I really like the vertical scrolling/reading-a-book kind of design that @matigo uses for his blog. The controls for changing the font type, size and color scheme are also welcome. Nice design that encourages one to read the articles 😌
@matigo Thank you for sharing this story about your father. We can definitely see how his penchant for writing has rubbed off on you along with your respect for people, and it is certain that the apple did not fall far from the tree in that respect. It must not be easy to deal with, but here's hoping that you can find peace in knowing that his suffering is over and that he is still with you in some way, in how he has influenced you over the many years of your life.
@peemee Sounds like you had a hit-and-miss experience. What was the issue with the 20% of the attendees? A lot of inexperienced questions, or perhaps newbie suppositions made with positive certainty?
@peemee Interesting discovery. A rather expensive external display, but if you happened to have it lying around unused, it seems like a good option. I've never owned an iMac—my first Mac was an Intel Mac mini, with which I used a third-party external display. The Intel iMacs aren't too expensive now used, though, at least not here in Japan. Most everyone wants the flashy new colors and the Apple silicon models, even though the displays (Retina) on the newer Intel models seem just as nice.
@matigo Lovely story. The views must have been expansive, although I sympathize about having to bear the cold during this season. At least the canine could get out for some enjoyable walking and interaction with other humans and fellow canine friends.
Interestingly, Omaezaki was one of the places I had intended to visit on a mammoth biking tour of Shizuoka around 2014–2015 or so. Unfortunately, I had some kind of alcoholic beverage on the first day of my tour when I trekked down as far as Toyokawa and stayed there, and undoubtedly the alcohol rushed through my hyper-circulated body like a hammer and put me utterly nauseous, dizzy and out of commission, and what's more the weather turned pouring rain the next morning. I turned tail, rented a car and cut the rest of my tour short, so no Omaezaki for me 😫
@matigo Indeed. Perhaps people are so busy being busy, they are afraid of what would happen if they just slowed down to take a look at the world around them.
Before she passed away, my mother told me a story she had either heard on the news or heard from a friend. It was about how the driver of a bus was in medical distress, but only one person on the entire vehicle actually noticed and was able to offer assistance. Everyone else was engaged with their smart devices or otherwise indisposed. My mother could barely contain her tears when she spoke of that, and she was not one prone to showing emotion at stories like this.
It pays to be mindful, and it can be a service to others if we are mindful of them as well.
@matigo I like what you said about "Writing isn't just about skill or productivity; it's about alignment. When we're out of alignment—with our purpose, our curiosity, or even our inner voice—the words don't flow."
Also, the solution you proposed was useful: "Writer's block, frustrating as it is, might just be the mind's way of saying: Pause. Breathe. Pay attention."
Mindfulness when writing, is perhaps what you are recommending, I gathered. Sounds like a good plan.
It's said that just writing stream-of-consciousness style can help clear out the cobwebs in your brain. That doesn't seem to help me much lately, but it has been useful at times. I often go out for walks with a voice recorder and just talk aloud (not caring overly much about what passersby are thinking, although I do prefer doing this when other people are not around), and I find that can often help unclog any "stuck" thinking processes, even though it may not provide the best answers.
@matigo Writing is also your strong suit, as is evidenced by your blog. Ever thought about writing a book?
@matigo I’ve always felt that coding and development are among your superpowers, Jason, so it’s a pleasure to see these public-facing projects you’ve initially designed years ago getting the love they deserve 😉