I've always liked building systems where the joints are visible: legos, Minecraft. Lately I've been thinking about the process of learning how to find the joints in systems where they're less visible. Of 'carving at the joints'.

The concept

Apparently Plato talked about "carving nature at the joints". I think my recent reference is the show Delicious in Dungeon, where they explain how to cut and prepare dungeon monsters into unlikely meals. The show has a lot of fun with the instructions reveal, where something that looks inedible is made appetizing through a precise set of steps.

Image to link map test. From: https://gemini-spatial-example.grantcuster.com/

Through work, I've been playing with the Gemini model's ability to return bounding boxes for an image. I think I want to try and use it to make some sort of image (sketch or photo) to website generator. Maybe leaning into skeuommorphism of like a photo of a physical desktop that contains all the links to my projects as items on the desk.

A very sketchy proof of concept

Here's a brainstorm:

Through work, I've been playing with the Gemini model's ability to return bounding boxes for an image. I think I want to try and use it to make some sort of image (sketch or photo) to website generator. Maybe leaning into skeuommorphism of like a photo of a physical desktop that contains all the links to my projects as items on the desk.

A very sketchy proof of concept

Here's a brainstorm:

I'm not sure if it was from reflashing the keyboard firmware or resetting the computer software but it's working now. It is nice. I'm not sure what lesson to take from this.

Am I writing too many posts now? Still getting a feel for this thing. It is fun the ways different writing environments seep into the writing.

I'm having trouble pairing my wireless keyboard with my mini PC. I keep trying new things and searching the proglem in different combos.

My current theory is maybe the bluetooth driver isn't up to date enough? But I think it actually may be.

The haunting thing is maybe it's just a bad state issue, and if I reset the right thing (firmware on the keyboard, bluetooth status on the keyboard) it will be all fixed up.

Trying to keep up the habit of quick writing in here. Now morning writing from the couch, the dog beside me, the baby exploring a cardboard box. A nice spring-like morning.

Did some organizing syncing the setups yesterday. Still liking the Ubuntu + Nix configuration. Getting better and faster about keeping it up to date across the laptop and the mini PC. The server's a bit behind.

For the glassese set-up I got audio and bluetooth working yesterday, so I think everything I wanted to do with that thing is proved out. I ordered a cross-body bag that I hope will fit everything well. Porch use has been good so far, interested in trying a commute with it. The battery pack has been working well, I'm surprised how much having an exact percent readout, rather than something like 4 lights, helps me feel secure about power draw.

Hopefully the first of many posts written while sitting on the porch. This is the first one I've got set up with the AR glasses.

It was cool earlier when the light meant I could see more of the background, so it felt like a floating transparent screen. Now it's darker and the screen is less transparent.

I'll do a bigger post on the set up later, but I can list out briefly what I have going:

Might cut out the in-between and go full cairo.

This blog!: I want to get preview images working. I'm trying to generate them using cairo, so I can do it as part of the build script. I would say I've proven out the basic concept, now need to decide on some text positioning and hook it all together for the first run.

Mini PC: I'm working on getting a mini PC set up with the my current go-to Ubuntu server + Nix home-manager config. Eventually I want to try and make it a wearable deck to go with my AR glasses. Will write about that more later.

I want to make sure I can write from anywhere, including my work mac, which I'm writing on now. I had to update bash on the mac (I did it using Nix home manager). Otherwise things seem to be working well.

Edit: also had to replace a grep P with a sed.

Working on a static site generator.

Today I made this blog / garden. I want it to be a place where I can write quickly and with focus.

Right now it's a bunch of bash scripts that put together some templates. I wanted to know exactly what was going on so that I'll be able to modify it in the future. Though to be transparent the bash scripts were AI assisted. Still, I think I understand all the steps.

I want to keep things short.

Piping oblique strategies into pokemonsay.

Micro journal From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuGs6Pu1ZMg

Another cyberdeck iteration. Skeleton of wood. Main dilemma is too many too long cords. Size of the area around the screen sort of defeats purpose of skinny screen, think I'm going to increase the depth instead.

Terminator 2 trailer 1fps on receipt printer

I put the sloth in neofetch.

Booting up picotron! From: https://www.lexaloffle.com/picotron.php

Compared to digital constructions, there is a higher cost to starting over with physical work. But there are materials you can choose where it's much lower-stakes, and I've been having fun assembling a set of them:

• Cardboard: a standby of prototyping, easily cut, surprisingly sturdy, readily available from shipping boxes, if cardboard wasn't so ubiquitous it would be a lot more appreciated. I at least do a first version on most things in cardboard, and often it lasts long enough that it stays cardboard. Goes great with hot glue but usually I just use tape.
• Masking tape: good for cardboard, good for taping up inspiration, good for writing on with sharpie.
• Air-drying clay: this a new one. I've made some keyboard palm rests, a new housing for a wireless phone charger, and a holder for a set of cards. Not as nice looking as fired clay, it's still wonderful to be able to sit down with an idea and rough it out in 15 minutes. Clay gives you shapes cardboard and wood aren't friendly too.