Ping

A busy and productive day. I have an in-person presentation in Singapore coming up in a few weeks, and today I finally finalized the topic and outline. Now the real challenge begins. I need to stitch together a story that is not just coherent, but thought-provoking, insightful, fun, and worth remembering with some solid takeaways.

Every idea in this story must connect, every argument must resonate, and every moment must hold value. I have fifty minutes for this adventure, and intend to make every minute count.

This is not just about presenting. It is about making people think, challenging assumptions, and leaving a lasting impact.

I am looking forward to this. It is going to be a lot of fun!

DNS propagation for jark.me is complete.

The migration from Wordpress.com to Ghost Pro is finalized, and jark.me now resides in its new permanent home.

The shift was not just technical, but philosophical. Wordpress has become bloated, sluggish, and cumbersome. Writing in it feels like an uphill battle, buried beneath unnecessary complexity. It remains a great CMS, but has lost its way as a writing platform.

Ghost, on the other hand, is a masterclass in balance. Elegant and minimal on the surface, yet powerful and sophisticated beneath. It moves with speed, responds with precision, and strips away the noise.

Writing tools should never get in the way.

More thoughts on this transition later.

Okay Tokyo, it is time to break free from this relentless cold. Raise the temperature, push beyond the single digits, and let the air carry something more than this lingering chill.

Here is an idea: consider increasing the temperature to at least be in the mid-teens. This daily sub-10°c existence is not doing it for me.

Crafting a powerful thought leadership piece demands time, precision, and relentless refinement.

Today, I spent four, maybe five hours immersed in the process, shaping each idea with intent, revising, iterating, and reworking until it aligned with the vision. Yet even now, it feels unfinished.

True thought leadership is never static. Hopefully, the result is compelling, sharp, and filled with unique insights.

The site is finally where it needs to be, and the domain is now migrating. A major step forward. Now the focus shifts to fine tuning the backend, making the necessary technical adjustments to ensure everything runs flawlessly. It will take a few days, but perfection is never rushed.

Until then, small refinements will continue. Every detail matters.

Like any true work of art, this is never finished, only ever evolving.

Finally perfected the "specialties" section, locking in the design exactly as envisioned. Now it flows seamlessly across all screens, from desktops to tablets to phones.

Completely blanked on CSS logic at first, throwing an @media tag before defining the grid. The result? A total mess. The <div> container styling overrode everything, leaving the responsiveness dead on arrival.

The fix was almost embarrassingly simple. Move the @media definition after the grid definition, and bam, flawless execution.

Today is a day of refinement. The fonts must be sharpened, the header navigation tightened, and the placement of social media icons in the header decided with precision. The footer must be reworked, not just to look better, but to feel more deliberate.

Details define design. Small adjustments shape the entire experience.

Finally achieved meaningful progress on the "specialties" section of the front page. The four-column layout now holds the structure and elements I envisioned. A small victory, but not a complete one.

The final challenge remains. Responsiveness.

On a desktop, the section aligns with precision. On a phone, it collapses into chaos.

A clear testament to my flawed mastery of CSS, a reminder perfection is never immediate. The solution exists, hidden in the logic of the code, waiting to be uncovered, likely by someone other than myself.

Every problem has an answer. Every obstacle, a way through.

Working to add a four-column "specialities" block beneath the hero section and above the first ping, but the design refuses to align with my vision. My CSS skills are abysmal, a glaring weakness in need of some serious refinement.

This one final section stands between me and completing the updated design. If I can get it right, the site will be ready for me to officially complete the migration from Wordpress to Ghost, and begin pointing the domain(s) here.

The goal is clear. The deadline is set. By Friday, one way or another, this will be done.

How the fsck is it February already?

Time moves with ruthless indifference, pulling days forward without pause or permission. January felt like a breath, a blink, a fleeting shadow. Now February stands before the entire planet, an undeniable reminder momentum never slows.

Where did the hours go, the moments vanish, the days dissolve? The year accelerates, and with it, the weight of what is yet undone.

If X, aka Twitter, is your main news source, you are not informed, you are indoctrinated. It is an echo chamber of outrage, where keyboard warriors recycle propaganda and call it truth

If you believe California is the pinnacle of corruption, your critical thinking skills need a full system reboot.

Life rarely grants extraordinary opportunities, and when it does, they usually arrive with unseen burdens. Rare rewards require real risk. Great gains demand great givings. Even the most promising path conceals hidden costs. Choices come with consequences, sacrifices shape success, and no decision is without weight.

What seems golden at first glance may demand more than expected. Caution breeds doubt, certainty feels distant, unseen costs emerge. The question is never just what is gained, but what must be lost. To step forward is to leave something behind. To choose one path is to close another.

Deep reflection is necessary, but hesitation is the true enemy. Deliberate, decide, and do not dwell. Regret weakens resolve, doubt dulls direction, looking back leads nowhere.

Once the choice is made, own it fully.

What is left behind was never meant to be. What lies ahead is the only reality worth pursuing.

Wisdom comes from many voices but truth comes from within.

Listen, learn, leverage perspective. Take in advice from those you trust, family, friends, mentors, and allies, but never let their words drown out your own intuition. The mind analyzes, the heart hopes, but the gut knows.

When instinct defies consensus, when logic and feeling collide, trust the force guiding you through every unseen storm. Doubt deceives, fear falters, instinct ignites.

The correct path is often the one only you can see.

True wisdom is not found in solitude. It is forged in conversation, sharpened by perspective, strengthened by those who challenge, guide, and uplift. I am profoundly grateful for the brilliant, bold, and battle-tested friends, mentors, and colleagues who stand beside me, offering insight when the path is not entirely clear. Their words carry weight, their wisdom brings balance, their presence fuels perseverance.

In moments of uncertainty, when choices feel impossible, they provide comprehension, courage, and conviction even if their advice points in different directions. No journey is walked alone. No decision is made in isolation. The right minds, the right voices, the right counsel transform obstacles into opportunities.

Perspective brings power, insight ignites intention, counsel creates clarity. To have minds I trust, voices I respect, and advice challenging my thinking is a gift beyond measure. Whether the choice is simple or the decision is daunting, knowing I do not face it alone is a strength in itself.

Paths may diverge, but true friends remain.

An explosive surge for CRWD, skyrocketing from $377 to $408 overnight, even hitting $410 at one point. How much higher will it climb? More significant than the price jump is CrowdStrike shattering the $100B market cap barrier, a milestone cementing its dominance in the cyber security vendor space.

With their financial year closing at the end of the business day on January 31, the FY25 earnings report coming in late February or early March will be pivotal. Will it be the catalyst propelling the stock even further? Historically, CRWD drops significantly after each earnings call, which I expect will happen again. The question is will the current momentum be able to sustain further growth later in the year?

Today has been relentless, leaving no time to refine the site. The hours have been consumed by work and other pressing demands. Amid the chaos, I carved out a moment to write a lengthy blog post on fleeting moments, a reflection on how time moves, but that is essentially all for now.

Xanthos, my beloved and strikingly beautiful single-speed machine, has just received its first cleansing of 2025, emerging sleek and flawless. She is looking absolutely stunning.

Lately, I have been contemplating an upgrade, installing a SRAM eTap AXS Force groupset to elevate her capabilities. The idea is simple but strategic. One bike stays locked into the Wahoo Kickr, always primed for indoor training. The other remains untethered, ready to tear through the streets the moment conditions align.

It is a costly upgrade, but provides precision, efficiency, and freedom. Every ride should be nothing less than perfection.