Updated October 2, 2024

Fork me on GitHub * Convert this blog to Hugo * Write more blogs about epaper * Finish homeassistant * Plan for a mortgage * Buy Apartment * Build out my own ‘data lake’ of personal stuff along with a home airflow instance _Inspired by aboutideasnow_

Updated October 21, 2024

**Last updated:** 21 Oct, 2024 This is a /now page, listing out the stuff that's going on with me at the moment. If you have your own site, you should make one too. What I’m listening to: ---------------------- * **Jamie xx** - 'In Waves' · This is proving to be a very good album indeed * **Public Service Broadcasting** - 'The Last Flight' * **Hinds** - 'Viva Hinds' What I’m reading: ----------------- I maintain an archive of the books I read over on The Storygraph. Here's my current selection: * **Berserker!** by Adrian Edmondson * **Sea of Tranquility** by Emily St. John Mandel · I devoured this. It should have been a bit more substantial but it was very enjoyable while it lasted * **You Have Not Yet Heard Your Favourite Song: How Streaming Changes Music** by Glenn McDonald · Proving to be a bit too lightweight for my taste but its early days * **Private Eye** What I’m watching: ------------------ * **Rivals** * **Sunny** * **We Might Regret This** * **Parks and Recreation** * **Bob's Burgers** Other things I’m enjoying: -------------------------- * Loads of prep for house moving in about five weeks' time. This week: chasing lawyers, getting final costs for removals. * A bit of website tweaking. A lot going on at the moment. Recent blogs: ------------- * A note about my new 'ephemera' section of the site and why it's important. * Some thoughts about William Blake and Englishness. Current status: ---------------

Updated September 29, 2024

Here is a rolling list of my product ideas and business designs that I have developed, resulting in either discarding them or putting them on pause pending future research: 1. PowerCube: a capacity tariff to fight UK fuel poverty 2. PowerSensr: a smart voltage logger 3. SecondChance: reducing retailer waste 4. TRMH: social impact bonds to improve mental health 5. Rental version of eBay or Amazon 6. Seismic sensor network and trading algorithm to hedge against earthquakes in Silicon Valley 7. WaterAlert: basic moisture detector for pot plants _(school project)_ 8. MirrorMirror: booth-based 3D scanner for online shopping _(university project)_ 9. Scannd/CamScan: phone-based 3D scanner for online shopping (post pending) 10. Map and Graph Museum: a dedicated space celebrating data visualisation (post pending) 11. CashZap: calendar-based personal financial management (post pending) 12. IMTech (post pending) 13. GridQ: digital platform to help DNOs manage connection requests (post pending) 14. Spotify for newspapers and magazines (post pending) 15. Prime Minister: a _Football Manager_\-style politics simulator (post pending) 16. Drinx: queue-busting app to pre-order food and drinks at busy events (post pending) 17. DroneZone: London warehouse drone “racetrack” and bar (post pending)

Updated October 20, 2024

(…this is getting to be quite an old picture of me, but it’s still the one I use everywhere) Last updated: 2024/10/20 Where ----- As of a few weeks ago, I live in Chelmsford, UK again, after several years in Cambridge, London, and Bedfordshire. Work ---- I work as the VP of Engineering for Payoneer Merchant Services, building Payoneer Checkout, Payoneer’s payment acceptance solution. I also run Moorhen Solutions Ltd., where I work with businesses to grow and scale their tech and teams. Whether it’s providing architectural guidance, coaching developers, strategic planning, or designing software, I help tech teams be even better; drop me an email at kristian@moorhensolutions.co.uk if that sounds like something you could benefit from. Health ------ I don’t seem to have cancer any more, as far as we can tell, which is nice. Lots of advice is highly situational, but I’m very comfortable with the blanket recommendation to not get cancer. So look after your health, check all the bits you’re supposed to check, et cetera. - none of which will stop you from getting unlucky, but you can still improve your odds. Family ------ Two years ago I became a dad, and it is a wonder and a joy (…though also exhausting!) Speaking -------- I’ve enjoyed giving talks on everything from Avoiding Harmful Hiring Practices to Tools For Better Python at both companies and conferences. However, I’m not prioritising public speaking at the moment. Radio ----- I finally started making use of my Amateur Radio License during the 2020 lockdowns. Most of my gear is still in boxes following the house-move, but I should be back on the air soon - most likely FT8 and Packet on HF. More details at https://radio.doismellburning.co.uk/. About ----- This page was inspired by Derek Sivers’s `/now` movement.

Updated September 24, 2024

Ideas ----- Projects -------- ### Data * A library / review of carbon data for estimates for technology device usage ### Games * A game about picking up stones from the seashore * A collaboration with a writer to make a writing prompt generator on the Playdate * A pipemania-style game with a twist Vague topics: ------------- * Humility and humanity in technology Looking for ----------- * Funding for tracking technology carbon footprint data (see Projects / Data above) - I should try the CAT mini grants * Finding for developing an online archive for community digital assets _Last modified: 2024-09-24 11:45:59_

Updated October 21, 2024

Befriending wildfire -------------------- A new book from Obi Kaufmann illustrates the reciprocal connection between California ecosystems and fire. * * * Poder latino ------------ En el centro del estado de Washington, los organizadores latinos están promoviendo el voto y eligiendo a sus propios candidatos The Native vote dilemma ----------------------- Every election year, Indigenous people grapple with whether and how to engage in electoral politics. In This Issue ------------- ### October 2024: Latino Vote This month, we look at the upcoming elections from a Western viewpoint. Some Latino organizers in Washington are working on behalf of local elections, while others pursue the swing vote in Arizona and Nevada. Why are some Indigenous voters uncomfortable with the idea of voting,… Receive 2 free issues of HCN ---------------------------- In the News ----------- Know the West. --------------

Updated October 16, 2024

_Last updated on 26 September, 2024_ Current Reading --------------- _Last updated on 16 October, 2024_ _The Lost Worlds of 2001_ _The Last Unicorn_ was so well-written, I am looking into more Beagle books. Beagle is really good at doing away with unnecessary complications in his plot, leaving lots of breathing room for characters to do their thing. His prose is compact but colorful. I like a good simile (heh) or a metaphor, and he has some of the effective and memorable ones (“…but the coincidence trailed down Schmendrick’s spine like wet seaweed.”). Current Writing --------------- I had some big personal items to settle in the last few months, and that’s taken away from writing time. That’s mostly out of the way, so I am taking a small break from the book and writing some short stories and doing a few more blog posts, for maybe a month or two. Miscellaneous ------------- Nothing much out of the ordinary, other than the personal items mentioned above. Work has picked up in a big way over the summer, but I realized that’s what I said in the last update, which was back in April. I should probably update this a little more often, right?

Updated October 21, 2024

* * * Building upon a broad artistic and technical background, I craft all sorts of cool stuff with passionate people who love what they do _—like me._ I feel especially comfortable creating for screens, but I’m notoriously curious, driven to explore, learn and experiment across all kind of media. If you need to slap a single label on what I do, I like the German term ‘Gestaltingenieur’ (something like ‘engineer of form’), but I’d prefer for you to simply think of me this way: I’m not specialized in _anything_, I’m specialized in _everything_. Or to quote design legend Massimo Vignelli: > _»If you can design one thing, > you can design everything.«_ Experience ---------- Beeing a habitual beginner and ‘learn-aholic’, I grow my skillset primarily by doing. Most recently I’ve leveraged my roughly 15 years of experience in creation and code by teaching Game Design and supervising attending distance students at **Euro-FH**, University Of Applied Sciences since 2024•Remote (Hamburg, Germany)•ongoing teaching Game Design and developing the associated degree program at **Wilhelm Büchner Hochschule** (Wilhelm Buechner College) since 2024•Remote (Frankfurt, Germany)•ongoing exploring technology and its effects on culture and society as founder and chairman of the non-profit **Virtuelle Kultur e.V.** (Virtual Culture) since 2022•Freiburg, Germany•ongoing shaping visual systems and helping people through strategic design thinking and art direction as self-employed **design consultant** 2018 – 2024 planing, designing, and building digital solutions as web designer and front-end developer at **Wagnerwagner** since 2013•Remote (Reutlingen, Germany)•ongoing running an experimental art practice dubbed **allyourhype!**, acting as a formless archive for random self-expression infrequently since 2012 You might be thinking _“That’s a hell of a lot of stuff pal!”_ and you’re absolutely right. I do a shit load of things. Do I do too much? _Maybe._ Do I spread myself too thin? _Probably._ Do I enjoy every little piece I’m working on, though? _Abso–fucking–lutely!_ Contact ------- Due to my numerous long-term commitments and extremely limited remaining capacities, I rarely take on new assignments for the time being. I try to follow Charles Bukowski’s example who once declared: > _»Understand me … > I do not have time for things that have no soul.«_ If you have something special you want to collaborate on and therefore talk about, though, message me on Linkedin.com or get in touch via good ol’ Email. I’m always down to casually meet and exchange ideas over a good cup of coffee or a nice matcha. And if there’s only one thing about me to take away from this website, it’s that I’m always interested in projects which broaden my horizon. That being said, if you want to work together on something more ordinary there’s of course the solid option to join forces with the tried-and-tested team of Wagnerwagner or the collective mind of Virtuelle Kultur e.V. as well. * * * About me -------- I'm convinced how we spent our time away from work not only tells a lot about us, but strongly influences our output as creatives, as well. In the wise words of the amazing Frank Chimero: > _»I’d say slow down, find a quiet place and create time for solitude so you can hear yourself. It’s so noisy out there. And find the good ones around you –the patient, compassionate and interested– then elevate the conversation as often as you can. The things that nourish you are also the things that will nourish your work, give it purpose, depth and soul. It’s hard to say what those things may be, but life has taught me over and over that you don’t need to know if you are willing to ask.«_ So here are a few things that nourish me. ### Music Besides art, all kinds of design and technology, I get most excited about music. I’ve worked on graphics and artworks for a few bands in the past and I’m dabbling into making music myself from time to time, but mainly I enjoy growing and listening to my beloved record collection. Here are some of the LPs occupying my record player most often at the moment. (updated October 2024) ### Games I probably do not deserve the title ‘Gamer’ and might not conform to the stereotype either, but I’ve been into video games since eight year old me watched my big brother play Secret of Evermore on his SNES back in 1996. Besides the sheer entertaining qualities and the frequent utilisation of experimental hardware and emerging technology, I believe video games are still crucially underrated as an artform. Here are some good (or at least interesting) games I’ve played recently. (updated September 2024) #### Moonring install from itch.io (for free!) #### Trek to Yomi install from Steam ### Books Even so I spent most time reading with my first-born daughter and her favourite children’s books right now, I manage to squeeze in a few pages of books recently added to my ‘antilibrary’ and some re-readings of a few favourites every now and then. Here are some books I’m currently reading. (updated August 2024) * * * On the topic of reading and time spent; Thanks for stopping by and taking the time ( so far) to read this, your attention isn’t taken for granted! That’s it with the _‘me\-me\-me\-fest’_ for now. Have a great day and remember to scroll slow. Much Love.

Updated September 13, 2024

← ~ muhh internet happy place This is a list of things I want to do, it’s a partner to \[\[now\]\] and \[\[about\]\]. Read more about aboutideasnow.com. There are **a lot** of different project I want to do, more than I can in a reasonable time. But that’s ok. Last update: 2024-09-13. ### Website * Photos * convert /notes to /journal and setup notes like a wiki. * switch theme to \[\[everforest\]\]. * import bookmarks from omnivore * fetch updates from my status page to get them home * mobile publish workflow, something over ssh should be not too much to build * pull in data from /now and display it here. create an archive from it. * add some more slashpages * improve the feeds ### Homelab * Build split keyboard * Plug new GPU card into \[\[cube\]\] * Setup \[\[homeassistant\]\] * Migrate that one Ubuntu VPS to \[\[NixOS\]\].

Updated October 21, 2024

I still have an old account at a US bank, who have recently disabled my ability to transfer money out, cancelled my debit card, and told me my account is now dormant and can only be reactivated if I transfer some money or make a debit card transaction. How helpful of them. **🏷** life Mon 21st of October 2024 at 3:33pm (+01:00) _Post created with_ https://apps.rhiaro.co.uk/no-ceremonies-are-necessary 🗁Added 11 photos to album Misc visits. --------------------------------------- Coop meeting in Newcastle. Nice venue, good vibes, mostly good food. Great colleagues. Sad I had to leave a day early. (Super Natural, Pink Lane Bakery, Pizza Punks, Thali Tray.) **🏷** food vegan coop newcastle cogm odsc Wed 16th of October 2024 at 9:53pm (+01:00) 🗁Added 14 photos to album Homemade food. ----------------------------------------- Spiced pear cake with apple maple sauce at the Community Kitchen. Emergency pickled watermelon (because why not). Bottled tomatoes at home. Started two different batches of kombucha. **🏷** food vegan community kitchen greener kirkcaldy baking Sun 13th of October 2024 at 10:56pm (+01:00) 🗁Added 22 photos to album Foraging, 2024. ------------------------------------------ Tara came to visit. We went for walkies and found a handful of chanterelles and and a single baby cep. Lots of russulas and fibrecaps. Shaggy pholiota, shaggy inkcaps and shaggy parasols in Ravenscraig Park. **🏷** foraging fife tara walkies Sun 13th of October 2024 at 7:15pm (+01:00) 🗁Added 10 photos to album Misc visits. --------------------------------------- Spontaneous trip to visit Wenna for her birthday. Many belly rubs. **🏷** walkies lowenna Sat 12th of October 2024 at 10:51pm (+01:00) 🗁Added 2 photos to album Stuff I made. --------------------------------------- **🏷** gardening Thu 10th of October 2024 at 8:08pm (+01:00) The first ever Fife VegFest surpassed all expectations. I did a little writeup here and we got some good press. Also one person said they heard about it on Mastodon. Own up! Who was it?! **🏷** life vegan vegfest2024 fife food Tue 8th of October 2024 at 8:41pm (+01:00) _Post created with_ https://apps.rhiaro.co.uk/no-ceremonies-are-necessary 🗁Added 23 photos to album Homemade food. ----------------------------------------- Breaded more pufflballs, and shaggy inkcaps too.. Courgette cake at GK. And fancy salads with courgette pakoras at the Plate Up For Fife workshop. Made some pretty salads at home too. **🏷** food vegan community kitchen greener kirkcaldy baking Sun 6th of October 2024 at 8:48pm (+01:00) earlier

Updated October 22, 2024

_Serial_ is a podcast from the creators of _This American Life_, hosted by Sarah Koenig. _Serial_ tells one story — a true story — over the course of a season. _Serial_ has won every major award for broadcasting, including the duPont-Columbia, Scripps Howard, Edward R. Murrow, and the first-ever Peabody awarded to a podcast. _Serial_, like _This American Life_, is produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago.  It comes from Serial Productions, which released _S-Town_ in 2017, and has more projects in development. Contact ------- For general inquiries, email the team. To contact the staff securely, use the PGP key for producer Dana Chivvis (FF634008). For _Serial_ press inquiries, please email press@serialpodcast.org.  Podcast sponsorship is sold by _The New York Times_. For information, contact Amanda McCartney. For speaking engagements and appearances for Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder, please contact the Steven Barclay Agency. FAQS ---- Is _Serial_ seeking pitches for Season Four? -------------------------------------------- We welcome your pitches. If you think your story would be a better fit for a nonserialized podcast, feel free to send a pitch to _This American Life_: storypitch@thislife.org. Submission guidelines for _This American Life_ are available here. When will Season Four air? -------------------------- We don’t know yet. But in the meantime, we’re producing other projects as well. If you’d like updates on our show and on our new podcasts, please sign up for our newsletter. How can I contact the show’s creators? -------------------------------------- You can send an email to info@serialpodcast.org and someone on our staff will read it. We might not be able to respond to every email we get, but we’ll try. To contact the team securely, use the PGP key for producer Dana Chivvis (FF634008). If you’re a member of the media, please contact press@serialpodcast.org with your requests. For speaking engagements and appearance requests for Sarah Koenig or Julie Snyder, please contact Steven Barclay at steven@barclayagency.com.   Will the show’s creators speak to my class? ------------------------------------------- Unfortunately, the _Serial_ team is small, and they don’t have enough free time to talk with classes. But we do have resources for educators: do-it-yourself radio guides, storytelling tips, equipment recommendations, jobs and internships information, and more on _This American Life’s_ Make Radio page.  Are transcripts of the episodes available online? ------------------------------------------------- Yes, we’ll make transcripts available for Season Three, and we have transcripts for Season Two on our site. We don’t have official transcripts for Season One. Is _Serial_ available in another language? ------------------------------------------ _Serial_ is available only in English. At the moment we aren’t accepting listener-generated requests to translate the series. Is _Serial_ available in CD format? ----------------------------------- No, we don’t have a _Serial_ CD. Is _Serial_ merchandise available to purchase? ---------------------------------------------- Yes! A _Serial_ notebook is available from our web store now. Can I use the _Serial_ logo to create my own T-shirts or promote my event? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unfortunately, we have to say no, in order to protect our logo. If you have other questions about permissions and licensing, please write to officemanager@thislife.org. Follow Serial -------------

Updated October 21, 2024

Last updated: October 21, 2024 > This is a now page. I will update the page roughly once a month to share where I am, what I'm focusing on, and what I don't do. Toronto, ON, Canada, preparing for my "return" flight to Malawi. ### Work at the intersection of tech and society In July 2024, I completed my one-year assignment as a Canadian international volunteer in Malawi, a small landlocked country in southeastern Africa, aiming to promote equitable access to ICT from one of the poorest countries in the world. The tangible experience showed me numerous challenges and opportunities in the context of global development. In particular, in the field where ineffective allocation of resources and wasteful "tech for the tech's sake" projects are pervasive, I believe enabling people, ranging from government stakeholders to local changemakers, to make informed decisions for sustainable, long-lasting impact would be the key for a bright future in the digital age. Thus, I'm actively shifting the targets and objectives of my freelancing business to more tech-related or -driven philanthropic initiatives. ### Be better at a nomad lifestyle The current focus of my business involves a lot more fieldwork and travel than I used to do. This means I have to be efficient and effective in working remotely outside of my home in Canada. How can I expose myself to diverse, authentic experiences without binding myself to a specific employer or office space? How can I maintain my daily routine, productivity, and overall health while traveling? How can I minimize both tangible and intangible costs as a global citizen (i.e., sustainable, minimalistic travel practices)? I've been asking these questions myself and exploring various tools and ideas for the last few months. In the growing market for digital nomads, the best practices can change daily. So, it'd be more like a life-long search for a better life. If you are interested in particular tools I, as a digital nomad, rely on today, the apps below have been my absolute lifesavers for the last couple of years. * Wise - Receive and transfer money across currencies with low, transparent fees. * Airalo - Get a local eSIM at a reasonable price, as early as before arriving at a destination. * Dingtone - Have a second phone number accessible from the mobile app (i.e., pretty much everywhere across the globe as long as there is internet connectivity), to receive SMS for 2FA, flight notification, etc. * MentorCruise - Use my knowledge and experiences to support others in different parts of the world. * Libby - Always stay educated and motivated, through ebooks and audiobooks from my local library in Canada. * Bonus: Pikmin Bloom - Have something fun that links the digital and physical world. Feel free to use my invitation code `ZMFMLJQDI` :) And I'm continuously reviewing and refining the use of technology. ### Scale my business Not to mention working for social issues as an independent won't be a sustainable move, and I know I have to scale my business at some point so that I can contribute to meaningful changes without my physical presence and availability. "Scale" here doesn't mean being rich; I particularly aim for horizontal growth rather than vertical one, through diversification and amplification assisted by technology tools. For example, I provide 1:1 online mentorship to mentees across the globe, but what if I package the offering as structured educational content? Or, though I've been writing a personal blog for years to share tangible observations and insights here, I could elevate them as more structured publications for targeted audiences. Stay tuned for further updates on these directions.