Authentic personal narratives, life lessons, and reflections on growth, relationships, and the human experience
This category features honest, vulnerable, and thought-provoking personal content including:
These personal narratives aim to connect through shared human experiences, offering both entertainment and insight. While subjective in nature, these stories may resonate with your own journey and perhaps offer a new perspective on life's complexities.
Dolly Parton died today, and it's no surprise how much it's hit me. I never met her. I have no business grieving like this. But some people shape you from a distance, and you don't notice how much until they're gone.
I did not grow up in Pittsburgh.
I still remember sitting cross-legged on the floor of my childhood living room, completely mesmerized as Madmartigan swung his sword across our family TV screen. Yesterday, on April 1, 2025, when I heard that Val Kilmer had passed away at 65 from pneumonia, it felt like losing an old friend who had been with me through every chapter of my life.
With yesterdya's new of the passing of Carl Dean, the beloved husband of Dolly Parton,
In the ever-evolving world of technology, few names shine as beacons of both innovation and social advocacy quite like Timnit Gebru. A prominent figure in the fields of artificial intelligence and ethics in technology, Gebru is not only a trailblazer in programming but also a staunch advocate for equality and civil rights.
Hello everyone! Ris here. As we embark on a fresh year, I've decided to share some personal goals I'm setting for myself. This isn't just a New Year's resolution; it's more of a roadmap for personal growth and fulfillment. My mission revolves around three core objectives: writing more frequently, enhancing my overall health, and being a better father and partner.
Twitter's been part of my daily routine for years — sharing code snippets, career insights, and connecting with the tech community. But recent changes have me rethinking where I spend my digital energy.
It's official: I'm starting a new job with General Dynamics (@GDMS). After nine incredible years at Barkley (@BarkleyUs, @BarkleyREI), it's time to turn the page to a new chapter.
Sometimes the best way forward is to go back to your roots. After 24 years of web hosting adventures - from the wild west days of Geocities to premium shared hosting - I'm taking a step that feels both nostalgic and revolutionary: moving to GitHub Pages.
If I could sit down with my 25-year-old self over coffee, I'd probably start with "relax, you're going to be okay." Then I'd spend the next three hours frantically trying to download two decades of hard-earned wisdom before the timeline paradox kicked in.
Three years into my first corporate job, I found myself in a bathroom stall at 2 PM, fighting back tears after yet another meeting where my ideas were dismissed without consideration. I'd spent months trying to adapt to the company culture, modifying my communication style, tempering my enthusiasm, and generally trying to become someone I thought they wanted me to be.
They told me that my son was a gift to science. They told me that I should abort. They told me to donate his remains to the hospital for research so that some good could come from his condition.
Every few years, life forces you to confront a fundamental question: what principles actually guide your decisions when everything else falls away?
This series will focus on answering direct questions. I do not promise to answer every question received, but I do promise that every answer will be honest, sometimes brutally so. When applicable, I will provide links to resources, but most of the responses will be derived directly from past experiences, and stories.
