Longform
Niceferatu.net
After some consideration, tinkering, and general messing about, I’m pleased to confirm that Niceferatu.net is real! It’s just a place for my comic posts. It’s not a very good comic—but hey, at least I’m trying.
This project is mainly to help me improve my drawing skills, with the hope of one day creating something more longform (like The Denouement novel, but as a comic).
Anyway, this should keep dandelion-utilitarian.com safe from being overrun by badly drawn and very dry vampire comics.
It's all on Micro.Blog now.
I’ve transitioned both Dandelion-utilitarian.com and hexdsl.com to the Dandelion-utilitarian.net platform, powered by Micro.blog. This may sound a bit complex, but simply put, I’m a huge fan of Micro.blog and believe it’s the ideal platform for consolidating my content. While those of you who enjoyed the WordPress site might have mixed feelings about this change, I think it’s a better fit given my reduced focus on videos and other online activities. Micro.blog just feels like the right choice for where I’m headed.
A Tumble, A Timeout, and a Lesson in Less
I remember watching a Batman movie and hearing Alfred say something that stuck with me. It wasn’t even a good Batman movie—if I recall correctly, it was the 1997 offering, Batman & Robin. The film itself doesn’t matter, but the words did. I remember them as: “A gentleman never discusses his health or finances.”
I’m almost certain this wasn’t an original Alfred-ism but rather a phrase with Edwardian roots. Still, it resonated with me, and over the years, it became something of a guideline—not with close friends or family, but in everyday interactions. When asked how I’m doing, I am always excellent, and I never casually discuss financial struggles.
But this time, I’ve been on a health related journey, one worth sharing, and perhaps one worth reading about.
I had been undergoing physiotherapy on my leg for just over a month. My right thigh had a muscle issue that was causing knee pain. Then, one Sunday, I was feeling quite well—so much so that I finally tackled some chores I’d been putting off for a while. As you can imagine, I was in an exceptional mood about my recovery. A mood that was, unfortunately, short-lived.
As I stood at the top of the stairs, my seemingly “fixed” knee failed in its kneely duties. I slid down the stairs, collided with the wall at the bottom, crashed against the rail post, and finally landed—ironically—back on my failed leg. The term calamity feels appropriate.
Since then, I’ve been in a state of recovery. I spent six hours in the hospital’s A&E, only to learn that my leg wasn’t broken—but I had torn whatever it is that makes an ankle do ankle things and given my knee enough of a whack to make it balloon like a potato.
The hospital also ignored my shoulder, clearly recognizing my undeniable manliness and assuming I could simply power through the pain (that’s a lie—they said it was badly bruised and didn’t need treatment. But I know it’s really because of my manly beard!)
In the couple of weeks since my high-speed descent into danger, I’ve experienced some unexpected side effects. Navigating stairs with my problematic limb has been a challenge, and I’ve had to regularly elevate it to reduce swelling. This has unexpectedly left me feeling somewhat… less than.
I’m so used to simply getting on with everything that needs to be done in my life. But having to take an enforced time-out—unable to keep up with chores, walk my dog, or fully focus on my writing—has put me in a pretty shitty mood.
I realized during my first foray into voice chat with a friend—the day after my injury—that I was irritable, short-tempered, and taking quite literally everything as a direct assault. Thankfully, I had enough self-awareness to give myself a week-long time-out. Even after that, I remained cautious about my mood before returning to regular nattering.
So, I took a week off. Not from work—let’s not get confused here. A dude still has bills to pay. I took a week off the internet. For the first time in, quite possibly, my entire adult life. I stopped short of turning off the WiFi, but I closed Discord, stopped checking emails, ignored YouTube, turned off notifications and avoided all news feeds. Instead, I sat, played chess on my iPad, and watched Vampire Diaries (which is a masterpiece, no matter what anyone says! A masterpiece, I tell you!)
In the evenings, I listened to music on my DAP (a Surfans F28), read books, studied scripture, and had some early nights—while doing my best to ignore the pain in my ankle and knee. (I didn’t even think about the shoulder, of course, because of my aforementioned manliness.)
I was still mad at myself for the fall and frustrated that I couldn’t keep up with chores. I know this might sound odd, but I genuinely like doing tasks. I find housework meditative, and walking the dog, playing with the dog—being obsessedwith the dog—is a genuine source of joy in my life. It was hard to do that with constant ankle pain.
But here’s the thing—I found new joy, unexpected joy, in stepping away from the internet in such an intentional way. I’m not someone with a doom-scrolling or social media habit. In fact, I think I have a far healthier relationship with the internet than most people I know. But still, stepping away was wonderful. There was a calm to it, a sense of freedom.
I still used Netflix, Chess.com, and, occasionally, Clip Studio Paint (which I think was using an internet connection sometimes—though I have no idea how that actually works, I just know I like to draw things). But these connections demanded very little from me—cognitively or socially—and it felt great.
Focusing on scripture without notifications distracting me allowed me to engage with the passages more clearly than before. Drawing became more zen-like, and writing—when my throbbing foot allowed—held me in a deeper trance than usual. And, just to hammer this point home, I never even look at notifications. I just clear them and get on with my day… but the total absence of them was noticeable.
This got me thinking—if I, someone who doesn’t have a toxic relationship with the internet, found solace in stepping away from notifications, news, chat apps, and YouTube… then what about the people who do have a bad relationship with it?
I half wish I could just pull the plug for the doom-scrollers and TikTok-obsessed masses. Imagine how freeing it would be to get all that time back. I don’t even think I procrastinate as much as most people I know, but somehow, I felt like I had hours back each day—just from being intentional about my internet use.
My leg is on the mend now, and I’ve started reintroducing things. I’ve slowly returned to voice chats and begun saying good morning in my Discord group. But I’ve also kept notifications off, set my email to “on demand,” and removed a lot of apps from my iPad and phone. Going forward, I think I’ll be using less of the internet, not more. And if I were offline for a long time, I think I’d be just fine—maybe even, possibly, a little better in some ways.
I’d definitely miss the connections I’ve made with people, but I wouldn’t miss all the culture, content, or crap I left behind. Maybe I secretly strive to be a Luddite, or maybe I’m just getting old. Who knows? But one thing’s for sure—I’m a grumpy bastard when I’m in pain.
I think I'm back 😁
I Had an excellent evening of writing. It’s been about a week since I have managed to gather the focus required but I am starting to feel more like myself and generally returning to my usual Zen-like state. I will likely feel more equipped to return to usual activities in a few days.
Also, drafted a blog about health, moods, and personal goals. I’ll proofread it tomorrow and post it. If I think its worthwhile once I go through it again
Fiction post: The Ghost.
The ghost sat alone in his chair as it slowly spun in the ambient draft of the cold office. He was contemplating the wasted hours spent playing video games, making videos, and trying to build a community. The ghost was alone because the body he had once been attached to was currently out in the world. He didn’t care where—it could have been anywhere, really. The ghost gave no thought to where the body had gone, only that it was absent.
The ghost dragged the mouse around the desk like a caveman dragging a rock along the wall of a cave to make rudimentary artistic etchings. The ghost had far less lofty goals; he simply scrolled through Reddit for a bit and then checked in on some of the more problematic social networks. After a while, feeling ghastly, the ghost decided to check the comments on his ghost-ship of a YouTube channel. The ghost still cared about the channel—the remnants of things that could have been. He reflected on the fact that he had once been a quadruple-Z-list internet person of interest. He wanted to feel good about that, to reclaim some of the faded glory and paint it onto his ghostly form in hopes of using it to become a body of his own—maybe even become somebody.
Chess. I forgot about it.
When I was a kid, chess appeared to be a game of magic. The mere concept of it captivated me. However, I must admit that this fascination was partly because of my limited exposure to the game, as I had primarily learned about chess through cartoon magicians, old fantasy movies, and this one artefact in my home.
The artefact in question was a small table, far too short to be useful. It was crafted from dark brown wood and had ornate, wavey legs. The top was so shiny that it resembled glass to me—it was a glossy, polished wooden chessboard. I distinctly remember that it lifted up to reveal a green felt lining that held the delicate chess pieces safe.
I have since been assured by my mother that the chess table was an ugly old thing with a loose leg and plastic chess pieces. It wasn’t highly polished at all; it was just slightly shiny because it was plastic on the top.
My dad taught me the basics of the game, although I don’t recall him ever having any interest in it. From what I understand, the table was more of a common early eighties home decoration than a sign of enthusiasm for the game. I had a feeling it was more often used to hold wine glasses it was than used to play on.
I have no idea what happened to that old table. It might be somewhere in the spider-infested loft of my home, but I’m not brave enough to embark on that quest.
LumaFusion and the Power of the Cross-Platform App
LumaFusion is a video editing application, and in my experience, it’s pretty good. But what really blows me away is that it’s an example of a truly platform-agnostic app—at least within the Apple ecosystem.
I purchased it on my iPad (a 13 inch M2 iPad Air) for around £30. My main use case is editing short animation clips and using a proper video editor to manage transitions and link them together. While I’m very familiar with Kdenlive, I wanted something I could use on my iPad.
For my needs, LumaFusion is ideal. But what really impressed me wasn’t just the application itself—it was how seamlessly it adapts across different Apple devices.
It was originally designed as an iPad app, and it takes full advantage of the hardware. But it also works flawlessly on macOS, with full support for keyboard shortcuts, mouse interaction, and fullscreen mode.
I was also surprised to find that I could install it on my iPhone. While I doubt I’ll ever use it much on such a small screen, it’s nice to have the option.
This kind of cross-device compatibility feels unique to the Apple ecosystem. While I would never have switched to Apple just for these little perks, I have to admit—it’s really nice to have apps that don’t feel compromised on any platform. I doubt we’ll ever see a Windows application that installs on a phone as seamlessly as this.
It all feels like magic.
The Creative Gym (Learning art with no natural aptitude)
Humans make things. Whether this creative urge is unique to us or a common trait among all species that reach our level of social and technological development remains a mystery. It is also worth noting that the creative urge does not exist in all members of our species. Many people are perfectly content watching Netflix and eating cereal out of a box. Strangely, there has never been societal pressure to be creative. There is pressure to get a job and pay bills, get an education, and shower from time to time. But failing to find motivation to create does not cause any social issues at all.
Most of my friends create things. I know artists, coders, tinkerers, and writers. Most people in my life are working on a “project” or some other general creative task. I enjoy getting updates on their creations, even when I don’t entirely follow what they’re working on. There is something absolutely wonderful about listening to someone talk about what they are making. There’s an intimate passion that oozes from them when they speak of their “work.”
I have never thought of myself as creative—which is strange, considering my major pastime is writing fiction. I have published books, novellas, blogs, and even videos, and I have been doing so for years. I love storytelling. Writing has been the best way for me to do it.
Is my future offline?
As I’m sure many of you have noticed, I have recently been on something of a cleanse. Ejecting things from my life which I feel are no longer relevant. Trying my best to live intentionally and considering what adds value to my life, and what are things which I use as crouches for someone I used to be. Towards the end of this year, I am hoping to be in a financial position where I can buy a camper van and have little weekend excursions with my dog. I one day hope to retire into a mobile home of some kind and visit Europe, assuming there is a way to have my dog come with me, that is.
This pipe-dream about a small space, mobile future has been leaking into the decisions I make day to day. While I am a fair way away from having to think about the practical things, I have something of a clear thought pattern. I have likely mentioned it here before:
Digital Minimalism?
I have spent some time reading the Cal newport book ‘Digital Minimalism.’ I’m not that far in, but I picked it up because I was feeling a ‘thing,’ the book, so far, has made me double feel that ‘thing.’ I need to write a full post about the ‘thing.’
The ‘thing,’ if anyone is wondering, is the realisation that I am unhappy with the amount of time I spend attached to the internet, and to my screens. I don’t even think I spend that much time on here compared to most people. I read a while back that the average screen time per day is about 6 hours. Which seems mad to me. My average is about 2 hours, and that feels excessive!
My laptop probably gets more, but that’s when I’m writing. I enjoy writing and don’t really think of it as screen time, despite it literally being that. I think of it as keyboard time.
the paradoxical thing is that I have been reading the digital minimalism book on a Kindle, which is a screen. - I suppose wen I tlak about ‘screen,’ I actually mean ‘internet’