Undelete flying toasters theme song

Broken with new version of eleventy, and probably not necessary anyway.

README.md

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ My blog, originally based on the very helpful eleventy-base-blog v8, although it
 
 ### Fediverse Integration
 * Mastodon [toot embedding](https://upchur.ch/gitea/n_u/nathanupchurch.com/wiki/Home#embed-a-toot-from-mastodon-using-the-toot-shortcode)
-* [Commenting](https://upchur.ch/gitea/n_u/nathanupchurch.com/wiki/Home#adding-comments-via-mastodon) via Mastodon
+* Link to post discussion on Mastodon
 
 ### Indieweb
 * [Auto-generated linktree-style page](https://upchur.ch/gitea/n_u/nathanupchurch.com/wiki#me) for the blog owner with support for custom attributes such as: `rel="me"`
@@ -23,18 +23,11 @@ My blog, originally based on the very helpful eleventy-base-blog v8, although it
 * Blogroll generated from _data/blogroll.js, with an automatically updated .opml so that visitors can import every blog in the list
 * Image galleries
 
-### Technical
-* Reusable web components:
-	* Card
-	* Mastodon comment
-	* Profile picture
-	* Embedded toot
-	* Embed audio
+### Fun
+* Image galleries
+* Quizzes
 
 ### Quality of Life
 * Copyright notice, default post image, alt text, and author details defined in `metadata.js`.
 * "Read Next" highlighting the previous blog post at the bottom of every post
 * robots.txt tells AI scrapers to GTFO
-
-### Weird and Wonderful
-* [Accessible ~~cowsay~~ cowthink output embedding](https://upchur.ch/gitea/n_u/nathanupchurch.com/wiki#add-a-cowsay-to-a-post)

_data/blogroll.js

@@ -12,9 +12,35 @@ export default {
 				},
 			],
 		},
+		{
+			name: "Collectives / Compilations",
+			blogs: [
+				{
+					title: "Bear Blog Discover",
+					feedUrl: "https://bearblog.dev/discover/feed/?lang=en",
+					url: "https://bearblog.dev/discover/",
+					description:
+						"ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ Bear is a privacy-first, no-nonsense, super-fast blogging platform. Bear's discovery feed lists trending articles from the Bear blogosphere.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "Freethought Blogs",
+					feedUrl: "https://freethoughtblogs.com/feed/",
+					url: "https://freethoughtblogs.com/",
+					description:
+						"Freethoughtblogs is an open platform for freethought writers. We are skeptics and critics of dogma and authoritarianism, and in addition, we recognize that the nonexistence of deities entails a greater commitment to human values, and in particular, an appreciation of human diversity and equality. We are for feminism, against racism, for diversity, against inequity. Our network of blogs is designed to encourage independent thinking and individual autonomy — freethoughtblogs.com is a vehicle for giving vocal secularists a venue for discussion of their values and interests.",
+				},
+			],
+		},
 		{
 			name: "Comics",
 			blogs: [
+				{
+					title: "Graphic Rage with Aubrey Hirsch",
+					feedUrl: "https://aubreyhirsch.substack.com/feed",
+					url: "https://aubreyhirsch.substack.com/",
+					description:
+						"I’m a writer, illustrator, and creator of feminist comics! If you’re an avid reader, you may have seen my work in Vox, TIME or The Washington Post. I also write a monthly comic for Roxane Gay’s newsletter, The Audacity. In this space, I do a little bit of everything, but you can expect to see a lot of comics about gender, justice, aging, and life as a woman in America.",
+				},
 				{
 					title: "Incidental Comics",
 					feedUrl:
@@ -34,10 +60,11 @@ export default {
 			name: "Design",
 			blogs: [
 				{
-					title: "Libre Arts",
-					feedUrl: "https://librearts.org/index.xml",
-					url: "https://librearts.org",
-					description: "News on FLOSS creative software.",
+					title: "Adam Silver",
+					feedUrl: "https://adamsilver.io/atom.xml",
+					url: "https://adamsilver.io/",
+					description:
+						"Adam Silver is a designer and frontend engineer from London, UK.",
 				},
 				{
 					title: "Autumn Kotsiuba",
@@ -45,6 +72,34 @@ export default {
 					url: "https://autumnkotsiuba.wixsite.com",
 					description: "Autumn blogs about UX content design.",
 				},
+				{
+					title: "Abduzeedo",
+					feedUrl: "https://abduzeedo.com/rss.xml",
+					url: "https://abduzeedo.com/",
+					description:
+						"Abduzeedo is a collective of individual writers sharing articles about design, photography, and UX. It was founded by Fabio Sasso in 2006 as a personal blog, later growing to become a digital publication with several writers from all over the world, working independently.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "Admire the Web",
+					feedUrl:
+						"https://feeds.feedburner.com/AdmireTheWeb-TheVeryBestWebDesignInspiration",
+					url: "https://admiretheweb.com/",
+					description: "Web design inspiration.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "Alphabettes",
+					feedUrl: "https://www.alphabettes.org/feed/",
+					url: "https://www.alphabettes.org/",
+					description:
+						"Alphabettes.org is a showcase for work, commentary, and research on lettering, typography, and type design. Our loose network is here to support and promote the work of all women and nonbinary people in our fields.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "Creative Review",
+					feedUrl: "https://www.creativereview.co.uk/feed/",
+					url: "https://www.creativereview.co.uk/",
+					description:
+						"Creative Review has been bringing the creative community together since 1980, first as a print magazine and now across more platforms than ever.",
+				},
 				{
 					title: "Dave Smyth",
 					feedUrl: "https://davesmyth.com/commonplace-feed",
@@ -52,12 +107,73 @@ export default {
 					description:
 						"Dave Smyth is a designer and developer interested in privacy, type and ethics.",
 				},
+				{
+					title: "Design By Women",
+					feedUrl: "https://designby-women.com/feed/",
+					url: "https://designby-women.com/",
+					description:
+						"Founded by graphic designer Mary Hemingway in June 2020, Design by Women aims to showcase and celebrate women, gender expansive and gender non-conforming creatives currently working in the design industry and to inspire emerging under-represented creatives to pursue a career in design.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "DIELINE",
+					feedUrl: "https://thedieline.com/feed/",
+					url: "https://thedieline.com/",
+					description:
+						"DIELINE is a creative platform dedicated to serving the global packaging community.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "Friends of Type",
+					feedUrl: "https://friendsoftype.com/feed/",
+					url: "https://friendsoftype.com/feed/",
+					description:
+						"Friends of Type features original typographic design and lettering – fresh visual content – practically every day.",
+				},
 				{
 					title: "Grumpy Website",
 					feedUrl: "https://grumpy.website/feed.xml",
 					url: "https://grumpy.website",
 					description: "Grumpy takes on UI mistakes.",
 				},
+				{
+					title: "Identity Designed",
+					feedUrl: "https://identitydesigned.com/feed/",
+					url: "https://identitydesigned.com/",
+					description:
+						"Identity Designed is a website and book series devoted to the design of visual identities.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "It's Nice That",
+					feedUrl: "http://feeds2.feedburner.com/itsnicethat/SlXC",
+					url: "https://www.itsnicethat.com/",
+					description:
+						"Our mission is to inspire the global creative community. We share stories, offer insights and bring people together to help them make more of their creativity.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "I Love Typography",
+					feedUrl: "https://ilovetypography.com/feed",
+					url: "https://ilovetypography.com/",
+					description: "Talking about type.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "Jamie Clarke Type",
+					feedUrl: "https://jamieclarketype.com/rss.xml",
+					url: "https://jamieclarketype.com",
+					description:
+						"I’m an independent type designer and lettering artist based near Bristol, UK. I draw letters for clients worldwide and have almost three decades of experience as a designer and typographer.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "Libre Arts",
+					feedUrl: "https://librearts.org/index.xml",
+					url: "https://librearts.org",
+					description: "News on FLOSS creative software.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "Logo Design Love",
+					feedUrl: "https://www.logodesignlove.com/feed",
+					url: "https://www.logodesignlove.com/",
+					description:
+						"Logo Design Love is a website and book devoted to logos, symbols, icons, and marks.",
+				},
 				{
 					title: "PRINT Magazine",
 					feedUrl: "https://www.printmag.com/feed/",
@@ -65,6 +181,32 @@ export default {
 					description:
 						"Where creative people gather to inspire and build design dialogue.",
 				},
+				{
+					title: "Print.pm",
+					feedUrl: "https://print.pm/rss",
+					url: "https://print.pm/",
+					description: "Daily inspiration for print lovers.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "Siteinspire",
+					feedUrl: "https://www.siteinspire.com/websites/feed",
+					url: "https://www.siteinspire.com/",
+					description: "A showcase of the web’s finest design + talent.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "The Design Blog",
+					feedUrl: "https://thedsgnblog.com/rss",
+					url: "https://thedsgnblog.com",
+					description:
+						"The Design Blog is a carefully curated platform for design and creative inspiration featuring works of designers, studios, and creatives from around the world.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "Toxel",
+					feedUrl: "https://feeds.feedburner.com/toxel",
+					url: "https://www.toxel.com/",
+					description:
+						"Toxel.com is a daily design, inspiration and technology blog dedicated to showcasing the best creative products and designs from all over the world.",
+				},
 				{
 					title: "TypeOff.",
 					feedUrl: "https://www.typeoff.de/rss",
@@ -78,11 +220,25 @@ export default {
 					url: "https://www.interaction-design.org",
 					description: "The World’s Largest Free Online Resource on UX Design.",
 				},
+				{
+					title: "Visuelle",
+					feedUrl: "https://visuelle.co.uk/feed/",
+					url: "https://visuelle.co.uk",
+					description:
+						"Graphic Design and everything in between. Curated by David Bennett Creative Director at opx.studio.",
+				},
 			],
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Food & Beverage",
 			blogs: [
+				{
+					title: "A Tea Addict's Journal",
+					feedUrl: "https://marshaln.com/feed/",
+					url: "https://marshaln.com",
+					description:
+						"This blog got started in 2006 on Xanga as an attempt to write down what I thought about the teas I was drinking. At that point I had been a serious tea drinker for at least six or seven years, but until then, I never really thought much about it. I thought that by writing down my thoughts, it would help me organize my ideas about tea, and in doing so, I hoped to reach an audience who were like minded tea drinkers. My hunch that there were a lot more tea drinkers out there in the West was right, and through this blog I have met quite a number of like-minded individuals, some of whom have become very good friends. I hope that, if nothing else, my musings here will help you find a better tea experience – life’s too short to be drinking bad tea.",
+				},
 				{
 					title: "Cocktail Doodle",
 					feedUrl: "https://cocktaildoodle.substack.com/feed",
@@ -90,6 +246,19 @@ export default {
 					description:
 						"A charming (but perhaps abandoned) blog from cocktail expert Luke Andrews.",
 				},
+				{
+					title: "Cwyn's Death by Tea",
+					feedUrl: "https://deathbytea.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default",
+					url: "https://deathbytea.blogspot.com/",
+					description: "Straight up tea talk.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "Essence of Tea Blog",
+					feedUrl: "https://essenceoftea.com/blogs/blog.atom",
+					url: "https://essenceoftea.com/blogs/blog",
+					description:
+						"We are tea lovers - a couple, David Collen and Yingxi Chen, who shared a wish to make good teas available to fellow tea lovers around the world.",
+				},
 				{
 					title: "Sarah's Vegan Kitchen",
 					feedUrl: "https://sarahsvegankitchen.com/feed/",
@@ -97,6 +266,20 @@ export default {
 					description:
 						"Sarah has years of recipes including complex staples like vegan cultured butter.",
 				},
+				{
+					title: "Tea DB",
+					feedUrl: "https://teadb.org/feed/",
+					url: "https://teadb.org/",
+					description:
+						"TeaDB is a website and podcast started by friends and tea lovers James Schergen and Denny Chapin. James and Denny are business partners professionally, running websites in tea-unrelated industries (AllTreatment, TheraThink). We invite you to learn alongside us in our tea journeys!",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "white2tea",
+					feedUrl: "https://white2tea.com/blogs/blog.atom",
+					url: "https://white2tea.com/blogs/blog",
+					description:
+						"white2tea was created by passionate Puer devotees with over two decades of experience.",
+				},
 			],
 		},
 		{
@@ -206,12 +389,25 @@ export default {
 					description:
 						"Decoder of flavors and fragrances. Creator of Smell & Tell programming.",
 				},
+				{
+					title: "Incense Apprentice",
+					feedUrl: "https://incenseapprentice.substack.com/feed",
+					url: "https://incenseapprentice.substack.com",
+					description: "Exploring incense making with Sara Gray.",
+				},
 				{
 					title: "Incense In The Wind",
 					feedUrl: "https://incenseinthewind.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default",
 					url: "https://incenseinthewind.blogspot.com/",
 					description: "Incense reviews, rankings, and information.",
 				},
+				{
+					title: "Justine the Incenseur",
+					feedUrl: "https://justinetheincenseur.substack.com/feed",
+					url: "https://justinetheincenseur.substack.com/",
+					description:
+						"I am Justine Crane, natural perfumer and incenseur. I created the course content at the Natural Perfume Academy online, and the owner/operator of the Scented Djinn Apothecary & Thurifercorum. I’m also half of the in-person teaching duo, The Rebel Perfumers, with my teaching partner, Cher Lynn of Essential Oil Apothecary. I’m using this space to write about everything natural perfume and incense related. There will be some shameless plugging of my businesses, as well as tons of information about NP and incense. Let’s do this.",
+				},
 				{
 					title: "Kikoh Incense",
 					feedUrl: "https://kikohincense.com/blogs/news.atom",
@@ -265,6 +461,13 @@ export default {
 		{
 			name: "LGBTQ+",
 			blogs: [
+				{
+					title: "Assigned Media",
+					feedUrl: "https://www.assignedmedia.org/?format=rss",
+					url: "https://www.assignedmedia.org/",
+					description:
+						"Mainstream coverage of transgender life is falling short, while transphobic propaganda on the right grows louder and more insistent every day. Assigned publishes factual, up to date, responsible coverage of trans issues, allowing trans people and our allies to separate the truth from the lies and build a response to anti-trans hate that achieves dignity and equality for trans people in the US and beyond.",
+				},
 				{
 					title: "Uncloseted Media",
 					feedUrl: "https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/feed",
@@ -291,24 +494,65 @@ export default {
 					description:
 						"High-quality journalism which challenges power, inspires change and builds leadership among groups underrepresented in the media. (Predominantly U.K. focused)",
 				},
+				{
+					title: "Rest of World",
+					feedUrl: "https://restofworld.org/feed/latest",
+					url: "https://restofworld.org/",
+					description:
+						"Rest of World is a nonprofit publication that challenges expectations about whose experiences with technology matter. We connect the dots across a rapidly evolving digital world, through on-the-ground reporting in places typically overlooked and underestimated.",
+				},
 				{
 					title: "Techdirt",
 					feedUrl: "https://www.techdirt.com/feed/",
-					url: "https://www.techdirt.com/feed",
+					url: "https://www.techdirt.com",
 					description:
 						"Started in 1997 by Floor64 founder Mike Masnick and then growing into a group blogging effort, the Techdirt blog relies on a proven economic framework to analyze and offer insight into news stories about changes in government policy, technology and legal issues that affect companies’ ability to innovate and grow.",
 				},
+				{
+					title: "Usermag",
+					feedUrl: "https://www.usermag.co/feed",
+					url: "https://www.usermag.co/",
+					description:
+						"We document the people and movements that shape the internet –  from weird online phenomena, to under-the-radar trends, to platform developments, to policy initiatives, to the powerful forces that shape our online world. It's about who has power on the internet and how that power is being wielded.",
+				},
 			],
 		},
 		{
 			name: "News: U.S.A.",
 			blogs: [
+				{
+					title: "Popular Information",
+					feedUrl: "https://popular.info/feed",
+					url: "https://popular.info/",
+					description: "News for people who give a damn.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "Prism",
+					feedUrl: "https://prismreports.org/feed/",
+					url: "https://prismreports.org",
+					description:
+						"Prism is an independent and nonprofit news outlet led by journalists of color. We report from the ground up and at the intersections of injustice. Together, our journalists go where justice requires.	Activists, thought leaders, decision-makers, and all those who believe in justice for all come to Prism for deep reporting and honest insights on the most pressing injustices of our time—delivered through the lens of those who are most impacted.",
+				},
 				{
 					title: "Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting",
 					feedUrl: "https://revealnews.org/feed",
 					url: "https://revealnews.org/",
 					description:
-						'Reveal is an investigative radio show and podcast that holds the powerful accountable by reporting about everything from racial and social injustices to threats to public safety and democracy. (Thanks to <a href="https://werd.io/2024/non-profit-newsrooms-that-speak-to-power">werd.io</a> for the recommendation.)',
+						"Democracy faces an unprecedented threat from an authoritarian movement built on lies and contempt for the rule of law. The first and most critical defense of democracy—a robust, independent free press—has been missing in action. Corporate and billionaire media owners have shied away from confrontation, engaged in false equivalence, and sought to curry favor with Donald Trump. It is hardly surprising that readers and viewers are fleeing from these outlets. Americans need an alternative. The Contrarian is that alternative: unflinching, unapologetic, and unwavering in its commitment to truth-telling.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "The 74",
+					feedUrl: "https://www.the74million.org/feed/",
+					url: "https://www.the74million.org/",
+					description:
+						"The 74 is a nonprofit news organization covering America’s education system from early childhood through college and career.",
+				},
+				{
+					title: "The Contrarian",
+					feedUrl: "https://themarkup.org/feeds/rss.xml",
+					url: "https://contrarian.substack.com/",
+					description:
+						'The Markup investigates how powerful institutions are using technology to change our society. (Thanks to <a href="https://werd.io/2024/non-profit-newsrooms-that-speak-to-power">werd.io</a> for the recommendation.)',
 				},
 				{
 					title: "The Markup",
@@ -329,6 +573,13 @@ export default {
 					description:
 						"Designer, front-end developer and the founder of Set Studio and Piccalilli.",
 				},
+				{
+					title: "Bardo Burner",
+					feedUrl: "https://bardoburner.com/feed/",
+					url: "https://bardoburner.com",
+					description:
+						"Way back when blogs were called e-zines – the mid-90s – we made one called Bardo Burner… Sadly, our day-to-day lives got in the way of that labour of love and we jacked it in after a couple of years. Here we are again, reviving the old name just because, but this time primarily exploring issues related to healthy, sustainable living, which for us is strongly rooted in veganism… you’ll find articles here covering everything from cruelty-free cake and vegan restaurants to yoga and Pilates.",
+				},
 				{
 					title: "Darek Kay",
 					feedUrl: "https://darekkay.com/atom.xml",
@@ -427,13 +678,6 @@ export default {
 		{
 			name: "Politics: U.S.A.",
 			blogs: [
-				{
-					title: "Kevin Drum",
-					feedUrl: "https://jabberwocking.com/feed/",
-					url: "https://jabberwocking.com/",
-					description:
-						"Political blogger and writer, formerly for the Washington Monthly and Mother Jones magazine, now on my own.",
-				},
 				{
 					title: "Liberation News",
 					feedUrl: "https://www.liberationnews.org/feed/",
@@ -442,11 +686,18 @@ export default {
 				},
 				{
 					title: "ProPublica",
-					feedURL: "https://www.propublica.org/feeds/propublica/main",
+					feedUrl: "https://www.propublica.org/feeds/propublica/main/",
 					url: "https://www.propublica.org/",
 					description:
 						'ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force. (Thanks to <a href="https://werd.io/2024/non-profit-newsrooms-that-speak-to-power">werd.io</a> for the recommendation.)',
 				},
+				{
+					title: "The Appeal",
+					feedUrl: "https://theappeal.org/theappeal",
+					url: "https://theappeal.org",
+					description:
+						"The Appeal is a nonprofit news organization that envisions a world in which systems of support and care, not punishment, create public safety. The Appeal’s journalism exposes the harms of a criminal legal system entrenched in centuries of systemic racism. We equip people with the information necessary to make change, and we elevate solutions that emerge from the communities most affected by policing, jails, and prisons in the U.S.",
+				},
 				{
 					title: "The 19th",
 					feedUrl: "https://19thnews.org/feed/",

_data/cowList.js

@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-export default {
-	onScience: `
-	_________________________________________
-	(  Once, when the secrets of science were )
-	( the jealously guarded property of a     )
-	( small priesthood, the common man had no )
-	( hope of mastering their arcane          )
-	( complexities. Years of study in musty   )
-	( classrooms were prerequisite to         )
-	( obtaining even a dim, incoherent        )
-	( knowledge of science.                   )
-	(                                         )
-	( Today all that has changed: a dim,      )
-	( incoherent knowledge of science is      )
-	( available to anyone.                    )
-	(                                         )
-	( -- Tom Weller, "Science Made Stupid"    )
-	 -----------------------------------------
-					o   ^__^
-					 o  (oo)\\_______
-							(__)\\       )\\/\\
-									||----w |
-									||     ||`
-}

_data/galleries.js

@@ -245,4 +245,119 @@ export default [
 			},
 		],
 	},
+	{
+		title: "Shots from April 2024",
+		description:
+			"Sol and I went out for a walk down the street with a couple of cameras.",
+		synopsis:
+			"Sol and I went out for a walk down the street with a couple of cameras.",
+		url: "/img/gallery/april2024/",
+		date: new Date("January 23, 2025"),
+		galleryImage: "april_2024_4.webp",
+		galleryImageAlt: "",
+		pictures: [
+			{
+				title: "Sol shoots some flowers.",
+				filename: "april_2024_1.webp",
+				altText:
+					"A person in a beanie staring down a camera viewfinder at some tulips.",
+				thumbAltText:
+					"A person in a beanie staring down a camera viewfinder at some tulips.",
+				caption: "",
+			},
+			{
+				title: "We were being watched…",
+				filename: "april_2024_2.webp",
+				altText: "Some cats staring at us through a window screen.",
+				thumbAltText: "Some cats staring at us through a window screen.",
+				caption: "Somehow I don't mind these nosy neighbors.",
+			},
+			{
+				title: "A pole.",
+				filename: "april_2024_3.webp",
+				altText: "A closeup of a black painted pole with stickers on it.",
+				thumbAltText: "A closeup of a black painted pole with stickers on it.",
+				caption: "",
+			},
+			{
+				title: "Love this storefront.",
+				filename: "april_2024_4.webp",
+				altText:
+					"A storefront painted vividly with lots of colors, dots and flowers.",
+				thumbAltText:
+					"A storefront painted vividly with lots of colors, dots and flowers.",
+				caption: "",
+			},
+			{
+				title: "Another pole.",
+				filename: "april_2024_5.webp",
+				altText: "A wide, beige painted pole covered in ads and notices.",
+				thumbAltText: "A wide, beige painted pole covered in ads and notices.",
+				caption: "",
+			},
+			{
+				title: "Can't get enough of that pole.",
+				filename: "april_2024_6.webp",
+				altText:
+					"A mushroom-like green canopy on top of the beige pole, with lettering spelling out Roscoe Village.",
+				thumbAltText:
+					"A mushroom-like green canopy on top of the beige pole, with lettering spelling out Roscoe Village.",
+				caption: "",
+			},
+			{
+				title: "The infamous Chicago Rat Hole.",
+				filename: "april_2024_7.webp",
+				altText:
+					"An impression in the sidewalk of what is likely a squirrel; it is filled with coins and rocks left as tribute.",
+				thumbAltText:
+					"An impression in the sidewalk of what is likely a squirrel; it is filled with coins and rocks left as tribute.",
+				caption: "That has to be a squirrel.",
+			},
+			{
+				title: "A courtesy to cyclists.",
+				filename: "april_2024_8.webp",
+				altText:
+					"A crusty old parking meter with a ghost sticker and graffiti on it. Inside of the meter window reads: Meter remains as a courtesy to cyclists. Please pay at pay box.",
+				thumbAltText:
+					"A crusty old parking meter with a ghost sticker and graffiti on it. Inside of the meter window reads: Meter remains as a courtesy to cyclists. Please pay at pay box.",
+				caption: "",
+			},
+			{
+				title: "A brick building.",
+				filename: "april_2024_9.webp",
+				altText:
+					"The front of a red brick building with two potted plants in front of the door. The wall has many of those little square glass-tiles to allow in light while affording privacy.",
+				thumbAltText:
+					"The front of a red brick building with two potted plants in front of the door. The wall has many of those little square glass-tiles to allow in light while affording privacy.",
+				caption: "",
+			},
+			{
+				title: "Weed.",
+				filename: "april_2024_10.webp",
+				altText:
+					"A closeup of a dandelion ready to have its seeds blown into the wind.",
+				thumbAltText:
+					"A closeup of a dandelion ready to have its seeds blown into the wind.",
+				caption: "",
+			},
+			{
+				title: "Another creative storefront",
+				filename: "april_2024_11.webp",
+				altText:
+					"A storefront with painted illustrations of a woman giving a baby a bath, and several stylized women carrying baskets of fruit and flowers on their heads.",
+				thumbAltText:
+					"A storefront with painted illustrations of a woman giving a baby a bath, and several stylized women carrying baskets of fruit and flowers on their heads.",
+				caption: "",
+			},
+			{
+				title: "A robin crossing the street.",
+				filename: "april_2024_12.webp",
+				altText:
+					"A robin runs across the street, casting a long shadow for such a small fellow.",
+				thumbAltText:
+					"A robin runs across the street, casting a long shadow for such a small fellow.",
+				caption: "",
+			},
+		],
+	},
 ];

_data/metadata.js

@@ -14,12 +14,64 @@ export default {
 		profilePic: "/img/CN20191025_301_Srt_SQUARE_crop.jpg",
 	},
 	blogrollUrl: "/blogroll/nathanUpchurchBlogroll.opml",
-	copyrightNotice: "© Nathan Upchurch 2022 - 2024",
+	copyrightNotice: "© Nathan Upchurch 2022 - 2025",
 	defaultPostImageURL: "/img/logo_post.svg",
 	defaultPostImageAlt: "The logo for this blog: a capital letter N.",
 	mastodonHost: "lounge.town",
 	mastodonUser: "nathanu",
-	postlistHeaderText: "Writings from my blog:",
+	navigatorLinks: [
+		{
+			iconURL: "/img/icons/breeze/typewriter.svg",
+			linkDisplay: "Blog",
+			linkURL: "/blog/",
+		},
+		{
+			iconURL: "/img/icons/breeze/view-list-text.svg",
+			linkDisplay: "Blogroll",
+			linkURL: "/blogroll/",
+		},
+		{
+			iconURL: "/img/icons/breeze/view-preview.svg",
+			linkDisplay: "Galleries",
+			linkURL: "/galleries/",
+		},
+		{
+			iconURL: "/img/icons/breeze/story-editor.svg",
+			linkDisplay: "Guestbook",
+			linkURL: "/guestbook/",
+		},
+		{
+			iconURL: "/img/icons/breeze/news-subscribe.svg",
+			linkDisplay: "Life Updates",
+			linkURL: "/now/",
+		},
+		{
+			iconURL: "/img/burn.svg",
+			linkDisplay: "Now Burning",
+			linkURL: "/now-burning/",
+		},
+		{
+			iconURL: "/img/icons/breeze/document-edit-sign.svg",
+			linkDisplay: "Quizzes",
+			linkURL: "/quizzes/",
+		},
+		{
+			iconURL: "/img/icons/breeze/map-globe.svg",
+			linkDisplay: "Sitemap",
+			linkURL: "/sitemap/",
+		},
+		{
+			iconURL: "/img/icons/breeze/tag.svg",
+			linkDisplay: "Topics",
+			linkURL: "/tags/",
+		},
+		{
+			iconURL: "/img/icons/breeze/kstars_supernovae.svg",
+			linkDisplay: "Wishes",
+			linkURL: "/wish/",
+		},
+	],
+	postlistHeaderText: "Latest blog posts:",
 	socialLinks: [
 		{
 			title: "My Blog",
@@ -27,6 +79,13 @@ export default {
 			linkDisplay: "My Blog",
 			iconURL: "/img/logo.svg",
 		},
+		{
+			title: "Friendica",
+			linkURL: "https://friendica.world/profile/nathan",
+			customAttribute: `rel="me"`,
+			linkDisplay: "Friendica",
+			iconURL: "/img/friendica.svg",
+		},
 		{
 			title: "Mastodon",
 			linkURL: "https://lounge.town/@nathanu",
@@ -46,6 +105,13 @@ export default {
 			linkDisplay: "Matrix",
 			iconURL: "/img/matrix-org.svg",
 		},
+		{
+			title: "Signal",
+			linkURL:
+				"https://signal.me/#eu/j-om4cfsGXtfKo0UX28EQfEL_Gd1KpJr8nQpI9Smhdsb-r98eT5F6obQ1BcYZCcW",
+			linkDisplay: "Signal",
+			iconURL: "/img/Signal-Logo-White.svg",
+		},
 		{
 			title: "BookWyrm",
 			linkURL: "https://ramblingreaders.org/user/NathanU",
@@ -66,16 +132,10 @@ export default {
 		},
 		{
 			title: "PeerTube",
-			linkURL: "https://dalek.zone/a/nathan_upchurch/",
+			linkURL: "https://makertube.net/a/nathan/video-channels",
 			linkDisplay: "PeerTube",
 			iconURL: "/img/peertube.svg",
 		},
-		{
-			title: "Loops",
-			linkURL: "https://loops.video/@nathan",
-			linkDisplay: "Loops",
-			iconURL: "/img/loops_logo.svg",
-		},
 		{
 			title: "Keyoxide Identity Profile",
 			linkURL: "https://keyoxide.org/31E809FAEA1532AC91BBDCF1EC499D3513F69340",

_includes/footer.njk

@@ -11,5 +11,6 @@
 	{% endfor %}
 	{% endif %}
 		<a href="/sitemap/">Sitemap</a>
+		<a href="/special/flying-toasters" style="color: var(--background-color); text-decoration: none;">Fly</a>
 	</p>
 </footer>

_includes/gallerieslist.njk

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<section class="postlist">
+<div class="postlist-item-container">
+	{% for gallery in galleries | reverse %}
+	{% if not numberOfGalleriesToShow or loop.index <= numberOfGalleriesToShow %}
+	<article class="postlist-item">
+		<a href="../gallery/{{ gallery.title | slugify }}" class="postlist-link">
+			<div class="post-image-container">
+				<img class="post-image" {% if gallery.galleryImage %} src="{{ gallery.url }}{{ gallery.galleryImage }}" alt="{{ gallery.galleryImageAlt }}" {% else %} src="{{ metadata.defaultPostImageURL }}" alt="{{ metadata.defaultPostImageAlt }}"{% endif %}>
+			</div>
+		</a>
+		<div class="post-copy">
+			<a href="../gallery/{{ gallery.title | slugify }}" class="postlist-link">
+				<h3>
+					{{ gallery.title }}
+				</h3>
+			</a>
+			{% if not hideGalleryDescriptions %}<p>{{ gallery.synopsis | truncate(105) | safe }}</p>{% endif %}
+			<div class="post-metadata">
+				<div class="post-metadata-copy">
+					<p>Posted on the&nbsp;<time class="postlist-date" datetime="{{ gallery.date | htmlDateString}}">{{ gallery.date | niceDate("LLLL yyyy") }}</time></p>
+				</div>
+			</div>
+		</div>
+	</article>
+	<hr>
+	{% endif %}
+	{% endfor %}
+</div>
+</section>

_includes/incenseList.njk

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+<section class="postlist microblog-list">
+	{% if postlistHeaderText %}<h2>{{ postlistHeaderText }}</h2>{% endif %}
+	<div class="postlist-item-container">
+		{% for post in postslist | reverse %}
+		<article class="postlist-item">
+
+			<div class="post-copy">
+					<h3>
+						{% if post.data.title %}{{ post.data.title | safe }}{% else %}?{% endif %}{% if post.data.manufacturer %}, {{ post.data.manufacturer | safe }}{% endif %}
+					</h3>
+
+				<div class="post-metadata">
+					<div class="post-metadata-copy">
+						<p>
+						<time datetime="{{ post.date | htmlDateString }}">{{ post.date | niceDate }}{% if post.data.time %}—{{ post.data.time }}{% endif %}</time>
+						</p>
+					</div>
+				</div>
+				{% if post.content %}
+				<div class="microblog-comment">
+					{{ post.content | safe }}
+				</div>
+				{% endif %}
+			</div>
+		</article>
+		<hr>
+		{% endfor %}
+	</div>
+</section>

_includes/layouts/base.njk

@@ -2,10 +2,9 @@
 <html lang="{{ metadata.language }}">
 	<head>
 		{% include "metadata.njk" %}
-		{#- Bundle CSS #}
-		{%- css %}{% include "public/css/index.css" %}{% endcss %}
-		{%- css %}{% include "public/css/webfonts/webfonts.css" %}{% endcss %}
-		<style>{% getBundle "css" %}</style>
+		<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/index.css" />
+		<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/webfonts/webfonts.css" />
+		<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/code.css" />
 		{% include "structuredData.njk" %}
     {% include "umami.html" %}
 	</head>

_includes/layouts/base_full_width_text.njk

@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-<!doctype html>
-<html lang="{{ metadata.language }}">
-	<head>
-		{% include "metadata.njk" %}
-		{#- Bundle CSS #}
-		{%- css %}{% include "public/css/index.css" %}{% endcss %}
-		{%- css %}{% include "public/css/webfonts/webfonts.css" %}{% endcss %}
-		<style>{% getBundle "css" %}</style>
-		{% include "structuredData.njk" %}
-    {% include "umami.html" %}
-	</head>
-	<body>
-		{% include "header.njk" %}
-		<main id="skip">
-			<section class="full-width-text">
-				{{ content | safe }}
-			</section>
-		</main>
-		{% include "footer.njk" %}
-	</body>
-</html>

_includes/layouts/home.njk

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 layout: layouts/base.njk
 showPostListHeader: yep
 ---
-<h1>Hi there, friend.</h1>
-<p class="nodropcap page-block">My name is Nathan Upchurch. Welcome to my personal website and blog, where I write about all sorts of <a href="/tags">things</a> that I find interesting. On this website, you can learn more <a href="about">about me</a>, see <a href="now">what I’ve been up to lately</a>, <a href="blog">read my blog</a>, look at some <a href="galleries">pictures</a>, or explore the <a href="sitemap">sitemap</a> to see what else you can do here.</p>
+<h1>I'm Nathan; welcome&nbsp;friend.</h1>
+<p class="nodropcap page-block">My name is Nathan Upchurch, and this is my personal website and blog, where I write about all sorts of <a href="/tags">things</a> that I find interesting. On this website, you can learn more <a href="about">about me</a>, sign my <a href="guestbook">guestbook</a>, see <a href="now">what I’ve been up to lately</a>, <a href="blog">read my blog</a>, look at some <a href="galleries">pictures</a>, or explore the <a href="sitemap">sitemap</a> to see what else you can do here.</p>
 
 {{ content | safe }}

_includes/layouts/links.njk

@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 ---
-layout: layouts/baseBareBones.njk
+layout: layouts/linksPage.njk
 ---
-{%- css %}{% include "public/css/me.css" %}{% endcss %}
 <div class="links-container">
 	<img class="profilePic" src="{{ metadata.author.profilePic }}">
 	<h1 class="socialTitle">Nathan Upchurch</h1>

_includes/layouts/linksPage.njk

@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@
 <html lang="{{ metadata.language }}" class="barebones">
 	<head>
 		{% include "metadata.njk" %}
-		{#- Bundle CSS #}
-		{%- css %}{% include "public/css/index.css" %}{% endcss %}
-		{%- css %}{% include "public/css/webfonts/webfonts.css" %}{% endcss %}
-		<style>{% getBundle "css" %}</style>
+		<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/me.css" />
+		<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/index.css" />
+		<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/webfonts/webfonts.css" />
+
 		{% include "umami.html" %}
 	</head>
 	<body class="barebones">

_includes/layouts/post.njk

@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 ---
 layout: layouts/base.njk
 ---
-{# Only include the syntax highlighter CSS on blog posts #}
-{%- css %}{% include "public/css/code.css" %}{% endcss %}
 <article class="post">
-<h1>{{ title }}</h1>
+<h1>{{ title | safe }}</h1>
 {% if not hideMetadata %}
 <div class="post-metadata">
 	{% if author %}
@@ -13,7 +11,7 @@ layout: layouts/base.njk
 	{% endif %}
 	<div class="post-metadata-copy">
 		<p>{% if author.url %}<a href="{{ author.url }}">{% endif %}
-		{% if author.name %}{{ author.name }}{% endif %}{% if author.url %}</a>,&nbsp;{% endif %}<time datetime="{{ page.date | htmlDateString }}">{{ page.date | readableDate }}</time></p>
+		{% if author.name %}By {{ author.name }}{% endif %}{% if author.url %}</a>&nbsp;•&nbsp;{% endif %}<time datetime="{{ page.date | htmlDateString }}">{{ page.date | niceDate }}</time></p>
 
 	{% else %}
 	{% if metadata.author.profilePic %}
@@ -21,7 +19,7 @@ layout: layouts/base.njk
 	{% endif %}
 	<div class="post-metadata-copy">
 		<p>{% if metadata.author.url %}<a href="{{ metadata.author.url }}">{% endif %}
-		{% if metadata.author.name %}{{ metadata.author.name }}{% endif %}{% if metadata.author.url %}</a>,&nbsp;{% endif %}<time datetime="{{ page.date | htmlDateString }}">{{ page.date | readableDate }}</time></p>
+		{% if metadata.author.name %}By {{ metadata.author.name }}{% endif %}{% if metadata.author.url %}</a>&nbsp;•&nbsp;{% endif %}<time datetime="{{ page.date | htmlDateString }}">{{ page.date | niceDate }}</time></p>
 
 	{% endif %}
 
@@ -44,4 +42,3 @@ layout: layouts/base.njk
 {{ content | safe }}
 </article>
 {% include "mastodonComments.njk" %}
-{% include "nextLast.njk" %}

_includes/layouts/quizzes.njk

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+layout: layouts/post.njk
+structuredData: none
+---
+{{ content | safe }}
+<section class="quiz">
+	<form onsubmit="handleQuizSubmit(); return false">
+		{% for question in questions %}
+		{% set q = loop.index %}
+		<div class="questionBox">
+			<p class="quizQuestion">{{ q }}. {{ question.title }}</p>
+			{% if question.image %}
+			<figure>
+				<a href="{{ question.image }}">
+					<img src="{{ question.image }}" alt="{{ question.imageAlt }}">
+				</a>
+				{% if question.imageCaption %}
+				<figcaption>{{ question.imageCaption }}</figcaption>
+				{% endif %}
+			</figure>
+			{% endif %}
+			<div class="answersBox">
+				{% for answer in question.answers %}
+				<div class="answerBox">
+					<input class="answer" type="radio" value="{{ answer.points }}" id="q{{ q }}a{{ loop.index }}" name="{{ q }}" required>
+					<label for="q{{ q }}a{{ loop.index }}">{{ answer.name }}</label>
+				</div>
+				{% endfor %}
+			</div>
+		</div>
+		{% endfor %}
+		<script src="/js/quiz.js"></script>
+		<button>Submit</button>
+	</form>
+</section>
+
+{% for consequence in consequences %}
+<dialog class="consequence" data-points-threshold="{{ consequence.points }}">
+	<h2>{{ consequence.title }}</h2>
+  <p>{{ consequence.spiel }}</p>
+  {% if consequence.image %}
+  <img src="{{ consequence.image }}" alt="{{ consequence.imageAlt }}">
+  {% endif %}
+  <details>
+		<summary>Score Details</summary>
+		<p class="scoreDetails"></p>
+	</details>
+  <form method="dialog">
+    <button>Thanks</button>
+  </form>
+</dialog>
+{% endfor %}
+

_includes/mastodonComments.njk

@@ -1,81 +1,12 @@
 {% if mastodon_id %}
 <section class="" id="comment-section">
-	<h2>Comments</h2>
-	<div class="comment-ingress"></div>
-	<div id="comments" data-id="{{ mastodon_id }}">
-		<p>Loading comments...</p>
-	</div>
 	<div class="continue-discussion">
 		<a class="link-button" href="https://{{ metadata.mastodonHost }}/@{{ metadata.mastodonUser }}/{{ mastodon_id }}">
 			<button type="button">
-				Reply on Mastodon to comment &#187;
+			<img src="/img/mastodon.svg">
+				Discuss on Mastodon &#187;
 			</button>
 		</a>
 	</div>
 </section>
-
-<template id="comment-template">
-	<wc-card>
-		<wc-comment
-		author_name=""
-		author_url=""
-		avatar_url=""
-		comment_content=""
-		publish_date=""
-		sharp_corner="">
-		</wc-comment>
-	</wc-card>
-</template>
-
-<script type="module">
-import {dateSuffixAdder, monthMap, timeFormatter} from "../../js/modules/mastodonDateTools.js";
-
-const renderComment = (comment, target, parentIdm) => {
-  const node = document
-    .querySelector("template#comment-template")
-    .content.cloneNode(true);
-
-  const dateObj = new Date(comment.created_at);
-
-  const dateTime = `${dateObj.getDate()}${dateSuffixAdder(dateObj.getDate())} of ${monthMap[dateObj.getMonth()]}, ${dateObj.getFullYear()}, at ${timeFormatter(dateObj.getHours(), dateObj.getMinutes())}`;
-
-    node.querySelector("wc-comment").setAttribute("author_name", comment.account.display_name);
-    node.querySelector("wc-comment").setAttribute("author_url", comment.url.replace(/\/[0-9]+/, ""));
-    node.querySelector("wc-comment").setAttribute("avatar_url", comment.account.avatar_static);
-    node.querySelector("wc-comment").setAttribute("comment_content", comment.content);
-		node.querySelector("wc-comment").setAttribute("publish_date", dateTime);
-
-  target.appendChild(node);
-}
-
-async function renderComments() {
-  const commentsNode = document.querySelector("#comments");
-
-  const mastodonPostId = commentsNode.dataset?.id;
-
-  if (!mastodonPostId) {
-    return;
-  }
-
-  commentsNode.innerHTML = "";
-
-  const originalPost = await fetch(
-    `https://{{ metadata.mastodonHost }}/api/v1/statuses/${mastodonPostId}`
-  );
-  const originalData = await originalPost.json();
-  renderComment(originalData, commentsNode, null);
-
-  const response = await fetch(
-    `https://{{ metadata.mastodonHost }}/api/v1/statuses/${mastodonPostId}/context`
-  );
-  const data = await response.json();
-  const comments = data.descendants;
-
-  comments.forEach((comment) => {
-    renderComment(comment, commentsNode, mastodonPostId);
-  });
-}
-
-renderComments();
-</script>
 {% endif %}

_includes/navigator.njk

@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<section class="navigator">
+{% for link in metadata.navigatorLinks %}
+	<div class="navigatorItem">
+		<a href="{{ link.linkURL }}">
+			<img alt="" src="{{ link.iconURL }}">
+			<p>{{ link.linkDisplay }}</p>
+		</a>
+	</div>
+{% endfor %}
+</section>

_includes/postslist.njk

@@ -1,23 +1,63 @@
-<section class="postlist">
-{% if showPostListHeader %}<h2>{{ metadata.postlistHeaderText }}</h2>{% endif %}
-<div class="postlist-item-container">
-	{% for post in postslist | reverse %}
-	<article class="postlist-item{% if post.url == url %} postlist-item-active{% endif %}">
-		<a href="{{ post.url }}" class="postlist-link">
-			<div class="post-image-container">
-				<img class="post-image" {% if post.data.imageURL %} src="{{ post.data.imageURL }}" alt="{{ post.data.imageAlt }}" {% else %} src="{{ metadata.defaultPostImageURL }}" alt="{{ metadata.defaultPostImageAlt }}"{% endif %}>
-			</div>
-		</a>
-		<div class="post-copy">
+<section class="postlist{% if postListTypeMicroblog %} microblogList{% endif %}">
+	{% if postlistHeaderText %}<h2>{{ postlistHeaderText }}</h2>{% endif %}
+	<div class="postlist-item-container">
+		{% for post in postslist | reverse %}
+		<article class="postlist-item{% if post.url == url %} postlist-item-active{% endif %}">
+
+		{% if not postListTypeMicroblog %}
 			<a href="{{ post.url }}" class="postlist-link">
-				<h3>
-					{% if post.data.title %}{{ post.data.title }}{% else %}<code>{{ post.url }}</code>{% endif %}
-				</h3>
+				<div class="post-image-container">
+					<img class="post-image" {% if post.data.imageURL %} src="{{ post.data.imageURL }}" alt="{{ post.data.imageAlt }}" {% else %} src="{{ metadata.defaultPostImageURL }}" alt="{{ metadata.defaultPostImageAlt }}"{% endif %}>
+				</div>
 			</a>
-			<time class="postlist-date" datetime="{{ post.date | htmlDateString }}">{{ post.date | readableDate("LLLL yyyy") }}</time>
-			{% if post.data.synopsis %}<p>{{ post.data.synopsis | truncate(105) | safe }}</p>{% else %}{{ post.data.description | truncate(105) | safe }}{% endif %}
-		</div>
-	</article>
-	{% endfor %}
-</div>
+			{% endif %}
+
+			<div class="post-copy">
+			{% if not postListTypeMicroblog %}
+				<a href="{{ post.url }}" class="postlist-link">
+			{% endif %}
+					<h3>
+						{% if post.data.title %}{{ post.data.title | safe }}{% else %}?{% endif %}
+					</h3>
+				{% if not postListTypeMicroblog %}
+				</a>
+				{% endif %}
+
+				<div class="post-metadata">
+					<div class="post-metadata-copy">
+						<p>
+						{% if not postListTypeMicroblog %}
+							{% if post.data.author %}
+								{% if post.data.author.url %}
+								<a href="{{ post.data.author.url }}">
+								{% endif %}
+								{% if post.data.author.name %}
+								By {{ post.data.author.name }}
+								{% endif %}
+								{% if post.data.author.url %}</a>&nbsp;•&nbsp;
+								{% endif %}
+								{% else %}<a href="{{ metadata.author.url }}">By {{ metadata.author.name }}</a>&nbsp;•&nbsp;
+							{% endif %}
+						{% endif %}
+						<time datetime="{{ post.date | htmlDateString }}">{{ post.date | niceDate }}{% if post.data.time %}—{{ post.data.time }}{% endif %}</time>
+						</p>
+						<ul>
+							{%- for tag in post.data.tags | filterTagList %}
+							{%- set tagUrl %}/tags/{{ tag | slugify }}/{% endset %}
+							<li>
+								<a
+								href="{{ tagUrl }}"
+								class="post-tag">
+									{{ tag }}&nbsp;
+								</a>
+							</li>
+							{%- endfor %}
+						</ul>
+					</div>
+				</div>
+			</div>
+		</article>
+		<hr>
+		{% endfor %}
+	</div>
 </section>

content/about/colophon/index.md

@@ -1,13 +1,18 @@
 ---
-layout: layouts/base_full_width_text.njk
+layout: layouts/base.njk
 title: Nathan Upchurch | Colophon
 structuredData: none
 ---
 
 # Colophon
 ## What I used to build this website
-I built this website using [the 11ty static site generator](https://www.11ty.dev/), free and open source variable typefaces [Fraunces](https://fraunces.undercase.xyz/)[^1] and [Manrope](https://www.gent.media/manrope)[^2], and plain-old HTML, CSS, with some vanilla JavaScript for the web components that I built to handle comments. I used the handy calculators on [utopia.fyi](https://utopia.fyi)[^3] to help me implement fluid typography and spacing. [Here's the repo](https://upchur.ch/gitea/n_u/nathanupchurch.com) in case you'd like to have a look at the source.
+I built this website in plain-old HTML, CSS, and a touch of vanilla JavaScript using [Zach Leatherman](https://www.zachleat.com/)'s [11ty static site generator](https://www.11ty.dev/) and Mozilla's [Nunjucks templating language](https://mozilla.github.io/nunjucks/). I used free and open source variable typefaces [Fraunces](https://fraunces.undercase.xyz/), designed by Phaedra Charles and Flavia Zimbardi[^1], and [Manrope](https://www.gent.media/manrope), designed by Mikhail Sharanda[^2].
 
-[^1]: Designed by Phaedra Charles and Flavia Zimbardi, with contributions by Ethan Cohen, and Andy Clymer.
-[^2]: Designed by Mikhail Sharanda with thanks to Mirko Velimirovic for contribution.
-[^3]: Created by James Gilyead & Trys Mudford.
+The handy calculators on [utopia.fyi](https://utopia.fyi), created by James Gilyead and Trys Mudford, helped me implement fluid typography and spacing, which has allowed me to make this website responsive without using a single media query. The future is upon us.
+
+Icons on the index page navigator section are from the [Breeze icon set](https://develop.kde.org/frameworks/breeze-icons/) made by the fine folks at [KDE](https://kde.org/).
+
+If you'd like to inspect the source for this site, you can [find the repo here](https://upchur.ch/gitea/n_u/nathanupchurch.com).
+
+[^1]: With contributions by Ethan Cohen, and Andy Clymer.
+[^2]: With contributions by Mirko Velimirovic.

content/about/index.md

@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 ---
 layout: layouts/base.njk
+title: Nathan Upchurch | About
 eleventyNavigation:
   key: About
   order: 2
 ---
 <article>
-<h1>About me and my website.</h1>
-<p class="page-block nodropcap">I’m a prolific vegan home cook, classical trombonist, incense maker, a <abbr title="Free/Libre Open Source Software">FLOSS</abbr> enthusiast, daily GNU/Linux user and unabashed <a href="https://kde.org/">KDE</a> stan, designer, programmer, music producer, print lover, and human with too many interests and too little time. This is my little corner of the internet where I talk about whatever I like without worrying about maintaining a ‘personal brand’, or constraining subject matter to topics which might help advance my career or establish me as a ‘thought leader’. I’m here to express myself and have fun writing about topics I enjoy. If you’d like to learn more about my professional accomplishments and work, I’ll link my professional website here when I get around to it.</p>
-
+<h1>About me and my&nbsp;website.</h1>
+<p class="page-block nodropcap">I’m a prolific vegan home cook, classical trombonist, incense maker, a <abbr title="Free/Libre Open Source Software">FLOSS</abbr> enthusiast, designer, programmer, music producer, print lover, and human with too many interests and too little time.<br><br>
+This is my little corner of the internet where I talk about whatever I like without worrying about maintaining a ‘personal brand’, or constraining my writing to topics which might help advance my career or establish me as a ‘thought leader’. I’m here to express myself and have fun writing about topics I enjoy.<br><br>
+If you’d like to learn more about my professional accomplishments and work, I’ll link my professional website here when I get around to it.</p>
 <a href="./colophon/">
 	<button type="button">Colophon »</button>
 </a>

content/about/privacy/index.md

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-layout: layouts/base_full_width_text.njk
+layout: layouts/base.njk
 title: Nathan Upchurch | Privacy
 structuredData: none
 ---

content/ai.md

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-layout: layouts/base_full_width_text.njk
+layout: layouts/base.njk
 title: Nathan Upchurch | AI
 structuredData: none
 ---

content/blog.njk

@@ -1,15 +1,13 @@
 ---
 layout: layouts/base.njk
-title: Nathan Upchurch | Blog
+title: "The Stochastic Bletherist | The Personal Blog of Nathan Upchurch"
 structuredData: none
-eleventyNavigation:
-  key: Blog
-  order: 3
+postlistHeaderText: "What’s New:"
 ---
-<h1>Nathan’s blog.</h1>
+<h1>The Stochastic Bletherist</h1>
 
 <p class="page-block nodropcap">
-Thank you for visiting my blog; I write about lots of things here, from <a href="/tags/storytime">personal stories</a>, to <a href="/tags/gnu-linux">tech</a>, <a href="/tags/vegan-cooking">food</a>, and <a href="/tags/incense">incense</a>. Explore all posts below or <a href="/tags/">choose a topic</a>. Want to know what I've been reading? <a href="../blogroll/">Exlore the blogroll</a>.<br />
+The personal blog of Nathan Upchurch, where he writes about everything from <a href="/tags/storytime">personal stories</a> to <a href="/tags/gnu-linux">tech</a>, <a href="/tags/vegan-cooking">food</a>, and <a href="/tags/incense">incense</a>.<br />
 
 <a href="/tags/">
 	<button type="button">Topics »</button>
@@ -18,6 +16,5 @@ Thank you for visiting my blog; I write about lots of things here, from <a href=
 	<button type="button">Blogroll »</button>
 </a>
 </p>
-<h2>What’s New:</h2>
 {% set postslist = collections.posts %}
 {% include "postslist.njk" %}

content/blog/Solving-SSG-Microblogging-Ergonomics-with-KDialog-for-Incense-Posting.md

@@ -0,0 +1,286 @@
+---
+title: "Poaster: Solving SSG Microblogging Ergonomics with Ruby and KDialog"
+description: "Trying to make it a little less brutal to make small, frequent posts on SSGs."
+date: 2025-06-08
+tags:
+ - Site Updates
+ - Eleventy
+ - KDE
+synopsis: "Trying to make it a little less brutal to make small, frequent posts on SSGs."
+imageURL: "/img/poaster/poaster_icon.svg"
+imageAlt: "An icon featuring a red toaster with the Ruby diamond on it popping out a sheet with the Markdown logo on it as though it were toast."
+mastodon_id: "114650833104413858"
+---
+
+Anyone familiar with my blog will know that I like to write about incense. A reader wrote to me some time ago asking about what sticks I've been enjoying lately, and it occurred to me that it might be a nice thing to have a "now listening" type feature on my website, so that fellow incense heads could get a sense of the types of incense I like. After all, while I write plenty of incense reviews, they represent only a small percentage of the sticks, cones, powders, woods, and resins I'm burning or heating from day to day. (If you're here for my incense content, feel free to skip this one and head to [/now-burning](/now-burning) to see the new feature!)
+
+## The issue of ergonomics
+
+While it would have been simple enough for me to build a microblogging feature into my [Eleventy](https://www.11ty.dev/) website, the trouble was *wanting to use it* after it was built. Unlike using a {{ "CMS" | abbr("Content Management System") | safe }} such as WordPress to make a website, I knew of no nice interface for Eleventy, or for that matter any {{ "SSG" | abbr("Static Site Generator") | safe }}, that would help me create a post and publish it online without opening an {{ "IDE" | abbr("Integrated Development Environment") | safe }}[^1] and using the command line. Instead, the process looks something like this:
+
+[![A screenshot of a complicated looking text editor with a terminal widget at the bottom beside a copy of my website running on localhost.](/img/poaster/ergonomics_fail.webp "I don't necessarily want to feel like a [hackerman](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/hackerman) every time I decide to make a tiny status update. Also, I just noticed that I totally screwed up the frontmatter for that post.")](/img/poaster/ergonomics_fail.webp)
+
+As big of a nerd as I am, I'm just not going to want to do that multiple times a day for what amounts to a status post. This lead me to *scour* the internet looking for a solution: something that I could run on my own desktop or laptop that could build my site locally and push changes to my website, hosted the old fashioned way: as a bunch of text files sitting on a server accessible via {{ "SFTP" | abbr("SSH File Transfer Protocol") | safe }}. No needless complexity like running Eleventy on the server, or using a host like Netlify.[^2] Surely there'd be something, right? Surely, the realm of SSGs can't be without at least one nice, local user interface that people can use without being a web developer?
+
+## An attempt to fix the problem
+
+In the end, I did find one answer to the problem:  [Publii](https://getpublii.com/). Publii seems to be made predominantly with end-users in mind, however. It's not just a local[^3] CMS, it's an SSG in its own right, which does me no good as I can't make it work with my website[^4]. So after coming up with nothing *I* could use, I gave the idea a rest for a while until I had the epiphany that I could solve the problem with a simple script using KDE's [KDialog](https://invent.kde.org/utilities/kdialog) to provide a rudimentary UI. So that's what I did.
+
+The idea was simple: a [wizard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizard_(software))-like experience that guides the user through the creation of a microblog / status post. Post types and the data they collect should be customized by the user via a JSON configuration file. After the post data is collected from the user, the script should execute a user-defined build command as well as a user-defined command to sync the static files to the server.
+## Building "Poaster"
+
+For some reason, I decided to write my script in Ruby, a language for which I once completed a course before promptly forgetting everything I knew about it. I would have had a much easier time using JavaScript and Node, which I am much more familiar with and have successfully used for similar purposes. Why I did not is anyone's guess. All this to say: please do not make (too much) fun of my shitty little script, which I have dubbed "Poaster."
+
+I started with the JSON configuration file, `/Poaster/config/config.json`:
+
+```json
+{
+    "buildCommand": "npx @11ty/eleventy",
+    "postTypes": [
+        {
+            "name": "Now Burning",
+            "postUnitName": "incense",
+            "contentEnabled": true,
+            "frontMatter": [
+                {
+                    "name": "title"
+                },
+                {
+                    "name": "manufacturer"
+                },
+                {
+                    "name": "date"
+                },
+                {
+                    "name": "time"
+                }
+            ],
+            "postDirectory": "/post/output/dir"
+        }
+    ],
+    "uploadCommand": "rsync -av --del /local/path/to/site/output
+username@my.server:/remote/path/to/public/site/files",
+    "siteDirectory": "/local/path/to/site/repo"
+}
+```
+Here, the user can specify as many post types as they like, each with their own output directory. Each post type can also collect as many pieces of frontmatter as the user cares to specify.
+
+The first thing the script needed to do was ask the user which post type they want to create, so I referenced the [KDialog tutorial](https://develop.kde.org/docs/administration/kdialog/) and wrote a method to handle that `/Poaster/lib/spawn_radio_list.rb`:
+``` ruby
+def spawn_radio_list(title, text, options_arr)
+  command = %(kdialog --title "#{title}" --radiolist "#{text}")
+  options_arr.each_with_index do |option, i|
+    command += %( #{i} "#{option}" off)
+  end
+  `#{command}`
+end
+```
+I wrote a few more methods in `/Poaster/lib` to spawn toast notifications, input boxes, create directories if they don't exist, and write files:
+`/Poaster/lib/spawn_toast.rb`:
+``` ruby
+def spawn_toast(title, text, seconds)
+  `kdialog --title "#{title}" --passivepopup "#{text}" #{seconds}`
+end
+```
+`/Poaster/lib/spawn_input_box.rb`:
+``` ruby
+def spawn_input_box(title, text)
+  `kdialog --title "#{title}" --inputbox "#{text}"`
+end
+```
+`/Poaster/lib/ensure_dir_exists.rb`:
+``` ruby
+def ensure_dir_exists(directory_path)
+  unless Dir.exist?(directory_path)
+    FileUtils.mkdir_p(directory_path)
+    spawn_toast 'Directory Created', %(Poaster created #{directory_path}.), 10
+  end
+end
+```
+`/Poaster/lib/write_file.rb`:
+``` ruby
+def write_file(directory, name, extension, content)
+  post_file = File.new(%(#{directory}/#{name}.#{extension}), 'w+')
+  post_file.syswrite(content)
+  post_file.close
+end
+```
+All I had to do then was tie it all together in `/Poaster/poaster.rb`:
+``` ruby
+#!/usr/bin/env ruby
+require 'json'
+require 'fileutils'
+require './lib/spawn_input_box'
+require './lib/spawn_radio_list'
+require './lib/spawn_toast'
+require './lib/ensure_dir_exists'
+require './lib/write_file'
+
+config_data = JSON.parse(File.read('./config/config.json'))
+dialog_title_prefix = 'Poaster'
+
+# Populate types_arr with post types
+post_types_arr = []
+config_data['postTypes'].each do |type|
+  post_types_arr.push(type['name'])
+end
+
+# Display post list dialog to user
+post_type = config_data['postTypes'][Integer(spawn_radio_list(dialog_title_prefix, 'Select a post type:', post_types_arr))]
+
+# Set the word we will use to refer to the post
+post_unit = post_type['postUnitName']
+
+# Collect frontmatter from user
+frontmatter = []
+post_type['frontMatter'].each do |item|
+  frontmatter.push({ item['name'] => spawn_input_box(%(#{dialog_title_prefix} - Enter Frontmatter'), %(Enter #{post_unit} #{item['name']}:)) })
+end
+
+# Collect post content from user
+post_content = spawn_input_box %(#{dialog_title_prefix} - Enter Content), %(Enter #{post_unit} content:)
+
+# Make sure the output folder exists
+post_directory = post_type['postDirectory']
+ensure_dir_exists(post_directory)
+
+# Create post string
+post = %(---\n)
+post_id = ''
+frontmatter.each_with_index do |item, i|
+  post += %(#{item.keys[0]}: #{item[item.keys[0]]})
+  post_id += %(#{item[item.keys[0]].chomp}#{i == frontmatter.length - 1 ? '' : '_'})
+end
+post += %(---\n#{post_content})
+
+# Write post string to file and notify user
+post_file_name = %(#{post_type['name']}_#{post_id.chomp})
+post_extension = 'md'
+
+write_file post_directory, post_file_name, post_extension, post
+spawn_toast 'File Created', %(Poaster created #{post_file_name}#{post_extension} at #{post_directory}.), 10
+
+# Run build and upload commands
+`cd #{config_data['siteDirectory']} && #{config_data['buildCommand']} && #{config_data['uploadCommand']}`
+```
+
+## Burning now
+There is a lot that this script should do that it doesn't, but for now, it's still a handy wee utility for SSG users on GNU/Linux systems running KDE who want to make creating quick status-type posts a little less painful. Just make sure KDialog is installed (as well as Ruby, naturally), clone [the repo](https://upchur.ch/gitea/n_u/Poaster), create `/Poaster/config/config.json` to meet your needs using the example as a reference and you're off to the races! I've even made a silly little toaster icon using assets from some of the KDE MimeType icons that you can use if you want to make a `.desktop` file so that you can click an icon on your app launcher to start the script.
+
+[![A screenshot showing Poaster in my app launcher.](/img/poaster/app-menu.webp "Isn't that nice?")](/img/poaster/app-menu.webp)
+
+My `poaster.desktop` file looks something like this:
+``` bash
+[Desktop Entry]
+Exec=/path/to/poaster.rb
+GenericName[en_US]=Create a post with Poaster.
+GenericName=Create a post with Poaster.
+Icon=/path/to/poaster_icon.svg
+Name=Poaster
+NoDisplay=false
+Path=/path/to/repo/
+StartupNotify=true
+Terminal=false
+Type=Application
+```
+Here's the script in action:
+<figure><div style="position: relative;"><iframe title="A video showing Poaster being launched from the terminal. The script brings up a series of text input boxes for each piece of frontmatter specified in the configuration file." width="560" height="315" src="https://makertube.net/videos/embed/p8oopZXaLNUXNpBQGY9q4k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-forms"></iframe></div><figcaption>The ease! The convenience!</figcaption></figure>
+
+To build the new "now burning" incense microblog feature, I created two new pages. [/now-burning](/now-burning) shows the latest entry:
+
+``` html
+---
+layout: layouts/base.njk
+title: "Nathan Upchurch | Now Burning: What incense I'm burning at the moment."
+structuredData: none
+postlistHeaderText: "What I've been burning:"
+---
+{% raw %}{% set burning = collections.nowBurning | last %}
+
+<h1>Now Burning:</h1>
+<article class="post microblog-post">
+	<img class="microblog-icon" src="/img/censer.svg">
+	<div class="microblog-status">
+		<h2 class="">{{ burning.data.title }}{% if burning.data.manufacturer %}, {{ burning.data.manufacturer }}{% endif %}, {{ burning.date | niceDate }}, {{ burning.data.time }}</h2>
+		{% if burning.content %}
+		<div class="microblog-comment">
+			{{ burning.content | safe }}
+		</div>
+		{% endif %}{% endraw %}
+	</div>
+</article>
+<a href="/once-burned/">
+	<button type="button">Previous Entries »</button>
+</a>
+```
+…and [/once-burned](/once-burned) shows past entries:
+``` html
+---
+layout: layouts/base.njk
+title: "Nathan Upchurch | Once Burned: Incense I've burning in the past."
+structuredData: none
+---
+{% raw %}{% set burning = collections.nowBurning | last %}
+
+<h1>Previous “Now Burning” Entries:</h1>
+{% set postsCount = collections.nowBurning | removeMostRecent | length %}
+{% if postsCount > 0 %}
+{% set postslist = collections.nowBurning | removeMostRecent %}
+{% set showPostListHeader = false %}
+{% include "incenseList.njk" %}
+{% else %}
+<p>Nothing’s here yet!</p>
+{% endif %}{% endraw %}
+<a href="/now-burning/">
+	<button type="button">Latest »</button>
+</a>
+```
+…using a post-listing include built specifically for microblogging:
+
+``` html
+<section class="postlist microblog-list">
+	{% raw %}{% if postlistHeaderText %}<h2>{{ postlistHeaderText }}</h2>{% endif %}
+	<div class="postlist-item-container">
+		{% for post in postslist | reverse %}
+		<article class="postlist-item">
+
+			<div class="post-copy">
+					<h3>
+						{% if post.data.title %}{{ post.data.title | safe }}{% else %}?{% endif %}{% if post.data.manufacturer %}, {{ post.data.manufacturer | safe }}{% endif %}
+					</h3>
+
+				<div class="post-metadata">
+					<div class="post-metadata-copy">
+						<p>
+						<time datetime="{{ post.date | htmlDateString }}">{{ post.date | niceDate }}{% if post.data.time %}—{{ post.data.time }}{% endif %}</time>
+						</p>
+					</div>
+				</div>
+				{% if post.content %}
+				<div class="microblog-comment">
+					{{ post.content | safe }}
+				</div>
+				{% endif %}
+			</div>
+		</article>
+		<hr>
+		{% endfor %}{% endraw %}
+	</div>
+</section>
+```
+And that's about it! There's a lot to do to make the script a little less fragile, such as passing along build / upload error messages, allowing for data validation via regex, et cetera. I'm sure I'll get to it at some point. If Poaster is useful to you, however, and you'd like to submit a patch to improve it, [please do let me know](../../me/).
+
+[^1]: Yes, I am aware that [Kate](https://kate-editor.org/) isn't *technically*
+an IDE.
+
+[^2]: At risk of sounding crabbit and behind the times, I don't know why web
+development has to be so damned complicated these days. Like, an entire fancy
+for-profit infrastructural platform that exists just to host static websites?
+It seems nuts to me.
+
+[^3]: Thank christ. Why does everything need to run in the cloud when we
+already have computers at home?
+
+[^4]: I did however use it to very quickly set up a nice looking blog site for
+my partner.
+

content/blog/a-plebeians-review-of-the-witcher-3-wild-hunt.md

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+---
+title: "A Plebeian’s Review of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt"
+description: "I tried really, really hard to get into this game."
+date: 2025-05-04
+tags:
+  - Gaming
+  - Game Review
+synopsis: "I tried really, really hard to get into this game."
+imageURL: /img/witcher_3/witcher3_en_screenshot_screenshot_13_1920x1080_1433341624.webp
+imageAlt: "A screenshot of Geralt's scowling face."
+mastodon_id: "114451612149600574"
+---
+The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a fantasy RPG in which you play as ~~Ged~~ ~~Gerd~~ ~~Gerald~~ Geralt, a super masculine generic-white-man protagonist who grumbles everything he says like Batman. Hopefully you like Geribald, because you don't get to customize him in any way. You'll control Gabriel from a third-person perspective, awkwardly hovering over his right shoulder as he trudges around wherever it is that he lives. The map is large, so in order to spare you too much trudgery Giovanni has a horse that he can ride insofar as it doesn't get stuck on any rocks, stumps, shrubbery, or especially stout blades of grass. The horse is named after an insect of some kind.
+
+As he rides about the scenery, Grayson will run into all sorts of gurgling monsters that he will attempt to defeat by swinging one of his two swords at them: one silver, which is good for some monsters, and one steel, which is good for others, for some reason. He also has a crossbow with a fire-rate that may well be slower than his refractory period[^1]. Oh, and Gavin is also a witcher, not to be confused with something so compelling as a witch. This means that he can sometimes shoot different colored lights from his hand, and has some sort of smell-o-vision a la [Dog's Life for PS2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcHKPjCGAX4). Combat is mostly an exercise in clicking wildly while watching needlessly acrobatic sword-swinging animations play.
+
+I am told that the *proper* way to play this game is on the hardest difficulty, wherein the player will have the pleasure of milling about collecting various herbs and other ingredients in order to create a variety of potions and sword…oils…(?) without which completing the game is impossibly difficult. After repeatedly dying during an introductory mission escorting some sort of demon baby ten meters up a dirt path I chose instead to set the game difficulty to "Just the Story," which somehow still finds me killed time and time again on missions that the game recommends for players at or below my level.
+
+Unlike, say,  Skyrim, talking to NPCs rarely nets Gerardo more than a wet cough, so quests are to be found at job-boards posted at each human settlement. You might think that this would discourage exploration and lower the sense of immersion in the game, but after thirteen hours of game-play to date I can say with confidence that yes, in fact it does. So in a world seemingly devoid of any interesting discoveries to be made, if guiding Roach the horse from obstruction to obstruction across the landscape while vaguely sad music plays isn't enough to keep you interested in the open world of The Witcher 3, you can skip the rather beautiful scenery altogether via the fast-travel system.
+
+When the few of us who aren't utterly enamored with this game say anything to that effect, we're often dismissed as pedestrian and told that it's *all about the story,* so let's get into that. What I know so far is that Gideon's adopted daughter was nicked by some folk in hoods. Why? I couldn't tell you. I'm stuck trying to kill a werewolf in "Just the Story" mode so that I can progress the story. Maybe I need to craft a sword-oil or something. Honestly, I don't know that I can be bothered.
+
+[^1]: I hear we'll find out later in the game.

content/blog/an-evening-with-americas-best-incense-wild-berry.md

@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+---
+title: "An Evening with “America’s Best Incense:” Wild Berry"
+description: "I review $40 worth of Wild Berry incense in an evening."
+date: 2025-08-09
+tags:
+ - Incense
+ - Incense Review
+synopsis: "I review $40 worth of Wild Berry incense in an evening."
+imageURL: "/img/wildBerry/wild_berry_incense_sticks.webp"
+imageAlt: "Several packs of incense sticks with a ruler on top showing a stick length significantly below eleven inches, as well as some three plus inches of uncoated bamboo stick."
+mastodon_id: "115007567342939989"
+---
+In a [recent post](https://incenseinthewind.blogspot.com/2025/08/rasbihari-lal-absolute-oud.html?sc=1754495465540#c8441585320216937517), our friend Steve of Incense in The Wind described those with an aversion to perfume-dipped incense sticks as *prejudiced*. This has invited some self reflection. Dear reader, I think I may have been called out[^1].
+
+It is true that I typically enjoy incense made out of, well, incense, but hell, maybe it's time to challenge this *blatant elitism*! After all, aren't incense sticks carefully constructed from sawdust, Elmer's glue, and various mysterious liquids named after [illicit substances](https://web.archive.org/web/20210910075942/https://www.stoutmonk.com/image/cache/data/Flute-Cannabish-250x250.jpg) and [public figures](https://web.archive.org/web/20250116044541/https://www.theculturalexchangeshop.com/details.php?id=4933) just as valid?! It's time to check my privilege, confront my prejudices, and find out. Yes, my friend, I've had the Ossetra caviar slapped out of my mouth, and no sooner than the blini landed on my Persian rug (crème fraîche down) have I set off to my nearest [Waffle House](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/waffle-house) for a real, honest, down-to-earth, working-man's meal. Folks, I am *excited* about this one. In this article we're putting down our highfalutin Japanese sticks and exploring “America’s Best Incense[^2]:” [Wild Berry](https://wild-berry.com/).
+
+Wild Berry sells an *incredible* variety of fragrances, and I've chosen six of them: some fruits, some resins, and some fragrances that I'd expect to be more like compositions rather than single notes. When placing the order, I noticed that the website sold resealable bags for a dollar or two. Not wanting to waste money, and figuring they wouldn't mind parting with ten cents worth of plastic for a $40 order, I entered a note asking whether they could throw in a few, provided the bags the incense came in by default couldn't be resealed.
+
+As I brought my laundry basket downstairs earlier today I checked the front porch for parcels. Jackpot. I've got the apartment to myself and nothing better to do, so I figure I'll order a takeaway, binge-watch some [Foundation](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/foundation), and try some of "America's Best" incense sticks while my laundry thumps around in the drier. I open the box, plonk it on the coffee table and began to rifle through the selection. Not a resealable bag in sight. Great; now the smell of this stuff is going to be slowly leeching into my apartment for time immemorial. I do however get a sticker and five sample sticks of "Mango Passion."
+
+[![Several packs of incense sticks with a ruler on top showing a stick length significantly below eleven inches, as well as some three plus inches of uncoated bamboo stick.](/img/wildBerry/wild_berry_incense_sticks.webp "Not a resealable bag in sight.")](/img/wildBerry/wild_berry_incense_sticks.webp)
+
+The "eleven inch" sticks all come markedly short of eleven inches, and they each have some three-plus inches of bare bamboo stick. Some appear to be machine extruded while others show a coating gradient typical with powder-coated sticks. Strange. I start with a strawberry cone:
+
+## Strawberry (Cones)
+I'm *sure* I had these before. I have a feeling they may have been among the incense I picked up from a gas station near my school that I used to frequent not only for [the drinks with the wee glass lizards on them](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Feaqi1o3yv2441.jpg)[^3], but for their gargantuan incense display. The cones have surprisingly little fragrance before they are burned. Upon lighting, they produce a large amount of smoke. There is a sweet, strikingly artificial, strawberry-like fragrance in the burn. It's reminds me of a strawberry juice-box or fruit snack that's 99% apple juice with a hint of strawberry essence. But mostly, I smell the charcoal and some accelerant. The smell is nostalgic, but not good by any stretch. My throat is already feeling slightly irritated; an inauspicious start. Moving on swiftly.
+
+## Coconut
+These have a very strong fragrance on the stick. It's sweet and acidic, almost more like a piña colada that coconut. It smells quite delicious. This fragrance is also inducing some nostalgia for me. On lighting, an aggressively sooty flame leaps to cover the first centimeter or so of the stick; oil appears to emerge from the stick directly beneath the flame. The fragrance upon extinguishing the flame is shocking. It's *foul*: vaporized wax, burning plastic, and some odd fishy note with a hint of artificial coconut. It's the kind of smell that makes you feel that your lifespan is being reduced. I put the stick out in short order.
+
+## Frankincense
+I was keen to try this one; I wanted to know how close it would be to its namesake. Not remotely, as it happens. You ever walk into a Joann or Michaels craft store around Christmas? That's what this stick smells like. Sickly sweet, artificially spicy—a bit like like rum-raisin ice-cream and men's spray-on deodorant with a hint of Play-Doh. Since that coconut stick put the fear of god into me, I've decided to start burning these sticks far, far away from where I'm sitting. The kitchen will do. I place the burner on wooden prep table in my kitchen. I hold my breath while lighting and quickly scuttle off back to the couch to watch Brother Day try to keep the empire afloat. I have no doubt the fragrance will find me there. To my surprise, this rather powerful fragrance actually comes through reasonably well in the burn; it's definitely not as abominable as the coconut. Still, I have to put it out before long.
+
+Around this point my takeaway arrives, so I decide to take a break. I cast my eyes onto the open package as I eat. It smells like someone's eating a fruit salad in a perfume shop. I consider moving it.
+
+## Dragon's Blood
+Like frankincense, my collection of something like 100 fragrant materials in various jars, bags, bottles, and tubes includes dragon's blood. That's the thing about resins: they're real substances that people own, and so if you name an incense stick after them, people are going to know when you're fibbing. This stick smells like baking spice and tart fruit, which is confusingly close to how I might describe actual dragon's blood resin, but it still somehow smells nothing like it. There is also a benzoin-like sweetness on the unlit stick. The fragrance in the burn is mercifully close to that of the unlit stick, but like the others, it comes along with a boat-load of off-notes. As with the Frankincense, this very strong fragrance quickly became too much.
+
+I'm feeling a touch dejected. I knew this incense was going to be bad, but I had hoped it would be bad in a fun way, like a fast-food hamburger, or a toy from a cereal box. So far it's just been a bit depressing.
+
+## Orange Creamsicle
+But, dear reader, hope springs eternal; the fragrance on this stick is fantastic. It's synthetic and too strong in a fun way, like candy. It's actually quite impressive—there's a sharp orange note, more orange oil than flesh, with a creamy, lactonic vanilla ice-cream note. As for the burn, well, if you buy these just stick them in a jar and pretend they're part of a reed diffuser. The off-notes are tremendous. Orange oil becomes bitter, burning pith. The experience is sickeningly underlined by an eerily unchanged vanilla ice-cream note like a music box playing sweetly amid artillery fire.
+
+## Opium (Sticks)
+Wow; this is bringing me right back to my teenage bedroom. The fragrance on the unlit stick is powerful: a trepidatious sniff draws a cough from my battle-worn lungs. By now, I'm too tired to attempt to work out the constituent notes of this composition, but it's not bad. It actually comes through surprisingly cleanly, at least compared to the others I've tried so far[^4]. I wonder whether the sheer strength of this stick isn't just overpowering any lurking off-notes waiting to soak into the carpet. In any case, I might go so far as to burn this one again on purpose. Outdoors, of course, but still.
+
+## Strawberry (Sticks)
+At this point, my nasal passages are beginning to feel as though I've [french-inhaled](https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExbTVyeWJ3ZTI3aWlnbG9nOHR0eGdyM29hOTRzeW5rbGUxdnIwZmFtciZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/xTiTnlbIZkWZDrKqgo/giphy.gif) my way through a pack of [menthol Newports](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_(cigarette)#/media/File:Newport_cigarettes.jpg). I steel myself; I will press on. Although disappointed by the strawberry cones, I somehow still have hope for the sticks. The smell is markedly more complex. It's a combination of strawberry candy and a rather uncanny impression of the sad, cucumbery strawberries they grow here in the U.S. I swear I can even smell the little green leaf at the top. When lit, however, this stick offers major off-notes with a hint of strawberry candy, like a fire in a sweet-shop.
+
+## Opium (Cones)
+Now so close to the end, my mind and body are crying out for rest. Like the sticks, this is a competent composition that has enough strength to overpower the stink that seems to be inherent in this brand. Beyond the smell, I find it interesting how wildly inconsistently these Wild Berry cones are shaped. From a company that puts out such volume, I expected production to be such an exercise in precision and efficiency that there would be no room for even the slightest deviation; I've seen more consistent output from even very small incense makers. I wonder why this is as I whisk away the censer containing the burning cone into another room.
+
+[![A bunch of wonky incense cones on top of the plastic bag they came in with a label reading "Opium (Type)"](/img/wildBerry/wild_berry_opium_incense_cones.webp "Helpfully labeled \"Opium \(Type\)\" in case you thought you were **really** getting your money's worth.")](/img/wildBerry/wild_berry_opium_incense_cones.webp)
+
+## Free Sample: Mango Passion
+As I reach my final task, my spirits are low; my nose a ragged wanderer on his sun-blistered belly, inching towards a verdant oasis after untold hours in the quivering heat, prostrate before the silent might of the dunes. I light a stick.
+
+How dearly I wish these sticks had been a handful of resealable bags. The fragrance of the unlit stick is pleasant enough: bright passion fruit and mango, per the name. It actually manages to come through relatively intact in the burn too, but all of those unpleasant smells we've come to expect alongside it really ruin the experience. This time the fire is in a Garnier Fructis production facility. With this out of the way, I am free.
+
+## Conclusion
+I don't expect you to believe me, but I *did not* intend this article to be a hit-piece. I had anticipated a [Review Brah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheReportOfTheWeek) style affair, where I got to sample some inelegant but fine enough incense sticks in fun fragrances. I had hoped that together we could take a dip into what would turn out to be the murky but cool waters of American commodity incense and emerge refreshed, if a touch muddy. Instead, I feel that we've come away with [brain-eating amobea](https://www.cdc.gov/naegleria/about/index.html).
+
+While Wild Berry's fragrances have left me distressed and unsatisfied, this experience has also left me with many questions. Beyond its products, I find that I've developed a lingering fascination surrounding the company itself. Wild Berry isn't just another big anonymous incense-maker, it has *lore*. From the company's [Duloc](https://youtu.be/p1zQHvvgXOs?si=CuLazpB9jRuXpNBW&t=31)-style [wooden puppet display](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6Kf-ocYmBI), to zany antics such as [dragging employees around on pallet jacks](https://youtu.be/IJHtDyMV03o?si=pfMNMX6R6UYxrs_W&t=35), the more I learn the greater my curiosity. Why do precisely none of the [company vlogs](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJEWn3HV8JpN4MDB_srqcB8LQitKtEcBX) show anyone burning incense in their offices? What are they hiding in those five unavailable videos? What on earth is [going on here](https://www.youtube.com/@123WIldberry/), and what is a "[Buxom Busam](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zStV6vwjQYk)?"
+
+As for the incense itself, I'm flummoxed. How can something of such irredeemably poor quality be so ubiquitous? I admit I have come to deeply resent spending $40 on incense I've described in terms of war, but I also can't help but feel that this endeavor has made me party to one of the great mysteries of our time. Filled with a sense of both wonder and horror in the face of it, I've found myself staring at a [rotating](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:8-cell-orig.gif) [tesseract](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesseract), beautiful in its incomprehensibility. And who knows? After a bout of therapy to overcome the trauma I've experienced tonight, I may eventually be able to put some of these sticks into service on the porch as bug-repellent.
+
+[^1]: Obligatory disclaimer assuring you that I'm being tongue-in-cheek and I am in no way salty at anyone.
+[^2]: The scare quotes are, I kid you not, included in their official branding.
+[^3]: I typically try not to make too much of a show of my impeccable taste, but I fear that may be impossible in this instance.
+[^4]: A very, very low bar.

content/blog/blog-questions-challenge.md

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+---
+title: "The Blog Questions Challenge"
+description: Why I do this whole blogging thing.
+date: 2025-03-12
+tags:
+  - Meta
+synopsis: Why I do this whole blogging thing.
+---
+If you haven't seen this going around the internet, you might be spending too little time on [the indieweb](https://indieweb.org/)! The blog questions challenge asks bloggers to talk about how and why they do what they do. Here's mine.
+
+## Why did you start blogging in the first place?
+As is common among those with ADHD, I've long felt that I have quite a lot to say and not enough people in my life who have the patience and willingness to sit through endless lengthy monologues; I have a lot of thoughts on a lot of things! Years ago I had a website where I published some of my ghastly teenage poetry—I think I write now for the same reason I did then: sometimes it just feels like I'll burst if I don't.
+
+## What platform are you using to manage your blog and why did you choose it?
+I'm using [Eleventy, AKA 11ty](https://www.11ty.dev/), which is a static site generator. A static site generator is a program that lets you code templates for your website, describe how it should work, and then it spits out pages based on your setup so that you don't have to code each new page or post. Static sites don't rely on a server running a content management system; they're literally just a bunch of files that you can host anywhere. They're fast and unhackable.
+
+I chose Eleventy specifically because it's very flexible, and because I'm comfortable with JavaScript.
+
+## Have you blogged on other platforms before?
+I've used WordPress in the past, and I use it at work. It makes the editing experience nice and simple (something that is not true with Eleventy), but it also feels fragile and unwieldy to me so I try to avoid it where I can.
+
+## How do you write your posts? For example, in a local editing tool, or in a panel/dashboard that's part of your blog?
+I am a big fan of [KDE](https://kde.org/)'s [Kate](https://kate-editor.org/) text editor. No Electron bloat or Microsoft spyware, lots of great tools and plugins, and it's fast as all get out. Honestly, I'm a bit of a Kate evangelist, because I want to see more people working on plugins and language support for it rather than VS Code.
+
+I must admit, I don't always want to use a code editor for blog posts, especially for longer, more involved posts and essays. So when this mood takes me, I'll use [Ghostwriter](https://ghostwriter.kde.org/). Another fabulous KDE project, Ghostwriter is a simple Markdown editor with neat features like distraction-free and fullscreen modes, and writing statistics like word-count and reading-ease.
+
+## When do you feel most inspired to write?
+Honestly, I can never predict when the urge will take me, or when hyperfocus will drive me onwards into the wee hours. Sometimes I'll have something cooking for a while, and I'll get swept away with it when I happen upon a text file where I've outlined the idea. Historically, I'm more productive in every way in the evening, but as I've been fiercely battling my circadian rhythm now for several years in the hopes of adapting to a more workplace friendly schedule, I'm occasionally raring to go in the morning provided I've had a good 9-12 hours of sleep.
+
+## Do you publish immediately after writing, or do you let it simmer a bit as a draft?
+Usually, finishing a post has me feeling like I've just run the gauntlet, so I'm itching to upload as soon as possible. If it's a longer piece or I've noticed my focus failing, I'll sometimes either have my partner give it a read or I'll sleep on it and re-read before running my `update-website` Zsh alias.
+
+## What are you generally interested in writing about?
+Lately mostly incense and computer stuff, but I'd also like to write some longer pieces on some of my core beliefs and opinions. For instance, I'm working on an essay about my feelings toward religion and spirituality. These types of posts are long, involved, and have to be done with some delicacy as they always carry the possibility of upsetting people, so it's going to take some time to get them out.
+
+## Who are you writing for?
+In general, I don't think I'm writing for any person or group in particular, including myself. With some posts, I'm just trying to put out a viewpoint that I haven't seen others write about, such as my [post on a tool that allows people to strip the storytelling from recipe blogs](https://nathanupchurch.com/blog/let-us-waffle/). When I write things like that, I'm writing to add what I think is a unique view to an ongoing conversation. For other things, I'm writing because [I think it's important that the information is made available](https://nathanupchurch.com/blog/making-incense/), or to [show support to a project or cause](https://nathanupchurch.com/blog/scribus-1-7-0-from-strength-to-strength/).
+
+I think that writing [incense reviews](https://nathanupchurch.com/blog/maroma-incense-of-auroville-sandalwood-cedarwood/), however, is mostly for myself. I was once [a cocktail bartender](https://makertube.net/w/boNV8AQcufwtaZVg9vUh1Q). When I started out at a high-end Chicago cocktail lounge, the beverage director would ask the bar-back to bring us two Glencairn glasses, each containing a pour of one of the 500+ spirits on the wall behind the bar. He'd then ask me to write down what the spirit was, how long it had been aged, the proof, and five tasting notes. Once you've tasted enough spirits it's not terribly hard to do, so I became quite good at it, but I always found the process quite stressful nonetheless. I worked in coffee for some time after that, and I found coffee cuppings even more anxiety-inducing[^1] because the strong fragrances would burn my nose out almost immediately. When swishing spirits around in my mouth, I don't ever feel that my ability to distinguish flavor notes diminishes, but fragrance can be fleeting as the brain compensates for the presence of whatever aromatics are floating into your sniffer. For the same reasons, I find reviewing incense quite difficult. Posting reviews gives me a reason to keep at it, to keep learning and expanding my 'olfactory library,' and to improve at picking out and identifying notes. It also helps me to be more objective and analytical when testing my own incense.
+
+## What's your favourite blog post?
+I'm quite proud of *[What Do We Expect from Fragrance? Natural Incense in an Unnatural World ](../what-do-we-expect-from-fragrance/)*. It sums up my views on how fragrance is used and abused in our time, and where incense fits into all of this.
+
+## Any future plans for your blog? Maybe a redesign, a move to another platform, or adding a new feature?
+I never actually sat down and planned out a design for my website; I just started writing code, so I'm forever self-conscious of the design of my site. At some point I may sit down and actually put together a concept and execute on it. Will that satisfy me? Who knows.
+
+## Who's next?
+To avoid unduly burdening anyone individually, I'm going to do as [Alistair Shepherd](https://alistairshepherd.uk/writing/blog-questions-challenge/) did and say that if you haven't done one of these yet and you'd like to: you're up!
+
+[^1]: Coffee is harder than cocktails full stop. Once you've got the hang of the basic cocktail categories and their builds, you're singing, whereas coffee is temperamental, and more technically difficult on every level. I promise you that the job of your favorite barista at any decent shop is much more difficult than that of any fancy cocktail bartender.

content/blog/cowsay_2024-01-02.md

@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
----
-title: Cowsay of the Day – Science
-description:  An ASCII cow postulates on the state of science education in the modern world.
-date: 2024-01-02
-tags:
-  - Cowsay of the Day
-synopsis: An ASCII cow postulates on the state of science education in the modern world.
-imageURL: /img/cowsayOfTheDay.avif
-imageAlt: An ASCII cow with a thought bubble containing the word wut
-mastodon_id: "111688829907363670"
----
-As a big-old nerd, I spend a lot of time in the terminal on my computer. When you spend a lot of time somewhere, you want it to be comfortable. As a part of making my terminal more homey, I've set it up to give me a random quote each time I start a new session, delivered, of course, by a cow. Here's today's cowsay of the day:
-{{  cowList.onScience | cowsay | safe }}

content/blog/floss-and-smes.md

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ title: Free Software is the Future for SMEs and Small Nonprofits
 description: Tech giants aren't meeting the needs of SMEs and nonprofits. Combined with digital privacy concerns, a perfect storm is brewing for increased adoption of free and open source software for these organizations.
 date: 2022-10-28
 tags:
+  - Essays
   - FOSS/FLOSS
   - Digital Privacy
 synopsis: Tech giants aren't meeting the needs of SMEs and nonprofits. Combined with digital privacy concerns, a perfect storm is brewing for increased adoption of free and open source software for these organizations.

content/blog/hono-sandalwood-incense-review.md

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+---
+title: "Incense Review: Hono Sandalwood"
+description: "Checking out some sticks from a local store selling Japanese incense."
+date: 2025-04-19
+tags:
+  - Incense
+  - Incense Review
+synopsis: "Checking out some sticks from a local store selling Japanese incense."
+imageURL: /img/hono_sandalwood/hono_sandalwood_square.webp
+imageAlt: "A closeup photo of the small hono Sandalwood box atop a neat row of incense sticks, beside a small shiny white ceramic burner. The burner is plain, and square, with a small hole in the middle in which to insert an incense stick."
+mastodon_id: "114367576630950761"
+---
+I'm forever keeping my eyes peeled for brick-and-mortar stores in my city that sell decent incense, particularly Japanese incense. As such, I was delighted to discover [Five Elements Home](https://www.fiveelementshome.com/) in the beautiful Chicago neighborhood of Andersonville. On my first visit to the store, I darted right past the beautiful imported Japanese ceramics and textiles to the incense section.
+
+My taste in incense is fairly traditional. I tend to enjoy incense that makes use of natural, whole-plant ingredients, and compositions based around classic aromatic woods, spices, herbs, and resins. I did feel a touch let down then upon discovering that the collection at Five Elements Home is decidedly modern. On display are hibi incense matches, paper incense, and sticks with fragrances such as coffee, citrus, and white peach, which are impossible to make with traditional ingredients and processes. As a result, while my partner and I have visited on a few occasions since to buy tea, it was only recently that I decided to take a gamble on some of the incense on offer. I picked up a couple of boxes, including an adorable wee box of hono Sandalwood.
+
+The box, which folds open like a tiny carton of cigarettes, contains thirty little sticks and a small ceramic burner not unlike the ones that come in various Nippon Kodo offerings. Only eight centimeters long apiece, the short sticks are very fragrant out of the box: spice, sandalwood, and a hint of something rather cool—camphor, perhaps? The sticks smell like everything you want in a traditional Japanese style incense stick, but the pungency gives me pause.
+
+[![A closeup photo of the small hono Sandalwood box atop a neat row of incense sticks, beside a small shiny white ceramic burner. The burner is plain, and square, with a small hole in the middle in which to insert an incense stick.](/img/hono_sandalwood/hono_sandalwood_w.webp "I do enjoy the packaging format, and the little burner is a nice inclusion.")](/img/hono_sandalwood/hono_sandalwood_w.webp)
+
+In the burn, Hono Sandalwood opens with an unfortunately powerful hit of burnt sugar. I always try to withhold judgment on a stick until the first ash has fallen; off-notes upon lighting are not at all uncommon.[^1] Still, the strength of this off-note stunned me for a moment. What followed was was mostly spice (predominantly clove, to my nose) and a strong creamy note of Indian sandalwood.[^2] The cooling aspect of the unlit sticks was lost, which came as no surprise as the amount of camphor needed to come through in the burn, although still minuscule, tends to make unlit sticks sing of that characteristic 'frozen-onions' fragrance that borneol imparts.[^3] There is a subtle sweetness present, which I assume is just from the sandalwood as I don't detect the round, vanillic complexity of benzoin.
+
+This is not a stick I want to sit next to as it burns. The fragrance is powerful, and accompanied by the sort of off-notes I'd expect from a cheaper oil-based incense. That burnt-sugar note I mentioned earlier continues quietly throughout the burn also. The fragrance easily fills my office, and it lingers in the room for a while after the stick is extinguished. From a distance, it's not unpleasant; the fragrance itself is inoffensive. I'm actually quite happy to have one of these burning at the far end of the room; my qualm is only that if I was happy to contend with all of these off-notes, I could achieve a similar result by burning a centimeter of a much cheaper Indian style sandalwood stick, rather than paying eighteen US dollars for a very small box of very small sticks of Japanese incense.
+
+One of the gentlemen manning the store mentioned to me that everything in in stock was imported directly to the store from Japan, and is otherwise largely unavailable in the U.S. I love this idea, but still—while these hono sticks aren't going to gather dust in my incense drawer—I expect I may find myself wishing I could have just picked up a box of Shunkohdo Sarasoju for my sandalwood fix instead.
+
+[^1]: For example Baieido's Kobunboku, a favorite at the moment, emits a brief note when lit that reminds me of cigarettes.
+[^2]: Reminiscent of Nippon Kodo's Kayuragi Sandalwood sticks, which are also almost certainly oil-based, but I very much enjoy nonetheless.
+[^3]: Looking at you again, Kobunboku.

content/blog/incense-cigarettes-reviewing-boy-vienna-11-11.md

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+---
+title: "Incense Cigarettes? Reviewing Boy Vienna’s 11:11 Incense Sticks"
+description: "Taking a look at Boy Vienna's viral cigarette incense sticks."
+date: 2025-05-08
+tags:
+  - Incense
+  - Incense Review
+imageURL: /img/boy_vienna_11_11/boy_vienna_11_11_incense_cigarette_sticks_2.webp
+imageAlt: "What appears to be a pack of cigarettes labeled 11:11. There is also a card featuring the brand name Boy Vienna and a temporary tattoo featuring an image of a lipstick-print and the brand name."
+synopsis: "Taking a look at Boy Vienna's viral cigarette incense sticks."
+mastodon_id: "114462578542598320"
+---
+[Boy Vienna](https://boyvienna.com/) is a brand from fashion designer and multi-media artist [Afaf Fi Seyam](https://www.instagram.com/zeopatra) that has been receiving attention on [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@boyvienna/video/7366977382508514603) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/zeopatra/reel/DAyIy2Lv0RQ/) for its incense cigarettes. I knew I was going to have to try these sticks the minute they found their way onto my screen—it would seem that [everyone else felt the same way](https://www.instagram.com/zeopatra/p/DJHP0a3NnlI/), as when I made my way to the web store most of Boy Vienna's incense varieties were sold out. For 35 {{ "USD" | abbr("United States Dollars") | safe }}, I was able to snag a box of the 11:11 variety, listed as containing a blend of sage, lavender, and rosemary.
+
+[![What appears to be a pack of cigarettes labeled 11:11. There is also a card featuring the brand name Boy Vienna and a temporary tattoo featuring an image of a lipstick-print and the brand name.](/img/boy_vienna_11_11/boy_vienna_11_11_incense_cigarette_sticks_2.webp "The pack also came with a wee temporary tattoo. Fun!")](/img/boy_vienna_11_11/boy_vienna_11_11_incense_cigarette_sticks_2.webp)
+
+Knowing what I do about incense making, I didn't expect much from these fragrance-wise; I'm not too proud to admit that the novelty of the format and packaging was the main draw here, and barring some qualms about the typesetting, I'm here for it. It's cute. The box looks good on my coffee table, and the format is fun. But speaking of appearances, I do wish I could have gotten my hands on a box from Boy Vienna's [collaboration with athletic apparel brand Wolven](https://web.archive.org/web/20250506164206/https://wolventhreads.com/cdn/shop/files/Incense_0001_IMG_99913_1080x.jpg?v=1705074215), which reminds me of the [Sobranie Black Russian](https://web.archive.org/web/20250506164824/https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0786/5205/products/pin_514254851190026968_grande.jpg?v=1535441863) and [Djarum Black Kretek clove cigarettes](https://web.archive.org/web/20220216044852/https://www.ciggiesworld.ch/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Djarum-Black-Kretek-Clove-Cigarette-Wallpaper.jpg) I once (regrettably) enjoyed using to rupture my alveoli.
+
+[![A scan of a page from an old book, showing several illustrations of incense cigarettes made from reeds and decorated with string and woven textiles.](/img/boy_vienna_11_11/boy_vienna_11_11_incense_cigarette_sticks_1.webp "While this is a novel form of incense today, there is actually a history of incense cigarettes in the Americas, per Walter Hough's Censers and Incense of Mexico and Central America.")](/img/boy_vienna_11_11/boy_vienna_11_11_incense_cigarette_sticks_1.webp)
+
+The cigarette format also comes with some distinct advantages. If you do happen to have an ashtray laying around, these sticks will be very convenient. Not having an appropriate burner on hand can be a problem for even those who use incense regularly. Because all of my burners are meant for much smaller Japanese and Chinese style sticks, on the odd occasion I have an Indian-style agarbatti stick to burn I inevitably find myself scrambling around the house looking for some way to secure it. The cigarette-format sticks also light easily, burn consistently, and the ash falls within a small area which helps to keep things clean.
+
+[![A lit incense cigarette held by a pair of ceramic-tipped tweezers.](/img/boy_vienna_11_11/boy_vienna_11_11_incense_cigarette_sticks_4.webp "Unfortunately(?), I don't have an ashtray handy.")](/img/boy_vienna_11_11/boy_vienna_11_11_incense_cigarette_sticks_4.webp)
+
+I was impressed with the fragrance from the trio of herbs immediately upon opening the package; they are clearly high quality ingredients. The lavender especially sings—it's downright juicy. As for the burn, well it turns out that much of that characteristic cigarette smell comes from the paper. This hit me as soon as I lit a stick (which felt very strange without putting the cigarette to my lips). If you've ever burned a bundle of sage, burning a stick of 11:11 is not far removed from the experience. Sage is the predominant note, with occasional bursts of lavender and a good measure of rosemary, with a screaming acrid note of burning-plant matter and cigarettes. Far too much for my small living room, these sticks are very smoky, both in terms of the smell and the literal smoke output, while also being bright, turpenous, and somehow leathery. It reminds me at once of the tail-end of a long night out after one too many pints, while also evoking a cruise down a sunny Texan country road in a hot car with leather seats alongside a friend who indulges too often in both cigarettes and perfume. A good time in both cases, only you're feeling a bit sick.
+
+[![A deconstructed cigarette-format stick, showing the paper, filter, and the contents of the stick separately on a white plate.](/img/boy_vienna_11_11/boy_vienna_11_11_incense_cigarette_sticks_5.webp "I sacrificed a stick in order to take a look at the herbs inside.")](/img/boy_vienna_11_11/boy_vienna_11_11_incense_cigarette_sticks_5.webp)
+
+While I'm not generally in favor of introducing ingredients into incense—such as paper or large amounts of wood binder—that don't somehow add to, enhance, or improve the fragrance, I recognize that the format is the key selling point here, so I don't expect it to change. What I would like to see, however, is some sort of temperature regulation in these sticks. Like putting a chunk of apple in your tobacco pouch, any number of strategies would go a long way towards reducing the harshness of these sticks: a little resin added to the mixture; using a little more pressure when loading; including a fairly oily or resinated fragrant wood as a base; or grinding ingredients more finely. I have a feeling that those used to less controlled methods of burning incense (charcoal, herb bundles, lighting Palo Santo sticks, et cetera) likely won't mind the smoky, acrid notes of plant-matter burning very quickly, but as for myself, I don't imagine I'll light one of these indoors again. I can appreciate a smoky Tibetan stick as much as anyone, but 11:11 was just a bit much for me. That said, when my partner came into the living room after I had burned a stick, they noted that the room smelled nice, so there you go.
+
+Overall, do I regret spending $35 on eighteen Boy Vienna's 11:11 cigarette incense sticks? I don't think so, although it does smart a little that for nine dollars less I could have picked up a box of Minorien's very good [Jinko Fu-In](https://kikohincense.com/collections/minorien-incense-kikoh/products/jinko-fu-in-aloeswood-incense?variant=39598350762072) sticks. Will I be buying them again? Probably not, but I had fun trying them, and that's really all I was after.

content/blog/introducing-the-stochastic-bletherist.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+title: "At Last, My Blog Has a Name!"
+description: "New name, who dis?"
+date: 2025-07-13
+tags:
+  - Site Updates
+synopsis: "New name, who dis??"
+mastodon_id: "114848297332289745"
+---
+
+Since I started writing here in earnest, I've been enchanted by the idea of having a proper name for my humble blog. I didn't dare put too much thought into it until recently; the task seemed too intimidating. There's a lot to think about after all: Do you choose something dry and professional, at risk of sounding pompous or grandiose? Something pithy, at risk of sounding too cutesy? Or something funny, at risk of not being taken seriously? Well, dear readers, by combining a five dollar word, a play on words, and some perhaps lightly distasteful humor, I've somehow managed to encapsulate all three options in arriving at a name for my blog that is, perhaps unfortunately, very *me.* Introducing: *[The Stochastic Bletherist](/blog)*!

content/blog/making-incense.md

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ tags:
 synopsis: A quick how-to on making Japanese style incense.
 imageURL: /img/siftinsagesquare.webp
 imageAlt: A sieve containing fluffy ground green sage beside a small pile of fine green powder.
-mastodon_id: ""
+mastodon_id: "113666537272260557"
 ---
 While I like to post incense builds, I haven't yet posted on exactly how to go about turning raw ingredients into Japanese style incense sticks. Here's a 1,000 mile overview of the process to accompany a video I recently uploaded to my new PeerTube instance on that very topic. For more info, you can check out [IncenseDragon](https://www.youtube.com/c/IncenseDragon) on YouTube, read this [very useful article](https://blog.rauchfahne.de/en/2023/02/19/making-your-own-incense-sticks-basic-knowledge-and-useful-information/) by Irene of Rauchfahne.de, peruse [incensemaking.com](https://incensemaking.com), and look through some [posts flaired with "incense making"](https://www.reddit.com/r/Incense/?f=flair_name%3A%22Incense%20Making%22) on the [incense subreddit](https://reddit.com/r/incense). Making incense is a difficult, involved process, and this is only a shallow overview; I highly recommend looking through these resources for more in-depth information.
 

content/blog/making-quizzes-using-eleventy.md

@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+---
+title: "Building a Quiz System With Eleventy"
+description: "Remember when internet quizzes were a thing? I wanted to bring them to my website."
+date: 2025-02-04
+tags:
+ - Site Updates
+ - Eleventy
+synopsis: "Remember when internet quizzes were a thing? I wanted to bring them to my website."
+imageURL: ""
+imageAlt: ""
+mastodon_id: "113948404881440370"
+---
+You might seen my [recent toot](https://lounge.town/@nathanu/113936929893588739) about the [fancy new "How Much of a Linux Nerd are You?" quiz](/quizzes/how-much-of-a-linux-nerd-are-you/) on my website. Some time ago, I realized that I missed taking fun internet quizzes and decided to implement a quiz system on my own site that would allow me to easily make fun quizzes to share. Here's how I built it with [Eleventy](https://www.11ty.dev/).
+
+## The plan
+First, I had to decide what sort of quizzes I wanted to be able to make. Some quizzes are designed to score the quiz-taker in order to place them into a category at the end, like those fun Buzzfeed quizzes that used to be so popular. Other quizzes are designed to test the quiz-takers knowledge of a subject, with each question having a definite right answer. I wanted to be able to do both, and I wanted my quizzes to be fairly flexible.
+
+I decided to arrange things so that the quiz-author can enter any number of questions, answers, and consequences. While any number of answers can be entered for a given question, only one answer can be selected at a time, and every question must be answered. Each answer is assigned a number of points by the quiz author: positive, negative, or zero, and consequences each have a certain points threshold after which they are eligible to appear.
+
+A consequence is a result that appears in a modal when the quiz-taker clicks the "submit" button at the end. It shows text defined by the quiz author, an image if the author chooses to include one, and it contains a "Score Details" dropdown that shows the number of points scored on each question.
+
+I decided that I didn't want to use a global data file, not only because it isn't terribly ergonomic, but also because it's much simpler to take advantage of Eleventy's tag/collection system when possible, and frankly,  I hoped to avoid some of the faffing about I had to do when [implementing image galleries](/blog/galleries/).
+
+## Setting up the content directory
+As I was going to use markdown files to build my quizzes, I needed to set up a content directory, `/content/quizzes/`, and set some defaults in `/content/quizzes/quizzes.11tydata.js` to make sure that everything I put inside of it was automatically tagged as a quiz, and would use the correct layout.
+```javascript
+export default {
+	tags: ["quiz"],
+	layout: "layouts/quizzes.njk",
+};
+```
+By tagging these files as quizzes, a new [collection](https://www.11ty.dev/docs/collections/) containing all of my quizzes will be created, and I can add this collection to the `filterTagList` filter in my config file that allows me to easily omit everything that isn't a blog post from post-lists on my site, but that's out of scope for this article.
+
+## Quiz Structure
+YAML (or in fact any markup or programming language that respects whitespace) is no fun, but at least I won't wind up with a gargantuan JavaScript data file like I have [for my galleries](https://upchur.ch/gitea/n_u/nathanupchurch.com/src/branch/main/_data/galleries.js). Here's what `/content/quizzes/my-quiz.md` might look like:
+``` yaml
+---
+title: ""
+description: ""
+date: 2025-02-04
+imageURL: ""
+imageAlt: ""
+consequences:
+ - title: ""
+   points: 0
+   spiel: ""
+   image: ""
+   imageAlt: ""
+questions:
+ - title: ""
+   image: ""
+   imageAlt: ""
+   imageCaption: ""
+   answers:
+   - name: ""
+     points: 0
+---
+This is a great quiz that I'm sure you'll have fun taking.
+```
+This results in a nice JavaScript object we can iterate through. In the body of the markdown document, beneath the front matter, is the text that can be injected via `{% raw %}{{ content }}{% endraw %}`. You'll see in a bit that this will go at the top of the quiz, beneath the title, which is injected with my post layout. This is so that it's easy to use markdown to style this part of the content, include images, et cetera, without worrying about trying to get that working while including it in the YAML.
+
+## The quiz layout
+Alright! Now that we have the quiz structure nailed down, we can write `/includes/layouts/quizzes.njk` which will iterate through the data and spit out an HTML form for us. I'm using the loop index number as the question number, which I can also use to set the `name` attribute for each of the answer `<input>` elements related to a given question. By doing this, the browser knows that the answers beneath a question are all related and will only allow the quiz-taker to select one of them.
+
+I'm going to add a link to our yet-to-be-written script here and set the form to call `handleQuizSubmit()` on submit (`return false` prevents the page from refreshing when the submit button is clicked). Don't ask me why I put the script there precisely; as it isn't called until the submit button is clicked, I suppose it could go just about anywhere.
+
+The points threshold for each consequence is stored in the [dataset](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/HTMLElement/dataset) `data-points-threshold` so that we can use these numbers in our JavaScript.
+
+The answers are assigned an ID that looks like this: `q[questionNumber]a[answerNumber]`. Beyond using this to also populate the `for` property of their respective labels, you could use this to link to individual answers too.
+```html
+---
+layout: layouts/post.njk
+structuredData: none
+---{% raw %}
+{{ content | safe }}
+<section class="quiz">
+	<form onsubmit="handleQuizSubmit(); return false">
+		{% for question in questions %}
+		{% set q = loop.index %}
+		<div class="questionBox">
+			<p class="quizQuestion">{{ q }}. {{ question.title }}</p>
+			{% if question.image %}
+			<figure>
+				<a href="{{ question.image }}">
+					<img src="{{ question.image }}" alt="{{ question.imageAlt }}">
+				</a>
+				{% if question.imageCaption %}
+				<figcaption>{{ question.imageCaption }}</figcaption>
+				{% endif %}
+			</figure>
+			{% endif %}
+			<div class="answersBox">
+				{% for answer in question.answers %}
+				<div class="answerBox">
+					<input class="answer" type="radio" value="{{ answer.points }}" id="q{{ q }}a{{ loop.index }}" name="{{ q }}" required>
+					<label for="q{{ q }}a{{ loop.index }}">{{ answer.name }}</label>
+				</div>
+				{% endfor %}
+			</div>
+		</div>
+		{% endfor %}
+		<script src="/js/quiz.js"></script>
+		<button>Submit</button>
+	</form>
+</section>
+
+{% for consequence in consequences %}
+<dialog class="consequence" data-points-threshold="{{ consequence.points }}">
+	<h2>{{ consequence.title }}</h2>
+  <p>{{ consequence.spiel }}</p>
+  {% if consequence.image %}
+  <img src="{{ consequence.image }}" alt="{{ consequence.imageAlt }}">
+  {% endif %}
+  <details>
+		<summary>Score Details</summary>
+		<p class="scoreDetails"></p>
+	</details>
+  <form method="dialog">
+    <button>Thanks</button>
+  </form>
+</dialog>
+{% endfor %}{% endraw %}
+```
+All of the consequences are rendered as `<dialog>` elements that we can open as a modal later with our script. And look, I know people have opinions about JavaScript, but I really didn't fancy the extra build time, bandwidth, and effort it would have taken to avoid fourty lines of simple JavaScript, and to be honest, I *like* JavaScript. I think it's useful and fun to write, so there.
+
+## The quiz script
+As far as logic goes, in `/js/quiz.js` we first want to calculate the score, and get the data to populate the `<details>` elements in our consequence modals. This is handled by `score()`, which will return an object containing the total number of points scored and an array containing the points scored on each question. When we have that, we'll go ahead and `populateDetails()` and finally use `dishOutConsequences()` to launch the freshly updated `<dialog>` as a modal via `showModal()`.
+```javascript
+const score = (answers) => {
+	let total = 0;
+	let scores = [];
+	for (let i = 0; i < answers.length; i++) {
+		const questionNumber = answers[i].name;
+		if (answers[i].checked) {
+			total += Number(answers[i].value);
+			scores.push({
+				questionNumber: questionNumber,
+				points: answers[i].value,
+			});
+		}
+	}
+	return { totalPoints: total, scores: scores };
+};
+
+const dishOutConsequences = (consequences, points) => {
+	for (let i = consequences.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+		if (points >= Number(consequences[i].dataset.pointsThreshold)) {
+			consequences[i].showModal();
+			return;
+		}
+	}
+};
+
+const populateDetails = (detailsElement, scores, total) => {
+	detailsElement.innerHTML = `Total Score: ${total} points<br />`;
+	for (let i = 0; i < scores.length; i++) {
+		detailsElement.innerHTML += `<br />Question ${scores[i].questionNumber >= 10 ? scores[i].questionNumber : "0" + scores[i].questionNumber}: ${scores[i].points} points`;
+	}
+};
+
+const handleQuizSubmit = () => {
+	const answers = document.getElementsByClassName("answer");
+	const consequences = document.getElementsByClassName("consequence");
+	const details = document.getElementsByClassName("scoreDetails");
+	const totalPoints = score(answers).totalPoints;
+	const scoreDetails = score(answers).scores;
+	for (let i = 0; i < details.length; i++) {
+		populateDetails(details[i], scoreDetails, totalPoints);
+	}
+	dishOutConsequences(consequences, totalPoints);
+};
+```
+And with that, our quiz ought to be operational! After this, I went ahead and listed my latest quiz on my index page, but that's beyond the scope of this article. It took me some time to get around to finishing this, but as you can see, it wasn't terribly difficult at all. I hope you enjoyed reading about how I built my quiz system. Please let me know if you decide to implement something similar!

content/blog/maroma-incense-of-auroville-sandalwood-cedarwood.md

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+---
+title: "Incense Review: Maroma Sandalwood and Cedarwood"
+description: "Whole Foods replaced Shoyeido with these sticks from Auroville. I cannot fathom why."
+date: 2025-02-22
+tags:
+ - Incense
+ - Incense Review
+synopsis: "Whole Foods replaced Shoyeido with these sticks from Auroville. I cannot fathom why."
+imageURL: "/img/maroma_packaging.webp"
+imageAlt: "Two paper incense sleeves on my couch. One is yellow and the other is orange."
+mastodon_id: "114050541028761876"
+---
+Some time ago I as I perused the incense display of a nearby Whole Foods, hoping to see the Shoyeido sticks that once graced the shelves, I noticed a range of Indian-style sticks, their otherwise matching packaging in a variety of colors. Listed prominently on each package was the text: "Incense of Auroville." This caught my attention. Auroville is an intentional community I've had a passing interest in since I discovered that some shampoo bars I had purchased were made there[^1]. Often, Indian-style incense makes *heavy* use of oils, which I'm [not a great fan of](/blog/what-do-we-expect-from-fragrance/). The sandalwood and cedarwood varieties, however, listed fairly harmless looking ingredients. According to the packaging, both contained a bamboo stick, wood powders, macchilus macaranth (tree bark powder), with the addition of either sandalwood, or cedarwood, pine, and juniper, respectively. With all of this in mind, I snagged a couple of sleeves.
+
+## Humor me while I appreciate the packaging
+As a former print broker and a current designer and print nerd, I first have to take a second to admire the packaging.
+
+[![Two paper incense sleeves on my couch. One is yellow and the other is orange.](/img/maroma_packaging.webp "I know they're not terribly exciting visually, but hear me out.")](/img/maroma_packaging.webp)
+
+Sure, it's not cutting edge design, but this packaging was produced by someone who knows what they're doing. The sleeves appear to be litho printed on colored card-stock (between 200 and 250 g/m2[^2] if I were to guess) in four opaque inks[^3], with a nice metallic silver ink on the cedarwood sleeve. The sleeves are comprised of a single die-cut and scored piece that folds over on itself and is glued together, which would explain the large peg-hole[^4] that would accommodate for potential registration issues when glued and folded. The card-stock is also embossed with a subtle texture: linen for the sandalwood sticks, and a pebbled texture for the cedarwood.
+
+I need you to understand that *hardly anyone* designs print like this anymore. In today's world of digital presses and cheap, mass-produced CMYK printing a la [Vistaprint](https://www.vistaprint.com/), this is not a cheap job. While many outsourced print work for SMEs goes to these large budget printers who run hundreds of jobs at once as quickly and cheaply as they can on standard house stocks, for these sticks, an honest-to-god clunking metal press was set up specially for each sleeve variety. This mode of production used to be standard, but is now largely  considered higher-end. While Maroma's packaging is not quite on the same level in terms of process and materials, it does remind me of the kind of print I used to produce for clients like [Reid & Taylor](https://bondwiththebest.com/home/), or [Torrance Yachts](https://torranceyachts.com/). You love to see it. Not every product needs to be printed in full-color on bright-white gloss coated card-stock like a damned cereal box!
+
+## Sandalwood
+Now, on to the actual incense. Despite the ingredients list, the fragrance on the unlit sticks leads me to suspect that some oil may have been used. If this is the case, it has been used sparingly as this is not a strongly scented stick, neither before nor after it has been lit. During and after the burn, I don't detect any of the off-notes that mark the presence of large quantities of burning oils. The mild sandalwood fragrance smells more Australian than Indian to my nose; it's on the dry side, with little to none of that butteriness you might expect from santalum album.
+
+[![A stick burning in a blue ceramid censer from Shoyeido on my coffee table. In the background you can see a pair of glasses, a mug, and a brass tealight incense warmer on a pile of glass coasters.](/img/maroma_sandalwood.webp "Fortunately, the fragrance of this stick will not soak into your soft furnishings. I can't say the same for the next one…")](/img/maroma_sandalwood.webp)
+
+There is a wood-smoke note that comes through just as much as the sandalwood does, rendering the fragrance not a particularly clean one, especially when compared to something like Shunkohdo's delightful Sarasōju sticks. It's hard to say whether this comes from the "wood powders" mentioned in the ingredients list, the bamboo stick, a high burn-temperature due to stick thickness or the coarse grind of the ingredients, or all of the above—not that I mind a bit of smokiness in incense—I often quite enjoy this quality in Tibetan and Cambodian style sticks, but it really isn't what I'm looking for in a sandalwood stick.
+
+Overall, Maroma's sandalwood sticks offer a mild, sweet, and earthy wood-smoke and sandalwood fragrance that is more inoffensive than pleasant; nonetheless, the sleeve I purchased is now empty.
+
+## Cedarwood
+Despite listed ingredients, this stick is very clearly oil-based. As opposed to the sandalwood sticks, which are wrapped in paper inside their card-stock sleeve, the cedarwood sticks come wrapped in plastic, presumably so as to prevent porous wrapping-paper from wicking up any oils.
+
+The fragrance on the stick is very strong, soapy, and turpenous—even lavender-like. The experience of smelling the unlit stick reminds me a bit of using those pungent [inhalers for nasal congestion](https://www.amazon.com/Benzedrex-61023-Nasal-Decongestant-Inhaler/dp/B000X76K04); it's not exactly a pleasant experience, but you somehow want to keep doing it anyway. The fragrance upon lighting is bright, acidic, and juniper-forward. As the scent builds in the room, the cologne-like fragrance becomes increasingly sharp; after only a few minutes of burn time in my reasonably large office with a tall cathedral ceiling, it has utterly saturated the room and now evokes an under-ripe granny-smith apple. There is a moderately strong 'burning oil' off-note, as well as a spicy wood-smoke, similar to the that in their sandalwood stick. I am sure that the fragrance would be pleasant absent those off notes and its eye-watering strength, but as it is, it smells more like someone's lit a cigarette in the supermarket cleaning-chemical aisle.
+
+## Conclusion and further reading
+While I didn't mind having a sandalwood stick from Maroma burning, the cedarwood variety could not be further from the style of incense that I typically enjoy. [Like Irene of Rauchfahne](https://blog.rauchfahne.de/en/2024/11/23/pema-of-tibet-faircense-sandelholz-en/), my recommendation would be that those wanting a plain sandalwood fragrance look to Japanese style sticks, and unless you have a cathedral to fill with fragrance, I'd avoid the cedarwood too (and even then I'd prefer a thurible of frankincense).
+
+If you'd like to read more, [Irene](https://blog.rauchfahne.de/en/category/reviews-en/reviews-sorted-by-brand/auroville-mereville-trust/), [Mike (?) of Olfactory Review Service](https://olfactoryrescueservice.wordpress.com/2009/12/18/sampler-notes-maroma-scented-mountain/), and [Steve of Incense in the Wind](https://incenseinthewind.blogspot.com/search?q=auroville) have written about a number of sticks that also appear to have been made in Auroville.
+
+[^1]: My impression of the place, from the couple of videos I've watched about it, is that it's another landing site for wealthy, predominantly white, people who have a vague sense that something isn't quite right with western society / capitalism, but rather than confront this idea intellectually, investigate any sort of political theory, and organize / engage in mutual-aid, they choose to settle like kombucha sediment into some nebulous, ill-defined form of spirituality involving psychedelics and loose-fitting trousers. I could be wrong though.
+[^2]: See [grammage](https://www.neenahpaper.com/resources/paper-101/glossary-of-terms#G) on Neenah Paper's online glossary.
+[^3]: The two on the front, plus black and white ink on the back.
+[^4]: Get your mind out of the gutter!

content/blog/perfumery-islamophobia.md

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+---
+title: "On the Recent Controversy Surrounding a Certain Perfumery. "
+description: "The difference between critique and denigration."
+date: 2025-07-13
+tags:
+  - Quick Thoughts
+  - Incense
+synopsis: "The difference between critique and denigration."
+---
+Someone recently shared with me transcripts and audio recordings that have been going around of comments that are alleged to have been made by the owner of a well-regarded perfumery. This owner also recently published a video on the matter. I am not going to mention names, but I am sure many in the fragrance and incense community are already aware of the situation. I'm seeing a lot of anger online, as well as a number of people coming to the owners' defense. Having seen what I have, here are my thoughts.
+
+First of all, I'm an anti-theist. I don't believe that *any* religion is inherently deserving of respect, let alone beyond critique or reproach. As this situation involves religion, I was expecting to see yet another case of hypersensitive believers becoming upset at a simple criticism. But there is a difference between criticism and denigration, and while ideas may not be owed respect simply because they exist, I believe that people are. What I saw and heard was not critique. It was outright insult and denigration in the most inflammatory terms possible.
+
+There is a key difference between innocent commentary on a particular worldview (even if contentious), and outright insulting an entire group of people, their beliefs, their cultures, and their countries of origin. The language and talking points I saw, in particular the parroting of right-wing anti-immigrant rhetoric aimed at Muslims, struck me not as critique, but racism. Further, to harbor the beliefs espoused in these recordings and transcripts regarding a demographic while also directly marketing products to them seems especially contemptible.
+
+In the video addressing the situation, the individual concerned pointed out that these statements were taken out of context. It is difficult to imagine how context could possibly excuse the statements I read and heard, but they were indeed presented without context. Regardless, rather than make a genuine apology which includes an acknowledgement of the harm caused, they opined on how unfortunate it was that their remarks were made public, and chose to shut down comments when people began to share some of the remarks that are alleged to have been made.
+
+We all make mistakes. Sometimes people make remarks in anger that they don't mean, or we phrase our arguments in ways that are hurtful and unproductive. In my mind, there's still room for that to be the case here. But the first step towards growth and forgiveness is a sincere apology: naming your mistake openly, acknowledging the harm it caused, and taking steps to rectify that harm. While I am not in the group harmed by this situation, the rhetoric purported to have been espoused here does harm individuals who I respect and care for. Thus, while it's not my place to offer forgiveness, I will not be purchasing anything from this individual until such time as an earnest apology has been offered, and steps have been taken to rectify the harm caused. If I do not see this effort, I must believe that this individual stands by the statements they are alleged to have made, and as we have come to learn, [funding people funds their beliefs](https://www.advocate.com/news/jk-rowling-anti-trans-organization).

content/blog/rammstein-incense-cones.md

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+---
+title: "Rammstein Incense Cones: A Review"
+description: "It's only natural that the pyrotechnics obsessed neue deutsche härte act would release a line of incense cones. Today I'm taking a look."
+date: 2025-02-02
+tags:
+  - Incense
+  - Incense Review
+synopsis: "It's only natural that the pyrotechnics obsessed neue deutsche härte act would release a line of incense cones. Today I'm taking a look."
+imageURL: /img/rammsteinShow_copy.webp
+imageAlt: A shot from a Rammstein stadium tour showing the stage and great plumes of smoke from the pyrotechnics.
+mastodon_id: "113936913424530239"
+---
+The German neue deutsche härte group Rammstein is known for many things. From their [controversial lyrics (NSFW)](https://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyle/rammstein-album-banned-from-display-in-germany-idUSTRE5A90ZK/) and [legally dubious stage antics (NSFW)](https://www.revolvermag.com/music/see-rammsteins-infamous-1998-family-values-show-landed-members-jail/), to their [over the top live performances](https://metalinjection.net/news/rammsteins-pyro-guy-discusses-the-insanity-of-his-job-how-much-fuel-the-band-uses), one thing the group is certainly *not* known for is conventional merchandise.
+
+Far from the usual assortment of posters and t-shirts, the band's merch has ranged from [medical supplies](https://www.rammsteinshop.us/en/catalog/wound-plaster-rammplast.html) to [kitchen tools](https://www.rammsteinshop.us/en/catalog/cookie-shape-zerdrucken.html), [furniture](https://shop.rammstein.de/en/catalog/kreuztisch-oak.html), [torches](https://shop.rammstein.de/en/catalog/fire-torch-funkenstoss.html), and [*very* special editions of their albums (NSFW)](https://www.rammstein.de/en/news/rammstein-deluxe-2/). Despite this, I was inexplicably surprised to discover that the group had released official, Rammstein branded incense cones for sale on the band's online shop.
+
+At $5.00 for a box of 24, I didn't have high expectations. The picture on [the website](https://www.rammsteinshop.us/en/catalog/incense-candles-rammstein.html) showed a handful of crudely formed black cones, the color likely due to a high charcoal content, which often indicates that the fragrance is constructed from oils rather than whole plant ingredients. Realistically, I wouldn't expect anything else at this price point. The website lists cedar, sandalwood, juniper wood, rosemary, juniper berries, myrrh, frankincense, and benzoin as components of the perfume.
+
+The cones are manufactured by [KNOX](https://www.knox.de/), a large German manufacturer of incense cones and those delightful little wooden [incense "smokers"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0t-mlg2SoA) that I'm told are popular around the holidays in Germany. Steve of the [Incense in The Wind](https://incenseinthewind.blogspot.com/) blog recently wrote a number of reviews for a variety of KNOX cones; I must admit that after reading them I was steeling myself for the arrival of my Rammstein *Räucherkerzen*.
+
+[![A cone burning in a cast iron burner beside the box of cones.](/img/rammstein_incense_cones.webp "They do look pretty metal.")](/img/rammstein_incense_cones.webp)
+
+When the two small packages of cones arrived, they were identical in appearance to the images on the website. Despite being inside of a mailing box, a paper bag, a cardboard carton, and finally sealed inside of a small plastic bag, I could smell the cones before I even opened the outer box. The fragrance was woody; it was juniper-forward with a sharp, turpenous edge, all tied together with a *big* hit of sweet, creamy benzoin. I didn't detect much of the other resins mentioned, but that may be because I'm more used to the actual resin rather than extracts and imitations. I am not usually fond of highly concentrated scents, but I must admit I enjoyed this, even though even the outer packaging of the cones seems to contaminate everything it touches with fragrance—I'll often catch a whiff of these cones in their packaging while just walking around my apartment.
+
+Upon lighting, I'm briefly met with the scent of burning paper and those off-notes typical of charcoal + oil incense, which is not exactly pleasant, but it does make me nostalgic for some of the cheap incense I used to burn as a teenager. Most of the fragrance that was present on the unlit cone has disappeared, leaving mellow cedar and sweet benzoin notes. As [Steve found in his review of KNOX' vanilla cones](https://incenseinthewind.blogspot.com/2025/01/knox-vanille-raucherkerzen-vanilla.html), these also burn hot and fast, with a large ember characteristic of a high charcoal content. Cones predominantly based on wood tend to have an ember that travels down the cone, but here the ember seems to just increase in size until it envelopes the entire cone at once beneath a thin layer of ash. The cones don't put out much smoke. The mild, sweet fragrance in the burn does linger in the room for some time, but it is so diminished from the powerful scent of the unlit cones that I'm not terribly worried about it soaking into the carpet, which is often a concern with cheaper, oil-based incense.
+
+I didn't at all expect to say this, but I enjoy these cones. They are not an example of a high-quality incense, but I enjoy the fragrance despite it all. I suppose the beauty of cones that use highly concentrated fragrances is that they don't last long; I don't know whether I could tolerate an eleven-inch bamboo-cored stick of this, but I can absolutely enjoy a little cone. In addition, despite the off-notes that charcoal introduces, I wonder if it doesn't overcome one of the key challenges of the format: when making traditional incense cones with actual plants, the temperature increases as the ember grows, so by the time you get to the base, the scent can be quite coarse indeed. With these charcoal cones, it seems as though they start *hot* and stay that way, eliminating the challenge of dealing with a dramatic temperature increase over the course of the burn. Yea, somehow, I like these.

content/blog/scribus-1-7-0-from-strength-to-strength.md

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+---
+title: "Scribus 1.7.0: From Strength to Strength"
+description: "Scribus has always been about substance. With 1.7.0 style, usability, and designer-focused features take the front seat."
+date: 2025-02-13
+tags:
+  - FOSS/FLOSS
+  - Libre Graphics
+  - Underrated Apps
+synopsis: "Scribus has always been about substance. With 1.7.0 style, usability, and designer-focused features take the front seat."
+imageURL: /img/scribus_splash.webp
+imageAlt: "The new Scribus splash screen featuring a fountain pen drawing a stream with koi fish. The splash screen is surrounded by printer marks."
+mastodon_id: "114000796038604843"
+---
+Looking around the internet, you could be forgiven for thinking that Scribus is dead. These days, FLOSS[^1] developers debate the merits of merge requests in public chat rooms, track bugs through GitHub issues, and announce releases through widely-circulated blog posts or sleek landing pages. In contrast, the Scribus developers work seemingly cloistered far away from popular modern conveniences like Matrix and, erm, *git*. Despite their hermetic reputation, however, it is quite possible to glean what's going on in the Scribus project. The SVN repository [is mirrored on GitHub](https://github.com/scribusproject/scribus), the [bug tracker](https://bugs.scribus.net/changelog_page.php) shows clear signs of activity, and the official website reveals a fairly [steady pace of development](https://www.scribus.net/news/). Hell, LibreArts reported on the release of 1.7.0 [just last week](https://librearts.org/2025/02/week-recap-2-feb-2025/#scribus-170).
+
+To be fair, most casual users of the FLOSS desktop-publishing mainstay aren't sniffing around the bug tracker, and for the past few years it sure didn't seem as though much had changed judging by the clunky, dated interface and pixelated icons you'd be met with upon launch. This is likely what has driven many a would-be user to pen an expletive-ridden Reddit thread instead of diving in and gaining enough experience with the program to know what die-hard Scribus fans have known for years: that Scribus is a blisteringly competent piece of software.
+
+## The trouble(?) with Scribus
+The major pain point of Scribus is, ironically, one of its key strengths. Designers used to working in InDesign and the ilk are used to being able to throw together a document on the fly, using their desktop publishing program as more of a freeform creative tool than a tool to denote and apply structure. This is not how Scribus works best. Simple things like choosing a color on the fly aren't possible in Scribus; rather than flicking your mouse over to a color-wheel, in Scribus, you'll go to Edit > Colors and Fills, where you'll select and add a color to your document's color list. Only then can you apply that color to a fill or stroke. Working without paragraph or character styles applied to type can be done, but it's sub-ideal; you'll set up some styles to stop the pain long before your work is done. When working with Scribus, you need to come in with a plan. Designers who regularly churn out pretty but poorly prepared files (and let's admit it, that's most of us[^2]) are in for a bit of a hard time. But if you stick it out, when you realize that you're simply going to *have to* set up your files methodically and properly, Scribus begins to feel like a weapon.
+
+## Enter 1.7.0
+Despite what the denizens of Reddit have to say, Scribus has been suitable for professional work for *years* now, and naysayers have had even less to complain about since Adobe announced that Pantone colors would, like Scribus, [no longer come baked into their software](https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/1/23434305/adobe-pantone-subscription-announcement-photoshop-illustrator). With the release of 1.7.0, Scribus finally looks and feels like the mature, feature-rich, professional tool that it has been for some time.
+
+[![](/img/scribus_color_dialog.webp "The new color dialog.")](/img/scribus_color_dialog.webp)
+
+The user-interface has been completely overhauled, with new icons, a proper window docking system, and more intuitive controls throughout the program. [Customizable optical margins](https://bugs.scribus.net/view.php?id=10539) have been introduced, allowing for [hanging punctuation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_punctuation). A unique new feature that I'm quite excited about is the white space review mode that allows you to check for typographic rivers while avoiding the risk of displacing your contacts through repeated squinting. [The full release notes](https://www.scribus.net/scribus-1-7-0-released/) detail what truly feels like a milestone release.
+
+[![A Scribus document with all text covered in black bars, exposing the white space between the words.](/img/scribus_white_space_preview.webp "White space preview in action.")](/img/scribus_white_space_preview.webp)
+
+By highlighting these user-facing improvements in Scribus 1.7.0, I don't mean to diminish the tremendous work that has been done behind the scenes, not least the years of work getting Scribus ready to move to QT6. That work is important, but what excites me so much about this latest release is the change in direction it could represent for the project: these features are not the sort that would be imagined by developers and built for their personal convenience, these features clearly represent the needs of *designers*.
+
+[![The new Scribus splash screen featuring a fountain pen drawing a stream with koi fish. The splash screen is surrounded by printer marks.](/img/scribus_splash.webp "Look at that fancy splash screen!.")](/img/scribus_splash.webp)
+
+Counterintuitively, this isn't a natural consequence of building software that might be used by design professionals. Take Inkscape, for example. There will be those in the project who see their work solely as creating a tool that implements the SVG specification; this is a fundamentally different point of view from that held by someone like [Martin Owens](https://www.youtube.com/@doctormo) who sees it as his job to create features that make Inkscape users happier, more productive, and to make Inkscape a tool that better suits their needs. This is where you get features like the shape builder tool, and upcoming CMYK support, both very much unnecessary if your goal for the project is a technical one, but critical tools for users who want to use the program in a professional setting where time is at a premium and output may be going to print.
+
+Inkscape's [duplicate transform](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qsyrBrg4DT8) and Scribus' white space preview features are prime examples of the unique, needs-focused capabilities that emerge when users, designers, and developers come together on equal terms in FLOSS projects; magic happens. So let's hope this trend continues. Scribus is *the* FLOSS option for professional desktop publishing, a cornerstone of the libre-arts landscape. Combined with Scribus' wide feature-set and dedication to solid, dependable PDF output, it's easy to see why I've long been an outspoken fan of the project, even back when it was ugly 😉.
+
+## A bright FLOSS future
+It's a good time to be a [GNU/Linux](/quizzes/how-much-of-a-linux-nerd-are-you/) user. With the amazing work being done by [KDE](https://kde.org), and Linux gaming hitting the mainstream, a killer release like 1.7.0 from a FLOSS project that has (somewhat unfairly) garnered a reputation for being stodgy and slow-moving, if not (utterly unfairly) outright abandonware, feels like icing on the cake. Alongside the major advancements made by the [Inkscape](https://inkscape.org) and [Krita](https://krita.org/en/) teams, it's a beacon of hope to the small number of intrepid designers and artists who rely on FLOSS to do their work—our options are few, but they are mighty.
+
+[^1]: Free / Libre Open Source Software
+[^2]: As a working-file neat-freak, I was uniquely positioned to switch to Scribus.

content/blog/switching-to-gnu-linux-mentally.md

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ title: "Switching to GNU/Linux: Mentally"
 description: The mindset shift that produces happy users of GNU/Linux and other Free/Libre and Open Source Software.
 date: 2024-06-11
 tags:
+  - Essays
   - GNU/Linux
   - FOSS/FLOSS
   - KDE

content/blog/the-skinny-on-incense-stick-extruders.md

@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+---
+title: "The Skinny on Incense Stick Extruders"
+description: "The good, the bad, and the ugly of manual incense stick extruders."
+date: 2025-01-23
+tags:
+  - Incense
+  - Incense Making
+synopsis: "The good, the bad, and the ugly of manual incense stick extruders."
+imageURL: /img/extruders/extr3_3x_tip_compressed.webp
+imageAlt: "A close shot of an incense extruder tip with three extrusion holes."
+mastodon_id: "113879431946665708"
+author:
+ url: "/me/"
+ name: "Nathan Upchurch"
+ profilePic: "/img/CN20191025_301_Srt_SQUARE_crop.jpg"
+---
+::: info
+Update 2025-06-24: You can buy the final extruder, replacement nozzles, and accessories from outside of China via [SuperBuy](https://www.superbuy.com/en/page/buy/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdetail.1688.com%2Foffer%2F750437159209.html). For a side by side comparison of some of the extruders, see [this picture](/img/extruders/comparison1.webp) and [this picture](/img/extruders/comparison2.webp): the aluminum and stainless extruders are near identical in diameter, but the aluminum model is shorter.
+:::
+
+Given that hobbyist incense making hasn't exactly been all the rage since the tang dynasty, finding good incense-making equipment for small-scale home production can be a bit of a tribulation. If you make Chinese or Japanese style coreless incense, one of the first hurdles on the way to kitting out your very own mini incense workshop is choosing a manual extruder. Now that I finally feel confident that I've overcome this particular hurdle, here's what I've learned:
+
+## Where to Find a Suitable Extruder
+When searching for manual extruders, the first thing you'll likely come across is something like a [Makin's](https://www.makins-usa.com/products.jsp?prod_catg_id=7) clay extruder. This style of extruder often comes with a series of small discs designed to extrude clay noodles of different diameters. These are best avoided; other incense makers have found that extruding incense through these flat discs tends to create noodles with [a coarse texture](https://youtu.be/snvDZbxHnU8?si=ap7oiw0iC_HQJhCy&t=245) that must be rolled smooth after extrusion. Omitting this style of extruder from your search *drastically* narrows your options, but searching "incense extruder" on the website of any major online retailer that dropships or stocks a large number of products from China is likely to net you results featuring extrusion tips better suited to incense making. If you are willing to wait a bit for delivery, however, rather than paying Walmart, Amazon, or Ebay a convenience tax, you will have no trouble finding manual extruders on AliExpress directly for much less of your hard-earned coin. Carl "The Incense Dragon" Neal also sells a [Makin's style extruder](https://www.theincensedragon.com/tools/p/incense-extruder-20) that includes a series of 3D-printed extrusion tips allowing smooth incense extrusion.
+
+## Extruders I've Tried
+
+### The Syringe-Style Extruder
+The internet is riddled with [syringe-style incense extruders](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804771983263.html). Despite [Carl's warning regarding plastic extruders](https://youtu.be/snvDZbxHnU8?si=p59DxZMXcw64BHfi&t=278), I had to give one a go just to see for myself how they performed.
+
+[![A syringe-style clear plastic incense extruder with a metal tip.](/img/extruders/extr1_compressed.webp "Just say no.")](/img/extruders/extr1_compressed.webp)
+
+I cannot recommend this style of extruder. When making incense dough, it's important to use as little water as possible to avoid excessive warping during the drying stage. When attempting to extrude dough of the usual level of hydration through a 2mm tip, I was physically unable to coax any dough whatsoever beyond the extrusion tip, and I am not a weak man. This extruder was a complete bust.
+
+[![A small metal extrusion tip.](/img/extruders/extr1_tip_compressed.webp "I'm sure this would be great if you could get anything through it.")](/img/extruders/extr1_tip_compressed.webp)
+
+There are a range of metal extrusion tips readily available for these extruders, so someone must be using them for *something,* but I found them completely unsuited for my purposes.
+
+### The Aluminum Option
+Also relatively easy to find, [these aluminum extruders](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807354775579.html) are well-made and effective:
+
+[![An aluminum incense extruder, similar to the Makin's clay extruder, but with a longer tip for incense extrusion.](/img/extruders/extr2_compressed.webp "Truly a good, affordable option.")](/img/extruders/extr2_compressed.webp)
+
+So long as you keep the o-ring on the piston lubricated and your dough doesn't have any large chunks, the extrusion tip produces a nice, smooth noodle of incense dough, and the turning action greatly reduces the hand-strength required to operate the device.
+
+[![The tip for the aluminum incense extruder.](/img/extruders/extr2_tip_compressed.webp "Various tips are also available.")](/img/extruders/extr2_tip_compressed.webp)
+
+ There are a couple of small issues, namely that the caps on the turning rod can come unscrewed mid-batch if they aren't firmly screwed on, and the soft metal is prone to damage if you aren't careful. Despite these nitpicks, however, I have no hesitation in recommending this style of extruder to any incense maker focusing on thin coreless sticks.
+
+### My First Stainless Steel Extruder
+As I've been working on scaling up my production to a level that would allow me to sell a few orders of incense here and there, my interest was sparked in [this stainless steel extruder on AliExpress](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806453629799.html):
+
+[![A heavy-duty looking stainless steel incense extruder, with a black grip around the center tube.](/img/extruders/extr3_compressed.webp "Looks good, doesn't it? Well it isn't.")](/img/extruders/extr3_compressed.webp)
+
+Specifically, I hoped that the optional extrusion tip with three outlets and the vise accessory would allow me to speed up the extrusion process. I also liked the idea of a heavy-duty item that would last for many years. I bought the "high order style," which comes with four extrusion tips, a grip, some o-rings and small cleaning tools, and the extruder itself. I also ordered the three-outlet extrusion tip, and the "sucker holder," AKA a vacuum-base vise.
+
+[![The three-outlet tip.](/img/extruders/extr3_3x_tip_compressed.webp "Not as useful as you might think.")](/img/extruders/extr3_3x_tip_compressed.webp)
+
+To start, the three-hole extrusion tip worked, but as anyone who works with [larger manual extruders](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807859213019.html?utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A) knows, the flow rate from each hole isn't necessarily even. This is less of a problem when you're extruding, say, six to twelve sticks at once at a proper station with a waste bucket and a stack of boards to catch the extruded incense, but when you're hand-cranking three sticks at a time and one is firing out like billy-oh, another is extruding at the usual rate, and the last seems frightened of daylight, you realize that you would have been better off just using a normal single-outlet tip.
+
+[![A single-outlet tip.](/img/extruders/extr3_tip_compressed.webp "The large tips that fit this extruder also retain rather a lot of dough that doesn't get extruded.")](/img/extruders/extr3_tip_compressed.webp)
+
+The vise *was* useful, however; it's much more efficient to be able to keep the extruder in one place and have a free hand to catch the sticks on a board. The problem I faced with it was that in order to get the extruder to fit within the vise, I had to fasten an included aluminum ring around the main body of the extruder using two grub-screws. These grub screws cut into the grip on the tube, which eventually tore from the force applied during extrusion.
+
+[![The vise alongside the aluminum ring that allows it to hold an extruder.](/img/extruders/vise_compressed.webp "Genuinely pretty useful, just not with the grip on the extruder it is sold alongside.")](/img/extruders/vise_compressed.webp)
+
+The extruder itself appeared to be assembled from mostly off-the-shelf parts, and not especially good ones. The rings that held the turning-rod in place rusted immediately after I got them a little wet, the threads were crunchy and coarse, and the interior of the dough-tube was very dirty. Perhaps most strangely of all, the piston, or plunger, that actually pushed the dough down the tube was not attached to the threaded rod at all, unlike the aluminum extruder.
+
+[![A little plunger.](/img/extruders/extr3_plunger_compressed.webp "Note the scoring on top; it didn't come like that.")](/img/extruders/extr3_plunger_compressed.webp)
+
+The plunger is made of mostly brass parts that screw together and a rubber o-ring. It's very thick, reducing room for dough, and the soft brass is rapidly worn away by the stainless steel threaded rod as it spins loosely down the dough tube during extrusion, leaving sparkly grit to get mixed into your next batch of incense. It continued to wear even after I had filed and sanded down the raised parts on the end of the threaded rod.
+
+As a result of all this, the plunger becomes more worn with every use, the dough tube becomes covered in grime, and the extrusion action is crunchy and rough. I was *very* disappointed in this extruder, and I cannot recommend it. The silver lining here is the vise, which will work with any of the metal extruders listed; in my opinion it's a worthwhile purchase.
+
+### My Current Extruder
+[This extruder](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP3H8CCL) was an enigma. I hadn't seen it anywhere before it surfaced several pages deep into an Amazon search.
+
+[![A stainless steel incense extruder that looks much better made than the last one.](/img/extruders/extr4_compressed.webp "Could this be the one?")](/img/extruders/extr4_compressed.webp)
+
+I tried to find a Chinese source through a reverse image search. Tineye, Google, Bing, and Yandex turned up nothing. Only when I began to search the sales copy in the Amazon listing did I find the item for sale elsewhere ~~but I still never managed to find a single instance of this product being sold on AliExpress (if you manage to find one, [do let me know](/me/))~~.[^1]
+
+It *looked* great: stainless steel; a knurled dough tube; various accessories included. The Amazon listing didn't show it, but when I looked at other listings I saw that the piston appeared to be attached to the threaded rod. Jackpot!
+
+When it arrived, I noticed a few things immediately. The knurling was shallow and not especially neat, as though it had been etched twice over and the etchings didn't quite align. The tips shown weren't included; instead of five tapered tips in different sizes, I received three flat 2mm tips. That might be a deal-breaker for some, as I don't even know where you'd begin to find additional tips for this thing, but as I extrude 2mm sticks almost exclusively, I don't mind. I'm also not bothered by the ugly knurling either, because the performance of this extruder is great.
+
+To begin with, the threaded rod isn't some industrial looking piece of hardware like the last stainless extruder; it looks more like a high-quality leadscrew you'd expect to see on a laser cutter or some other piece of CNC equipment where precise, measured movement is critical. This keeps the extrusion action exceptionally smooth. The threads on all of the other caps are also nicely machined, and the small extrusion tips have minimal space to accumulate wasted dough after a batch is extruded.
+
+[![The tip for my current extruder.](/img/extruders/extr4_tip_compressed.webp "Perfect!")](/img/extruders/extr4_tip_compressed.webp)
+
+Fitted into my vise, this extruder is a dream. The smoothness and consistency of the extrusion makes one-handed operation a breeze. I did add some o-rings to the turning rod to reduce noise, and while I do find myself wishing it didn't fit quite so loosely inside the cap on the leadscrew, these really are nitpicks of the best extruder I've used to date.
+
+[^1]: I have since found what appears to be the same item on [AliExpress](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807712368107.html?utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A), [Taobao](https://vn.world.taobao.com/item/858074002289.htm), [Wepost](https://www.wepost.com.my/shops/taobao-items/554179126072.html?sku_properties=1627207:2846750301) (which has a [very dramatic video](https://cloud.video.taobao.com/play/u/719156502/p/2/e/6/t/1/440842077674.mp4) showing the extruder in operation), and [1688.com](https://detail.1688.com/offer/750437159209.html). Accessories also appear to be available through these sources.

content/blog/till-lindemann-has-finally-done-it.md

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+---
+title: "Meine Welt: It May be Time For Till Lindemann to Retire"
+description: "You always hope that your favorite musicians will retire before they do anything too embarrassing."
+date: 2025-03-28
+tags:
+  - Music
+synopsis: "You always hope that your favorite musicians will retire before they do anything too embarrassing."
+imageURL: /img/till.webp
+imageAlt: A black and white photo of Till Lindemann looking sad.
+mastodon_id: "114270477560168817"
+---
+::: info
+Content Warning: Misogyny; Mention of sexual assault.
+:::
+Over his storied career, Till Lindemann has been given a lot of grace. Both he, as a lyricist, and the Neue Deutsche Härte powerhouse he fronts, have made some questionable decisions over the years. Many of these missteps might perhaps be chalked up to the era, such as the unfortunate fat-suits in Rammstein's *Keine Lust* music video. We might also see the red-face in *Amerika* as ignorance rather than malice, given it was donned by a group some 5,000 miles away from the peoples being insulted, and in 2004,  no less. Likewise, as a queer Rammstein fan I always saw *Mann gegen Mann* as a statement on the ridiculousness inherent in the rabid homophobia that was common at the time. The trouble with satire, however, is that you can never be perfectly sure whose side is being satirized, and Lindemann's later work threatens to cast an unflattering light upon lyrics written decades ago.
+
+In 2015, you didn't have to be on the bleeding edge of contemporary thought on matters of social justice to recognize that *Ladyboy* and *Fat* of Till Lindemann and Peter Tägtgren's *Skills in Pills* was, to put it mildly, problematic. Still, Rammstein has never taken itself too seriously; it didn't seem terribly incongruent or damning that Till would opt to play the clown in an ill-advised politically-incorrect shock-rock album that, let us admit, did contain the odd banger. Till's attempts at a contemporary *Leah Sublime[^1]*  certainly ring hollow compared to much his lyrics for Rammstein—which, while also often juvenile and shocking, explore themes of love, lust, obsession, gender, and the body in interesting and compelling ways—but never have I felt that they betray anything more insidious than a blurry view of the boundaries of poor taste. Further, Rammstein detractors have so long 'spent spouting the tide'[^2] of satanic-panic style criticism and speculation as to the group's messaging and politics, that it was eventually forced to be quite frank on the matter. As Lewis Twilby reported in Edinburgh University's history, classics, and archaeology magazine, *[Retrospect Journal](https://retrospectjournal.com/2019/10/20/deutschland-by-rammstein-a-look-at-cultural-memory-in-germany/)*:
+> in a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone Lindemann said that he is a socialist and that ‘We used to be either punks or goths – We hate Nazis!’. This is highlighted by their song ‘Links 2,3,4,’ which is a direct reference to the labour movement song Einheitsfrontlied.
+
+Famously refusing to provide almost any detail whatsoever on the meaning of Rammstein's lyrics, it's hard to glean much about the mind behind them unless they are quite explicit. For this, Lindemann's *Meine Welt* was all the more shocking. The video, released hours ago, opens with a gagged Lindemann, wearing a cross and being pushed in a wheelchair by an angry mob of women wielding signs featuring slogans such as "Kill Till," "Toxic Masculinity," and "Female Revenge." A melancholy piano solo plays as the camera closes in on the women's scowling faces as they yell and chant. Particular focus is placed on those in the crowd with piercings, or shaven heads. As the beat picks up, the video transitions to AI generated slop: gory and alien-looking childbirth imagery. The first verse begins[^3]:
+
+> Naughty, unabashed<br />
+Unknown and unshaven<br />
+Unteachable, clueless<br />
+Insatiable, unpunished<br />
+Immovable, so unspeakable<br />
+Shameless and unbearable<br />
+Useless, uncovered<br />
+Unaesthetic, unlicked
+
+The chorus follows:
+> Somehow, someday<br />
+We'll start over from scratch<br />
+Somehow and somewhere<br />
+Life laughing, senses happy<br />
+I'll show you my world<br />
+A place for lost souls<br />
+When a person falls from heaven<br />
+They won't count the stars
+
+Knowing the history of Till's work with Rammstein, you *might* argue that this is a *Mann gegen Mann*-esque parody of the embarrassing "men's rights" crowd who seriously argue that women attempting to protect themselves from sexual assault and lift impunity from the men who commit it is a mysandrist witch-hunt, if it were not for the  mewling chorus and, oh yes, the fact that Till [was himself accused of sexual misconduct a couple of years ago](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66646096). Due to a lack of evidence, the investigation was dropped, and while this says nothing about whether or not Till committed the acts he was accused of, when these sorts of accusations occur, we have a unique opportunity to learn something about the individual to whom they are directed. Of course a range of emotions might be expected under the circumstances, but I think it's fair to say that releasing a music video two years later portraying oneself as a Christ-like figure while characterizing women as an angry, "unaesthetic," "unshaven," "unteachable," and "unlicked," mob is neither a decent nor reasonable response—even if allegations were false, or indeed, malicious.
+
+This is a deeply embarrassing moment for Till Lindemann, or at least it ought to be. If we were to stretch the benefit of the doubt to encircle the earth, it would be difficult to believe that this release is parody, and it would remain in egregious taste in any case. In addition, the martyr act from these famous figures accused of god-knows-what is consistently pathetic—are we to feel sorry for these multimillionaires who suffer no legal consequences and fail to miss a single wayward drop of revenue following the release of the shocking allegations leveled toward them? While we don't tend to expect better from public figures, when they are known to espouse leftist beliefs, we certainly hope for it, and it's a tremendous disappointment every time. As lyricist for Rammstein, Till's behavior also threatens to cast aspersions on the band's entire body of work, potentially eroding the good faith that gave the writing an air of irony, exploration, and at times a sense of literary value as it straddled the line bordering outright vulgarity. A poetic exploration of sexual violence can sometimes be useful and cathartic for those affected—Rammstein fans have been known to write in to the band to say as much—but the work takes on a different tone entirely when its author is accused of sexual misconduct and uses the experience as an excuse to express outright misogyny *via music video* while playing the martyr.
+
+The release also says something about where Till is (or rather, isn't) artistically. Rammstein songs have historically been replete with references to classic literature, German culture, and wordplay, their videos visually arresting and multifaceted in their storytelling—barring the odd *Pussy* affair, but the lyrics, message, and egregious quantities of AI slop in *Meine Welt* indicate to me that either Till is losing touch with both the zeitgeist and his eye for quality simultaneously, or that perhaps someone else had been reigning him in all along. In either case, the man is sprinting towards self-parody, and the teenager in me desperately wishes he had retired first.
+
+[^1]: If you don't get this reference, count yourself lucky and don't investigate further.
+[^2]: Forgive me.
+[^3]: Lyrics via [genius.com](https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-till-lindemann-meine-welt-english-translation-lyrics).

content/blog/vegan-and-alternative-diets-in-foodservice.md

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ title: ADGs - Alternative Diet Guests and Foodservice
 description: Breaking down the alternative-diet restaurant experience to offer some perspective and advice to foodservice professionals and proprietors.
 date: 2023-10-03
 tags:
+  - Essays
   - Vegan Cooking
   - Restaurants
 synopsis: Breaking down the alternative-diet restaurant experience to offer some perspective and advice to foodservice professionals and proprietors.

content/blog/what-do-we-expect-from-fragrance.md

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+---
+title: "What Do We Expect from Fragrance? Natural Incense in an Unnatural World"
+description: How our expectations influence the way we experience fragrance and where natural incense fits in.
+date: 2024-12-18
+tags:
+  - Essays
+  - Incense
+  - Incense Making
+synopsis: How our expectations influence the way we experience fragrance and where natural incense fits in.
+imageURL: /img/incense_seal.webp
+imageAlt: A burning incense seal in a flat brass censer.
+mastodon_id: "113677779325283607"
+---
+Smoke was the first breath of early civilization, its rising plumes a synonym for human presence. This byproduct of life-sustaining flame has been constant companion to our evolution as a species, changing not only human lives, but [human bodies](https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/where-theres-smoke-and-mutation-there-may-be-evolutionary-edge-humans). As the ubiquity of smoke rendered transparent to our ancestors' noses the once harsh notes of burning plant matter, there must have been a sense of magic when our forebears happened to toss a well-resinated tree branch or a fragrant herb upon the coals. It is little wonder, then, that the word "perfume" [stems from the Latin "perfumare,"](https://www.etymonline.com/word/perfume) translating to "through smoke."
+
+## A rose by any other… chemical composition?
+In these ancient times, the mention of a rose might have brought two fragrances to mind: that of a freshly blossomed rose in the bush, and that of the petals on the coals of a fire or burned in a censer. Later, enthusiasts of nerikoh or other forms of non-combustible incense would also become familiar with the fruity, acidic notes of gently heated rose petals. The situation is much changed today; for most people, the idea of the fragrance of rose is in no way related to incense-making traditions. Beautiful but aromatically impotent roses stuffed into plastic grocery store bins year-round aren't much help either. Today, synthesized ingredients like rose oxide, citronellol, or geraniol inform the average person's perception of how a rose smells; for those with expensive tastes, this perception may also be derived from a "natural" concentrate such as rose essential oil, wherein vast quantities of flowers are shoveled into a device and divested of volatile aromatic compounds via an industrial steam distillation process, which can result in [tiny yields, such as, for example: one part oil for every 3,000 parts roses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_oil#adulteration).[^1]
+
+In the incense making world, the siren song of these convenient ingredients is ever-present, with some even claiming that it's outright impossible to express the delicate fragrance of flower blossoms in combustible incense without them. While it is true that some fragrances cannot be expressed at all in this way, I do not believe that rose is among them, especially if we are willing to adjust our expectations and consider *what it means* to smell a rose. While there are many who would assert that the true fragrance of a material is to be found in its concentrated derivatives, given that a perfume might contain the strength of hundreds of roses while containing only a fraction of the many compounds that comprise the fragrance of a living rose, can it really be said that it effectively emulates what it is to smell a rose?
+
+## Too much of a… thing
+There have been many articles written on the field of "scent marketing," or "[sensory branding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_branding#Smell)," in which marketers manipulate the emotions of their customers through fragrance, with aim to bolster sales or steer brand perception through a medium that speaks to humankind on a most intimate and primal level. From perfumed love letters, to the occasional baker realizing that keeping something in the oven at all times certainly doesn't *hurt* sales, this is not a new phenomenon. What is new, however, is the ease with which shallow replicas of even the worlds scarcest aromatics can be whipped up with alacrity by a worker in a lab coat, and fragrance imbued into any material, any space, and any setting with little more than a few pumps of a spray bottle. This influences not only the way we think of aromatic ingredients and how their scents become known to us, but how we perceive fragrance itself: where once the acrid notes of burning wood were rendered transparent, now it is bright floral terpenes evocative of sunny spring mornings and bumblebees that fade into the periphery of our qualia; the fragrance of fresh citrus peel comes to evoke fluorescent lights and shiny tiled floors, that of vanilla becomes, well, *vanilla.*
+
+Fragrance chemistry, the ability to synthesize compounds that speak directly to human emotion, must be among the most powerful of the cheat codes made available to us through the [Game Genie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Genie#NES) of industrialization. While at first glance it seems too good to be true, you soon realize that the excitement of receiving a [P-Wing](https://www.mariowiki.com/P-Wing) is lost when you can simply spam the A-button to fly past a level; it's just not special any more—further, it loses its utility. Today there is no escape from fragrance. Your average American leaves the house with minty teeth, hair styled with wax scented with a synthetic approximation of eucalyptus and lime peel, wearing clothing washed with a "fresh laundry" fragranced detergent and dried with a lemon fabric softener; after bathing with sandalwood soap, they apply "sea salt and cedar" deodorant and a cologne featuring dozens of compounds, including a handful intending to approximate agarwood and bergamot (what the cologne adds here I struggle to imagine). In this veritable cacophony, most people fail to notice much of anything at all unless it's utterly redolent, and those who do are often those with sensory issues for whom fragrance is, more often than not, a special form of torture, inescapable so long as they wish to occupy a public space.
+
+## Expecting redolence
+In the noisily fragrant environment in which most of us live, it is interesting to consider those notes that do cause us to take notice: the humming of a cherry lip balm; the undulating tenor of a fresh bar of hand-soap; the [death metal pig-squealing](https://youtu.be/hCFBrQWYe3o?si=TWc0qzSkxNp_aOaw&t=50) of a Glade PlugIn®. In each case, our attention is arrested—violently seized and detained as hundreds of volatile organic compounds fight for access to our olfactory receptors like so many tired workers scrambling for a square foot of floor-space on the train during rush hour, only this time they compete in teams. Like music, fragrance has been demoted from something precious and closely associated with those things that we considered to be sacred—reduced to a dollar-store simulacrum stuffed into a mascot costume and made to flip a sign beside countless products that would otherwise fail to vacate store shelves on the merit of their performance alone. Certainly, some would point to the cheap ubiquity of fragrance as a sign that access has improved; after all, did the average medieval tradesman have a passing familiarity with the fragrance of sandalwood? I would rebut: do we?
+
+In such a world, the fragrance of natural incense, incense free of unnaturally synthesized or concentrated aromatics, can be to our environment as the tune of a songbird is to the roar of passing traffic. In our homes, we can largely retreat from the soundtrack of daily life and create quiet, as far as noise is concerned. Creating quiet from fragrance, however, requires a greater degree of effort. Irrespective of our environment, much of the difficulty newcomers face in "listening to" natural incense stems from their expectations, warped by the ceaseless atonal chorus of fragrance around them. Chiefly, the hurdle that must be overcome is the idea of fragrance as a background element—a sort of olfactory elevator music; incense is, and deserves to be seen as, an activity in and of itself. When we adopt this mindset and listen with intention, it is remarkable what we are able to parse in even quite unsuited environments. Incense doesn't have to compete with the pumpkin-spice wax-melts of the world; these things serve different purposes.
+
+## Fortissimo
+Adding to their similarities, fragrance and music share a common loss: that of dynamics. The modulation of volume was historically an important piece of the emotional pull that music can have on its listeners; modern production largely omits this technique, barring a grand pause or two, in favor of a [loudness war](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war). As in classical music, classical fragrance employs this tool, creating one of the great points of pleasure of the incense format. Natural incense moves and changes, undulating in fragrance and strength, floating on the minute air currents of the room. Here, subtlety is as much an asset as is strength. I'm always disappointed to light a stick only to find that it spews a steady stream of oil-based fragrance into my living space, whether or not synthetics are involved. To be clear, I'm not inherently against the use of concentrates in incense, or even synthetics, which are often chemically identical to compounds found in natural materials. That said; for those seeking a sharp, cologne-like fragrance with unnatural clarity and strength, I believe incense is a poor choice.
+
+While natural incense can indeed have plenty of fragrance, as an incense maker, I leave reaching for that 'beaten with a pillowcase of cinnamon sticks' projection to makers of scented candles and exfoliating bath soaps. If I intended to add to the cacophony, I'd reach for simpler means: a reed diffuser perhaps. Instead, what I aim to do is create an opportunity for respite, to create something beautiful that asks for attention rather than steals it. This approach respects the material realities of the ingredients that comprise incense, as well as the format itself. When one takes this approach, it's not long before one reaches the realization that rose petals carefully expressed in the smoke of a burning stick of incense do indeed smell of rose. So too do petals warming on a heater. So does rose oil, as well as burying your face in a fragrant blossom.
+
+[^1]: To put this in more comprehensible terms, taking this ratio as gospel: if a quantity of rose petals equivalent to the weight of the average man living in the U.S.A. were to be distilled, the resulting essential oil would amount to *30 grams* of extremely concentrated oil.

content/blog/what-ive-been-going-with-incense-lately.md

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+---
+title: "What I’ve Been Doing with Incense Lately"
+description: "New sticks, faster build development, percolating, and something coming soon?"
+date: 2025-07-12
+tags:
+  - Incense
+  - Incense Making
+synopsis: "New sticks, faster build development, percolating, and something coming soon?"
+imageURL: /img/what_ive_been_doing_with_incense_lately/dropper.webp
+imageAlt: "A brass incense powder dropper with a bamboo lid and a tapered nozzle beside a brass hammer, a spoon, and a tray filled with white ash and several burned trails. All of this is on top of my messy work table."
+mastodon_id: "114848206538212433"
+---
+It's been a while since I've written about incense making; to be honest, things have slowed down a little. It's been pretty hot in Chicago lately—I find that my sense of smell is dulled as the temperature and humidity rises. Unfortunately my apartment is very poorly insulated, so I've been burning, testing, and experimenting less as a result. The heat hasn't put me off entirely though; here's what I've been up to.
+
+## Speeding up the creative process
+I've picked up a device[^1] designed to help you make Chinese incense seals, whereby a design, or seal, of incense powder is burned atop a layer of ash. The kit I ordered came with a bag of ash, a ceramic tray, a brass dropper, and a small brass hammer with a detachable plastic tip.
+
+[![A brass incense powder dropper with a bamboo lid and a tapered nozzle beside a brass hammer, a spoon, and a tray filled with white ash and several burned trails. All of this is on top of my messy work table.](/img/what_ive_been_doing_with_incense_lately/dropper.webp "You whack the thing with that wee hammer to make incense powder come out.")](/img/what_ive_been_doing_with_incense_lately/dropper.webp)
+
+I didn't buy this for casual incense burning, but to speed up the process of creating an incense build, or blend. Rather than painstakingly making an impression in a bed of ash and filling it with incense powder using a tiny spoon, I have taken to using the dropper to quickly lay a trail of incense powder down for rapid iteration.
+
+## Beau Soir
+With six one-gram iterations using this technique, I managed to develop a new build for a stick I'm calling "Beau Soir," after the [utterly beautiful melody](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKCcFxBP2o0&list=RDxKCcFxBP2o0). The fragrance is designed to evoke a walk through a garden on a cool evening: moist soil; cool air; greenery; gentle floral notes. In addition to being the first build I've developed with my swish new dropper (an excellent experience), I am using some new and exciting ingredients: namely musk root, plus a type of rhubarb. This is also another effort on my part to incorporate *actual flowers* into incense. This is a difficult task without introducing a bundle of off-notes, and as a result, it's something not many Japanese-style incense makers do. I have Dave of [The World Makes Scents](https://theworldmakesscents.com/) to thank for this. He put in the work of figuring out a particular species of rose that actually works well in incense, then processing it into an extremely high quality powder using a ball mill so that none of the fragrance is lost to heat. This powder doesn't confer a rose-oil or rose-water-like strength, but it does add a subtle, hard to describe (almost fluffy? marshmallowy?) floral note that adds something special to a build. I'm fairly pleased with Beau Soir, with a couple of positive reviews in already. But at this point, I'm just about burned out on smelling the stuff, so I'm going to send out some samples soon to gather some more opinions before I do anything more with it.
+
+## Percolating
+It is a fact, though, that some ingredients simply do not play nicely in the burn, at least less some obscure Chinese processing techniques that I am not privy to. For instance, I recently ordered a bag of chamomile to try; a trail of ten percent chamomile to ninety percent sandalwood was already acrid, with only a subtle chamomile note. What is a humble incense maker to do? Well, I've had some success with tinctures; soaking six grams of Juniperus virginiana in a fluid ounce of lavender tincture and letting the liquid evaporate results in a *very* fragrant wood powder with a clear lavender note even a year later. Tinctures are expensive to buy though, and they take forever to make, so I've decided to give percolation a try. Instead of macerating a material for months like a traditional tincture, you can make a percolated extract in around 24 hours. They are meant to be much stronger too.
+
+[![A close-up shot of the bottom part of my new dropping funnel suspended on a lab stand. It is full of sediment with a visible layer of liquid. The device tapers down to a thin tube, the drip speed controlled by a plastic stopcock.](/img/what_ive_been_doing_with_incense_lately/percolator.webp "It's like making a coffee. Very slowly.")](/img/what_ive_been_doing_with_incense_lately/percolator.webp)
+
+The procedure begins by hydrating your material in whatever menstruum you've chosen (190 proof Everclear for me), adding just enough so that the texture becomes like wet sand, and letting it absorb for an hour. Then you load it into a device called a "dropping funnel," which is functionally an upside down bottle with the bottom cut off. After gently packing the material evenly, you carefully pour in the rest of your menstruum and let it reach the bottom of the funnel before sealing off the stopcock and letting the mixture macerate for 24 hours. When this step is complete, you allow the liquid to drain into a container, only opening the stopcock enough for a single drop to fall every one to three seconds.
+
+My first clumsy attempt with 200g menstruum and 100g chamomile netted me ~100ml of potent chamomile extract, which I was pretty pleased about, so I've got some rose root in the drop funnel as we speak—another ingredient that doesn't smell especially nice when you set it on fire.
+
+## Drop soon?
+Some time ago, I had an offer to sell some of my incense in a friend's webstore, a very kind offer that I'd like to take advantage of, but I just haven't been set up for it. Well, I've been working on that. I've now got a {{ "DBA" | abbr("Doing Business As: an officially registered name for a person or a business other than their full legal name or business name.") | safe }}[^2], and I'm working on the branding to match. I know this all sounds very official, but my intention is only to do a drop every now and then rather than making a real enterprise out of incense making[^3], something that is simply out of reach at the moment. While I intend to keep things small, I still want to set things up to the best of my ability. That said, don't get too excited; it'll likely be a while yet!
+
+[^1]: I managed to dig up the link to buy the thing too: [here's where to go if you want one](https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806931365339.html). It looks like you have to purchase the hammer and tray separately. Kin Objects [also sells one](https://kinobjects.com/products/incense-powder-dropper-kit?variant=41578587193367).
+[^2]: And no, I'm not saying what it is yet!
+[^3]: Honestly, I don't know whether I'd want to; I want to be sure that something I do for joy and artistic expression doesn't become a source of stress.

content/blog/yi-xin-pikake-jasmine-review.md

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+---
+title: "Incense Review: Pikake Jasmine from Yi-Xin Craft Incense"
+description: "Florals are a notoriously difficult incense category. Today I'm taking a look at Yi-Xin Craft Incense's Pikake Jasmine sticks."
+date: 2025-04-08
+tags:
+  - Incense
+  - Incense Review
+synopsis: "Florals are a notoriously difficult incense category. Today I'm taking a look at Yi-Xin Craft Incense's Pikake Jasmine sticks."
+mastodon_id: "114303689771167166"
+---
+In June of 2024, I purchased Pikake Jasmine of Yi-Xin Craft Incense's floral *Faces in Bloom* collection. I was immediately impressed with it, but I was suspicious about how the Jasmine fragrance was achieved, and so wanted to see if the fragrance diminished over time before penning a review. I am happy to report that, close to a year later, Yi-Xin's Pikake Jasmine remains as impressive as ever.
+
+The packaging describes these sticks as follows: "Our custom processed 'Stanford' Cedar material blended with sustainable sandalwoods and Pikake jasmine flowers." True to its name, there is a pronounced jasmine note on the unlit stick. Interestingly, actual jasmine flowers (at least the varieties that I am familiar with) are very finicky and do not work well in combustible incense.[^1] When jasmine buds are processed in India, they have to be picked at precisely the right time, and the essential oil must be distilled within hours before the buds lose their fragrance entirely. All of this in addition to the fact that fragrance of jasmine is prominent on the unlit stick[^2] makes me wonder whether an absolute or essential oil was used, or some other process such as [resin enfleurage](https://mermadearts.com/i/enfleurage-an-esoteric-and-ancient-art) (brought to my attention by Sara of [Incense Apprentice](https://incenseapprentice.substack.com/)). Of course, it might be that Pikake Jasmine is simply a varietal that works well when combusted. Who knows? Ken is infamously secretive with his processes, so we may never find out.
+
+In the burn, the stick opens up with a beautiful sandalwood note: creamy, and slightly sweet. The cedar is quiet but present, accentuating the jasmine with light turpenous notes. This incense is less jasmine-forward than you might be led to believe from smelling the unlit stick, where the flower is prominent. When lit, the fragrance is more of a well-rounded composition, where each element is enhanced by the others. The gentle sweetness of sandalwood forms a fine base for the sharper cedar and jasmine notes, all coming together in a composition that is warm, woody, and markedly floral, while neither 'cooking' the jasmine nor beating you over the head with it. It's very pleasant.
+
+Typical of Ken's work, this stick is also very clean, with no notable binder notes, smokiness, or acrid off-notes, even when you are sitting very close to the lit stick. Incense makers of any ilk will know how difficult this can be to achieve. I also appreciate the balance here; the fragrance doesn't even approach that sharp, cloying place that less expertly prepared floral incense tends to go. Building up in the room, the impression is predominantly that of a slightly cooler, floral sandalwood. While some sticks tend to undulate between notes, staving off olfactory fatigue, these are quite consistent and so greatly benefit from decent air circulation in the room; in fact, I rather prefer to have them burning in a room that I'm going in and out of frequently during what is quite a short but very enjoyable burn time.
+
+Overall, Yi-Xin's Pikake Jasmine is an excellent entry into the notoriously difficult floral category of incense. As is often the case with Ken's work, this incense could serve as a reference for incense makers exploring what floral incense can be, and for those who simply enjoy burning incense, it's about as good of a floral expression as you can get in combustible incense, built on top of high-quality aromatic woods. Simple, approachable, and well-executed, I'd be happy to recommend this incense to anyone. My only regret is that I've run out.
+
+ [^1]: The last trail-burn test I performed with jasmine flowers smelled more like Marmite than jasmine!
+ [^2]: Many non-extract incense ingredients such as actual powdered woods, flowers, and resins don't have much fragrance until the stick is lit. It's not uncommon for natural, whole-plant based incense to have close to no fragrance at all before lighting, especially after it has aged.

content/blogroll/blogroll.njk

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ permalink: /blogroll/nathanUpchurchBlogroll.opml
 		<ownerName>Nathan Upchurch</ownerName>
 	</head>
 	<body>{% for category in blogroll.categories %}
-		<outline id="{{ category.name }}" text="{{ category.name }}">{% for blog in category.blogs %}
+		<outline text="{{ category.name }}">{% for blog in category.blogs %}
 			<outline
 				text="{{ blog.title }}"
 				description="{{ blog.description }}"

content/blogroll/index.njk

@@ -4,10 +4,17 @@ title: Nathan Upchurch | Blogroll
 structuredData: none
 ---
 <h1>Blogroll</h1>
-<p class="nodropcap page-block">Here are some of the blogs I subscribe to. You can click the RSS icon next to each to subscribe using <a href="../about-feeds/">your newsreader</a>, or import all of them at once by downloading and importing this convenient <a href="./nathanUpchurchBlogroll.opml" download>.opml file</a>.</p>
+<p class="nodropcap">Here are some blogs and independent news outlets I like to read. You can click the RSS icon next to each to subscribe using <a href="../about-feeds/">your newsreader</a>, or import all of them at once by downloading and importing this convenient <a href="./nathanUpchurchBlogroll.opml" download>.opml file</a>.</p>
+<p class="page-block">
+<em>Skip to category:
+{% for category in blogroll.categories %}
+<a href="#{{ category.name | slugify }}">{{ category.name }}</a>{% if loop.last %}.{% else %},{% endif %}
+{% endfor %}
+</em></p>
+
 {% for category in blogroll.categories %}
 <section class="blogroll">
-	<h2>{{ category.name }}:</h2>
+	<h2 id="{{ category.name | slugify }}">{{ category.name }}:<a class="header-anchor" href="#{{ category.name | slugify }}">#</a></h2>
 		{% for blog in category.blogs %}
 		<div class="blogroll-category-group">
 			<a href="{{ blog.url }}"><h3>{{ blog.title }}</h3></a>

content/changelog.md

@@ -1,9 +1,86 @@
 ---
-layout: layouts/base_full_width_text.njk
+layout: layouts/base.njk
 title: Nathan Upchurch | Changelog
 structuredData: none
 ---
 # Changelog
+* 2025-08-14
+	* Implemented a [guestbook](/guestbook/).
+* 2025-07-29
+	* Added [The 74](https://www.the74million.org/) to the [blogroll](/blogroll).
+* 2025-07-14
+	* Added [Assigned](https://www.assignedmedia.org), [Prism](https://prismreports.org), [Rest of World](https://restofworld.org), and [The Appeal](https://theappeal.org/) to the [blogroll](/blogroll).
+	* Updated the [blogroll](/blogroll), adding a "skip to category" section, and adding direct links to all section headers.
+	* Removed "id" attribute from categories in [blogroll](/blogroll) [OPML](/blogroll/nathanUpchurchBlogroll.opml).
+	* Updated [/wish](/wish).
+* 2025-07-13
+	* Renamed the [blog](/blog), updated [/about](/about), and added [Bardo Burner](https://bardoburner.com/) to the [blogroll](/blogroll).
+* 2025-07-10
+	* Added [Toxel](https://www.toxel.com/) to the [blogroll](/blogroll).
+* 2025-07-02
+	* Added [A Tea Addict's Journal](https://marshaln.com), [Bear Blog Discover](https://bearblog.dev/discover/), [Essence of Tea Blog](https://essenceoftea.com/blogs/blog), [Tea DB](https://teadb.org/), and [white2tea](https://white2tea.com/blogs/blog) to the [blogroll](/blogroll).
+* 2025-06-26
+	* Added [Justine the Incenseur](https://justinetheincenseur.substack.com) to the [blogroll](/blogroll).
+* 2025-06-24
+	* Implemented info boxes.
+* 2025-06-09
+	* Added [Freethought Blogs](https://freethoughtblogs.com/) and [Cwyn's Death by Tea](https://deathbytea.blogspot.com/) to the [blogroll](/blogroll).
+* 2025-06-06
+	* Implement [/now-burning](/now-burning/) and [/once-burned](/once-burned/).
+* 2025-04-19
+	* Improve post list image sizing on mobile.
+* 2025-04-08
+	* Updated the [index page](/) with a new "navigator" feature, and removed the post lists for a cleaner look.
+	* On the individual [tag](/tags/) pages: got rid of the big RSS logo, tweaked the text a little, added a "subscribe" button, and moved the buttons above the post list.
+	* Updated the [colophon](/about/colophon/).
+* 2025-04-03
+	* Added [Graphic Rage with Aubrey Hirsch](https://aubreyhirsch.substack.com/) and [Usermag](https://www.usermag.co/) to the [blogroll](/blogroll).
+* 2025-03-28
+	* Updated header on [/tags/](/tags/).
+* 2025-03-27
+	* Added [Adam Silver](https://adamsilver.io/) to the [blogroll](/blogroll).
+* 2025-03-20
+	* Added a bunch of design blogs to the [blogroll](/blogroll).
+* 2025-03-12
+	* Removed [Kevin Drum's blog](https://jabberwocking.com/) from the [blogroll](/blogroll) in light of [his passing](https://jabberwocking.com/health-update-100/) on the seventh of March, 2025. Rest in peace, Kevin.
+* 2025-03-11
+	* Updated [/wish](/wish).
+* 2025-02-21
+	* Updated [/wish](/wish) again as my mum bought me some incense sticks for my birthday.
+* 2025-02-20
+	* Updated [/wish](/wish).
+* 2025-02-17
+	* Added [Incense Apprentice](https://incenseapprentice.substack.com) to the [blogroll](/blogroll).
+* 2025-02-11
+	* Add [Signal](https://signal.me/#eu/j-om4cfsGXtfKo0UX28EQfEL_Gd1KpJr8nQpI9Smhdsb-r98eT5F6obQ1BcYZCcW) to [/me](/me).
+	* Remove [Loops](https://loops.video/) from [/me](/me).
+* 2025-02-06
+	* Add [Friendica profile](https://friendica.world/profile/nathan) to [/me](/me).
+	* Deprecate cowsay of the day.
+* 2025-02-04
+	* Re-implement support for Open Graph and Twitter Card metadata because [I'm an idiot](https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/issues/33812#issuecomment-2635441141) and didn't realize that you can't use the `<meta>` tag for images and there appears to be no officially supported way to do this except for appropriating the mechanism reserved for app icons and favicons.
+* 2025-02-02
+	* Implement [quiz features](/quizzes/) and add [first quiz](/quizzes/how-much-of-a-linux-nerd-are-you/).
+* 2025-02-01
+	* Remove support for Open Graph and Twitter Card metadata because A. bloat, and B. screw Musk and Zuck.
+	* Add "image" meta tag for all pages, using either the image specified for the page / post, or my smiling face as a default.
+	* Fix issue with metadata output on gallery image pages.
+	* Stopped bundling CSS and injecting it into pages as I was sick of 1,000 lines of CSS on *every single page* (My build times are now a third of what they were).
+* 2025-01-31
+	* Update the copyright notice in the footer.
+* 2025-1-29
+	* Add [The Contrarian](https://contrarian.substack.com/) to the [blogroll](/blogroll).
+* 2025-1-24
+	* Add buttons / update [/now/](/now/).
+* 2025-1-23 - Simplify, simplify, simplify
+	* Styling updates to text, figures, and post lists
+	* Removed Mastodon comment embedding in favor of a simple button.
+	* Removed "Read Next / Read Previous" cards beneath articles.
+	* Prettier date formatting throughout.
+* 2025-1-13
+	* Added [Popular Information](https://popular.info/) to the [blogroll](/blogroll).
+* 2024-12-16
+	* Update PeerTube instance on [/me](/me).
 * 2024-12-15
 	* Added a link to site stats on the [privacy](/about/privacy) page.
 	* Added [Uncloseted Media](https://www.unclosetedmedia.com/) to the [blogroll](/blogroll).

content/error/403.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 layout: layouts/403.njk
-permalink: 403.html
+permalink: error/403.html
 title: Nathan Upchurch | 403
 structuredData: none
 eleventyExcludeFromCollections: true

content/error/404.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 layout: layouts/404.njk
-permalink: 404.html
+permalink: error/404.html
 title: Nathan Upchurch | 404
 structuredData: none
 eleventyExcludeFromCollections: true

content/error/error.11tydata.js

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export default {
+	layout: "layouts/post.njk",
+};

content/feeds.njk

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ pagination:
     - tagList
     - gallery
     - galleryImages
+    - nowBurning
   addAllPagesToCollections: true
 eleventyComputed:
   title: “{{ tag }}”
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ permalink: "/feeds/{{ tag | slugify }}.xml"
 		<email>{{ metadata.author.email }}</email>
 	</author>
 	{%- for post in postslist | reverse %}
+	{% if post.url %}
 	{% set absolutePostUrl %}{{ post.url | htmlBaseUrl(metadata.url) }}{% endset %}
 	{% if post.data.imageURL %}{% set imageURL %}{{ post.data.imageURL | htmlBaseUrl(metadata.url) }}{% endset %}{% endif %}
 	{% set defaultImageURL %}{{ metadata.defaultPostImageURL | htmlBaseUrl(metadata.url) }}{% endset %}
@@ -45,5 +47,6 @@ permalink: "/feeds/{{ tag | slugify }}.xml"
 		</image>
 		<content type="html">{{ post.templateContent | transformWithHtmlBase(absolutePostUrl, post.url) }}</content>
 	</entry>
+	{% endif %}
 	{%- endfor %}
 </feed>

content/galleries.njk

@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ tags: gallery
 structuredData: none
 eleventyComputed:
   title: "{{ gallery.title }}"
-	permalink: "/gallery/{{ gallery.title | slugify }}/"
-	description: "{{ gallery.description }}"
+  permalink: "/gallery/{{ gallery.title | slugify }}/"
+  description: "{{ gallery.description }}"
 ---
 <h1>{{ gallery.title }}</h1>
 <p class="page-block nodropcap">{{ gallery.description }}</p>

content/galleries/index.njk

@@ -1,32 +1,8 @@
 ---
 layout: layouts/base.njk
-eleventyNavigation:
-  key: Pics
-  order: 4
 ---
-<h1>Image Galleries</h1>
+<h1>My image galleries.</h1>
 <p class="page-block nodropcap">
-Some pictures I thought would be worth posting.
+Photography trips, memes, and other pictures I thought would be worth sharing.
 </p>
-<section class="postlist">
-<div class="postlist-item-container">
-	{% for gallery in galleries %}
-	<article class="postlist-item">
-		<a href="../gallery/{{ gallery.title | slugify }}" class="postlist-link">
-			<div class="post-image-container">
-				<img class="post-image" {% if gallery.galleryImage %} src="{{ gallery.url }}{{ gallery.galleryImage }}" alt="{{ gallery.galleryImageAlt }}" {% else %} src="{{ metadata.defaultPostImageURL }}" alt="{{ metadata.defaultPostImageAlt }}"{% endif %}>
-			</div>
-		</a>
-		<div class="post-copy">
-			<a href="../gallery/{{ gallery.title | slugify }}" class="postlist-link">
-				<h3>
-					{{ gallery.title }}
-				</h3>
-			</a>
-			<time class="postlist-date" datetime="{{ gallery.date | htmlDateString}}">{{ gallery.date | readableDate("LLLL yyyy") }}</time>
-			<p>{{ gallery.synopsis | truncate(105) | safe }}</p>
-		</div>
-	</article>
-	{% endfor %}
-</div>
-</section>
+{% include "gallerieslist.njk" %}

content/galleryImage.njk

@@ -6,9 +6,10 @@ pagination:
 layout: layouts/base.njk
 structuredData: none
 eleventyComputed:
+  imageURL: "{{ picture.baseUrl }}/{{ picture.filename }}"
   title: "Image: {{ picture.title }}"
-	permalink: "/gallery/{{ picture.containingGallery | slugify }}/{{ picture.filename | slugify }}/"
-	description: "{{ picture.title }} from gallery: {{ picture.containingGallery}}"
+  permalink: "/gallery/{{ picture.containingGallery | slugify }}/{{ picture.filename | slugify }}/"
+  description: "{{ picture.title }} from gallery: {{ picture.containingGallery}}"
 ---
 <article>
 	<h1>{{ picture.title }}</h1>

content/guestbook.njk

@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+---
+layout: layouts/base.njk
+title: Nathan Upchurch | Guestbook
+structuredData: none
+---
+<h1>Sign My Guestbook</h1>
+<!-- Guestbook Script -->
+<script async src="https://guestbooks.meadow.cafe/resources/js/embed_script/835/script.js"></script>
+
+<!-- Guestbook Form -->
+<div id="guestbooks___guestbook-form-container">
+  <form id="guestbooks___guestbook-form"
+        action="https://guestbooks.meadow.cafe/guestbook/835/submit"
+        method="post">
+
+		<label for="name">Your name:</label>
+    <div class="guestbooks___input-container">
+      <input type="text"
+             id="name"
+             name="name"
+             required>
+    </div>
+
+    <label for="website">Your website (optional):</label>
+    <div class="guestbooks___input-container">
+      <input type="url"
+             id="website"
+             name="website">
+    </div>
+
+    <div id="guestbooks___challenge-answer-container"></div>
+
+    <label for="text">Your message:</label>
+    <div class="guestbooks___input-container">
+      <textarea id="text"
+                name="text"
+                rows="4"
+                style="width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; resize: vertical;"
+                required></textarea>
+    </div>
+
+    <button type="submit">Sign Guestbook</button>
+    <div id="guestbooks___error-message"></div>
+  </form>
+</div>
+
+<!-- Attribution (optional but appreciated!) -->
+<div id="guestbooks___guestbook-made-with" style="text-align: right; margin-top: 10px;">
+  <small>Powered by <a href="https://guestbooks.meadow.cafe" target="_blank">Guestbooks</a></small>
+</div>
+
+<!-- Messages Section -->
+<hr/>
+<h2 id="guestbooks___guestbook-messages-header">Messages</h2>
+<div id="guestbooks___guestbook-messages-container"></div>

content/index.njk

@@ -3,36 +3,5 @@ layout: layouts/home.njk
 eleventyNavigation:
   key: Home
   order: 1
-numberOfLatestPostsToShow: 5
-numberOfNowPostsToShow: 1
 ---
-<div class="now">
-	<h2>Life updates:</h2>
-{% set postsCount = collections.now | length %}
-{% set latestPostsCount = postsCount | min(numberOfNowPostsToShow) %}
-{% set postslist = collections.now | head(-1 * numberOfNowPostsToShow) %}
-{% set postslistCounter = postsCount %}
-{% set showPostListHeader = false %}
-{% include "postslist.njk" %}
-	<a href="/now/">
-		<button type="button">
-			See more on the “now” page »
-		</button>
-	</a>
-</div>
-
-{% set postsCount = collections.posts | length %}
-{% set latestPostsCount = postsCount | min(numberOfLatestPostsToShow) %}
-{% set postslist = collections.posts | head(-1 * numberOfLatestPostsToShow) %}
-{% set postslistCounter = postsCount %}
-{% set showPostListHeader = true %}
-{% include "postslist.njk" %}
-
-{% set morePosts = postsCount - numberOfLatestPostsToShow %}
-{% if morePosts > 0 %}
-<a href="/blog/">
-	<button type="button">
-		See {{ morePosts }} more post{% if morePosts != 1 %}s{% endif %} in the blog »
-	</button>
-</a>
-{% endif %}
+{% include "navigator.njk" %}

content/me.md

@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 ---
 title: Nathan Upchurch
 layout: layouts/links.njk
+eleventyNavigation:
+  key: Contact
+  order: 3
 ---

content/now-burning.njk

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+---
+layout: layouts/base.njk
+title: "Nathan Upchurch | Now Burning: What incense I'm burning at the moment."
+structuredData: none
+postlistHeaderText: "What I've been burning:"
+---
+{% set burning = collections.nowBurning | last %}
+
+<h1>Now Burning:</h1>
+<article class="post microblog-post">
+	<img class="microblog-icon" src="/img/censer.svg">
+	<div class="microblog-status">
+		<h2 class="">{{ burning.data.title }}{% if burning.data.manufacturer %}, {{ burning.data.manufacturer }}{% endif %}, {{ burning.date | niceDate }}, {{ burning.data.time }}</h2>
+		{% if burning.content %}
+		<div class="microblog-comment">
+			{{ burning.content | safe }}
+		</div>
+		{% endif %}
+	</div>
+</article>
+<a href="/once-burned/">
+	<button type="button">Previous Entries »</button>
+</a>

content/now-burning/Now Burning_1.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: "Moss Garden (Nokiba)"
+manufacturer: "Shoyeido"
+date: 2025-06-06 19:12:00
+time: 7:12 PM
+---
+Love this stick. Absolute classic.

content/now-burning/Now Burning_A chunk of Palo Santo that I lit on fire__2025-06-08 22:40:00_10:40 PM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: A chunk of Palo Santo that I lit on fire
+manufacturer:
+date: 2025-06-08 22:40:00
+time: 10:40 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Agarwood, Hmarkhawlien_Rising Phoenix_2025-06-19 17:08:00_5:08 PM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Agarwood, Hmarkhawlien
+manufacturer: Rising Phoenix
+date: 2025-06-19 17:08:00
+time: 5:08 PM
+---
+Thanks Bonnie!

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Assam_Yi-Xin Craft Incense_2025-07-17 14:22:00_2:22 PM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Assam
+manufacturer: Yi-Xin Craft Incense
+date: 2025-07-17 14:22:00
+time: 2:22 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Awaji Island Koh-shi Coffee_Kunjudo_2025-06-08_5:00 PM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: "Awaji Island Koh-shi Coffee"
+manufacturer: Kunjudo
+date: 2025-06-08 17:00:00
+time: 5:00 PM
+---
+As Sol pointed out, it smells like burnt kettle corn, but I've got a lot of it to get through.

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Beau Soir_Myself_2025-06-08_10:00 AM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Beau Soir
+manufacturer: Myself
+date: 2025-06-08
+time: 10:00 AM
+---
+A blend I've been working on containing some interesting ingredients like Musk Root and Turkey Rhubarb.

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Beau Soir_Myself_2025-06-10 16:58:00_4:48 PM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Beau Soir
+manufacturer: Myself
+date: 2025-06-10 16:58:00
+time: 4:48 PM
+---
+Still trying to understand the character of this one. I'm fairly certain I like it though.

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Cherry Blossoms (Kyozakura)_Shoyeido_2025-06-15 11:16:00_11:16 AM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Cherry Blossoms (Kyozakura)
+manufacturer: Shoyeido
+date: 2025-06-15 11:16:00
+time: 11:16 AM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Christmas Tree_The World Makes Scents_2025-06-28 11:50:00_11:50 AM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Christmas Tree
+manufacturer: The World Makes Scents
+date: 2025-06-28 11:50:00
+time: 11:50 AM
+---
+Love this stuff.

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Christmas Tree_The World Makes Scents_2025-08-07 11:06:00_11:06 AM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Christmas Tree
+manufacturer: The World Makes Scents
+date: 2025-08-07 11:06:00
+time: 11:06 AM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Compassion_Espirit de la Nature_2025-07-17 11:21:00_11:21 AM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Compassion
+manufacturer: Espirit de la Nature
+date: 2025-07-17 11:21:00
+time: 11:21 AM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Everyday Aloes_Yi-Xin Craft Incense_2025-06-12 17:05:00_5:05 PM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Everyday Aloes
+manufacturer: Yi-Xin Craft Incense
+date: 2025-06-12 17:05:00
+time: 5:05 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Everyday Aloes_Yi-Xin Craft Incense_2025-07-04 17:13:00_5:13 PM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Everyday Aloes
+manufacturer: Yi-Xin Craft Incense
+date: 2025-07-04 17:13:00
+time: 5:13 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Floral Palo_Myself_2025-07-02 14:42:00_2:42 PM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Floral Palo
+manufacturer: Myself
+date: 2025-07-02 14:42:00
+time: 2:42 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Floral Palo_Myself_2025-07-21 10:10:00_10:10 AM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Floral Palo
+manufacturer: Myself
+date: 2025-07-21 10:10:00
+time: 10:10 AM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Floral Palo_Myself_2025-8-8 10:29:00_10:29 AM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Floral Palo
+manufacturer: Myself
+date: 2025-8-8 10:29:00
+time: 10:29 AM
+---
+Not even ten o'clock and I'm already in need of some stress relief because the landlord is being a nightmare.

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Fu-In Byakudan_Minorien_2025-06-13 12:04:00_12:04 AM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Fu-In Byakudan
+manufacturer: Minorien
+date: 2025-06-13 12:04:00
+time: 12:04 AM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Fu-In Byakudan_Minorien_2025-06-24 22:34:00_10:34 PM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Fu-In Byakudan
+manufacturer: Minorien
+date: 2025-06-24 22:34:00
+time: 10:34 PM
+---
+Decadent.

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Hawaiian Summer_Incense Apprentice_2025-06-20 15:25:00_3:26 PM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Hawaiian Summer
+manufacturer: Incense Apprentice
+date: 2025-06-20 15:25:00
+time: 3:26 PM
+---
+Excited to try out Sara's work from her [brand new webstore](https://incenseapprentice.substack.com/p/incense-apprentice-has-a-web-store)!

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Hawaiian Summer_Incense Apprentice_2025-06-25 14:38:00_2:38 PM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Hawaiian Summer
+manufacturer: Incense Apprentice
+date: 2025-06-25 14:38:00
+time: 2:38 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Hidden Valley Orchid_Yi-Xin Craft Incense_2025-07-17 14:58:00_2:58 PM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Hidden Valley Orchid
+manufacturer: Yi-Xin Craft Incense
+date: 2025-07-17 14:58:00
+time: 2:58 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Hojari A_Yi-Xin Craft Incense_2025-07-25 16:32:00_4:32 PM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+title: Hojari A
+manufacturer: Yi-Xin Craft Incense
+date: 2025-07-25 16:32:00
+time: 4:32 PM
+---
+Received as a sample alongside Hojari B.

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Hojari B_Yi-Xin Craft Incense_2025-07-25 17:32:00_5:32 PM.md

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+---
+title: Hojari B
+manufacturer: Yi-Xin Craft Incense
+date: 2025-07-25 17:32:00
+time: 5:32 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Hojari_Myself_2025-06-11 17:17:00_5:17 PM.md

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+---
+title: Hojari
+manufacturer: Myself
+date: 2025-06-11 17:17:00
+time: 5:17 PM
+---
+A rejected stick I made with washed hojari frankincense and a little too much eucalyptus leaf.

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Hojari_Myself_2025-07-02 13:12:00_1:12 PM.md

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+---
+title: Hojari
+manufacturer: Myself
+date: 2025-07-02 13:12:00
+time: 1:12 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Hojari_Myself_2025-07-29 12:09:00_12:09 PM.md

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+---
+title: Hojari
+manufacturer: Myself
+date: 2025-07-29 12:09:00
+time: 12:09 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Jinko Daikoboku_Seikado_2025-06-11 09:57:00_9:57 AM.md

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+---
+title: Jinko Daikoboku
+manufacturer: Seikado
+date: 2025-06-11 09:57:00
+time: 9:57 AM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Kheoun’s Blend_The World Makes Scents_2025-07-29 14:30:00_2:30 PM.md

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+---
+title: Kheoun’s Blend
+manufacturer: The World Makes Scents
+date: 2025-07-29 14:30:00
+time: 2:30 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Kobunboku_Baieido_2025-06-06_8:00 PM.md

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+---
+title: Kobunboku
+manufacturer: Baieido
+date: 2025-06-06 20:00:00
+time: 8:00 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Kobunboku_Baieido_2025-06-25 22:41:00_10:41 PM.md

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+---
+title: Kobunboku
+manufacturer: Baieido
+date: 2025-06-25 22:41:00
+time: 10:41 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Magnifiscents Blue Topaz_Shoyeido_2025-06-16 10:34:00_10:34 AM.md

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+---
+title: Magnifiscents Blue Topaz
+manufacturer: Shoyeido
+date: 2025-06-16 10:34:00
+time: 10:34 AM
+---
+A bit sweet and powdery for my taste, but I don't mind it.

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Magnifiscents Obsidian_Shoyeido_2025-07-01 20:58:00_8:48 PM.md

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+---
+title: Magnifiscents Obsidian
+manufacturer: Shoyeido
+date: 2025-07-01 20:58:00
+time: 8:48 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Matsu no Tomo (Friend of Pine)_Shoyeido_2025-08-09 17:03:00_5:05 PM.md

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+---
+title: Matsu no Tomo (Friend of Pine)
+manufacturer: Shoyeido
+date: 2025-08-09 17:03:00
+time: 5:05 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Morning Star Vanilla_Nippon Kodo_2025-07-31 10:55:00_10:55 AM.md

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+---
+title: Morning Star Vanilla
+manufacturer: Nippon Kodo
+date: 2025-07-31 10:55:00
+time: 10:55 AM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Morning Star Vanilla_Nippon Kodo_2025-08-08 11:25:00_11:25 AM.md

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+---
+title: Morning Star Vanilla
+manufacturer: Nippon Kodo
+date: 2025-08-08 11:25:00
+time: 11:25 AM
+---
+Among the first Japanese incense sticks I ever tried, I've been using this stuff to calm down for twenty years.

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Moss Garden (Nokiba)_Shoyeido_2025-07-09 08:37:00_8:37 AM.md

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+---
+title: Moss Garden (Nokiba)
+manufacturer: Shoyeido
+date: 2025-07-09 08:37:00
+time: 8:37 AM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Moss Garden (Nokiba)_Shoyeido_2025-07-14 12:43:00_12:43 PM.md

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+---
+title: Moss Garden (Nokiba)
+manufacturer: Shoyeido
+date: 2025-07-14 12:43:00
+time: 12:43 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Moss Garden (Nokiba)_Shoyeido_2025-08-14 13:05:00_1:05 PM.md

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+---
+title: Moss Garden (Nokiba)
+manufacturer: Shoyeido
+date: 2025-08-14 13:05:00
+time: 1:05 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Moss Garden_Nokiba_Shoyeido_2024-06-13 21:13:00_9:13 PM.md

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+---
+title: "Moss Garden (Nokiba)"
+manufacturer: Shoyeido
+date: 2025-06-13 21:13:00
+time: 9:13 PM
+---
+

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Official Rammstein Incense Cones_KNOX_2025-06-18 11:46:00_11:46 AM.md

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+---
+title: Official Rammstein Incense Cones
+manufacturer: KNOX
+date: 2025-06-18 11:46:00
+time: 11:46 AM
+---
+Surprisingly nice.

content/now-burning/Now Burning_Pure Australian Sandalwood_Myself_2025-06-19 10:26:00_10:26 AM.md

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+---
+title: Pure Australian Sandalwood
+manufacturer: Myself
+date: 2025-06-18 10:26:00
+time: 10:26 AM
+---
+Just a plain santalum spicatum stick I extruded myself, bound with some guar gum.