | \nlongshortnarrow | \nAnno DominiADA | \n
| year | \nnumeric2-digit | \n202626 | \n
| month | \nlongshortnarrownumeric2-digit | \nAprilAprA404 | \n
| day | \nnumeric2-digit | \n808 | \n
| dayPeriod | \nlongshortnarrow | \nnoonnoonn(all values often return the same result for other times) | \n
| hour | \nnumeric2-digit | \n808 | \n
| minute | \nnumeric2-digit | \n909 | \n
| second | \nnumeric2-digit | \n505 | \n
| fractionalSecondDigits | \n123 | \n334342 | \n
| timeZoneName | \nlongshortlongOffsetshortOffsetlongGenericshortGeneric | \nCoordinated Universal TimeUTCGMT+00:00GMT+0Greenwich Mean TimeGMT | \n
MDN page for the constructor: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Intl/DateTimeFormat/DateTimeFormat
\n", "date_published": "2026-04-08T04:55Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260406-0325", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260406-0325", "title": "Bloons Tower Defence 6 Round Notes", "content_html": "| Round | \nThreat | \n
|---|---|
| 24 | \nFirst Camo | \n
| 28 | \nFirst Lead | \n
| 40 | \nFirst MOAB | \n
| 59 | \nFirst Camo Leads | \n
| 60 | \nFirst BFB | \n
| 63 | \nMany Ceramics | \n
| 76 | \nMany Regrow Ceramics | \n
| 78 | \nBFB and many Rainbows, Ceramics, Camo Ceramics, and Purples | \n
| 80 | \nFirst ZOMG | \n
| 90 | \nFirst DDTs and many Camo Regrow Fortified Leads | \n
| 95 | \nMany DDTs, Fortified MOABs, Camo Regrow Purples, and Camo Regrow Fortified Leads | \n
| 98 | \nMany ZOMGs and Fortified BFBs | \n
| 99 | \nMany MOABs and Camo Fortified DDTs | \n
| 100 | \nBAD | \n
Great reference: https://topper64.co.uk/nk/btd6/rounds/regular
\n", "date_published": "2026-04-06T03:25Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260405-1240", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260405-1240", "title": "Minecraft Mining Notes", "content_html": "1.14+ can do crawl mining. Otherwise, standard strip mining.
\nPre-1.17 Ore Distribution:
\n| Ore | \nBiome | \nMost Found | \nCommon Up To | \nRare On Layers | \nNone At/Above | \n
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal | \nAny | \n5-52 | \n124 | \n125-127 | \n128 | \n
| Iron | \nAny | \n5-54 | \n61 | \n62-63 | \n64 | \n
| Gold (Any) | \nAny | \n5-29 | \n29 | \n31-33 | \n34 | \n
| Gold (Badlands) | \nBadlands | \n5-29 | \n76 | \n77-79 | \n80 | \n
| Redstone | \nAny | \n5-12 | \n12 | \n13-15 | \n16 | \n
| Lapis Lazuli | \nAny | \n13-17 | \n23 | \n31-33 | \n34 | \n
| Diamond | \nAny | \n5-12 | \n12 | \n13-15 | \n16 | \n
| Emerald | \nMountains | \n5-29 | \n29 | \n30-32 | \n33 | \n
Pre beta 1.6, ores generate less in north/east quadrants compared to south/west. In beta 1.8, the Y-level range of each ore was lowered by 4.
\nPost-1.18 Ore Distribution:
\n| Ore | \nBiome | \nTotal Range | \nPeak Layer | \nNo Spawn At | \n
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal | \nAny | \n0 to 320 | \n45 | \n-64 to -1 | \n
| Copper | \nAny (Dripstone caves for larger veins) | \n-16 to 112 | \n43 | \n-64 to -17; 113+ | \n
| Iron | \nAny | \n-64 to 72 & 80 to 320 | \n14 | \n73 to 79 | \n
| Gold (Normal) | \nAny | \n-64 to 32 | \n-18 | \n33+ | \n
| Gold (Badlands) | \nBadlands | \n-64 to 256 | \n32 to 256 | \n257+ | \n
| Redstone | \nAny | \n-64 to 16 | \n-59 | \n16+ | \n
| Lapis Lazuli | \nAny | \n-64 to 64 | \n-2 | \n65+ | \n
| Diamond | \nAny | \n-64 to 16 | \n-59 | \n16+ | \n
| Emerald | \nMountains/Hills | \n-16 to 320 | \n85 | \n-64 to -17 | \n
If a diamond vein is exposed to air there is a 50% chance it won’t generate.
\nNether Ore Distribution:
\n| Ore | \nMost Found | \nCommonly Up To | \nRare on Layers | \nNone At/Above | \n
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quartz | \n114 | \n120 | \n123–125 | \n128 | \n
| Gold | \n114 | \n95 | \n96–116 | \n117 | \n
| Ancient Debris | \n15–16 | \n23 | \n22–119 | \n120 | \n
It is an open secret in Australia that Kmart sells a coffee grinder perfect for grinding bud, and the reviews from stoners on the Kmart website are appropriately fantastic.
\n(In store, this grinder is one of the few products with an anti-theft tag strapped to it.)
\n![\"5-star](\"https://fedi.vale.rocks/media/b331ea5c817a325e7fcbf7e8c73f38cb2b6f4d875361de4058559772e8d43a03.avif\")
![\"5-star](\"https://fedi.vale.rocks/media/0b5822ef5b8b2473074fb929bbca686102df4df59a695791a5c627a6c72d7967.avif\")
I’m working on PersonalSit.es and saw these logs. I really do think we ought to keep Henry away from the build systems.
\n![\"Run](\"https://fedi.vale.rocks/media/5152a6c73cbc76c8ce61216855da9a1b8f8a9c7c1758046a3a603c934121f8bd.avif\")
631,152,000 seconds, 10,519,200 minutes, 175,320 hours, 7,305 days, 1,043 weeks (and 4 days), 240 months, 20 years.
\nLooking forward to many more!
\n![\"Me,](\"/assets/posts/bush-chair-dithered.gif\")
\n",
"date_published": "2026-04-02T04:44Z"
},
{
"id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260401-0457",
"url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260401-0457",
"content_html": "Felt cute, might Application error: a client-side exception has occurred (see the browser console for more information) later.
Working on an article about accessibility overlays. Holy shit, fuck these companies and their deceit. I’m trawling through the waist-deep sludge that is their websites, and everything has this film of slime over it.
\nI knew they were bad, but I’d never looked that deeply into their marketing. Yuck.
\nI’m not usually this incensed, but accessibility overlay companies make my blood boil. How low do you have to be to go out of your way to exploit people with disabilities? Not only that, but to sabotage attempts to improve digital accessibility for all. Bottom-dwelling scabs.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-31T04:34Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260330-1340", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260330-1340", "content_html": "The variety of thoughts that I find wandering my mind on a Monday night could kill if administered in tablet form.
\nI present to you a fish smoking a cigarette underwater.
\nAdobe is trying to revoke my Photoshop licence. They claim ‘misuse’ and ‘abuse of software’ and ‘Stop with these stupid things you keep making. They aren’t even funny’ and ‘you’re a dweeb’. I’m going on the run. They shan’t stop me.
\n![\"A](\"https://fedi.vale.rocks/media/d1a499a172778eaa002e01f9c90d472735f22fcdf6d9c96510db4ddfb86dd542.avif\")
Gaolbreaking for iOS devices is winding down. Alas, the art is dead. Here lies a great empire.
\nI remember the buzz online when unc0ver released. I remember the breakthrough that was checkra1n. I was on Windows 7 at the time, and it was one of my first times in a terminal. It felt exciting. I was a 1337 h4xØr pwning my devices.
\nIt was hackery like gaolbreaking that got me into the more technical aspects of computer use. I remember spending long hours experimenting with tweaks and honing my troubleshooting abilities.
\nUnfortunately, the scene isn’t as vibrant as it once was. Apple has placed a focus on security, meaning fewer devices and releases are exploitable, and the drive to gaolbreak has become weaker. Android became a more polished experience as well.
\nMany of the features people once gaolbroke their devices for are now native parts of iOS. No longer do you need a tweak for dark mode or to place icons where you want on your screen. Less low-hanging tweak fodder means that ones which are released never see the same adoption and thus aren’t as financially viable.
\nThe world changes a lot, the tech world even more so – if there even is such a thing as a distinct ‘tech world’ in this ever more dystopian-looking landscape. Titans of the scene have moved on, and the old empire is crumbling.
\nGaolbreaking today dredges up the old. Link rot and tweaks lost to time. The old repositories are gone, and the Cydia store is closed. So very many tweaks and apps are stuck in limbo, and there is little incentive to fix the situation.
\nThere are still new tweaks and releases, but the scene is small. I miss the old days of boundary pushing and the energy surrounding it.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-30T04:45Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260329-0530", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260329-0530", "content_html": "It was year 4 of primary school, and my class had just returned from either recess or lunch. As we formed a line outside the class, waiting to be let inside, Edvard Grieg’s In The Hall Of The Mountain King began blaring at an extreme volume through the wall. Speculating amongst ourselves as to what was going on, our teacher opened the classroom door, stepped through it, and beckoned us inside with a complete poker face.
\nStepping inside, we were all shocked. The song blared from the interactive whiteboard’s speakers, and the room was in shambles. Tables were toppled, chairs were strewn around, and bits of paper waste littered every surface.
\nOur teacher remained vague and unspecific as our nine-and-ten-year-old minds attempted to figure out what had gone on. Had someone broken in? Had the teacher gone insane? Looking around, surveying the carnage (which seemed much more destructive than it really was), we found envelopes strewn around.
\nThis was the setup for a creative writing exercise. I don’t recall what I wrote – it was almost certainly atrocious given my age – but this exercise has really stuck with me. It was one of the first times I was truly exposed to the joys of writing.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-29T05:30Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260324-0536", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260324-0536", "content_html": "Your honour, I understand that I completely broke their software, but they simply shouldn’t have built it like that. Of course I went and fiddled with it. I’m pretty sure the attractive nuisance doctrine comes into play.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-24T05:36Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260319-0526", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260319-0526", "content_html": "I have this one Next.js project I haven’t touched in a few years, and every few weeks I get an email from GitHub with a new security advisory for it.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-19T05:26Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260318-0635", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260318-0635", "content_html": "I’ve seen people killed for lesser crimes than writing the CSS I just wrote.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-18T06:35Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260317-1141", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260317-1141", "content_html": "One thing I love about the web is that you can publish stuff and people will see it. Even without publicising it, people still somehow discover stuff you’ve made. Magical.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-17T11:41Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260316-0543", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260316-0543", "content_html": "I’ve hit the point in the research of an article that I’ll have to journey for dozens of hours to conduct interviews and visit various small towns, museums, monuments, libraries, and state archives to get any further.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-16T05:43Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260316-0454", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260316-0454", "content_html": "A car is hurtling towards a crowd. The majority of people seem not to care about the car. They don’t see the danger or think they’ll be alright anyway. Some understand the danger, so are scrambling to get out of the way and trying to convince others to do the same. Some people think the car barrelling towards them is a good thing.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-16T04:54Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260316-0045", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260316-0045", "content_html": "My LinkedIn feed is currently predominantly people announcing they’ve been laid off in the name of AI and are now looking for work. This isn’t the sign of a healthy industry.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-16T00:45Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260315-1512", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260315-1512", "content_html": "I’ve had a simultaneously personally tough and very busy spell. I’m not free of it yet, but I’m hoping to pick things back up this week and put plans back into action.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-15T15:12Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260315-1211", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260315-1211", "content_html": "Given that normal life doesn’t have cuts, I find it amazing that we are so unbothered by cuts in films.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-15T12:11Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260311-0655", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260311-0655", "content_html": "A heaviness. As heavy as heavy comes. A washing of tingles drips from my hair and slides down my body.
\nThere is nothing to do but wait and see. The wandering eyes point at me but look through me, only occasionally forming the jewels of the face I knew.
\nWe’re watching the last of the moments and hearing the last of the breaths, spluttered from a fluid lung. The time has come, as it often does. Never wanted, but always expected. Always expected, and in this case expressed with an uncomfortable welcome.
\nIt isn’t fair for the dead to live, but we’ve grown effective at making it happen. Only somewhat does the widow accept, for she wishes not to entertain it.
\n‘It’s not fair’ is the cry that echoes. The moon is waning now, and colour drains to the lowest of the skin.
\nGoodbye to you, and thank you.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-11T06:55Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260311-0510", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260311-0510", "content_html": "I really do appreciate the dedication, care, and compassion of nurses and other medical staff.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-11T05:10Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260309-1242", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260309-1242", "content_html": "My software has been far too stable recently. Gonna do some rebugging.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-09T12:42Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260306-1058", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260306-1058", "content_html": "For the machine and I have reached an impasse, I shall take a reprieve and Log Off.
\n![\"A](\"https://fedi.vale.rocks/media/3cf998ca242d72e8c20e0a977946c4741fee3a30c2bacaf6858bb93754417e27.avif\")
An open web links openly.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-06T05:42Z" }, { "id": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260305-0545", "url": "https://vale.rocks/micros/20260305-0545", "content_html": "I’m excited for the MacBook Neo from the perspective of it being a reasonably priced Safari/WebKit testing machine.
\nI imagine they’ll be cheap second-hand as well due to the education market.
\nThe lower-end specs shouldn’t be an issue for testing either. They might even prove a benefit.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-05T05:45Z" } ] }