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French fries are unbeatable! Much better than my insect diet!

Why softness became a default in SaaS

Softness did not appear by accident. It emerged from a set of incentives that made sense at the time. As SaaS moved from technical users to mass markets, products needed to feel safe. Friendly colors. Rounded corners. Smiling illustrations. Gentle microcopy. Everything designed to say: “Don’t worry. You can’t break this.” Softness reduced friction for first-time users. It lowered anxiety. It tested well. Then it spread. Design systems optimized for onboarding became universal. Tools meant for professionals adopted the visual language of consumer apps. Serious workflows were wrapped in pastel gradients and reassuring language. Softness became a proxy for usability. But something was lost in the process. Soft interfaces often hide structure. They blur hierarchy. They trade clarity for comfort. For power users, this creates fatigue. The interface feels polite but imprecise. Friendly but slow. Softness also flattens identity. When everyone uses the same rounded cards, muted palettes, and cheerful...

🕖 Now — Time for a Break

Tomorrow, I’m starting a two-week vacation in the Middle East, so… 1. I'm patiently selecting videos to download on my iPad for some in-flight entertainment. The last time I did that proved to be a waste of time: all my Apple TV videos refused to play because of an unknown error. I was like 😡 . This time, I'm going to test my videos in air plane mode before leaving the house. 2. I'm winding down my work on most of my projects, mostly involving webapp development with Claude Code. I'm done with my photo-sharing website for my family and closed friends. It's super cool 😎 and it is ready for use during my vacation. Of course, I still plan to share my best photos on Glass. 3. This break is a welcomed one. I've been spending a lot of my spare time on AI stuff. I feel a little...

📡✨ Cooked

Tim is facing criticism for his repeated attendance at Trump's events. I'm unsure if [he feels trapped](https://om.co/2026/01/27/a-ceo-captured/). If he strongly disagrees with the current US administration but prioritizes Apple's shareholders' value in his decisions, that is his choice. He could also choose to resign as Apple's CEO, citing a conflict with his values. Yet, he remains in his position.

I'm feeling stressed. I'm doing some midnight meditation under the moonlight.

• 🧹 Fixed an issue where when a page contained a contact form, the main content took up the whole screen before the form was shown.

Invites

Today I added the ability for you to create invite codes that allows fellow friends, family and new bloggers to create an account on Scribbles. Your account needs to be eligible first, before unlocking invite codes. It needs to be older than 6 months and also have an active subscription (or lifetime account). Meeting that criteria, you will see a new section in our account settings screen called "Invites". Just go ahead and you can create your first code. Invite codes can be used 3 times, after which you will have to create a new one. You just go ahead and share the invite link with family and friends. Previously I mentioned that I closed registration because of a lot of spam sign ups and Scribbles being used for things that have no place on the internet (spam & low quality content). This is a step to give trust to...

A Linux update failed. No backups. My pond sysadmin has been fired.

The forgotten art of building in private

There's a pervasive idea in online business right now: if you're building something, you should broadcast it. Share your progress. Document the journey. Build in public. For some people, this works beautifully. The accountability helps. The feedback sharpens. The audience grows alongside the product. But for others, it's a distraction dressed as best practice. Building in public has real costs that rarely get discussed. The pressure to perform. The urge to pivot based on early reactions. The temptation to optimize for engagement over actual progress. The way every small decision suddenly needs an explanation. The internet doesn't need more half-finished announcements. It needs more finished things. What gets lost in the spotlightWhen you announce a project early, something subtle shifts. The work becomes performance. Progress posts replace actual progress. You start optimizing for the story instead of the product. Early ideas are fragile. They need space to evolve without judgment....

Clawdbot Can Do It

Automating repetitive tasks on my Mac has been an ongoing obsession for years. To me, it's the essence of using a computer as the tool it's meant to be. The less often I have to click the same sequence of buttons I clicked yesterday, the happier I am. To that end, I've long relied on Keyboard Maestro, BetterTouchTool, Hazel, Drafts, Apple Shortcuts, and IFTTT. Two days ago, I read about a new agentic AI app called Clawdbot that runs locally on a Mac and interacts with it in ways previous apps simply couldn't. People have strong feelings about AI. I know I do. I'm not a fan of having my blog posts harvested for their information while never getting the chance to interact with the people who want that information. Nor do I enjoy being flooded with AI-generated content passed off as "real human" effort. But AI agents--tools that let...

View from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Manhattan, 9/11

Found moments ago over Mastodon this photo is simply amazing. If sums up so many feeling and memories that somewhat is overwhelming to me.

I bought a ticket for a cruise on my pond. It was worth it!

→ Link 🔗 ClawdBot

Ok, this is something interesting. Probably gamechanging, too. I'll set it up on my M4 Mac mini which I don't use much since I switched jobs in mid-2025. Now, I think I have found a new use case for it. [https://clawd.bot/](https://clawd.bot/)

"This is how societies get dumber"

I believe AI is changing how we think. So, it seems, does Shreya Shankar, whose recent post I really enjoyed. Change is often good, but not always. Not all advancement is progress. And when it comes to something as important as thinking, it seems like any changes are worth keeping an eye on. When we look back at AI's impact on our ability to focus, think, and make independent judgements, will we feel good about those changes? If they herald a new dependency, are we prepared to take on that collective responsibility? We've come a long way powered by the steadfast engine of the scientific method. But that engine requires people who think for themselves, take calculated risks, cooperate openly, and engage with problems in good faith. It doesn't run if people stop wanting to verify information, or lose the ability to discern reality from fiction. Where AI worries me...

The Weekly Review 04-26

The Weekly Scribble“Time is a limited commodity. That's why it it so important to make the most of every moment. - Holly Reisem Hanna ” Talking about time. I've had very little of it to sit down and write, hence the late post this week. Even with my best intentions and structured timetable, many additional tasks and deadlines were thrown at me. This week is shorter for this reason. I believe a Sunday post would be more suitable and realistic with the work commitments I have right now.  Finding the right markdown writing app This week, I've been on the quest for the ideal markdown editor and note-taking app that can seamlessly preserve my markdown files and offer robust cross-platform compatibility between Android, iOS, Mac and Linux. My journey led me to several options but finding one that ticks all the boxes has been challenging. I feel like I have wasted...

A snake offered me an alliance. I decided to give it a try. End of story.

Currently inked - Jan 24, 2026

I recently celebrated my fifth year at my current employer and they sent me a little gift card! I used some of that money to buy a new ink yesterday at Penny Post; Pilot Iroshizuku’s Sui-Gyoku. I filled it in my TWSBI 580ALR Caribbean purchased earlier this year while on holiday in the UK. I really like Iroshizuku inks and teal colors always rank high to me. So this is clearly going to be a favorite ink.

Four New Free and Affordable Apps I Like from Indi Devs

SmartTrackerSmartTracker is a universal app that syncs across all platforms via iCloud. Using the URL from a vendor's page (Newegg, Amazon, Micro Center, etc.), the app tracks prices in near real time. You can set a target price and receive a notification within minutes of a price drop. Several features stand out: charts, tracking numerical data beyond price, and collections. When I'm shopping for a big-ticket item, I find it useful to create a collection of the same product across multiple vendors. Today I got excited when Micro Center listed Mac minis for $100 less than Amazon--until I noticed the fine print: in-store pickup only, at a single store in Georgia. You can use the free version for up to five items. The full version costs $19.99 in the App Store. The developer, Hugo Price (u/hprione on Reddit), is responsive to support requests, bug reports, and feature suggestions. WithAudioWithAudio is...

I have a secret weapon. It is my ultimate weapon. It is against human beings. It is fast fashion.

100 businesses you could start tomorrow

You don’t need a revolutionary idea. You need movement. Start before you feel ready. Most successful businesses didn’t start as grand visions. They started as useful responses to real problems. Momentum creates clarity - not the other way around. Each idea includes: • Idea • Why it works • Real-world example Digital & Service Businesses1. Newsletter curation - People want filtered insight - Morning Brew 2. Niche job board - Hiring is fragmented - Remote OK 3. Website copywriting - Words sell - Many solo freelancers 4. Landing page audits - Conversion is confusing - Growth agencies 5. No-code website builds - Speed matters - Webflow experts 6. SEO content service - Traffic compounds - Content agencies 7. Podcast editing - Creators hate editing - Podcast editors 8. Short-form video editing - Attention moved - TikTok editors 9. Ghostwriting for founders - Ideas need voice - LinkedIn ghostwriters 10. Email...

Receiving shipments is mostly a nightmare. I don't have an exact address or postcode. The courier just has to follow the croaking of frogs.

Good evening.

There comes a time when the pointing stops and you simply find you are what was pointed to.

via graeber.social

Packing for India.I’ll take that 😊

“When attention settles back into ordinary experience without trying to improve it, something lively resumes on its own. Curiosity returns. Interest broadens. The world regains texture. Not because some higher ground has been reached, but because experience is no longer filtered through the demand that it justify itself or lead somewhere else.” — Robert Saltzman, When The Bucket Doesn’t Break

“Nationalism, at its root, is a longing for belonging, for being part of something greater than oneself. Fascism exploits this longing, offering the illusion of unity and purpose, while demanding conformity, obedience, and the sacrifice of personal freedom. Those who cannot tolerate their own individuality are often the most enthusiastic supporters.” — Eric Fromm via graeber.social

It's time to start looking after myself.

63 years ago was 1963. Somehow, that messes with my head 🤯

If you're writing API documentation, always specify units for duration parameters.

If you're writing API documentation, always specify units for duration parameters. Not just "timeout: 30" but "timeout: 30 seconds" or better yet name the parameter if you can "timeout_in_seconds"This is even more important inside your own codebase. Make sure that variables have proper names or descriptions or comments that specify the unit of measurements moreso in case you are working with durations.  It matters for both developers and LLMs.  When the unit is ambiguous, the LLM guesses. Sometimes it guesses wrong. Then developers debug code they didn't write, hunting for a bug that shouldn't exist. Clear documentation prevents bugs before they happen.

Kagi in the last six months

For those who follow along with my ramblings, you may recall my relationship with the Kagi search engine. On testing it, I loved the idea but was on the fence about paying for my search results. After the trial I returned to my more traditional DuckDuckGo experience. I quickly missed the very focused results from Kagi and the lack of sponsored content. I took a moment and finally decided to pay for a year's Kagi. I'm six-months in and I thought I'd consider how much it's costing me. StatsKagi provide some numbers on your searching -- so I was able to do the maths. In six months I have searched 2,664 times. Averaging 444 per month. Including VAT (Sales tax) I paid $130 for the year, so $10.88 a month (let's call it $11 for ease) Therefore each of my 2,664 searches costs me 2½ cents. In real money (as...

the situation

How I feel, and lots of friends seems to be in the same situation as me :-/

“Whatever inspiration is, it’s born from a continuous "I don’t know.”” — Wisława Szymborska

Heads up! I need to start focusing on more productive things.

Spaces and Desktops and My Mental Health

I spent most of my computer using life on a Macbook and only recently started using a dual display setup. I didn’t start this process until after the release of macOS 26, Tahoe. Quite possibly, that may be the absolute worst time to be experimenting with this in the history of the Mac. This is not my favorite version of the operating system. I’ve found that some relatively common applications are resistant to window management across Spaces: Calibre, Obsidian, Better Touch Tool, System Configuration, and Elgato Stream Deck Configuration are all consistently problematic. In addition, having windows from the same application open on more than one desktop creates issues for most window-management applications. Instead of using multiple windows from one browser, I’ve found it easier to just run two different browsers. I am 100% open to suggestions from anyone who’s been down this road before me. Tell me what apps...

→ Link 🔗 RSS Vibe

If Matt can build an MP3 player for the Mac using vibe coding in an hour, maybe I could build an RSS reader web app to my taste? Not the I don't like Inoreader web interface... but... 🤣 [https://birchtree.me/blog/micro-app-mp3-dreams/](https://birchtree.me/blog/micro-app-mp3-dreams/)

I'm waiting for a princess to kiss me and take me back to my throne.

More people need to start something

Most people are waiting. Waiting for clarity. Waiting for confidence. Waiting for permission. But the real problem isn’t lack of opportunity, it’s the belief that starting must be complicated. This is a reminder that starting small is not a weakness. It’s how almost everything real begins. We live in an era of leverage. Tools are cheap. Distribution is free. Knowledge is abundant. Yet hesitation is everywhere. People consume more than they create. They plan more than they act. The barrier to entry has never been lower - but the willingness to begin has.

🍿 Watched The Tank (2025) on Prime Video

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: FULL SPOILERS My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5 stars) Final VerdictI thought it was partly a drama and partly a horror movie. It was engaging and it also made me think about how history repeats itself through some of its themes. It was two hours long and maybe about half an hour too long. Still, it was interesting, and it was sad in parts. A lot of what was portrayed in some scenes probably did happen. This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb: https://www.themoviedb.org

The best actor ever? Kermit the Frog.

Creativity as a quiet life practice

Creativity, for a long time, felt like something that belonged to artists, geniuses, and “special” people. Over time, it became clear that creativity is really about bringing one’s inner nature into the world, in whatever quiet, ordinary, practical way is possible. It is the process of slowly becoming who you are, instead of who everyone else decided you should be. Becoming quietly yourselfLife constantly pushes ready-made identities onto us: good employee, good child, impressive entrepreneur, productive citizen. Quiet ambition begins when you start questioning those scripts and notice that there is a you underneath them, with tastes, oddities, and stubborn preferences that do not fully match the expectations around you. Creativity, in this sense, is the ongoing work of letting that inner pattern take shape in the outer world. That might mean building something in a way that feels right instead of the “growth-hacked” way, or choosing depth over speed...

🍿 Watched TRON: Ares (2025) on Disney+

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5 stars) Final VerdictA solid, if unremarkable, entry in the Tron series. Jared Leto stands out, and the plot introduces a novel twist: the digital world invades ours, spotlighting AI. It's a fine way to kill almost 2 hours. However, it's not worth a theater visit. Watching it on Disney+ is your best bet. This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb.