# Welcome There's no place like home! 🏡 G'day, I'm [Alex](https://alexhe.io) 🙋‍♂️. Welcome to [`rakuen (楽園)`](https://wiki.alexhe.io/), my digital garden, paradise, Eden or whatchamacallit. This personal wiki serves as a personal knowledge base where I share everything I know about this world in the form of an [online GitBook](https://wiki.alexhe.io/) hosted on [GitHub](https://github.com/ioalex/garden). I also share a fair bit about myself throughout the wiki. I coined this place `rakuen` because it sounds cool and the definition is rather fitting. > 楽園: any place of complete bliss and delight and peace ![Waterfall in the Japanese Gardens of Portland /r/EarthPorn](/files/uFZ9DDzNl7gMZqQL3Wmb) Make yourself feel at home! Feel free to [let me know you came along](https://ctt.ac/fomO8). ## Inspiration * [Nikita Voloboev](https://wiki.nikitavoloboev.xyz/) - heavy inspiration, really like what he's done so I've shamelessly copied a lot of what Nikita done. * [Brennan Letkeman](https://ltkmn.gitbook.io/brendex/) - another heavy inspiration * [Maggie Appleton](https://maggieappleton.com/garden) - my first introduction to the concept of a *digital garden*. ## General Disclaimer Everything here is subject to change. ## Support Me You can support me by [Buy\[ing\] Me a Coffee here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dotalex) or using the big blue button below provided by Ko-fi. Any proceeds are greatly appreciated and a currently undecided portion will be going directly to various charities every month. [![Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com](https://cdn.ko-fi.com/cdn/kofi1.png?v=3)](https://ko-fi.com/K3K47FJGA) # Meta Here you'll find all the notes that I am willing to share publicly. I continuously update them so this wiki will be like a reflection of my brain. I also use these notes myself for my own reference. Each folder is a [topic that can include other topics](https://github.com/ioalex/garden/blob/main/SUMMARY.md) under it related to the parent topic. Again, I will be updating this wiki quite often as I use it myself daily both to keep an account of things I know as well as things I want to know and everything in-between. Note: Content is in Australian English. You may notice subtle differences in spelling if you're not from around these parts eg. color & colour. # From the Start the story so far... 🌱 My name is Alex He. I was born during Autumn / Fall of 1998 in Melbourne, Australia.
let's play!
## Early Years * I went to public school and started a year late. * I was raised by two hard working immigrant parents and was the designated translator for the family - often signing my own school forms, *ssh*. * My father was strict when it came to education and would teach me mathematics and English after school which helped me get ahead of the class early on. In Year 3, my parents enrolled my brother and I in tuition programs which I can't say I enjoyed at the time. However now looking back I recognise that they bolstered my foundations and probably contribute to my overall confidence when it comes to learning new things. * I had school for six days a week as my Saturdays would involve reluctantly going to Chinese Language schooling - which most ABCs (a local abbreviation for Australian-born Chinese) were forced to attend. I disliked attending school on a weekend and often treated it as a social outing as there were many like-minded kids. * My favourite school subject was Integrated Studies. I remember sketching *gadgets* and *inventions* (influenced by [Zac Power](https://www.goodreads.com/series/61701-zac-power-classic) books and the [Back to the Future](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/) trilogy) in IS class. I was convinced that I'd become an inventor and that I would change the world. * I was an athletic kid and was generally quite good at most [sports](/topics/sports), though I sucked at sports like soccer / football that required a high-level of foot coordination. * Growing up I had a decent amount of Lego at home, most of which was of the [Bionicles](https://www.ebay.com.au/b/LEGO-Bionicle-Complete-Sets-Packs/19006/bn_7013688011?mkevt=1\&mkcid=1\&mkrid=705-53470-19255-0\&campid=5338596835\&customid=\&toolid=10001) line. I played a lot of video games, namely the mainline Pokémon series - emulating the earlier titles (pre-4th gen.) using [VisualBoyAdvance](https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/VisualBoyAdvance) which I would share with the other kids at school as if I were some kind of dealer. * I also played games like Club Penguin, RuneScape and MapleStory, making anonymous friends online. * I attribute an early introduction to the concept of supply and demand entirely to RuneScape. * I recall hiding my Nintendo DS behind music sheets because I was so into Final Fantasy IV, playing it in-between intervals of piano practice - yes, I see now how this was a dumb idea. * At some point I was introduced to [Pivot Animator](https://www.pivotanimator.net/Download.php) after watching [Xiao Xiao animations](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eplAQ3fEr8M) (Zhu Zhiqiang) on YouTube. Using Pivot 2.27, I would create fight scenes and comedy sketches using stick figure assets from the now defunct Droidz website. ## Growing Up # Uses A list of hardware and software that I use on a regular basis. I can be a bit of a pedant when it comes to the things I use. People who know me, know that I am usually quite frugal, however when it comes to my daily drivers, I don't mind spending the extra coin. My purchasing principle is usually as follows: If I think and feel that an item can add value to my life and that (often most importantly) that value outweighs the price tag, then in my eyes it is worth the money. The value I typically look for is **convenience**; *does this item make my life easier?* *How much time can I save by using this item?* I thought it would be fun to list out everything that I use here. Furthermore, doing something like this allows me to take a step back and look at what I already have, so that I can: 1. Be grateful 2. Stop buying more shit 3. Look at what can be improved I frequently change aspects of my setup / what constitutes as my daily drivers so I will try my best to keep this page updated. ## Hardware ### Custom Built PC (2020) [PCPartPicker AU](https://au.pcpartpicker.com/list/mC6R7X) This is one of my most prized possessions. Definitely not top-of-the-line but it's my pride and joy - and my first ever PC build. I built this PC during the midst of a state-wide COVID-19 lockdown in a battle against boredom. I'd always wanted to build a PC and I'm glad I finally acted on my urges. Overall, I found the building process to be much more simple than expected and more importantly, rewarding. It was like I was five again and was assembling a Lego set. I had a tonne of fun scouring the internet for sweet deals on parts and learning how to build this machine. I dual-boot [Arch Linux](https://archlinux.org/) (Insert meme: [I](https://github.com/ioalex/dotfiles) [use](https://iusearchbtw.lol/) [Arch](https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxmemes/comments/9xgfxq/why_i_use_arch_btw/) [btw](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=i%20use%20arch%20btw)) and [Windows 11](https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/windows-11). I use Arch daily for [web development](/tech/web-development) and all other typical computer stuff. I primarily use Windows for gaming, but at times run a WSL Linux distro called [Pengwin](https://github.com/WhitewaterFoundry/Pengwin). ### MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015) This is my laptop that I used to use for university. I first started learning web development on this machine. Although I do not use this computer as much as my custom built PC (mainly due to lesser processing power), I do love the portability this laptop provides. Moreover, I must say that I really do enjoy using Mac OSX, the UI is very polished and I like that it is UNIX-based. There's also a lot of Mac-only apps that are really nice. ### iPhone 12 Pro Using a combination of frequent flyer points and hard-earned cash, I was able to get my hands on the iPhone 12 Pro a few months before the 13th generation released. I love using my new phone a little too much. The battery life is amazing when compared with my previous phone (iPhone 7 Plus) - I barely need to use my [RAVPower portable charger](https://www.ravpower.com/products/rp-pb058-usb-c-power-bank) (which is a relief as it's a heavy son-of-a-gun, though incredibly reliable). The iPhone allows me to do things on-the-go and comes in handy when I have any last-minute deadlines. I like to use cross-platform apps. I have many iOS Shortcuts and automations set-up. ### iPad 9th gen. 2021 A gift from my grandma - I use the [iPad](https://www.apple.com/ipad-10.2/) to read articles from a variety of sources - namely [Matter](https://hq.getmatter.app/), [Medium](https://medium.com/) and my read-it-later app of choice, [Instapaper](https://www.instapaper.com/). Moreover, the iPad is my go-to device for reading my Kindle purchases, as well my preferred way to browse Reddit through [Apollo](https://apolloapp.io/). I like to pick up my iPad in the morning to check on any reminders and to-dos. I've slowly started using my iPad more over time and have found myself using it as a hub for brainstorming, exploring and crystalising thoughts. I don't really take it out the house, and mainly use either in bed or in the toilet. ### Sony α6400 Got [this](https://www.sony.com.au/electronics/interchangeable-lens-cameras/ilce-6400) camera through an eBay auction - it was an absolute steal! I use this in conjunction with a [RØDE VideoMic Pro](https://www.rode.com/microphones/videomicpro) that my good friends got me for my birthday. I only have the 16-50mm lens that the Camera Kit was bundled with. I definitely will look to add some lenses to my collection. I decided to hit "Place Bid" because I wanted to capture different parts of my life and also because I was watching a lot of [Potato Jet](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNJe8uQhM2G4jJFRWiM89Wg) at the time. ### Others * **Monitors**: [Acer ED320QR S](https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/39582266) & [ED320QRP](https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/689b2029) * The two monitors are basically the same (both 31.5" Curved & FHD w/ 165Hz). * Dual monitors are awesome, definitely a productivity booster for me. * Held up with my trusty [Brateck LDT47-C024N](https://brateck.com.au/product/mabt-ldt47-c024n/) monitor mount. * **Keyboard**: [Logitech Craft](https://www.logitech.com/en-au/craft/craft-experience.html) * Pretty much got this for the knob. * **Mouse**: [Logitech MX Master 3](https://www.logitech.com/en-au/products/mice/mx-master-3.html) * My favourite mouse of all-time - not that I've tried very many. * Favourite feature: The Hyper-fast Scrollwheel * Second favourite feature: The Easy-Switch button - allows me to switch between my linked devices. * I pair my mouse with the [Carpio 2.0](https://deltahub.io/products/carpio-2) to avoid Carpal tunnel syndrome * **Speakers**: [Audioengine A2+](http://audioengine.com.au/speakers/powered-speakers/a2-powered-speakers/) * A new addition to my setup - a gift from my girlfriend. * The look and sound quality on these speakers are fucking great. * **Headphones**: * [Bose Quietcomfort 35 II](https://www.bose.com.au/en_au/products/headphones/over_ear_headphones/quietcomfort-35-wireless-ii.html#v=qc35_ii_black) * I've had these for years - very reliable and great battery life, perfect for travel. * [AirPods Pro](https://www.apple.com/au/airpods-pro/) * [Jaybird X3](https://www.amazon.com.au/JayBird-Bluetooth-Headset-iPhone-Android/dp/B01M7NCT5O) * **Webcam**: [Logitech C922 Pro Stream](https://www.logitech.com/en-au/products/webcams/c922-pro-stream-webcam.html) * I hate it when my face is mirrored. * **Microphone**: [Audio Technica AT2020](https://audio-technica.com.au/products/at2020/) * I feel like a Twitch streamer when I'm using this. * **Audio Interface**: [Steinberg UR12](https://www.steinberg.net/audio-interfaces/ur12/) * Works great with my microphone. Haven't had any issues using this across the different [operating systems](/tech/computers/operating-systems) I use. * **Docking Station**: [Targus USB-C Universal Dual Video 4K](https://au.targus.com/products/usb-c-universal-dv4k-docking-station-with-100w-power-dock190auz) (freebie from work) * The latest addition to my setup. This is a really cool device that allows me to connect my MacBook and work laptop to my dual monitors, as well as charge them through one USB-C/A cable. * I have a KVM switch hooked to this, so that I can use the same peripherals across my PC and whatever device is linked, with the click of a button. * **Watch**: [Fitbit Versa 2](https://www.fitbit.com/global/au/products/smartwatches/versa) * I use my Fitbit to track and monitor my steps, heart rate and sleep quality. The Fitbit allows me to read notifications from my iPhone, however I usually have this feature disabled as it can be too distracting at times. The battery life is starting to slow down but other than that I can't complain - it's good at what it does! ## Software ### Operating Systems #### Arch Linux My day-to-day workhorse. The installation process was really fun and definitely different to what I had previously experienced. I love that the installation is minimal and bare-bones as it allows me to customise how I do things to my heart's content. The [Arch Wiki](https://wiki.archlinux.org/) is bloody amazing (probably what sold me on Arch) and the [AUR](https://aur.archlinux.org/) community is very active. #### Windows 10 Pretty standard stuff. I use Windows 10 mostly for gaming ([VALORANT](https://playvalorant.com/en-us/)) but do have Ubuntu and Pengwin set-up via WSL2. I must say, the developer experience you get from Pengwin is top notch. #### macOS Everyone's beloved Apple OS. Was a good experience when all I had was my MacBook. [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) has a strong community around it so using the command line gave me no problems. ### What's On My iPhone? #### Mobile Apps As mentioned earlier, I like to use software that is available across different platforms - so a lot of web-based apps. **Productivity** * Todoist * Google Calendar * Notion * Raindrop.io * GitHub * 1Password * IFTTT **Reading** * Gmail * Kindle * Medium * Dev.to * Audible * Instapaper * Readwise * Inoreader * Apollo **Tracking** * Fitbit * MyFitnessPal * Rise Sleep * Day One * EMMO * Habitify * Google Sheets **Music** * Spotify * Brain.fm * Snoozemaker * Airr **Other** * Parcel * Steer #### iOS Shortcuts * Find Gas Nearby * Delayed Time Message * Text Last Image * Make a QR Code #### iOS Automations I generally try to automate anything that I can afford to. The reason being that I want to **simplify** life for myself. In a day, we are limited in the amount of time, energy and focus that we have. By automating different aspects of my life, I set up systems so that I save time and mental energy for more important task, even if its only a few minutes. * When my wake-up alarm is stopped -> Siri Speak Text: Greeting, Current Weather, Precipitation% -> Open Todoist * At 7AM -> Send Message to loved ones * When I arrive to the gym -> Open Google Sheets: Workout Tracker * When I leave the gym -> Show Alert: "Make post-workout protein shake!" * When iPhone is connected to AirPods -> Set Volume to 65% * When battery level is 50% -> Set Low Power Mode On * When iPhone is connected to power -> Set Low Power Mode On * When iPhone is disconnected from power -> Set Low Power Mode Off # Now What's On My Mind? *Last updated on 05/11/2021.* ## 💭 Quote I'm pondering - > "Julius Caesar famously said, **"If you want it done, then go. And if not, then send."** What he meant was, if you want it done right, then you have to go yourself and do it. When you are the principal, then you are the owner—you care, and you will do a great job. When you are the agent and you are doing it on somebody else's behalf, you can do a bad job. You just don't care. You optimize for yourself rather than for the principal's assets." - [Naval Ravikant](https://nav.al/) ## 📚 What I'm [reading](/start/books) - [I Will Teach You to Be Rich](https://www.amazon.com.au/Will-Teach-You-Be-Rich-dp-1523505745/dp/1523505745/) - A popular personal finance book written by [Ramit Sethi](https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/). I've only read up to the second chapter of the book. So far, there hasn't been any new ideas that I've come across. [How To Be Successful](https://blog.samaltman.com/how-to-be-successful) - A blogpost written by [Sam Altman](https://blog.samaltman.com/) that I come back to over and over. The advice and wisdom in this piece are invaluable and are applicable to many. ## 🦸‍♂️ Person I'm studying - [Naval Ravikant](https://nav.al/) - I first came across Naval's work through snippets of his podcast on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh_dVD10YuSghle8g6yjePg). Diving in the rabbit hole, I discovered his book; the [Almanack of Naval Ravikant](https://www.navalmanack.com/). I have read the Almanack more than thrice and will likely go over it again in the near future. Within, he shares his philosophy and ideas on how to be both successful and happy - which are two things I want in life. ## 📰 Newsletter I’m subscribing to - [Daily Market Briefs](https://dailymarketbriefs.com/) - A byte-sized US stock market newsletter that I found browsing [Vincent Chan's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/c/Vincentc). Provides some daily insights for me to explore investment ideas. ## 💼 What I am working on these days - * [dotfiles](https://github.com/ioalex/dotfiles) * [Digital Garden](/) ## 🧪 Other Projects, Experiments & Goals - * Improve my writing enough to feel comfortable sharing on Medium. * Go for runs / walks at least 3 times per week. * Balancing work-from-home life and fixing my poor at-desk posture.
*** This [/now](/start/now) page is inspired by [Derek Sivers](https://sive.rs/nowff) and [Tim Ferriss' 5-Bullet Friday](https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-1/). Just as Derek puts it, I too created this page as **"a public declaration of priorities - a reminder for myself when I'm feeling unfocused."** You can find various /now pages of friendly people from all over the globe at [NowNowNow](https://nownownow.com/). I find that reading what other people are up to and how they're tracking in terms of their goals, makes me feel motivated and inspired. # Books I read books in either their physical or digital eBook form, usually whatever is cheaper at the time. I also like to take advantage of audiobooks and like to listen to them when I am performing chores and other tasks that require low focus. Here is a catalogue of all the books I have read so far... (since 2021): ## 2021 * The Almanack of Naval Ravikant (Eric Jorgenson) * The Art of War (Sun Tzu) * Can't Hurt Me (David Goggins) * Digital Minimalism (Cal Newport) * The Miracle Morning (Hal Elrod) * Xero for Dummies (4th Edition) (Heather Smith) * The Great Salesman in the World (Og Mandino) * The Way to Wealth: Ben Franklin (Benjamin Franklin) * The Simple Path to Wealth (JL Collins) # Life # Principles Principles will make your life much simpler. They will guide your actions in times of uncertainty and provide you with a road-map when life gets tough. Here are some ideas and principles I try to follow: * **Follow the path of most resistance** - when in doubt, choose the more difficult task or what you don’t want to do as that is typically exactly what you should / need to do. If you want to obtain something in life, you must do the things that are outside of your comfort zone. Moreover, I find that the path of most resistance usually leads to the greatest return / reward and fulfilment. * **Sometimes, the work is easier than the workaround** - do not cut corners. Do not waste time looking for the latest and greatest 'hacks' and shortcuts. Most of them don't work or bring only marginal results. Moreover, by cutting corners, your opportunity for growth is cut too. Do the work and your efforts will bear fruit. [Just do it.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsQAXx_ao0) * **Don't stop doing the things that got you out of a bad situation** - sometimes when we get out of a rut, we can slip and start to fall back in as we lose the incentive to work on ourselves. Do not cut corners. Success is built by doing the same things that got us out of a bad situation everyday, over a long period of time. * **Record everything** - journal, video, etc. - the more you record parts of your life (ie. jotting down how you feel at a particular moment in time), the more you will learn about yourself. You will find patterns emerging, revealing relationships between your repeated behaviours and how they make you feel. * **Prioritise and execute** * **Take relentless action** * **Practice consistency over intensity** * Always remember **物极必反** (wù jí bì fǎn); which translates to [Things will develop in the opposite direction when they become extreme](https://baike.baidu.com/item/物极必反/5139) or as Jaden Smith says ["**too much of good stuff is bad stuff**."](https://youtu.be/n_H8UUxsuNA\&start=7\&end=24) Be intentional / deliberate about things and approach in moderation. * An often thrown-around life principle is to "**avoid being the smartest person in the room**." My take on it is to always put yourself in a position to learn things from people smarter or more knowledgeable than you. That being said, do not undermine the ability of others as there is always something to learn from someone else, and you do not want to fall into the trap that is egotism. # Rules # Principles vs Rules # Beliefs Some thoughts that I believe to be mostly true and align with: * No one can compete with you on being you. Most of life is a search for who and what needs you the most. * You do need to be deep in something because otherwise you’ll be a mile wide and an inch deep and you won’t get what you want out of life - find your *something*. * A Native American proverb that I try to live by: "When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die the world cries and you rejoice." # Money ## Quick Links * [Personal Finance](https://github.com/ioalex/garden/blob/main/money/money/personal-finance.md) * [Budgeting](https://github.com/ioalex/garden/blob/main/money/money/budgeting.md) * [Investing](https://github.com/ioalex/garden/blob/main/money/money/investing.md) # Personal Finance I keep a bare minimum of $4,000 AUD across my bank accounts at any time and structure it as follows: * $1,000 AUD as [cash float](#cash-float) in a checking account * With $200 AUD in a separate checking account for everyday spending (eg. dining out, fuel etc.) * $3,000 AUD in a relatively high-interest savings account for [emergency spending](#emergency-fund) (helps me sleep easier at night) ![I call this simple money management!](/files/hBVkYbftHwllTLAwFnuH) I try my best to save / invest at least 50% of my income. To make this easier for myself, I have set a recurring automatic transfer to a high-interest savings account which occurs every payday. This automatic transfer allows me to save without worrying about it, freeing up mental energy which I can allocate into making investment decisions. I like to invest in stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrencies and ideas that interest me. ## Cash Float As mentioned earlier, I keep at least $1,000 as a cash float in my main transactional account. Just like how a small business may keep x amount of money in a cash till, I think it is imperative to have some kind of leeway / buffer that keeps one afloat. Moreover, this main transaction account acts as some sort of central hub that distributes funds to my other accounts. I frequently top-up this account up with every paycheck. ## Emergency Fund This account is strictly for life-threatening emergencies only. Ideally, an emergency fund should hold at least 3-6 months of expenses. I expect the bare minimum for this fund to increase with age. ## Miscellaneous ### Fitbit I keep $100 AUD in a separate transaction account that I have set to Fitbit Pay. These funds are to be used under the following circumstances only: 1. If I lose / forget my wallet or phone while out 2. Any non-life threatening 'emergencies' that can be solved for under $100 ## Quote Dump > “Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ## Links * [Reddit /r/personalfinance: Common Topics](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/commontopics) * Reddit /r/personalfinance: Personal Income Spending Flowchart * [Australia](https://i.imgur.com/NmP4zCu.png) * [USA](https://i.imgur.com/lSoUQr2.png) * [Reddit /r/AusFinance: Your links to financial information in Australia](https://www.reddit.com/r/AusFinance/comments/xme1m/your_links_to_financial_information_in_australia/) # Budgeting My current automation system looks like this: * 50% Savings * 10% * 30% Fixed costs (rent, groceries etc.) * 2% Travel fund * 1% Gift fund * 17% Spend on whatever I want guilt-free I use YNAB methodology to somewhat manage my spending but not proactively. I try to be mindful with my spending at all times and try to never disregard spending on quality healthy food and essentials for my well being. Both N26 & Monzo track spending into categories and do a good job of it. ## Ongoing subscriptions I use the [Bobby iOS app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bobby-track-subscriptions/id1059152023) to track my ongoing subscriptions. I review it every week or so to view any upcoming payments. # Investing ## Links * [Reddit /r/personalfinance: Common Questions on Investing](https://old.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/investing#wiki_can_you_just_recommend_something_extremely_specific_to_get_me_started.3F) # Cryptocurrency # Polkadot # Philanthropy ## Etymology, Definition & Views The word **'philanthropy'** is of Greek origin and is made up of the words **"philos"** (meaning "loving, fond of, tending to") and **"anthropos,"** (meaning "pertaining to man or human beings"). When put together, philanthropy loosely means love of humankind.\[1] The essential meaning of **'philanthropy'** as depicted by [Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philanthropy) is: > the practice of giving money and time to help make life better for other people. The aforementioned definition for **'philanthropy'** is what I believe most people would liken the word to. However, I think people focus more on the money aspect and forget that they can volunteer their time. Though admittedly, I myself at times have faced much less resistance by deciding to donate money instead of my time. \[1] Source: [Online Etymology Dictionary](https://www.etymonline.com/word/philanthropy) ## Causes I care about * [Cancer Council Victoria](https://www.cancervic.org.au/donate/) * [The Fred Hollows Foundation](https://www.hollows.org/au/donate) * [Sens Research Foundations](https://www.sens.org/donate/) * [Ocean Cleanup](https://theoceancleanup.com/donate/) ## Other initiatives that I support * [Archive.org](https://archive.org/donate) * [Wikimedia Foundation](https://donate.wikimedia.org/) * [Humble Bundle](https://www.humblebundle.com/) * [freeCodeCamp](https://www.freecodecamp.org/donate) ## Projects I sponsor / support * [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md) * [Apollo](https://apolloapp.io) ## On ways to give back * Volunteering * Purchasing video games, books and resources on [Humble Bundle](https://www.humblebundle.com/) ## Tax benefits in Australia You can claim a tax deduction for gifts or donations to charities in Australia. However, this only the case when the following conditions are met: * The organisation must be a [deductible gift recipient (DGR)](https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Income-and-deductions/Deductions-you-can-claim/Other-deductions/Gifts-and-donations/#WhatisaDGR) * Gifts or donations must be voluntary and you do not receive or have no expectation to receive any material benefit or advantage in return * Must be of money or property, including financial assets * Must comply with any relevant gift conditions To claim a deduction, you must have a record of your donation such as a receipt. If you made donations of $2 or more to bucket collections, you can claim a tax deduction for gifts up to $10 without a receipt. To claim contributions of more than $10, you will eed a receipt. I like the idea of giving more of my hard-earned money to causes I care about. ## Links * [ATO: Gifts and donations](https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Income-and-deductions/Deductions-you-can-claim/Other-deductions/Gifts-and-donations/) * [ChangePath](https://www.changepath.com.au/index.php) * [Binance Charity](https://www.binance.charity) * [Sublime Fund](https://sublimefund.org) * [1% for the Planet](https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org) # Security # Privacy # Sports Sports pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. (according to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport)) I really like to play and watch sports - basketball 🏀 in particular. I try to push myself to go to the gym 🏋️ consistently. ## Links * [Crafting a Winning Mindset (Even if You Only Have 10 Minutes)](http://www.sportpsychologytoday.com/sport-psychology-for-athletes/a-winning-mindset/) * [Article on The Mamba Mentality](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/path-optimal-living/202001/the-mamba-mentality) # Basketball Yeah, now basketball is my favorite sport. I like the way they dribble up and down the court... 🏀 {% embed url="" %} ## Links * [Basketball Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/) * [The Players' Tribune](https://www.theplayerstribune.com/sports/basketball) # Weightlifting Weighlifting is a sport in which barbells are lifted competitively or as an exercise. I try to improve my overall strength and fitness by going to the gym. ## Links * [Stronger By Science](https://www.strongerbyscience.com/#) # Gaming # RuneScape ## Links * [RuneLite](https://runelite.net) * [OSRS Wiki Optimal Quest Guide](https://oldschool.runescape.wiki/w/Optimal_quest_guide) * [/r/2007scape: Quest Tracker Spreadsheet](https://www.reddit.com/r/2007scape/comments/8iuht8/quest_tracker_spreadsheet/) * [YT: AsukaYen OSRS](https://youtube.com/c/AsukaYenOSRS) * [YT: FlippingOldschool](https://youtube.com/c/FlippingOldschool) * [YT: Theoatrix OSRS](https://youtube.com/c/Theoatrix) * [YT: Slayermusiq1](https://youtube.com/c/slayermusiq1) * [YT: Smallexplamp](https://youtube.com/c/RunescapeExpLamp) # Computers # Operating Systems # Unix Unix is a family of computer operating systems developed in AT\&T's Bell Labs back in the mid-to-late 1960's - which is still very much relevant today. Unix philosophy: 1. One purpose execution 2. A largely standardized interface which operates on text 3. Coiling the Unix systems around core kernel which allows the system and various another process 4. Largely Interoperable \~ Extracted from [Educba](https://www.educba.com/what-is-unix/) ## Notes ## Links * [Basics of the Unix Philosophy](https://homepage.cs.uri.edu/%7Ethenry/resources/unix_art/ch01s06.html) * [Unix Design Philosophy](https://wiki.c2.com/?UnixDesignPhilosophy) * [Unix Way](https://proxy.c2.com/cgi/wiki?UnixWay) # Dotfiles # Shells 🐚 A **Unix shell** is what we call a command-line interpreter. It is responsible for reading our [commands](/tech/computers/operating-systems/unix/commands) and running [programs](/tech/computers/operating-systems/unix/programs) - it takes our **input** and executes a program\[s] based on that input. It then displays that program's output once it has been executed. ## Popular Shells * sh * bash * zsh * fish * csh * tcsh * ksh # Commands # Programs # make `make` is a build automation tool that "controls the generation of executables and other non-source files of a program from the program's source files." This is done by reading instructions stored in Makefiles which specify how to derive the target program. ## Links * [GNU Make](https://www.gnu.org/software/make/) * [How to Create a Self-documenting Makefile](https://victoria.dev/blog/how-to-create-a-self-documenting-makefile/) # Linux # macOS # Windows # Web Development # Front End {% embed url="" %} # Back End # JavaScript ## JavaScript JavaScript is a programming language that allows you to implement complex features on web pages. ## Links * [JavaScript - MDN Web Docs](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript) * [JavaScript Guide - MDN Web Docs](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Guide) * [What is JavaScript? - MDN Web Docs](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn/JavaScript/First_steps/What_is_JavaScript)