Sanctuary

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In a previous post, I explained the various complexities I faced when growing up, including the dynamic between me and my parents – particularly my father – and how that created an environment that essentially guaranteed I wouldn’t be able to truly relax. It was my time in college that would ultimately lead to me seeing my value and finding peace – in a sense, I would feel most at home on campus. However, right out of the gate, my studies came with an additional challenge: how far I lived. I briefly mentioned this in past articles, but I’ll make it abundantly clear in this post: put simply, I didn’t drive, so it would take me anywhere from 1.5 to … Read more

How to Prevent Dark Mode Notepad++ from Printing Faint Text

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So you’ve turned on dark mode in Notepad++ and are enjoying the experience of working in the dark, without your eyes being casually assaulted by white screens. But then… when you print, you notice the text looks strangely faint, like this: The first time it happened to me, I gave my printer a suspicious glance, and wondered if it was running out of toner. Then I noticed that the line numbers were more legible than the text itself, which seemed to be a clue. I soon began to suspect that this was related to how Notepad++ handled dark mode. When I dug into it, my suspicions were mostly confirmed. So here’s the thing – by default, Notepad++ is configured to … Read more

How to Enable Dark Mode in Notepad++

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If you’re like me – a passionate dark mode user – you’re always looking to make every app follow your system default. After all, when you’re fully immersed in a world of productive darkness, there’s nothing quite like being surprised by a white screen. As demonstrated here: A notable shining light in my dark mode life has always been Notepad++, where I previously struggled to get dark mode working. Turns out, there’s a wrong way and a right way to achieve that – and even in the latter case, there’s a caveat that you need to look out for. I should mention also that what I consider the “right way” is the method that makes the user interface dark and … Read more

How to Upgrade to Windows 11 26H2

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As per a recent Microsoft blog post on September 29th, version 26H2 of Windows 11 is now available for devices running 24H2 and 25H2. Like 25H2, it leverages the “enablement package” technology – meaning there’s a chance it takes as little as 2 minutes and a reboot to upgrade. How to Install the 26H2 Enablement Package via Windows Update As per Microsoft, to be one of the first to receive the update, you have to go Settings -> Windows Update, and then ensure that you have the latest option enabled: “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” should be marked as On. Once enabled, I recommend clicking “Check for updates” to install any available updates and repeating this … Read more

With Great Power

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I’ve been really enjoying my new habit of biking to work – there’s something refreshing about being out first thing in the morning when the air is cool and the traffic is minimal. Plus, it crosses exercise off the list of daily tasks without me having to go out of my way. As a result of doing this commute so frequently, I became more familiar with the various intersections that I encounter. And there’s one particular road with vehicle traffic in both directions, while also featuring a bike and pedestrian crossing. For anyone that wants to cross, it’s very simple – each side has a dedicated button that can be pressed. Those are some powerful buttons, I tell you. If … Read more

The Fuel Source

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I always enjoyed watching Mythbusters when growing up – it was satisfying to see the scientific method applied to test myths, especially with the natural straight man / funny man dynamic that Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage had going. I always found myself gravitating more towards Adam given his enthusiasm and positivity. So when the show stopped airing, I would inevitably find myself watching his content on YouTube. It was really interesting to hear stories behind the show, but I also quickly discovered exactly how passionate he was about his craft, as a maker. He would get so much enjoyment out of creating props from movies, TV shows, and seemed to be a living encyclopedia for his craft. To the … Read more

Stacking Promotions

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As I mentioned in previous posts, delivering for Uber Eats on a bicycle isn’t something I’d recommend if the primary purpose is earning additional income. The revenue generated per hour isn’t high enough to make this worthwhile. However, if you’re doing it for exercise first and foremost, then, and only then, is the income acceptable – because anything over 0$ is obviously a welcome addition. That is – until we factor in promotions. The Uber Driver app has a section where time-limited promotions appear. As you can imagine, they utilize this to provide incentives for their drivers to return. The first time I did Shop & Deliver trips – where you grocery shop for someone and then deliver it to … Read more

How to Unlike Pages You’ve Liked in the Past on Facebook (Android)

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If you’ve been on Facebook for a while, you’ve probably noticed that their news feed typically features a mix of the following content: Naturally, paid ads and suggested content may miss their mark in terms of how useful they are. As users, we have some control – we can tap the “X” in the corner of these posts – and we will have an opportunity to point out why we weren’t interested. That may help Facebook show us more useful content later – but of course, there’s no way to opt out of seeing this stuff, it’s how they make money. What we have direct control over, however, is the friends we’re connected to and the pages we’ve liked. I … Read more

Late Show (An Epilogue)

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Oddly enough, one of my favorite scenes in any TV show, ever, involves the main character failing to reach his goal. You’d think that might be a bit of a downer, but it’s really a matter of perspective. The scene’s potency – and my appreciation for it – is hugely impacted by my unique progression through life, which I just described in a trilogy of posts titled: Wear It Like Armor, Polarity, and Social Assassin.

What I’m referring to, in particular, is a specific story arc in season 3 of Louie, a TV series by comedian Louis C.K. – so if you’re at all interested in watching the series yourself and avoiding spoilers, I would stop reading here and get on that.

Social Assassin

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They want me to lure him to a microbrewery? I’ve been sober for over 100 days – that’ll be a tough one to sell. My colleagues were trying to organize a surprise birthday party for their boss – my former boss – and since I was friends with him, they figured I’d be a great one to get him to the venue.