mellowThoughts and stories about simpler living.2023-10-24T00:00:00Zhttps://mellow.dev/Tatetate@mellow.devUntitled2023-10-24T00:00:00Zhttps://mellow.dev/writing/untitled/<p>I write, erase, and gaze upon the intricacies of the plants around me. I write, erase, and do some online shopping—all the way up until checkout, of course. Empty cart. Again. This isn't quite <em>good</em> enough. Good? Short sentences and then long to give a sense of dynamism. Google the word "dynamism" to ensure it's actually a word. Time to read what we have so far. Starting a sentence with "I" is not usually my favourite. I write, erase, and write.</p>
<p>A clear head at last. The topic today is... drinking water. I need to refill my water. Done. Now to drink. Drunk? Drank. I drank the drink to get drunk. English is a strange language, indeed. I see a sheep among the sheep. Okay, I gotta jet. I don't <em>have</em> a jet, but I gotta jet.</p>
<p>We're back. We are, as in I am. Every single word. A distraction. A mix between goofily humming decade-old songs and getting lost within each and every thought. Contemplating what to eat for lunch while simultaneously mourning the two mass shootings that will likely happen today (on average, <a href="https://everytownresearch.org/mass-shootings-in-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">source</a>). Worrying that my posture right now isn't quite healthy while praying for the far-too-many families being ripped apart at our borders. Wondering if my phone is new enough while scrolling past crying headlines: "Another War", "It's Too Late to save the Planet", "More Hate and Further Divide", "27 Beauty Products You'll Instantly Become Attached to Because They're That Good".</p>
<p>Distraction keeps us from asking questions. Distraction keeps us from fighting for the well-being of others. One day I'll fight. But today, I'm just too damn distracted.</p>
A small, please2023-02-23T00:00:00Zhttps://mellow.dev/writing/a-small-please/<p>My favourite drink is a dry cappuccino. I'm not quite sure what the "dry" part
means yet but the specificity invokes a sense of illustriousness. Why is it,
then, that my most <em>ordered</em> drink is a latte? Let's dive into this riveting
phenomenon, also expressed as "quality over quantity".</p>
<figure>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th style="text-align:left">Drink</th>
<th style="text-align:left">Size</th>
<th style="text-align:left">Price</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align:left">Cappuccino</td>
<td style="text-align:left">177 ml / 6 oz</td>
<td style="text-align:left">$4.25</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align:left">Latte</td>
<td style="text-align:left">591 ml / 16 oz</td>
<td style="text-align:left">$7.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align:left">Latte with flavour</td>
<td style="text-align:left">591 ml / 16 oz</td>
<td style="text-align:left">$9.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<figcaption>
Prices gathered from a local café. Oat milk is the only milk offered and is
reflected in the higher cost.
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Working from home is synonymous for many with working from a coffee shop. A
daily cappuccino would cost around $1,500 a year. While affording this is a
privilege on its own, bumping up to a flavoured latte would cost more than
double the cappuccino at around $3,200. This of course varies per person but
if you could <em>enjoy</em> a smaller, still delectable coffee, the cost-savings
becomes quite the obvious choice.</p>
<p>Value is difficult to quantise and varies between person. Upsizing a medium
soda to a large may yield a cheaper-per-ounce beverage at the cost of glucose
inundating your sodium-dependent hexose transporters.</p>
<p>For those who are not caffeine-dependent, we see these persuasive price tiers
throughout the profit-hungry, people-destroying system of capitalism. Let's
indulge. Or not?</p>
<h2>Financial manipulation</h2>
<p>What if we <em>settled</em> on the entry-level devices. The non-pro marketed devices.
The more-than-a-year-old devices. My grandmother is at the top of her friend
group's Words with Friends leaderboard, playing on an iPad from 2018. A yearly
(base model) upgrade would net marginal gains while costing around $1,500
between then and now. Start increasing the specs and that $1,500 turns into
$3,000. Just like our coffee!</p>
<p>I am no saint. Visiting Apple's flashy website showing off a new lemon colour
for their iPhone 14 is damn tempting. My addictive personality goes from
wanting the latest and greatest to getting rid of a smartphone altogether. The
new features do not impress. A new colour, however. A new box to tear into.
These dopamine inducing experiences create a toxic desire that at times seems
impossible to resist.</p>
<h2>Things are temporary</h2>
<p>Every year is new. Every year we are sold an idea of an innovation that will
change your life, for a cost. Buy this trendy couch with a lifetime warranty
for only 400% above market average. This is <em>value</em> though isn't it? Buy it
for life! The problem is, "life" is only until something better is released.</p>
<p>Positively, this isn't a one or the other situation. There are fairly priced,
used items out there. Quality desks, chairs, appliances, and so much more.
Extend the life of existing products. Show them love, as many of these items
were made with such.</p>
<h2>Good gravy</h2>
<p>As a closing remark, remember this tale. There was a couple who discovered
these cubes of gravy. The simplicity of it all. One day, this gravy was on
sale for nearly half off. <s>We</s> they bought the entire shelf. Now left with
30 cubes or so of gravy, the couple is filled with joy for the future.</p>
<p>3 years later, the gravy finally expired, with 24 cubes remaining of the
initial 30. The adoration of gravy not only faded naturally with time but was
prematurely diminished due to the fixation on wanting to use the newly bought
gravy. Wasted food. Wasted money. A passion no longer. Good gravy, no longer.</p>
Balcony garden2022-07-19T00:00:00Zhttps://mellow.dev/writing/balcony-garden/<p>Our garden lives on a two square meter balcony and consists of tomatoes,
baby pumpkins, and lettuce all housed in fabric grow bags. This is the first
time we've tried to grow anything edible. There's something calming yet exhilarating about the process of waking up, walking outside, and seeing real growth. We did this.</p>
<p><em>Seeds in small places</em></p>
<figure>
<img width="640" height="480" src="https://mellow.dev/images/balcony-garden/plants-0.gif" alt="Plants in small clay pots left to right: 1 tomato, 1 baby pumpkin, 2 lettuce">
<figcaption>Plants in small clay pots left to right: 1 tomato, 1 baby pumpkin, 2 lettuce</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>Moved a large portion to 19 liter fabric grow bags</em></p>
<figure>
<img width="640" height="480" src="https://mellow.dev/images/balcony-garden/plants-1.gif" alt="Plants in fabric grow bags left to right: 2 tomato, 1 baby pumpkin, 2 lettuce. Plants in small clay pots left to right: 1 tomato, 1 baby pumpkin, 1 full of scraps">
<figcaption>Plants in fabric grow bags left to right: 2 tomato, 1 baby pumpkin, 2 lettuce. Plants in small clay pots left to right: 1 tomato, 1 baby pumpkin, 1 full of scraps</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We nibbled on a small piece of lettuce and that got us excited for absolutely anything that comes out of this. My goal is a single tomato. Patience.</p>
Chopsticks2022-07-10T00:00:00Zhttps://mellow.dev/writing/chopsticks/<img width="640" height="427" src="https://mellow.dev/images/chopsticks/chopsticks.gif" alt="Wooden chopsticks atop black concrete">
<p>I'm obsessed with restriction. Choosing to have only one all-black outfit stopped the constant inner-voice nagging me to buy that new shirt with a pattern or colour that <em>felt like me</em>. Removing animal products from my life has naturally narrowed down my selection of food, cleaning supplies, and other possessions. These restrictions, whether artificially or ethically imposed, encourage me to live a simpler life while reducing decision fatigue.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Restrictions should be healthy and enjoyable. Deprivation will quickly cause you to fall back to old habits.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>According to a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23219989/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">study about mindless eating</a>, the amount we eat increases when distracted. Personally, enjoying a meal while watching Friends (~22 minutes runtime) or Grey's Anatomy (~48 minutes runtime) is one of my favourite pastimes. Because my cravings match the length of my current show, I end up filling any extra time with larger portions, salty chips and mayo, or a dark chocolate sweet.</p>
<p>Some people may be strong enough to simply eat slower with a fork. My weak self-control treats a fork like a power-tool for consuming. Replacing a fork with a pair of artisanal, handmade chopsticks not only made me enjoy the process of eating more, but physically slowed me down. Now lunchtime feels like driving a manual car, necessitating a blissful and intentional focus.</p>
<p lang="fr"><em>L’appétit vient en mangeant.</em></p>
Raccolta di ricette2022-06-15T00:00:00Zhttps://mellow.dev/writing/raccolta-di-ricette/<ul>
<li><a href="https://mellow.dev/writing/raccolta-di-ricette/">Aglio e olio</a></li>
<li><a href="https://mellow.dev/writing/raccolta-di-ricette/">Caffè con il latte d'avena</a></li>
<li><a href="https://mellow.dev/writing/raccolta-di-ricette/">Tofu di lievito nutrizionale</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Aglio e olio</h2>
<p>Un classico piatto di pasta con solo aglio, olio e un po' di sale. Gnam!</p>
<ul>
<li>100 g (1 C) di pasta</li>
<li>200 g (2 C) di acqua</li>
<li>50 g (1/4 C) di olio d'oliva</li>
<li>1 o 2 spicchi di aglio, tritato</li>
</ul>
<h3>Preparazione</h3>
<ol>
<li>Aggiungete la pasta in una pentola o padella con acqua</li>
<li>Aggiungete una generosa quantità di sale all'acqua</li>
<li>Portate l'acqua a ebollizione leggera</li>
<li>Cuocete per 10-15 minuti oppure appena al dente, poi drenatelo</li>
<li>Soffriggete l'aglio nell'olio per qualche minuto</li>
<li>Amalgamate il tutto e buon appetito</li>
</ol>
<h2>Caffè</h2>
<ul>
<li>20 g i chicchi di caffè</li>
<li>350 ml di acqua</li>
<li>un po' di latte d'avena molto crema</li>
</ul>
<h3>Preparazione</h3>
<ol>
<li>Macinate manualmente i chicchi di caffè della tua torrefazione locale</li>
<li>Preparate il caffè in la caffettiera francese con acqua a 95°</li>
<li>Coprite e aspettate quattro minuti</li>
<li>Completate con il latte d'avena</li>
<li>Divertite nella tua tazza preferita</li>
</ol>
<h2>Tofu di lievito nutrizionale</h2>
<p>È <em>lievito</em>, non <a href="https://yewtu.be/watch?v=Qgr4dcsY-60" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em>leviosà</em></a>!</p>
<ul>
<li>360 g (12 oz) di tofu</li>
<li>30 ml (2 tbsp) di soy sauce</li>
<li>60 ml (4 tbsp) di lievito nutrizionale</li>
</ul>
<h3>Preparazione</h3>
<ol>
<li>Preriscaldate il forno a 220° C (425° F)</li>
<li>Scolate e premete il tofu</li>
<li>Tagliate il tofu a cubetti</li>
<li>Mescolate i cubetti in una ciotola con la salsa di soia e il lievito nutrizionale</li>
<li>Stendeteli su una padella antiaderente</li>
<li>Infornateli per 40 minuti, girando a metà strada</li>
</ol>
Cultivating Rosé Pine2022-05-20T00:00:00Zhttps://mellow.dev/writing/cultivating-rose-pine/<img width="640" height="360" src="https://mellow.dev/images/cultivating-rose-pine/amfora.gif" alt="Amfora with Rosé Pine theme displaying Project Gemini">
<blockquote>
<p><em>To enjoy the process of writing or the idea of having written</em></p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Grounded aesthetics</h2>
<p>After reading <a href="https://www.linusakesson.net/programming/syntaxhighlighting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a case against syntax highlighting</a>, I was inspired to create a somehow-unique <em>monochromatic</em> colourscheme. After trying several shades of grey, I started to feel tied down. A hopeful search for <a href="https://dribbble.com/search/earthy-colours" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">earthy colours</a> brought <em>something beautiful</em> to fruition.</p>
<h2>Naturally growing community</h2>
<p>A small group of humans discovered Rosé Pine shortly after its initial release. I baked a loaf of bread, they started a bakery. Our little theme was spreading like melted plant-based butter. Happiness. Thank you.</p>
<p><a href="https://rosepinetheme.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rosepinetheme.com</a></p>
Philosophy2022-04-23T00:00:00Zhttps://mellow.dev/writing/philosophy/<h2>Altruism</h2>
<blockquote>
<p><em>Putting others above yourself in a non-deprecating manner.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>(ethics) Regard for the welfare of other people (as opposed to one’s own welfare) as the highest principle of action. While one could, in theory, describe altruism as a form of eudaimonism since it seeks to maximize happiness, eudaimonism is always taken to be a kind of individualism or egoism (and therefore in opposition to altruism).</p>
<p>Strictly speaking, Kantianism and other forms of deontologism are not variants of altruism since they emphasize conformance with duty or moral law rather than concern for other people. In general, altruism emphasizes either the intent to benefit others (see intentionalism) or the practical result that one’s actions do indeed benefit others (see consequentialism).</p>
<p>Often altruistic doctrines are forms of universalism, as in utilitarianism (which holds that the highest ethical principle is “the greatest good for the greatest number”). The popular meaning of altruism is loosely connected to the philosophical meaning, and usually refers to an attitude of benevolence toward other people.</p>
<p><em>Coined by Auguste Comte (1798-1857) from French autrui, descended from Latin alter: other.</em></p>
<h2>Essentialism</h2>
<blockquote>
<p><em>A lifestyle seeking to exclude unnecessary distractions.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>(metaphysics) The view that concepts have real existence; another term for Platonic idealism.</p>
<p>(epistemology) The view that all entities have intrinsic properties that can be discerned by reason (sometimes attributed to Aristotelianism but more akin to Platonism and neo-Platonism).</p>
<p><em>From English essential, having real existence or related to the intrinsic nature of a thing; derived from Latin essentia: being.</em></p>
<h2>Intentionalism</h2>
<blockquote>
<p><em>Examining one's choices to build more mindful habits.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>(metaphysics) The principle, common to many varieties of epistemological realism, that consciousness is always consciousness of a physical entity or some aspect of reality (and thus that “pure consciousness” does not exist, contrary to some forms of idealism).</p>
<p><em>From Latin intentionem: mental effort, attention, purpose.</em></p>
<h2>Sources</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://ismbook.com/ism-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">List of isms</a></li>
</ul>