To everyone he meets,
He stays a stranger.
With every move he makes,
Another chance he takes...

In my last post, I wrote how I submitted to Big Tech's hegemony. It was never set well within me; my phone and laptop were no longer my own; prowlers sifted through my things. I bristled—and yet, if I'm adopting the Cricut universe (AND I REALLY HAVE), shouldn't I bend the knee to the cybernetic monoliths?

Last night, after updating, installing, loading tools, enabling a theme, and cleaning up Windows 10 with stuff like the ever-helpful community version of Bloatbox, it hit me that on a subconscious level, I had spent HOURS molding Windows 10 to look and function like Linux Mint 20.2 Cinnamon. When I took a step back and saw this, I laughed and knew what had to be done. And since Inkscape runs more smoothly on Linux, I would only need the MS/Android/iOS software to connect to the hardware and ignore the Cricut editor's limited-functionaity-with-a-high-dollar-price-tag-for-content app. I would find a way to make the connectivity work even if I had to grab a Microsoft test VM (I would later apply Cricut's iPad app).

Now, I'm not a strong Inkscape user. I've always been more of a raster graphics guy: Gimp, Photoshop, Jasc Paint Shop Pro and a litany of others. It amuses me that I spent more time with an application like Inkscape when I was 12-14 than I did in all the years thereafter. I just looked into it: CorelDRAW still exists these days; it's like a taste of a lost childhood memory, one of the few, remaining vestiges of a childhood-to-adulthood transition in a backdrop of commercial printing...

(I miss the aroma of commercial printing ink, something that once was as common as smelling supper before a family meal.)

While vector graphics aren't a strength of mine, it's gonna be in my wheelhouse soon. On YouTube, I ran across Inkscape Ultimate Quickstart Guide for Beginners: How to Use Inkscape Course + Tools Tutorials; it seems to provide a promising overview for me to explore further.

My time on Windows wasn't a complete loss for I found a fun theme for Chromium-based browsers: Cyberpunk. Run it! It flows naturally with my current site design.

And yes, I'm back on email with my own domain name, something I really enjoy! I really do prefer Tutanota over ProtonMail (CLEARLY more than Gmail). Knowing that I've paid €12 for the ENTIRE year and I'M DONE is a comfort, compared to the monthly $5 hanging over my head each month with PM.

Lastly, I share this clip off of YouTube. I ran it on my TV last night as I worked. It is mesmerizing and analogous to 2020's meditation work. This FEELS like an Expedition.

YouTube Link