The author recounts the joy of hearing cicadas in NewâŻYork and then details their latest project: a compact RaspberryâPi MP3 player that can adjust playback speed for workout tempos while monitoring Bluetooth devices on Linux. They describe how they use simple code to handle device sleep, tune music tempo for three distinct workout speeds (140, 150, 160 BPM), and experiment with background noise and reverb in their song compositions. The post then turns to the physical case designâan aluminum enclosure built with CNC milling and 3âD printingâto house a small battery, custom buttons, and USB ports. Finally, they reflect on how this handsâon build has opened new learning pathways in electronics, software, and fabrication, illustrating their ongoing selfâeducation journey.
#0522 published 09:43 audio duration885 words5 linksraspberry-pimp3-playerbluetooth-monitoringjavascript3d-printingcnc-millingreverbbeats-per-minutesound-compositionself-educationaluminumdremel
The author shares practical tips for painters who travel to find inspiration: bring a portable easel but plan ahead so you can set it up in the right spot; use photography as a reference rather than always riding out again; study color theory and replicate hues from source images; employ tracing, projection, and meticulous copying of shapes to build skill; and finally, remember that good art often comes after experimenting with different techniquesârules exist but are meant to be stretched.
#0521 published 06:38 audio duration789 words3 linksartpaintingeaselcolor theoryphotographytracinginspirationnaturetravelmonalisa
The author reflects on his creative process by recounting how he writes three poemsâabout inspiration turning into wisdom, about meaningful education, and a metaâreflection on the first twoâand notes that even when he feels un-rhymed, the work steers itself. He describes the difficulty of finding visual inspiration for art, recalling a college incident where a naked model posed amid odd classroom details, which sparked an insight that inspiration often emerges from âlittle adventures.â He then narrates a personal stroll through a Plymouth bookstore, discovering Dan Millamâs *Peaceful Warrior*, which rekindled his affection for antiques and storytelling. From this experience he outlines how he would translate the scene into sketches and paintings, using everyday encounters to fuel creative output. In closing, he affirms that art requires only the spark that moves one to produce new works rather than a universal muse.
#0520 published 05:21 audio duration601 words1 linkpoetryinspirationartwritingbookstoretravelplymouth-michigan
The post encourages painters to slow down and observe everyday colors, recording them in a journal so they can be recreated later; it stresses building color through transparent layers (especially in watercolor), avoiding arbitrary hues that add nothing, and selecting harmonious combinationsâlike purple & orange or gold & scarletâto give an artwork life. It suggests learning from established artists and even borrowing effective palettes as a shortcut, while encouraging the creation of small sketches to test these combos before committing them to larger works, ultimately guiding the artist toward mastery through observation, careful layering, and thoughtful color choice.
#0519 published 06:38 audio duration716 words3 linkscolorwatercolormixingpaletteartjournalartistreferencepaintingtechniquelayersketchingposter
The post explains how to render graphite portraits: first locate the darkest parts of your image, work with midâtone pencils such as B or 2B, avoid hard strokes that damage paper, and keep indentations light so you can erase later; emphasize that shadows give a subject its soul, suggest photographing them in good natural light (sunrise/sunset), projecting the photo onto large paper with a pico projector, then sketching quickly while adding shadow details, adjusting gradients with erasers, and finishing by highlighting eyes and other key features; it also encourages using multiple angles, signing your work, practicing outdoors, and sharing tools to inspire others.
#0518 published 07:37 audio duration891 words1 linkgraphiteportraitshadingphoto-to-paperprojectorb-penciltortillondrawing-techniquemonalisa
A concise guide that argues tracing is an art form, explains how to faithfully reproduce the MonaâŻLisa by handâdrawing it onto drawing paper with homemade carbon transfer, and urges artists to practice this method before tackling their own portraits.
#0517 published 04:47 audio duration565 words4 linkstracingdrawingpencilmona lisatortilloncarbon paperprojectoroil paintingart
The author reflects on the fleeting nature of human achievementsâtrees cut down unnoticed and the fragile window in which we thriveâand urges that we use this time wisely by cultivating knowledge, courage, and dignity rather than merely chasing titles or wealth. He laments how poverty and misused money create climate, war, and hunger as symptoms of a system lacking true education, and proposes a âHeart Cardâ banking idea to simplify spending so people can focus on learning and solving systemic failures. In short, he calls for new generations to learn from past mistakes, understand the chain reactions behind global problems, and build a future where humanityâs wisdom and creativity guide its path rather than chance or poverty.
#0516 published 10:43 audio duration954 words7 linksfreeformnatureculture
I built a DIY MP3 player by repurposing an old CDâROM drive as the chassis for a small PCB that plays preâconverted MOD files, and I attached a Bluetooth âshutterâ remote to control playback from my RaspberryâŻPi running Linux; after writing code that translates the shutterâs button sequences into simple shell commands (play, stop, shuffle), I can now operate the player with my phone, even routing its traffic through Piâhole for adâfree listening. The project has been a satisfying exercise in tinkering and learning, reflecting my frustration with oversimplified school curricula and my enthusiasm for openâsource hardware that lets me reprogram and extend devices without costly new PCBs.
#0515 published 06:40 audio duration757 words10 linksraspberry pibluetoothmp3linuxpcbelectronicstinkeringpi-hole
The post argues that travelâwhether long adventures, short camping trips, or simple road journeysâoffers a vital escape from overwork and a chance to reconnect with oneâs own mind and hidden creative talents. It notes that while some people view travel skeptically, those who truly âtake to longer travelsâ often feel they are stepping away from themselves; the key is support and encouragement so they can find comfort and grow. The writer explains how overwork oversimplifies life and makes us miss beauty, yet traveling gives new perspectives and helps build personal constellations of ideas. Finally, he shares a personal anecdote: after reading Bill Brysonâs *A Short History of Nearly Everything*, he discovered a love for big books and science, and now wonders if he could write short stories; he encourages readers to take small stepsâcamping, listening to audiobooks, paintingâto become great beings.
#0514 published 05:01 audio duration556 words2 linkstraveladventurecampingvacationoverworkself-discoveryartwritingpaintingsculpturemusicbooksinspirationpersonalgrowth
Iâve spent several years in the United States and have seen a variety of wildlife that I never encountered back homeâpigeons, squirrels, sparrows, storks, deer, boars, rabbits, horses, cows, chickens, and now, American animals that feel more intelligent. My first U.S. sighting was a large possum that looked like an enormous rat but turned out to be sweet and tickâeating; I later met a skunk whose scent lingered long after the encounter. Iâve also seen a rare, big porcupine crossing a road near a store and photographed it, though only in blur. In the woods where black bears have been reintroduced, they usually stay away from people unless curious, whereas raccoons are constantly surprising meâonce stealing hotâdog buns at Jackpine HikeâIn Campgrounds (I dubbed the thief âFridayâ) and another time unzipping my tent at Nordhouse and leaving paw prints on my pillow. My advice to fellow adventurers: keep food out of tents, lock zippers, and be prepared for unexpected animal visits.
#0513 published 05:14 audio duration651 words4 linkswildlifeanimalsencountersusatravel
I built a minimalist portable Linux audio player that runs on battery power and an audio card without a screen or keyboard; I use a cheap Bluetooth âshutterâ remote (normally used for taking photos) as a makeshift button set to control play, stop, next/previous, and volume. After wiring the shutter to my device and writing basic input handling in Node.js, I plan to expand it with a phone UIâpotentially using Svelteâto stream audio or provide onâscreen feedback. The project illustrates how simple Bluetooth peripherals can turn a barebones Linux box into a pocket âserverâ capable of playing music, recording, making internet calls, and serving as a modular platform for future expansions.
#0512 published 04:27 audio duration482 wordslinuxbluetoothnode.jssvelteaudio-playerhardwareopen-source
The post explains how to use the Linux command line for tasks such as playing media, downloading files, and retrieving data from APIs, illustrating with examples like using wget, curl, jq, and xargs or while loops to fetch Hacker News top stories.
#0511 published 24:17 audio duration2,494 words21 linksbashshellcommand-linecurlwgetjqxargslooplinuxjsonscripting
Linux is just the kernel part of an operating system; when combined with GNUâs userâlevel tools (and sometimes a different kernel like Hurd), it forms GNU/Linux, which many distributions (Fedora, Ubuntu, Mint, etc.) extend further and can be installed on openâsource hardware such as RaspberryâŻPi or other affordable computers.
#0510 published 13:15 audio duration1,550 words12 linkslinuxkernelgnuraspberry-piubuntufedora
I began my technical journey by tinkering with audio files in 1996, which led me to explore early DOS graphics programs like Image72 and the first Visual Basic releases, eventually mastering HTML through FrontPage and Photoshop for graphic design; this selfâpaced learning continued as I transitioned between jobsâfirst celebrating a 21st birthday at a bar, then diving into ASP, Perl (via FormMail), PHP, Bash, ActionScript, SQL, and Java before embracing Node.js to unify frontâend, backâend, and desktop development with Electron; alongside this tech evolution I returned to audio editing and poetry, experimenting with plosive sounds and pop filters, while also switching from Photoshop to GIMP for design work, all driven by a philosophy of uninterrupted selfâeducation that guided me from college (where I created my own classes in art) to a lifelong pursuit of knowledge without institutional limits.
#0509 published 07:05 audio duration816 words4 linksself-learningprogramming-languagesvisual-basicaspperlphpbash-scriptingactionscriptssqljavanodejsgimpphotoshopaudio-editinggraphic-designdos
Iâve been tinkering with a RaspberryâŻPi ZeroâŻW since I switched to Linux in 1998, and recently built a compact musicâplayer for my bike by powering the Pi from a 15âŻkâŻmAh Energizer power bank, streaming audio through an external USB SoundBLASTER card and headphones. After setting up ALSA so that `cvlc *.mp3` plays all my workout tracks on boot, I mounted the Pi, sound card, and power bank on the frame of my bicycle; the system runs headlessly in the background and resumes playback automatically when I reconnect to WiâFi after a 10âmile ride. The project has sparked ideas for adding a small keypad or wireless keyboard for control, a custom enclosure, and eventually a fully networked âBicycle Linux Serverâ that could be managed from my phone via Termux. This experiment illustrates how a modest Pi setup can become a portable media hub with minimal wiring and commandâline operation, while keeping the learning curve low and the hardware simple.
#0508 published 07:43 audio duration917 words10 linksraspberry-piusb-audio-cardalsa-configcvlccommand-linepower-bankaudio-playbacklinux
I learned how to make a RaspberryâŻPi button recently, and I researched it my way. [I wanted to see if there was a way to do it on the command line](https://simonprickett.dev/controlling-raspberry-pi-gpio-pins-from-bash-scripts-traffic-lights/) with the simplest kind of programming; there is. The [GPIO header](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PuK9fh3aL8) is represented with files on a RaspberryâŻPi. I gave some thought to storeâbought devices as they relate to customâmade ones. I think storeâbought is not that cool anymore; in his funny song âThrift Shopâ Macklemore calls it *getting tricked by a business*, to say the least. Plus the moment you scratch your screen, your new device becomes old. If you made it yourself, then you just get a new $20 screen. And, hey, maybe add some [cool extras](https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/keybow-2040) while you're at it. YEEES! It is true that homemade hardware is freaking huge, and sometimes you may need your friend to carry your phone in his backpack. But that is what friends are for⌠I think. There is just something really weird about not knowing whatâs in your pocket versus whatâs in your storeâbought phone; criminal phone hacking will only become more elaborate. It has never been a good idea to keep personal things on an internetâconnected device. The phones are going to use cheaper components, become more expensive, and more closed. And it will pretend a lot harder that recommendations are not ads. When you make your own phone, you get to reason about the components; it seems to me that a GPS map should have a huge screen much bigger than a phone, and a bigger battery too. When you use an overpriced offâtheâshelf phone, you don't get a choice. Anytime you build something, you learn something: be it a reasonably sized RaspberryâŻPi Zero MP3 player with those amazing slow and soft turning aluminum knobs for volume, treble, and bass; or two or three 8GB RaspberryâŻPIs jammed into a [beautiful vintage brick phone](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=vintage+brick+phone&_sacat=0) with a springy antenna that doubles as a WiâFi hotspot for your 1024 closest friends⌠and maybe runs a leaked version of old MySpace or Friendster, or just freaking [GeoCities](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jYE8VwxunQ) where your whole family can come together and upload some underâconstruction content with fancy GIFs. Wouldnât it be amazing if all the telemarketers had to find their way around a little labyrinth and fight a *Freaking Grue* before they could leave a voicemail? I am pretty sure they would love it. Old is new again; it is hard to explain, it will be somewhat hard to learn, and it will take forever. But not only wonât it cost an arm and a leg, building custom electronics and learning programming paints a pretty
#0507 published 05:46 audio duration588 words9 linksraspberrypigpiobashelectronicshardwarediylinuxprogrammingmp3playerbrickphone
The post argues that studying history and politics is essential for understanding humanityâs present and shaping its future; it reminds readers that past mistakes repeat themselves if we ignore them, cites Kurt Vonnegutâs observation about ordinary people ruling the world to stress the need for proper education, and proposes that each of us must become teachersâlearning from great thinkers and applying that knowledge to build a coherent picture of the world so as to avoid future errors.
#0506 published 04:06 audio duration481 words3 linkshistorypoliticseducationlearningteachersphilosophy
People often do not fight because they lack a clear cause and this ignorance is deliberately cultivated by the powerful; breaking the cycle of poverty requires real education and universal income, while a simple plastic creditâcard with a daily spending limitâlinked to a bank that does not track debt or fundsâcould eliminate poverty without adding national debt. By providing accessible money, such cards would lift people from hunger, reduce crime and suffering, and help businesses grow, thereby advancing humanity as a unified family that must remove all barriersâincluding ignorance and povertyâto achieve collective prosperity.
#0505 published 04:48 audio duration466 words1 linkpovertyeducationcredit cardmoneyfamily
The author writes a poetic letter to Sir Ken Robinson reflecting on humanityâs evolution: we have always improved but started badly with unforgivable mistakes. He proposes shifting from âWe the Peopleâ to âThe Human,â urging every sectorâjudges, police, corporations, teachers, lawmen, militaryâto examine its impact and ask whether weâre helping or hurting. He calls for continuous questioning across ages and cultures until the answer is clear, and envisions future generations as mature, wise humans who will repair economies through mental health, real education, knowledge, and contribute positively to Earth.
#0504 published 10:16 audio duration1,011 words3 linkspoetryessayhumanitycultureeducationfuturereflection
In this post the author argues that two common human errorsâaccepting things without questioning and underestimating ourselvesâcan be overcome with a simple doubleâword mantra: âQuestion Everythingâ and âBeautiful Opposite.â The first encourages active inquiry, turning professors into teachers of questions and prompting us to ask whether war, weapons or disease truly enrich nations. The second asks us to find the beautiful opposite of our perceived shortcomings so that we can recognize our strengths (e.g., a heavy person finding his muscular side). Together these practices refocus learning on what we want to know, strengthen authenticity, and open the way for adventures and selfârealization.
#0503 published 07:56 audio duration857 words1 linkself-improvementlearningphilosophyquestion-everythingbeautiful-opposite
The post reflects on the idea that true wisdom comes from within and grows through continual learning, experience, and immersion in natureâfresh air, colors, soundsâand through breaking down selfâmade âwallsâ such as habits, expectations, or superficial measures like grades. It stresses that lifeâs value lies in pursuing knowledge, health, and freedom rather than routine work or formal accolades; by caring for mind and body, embracing courage, and letting the worldâs sunshine of experience illuminate us, we become truly unique and capable of contributing to a wiser planet.
#0502 published 07:59 audio duration778 wordspoetryfree-versenaturewisdomself-developmenttravel
In this poetic post the author celebrates growth through adventure and inherited wisdom from literature, urging readers to measure themselves by knowledge rather than birth or ego; they describe ascending as a continual climb toward greatness, with nature as our true home, and emphasize that youthâs energy fuels this pursuitâending with a call to awaken and pursue wisdom so we may become great beings.
#0501 published 03:50 audio duration291 words1 linkgrowthwisdomadventureculturenaturepoetryinspirationlife
The post portrays our hobbies, interests, and curiosities as a star chart guiding us toward the âcallâ that shapes our lives; as we mature this call becomes more sophisticated, inspiring us to pursue creative pursuitsâpainting, sculpture, musicâand ultimately to become great beings. Ignoring it slows growth, while embracing it fuels passion, laughter, and a willingness to confront fear; through this journey we can produce poetry, books, and audiobooks that share discoveries and help others become coherent, integrated, and easy to understand. The author cites orator videos and Socratesâ lessons as examples of how wisdom can be shared, and concludes that science, politics, and culture must all grow in mind and heart by answering the call to greatness.
#0500 published 04:42 audio duration469 words4 linkslifepersonal developmentpoetrywritingcreativitymotivationphilosophy
The post explains how creating an oil painting is a multiâday process that benefits from careful color planning, preâmixing, and iterative sketchingâusing tools such as GIMP, projectors, miniatures on plywood, and underpainting in gray to guide compositionâwhile also exploring music composition through LMMS, code generators built with Tone.js and OOP concepts, which automate random button clicks and sample selection, yet still require manual editing for a polished track; finally it stresses that both painting and programming demand multiple drafts and longâterm experimentation, just as much time is needed to develop a song or a canvas into a finished masterpiece.
#0499 published 06:58 audio duration757 words8 linksoil paintingcolor mixingcompositiongimplmmsmusic theoryjavascriptooptone.jsyeoman
