Personal on Numeric Citizen Blog

The Best Gift

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 07:24:35 -0400

Today might be one of the few times I visit Facebook¹😔. I’ll do so to acknowledge those who write, “Hi JF, happy birthday, and have a great day.” 🙂 and thank them. Over the years, fewer people bother to run their automated yearly greetings; they know I’m not active on Facebook. However, many, even if they have my phone number, don’t switch to iMessage to send their wishes.😔 True friends acknowledge my stance with Meta and choose to skip Facebook, sending their best wishes the right way. 🫠 Not posting on Facebook to say “hi” is a birthday gift itself. 🎁

I still have a Facebook account but don’t use it; I use it to respond to people who don’t know anything other than Messenger. ↩︎

Mid-August

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 16:05:12 -0400

There are so many small things that differ in August and make this month one of the most enjoyable: the hours of sunlight, the angle of the shadows, the outdoor temperature at sunrise, the reduced humidity, the chirping of crickets in the evening, the air smell, the mild temperature, the vegetation gradually transforming into mature growth that begins to decline. I love everything about August.

About a potential AI bubble

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 07:37:24 -0400

I follow technological news every day, and I’m starting to get nervous about the situation surrounding investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure. This video is particularly revealing and convincing. There’s increasing talk of a tech bubble, much bigger than the dot-com bubble in the early 2000s. What worries me, actually, is the impact of this crisis on my finances. I’ll be retiring in less than 7 years. A financial crisis of the magnitude being predicted would take years to recover from. I wonder if it’s time to reevaluate some of my investment strategies. 🤨

AI and weather map interpretation

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 09:46:52 -0400

I’ve been a weather enthusiast since I was a teenager. At that time, I wanted a weather station (which I got) and manually recorded weather conditions on paper, one page per day with three observations per page (early morning, noon, and before going to bed). It was fun, and I learned a lot in those days. I even met a real meteorologist who was also doing the public radio weather forecast. I was lucky. I still have an interest in weather and climate, but it takes a different form these days.

This morning, I wondered if Claude AI could read a surface conditions map. It can. 🤯 I wonder if today’s meteorologists are using AI to summarize weather conditions.

Canada Weather Snapshot — Friday, July 18, 2026

Valid morning of July 18 (08:00 EDT / 12:00 UTC). A single-moment snapshot, not a forecast.

The big picture

A tale of two countries this morning. A deep summer storm system is spinning over northern Quebec and the Hudson Strait, keeping the Far North unsettled and breezy, while most of southern Canada sits under warm, humid, and comparatively quiet air. The sharpest weather is well to the north; the population belt along the U.S. border is having a mild, muggy summer day.

Region by region

Northern Quebec, Nunavik & Labrador

This is the active zone. A strong low is churning over the region, so expect gusty winds, unsettled skies, and periods of cloud and showers, especially around Ungava Bay and the Hudson Strait. Conditions ease the further south you go.

Southern Quebec & the St. Lawrence Valley

Warm and humid, with a gentle flow of muggy air moving up from the south. Comfortable-to-sticky temperatures and a fair amount of moisture in the air — a typical mid-July feel. Nothing severe on the map here.

Atlantic Canada

Sitting under the influence of a broad ridge of high pressure anchored over the Atlantic and Greenland. That generally means more settled conditions in the east, with the ridge acting as a bit of a wall that keeps systems moving off the continent from barrelling straight through.

The Prairies & Western Interior

A few weak, shallow low-pressure areas are scattered across the Prairies and interior west. These are minor and disorganized — think passing clouds and the odd shower rather than any organized storm. Broadly unremarkable.

British Columbia & the Pacific Coast

Under a mix of weak systems along the coast, with generally mild conditions. No dominant storm feature — a quiet Pacific setup for the day.

The North (Arctic & territories)

Cold air remains locked over the high Arctic, as you’d expect, with the northern Quebec storm being the standout feature. The rest of the territories are relatively calm.

Bottom line

If you’re in southern Canada, it’s a warm, humid, low-drama summer day. If you’re in northern Quebec, Nunavik, or Labrador, keep an eye on the wind and showers from that storm parked overhead. The east is settled thanks to Atlantic high pressure, and the west and Prairies are quiet with only minor disturbances.

Disconnecting for a Short While

Sun, 31 May 2026 07:22:52 -0400

Taking a short break today for a 50 KM bike ride around Montreal Island. The expected weather is cloudy and rather cold, at 12C, with a 40% chance of scattered showers. I wished for better weather, but hey… could be much worse. Have a great day. 🚴🏻‍♂️

Feeling Good

Sat, 30 May 2026 08:38:00 -0400

I feel like I’ve reached a stage where I’ve completed all the projects aimed at improving my digital ecosystem. The native apps I wanted to replace have been replaced, and the new apps perfectly suited to my wishes are now a reality. I’m entering a stage of sporadic fine-tuning. It’s sometimes satisfying not to always have to work on the toolbox and instead simply be in a mode of using these tools.

Doctors Surprising Practice: Texting X-Rays Using WhatsApp

Fri, 22 May 2026 07:19:53 -0400

Our healthcare system does miracles, but it also relies on practices that are sometimes questionable.

Yesterday, when I went to pick up my wife from the hospital after her jaw surgery, she needed to have one last X-ray. The device is the same as at a dentist’s office, with a rotating head that can turn 360 degrees around the patient’s head. This device is connected to a PC running imaging software. Once the X-ray was taken, the doctor examined it and decided to share it with a remote specialist for a second opinion. The method used was quite surprising.

The doctor started Chrome, opened WhatsApp Web, and authenticated with his WhatsApp account on his personal phone. Then? He took a screenshot of the X-ray using Windows’ utility and sent it in a WhatsApp chat with his colleague. It’s an unusual procedure, but it stems from a flaw in the medical imaging software: the lack of a secure messaging feature. Is this approach approved? I doubt it, but I can’t blame the doctor. His action allowed all of us to save time. And what about the quality of the image on the other end? Using the Windows screenshow utility is certainly not the best way to share a detailed view of my wife’s jawbone.

Oh, and another surprise: the PC had a label with a password written on it to enable a recovery function in case of problems. I thought this practice was outdated. Apparently not.

Where Life & Tech Collide

Thu, 21 May 2026 16:34:48 -0400

I have some personal news to share.

Yesterday, my wife had a bike accident that broke her jawbone, among other injuries. She’s currently undergoing surgery, and the next few weeks will be challenging for her.

Here’s what happened:

We usually bike to work. As we were leaving the bike lane, we parted ways to head to our offices. When I arrived at my office, I received an SOS notification on my watch and iPhone. Apparently, she had hit something hard. I tried to call her back, but she couldn’t speak. I assured her I’d go back and pick her up. Using Find My, I discovered she was only 400 meters away from my office. The ambulance eventually arrived because her iPhone automatically called 911. She was quickly taken to the nearest emergency room for examination and treatment. Thankfully, she’s doing well.

Thanks to the iPhone, Apple Watch, and our mutual emergency contact setup, I was immediately notified of the accident and needed to come to her aid. It’s a testament to the power of technology when used responsibly.

An Update About Me

Sun, 10 May 2026 07:51:21 -0400

Just in case you didn’t know, I maintain an extensive “Who Is Numeric Citizen” page, built with Realmac Software Elements and hosted on their hosting service, Elements IO.

In recent days, I made a lot of tweaks and updated some details about me and my digital journey. It’s a bit overwhelming, but I guess it’s reflecting what I’m doing online! 😜

Sometimes I wonder if it is a good practice to put so many details about myself online. In the age of AI, I can imagine bad actors using AI and this website to build malicious impersonation tools.

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 08:26:51 -0400

I will not go see the latest movie about Michael Jackson’s life¹. I know I will be disappointed. Just knowing that the film ends with the Bad tour is a strong indicator of complacency. I do not want to repeat the mistake of seeing the Steve Jobs movie. I would take ten new songs from him from his private recording vault² instead of a bad movie.

Which life anyway? The public life? the private life? A combination of both? ↩︎
I have always wondered why there are so few new songs from MJ since his death. ↩︎

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:54:15 -0400

I need to start organizing a reunion for the university alumni (class of 1990), and the first challenge that arises is: how can we communicate with each other if I don’t want to use a Meta service (WhatsApp, Messenger) and I want to reach as many people as possible without everyone having to become ‘friends’ on Facebook? ☹️

Forty years ago, before the Internet, we used the phone to talk to each other, a service often owned by a single nationwide company. We were okay with that, even if, in some jurisdictions, people talked about a monopoly. Now, it’s very different. What makes this less acceptable to me today? 🤔

For now, we will use Messenger because some people don’t have iPhones and can’t use FaceTime. 🙄

When I Retire...

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 07:50:54 -0400

One of my nieces’ friends works in IT and recently contacted me for advice about his career in this field. This isn’t the first time I’ve received this kind of request. Over the past year, two other colleagues have also asked me for similar career advice. I have to admit, I really enjoy it. I like listening to the concerns of the younger generation and, to the best of my knowledge, advising them to help them flourish even more.

I have over 30 years of experience in IT, and I’m starting to think about retirement and what I will do once my career is over. I have to admit, offering my advice for free to younger people is something I would really love to do.

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 22:58:03 -0400

This weekend, I wanted to work on my next YouTube video, but I fell into this “photo-sharing website for my close family and friends” rabbit hole. It took most of the day to refine that I completely forgot about my video. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 22:52:35 -0400

Ten days into 2026, I have achieved much more than I anticipated. If I maintain this pace, I will complete my list of wild ideas soon. It’s not just about checking items off the list, but also about learning a lot along the way. It’s very fulfilling.

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 23:04:30 -0400

I can confidently say I’ve learned at least one significant new concept every day over the past two to three weeks. It is not only satisfying but also quite stimulating. This will keep me from aging, that’s for sure.

Let's Start 2026!

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 10:45:39 -0400

This is my first post of the year on Micro.blog. Despite the overall global, political, and economic challenges that don’t seem very promising, I am personally looking forward to 2026.

Travel-wise, I have four planned: Egypt, Mexico, France & Thailand. This could also be a productive year for photography. I’m looking forward to those trips as we celebrate our 20-year relationship, my wife and I. 😊

Tech-wise, it’s the year of the iPhone upgrade. After skipping the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17, it’s time to upgrade my capable but aging iPhone 15 Pro Max. I expect to stay on the Max. It could also be the year when I replace my M2 MacBook Air with the M5 version. It will depend on the available money and other factors. Lastly, if Apple finally release a HomePod with a screen, I might get one, too. 💻

I wish you a good one!

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 15:46:55 -0400

What a wonderful weekend in Montreal. The weather is ideal—just the kind that makes fall my favorite season.

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 11:10:48 -0400

I have a one-day holiday vacation on Thursday, right in the middle of the week, and I still have no plans. 🤨 Weather should be perfect, though. 🍁🍂🚲👀

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 08:35:50 -0400

As a blogger and someone curious about many topics, I often feel I miss opportunities to become an expert in certain fields. Generative AI is one example. It gained public attention in the fall of 2022. At that time, when generative AI started to gather attention in the public, I should have recognized this important moment. I should have taken the chance to gather knowledge and organize it like a true researcher. I’m very analytical in general. I ask good questions. I have the tools and the motivation to do this work. Now, it feels overwhelming to catch up.

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 08:57:23 -0400

I’m spending a lot of time online and on my computer each week for my blogs, probably around 10 to 25 hours. I wonder how skilled I could become if I dedicated those hours to learning a new field like psychology or music.

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 20:38:31 -0400

Some are doing vibe coding but me, I’m having a good vibe because of the view. 😬😜

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 07:24:15 -0400

It’s been a while but recent news and trends about AI-based bots trying to ruin the life of psychologically vulnerable people triggered an update to my /nope page.

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 20:36:13 -0400

I often repeat this thought in my head when I’m in challenging times: “everything around me has been done by people not smarter than me.”. It’s inspired by Steve Jobs’ words from an interview he did in the early 1990s, where he was reflecting on how empowering it is to realize that the world is built by people just like us — and that we can reshape it too.

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 08:09:13 -0400

It’s one of those Monday that will take a hard time to get started. 😅 I had such a great weekend. Let’s get this done.

What, You Have a Blog? Really?

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 21:39:55 -0400

I overheard people at the office talking about their weekend activities. I wasn’t in the conversation, but I’m always prepared for those. I never talk about my writing hobby or the many websites I maintain. Most people would find this strange. They’d say things like, “What, you have a blog? Really?” Yes, that’s right. I prefer to skip all that and talk about a walk in the park, in the forest, and maybe about photography. Blogging is like people collecting stamps back in the day. Sad.

Fri, 30 May 2025 16:41:03 -0400

Close to a personal turning point… I find this to be both exciting and unsettling. I’ll probably share more very soon. 🤞🏻

Fri, 30 May 2025 07:38:31 -0400

Since coming back from vacation, my morning routine is simple and is always the same: wake up, make coffee, open up the Mac, read Micro.blog timeline, update the current issue of The Ephemeral Scrapbook, do some photo-processing work, tweak my secret work-in-progress-soon-to-be-revealed website with Elements, and read some news before having breakfast.

Five Years Ago - Confinement

Tue, 06 May 2025 16:49:29 -0400

Five years ago. COVID was hitting hard after two months of confinement. Distant memories already. Hard to believe. I still wear emotional injuries from that time. It wasn’t easy, and nothing really returned to normal since then. With current geopolitical events, things seems different and somewhat worse to some degree. Difficult times, indeed.

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 21:10:24 -0400

I’m excited about the next two days as I will be traveling by train from Montreal to Quebec City. I enjoy train travel between those two cities because it’s relaxing, the scenery is usually beautiful, and the weather should be nice. I appreciate the opportunity to embrace modern technology; I’ll be able to work remotely from my laptop, with my iPhone’s 5G connection to stay productive while on the move.

My Current Incomplete and Troubled Bucket List

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 08:12:23 -0400

While revisiting my writing projects pipeline, I found this unfinished blog post. It’s a bucket list. It was inspired by Manton Reece’s Revisiting 43 Things blog post. Recent comments in italic.

Rent a country house for the whole summer, outside Canada — I would have been in the US, but this plan is on hold, because of Trump’s America.
Get my house renovated — Completed!
Do another trip with my two sons — TBD.
Return to California to see the new Apple headquarters — This plan is on hold, because of Trump’s America.
Visit Chicago — This plan is on hold, because of Trump’s America.
See the launch of a rocket from Space X — Fuck Elon Musk.
Return to Iceland — Most probable.

Given the current political environment, I must carefully reconsider each item on this list and remove the ones that will not happen.

Dear ChatGPT, Describe Me Based on All Our Chats

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 07:01:02 -0400

“👋 I’m a tech veteran by trade, creative by heart. With 30+ years in IT — from data centers to cloud, storage, and security — I help businesses build smarter, more resilient infrastructures. But when the day job ends, my creative side kicks in.

I’m a lifelong Apple fan, blogger, photographer, and content creator who loves blending tech with design. Whether I’m exploring the latest in cybersecurity, testing new apps, or writing about digital privacy, I bring a thoughtful eye and a creative edge.

I believe staying curious — and staying creative — is the best way to thrive in a tech-driven world.”

Not bad.

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 07:53:36 -0400

Shared something really personal today on my Ko-fi page. Available to my dear supporters (yes, I have a few!)

That Question That Keeps Coming Back

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 08:06:44 -0400

For some time now, I’ve had a question that keeps coming back to my mind because I often use Bluesky to express my distress or frustration against Trump, Musk, and the entire little clique of authoritarians at the head of the United States. If, in the near future, the situation in the U.S. deteriorates to the point where government groups start hunting down activists like me, who openly denounce Trump’s authoritarian policies and his inner circle, should I censor myself to avoid any form of persecution when I decide to return to the United States?

I fear the day when bloggers will be hunted down to silence them—or worse, to have them arrested in the name of disrespecting the American presidency. Is it precisely the presidency’s game to instill fear so they can continue their authoritarian actions by manipulating people like me?

Paying Attention

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 08:40:48 -0400

I’m likely spending an excessive amount of time reading the news through various channels and sources. However, given the numerous events unfolding right now that will significantly shape our lives over the next few decades, I believe it’s crucial to pay close attention to them. Regardless of the method, one day, these events will undoubtedly have a clear and immediate impact on me and my loved ones.

Musing About Journaling Goals

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 17:08:03 -0400

I maintain a daily journal at work where I jot down the day’s highlights. I write about what went well, the current challenges I’m facing, and any opportunities to do something different. I also note the clients I spoke to and the reasons behind it. I’ve been doing this for a while now, but I never refer to the journal once it’s written. It’s just a dump of my thoughts.

I wonder why I’m doing this. I think the act of writing it down is the ultimate goal, not the end results. It’s the same with my personal journal. I rarely write in it, but I do occasionally. I rarely, if ever, refer to it. Why is that?

Now, let’s talk about blogging. Why is all that? Is there a pattern here?

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 14:43:23 -0400

It’s the type of day where I would have liked to work in a coffee shop, but I can’t because I’m working for my job doing some extra time. We’re not allowed to work client’s documents in public spaces.

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 08:05:23 -0400

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday about our respective hobbies as content creators. He’s quite into YouTube, while I’m more into writing. At one point, we discussed the importance of being transparent with our employers about our hobbies. Since we share our content publicly, we should consider informing our HR department, at least according to him. I’m not entirely convinced about this, though. Nobody really knows about what I’m doing online with my blogs and YouTube channel. According to my friend, it might be a positive thing that my HR department is aware of what I’m doing because this puts me in a different class of employee, even my boss should know.

I’m still contemplating whether this is a requirement or not. After all, my hobbies don’t negatively affect my job, so why should I discuss my personal pursuits when I’m not working?

Sat, 25 Jan 2025 08:53:57 -0400

So I launched my personal website in French yesterday by writing a very short post on my Facebook account. Many people visited the blog for sure, and got one message via Messenger from a guy that I barely know. A few of my closest friends wrote to me, those I selected to a get a peek before the “official” launch. It’s fun to connect without all the usual noise.

On a different note, I spend 2 minutes looking at my Facebook timeline and boy this is junk. I don’t understand why people are still paying attention to Facebook. What a cancer.

Dear, Will You Read My Blog?

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 16:10:46 -0400

Me: “My new French blog is nearly ready to go live. Will you read it?"

Her: “Well, yeah, sure, but how will I know there is something new to read?"

Me: “Well, you just have to go to the website, just like you read the news."

Her: “Mmm, but it’s not the same. I have to remember the website’s address. Can you send notifications instead?"

Me: “Well, I’m not sure this would fit the idea of a blog, but you just need to save it as a bookmark. Also, I can show you a great RSS reader?"

Her: “🤔"

Me: “It’s an app where you can read blog posts. There are many great ones for your iPhone or iPad."

Her: “Well, yeah, but I must remember to open it just to see if something is new?"

Me: “Yes, exactly, just like when you open up your favourite news website or when you just tap on the Facebook icon on your iPad…"

Her: “🤨"

Me: “If there was a weekly newsletter, would it be ok for you to read it?"

Her: “That would be better, for sure, but… you know… I already get so many emails!"

Me: “M’ok, but my hosting service doesn’t provide a newsletter feature. Maybe I could just tell you: there is something new on my blog that you might find interesting because I wrote a story about you."

Her: “👩🏻‍💻"

The challenges a blogger may face can be unpredictable.

Putting Something Out There

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 14:23:27 -0400

I’m about to start a recording session for my next video about Craft and the PARA method. I wonder: why am I doing this? Is it because it might help Craft users to better take advantage of the app features? Is it because I just like being in a creative process? Is it because I love working on the Mac using different apps together to put something out there? Is it all the reasons above? Or is it simply because it provides a subtle reminder of being human is being creative and putting something out there? Maybe I’m asking myself too many questions.

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 10:37:56 -0400

I NEVER take and share pictures of cats… but this one living in the building where I’m currently staying for a few months 🤩… worth enough to push to Pixelfed, too!

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 10:06:59 -0400

Returning to work this morning is really hard and cumbersome after two weeks of intense personal life. I really disconnected from work. So, I mostly forgot about my passwords, my pending items when I left back in late December. Is this what we call “work & life balance”?

I’m Getting Old Apparently

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 18:12:49 -0400

I old enough to be one of those who witnessed the birth of MTV and music videos… but I rarely watch those these days… but today, I decided to spend some time watching what’s « hot ». A few observations are in order: video duration is short (less than 3 min), hyper-short scenes abuse (less than two seconds in duration), 4:3 screen ratio is strange (is this a thing now?)… I barely can stand this shit now. I’m getting old, I guess.

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 15:22:50 -0400

The cool thing about our new (and temporary) apartment is that, both my wife and me, have the feeling of being traveling somewhere in the world¹. We stay right beside a beautiful park with a lot of mature trees. I already see myself going out to do some photography. Too bad it’s winter time, though. 🤷🏻‍♂️

We often travel to places, rent an Airbnb for a week, so that we can feel being part of a small community. It’s really a nice feeling making the whole thing more bearable.

We are 1km from our house! ↩︎

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 13:58:08 -0400

My new home office for the next three months. Not bad at all.

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 13:02:55 -0400

And we’re finally settled in our temporary apartment. Now, it’s time to explore the surroundings, including marking coffee shops and restaurants that I plan to try over the course of the next three months. I started using Apple Maps Guides for this. Not super intuitive but it does the job. I shared the guide with my wife.

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 09:17:50 -0400

Thought and sentiment of the moment: my sheer physical exhaustion makes my mental exhaustion more bearable.

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 14:33:11 -0400

I’m moving to a new (temporary) apartment in two days. It’s the first time in 17 years that I’m changing places. It’s crazy how much we gather over the years. We’re giving out a lot of stuff (also selling on FB Marketplace). It’s like spring-cleaning, right in the middle of winter!

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 13:25:03 -0400

Fun fact: I often play “Did You Know?” with my wife to let her know about special features on her Apple Watch, iPad or other tech devices. She doesn’t like to remember things and the fact that many things are hidden by default in the Apple ecosystem.

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 18:00:36 -0400

Now I feel bad about this. 😔

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:58:38 -0400

It’s the time of the year where I feel the best action is “mark all as read”… 🫤

Sat, 21 Dec 2024 14:58:00 -0400

Always fun to learn something about Micro.blog while recording the “What’s Up With Micro.blog” video. 🤭 Stay tuned for those who might be interested.

Craft & Gumroad - A Match in Heaven?

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 08:41:49 -0400

I’be been trying to build a small business around Craft using Gumroad in the last 18 months. So far, it’s a hit or miss. I’m currently having paying 20 subscribers for The Craft Bible¹. I sold quite a few Craft templates, too. I have many more ideas for 2025 to continue to grow this offering. Yet, it won’t replace my day job.

I like Gumroad as a selling platform but also for writing articles and sharing them with my customers. This is not something that I planned on doing when I started, but I must admit that it’s fun to build a small community around an app like Craft, away from the public scrutiny of Reddit and Slack. Today, I shared a long op-ed article on my feelings about Craft. It’s a long piece that I took quite some time to write. I’m quite happy with the results. I can’t wait for user reactions and feedback.

I’m currently running a promotion until the end of December where new subscribers to The Craft Bible get a one-week trial. To my surprise, It is not attracting more subscriptions. I must be doing something wrong. ↩︎

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 18:47:48 -0400

I declare my year-long goal of resisting to join Threads to be accomplished.

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 09:38:26 -0400

It’s easier for me to discover (and like) a new photographer than discovering a new writer. Information absorption is faster in photography.

Sat, 09 Nov 2024 12:17:24 -0400

In a few hours, I’m flying from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Interesting fact: Florida is one of the states who most massively voted for Trump. Thankfully, I’m staying there less than 24 hours.

Sat, 26 Oct 2024 10:35:24 -0400

I’m in a writing lull. Not too many things worth writing about, I guess. So, I focus on photography.

Sat, 12 Oct 2024 13:20:50 -0400

Perfect day for a long road trip. I’m going to a music show close to New York City: Sting.

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 11:38:24 -0400

I have a love & hate relationship with the US as a country. Going to Las Vegas today for a four-day business trip falls in the “hate” part because I think we cannot have those Las Vegas cities any longer. This city is everything but real. I hate to see our resources spoiled like that.

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 08:03:42 -0400

“On your birthday, only do what you like the most and fuck the rest.” — Numeric Citizen

Hello Again, Facebook!

Sat, 31 Aug 2024 14:36:50 -0400

Today, I posted something on Facebook; and honestly, it felt weird. I can’t remember exactly when I last wrote on Facebook. I also had this symptom of missing out on things from my old colleagues and friends just by glancing at my timeline for a few minutes. It felt heavy. My post was about telling my “Facebook friends” about the two sites where I share my photos online: Glass and Pixelfed. I don’t know if people will take time off their busy lives to visit or even bookmark the sites. I shouldn’t care about that. Those who pay attention might even notice a link to my digital hub, where I share all my other sites. Because I’m curious, I’ll return back to Facebook in a few days to see if I got some comments. I’ll report back here in any case.

Memories

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 13:29:44 -0400

Today is my mother’s 91st birthday. She passed away 18 months ago, but the memories of her remain vivid. This morning, my iPhone suggested a video memory highlighting cherished moments with her, which nearly brought me to tears. Time may have flown by, but my affection for her endures, even though I wasn’t that close to her, not has much as I would have liked. One of my last photos of her. 😔

Trying to Find Comforting Thoughts

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 07:02:39 -0400

Manuel Moreale reflecting on one hundred people who took the time to sign his guestbook (I did):

It’s the number of people who have taken a few minutes out of their busy lives to write something on my guestbook. One hundred doesn’t seem a lot in the grand scheme of things, especially on the web. If you have one hundred followers you might as well have zero. One hundred views on a YouTube video? That’s nothing. You need at least one hundred thousand to be part of the conversation. And yet, I find one hundred signatures in a guestbook to be a lot. Can you imagine having one hundred people in front of you, all saying something to you, one after the other? It would feel overwhelming.

I often think about this. Just like Manuel, I have a blog, a YouTube channel, a podcast (sort of). Globally, my follower counts are very low (even lower than Manuel’s) when looked through the Internet scale lens, but if those people were in front of me, in the same room, that would be quite something else. I find this thought to be comforting.

Sat, 13 Jul 2024 11:02:16 -0400

I support LGBTQ+ cause. I read MacStories story about Threads murky management of controversial posts. My personal take is simplicistic: stop using Meta platforms. I do understand that for some people to be heard, they want to be on Meta’s platforms, though.

Sat, 13 Jul 2024 01:52:25 -0400

It’s time for me to return home, sadly. This vacation has been one of the best at many levels. I feel rejuvenated mentally and physically. I’ll use flight time (ten hours) to reflect on my time here in Croatia and to look forward to resume my blogging and creative activities.

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 16:56:35 -0400

Reddit can be a toxic environment, with bullies and users who aggressively enforce their views on what is appropriate content for a specific subreddit. Today is a bad day for me. 😞 How should I react to this?

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 07:37:57 -0400

I just created a quick poll on my Ko-fi page! I want to know, “how did you discover me?” Please, fill it in, the post is public! Thanks.

Mon, 20 May 2024 14:24:21 -0400

Slowly but surely, I’m refining my use case for my Ko-fi page: more personal stories and content, something that I don’t share elsewhere. The very small paywall makes me feel comfortable to share this kind of content. When I get millions of supporters, I might revisit this, but until then, I’m glad of doing what I’m doing there¹.

Of course, if you want to support me and my creative work, you’ll make me even happier! ↩︎

Fri, 17 May 2024 14:06:30 -0400

Since getting my new iPad, I decided that this would be the only device that I use when eating launch because it is smaller and I reduce the risk of food falling on my MacBook Air keyboard. 😩

Mon, 13 May 2024 07:37:17 -0400

Posted a photo on my Ko-fi page this morning. It’s for supporters only. I shared some thoughts about street photography. I decided to use that page to share more personal stories that I don’t share elsewhere. It’s only the beginning. It will take time to open up more. It’s a journey.

Sun, 12 May 2024 14:43:48 -0400

My old camera is up for sale on eBay (link). Just saying. If interested, let’s talk hello@numericcitizen.me. Tell me you saw this on Micro.blog (or Mastodon / Bluesky).

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 17:41:55 -0400

We’re closing in on the weekend. Sadly, I have a lot to do, and it isn’t really creative work, but so many boring errands and stuff. I don’t see when this trend will reverse itself. We are preparing an home improvement project and I can see a lot that needs to be done if we want to meet our deadlines. Oh well. At least, there is a drink coming up soon.

Never Tamper Someone's Desire for Creative Tools

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 10:12:17 -0400

My wife gave me a surprisingly mildly negative reaction this morning when I shared with her my intention of getting a Nikon Zf mirrorless camera before going to Croatia this summer. Not because it’s not the best camera for this situation, no, because I already own an iPhone 15 Pro Max and a Nikon D750. 😩 But, I could get rid of my D750 or keep it but bring the Zf with me instead. I find it a bit sad that someone can put a break on someone else’s desire for creative tools. I’ll talk to her tonight after work.

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 10:04:19 -0400

I find this fascinating that yesterday, I was in such bad mood about a lot of things (work life, personal life) and now, today, after a good night, I’m feeling much more upbeat! I can’t tell why because I don’t know. Human mind is a complete mystery. 😌

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 18:24:04 -0400

To be honest, I’m doing only half of what I’d like to accomplish. And I’m being optimistic. So much to do, to learn and explore, so little time.

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 10:27:52 -0400

This is such a busy week, both professionally and personally. So much to do. With Apple Vision Pro arriving in the user’s hands, this creates a lot of buzz, and I don’t want to miss anything (reviews, videos, etc.). These reviews are more interesting than Apple’s controller media briefings, which are held in highly controlled environments. And, I have many YouTube videos in preparation, as well as my usual stuff. 😅👨🏻‍💻

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 08:33:02 -0400

I’m feeling a bit all mixed up this morning after reading an email from “a fan” (his words), being so appreciative of my work but also telling me he won’t be around much longer to appreciate my creative journey because of his health issues. I find this heartbreaking and a reminder that nothing is eternal 😔. I’m unsure how to frame my reply beyond saying, “Thank you.”

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 07:49:39 -0400

Weekend done. I spent a significant part of it on my Mac doing things, mostly creative things. And guess what? I have no regrets. I did what I loved the most. Have a great week to you all! And do what you like!

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 15:10:02 -0400

I’m spending my Friday afternoon writing documents for a big project at work. Even at work, I write a lot, which is a creative process, but in a different context. My personal hobbies nourish my creativity at work. Or the other way around. I don’t know. I like my job. My hobbies. My creative life. 😌

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 09:23:06 -0400

While many are ordering the pricey Apple Vision Pro, I bought tickets for the Madonna show in Montreal, Canada. It is much cheaper and is a lifetime experience.¹

First time I see her show. Not a super big fan, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. ↩︎

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 18:47:18 -0400

One more yearly subscription to my website¹ and one more subscriber to The Craft Bible². It’s a good day for me. I don’t have thousands of subscribers (yet), and they all count as if they were my first one. 😻

Hosted on Ghost. ↩︎
Hosted on Gumroad. ↩︎

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 08:29:14 -0400

Here’s another reason to be sad this morning. 😔 Over the past two years, I’ve invested much of my time and effort in building my digital space and presence in Craft. I spend numerous hours posting things and answering questions in the user community. I’ve become a Craft enthusiast or ambassador. One day, someone even asked me if I was working for Craft. I’m not. I don’t want to be paid. But what I want is a better collaboration with the team over there. I’d like to create videos about new releases that would be shared simultaneously as they come out. I’ve asked them, and they didn’t accept my offer. I’ve built The Craft Bible. I’ve created The Craft Feature Request Board. I’ve created content that best exemplifies Craft use cases. I get no real support from the Craft team. They fail to take advantage of me being this sort of Craft ambassador, and they could “use me” to help spread the Craft message out there¹. I don’t understand why they pass over this opportunity. Capacities, a direct competitor to Craft, is doing the opposite. They have this woman who creates tutorials and other types of content and gets referenced in the Capacities release notes! That’s cool and useful for the community. But not Craft. Is this a corporate culture issue? Maybe. I just don’t get it. It’s frustrating. Maybe I should let it go and move on.

Sorry for the rant this morning.

They used to have a community manager but he barely shows up in the community. ↩︎

Sat, 13 Jan 2024 11:32:04 -0400

Gearing up for video recording… smile, please. 😁

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 10:52:18 -0400

It’s the type of work day where I get to meet hyper-brilliant and knowledgeable people, which makes me feel like I have so much more to learn. 😌

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 08:15:19 -0400

Introspection time: I chose to be in IT because I thought it was much easier to deal with computers than humans. I’m not an introvert, though, far from it. But, it happened without explicit thought back in the day. After 30 years in IT, I still think the same, and I often say that the challenge in the information technology field is not about technology per se, but it’s mostly about human issues with technology. Ironically, most of my job today is to build teams of people to make things happen. I’m still focused on technology, but in reality, I try to ensure that all members of a team work towards the same objectives. I’m pretty good about it and people are appreciative of my work. How ironic.

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 09:53:59 -0400

My return to work went well, but I’m busy and having difficulty balancing my time between project delivery and staying up-to-date in my IT field. It’s one of my biggest challenges. 😑

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 21:21:10 -0400

Going back to work tomorrow after a two-week break that was much needed. Now, I know what’s awaiting me tomorrow. It’s a fuckin busy agenda. 😳 I refrained all weekend from connecting to my office email. Sure, I could have done a pre-cleanup and say: ok, it’s not that bad. But I didn’t do it. Why? Because my mailbox would have been cleaner, yeah, but not my mental charge, would have been 🤯. It was a good decision to stay partly innocent. ☝🏻

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 12:30:26 -0400

This year, my writing habits will be impacted by my desire to spend more time interacting with the community here. Reaching out and connecting might lead to new opportunities and writing triggers.

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 09:23:32 -0400

I’m getting a few more days of vacation and looking forward to practicing my DJ skills to conclude my breakaway from my usual creative activities.

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 09:54:02 -0400

It’s the time of the year where the page is white, everything feels possible and in its place. It’s up to me to decide how 2024 will unroll as a creator.

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 18:00:00 -0400

I wish you all a happy new year! May 2024 be a better one than what 2023 was. It shouldn’t be that hard. Peace.

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 16:39:38 -0400

Each year, at about the same period, I always feel a return of my desire for photography. It is as if photography is always the thing I drop first when I’m busy in life, preferring to keep the rest (writing, blogging). I hope this will change a bit in 2024.

Sat, 23 Dec 2023 09:37:57 -0400

Here are my five goals for 2024, as posted on my personal landing page.

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 18:03:27 -0400

One week left to work before “vacations”. 🥴

Sun, 03 Dec 2023 18:55:24 -0400

I had many personal goals for this week-end¹, a week-end already coming to a conclusion. I’m happy to report that they were all met! I feel good about this. 😊

Goals that don’t always align with my creative hobbies. But that is ok. ↩︎

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 19:20:56 -0400

Touch down. I’m back from Las Vegas! What a ride. What a city! I’m not loving everything about this place for sure. 😐

Some Must-Needed Changes to My (Too Many) About Pages

Sat, 21 Oct 2023 11:19:39 -0400

Today, I’m removing my digital garden content. The most valuable parts were moved to my About Page, and the rest has been dropped. Both of these pages are created and maintained in Craft. I like the idea of Digital Gardens, but it’s not practical for me to maintain on top of this blog and my other websites. Again, it’s time to focus.

Next up, should I get rid of my Linktr.ee page?¹,² 🤔 And, why does my Micro.blog about page is empty? 🤨

I know what you think. I have probably way too many websites. And I would respond: yeah, you are right. ↩︎
Linktr.ee offers great design tools and useful analytics. I’m not ready to drop those. ↩︎

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 07:21:37 -0400

I’m going to the office by bike today. 🚴🏻‍♂️ With this splendid weather¹, probably the last such beautiful and warm day of this fall, I’m really looking forward to this half-hour ride downtown Montreal.

We’ve been in a very long streak of warm and sunny weather, something like 10 days of sunshine. ↩︎

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 14:39:04 -0400

Since 9/11 in 2001, I look up every time I hear a plane in the sky. Every single time. And I’m Canadian. 😔 ¹

And I have the profound feeling that we didn’t learn anything about these events. ↩︎

Sat, 09 Sep 2023 07:46:35 -0400

Early mornings are my favourite creative moments… everyone is asleep, and it is super quiet in the house. 😊👨🏻‍💻

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 19:02:10 -0400

Fifty-six. 56. Already. 🧁

September

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 08:43:29 -0400

This is my favourite month of the year¹. It’s my birthday month². The weather is generally absolutely amazing³. Gone are muggy and hazy days; the air is crystal clear. It’s a transition month. It is a colourful month. It’s an Apple keynote month! I am looking forward to this long week-end with my family. Expect a few images, too. An happy guy! 😃

It dates back to my childhood where it September marked the return to school. ↩︎
Born on the 4th. ↩︎
Weather forecasts for the upcoming days are just brilliant with sunshine and a bit hotter-than-usual temperatures. ↩︎

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 11:54:29 -0400

Working at the office today. Summer vacations are still ongoing hence so few people here. It’s always a reminder of the covid pandemic. This place used to be much more lively. Everything still feels different. 😒 We will never get back to pre-2020 world.

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 21:17:37 -0400

It’s funny and cool how I’m slowly but surely rebuilding my social graph with people who fled X to Mastodon and Pixelfed. I feel at home again.

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 19:44:44 -0400

Thought of the day: sometimes, what you decide not to do is as important as what you decide to do! For bloggers and writers, for me at least, writing is fundamental to my existence, publishing and sharing, a lot less. I have many unfinished pieces that probably will never be shared with the world. And that is ok.

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 20:52:25 -0400

👉🏻 Thought of the day: when people put responsibility for solving the climate crisis and the like on the governments and big companies, it’s a clever (or not so clever way) to NOT take responsibility as an individual. It’s too easy.

Governments & companies are made of and operated by people, for god sake! No willingness by the people, individually or in a government, produces the exact same result: no action. But what action can we take as an individual, you might ask? Revisit your consumption habits might eventually help. Less consumption = less need for recycling. Simple.

Meanwhile: the planet IS burning.

Feeling Helpless About Climate

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 18:15:37 -0400

Due to Canada’s forest fires and easterly winds, bad air quality is returning to my town for the next few days. With all the bad climate-related news coming up from everywhere on Earth, trying to understand what is happening is essential, so we can better adapt our lifestyle. I like to read many things on a subject that I find interesting, but climate change topic is utterly depressing. The planet is clearly slowly burning. All indicators are going in the wrong direction. How can we not feel helpless? It’s hard to stay informed and keep faith in humanity. Prove me wrong.

Sat, 08 Jul 2023 07:51:20 -0400

Writing an email to a long-time friend. What a joyful experience. I like the slowness of the process. It’s like blogging. ⌨️

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 07:14:59 -0400

I wish I had a blog about my professional life. I rarely share anything work-related here. Yet, there are soooo many juicy stories to talk about in professional life in general. I won’t do it because a few people at work know about “numericcitizen”… it could be prejudicial.

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 19:55:17 -0400

I don’t know if it is because I’m getting older, but I have more and more trouble and aversion with high-velocity feeds coming from platforms like Mastodon (when following tags like #WWDC during the dub dub week). I prefer the slowness of Micro.blog’s feed or a simple articles reading session.

Mon, 29 May 2023 08:31:49 -0400

Mentally, my creative hobbies take as much energy as my daytime work. I find it surprising how easily I can go from one world to another and back so easily.

Where I’ve Been

Mon, 29 May 2023 07:03:21 -0400

To follow the trend started with Manton from Micro.blog, here’s my list of countries I visited.

🇺🇸 United States
🇲🇽 Mexico
🇨🇺 Cuba
🇩🇴 Republic Dominica
🇯🇲 Jamaica
🇦🇷 Argentina
🇧🇷 Brazil
🇺🇾 Uruguay
🇫🇷 France
🇪🇸 Spain
🇵🇹 Portugal
🇦🇹 Austria
🇨🇿 Czechia
🇳🇱 Netherland
🇬🇧 England
🇮🇸 Iceland
🇦🇪 UAE
🇮🇹 Italy
🇧🇪 Belgium
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇩🇪 Germany
🇨🇭 Switzerland
🇬🇷 Greece
soon 🇲🇦 Morocco

Sun, 21 May 2023 08:36:04 -0400

I visited my university yesterday, where I studied computer science from 1987 to 1993 (B. Sc, M. Sc.). So it’s been 30 years since my last visit there. What a strange feeling to be there after all those years. Lots of vivid memories popped up just by being there! I wish I could go back in time.

Mon, 01 May 2023 07:35:57 -0400

I had such a busy creative weekend, to the point where I wonder if I did too much. I mean, I didn’t see most of the weekend. It was raining most of the time, and I had those videos and articles that I wanted to move forward. On the positive side, I feel that my ideas backlog is more than ever in control.

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 10:15:47 -0400

I started writing my 2023 year summary, and I must candidly admit that I’m proud of my digital accomplishment so far. 😊 You won’t notice, but a lot is going on… you know, this iceberg 🧊 image where most of it is underwater, only to see a small portion on the surface?

Sat, 15 Apr 2023 19:42:35 -0400

Coming back from vacations. 🛬 Returning to normal programming this week. Vacations are always a great opportunity to disconnect and let new ideas pop up.

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 13:23:50 -0400

Still alive. Only on vacation. 😎

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 22:06:09 -0400

A special message to all the people who expressed their support for the loss of my mother. It really means a lot, even though I don’t know you personally. Thanks.

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 21:46:45 -0400

I’m back. Mostly. It was an enduring experience to see my mom go as she did. It was an unintentional instructional experience too. Life has many lessons in store for us. We just have to open our minds and our heart. Easier said than done.

Writing is part of the healing process, I guess.

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 12:50:24 -0400

Well, expect a change of mood for the next couple of days. It’s seems that my mother, 89, is at the very end of her road. Not only that was expected but also I’m relieved somehow. 😔

Getting Ready for the Holidays and my Next Trip

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 12:24:59 -0400

Closing out my working session with my office for the holidays. What a year it was. Now is the time to finally get ready for Christmas and everything that comes with it. Next, on December 26th, we’re leaving Canada for Brasil and our first cruise trip in five years! 😅