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Blogging - Finding The Flow

I know, right? If you’ve read the other posts in this series so far, you’ll be thinking: For real? No structure? he writes like a drunk wandering home from the pub? Nah, there MUST be a formula… Nope.  No formula. I do one thing. And that’s it. I write a one sentence. I open my editor (iA Writer if that sort of thing interests you) and write one sentence.  Here’s what it was for this piece: “Write a post about the non-structural way of blogging. ” That was it. What that does is shove the topic front and centre in my mind. Then, I’m free to waffle, scream, rant and shout any way that I want. As long as it hits the mark.  I write the opening par. To get the main point down. And that usually opens the floodgates. After that? It comes out. My mind “looks” at that first...

Organizing a 660-App /Applications Folder with AppTela

I recently organized my /Applications folder; it contains more than 660 apps. The tool that finally made it manageable is AppTela, a layered, categorized launcher available for $4.99 on the Mac App Store. I tend to keep an app for every contingency. The problem isn’t disk space; it’s remembering the name of the utility you installed last year to solve a problem that only shows up every few months. If you’ve ever had the experience of knowing you have an app for something but not remembering what it’s called, AppTela is designed to solve exactly that problem. I still launch the majority of my apps from Raycast. My use case for AppTela is using it's organizational structure, but if you're primarily a mouse or trackpad (nothing wrong with that), then this app will server you well on that front. Not many days go by without me downloading at least one app. I’ve been doing that for years....

Blogging - Forget Optimising

I lead a team of developers. It used to be web developers. But the team I lead now are more than that. They are all expert coders across a whole bunch of web-based technologies.  So, words like optimisation are standard speak for them. Then, in the evening, I sit down and write a blog post that wanders around wherever my minds goes. Like a drunk on the way home from the pub.  How does that work? for someone leading a technical team? Easy.  Like this. My mind says: fuck anything that sounds like restraint. If my technical brain says: Ooh, I wouldn’t do that. Or don’t put that there. Or this needs more headings and better keyword choice… I’ll end up writing a piece that has none of those things.  Why? Because that’s not what blogs are for. To me. The rebel blogger. Balls to optimising anything. People (readers) want...

Blogging - Why Bother?

Seventeen years ago blogging was Wordpress or bust. Yeah, but nowadays, it’s even easier than that. There’s loads of great platforms (Hello, scribbles.page or Ghost) you can use. And if you’re a coder? Even better (hello Astro).  So that’s grand. why bother though? How has that changed? Do I write blog posts today for the same reason as when I first started? Or has that changed? Oh crap. This post is going to be short. The answer is: no. No change. I blog today for the same reason I’ve been blogging all these years.  I’ve got something to say. And a blog seems as good as anywhere to say it.  I do remember back in the day, people used to write more personal stuff. Before the great ‘content driven’ marketing bollocks started. You’d get folk writing about the last great meal they cooked. Not because they were chefs. But because...

The Return of Certs

This will be the fourth blog post I've written about Certs in the past ten years, which is definitely too many on a forgotten mint/candy. Two of the three previous blog posts survive, and you can read them here if you'd like: Certs What Happened to Certs? A Mystery Solved If you don't feel like reading old blog posts, the Cliff Notes are as follows: • In 2016, I discovered that Certs were no longer popular and were very difficult to find. • In 2022, I confirmed that Certs had been discontinued in 2018. It amazes me what candies and snacks seem to be missed by the public and make a comeback. I mean, a few years ago, Cream Savers emerged from the ashes of the 90s and started off as a Big Lots exclusive before finally making their way into more stores. Meanwhile, Certs, something that I felt was...

Have spent much of the day tearing my arms and legs to shreds using only nature’s finest overgrown brambles and gorse while knee deep in a freezing stream. Get back to nature they said…

• 🐛 Fixed an issue with deleting blogs. • 💅 Fixed an issue with navigating to the discover settings page from Explore.

Moon Views, Earth Love

I have been watching the Artemis II mission off and on. I saw these pictures on the NASA website, and here are a few that I really like. They definitely got me thinking. I have always been fascinated by space and the Heavens. I would like to go to space, but not like we do today. If I went, I would want it to be on a Star Trek type shuttle or ship. Our spacecraft, much like our planes, are little more than thin tin cans. Looking at these pictures really affected me. The Moon is very dead and very unwelcoming, and space is the same way. Then, seeing our planet Earth from that vantage point just shows the miracle God made for us and the love Jesus purchased for us. Why would you want to go anywhere else? Hello, World NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman took...

Good evening.

Good afternoon.

Good morning.

A Quick Thought on Console Pricing

Over the past few weeks, the online video game circle has been outraged over the increase in prices of video game consoles due to tariffs/memory/storage issues. One article I saw on IGN even lamented how we’re now stuck with Xbox Series X and PS5. As a gamer for over thirty years, I’m okay with sticking with the current gen. Honestly the differences between the last two generations (and arguably the last three generations) has been pretty minimal. Sure, the load times are better, and there are graphical upgrades but we’re not talking eight bit to sixty four bit improvements. Yes, times are tough all around, so maybe Microsoft and Playstation delaying the next gen a couple of years would be a good thing. And of course, if the console prices do go above $1,000 and you don’t find it worth it (honestly for me video games are the best return...

I replaced Apple Music with Yate, Swinsian, Navidrome, and an iPod Classic. Surprisingly better.

My ten-year experiment with Apple Music is over. Over the past month I rebuilt my workflow for managing a large local music collection; roughly 36,000 tracks. After a lot of experimentation, these are the tools that finally clicked. • Migration – Apple Music with iTunes Match ($25/year; you only need it once) • Repair – Yate (free) • Management – Swinsian ($34.95) • Maintenance – Yate + Swinsian • Consumption (hardware) – iPod Classic ($40–$400) • Consumption (streaming) – Navidrome (free) This is the story of moving from Apple Music back to files I actually own, and the workflow that makes that practical in 2026. Why Leave?Streaming trained us to tolerate a mess we never should have accepted. Tracks, albums, and playlists quietly disappear. You’re never quite sure what counts as “your library.” Metadata changes underneath you. And if you cancel the subscription, it’s not always clear what remains. For casual listening that trade-off may be fine. For anyone who has spent years curating a library, it’s frustrating....

Birthday Thoughts on a Country at a Crossroads

At a pivotal crossroads, a nation contemplates its future between the pursuit of wealth and industry or the call to civic duty and democratic engagement. I turn 57 this month, and with everything going on in the world, it almost feels like an afterthought. This year feels worse, more doom and gloom than others. I am not entirely sure why, but it is not just politics. The economy has been rough too, with gas prices staying high, in my case over $4.25 a gallon, along with rising costs across the board and ongoing tech hardware shortages. It all adds to the sense that things are off. I have never seen as much upheaval as I have this past year. I have also never witnessed in my adult life companies and wealthy individuals fawn over a President to this extent, while much of the media seems complicit. Then they wonder why...

🍿Watched Civil War (2024)

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: FULL SPOILERS In Civil War (2024), the iconic torch of liberty becomes a battleground as soldiers clash atop its flame, symbolizing the fierce struggle for freedom amid chaos. My Rating: ½ (0.5/5 stars) The movie stunk, and it stunk so bad I kept watching only for the action at the end. It made no sense to me. Why were we in a civil war? Seems more like a feel-good piece for the press. There were undertones of innuendo but no reason was given, nothing clear was given. It was basically like the viewer came in the middle of a tale and only got none of the backstory. Totally stupid movie. If you were supposed to guess about the relationship to today's politics, this movie will be bad in 25 years' time since there is no context at all, and I mean at all. Every good movie has...

🔗 Knight Rider: Knight of the Repli-KITT

[YouTube Video] This was way better than I expected. It’s basically a well shot Knight Rider fan film interrupted by a few Commodore commercials. I love this type of marketing and it feels so right for a brand like Commodore.

Dolly (2026)

When I was a teenager, I loved the whole shock value of horror films. I went out of my way to get my hands on films that were almost impossible to find at the time. Movies like Cannibal Holocaust, I Spit on Your Grave, and Faces of Death. Although released in 2026, Dolly would fit in nicely with those films. Dolly exists not to tell a great story, but to shock you. To leave you cringing and running out to tell your friends about the brutal, fucked up film you watched. The film manages to capture the dirty, sticky vibe of The Hills Have Eyes or Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which is impressive since most films who try to recreate this atmosphere fail to do so. But it doesn't capture the storytelling of either of those films. The entire thing feels very one noted. Think... what if Texas Chainsaw was all...

Good afternoon.

🔗 Weather Channel Retro

I've been a fan of Weatherstar 4000 and other various weather apps that re-create the old Weather Channel vibe. So, I was excited to see the Weather Channel get in on the fun with their own Weather Channel Retro complete with soft jazz. My only complaint, I could do without the announcer chiming in and I wish it would just stay up and running 24/7, but it ends after a few minutes and then I guess it refreshes.

Good evening.

A weird sciatic-like pain has appeared lately running the length of my right leg. It‘s dull but strong, quite intense. What’s odd is that it only appears when I walk any kind of distance and at no other time, not even when I’m on a run. Pulled a muscle in my chest at some point too. Hurts to cough. It’s at times like this I remember my age. No spring chicken anymore. And then as quick as I’ve remembered I’ve forgotten again and I find myself trying to scamper around like a teenager.

Good afternoon.

Just Write

Last night, I felt the urge to write. But instead of writing, I spent a few hours moving my blog around, trying out themes and platforms, and thinking to myself, "Which version of me to do I want to present?" In all honesty, there are too many options nowadays and too many factors at play. I get lost in the debate about self-hosting and which platforms offer just enough customization that I like the way my blog looks, but not so much that I spend all my time tinkering. It's really silly, considering I used to do all my writing in Notepad and I was quite content with that. After mulling over my options today, I decided that the best course of action was to start fresh with a new idea I've been kicking around, while also launching a low-stress place to just share the occasional thought or photo. This...

“The task we must set for ourselves is not to feel secure, but to be able to tolerate insecurity.” — Erich Fromm

Radial 4 Works Best as an Automation Hub

I spent the afternoon experimenting with Radial 4, a rapidly evolving pie-menu app from independent developer Gustav Lubker of AppVerge. If you’re not familiar with pie menu apps, they present a circular menu divided into sections (or slices), each representing an action or command. When configured well, they map naturally to muscle memory and can be extremely fast to use. Other pie-menu apps I've used include: • Pieoneer (good) • CirMenu (good) • PieMenu (limited) • Kando (FOSS) InterfaceIn Radial, pie menus can include the following types of actions: • Input • • Keyboard Shortcut • Text • Clipboard • Open • • Open App • Open File • Open URL • Scripting • • Apple Shortcut • AppleScript • Shell Script • Keyboard Maestro • System • • Window Management • System Control The only obvious thing missing right now is deep-link support for tools like Raycast and similar command launchers. Some...

Good afternoon.

“There’s one main message being shared in ten thousand different guises: Who you are and where you are isn’t okay; you should be different and somewhere else. And this message always manipulates you through this sense of existential distress that makes you forever seek something else, and never allows you to be at peace with who and where you are right now.” — Divine Lethargy

• 🐛 Fixed an issue when using the pound sign (#) within a code block.

📡✨ Emdash

Frankly, I don't understand why a cloud services company like CloudFlare is entering the CMS arena. I mean, ok, WordPress is old, and plugins are a mess to manage and not secure, but why is CloudFlare tackling this?

Good morning.

History Made April 1, 2026 Artemis II Launched!

History was made today. The kind of history that will be written about and studied for years to come, and I was able to capture it from my backyard. Artemis II successfully launched with a crew of four and is heading to the Moon. Not as great, magnificent, or universe changing as what we will celebrate this Sunday with Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, not even close. But still amazing. Here is what I get to see from my house on the other side of the coast of Florida. Not as amazing as being there, but still awesome. No Fools today on this 1st of April. Pretty surreal to watch it from here.

BackiGo is a Dependable & Full Featured iCloud Backup Solution

If you rely on iCloud but don’t have a true backup of that data, BackiGo is one of the simplest ways to create one. BackiGo is an iCloud backup app I can recommend for anyone looking for an alternative to Parachute. Parachute is a well-known iCloud backup utility that was recently acquired by a company with a solid reputation, but also a history of price increases and subscription transitions. Who This Is ForBackiGo is particularly useful if you: • Store large amounts of data in iCloud Drive or iCloud Photos • Use Optimize Mac Storage, meaning your Mac does not hold full local copies • Want an off-Apple backup copy of your iCloud data • Need to back up iCloud data to a NAS, external drive, or another cloud provider Why You Need an iCloud BackupSometimes Apple’s logic escapes me. Nowhere is that more obvious than in the opaque world of iCloud. If you don’t have...

My first brush with Glen Baxter, who died last week.

At a certain point what we want and what we don’t want dissolves into simply what happens. The specific qualities of experience pale in comparison to the simple presence of everything, the fact that anything is happening at all.

Good afternoon.

→ Links 🔗 Apple @ 50

I should have prepared a special commemorative blog post for today's Apple anniversary. After all, Apple is turning 50! Parker Ortolani did. Don't miss Apple.com homepage, too, for a special animation. https://parkerortolani.blog/2026/04/01/the-steves-that-built-me.html

Good morning.

Good afternoon.

No pressure?

Pretty much everything I read comes via RSS so I’m quite fussy when it comes to RSS readers. I have recently taken Terry Godier’s Current iOS app for a spin and found it, for the most part, a very nice experience. Current is innovative in a number of different ways which you can only really appreciate by using it. An apparent innovation (mmm, not really) is that it has no inbox-style unread count. There are other RSS readers that don’t have unread counts including my favourite (still) Sublime Feed. However, in using Current for a few days, I found it does turn out to have an unread feature, if not a count exactly. It’s subtle but it’s there and, over time, does act like an unread count. Unread items appear bold and read items appear greyed out slightly. Initially this felt useful but as the days went on the unread...

Algorithmic anger

I work with a woman who is very angry. All the time. It must be exhausting. Why? Her interface with the world is largely through Facebook. She sees the world through a lens of ‘everything is shit and it’s specifically because of immigrants and benefit cheats’. Whenever I’m on shift with her, as I arrive at 8am, she is already furious, ranting about ‘sending them home’ or ‘cutting off their money’. Sometimes it’s not even entirely clear who ‘they’ are, but they are certainly responsible for everything bad that happens. All the time. Everywhere. Although I’d bet ‘they’ doesn’t include tax avoiding billionaires. This woman is a care professional who manages to appear empathetic and caring for the people she supports. It’s interesting how this empathy seems to evaporate when it comes to perhaps even more vulnerable people she doesn’t know personally. Everyday just more and more anger. She’s trapped...

DoubleMemory Doing Great After a Year

I’m always impressed when an out-of-the-box thinker builds an app unlike anything I’ve seen before. Iterating on proven concepts is fine, but after testing enough clipboard managers and voice-to-text apps, they all start to blur together. Give me something new, clever, and useful, and I’ll happily change my workflow to make room for it. a year ago, DoubleMemory caught my attention with its interesting feature set and it's done nothing but improve since then. DoubleMemoryI sometimes worry that one day my brain will run out of capacity for new hotkey combinations. When that happens, any app that relies on them will be off the table. DoubleMemory neatly sidesteps that problem by baking the instruction directly into its name. Press ⌘C twice quickly, and the app captures either the webpage you’re on or the text you’ve highlighted. It then drops that content into an aesthetically well-designed, searchable, Pinterest-like interface with some...

“It’s over, the “buddhas and patriarchs” disease that once gripped my chest, now I’m just an ordinary man with a clean slate.” — Shūhō Myōchō/ Daito Kokushi (1282-1334) “Just live your damn life!” — Anon